A history of St. Joseph County, Indiana, Volume 2, Part 58

Author: Howard, Timothy Edward, 1837-1916
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 887

USA > Indiana > St Joseph County > A history of St. Joseph County, Indiana, Volume 2 > Part 58

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THE NEW YORK PUEL. . AKARY Aster, Lenny and Folden

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Mrs. Edwin C. Laidlaw

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Edwin C. Laidlaw

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THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

Aster, Loney and Tilden Foundations. 1909

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fortable home on Michigan street, Mr. Lan- caster also owns the New Carlisle opera house, and has long been numbered among the sub- stantial business men of New Carlisle.

EDWIN C. LAIDLAW. This well and favor- ably known citizen of Penn township, St. Joseph county, is now living retired from the active duties and cares of life, enjoying the fruits of his years of toil in the past. He is numbered among the native sons of the township in which he has so long lived and labored, his natal day being the 17th of April, 1844. His father, John Laidlaw, who was numbered among the pioneer agriculturists of St. Joseph county, was a native son of Scotland, but when only ten years of age he became an American citizen, and his first home in this country was in St. Lawrence county, New York, where he grew to years of maturity. When he had reached the age of twenty-one years he left that state and made the journey on foot to Indiana, first locating in Mishawaka, and his first employment in this state was in the building of the race on the north side of the river. In 1834 he en- tered eighty acres of land from the govern- ment in Penn township, which was then cov -. ered with timber, and he later entered one hundred and sixty acres in Madison township, erecting his cabin home on the first tract. He at once began burning the timber on his land in order to secure charcoal with which to melt the iron ore taken from the marsh, and thus he cleared his land, placed many improve- ments thereon, and with the passing years added to his estate until he owned five hun- dred and eighty acres. His was truly a suc- cessful life, for when he started out to battle with the world his capital consisted of fifty dollars, but his entire possessions were but the merited reward of earnest and persistent labor, excellent management and straightfor- ward methods. Mr. Laidlaw married Sarah Shaw, who was born in Ohio, but was reared in both that state and Indiana, and they be- came the parents of twelve children, five sons and seven daughters, all of whom were born on the old homestead farm in St. Joseph coun- ty. The father passed away in death at the age of seventy-four years. In his political affiliations he supported the principles of the Whig party until the formation of the Re- publican party, when he joined its ranks and became one of its active and loyal followers.

Edwin C. Laidlaw, the second son and

third child in order of birth of his parents' twelve children, received his early educational training in the district schools of Penn town- ship, but he later pursued several college courses, one at the Northern Indiana College at South Bend, and was also a student in Eastman's Business College of New York. Re- turning thence to the old home farm, he has ever since resided upon this valuable estate, but as his children grew to mature years he di- vided his land among them until he now has but one hundred and fifty acres. Through- out all these years he has also been extensive- ly engaged in the stock business, in addi- tion to his general agricultural pursuits, for thirty years having dealt in thoroughbred stock, and in this connection he is known all over the county and also in southern Michi- gan. He is a stockholder in the Mishawaka Trust and Savings Bank. To Mr. Laidlaw also belongs the credit of having operated one of the first steam threshers in St. Joseph county. It was an old-style Wood, Tabor and Morse engine, with a Laporte separator, and was built in New York. He has ever been progressive in his ideas, and throughout his entire business career he has been numbered among St. Joseph county's leading citizens.

On the 25th of February, 1876, Mr. Laid- law was united in marriage to Henrietta Pull- ing, a native daughter of Penn township, where her father, Cyrus K. Pulling, was one of the earliest pioneers, as also of St. Joseph county. To them have been born four chil- dren, one son and three daughters, but two are now deceased. All were born and reared on the old home farm in Penn township. Mr. Laidlaw is a Republican in his political affi- liations, having cast his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln, and as its representa- tive he served one term in the legislature, hav- ing had to resign from that important posi- tion on account of sickness. During the pe- riod of the Civil war he nobly offered his serv- ices to his country's cause, enlisting in 1864 in the One Hundred and Thirty-eighth In- diana Volunteer Infantry, Company H, with which he served until the close of the con- flict. During the time he was injured while on guard duty by the falling of a trestle. He now holds pleasant relations with his old army comrades of the blue by his membership in the Grand Army Post, and he also had membership relations with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, No. 128, and the

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Grange. His religious affiliations are with the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he is a valued and worthy member.

J. B. SEAMAN, M. D. As a representative of the medical profession, Dr. J. B. Seaman has won distinction, and though but a com- paratively few years have passed since he be- came a resident of Osceola, he enjoys an ex- tensive and remunerative practice. He is progressive in all his methods, constantly reading and studying, and keps in close touch with the spirit of the times. He is a native son of the Empire state, born in Clyde, New York, June 21, 1864, his parents being Joseph W. and Sarah M. (Uline) Seaman, the former a native of Jersey City, New Jersey, born in 1835, and the mother was born in Wayne county, New York, in 1837. Mr. Joseph W. Seaman, who in early life had learned the milling business, became a citizen of St. Jo- seph county, Indiana, May 5, 1866, but a short time afterward located in Wakarusa, Elkhart county, Indiana, and resumed his milling business. He yet resides in that city, and his long identification with the place and his prominence in its business affairs have made him well known to its residents.

Dr. J. B. Seaman, the second child and eld- est son in his parents' family of six children, three sons and three daughters, was but two years of age when the family home was estab- lished in St. Joseph county, but removing with the family to Wakarusa was there reared and the early educational training which he received in its public schools was supplement- ed by attendance at the DePauw University of Greencastle. In 1897 he matriculated in the Medical College of Indiana, in which he completed his medical course and graduated in 1900, and for a time thereafter he was con- nected with the Bobb's dispensary of Indian- apolis. It was in 1901 that the Doctor came to Osceola and entered upon the practice of medicine in this village, where he has built up an extensive patronage and is rapidly winning the commendation of the public and his professional brethren. His connection with the St. Joseph County Medical Society enables him to keep in touch with the many new discoveries which are constantly being made in the medical profession, and he is numbered with the leading practitioners of St. Joseph county.

On the 17th of May, 1904, Dr. Seaman was united in marriage to Margaret Morgan,

whose birth occurred in Butler, Indiana, and their only child is a son, Joseph W.

LOUIS PROUDFIT, M. D. One of the younger representatives of the medical fraternity in St. Joseph county is Dr. Louis Proudfit, but during the few years which marks his profes- sional career he has met with gratifying suc- cess, and though his residence in Osceola dates back but five years he has won the good will and patronage of many of the leading citi- zens and families of the place. His birth oc- curred in Elkhart county, Indiana, February 10, 1876, his parents being Milton M. and Emeline (Bancroft) Proudfit, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Osceola and a member of one of the pioneer families of St. Joseph county. In an early day in its history Milton M. Proudfit removed to Elk- hart county, and both he and his wife are yet living. In their family were but two chil- dren, and the younger, Louisa, is at home with her parents.

Dr. Louis Proudfit received his literary education in the schools of St. Joseph county, and. in 1902 he graduated from the Medical College of Indiana, at Indianapolis. Imme- diately after his graduation he located for the practice of his profession at Osceola, where he has not only won a large share of the pub- lic patronage, but also its good will and high esteem. He is at all time a student, and en- deavors to keep fully abreast of the times in everything relating to discoveries in the medi- cal science, taking the leading journals and holding membership relations with the St. Joseph County Medical Society, the State Medical Society, the Tri-State Medical So- ciety and the Thirteenth Congressional Dis- trict Society.

In 1906 Dr. Proudfit was united in mar- riage to Grace Sawyer, a daughter of Fred and Clara (Crowfoot) Sawyer. She is a na- tive daughter of St. Joseph county, where her people are enrolled among its earliest pion- eers. The doctor and his wife have a pleasant home in Osceola, where they extend a gracious hospitality to their many friends and ac- quaintances.

OLIVER P. ROGERS, who has throughout his entire business life been prominently identified with the agricultural interests of Penn town- ship, was born upon the farm on which he now resides, April 7, 1860. His father, Aaron Rogers, who was numbered among the leading farmers and honored pioneers of Penn town- ship, was born in Ireland, but came to the

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United States in his early life and established his home first in Mishawaka, where he began working on a ferry boat on the St. Joseph river. He was also employed in a foundry in that city, and finally removed to the farm which is now so well known as the Rogers homestead. With the aid of his sons he cleared his land from its dense growth of timber and placed his fields under an excel- lent state of cultivation. His original pur- chase consisted of eighty acres, but he later added to his boundaries until he became the owner of three hundred and twenty acres, the most of which was cleared by him and his sons. . The first home of the family was a lit- tle log cabin, and the farm machinery in those early days. was of the crudest sort, the plowing being done by means of ox teams. Mrs. Rogers was born in Denmark, but came .. to the United States during her girlhood days, and for a time was employed in Mishawaka. By her marriage, she became the mother of six sons and one daughter, namely : Matilda, deceased ; John; William; Robert, Thomas and David, deceased; and Oliver P., all born on the old homestead farm in Penn township, and all received their education in the near- by district school. Mr. Rogers, the father, supported the principles of the Republican party, and was a member of the first Presby- terian church of Mishawaka, an active worker in the cause of Christianity. His death oc- curred when he had reached the age of sixty- five years, and in his death St. Joseph count- ty lost one of her most useful citizens and one of her early and honored pioneers.

The early years of Oliver P. Rogers were spent in assisting to clear and improve the home farm, and in addition to his large agri- cultural and stock raising interests there he is now also serving as president of the Elm Grove Breeding Association, in which he is one of the stockholders. On the 19th of April, 1883, he was united in marriage to Sarah A. Burket, a native of Elkhart county, Indiana, and a daughter of Henry Burket, who was a farmer as well as a German Bap- tist minister. Both he and his wife were of German descent. Two children, a son and a daughter, have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, Clarence E. and Loretta A., both born on the farm which was also the birth- place of their father. Throughout the period of his majority, Mr. Rogers has given his polit- ical support to the Republican party, and he is an active worker in the party ranks, at

the present time serving as deputy assessor of his township. He is a member of the Ger- man Baptist church, and is a gentleman hon- ored and respected wherever known.

JOHN H. FULMER. Among the younger representatives of the agricultural interests of Penn township is numbered John H. Ful- mer, who is descended from a long line of till- ers of the soil, and he, too, has won an en- viable reputation in the calling. His birth occurred in the township of Penn May 26, 1872, and a complete history of the family will be found in the sketch of Jacob Fulmer elsewhere in this work. On the old family homestead in this community he grew to sturdy manhood, receiving his educational training in the district schools near his home, and on the 15th of March, 1894, he was here married to Mary Ann Weis, whose birth also occurred within the borders of Penn town- ship. She is the daughter of Henry Weis, an honored early pioneer of Penn township, and two children have been born to bless their union, a son and a daughter, Carl Melvin and Ada May, both of whom were born in this township.

Mr. and Mrs. Fulmer began their married life on the old home farm on which the hus- band was born, where they resided during the following eight years, and at the close of that period, in 1902, removed to their present homestead of one hundred and twenty acres. Mr. Fulmer gives a stanch and unfaltering support to the Republican party, and the family are members of the Evangelical church, to which he contributes liberally of his time and means toward its maintenance and upbuilding. He is accorded a prominent position in the business circles of Penn town- ship, and his career thus far on the journey of life has been a credit to the township cf his nativity.

JAMES. BONER, a well-known agriculturist of Penn township, was born in Mahoning county, Ohio, May 15, 1833. His father, Andrew Boner, who was for many years en- gaged in agricultural pursuits in that com- monwealth, was a native son of Ireland, but in his young manhood he came to the United States, where he was married to a native daughter of Pennsylvania. They became the parents of seven children, three sons and four daughters.

James Boner. their fourth child and sec- ond son in order of birth, spent the early years of his life on the home farm in Ohio,

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and it was about 1858 when he came to St. Joseph county, Indiana. During the first years of his residence in this county he worked for others, but in 1863 he put aside all personal considerations and enlisted for service in the Civil war, becoming a member of Company K, Fifth Indiana Volunteer In- fantry, his military career covering a period of ten months. During a part of that time he was ill in the hospital, and returning to St. Joseph county bought his present farm of one hundred and thirty-five acres, which he cleared of its dense growth of timber and placed under an excellent state of cultiva- tion, converting it into one of the valuable homesteads of the township.

After coming to St. Joseph county Mr. Boner was united in marriage to Angeline Campbell, her father, William Campbell, being one of the well-known agriculturists of this county. She was born in Laporte coun- ty, Indiana, and was there reared and edu- cated. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Boner, Etta, Carrie (deceased), Stella, Pearl, Frank and Minnie. All were born in St. Joseph county. In his political affiliations Mr. Boner is not bound by party ties, and although he takes an active interest in all public questions and political affairs he has never desired the honors or emolu- ments of office.

SOLOMON MOON. For many years Solomon Moon was connected with the agricultural interests of Penn township, and his well-spent life commended him to the confidence and es- teem of all, while in his death the community lost one of its most valued citizens. He was born in the Empire state of New York March 25, 1825, and in that commonwealth his father, Wanton Moon, also had his nativity. He was there married to one of its native daughters, Barbara Biggs, and they had two children, Harriet and Solomon. After the death of the mother the father was again mar- ried, also having two children by the second union.

During the boyhood days of Solomon Moon the family moved to Michigan, where the father resumed his agricultural labors, and that state continued the home of his son Solomon until his removal to St. Joseph coun- ty in the '40s. He worked for others until his marriage, when he purchased forty acres of timber land in Penn township, the nucleus of the present Moon estate, and began the arduous task of clearing his land and

placing it under cultivation. His labors, how- ever, were attended with success, and he not only succeeded in bringing his farm to a high state of cultivation, but added thereto until at the time of his death he was the owner of one hundred and sixty acres, a valuable estate.

On the 26th of June, 1851, Mr. Moon mar- ried Charlotte Hollingshead, who was born in Ohio October 31, 1831, a daughter of Daniel Hollingshead, whose birth occurred in Ken- tucky. In his early youth he moved from that state to Ohio, where he was subsequently married to Margaret McConnel, a native of Pennsylvania, and they became the parents of ten children, five sons and five daughters, of whom Mrs. Moon was the youngest in order of birth, and seven of the children are now deceased. In about 1832 the family came to St. Joseph county, Indiana, arriving here in a very early period of its history, when its resources were very limited, and they proved valued factors in its upbuilding and develop- ment. They located in Penn township, where Mr. Hollingshead entered a farm from the government, and with the passing years cleared and placed his fields under cultiva- tion. The township was new and wild when they took up their abode within its borders, and as there were then no mills they were obliged to pound their corn into flour. The father gave his political support to the Democ- racy, and was a member of the Methodist church, passing away in its faith at the age of seventy-three years. He was well known among the early residents of this community, and his upright and useful life won him the love and respect of all. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Moon were born nine children, five sons and four daughters, Annis, Arvilla, Amy, George, Ira, Laura, Charles, and two who died in infancy. Arvilla, Amy, Ira and Charles are also deceased. All were born and reared in Penn township. Mr. Moon, the father affili- ated with the Democracy, and was a worthy member of the Methodist church. His busy and useful life was ended in death at the age of fifty-three years. For many years he was identified with the substantial and material development of his adopted county, and was classed among the worthy pioneer settlers who laid the foundation for the present pros- perity of this section of the state.

JACOB FULMER. In reviewing the promi- nent early pioneers of St. Joseph county one will find that from a very early day in its de- velopment the name of Fulmer has been close-

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Jacob Fulmer

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ly connected with the progress and advance- ment of this section of the state. Wild was the region into which Mr. Jacob Fulmer came when a little lad of eight years, and from that early period he has been prominently identified with its history, but now, as he journeys down the western slope of life, he is living retired, crowned with the respect and esteem which should ever follow an honorable career. He was born in Ohio December 12, 1842, a son of Martin Fulmer, who was num- bered among the agriculturists of Penn town- ship. He was born in the far-off land of Ger- many in 1802, but after attaining to years of maturity he came to America, establishing his home on a farm in Portage county, Ohio. He was there married to Mary Kling, whose birth occurred in Germany in 1804, and dur- ing her young womanhood she came to the United States and located in Ohio. Five chil- dren blessed their union, four sons and one daughter, namely: Elizabeth Wahl, Martin, David, Jacob and John, all of whom claimed Ohio as the commonwealth of their nativity. In 1849 the family made the overland jour- ney to St. Joseph county, Indiana, establish- ing their home on a farm of ninety-five acres in Penn township. The father, how- ever, was permitted to enjoy his new home but a short time, for his death occurred just one year after the removal hither, and to his sons fell the arduous task of clearing the new farm and placing it under cultivation. To their united efforts is due the many im- provements which now adorn this valuable. old homestead.

In time Mr. Jacob Fulmer purchased the interests of the other heirs in the place, and he is now the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of rich and fertile land, while formerly his estate numbered three hundred and twen- ty acres in Penn township. He also per- formed his part in the arduous task of clear- ing the land, plowing and planting the crops, and thus for many years he carried on the active work of the old homestead, but as he approached the western slope of life he laid down its cares, his industry and enterprise in former years winning for him the comforts of life.

In 1865 Mr. Fulmer was married to Eliza- beth L. Beiger, a native daughter of Ger- many, but who came to America with her par- ents during her childhood days. Her father was Jacob Beiger. To this union were born five sons, Lee D., Clarence W., John Henry,

Martin D. and Jacob H., all of whom were born and reared in St. Joseph county, In- diana, and were educated in the district schools of Penn township. Mr. Fulmer, the father, has given a lifelong support to the principles of the Republican party, and dur- ing the long period of twenty-five years he served as his party's representative in the of- fice of supervisor. He is a member of the Evangelical church at Coalbush, in which he is serving as a trustee. He is an earnest Christian gentleman, and its teachings have actuated his life and formed the principles upon which his conduct has been based.

Lee D. Fulmer, the eldest son of this hon- ored St. Joseph county pioneer, is a rep- resentative agriculturist on section 31, Penn township, and his birth occurred on the old family homestead here on the 11th of Novem- ber, 1868. On the 28th of September, 1893, he was married to Eva Huston, whose birth also occurred within the borders of the town- ship of Penn, where her father, Harrison Huston, located in a very early day, and his history will be found on other pages of this work. The daughter attended the schools of Center township, St. Joseph county, and also the schools of Missouri. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Fulmer, two sons and two daughters, Floyd H., Mildred and Raymond and Helen, twins, all born in Penn township.

After his marriage Mr. Fulmer located on a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, which he rented for one year, and then became the owner of a tract of forty acres. Six years later, however, he sold that place to his father and purchased his present homestead of one hundred and nine acres, and in addition to its cultivation and improvement he is also a stockholder in the Mishawaka Malt Cream Factory. He is a supporter of Repub- lican principles, and a leading member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In his business relations he is thoroughly upright and con- scientious, gentlemanly, considerate and cour- teous in his personal and social contact, and is a worthy representative of an honored an- cestry.

JOHN W. LEONARD. For over half a cen- tury John W. Leonard has been numbered among the representative citizens and leading agriculturists of St. Joseph county, and his entire career has been marked by signal in- tegrity, justice and honor. He was born in Wayne county, Ohio, October 18, 1821, a son

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.. of Henry and Anna (Yoger) Leonard, the mother of German descent, while the father, who was for many years a farmer in Ohio, was a native son of Pennsylvania. They be- came the parents of two children, of whom John W. is the elder, and he also had a half- sister, Sarah, now deceased. She was born in Ohio. Mr. Leonard died when his son was but a little lad of four years, and the mother afterward became the wife of Edwin Force.

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A history of St. Joseph County, Indiana, Volume 2, Part 58

Author: Howard, Timothy Edward, 1837-1916 Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing company Number of Pages: 887

Author: Howard, Timothy Edward, 1837-1916
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 887