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HISTORY OF
MIAMI COUNTY
INDIANA
A Narrative Account of Its Historical Progress, Its People
and Its Principal Interests
Edited by
MR. ARTHUR L. BODURTHA
ADVISORY EDITORS
Mr. it. p. Loveland
Mr. James W. Hurst
Hon. Chas. A. Cole
Mr. Alfred E. Zehring
VOLUME II
ILLUSTRATED
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK
1914
THK NEW YORK
• -, UENOX AND
;jV0UNDAT10NS!
THE NEW YORK
]PVBUC LIBRARY
ASTOD, LFNOX
<^l444 iJ
History of Miami County
James B. Fulwiler. A i-emarkahle lilc, one replete with experience
and achievement and the persistent honor paid to a character of rigid
honesty and integrity was that of the late James B. Fulwiler, one of
Miami county's earliest pioneers, a mcrcliant. and t'oi- many years promi-
nent in public affairs.
The late James B. Fulwiler was born in Perry county, Pennsylvania,
September 5, 1812, and died on September 6, 1906, at the a.ge of ninety-
six years and one day. The ancestry went back to Swiss origin, and in
Pennsylvania the family i'uriiislied several notable names. Abraham
Fulwiler, the father, was one of the first graduates of Dickinson's college
of Pennsylvania, and at his death in 1830 left a large estate. The
mothei"'s maiden name was Black, her father being a Presbyterian minis-
ter, and hei' cousin being a cal)inet ot'dcer in Pivsident Buchanan's admin-
istration. James B. Fulwiler attained a more than ordinary education in
one of the chief academic institutions at Pennsylvania at the time and
was twenty-three years when he came west and located at T*eru, Indiana.
This was in i\lay, 1834, and if the readt'i- will turn to the pages of
genei-al history found elsewheiH' in this work, he will readily see that
this was one of the earliest years in the development of this county and
city. lie brought to Peru a stock of merchandise, and became manager
of one of the early stores here, the proprietor of which was Samuel Pike.
Mr. Fulwiler 's career as a merchant was also noted with public service.
In 1838 his friends forced upon him a nomination for the state legisla-
ture, but he was d<'feated as he expected to be. He took a conunon-sense
view of the internal improvement projects of that time, and as his cam-
paign arguments tended to disillusion many of the regimes and antici-
pations of the Indiana eiti/ens in this vicinity, he did not prove popular
and a less clear-sighted, if not less scrupulous candidate was preferred
in his stead ; However, in about two years his views were seen to be the
practical ones, and there was hardly a politician anywhere in the state
who would have jirominently put forward the propositions which had
so nmch popularity only a few months before. Mr. Fulwiler in 18-13
returned to Pennsylvania and on a large body of land in Schuylkill
county, aside of his father's estate, opened up and began mining opera-
tions on thirteen veins of anthracite coal. On this property ^Ir. Fulwiler
platted the town of Fremont, now one of the tlourishing cities in the
great anthracite regions of Pennsylvania. In 1847 Mr. Fulwiler was
elected clerk of the jNIiami circuit court, and held the office until June
6, 1855, when he was succeeded by Alexander P>lake. He was in 1860
delegate at large from the state of Indiana to the Democratic National
convention, which nominated Stephen A. Douglas, as candidate of the
northern Democrats for the office of president. In 1861 :\[r. Fulwiler
441
442 HISTORY OV MIAMI COUNTY
bought a large retail and wholesale grocery in Peru and in 1865 bought
a half interest in a furniture manufacturing establishment, which ten
days later burned to the ground without insurance. During the late
sixties, he dealt extensively in Kansas and Iowa lands, and was very
successful for some time, but eventually this business nearly ruined him
financially. Through all his career of various business endeavors, and
activity in public life, the late Mr. Fulvviler retained a character that
neither the pressure of circumstances nor the advocacy of friends nor the
opposition of enemies could swerve him from the path of rectitude. For
many years, during the latter part of his life, he held the office of justice
of the peace in the city of Peru, and having pursued studies in law at an
early period in his life, was well-fitted for the duties of justice, which
he performed with eminent satisfaction to all concerned.
The late James B. Fulwiler was married JMarch 7, 1837, to Pauline
Aveline, daughter of Frances Aveline of Vincennes. Mrs. Fulwiler, who
died many years ago, was the mother of the following children : Julia,
wife of Harry F. Clark ; Louis B. ; Fannie, wife of James R. Hamlin ;
Frank ; William ; Clarence ; and Ada.
Louis B. Fulwiler. A son of the Peru pioneer whose career has been
briefly sketched above, Louis B. Fulwiler was one of the oldest native
residents of Peru, and for many years has been prominently identified
with business and public affairs in this city and in the state. Through
his own life he has added distinctions to the many honors which are asso-
ciated with the name of Fulwiler in Miami county. Louis B. Fulwiler
was born in the city of Peru July 13, 1842. He was educated in the
schools which existed in this city during the later forties and fifties, and
in 1861, at the age of nineteen began his career as a clerk in a railroad
office at Peoria, Illinois. This position he resigned in order to join the
army, and give his individual service for the preservation of the Union.
He returned to Peru in order to enlist from his native city, and in May,
1861, became a member of Company A of the Twentieth Indiana Infan-
try, under Captain John Van Volkenburgh. His enlistment was for a
period of three years or until the end of the war, but a wound disabled
him for service and he received his honorable discharge in August, 1862.
At the memorable battle fought in Hampton Roads, between the Monitor
and JNIerrimac, his regiment was stationed on the shore and within firing
distance so that he had a complete view of that first great conflict be-
tween iron clad war vessels. On the first of the seven days fighting before
Richmond he was shot through the left leg, was taken to the hospital in
Philadelphia, and thence removed to his uncle's home in the same city
where his leg was amputated. This injury terminated his services as a
soldier, and he returned home. He had sacrificed a great deal for his
country, though he was at the front only about fifteen months, for in
addition to the wound which deprived him of a leg, he was for seven
weeks ill with typhoid fever.
Mr. Fulwiler on returning to Peru became deputy in the county
clerk's office, an office which he filled from 1863 to 1870. During the
eight years following that he served as county auditor. This official
service was his introduction to a larger public and business life of his
home city. For ten years he was editor and manager of the Miami
County Sentinel, a paper which under his direction reached a higher
standard as a journal and organized influence. In 1901 Mr. Fulwiler
assisted in the organization of the Home Telephone Company, and dur-
ing the following years when the company was perfecting its organization
and facilities throughout this vicinity he was president during this time.
The Home Telephone Company sold its business on August 31, 1912, to
HISTORY OF :\IIA:\II county 44;}
the Bell Telephone Company. In 1901 Mr. Fulwiler was appointed by
Governor Durhin a trustee of the Sokliers' ITonie at Lafayette, and he
has remained on the board ever sinec and since li)03 has been secretary
of tlie l)oard. In polities Mr. Fnlwih-r is a Democrat, and is affiliated
with the Kni^dils of Pytiiias and the Grand Ai-iiiy of the Republic. He
has l)een prominent in botli liis ri-atcrnal OJ'dcrs, liaviiif;: passed all the
chairs in the Knights of Pythias Lodge, and was a charter member and
honored as tlie first comniandcT of the G. A. R. Post.
Joseph N. TilTvETT. A native son of ^liami county and ;i represen-
tative of one of its honored ])ioncer ramilies, Judge Tillett iuis gained
secure prestige as one of the leading mend^ers of the bar of the county
and is now serving witli al)ility and distinction on the bench of the
Fifty-first .iudicial circuit of the state. This high official preferment
indicates beyond peradvenlure that he has secure vantage-ground in
popular confidence and esteem and that to him there can be no applica-
tion of the scriptural aphorism that "a proi)het is not without honor save
in his own country." lie is one of the liberal and pu))lic-spirited
citizens of Peru, the .judicial center of his native county, and the com-
munity has granted to him a circle of friends that is coincident with
that of his acciuaintanees.
Judge Tillett was born on the old homestead farm of the family, in
Peru township, on the 27th of November, 1865, and is the youngest in
a family of four sons and three daughters, all of whom are living ex-
cept the oldest mend)er of family, Romaze M. Boone. He is a son of
William and Fli/.abeth (Grimes) Tillett, the former of whom was born
in Vii'ginia and the latter in Ohio. William Tillett was a boy at the
time of the family removal from the historic Old Dominion common-
wealth to the state of liuliana. about the year 1829, and his parents,
James and Susannah (Buck) Tillett, were representatives of sterling
old fajuilies that were founded in Virginia in the colonial days. James
Tillett first settled in Wayne county, where he remained until 1834,
wlien he removed with his family to ]\liami county and nuud)ered him-
self among its pioneer settlers. lie secured a tract of wild land in the
midst of the forests of Peru township, there erected his primitive log
cabin and there instituted the reclamation of a farm. Both he and his
wife remained on the old homestead until their death and the names of
both inerit enduring place on the roll of the honored pioneers who con-
tributed their ([uota to the social and industrial development of ^Nliami
county. James Tillett was a staunch Democrat of the true Jacksonian
type, and in the pioneer community he became a citizen of no little in-
fluence in pifblic affairs, as is indicated l).y the fact that he served for
some time in the office of county commissioner.
Reared to years of maturity und(M' the sturdy discipline of the
pioneer farm, William TiUett received in his youth but limited educa-
tional advantages of s])ecific order, owing to the exigencies and condi-
tions of time and place, but through ambition and close application to
study in an independent way he gained a good i)ractical education, as
shown by his proving himself eligible for ])edagogic honors. He was
a successful and popular teacher in the district schools of his home
county for some time and in the meanwhile he liad the varied expe-
riences that marked the life of the average pioneer. He gained reputa-
tion, like Nimi'od of old, as a ''mighty hunter," and his prowess was
shown in his supplying the family larder with deer, wild turkey and an
occasional bear, as wild game was most plentiful in this section of the
state during the years. of his youth and early manhood. He became
one of the substantial and representative agriculturists of the county,
444 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
was a citizen of the highest integrity of purpose and ever commanded
the unqualified esteem of his fellow men. His was a life of consecutive
industry, unmarked by dramatic incidents or ostentation, but prolific
in usefulness and honor. His loved and devoted wife, who proved a
true helpmeet, was a woman of noble character and most attractive per-
sonality, — one who held the affectionate regard of all who came within
the sphere of her gentle influence. She likewise had been a popular
teacher in the common schools of Miami county, prior to her marriage,
and made the home one of ideal order in its atmosphere and associations.
She was summoned to eternal rest on the 8nth of March, 1901, a devout
member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and her bereaved husband
did not long survive her, as he passed away on the 6th of February, 1903.
Though never a seeker of public office, William Tillett was ever ready
to lend his aid in the furtherance of enterprises and measures projected
for the general good of the community, and his political allegiance was
given to the Democratic jiarty.
Judge Joseph Newton Tillett gained his early experience in connec-
tion with the W'Ork of the home farm, w'here he waxed strong in brain
and brawn and eventually found his ambition quickened wdth a desire
for a broader sphere of endeavor. His preliminary education was
acquired in the district schools and was supplemented by two years of
study in the public schools of Peru. In 1883 he was matriculated in
Wabash College, at Crawfordsville, in which he was graduated as a
member of the class of 1888 and from which he received the degree of
Bachelor of Science. In the autumn of the same year, in preparation
for the W'Ork of his chosen profession, he entered the law^ department
of the great University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor; and in the same
he was graduated as a member of the class of 1890, with the degree
of Bachelor of Laws.
Immediately after his graduation Judge Tillett was admitted to the
bar of his native state and engaged in the practice of law at Peru, the
capital of liis native county, w'here he formed a professional partner-
ship with Nott N. Antrim, under the firm name of Antrim & Tillett.
He soon proved his resourcefulness as an able trial lawyer and well
fortified counselor, and thus his professional novitiate was marked by
success which effectively presaged the advancement wdiich he has since
gained in his chosen vocation. The partnership alliance continued until
1894, when Mr. Tillett was elected prosecuting attorney of his native
county, an office in which he made a splendid record, with the result
that he w^as re-elected at the expiration of his first term and thus served
four consecutive years as public prosecutoi". He handled many im-
portant cases within this period and through his ability in this connec-
tion he greatly advanced his professional reputation. Upon retiring
from office Judge Tillett resumed the independent practice of his pro-
fession, and he built up a large and substantial law business, with a
clientage of representative order. In 1902 there came a well merited
recognition of his character and technical ability, in that he was elected
to the bench of the Fifty-first judicial circuit, of which important office
he has since continued the valued incumbent, through re-election in
1908, his present term expiring in 1914. On the bench his opinions have
been marked by broad coneeptions of the principles of equity and justice,
by a thorough knowledge of law and precedent and by a judicial wisdom
that has made his decisions fair and impartial, few of them having met
with reversal by courts of higher jurisdiction. Fidelity and a high
sense of stewardship have been shown by Judge Tillett in all the rela-
tions of life, and he well merits the high regard in which he is held in
his native county.
PIISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 445
Rejii-('(1 in the f'aitli of llic Dcinocrati*' ])arty and a firm believer in
its basic principles and politics, Judge Tillett has never wavered in his
allegiance to the same and has given effective service in behalf of the
party cause, the present national ascendancy of which he naturally
views with coiiii^laccncy. The attractive residence of Judge Tilh'tt is
situated on a part of the old iioiiiestead farm on whicli he wjus l)orn, the
same lying contiguous to the city of Peru, and this attractive home
is known as a center of culture(| and gracious hospitality, with ^Irs.
Tilh'tt as its popular chatelaine. I)0th Judge and Mrs. Tillett are zeal-
ous meud)ers of the iMethodist Episcopal church in Peru.
On the 10th of August, 1893, was solemnized the marriage of Judge
Tillett to Miss Hlizabetii l>al(lwin, of Washington, this state, and they
have two children, Lois Elizabeth and Hobei-t Baldwin, both of whom
remain at the parental home.
Michael Horan. With the death of Michael Iloran on January
17, 1913, there passed fi-om the I'anks of local citizenship one of the old-
est and most highly respected men of Peru. For more than half a
century he had been identified with business and civic affairs. Of a
genial and generous disposition, he had made friends wherever he was,
and along with a talent for nuiking friendship he also possessed keen'
business judgment and accumulated a competence for himself and
i'amily.
IMichael Iloran was a native of Ireland, his birth occurring in Ros-
common county, Septendjer 22, 18-11, a son of ]\Iichael and ]\Iargai-et
(Byrne) Iloran. When he was six years old the father and other
members of the family came to America. When an infant he had lost
his mother, and he remaincnl in Irehind up to 1857, attaining most
of his t'ducation in that country, and in the latter year crossed tlie
Atlantic and joined the rest of the family in Hamilton, Ohio. He spent
three years as a student iu the Hamilton high school and also studied
under a special tutor. He was ambitious to become a civil engineer
and directed his studies toward that end.
Mr. Horan took up his residence in Peru in 1861. For some time
he was at work as a painter, an occupation which he had followed more
or less since boyhood. In 1880, in line witli his regular profession he
was elected surveyor of Miami county and held that position for eight
years, and for nine years he was city engineer of Peru. He was always
an active Democrat.
At the time of his death ^Ir. Horan owned three farms, one in
Richland township, consisting of eighty acres, one in Deer Creek town-
ship, also of eighty acres, and one in Peru towTiship of seventy-four
acres, and was also the owner of several valuable realty interests.
When he first came to Peru his brothers were engaged in opei-ating a
plow factory here, and when not engaged in painting he worked in this
factory for a time. Michael Horan had come to America a poor boy
and had almost a typical career of progress and prosperity. He was
industrious and economical and strictly honest to the cent. In this
way he not only accunnilated the farms ali'eady enumerated, but con-
siderable city ])roperty as well. While he was reared a Catholic he
was a UKMuber of no i-eligious organization.
Mr. Horan was married September 23, 1886, to Miss p]lizabeth
Campbell, a daughter of John and Rebecca (Spenee) Campbell, and a
granddaughter of William Campbell, who was a native of Scotland,
and who iiiai'ried Elizabeth Robinson. When William Campbell was two
years old, in 1794, he accompanied his father John Campbell and other
members of the family' to America, locating in Path Valley near Cham-
446 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
bersbiirg, Pennsylvania. In that locality the family attained what was
known in pioneer times as a "tomahawk claim." "William Campbell
was married and spent the remainder of his life in Pennsylvania. Among
his children were John Campbell, who was born in Pennsylvania, Jan-
uary 10, 1821, and who until a few years ago w^as one of the old and
honored pioneer residents of Miami county. He learned the trade of
tailor, and when about twenty-one years of age came west by canal
and on foot to Lafayette, Indiana. In 1849 he bought one hundred and
sixty acres of land in Jackson township of Cass county, built a log
cabin in a clearing, and after years of toil and self-sacrifice cleared up
and perfected a splendid country estate. He was twice married, his
second wife being Miss Rebecca Spence, a daughter of John and Esther
Spence. The children of John Campbell by this second marriage were
Elizabeth, Mrs. Horan ; "William and Wilson, twins ; John, who died
at the age of twenty-seven; Viola; and Mary 0.
Mr. Horan and wife had two sons, John and Thomas. John is
at present time city engineer of Peru, and Thomas is a student in the
state university of Indiana. Mrs. Horan, the mother, still resides in
Peru, and enjoys the respect and esteem of a large circle of Miami
county people, who remember with affection not only her late husband,
but also her honored pioneer father.
John J. Kreutzer. A resident of the thriving little city of Peru,
judicial center of ]\Iiami county, from the time of his nativity to the
present, Mr. Kreutzer has been a representative factor in business activi-
ties and in the promotion of enterprises and measures tending to advance
the civic and material welfare of his native city and county. That there
can be in his case no application of the scriptural aphorism that "a
prophet is not without honor save in his own country" needs no further
voucher than the statement that he is now serving as mayor of Peru,
in which chief executive office of the municipal government he is giving
a most efficient and progressive administration, with the earnest co-
operation of the other city officials and the general public.
Mayor Kreutzer was iDorn in Peru on the 16th of December, 1857,
and is a scion of one of the old and honored families of Miami county.
He is a son of Jacob and ^Margaret (Lang) Kreutzer, the former a native
of Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, and the latter of Bavaria, their mar-
riage having been solemnized in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
in 1854. Jacob Kreutzer was a child at the time of the family immi-
gration to America and the home was established in Auglaize county,
Ohio, where he was reared to adult age and received good educational
advantages, as gauged by the standards of the locality and period. A
man of ambitions and self-reliance, his activities could not long be
directed along secondary or dependent lines, and in April, 1852, he
came to Indiana and established his home in Peru, which was then
a mere village in the midst of a country that w^as in process of develop-
ment. He established himself in the general merchandise business, by
opening a modest store on South Broadway, near the Wabash river,
and after thus initiating his independent career as an Indiana mer-
chant he soon gained the sustaining influence and sympathy of the young
woman who was to prove his devoted companion and helpmeet and the
loving mother of his children, his marriage to Miss Margaret Lang
having been solemnized in 1854, as previously noted in this context.
Jacob Kreutzer continued to hold precedence as one of the leading
merchants of Peru for more than forty years and was one of the most
widely known and highly honored business men of the county at the
time of his retirement from mercantile pursuits, when well advanced
HISTORY OF :\riAMI COUNTY 447
in years. Secure in the liigh regard of all who knew him and recog-
nized as a loyal and ])iil)li('-s|)iri1ed citizen, he passed the closing period
of his long and usct'iil life in gracious retirement from the cares and
exactions of business and at his pleasant old lioine in Peiai he Avas sum-
moned to the life eternal in July, 1!>()5, his cherished and devoted wife
having passed away in Jamniry, 1 !)()!, after their ideal companionship
liad continued for nearly half a century. Of their six children two
sons and three daughtc^rs are living, and all may well revere the mem-
ory of the ])arents, whose lives were unostentatious but tilled Avith.
worthy achi^'vement and replete with kindly thoughts ami kindly deeds.
Jacob Kreutzer was a staunch Democrat in his political proclivities
and both he and his wife were zealous and devout coinnninicants of
the Catholie cliureh, the noble mother of Christendom. For many
years Mr. Kreutzer was a member of the directorate of the First Na-
tional Bank of Peru and he was the owner of valuable real estate in his
home city. As a eitizeii and business man he left an unblemished
reputation antl his name merits a place of honor on the roster of the
pioneer merchants and sterling men of Miami county.
The pulJic and parochial schools of Peru afforded to the city's
present nuiyor his early educational advantages and this discipline was
supplemented by his attending St. .Mary's Institute, at Dayton, Ohio,
for two years, and by one year of study in the great Notre Dame Uni-
versity, at South Bend, Indiana. After his retirement from the univer-
sity Mr. Kreutzer continued to be actively associated with his father's
mercantile business until iu' had attained to the age of twenty-four
years, after which he held, for a period of about six months, a clerical
position in the First National Bank of Peru. He then assumed the
position of clerk and bookkeeper in the offices of the Cole brewery, with
wdiich he continued to be identitied for several years. In ]889 he became
interested with others in the establishing of a glass manufactory in
Peru, and the enteri)rise was successfully continued for a period of
about ten years, when the failure of supply of natural gas rendered
the venture unprofitable, with the result that the factory was closed.
Thereafter Mr. Kreutzer was one of the interested principals and an
active executive of the Peru Grocery Company, a wholesale concern,
until 1908, since which time he has given his attention to the general
insurance business, in which he has built up a substantial and prosperous
enterprise, as representative of leading insurance companies. To this
business he gives his personal supervision to such extent as is possible
in connection Avith the demand placed upon him in the office of mayor of
his native city, to which maximum position of trust in connection with
municipal affairs he was elected in November, 1909, for a term of four
years. Signally loyal to his home city and deeply interested in every-
thing that tends to advance its social and material welfare, he has
shown much ability in directing the municipal government along pro-
gressive lines with due conservatism in the expenditure of the city
revenues. His regime has lu-ought about nuuKM-ous public improve-
ments and has gained to him unequivocal popular approval.
In politics ]\Ir. Kreutzer has ever given unswerving allegiance to
the Democratic party, and it is needless to say that he view's with com-
placency the ascendancy of the same in national affairs since the election
of November, 1912. Both he and his wife are conununicants of the
Catholic church, in which they hold membership in the parish of St.
Charles church, willi liberality and zeal in the support of parochial
and diocesan activities.
On the 18th of June, 1885, was solemnized the marriage of Mr.
Kreutzer to .Miss Rosa Ei)ah, of Steubenville, Ohio. She was born in
448 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, and of their thirteen children all are
living except one, Henry Leo, who was the eighth in order of birth
and who died at the age of seven months. The surviving children are:
Jacob A., Katherine R., Francis M., John B., Carl B., Marguerite, Anna
Marie, Clement J., Victor E., Mark G., Robert and Mary Elizabeth.
Jacob A. is a dentist of Peru; Katherine is attending Nurses' Training
School in South Bend; Francis M., married Emma Rotherraal, and is with
Julius Falk of Peru ; John B. is in the jewelry business; Carl B. is with,
the Wabash R. R. ; Marguerite is a nun of St. Mary of the Woods ; and
Anna Marie and the remainder of the children are at home.
William L. Phillebaum. A veteran of the Civil war, one of Miami's
soldiers in the great conflict, William Phillebaum has spent about seventy
years of his lifetime, except the period while he was in the war, in this
county, and as a soldier, a citizen, a farmer, and industrious worker is
held in high esteem by all his community.
The birthplace of William Phillebaum was Montgomery county, Ohio,
where he was born January 30, 1838. His parents were Samuel and
Sophia (Meyers) Phillebaum. His mother's father was Abraham ^leyers.
In 1843, when William was five years old, the parents left Ohio, and with
Miami county as their destination drove overland through the woods, and
along the primitive highways, a greater part of which were little more than
trails, and spent several days in a journey which may now lie accom-
plished by train in a few hours. An object of terror to the child William
was an Indian, and while the family were making the journey, and also
after they settled in Miami county, there were seen a number of the red
men who had not yet retired from this state.
One interesting fact concerning the early settlement, especially along
the pike through Erie township, is called to attention by Mr. Phillebaum.
The pike, although at that time it deserved no name better than trail, and
was in fact an old Indian trail was a principal thoroughfare through
Erie township during the early settlement, and the settlers on either side
would lay out their farms, in conformity with the course of the road,
fencing up to its line. Thus the old road was established in its present
sinuous and crooked course, and all the sul)sequent efforts of modern road
making and surveying had never eliminated all the angles which it
makes in the length of a few miles.
Samuel Phille])aum, the father, located on one hundred, and sixty
acres of land in Erie township, and his son William occupies land adjoin-
ing that old homestead. The first building was a liewed log cabin, and
it is still standing on the old farm, although after it ceased to ])e a habi-
tation, its timbers were taken apart and they were moved and set up in a
new location. The father occupied that home from 1843 until 1865. The
old log house stood in the midst of the w^oods when first erected, and only
a small proportion of all the surrounding country had ]ieen cleared and
opened to cultivation. In these woods were many deer, wild turkeys and
wolves, and William Phillebaum is one of the men still living in Miami
county who have a keen recollection of those primitive days, when animals
now seen hardly anywhere except in menageries were familiar sights in
almost any part of the county. The father lived in the old log house
until his death.
William Phillebaum staid on the old homestead with his family, until
he was thirty-four years of age. As a boy he had attended such local
schools as were then provided in Erie township, and had only a limited
education, which he has supplemented in later life by study and practical
observation. The schools were open for only about sixty days in the
year. William Phillebaum gained a hardy experience working in the
lUSTOliV OF MIAMI COUNTY 449
woods while a boy, and he also worked for wages, among the surrounding
fanners, gcltiiif^ five dolhii's a month for some time, and later receiving
twelve iloUars a month for liis laltor. His military expcrienee began in
1862.* He enlisted in that year in liie Sixteenth Indiana Infantry, and
was with that regiment during a greater part of its varied campaigns.
At the battle of Kiclimond, Kentucky, h(! was wounck'd in the right knee,
still having tlie hullet, and taken prisoner. Later he went through the
siege of Vicksburg, and was with the Banks Expedition up Red River,
and in that unfruitful campaign lu; was taken prisoner. As a prisoner he
was sent to Texas, and was confined in the old prison at Tyler, Texas. He
spent about I'our months as a prisoner among the ("on federates, includ-
ing the time going and coming. His regiment did a great deal of guard
duty, and it was for that reason in many skirmishes. While I\Ir. Phille-
baum was in prison, he was of course unable to tell what his regiment
was doing, but without exception he participated in practically every
campaign and movement of his connnand. His regiment was in seventy-
two battles and skirmishes during the war, and Mr. Phillebaum was in
most of these excepting those that occurred while he was a prisoner.
Among the battles in which he participated were those of Richmond, Ky.,
siege of Vicksburg, Arkansas Post, Jackson and Banks' expedition up
the Red River. He was mustered out of service at New Orleans, and
got his final discharge at Indianapolis. This was in 1865 at the end of
the war.
He then returned to the home of his parents in I\Iiami county, and
a,s he had little inclination for farming he took up carpenter work. After
marrying and estal)lishing a home of his own he bought his present farm
of thirty-seven acres from his father. This is one of the very well im-
proved places of the county, and Mr. Phillebaum has erected all the
l)uildings. and practically every improvement is the result of his labor
and management. While a man who has enjoyed his fair share of pros-
perity, he has also interested himself in behalf of local matters, and
served as supervisor, and as pike superintendent in his township. For a
numlier of years he was active in the Grand Army post, but resigned on
account of the long distance he had to travel in order to attend the meet-
ings. He is a member of the United Brethren church and Mrs. Phille-
baum of the Christian church.
Mr. Phillel)aum was fii-st mari'ied in 1872 to ^lary Ann Cox, a daugh-
ter of Levi Cox. Jiy this marriage there were three children. Bertha
died at the age of nine years; Elmer is married and Alva is single, and
both live in North Dakota. The former has resided at Cando for fifteen
years and is a teacher of the Chiropractic doctrine. The latter is a resi-
dent of Sarlcs, whei'e he is serving as nuirshal. He is by trade a car-
penter. The mother of these children died many years ago,, and Mr.
Phillebaum married for his present wife Eli/cabeth Rinker (a daughter
of Henry and Sallie (Hickel) Rinkei". There have been no children by
the second nuirriage.
IVlrs. Phillebaum is a native of ]\Iiami county, Indiaiui. born March
12, 1848, and reared and educated in this county and the west pai-t of
Indiana. .She went to Boston, ]\Iassachusetts. and entered '"The Bos-
ton City Hcsi)ital Training Sehool i'or Nui-ses" was graduated January
27, 1884. and spent fifteen years of her life in Boston in her i)rofession
and two years at Fort Wayne. She ami her husband in their youth
received their education in a log school hou.se with slab benches and
desks and the school was a subscription one. Some of the early text books
were Ray's Arithmetic, McGuffey's Readers, "Western Adventures of
Indian Fighlei's" and the New Testament. The early amusements were
log rollings, (piilting bees and dances. Mr. Phillebaum has seen plenty
450 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
of deer and wolves in Miami county. He was one of the trustees in the
building of the beautiful brick church in Erie township and he has always
l)eeu a member of the United Brethren church and a worker in the Sun-
day school.
Ebenezer p. Loveland. If "A good name is rather to be chosen
than great riches," and if a purposeful life conforming to high ideals
impresses one's personality upon the society in which he lives, to its
lasting betterment, then Ebenezer P. Loveland achieved life's best
ambition and transmitted to his children an heritage which justifies
them in their pride of ancestry.
Mr. Loveland was born at West Rutland, Vermont, November 25,
1817, the youngest son of Col. Joseph and Beulali (Pratt) Loveland.
He was ten years old when his parents moved to Granville, Ohio, where
he had school advantages until his sixteenth year, but at this time his
father died and thus he was thrown on his own resources. For several
years he was engaged in teaching school, pursuing in the meantime his
literary studies, these being in the direction of law, for which he had
natural inclination, and later he continued his studies at Richmond,
Indiana. From Richmond he removed to Anderson, Indiana, where
he finished his preparation for the practice of law, and in 1840 came
to ]Miami county, making the journey on foot from Anderson to Peru.
He entered the practice of his profession at Peru, and there continued
in the practice for fifteen years, during a portion of which time he was
in partnership with the late Nathan 0. Ross. His learning and ability
early attracted a large clientage. Resourcefulness and persistence were
among his strong qualities, and these, together with his power as an
orator, in which he was not excelled by any of his contemporaries,
insured and maintained his position as one of the leaders of the bar,
in Miami and neighboring counties.
One, perhaps the dominant, element in Mr. Loveland 's character
was his intense patriotism. Until the line of cleavage between the
Whig and Democratic parties became obscured and at last obliterated
by the then threatening cloud of disunion, his atfiliations were with
the former ; but when the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, the passage
of the Nebraska and Fugitive Slave bills, and the doctrine of popular
sovereignty in the territories, brought the Republican party into being,
he became at once one of its earliest adherents. At tliat time, and until
1856, the Miami County Sentinel, founded in 1848, w^as the only pro-
nounced party organ in the county. It was edited by John A. Graham,
a pro-slavery Democrat of striking ability, and advocated the cause of
that party. The duty of establishing a local organ that would voice
their sentiments became apparent to the Union men of the county,
and in 1856 Mr. Loveland, in response to that sentiment, purchased
the Peru WeeMy News, "a family paper" clevoted to the news of the
day, politics, science, mechanics, agriculture and education, and
began the publication of the Peru Repuhlican under the motto borrowed
from the peroration of Webster 's reply to Hayne : ' ' Liberty and
Union, Now and Forever, One and Inseparable." From the onset the
paper was prosperous. It received, from the beginning, the loyal sup-
port of the Republicans of the county, and particularly of those active
in party councils, who realized the crisis through which the country
was passing. From tliis time until 1862, Mr. Loveland, assisted in both
the editorial and mechanical work by his oldest son, Henry Clay Love-
land, then a boy in his 'teens, continued the publication of the paper
with such success that from 1861 to 1863 it enjoyed a monopoly of the
field, the Miami County Sentinel having discontinued publication dur-
%
^
KI5i;XEZER P. LOVELAXI)
HISTORY OF :\IIAMI COUNTY 451
ing that period. Early in 18G2, liowever, tlie paper was leased, and
later sold, the son, Henry Clay Loveland, then in his eighteenth year,
having enlisted as lieutenant in the Fourteenth Indiana Battery, and
died in the sei'viee in June of that year. Fi-oiii 1868 to 18()7, Mr. K. P.
Loveland was engaged as assistant payiuastci- of the Indiana Legion,
with headtpiarters at Indianai)olis, and at the time the Democratic mem-
bers of the legislature resigned their seats, in order to prevent the rati-
fication of the 1^'ifteenth aniendiiient to the Federal constitution, was the
Republican candidate for the legislature. lie was defeated, however,
but by a small majority. ^Ir. Loveland was always interested in the
internal improvements of the county, and was largely instrumental in
bringing about th(^ present turn-pike system and efjually was interested
in all movements having for their object the best interests of Peru.
While editor of the Republican he persistently urged upon the citizens
the propriety of not only improving and keeping in repair the streets
of the city, but also of beautifying their own pi'emises; and at times,
at his own expense, purchased and tlisti'ibuted ti'ces and shrubs in
furtherance of that object. He early took a stand in support of temper-
ance reform in Indiana, having been a total abstainer since he signed
the AVashington pledge when a boy in Vermont, and l)ecame an active
member of the Sons of Temperance, in 1851 being made a delegate to
the Grand Division of that organization for his state, which met at
Indianapolis. While in attendance at this meeting he was chosen a
delegate to and later attended tlie National Division, which convened at
Richmond, Virginia, in the sunuuer of 1852. In 1853 he was elected
vice-president of the Cincinnati, Peru & Chicago Railroad that was
then being built between Laporte and Peru. He was active in his
endeavors to secure the location of the How'e Sewing ^Machine Works
and other factories in Peru, and it was while within the building of
the Howe factory, warning those trying to save the company's property
of imminent danger, a])parent from without, February 10, 1871. that
he met a violent death by being ci'ushed beneath the burning building.
This lamentable event cast a shade of deepest gloom over the entire
city and county, for his death was not only looked upon as a public
calamity, but also as a personal loss to those with whom he bad come
in contact in social and business relations. Public appreciation of his
qualities as a man and citizen found expression from the pulpit and in
the press, that ' ' The world is better for his having lived in it. ' ' His
wife, with whom be had ever maintained the tenderest relations, never
survived the shock, but died on April 12th of that year. Mr. Loveland
continued an ardent supporter of the Republican party until his death,
believing in its principles and always opposing everything that seemed
like dishonesty. He was reanMl in the Presl)yterian faith and was a
constant meml)er of that religious body all of liis life. On October 12,
1842, ]\lr. Loveland was married to ]\liss Jane Hood, a daughter of
Robert Hood of Fort Wayne, and niece of William N. Hood, the
founder of Peru, at whose home she was visiting when she met her
future husband. Seven children were bom to them: Henry C, who
became a lieutenant in the Fourteenth Indiana Battery in the Civil
war. and died at Bethel, Tennessee, shortly after the l)attle of Shiloh ;
Celia, who became the wife of Abram C. Faling, of Kalamazoo, Michi-
gan, and there died a widow, leaving three children now grown ; Alice,
wlio became the wife and later Die widow of Lewis Morrill, and -died at
Peru, on January 17, 1007: Clara, the only surviving daughter of the
family, who was nuirried to Dr. B. R. Graliam and became the mother
of a son and daughter, ])oth living; Hood P.. a successful lawyer, who
since 1906 has been postmaster of Peru: Robert J., also a lawyer, and
Irene: the last named having died in infancv.
452 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Hood Pratt Loveland. Much has been said and written about
"self-made men" — men who in youth begin their preparations for an
active business career amid humble surroundings and confronted by
adverse conditions, yet who, by their energy and determination, sur-
mount all obstacles and rise to positions of prominence among their fel-
low-men. The success of such men is not always to be measured by their
bank accounts, for, as a rule, the ambitious boy lias a higher ideal than
the mere accumulation of wealth. He wants to win the regard of those
with whom he comes in contact ; to leave the impress of his character
and labors behind him after his life's work is done; to be remembered
as an upright man, a good citizen, and a useful member of society.
Hood P. Loveland is essentially a self-made man. He is a native of
jMiami county, having been born in the city of Peru on August 21,
1853, a son of E. P. Loveland, mentioned above. His parents died
when he was about seventeen years of age and the children were imme-
diately scattered. Hood was taken out of school and went to Kalama-
zoo, Michigan, where he found a home with his eldest sister, Mrs. Celia
L. Faling. He remained with her liut a few months, however, his desire
for an education taking him to Marshall, ^lichigan, where he attended
school, earning his board and tuition by his own efforts. From ^Marshall
he went to Aurora, Illinois, where he began the study of law in the
office of N. F. Nichols. Subsequently he read with the firm of Wheaton,
Smith & McDole. About this time he came into a small inheritance
from his father's estate, which enabled him to attend law school at
Ann Arbor, ^Michigan, and in 1875, when twenty-two years of age, he
graduated as a member of the class of that year in the law department
of the University of Michigan.
Returning then to Peru, he formed a partnership with Hon. Nott
N. Antrim for the practice of law. This partnership was soon after-
ward dissolved and Mr. Loveland went to Converse, where he opened a
law office and practiced for two or three years. Here he learned the
lesson that all young attorneys must sooner or later learn — that there is
no royal road to success. His earnings were meager and a publishing
company extending to him an attractive offer, he a]:)andoned the law for
a time and undertook the work of w^riting several county histories in
the State of Illinois, as well as biographical works of the States of
Georgia and Texas. He continued in that line of work for six years,
during part of that time having general charge of the business of \he
F. A. Battey Publishing Company. Earlj^ in 1888 he resigned his posi-
tion with this company to enter into partnership with his brother,
Robert J. Loveland, for the practice of law at Peru. This partnership
lasted for eighteen years, or until the subject of this sketch was
appointed postmaster at Peru in 1906, in which position he continued
for more than eight years.
Politically Mr. Loveland has ahvays been a Republican. He has
frecjuently been called upon to serve his party as a delegate in county,
district and state conventions. As a member of committees on resolu-
tions in such conventions he has always stood for affirmative doctrines
and declarations in favor of temperance and against the liquor traffic.
In 1904 he was a delegate from the Eleventh Congressional district to
the Republican national convention that nominated Theodore Roosevelt
for the presidency, but he did not follow Mr. Roosevelt in the great
division of the Republican party in 1912, standing in that campaign as
a supporter of President Taft and the "regular" wing of the party.
In 1904 A. L. Lawshe. one of the founders of the Converse Journal and
a warm personal friend of Mr. Loveland, was auditor of the Philippine
Islands. He advised Mr. Loveland that a judge of the Court of First
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 453
Instance — a tribunal corresponding to the Indiana circuit courts — was
to ho appointed for the Phili})pin('S and sn<r<j:('stod that he liccoine an
ai)i)licant for the pUice. Assured that the appointment would be made
solely upon merit, Mr. Loveland proceeded upon that hypothesis, witliout
depending the least upon a "political pull." He was unanimou.sly
indorsed by the justices of the Indiana Supreme and Appellate Courts,
the judges of the United States Circuit Court and Court of Appeals,
the Miami county bench and bar, and a number of prominent attorneys
and business men throughout the state. In the letter of recommendation
from tlie Supreme Court the justices said: "^Ir. Loveland is a citizen
of the highest character — a learned lawyer, one of the leading attorneys
of our state, fifty-one years of age, of robust health, of thirty years
active antl successful i)ractiee of his pi'ofession — an all round good
citizen, and in our judgment his appointment to the otfice he seeks would
be wise and eminently useful to the public service in the Islands."
But with all the indorsements and the assurance that the appointment
wordd be made solely upon merit, politics crept in and the office went
to a Fort Wayne man. I\Ir. Loveland was disappointed, as the ofifice
was in line with his life work and one for which he was eminently well
qualified, both by training and experience. In 1906 he was appointed
postmaster at Peru and held the position until the spring of 1914. As
postmaster he introduced a number of reforms in the office and improved
the service through his careful observance of the things needed to secure
better results. Alw^ays courteous and accommodating, he was popular
with the patrons of the postoffice and frequent expressions of regret
were heard when it was learned that he w^as to be succeeded by another
man.
On September 18, 1896, Mr. Loveland married Miss Margaret Gal-
breath, of Peru, and this union has been blessed with four children —
Pratt Robert, Helen Margaret, Ailine Jane and Ebenezer Clay. Mr.
and Mrs. Loveland are members of the First Presbyterian church and
he was one of the trustees that built the present magnificent edifice at
the corner of Main and Cass streets, in the city of Peru.
Robert J. Loveland. As an active and influential member of the
Miami county bar for upwards of thirty-three years, Robert J. Loveland,
senior member of the firm of Loveland & SoUitt, wields an influence in
Peru that only men of unusual strength of character and power can
exercise in a community of this size. He was born January 17, 1858,
and is the youngest son of Ebenezer P. and Jane (Ilood) Loveland.
He was reared in his native city of Peru, and liere attended the
public schools until his thirteenth year, at which time occurred the
death of his father and mother. In 1873, after a year spent upon a
farm in 'Wiseonsin, he entered Central College Academy of Franklin
county, Oliio. and was graduated from that institution four years later,
succeeding which he entered Wabash College. He continued a student
there until 1879, and then returned to Peru and began the study of
law in the office of Shirk & ^litchell. thus continuing until the spring
of 1881. Prior to this time, ^Ir. Loveland taught two terms of school
in Ohio and one in Indiana, and in 1880 was admitted to the liar, but
did not engage in the practice of his profession until the ensuing year,
when on April 4, 1881, he formed a partnership with Ethan T. Reasoner,
which association continued until 1884, when it was dissolved. ^Ir.
Loveland then becoming a partner of Mr. R. P. Effinger. This partner-
ship continued until January, 1888. after which for a number of years
his brother Hood P. Loveland w^as associated with him in practice, which
partnership ceased at the time of the latter 's appointment to the office
454 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
of postmaster at Peru in ]March, 190G. The present firm of Loveland &
Sollitt was formed in 1911, and this has proven a harmonious and
mutually advantageous association, which in the volume and character
of its business, and its ability in handling the same, has rank among
the strongest legal firms of northern Indiana.
Mr. Loveland is a Republican of the stalwart variety, and from
1890 to 1894 served Miami and Howard counties as joint state senator.
During the four years of his service in that office the legislature was
overwhelmingly Democratic, and but slight opportunity was afforded
Republicans to do effective service for the state until, in the session of
1893, Abel Ewing, a Democrat and former deputy warden of the prison
south, who had vainly endeavored to induce the responsible leaders of
his own party to correct flagrant abuses in the prison system of the
state, put his case into the hands of Mr. Loveland, with the result that
Mr. Loveland, in the senate and ]Mr. Lindemuth, of Richmond, Indiana,
Republican leader in the house, concurrently presented charges against
the prison management. These charges were followed by an investiga-
tion by the prison committees of the senate and house occupying three
weeks, participated in by Mr. Lindemuth and J\Ir. Loveland, with the
result that, while the committee divided on party lines on their report,
the abuses in the then system of prison discipline were made so manifest
that a bill was introduced by the majority members of the committee
and passed through both bodies under suspension of the rules and was
promptly signed by the governor, that effected radical reforms in prison
management that were the beginning of the general system of prison
reform that was made effective in the state by the legislatures that suc-
ceeded in 1895 and subsequent years.
On August 18, 1898, Mr. Loveland was united in marriage with
Miss Maude Ellis, who, like Mr. Loveland, is a member of the Presby-
terian church. She is a native of Laconia, New Hampshire, where she
was born Februarv 28. 1878. The children of this union are Robert P.,
born September 22, 1900; Joseph W. born March 30, 1902; Elizabeth,
born November 20, 1903 ; Henry Clay, born March 14, 1905 ; Harriett,
born February 24, 1907, and John Ellis, born July 3, 1909.
Through their mother these children trace their lineage to a dis-
tinguished Revolutionary ancestry — Joshua Ellis, their great-great-
grand-father, having been a member of the company that marched from
Keene, New Hampshire, on the alarm to Boston, where he was severely
wounded in the battle of Bunker Hill, on June 17, 1775 ; and Timothy
D. Ellis, the father of Joshua, having served as a sergeant and later as
a lieutenant in the French and Indian wars, in the expeditions against
Crown Point and Fort Cumberland, Nova Scotia. In 1777 he was major
of the Sixth Regiment of New Hampshire militia ; marched with his
regiment to Ticonderoga in ^lay of that year; was appointed major of
Nichols' regiment, under Starke, and commanded his battalion at Ben-
nington; and rose to colonel of the Sixth Regiment on February 21.
1783.
Both Mr. and IMrs. Loveland are descended from ancestors who came
to America from England in 1635 ; the one from Robert Loveland who
lost his life at sea while crossing as supercargo, with his wife and two
sons; and the other, in one line, from Samuel Morse Avho sailed in the
Increase from England April 15, 1635. and in the direct Ellis line from
Richard Ellis, who was one of the original proprietors of Dedham,
Massachusetts, in 1642.
GusTAVE Adolph Germann. Probably in no line of enterprise more
than in that of building and contracting do the conditions of success
HISTORY OF :\IIAMI COUNTY 455
depend more eonii)lt'tely upon a solid ability', an expericnee in the
varied branches ol' a technical calling and a ihorouj^h knowledge of
men and materials. By sheer force of native ability has ^Ir. Gennann,
who is now one of the most successful contractors of Pei-u. i-iseii lo his
place in the business circles of .Miami county. Wlien he was twenty-one
years of age he possessed hardly a dollar of his own, but he was equipped
with a thorough knowledge of his chosen trade and a determination to
succeed. Through patient application and industry he has in the subse-
([uent years worked his way to a commanding ]iosition among the busi-
ness leaders of Peru.
The Gernumn fannly, which is one (|uite widely distributed in this
country, being especially well represeided in Ohio, traces its ancestry
to the Protestant bi-anch of the noble Hessian, now Pi'ussian, von Ger-
mann fannly. Ciustave Adol{)h Gernumn was born in \"an Wt-rt county,
Ohio, on July 4, 1860. He is one of the seven surviving children in
a fannly of live boys and five girls, whose parents were George Peter
and Mary Filizab(>th (Hofmann) (lermann, both of whom were natives
of llessen-lloudairg, now Jxhenish Prussia, where they were married.
In 1843, the spring following tlieii- marriage, the parents left their native
land for America, and spent forty-five days in the tedious voyage by
sailing vessel from the Euro]")(>an to the American shores. Partly by
i-ailroad and i)art]y by canal they journeyed west to Ganal Dover in Tus-
carawas county, Ohio, where they had relatives. After a short time they
drove on to Van Wert county, where a brother, Carl Philip Germann,
lived. In Van Wert county, then covered with virgin forest, he began
his career as a pioneer farmer, an occupation in which he continued there
until I\Iarch, 1877, at which date he came on to Miami county, Indiana.
He bought a garden spot adjoining the corporate limits of Peru, and was
there engaged in raising vegetables for the Peru market. While living
there Mrs. Germann passed away on August 4, 1878. Soon afterwards her
husband sold out the truck farm and went to Crown Point, where he had
a married daughter living, and he died at that place on August 12, 1901,
at the advanced age of eighty-six years. Both parents were devout mem-
bers of the Evangelical Lutheran church, and they reared their children
in the same faith. Two of the sons became miinsters of this denomina-
tion, one of them ])eing located at TUica, New York, and one at Decatur,
Illinois, both of them having attained high rank in their calling.
Adolph Germann spent his boyhood days working on the home farm
in \i\n Wert county, where he lived until he was nearly grown. While
he had a comfortable home and never felt the pinch of poverty nor lacked
the real essentials of life, he was from an early age dependent upon his
own resources for advancement, and soon after passing through the dis-
trict schools and getting such experience as he could on the home farm, he
and a brother drove from Ohio to IMiann county by horse and wagon, in
^larch, 1877, and in the same sunnner did work as gardeners. In the fall
of 1878 3Ir. Germann began serving a three years' apprenticeship at the
carpenter's trade with Jacob Theobald, one of the honored old citizens of
Peru. Wheii he had completed his ai)prentieeship he accepted emjdoy-
ment with ]\Ir. Theobald and continued in that way until the fall of 1892.
It was in this way, by wage earnings and the steady processes of industry
and thrift that he laid the basis for his independent career. In 1892 he
estal)lished a business for himself as a carpenter and contractor, having
Mr. Ernest A. Kessler as his partner for the tirst two years. Since then
he has been in business alone. Mr. Germann in his work has established a
reputation as a man who stands liehind every bit of his work, is financially
responsible, and gives the highest class of service to every contract for
construction.
Vol. II— 2
456 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Mr. Germann is a Democrat in politics, and at the present time is a
member of the township advisory board. He was married September 11,
1884, to ]\Iiss Mary F. Miller, a daughter of Jacob F. Miller, who is one
of the old time merchants of Peru. Two sons have been born of this mar-
riage, and seldom have two sons brought greater comfort or pride to their
parents than these, who have already at almost the beginning of their
career attained distinction and positions in life such as are awarded only
to those possessing high talents and capabilities of the highest kind.
Albert F. 0. Germann, the oldest of the brothers, was born February
18, 1886. He received the major portion of his common school education
at St. John's Lutheran school, and was graduated from the Peru high
school with the class of 1904. He secured a place in the Bunker Hill
school in Peru township in the same year, as a teacher, and he served as
township principal and high school teacher at Reserve in Butler town-
ship, in 1905. In the alternate periods between school work he attended
Indiana University at Bloomington until he succeeded in being gradu-
ated "with high distinction," from the state university in 1909, with the
degree of A. B. In that year he acted as teaching fellow in chemistry at
the University of Indiana, and in 1910 was awarded the degi'ee of Master
of Arts from the same institution. In the fall of 1909 he was appointed
assistant in chemistry at the University of Wisconsin, and while at Madi-
son pursued special studies that in 1910 won for him the degree of Master
of Science. From the fall of 1910 to 1912 his time was spent in travel
abroad and in study along special lines at the Universities of Geneva and
Berlin, and his ability as a student and scholar of research was recognized
by the University- of Geneva in conferring upon him the degree of Doctor
of Physical Sciences. Since returning from his studies abroad he has
become instructor in chemistry in Adelbert College of Western Reserve
University at Cleveland, Ohio. He is a member of the Indiana Chapter
of Phi Beta Kappa, the honorary scholarship fraternity, Signui Xi. the
honorary scientific research fraternity, the American Chemical Society
and other organizations.
Frank E. E. Germann, the second son of Mr. and Mrs. Germann, was
born on December 6, 1887. He was also a student in the local parochial
schools and was graduated from the high school in 1906. For two years,
following in about the same course pursued by his brother, he engaged
in teaching school and then entered the University of Indiana, where he
was graduated with distinction in the spring of 1911, being the recipient
of the degree of Bachelor of Arts, in physics. During the summer term of
1910 he attended the University of AVisconsin, and in 1911 joined his
•brother abroad, taking up special studies at the Universities of Berlin
in Germany, and Neuchatel, Geneva, and Lausanne, in Switzerland. In
1912 he received an appointment as assistant in the laboratories of theoret-
ical chemistry at the University of Geneva, an unusual honor for an Ameri-
can, and there he has already successfully completed the examinations
leading t9 the degree of Doctor of Physical Sciences. His special re-
searches have been on the vapor pressures and critical constants of liquid
oxygen, the synthesis of pure nitrosyl chloride, and the micro-analysis
of the rare gases. At Indiana University he was honored by election to
Phi Beta Kappa, as well as to membership in numerous local organiza-
tions.
John Tomey. In a historical and biographical work of the nature of
this publication, a more or less extended mention of the late John Tomey
is properly entered as being of significant interest and importance, the
record of his life being one that is worthy of perpetuation in this history.
He was one of the native sons of IMiami eountv. and he was one who never
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 457
swerved in his loyalty thereto, here fiii(liii<): ;iiiiple seope for productive,
effort in eoiirieetion with the agricultural iudusti-y and other lines of
business enterprise. His entire life was passed williin the borders of
Miami county, and from llic ycaf 1!H)7 until his dcatli on .luiif 15, liil.'j,
he made his home in the city of i'eru, wliei'e he was engageil in tiie team-
ing, storage and coal business, besides which he gave a general supei-vi-
sion to his tine homestead farm in Jeffei'son townshij). His father , a man
of distinct individuality, alcil mcntalily and sterling eliaractcr, was one
of the honored pioneers of the county, w lici-e his name is yet held in j)leas-
ing memory by all who came within the sphere of his kindly and genial
influence.
John Toraey was born on the old homestead farm of his father, in
Peru township, this county, and the date ol' his birth was Xovendx-r 27,
IHdl. He was the last of a family of four children, of whom Uridget
and Mary died when young, and Ellen became the wife of one Jeremiah
Ginney and passed the closing years of her life in Peru, her one surviv-
ing child heing a son named John. Matthew Tomey was the father of the
late John Tomey, the principal subject of this family memoir, antl he was
born and reared in County Cork, Ireland, where he grew to manhood
under the discipline of the farm and where the family record was like that
of the iiinnortal Lincoln, "the shoii and simple annals of the poor.' He
received the most meager of educational atlvantages, but with exceptional
mental vitality and alertness he made good to a very marked degree this
handicap of youth, so that he became a man of l)roa(l vision, well estab-
lished opinions, and indei)endent sentimcMits. In 1856, at the age of
thirty years, he severed the ties that Ijound him to tlu' fair old Emerald
Isle and set forth to seek his fortunes in America, where he felt assured
of receiving due rewards for the efforts he might put forth. Equipped
with ambition and self reliance, but with possibilitit^s limitetl at that time
to such vocations as called only for physical labor, he turned his atten-
tion to such work as he could obtain, and it may be said to his credit that
to the end of his mortal life, crowned with definite success, never did he
abate his appreciation of the dignity and honor of honest toil. He placed
true valuations upon men and had contempt oidy foi- the idler and the
parasite. He remained for a brief interval in the city of New Orleans,
where he found employment as a dock hand, and fi-om the old Crescent
city he soon made his way to Cincinnati, where he gained his initial experi-
ence in connection with railroad work. At that time, in 1857, the Wabash
and the old Indianapolis, Pittsburg & Cincinnati luiilioads were in proc-
ess of construction thi'ough Indiana, and he secured employment in con-
nection with that work, finally assundng a contract for the building of
one nule of the ^Vabash line. It was under such conditions that he
arrived in JNliami county in 1857. and his judgment was shown by the
investment of his earnings in forty acres of land in the northei-n part
of Peru township — a tract with virtually no improvements, but one that
offered a nucleus from which he evolved final independence and sub-
stantial prosperity. While identified with railroad work he came into
possession of a horse, which he had taken as security for a debt, and in
the spring of 1860 he located on his end)ryonic farm, where he made use
of his horse to good effect, in the prelinnnary rechuuation and cultivating
of the place. In the winter of the same year was solemnized his niarriage
to Miss Anna Kavanaugh, who like himself, was a ruitive of the F.merald
Isle, and the two bravely faced the lal)ors and problems that confronted
them in wrestling sustenance and gradual i)rotit from the little pioneer
farm. The devoted wife and mother passed to the life eternal in 1867. and
Mr. Tomey ever remained true to lier memory, the while he made many
sacrifices in order to give his children the best possible advantages and
458 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
opportunities, without countiug it self-abnegation or sacrifice. He re-
ceived his reward for it in later years, for his children gave to him the
deepest filial solicitude and in his declining years surrounded him with
devotion and tender care. This sturdy pioneer lived a life of earnest
and unremitting industry, surmounting obstahles that must have dis-
couraged one of less courage and determination, and by his very strength
of purpose he finally made his way to the goal of sul)stantial prosperity,
his little farm of forty acres having been expanded to a valuable landed
estate of three hundred and eighty-five acres, in Peru and Richland town-
ships. When his wife died the eldest of their children was but six years
of age, and he proved to the motherless little ones both a father and a
mother, with the tenderness that is exemplified only in a strong and noble
nature. He was a man of tenacious opinions, but was in no sense radical
or intolerant, and his insistent optimism and generosity gained to him the
friendship of those with whom he had come in contact in the various rela-
tions of life. His integrity was inflexible and his abiding Christian faith
was shown in deeds as well as in words, with naught of assumption or
bigotry. His word was as good as gold, and he had the implicit confidence
of every person with whom he had dealings or other associations. He did
not assume to suggest or regulate the views or conduct of others, but he
was not vacillating in purpose or in opinions. For instance, his attitude
in the matter of indulgence in spirituous liquors was summed up with
characteristic categorical maxims touching upon the matter of temper-
ance. In this connection his initial tenet of ai^proval was for the man who
could take a drink, and by force of character, refuse to take a second ;
his second choice was for the man, who to be on the side of safety, would
of his own volition, wholly abstain from the use of liquor ; and his third
choice was the man who deemed it necessary to protect himself by taking
the pledge. . Mr. Tomey was a stalwart in the camp of the Democratic
party and in the domain of public affairs he had a reason for the faith
which he possessed, the while he was liberal and loj^al in the support of
measures and enterprises advanced for the general good of the commu-
nity. Both he and his wife were most earnest and devout communicants
of the Catholic church, and in all of the relations of life he demande'd the
approval of conscience for his every sentiment and action, a man true to
the teachings of the great mother church of Christendom, in the faith of
which he carefully reared his children and to such good effect that in
later years they did not repart therefrom. This sterling pioneer, a valiant
soldier in the militant army of the world's workers, passed from the stage
of mortal life on the 15th of January, 1891, at the venerable age of
seventy-one years, and his name and memory will not soon ])e forgotten in
the county that so long represented his home, and in which he accounted
well to himself and the world.
His son, the late John Tomey, who seven years ago sold the major part
of his father's homestead, remained with the latter on the farm until the
close of the father's life, and under most genial and mutually sympa-
thetic relations the two were associated in its work and management for
many years, the son gradually relieving the father of the heavier labors
and responsibilities, with a full appreciation of the character and honest
achievement of his honored sire, whose memory he continued to re^'ere to
the end of his days as that of a pure and noble man of the most intrinsic
worth of character.
John Tomey gained his early educational training in the parochial and
public schools, and as a citizen and business man he all his days well
upheld the prestige of the honored name he bore. On the 28th day of Sep-
tember, 1886, was solemnized his marriage to Miss Ellen Mc^Iahon, and
two daughters were liorn to them, both dying in infancy. Mrs. Tomey
HISTORY OF MIA^U COUNTY 439
passed to lior long liouic on the 8th day of ]\Iarcli. 1001. Tlie son and Ims-
liand I'onnd the old liouic willi broken ties antl siid iiieniories, with the
result that about cighlccn iiionths after the death n\' his wife he removed
to the eity of IN-ru, there engaging in business. Ip to the time of his
death he was sueeessfuil\' engaged in a .joint teaming. st(jrage and coal
business, besides whieli lie eontinued to give a general supervision to his
fine farm.
In polities .loliii Tomey was a staiieli Democrat, and though he had
no desire at any time foi' the honoi's or emoluments of ])olitie;il oftiee, he
ever manifested a dee}) interest in i)ublie alfaii's, especially those of a
local order, and was always one who might be counted upon as a sup-
]ioi'ter of civic and material enterprises tending to foster the best interests
of his iiome city and his native county. The courdy lost in him a citizen
of tlie highest order, and one whose life left an indelible impress for good
upon the communities wherein he had lived all his days. He was a zealous
connnunicant of the Catholic church. ^Ir. Tomey was married the second
time on i\Iay 3, IfJO"), when Miss Xellie (^)uinn. n daughter of John and
Ellen (JMoriarty) Quinn, of Kokonio, Indiana, became his wife. Sho
survives her husband.
Saxford Eijas Altman. In the life and career of Sanford Elias-
Altman is found a typical American success. Without the cond'orts and
without the influences of a home, his boyhood was spent in a varied
struggle against the typical adversities wliich beset a fi'iendless youth.
He linally ])erfected him.self at the carpenter's trade, became a building
contractor, spent more than forty years in tliat business in Miami county,
and now for half a dozen years or more has been enjoying the fruits of a
well spent life in his attractive farm homestead near Peru.
Sanford Elias Altman was born in the city of Cohnnbus, Ohio, Xovem-
])er 12, 1844. Jle is now the only surviving child of Elias and Elizabeth
(Niehelson) Altman. Elias Altman, the father, was a soldier in the war
against Mexico, dui-ing the foi-ties, and died about 1849, only a year or so
after his return. His widow again married, but tiie l)oyhood days of San-
ford E. Altman were passed among strangers, and such homes as he
found were only temporary and were accorded him more because of the
value of his services than that of affection or family relations. He at-
tained a very limited amount of schooling, and such as he did acquire was
the fruit of the old fashioned subscription schools which were still nunn-
tained during his boyhood. When six months were still lacking from his
twenty-first birthday, he ])egan his independent career as a worker at the
carpenter trade. He had not progi'essed very far in this occupation
before he found how essential the principles of mathematics Avere to any
progressive success in the trade. He therefore set himself vigorously to
mastei-ing all details of measurement and geometry and other I)i'anches
of mathematics as giving practical use in the l)uilder's trade. When he
had mastered these difficulties, he set himself up as an independent eon-
tractor. During the forty-three years that he was in business in this line,
he built numerous houses in Peru and many fai'm buildings in tlu^ county,
and his work was always charactei'ized by a thoroughness which kej)t him
constantly employed. Since 19t)8 he has confined his attention to farming.
Mr. Altman owns fifty-thice and three quarters acres of land in Peru
townshi]), and he has impi'oved and made this one of the fine farms of the
locality.
In polities Mv. Altman is a Democrat, but has never aspired to politi-
cal office. He was married November 28, 1867, to Anna ]M. Eagle, and to
this marriage eight children have been liorn : Clara L.. deceased: Ennna,
E., deceased; Ciiarles, who died in infancy; William II., a farmer in Erie
460 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
township ; Ida S., now the wife of Omer 0. Butt, of Peru township ; George
M., a farmer of Erie township ; Anna M., who married Samuel Tillett,
and is now deceased; and Harry E., a resident of Indianapolis.
William Galen Boone. Many of the pioneer families and their
descendants have passed entirely out of Miami county, and as a matter
of fact only comparativeh^ few direct descendants are left to carry the
name and enjoy the heritage of their pioneer forefathers. For that reason
special distinction belongs to the few men and women who represent in
the second or third generation the name of one who came to this county
during the decade of the thirties and whose activities and influence during
life were such as to distinguish him among the men of mark in his time.
William G. Boone of Peru township is one such man, and he himself
is one of the older native sons of JNIiami county, and the days of his child-
hood were passed before a single railroad line had been completed through
the county. William G. Boone was born near the site of his present home
in Peru township, adjoining the city of Peru, September 21, 1844. His
father, and the founder of the family name and fortunes in this vicinity
was Jacob W. Boone, who was born in Ohio and was a blacksmith by
trade. In Montgomery county, Ohio, he had married Christiana Rohrer,
and in the decade of the thirties, he and his wife and two children came to
Miami county. The elder Boone established in the village of Peru a black-
smith shop, and was one of the early workers in iron and the implements
of the time, in this city. It is interesting to recall that some of his early
customers w^ere Indians, who brought to him their tomahawks which he
made himself, and other implements to be sharpened and repaired. Jacob
W. Boone subsequently preemptioned 200 acres of land from the govern-
ment about two miles east of where Broadway is now located in Peru,
and on that land on the outskirts of the village and somewhat up the
AVabash valley and in the vicinity of the canal, he built a shop and
catered to the wants of his customers, using his spare time for the clear-
ing of the woods and bringing the land under cultivation. He spent his
last years as a farmer in that locality. He and his wife were the parents
of three children : Mary, who married j\Iartin Myers, and is now de-
ceased ; John, who is married and lives near Loree, in this county ; and
William G. The father died about 1846, and his widow passed away
September, 1890.
William G. Boone spent the first twelve years of his life in Peru town-
ship, but his mother then married ^Ir. iMartin flyers, and the family
moved to Wayne county. During his boyhood William G. Boone had only
a common school education in the limited schools of that time, but sub-
sequently made up for the deficiencies of his early education by entering
Hanover College, from which he was graduated in 1875. After leaving
college he engaged in teaching school for a number of years, for one term
being a teacher in the high school at Richmond, Indiana. Failing health
finally compelled him to give up this profession, and since 1881 he has
resided on his farm of sixty acres adjoining Peru. Besides this property,
Mr. Boone is owner of some real estate in the city of Peru.
On December 29, 1881, he married Miss Romanzo M. Tillett, oldest of
the children of William Tillett, concerning whom a brief sketch will be
found on other pages of this work. Mrs. Boone died in March, 1903.
Mr. Boone in polities is a Democrat, and a member of the Masonic Order
Lodge No. 5 of Camliridge City, Iowa, and he and his wife were mem-
bers respectively' of the Presbj'terian and Baptist churches.
Robert Miller and John C. Miller. The fact of pioneer history
which has often been imperfectly recognized is that the first settler of a
/X ^.JaM^
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 461
locality, by his leadership, by his relations in Taiiiily or friendly ties
with later comers, and by his public spirit in guarding the moral integrity
of his chosen community, often exercise a far-reaching and invaluable
influence on the social and economic welfare of his home vicinity. An
excellent example of this in iMiami county was afforded by the career of
Robert Miller, wiio was known throughout the county in pioneer days
as "Uncle Bob."
Rol)ert Miller was boi-n in Scott counly, Kentucky, September 16,
18UG, and was a son of .John .Miller, a native of South Carolina. In 1818
the family moved to Fayette county, Indiana, and from there in 1835
Robert Miller came on hoi-seback to Miami county. In Richland town-
ship, he entered a tract of land from the uovernment. lie built a two-
room rouiul-log house, which was typical of the old-time pioneer home,
having a puncheon floor, a clap-board roof, a fire-place and a stick-and-
mud chiimiey, with a loft above the principal rooms which was reached
by a rude ladder. In 1837, having in the meantime returned to his
family, he moved here as his permanent home, his household goods being
drawn in wagons by oxen through an almost trackless forest. At that
time his family consisted of himself, his wife, who before their marriage
was Rebecca Cox, and four children. Robei't .Miller was industrious and
an usual business uumager, and in subsetiuent years ac<iuired more than
three thousand acres of land. The features of his career, which illus-
trate the facts mentioned in the first j)ai'agrai)h was his careful .judg-
ment in disposing of these land accumulations. He would sell a ])arcel
of this land only to a reputable liome-seeker, a man about whom he had
no question as to his moral worth, and his business integrity. Thus, in
time, was founded about his old home as a centei- the liesf community
of industrious, (Jod-fcaring and worthy citizens of IMiami county. In
many other ways was Robert Miller one of the foremost men of his time,
being a devout adherent of the Methodist church, through Col. Reyburn
at IMiamisport, ]Mr. IMiller induced a ^lefhodist '"circuit-rider" to come to
his place in 1837. At this IMethodist meeting there were nineteen per-
sons present and these founded, so far as known, the first Methodist
church organization in IMiami county, outside of the central town of
Miamisport. Robert Miller was elected a .joint representative to the
state legislature from Wabash and Miami counties, and was also elected
a member of the state senate.
The children of Robert Millei- and wife were as follows: Henry C,
Samuel C, Eliza A., Sarah E., Mary F., Richard K., John C, Mary F.,
James C, Clayton and Thomas C. Honored and respected forhis nuiny
sterling qualities and his influential career of activity in this county,
Robert IMiller died on August 29, 1884, and liis wife followed him on
February 23, 18!)1.
An old and honored resident of Peru is John Crittenden IMiller, ono
of the foregoing family of children. He was born in Richland county,
this township. May 8, 1840, was i-eared to manhood on the parental farm,
and attained his "education in the locality of the old home. His iii-st
schooling was in a log house, and then in a frame building, each one
probably being the first of its kind to have been erected in that district.
Througiiout the vigorous early i)eriod of his life, as also during later
years, farming has been the chief occupation of IMr. IMiller. He moved
his home from the country to Peru in 1890, and has thus l)een a resident
of this city for more than 23 years.
On February 13. 18(;i. he mnvried Phileiui. daughter of Joseph and
Delilah (Keever) J^urke. Their three children are: Clarence G., who
died in infancy ; Nellie, wife of Frank Drunnn ; and IMarj- L., wife of
William Robbins. The happy married life of more than forty-one years
462 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
was terminated with the death of Mrs. Miller on August 19, 1902. On
September 15, 1903, Mr. jMiller married Lucinda Wallace, widow of
William AVallaee. In polities Mr. ^Miller is a Republican, and has mem-
bership in the Methodist church. His career has been a credit to his
native county, as has also that of every member of this family of Millers.
Otto L. Fisher. To have shared in the productive energies and in the
activities which create real prosperity in a county like JMiami from the
early years of its history to the present is a distinction both satisfying
and a proper source of pride. In this satisfaction Mr. Fisher may have
a general share, since he belongs to a third generation of a family iden-
titied with Miami county since the beginning of civilized things in this
region, and has himself for some years been adding to the substantial w^el-
fare of his community.
Back in the pioneer days, his grandfather, Jonathan Fisher, came to
this county when its lands were almost unbroken forest, and contributed
his share to the development of this region. The next general tion of the
family was represented by John W. Fisher, father of Otto L. and John
W. as well as by his wife, Sarah Skillmau, both born in Miami county,
being natives of Richland township. The Skillman family was like the
Fishers, among the first pioneer settlers of the county, ancl further men-
tion is made of them on other pages of this work. John W. Fisher, who
was descended from German ancestry, is now living in Richland township,
and had been one of the substantial citizens here for many years. He and
his wife had seven children, of whom five survived.
Otto L. Fisher, who was born to his parents in Richland township,
January 12, 1871, has always made Miami county his home. He was
reared on the home farm in Richland township, and the common school
education he received in boyhood was supplemented by a commercial
course in the Northern Indiana Normal school at Valparaiso, which
granted him a diploma in 1892. He continued to live with his parents
until twenty-four years of age, during which time in connection with his
farming he taught school in Miami county.
October 26, 1895, he was united in marriage with Miss JMary M.
Richer, daughter of Christian and Martha (Wolf) Richer. Following this
event he began farming on the old Richer homestead. In 1900 he bought
his present farm of eighty-six acres on section eleven, in Peru township,
and has resided here ever since. To Mr. Fisher and wife have been born
three children, named Lois Velma, Ray Ellsworth and John Christian.
Mr. Fisher is independent in politics, his policy being in all instances to
vote for the num rather than the party. Both he and his wife are mem-
bers of the United Brethren church in Erie township. The homestead
of Mr. and Mrs. Fisher is known as "The Locust Dale Stock Farm."
Joseph Shrock. Coming into ]\Iiami county in 1847, at the age of
fourteen and spending all his active lifetime within its borders, the late
Joseph Shrock who died January 31, 1913, was a citizen of well balanced
faculties, a worker who increased the talents given him by nature, and
who left his community the better for his presence.
Joseph Shrock was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, August 28, 1833.
The family was German in its origin, the grandfather having been born
in Germany, whence he came to America, and located in Pennsylvania. In
the latter state was liorn David Shrock, the father of Joseph.
David Shrock, who died in 1860, married Susanna Hostetler, whose
people were among the pioneers of Miami county, and are appropriately
referred to on other pages of this work.
The late Joseph Shrock lived in Ohio, the first fourteen years of his
HISTORY OF .MIAMI COUNTY 463
life, and from his earliest youth was engaged in such duties of the home
farm as liis streiiytli could ])crfonii. and ;it tlic same time he attended the
local scIlooI^. In 1847 the family accomplished its migration to Miami
county, locating on land in section eleven, Peru township. At that time
there were few improved farms in all his locality, and the land occupied
by the Sht'ock family was nearly all woods. .Joseph Shi'ock gave his labors
toward clearing' uj) tills place and during the winters for a number of
years taught school.
On March 8, 1859, he married Caroline AVorking, whose parents,
Jacob and Magdalene (Lower) Working, were natives of Cermany, and
were among the early settlers of Waljash county. For the greater part
of his life after marrying, ^Ir. Shrock operated a saw^ mill on the home
place and followed the trade of carpenter. He was not a farmer in the
l)ei'sonal sense, although at the time of his death he owned nearly two hun-
(\vv(\ acres of land, lie employed men to do the actual work of the fai'iu,
while his own energies were given to more important affairs. When he
was about thirty-three years of age, he was elected a justice of the peace
and his teinire of that office for about a period of foi1y-foui- years is one
of the most I'euuirkable oflicial recoi-ds in ^liami county. His long service
as such gave him the general appellation of Squii-c. In politics he was a
Democrat, in religion a ]\Ietho(list. For more than half a century he
was active in church work, being one of the charter members of the old
Skillnum Chapel class, and for twenty-five years was a teacher in its Sun-
day school. The Peru Sentinel, issued February 8, 1913, appropriately
and truthfully had this to say of the late Joseph Shrock : "He loved the
bible, he loved the church, he loved his home, and his gi-eatest desire was
to live a righteous life before his neighbors." In many respects Mr.
Shrock was a man ahead of his time. He had a better education than
that of the average man and was an extensive reader. In his capacity of
justice of the peace he acted as arbiter in numerous cases as well as the
actual trial of cases. For his many sterling qualities, he commanded
the respect of everyone regardless of religion or politics. He was laid
to rest in the Shrock cemetery in Peru township.
Mr. and Mrs. Shrock were the parents of six children, namely: Laura
Belle, the wife of Marshall II. Jefferson, a 'farmer of Peru township ;
Albert, who died in infancy; Clinton, who married Rosa AVarsko, is a
farmer of Peru township; Stella; Pearl; and Bertha, who is the wif- of
AVilliam Carlin, a farmer of Peru township.
James Blair. It may be said that pioneers and pioneer life in Aliami
county no longer exist. The great progress and devclopuK^nt of this sec-
tion has transformed the wilderness to a center of civilization and a great
agricultural producing section; the merciless passage of the years has
gathered to their final rest all save a few of those courageous souls who
intrepidly faced the dangers of an unknown country to hew a home for
themselves and their loved ones from the primeval forest. Yet, in mem-
ory, these sturdy pioneers are not dead, for the work they accomplished,
the great achievement that were theirs, will ever live in the minds of those
who have followed them, and for whosf> sake they fought the battles of
peace and braved countless dangers. Among the early settlers of Aliami
county, one who took his full share and ably and uncomplainingly per-
formed his part in the work of clearing, burning brush, grubbing, split-
ting rails, planting and farming after the old-time methods, and who
subsequently became known as one of the substantial men of his time. Avas
the late James Blair, a native of New Athens, Ohio, born Januaiy 9, 1831.
He was one of the two sons. (the other being AVilliam) born to the union
of John Blair and Jane Brokaw. the former of whon> was born in Scot-
464 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
laud, June 13, 1795. AVlieu a youug mau Joliu Blair emigrated to the
United States, settling first in Ohio, where he was married, and in 1847
removed with his family to Miami county, Indiana, locating on a farm
near the Cass county line. He entered land in section 23, Peru township,
from the government, there erected a log cabin, and with the assistance of
his sons cleared the property and transformed it into productive fields.
He died at the home of his son, James, April 5, 1873, his widow surviving
him only until July 1st of the same year.
Coming to Miami county as a lad of seventeen years, James Blair re-
ceived his education in the primitive schools of his day, and was reared
to habits of thrift, honesty and industry. He was married March 25,
1859, to Miss Lydia ^I. Marquiss, a daughter of Isaac and Martha (Hol-
man) j\Iar(|uiss. ^Ir. Marquiss was a native of Ohio, born March 27, 1805,
and was married February 21, 1830, to Martha Holman, whose birth
occurred November 20, 1814. He became one of the very first settlers of
Miami county, and was one of the proprietors of the old town of Miamis-
port. A shoemaker by trade, he followed that vocation for some years,
later operated the tan-yard at jMiamisport with his father-in-law, and
eventually located on section 19. in the western part of Peru township,
where he passed the remainder of his life, dying December 3, 1862, his wife
having passed away April 4, 1861. They were the parents of fourteen
children.
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Blair lived on the old home place
for about eighteen years, and there all of their children, with the excep-
tion of the two youngest, were born. In 1877 they moved to section 19,
Peru township, where Mr. Blair continued to industriously follow agri-
cultural pursuits until his death, July 18, 1886. He was an energetic
and hard-working man. and by perseverance and well-directed effort
accumulated considerable means. Because of his kind heart and numerous
acts of friendliness, he gained numerous friends, while his strict honesty
and honorable dealing secured him a firmly-established position in the
confidence and regard of all with whom he came in contact. A worthy
example of the best order of pioneer citizenship, he will long be remem-
bered as one whose example is eminently worthy of emulation by the
coming generations.
To Mr. and J\Irs. Blair there were born the following children: two
who died in infancy ; John JM., a successful physician of Houston, Texas ;
Ada M., who is the wife of Dr. Walter A. Huff, of Peru : Carrie B.. who
is now Mrs. Harry Whistler, a resident of Oklahoma; Ida j\I., who be-
came the wife of Edward Gallahan, of Jeft'erson township, Miami county,
and died November 9, 1904 ; Colorado M., who is the widow of Newman
Ferguson; Connnodore L., who married Nora Evans, and died October
9, 1901, and whose wife passed away about two years later; James J. II.,
who was a twin brother of one who died in infanc3\ married Nellie, the
daughter of Ed. PI. iMiller, and is a farmer of Peru township ; Bethel A.,
who married Maud Bowman, and is a ranch owner in Texas ; and Guy
L., who married Blanche Dalzell, and is a legal practitioner of Houston,
Texas.
Since the death of her husband, Mrs. Blair has resided on the old home
place in Peru township. Like her husband she is widely known for her
many charitable acts, and during her long residence here has formed a
wide acquaintance and gained many warm and admiring friends.
George F. Wilson. On the cornerstone of the old ]\Iiami County
Courthouse, a portrait representation of which appears in the history on
other pages, was inscribed the name of George E. Wilson, as one of the
county commissioners at the time the structure was put up. That hon-
HISTORY OF .MiA.Ml COUNTY 465
ort'd old i)ioneer citizen was the grandf'atlier of George F. Wilson of Erie
township. The Wilson family has thus hoi-iic ils hoiiofcd pari in affairs
in Miami eoiinty from the early years of eivili/ation and settleiin-nt. The
father of Oeorge F. Wilson was also a county commissioner during his
career.
George F. Wilson was ])oni in P<'i-u township of .Miami county, Novem-
ber 5, 1859, a son of Absolom and grandson of George F. Wilson. The
maiden name of the mother was IMagdalene Fisher. The grandfather
and father both came to Miami county during the early forties, and set-
letl first in Peru township. Theii- home was in the midst of the woods,
and the father lived there in a log cabin until he had pi-ospi'ed and was
able to provide a better home. Py haitl toil he cleared off the trees from
his land, and also cleared up the greater part of the land which the grand-
fat hei- first settled on. Geoi-ge F. Wilson lias also boi-uc his share of this
strenuous pioneer labor, and not only assisted his father in the work of
clearing and grubbing, but when he started for himself he again went
through that labor. George F. Wilson is a product of the old-time
country schools of Peru townshi]). When he was a boy school term lasted
only al)out three months in the year, and he continued to attend as oi)por-
tunity offered and the duties of the home farm would allow until he was
twenty-one years of age. Like the majority of the ])oys of his time, he
found it difficult to secure an education by regular atteiulance at school,
and much of his knowledge has been acquired by practical experience in
the world, rather than from books. In those days it was not uncommon
for boys to still be studying the second reader when eighteen or twenty
years of age.
After Mr. Wilson was married, lie moved out of Miami county, and
though he did not leave Indiana, he found a region which was as little
developed and as much of a pioneer community as that in which his father
had settled many years before. Mr. AVilson was married in 1882 to p]mma
J. Butt, a daughter of Elias and Mary Butt. Seven children were born to
their marriage as follows : Lena B. ; Mary J., wdio married Walker Cas-
per ; Nellie May ; Otto G. ; Dora E. : Lelah F. ; and Allie B.
Mr. Wilson and his young wife moved to Pulaski county, Indiana,
and bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, on which there was not a
single building, nor were there fences, nor had a single furrow been turned
by the plow. On that virgin land, mostly covered with timber, he started
the hard task of develo])ing a homestead. Year after year he advanced
the boundaries of his cultivated fields, and finally had tltc entire tract
under cultivation, had it improved with good buildings, and fences, had
the lowlands drained by tiling, and when he had thus brought it to the
condition of a profitable homestead he sold out at a sum which represented
a nice profit for his many years of labor. He then i-eturned to Miami
county, and bought the farm on which he now resides of ninety-five
acres. Here again he has applied his industry to the improvement of
his place, and he has succeeded in making it a model farm. Among other
improvements he has erected a new barn, has built many strong fences,
and all the improvements except the residence has been put there through
his own efforts. Mr. Wilson may be properly called a self-nuide man.
although he inherited one thousand dollars, and thus bad capital enough
to start on, but all the rest of his i)roperty has come through his own hard
work, with the capable assistance of his wife. IMr. Wilson is a member
of the Horse Thief Association of INIiami county, and belongs to the
Methodist church. His father was also an active member of the :\retho-
dist faith, while bis mother was a German Baptist.
466 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Phillip Struble. One of the most prominent families of Miami
county has been that of Struble located here since pioneer times, and
whose various members have been honored and successful as farmers,
as business men and public spirited citizens. In this pioneer family
was Phillip Struble, who died many years ago, and who was the father
of Mrs. Alice M. Reynolds, who is now spending her later years in a
beautiful home in Peru.
Phillip Struble was a native of Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, born
about the year 1812. He was a son of John and Elizabeth Struble. He
received his education in his native country, and there also learned the
trade of machinist. About 184-1 he immigrated with other members of
the family to America, and for a time resided in Pittsburg, Pennsyl-
vania, where he followed his trade and was advanced to the position "of
foreman. His father had previously located on a farm in Washington
township of Miami county. In 1851 Phillip Struble and his own
family came out to Miami county, making a large part of the journey
by canal, since at that time there were no railroads through ]\Iiami
county and the old Wabash Canal was the principle mode of trans-
portation. Phillip Struble then located in Washington township, and
followed the occupation of a farmer until his death there in 1855. His
parents also found final resting place in Miami county. His wife sub-
secjuently married Joseph Humphrey, and spent the remainder of her
days in Indianapolis. Phillip Struble and wife were the parents of
nine children, and the four daughters now living are ]\Irs. Jennie Trull,
Mrs. James Baker, Mrs. Katie E. iMalmborg, and Mrs. Mary Alice
Reynolds.
George Warren Reynolds, J\I. D. On October 12, 1872, Miss Mary
Alice Struble, daughter of Phillip Struble, above mentioned, was mar-
ried to Dr. George Warren Reynolds. Dr. Reynolds was for many years
one of the most eminent physicians of Chicago, and he and his wife
were among the acknowledged social leaders of that city. The medical
profession of Chicago lost one of its ablest and best loved members in
the death of Dr. Reynolds, which occurred at his home on Washington
Boulevard in Chicago, October 4, 1908.
Dr. Reynolds was born in New York State at Buffalo, on February 22,
1842, a son of George Warren and Mary (Hughes) -Reynolds. He had
already taken up the study of medicine, but when the war came on, he
enlisted from New York State, and on being sent to the front was as-
signed as a steward in the Union hospital at Knoxville, Tennessee. He
remained in active service until the close of the war, for three years,
being mustered out in 1865. His older brother was General John F.
Reynolds, who lost his life on the battle field of Gettysburg on July 3,
1863. After the war Dr. Reynolds continued the study of medicine and
was graduated from Rush Medical College of Chicaigo in 1872. He
then located for practice in Chicago, and acquired a position hardly
second among his contemporaries. For a number of years he was pro-
fessor of physical diagnosis and diseases of the chest in the Rush
Medical College. Dr. Reynolds was as well known in social and fra-
ternal circles as in his profession. He was a thirty-second degree Mason,
was active in the Grand Army of the Republic, w^as a member of the
Sons of New York Club, and affiliated with the Order of Foresters, the
Knights and Ladies of Honor and the Good Templars. He had mem-
bership in the Fox River Valley i\redical Society, and was president of
the Lake View Building & Loan Association for eighteen years. Dr.
Reynolds and wife had two children, but both died in infancy.
The body of Dr. Reynolds was brought to Peru for interment, and
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 467
he now I'o.sts ill the ])t';intiful eciiictory near this city. A monument of
while Cai'i-ara iiiarl)k', sculi)ture(l in Ftaly, and procured by Mrs. Rey-
nolds, now marks the site of the i'ainily lot in Peru.
Since her husband's death, Mrs. Reynolds lias established at 582 W.
Jlain Street in Peru, the Ix'autiful home known as Reynolds Rest, this
place beiuf? opened on April l-t, 1!)1(). Mrs. Reynolds was born Septem-
ber 25, 1855, at the corner of Fifth and Hood Streets in I'cru in the
old Struble home, a daughter of IMiillip iind Barbara (Friesaunse)
Struble. Aiiion<,' tlie other retiiinders of the Struble family in this
eouiity was the okl Strut)le .scliool house ;i noted center of social and
other o^atherino's in Wa.shino-ton townshi|) in its time and named for the
Strulih' family. Mrs. Reynolds is ;i cousin of .lolm ;ind George Struble
and .Melkie Struble, and of Mrs. Barbara Daniels, all of whom are
prominent families of Washington township. She was also a cousin of
Jacob Betsner, formerly a well known grocery man of Peru. She is
also a cousin of Sister Rose Cecile of St. Mary of the AVoods at Terre
Haute. Mrs. Reynolds was reared in Indianapolis, and after her mar-
riage moved to Chicago, where she and her husband had a beautiful
home on Washington Boulevard. In Chicago Mrs. Reynolds was well
known as a club woman, was an officer in Lady Washington Chapter
No. 28, Order Eastern Star of which Chapter she was a life member,
and also belonged to the Chicago Woman's Club, the West Side Literary
Club, the Sons of New Y^ork Club, and was connected with the activities
of Hull House and an associate in charitable work with ]\Iiss Jane
Addaiiis. She was familiarly known as Mrs. Dr. Reynolds since she was
an assistant to her husband in bis medical profession and was his con-
stant companion. Dr. Reynolds was noted for driving fast horses and
elegant e(|ui])ages and both he and his wife were fond of horseback
riding. The Reynolds lioiiie was noted as a social center and place of
entertainment for the best social circles of Chicago. They moved in
the same social sj)here with ^Irs. Potter Palmer, who since the death
of Dr. Reynolds has honored Mrs. Reynolds with a ticket to the Charity
Ball of ,190!). Dr. and Mrs. R(\\-iiolds were both exceedingly hosi)ilable
and kncAV the art of entertaining to ])erfection. ]\Irs. Reynolds had
considerable skill as a uuisiciaii. had a 1 rained voice for singing and
both she and her husband were fond of dancing. She friMpiently won
lionors as a euchre player and possesses some sixty ti'rst prizes won in
the various clubs of which she was a member.
All's. Revnolds had the oi)portunity and the taste for enjoying world
travel. She possesses the faculty of humor, and tells many interesting
aiuH'dotes and reminiscences from various journeys around the world.
She first toured the globe in 1896, and has been on every great body of
water on the earth's surface, and has never been seasick. At one time
slie was on a Pacific Ocean steamer which caught fire and has had many
other alarming experie?Tces during her journies on land ami on sea.
In 1896 on a tri?) to England, she was at a banquet presided over by
the Prince of Wales, afterward King Edward of England, and was also
rcM-eived by Queen Victoria at AVindsor Castle. She has visit<:'d nearly
all the European Royal ])alaces including the Vatican at Rome, and
greeted the late Pope Leo XIII, and she was also a visitor in the palace
of tlie late President Porfirio Diaz in the City of IMexico. Siie has at-
tended receptions and has met the great public leaders of America,
inchuling President and .Mrs. Cleveland, President Harrison. William
McKinley and Mrs. McKinley, and also ex-Presidents Roosevelt and Taft
and their wives. On coming nearer home. Airs. Reynolds recalls an
event which in years to come will be considered an historical occasion
worthy of remeiiibrance, tlie dedication of Peru's new $300,000 court
468 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
house when Governor (now Vice-President) Marshall, presided over the
ceremonies. This dedication occurred on April 6, 1911. Mrs. Reynolds
has now returned to her native city to spend the evening of an eventful
life, and here enjoys the kindly esteem and admiration of the best people
of the city.
Franklin K. McElheny. Miami county at the time of this writing is
signally favored in the personnel of its corps of executive officials, who
are ordering its affairs with ability and fidelity, and one of the valued
and popular administrative officers of the county is Mr. McElheny, who is
serving as county auditor, of which position he has ])een the incumbent
since 1910. He is known as one of the liberal and progressive citizens of
Peru and had been for a number of years closely identified with the news-
paper business in this thriving little city, where he is still one of the own-
ers and publishers of the Miami County Sentinel.
Mr. McElheny claims the old Hawkeye state as the place of his nativ-
ity but is a scion of a family whose name became identified with civic
and industrial affairs in Indiana in an early day. He was l)orn at [Mount
Pleasant in Henry county, Iowa, on the 2d of November, 1861, and was
the fourth in order of birth in a family of six children, of whom three are
now living. He is a son of Thomas K. and Melvina (Woods) McElheny,
the former of whom was born in ^lontgomery county, Ohio, and the latter
in Stark county, Ohio. Thomas K. McElheny was a child of about one
year at the time of the family removal from Ohio to Carroll county, and
later the family home was established in Cass county, where he was reared
to manhood, received a good common-school education and learned the
carpenter's trade, in which he became a skilled workman. As a young
man he engaged in the work of his trade at Delphi, Carroll county, where
his marriage occurred, and after assisting in the erection of the county
court house in that town he went to Henry county, Iowa, where he aided
in the erection of the buildings of the state insane asylum at Mount
Pleasant. In 1862 he returned with his family to Delphi, Indiana, where
he continued his successful work as a contractor and builder until 1869,
as did he later, for four years at Rochester, the judicial center of Fulton
county. In 1873 he established his home at Peru, capital of j\Iiami county,
and here he continued as one of the representative contractors and build-
ers of this section of the state for many years, with high reputation for
integrity and stability of purpose and for civic loyalty of the highest
order. He was a stalwart in the camp of the Democratic party and
served six years as township trustee of Peru township. He was an active
and valued member of the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows and served many years as treasurer of the same. His religious
views were in accord with the tenets of the Presbyterian church, though
he was not formally identified with any religious organization. He
passed to the life eternal on the 25th of January, 1909, secure in the un-
qualified esteem of the community which had represented his home for
more than thirty-five years. His Avidow, now venerable in years, still
resides in Peru, and is held in affectionate regard by all who have come
within the compass of her gracious and kindly influence.
The present auditor of Miami county was an infant at the time of his
parents' return to Indiana, and within the gracious borders of the fine
old Hoosier state he has continued to maintain his abode during the long
interv^ening years, which have been marked by worthy accomplislunent
on his part. He gained his initial educational discipline in tlie public
schools of Delphi and Rochester aYid was in his twelfth year at the time
of the family removal to Peru, where he has since maintained his home
and where his unequivocal vantage-place in general confidence and esteem
HISTORY OF :\riAMT COUNTY 469
shows that he has fully measured u[) to the deinantls of the metewaiid of
popular approbation. He availed hiaiseU' of the advantages of the pul)lic
schools of Peru and at the age of fifteen years he began working in Ihe
factory of the old Howe Sewing Machine Company, which at that time
represented the leading industrial eiiterj)i-ise of Miami county. Later
he worked in other factories and shops. Jn IbTcS ^Ir. McKlheny entered
upon an apprenticeship to the "art preservative of all arts," in the office
of the Peru Republican, and there he acquired facility as a compositor,
in botli newspaper and job work — a discipline that has consistently been
termed etiuivalent to a liljeral education. He contiiuied to devote himself
primarily to work at the printer's trade until 1899 when he acquired an
interest in the Miami County Sentinel, in the mechanical work of the office
of which he continued in assist, as did he latci- in that of the editorial
department.
He is still one of the owners of the plant and business of the Sentinel
and his services in connection with the paper have been potent in bringing
the sam(> up to a high standard. The Senlincl is issued on Wednesday
and Satui'day of each week, as a six-eohnnn (piai-to; is an effective ex-
l)Onent of local news and interests; has an excellent circulation; received
a representative advertising patronage; and is a staunch advocate of the
cause of the Democratic party. The plant is well eiiuipped in l)oth its
newsi)aper and .jol) dej^ai'tments and Mr. ^IcKlheJiy still continues to give
a general supervision to its affairs.
A leader in the local ranks of the Democratic party. ]\Ir. ^b-Elheny
made his second appearance as a candidate for public office in liilO, when
he was made the nominee of iiis party foi- the position of county audi-
tor, to which he was elected, by a gratifying majority, in November of
that year. He has given a most circumspect and efficient administration
of this important office, which touches all departments of the county gov-
ernment, and his service has met with distinctive popular approval. He
has a wide circle of friends in his home county, is one of the progressive
and public-spirited citizens of Peru, and here he is affiliated with the lodge
and chapter bodies of the Masonic fraternity, as well as with the Knights
of Pythias and the Loyal Order of ^Moose.
A red-letter day in the life history of Mr. I\reKllieny was January 31,
1894, for then was solemnized his marriage to ]\Iiss ]\Iargaret A.
McLaughlin, of Peru, who has assisted in making the family home one of
ideal order and who is a populai- figure in the social activities of her home
city. Mr. and Mrs. McElheny have four children — Louise, Robert, Anna
and Richard.
Mrs. McElhcnv is a native of Decatur county, Indiana, wliere she was
born July 19, 1867. a daughter of Thomas and Ann (Cuff) McLaughin.
natives of the Emerald Isle. Mrs. ]\IcElheny was educated in the common
schools and she has been an able assistant to her husband in the rearing of
their childi'en as well as in counsel and advice in the establishing of their
happy home. They are giving their children the benefits of a good edu-
cation. The daughter Louise was graduated with the class of 1018 from
the Peru High School and Robert and Amui are still students in the high
school. Riciiard the youngest, is in the sixth grade of the public school.
CiT.VRLES H. Brow^nell, president of the Citizens' National Paidv of
Peru, Indiana, was born in the citv of Cleveland. Oliio, on the 2d of .June.
1847, and is a son of A])ner C. and Eliza (Smith) Brownell. The father
was prominently identified with Imsiness activities in Cleveland until
1857, when he came with his family to Peru. Indiana, and here he was
for some time associated with his father-in-law, Jesse Smith, in the distil-
ling l)usiness. He was a man of much initiative and constructive ability
470 HISTORY OF ]\IIAMI COUNTY
and soon gained a position of prominence in connection with the business
activities of Miami county. He was one of the organizers of the Citizens '
National Bank in 1871, this institution having been the successor of the
private banking house of Bonds, IlogUmd & Company. He attained a
large and worthy success and was one of the honored and influential citi-
zens of this section of the state at the time of his death, which occurred
in 1878. He was a staunch supporter of the cause of the Democratic
party and prior to coming to Indiana he had served as mayor of the city
of Cleveland, Ohio. He was about sixty-flve years of age at the time of
his death, and of his children, one son and one daughter are now living.
In the public schools of his native city Charles II. Brownell gained
his very early training, and he was but ten years of age when came the
family removal to Peru, Indiana, where he has since that time maintained
his home, save for a brief interval passed in the early part of his life in
travel and in residence in Indianapolis. In Peru he continued to attend
the public schools until he was matriculated in Amherst College, from
W'hich he was graduated in 1871, after which he spent a year and a half
in travel in European countries. During that time he gave special atten-
tion to the subject of languages, and upon his return he read law under
the direction of Hon. R. P. Effinger of Peru. In the fall of 1873 he
entered the Columbia Law School in New York, from which he was grad-
uated in 1875. For the ensuing three years Mr. Brownell was in the
office of Baker, Hurd & Hendricks in Indianapolis, and the death of his
father in 1878 necessitated his return to Peru. It was then that Mr.
Brownell abandoned the practice of law and took up the various business
interests of his deceased father. In 1882 he became vice-president of the
Citizens' National Bank with which the elder Brownell had long been
associated, and in 1883 he succeeded Dr. C. Darwin as president of the
bank, which position he still holds. Mr. Brownell has also been a director
of the National Bank of Indianapolis for many years, and also of the
Union Trust Company of that city, so that banking and matters of finance
generally, occupy the major part of his time and attention. He was one
of the promoters and organizers of the Wabash Valley Trust Company, of
which he has served as vice-president since its organization.
Mr. Brownell is interested in the manufacturing activities of the city,
and has always taken an active part in the promotion of railroad interests
that would result beneficially to Peru, his efforts having been influential
in the acquisition of many manufacturing enterprises of the city.
In 1882 Mr. Brownell was married to Miss Augusta P. Erhardt, who
was born in New York City and who came to Peru at an early age. Two
children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Brownell, Carrie, who is the wife
of Rev. Edward P. Averill, former rector of Trinity church in Peru, and
now rector of a church at Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Emma L., who mar-
ried Robert A. Wason, of Delphi, an honored and talented member of
Indiana's brilliant corps of authors.
John H. Fidler. The owner of a fine landed estate of about five hun-
dred acres, in Cass and ]\Iiami townships, Mr. Fidler has been a resident
of ^liami county since 1905 and has long been recognized as one of the
most vigorous and successful representatives of the agricultural and
stock-growing industries in this section of his native state. After many
years of earnest and fruitful endeavor, he is now living virtually retired
in the city of Peru, where he owns an attractive home, and he still gives a
general supervision to the operation of his valuable farm property. He is
a scion of a family whose name has been worthily linked with the annals
of Indiana history since the early pioneer days, the period thus repre-
sented being fully eighty years. Mr. Fidler is known as one of the stead-
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 47I
fast and upright citizens of Miami county and as one who has ever done
his part in the furtherance of social and industrial advancement, the while
he has impregnable vantage-ground in popular esteem.
Mr. Fidler was born on the old homestead farm of the family, in
Miami township, Cass county, Indiana, on the 19th of October, 1861,
and was the fourth in order of birth of the six children of Jesse and
Melinda J. (Helvie) Fidler, four others of the children still surviving
the honored parents. Jesse Fidler was born in Pennsylvania and was a
lad of about ten years at the time of the family removal to Cass county,
Indiana, in 1832. Settlement was made in the midst of the forest wilder-
ness, about one-fourth mile distant from the present village of Lewis-
burg, in Miami township. At that time the white settlers were few
and Indians were far more in evidence, the w^hile the pioneers depended
upon the plentiful wild game in supplying the family larders, it having
often been possible to shoot deer from the doorsteps of the primitive log-
cabin homes. The father of Jesse Fidler entered claim to a tract of gov-
ernment land and essayed the herculean task of reclaiming a productive
farm from the virgin wilds. The land thus secured remained in the pos-
session of his descendants until within the second decade of the twen-
tieth century, and the name of Fidler was closely identified with the
initial stages of development and progress in Cass county, as well as in
the later years of its opulent prosperity. Representatives of the family
in the various generations kept pace with the march of progress and thus
aided in the marvelous transformation of a forest wilderness into a popu-
lous county of beautiful farms, and thriving villages and cities. The tales
of the pioneer days have often been told and there is no need in this article
to revert to the trials and vicissitudes endured by the members of the
Fidler family when they thus courageously established a home in a new
country and set themselves vigorously to the arduous toil and manifold
responsibilities which ever are the portion of the pioneer under such
conditions. Jesse Fidler, a man of unassuming worth of character, of ex-
cellent mental gifts and of untiring industry, acquired a competency
through his well ordered endeavors in connection with the great basic in-
dustry of agriculture, and he continued to reside on his old homestead in
Cass county until his death. He passed to his reward in the fulness of
years and in the high regard of all who knew him, and his name merits
place on the roster of the honored pioneers who have done their part in
the development and upbuilding of a great state. He was one of the
organizers of the Pipe Creek Christian church, and of the same he and
his wife continued zealous and valued members until their death.
Reared to the sturdy discipline of the farm, John H. Fidler was not
denied the closest and most arduous "communion with nature in her vis-
ible forms," and he waxed strong in mental and physical powers under
the conditions and influences that compassed the days of his childhood
and youth. His early educational advantages were those of the district
school, and this training was supplemented by a course in the Northern
Indiana Normal School, now known as Valparaiso University, in which
institution he was graduated as a member of the class of 1886. Thus
well equipped for the work of the pedagogic profession, he devoted his
attention to teaching in a district school during the winter of 1886-7, and
since that time he has found it expedient and a matter of personal satisfac-
tion and profit to accord unwavering allegiance to the industries of agi'i-
culture and stock-growing, of which he has been a most alert and progres-
sive representative and in connection with which he is now the owner of
a finely improved and valuable landed estate of about five hundred acres,
in Miami and Jefferson townships, Miami and Cass counties. In the
midst of his unremitting application in this important field of endeavor
Tol. n— 3
472 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
he li;is sliowii a deep and loyal interest in those agencies and iutluenees
which lend to foster the general welfare, and while he has manifested no
aspiration for public office he has been a stalwart supporter of the cause
of the Democratic party, so that he views with unmixed complacency the
results of the national election of November, 1912. He is affiliated with
the Masonic fraternity and was reared in the faith of the Christian
church, of which his wife is a zealous member and to the support of
which he makes liberal contribution.
On the 12th of February, 1889, was solemnized the marriage of Mr.
Fidler to Miss Olive S. Newman, who was born and reared in ]\Iiami
county and who is a daughter of Thomas I. Newman, a well known and
highly esteemed citizen of the county, where his father, Samuel K. New-
man, was a pioneer settler and a man of marked influence in local affairs.
Mr. and Mrs. Fidler became the parents of five children. Bertha, who
died at the age of four years; William, who died when two years of
age ; a son who died in infancy, unnamed ; and Ocal and Katharine,
who remain at the parental home.
Elias Butt. Sixty-eight years have passed since the Butt family
came to Miami county, and Elias Bvitt has been a resident of the county
all these years from the time he was fourteen years of age, and has wit-
nessed and borne a part in every important era of the county's develop-
ment.
Elias Butt, one of the few^ old settlers yet remaining, was born in
Pickaway county, Ohio, May 25, 1831. He was one of a family of eleven
children, three of whom are now living, nine sons and two daughters,
whose parents were William and Effie (.Mclntyre) Butt. William Butt was
a farmer, and he followed that occupation all his life. In 1833 he brought
his family to Allen county, Indiana, settling in the woods about seven
miles northeast of Fort AVayne. There remained the family home for
twelve years, and in 1845, in order to procure more land for his growing
family of children at a less price, the father traded his homestead in Allen
county, for four hundred and eighty acres of land in Erie township of
jMiami county. Only about thirteen acres of this place had been cleared,
and on the land stood a small brick house, and the tradition is that this
structure was put up by the Indians, although its exact history cannot
be ascertained. William Butt lived in that house for a time until he was
able to erect a two story hewed log house. When the family took up its
residence in Miami county, the country all about them contained very few
settlers, and nearly every home was isolated by a wide stretch of forest
or prairie land from its nearest neighbor. Flour and lumber mills w'ere
so scarce that the settlers from their neighborhood frequently took their
sacks of corn on horseback as far as Wabash to get it ground.
During the early years of his residence William Butt found it more
profitable to lease a portion of his land to other settlers ; he was a hard
worker and industrious citizen, one who applied his energies to toil early
and late, and in the course of a few years had brought his large estate to a
point of thorough improvement and cultivation. In this way he provided
a home and means for his family. He Avas a Democrat in politics, and his
practical good points enabled him to give service of exceptional value in
the office of township trustee, and other positions of trust. He com-
manded universal respect because of his sturdy honesty, his rugged self
respect, and his views that evel-y man should live his life according to
the dictates of his conscience. His death occurred in 1869, his wife having
passed away in 1856.
The younger generation of citizens in Miami county have little con-
ception of the environments and the economir- and social cnndiliivs in
fC^^^f
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 473
which such a citizen as Elias Butt spent his youth. He participated in all
the hard work of clearing the woods, grubbing out the stumps and brush,
and in sewing, planting and harvesting the crops according to the primi-
tive methods and with the crude machinery which were then employed.
Amid such conditions it is not strange that his early education was lim-
ited, but his common practical sense has enabled him to accumulate over
fifteen hundred acres of land, considerable property in Peru, and wealth
in other forms sufficient for him to be reckoned one of the most substan-
tial men of Miami county.
When such a man has so much to show in the way of material accom-
plishments it is a feature which seems to crown his career when he accords
as does Mr. Butt, much of the credit for this success to his wife and the
companion of most of his years. Mrs. Butt has been his counselor and
trusted adviser for more than half a century and their married life is
one of the most interesting facts of brief biography. Mr. Butt was mar-
ried August 26, 1860, to Mary Ann Waltz, and their eight cliildren were
named as follows: Douglas M., Emma Jane, William A., Jennie Annie,
now deceased ; Mary Belle, Omar 0., and Dora May and Cora May, twins.
All but one of these children are living and all married and residing on
their own home places in the immediate neighborhood.
Mr. Butt is a Democrat in politics, but his life has been too busy for
him. to devote any of his time to party polities, beyond easting his vote
and giving his influence for good local government. He has contributed
largely from his means in the support of all laudable public enterprise,
regardless of whether it affected him personally or not. A member of no
church organization, he has helped to build and improve many ; a man of
limited education, he always aids educational movements; a man inde-
pendent, he has liberally provided for his children, and has extended
material to those less fortunate than himself. More than this could not
be spoken of any resident of Miami county, and such citizenship is of
itself a splendid contribution to the welfare of Miami county.
George C, Miller, The loyalty of Mr, Miller to the fine old Hoosier
commonwealth is of the strongest type, and this attitude is fully justi-
fied, for he is a native of the state and a representative of one of its
sterling pioneer families, and has here found ample opportunity for
the attainment of large and worthy success along normal lines of busi-
ness enterprise. He has been a resident of Peru, the judicial center of
j\Iiami county, for more than half a century and has long been num-
bered among its leading merchants and most liberal and public-spirited
citizens. He is still active in business affairs, in which his associations
are most gratifying, as he claims as his valued coadjutors in the eon-
ducting of a large and well equipped general store his three sons, who
are well upholding the high prestige of the family name both in the
field of local business enterprise and as progressive citizens of sterling
character.
At Logansport, Cass county, Indiana, George C. Miller was born on
the 2d of January, 1845, and he thus became a slightly belated New
Year's arrival in the family home. He is a son of John L. and Mary
(Long) ]\Iiller, the former of whom was a native of Pennsylvania and
the latter of Delaware, John L. Miller was one of the pioneer merchants
and influential citizens of Logansport, and had much to do with its early
development and upbuilding, the embryonic city having been even at
that time an important industrial and commercial center, with effective
transportation facilities afforded by the old canal, the service of which
was of important order before the construction of railroad lines. He
was an alert and enterprising man of affairs and this is measureably
474 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
indicated by the fact that he manufactured and placed in operation the
first wool-carding machines in Cass county. He died about the year 1849,
and his devoted wife survived him by about fifteen years, during which
she nobly cared for and reared her two sons, the only daughter having
died in infancy. E. L. Miller, the elder of the sons, is likewise one of
the honored citizens of Peru and his sketch appears elsewhere in this
volume.
George C. Miller was about four years of age at the time of his father's
death and was about eighteen years old when his mother passed away. As
a boy he came to Peru, where he lived in turn in the homes of ]Moses
Mercer and David Charter, the while he was afforded the advantages of
the common schools, including the high school. In 1860 he became a per-
manent resident of Peru, where he continued to attend school about one
year, and in 1862 he assumed the position of clerk in the store of Elbert
H. Shirk, one of the pioneer merchants of the town. He gained valuable
experience and a thorough knowdedge of the details of the mercantile busi-
ness, and in 1867 he was given the active management of the store, as 3Ir.
Shirk virtually retired from the personal supervision of the business at
that time. In the meanwhile Wilson W. Killgore, who had been engaged
in the hardware ])usiness, formed a partnership with ]\Ir. Shirk under the
firm name of Killgore & Shirk, and the two establishments were united, the
scope of the enterprise thus including both dry goods and hardware. In
1873 Mr. Miller acquired a third interest in the business, whereupon the
firm name was changed to Killgore, Shirk & Co. About 1880 ]Mr. Shirk
purchased the interest of ]\Ir. Killgore and transferred the same to his son,
]\Iilton Shirk, this change being attended with the altering of the firm
name to Shirk & Miller. Upon the death of E. H. Shirk, in 1887, the busi-
ness was continued by ]\Iilton Shirk, the son, and b}^ Mr. Miller, the estate
of the deceased member of the firm, being still represented. Under these
conditions the large and prosperous enterprise was conducted until 1902,
when Mr. Miller sold his interest and retired from the firm. In the follow-
ing year he became associated with his three elder sons in the estal)lishing
of a large and finely appointed general department store, at 71-73 South
Broadway, and here the firm of George C. ]Miller & Sons has built up a
most substantial and prosperous business, the success of which has been
signally fostered by the high reputation long maintained by the father in
connection with business activities in 2\Iiami county. The establishment is
one of the foremost in Peru and draws its trade from the fine section of
country normally tributary to the thriving little city. Mr. :Miller is the
owner "of over 500 acres of the finest farming land in Miami county, over
which graze fine Jersey cattle. He gives a great deal of attention to his
stock and is very successful as a stockman and farmer.
Though giving the closest attention to his lousiness affairs during the
long years of a most earnest and effective career, Mr. :Miller has not
hedged himself in with purely personal interests, but has shown himself
broad-minded and loyal as a citizen— one ever ready to do his part in
the furtherance of measures and enterprises projected for the general
good of the community. In politics he accords a staunch allegiance to
the Republican party, "and while he has not been imbued with ambition
for public office he was given significant -evidence of popular confidence
and esteem when, in 1898, he was elected representative of the Howard
and Miami district in the state senate. He proved a most zealous and
faithful member of the deliberative body of the state legislature, and
gave most effective service during both sessions of the same during his
term having been chairman of two committees of the senate and a mem-
ber of the important finance committee. He is affiliated with the :\Iasonic
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 475
fraternity and both he and his wife are representative members of the
First ]\Iethodist Episcopal church of Peru.
In the 3'ear 1870, on .March 15th, was solemnized the marriage of
Mr. Miller to Miss Ella Leebrick, of AA^ayne county, this state, and they
have four sons, all of whom are associated with their father in business.
Their names are here entered in respective order of birth : Harry L.,
Charles W., Elbert S. and George C.
John B. AVilson. As the pages of this history of Miami county prove,
the actual development and permanent settlement within the present
county boundaries began only with the decade of the thirties. A little
more than eighty years has therefore passed since the first rude settle-
ments w^ere planted, the first clearings made, and civilized life began in
this region. The career of Air. John B. AVilson of Peru township, bears
a noteworthy relation to this time, since he lived out almost the complete
span of his seventy-eight years within the limits of this county. He lacked
but a year of having been a native' of Aliami county. A\^hen he was
brought here a year old the Indians were still inha])itatiug this region,
and the county had been organized only a short while. In the different
periods of his individual life occurred every noteworthy improvement
and event that deserved telling in a history of Aliami county.
John B. Wilson was a native of Pendleton county, A^irginia, where he
was born October 25, 1835. His parents, George and Alagdalena (Hiner)
AVilson, in 1836 came west from A^'irginia, in company with two other
families, those of AVilliam AYilson and John Hiner. They drove through
with three teams, one a five-horse team and the other two two-horse teams,
these horses drawing old-fashioned covered wagons in the true pioneer
style. The party consisted of eighteen persons. After a .journey of six
weeks, they reached Aliami county. These three families bought what
was known as "canal land" in the eastern part of Peru township, on
"Seven-AIile Prairie." They built cabins there, and experienced all the
hardships and privations incident to pioneer life. The older generation
passed the remainder of their lives in this vicinity and their descendants
have become scattered, some of them being still residents in Aliami
county, and others having found homes and prosperity in other sections
of the country.
George AYilson, the father, was a man of superior education for the
time, and in Virginia had taught school. After coming to Aliami county
he soon became identified prominently with the public life of the county
and was recognized as a man whose .judgment and influence were very
valuable to the success of any public undertakings. He served in vari-
ous local positions of honor and trust, and when the court house preced-
ing the present magnificent building was built, George AYilson was one of
the county commissioners. In politics he was a Democrat and a Aletho-
dist in religion. He and his wife were the parents of five sons and five
daughters, a fine family of whom only one son and two daughters now
live. George AYilson died in 1869, and his wife many years afterwards.
John B. AA^ilson w^as brought by his parents when one year of age to
Aliami county, and here he grew up amid the pioneer conditions. His
educational opportunities were exceedingly limited, since nearly twenty
years had passed before Indiana as a state had anything resembling a
free public school system. At one time he had to walk five miles over the
prairie and through the woods in order to reach the subscription school
supported by the people of his community. He remained at home until
twenty-seven years of age, and on December 11, 1862, married Miss
Alary J. Phillebaum, a daughter of Samuel and Sophia (Alyers) Phille-
baum, who came from Ohio to Aliami county, Indiana, in 184-1.
476 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
After his marriage Mr. Wilson began farming on his own account,
and this has been his regular occupation throughout life, although he
has also for different lengths of time attended to other affairs. For
six years he operated a flour mill on the Eel river in Jeft'erson township,
and for one year was employed in the woolen mill at Peru. He became
the owner of nearly three hundred acres of fine agricultural land in
Peru and Erie townships, and was known as one of the county's best
farmers.
He and his wife had eight children, namely: Alice, now Mrs.
Elmer E. Bell of Peru; Dora, widow of Michael Dice; Samuel, a resi-
dent of Cass county ; Voris, a farmer of Erie township ; Earl, who is a
farmer at Peru township; Ellen W., now Mrs. Ralph Otiker; and John
and Jennie, both deceased. Mrs. Wilson is a native of Montgomery
county, Ohio, born January 13, 1843, and she was but a child when she
came to ^liami county. She was educated in the common schools and
is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Peru, Indiana.
She is living at the homestead. Mr. Wilson was a Democrat in poli-
tics, but in no measure had he ever been a strict party man or one
who sought office. He more frequently voted for the man regardless
of party affiliations, and his life was passed in hard work, so that he
never aspired to political preferment for himself. He was a member
of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows from 1868. Mr. Wilson passed
to the life beyond ]\Iay 31, 1913, and commemorating the death of this
honored pioneer of Miami county the following lines appeared in a local
periodical :
"John B. Wilson died at his home one mile east of the city limits
Saturday morning at 11:45 o'clock, after an illness of over a year from
an ulcerated stomach. He was a well known and prosperous farmer
and a pioneer of ]\Iiami county, having lived here for the past seventy-
five years. He was seventy-seven years, seven months and six days
of age at the time of his death.
"He is survived by a host of relatives and friends who mourn his
departure. He leaves a widow, Mary, three sons, Vogue Wilson of
Erie township, Sam Wilson of Lewisburg and Earl Wilson, who resides
at the home place, three daughters, Mrs. Elmer E. Bell, ]Mrs. Dora
Dice of Peru and Mrs. Ralph Otiker of east of Peru and two sisters,
Mrs. Cynthia Andrews of Peru and Mrs. Catharine Ewing of Elber-
ton, Washington. Besides these he is survived by sixteen grandchil-
dren and eight great-grandchildren.
"The funeral services were held at the Wilson residence Tuesday
afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, with Rev. Dr. T. M. Guild, pastor of the
JMethodist church, officiating. The I. 0. 0. F. lodge was in charge of
the burial ceremonies. Interment was in Mount Hope cemetery."
Peter Dingman. For seventy-three years Peter Dingman has lived
in Miami county and practically all the time has been spent on the
farm which he now occupies in Erie township. He was brought to
this county a child, gi'ew up in the pioneer conditions which existed
during the forties and fifties, and throughout his active career fol-
lowed the peaceful vocation of agriculture, and has enjoyed a success
much above the ordinary. He reared a fine household of children,
who for their part are now honored men and women, several of them
with families of their own. Having provided well for his children
Mr. Dingman is now living retired from active pursuits, and enjoys
the fruits of his well spent earlier years.
Peter Dingman was born July 22. 1839, in Allen eount}^ Indiana,
a son of Abraham and Martha E. (Rice) Dingman. The other chil-
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 477
dreu ill the family were named, Mary, ]\Iartha, Sarah Jane, Elizabeth,
Samuel, Eunice, Rachel and Julia. Rachel and Julia are now the only
ones living.
In October, 18-40, the family moved to ]\Iiami county from Allen
county. That was many years before the first railroad was constructed
and the only method of transportation in use were the highways, which
were little more than blazed trails through the woods, and the old
Wabash & Erie Canal, which led from Fort Wayne down the Wabash
Valley through ]\liami county. It was along the canal that the family
made its migration from Allen county. The father was a very suc-
cessful man, owned a good farm in Allen count}-, and traded for the
land which he occupied in Erie township of ]\Iiami county. On the
homestead which the family occupied on first coming to Miami county,
Mr. Dingiuan still resides. Only about six acres of the land had been
cleared when the Dingmans arrived, and their first home was a rough
log cabin w^hich they put up in this clearing after they reached the
county. Primitive though it was that cabin was of about the type of
home possessed by the majority of ]\Iiami county settlers at the time,
and it continued to shelter the family for some years. The earliest
recollections of Peter Dingman are of the great native woods that almost
completely hemmed in the home place, and for a number of years after
they settled here wild game was plentiful among the trees, and the
Indians occasionally visited the Dingman homestead. In a little log
schoolhouse, reached by a path through the woods, Peter Dingman
acquired all the schooling he ever had, and the school in that log cabin
was kept up for only about sixty days in the year, and was supported
by subscriptions taken among the patrons. IMuch of his time was
taken up during his youth by work on the home farm, since there was
a great deal of hard labor to be done in clearing and grubbing and
planting. For this reason his school days were prolonged much beyond
the usual period, and he attended school at intervals up until he was
twenty-five years old. He even went to school one winter after he
was married.
The senior Dingman later bought a farm in Peru township, and
moved his home to that place, where he remained until his death.
After his marriage ^Ir. Dingman continued to work the original home-
stead and has lived there all the rest of his career. There were orig-
inally more than thirteen hundred acres in the farm. Most of the
improvements in buildings were constructed by the father, and Peter
Dingman has built the house in which he now has his comfortable
home.
On November 13, 1877, ]\Ir. Dingman married Mary E. Spangler, a
daughter of John and ^largaret C. (Gettlebauer) Spangler. The six
children born to their marriage are : Samuel, unmarried ; Alice, who
married ]\Iack Bailey, and has one child, Vernice ; Emma, who married
David Kitsmiller: Clara, Clarence, and Florence, who are unmarried
and live at home. The daughters Emma, Clara and Florence have all
taken musical instruction. Mr. Dingman is a Democrat in politics, and
has always been a public spirited citizen. Mrs. Peter Dingman is a
typical pioneer mother, as she and her husband have both witnessed
the wonderful development of Northern Indiana. She is a native of Pipe
Creek township, Miami county, born November 28, 1849, and a daugh-
ter of John and Margaret C." (Gettlebauer) Spangler. She was reared
and educated in Miami county. She and her husband received the
most primitive of educations in the log schoolhouse where the pupils
sat on slab or board benches, and the desk was a broad board fas-
tened at the wall of the building. Some of the text books they used
478 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
■were Smith's Arithmetic, Webster's Elementary Spelling Books and
]\IeGutfey's Readers, and they used tlie goose or turkey quill pen,
made by the teacher, and their copy books were foolscap paper sewed
together. This schoolhouse was heated by a mammoth box stove. This
was the character of the pioneer schools, where now in 1913 the pupils
have all the modern equipments for their education. Mr. Dingman
has seen plenty of deer and wolves in this locality and they have seen
the North American Indian in his savage state. Mrs. Dingman as a
pioneer mother can relate of the time when she took the wool from the
sheep 's back, carded it, spun and wove it into cloth, as well as spun and
wove linen from flax. She is a lady of remarkable memory and can relate
many reminiscences of the primitive period of Indiana, when she was
a little maiden of eight summers. She has been an able factor in the
building of their house and rearing a family of honorable children.
The sport of ye olden days was log rolling, and at evening a big supper
and a. "frolic" (as the pleasure was called). She has attended many
of the "(juilting bees" and "wool pickings" which are unknown to
the younger generations. Her religious training was of the Meth-
odist faith. Mr. and Mrs. Dingman have many relics of the past —
an old ritle made for his father in 1835. and ^Irs. Dingman has linen
table cloths, over a century old, they having been brought from Ger-
many ])y her parents. They also have one of the old parchment deeds,
which was executed under the administration of President Andrew
Jackson and bears the date of June 8, 1833, which is a valuable heir-
loom in the home and county. The estate of Mr. and Mrs. Dingman
comprises over 200 acres of rich Wabash bottom land and is known as
"Glendale Grange." situated near the Northern Indiana Interurban
Railroad.
Richard B. Runyan and Britton L, Runyan. In the sturdy proc-
esses by which the original wilderness of Miami county was converted to
a comfortable abiding place for humanity, no family was earlier on the
scene or contributed more important parts as industrious and law-
abiding and upright people than the Runyan family, in its various
branches. The name has been identified with this county for seventy
years or more and in some of the collateral branches its history goes
back to the very foundation of the county.
Richard B. Runyan. who himself was one of the early settlers of
the county, was born at Trenton, New Jersey, October 16, 1824, a son
of Lewis and ]\Iary (Britton) Runyan. His mother Avas a sister of
R. L. Britton. one of the original proprietors of Peru when first plat-
ted. R. L. Britton was prominently identified with thr early devel-
opment of the city, and with others laid the foundation for its later
prosperity. He died May 26, 1850, at the age of sixty years. His
father had been a soldier in the war of the Revolution, and the Brit-
ton family, as also the Runyans, belonged to the best American stock.
The late Richard B. Runyan' grew to manhood in the state of his
birth, where he secured a practical education, and in 1844 at the age
of twenty and through the influence of his uncle Mr. Britton, started
west and finally arrived in ]\Iiami county. Peru was at that time a
small village, and he was here in time to participate in much of its
development and enterprise. In subsequent years he moved to a farm
just outside the city limits on the northwest and by industry and good
management accumulated a comfortable competency in land and city
propert3^ From the beginning of his residence here, he took an active
interest in public affairs, and in all that promoted the good of the com-
munity. His popularity as a citizen, and the confidence reposed in
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 479
him throughout the community were evidenced by his election to the
otiice of county auditor in 1878, and his reelection four years later.
He made a record as a competent and painstaking official, and gave
splendid service during the eight years which he held the county
auditor's position.
In November, 1853, Richard B. Runyan married Maria McGregor,
who was born ^lay 1, 1831, and was the first white child born at ^liamis-
port, an historic old village which is now included within the city lim-
its of Peru. John ]\IcGregor, the father of Mrs. Runyan, was a noted
character in the early annals of Miami county. He had the distinction
of settling in what is now the corporate limits of Peru in February,
1827, and history gives him fame as the first permanent resident. Sub-
sequently he was proprietor of an old tavern in this locality. His
death occurred August 26, 1835. Richard B. Runyan and wife were
members of the Episcopal church. After more than tifty years of res-
idence in this city he passed away on November 26, 1899, and his wife
had preceded him on March 28, 1892. The late Mr. Runyan had laid
out an addition to the town of Peru and a street in this city bears his
name. During his earlier career he had started for California, but
while on the way and in Texas became stranded for lack of money,
and had to teach a term of school in order to secure the necessary finan-
cial means to continue his journey.
Britton L. Runyan, the only son of the late Richard S. Runyan and
wife, was named tor his great-uncle, Richard L. Britton, whose name
and place as one of the pioneers have already been noted. Britton
L. Runyan was liorn August 18, 1862, on the Runyan farm adjoining
Peru, and was reared to manhood on the old place and has always
made his home there or in the city of Peru. His early education was
acquired in the local public schools, and when eighteen years of age
in 1880 he became deputy county auditor under his father. He con-
tinued in that service througliout the remainder of his father's term,
a period of six years. After leaving the office in the courthouse he
returned to the farm and continued in its active management until
1899. At that date he again moved into Peru, where he has since lived
though devoting most of his attention to farming. ^Ir. Runyan is the
owner of one hundred and fifty acres of land adjoining the city of Peru,
and also has extensive investments in town property.
A Democrat in politics, Mr. Runyan in 1906 was elected a member
of the new county council, and served in that capacity for four years.
Fraternally he is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
On October 21, 1886, he married Miss Anna J. Elvin, a daughter of Fran-
cis H. and Helen E. (Brodrick) Elvin. The parents of Mrs. Runyan
came to Peru from Madison in this state in 1870. Mr. Elvin, who was
of English parentage, was a machinist by trade, and followed that occu-
pation for a number of years in Peru. During the Civil war he had
been connected with the Postal service for the Federal Government.
Mr. Elvin died August 9, 1909, and his wife on December 26, 1876.
The two daughters born to ]\Ir. and Mrs. Runyan are named Enid K.
and Marjorie M. The family worship at the Episcopal Church.
John Hiner and John Miller Hiner. Among the notable ^Miarai
county families none has been more conspicuous as representing the
best virtues of manhood and social character than has the Hiner fam-
ily during the three generations of their residence in this county. The
Hiners came to this vicinity almost at the pioneer beginning of Miami
county, did their share of the hard work involved in the clearing of
the forest, and the laying of the substantial foundation of civilization.
480 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
To an unusual degree material success has been their lot. and the bear-
ers of the name have also stood in important relations with the civic
atfairs of this communitv.
John Hiner. whose death occurred in 1880, came to ^Nliami county
with his parents, and the family settled north of Peru in Peru town-
ship in the year 1836. John Hiner, Sr., the father, was a blacksmith
by trade, and his native state was Virginia. He came west with his
wife and family of five sons and two daughters, driving overland across
the bents of country which separated the east from the middle west.
at a time when the only means of transportation over this vast area
was the water route or the slow and tedious progress of the ox-drawn
wagons. Setting up his shop at his homestead north of Peru, the
Senior Hiner made his place a favorite rendezevous for the early set-
tlers throughout this section of the county. That old blacksmith shop
deserves lasting remembrance among the centers where people were
wont to gather together in the early days of Miami county.
The late John Hiner grew up in the atmosphere of these pioneer
conditions, and as a boy knew the meaning of hard toil and the diffi-
culties involved in creating a home in a new wilderness region. The
schools of his time were exceedingly meagre in erjuipment and advan-
tages, and he had practically no education, except such as he acquired
at home and by his own efforts. He was a young man when the glow-
ing reports came from the newly discovered gold fields of the Pacific
slope. Under the influence of that exciting period he mortgaged his
interest in the farm left by his father, and with the proceeds of this
money went to New York, where he took a ship to the Isthmus of Pan-
ama, crossing that strait partly by river and partly by pack train, and
on the other side took a boat up to San Francisco. In the Eldorado
regions he was employed for a time in transporting supplies to and
from the mines, and later became an actual participant in the placer
mining on the Sacramento river. During his residence in California,
he succeeded in acciuiring enough money to cancel the mortgage which
he had placed on the old home, and brought back a considerable quan-
tity of gold in addition to that sum. Though he did not find fame and
fortune on the gold coast, he was greeted on his return as one of the
more successful of the California forty-niners and his successful start
in the west enabled him to prosecute his ventures in his old home
county with renewed energy and prosperity.
Returning home he took up farming and stock raising, and suc-
ceeded beyond the average. He became the owner of nearly six hun-
dred acres near his home town, and had various other property. John
Hiner married Harriet ^Miller, who also represented a pioneer family
of Miami county. They became the parents of five children, three of
whom are now living. The late John Hiner was particularly noted in
his community for his remarkable industry, and was considered one of
the hardest working men among all his contemporaries. With this in-
dustry he also combined another characteristic, that of kindly hospitality,
which was a feature of his old home, and which made it a place of happy
good cheer to all who came within the door. As already mentioned he
was a Virginian by birth, and to a large degree transferred to his Miami
county home many of the characteristics familiarly associated with the
old southern hospitality. In his business relations his word was every-
where recognized as good as his bond. His death, occurring when he
was only fifty-seven years of age, was wddely regretted throughout this
county.
John jVIiller Hiner is a native of Peru township, bom on the old
homestead north of Peru. ^larch 5, 1860. As a boy he became familiar
^'/f^. ^^z^Z^^^Z^
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 481
with all the operations of the farm, and attained his education in the
public schools. The oldest son in the family, at his father's death, it
devolved upon him to take charge of the estate, and in this way he was
fully occupied for a number of years. When about thirty-two years
of age he left the farm and entered the employ of the Wabash Rail-
road and for eight years was a passenger conductor, with a run through
this city. In 1905, having resigned from the train service, he devoted
his attention to farming, although he has always had his residence in
the city during these years. ]\Ir. Hiner is the owner of a farm of one
hundred and sixty acres near Peru, this land having been entered from
the government by his maternal grandfather, John W. Miller. In pol-
itics Mr. Hiner is a Democrat, is a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite and
a Knights Templar York Rite IMason.
On June 10, 1896, he married Caroline E. Zern, a daughter of Jesse
S. Zern. Their two children are Harriet C. and Zern M. The family
are members of the Presbyterian church.
Frank M. Stutesman. Among the notable INIiami county families
none has been more conspicuous in business affairs nor has borne the
responsibility of citizenship with greater dignity and social service than
have the Stutesmans during the seventy years of their residence in this
county. One of the oldest, as well as one of the largest mercantile estab-
lishments in the city of Peru, is now directed by the above named mem-
ber of the family, who has been actively connected wdth merchandising
in this city for more than forty years. The late James M. Stutesman,
his father, was a real business leader in this city during the middle
period of the last century, and probably no one among his contempo-
raries has been more successful as a Iniilder of business and a stronger
executive in affairs than that worthy merchant and citizen. In consid-
ering the names of families or individuals which have been most inti-
mately associated with the growth and development of the city of Peru
since its early days, there is none that will justify examination better
than Stutesman.
Frank M. Stutesman, who has been named above as the chief repre-
sentative of the family at Peru in the present genera'tion, was born in
this city on December 14, 1854. The family history goes back to Ger-
many, where his great-great-grandfather, David Stutesman, was liorn,
and from whence at an early date he came to the United States and
located in New Netherlands. From there he moved to Pennsylvania
and in 1808 to ^Montgomery county, Ohio, where his death occurred
in 1820.
This founder of the Stutesman family in America was a weaver by
trade. In the next generation is Nathaniel Stutesman, grandfather of
the Peru merchant, born at Hagerstown, Maryland, in 1785. Leaving
there with his father he located at Brownsville, in the historic region
of southwestern Pennsylvania, where he married Miss Sarah Flynn,
and in 1808 moved to Montgomery county, Ohio. He was a life-long
farmer and during the early sixties followed his children to I\Iiami
county, where he died at Peru alwut 1880. at the advanced age of
ninety-five years. His wife, of English parentage, was a native of
Maryland, and died in Montgomery county, Ohio, in 1839. Nathaniel
Stutesman, born in 1785, was a commissioned officer in the war of 1812.
James Madison Stutesman, the father, was born near Dayton, Ohio,
August 4, 1819, and was in his nineteenth year when he died. His
early education comprised three months attendance in an old log school
house back in Ohio. The family tlirough most of its generations has been
identified with the mechanical trade, with farming, or with business.
482 HISTORY OF :\IIAMI COUNTY
James M. Stutesman learned the saddler's trade. With his brother
Jonathan, who was a painter, he came to jMiami connty in September,
1842. The brotliers were on their way to St. Lonis with the intention
of making that their home, but during his brief stay in Peru. James
]\r. Stutesman found tliis eomnumity greatly in need of a saddler, and
the opportunity thus presented caused him to locate here, his brother
Jonathan remaining with him. Later, other brothers, David and Daniel,
the former a farmer and the latter a wagon-maker, came to this county,
these brothers thus contributing their material to the mechanical activi-
ties of this vicinity. James M. Stutesman was probably the first saddler
in Peru, and was also among the first to bring stoves, both heating and
cooking, to Peru for sale. In 1859 he engaged in the hardware business
and was actively connected with this line of trade until 1882. at which
time he sold out and retired from the active aifairs of life. During his
earlier career he was an old-line Whig, later a Republican, but was
never active in party affairs nor an aspirant for public office, though
always a loyal citizen and giving his support to many enterprises and
movements which had more bearing upon the welfare of his home com-
munity than many of the more conspicuous political agitations. His
church was the Presbyterian. James M. Stutesman was married at
Yincennes, Indiana. ]\Iarch 30. 1845. to ]\Iiss Elizabeth Shields, who
was born at Yincennes August 23, 1823, of Scotch-Irish parentage, and
whose death occurred at Peru several years ago. Mr. Stutesman aft^r
marriage brought his wife by stage to Lafayette and then to Peru on the
first packet. The first boat run on the canal was called a line boat, with
a speed of three miles. A new line of passenger packets was put on at
a speed of six miles, and Mr. Stutesman brought his bride over this line
on the first boat run at this speed. The six children of their marriage
were as follows: Mary, who died in childhood; Harriet, who married
John S. Hale, and who died in 1897 ; Edwin, who died in 1854 ; Frank
M. ; Clara E., the wife of W. Y. Spinning ; and James Flynn, who is now
a resident of Washington. D. C.
In the death of James ^l. Stutesman on February 21, 1908, ^liami
county lost one of its foremost pioneers. He was a man of perfect
physical development, with equal gist of mentality, and one whose keen
judgment and sense of justice was such that it was often remarked that
he would have lent dignity and highest service as a member of the
judiciary. His mental faculties at the time of his death were as bright as
many years before, aud he preserved his wonderful vigor to the end.
Frank M. Stutesman, now one of the oldest merchants, in point of
continuous service in Peru, was reared in this city, received his educa-
tion in the public schools until his fifteenth year and then after a few
weeks as clerk for his father, entered the store of his brother-in-law,
John S. Hale, as a clerk. That was in September, 1870, and for forty-
three consecutive years he has been identified with the same establish-
ment. :\Ir. Hale d'ied in 1882, and from that time until 1897 Mr. Stutes-
man and his sister, "Sirs. Hale, continued the business together. In the
latter year Mr. Stutesman became sole owner and proprietor. Then in
1912 occurred a reorganization of the business and it was incorporated
under the present title of John S. Hale Company. Mr. Stutesman is
president, Margaret A. Wood is secretary, and John E. Groth is treas-
urer. This store has a history of its own among the mercantile establish-
ments of Peru, and was organized in 1867 by John S. Hale. For more
than forty-five years it has stood as one of the substantial enterprises
of this state, and through this time its dealings and methods have all
reflected the fine integrity and business characters of several of the
most eminent among Miami county merchants.
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 483
Mr. Stutesman is a Republican in politics, and is keenly interested
in good government both national and local, but lias never been a
politician. In his avocations, Mr. Stutesman has long been an ardent
student of the past, particularly the antiquities of his home county,
and there is probably no better informed citizen in Miami county in
Indian history than Frank i\I. Stutesmaii. lie took an active part in
the organization of a county historical society, and has always given
his encouragement to study and investigation of local annals. He has
the first flag of the stars and stripes that ever floated in Miami county,
an account of which is given on other pages. Mr. Stutesman is affiliated
with the Knights of Pythias Lodge at Peru, being a charter member of
that organization. He was married ^Nlarcli 8, 1888, to Miss Ada Dodds
at Logansport. Their three children are John Hale ; Alice M. and Frank
M., Jr.
John H. Helm, ^I. D. Among the group of men who must be
accounted the leaders of the medical profession during the last half of
the nineteenth century in Indiana, the late Dr. John II. Helm was fore-
most in ability and standing. Few American families have been rep-
resented longer or more continuously in the profession of medicine than
that of Helm. The father of the late Dr. Helm was a physician dur-
ing the early half of the preceding century. Dr. John H. Helm filled
up the period between the late forties until nearly the close of the
century, and since then Dr. Charles J. Helm lias continued the work
of his father, and is oue of the inost honored and successful of ]Miami
county "s physicians.
The founder of the Helm family in America was Sir Meredith Helm
who came from England in the early colonial days and settled in Balti-
more. The grandfather of the late Dr. Helm of Peru is one of his
descendants, and lived during his early life before the war of the
Revolution in the Lower Shenandoah Valley. He fought as an Amer-
ican patriot in that great struggle. One of his children was Dr. John
Cowan Helm who was born in Southern Virginia on the Upper James
river, November 7, 1800. Later the family moved furtlier west into Wash-
ington county, Tennessee. He received his education at Washington
College, studied medicine and ])ecame a successful practitioner.
In 1835 he moved to Preble county, Ohio, and from there in 18-14 came
to ^iiami county, Indiana, where he was one of the early physicians. In
Miami county, however, he gave most of his attention to the milling
business and erected one of the early Hour mills at Peru. He also built
a mill at Peoria in this county, and built up and continued for a number
of years extensive business affairs in that locality. He was a man of
remarkable energy and business ability, and also possessed thoroughly
trained talents for his profession, so that in both his professional and
his business career he acquired a large success. He was married in 1821
to Amy Hampton, a daughter of Major John Hampton, who had served
under General Jackson in the war of 1812, and was a brother of the
first Wade Hampton and great-uncle to General Wade Hampton, the
famous Confederate general. Mrs. Helm died in 1865, and their chil-
dren were John Hampton, Henry Thomas and David Bedford.
The late Dr. John Hamilton Helm was born at Elizabethtown, Car-
ter county, Tennessee, April 23, 1826, and acquired most of his early
education through private instruction. The custom still prevailed when
he was young of preparing for medical or other professional careers by
means of a preceptor, and according to this system, he studied medicine
under two of the leading doctors of Eaton, Ohio. Subsequently he
entered the Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati, where he was graduated
484 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
in 1847, and began practice at Eaton in partnership with one of his
preceptore. He was under General Wool in one of the expeditions sent
to Mexico during the war with that country, and in 1848 he began a
three years' trip in course of which he visited California and many
countries in north Central and South America.
After returning home Dr. Helm resumed practice at Eaton, Ohio,
where he remained until 1860 at which date he came to Peru and
established an office in this city. Besides the large practice which was
a tribute to his ability as a physician, he received various honors in the
organized activities of medicine. He served as president of the Indiana
State ^ledical Society, in 1876, was also president of the Miami County
Medical Society, and took a very active part in organizing and for many
years was president of the Peru Board of Health. Through many
years he was a more or less regular contributor to medical literature,
and was also a charming speaker and fluent writer on both professional
and general topics. He attended in 1871 the first meeting of the
American Medical Association in California, and at that time was made
an honorary member of the California ^ledical Society. Along with a
successful practice he acquired and managed throughout many years
large farming interests in both this county and elsewhere.
During many years of citizenship in Peru, the late Dr. Helm was
noted for his varied philanthrophy, although he was never a conspic-
uous giver nor one who sought any current fame from his work of
benevolence. He was one of the active members of the Peru Catholic
church, and was liberal in all his contributions to his home church and
to charitable works of all kinds.
In 1851 Dr. John H. Helm married Miss Mary Henkle, a daughter of
Reverend Andrew Henkle, and she lived about a year after their mar-
riage. In 1854 Dr. Helm married iliss ]\Iargaret Ridenour of Preble
county, Ohio. The long and useful life of the late Dr. John H. Helm
came to an end at Cincinnati on April 30. 1899.
Charles J. Helm, 'M. D. Representing the third generation which
has been identified with medical practice in Miami county, and a son
of the late Dr. John H. Helm, Charles J. Helm has been for twenty-
five years an active member of the profession and on all sides is recog-
nized as one of the ablest members of the fraternity in Miami county.
Charles Helm was born in the city of Peru, January 18, 1863. Dur-
ing his youth his health was delicate and he was educated largely in his
own home. Subsequently he was for a year a student in a preparatory
school, St. Lawrence, in Montreal, Canada, and from there was sent to
Georgetown University at Georgeto^vn, D. C. He pursued classical
studies in that institution, and was graduated A. B. in 1883. He next
entered the medical department of Harvard University, where he was
graduated M. D. in 1887. Locating at Peru, he began his practice in
this city, and soon acquired a position of influence and was noted as
one of the most popular of the younger medical profession in the city.
In 1890 he went abroad and spent a year in post-graduate study at St.
Bartholomew's hospital in London, and after his return took a course
in the New York Polyclinic. This additional study gave him distinct
advantage in local practice, but from the very beginning he had never
been content with any one stage of his attainments in medicine. In
1897 he again went abroad, accompanied this time by his wife, and
after a varied tour through the historic and picturesque in European
countries, he attended lectures and clinics in many of the best known
centers of medical and surgical knowledge, and also took a second
course at St. Bartholomews in London. This was followed on his arrival
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 485
in New York by another course of lectures, and when he reached Peru
in 1898, he was possessed of a training and technical equipment to
follow his profession. Dr. Helm is connected with a numher of the
medical societies, and for a number of years has been consulting sur-
geon at the Wabash hospital in Peru.
Dr. Gharles J. Helm married Miss Frances A. Carter. Their first
child died at the age of five months, and the two children now living are
Carter James and Frances Amelia.
Michael F. Long. One of the young men in commercial affairs of
Peru, Mr. Long is proprietor of a splendid boot and shoe establishment,
which during its existence has maintained a reputation for the excel-
lence of its goods and has a high class patronage that has continued
dealing in this store year after year. Mr. Long has spent nearly all his
life in Peru, represents an honored family in this city, and through
his own career has done much to increase the business facilities of the
city.
He was born in Peru June 14, 1877, one of five surviving children
in a family of eight, born to the marriage of Jeremiah and Bridget
(Murphy) Long. The father, who was born in county Cork, Ireland,
was about fourteen years of age and an orphan boy when he immi-
grated to the United States. From this early age he was dependent
upon his own resources, and like many others of his race won an admir-
able success and position in life. After a short stay in New York, he
came west and located at Bedford, Indiana, where he was employed
for some time in the stone quarries. When the Wabash Railroad was
being built through Indiana, he came to Peru and became identified
with the service of that transportation company. He continued an
employe of the Wabash for a period of forty-five years, and the com-
pany had no more loyal, nor more efficient service than Jeremiah Long.
He was a man of limited education, but because of his genial disposi-
tion had friends wherever he was known. His chief characteristics were
his continued loyalty to the road in whose service he had worked for
so long, and also his devotion to his family. In politics he was a
Democrat, and he and his family were communicants of the Catholic
faith. Jeremiah Long died February 27, 1901, and his widow still
survives. With the exception of a short period during which his home
was in Indianapolis, Michael F. Long has been a resident of Peru all
his life. He attained his education in the parochial and also the public
schools of the city, and when about seventeen years old began his busi-
ness career as a clerk in the old mercantile house of John S. Hale. For
about eighteen months he was also in the employ of Julius Falk. This
experience enabled him to take the next higher degrees in commercial
life, and for five years he was a commercial salesman on the road,
representing St. Louis and Chicago shoe houses. Leaving the road
in January 1905, he established himself in business at Peru as a mem-
ber of the retail shoe firm of Long & Moore. In 1910 they established
another store at Kokomo, but at the end of a year their partnership
was dissolved at whicli time Mr. jMoore retained the ownership of the
Kokomo store, and Mr. Long remained in charge of the store at Peru.
As sole proprietor of this business he has since been actively engaged
in building up its trade and establishing a reliable and well satisfied
patronage.
On August 16, 1904, he married Miss Gertrude Dowling, of Logans-
port. They are the parents of two daughters, Mary Veronica and Mar-
garet Cecelia. Mr. Long is a member of the Benevolent and Protective
Order of Elks, Lodge No. 365 and of the Knights of Columbus.
486 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
G. Lee ^Miller. Familiarly and miiformly known as Lee ^Miller,
he whose name initiates this review has been a resident of the city of
Peru, judicial center of Miami county, since a boy, and he is one of the
widely known and distinctively popular citizens of this section of his
native state. He was one of the gallant and youthful patriots repre-
senting Indiana in the Union service in the Civil war. and in the "pip-
ing times of peace" he has shown the same loyalty and trustworthiness
which he significantly manifested when he went forth to lend his aid
in defense of the nation's integrity. In Miami county it may consist-
ently be said that his circle of friends is coincident with that of his
acquaintances, and he is living virtually retired in his pleasant home
in the city of Peru, though he continued to accord a general and sys-
tematic supervision to his farming and other property interests.
At Wabash, Indiana, the capital of the county of the same name,
George Lee Miller was born on the 10th of February, 1848 ; and he is
one of the two survivors of the four children of George B. and Mary
(Russell) Miller, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania and
the latter in Kentucky. George B. ]\Iiller was a boy at the time of his
parents' immigration from the old Keystone state to Ohio, and the family
home was established in Preble county, that state, where he was reared to
adult age and received a common-school education. It is also to be
presumed that in that state he learned the trade of plasterer, to which
he devoted his attention for a number of years. In the early '40s he
made a trip through the intermediate west and finally located at
Wabash, Indiana, where he engaged in the work of his trade. His
marriage was solemnized at Peru, his wife's parents having been num-
bered among the sterling pioneei's of ]\Iiami county, and after this
important event in his career he continued to maintain his residence
at Wabash until about 1857, when he came with his family to Peru,
where he continued in the work of his trade and where he finally became
otherwise identified with business interests. He was a man of sterlirig
character and was held in high esteem in this communty, which contin-
ued to represent his home until his death, on the 17th of May, 1909,
at the patriarchal age of nearly ninety-two years, as he was born in
October. 1817. His cherished and devoted wife, who gained the affec-
tionate regard of all who were within the compass of her gentle and
kindly influence, was born in June. 1821,' and thus she was nearly
ninety years of age when summoned to the life eternal, on the 11th of
January. 1911, both she and her husband having been earnest and con-
sistent members of the Presbyterian church.
George Lee IMiller was about nine years of age at the time of the
family removal to Peru, and in the local schools he gained the major
part of his early educational discipline, which has been effectively sup-
plemented by the experiences of a long and active career as one of the
world's workers. He has continuously maintained his home in Peru
since his boyhood days and is known and honored of the people of the
county to which his allegiance has never failed. He was still attend-
ing school at the time of the inception of the Civil war and when but
fourteen years of age he ran away from home and attempted to enlist
as a soldier, but through parental influence he was compelled to return
home. In 1864. upon Governor ^Morton's call for volunteers for the
one hundred days' service, the patriotic young ^Miller, then about 16
years of age. was not to be denied a chance to enlist and go to the
front if his ambition could be realized through such finesse -as he could
bring to bear. The inspecting officer in examining the volunteers formed
them in double rank, and Mr. ]\Iiller was placed in the rear rank. By
a prearranged plan, after the inspecting officer had passed along the
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 487
front line, the man in front of Mr. JMiller exchanged places with him,
having previously given his name as Miller, and the determined .young
aspirant for military honors stepped (luickly to place in the front
rank, whereupon his indulgent prospective comrade stood for inspec-
tion in the rear rank, in which he gave his own name. By this engag-
ing subterfuge young ^Miller, who was under age and of insufficient
pliysical stature to pass inspection in a normal way, escaped detection
and gained the desired end, which he yet believes justified the means.
He was regularly mustered in as a member of Company A, One Hun-
dred and Thirty-eighth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and while his
term of enlistment was but for one hundred days he continued in active
service for nearly six months, having received his honorable discharge,
in accordance with special order issued by President Lincoln, on the
1st of October, 1864. His military service was principally in Ten-
nessee, where his command was assigned to guard duty, and though
he was not a participant in important engagements he made an admi-
ral)le record for true soldierly qualities, as he was punctilous in the
discharge of duties assigned to him and was always to be found at his
post.
Upon his return to his home Mr. jNIiller assumed a position as clerk
in a grocery store in Peru, and after being thus engaged for several
years he became deputy county auditor, a position of which he con-
tinued the incumbent for a period of four years. Thereafter he was
employed for seventeen years as a letter carrier in the city of Peru.
He in the meanwhile made judicious investments in farm property
and city real estate, to which he has given the major part of his time
and attention in later years. He owns 185 acres of land in Peru town-
ship. He is liberal and public-spirited as a citizen, designates himself
a progressive Eepublican in politics and is identified with various civic
organizations in his home city.
On the 13th of December, 1877, Mr. Miller was united in marriage
Lo Miss Zitilla J. Tillett, daughter of William Tillett, concerning whom
specific mention is made on other pages of this work, and the two chil-
dren of this union are IVIary Floy, who remains at the parental home;
and Corwin E., who is a resident of Peru, where he is engaged in
manufacturing automobile tires; he wedded Miss Helen Miner and they
have one child, ]\Iary Rosalee.
GoDi.ovE CoNRADT. Amoug the families whose activities and lives
have been distinctive contributions to the progi^ess of Peru, probably
none deserves more credit than that of Conradt. Upwards of seventy
years ago, the then head of the family came to this city and established
a tannery, which was one of the early industries of the kind, and one
of the most important likewise. From that time to the present, the
name has been associated with big endeavors and industries, which
employ large quantities of labor, produce commodities to the value of
many thousands of dollars each year, and which represent both in Peru
and elsewhere some of the largest commercial assets of the community.
Mr. Godlove Conradt, who is now nearly eighty years of age, and
one of the most venerable and successful of Peru's older business men,
was born in the kingdom of Wuertemberg, Germany, July 10, 1834. Of
the eight children in the familv. four are now living. The parents were
Henry E. and Catherine (Burkhardt) Conradt. In 1840 the family
immigrated to America, making their home first in Springfield, Ohio,
where the father built a tannery and was engaged in the tanning busi-
ness up to 1845. In the later year he moved to Indiana, and after a
short residence at Fort Wayne came to Peru. Here the father estab-
Viil II — 4
488 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
lished a tanning yard, and the location of this business, for a number
of years, was on a site now occupied by the Chesapeake & Ohio switch-
yard in the west end of Peru. The father continued his connection with
the tanning business until about 1864, and then lived retired until his
death in 1871. His wife passed away in +^he same year about one month
before Mm.
Godlove Conradt was about six years of age when the family came
to America, and was about twelve years old when they located in Peru.
The circumstances of the family were such that he had very limited
opportunities for gaining an education, and the entire time which he
attended school did not exceed six months. Observation and reading,
a large experience with practical affairs, and association with men, have
remedied these early defects in education, and he is not only a successful
man in material affairs, but is well informed and throughout his life
has possessed that intellectual curiosity which is a better asset than
many unimproved opportunities and liberal advantages of education.
As a boy he began at an early age to assist his father in the tan yard and
ground the tan bark and did every other duty which his strength and
experience permitted. Before he had reached his maturity he had
acquainted himself by practical experience with every branch of the
business and was an expert tanner. His father was an excellent tanner,
but a poor business man, and it was for this reason that the industry
had not prospered and the family likewise, during the early years. The
sons believed that they coukl supply the judgment and energy needed
for the business, and the father eventually consented to admit them to
partnership. From this time on the firm prospered and the Conradt
tanning business became one of the largest in northern Indiana, but
it was due to the advice and management of Godlove Conradt that a
retail store for leather findings was established at Peru. This not only
provided a market for the local tannery products but became the medium
of trade in thousands of dollars' worth of goods sent in from the eastern
houses. The credit of the Conradts was such that after they had once
established themselves in the business they could always discount their
papers, and receive more favorable terms than the wholesalers and
jobbers. Some time after the brothers took charge of the business the
Civil war broke out and thereby was created a large demand for leather
findings to be used by the army. Under this extraordinary demand
the business increased to phenomenal value, and the prosperity of the
house was securely established at that time. In 1857 his brother died
and Mr. Godlove Conradt in 1864 bought out the entire business, and
conducted it until 1882. although some ten years before he had aban-
doned the local tannery.
During the past thirty years his attention has been diverted into
many large fields of enterprise. About the time he disposed of his
leather business, he took a contract to get out and deliver to the Wabash
Railroad, ties, tiling and other timbers, and he spent three years in
finishing up this contract. Having prospered in business and having
a handsome competence, he then endeavored to retire and spend the
rest of his years at leisure. He succeeded in this plan up to 1893, but
then joined his sons Fred W. and Albert V. in establishing tlie (ireat
Western Pottery Company at Kokomo. This was an entirely new field
of operation to all the partners, but they us^d such practical business
sense in the conduct of the business that in a few years the pottery com-
pany became one of the largest manufacturing plants in the state of
Indiana. The factory was started with four kilns, and two more were
soon added to meet the demand for the product. In 1896 the factory
was, partly destroyed by fire at a loss of $53,000. Insurance to the
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 489
ainoimt of $40,000 was recovered, and the proprietors at once rebuilt on
fire-proof lines. The plant at Kokomo now operates twelve kilns. In
1898, owing to the inability of the corporation to manufacture sufficient
goods to meet the demand, a second factory at Tiffin, Ohio, was bought
and ten kilns are now operated there. In all the two factories represent
a capital of about $800,000, employment is given to about three hundred
hands, and the value of the annual product amounts to more than
$700,000. At Tiffin also Mr. Conradt and sons are engaged in the
metal-ware manufacturing, under the firm name of the Tiffin Art IMetal
Company. The products of that company are widely advertised
and used in every part of the country. The metal business represents
a capital invested of about $125,000. It was a severe loss to the suc-
cessful business organization so long conducted by father and sons
when Frederick AV. Conradt died on August 14, 1909. He had made
his home at Tiffin, and was one of the most vigorous leaders in the
business enterprise of that city. Mr. Godlove Conradt in 1910 had
financed the contract for the erection of the city electric works of Peru.
His time is now occupied in looking after his extensive property interests.
On December 27, 1857, Mr. Conradt married Mary Smith, who was
born in Hesse, Darmstadt, Germany. The four children of their mar-
riage are as follows : Matilda C, wife of Dr. A. H. Kalbfleisch of Peru ;
Fred AV., whose successful career has been briefly alluded to ; George W.,
who died when ten years of age, and Albert V. Politically, Mr. Conradt
is now a Republican, but previous to the free coinage of silver heresy he
affiliated with the Democratic party. He was reared in the faith of the
Lutheran church, but is now an active member of no religious organiza-
tion. During his life he has traveled extensively, his travels including a
11,000-mile trip to Panama.
Michael Bappert. Soldier, business man, public spirited citizen,
and former capable official of the county, Michael Bappert is probably
as widely known through Miami county as any other man, and has had
a long and active career of usefulness. His long residence and his
military and official career makes him eminently worthy of mention
in the work setting forth the incidents in the lives of the representative
men in this section of Indiana.
Michael BajDpert is a native of Bavaria, Germany, where he was
born December 31, 1844, the only child born to the marriage of George
and Hannah Bappert. Michael was five years of age when his father
died, and the mother and son in January, 1853, set out for America.
A sailing vessel brought them by tiresome stagey through fifty days of
voyage to New Orleans, and after landing there they took a boat up
the Mississippi and Ohio rivers to Cincinnati. At Cincinnati our sub-
ject's mother continued to reside for a number of years, and was there
married to Ernest Ehrentraut. By this marriage there were four chil-
dren, three of whom are now living. Subsequently Mr. and Mrs. Ehren-
traut moved to Philadelphia, and spent the remainder of their lives in
that city.
Thus it happened that Alichael Bappert remained in his native coun-
try until he was a little past the age of eight years. During that time
he had received some advantages in the public school. After coming to
America he continued to live with his mother at Cincinnati, until he
was fourteen years of age, and at that time started in life on his own
responsibility."^ His first job was that of assistant to the pastry cook
on board the steamboat "War Eagle." This work and the other occu-
pations which a boy could follow on board a steamboat were his regu-
lar pursuits from that time until the breaking out of the Civil war.
490 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Though less than seventeen years of age when the war came on, Mr.
Bappert made a notalile record as soldier. In 1861 while in Kentucky-
he enlisted in Company F of the Twelfth Kentucky Infantry, and was
on detached service under General Thomas at the battle of Murfrees-
boi'ough. In a flanking movement on the part of the enemy in that
engagement, Mr. Bappert was taken prisoner, and was sent to Rich-
mond and placed in the notorious Libby Prison. He endured the rig-
ors of that confinement for five months, at the end of which time he
was paroled and eventually exchanged. Since he was still under age,
his mother invoked the interference of the court and secured his dis-
charge from the service. However, he was not satisfied as yet with his
career as a soldier and enlisted in Company G of the Forty-Seventh
Ohio Infantry, joining his regiment at Stevenson, Alabama. He arrived
there in time to take part in the great Sherman campaign to Atlanta.
His first engagement was at Kenesaw Mountain, and subsequently he
was in almost continuous fighting up to August 3, at which date he re-
ceived a gun-shot wound through the left knee and on the same day the
leg was amputated. This effectually put an end to his aspirations for
a further military career, but his sacrifices in behalf of the Union ended
with his honorable discharge. Owing to the crudity of the first ampu-
tation, he was required to undergo three more operations, and was inca-
pacitated from all activities for one year and nine days, finally being
discharged from the hospital after the close of the war. On returning
to Cincinnati, he learned the cigar-maker's trade. While in that city
he married Dora E. Snyder.
After becoming an expert at his trade, and following it for some
years in Cincinnati, he moved to New Carlisle, Ohio, thence to Spring-
field in the same state, from there back to Cincinnati, then to Defiance,
Ohio, and in the fall of 1870 located at Peru, which has since been his
permanent home. Here he l^egan working at his trade, and subse-
quently started a cigar shop at the little village of Denver. During
his residence there, in 1886, he was elected to the office of county
recorder on the Republican ticket. He had become very popular in
the citizenship of the county, and his name has always created much
support whenever proposed for official position. He held the office of
county recorder for one term of four years, and in 1890 was elected
county auditor, an office in which he served also four years. Since the
expiration of his last term Mr. Bappert has been practically retired,
owing to ill health.
Fraternally he is one of the popular members of the local j)ost of
the Grand Army of the Republic, and is also affiliated with the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, the Order of Elks, and the Knisrhts of
Pythias. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist church.
The four children born to their marriage were: John, who died in
infancy ; Ella, now Mrs. Charles H. Howes, her husband being a travel-
ing auditor on the Missouri Pacific Railway; George J., who is a resi-
dent of Arkansas ; and Lillian E., a teacher in the high school at
Rochester, Indiana.
J. Frank Gysin. Since the beginning of 1910 city treasurer of
Peru. Mr. Gysin has by a career of sustained efforts and ability to
advance himself, demonstrated his thorough fitness for official respon-
sibility and the fine esteem in which his name is held throughout this
community.
J. Frank Gysin was born in Peru, Indiana, September 2, 1864, a
son of George Frederick and Louisa Carolina (Heider) Gysin, both
of whom were natives of Germany, the father born in Wuertemberg,
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 491
Germany, and the mother in Saxony. The parents were married after
coming to America at Richmond, Indiana, and from that city they
moved to Peru about 1858, where the father added his skill as a black-
smith to the practice of the mechanical arts in this city. He remained
in the quiet pursuits of his regular business until his death on May
5, 1872. The mother still survives and resides in this city.
Mr. Gysin attained his education in the German-Lutheran schools
at Peru, and was thirteen years of age when he began independent
work and earning his own way. For four years he labored on farms
in Michigan at wages, and at the end of that time returned to Peru
and spent one year in the employ of the Indiana ^Manufacturing Com-
pany. During the next two years he was again in ^lichigan engaged
in farming. When about twenty years of age, Mr. Gysin went west
and at Tacoma, Washington, followed several different occupations
for two years. He next located at Livingston, Montana, in the employ
of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company. After this experience in
the northwest he came home to Peru and was employed here as a clerk
in a grocery store until November, 1892. At that date he entered the
employ of J. H. Fetter in the furniture and undertaking business.
He continued with Mr. Fetter for fourteen years and in the same
line for another company until 1909. In 1909 occurred his election
to the office as city treasurer on the Democratic ticket, and he began the
responsibilities of that position in 1910. In the fall election of 1910 he
was forced out by the Democrats but was reelected without opposition on
the Citizens ticket. His church is the German-Lutheran.
Mr. Gysin was married February 6, 1895, to Miss Louise Rassner of
Peru. Her father, AVilliam Rassner, was one of the old settlers of
Peru and became identified with this locality during the canal era.
Mr. and Mrs. Gysin are the parents of two sons, namely: AVilhelm
Frederick Christopher and John Frank.
The Miller Family. The name of no one family has been more
closely and worthily linked with the history of Miami than that which
initiates this paragraph, and it is a matter of imperative historical con-
sistency that in this publication be given specific representation to vari-
ous members of this sterling family,— those who have contributed in
generous measure to the development and upbuilding of the county
and have stood exemplar of the best type of citizenship.
James T. ^Miller, who came to the district of Indiana now com-
prised in Miami county in the year 1827, at which time the incipient
advancement of civilization in this section was mainly represented by
a pioneer trading post at Miamisport, where a few French traders had
established headquarters for their bartering with the Indians. This
sterling pioneer was a native of Pennsylvania, from which state_ he
removed to Preble county, Ohio, soon after the opening of the nine-
teenth century. He was still a young man when he left the Buckeye
state and penetrated the wilds of Indiana, whither he came on a trad-
ing expedition. Here he familiarized himself with the Indian lan-
guage and for many years he continued as one of the prominent rep-
resentatives of this primitive line of enterprise within the boarders
of the Hoosier state. He was in the employ of others during the greater
part of his active career as a trader, but he accumulated a considerable
tract of land in i\Iiami county, though he never gave his personal and
direct attention to agricultural pursuits. He was a man of nnpreg-
nable honor and his kindness, fairness and consideration in his dealings
with the Indians gained to him their confidence and definite friend-
ship so that he was influential as their counselor and in the protecting
492 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
of their interests. He commanded high place in the confidence and
esteem of the earh' settlers in this section of the state and continued
to maintain his home in ]Miami county until his death, at a compara-
tively early age. He assisted in the organization of Miami county and
in the formative period of its history he served two terms as county
treasurer. His wife, whose maiden name was Mary Cole, survived
him by a number of years. He was the first representative of the Mil-
ler family in I\Iiami county, but in 1828 he was here joined by an
elder In'other, concerning whom definite mention is made in following
paragraphs.
John W. JMiller was the brother who arrived in Indiana in 1828,
about a j^ear later than James T., and while in the early days he did
more or less trading with the Indians, his principal sphere of endeav-
or in the pioneer wilds was in the developing of land and reclaiming
the same to cultivation, so that he became one of the earliest representa-
tives of the agricultural industry in Miami county. In the western
part of what is now Peru township he settled on a tract of heavily
timbered land, to which he later entered formal claim through gov-
ernment entry, after the surveys had been made. He endured to the
full the arduous toils, the hardships and the vicissitudes which fell to
the lot of the average pioneer under similar conditions and he proved
well his usefulness as one of the world's noble workers as well as a
founder and builder of the county which now wears the gracious
crown of opulent prosperity and industrial and civic precedence.
In Ohio was solemnized the marriage of John W. Miller to Miss
Julia Ann Lease, and when he came to Indiana he was accompanied
by his wife and their infant daughter. The tangible property of the
pioneer family was represented in a somewhat dilapidated wagon, a
yoke of steers, a blind horse and a meager supply of household goods.
The long and tedious journey from Ohio was made with this primitive
outfit and Mr. Miller drove the ox team, which slowly plodded its
way and pulled the wagon in which were placed the little stock of
household necessities, Mrs. Miller having made the trip in stately dig-
nity on the back of the blind horse and with her babe in her arms.
Often en route was it necessar}' for Mr. ^Miller to interrupt the progress
of the journey to make vnth. his ax a clearing through which the team
and wagon might pass, and on other occasions he found it necessary
to fill in marshy places with sticks and logs, to afford a roadway.
After arriving at their destiiiation the family utilized the wagon as
a domicile until the husband and father had made a clearing in the
forest and there erected his pioneer log cabin, ten by twelve feet in
dimensions. This primitive structure was finished without the utiliza-
tion of nails, which were at that time an unknown quantity in this
section, and the building was equipped with a roof of shakes, hewn
out by hand, as was also the puncheon floor. Stone was gathered for
the construction of the huge fireplace that was to furnish heat and
cooking facilities, and the original chimney was made of sticks and
mud, this primitive cement serving in place of plaster. Later a log
stable was built for the protection of the young live stock, which other-
vnse would have suffered from the depredations of wolves and other
wild animals. Other natural obstacles confronted the sturdy pioneer,
and it was found difficult even to raise a crop of grain, as the squirrels
and various varieties of birds manifested altogether too great an ap-
proval of the growing crop, which they appropriated to their own
use. The sheltered inmates of the rude forest lodge found the howling
wolves an ungrateful slumber sound by night, and the voracious animals
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 493
would often come by day and scratch on the cabin door when they
detected the odor of cooking meat. To add to his discomfort, Mr.
Miller did not become readily acclimated, and for the first three years
of his residence in Miami county he may have found adequate the
exercise which he gained through his physical agitation by ag-ue, with
its alternating chills and fever. Later generations, who clamor for and
demand luxuries, maj' well pause to contemplate with admiration the
courage and steadfast purpose of the stui'dy pioneer families who
labored and endured greatly, in order to make for themselves homes
and to carry forward the developing agencies which have made pos-
sible the conditions and intiuences of the twentieth century.
Mr. Miller was a man of strong individuality, alert mentality and
mature judgment, and these attributes combined with sterling integrity
to make him an influential factor in public affairs in the pioneer com-
munity. He served as county commissioner at the time when Miami
county was still an integral part of Cass county. He accounted well
for himself and to the world as an indefatigable and productive worker
and loyal citizen, and his name merits a place of prominence on the
roster of the honored pioneers of Miami county. An incident of his
journey through the wilderness from Ohio to Indiana is worthy of
note in this connection. In starting forth for the new home he had
a cash capital of fifty dollars in gold, and this coin was in a sack which
was placed in the bottom of the wagon. In crossing the Wabash river
at a point near the old Godfrey trading house, the sack of gold slipped
from the wagon into the water, and the treasure was recovered by the
employing of a man to dive for the same. Mr. I\Iiller eventually accu-
mulated about thirty-five hundred acres of land in Miami county, and
of a very appreciable part of this extensive landed estate he contin-
ued in possession until the time of his death, which occurred in March,
1870, his cherished and devoted wife, who had shared with him the pri-
vations and other hardships of pioneer life, having been summoned
to eternal rest in 1868. They became the parents of eight children,
five sons and three daughters, of whom only one is now living, Edward
H., concerning whom specific mention will be found in later para-
graphs. ]Mr. and j\Irs. Miller were zealous members of the Roman
Catholic church and in politics he gave his allegiance to the Demo-
cratic party.
Edward H. Miller, only surviving child of John W. and Julia Ann
(Lease) Miller, was born on the old homestead farm in Peru township,
on the 22d of April, 1812, and there also were born all of the other
children with the exception of the eldest daughter, who had been
brought from Ohio when an infant, as previously noted in this context.
Mr. Miller early gained close fellowship with the arduous labors and
manifold duties of the pioneer farm, and the experience is one to which
he reverts with pleasing memory, the softening infiuence of many
years having obscured the recollection of sore and jaded muscles and
almost incessant application. In a little log school-house erected by
his honored father and a neighbor named Townsend he gained his
early educational training, which proved a solid foundation upon which
to upbuild the substantial superstructure of knowledge which he has
since gained through self-discipline and close association with the prac-
tical affairs of life. He was enabled to attend Notre Dame University,
at South Bend, for a few months, but he reverts to the little school-house
of logs as his alma mater and recognized the solidity and value of the
instruction which he received therein.
In the long years of a signally active and productive career Mr. Miller
494 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
has not faltered in his allegiance to the great hasie industry under the
influences of which he was reared, and he now owns nearly two hundred
acres of the finest farming land to be found in ^Miami county, the
same having been a part of the locally famed Godfrey reserve and being
situated in Butler township. He resides on this fine homestead, upon
which he has made the best of modern improvements, and during his
entire career as a farmer and stock-grower he has exemplified the most
progressive policies and methods, together with a seemingly unlimited
capacity for consecutive application. He is emphatically one of the
most prominent and successful representatives of the agricultural
interests of his native county and here he has so ordered his course as
to merit and receive the inviolable confidence and high regard of all
who kno^v• him.
Mr. ^liller has ever manifested a loyal interest in all that has tended
to advance the civic and material welfare of his home county and state,
in which connection he has given co-operation in the furtherance of
progressive measures and enterprises projected for the general good
of the community. Though never imbued with ambition for public
office he accords unfaltering allegiance to the Democratic party, and
thus is enabled to be one of those who, in view of the results of the
national election of November, 1912, have reason to "'rejoice and be
exceeding glad. " He is alBliated with the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows. His wife holds membership in the Presln'terian church.
On the 21st of January. 1864, was solemnized the marriage of Mr.
Miller to Miss Louan Nesbit, who likewise was born and reared in ]\Iiami
county, among whose earliest settlers were numbered her parents, the
late Walter B. and Lou Ann (Reilly) Nesbit. Of the eleven children of
Mr. and ]\Irs. Miller seven attained to years of maturity, and concerning
them brief record is made in the concluding paragraph of this article.
Caroline is the widow of Edward T. Wilson and resides in Washing-
ton township ; ^lax C. died at the age of about forty years and had five
children ; Edward 0. is a resident of the city of Portland, Oregon, and
has two children ; Lou Ann is the wife of William Sharp, a representative
farmer of Washington township, i\Iiami county, and they have four
children ; Jessie is the wife of James H. Tillett, a resident of Peru, and
they have two children ; John W. is identified with prominent business
interests in the city of Peru, the judicial center of his native county ; and
Nellie is the wife of Jason Blair, a sterling representative of the farming
industry of Peru township, and has two children.
Aaron N. Dukes was but twelve years old when he came to Miami
county, Indiana, with his parents, and it was here that he grew to
manhood and passed the greater part of his life. He was born in
Randolph county, Indiana, October 27, 1834, a son of William and
Matilda (McKim) Dukes, and a grandson of Isaac Dukes, who was a
native of England, and who, upon coming to America, settled in Mary-
land.
William Dukes, the father of Aaron N. Dukes of this brief sketch,
was a farmer and when Indiana was yet in her infancy as one of the
sisterhood of states, he preempted a farm from the government, in
Randolph county, which he proceeded to clear after the manner of the
pioneer of his day. In 1846 he removed with his family- to Miami
county and for a number of years operated a farm near the village of
Gilead. later removing to Peru where he was engaged in agricultural
pursuits until his death in 1879.
Aaron N. Dukes was able to secure a good practical education as a
boy, and his earlier years were passed in helping with the work of the
HISTORY OF I\IIAMI COUNTY 495
home farm. When he was seventeen years old he hegan clerking hi
the mercantile establishment of Elbert H. Shirk, and from this prince
among busines men he became thoroughly grounded in the knowledge
of what was to be his future career. After one year he became the
partner of Mr. Shirk in a brancli store established at Gilead, and was
thus engaged for two j^ears. During the ensuing six years he was
variously engaged in merchandising, milling and real estate at Mankato,
Minnesota, and it was while he was located there that he became cap-
tain of a company of men organized to fight the Sioux Indians at the
time of their historic outbreak and during their ravages along the
frontiei-. He gained distinction in his service in that campaign as a
soldier of courage and valor, and was long remembered in that district
for his excellent work as an Indian fighter.
In 1862 i\Ir. Dukes returned to Peru, Indiana, and again became
associated with Mr. Shirk in the merchandise basiness, and still later
became connected with J. H. Jamison, engaged in the handling of such
produce as fruits, butter, eggs, etc., and also in the packing of pork.
In 1870 Mr. Dukes bought the Holman farm, ad.joining the corporate
limits of the town of Peru, and upon this property in the fall of 1897
oil was first discovered.
There have been few industries, if any. pertaining to the com-
mercial and industrial prosperity of Peru that have r.ot felt the in-
fluence of Mr. Dukes, and in the course of time he amassed a consider-
able fortune as the result of his operations. From his ample means he
has contributed to the support of all laudable enterprises that have been
promulgated in Peru and his benefactions have been many and varied
in their nature.
In 1877 Mr. Dukes was appointed assignee of the Ulrich Wagon
Works and in 1881 was receiver of the Indiana Manufacturing Com-
pany and became a large stockholder, general manager and secretary
and treasurer therein. These two concerns occupied the greater part of
his attention during the remainder of his life. From the beginning of
Miami county, few men of this district have occupied a more prominent
place in its history than did Aaron N. Dukes, and he long maintained
an honored and honorable place among the leading men of the city
and county.
To his marriage with Mary A. Thomson which occurred in 1858,
two sons were born, — Elbert and William, the latter named dying in
1872 when he was ten years of age. Mrs. Dukes died in iVpril, 1808,
and on November 14, 1900, he married Mary Rose Thomson, and she
survives the death of her honored husband, which occurred on July 5,
1911. He was long a member of the Presbyterian church, and was on
the roll of that church at the time of his death, and had started the
building of the hospital.
Elbert James Dukes. It would be extremely difficult, if not well
nigh impossible, to estimate in any adequate degree the good tha.t
resulted from the activities of Elbert James Dukes, lately deceased,
during his active and well spent life of forty-nine years. The advocate
of education along the most approved and useful lines, he did much for
the advance of learning wherever he was found, and he was ever the
stanch friend of young men and their guide and adviser in times of
stress and struggle. He was a man whose influence in educational,
religious, philanthropic and even in political circles was widely felt, and
from which more of good to the general public accrued_ than is to be
accredited to the influence and w^orks of the average public man.
Elbert James Dukes was born on August 15, 1860. in Mankato, Min-
496 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
nesota, where his father, Aaron N. Dukes, concerning whom appropriate
mention will be found preceding this article, was living at that time.
When Elbert Dukes was yet a child his parenis returned from Minnesota
to Peru, which had been the former home of the family, and here he was
reared to manhood. His primary education was obtained in the public
schools, succeeding which he took a preparatory course of training at
Wabash College. He later pursued a full scientific course in that institu
tion, from which he was duly graduated in 1885, and succeeding his
graduation he took charge of the musical instrument and sewing machine
store which his father had established in Peru some time previous. This
work constituted his regular employment and business interest during
the remainder of his life, but in no way were his powers of usefulness
and service to his fellows circumscribed by his activity in this enterprise.
As a result of his personal friendship with Dr. Dickey, with whom
he had come into a close friendly relation during his college career, Mr.
Dukes became interested in institute work, and visited Chautauqua, New
York. He eventually became assistant manager of the work under Dr.
Dickey at Winona Lake, as well as a director of the Chautauqua work.
Mr. Dukes was always a wide reader, particularl}- along educational
lines, and in company with his friend. Dr. Dickey, he visited Europe for
the purpose of securing suitable speakers for Bible Conferences to be
held at various points in America. For years he was engrossed in
educational, religious and philanthropic work, and he became widely
known, not only in his home district, but throughout the entire country.
He was of the Presbyterian denomination and was for years an elder in
the church of that denomination in Peru. Politically he was a Repub-
lican, and at one time was a candidate for the office of city treasurer,
although he was not a man to devote himself deeply to political strife
and stress.
As a man, his life was quiet, uneventful and without ostentation of
any sort, and it is doubtful if many beyond his immediate family and
his more intimate associates realized anything of the scope of the work
he carried on aside from his business. Particularly was he interested in
the education of young men. Not education alone in the regularly
accepted sense of the term, but education along general lines, and of the
most practical and suitable order for the individual in consideration.
A number of deserving young men were financially assisted by him in
the procuring of collegiate education, and have honored their benefactor
in displaying characteristics wholly creditable to themselves and to his
excellent "judgment. ^Ir. Dukes lived a clean, upright and moral life,
and earnestly held before him the precept of the Golden Rule a^ one
of the guides of his life. The last of his days he was a suiferer from
valvular heart trouble and it was at Battle Creek, Michigan, where he
had gone in the hope of receiving some relief from his sufferings that
the end came. He died on October 16, 1909, and was laid to rest in the
old cemetery at Peru, where others of his family lie buried.
Mr. Dukes married on March 4, 1886, I^Iiss Ruth S. Baldwin, of
Washington, Indiana, the daughter of Rev. Robert R. Baldwin, who was
long in the ministry of the :\Iethodist Episcopal church.
John C. Hite. A resident of Peru for the past fifteen years, active
manager of the Peru I\Iilling Company, and regarded as the only thor-
oughly successful miller that this city has ever had, John C. Hite has
had a career of many experiences, and interesting changes. He is an
Indiana man by birth, having been born in Jefferson county, this state,
March 16, 1853. , . , .
Since he was fifteen years old he has been left to his own responsibil-
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 497
ities and practically all the school education he ever attained was that
furnished by the common schools, previous to that time. Probably the
most interesting fact in Mr. Kite's life was the manner in which he
was started upon his independent career. His father, as will be noted
in the following paragraphs, was a man of large business affairs and
very prominent in his town. However, he possessed the convictiom
shared by so many fathers that his son should implicitly follow his advice
as to his vocation. The profession of medicine was the calling picked
out by the father for the son, and in order to give the boy the proper
start the father bought a drug store and established John C. in it as
clerk, that being then thought a very successful way to start a young
man on a career of medicine. John C. Kite's inclination from his early
boyhood was for machinery and the mechanic arts. He explained to
his father, as well as a boy can, this inflexible affection and expressed
his thorough disinclination for the profession of medicine. After a
heated argument, at the conclusion of which, the son received a sound
thrashing, the boy ran away from home and never afterward returned.
It was in this intrepid fashion that he threw himself upon the world
with only his own faculties to guide him.
His first work was handling a dump-cart at $1.00 a day in the con-
struction of the old Cairo & Vincennes Railroad. He next found work
in a Hour mill at Metropolis, Illinois, where he attained his first experi-
ence in the milling business. While in that town he accidently picked
up a newspaper in which his father had an advertisement offering a
reward of $200.00 for any one telling of the son's whereabouts. This
chance paper with its advertisement started young Ilite on a hurried
exit from the metropolis, and he walked eighty-six miles to Ashley,
Illinois. During his winter in that town he suffered with chills and
fever, and otherwise had a very hard time. His chief employment
was at work in a drug store at Ashley. From there he went to Mount
Vernon, Illinois, during the next spring and there began a complete
apprenticeship in the milling business, receiving $50.00 and board the
first year, $150.00 and board the second year, and $400.00 and board
the third year. When he had become a thorough skilled miller, it was in
the year 1870, and with the $400.00 saved from his three years work he
went to St. Louis, where he worked at his trade in the old Cherry Street
mill for about seven years. For eleven years after that he was engaged
in the milling business at Trenton, Illinois. At the conclusion of that
time began his career as a miller on his own responsibility, at Lebanon,
Illinois, where his enterprise was continued until his mill was burned in
1890. For some years following that he was employed on the Pacific
Coast as the "troublemau" for the Allis-Chalmers Company. In 1895,
Mr. Hite took the contract for constructing a flour mill at Shawneetown,
Illinois, but the foundation selected proved to lie above a deposit of
quicksand, and the entire equipment became a total loss, and likewise
wiped out all the financial resources of Mr. Hite. Following this some-
what disastrous termination of his independent assets, he became manager
of a mill at Charleston, Missouri, as receiver, the milling company having
failed for the sum of $96,000. At the end of twenty-five months, he had
not only discharged the indebtedness of the company, but had turned
back to the original owners $16,000.
It was with this work of experience and thoroughly practical ability
in the milling business that Mr. Hite came to Peru in 1898. Two weeks
later he became an associate of Mr. Hugh jMcCaffrey in the milling
business under the name of the Peru Milling Company. The mill at
Peru had previously been a more or less unprofitable enterprise, and
as already stated Mr. Hite is the only thoroughly sucessful miller whose
498 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
residence has been in this city, at least for many years. He has brought
the plant of the Peru ^Milling Company up to a state of the highest
efficiency, and it is among the most prosperous enterprises in the city.
Mr. Hite organized the Indiana Grain Dealers Association, of which he
was president for several terms. Subsequently he perceived that this
organization was drifting toward centralization, and in order to counter-
act the dangerous results of this he withdrew from this membership
and organized the Indiana ]Millers AsvSociation, and has served several
terms as president of this organization.
Mr. John C. Kite's parents were Joseph C. and Elizabetli (Talbott)
Hite, the father being a native of Virginia and the mother of Kentucky.
After the Civil war Joseph C. Hite had a large plantation near Hickman,
Kentucky, operating it with a large force of slaves. When President
Lincoln issued his famous emancipation proclamation early in 1863. 3Ir.
Hite bestowed freedom upon every slave upon his place, but through
this action incurred the enmity of his neighbors, all of whom were
radically pro-southern people. The community practically ostracised
Mr. Hite and family. During the remaining years of the war Joseph
C. Hite was a steamboat captain on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and
during a considerable portion of the time was in the government service.
During his early career he had learned the activities of the river in all
details by running flatboats Itiden with produce down the Wabash
river, thence into the Ohio and ^lississippi to New Orleans. He was
one of a large number of Ohio Valley producers and traders of the
times, who sold their crops after transporting them down the river by
flatboat, at New Orleans and from that city made their way overland
and usually on foot, to their homes in Indiana and other states along
the Ohio. As a steamboat captain during the war he ran one of the first
boats by the blockade at Vicksburg. During tliat experience" he met
General Grant, and ever afterwards they maintained a personal friend-
ship. After the siege of Vicksburg Mr. Hite had charge of the army
transports until the close of the war. After the war he continued the
steamboating until his company was bankrupt during the hard Avinter of
1875, and practically all their boats were destroyed by being crushed in
the heavy ice at St. Louis. After that serious setback he went to New-
port, Arkansas, where he was engaged in the sawmilling and lumber
business. It is said that he probably made the first shipment of telegraph
poles out of the state of Arkansas. He died at Newport at the age of
ninety-t"\vo years in 1895.
Mr. John C. Hite of Peru is a loyal Democrat and has served tAvo
terms as a member of the city council. He is affiliated with the Masons,
the ]Modern Woodmen of America and the Travelers Protective Associ-
ation. On July 31, 1876, he married Miss Addie J. Veitch, of Grafton,
Illiaois. Their three living children are Augustus V., who is at present
time general foreman of the Peru Milling Company ; Cleo, the Avife of W.
H. Howell; and Claude E.
Lew^is Baker. The thriving and attractive little city of Peru, judicial
center of Miami county, has attracted within its borders a goodly ciuota of
those sterling citizens who have here stood for many years as able repre-
sentatives of the agricultural industry, and of this number of honored
retired farmers in the city is Mr. Baker, who is here passing the gracious
twilight of his long and useful life in well earned repose and amidst pleas-
ing environment and associations. He is a member of one of the honored
pioneer families of Miami county, which has represented his home for
nearly seventy years, and his reminiscences concerning conditions and
events of the "early day are most graphic and interesting. He has not
HISTORY 0^ MIAMI COUNTY 499
only witnessed but has also assisted materially in the development and
progress of the county along industrial and civil lines, and his integrity
of character as well as his worthy achievement have given him secure
place in the contidence and high regard of the people of this favored sec-
tion of the fine old Hoosier state.
Lewis Baker was born at Lima, the county seat of Allen county,
Ohio, on the 2d of October, 1835, and thus is nearing the venerable age
of four-score .years, though his mental and physical vigor -belie the years
that have been accredited to him. He is a son of Alfred C. and Mary
(Osborne) Baker, the former of whom was born in Virginia and the
latter in Pennsylvania. Alfred C. Baker was a representative of a
family of English origin, that was founded in Virginia in the colonial
era of our national history, and he was a youth at the time when he
accompanied his parents on the long and toilsome journey through an
almost virtual wilderness to the new home in Ohio, where his father
obtained government land and reclaimed a farm from the virgin wilds.
Alfred C. Baker continued to devoted his attention to farming in Ohio
until 1844, when, with courage equal to the repeating, of his pioneer
experiences, he came with his family to Allen county, Ohio. In the
trip from Virginia to Ohio he had made the journey on horseback, and
in coming to Indiana he availed himself of team and wagon, the journey
having frecpiently been interrupted by the necessity for clearing a pas-
sage through the forests and underbrush and the filling in of marshy
spots to enable the wagon to move forward. Upon his arrival in INIiami
county ]Mr. Baker entered claim to government land in Erie township,
about two and one-half miles east of Peru, which now thriving city
was at that time represented by a few primitive houses and mercantile
establishments. He obtained one hundred and fourteen acres of land,
the greater part of which was heavily timbered, and there set to him-
self the herculean task of reclaiming a farm from the wilds. He erected
as the family domicile a log cabin, twelve by fourteen feet in dimen-
sions, and e(|uipped with the yawning fireplace so common to the pioneer
days and so pleasantly remembered by those who still remain to tell
the stories of that interesting period of the county's history. The lower
part of this fireplace was constructed of stone culled from the land, and
the upper part of the chimney was made of sticks and mud, the latter
primitive element taking the place of plaster. It may well be under-
stood that in this rude forest lodge happiness and contentment found
place and that its narrow walls were wide in their hospitality, for that
was a time when neighbors were such in fact and friends were friends.
Alfred C. Baker represented the best type of pioneer, as he was of fine
physique, over six feet in height, lithe and active, though weighing about
two hundred and thirty-five pounds at that stage of his life. He en-
dured the full tension of arduous toil and the many vicissitudes which
fell to the lot of the average pioneer, but in the midst of his labors he
had the enduring satisfaction of providing for his family and making
slow but certain progress toward the goal of independence and definite
prosperity. He became, in the course of the passing years, one of the
substantial farmers of Erie township, and he was not only rewarded
with definite success in material lines but also with the unqualified
confidence and esteem of his fellow men. He and his wife were earnest
and consistent members of the Baptist church and in politics he was
an oldline Whig until the organization of the Republican party, in 1856,
when he transferred his allegiance to the latter, thereafter to continue
a stalwart advocate of its cause until the close of his life, in 1876, his
loved and devoted wife having been summoned to the life eternal in
1873. They became the parents of five children, of whom three attained
500 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
to years of maturity, but Lewis is the only one living. One brother,
Daniel, died in Andersonville prison during the war. The other two
brothers were Samuel and Stephen ; the daughter was named Belle.
Lewis Baker gained his rudimentary education in the common
schools of his native state and was a lad of nine years at the time of
the family removal to Miami county, Indiana, in 1844, so that with the
coming of the year 1914 he will have been a resident of this county for
seventy years. Well does he recall to memory the conditions and in-
fluences of the pioneer days when the family home was virtually in the
midst of the untrannneled wilderness, when deer, bear, wolves and other
wild animals were much in evidence, including the wild turkeys, which
furnished the larders of the pioneers on many occasions. He has never
failed in appreciation of the early days of struggle and virtual isolation,
for under such conditions every man was the friend and helper of his
neighbor, confidence and good will were at all times in evidence and
there was much to compensate for the improvements and associations
wliich the march of progress has brought in its train. Mr. Baker has
known j\Iiami county thoroughly during the transition periods, has
aided in the advancement and has loyally supported progressive move-
ments, but in the gracious evening of his life he often reverts with
tender memories to the hallowed associations of the days long past, —
the days when his hope and enthusiasm ran high and foreshadowed
much of the achievement which has marked his course as one of the
world's productive workers. He has seen the flail superseded by the
threshing machine, the sickle by the grain cradle and that in turn by the
modern harvester, and he recalls the time when the common mode of
travel in this section of the state was on horseback, the while canal trans-
portation was in evidence and in high favor before the construction of
railroads. He is one of the few remaining of the old pioneers who have
not yet "passed within that tent whose curtain never outward swings,"
and well may be treasured his tales concerning the early events in the
history of the county that has long been his home and the stage of his
earnest and prolific endeavors.
j\Ir. Baker had his due quota of experience in connection with fell-
ing timber, "grubbing" out underbrush, the planting and garnering of
crops and other duties incidental to the work of the pioneer farm, and
thus was begotten that "love of nature in her visible forms" that has
endured through all later years, with the memories of the arduous toil
illumined and brightened in the dim retrospect. He attended the old-
time schools during the winter terras and the lessons thus gained quick-
ened a desire for broader mental discipline, which it has been his to
acquire through self-application and through long and active associ-
ation with the practical affairs of life. Mr. Baker is one of the "Grand
old men" of Miami county and the conditions that compass him con-
stitute a fitting environment for one who has endured to the full the
heat and burden of the day.
On his homestead farm ]\Ir. Baker continued to reside until 1894,
when he removed to Peru, where he has since maintained his home and
where he is living retired from active labors, save that he gives a general
supervision to his farming interests, in connection with which he is
the owner of about two hundred and forty acres of fine land, in Peru
and Erie townships. He has ever been loyal and public-spirited as a
citizen and his allegiance was given to the Republican party from the
time of his young manhood until the election of November, 19l2. when
he asserted his convictions and showed his independence of thought and
sentiment by casting his vote in support of the national and local
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 501
tickets of the Progressive party. Both he and his wife have been for
many years earnest and devoted members of the Christian church.
On the 2d of April, 1863, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Baker
to Miss Margaret E. Wible, who was born at Peru, Ind., and who has
been his cherished and devoted companion and helpmeet for a full half
century, withiii which slie has shared with him the joys and sorrows that
must be the portion of all human kind and during which both have
been sustained and comforted by mutual love and sympathy, so that
they may look with complacency upon the past and the present as they
pass forward toward the sunset gates of life. Of their four children
two died in infancy ; Charles E. is a resident of the city of Sedalia,
^Missouri ; and Conrad L. resides in Peru, where he is actively identified
with business interests and is an influential citizen of his native county.
Theodore J. Sullivan. Forty-nine years ago, Theodore J. Sullivan
estalilished at Peru a blacksmith shop. The contemporaries of Mr.
Sullivan at that time have all since passed away, and have been removed
from the scene of personal activities either by death or by the changes
which are always operating in the business world. Not only has he sur-
vived all the men who were in business when he began, l)ut it has been
his lot to witness the beginning and the middle and the end of many
other enterprises connected with the business history of Peru. He
has built his business up from a small beginning, when it was only one
among many, until his shop is now recognized under the firm name of
Sullivan & Eagle, manufacturers of wagons and carriages, and also of
large circus wagons, and it is one of the largest industries of the kind in
the city.
Theodore J. Sullivan is a native of Maryland, born in Carroll county,
July 2, 1840, a son of Jacob and Margaret (King) Sullivan. Jacob
Sullivan, the father, was a blacksmith by trade, and in Maryland built
up an extensive business not only in that line but. in the manufacture
and repair of wagons and all other machinery and implements. His
business career was prosperous up to the time of the Civil war, but the
troubled conditions of that period practically put an end to his busi-
ness. He himself was a Union man, and he lived in a community com-
posed principally of southern sympathizers, and that fact alone was
prejudicial both to his business and to his social comfort. Perhaps,
largely for this reason, in 1865 he moved to Peru, Indiana, where some
of his children had located and he remained here at work at his trade
until his death.
Mr. Theodore J. Sullivan was reared to manhood in the Village of
Wakefield, Maryland, where the schools were such and the family cir-
cumstances in such a posture that his advantages were very limited-
Under his father's direction, however, he had ample opportunity to
acquire a substantial trade, and learned the blacksmithing art
thoroughly. With this equipment and experience, at the age of twenty-
one, in the fall of 1861 he came west and first located in Miami county,
Ohio, where he worked at his trade until 1864, and in April of that year
moved and became a permanent resident of Peru, Indiana. For a short
time he was in the employ of the I. P. & C. Railway, but then bought
the blacksmith establishment of Samuel Heffley. From that time down
to the present, ]\Ir. Sullivan has been continuously in business in this
city, and is probably the oldest business man in active service and in
point of years in continuous work. At the beginning he confined his
attention to general blacksmithing, horseshoeing, wagon repairing and
such service as a blacksmith shop was supposed to furnish. In time he
added a department for the manufacture of wagons and buggies, and
502 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
tile business prospered steadily from year to year. Since iSSA a large
part of the business has been in the manufacture of circus wagons and
similar equipment. Mr. George Graff became a partner in the business
in 1873, previous to which time he had operated a wood-working estab-
lishment in this city. Mr. Graff remained in the firm until 1879 at
which date he was succeeded by Mr. Henry A. Eagle, and the firm of
Sullivan & Eagle has ever since been numbered among the successful
industrial concerns of Peru.
j\Ir. Sullivan is a member of the Baptist Church and is a Progressive
Republican 'in politics. He served for two years as a member of the
city council, and has always been willing to cooperate with, the public
spirited movements in this community. Fraternally he is atfiliated with
the Masonic Order of Peru. October 5, 1871, he married Miss Mary A.
Deibert, and they are the parents of three children : Arthur J., who died
March 7, 1912 ; Hazen P. and George Oliver.
Jacob Theobald. Half a century of honorable business activity and
citizenship comprises a record such as any man should be proud to
possess. It was more than fifty years ago when Jacob Theobald, then a
young man, with hardly a dollar to his name, and with only manual
trade as his dependence, came to Peru, and began a career which has
since brought him a generous success so far as his own material means
are concerned, and has also identified his name with much that is profit-
able and worthy in the community enterprise. Mr. Theobald is one of
the foreign-born citizens of Peru, who are not only a credit to their
native country, but to the country of their adoption.
He was born August 19, 1839, in Bavaria, Germany, and was a little
past nine years of age when, with his parents, Peter and Catherine
(Licht) Theobald, he crossed to America. This eventful voyage was
made in a sailing vessel and continued for forty-two tedious clays. On
reaching this country, the family went west to Wisconsin, where the
father was one of the pioneers in Washington county, and where he
continued his residence until his death in 1875. The mother passed
away five years later in 1880. The father was a substantial farmer, and
it was on the old Wisconsin homestead that Jacob Theobald grew to man-
hood and received his early training for a life work. He entered upon
an apprenticeship at the carpenter's trade, and it has been as a carpenter
and contractor that he has been chiefly connected with business affairs
in Peru during the last half century.
Mr. Theobald came to Peru in 1861, and from that year to the pres-
ent has always been an active and honored worker in the community
affairs. For thirteen years he gave public service as a member of the
city council, but he is most widely known as a skillful workman at his
trade and as a business builder, and a man whose business acts have at
all times reflected his business integrity. As before stated he came
to Peru with scarcely a dollar in his pocket, but by industry and busi-
ness sagacity has accumulated a competency. In politics he is a Dem-
ocrat and his church is the German-Lutheran.
In March, 1865, Mr. Theobald married Mary Shireman, who died
in 1872, leaving two daughters : Kate, who married Orla Fansler, and
is the mother of two sons, Walter and Paul ; and Mary, the wife of John
Kramer, and the mother of one son, Robert. On Augiist 17, 1874, j\Ir.
Theobald married Martha C. Keyl. To this marriage the following chil-
dren were born : Ernest, who married Emina Scheips, and is the father
of two daughters, Louisa and Ruth ; Oscar, who has one son Oscar, born
to his marriage with Bertha Prange ; Clara and INIartha. Mrs. Theobald
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 503
died January 20, 1902, since which time Mr. Theobald has lived in his
pleasant home with his two youngest daughters as housekeepers.
With others as his associates in 1900 ]\Ir. Theobald bought the old
Huckley foundry, which was erected in 1860 and stood for many years
as one of the landmarks in the local industry. In this plant they began
the manufacture of sewing machine woodwork. The venture did not
prove profitable, and in order to protect his own interests, Mr. Theo-
bald bought the property U}ider sheriff's sale. He at once changed the
character of the entire business and began the manufacture of wood-
work of all kinds. He also associated with himself his two sons, and since
then has developed this plant into one of the most important and
profitable industries of Peru. On Christmas day of 1909 he gave to
each of his two sons a one-third interest in the establishment, and these
sons are now the active managers of the plant. As this brief sketch
indicates, Mr. Theobald has touched community enterprise in many
ways during his long career here. It is to such lives, honorable and
enterprising, that a community grows and becomes important among
the centers of trade and population.
Claude Y. Andrews. One of the noted jnembers of the Peru bar,
Mr. Andrew^s has had a successful career as an attorney in this cit}^ for
more than ten years, was elected prosecuting attorney soon after locating
here and since his service of two years in that office enjoyed a large prac-
tice and a generous participation in the field of citizenship and social life.
Claude Y. Andrews is a native of Indiana and was born in Ver-
million county, October 12, 1873. His father, William P. Andrews,
was a native of the same county and a descendant of Irish ancestry,
William P. Andrews with his wife is still living in Vermillion county,
and is among the best known citizens of that locality. He, for many
years, has been a building contractor. He married Editha V. Puffer,
whose father, Reuben Putter, came to Indiana from Bainbridge, Massa-
chusetts, being one of the early settlers of the Wabash Valley. The par-
ents had two children, both of whom are now^ living.
Mr. Claude Y. Andrews, who was reared in his native county,
attended the district schools there, and then for two years was a student
in the preparatory department of Franklin college, this state. Entering
the classical department of the same institution he was graduated with
the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1898. In 1896 he' represented his
Alma Mater in the state oratorical contest and at his graduation was
valedictorian of his class. During his college career he was also affiliated
with the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
In 1899 ^Ir. Andrews entered the law department of the University
of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he completed his first year in about six
months, and in 1901, after a thorough course and a creditable record in
all his studies, was graduated LL.B.
In September, 1901, Mr. Andrews located at Peru, where he estab-
lished an office for practice at lli/o South Broadway. He rapidly
acquired distinction as a young lawyer and popularity as a citizen and
in the Democratic convention of ^larch, 1902, was nominated for the
office of prosecuting attorney. At the ensuing November election he
was elected to the office and gave two years of faithful and intelligent
service. It is noteworthy that Mr. Andrews while prosecuting attorney
did the entire work of the office and did not. as was legally permitted,
require an assistant to be appointed by the court, and by this course he
decreased the expense of the county attorney's office upon the county
treasurer. In 1904 ~Slr. Andrews became the partner of Judge J. T. Cox,
Vol. n— ."j
504 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
under the linn name of Cox & Andrews. This firm is one of the strongest
combinations of legal talent in Miami c-ounty.
Mr. Andrews is a member of the Peru Commercial Club, of which
he served as president in 1!)()9 and 1910 and at the present time is
president of the Peru Federation of Clubs. Fraternally he is affiliated
with the Knights of Pythias and the Loyal Order of Moose. On Novem-
ber 27, 1901, he -married Miss Laura Lukens. They are the parents of
one son, Francis Puffer Andrews. ]\Ir. and j\lrs. Andrews are members
of the First Baptist church of Peru, and have one of the attractive and
cultured homes of this city.
HuRD J. Hurst. A son of the Hon. James W. Hurst, whose long
career in notlieru ]\liami county is sketched elsewhere in this work, Mr.
Hurd J. Hurst was born on the old homestead of his father just south
of the town of Macy on November 16, 1884. Growing to manhood on
that place, he attained his primary education in the ^Macy schools, and
later entered Rochester Normal University at Rochester, this state,
where he completed a scientific course in 1903. For three years Mr.
Hurst was a school teacher, having charge of the district school in
Allen township, his home school. His ambition was for the law, and
he pursued his readings with the firm of Lawrence and Rhodes, and
after two years of regular attendance in the Indianapolis College of
Law, was graduated in June, 1908, and was soon afterwards admitted
to the bar. As a young lawyer Mr. Hurst located in Peru, where he
has since been engaged in active practice. Since July, 1912, he has been
associated with Mr. Oliver F. Rhodes, under the firm name of Hurst
& Rhodes.
Mr. Ilurst on February 23, 1907, married Miss Florence Hatch, a
daughter of John M. Hatch of Allen township, Miami county. They are
the parents of two children: Noble Gordon and Carmen Isabel. Fra-
ternally Mr. Hurst is affiliated with Lincoln Lodge No. 523, A. F. &
A. M.,"at Macy, and with the Loyal Order of Moose at Peru.
JuD R. McCarthy. A solid business enterprise at Peru which re-
flects the enterprise and ability of its affairs is the men's furnishing and
tailoring business conducted by Mr. Jud R. McCarthy, who for the- past
ten years has been actively identified with and known to a large and dis-
criminating patronage in this line. Mr. McCarthy is a real business
builder, having begun his career as a delivery boy, and advancing
from one stage to another, until he is now one of the independent and
most successful merchants of his home city.
Jud R. McCarthy was born in the city of Peru, February 22, 1880,
a son of John and Bridget (Daly) McCarthy. His parents were both
natives of County Clare, Ireland, and the father came to the United
States when a young man, landing at New Orleans, thence coming by
boat up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers to Cincinnati, and eventually
attaining employment at railroad work in Ohio. He came to Peru when
the Wabash Railroad was projected to this point, being connected with
that enterprise. After his arrival in Peru he married a native of his
own county, and continued in railroad service until near the close of
his life, when he retired. His death occurred January 23, 1907. His
wife passed away September 3, 1898. Further details concerning the
history of the parents will be found in the sketch of Mr. John S. ]\Ic-
Carthy, published on other pages of this work.
Jud R. McCarthy attained part of his education m the parochial
schools and part in the public schools of Peru, and later had the benefit
of a course in the Peru business college. He was about fourteen years
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 505
of age when he began his practical business career as a delivery boy for
H. Andres, the well-known local groceryman. Subsequently he began
work of a little higher grade for Hall & Lowenthal, and continued in
that employ for a number of years, during which he laid the substan-
tial basis of experience, which has enabled him to be so successful in
later years. During that time he acquired a thorough knowledge of
the tailoring and men's furnishing business. Then in 1904 he estab-
lished at Peru, a small shop for men's furnishing and haberdashery.
He has built his original undertaking up to be one of the largest and
most popular concerns of the kind in the entire county. With the ex-
pansion of the business he added in February , 1911, a tailoring depart-
ment having purchased the tailoring establishment of Werner & Kramer.
In December, 1912, Mr. McCarthy bought the Toggery Tailoring Com-
pany's establishment at Warsaw, Indiana, and has extended this to a
general tailoring and furnishing house similar to the one he conducts
in Peru. Thus he has acquired important interests in two of the lead-
ing cities in northern Indiana, and is a progressive young merchant
with a bright career of much larger accomplishments before him.
Mr. McCarthy in politics, is a Democrat, but has never taken any
active part in party affairs, all his attention being devoted to business
and home. He is a devout member of the Catholic Church. October
27, 1903, Mr. McCarthy married Miss Lucy Mary McGrady of Peru, a
daughter of Charles McGrady.
William Schuyler IMercer. To feed the people has always been a
task requiring all that man possesses of ability, industry and business
enterprise. It is in the line of furnishing high class articles of food to
the people of Peru and vicinity that Mr. Mercer's business activities have
been directed for the larger part of his career. 'Sanitary, wholesome
and pure foods have been the object of his endeavor, and in furnish-
ing such a supply to the local communities he has conferred a service
probably greater in essential values than that conferred by any other
individual force.
William Schuyler Mercer, who represents one of the oldest and best
known families of Miami county, was born in the city of Peru, Febru-
ary 3, 1861, a son of Moses and Ann J. (Long) Mercer. The father,
who came to Miami county in 1842, as one of the pioneers, was a native
of Licking county, Ohio, was reared in his native state, learned the
cooper's trade, and was a young man at the beginning of his career
when he came to Indiana. The first home was in Wabash, where he was
employed at the cooper's trade, but soon afterwards moved to Peru
where he followed his regular occupation and subsequently took up work
as carpenter. For a number of years he was in the wood-working
department of the old I. P. & C. Railway, the old name for what is now
the Lake Erie & Western, which in turn is a part of the great New York
Central Lines. He was engaged in repair work and other duties in
connection with that old railroad during its early operations through
this county. During the latter part of his life the late Moses Mercer
was associated with the Indiana Manufacturing Company. He was one
of the organizers and a charter member of Miami Lodge No. 42 A. F. &
A. M. at Peru. He was married after coming to Peru to Miss Ann J.
Long, whose father, Peter Long, had located at Logansport during the
early pioneer times when the Indians were still numerous in this
country. Mr. and Mrs. ]\Ioses Mercer were two of the original thirteen
who organized the first Baptist church of Peru, their names being now
perpetuated on the first roll of membership, and the institution which
they then helped to organize has since become one of the largest and
506 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
most flourishing religious communities in Miami county. In politics,
the senior Mercer was an old-line Whig until the formation of the
Republican party, and ever thereafter he voted the Republican ticket,
and supported its candidates. He and his wife were the parents of Ave
children, whose names are as follows : Ado J., who is married and lives
in Cincinnati ; ^lay, now Mrs. Avery P. Tudor of Peru ; William
Schuyler; Georgia, who married William Neff, and is now deceased and
Emmett, who died in early childhood. The father of this family passed
away in 1899, honored and respected by all citizens as one of the finest
types of the pioneers. His wife died in 1886.
William Schuyler Mercer was reared in Peru and with the excep-
tion of one year spent in Chicago has always made this city his home.
In the public schools he acquired the substantials of an education up
to the time he was fourteen, at which date, in 1875, he began clerking
in the well known mercantile house of Killgore, Shirk & Company. He
remained with this firm for twelve years, until 1887. At that time,
having accumulated a little capital and a large amount of business
experience he engaged in the grain business with J. A. Neal, under the
firm name of INIercer & Neal. In the spring of 1898 he disposed of his
interests to Mr. Neal, and the ensuing year was spent in the grain busi-
ness at Chicago. On his return to Peru he gave his energies a differ-
ent direction. He bought the Dubbs Bakery and Restaurant, and was
proprietor of this concern until about 1907. At that date he separated
the bakery from the restaurant, and built his modern bakery plant at
20-21 East Fifth Street. At that time also was organized the firm of
Mercer & Company, his son-in-law, Hazen P. Sullivan becoming the
company part of the business. This firm has continued ever since. In
1911 the restaurant was sold, and in the fall of that year Mercer &
Company bought the Sanitary Milk Company. The offices of the milk
company have been at 623 E. Main Street, until February 1912, at which
time the firm l)ought the William Exmeyer ice cream factory at the foot
of Wabash street on the Wabash river. This factory was rebuilt, and
given a complete equipment of sanitary and modern devices for the
manufacture of ice cream and milk products. At that time the Sanitary
Milk business office was moved to the same factory, and since then the
business has been conducted under the name of the Sanitary ]\Iilk &
Ice Cream Company. By these various extensions and reorganizations,
the firm of Mercer & Company have come to control a large and flour-
ishing trade, in Peru, and have the reputation of producing the highest
class of sanitary food articles.
Mr. Mercer is a Republican in politics and has long been influentially
connected with local affairs. He is affiliated with the Masonic order.
He was until he moved to Chicago a member of the Peru school board,
and it was during his term on the board that the fine school building
at West Seventh & Miami Streets was erected. Mr. Mercer was married
December 29, 1881, to Miss Sarah E. Fisher, of Mexico, Indiana, a
daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Brower) Fisher. To their marriage
has been borne one daughter, Vernice E., who is now Mrs. Hazen P.
Sullivan. Mr. and Mrs. Mercer are both members of the Baptist church
of Peru.
George R. Chamberlain. There are in every community men of
great force of character who by reason of their capacity for leadership
become recognized as foremost citizens, and bear a most important part
in public affairs. Such a man at Peru is George R. Chamberlain, who is
prominently identified with financial and commercial affairs of this
city, and is now the oldest banker in point of service in the city.
^a-^^ C^J^SvimJj
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 507
Forty-two years ago on February 11, 1872, he entered the employ
of the First National Bank as collector and general utility man. He
performed the work that was required of him, always did a little more
than was necessary, was social, vigilant and enterprising. He became
in turn bookkeeper, teller, assistant cashier and on January 1, 1911 was
promoted to vice president of this bank now the soundest and oldest
institution of I\Iiami county. He is still vice president, and one of the
active managers of the institution.
George R. Chamberlain was ])orn at Peru August 4, 1854. George
W. Chamberlain, his father, was a native of Lambertsville, New Jersey,
and when a boy with his parents moved west to Seneca county, Ohio,
locating at Melrose, where he learned the carpenter's trade and workecl
at it for some time. From there he came west to Peru, about 1850, and
in this city married Margaret Morrison. It was as a carpenter that
he continued throughout practically all his life, and the house in which
his son, the banker now resides was erected by this veteran worker in
tools and work. It is an evidence of his skillful work, and the care
which he manifested in everything he undertook. He was a man of
quiet and unassuming disposition, industrious and kind to all with
whom he came into contact. By a career of unswerving honesty and
upright character, he maintained to the end the respect and admiration
of his fellow-citizens, and his death on August 22, 1895, removed one
of the well beloved citizens from this community. His wife passed away
September 2, 1899. They were the parents of four children, two of
whom are now living.
Mr. George R. Chamberlain who was the eldest of the children has
always made Peru his home. As a boy he attended the public schools,
and was graduated from the high school w^ith the class of June, 1870.
The old alumni records of the Peru high school show that this was the
first class and Mr. Chamberlain shares with a few other local residents
the distinction of heading the alumni list of the old Peru high school.
He began his career soon after graduating on August 1, 1870 when he
entered the mercantile house of John S. Hale & Company as a clerk.
Less than two years later he entered the First National Bank, with
what progress, has already been noted. Mr. Chamberlain is a Repub-
lican in politics, and fraternally is affiliated with the Knights of
Pythias and the Order of Elks. Pie was married February 11, 1892
to Miss Alice Harris, a daughter of Andrew J. and Sarah Ann (Day)
Harris. To their marriage have been born two children : Alice, now
deceased ; and Richard Harris. Mrs. Chamberlain and son are members
of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Chamberlain in 1892 assisted in the
organization of the Peru Basket Company. This has since been one
of the important manufacturing concerns of Peru. It was for a num-
ber of years a co-partnership, but Mr. Chamberlain finally bought the
interests of the other two partners, and was sole owner from July. 1909
to October, 1911. In the latter year the business was incorporated, and
on January 9, 1912, the plant was burned to the ground. The stock
holders at once rebuilt, and they have now a most modern and up-to-
date and fire proof establishment. The company manufacture a high
grade of wares, and give employment to an average of sixty persons.
Mr. Chamberlain is also owner of a fine farm of two hundred acres in
Peru township.
John C. Davis. For a full half century has this well known and
honored citizen been a resident of JMiami county and he is a representa-
tive of one of the sterling pioneer families of this favored section of the
Hoosier state, where his parents took up their abode when he was a lad
508 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
of thirteen j^ears. His entire active career was one of close and effective
identification with the great basic industries of agriculture and stock-
growing, and he has long been one of the prominent representatives of
the same in Miami county, where he still owns his extensive and valua-
ble landed estate, though he is now living virtually retired in a pleasant
home in the city of Peru, the judicial center of the county. A man of
broad views, great civic liberality and steadfast character, Mr. Davis has
ever held the unqualified confidence and esteem of the people of Miami
county, and this has been shown emphatically in his being called to the
important office of county commissioner, in which he has served three
terms, having first been elected in the Centennial year, 1876, and his
third term having been through his election in 1902. ' He has at all times
given zealous co-operation in the furtherance of measures and projects
advanced for the general good of the community, along both civic and
material lines, and has a deep and abiding interest in and appreciation
of the county that has been his home since the pioneer days.
-^Ir. Davis claims the old Buckeye state as the place of his nativity
and is a scion of honored pioneer families of that commonwealth. He
was born in Madison county, Ohio, on the 8th of September, 1838, and is
the only child of Samuel and Zuba (Patterson) Davis, the latter of
whom passed to the life eternal about two months after his birth, she
likewise having been a native of Ohio. Samuel Davis was born in Ross
county, Ohio, where his .parents had established their home under the
conditions and environment of the early pioneer epoch, and this sturdy
citizen lived an unpretentious and worthy life of industry and definite
achievement. He never wavered in his allegiance to farming and stock-
raising and for many years was an extensive grower of and dealer in
live stock. For his second wife he wedded IMiss Martha Smith, and of
their five children only one is now living, ]\Iary C, who is the wife of
Columbus Baltimore, and who resides in Peru, Ind.
In the .vear 1852 Samuel Davis removed with his family from Ohio
to ]\Iiami county, Indiana, where he numbered himself among the pioneer
settlers of Richland township. Here he seeured a tract of land that was
virtually a forest wilderness, and his first house was of hewed logs and
of somewhat better order than the average pioneer domicile of the
locality and period. This continued to be the family home until about
1858. when he gave evidence of his increasing prosperity by the erection
of a new house, of frame construction, and in this home he continued to
reside until his death, in 1866, his wife surviving him by a number of
years. Samuel Davis was a man of unassuming ways, was never radical
in thoiight or action, as his views were broad raid liberal and caused him
to be tolerant and kindly in his judgment. He lived an industrious,
righteous life and accounted well to himself and the world, with an
amliition that found its exemplification in worthy accomplishment and
civic loyalty. His name merits enduring place on the roster of the
sterling citizens who have contributed much to the social and industrial
development and upbuilding of ^Miami county. Samuel Davis was
originally an old-line Whig in his political proclivities, but he espoused
the cause of the Republican party at the time of its organization. In
1864, however, his conscientious convictions lead him to support Mc-
Clellan and Pendleton, the Democratic candidates for president and vice-
president of the United States, and his vote on this occasion was the last
cast by him in connection with a national election, as his death occurred
about two years later. He was an earnest member of the Baptist church,
and his faith was shown forth in his daily life, with characteristic
avoidance of ostentation and intolerance.
John C. Davis, whose name initiates this review, gained his rudi-
mentary education in the primitive schools of the pioneer days and was
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 509
a lad of thirteen years at the time of the family removal to Miami
county, Indiana. Here he gained full fellowship with the arduous work
involved in the reclaiming and cultivation of the pioneer farm, and in
this connection his services were in requisition to such an extent that his
further educational discipline of specific order was limited to attending
the district school at irregular intervals and during the winter terms
only. Like many another who has made individual life justify itself,
he has effectually overcome the handicap of early years and through self-
discipline and active association with men and affairs has rounded out
a liberal education of practical order, as itidicated in well fortified views
and mature judgment. o-
From a modest initiation of his career as an independent farmer
Mr. Davis worked his way forward toward the goal of worthy success,
and the concrete results of his long years of earnest and productive
endeavor are shown in his fine landed estate of five hundred and thirty
acres, in Richland towaiship, this old homestead including the farm
which his honored father secured upon coming to the county more than
half a century ago. As an agriculturist and stock-grower Mr. Davis was
energetic, progressive and far-sighted, and he has been a leader in the
instituting of improved methods and policies in connection with the
great industries to which he devoted his entire active career and with
which he is still identified, as he maintains a general supervision of his
splendid homestead farm, upon which he continued to reside until
November, 1902, when he removed to Peru. In the attractive capital
city of his home county he purchased his present modern residence, and
the same is a favored rendezvous for his host of valued friends, the
while ^Irs. Davis proved a most gracious and popular chatelaine of the
home, which is ki'own for its generous and unostentatious hospitality.
In 1860 Mr. Davis w^as first enabled to exercise his right of franchise,
and on that occasion he cast his ballot in support of the national and
local tickets of the Democratic party and in furtherance of its basic
principles of equal rights to all and special privileges to none. During
the long intervening years he has found no reason to abate his allegiance
to the fine old party of Jefferson and Jackson and thus he views with
marked complacency the results of the national election of 1912. Show-
ing a vital interest in all that pertained to the general welfare of the
community, Mr. Davis was not yet forty years of age wlien, in 1876,
he was elected a member of the board of county commissioners, and his
service in this capacity proved faithful and effective, marked, as it was,
with utmost loyalty and public spirit. In 1882 he was again called to this
office, and a score of years later, in 1902, he again became a member of
the board, as representative of his home township of Richland. During
his last term he zealously supported the movement for the erection of a
new court house, and the county council later made the required appro-
priation for the new building, after the majority of the commissioners
had voted in the atfinnative on the proposition. In his religious views
Mr. Davis is broad and lilieral, having tolerance for the opinions of
others, and seeing the good in all denominations the while. He is an
active member of the Universalist church. His wife is a member of the
Presbyterian church. In his home city he is affiliated with Chili Lodge,
Free and Accepted Masons.
On the 20th of September, 1868, Mr. Davis espoused as the wife of
his youth Miss Julia Harrison, who was born in Ohio and who remained
his loved and devoted helpmeet for more than a quarter of a century,
the gracious ties having been severed by her death, on the 16th of Decem-
ber, 1895. No children were born of this union, nor have there been
of the second marriage of Mr. Davis, but in his home he has reared
three girls, to whom he gave the best of advantages and who have repaid
510 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
his generous care with deep filial affection and solicitude. On the 27th of
December. 1897, was solemnized the marriage of Mv. Davis to Mrs. Ada
Miller, who was born in Miami county, Indiana.
Eli.jaii West has been a resident of this place since he was sixteen
years of age, having come here in 1858 with his parents, who settled on
a farm in the vicinity of Peru and there spent their remaining days. He
was born at Washington Court House, Ohio, on October 9, 1812, and is a
son of Amos and Sarah (Christy) West, and a grandson of Eli West, who
came to Miami county during the Indian period and was the first of the
family to locate hereabouts. Butler township saw the first settlement of
the family and there he spent his remaining days. He entered land from
the government and built a log cabin into which he moved his family oud
began to clear and improve the land, ultimately coming into independence
and a fair degree of prosperity.
Amos West and his family did not come to Indiana when the
father, Eli West, located here, but delayed his coming until about 1858,
when he settled some two miles from Santa Fe, in Butler township,
where he turned his attention to the farming industry. He was a native
of Kentucky, but in the pioneer days had moved to Washington Court
House, Ohio, and thence to Indiana. He and his wife became the
parents of twelve children, all of whom grew to years of maturity, and
all of them married, five of the number being alive today. Elijah West,
one of these children, was reared on his fathers farm homes in Ohio
and Indiana, respectively. He received but a limited education in
books, but he was well versed in farm lore, and early gained an inti-
mate acciuaintance with hard work peculiar to the farming methods in
vogue in his boyhood. On August 11, 1864, he married Susan Saum,
the daughter of ^Madison and Susan (Morse) Saum, who came to Miami
county from Dayton, Ohio, making the trip via canal route and landing
here in 1847. Madison Saum settled at Peru and worked at his trade
of a brick mason, and it is a noteworthy fact that practically all the
houses in Peru built of hrick up to 1885 were built by him. He died
in 1894, after a residence of forty-seven years in this vicinitj^, where
he Avas esteemed and honored of all who knew him.
For more than forty years after Elijah AYest discontinued his farm-
ing operations he workecl in what is now the Lake Erie Railroad shop
in the capacity of a machinist, a trade he had learned in early life. A
man of unusual industry and ambition, he was able to save something
from his earnings, and early began to accumulate something, so that
he has long had the reputation of being a man of means. To him and
his wife five children were born, one of the number dying in infancy.
The others are James M.. Harry E.. William F. and Guy E. Concern-
ing Harry E. West, brief mention is made in the following article.
Harry E. West, son of Elijah and Susan (Saum) West concern-
ing whom appropriate mention is made in the preceding item, was
born in Peru, on September 8, 1869, and received his education in the
public schools of the district. AYhen he was sixteen years old he began
clerking in the store of Henry Meinhart, when that establishment was
first opened, and he continued with Air. Aleinhart from 1885 until
1906. Since that time he has been a member of the firm of AA^est &
Stevens, proprietors of a general book and stationery store. He is
recognized as one of the prosperous business men of the place, and has
an excellent reputation for business integrity and general good citizen-
ship in and about Peru of which he is well worthy.
Mr. West was married on April 27, 1893, to Aliss Georgia Kartholl,
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 511
of Peru, her father, Joseph Kartholl, being a pioneer in the drug line
in this place. Mr. and Mrs. West have one son, Joseph Kartholl West,
born March 17, 1913. Mr. West is a member of the Masonic fraternity, as
well as of the Knights of Pythias, Castle Hall Lodge, and with his wife,
has membership in the Baptist church.
Dr. Willl4m H. Wagoner has been engaged in practice in Peru
since he came out of college, newly fledged in the profession, in 190.3,
and his success here has been all that one could hope for. He was born
at Flora, in Carrol county, Indiana, on December 26, 1875, and is one
of the four surviving children in a family of five liorn to his parents,
Henry and Rebecca (Kirkpatrick) Wagoner.
Henry Wagoner is a farmer and both he and his wife are still
residents of Flora, where they have long been established. Their son,
William H., was reared on the home farm and after attending the
public schools in his vicinit^y, entered the Flora high school, from which
he was graduated in 1S97. For two years following his graduation he
devoted himself to the work of the farm, and from his work thus was
enabled to commence his attendance at a medical school. In Septem-
ber, 1899, he entered the Eclectic Medical College of Cincinnati, and
he there continued until April, in 1903. During his vacation period in
1902 he had applied himself to the reading of medicine under the direc-
tion of Dr. J. P. Hetherington and Dr. J. B. Schultz, of Logansport, and
in June, 1903, he received his degree and opened an office for medical
practice in Peru, where he has since been located
Dr. Wagoner is a member of the Indiana and National Eclectic
Medical Associations, is a Knight of Pythias, and also has membership
in the Loyal Order of Moose. His churchly affiliations are with the
Presbyterian denomination, and he has membership in the Peru church.
Dr. Wagoner was married on Thanksgiving day, November 30, 1905,
to Miss Carolyn Kuch, of Peru.
Daniel R. Be^vrss. From 1834 to the present time the name Bearss
has been as closely identified with the business and public affairs of
Peru as probably any other single family name. The founder of this
family in Miami county was the late Daniel R. Bearss, who was in all
respects a pioneer, and one of the most infiuential men of his time in
Indiana.
Daniel R. Bearss was born in Geneseo, Livingston county, New York,
August 23, 1809, a son of Truman, and Sabina (Roberts) Bearss. The
father was a soldier in the war of 1812, and the grandfather fought
with the rank of Major in the Revolutionary war. The Bearss family
moved out to the Ohio Western Reserve about 1811, and in 1815 went
to Detroit, Michigan. The youth of Daniel R. Bearss was spent on a
farm, and he was a graduate of a log school house. In 1828 he entered
the firm of W. G. & G. W. Ewing at Fort Wayne, Indiana, and when
his employer opened a branch store at Logansport, Mr. Bearss was
selected as one of the responsible managers and remained there until
1832. The next few years were spent in merchandising on his own
account in Goshen, Elkhart county, and in August, 1834, with his
young wife, whom he had married in Goshen, he came to Peru, which
was destined to be his permanent home for the rest of his career. He
was for a number of years in partnership in the general merchandise
with his father-in-law, Judge Albert Cole. This partnership was dis-
solved and left Mr. Bearss alone in his merchandising until 1844, at
which date was formed the firm of Bearss & Spencer. In 1849 Mr.
Bearss sold his interests in the store and after a career of about twenty-
512 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY .
one years in merchandising he finally retired. A number of years ago
Daniel R. Bearss was known as the second largest tax payer in Peru.
He owned large amounts of city property including the old Broadway
Hotel and a number of business blocks. Several farms were included
in his possession, and he made his regular home on one of these country
places just north of Peru.
During the forties, the late Daniel R. Bearss was one of the loya^
and enthusiastic Henry Clay AYhigs, and with the organization of the
Republican party entered its ranks as a loyal and devoted worker. It
is said that his influence was the chief factor in getting the nomination
of Schuyler Colfax to his first term in Congress. ]\Ir. Bearss was a
member of the state legislature for twenty years, for eight years as
representative and twelve as senator. He was too old for military ser-
vice during the war. but as a member of the legislature he did much
to hold up the hands of Governor INIorton and by his efforts and vigor-
ous support did much to check the hostile influences which tended to
negative the entire loyal government of Indiana.
Mr. Bearss was also prominent in the larger constructive enterprises,
and for some time was a director of the Indianapolis, Peru & Chicago
Railway, and also of the Wabash Railroad when first built through
the country. Those who remember him recall a man of large and com-
manding stature, and he was noted for his physical strength and en-
durance. Samuel R. Bearss died at Hot Springs, Arkansas on April
18, 1884, and his remains were laid to rest at Peru, in the family private
cemetery at Ridgeview.
On January 14, 1834, at Goshen, Indiana, he married Emma A.
Cole, daughter of Judge Albert Cole. Eight children were born to their
marriage: George R. and AYilliam E., deceased; Albert C; Oliver J.;
Homer D. ; Frank AY. ; Emma, • deceased, who married Chas. J. S.
Kumler ; and Ella, who died in infancy.
Albert C. Bearss. One of the oldest families of Miami county,
Indiana, has a worthy reiDresentative in the person of Albert C. Bearss,
of Peru, who was born on the old Bearss Homestead farm near to
Peru, on September 11. 1838, and who has spent the best part of his
life in and about Peru. His career has been one devoted to various
enterprises, and his service in the field of politics has been a long and
useful one. He retired from active public life in 1905, since which time
he has devoted himself to the various interests and is enjoying the ciuiet
of his home in his declining years, after having seen much of the stren-
uous activities that are ever the attributes of public service of every
order.
The son of Daniel R. Bearss, one of the pioneers of this county,
whose life is fully sketched in the preceding article, Mr. Bearss comes
of a family that was prominent in the state for many years. It is un-
necessary to make further mention of his parentage and ancestry here,
in view of the preceding article, which goes fully into details concerning
the family, attention here being confined to the actual life and work of
the subject.
As a boy Albert C. Bearss attended the small brick school on Fifth
street in Peru, and when he had finished with the public school train-
ing possible at that time, he followed a preparatory course at Kenyon
College, which he attended up to his sophomore year. He then spent
a year in Kansas, having started west with the intention of making his
way to California, but in Kansas his means failed him and he applied
himself to whatever work he could find. Here he witnessed some of the
border struggles growing out of the celebrated Kansas-Nebraska bill,
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 513
which ordained that these states, once set apart as free soil, should be-
come free or slave states, according as they were settled while in the
territorial stage by antislavery or proslavery men. At the end of a
year Mr. Bearss returned to Indiana, but in 1860, in company with his
uncle, J. 0. Cole, he made the long planned trip to California, going
via the Isthmus of Panama, and remaining there some seven years. He
was employed there as clerk in a store owned by a mining company,
but after a short time in that work he bought out a private express
route whose business it was to supply express and mail to mining camps,
convey gold to the places of shipment designated, etc. After three
years he went to Nevada and spent a period of four years in that
state in various enterprises. He was a prominent factor in the organ-
ization of Nye county, and there with others, located a number of min-
ing claims, upon which he did a considerable of prospect work, with
more or less success. It was while in Nevada that Mr. Bearss first be-
came interested in politics, and he was elected a member of the terri-
torial legislature. This legislature, however, never convened, owing to
the adoption of the state constitution at that election. However, he was
immediately elected to the state legislature, and after a service of one
term was elected to the state senate. During this time he continued to
keep an eye to his mining interests, which developed very materially,
and in 1867 he returned to Indiana. In March of that year he wedded
Madeline Lamb, of Coshocton, Ohio, and soon thereafter turned his mind
to mercantile pursuits at Rochester, Indiana. After some few^ years he
sold out the business, returning to Peru in 1876 and became a mail clerk
on the road now known as the Lake Erie & Western, between Peru and
Michigan City. He continued in the w'ork for about two years, resign-
ing his position in 1878. It was about then that, through the request of
Benjamin Harrison, then a candidate for the United States senate,
that Mr. Bearss became a candidate for election to the state legislature,
his election duly following. Soon after the expiration of that term he
w^as appointed special agent of the Postal Department, a position now
known as Postoffice Inspector, his headquarters being in Chicago. Mr.
Bearss proved himself a most capable official and held the office until
the election of Grover Cleveland in 1884. When Mr. Cleveland was
inaugurated Mr. Bearss was in Austin, Texas, engaged in the discharge
of his duties, and he wired his resignation from that point, returning
soon after to Indiana and to Peru. For four years he devoted himself
to the care of his farm in the vicinity of Peru, and in 1888 he was one
of the two delegates from his Congressional District, that nominated
General Harrison for President, and in the year following he was
appointed inspector in charge of the Cincinnati Division of Postoffice
Inspectors, comprising the states of Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. He
held this responsible position until the second election of President Cleve-
land, when i\Ir. Bearss again resigned his commission. Once more he
returned to his farming interests, and in 1897 became postmaster at
Peru, a position that he held for eight years, giving a careful and
efficient administration of the duties of the office. Since he retired from
that berth, Mr. Bearss has confined himself and has shown himself as
capable in his farming operations as he did in his public service.
Of the four children born to Mr. and Mrs. Bearss, two died in in-
fancy, the others being Frances B., the wife of Emmett A. Gould, and
Helen B., who married Theodore Ensel and has one child, IMadeline
Bearss Ensel. Mrs. Bearss died in March, 1907, and her passing was
mourned liy a wide circle of friends in the community where she had
long been known and loved.
514 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Douglas Monroe 'Butt. Few of the old-time Miami county families
have prospered and lived such influential lives as the Butt family, which
came here during the very early days, and took their share of the hard-
ships and the strenuous labors which were necessar}- to the estahlishment
of homes in that period of history. The name is well known in different
sections of the county, and one of the prosperous citizens, representing
the third generation of the family in Miami county is Douglas 1\1. Butt of
Erie township.
Mr. Butt was born in Erie township, on the twenty-eighth of October,
1860, a son of Elias and Mary (Waltz) Butt. The grandfather was Wm.
Butt, the founder of the family in this section. The father was born in
Ohio, in 1831, and accompanied the family to Indiana about 1846. Their
first location was near Fbrt Wayne, and they reached that locality by
driving across the country, with a yoke of cattle. After two or three years
the grandfather came on to Miami county, and located in Erie township.
Their settlement was in the woods, and the first home was the typical log
cabin. This home was on the banks of the river, and the fateful experi-
ence of the family during its early years in this county, indicate some of
the hazards with which the early settlers had to contend, in addition to
the hardships usually mentioned. Soon after locating here, eleven mem-
bers of the family were stricken and died of typhoid fever. The grand-
father as soon as he reached the county began clearing his land by chop-
ping, burning, and clearing off the timber. He had very little means, and
all members of the family worked hard together in orcler to get land for
cultivation, and provide for the wants of existence. The first land occu-
pied by the Butt family was secured from a man who had entered it as
government land. In the first log cabin, which stood near the river, two
uncles of Mr. Douglas M. Butt were born. In those days the principal
market center for this country was at Fort AVayne, and they took their
produce to that place by canal boat, the canal furnishing the practicable
route for all travel and transportation in those years. The Indians still
occasionally roamed through the forest, and deer and other wild game
were still plentiful. After the death of the grandmother from typhoid,
the grandfather was again married, and at his death the estate was
divided. Daniel Butt, an uncle of Mr. Douglas M. Butt, received that
part of the homestead on which the dwelling stood. Elias Butt, the father
received twenty-six acres of land from the estate which was the regular
share for all of the children. He had in the meantime bought one hundred
and forty-four acres, and thus took up the practical work of a farmer.
On his land stood a small brick house, which had been erected by an old
Indian, named Frank Godfrey. In that structure the famih' had their
home for about eighteen years. The father then moved to his present
residence, which had been erected before he bought the land.
Mr. D. M. Butt spent the first twenty-two years of his life on the home
farm, and received his education partly in Erie township, and partly in
Peru township. It was the usual pujjlic school education, received as
a result of attendance chiefly during the winter seasons, while the rest
of the months of the year were spent in the w^ork of the farm. After
his marriage he worked for his father a couple of years, and then bought
thirty acres of land. Selling that he bought his present farm in Erie
township of one hundred and thirty-five acres. This is now a highly
developed estate, and one of the most attractive farms in that community.
Mr. Butt has placed practically all the improvements upon it, consisting
of good buildings, fences and other facilities for modern farming.
Mr. Elias Butt, the father, is still living at the venerable age of 82
years, and his wife is seventy-nine years old. One of the most successful
men of ]\Iiami county, is Elias Butt. He has accumulated more than
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 515
seventeen hundred acres of land, and has made many wise investments.
Mr. D. ISl. Butt has served his township in the office of trustee during the
years 1903 to 1906. In politics he is a Democrat. He has also served on
the Board of Equalization. Fraternally he is affiliated with Miami Lodge
No. 52, I. 0. 0. F. and with Lodge No. 67 of the Masons, and has passed
all the chairs in the Odd Fellow Lodge.
On October 12, 1882, Mr. Butt married Rebecca Marken, a daughter
of Gideon Marken. The four children born to their union are mentioned
as follows: Charles E. was educated in the Erie township schools and
was a student in the Peru high school. He is one of the practical young
agriculturists of the county and wedded Miss Nellie Thrush and they have
two daughters, Frances and Georgia. Mr. Butt is a high Mason, being a
member of the Blue Lodge, Council and Chapter, same as his father and
he politically is a Democrat. His wife is a member of the church. Lora
A. was educated in the common schools and was also a student in the
Peru high school. She wedded Earl Bosswell, a farmer, and they are
residents of Perry township. They have two children, Hampton and
Olga. Mr. and Mrs. Bosswell are members of the church and he is a
member of the Masonic fraternity and politically a Democrat. Floyd B.
was educated in the township schools and is a practical farmer and stock-
man and resides at home. He is also a IMason and a Democrat. Zella F.,
the youngest child, has finished the common school course and is now a
student of the Peru high school, a member of the class of 1915.
Mrs. Butt is a native of Erie township, Miami county, born May 30,
1864, and was reared and educated in her home county. She is a member
of the United Brethren church and a noble mother and true and faithful
wife.
The beautiful and stately home residence of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas
Butt is known as ' ' Highland Lodge ' ' and it is as modern as any city resi-
dence, and its portals are ever open to their numerous friends in Miami
county. ■ , •!..'•
Louis Nelp. A business man whose name has been in the directory
of leading merchants of Peru for many years, and whose dealings have
always reflected the finest commercial integrity, Mr. Louis Nelp has been
a resident of this city for upwards of thirty-five years, since he was a
boy of seventeen.
Louis Nelp was born in Brooklyn, New York, May 7, 1862, and was
one of nine sons, all the rest being deceased, born to Sebastian and
Philipine (Hoft'man) Nelp. Sebastian Nelp was born in Bavaria,
Germany, and when a young man came on board a sailing vessel to
America. On the same vessel came the young lady, who afterwards 1)6-
came his wife. Sebastian Nelp was a hatter by trade, and followed that
occupation all his career. His death occurred March 1, 1889, and his
wife survived many years until her death on September 6, 1912.
Louis Nelp spent his early days in his native city, and while grow-
ing up there attended the grammar schools. AVilh this education and
such business experience as he had picked up, he came west in 1879 to
Peru, where with tAvo brothers, August and George, had located in
1871 and was engaged in the meat business. These brothers were very
energetic and successful men in their trades, and continued in business
in Peru until the close of their lives. They were both married, but
George was the only one who left a descendant, she being Nellie, the
wife of Thomas Hayes, a dentist of Chicago. LTnder his brother's super-
vision Louis Nelp learned the butcher's trade, and after their death he
succeeded to the business founded by them. He has continued his estab-
lishment on the high standard maintained by his brothers, and has met
516 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
all the new demands of the trade during the many years in which he
has directed his local shop.
Mr. Nelp is prominent in local polities, as a Republican and for six
years was chairman of his precinct. He was married on January 15,
1889, to Henrietta Borchers, a native of Oldenburg, Germany. To their
marriage have been born four children, namely : Louis, Edith, William
and Jerome. Louis, the oldest of the children, married Marjorie
O'Brien, and is now associated with his father in business. Mr. Nelp
is fraternally affiliated with the ^lasonic order and the Independent
Order of Ocld-Fellows, and he and his wife are members of the Peru
First Baptist . Church.
Edward B. Ream and Fred S. Ream. Those of this name in Miami
county, Indiana, are the descendants of ]\Iichael Ream, who was a hat-
ter in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, during his early life, later engag-
ing in the farming industry in Holmes county, Ohio, to which place he
moved in about the year 1834. He was twice married, and to his first
union there was born six children, while to his second marriage twelve
are accredited. His second wife was Catherine "\Vyant, and she was the
mother of those of the name of Ream who came to Miami county. Only
three of these, however, came here to make permanent homes, they being
William, who came in 184-1; Silas Augustus, in 1850, and Samuel in
1852. Silas A., be it said at this juncture, is the only one now living,
and he has reached the age of eighty-seven years.
William Ream married Harriet Schultz and they became the parents
of five children that grew to years of maturity, they being John ;
[Michael W., deceased; Alfred A., died June, 1913; Thomas and Frank,
those living being actively connected with railroad work in one capacity
or another.
Silas A. Ream, in addition to his railroad work, was for a time
identified with grocery interests in Peru. He married twice. His first
wife was Louisa Winter,' and they became the parents of three children,
namely : Horace W. ; Charles A., and a girl that died in early childhood.
His second wife was Martha Wilson, and they became the parents of
three children, of whom two daughters are now living.
Samuel Ream married Elizabeth Porter and the names of the three
of their children that grew to maturity were: Samuel, Elizabeth and
Charles, the daughter being the only surviving member at this time.
Michael AV. Ream, the son of William Ream, bore an exceptionally
praiseworthy military record. Concerning him, it may be said, that he
was born in Holmes county, Ohio, January 8. 1842, and was employed
as an engineer on the old I. P. & C. Railroad. On June 19. 1862, he
enlisted as a private in Company B, Thirteenth Indiana Volunteer
Infantry, and with his command participated in some of the famous
battles of the Civil war. He received a gun shot wound through the
lungs at one time, was captured and incarcerated in the prison at Belle
Isle, was later exchanged and finally was honorary discharged on July
1, 1864, at the expiration of his term of enlistment. He finally died at
the Soldiers' Home, at Marion, Indiana, on January 8, 1912. He mar-
ried Minnie E. Marquis, and to them were born nine children, as fol-
lows: William A.; Edward B.; Fred S. ; Gale H. ; Daisy, now deceased;
Arlie E., now Mrs. Will McCarthy, of Washington, Indiana ; Glen M. ;
George, who is deceased; and Vivian. Of these. Edward-B. and a sister
are the only ones married. Edward was married on June -27. 1907. to
Miss Minnie Tillett, the daughter of H. J. Tillett.
Thomas E. Ream, a son of William Ream, founded in 1902 the
laundry business now being successfully conducted by his nephews.
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 517
Edward B. and Fred S., who, it may be mentioned here, are twin
brothers. They succeeded Thomas E. Ream in the business in 1905, and
live years later added drj' cleaning to the business, so that their estab-
lishment was the first in Peru to conduct a fully equipped laundry and
dry-cleaning business. They are careful and prosperous business men
and merit the esteem and regard of the best > citizenship of Peru, which
is unhesitatingly accorded to them.
Carleton C. Stevens, who died in September, 1875, in Peru, was a
native of Greenfield, Indiana, born in 1831, and he was a son of Isaac
Stevens, who was a farmer by occupation and who lived in Wisconsin
for a time. The mother of Carleton Stevens died when he was bom,
and he was reared by the Cottingham family of the Noblesville locality.
Such education as he secured was of the character and quality provided
by the public schools of his boyhood period, and he was trained in the
work of the farm from his earliest boyhood on. When his father re-
married and had moved to Wisconsin, the boy joined his parent and
continued with him until 1849, when he and two brothers, Ira and
John, came to Peru. In the rush to the California gold fields, he went
there in '49, making the trip via the Isthmus of Panama, and the years
he remained there resulted in some financial profit to him. He returned
to Indiana in 1851, once more locating in Peru, and here he embarked
in the grocery business, as well as carrying on a huckstering trade. In
about 1870 he disposed of the business and moved to the country in
Peru township, locating on what was known as the old Rettig farm.
Mr. Stevens married Catherine Rettig, a daughter of George Rettig,
who was one of the early pioneers of Miami county, and they l)ecame the
parents of six children, named as follows : Frank I. ; George R. ; Jesse
T., who is mentioned more fully in the succeeding article ; Katy K. ;
John C. ; and Anna C. Of these, all are living with the exception of
George R.
Jesse T. Stevens was born in Peru on May 27, 1868, and received
his education in the public schools of his time and place, such as they
were. Early in life he began clerking in the book store of Pliny M.
Crume, and he continued there for some time. After he had attained
man's estate, he traveled extensively throughout the United States for
about two years as salesman for the Peru Electric Manufacturing Com-
pany, after which he was employed for eight years in the carpet depart-
ment of the John S. Hale Department Store in Peru. In January, 1905,
in association with Harry E. West, mentioned elsewhere in this work,
he purchased the Crume Book Store, in which he had begun his business
career in his boyhood days, and he has thus continued to the present
date, the firm of .West & Stevens enjoying a pleasing patronage in the
city, and the individual members standing well in business and social
circles.
Mr. Stevens was married on June 17, 1891, to ]\liss Lizzie Hauk, and
to him and his wife have been bmm two daughters : Helen H., born Feb-
ruary 22, 1893, and now a student at ]Mercy Hospital, Chicago, and
Harriet E., born ^larch 24, 1898, who is making a thorough and practical
study of music.
Mr. Stevens is a member of the Elks, the Moose and of the IMasonic
fraternity, and the family are members of the Presbyterian church.
Benoma Nash. In the death of Benoma Nash at his home in Erie
township on May 8, 1908, Miami county lost one of its prosperous and
energetic citizens, a man who had spent all his life in this section of
518 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Indiaua, was an industrious and capable agriculturist, and made a credit-
able and honorable record in all his transactions and relations with hjs
fellow men. He leaves a widow, Mrs. Jessie Nash, and a family of chil-
dren and IMrs. Nash has proved herself a capable manager of the fine
farm estate on which Mr. Nash spent his latter years. Benoma Nash was
born in Tipton county, Indiana, November 24, 1858, a son of Robert and
Ruhanma (Styers) Nash, both of whom were natives of Rush county, In-
diana. Benoma Nash, though he received only a common school educa-
tion, was always a student, and was one of the best informed men in his
community. He spent his early life on a farm, and when he started out
for himself it was in the vocation of farmer, which he pursued steadily
and prosperously all his career.
Mr. Nash married Jessie F. Smith, a daughter of John D. and Pheoba
(McFarland) Smith. Her grandfather was William Smith. The parents
were both natives of Ohio and of Scotch and English descent. John D.
Smith was one of the pioneers of Tipton county, and was one of the first
county commissioners, having been elected in 1844 at the time of the or-
ganization of the county. The children of John D. Smith by his first wife
were : David, Benjamin, Mellisa, Sarah, Ellen, Nancy, AVilliam and
John, both of whom died in infancy, Mary, John, Jessie, Cassius, and
Oscar and Laura. John D. Smith spent all his career in Tipton county,
served as a trustee of his township, and died in 1895 on the old farm in
Jefferson township of Tipton county. During the period of the Civil war
he sent three of his sons to the front in the Union army. The youngest
was only seventeen years old, and was made a drummer boy, but that posi-
tion did not satisfy him, and he soon was given a musket, which he carried
throughout the rest of the war. The late John D. Smith was a Republican
in politics.
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Nash settled on a farm in Tipton
county, their place comprising eighty acres. They farmed the land with
practically no improvement except some buildings, and Mv. Nash applied
himself industriously to ditching and draining, and stood a great deal
to develop the farm during their residence of six years. From there
they moved to the farm occupied by Mrs. Nash's mother, where they
lived for two and a half years. Her mother died in 1908. In 1898
they left the old homestead in Jefferson township of Tipton county, and
came to the farm in Erie township of Miami county, where J\Ir. Nash
died. This is now a model farm, and since Mr. and IMrs. Nash took
possession a large barn has been erected, the house has been improved,
and many other changes have been made for the betterment of the place.
Mr. Nash had two hundred and forty acres in the homestead, and April
13, 1913, Mrs. Nash purchased 118 acres and the total acreage is threa
hundred and fifty-eight acres of laud.
The following is the record of the children born to Mr. and IMrs. Nash.
The eldest is Frank L. He received his diploma from the public schools,
then took up an agricultural course at Winona, Ind. He is now a resident
of San Francisco, Cal. He has been employed in a large wholesale fruit
house for the last two years, and is worthy of the responsible position.
Politically he has been a Republican.
Clytis, the daughter, graduated from the eighth grade at age of four-
teen and was a student in the Peru high school for three years and has
also taken musical instructions. She wedded Levi Wilson, one of the
young farmers of the county, residents of Erie township. Mrs. Wilson
is a mem])er of the United Brethren church.
Robert Smith graduated from the public schools at the age of thir-
teen and then from the Peru high school in the class of 1913, at the age
of seventeen. He is now a student in Purdue Universitv and is unusu-
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 519
ally bright. Walter Hartley is in the eighth gi'ade. Jessie C. is in the
fifth grade and has taken instrumental musie. Benjamin E. died June
3, 1910. The older children were all born in Tipton county, and the
others in Miami county.
Mrs. Nash is giving her children the best of educational training.
She is a member of the Presbyterian church of Peru, Indiana, a mem})er
of the Ladies Aid Society and also a member of the Eastern Star. Her
beautiful country seat, and estate is one of the modern homes of the
township fitted with all modern equipment, and is known as "Locust
Crest," the abode of hospitality.
The late Mr. Nash was a member of the Quaker faith. He served as
superintendent of the dredging work in this section of the state, and was
a progressive citizen who believed in development and improvement along
all lines. At different times he used his efforts to get telephone service
to his district, and was the type of citizen whose activities and influence
count for a gi'eat deal in the advancement of a county.
Frank W. Bearss, son of Daniel R. Bearss, appropriate mention of
whom appears elsewhere in this historical work, was born in the house in
which he now resides, on the old Bearss homestead, just outside the cor-
porate limits of the city of Peru, on August 9, 1846. His early schooling
was obtained in the little brick schoolhouse at the corner of Fifth and
Main streets, and later he was privileged to attend the Seminary on Third
street. He remained on the farm until he was twenty-five years old, and
for seven years thereafter was in the railway mail service. He then
returned to farm life once more and in that industry has practically con-
tinued to the present time, about four years of the time being spent in
Fulton county.
He has been a man of considerable prominence in the political
affairs of his district, and was nominated by the Republican party for
the Sixty-third General Assembly, and while the county was hope-
lessly Democratic, he was elected by a majority of two hundred and
eighteen. He was chairman during his service in the house of the
so-called "River Bill Committee," and was also awarded prominent
recognition as a member of certain other of the most important com-
mittees of the house.
Mr. Bearss was married on June 17, 1872, at Kendalville, Indiana,
to Desdemona Iddings, the daughter of Hiram Iddings, one of the more
l^roininent men of Noble county, and to their marriage were born six
children, as follows: IMary Amoret, who died in infancy; Hiram Idd-
ings, born April 13, 1875, now a captain in the regular marine ser-
vice ; he is a veteran of the Spanish- American war, served in the Phil-
ippines, was recommended for "Brevet Major, or Medal or both" for
distinguished gallantry in action, and is now stationed at the Navy
Yard in Philadelphia; Braxton Higgins, another son, was born Decem-
ber 3, 1876, and is engaged as purchasing agent for the Stone & Web-
ster Construction Company, of Boston, Massachusetts ; Emma Amoret,
now the wife of Oscar Mulilfeld, is a resident of Boston, Massachu-
setts; Lucy Rowena was born on December 27, 1882, and Desdemona
Frank, the youngest of the six, was born on November 18, 1890.
Capt. Hiram I. Bearss was married to Louise Madden, of New York
City, and they have one daughter, Louise Iddings Bearss, who was
born in the Philippines. Mrs. Muhlfeld is also the mother of one
daughter, Emma Amoret, named for herself, but there are no other
grandchildren in the family. The Bearss family are adherents to the
Presbyterian faith.
Vol. U— (5
520 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Charles Foote and Carter Foote, men of Connecticut nativity, were
among the oldest settlers of Miami county, Indiana. They were the sons
of Roger Foote. who it is lielieved was a great-grandson of Nathaniel
Foote, who was the first American progenitor of the family. He was born
in Colchester, England, in 1593, and in 1630, ten years subsequent to the
coming of the good ship ' ' ^Mayflower, ' ' he made his way to the American
Colonies, and located at Watertown, Massachusetts. He was a member
of the Massachusetts Bay Company during his residence there. He later
moved to Weathersfield, Massachusetts, where the remainder of his life
was passed, and where he died.
Full data concerning the house of Foote from the time of Nathan-
iel down to Roger, the father of Charles and Carter, are not avail-
able at this writing, but enough is known to establish the family as
one of colonial ancestry beyond all doubt.
Carter Foote in young manhood took up his residence in Paines-
ville. Ohio, and Charles, his younger brother, made his home with him.
The latter was born on July 1, 1817. He was a young man when he
first came to Indiana from Ohio, and locating in Peru engaged in the
general merchandise business on the Canal, at the present site of the
Commercial Hotel. Some two or three years later his failing health
induced the brother Carter to come to Peru and look after the business
founded by Charles, who left Peru in search of health. A year later he
returned, and there made his home for the remainder of his life. He
engaged in merchandising and pork packing under the name of Smith
&. Foote. and was thus occupied when death claimed him on October
25, 1862. He married Caroline Zern, who was born in Pennsylvania
on July 6, 1831, and died March 1, 1897, and to them were born five
children. The only survivor of the number at this writing is Jesse
Foote, a resident of Peru. Charles Foote was an honored and hon-
orable citizen of Peru as long as he continued in it. He was an Epis-
copalian in his religious faith, and in earlier life was a Whig in his
political views, but later became a Democrat. Always a man of deli-
cate health, he was the possessor of a strong will and sturdy determina-
tion, and his life was doubtless prolonged a number of years by rea-
son of these faculties. His career as a citizen and as a business man
was ever above reproach and his long identity with Peru left an indel-
ible impress upon the passing years.
Carter Foote was a man of more robust constitution than was
Charles, but both died of consumption, the death of the first named
occurring in 1865. He married Emily A. Forbes and to them were
born nine children, Mrs. Mary Harter of Peru being the only one liv-
ing in Miami county today. One son, Horace Foote, while attending
college at Crawfordsville, responded to the first call of President Lin-
coln for troops for the suppression of the Rebellion. He served all
through the war and rose to the rank of ]\Iajor, being now a resident
of San Jose, California.
Joseph A. Faust. A practicing laAvyer in Peru, Indiana, since he
was admitted to the bar in 1877, with the exception of a brief time
when he was located in Cincinnati, Joseph A. Faust is one who has
taken a prominent place in the life of this community, and gained a
name and place for himself solely through his accomplishments and his
citizenship. He is a native product of the state, born in LaFayette,
on June 15. 1851, and he is a son of Joseph A. and Elizabeth (Buf-
fert) Faust.
Concerning them, it may be said that the father was a native born
German, Bensheim, Germany, being the place of his birth, and he came
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 521
to America when a young man. In his boyhood in Germany he had
learned the trade of a cooper, and on coming to American shores, he
settled in Indiana and established himself in the cooperage business,
which, for the most part, he followed throughout the remainder of his
life. In those days the work of the cooper was practically all done by
hand, the materials being taken from the forests and worked into
shape in the shop of the cooper, — far different from the processes in
vogue today. Mr. Faust brought the first bucking machine to Miami
county, and as long as he gave his attention to that work, was regarded
as a first class workman and cooper. It is said that a few of his hogs-
heads and casks are still in existence in this county, and are offered
as examples of the skill and honest workmanship of the man to this
day.
Mr. Faust came to America wholly untaught in the English lan-
guage, and he learned to read, write and speak the English fluently
in a comparatively brief time after coming here. He was ever a great
reader and devoted a considerable attention to the study of the German
classics. A Roman Catholic, he was ever a stanch adherent of the faith,
and he reared his family in the precepts of the church. He was twice
married. Three children were born of his first marriage, Joseph A., John
G. (deceased) and Henry J. The wife and mother died on April 22, LS58.
In later years he married Louisa Guendling who was a daughter of John
Guendling, and to them were born eight children. The father died on
May 3, 1893.
Joseph A. Faust, with the exception of the years from 1890 to 1896,
has always made his home in Peru. He was educated in the Catholic
and public schools and was a member of the first graduation class
of the Peru high school, that event occurring in 1870. Forty-nine
years later ]\Ir. Faust was a member of the school board of Peru that
condemned and caused to be razed the building from which he was
graduated, and he aided very materially as a member of that board in
the erection of the present fine structure. Following his graduation
Mr. Faust was occupied in teaching German, philosophy and astron-
omy in the high school and still later, not finding educational work
altogether to his liking, he was employed in a dry goods store for a
few years. He also gave some few years to the cooper's trade, which
he had learned as a boy under his father's able instruction. It was
during this time that he took up the study of law, and he was admit-
ted to the bar in April, 1877, where he has been engaged in practice in
this city with the exception of some time spent in Cincinnati.
Mr. Faust is a Democrat, and has served as chairman and secre-
tary of the Democratic County Central Committee. He was twice a mem-
ber of the Peru school board, serving on the board as secretary of the
body, and each time he resigned from service in that capacity to accept
the city attorneyship. While acting on the board he helped to design
and plan the present magnificent high school building that is the pride
j of Peru, and he gave to that work a generous share of his time and
attention. Mr. Faust was first elected to the office of city attorney in
June, 1900, and served two years in that post. In 1904 he was elected
a second time, and his third election to the office followed in 1909.
He assumed the official duties of the office on January 3, 1910, and is
still acting for the city as its legal adviser, his term expiring the first
Monday in 1914.
Mr. Faust was married on May 13, 1879, to Mary Jane Coraer-
ford, and to them have been born seven children, namely: Mary Eliza-
beth, wife of Charles E. Gosselin of Kansas City, Missouri; Mary Agnes;
522 HISTORY OF :\IIA:\II COUNTY
Anna Louisa, deceased; Mary Josephine; Clara Gladys; and Joseph.
Anton ; and Rose.
If ]Mr. Faust may l)e said to have a hobby, it will unquestionably
be his interest in numismatics. He has a splendid collection of rare
coins, with a decided penchant for the Cjuest of trade dollars, and he
furthers his work along that line by his membership in the Ameri-
can Numismatists' Association.
William H. Augur, of Peru, a resident of this city for nearly a half a
century, and who for eight years and seven months was clerk of the courts
of Miami county, was born in Laurel, Franklin county, Indiana, Decem-
ber 22. 1850, one of the eleven children of whom three are now living, born
to the marriage of William S. Augur, a native of the State of New York,
and Jane McKown, who was born in Pennsylvania. William S. Augur
was a butcher by occupation, a vocation which he followed principally
throughout life. He died in 1855, his widow surviving him until 1895.
They were both born in the year 1810.
William H. Augur lived in his native county until he was fifteen
years of age, and after securing his primary education in the public
schools attended about five terms in Kuhn & Curran's Academy, at
Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1865, he came with a brother to Peru and engaged
in the butchering business, which he continued, together with attend-
ing school and engaging in railroad work, until 1891. From March
of the latter year he was city editor of the ?Iiami County Sentinel
until 1895. when he became deputy county clerk for Charles R. Hughes,
and thus continued until June 6, 1903. In 1902, however, he had been
elected to this office, his term to begin January 1, 1904. It was dur-
ing this time that the Legislative enactment went into effect changing
the beginning of an official term to January 1st of each year. Mr.
Hughes' regular term having expired June 6, 1903, there was a
vacancy to ])e supplied from the expiration of his term until the
newly-elected officer should take his place, and by action of the county
commissioners ^Ir. Augur was appointed to fill this term. After his
regular term of four years, he was re-elected for another term of a
like period, and his entire administration was marked by the most
faithful and conscientious devotion to duty. Mr. Augur has long been
prominent in Democratic politics. In 1910 and again in 1912 he was
elected chairman of the Democratic County Central Committee, and at
this time he is directing the affairs of that influential body. By spe-
cial election he was made city treasurer of Peru in 1882. and in the
spring of 1883 was reelected, serving until the spring of 1885. He
is a member of the jMasonic fraternity, the Knights of Pythias, the
Royal Arcanum and the Royal Fellowship. For many years he has
belonged to the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butchers Workmen of
North America, of which he is a member at large. He also belongs to
Peru Local, No. 225, American Federation of Musicians.
On December 22, 1873, ]\Ir. Augur was married to Miss Eva Jose-
phine ]\Iasou, of Mattoon, Illinois, and to them four children have
been born, namely : Ruby Louise, Charles J., Frederick O. and Josephine
T.. the last named now being ]\Irs. J. Omer Cole, of Butler town-
ship, Miami county. The family are Presbyterians in religion.
When a ])oy, before the Civil War, Laurel, the native village of Mr.
Augur, organized a martial band which became famous throughout the
entire country. As a lad he learned to perform on a fife, and he has
continued to keep up his practice on this difficult instrument until he
has become widely known as a fife musician. It was the Laurel Mar-
tial Band, of which he was a member, that escorted the troops raised
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 523
from Franklin county to their place of starting to the front. In
Miami county today, wherever martial music is presented, Mr. Augur
participates, at old settlers meetings. Grand Army of the Republic
gatherings, and similar ceremonies. He is at present the incumbent
of the position of national fife major of the National Association of
Civil War Musicians.
Daniel and Delbert D. Harter. Daniel Harter was one of the fore-
most men of his day in Miami county, and was one of those whose life
career was a credit and whose memory will long linger in the minds of
those who knew him. He was born in Preble county, Ohio, on March 4,
1834, a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Rhodes) Harter, and he came with
his parents to Miami county, Indiana, in the year 1849, while yet in his
teens. The family located on Section 32, in Jefferson township, and there
Jacob Harter died in 1879 and his widow followed him in 1881. The
greater part of the life of Daniel Harter was passed amid the pioneer
scenes and incidents relating to this particular locality, and the austere
upbringing he had in his home, coupled with the rigors of coiintry life,
united to produce in him a strong and positive character that marked him
as an example of one of the most admirable types of man. His citizen-
ship was one of the highest order, and he bore his full share of the bur-
den of civic responsibility in his community throughout his life. He
married on November 21, 1867, Nancy, the daughter of Levi Miller, a
record of whose life and work appears elsewhere in this work. Mrs. Har-
ter died on January 19, 1879, the mother of four children, who are here
mentioned with more or less brevity as follows : Dora 0. married Wil-
liam F. Stevens and is now a resident of Canada. William E., a resident
of Peru ; Iva L., and Delbert D., who is mentioned at greater length in a
later paragraph.
Mr. Harter w^as a member of the Church of the Brethren, and his
life in its every phase showed forth the influence and teaching of the
church of his faith. None was more dependable than he, and the greatest
confidence was reposed in him at all times and by all who knew" him,
his sturdy integrity and right living establishing him most firmly in
the good books of his fellows.
He was a consistent Republican in his politics, and though he was
never a man who aspired to political notice, he firmly believed it the duty
of every man to exercise his right of franchise in the defense of his political
principles, regarding that as one of the most distinctive proofs of citizen-
ship, as indeed it is.
Mr. Harter, several years after the death of his first wife, married
Mary Johnson, who yet survives him,
Delbert D. Harter, one of the sons of Daniel Harter, and a grandson
of Jacob Harter, the pioneer of the days of forty-nine, was born on the
old Harter homestead in Jefferson township, on July 1, 1875. He has
always resided here and has converted the old place into one of the finest
improved farms of the township, and in all probability, the finest in the
county. His education was acquired in the public schools, and was
not in excess of that accorded to the average youth of his station. He
was married on September 2, 1896, to Miss Laura J., the daughter of
Everett and Emma (Meek) Smith, and to them one son haa been born, —
Russell Evett Harter, whose birth took place on September 8, 1897.
Mr. Harter is a stanch Republican in his political propensities, and
his wife is a member of the Baptist church. The pretty homestead is
known as ' ' The Valley Grange, ' ' and is modern in every detail and lighted
by acetylene.
524 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Ellis H. Andrews, M. D., a resident of Peru since 1897, is a native of
Maey, Indiana, born November 12, 1870. His father, Amos B. Andrews,
was born in Pennsylvania. September 20, 1840. and came with his
parents to Miami county, Indiana, about the year 1855, settling in Rich-
land township. There he was residing at the outbreak of the Civil War,
and upon President Lincoln's first call for volunteer troops he enlisted in
the Thirteenth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry. On the expiration
of his term of service, he veteranized in Company H, Eighty-seventh Regi-
ment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, August 9, 1862, and continued to serve
with that hard-fighting organization until his honorable discharge, June
9, 1865. The greater part of his military career was under Gen. Thomas,
and he was an active participant in many of the great battles of the
war, rising to the rank of corporal. On returning to the occupations
of peace, 3Ir. Andrews took up the vocation of school teacher, and
later he became engaged in the insurance business. He was a life-
long member of the Republican party. In his death, which occurred
February 22, 1909, the Grand Army of the Republic lost one of its
valued members. In 1866. Mr. Andrews was united in marriage with
Miss Sarah C. Derek, who still survives her husband and makes her
home in Peru, and they became the parents of five children, all of
whom are still living.
Ellis H. Andrews passed his boyhood and j^outh in attending the
common schools and working on farms in the neighborhood of his
home. He subsequently became a teacher in the public schools, thus
earning the means whereby to further his own studies, and completed
his literary education in the Northern Indiana Normal School, at Val-
paraiso. His medical studies were commenced in 1891 under the pre-
ceptorship of Dr. J. W. Newell, of Denver, Indiana, and in January,
1895. he matriculated at the Kentucky School of Medicine. Succeed-
ing this, he attended lectures until June. 1897. when he was elected
superintendent of schools of ]\Iiami county, and subsequent re-elec-
tions brought his service in this capacity up to six years. He was
one of the most popular educators Miami county has known, but desired
to further his medical studies, and in January, 1901, re-entered the
Kentucky School of ^ledicine. and received his degree in July of the
same year. Since that time he has been engaged in active practice in
Peru, although he has continued to devote himself to his studies, hav-
ing taken two post-graduate courses in Chicago. Like his father, Dr.
Andrews is a Republican, but the responsibilities of his heavy prac-
tice have given him no chance to think of entering the political arena
as an aspirant for public preferment. He is a member of the Masonic
and Odd FelloAvs fraternities, and has also affiliated himself with the
various leading medical organizations.
On June 8, 1898, Dr. Andrews was married to Miss Ethel Hurst,
of Macy, Indiana, and they have become the parents of four daugh-
ters : Ruth G., Helen J., Florence E. and Frances C. Dr. and Mrs.
Andrews are members of the Baptist Church, and have numerous friends
in religious and social circles of Peru.
Pliny M. Crume. The various activities which have marked the
career of Pliny M. Crume, one of the most successful of Peru's busi-
ness men, stamp him as a man of energy, ability and resource, and one
who, no doubt, would have succeeded in any field of endeavor. In
this city he has been identified with various enterprises of an exten-
sive nature, in all of which he has met with a full measure of suc-
cess, but everywhere and at all times he remembers that he has worked
hard and that the good things that have come to him have been
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 525
attracted by his own effort rather than by any chance of fortune. At
the age of seventy years he is still carrying on his daily routine of busi-
ness, in connection with general insurance, and maintains his position
of prestige among the business men with whom he has been associated
for so many years. Mr. Crume was born March 4, 1843, on the Wea
Prairie, near Lafayette, Tippecanoe county, Indiana, and is a son of
Mark and Malinda (Hamilton) Crume.
Mark Crume was a native of Fayette county, Indiana, and came
to the western part of the State when it was more thickly populated
with Indians than with whites. He was a trader by vocation and trav-
eled up and down the Wabash river and the contiguous territory, bar-
tering with the Indians. On one of his trips he entered three sections
of laud, one for himself and one for each of his two brothers, but never
lived on this land, but spent his last years on Wea Prairie. He took
an active part in Democratic politics, and at one time was sent as rep-
resentative to the State Legislature. Mr. Crume married Malinda
Hamilton, and they had five children who grew to maturity, of whom
four are still living.
Pliny jM. Crume was but one and one-half years of age when his
father died, and he was reared in the home of an uncle, Dr. Pliny
M. Crume, after whom he had been named, who was a physician widely
known in the State of Ohio, his home being at Eaton, Preble county.
There ^Ir. Crume attended the public schools until the age of fifteen
years, when he returned to Indiana, and lived on the farm of his cousin,
Adam Deem Crume, in Wabash county. It was while residing here
that he twice endeavored to enlist for service in the Union army dur-
ing the Civil War, but was each time rejected on account of poor eye-
sight. The third time, however, October 24, 1864, at LaFayette, he
succeeded in enlisting in Company D, Thirtieth Regiment, Indiana Vol-
unteer Infantry, with which he served until long after the close of the
war, receiving his honorable discharge October 25, 1865. He was in
the Army of the Cumberland, and among others participated in the
engagements at Columbia, Spring Hill, Franklin and Nashville, and
following the latter battle the command of which Mr. Crume was a mem-
ber pursued the Confederate Hood as far as Huntsville, Alabama, where
they went into winter quarters. At the time of the assassination of
President Lincoln they were at Strawberry Plains, and succeeding this
were sent to New Orleans and later to Texas, Mr. Crume receiving
his discharge at the Louisiana city. Mr. Crume was at all times a
brave, faithful and gallant soldier, cheerfuUy performing the duties
that fell to his lot, and winning the admiration of his comrades and
the respect of his officers. On the completion of his military ser-
vice, he started on a trip overland to the West, and for two and one-
half years was engaged in mining at Virginia City, Montana, and also
spent six months at Salt Lake City, Utah. This venture, however, did
not prove successful, and he returned to Indiana and for three years
traveled for a dental supply house during the summers, while the win-
ters were spent in teaching school, his home during this time being at
Peru. In this manner he accumulated enough to enable him to embark
in business, and in 1872, in partnership with AVilliam Walton, under
the firm style of Walton & Crume, he opened a book and wallpaper
business in this city. In February, 1879, he purchased Mr. Walton's
interest in the business, which he conducted alone until January,
1905, when the business was sold to West & Stevens. Shortly there-
after, Air. Crume, with others, organized the Peru Canning Company
of which he was secretary and treasurer for about two years, and
then sold out and established himself in a general insurance business,
526 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
in which he has continued to the present time. As secretary of the
Peru _ Commercial Club, he is assisting in forwarding the city's busi-
ness interests, and he has ahvays been known as a public-spirited citi-
zen wlio has had the welfare of his community at heart. For years a
Republican, he was clerk of the city from 1873 until 1880, and also served
as a city councilman for two years, but in 1912 cast his fortunes with
the newly-organized Progressive party. During his long residence in
Peru, he has formed a wide acquaintance, in which he numbers a great
many warm friends, drawn to him by his sincerity, his integrity and
his loyalty to his friendships.
On September 25, 1873, Mr. Crume was married to Miss Catherine
Adelia Graham, daughter of John A. Graham, one of the well-known
pioneers of Miami county, and to this union there were born three chil-
dren : Alice E., who is deceased; Lenice, now the wife of James Mc-
Namara ; and Graham 31. After the death of his first wife 3Ir. Crume
married her sister, Alice E. Graham. Mr. and Mrs, Crume are faithful
members of the Roman Catholic church.
Louis F, Betzner, deceased, was identified with the farming inter-
ests of Deer Creek township, Miami county, Indiana, for a number of
years. He came here in 1851, from Trenton, New Jersey, and located
at Leonda, Miami county, where he followed shoe making until 1861.
He then bought the place on which his son, Louis C. Betzner, now lives.
A log house stood on the farm at that time, into which he moved his
family, and which served them for a home until they built the pres-
ent farm house. With the assistance of his sons he cleared and improved
the land, and here he spent the rest of his life and died. His death
occurred September 11, 1903. He was born in Germany and had
served six years in the German army. His wife, Catherine (Bender)
Betzner, also was a native of Germany. She died June 9, 1911. They
reared a large family of children who are now useful and respected
members of the respective communities in which they live. Their
names in order of birth are as follows: John G., Eli B., Carl E., Fred-
erick H., Emma C. (now Mrs. Levi Bowser), Mary M. (now Mrs. War-
ren Morrow) and Louis C.
John G. Betzner was born December 20, 1857. He was reared on
his father's farm; assisted in the farm work, and attended the district
school. In his youth he learned the blacksmith's trade, and for a time
was employed as foreman in rolling mills at jMarion. Following this
he became superintendent in the rolling mills at East Chicago, where
he remained until he came to his present location at Hammond, Indi-
ana, where he is engine foreman in the Chemical AVorks. He married
Miss Carrie Spangler.
Eli B. Betzner was born ]\Iarch 18, 1859. His boyhood days were
passed on his father's farm until he was sixteen years of age. Then
he learned the harness maker's trade in Peru, with Valentine Smith,
and for a few years remained there in this line of business. He Avas
then employed by Dr. U. A. Ayer in his harness shop, and continued
there as foreman for fourteen years. In 1903 he became a partner in
the Betzner Bros.' hardware store in Peru, and has since been identi-
fied with this business. He married Miss Tillie Troster, and they have
two children, Blanche and Clarence. Mr. Eli B. Betzner is both an
Odd Fellow and a Knight of Maccabees.
Carl E. Betzner remained on the farm until he attained his twenty-
first year. He was born February 3, 1861. In 1883 he became a clerk
in the hardware store of Puterbaugh Bros, at Peru, and with the
exception of about one year, when he was stock-keeper of the Peru Elec-
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 527
trie Mfg. Co., he continued with them until 1903, when the Betzner
Bros. (Eli B. and Carl p].) bought the Puterbaugh Bros.' store and
have since conducted it. He married Laura F. Martin and they have
one daughter. Hazel. He is a Democrat, as are also all the brothers,
and he is a member of Peru Lodge, No. 539, I. 0. O. F. ; the Knights
of Maccabees, and the LTnited Commercial Travelers.
Frederick H. Betzner spent his boyhood and reached manhood on
his father's farm. AVhen he left the farm he became a carpenter for
the American Plate Glass Company at Kokomo, Indiana. Later he
engaged in the restaurant business at Middletown, Indiana, where he
remained until 1913. He is unmarried.
Louis C. Betzner, the youngest son, ^vas born November 19, 1871,
on the farm where he has since lived, having succeeded his father in the
operation of the home farm. In addition to attending the schools near
his home, he was for a time a student at Bunker Hill and later in St.
Louis. He married, April 22, 1896, Miss Matilda Hartman, daugh-
ter of John and Mary (Meek) Hartman. Her grandfather. Dr. Meek,
was instrumental in getting a post office established at Bunker Hill.
Mr. and Mrs. Betzner have two children: AVayne, born July 23, 1897,
and Catherine, November 17, 1900. Fraternally, Mr. Betzner is identi-
tied with both the Knights of Pythias and the Masons, at Bunker Hill.
He has passed all the chairs in the K. of P. lodge. No. 299, and is
senior warden of the Masonic lodge No. 683. He maintains relations
with the Methodist Episcopal Church, now being chairman of the Board
of Trustees and having served as superintendent of the Sunday school.
John W. Parkhurst. The experiences gained in long years of
connection with enterprises of no extensive nature have enabled John
W. Parkhurst to ably discharge the duties of secretary and factory
manager of one of Peru's principal industries, the Indiana IManu-
facturing Company. Mr. Parkhurst is entitled to the honorable title
of self-made man, having risen by his own efforts from a humble
clerkship to a position of prestige in manufacturing circles. He has
been a resident of this city since 1906, coming here from Indianapolis,
and since his advent has not only been identified with large business
ventures, but has also made a place for himself in the social and polit-
ical life of the city.
John W. Parkhurst was born at Franklin, Indiana, October 15,
1861, a son of John M. Parkhurst, an agriculturist, upon whose farm
he spent his boyhood and youth, it being his father's intention that
he should follow in his foot-steps and become a tiller of the soil. The
young man, however, had his own ideas as to what he should make
his life work, and at the age of twenty-five years left the parental
roof. He had received a- good common school education, and secured
a position as bookkeeper in a wholesale stove establishment in Indian-
apolis, and two years later, when some of the employes of the
concern bought out the business, he became secretary of the new con-
cern, which was known as the Wells Manufacturing Company. His
connection with this enterprise continued until 1891, in which year,
with his brother, James H. Parkhurst, he organized the Famous Stove
Company, wliich the brothers conducted four years. This was eventu-
ally sold out to their former associates, and succeeding this the broth-
ers purchased the Indianapolis Bolt and Machine Works, changed the
name to the Parkhurst Manufacturing Company, and turned their
attention to the manufacture of passenger and freight elevators to
such good effect that in 1906 they were compelled to seek a field where
they would have larger accommodations for their rapidly growing
528 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
business and chose Peru as the site of their future operations. At the
time that this business was sold to the Otis Elevator Company, in
1909, the brothers were employing one hundred mechanics and had
built up a trade that extended far beyond the limits of the State.
On disposing of his interests in the Parkhurst Manufacturing Com-
pany, Mr. Parkhurst accepted a position as secretary and factory
manager for the Indiana Manufacturing Company, a capacity in which
he is acting at the present time. He has a thorough and comprehen-
sive knowledge of his business, having learned every detail thereof
during his rise from the lowest position on the ladder. A man of
excellent judgment, foresight and shrewdness, he is at all times capa-
ble of adapting himself to conditions as they arise, and has the full
confidence of those with whom he is associated. At the present time
he is president of the Home Savings and Loan Association, and his vari-
ous other large connections in the business world of Peru make him a
dominant figure in commercial and industrial life. As president
of the Commercial Club, a position he has held two years, he has
joined with others in promoting Peru's interests, and movements for
the city's welfare find in him a stanch supporter. He belongs to the
Knights of Pythias, the oMoose and various other social organizations
and, with his family, is a member of the Christian Church. He be-
lieves that each man should choose the political candidate he deems
best fitted for the office, irrespective of party lines, although he usu-
ally supports Republican principles.
On October 18, 1881, Mr. Parkhurst was united in marriage with
Miss Ella I. Blizard, and they have been the parents of two children:
Maude and Frank.
Walter W. Stowman. One of the most estimable citizens of Miami
county and one who has been identified with Jefferson township since he
was born, is Walter W. Stowman, the son of a pioneer resident of the
county who migrated hither from New Jersey as early as in 1847. Mr.
Stowman has continued with the worthy activities established and carried
on for so many years by his parent, and has in every wa,y i)roven himself
a worthy successor of that gentleman. He was l)orn on the farm on which
he now resides in Jefferson township, on April 14, 1851, and here has
passed his life thus far, with but slight exception.
Charles W. Stowman, the father of him whose name introduces this
review, was of Pennsylvania birth, as has already been stated, and he
came to Indiana in 1847, locating with his family in Jefferson township.
He did not at first identify himself to any extent with the farming in-
dustry, but bought a few acres where he established a home, and he also
made the purchase of an old burl flouring mill on the Eel river. This
mill he continued to operate for many years, and some twenty years
after he came into its possession, the mill was destroyed, being swept
out by an ice freshet. The history of the mill is of some little interest,
it being one of the oldest established ones in the county at that time. It
had its origin in 1835, when John Ratlifi^ built it, and it was the second
mill to be built in the township. In later years it was sold to Isaac 3IaE-
quis, then to John J. McMurray, and still later to a Mr. Cole, who rebuilt
the mill almost entirely. I\Ir. Stowman was the last man to come into
ownership of the mill, and his activities in the milling line were long
carried on here. When the freshet swept away the old mill, Mr. Stowman
prepared to rebuild, and had his material all ready for the erection of
a new and more modern mill, but the owners of the mill in Mexico refused
to draw off the water long enough for him to lay his foundations. The
case was finally taken into court and the litigation in the matter dragged
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 529
on for several years, finally being decided in favor of Mr. Stovvman. He
decided, however, not to rebuild the mill, after gaining his point and
from then on he devoted himself exclusively to farming activities in con-
nection with stock dealing. He was a successful farmer and came to be
the owner of a comfortable place in Jefferson township, while he was
known for a splendid citizen and a man of the most excellent parts. A
strong Democrat in his politics, Charles Stowman gave his support to
the activities of the party at all times, although he never aspired to office
or any of the favors that accompany political activity.
Mv. Stowman married Mary Chambers in Ohio, where he had stopped
on his way from New Jersey, and to them were born seven children. Six
of the seven are living, and four of them reside in Miami county at the
present time. In his younger days, j\lr. Stowman had worked in a dis-
tillery in his native state, but despite tiiis fact, he never took a drink
of intoxicating liquor in his life. He was a man of the stanchest integrity,
and when he died in January, 1878, Miami county lost one of her most
estimable and worthy citizens. His widow survived him for a number
of years, and is now buried at his side in the cemetery at Mexico.
Walter W. Stowman worked on the home farm as a boy, dividing
his time between attendance at school in the country and work about
the place, as was the custom in those days with the youth of the
country districts, and, indeed, as is much the rule today. When he
reached his majority he engaged in work in a factory at Peru, and later
lived for two years at Frankfort. With these exceptions, Mr. Stowman
has always made his home on the old homestead. He is the present owner
of a fine place of about one hundred and fifty acres, which he operates
along lines of general farming and stock raising, and is counted one of
the really successful farming men of the township. The place is known
as ' ' Stowman Homestead. ' '
On Thanksgiving day, in 1879, Mr. Stowman took unto himself a
wife in the person of -Miss A. Kate Snively, the daughter of John M.
and Lemitia (Stryker) Snively, then a resident of Peru, where Mrs.
Stowman had been reared. To them have been born four children. They
are named Vernice, Lemitia, Mabel and Marie. Vernice was educated
in the country school and the Mexico high school. She took her business
course at the Marion Normal and has been engaged with the State Life
Association for nine years. She is a member of the Baptist church. Le-
mitia is at home. She was educated in the common schools and Mexico
high school. Mabel is the wife of Geo. E. Musselman, an agriculturist
in the county. They have two little children, twins, Gayland E. and
Gay thai E. Marie is in the seventh grade and is taking music. Mrs.
Stowman was educated in the common schools and is a graduate of the
class of 1876. She had her license to teach.
Mr. Stowman is a Democrat, as was his father before him, and while
he is stanch and true in his allegiance to the party, he is still sufficiently
alive to the best interests of his community to depart from party preju-
dices and vote at times for candidates other than those of his political
faith. His splendid citizenship is one of his finest qualities, and he eter
manifests a wholesome interest in the affairs of the township, county
and state. He has no churchly affiliations as a member, but his wife has
membership in the Baptist church, and he supports the activities of that
body in a praiseworthy manner.
The Stowman family is one that enjoys the unadulterated friendship
of a wide circle of the best people of the town and county, and they take
a leading share in the social and other activities of their circle.
530 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
A. H. Kalbfleisch, M. D. In the practical work of his profession
and in the devotion to the interest of the medical fraternity and the
welfare of the community, Dr. Kalbfleisch is one of the conspicuous
members of his profession in Miami county where he has resided for
upwards of thirty years. His name is associated with the Peru Sani-
tarium, which, while a private enterprise, has a large usefulness for
other members of the profession and has served the needs of this city,
and its people in many ways.
Dr. A. H. Kalbfleisch was born in the city of St. Louis, Septem-
ber 1, 1847, being of German parentage. His father, Conrad C. Kalb-
fleisch was a native of Hesse, Darmstadt, and by occupation was a
merchant and tailor. The mother was a native of Wurttemberg and
came to this country, her marriage with J. C. Kalbfleisch being cele-
brated in New York. Thence they moved west to Missouri, joining
a Lutheran colony in Perry county near Cape C4irardeau, Missouri.
Subsequently the family moved to St. Louis and from there to Col-
linsville, Illinois, where the father remained until his death.
Mr. Kalbfleisch was reared to manliood at St. Louis and in Col-
linsville, and received his education in the public schools and in the
parochial schools of the Lutheran church. When he took up the study
of medicine he abandoned the lifework which had been marked out
for him previously, which destined him for the profession of minister
in the Lutheran church. His medical studies began in 1867 with Dr.
Wm. Brandemuehl of Collinsville. In 1869 he entered the Hahne-
mann Medical College of Chicago, and was graduated from that well
known institution February 23, 1871. His practice was begun in his
old home town of Collinsville, but soon after he moved to Pinckney-
ville, Illinois, where he established his office and during his residence
there attained a practice over a wide range of country.
Following a year's post-graduate work in Chicago, Dr. Kalbfleisch
located at Peru, and this has been his permanent residence ever since.
Thirty years of close attention to the profession have presented count-
less opportunities for practical benevolence and helpful service for
humanity, and to as great a degree as any other physician in this
county Dr. Kalbfleisch has utilized these different sources of help-
fulness. During 1889-90 Dr. Kalbfleisch spent a year at Cullman,
Alabama, but A\ith that exception has never been away from Peru
for any considerable length of time. In 1900 he erected his Sani-
tarium in this city, which was designed in the first place to accommo-
date his own large private practice. This is a two story brick build-
ing, 78x26 in ground dimensions, and is equipped with the most mod-
ern appliances and conveniences for sanitarium and hospital prac-
tice. Immediately upon its completion, Dr. Kalbfleisch extended the
use of his building to other members of the profession and thus to a
large degree it has served the purposes of a general' hospital.
From 1891 to 1902 Dr. Kalbfleisch was secretary of the county
board of health and has also served as secretary of the city board of
health. He has held the office of secretary of the board of health longer
than any other officer. He is an active member of the Miami County, the
Indiana State and the American Medical Societies. Though he is a grad-
uate of the Hahnemann School of Medicine, he is not dogmatic in his devo-
tion to the principles of homeopathy, and practices any system that
offers the best results for the individual patient. Dr. Kalbfleisch is
affiliated with the Peru Lodge of Elks, and in politics _ has always
accorded his allegiance to the principles of the Democratic party.
On May 23, 1876, he married Miss Maltida K. Conradt, who is
now an invalid. She is a daughter of Godlove Conradt, a prominent
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 531
Peru business man whose name needs no description in this vicinity
and a sketch of whose career appears also in this work. The Doctor
and wife are the parents of four children: Albert H., a resident of
California; George C, who is living in Tiffin, Ohio; Emma G., now
Mrs. Dr. Arthur C. Baldwin of Peru; and Rose M.
David Charters. The late David Charters had a residence in Miami
county early enough to give his name a place among the pioneers. Besides
his work as a substantial farmer, he is remembered as at one time quite
prominent in public affairs.
David Charters was a native of Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, born
January 24, 1821, and was reared on a farm in his native State, securing
a somewhat limited education in the district schools of his day and local-
ity. He accompanied his parents, William and Elizabeth (Comfort)
Charters (the former a veteran of the War of 1812), to Miami county in
1846 and here purchased a half section of land in Peru township from the
original settler, one Daniels, who then lived at Piqua, Ohio. Not having
sufficient resources to linance this amount of land, he subsequently sold
all but 140 acres and, removing to a log house in the woods, commenced
the work of clearing and cultivating. In 1852 he was married to Miss
Louisa Long, and they became the parents of nine children, of whom
seven are still living. Mr. Charters not only became one of the successful
agriculturists of his township, but was also a force in Republican politics,
serving Miami county as county commissioner and as representative in
the State Legislature. His death occurred in March, 1882, while his
widow survived until April, 1912. They were faithful members of the
Methodist Church.
William J. Charters, whose merit and capability have brought to
him successive advancement in the business world, is now senior member
of the hardware firm of Charters, Brown & Company, at Peru, Indiana.
A native of Miami county, his entire career has been passed within its
limits, and his entrance into the business life of Peru dates back to 1884.
The firm of which he is now the directing head is one of the leading enter-
prises of its kind in the city, and its rapid and continuous growth has
been due in a large degree to the progressive policies he has brought to
its management. Mr. Charters was born in Peru township, Miami county,
Indiana, January 31, 1855, and is a son of David and Louisa (Long)
Charters, of whom more extended mention is made in the sketch imme-
diately preceding this. He was one of their nine children, of whom
seven survive.
William J. Charters was given the advantages of a common school
education and was reared on the home farm, it being his father's in-
tention for him to follow the agricultural business. The bent of the
young man, however, seemed toward mercantile pursuits, and when
he was twenty-nine years of age, he came to Peru and secured employ-
ment as a clerk in the store of Shirk & Miller. He continued with
this concern for the next eighteen years, at the end of which time he
decided that he was ready to enter the liusiness arena on his own
account. Accordingly, on January 1, 1902, the firm of Charters, Brown
& Company was organized and this concern has continued to do an
increasingly successful Inisiness to the present time. IMr. Charters is
popular both in social and business circles, and is known for his thor-
ough reliability, his enterprise and his progressive methods. Those
who come within the closer circle of his friendship can always count
upon his loyalty, and true worth can always win his friendship. In
political matters he is a Republican, but has not aspired to prefer-
532 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
ment in public office. He is a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite
Mason. For two terms he served as Worshipful blaster of Miami
Lodge No. 67, A. F. & A. M., and upon the consolidation of Miami
Lodge and Peru Lodge No. 482, into Peru and Miami Lodge No. 67,
he was elected the first Worshipful Master.
^Ir. Charters was married on October 11, 1886, to Miss Ida M.
Zimmerman, and they have one son, David B. Mr. and Mrs. Char-
ters are leading members of the First Baptist Church of Peru.
Charles ]\I. Charters, another of the seven surviving children of
David and Louisa (Long) Charters, was born on the farm home in
Miami county, on February 17, 1872, and was there reared. He was
educated in the county schools and in 1891 was graduated from the
Peru High School. In September, 1891, he entered the Citizens'
National Bank as bookkeeper and collector, and there served in dif-
ferent positions until January, 1903, when he became cashier, — a posi-
tion he now occupies.
Mr. Charters was married on September 5, 1907, to Harriet Porter,
and they have two children, Mildred P. and John P. Mr. Charters
is a Mason of the Royal Arch degree, and is also a member of the
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. His wife is a member of the
Presbyterian church.
Samuel M. Charters. In preceding paragrai)hs have been recorded
the important facts about the Charters family during the tirst generation
of its residence in ]\Iiami county. Samuel M. Charters, who is more gen-
erally known as Mifflin Charters, is one of the children of David and
Louisa (Long) Charters, who established the family in the county, and
w^hose lives are sketched above.
^Ir. S. M. Charters was born on the old homestead in Peru township,
November 28, 1857. The other members of the family turned their atten-
tion to merchandising and other lines of endeavor, but he has been more
than content with the bounty and prosperity bestowed upon those who
follow agi'iculture as their regular vocation. It is a noteworthy fact that
his home has been on the same section of the same township from the time
of his birth to the present. As a boy he attended the neighboring district
schools, and also w^ent for a time to the Peru schools, and then returned
to the homestead to take up its practical duties.
On October 3, 1888, he married Mary Elizabeth Gallahan, daughter
of W. Clarke and Martha (Arnett) Gallahan, who were farmers of Cass
county. After his marriage Mr. Charters bought his present place of
seventy acres, and built a good home and has improved the property to
one of the productive and valuable rural estates of Peru toMuship.
Mrs. Charters died June 3, 1900, leaving two children. ^Marie E. and
Charles H. ]\Ir. Charters is a Republican in politics and is a member of
the Masonic fraternity of Lodge 67 of Peru.
The Newman Family. Samuel K. Newman was one of the noted
characters of ]\Iiami county, Indiana, and was also one of its most
noted citizens. He was born on March 19, 1819, and came here the
year following the organization of ]\Iiami county, and from 1837 until
the time of his death he made this district his home. During those
years he succeeded in accumulating one of the large fortunes of the
county, beginning his career with absolutely nothing of material pos-
session, and closing it in the high position he had long occupied here.
In his earlier years of business activity and struggle he overcame seem-
ingly unsurmountable obstacles, but he was never one to look his diffi-
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 533
culties other than squarely in the face, and it is well known that an
obstacle stanehly met is half overcome.
On Urst coming to Miami county Samuel K. Newman found employ-
ment at farm work, at the daily wage of fifty and seventy-five cents. He
carefully hoarded his money, and as land was then cheap, it was not
long before he came to be the owner of som^ real estate. He was nat-
urally proficient in the art of trading, and it is related of him that he
would start from home with a decrepit horse, and in a short time return
with a span of fine horses, a wagon and various other commodities, and
money in his pocket. He was a man of marked, but never oifensive
peculiarities. He paid scanty regard to matters of dress, but when he
advanced an opinion hearers would listen intently. In the course of time
his fancy for the accumulation of real estate resulted in his becoming
the largest landed proprietor in Miami county, besides becoming the
owner of large city and other properties. He was not much given to
the idea of improving properties that came into his possession, his fancy
being ratlier to acquire it.
The first wife of Samuel K. Newman was Lydia Ann Ilarman, who
was born in January, 1824, and died on December 20, 1877. His second
wife was Eliza Jane Busick, born in 1841. and who died in 1905. No
children were born of the second marriage, but to the first was born one
son, Thomas I. Newman. The father died on December 5, 1902.
Thomas I. Newman, only son of Samuel K. and Lydia Ann (Harmon)
Newman, was born October 2, 1845, in j\Iiami county, and in his boyhood
received an exceedingly liberal education, judged by the standards of
the day, having been a student at Merom College, Sullivan county. His
training culminated in being a student in the Indiana State University.
During the life of his father, ^Ir. Newman's principal activity lay in the
business of improving the many properties that came to be added to the
tax list of the elder Newman. He became as a result of his work along
these lines, known for a man of especially advanced ideas, and rather
ahead of his time in the matter of progress.
Thomas I. Newman married Kate E. L. Junkin, who was born on
May 9, 1848, and who died on December 12, 1899. They became the
parents of five children, as follows: Omer U., a lawyer of Indianapolis;
Olive, the wife of J. H. Fidler, of Peru, Indiana ; Samuel I., living in
Miami county; William Turner, a Cass county farmer; and Medford
Kyle. Thomas I. Newman died on August 6, 1911. = •;.':•■.
Medford Kyle Newman, son of Thomas I. and grandson of Samuel
K. Newman, was born in Cass county, Indiana, ^lay 28, 1887, and assisted
his father in looking after the large estate of the family until after the
death of the father. Since that time he has become the owner of nearly
five hundred acres, and he operates this in conjunction with stock-rais-
ing, a business in which he has experienced a pleasing degree of success.
Politically Mr. Newman is a Repu])lican, but not more active in the
party ranks than good citizenship demands. To his marriage with ^liss
Mildred, daughter of Clement Anderson, solemnized on June 21, 1908,
one son has been born, — Clement Irvin, named thus in honor of his
paternal and maternal grandfathers. ^Irs. Newman is a native of Cass
county, Indiana, born July 16, 1889, and she is the second child in a
family of three daughters "born to Clement L. and Martha (Fox) Ander-
son. All the children are living, the eldest being Mabel, wife of ]\Ielvin
E. Smith, a resident of Muncie, Indiana, an electrician. They have a
son, Clement. Mrs. Newman is next in order of birth. Naomi is a
•resident of Peru. Indiana, and is a member of the Peru high school class
of 1915.
Mr. Anderson was born in Miami county in 1862 and was engaged in
534 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
the Ininber industry. He was educated in the common schools and was
a graduate of the Valparaiso University. He was a Democrat and he and
wife were members of the Progressive Church Society. He died in 1903
and is interred in the Oak Grove Cemetery of Peru, Indiana. His wife
is a native of Miami county and is a resident of Peru, Indiana. Mrs.
Newman received excellent educational advantages and is ably fitted to
preside over her beautiful modern country seat, which is known as ' ' The
Newman Grange," located six miles northwest of Peru, Indiana. It is
a large modern brick residence, connnanding an admirable view of the
surrounding country and surrounded by the finest and most modern
barns and outbuildings. The home is lighted by electricity, has a hot
water plant and is finished in oak and poplar. Its portals are ever open
to the many friends of Mr. and IVIrs. Newman. Mrs. Newman is a member
of the Progressive church, and with her husband, is prominent and
popular in local circles.
Hal C. Phelps. A member of an old Empire State family, whose
members have distinguished themselves in military and civil life, in
the business arena, in agriculture and in the professions, Hal C. Phelps,
prosecuting attorney of IMiami county, Indiana, has maintained the
reputation of the family name, and for some years has been a prom-
inent legist of Peru. Mr. Phelps was born on his father's farm in
Deer Creek towaiship, ]\Iiami county, Indiana, the youngest of the
five children of Charles R. and Ellen J. (Fishtorn) Phelps.
Barrett Phelps, the great-grandfather of Hal C. Phelps, was a res-
ident of Hebron, Connecticut, and served in the Revolutionary War
in Capt. Skinner's company. He married Ruth, daughter of Elizur
and Ruth Loveland, whose father also served the Colonies during their
struggle with Great Britain for independence. Barrett and Ruth
Phelps were the parents of ten children, the ninth being Bissell Phelps,
the grandfather of Hal C. Phelps, who was born March 27, 1805, in
Lewis county. New York. He married a Miss Loucks. whose Christian
name was Margaret, on October 28, 1832, and in 1853 moved with his
family to Miami county, Indiana, and settled on a farm in Clay town-
ship, where he was engaged in agricultural pursuits, in cheese manu-
facturing and in dairying during the remainder of his life. He died
April 4, 1898, and his wife April 30, 1884, and they were the par-
ents of five children. Charles R. Phelps was the youngest of the chil-
dren of Bissell Phelps, and was born in Lewis county. New York, Decem-
ber 1, 1840, and died in Miami county, Indiana, July 1, 1879. He w^as
reared on a farm, and in his youth became a school teacher, a voca-
tion which he followed until his marriage to Ellen J. Fishtorn, April
8, 1868. Shortly thereafter he became engaged in farming, in con-
nection with which he operated a dairy and cheese factory in Deer
Creek township, and became one of the successful men of his locality,
although he died when still in the prime of life.
Hal C. Phelps was reared in Miami county, and was primarily edu-
cated in the district schools, following which he attended about eighteen
months at Marion Normal College, several terms at the Tri-State Nor-
mal College at Angola, Indiana, six months at Hull's School, Mantua,
Ohio, and a course at Yoorhies Business College, at Indianapolis, Indi-
ana. He subsequently took an academic and law course in Valpa-
raiso University, and was graduated from the law department thereof
in 1907. Since that time Mr. Phelps has been practicing law at Peru.
On May 2, 1912, he was appointed prosecuting attorney of the county
by Governor IMarshall, and to this office he was elected in the fall of
the year. His services to his community have been characterized by
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 535
the utmost fidelity to duty and as prosecuting attorney he is giving a
conscientious and public-spirited administration. As a lawyer he has
made a creditable place for himself in his profession and his ability
is attested by the liberal clientage now accorded him.
Mr. Phelps is a member in the ninth generation of the Phelps family,
the early progenitors of which came from England on the good ship
"Mary and John," landing on American soil July 20, 1630. The Phelps
family of Miami county have in their possession the genealogy and chron-
ology of the Phelps family dating back to William the Concjueror who
came to England from Normandy, France, about 1100. Hal C. Phelps has
a full^nventory of the chattels of Noah Phelps dated December 6, 1806
and it enumerates every article in detail in the household and farm. He
has also a certified copy of the will and papers of executorship.
ViTEs E. Kagy. An active member of the Peru bar since 1901. Vites
E. Kagy was born in Putnam county, Ohio, July 4, 1875, one of two
children both of whom are still living born to Leander and Irene (Van
Dyke) Kagy the parents were respectively of Swiss and Holland ancestry.
Leander Kagy was a farmer by occupation and about 1879 inoved to the
vicinity of Tiffin in Seneca county, Ohio, where his home is still located
and where he is engaged in farming pursuits.
Vites E. Kagy spent his youth on the home farm in Seneca county,
and received his primary education in the public schools. When seven-
teen years of age he attained a certificate, and began to teach, an occupa-
tion which he continued during the winters for seven years, spending the
alternate summers in study at college and in reading law. He attended
the Ohio Northern University at Ada, and was graduated from the law
department of that institution September 1901. In October of the same
year he opened his office for practice at Peru.
Mr. Kagy has been prominent in politics and public affairs and in
January, 1906, became county prosecutor, having been elected to this office
in the preceding fall on the Democratic ticket. Two years later lie was
elected to the same office and gave four years of efficient service in that
capacitv. Mr. Kagv fraternallv is affiliated with the Order of Elks.
On July 24, 1901 he married IMiss Eda H. Hiestand, of Findlay, Ohio.
They are the parents of two daughters, Helen E. and Bernice I.
Jared Spooner, M. D. High on the roster of the men whose activi-
ties in the field of medicine and surgery have served to materially
advance the importance of Miami county in these sciences stands the
name of Dr. Jared Spooner, for more than thirty years the possessor
of a large and representative practice at Peru. A man of deep learn-
ing, with a thorough understanding of the responsibilities and duties
that devolved upon him in his chosen calling, he gained a reputation
among his professional brethren and the confidence of those to whom
he administered. Dr. Spooner was born in Noble county, Indiana,
December 6, 1846, and was a son of John Spooner. During the early
years of his life John Spooner was a sailor on the Atlantic Ocean and
the Great Lakes, and later became a farmer. He married IMartha
Rawson, in Ohio, and moved to Noble county, Indiana, at an early
day, where John Spooner passed the greater part of his life in farm-
ing.
Reared in the county of his birth, as a boy Jared Spooner attended
the country schools. When a lad of eighteen years, October 16, 1864,
he enlisted in Company D, Twenty-ninth Regiment, Indiana Volun-
teer Infantry, and until his honorable discharge, in October, 1865,
was engaged for the greater part of the time in detached duty in
Vol. II-
536 HISTOKY OF .AlIAMI COUNTY
Georgia and elsewhere. Subsequently, on his return to Noble county,
he taught school for several years in Indiana and Michigan. It was
during this time he sought to better his education by attending high
school at xVuburn. Indiana, and in the winters of 1869-70 and
1870-71 he attended the medical department of the University of
Michigan, at Ann Arbor, having previously read medicine for a time,
and was graduated in March, 1871. He at once began practicing at
Auburn and was thus and there employed until 1880, when he came
to Peru, this being his home ever afterwards with the exception of one
and one-half years when he was division surgeon at Ashley, Indiana,
for the Wabash Railroad Company. At Peru he built up a large, prac-
tice and was considered by the profession and laymen as an able prac-
titioner and surgeon. He was a Republican in politics, a member of
the Odd Fellows, and served at different times as president of the ,
Miami County Medical Society. He also belonged to the Indiana State
Medical Society and the American Medical Association. The winter
of 1889-90 he entered the senior class of the University of Pennsyl-
vania, at Philadelphia, from which he was granted the degree of Doc-
tor of Sledicine in the spring of the latter year. He also attended
clinics at various places at different times on special surgical work that
particularly interested him. "While his practice was general, he devoted
much of his attention to surgery, in which he enjoyed a wide reputa-
tion. On April 4, 1871, Dr. Spooner was married to Mary E. Ford,
and to this union there were born three children : Blanche, who died
in infancy ; Quig F., a resident of Oklahoma ; and John P. Dr. Spooner
died September 25, 1910; his widow survives him and resides at Peru.
Dr. John P. Spooner, the youngest of the children of Dr. Jared
Spooner, was born at Auburn, Indiana, April 26, 1876. He was about
four years of age when brought by his parents to Peru, and here was
educated, primarily in the public school. After his graduation from
the high school, in 1893, he taught school for several years, and during
this time also attended the State University at Bloomington. He was
graduated therefrom in 1900, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts,
and following this spent two years more in school teaching. After
some preliminary study, in 1902 he entered Rush Medical College, at
Chicago, where he was graduated in 1905, receiving the degree of Doc-
tor of Medicine. Dr. Spooner was then for two years an interne in
the Cook County Hospital, in the Illinois metropolis, and in 1907 came
to Peru, where he has since been engaged in active practice. He attended
clinics in Vienna in 1909. The Doctor is a member of the JMasons and
the Odd Fellows, and belongs to the various medical organizations.
On October 11, 1911, Dr. Spooner w^as united in marriage with Miss
Helen Stiles, of Peru.
Levi and J. H. Miller. It will not be gainsaid by those who knew
him in Avhatever degree, that Levi ]\Iiller, who settled on the northwest
quarter of section four in Jefferson township, in the year 1812, was a
man considerably above the average pioneer in point of intellect and
stamina. His after life gave every evidence of that fact, and the brief
data here presented will support the statement amply. He was a native
of Virginia, born in Augusta county on February 23, 1817, and was a
son of Abraham and Nancy (Moses) Miller.
The year 1833 saw the removal of the ^liller family from its native
soil to that of Preble county, Ohio, where Abraham Miller died in later
years. In 1842 Mrs. Miller, then widowed, came with her children to
Miami county, Indiana. Levi ^liller had married, two years previous
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 537
to this, in November, 1840, Ursula, the daughter of John and Elizabeth
(Eikenbiiry) Allbaugh, and they had one son when they eanie to Indiana
to live. Levi Miller had in his possession several hundred dollars when
he came to Miami county, and with this sum he made an initial payment
upon a tract of land, going into debt, with his characteristic confidence
in himself and the future, for the bulk of the cost of the place. He
and his young wife moved into a log cabin on the new place, and
there they began to delve. They applied themselves diligently to the
work of cleaning up the place, passing through the formative period
with the utmost courage and experiencing all the hardships of pioneer
life in that early day. The land, when Mr. Miller acquired it, was covered
with a dense growth of timber which then had absolutely no market value,
and was regarded as a detriment rather than an advantage, and which
today would have netted him a tidy fortune on the stump. Thus was
giant timber felled to the earth, and such of it as was not available
for fences and primitive buildings, was piled in enormous heaps and
ruthlessly burnt. But the development of the country entailed sacrifices
of that order, and progress justifies such seeming waste and profligacy.
When Mr. Miller recognized the fact that he must make another
payment on his land, he was confronted with the realization that he
had no money. He did, how^ever, possess an extra mare and colt, and
there being no demand for such collateral in his vicinity, he rode the
mare to Preble county, Ohio, the colt following in their wake, and
there he sold the pair for $55. With this sum in his pocket he walked
the entire distance back to his forest home, and in this manner was
able to liquidate a part of his indebtedness. Acts of this nature show
forth in no uncertain manner something of the courage and pluck that
characterized the man, and his overpowering determination to bring
^success out of the untoward conditions that then prevailed. As time
passed he prospered, it is true, but only by reason of his tireless industry,
self-sacrifice, and his unquenchable determination. At one time he was
the owner of about a thousand acres of the choicest land in Miami county,
but with advancing years he divided his holdings with his children,
retaining a minor portion as his own. In connection with his regular
farming activities, Mr. Miller was extensively engaged in stock raising,
a business in which he gained prominence and success. He also inter-
ested himself financially in some of the leading enterprises of the county,
becoming a stockholder in the Citizens' Bank of Peru and gaining a
reputation as a shrewd and capable financier, and a practical, hard-
headed man of business, withal a liberal and enthusiastic supporter of
laudable public enterprises.
In all his many business transactions Mr. Miller was known to be
eminently fair and strictly honest. Because of his unblemished character
h^ commanded universal respect, and few men in the county were ever
more highly esteemed than was Mr. Miller all his days. He began the
struggle of life as a poor boy. It is to his everlasting credit that he
fought a good fight, succeeded well in overcoming seemingly unsur-
mountable Obstacles, and in the evening of his life was able to look with
contentment and satisfaction on a career well and honorably spent.
For many years Mr. Miller was of a deeply religious turn of mind,
and he died secure in the faith of the German Baptist church, of which
he had long been a member. He donated the land on which w^as erected
the Old Folks and Orphan Children's Home at Mexico, and the two
main buildings there were reared by him.
Mrs. Miller, the faithful wife of her husband, died in October, 1876.
She was delicate in stature and seemed scarcely fitted for the rugged
life of the pioneer, but she ably seconded every effort of her husband
538 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
in his life work, bearing her share of the burdens in the most cheerful
and uncomplaining manner. She died in the serene Christian faith
that had characterized the j)assing of her husband.
To Mr. and Mrs. Miller were born ten children, named as follows:
Abraham, Elizabeth, Nancy, Sarah, Mary A., Rebecca, John H., William
I., Eli and Joseph E. Of these Elizabeth married J. E. ^larsh of Miami
county and Rebecca is the wife of Joseph Elliott of Rocky Ford, Colo-
rado; John H. and Eli are the only sons of the ten now living.
John H. ]\Iiller has become widely known in Miami county and sur-
rounding districts as an extensive breeder of Polled Durham cattle. He
was born on the old farm adjoining where he now lives. His education,
from the standpoint of his actual schooling, was limited, but to see
his well stocked library and to converse with him on any topic that may
arise would readily disabuse the mind of his hearer of any idea that
he was scantily educated. His life work has been the breeding of fancy
registered stock of the variety named above, and he is an acknowledged
authority in these parts on that and kindred subjects. Mr. Miller's
farm consists of four hundred and thirty acres, and is one of the best
kept and most thriving in the county.
On March 26, 1874, Mr. Miller was married to ]\Iiss Rebecca A.,
daughter of William Stroud, one of the early settlers of Cass county.
Mrs. Miller died on January 11, 1879, leaving one daughter. Bertha E.,
the wife of Frank E. Gregory, a resident of Los Angeles, Cal., and a silk
merchant. On November 28, 1881, ^Ir. Miller married Miss Emma Con-
stant, a daughter of Isaac and Tabitha (Stingley) Constant, and to this
second marriage three sons were born, named as follows : Walter L.,
Herman C. and Grover T. Walter L. is engaged in lousiness in Detroit,
Michigan ; received his education at De Pauw University. Herman C.
is manager of his father's cattle business. Grover T. is a resident of San
Antonio, Texas. The wife and mother passed away on April 11, 1892,
and Mr. Miller, on February 7, 1900, contracted his third marriage,
when Miss Bettie M. Brown became his wife. ]Mrs. ]\Iiller is a native of
Brown county, Ohio, born February 25, 1859, and the fourth in a family
of ten children, four sons and six daughters, born to John T. and Mary
E. (Pask) Brown, and all of the children as well as parents are living.
]\Ir. and ]Mrs. Brown were born in Lincolnshire, England, reared and
educated there, also married there and emigrated to America in 1853 in
a sailing vessel named "The Emisfield." Mr. Brown's vocation in life
has been that of a mechanic and he and his wife are residents of Peru,
Indiana, and members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mrs. Miller
was educated in the common schools and is a lady of business qualifica-
tions. She is a member of the Baptist church.
Mr. Miller is a stanch Democrat, up and doing in the party ranks,
but never a candidate for office. He is one whose citizenship is of a
high order, reflecting credit upon himself and his honored father, and
his friends in Miami county are legion. The beautiful estate of Mr.
and Mrs. Miller is known as "The :\Iiller Stock Farm."
Moses Falk. For thirty years Moses Falk conducted a thriving
business in Peru, and in that time gained a wide prominence in this
section of the state. He was a man of the highest integrity, and his
business career was one of the most honorable and unspotted that might
be pointed out in the history of the county. Of German birth and
ancestry, he brought with him from his native soil many of the worthy
traits that have made his country the world power it is today and long
has been, and not the least of these was his sterling honesty and whole-
souled integrity. When he died in 1878, the Imsiness he had estab-
-o'
HISTORY OF :\riAMI COUNTY 539
lished and so worthily conducted for three decades passed into the
hands of his son, Julius, concerning whom separate mention is made
on other pages of this biographical work.
Moses Falk was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, on February 8, 1816,
and in his boyhood was left an orphan. It was perhaps this unguided
state that induced him to leave his native land so young, for he was yet
in his teens when he came to America. He had in his home community
been apprenticed to the trade of a carpenter, and had a thorough knowl-
edge of the work, so that he was not without resources of a sort when he
came to these shores. He first went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he entered
upon what he had resolved to make his life career, — the merchandise
business, and he began the work of establishing himself in the business
by setting out as a pedlar. He traveled on foot with his goods and
wares over the states of Ohio and Indiana, and thus gained a wide
acquaintance. In 1837 he located near Peoria, in Miami county, and
there he established what came to be familiarly known as the "Dutch
Grocery." He met success in the enterprise, it is needless to say, and so
well did he progress that he was able to extend his operations into other
lines. He became the owner and proprietor of a goodly farm nearby,
which yielded him a nice income, and in 1850 he moved to Peru and
established himself in business there. For many years he occupied one
of the most prominent places in the mercantile life of the county, as
one of the firm of Falk & Sterne. The Sterne brothers, men he had
known in Germany, at his instigation came to America and joined
him in business in Peru, and these men came to be known among the
best citizenship of the town. In 1859 he dissolved his partnership with
them, by mutual consent, and he continued along thereafter until he
retired in 1878, his son Julius succeeding him.
Twice did Moses Falk enter into a matrimonial alliance. His first
wife was Helen Redelsheimer, whom he married in Fort Wayne, Indi-
ana. She died in 1858, leaving seven children. The second wife of Mr.
Falk was Jennie Kuppenheimer who survived her husband by many
years. Three children were born to the second marriage.
Julius Falk. AVhen Moses Falk, after thirty years of commercial
activity in Peru, retired from active business associations and placed
his affairs in the hands of his son, Julius Falk, of this review, there was
continued by the latter gentleman a business that is now in the sixty-
seventh year of its life, — a record far in excess of that of any other
commercial establishment that might be mentioned, either in Peru or
in the county. For such long-continued and successful business activ-
ity there must be good and sufficient reasons, and it is apparent to all
that the splendid integrity and sciuare-dealing that characterized the
operations of the founder of the business, Moses Falk, have not been
strangers to his son and successor. No other foundation would permit
of such continued strength and prosperity in any given community.
Julius Falk is the son of Moses and Helen (Redelsheimer) Falk,
both German-born people, and concerning them more specific mention is
not essential at this pont, in view of the fact that a detailed sketch is
devoted to the memory of Moses Falk on other pages of this work. Julius,
who is the sole representative of his father's family to be found resident
in Peru today, was born here on February 25, 1855. Up to the age of
fourteen years he attended the public schools of the city, and was later
for two years a student in Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana. Upon
the conclusion of his schooling, Mr. Falk entered his father's place of
business, and in 1878, some few years after he had first become identified
with his father's interests, the senior gentleman retired and placed the
540 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
business in the hands of his son, who had proven himself amply capable
of conducting its att'airs successfully and protitably, and who has since
demonstrated his splendid ])usiness capacity in no uncertain terms.
The present location of the establishment at the corner of Main and
Broadway has l)een maintained since 1887, and the stock of the store
comprises full lines of clothing, men's furnishings and boots and shoes,
the store being one of the most complete and comprehensive in its lines
and the most fitly appointed in its accessories to be found in this part
of the state. It is undeniable that Mr. Falk inherited many of his excel-
lent business traits from his father, and to the methods of that worthy
man of business he has added methods and plans of his own evolving
that might be adopted with profit by more pretentious concerns than his.
Keen business discernment and an unusual far-sightedness have taken
important places in his career, and his judgment in matters pertaining
to merchandising is admitted to be of the highest order.
Mr. Falk is a man of family, having married Miss Jennie Wile, of
Owensboro, Kentucky, and to them were born three daughters, Francis,
Corinne and Aimee. Mr. Falk and his family have always enjoyed the
good will and whole-souled friendship of the best people of the city, and
have maintained a prominent place in the leading social activities of
the place for many years. The head of the family is known to be one
of the most valuable citizens the town claims, and one who has never
shirked his civic responsibilities, but has played well his part as a citizen
and a member of society, and the just rewards of such a career are un-
deniably his.
John S. McCarthy has been engaged in the retail boot and shoe
business in Peru since August, 1902, and here he has gained a consider-
able prominence and reputation as a successful man of business. He
was born in this city August 2, 1872, and is one of the nine surviving
children of the eleven that were born into the home circle of John and
Bridget (Daly) McCarthy, both of whom were natives of County Cork,
Ireland. John McC^arthy was reared to farm life in his native land,
and when in young manhood he emigrated to the United States, \\dth
the idea of bettering his circumstances. He landed at New Orleans
and from there went by boat down the Mississippi and Ohio rivers to
Cincinnati, and thence to IMansfield, where he found employment in
railroad work. From Mansfield Mr. McCarthy moved on to Fort Wayne,
Indiana, where he continued with his railroad work, and when the
Wabash railroad was projected through Peru he came here as an em-
ploye of the road. It was after his arrival in Peru that he married, and
he continued his connection with work on the railroad until the later
years of his life, when he lived in retirement. He died on January 23,
1907. He was a quiet, even-tempered man, always a hardworking per-
son, and one who found his greatest happiness in his home life. He
was a devout Catholic, true to the faith of his people, and he reared
his family in that religion. His wife died September 3, 1898. She came
to America as a girl, in company with her parents, who were among the
early settlers of Miami county.
John S. McCarthy has always made his home in Peru. He received
his early education in the parochial schools and when fourteen started
out for himself as a clerk in the employ of the John S. Hale Company.
He continued thus until July 1, 1902, since which time he has been in
the shoe business for himself.
Mr. McCarthy is a Democrat, but in no sense a politician. He has
taken an active part in the civic activities of the city and as a citizen
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 541
of the best order, has taken his place among the leading men of the
town.
On May 7, 1900, Mr. McCarthy was united in marriage with Miss
Gertrude Murphy, of Logansport, Indiana, and to them three children
have been born, two of whom died in infancy. The one living child is
John, born September 12, 1911.
Shirk Family. The city of Peru has a reputation for being the
home of probably as much wealth as any of the smaller cities of
Indiana, and the factors in producing this wealth have with almost
no exceptions been residents throughout their active careers in this
city. Among the families which have contributed to this reputation
the Shirk family has probably the most notable record in financial
circles, and through three generations it. has been identified with this
city and its members have been prominent both in business and citizen-
ship. An entire city square in the residence district comprises the
park-like homestead of the Shirk family in Peru, and the beauty of
this home place is consistent with the achievements of the family in
the business world.
The founder of the family name and fortunes in this county was
Elbert Hamilton Shirk. He was born in Franklin county, Indiana,
in 1818, a son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Stout) Shirk. Samuel Shirk
came to Indiana from Georgia and his wife from Kentucky. Elbert
II. Shirk spent his boyhood on a farm, having limited advantages in
the district schools during the winter months, but after reaching his
majority was a student for two years at Miami University at Oxford,
Ohio. He then for two years was an instructor in the Rush County
Seminary, but from that vocation came to the field for which he was
most fitted, that of commerce. In 1844 he located in Peru, where he
formed a partnership with John Harlan, who had for some years
been a merchant of this town. From that time until his death in 1886,
his career was one of unbroken prosperity. At the end of a year,
having obtained a thorough business experience he withdrew from the
partnership with Mr. Harlan and went into business on his own account.
Elbert H. Shirk had the judgment, the foresight, and the executive
ability which are the characteristics of the great merchant princes of
this country. He was a student of methods and men and of every
circumstance which would affect his enterprise. He built up a trade
which extended throughout Indiana, and embarked in numerous enter-
prises which always rewarded his judgment with good profit. He dealt
in depreciated land warrants which had been issued to the veterans
of the Mexican war and invested them in lands in the then western
states of Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. Many of the settlers who went
from this section of Indiana to those trans-Mississippi states were
equipped with warrants for land sold them by Mr. Shirk. This was
his first extensive venture in real estate and he thereafter followed up
that line of business very extensively and systematically. It was through
his real estate operations that his large fortune was accumulated, and
some of the largest of his investments were in the city of Chicago during
the period of most rapid development in that city.
Elbert H. Shirk was the founder of the First National Bank of
Peru, the oldest and recognized as the best financial institution of
Miami county. He had opened a private bank for deposits in 1857,
and through his own resources and his high standing in the commun-
ity, kept this institution at a high standard through the troubleous
financial times that followed. Then in 1864, the year following the
542 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
of the First National Bank of Peru, which was organized in 1864.
Through a large portion of the business community, however this in-
stitution was long known by the more familiar title of ' ' Shirk 's Bank. ' '
He held the office of president from the organization until his death,
and it was his business capacity as well as his individual resources "which
contributed to the solid character of the First National Bank.
Regardless of panics and hard times, the First National never
closed its doors, maintained an unshaken credit, and acciuired and paid
its semi-annual dividend with unfailing regularity. In banking, mer-
chandising and real estate, Elbert H. Shirk was undoubtedly one of
the strongest men of his time in Indiana. Had he chosen as a field
for his enterprise, one of the great cities of the country, his name
would undoubtedly have been associated with that of the greatest
merchant princes in American business annals. While he was pre-
eminently successul as a creator of business resources, he was none-
the-less noted for the development of that other class of resources which
are nonetheless valuable to character and to the welfare of society.
He was for many years one of the most active members of the Baptist
church in Peru, contributing half the cost of the church edifice erected
during his life time, and was always a quiet worker in benevolence and
philantliropy in this city. Politically he was first a Whig and then a
Republican, but never mingled actively in partisan affairs. Elbert H.
Shirk, is remembered as a man of slight and apparently frail physique,
but possessing a nervous energy and ^dll-power which constantly coop-
erated with his remarkable business judgment and from this com-
bination resulted his great success and influence in affairs. He was
devoted to family and friends, and his home was a center of the cultured
social life of this community. In June, 1845, he married Mary Wright,
who was of English descent, and a native of Franklin county, Indiana.
Mrs. Shirk was a woman of rare strength of character and during her
long and happy associations with her husband she exerted many of the
influences which gave him power and success in the world of affairs.
Elbert H. Shirk died on April 8, 1886, and his wife !?urvived him for
four years, passing away in August, 1894. They left a family of two
sons" and one daughter.
Milton Shirk, the oldest in his father's family, and who for many
years continued the large business and financial activities founded by
his father, was born in the city of Peru, November 21, 1849. He attended
the public schools of his home town, but acquired his best train-
ing under the supervision of his father, and in connection with his
actual experience in business. At the age of eighteen in 1867, he entered
the First National Bank, soon after advanced to cashier, and on the
death of his father was elected by the directors to the office of president,
which he held for many years. He continued the same conservative
policies of financial management by which his father had created a
bank second to none in strength and resources in Northern Indiana,
and he also applied his able management to increasing the vast resources
established by his father and which were left largely to his manage-
ment. Up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1903, Milton Shirk
was foremost in the business life and civic affairs of Peru. He was a
Baptist and active in the work of the church.
On June 6, 1878, the late Milton Shirk married Miss Ellen Walker,
a daughter of Joseph H. AValker of Worcester, Massachusetts. They
were the parents of two children, Elbert Walker Shirk and Joseph
Henry Shirk.
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 543
Elbert Walter Shirk, one time president and now sole owner of
the United States Cement Company at Bedford, Indiana, and president
of the Indiana Manufacturing Company, of Peru, is one of the leading
men in business circles of the county. Mr. Shirk was born in Peru, and
has passed the greater portion of his life thus far in the town. He i's the
son of Milton and Ellen (Walker) Shirk, and was born on November 19,
1879, and here reared. In 1893 Mr. Shirk entered Worcester (Mass.)
Academy, from which he was graduated in 1898, in which year he
entered Harvard. His career in that famous institution of learning was
cut short near the close of his third year of attendance, owing to the sud-
den illness of his father which necessitated his return to the home circle,
and the subsequent death of that parent prevented his return.
Soon thereafter Mr. Shirk entered the employ of the Indiana Manu-
facturing Company as a laborer, and continued thus for a year and a half,
while he went through a thorough training in the details of the business.
He then left the factory to go into the business of looking after the estate
which his father left, which, with his own private interests, have been suf-
ficient to occupy his time to the uttermost. His private concerns at that
time were chiefly confined to southern plantation and timber lands, and
he later became interested in the cement business at Bedford, Indiana,
becoming president of the United States Cement Company and later
taking over the entire property in his name. In 1903 Mr. Shirk became
president of the Indiana Manufacturing Company, of Peru, succeeding
his father in that office, and in 1911, upon the death of A. N. Dukes, took
over the active control of the affairs of the-concern. When J. H. Shirk
became president of the Peru Trust Company Mr. Shirk became vice-
president of the concern.
Mr. Shirk is popular in business and social circles throughout the
community, and his fraternal relations are far reaching in their scope.
He is a member of the Masonic order, affiliating with the Knights Templar
at Bedford and the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine
at Indianapolis, the Peru Commercial Club, the University Club of Chi-
cago and the Columbia Club of Indianapolis.
On March 7, 1905, Mr. Shirk was married to Miss Mary Kimberly, of
Neenah, Wisconsin.
Joseph H. Shirk, son of the late Milton Shirk, and grandson of Elbert
H. Shirk, was born in the city of Peru, January 6, 1881. He spent his
early boyhood in Peru, attended the local public schools and then studied
for four years at Worcester Academy at Worcester, Massachusetts. From
that preparatory school he entered Harvard University in 1898, and in
1902 was graduated A. B.
Twenty-one years of age at the time he left college, he immediately
returned to Peru and entered upon a business career in the large field
which the activities of his grandfather and father had prepared for him.
He became teller in the First National Bank, and when, a year later, his
father died, he became assistant cashier and at the same time was made
president of the Peru Mercantile Company and vice-president of the
Indiana Manufacturing Company. Mr. Shirk for ten years has been
one of the most vigorous factors in commercial and financial afi'airs of
this city. In January, 1911, he became president of the Peru Trust Com-
pany, of which he had been a director since its organization in 1904.
Mr. Shirk w^as married November 16, 1909, to Miss Helen Royce of
Lafayette, Indiana. They have one daughter, Royse, who was born Feb-
ruary 25, 1911. Mr. Shirk is a Republican in politics, and with his family
is a member of the Baptist church.
544 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Clarence N. Hall established himself in business in Peru in 1890,
since which time he has been prominently identified with the town and
its best interests. He is a man who has taken a leading part in the
affairs of his community, and has played well his part as a citizen.
Born in Richland township, Miami county, Indiana, on January
26, 1855, Clarence X. Hall is the son of Nelson C. and his wife Letitia
(Griswold) Hall. The father was a native of the state of Massachusetts,
who came as a young child from there to New York state and thence to
Ohio with his family, who settled in Perrysburg, that state. He came
to Miami county in his young manhood and here married his wife, who
was the daughter of a family from Vermont state long established in these
parts. He died in 1889, and his widow survived him until 1902. Both
were of the Baptist faith and were members of the church, and in their
community they were held in the highest esteem and regard by all who
knew them.
Clarence N. Hall was reared in the village of Chili, in Miami county,
and there received his early education. He later entered Franklin col-
lege, from which he was graduated in 1877. Following his college
career he taught school for some three years, after which he became a
clerk in a clothing store at Peru, that work being more suited to his
natural inclinations than the pedagogic field of enterprise. Mr. Hall
remained in the clothing store until 1890, when he saw an opportunity
for personal advancement in a business way that he was not slow to
grasp, and he soon was established as the proprietor of a business in
his own right. This enterprise has continued up to the present time
with all success and he is regarded today as one of the successful busi-
ness men of the city.
Mr. Hall is a Republican in politics, though not active beyond the
demands of good citizenship, and he is fraternally identified with the
Masons, the Odd Fellows and the Elks, and a number of other frater-
nities of the insurance bearing order. He was married on April 17,
1879, to Miss Lena ]\IcLaughlin, of Franklin, Indiana, and they are
the parents of two children, Catherine E., now Mrs. Michael L. Fansler,
her husband being a prosecuting attorney of Cass county ; and Clar-
ence Lyman Hall, a graduate of Franklin college, and now associated
with his father in the business. Mr. and Mrs. Hall are members of
the Baptist church, and are active in the various departments of the
church work.
Dr. B. F. Eikenberry has been a practicing physician in Peru,
Indiana, since 1896. He is a native of Miami county, this state, born
October 27, 1869, in Jefferson township, and the son of John and Nancy
(Miller) Eikenberry. These people came from Eaton, Ohio, to INIiami
county, Indiana, at a time when there Avere but comparatively few
houses in Peru. The father was a farmer by occupation, and settling
in the wilderness of Jefferson township, he built a log cabin, and there
esta])lished his little family and began the work of making a farm out
of his wild land. His wife was a sister of Levi Miller, another pioneer
of ]\Iiami county, who was the founder of the Orphan Asylum at ^lexico,
in Jefferson township. Mr. Eikenberry died in May, 1912, and he was
preceded in death by his wife, who died in May, 1875. They were the
parents of thirteen children, all of whom are living today but five.
Dr. B. F. pjikenberry was reared in his native township and there
he attended school in the rural districts, and when he had finished with
the work of those schools he attended the Northern Indiana Normal
School at Valparaiso, from Avhich he was graduated with the degree
of Bachelor of Science in 1893. He then entered Hahnemann Medical
O
o
o
Q
in
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 545
College at Chicago, in the same year, and in March, 1896, was gradu-
ated therefrom. He at once located for the practice of his profession,
making Peru his place of establishment, and here he has ever since
continued in practice, successful and prosperous, and holding the sin-
cere regard and respect of all who kno\v him eitlier in his professional
or any other capacity.
Dr. Eikenberry is a member of the Indiana Institute of Homeopathy
and the American Institute of Homeopathy. On September 20, 1899,
he was married to Miss Effie E. Wilson, of Cass county, Indiana, and
they have three children, Florence L., H. Wilson, and Frances Eleanor.
Both the doctor and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church,
and Mrs. Eikenberry, prior to her marriage, was a valued teacher in
the public schools of Peru, where she did excellent work in the cause
of education.
George L. Way. Since he was a child of three years, George L.
Way has had his home in Miami county, a period of nearly fifty years,
during which time he has witnessed all the various improvements, and
changes in the progress of the county from its wilderness days to the
present. He was here when the first railroad was built, and in his earliest
childhood the old canal along the Wabash was still used as a route of
transportation and travel. Mr. Way has performed his share of pioneer
labor, in clearing the forests from the land, and has devoted all his
active career to farming an industry in which he has quietly prospered,
and now has one of the best estates in Butler township.
George L. Way is a native of Pennsylvania, born in Miflin county,
April 4, 1852. His father was William P. Way, and his grandfather
was Joshua Way. The maiden name of his mother was Martha JMcKin-
stry, a daughter of Thomas McKinstry. The family made its removal
from Pennsylvania to Miami county, in 1855, and the father's first
settlement was in Butler township. He was a hard worker, but a man
of no means to speak of when he arrived in this county. He had no
money with which to purchase a farm, and therefore rented a house
to shelter his family, while he hired his services to others, and after
two years, by his thrift and industry was able to buy a small tract of
forty acres, on which he put up a small log cabin. The earliest recollec-
tions of George L. Way center about that little log cabin home in Butler
township. The first home was afterwards traded for another tract of
land, comprising sixty acres, ,and completely covered over with timber.
The hardest experience of the early settlers of Miami and other Indiana
counties was in the clearing and grubbing of the timber and brush from
the soil, and this labor was an absolute preliminary to successful agri-
culture. In the case of the AVay family, as in that of many others, the
boundaries of the cultivated fields were at first very limited, and each
year were gradually extended into the forest, until in time practically
all the farm came under the dominion of the plow. The father was a
man of industry, could labor hard from early to late, and to the farm
of sixty acres, which he secured, he added more and more until he was
the possessor of one hundred and sixty acres and forty-five acres more
in Butler township — a total of two hundred and five acres included now
in the estate of his son (Jeorge L. Way. The original house which the
family occupied about the time of the war is still standing, although it
has lieen weather-boarded and otherwise improved and remodeled so
that its original shape is hardly distinguishable. In that home William
P. Way spent his last years, and his death in 1904 removed one of the
fine old pioneer citizens.
George L. Way has practically lived all his life on the homestead just
546 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
described. After his father's death he continued to manage the farm
which came to him by inheritance. During his early years he received
only such education as the primitive schools of Butler township could
afford. Each term lasted only about three months, and the school house
which is fixed in his memory was one of logs, and with all the primitive
furnishings which are usually described. It had logs or slab benches,
supported by pins driven into the underside, and there were no l)acks
to these benches, so that the children became very weary in the course
of a few hours and rested themselves by leaning forward on their knees.
He has also done his early writing in the copy books with the old fashioned
goosequill pen made by the school master, and studied out of the old-
fashioned readers and spelling books, a few of which may still be found
in existence in Miami county.
At the present time the Way farm in Butler township comprises two
hundred and forty acres. The father and sons have placed all the im-
provements there, and George did his share of the clearing and assisted
in the erection of the barn and other buildings. His father was an
active member of the Presbyterian faith, and George L. AVay attends
and is also a member of the New Hope Presbyterian church. His father
was buried in the New Hope cemetery. For two terms William P.
Way was trustee of Butler township. He was always a Democrat in
politics, and his son follows him in that political inclination.
On December 14, 1878, Mr. George L. Way married Polly Baker.
Mrs. Way was born in Miami county, Indiana, April 2, 1860, and was
reared and educated in her home county. She was a lovealile woman, a
loving and affectionate wife and mother and a devout member of the
New^ Hope Presbyterian church. She died February 11, 1912, after hav-
ing spent thirty-four years of happy married life, dying at the age of
fifty-one years, ten months and nine days, and is interred in the New
Hope cemetery. The three children born to Mr. and ^Irs. Way are as
follows: Burton C, who was educated in the public schools, is an agri-
culturist of Butler to\\Tiship. He wedded Miss Effie M. Johnson and
they are members of the church. Viola A., died aged nine months,
^lary Stella, is the wife of Ernest Carrothers, a resident and farmer of
Butler township, and they are the parents of one little daughter, Thresa
Maudean. They are also members of the church. The homestead of
Mr. Way is known as ' ' Forest View Farm. ' '
Albert AVard. A young lawyer who has done inuch to prove his
ability and open the way to a large and successful career in the law,
Albert Ward has practiced at Peru since 1904, aiid has enjoyed much
substantial success in his profession and high standing as a citizen.
Born in Perry township, Miami county, Indiana, on September 30,
1879, Albert AVard is the son of James H. and Mary S. (Newton) Ward.
His grandfather, John Ward was one of the early settlers of JNIiami
county. James H. Ward, who was born in Franklin county, Indiana,
and whose occupation was farming, was living in Minnesota, when the
Civil war was declared, and enlisting in the Eighth Alinnesota Volunteer
Infantry w^ent through the entire conflict and rose from the ranks to first
lieutenant. After his honorable discharge, he came to Miami county, and
spent the rest of his life on a farm. He died on February 1, 1902, and
Mrs. Ward followed him February 12, eleven days later. James II. and
Mary S. were Methodists and in "politics Mr. Ward was a Republican.
They were the parents of seven children, five of whom are still living.
Albert Ward, who was sixth in this family, was reared on Mio old
homestead in Perry tow^nship. The country schools supplied the fouiida-
tion of his education, and he made the best use of his somewhat limited
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 547
opportunities. In 1900 he began the study of law in the offices of
Eeasoner & O'Hara at Peru. In September 1902, Mr. Ward entered the
Indianapolis College of Law, w^here he was graduated June 10, 1904.
During- September of the preceding year, Mr. Ward had formed a part-
nership with J, T. Cox and E. T. Reasoner under the firm name of Cox,
Reasoner & Ward, a partnership which continued for one year, and after
that time Mr. Ward and ^Ir. Reasoner were in practice under the name
of Reasoner and Ward until the death of Mr. Reasoner on July 16, 1913.
Since then Mr. Ward has been engaged in the practice of his profession
alone.
Mr. Ward is a Republican in politics. On February 4, 1904 he mar-
ried ]\Iiss Huldah Kohls of Peru. 2Irs. Ward is a member of the Luth-
eran church, is an estimable lady and takes great pride in her home and
family. They have two sons, Wesley C. and Noel A. Ward.
Mr. Ward has made worthy progress in his profession since he began
practice, and possesses the energy and determination which insures suc-
cess. In this connection it may be mentioned that while he was in Indian-
apolis as a law student, he was employed as stenographer in the office of
Addison C. Harris, who was formerly minister to Austria. The money
earned by office work made it i^ossible for him to continue his studies in
college, and that spirit of self-help displayed in his younger years is
bearing fruit in the more mature accomplishments of the present.
Dr. Homer C. Haas. Since 1893 Dr. Homer C. Haas has taken his
place among the leading men of Peru, and in his capacity of physi-
cian and surgeon has borne his full share of service and responsibil-
ity in the community. He was born at Wabash. Indiana, on Septem-
ber 19, 1866, and is one of the five surviving children in a family of
seven born to Absolom and Hannah E. (Cox) Haas. Absolom Haas
was of German descent, and he passed his life in the merchandise
business. Both he and his wife are now deceased.
Homer C. Haas was reared in his native city and there received
his primary education. He was but a lad when his father moved from
the city to a small farming community adjoining the city limits, and
there the embryo doctor passed eight years of his young life. In 1888
he began to read medicine in the office of Dr. W. A. Dunn, of Wabash,
and continued thus for eight months, making rapid strides in his
knowledge and understanding of the subject, under the careful in-
struction of the older men. In the autumn of that year he matricu-
lated in Hahnemann Medical College, in Chicago, from which he was
graduated in March, 1890. Soon thereafter he opened an office at
Roann, Indiana, there continuing until 1893, when he came to Peru,
and here he has since been engaged in the active practice of his pro-
fession. Dr. Haas has made splendid progress in his work, and is
known to the fraternity as a student and a thinker.
Dr. Haas has membership in the ^Masonic fraternity, the Knights of
Pythias Lodge No. 127, in which he ha.s held all the chairs and the Ben
Hur order, and he is a member of the Commercial Club of Peru, in which
he takes an active interest. He is a Republican, and is a citizen of a fine
type.
On March 30, 1892, Dr. Haas was united in marriage with Miss
Maude Pearson, of Roann, and to them have been born six children, of
whom the three here named are now living: Lewis E., Dorothy Lee,
and Mary A. Both the doctor and his wife are members of the ]\Ieth-
odist Episcopal church, and the family is one that maintains a high
place in the esteem and regard of the best people in the community.
548 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Edward Harvey Griswold, M. D. For more than twenty years
physician and surgeon to the Wabash Hospital at Peru, Dr. Griswold,
has had a position with unnumbered opportunities for service, and has
given such an account of his opportunity as to place him in the front
rank of the physicians of ]\Iiami county and Northern Indiana. To 'the
true physician the responsibility and severe duties connected with
such an office as that held by Dr. Griswold come as a matter of routine
and are accepted as part of the profession, but it is a matter of grati-
fication to the public to know that such men stand ready to perform
such important and often disagreeable service and they do not hesitate
to express admiration for the capable men whose lives are devoted to the
welfare of humanity in the capacity of physicians and surgeons.
Edward H. Griswold was born in Lexington, Missouri, October 1,
1854. He comes by his profession naturally, since his father, his
paternal great-grandfather, and his maternal grandfather were all phy-
sicians, and each one a worthy representative of his calling. The
Griswold family is of New England ancestry, dating back to the colonial
days. The founder of the family in America was Edward Winslow
Griswold, who came from England and located at Windsor, Connecti-
cut, in 1639. Harvey Griswold, grandfather of the doctor, when nine-
teen years of age, moved to 'the State of ^Missouri, where he spent the
remainder of his life.
Dr. Sylvanius Griswold, father of the Peru physician and surgeon,
was born in ]\Iarthasville, ^Missouri. August 10, 1832. only about four
years after the admission of Missouri to the Union, and was for many
years prominent in his profession. He obtained his early education in
the Masonic College at Lexington and graduated in medicine from the
Missouri ^ledical College at St. Louis. He married Lockie Ann Arnold,
a native of ]\Iissouri. The Arnold family was of Scotch ancestry, going
back to the famous Douglas Clan. Her father, a native of Virginia,
coming at an early date to INIissouri, was one of the active physicians
of his time. Dr. Arnold, the inaternal grandfather, had his home at
Lexington, Missouri. Marthasville is a place of special historical sig-
nificance. It was there that Daniel Boone spent his last daj-s, and
died. The great pioneer was buried in a cemetery on land owned by
Harvey Griswold, paternal grandfather of the doctor. Some years
after the death of Boone, the state of Kentucky requested the keeping
of his remains, since Daniel Boone had been more closely identified
with Kentucky than with ^Missouri. The decision in the matter rested
with Mr. Harvey Griswold, and he consented on condition that the
Kentucky Commissioners should draw up a written contract binding
themselves and the state to the erection of a suitable monument to
Boone's memory. This contract, now many years old, is in the posses-
sion of Dr. E. H. Griswold of Peru. In a little log house, which was
put together with wooden pins, according to the pioneer fashion, and
which was situated near the burying ground of Daniel Boone, in the
vicinity of Marthasville, was held the first conference of the Methodist
Episcopal church, west of the Mississippi river.
Edward H. Griswold was reared partly in Lafayette, and partly in
Franklin county, ^lissouri. His early life was spent in the environ-
ments and atmosphere of a learned profession, and almost naturally
he turned to studies in medicine. His literary education was attained
at the Missouri State University at Columbia, and when nineteen years
of age, he took up the study of medicine under the direction of his
father. March 14, 1891, he was graduated from the University i\Iedical
College at Kansas City, and began his practice at the historical town
of Marthasville whicli has been mentioned above. Very soon after-
HISTORY OF 3IIAMr COUNTY 549
wards he was offered the position of phyisician in charge of the AVabash
■ Employes Hospital at Peru, and became a resident of this city on June
1, 1891. During the more than twenty years of his management, the
institution which when he hrst came here was a small and experi-
mental undertaking, has become one of the largest and best equipped
railroad hospitals in the middle west. The hospital building is located
a short distance north of the Union depot, and is a large brick build-
ing, thoroughly equipped with comforts, and all surgical conveniences,
and Dr. Griswold has a competent staff at his disposal in the manage-
ment of the institution. The hospital is considered one of the public
institutions of Peru, and one of the assets which increase the impor-
tance of this city.
In 1895 Dr. Griswold took a post-graduate course in the New York
Polyclinic. He is a member of the Miami County, the Indiana State
and the American Medical Societies, a member of the Order of Rail-
way Surgeons, and through his private study and experience and asso-
ciation with the organizations of his profession has kept in close touch
and apace with the great advance in medical and surgical knowledge
during the twenty years of his own practice.
Dr. Griswold in May, 1895, married Miss Georgine C. Rettig. They
are the parents of two sons: Rettig Arnold and Edward Harvey. Mrs.
Griswold 's parents "were George and Georgia Rettig, long residents of
Peru. Dr. Griswold and wife are communicants of the Episcopal
church, and he is a Knight Templar Mason.
Walter C. Bailey. For more than thirty-five years a member of
the Miami county bar, Mr. Bailey is one of the senior members of his
profession in which he has gained successful distinction and has
been not less prominent in the broader fields of citizenship. It was
through the avenue of school-teaching that Mr. Bailey finally acquired
the means to prepare himself for his profession and to enter upon his
active practice, and since his admission to the bar he has also served
this county as superintendent of schools.
Walter C. Bailey belongs to one of the pioneer families of Miami
county. He was born in what is now Allen township of this county
March 16, 1845. So far as can be ascertained his father, Stewart
Bailey, was the first brick manufacturer to locate in this county.
Stewart Bailey was born in Onondaga county. New York, at Batavia,
married Sally Berry, who A\as a native of Albany; New York, and
descendant of Dutch ancestry, and in 1837 with his wife and daughter
Melinda, came west to the wdlderness country of northern Indiana. He
and his family were in company with and rode in the same covered
wagon with ^Mathias Carvey and wdfe. Salmon Collins, a cousin of
Mr. Bailey, at that time lived in Fulton county, just across the line
from Miami county, and this fact no doubt influenced the Bailey family
in their selection of a home. Stew^art Bailey bought forty acres of land
in what was then a part of Union township, but has since become Allen
township. On that land he began the manufacture of brick, and at the
same time conducted farming on a small scale. Up to that time all of
the inhabitants had depended almost entirely upon the native timber,
and the few sawmills which then existed throughout this section for
the material used in the construction of houses and other buildings.
With the advent of Stewart Bailey and his enterprise it became pos-
sible to use a different material, and one which introduced a more
permanent and a more attractive form of residence in this vicinity.
Before leaving the east for Indiana, Stewart Bailey had shipped liis
furniture from Buffalo to Michigan City. After locating in Miami
550 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
county, he hired a man and team to go with him to Michigan City to
get the goods. ^liehigan City was at that time the great lake port and
market for all nothern Indiana. On arriving at Michigan City, it was
learned that the goods had been carried on to Chicago by mistake. Mr.
Bailey then sent the team back and walked to Chicago, where he found
his goods. Chicago was at that time just about to be incorporated as
a city, but was still a small town about the mouth of the river, the old
fort still stood on the banks of the river and it v/as little more than a
rival of the other lake port of the south, ]\Iichigan City. He brought
his goods b}^ lake to Michigan City, and thence conveyed them overland
into Miami county.
In 1850 Stewart Bailej^ moved his family to Logansport and in the
vicinity of that town was engaged in the manufacture of brick until
the fall of 1854, at which date he returned to Miami county. The
father of his wife at that time lived in Union township, and the Baileys
also lived in the same neighborhood, and with the exception of the
years of the war, during which time they made their home in Marshall
county, continued to reside in Union township until the time of their
death. The father was an oldline Whig during his early career, and
subsequently became a Republican. When a boy he had been converted
to the ^lethodist faith, and was licensed as a local preacher, being widely
known throughout this section of Indiana as an exh6rter and revivalist.
Eleven children Avere born to Stewart Bailey and wife, ten of them
reaching maturity, and five now living.
Walter C. Bailey, who was the fifth in this family, was reared on
a farm, and at the same time worked about his father's brick-making
plant, and learned about everything there was in that industry. Hard
work and perseverance were the means by which he prepared him-
self for a career of larger usefulness, and among the active members
of the Miami county bar, there is none whose title of self-made man is
better justified and" is more a reason for pride. During his boyhood
his educational opportunities were limited, and the first school he at-
tended was taught in a log cabin. He subsequently attended school
at Bourdon, and then one year in the high school at Plymouth. By
alternate teaching and study he progressed gradually but surely to-
wards the goal of his ambition. In December, 1864, when a boy of
nineteen, he enlisted for service in the Civil war, but was rejected
through the influence exerted by his father over the colonel. Two of
his older brothers Stewart J. and Wellington E. were already in the army
and the father thought that their service was sufficient sacrifice on the
part of this family.
]\Ir. Bailey continued to teach school during the winter and man-
ufacture brick during the summer until 1873. At that date he took
up the active study of law, and in 1874 entered the law office of
Corbin & Chaney at Plymouth. While a regular law student, he also
continued teaching school until his admission to the bar in 1876.
]\Ir. Bailey then located at Peru, and began practice as a lawyer.
From June, 1881, to June, 1885, he served as county superintendent
of schools, but with the exception of that period has given his un-
divided attention to his profession, and for many years has been
recognized as one of the strongest attorneys of this county. From
1896 to 1908 he was in partnership with Mr. Charles A. Cole, undeV
the firm name of Bailey & Cole. This partnership was dissolved in
1908 to make room for two new firms, that of Bailey & Bailey, and of
Cole & Cole. Each of the former partners had at that time a son,
who had begun practice, and both partnerships now consist of father
and sons, and the offices of both firms are in the same building.
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 551
:Mr. Bailey married on May 31, 1876, Miss Elizabeth Thompson, the
second daughter of Dr. Valentine Thompson of Union City. Her death
occurred a few mouths after the marriage, on October 3, 1876. At
Moscow, Michigan, on September 23, 1880, Mr. Bailey married Mary
B. McCowan. Four children have been born to this marriage, namely:
Estelle C, who is the wife of Oren B. Schutt, of Champaign' Illinois-
Henry S., who is the junior partner of his father in the firm of Bailey
& Bailey; Webster R., who is a practising lawyer at Visalia, California;
and Linus M., who is now in the University of Illinois at Champaign. The
mother of these children passed away on May 1, 1909, at Long Beach,
California. Mr. Bailey has long been one of the influential Republicans of
this county, is affiliated with the Masonic Order, the Order of Elks and
the Maccabees, and has given his ready cooperation in all measure-
ments and movements for the improvment and betterment of his
community. He has taken a very active part in the recent movement
for setting aside by state authority, of the Missisinewa battle ground
as a park for the permanent use and enjoyment of the people. Mr.
Bailey is a man of genial character, and has long been one of the most
popular men of Peru and is well known throughout the state.
Harrison Grimes and William Grimes. Among the pioneers of
Miami county, Indiana, mention should be made of Harrison Grimes,
for he was not only one of the early settlers but a man of great promi-
nence and influence in the county. A man of great industry and tenacity,
typical of that generation that changed the middle states from primeval
forests and untouched prairies to prosperous farms. His death was a
blow to the community but perhaps his best work lives after him in
the persons of his children. Of these William Grimes is a true son of
his father. A successful farmer, he also finds the time to interest himself
in public matters and in the welfare of the community. He is active
and wide awake, progressive in his ideas and a valuable citizen for
any community.
Harrison Grimes was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, on the 14th
of February, 1823, the eldest of the children born to Jeremiah and
Barbara (Hashbarger) Grimes. His father was a native of Maryland
and was of Irish ancestry, while his mother was born in Virginia and
was of Dutch descent. Harrison Grimes was only a lad of ten when
he left the parental roof and went to Preble county, Ohio. Here he
bound himself out to a farmer, the understanding being that when he
became of age his employer, one Jacob Harter, should release him
and pay him $150. He worked for his board and clothing until he
was sixteen and then continued under dift'erent terms until he had
reached his majority. Instead of abiding by the original agreement,
the young man agreed to accept $100, and a horse and with this as
his capital, he started out in life for himself. In March, 1844, he left
Ohio and came to Miami county, Indiana, making his way, almost
entirely, on foot. He worked here on a farm until the following June
and then he walked back to Preble county, Ohio. He did not remain
long, however, for the ensuing August found him on his way back to
Indiana, this time mounted on a horse. For a year he worked at farming
and any odd jobs he could pick up, and he hoarded his money almosf
like a miser, for while he was far from a miser in reality, he realized
that he must have land of his own before he could make much of his
life. In 1846 he was able to buy ninety acres of land in Union township
on section 16, and he at once set to Avork clearing and grubbing this
property, for it was then in a primeval condition, untouched by man.
Only those early settlers who did such work themselves can fully appre-
Vol. 11-8
552 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
ciate the amount of hard work that his task involved, and he accom-
plished it without any assistance whatever. With such a deed as this
to his credit in the early twenties it is not surprising that as time passed
he grew prosperous. He bought additional land with his savings and
at one time he owned something like a thousand acres of valuable laud.
Shortly after he had permanently located in Miami county, he was
married to Miss Elizabeth Brower, a native of Montgomery county, Ohio,
and a daughter of George Brower, who is given further mention else-
where in this work. The wedding took place on the 4th of May, 1845,
and from the very beginning of their married life Mrs. Brower was a
true wife in every sense of the word, doing all in her power to aid in
the establishment of a home and in saving the money to oi)tain for
their children an education.
Mr. Grimes died on the 18th of March, 1895, in Denver, Indiana,
whither he had moved during the latter part of his life. He had retired
from the active work of the farm, although he never lost interest in it.
He was a liberal contributor to all public enterprises and those of a
charitable nature and his death was considered a real calamity to the
community in Avhich he spent his last years. His funeral services were
conducted from the residence and he was laid to rest in West Lawn
cemetery. His wife lived only a few months after the death of her
husband, passing away on October 16, 1895, and the same minister who
conducted the funeral of her husband, Elder Jacob Fisher, also held
the services when she was laid to rest beside her husband in West Lawn
cemetery.
The children of this devoted couple were nine in number and of these
five are living. Josiah, who was born on July 31, 1846, married Ellen
Seibert and died on the 6th of June, 1911. Hiram who was born on
January 5, 1848, married Jane Btirkett and died September, 1880. John
H. was born on the 1st of March, 1849, and died on February 11, 1853.
Sarah D. who was born August 22, 1851, became the wife of William
H. Howes, and died February 6, 1904. (Jeorge T., born on the 24th of
October, 1854, married Rose Sawyer and lives in Savage, Indiana.
Albert, whose birth took place on the 5th of September, 1856, married
Margaret Trent and resides in Peru township. Miami county. JMartha
J., born December 24, 1857. married William H. Davis and lives in
Akron, Indiana. William, who was born on tlie 29th of June, 1859,
and Charles, who w^as born October 13, 1868, married Ella Friend and
now resides in Denver, Indiana.
William Grimes grew up on the old home place, aiding his father
and elder brothers in the work of the farm. He attended the district
schools of the neighborhood, and after he had completed his schooling,
he aided his father until his marriage at the early age of twenty. It
was on the 2nd of October, 1879, that he was married to JMiss Mary
Louise Howes, a daughter of Henry and ]\Iary J. (Speck) Howes. ]\Irs.
Grimes was born on the 25th of September, 1864, in ]\Iiami county, In-
diana, the second in a family of three children, one son and two daughters,
born to Henry and ]Mary J. (Speck) Howes, Mrs. Grimes being the
only child now living. j\Ir. Howes was a native of Vermont, the old Green
Mountain state, born June 19. 1816, and he died November 19. 1898. He
was an agriculturist and was educated in the primitive schools of New
England. He was a man of superior mind and intellectuality and one
who had the confidence and respect of all who knew him. Politically he
was first an old-line Whig and then a Republican, voting for the first
nominee of the party for president. General John C. Fremont. He
was assessor of his township. It was in 1836 that he came to Miami
county, Indiana, when the JMiami Indians, the bear, deer, panthers, and
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 553
wolves were plentiful, and he was one of the fouiulers of the county.
Both he and wife were devout members of the Baptist church. Mrs.
Howes is a native of Ross county, Ohio, horn December 29, 1840, and
she makes her home with her daughter, Mrs. Grimes. She is now
seventy-three years of age, and is bright and active. There were two
children born to Mr. and Mrs. William Grimes. The elder is Dora Mabel.
She was born November 28, 1880, and received her diploma from the
public schools, and then took a musical course at the Valparaiso Uni-
versity, at Valparaiso, Indiana. She wedded Charles 0. Derek, who is
an agriculturist of Miami county, and is one of its progressive young
farmers. They have two children, Miriam Louise and Grimes Benjamin.
Mr. and Mrs. Derek are members of the Baptist church and fraternally
Mr. Derek is a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Maccabees and
the Gleaners and ]Mrs. Derek is also a member of the last named order.
Maude Elizabeth, born July 18, 1882, received her diploma from the
public schools, spent one year in the Denver high school and has taken
musical instruction. She wedded Edward E. Saline, who is a well edu-
cated man and cashier of The International Harvester Company at South
Bend, Indiana. They have had two children, but the elder, William
Edward, is deceased. Cecilia E., the younger, is in the second grade of
school. Mrs. Saline is a member of the Methodist church.
Mrs. Grimes, the mother, was educated in the Denver public schools
and was reared in her home county. She is a lady of pleasing address
and personality and has hosts of friends.
After his marriage William Grimes farmed the Howes property in
Union township for about thirteen years. He then bought his father's
old place, and has since made his home on what has always been known
as the Grimes place. He is the owner of 180 acres in this one farm
and owns about 600 acres in all, this being all located within ]\Iiami
county. In addition to his farming operations Mr. Grimes deals in
stock to a considerable extent.
In politics Mr. Grimes was a Republican, until 1912 when he felt
that the Progressive party had the stronger and better platform and
more fully filled the country's need. He consequently voted the Pro-
gressive ticket and was himself the candidate of the party for the office
of county commissioner, though defeated. He is a member of the Knights
of Pythias, and of the Knights of Maccabees. His wife is an active
member of the Baptist church. The beautiful estate of Mr. and Mrs
Grimes is known as "The Grimes Homestead Grange.
J J
Rev. John H. Guendling. Representing a family which located
in Miami county more than seventy years ago. Father Guendling is the
irremovable rector of St. Charles Catholic Church at Peru. His parents
were worthy German people, who during the pioneer era settled in this
county, were farmers, developed a rural home in Washington township
and having contributed by their own thrift and labors to the material
development of this region also gave three of their sons to the services
of the church and humanity.
John H. Guendling was born on the old farm in Washington town-
ship December 19, 1855, a son of John and Mary Frances (Faust)
Guendling. The parents were natives of Hesse Darmstadt, Germany.
In order to better their circumstances they migrated to America, and
in 1840 located in the then little improved and almost wilderness of
Washington township, INIiami county. They contended with the hard-
ships of pioneer life, made a productive farm, and reared a large
family of children. The parents were devout Catholics, brought up
554 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
their children in that faith, and it was always a matter of gratification
to the old people that three of their sons entered the priesthood.
Father John H. Guendling was reared on the old farm, and in 1870,
at the age of fifteen, entered Mount St. Mary's Seminary at Cincinnati,
where he completed his classical studies. He was then sent to the
North American College at Rome, Italy, in 1876, but ill health in that
environment obliged him to return to his native country in 1878. He
then entered the Sulpician Seminary at Baltimore, where he completed
his studies in theology and was ordained a priest in the Cathedral at
Fort Wayne, Indiana, by Bishop Dwenger on July 2, 1880. During
the same month he was appointed by Bishop Dwenger as Superintend-
ent of St. Joseph's Orphan Asylum at Lafayette, Indiana, a position
of many responsibilities which he efficiently discharged until July 1, 1898.
On the 3d of the latter month he was appointed pastor of the Cathedral
at Fort AYayne, and in January, 1899, was made vicar-general by
Bishop Rademacher. On January 12, 1900, occurred the death of
Bishop Rademacher, and until the present Bishop Alerding took up
his duties in the diocese Father Guendling was administrator for this
diocese. On being relieved of those duties, he recuperated his failing
health by extensive travels in the west. From June 29, 1901, to July
4, 1902, he was pastor-in-charge at Goshen, this state. On the latter
date he was named successor to Father Meissner, deceased, as rector
of the St. Charles church in Peru.
Father Guendling is a member of the Bishop's Council, and of the
Diocesan school board. In his parish at Peru he has endeared himself
to his large congregation by a singular devotion to the welfare of the
church as an organization, and of its individual members, and he is
both a priest and a citizen, possessing those sterling qualities of mind
and ideals of service which make him a factor of fine usefulness.
Fred W. Sender. Undoubtedly the most conspicuous mercantile
establishment of the modern city of Peru is the Senger Dry Goods Com-
pany Store of Peru, at the northeast corner of Broadway and Fifth
street. To omit mention of this establishment among the mercantile enter-
prises of Peru would be as serious as to fail to mention the court house in
giving a list of the public buildings of the county seat. Solid, substantial
and prosperous in every department and feature, the Senger Store is
nevertheless one of the younger mercantile enterprises of the city of
Peru, beginning its career April 11, 1906. Its present executive head
came to Peru less than twenty years ago, his advent into the city being
marked by the date November 4, 1895, and began his career as a clerk in
one of the stores of that time. His business success has been remarkable
among the careers of ]\Iiami County merchants, and Fred W. Senger
stands today as one of the most influential and enterprising business men
of this section of Indiana.
Fred W. Senger, who is a native of Danville, Illinois, was bora March
25, 1875, and is a son of Peter and Frances (Royer) Senger, both of
whom are now residents of Danville. He was reared in his native city,
where he attended the Catholic parochial schools and where he also
attained his first experience in business affairs as a boy assistant in his
father's store. At the age of nineteen he came to Peru and was employed
for ten years in one establishment. This took him up to the age of twenty-
nine years, and at that time he was ready to l)egin his independent career
as a merchant. He had in the meantime liecome a friend of Col. B. E.
AA^allace the great showman, and with Colonel AYallace and ]Mr. C. E.
Cory, a nephew of the Colonel, he formed a co-partnership and the
Senger Store Company was launched. This venture, with the financial
Xry^'^-^"
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 555
backing of Colonel AA^allace and the splendid enthusiasm and business
judgment of Mr. Senger and Mr. Cory, prospered from the very start.
The business opened in a small room in the McCatferay Block, now occu-
pied by the Woolworth Five and Ten Cent Corporation, and in less than
two years the Senger Store was looking for larger quarters.
In February, 1908, Colonel Wallace purchased the building at the
corner of Fifth and Broadway. A building 66x110 feet stood there then,
three story and basement, and this they had rebuilt into a building
especially designed for a new and up-to-date store, and in its appoint-
ments and facilities for the successful handling of its business, the new
store is at least twenty-five years ahead of other mercantile enterprises
of Peru. The Senger Store is the most conspicuous and attractive on
Broadway today. It is equipped with its own power and lighting plant,
and has one hundred and seventy six feet of window space for display
purposes, with 29,040 square feet of floor space. The interior fixtures,
such as show cases, etc. are of San Domingo mahogany, edged with Ten-
nessee marble, with French beveled plate glass, and satin finished brass.
Sixty-three persons are employed in the store and it is the only exclusive
dry goods store in the city of Peru, devoting all of its floor space to the
sale of merchandise for women, misses and children and home furnishings.
It is the largest store of its kind in this section of Indiana and has among
its regular customers people who live within a radius of fifty miles of the
city.
Although devoted to his business, Mr. Senger takes an interested part
in local affairs. He is a communicant of the Catholic church and is a mem-
ber of the Knights of Columbus and the Benevolent and Protective Order
of Elks, Lodge No. 365 of Peru.
Mr. Senger married on September 9, 1902, Miss Margaret McCarthy
of Peru, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John S. McCarthy, who live on
West Eighth street. Their four children are Frederick Jr., aged nine;
Rosanna, seven years old; John Mack, aged four and Mary, a year and
a half old.
Frank D. Butler. It has been given Mr. Butler to attain to marked
prestige as one of the representative members of the bar of his native
county and state and to wield definite and salutary influence in con-
nection with public affairs, especially those of a local order. He is
engaged in the active general practice of law in the city of Peru, the
attractive capital of Aliami county, where he has followed the work of
his profession for nearly a quarter of a century and where he has main-
tained his offices in the First National Bank building from the time of
his novitiate in the law to the present day, which finds him arrayed
as one of the strong and resourceful lawyers and leading practitioners
of this section of the state. His career has been marked by earnest and
consecutive endeavor and his course has been guided and governed by
integrity and honor as well as by high appreciation of the dignity and
responsibility of his chosen vocation, in which his effort has at all times
been to conserve justice and equity. He has served as county and city
attorney and is at the present time the valued incumbent of the former
office, besides which he gave a most effective administration as prose-
cuting attorney of the Fifty-first judicial circuit. He is a liberal and
progressive citizen, has honored his native county by his character and
achievements and is most consistently accorded specific recognition in
this pulJication.
Frank D. Butler was born on the old homestead farm of his father,
in Richland township, Miami county, Indiana, on the 30th of Sep-
tember, 1858, and is a scion of a family whose name became identified
556 HISTORY OF .AUAMi COUNTY
with the civic and industrial development of the county more than
three-fourths of a century ago, when this section of the state was little
more than a frontier wilderness, with the pioneer settlers bravely labor-
ing to forward the march of civilization by causing the forest wilds
to give place to the cultivated and productive fields. Jesse B. Butler,
father of him whose name initiates this review, was a native of Wayne
county, this state, and this fact indicates that the family was numbered
among the very early settlers of that staunch old county. Jesse B.
Butler was reared and educated in Wayne county, a center of the fine
colonization on the part of the representatives of the Society of Friends,
and a section in which educational advantages in the pioneer days were
of higher order than those of the average pioneer community. During
the years of a long and useful career as one of the world's productive
workers Jesse B. Butler never severed his allegiance to the great basic
industry of agriculture, in connection with which he endured the sturdy
labors of the pioneer and eventually gained independence and definite
prosperity. About the year 1885 he came to Miami county, vi'here he
secured a tract of government land, the major part of which was heavily
timbered, and thus became one of the pioneer settlers of Perry town-
ship. He erected a primitive log house of the type common to the
pioneer days and then set himself vigorously to the task of reclaiming
his land from the virgin forest. In thus taking up the battle of life
the young pioneer realized the consistency of having a companion and
helpmeet, and, knowing well that the gracious young woman of his
choice would prove his ideal mate, he soon left his embiyonic farm and
returned to his native county, where, at the home of the bride's parents,
near Hagerstown, was solemnized his marriage to Miss Hannah Weeks,
who likewise was born and reared in Wayne county. The young couple
came to the little log cabin home and, sustained by mutual devotion
and purpose, they worked together to develop their farm in Perry
township, where each year gave tangible evidence of their faithful
labors. In 1857 they sold the original farm and removed to south-
western Missouri, but one winter passed in that locality vitalized anew
their appreciation of the old home in Miami county, with the result
that the spring of 1858 found them returned to this county, where Mr.
Butler purchased the Lawrence farm, of one hundred and sixty acres,
eligibl}' located on Eel river, in Richland township. On this fine old
homestead in the autumn of the same year in their log cabin home was
born the son Frank D., to whom this sketch is dedicated. Jesse B. Butler
continued to devote his attention to the improving and cultivation of this
homestead j^lace and made the same one of the model farms of the county.
Here came to him the great loss and bereavement of his life, for in
1863 his loved and devoted wife passed to eternal rest, a woman whose
life had been a vitalized beatitude and whose memory is revered by those
who knew her. He survived her by somewhat more than a decade and
continued to reside on his farm until his death, which occurred in 1874.
He was a man of indefatigable industry, of strong character and of
broad views, was a citizen who did well his part in the development and
upbuilding of IMiami county, on the roster of whose honored pioneers
his name merits enduring inscription. Of the nine children only two
are now living. Jesse B. Butler was a staunch Democrat in his polit-
ical adherency and both he and his wife were zealous members of the
Quaker church.
Well may Frank D. Butler view with pleasing and grateful retro-
spect the scenes and incidents of his youthful experience in connection
with the old homestead farm on which he was born and in the work of •
which he early began to contribute his quota. He availed himself of
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 557
the advantages of the district schools and was about fifteen years of
age when he was doubly orphaned by the death of his honored father.
He continued thereafter to assist in the work and management of the
home farm, and was not denied further educational advantages, as he
attended a school at North Manchester, was for a time a student in
the Northern Indiana Normal School, now known as Valparaiso Uni-
versity, at Valparaiso, and thereafter completed a somewhat intervalic
course of two years in Purdue University, at Lafayette, this state.
When 20 years of age he obtained' a position as "cub" reporter and
general factotum on the staff of the Lafayette Courier, and he was thus
identified with practical newspaper work about two years, within which
he gained experience which he insists has proved of greater value to
him than any specific academic instruction he received in his youth.
In the autumn of 1880 Mr. Butler returned to his home in Miami
county, to cast his first presidential vote, in support of the Democratic
candidates, Hancock and English, and during the intervening years he
has not wavered in his allegiance to the fine old party of Jefferson and
Jackson, the party whose star is once more in ascendancy, since the
national election of 1912. Soon after exercising his franchise with more
of dignity and imperturbability than have characterized similar indul-
gences in later years, ^Ir. Butler accepted the appointment to the posi-
tion of deputy sheriff of his native county, under Andrew J. Parks,
who had just been elected to the shrievalty. He served as deputy
during the two successive terms of Sheriff Parks, a period of four years,
and was reappointed under the regime of Mr. Parks' successor, Edward
T. Gray, who held olBce four years, so that Mr. Butler's service as
deputy covered a total of eight consecutive years. In 1884 and again
in 1888 he himself sought nomination for the office of sheriff', but his
desires fell short of realization.
In the autumn of 1888 Mr. Butler became private secretary to Hon.
David Turpie, United States senator from Indiana, and he served in
this capacity, in the city of Washington, for two years. In the mean-
while he had decided that clerical and political positions offered no prof-
itable future for him, and accordingly, during the intervals between
the sessions of congress, he took up the study of law, with characteristic
determination and assiduousness, his able and valued preceptor having
been Ethan T. Reasoner, who was one of the leading members of the
bar of Miami county, with residence and professional headciuarters in
Peru. He was admitted to the bar of his native state in 1889, while still
with Senator Turpie in "Washington, and he was thus absent in the
national capital when he received in his home state the Democratic
nomination for the office of prosecuting attorney of the Fifty-first
judicial circuit, to which position he was electee! in the autumn of
1890, whereupon he resigned his position as private secretary to Senator
Turpie, to initiate his active professional career as the incumbent of
an important and exacting office. The young lawyer eminently justified
the faith and confidence of those who had given him their support at
the polls, and under somewhat unusual circumstances he thus gained
his professional spurs and made such an admirable record that at the
expiration of his first term, of two years, he was re-elected, by an appre-
ciably larger majority, with the result that he continued in sei^ice as
public prosecutor for this circuit for four consecutive years, when he
retired with a high reputation as an able and resourceful trial lawyer.
Since that time he has been successfully engaged in the active practice
of his profession in Peru and he has appeared in connection with many
important causes presented in the various courts of the state, including
the federal courts. His clientele is of representative order and during
558 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
the many years of his practice he has had no professional partner at
any time. He has twice been elected city attorney and in all has held
this office for six years. In 1910 he was again chosen for this posi-
tion, of which he has continued the able and valued incumbent. During
his former term of service as county attorney Avere made the preliminary
arrangements for the erection of the new court house, and all legal affairs
pertaining thereto were entrusted to him. He has shown the deepest
interest in all that touches the welfare of his home city and native county,
and is one of the liberal and progressive citizens of the same, with im-
pregnable vantage-ground in popular confidence and esteem.
Mr. Butler has given yeoman service in behalf of the Democratic
party and has been an influential factor in its councils in Indiana. He
was a delegate to the Democratic national convention of 1912, when
AVoodrow Wilson was made the nominee for president, and thus he
views with unqualified satisfaction the results of the national election
of that year. In his home city he is affiliated with the Benevolent and
Protective Order of Elks and the Royal Arcanum, of which latter fra-
ternity he was grand regent for Indiana from 1907 to 1909.
On the 20th of September, 1898, was solemnized the marriage of
Mr. Butler to Miss ^Minnie ^Merrill, and she is a most popular factor
in the leading social activities of her home city. ^h\ and Mrs. Butler
have two children. Frances Dorothy and Robert Merrill. Mrs. Butler is
a member of the Presbyterian church
During the very early stages of the great flood disaster of 1913. ISlr.
Butler left his own home and family and in a volunteer way led the work
of rescue and first relief succor to thousands of refugees quartered at the
court house, the only dry spot in the city. He remained on duty night
and day and on the third day of the flood tide, with the assistance of
Hon. William P. O'Neil, Lieutenant Governor, brought organization out
of chaos, resulting in a town meeting, at which i\Ir. Butler was called to
preside. From this meeting a committee of four were chosen, denom-
inated the Flood Executive Relief Committee, with ]\Ir. Butler as chair-
man, the other three members being Lieutenant Governor O'Neil and
Ambrose A. Bailey of the Baptist church and Richard A. Edwards,
president of the First National Bank. This committee immediately took
charge and, clothed with authority invested in them also by the sheriff
of the county and the mayor of the city, established permanent head-
quarters in the court house, in what is known as the rest room. They
summoned citizens, created sub-committees, called to their aid state,
county and city health officials, and began the work in organized form
of first aid, relief, and a general sanitary cleaning up. In the meantime
a finance committee was started out to raise funds and provisions and
supplies coming in from all quarters by generous donors was systemati-
cally taken in hand and the distribution in all parts of the city accom-
plished. This committee, without the expenditure of a dollar, for three
weeks with the aid of an army of citizens and visiting workers as volun-
teers, rescued refugees and restored them to their homes, cleared the de-
bris, and disinfected against pestilence. Thousands were fed and clothed
and confidence of safety ancl protection against pillage and rapine re-
stored. During all this time Mr. Butler was indefatigable in the work,
keeping in touch with every branch and form of the reconstruction and
resurrection as it were of the stricken city. As time went, the work of his
committee was restricted to himself. Bailey and Edwards, and for three
months they continued at their headquarters, receiving, managing, and
distributing assistance to flood sufferers, working far into each night. By
their efforts thousands of dollars were especially secured from various
sources, including the Red Cross, for expenditures in the work of rehabili-
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 559
tation. More than thirty ear loads of provisions and supplies were received
and distributed and it has been conservatively estimated that in all over
$100,000 of provisions, clothing, bedding, furniture and money was dis-
tri])uted before the work of tliis committee was ended, and about two
thousand families and homes in some form materially aided. During
all this period Mr. Butler, as chairman of his committee, absented himself
from his office and business at a great sacrifice and devoted his time,
efforts and organizing ability to the cause gratuitously and without re-
ward other than the gratitude of an appreciative people. He says himself
that the tears of unfortunates expressive of gratitude as they received
their allowances and aid more than compensated him for all he did and
I he service rendered as chairman of this charitable movement.
Daniel W. Condo. The fiscal affairs of Miami county at the present
time are consigned to the administration of one of the county's native
sons and one who has ever maintained strong hold upon popular con-
fidence and esteem. He is now serving his second term as county
treasurer, and as one of the loyal and progressive citizens and valued
officials of the county he is properly accorded specific recognition in
this publication.
In Clay township, this county, Daniel W. Condo was born on the
24th of October, 1866, and he is a son of John and Cynthia (Phillips)
Condo. John Condo was born in the state of Pennsylvania and was a
child at the time of his parents' removal from that state to Indiana.
His father became one of the pioneer farmers of AVayne county, this
state, where he continued to reside, an honored and influential citizen,
until his death, as did also his wife. John Condo Avas reared to man-
hood in that fine old county, in which the staunch Society of Friends,
or Quakers, early found many sterling representatives, and he never
severed his allegiance to the great basic industry of agriculture, though
for a number of years he was employed in the shops in which was
manufactured the Condo plow. This implement was designed and
patented by Adam Condo and it gained wide reputation and demand
in the early days. A few years prior to the Civil war John Condo re-
moved with his family to Aliami county and established his residence on
a farm in Clay township. Here he developed a valuable property and
became one of the representative agriculturists and stock-growers of the
county. He was a man of superior intellectuality, was an extensive and
appreciative reader and student of good literature and was well informed
concerning the cjuestions and issues of the day, with well fortified opin-
ions concerning governmental and ieconomic policies, so that he wielded
no uncertain influence in the directing of popular sentiment in his home
community. He was an unswerving adherent of the Republican party
and was a most zealous and devout member of the United Brethren
church. He continued to reside on his farm until his death, which
occurred in the year 1884. The maiden name of his first wife was
Baker, and they became the parents of five sons and one daughter.
His second wife, whose maiden name was Cynthia Phillips, was born in
Montgomery county, Ohio, and still survives him. She now maintains
her home in ]\Iiami county, and of the five sons of this union, four are
living. His mother, now venerable in years, is held in aft'ectionate
regard by all who know her and she is a devoted member of the United
Brethren church.
Reared to the sturdy discipline of the home farm, Daniel W. Condo
gained his early educational training in the district schools of Clay
township, and thereafter he completed effective normal and business
courses in the fine institution now known as Valparaiso University,
560 HISTOKY OF :\IIAMI COUNTY
in the city of Valparaiso, Indiana. After the death of his honored
father Mr. Condo went to Omaha, Nebraska, wliere he remained about
four and one-half years as an employe in a wholesale hardware estab-
lishment. He then returned to his native county, but a year later
he Avent to Ehvood, IMadison county, where he assumed a clerical
position in a department store and where he continued to reside about
six years, within which he advanced to the position of exclusive manager
of two departments in the large establishment in which he was em-
ployed. Upon resigning his place at Elwood Mr. Condo returned to
INliami county and again turned his attention to agricultural pursuits,
with which he continued to be actively identilied until 1902, when he
accepted the position of deputy' county treasurer, under the regime
of Harry jNIasters. Three years later Frank Spaulding was elected
county treasurer and by him Mr. Condo was retained in the position
of deputy until the close of his term of four years. Mr. Condo himself
was then chosen for the important post of county treasurer, in the
election of November, 1908. and his zealous and able administration
found emphatic popular approval in his re-election in the autumn of
1910 for a second term of four years, which will expire January 1, 191-1.
In politics Mr. Condo has been found aligned as a stalwart and effec-
tive advocate of the principles and policies for which the Republican
party stands sponsor, and recent events in the political history of the
nation have not caused him to abate his faith in the basic tenets of the
old party that has long held his allegiance. His wife holds a member-
ship in the Presbyterian church in Peru. He is a member of the Odd
Fellows, the Loyal Order of Moose, the Benevolent and Protective Order
of Elks, and the Fraternal Order of Eagles.
On the 6th of April, 1906, was recorded the marriage of ]Mr. Condo
to Aliss Clara Bash, of Peru, and they have two children, Helen Eliza-
beth and John Bash. Mrs. Condo was born in Indiana, and is a daughter
of John Bash, now deceased.
Daniel King. For more than half a centui-y the King name and
King enterprise have been important factors in the material development
and the civic life of Miami county, particularly in Richland township,
which was the original home of Daniel King, and in which townsliip
his activities have been chiefly centered. ]Mr. King is now a venerable
man of eighty-three years and has seen much of life, has labored hard,
and from a beginning when he was dependent upon his manual toil for
his self-support he has long since passed that stage at which a competence
is acquired, and when a man may properly enjoy the fruits of a well
spent life.
Daniel King was born in Dersheim, Germany, on December 10, 1830,
a son of Daniel and a grandson of ^Martin King. His mother's maiden
name Avas Mary Shriner, a daughter of John Shriner. AVhen twenty-
three years of age, having been reared in his native land, and trained
to habits of industry and thrift, Daniel King left Germany in 1853,
and spent fifty-three days on the voyage across the sea. He was short
of funds, and although his destination was INIiami county, he had to
stop at Cincinnati for some time in order to get sufficient money to
carry him the rest of the way. He worked at whatever he could find
in that Ohio River city, and was employed in a packing house at wages
of one dollar and twenty cents a day for some time, from which he liad
to board himself, and was afterwards given a job at ten dollars a month
including board. He also worked in a livery stable in Ciiunnnati. In
1854, the following year, he came on to ^liami county, being two days
en route from Cincinnati, a journey that may now be accomplished in
iilllitiiiifiiiN
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Z
X
X
5
^
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j Tl'. fvt N FO'jtj OPTIONS-
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 561
a few hours. After arriving in Miami county, he worked for wages
as low as iifty cents per day, and subsequently considered it quite an
advance when he was given sixty-two cents for a day's labor. Even
at that he saved a little money, and gradually got ahead in the world.
In Miami county in 1861, seven years after his arrival, and after
he was familiar with the people and the country, and was making a
living, Mr. King married Mary King, a daughter of Walton and Saloma
(Tier) King. To Mrs. King her husband assigns much credit for their
subsequent prosperity, since she has been not only the companion of
his home and the mother of his children, but has aided him in many
ways, and has been a hard worker. Mrs. King's people were also from
Germany, and had settled first in Ohio, but after eighteen months came
on to Miami county. They first located in Richland township, and her
father, who was a miller, was employed for some time by Robert Love-
land's father. Mrs. King's mother died at an early age and her father
was three times married, after that. Daniel King on first arriving in
Miami county did a varied assortment of labor. He handled an ax,
and has cleared many acres of standing timber from oft' the fertile
soil of this county. Afterwards he bought some land and put up a
mill, in 1858. He sold that in 1861, and then bought eighty acres of
land in Wabash county. Later selling that place he bought land in
Perry township of Miami county, where he remained until 1865. He
then began farming as his regular vocation and continued it as long
as he was able to work. Most of his farming career has been passed in
Richard township. His management and labors have been very pro-
ductive, and at the present time he is listed among the land owners
and taxpayers of ^liami county as the owner of two hundred and one
acres in Perry township, eighty acres in his home place in Richland,
and also one hundred and nineteen acres in another part of Richland
township. On his farm he has put up two barns and three dwellings
and many other improvements. Both Mr. and Mrs. King were brought
up in the faith of the Lutheran church.
Mr. King has witnessed the laying of two different corner stones
of the Miami county court house. He is one of the prospering men of his
township, and has been honored with official responsibility by his fellofW
citizens. He served as county commissioner for six years, and it is note-
worthy that during that period Miami county was in better shape finan-
cially than it now is, since it was then out of debt. In politics Mr.
King adheres to Democratic doictrine, although he has no narrow, restric-
tions binding him to any one political creed. In 1891, after an absence
of nearly forty years, Mr. King went back to his old home in Germany,
remaining nine weeks and in 1900 again crossed the ocean and spent
four months in the Fatherland.
To Mr. and Mrs. King have been born nine children, two of whom
are now deceased ; namely : Frieda, who married Adam M. Nieswendel ;
Mnniie, married John Cotterman, now deceased; and for her second
husband married A. Longnecker; Adlin married John Meyers. Lizzie,
married Link Meyers ; Stella is the wife of James Wilson ; George, mar-
ried Melissa Day, and he died at the age of thirty-seven. Charles
married Clara Baltimore; Anna is the wife of James Ansley. Maggie,
who is now deceased, was the wife of Joseph Keim.
Charles R. Hughes. Closely identified with the civic and business
interests of the thriving little city of Peru, wiiere he has maintained
his home since 1873, ^Ir. Hughes has gained impregnable place in the
confidence and esteem of the people of ]\Iiami county and has been called
upon to serve in various positions of public trust, including that of
562 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
county clerk, of which office he continued the incumbent for a period
of eight years. He has ever shown a most loyal and helpful interest
in all that touches the general welfare of the comnmnity and he is
at present time president of the board of education of his home city.
He is a native of the fine old lloosier state and his loyalty to the same
is of the most insistent order, the while he is a scion of a family whose
name has long been identitied with Indiana annals.
Mr. Hughes was born in Indianapolis, the capital city of Indiana,
on the 30th of November, 1858, and is a son of Isham and Serepta
(Orm) Hughes, both of whom were born in the state of Kentucky, which
in the early days contributed a fine element of citizenship to Indiana.
Isham Hughes was one of the early locomotive engineers of Indiana,
and in its capital city in the pioneer days he was a valued member of
the old volunteer fire brigade, which utilized primitive fire-engines that
were operated by hand power. For many years he followed the vocation
of locomotive engineer, and his experience compassed the development
of railroading from crude form to that of modern facilities, so that his
reminiscences in connection Avith this important line of public-utility
service were most varied and interesting. He was originally in the
employ of the old Indianapolis & Madison Railway Company, the first
to operate a passenger service line in Indiana; later was an engineer
for the Indianapolis, Peru & Chicago Railroad, now a part of the Lake
Erie & Western system; and finally he became one of the best known
and most valued engineers in the service of the Chicago, Cleveland, Cin-
cinnati & St. Louis Railroad, commonly known as the Big Four. He
was in active service as an engineer for a period of about forty years,
and after his resignation from the employ of the Big Four company he
lived virtually retired until his death, at a venerable age. He passed
the closing years of his life at Kokomo, this state, where he died on the
1st of July, 1912. He was a man of genial and buoyant disposition,
was widely known throughout Indiana and in railway circles, and his
friends were in number as his acquaintances. He was a stalwart Dem-
ocrat in his political proclivities and during the greater part of his
mature life he held membership in the Methodist Episcoal church, of
which his wife likewise was a devoted member, her death having
occurred in October, 1896. Of their seven children three sons and two
daughters are now living.
The excellent public schools of Indiana's capital city afforded to
Charles R. Hughes his early educational advantages, which included
those of the Shortridge high school, in which he was graduated. He
thereafter attended a business college in Minneapolis, his native city, and
prepared himself for the practical work of life. At the age of seven-
teen and eighteen while attending school JMr. Hughes read law in the
office and under the preceptorship of the representative firm of Baker,
Hoard & Hendricks, the principals of which were leading members of
the Indianapolis bar, Mr. Hendricks having later been vice-president
of the United States, during the administration of President Cleveland.
The dry intricacies of the law did not appeal greatly to the active and
ambitious young student, and at the expiration of one year he aban-
doned his technical reading and made a radical change in his plans, as,
on the 4th of July, 1873, he assumed the position of fireman on the
Indianapolis, Peru, & Chicago Railroad. He soon showed inherent
predilection for railroad work and was advanced to the position of
engineer, in which he served nearly a quarter of a century, during
which he well upheld the prestige established by his father in this
vocation. In the meanwhile he had adopted Peru as his home and had
identified himself closely with local interests. He retired from rail-
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 563
>
way service in May, 1895, to assume the office of county clerk of Miami
county, to which position he had been elected, as candidate on the
Democratic ticket, in the autunui of the preceding year. During his
first term of four years he gave a most careful and efficient adminis-
tration, and the popular approval of the same was manifested in his
re-election, so that he sensed eight consecutive years, during which he
made the county records models of systematic exactness and scinipu-
lous attention to details.
Upon retiring from the office of county clerk Mr. Hughes assisted
in the organization of the Wabash Valley Trust Company, of which
bank he is still a director and of which he was treasurer nearly three
years and in the developing of the excellent business of which he played
an influential part. Since July, 1907, he has been engaged in the livery
and transfer business, in which he is associated with his son-in-law,
Louis S. Ward, under the firm name of Ward & Hughes. The firm has
a large and w^ell equipped establishment and controls a substantial and
prosperous business, to the affairs of which Mr. Hughes gives the
major part of his time and attention. For many years Mr. Hughes
has served as a valued member of the directorate of the Citizens'
National Bank of Peru and as its vice-president and also of that of the
Peru Building & Loan Association, which has exerted potent influence
in furthering the civic and material progress and upbuilding of the fine
little city of Miami county. He has served as a member of the board of
education of Peru since 1908 and is at this time president of the same.
He has shown most vital interest in bringing the local schools up to a
high standard and within his regime as president of the board has been
erected the new high school building, w^hich is conceded to be one of the
finest in the state and the building of which was compassed without the
least suspicion of graft or self-seeking on the part of the progressive
board which had supervision of this important improvement.
Mr. Hughes is unwavering in his allegiance to the Democratic
party and has been influential in its local councils and the manoeuver-
ing of its forces. Both he and his wife are zealous and valued members
of the Presbyterian church in their home city, and he is a trustee of
the same, besides which he was a member of the building committee
under whose supervision was erected the present fine church edifice.
Mr. Hughes is affiliated with the ]\Iasonic fraternity Lodge No. 67, the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge No. 52, the Benevolent and
Protective Order of Elks Lodge No. 365, and the Roval Arcanum Coun-
cil No. 462.
On the 19th of May, 1881, was solemnized the marriage of Mr.
Hughes to ]\Iiss Mary E. Burnett, who was reared in Peru, and who is
a daughter of the late Absalom Burnett, a representative citizen of
Peru, and an old school teacher and soldier. The tw^o children of this
union are Frances May, wife of L. F. Ward, and Charles Burnett, of
Peru.
Richard A. Edwards. A prominent and influential business man
and progressive citizen of Peru, of Miami county, Mr. Edwards here
holds the office of president of the First National Bank, with which in-
stitution he has been identified for more than thirty years and in the
upbuilding of the substantial business of wliich he has wielded much
influence, the while he has gained secure prestige as an able executive
of broad views, impregnal)le integrity of purpose and most progressive
policies. He is a man of fine intellectual attainments and prior to
entering his present field of endeavor he had been a prominent and
valued factor in educational work, as an able exponent of the pedagogic
564 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
profession, which likewise was signally dign.ified and honored by the
character and services of his distinguished father. Mr. Edwards is
essentially one of the strong and representative figures in connection
with tinancial and general business activities in his home city and
county, has impregnable vantage-place in popular confidence and esteem
and is well entitled to specific recognition in this publication.
Richard Arthur Edwards was born at Bridgewater, Massachusetts,
on the 9th of November, 1851, and is a scion of a family whose name be-
came identified with the annals of New England in the colonial epoch of
our national history. He is a son of Rev. Richard and Betsey (Josslyn)
Edwards, and he was a child at the time of the family removal to the
historic old town of Salem, ^Massachusetts, where the father held the
position of president of the Massachusetts State Normal School until
1859, wdien he removed with his family to the City of St. Louis, Missouri,
where he assumed the office of president of the St. Louis Normal School,
for two years. He was then tendered advancement to the position of
president of the Illinois State Normal University, at Normal, ]\IcLean
county, an incumbency which he retained from 1861 to 1873, within
which period he did splendid work in bringing this great institution up
to a high standard l)oth in the efficiency of its work and in gaining to
the same a largely increased and appreciative support. Lie was a man
of fine administrative ability and specially broad and liberal education,
and his influence upon the youth who came w^ithin the sphere of his
earnest activities has widened in beneficence through their worthy
lives and achievements. He served as state superintendent of schools in
Illinois for several years after his retirement from the presidency of
the normal university and thereafter entered the ministry of the Con-
gregational church, in which he found another broad field for the aid-
ing and uplifting of his fellow men. He served for a number of years
as pastor of the Congregational church at Princeton, Illinois, and the
gracious twilight of his long and noble life was- passed in retirement
from active labors. He maintained his home at Bloomingtou, Illinois,
until his death, which occurred on the 7th of March, 1908^ and his
name merits enduring place on the roll of those who have done a great
work for humanity, his reputation as an educator and a clergyman
being of the highest. He was a man of broad mental ken and well
fortified opinions, and he ever manifested a loyal interest in all that
touched the general ^velfare of the community, his political allegiance
having been given to the Republican party.
Richard A. Edwards gained his rudimentary education in the public
schools of St. Louis, Missouri, and Noriual, Illinois, and was signally
fortunate in having the environment and gracious associations of a
home of distinctive culture and refinement, — relations that could not
fail of benignant influence in the formative period of his character.
He availed himself of the advantages of the Illinois State Normal
LTniversity at the time when his honored father was its president, and
at the age of eighteen years he initiated his practical pedagogic career,
as a teacher in the public schools of Paxton, Illinois, where he held the
position of principal of the schools. After devoting two years to suc-
cessful work as a teacher he .entered, in the year 1872, Dartmouth Col-
lege, where he remained a student for one year, and later he was
graduated as a member of the class of 1876 and from which he received
the degree of Bachelor of Arts. For two years after his graduation
Mr. Edwards held the position of instructor in Greek and Latin in
Rock River Seminary, at Mount Morris, Illinois, an institution with
which he had previously been connected in this capacity for a term of
one year. Upon resigning this position, in 1878, he became professor
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 565
of English literature and rhetoric in Knox College, at Galesburg, Ill-
inois, and continued as one of the valued and popular members of the
faculty of this institution until 1881.
The year last mentioned marked the arrival of Mr. Edwards in Peru,
Indiana, where he assumed the position of assistant cashier of the First
National Bank. In 1884 he was advanced to the office of cashier, and
of this position he continued the able and efficient incumbent until
1911, in January of which year he was elected to his present office,
that of president, in which he has continued to direct the policies and
operations of the bank with marked discrimination. He is conservative
in his financial methods, has gained broad and accurate knowledge con-
cerning real-estate values and general resources in his home county,
and through his progressive business policies he has done much to make
the First National Bank a power in the local industrial and business
field.
Loyal and public-spirited as a citizen but never imbued with ambi-
tion for official perferment of political order, Mr. Edwards is found
aligned as a staunch supporter of the cause of the Republican party,
and he has given his co-operation in the furtherance of measures and
enterprises that have conserved the industrial and commercial advance-
ment of Peru, where he is president of the Peru Canning Company and
also of the Clute & Butler Company, manufacturers of pianos, besides
which he is a stockholder in various other industrial and commercial
institutions in his home city. He and his wife are zealous members
of the Baptist church and he holds membership in the Columbia Club
in the city of Indianapolis, and the University Club of Chicago.
In the year 1880 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Edwards to
Miss Alice Shirk, daughter of the late Elbert H. Shirk, who was at
that time president of the First National Bank of Peru and who was
long numbered among the most honored and influential citizens of Miami
count.y. Mr. and Mrs. Edwards have two sons and three daughters.
Berne Welch. One of the young men of Miami county, who have
recently come into official prominence as a county officer, and now the
occupant of the position of surveyor, Mr. Welch was reared in the city
of Peru and as a young man depended largely upon his own resources
to carry him forward in the world. One feature of his early career in
this city was that for six years he was one of the boys who carried the
Peru Evening Journal.
Berne Welch was born in Kosciusko county, Indiana, September
19, 1888. He was one of four children, all of whom are now living,
born to Robert R. and ]\Iary E. (Patterson) Welch. The father, who
was reared a farmer, for the past seventeen years has been engaged in
railroad work, and since 1899 has been a resident of Peru. At the
present time he is a freight conductor on the AVabash Railroad. The
family moved to Peru in the fall of 1899, when his son Berne w^as eleven
years of age. The latter had "completed his education through the
fourth grade in his native county, and from that time attended the
public schools of Peru, where he was graduated from the high school in
the spring of 1908. From leaving school until April, 1910, Mr. Welch
was employed by the hardware firm of Charters, Brown & Company,
at Peru. He then went out to the northwest, and received a thorough
experience in engineering work in North Dakota in the employ of the
Northern Pacific Railroad. After returning to Peru he soon became
deputy county sun^eyor, and continued in that position until 1912, when
during the regular fall election he was elected surveyor of Miami county,
and is now officiating in that capacity. Mr. Welch is a Democrat in
566 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
polities and was elected on that ticket. Fraternally he is affiliated with
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
Henry A. Eagle. A citizen who spent most of his boyhood in Miami
county and who in subsequent years by industry and thrift and public
spirit has been a valued individual factor in the life of Peru, Mv. Eagle
is best known in his home city as one of the proprietors of a large car-
riage and general repair shop, an industry with which his name has
been identified for a period of thirty-five years. Henry A. Eagle was
born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, May 19, 1850, and spent the
firaft fourteen years of his life in his home county. His father was
Michael Eagle, who was a carriage maker by trade and the same voca-
tion was followed by his father. Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, was
the home and birthplace of several generations of the Eagle family. In
that county Michael Eagle married Anna Shireman, and they became
the parents of seven children, three of whom are now living. The mother
died in 1860 and four years later, Michael Eagle married again and at
once brought his family out to Miami county. He bought land in
Richland township, and for the most part was engaged in farming until
1875, at which date he moved into Peru and lived retired from the cares
of life from that time until his death, which occurred April 4, 1909.
He and his wife were active members of the Catholic church.
Henry A. Eagle accompanied the family to j\Iiami county in 1864,
and with the exception of nine years spent chiefly in Indianapolis, this
county has always been his home. He attained his education in the
district schools of Pennsylvania and this county, attending only the
customary three months of the winter with the summers spent in the
work of the farm. During his early career he assisted his father in
the clearing and the grubbing, planting and harvesting and knows by
experience much of the hard labor and hardships of farm life forty
or fifty years ago. When nineteen years of age he began learning the
carriage maker's trade at Logansport, subsequently completing his
apprenticeship at Indianapolis, where he remained eight years as a
journey workman. In 1878 he returned to Peru and entered the employ
of the old established firm of Sullivan and Graf. In February, 1879,
a reorganization was made, and Mr. Eagle has since been associated in
partnership with Mr. Sullivan, under the firm name of Sullivan &
Eagle, a business title which has continued for a period of thirty-four
years.
On April 22, 1879, Mr. Eagle married I\Iiss Helen Worstell, of
Covington, Kentucky. Mrs. Eagle died on June 3, 1906, the mother of
five children : Gertrude, now Mrs. William Lynch of Peru ; Blanch ;
Merion, who died at the age of fourteen ; Nellie, who died at the age of
nine; and Henry. Mr. Eagle is in politics a Democrat, but has never
aspired to office, and has contributed his part to good government largely
through his private industry and his neighborly qualities.
Charles M. Long. Now living at his home in Richland township
in his eighty-first year, Mr. Long has spent more than three-quarters of
a century within the boundaries of Miami county, and possibly his recol-
lections go back to an earlier stage of life in this county than any other
man living at the present time. The Long family, including himself,
has been one which has contributed to the substantial development
and improvement of Miami county from the very earliest wilderness
day until the present.
C. M. Long was born in Union county, Indiana, September 27, 1832,
a son of John Long and a grandson of Frederick Long. The maiden
T-E ■^E^^' ••ORK |
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 567
name of his mother was Margaret Martindale, a daughter of ]\Ioses
Martiiidale. On the paternal side the ancestry was German, although
for four or five generations has been resident in America. The maternal
ancestry is English.
The parents were married in Wayne county, Indiana, and came
overland from Union county to Miami in 1836. The county at that time
was completely covered with timber, and only a few clearings had been
made in the forest for the cabin homes of the early settlers. There
were a great many Indians still lingering within the county, and con-
ditions continued primitive and of pioneer character for many years
afterward. Railroads were not built until after Mr. Loaig had grown
to manhood, and all travel was by river or canal or along the highways
by team and wagon. Peru at "the time of the Long settlement was
known as Miamitown, and the principal source of supplies and the
market center was at Michigan City, many miles to the north, and it
required days for the settlers to go and come. The Martindale family
came to ]\Iiami county at the same time as the Longs. E. B. Martindale,
who for forty-eight years was connected with the Indianapolis Journal,
and was its editor during the Civil war, was a cousin of Mr. Long's
mother, and died at the age of eighty-one years, having been a very
prominent man in public affairs.
C. M. Long remained at home until he was married. There were no
schools whatever in the county, when the family first moved here, and
C. I\I. Long was twelve years old before he attended his first school and
that was taught in an old log school building. No money was spent on
public education, and the era of free schools as known now was not
ushered in until after Mr. Long was grown and married, and had a
family of his own. After his marriage he located in an old log cabin
on a farm across from the site of his present place. The land had been
entered by his uncle, James Long. On that farm he introduced a great
many laliorious improvements, put up the buildings, and was also the
builder of all the fine improvements that stand as evidence of his labor
on his present estate. His father was proprietor of a small saw-mill,
in which was manufactured all the lumber and timbers used in the con-
struction of the family houses, and also for many others in this township.
Mr. Long is now proprietor of three hundred and twenty acres of land
in Richland township. He has comfort and conveniences in keeping
with a career such as his has been, and well deserve the plenty in
material things, and the esteem of his community. The Long family
has been active in the Methodist church since it came to this county,
and Mr. Long was the largest contributor to the church at Chili. His
wife is a member of the Baptist church. In politics he is Republican
as was his father before him. The last sixteen years of his life the
father spent at the home of his son C. M. Long.
In 1855, in Miami county at Chili, Mr. Loog married Miss Abigail
Griswold, a daughter of Daniel and Amelia (Chandled) Griswold. ^Mrs.
Long was born July 28, 1836. The nine children liorn to their union
are noted as follow^s: Clara A., born AugiTst 7, 1856, died June 22,
1858; Flora M., born February 5, 1859, married Alonzo Cunningham;
Judson A., born Mav 10, 1861, married Clara Smith; Elfie A. born
October 1, 1864, died' January 3, 1880; Charles W., born May 22, 1866,
married for his first wife Myrtie Brower, and for his second wife Sylvia
Brower; Emma I., always called Ina, born October 4, 1868, married
Nathan Fonts, who was instantly killed while driving over the railroad
tracks on September 11, 1901; Mrs. Fonts, who was married to Mr.
Foiuts on January 22, 1890, now has her home with Mr. and Mrs. Long.
Foster L., born April 29, 1872, married Rutta Fisher. Uly C, born
Vol. II— 9
568 HISTORY OF :\IIAMI COUNTY
October 27, 1874, married Rose Warner; Chester W., born March 10,
1877, married Elby Murphy.
Thomas Keyes, Isaac Keyes, Thomas A. Keyes. Three generations
of productive industry and citizenship have been represented in Miami
county by the Keyes family. As farmers, soldiers, when their countries
called them, and as men of strict integrity and morality in their own
communities, they quietly but effectively have contributed to the sub-
stantial welfare of this county.
Thomas Keyes, the head of the first generation aud the founder of
the family name and fortunes in ^liami county, came to this locality
with his family in 1846, and was thus one of the pioneers who aided
during the primitive period of this county. His former home was in
Pickaway county. Ohio. Thomas Keyes was a splendid example of the
quality and upright character of the early settlers. He entered land
in Butler township from the government, his location being on what
was then known as the Miami Indiana Reservation. Moving into a
cabin home, he began clearing and improving the property, and in time
acquired a comfortable home and all the evidences of material prosper-
ity. For his generation Thomas Keyes was a man of superior educa-
tion, and his influence as an individual was a quality of high value for
the promotion of religion, morality and education in this vicinity. Dur-
ing the Civil war he vigorously advocated the preservation of the
Union and the abolition of the institution of slavery. Ill health pre-
vented his going in person to the front, but it was his pleasure to see
two of his sons put on the uniform of their (.•ouutry and give loyal
service in its behalf. These soldier sons were Thaddeus. a member of
the Eighty-Seventh Indiana Infantry, and William H., who served in
the One Hundred and Fifty-first Indiana Infantry. Thomas Keyes
spent the last years of his life much broken in health and died in 1873.
He was an active member of the Methodist church. He was twice mar-
ried and his first wife was Jeanette Barker, who was the mother of
two sons. His second wife was Mrs. Elizabeth (Oman) Jester, who at
the time of her marriage with Mr. Keyes had one daughter. By her
marriage to Mr. Keyes she became the mother of ten children.
Isaac Keyes, who was the oldest of the children of Thomas Keyes,
was born on the farm occupied by his parents near Circleville, Ohio.
When he was about ten years of age he was brought to ]\Iiami county,
and his education began in the pioneer schools of Ohio, where he con-
tinued as far as the primitive education of this locality would allow.
As a boy some of his early experiences were in helping to clear, grub,
plant and harvest the acres which had been hard won from the wilder-
ness, by himself, and his father and brothers. Throughout his own
career he occupied his time in agriculture. He married Julia Fansler,
who became the mother of five sons and two daughtei'S, all of whom are
now living except one son, William, who died in infancy. The life
of Isaac Keyes had in it that even quality and absence from abnormal
eventfulness which are the best manifestations of a happy and useful
career. He was noted for his untiring industry, and by his efforts he
acquired a quarter section of valuable land and other property, so that
his own life was well fortified with material prosperity and he pro-
vided well for his family. The characteristic most remembered was
his intense devotion to his home and his happiest hours were spent in
the companionship of his wife and children. In politics he was a Repub-
lican, but while always giving firm adherence to his political convic-
tions he was never a partisan, and allowed others the same right he
reserved for himself of thinking and acting according to the dictates of
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 569
conscience. For many years he was actively identified with the Meth-
odist church in his community, the services of this church being held
at the Keyes schoolhouse in Butler township. Commanding the esteem
and affection of a large circle of friends, he passed away in September,
1885, and his wife's death had occurred some time before.
Thomas A. Keyes, who is now prominent in the business and indus-
trial circles of Peru, was born in Butler township this county, October
27, 1862. His primary education was attained in the district schools
in the old Keyes school house which stood near his home. Subsequently
he supplemented this early instruction by private study under tutors,
so that he had finally procured the equivalent of a sophomoric university
education. When he was nineteen years of age he began teaching school,
and continued this occupation for eight winter terms, spending the in-
tervening summer months at farming. At the end of this time he had
acquired sufficient resources for the purpose of a forty-acre farm in his
native township, and thus established an independent home of his own.
After three years as a farmer, he engaged in mercantile business at
Amboy, in partnership with W. P. Miller. After that enterprise he
came to Peru, and took a place as clerk with the Peru Basket Company.
Four years later, he was advanced to the place of superintendent, and
since 1909 has been part owner and general manager of this important
establishment.
Mr. Keyes is in politics a Republican, and is affiliated with the Free
and Accepted Masons. On May 22, 1885, he married Miss Ida B. John-
son, a daughter of James L. and ]\Iary A. (Way) Johnson. Of the
three children of their marriage, the first two died in infancy, and the
only survivor is Earl Everett. The son is now pursuing a post-graduate
course in the University of Indiana at Bloomington, where he is also
instructor of public speaking. He is a very talented young man, and
spent one year of his collegiate life at Harvard University. Mr. and
Mrs. Keyes are both members of the Presbyterian church of Peru.
David Ridenour, M. D. From 1868 until his death in 1900, a res-
ident and a physician at Chili in Miami county, the life of the late Dr.
David Ridenour was a benefit and an inspiration to the people of his
community, and the memory of his services deserve lasting recognition
in the annals of this county. His work among the people of the com-
munity in which he had been a familiar figure for so long was of an
order imminently calculated to win him the respect and love of all,
and in those qualities his life was richly endowed.
Dr. David Ridenour was born in Franklin county, Ohio, March 7,
1831, a son of George and Mary Ridenour. As a young man he entered
Capital University from which he graduated with honors with a view to
preparing himself for the ministry of the Lutheran church. But he
soon found that his inclinations lay in the direction of medicine, and he
accordingly attended the Starling Medical College, from which he also
graduated. He practiced for a time at Aetna in Licking county, Ohio.
In 1856 moving to Payson, Illinois, he there met and married Miss Susan
Fisher. Mrs. Ridenour died in the fall of 1857, leaving one daughter,.
Emma. Dr. Ridenour returned to his native village in Ohio, and re-
entered the Starling Medical College, where he was graduated ]M. D.
in 1858. In the meantime, however, during the Civil war period he
had enlisted for the preservation of the Union in Company F of the
One Hundred and Thirty-Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was com-
missioned second assistant surgeon of the regiment, serving as such until
peace was declared.
On May 15, 1861, he married Abigal Y. Kitsmiller, and then con-
570 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
tinned his practice in Ohio until 1868, at which date he moved to lu-
wood, Indiana, but in July of the same year to Chili in Miami county,
where he continued in the active practice of his profession until his
death.
The late Dr. Ridenour was a man of decided opinions and strong
force of character. He joined the fraternity of Free and Accepted
Masons, contrary to the tenets of the religion of his parents, and was
ever afterwards a strong advocate of the doctrines of that organization.
He was a charter member of the lodge at Chili. He was held in high
esteem by the members of his profession, and his memory is undimmed
in the affections of those with wlioia he came in contact either as a
friend or as a physician. At the time of his death he was a member of
the Methodist church. To his second marriage three children were born,
namely: William L., David C, and Daisy L., the last being the wife
of Benjamin F. "Williams. The oldest child, William L., died in 1885.
Dr. David C. Ridenour, the only surviving son of the late Dr. David
Ridenour, was born at Chili in Richland township August 25, 1868. After
attendance and graduation at the graded schools of Chili, when nineteen
years of age he began his career as a teacher, an occupation which he
followed until 1890. During the last two years of this time, however, he
had been reading medicine under the direction of his father. Then in
September, 1890, he entered the Starling Medical College at Columbus,
Ohio. During the succeeding vacation period, he again studied and
accompanied his father on his rounds, and on March 3, 1892, was gradu-
ated with his medical degree from the Starling Medical College, and under
Prof. Starling Loving, who was the professor of his father in 1858. Dr.
Ridenour practiced then in association with his father at Chili until
December, 1893, at which date he was appointed resident surgeon at the
Wabash Railway Hospital in Peru. His practice in that connection
continued with several interruptions for a year and a half, and he then
located at Columbus, Ohio, but finally through the persuasion of his
family, he returned to Miami county and estalilished his office at Peru
in October, 1896. He has since enjoyed a distinctive place in the med-
ical fraternity of this city and of the county.
In connection with his profession Dr. Ridenour has given much
public spirited service. In 1897-1900 he served as secretary of the
board of health of Peru. He has also served as a clerk to the board of
pension examiners, since 1906. In 1904 he was elected to the office of
coroner of Miami county, and has the distinction of being the only Re-
publican ever elected to that office. He has held membership in the
County Medical Society and other professional bodies. He was made a
Master Mason in 1897, and was one of the organizers of the old social
order known as the Sexennial League. He and his wife attend the
Methodist church. On October 18, 1899, Dr. Ridenour married Beatrice
v., a daughter of John B. Sollitt, one of the oldest and best known
families of Peru. Thev are the parents of one daughter, Elizabeth
Abigal, born Februarv 29, 1904.
'^te'
IMiCHAEL P. CosTiN. A solid business enterprise of Peru is the Peru
Teaming Company, which has an interesting history of its own, and
which illustrates the progressive and hard working career of one of the
leading citizens. Something more than twenty years ago Mr. Costin
came to 4his city a man without influence, without capital, and estab-
lished a draying business on a very small scale. It was from that small
beginning that, entirely through his own persistent industries, has been
built up the present prosperous and extensive establishment comprised
under the name of the Peru Teaming Company.
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 57I
Michael P. Costin was born at Willow Springs in Cook County,
Illinois, on April 25, 1862. The oldest of the family, and bearing his
father's name, he was a member of a household comprising eight chil-
dren, five of whom are now living. Their parents were Michael P. and
Mary (Mallon) Costin, both of whom were natives of Ireland. The
father was born in County Waterford and the mother in County Tyrone.
The destinies of life caused them both to leave Ireland and locate in
Cook County, Illinois, where they became acquainted and their marriage
followed, being celebrated in Lockport, Illinois. The father was a
farmer, and both parents are now deceased.
As a boy Michael P. Costin attended the district schools as oppor-
tunity offered and his total attendance was for only a year or so. As
soon as old enough he l^egan working to contribute for his own and
the family welfare, and when fifteen years of age left home and began
employment with an ice company. Subsequently he became a driver
in the employ of the Arthur Dixon Teaming Company, and for General
Joseph Stockton in Chicago. About 1889, he bought a couple of outfits
and began teaming for a furniture company. After eighteen months
in this he sold his equipment and once more entered the employ of the
Dixon Company as a driver.
Mr. Costin 's wife had relatives in Peru and it was this influence
which brought him to this city in November, 1892. For a few months
he was clerk in the Betzner Grocery Store, and then for a time drove a
delivery wagon for Hugh IMcCaffrey. In July, 1893, he bought a team
and a dray and started out on independent venture. For many months
his fight for success was a hard one. He was a comparative stranger
in Peru and also had considerable competition to overcome. Further-
more he had very little capital at his disposal and among other troubles
which beset the beginning of his enterprise was the financial panic,
which almost stifled business during the early nineties. It is probable
that his subsequent success rested largely upon his willingues to under-
take any job no matter how dirty or difficult, and it was his motto in
those days to do whatever came to him according to the best of his
ability. In this way he gradually built up a steady and reliable patron-
age and many years ago was on the road to solid prosperity. In
September, 1900, he moved his headquarters to his present place of
business on Broadway and in January, 1903, John Tomey became a
partner by the purchase of a half interest in the firm. At this time
the establishment took the name of the Peru Teaming Company, and
that business has been regarded as one of the flourishing concerns of
the city ever since. Mr. Costin in January, 1913, extended his enter-
prise when he became a partner in the new undertaking firm of Craw-
ford, Costin & Company, this organization succeeding the old Crawford,
Drake & Hunt Company.
Mr. Costin is in politics a Democrat, and he and his family are com-
municants of the Catholic church. On October 17, 1888, he married
Miss Sadie Mackey. The ten children who have blessed their union are
named as follows : Margaret, deceased ; Cecelia ; James ; Genevieve ;
Gerald, deceased ; Eichard ; Joseph ; Dorothy ; Maurice and Roslyn.
Charles J. Ward. For a period upwards of half a century, Mr.
Ward has been closely identified with those activities which, constitute
the business and civic life of a community, and which in the aggregate
has made Miami county one of the most progressive counties in the state.
Mr. Ward is at the present time one of the county commissioners, and
his election to that office is a tribute to the substantial character of his
citizenship, and the place which he has so long held in the esteem of
572 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
his community. Mr. Ward is a native son of Richland township, and
has been identified with the farming interests of that locality, through-
out the greater part of his life..
C. J. Ward was born northwest of the village of Chili in Richland
township. May 30, 1848, a son of William and a grandsom of Daniel
Ward. His mother was Grace Ann Hill, a daughter of Willis Hill.
Grandfather Daniel Ward was one of the pioneers of IMiami county,
having located here about 1836, upon a tract of land in the wilderness
northwest of the present town of Chili. In the list of original land
entries in Miami county, as contained on file in the state offices will
be found the name of Daniel Ward as an entrant, and he went to the
land office at Eogansport to file his claim. Daniel Ward was a native
of Maryland, after growing up, having moved west and located first in
Wayne county, Indiana, where his son, William was born. When the
Ward family came to Miami county, hardly half a dozen years had
passed since the first settlement and organization of a county, and the
entire country was a wilderness. The Canal had not yet been built in
the Wabash Valley, and all trafftc was overland. Daniel Ward was one
of the men who sturdily wielded his ax in the clearing of the forest,
and he built one of the log cabins which have so often been described
as typical of pioneer existence. He remained in this county until he
was sixty-five years of age, then going to Wabash county and buying
a farm. He spent his declining years with his son John in Wabash,
Indiana, and was interred at Laketon, Indiana.
William Ward the father was a young man when he came to Miami
county, and started his independent career on a rented farm. After-
wards he bought eighty acres of the timberland, and built a log cabin
and barn, cleared away a portion of the heavy woods, and in a few
years had constituted himself and family a good homestead. He was
one of the old-timers of Miami county, who were faithful attendants
of church, believed in doing what was right by himself and his neigh-
bors, and worthily bore the responsiliilities of private and public nature.
He and his wife were members of the Christian church.
Mr. J. C. Ward, after the death of his father, enlarged the old home
place, and continued to live there for one year after his marriage. Then
in 1874 he built the home which he now occupies. When he started out
for himself he had twenty acres of land, and with that as a nucleus has
built up a fine property, so that he is now accorded recognition as
one of the most substantial men in Richland township. He possesses
three farms aggregating one hundred and eighty-one acres. Mr. Ward
is not a member of any church, though his wife is a Baptist. He be-
lieves in the practice of the Golden Rule, and by his strict integrity has
made a great many friends. He is influential in local affairs, and was
the organizer of the horse thief association in his locality, of which
association he has been a member for forty years. In 1909 he was elected
to the office of county commissioner, taking office in 1910, and has been
a member of the board down to the present time.
In 1873 Mr. Ward married i\Iiss Sarah Hersey, a daughter of Abner
Hersey. The five children of their marriage were: Emma J., wife of
Charles Black; Grace A., wife of Peter Pottinger; Truman H., married
Edna Kelsey ; Homer W., married June Murphy ; and ^liss Ruth. After
the death of his first wife, Mr. Ward married Laura IMiller, a daughter
of Rev. Samuel Miller. For his third wife Mr. Ward married Emma
Cunningham, daughter of William Cunningham, and Eliza (Williams)
Cunningham. To the third marriage has been born one child, Ralph
W. AVard. The estate of Mr. and Mrs. W\^rd is known as "Point View
Stock Farm."
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 573
Moses Puterbaugh and Eli Puterbaugh. It is now more than three-
score and ten years since the Puterbaugh family was established in the
valley of the Wabash. The head of the preceding generation was a
pioneer.^ a man whose industry was a contributing factor in the clearing
of the wilderness, and making of prosperous homes in this vicinity.
Of the second generation the two brothers named above have for more
than forty years been identified with the mercantile activities of Peru,
and among the honored old-time merchants and citizens of this city.
Moses Puterbaugh, the elder of these brothers, was born on a farm
seven miles west of Peru, in Cass county, August 24, 1843. His father
was Samuel Puterbaugh, a native of IMiami county, Ohio, where he
was reared and where he married Elizabeth Branson. He and his wife
coming overland in 1840, located upon land which he entered from the
government in Tipton township of Cass county, his homestead border-
ing upon the Miami county lines. It was there that he made his home
and followed farming for the most part during the remainder of his
days. This founder of the Puterbaugh family was a man of medium
height and weight, was a thrifty, hard-working and economical citizen,
belonged to the German Baptist faith, and was a Repulilican in polities,
after the founding of that political party. Throughout the community
in which he spent so many years his chief characteristic was that of
sterling honesty and a. quiet unassuming nature which brought him
friends and esteem though he never had any desire to take conspicuous
part in civic or social affairs. He and his wife became the parents of
thirteen children, seven of whom are now living. Samuel Puterl)augh
died in 1872, and his wife had passed away many years before in 1868.
Moses Puterbaugh, who was born on the Cass county homestead
three years after his father had settled there, spent his boyhood days
there and had arrived at sufficient age to assist in a part of the clearing
and other work involved in the development of the land. While he
attended the neighboring district log school house as occasion offered,
he spent much of his time in his youth in the planting and harvesting and
other labors incidental to early farming in Miami and Cass counties.
He finished his education in the schools of Kokomo, Peru and Logans-
port, and finally took a course at Greer's IBusiness College in Dayton,
Ohio. His regular position in life was that of teacher, and he taught
several terms of school in Cass, Miami and Pulaski counties. At differ-
ent times he also conducted private classes in penmanship.
The date of his arrival in Peru to become an active factor in local
business circles was in April, 1870, at which time he became associated
with James M. Stutesman and his brother Eli Puterbaugh in the hard-
ware business. Through ten years this association continued and then
was succeeded by the firm of Puterbaugh Brothers, who continued the
business until 1903, when it was sold to Betzner Brothers. In the mean-
time Mr. Puterbaugh had acquired a generous prosperity and had many
investments in this locality, which has since occupied his time and
attention. Mr. Puterbaugh is a Republican in politics, is a member of
the Presbyterian church, and on August 16, 1875, married Miss Caroline
Crowell of Peru.
]\rr. Eli Puterbaugh, brother of Moses, was born in Cass county, In-
diana, February 14, 1845, being two years his brother's junior. He has
always been associated with his brother in business, and their careers
have' been as nearly identical as possible. He attained his education
in the same schools, and after leaving school also taught penmanship and
regular school. He came, as already noted, to Peru in 1870, and engaged
in the hardware business and retired at the same date in order to look
after his other interests. Mr. Puterbaugh married Isabel Nieol and
574 HISTOEY OF MIAMI COUNTY
has one daughter. ]\Irs. Piiterbaiigh was horn in Illinois. Roek Island
county, was educated in common and high schocls. and at the age of
si:s:teen years began teaching school. In 1865 she came to Peru to attend
the high schools and later taught one term in district schools. She next
taught one year in Logansport, and then came to Peru where she taught
in the public and high schools for 18 years.
Anna Mary Elizabeth Betsner. The biographical annals of JMiaini
county contain the careers of many successful men in business and public
affairs. In most cases it is distinctly stated or implied that these suc-
cessful business men have been greatly influenced and helped on their
road to success by their mothers or wives. It will be of interest at this
point to touch more particulary upon the career of one Avom?n. who is
deserving of more than passing mention in the history of commercial
successes of Peru and the county. With this brief introduction a large
number of Peru residents would recognize that reference was being
made to Mrs. Anna Mary Elizabeth Betsner. who for forty-six years
has been a resident of this city. Born April 21, 1841, at Glandorf,
Province of Hanover, Germany, she is a daughter of Bernard and
Elizabeth (Englemeyer) Hamer. both of whom died in that country.
She was reared to womanhood in the land of her nativity, and having
a brother living in this country at Cincinnati. Ohio, she came to America
in May 1866. and with her brother's family, shortly after her arrival,
moved to Dayton. Ohio, Avhere she found employment in the family
of William Kransman. In September, 1866, she came with the Krans-
man family to Peru, and here on January 27, 1867, she married Jacob
Betsner, who was at the time a widower with two children.
Mr. Betsner was born ]\Iay 6, 1834, at Loerst, Province of Darmstadt,
Germany, and came with his mother to the United States about the same
year of his birth, locating on a farm on Washington township, ]Miami
county. His mother here married a ]\Ir. Beck. When a young man ]\Ir.
Betsner became a blacksmith's helper in the employ of the old Indian-
apolis. Peru & Chicago Railroad. In the fall of 1869, however, soon
after his marriage to Miss Hamer, and due to her influence, as will be
mentioned later, he embarked in the grocery business in Peru. With
the exception of the years from 1884 to 1888 he continued that line of
trade throughout the remainder of his life. He was a Catholic and a
Democrat, and having a genial temperament made friends easily and
had a large circle throughout his career. He died July 16. 1900. Mr,
Betsner was three times married. His first wife was ]\Iary Ann Kompert,
who bore him two children, namely: John A., now a grocer at Dayton,
Ohio; and Elizabeth, wife of John Fitzgerald of Chicago. No children
were born to his second marriage, the maiden name of that wife being
Elizabeth Weinreder. To his marriage with ]\Iiss Hamer, four children
have been born as follows : Mary B., now Sister Rose Cecile, who is in
the Convent of the Sisters of Providence near Terre Haute : Barbara
M. ; Jacob J., and Joseph F. The family are all of the Catholic religion.
Mrs. Betsner, whose name forms the subject of this sketch, occupies
a singular place in the commercial annals of Peru. Mr. Betsner at the
time of her marriage to him, was sadly in debt. ^Irs. Betsner could not
rest under the odium of debt, and accordingly took in washing, did
scrubbing and worked at any honest labor, no matter how menial to
cancel this obligation. Eventually this was accomplished. It was her
energetic mind that counseled Mr. Betsner to go into the grocery business
and it was largely through her help and keen business instincts that
made the humble beginning such a pronounced success. Through her
management she had become one of the largest individual tax payers
HISTORY OF ]\riAMI COUNTY 575
in Miami eoinity. In the fall of 1869, ]Mrs. Betsner started in the gro-
cery business in Pern. Indiana, at 115 South Broadway, and she lived
then over the store. She purchased the store at what is now known as
12 South Broadway, on July 10, 1871, moving there in May, 1873,
and she continued business there till 1884. In 1884 she retired from
the grocery business, but on the 5th of May, 1888, opened the present
store at 57 W. Main street, where she and her children are now located.
The Main street property was purchased on November 3, 1876. and in
1884 they built the store ad.joining. Mrs. Bestner and her children are
recognized as one of the best and most substantial families of Peru.
David E. Rhodes. As an active and successful attorney INIr. Rhodes
during the past eighteen years has occupied a prominent place in his
profession in IMiami county, and has had a varied and broad experience
as a lawyer in all departments of practice. The present firm of Law-
rence & Rhodes, of which he is the junior member is recognized as one
of the strongest law partnerships in active practice at Peru, and has
enjoyed a large and influential clientage.
David E. Rhodes is a native of this state, born on a farm in Fulton
county, August 17, 1869, a son of Joseph P. and Alma (Hoover) Rhodes.
Both sides of the family have long been identified with Indiana, and the
mother's people in particular were among the pioneers of this state.
Joseph P. Rhodes, the father, was a farmer by occupation and during
the war enlisted in Company A of the One Hundred and Fifty-fifth
Indiana Infantry, giving loyal service as a soldier for the preservation
of the Union. Both parents are now deceased. Mr. Rhodes spent his
boyhood on a farm where he acquired the physical vigor necessary to
success in any department of life, and olitained his education in the
district school near the old home. When he was seventeen years of
age he took one course in the Northern Indiana Normal School at Val-
paraiso. With that preparation he took up work as teacher and spent
the winter terms in teaching, and engaged in farming during the summer
until he was twenty years of age. At that time he had acciuired suf-
ficient capital to continue his education, and another year was spent in
the Valparaiso institution. After that he continued alternately in farm-
ing and teaching until he was twenty-three. Then he again entered the
Northern Indiana Normal School and at the end of two years and a
half had completed the scientific and teachers' courses, and in June,
1895, was graduated from the law department. In August of the same
year he began his practice at Peru, at first as a member of the law firm
of Larimer & Rhodes. This partnership was dissolved in 1897, and Mr.
Rhodes then remained by himself until 1901, at which time the present
firm of Lawrence & Rhodes was organized.
Mr. Rhodes is one of the broad-minded men of his profession and
has for many years been a keen student of local and national politics.
Up until 1912 he was actively identified with the Republican party
in both principles and policies. The belief was then forced upon him as
a positive conviction that the party was dominated by a group of
eastern leaders whose general tendencies were essentially retrogressive,
and after the memorable proceedings in the Republican Convention at
Chicago, he transferred his political allegiance to the new Progressive
faction and Avas one of the organizers of the Progressive party in
Indiana. He was chairman of the Progressive Organization for Miami
county.
On Christmas Day of 1895, Mr. Rhodes married Miss Edith Rooney
of Athens in Fulton county, Indiana, and they are the parents of two
sons, Russell R. and Teddy D.
576 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Elmer E. jNIitchell. In writing the commercial history of Peru
it is of interest to note that many of the men who are now regarded as
the most successful and substantial merchants began their careers at the
bottom, some as clerks, some as common laborers and in various other
capacities, which afforded each one an entrance to which he might
progress to higher achievements in business life. One of these present-
day successful merchants is Elmer E. Mitchell, who for more than
thirty years has been identified with the business district of Peru, and
is now at the head of a large baking establishment.
Mr. Mitchell was born at Lewisburg in Cass county on January 20.
1864. He was one of three children, all of whom are still living, whose
parents were Edward and Victoria (Fields) Mitchell. His father, a
carpenter by trade, during the latter part of his life devoted much of
his time to farming. In 1866 the family moved to Miami county, Ohio,
where the father died during the same year, and in 1875 the remaining
members of the family returned to Cass county, Indiana.
Mr. Mitchell was reared for the most part on a farm, and owing to
the early death of his father and to the requirements that each member
of the household should do something to contribute to the general sup-
port, he was early thrown largely on his own responsibilities, and as
a result his education was only such as could be obtained in the common
schools. When he was about seventeen years of age he began life's battle
on his own responsibility as a clerk in Dubb's bakery at Peru. This
was in 1882 and the beginning of his long connection with mercantile
affairs of this city. After about a year as a clerk, during which time
he had acquired a thorough familiarity -^^dth the business side of bak-
ing, he went into the bake shop and learned with equal thoroughness
the baker's trade. About 1895 he had progressed so far as to open a
shop for himself at 107 South Broadway. Mr. E. M. Lang was associated
with him in this enterprise. After a time he sold out and then returned
again to work at wages. His next venture in the Peru mercantile
field was in opening a store at 54 South Broadway, his partner being
Max Soatebier. Since 1899 Mr. Mitchell has been sole proprietor of his
business and at the present time operates two establishments; the one
at 54 South Broadway is largely devoted to the manufacture of bread,
and the one at 11 West Second street is where the pastry is made. Mr.
T^Iitchell has built up a large sale for his products, which have a
standard reputation over a large section of this part of Indiana, and
his wares are distributed in Peru and many adjoining lot-alities.
]Mr. Mitchell is in politics a Republican and is alSliated with the
Masonic order, the Knights of Pythias, the Order of Elks, the Fraternal
Order of Eagles, the Knights of the Maccabees, and the Moose. He was
married in 1885 to Miss Lillie M. King of Peru. They became the
parents of four children, namely : Two that died m infancy ; and Eldon
E. and Mary Gladys.
John B. Piiilapy. When John B. Philapy reached his legal major-
it}^ he withdrew from the farm home and turned his attention to the
lumber industry, in which he has ever since been successfully engaged.
He is now reckoned among the successful and prosperous business men
of Bunker Hill, with which he became identified in 1900 as manager of
the Bunker Hill Lumber Company, and it may be said to his credit as
the incumbent of that position that the business of the concern is four-
fold what it was in 1900, no inconsiderable increase, and one that has
resulted chiefly from his management and progressive ideas.
Mr. Philapy was born in Cass county, in Galveston, Indiana, on INIay
7, 1879, and is the son of James Henry and Emma A. (Fox) Philapy.
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 577
His paternal and maternal grandsires were Willard Philapy and Jacob
Fox, worthy men of their time. James Henry Philapy settled in Cass
county in 1868, or thereabouts, and continued to make that place his
home during" the remainder of his life.
Up to his twenty-first birthday, John B. Philapy remained at home,
and at that age started in the lumber business. He was first identified
thus in Galveston, but in the same year came to Bunker Hill where he
took over the management of the Bunker Hill Lumber Company, and
he has held that position continuously since that time. "With the passing
years he has made a steady advance in his knowledge of lumber and
conditions controlling and touching upon the market, so that he is one
of the well posted men of the county on lumber questions today. Under
his management the business of which he is in control has doubled,
trebled and quadrupled in the past ten 3'ears, and many important
changes have come to pass in the management of the plant. The location
of the plant has been changed and all the buildings are new, while the
lumber yard is continually increasing its capacity and output. It is
known to be one of the most complete and up-to-date yards in this section
of the state at the present time, and the company is a factor that must
be reckoned with when matters pertaining to their field come up for
consideration.
Mr. Philapy is a member of the Masonic fraternity, Bunker Hill
Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and the Chapter at Peru ; the Knights of Pjihias
of Bunker Hill, Lodge No. 299. and the Independent Order of Odd Fel-
lows. He has membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, and as
to his political connections, he is a Republican, and he has served as
councilman of Bunker Hill during two terms.
Mr. Philapy was married on December 28. 1904, to Miss Dottie L.
Ross, the daughter of Robert H. Ross and Johanna I. (Shaffer) Ross.
Four children have been born to them : Russell Ross, born February 1,
1906 ; Josephine Marian, born October 7. 1907 ; Robert Raymond, born
February 2, 1909, and James Edgar, born February 16. 1910. Robert
died at the age of two years.
Solomon A. Melcher. In the Peru shopping district one of the es-
ta))lishments which come in for special recognition is the wholesale
house of Solomon A. ]\Ielcher. who is engaged in the wholesale cigar,
tobacco, and confectionery business. Mr. Melcher was for a number of
years identified with the cigar manufacturing business in this city, and
several years ago established his present business which he has built
up to large and successful proportions.
Solomon A. Melcher was born in the city of Peru, September 2, 1868.
As a boy in this city he attended the public schools and when still
several years from his majority began an apprenticeship at the cigar
making trade. When he was twenty years of age he had become so
expert and was possessed of sufficient initiative to open a shop of his
own for the manufacture of cigars. This shop was located on the
second fioor of the Ream Block on East Main Street. He continued
manufacturing there until 1909, at which time he established his present
business of wholesaling smokers' articles and confectionery. The con-
fectionery branch of the business was added in 1912. As a private
citizen Mr. ^lelcher has in a quiet way identified himself with all the
commercial prosperity and public-spirited movements of Peru during
the last few years, and is a man whose support can be counted upon
for the advancement of every undertaking in behalf of the general
welfare.
In politics he is a Democrat, and is affiliated with the ^Masonic
578 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
order, the Iiidepeiulent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Order of Elks,
besides several local minor organizations.
At Peru on January 27, 1893, he married Miss Catherine Jordan.
They are the parents of two children : Rosa, now deceased, and Florence.
]\Iiss Florence Melcher became a member of the Presbyterian church
on the fiftieth anniversary of its organization, thus representing the
third generation of the family in this old church, her grandmother hav-
ing been one of the organizers of the church society back in pioneer
times. ^Ir. Melcher is one of the large family of children whose parents
were John and Lydia (Holman) Melcher. Both parents are still living
in Peru, and his father is at present time assessor for Peru township.
Timothy E. Dunn. Few men now in middle age are able to look
back upon a career as full of ups and downs and severe struggles with
chance and circmnstanee as can Timothy E. Dunn, presenty city clerk
of Peru. Mr. Dunn has resided in Peru for the greater part of the
last quarter of a century, and throughout this time has grown in the
respect and esteem of the community.
Timothy E. Dunn was born at Fitchburg, Massachusetts, April 2,
1866. a son of Timothy C. and Honora (Reardon) Dunn, the parents
Avere born and were married in Ireland, and came to America in 1852,
locating first at Fitchburg, ^Massachusetts, where the father was con-
nected for a time with the Fitchburg Paper Company. Subsequently
he engaged in manufacturing wiping waste. His death occurred in
Fitchburg a few years ago, and the mother of Timothy passed away
when he was a boy.
Timothy E. Dunn had the advantage of a high school education at
Fitchburg and graduated from the local schools before he took up the
practical work of life. He then began work for his father and was
employed in various capacities and at different places until he was
twenty-one years of age. In March, 1887, he first came to Peru, in which
city he made his home with his amit, 3Irs. Daniel Maloney. He became
agent for the United States Express Company, next was a clerk in a
grocery, and then was appointed freight agent for the Lake Erie &
Western R. R. at Kokomo, after which he was connected with various
positions in railroad service, both in Peru and elsewhere. In 1901 he
became barn foreman for Louis AYard in the livery business, and re-
mained with Mr. Ward until June, 1907. At that time he was appointed
superintendent of the Peru Water Works, and managed that municipal
utility until January, 1910. At the latter date began his service as
city clerk, an office to which he had been elected in 1909, and he has
held this important place in the municipal government down to the
present time.
The preceding is but a brief outline of Mr. Dunn's career. His
mother died when he was a small boy, and as he was unable to get along
agreeably with his step-mother, he began drifting around in various
places and working at various occupations when only a boy, and since
then has had a range of experiences such as the average man seldom
knows. In politics he is a Democrat and is a member of the Catholic
church.
John B. Sollitt, Elmer A. Sollitt, Ralph V. Sollitt. For more
than a quarter of a century the Sollitt family have been identified by
residence with Peru, and by the varied distinctions and achievements of
its members has conferred much credit upon local citizenship. The name
is well known in railway circles, the Wabash System having obtained
two of its most trusted and efficient officials from this family, and the
i
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 579
youngest representative of the name is now a rising young lawyer of
Peru.
John B. Sollitt, the head of the family, has for twenty-six years
been a resident of Peru, and during the same length of time has been
connected with the Wabash System as special agent. He was liorn in
Sheffield, England, on September 9, 1843, and received his father's
name. The maiden name of the mother was Hannah Dodd. The senior
John B. Sollitt with wife and family came to America in 1849, first
locating at Chicago, where he worked for a time at the butcher's trade,
and subsequently moving to Will county, Illinois, in 1855. In Will
county, where he and his wife passed the greater part of their remain-
ing years, he became very prominent as a citizen, and was successful
as a farmer and stock raiser. In many ways he was a remarkable
man and possessed unusual force of character and variety of accom-
plishments. During the Civil war and the years preceding the conflict
he was one of the most pronounced al)olitionists in his community. In
the annals of the old "underground" railway his home is mentioned
as one of the stations, where slaves brought under cover of night and
by friendly stealth from the southern borders of slavery, were con-
cealed during the day or during the vigilance of slave-hunting officials
and were then started out again upon their journeys to the borders of
Canada and freedom. In polities he was a Republican, though he
differed with the fundamental principles of the party on the doctrine
of free trade. At one time he served as chairman of the board of
supervisors of Will county, and in ]\Iasonry attained the thirty-second
degree of the Scottish rite.
John B. Sollitt was six years of age when the family came to
America and began his education in the public schools of Chicago, but
after the age of eleven, at which time the family removed to Will
county, he spent most of his time in assisting in the work of the home
farm and had few additional advantages at school. On February 26,
1868 he married Miss Jennie E. Sollitt. After that he established
a home for himself and engaged in farming until 1878. In the mean-
time he had taken an active interest in politics, and served in several local
ofifiees and also as county supervisor. After removing to Joliet he was
appointed deputy sheriff, and for several years continued to act in that
capacity. During the last thirty years his career has been extended
into a broad field of service. About 1883 he went into the southwest
and became manager of a large ranch and forage station, situated be-
tween Fort Apache and Holbrook in Arizona. He continued there
for three years, and it was during that time that the last great Indian
war of the southwest occurred, during the uprising of the famous
Indian Geronimo. From the southwest he came to Peru, his locating
here following his appointment as special railroad agent for the
Wabash Railroad, and he has now given a long period of efficient
service to the road in that capacity.
In politics Mr. Sollitt is a Republican, and has taken the Knights
Templar degrees of Masonry. The seven children born to himself and
wife are as follows: Jessie B., deceased; Delia E.. deceased; Elmer A.;
Beatrice V., now the wife of Dr. D. C. Ridenour; Mabel L., deceased;
Florence W., deceased, and Ralph V. Elmer A. Sollitt, the oldest
son, was born in AVill county, Illinois, January 20, 1874. but spent
most of his boyhood and began his career in Peru. It is a matter of
pride to Peru that it has produced so eminent a man in the railroad
field. Most of his schooling was obtained in the public schools of Peru,
and vrhen he began his career it was as office boy in the office of the
Division Superintendent of the Wabash Railroad in this city. His
580 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
various promotions marked the rapid rise of a successful railroad man.
He became locomotive fireman, then engineer and at the time was the
youngest engineer on the Wabash System. After this he next became
the youngest traveling engineer and fuel inspector for the road, and
next was promoted to train-master of the Moberly Division. He held a
similar position at Decatur, Illinois, then became assistant superintend-
ent of the Detroit Division with headquarters at Montpelier, Ohio.
His last promotion was as acting superintendent of the Buffalo and
Detroit Divisions with headquarters at Detroit, a position in which he
now gives his service to his road. Mr. Elmer A. Sollitt married Miss
Minnie J., a daughter of Solomon L. Shively of Peru.
Ralph V. Sollitt, youngest of the children of John B. Sollitt was
born in Peru, April 3, 1888. He was reared in this city and was grad-
uated from the high school in 1906. His early talents having indicated
his aptitude for professional life, he continued his education in the
Indiana State University at Bloomington where he was graduated
Bachelor of Arts in 1910, and after completing his law course was
graduated LL. B. from the same institution in 1911. In September
of the latter year, having been admitted to the Indiana bar, he was
taken in as a partner of Robert J. Loveland, one of the oldest and
ablest lawyers of Peru. The firm is now Loveland & Sollitt and Mr.
Sollitt has gained an early distinction in the Miami county bar. In
politics he is a Republican. He began making political speeches for the
Republican party in 1904 and in the campaign of 1910 made an extensive
tour of the state. While at college he was a member of the Phi Beta
Kappa and the Phi Delta Phi honorary fraternities. During the last
three years of his work at University, he served as instructor in charge
of the department of public speaking, being the youngest man who was
ever given this responsibility in the state university.
David Irw^n. The head of the old estal)lished real estate and in-
surance firm of David Irwin & Company, Mr. Irwin has been identified
with Peru in a successful and public spirited manner for many years,
and represents one of the old pioneer families of this locality. Mr.
Irwin is one of the men who can look back upon a boyhood during
which they began to rely upon their own efforts for advancement, and
from a time when his wages per day amounted to only a few cents until
he gained his first real start in life, Mr. Irwin encountered courageously
many obstacles and hardships in his career.
His father, Hezekiah Irwin came to Miami county in 1845 from
Huntington county, Pennsylvania. A plasterer by trade, he followed
that occupation throughout his career. Before coming to this county
he married Matilda Couchenour, and they were the parents of four
children, two of whom are now living. Hezekiah Irwin died in 1860
and his widow survived until 1903.
David Irwin, who was born in the city of Peru, January 27. 1847,
has always made this city his home. He was reared during a time when
the schools were not yet established on the public and free basis of
later times, and his education was attained from schools that were
supported by subscription. He also has the distinction of having at-
tended the first free school which was opened in this city. AYhen he was
fourteen years old he earned his first money, twenty-five cents per day,
by driving a horse in a wheat elevator. During two following seasons
he worked on a farm, and then learned the butchers trade. i\Ir. Irwin
followed the business of butchering, conducting a meat market, and
for twelve years he pre'sided over a business of his own in this city and
supplied a large patronage with the best products in his line.
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 581
In 1894 he was elected to the office of city clerk and held that posi-
tion four years. Since retiring from this office he has been engaged in
the general insurance, real estate and bonding business, antl his office
has been the medium for a large volume of transactions in those lines.
In politics Mr. Irwin is a Democrat, but maintains an independent
attitude so far as local affairs are concerned, and in every way is a
supporter and advocate of good government. Fraternally he is affil-
iated with the Masonic order and the Independent Order of Odd Fel-
lows, and his church is the Presbyterian. On September 28, 1876, he
married Miss Emma N. Stigleman, of Peru.
Albert Q. Gallahan. Secretary of the Peru IJuilding & Loan Asso-
ciation and a member of the insurance and real estate firm of David
Irwin & Company, Mr. Gallahan represents an important field of local
business enterprise and is one of the able and representative citizens
of the county seat.
He was born just across the Miami county line in Cass county,
October 22, 1871, being one of six children, four of whom are now living,
born to Nathan W. and Mary F. (Voorhis) Gallahan. The maternal
grandfather was H. N. Voorhis. Nathan W. Gallahan, who was a native
of Miami county, followed farming in this district all his life.
Albert Q. Gallahan was reared on the old home farm and received
his education in the public schools. When he was twenty-two years of
age he started out for himself, and began as a house painter. Soon
afterwards he developed his trade into a business proposition, and
began taking contracts for house painting. In August, 1895, he located
at Peru and in this city became identified with the grain and milling
business of Messrs. Mercer & Neal. Then in July, 1899, he became a
clerk in the local office of the Wabash Railway, and was connected with
the railway service in this city for twelve years. He resigned that
position in order to accept the secretary-ship of the Peru Building &
Loan Association, and at the same time formed his partnership with
David Irwin in the insurance and real estate business.
Mr. Gallahan is independent in politics and is a member of the
Presbyterian church. He is now secretary of the Peru-Miami Lodge No.
67, A. F. & A. M. He was married January 23, 1895, to Miss Luella
M. Stigleman. They are the parents of one daughter, Mary Irwin.
Elmer E. Gwinn. The customary movement of the American farmer
in seeking a new home is in the direction of the west or southwest or
northwest, but in recent years there has been a noteworthy tendency
of landowners in the state of Illinois and also of Indiana to move east-
ward, selecting lands in still older states. One of the newcomers in
Miami county, now a resident of Pipe Creek township is Mr. Elmer E.
Gwinn, who some five or six years ago bought a beautiful country place
in the township, and now makes it his permanent home and is engaged
in the development af its acreage as a modern stock farm.
Mr. Elmer E. Gwinn, who belongs to a pioneer family of the middle
west was born in Douglas county, Illinois, January 10, 1861. He is a
son of Andrew Gwinn, a grandson of Moses Gwinn, and a great-grandson
of Samuel Gwinn. The maiden name of his mother was Elizabeth
Sargent, and the name of his grandmother on his father's side was
Elizabeth Wilson, a daughter of Henry Wilson.
Andrew Gwinn, the father, was born in Virginia, April 3, 1836. and
when a young man went out to Douglas county, Illinois. He arrived
in that vicinity with a horse and bridle, and one hundred dollars in
cash. Though he started with little money, he had the ability of a
582 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
tlioroiigli l)u.siiK'ss man, and for some time was engaged in buying up
claims, whieli liad been taken up by people who at the time were dis-
couraged with existence in that part of the country, and who wanted
to get rid of their land, and either return to the east or go on further
west. By trading and purchase, Andrew Gwinn at one time owned
as high as thirty-one hundred acres of land. He was married in Douglas
county, and the thirteen children in his family are named as follows:
Louise Jane; Elizabeth Ann, deceased; Rachel Berry, deceased; Mary
Matilda; Thornton William; Andrew Louis, deceased; Lorenzo Howard,
deceased; Enos i'rather, deceased; Samuel C, deceased; John Wilson,
deceased; Oliver M., deceased; Elmer Ellsworth; and Virginia May.
The father was a very religious man and lived up to his creed. He was
an old-fashioned Methodist, and served as superintendent of the Sunday
school, and helped in all religious work, in Douglas county, he was
one of the foremost in organizing a Methodist society, and building its
first church. AVhen his neighbors abandoned the work of construction,
he not only gave additional tinancial aid, but also cut timber out of
his own woods, so that the church might be completed. This church was
built of logs. The first home in Illinois was also a log house. The
father was reared under circumstances which prevented his securing a
good education, and he began practical work when a young man, but
lived to enjoy excellent success and the esteem of all his coiunumity.
His death occurred in Illinois in September, 1905. Mr. Elmer E. Gwinn,
spent the first fifty-one years of his life on the old homestead in Illinois,
and he still owns between nine hundred and one thousand acres of
land in that state. He bought his present place in Pipe Creek township
about five years ago, and in November, 1911, moved here as his perma-
nent home. The farm consists of two hundred and fourteen acres, and
he owns about fifty acres adjoining. Mr. Gwinn has given much attention
to the breeding of shorthorn cattle and recently of the Polled Angus, and
of high grade horses, and is one of the most skillful stock raisers and
handlers of live stock in Miami county. He is a graduate of the Chicago
Veterinary College, with a diplonui in veterinary surgery, and has
practiced to some extent, though mostly has applied his skill in the treat-
ment of his own stock.
On December 12, 1894, Mr. Gwinn married Miss Emma Burkey, a
daughter of John Burkey, and a granddaughter of Jacob Burkey. Her
mother's maiden name was Julia Ann Redman. Her ancestry is Swiss
and German, "and her family were previously residents of Ohio. ]\Irs.
Gwinn is a native of the old Buckeye state of Ohio and was born Jime
22, 1869. She received a good practical education in the public schools,
and was also a student in high school. She is a cordial, genial lady and
has well filled her place as wife and mother. His beautiful houie is one
of the dearest places on earth to her.
Mr. and Mrs. Gwinn are the parents of one son, Andrew Burky
Gwinn, who was born in Douglas county, Illinois, Jul.y 17, 1899. He
received his diploma when he finished the eighth grade and is now a
student in the Bunker Hill high school. ]\ir. Gwinn and family are
members of the Methodist church, and he is affiliated with the Masonic
order of Bunker Hill, Indiana, and the Modern AVoodmen of America
at Oakland, 111. The pretty estate of I\Ir. and Mrs. Gwinn is known
as "Maple Hurst."
John T. Armitage. As a soldier, public official, business man and
lawyer, the cai-eer of Air. Armitage has been one of varied experience
and exceptional interest. He has been a resident of Peru for more than
forty-five years, is one of the best knowii citizens, and has identified him-
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 583
self closely with the progress and development of this city since the time
of the war.
John T. Armitage was born on a farm in Jay county, Indiana, on
July 17, 1848, and is a son of Seth and Louisa (fimberlake) Armitage.
Reared in his native county, he attained a primary education in the
district schools and subsequently attended an Academy. From the time
he was thirteen years old the war between the states was in progress,
and with such mighty events occurring he found it almost impossible
to direct his attention to the prosy studies and early in the war made
two attempts to join the army. In each instance his service was rejected,
but on November, 1863. he succeeded in getting himself enrolled in
Comi)any B of the Eleventh Indiana Cavalry. He was sent to the
south in time to see service under General George H. Thomas in the
last great campaign through Tennessee, and his first important engage-
ment was at Franklin, one of the hardest fought and most sanguinary
battles of the entire war. After that he was with the forces which fol-
lowed up Hood's receding army into Alabama and Mississippi and was
engaged in general cavalry service under the declaration of peace. His
taste for military life was given ample satisfaction, since his service
continued for some time after the close of the Civil war. At Eastport,
Mississippi, his command was conveyed by boat to St. Louis, during
the spring of 1865, in that city new mounts were supplied, and from
there the cavalry proceeded across Missouri into Western Kansas, where
they were posted upon the frontier. It was a rare experience and one
that few men of the present time have witnessed, to have served along
the Avestern borders of American civilization during the late sixties. His
service consisted chiefly in the guarding of immigrant trains, in doing
the post duty, and in keeping the Indian tribes in proper subjection.
The buffalo herds at that time were still the monarchs of the prairies,
and it was his lot to witness these countless droves in their feeding and
in their passage from one range to the other. At the conclusion of this
service he received an honorable discharge at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas,
September 19, 1865. j\Ir. Armitage belongs to a military family, being
one of four brothers who served the Union cause during the Civil war.
Two of these died in service, and two are still living.
Upon his return home Mr. Armitage learned the trade of carpenter
and followed that occupation for several years. He located at Peru
in 1867, and in this city engaged chiefly in the insurance business.
During that employment he took up the study of law, was finally fitted
for his examination and was admitted to the-bar in 1899. Since then he
has been engaged in practice and has enjoyed a fair share of the local
clientage. In 1900 he was elected to the office of prosecuting attorney,
and served as such for one term. Mr. Armitage is a Republican in
politics, is a popular member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and
also affiliates with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
On December 30, 1869, he married JNIiss Louisa V. Vandevender, and
they are the parents of two children, namely. Pearl E. and Gracie. Mr.
and Mrs. Armitage l)oth worship in the Methodist church.
Brenton Webster Lockridge. The Lockridge family has been
identified with Miami county since the decade of the thirties. Its
members bore their full share of the w^ork during pioneer times in clear-
ing the forest and making homes in what was then a wilderness, and
in later generations the family has been honorably represented in the
agricultural and business activities, in the professional and public
affairs, and one of the best known and most respected names of Miami
county is that of Lockridge..
Vol 11—10
584 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Brentoii AA^ebster Lockridge, now residing in Peru, was born in
Richland township, ]\Iiami county, May 29, 1850. James Allen Lock-
ridge, his father, was born in A^irginia, in 1818, and came to ]\Iiami
county. Indiana, in the latter part of the thirties. He bought land in
Richland township. He was a man of superior education for those days
and had taught school in his native state. AA^hen coming here the
county was yet in a primitive condition and he participated actively
in the transformation period that caused this locality to immerge from
its wild condition and become a popular and prosperous community.
James A. Lockridge was noted as a hunter, and was known to have
brought in three deer as his showing for a day's work. On October
5, 1837, he married Xancy Hall, who died August 10, 18-15, after being
the mother of four children. On January 16, 1847, her husband married
Mrs. Delana (Butler) Taekett, and they were the parents of six children.
Mr. Lockridge passed away on February 22, 1856. but his widow sur-
vived until February 15. 1899. They were ^Methodists in religion.
"Brenton AVebster Lockridge was born to his father's second marriage
and has always made his home in Miami county, with farming as his
regular vocation. AA^hen a boy he attended the neighboring district
schools at a_time when he could be spared from helping in the farm
work. He continued to reside on the farm until September. 1903,
when he moved to Peru, which has since been his home.
On March 11. 1875. he married ^liss Charlotte A. AVray. and the
following are their children : ]\Iaude. who died when sixteen years old ;
Ross F., now attorney for the State Board of Corrections and Charities
at Shawnee, Oklahoma, formerly principal of the high school at Peru,
and also ex-judge of the Circuit Court of Pottawatomie county,
Oklahoma : Robert Bruce, who served a period of enlistment in the
Spanish-American war, and who lacked but one term of graduation
from the Indiana State I'uiversity when he was aecidently killed during
a track meet at Louisville, Kentucky ; George, who died when one year
old, and Ray, who died at the age of eight years ; Earle B., and Marie
Delane.
Earle B. Lockridge. an ex-surveyor of Aliami county, and well known
as an engineer, was born on the same farm as his father, in Richland
township. Aliami county, on July 7, 1885. He attended the Roann
high school for three years and in 1903 was graduated from the Peru
high school. In the fall of the same year he entered the State Uni-
versity at Bloomington, where he specialized in mathematics. He
engaged in teaching during' the fall and winter of 1905, then reentered
State University and during his university career was employed as
assistant in the engineer's office at Bloomington. In 1906 he was
nominated on the Democratic ticket for the office of county surveyor
of Miami county, being still a minor at the time of the nomination. He
was elected only a few weeks after he had passed his twenty-first birth-
day, and was reelected in 1908 and again in 1910. ]\Ir. Lockridge
resides with his parents in Peru, and is affiliated ^^^th the Alasonic
Lodge of this city. The grandfather of Earle B. and father of B. AV.
Lockridge. also followed the profession of surveying, and the grandson
has in his possession a surveyor's book published in 1821.
jVIichael Burke. A life that has been marked by definite and worthy
achievement and by impregnable integrity of purpose is that of this
well known and highly esteemed citizen and representative ])usiness
man of Peru, where he is a successful contractor in street and sewer
construction and improvement. He is one of the sterling and amliitious
men given to America by the fair old Emerald Isle, and while he owes
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 585
and accords loyalty to the land of his nativity he is most insistently
appreciative of the institutions and advantages of that of his adoption,
and stands exemplar of the staunchest of American citizenship.
Mr. Burke was born in tine old county Tipperary, Ireland, on the
18th of November, 1852, and is a son of Cornelius and Catherine
(O'Meara) Burke, both likewise natives of county Tipperary and repre-
sentatives of staunch old Irish stock. Of the seven children all are living
except one. Michael Burke was reared on a farm in his native county
and his educational advantages in his boyhood and youth were those of
the national schools of Ireland. His loved and devoted mother died on the
10th of October, 1863, when he was a lad of about eleven years, and in
1871 the family severed the ties that bound them to the Emerald Isle and
came to America. They landed in the port of New York city and a few
days later went to Toronto, Canada, where they remained a few months,
at the expiration of which, in the autumn of 1871, they came to Indiana
and established a home in Peru. Here the father passed the residue of
his life, a man of uprightness and alert mentality, and here his death
occurred on the 16th of October, 1885, both he and his wife having been
devout communicants of the Catholic church and their children having
been carefully reared in the faith of this noble mother of Christendom.
A sturdy youth of about nineteen years at the time when the family
home was established in Peru. i\Iichael Burke soon obtained employment
in connection with railway service, and for five years he was thus en-
gaged in the blacksmith shops of the AVabash and the Indianapolis, Peru
& Chicago railroads. His next occupation was in the employ of Jeremiah
Morrissey, who was engaged in pu1)lie contract work and for whom Air.
Burke eventually became foreman. His effective services gained to
him the confidence and high regard of Mr. Morrissey, and he was eventu-
ally admitted to partnership in the business, of which he became the
general manager. About the year 1884 he began contracting in an en-
tirely independent way, and through eft'ective and honest work in the
handling of all contracts he built up a substantial and profitable enter-
prise, which he continued in an individual way until 1898, when Moses
Rosenthal was admitted to partnership, under the firm name of Burke
& Rosenthal. This alliance continued until 1901, at the death of Mr.
Rosenthal, and Mr. Burke since that time has been without a partner.
The firm has done a large amount of important contract work, especially
along the line of public improvements, with the result that it has become
one of the foremost of its kind in this section of the state. The principal
lines of the excellent sewerage system of Peru were installed under
contract by Mr. Burke and other public utilities have been signally
furthered through his effective interposition in the handling of important
contracts.
Since 1903 the firm of Burke & Rosenthal has also conducted a thriv-
ing business in the handling of coal, wood, cement, sewer pipe, etc., and
its members are known and honored as progressive and representative
business men of Miami county. Mr. Burke is essentially liberal and
public-spirited and takes deep interest in all that touches the welfare
of his home city and county, especially in view of the fact that here he
has found opportunity for the gaining of definite success and pros-
perity through well directed endeavor. He is a stalwart in the camp
of the Democratic party and since 1909 he has served as earnest and
valued member of the Peru board of education.
On the 3d of May, 1881, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Burke
to Miss Anna O'Brien, daughter of James O'Brien, of Wabash county,
and the three children of this union are Catherine, Mary and Cornelius
James.
586 ' HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Reuben C. Harrison and Benton Harrison. A history of Miami
county will best fulfill its purposes which preserves an enduring record of
the largest number of careers of those men who as pioneers, as original
settlers, laid the foundations of the solid prosperity and affluence which
this western country has in recent years proceeded to enjoy as a harvest
of early toil and hardships. Among the names most entitled to the dis-
tinction of such record is that of Harrison, which has been identified
with ^liami county for more than seventy-five j'cars. In the three quar-
ters of a century which elapsed since the first of the name located in this
county, practically all the development of progress and civilization have
taken place and have been consummated in this region.
Reuben C. Harrison, who settled in the woods of Richland township
of Miami county in 1837, was born February 2, 1805 in Cynthiana, Har-
rison county, Kentucky, and was a son of Lawrence Harrison. Lawrence
Harrison had served the colonies as a captain during their struggle for
independence. Few families have been more intimately identified with
pioneer movements in America than that of the Harrisons. The original
seat of the family was in Virginia, and from that old commonwealth,
after the Revolution, members of the family moved over the Alleganies
into Kentucky during the dark and bloody days of that state. They
settled in that portion of Kentucky which now has a county memorial-
izing the name Harrison. Lawrence Harrison, the Revolutionary pa-
triot, was an own cousin of William Henry Harrison, the hero of Tip-
pecanoe and subsequently president of the United States. Lawrence
Harrison died in Kentucky, and by his marriage with ]\Iary IMoore
were born four children. One of their sons. William, served in the
war of 1812.
Reuben C. Harrison, the third in the family, spent the first sixteen
years of his life in his native state, and all the education that he acquired
was that obtained by observation and self study. At the age of sixteen
he went to Louisiana, where for several years he w^as engaged ija chop-
ping wood on Folly Island on the ^Mississippi river. This wood was
used by the steamboats Avhich plied up and down that great chain. He
then came up the Mississippi Valley as far as Galena, Illinois, where
he was engaged at work in the lead mines. His next removal was to
Warren county, Ohio, where he was employed as a "framer." This
name has very obscure meaning at the present time, and the occupation
is practically unknown at the present day. The work of a framer con-
sisted in preparing the frame work in connection with carpentering.
While engaged in that occupation in Warren county, Ohio, Reuben C.
Harrison married in December, 1830, Judith A. Keever. The two chil-
dren born to them during their residence in Ohio were William J. and
Julia A. They subsequently moved to Wayne county, Indiana, and
from there in 1837 to Richmond township, ]\Iiami county.
In that township he bought eighty acres of school land, a tract
that was heavily timbered, and there in the midst of the dense woods
began his pioneer efforts in making a home. He built a log cabin which
was the first shelter of himself and family, and when that work_ of
necessity was completed, he began clearing the timber and grubbing
the stumps in preparation for planting a crop. The round-log cabin
eventually gave place to a more pretentious hewed log house, and that
in time to more modern and comfortable structures.
Reuben C. Harrison along with his hard pioneer work also took
an active part in public affairs. During his residence in Ohio, on August
22, 1831, he was appointed by Governor ^McArthur as captain of the
Seventh Company, Second Regiment, Second Brigade in the First Divi-
sion of the Ohio State Militia. Both physically and mentally he was the
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HISTORY OF I\IIAMI COUNTY 587
type of man which the modern student likes to associate with the repre-
sentative old settler. He was more than six feet in height in his stocking
feet, w^as broad shouldered, rather spare of flesh and though his hair was
black, his complexion was fair, and his beard sandy and eyes grey. In
politics he gave lifelong allegiance to the Democratic party. In 1840,
after his settlement in Miami county, he served as tax collector. In the
possession of his son Benton there is a receipt dated December 23, 1840,
from the State Auditor, for the amount $495.15, showing the amount paid
by him and credited by the state department. In November, 1842, he was
elected a justice of the peace and commissioned as such by Governor
Bigger. Then in 1848 he was elected and commissioned by Governor
Whitcomb as probate judge of Miami county. He held that office until
the position of probate judge was abolished under a new law. As a result
of his service as probate judge he was ever afterwards almost universally
known as Judge Harrison. In 1856 he was elected to the state legis-
lature. He held the office of county commissioner in 1868, and continued
in the same office by reelection for six years.
Reuben C. Harrison passed away on March 15, 1881, and in his death
Miami county lost one of its finest types of pioneer citizens. His wife
died August 1, 1886. After their settlement in Miami county six chil-
dren were born to them, in addition to the two already named, these
six being as follows : Mary J., Thomas Stanford, Frances, Benton,
Lawrence and Ida M. Of all the children, only two are now living,
namely, Benton and Ida M. The parents had a long and felicitous mar-
ried life, and one of the impressive events in the social circle of their
old home community was the celebration of their golden wedding on
December 2, 1880.
Mr. Benton Harrison, the last surviving son of the pioneer above
sketched, was born on the old home farm in Richland township on June
22, 1845. As a boy he grew up and came to know by actual experience
much that was typical of pioneer life in this county. He attained his
education from the neighboring schools, such as were then provided, and
at the age of twenty-one started out for himself Iw renting his father's
farm.
On February 1, 1872, he married Melissa A. Nicholson, a daughter of
George and Emily (Beers) Nicholson, of Erie township, Miami county.
In 1873 they moved to the farm of George Nicholson, Mr. Harrison's
father-in-law, in Erie township, and as a renter operated that place
until 1875 at which time the thrift and industry of himself and wife
had enabled them to procure a farm of their own consisting of one hun-
dred and sixty-four acres in Erie township. That remained his home
continuously up to 1902 at which date he sold the old place and bought
one hundred and thirty-three acres in Cass county. Though he has since
owned the Cass county farm, he has not resided there but has made his
home in a comfortable residence at Peru.
Mr. Harrison in 1882 served as assessor of Erie township, and in
1884 was elected township trustee, being reelected in 1886 and serving
four years altogether. He has always been an active supporter of the
Democratic party. He is affiliated with the Masonic Order. Mr. and
Mrs. Harrison are the parents of seven children, namely: William J.,
Jessie, now deceased; Reuben C. ; Emily M. ; George W., deceased;
Julia A. ; and Leona May, now the wife of Russell Packard, of Detroit.
Samuel Raber and Solomon D. Raber. Among those sturdy, ener-
getic men who put up the sign posts of civilization in Indiana, Samuel
Raber, of Miami county, is indeed worthy of mention. Settling in this
section in an early day he won the regard and respect of everyone by
588 HISTORY OF MIA]\II COUNTY
his strong character, his devotion to duty, his honesty and uprightness
and his respect for the rights of others. He lived his entire life as a
farmer also carpenter and joiner by trade in this section and he was
successful in a worldly way. It was his pardonable boast that he always
made good in anything he undertook, and that this was true was due
to the fact that he went into everything with a fixed determination to
win. His death was a great loss to the county and the township with
whose affairs be was for so long identified.
Samuel Raber was born in Schuykill county, Pennsylvania, on the
12th of July, 1834. His father was a farmer and he grew to manhood
on the farm, but he learned the trade of a carpenter and in his early
life he combined carpentry wdth farming. In the spring of 1854 he, in
company with two other young men, set out for the West, their desti-
nation being Council Bluff's, Iowa, which was at that time one of the
trading posts of the frontier. He had ahout four hundred dollars in
his pocket, this being the pro(2eeds of the time which he had 'spent as a
carpenter in a ship yard in Pennsylvania. On his way he stopped in
Miami county, Indiana, to visit some old friends, and while here 'he
renewed his acquaintance with ^Miss Sarah Ann See, a daughter of Charles
See, w'ho had come from the East and settled here a number of years
before. The attractions of this young lady proved stronger than the
wilderness ahead of him, and on June 19, 1856, the.y were married.
Buying eighty acres of land in Union township, he settled down to the
work of clearing and improving the land and establishing a home. Here
he passed the remainder of his life, becoming one of the leading citizens
of the communit}'. He and his wife became the parents of twelve chil-
dren, eight sons and four daughters, and the remarkable feature about
this is that with the exception of one daughter who died in early child-
hood, all of these children are now living. The mother died on the l5th
of March, 1886. She was a member of the Lutheran church as was her
husband, and she was typical of those strong, self-reliant frontier women
who were the mothers of the best of our iNIiddle Western men of today.
On June 19, 1887, ISlr. Raber was again married, his wife being Miss
Catherine English, who has since died.
In politics i\Ir. Raber was a member of the Democratic party, but
his farm and the care of his large family occupied his time to the exclu-
sion of any active political part he might have played. He died on the
17th of May, 1898, and both he and his wife are buried in the Weasaw
Church cemetery.
Solomon D. Raber, the fourth son of Samuel Raber, holds the same
place in the regard of the community as his father did before him. A
farmer and stock raiser by occupation, ]\Ir. Raber has become very suc-
cessful, and is interested in business enterprises outside of the above.
Bom and educated in this section of the state he has made many friends,
and has the good wishes and esteem of all.
Solomon D. Raber was born on the 30th of August, 1863, in Union
township, Miami county, Indiana. He grew up on his father's farm
and attended the district schools in that vicinity. He learned
carpentry and being ambitious for more of an education than the district
schools could give him he entered the Northern Indiana Normal School
at Valparaiso attending this institution for two winter terms and paying
his expenses by carpentry and in fact by any odd jobs which he could
find to do. When he was about eighteen years of age he started out in
life on his own account, and for a number of years he worked on the
farm and at the carpenter's bench.
After his marriage he devoted himself exclusively to farming and
stock raising. He now owns about four hundred and fifty acres of
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 589
land and he is one of the largest stock raisers in Miami county. He is
a stock holder in the Denver Home Telephone Company and is always
keenly interested in any business enterprise that will be for the good of
the people of this section. He belongs to the Lutheran church and in
politics is a member of the Democratic party. In the fraternal world
he is a member of the Knights of the Maccabees.
Mr. Raber was married on the 10th of February, 1889, to Miss Minerva
Brower, a daughter of John Brower, who is given further mention else-
where in this volume. Three sons have been born to t'liis union, namely,
Harry B., Clarence and Charles. The pretty homestead of Mr. and
Mrs. Raber is known as ' ' The Weasaw Reserve Stock Farm. ' '
George L. Murden and Jesse L. Murden. For many years the name
Murden has been prominently and honorably identified with the business
enterprise of Peru. The firm of G. L. Murden & Son now has a large
automobile business in this city, and Mr. Jesse L. Murden is prominent
in financial affairs as secretary of the Home Savings & Loan Association.
Of pioneer Miami families none is entitled to more special distinction
than that of Murden, since it has been continuously identified by resi-
dence and activities in this county for eighty years. Charles and
Martha (Williams) Murden, the founders of the family in this region
came from Maryland and located in Indiana in 1833 and the following
year took up their residence in the wilderness of Miami county, their first
home being established near the present village of Mexico. They were
the parents of thirteen children, most of whom in turn established homes
and families of their own, so that the progeny of the Murden stock is
well distributed throughout this section of the state and has always
carried excellent qualities of manhood and social character.
In the next generation after Charles Murden was Thomas William
Murden, father and grandfather respectively of the two gentlemen whose
names are given above. He was born in Maryland, September 25, 1822
and was about twelve years of age when the family located in Miami
county. On August 15, 1844, he married Cynthia Ann Smith, who was
born November 13, 1826, daughter of Thomas and Catherine Smith, the
former a native of Kentucky and the latter of North Carolina. Thomas
Smith and family introduce another pioneer name in this history, since
they settled in Miami county in 1830, several years previous to the
location of the IMurdens in this vicinity. Their first home was a short
distance south of the village of Mexico, but they moved to Chili, in this
county. Thomas Smith remained in that vicinity until his death on
February 28, 1865, and he and his wife were the parents of fifteen
children. Thomas W. Murden and wife, in December, 1846, settled
near ]\IeGrawville, in this county. After some years of residence there
they moved in March 1860 to a farm in Clay township, and that was
the permanent home of the family for many years. On that old place
Thomas W. Murden died August 13, 1895, when seventy-three years
of age, and after fifty-one years of happy married companionship. He
and his wife were the parents of te)i children, nine of whom grew to
mature ye^ars. The names of this family were as follows: Mrs. Ann
Hutchinson ; Mrs. Catherine Erb ; Irvin ; George L. ; Philora, wife
of C. Bayless ; Oliver S. ; Rebecca Ann, wife of Daniel F. Deish ; Mrs.
Elizabeth Ann Feiser; William died at age of thirty-three; and Mary
Adelle, who died in infancy.
On the old homestead in Clay township of this county, George L.
Murden was born September 6, i860, and has spent practically all his
life in this county. After attending school and getting the experiences
of youth on the home farm, he went to Pei*u and engaged in the livery
590 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
business with which his name was for many years identified. He mar-
ried Miss Hettie B. Hamilton. They became the parents of three
sons. JMr. and Mrs. Mnrden both reside in Peru at the present time.
Jesse L. Murden who is the only survivor of the three children
born to his parents, was born in Clay township of this county. January
11. 1886. Since he was about one year of ag(% he has spent all his
life in Peru, and obtained his education in the public schools of this
city. His career, is one of self-advancement, and from an early age
he exhibited a strong independence and self-reliance of spirit. When
he was twelve years old he established a little shop for confectionery and
ice cream on Grant Street and carried on cpiite a prosperous Inisiness
there each summer. During the winter following he went to school and
also carried the evening Journal as a means of contributing to his
private exchec[uer. In this alternation of pursuits he continued for
about six years, and then having arrived at independent years became
associated with his father in the livery business. For four years they
were both engaged in the confectionary business in this city, but with
that exception the livery establishment under the name of Murden was
continued in this city for nearly twenty-six years. In 1912 the father
and son disposed of the livery and have since conducted an automobile
garage.
In April, 1912, Mr. Jesse L. Murden became secretary of the local
chapter of the Loyal Order of Moose. He is also affiliated with the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the
Order of Elks. He represents the American Surety Company of New
York, which bonds all the officers of all the subordinate lodges of The
Loyal Order of Moose throughout the United States. His church is the
Methodist, and in politics he is a Republican. On November 15, 1910,
Mr. Murden married Mary K. Radel and they are the parents of one
daughter, Mary C. Ruth.
Frank Fisher. No finer work is being carried on in Mexico than
that of Elder Frank Fisher, who has for yeai's been actively identified
with the Old Folks' and Orphan Children's Home of the Church of the
Brethren of the Middle District of Indiana, with its location at Mexico,
Indiana. Elder Fisher is a native of Monticello, White county, Indiana,
born near Camden, Indiana, on November 29, 1856, and is one of the
five children of Benjamin R. Fisher and his wife, Lydia (Barnard)
Fisher. Benjamin Fisher was born in Virginia, and was a son of David
Fisher, also a native born Virginian, and a man of German ancestry.
Concerning the latter, it may be said that David Fisher and his
family emigrated to Carroll county, Indiana, subsequently moving to
White county, where both he and his son, Benjamin R. Fisher, the
father of the subject, passed their closing days. David Fisher was
an elder of the Church of The Brethren and he became widely known
as a preacher and missionary of that denomination. A firm believer in
the doctrines of his church, he was long active in his work of preaching
the 1)rotherhood of man, and he ardently opposed the going to law for
legal redress and all war and strife, ^^'hile he stanchly upheld the
anti-slavery theories then gaining a foothold, and was a firm advocate
of temperance in all things.
Elder Frank Fisher is the eldest of the five children born to his
parents, all of whom are living today. When he was ten years old his
father died and from that time until manhood he remained on the home
farm in AVhite county, assisting his mother as far as he was able in
providing for the younger members of the family. His education was
thus necessarily limited to a few seasons of attendance at the country
HISTORY OF MIAI\II COUNTY 591
scliools, l)nt he was aml)itio\is to stiuly and advance himself in hook lore,
and it is to his undying credit that he lahored strenuously at farm work
to earn the money that made possible his passage through the Monti-
cello high school. For eleven terms thereafter he taught public school,
and he was known for a successful and competent school-master in his
time.
In 1881 Mr. Fisher married and following that event he engaged in
farming in White county, continuing in the work until the fall of 1889,
when he came to Mexico to take charge of the Old Folks' and Orphan
Children's Home. In about 1893 he sold his White county farm and
later bought land in Miami county, where he is now the owner of a fine
place of one hundred and twenty-eight acres in Jefferson township, aoid
this he operates successfully in connection with his other work. He was
ordained a minister of the Church of The Brethren in 1884, and
since 1905 he has been an Elder of this church. Since becoming a
resident of Miami county he has been actively identified with church
and charitable work, and for all those institutions that stand for good
in any community.
As has been mentioned, Elder Fisher was married on March 6, 1881,
to Lilla J. Reiff, the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Klechner)
Reiff, natives of the state of Pennsylvania.
George Bair and James S. Bair. No race has contributed more to
the strength of this county than has the German, and the Bair family
of Miami county, Indiana, are typical representatives of this race,
although the original ancestor who came to this country dates many gen-
erations back. George Bair, now deceased, settled in this county in
pioneer days, and was one of the men who, blessed with an education,
did so much to make the lives of the early pioneer settlers easier, being
both a teacher and preacher, as well as a practical and successful farmer.
His son, James S. Bair, is now the only representative of the family
in this county, and he is one of its leading citizens, not only in a business
way but also in the public life of the community, for he is both public
spirited and gifted with unusual executive ability.
George Bair was born in Botetourt county, Virginia, on the 1st of
January, 1812. a son of Henry Bair, who was a native of Maryland and
of German ancestry. George Bair was reared in his native state and
there received a good education, practical as well as scholarly. He
taught school and also farmed in Virginia and then he married Catharine
Crumpaeker. With the old spirit that brought their ancestors across
the seas these two with their little family determined to go further west
and so in October, 1857, arrived in Miami county, Indiana. Here they
determined to locate and Mr. Bair bought eighty acres in the north-west
part of section 30, in Jefferson township, during the following year.
He built thereon a double log house and a log barn and set to work
to clear and improve his property. In the winters when there was
little work he taught school and he was also a preacher of the German
Baptist church. He and his wife became the parents of six children,
as follows : Mary Jane, Lewis E., Ann, James S., Jonas B. and Catharine
E. :\Ir. Bair died on the 24th of August, 1864, and his wife passed away
on June 3, 1856.
James S. Bair was born in Virginia, on the 13th of November, 1848,
and was thus nearly nine years old when he came with his parents in a
great canvas-covered wagon to Miami county. He grew up on his father's
backwoods farm and received his education in the district schools.
Mr. Bair at the age of sixteen fouud himself on orphan and he and
his brothers set to work to support the family. They operated the
592 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
old farm, and in this work James S. Bair was engaged until 1872. Dur-
ing the latter year he farmed on rented land in Pulton county, and then
he returned to Miami county where he bought the old homestead in
Jefferson township. He resided on the farm until September, 1906,
when he removed to Mexico, Indiana, and there he has since resided.
Since 1907 he has been the manager of the Mexico Home Telephone
Company, and he has also been kept busy in looking after his farming
interests.
In politics Mr. Bair is a member of the Democratic party and he
has taken an active share in the affairs of his party. In April, 1886,
he was elected trustee of Jett'erson township and he served until April,
1888. He was again elected to this office in April, 1890, and served
until August, 1895. In 1902 he was elected a member of the Board
of County Commissioners; taking office in 1904. It was during his
term of office that the new court house, the pride of Miami county, was
begun, and he was active in his efforts to secure this building for the
county. Both he and his wife are members of the Brethren church.
Mr. Bair was married on the 13th of October, 1870, to Sarah Maus,
a daughter of George and Catharine (]\Iinnick) ]Maus, both of whom
were natives of Germany, who came to this country in their young days
and were here married, becoming pioneers in ]\Iiami county. Mr. and
Mrs. Bair have become the parents of three children, namely : Leota, who
is the wife of Lawrence E. Strong, a farmer of Jefferson township ;
Stella May, who died at the age of twenty-one, in May, 1897, and George
F., who married Mattie Lineliack and is a United States Railway Serv-
ice mail clerk, his home being in Peru, Indiana.
JoRDEN Sw^iNDLER. A farmer of prominence and success of Jefferson
township, and a resident of this county for the past thirty-four years,
is a native of Rappahannock county, Virginia, born there February 3,
1853. His parents, James W. and Lucy (Johnson) Swindler, both of
whom were natives of the Old Dominion, and paternally of German
ancestry, were farming people by occupation.
James AV. Swindler moved his family to Green county, Ohio, in 1856,
and was there during the Civil war, when he raised a company for
service. Being somewhat gifted along the line of military tactics, he
drilled the company and prepared it for service, but he himself did
not participate actively. He later moved to Daviess county, Missouri,
expecting to make that his home, but the country thereabout proving dis-
tasteful to him, he returned to Green county, Ohio, some two months
later, and there he and his wife passed their remaining days. ]\Ir. Swin-
dler was a Democrat, and served in a number of local positions of trust
and honor, among which was that of township trustee and justice of the
peace. He and his wife were the parents of nine children, seven of whom
are yet living.
jorden Swindler was the seventh born of this goodly family. He
was three years old when his parents moved to Ohio, and there he was
reared to years of manliood, acquiring his education in the district
schools of the neighborhood. On reaching his legal majority he set
out for himself as a farm hand, and in this work he continued for five
years. During that time he saved something like $150 in cash and had
acquired a horse and buggy besides. In 1879 he m«ved to Cass county,
Indiana, where on January 22, 1879, he married Addie Constant, and
there remained until the autumn of 1881, when he moved to his present
home in Jefferson township, Miami county, on which place he has resided
conti?iucusly since that time.
On June 5, 1884, ]\Irs. Swindler died, having borne three children,
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 593
all of whom are now deceased. On April 15, 1885, Mr. Swindler married
Amanda J. IMyers, the daughter of John F. INIyers, one of the old
settlers of the district and a commissioner of Miami county. To them
were born the following named children : Zona, now the wife of Charles
F. Shively ; James Frederick, who married Marie Eikenberry and resides
in Jefferson towaiship ; Jessie May and Vesta Jordan.
]\Ir. Swindler not only makes farming his occupation, but he farms
along progressive and intelligent lines. Coupled with this is his stock-
raising, his Polled-Angus cattle being a specialty and well known to the
count3\ His farm, comprising 571 acres of the choicest land in the
county, is one of the well kept and thriving spots to be found, a credit
to its owner and to the community at large. Mr. Swindler is a Demo-
crat in his political faith, and he and his wife are members of the
Eel River Christian church.
The beautiful estate of Mr. Swindler is known as "The Eel River
Stock Farm. ' ' Mr. and Mrs. Swindler have a beautiful 5-passenger Great
Western Touring Car for pleasure as well as business, and the machine
has run 2700 miles.
Henry Engel. Prominently and profitably engaged in farming and
one of the most enterprising and progressive men in Washington town-
ship, Henry Engle is a splendid type of German-American citizenship,
though he has spent practically all the years since his earliest childhood
in Miami county. Besides gaining enough material prosperity for his
own wants and comforts and those of his family, Mr. Engel has inter-
ested himself in the public affairs of his township and county, and has
been an active factor in every movement for the betterment of his
locality.
Henry Engel w'as born in Germany March 14, 1854, a son of Herman
and Margarite (Speremberg) Engel. The family immigrated from
the Fatherland in 1858 in a sailing vessel and were six weeks in crossing
the Atlantic. They made their first permanent settlement in Pipe
Creek township of Miami county. On a farm in that vicinity they
made their home for six months, and during this time the father worked
out by the day in order to acquire the means to support his family. He
then moved into Washington township and rented a farm. Up to this
time he had been unable to save anything from his current income, income
and expense having just about equalized each other during all the years
of his American residence. From that time as a renter he continued
for ten years, then lived on another place for a few years, and at the
end of that time was in a position to buy a farm of one hundred and
twenty acres in Pipe Creek township. He then sold that place and
bought one hundred acres in Cass county, where he made his home
until his death in 1907. He was a man of thrifty and industrious habits,
and before his death had acquired means sufficient to provide for all
his comforts.
Henry Engel left home after his first marriage, and spent one year
with his wife's uncle. He then came to the farm in Washington town-
ship, which is his present home. Here he has eighty acres of land,
and twenty acres of this he cleared out of the brush and woods with
his own toil. He has moreover put up all the buildings and the improve-
ments which now classify this place as one of the progressive homesteads
of Washington township. About one year ago Mr. Engle built a modern
house just across from the old house in which he had lived for a number
of years, and in this new home he and His family have many attractive
comforts and conveniences, and the entire farm is representative of the
594 HISTORY OF :\IIAMI COUNTY
conveniences and facilities which one of the best counties in Indiana
furnishes to its progressive fanning population.
Mr. Engel is a member of the Iloise Thief Association of his com-
munity, and at the present time is serving on the township advisory
board. On December 24, 1878 he was married to Elizabeth Lees, a
daughter of John Lees. They were the parents of four children, namely :
Maud A., who married Israel Lees, Jr. ; Grace M., who married Clarence
Pier; Ada A., who married Jesse Welsh; and Walter A., who married
Elizabeth Raydell. Grace and Ada received their diplomas from the
public schools and Ada was a teacher in Washington township. The
mother of this family died Septem])er 2, 1888, and Mr. Engel married
for his second wife on October 20, 1889, Miss Parlee Lees, a daughter of
Israel and Harriet (Klise) Lees, Jr. Mrs. Engel is a native of Miami
county and was born May 3, 1864. She has three brothers living in
Indiana. Both her parents are deceased. She was educated in the com-
mon schools. Mr. and Mrs. Engel are the parents of one son Herman
Cecil, born December 19, 1901, and now attending school in Washington
township in the fifth grade. The pretty homestead of Mr. and ^Irs.
Engel is known as "Bungalow Lodge." It was erected in 1911, finished
in hardwood and is modern in detail.
Thomas J. Rhodes. The vocation of farming is more and more
attracting the energies and a])ility of the young men of the country,
and in the case of Thomas J. Rhodes of Jefferson township love of
country life was almost the earliest and certainly the most persistent
passion of his career. He is one of the very successful men in this busi-
ness, and has gained particular reputation as a stock raiser. He has
spent money, patience and labor in laying the foundation of a splendid
herd of Poland China hogs, which is now considered one of the best
in this section of Indiana.
Thomas J. Rhodes, who has been a resident on his present place
in Jefferson township since ]\Iarch, 1901, was born in Fulton county,
Indiana, June 14, 1867. He is one of eight children, all of whom are
living, born to Joseph P. and Alma (Hoover) Rhodes, who were also
natives of Fulton county. The Rhodes family settled in the woods of
Fulton county in pioneer days, and were not only settlers, but among
the best people locating in that vicinity. Joseph P. Rhodes the father,
was a farmer by occupation and during the war enlisted in Company A
of the One Hundred and Fifth Indiana Infantry. He enlisted at the
age of sixteen, and after the war returned home, married and was en-
gaged in farming all his career. By reason of his honesty and upright
character he commanded the respect of all who knew him. He belonged
to the Baptist church in early life, but later united with the United
Brethren. However, he was in no sense a doctrinarian, his religious
principles being only one phase of a wholesome and well rounded
character. He believed in living up to the golden rule, advocated and
practiced temperance in all things, was never known to use profane
language, and at the same time conceded many privileges to his fellow
men which he would not allow himself. He was as honest as the day
was long, and was a credit to his community. Both he and his wife are
now deceased.
Thomas J. Rhodes was reared in his native eount,v, and as the oldest
of the children his boyhood was largely spent in helping in the work
of the home farm. At the same time, especially during the winter season,
he attended the neighborhood schools. From boyhood he evinced a
love for stock and outdoor life, and it was as a result of a determined
purpose that he made farming his life occupation.
A'
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUxNTY 595
On February 11, 1888, at the age of twenty-one, he married Miss
Orpha D. Mikesell, whose parents were Phillip and Orpha (Girard)
Mikesell. To their union was born one son, Cecil Jefferson, on March
9, 1909, who died March 22, 1910. After his marriage Mr. Rhodes
engaged in farming in Fulton county, until his removal to his present
home in ]\Iiami county. Raising the general crops and taking great
delight in his stock, Mr. Rhodes has made a specialty of hogs. He sends
to market some of the finest Poland Chinas grown in Miami county. His
farm comprises two hundred acres of land, one hundred and seventy
acres in Richland township, and also he is the owner of city property
in Peru. ^Ir. Rhodes is a Progi-essiVe in politics and he and his wife
worship) in the Evening Light church.
Joseph Elisha Miller. The late Joseph Elisha ]\Iiller, the young-
est born of the children of Levi and Ursula (Allbaugh) ^liller, concern-
ing whom extended mention is made in an article dedicated to Levi and
John H. ^Miller, to be found elsewhere in this historical work, was born
on January 11, 1858, anci died on March 22, 1911. He was one who
received in his home the training of a practical business man in his
father, and of a tender. Christian woman in his mother. He inherited
more of the characteristics of his mother, be it said, than of his father,
and his life begun and developed under her earnest and tender minis-
trations and guidance, rounded out into that of well-defined and admir-
able Christian manhood. He was taught to work on the home farm and
in early boyhood attended the neighboring district schools.
It was thus that he v/as reared to young manhood, and when he was
about twenty-one years old, under the advice and encouragement of his
father, he made his first independent venture as a farmer. He raised
his first crop of wheat as an independent operator, receiving for his
grain the price of a dollar a bushel. AVith this sum, realized as a
result of his own labor, he bought eighty acres of land from his father,
going in debt for a part of the purchase price, and that transaction was
the initial one of his praiseworthy career in farming.
\u 1899 Mr. Miller bought one hundred and twenty acres of adjoining
land, and gradually, with the passing of time, added to his holdings
in real estate until at one time in his career, he owned 480 acres of the
finest farm land in the county. iNlr. ^liller was one of the first men in
Miami county to embark, with any claim to extensiveness, in the breed-
ing and handling of blooded stock, at one time feeding as many as
fifteen hundred head of hogs on his place. It was characteristic of the
nature of the man, however, that his greatest interest lay not so much
in stock breeding or its kindred lines, Init rather in the culture of trees
and fiowers. He was deeply cognizar.t of the beauties of nature and
turned instinctively to the beautiful wherever it was found, although
his appreciation and understanding of the practical made him a person
of more than ordinary preceptions. It was in about 1890 that he began
planting fruit trees extensively, and under his care and nurture, his
initial planting grew into an orchard covering eighty acres of apple,
plum, cherry and pear-trees. This came to be one of the finest orchards
in the county or state, and is still one of the most productive spots to
be found hereabouts.
j\Ir. Miller joined the German Baptist church when a young man,
that being the denomination with which his parents affiliated, and
during the early months of his church membership he was elected a
deacon of the church body, in which capacity he continued to serve hon-
orably and faithfully until his passing. Some two weeks after he be-
came a member of the church he was elected a trustee of the Old Folks'
596 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
and Orphan Children's Home, and in this capacity also served during
the remainder of his life, which, considering its nature and purpose, was
all too brief for humanity's sake.
Mv. ^liller exemplitied in his life all that was moral and upright,
with the finer Christian virtues uppermost in his daily walk. Naturally
and by inheritance he possessed character of a high type, and his name
is indelibly impressed upon the mind of the present generation as
being that of one of INIiami county's best and finest citizens.
On February 17, 1902, ]Mr. jMiller was married to Miss Martha A.
Pugh, the daughter of William and Sarah (Frantz) Pugh, people of
German birth and ancestry. To Mr. and Mrs. Miller were born four
children : Joseph Harold, born November 24, 1902 ; Robert Levi, born
Augnst 19, 1904, and died January 28, 1905 ; John Quinter, born
April 23, 1907 ; and AVilliam Timon, born June 23, 1909.
Mrs. INIiller was born in Franklin county, Virginia, on February 14,
1876, and came to Miami county some two years prior to her marriage.
She still maintains the home farm and continues to operate it since the
death of her husband, and has proven beyond cavil the ability and wis-
dom she possesses in business and executive matters. She has a host
of friends in the county, and is especially prominent in her home com-
munity.
John T. Hood. The late John T. Hood, long a resident of Jefferson
township, where he was for many years successfully engaged in farming,
but who spent his closing days in Mexico, where he settled after his
j-etirement from active life, was a man who commanded the uiifail-
ing respect and confidence of his fellow men. He was unusually indus-
trious in his habits of life, and prosperity long attended his efforts so
that he was able to retire with a competency in December, 1903, and re-
moving to the village of Alexico, he spent the remaining days of his
existence quietly and happily. Death claimed him on March 3, 1910,
he having died suddenly from a stroke of apoplexy, and his widow still
resides in Mexico.
Mr. Hood's life was inclined to quiet and uneventfulness, as is usu-
ally the case with men who coirfined their activities to rural life. He
was born in Lunenburg county, Virginia, some distance from the city
of Richmond, on the 24th day of January, 1842. He was a son of
Robert Hood, a native of North Carolina, who in his youth migrated
to Virginia, there married and settled down, passing the remainder of
his days in the state of his adoption. He became the father of two
sons and two daughters and when he died in middle life, his widow
contracted a second marriage. She passed the closing years of her life,
after her second widowhood, in the home of her son, John, the younger
of her two sons by her first marriage. The other son, James Hood, be-
came a resident of Howard county, Indiana. Amanda and Lucy, the
sisters of John Hood of this review, are now deceased.
John T. Hood was about fifteen years of age when he left his native
state and came to Indiana, his locating in Miami county dating from the
year 1857. He was twenty years of age when he enlisted in Company H,
Seventy-third Indiana Regiment of Volunteers, organized at South Bend,
Indiana, and in company with his regiment Mr. Hood took part in the
campaign against General Bragg, sharing in the battle of Perryville. and
following Bragg to Nashville, where the regiment went into camp. He
was also a participant in that never-to-be forgotten engagement at Mur-
freesboro in December, 1862, receiving there a wound in his thigh, from
the eifects of which he never recovered. He returned to his regiment
when he was sufficiently recovered from his injuries to permit, serving
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 597
thereafter on detached duty until the war was ended, when he was hon-
orably discharged and returned to his ]\Iiami county home.
Soon after his return from the war Mr. Hood purchased a farm of
seventy acres situated on the Eel river, and it was in the autumn of that
year that his marriage to Miss ^Martha A. Fisher was solemnized. She
was born on November 30, 1848, and is a daughter of Joseph and Eliz-
abeth (Brown) Fisher, who at one time owned the farm where Mr. and
Mrs. Hood resided for many years. Concerning her parentage, it may
be said further than Joseph Fisher was born in Virginia on November
10, 1823, and was a son of Peter Fisher, a native of Pennsylvania who
removed to Virginia and later settled in Preble county, Ohio, coming
thence to Miami county, Indiana, in 1836. He settled on a farm outside
the village of Mexico and died there on May 27, 1878, when he had just
passed his eighty-sixth birthday anniversary. Further mention of the
Fisher family is found elsewhere in this work, in a sketch dedicated to
Joseph Fisher, the father of Mrs. Hood.
To Mr. and Mrs. Hood were born two sons and a daughter. Deo S.,
the first born, whose natal day was October 9, 1868, was married on
March 7, 1889, to .Miss Ruth Bond, daughter of Jesse Bond, and they
became the parents of three children, — Joseph L., Lyman J. and Clinton
B. On November 18, 1898, the wife and mother passed away, and Mr.
Hood married again on January 29, 1902, his second wife being Nora
See, and to them one son, — Herman, has been born.
Gilbert J., the second son, born September 18, 1876, married Nellie,
the daughter of Lewis Bond, on February 23, 1899, and to them a son
and daughter, — Margaret and Joseph, have been born. •
Bessie, born July 23, 1879, became the wife of Benjamin Bond on
July 26, 1900, and clied an untimely death on November 21, 1904.
It may be mentioned here that Joseph L. Hood, the eldest son of Deo
Hood, married Miss Lova Flora, on April 3, 1912, and they make their
home in Saskatchewan, Canada. They have one son, — John Ilersey,
named in honor of his paternal grandfather, the Inrth of the heir having
taken place on January 12, 1913.
Joseph Fisher. Between the years of 1863 and 1884 Joseph Fisher
and his family resided on the Jefferson township farm, which later be-
came the home of his daughter, :\lrs. Hood, Mr. Fisher removing to the
town of Mexico in 1884 and there passing his remaining days. Deatn
claimed him in 1895, and his widow survived him until September 10,
1908. Mr. Fisher was born in Virginia, on November 10, 1823, and was
a son of Peter Fisher, a native of Pennsylvania, who moved first to
Virginia and later to Ohio, settling in Preble county of the latter named
state, and coming thence to Miami county, Indiana, in 1836. He was a
farming man, and he located on a farm about a mile distant from Mexico,
there spending his remaining days. He died on May 27, 1878, aged
eighty-six years and twenty-five days, his wife having preceded him to
the other world on January 20, 1867.
Ten children were born to Peter Fisher and his wife, of which goodly
number only one is living todav, — Noah, a resident of Andrews, Ind.
Joseph Fisher was married on January 12, 1848, to Elizabeth Brower,
the daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Teal) Brower, who came to this
county from Preble countv, Ohio, in 1837, and being numbered among
the pioneers of Jefferson township. They became the parents of ten
children, all of whom are deceased, Mrs. Fisher being the last of the
family to pass on. She was born in Preble county, Ohio, on September
28, 1827, and died on September 10, 1908. Joseph and Elizabeth
Fisher had four children. Martha A., who married John T. Hood, was
598 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
born oil November 30, 1848 ; Sarah became the wife of Schuyler Mercer
of Peru, Indiana ; Mrs. Rose J. Emswiler is another of the daughters,
and another, Emily Duleina, who married William Crane, was born on
November 29, 1851, and died on March 9, 1892, in Chicago, 111.
Benjamin Trippeer. In Washington township one of the oldest and
best known families is that of Trippeer, represented by Benjamin Trip-
peer, who is now seventy years of age and has spent nearly all his life
in Miami county. The family had its share of pioneer toil and hard-
ships, and there are many interesting facts and incidents which might
be related concerning the Trippeer family in Miami county. In the
following brief sketch will be given a few of these facts, especially as
they relate to Mr. Benjamin Trippeer and his immediate famih\
Benjamin Trippeer was born in Licking county. Ohio. January 9,
1813. a son of John Trippeer and a grandson of Joseph Trippeer. The
maiden name of his mother was Catherine English. Benjamin Trippeer
has been twice married. His first marriage occurred in 1867 when Lucy
Lynn became his wife. Her death occurred in 1886 and she was the
mother of seven children, whose names are mentioned as follows : Cora,
who married Samuel P. Wilson: Allen, who married Stella Mowbray;
Edward, who married Fannie Riley ; Bessie, who married Edward
Reeger ; Kittle who married George Gilbert Smith ; and one child that
died in infancy ; and Mamie, who died at the age of three years. In
1888 Benjamin Trippeer married Rachael Townsend, daughter of George
Townsend and gi^anddaughter of Joseph Townsend. The maiden name
of her mother was Susanna Dingman. who was a daughter of James
Dingman. There were eight children in the family of her father and
mother. Mr. Trippeer by his second union had no children.
Benjamin Trippeer came to Miami county with his father in 18-15.
There were eight children in the family on their arrival in this county,
and they first located in Peru township. Farming was the occupation
of the father, and he rentea one hundrd and sixty acres of land as
his first home in this county. After living there a short time he bought
ninety-three acres in Washington township, a place that was completely
in the woods and requiring all the skill and toil of the true pioneer to
make it productive. He erected the first buildings that were ever
placed on the farm, and those were of the type then very common in
Miami county, being rough log structures. After a number of years
he bought more modern houses, barns and outbuildings and the house
which he at that time put up is still standing. The father cleared up
all the land and was engaged in farming there up to the time of his
death. The mother passed away at Peru in 1893.
Benjamin Trippeer as a boy attended school in Washington township,
his schooling being only during the winter term and in one of the rough,
and primitive school houses which could then be found all over the
county. During the spring, summer and fall he and his brothers and
sisters assisted in the work of the home and it was in this way that he
was equipped and prepared for life. It is an interesting fact of family
history that his father had helped build the first school house ever jnit
up in Washington township, that being a log building.
Mr. Benjamin Trippeer remained at home up to the date of his
first marriage, and then started out for himself. He was first engaged
in the lime business, and continued in that line for about sixteen years.
He then bought the old homestead place in Washington township, and
took great pleasure in developing and improving the estate on which
he had spent the greater part of his boyhood and which was endeared
to him bv manv familv associations. He did well as a farmer, and also
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 599
operated a threshing machine outfit over the county. He continued in
these occupations until he retired. Mr. Trippeer attends the Methodist
church, and is a Democrat in politics and cast his first presidential vote
for General George B. ]McClellan. From 1891 to 1896 he served as a
member of the local school board. The name Trippeer is of French
origin, as the original progenitors came from France, the land of the
"Lily."
Mrs. Trippeer, who is an estimable lady and a model housekeeper,
is a native of Miami county born February 14, 18-47, and her parents,
George and Susanna (Dingmanj Townseud were pioneer settlers of
]Miami county. " Her father was a man of activity and erected the first
mill, about three and one-half miles west of Peru, and the early settlers
used to bring their corn, by the half bushel, in a sack on horseback, to
be ground at his mill. He enlarged the facilities of his milling industry
till it was one of the leading milling industries of west Miami county.
Mrs. Trippeer, although a little maiden of only seven summers,
well remembers this epoch. She was reared and educated in the common
schools of her native county and her father's progenitors came from
the mother country, England. Mrs. Trippeer although sixty-six years
of age, has a mind as bright as a lady of twenty summers. She has
been an able factor in aiding her husband in the establishment of their
pretty home. An incident worthy of mention in the experience of
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Trippeer, during the memorable flood of March
24, 25 and 26, 1913, we will relate briefly. Their residence is located
at No. 85 E. River Street, South Peru, and during this memorable
flood, the water rose six and one-half feet in their residence, and they
were forced to ascend to the second story. Their residence was located
on the first street south of the Waliash railroad and Mr. Trippeer was
forced to climb a tree in their yard and was held there a prisoner from
Tuesday at 11 o'clock A. ]\I. till AVednesday A. M., twenty-two hours,
without any sustenance and in the severe cold Mrs. Trippeer was held a
prisoner in the tree, from Tuesday at 11 o'clock A. M. till 5 o'clock P. M.,
ere she was rescued. In the evening of Tuesday Mr. Trippeer tied a
rope around his body, to keep him from falling into the turbid waters,
in case he fell asleep as he had not closed his eyes for eighteen hours.
The reason they sought refuge in the neighboring tree was. that
barns, stables, houses and all kincls of buildings were hurried past their
home and they did not know what moment their home might be swept
away by the rushing of the whirlpool of waters. The trials and privations
of the brave citizens of Peru, Indiana, during the awful flood of ^Nlarch,
1913, will never all be told.
The Fisher Family, one of the oldest in the United States today,
and of Yirainia ancestrv, has been identified with the history of
Miami countv since 1836, "when Peter Fisher, the old pioneer of Miami
county, came hither from Preble county, Ohio, after eighteen years
of residence there.
Peter Fisher was a native of Franklin county. Yirgmia, born there
on Mav 2. 1792, and was a son of Philip Fisher and a grandson of Adam
Fisher, a native of Germany, the first of the family to emigi-ate to
America, and settlinsr on these shores as early as 1857. making Penn-
svlvania his home. Peter Fisher married Elizabeth Brower, a resident
of his native state, and in 1828 moved to Preble county, Ohio, where they
continued until 1836, when they came to :\Iiami county. The trip from
Ohio into Indiana was made across country in wagons, and they located
in :\Iiami countv on a tract of wilderness land about a mile north _ot
the present site of Mexico, in Jefferson township, the exact location
Vol. 11— 1 1
600 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
according to the surveyed plat of the township being sections 25 and 30.
There they built their cabin and set about clearing the land to a state
Avhere cultivation and production was possible. The timber that then
thickly occupied the land was oak, walnut, poplar, hickory and other
timber, wliich if standing today would be worth many times what the
land would bring, but would probably not net what the land has pro-
duced in the years that it has been cultivated and cropped. Such of
the timber as was not required and utilized in '.naking rails for fences
and for building purposes, was piled in immense heaps and sacrificed
to the Fire god. The business of pioneering in those days was not less
rigorous than it is today, and j\Ir. Fisher found it necessary to go to
Michigan City to bu}^ salt, for which he paid the enormous price of $16
a barrel. Other conditions were commensurate with this, in point of
disproportion.
Peter Fisher and his wife were the parents of seven sons and three
daughters who grew to years of maturity. They were as follows : Lydia,
George, Benjamin, Joseph, ^lary, Isaac, Aaron, Hannah, Noah and
Jacob. Of these, Noah is the only one now living. Peter Fisher in-
herited much of the thrift, industry and religious tendencies and char-
acteristics of his ancestors, and was a man who stood high among his
fellows wherever he was found. His life after his coming to ^liami
county was one of hardship and privation, but spite of all they under-
went they lived clean, w^holesome and honorable lives, and reared their
children to the most commendable and honorable citizenship, inculcat-
ing in them the reverence of God and a love for the better things of
life. The father died on May 27, 1878, his wife having preceded him
on January 20, 1867.
George Fisher, the eldest son of these parents, was born in Virginia,
on July 23, 1820. He lived with his parents until he reached man's
estate, removing with them to Ohio, and thence to Miami county. Indiana,
when he was sixteen years of age. He married Miss Barbara Moss, on
November 11, 1841. She was the daughter of William Moss, Sr., well
known in Miami county in those days. ]\lr. Fisher was a man of only
a limited education. He devoted himself to farming and as a result
of his hard work and natural economy, accumulated enough of this
world's goods to give each of his children a substantial start in life.
He was a man of robust physique and was able to perform an enormous
amount of work without suffering ill effects. He was outspoken on all
matters, and never was known to shirk a responsibility. Like his father
before him, he joined the German Baptist church in young manhood,
and to this, as well as to all other laudable public enterprises, he was
ever a liberal contributor. The primitive stage in which his pioneer
father had lived in his generation gave way to the second stage of
development, and he left a well improved estate when he died on Janu-
ary 23, 1890, his wife succeeding him in death on February 17, 1899.
They were the parents of nine children, four of whom are yet living.
The names of the children in the order of their birth are as follows :
William, Henry, Levi, Sarah Jane, Elizabeth, Minerva, Peter M., Alston
W. and Christina.
Mrs. Fisher is a native of Miami county, born September 10, 1855,
and she is one of eleven children, five sons and six daughters, born to
John and Eliza (Price) Ault, and there are six living and three are
residents of I\Iiami county. ]\Irs. Fisher was born, reared and educated
in her native county, and is a devout memlier of the Brethren church.
Henry Fisher, the second son of George Fisher, was born in Jeffer-
son township, JMiami county, Indiana, on .May 11, 1845. He attended
the schools of his neighborhood when a boy and when old enough was
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 601
set to work at helping with the general routine work of the home farm.
When he became of legal age he started out in life for himself, and he
was about twenty-two years old when on October 20, 1867, he married
Mary E. Simons, who died on May 20, 1870, leaving him one daughter,
— Cora E., who in young womanhood married Josiah ]\Iaus, and is now
deceased. Mr. Fisher, on April 3, 1873, married Martha A. Biddle, who
died on November 8, 1873, without issue. On January 16, 1878, Henry
P^isher and Isabel Ault were married. John Ault, the father of Mrs.
Fisher, was a native of Ohio, but one of the early settlers of this county,
and a man highly esteemed of all in his day. Mrs. Ault was also a native
of Ohio, and is now a resident of Cass county, Indiana. Three children
have been born to this latter union, as follows : Ira A., Bertha Irene and
Tony Earl. Ira A. received his diploma in the common schools and had
his teacher's certificate. He has a farm in Cass county. He wedded
Mary E. Kraming and they have three children — Irene E. ; Paul H. ;
and I\Iartha I. They are members of the Brethren church. Bertha Irene
is at home. She received a common school education and also attended
for some time the high school. Tony Earl has a farm in Jefferson
township. He received a common school diploma. He attended the
Peru High School and is a graduate of the North Manchester College.
He was a teacher six years in Miami county. He wedded ^liss Susanna
Davis and they have two children — Violet L., and Clauda E.
The Fishers have been farming people for generations, and Henry
Fisher is .lo exception to the rule, for his entire life has been occupied
in the pursuit of agriculture. He owns a total acreage of two hun-
dred and eighty acres of land, to which he applies himself most ni-
dustriously, and which has yielded him an abundant and comfortable
living. Mr. Fisher, together with his wife and their children, are
members of the Church of the Brethren, which was originally knowK
as the German Baptist denomination, and in which the father ana
grandfather of Mr. Fisher were prominently identified as earnest
members.
The social standing of the Fisher family is an excellent one, and
I\Ir. and Mrs. Fisher number their friends by hosts in their own com-
munity and wherever they are known.
Samuel Irvin Newman. The record of successful men in any of
the walks of life needs no introductory preface among the citizens of
their native county, and the gentleman who is the subject of this review,
Samuel Irvin Newman, of Peru township, is undoubtedly a member of
the class just referred to. By his strict personal integrity and honor-
able dealings, combined with brilliant business qualifications, he has
become not only one of the leading agriculturists, but also one of the
most highly respected citizens of his section of ^Miami county. Samuel
Irvin Newman was born March 7, 1874, on the old Newman homestead
farm in Jefferson township, Miami county, Indiana, and is a son of
Thomas Inin Newman, and a grandson of Samuel K. Newman, the
old pioneer settler of the family, and is named for them both.
Like other Indiana farmers' sons of his day and locality, Samuel I.
Newman divided his time between attendance at the district schools
during the winter months, and assisting in the work of the homestead
during the summer, thus growing to sturdy manhood, securing alike a
good mental education and a thorough training for the vocation of
farmer, which he had decided upon as his life work. He proved an
assiduous and apt pupil in both branches, and early developed habits of
industry and integrity that have since developed into leading char-
acteristics. He resided with his father and grandfather until his mar-
602 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
riage, in 1896, and at that time entered upon a career of his own
on a farm belonging to his grandfather, and situated near New Wav-
erly, Indiana. Subsequently, in 1900, he moved to Jefiferson town-
ship, Miami county, and from that property went to Peru, in which
city he lived until 1909. That year marked his advent in Peru town-
ship, and here he has resided to the present time. Mr. Newmian is now
the owner of 525 acres of land, on which he carries on general farming
operations in connection with the raising of stock. He has made some-
what of a speciality of breeding thoroughbred Hereford cattle, and in
this connection has met with signal success as he has in his various other
ventures. In the management of his business interests he has shown
himself an excellent business man, and one in whom his associates have
the utmost confidence.
On October 6, 1896, occurred the marriage of Mr. Newman and Miss
Emma J. Guard, daughter of William Guard, of New Waverly, Cass
county, Indiana, and to this union there have been born five children,
as follows : Katharine Pearl, born November 26. 1897 ; William Byron,
born December 15, 1900; Mildred Pauline, born January 28, 1904;
Vernice Caroline, born March 23, 1907 ; and Edna Lucile, born Feb-
ruary 15, 1910. In his political proclivities, Mr. Newman is a republican,
but has never been an aspirant for personal preferment in public life,
his ambitions having been satisfied by his farming operations. For some
years he has been connected with the local lodge of the Masonic fra-
ternity. As a citizen, as an agriculturist, as a friend and as a neighbor
he has faithfully performed the duties of life, and for this reason is
entitled to a place among the representative men of his coumiunity.
Dr. Laughlin O'Neal Malsbury has been identified with the med-
ical profession in Peru and this county since the early nineties, coming
here soon after he had finished his medical training. He is one of the
successful and prominent men of the profession in the county, and has
a worthy place in the community in which his skill has been applied
for the past twenty years.
Dr. Malsbury was born in Grant county, Indiana, on August 27,
1867, and is a son of Jacob and Helen (Dunn) Malsbury. The father
was born in New Jersey and in his younger days came to Grant county,
locating on a piece of wild land, which he in the course of time reclaimed
and developed. He made his home on that place until death called him
in 1875. Death called the mother in 1892.
Of the seven children of his parents, Laughlin O'Neal Malsbury was
the youngest born, five of the number being alive today, and one of
them, a sister, Sarah C, being a teacher in the East i\Iain street school
in Peru, and a brother. Jacob 0.. who is nine years older than the sub-
ject, has also been practicing medicine here. As a boy Laughlin O'Neal
Malsbury attended the Somerset schools, graduating from the Somerset
high school, and he grew to manhood on the home farm. His public
school training was followed by a literaiy training in the Northern
Indiana Normal, passing four summer terms there and teaching in the
winter seasons to defray his college expenses. It was upon the advice
of Dr. Laughlin O'Neal, the family physician of the Malsbury 's located
at Somerset, Indiana, for whom young Malsbury was named, that he
was induced to train himself for the medical profession. He entered
the Kentucky School of JNIedicine at Louisville, now known as the Uni-
versity of Louisville, matriculating there in February, 1890, and in 1891
he was duly graduated with the degree of M. D. Succeeding this he
attended the New York Post Graduate Schools where he took a special
course in the diseases of women and children, and in 1892 he came to
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 603
Peru as house surgeon for the Wabash Railway Hospital, under the
supervision of Dr. Carter B. Iliggens. One year later, the young doctor,
fortified by this experience, established himself in independent practice
in the town of Peru, and here for the past twenty years he has been
in continuous activity in his professional capaeity.
In addition to his private practice, Ur. Malsbury is connected pro-
fessionally with a number of local concerns, among which may be men-
tioned the Metropolitan, Equitable and Manhattan Life Insurance com-
panies, for whom he is medical examiner, and has been for some years,
lie also holds the same relative position with the Bankers' Life of Iowa,
the Washington Life, the Provident Life & Trust Company, the Phoenix
Life, the Reserve Loan Life and the Public Savings Company. He is
official surgeon for the Union Traction Company, the Fort AVayne &
Northern Indiana Traction Company and the Winona Traction Com-
pany, all of which, in conjunction with a wide private practice along
general lines, make him one of the busiest medical men in the county.
Dr. Malsbury is a member of the INIiami County and the Indiana
State Medical Societies and the American Medical Association. In his
professional capacity he has also given public service as secretary of the
Board of Health of Peru, which office he now holds.
A Republican in his political convictions, Dr. Malsbury has in his
own quiet way been identified with local affairs in the government of
the city and county. For six years he was commendably connected with
the school board of Peru as a member and it was during that servic'e that
the Seventh Street school was built, as well as the public library, both
of which have added not a little to the status of the town.
Although Dr. Malsbury is and has always been a Republican in poli-
tics, he with others of the city formed a Citizens City Ticket for the pur-
pose of selecting city officers for the city. A ticket was formed in Octo-
ber, 1913, being composed of Republicans, Progressives and Democrats.
Dr. Malsbury was selected as the candidate for Councilman for the Sec-
ond Ward of the city which polled eighty-six Democratic. He was
opposed by a Democratic candidate and a Socialist candidate as well as
by members of the Republican party, who claimed to have been disfran-
chised, but nevertheless Dr. Malsbury was elected by one hundred and
eighty-two votes on November 4, 1913, and took his office January 5, 191-4,
as councilman of the Second ward. In addition to his professional con-
nections in Peru, Dr. Malsbury is represented in a fraternal way by
his membership in the Masonic Order, in which he has attained the
thirty-second degree, and has membership in Mizpah Temple of the
Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is also
a member of the Knights of Pythias, and the Benevolent and Protective
Order of Elks, while his churchly relations are maintained as a member
of the Presbyterian church of Peru.
Charles Fred Fite. In a business directory of Miami county, Mr.
Fite would be mentioned as a postmaster and in the insurance busniess
at Denver. A directory is often a very defective guide to the important
interests and attainments of a man, as in this instance. Probably no
resident of Miami county has contributed more extensively in practical
acquisitions to the field of natural science than Mr. Fite. He is dis-
tinguished for his ardent love of all creatures in forest and field, has
been both a discovered and collector, and as an ornithologist ranks among
the leading authorities on bird life in the country.
Brown county, Ohio, was the birthplace of Charles Fred Fite, bora
in that locality, December 6, 1850, one of five children, two of whom are
now living. Their parents were Andrew J. and Lavina (Bingamon)
604 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Fite, both natives of Ohio, and both descended from German stock.
Andrew J. Fite followed carpentry as a trade, and from him Charles P.
Fite learned that occupation which he followed for a number of years,
and thus acquired a likiug for exact mechanics.
As a boy he had opportunity to acquire only a limited education,
since his time was principally occupied with farm work. In 1858 the
family located in Madison county, Indiana, settling in the woods. There
Mr. Fite lived until manhood, and followed the carpenter's trade for
some years. In 1872 he transferred his residence and occupation to
Galveston in Cass county, where he remained for about one year. From
Cass county he came to ^iiami county, spending thirteen years in the city
of Peru, during seven of which he was employed in the Howe factory,
two years as a police officer and four years in selling nursery stock. He
has been a resident of Denver since 1885, and for several years continued
as a nursery stock salesman. In 1880 he was appointed postmaster of
Denver, serving four and a half years under the Harrison administration,
then being relieved by President Cleveland. Under President Roose-
velt in 19U6 he was again appointed to the office, and has held the posi-
tion to the present time. In 1901 ]\Ir. Fite began writing insurance,
and has continued in this line ever since.
By instinct and also by self-training, he has always been a naturalist.
He has loved ever since his boyhood the open, and wandering in the
woods and tield has always been his greatest delight. He has skilled
himself in the observation of the life and habits of insects, animals and
especially of birds. This pursuit of knowledge among wild life led him
to the study of taxidermi, and gradually he began active practice in
preserving in his cabinet specimens of such rare animate life as he could
capture or procure. Of late years the greater part of his attention has
been devoted to science. In his researches he has been led into many
remote quarters of America., including different portions of Canada. He
is a skillful rifle shot, but is not a hunter in the ordinary sense for the
sake of killing or for the flesh of fowl, but takes particular interest in
hunting game in order to better understand its nature and habits. He
has killed specimens of nearly all the large game in America, including
elks, deer, bear, wolves, mountain lions, and with the exception of the
grizzly bear, has practically procured a representative of every individ-
ual in the larger animal creation whose habitat is in America. In addi-
tion to his own work he has been called upon to preserve the skins of
lions, tigers, leopards, and almost every animal knowai to the American
menagerie.
As already mentioned Mr. Fite is a particular authority on bird life.
He has taken his greatest pleasure in following and observing the habits
of this department of the animal kingdom and there is probably no
naturalist in Indiana, who is better informed on bird lore than Mr.
Fite. One of his valuable discoveries was the unearthing of an almost
perfect tusk of the prehistoric beaver, so classified by the specialists at
Earlham College. This tusk was found across the line of Miami county
near ^lud Lake in Fulton comity. He has also discovered the remains
of two mastodons in Miami county, one in Perry township and one in
Union township near Deedsville. The latter was almost perfect but
very few bones being missing and even the cartilage holding the joints
together being yet undissolved by time and decay. This splendidly pre-
served specimen is now in the public museum of Milwaukee. Wisconsin.
Mr. Fite has also been a collector of coins, eggs, butterflies, moths, etc.
Mr. Fite is a Republican in politics, and a member of the Masonic
and Independent Order of Odd Fellows fraternities. In 1871 he mar-
ried Miss Ruth Stevens at Galveston, Indiana. Their one son is AYilliam
A., a minister of the Christian church, whose home is now in Paducan,
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 605
Kentucky. For his second wife Mr. Fite married Harriet Jones. No
children were born to this union. His third and present wife had the
maiden name of Pearl M. Rhodes, and they are the parents of six chil-
dren, namely : Fred jMarcus, Charles Andrew, Opal May, Virgil Roose-
velt, Claude Taft and Esther Alice.
Philip Miller. One of the citizens of ^liami county, who began
his career in a log-cabin home, labored with courage and industry to
develop a wilderness of forest into a broad landscape of farms, and
have subsequently reaped the rewards of such diligence in ample mater-
ial prosperity, is Philip Miller, now a resident of the little village of
Miami in Deer Creek township. Mr. Miller has lived in this county for
more than sixty-five years, and that in itself constitutes a distinction
among the living residents of this county. Since the settlement of the
Miller family here, in the late forties, there have been successively intro-
duced the railroad and the telegraph, the numerous other improvements
in method of communication and transportation, and a vast number of
facilities and comforts such as were hardly dreamed of when Philip
Miller was a boy in the old pioneer home in the southern part of Miami
county. He himself can remember when it required two days to make
the journey from their old home to Peru, and the old road which they
then followed led through the dense woods, the streams had to be forded,
oxen were used to haul the wagons, and it was a very important improve-
ment for the community when the citizens got together and put up
small wooden bridges over some of the streams.
Philip ]\Iiller was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, May 19, 1837, a
son of Jacob and Nancy (Pratt) Miller. The mother's people were from
Pennsylvania. Jacob IMiller and family came to the west and located
in ]\Iiami county in 1848, spending the first winter in the settlement of
Bunker Hill, in an old cabin. Later they secured a farm and resided
there for nine years. The father died in Ohio and soon after coming
to this county, the mother married for her second husband Joseph Lari-
mer, who died several years ago.
The family was in rather poor circumstances and the early death of
the father added to the burden which Philip Miller had to bear at an
early age. In this state of affairs he remained at home and contributed
to the support of his mother and family throughout his early youth,
and on the death of his mother he continued on the old homestead which
had only been rented, and by his own frugal thrift and industry paid
for it and became its owner. By a life of honorable dealings and con-
tinued industry he has enjoyed a considerable degree of material pros-
perity, and when he retired some years ago from active farm life he
owned ninety acres, which was improved in the manner of twentieth cen-
tury agricultural methods, and with some excellent modern buildings.
He" himself had done nearly all the clearing and it continued to be his
home until 1897. He then sold the original place and bought an adjoin-
ing farm of eighty acres which he still owns. However, at that time he
and his family moved to Kokomo and from there came to ^liami and
have since lived in his attractive old home in this village.
Mr. Philip Miller served in the ai-my as a Union soldier and was a
member of Company A of the Thirty-ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry.
He went out from this county in August, 1861, and on the 7th of April,
1862, was wounded at Pittsburg Landing having his left arm shot off, so
that he was incapacitated and was given an honorable discharge. For a
number of years he was one of the active members of the local G. A. R.
Post.
Mr. iMiller was first married in 1865 to Miss Amanda J. Wilson, who
606 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
died in 1874. They were the parents of one child, John L. Miller, who
married Ida Poff. In 1875 Mr. Miller married :\Iiss Elizabeth Weaver.
Mrs. Miller represents an old family in Miami county, since her father
David S. Weaver, came here in 1857. The Weaver home was a log
cabin of two rooms and it was in this rude shelter that the family spent
the first six years in this county. The father subsequently put up a
comfortable frame house and added increasing improvements and facili-
ties up to the time of his death in 1888 at Bunker Hill. When the
Weaver family first settled in this vicinity the land was all covered with
timber, and enough space had to be cleared from the dense wood and
the thickets of underbrush before the cabin could be erected and before
any land could be sown to crops. The mother of Mrs. i\Iiller died about
ten years ago. Two of her brothers served in the army, Benjamin
Franklin and George Washington Weaver. Mr. and Mrs. ^liller
attend the German Baptist church. Mr. ]\Iiller was for three terms
of two years each, assessor for Deer Creek township and for the past
sixteen years has been a notary public. He has lived throughout his
life according to the principles which make for upright characters, and
has always enjoyed the respect which is paid to a useful and worthy
member of the community. The country residence of Mr. and iMrs. Philip
Miller is known as "Pine Grange."
Charles W. Long. One of the prominent citizens of Jefferson town-
ship, now residing at the town of Denver, Mr. Charles W. Long has
spent all his career in Miami county, and belongs to one of the families
w^iich identified themselves with this section when all the country was
new.
Charles W. Long was born in Richland township, May 26, 1866, and
was a son of Charles M. and Cynthia Abigail (Griswold) Long. The
career of Charles M. Long, one of the venerable pioneers of Richland
township, is given at proper length on other pages of this work. The
nine children in the family of the parents were as follows : Clara, de-
ceased ; Maggie, wife of Alonzo Cunningham of Richland township ;
Archibald J., of Richland township ; Effie, deceased ; Charles W., Ina,
widow of the late Nathan Fonts ; John Foster, of Richland township ;
Uly C, of Richland township ; Witty Chester, of Richland township.
Charles W. Long was reared on the home farm, was educated in the
public school, completing his training at Denver. He started out for
himself at the age of twenty-one in 1887. After getting some independ-
ent experience he was married on February 16, 1888, to ]\Iiss Myrtle
Brower, who was born October 10, 1868, a daughter of Joseph and
Samantha 0. (Kirby) Brower. From the time of his marriage until the
fall of 1908, ]\Ir. Long was actively identified with farming enterprise,
and in that time provided well for his family, and accumulated a sub-
stantial property. In that year he moved to Denver, and has since
been engaged in the stock business and giving general supervision to his
farm. He owns 95.86 acres in Richland to\raship. The three cliildren
born to his first marriage are : Lj'man Russell, Victor H., and Willis L.
The mother, who was an active member of the IMethodist church died
March 1, 1904. On June 12, 1905, Mr. Long married Miss Sylvia
Brower, a sister of his first wife. Mrs. Long was born July 10, 1881, and
she is the seventh in a family of ten children, three sons and seven
daughters, born to her parents. There are seven living. Father Brower
was a native of Indiana, Miami county, and he was a farmer and also a
member of the Dunkard Church. He was a successful man and a
Republican. He died in IMiami county. IMother Brower was a native of
Miami countv and she was a member of the Dunkard Church and a
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 607
resident of Denver, Indiana. Mrs. Long was educated in tlie common
schools and was reared in Miami county. She is a member of the Meth-
odist church and also of the Ladies Aid Society of her church. She is
an able factor in the establishment of their beautiful home in Denver.
She is a model housekeeper and her pretty home is the welcome haven
of their many friends. Her brothers and sisters living are : Deo 0.,
a resident of Miami county and an agriculturist. He married Miss
Jerusha Kenley and they have two sons, Ivan and Avery. They are
members of the United Brethren Church. Benjamin is a resident of
Miami and he is an agriculturist. He married Miss Rena Fonts and
has one son, Farrell. He is a member of the Progress church. Nettie,
a resident of Peru, Ind. She is a modiste. She is a member of the
Christian church. Mrs. Long is next in order of birth. Ethel is the
wife of Geo. Sullivan, a resident of Peru, and timekeeper of the Model
Gas Engine Co. They have two children, Joseph and Robert. Mr. and
Mrs. Sullivan are members of the Baptist church. Katharine is the
wife of Samuel Coffman, a resident of Ripley, Tennessee, and they have
one little son, Marshall Brower. Ruth is the wife of Lester Hait, a
resident of Peru, Ind.
In the campaign of 1912 Mr. Long voted with the Progi-essive party.
He and his wife are members of the Methodist church, and he is pres-
ident of the Denver Commercial Club, a position which indicates his
public spirit, and his desire to serve his community in every way that he
can to advance its general welfare.
Henry Lewis. The president of the Farmers Bank of Denver,
since its organization, Mr. Lewis is one of the those men in whom a
community places its confidence l)y reason of tried integi^ity and long
and successful management in business affairs. Mr. Lewis has him-
self been a farmer during the greater part of his career, and has lived
in this section of Miami county for more than half a century, since his
childhood.
His birthplace was in Wayne county, Indiana, where he was born
January 29, 1850, one of the ten children, seven of whom are now liv-
ing; born to the marriage of Samuel Lewis and Mary Matchet Le\vis.
The father was a native of Indiana, and the mother of Virginia. Samuel
Lewis being left an orphan at an early age was bound out to a Dunk-
ard preacher, who combined farming with his spiritual vocation. With
this minister and family he continued making his home until his mar-
riage, after which he followed the cooper's trade in Hagerstown, Indi-
ana, for a livelihood, but finally bought forty acres of land near that
town, establishing his home there and taking up farming as his regular
vocation. Subsequently he moved to another farm, and in 1856 in
the month of April came across the country in a covered wagon, which
sheltered his wife and family and many of their household goods to
Miami county, purchasing a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in
Richland township about half a mile east of the present site of Denver.
This property was sold to Mr. Lewis by Eli Freestone.
On that estate Samuel Lewis continued to live engaged in farming
and improving its possibilities and resources until his death, which
occurred May 7, 1872, when he was fifty-six years of age. Samuel
Lewis was a man of but ordinary education, owing to the circumstances
of his boyhood, but was throughout his career an eager reader, and by
all his circle of acquaintances was considered an unusually well informed
man. He was brought up in the Dunkard religious faith, and always
respected and gave his preference to that sect, though he was a mem-
ber of no religious organization. His most marked characteristics were
608 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
his untiring industry, his temperate habits, and his general upright-
ness of moral life and character. It is a noteworthy fact that he always
abstained from the use of intoxicants and tobacco in any form. He
was a man whose life was a credit to the county, and to such men the
present generation owes a debt of gratitude. His wife survived him
many years, passing away in 1905 at the age of eighty-five.
Henry Lewis, who has proved a worthy successor of his honored
father, was only six yeare of age when the family came to Miami
county. As a boy he assisted in the work of the home farm during
the summer season, and as opportunity offered attended the neighbor-
ing district schools. When his father's death occurred he at once took
charge of the home place, and continued its operation until November,
1906. In that year he moved into Denver, and has made his home in
that thriving little village of IMiami county. He became one of the
group of farmers and business men in this vicinity who organized the
Farmers Bank of Denver, and when the organization was completed
he was the choice of the others for the office of president, and has
directed the management of the bank from its beginning. It is a sub-
stantial institution, and in its deposits and general resources is an index
to the fine prosperity existing in this portion of IMiami county.
]Mr. Lewis is a Republican in politics, and in 1896 was the nominee
of his party for the office of county commissioner. The normal Dem-
ocratic majority at that time ran from five to six hundred, and when
it is stated he was defeated by only nine votes, his strength as a citizen
and popularity are illustrated more graphically than by any other
means. Mr. Lewis at the present time besides his interest in the bank
at Denver, is the owner of two hundred and seventy acres of land in
Miami county, but for several years has not been actively identified
with farm work.
He was married May 20, 1887, to Miss Josephine Cool, a daughter
of Powell Cool, a farmer of Union township. To their marriage has
been born one son, Edgar. He was educated in the common schools
and the Dodge School of Telegraphy, of Valparaiso, Ind., and after a
year or two spent with a railroad he was one of the instructors in that
school. He wedded Miss Harriett Wright, and resides in Denver,
Indiana, and he manages his father's farm. He is a member of the
Baptist church and his wife of the Church of The Brethren.
Mrs. Josephine Lewis was born in Miami township, Miami county,
October 12, 1857, the youngest of six children, three sons and three
daughters, Ijorn to her parents. The eldest is Christopher, a resident of
Los Angeles, California, and a mechanic and is married. Emiline is
the wife of Job Smith, a resident of Cass county, Indiana. Jonathan
is a resident of Carman, Oklahoma, and he is an agriculturist and is
married. Angle is the wife of James Hallecke, a resident of Rochester,
New York, and an insurance man. Ira is deceased. Mrs. Lewis is next
in order of birth. Her father was a native of New York and was a
farmer. He was reared in his native state until young manhood and
educated in the common and high schools. He located in Union town-
ship, Miami county, near the Weasaw Baptist church and he came here
in 1839. He was a Whig and Republican. Both he and his wife were
members of the Baptist church and he was one of the charter members.
He died in 1877, aged sixty-two years. Mrs. Cool was also a native
of New York and came to Miami county in 1838, when she was sixteen
years of age. Bear, deer, panthers and wolves as well as plenty of
Indians were here at that time. She died in 1905, aged eighty-four
years. Mrs. Josephine Lewis was educated in the common schools of
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 609
her native county and taught school eleven years in Miami county and
one year in Kansas. She is a member of the Baptist church.
Isaiah C. Brower. Among the early settlers of Miami county,
Indiana, was a family by the name of Brower and ever since pioneer
days members of this family have been closely associated with the
history of this county and this part of the state. A characteristic of
the family has been their adaptability and interest in every phase of
the life of the community. The original settler, like nearly everyone
else at that time was a farmer, but he was not content to follow farm-
ing alone and carried on other industries as well. Now in the person
of Isaiah C. Brower, we find the same broad intelligence and varied
interests. A successful farmer he has also been identified with many
of the leading business interests of Denver, Indiana, for many years,
and is a man highly respected for his business ability.
Isaiah C. Brower was born in a log cabin near the banks of Eel
river, in Jefferson township, Miami county, Indiana, on the 10th of
November, 1856. His father, John W. Brower, was born in Ohio,
Preble county, and he was a son of George and Sarah (Swihart)
Brower, George Brower was a farmer and a man of considerable edu-
cation for those days. He was a preacher in the Dunkard church, and
rendered his sermons in both German and English, according to the
nationality of his congregations. He emigrated with his family to
Miami county, Indiana, in the early pioneer days, and located on sec-
tion 20, in Jefferson township. Here he began to clear the land and
cultivate it, but he saw other opportunities in addition to the rich soil
that made farming so profitable. He established a tanyard, and oper-
ated one of the old "muley" up-and-down water-power saw mills on
the banks of the Weasaw creek. He also had a cane mill from which he
produced sorghum molasses, supplying his own family and his neigh-
bors with what was a real luxury in those days. He acquired consider-
able property before his death and was a leader in this section, domi-
nating not only through the power of his intellect, but also through the
honesty and strength of his character.
Ten children were born to George and Sarah Brower, as follows:
Josiah, who is unmarried and lives on the home place ; Susan, who mar-
ried Aaron Fisher; Elizabeth, who became the wife of Harrison Grimes;
Mary, who became Mrs. William Collet ; John W. ; Anna, who married
Wilson Harris; Jeremiah, who was a lieutenant in the Union ranks
during the Civil war and was killed at the 'battle of Franklin, Ten-
nessee, never having married; Noah C, who was born in 1827, married
Miss Flavilla Stonebarger and was a merchant in Chicago when he
died on the 6th of September, 1872; Sarah, married Robert Metzker;
and Phoebe, also married.
John W. Brower spent all his life as a farmer. He was a Repub-
lican in his political beliefs. He married Miss Mary Ilarter, who was
born in Preble county, Ohio, October 25, 1830, and died April 26,
1904. To their marriage were born three children, one of whom died
in infancy. The others were Isaiah C. and his sister, Minerva C, who
married Soloman D. Raber.
As a boy, Isaiah C. Brower first attended the old "Brower" school
near the home farm, and later attended the schools in Denver. He
has followed farming and stock dealing practically all of his life,
although since 1905 he has had so many other interests as to have almost
entirely retired from farming. He owns about eighty acres of land in
Miami county, and although not an active farmer now he is recognized
as an authority on agricultural subjects.
610 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
In 1902 Mr. Brower aided in the organization of the Denver Co-
operative Telephone Company, of which he was the tirst treasurer.
He has also served as general manager of this company and for the
past two years has been its president. He was a charter member of
the Farmers Bank of Denver, and has been vice-president, director and
auditor of this institution since its organization. He now makes his
home in Denver. In politics he is a member of the Republican party
and he has served one term as a member of the Comity Council.
Mr. Brower married ]\Iiss Mary C. Lewis, on June 18, 1890, and she
died on the 15th of February, 1905. On October 26, 1909, Mr. Brower
married again, his wife being Miss Rose E. Wilson, a daughter of
Benjamin E. and j\Iary B. (HoUenshade) Wilson.
Mrs. Brower was born March 12, 1867, in ]\Iiami county, Indiana,
the second in a family of four children, three sons and one daughter,
born to her parents. All are living. Eldest is Chas. E., a resident of
Miami county, and is a horseman. He married Miss Lelia Sturgis.
James J. is a resident of Richland township and an agriculturist. He
wedded Miss Idella King. Leon T. is a resident of Chicago and is an
attorney at law. He was educated in common and high school and
then took a scientific course at the Northwestern University. Benjamin
Wilson was a native of Virginia and was an agriculturist. He also
bought grain and at one time was one of the county commissioners of
the county. He is a Republican and a resident of Richland township.
Mrs. Wilson is a native of Preble county, Ohio, and was a little girl
of ten years when she came with her parents to Indiana and both she
and her husband made the trip in wagons, in pioneer style. One of
Mr. Wilson's progenitors on the maternal side signed the Declaration
of Independence. Mrs. AVilson is a member of the Baptist church.
Mrs. Brower was educated in the connnon schools and was reared in
her home county. She has nobly filled her sphere as ^vife in counsel
and advice with her husband in the establishment of their pretty home.
Their residence is known as "The Crescent" and it is the abode of
good cheer.
Benjamin F. Zartman. The late Benjamin Franklin Zartman,
long a resident of Miami county and one of the best known men within
its confines at the time of his passing, was born in Perry county, Ohio,
on February 26, 1839, and was a son of Peter, the gi-andson of Jacob
and the great-grandson of Alexander I. Zartman, of German ancestry.
He was reared to farm work and he followed that occupation all his
life, realizing a success well worthy of the name. He married Lucy
Ann Mohler on December 15, 1859, and soon after their marriage they
moved to Miami county, settling on a farm two miles north of ]\Iacy.
To them were born four children: Hattie B., born September 11. 1860,
who married John S. Hines and lives in Peru ; Clara Bell, married
Grant Hoaglund, since deceased, and the widow makes her home in
Missouri; Noah, born on October 21, 1863, married Herma Ford and
lives at Mexico, Indiana; and William Frances, born April 7, 1865.
Benjamin F. Zartman resided on his place in Allen township for the
remainder of his life. He inherited the thrift and industry of his
German forbears and accumulated a goodly bit of this world's material,
and his wife shared in the same excellent traits of character. Both
were church members, and were long regarded as among the best cit-
izens of the county. Mr. Zartman died on September 26, 1872, a few
weeks after the death of his faithful and loved wife.
AVilliam Frances Zartman was left an orphan Avhen he was seven
years of age, and his youth was necessarily passed among strangers,
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 611
knocking about from one place to another, and but little schooling
coming his way. Indeed, the greater part of his practical education
was gained in the poor boy's "school of hard knocks," His more
adult years were passed as a farm laborer at wages, and it was here
he gained his first real start in life, for it was while thus engaged that
he saved money to buy his first land. He made this purchase in about
1890, and forty acres was the extent of the buy. It was located in
Union township, and he held it for al)Out two years, then sold it and
moved to ]\Iexico, where he engaged in the buying and selling of stock.
This continued until about 1904, when he bought his present farm of
about ninety acres, adjoining Mexico on its southern border, and he
has lived here ever since, his time l)eing devoted wholly to farming
and stock raising, in which he has been most successful.
^Ir. Zartman is a Democrat in his political faith and has always
manifested a keen and wholesome interest in the progress and develop-
ment of the party, though he has not been more active in politics than
the demands of good citizenship make upon him. He has always dis-
played a proper civic and national pride, and is one who may ever be
depended upon to perform his full share in duties of citizenship.
On October 30, 1890, Mr. Zartman was married to Rosanna Bender,
a daughter of John G. D. Bender of Mexico. To their union have been
born the following children: Cleo Bernice, born ]March 27, 1891, and
married to Clarence Stuber of Jefferson township ; Esther Marie, born
Sep'tember 9, 1892 ; John AYilliam Franklin, born May 15, 1894 ; Lucy
Catherine, born March 24, 1899; Mary Helen, born February 23, 1901;
and John George David Zartman, who was born on November 6, 1907.
Mrs. Zartman is a member of the Baptist church of Jefferson towTi-
ship and is one of the most highly esteemed women of the community,
where she enjoys the friendship of a host of worthy people, as does also
her husband. The pretty estate of Mr. and Mrs. Zartman is .known as
"The Riverside Model Farm."
Frank C. Phelps. Among the enterprising agriculturists of Miami
county, who have been progressive in inaugurating improvements on
their property, and have shown their ability and progressiveness by
taking advantage of modern inventions to increase their productiveness
and decrease the cost of operation, Frank C. Phelps, of Clay township,
holds a place in the foremost rank. Coming of an agricultural family,
which has for years contributed its members to the tilling of the soil,
he has made a place for himself among the substantial men of his com-
munity. The Phelps homestead, a part of which he occupies and man-
ages is one of the best known farms in Miami county, and represents
the accumulations of Mr. Phelps' late father, but the sons have through
their own management and labors more than doubled the value of the
estate since they took charge.
Frank C. Phelps was born April 13, 1874, in Clay township, a son of
Andrew J. Phelps, and a grandson of Bissell Phelps, both of whom were,
born in Lewis county. New York. About 1853, Bissell Phelps came west
and settled in Clay township. Here since the establishment of the fam-
ily home in that year, three generations have successfully pursued the
arts of agriculture and have steadily prospered. Andrew J. Phelps
was born November 21, 1831, was a teacher for some years after com-
ing to Miami county, and for sixteen years held the responsible office
of trustee of Clay township. In 1863 he was elected county surveyor,
W resigned before completing his term. In connection with his farm
enterprise in Clay township, he also conducted a cheese factory for the
convenience of the Phelps family only. His death occurred August 1,
612 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
1897. On December 21, 1869, Andrew J. Phelps married Caroline C.
Wj-riek, a daughter of Jacob Wyrick. To their marriage were born the
following children: George Bissell, born September 18, 1871, who mar-
ried Angeline Kendall; Frank C. born April 13, 1874; Albert J. born
July 26, 1877; Thomas W. born January 1, 1879; and Nelson W., born
December 15, 1887.
Mr. Frank C. Phelps started for himself at the age of twenty-one
and first settled on eighty acres of land belonging to his father. Later
he moved to Deer Creek township in this county, and took charge of the
operation of a farm belonging to his father-in-law. After the death
of his first wife, he returned to his present farm, a portion of the undi-
vided estate left by his father. On this place, under his supervision
have been erected a fine barn and two modem silos, and many other
improvements have been introduced. Among the attractive features of
this farm is his herd of fine cattle. He believes in carrying on agricul-
tural w^ork along scientific lines, and is regarded as one of the ablest crop
and stock producers in Miami county.
In 1894 he married Miss Jennette Hardin, daughter of Tillman
Hardin. Her grandfathers were Daniel Russell and William Scott.
The children of their marriage are Ruth, born February 8, 1896 ; and
LeRoy J., born February 26, 1898. His second wife was before her
marriage ^liss Alta May Russell, a daughter of Melby and Mary P.
(Scott) Russell.
Mrs. Phelps is a native of Miami county, born August 26, 1875,
she is the second of six children, three sons and three daughters, five of
the number are living and all are residents of ^liami county. ^Ir. and
Mrs. Russell are living in Deer Creek township. Mr. Russell is a
Republican. Mrs. Phelps was educated in the common schools. The
homestead of Mr. and Mrs. Phelps is one of the beautiful and valuable
farms of Clay township and the excellent buildings and silos attest the
assertion.
The Maus Family is one that has long been identified with the his-
tory of Miami county, and men of that name have wrought well in
the growth and development of the county along varied lines. It is
the purpose of this brief family sketch to deliniate lightly something
of the activities of a representative of three successive generations,
beginning with the first of the name to take up the burden of devel-
opment in this district. He was John Maus, a native of Germany,
where he was born near Frankfort, and there was reared and mar-
ried. It was in the year 1834 that he came to America with his wife
and two sons, — John and George. For eight years they lived in Somer-
set county, Pennsylvania, and it is believed that the father was a
weaver by trade. At any rate, he was known to weave blankets after
coming to Indiana to live, but for the most part he devoted himself
to the business of farming after taking up his residence in the United
States.
In the year 1842 the Maus family, led by the pioneer, John Maus,
came to Indiana, settling in Miami county, on a wild section of land
in Jefferson township. Here the elder son, John, and the mother,
died not many years after their location. John Maus Jr., was born
December 14, 1814, in Germany, and he continued to live with his
parents in Pennsylvania and in Miami county after coming to this
country until his death. He devoted himself to farming and possessed
the proverbial thrift and industry of the German people, as a con-
sequence of which fact he accumulated a considerable property, own-
ing at one time something like four hundred and seventy acres of land.
HISTORY OF :\IIAMI COUNTY 613
In his religious convictions, John Mans Jr., was a Lutheran, the faith
in which his parents had reared him, and he was a stanch Democrat.
He was widely known for his inflexible honesty and was one who never
shirked a responsibility. He was a credit to his native land, and he
honored his adopted country in his devotion to it. He died in 1886,
secure in the kindly afifection and the respect of all who knew him. Mr.
Maus was twice married, his first wife having been Martha Vennard,
and to them were born five children, of which number there is but one
living now, — William, a resident of Cass county, in Adams township.
His second wife was Barbara Elizabeth Laver, and five children were
likewise born of this union. Four of the five are living today. They
are : Levi ; Augustus and Josiah, twins ; and Ida, now the wife of Ira
Eikenberry, of Richland township.
Of these children, Josiah Maus was born in Jefterson township,
Miami county, Indiana, on September 30, 1863, and he grew to man-
hood on the place he now owns, and which he has always made his
home. Mr. JMaus received only a common school education and on March
25, 1891, he was married to Cora E. Fisher, the daughter of Henry
Fisher. Two children were born to them, of which one daughter,
Mabel, still lives. The mother died on September 15, 1899, and Mr.
Maus remarried on March 24, 1901, Cora E. Girard, daughter of Ed-
ward and Anna (Leedy) Girard, of Union township, becoming his wife.
Mrs. Maus is a native of Miami county, born December 12, 1867, the
second of five children, two sons and three daughters, born to Edward
and Anna (Leedy) Girard, and all the children are living and are
residents of Miami county except two sons. Frank B. is a resident
of Akron, Ohio, and is with the Salvation Army. Samuel resides in
Marshall county. Mr. Girard was a native of Ohio and he died June
21, 1912. He was an agriculturist. Mrs. Girard was a native of Indi-
ana, a resident of Miami and member of the Brethren church. ]Mrs.
Maus was educated in the common schools from which she received her
diploma and she also received higher education in Ashland, Ohio,
Normal and A^alparaiso University. She taught eleven years in Miami
county.
Mr. Maus is a Democrat in his political adherence, and his wife is
a member of the Progress Brethren church. The estate of Mr. and
Mrs. Maus is known as ' ' The Pine Homestead. ' '
George Eikenberry and Levi I. Eikenberry. The death, in 1900,
of George Eikenberry, deprived Miami county, Indiana, of one of her
most successful and representative citizens. He spent his entire life
as a farmer in this community, and was prominent in the religious,
political, and social life of the county. His son, Levi I. Eikenberry,
has also been a farmer all of his life. He has been an industrious,
painstaking farmer and the success which has come to him has been
due to his own efforts entirely.
George Eikenberry was born in Preble county, Ohio, May 6. 1830,
on the farm of his father, Peter Eikenberry. The latter was a native
of Vir^nia, and his wife, who was Eliza Morningstar before her mar-
riage, was of German ancestry. George Eikenberry received his edu-
cation in the common schools of his time, in Preble county, Ohio. He
married Rebecca Miller in March, 1851, and shortly after this event, in
the same year, migrated to i\Iiami county, Indiana, where he bought
one hundred acres of land from William Donaldson. This land was
located on section 27, in Jefferson township, adjoining the Richland
township line. He lived here for the rest of his days, as time passed
accumulating considerable property. He at one time owned six hundred
614 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
acres of fine laud. While a man whose educational advantages had
been limited, he made up for the deficiency by reading and assimilation
of what he read, being considered one of the best informed men in the
county on all subjects of interest in his day. He was a Democrat in
polities a2id, owing to his practical common sense and executive ability,
he was three times elected as county commissioner, being elected in
1876, again in 1880 and again in 1890. In religion he was a member
of the Church of the Brethren, and in the fraternal world he was for
many years a prominent ]\Iason. He and his wife were the parents
of ten children, six of whom are living, as follows : Sarah, who is the
wife of Merrit Flory, of Richland township ; Alice, the wife of William
Fonts, of Richland township ; Ira L., of Richland township ; Ida, the
wife of John H. Fonts, of North ^Manchester, Indiana; Levi I. and
Albert, residents of Denver. Indiana. ]\Irs. Eikenberry died on Jan-
uary 30, 1909, she also being a member of the German Baptist church.
Her husband died October 29, 1900.
Levi I. Eikenberry was born on the old homestead south of Denver,
March 11, 1865. He was educated in the common schools, and grew
up on the farm. On the 13tli of October, 1890, he married Miss Anna
Balsbaugh, a daughter of Henry and Sarah Jane (Fisher) Balsbaugh.
He has followed farming all of his life, together with stock raising.
He now owns about four hundred and thirty acres of land in Miami
county, practically all of which he has acquired by his own efforts.
Four children have been born to ]\Ir. Eikenberry and his wife,
namely : Vernon G., Orville R., Clinton H. and Walter B. Vernon G.
received a common school education and diploma, and also spent some
time in the high school. He is a farmer in Wabash county. Orville
R. an agriculturist in Union township. ]\Iiami county, wedded Miss Lenora
Martindale and they have one little son, Joseph Levi. Clinton H. is
at home. He received his diploma from the public school and is a
farmer. Walter B. is in the eighth grade. Mrs. Eikenberry is a native
of ]\Iiami county, born November 14. 1870. She is the eldest of ten
children — four sons and six daughters — and all living, her mother being
the only one of the family deceased. Mrs. Eikenberry has been an
able factor in establishing her pretty home and the rearing of her chil-
dren. Both ^Ir. Eikenberry and his wife are members of the Church of
the Brethren, and in politics ^Ir. Eikenberry is a Democrat. The Eiken-
berry estate is known as "The Glendale Stock Farm," and is located
eight miles northwest of Peru, Indiana.
The Graft Family. Three generations of the well known Graft
family have been identified with the agricultural activities of ]\Iiami
county since the advent of Abraham Graft into the county in October,
1851. That worthy pioneer was born in Lancaster county, Pennsyl-
vania, on November 23, 1813, a son of David and Anna (Grove) Graft,
both of German ancestry, and farmers by vocation, as have been repre-
sentatives of the family for many generations. When Abraham Graft
was about six years old he moved Avith his parents to Virginia, and
from there, in 1823, he came to Preble county, Ohio, where he settled
down to a life on the farm. He married there Miss Anna Morningstar
in 1838, the daughter of George and Elizabeth (Swisher) ^Morningstar,
and to them four children were born — two of them owning Ohio as their
natal state, and two Indiana.
In October. 1851. as has already been stated, the family came by
wagon to Miami county. Mr. Graft brought one load of household
goods with the family and, when he arrived in ^Miami county, assisted
George Fisher in the planting of his wheat crop. ^Iv. Fisher, in return
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 615
for the courtesy, as was the custom in those days and still prevails in
many farming districts, repaid his neighbor by returning to Ohio with
jMr. Graft and helping him to move more of his household goods. Thus
was accomplished the family exodus, with its household gods, from
Preble county, Ohio, to its present location.
The children born to Abraham Graft and his wife were as follows:
George, now deceased ; David, living in Miami county ; John T., who
died in 1899 ; Elizabeth, the wife of Jacob Fike ; Lydia, who married
W. M. Turnipseed; and Mary, the wife of Robert Miller. The mother
of Abraham Graft died in Preble county, Ohio, and his father subse-
quently came to Miami county, Indiana, dying here of cholera in 1857.
Abraham Graft made his home in Miami county until his death.
He was brought up in the faith of the Church of the Brethren, and
died strong in his belief and hope in the future. While physically
rather under the medium in size and strength, he more than supple-
mented that deficiency by his extraordinary mentality. Strong in hi-s
convictions, he followed a well-defined plan of life, and succeeded far
above the average, not only in the acquisition of material wealth, but in
the establishment of an honored and honorable name. During his later
years Mr. Graft came to be known as one of the wealthiest men in the
county. He died on December 6, 1903. His faithful wife, who shared
in all his trials as well as in his successes, bequeathing to her children
the full richness of the beautiful Christian character that was hers,
died on June 18, 1888.
George Graft, one of the children of Abraham Graft and his wife,
was born on October 24, 1839, in Preble county, Ohio. He came to
Miami county with his parents as a boy of twelve years, and he assisted
his father in the work of clearing and improving the home place — no
small task in those early days, when such work was accomplished al-
most entirely with the hands. He married, in 1869, Miss Elmira Jones,
I'orn on July 8, 1841, and a daughter of Nathan and Anna (Cox)
Jones, of Cass county, Indiana. Succeeding this important event in
his life, George Graft engaged in farming on the place now owned by
his son, Leroy Graft, in Section 36. He became known in the com-
munity as one of the most strenuous workers there to be found, and
it was, in fact, this hard work and grilling exposures in all weather
that broke down his health and strength, never of the sturdiest, and
brought about his untimely end. He died on October 13, 1882, at the
early age of forty-three years.
In the later years of his life Mr. Graft became a member of the
Church of the Brethren, with which his parents and grandparents had
been affiliated. His widow survived him until February 20, 1902. They
were the parents of six children, two of whom died in infancy and the
remaining four reaching years of maturity. They are Leroy, Walter,
Anna, the wife of Monroe Martin, and Blanche, the \\dfe of Marion
Swank.
Leroy Graft was born on July 27, 1871, and has always made his
home on the old place where he was born, here carrying on the work
of the farm. His mother, after the death of her husband, kept the
place intact and carried it on successfully for twenty-two years,. Leroy
Graft coming into ownership of the farm upon her demise. He now
owns 170 acres, which he operates in a general way, including some
rather extensive stock breeding, and is one of the more successful and
prosperous operators of the community.
On November 22, 1897, Mr. Graft was married to I\Iiss Myrtle L.
English, the daughter of AYilliam and Rosanna (Mutchell) English.
No "children blessed their union, but Mr. and ISlrs. Graft are rearing
Vol. 11—12
616 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
a boy, Gerald B. Howell, a second cousin of 'Mr. Graft. They are
prominent and popular in Jefferson township, worthy successors of
two generations of the family who reflected credit upon the name and
added honors to themselves in Miami township as residents thereof.
Charles H. Black, sole owner of the fiourino; mill and the mill site
on the Eel river at Mexico, and one of the prosperous men of his com-
munity, was born in Wabash county, Indiana, on November 14, 1869.
He is one of the two children born to his parents, William H. and Ann
Elizabeth (Smith) Black, the other child being a daughter, Florence
Vida.
William H. Black was a farmer, and is still employed in that enter-
prise. He accompanied his parents from Eaton, Ohio, to Miami county,
Indiana, in 1843, when he was a babe of two years old. His parents,
who were Thomas and Barbara (Croft) Black, settled on a tract of
land in Richland township, in the woods bordering upon the Wabash
county line, and here he grew to manhood. During the Civil war he
served eighteen months of the last half of the war as a member of the
Second Indiana Cavalry. Shortly after his return from the scenes of
battle, he married, and eventually bought land in Wabash county,
crossing the line from ^liami county, where he had lived so long, and
there he and his wife yet live. One of their children, Florence V., mar-
ried Elmer E. ]\Iull. a school teacher of Miami county. She bore her
husband two sons and two daughters and died in November, 1911. The
only living child of William II. Black and his wife is Charles H. Black,
whose name heads this review.
Charles H. Black was reared in Wabash county on the home farm
and finished his schooling at Roann high school, taking a great interest
in the sciences, in which he is informed to date. He started life in
the milling business, but the panic of '73 opened up new avenues of
life, and he bought eightj^ acres of land in Richland township, paying
thirty dollars an acre for the same. It was while operating this farm
that he conceived the idea of using a specially formed steel connecting
rod in the use of concrete — a specially prepared and reinforced con-
crete — particularly applied to bridge work. After a considerable thought
he had patented the "Loop hook bridge system," and this has been
introduced and tried out extensively on raih'oads and in county work,
with a splendid prospect of becoming universal in its use in these fields
of enterprise. The dam on the Eel river at Mexico is particularly note-
worthy as an illustration of the use of this idea.
In 1911 Mr. Black became the owner of the mill site and the Mexico
Roller Mills, and is operating this at present. He is also president of
the Mexico Woolen Mills, organized in 1912, and one of the thriving
concerns of the place. He is now building a power plant and will be
prepared to furnish power and electric lighting for the entire com-
munity and j'or miles around.
On September 25, 1895, IMr. Black was married to Miss Emma J.
Ward, daughter of Charles and Sarah (Hersey) Ward, commissioner of
Miami county. They have two children : Frances Elizabeth and Loren
Thomas.
Mr. Black is a Progressive in his political inclinations, and takes
only the interest of a good citizen in the politics of his community, as
a general thing.
John W. Swafford. There are few older families in Indiana than
the Swaffords. Their home was established within the boundaries of
the present state about the close of the eighteenth century. Five or six
I -^ ;; r
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 617
years passed before Indiana was organized as a territory, and the
father of John Swaiford was a boy about sixteen years old before Indiana
became a state. John Swafford has for a number of years been the owner
of one of Clay's township good farms, is a man who has won all his
prosperity by hard and effective work, and enjoys the reputation of a
citizen whose obligations to the community and to his fellowmen are
promptly met, and whose enterprise and influence are valued factors
in the community.
John Swafford who is an Indianian himself, and whose father and
grandfather before him were natives of old Indiana, was born in Union
county, Indiana, June 5, 1848. Isaac Swafford, his grandfather, was a
resident of Indiana at the beginning of the last century, for it was on
April 23, 1818, in Union county that Archibald Swafford, the father
of John, was born. That was one of the first births of white cliildren in
that county. Archibald Swafford was twice married. His first wife
was Sarah Burroughs, daughter of Bartley Burroughs. She was born
in Wayne county, Indiana, and it was in that county that she and Arch-
ibald Swafford were married. The children of their union were: Wil-
liam, ]\Iary E., Isaac, James and Rees, twins, Bartley, John, Albert W.,
Archibald, Ellen and Emmett E. Both James and Rees died in the
Union army during the Civil war. The father married for his second
wife, Elizabeth Tappen, and by her had one child. Homer.
John Swafford started out in life without financial help, beginning
at the lower round of the ladder of life and it was as a result of hard
work and careful management that he has acquired a good farm and a
comfortable home. The only money he ever inherited was sixty-six dol-
lars which came to him from his grandmother's estate. His schooling
also was limited. His education has been gained chiefly through busi-
ness and social channels — the market, the neighbor's fireside, the lodge
room and the church — these have contributed to his stock of useful in-
formation, and his own practical experience has done the rest. The first
furniture be bought, a hundred dollars' worth, he had the misfortune
to lose by fire before it was paid for, so he had to go in debt again and
start all over.
From Union county, Mr. Swafford came to Cass county .which was
his home for a period of twenty-three years. From there he came to
Miami county, and settled on a farm, where he now lives. This farm
comprises ninety-two acres, and its buildings have all been remodeled
since his ownership. The cultivation of his land and the management
of his crops indicate the progressive agriculturist, and the superficial
indication of his enterprise is the silo that flanks the barn.
At Liberty, in Union township, Indiana, November 29, 1871, John
Svv^afford and Harriet Dunlap, daughter of Eugene Dunlap, were united
in marriage, and their happy union has now continued for more than
forty years, almost a half century, and has been productive in a family
of children, who under their loving care have also taken worthy parts
in the world. These children are Harry, born September 3, 1872 ; Ella,
born October 18, 1876, the wife of William H. Peters, of ]\Iiami county,
Indiana ; Frank, born May 11, 1882, who married a Miss Davidson, of
Danville, Illinois; Dessa, who was born November 4, 1888, the wife of
Fred Garrison. Mrs. Swafford is a native of Hamilton county, Jndiana,
born December 3, 1854, the only child born to her parents, both of whom
are now deceased. Mr. Dunlap was a Republican and voted for
Fremont. The mother was a member of the Presbyterian church.
Mrs. Swafford was educated in the common schools and has done her
part in the rearing of her family.
When I\lr. and Mrs. Swafford began their married life their cash
618 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
capital did not exceed ten dollars in ready cash, but the young couple
bravely began to establish a home, and in 1913 we find the "Brook View
Stock Farm" with excellent buildings, including silo, and highly culti-
vated acres, one of the liandsome homes of the county. They also have
hosts of friends who well know them for their sterling integrity and
character. They have reared their children so they are a credit to their
parents as well as tlieir native county. Mr. Swaft'ord is a member of the
Crescent Masonic Lodge, No. 280 of Miami, Indiana.
Their son, Frank, served three years as a soldier in the Philippine
Islands and received his honorable discharge and is now a resident of
Franklin Park, C'hicago, Illinois.
George Smith. A resident of Miami county for nearly half a cen-
tury, George Smith is now living retired at his home near Peru, in
Washington township, but for nearly thirty years was an active and
energetic farmer, and cultivated the soil and managed his business in
such a way as to liring the largest returns for his labor. He has been
honored officially, and is one of the most highly respected men of his
township.
George Smith is a native of Marion county, Indiana, where he was
born October 27, 1835. His father was John Smith, and his grand-
father was Daniel Smith. The maiden name of his mother was Nancy
Dabaney, a daughter of William Dabaney. On the mother's side the
ancestry is French, and German on the paternal side.
Mr. Smith was reared and educated in tins state and first located
in Miami county in 1863. His father in that year had died in Marion
county and, after settling up the estate, they came to Miami county.
He first engaged in farming in Wasliington township, on a tract of land
that was all in the timber. A log house and a stable constituted the im-
provements when he took possession, and he spent about a year in that
log house. From here he moved into Howard county, which was his
home for five years; then went out to southwestern Missouri, it being
his inclination at the time to grow up with the new country of the
west. After one year of that experience he returned to Miami county,
and here bought one hundred and twenty acres in AVashington town-
ship. About one-half of this acreage was cleared of the woods and
brush and he devoted much of his laljors to clearing up and improving
the rest of it. In 1886 he replaced the old house and some of the out-
buildings with new and, under his management and supervision, the
place became a model homestead. This continued to be his home for
twenty-seven years, and he then sold out and moved to Peru. Since
then he has lived a retired life. For two terms, from 1882 to 1886,
Mr. Smith served as trustee of Washington township.
In 1867 he married Alice J. ^NIcGinnis, a daughter of James Mc-
Giunis. Their wedding occurred in Peru, although the marriage license
was issued in Kokomo, Howard county. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have one
daughter, Mary Violet, who married E. C. Beck, and she lives at home
with her parents.
William L. Rhein. For nearly half a century Mr. Rhein has been
identified with Miami county, where he began his career as a struggling
young man, working hard to pay for some land which was to be the
basis of his vocation, and in this county he has sul)sequently won pros-
l)erity and has lived with honor for many years.
AVilliam L. Rhein is a native Indianan, having been born in Tippe-
canoe county, December 25, 1853. The family was originally Gernum,
but have been residents in America for several generations. Its first
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 619
settlement was made in Pennsylvania, and the paternal grandfather
owned the land at the city of Reading on which the Hessian soldiers
camped dnring the Revolutionary war. Daniel Rhein, father of William
h., was a native of Berks county, Pennsylvania, and as a young man
learned the cabinet-maker's trade. In 1835 he came west, before there
was a single railroad and when the highways themselves were of the
most primitive type. He was one of the first workers in wood and
cabinet-makers to locate in the little town of Lafayette, Indiana, and
there he found prosperity in following his regular trade. After locat-
ing at Lafayette he married Sarah Logan, and they became the parents
of three children, namely : William L. ; Anna D., who married Michael
Ginney and who now lives in Miami county ; and one who died in in-
fancy. Both the parents died at Lafayette and were there buried.
William L. Rhein made his home in Lafayette until he was ten years
of age, and at that time came to Miami county and began living with
his uncle, Isaac Crane, who was a farmer in Washington township. In
this way he spent most of the years of his youth on a farm and in the
environment of the country, his total length of residence with his uncle,
Mr. Crane, being for seventeen years. Owing to the deficiencies of
public school education during his boyhood and also to his private cir-
cumstances, he had only limited schooling as a boy, and in later years
has remedied these deficiencies by extensive reading.
The practical beginning of his substantial success was in 1876, whert
he and his sister bought sixty acres of low, heavily timbered land in
Clay township. They paid Mr. Crane twenty dollars an acre for this
tract. In 1876 Mr. Rhein started out for himself and moved upon the
land to begin its cultivation. By strenuous labor he cleared the heavy
timber from the soil, and also built a tile factory which he operated
with considerable success until 1900. It was by the gradual process
of hard work, capable management, and the passing of years that sub-
stantial success finally came to him. He added to his real estate holdings
until he and his sister owned two hundred and sixty acres. Mr. Rhein
is still owner of one hundred and sixty acres of first-class agricultural
land in Washington and Clay townships.
On May 30, 1888, he married Adelia B. Sweney, daughter of James
Sweney, who was a native of Ireland, and for a number of years a
farmer of Miami county. In 1900 Mr. and Mrs. Rhein first transferred
their residence to Peru, but returned to the farm in Washington town-
ship after a few months and continued to make that place their home
until the spring of 1907. Since then Peru has been their permanent
place of residence. To Mr. and Mrs. Rhein were born seven daughters,
namely : Carrie ; Helen, now I\Irs. Oliver Goodwin ; Anna ; Frances ;
Ruth; Alice, and Florence. Mr. Rhein, up to the campaign of 1912,
was an independent Republican in politics, and usually supported the
grand old party. In 1912, with the division in political creeds, he cast
aside his old party traditions and voted the Progressive ticket. He
himself adheres to no religious faith, but his wife and children are
members of the St. Charles Catholic church.
Jacob Casper. Now serving his third term as one of the board of
county commissioners of Miami county, Jacob Casper has been a resident
of this county for more than forty years, and has made a very success-
ful and exceptional record as a developer of farms, having applied his
energetic management to a number of run-down places in this county,
having improved them to the best standards of local agriculture, and
then sold out at a large profit over his original investment. Mr. Casper
is therefore a man of enterprise, has always stood high among his fellow-
620 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
citizens, and their confidence in him is testified in his repeated election
to the most important administrative office of the county.
Jacob Casper is a native of Ohio, born in Stark county March 15,
1849. His parents were George and Eliza (Ulman) Casper. His father
came from Germany to Ohio, where he settled during his early life, and
lived there a prosperous and substantial farmer, retiring from the active
labors of his career about ten years before his death.
Jacob Casper received his early education in Stark county, lived at
home with his father, and gained many lessons of practical experience
as a farmer, and in 1881, in the month of April, arrived in IMiami
county. He started with little capital and, after several years of hard
work, got his first farm. For a number of years he made a practice
of buying places whjch were considered failures as farms and, by in-
troducing a good deal of hard work, practical business management,
and investing in the necessary facilities for improvements, he soon suc-
ceeded in making the land productive and profitable, and then sold
out at a price which represented a fine profit for his investment and
trouble. In this way he has been owner of some four or five different
farms in the county. His present place has been occupied by himself
and family for about ten years. He has spent much time and money
in improving it, and now has one of the best estates in Erie township.
The dwelling was on the land when he bought it, Imt he has remodeled
it, and has put up several smaller buildings, and also built a new barn.
All the fences on the farm have been set since he took possession. In
this estate are one hundred and forty-three acres, and in Perry town-
ship he is the owner of two hundrecl and twenty acres, with fair im-
provements.
On January 13, 1883, Mr. Casper married Caroline Hostettler, a
daughter of Jacob Hostettler. They have a fine family of seven chil-
dren, who are mentioned, as follows: Ida May married John Holmes,
and their three children are Herbert C, John F., and Verne E. ; Oda
is the wife of 1. X. Richer, and their two children are Margaret R. and
Rachel C. : Harry married Roxie M. Stoner, and is the father of two
children, Robert G. V. and Bernice E. ; Iris Grace married Kirt Boswell,
and they have a boy, Casper M. ; Vere F. is the wife of Ralph W.
Groves; Walker L. married Mary Wilson, and Curtis C. is unmarried
and lives at home.
Mr. Casper is a faithful member of the United Brethren church,
having served as superintendent and class leader, and also as trustee
and chairman of the board of his church. Fraternally he is affiliated
with the iMasonie Lodge of Peru, No. 63. In politics a Republican, he
has for a number of years been one of the local leaders of his party,
and by his public-spirited citizenship has done much for the welfare and
the practical administration of local government in this county. In 1904
occurred his first election to the office of county commissioner. His
majority at that time was five hundred and seventeen, while Roosevelt
polled five hundred and twenty votes from the county. In 1908 he
was re-elected, and in 1912, Avhich was the great Democratic year, he
was elected by a majority of seventeen.
Claude Trippeer. A young farmer and business man of Washing-
ton township and Peru, Mr. Trippeer is a native son of this count}',
and has spent practically^ all his 3'ears within its borders. On reaching
manhood he started out to win a position in life, having little capital
and only his own resources to depend upon, and has succeeded and
found a substantial position in his community.
Claude Trippeer was born in Washington township March 5, 1876,
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 621
a son of Charles and Elizabeth (Lockridge) Trippeer. The paternal
grandfather was John Trippeer. The father was born in the state of
Ohio, and came to Miami county with the paternal grandfather many
years ago. Claude Trippeer obtained a good education by attending
the local public schools and a business college in Peru, and remained
at home until his marriage. His father was engaged in farming and
in the lime business, and continued active in affairs up to the time of
his death, which occurred in January, 1908. The father was a devout
Christian, believing in practical religion, with only a very little part
in civic att'aii's. He attended strictly to his own business and always
stood high in the community where he lived and where he had many
friends. The mother passed away March 9, 1903. Mr. Claude Trippeer
first began his career as a farmer and continued in that line until about
1912. Since then he has engaged extensively in contracting and build-
ing, and for some time carried on that occupation in connection with
his farming. At the present time he devotes all his time to general
contracting.
Mr. Trippeer in 1908 was elected to the office of trustee of Washing-
ton township, taking office in 1909, and lieing elected for the regular
four-year term which then , prevailed. Since the new law has been
adopted, his term has been extended for six years. Mr. Trippeer is an
active Democrat in politics, and his father was also of the same political
faith. Mr. Trippeer attends the Methodist cliurch with his family.
In June, 1902, he married Miss Grace L. Jackson, a daughter of
George and Mary (Shively) Jackson. Her paternal grandfather was
John Jackson and his wife was Frances Roll. Her nmternal grand-
father was Samuel Shively. Mr. Trippeer 's father died December 13,
1906. Mr. and Mrs. Trippeer are the parents of one child, Georgine,
born May 7, 1903.
Joel S^vigert. Of good German parentage, Joel Swdgert of Perry
township, Miami county, Indiana, shows the sturdy qualities that have
made that race nation builders. He has gained his present prosperity
by industry and careful management, 'and is known in his township as
an honorable man and a successful farmer, having given his entire life
to agricultural pursuits.
Joel Swigert was born in Pennsylvania, the Keystone State, on the
9th of April, 1848, a son of William Swdgert. The latter was born in
the same house in which his son was born, on November 1, 1813. The
foundation of the house which is still standing in Pennsylvania, was
built of straw and clay, for this was before the days of plaster and
cement, and it is one of the old landmarks of the region. The great
grandparents of Joel Swdgert were born in Germany, his mother's
maiden name being Elizabeth Burkhiser.
Joel Swigert grew up in his native state and there received his edu-
cation which amounted to attendance at the district school for a period
of ten months. However, although his opportunities were meagre, he
made the most of them, and has added to his store of information by
reading and observation. He came to Miami county, Indiana, in 1869,
arriving on the 19tli of January. He first worked by the month, com-
mencing with no money capital but soon married and then moved to
St. Joseph county, Indiana. Here he remained for five years, after which
he settled in Fulton county. Eleven years were spent in this county
and then he returned to IMiami county and settled on the farm which he
now owns. At the time there were only two small buildings on the place,
and during the years which he has spent here he has added a number,
all of which are well built and the whole place is attractive and well
622 HISTORY OF :\IIAMI COUNTY
cared for. He has cleared quite a bit of his timber land and has done
considerable fencing and ditching, all with his own hands.
The fatlier of ]\Ir. Swigert was a member of the Eeformed church
and Mr. Swigert, himself, used to belong to the Lutheran church. He
was also at one time a member of the Granger association, but he has
never received a public office nor accepted public money for any of the
sei'\'ices which he has rendered the people. He has severed all con-
nections ■with politics, however, and no longer takes any active interest
in such matters.
Mr. Swigert was married on the 21st of September, 1873, to Amanda
DeWald, a daughter of William and Judith i^Lutz) DeWald. ^Irs.
Swigert was born in ]\liami county February 25, 1854, and it was here
that they were married. They have one child, In'ine AV., who was born
on the 26th of December, 1876, in South Bend, Indiana. He married
Catherine A. Hoover, a daughter of Joseph Hoover, and they have one
child, Luther ]\I.. who was born on the 7th of February, 1905. The
pretty homestead of ^Ir. Swigert is called "South View Farm."
Jacob A. Cunningham. Born in the township of his present resi-
dence and on land Avhich at that time was comprised in his father's
possession. ]\lr. Jacob A. Cunningham of Washington township bears
an unusual relation to the soil in this locality and presents in his his-
tory elements of unusual interest. He is one of comparatively few
living residents of ]\Iiami county Avho attended one of the old-fashioned
log schoolhouses as a boy, and during his career he has witnessed most
of the improvements which have transformed this county from its primi-
tive condition to one of the most representative sections of the state.
Jacob A. Cunningham was born in Washington township on the
thirtieth of June, 1859, a son of Andrew and Sarah (Mason) Cunning-
ham. His paternal grandfather was Thomas Cunningham and his
maternal grandfather was John Mason. His father was twice married,
and by his first wife had the following children : ]\lary E.. who married
Joseph Miller; John, v,ho died in infancy, as also another, who died
before receiving a baptismal name ; and Joseph, who married Mary
Anderson. For his second wife the father married Sarah (]\Iason)
Rhodes, widow of John Rhodes. She was the mother of one child by
her first marriage, Franklin Rhodes. The children of the second mar-
riage of Mr. Cunningham with Sarah Mason Rhodes were : J. A. David,
who died at the age of five years; Barbara E., who married John Fox;
Lucinda, who died at the age of seven ; and Apalona, who married
George ]\losely.
Andrew Cunningham, the father, was born in Lancaster county,
Pennsylvania ; went from his native state into Ross county. Ohio, and
in 1851 or 1852 migrated to Miami county, locating in Washington
township, about half a mile east of where his son, J. A., now has his
home. It was on that original homestead that the son J. A. was born.
The father's home contained one hundred and twenty acres and the
land at the time he occupied it was mostly in timber. There was a
frame house and a log barn, and the land had been originally entered
from the government by a man named Baker.
The schooling which Mr. Jacob A. Cunningham received was limited,
owing to the fact that public school facilities everywhere in the state
at that time, with the possible exception of the larger cities, were far
below those furnished in the district schools of the present era. The
school term lasted only three months, and during the other months of
the year the boys worked at home on the farm. ]Mr. Cunningham at-
tended such a school every winter until he was sixteen years of age.
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 623
He recalls the old schoolhoiise in his neighborhood as a log structure,
but somewhat advanced in its furnishings beyond the earliest log
schoolhouses which are usually described in pioneer connnunities. The
desks were made of broad planks, fashioned almost in the form of a
bench and set in front of the bench upon which the pupils sat. This
bench was another plank similar to the kind used for the desks, and
was an improvement over the seats which an earlier generation of chil-
dren enjoyed ; this had the plank nailed at the back, so that the tired
body of the boy or girl had some support other than bending over on its
knee. When ]\Ir. Cunningham was twenty-six years of age he married
and then located on his present farm of one hundred and eighty acres.
The principal buildings on this estate were erected by his father, but
Mr. Cunningham has put up many outbuildings for grain and stock
and implements, and has done a great deal of clearing and fencing.
In this section of Miami county Mr. Cunningham has acquired con-
siderable reputation for stock raising, and breeds high-grade shorthorn
cattle for market purposes. He has the entire confidence of his fellow-
citizens. He was made a member of the county advisory board, but
resigned from the board and was duly elected a representative of
Miami county in the Indiana State Legislature, and filled his office
with credit to his constituents and home county. He and his family
usually attend the Presbyterian church. Mrs. Cunningham's people
were of Swiss and German stock, and all of them were members of the
Lutheran church. Her father was a Mason of high standing and had
one of the first Masonic funerals in Miami count3^ Three of his moth-
er's brothers — Samuel, Daniel and Michael Mason — were soldiers in
the Civil war. On October 28, 1886, Mr. Cunningham married Miss
Ida E. ]\leyers, a daughter of Jacob Meyers and Louise (Weckler)
Meyers. Her father died about 1860 and her mother in 1893. The
Meyers family came to Miami county from Ohio about 1848, locating
in Washington township, where Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham were mar-
ried. j\lrs. Cunningham had six brothers and two sisters, the names of
all the children being as follows : Mary L., who married Jerry Hoffine ;
Jacob, who married Elizabeth Meyers; Samuel, who married Sarah
O'Brien; John, Edward, Lucinda and Franklin, all of whom died in
infancy; Charles, who died at the age of fifty-seven; and John, who
lives in Peru and is a bachelor.
William A. Sutton. A resident of Miami county for nearly sixty-
five years, ^Ir. Sutton has had many varied relations with the county
and its people during these years, and is one of the most respected
families of Washington township. Mr. Sutton is a veteran of the Civil
war, and is a self-made man, whose rewards have always been worthily
won.
William A. Sutton was born in Champaign county, Ohio, February
14, 1843, a son of John Daniel and ]\Iary (Long) Sutton. The maternal
grandparents were Robert and IMary (Hassard) Long. The parents
moved to Miami county in 1847, locating in Peru township, where the
father was engaged in farming what was known as the Boone farm.
He remained there as a rente;' for one year, then moved to Pipe Creek
township, which was his home for a number of years, living on two
places and clearing off the timber on both farms in that to\\mship. He
then moved into Washington township, locating on the creek, on what
was known as the Frick farm. From there he returned to Peru town-
ship, renting the Daniel R. Bearss farm. He again returned to Wash-
ington township and lived for some time- on a farm owned by H. C.
Mosely, later to the farm of Orlando Mosely in the same township, and
624 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
while there the mother passed away and thus the home was broken up.
The father then lived witli his son for eight years and then with a
brother, N. AV. Sutton, in Clay township, where he passed away at the
end of seventy-three years of useful and honorable life. The father
was in many senses a pioneer, and his labor was extremely useful in
clearing out the forests and making the land habitable and cultivable.
He was possessed of religious inclinations, and for forty years was an
active member of the Baptist church.
Mr. William A. Sutton left home on the 9th of April, 1861, and
entered Company B of the Thirteenth Indiana Infantry, this being the
first company which left Peru for the service of the Union. Few men
in Miami county, equaled in length or fidelity the service of Mr. Sutton
as a soldier. He was in the army from the date of his first enlistment
until 1865, a period of four and a half years. The officers of that
pioneer company were Captain John M. Wilson, First Lieutenant Wil-
liam H. Shields, Second Lieutenant William F. Walliek, and First Ser-
geant Henry Sterns.
After his return from the army as a veteran Union soldier, Mr.
Sutton began work in a sawmill, continuing in that line for eighteen
months. He was then married and he and his bride began housekeeping
on a rented farm, where they remained one year. He next moved to
Clay township, and in 1868 made a trip out west. During his residence
in Clay township he worked as miller at McGrawsville, and then for
two years was employed in what was known as the Chicago mills in
Clay township. He next moved to Wabash county, and kept a boarding
house for sixteen months near North Alanehester. j\Ir. Sutton, after
this variety of experience, moved on to a farm owned by H. C. Mosely,
and lived and farmed there for fourteen years. After that he bought
the place where he now has his home, and this farm has furnished a
good living and an attractive home for himself and family for the past
twenty-four years. The present buildings on the place have all been
renewed since he took possession and in every way the Sutton home-
stead is worthy of comparison with any of the country places in Miami
county.
In 1895 Mr. Sutton was appointed doorkeeper in the House of
Representatives in Indianapolis. In the same year he was appointed
to a position in the Northern Indiana Prison at JMichigan City, and
discharged the duties of his position for four years. He was then
elected coroner of Miami county, and such was the esteem in which he
was held that he never had to file a bond. Mr. Sutton owns a nice
little farm of twenty acres, and is living there in the comforts of life
and spending his declining years in quiet.
He was reared in the Baptist faith, and is affiliated with Crescent
Lodge No. 280 of the Masonic order at ]\Iiami town. He also belongs
to the Grand Army of the Republic. Mr. Sutton was married June 6,
1867, to Rebecca Kessler, daughter of Joseph and Nancy (Baltimore)
Kessler. The six children born to the marriage of IMr. and ^Irs. Sutton
are mentioned as follows : Minine IMay, who married Benjamin Sher-
ick; Charles Homer, who married Pearl Clemmons; David Oliver, who
married Rosie Shivley; Ursula, wife of John Laninger; Edith M., wife
of Edgar S. Swovelend ; and John Henry, who is unmarried. The
daughter, Ursula, died August 11, 1904.
James P. Binkerd. One of the successful farmers and well known
citizens of Butler township, James P. Binkerd, is a native son of this
locality, and is one of the comparatively few residents still living in
Miami county who were products of the old-fashioned log schoolhouse.
HISTORY OP MIAMI COUNTY 625
He went to school in such a building, sat on a slab bench, walked on
the puncheon floors of the building, made use of the other primitive
furnishings, including the old-fashioned quill pen, and both inside and
outside played the sports common to the boys of that period. Though
his education consisted largely of the three R's, and his attendance at
school was easily limited to three months in the winter, he has acquitted
himself worthily of the duties and responsibilities of mature manhood,
and has not only prospered in material circumstances, but has reared
up a sturdy new generation of able men and women who are a credit
to themselves and to the county.
James P. Binkerd was born in Butler township, September 2, 1851,
a son of George and Mary E. (Miller) Binkerd, and a grandson of
John Binkerd, the maternal grandfather having been John Miller.
The father and grandfather were both residents of Armstrong county,
Pennsylvania, where the father was born. The latter in 1844 came over-
land to Miami county. He was a poor young man, and had no posses-
sions in the world except what he carried with him. He first settled in
Butler township, where he entered one hundred and twenty-eight acres
and received his patent from the government. This land was all in
timber, and in a small clearing under the trees he built a log cabin,
fastening its doors with wooden pins, and with his own ax and saw
manufacturing the rough furniture \\hich comprised its equipment.
A couple of times, after locating in Miami county, he went back on
foot to Pennsylvania. In his log cabin he lived and kept "batch" for
several years, and by working for other farmers in the neighborhood
earned the money which enabled him to pay for his place, at the regular
purchase price of one dollar and a quarter per acre. Afterwards he
married, and he and his bride commenced housekeeping in the log cabin.
Later, as life became easier and resources more plentiful, he built a
house of hewed logs, and in that house made his home until 1860. In
1860 he built a frame house, which was quite a pretentious mansion
for that time. Its timbers were about one foot in thickness, and was
so constructed that it might last for generations. In the last dwelling
both father and mother died, and their bodies now rest in the Butler
cemetery. The father was eighty years of age, and the mother eighty-
four when death came to them. They were both members of the Pres-
byterian church.
James P. Binkerd grew up in the environments which have been
briefly described, and attained his education in the schoolhouse. In
order to reach that temple of learaing he had to pass, both mornings
and evenings, through the dense woods which separated the home from
the schoolhouse. He did not begin his attendance at school until he
was eight years of age and, after that, only three or four months in the
year, and as soon as he was old enough he gave his active assistance
in the work of the farm. He performed a large share of the labor in
clearing up the old homestead. At the age of twenty-eight he started
out for himself, and located on his present farm in 1879. In Butler
township he owns oi^e hundred and twenty-eight acres, and of this he
inherited from his father ninety acres, and has bought the rest. On his
farm he has practically done all the improving, the buildings are ajl
the results of his construction, and he has provided a home which is
both comfortable and attractive, a fine place in which to spend his
later years. About the dwelling house is a nice orchard, and he raises
enough fruit for the family use. Mr. Binkerd is a believer in religion,
and attends church occasionally. At the present time he is serving on
the township advisory board, having been four years in the office, and
has always been a Democratic voter.
626 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
In December, 1879, ]\Ir. Binkerd married Martha McDowell. The
two cliildren of tlieir marriage are : Anna Belle, who married John
Kader, Jr. ; and William, who married Lillie Eller. The mother of
these children died, and i\Ir. Binkerd married, for his second wife, Kate
INIeDowell, a daughter of Alfred and Jane McDowell of Carroll county.
There are no children by the second union.
Mr. Binkerd is a true, typical, pioneer son of Miami county, Indiana.
Besides attending the old log schoolhouse, described above, he remem-
bers distinctly of seeing crowds of the Indians in the neighborhood;
he has seen droves of wild turkeys and plenty of foxes, and has broken
many an acre of ground with the ox team, and attended many of the
log rollings and the "frolics" which followed. He is a gentleman whose
memory of the past is vivid, and he can recall the early epoch of the
history of ]\Iiami county, which would be very interesting to the boys
and girls of today. He has in his possession one of the old parchment
deeds, which is a relic of the past and one of the few to be found in 1913.
William AVebb Younce. In the pioneer days of Butler township,
more than seventy years ago, the Younce family was established at
the little community then known as Peoria, now known as Reserve.
The older members of the family were industrious, law-abiding citizens,
and performed a very useful service to the community in the early
days as blacksmiths, their shop having been one of the first establish-
ments at the little village just named. Mr. W. AY. Y^ounce is a repre-
sentative of the third generation of the name in this county, and in his
turn lias pursued a life of honoralile activity, and at the present time
conducts the old homestead and has one of the best improved and most
valuable places in Butler township.
AVilliam AVebb Y^ounce was born on the farm where he now lives,
April 28, 1866. His father was John Y^ounce, and his grandfather,
Joseph Younce. John Younce married Irena Smith, a daughter of
William Smith. She died when her son, AV. W., was an infant. The
father came to Miami county in 1842 from North Carolina, in com-
pany with his father. He was born in Ashe county. North Carolina,
and was a young man when he located at the community then known as
Peoria. Both he and his father Avere blacksmiths, and they set up a
shop which they conducted for several years. All the settlers in that
neighborhood brought their plows and other implements to the Younce
blacksmith shop for repairs and sharpening. John Younce, the father,
soon married, and then settled on what is now known as the old
Slocum farm, in Wabash county, renting that place for two or three
years. He then returned to Miami county and bought the old home-
stead in Butler township. All the children were born on this farm,
and it was the residence of the father until his death, which occurred
October 24, 1903. He was a man highly respected in his community,
and lived such a career as had great usefulness to both his family and
fellow-citizens. AA^hen he first took possession of the homestead in
Butler township, the land was covered with wood, and the first building
he erected was a little cabin. In that calun all the children were born,
and some of them have memories and recollections of the time when
the family lived in a house of logs. Later the father put up a more
commodious building, and at the same time gave his industry to the
clearing up of the land, a task in which the children also assisted. He
was a man who believed in the advantages of education, and gave his
children opportunities for acquiring the best possible training in schools
of that time.
After the death of his father, Mr. AY. AV. Y^ounee took charge of the
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 627
homestead, and in the past ten years has gone ahead with its improve-
ment, and has made many changes for the better. During his father's
lifetime he contributed a great deal of the work performed about the
place, and in later years has also had the assistance of his own boys,
who represent the fourth generation of the Younce family in Miami
county. The father was an active member and a trustee of the Metho-
dist church at Santa Fe, and the son and other members of the family
also worship in the same society. Mr. Younce, since taking charge of
the homestead, has increased the property until he is now proprietor
of one hundred and two acres of tine land. In politics he is a Repub-
lican, and his father before him voted for and supported the same party.
Mr. W. W. Younce was married October 13, 1887, to Miss Ida
Knight, a daughter of James and Rebecca Weisner Knight. The four
children born to Mr. Younce and wdfe are mentioned as follows : Lenna,
born September 21, 1888, and now associated with his father in the
management of the homestead ; Ralph, born December 14, 1890, married
Effie E. Bowman; Roscoe, born July 1, 1897; and Walter E., born
December 5, 1905. Mr. and Mrs. Younce 's beautiful estate is known as
''Maplehurst."
Edward D. Shinn. Now owner of one of the attractive farms of
Butler township, Mr. Shinn spent the early years of his career in the
employ of others, working at wages, and gradually progressed until he
was independent and, though still a young man, has acquired a good
home and has laid a solid foundation for the prosperity of his future
years.
Edward D. Shinn was born in Wabash county, Indiana, April 14,
1872. His father was John Shinn, and his grandfather, Samuel Shinn.
The mother, who is still living, was before her marriage Margaret Deal,
a daughter of Jacob Deal. In 1876 the family moved from Wabash
county into I\Iiami county, and the father first located in Clay town-
ship, although a considerable portion of his land lay in Washington
township. He built the barn still standing on the estate, but the house
now occupied by members of the family was put up by the mother and
her son. There were one hundred and thirty-three acres in the home
place in Clay and Washington townships, and when the Shinn family
first came into possession of it, much of the land was covered with
timber and stumps. That furnished a great field for labor, both for
the father and the boys, and they all received a thorough course of
training in the clearing and grubbing which are necessary prelim-
inaries for the cultivation of Indiana soil. When the family first moved
there, they lived in a frame house with mud walls, and there was a
double log barn on the place. The father gave his energies to the im-
provement of the land, until his death. He was of Scotch descent, a
native of Ohio, and died in 1898 and is buried in Harrison township.
He was a member of the German Baptist church. The mother is still
living, her home being in McGrawsville, in this county.
Edward D. Shinn received his education in Miami county by at-
tendance at the common schools, and learned the trade of carpenter.
He worked at this for several years, in different localities, and then
married and settled on a farm in Wabash county. He and his wife
lived as renters for some time, and then came to their present place
in Butler township. He owned a share in the old home place, but sold
that and applied the proceeds to the present farm. Mr. Shinn has
ninety-two and a half acres, and it is valuable land, most of its value
having been the result of his steady industry for a number of years.
He has instituted all the improvements, consisting of the house, barn
628 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
and fencing, and has ditched a large portion of the lower land. The
farm has been brought up to modern standards in every respect, and
is one of the most productive in this part of the county.
Mr. Shinn was married in 1895, at Peru, to Miss Nettie Emehisen,
a daughter of John and Susan (AA^illiams) Emehisen. They have no
children. Mr. Shinn and wife are members of the Methodist church,
and he has been superintendent of the Sunday School. He is also a
trustee of the parsonage. In politics he is a Republican. He has asso-
ciated himself ^\•ith many of the local activities of his community, be-
longs to the Horse Thief Protective Association, and at one time was
a member of the Carpenters' Union of Chicago.
JopiN RiCPiER. It is most consonant that in this history be incor-
porated a memoir to John Richer, who was one of the honored pioneers
of Miami county and whose life was one guided and governed by the
highest principles of integrity, even as it was prolific in accomplishment
in connection with practical afiPairs. He established his home on a farm
in Peru township about the year 1849 and, through his industry and
civic liberality, he did his part in furthering the development and up-
building of the county which long represented his home and the stage
of his earnest and fruitful endeavors.
He was born near the city of Berne, Switzerland, in the year 1815,
and he was a scion of one of the old and influential families of that
section of his fatherland, where he was "reared to manhood and where
he received a liberal education. He was well versed in both the German
and French languages, both of which he read, spoke and wrote with
practically equal fluency, besides which, after coming to America, he
gained an admirable connnand of the English language. As a young
man he was a successful teacher in the schools of France and shortly
after attaining his legal majority he immigrated to the United States.
Soon after his arrival in America he established his home in AYayne
county, Ohio, where he gave his attention to farming during the sum-
mer seasons and found re([uisition for his services as a teacher in the
common schools during the intervening winter terras. There was sol-
emnized his marriage to ^liss Magdalene Naftzger, who was born in
France, and who was a girl at the time of the family removal to America.
Of this gracious and ideal union were born in Ohio three children —
Christian, John and Catherine — and in 1849 Mr. Richer came with his
family to ]\Iiami county, Indiana, where he secured a tract of heavily
timbered land, in Peru township, and set himself to the task of reclaim-
ing a farm from the virtual wilderness. He labored with unremitting
diligence and proved his physical powers to be as potent in results as
those of his fine mentality. During the winter months he was a suc-
cessful and popular teacher in the pioneer schools, and not a few who
later attained to prominence in connection with civic and business
affairs in ]\Iiami county profited greatly from his instruction and ad-
monition in the formative period of their lives. He was a man of high
intellectuality and fine ideals, and his influence was ever benignant and
grateful. Three sons were born after the removal to Indiana, and to
them were given the respective names of Daniel, Joseph and David
Elias. In their original religious faith the parents were Amish ]\Ien-
nonites, but for many years prior to their death they were devout and
zealous members of the United Brethren church. Mr. Richer died on
his old homestead farm in 1890, at the age of seventy-five years, and
his loved and devoted wife passed to the life beyond in 1886. at the
venerable age of eighty-six years. All of their children are still living
and all hold in reverent affection the gracious memories of their noble
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 629
father and mother, Avhose names merit enduring place on the roll of the
honored pioneers of the county. Christian, the eldest of the children,
still resides in Miami county; John is a resident of North Manchester,
Wabash county, Indiana; Catherine is the wife of Joseph B. Speicher,
deceased, and resides in Wabash county, Indiana ; and the three younger
sons, Daniel, Joseph and David E., likewise continued to represent the
family name in Miami county.
Joseph Richer, the fifth in order of birth of the six children of his
parents, was born on the old homestead farm in Peru township, on the
3d of February, 1853, and thus his memory forms an indissoluble link
between the middle pioneer era and the latter days of opulent progress
and prosperity in this favored section of the Hoosier state. He duly
availed himself of the advantages of the common schools of the locality
and period, and was signally favored in being reared in a home of
distinctive culture and refinement. He is a man of broad mental ken
and mature judgment and has greatly amplified his education through
well directed reading and other self-discipline, as well as through as-
sociation with the practical affairs of life. Miami county is endeared
to him through many gracious memories and hallowed associations,
and he has never faltered in his loyalty to his native heath, as here
has he found ample opportunity for productive endeavor and also
maintained a secure place in the confidence and esteem of a host of
friends who are tried and true. He remained at the parental home
and continued to be associated in • the work and management of the
farm until he had reached man's estate, and in the meanwhile he proved
his eligibility for pedagogic honors by successfully teaching in a dis-
trict school for one term. Thereafter he gave his attention to agricul-
tural pursuits and stock-growing, on a well improved farm in Peru
township, continuing thus until 1896, when he removed with his family
to the city of Peru, where has since been maintained the family home —
a home known for its gracious and unostentatious hospitality and good
cheer. A few years after his removal to Peru Mr. Richer here engaged
in the lumber business, and in amplification of the same he later pur-
chased an interest in the sawmill owned and operated by the firm of
Miller, Eisaman & Company. Somewhat later Mr. ^liller retired from
the business, whereupon the firm title was changed to Eisaman &
Richer. In January, 1912, Elmer Eisaman, a son of the senior member,
and Mr. Richer 's son-in-law, J. W. Bossard, were admitted to partner-
ship in the business, which has since been continued under the original
firm name. The concern does a general manufacturing business in
hardwood lumber, and the annual output of the well equipped and
essentially modern plant runs from two and one-half to three million
feet of lumber, so that the industry represents one of the important
business enterprises of ^Miami county, a general lumber trade being
conducted in connection with the manufacturing department.
In addition to his interest in this thriving business, Mr. Richer
shows his continued allegiance to the great basic industry under the
influence of which he was reared, as he is the owner of a fine landed
estate of about four hundred acres in his native county. Of this valu-
able farming laud one hundred and sixty acres are in Peru township,
and he gives a general supervision to his farming interests, besides
which he is the owner of valuable realty in Peru, including his attract-
ive residence property.
Mr. Richer is a broad-gauged and progressive citizen and a repre-
sentative business man of his native county, and here his circle of
friends may consistently be said to coincide with that of his acquaint-
ances, so that he is nof like the prophet of old. and without honor in
630 HISTOEY OF MIAMI COUNTY
his own country. He is liberal and public-spirited and is ever ready
to lend his influence and his tangible co-operation in the furtherance
of measures and enterprises projected for the general good of the com-
munity. While imbued with naught of ambition for political oiBce,
Mr. Richer is well fortified as to his opinions concerning governmental
and economic measures and accords a stanch allegiance to the Repub-
lican party. Both he and his wife are zealous members of the Church
of the United Brethren in Christ and are active and liberal supporters
of the work of the church of this denomination in their home city.
On the 22nd of June, 1877. was solemnized the marriage of Mr.
Richer to IMiss Susan Casper, who was ])orn near Canton, Ohio, and
who is the daughter of the late George Casper, a sterling pioneer of
Stark county, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Richer have three children — Anise,
who is the wife of AYillis G. Tobey, of Peru ; Ada, who married John
W. Bossard, associated with the lumber and manufacturing interests
of Eisaman & Richer, as previously stated ; and Miriam, who is a mem-
ber of the Class of 1915 in Chicago University. Chicago, Illinois. The
daughters have all been most popular factors in the social activities of
Peru, and the home life of the family has altogether been one of the
most ideal associations.
John W. Volpert. Holding prestige in business circles because
of his connection with an old established firm organized in 1886, of
Peru, Indiana, and in public life on account of signal services, catching
some of the notable criminals throughout the country, he has rendered
his community and the state in positions of trust and responsibility,
John W. Volpert is recognized as one of the representative men of
Miami county and the state of Indiana.
He was born in Louisville, Kentucky, May the 21st, 1864, and is
the son of Casper and Christene (Sharp) Volpert (deceased), who
were the parents of six sons and two daughters. Casper Volpert was
born in Berlin. Germany, February 2nd. 1822, and as a young man
came to the United States, locating first at New Albany, Indiana, and
subsequently moved to the city of Louisville, Kentucky, where he be-
came a stone mason and a contractor, built many of the streets in that
city, and was widely and favorably known. In 1860 he opened a dry
goods store. In 1861, leaving his business to his wife and children, he
joined the Kentucky troops, where he served in the Civil war. In 1865
he took up contracting, street building, etc., in the city of Louisville.
In 1891 he came to Peru, with his wife, to retire and make his home
with his son. They were memliers of the Roman Catholic church. In
1844 Mr. Volpert was married at New Albany, Indiana, to Christene
Sharp, who was born in Berne, Germany, December 13, 1831, and came
wdtli her mother to America in 1838, to New Albany, Indiana, and
whom he knew in the old country. She died at Peru, Indiana, January
1st, 1894, at the age of 63 years. Mr. Volpert died May 8th, 1907.
To them were born eight children, of which seven survive them. They
are ]Michael Volpert, Bloomington ; Frank Volpert, Seattle. Washington ;
Barbara Volpert, of Louisville, Kentucky; Joseph, and Mrs. Michael
Fahey, also of Louisville, Kentucky; John W. and Andrew of Peru,
Indiana.
John AA". Volpert was reared in the city of Louisville, and was
educated in Saint Anthony's Roman Catholic schooL At the age of
twelve he was apprenticed to learn the Ijlacksmith trade, his father be-
coming his bondsman for $1 .000 for the guarantee of the boy complet-
ing his apprentieeshi]). lie was paiti one dollar a week during the first
year and one dollar and a half during the second year and two dollars
HISTORY OF :\IIAMI COUNTY 631
a week during the final year. At the end of that time, having thoroughly
mastered the chosen calling, he became head blacksmith and tool sharp-
ener, and horseshoer for the contractors, Coleman & Davis, of Bards-
town, Kentucky, from Livingston, Kentucky, to Jellieo, Tennessee, on
the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, known as the Knoxville branch.
This work lasted three years and upon its completion he was given
the task of taking the live stock and implements back to Louisville,
later re(iuii'ing a full year to dispose of the commissary of the company
with which Mr. Volpert was connected in disposing of goods. During
this time he was intei-j^reter for the Swiss colony, of which many ar-
rived from Switzerland, and assisted in organizing a colony at Alta-
mont, Pinehill and East Bernstadt, Kentucky. Later he returned to
Louisville and then took a position with W. B. Belknap Company at
Salem, Indiana, blacksmithing, sharpening tools and horseshoeing. From
there he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he worked at the horseshoers'
trade for three years.
A short time after he became a news "butcher" on the railroad
running from Cincinnati to Indianapolis, and the latter city to
Parkersburg, West Virginia. Mr. Volpert saw an advertisement in
the Cincinnati Inquirer and answered it, came to Peru, March 29th,
1886, and here he entered in the blacksmith business with V. R. Hays,
with whom he co-operated for twenty-one years. As a Democrat, Mr.
Volpert was elected as city councilman in 1900, served as a member
thereof for two years, in which body he was chairman of the street com-
mittee, while Broadway was newly paved with brick. In 1889 Mr.
Volpert was the founder and organizer of the Master Horseshoer Pro-
tective Association of Indiana and in 1900 he was the organizer of the
Miami County Horse Thief Detective Association, and later organized the
various counties with associations. Cass, Howard, Marion and Wabash
counties have various organizations, and other detective associations in
Miami county.
These associations have done a vast amount of good in this com-
munity, and throughout the country, too numerous to mention. In
1900 he organized the Erie Township Fox Drive Association, which is
known throughout the country and usually draws a crowd of 5,000
people or more. It was the sport of northern Indiana, of which
these chases are given annually. In 1896 he organized a military or-
ganization known as the Volpert Zouaves. They were known through-
out the state as a fancy drill company, and won many prizes ; also had
the honor of escorting Governor Matthews and Governor Mount at
different times. After holding a position as captain of this company
for two years, he was succeeded by John R. Huber. In 1902 he was
elected brigadier general of the Uniform Rank of the Catholic Knights
of America, under Major General Leo J. Kadeski, of St. Louis, and
later held the position for two years under Major General John W.
Nordhouse. In 1905 he organized the State Police, Sheriffs, Marshals
and Detectives Association,^ which had its first meeting in Peru, and
over three hundred officials attended from all the state, and which is
today known as the National Sheriffs Association. Mr. Volpert was
also Vice president of the Peru Commercial Club.
On November 25th, 1887, Mr. Volpert was married to Mary A.
Spitznagel, who was born at Logansport in 1886, and was the daughter
of John A. and Gertrude Spitznagel, Mr. Spitznagel being m the wagon
manufacturing business in Peru for many years. To Mr. and Mrs.
Volpert were born ten children, of whom all survive. They are:
William John, Francis Casper, Anna Mary, Lucille Alice, Loretta
Clotilda. Fedilis Michael, Clement Edward, Clarence Reuben, Herman
Vol. 11—13
632 HISTORY OF Mli^MI COUNTY
Cornelius Joseph, and Mary Agnes Frances. Lucille Alice is a member
of the Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary of the Woods, Terre Haute,
Indiana, her name in religion being Sister Rose Gertrude. William J.
married Miss Adeline Schmool on January 10, 1911.
In 1906 Mr. Volpert was elected sheriff of Miami county, and in
1908 he was re-elected. During those four years he made a record for
himself and was known as the best sheritf throughout the country.
He has run down criminals, horse thieves, check forgers and chicken
thieves, petit and grand larceny, of all kinds. Mr. Volpert was knoAvn
throughout the country as a criminal catcher, and for thirteen years he
has held the position as president of the detective association. Mr.
Volpert was president of the Diamond Anniversary of Peru, which was
celebrated in 1909.
Mr. Volpert belongs to many social and benevolent organizations
and was chairman of the button committee of the National Horse Thief
Detective Association. Mr. Volpert belongs to the Knights of Colum-
bus, the Catholic Knights of America, Independent Order of Foresters,
Peru Maennerchor, German Aid Society. Social Friendship Association,
Moose, Horse Thief Detective Association, National Sheriffs Associa-
tion, State Police and Detective Association, and Horseshoers Asso-
ciation. He is a member and treasurer of The Shoot Course of Lectures.
In 1898 he was elected colonel of the Indiana Zouaves under ]\Iaj.-Gen.
Wertz. the present mayor of Crawfordsville. Mr. Volpert has, while
sheriff', been in business under the name of Toepher and Volpert, horse-
shoeing and blacksraithing. his partner being George Toepher.
A son, William J. Volpert, took Mr. Volpert 's interest while he was
sheriff, for a term of four years, and at present Mr. Volpert is engaged
in the shop. During the recent flood Mr. Volpert was the first one
reported drowned and was also the first one to cross the Wabash river
during its height, going to South Peru to assist with his boat, as the
South Side had not heard from Peru for three days, and it was a glad
surprise to see him, many rushing to him and asking how friends and
relatives were.
Miami county has had no more able, efficient, or fearless sheriff, and
the universal esteem in which he is held by all whom know him gives
ample evidence of his popularity in all sections.
William H. Gustin. Established in the real estate, loan and in-
surance business in the city of Peru, Mr. Gustin has gained secure
place as one of the reliable and progressive business men and liberal
and public-spirited citizens of his native county. Further interest
attaches to his career by reason of the fact that he is a member of one
of the honored pioneer families of this county, Avithin whose borders
his parents established their home more than sixty years ago.
William Horace Gustin was born on the home farm in Pipe Creek
township, this county, on the 28th of December, 1856, and is one of the
four surviving members of a family of ten children. He is a son of
John B. and Elizabeth (Dearth) Gustin, both of whom were born and
reared in Ohio, in which state their marriage was solemnized. John B.
Gustin continued to be identified with agricultural pursuits in his
native state until about 1849. when he removed with his family to
Indiana and numbered himself among the pioneers of I\Iiami county.
He purchased eighty acres of land, in the midst of the forest, and on
a clearing made by him he erected his modest log house, which con-
stituted the original domicile of the family and which was the abode of
comfort and happiness, notwithstanding the primitive conditions of the
day and the trials and labors to be endured. In the clearing of his land
HISTORY OF :\IIAMI COUNTY 633
Mr. Gustin availed himself of a yoke of oxen, and his implements were
of the rudimentary type common to the pioneer days. He eventually
sold his original farm and removed to a smaller tract of land, but
later he purchased a farm of one hundred acres, where he continued
to reside until his death, in 1887, at the age of sixty-two years. His
widow, who has been a devoted companion and helpmeet, survived him
by a quarter of a century and was summoned to the life eternal on
the 4th of June, 1912. The life of John B. Gustin was unmarked by
dramatic incidents, but was one of earnest and consecutive application
in connection with the great basic art of agricultjire, and as a sincere,
earnest and righteous man he merited and received the implicit con-
fidence and esteem of his fellow-men. He gained independence and
prosperity through well-ordered industry, was kindly and considerate
to all, and had abiding faith in the intrinsic worth of his fellow-men
until the same was abused in individual instances. Without enmity or
intolerance, he lived a simple and earnest life and he left the priceless
heritage of a good name. Both he and his wife were zealous and con-
sistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
The boyhood and youth of William H. Gustin were compassed by
the influences and labors of the pioneer farm and he thus early learned
the dignity and value of honest toil and endeavor, the while he duly
profited by the educational advantages afforded in the district schools.
For several years, after leaving the parental roof, he found employment
at farm work, and later assumed a position as clerk in a restaurant in
Peru. Later he conducted a livery business at Danville, Illinois, for a
period of about three years, at the expiration of which he returned to
Peru. Here he shortly afterward engaged in the real estate, loan and
insurance business, to which he has since continued to give his atten-
tion and in which he has built up a prosperous enterprise. Through
his real estate operations he has done much to further civic and indus-
trial progress in his native county, and his fairness and integrity in
all of the relations of life have gained and retained to him the confi-
dence and good will of those with whom he has come in contact in
business and social associations. He is one of the alert and progressive
citizens of Peru and takes a lively interest in all that tends to advance
the welfare of the community. He is the owner of an appreciable
amount of real estate in his home city and county and, though he has
manifested no predilection for public office, he has been an active and
effective worker in the ranks of the Republican party, in which he has
served as chairman of the county central committee of Miami county,
a position of which he is the incumbent at the time of this writing, in
1913. Notwithstanding the Democratic victory in the national election
of 1912 and the defection of Republicans who entered the ranks of the
new-born Progressive party, ^Mr. Gustin retains abiding faith in the
basic principles of the ' ' grand old party, ' ' with which he has long been
aligned, and believes that its star is destined again to come into ascend-
ancy. He is affiliated with the lodge and encampment bodies of the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, as weU as with the local organiza-
tions of the Knights of the ]\Iodern Maccabees and the Loyal Order of
Moose. Both he and his wife hold membership in the Presbyterian
church in their home city.
On the 14th of October, 1890, Mr. Gustin was united in marriage
to Miss Fannie B. Lamme, of Peru, who was at that time a successful
and popular teacher in the public schools of the city of Indianapolis
and who is a most popular factor in the representative social activities
of her home city. The one child of this union is Elba Gertrude, who
remains at the parental home.
634 HISTORY OF ]\IIAMI COUNTY
Eugene M. Clark. Business methods applied to farming have
seldom failed to pay large dividends. Mr. Eugene M. Clark or Pipe
Creek township is one of the busniess farmers of his community, and is
proprietor and manager of a farm which well illustrated modern farm-
ing methods in this section of Miami county. Mr. Clark is a thrifty,
prosperous citizen, and is one of the men who give character to the
farming communities of this county.
Eugene M. Clark was born in Clay township, Miami county, March
5, 1867. He belongs to one of the old families, his paternal grandfather,
Thomas Clark, an Englishman by birth, having come to this county in
1845 from Ohio, and m Clay township entering a tract of land direct
from the government ownership. All this land had to be cleared of a
heavy growth of timber, which covered practically every acre of it, and
in the midst of the first clearing made among the trees was erected the
first family habitation, a house of logs. He somewhat later put up the
first frame house in that vicinity, and his neighbors were very skeptical
about claiming that it would never stand up.
The parents of Mr. Eugene Clark are George W. and Hannah
(Herrell) Clark, the mother being a daughter of Isaac Herrell. George
W. Clark who is still living at the age of seventy years, while his wife
passed away about a year ago, was born in Ohio in 1843, and was con-
sequently two years of age when the family moved to Miami county. He
remained on the old home farm after the death of his father, and has
followed a prosperous career of farming in this county.
Eugene M. Clark was at home until he w^as twenty-four years of age,
and attended the public schools of this county, and passed the first school
examination held in the township. He learned the arts of farming on
his father's place, and for a time was engaged in working other land
which he rented nearby. Subsequently with the accumulation of his
thrift, he bought eightly acres south of Bunker Hill, where he lived for
about eleven years. He later bought the farm which he now owns in
Pipe Creek tovniship. At that time the place was improved with a
house and an old barn, but he was practically renovated the entire estab-
lishment, and among other improvements has erected a fine new bam
and other buildings. He has also replaced all the fences about the
fields. The Clark farm contains eighty acres, and since locating here
Mr. Clark has cleared off and placed in cultivation the twelve acres
which formerly were in timber, so that the entire acreage is now subject
to cultivation. He has made a business of general farming, but at the
present time is specializing in the raising of Duroc Jersey hogs.
In 1891 Mr. Clark married Miss Louiese J. Haggerty, whose people
came to Miami county from Ohio. The six children born to their mar-
riage are named as follows: Agnes May; Donna Alma; George Loren;
Bessie Lucile ; Vera Alice, who died when two years of age ; and Hallie
I. Mr. and Mrs. Clark have taken much pains with the training and
education of their children, have supplied them -^dth good home advan-
tage, and given them the privileges of the Miami county schools. Mr.
Clark and family worship in the Methodist Church and he is affiliated
with the Knight's of Pythias, Castle Hall No. 299 at Bunker Hill and
the Mongosha Tribe of Red Men No. 267. In politics he is a Republican.
His father was a member of the Quaker religion. The pretty homestead
of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Clark is known as ' ' Ingleside. ' '
Dr. John H. Sommer, V. S. As the owner and operator of one of the
prosperous farms in Perry township, Miami county, Indiana, Dr. John H.
Sommer holds an influential place in the community. He has always
been a farmer, having been reared on a farm and trained for an
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 635
agricultural life as well as a skillful veterinary surgeon. He comes of
German ancestry on both sides of the family and the honesty and
industry of his ancestral race have been inherited by him. He is a weU
known and popular man in this community, but has little time to spare
for anything but the work of his farm, although he is interested in every
movement that has the advancement of the community as its object.
Dr. Sommer is the son of John G. Sommer, and the grandson of John
Frederick Sommer. Both his grandfather and father were born in
Germany. John G. Sommer came to the United States as a young man,
and in Portage county, Ohio, met and married Lucinda Glass, a daughter
of Peter Glass. They later came to Indiana to live and here in Allen
county, near Fort Wayne, on the 2nd of February, 1858, J. H. Sommer
was born.
It was in Perry township, in the town o£ Gilead that Dr. Sommer
received his education. He received a fair education there and has
since further extended his knowledge by taking correspondence courses.
In 1879 he came with his father to a farm a half mile west of Gilead in
Perry township, and here the two men set to work to improve and clear
the farm, which contained eighty-four acres. The buildings that stood
on the farm at that time are still standing, but Mr. Sommer and his
father did much work in making improvements. They dug many rods
of ditching and built a great deal of fencing, and here John G. Sommer
lived until the time of his death. His widow is still living aged 76 and
makes her home on this farm.
Dr. J. H. Sommer made his home on the old farm, aiding his
father with the w^ork, until he married. He then rented a farm for a
few years, at the end of which time he bought his present farm. This
consists of 156 acres, and although the present buildings were all on
the place when ]\Ir. Sommer purchased it, there was no ditching and
fencing as there is now. In addition to improving the property in this
way he has also cleared (juite a bit of the land himself. He does general
farming.
John G. Sommer was a member of the Lutheran church, but his son
belongs to no church though he is a firm believer in religion and attends
various churches in the neighliorhood.
Dr. Sommer married March 1, 1882, Miss Hattie E. Engelhardt, a
daughter of John Engelhardt and Eva (Spangler) Engelhardt. Her
parents came from Germany, and they first located in Portage county,
Ohio, where Mrs. Sonnner was born. Her father was a member of the
German Catholic church and died in 1887. Her mother is still living
and makes her home in Perry township. Dr. and Mrs. Sommer have
two sons. The eldest, Charles Franklin, was born on the 12th of April,
1885. John Frederick, the younger son, was born on the 15th of August,
1887.
Charles F. receivexl his diploma from the public school m 1891, and
then was a student four years in the Gilead High School. In addition
he took a course of instruction in the School of Correspondence at
Washington, D. C. He graduated from the Rochester High School at
Rochester, Ind., in 1905. He is one of the efficient teachers in the Gilead
High School, at present. He wedded Miss Alma A. Barber April 2,
1905, and thev have one son, Claude LeRoy. Mr. Sommer is a member
of the Gilead Masonic order and his wife is a member of the Eastern Star.
John Frederick received his diploma from the public schools and
was a student in the Gilead High School and then took a full course m
banking and bookkeeping in the Huntington Business College, and was
bookkeeper for the American Can Co. of Chicago. In 1909 and 1910 he
was a student at the Valparaiso University. He also took a special
636 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
course at Rochester, N. Y., covering the work of the Governmeiit Mail
Service. He wedded Miss Blanche Hoover, December 11, 1911, and one
little son was born in September 11, 1913, and is named J. Frederick. Mr.
Sommer is a member of the Gilead Masonic Lodge and his wife of the
Eastern Star.
Dr. Sommer, the subject of the review, besides his agricultural pur-
suits has devoted twenty-five years to the practice of veterinary surgery.
He took up the study in the Toronto, Canada, School of Veterinary
Science and graduated from that well known institution at the close of
1905. Although in September, 1001, he was granted a license to practice
the profession, and he has practiced in Miami, Wabash and Fulton
counties.
Dr. Sommer is an honored member of the Masonic Lodge of Gilead
and has been since 1880 and has filled all the chairs of his lodge. His
wife, his two sons and their wives are all members of the Eastern Star.
The beautiful estate of Dr. and Mrs. Sommer is known as "Maple
Lawn Stock Farm."
Levi B. Wolf. In the business of farming, one of the oldest occu-
pations of humanity, one of the representatives of the second generations
in Pipe Creek township, Avho have prospered well, and has provided not
only for their own immediate well being, but by their labor and thrift
have added something to the community's resources, is Levi B. Wolf,
who resides on the comfortable farm which was settled soon after the
war by his father and family.
Levi B. Wolf was born in Frederick county, Maryland, November
26, 1864. His parents were George and Sophia (Howver) Wolf. There
were two sons and two daughters in the family. The father died and his
body now rests in Miami county, while the mother is still living. The
father was a very religious man and took part in all the activities of his
church, and all the benevolent affairs of his community. Very public
spirited, he gave his assistance to every movement to promote the general
welfare of his home district, and having the confidence of his fellow
citizens, he was at one time elected to the office of Assessor.
Mr. George Wolf, the father, brought his family to Miami county, in
1865. first locating in Washington township, subsequently moving to
Arkansas, where he lived only a short while, and then back to Miami
county, locating in Pipe Creek township, where his son Levi B., now
lives. The house, a comfortable frame dwelling, which still stands on
the farm was the original structure which was remodeled after the
Wolf family took possession. In the vicinity of the Wolf farm at the
time of their settlement the land throughout this portion of Pipe Creek
township was either covered with timber or was in the swamps. George
Wolf with the aid of his sons, devoted many years of labor to clearing
up the home farm, and to tiling and ditching and establishing the other
improvements for the prerequisites of profitable farming. On the place
they erected all the buildings with the exception of the barn and made
many improvements w^hich have produced on the present estate one of
the best in this section of Miami county.
Levi B. Wolf, as a boy, grew up on this old farm, in Pipe Creek
township, and during the winters was able to attend school about four
months, his educational advantages being confined to such as he could
obtain in the home district school, during its limited session. He re-
mained at home and attained a thorough training as a farmer, and on
December 31, 1891, was married to Miss Sarah F. Oyler, a daughter of
Henry and Sarah (Wisenger) Oyler. She had nine sisters and four
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 637
brothers, and her father came to Miami county from Ohio. Her mother
was reared in Miami county where she and her husband were married.
•Mrs. Wolf's father, Henry Oyler, died in Washington township of this
county. To the marriage of Mr. Wolf and wife has been born one son
George, born May 13, 1897, and now attending the local high school. Mr.
Wolf in politics is a Democrat, and has no relations with secret societies.
He cultivates the eighty acres comprised in his home farm, and enjoys
prosperity as a farmer and the thorough esteem of his fellow citizens.
Frank F. Isler. The ]iame of Isler is one that is known through-
out the length and breadth of Miami county, and in the adjacent terri-
tory as well, for men of the name have been identified with farming and
farm life hereabouts since 1S69, in which year the family was established
in Pipe Creek township. More than a half century of constant growth
and development haA^e been conducive to many changes in the physical
aspect of the country and representatives of the Isler family have
through the passing years played well their parts as actors in the drama
of growth that has been here carried on. He whose name introduces this
brief sketch in. connection witli the family has taken his full share of the
burden and has advanced immeasureably in the matter of material pros-
perity and position. Alwaj^s a family that bore the respect and esteem
of their fellows, i\Ir. Isler has advanced to a place of prominence in
public life, and is known not onlj^ as a successful farmer man, but as an
up-to-date and capable citizen, who is ever willing to bear his share in
the burden of civic responsibility, and give his aid wherever it was most
needed.
Born in Shelby county, Ohio, on April 5, 1867, Frank Isler is the son
of Jonathan and Sarah (Apple) Isler, and the grandson of another
Jonathan, who came from Germany, where all his children were born
with the single exception of the father of the subject, and he claims
the state of Ohio as the place of his nativity. Jonathan Isler, Jr., com-
monly known as Euny Isler among his intimates, came to Miami county
in August, 1869, accompanied by his young wife and family. He was a
farmer, born and bred to the task of the husbandman, and he found for
himself a place in Pipe Creek township, of some two hundred acres of
land. The place was unimproved, as it might be expected, and only a
small house and a barn of no more ample proportions graced the new
bought farm when he took possession. But Frank Isler 's father was a
man of energy and ambition. He came to JNIiami county to farm, and
to farm successfully, and his experience and progress fully carried out
his intentions in that respect. In 1874 a new bank barn, forty by
eighty feet in dimensions, was reared upon the place, and it may be
mentioned in passing that the subject came near to losing his young life
as the result of an accident that took place while the barn was in course
of construction. Four years later a fine, modern brick house was erected.
The scant forty acres of land that was cleared upon the place when it
came into possession of the Islers gradually spread itself abroad as a
result of the unremitting toil the father and his son, as the latter ad-
vanced in years, put upon the place, so that with the passing years it
increased in comeliness and in value as well, and came to be one of the
fine show places of the county. There were several children beside
Frank in the family, and of the number only one, who was crippled,
remained at home. Arthur left the home fireside when he was eighteen
years old and applied himself to learning telegraphy, later becoming
associated with railroad work, in which he has since continued. Omar
married Bessie Murden, and after a lapse of years returned to the old
homestead and there makes his home today.
638 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Frank Isler received only such educational advantages as were com-
mon to the country youth of his time and locality, and he married at the
age of tAventy-five. soon thereafter renting a farm in Deer Creek town-
ship. He lived there for two years, and then, convinced of the desir-
ability and productiveness of the place, purchased it. It was a small
place, only twenty acres going to make up its breadth at the time, but
Mr. Isler soon added ten acres, later taking on another tract of sixty
acres, and some four years later adding another ten acres to his hold-
ings, until he had an acreage of one hundred acres at his command. The
first purchase had a log house upon it, and there they lived for twelve
years, but in 1904 he built a tine two story house for the accommodation
of his growing family. He also built a capacious barn, 36x70 feet, and
has made many another improvement in the place. Six hundred rods
of tiling drain the place to a nicety, and five hundred rods of ungraceful
and ineffectual rail fencing were replaced with modern wire fencing.
The family continued there until November, 1911, when they moved to
Bunker Hill. There they bought a lot in a desirable location and built
their present comfortable and capacious home. It has nine rooms in all
and is regarded as the most modern home in Bunker Hill, boasting as
it does, electric lights, furnace heat, perfect water supply, capacious
cement basement, etc., and the family derive much comfort from all
these conveniences, many of which were not available to them in their
days upon the old place in Pipe Creek township.
To return to the subject of Mr. Isler 's family, it may be said that
his marriage took place in 1890, when Jessie, the daughter of James
Lawrence, became his wife. Her mother as Marguerite (Taylor) Law-
rence, and the family was well known in ]\Iiami county for many years.
Four children have been born to Mr. and IMrs. Isler. Zella. the eldest,
was born on January 7, 1892. and is married to Calvin Shropshire ;
they have one child. Ruth, and the family make their home in Deer
Creek township on her father's farm where Mrs. Shropshire was raised.
Glen Isler was born on ^NFarcli 10. 1894, and he shares the parental home
as yet. Gladys, born February 7, 1897, attends the Bunker Hill high
school ; and Raymond, the youngest, born August 2, 1902, also attends
school.
]\Ir. Isler takes an active interest in the atfairs of the county and of
his own community, and is now superintendent of the pikes of ^liami
county, a position which he is admirably fitted to fill. He has served on
a number of other appointive positions as well, one of them being two
years service on the Board of Reviews, by appointment of Judge Tillett.
The churchly relations of Mr. Isler are with the Methodist Episcopal
church of Bunker Hill, although he was christened in the Lutheran
faith and early trained in the doctrine of that denomination. The
absence of any Lutheran body in this locality precludes the possibility
of his affiliating with his oaa^i faith, but he gives his unfailing support
to the ]\Iethodist organization of this community. Fraternally he is a
member of the Knights of Pythias, Castle Hall No. 299, as well as of
the Masonic order in Bunker Hill and the Redmen and tlie Pythian
Sisters of Bunker Hill.
William Sims began life in Miami county as a farm hand, under
the most untoward circumstances, and dependent solely upon his native
thrift and energy to establish him in life. His success has been worthy
of a man better equipped than he, and has grown out of his fine and
abundant energy, — his willingness to put forth every effort in the work
in hand, and his splendid integrity and wholesome character. His first
farm was a forty acre one, and he has since come to be the owner of
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 639
as mueli as 474 acres, out of which he gave generous gifts to each of his
children, and he still retains a tine place of 160 acres for his own use.
William Sims was born on August 30, 1833, in Maryland. He is
the son of Francis and Sarah (Kirk) Sims, and the grandson of Wil-
liam Sims, who was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and who died
in the service of the Continental army. The mother of Mr. Sims died
in the forties, and she is buried at West Liberty, Virginia. He is one
of three sons, — the others, Robert and John, having both served in the
Union army during the Civil war.
When William Sims was twenty-one years old he came to Miami
county, and two years later he married and set up an establishment of
his own. He was without capital and with a limited education, and the
first work he found in ^liami county was as a farm hand, at which he
worked for several years. The country was rough and uncleared, and
the work of grubbing out roots and stumps was one that gave steady
employment to many men in those days. Mr. Sims continued with that
work until he finally decided that it would be more profitable to him to
perform that work for himself as a land owner than as a day laborer,
but the state of his finances did not permit him to become independent
in just that way at that time. After a few years of hard work in
Miami county, he went to Helena, Montana, where he applied himself
diligently to prospecting in the gold fields, and his labors were rewarded
with some success. So much so that after four years he returned to
]\liami county with his family and bought himself a farm. His first
place was graced with a log cabin, which he later, in more prosperous
times, replaced with a frame house, of small, but definite proportions.
He later bought the John Brandon farm and there he made many im-
provements, bringing it up to a fine state of cultivation and making a
modern and commodious home on the place. He lived there for about
thirty years, and reared a fine family while he was adding prosperity
to prosperity in his farming operations. An acreage of 400 acres finally
came to be his, which he divided up into parcels of 40 acres and gave
each of his children a home, retaining 160 acres for his own use. He
came to Bunker Hill on May 12, 1911, and bought his present home in
this community which is one of the most modern and comfortable ones
to be found here, and with an ideal location.
Mr. Sims was married in 1856 to Miss Salome (Studebaker) Sims,
the daughter of William Studebaker, and one of a family of four sons
and two daughters, all of whom, with the exception of Mrs. Sims, died
in innnature years. AVilliam Studebaker, who was once a resident of
Cass county, died in Clay township, ^liami county. Eight children
were born to Mr. and Mrs. Sims; John, born in 1857; Philena, who
married Joseph Glassburn, and became the mother of seven children;
she is now deceased ; Nancy, who married Alfred Glassburn ; Josephine,
who died in infancy; Charles, who married ^lyrtle Bertram; Annette,
the wife of Gus fumblin ; Tilton, who married Emma Sutton; and
George, who is unmarried, and is identified with railroad work. All
are filling places of usefulness in their various committees, and are a
distinet credit to the parents who reared them.
Mr. Sims and his family have long been affiliated with the Baptist
church, in which they have taken praiseworthy parts in the work of the
various departments' of the church, and Mr. Sims is a member of the
Masonic order. Bunker Hill Lodge. He stands well in the community
wherein he was long known and where he has recently come to be
established in Bunker Hill, and is one of the honored and honorable
men of the county.
640 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
William F. Crouder. All his life William F. Crouder has been
identified with this section of the state, and he has given the best years
of his existence to the farming business, in which he was born and bred.
"VVHien his father died he became possessed of the fine old place that had
been the home of the parents for many a year, and he has here eon-
tinned in prosperity and well-being, improving the place in many ways
and bringing it up to a high standard of cultivation. He is recognized
for one of the most successful and enterprising farming men in the
county and has amply earned that distinction by reason of his accom-
plishments in the agricultural world.
Bom in Wayne county, Indiana, on May 20, 1841, William F.
Crouder is the son of Jacob and Marguerite (Dubler) Crouder. They
were people of German birth, who came to America while still very
young in years, and married in Cincimiati. They settled first in Ham-
ilton county, Coal Range township, Ohio, and the young husband worked
for a time as a blacksmith in Dayton, later buying land in Coal Range
township, where he lived with his little family for some twelve years.
He then moved to IMontgomery county, Ohio, where he also bought land,
and for fifteen years he lived there, moving thence to Miami county,
Indiana. The family were still in an unsettled state, and they moved
back to Indiana, settling in IMiami county in Pipe Creek township, and
there the father ended his days, death claiming him on April 23, 1891.
The wife and mother died on April 12, 1865.
Mr. Crouder came to Miami county March 14, 1866, from Hamilton
county, Ohio, where he had lived for some two years after his father's
marriage. He started in on the home farm of his father, who was a
widower at that time, and he remained there with his family, finally com-
ing into possession of the place when his parent passed away. In the pass-
ing years he has made many improvements on the old home place, among
the more salient features being a fine new house and barn, and a fine
well. The latter he built as a concession to health conditions, which at
the time assumed a menacing condition, and many deaths in the town-
ship were said to have been the result of impure water in use. The well
that Mr. Crouder sunk on his place is one that will forever preclude all
further possibilities of troubles from the old typhus enemy, and many
of his neighbors avail themselves of its sparkling waters.
Other and varied improvements have been brought to pass, and to-
day the Crouder place, which a few years ago was a dense forest for the
most part, stands clean and bare, its fertile soils lie ready and waiting
for the plow of the husbandman. While he was yet the owner he saw
the passing of the rail fence era, and the entire farm is today fenced
with wire, under the most approved conditions, while two thousand rods
of ditching and tiling were put in place before Mr. Crouder sold the
old home place in 1904. ]\Ir. Crouder, it may be said, is further dis-
tinguished as being the first man in this district to sell land for one hun-
dred dollars per acre, but that was the price he asked and received for
his farm.
^Nlr. Crouder has been twice married. His first wife was ]\Iagdelene
Hook, and he married her in Hamilton county, Ohio, in 1863. Four
sons were bom to them, as follows: Edward C, born February 28, 1865;
John F., born on the 9th day of July, 1867; Charles Oren, born July 23,
1869 and Emanuel, born on the 12th day of October, 1872. The wife
and mother died on August 30, 1874, and in the following year Mr.
Crouder married Mary Kinsley. Four sons were bom of this union also:
William Albert was i3orn November 20. 1876; Jacob H., on February
16, 1880; Clifford G.. on September 9, 1881, and Louis on October 1,
1878. Mrs. Crouder was a daughter of Frederick and Mary (Snyder)
p:
■•3
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 641
Kinsley, both of them German born, but who met and married in Miami
county.
Mr. Crouder and his wife are faithful members of the Evangelical
church, and he is a member of the Board of Trustees. He has served
his township as committeeman on numerous occasions, and in past
days has on many occasions served as public administrator hy appoint-
ment. He and his family have long enjoyed the favor and friendship
of the best citizenship of their community, and have been undeniably
deserving of the same.
Beecher Herrell. Representing one of the oldest and most honored
names of Deer Creek township, Beecher Herrell has for more than
thirty years probably done more than any one else to uphold the business
activities of the little village of Miami, and is a citizen of integrity and
worthy principles as to need no introduction to many hundreds of the
residents in this part of IMiami county. As a merchant he has always
been straightforward in his dealings and has made his business a real
service to the community.
Beecher Herrell was born in Deer Creek township. May 1, 1861, a
son of James and grandson of William Herrell. The maiden name of
his mother was Levina Barker, a daughter of Austin Barker. The
Herrell family is one of the oldest in the settlement and development
of Deer Creek township, and the name is associated with various dis-
tinctions and services in the progress of this locality from the pioneer
epoch down to the present time.
In 1884 Mr. Beecher Herrell married Miss Maude I. Tubbs a daugh-
ter of William and Anna (Haite) Tubbs. Her father, who is still living,
was one of the early settlers of IMiami county. To the marriage of Mr.
and Mrs. Herrell there have been born five daughters, named as follows :
Zella, born in 1886 ; Lola, born in 1888 ; Madge, and Elsie, twins, born
in 1890; and Georgia born in 1894. Zella became the wife of Harvey
Waters, Lola married Walter Wilson, and Madge is the wife of Manford
Shaffer. Mr. Herrell is affiliated with the Improved Order of Red Men,
Tribe No. 267, located at Miami, being one of its charter members. His
church is the Methodist.
At the age of twenty, having been reared and educated in this part
of the county, .^h\ Herrell in 1881 established himself in the merchandise
business at Miami, and with growing success and increasing facilities has
continued as a merchant at that village ever since. His store was burned
on December 6, 1890, but he soon had started again on a better basis
than ever. For the past twenty-five years he has been postmaster of this
village, and since 1904 has been ticket agent for the Interurban Line.
He is held in high esteem among his many neighbors and friends in
this township. Mrs. Herrell's father was a soldier in the Civil war.
New^ton Hoover. A pioneer of pioneers in Miami county is Newton
Hoover, who has made his home in these parts since 1850 or thereabouts.
He has in the passing years been a \^dtness to many phases of the devel-
opment and onward progress of the county, and has taken an active part
in those activities. A veteran of the Civil war, he is honored among his
fellows, and as a successful and enterprising man of affairs, he has ever
had an enviable position in Bunker Hill and the surrounding comnni-
nity. At one time he was prominent as a sheep raiser and he has also
been prominently known as a breeder of fine stock. He is still active and
busy with the work of his fine home place, but is not so engrossed in the
business of advancing his fortunes as he has been in past years. An
honest and honorable man and a citizen of the highest order, his rank
G42 HISTORY OF :\IIAMI COUNTY
and standing- in his community is of the highest and much of honor
attaches to his record in the county.
Newton lioover was born in ]\Iianii county, Ohio, on March 27. 1842,
and is the son of Harry and Becky (Spencer) Hoover. The mother
died in 1868, and the father married a second time, his second wife being
Catherine Potter, who was born on January 7, 1837, and who died
November 23. 1905. Two children. — Grace and Frank. — were born of
this latter union.
In 1850 ]\Ir. Hoover came to ^liami county, bringing his family with
him, and they settled in the vicinity of Leonda, which village he, to-
gether Avith John Potter, laid out and platted. Mr. Hoover was a farmer,
and he also engaged in the pump business in Leonda, making a fair
success of his work. He was a public-spirited man, active and energetic,
and in good standing with his neighbors at all times. He made his home
in Leonda as long as he lived after settling there.
When Newton Hoover married, August 2-4, 1862, he and his young
wife set up housekeeping in a log cabin that boasted of but one room.
They settled in Pipe Creek township, and their early years were lean
ones, characterized In' many of the hardships peculiar to those primitive
days. Mr. Hoover recalls today that he assisted his wife to make a rag
carpet to cover their cabin floor and lend an air of comfort to the severity
of the sparsely furnished place, and in many another similar feat did
the young pioneers help to brighten their workaday lives in the wilder-
ness, — for it was in very truth a wilderness when they settled in Clay
township in those early days. He applied himself heroically to the her-
culean task, and with a yoke of oxen spent many a day of toil in up-
rooting stumps from the soil to which they held so tenaciously.
In 1862 Mr. Hoover entered the army as a member of Company C,
One Hundred and Thirty-ninth Indiana Volunteers. All his relatives
had already gone to the war, but he disliked to leave his young wife alone
and defenseless, and so put oft' for a time. But he felt that he must
answer his country's call, despite his home duties, and he accordingly
left his wife with his home people and joined the boys in blue. The
young wife with true wifely courage, gave her attention to the upkeep
of the fields, helping such harvest hands as they were able to procure,
and enduring stoically all the hardship that inevitably fell to the lot of
the stay-at-homes in those trying and unhappy times. After a year's
service in the army ^Ir. Hoover returned home and resumed his farm
work. He bought more land, and in addition to what he owned, he made
it a point to rent a goodly acreage as well. Thirty years of his life
were spent on one farm, and there he engaged extensively in sheep
raising in company with his life-long friend, Dan Duckwall. He enjoyed
a nice success in that enterprise, as well as in the breeding of fancy stock,
in which he gained something of a reputation in these parts. In recent
years Mr. Hoover has disposed of a number of pieces of farming prop-
erty, but he still has a generous acreage in and about the county.
It is greatly to the credit of Mr. Hoover as a man and as a husband
that he does not assume all the responsibility and glory of the most
worthy success that has come to him in his active business career, but
is willing to bestow a proper appreciation upon the labors of his fruitful
wife. Mrs. Hoover, as well as being a devoted wife and mother, has been
of the most material assistance to him in the accumulation of his exten-
sive properties, and has aided him by her advice and counsel in all
his business enterprises. It has been mainly through the continuous
and unremitting toil on the part of both that they have advanced so far
in the scale of prosperity and achieved the very worthy success that is
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 643
theirs, and no element of chance or luck has ever entered into their
fortunes.
Mr. Hoover was married, August 24, 1862, to Miss Lydia Delawter,
who was born in Preble county, Ohio, on the 18th day of April, 1843',
the daughter of people who settled in Cass county midway between
Peru and Logansport, in the pioneer days of those communities. Mrs.
Hoover is a woman who received the most meager educational advantages^
attending school three months in the winter for a few years, in the log
cabin school house peculiar to those pioneer days. Three daughters and
two sons were born to Mr. and Mrs. Hoover, concerning whom brief
mention is made at this point : Mary R., the first born, married Jacob
Butcher, who died in ]\Iarch, 1905, and she has since made her home
with her aged parents, and is a source of much comfort to them in their
declining years; Judson E., married Eliza Weaver, who died in 1912,
leaving children, Russel N., Verse A. and Dewey H. ; Laura R. is mar-
ried to A. J. Van Dorn, and their children are named Alta M., who
married Omar Hockman and who has one child, — Jackson; Carrie H.,
married to Orlando North, and has one child, — Robert North; and
Georgia A., married to Clyde, a brother of Orlando North. The fourth
child of Mr. and Mrs. Hoover is Effie, married to Harley Poff, and they
have one child, — Helen ; Harvey N. Hoover married Pearl Bigger.
In 1901 the Hoovers moved to their present commodious and com-
fortalile home in Bunker Hill, which they had owned for two years pre-
vious, and here they are spending their declining years, enjoying the
fruits of their labors of earlier years. Mr. Hoover and his family are
members of the Baptist church, he having been a member since he was
a youth of fourteen years. He is a member of the G. A. R., and is
prominent in the local post. He remembers the laying of the corner-
stones of both the old and the new courthouses in Peru, being in attend-
ance at both ceremonies and also recalls the day when the first rail-
road train passed through this section of the country. As one of the
pioneers of the county, he is well established, and is secure in the esteem
and regard of a host of friends and acquaintances in the community,
as is also his wife, who shares abundantly in the good will of the best
people of the county.
Frank Waters. When Frank Waters started out in life independ-
ently, his sole assets were represented by two old horses, jaded and
worn, and a young, unbroken colt. It will not be denied that his prog-
ress has been a worthy one, and one that would be creditable to him
had he launched under vastly more propitious circumstances. His farm
land today aggregates 280 acres of some of the best soil in the county,
well stocked with some of the finest live-stock to be found in these parts,
with ample barns and comfortable dwelling, and all modern conveniences
for the carrying on of the regular work of the place. He stands fore-
most among the farming men of the community, and is eminently de-
serving of a word of commendation for his achievements, and of a place
in this historical and biographical work. Men of his stamp and calibre
have changed the face of the country hereabout, bringing it out from
a wilderness condition to one abundantly fruitful and dotted witli com-
fortable and well-to-do homes.
Mr. Waters was born in Cass county in 1854, and is the son of George
and Sarah (Gresley) Waters. In 1878 Frank Waters came to Miami
county, where he had been occupied with farming up to that time. He
had accumulated practically nothing up to that time, his sole posses-
sions being represented by the previously mentioned team and colt, and
when he located here he established himself as a renter,— the only
QU HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
status to which he might aspire in his financial state at the time. After
seven years he was able to bny a place of eighty acres, purchasing the
place on which he had been living, and there he continued for several
years more. He brought about many and varied improvements in and
about the place, remodeling and adding to the dwelling, dressing up the
outbuildings in their appearance, and putting up a number of new ones.
The land was heavily timbered when he came into possession, only one
half of it being under cultivation, and he brought the remaining forty
under the plow in due time, adding to his holdings from year to year,
until he tinalh- came to hold the title deeds to 280 acres, his present
holdings. His farm is one of the finest in the community and Mr.
Waters may well be proud of his achievements, considering the advan-
tages with which he was launched in independent life. In justice to his
parents, it must be stated that his lack of education was more his fault
than theirs, for he was never of a studious nature, disliking the tedium
of the school-room and preferring by long odds to be employed at work
upon the farm to study at school. He was a wilful, strong-minded lad,
and had his way in respect to his schooling, but the lessons of thrift and
practical farming that he learned of his father made up in some degree
to him for his lack of book learning.
^Ii*. AYaters has been t'wice married. On March 27. 1877. he married
Ridney Rhodes, and one child was born to them, — Lillie, who married
Gus Hartman. ]\Irs. Waters died in January, 1880, and Mr. Waters
later chose Lydia Coon to share his fortunes ^^^th him. Two children
were born to them. Clarence, the eldest, is married to Cora Rickert. and
they have one child, — Nellie Waters ; and Harvey, married to Zella Her-
rell, the daughter of Beecher Herrell. They have two children. — Her-
rell L. and Charlotte Irene.
Mr. Waters and his family moved into Bunker Hill in 1910. purchas-
ing their present home, which is one of the most comfortable in the
town. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and have
a worthy part in the work of the various departments of service con-
nected with the church.
Solomon Hockman. The best years of the active business life of
Solomon Hockman were divided about equally between his allegiance to
the farming industry, in which he was reared, and his devotion to other
interests along mercantile lines. He alternated between the two pur-
suits for years, successful in all his undertakings, but still not definitely
settled in his enterprises, until he settled in Bunker Hill in 1905 and
identified himself with the real estate business. He has remained con-
stant to that enterprise, and has varied his activities by occasional sea-
sons of public service. His standing in the community is an enviable
one, and he is regarded as one of the leading spirits in Bunker Hill
today.
Mr. Hockman was born in Hocking county, Ohio, on March 27. 1845,
and is the son of David and Malinda (Frazee) Hockman. David Hock-
man was the son of Christian Hockman. a pioneer of Ohio, where he
passed the best years of his life and there died. In 1845, as an infant,
Solomon Hockman accompanied his parents to Indiana. They left their
old Ohio home, and drove to their destination with a horse and wagon,
settling first in Deer Creek township, where the father and an elder
brother each took a claim of 160 acres of laud. Neither had sufficient
money in possession to improve the land and come into actual owner-
ship, so the father disposed of his holdings and aided the brother to
secure a deed to his quarter section, the father receiving 100 acres
of the brother's land as compensation for his financial aid. Thus it was
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 64i3
that the Hoekmans estahlished the family in this part of Indiana, and
here and hereabouts they have been prominent and successful ever 'since
that early day.
Primitive conditions prevailed in their time, and one may well believe
that settlers in that region earned to the uttermost farthing every bit
of progress they made in the scale of material prosperity. The Hock-
mans, by dint of much strenuous labor, cleared a small plat where they
erected a log house, of rough unhewn logs. A stick chimney and a mud
fire place were features of the cabin, and the place, when habitable, was
a comfortable and roomy dwelling for the pioneer family. The parents
continued there until the time of their passing, the death of the father
coming in October, 1910, and that of the mother some weeks later. The
former was ninety-two when he died and the latter had reached the age
of eighty-eight.
Solomon Hockman left home when he was twenty-two years old and
established himself upon a small place of forty acres that he had pur-
chased for himself with the fruits of his labor as a farm hand. He con-
tinued on the place for a year, and then he entered into the drug busi-
ness in Macy. He later was four years in the same business in
Mexico, Indiana, after which he yielded to the call of the farm, and
returned to his place in the country, where he continued steadily until
1891. He farmed successfully and enjoyed his return to rural life
while he was there, but in 1891 he felt impelled to turn again to
business, and he established a merchandise business in Bunker Hill
forthw'ith. After a year here he moved to Madison county and there
engaged in a general merchandise business, continuing until 1896, when
he once more made his way back to his farm, and continued in active
farm life until 1905. In that year he came to Bunker Hill once more
and engaged in the real estate business, in which he has realized a pleas-
ing degree of success.
He has been active in Bunker Hill as town marshall, in which office
he served for two years, and he is now serving as supervisor of the town,
where he enjoys the high esteem of the entire community. Mr. Hockman
has membership in a number of fraternal orders, among them the Odd
Fellows, with whom he united in 1872 and has since been affiliated with
Franklin Lodge, in Madison county, and the Knights of Pythias of
Bunker Hill, since 1892.
Mr. Hockman was married in 1868 to Matilda C. "Williamson, the
daughter of John C. "Williamson. They were married in Miami county,
and their six children are living today. They are here briefly named as
follows : Ulala married John Poff ; Clyde, married and living in Indian-
apolis ; Bessie is the wife of "William McConnell ; Malinda married "W. D.
"Wilhehn ; Roy C, married Bessie Stewart ; and Omar "W. is married to
Alta "VanDorn.
The son, Roy C. Hockman, is engaged in the men's furnishing busi-
ness in Bunker Hill, and is climbing up in mercantile circles of the place.
He is a prominent member of the Knights of Pythias at Bunker Hill,
and is prominent and popular with the best people of the community.
The family is one that enjoys the regard of all who have a proper appre-
ciation of character and principle, and their place in this community is
one that is most secure.
Jesse Mumaugh. The popular postmaster at Bunker Hill, Indiana,
Jesse Mumaugh needs on introduction to the citizens of his community,
who have ever found him a courteous, obliging and efficient public official.
For some years prior to assuming the duties of his present office, he was
widely known as an educator in Miami county, and although still a
646 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
young man has impressed himself favorably upon the community along
various lines. ]\Ir. Mumaugh belongs to a family that has been for many
years connected with the agricultural development of Miami county. He
was born in this county, March 26, 1889, a son of Daniel and Christina
(Weaver) Mumaugh, and a grandson of Elias IMumaugh and Henry
Weaver. His mother's people came to the United States from Germany,
in 1866, and settled in ]Miami county, while on the paternal side, the
V family settled in this county during the late 'fifties, coming here from
Ohio. Both Elias and Daniel Mumaugh followed agricultural pursuits
in this county for many years, and the latter still carries on operations
in Pipe Creek township, where he is the owner of a handsome property.
He is one of the substantial men of his community, has ever stood high
in public esteem, and has made a success of whatever he has undertaken.
He and his wife have been the parents of three children, namely : Jesse ;
Elias, who married Chloris Webb; and Nellie, who became the wife of
Frank Setty. All reside in Miami county.
Jesse jMumaugh was given only ordinary educational advantages in
his native county, this being supplemented by three months of attend-
ance at the normal school. He made the most of his opportunities, how-
ever, and when still a youth secured a teacher's license and entered upon
his career as an educator. He was successfully engaged in training the
young in Pipe Creek and Deer Creek townships until his appointment,
in 1912, by Postmaster Frank Hitchcock, to the office of postmaster at
Bunker Hill, having successfully passed the civil service examination.
In the discharge of his duties he has proved capable, willing and court-
eous, having a high regard for the responsibilities of public service and
exhibiting conscientious devotion to duty.
Mr. Mumaugh was married in Pipe Creek township. ^Miami county,
Indiana, to Miss Clara Ethel Kelpinger, daughter of Aaron H. Kel-
pinger, and to this union there has been born one daughter : Hazel,
February 20, 1911. Mr. and ]\Irs. Mumaugh are consistent members
of the Progressive Brethren Church, and have taken an active interest
in its work. Both have numerous friends in the younger social circle of
Bunker Hill, and have proven themselves worthy representatives of the
old and honored families of which they are members.
Alonzo ^I. Zehring. One of the oldest and most prominent families
of southern INIiami county is represented by Alonzo M. Zehring, a pro-
gressive and enterprising young farmer of Deer Creek township. Mr,
Zehring was identified with educational work for several years, but is
now active manager of the farm near where he was born and reared.
Well educated, broad minded, with a vision that extends beyond the
borders of his farm, Mr. Zehring typifies the modern progressive spirit
that has so changed farm life during the last two or three decades.
Alonzo M. Zehring was born March 17, 1880, and is a son of Benja-
min and Ruth S. (Wininger) Zehring. The Zehring family in its various
brandies, has an interesting history, and other details will be found on
other pages of this publication. The boyhood days of Alonzo Zehring
were spent not unlike those of her farmer's sons in this locality. He went
to school in the winter and at other times when his services could be
spared from the home, and early became familiar with the principles of
farm management, and labor. On reaching manhood he began his career
as a teacher, and for several years was regularly employed in the duties
and responsibilities of the school. Five years of this time were spent
in the grades, and for two years he was principal of the Miami schools.
In the meantime all his summers had been spent on the farm, and since
leaving the work of the school room he has devoted all his energ^^ to
■ ' L- >S A <
■i:'N^ I
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 647
agriculture, being associated with his father in the management of their
fine phice of 844 acres. He and his father have made many improve-
ments, have substantial buildings, and have a place which is creditable to
their enterprise, and which serves to keep up the high standard set by
]\Iiami agriculture.
On September 4, 1901, Alonzo M. Zehring married INIiss Julia May
Reyburn, a daughter of James W. and Effie (Humeriekhouse) Reyburn.
Mr. and ^Irs. Zehring who have no children are members of the Miami
Episcopal Methodist church, being active workers, and Mr. Zehring is
superintendent of the Sunday school. Fraternally his relations are with
the Modern Woodmen of America and the Masonic Order, and at this
time he is secretary of Crescent Lodge No. 280, F. & A. M. at Miami.
The pretty estate of Mr. and ^Irs. Zehring is known as "Pleasant Hill
Stock and Poultry Farm."
The McConnell Family. In writing of those people who have
been prominently identified with the growth and development of this
county and of the community of Bunker Hill and vicinity, it is hardly
possible to furnish anything like a complete record of the pioneers of
the district without including the McConnell family. They have long
been identified with the history of Miami county, the father of the pres-
ent active generation having settled here in his young manhood, and
occupied himself with general farming. JMembers of his family are to-
day filling leading places in Bunker Hill and vicinity, and Clarke H.
and AYilliam ^IcConnell have been especially prominent in public life
in the town and county.
James H. McConnell, the father of Clarke H. and William Mc-
Connell, was born near Dayton, Ohio, and he spent the last years of his
life in Deer Creek township, Miami county, death claiming him in 1890.
He came to this county in his young manhood and settled on a farm in
Deer Creek township, which he entered from the government under the
homestead law. Pie engaged in general farming, continuing in prosper-
ity until the Rebellion came on, and in 1862 he enlisted in Company H,
Seventy-third Indiana Yolunteers. He saw long and hard service in the
three years that followed, and continued until he was honorably dis-
charged at the close of the war. Although he escaped without wounds
or imprisonment, he suffered all the rest of his days from rheumatism,
contracted from sleeping night after night in the -trenches. This trouble
was the ultimate cause of his death.
The farm, to which he returned when the war had ceased, consisted
of 160 acres, all covered with a dense growth of timber that had little
or no value in that day, as compared with timber values of today. It
was considered a distinct detriment, rather than an asset, and the prin-
cipal business of the owners for some time thereafter was in clearing
away and burning the timber growth they found. They put up a log
cabin, and this was the home of the family for some years, until, \nth
the advance of the family fortunes, they felt further improvement
incumbent upon them, and' they finally replaced the old log house with
a more modern and capacious home, adding suitable barns and other
buildings, and building neat and appropriate fences all over the place.
They attained a pleasing degree of prosperity, and in the last years of
their residence there enjoyed all the comforts that their years of toil
had won them. They were long memliers of the Christian church, and
their children were raised in their faith. Mr. McConnell was for some
years superintendent of the Sunday-school, and his life was a shining
example to the voung wherever he was kno\^^l.
It was in 1866 that IMr. McConnell married Eliza, the daughter of
Vol. n— 14
648 HISTORY OF :\IIAMI COUNTY
Abraham Billhimer, long known in Bunker Hill as a prosperous furni-
ture dealer, as well as an undertaker and manufacturer of coffins. Mrs.
McConnell was born in Washington township, in Miami county, and
she survives her husband, making her present home in the city of
Indianapolis. To them were born four children, concerning whom
brief mention is made as follows: William E., Jessie B., Clarke H.
and James B.
Mr. McConnell was a prominent Mason in his community and a
member of the G. A. R. He was justice of the peace for a considerable
period in Deer Creek township, and was known to be one of the most
public-spirited and popular men in the town.
Concerning the children, Jessie B. married George Elvin, and upon
his death contracted a second marriage, J. B. Reinacker becoming her
husband ; she had one child, Gladys, by her first marriage. Jauies B.
married Bessie Close, and they have one son, Hugo McConnell. Wil-
liam E. McConnell was bora on March 20, 1873. He has been a farm-
ing man all his life, and is now the owner of a fine fifty acre farm just
west of Bennett's Switch, which he gives careful attention to. He has
been deputy county treasurer under Dan W. Condo. and gave excel-
lent service in that office, but has never been an office seeker on his own
responsibility. He is a part owner in the old homestead, which is held
in common with other members of the family, and has a prominent
position in Bunker Hill, where he is especially well known, and where
he has membership in the Knights of Pythias. Clarke H. McConnell
in his early manhood married Doskey, the daughter of Schuyler Chi-
dester, and to them have been born three children, James S., Lela B., and
Ivan E., all at, home. For a number of years Mr. McConnell Avas
engaged in the business of contracting in and about Bitnker Hill, and
while he has some time since given up active connection with the work,
he still has his card with the trade union, and is entitled to all the
courtesies anci considerations it implies. His life has, for the most
part, been devoted to farming, and he is now living on a well culti-
vated place of twenty acres. He sold his interest in the old home place
some time ago, so that his present home place constitutes his only farm-
ing property in the county. It is all-sufficient for his needs, however,
and he lives in comfort and content, secure in the good will and esteem
of the best citizenship of the county. He is a man who is public spirited
and progressive, and while he is not a man who has ever evinced any
undue interest in political affairs, he has done his full duty as a citizen,
and borne his full share in the civic responsibilities. He is a member
of the Knights of Pythias, but has no other fraternal affiliations.
Joseph S. Mills. In a beautiful country home in Pipe Creek town-
ship, surrounded with all the comforts of life, Joseph S. Mills is spend-
ing the peaceful years of old age, after nearly half a century residence
on this farm. The farm was originally purchased by his father about
1840 and has long been under the ownership of the Mills family.
Joseph S. Mills was born on the nineteenth of March, 1837, in Preble
county, Ohio, and was a son of George Mills and a grandson of Joseph
Mills. The maiden name of his mother was Elizabeth Swerer, a daugh-
ter of Peter Swerer. The father first located in Green county, Ohio,
and then moved to Preble county, where his death occurred at the age
of fifty-four years. Mr. Joseph S. Mills was reared in Ohio, where he
attained a common school education, and first came to ^liami county in
1864, remaining here for one year, and then returning for three years
to Preble county, Ohio. As already mentioned the farm in Miami
county had been acquired by his father, and Mr. Mills took the two
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 649
hundred and forty acres comprising the estate as his share of his inher-
itance. An interesting fact about the Mills' farm is the existence of an
old log house, now standing in the background of the present modern
improvements, and serving as a landmark to indicate the progress of
civilization and the career of Mr. Mills. When he first located on the
farm he put up that log house as his home in 1864, while the country
thereabout was in woods, and it took three days of his labor to clear
the ground on which the old log house was built. Many years of his
industrious toil were applied to the farm, and as a result what was
formerly timberland was converted into fertile field and while his own
place was improving all the country about was progressing in similar
fashion, so that the old time roads which he first knew became excellent
pikes, and all the improvements of civilization took the place of the
pioneer conditions. It is due to Mr. Mills to say that he has himself
performed or personally directed most of the clearing on his farm, and
all the buildings and other improvements stand as a monument to his
steady industry. In 1906 he moved away from the farm to Bunker
Hill, but in October, 1912, in the meantime having completed a new and
modern country home, he returned to the farm, where he now resides.
He has given attention to the duties of citizenship, and during the
erection of the present court house, was a member of the county council.
In 1861 Mr. Mills married Freda M. Dodge, a daughter of Francis
and Clarissa (Jaciua) Dodge. Her mother's people came from Penn-
sylvania, while her father's were from New York. Francis Dodge was
a physician by profession and died while attending patients during an
epidemic of cholera. Mr. and Mrs. Mills are the parents of six chil-
dren, whose names are as follows : George Francis, deceased ; William
Clarence, deceased; Charles L., who married Barbara Shively; Ella
Florence, at home ; Marion Elbert, a civil engineer in Oklahoma City ;
and Elizabeth Ethel at home. Mrs. Mills is a member of the German
Baptist church. In politics he is a Republican and in religion a believer
of the Universalist doctrine.
John H. Dice. The energies and sturdy qualities of German ances-
try appear in the Dice family, which has been identified with Erie
township of Miami county for nearly seventy years. Mr. John H. Pice
now occupies the homestead which his father acquired as a result of
much industry during his early career in this county, and it is one of
I the pleasant and highly improved farms of Erie township.
■ The father was the late Michael Dice, whose death occurred in
Miami county, January 6, 1913. He for many years stood high in the
; esteem of his community, and was one of the worthy pioneers of this
county. A son of Valentine Dice, Michael, was born in Alsace, Ger-
many, September 27, 1822, Alsace at that time being a portion of
France. He was ninety years, three months and nine days of age when
death came to him. Michael Dice came to the United States with his
parents when he was about three years of age. They located near Win-
chester, Ohio, where Michael Dice grew to young manhood. In 1843
from that state he walked and drove two cows the entire distance of about
three hundred miles to Miami county. In those days the only modes of
; transportation were by the primitive highways or by canal boats.
Along the Wabash and Erie Canal at the time the faithful mule, driven
by the tow-boy was furnishing the power to pull boats up and down,
and that was the great artery of traffic through Miami comity. On
arriving in Peru township in 1844, Michael Dice found work at the
home of a farmer, and while there the acquaintance with the farmer's
daughter ripened into affection, and the hired man and the daughter
650 HISTORY OF :\riAMI COUNTY
finally were married. This marriage occurred December 21, 1845. Miss
Elizalieth Barnett, who thus united her fortunes with those of Michael
Dice, was a faithful wife and a devoted mother, and their married com-
panionship was i)rolonged to the unusual period of almost sixty years.
The death of Mi-s. Dice occurred June 6, 1905. After their marriage
Michael Dice and ^nfe bought a little land of their own, comprising a
tract included within the present homestead of John H. Dice, and lying
just across the road from the residence of the son Jolin. All the land
was in the timber when Michael Dice first took possession, and his first
home was a log building. He had peculiar , misfortunes in his early
home, and several successive log houses were burned down, and each
time rebuilt. At the present time a log house still stands on the farm,
but it was erected by Mr. John Dice. As a pioneer in this county,
Michael Dice assumed his full share of the task of transforming the
wilderness into the beautiful farm district of today. The late Michael
Dice was identified with the United Brethren Church at Erie almost
from its beginning. He was ever an honored, faithful member of its
communion. His life and the life of the church were so interw'oven
that any benefit conferred upon the church contrilmted to his own hap-
piness. When well past the age of fourscore and ten, his life of
service to home, to community and to church came to an end, and
he rested from his labors, and his works will long follow him in the
memory of his children and his many friends.
Michael Dice and wife were the parents of nine children, five sons
and four daughters. The daughters were ]\Iary C, Elizabeth E., Sarah
A. and ^largaret E. The sons were George V., Andrew M., Jacob W.
and Michael D. Those already deceased are Andrew M., Sarah A.,
Michael D. and George V. There are also thirty grandchildren and
fifteen great-gi^andchildren of the late Michael Dice.
Mr. John Dice was 1wrn on the farm that he now occupies, on March
2, 1856. He was reared in Miami county, attended the neighborhood
schools, and remained at home assisting his father until he was twenty-
three years old. He then left home to follow the carpenter trade, but
later returned and was manager of the home place. After his father
was taken ill he conducted the estate under shares, and finally suc-
ceeded to the proprietorship of the old homestead. Mr. Dice has eighty
acres of land, and during his management has done a great deal of
improving. All the present buildings, including a comfortable house
and barns, and' fences, are the result of his labors.
On the present farm occupied by ^Ir. and Mrs. Dice was celebrated
the marriage, September 7, 1882, of John Dice to Louisa Oldfield, a
daughter of Elijah and Rachael (Ivins) Oldfield. Three children have
been born to their union, namely : Claude A., born October 23, 1883,
married Myrtie Engleman, and they have one boy Alton A. ; Cora M.,
born April 20, 1885, is the wife of Harry Farr; Sylvia J., born Janu-
ary 18, 1893, is unmarried. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Dice have
all received their diplomas from the public schools and are young people
of unusual intelligence and culture. The son, now a resident of north
Peru, has for six years been engaged with the AYabash Railroad, and
is doing well. He is affiliated Avith the Loyal Order of Moose. ^Ir.
and Mrs. Farr are residents of Wabash county, where he is a sub-
stantial farmer. ]\Irs. Cora Farr not only had the advantages of the
common schools, but studied music and taught for some time before her
marriage. The daughter Sylvia has taken vocal instruction. Mrs. Dice
was born in AYabash county, October 18, 1859, and is the fourth in a
family of nine children, six sons and three daughters, five of those chil-
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 651
dren, being still living. Both of her parents are deceased. She was
educated in the common schools.
Mr. and Mrs. Dice and children are members of the United Brethren
church in Erie township. He was a charter member of the Horse Thief
Association of Miami county. In politics Mr. Dice is a Democrat. The
pretty rural estate of Mr. and Mrs. Dice is known as "The Old Home-
stead Grange."
William H. Zimmerman. A former county treasurer of IMiami
county, and now one of the proprietors and publishers of the Miami
County Sentinel, Mr. Zimmerman has been in the newspaper field in
this county for fifteen years, and has been w^ell known as a business
man, public official and publisher.
William H. Zimmerman was born in Madison county, Indiana, May
30, 1864, and wdien less than a year old was brought by his parents
John F. and Nancy J. (Judd) Zimmerman to Miami county. The
late John F. Zimmerman was a native of Randolph county, this state
and learned the carpenter's trade which continued to be his occupation
until he was about thirty-five years old. He then embarked in mer-
cantile pursuits at Amboy, Miami county, and for a number of years
was one of the well known merchants in that vicinity. He subsequently
])ecame railroad station agent at Amboy and continued as such until
his death in 1901. His wife passed away in 1877. They were the par-
ents of three children, one of whom is now deceased. The late Mr. Zim-
merman was a man of fair business ability and was particularly noted
for his square dealing and unblemished character.
William H. Zimmerman was reared at Amboy and was educated
there in the public schools. He learned telegraphy as his first occupa-
tion and worked at that for about two years. Subsequently he went
into the hardware business at Amboy, and in 1890 came to Peru fol-
lowing an appointment as deputy county treasurer. After serving as
deputy for two years in 1892 he was elected to the office of county
treasurer, taking up his official duties in 1893. In 1894 he was reelected,
so that he gave service in the office of county treasurer for four years
in all. In 1897 Mr. Zimmerman became associated with Mr. F. A.
Haimbaugh as editor and publisher of the Miami County Scntind.
Owing to ill health Mr. Haimbaugh retired from the business in
1899, and was succeeded by Frank K. McElheny. Messrs. Zimmerman
and McElheny have since conducted the destinies of the Sentinel, and
made it one of the most influential papers of the county.
Mr. Ziimnerman is a Democrat in politics, and fraternally is affili-
ated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellow^s and the Knights of
Pythias. He was married August 27, 1893, to Miss Effie Jones, and
they have three children: Esther, Paul and Russell. Both Mr. and
Mrs. Zimmerman belong to the Society of Friends.
The Bond Family. A history of Miami county would not be
regarded as complete without some mention of men of the Bond fam-
ily, who have been identified with the county since the early days of
the nineteenth century. Here they have given their lives, in each suc-
ceeding generation, to the upbuilding and developing of the district
they called their home, and the work they began something like a hun-
dred years ago has been carried on worthily by each generation as the
years have passed and others of the name have come to take their places
in the work their fathers established before them.
Isaac Bond, who is the first of the family whom we shall speak of at
length, was the eldest of two brothers, Isaac and Jesse, Jr., who came
652 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
here in 1845 and settled on a piece of land given him by his father,
Jesse Bond, Sr., who was born in Wayne county, Indiana, on February
28, 1820. The mother of Isaac Bond was Phoebe (Commons) Bond,
and he was one of their eleven children. Reaching years of maturity
he married Catherine Eargood, and in January, 1845, made his advent
into IMiami county, at that time establishing himself as a family man
upon the land his father had given him. On April 27, 1849, the young
wife died, leaving three children, named as follows: Lewis, born Octo-
ber 15, 1844 : Arthur W., born December 10, 1846 ; and William, who
was born on November 27, 1848, and died on JMareh 22, 1876, unmar-
ried. Of these children, Lewis will be mentioned at length in a later
portion of this family sketch, and it may be said at this juncture that
Arthur was twice married and that he eventually moved to the east,
where he died, leaving one daughter, Darline Bond by name. Isaac
Bond's second marriage took place on November 10, 1852, when Mil-
licent ]\Iendenhall became his wife, and two daughters were born to
them, namely: Clara Ellen, born June 3, 1856, and who married John
Dukes and died at Rocky Ford, Colorado, on February 22, 1907, the
mother of four children, named as follows: Milton E., Bertha M., now
deceased, Lewis B. and William; and Ludia ]\I. Bond, born on April 7,
1865, who married on May 20, 1890, James M. Faris, and is now a
resident of Peru.
Isaac Bond followed farming all his life, and in that enterprise he
gained a high place in JMiami county. He was industrious, economical
and progressive, and largely increased his original property of one hun-
dred and sixty acres given him by his father when he established
himself as the head of a family, so that at one time he owned four hun-
dred and eighty-four acres. He was well known for his innate honesty,
and the faithfulness with which he lived up to his every obligation,
however slight. He died on July 19, 1890. Mr. Bond was a Republican,
but never sought public office. He was a Quaker in his religious faith
and a stanch advocate of the cause of temperance all his life. Millicent
Bond, his widow, resides in Peru, and on ]\Iarch 1, 1913, celebrated the
eightieth anniversary of her birth,
Lewis Bond, the son of Isaac and ^lillicent Bond, was born in
Wa\T2e county, Indiana, on October 15, 1844, and was therefore a mere
infant when brought to ]\Iiami county with his parents in 1845. Dur-
ing his early years he worked on the home farm and attended the neigh-
boring district schools, finishing his education with a term of study at
Earlham College. Following that, he engaged in school teaching, in
which he would doubtless have been very successful, judging from the
fine start he had, but he was one who turned to farming from the
genuine love he had for the life and work, and he made that his ulti-
mate calling. He was successful in his enterprise and enjoyed a high
place in his community as one of the most prosperous and capable men
identified with it.
Mr. Bond was a member of no religious denomination, but accepted
the doctrine of his parents, who were Quakere of an old established
Quaker family. He was broad in his views, tolerant and charitable
at all times, and was always a liberal contributor of his means to the
support of the various organizations of a religious nature in his com-
munity, as well as to all worthy public enterprises. In his politics he
was a Republican, and notmthstanding the fact that the county had a
nominal Democratic majority of something like six hundred, in 1895 he
was elected and served one term as a member of the Board of County
Commissionei-s, as well as serving as a member of the County Council
for two terms. His public spirit and his alert and progressive nature
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 653
dictated his hearty support of every measure calculated to result in the
benefit of the county and his community, and he ever proved himself a
citizen of the finest type in all the years of his activity in Miami county.
He was the owner of a three hundred acre farm when he died and his
was one of the finest and most productive farming properties in the
Eel River Valley.
Mr. Bond was married on October 23, 1872, to Miss lona Scott, in
Wayne county, Indiana. She was the daughter of John and Martha
Jane (M^illitts) Scott, of that county. Three children were born to
their marriage: Walter S., who is mentioned at length later in this
review; Nellie J. and Blanche B. Bond. The first named daughter
was born on September 3, 1876. Her marriage to Gilbert Hood took
place on February 23, 1899, and she is the mother of two children,—
Margaret lona and Joseph Lewis. The second daughter, Blanche B.,
was born on June 23, 1890, and was married on December 23, 1900, to
Dr. F. E. Graft. They have two children also, Martha Vernice and
Lewis Bond Graft. Mrs. lona Bond is deceased, her death having
occurred recently in the city of Peru.
Lewis Bond died on July 14, 1912, secure in the universal regard
of those who knew him. His widow yet survives him and makes her
home in Peru.
Walter Scott Bond, the son of Le\m and the grandson of Isaac
Bond, was born in Jeft'erson county township on August 23, 1873, and
was reared on his father's farm to years of manhood. He acquired
his education in the public schools, finishing with one year in the Mex-
ico high school, after which he took up his abode on the home place.
Upon the death of his father he became the owner of a part of the
home place, and he is now in possession of one hundred and ninety-
seven acres in the township. This land he cultivates in connection with
general stock raising and is as successful in the enterprise as his father
was in the years of his long agricultural activity here.
Mr. Bond was married on April 15. 1899, to Miss Mary E. Fisher,
the daughter of Isaac Fisher, one of the old settlers of Miami county,
and now living in Denver, Indiana. One daughter has been born to
Walter Scott Bond and his wife ; Vernice Marie, born on June 14, 1903.
Mr. Bond is a Republican in his polities, but has never aspired to
public office, content to let his citizenship manifest itself at the polls,
and in his ever prevalent public spiritedness. He devotes himself almost
exclusively to his farming operations, and is fast making a name for
himself among the more successful men of the community. The pretty
homestead of Mr. and ^Irs. Walter Bond is known as "Forest Grange."
Isaac Fisher. One of the best known men in Jefferson township
or in Miami county is Isaac Fisher, a resident of these parts for nearly
seventy years, and a pioneer citizen of Miami county. His life here has
been devoted to agricultural interests and activities, and he achieved a
distinct success in his chosen field of enterprise. Some few years ago
he felt himself possessed of a competency sufficient to permit him to
retire from the stress of farm life, and he has since lived quietly, enjoy-
ing to the uttermost the fruits of his earlier toils, and the esteem and
friendship of a wide circle of the best people of the county. He is a
man whose life has been a definite force for good in the community
wherein he has lived and moved and had his being, and few there are
in the county today who have spent more years in the development and
upbuilding of their home communities than has ]\Ir. Fisher.
Isaac Fisher was born on January 3, 1827, in Franklin county, Vir-
ginia, a son of Jonothan and Susannah (Neff) Fisher. When he was
654 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
about six years of age he accompanied his parents to Prelile county,
Ohio, and there they continued to reside until 18-11, when they moved
to Miami comity. They made the trip in the manner in which the
homeseeker traveled in those early days, — by wagon or prairie schooner,
— and reaching this county they settled some two miles south of Chili,
in Richland township. Tliere the parents passed their remaining days,
the father dying in 1848. Isaac Fisher was the eldest of the ten chil-
dren of his parents, and when the father died, he, as a dutiful son
should, gave his energies to the maintenance of the family. He had been
reared in the rugged, pioneer life of the frontier incidental to that
early date, and his opportunities for the securing of anything like an
adecjuate education were limited, and indeed, well nigh impossible.
Until he was twenty-seven years old ]\Ir. Fisher continued as the head
of the household, after the death of the father, and at the time, younger
sons being old enough to assume the care of the home, he launched out
independently for himself. He was married in 1854 to Miss Mary
Lybrook, and two children were born to them. One of them died in
infancy and the other, Joseph L., is now a resident of Kokomo. Indiana.
The death of Mrs. Fisher follo^\■ed during the years of her young wife-
hood, and later Mr. Fisher married Sarah Moss, the daughter of David
Moss, of Cass county, Indiana. Nine children blessed their union, all
of whom reached years of maturity, and who are named as follows :
Simon, Sylvester, Leander, Susannah, Mary, Lavina E., Jennie N.,
Amos and Nora C.
IMr. Fisher devoted himself to farming activities until recent years,
when he retired and now makes his home in Denver. Mr. Fisher is a
Republican, and has been a member of the Church of the Brethren
since his young manhood. On xVpril 21, 1898, he suifered the loss of
his faithful wife, and he has since lived quietly alone, depending upon
associations with his sons and daughters and their younger families for
the cheer and sunshine of his declining years.
AViLLiAM H. Long. Resident of Peru for more than a quarter of a
century and long continued activity as a blacksmith has constituted
Mr. Long one of the old and honored citizens, and he enjoys a position
of thorough respect and esteem as a man of high moral worth and indi-
vidual ability.
William H. Long was born on a farm in Cass county, Indiana, July
31, 1865, and is a son of William and Jane (Berry) Long. His grand-
father was William Long, one of the pioneer settlers of Cass county.
The family has thus for three generations been residents in this section
of Indiana, and the name has always been associated with honorable
effort and straightforward business integrity.
William H. Long was rea^'ed to manhood in Cass county, where he
attained his education in the district schools. When he was a little
more than twenty years of age he left the old home farm and came to
Peru. Here for three years he learned his trade by a full apprentice-
ship under John H. Miller. At the completion of his apprenticeship he
went into business for himself and his first shop was established in
south Peru, just across the highway bridge. About 1898 he moved to
his present place of business on East Canal Street, and he has been
located at that place^for the past fifteen years.
In politics ]\Ir. Long has been an active Republican and during his
residence in south Peru was elected trustee of Washington township,
serving five years and three months in that position and giving faith-
ful and intelligent service in behalf of the public interests intrusted to
his care. On April 10. 1889. he married Miss Nora Sharp. The two
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 655
daughters l)orn of their union are Jennie M. who is a graduate of the
Peru high school and at the present time is organist in the Presbyterian
church ; and Dorothy A., who is now a student in the city school. Mrs.
Long is a daughter of James Sharp, now deceased who for many vears
was a farmer in Washington township, and both by character and activ-
ity held a place of foremost influence in the citizenship of that locality.
James Sharp was a native of Scotland. Fraternally ]\Ir. Long is affili-
ated with the Knights of Pythias and the Masonic Fraternity, and he
and his family are members of the Presbyterian churcli, in which Mr.
Long has for the past nine years served as a trustee.
Albion S. Ramsey. One of the fine country homes of Miami county,
which for years has given a distinctive character of prosperity and
well ordered enterprise to the country life of this section is the Ramsey
homestead of Butler township, a place which has been under one name
since it was taken up as government land more than seventy years ago,
and of which Albion S. Ramsey is the present enterprising proprietor.
Mr. Ramsey became successful after an apprenticeship of hard work
and thorough experience in farm life, and at the present time is con-
sidered one of the most substantial and influential men of his locality.
Albion S. Ramsey was born at Markle, in Huntington county,
Indiana, December 28, 1862. His father was Jeremiah Ramsey and his
grandfather Samuel Ramsey. The maiden name of his mother was
.Anna E. Swimley a daughter of Jacol) Swimley. The father was a
Methodist minister, an old-time circuit rider, who traveled about the
country, preaching the gospel and devoting most of his life to that
arduous work. The mother of Albion S. Ramsey died when he was
eight days old and thereafter he was reared in the home of his grand-
father Samuel Ramsey. The grandfather had taken up government
land in Miami county, in 1841, and the one hundred and sixty acres in
the farm was originally known as canal land, and cost one dollar and
twenty-five cents per acre. When it first came into the proprietorship
of the Ramseys, it was covered with timber, and grandfather put up a
cabin in the midst of the woods, was the first home in this county, and
was later replaced with a more modern building. Grandfather Ramsey
lived in the old cabin home for some nine or ten years, and continued
to live on the place until his death on March 2, 1882. Through his own
labors and management, he has done all the clearing, and was one of the
sturdy pioneers whose labors effected so much for the subsequent wel-
fare of not only his own descendants, but for the entire community.
Since the death of his grandfather, Albion S. Ramsey continued the
management of the old homestead, and has made excellent use of his
patrimony, and has continued to improve and make his acres more
productive every year.
After his marriage he began housekeeping in the old house where
his grandfather had died. He and his wife have established an excel-
lent home, and in the past two years have erected a complete set of
new buildings, including an attractive and comfortable residence
besides many outbuildings and barns. Mr. Ramsey has also done a
great deal of ditching and fencing, and has put most of the land in
cultivation. Grandfather Ramsey was a member of the Methodist
church, and the grandson also attends that church. At one time he
was affiliated with the Knights of Pythias, and in politics was an active
supporter of the Republican ticket until 1912, when he voted for the
Bull Moose candidate.
On November 15, 1893, Mr. Ramsey married Miss Lowa Leland, a
daughter of John D. and Martha (Misner) Leland. Six children have
656 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
blessed their marriage but Paul died in infancy. The others are : Roy
L., who married Hazel Fisher, daughter of John and Mary Fisher;
Jerome L., Charles M., Elbert Harald, and Martha E. The children
have been liberally provided with educational advantages, and in
school and in home have been trained and instructed in the principles
and virtues which make worthy manhood and womanhood.
Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey have one of the old parchment deeds, given
under the hand. and seal of President Zachary Taylor, which is a valu-
able souvenir in this home, and the second cleed of the kind found in
Miami county, Indiana. Mrs. Ramsey is a native of Wabash county,
born May 23, 1876, the Centennial year, and the oldest of eight chil-
dren, six sons and two daughters born to John B. and Martha C. (Mis-
ner) Leland. All the children are living. Four brothers are residents
in Oklahoma, and the remainder of the children are living in Indiana.
Mr. Leland was a native of Ohio, but a resident of Indiana from a child.
He was a veteran of the Civil war, a member of the Army of the Potomac,
and was a soldier three years.
He is living at the present time aged sixty-eight years. He is a
Democrat politically, and a member of the G. A. R. Mrs. Leland was a
resident of Indiana, and she died in 1899, aged forty-two .years. Mrs.
Ramsey is a meml^er of the Methodist church at old Sante Fe, Indiana.
The homestead of Mr. and ^Irs. Ramsey is known as "The Maples."
Marshall Jackson. Among local county officers in Indiana there
is none of gi'eater importance and with more opportunity for useful
service to the community than that of township trustee. The trustee
has the practical management of the school affairs of his township,
besides many other local administrative duties. In Butler township,
since 1908 this important post has been held by Marshall Jackson, the
most progressive and successful farmer citizen of the locality, whose
present estate comprises one hundred and twenty-one acres of land,
M^hich he has developed both as a business proposition and as a home
for himself and family.
Marshall Jackson was born in Ripley county. Indiana, July 7, 1865.
His parents were James and Ellen (Laswell) Jackson, and his paternal
grandfather was Sam'l Jackson, and the maternal grandfather Thomas
Laswell. Mr. Jackson has been a resident of Miami county since Febru-
ary 1895, having come to this locality from Tipton county. He first
settled in Pipe Creek township, later moved to Harrison township, and
from there moved to Butler. He owned a farm in each of the other
townships, but sold and in 1901 bought his present place in Butler
township. Since taking possession he has improved his farm in many
ways. He has done a great deal of building, has replaced and strength-
ened the fencing about the farm, and has also drained most of the low
spots in the grouud by tile ditching.
The father of Mr. Jackson died July 19, 1880, and the mother Novem-
ber 15, 1878, their last years being spent in Ripley county. Mr. Jack-
son has membership in the Christian church, and is an elder in his
society. His parents were both members of the Baptist faith. He
was finally affiliated with the Knights of Honor, but gave up his affilia-
tions since there were no lodges accessible for his attendance. He was
at one time also a member of the Improved Order of Redmen. In 1908
Mr. Jackson was elected trustee of Butler township, and has served .by
reelection in that office to the present time. In politics he is a Demo-
crat. He was finally appointed drainage commissioner in Butler town-
ship, and in that capacity did much to improve the agricultural devel-
opment of his locality.
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 657
On July 21, 1886, Mr. Jackson married Mary S. Ross, who was born
m Tipton county, Indiana, March 5, 1869, a daughter of Joseph H. and
Clarinda (Small) Ross and the sixth of their nine children, four sous
and five daughters, and there are five of the children living in Indiana.
Mr. Ross was a native of Ohio and was young in years when he came
to Indiana. He received a good common school education and his life
was devoted to agricultural. Politically he was a Jackson Democrat,
a strong advocate of Democratic doctrine. He died in 1877. Mrs. Ross
was a native of the "Bkie Grass State," Kentucky and was a devout
Christian. ]Mrs. Jackson was reared, educated and married in her
native county. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Jackson
are as follows: Clara May, who received her diploma from the
public schools in the Class of 1907, and also received musical instruc-
tion, wedded Guy T. Cunningham, a practical agriculturist and they
reside in AYashiugton township ; Raymond F., who received his diploma
in 1907 from the public schools and he is an agriculturist, wedded Miss
Esther Wolfe, daughter of David B. Wolfe; Ruth M., who received her
diploma in 1908, and has taken music, wedded Sylvan Cunningham
and they have one little daughter, Evlyn Irene; Flonnie B., a gradu-
ate of the public schools in 1911 also spent two years in high school
work and has studied music ; Velma M., a member of the 8th grade and
Earl S., the youngest is also in. the 8th grade. The homestead of Mr.
and Mrs. Jackson is known as "Locust Grove." Mr. Jackson as trustee
of Butler township has performed his part as an official. He has six
good schools and employs ten teachers. The Peoria school has four
teachers and Santa Fe has two. The township of Butler anticipates
erecting a fine $10,000 Township High School on section 9 and it is
expected to be ready for occupancy for the spring term of 1914.
Besides his numerous duties in the schools, during his official career
Mr. Jackson has also caused the erection of six concrete bridges and has
built seven miles of pike road in Butler township besides many miles
of free gravel roads.
Dr. Omer U. Caul of Peru is a native of Indiana. He was born
January 28th, 1872, on a farm in Cass county, .just across the line
separating the two counties. He is a son of Martin L. and Sarah A.
(Branneman) Carl, the former a Pennsylvanian by birth, the latter
born in ]\Iiami county. The father came to Cass county in early man-
hood and lived all his adult life in this state. He married after com-
ing to Indiana and in the fall of 1872 moved to Peru where he worked
as a carpenter and contractor until his death, February 4th, 1908. He
was a man noted for his sterling honesty and integrity. He never
accumulated wealth, possibly because of too close application of the
Golden Rule to the business affairs of life. Few builders who ever came
to Miami county were his equal in ability to do first class carpenter-
ing. He was a man of strong convictions and of a decided temperament.
He never indulged in the use of liquor or tobacco and while of stanch
principles never created antagonisms in consequence of his opinions.
He became a Republican upon the birth of the party in 1856 and was
an active adherent to its principles from then until his death. In
religion he was a simple Christian but a member of no religious denomi-
nation. For years, however, he was a regular attendant of the Meth-
odist Episcopal church. His wife died August 7th, 1911. Dr. Carl is
the third of their four children, all of whom are living.
Omer IT. Carl was reared in Peru and primarily educated in its pub-
lic schools, graduating from the high school in 1890. In September of
the same year he entered De Pauw University, completing the Avork of
658 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
his junior year in 1893. While a student in De Pauw University his
work in the scientific department created the inclination to study medi-
cine and during these years he did preparatory reading in vacation
periods under the direction of Drs. Griswold, Ward and Brenton. He
entered the Miami Medical College of Cincinnati in the fall of 1893,
graduating in April, 1896. Soon after graduating, he embarked in the
practice of his profession at Waupecong in Miami county, where he
resided until removing to Peru in October, 1903. He opened an office in
that city in Januarj^, 1904, and has been actively engaged in the prac-
tice ever since. Dr. Carl is a Republican and while not active in the
ranks of his party takes a decided stand in all matters that appertain
to the welfare of the city where he has elected to spend the remainder
of his life. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows
and Knights of Pj^thias and is honored and respected in the member-
ship of these orders.
Dr. Carl was married September 22nd, 1898, to Miss Clara S.
Dawes of Peru. Three children have been born to them, Cecil
Churchill, who died in infancy; Margeret M. and Catherine C. Carl.
Both Dr. and Mrs. Carl are members of the Methodist Episcopal
church. Mrs. Carl was reared in Peru and it may be mentioned that
she was graduated from the Peru High School as a member of the same
class from which Dr. Carl was graduated in 1890.
MiLO P. Conn. Perhaps no man comes into closer contact w4th the
farmers in any agricultural community than does the general merchant
who supplies their needs. He it is who knows and understands their
financial condition, for extending credit to them during the off seasons,
as he is often obliged to do, he receives true statements of their prospects.
In his establishment the farmers gather to discuss the various important
matters of the day, and very often movements that have a direct bearing
on the welfare of the community are inaugurated in the general mer-
chant's place of 1)usiness. Among the citizens of Loree, Indiana, none
stand higher in public confidence and esteem than does ^l. P. Conn,
projDrietor of the general store, elevator and coal yard, ex-postmaster,
and trustee of Clay township. ]Mr. Conn belongs to the class of citizens
who have been able through their own efforts to build up large enterprises
from small beginnings, and his career has been one of commendable and
well-directed effort.
Mr. Conn is a native of the Hoosier State, born in Wabash county,
November 27, 1867, a son of John S. and Elizabeth (Manning) Conn.
He was about ten years of age when he was brought to .Miami county,
and here, in the country schools, completed the education that had been
started in Wabash county. He was reared to agricultural pursuits, and
for a time in young manhood rented land and carried on operations of
his own, but on March 1, 1894, entered the mercantile field as the
proprietor of a small store. Mr. Conn's start in business was a modest
one, as his original stock invoiced about five or six hundred dollars, but
he was determined and persistent in his efforts to succeed, and his
activities Avere so well directed that he soon began to attract trade from
all ovf^r the countryside. As his trade grew, he enlarged his (piarters
and put in a larger and better stock, carefully selecting his goods accord-
ing to the needs of the people of his connnunity, who were not slow to
appreciate the efforts that were being made in their behalf. ]\Ir. Conn
soon saw the opportunity for success in an elevator and coal business,
and, having the courage of his convictions, established these lines of
business at Loree, where they have proved of great convenience to the
people. He has met with success in each of his enterprises, and is now
O
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HISTORY OP MIAMI COUNTY 659
considered one of the substantial men of his section. Probal)ly if asked
the secret of his success, Mr. Conn would give as the princii)al reason
that he has always worked faithfully and industriously. This, in con-
nection with the fact that he has always been honorable in his lousiness
dealings and that he has inherent business qualifications, spells the
reason for his rapid rise in fortune. In April, 1894, he was appointed
postmaster at Loree, a position he held until January 1, 1909. In 1908
the citizens of Clay township elected him to a place as the township
trustee, where he is ably serving the community in which he has lived
for so many years. He has shown some interest in fraternal work, and
at this time is a member of Crescent Lodge No. 280, of the Masonic
order, and of the local lodge of the Knights of Pythias at Bunker Hill
No. 299. With his family, j\Ir. Conn attends the Brethren Church.
On September 26, 1889, Mr. Conn was married to ^liss Louville Long,
daughter of Jeptha Long, and they have had children as follows : Arvel ;
Vern ; Mary, who married Ray Kunkle ; Mildred ; John Bart ; Everette
L, and Omar P.
John Q. A. Howes. Seventy-eight years of the eighty-four years
of John Q. A. Howes' life were spent in JMiami county, and when he
passed on at his home in Jefferson township he had the distinction of
being one of the oldest residents, as well as one of the most highly
esteemed, in the county. A farming man, he gave the best years of
his life to the furtherance of the agricultural industry in his commu-
nity, and his success in his chosen field of activity was one well worthy
of the name. Mr. Howes was born in Warren county, Ohio, on March
28. 1828. and he M^as tlie youngest of the nine children born to the union
of Henry and Ruth (BlaisdelH HoAves. The father, Henry Howes,
was born in Vermont on April 12, 1784, a son of Joseph Howes, who
was a soldier of the Revolutionary war and a man of English birth and
ancestry. Early in life Henry Howes took up his abode in Vermont
and there he met and married his wife, whose father, Perret Blaisdell,
was also a soldier of the Continental line. Thus is established the
claim of the family to Colonial ancestry, and their right to membership
in the various patriotic organizations dependent upon service in the
War for Independence.
From Vermont Henry Howes moved with his young family to Cin-
cinnati, Ohio, and thence to Warren county, in the same state, and
there they remained until 1836, in which year they came to ]\Iiami
county, Indiana. Mr. Howes was a blacksmith by trade, and he fol-
lowed that occupation until he came to Indiana, his activities after that
period being devoted to the farming industry. He did not carry on his
farming on an extensive scale at any time, however, but gave some time
and attention to the blacksmith l)usiness. When he settled in Miami
countv he bought a piece of land in Section 32, in Jefferson township,
about' a mile east of Mexico, and there he passed his remaining days.
Both he and his wife died in Jefferson township, where they enjoyed
for years the hearty good will and genuine friendship of the entire
community. He was a Whig in his politics, and with his wife had mem-
bership in the Methodist Episcopal church.
John Q. A. Howes was but six years old when he accompanied his
parents and others of the family to the Miami county farm home. Of
the nine children, of which he was the youngest, it may be mentioned
liere that all are now deceased, he having been the last to pass away.
Mr. Howes' boyhood days were passed in helping to grub, clear, plant
and harvest, much after the manner of other boys of that day, and
such education as he received in the schools of that period was undeni-
660 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
ably slender. He by no means passed his life without adding a vast
store of knowledge to himself, for he was a constant reader and a most
excellent observer, and nothing escaped his notice that might prove of
future benefit to him. He was about tw^enty-one years old when on
April 19. 1849, he married Orpha ]\Iurden, the daughter of Charles and
Martha (Williams) ^Murden, both natives of England where they were
married, and who settled on Section 20, Jefferson township. Eliami
county, in 1834. Mrs. Howes and two sisters, Mrs. William Smith and
Martha Howes, the widow of Abel Howes, of Peru, are the only mem-
bers of the jMurden family now living in ]\Iiami county.
Mr. Howes, like Ms father before him, was an exceedingly indus-
trious man. His early life was passed in general farming, but in later
years he devoted himself extensively to stock-raising, in which he gained
a pleasing success and prominence in the town and county. A Repub-
lican in his politics, he gave stanch support to the activities of that party
in so far as his influence and abilities extended. He was a ^Methodist,
reared in that faith by his worthy parents, and he ever gave loyal sup-
port to the church of his faith. He was a man who commanded uni-
versal respect and esteem because of his many sterling qualities and his
blameless and altogether upright life, and when he died at his home
on February 13. 1912. the town lost one of its finest citizens, and a man
who left a strong impress for good upon the social and civic life of the
community. His widow still survives him, and is now living in the
village of Denver, in the eighty-fifth year of her life. She was born in
Maryland, in Baltimore county, on March 22, 1828, and was six days
older than her husband. She is -the mother of three sons. — William
Henry, Timothy and Sheridan.
William Simons and Charles E. Simons. The name of Simons
is closely associated with that of Miami county, Indiana, since for three
generations members of this family have taken an active and prominent
part in the affairs of this county. Both AVilliam Simons and his son,
Charles E. Simons, have held prominent places in the agricultural life
of the community, and in the death of the father, Miami county lost
one of her best citizens. He left, however, a worthy representative of
the honorable old family name, in his son, who has made a success of
his life and has won the respect and friendship of all with whom he has
come in contact.
William Simons was born in Miami county, Indiana, on the 12th
of April. 1848, Jefferson township being his native township. His
father, Elmore Simons, was born in Virginia and was there married,
and began life as a farmer. He emigrated vrith his family to ]\Iiami
county, Indiana, during the early days of the county, locating first on
section 25, in Jefferson township, and later removing to section 31 where
he lived until his death. William Simons grew up on this backwoods
farm, and a farmer's son of that early day had little opportunity for
an education. His educational advantages were confined to the old fash-
ioned log schoolhouse, and the age at which he left school was an
early one. He married Nancy J. Surbur and began the battle of life
with little or no help, save that which came from his owti strong nature.
He became known as an extremely hard-working man, and, indeed, it
was this very anxiety of his to provide a comfortable home and give his
children a good education, that led to his breaking down under the
strain. He was too unselfish, never sparing himself, and the burdep
Avhieh he carried was too heavy, for he died at the comparatively early
age of fifty-seven years. William and Nancy Simons had three chil-
dren : Forest Montell. a resident of Jefferson township and unmarried ;
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 661
Robert T., married and a resident of Mexico. Miami connty; and Charles
E. ^Irs. Simons is living and resides at Mexico, Indiana.
Charles E. Simons, the youngest of his parents' children, was born
on the old home place on section 31, Jefferson township, on the 31st of
July, 1876. He attended the common schools of the county and then
entered the high school at Mexico, Avhere he was a student for three
years. When he was about seventeen years of age he began life for
"himself, starting in the butchering business. Not caring for this work
he next became a fireman on the Wabash Railroad, being thus employed
for two years, but when his father died he returned to the farm, and he
has been engaged in farming since that time. He inherited eighty
acres of land on section 25, in Jefferson township, from his father and
here he began the agricultural life. He continued to operate this farm
until 1910 when he traded it for one containing eighty acres on section
33. This he in turn traded in 1912 for 220 acres in Wabash county. In
February, 1913, Mr. Simons removed to Denver, Indiana, where he has
since made his home.
In politics Mr. Simons is a Democrat, and in the fraternal world he
is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted ^lasons and of the
Benevolent and Pi'otective Order of Elks. In 1908 he was elected a mem-
ber of the Board of Township Trustees, and has filled this office since
that time.
On the 15th of April, 1900, Mr. Simons was married to Miss Elsie
:\I. McClain, a daughter of William S. and Sarah E. (Sullivan) McClaiu,
of Cass county, Indiana. Mrs. Simons is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal church.
Frederick M. Roberts. One of the honored veterans of the Civil
war who went out from Indiana is Frederick M. Roberts, who is one
of the prominent farmer citizens of Butler township. Mr. Roberts is
a native son of Indiana, and has made a creditable record not only as a
soldier but as a citizen and business man. He was born in Fountain
county, Indiana, August 3, 1842, a son of Archibald and Phebe (Allen-
duff) Roberts. His paternal grandfather was xVrchibald Roberts, and
his maternal grandfather was Frederick Allenduff.
The early life of Mr. Roberts was spent on a farm, and while grow-
ing up he received a country school education, such as was afforded to
the boys and girls of Indiana during the forties and fifties. He had
almost reached maturity when the war broke out. On the sixth of
July. 1863, he enlisted in Company D of the One Hundred and Six-
teenth Indiana regiment. That was a six-month regiment, and was
organized at Lafayette. From there it went to Fort Dearbon in Michi-
gan, then to Detroit, from there embarked on the steamer Morning Star
and crossed the lake to Cleveland, and from there by rail to Cincin-
nati, and Camp Dick Robinson. There the regiment was brigaded with,
other regiments, and began the march overland to Tennessee. The regi-
ment during the winter of 1863-64 did a great deal of scouting and
marching duty, and was in two skirmishes. In the skirmish at Walk-
er's Ford, a soldier of Company F was killed and two members of
the Company to which Mr. Roberts belonged. During the course of
the winter five members of the regiment were taken prisoners. On
March 1, 1864, Mr. Roberts was mustered out with the regiment, and
returned to Indiana and remained about a year. Then on February
10, 1865, he enlisted in Company F of the One Hundred and Fiftieth
Indiana. Companv F was organized in Camp Carrington, at Indianap-
olis, and served in" the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. From Harper's
Ferry the regiment marched to Winchester, and was at Charleston,
662 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Virginia, when Lee snrrendered and the war closed. The regiment
was mustered out at Stevens Station, was disbanded and paid oflE at
Indianapolis, August 5, 1865. Mr. Roberts' captain during his first
service was Abraham Claypool, and Col. Rice commanded the regiment.
The officers of the One Ilundred and Fiftieth Indiana under whom he
served were Colonels Taylor and Boswell.
Mr. Roberts was one of the founders of the Salem Baptist church in
Fountain county. He took an active part in the building up of this
church in 1872. While he himself is not a church member, and does
not even attend church, yet he believes in the institution and has always
contributed his support liberally to the maintenance of church and
charity. Although he now lives one hundred miles away from Foun-
tain county, he has made the statement that he would gladly give fifty
dollars to any committee or person who would reorganize the Salem
Baptist church of Fountain county, known as Roberts Chapel. His
mother was a member of the Roberts Chapel and it was built upon her
farm, she having given the land for that purpose, and was one of its
most devout members and most regular attendants during her lifetime.
In 1895 Mr. Roberts married Miss Eva Thomas, a daughter of
Jacob S. and Elizabeth Stanley Thomas. Her grandfather was Archi-
bald Thomas, and her mother was the daughter of Robert Stanley. Her
father's people came from Wales, while the maternal ancestry was
English. The Thomases came from Virginia to Ohio, where the parents
were married and then moved to Butler township in Miami county,
settling on the farm which is now owned by ]\Ir. Roberts. This farm
adjoins the Frances Slocum residence, aud the house that stood on the
place at the time IMr. Thomas arrived was a log cabin built in the midst
of the woods and still stands there. The land was originally canal land,
having been a part of the tract turned over from the government land
to the builders of the canal, and afterwards sold by the canal people
to actual settlers. ]\Irs. Roberts' mother made the first dress worn hy
]\Irs. Bondy, the Indian woman who is buried in the Indian cemetery
adjoining the Roberts farm. It was in her honor that the people of
Miami county a few years ago erected a monument, and that is now
one of the historic land marks of this county. ]\Irs. Roberts' father drove
overland from Urliana. Ohio, to ]\liami county, being several days enroute.
His location was at the village of Peoria in Miami county, and he was
engaged in the mill l)usiness there until his establishment was burned
down. He then returned to the farm and remained on it until 1896, in
which year Mr. Roberts bought the old estate.
The father of Mrs. Roberts died September 4, 1899, at the age of
eighty-eight years, and her mother died in 1873 at the age of fifty-seven.
jNIrs. Roberts received her education in the Wabash Seminary and
the Peru High School. The home of the Thomas family continued in
the original log house until 1880, in which year ]\Irs. Roberts' father
built an eight-room house, which was standing when Mr. Roberts took
possession. Since that time the house was burned to the ground, and
for a time Mr. and Mrs. Roberts had their residence in Peru. Since
that they erected the present comfortable dwelling, and have main-
tained their residence in the country. Mr. Roberts had two children by
his first marriage : Walter A., married Nellie Mounts and they had
one child Josephine. Nellie Roberts died, and her husband then mar-
ried Ora Harrison. Edith ]\I., the second child, married Charles Wal-
lace, and their children are Fred and Florence. The pretty home of
Mr. Roberts is known as "Rolling Acre Farm."
James A. Long. A resident of Butler township for nearly forty
years, Mr. Long came to this county when a boy, and by many years of
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 663
industry and good management has acquired property and has identi-
fied himself with the enterprise of his community in such manner that
he is regarded as one of the most substantial and influential citizens
of Butler township. He is proprietor of a store at Peoria, and owns a
great deal of high priced farming land in that vicinity.
James A. Long was born in Wabash county, in Waltz township,
January 1, 1860. He is a son of Jeptha Long, and a grandson of John
Long. The maiden name of his mother was Lavinda Lutz, a daughter
of Joseph and Anna Lutz. The family moved from Wabash county, to
i\Iiami county, in November, 1874, and located in Butler township.
The father first settled in Miami county in 1843 and the mother in 1846
and here they were married. They were here while the Indians were
still lingering in this part of the state. In 1849 the father went out to
California, where he remained until 1851, and was more successful
than most of the California forty-niners, since it was there he got his
substantial start, and with the accumulations of those two years, he
returned to Indiana, and was afterwards a man of substance in his
community. On returning to Indiana he bought a farm in Wabash
county, and lived there until 1874, when he moved to Miami county. He
then located at a home near Peoria, where he lived until his death on
January 12, 1900. The mother is still living at the age of eighty years,
and bears her age with ease.
James A. Long remained at home with his parents up to 1883, and
then bought a store in Peoria. He has conducted this store ever since
for a period of thirty years. His son Raymond, who teaches school dur-
ing the winter season, has charge of the store during the summer. Mr.
Long has bought several farms in Miami county, and resides on one
near the village of Peoria, called Long View. He also owns the farm
near the Mississinewa River on the old Bondy Indian Reservation. He
bought this place of one hundred and fifty acres from the Bondy
Indians, after it had been owned by eight different Indian descendants.
On that place the old Indian known as White Rose is buried. From the
springs known as Monument Springs, the farm is known as the Monu-
ment Spring Farm. The Long View estate comprises two hundred acres.
Mr. Long is a man of progressive ideas, and has improved all his farm
property to the very best advantage.
Mr. Long is affiliated with the Masonic Lodge at Peru, and with
Miami Lodge No. 52 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His
business ability and personal integrity has commended him to his fel-
low citizens, and they chose him as township trustee, an office which he
held from 1905 to 1909. He is a Republican in politics and for twenty-
one years served as postmaster at Reserve, his wife having also held
the office for four years.
On November 7, 1886, Mr. Long married Eva J. Poor, a daughter of
Archibald and Isabelle Poor. They are the parents of eight children
named as follows : Raymond G., who married Armedia Laudenschlager ;
Hazel Pearl ; James Thompson ; Naomi Eva ; Ruth Beatrice ; Helena
Guinevere ; Robert Louis Stephenson ; and John Donald. The children
were all provided with a good home and liberal educational advantages,
and attended the schools of Peoria. Raymond is a graduate of the Peru
high school, and Hazel graduated from the Marion Normal College.
Harlen E. Plotner. A native son of Miami county now carrying on
operations in Harrison township, Harlen E. Plotner is recognized as one
of the men to whom is due the agricultural supremacy of this part of the
State. He is the owner of a well improved farm of 130 acres, and his
success in his personal affairs, as well as the high esteem in which he is
Vol. II— 1 it
664 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
held by liis fellow townsmen, has caused him to be elected to membership
on the township advisory board, on which he is now capably serving. As
an agriculturist, as a citizen and as an active worker in affairs of the
church, he has justly earned the right to be named as one of his section's
representative men. Mr. Plotner was born on a farm in Butler township,
]\Iiami county, Indiana, July 22, 1867, and is a son of George W. and
Sarah (Smith) Plotner.
George W. Plotner was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, a son of
Elijah Plotner, and was a young man when he first came to Miami
county, settling in Jefferson township. He was residing in that township
at the time of the (mtbreak of the Civil War, when with other patriotic
young men of his locality he enlisted August 16, 1861, to serve three
years in the Union army, becoming a corporal in Capt. Horace S. Foote's
Company A, Eighth Regiment, Indiana Cavalry. With this organiza-
tion he saw nuieh hard fighting, serving therewith from 1861 to 1865,
and at the close of a faithful and valiant military service was discharged
September 24, 1864, and returned to the home of his parents, who had
removed to Butler township, ^Miami county. On October 4, 1866, he was
married to Miss Sarah Smith, who was born in Fairfield, Ohio, a daughter
of George C. Smith. In October, 1867, ]\Ir. Plotner purchased a farm of
his own in Clay township to which he moved. In September, 1871,
he traded this land for another property in the same township, but in
1874 or 1875 went back to Butler township, there purchasing a part of
the old Plotner homestead. Mr. Plotner came to Harrison township in
1895, and this was his home at the time of his death, October 16, 1901.
Harlen E. Plotner received a common school education, and was
reared to the life of an agriculturist, remaining under the parental roof
until the time of his marriage. He then embarked upon a career of his
own, locating on a farm of some size in Washington township, but was
not satisfied Avith conditions as he found them, and made several moves
before coming to his present property, which had been originally entered
by James D. Dryer. Here he now has 180 acres, having recently added
50 acres to his original 130 acres, all in a high state of cultivation, which
he devotes to general farming, although he has also met with uniform
success in stock raising operations. He has been progressive in his
methods, honorable in his business dealings and earnest in his support of
whatever his judgment has told him would be of benefit to his community,
and as a result his standing is that of a valued and highly esteemed
citizen. His buildings have all been erected by him, and are commodious
in size, modern in architecture and substantial in character, greatly
enhancing the value of the property. Modern machinery is used
exclusively, and the entire property shows the beneficial effects of up-to-
date. Twentieth-century management.
In 1893 Mr. Plotner was united in marriage with ]\Iiss Clara Beam,
daughter of Alexander and Martha (Grubb) Beam. One child has come
to this union : Carl E., born December 16, 1893, who has received good
educational advantages, and is now residing with his parents, assisting
his father in the management of the farm. "Sir. Plotner has been some-
what interested in Masonry, being a popular member of Harrison Lodge,
No. 660. Although not a politician in the generally accepted use of the
term, he has not been indifferent to the duties of citizenship, and is at
present a valued member of the Harrison township advisorv^ board. For
the past fifteen years he has been steward of the ^Methodist Episcopal
Church at Santa Fe, Indiana, for six or seven years has been parsonage
trustee, and in all church movements he has taken an active part. Both
he and his wife are widely known in Harrison township, where their
numerous friends testify to their popularity in social circles. The beau-
tiful farm of :\Ir. and Mrs. Plotner is known as "AVest View Farm."
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 665
Richard Samuel Iddings. The business of farming in Butler town-
ship has had no more energetic factors from pioneer times to the pres-
ent than the Iddings family. Mr. Iddings is a progressive young farmer,
who now has charge of his father's estate, in Butler township. The old
farm represents a great deal of hard labof, performed by the earlier
generations, and the present members of the family have much to be
grateful for the self denial and toil undergone by their fathers, mothers
and grandparents in laying the foundation for the present condition.
R. S. Iddings was born on the farm where he now lives, July 26,
1881. His father was John Byron Iddings, and his grandfather was
John Iddings. The mother, who is still living, was Mary Huber, a
daughter of Jacob Huber. Mr. Iddings has two sisters and one brother :
Edward J., who married Maude A. Rowell; Mary, wife of William
McDonald ; and Nora Iddings, unmarried.
John Byron Iddings, the father, was born in 1847 in Peru, Indiana.
He grew up and received his early education in that city. The grand-
father Iddings was a gunsmith by trade and followed that vocation at
Peru, after his settlement there in the early days. He later moved out
to the land in Butler township comprised in the present Iddings home-
stead. All this land was covered with timber, and there was a heavy
growth of walnut, all of which was cleared away before the woodman's
ax, and if those black walnut trees were still standing, their value would
compensate for all the improvements that have ever been made upon
the cleared ground. The tirst buildings were all frame cabins and
grandfather Iddings did the first work of establishing a home in thi.^
wilderness. His first purchase of land was about seventy acres, and
his son, John Byron Iddings, added to the estate until at present the
homestead comprises three hundred and fifty-five acres. All the build-
ings now on the farm were erected by the father, who gave his active
career to farming, and was one of the most successful in Miami county.
He was reared in the Catholic faith, but was never an active member
of the church. The Iddings family is of German and Welsh descent.
The father at one time served as trustee of Butler township, and was
public-spirited in all his activities and relations. His death occurred
May 5, 1912. The mother is still living, and she was born in Fairfield
county, Ohio, where she lived until her marriage on June 9, 1879. Her
father died March 19, 1870. After her marriage she came to Miami
county, and his since lived on the home farm. Her parents, of German
descent, were early settlers of Fairfield county, Ohio, where they died.
John Byron Iddings and his wife began domestic life in a small frame
house, which has been moved to its present location from the orchard,
and there their first children were born and reared. In the early days
of the Iddings residence in this county, there were many Indians, and
the family traditions include many incidents which form familiar
features of pioneer life in this section.
Mr. R. S. Iddings received his education in Butler township, and was
also a student at Peru and in the Purdue University after completing
his high school studies at Peru. He is a capable and well educated man,
and understands the business of farming in all its details. For several
years he has conducted the home farm, and is now practical manager of
the estate. He was married in 1907 to Caroline Barthold, a daughter
of George and Mary Barthold. They have one son, John Samuel Idd-
mgs, born January 19, 1912.
Dr. Julius T. Speck. Among the strong men of the past genera-
tion who by exceptional energy and business talents created wealth out
666 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
of the natural resources and left the county richer and -better for their
lives, the late Dr. Julius T. Speck was a conspicuous example.
Dr. Speck, who died at his home, in Denver, ^liami county August
31, 1906, was one of the foremost men of the county during his life-
time. His father was Jacob Speck, born in Pennsylvania, August 26,
1782, being of German ancestry. In Germany the family name was
originally spelled Spacht. Jacob Speck married Sarah Van Doren, who
was born in Virginia, June 12, 1799, and was descended from Holland
ancestors. The family moved from Pennsylvania to Preble count}', Ohio,
when that part of the state was yet in its primitive conditions and when
Indians were more to be dreaded than the hardships and privations of
pioneer life.
In the new and little developed region of Preble county, Ohio, Dr.
Julius T. Speck was born August 17, 1825. His early years were spent
in that vicinity, and he came to Miami county at a time when the
county had only recently been created from Cass county. In 1852, at
the age of twenty-seven, he married Miss Adelia A. Griswold, who had
come as a child of nine years with her parents to Mexico in Miami county,
in 1842. Dr. and Mrs. Speck had but one daughter, Dora E., who is
now the wife of Willard B. Place, of Denver, a sketch of whom" follows.
The late Dr. Speck was a Republican in politics and he and his family
affiliated with the Methodist Church.
Dr. Speck had only a little more than the average education, but
was an extensive reader, had a retentive memory which enabled him
to sieze upon and make a permanent and usable possession of the knowl-
edge Avhich passed through his mind. He kept well abreast of current
topics, and during his earlier years taught school for some time. He
finally qualified himself for the profession of medicine and practiced at
Cincinnati for a short time. However, the greater part of his life was
devoted to general farming and stock-raising, and to this industry he
brought special qualifications, and was successful beyond the ability and
achievements of almost any other citizen in the county.
At the time of his death he was the owner of about eight hundred
acres acres of land, of which about six hundred were under cultivation.
He w^as practically a self-made man, and such success as he achieved
was almost wholly through his own exertions.
WiLLARD B. Place. As manager of the Speck estate, jNIr. Place has
continued and increased the generous accumulation resulting from the
Doctor's career. For many years Mr. Place was in business at Logans-
port and elsewhere, until he came to Denver to take up his present
work.
Willard B. Place was born at Fairfield, Iowa, February 21, 1858.
His father was Willard Place, a native of Preble county, Ohio, where
he was reared and where he married Eliza J. Bloss. Subsequently he
moved out to Jefferson county, Iowa, during the early period in that
state, and was identified in merchandising at Fairfield with his brother-
in-law, Daniel Young. From Fairfield he came to Cass county, Indiana,
where he was a farmer near Hoover. The father subsequently retired
to Logansport, where he spent his last years. The mother still survives
and now makes her home in Logansport. In the family were three
children, all of whom are now living.
Willard B. Place, the only son of the family, spent most of his youth
in Cass county, and had his early education in the district schools, and
in the graded schools at Logansport, and finished his formal education
at Smithson 's College. For eighteen years he was in the heavy machinery
business at Logansport. and then for four years was in the oil region as
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 667
an operator. Failing health of his father-in-law, Dr. Speck, then ohlitjed
him to return to ^liami connty, where he assumed the management of
the large real estate and live-stock interests of the doctor. Since then
he has had his home in Denver, and has devoted all his attention to the
management of the large property formerly owned by Dr. Sjieek.
While a student at Smithson's college, Mr. Place met Dora E. Speck,
who was also a student in the institution. This acquaintance culminated
in their marriage on December 29, 1886. The one son l)orn to their
union is Rollin S. Place, born May 6, 1888. He is now assistant to his
father in farming and stock-raising. In polities Mr. Place is a Democrat.
Jesse Bond. The late Jesse Bond, long a resident of these parts,
was born in Wayne county, Indiana, on April 24, 1822, and was a son
of Jesse Bond and his wife, Phoebe (Commons) Bond, natives of North
Carolina and Virginia, respectively.
Concerning the parentage of the late Mr. Bond, it may be said briefly
that the father was born in Guilford county, North Carolina, in 1776,
where he was reared to manhood, and where he married his wife. Both
were of Quaker birth and parentage, and their migration to Wayne
county, Indiana, dates back to the early days of its development and
settlement, so that they were identified with the most strenuous pioneer
life peculiar to the times. Mr. Bond in those days entered from the
government the land on which the Friends' College at Richmond later
came to be situated, and some years after that he moved to Washington,
in Wayne county, where he estal)lislied a church of the Friends or Quaker
faith. He was also directly responsible for the establishment of the
church at Richmond. Mr. Bond served his church as a minister for
some years, his death occurring at Washington in 1862.
Mr. Bond was twice married. His first wife was called to her reward
in 1846, and he later chose the widow of Rev. Isaac Willets for his
second wife. She survived her husband for many years. By his first
marriage he became the father of twelve children, who grew to maturity
and reared families of their own. He lived to see all his children settled
well in life, and to each one of them he presented a farm. Jesse Bond,
one of his sons, and the subject of this review, died on Octol)er 16, 1910,
full of years and esteemed and loved by all who knew him.
Jesse Bond was born on April 4, 1822, and was reared on the home
farm in Wayne county. He received only a common school education and
was early trained to hard work, as was the custom with the boys of that
period. In 1841 his father presented him with a piece of land on Section
11, Jefferson township, and here Mr. Bond came to make his home. He
built a log cabin on the place, building the same from timlier that stood
where the cabin later reared its frame, and when the little home was com-
plete, he married Elizabeth Jane Cox, the daughter of Elijah Cox, who
was another of the first settlers of the county. Jesse Bond and his wife
lived in their cabin home in the woods for many years, gradually clear-
ing away the forest, which was a dense growth of gigantic walnuts, and
disposing of it by burning. In these years of pioneer development Mrs.
Bond was the able assistant and second of her husband, and to her as
much as to him is the honor and credit due for the good work that \vas
accomplished by them in those early years of stress and strife. AVith
the progress of time they prospered, adding considerably to their hold-
ings, and when their children were reared and ready to leave home to
set up independent establishments, Mr. Bond was able to do as his
father before him had done, and gave to each of them a comfortable
bit of farm land for a nest egg. Five children were born to them, of
which number three yet live. Mrs. Bond died in 1855, and for his sec-
668 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
ond wife Mr. Bond chose Harriet Haugh, and to them five children were
born, one of the number being alive today. Slie has been an able factor
in the building up of their happy home and in the rearing of her daugh-
ter to the life of a noble woman. Mrs. Bond was a woman of noble
aspirations and a loving and motherly nature. She assumed charge
of the rearing of four children when Mr. Bond died and she
ably and lovingly took charge of this duty, and so well did she fill her
part that the children looked up to her as their own mother. She was
devoted to her home life and the poor and needy never need go away
empty-handed from her door.
From the time of his first coming to Miami county Mr. Bond made
this county his home, Jefferson township being the exact location of his
settlement for the most part. He was a man of average size and build,
but was especially rugged and was a man of the greatest industry.
Reared in the religious faith of the Society of Friends, or Quakers, he
was noted for the native honesty and integrity that ruled his life, and
he possessed the admirable qualities of neighborliness and friendliness.
His second wife died in later years and he married Isabel Titus, who
still survives him.
Charles Bond is the fifth of the children of Jesse Bond and his first
wife. He has lived all his life in Jefferson township, and has followed
the farming industry from his earliest activity. His birth occurred on
November 29, 1851, and on February 6, 1876, he married Harriet Brower,
the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Harmon) Brower, early settlers
of this county. To Mr. and Mrs. Bond one daughter has been born, —
Effie E., who is the wife of John Keyes, and the mother of a son, Ernest
J. Keyes. Mrs. Keyes was educated in the common schools and the
Mexico high school and their little son, Ernest J., is now in the sixth
grade of the public school.
Mrs. Bond is a native of ^liami county, born in a little log cabin
August 1, 1859, the last in a family of thirteen children, five sons and
eight daughters, born to Joseph and Elizabeth (Harmon) Brower; only
four children are living. The eldest is Maria E., widow of William P.
Ireland and a resident of Toledo, Ohio and she has two sons and two
daughters living. i\Iary is the wife of B. F. Campbell of Logansport,
a retired farmer. Elijah is a resident of Palazzi, North Dakota, an agri-
culturist and a widower. Mrs. Bond is the fourth child.
Joseph Brower was a native of ^Montgomery county, Ohio. Born
in 1814 and he died in 1886. He was an agriculturist. He was a resi-
dent of Ohio till his young manhood, when he came with his parents
across the country in wagons in 1881, and to Miami county, Jefferson
township. They entered land from the government and the first
home was a log house with a fireplace. Charles Bond, well remembers
the same kind of a home, with a fireplace. When they came to Miami
the Indians, deer and wolves were plentiful. Mr. Bond was always
an agriculturist and had accumulated two hundred acres of land
and aided liis church. He and wife were active members of the
Brethren church. He was one of the first founders of this church in
their locality, and he burned the brick for the church l)uilding. Their
home was the haven for the preachers. He was first a Whig and then a
Republican, casting his vote for General John C. Fremont, the first
Republican nominee. Mrs. Brower was a native of Pennsylvania, born
near Philadelphia in 1816, and she died in 1892. She was a child of
eleven years of age when she went with her parents to Ohio (Preble
county), and was reared there and then came to Miami county in 1836
and here was married. ]\Irs. Brower was a lady of strong convictions
and a woman of tender, loving sympathy. She taught her children the
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 669
lessons of sobriety, honesty and right living before God and man. Both
Mr. and Mrs. Brower are interred in the cemetery of the Church of the
Brethren and a beautiful stone stands sacred to their memory. Mrs.
Bond has been reared in her home county and educated in the common
schools.
^Ir. Bond is the owner of one hundred and eighty-five acres of land
near the village of Mexico, and he is one of the prosperous and successful
farming men of the township wherein he has long resided. Politically,
he is a Republican, and in his religious faith he has in later years
departed from the faith of his fathers, the Friends Society, and has
become a member of the Church of the Brethren, of which his wife is
also a member. The family is one that enjoys the sincerest regard and
hearty friendship of the best people of the town, where they are well
known for the many excellent qualities that dominate their lives. The
beautiful homestead of Mr. and Mrs. Bond is known as "The Pine
Grange," and it is the abode of hospitality.
Timothy M. Ginney. The establishment in a community of a family
possessed of the sturdy virtues of sobriety, industry and integrity is one
of the most important events of local history and has more important
results upon the economic well being and social activities of a township
or county than many more conspicuous happenings which are usually
the first to receive the chronicles of press and historical accounts. Miami
county has been fortunate in the possession of its family stock, l)ut
probably in none can it take more substantial pride than in the Ginney
family, which has been known and honored here for sixty years.
Timothy M. Ginney, known generally throughout Miami county as
Tim Ginney, is of Irish parentage, his father having been Timothy
Ginney and his mother Catherine Dowd, both natives of County Kerry.
Timothy Ginney, the elder, grew to manhood in his native country
where he received an exceedingly limited education. He emigrated to
America in 1850, on board a sailing vessel, and after arriving in this
country worked for a short time at railroading. Soon after landing on
these shores he w^ent to Toledo, Ohio, where he met and married
Catherine Dowd, who had come with her widowed mother and with four
brothers and sisters to America about 1848. After Timothy Ginney 's
marriage he lived at Toledo until about 1853, and then with his family
came down the old AVabash and Erie Canal to Miami county. His first
home was in Peru, where he was employed at the arduous task of shovel-
ing gravel. He next moved out to land which he rented from James
Miller, one of the old pioneers of the county. Mr. Ginney now employed
his days at work in a lime kiln, while Mrs. Ginney and the children
who were old enough, applied themselves to the operation of the land
they had rented, raising grain and food to supply the family larder.
In this way the family got along, not only providing for their wants,
but getting ahead a little for about five years. During the succeeding
five years, they lived on the Abner Kisman farm in Butler township.
By this time, through the united efforts of Mr. Ginney and family they
had saved enough to pay an installment on a farm of one hundred and
twenty-four acres in AVashington township. Continued hard work and
economy was the solvent before which all this indebtedness was in due
time liquidated. Eventually Mr. Ginney and his wife moved into Peru,
retired from active work and there spent the remainder of their days in
comfort and peace. The elder Timothy Ginney was a Democrat ni
politics. He came to this country, a raw Irish lad, among strangers,
with practically no education, and l)y sheer pluck, indomitable energy
and force of character made life a success where most men of the pres-
670 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
ent day would have given up before beginning. His death occurred
on Christmas day, 1905, and his widow passed away on July 19, 1911.
They were devout Catholics in their religion, affiliating with St. Charles
church of Peru, and reared their children in the same faith. They
were the parents of eight children, seven sons and one daughter, three
of the sons being now deceased.
Tim Ginney, the oldest of the children, was ])orn at Toledo, Ohio,
on March 14, 1853, and his boyhood days were spent in helping his
parents provide a home and bread for the family. He gained his edu-
cation in the public schools, and on February 11, 1879, married ]\Iiss
Bridget Roach, daughter of John and Julia (Daily) Roach. After this
event he rented a small farm in Washington township, where he lived
for a year. He was next enterprising enough to buy eighty acres of his
present farm in Peru township, and here since March 1, 1880, has been
his permanent home. During the first ten years he and his wife lived
in a log cabin with clapboard roof. By hard work he has added to his
realty possessions, until now he owns two hundred and twenty acres,
and ownership with Tim Ginney means improvements to the very
highest possibility, so that his farm is now considered one of the finest
in all Miami county.
To Mr. and Mrs. Ginney eight childrent have been born, here men-
tioned as follows : Mary A., who is deceased ; Julia C. ; Sarah M. ; John
E., deceased; Leo J.; John C. ; Edwin, who is deceased; and Chlorys G.
Ginney.
Mr. Ginney and his family worship in the Catholic church, aiid in
politics he is a Democrat. When he was only twenty-two years of age,
he was elected assessor of Washington township, in JMiami county, and
in 1908 he was elected to membership on the board of county commis-
sioners of ]\Iiami county, giving a full term of three years to the best
interests of local affairs. The handsome and well kept estate of the
Ginney family is known as the IMiddle Grove Farm.
Henry Rose. Coming to the United States as a poor boy, without
knowing a word of English, having only an indifferent education, and
handicapped by lack of financial sui-)port, accepting whatever work he
could find in order to get a start and gradually pursuing his way upward
and making a place for himself among the successful men of his com-
munity — such has been the career of Henry Rose, one of the prosperous,
substantial farmers of Harrison township, of ^liami county, whose home
in this county has continued for more than sixty years, and in that time
he has witnessed many remarkable changes from the pioneer conditions
to the modern electric age.
Of thrifty and rugged German stock, Henry Rose was liorn in Ger-
many, January 19, 1846, a son of Henry and Mary (Graf) Rose. His
grandfather was Valentine Rose. In 1851, the Rose family, seeking to
better their condition by coming to America, left their native land, and
after a long and tedious ocean journey landed in New York City. Their
home was kept in New York State for a little more than three years.
Coming west to Indiana, they found a place in the woods of Harrison
township in ]Miami county, and there Henry Rose, Sr., and his good wife
]\Iary spent the rest of their years and were honored and respected mem-
bers of their community. The father died in September, 1885, and the
mother in 1891. The first years of their residence in this to\vnship,
were spent by Henry Rose in cultivating rented land. Then he bought
forty acres of timber, cleared a small tract, built a cabin, and applied
himself with the courage and industry characteristic of the better class
of Germans, and eventually had created for himself a moderate meas-
HISTORY OF MIA]\ri COUNTY 671
ure of prosperity. Other larger and better buildings were erected
from time to time, but the old house still stands, a landmark of pioneer
days. The younger Henry Rose, who was less than ten years of age
when the family moved to Miami county, inherited a share of the lit-
tle farm his father's industry had developed, where he has since con-
tinued to reside. Later by purchase he acquired his brother's share
in the property, and from time to time has added to his farm, but the
purchase of adjoining land, until his holdings now comprise two hun-
dred and five acres. All this land has been cleared and put in culti-
vation, good fences separate the fields, and the substantial dwelling
houses and barns and other equipment represent his long continued
labors.
On April 12, 1868, Mr. Rose married Mary Richer, a daughter of
Peter Richer. During a happy married companionship of fifty-five
years, a large family came to bless their home and the living members
are now well established on their own responsibility, and are a credit
to the diligence and self-sacrificing labors undergone by their parents,
in providing a home and training for them. Seven children were born
and all are living except one. This family record is as follows : Henry,
born March 25, 1869, died August 21, 1897, leaving a widow Dena
(Hershberger) Rose and two children, John H. and Ella; Mary, born
February 12, 1872, the wife of Albert Feller, and the mother of three
children, Millard, Earl and Paul ; Charles, born December 20, 1873,
who is unmarried and lives at home ; Sarah Elizabeth, born February
1, 1877, the wife of Henry Wilkinson, and has one child, Arthur; Wil-
liam, born October 1, 1879, married Gurtha Osborn ; John, born Decem-
ber 15, 1882, married Laura Graf, and has one child, John M. ; Anna
B., born March 26, 1888, and living at home with her parents. Mr.
Rose in political affiliations is a Democrat, and besides prosperously
managing his individual enterprise as a farmer, has given service in
behalf of the community and for fifteen years held the office of justice
of the peace. His religious creed is that of the Evangelical church.
The pretty homestead of Mr. and Mrs. Rose is known as "The Rose
Dale Agricultural Farm."
Eli J. Springer. Since the pioneer settlement of Miami county,
one of the families which have largely influenced its business, agricul-
tural and civic development is that represented by Mr. Eli Springer of
Harrison township. Three generations of the name, whose members
have alike been distinguished for business talents, enterprise and large
public spirit have spent a portion of their lifetime in this county and
many of the improvements now witnessed on very hand have been
prompted or carried out by the people of this family stock.
Eli J. Springer was born in Harrison township of this county on
July 19, 1880, and is a son of John and a grandson of Jacob Springer.
John Springer, who was born in Holmes county, Ohio, March 20, 1843,
was brought by his parents to Indiana in 1848. The Indians had finally
been removed from this locality only two years previously and a large
area of the county was a wilderness. In Harrison township, practically
all the land was covered by dense woods, and it was in the midst of
the timber the Springer family located. The land first occupied by
them adjoined the farm of Eli J. Springer. Mr. Jacob Springer estab-
lished his family in a cabin home, and devoted his energies to the work
of clearing the land and developing a farm. The log house built by
John Springer some years later is still standing on the farm. John
Springer was married in Harrison township to Miss Mary Foust, who
became the mother of ten 'children, namely: Frances, who married
672 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Charles Smith ; Charles, who died in infancy ; Harvey, who mar-
ried Anna Ferguson ; Emma, who died in infancy ; Reuben, who married
Eva Harris; ]\Iinnie, who married John Rinker; Eli; Mary Catherine,
deceased; John H., who married Emma Graf; and Sarah May, who is
the wife of Charles Ramer. The mother of this family passed away
September 18, 1889, and the father died January 3, 1913. The lat-
ter was a public-spirited citizen, much interested in local affairs, and
served in such offices as member of the township advisory board and
road supervisor. His memory was honored by local publications and
the following obituary of this honored resident is taken from one of
the papers:
John Springer was born in Holmes county, Ohio, March 20, 1843 ;
died January 3, 1913, at the age of 69 years, 9 months and 14 days,
at his home in Miami county near North Grove.
He came to Indiana from Ohio in 1848 when onlv five years of age.
Since then he has lived continualh' in this community.
In 1866 he was united in marriage to Mary Ann Foust. This unioo
was blessed with eleven children, six sons and five daughters, five of
whom precede him in death.
On September 18, 1889, death claimed his earthly companion, and
with his family he was left to battle with the things of earth.
In 1901 he was united in marriage to Emily Edwards, who departed
this life November 27, 1905, again leaving him alone.
He was converted to God under the labors of Rev. Ivan when he
was about thirty years of age. He became a charter member of the St.
Paul church of the Evangelical Association and remained faithful
unto the end.
He leaves to mourn his loss, four sons — Harvey, Reuben, Eli and
John ; two daughters — Minnie Rinker and Sarah Ramer ; one brother,
Jacob Springer; thirteen grandchildren and scores of friends.
He w'as a man of a deep religious experience and served his church
from the beginning until his end came as one of her esteemed trustees.
As class leader and teacher he was always in demand and never re-
leased until his mortal frame grew frail.
P\ineral services were conducted bv his pastor, John H. Heldt, in
the St. Paul Chapel January 6th at 10 A. M.
Eli J. Springer was reared on his father's farm, had the advantages
of the district school while growing up, and had chosen to take his
place among the substantial agriculturists, and enjoy the facilities and
pleasures of country life. His home has always been on the old home-
stead, and he is now well established in business as an independent
and progressive farmer. All the buildings on the farm were placed
there by his father, but the son has introduced many other improve-
ments, and is carrying forward the farm on a modern scale.
Eli J. Springer married Miss Lillie Van Hart, a daughter of Edward
and Mary (Hofferbert) Van Hart. To their marriage have been born
two children: Edgar LeRoy, born August 10, 1908; and Carl Wen-
del, born December 29, 1910. ^Irs. Springer's parents were • residents
of Darke county, Ohio, where they died, the father on October 4, 1898,
at the age of forty years, and the mother on i\Iay 7, 1899, at the age of
forty-eight. In their family were thirteen children, of whom the fol-
lowing reached adult years : Clara, wife of Walter Bailey ; Jesse mar-
ried Artha Longnecker; Samuel, who married Fairy Bond; Lillie, wife
of Eli J. Springer; Elmer, who married Bessie Rapp ; Ethel, wife of
]\Ianual Baker : Opal, wife of Frank Bloomerstock ; Ruth, wife of Amzi
Baker; and LeRoy, unmarried.
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 673
Mr. Springer and his family attend the services of the Evangelical
Association.
Ira Graham. A member of a family that has been identified with
the growth and development of Miami county for upwards of seventy
years, Ira Graham is entitled to more than passing mention in a work
of this nature. Pie has followed agricultural pursuits throughout a
long and useful career, and as a lifelong resident of Harrison town-
ship has seen its development from a practical wilderness to one of the
most prosperous and productive sections of the State. He has borne
his full share in the great changes which have been brought about,
and while advancing his private interests has contributed in no small
degree to the general welfare of the community. Mr. Graham was born
in Harrison township, Miami county, Indiana, August 16, 1855, and
is a son of James and Elizabeth (Dickson) Graham.
James Graham was born in Athens county, Ohio, a son of Henry
Oraham, was married in his native State, and came to Miami county,
Indiana, in 1844. Here he entered 160 acres of land from the govern-
ment, a totally uncultivated tract located in Harrison township, about
one-quarter of a mile south of the present home of Ira Graham. Here
he cleared a small space from the timber, and, as was the custom of the
pioneers, erected a small log cabin. This was the family home while
the children were growing up, and as the sons became old enough they
assisted their father in clearing the balance of the property, which
became one of the valuable farms of the township. Mr. Graham con-
tinued to reside on this tract until his death, in 1893, his wife passing
away about the same time. She was a daughter of Joseph Dickson.
Ira Graham received his education in what was known as the Wil-
son schoolhouse in Harrison township, the school terms then being
about three months long, held during the winters. The long summer
months of his boyhood were passed in the work of the home farm, and
he continued to divide his time between farming and attending school
until he was twenty years of age. At that time he began renting land,
and being industrious and ambitious accumulated enough to make a
payment on his present property, a part of the old homestead. He
continued to add to his land, making numerous improvements and
erecting new buildings, and his 102 acres are all now under a state of
cultivation and yielding him excellent returns for his years of labor.
He uses new methods and the most highly improved machinery, and
his well-fed livestock testifies to his skill and good judgment as a stock
raiser. His entire business career has been passed on this property,
and his reputation in the neighborhood is that of a sterling citizen,
an excellent farmer and a loyal friend. He has served efficiently as a
member of the board of supervisors of his township, was for years a
member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and, with his fam-
ily, attends the Christian Church.
On November 4, 1880, i\Ir. Graham was married to Miss Leah King,
daughter of John and Catherine (Timmons) King, and five children
have been born to this union, namely: Elbert E., born March 25,
1883, married Stella Wolf, and has four children,— Russell, Leslie,
Marguerite and St. Elmo; Maud E., born September 14, 1884, who
married Charles Millett, has two daughters,— Elba and Ruth; Clyde
E., born February 7, 1887, one of twins, married Lydia Goldie
Gehrart. daughter of John Gehrart, and has one son and one daughter,
—Carl Edgar, born February 15, 1912 and Freda Prescilla, July 7, 1913 ;
Clarence, twin of Clyde E., born February 7, 1887, who married Lestie
674 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Gehrart, and has three children, — Floyd, who died October 12, 1913, Alice
Pauline and infant: and Florence B., born January 19, 1892. mar-
ried Franklin EUers, and has one child, — Earl Lee.
Mrs. Graham was born in ]\Iiami county, Indiana, November 18,
1859, and is the twelfth child in a family of seventeen children — one
of the largest families in Miami county — seven sons and ten daughters
born to John and Catherine (Timmons) King. There are two sons
and three daughters living and all are residents of Miami county, In-
diana. John King was a native of Delaware and i\Irs. King is a
native of Maryland. They were married in Maryland. Mr. King was
an agriculturist all his life, and was educated in the common schools.
Politically he was a Republican and cast a vote for Gen. John C.
Fremont, the first nominee of the Republican party. He and his wife
were ^lethodists in their religious belief. They clied in Butler town-
ship and there were interred.
When jMr. and Mrs. Graham began their married life all the cash
capital they had was about one hundred dollars, and they lived as
renters for about ten years. j\Ir. Graham inherited most of the land
that he now occupies, but all the excellent and modern buildings, besides
their pretty residence they have erected. Mrs. Graham has been an able
factor in the building up of their beautiful home life and the rearing of
their children who are married and all settled in life and occupy a promi-
nent place in the respect of their commuity. The estate of Mr. and
Mrs. Graham is known as "The Graham Homestead."
Richard jMalott. A lifelong resident of Harrison toA\Tiship, Rich-
ard Malott has for many years been prominently identified with the
agricultural interests of ]\Iiami county, and has contributed materially
to the advancement and progress of the county through these chaii-
nels. He is a well-informed man, possessed of broad general informa-
tion, and in his nature there is nothing narrow or contracted. He has
a spirit that, while devoted to his community, is liberal enough to rec-
ognize and appreciate advancement and progress in any other part
of the world and to profit by it. At the present time he is carrying on
extensive operations on a well-cultivated farm of 158 acres, and every-
where he is recognized as a practical farmer and experienced stockman.
]\Ir. Malott was born in Harrison township, Miami county, Indiana,
September 16, 1870, and is a son of Ira and Nancy (]\IcFarland) Ma-
lott, and a grandson of Richard ]\Ialott and Enoch McFarland.
Ira ]\Ialott was born in Darke county, Ohio, and came to ]\Iiami
county during the early 'fifties, settling in Harrison township and en-
gaging in agricultural pursuits. He was so engaged at the time of the out-
break of the Civil War, when he enlisted in the Sixteenth Regiment, Indi-
ana Volunteer Infantry, with which hard-fighting organization he served
until the cessation of hostilities in 1865. On the completion of his brave
and valiant service, he returned to the peaceful pursuits of the farm,
continuing to till the soil until his retirement several years ago. He
married ]\Iiss Nancv ]\IcFarland, who was born in Miami countv, and
she died in 1890.
Richard Malott received his education in the district schools of his
native township, and was reared to the life of an agriculturist, which
he has followed all of his career. He remained under the parental
roof, assisting his father until his marriage, at which time he settled
on his present farm, a tract of 158 acres in Harrison township. This
he has brought to a high state of cultivation, and through constant
energy and intelligent and well-directed effort has made it one of the
valuable tracts of this section. Although the land had been cleared
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 675
before his arrival, he has made numerous improvements, and erected
the modern, substantial buildings which are now to be found on the
property. He is practical and progressive in his methods of farming,
and in the management of his business affairs displays a sound judg-
ment that has brought to him a merited success. His reputation among
those who have had transactions with him is that of a thoroughly reli-
able business man, and he has always had the full confidence of his
associates.
In 1891, Mr. ]\Ialott was married to Miss Genevieve Haskett, daugh-
ter of Valentine and Mary Jane (Minor) Haskett. Two children have
been born to Mr. and Mrs. Malott, namely : Bonilin, born August 21,
1897; and Richard, who was born August 21, 1910. Mrs. iMalott's
father died in January, 1907, and her mother passed away two years
later. Mr. and Mrs. JMalott are consistent members of the Friends'
Church. He has never been a politician, but has not been indifferent
to the duties of citizenship, and at present is serving as assessor of Har-
rison township, a position to which he was appointed by the county
auditor. The homestead of Mr. and ]\Irs. JMalott is known as "Cottage
Lawn," and is a home of comfort and happiness.
Jacob S. Lavengood. One of the leading farmers of Harrison town-
ship, the proprietor and manager of a handsome estate of two hundred
and fifty-six acres, Jacob S. Lavengood is one of the few citizens of
Miami county still in the middle period of life, who were born in log
cabins, and his early career was spent within that era which compassed
what is now known as the epoch of old times. The Lavengood family
have been identified with Miami county for sixty years, and along with
substantial material prosperity they have always enjoyed a reputation
for kindly neighborliness and community spirit.
Jacob S. Lavengood, who has lived on his present estate in Harrison
township for the last twenty years was born in a log cabin on his father's
farm, January 8, 1865. His parents were Jacob and Rosana (Stairheim)
Lavengood. The paternal grandfather was John Lavengood, and the
maternal grandfather was Jacob Stairheim. John Lavengood was a
Pennsylvanian who settled in Ohio at an early day, and there reared his
family. In the early fifties Jacob Lavengood left the residence, in Holmes
county, Ohio, and came into Indiana, with no capital save his strong arm
and willingness to work. As an indication of his energy and good judg-
ment in the investment of his savings, it may be stated that at the time
of his death, his estate covered five hundred acres of IMiami county land.
In common with other frontier settlers here, his first home was a log
house, and the timbers were hewn with his own ax, and his own labor was
the chief factor in erecting and furnishing it. With the assistance of his
sons he cleared much of his land, and the work of grubbing, and sub-
jugating the soil was a task for many successive years, and was carried
on by the sons after his death. He passed away after a long and useful
career on November 12, 1880. Of his children, the record reads as
follows: Sarah, who married Frank ]5owland; Wilson, who married
Lillie Freeman ; IMatilda, who married Andrew Gerhart ; Rosa, the wife
of Frank Filers; Daniel C, who married May Boyd; and Jacob.
Jacob S. Lavengood grew up on the old homestead, attended the
district schools, and all his business experience has been in the field of
agricultural enterprise. On Jan. 12, 1890, occurred his marriage to I\Iiss
Fannie Durkes. Her parents were Frederick and Elizabeth (Spurgeon)
Durkes, who were an old family in I\Iiami county, where her father died
in 1905, well known and highly respected.
Mrs. Lavengood was liorn in .Miami county, Ind., ^lay 29, 1870, the
676 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
second in a family of five children, two sons and three daughters, born
to her parents. Three of the children are living: Mrs. Lavengood of
Miami county; Charles W., of Marion, Indiana, who married Ida Barley;
and Walter, an agriculturist of Francisville, Indiana, who wedded Rosa
Klein. Mr. Durkes was a native of Germany, and was nine years of age
when his parents emigrated to America, first locating in New York for
a short time and thence to Cincinnati, Ohio, and finally settled in
Harrison township, Miami county. He was an agriculturist and politi-
cally a Democrat. Both he and wife were members of the Christian
Church. Mr. Durkes died November 1, 1905, and his wife died April
12, 1913. Both are interred in Park Lodge at Amboy, Indiana. Mrs.
Durkes was a native of Miami county, born November 15, 1845, and
when she died she was sixty -seven years of age.
Mrs. Lavengood was reared and educated in her native county, and
has borne her part nobly in building up her beautiful home and rearing
her family. She is a cordial, genial lady and like her husband sociable and
friendly, which tends much in adding to their large circle of friends.
Their model residence is modern in detail and is one of the most beau-
tiful homes in the county. Two years after his marriage Mr. Lavengood
and wife moved to their present homestead in Harrison township. This
is an estate of two hundred and fifty-six acres, and during the twenty
years of their occupancy, their combined industry and management have
resulted in the clearing up of many acres, and in the erection of many
buildings and improvements. The estate is known as "Maple Dell Stock
Farm."
Jacob Lavengood and wife have six children, named as follows :
John C, born February 18, 1891; Jacob F., born August 25, 1892;
Walter D., born May 7, 1893; Roy J., born April 25, 1895: Clarence C,
born August 13, 1899 ; and Eva E., born October 29, 1906. Of these
children John C. has a home of his own, having married Lola Faust,
and they have one daughter, Malina Bernice, born August 16, 1912.
Mr. Lavengood and his family are identified with the Evangelical
church.
William L. Lucas. Clay township's sterling citizenship and sub-
stantial industry are well represented in Mr. Lucas, whose home has
been in this county since 1871, and who has lived on his present attrac-
tive rural home for about fifteen years. Mr. Lucas is prospering as a
business man, has not failed to render the service required by a com-
munity from its leading citizens, and his vigorous administration as
township trustee is still gratefully remembered.
AVilliam L. Lucas, who came to ]\Iiami county, in 1871 from Wash-
ington county, Indiana, was born in Pope township of the latter county,
September 28, 1845, a son of John J. and ]\Iary (Porter) Lucas. The
paternal grandfather was John Lucas and his maternal grandfather
Robert Porter, the former a native of New York State, went to Ohio,
when a small boy. John J. Lucas was reared in Ohio, and late in the
thirties came to Indiana, and took up his residence in Washington
county. All his life was spent as a farmer, and in Washington county,
he cleared a tract of heavily timbered land and developed a farm, and
on that place, in a hewed log house, William L. Lucas first saw the
light of day.
William L. Lucas had the early training and environment of the
average Indiana boy during the middle period of the last century. He
was a young man with considerable experience as a farmer, when he
moved to Miami county in 1871, and his home was on several different
farms before he moved to his present tract of forty acres. At the time
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 677
he purchased his present home, the land was covered with thick woods,
and a big task confronted him in the clearing of it, and the subjugation
of the wilderness to the uses of modern husbandry. Thus, all the
improvements, the productive fertility, and the Iniildings, represent the
labor of Mr. Lucas.
In 1866, William L. Lucas married Miss Emeline Waisner, daugh-
ter of Solomon and Elvira (Bowman) Waisner. To their marriage
were born two children, a daughter and a son. The daughter, Mary
M., born September 29, 1868, is the wife of Edward Davis and the
mother of five children. The son Charles W., born April 8, 1874, died
May 9, 1907. The maiden name of his wife was ]\Iiss Delilah Rarey.
For fifteen or sixteen years, Charles W. Lucas had been engaged in
teaching school in Deer Creek and Wawpecong communities. He was
identified with both the Knights of Pythias and the Masons, and his
funeral was attended by about one hundred members of the Knights
of Pythias Lodge, a specal car from Galveston to Peru being chartered
for the purpose. Mrs. Lucas is a native of Washington county, Indiana,
born September 10, 1847, the sixth child in a family of thirteen chil-
dren — six sons and seven daughters, and of these seven are living at
present. Both parents are dead. The father was born in North Car-
olina and the mother in Indiana. They were members of the Christian
church. Mrs. Lucas was educated in the common schools.
William L. Lucas belonged to the same Masonic Lodge in which his
son was initiated. Crescent Lodge No. 280 of Miami. Politically he is
a Democrat. In November, 1901, his fellow citizens in Clay township
elected him to the office of trustee, and for a period of four years he
rendered efficient service in that capacity. He and his family attend
worship at the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Benjamin F. Jenkins. Modern agriculture holds out many induce-
ments to the industrious, progressive man, especially when he has been
trained to this kind of work from boyhood. It comes natural to such
a man to perform the duties pertaining to the tilling of the soil, and,
having had experience, he is able to recognize and appreciate the
advantages new methods offer. Having passed through hard experi-
ences in his work, he is not easily deceived with relation to the true
value of proposed innovations, nor is he apt to turn down good propo-
sitions. In addition, he knows the demand of his neighborhood and
can take advantage of it as one who is just beginning cannot. Fail-
ure one season does not utterly discourage, for he has learned that one
lean year often makes two fat ones, and that in the time of small crops
is the opportunity for preparing for banner ones. For these and
numerous other reasons, the lifetime farmer is the one who may be
picked for the winner in the race for agricultural supremacj^, and one
of the men of Miami county who has already made an excellent record
along these lines in Clay township is Benj. F. Jenkins, the owner of
a well-cultivated tract of 100 acres.
Mr. Jenkins has been a farmer all of his life. He was born in
Franklin, Virginia, April 7, 1859, and is a son of Pleasant T. and Re-
becca (Neff) Jenkins. On leaving the Virginia home, the Jenkins fam-
ily removed to a location southeast of Mexico, on what is known as the
Stroud land, the father there leasing forty acres, on which they resided
for about a year. Succeeding this they came to Clay township, Miami
county, and located on land belonging to Levi Miller, and five years
later went to Johnson county, Missouri, where they remained only a
short time. On their return they located on a farm northwest of Mc-
Grawsville, but after a few months went to Wabash county, Indiana,
678 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
where they spent two and one-half years. At later periods, ]\Ir. Jen-
kins made several other moves, but eventually settled down in Clay
township for his permanent abode, and here he and his wife both
passed the remainder of their lives in agricultural pursuits.
Benj. F. Jenkins received his education in the public schools of
the various communities in which the family resided, and was reared
to farm work and trained to habits of industry and thrift. He was
married February 17. 1861, to Miss Elizabeth Lippold, daughter of
Leonard Lippold. who is deceased, and whose widow survives him.
Six children were born to this union, as follows : John 0., born No-
vember 20, 1881, who married Matilda Deish ; Charles E., born Novem-
ber 20, 1881; Clara Ada, born December 21, 1884, who married Wal-
ter 0. Wolf; Sylva, born Januarv 1-1, 1892; Melvin B., born Septem-
ber 3, 1895; and Carl L., born Aisril 10. 1901. After the death of his
father, Mr. Jenkins made his home on the old property for about nine
years, and at the end of that time came to his present place, on which
there had been built a house and several other buildings. Mr. Jenkins
has improved the old buildings greatly and has erected a number of
new ones, having a full complement for the shelter of his grain, stock
and implements. He uses up-to-date methods in his work, raises large
crops, and is considered one of the substantial men of his community,
having added forty acres to the original tract of sixty acres. He has
the confidence of all with whom he has had business transactions, and
his reputation is that of an honorable man of business and a public-
spirited, citizens. ^Ir. Jenkins and his daughters Sylva and Clara
Ada are members of the Church of the Brethren, Mrs. Jenkins is a
member of the Evangelical Church, the son John 0. and wife are mem-
bers of the ]\Iethodist Episcopal Church, and ]\Ielvin Vern is a member
of the Progressive Brethren.
John Boone. There are numerous men today who, born on farms,
are still living full and fruitful lives in agricultural communities, reap-
ing good returns from their work and taking advantage of the train-
ing they received in their j^outli in the simple, healthy duties of the
oldest of all callings. It is generally becoming recognized that the
farming element holds a position independent to other vocations; through
its activities the world is fed, and many w^ho have entered other fields
of endeavor have once more returned to the soil, satisfied that they can
there l^est work out their success. Among the men of Miami county
who has found profit and contentment in the life of an agriculturist
may be mentioned John Boone, of Clay township, the owner of 153
acres of well-cultivated land. ^Ir. Boone's residence here covers a
period of nearly three-quarters of a century, during which time he
has witnessed and participated in the marvelous changes that have trans-
formed Miami county from a wild, useless, non-producing country into
a center of agricultural activity and one of the most prosperous sec-
tions of the state. He was born at Peru, Miami county, Indiana, De-
cember 23, 1839, and is a son of Jacob and Christina (Rohrer) Boone.
Jacob Boone was a blacksmith by trade, and was one of the very
early settlers of Peru, whence he came during the late 'thirties. He
was a man of enterprise and industr}^ and was making a comfortable
home for his family, when death claimed him at the early age of thirty-
two years. His widow survived him a number of years. John Boone
received only ordinary educational advantages, the death of his father
making it necessary that he early start to work to assist in the support
of the family. He has always carried on farming, and after his mar-
riage located on a tract of his own. on which was located a log house.
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 679
and the greater part of the property was fairly cleared of timber.
Here he and his wife settled down to make a home, and after years
of patient labor began to see their efforts bring fruit in the cultiva-
tion of one of the section's valuable properties. As the years have
passed, and his finances have allowed, Mr. Boone has added to his
buildings, his stock and his equipment, and his farm is modern in every
respect and a source of great pride to its owner, who values it the more
because it has been entirely developed under his personal care. He
has 153 acres at the present time, all in a good state of cultivation, well-
fenced, tiled and drained, and devotes the property to general farming
and stock raising. He is a practical farmer, not averse to experiment-
ing with the latest ideas, and is known as a good judge of cattle. Among
his associates he bears the reputation of an honorable man of business,
who has never indulged in transactions of other than a perfectly legiti-
mate nature.
Mr. Boone's first marriage was to Miss Mary Hoffine, and they be-
came the parents of two children : Stella, who is married ; Chris-
tiana, who married Henry Edwards, who is deceased. He was mar-
ried (second) to Sarah Eagle, and to this union there were born seven
children. Mr. Boone's third wife was Miss Lydia Cunningham, daugh-
ter of Samuel F. and Martha (Early) Cunningham, both now deceased.
Mrs. Boone is a native of Miami county, born April 4, 1850, and she
was educated in the common schools. There are seven daughters and
two sons living of her parents' family and four residents are of
Miami county. Mr. Boone is a member of the Masonic Lodge of
Miami, Indiana, being a master Mason, and for almost half a century
he has been a member of the I. 0. 0. F. No. 52 of Peru. Politically he
is a Democrat and has always supported those principles. Mr. and
Mrs. Boone are faithful members of the Brethren Church at Loree,
Indiana.
Peter C. Stineman. The fiscal and educational affairs of Harrison
township have never been better administered nor entrusted to more
efficient hands than to the present township trustee, Peter C. Stineman,
who has served since 1908 in that office. Mr. Stineman has lived all his
life in this county, was a successful teacher, and for the past twelve
years has been a prosperous farmer, and represents one of the promi-
nent old families of Miami county.
The present orthography of the name "Stineman" has been angli-
cized from "Steinmann, " the strict German spelling.
Peter C. Stineman was born on his father's farm about one mile
west of his present location, September 11, 1870, a son of Jonas and
Lydia (Christner) Stineman. His grandfathers both bore the first
name of Peter. Jonas Stineman came to Miami county in 1848, and
settled in Harrison township. A little later he moved to a place near
- the township line, comprising one hundred and thirty-six acres, all
, covered with heavy timber. There a clearing was made, and a log cabin
I erected as the home for the family in that section. Subsequently he
went over into Clay township, where he lived until 1880. Then came
his return to Harrison township, and in 1903 there was another re-
moval which took him into Clay township, where he has since had his
home. These various moves were not so important as they appear from
the mere statement, since the entire distance covered in the various
removals was a matter of only a matter of a few rods, since his land
lies on both sides of the township line. As the first wife of Jonas Stine-
man, Lydia (Christner) Stineman, died August 19, 1882, he married for
his present wife Mrs. Barbara (Stahley) Metzler.
Vol. n— 1 (i
680 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Peter C. Stiiieinan remained a memher of his father's household
until he attained his twenty-tirst year. Then he engaged in school-
teaching, taught for several successive terms, and during that time
made several changes in residence in order to be near his school. His
work as a school teacher was of a liigh class, and he is affectionately
remembered by many of his old pupils. In 1901 Mr. Stineman settled
on his present farm of eighty acres, and the past twelve years has
devoted his energies to the cultivation and improvement. All its build-
ings have been placed here by him, and together with the fields and
fences, and the general appearance of the farm, all point to the fact
that the owner is prosperous and progressive. He is a farmer who be-
lieves in modern methods, is thoroughly practical, however, and his
previous record insures his success.
While always busy with private business, Mv. Stineman has mani-
fested the spirit of community interest which makes good citizens and
which makes progressive communities. His father has also been hon-
ored with local offices, such as school director and road supervisor, and
Peter Stineman in 1908 was chosen by his fellow citizens to the office
of trustee. Thus for the past five years he has had charge of the
school administration and other local matters, and has shown himself
a very efficient and capable trustee.
On July 1, 1895, Mr. Stineman married Miss Ola Swoverland. Mrs.
Stineman is a daughter of Levi and Sarah Jane (Hoover) Swoverland.
To their marriage have been born three children, mentioned as follows:
Wendell Paul, born October 16, 1897; Maurene, born October 6, 1899;
and Eva Earl, born April 6, 1902. The children all live at home and
are being supplied with the advantages of the Harrison township schools
and Mr. and Mrs. Stineman spare no pains to give their little family the
best possible surroundings and influences to prepare them for worthy
and honorable places in life. Mr. Stineman and family attend the
Evangelical Church.
David A. Bowland. One of the most prosperous farmers of Harrison
township and a citizen whose services have often contributed to the gen-
eral advancement and public welfare of his community, David A. Bow-
land is one of the oldest native sons of Miami county, having been born
in a log cabin home here sixty-flve years ago. He is now and has been
for many years one of the substantial men upon whom the solid pros-
perity and civic progress of his county depend.
David A. Bowland, who is a son of one of the sterling pioneers w^hose
advent to Miami coiuity dates back to a short time after the redmen
took their departure from this part of the state, was born on his father's
farm in Clay township, December 18, 1849. His parents were Samuel
N. and Anna (Wagner) Bowland, the former a son of Alexander Bow-
land and the latter a daughter of Henry Wagner. Shortly before the
birth of the son David A., either in 1848 or 1849, Samuel N. Bowland
came from Ohio, into Indiana, and found a place in the wilderness of
Clay township in Miami county. Here he spent the rest of his life.
Samuel Bowland had preceded him to this location and with this
brother made a clearing in the midst of the trees, and a small log cabin
home erected. The little home was finished in time to become the birth-
place of David A. Bowland. The late Samuel N. Bowland was a pio-
neer of more than usual energy. He cleared up all the eighty acres
comprising his original place, later bought another eighty acres ad-
joining this land also covered with timber, and with the assistance of
the sons who had in the meantime grown up, he directed its clearing
and cultivation until it was a substantial part of the farming area.
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 681
Still later Samuel N. Bowlaiid added to his holdings, by purchase at
different times of sixty, eighty and sixty acres, until his estate aggre-
gated three hundred and sixty acres. Before his death he made a divi-
sion of his property among his children, who had lived at home and
helped to accumulate it. Not one of the children had left home until
about the age of twenty-five. Together they had all worked harmo-
niously, carrying forward the clearing and cultivating, and before his
death the father had the pleasure of turning over in severalty to his
children an estate which represented a handsome degree of prosperity.
On November 6, 1879, at the age of thirty years, Mr. D. A. Bowdand
was united in marriage with Emily C. Smith, a daughter of Calvin and
Nancy (Wilson) Smith. They are the parents of one child, Jesse For-
rest Bowland, born February 20, 1890. On February 9, 1909, this son
married Lela Ellis, a daughter of Erastus Ellis.
Mr. Bowland during his youth had only such advantages as were
supplied by tlie country schools during the decade of the fifties and six-
ties. His training w^as of the practical sort, such as comes from hand-
ling an ax in the virgin timber, following a plow through fields cov-
ered with stumps, and in swinging a scythe or old-fashioned cradle.
With such a training he has probably appreciated as much as any
other resident of Miami county, the remarkable changes in methods
of agriculture and industry, which have been introduced during his
lifetime. In the year he was married, Mr. and Mrs. Bowland took
up their residence on his present farm in Harrison township, and they
have lived there and steadily prospered for more than three decades.
Fraternally his associations are with the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows at Amboy, Indiana, and his political support has always been
given to the Democratic candidate and principles. A man of influ-
ence, and a citizen whose integrity and public spirit have been much
appreciated, he was in 1888 elected to the highest office of his town-
ship, that of trustee, and gave an efficient administration up to 1896.
Mrs. Bowland has always aided her husband in counsel and advice,
and has ably filled her sphere as a faithful wife and an affectionate
mother. She too is a native of the dear, old Hoosier State, and a lady
who is affable, cordial and genial to all, and her beautiful and com-
fortable home is her haven.
Mr. and Mrs. Bowland are always ready and willing to aid the
worthy poor and needy, and all who know them, honor them for their
sterling characters. Their estate in Harrison township, one of the
most valuable farms, is called "Walnut Grove Grange."
Walter Balsbaugh. Farming in all its branches has been con-
sidered a good line of business since the beginning of the world, but
within the last (juarter of a century it has developed in a remarkable
degree, and at this time offers special field for a man of energy and
ability. In this class stands Walter Balsbaugh of Union township, a
man who has been the architect of his own fortunes.
Walter Balsbaugh was born in Miami county, in Jefferson township
in March, 1877. His father was J. H. Balsbaugh, and his grandfather
was Daniel Balsbaugh. The maiden name of his mother was Sarah
Jane Fisher, a daughter of George Fisher. J. H. Balsbaugh came from
Pennsylvania to ]\Iiami county with his parents at an early date, locat-
ing near Denver, where they engaged in farming on eighty acres of
land. After his marriage he located on a farm near ]\Iexico, where he
has lived ever since. Walter Balsbaugh spent his early life on the
home farm and was educated in the schools of Miami county, learned
all the details about a farm, and continued to live at home and work
682 IllSTOllY OF MIAMI COUNTY
the home place until his marriage. In 1901, on ^larch 20, he married
Miss Anna Miller, daughter of A. L. and Elizabeth (Florey) Miller.
After their marriage i\lr. Balsbaugh rented a place in Jefferson town-
ship for three years and then came to his present farm, which he has
since acquired and improved until it is one of the model places of the
township. It comprises one hundred and fifteen acres of land, and
at the time he took possession there were some old buildings which
constituted the principal improvement. Since then he has remodeled
and rebuilt and erected several entirely new structures, and has cleared
twenty acres out of the timber, and has produced as profitable and as
attractive a farm as can be found in this neighborhood.
jMr. and ]\Irs. Balsbaugh have three children, namely: Wilma E.,
born December 5, 1902 ; Frances Naomi, born January 24, 1905 ; and
Ralph H., born January 23, 1910. The family attend the Conservative
Brethren church, and in politics Mr. Balsbaugh is a Republican.
Jay W. Newell, ]\I. D. Since 1885 a Denver physician and sur-
geon. Dr. Newell is one of the oldest and best known medical practi-
tioners in ]\Iiami county. To his ample practice in a largely rural
community, he has bought the ability and careful skill which would
have gained him perhaps more distinction, but not greater honors for
substantial service in the populous urban centers.
Dr. J. W. Newell is a Pennsylvanian by birth, born in Bradford
county, of the Keystone State on September 9, 1858. His father was
John W. Newell, a farmer by occupation during his earlier years and
a native of Pennsylvania, where he was reared and where he married
Phoebe Jones. In 1865 the Newell family came west to Carroll county,
Indiana, where Mr. Newell had a brother-in-law living at that time.
At Rockfield, for a number of years he conducted a hotel, and died in
that town May 6, 1897, at the age of eighty-nine years. His wife died
in 1889, when sixty-nine years old. They were the parents of three
children, all of whom are still living.
In the home in the town of Rockfield, the boyhood and youth of
Jay W. Newell were spent, much of his youthful strength having been
devoted to the labor on a farm. He attended the district schools, and
later finished his literary training by a term in the graded schools at
Delphi. He was thirteen years old when he began working regularly
on the farm of his brother-in-law. and at the age of seventeen had qual-
ified himself and began the work of teaching. During this time he
obtained some l)Ooks and began the private course of reading on physi-
ology, anatomy, and other medical subjects, having by this time a defi-
jiite ambition to enter the profession of medicine. Finally from the
means obtained as a teacher he entered the Kentucky School of Medi-
cine at Louisville, in 1878. During part of the following year he at-
tended the Louisville ^ledical College, and in the spring of 1880 re-
turned to the Kentucky School of Medicine, from which he was gradu-
ated in June of that year, being awarded the third honors in general
proficiency in his class. In 1879 he had been awarded a diploma in the
Louisville City Hospital on diseases of women.
In 1879, a short time liefore he took up the active work of his pro-
fession, Dr. Newell married ^liss Alice Gregg. Four children, one
son and three daughters, have blessed their union and are all living,
as follows: Clifford V., who finished the public school course in Cass
county, Indiana, graduated from the Peru high school, and later from
the I'urdue Univ(^rsity in the pharmacy department, is proprietor of a
drug store in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma. He married ^liss Marj
Sears, and they have a little daughter, Katherine Alice. Vera V., the
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 68:J
second child, was a student in the Denver high school, took the Normal
course in the Ada Normal College at Adam, Ohio, and was a teacher for
some time in the Denver schools, before her marriage to Clay T. Olds;
they now live at Decatur, Illinois, where her husband is in the employ
of the railroad company. They have one little daughter, Hester Alice.
Golden V., the third in the family, was educated in the University of
Valpariso, Indiana, and married Blair B. Fricke, who is a printer by
occupation, and they have their home in Columbus, Ohio. Harriett
Mercedes, the youngest, is a student in the fourth year in the Colum-
bus high school in Ohio.
After his graduation from medical college, Dr. Newell at once took
up active practice in his old home at Rockfield, being an associate of
Dr. John W. Powell. Then in 1885 he moved to Denver, where he has
ever since been in active and continuous practice. Dr. Newell was
local surgeon of the Butler Division of the Wabash Railroad, until that
line became a part of the Vandalia System, and has since become a
member of the Association of Surgeons of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company, and has been local surgeon at Denver since 1887. Dr. Newell
is an honored member of the Miami County Medical Society, the Indi-
ana State Medical Society and the American Medical Association, and
his membership in those different organizations dates back for a num-
ber of years. Besides his comfortable town property in Denver, he has
a splendid farm of one hundred and tw^enty-five acres lying one mile
south of Denver. This is known as the "Clear View Stock Farm," and
is managed on a scale of modern efficiency and profit. Mrs. Newell
was born in Carroll county, Indiana, and was educated in the public
schools. Both her parents are deceased. Mrs. Newell is a member
of the jNIethodist church. The politics of the doctor is Republican, and
he is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and the Masonic fraternity.
Dr. Newell and wife have a five-passenger Overland touring car, and
their chief recreation is derived from its use.
Charles H. Kercher. Foremost among the substantial agricul-
tural men of the township of Perry, Miami county, Charles H. Kercher
takes a leading place. He has wrought well in the chosen field of his
activity and has come to be known for one of the capable and success-
ful younger farming men of the community. Born in the county, on
November 20, 1873, he was here reared and educated, and he is the son
of Frederick and Rachel (Grimes) Kercher, and the grandson of Horace
Grimes.
Frederick Kercher came to Miami county from Pennsylvania and
settled on a farm adjoining the one his son occupies today, and there
he lived until death removed him from the scene of his earthly activi-
ties. He was a hard working and earnest, God fearing man, a citizen
of a splendid type, and one who shared in the confidence and esteem
of all who knew him, — a credit to his community, and a man who lived
uprightly all his days. He and his faithful wife are deceased. They
were members of the Church of the Dunkards, and lived in accord-
ance wdth the simple faith of that denomination.
Charles H. Kercher received his training in books in the district
schools of his native community, and it may be stated in all candor
that his education was a limited one, for his youth was devoted, for the
most part, to the work of the home farm. After the death of the fa-
ther, Mr. Kercher, who had by that time married and established a roof
tree of his own, moved to another farm in Perry township, whence he
later moved to his present place, which adjoins the old home place.
He took possession of this place in 1903, and it stands today as it was
684 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
then, as regards the buiklings that are in use upon it, but he has inaug-
urated many improvements in the way of fencings, ditches, etc., so
that the farm is one of the most productive and attractive hundred and
twenty acre tracts to be found in the township today. Mr. Kercher
is a man who stands out for improvements at all times, and when he
was the owner of his previous farm, he brought it up to a high state
of productiveness and of general up-keep that made it one of the finest
places of the coinnuuiity, and of which he had no difficulty in dispos-
ing when the time came for him to take another place.
jMr. Kercher was married on November 23, 1899, to Minnie Harmon,
the daughter of Ananias and Susan (Wiles) Harmon. She was born
on February 11, 1876, and her father is still a resident of Miami county.
He was born in Ohio and came to these parts many years ago. He mar-
ried in ]\[iami county in 1873, and his wife died here in 1907. Four
children were born to Mr. and ^Irs. Kercher, as follows : Marie E.,
born Januarv 7, 1901 ; Ralph T., born Februarv 3, 1903 ; Opal J., born
June 22, 1908; and La:\Ioine, born July 23, 1910.
Mr. Kercher is a Progressive in his political faith, formerly a stanch
Republican, but his politics underwent a radical change in 1912, in
common with many another old time Republican.
Ira Seitner. Concerning the family of Ira Seitner, its origin and
the life of certain members, a fuller account is given on other pages of
this work, so that detailed mention of the family and ancestry of Mr.
Seitner are not required at this point. He was born on the farm where
he now lives on March 5, 1863, and is one of the eight children of his
parents, who were Jacob and Caroline (Floorah) Seitner. The house
in which ]\Ir. Seitner lives today stands but a short distance from the
one in which he was born fifty years ago.
Mr. Seitner was reared to farm life, with a rather scant education
thrown in between farming seasons, and his life has been devoted to
farming from his boyhood on. When his father died he di\'ided his estate
among his children, and ^Ir. Seitner is living upon his portion of the
old home place.
January 11, 1891, Mv. Seitner married Sarah, who was the eldest
daughter of George W. Tombaugh, and to them three children have been
born : Nora E., born October 16, 1894 ; Mary Edith, who died in infancy;
and Cora R., born December 22, 1899. The daughter Nora received her
diploma from the public school and she is a third year student in the
high school at Roann, Indiana. Mrs. Seitner finished her education in
a college at Mt. Morris. Illinois, and is a woman of excellent mental
endowments and intellectual attainments.
Mr. Seitner is one of the well known farming men in the township,
and his property is represented by one hundred and seventy-eight acres.
For the past seven years he has rented his land instead of operating it
independently, and has taken his leisure more or less since that time as
a result of that arrangement. The family are members of the Church
of the Brethren, and are among the most popular and highly esteemed
people in the community, where they have been known all their lives.
Mr. Seitner is trustee and deacon of the church of his choice, also treas-
urer for some years. The estate of Mr. and Mrs. Seitner is known by
"Pine Lawn Stock Farm."
Reuben Seitner. The Seitner family, of which Reuben Seitner is
a member, has been identified with the history of Miami county since
1847, when Jacob Seitner, the father of Reuben, came with his liride to
this county and settled on a farm in Perry township. Since that time
\
^=^
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 685
men of the name Seitner have labored in the county for the development
of the various districts with which they have been identified, and they
have left an indelible imprint upon these communities. Jacob Seitner
was born in Ohio and was the son of George Seitner, a native son of
Maryland, who came to Ohio prior to the birth of his son, Jacob. On
October 8, 1846, Jacob Seitner married Caroline, the daughter of Daniel
Floorah, and with his young wife came to these parts, locating on a Perry
township farm and there rearing his family. There were one hundred
and sixty acres in that place, and the first home that graced the property
site was a log cabin, while eleven acres of timber being deadened repre-
sented the only ground space available for cultivation. As the years
passed ^Ir. Seitner and his faithful and energetic wife accumulated a
goodly portion of property in Perry township, and upon their death, the
estate was divided among the children, of whom there were eight born,
and concerning whom brief mention is here made as follows : Silas, who
married Lucy Yarion, died on October 26, 1881. Reuben married Mary
Geeting, and concerning him extended mention is made further on in
this review. Francis, who married Mary Smith. Mary, the wife of
Frank Dewald. Ira, who is mentioned at length in a separate sketch
married "Sarah Ann Tombaugh. Catherine, the wife of William
Greeting. Emery, who is unmarried and Samuel, who died on February
15, 1892. The father died on September 3, 1887, and the mother on
November 18, 1884. Both were members of the German Reformed church,
and were regarded as among the best people of their community.
Reuben Seitner, the second born son, and the eldest living member
of the family today, was born on July 13, 1851, in Perry township, on
the estate of which his present farm was once a part.
On February 24, 1883, he married Mary Elizal)etli, the daughter
of Joseph and Catherine (Glace) Geeting, and they took up their
abode on the farm, two years later building the new l)rick house
wherein they now reside. This farm came to Mr. Seitner as his share in
his father's estate, which was a goodly one, and among the most extensive
ever accumulated in the township. His share represented $1,000.00 and
he paid for the remaining 60 acres at $50.00 per acre. He has brought
about a great many notable improvements in the place, his fine new barn
having been built as recently as 1909.
Mr. Seitner as a boy was educated in the Perry township schools,
but as he was the oldest boy, his help was early needed at home, and his
opportunities for book learning were thus limited. When the father
died, Mr. Seitner was appointed executor of the estate, and he has given
a careful stewardship of the charge laid upon him. He and his wife are
members of the Church of God, and he was deacon of the church for
two years and an elder for a similar period.
John C. Patten. Americans will never cease to venerate the soldiers
who offered themselves to save the Union in the dark days of the sixties,
and as the survivors of that great war decrease in number as they
answer the roll-call one after another, it seems that the affection of their
younger country-men should grow in increasing ratio. Of these old
soldiers Miami county has a fine representative in John C. Patten, since
1891, a resident of Deer Creek township.
John C. Patten was born in Sullivan county, Indiana, June 21, 1837,
a son of William and a grandson of Mark Patten. The war records show
that ]\Iark Patten was a soldier in the War of 1812. William Patten's
wife was a daughter of Eli Dicks Bunda, and her Christian name was
Malinda. _
John C. Patten was reared on his father's farm, and has been engaged
686 • HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY ,
in agricultural pursuit all his life. At the time the Civil war broke out
he was a resident of Tipton county. There he enlisted as a member of
Company B, Sevenly-Fifth Indiana Infantry, August 11, 1862, and
served until July, 1865, when he was mustered out. During this period
of almost three years he saw a great deal of campaigning and partici-
pated in a number of historic engagements. On September 19, 1863, on
the Chickamauga battlefield he was shot through the left leg and taken
prisoner. After his discharge from the army, :\Ir. Patten went to
Howard county, from there to Tipton county, then back to Howard, later
to Cass county and from Cass county he came in 1891 to Miami county.
Here his investment in forty acres of unimproved land in Deer Creek
township, may be said to have been the first practical step in a career
of steady prosperity and advancement since that time. Going in debt
for part of the land, and its improvements he settled down to the work
of clearing, and in a few years had developed a comfortable little home-
stead. Mr. Patten has erected buildings and has made a great many
improvements which increase the value and productiveness of his place.
He now rents his fields and lives practically retired.
Mr. Patten is a pensioner on account of his services rendered in the
Civil war, and is a popular member of the Grand Army of the'Republic,
being a past commander of his post two different times. He is a tnistee
in the local Horse Thief Association, and is affiliated with and a ti-ustee
of Crescent Lodge No. 280, A. F. & A. M., at Miami, Indiana. His
and his good wife's religious faith is that of the Baptist church, with
which denomination he has been identified since 1859.
On July 29, 1859, Mr. Patten married Margaret Lett, a daughter of
Balaam and Sallie (Osborn) Lett. Her maternal grandfather was John
Osborn. Her father was a Southerner, a native of Georgia, who came
to Indiana before the war and he was a soldier in the Mexican war.
Mrs. Patten is a native of Union county, Indiana, born February 27,
1846, and she is the only survivor of the family. She was educated in
the common schools and the first school she attended was a log school-
house. To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Patten were born six children,
named as follows : Denton S. C, born December 13, 1861, and now
chief of police at Aikley, Minnesota, married Jennie Ridgeway; Sallie,
born July 9, 1865. married Edward ]\Iunson, resident of Cass county,
Indiana ; "William Thomas, who married Bertha Babb, of Cass county ;
John Grant, who is unmarried: Lurania F., the wife of Andrew J.
Logan, in Cass county; and Judson 0., unmarried at home. Mr. and
]Mrs. Patten are citizens who are held in the highest regard by all who
know them. He is a man who has a double name — as a grand noble man
as to integrity and as a soldier in the saving and honoring of the fiag of
his country.
Frank E. Ward. Among the native sons of 3Iiami county, Indiana,
who have won success and prosperity within the limits of their own
county, should be mentioned the name of F. E. Ward, of Perry township.
His father was a farmer in this township before him, and both father
and son have held a high place in the esteem of their fellow citizens.
Mr. Ward has been a hard working and industrious farmer, with mod-
ern and progressive ideas, and the fine condition in which his farm is at
present is clear testimony of his painstaking and untiring work.
Frank E. Ward was born in Perry township, on the 8th of August,
1858, the son of John T. Ward and Susanna (James) Ward. John T.
Ward was the son of John Ward, and was born in the state of Virginia.
He came with his father into Franklin county, Indiana, when he was
a very young boy, and here his father settled on a farm Avhere
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 687
they lived unlil 1850. Mr. Ward first married in Franklin county, his
wife being a Miss Sehofield. There were four children by this marriage,
namely : James, Joel, Rebecca and ]\Iary. Their mother died in Frank-
lin county.
Susanna James, the mother of Frank E. Ward, was the daughter
of Conklin James. She first married Sylvanus Newton and came to
Miami county, Indiana, with him in 1837. They located on a farm in
Perry township, the same farm where F. E. Ward was reared. Here
Mr. Newton built a log cabin in the woods and then began to clear
the land. ^Irs. Ward often told of the way they used to drive through
the woods to Logansport and furthyr on to Michigan City when they
wanted to buy salt and other staples. Here Mr. Newton lived until his
death. There were three children born to Mr. and ]Mrs. Newton; Eli,
Harvey and Mary. After the death of ]\Ir. Newton his widow married
John T. Ward and they continued to live on her farm. This property
consisted of eighty acres. Mr. and ]\Irs. Ward died in Wabash, Ind.
Frank E. Ward grew to young manhood on his father's farm, receiving
his education in the little log school house. In those days a term of
school amounted to four months of the year and although the pupils
w^ere only taught a very rudimentary knowledge, what they learned
they learned perfectly. They knew the old blue-backed speller by heart
and the multiplication table as well as their own name, a rarity in these
days. After his district school education was completed, Mr. Ward
attended a normal school for a time and then he himself became a
teacher. He taught in Perry township and in Fulton county, Indiana,
and for twelve years this was his vocation.
After this he settled on a farm in Allen township which consisted of
eighty acres and had an old log barn and frame house on it. He built
a good barn on the place, ditched it and cleared about twenty acres
of land. Later he traded this farm for the one on which he lives at
present, having lived on the first farm for about eight years. There
were 120 acres on this farm and the present buildings were also built
at that time. He has however repaired them and improved them in
many ways, by the addition of lightning rods and by putting on new
roofing. He has done a great deal of ditching about the place and has
built many rods of fence. He has also added to the property until it
now consists of 155 acres. Mr. AVard does general ' farming, shipping
some of his produce away and selling the rest to local dealers.
It was in 1886 that Mr. Ward was married to Miss Minerva Cun-
ningham, a daughter of William Cunningham and Eliza (Williams)
Cunningham. Mr. and Mrs. Ward have had six children born to them,
as follows : Nellie, who married Francis Zegafuse ; Edna, who married
Russell Reahard; Myrtle; Hazel; Emma and Russell. The beautiful
modern residence of Mr. and Mrs. Ward, erected in 1913, is a two-
story and basement building, heated by furnace and lighted by elec-
tricity, and it is a modern home in all its detail. The homestead is
known as "Sunny View Stock Farm."
The father of Mr. Ward attended the ]\Iethodist Episcopal church but
Mr. Ward is a member of the Baptist church and has been a trustee of
his church for twelve years. In politics he is a member of the Republican
party.
S. S. Smith. The Smith family is undeniably one of the most
interesting ones in these parts, and a brief contemplation of their
history at this point is particularly fitting in a work of the nature of
this historical and biographical work. They have been identified with
the history of Miami county since they came hither in 1845, and men
688 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
of the name and of their immediate family branch have had generous
share in the development and upbuilding of the county. S. S. Smith,
the immediate subject of this review, was born in Fulton county, Indiana,
in 1853, and is the son of Lewis and Mary Smith, and the grandson of
Michael Smith. Both father and grandfather were German born, their
birth place being about twelve miles from Straussberg, Germany, and
the grandfather brought his family to i\Iiami county in 1845.
Michael Smith entered the first government farm in Miami county,
and walked to Indianapolis to get the title deeds to the place. He
built a log cabin on his farm home, and settled down to a steady and
persistent toil on the place, the results of which were soon apparent.
The country was in a particularly wild and unimproved state in those
years, with roads of the worst possible nature, so bad that wagons would
sink in the mud to the hubs in inclement weather, and altogether
presenting a decided drawback to the development of the country. The
nearest road was the Erie railroad, and Mr. Smith, with others, took up
a subscription to induce that road to run a line into their community,
which proved a wise expenditure on their part.
Lewis Smith continued with his father for some years, helping man-
fully with the work of the new home place, and when he moved to
Fulton county it was to settle on a place of his own, where he continued
to live until he died at the age of seventy-two. The grandfather of the
subject, Michael Smith, lived to the tine old age of eighty-two, the
family being one that is known for the longevity of its members.
S. S. Smith was one of the ten children of his parents. The others
are here mentioned briefly as follows: Jake, who married Lydia, the
daughter of Jacob Seitner; William, who married Jennie Neff; Charles,
who married Etta Grindle ; Nancy, the wife of Frank Hoffman ; Mary,
who married Francis Seitner; Henry A., who died at the age of two
months; Jonathan died when one year old; and John, who lived to be
twelve years of age.
The father of this goodl.y family was known for one of the most
successful men of the county wherein he lived. He raised the first
barley that was grown in these parts, and gave much of his time to
that crop, often having as much as 20 acres seeded to barley. Mr.
Smith, of this review, recalls very distinctly the early days of Fulton
and jMiami counties, and recounts with zest many interesting stories of
pioneer life here and there. He received his schooling in the district
schools of both counties, his attendance being limited to three months
in each year, but he managed to accjuire a solid basis of learning for
future accomplishments, so that he has not passed through life entirely
untaught.
In 1878 Mr. Smith married Mary, the daughter of Daniel Shilling,
another of the pioneer settlers of the county, and in 1881 he took up
his abode in his present home in Perry township. He has a fine place
of eighty acres, all in excellent condition, properly fenced and ditched,
and with modern buildings ornamenting the whole. In addition to his
Miami county property, he has a farm of one hundred acres in Fulton
county, which, until the present year, he has operated in conjunction
with his home place. His operations in the agricultural field have been
especially prosperous, and have indicated the true nature of the man in
their business like and well directed activities.
Mr. Smith, afid all of his family, are members of the Evangelical
church, and he is particularly active in the work of the various depart-
ments of that body. He has taught in the Sunday school for the past
thirteen years, and at present has a class of nineteen young ladies who
depend upon him for instruction in Biblical truths. He is a citizen of
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 689
the finest calibre, and his residence here has been marked by an honest
and earnest interest in the affairs of the community, in which he is ever
willing and ready to share his just burden of responsibility.
John W. Smith has performed his full share of the development
work that has gone to make Perry township the flowering spot
it has been for many years and all credit should be accorded
to him as one of the estimable and valuable men. All his life has been
spent on the farm on which he was born, and which in his young boy
and manhood he helped his father to convert into a fruitful and profit
yielding farm, from a state of rank forest growth and all around wilder-
ness. JNIr. Smith was born on the Perry township farm in Miami county
on December 5, 1846, and is the son of Hiram and Pleasant (Weaver)
Smith. The father and mother were both natives of Pennsylvania,
where they were married and they came to Miami county in 1836,
entering land from the government and settling down to a life of toil
and hardship attendant upon the reclaiming of a piece of virgin land
and the making of a home in the wilderness.
A dense forest marked the spot which is today one of the showy
farms of the township, and long years of w^eary toil on the part of the
pioneer father and his sturdy sons re-built the face of the landscape
with the succeeding seasons. A small cabin was built by the young
husband, and he, in his life time, saw to the clearing of the south
eighty acres of the quarter section, the north eighty having been
looked after by the son, who is the present incumbent of the property.
Following the death of the father, the place fell to the three children,
and ^Ir. Smith came into full possession through purchase from his
brother and sister. Here he has since continued, and has brought about
many improvements that have greatly enhanced the general value of
the property, and make it one of the best kept places in the township.
:Mr. Smith was married September 25, 1870, to Miss Mary Ash, the
daughter of Abraham Ash and Hannah (Logue) Ash. No children
have blessed their union.
Mrs. Smith is a native of Seneca county, Ohio, born October 1, 1846,
and she is the fifth on a farm of eleven children, four sons and seven
daughters, born to Abraham and Hannah (Logue) Ash. There are five
daughters and tw^o sons living. William Ash is a resident of Missouri
and a farmer. Atsey is the widow of William Harmon and a resident
of California. Martha E. is the wife of J. R. Ridge and they are residents
of California. Elizabeth, the widow of Henry Lower is a resident of
Perry township and a member of the Baptist church.
Mrs. Smith's father was a native of Pennsylvania and was a tailor
by trade, and also an agriculturist. He came from Pennsylvania to
Ohio, where he was married and thence to Indiana in 1852. Mrs. Ash
was also a native of Pennsylvania. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ash were mem-
bers of the ^lethodist church and both are deceased.
The parents of Mr. Smith died on the old farm home in Perry town-
ship and they were long members of the Methodist Episcopal church,
and Mr. Smith also has membership in the charch that sheltered his
parents. He is prominent in local politics and is now acting as trustee
of his township, to which office he was elected on the Republican ticket
in 1908, and in which he has given a most praiseworthy service.
During his term of office he has built ten cement bridges in the
township of Perry. He has ten schools to supervise, besides the excellent
High School of Gilead, one of the accredited schools in the state. The
beautiful and costly building was erected in 1900 and is one of the
ornamental school houses of the county. The schools are in excellent con-
dition and are controlled by an able corps of teachers.
690 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
James H. Smith. A well known citizen and farmer of Miami county,
Indiana, is J. H. Smith of Perry township. He has lived in this county
for many years and has a wide circle of friends and acquaintances. As
a farmer he has attained success, not through good fortune but solely
through hard work, and carefully directed work. He is a farmer of
ability, who understands the soil with which he has to deal, and he has
succeeded in raising fine crops, and has one of the most lucrative as well
as attractive farms in the township.
The fatlier of J. H. Smith was Henry Smith, a native of New Jersey.
In 1851 Henr}' Smith came to Indiana and settled in ]Miami county, in
Richland township, two and a half miles east of Chili. The property
consisted of 107 acres, very little of which was cleared land. There
was nothing on the place but a log cabin, but Henry Smith set to work
with the energy of the early pioneer and before his death which
occurred on the 2nd of April, 1852, he had the materials and everything
prepared to build a new home. With the courage typical of the women
of her day, his widow set to work and erected the house, wiiich together
wath the log stable comprised the buildings of the farm. Henry Smith
had married in New Jersey Miss ^Matilda Burling. After her husband's
death ]\Irs. Smith married a second time, her husband beiug Elijah
Lowe. They became the parents of four children : Cornelius, Peter,
Isaac and Martha.
J. H. Smith was born in Dayton, Ohio, on the 24th of October, 1849.
He was therefore only a baby when his parents came to Indiana. He
grew up on the farm but he was very young when he left his mother's
house and went to work on his own account. He first worked for
neighboring farmers and continued in this way for two years, at the
end of which time he found employment in a saw mill. After working
in the saw mill for eighteen months he began to work at the carpenter's
trade, continuing thus for four years. After this he went into the
saw mill business for himself and for seventeen years was a well known
lumberman of this section, his mill being located in Perry tow^nship.
He then traded his property for his present farm in Perry township.
There were at the time some of the present buildings on the farm but
he has thoroughly repaired the house and barn and has added a number
of smaller buildings. There was only one ditch on the place, which
consisted of 102 '^%oo acres, and now there are over five hundred dollars'
worth of buried tile drains. He has also built a good deal of fencing
and has put the farm into fine shape generally. He raises all the standard
crops for this section.
In politics Mr. Smith is a Republican and in the fraternal world his
affiliations are with the Ancient Free and Accepted ^Masons, his mem-
bership being with Gilead Lodge No. 354, of which he has been a
member for forty years. He served as trustee of the township from
1895 to 1899.
Mr. Smith was married September 30, 1874, to Miss Mary ]McKee, a
daughter of John McKee and Elizabeth (Houser) McKee. Six children
have been born to ~Sh\ and Mrs. Smith, two of whom are dead, namely,
Frank, who died at the age of four years; Charles, who died at the age
of six months ; Corey, who married Fred Blackburn ; and who has two
children, Hanley and Harold ; Ross who is unmarried and lives with
his parents; and Ruth and Mabel, who are both unmarried and live at
home.
James M. Coucher. The importance of Bennetts Switch to the farm-
ing community in the southwest part of Miami county is largely due
to the grain and elevator business conducted at that point by Mr. James
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 691
M. Couclier. Mr. Coiicher is one of the men who began life at the bot-
tom, and by industry and economy work up to a place of influence and
commercial standing in the comnuniity. He is now proprietor of the
large grain elevator at Bennetts Switch, and has also been twice honored
with the chief responsibilities of township government.
James M. Coucher was born near the town of Bunker Hill, Pipe
Creek township, this county, August 25, 1865. His father was William
and his grandfather Jacob Coucher, while the maiden name of his
mother was ]\Iary E. Nesbit, a daughter of Walter D. Nesbit. The father
settled on a farm near the village of Bunker Hill during the early sixties,
and in the Civil war was a soldier for the Union, spending a life of
honored activity in its every relation. He died at a good old age on
November 28, 1912, while his wife passed away in 1879.
Mr. James M. Coucher was married August 18, 1888, to Miss Louise
C. Lawrence, a daughter erf James F. Lawrence. They are the parents
of two daughters, both of whom are now attending school. Genevieve is
attending State University at Bloomington, Indiana, and is a member
of the class of 1913 and Elba M. is attending the Conservatory of Music
at Indianapolis, Indiana. They are being educated liberally for lives
of usefulness and influence. Mrs. Louise C. "(Lawrence) Coucher is a
native of the city of Peru, Indiana, born December 16, 1869, a daughter
of James F. and Marguerite (Taylor) Lawrence. Five of the Lawrence
family are living in 1913, and four are residents of Miami county. The
sister, Viola, wdfe of Horace Clark, is a resident of Howard county,
Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence were both natives of Montgomery
■county, Ohio. He was by vocation an agricultvirist. He was one of the
noble men, who, at the sound of the tocsin of war enlisted in the 39th
Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and afterwards was a member of the 38th
Cavalry. He was in the same company as Mr. Coucher 's father and they
participated in some of the heavy battles of war, being present at the
terrible two days' battle of Chickamauga, was at Stone River and other
actions. Mr. Lawrence was a Democrat politically and he and wife were
members of the INIethodist church.
Mrs. Coucher is a pleasant and social lady and her friends in Miami
■county are many. She received a good practical education in the public
schools of the county and her pretty modern home and her family
comprise her paradise. She and her husband may well be proud of
their two daughters as they are preparing themselves in the best educa-
tional institutions of the state.
The beautiful home of ]\Ir. and Mrs. Coucher, known as "Long-
view," is modern in detail. Lighted by acetyline, heated by a hot
water plant and the library well stocked with standard literature, indi-
cates the intelligence of the family.
Mr. Coucher was reared and received his education in his native
vicinity, and A^hen he was twenty years of age began working for
wages in the grain business. He continued in the employ of others for
a number of years, but all the time was ac(iuiring valuable experience
and was accumulating some savings which in 1900 enabled him to estab-
lish himself independently in the same line of business at Bennetts
Switch. His elevator, Ijearing his name, is now one of the chief features,
of this little village, and is the center of a large an.ount of business. Mr.
Coucher has served his township two terms in the office of trustee. He
was trustee from 1890 to 1895 and again from 1900 to 1904. He was
reared in the Methodist faith and fraternally is affiliated with the Red
Men and the Masonic order.
Samuel W. Butt. Among the prosperous farmers of Miami county,
Indiana, may be mentiont^d Samuel W. Butt, who has lived in this
692 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
section of the state of Indiana for many years. He owns a large farm
which he has improved and ileveloped and whieli yields him a g'enerous
return for the labor he has spent on it. Mr. Butt is popular and highly
respected in Perry township, and is known throughout the county as an
honorable man and valuable citizen.
Samuel W. Butt Avas born in Jefferson townsliip. ^liami county, on
the 8th of September, 1849, a son of Regneld Butt. The latter "came
to Miami county at an early date and settled on a farm in Perry town-
ship adjoining the one which is now owned by Samuel W. Butt. He
bought this farm from Jonas Cleland who bought it from the Erie Canal
Company. He cleared the land and erected a cabin of round logs and
here he lived until his death wliich occurred in 1853. The mother of
Samuel W. Butt was Phoebe Kinzie. After the father's death, his sons
took charge of the farm, and after a time Samuel W. Butt went to live
with his uncle, Benjamin Kinzie in Cass cou^ity. He later came to his
present farm which was ownied by David Keefer at that time. He
remained with him for eleven years, and then he married and settled on
a farm of forty acres in Allen township. There was a log cabin on the
farm and here he made his home for a few years until he sold the place
and bought the farm thAt is now owned by Emmond De Wald. He
lived there until 1895 wlien he ])ought the present farm of 128 acres.
All of the present buildings were already on the place, but he has added
numerous improvements both to the buildings and the farm in general.
Mr. Butt is a member of the Church of God and has been an elder
in his church. In political matters he is a member of the Republican
party and his fraternal allegiance is with the Maccabees. Mr. Butt was
married in 1875 to Miss Marthia Fites, a daughter of John W. Fites.
There were six children born to this union, as foUows: Walter, who
married Alice Kile, and has five children, namely, Martha, Earl, John,
Mildred, and Dorothy ; Warren, who married iNIaud Tombaugh, and has
one child, Don George; Glee, who married Elmer Fites and has three
children, as follows, Ruth, Grace and Ralph; Ray, who married Tresa
Walters and their three children are Blanche, Clifford and Esther;
Harry, who married Anna Burkholder and is the father of two children,
Howard and Edith ; Bliss is unmarried. After the death of his first
wife Mr. Butt married again, his second wife being Miss Dora Kiefer,
a daughter of Jacob Kiefer. To this union three children have been
born, as follows, Hazel, Samuel and Phoebe.
Henry K. Butt. A man whom his neighbors and friends hold in
the highest regard, is Henry K. Butt, of Miami county, Indiana, and
he is due the regard and esteem of everj^one, for he has not only lived
an honorable and upright life, but he is one of the veterans of that fast
diminishing army that fought through the terrible days of the Civil war.
Mr. Butt is now well along in life but he is still active and operates
his farm with the same enthusiasm and interest which he has always
displayed.
Henry Butt was born in ^Montgomery county, Ohio, on the 14th of
October, 1839, the son of Regneld Butt. His father's first wife was
, named Fiste, and after her death he married again, his second wife
being Phoebe Kinzie. When Henrys Butt was 13 years of age his
father died and the boy then had to go to work to aid in the support of
the family. Consequently he received very little education. This early
training in responsibility fitted him for the trials and suffering which he
was soon to know, for the shadow of the Civil war was already cast over
the land. When the crash did come, Henry Butt was eager to enlist
and in 1861 he became a member of the Fortieth Regiment of Indiana
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 693
Infantry, Company "B." He was from this time until the close of the
war in 1865 in continual service and the time was one of hardship and
danger and all the horrors of war. His mother died during the war
but he could not leave his command to come to her or to attend her
funeral. He received a few bullets through his clothes and several
times had narrow escapes from death, but he was never seriously
wounded, and came out unscathed.
After the war was at an end, Mr. Butt came to Indiana and located
on his present farm in Perry township, Miami county. The house on
the farm at that time was built of logs and Mr. Butt built the present
house and has added the improvements which have made the farm a
modern and prosperous one. It consists of sixty-one acres.
Mr. Butt is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in
his political views he affiliates with the Republican party. He married
Miss Mary P. Fites, a daughter of Andrew M. Fites, of one of the
pioneer families of Miami county. They have had no children but they
have reared a number of other children, giving them an education and
a good start in life.
Jasper J. Craig, a native son of Miami county, is one of those men
who having tried other lands come back in time to the soil where they
were born and bred. Jasper J. Craig is one of the successful farmers
of Perry township, Miami county, and during his younger days he tried
his fortunes in the Far West but finally determined that there was no bet-
ter place than the Hoosier state and so returned hither. He has been
a prominent citizen of Perry township for many years and is well known
as a practical and successful farmer. He traces his lineage to Scotland,
from whence came his grandfather.
Born in Perry township on the 14th of November, 1850, Mr. Craig
is the son of John Craig and Polly (Layborn) Craig. His grandfather
was also named John Craig, and his maternal grandfather w^as William
Layborn. It was in 1844 that Jasper Craig's father came to Miami
county, Indiana. Previous to this he had lived in Springfield, in Clark
county, Ohio, and it was here that he was married. He and his wife
drove through the country with a pair of horses and when they finally
reached the spot where they concluded to settle it was in the primeval
forests. John Craig built his first home of logs, and it was in this little
log cabin that Jasper Craig was born. The land was all covered with
heavy timber, and there were eighty acres of it, but Mr. Craig was a
hardy frontiersman and he in time cleared all of this land. Here they
lived until October 17, 1890, when they moved to Akron, in Fulton
county. Here Mr. Craig lived until the time of his death which occurred
in 1909.
Jasper J. Craig received his education in Perry township, the log
school house wliich he attended being about eighteen by twenty-four feet
in size, and the seats had round top desks in which they had to turn
around in order to write. The pupils could only go to school when there
was no work for them on the farms and so they averaged about a month
and a half of school during the year. Mr. Craig remained at home until
1871 and then he set out in the good old fashioned way to seek his fortune.
He went to Kansas and then to AVyoming, Nevada and California. In
all the places where he stopped he worked on the ranches, but after a
time, having saved some money he determined, to return home.
Upon his arrival in Miami' county he bought his present farm, which
at that time contained eighty acres. He has since added a tract of 200
acres to the property. He has added all the improvements that make the
place an up-to-date farm and does general farming.
694 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Mr. Craig is a member of the Church of God, at Akron, Indiana and
is one of the trustees of the church. He was at one time an active Mason,
but he now has no fraternal affiliations. Mr. Craig was married in 1886
to Phoebe R. Blauser, a daughter of Soloman and Susan (Winehart)
Blauser. Thev have five children, as follows : Zona May, Orval James,
Orin Chester, Rhoda Resella, and Odus Benjamin. Zona ]May received
her diploma in the class of 1902 and then took two years of high school
work in the Gilead High School. Orval James finished the eighth grade
and is at home with parents. Orin Chester also finished eighth grade
M-ork; Rhoda Resella received her diploma in 1909, and is now in the
fourth year of high school work and a member of the Gilead High School
class of 1914. Odus Benjamin finished the eighth grade in 1914.
]\Irs. Craig was educated in the common schools and she has done
her part nobly as a wife and mother. She is a member of the Wesleyan
Methodist Church Board. Her parents are dead. The pretty homestead
of Mr. and Mrs. Craig is known as ' ' Shady Lawn Farm, ' ' situated north
of Gilead.
Noah B. Baknhisel. One of the successful farming men of Perry
township and a man whose life has been one of the most uplifting
character, resulting undeniably, in a deal of good in his community, is
Noah Barnhisel, who was born on the farm he now operates and owns,
on November 4, 1863. 3Ir. Barnhisel is the son of Cornelius and the
grandson of Jacob Barnhisel, while his mother was Elizabeth (Hoffman)
Barnhisel.
In 1852 Cornelius Barnhisel brought his family to Miami county and
settled on the farm now the home of the subject. He entered the Union
army in 1864, and died in the service. His body was interred at Wash-
ington, D. C, and it was not until this year that the subject was able to
locate the grave of the fallen soldier. ]\Ir. Barnhisel was a member of
Company G, Fiftj'-ninth Indiana Regiment, and during his life time Avas
an active member of the Evangelical church. After the death of the
father and husband, ]Mrs. Barnhisel and her older sons carried on the
work of the farm, and there continued to reside. In more recent years
the subject came into ownership of the place, and he has done much
in the way of improving the old home and bringing it up to a productive
and highly creditable state such as it now enjoys. All the present fine
buildings were built by him since he came into ownership, with the
exception of the barn, which the mother and elder sons built some years
back. The place is attractive in appearance, and has a well kept appear-
ance that lends an air of prosperity and good business management that
is found to be j^resent upon a closer inspection of the farm. Its
two hundred and thirty acres are all under cultivation and yield abund-
antly to the master touch of the owner.
Mr. Barnhisel was married on ^lay 3, 1885, to ]\Iiss Mary Kramer
the daughter of Andrew and Susanne (Richebank) Kramer. One son
was born to Mr. and Mrs. Barnhisel, Jesse W., who married Blanche
Sidner, and they have a son Avho is named Doine Richard Barnhisel. The
family are members of the Evangelical church, and ^Ir. Barnhisel is
especially active and prominent in the work of the church. He has been
a class leader for sixteen years, and has taught in the Sunday school
for twenty-four years past, a service that has done much to aid in the
development of the young minds of the community in the better ways of
life and living. In his civic activities, he has demonstrated his high
character as a citizen, and has served as a justice of the peace during
one term. Although he has not been a man to seek public office, his
influence in the community has had an undeniably excellent effect, fnd
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HISTORY OP MIAMI COUNTY 695
has been felt in local politics, as well as in other circles in the community.
He and his family enjoy the unlimited confidence and esteem of a wide
circle of friends in the community, where they are well known for the
many excellent qualities that dominate their lives. The estate of Mr.
and Mrs. Barnhisel is known as ' ' Oak Grove Farm. ' '
Albert J. Phelps. Among the old families of Miami county the
Plielpses have had a prominent place since the early fifties in which
decade ^liami county was still only a little removed from pioneer con-
ditions. Throughout its residence, the family has been noted for its
fine qualities of industry, its solid integrity, and its good citizenship,
in every way. They did their share in breaking up and clearing the
land, and in establishing homes in the wilderness during the early days,
and during the subsequent half century or more their lives have been
led along the paths of quiet industry and prosperity, and as farmers
and good citizens, they have contributed all that they owed to the
enrichment of community life and enterprise.
Albert J. Phelps who is representing the third generation of the
family, and who is manager of a portion of the fine Phelps homestead
in Clay township, was born where he now lives, on July 26, 1876, a
sou of Andrew J. and Caroline C, (Wyrick) Phelps. His grandfather
Bissell Phelps was the founder of the name in this part of Indiana.
Bissell Phelps was born March 27, 1805 in Lewis county. New York,
and there was married on October 28, 1832, to Margaret Loucke. She
was born in Herkimer county. New York, August 24, 1806. After
their marriage they lived and prospered in Lewis county until 1853,
and that year marked their removal from the east to Indiana, and their
settlement in June of the same year in Clay township was the beginning
of sixty years of residence for the Phelps family. The land on which
Bissell Phelps established his home at that time is now included in the
old homestead. Bissell Phelps was a man of hardy industry, enjoyed
the confidence and esteem of his community, and his years came to a
close at his home in Miami county on April 4, 1898, when he was
ninety-three years of age. His wife passed away April 30, 1884. For
many years in connection with general farming, Bissell Phelps ran a
cheese dairy. The children were as follows : Charles J. ; Andrew J. ;
Mary W. ; Charles, deceased ; Ellen J., and Caroline.
The second son, Andrew J. Phelps, was born in Lewis county. New
York, November 21, 1831. He was twenty-two years of age when he
came to Miami county, had been reared and prepared for his active
career in New York State, and after locating in Miami county was
closely identified with the business and civic activities of his community
as long as he lived. On December 21, 1869, Andrew J. Phelps married
Caroline C. Wyrick. The children of this marriage are mentioned as
follows: George Bissell, born September 17, 1871; Franklin C, l)orn
April 13, 1874 ; Albert J., born July 26, 1876 ; Thomas W., born Jan-
uary 1, 1879; and Nelson H., born December 15, 1887. During his
young manhood Albert J. Phelps has always been an agriculturist.
A period of years were devoted by him to general farming, and
one of the important features of his enterprise in this connection was
the management of the cheese dairy which his father had established
and which afforded an important service to the community. Andrew
J. Phelps died August 1, 1897.
Albert J. Phelps, third among the sons, is now employing all his
energies in conducting eighty acres of land, forming a part of the
original homestead on which his grandfather settled sixty years ago.
The estate of the late Andrew J. Phelps, altogether, five hundred acres,
Vol. n— 17
696 HISTORY OF :\IIAMI COUNTY
is still held intact, and the heirs have managed it jointly without
partition for the sixteen years since their father's death. The portion
under his direction supervision, Albert J. Phelps has improved in
various ways, and has made of it a model farmstead.
On November 23, 1898, Albert J. Phelps and Pearl B. Brown were
united in marriage. To them have been born two children, Carrie
]\Iabel, born August 29, 1899 ; and Eva Alice, born November 25, 1901.
]Mrs. Phelps is a daughter of Cyrus and Ora (Cliue) Brown. When
she was a child she lost her mother, and was reared in the home of her
uncle J. n. Humrickhouse of Bennett's Switch. Mr. Phelps and family
attend the Methodist Episcopal church, and his fraternal relations are
with the Knights of Pythias, Castle Hall No. 362, at Galveston, Ind.,
and the Improved Order of Red Men, Mongotha Tribe No. 267. at Miami.
]Mr. Phelps was a member of the IMiami county council for some
four years, which for a young man, gave him a drill and an incite to
county affairs which have been of inestimable value to him, as a
business man of affairs. ]\Ir. and ]\Irs. Phelps are young people descend-
ants of the best families in IMiami county and are citizens who hold a
high place in the respect and esteem of their large circle of friends and
acquaintances. They have one of the beautiful homes for which Southern
Miami county is noted and their home is the abode of hospitality. It is
well named as the ' * South Lawn Stock Farm. ' '
George W. Tombaugh. One of the well established and more sub-
stantial men of affairs in Perry township, where he has lived for many
years, is George W. Tombaugh, who owns a fine farm in this community
and devotes himself to its care and culture. He was born in Jefferson
township. Miami county, on December 24, 1837, and is the son of George
Tombaugh, who was born on October 28, 1796, and who married Susan
Meyers on October 2, 1817.
In 1836 George and Susanna (Meyers) Tombaugh went from their
native state, Pennsylvania, to Ohio and thence moved to Indiana, settling
in Miami county, where the subject was born. He did not long remain
in Jefferson township, however, and established the family home in
Perrj^ township early in life, here engaging in farming. He pros-
pered, it is sufficient to say, and from the small log house that first
sheltered him and his little family, he was soon able to graduate into a
finer and more commodious frame dwelling, where the family was reared
to maturity. George W. Tombaugh 's father died June 19, 1880. aged 83
years, 7 months and 21 days, and his mother died October 14,. 1850.
In 1862 George W. Tombaugh married Elizabeth Ann Deardorff who
was born on July 1, 1840, and died on April 15, 1905. She was the mother
of seven children, concerning whom brief mention is made as follows:
Sarah, the eldest, born on December 17, 1863, married Ira Seitner; John
Henry, born January 12, 1865, died on October 3, 1881 ; Jacob L., born
on May 28, 1867, married Elizabeth Whitmire; Mary Ann. born January
11, 1871, became the wife of Joseph Hetter; Emma Jane, born Septem-
ber 10, 1874, died on March 18, 1883 ; Laura Etta, born January 6, 1877,
died on February 17, 1877; Leone Elizabeth, born on April 14, 1884,
died on August 13, 1910.
Following his marriage Mr. Tombaugh settled on the east portion of
the old home place, and here he has ever since resided. He has a farm of
one hundred and sixteen acres, and all the buildings that stand upon
the place today are his own w^ork, having replaced the older structures
with newer and more modern ones in recent years. His place is a very
attractive and prosperous looking one, and gives every evidence of the
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 697
thrift and enterprise that are dominant characteristics of their owner and
manager.
Some two years after the death of Mrs. Tombaugh, Mr. Tombaugh
was united in marriage with ]\Irs. Eliza Baker, the daughter of William
Hand, the ceremony being solemnized on November 13, 1906. Mrs. Tom-
baugh was born September 2, 1860, and is well known in these parts,
where she has passed her life thus far. She and her husband are members
of the Church' of the Brethren, in which the Tombaugh family were
reared by their parents.
Abner J. Alspach, born and bred to the life of the farm has
found in that life his own vocation. As one of the prominent and
successful farmers of Perry township, Miami county, Indiana, he is
well known throughout this region. He is a native son of Periy township
and has lived in this vicinity during his entire life and is consequently
keenly interested in the development and general welfare of the com-
munity.
Abner J. Alspach was born in Perry township, Miami county, Indiana,
just one mile north of the farm where he now lives, on the 26th of
June, 1864. He is a son of Gideon Alspach and a grandson of Jacob
Alspach. Gideon Alspach was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, and
there grew to manhoocl. He married Catherine Kinsler, a daughter of
John Kinsler, and settled in Miami county, Indiana, in 1854. Here in
Perry township he located on a farm of eighty acres. There was a
house but no barn on the place and the land was all timbered. Gideon
Alspach cleared the land and built a barn and otherwise improved the
farm and here he remained until his death. Mrs. Alspach is still living
and spends her time visiting among her children. Gideon Alspach was
a member of the Church of God.
Growing up in the early days of this section of Indiana, when every-
one 's hands were required to help in the farm work, j^oung Abner
Alspach had little opportunities for anything in the way of an educa-
tion. What little he did receive came from tlie district schools of Perry
township. After growing to manhood, Abner Alspach left Ms father's
home and renting John Butler's farm set out to make his own way in
the world. He remained on this farm for two years and then rented
the Israel Taylor place where he remained for eight years. After this
he returned to his old home and operated his father's farm for four
years. By this time he had enough money saved to buy a farm of his
own and he purchased the place which he now owns. This farm con-
tains eighty-five acres and he has improved the house, built a fine barn,
and fenced and ditched the whole place.
Mr. Alspach is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons,
affiliating with Gilead Lodge, No. 354, being one of the trustees of his
lodge. It was in 1887 that Abner Alspach and Ida Clark, a daughter
of Simon and Amelia (^letzger) Clark, were united in marriage. IMr.
and Mrs. Alspach have nine children, as follows : Grace, who was born
on August 15, 1888, is now the wife of Arthur Whistler; Jessie, who
was born on December 11, 1891 ; Alpha, whose birth took place on the
10th of April, 1892: Hazel, who was born on the 10th of December,
1894 ; John, the date of whose birth was May 7, 1896 : Allen, also born
in May, on the 9th of the month, 1900 ; Carl, who was born January' 13,
1903 ; Clark, born on the 26th of June, 1906, and Lowell, who was born
April 3, 1909. All the children attended the schools of Perry town-
ship and the following children received their diplomas from the public
schools : Grace, Jessie, Alpha and Hazel. Jessie, Alpha and Hazel
698 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
have received partial training in the High School. The beautiful farm-
stead of Mr. and Mrs. Alspach is named ' ' The Catalpa Lawn Farm. ' '
Silas J. Sproal. That enterprise and good management are well
rewarded in the country life of Miami county, needs no better illustra-
tion than the career of Silas Sproal, whose fine homestead lies in Harri-
son township. About thirty years ago, soon after his marriage, he
located on part of his present farm, and in the beginning had prac-
tically nothing but the land. Combining the cultivation of mixed crops
with the raising of high-grade stock, he has developed a business that of
itself would be considered valuable without reference to its capital
investments. Under his supervision his farm has been cleared, has been
improved with modern barns, and other equipment, and his estate will
now compare favorably with that of any in IMiami county.
Soon after the removal of the Indians from ^liami county, a number
of families from Holmes county, Ohio, came to Indiana, and established
themselves on land vacated by the Redmen. Among those who came in
1848 was Nobertus Sproal. He was born in Germany, November 3,
1830, was brought to America during his sixth year, and was reared in
Holmes county, Ohio. His father was AValburg Sproal. The grand-
mother died in Holmes county. Nobertus Sproal was married in
Howard county, Indiana, to Miss Catherine Schrock, a daughter of
Jacob Schrock. She was born May 9, 1828, and died in Howard county,
November 28, 1905, at the age of seventy-seven years, six months and
seventeen days. Immediately after his marriage Nobertus Sproal
settled on a farm in Harrison towaiship in Miami county, and in this
locality he passed the rest of his life. He died in the adjoining county
of Howard in 1895 at a ripe old age.
It was on his father's farm, January l-l, 1858, that Silas J. Sproal
was born. That farm which was his birthplace lies adjacent to the one
now owned by Silas in Harrison township, and is a part of the same
section. Here his boyhood days were passed, not unlike those of the
sons of other farmers, of northern Indiana. He worked in the clearing
and grubbing of the land, followed the plow, and wielded an ax, occa-
sionally got an opportunity to play, but more often he worked, and his
education was exceedingly practical and included a meagTe knowledge
of books. The winter terms of school he attended were held at McCoy,
one mile from the Buckeye school and the Buckeye school house was on
the line between Harrison toM^nship and Howard county, that being the
first school house in that community.
On March 4, 1884, Silas married Miss Anna A. ]\Iurphy, a daughter
of Israel and Elizabeth (Larrison) Murphy. In their early married life
Mr. and Mrs. Sproal moved about and lived at several localities within
the same general neighborhood. However, they soon settled on their
present farm, which lies within sight of the place where Silas Sproal
was born. When they located there, they found land with practically
no improvement of a substantial nature, the only building of which it
could boast being an old log cabin that had been put up by John Vin-
edge, who was the pioneer settler there and had occupied the rude
structure until his death. This log house was afterwards torn down.
Mr. Sproal built his barn in 1902, and the other buildings were erected
about 1885. Eighty acres of his land had been cleared when he took
possession and he himself has worked industriously with his own hands,
or has supervised the clearing of the other eighty. For many years his
crops have been up to tbe standard of Miami county agriculture, and
he has contrived to prosper year in and year out.
Mr. and Mrs. Sproal were the parents of four children, but two,
HISTORY OF ]MIAMI COUNTY 699
twins, died in infancy. The remaining two are Grover C. and Lester D.
Grover was born November 15, 1889, married Miss Bessie Kelley, a
daughter of Joseph Kelley, and they have one child, Beulah Lucile, born
July 3, 1912. The son Lester, who was born August 23, 1896, is still
attending school in McCoy school. Mrs. Sproal is a native of Howard
county, Indiana, born January 19, 1864. She was the eldest of ten chil-
dren, six sons and four daughters, born to her parents, Israel and Eliza-
beth (Larrison) Murphy.
Eight of the children are living at present time 1913 and all are
residents of Indiana but her brother John, who is a resident of Hope,
Michigan, and sister, Martha, who is the wife of John Schafer, a resident
of Hope, ^Michigan, and an agriculturist. Mr. ^Murphy was a native of
Ohio and was a boy when his parents came to Howarcl county, Indiana.
He was an agriculturist and educated only in the common schools.
Politically he was a Prohibitionist and was a strong advocate of tem-
perance. Both he and wife were ardent members of the Wesleyan
Methodist church. Mrs. ^lurphy is a native of Ohio and was educated
in the common schools. She now resides in Howard county, aged ^xty-
seven. i\Ir. JMurphy is interred in North Grove Cemetery.
When ]Mr. and ]\Irs. Sproal began their married life they were
$1,100 in debt, but by persistency, industry and a determination to
win, they accomplished the herculean task and today, in 1913, they have
one of the valual)le estates of the county. ]\Irs. Sproal has nobly filled
her part as wife and mother. The homestead of ^Ir. and Mrs. Sproal
is known as "Belle View Lodge."
The politics of Mr. Sproal is Democratic, and his church is the
Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal.
Noah A. Sandifur. A native son of Miami county, carrying on
agricultural operations in the township in which he was born, Noah
Sandifur belongs to a family that was founded in this locality as early
as 1846 and has since been prominently identified with the farming
interests here. He was born not far from his present home, February
18, 1864, and is a son of Oliver H. and Sarah (Beaver) Sandifur.
Oliver H. Sandifur was born in Fayette county, Indiana, July 17,
1824, a son of Noali Sandifur and a grandson of Robert and Winifred
(Bailey) Sandifur, of old North Carolina stock, the Sandifurs being of
French ancestry and the Baileys of English. Robert Sandifur was a
inechanie who lived in Pascpiotank county. North Carolina, and when a
young man was a Revolutionary soldier, in the cavalry sei-vice, partici-
pating in several battles. He was married in the Old North State and
moved to South Carolina, and thence to Georgia, from whence he came
to Indiana territory in 1807, settling in what is now Franklin county.
He met an accidental death by drowning in the Wliitewater river. His
children were Martha, Noah and Peniah. He was reared in the faith of
the Friends' Church, but in Indiana united Avith the Baptist Church.
Noah Sandifur, the grandfather of Noah of this sketch, was born jMareh
3, 1798, in South Carolina, and was seven or eight years of age when
he accompanied his parents to this State. He attended the common
school for nine months, but the greater part of his education was self-
gained, and he was also widely known as a vocalist of talent. In Sep-
tember. 1821. he was married in Fayette county, Indiana, to Miss Mary
Williams, a native of Virginia and a daughter of George and Nancy
(Newhouse) Williams. j\Ir. Williams was also a pioneer farmer of
Franklin county, whence he came probably as early as 1820, clearing a
tract of land and establishing a comfortable home for his children, who
700 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
were, as far as is known, iNIary, John, Isaac, Sarah and James, a daugh-
ter who married a Mr. Wilson, and another M'ho married a Mr. Walker.
George Williams died in middle life in Fayette county. Noah Sandifur
passed away November 13, 1884. After his marriage, » Noah Sandifur
continued his residence in Fayette county, but sold the forty-acre tract
which his father had entered. In 1830 he moved to Tippecanoe county,
Indiana, and resided there a year, and in the spring of 1832 purchased
a quarter-section of land in Carroll county, which he cleared and
brought under cultivation. Succeeding this he added forty acres to his
possessions, and developed a handsome farm of 200 acres. He and his
wife were the parents of the following children : Oliver H., the father
of Noah; Nelson W., a merchant and school teacher, who died aged
about thirty-one years; Albert S. ; Christina; Benjamin F.; and Mary E.
Mr. and Mrs. Sandifur were members of the JMethodist Church, in
which he was a class leader and trustee. He passed his remaining days
in Carroll county and died at the age of eighty-six years. He was a
Whig in polities, voting for Henry Clay for president, and later
became one of the early Republicans of his locality. He was a sturdy,
honest and open-hearted pioneer, and assisted materially in the erec-
tion of churches of the Methodist faith for miles around his home.
Oliver H. Sandifur, father of Noah, was given an ordinary education
in the pioneer schools, and was twenty-one years of age when he came
to Miami county, in 1846. He here purchased a tract of 160 acres from
a man who had indicated it only by cutting down a few trees, for which
he paid the man five dollars. Here he built a log cabin, and when the
land came into market, about 1847, he entered it. He proceeded to clear
the land and make a farm, and by perseverance in much heavy work
he at length had a good home, being greatly assisted by his industrious
and faithful wife. By subsequent purchases, he added to this land until
he owned 233 acres, on which he resided until his death, which occurred
October 3, 1912, aged eighty-eight years, two months.
On August 11, 1853, ^Ir. Sandifur was married to ^liss Sarah Beaver,
at Miamitown, Indiana. She was born October 6, 1830, in Rockingham
county, Virginia, a daughter of Jacob and Barbara (Miley) Beaver,
both the Beavers and IMileys being of good German ancestry. His
children were John, Malinda Michael, Matthias, Jacob and a daughter
whose name is not remembered. Matthias died in Virginia. Jacob
Beaver was married in Rockingham county, Virginia, and moved ^to
Wayne county, Indiana, in 1831, settling in the wilderness on ]\lartin-
dale's Creek, three miles south of Hagerstown, and there cleared eighty
acres of land. In the autumn of 1846 he moved to ]\Iiami county, this
State, locating in Clay township, where he cleared the land and opened a
farm. His children were Elizabeth, Henry, Belinda, Adams, Lewis,
Catherine, Sarah, Jacob and Peter. In 1854 Mr. Beaver moved to Page
county, Iowa, where he purchased a homestead but died in Kansas, at
the venerable age of eighty-seven or eighty-eight years. He was a mem-
ber of the United Brethren Church. During the War of 1812 he served
with the American forces.
The children born to Oliver H. and Sarah Sandifur were as follows:
Jacob A., born December 5, 1854, married ^larcli 29, 1876, Melvina F.
Williamson; Mary E., born AugTist 23, 1857, married Morton E. Haynes;
Emma R., born November 18, 1860, married September 20, 1882, Rev.
Leander E. Knox; Noah, born Feb. 18, 1864; Oliver U., born April 28,
1868; and William H., born August 5, 1869. Mr. Sandifur was a
Republican in his political views, and from 1855 to 1859 served as
justice of the peace. He was widely and favorably known throughout
Deer Creek township, and during his long residence here built up a
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 701
firmly-established reputation for honesty, industry and fidelity to every
trust.
Noah Sandifur received his education in the common schools and
was reared to agricultural pursuits in which he has been engaged all of
his life. He remained under the parental roof until he was twenty-three
years of age, at which time he located on his father-in-law's farm, and
he now has forty acres in a high state of cultivation, on which he has
erected a full set of modern buildings. He is a good practical farmer,
at all times ready to embrace new ideas, and has made a decided success
of his operations. A Republican in his political views, he has been
chosen to fill the office of township trustee, in which he is at present
serving his second term. He shows a commendable interest in all that
affects the welfare of his community, ever being in favor of progress
and advancement along all lines of endeavor. Mr. Sandifur is popular
with the members of the local lodges of the Red Men and the Knights
of Pythias, with which he is affiliated. With his family, he attends the
]\Iethodist Episcopal Church.
On December 23, 1886, Mr. Sandifur was married to Miss Ida Brown,
daughter of James T. and Amanda (Elkins) Brown, and to this
union there were born two children : Bertha G., born December 19,
1887, who married Coulter George; and Alva E., born February 17, 1890,
single, and residing at home. Mrs. Sandifur died October 25, 1898, and
on November 6, 1909, Mr. Sandifur was married to Carrie 0. Duck-
wall, daughter of John and Lydia (Meyers) Duckwall. Mr. Duck-
wall was born at IMontgomery county, Ohio, and in 1845 went to Cass
county, Indiana, from whence he came to Miami county in 1849. He
was a farmer, and an early sawmill and flourmill proprietor, but lost
his mill by fire in 1857, entailing a loss of $5,000. He married Lydia
Meyers March 21, 1845, and died September 26, 1894, she following him
to the grave February 2, 1896. Mr. and Mrs. Sandifur have been the
parents of two children : Verl D., born March 12, 1911 ; and Edna M.,
born July 16, 1912. The estate of Mr. and Mrs. Sandifur is known as
''Sunny Banks Stock Farm."
Thomas W. Phelps. For sixty years the Phelps family has been
prominently identified with Clay township of ^liami county. When
the home was established in Indiana in 1853, the family were in the
midst of pioneer conditions, there were no railroads, very few schools,
the roads were rough trails and Peru was a village, and hardly a single
one of the numerous conveyances and facilities of the modern electric
age were then dreamed of in this portion of the middle west. Since then
the Phelps family have not only been witnesses, but have been worthy
parts in the growth and development which history records.
A representative of this prominent family in its third generation,
Thomas W. Phelps was born on the old homestead in Clay township,
January 1, 1879. He is a son of Andrew J. and Caroline C. (Wyrick)
Phelps, and a grandson of Bissell Phelps, who founded the name in this
county. The Phelps family came to Indiana, in 1853 from Lewis
county. New Y^ork, where both the father and grandfather were born.
A more complete family record will be found on other pages of this
volume, under the name of Albert J. Phelps. Thomas W. Phelps grew
up on the old homestead, received a substantial education in the local
schools, and has been a practical farmer for several years. He and his
wife reside at the old farmstead with his mother. The estate left by his
father, comprised 300 acres of land, but it now contains 500 acres. It
has not been divided among the heirs, and Thomas W. is active manager
of a portion of this attractive and valuable old homestead.
702 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
Thomas W. Phelps was married December 5, 1912, to Lula Rhine-
barger. a daughter of Jacob and Catherine (AVarfeldt) Rhinebarger.
Her father, a native of Germany, has lived in America since he was
about ten years of age. His home for a number of years was in Miami
county, but he now resides in Kokomo, and is employed by the Pan
Handle Railroad Company. Previous to his removal to Kokomo, for
a number of years Jacob Rhinebarger carried the mail from Bennett's
Switch to AVaupeeoiig. Also at one time he served as township assessor,
and his name is remembered as one of substantial worth and personal
popularity in this county.
Mr. Phelps is a member of Castle Hall Lodge No. 362, K. of P., at
Galveston. Ind., and the Improved Order of Red Men, Mongotha Tribe
No. 267. The pretty estate of the Phelps is known as "Broad Acres."
Marshall Smith. A lifelong residence in Grant county and many
years of business activities within its borders has given to ^Marshall
Smith a wide acciuaintance and an enviable reputation in these parts.
He was for years prominent in the lumber industry in this and sur-
rounding counties, and when the scarcity of standing timber made that
no longer an attractive business, he shrewdly turned his attention to the
farming industry, in which he has since been prosperously engaged.
He has been a man to whom fortune has ever accorded a due measure
of success, and his position in the county has long been and still is, an
enviable one.
Born in Grant county. November 15. 1858, Marshall Smith is the
son of George AY. and Caroline (Gilpen) Smith. The mother was a
daughter of John Gilpen of Grant country, who lived to reach the age of
ninety-two years. They became the parents of a large faniily of eleven
children, the mother dying in 1880 and the father in 1903. They were
farming people and passed their lives in the old familiar district in
Grant county where their sons and daughters were born and reared.
Marshall Smith was about twenty years old when his mother died.
He had lived at home up to that time, and his educational advantages
had been of the very slightest, covering not more than a few months in
all. In those early days the public school system was not the most
efficient, and especially in their home community were school matters
given but little consideration. Never of a studious nature as a boy,
Mr. Smith admits today that he paid more attention in his school-days to
devising new plans for annoying the school-master than he ever accorded
to his duties, and there are many of his daj' who might well make the
same confession if they would, even as the youth of today might often do.
In 1886 ]\Ir. Smith left the Grant county home and came to ^Miami
county, and in Xenia. now known as Converse, he engaged in the lumber
business, buying and selling logs, and gradually increasing his opera-
tions until he was regarded as one of the big dealers of the community.
After a time he went to Peru and there also began operating in timber,
where he remained for about three years, and then went to Loree. in
Clay township, ]Miami county, where he engaged in the sawmill Inisiness,
— an industry that is never but one step distant from the logging busi-
ness. When he first identified himself with the saw mill line he was
associated with John Flowers, and together they continued prosperously
until the mill was destroyed by fire. They were nothing daunted by that
misfortune and together built up a newer and better plant than they
had previously owned, and continued under the same firm name for
about three years. Mr. Smith had by this time begun to see the end of
the lumber business in his section of Indiana, and he began to buy up
farm lands, beginning to farm some in connection with the mill work.
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 703
thus familiarizing himself with the agricultural industry, and he has
since continued in active farming, after with the exception of a saw
mill he operates in Southeast ^Missouri, having withdrawn from all other
industries. He spent three years at Winamac, then came to Pipe
Creek townshi}). adjacent to Bunker Hill, and when he settled in Bunker
Hill his first home was on the farm adjoining his present place. His
home today is one of the finest and most modern to be found in the
township, and is one of the attractive and showy places in the district.
Mr. Smith was married in 1883 to Miss Fannie Lawson, a daughter
of Frank and Helena (^lorro) Lawson. Mrs. Smith was one of four
daughters, the others being : Minnie, married to George Smith ; Maggie,
the wife of Marion Retherford; and Lillie, who married Lon Smith
(not related).
To ^Ir. and IMrs. Smith seven children have been born, concerning
whom brief mention is made here as follows : Edward, the eldest,
married May Liston. and they have two children; Josephine and Liston;
Grover, JklalDel, Shelia, Noble, ]Mary and Rose, are all unmarried, and
share the fine Uome of their parents. The family are members of the
United Brethren church in Bunker Hill, and ail are highly esteemed
and honored in the commu::ity which has long represented their home.
John L. ^Miller. The Miller homestead is an eighty-acre place in
Deer Creek township. It represents the accumulated energies and the
good management of John L. ]\Iiller, who is one of the ablest crop pro-
ducers and most substantial citizen of ^Miami county. His career has
much encouragement for young men who start without resources, except
those contained in themselves. He was a renter for several years, pros-
pered in every undertaking, and thriftily turned his surplus into more
land, until he found himself independent and with better provision for
the future of himself and family than most men have at the close of a
long lifetime. John L. Miller was born in Deer Creek township of
Miami county, October 5. 1867, and belongs to a family whose residence
in this county goes liack for about seventy years. His parents were
Philip and Amanda (Wilson) Miller. The maternal grandfather was
John Wilson. Philip Miller came to Indiana towards the end of the
forties, and settled in ]Miami county years before the building of the
first railroad, when all transportation was by canal or by wagon route,
and his own toil contributed a part of the development which has made
the modern ]\Iiami county possible. During the war he enlisted in an
Indiana regiment, and went south to do service in defense of the union,
being frequently engaged in battle, and on one occasion was wounded
by a shot in the army.
John L. IMiller grew to manhood on his father's place, early becom-
ing familiar with all kinds of farm labor, and receiving his education in
the district school near his home. In 1889 occurred his marriage to Miss
Ida Poff, a daughter of Elias and Alice (Isler) Poff. Mr. and Mrs.
]\Iiller since their nuu-riage have worked hard, and have taken pains
to give their children the best possible advantages in the local schools,
and also to provide them good influences in correct habits and morals at
home. Their eight children are still within the home circle, and are
named as follows: Claude F., Emma, Marie, Edna, Lula, Raymond,
Russell and Tavola.
AVhen Mr. Miller came into possession of his present place of eighty
acres in Deer Creek township, it was quite well impro^'cd with buildings,
l)ut during his ownership he has made many other improvements, and
it now ranks as a first class homestead. Mr. ]Miller is affiliated with
the Improved Order of Red Men and the ^Masonic Order, being a post-
704 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
master, and having filled all the chairs in Crescent Lodge No. 280, A. F.
& A. M. He and lii& family worship in the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Alfred Glassburn. The year 1848 was the date of the establish-
ment of the Glassburn family in Miami county. That date is also
memorable for the discovery of gold in California. Two generations
have given the substance of their character and energy to ^liami county
since then and it is a name nowhere mentioned without commanding
the respect due to worth and integrity. Substantial success has fol-
lowed the efforts of Alfred Glassburn during a long and active career
in Clay township.
Alfred Glassburn was born in ]\Iiami county, October 30, 1850, a
son of Peter and Catherine (Bishop) Glassburn. Peter Glassburn, who
was born in the old Dominion of Virginia came from that common-
wealth to Indiana, at an early day, and for a time lived in Johnson
county. In 1848, the family home was transferred from Johnson
county to JMiami county, and here he spent the rest of his days. In
Johnson county, Peter Glassburn married Catherine Bisiiop, a daughter
of Abraham Bishop and they became the parents of seven children, five
sons and two daughters. One daughter died in childhood. He and his
good wife were identified with the Methodist church, and in that faith
reared their family. When he came to j\Iiami county, Peter Glassburn
was a poor man. He took out land from the government in the year
1848, worked hard and exercised good judgment in the management of
his affairs, and at the time of his death his estate comprised four
hundred acres.
Alfred Glassburn grew" to manhood on his father's farm, and has
been a farmer all his life. The farm on which he now lives, and which
comprises forty acres was formerly owned by his father-in-law, William
Sims. Mr. Glassburn has improved this place and also a farm of eighty
acres just north of it, and erected a good barn on each place. Having
made a business of farming, Mr. Glassburn has applied his energies
diligently, and while he would not claim to be scientific, he is in the best
sense of the term practical, and his neighbors have a high regard for his
judgment and example in matters of farm management.
On November 2, 1882, Alfred Glassburn and Nancy Sims were united
in marriage, and to them have been given seven children, five of whom
are living. The family record is as follows : Minnie, born June 24,
1883, and she married Lambert Waisner ; Guy, born May 7, 1887, who
married Cesta Spurgeon; Pearl, who died at the age of seventeen years;
Rubie, who died at the age of two years; Eva, born August 18, 1891,
married Omer Saul, an agriculturist; Ada. born March 12, 1894; and
Clara, born May 5, 1901. Mrs. Glassbvirn's parents, William and
Salome (Studebaker) Sims came to Indiana froin Ohio, and settled in
Miami county, where they reared a family of eigbt children. It was in
1850 that they took up their residence here, and they are still living
and their present home is at Bunker Hill. AVilliam Sims has attained
the good old age of four score, while his wife is in her seventy-seventh
year.
Mr. and Mrs. Glassburn have two hundred and seventy acres all in
Clay township, as fine land as can be found in the state. They also
have the original parchment deed of their farm, signed by the president,
which makes eight deeds of the kind found in the county.
Samuel M. Sharp. Forty years ago Mr. Sharp settled on a tract
of raw land in Clay township, and beginning the pioneer work of trans-
forming the barren acres into cultivated field made a homestead which
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 705
has ever since been identified with the Sharp name. That a farm should
remain in one family for so long a time is an honor to the steady
industry and citizenship of its owners, and the Sharp family have
always been known for their quiet prosperity and solid integrity. Mr.
Sharp now has an attractive well improved farm, which is the result
of his own hard work and good management. He is descended from a
worthy ancestry, and is himself continuing his hardy family stock
through a large household of children.
Samuel M. Sharp w^as born November 11, 1837, in Franklin county,
Ohio, a son of William, and a grandson of Abraham Sharp. Abraham
Sharp was a Scotch-Irishman, who on coming to this country, first
settled in Ohio. By trade he was a carpenter and millwright. A tool
chest built by him for his own use while in Ohio is still preserved.
At an early date Grandfather Sharp was the owner of one hundred and
sixty acres of land where Peoria, Illinois, now stands, and which he
traded off for a small sum. Formerly he was a resident of Franklin
county, Ohio, where he married a Miss Howard of that county, who
lived to the extreme old age of one hundred and two years, three months
and seven days. The family comprised the following : William, father
of Samuel M. ; Elizabeth, wife of John Reager, of Ohio ; George, Avho
married Rose Avon Cramer; Nancy; Rachael, wife of Andrew Shankliu;
Nathaniel, who married Mary Gregg.
Nathaniel Sharp was shot by three men, recruiting officers of the
Union army, after an altercation, that event adding one more of the
many similar tragedies enacted during the war and outside of the
actual lines of battle. Subsequently one of those men was skinned
alive by the Indians, and still later the other two were killed.
William Sharp married into the Teegardin family. Abraham,
George and William Teegardin came to Ohio in 1811, and settled near
Ashville, on land which their father from Westmoreland county, Penn-
sylvania, had entered. The Teegardins were pioneers in Pickaway
county, Ohio, were members of the Lutheran church and John Teegardin
was a soldier in the War of 1812. William Sharp, after Ms marriage,
settled on a farm in his native county of Franklin, prospered as a
result of hard labor, and lived there until his death on June 30, 1845,
at the age of thirty-seven years. His children were : Nancy, Peter,
Samuel M.. Aaron T., and Margaret.
Samuel ]\I. Sharp was not yet eight years of age when liis father
died, and he was reared by his mother and uncle Aaron Teegardin, a
farmer of Pickaway county, with whom he remained until he was
twenty-one years of age. In his home county of Pickaway, he married
Miss Isabel Bailey. She was born in Madison county, Ohio, but at*the
time of their marriage she was living in Pickaway county. Her parents
were Reason AY. and Anna (Hoyman) Bailey, the father from Mary-
land and the mother from Ohio, and subsequently they came to Indiana,
settling in Clay township. Here Reason W. Bailey died in 1873 at the
age of sixty-two years. He w'as a man of excellent qualities, and a
member of the Lutheran church. His children in order of birth were:
Eliza Ann, Mary, Mahala Isabel, Fame, Solomon L., Joseph L. Lewis B.,
Phoebe, and Ellis. Mr. Sharp worked by the day, and at the time of his
marriage he had five dollars, which he gave to the preacher. He worked
at wages for about eight years, and then settled on a rented farm in
Pickaway county. On March 4, 1872, his home was transferred to
Indiana, and since that year he has been a well known resident of Clay
township, in INliami county. The date of his arrival in this county was
March 4, 1872, the date of President Grant's second inauguration.
Here he bought a hundred acres of land, and at once bent all his energies
706 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
in the direction of its improvement and cultivation. Subsecj[uently his
estate was increased by the purchase of an adjoining tract of a little
more than twenty-eight acres, and today his fine farm with its attractive
buildings and other improvements has few equals in this part of Miami
county, and everything about the place indicates modern and progress-
ive methods.
Of the family of Sanmel ^1. Sharp and wife, the record reads that
two died in infancy and three others after reaching adult age, names
'and dates being mentioned as follows: Mary M. is the widow of John
Myers; William II., married Carrie Buchanan; Eliza ]\I. is the wife of
John B. Bowland; Jennie D. is the wife of Samuel Enders; Anna M.,
deceased, was the wife of Oliver Murden ; Margaret is the wife of Andrew
Kane ; George L. married Laura Blaser, killed in a wreck in Colton,
Colorado; Myrtle A., deceased, was the wife of Mr. George Abbott;
Leon Claude, married Lulu V^ernon; Edmou G., married Lulu AVininger;
and Ruby N., is at home. Mr. Sharp and his family have long been
identified with the United Brethren Church, and at one time he was a
class leader in the church. Politically he has always been affiliated
with the Democratic party. ]\Ir. and Mrs. Sharp have a number of
souvenirs of ye olden days. He has a leathern belt in which he carried
$250.50 in gold and silver, when he started to Pike's Peak, but he was
persuaded to give up the venture. At that time he thought he was a
man of wealth. His dear old wife had been a hard toiler in her girlhood
days. She has an ancient bureau that she had made by an old cabinet
maker, costing her $16, which she paid for in wages at $1.50 per week.
The old Seth Thomas clock, three-fourths of a century old is another
relic and Mrs. Sharp has one of the old double coverlets, the yarn spun
by her mother and also a small iron kettle over a century old, and a
fancy painted pitcher as old. They are a pleasant, happy, contented
and prosperous couple, and have reared a family of children which are
an honor to their parents. Their pretty homestead is known as "Janiati
Lodge," and it lies in the southern part of Miami county, Indiana.
Charles Sharp. A dealer in grain and live stock at McGrawsville,
Mr. Sharp has for the past ten years been closelj^ identified with those
activities which constitute the civic and business life of a community,
and which in the aggregate have made Miami county one of the most
progressive counties of Indiana. Mr. Sharp may well be termed one
of the builders of his present home town of McGrawsville, since he has
established and maintained the chief mercantile and market facilities,
is a man whose leadership and influence dominate local affairs, and
dui'ing a residence there of ten years, Mr. Sharp has given his energies
to every phase of improvement in this little center of population and
business.
Charles Sharp was born in Owen township, Clinton county, Indiana,
V April 21, 1858, a son of Mahon and Elizabeth (Krammes) Sharp. His
father was a native of Germany. Charles Sharp grew up in Clinton
county, was a farmer boy, and had the environment and the experience
of country life in that section of Indiana forty or fifty years ago, and
from very modest beginnings was able to extend his interests and enter-
prise until eventually he became one of the leading business men and
farmers in Clinton county. ^Ir. Sharp still owns two hundred acres of
land, and has it all well improved, with buildings and up to the high
standards of Clinton county agriculture. In that county a grain eleva-
tor was also owned by him, and he conducted an extensive business in
the buying and selling of grain and cattle. His operations were of
such an extent that he was in touch with many of the leading farmers
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 707
of Clinton county, and had a wide acquaintance there. About ten
years ago ^Ir. Sharp sold his elevator in Owen township, and came to
McGrawsville, where he has since been engaged in the same line of
business. The original elevator at McGrawsville had been burned to
the ground, about two years before Mr. Sharp located there, and it
was due to his initiative and energy that the business was resumed.
On coming there he at once hired every man in the neighborhood who
could work, and they erected a fine large modern elevator, which has
since been conducted under his name. Mr. Sharp also owns a general
store, three houses and a blacksmith shop eciuipped with full machinery.
His chief business is dealing in live stock, and he has made a market
known and appreciated ])y all the farmers in this section of the state. A
public spirited, progressive man, he has been an influential factor for
material benefit to JMcGrawsville.
On November 21, 1880, Charles Sharp and Pleasy B. Revis were
united in marriage. Mrs. Sharp is a daughter of Enoch and Lucy
( Daniels j Revis, both now deceased. Her father died January 7, 1898,
at the age of ninety years, and her mother on May 5, 1903.
Enoch Revis was of English birth, and his wife's people were
Virginians. To the marriage of iMr. Sharp and wife were born seven
children, whose names and dates of birth are mentioned as follows :
Clara, born March 22, 1882, the wife of C. F. Gumm; Daisy Ann, born
in 1884; Charles Willis, born November 27, 1886; Dora Ellen, born
Februarv 15, 1889, who married Charles Hodsom ; Laura, born June 23,
1892; Maud, born May 15, 1895; and Russell, born November 9, 1900.
Mrs. Sharp is a most estimable sociable lady and her pretty modern
home is her paradise. They have reared their children to lives of
usefulness, and have given them the advantages of excellent school and
home training. Mr. Sharp is one of the most enterprising and busy
men in southern Miami county. He not only has the large and expensive
elevator at ^IcGrawsville, where he handles all kinds of seed and grain,
but he is an extensive dealer in live stock, coal, all kinds of common and
building lumber, lime, cement, brick and tile, and is'.v.of' that jovial
nature which makes him universally liked by the agricultural com-
munity. His beautiful residence, as well as his other properties and
newly' equipped blacksmith shop are to be admired, and all have been
erected by himself or caused to be.
E. A. Ellis. One of the flourishing business concerns of Amboy
is that of the E. A. Ellis Furniture Company, the proprietor of which,
E. A. Ellis, is known as one of the able and progressive men of the city.
Although he has been a resident of Amboy only since 1912, he has so
identified himself with the city's commercial, civic and social interests,
that he has already made his influence felt and gained an acknowledged
standing and a wide circle of appreciative friends. He belongs to an
old pioneer family of Wabash county, Indiana, where he was born in a
log cabin, September 17, 1855, a son of John and Caroline (Snyder)
Ellis. His paternal grandfather was Elihu Ellis, and on the maternal
side his grandfather was John Snyder.
John Ellis was one of the earliest settlers of Wabash county, where
as a vouth he was engaged in cutting wood for the Indians that still
made'their homes in that section. As a young man he purchased a farm
which was covered with timber, and on which he continued to reside all
of his life, developing a good property and being known as one of his
community's substantial and highly respected citizens. His death
occurred in 1893, while his widow still survives and lives m Wabash
county.
708 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
E. A. Ellis secured his education in the public schools of his native
county, and was there reared to agricult\iral i>ursuits. He continued
to reside on tlie home farm until his marriage, in 1875, immediately
after which he came to Miami county, where he located on a farm in
Jackson township, and there carried on operations for a number of
years. Succeeding this he secured a property in I'utler township, where
he lived for ten years, but in 1912 retired from agricultural pursuits
and came to Amboy. On ]\Iay 22nd of that year he became the owner,
through purchase, of his present business, which had been established
for some ten .years, and the name of which he changed to its present
style, the E. A. Ellis Furniture Company. An able and energetic busi-
ness man, he has succeeded in building up a greatly increased trade,
giving his personal attention to every detail of the enterprise. Among
his associates he bears the reputation of being a man of the strictest
integrity and high principles, while added patronage has been drawn
to his establishment by an attractive and well-selected stock of the most
up-to-date goods to be found in his line.
]Mr. Ellis was married in 1875 to Miss Amanda Draper, daughter of
Elijah and Emily (Erick) Draper, and seven children have been born
to this union, namely : Romerty, who became the wife of James ^loore ;
Emily Caroline, who married Xorman Brag; Grace Jane, who became
the wife of Lon Snyder ; Thompson, who married Lettie Stout ; Goldie
Fay, who is single and resides Avith her parents ; Lelah, who married
Jessie Bowland; and Leon, who is single and his father's assistant in
the furniture business. Mr. Ellis is a valued member of the local lodge
of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, where he has numerous warm
friends. For a number of years he has been a faithful member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he has acted in the capacity of
trustee of the parsonage in Butler township. Progressive in all matters,
he has been an earnest and hard-working supporter of movements which
he has believed will advance the welfare of his adopted city and its
people, and has thus fairly earned his reputation for representative
public-spirited citizenship.
J. J. Smith. A prominent citizen of Perry township, whose recol-
lections and experience cover the greater part of Miami couutj^'s his-
tory, Mr. J. J. Smith is one of the oldest native sons of that township,
and represents a family which established its home in Miami county
during the log cabin day.
His birth occurred in Perry township, August 8, 1844, and he was a
son of George ]\Iichael and Catherine (Emerick) Smith. Both parents
were natives of Germany, born near the river Rhine, and married in
Portage county, Ohio. From Ohio they came to Perry township in
Miami county, and their first shelter in the wilderness of that section
was a small cabin in the midst of the heavy timbers. The father with
the aid of his older boys worked for the clearing of the land, cut down
a vast quantity of trees that would now represent a small fortune in
lumber, and gradually got one acre after another under the plow. The
elder Smith lived to be eighty-four years of age, and when he first set-
tled in j\Iiami county the Indians, wolves and deer, and other wild ani-
mals were extremely plentiful. ]Mr. J. J. Smith himself has seen as
many as twenty deer in one drove within the limits of this county. The
family had lived in the first cabin for some time, and then the father
built a house of hewed logs, and that in time was supplanted by a frame
house, a structure which is still standing, and occupied by the youngest
son.
]\rr. J. J. Smith when a small boy began to give his work to his father
HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 709
on the farm, and at such times as he could be spared he attended the
district schools of the neighborhood. His education was necessarily lim-
ited, but he has a generous fund of practical sense and has an industry
and judgment which have enabled him to prosper and get to the front
as a man of substantial worth. In 1876 Mr. Smith married Miss Sarah
E. Bowman, a daughter of Henry and Mary Ann (Onstadt) Bowman.
Her grandfather, Andy Onstadt, had the distinction of fixing upon the
name for Perry township, which owes its designation to that old settler.
After marriage iMr. and Mrs. Smith began housekeeping on their
present farm, which they bought, containing one hundred and twenty
acres. A huge log house stood on the farm, and that was where they
lived for the first seventeen years. With increasing means they were
then able to build their commodious brick home which is now one of the
best farm dwellings in the countryside, and is a large and modern resi-
dence. All the buildings and improvements have been instituted by
iMr. Smith, and he has brought about a great deal of fencing and ditch-
ing, so that the farm is worth a great deal more than what he paid for
it. Mr. Smith has been honored by his fellow citizens with the office of
supervisor of Perry township, and his success in material things has well
entitled him to the honors of civic position. Mr. Smith has some of the
pieces of the old-time pioneer furniture, such as were used during his
early boyhood and by his parents when they first settled in jNIiami county.
Mr. Smith has two children : Asa, married Dora Baker, daughter of
Simon and Sarah (Fisher) Baker. They have two children: Albert
Baker Smith, born March 13, 1897 ; and Sarah Lucile Smith, born
October 15, 1911. Simon Baker came to Miami county shortly after
the Civil war, settling in Perry township, and was married in this
county. Mrs. Asa Smith was born in j\Iiami county. Her paternal
grandfather was Jake Baker, and her maternal grandfather was John
Fisher. Mrs. Smith's father was a member of the Lutheran church,
and he died on April 4, 1899. George Henry Smith, the second son of
Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Smith married Catherine Crug, but they have no
children.
Thomas C. Overman. A worthy representative of an old and hon-
ored Miami county family is found in the person of Thomas C. Overman,
of Amboy, who bears an unsullied reputation in the trade circles of his
native t0A\ai. His integrity and honesty have gained him the unqualified
regard of all with whom he has come into contact, and in spite of his
large business interests he has found time to faithfully discharge every
duty of citizenship and to lend active support and co-operation to every
movement for the public good. Mr. Overman was born June 10, 1859,
in Amboy, and is a son of John F. and Rebecca Jane (Jordan) Overman,
and a grandson of Cornelius Overman and Thomas Jordan.
John F. Overman was one of the pioneers of Miami township and
one of those sturdy citizens who paved the way for the civilization of
later years. He was closely identified with its development and indus-
tries since the days when it was naught but a wilderness, covered with
heavy timber, through which wild beasts prowled and where fever and
ague and malaria added to the hardships and discomforts of living.
With a brave heart and the hardihood of the true frontiersman, he suf-
fered all manners of privations and endured an amount of hard labor
that the present generation would find it hard to imagine, and now has
the comfort of looking back over a well-spent life, filled with kindly
deeds and usefulness to his fellow men. John F. Overman belonged to
an old Quaker family that had been converted to the faith in Germany
under William Penn, and was reared in the teachings of the church in
710 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
his native Wayne county, Indiana. In 1852 he left the parental home-
stead, near Richmond, and came to ]\Iiami connty, settling at what is
now Amboy, where he owned forty acres of land. Here he was married
in the Quaker Church, under the old Quaker ceremony of that day. A
skilled marksman and hunter, in the early days he kept the family
larder well supplied with game, and shot more than one deer where
the flourishing industries of Amboy now have their site. He continued
to cultivate his little farm which he had entered from the Government,
subseciuently became the proprietor of the first dry goods store in
Amboy, erected an elevator, and when the first railroad train came
through, in 1867, shipped the first wheat ever sent from this place.
During the early days the business of the elevator was necessarily small,
as the country was covered with such a heavy growth of timber that it
was almost impossible to raise grain. As the years passed, Mr. Overman
identified himself with various enterprises which served to enhance the
importance of his adopted place, and continued to be one of the town's
leading citizens until his retirement, when he removed to Nashville,
Tennessee, that city at present being his home. He is now seventy-four
years of age. His first wife, the mother of Thomas C. Overman, died
IMarch 12, 1865, and he was later married to Miss Lydia Sheridan 
