A history of St. Joseph County, Indiana, Volume 2, Part 93

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

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JOHN EASTBURN, one of the leading farmers of Union township and a representative of one of its honored old pioneer families, is entitled to a prominent place in the annals of St. Joseph county. He was born on the family homestead one mile east of Lakeville, Decem- ber 29, 1859, a son of Benjamin and Mar- garet (Thorpe) Eastburn. The father was born in North Carolina, and was but a little lad of nine years when he came with his father to Johnson county, Indiana, where he grew to years of maturity and was there mar- ried. Previous to this time he had come to St. Joseph county and rafted lumber on the Kankakee river, returning to Johnson county for his bride, and after coming again to this county secured land east of Lakeville. The young couple took up their abode in a little log cabin in the dense woods, the. birthplace of their son John, and when he was but a babe of four years his mother died, leaving the father to rear their children and make for them a home. Six children had been born to them, namely: Mary C., the wife of Lewis Bailey, who resides on the old Eastburn home- stead in Union township; Zachariah T., who was formerly engaged in agricultural pur- suits in Kansas; but is now a resident of Union township; Elizabeth, the wife of Isaac Henderson, who resides near Lakeville; John, the subject of this review; Nancy, the wife of William Schafer, of Union township; and Samuel I., a bridge contractor and a resi- dent of Cando, North Dakota. Mr. Eastburn, the father, was an excellent business man. and from time to time he added to his original

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purchase until at the time of his death the estate consisted of three hundred and thirty- two acres, sixty-one of which were included in the homestead. He was a Republican in his political affiliations, and a member of the Christian church at Lakeville, in its faith passing away in death on the 19th of March, 1891, having remained true to the memory of his wife during all those many years.

John Eastburn remained at home until twenty-one years of age, farming the old homestead in company with his brother Samuel for eight years, or until his father's death. It was in the year 1892 that he took up his abode on his present homestead, it hav- ing been purchased by his father three years previously, and was the old Jonathan Winn farm, he having located it in the dense woods and spent the remainder of his life in its im- provement and cultivation. At the time of the purchase by Mr. Eastburn it contained one hundred and twenty acres, but its boun- daries have since been increased to one hun- dred and forty acres, and the farm is located two and a half miles southeast of Lakeville in Union township. The many valuable and substantial improvements which now adorn the premises have been placed there by its present owner, and consist of a fine bank barn forty by seventy-two feet, while in 1904 the pleasant and commodious residence was erected, thus making it one of the modern and attractive homesteads of the township. Mr. Eastburn follows general farming and stock- raising, and is very successful in his efforts.

On the 14th of March, 1883, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Eastburn and Miss Ella Nogle, she being a daughter of John and Mary Nogle, of Seneca county, Ohio, the birthplace of their daughter Ella. She be- came a resident of South Bend some years before her marriage, and for two years re- sided in the home of Alfred Miller, the well known editor of that city. Four children have been born of this union: Carrie M., at home and engaged in teaching; Nellie and Freddie, twins, and Mary. Nellie is also a teacher in the schools of Union township, and Fred is an engineer in the dredge business. The Republican party receives Mr. East- burn's active support and co-operation and he has often served as a delegate to its con- ventions. His fraternal relations are with the Knights of the Maccabees.

HARRY WITTER, one of the leading agri- culturists of German township, is a repre-

sentative of one of the prominent old pioneer families of St. Joseph county. His paternal great-grandfather, Christopher Witter, was born on the 5th of July, 1756, in Pennsyl- vania, of German descent, and became the father of eight children. The grandparents of our subject, John and Mary (Moyer) Wit- ter, were natives of Ohio, where their mar- riage was celebrated on the 25th of May, 1803. About 1835 they established their home in German township, St. Joseph county, Indi- ana, where they spent the remainder of their lives and passed to their final reward. The father was born on the 23d of October, 1782, and his wife on the 5th of March, 1783.

George Witter, a son of this worthy old pioneer couple, was born in Union county, Ohio, October 23, 1817, and accompanied his parents on their removal to St. Joseph county in 1835. The family first took up their abode in German township, and Mr. Witter subse- quently became a resident of Warren town- ship, but returning spent the remainder of his life in German township, his death occur- ring on the 8th of January, 1898. He was a life-long agriculturist and by his own efforts acquired a fine property of two hundred and ninety acres. He was active in the public life of his locality, voting first with the Whig and then the Republican party, and he served as the trustee of Warren township and in other minor offices. His religious connection was with the German Baptist church, and he was an active and efficient worker in the cause of Christianity. On the 16th of Febru- ary, 1840, Mr. Witter was married to Sarah J. Miller, who was born near Dayton, Ohio, November 1, 1822, but in 1830 was brought by her parents to St. Joseph county, Indi- ana, the home being established about a mile east of the daughter's present home. Her parents were David and Sarah (Hardman) Miller, both natives of Ohio. At the time of their removal to St. Joseph county the now populous city of South Bend consisted of but a few Indian huts, and the father entered land in German township and spent the re- mainder of his life here, dying on the 26th of October, 1842, while his wife survived until the 4th of June, 1850. In their family were thirteen children, and their daughter, Mrs. Witter, is still living, and makes her home with the subject of this review. Twelve chil- dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Witter, namely : Elizabeth McCoy. deceased : Phoebe Jane, who died at the age of ten years; Aaron,

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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.

of Warren township; Adaline, who became the wife of Ed. Slusser, deceased, and she now resides with her brother Harry; Mary Ellen Augustine, deceased; Lucinda Smith, deceased; John W., who died at the age of twenty years; Albert, deceased; Caroline Dunn, of Elkhart, Indiana; Martin M., who resides on the old homestead in Warren town- ship; George I., deceased; and Harry, the sub- ject of this review.

Harry Witter was born in Warren town- ship, St. Joseph county, Indiana, November 26, 1865, and remained in his native place until twenty years of age, when he came with his parents to his present farm in German township. After his marriage, however, he returned to the old homestead in Warren township, but after a residence there of four years he again came to the farm on which he now lives. The home farm consists of seven- ty-five acres in section 31, which belongs to his mother, and he is also the administrator of the old homestead in Warren township, consisting of one hundred and ninety-five acres. His entire active business career has been devoted to agricultural pursuits and stock-raising, and he has met with excellent success in his chosen calling. He has given a life-long support to the Republican party, and two years ago he was its choice for the posi- tion of trustee of German township, being the present incumbent. During a period of two years he also served as road supervisor, and is an active factor in the public life of his community.

In 1891 Mr. Witter was united in marriage to Eva Dunn, a native of Warren township and a daughter of James T. Dunn. After a happy married life of only four years Mrs. Witter was called to the home beyond, having become the mother of two children, Harry Everett, who died when only ten weeks old, and Juanita, a little maiden of eleven years, who is pursuing her studies in the eighth grade.

CHRISTIAN R. FOGLE. The most enduring monument which can be erected to the mem- ory of loved ones is the written record, the pages glowing with the enrollment of the noble life and kindly deeds-these alone hand down to generations of the future the history of the past. One of the highly respected citi- zens of Lakeville was Christian R. Fogle, who was born on the 18th of December, 1832, in Stark county, Ohio. His grandfather, Adam Fogle, was one of the earliest pioneers of Can-

ton, Ohio, where he conducted a tannery for many years, and was succeeded in the busi- ness by his son, Adam Fogle, the father of Christian. On the 11th of February, 1852, in Canton, Ohio, Christian Fogle married Fanny Klopfenstein, who was nearly of his own age, born in the village of Lewisville, Stark county, Ohio, where her father, Christian Klopfenstein, was an early pioneer, removing thither from Pennsylvania.

Christian Fogle learned the tanner's trade from his father, and also worked at that oc- cupation with his brother-in-law in Lewis- ville. The year following his marriage he took charge of his brother-in-law's farm near Osnaburg, Stark county, Ohio, thus continu- ing for two years, and in the spring of 1861 came to Indiana and secured employment with Adam Shidler, who operated a saw mill near Lakeville, Mr. Fogle hauling lumber from the mill to South Bend, and continued his association with Mr. Shidler for one year. On the expiration of that period he purchased land just north of Lapaz, then in the dense woods, and took up his abode in a little log cabin with a puncheon floor and clapboard roof, and there he and his faithful wife lived and labored for ten years. In the meantime he was drafted for service in the Civil war, and having no money with which to secure a substitute was obliged to leave his family in destitute circumstances and go to the front, where he spent nine months, but most of the time was sick in the hospital. During her husband's absence Mrs. Fogle had to carry - on the farm work, and in her distressed cir- cumstances would chop wood, the exposures from that labor bringing on rheumatism, from which she is now a severe sufferer. When her food supply gave out she went to the trustees for help, but being sent from one to another and told that she would have to wait an in- vestigation to see if she was wholly destitute, she decided to depend upon her own exer- tions and managed to exist through the win- ter. After her husband's return his health was so poor that he was unable to work, and bravely she struggled on until finally their farm became one of the best in the township, with good buildings and many substantial im- provements.

Their only child, a son, Elmer Medill, died from typhoid fever at the age of seventeen years, so that at the death of her husband, which occurred on the 11th of August, 1893, she sold the farm and in the same year came

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to Lakeville, buying a small place, which she has converted into a neat and pleasant home. During the past years she has been so afflicted with rheumatism that she has had to depend upon the ministrations of others, her niece making her home with her. Her life has been frought with hardships and privations, but bravely she met and overcame the trials which barred her pathway, and she is num- bered among the brave pioneer women of St. Joseph county. Mr. Fogle was not a poli- tician, voting for the men whom he regarded as best qualified for office, and was a member of the German Baptist church, in which his widow also holds membership, and both have been active workers in the cause of Chris- tianity through life. Mrs. Fogle is a well educated lady, having been a student in Mount Union Seminary of Stark county, Ohio, and her parents dying when she was young she was obliged to begin teaching at the age of sixteen years, continuing that oc- cupation until her marriage. She is the youngest of fifteen children, but only two are now living, her sister being Mrs. Mary Shidler.

JOSEPH G. ZIGLER. Back to Virginia must we turn in tracing the lineage of Joseph G. Zigler. That section of the country which cradled so much of our national history be- came the home of his ancestors in early colon- ial days, and the representatives of the fam- ily have been loyal and devoted sons of the republic. He was born in Botetourt county, Virginia, August 17, 1827, a son of Samuel and Margaret (Garwood) Zigler, also natives of the Old Dominion. The father, who was a wagon-maker, came to South Bend in the spring of 1834, but later took up his abode on Palmer's prairie, and subsequently on Por- tage Prairie, remaining in German township until his son Joseph was sixteen years of age. He afterward operated a saw mill on the Terre Coupee Prairie for three or four years, and his death occurred in New Carlisle when he had reached the age of seventy years, his widow surviving him for five years. In their family were ten children, eight of whom grew to years of maturity, and four, Joseph, Hiram, John and Jane, are now living. Hiram is a resident of South Dakota, John resides on the Terre Coupee near New Cal- lisle, and Jane is the wife of Granville Wool- man, also of New Carlisle. The four who are deceased are: Mary, who became the wife of Aaron Miller, and died at the age of sixty-

nine years; William, who resided in St. Joseph county until his death at the age of seventy-six years; James, who was thirty years of age at the time of his death; and Martha, who became the wife of Abel Hat- field, and died in South Bend at the age of thirty years.

Joseph G. Zigler, the eldest of the children, remained at home for years after attaining the age of maturity, working at the carpen- ter's trade, and he also spent twenty-five years in the employ of Studebaker Brothers, assisting in the construction of their large factories. Previous to this time, however, in 1859, he had gone to California to secure a change of climate, and there worked at his trade in quartz mills, etc., for eleven years, when he returned to St. Joseph county and associated himself with the Studebakers as a mechanic, serving for a few years as foreman of their carpenter work. In the fall of 1899 he came to Lakeville, exchanging a five acre tract in South Bend for his home here, which is one of the oldest ones of the locality, having been settled by a Mr. Moon in a very early day, and has changed hands many times since, the residence having been erected by the original owner. The tract consists of one hundred and twenty acres, ninety acres of which are under cultivation, and the Vandalia railroad passes through the place. For some years past Mr. Zigler has been disabled from paralysis, and he is passing the evening of a long and useful life in the midst of family and friends.

On the 17th of December, 1857, was cele- brated the marriage of Mr. Zigler and Jane Morrell, who was born on the 21st of De- cember, 1831, a daughter of Jacob and Mary Morrell, natives of Ohio, but their marriage was celebrated in Hamilton, Indiana. In 1834 they took up their abode four miles north of South Bend, where they remained until old age, and he also spent one year in California after the death of his wife, which occurred when she was fifty-two years of age. After his return he located on a small place near Niles, Michigan, but his last years were passed in the home of Mrs. Zigler, in South Bend, where his death occurred at the age of ninety-four years. He was a wheelwright, and in the early days manufactured spinning and flax wheels, looms, reels, etc., some of which are still in existence, and he was an expert mechanic. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Morrell were seven children, namely:

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Charles, who was a farmer and telegraph op- erator, died at the age of seventy-two years; Thomas, who died at the age of twenty-one years, was a telegraph operator at Kalamazoo, and was one of the first to read by sound; Benjamin Franklin, who died in the United States service at the age of twenty-eight; Al- bert; Rebecca, the widow of Rev. James A. Kennedy, a teacher and minister in Missouri, where she now resides; and Rhoda, the wife of Thomas Kiser, of Granger, Indiana. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Zigler have been born one daughter, Addie, who is at home, and she has devoted her life to her parents. Mr. Zigler gives his political support to the Republican party, and for fifty years has held member- ship relations with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His career has been an active, useful, honorable one, and by reason of his well spent life he enjoys the high regard of his fellow citizens.

. PHILIP PARKER DUCOMB, who has been en- gaged in the mercantile business in Lakeville during the past thirty years, is a veteran of the Civil war and a man whose sterling integ- rity entitles him to the high regard in which he is held by all who know him. He is a native of the Buckeye state of Ohio, born in Minerva, Stark county, on the 22d of Febru- ary, 1839, but the family is of French origin, and the grandfather of Philip Parker came to the United States from Paris, France, in 1801, becoming a loyal and devoted son of the re- public and a soldier in its war of 1812. He established his home in Stark county, Ohio, and there he passed away in death in 1834, five years before the birth of his grandson, Philip P. He had married Nancy Armstrong, and they became the parents of four sons, Vincent, William, Andrew and Philip, the eldest of whom, Vincent, was the father of him whose name introduces this review. He married Harriet C. Parker, a native daughter of Pennsylvania, and their children were James M., Philip P., Obediah W .. Rachael A., Eliza J., Maria A., Harriet C., Mary A. and Elizabeth M., but only three of this once large family are now living, Rachael, Mary and Philip P. The father died on the farm he had cleared and cultivated in Union town- ship in 1876, aged seventy years, and four years later the mother joined him in the home beyond.

In 1853 Philip Parker DuComb emigrated with his father to Indiana, settling near Lake- ville, and he obtained an excellent education

at Asbury University of Greencastle, where he pursued the scientific course. But his studies were interrupted with the inaguration of the Civil war, and in September, 1861, he put aside his text books to become a loyal soldier of the republic, becoming sergeant of Com- pany K, Twenty-ninth Indiana Volunteer In- fantry, with which he served for three years and participated in the battles of Shiloh, Corinth, Dalton and Atlanta. His brother, James M., was killed at the battle of Corinth, Mississippi, nobly dying as a sacrifice to his country. For a time Mr. DuComb served on detached duty as a U. S. detective, and after the close of his three years' service was made captain of his company at Nashville, Ten- nessee, under General Thomas, his bravery on the field of battle having won him his pro- motion, and he was in command during the battle of Nashville. He was mustered out with his company at the close of the conflict, and is now a member of Auten Post, G. A. R., of South Bend, attending the encampments and reunions of the order, and keeps in close touch with his old army comrades of the blue. Shortly after his return from the army, in 1867, Mr. DuComb embarked in the mercan- tile business in Lakeville, and with the ex- ception of a period of ten years when he resided on the farm he has since been num- bered among the leading merchants of this city, covering a period of thirty years. He purchased the interest of the other heirs in the DuComb homestead, mainly for the pur- pose of establishing his sons on the farm for a few years, and he was also made the post- master at Lakeville under President Grant, continuing in that office until his resignation.

On the 17th of February, 1867, Mr. Du Comb was united in marriage to Bertha E. Wright, who was born near Walkerton, St. Joseph county, Indiana, and their union has been blessed by the birth of five children: Roland F., chief stamp clerk in the South Bend postoffice; Cortland P., a popular attor- ney of South Bend; Florence B., the wife of Evo Olivet, a dredge contractor in that city ; Clifford Vincent, a teacher and law student in South Bend; and Chester Loyd, who is a member of the teacher's profession in St. Joseph county. All of the children have re- ceived excellent educational advantages, and in turn they have become popular teachers in the county. Mr. DuComb holds fraternal relations with the Knights of the Maccabees. In manner he is courteous and genial, and

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among the people with whom he has been so long connected he is well known and highly esteemed.

CHARLES E. BAILEY, the principal of the Union township high school at Lakeville, is one of the native sons of the township, in the welfare of which he takes a sincere in- terest. As an educator he stands in the front ranks, and his practical methods are deserv- ing of the high praise which is universally accorded them. Born on the 20th of July, 1879, he is a son of Lewis and Mary (East- burn) Bailey, who yet reside on the farm which was the birthplace of their son Charles E. The mother was born in Union township of St. Joseph county, a daughter of Ben- jamin Eastburn, while the father's birth oc- curred in Ohio, but during his youth he was brought from that state to Union township.

Charles E. Bailey spent the early. years of his life on the old home farm, and the training which he received in the home school was supplemented by attendance in the Val- paraiso University. Before reaching the age of majority he entered the school room as a teacher, while later he again attended the Valparaiso University in order to further per- fect himself in his chosen profession. . He is now on his fourth year as principal of the Union township high school, which contains three rooms and an enrollment of one hundred and twenty-five pupils. The school completes the tenth grade of studies, and the graduating class of 1907 contains nine pupils. Mr. Bailey spares himself no work to make the school of the highest possible standard, and his zeal is appreciated by the citizens.

On the 6th of August, 1906, Mr. Bailey was united in marriage to Miss Inez Holland, of Lakeville, who during the two years pre- vious to her marriage was a successful teacher in the township schools. He is an active worker in the ranks of the Republican party, and in his fraternal relations is a member of the Woodmen of the World. Both Mr. and Mrs. Bailey are held in the highest esteem in the social circles of the community, and their friends are legion.

JONATHAN LINEBACK, the oldest living resi- dent of Union township, has long passed the Psalmist's span of three score years and ten, and now in the evening of his long, useful and eventful life he is honored and revered by all who have the pleasure of his acquaint- ance. He was born on the banks of the Brandywine, at Greenfield, Hancock county,

Indiana, January 11, 1830, a son of Elijah and Elizabeth (Little) Lineback, both na- tives of Wayne county, Indiana, and of Ger- man descent, he of German-Dutch and she of German-English. In May, 1830, they jour- neyed on horseback to the St. Joseph country, going first to Elkhart Prairie, but soon after- ward settled west of South Bend, and one year later took up their abode in that city, where he built a residence. In the year 1833 they came to Union township, where they se- cured one hundred and sixty acres of land, and were the second family to locate within the borders of Union township, a Mr. Garner having preceded them hither, while South Bend at that time contained but two inhabi- tants, and they were Indian traders. Mr. Lineback hired ox teams with which to make the journey, they cutting their own road through the woods and over marshes to the Michigan road, which had then just been lo- cated, and on which Mr. Lineback had worked near South Bend and had come here to con- tinue the employment. He secured one hun- dred and sixty acres of land lying just north of what is now Lakeville, although it was twenty years later before that village was even started, and paid for his land by work on the Michigan road, laboring under a con- tractor named Rush. His road work con- tinued as his main employment during two summers, while his wife boarded the men assisting in its construction. He then set about the arduous task of clearing his land from its dense growth of timber, but during the memorable sickly season of 1837 his life's labors were ended in death and he now lies buried in South Bend. Mr. Lineback was a young man at the time of his death, and left a widow and three children, of whom Jona- than was the eldest child. The second son, George Riley, was the first white child born in the township, his birth occurring in the fall of 1833, and here he was reared to ma- ture years, but he now resides in Miami county, near 'Peru, Indiana. The only daughter, Mary, is the wife of John Boyes, of Kalkaska, Michigan. Just prior to his death the father had traded his original pur- chase and was five hundred dollars in debt, the farm at his death being taken in payment for this amount, which left his widow in desti- tute circumstances, a couple of beds being her sole worldly possessions. For a time thereafter she made the living for her family by picking cranberries, which she sold at

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A history of St. Joseph County, Indiana, Volume 2, Part 93

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