A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Laporte County Indiana, Part 91

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

USA > Indiana > LaPorte County > A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Laporte County Indiana > Part 91

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Dr. Morrison's father made his home in Lake

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county at an early day, and afterward removed to LaPorte county, being a resident of the city of LaPorte at the time of his death, which occurred in 1885, when he was about thirty-five years of age. His widow still survives him and now re- sides in La Porte, having married again, her second husband being William L. Andrew, of LaPorte. She is of the Presbyterian faith, while Mr. Mor- rison was a member of the Episcopalian church. To them were born two children : Harry E., and Thomas E., who is assistant superintendent of the Singer Company at South Bend.

Dr. Harry E. Morrison was a lad of eight summers when he accompanied his parents on their removal to LaPorte and there he was reared to manhood, no event of special importance oc- curring to vary the routine of life for him in his youth. He attended the public schools, and later was a student in Hartford, Connecticut, and in Lima, Indiana. He entered the Vanderbilt Medi- cal College, at Nashville, Tennessee, from which he was graduated with the class of 1900. He began practice in that year in LaPorte, and in September, 1902, came to Michigan City.

On the 25th of April, 1900, Dr. Morrison was united in marriage to Miss Libbie H. Miller, of LaPorte, a daughter of William C. and Martha (Gruver) Miller. Dr. and Mrs. Morrison are members of the Presbyterian church. Dr. Morri- son belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and his political allegiance is given to the Republican party.

JACOB EICHSTAEDT, a prominent old settler and farmer, residing on a well improved and valuable farm in section 27, Cass township, has been a resident of America and LaPorte county for nearly fifty years, and during that long period has nobly performed his duties as a citi- zen, having the honored name of a veteran of the Civil war.

Mr. Eichstaedt was born in Germany, July 12, 1829, and lived in the fatherland for the first twenty-seven years of his life. . He attended school until he was fourteen years old, and then learned the wagonmaker's trade, at which he worked until he came to America. He left his old home and came directly to LaPorte county, Indiana, in 1856, locating in Cass township. He was by no means a capitalist when he arrived in this country, and all that he has is the result of hard and intelligent work. He began on a small basis, and kept increasing his amount of worldly property until he is now the possessor of a splen- did farm of two hundred acres, one of the best

in the township, and its improvements and gen- eral appearance show how well its owner has learned his business. Strict attention to the work in hand and carefulness about details have been principal factors in making Mr. Eichstaedt one of the leading farmers of Cass township.

Mr. Eichstaedt had not been in this country ten years when he performed the highest service that can be asked of any citizen-the risking of life on the battlefield as a means of preserving the integrity of a nation. He enlisted in Com- pany H, Seventeenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in 1864, and served till the end of the war, being present on some hard-fought battlefields. He lost his eye while in the service, and now draws a pension of twenty dollars a month.

Mr. Eichstaedt was married in 1861 to Miss Caroline Wagner, who died April 14, 1899, hav- ing been the mother of ten sons, seven of whom are living: Herman, Julius, Henry, Amel, Al- bert, Otto and Edward. Mr. Eichstaedt affiliates with the Democratic party, and in religion is a Catholic, but does not attend any church.

HON. URIAH CULBERT. Prominent among the energetic, far-seeing and successful business men of northern Indiana is the subject of this sketch. His life history most happily illustrates what may be attained by faithful and continued effort in carrying out an honest pur- pose. Integrity, activity and energy have been the crowning points of his success, and his con- nection with industrial interests has been a de- cided advantage to this section of Indiana, pro- moting its material welfare in no uncertain man- ner. He has has also gained distinction in con- nection with the legislative history of the state, and for six years was an active member of the general assembly, serving for two years in the lower branch and four years in the senate, with honor and dignity to the district which honored him with election to those high offices.

Mr. Culbert is a native of the Empire state, his birth having occurred in Nunda Valley, Alle- gany county, New York, on the 5th of January, 1834. His parents were Thomas and Martha (Baker) Culbert, also natives of New York. The paternal grandparents were Thomas and Mar- garet Culbert, and the former, a native of Ireland, established the family on this side of the Atlantic, settling in the state of New York, where he spent his remaining days, his death occurring when he had passed the sixtieth milestone on life's jour- ney. The maternal grandfather also spent his entire life in his native state of New York.

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. Thomas Culbert, the father of Uriah Culbert, was a farmer and also engaged in the manufac- ture of woolen goods while in New York. At a very early period in the development of the west he came to Michigan and settled in Shiawasse county, where he carried on general farming till his death, in 1873. He was then sixty-six years of age. His wife survived him for about a de- cade, and died in 1883, at the age of seventy-six years. Both were devout members of the Meth- odist church, and Mr. Thomas Culbert served as one of its officials. His political allegiance was given to the Democracy, and upon its ticket he was elected to a number of positions of trust and responsibility. In the family of this worthy couple were nine children, eight sons and a daughter, but only two are now living, Uriah and Mary, the latter the wife of Isaac Joslin, of Mar- quette, Michigan.

In the state of his nativity Uriah Culbert spent the first ten years of his life, and began his education in its public schools. He then accom- panied his parents on their removal to Michigan, and was reared upon the home farm near Byron, attending the district schools and assisting his father in the cultivation of the fields when not engaged with his text books. He entered upon an active business career when about eighteen or nineteen years of age, by working in a sawmill in Saginaw, Michigan, where he was employed for a number of years. During almost his entire career he has been connected with the lumber industry or some of its kindred branches of labor. He was employed in the manufacture of lumber in Muskegon, Michigan, and in 1859 went to California by way of the overland route, working in the mines of the Golden state for four years. On the expiration of that period he returned to Muskegon, where he was engaged in lumbering, steamboating and in operating a stage line, utiliz- ing about fifty horses in that way for seven years. There was no better known man on the lakes than Captain Culbert. He later began contract- ing and building, and has since followed this line of business. He held the offices of alderman and city treasurer while a resident of Muskegon, and was always foremost in the advance of the city.

About 1875 Mr. Culbert came to Indiana. locating at Michigan City, where he has since made his home, taking and executing government and general contracts. He has been largely en- gaged in the marine contracting business, and in government and private improvements of the harbor. He built the breakwater and cribs in the outer harbor and the docks and piers on the inner

harbor, and it is very largely through his efforts that Michigan City enjoys the lake shipping fac- ilities that she does to-day. He has always been a strong advocate of the lake shipping and water- way improvements, and has taken a personal in- terest in the harbor of the city of his adoption. Mr. Culbert built the world-famous "lagoon" at the Columbian Exposition, the naval pier, the foundation of the Ferris Wheel, and the cele- brated electric fountain which delighted the eyes and senses of countless thousands. The firm of Culbert & Son, of which he is the head, is widely known in the line of government and marine contracting. Mr. Culbert is also vice president of the First National Bank of Michigan City, and is connected with the Alaska Refrigeator Company, Muskegon, Michigan.

On the 21st of February, 1865, Mr. Culbert was united in marriage to Miss Mary Augusta Noble, a daughter of William and Bessie (Sher- man) Noble. Her paternal garndfather, Will- iam Noble, was of English lineage, but at the time of the Revolutionary war he espoused the cause of the colonies, joining the patriot army. He was the first man behind Ethan Allen at the taking of the fort of Ticonderoga when the latter exclaimed "in name of the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress, I will take this fort." William Noble wedded Cynthia Blackwell, and among their children was William Noble, Jr., the father of Mrs. Culbert. He was born in Vermont, and for many years lived at Sodus, Wayne county, New York. He married Bessie Sherman, who was born in Massachusetts, a daughter of Nathaniel Sherman, who was also a Revolutionary soldier and died . in 1810. To William and Bessie Noble were born fourteen children, of whom six sons and six daughters reached mature years, while six are now living: Althina, the wife of Philip Polhamus; William: Julia, the wife of Benjamin Polhamus; Mary A., the wife of Mr. Culbert; Alice, the wife of Hon. J. W. Moon, of Muskegon, Michigan : and Frank, also of Muskegon. Their father died in Sodus, New York, in 1838, aged sixty-six years. and the mother's death occurred in 1863, when she was fifty-nine years old. Both were members of the Presbyterian church, and Mr. Noble had served his country as a soldier in the war of 1812.

Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Culbert : Florence Belle, the eldest, died at the age of twenty years; George Estabrook, who is the partner of his father in the contracting 'firm of Culbert & Son, married Miss Grace Wilcox. and they have one daughter, Belle ; Fannie Noble

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Ora Bossenuan

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HISTORY OF LAPORTE COUNTY.

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Culbert is a graduate of Wilson College and was engaged in teaching school in Michigan City for some time; Kitty Alice is the wife of A. R. Carney, a resident of Exeter, California, and they have one son, Alexander Raymond.

Mr. Culbert belongs to Acme Lodge No. 83, F. & A. M., Michigan City Chapter No. 25, R. A. M .; Michigan City Commandry No. 30, K. T .; Indianapolis Consistory ; and is a Noble of Murat Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He is also an Elk, and is vice president of the Hermit Club. Politi- cally an earnest Republican, he has long labored for the welfare of his party, and is accounted one of its leading members in northern Indiana. He was chosen to represent his district in the lower house of the state legislature and was then elected state senator for a four years' term, prov- ing an influential member of both branches, his support being given to many measures which have proved of value to the state. About 1883 he built his beautiful home at the corner of Pine and Eighth streets, and he also owns other city property. He is a man of broad general informa- tion and of liberal, progressive views. He has made a fine reputation as a business man and as a public official, and in all places and under all circumstances he is loyal to truth, honor and right," valuing his own self-respect as infinitely prefer- able to wealth or position, and yet, because of this very fact, he has won both.

ORA BOSSERMAN. The German lineage is shown so conclusively and energetically in many of the worthy industries and active citizens of the United States, that it is a pleasure for the biographer to bring forth in history a record of their life and ancestry for the future.

Mr. Bosserman is one of the worthy scions of LaPorte county, who is of German ancestry, born, reared. and educated in LaPorte county, so he is bone and sinew of this individual terri- tory. The robe of responsibility lightly rests upon the shoulders of the younger element of to-day, and it is seen by the date of his birth, that he comes in the class of young, energetic men. He was born October, 18, 1860, in Pleasant township, and is the youngest of ten children, five sons and five daughters, born to George and Minerva (Walker) Bosserman. There are eight yet living, namely ; Carrie, the eldest, is the wife of Bishop J. W. Joice, the celebrated bishop of the Methodist Episcopal church, now of South America, but resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota ; Oliver E. is a resident of LaPorte, a merchant, and is married; S. E., represented elsewhere in

this book; Clorinda, widow of A. L. Collins, a resident of Pleasant township; William H., re- siding in LaPorte and engaged with his brother in the grain business and is married; Hattie, widow of William H. Taylor and also a resident of LaPorte, Indiana; Nettie, wife of John W. Whitmore, resident of St. Joe county and a farmer ; and Mr. Bosserman is the next.

Mr. Bosserman's father was born in Perry county, Pennsylvania, and came from Pennsyl- vania German stock. He was born in 1816, and died October 18, 1888. He was an agriculturist by choice, and was educated in the common schools. He came to LaPorte county in 1832, the year of the Black Hawk war, and came to this county in true pioneer style, in wagons. He was in Chicago when it was called old Fort Dearborn and rode through the city on horseback, and at that time he was offered one hundred and sixty acres of land there at fifty cents an acre. Mr. George Bosserman purchased at first one hun- dred and sixty acres in Pleasant township, and the land was not improved. He was a very success- ful man, and ere he died he had in his name four hundred acres of land. He had been a success- ful and economical man all his life. Politically he was an old-line Whig, and afterwards affiliated with the Republican party till his death. He and his wife were members of the Salem Chapel Methodist Episcopal church in Pleasant township, and he was one of the founders of the society. Mrs. Minerva Bosserman was born in Tennessee, and died February 21, 1886, aged sixty-eight. She was a little girl of twelve when she became a resident of LaPorte county. She traced her lineage to the Irish.

Mr. Ora Bosserman was born and reared in LaPorte county, and was educated in the common schools of Pleasant township. He has been reared as a stockman and tiller of the soil. He wedded Miss Della Jones, December 6, 1880, and to them two children, both daughters, have been born, but only one is living, namely: Mary, who is now in the Stillwell high school and is a mem- ber of the tenth grade. She has also taken mu- sical instruction. Mrs. Bosserman was born in Pleasant township, June 16, 1864, and is a daughter of Enoch and Mary (Wolcott) Jones. There were five children, three sons and two daughters, in her father's family, and four are living and are residents of this county except the brother Monroe, who is a resident of California. Mrs. Bosserman was educated in the common schools of the township and came from one of its prominent families. The young couple began

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life on a farm in Pleasant township and this has been their home ever since. Mrs. Bosserman is a genial, cordial lady.

Mr. Bosserman is a stanch and uncompromis- ing Democrat and sticks to the text. He cast his first presidential vote for Grover Cleveland. He has been selected at various times to serve his people as delegate to the county conventions. He was elected in 1886 to the office of trustee, which we all know is one of the most responsible in the county. The duties are multitudinous and many. He was re-elected in 1888 to fill the same office and again in 1900. He has six schools in his jurisdiction besides the other affairs of the township. Mr. Bosserman is a young man of much energy, and for integrity of character and honesty of purpose none stand higher in the esti- mation of the public. He is well known in the political arena of the county of LaPorte and has the confidence of the people regardless of politi- cal sentiment, and is worthy of the gift of any office he may see fit to ask of the county in his sphere.

Mr. and Mrs. Bosserman are people of high social prestige in the county, and we are pleased to present this review of this worthy couple to be presented and preserved in the beautiful and valuable volume entitled "The Twentieth Century History of LaPorte County."

CHARLES EDSON MARTIN, proprietor and editor of the Westville Indicator, and a well known native son of LaPorte county, is the youngest of two children of Sloan and Mary J. (McGinley) Martin. Sloan Martin was born in Indiana in 1833, and during the Civil war en- listed at South Bend, Indiana, in 1862, in Com- pany H, Eighty-seventh Indiana Volunteer In- fantry, and was made first lieutenant. He parti- cipated in the battle of Stone River, and at the battle of Chickamauga, September 19, 1863, while acting as captain of his company, was killed by a ball through the head. He had been a firm supporter of the Republican party, and he and his wife were members of the Methodist church. His wife was born in Ohio in 1835, and died in 1887; before her marriage she had been a teacher in Kosciusko county, Indiana.

Charles E. Martin was born in LaPorte coun- ty, October 8, 1862, and was reared and educated in the county, graduating with the class of 1881 from the Westville high school. In 1882 he be- gan his career as a typo with the LaPorte County Times, at Westville, and a year later worked on the Michigan City Dispatch, a daily. While there

he and M. T. Stokes conceived the idea of start- ing a paper on their own account, and began the publication of the Monon Times, at Monon, In- diana, but after three months Mr. Martin was taken sick and was compelled to return to West- ville and give up his interest to another party. In the spring of 1885 he purchased a half interest in the Westville Indicator, and a year later be- came sole owner. He has ably published the journal down to the present time. He erected the building in which his paper is at present lo- cated, and his equipment consists of a Potter Junior press, thirty-six by fifty-two, capable of running off two thousand sheets an hour, also a quarter medium Gordon hand press for the job work, and all of the other numerous accessories of an up-to-date printing office. His job depart- ment has as complete facilities for handsome and expeditious work as any in the county seat, and would compare favorably in its work with that done anywhere. The present circulation of the Indicator is fifteen hundred copies, and it has al- ways had the name of being one of the most in- fluential organs of the Republican party in north- ern Indiana as well as newsy and interesting in personal and general news. Mr. Martin is him- self an ardent supporter of Republican principles and has fraternal relations with the Odd Fellows lodge of Westville. During the two years pre- vious to his taking charge of the Indicator, he conducted a paper in Towanda, Butler county, Kansas.

July 16, 1889, Mr. Martin married Miss Rox- anna M. Culbertson, who was born in Indiana, October 27, 1869, a daughter of Abram and Rachel J. (Saunders) Culbertson, and of Scotch and Welsh origin. Her father was a native of Ohio, a son of a Methodist clergyman, and him- self a successful minister of the gospel, holding a prominent place in the Central Iowa and the Southern Indiana conferences. He was a preach- er of extraordinary power and conviction, and this combined with his sweet singing led him into the evangelistic work, which he continued for eighteen years, with remarkable success, in differ- ent parts of the country. His wife, a native of Indiana, was a lady of culture and womanly graces, and was a teacher in Porter county, In- diana, previous to her marriage, having received her professional training in the normal school at Valparaiso, Indiana. Mrs. Martin is an invalua- ble assistant to her husband in the editorial work, and her ability in this directon has materially promoted the advancement of the Indicator into the popularity of its readers. She is a leading

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Willis B. Wilson, M.D.

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member and has filled many of the offices in the Rebekah lodge at Westville, as well as state treasurer and other offices in the state assembly of the order, and has gained a state reputation for her work. She and her husband are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and are worthy members of Westville social circles. .

WILLIS B. WILSON, M. D., a pioneer physician of Rolling Prairie, was born in Chau- tauqua county, New York, August 3, 1828. His has been a life of usefulness devoted to his pro- fession, whereby he has done much for his fellow men. His father, James Wilson, was a native of Pennsylvania, and was reared and married there. After arriving at years of maturity James Wilson was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Porter, a native of Pennsylvania. About 1810 he removed to New York, where he followed the occupation of farming, and he was also a raft- man and pilot on the Susquehanna river. He served as a soldier of the war of 1812, and was wounded at the battle of Black Rock. In recog- nition of the aid which he rendered the govern- ment he was afterward granted a pension of four dollars a month, which continued up to the time of his death, which occurred when he had reached the ripe old age of eighty-one years. In July, 1837, he emigrated westward and established his home in Wills township, LaPorte county. In 1843 he removed to Galena township, where he remained until called to the home beyond. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, served as one of its class leaders for two years and took a very active and helpful part in its work. In politics he was a Whig until the disso- lution of the party, when he joined the ranks of the new Republican party, which he continued to support until his demise. As one of the well known pioneer settlers of the county and one who assisted materially in its early progress and upbuilding, he well deserves mention in this vol- ume and should be held in grateful remembrance by later generations. He was of Irish descent, while his wife was of Scotch lineage. She, too, lived to an advanced age, passing away after reaching the seventy-fifth milestone on life's journey. This worthy couple were the parents of nine children, five sons and four daughters, all of whom reached years of maturity, while only two of the family are now living, the sister of Dr. Wilson being Mary, the widow of Charles Williams, who is living in Osage county, Kansas, at the very advanced age of eighty-five years.

Dr. Wilson was the youngest of the family,

and was only about nine years of age at the time of his parents' removal to LaPorte county. Not long after this he became a resident of Galena township. His education was obtained in the primitive log schoolhouse, such as was common at that early period in the development of the west. In one end of the room was an immense fireplace, and the windows were formed by removing one log from the side of the building and filling the aperture with glass or greased paper. The chil- dren sat upon rude benches and conned their lessons from primitive text books. Dr. Wilson's training at farm labor, however, was not meager, for as soon as old enough to handle the plow he began work in the fields and continued to assist his father until twenty-one years of age. He then engaged in teaching school, and with the de- sire to enter professional life, took up the study of medicine. For four years he followed teach- ing and devoted his leisure hours during that period to reading works upon the medical science. In 1852-3 he was a student in the Eclectic Medical College of Cincinnati, and in the winter of 1854-5 he engaged in teaching again. In the month of March of the latter year he came to Rolling Prai- rie, purchasing the site of his present home, and began the practice of medicine. Here he has since remained as a member of the medical fra- ternity, and his long residence has made him one of the best loved family physicians in the county. He has always been a student of his pro- fession, interested in the advancement made in the medical science, and has kept informed con- cerning the progress in methods of practice.

In 1860 occurred the marriage of Dr. Wilson and Miss Helen L. McHenry, a daughter of John McHenry. She was born in Chautauqua county, New York, and there spent her girlhood days. By her marriage she has become the mother of one daughter, Maude E., who is now the wife of Eugene R. Adams, a merchant in Rolling Prairie. They have two children : Morris E. and Wilson A. Adams. The father of Mrs. Wilson was the first white child born in Chautauqua county, New York. He was born at Westfield, that county, August 28, 1802, and died in that county at more than threescore and ten years.

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A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Laporte County Indiana, Part 91

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