USA > Indiana > Decatur County > A Genealogical and biographical record of Decatur County, Indiana : compendium of national biography > Part 33
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colonel in the Union service in the civil war and was long confined in Libby prison; and James, who had the first cabinet shop in Greensburg. James Gageby, the emi- grant and patriot, was a man of good ability and of high moral character, who was reared in the Presbyterian faith and lived a goodly life that commended him to the respect of all who knew him. John and . David Gageby came to Indiana in 1821, in company with Colonel Thomas Hendricks, who was appointed by the United States government to survey the lands in Indiana and whom they assisted in that work. The country in all directions was then an un- broken forest. Colonel Hendricks and these men entered land, the former a con- siderable tract where Greensburg has since grown up, and Mrs. Montgomery states that her mother made maple sugar from sap yielded by a grove of maples which former- ly stood on the site of the Decatur county court-house. Colonel Hendricks came from Greensburg. Pennsylvania, and they named the settlement which gave the first chapter .in the history of Greensburg, Indi- ana, in honor of that old eastern town.
John Gageby married Sarah Trimble and settled on his land and improved a farm where he reared a family, lived out his days and made an enviable reputation as a good farmer and an honest man, and died in 1836, aged forty-four years, as the result of hard- ship and exposure incident to pioneer life in a country to which he had never become fully acclimated. He erected a hewn-log house, which he occupied in 1823 and which he later weather-boarded and which is yet in use as a residence. He was the first out- spoken temperance man in Decatur county and his attitude on that question attracted
much attention. It was the custom among the pioneers to provide whisky for those who made up "bees" to build their primitive houses, roll their logs or harvest their crops. Mr. Gageby refused to supply drinks, on the high moral ground that by so doing he would wickedly put temptation in the way of his brother men; but his more or less remote neighbors did not make any differ- ence in their treatment of him on that ac- count, and his log-rolling and harvesting were done in good time and in good order. His manly character won the admiration of all who knew him and led to his being chosen to fill several township offices. He was a Whig in politics and a Presbyterian in religion.
Sarah Trimble, who became his wife, was a daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Crow) Trimble and a native of Greensburg. Pennsylvania. Her father was of Scotch. her mother of Welsh, descent, and they both died in Pennsylvania, where Thomas Trimble was a farmer. John and Elizabeth (Crow) Trimble had children as follows: Jane (Mrs. Stewart); Elizabeth (Mrs. Thom- as Hendricks); Ann (Mrs. Seabury); Susan (Mrs. Robinson); Polly (Mrs. Odon); Sarah (mother of Mrs. Montgomery): Thomas, who died in Pennsylvania: James. who also died in Pennsylvania; and Nancy (Mrs. Matthews). The children of John and Sarah (Trimble) Gageby were Eliza- beth (Mrs. J. Montgomery); Susan (Mrs. McKee), who died in Iowa: James, who died in Decatur county, Indiana: and Sarah A. (Mrs. Thomas Montgomery), the imme- ciate subject of this sketch.
Mrs. Montgomery passed her school days at Greensburg and at Vernon, Indiana. and after having finished her education
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taught school eight years with good suc- cess. She -married Thomas Montgomery, a native of Indiana and a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Bingham) Montgomery. Thomas Montgomery, Sr .. was a son of Hugh and Eva (Hartman) Montgomery, and on his father's side was of Irish descent. Hugh Montgomery came to America in colonial days and saw service as a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Three of his sons, Thomas, Michael and William, served their country in the war of 1812-14, and William was killed in battle. Thomas came early to Ohio and thence in 1824 to Indiana, where he entered large tracts of land, improved a good farm and reared a family and died in 1846. He was one of the most prominent pioneers in his locality and lived a Christian life which was a worthy example to his fel- low men. His children were named as fol- lows, in the order of their birth: Henry, Thomas, Hugh. George, Michael. Robert, Mary (Mrs. Alexander Grant); Elizabeth (Mrs. Thompson): Sarah (Mrs. Martin); Nancy (Mrs. Hineman); 'and Margaret (Mrs. Crutchwell). After his marriage Thomas, son of Thomas and grandson of Hugh Montgomery, settled on one piece of the land entered by his father and made a good farm, upon which he passed the re- mainder of his life and died about 1857. He married Miss Lizzie Bingham, whose father. John Bingham, had died in Pennsyl- vania, leaving her doubly orphaned and without brother or sister or other near rela- tive. Miss Bingham joined some friends who were a part of a small colony bound for the west. They went down the Ohio river as far as Cincinnati and from there they made their way to Butler county. Ohio. where they located, whence some of them,
Miss Bingham among the number, came to Decatur county, Indiana. The children of Thomas and Lizzie (Bingham) Montgom- ery were as follows: Rebecca, who died unmarried: Sarah, who also died unmar- ried, aged seventy-two; Eva, who married A. J. Draper : John B., who is dead; Hugh. who died in 1851: George, who died in 1851; Martha, who married a Mr. Craig : Thomas, who married Sarah Gageby and died November 24, 1874; and Robert, who lives on the old family homestead. After their marriage. Thomas and Sarah A. (Gageby) Montgomery moved upon a poor- ly improved farm which Mr. Montgomery purchased and part of which he put under a good state of cultivation and provided with better buildings and appointments. This property, as has been stated. has been brought up to a fine degree of excellence by his widow, he having been taken away in the midst of. his planning and working. He was a man of a high order of intelli- gence, well read and well informed in pub- lie matters, an abolitionist and a Repub- lican, influential in his party, but never an office-seeker. Of independent thought and action. he braved prejudice and was the first man in his vicinity to give employment to negroes. He was a good husband and a lover of home, generous to the deserving poor, devoted to the Presbyterian church and all its interests, a consistent Christian gentleman who left the impress of a high moral character and a pure life upon all with whom he came in contact.
Earlier in this article it has been at- tempted to give some account of Mrs. Montgomery's busy, good and useful life since she has been a widow. The death of her son, just in the flower of his youth, was
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another blow which would have been crush- ing to most women. Her Christian faitlı has sustained her, for she is a member of the Presbyterian church, helpful to all its good works, and she has found relief from her own sorrows in ministering to the woes of others; and she has demonstrated that she possesses great executive ability and re- markable capacity for business; and she is going forward with her work and her chari- ties, firm in the belief that she will at last receive the reward of the good and the faithful.
THOMAS JOHNSON, M. D.
By his ability, energy and strict attention to his professional duties, Dr. Thomas John- son has become one of the wealthiest and most successful practitioners of Decatur county, and he is a highly respected citizen of Greensburg. He was born in Oswego county, New York, January 14, 1827. His parents, Lucas and Rachel (Betson) John- son, were natives of New York, but came west about 1838. They located in Fayette county, Indiana, about four miles north of Laurel, where they lived for a great many years. They finally took up their residence in Laurel, where Mrs. Johnson died in 1879, at the age of fifty-nine years. The father of our subject was engaged in agricultural pursuits the greater part of his life, and suc- ceeded in accumulating a large amount of property. He was a prominent member of the Methodist church, in which he was a steward and also class-leader. His death took place at Greensburg. Indiana. January 23. 1893. when he was eighty-nine years old. In the Johnson family were five chiil- dren, three of whom are living,-Mrs. Jane
Shera, of Connersville, Indiana; John B., who lives near Noblesville, Indiana, and who, like his father, is a farmer; and Thom- as, the subject of this sketch.
Dr. Johnson was eleven years old when his parents removed to Fayette county, and - he there spent his boyhood days. He en- tered the old Asbury (now the De Pauw) University, and was a member of the sopho -- more class when he decided to leave college and take up the study of medicine. He be- gan reading in the office and under the in- struction of Dr. J. P. Kitchen, of Laurel, and later studied at the Cincinnati Medical College, at which he graduated in 1865. Prior to this, however, as was often the case in those days. he had practised for eleven years,-one of which he spent in Dalton (1854) and two in Columbia, Indiana. In 1857 he went to Clarksburg, where he re- mained for twenty-four years.
In 1882 Dr. Johnson removed to Greens- burg, where he has since made his home. Here he has a large practice, the second in length of time in the county, and has won the confidence of his patrons by his thor- ough knowledge of his profession. his genial manners and his sympathetic treatment of the sick and suffering. In addition to his income from his profession Dr. Johnson owns three hundred and eighty-nine acres of land, in Rush and Franklin counties. near Laurel, which is under good cultivation and is valuable property.
In politics Dr. Johnson is a strong Re- publican, and he served five years on the pension board, under Harrison's adminis- tration. He is a steward in the Methodist church, and a member of Decatur Lodge. No. 36. F. & A. M., and of Chapter No. 368. R. A. M. He was first married January 1.
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1
1854, to Jane McNeal, of Fayette county, who bore him three children: Jessie, who died in early life; Zena, who married J. F. Harris, a farmer of Rush county; and Una, the wife of James A. Clark. The mother of these children died October 24. 1870. Dr. Johnson was married May 28, 1871. to Sarah Frances Gest, of Clarksburg.
WILLIAM H. ROBBINS.
The subject of this notice is a well known resident of Decatur county, Indiana, where he was born July 6, 1859. a son of John E. and Nancy (Hunter) Robbins. John E. Robbins was a son of William and Eleanor (Anderson) Robbins and a grandson of William Robbins, who came from England to Pennsylvania at an early day and served eight years in the Revolutionary army. The children of William, the patriot, were born in Virginia, where he settled after the war, and he took them all to Kentucky with him when he located there, early in the pio- neer days of that part of the country. Work- ing as a gunsmith, blacksmith and farmer, he reared his children to maturity, and as they grew up they located, one after an- other, in Indiana, where their father joined them about 1828. He took up eighty acres of land and improved it. This was his home during the balance of his life, and he lies buried not far from the John Robbins - homestead.
This patriot pioneer was a plain, honest man, blunt and straightforward. with a high standard of morality and integrity: in religion he was a Baptist, and in politics a Whig. He married Bethiah Robbins, a widow, not even indirectly related to him.
who was born December 1, 1760, and who had two sons. Abel and Benjamin, who were reared by their stepfather. The fol- lowing facts concerning his own children will be found interesting: Elizabeth be- came Mrs. J. Watkins; Marmaduke and Jacob were twins; Mary became Mrs. Kirkpatrick: Nathaniel, John and Will- iam were younger sons: Charlotte be- came Mis. Anderson; Dosia married J. Herron. All of the children of the pioneer and his worthy wife came to Indiana. Abel and Benjamin Robbins, Mrs. Robbins sons by her former marriage, remained be- hind, and Abel lived and died in Kentucky. while Benjamin moved to Tennessee and there lived out his allotted time. John Robbins was the first of all to come to In li- ana. He came in 1821, and Marmaduke in 1823.
William Robbins, who was six years old when his father moved from Virginia to Kentucky, was reared and began his active life there. He entered land in Indiana in 1821 and in 1823 was married and moved onto it. He had borrowed money to enter his land. and at the time he came to Indiana had paid half of the amount and had no money in hand for present needs. He had a team and wagon, however, and brought along a few cattle. hogs and sheep. He was a true pioneer and overcame numerous obstacles, not the least of which was his moving, for he was obliged at times to cut his way through the forest and to make long detours to cross streams. He first made a comfortable camp, then erected a. log cabin, and he lost no time in putting under cultivation as much land as possible. It was not long before his pioneer home was self-supporting. He grew wool and
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raised flax and his wife spun and wove and made clothing. He became successful as a general farmer and stock-raiser. He was not of a speculative turn of mind and had no thought of accumulating money except by honest labor and safe and wise manage- ment of his affairs. He formed a definite plan to buy land, but made a rule that he would never buy until he could pay. As he was able to do so he bought land from time to time and gave to each of his chil- dren at marriage a home farm of eighty acres. At the same time he reserved a homestead of one hundred and twenty acres for the one who should care for him and his wife in their declining years. He was born August 5, 1797, and died September II, 1854. He was a Whig and an abolitionist. and had he lived he would unmistakably have affiliated with the Republican party. It was because he abhorred slavery that he left Kentucky and took up his residence in a free state. He was a charitable and help- ful man who won the gratitude of many of his fellows. £ He despised all dishonesty, and held liars in the most profound con- tempt.
Eleanor Anderson, who became William Robbins' wife, was a daughter of James Anderson and was born in Virginia, July 5. 1797. Her father and his family removed to Kentucky at an early day, making the journey down the Ohio by flat-boat to a point on the Kentucky shore below Cincin- nati. He located in Henry county, Ken- tucky, near the Robbinses, and there farmed during the balance of his life. His children were as follows: Isaac, James, Ruth (who married John Robbins), Eleanor who mar- ried William Robbins), Nancy (who became Mrs. White), Wesley and Sarah. All ex-
cept Wesley and Sarah removed to Indiana. The children of William and Eleanor (An- derson) Robbins were born in the following order: Sarelda R. married W. Stires: John E. will be referred to more at length further on; William M. died young; James N. is a prominent farmer and breeder of fine cattle in Decatur county, Indiana; Merritt H. is dead.
John E. Robbins, father of William H. Robbins, son of William Robbins the pio- neer and grandson of William Robbins the patriot, was born in Decatur county, Indi- ana, and was a member of his father's fam- ily until his marriage, which occurred No- vember 7. 1844. He then settled on a small tract of land given him by his father. but was without means to improve it or to begin farming. He found employment during the succeeding winter at school- teaching, at ten dollars a month, and was thus enabled to put in some crops the fol- lowing spring. This circumstance is given as an index to his character. He was a de- termined, resourceful man, and he not only prospered but became one of the most prominent financiers of eastern Indiana. Far-sighted beyond most men and with an unerring business instinct, he made a suc- cess of every enterprise he undertook and in local history made for himself a name and place which reflect the greatest credit upon his enterprise and his business meth- ods. From the time of his school-teaching venture he accumulated constantly. and more and more rapidly as the years went 011.
He lived on his original farm until 1858. when he was enabled to buy one hundred and sixty acres a mile south of Greens- burg, which was his homestead during the
,
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remainder of his life. He added to this place by subsequent purchases until it com- prised eight hundred and sixty-three acres and bought about three thousand acres in other tracts. His landed possessions con- stituted only a portion of his wealth. Early in his career he began to raise and feed stock, and his operations grew so extensive that he handled more hogs than all other dealers in the county combined, with feed- ing and stock yards at Lawrenceburg and elsewhere and extensive slaughter houses at Greensburg. He looked carefully after his own large interests and was public-spirited to a marked degree, his interest in the de- velopment of the county inducing him to take a foremost place in the promotion of such public enterprises as turnpikes, rail- roads and banks. He was first to agitate pike roads in Decatur county, and was president of the Vernon. Greensburg & Rushville Pike Road Company and was largely instrumental in making the road a success. He originated the Third National Bank of Greensburg, which began business January, 1883, with John E. Robbins as president and C. Ewing as cashier; was a director in other Greensburg banks and was, from time to time, identified pronti- nently and helpfully with other important enterprises. His sound judgment was sought in matters of moment to the people, . and in order to secure to Decatur county the benefits of his eminent financial ability he was called to the office of commissioner, · in which he served with the greatest credit. He loved his home and improved and beau- tified it in many ways, continuing this work until the time of his death. July 22, 1896. Nancy Hunter. his wife, was born in Ohio, December 8, 1826, a daughter of Nathaniel
and Elizabeth (Fares) Hunter. Her par- ents were natives of Germany, but were married in Ohio and bought their house- keeping outfit at Cincinnati. In 1827 they removed to Franklin county, Indiana, where Mr. Hunter took up and improved land, which he sold to good advantage ten years later. At that time (1837), he entered a large tract of land in Decatur county and began the improvement of what turned out to be a fine farm. Late in life he retired to Greensburg, where he died at the age of ninety-seven, his wife surviving him and dying at the age of ninety-eight. He was a man of much enterprise, and several times built flat-boats and loaded them with prod- uce, which he sold in the markets of New- Orleans, making the return journey on foot. He also helped to construct the White- water canal. In politics he was a strong Democrat, but never accepted office. His children were named as follows: Ann E. (Mrs. Shaw), Rebecca (Mrs. Wallace). Stephenson (deceased), Nathan (who lives in Greensburg), Nancy (mother of the sub)- ject of this sketch), and Peter (deceased). Following are the names of the children of John E. Robbins: Sarelda B. (Mrs. Smiley). Minerva J. (Mrs. Gilchrist). Ella (Mrs. Kitchin), William, a farmer near Greensburg, Clara.(Mrs. Kitchin), John E .. Olive (Mrs. McCoy), Frank R. and Eliza (Mrs. Elder). Nancy (Hunter) Robbins. now in her seventieth year, is living on the homestead, near Greensburg.
William H. Robbins remained under the parental roof until he was twenty-one. meantime acquiring a practical education in the schools near his father's home. He then went to Bartholomew county, Indiana. and there for two years had charge of a
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farm which belonged to his father. Re turning to Decatur county, he assumed the management of the farm of five hundred and thirty-two acres, two miles southeast of Greensburg, where he has since lived. He has remodeled the house, a sightly and commodious brick structure, and built large barns and other outbuildings and has brought the place to a high state of im- provement and cultivation. He gives his attention to breeding fine stock and to gen- eral farming, and he has been so successful as to demonstrate not only his skill as a farmer and stockman but his ability as a business man.
The worthy and accomplished woman who is the wife of William H. Robbins was Miss Cora Sefton, a daughter of Isaac and Mary (Myers) Sefton. Her grandfather. William Sefton, was one of the pioneers and leading citizens of Decatur county. Wil- liam Sefton was a son of Henry Sefton, an ex-officer of the English army, who came to Ohio from Ireland and died of cholera in 1834. The children of Henry Sefton were named as follows, in the order of their birth: William (born February 2, 1806), Henry (died in Ohio), Maria (Mrs. Scott). Jane (Mrs. Hughes), Ellen (Mrs. Hunger- ford), Sarah (Mrs. Brevoort). William married Catherine Shuck and settled as a farmer in Ohio, where he had five children born. In 1838 lie came to Indiana and located in Decatur county, on land entered by his father, and cleared up and improved a farm, which he operated successfully until his death, October 29, 1868. He was suc- cessful in a business way and added mate- rially to his landed possessions by subse- quent purchases. He was a Democrat and was elected and served as one of the trus-
tees of the township. He was not a church member, but "kept the commandments" and was a liberal supporter of churches without question as to denomination. His wife, who was born in April, 1806, and who died October 5, 1869, was a daughter of Michael Shuck, of German descent, from Pennsylvania, who located early in Butler county, Ohio, but came in his old age to the home of his daughter, in Indiana, where he died at the age of eighty-eight. Their children were Sarah (Mrs. Governor Bibbs of Ohio), Eliza (Mrs. A. Lawrence), Peggy (Mrs. Mulholland), Hannah (Mrs. Shaw). Polly (Mrs. Hall), and Catherine (Mrs. Sefton), whose children were named as fol- lows: Henry (born January 25, 1833): Eliza (Mrs. Scott, of Ohio, born April 2. 1834); Elizabeth (born June 22, 1835. died unmarried August 19, 1880); Michael (born April 9, 1836; died January 15, 1869): Isaac (born September 28, 1837. is the father of Mrs. Robbins); Edward (born January 31, 1839); Mary (born April 19. 1840, married Mr. Willey): Sarah (born October 13, 1844, became Mrs. Anderson). and William W. (born August 11. 1846). The father was born February 22, 1806. and died of pneumonia. They were mar- ried in 1830. Isaac Sefton was reared in Decatur county, Indiana, and learned farm- ing on his father's homestead, where he re- mained until he was twenty-eight years old. He married in 1865 and began farming on his own account. Upon the death of his father he inherited a part of his father's es- tate, to which he has added by judicious purchases until, from one hundred and sixty acres, his landed possessions now aggregate six hundred and five acres. He now owns three improved farms in this county and
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one in Boone county and two houses in Greensburg, where he now lives retired from active life, wealthy and influential and respected for the uprightness of his character. Mr. and Mrs. Sefton are con- sistent members of the Methodist church, and Mr. Sefton has served as steward and in other official capacities. Mrs. Sefton was Miss Mary E. Myers, a daughter of Thomas S. and Mahala (Braden) Myers. Mr. Myers was of Pennsylvania Dutch ex- traction and was born in Rush county, Indiana. Mrs. Myers was born in Decatur county, Indiana, and they were married in 1843. Thomas S. Myers, who was a son of Thomas Myers (who died in 1845), passed away at Greensburg, Indiana, October 18. 1887, aged sixty-two years. Other children of Thomas Myers were Anderson, Vienna, Margaret, John and Edith. Thomas Myers was a native of Pennsylvania, a pioneer farmer in Indiana and a Primitive Baptist in his religious faith. The wife of Thomas S. Myers survives her husband, and has many interesting recollections of him. Like his father he was a Primitive Baptist, devoted to the advancement of Christianity. He was an invalid for some years before his , death and gave much of his time to good and charitable works. Mrs. Myers, who is now seventy-two, was a daughter of Walter ·Braden, of Irish descent, who was born in 1797. being reared in the United States. He married in Kentucky and brought his wife. on horseback, to Indiana, where he became prominent às a farmer, a Methodist and public-spirited citizen. Here he died in 1876, and his wife passed away in 1855. Their house was the scene of more than one religious awakening among the pio- neers, and was the home of all the preachers
who came through that part of the country. They had children who were named Mi- chael, John, Richard, Jane (Mrs. Russell). Linda and James. The children of Thomas S. and Mary E. (Braden) Myers were: Mary E. (wife of Isaac Sefton), Robert W .. Emma (Mrs. Gilmour), Morgan, Willard. Nevada (Mrs. W. S. Moore), and Maggie B. (Mrs. Scott). The children of Isaac and Mary (Myers) Sefton were: Kate, who was born November 11, 1868, and who married Frank B. Robbins; and Cora, who was born March 26, 1878, and who married W. H. Robbins.
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