History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II, Part 1

Author: Ford, Ira, 1848- ed
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 618

USA > Indiana > LaGrange County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 1
USA > Indiana > Noble County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 1
USA > Indiana > DeKalb County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 1
USA > Indiana > Steuben County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 1

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GENEALOGY COLLECTION

GEN

ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02408 5661

HISTORY

NORTHEAST INDIANA

LAGRANGE, STEUBEN, NOBLE AND DEKALB COUNTIES

Under the Editorial Supervision of

IRA FORD LaGrange County

ORVILLE STEVENS Steuben County

WILLIAM H. MCEWEN Noble County

WILLIAM H. McINTOSH DeKalb County

ILLUSTRATED

VOLUME II

THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY Chicago and New York 1920

Heckman Bindery INC.

$35-

FER.66 N. MANCHESTER, INDIANA

L. O. Bullock

1339775 History of Northeast Indiana

LEWIS OSCAR BULLOCK is one of the oldest resi- dents of Milford Township in LaGrange County, having been in this locality over sixty-six years, and is proprietor of a fine farm 21/2 miles north and two miles west of South Milford.

Mr. Bullock is a lineal descendant of the Pilgrims that landed at Plymouth Rock December 20, 1620. He was born in the Town of Middleport, Western New York, August 16, 1842, a son of Israel Lewis and Thalia Eunice (Bullock) Bullock. His maternal grandfather, William Bullock, was born in Vermont in 1755, and was a Green Mountain volunteer of 1777 in the Revolutionary war. He was with Wash- ington at Valley Forge during the winter season, and suffered all the terrible hardships of that period. The paternal grandfather of Lewis O. Bullock, Israel Bullock, was born in Connecticut, and grew to man- hood, raised his family of six children and died there in 1812. Israel L. Bullock was a native of Connecti- cut, born in 1802, the youngest of his parents' chil- dren, and was ten years old when his father died. As the family were in poor circumstances he was bound out until he was twenty-one years old. His wife was a native of Otsego County, New York, born in 1804. They were married in 1831, and lived at Middleport, New York, until they came West in 1844, settling thirty miles north of Detroit, in Oak- land Township, Oakland County, Michigan. From there they came to LaGrange County, Indiana, in 1853, making the journey by wagon, and located on land in Milford Township which Israel L. had ac- quired previously. He made that his home for fif- teen years, and then sold his farm and again located on a fruit farm along the lake in Allegan County, Michigan, where he died. The widowed mother afterward came back to LaGrange County, and died at LaGrange in 1881. Israel L. Bullock was an active whig in politics, and in 1856 became identified with the republican party. He was one of the early trus- tees of Milford Township. In his family were four children : Margaret, who died in infancy at Mid- dleport, Now York; William M., Lewis O., and Myron O. William died in 1915, and the only one living today is Lewis O. Bullock.

He was ten years old when brought to Indiana, and has acquired the most of his education in the common schools of LaGrange County. On October 6, 1865, he married Carrie M. Eastlick, who was born in Johnson Township, LaGrange County, In- diana, October 8, 1844, a daughter of William and Jane (McDonald) Eastlick, formerly of Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Their happy union was con- tinued for more than half a century. In 1915 they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary and on February 24, 1917, the wife and mother passed away. Both were active members of the Church of

God and Mr. Bullock is a charter member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Pythian Sisters and has held offices in this fraternity. Through long years of industry he has accumulated an estate of 133 acres of good farming land. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Bullock were five children, of whom Warren Oscar died in 1869; John Ai died in 1877, aged eight years; C. Dale died in 1902, aged twenty years; and two are living, Lewis E., a farmer in Milford Township, and Ray E., who is unmarried and lives at home.

Lewis E. Bullock, who lives on his farm two and a half miles north and a mile and three-quarters west of Milford, was born in Milford Township January 21, 1878. He attended the district schools, and after leaving school worked for a time in a sawmill in Northern Michigan. He came back to Indiana, worked out by the month, and then mar- ried Grace Latta, a native of LaGrange County and a daughter of William Latta. She is a graduate of high school, and before her marriage was a suc- cessful teacher. Since his marriage Mr. Bullock has farmed his father's place, and in 1918 he bought the eighty acres where he now lives and which joins his father's place. He is a breeder of good grades of live stock, is a republican in politics, and a member of the Ancient Order of Gleaners. He and his wife have one son, Dean O., born September 4, I911.

JOHN B. PARSELL has a record as a farmer, public official and banker, and that record is in keeping with the high standing of the Parsell family, which became identified with Steuben County in pioneer times and has furnished many worthy citizens of the community.

John B. Parsell was born in Jackson Township of Steuben County, October 25, 1857, and is a son of Thomas B. and Caroline (Klink) Parsell.

His grandfather was Moses S. Parsell, who was born February 12, 1797, near Newark, New Jersey. He was reared in that state, learned the trade of shoemaker, and in 1817 married Mary Campbell, who died in 1824. Moses Parsell was again married, March 17, 1825, to Hannah D. Crilley, and they be- came the parents of five children: Aaron G., Abijah D., Thomas B., Sarah W. and Elizabeth S.

In 1838 Moses Parsell came West with his family and bought a tract of unimproved land in section 35 of Jackson Township, Steuben County, and went to work to improve it. After paying for the land and building a small frame house, his plans were interrupted by his death in November, 1839. He left a widow and five children, the oldest less than fifteen years old. The mother played the good part of a pioneer, and kept the children together until she

Vol. II-I

HISTORY OF NORTHEAST INDIANA

died in 1846. The old eighty-acre homestead of Moses Parsell is now owned by his grandsons, Austin and Ichabod Parsell, Austin still occupying the land. Of the children, Aaron G. was for many years a successful physician in Steuben County and died in 1904, aged seventy-eight. Abijah D. died in April, 1882, at the age of fifty-five. Thomas B. is mentioned below. Sarah W., after a life of service for others, died unmarried, April 19, 1905, aged seventy-five. The daughter Elizabeth became the wife of Avery Emerson and died April 11, 1915, aged eighty-two.

Thomas B. Parsell was born near Newark, New Jersey, January 12, 1829, and was nine years old when brought to Steuben County. He had limited advantages in the public schools, and early went to farming to assist his mother. Later he acquired a good farm of his own comprising 160 acres in sec- tion 35, Jackson Township, and that farm is now owned by his son, George T. Parsell. He died March 10, 1872. He was a republican in politics, and he and his wife were both active in the Presby- terian Church.

February 6, 1853, Thomas B. Parsell married Caroline Klink, who was born near Tiffin, Ohio, December 5, 1830. Her parents were Christian and Mary (Failor) Klink. Christian Klink was born in Germany in 1794 and was a soldier in the famous army of Blucher and fought in the battle of Water- 100. He spent five years in the army, then came to America and married, and in 1846 brought his fam- ily to Steuben County, settling in Salem Township, where he acquired a farm of 200 acres in sections I and 2. He died there in 1872. The Klink children were: Louisa, the oldest, became the wife of Wil- liam Brugh, and died in Fulton County, Indiana, May 29, 1919, aged ninety-two; John, who died in 1870; Caroline, Mrs. Thomas B. Parsell, living on the farm, aged eighty-nine; Catherine, wife of Morris Brown, of Steuben County, aged. eighty-five; Christina, who married E. H. Wilson and died in 1007; Michael, who died in 1903; Mary, who became the wife of Newell Wilson and died in 1914; Eliza- beth, widow of W. W. Parsell and living at Ashley ; and Eli Klink, who died at Angola in 1909.

Thomas B. Parsell and wife had three children: John B .; Mary Elizabeth, widow of Hiram M. Crain, and living in Angola, Mr. Crain having died at the farm home near Angola August 14, 1918; and George T., owner of the old homestead.

John B. Parsell grew up on the old farm in Jack- son Township, attended the public schools and later Angola Academy, and for several years was em- ployed in teaching winter terms of school. In 1886 he bought the Henry Butler farm of 200 acres in sections 5 and 8, Salem Township, and was busily engaged in improving and making a living from that property until 1895. In that year he moved to Angola to take up his duties as clerk of the Circuit Court, to which position he was elected in 1894. He was the incumbent of that office four years, retiring November 1, 1899, after which he spent a summer on the farm and then returned to Angola and in February, 1901, entered the Angola Bank. In Oc- tober, 1903, he became one of the organizers of the First National Bank, the first bank of Steuben County to receive a national charter. He was as- sistant cashier for six years and since then has been cashier and director and has had much to do with the successful management of the institution. Mr. Parsell is a republican, is affiliated with the Masonic Lodge at Angola and with both branches of the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows.

January 1, 1887, he married Miss Carrie J. Abbey, a daughter of Giles T. and Martha A. Long Abbey.

Her father was one of the early settlers of Steuben County and is now living with Mr. and Mrs. Parsell at the advanced age of ninety-two. Mrs. Parsell is a member of Pleasant Lodge, Daughters of Rebekah and of Angola Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star. Mrs. Parsell's mother died in 1864. Mr. and Mrs. Parsell have two children. Florence is a graduate of the Angola High School and from the musical department of Tri-State College, and re- ceived a diploma from the Chicago Art Institute in June, 1918. The son, Lewis, is a graduate of the Angola High School and of the electrical engineer- ing courses of Tri-State College and of Purdue University.

GILES T. ABBEY is one of the few surviving early citizens of Steuben County. He is now in his ninety-second year and his memory of events in this section of Northeast Indiana runs back fully eighty years.

He was born in Sandusky County, Ohio, Novem- ber 24, 1827, son of Alanson and Lucy (Daggett) Abbey. Alanson Abbey was born in Ontario County, New York, January 16, 1792, and was a soldier in the War of 1812. His father, Joshua Abbey, fought in the Revolutionary war. Lucy Daggett, daughter of a Revolutionary soldier, was born in Ontario County, New York, in 1793. In 1819 they moved to Sandusky County, Ohio, and in the fall of 1838 came to Steuben County, Indiana. Two years before Alanson Abbey had entered land in section 22 of Steuben Township, and he improved it with a log house and set out an orchard. Later he sold this and lived on the shores of Pleasant Lake. He was a carpenter by trade and built many of the early barns in his neighborhood. Alanson Abbey was a whig and republican, and he and his wife were mem- bers of the Free Will Baptist Church but later he joined the Christian Church. He died at Pleasant Lake in February, 1877, and his first wife died in 1840. His children were: Henrietta, Lucy, Jacob D., Nancy, Giles T., George J., and Minerva and Harvey, twins. The sons Jacob and George were both soldiers in the Civil war. Alanson Abbey was twice married.

Giles T. Abbey was eleven years old when brought to Steuben County. He first attended school at Clyde, Ohio, and his teacher was Lydia Chase, grandmother of Gen. James McPherson, one of the most gallant Union leaders in the Civil war. It was three years after the family settled in Steuben County before a school was established convenient to the home. Giles T. Abbey then completed his education, and one of his teachers was George Emerson, an uncle of Fred Emerson, the present postmaster of Angola. He also attended a schooi kept by Dr. Aaron Parsell, an uncle of John B. Parsell. Mr. Abbey taught school for six terms when a young man. He first began farming by en- tering forty acres of Government land when nine- teen years old. Later he bought 102 acres in Steu- ben Township, selling this after two years and buy- ing 240 acres near Flint. There being no improve- ments, he rented the John Thompson farm and soon sold the land to Daniel Benninghoof. He left the farm and rented and operated for three years the Union Mills, and then bought eighty acres in Steu- ben Township adjoining forty acres he previously owned, and lived on it four years.

While on that farm his first wife died. Her maiden name was Martha A. Long. They were married in 1850. She was the mother of two chil- dren : Ella J., wife of Wellington H. Hollister, of Waterloo: and Carrie J., wife of John B. Parsell, of Angola. In 1867 Mr. Abbey married Martha

HISTORY OF NORTHEAST INDIANA

Davis. There were two children of that marriage, Edith L., wife of Albert F. Theiss, of Memphis, Tennessee, and Earl G., of Kansas City, Missouri.

In 1864, the year his first wife died, Mr. Abbey moved to Waterloo, Indiana, and was employed in a grist mill there three years. He was also the first agent for the Fort Wayne, Jackson and Saginaw Railroad. For twenty-seven years he served as cashier of the DeKalb Bank at Waterloo. He finally retired to a small farm adjoining that town and at present makes his home with his daughter, Mrs. John B. Parsell. Mr. Abbey has been a life- long republican and has been affiliated with the Masonic Order about fifty-four years. His second wife died in 1884, and he then married Sophia Mc- Entarffer, who died February 17, 1909.

LEON ROSE. While the City of LaGrange regarded the removal of Leon Rose to another and larger city in the summer of 1919 as a distinctive loss to its citizenship and prestige, there remained the satisfac- tion that the constructive work he had performed as a banker and business man is a permanent asset of the community, and also that Mr. Rose, though far removed from his birthplace, retains many inter- ests in his home city and county.

Mr. Leon Rose was born at LaGrange March 17, 1869. His family have been prominent as merchants and bankers of LaGrange for over sixty years. His father was the late Solomon Rose, who was born at Naumburg, Germany, November 2, 1833, a son of Isaac and Eliza (Blum) Rose. Solomon Rose came to America in 1850.' For three years he worked as a bookkeeper at Little Falls and Plattsburg, New York, and Worcester, Massachusetts. Coming to Indiana in 1853, he lived three years at LaPorte, then identified himself with the community of La- Grange, which he was proud to consider his home the rest of his life. When he came he had only a few hundred dollars, and with this opened a small stock of clothing in the north room of the old Betts Block. Later he moved to another frame building, occupying the site of the present Elsner store. In 1865 his brother Silas Rose joined him as a partner at LaGrange, another brother, Elias, was a clerk in their store, and still another brother, Lazarus, was a grocery merchant in the town. Soon after the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad was built through the county in the early '70s Mr. Rose erected the first elevator on the right of way and for many years did an extensive grain and wool business. His mer- cantile interests rapidly increased, demanded larger quarters, and he built for their accommodation the brick block now occupied by C. B. Hinkley. He and his brother Silas and later his son Isaac conducted a store, carrying the largest stock of dry goods and clothing in LaGrange, until 1889, in which year Mr. Solomon Rose retired from merchandising and thereafter gave his entire time to banking.

The First National Bank of LaGrange was or- ganized in September, 1874, with John S. Merritt, president, Solomon Rose, vice president, and R. S. Hibbard, cashier. Three years later Mr. Rose be- came president of the First National Bank. When it was reorganized as the National Bank of La- Grange he continued in the same office, and was the real as well as the titular head of this splendid finan- cial institution until the day of his death.

On April 10, 1861, Solomon Rose married Caroline Myer, of New York City, but a native of Wuerz- burg, Bavaria. Most of their married life was spent in the pleasant old Rose home located in a grove on Hawpath Avenue. In this old homestead their eight children were born. Later Solomon Rose built and furnished a beautiful home on Michigan Street.

In that environment he spent his last days, and death came to him November 10, 1906. He was a member of the Hebrew faith and was affiliated with the Masonic Order.

Leon Rose as a boy in LaGrange attended the public schools, and also was a student in Notre Dame University at South Bend. For a few years he was in the mercantile business at New York City with his brother-in-law, Jacob David. On returning to LaGrange he became a merchant, his store occupying the site of the present building of the National Bank of LaGrange. After five years he sold out and en- tered the mercantile business with the Sol Mier Company of Ligonier.

At his father's death he became manager of the National Bank of LaGrange, and was soon made its vice president and in January, 1919, he was elected president, and resigned this office six months later to accept an opportunity to associate himself with his brother Samuel Rose at Kansas City, Missouri. He is still one of the stockholders in the National Bank and one of the directors and owns four large farms in LaGrange County. When he succeeded his father as manager of the bank its resources were about $33,000, with capital, surplus and undivided profits of $80,000. In a dozen years the bank has grown to aggregate resources of $1,000,000, with its capital, surplus and undivided profit approximat- ing $125,000. Mr. Rose had three purposes in re- taining the management of the bank after his father's death. They were to make the National Bank of LaGrange one of the strongest institutions in Northern Indiana, also the largest financial insti- tution in LaGrange County, and to build for its accommodation one of the most beautiful banking homes in the Middle West. All these three purposes were accomplished before he resigned his major re- sponsibilities.

Leon Rose was chairman of the four Liberty Loan organizations of LaGrange County and of the Vic- tory Loan Committee The response of the county to the Liberty Loan campaigns was the outstanding feature of the war activities in this section. Under the direction of Mr. Rose, with the assistance of local banks and loyal people generally, nearly $2,000,000 were raised and turned over to the uses of the Government. Mr. Rose has for several years been vice president of the LaGrange Corn School Show. Each year he has given $150 for prizes on yellow corn and in 1919 he gave $175, the largest contribution for that specific purpose made to any institution in the State of Indiana.

BURDETTE B. GOODALE, assistant cashier of the First National Bank of Angola, is a son of the late Dr. Charles W. Goodale and member of one of the old and well known families of Steuben County.

He was named for his grandfather, Burdette B. Goodale, who with his wife, Mary Ann Goodale, came from Cleveland, Ohio, and settled in Steuben County in 1842. They were among the pioneers of York Township, where the grandfather died June 15, 1855, at the early age of thirty-eight. His widow survived him many years. There were four chil- dren: Albert N. was a soldier in the Forty-Second Illinois Infantry, and died of wounds received at Chickamauga in October, 1863. Orville F. Goodale served at one time as clerk of the County Court. The daughter, Amelia, married Abraham Stevens.

Dr. Charles W. Goodale, who died January 5, 1905, was born in York Township of Steuben County May 11, 1844. He lived on the home farm, attended district schools, the Angola High School and Hillsdale College. While a student at Hillsdale he enlisted in the Thirtieth Michigan Infantry and

HISTORY OF NORTHEAST INDIANA

served about six months. He began the study of medicine under Dr. Hugh D. Wood at Metz, and finished his preparation in Rush Medical College of Chicago, where he was graduated in 1868. He re- turned to Metz and took up practice. From 1871 to 1874 his home was in Reed City, Michigan, and the next four years he devoted to merchandising at Metz. In 1878 he located as a physician at St. Joe in DeKalb County, but returned to Steuben County in 1880, and for several years was again in business as a merchant. He resumed his practice in 1884 and continued in his profession the rest of his life. He was for many years a republican, a member of the Knights of Pythias, and active in the Christian Church. September 5, 1869, he married Miss Mar- garet A. Parrott, who was born January 9, 1842, and is still living. Her parents were Sylvester and Henrietta (Ogden) Parrott, who were early set- tlers in Richland Township of Steuben County. Doctor and Mrs. Goodale had six children: Bur- dette B .; Alice, wife of E. F. Rose, of York Town- ship; Frank, who died at the age of twelve years; Paul, of Huntington, Indiana; Mildred, wife of S. C. Huffman, superintendent of schools at Waseca, Minnesota ; and Ford, a resident of Indianapolis.

Burdette B. Goodale grew up at Metz, attended public schools there, also the Tri-State College at Angola, and spent one year in Purdue University. For several years he taught school and then en- gaged in the drug business at Metz.

In 1904 he was elected county treasurer, and filled that office four years, two terms. He then pur- chased from his uncle, Francis Macartney, an in- terest in the Goodale Abstract Company, and in August, 1914, assumed his present duties with the First National Bank of Angola. Mr. Goodale is a republican and for many years has been a leader in his party in the county. Both he and his father were charter members in the Knights of Pythias Lodge at Metz. He and all his family are members of the Christian Church.

January 6, 1897, Mr. Goodale married Miss Mar- garet Allman, daughter of Barnabas Allman, a well known farmer in Richland Township. Mr. and Mrs. Goodale have two children. Dorothy, born January 21, 1898, is a graduate of the Angola High School, took further courses in the Tri-State College and is now a successful teacher. Charles D., born January 18, 1900, is also a high school graduate and is now attending the Tri-State College. Mr. Goodale is interested in farming and owns a farm in Pleasant Township.

U. C. BROUSE, present mayor of Kendallville, has been a resident of Noble County all his life, was a practical and progressive farmer in Allen Township for a number of years, and has been identified with business affairs at Kendallville as a merchant and in other relations.

His father, Curtis Bronse, who is now living re- tired at Kendallville, was born in Medina County, Ohio, October 20, 1840. He was fourteen years of age when he came to Noble County, and he lived in Allen Township until he retired from his farm. He was educated in the district schools, and in August, 1861, at the age of twenty-one, enlisted in Company F of the Thirtieth Indiana Infantry. He saw active service for twenty-one months. At the battle of Stone River he was shot through the left lung, and lay on the field of battle until the night of the second day before he was discovered and taken to a hospital. On account of this wound he received his honorable discharge May 11, 1863, and then returned to Noble County. For practically a half century he was engaged in farming and stock raising, and has

also been active in local affairs, serving as trustee of Allen Township and two terms as a county com- missioner. He is a republican and a member of Nelson Post No. 69, Grand Army of the Republic, July 1, 1864, Curtis Bronse married Elvira E. Mat- thews. She was born in Grant County, Indiana, May 7, 1846.

U. C. Brouse, only child of his parents, was born on the farm in Allen Township, June 1, 1865. While a boy he attended the local schools and also the public schools at Kendallville. Being an only child he saw his duty on the home farm, and for many years conducted the place of 140 acres, doing a suc- cessful diversified farming business, raising regis- tered hogs of the Chester White strain, and some fine wool sheep. On retiring from the farm he was in the grocery business at Kendallville for five years. For the past ten years he has been secretary of the Fair Association at Kendallville, and has been one of the leaders in that organization from the first. In the fall of 1917 Mr. Brouse was elected mayor, and has given Kendallville a very progres- sive municipal administration. He is a republican and has served as a member of the Central Commit- tee of Noble County. He is also a member of the State Board of Agriculture. Fraternally his affil- iations are with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows and the Knights of the Maccabees.

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History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II, Part 1

Author: Ford, Ira, 1848- ed Publication date: 1920 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 618

Author: Ford, Ira, 1848- ed
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 618