USA > Indiana > Clay County > A History of Clay County Indiana (Volume 2) > Part 17
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iel U., of Muncie, Indiana; Corintha E., of Terre Haute; Walter B., the special subject of this sketch; and Lee, of Manatee, Florida.
Spending his boyhood days on the home farm, Walter B. Ringo became thoroughly acquainted with the art and science of agriculture while young, and wisely chose farming for his chief occupation. After his marriage he took up his residence in the two-story, eight-room brick house built by his father in 1862 on section twenty, Cass township, and has here been prosperously employed ever since in farming and stock- raising. He has four hundred and forty acres of valuable land lying in sections twenty, twenty-nine and thirty, and in the management of his large estate he has met with much success and very few discouragements. Mr. Ringo has other interests of much value, being a stockholder in the United Coal Company of Chicago, whose mines are in Southern Illinois ; in the Indiana Sewer Pipe Company of Mecca, Parke county; and in the Mecca State Bank.
On December 29, 1880, Mr. Ringo married Ida M. Herr, who was born in Coesse, Whitley county, Indiana, December 29, 1860, a daughter of Simon and Drucilla (Hurd) Herr, natives, respectively, of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and New York. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Ringo has been blessed by the birth of six children, namely: Mary M., wife of Van H. Wilkinson, of Indianapolis; Joseph H., living at home ; Robert S., of Purdue University; Drucilla, wife of Earl Houk, of Terre Haute; Walter B., Jr., and John L. Politically Mr. Ringo is a stanch adherent of the Democratic party, and for five years rendered excellent service as township trustee. Fraternally he is a member of Center Point Lodge, A. F. and A. M .; and of Poland Lodge, No. 364, K. of P .. Religiously he belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church of Poland, and is a member of its board of trustees. Mr. Ringo has two deeds of the parchment style, signed by Andrew Jackson.
ROSWELL T. DEETER .- In the early days of the history of Clay county there came to reside within its borders one who proved a valued factor in its upbuilding and future development, Jacob Deeter, the grandfather of Roswell T. He was a native of Pennsylvania, and after coming to Clay county, Indiana, he entered eighty acres of land in Perry township, while later he bought and entered from the government to the amount of three quarters of a section, and he also entered one hundred and sixty acres in Posey township, owning in all about six hundred acres or more in Clay county at one time. But he in later life gave most of his land to his sons, giving to each of his five sons eighty acres, and the same amount to his daughter, Mrs. Knighton. He was known and was very prominent throughout Clay county, and in addition to his farming he also did much masonry work for the Vandalia Railroad Company. His politics were Republican, and he was a member of the Christian church and died in its faith in Posey township.
Thomas Deeter, a son of this well remembered Clay county pioneer, was born in Ohio, but came with his father to Indiana in his boy- hood, and in 1861 he entered the Civil war and was killed in North Caro- lina. In his early manhood he had married Katherine Barber, who was born in Ohio and came with her parents to Clay county when fourteen years of age, being a daughter of Aaron G. Barber, one of the pioneer farmers of Perry township. In their family were two children, a son and a daughter, and the latter, Sarah E., is the wife of John Q. Gummere,
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a farmer of Perry township. Mr. Deeter farmed in Posey township until ยท entering the war, owning a little farm of eighty acres, and he was a life- long Republican and a member of the Christian church.
The district schools of Posey township afforded Roswell T. Deeter his educational training in his youth, and he was born on the same section of land on which he now resides July 15, 1859. It was in 1892 that he located on his present homestead place, where he has made many valuable and substantial improvements, and owns eighty acres of land in section 36. He is also a stockholder in the Brazil Wire Factory. He is independent in his political affiliations but endorses Republican principles, and has taken quite an active part in local political work. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Prairie Lodge No. 855, of Posey township.
In 1885 Mr. Deeter was married to Rosa B. Huffman, who died in February of 1888, leaving one son, Elmer. On the 30th of November, 1892, he wedded Mary Ann Kuefner, who was born in Peoria county, Illi- nois, a daughter of George and Elizabeth (Sipp) Kuefner. The parents were born in Germany, and coming to the United States were married in Hamilton, Ohio, from whence they moved to Hancock county, Illinois, and later to Peoria county, that state, their present home. Mrs. Deeter is the youngest of their ten children, three of whom were born in Ohio and seven in Illinois, and three of the number were sons. Mr. and Mrs. Deeter have had three children, but the only one now living is Frank Edward, who was born at their present home April 25, 1907. The other two children died in infancy. Mr. Deeter is a member of the Christian church.
JAMES M. CAMPBELL .- Long an extensive farmer and a large land owner of Washington township, Clay county, James M. Campbell has for some time been retired from active work. A soldier, bearing with him the wounds of battle, and for many years a Republican leader and an active participant in the administration of township affairs, he was born in Shelby county, Kentucky, on the 26th of October, 1842. His parents were John S. and Julia A. ( Miles) Campbell, the father being born near Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, and the mother in Shelby county. They were also married in Kentucky, and lived there nearly eleven years before coming to Clay county, Indiana. John S. Campbell came to this locality in December, 1852, and purchased eighty acres of land in Washington township. He died in 1856, leaving a widow and seven children, of whom James M. Campbell was the oldest. The family kept the estate intact until 1907, when it was divided among the heirs. The elder Mr. Campbell took an active part in politics and was a Democrat of local influence. He held the offices of township clerk and township trustee, and died while serving his second term in the latter office. At the time of his decease he was only forty-two years of age. His widow lived until October 4. 1900, when she passed away at the age of seventy-five, the mother of the following: James M. Campbell, of this review : Rebecca, who resides with him ; Lucy E., widow of Major W. W. Carter, of Brazil, Indiana; Smith, of Bowling Green ; Enos M., also a resident of that place; and Sarah and William, both deceased.
James M. Campbell received a common school education, and lived on the farm with his mother until August 27, 1861, when he enlisted in Company A, Forty-third Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He served for a few days over three years and was active during the bulk of that period,
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the scenes of his military experience being in the southwest. For about a year he was attached to the fleet operating in the Mississippi Valley, and during the term of his service was twice wounded. One of his injuries was accidental, and the other was so serious that he was reported mortally wounded-the latter being received at the battle of March Mill. Arkansas. He was with the first regiment that landed at the capture of Memphis, Tennessee, and really has occasion to claim that he knows something of the horrors of war, and the unspeakable relief of returning to home scenes and paths of peace.
Upon his return from the front in the fall of 1864 Mr. Campbell secured an interest in a grist mill in Shelby county, Kentucky, his partner being James Miles, his maternal grandfather. After about a year he returned to Clay county and engaged in the lumber and milling business, thus continuing for a number of years. About 1874, in association with his brother, he bought forty acres of land which is now a portion of the County Poor Farm, and at one time he had amassed a landed estate amounting to eight hundred acres. At present he is the proprietor of some four hundred and thirty acres in sections 7, 12 and 13, over whose cultivation and improvements he retains a general supervision. Mr. Campbell is a firm Republican, and has served Washington township as trustee for two terms and as a member of the advisory board for two years. As is natural, he has taken a deep interest in the affairs of the Grand Army of the Republic.
His wife, to whom he was wedded on the 10th of December, 1878, was Ann Mae Boothe, who was born in Clay county, Indiana, daughter of Thompson and Huldah ( Thomas) Boothe. Mrs. Campbell's maternal grandfather was a native of Kentucky, and at a very early day came with his wife by boat to Spencer, Indiana ; thence blazing a way through the forest to what he called the Promised Land, located on section 13, Wash- ington township. This tract of land is owned by James M. Campbell, and as Grandfather Thomas is conceded to be the first permanent settler of Washington township it has a sentimental value as "historic ground." Mrs. Campbell died April 12, 1905, without issue.
WILLARD H. GLIDEWELL, editor and owner of the Brazil Democrat, was born at Metamora, Franklin county, Indiana, February 26, 1859. His father, Emory G. Glidewell, also a native of Franklin county, was descended from ancestors who came originally from the north of Eng- land. The great-grandfather, Robert Glidewell, arrived in Indiana about one hundred years ago and settled on Templeton's creek near Brook- ville, at which place the government land office was then located. The family came from North Carolina on horseback and on foot, the women and some of the men of the company riding, while a part of the male contingent made the whole trip across the Alleghenies on foot. The grandmother of W. H. Glidewell is said to have been a direct descendant of John Rolfe and Pocahontas. The family name was Coleman. The mother, who bore the maiden name of Eliza N. Murphy, was born in Fayette county. Indiana, and died on the frontier in Kansas on Christ- mas day of 1866. For nearly a half century Emory G. Glidewell devoted his energies to the profession of teaching school.
Willard H. Glidewell was educated in the public schools and mani- fested notable precocity in various lines. He could read readily when four years of age and at six read in the fifth reader, being considered
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the best reader in school at that time. He studied algebra, trigonometry, surveying and other higher branches in Fairfield, Indiana, high school, but at that time no graduation exercises were held nor certificates of scholarship issued. He began teaching at the age of seventeen, his first term being in Fayette county, Indiana, in 1875 and 1876, and the next year he was again employed by the same school. He then taught for two years in Franklin county, after which he began farming near Fair- field, that county. For several years he carried on general agricultural pursuits and after being out of school work for two years he again re- sumed the profession of teaching, which he followed in the winter seasons, while the summer months were devoted to agricultural pur- suits. In 1884 he left the farm and taught for several years as grammar school teacher, while later he was principal of the Fairfield schools. In 1886 he became county surveyor of Franklin county, devoting his ener- gies to surveying and the fire insurance business throughout the vacation periods, while still following the teacher's profession. In 1888 he aban- doned school work again and removed to Brookville, to take charge of the county seat department of the Laurel Review, at which work nearly two years were spent. In 1890 he removed to Connersville, Indiana, where he spent two years as principal of the East Connersville schools. In 1892 he became bookkeeper for Taylor & Enos, a large lumber manu- facturing concern, and upon the retirement of Mr. Taylor in 1893 he became secretary of the new firm. His connection with journalism dates from 1894, when he became the editor of the Connersville Examiner, whose owner was postmaster of the city. He was again called into the field of educational labor in June, 1895, by his election to the county superintendency of schools of Fayette county, in which capacity he served for two years, rendering effective aid in promoting the standard of public instruction. In December, 1897, he purchased the Greensburg New Era, which he successfully conducted until January, 1903, when he sold that paper and in March of the same years purchased the Brazil Democrat, which he has since edited and published. He has made it one of the leading journals of this part of the state. It is thoroughly up-to- date in its methods and devoted to the dissemination of general and local news. It is also known as the champion of progress and improve- ment in Brazil, while its large circulation makes it an excellent advertis- ing medium.
Mr. Glidewell was married at Hamilton, Ohio, November 1, 1880, to Miss Rose E. Kelley, and unto them have been born six children : Otis, who was born March 3, 1882, but is now deceased; Ivan, who was born in 1883; Erle, born in 1885; Carl, in 1887; Bessie. in 1889; and Angie, whose birth occurred in 1890.
Mr. Glidewell is identified with several fraternal organizations. In 1882 he joined Magnolia Lodge, No. 80, I. O. O. F., at Fairfield, Indiana, has filled all the chairs in the local lodge, is a past grand and has been a member of the grand lodge since 1884. In 1894 he joined the Red Men at Connersville and in 1899 became a charter member of the Elks lodge at Greensburg. . A Democrat in his political views, he is also a stanch advocate of the temperance cause and an opponent of the saloon interests, which he stanchly opposes through the columns of his paper. He served as county surveyor of Franklin county, Indiana, from 1886 until 1890, was superintendent of schools in Fayette county from 1895 until 1897, and chairman of the board of children's guardians in Decatur
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county, Indiana, from 1901 until 1903. He belongs to that type of repre- sentative American men who give expression to their patriotism and loyalty by active, helpful cooperation in many measures and movements for the public good. His work in educational circles was far reaching and contributed in no insubstantial measure to the progress of the schools. From early boyhood he has directed his efforts in those walks of life demanding strong intellectuality and close application and has left the impress of his individuality upon public thought and action.
DAVID HAWKINS, a leading drygoods merchant of Brazil, Clay county, and president of the D. Hawkins Company, is the successor to the well known firm of pioneers, Wheeler, Bridges & Company. Heze- kiah Wheeler, the founder of the business, is his father-in-law, and is living in Terre Haute at the age of eighty years, while Mr. Bridges and Capt. Thomas M. Robertson, the third member, are also alive and in comfortable circumstances.
Mr. Hawkins is a native of Anderson township, Hamilton county, Ohio, born on the 14th of April, 1850. His parents were David and Hannah Ann (Bennett) Hawkins, and the father died in his thirtieth year, ten days before the birth of his son David. The widow survived her husband for more than half a century, finally passing away at Brazil, Indiana, at the age of eighty-three. Five children were born to this union, among whom was the following: Samuel, who died in 1908, a resident of Brazil; Sarah Jane, wife of Artemus Clark, of Hamilton county, Ohio, and David, of this notice. Richard Hawkins, the paternal grandfather, was a native of Maryland who enrolled himself among the Ohio pioneers by locating at Fort Washington, which afterward became a portion of Cincinnati. He became the father of thirteen children, his son David, the father of our subject, spending his life as a tiller of the soil within the limits of the Buckeye state. For several generations the family, as a whole, has stanchly supported the Methodist church, and the grand- father, father and son who figure in this review are no exceptions to the rule.
David Hawkins passed the years of his life until he had reached his majority with his widowed mother, assisting in the work of the farm and acquiring his education at the township school. In April, 1871, on the morning of attaining the legal age of manhood, he left the homestead and went to Columbus, Georgia, where for eighteen months he was em- ployed as a sewing machine agent. On account of sickness, he returned home in the fall of 1872, and paid a visit to his uncle, Robert Bennett, one of the pioneers of Clay county. While there his cousin, Miss Sally Ben- nett, induced him to remain and teach school, his first employment in this field being by George Moss, trustee of Sugar Ridge township. William Travis, who was at that time county superintendent of schools, granted him a teacher's license, and in the winter of 1872 he took charge of the Brown school. In the spring of 1873 he himself attended the Terre Haute Commercial School, and after completing his course en- tered the employ of Wheeler, Bridges & Company, of Brazil, becoming proprietor of the business after seven years of faithful and efficient work as a subordinate. After operating it for two years, he sold out the estab- lishment, as the store building had been "sold from under him" to his competitor. He then entered the employ of Byram, Cornelius and Com- pany, of Indianapolis, dry goods merchants, acting for them in the
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capacity of a commercial traveler, and afterward being likewise identified with Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company of Chicago. This was for eighteen months only, while seeking a new location. He then became proprietor of a dry goods business in Brazil, and until 1902 conducted it under the style of D. Hawkins, after which he organized a stock com- pany under the present style, D. Hawkins Company, which represents a substantial and growing establishment.
Mr. Hawkins was united in marriage June 7, 1876, to Miss Rachael Wheeler, a native of Clay county, Indiana, born on the 2nd of June, 1852, and a daughter of Hezekiah and Effie ( Harp) Wheeler. Mrs. Hawkins was educated in a private school and finished at St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Vigo county, and at once entered teaching. She was one of the teachers in the first city schools ( Brazil) and was connected with educational mat- ters for about eight years. She was teaching when she married Mr. Haw- kins. She has been a worker in both church and Sunday School, having been a teacher in Sunday School for the past thirty years. Her father is a native of Clermont county, Ohio, and both he and his wife are living in Terre Haute, the former at the age of eighty years, and the latter, at eighty-three years of age. Hezekiah Wheeler came to Clay county with his father, David, and other members of the family, when he was a boy eight years old. He was a school teacher quite early in life; was auditor of Clay county for some eight years, and served as a school trustee of the town of Brazil long before the city by that name was platted. From 1864 to 1879 he was an active merchant at Brazil, being founder and senior member of the firm of Wheeler, Bridges & Company, dry goods merchants. After being in its employ for seven years, David Hawkins bought the business, and is therefore now at the head of an establishment which has been in existence for nearly forty-five years. After his retire- ment from business Mr. Wheeler removed to Terre Haute. He has been for many years a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being a charter member of Brazil Lodge, No. 215. . His political affilia- tions have been with the Whigs and the Republicans.
Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins have a family of four children, as follows : Stella Wheeler, now the wife of Oran D. Walker, a resident of Indian- apolis; Alice M .; Mabel, who died in infancy, and Lester Bennett Haw- kins. A Republican in politics, Mr. Hawkins has never been ambitious for public honors, devoting himself, instead, to his church, his family and his business. For many years he has been a leader in the denominational and charitable work of the Methodist church, being at the present time president of the local board of trustees.
JOSEPH SEBASTIAN CHRISTIAN SOWAR, of the firm of Wehrle and Sowar Company, enterprising merchants at Brazil, Indiana, is a native of Orleans, Orange county, Indiana, born July 21, 1861, son of Joseph H. W. and Elizabeth (Wehrle) Sowar. His father was born in Zanes- ville, Ohio, and died when but thirty-five years of age. The mother was born in Newark, Ohio, where she is now residing, aged seventy-two years. They were united in marriage in Newark by Rev. Father Bender. The children of this union were: Joseph S. C., Flora, Alwin, Edward, Ethella, Frances and Catherine. Flora, Alwin and Catherine are de- ceased. The father was a marble cutter and followed this line of industry all of his active life. He went to Indiana and located at Orleans, spent a short time there and moved to Mitchell, Lawrence county, Indiana, where he died March 26, 1873.
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Joseph S. C. Sowar went to Brazil when fourteen years of age and attended high school that winter ( 1875-6), and on June 26, 1876, entered the employ of Shannon and Turner, bakers and confectioners, with whom he learned the baker's trade. In 1878 the firm was changed to Shannon and Fast and on December 1, 1881, to Shannon, Fast and Sowar, Mr. Sowar having purchased a third interest in the business. In 1882 they built the brick building on the corner of National avenue and Sherfey street, and continued in the business until May, 1899, when Mr. Sowar sold his interest and in November of that year removed to Colorado Springs, Colorado. There he engaged in the wholesale candy business, but on account of his daughter's ill health sold it and returned to Brazil on the 19th of March, 1901. Upon his arrival he engaged in the boot and shoe trade, as a member of the firm of Wehrle and Sowar. In July of that year they bought the dry goods business of A. W. Turner, from which time the firm has been styled Wehrle and Sowar Company, operat- ing two stores-one for boots and shoes and the other a dry goods house.
Mr. Sowar is a thorough believer in the wisdom of advertising, his conversion to this faith dating from a very early age. It is related that when he was a lad of twelve years, soon after the death of his father, the widowed mother, who was put to sore straits to support her four boys and two girls, had managed to raise a fine crop of early cabbage, tomato and mango plants. This was during the hard times of 1873. Thousands of hardy young plants were ready to be placed upon the market; but where were the customers to be found? The mother remarked that if they had a little money they might have some bills printed in order to let the people of the town known of the abundant supply. But the family treasury was nearly empty. Then young Joseph commenced to turn the matter over in his mind, the result being that he pocketed two cents, with which he bought foolscap paper, secretly made use of his father's sacred gold pen, and drew up the following advertisement: "Cabbage Plants, Tomato Plants and Mango Pepper Plants for Sale .- JOSEPH SOWAR." Afraid to post his "ad" in the day, the boy sallied out with paste pot and home-made bills, a little after dark, and pasted them on the telegraph poles in the center of the town. The next day he went to school as usual and upon his return at noon asked his mother if anybody had come to the house to buy plants. Upon being informed that no one had appeared he began to feel downcast over the expenditure of the precious two cents, not to mention the waste of paste and time. In the afternoon he hurried home again from school, hoping that a few persons might have read his bills and responded, but as he approached the house he was surprised to see a large crowd in the yard and, upon rounding the corner of the building, he found his good and delighted mother selling the plants as fast as she could wrap them up and make change. Before nightfall every cabbage, tomato and mango plant in the family stock was sold and several citizens were bewailing the fact that it was too late for them to be- come customers. This experience proved a valuable business lesson to Mr. Sowar, and for years he has been one of the heaviest advertisers in the city, as well as up-to-date in every other regard.
In politics Mr. Sowar is a Republican, but prefers to apply his activ- ities and abilities to his private business rather than expend them on doubtful political honors. In his religious faith he is a Roman Catholic, and is a member of the Knights of Columbus and Young Men's Insti- tute. In the month of August, 1882, Mr. Sowar married Miss Anna
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