A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Laporte County Indiana, Part 100

Author: Rev. E. D. Daniels
Publication date: 1904
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1273

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LYMAN B. ASHTON, who is well known in connection with commercial circles in Michi- gan City, has been engaged in the grocery busi- ness for thirty-six years. He was born here Feb- ruary 14, 1844, his parents being Gallatin and Elizabeth (Ritter) Ashton, both of whom were natives of New York. It was in the Empire state that Thomas Ashton, the grandfather of Lyman B. Ashton, was born and reared. The family, however, is of English lineage, and was founded in America by one who also bore the name of Thomas Ashton and who was a native of England, whence he removed to Ireland, and thence came to the new world, locating in the state of New York, where his remaining days were passed.

As a life occupation grandfather Thomas Ash- ton followed the pursuit of a farmer, and when the country became involved in the second war with England he joined the American army and fought in defense of the rights of this country. His death occurred when he had reached an old age. In his family were fourteen sons, of whom Gallatin Ashton was the youngest.' The maternal grandfather of Mr. Lyman Ashton was Simon Ritter, who was born in Cayuga county, New York, and thence removed to Indiana in the early thirties. . He established his home in Michigan

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City, where he remained until he reached an ad- vanced age, when he departed this life. He had three sons and one daughter. The Ritter family is of German extraction.

Gallatin Ashton was engaged in clerking when a young man, and about 1832 he arrived in Mich- igan City, which was then a mere hamlet, and the most farsighted could not dream that it was to become a leading port of the state and a city of large commercial and industrial . interests. Here Mr. Ashton began teaching school, and sub- sequently turned his attention to general mer- chandising. Still later he became agent for the Fairbanks Scale Company, and traveled for many years in its interests. He wedded Miss Elizabeth Ritter, also a native of New York, and they be- came the parents of nine children, five sons and four daughters, of whom four are yet living, as follows: Lyman B .; Martha, the wife of Charles Clough, of Plymouth, Indiana; Ellen, the wife of Walter Brundage, of Duluth, Minnesota ; and James, who is living in Alexandria, Minnesota. The father held a number of local offices in an early day in LaPorte county, including that of constable, and in the work of general progress and improvement he was deeply interested, be- ing thus a co-operant factor in measures for the general good. He died in 1864 at the age of fifty-two years, and his wife passed away Septem- ber 8, 1852, at the age of thirty-two years. She was a member of the Methodist church.

Lyman B. Ashton has spent his entire life in Michigan City, and as one of its native sons is a leading and influential citizen and as a represen- ative business man well deserves mention in this volume. He attended the public and private schools, acquiring a good education, and when a young man he engaged in clerking. He also sold scales in connection with his father, and when he had acquired sufficient capital to purchase a stock of groceries he embarked in business on his own account in the year 1867, and has since been the well known grocery merchant of this city. He has kept fully abreast with the progressive spirit of the times, and has a well equipped store, con- taining a large and well selected line of general and fancy groceries. His business methods have ever been honorable, his labors systematic, and his earnest desire to please his customers has brought to him a liberal patronage.

On the 30th of October, 1872, Mr. Ashton was married to Miss Ella R. Mosse, who for many years was a teacher in the Michigan City public schools and a well known educator. She was a daughter of James and Mary (Mason)

Mosse, who came from Canada to Indiana in pioneer times. Her father built a little home that was scarcely more than a shanty upon the site of the present dock on Franklin street. He was a ship carpenter, and going to Chicago to secure work, he there contracted cholera and died in that city. His widow still survives him and is yet living in Michigan City. The home of Mr. and Ashton has been blessed with five children : Arthur L., now a merchant in Doty, Washington, who married Anna Vehlen and has two children, Fran- ces M. and Lyman John; Walter F., who is an electrician and lives in Michigan City ; Bertha, who died at the age of two and a half years; Mabel M., who is a successful and accomplished music teacher ; and Mina M., who is employed in the postoffice.

Mr. and Mrs. Ashton attend the services of the Episcopal church, of which Mrs. Ashton is a member. Socially he is identified with Acme Lodge No. 83, F. & A. M .; with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and with the Royal Arcanum, and in the last named he has held all of the offices. His political allegiance is given to the Republican party for he has firm faith in its principles. For one term he was a member of the city council, and for eight years was presi- dent of the board of police commissioners, retir- ing from that office in January, 1903. He resides at 215 Spring street, where he owns a good home, but has spent the greater part of his life on Franklin street. He takes a citizen's interest in good government, but political conductorship or conquest are for him without charm. The peaceful, quiet walks of business life are more to his liking and here he has been successful and here has been the true sphere of his usefulness.

WILLIAM P. PAGE. From an early period in the development of LaPorte county William P. Page has resided within its borders, and is now a prominent farmer of Union township, living on section 2. He was born in Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, Nevember 19, 1827. His father Abram Page, was a native of Pennsylvania and was reared and married there. The family is of German lineage, but the grandfather of William P. Page was also a native of the Keystone state. Abram Page was joined in wedlock to Miss Christina Frively, a native of Pennsylvania, and in 1846 they came to LaPorte county, locating first in Scipio township, where he engaged in farming. Later he purchased a farm in Union township west of Kingsbury and improved this place, making it his home until his death, which

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occurred when he was in his sixty-seventh year. His wife passed away in Pennsylvania when forty-seven years of age. They were members of the Baptist church, and Mr. Abram Page took a very active part in its work and held a number of church positions. To him and his wife were born ten children, of whom William P. Page is the sixth.

In the place of his nativity William P. Page remained until nineteen years of age, when he came to LaPorte county with his father. He lived at home until he had attained his majority. In 1849 he joined a party of forty men who made the trip across the plains to California. For many long days and weeks they journeyed over the hot sandy stretches of country or climbed the moun- tains, but at length safely reached Hangtown, now called Placerville. Mr. Page remained on the Pacific coast for about a year, devoting his time between the occupations of mining and team- ing. He returned by way of the Isthmus of Pana- ma to New York city, coming thence to LaPorte county, after which he remained at home until his marriage.

That important event in his life occurred on the IIth of September, 1855, the lady of his. choice being Miss Tryphena Morical, who was born in Darke county, Ohio, July 4, 1830, a daughter of Jacob Morical. Mrs. Page, who was a consistant member of the Friends church, died June 17. 1902. She was the mother of ten chil- dren : Margaret, now the wife of Delbert Board- man ; Emma, the wife of Lee Wetsel; Sarah, the wife of Henry Wickam; Henry, deceased; Abra- ham, who married Anna Swanson ; Elizabeth, the wife of William Hoover ; Edward, who married Margaret Marx; DeWitt, Clarence and Frank, all of whom have passed away.

Immediately after his marriage Mr. Page lo- cated in Kingsbury, where he was engaged in the grocery business until his removal to Union Mills. There he also conducted a grocery store until 1860, when he took up his abode upon a farm, on which he is now living. Here he owns fifty acres of land and has been engaged in gen- eral agricultural pursuits for the past forty-three years. He is one of the representative citizens and old settlers of LaPorte county, and is esteem- ed for his genuine worth and many sterling traits of character. His political support in early life was given to the Whig party, and later he joined the ranks of the newly organized Republican party. having in 1860 and again in 1864 voted for Abraham Lincoln. He has since supported every presidential candidate of the organization.

For about four years he served as constable, but has never been an active politician in the sense of office seeking. He is a member of the Friends church, and has lived an upright, honorable life, worthy of the public regard which is so uniform- ly accorded him.

ERNEST BLACK. The family name of this gentleman is one which is ineffaceable traced on the history of LaPorte county and which figures on the pages whose records perpetuate the principal events from early days down to the present time. He was born in Porter county, Indiana, one-half mile from the boundary line of LaPorte county, on the 26th of August, 1857. His father, James Black, was born in New Shire county, West Virginia, August 23, 1818, being a son of Hiram Black, who was born, reared and married in Virginia, and there his death after- ward occurred. When twenty-one years of age James Black came to Indiana, and two years later took up his abode in LaPorte county, first in Coolspring township. Afterward he removed to Morgan township, Porter county, Indiana, where he became the owner of one hundred and sixty acres, only five acres of which had been cleared at the time of the purchase, but a log cabin had been erected and three thousand rails had been split. As the years passed by Mr. Black succeeded in placing his land under an excellent state of cul- tivation, and in time this was sold for sixty-five hundred dollars, after which he located on the farm on which Ernest Black now resides in Cass township, LaPorte county. His death occurred on this place on the 23d of October, 1897. He was at all times recognized as a loyal and public- spirited citizen, and at the time of the nomination of David Turpy at Wanatah, he with three others, purchased a large flag and in many ways assisted in that spirited campaign. This was thirty-eight years ago, and the flag was purchased at a cost of forty dollars. At one time he served as trustee of Morgan township, and he was a stalwart sup- porter of the Democratic party.

Mr. James Black married Florinda Pierce, a native of Washington township, Porter county, Indiana, her birth there occurring on the Ist of July, 1835. She is a daughter of Warner and Delia (Beeman) Pierce, pioneer settlers of Por- ter county, to which place they removed from New York. Mrs. James Black is still living, and has now reached the age of sixty-eight years. By her marriage she became the mother of twelve children, nine of whom grew to years of maturity, and six of the number are still living.

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Ernest Black, the second son in order of birth, spent the days of his boyhood and youth in Porter county, Indiana, receiving his educa- tion in its common schools, and when eighteen years of age he left the parental home and went to Nebraska, where for two years he resided at David City, Butler county. On the expiration of that period he returned to his old home in La- Porte county, and for a period of twenty-three years has resided on his present homestead, which consists of two hundred and seventy-five acres of rich and well improved land. In matters political Mr. Black is a stanch supporter of Democratic principles, although at local elections he votes for the men whom he regards as best qualified to fill offices of trust and responsibility. He serves as appraiser of school funds and in many ways has proved his loyalty to his county. Mr. Black's uncle Robert was a soldier in the Mexican war and died there with fever. His commander was General Taylor, or "Old Rough and Ready."

On the 23d of June, 1886, occurred the mar- riage of Mr. Black and Miss Lena Tohm, who was a native of Germany, but when only two years of age was brought to America by her parents, August and Louisa Tohm, also natives of the fatherland. Three sons were born to bless this household, Leroy, William and George. On the. 15th of May, 1899, death entered this home and took therefrom the loving wife and mother, and her loss was deeply felt not only by her immediate family but by the many friends to whom she had endeared herself through her many noble characteristics.

DR. GEORGE M. LEESON, the well known physician of Wanatah, has had a successful career . as a medical practitioner in this town for the past eight years, and also in other lines has been successful and has seen much of the world. Henry W. Leeson, his father, was a native of England, and after coming to America spent some time in the cities of New York, Buffalo and Cleveland, and then moved to Brantford, Canada, where he continued to engage in his trade of shoemaker. He was married in Canada to Miss Sarah Polley, a native of New York state, and they then located in the town of Ingersoll, On- tario, near London. They now live in Grey county, Ontario, Canada, where he has followed farming for thirty-four years. They were the parents of twelve children, all born in Canada.

Dr. Leeson, who was the second .child and oldest son, was born in Ingersoll, Ontario, Janu-

ary 2, 1861, and remained in Canada until he was twenty-two years old. During this time he re- ceived a common school education, and after leaving home spent five years in Dakota, Minne- sota, Wisconsin and other western states, and in Manitoba and Assiniboia, engaged in various pursuits. In 1887 he went to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he was in the railroad service, and was later in the same kind of work in De- troit. In this latter city he took up the study of medicine, and was graduated from the Detroit College of Medicine in 1895, having begun his preparation in 1891. He was an interne at the Harper Hospital in Detroit for eighteen months, and he came to Wanatah in 1895 with the best of preparation for practice, both in theory and ex- perience. He has found this a good field for his labors, and has built up a large practice in the comparatively short time since he opened his office. Dr. Leeson has many genial and pleasant ways which appeal to the people in addition to his well known ability, and his service in his profes- sion is by no means altogether for selfish ends, but contributes to the well-being and betterment of many of his fellow men.

Dr. Leeson married, November 21, 1895, Miss Emily A. Crawford, who was born April 26, 1861, and was reared in Ingersoll, Ontario. The three children who were born of this union are Margaret, Mansfield and James, and they all constitute a happy family, with many friends.

Dr. Leeson is a member of the Porter County Medical Society, the Indiana State Medical So- ciety, the American Medical Association and the Kankakee Valley Medical Association. He is a stanch Republican and a member of the Metho- dist Episcopal church, and at every point of con- tact with his fellow citizens has proved himself an upright and reliable man, ready to assist in works for the general good, open and frank in business relations, and kind to his family and friends. He has a well selected library of stan- dard medical works from the foremost medical authorities. He has a cabinet of surgical instru- ments, rarely seen in a small country town and his home is cosy, attractive and neatly and mod- estly furnished, presided over by Mrs. Leeson, whose social kindly nature is one of the principal exponents, in a social sense, in the social circles of Wanatah, Indiana.

CAPTAIN JOHN M. CAMPBELL, captain of the Great Lakes freighter Francis Hinton, is one of the veteran shipmasters of the Great Lakes. He has been engaged in the lumber carrying trade

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for many years, and when he has not been in command of a boat he has been connected with the lumber industry on land. He has a record of nearly fifty years spent in some branch of lum- bering or boating, and he is one of the best known men on the waters and in the cities around the chain of lakes. Captain Campbell has resided in Michigan City for fifteen years, and is one of the esteemed citizens, being public-spirited, capa- ble in business relations and popular in fraternal and social circles.

It is easy to decide that Captain Campbell is of Scotch stock, for the name Campbell is indis- solubly associated with the highlands of Scotland as that of the chief and most warlike clan, cele- brated in song and story. Malcolm Campbell, the grandfather of Captain Campbell, was born in Scotland, and was a soldier in the British army for nineteen years, serving under the great Duke of Wellington, during the Napoleonic wars. He moved to Canada in 1817, and received a soldier's patent from the British government to land there, on which he resided the rest of his life and fol- lowed the occupation of farmer. He lived to the great age of ninety-six. and was the father of seven children. The maternal grandmother was Anna Anderson.

John Campbell, the father of Captain Camp- bell, was born in the highlands of Scot- land, whence he removed with his father to Canada. He was a lumberman, and fol- lowed that occupation in Canada, where he also served in the patriot war of 1837. He came to Illinois in 1845, and in 1854 moved to Stony Creek, Ocean county, Michigan, where he was engaged in the lumber business for twenty years, at the end of which time he retired. He died at Syracuse, New York, aged eighty-one years, on the same day in the year 1885 on which General Grant died. He was originally a Scotch Presbyterian, but later became a Methodist. He married Catherine McLaren, who was born in Canada and was a daughter of John McLaren, who was born in Scotland and came from Broad Albane to Canada in 1802. In his younger days he was a ferryman, and later was a brick manu- facturer and farmer, and also kept a tavern of the old days. He had three daughters and seven sons. Catherine (McLaren) Campbell preceded her husband many years in death, and he was married a second time. Five sons and four daughters were born of the first marriage, and six are now living: Anna, widow of William Brooks, of Minneapolis ; Jennie, wife of Nicholas Ingalls, of Muskegon, Michigan ; Captain John 87

M., of Michigan City ; Christie, widow of Will- iam Ely, of Syracuse, New York; Captain Alex- ander D., a captain on the lakes, and with resi- dence at Seattle, Washington, and Captain Peter D., also a captain on the lakes and residing at Charlevoix, Michigan.

Captain John M. Campbell was born at Corn- wall, Canada, February 1, 1841, and came to the United States when he was four years old. He lived in St. Charles, Illinois, from 1845 to 1854, and received most of his schooling there. He then went with his parents to Stony Creek, Michi- gan, and in 1856 and 1857 attended the high school in Grand Rapids. He returned to Stony Creek, and began his career in the lumber busi- ness in connection with his father, with whom he remained until 1862. He then went to Muske- gon, Michigan, where he put up a mill of his own and conducted it for three years. For the follow- ing eighteen years he had a line of tug boats tow- ing vessels on the lakes. Following this, for an interim of four years he had a lumber business at Duluth, Minnesota, but then came back to the lakes, and has been engaged in the lumber-carry- ing traffic ever since. Few men have led a more continuously successful record in this line of ac- tivity than he, and he is recognized as a master in the handling of a commerce which forms a large part of the world's water trade. He came to Michigan City in 1888, and this has been his home since that time.

July 19, 1866, Captain Campbell married Miss Adell Josephine Fortin, a daughter of Paul and Emily (Frazier) Fortin. There are two daugh- ters of this union, Alice Marion, the wife of C. C. Willits, a druggist of Michigan City, and Jessie Adell Frances Campbell. Captain Camp- bell and wife are members of the Congregation- al church, and he affiliates with Acme Lodge No. 83, F. & A. M., with Michigan City Chapter No. 25, R. A. M., and Michigan City Command- ery No. 30, K. T., as also with Lodge No. 3, Shipmasters of the Great Lakes, Chicago. He is a Republican in politics. Captain Campbell built his nice home at 117 East Eighth street in 1897, and he also owns other city property.

CHARLES HOPPENER. Among the early settlers of LaPorte county is numbered Charles Hoppener, who is engaged in general agricultural pursuits, making his home on section 32, Union township. He is a representative of the German- American element in our citizenship, his birth having occurred in Mecklenburg, Germany, on the 4th of August, 1850. He was reared there,

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and attended the public schools until fourteen years of age, when he put aside his text books and began earning his own living. He made his home with his father, who worked by the year on the home farm, until he came to America in 1873. He made the trip alone, a young man of twenty-three years, attracted by the business pos- sibilities and opportunities of the United States. Continuing his journey into the interior of the country, he at length arrived in LaPorte county, and for two years was employed in the city of LaPorte at any work that would yield him an honest living. His industry and economy brought to him capital sufficient to enable him to purchase a small tract of land, and in 1875 he invested in a part of his home farm. He now has eighty acres of well improved land, most of which was cleared and cultivated for the first time by himself. He performed the arduous toil of preparing the land for the plow, and to-day as the result of his labors he annually harvests good crops.

In 1875 Mr. Hoppener was united in marriage to Miss Dorothea Meyer and to them were born eight children: William, John, Carl, Emma, Fritz, Albert, Clara and Edward. All were born on the homestead farm, and Mr. Hoppener has good reason to be proud of his family. He is a member of the Lutheran church, as are his wife and some of his children. His political support is given to the Democracy, and at one time he served as a member of the school board. His interest in the county's welfare is deep and sincere as is manifested by his active co-operation in many measures for the general good.

ROMAN EICHSTAEDT. One of the well known citizens of Michigan City is Roman Eich- staedt, a representative of a good old German family. He may also be justly termed a self- made man, for to his own energy and persever- ance he owes the success which he has achieved. He was born in the province of Posen, Germany, on the 22d of February, 1857, being a son of Lawrence and Caroline Eichstaedt, natives also of the fatherland. They became the parents of seven children, three sons and four daughters,- Jacob, Joseph, Bertha, Anna, Johanna, Roman and Veleria. The father, who was a fisherman, died in Germany in 1901, when over ninety years of age, and in that country his parents also ended their days, his mother living to the extreme old age of one hundred and eight years, and the fa- ther was also well advanced in years when called to his final rest. Mrs. Caroline Eichstaedt died in 1863, and both she and her husband were mem-

bers of the Catholic church, in which they were active workers. He was a soldier in some of the German wars.

Roman Eichstaedt was reared and educated in the land of his birth, and when sixteen years of age began learning the machinist's trade, in which he served an apprenticeship of three years. During that time he worked from five o'clock in the morning until ten o'clock at night, the period being one of incessant toil. In 1881 he left his German home for America, and after his arrival in this country located in Galveston, Texas, where he remained for a short time. His next place of residence was New Orleans, where ne worked in a machine shop for a time, and for three years was a resident of Chicago. In 1886 he came to Michigan City, Indiana, and secured work in the Michigan Central machine shops, which for two years was the scene of his labors. On the expiration of that period Mr. Eichstaedt opened a machine shop for himself, and has ever since met with a well merited degree of success in this undertaking. He made the first automobile in Michigan City, which is still in use, and he is recognized as one of the progressive citizens of Michigan City. In matters political he gives a stanch support to the Democratic party. His residence is at 121 West Market street, which he erected in 1895. By his own energy and industry coupled with good management, Mr. Eichstaedt has accumulated a good property, and possessing a genial and happy disposition, has made many friends in the city of his adoption.

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A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Laporte County Indiana, Part 100

Author: Rev. E. D. Daniels Publication date: 1904 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1273

Author: Rev. E. D. Daniels
Publication date: 1904
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1273