A History of Clay County Indiana (Volume 2), Part 12

Author: William Travis
Publication date: 1909
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 631

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to Kansas, where he spent the remainder of his life, dying a short time later at the home of his son Henry. in Cherokee county. He was twice married. His first wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Lowry, was born in Holmes county, Ohio, of Scotch-Irish ancestors, and at her death, in early womanhood, left four children: John, Henry. Alfred and Isaac. His second wife. Mary (Culler ) Shidler, bore him six children: George, William, Elizabeth, Clara. Oliver, and an infant.

In the public schools of Holmes county, Ohio, and of Clay county, Indiana. Alfred Shidler obtained a practical education, to which he subse- quently added much by reading and study. After leaving school he worked with his father at the blacksmith's trade until after the breaking out of the Civil war. when his intense patriotic ardor was thoroughly aroused and he cheerfully responded to his country's call. In 1863, although but sixteen years of age, he enlisted in Company M, Seventy- first Indiana Volunteer Infantry, which afterwards became the Sixth Indiana Cavalry. Going south, he remained with his regiment in all of. its marches and battles, including the Atlanta campaign, and was a part of a detail that started with General Stoneman to release the prisoners confined in Macon, but learned before reaching that city that they had been removed. The detail started to retrace their steps, but soon found themselves surrounded by a large force of Confederates, who captured the greater part of the men. Mr. Shidler was mounted on a mule, and attempted to flee from the enemy, but the mule was so slow that he jumped off, ran as swiftly as possible, and was soon joined by three of his com- rades. After tramping four days and nights, sleeping in the brush day- times, he, with his companions, joined the command at Marietta, Georgia, and soon after proceeded to Tennessee, arriving in season to take part in the battle of Nashville. Mr. Shidler continued with his regiment until honorably discharged from the service in September, 1865.

Returning home, Mr. Shidler worked with his father for a while, for a number of years following the trades of a blacksmith and a wagon and carriage maker in Harrison township. He was converted when a young man, and in 1877 became an exhorter in the United Brethren church, doing such excellent work in that capacity that in 1889 he was licensed to preach, and joined the Lower Wabash Conference. For six- teen years Mr. Shidler was actively engaged in the ministry, having charge of several different circuits in both Indiana and Illinois. In Indiana he was pastor of Briley Chapel, Shady Grove, Pleasant Grove, Nye's Chapel, Grimes Schoolhouse, South Union, Wilson Schoolhouse. Otterbein. Six Mile, Union, Mount Pleasant, Mount Zion, Johnstown and North Union, and in Illinois was pastor of the churches in Long Point and Galton circuits. Since his retirement from the ministry Mr. Shidler has devoted his time and attention to general farming and stock-raising. living on the farm, in section thirty-three, Lewis township, upon which he settled in January, 1883. He has a good set of farm buildings on his place, and in his agricultural labors has been quite successful.

On October 15, 1868, Mr. Shidler married Elizabeth Brush. She was born in Harrison township, Clay county, Indiana, a daughter of William and Annie (Cooprider ) Brush, and granddaughter of John Coop- rider, of whom a brief sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Shidler have seven children, namely: Theodore Curtis, Rosa Belle. William Willard. Otto Clarence. Alfred Clyde. Harley Boyd and Nora Ethel. Rosa Belle, wife of Henry MeGinnis, has four children living-

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Willie Alfred, Jesse R., Otis Melvin and Harry C .- and has lost two, Charles P. having died when five years old, and Kinley dying in infancy. William W. married Novelle Stwalley, and they have had four children, one of whom, Oral Kenneth, died in infancy, and three are now living : Belden Given, Bertha Lucille, and Mabel Elizabeth. Otto C. married Hattie Dalgarn and of their four children, three are living-Vinie L., Theodore C. and Raymond C .- while one child, Tiney L., died in infancy. Alfred C. married Gertrude N. All, by whom he has three children- Eliza Glenn, Olive Fern and Arthur F. Harley wedded Miss Esta Keller. Nora E. is the wife of Arthur Jackson and has one child, Esta E.

WILLIAM F. KATTMAN .- An intelligent, capable and progressive business man. William F. Kattman, of Poland, has one of the largest general stores in Clay county, in its many departments carrying a good assortment of everything demanded by his numerous patrons. A native of this county, he was born, July 26, 1863, in Washington township, being the youngest of the six children born to Christopher and Clara Margaret ( Menke) Kattman. He comes of substantial German stock, and a more extended history of his parents and grandparents may be found on another page of this work, in connection with the sketch of his brother, John G. Kattman.

Completing his early education at the Northern Indiana Normal School in Valparaiso, William F. Kattman subsequently taught school for two years in his home district, after which he was for an equal length of time principal of the public school at Poland. Accepting, then, a posi- tion as clerk in the general store of Tressel & Kattman, at Poland. he remained with that firm a few years, in the meantime obtaining an insight into business methods. Buying out, then, the interest of his brother. C. H. Kattman, he was in partnership with Mr. Tressel for five years, when he bought him out, becoming sole owner of the store. This he has since conducted alone with the exception of five years when his nephew, O. B. Kattman, was associated with him, they having at that time two stores, the one in Poland and one at Hymera. During that time. in October. 1903, the Poland store was burned out, causing a loss of many thousand dollars, and the partnership was then dissolved, the nephew taking the Hymera store and Mr. Kattman retaining the Poland property. He has rebuilt the store, having now a fine building, forty by ninety feet, every bit of space being in use. In conducting his immense business, Mr. Katt- man keeps seven permanent employees busy. He has a very large stock, including among other things dry goods, clothing. boots and shoes, gro- ceries, agricultural implements, hardware. wagons, buggies and harnesses, and in the millinery department keeps a first-class milliner.

Mr. Kattman married, May 27, 1886, Emma Shults, who was born in Poland, Indiana, a daughter of Henry and Margaret (McKeeman) Shults. Her father was born in Hanover, Germany, and her mother was born in Lexington, Virginia, very near the Natural Bridge. Politically Mr. Kattman is a stanch Democrat, and fraternally he belongs to Poland Lodge, No. 364. K. of P. He is a member of the German Reformed church and for twenty-five years has been superintendent of and actively engaged in the Union Sunday-school of Poland.

WILLIAM W. HUBER .- A well-known and enterprising business man of Cass township. William W. Huber, holds a noteworthy position among

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY

the leading citizens of this part of Clay county, and as the pioneer miller of Poland has built up a large and constantly increasing patronage and is actively associated with the advancement of its industrial interests. A native of Clay county, he was born February 27, 1866, in Washington township, a son of Daniel Huber. On the paternal side he is of German stock, his grandfather, Jacob Huber, having been born and bred in Ger- many. On coming to this country he lived for a number of years in Pennsylvania, from there coming with his family to Indiana in pioneer days.

Born October 23. 1823, in Pennsylvania, Daniel Huber came when a boy to Indiana, and until after his marriage lived in Fayette county. Soon after that important event in his life he came to Clay county and for a number of years followed the carpenter's trade in Bowling Green. He also improved a homestead in Washington township, where his death occurred January 31, 1908. He married Lydia Strong, who was born in Fayette county, Indiana, and is now living on the home farm in Washing- ton township. They were the parents of ten children, five boys and five girls, of whom three boys and four girls are now living.

Leaving the home of his parents when twenty-three years of age, William H. Huber worked at the carpenter's trade at Terre Haute for a year, after which he was similarly employed at Bowling Green for two years. Forming then a partnership with Clint Godfrey, he erected the first grist mill in Poland, putting in a forty-horse power engine, and in its management was quite successful. At the end of two years Mr. Godfrey died, and Mr. Huber operated the plant alone for a year. Taking in, then, as an equal partner Mr. Fred Schultz, the firm has since conducted an extensive and remunerative business, drawing trade from all direc- tions within a radius of eight or ten miles. The plant is finely equipped- four pair of double rolls for grinding wheat, one corn grinder, and a feed mill.

On October 31, 1888, Mr. Huber married Maggie B. Buell, who was born in Washington township, a daughter of George and Eliza Ann (Campbell) Buell, natives of Ohio. Two children have been born of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Huber, namely : Glenn F., who died in 1897, aged four years. and Utie Locheil, born June 14, 1902. In his political affilia- tions Mr. Huber was a straightforward Democrat, and in 1904 was elected township trustee.

JOHN F. MILLER, one of the prominent farmers and stock-raisers of Posey township, is of German parentage and was born in the same section in Posey township on which he now lives, March 10, 1849. His parents, John L. and Mary Barbara Miller, were born, reared and married in Germany, and in about 1844 the family, consisting of the father, mother and two children, came to the United States and located first in Ohio, but after about six months in that state continued their westward journey to Indiana. About six months after locating in this state he entered and moved to what is now known as the Miller homestead, erecting thereon the little log cabin which is still standing. He first entered one hundred and twenty acres, while later he entered another similar amount in Posey township. and in time became the owner of a valuable and well improved farm. Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Miller, five sons and two daughters. The father spent the remainder of his life on his farm in Posey township, becoming prominent and well known in his community,

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and he was a member of the Lutheran church and a life-long Democrat. John F. Miller has spent his entire life on the farm which his father cleared and cultivated, and he and his sister, Johanna M., live together and carry on its work. He erected the present residence in 1887, a commo- dious and attractive home, and he farms one hundred and twenty acres. Both he and his brothers follow in the political footsteps of their father and vote with the Democracy, and the family are members of the Chris- tian church at Bee Ridge, in which Mr. Miller is serving as a deacon.

JOHN COOPRIDER .- An honored representative of those brave pioneers that settled in Indiana in territorial days, the late John Cooprider was a true type of the energetic, hardy and enterprising men who actively assisted in the development of this fertile and productive region. being identified with its agricultural, manufacturing and financial interests. He lived first in Harrison county, but a few years after the admission of Indiana to statehood settled in Clay county. In those days the wild beasts of the forest had not fled before the advancing steps of civilization, and the dusky savage still inhabited the vast wilderness. A son of Peter Cooprider, he was born October 10, 1791, in Indiana county, Pennsyl- vania, of Holland-Dutch ancestry.

Peter Cooprider was born on the ocean while his parents were en route from Holland to the United States. He subsequently lived in Mary- land, and there married his first wife, Anna Hochstottler. They after- wards removed to Indiana county, Pennsylvania. where, on September 25, 1807, his wife died, leaving five children: John, Polly, Peter, Jacob and Peggy. After her death he migrated to Kentucky, settling at Elizabeth- town, where he married for his second wife Mrs. Elizabeth Fleshman, nee Yeoger. In later years he came with this wife to Indiana, and here, with their children, they spent their remaining days, his death occurring at Middlebury in 1847, at the age of four score and four years, and hers about three years later. Warm-hearted and kind. he made friends with the Indians, one of whom used to visit and hunt with him every fall.

After the death of his mother, John Cooprider, the eldest son of Peter and Anna Cooprider and the special subject of this sketch, went to live with the Fleshman family, and with them went to Elizabethtown, Ken- tucky, where he remained a number of months. In 1809. an ambitious young man, full of push and energy, he came to the territory of Indiana and settled near Corydon, Harrison county, where he lived until the breaking out of the war of 1812. Enlisting then in the service of his country, he fought under General Harrison and was present at the cap- ture of Fort Harrison. Coming to what is now Clay county in 1821. Mr. Cooprider located at Neal's Mills, or Kossuth Bluff. as it was then called. Clay county was at that time a thick forest, owned almost entirely by the government, there being very few whites in this vicinity, but plenty of deer, bears, wolves, panthers and other wild animals. In the fall of that year he went back to Harrison county to spend the winter, but the following spring returned to this county. Here, instead of settling on the land that he had taken up on his first visit to the place, at Kossuth Bluff. Mr. Cooprider entered another tract at what is now Middlebury, and there established a home. He was a skilled mechanic, a blacksmith by trade, and for many years manufactured not only edged tools of all kinds but did general blacksmithing and made bells, which were in great demand, as in those days stock ran at large and bells were attached to the horses.

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cattle and sheep. There were no near-by markets, and he used to make frequent trips down the rivers in flatboats, taking with him farm prod- uce, including honey and furs. On his return trips Mr. Cooprider used to stop over in the southern part of the state to hunt for flint. as all fire- arms then made had flint locks. In 1832 he laid out a part of his farm as the town of Middlebury. He had relatives in Harrison county, and on returning from one of his visits to that place he brought with him many fruit seeds, some of which he planted himself, giving the remainder to the new settlers, and in the orchards thus established, known as seedling orchards, some of the trees are still alive and bearing fruit. Improving a good farm, Mr. Cooprider resided here, honored and respected, until his death in 1877.

Mr. Cooprider married, at the age of eighteen years, Elizabeth Flesh- man. who was born August 14, 1793, and died in 1879. Their union was blessed by the birth of twelve children, namely: Elias, Polly, Henry, Washington, Anna, John, Susan, Elza, Elisha. Ann Eliza, Isabel and Joseph. Anna had the distinction of being the first white child born in Harrison township. Elisha, whose sketch may be found on another page of this volume, is the only surviving son of this family.

JACOB HUDSON, now eighty-five years of age, is the oldest settler living in Washington township. Clay county, and has only been retired from active work as a farmer for the past few years. He continued to oversee his farm until 1907, when he withdrew entirely and rented it to his sons. With the exception of failing eyesight, his faculties are still quite alert, and he furnishes a fine example of the American agriculturist. who. unaided, has acquired a competency by his own strength of mind and body, has sturdily labored far beyond the allotted span, and in his vener- able and mellow age is highly honored both for what he is and what he has accomplished. He has been an elder of the Bellair Christian church for about twenty-three years, and was a member long prior to that period. His political activities as a voter and a thinker revert to the days of James K. Polk, when as a stanch Democrat he cast his first vote for that candidate. Through all the party changes, both Democratic and Repub- lican, he has continued to support the general policies of the organization to which he gave his allegiance as a young man of twenty-one.

Mr. Hudson is a native of Randolph county, North Carolina, born on the 12th of June, 1823. and is the second child in a family of four born to James and Margaret (Luther) Hudson. The father was a native of Virginia, and the latter of North Carolina, and both were of English origin. They came to Clay county from North Carolina in 1827. remain- ing near Bowling Green for about a year, when the father leased twenty acres of bottom land, along the Eel river, of Michael Luther. He cleared and farmed that tract for seven years, and then purchased forty acres of unimproved timber land in Harrison township. There his wife died in the late thirties, and he himself passed away in 1843.

Jacob Hudson has therefore been a resident of Clay county for cighty-one years. He received his entire education in the pioneer sub- scription schools, the terms of which were three months in duration. His mental training was conducted entirely in Washington township, whose log school houses were equipped with windows of oiled paper ; in fact, Mr. Hudson never attended but one school with aristocratic glass win- dows, and he assisted in the erection of that building of hewn logs. On

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June 15. 1846, when he was twenty-three years of age, he enlisted in the Second Indiana Volunteer Infantry to help fight Uncle Sam's battles in Mexico. He first walked to New Albany. Indiana, where he took boat for New Orleans, and thence to the Mexican border. While on ship board, at the last stage of the journey, both he and his brother were attacked by the measles, the latter dying of the disease. Jacob reached the scene of operations, participated in the battle of Buena Vista, and saw other active service before his return to Clay county.

When Mr. Hudson returned to Clay county at the end of the Mexi- can war he bought fifty-seven acres of land in section 36, Washington township, which he rented until 1849. On January 10 of that year he married Margaret Luther, his second cousin, who was a native of Clay county and a daughter of William and Patience ( Long ) Luther. His wife's family is of English origin, her parents being natives of North Carolina. Ever since his marriage he has resided in Washington town- ship, and has been chiefly identified with the progress of its agriculture. At his marriage he moved on the farm which he purchased after his return from Mexico, this tract comprising ninety-seven acres. After he had farmed and improved that piece of property for three years, he moved his family to the homestead occupied by his mother-in-law. and started on a prospecting tour through lowa, with the expectation of per- manently locating in that state. But he found the climate of the region too cold, and. returning to Clay county, settled with the family on one hundred acres of land which he had purchased some time prior to his western trip. In 1863 he located on the farm on which he now resides. and which he had purchased in the fall of 1862. The property embraces forty-five and a half acres, of which forty are in section 3. Harrison town- ship, and the balance in section 34 of Washington township. Later he bought another "forty" adjoining the Harrison township piece: and as he also owns thirty-six acres in section 35, Washington township, he is now the proprietor of about two hundred and twenty acres of well improved land in Clay county, which is now operated by the younger generation of farmers. Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Hudson, of whom the following six are alive: John F., the oldest son : Mary Ann, now the wife of David Loncer, of Harrison township: Maria J., wife of Frank Steiner, of Sugar Ridge township : Nancy E., wife of John Zurcher, Harrison township; Allie D., wife of Noah Mulberger. of Washington township: and Joseph N., who operates a farm adjoining his father's homestead in Washington township.

JAMES L. BOOTHE .- One of the best known agriculturists of Jackson township is James L. Boothe, who has been identified with its farming interests for many years. He was born in Washington township of Clay county, December 20, 1833, a son of one of that township's earliest pio- neers, Thompson Boothe, who was born in Harrison county, Indiana. in January, 1808, and came with his mother and stepfather. Thomas Wheeler. to Washington township. Clay county, during his boyhood days. He was there married to Hulda Thomas, who was born in Kentucky in April of 1808. and was five years of age when she came with her parents to Clay county. Her father. David Thomas, entered and cleared a farm in Wash- ington township. After his marriage. Thompson Boothe entered eighty acres of land in Washington township, and at the time of his death he owned an estate of three hundred acres, the most of which he had

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cleared and improved, his death occurring there at the age of sixty-eight years. He voted with both the Whigs and Republicans.

James L .. Boothe, the eldest son and second child of his parents' eight children .- four sons and four daughters, all born in Washington town- ship .- was reared in the locality in which he was born, and in 1863 he enlisted for the Civil war in the One Hundred and Fifteenth Indiana Vol- unteer Infantry, Company D, in which he served until the close of the conflict. doing principally skirmish duty, and he was discharged as a sergeant. In the fall of 1866 he moved with his family to Boone county. Iowa, where he farmed for fourteen years, and returning to Clay county in 1880 bought a farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Sugar Ridge township, but in 1807 moved from there to his present farm of one hun- dred and sixteen acres in Jackson township. From 1905 for two years he had charge of the county farm, but has since been conducting his own homestead. His first political vote was cast for Fremont, and he has since supported the principles of the Republican party, taking an active part in its local councils. He is also a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.

In Washington township, January 24. 1865, Mr. Boothe was mar- ried to Marian LaSalle, a daughter of John and Harriet (Gilbert) LaSalle, pioneer farmers of Washington township, where their daughter Marian was born and reared. Nine children have been born of this union, namely: Albert M .. John T., Harry H., Mary D., Lena R., Jeptha L., Blanch B. (deceased ), Holley T. and Harriet H., five of whom were born in Jowa and the remainder in Clay county.

THOMAS PHILLIPS, engaged in the real estate, loan and abstract busi- ness, was born in Perry township, Clay county, March 3. 1864. He is a son of Early and Cerilda (Fagan) Phillips, natives of Kentucky and of Butler county. Ohio, respectively. The father, who was born November 19. 1839. was brought to Clay county, Indiana, by his parents when only two years of age. His father was Micajah Phillips, a native of North Carolina, who on leaving that state removed to Kentucky during the pioneer epoch in its history when it was still known as the "dark and bloody ground," owing to the Indian atrocities and warfare that was there waged by the red men upon the white settlers. He married Miss Loveall, who died when her son, Early Phillips, was but two years of age. The family home of the Phillips in Indiana was established in the midst of the wilderness, and there Micajah Phillips built a sawmill upon the land which he entered from the government. After removing to Clay county he became an extensive land owner here and continued to make his home in this locality until his death, which occurred when he had reached the venerable age of ninety-three years.

Early Phillips spent his boyhood days in the wilderness, working in the sawmill and in the timber. He enlisted for service in the Union army in the Civil war as a member of Company C. Eighty-fifth Regiment of Indiana Volunteers, with which he served for three and a half years, doing valiant service for his country as a soldier of the Union. After the war he engaged in farming and has since made his home in Clay county, where he vet resides. He is a member of Cory Lodge, No. 449, I. O. O. F., and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, loyal to its teachings and active and interested in its work. His political allegiance is given to the Democracy. His wife, who was born in Butler county,

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A History of Clay County Indiana (Volume 2), Part 12

Author: William Travis Publication date: 1909 Publisher: Number of Pages: 631

Author: William Travis
Publication date: 1909
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 631