A portrait and biographical record of Boone, Clinton and Hendricks Counties, Ind. : containing biographical sketches of many prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of all of the presidents of the United States, and biographies of the governors of Indiana, Part 16

Author:
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : A.W. Bowen & Co.
Number of Pages: 1080

USA > Indiana > Boone County > A portrait and biographical record of Boone, Clinton and Hendricks Counties, Ind. : containing biographical sketches of many prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of all of the presidents of the United States, and biographies of the governors of Indiana > Part 16
USA > Indiana > Clinton County > A portrait and biographical record of Boone, Clinton and Hendricks Counties, Ind. : containing biographical sketches of many prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of all of the presidents of the United States, and biographies of the governors of Indiana > Part 16
USA > Indiana > Hendricks County > A portrait and biographical record of Boone, Clinton and Hendricks Counties, Ind. : containing biographical sketches of many prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of all of the presidents of the United States, and biographies of the governors of Indiana > Part 16

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

- -

---- i i

- 1

201

OF BOONE COUNTY.

of life, founded on a wide experience of men and affairs. He is a friend to the oppressed, and a strong sense of justice will not allow him to see injustice go unrebuked, nor the strong oppress the weak, without more than a protest on his part. His life is an excellent example of what our best American volunteer soldiers have accomplished during and since the war.

PESLEY W. ALEXANDER .- Among the farmers of Boone county, Ind., is the gentleman whose biography follows: His an- cestors settled in Rowan county, N. C., at a period antedating the war for independence. Travis Alexander, who was our subject's grand- father, was a patriot, and bore arms seven years in our struggle for freedom. He was a member of the Ancient Order of Free and Ac- cepted Masons when Gen. Warren, who fell at the battle of Bunker Hill, was the grand wor- shipful master of America. After independ- ence was achieved, Travis sold his plantation in North Carolina and moved out to Scott county, Ky., where he again bought an exten- sive body of land, and engaged in raising mules, negroes and cattle, until the time of his death. His second son, William, our subject's father, was born in Rowan county, N. C., June 5. 1790. When but a child he came with his father to Kentucky. In early man- hood he was raised to the degree of master mason and enlisted as a soldier in the war of 1812. He was at the massacre of the River Raisin and with a few others merely escaped with life. He was married to Elizabeth Denny on Christmas day, 1814, soon after which event he moved to Owen county, Ken- tucky, where he bought a body of land and followed the occupation of his father. There were born unto them five children, i. c .: 9

Lewis, Francis, Jane, Elijah, and Wesley. His wife died August 25, 1825. He was next married to Parmelia Buford in 1829. His widow survived him until 1855.

Wesley W. Alexander, whose name intro- duces this sketch, was born on his father's plantation October 30 1824. Left an orphan when too young to know his loss, he lived with his grandfather, Lewis Denny, who emi- grated to Boone county, Ind., in the autumn of 1830. He dwelt with his grandfather until he was eighteen years of age. He then went to Delphi, Ind., where he served three years, under Arthur Coudley, learning the cabinet- maker's trade. He then came to Thorntown, Ind., and opened a business with Samuel An- toman. At this time he was initiated into Boone lodge, No. 9. F. & A. M., and now holds the oldest membership in his lodge. Although he did inherit, as a part of his father's estate, some slaves, yet he was an avowed abolitionist in the 'forties, when to be an aboli- tionist was as much an outrage against society as to be a thief or an atheist. He supported John C. Fremont in 1856, and Lincoln in 1860. He fled the republican camp in 1872 and now gingerly votes the democratic ticket. He was married to Miss Miriam Hill, in Thorn- town, on the ninth day of November, 1847, and the fruits of their union have been: Francis, John, William, Medora, James and Harrison, the last named deceased. In 1851, he unwit- tingly mixed a bottle of nitric acid and linseed oil. It exploded in his hands and so impaired his vision that he determined to again engage in agriculture; accordingly he located on the Grand Prairie, west of Lafayette, and then, in 1855, bought the land where he now resides. As a mechanic in wood, he has few equals and no superiors. His industry and frugality have enabled him to possess many of the necessi- ties and most of the comforts of so simple and useful a life as is his. He has seen:

202

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

"Behind the scared squaw's bark canoe A steamboat rant and rave; Seen town lots staked for sale Above the Indian's grave."

As, in his greener years, he was a cunning artificer in wood, nor employed a journeyman to execute his best designs, so now, that the evening of his life has come, he gathers intelli- gence from afar, nor asks any aid to frame his actions.

J OHN T. ALEXANDER is one of the soldiers of the Civil war, a native of Boone county, Ind., and a respected citizen, descending from an old Ameri- can family of North Carolina. His father, William Alexander, a native of North Carolina, was a soldier of the Mexican war, and came when a young man to Boone county, Ind., among the pioneers. He married in Rush county, Ind., Ruah Lyons, and they were the parents of seven children, as follows: John, who died aged twenty-one years; Ira, William, Sarah J., Andrew, Elizabeth, and John T. Mr. Alexander settled in Clinton township in the woods during the 'thirties, entered land and cleared up a farm, where he passed the re- mainder of his days and died in middle life. He and his wife were members of the Baptist church and in politics he was an old line whig. He was a major in the Mexican war and was afterward known as Major Alexander. Mr. Alexander was a man of ability and integrity of character. He had three sons in the Civil war-Ira, in company I, Tenth regiment Indi- ana volunteer infantry, as a private, who served three months and was in the battle of Rich Mountain; William, who was in the Morgan raid; and John T., our subject.

John T. Alexander was born March 10, 1844, in Clinton township, received a common- school education, and was but seventeen years of age when he enlisted in company F, For-

tieth regiment, Indiana volunteer infantry. at Lebanon, in October, 1861, under Capt. Elias Neff and Col. William Wilson. His enlist- ment was for three years or during the war. He served out his enlistment and was honorably discharged in December, 1863, at Loudon, Tenn., and immediately re-enlisted the same day as a veteran, and served to the close of the war and was honorably dis- charged at Texarkana, Texas, in December, 1865. He was in the battles of Shiloh, the last day's siege of Corinth, Perryville, Stone River; Missionary Ridge, and then to the re- lief of Burnside at Knoxville. He was in many hard skirmishes and also participated in the Atlanta campaign. He was severely wounded in the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, while in charge on the rebel works -- shot through the right thigh-and was in the hos- pital at Nashville, Tenn., and at home on a furlough from June 27th until the battle of Franklin, Tenn., in which he took an active part. He was knocked down and stunned during a charge at this battle, the fight being hand to hand, but was not disabled. He was then in the two days' battle at Nashville, and crossed the gulf of Mexico with his regiment and returned after the close of the war. He was always an efficient soldier and took an ac- tive part in all the battles and skirmishes of his regiment, except when wounded and in hospital. Mr. Alexander was promoted to first duty sergeant.

After the war he returned to Lebanon and engaged in the milling and elevator business. He filled the offices of constable six years, deputy sheriff two years, and city clerk two years. Upon November 16, 1868, Mr. Alex- ander married Julia A. Shirley (see sketch of James W. Shirley), daughter of Elija and Elizabeth (Darnall) Shirley.

Mr. Shirley was a prosperous farmer in Perry township and died in middle life. To

-------------

---- - ---------- 1 İ

1 1 ! 1

203

OF BOONE COUNTY.

him and wife were born, four children, of whom but one lived to maturity, Julia A. Mr. Shir-' ley was a member of the Christian church. Mrs. Shirley still survives him. John T. Alex- ander and his wife Julia are the parents of three children-Frorence Etta, Lizzie Maud. and William Albert. Mr. Alexander has been engaged in the milling and elevator business for years, has been generally: successful.and owns a pleasant home. The family are all members of the Christian church and he has been deacon of same for ten years. Politi- cally he is a republican. Fraternally he is an Odd Fellow, is a member of Ben Adhem lodge, No 472, and has passed all the chairs of both the subordinate lodge and the encamp- ment; he is also a member of the G. A. R., Rich Mountain post, Lebanon. Mr. Alexander has a splendid military record, among the best in Boone county. He served with credit to his country and himself and is now the head of a respectable family. > His daughter, Florence E., married Lloyd Nelson, a farmer in Boone county; Lizzie Maud married Lora Masters, and they have one child-Ruth. Mr. Alexander met with.a severe accident in cele- brating at a soldiers' meeting in the first Grant campaign. He was loading a cannon and had just rammed the load home when the thumber took his thumb from the vent and a premature discharge occurred which tore his left hand badly, breaking his arm and throwing him ten feet into the air, rendering him senseless. He had a narrow escape from death and was con- fined to his bed for ten weeks. His hand was ruined for life.

N. ARMSTRONG. a farmer of Sugar Creek township, Boone county, Ind., and a practical blacksmith, was born in the state of Ohio in the year 1824. His father, Christopher Armstrong, died in 1834,

having lost his wife some years previously, our subject thus becoming an orphan at the early age of ten years. The parents were church members, and carefully reared their three children to a life of morality as long as they were spared to them, and instilled such les- sons of usefulness and industry as made their offspring the valued members of society they afterward became. The family early settled in Franklin county, Ind., and in Metamora, that county, I. N. Armstrong served an ap- prenticeship of four years at blacksmithing, becoming an adept at the trade. From Metamora he moved to New Trenton, in the same county, where, for twelve years, he fol- lowed his trade with much pecuniary profit. While a resident of New Trenton he married, in 1844, Miss Mary Sparks, a native of Frank- lin county, born in 1825. This marriage was blessed with four children, viz: Charles A., who died an infant; George, also deceased; Frank, now a hardware merchant at Thorn- town, Ind., and Willie, a babe that died when five weeks old. Relinquishing his trade in New Trenton for the pursuit of agriculture, Mr. Armstrong traded off his establishment for a farm of 160 acres in the vicinity and cultivated it for ten years, and then came to Boone county, in 1866, and bought a farm of 160 acres, which he partially improved, but in a short time moved to Colfax, Clinton county, Ind., and followed his trade for eight years; he then returned to his farm in Boone county, on which he resided two years. He again became tired of farm life and moved back to Colfax, where, in partnership with his son Frank, he went into the hardware business.' Four years later, he returned to his farm in Boone coun- ty, where he has since lived in peace and com- fort, being the owner of 100 well improved acres, and enjoying the respect of his neigh- bors and his fellow-members of the Presbyter- ian church. In politics he is a democrat.

204

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

BRAHAM ARTMAN was born near the town of Augusta, Marion county; Ind., December 18, 1860, and is descended from German ancestors, who settled many years ago in the state of Pennsylvania. His grandfather, Andrew Art- man, was a native of the Keystone state, born near the city of Pittsburg, and reared a family consisting of the following children: Joseph, Michael, William, John, Abraham, Catharine, Annie and James A. The eldest son, Joseph Artman, father of Abraham, left Pennsylvania a number of years ago and became a resident of Indiana, where he is still living at an ad- vanced age; his wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Dunlap, daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Dunlap, is also a native of Pennsyl- vania, and has borne her husband the follow- ing children: Rosanna, Amanda, William. Sarah, Samuel R., Mary J., Francis S., and Eli, all of whom, with the exception of Amanda, who died while quite young, grew to years of maturity.

Abraham Artman was reared to agricultur- al pursuits and remained under the parental roof until attaining his majority, attending, in the meantime, the common schools, in which he obtained a fair knowledge of the English branches. Subsequently he pursued his stud- ies in the Union high school, Westfield, and in 1881 engaged in teaching, which profession he followed with the most gratifying success for a period of eight years. Mr. Artman is a natural-born teacher, and his success as an educator is sufficiently attested by his retention for a number of terms in the same locality, having taught for a period of seven successive years in three buildings. In March, 1891, he became a resident of Marion township, Boone county, where he has since resided and where he has accumulated a sufficiency of worldly goods to place him in easy circumstances. He is an enterprising, intelligent man, a close ob-

server, interested in all movements that per- tain to the well-being of the community. and has before him a promising future. Politically he wields an influence for the democratic party, the principles of which he has earnestly advocated ever since his twenty-first year. On the 9th day of June, 1883, Mr. Artman and Miss Luella, daughter of Stephen and Mary (Newby) Moulton, were united in the bonds of wedlock, a union blessed by the birth of the following children: Gracie N., born Jan- uary 12, 1885, died October 7, 1892: Minnie E., born August 17, 1886; Lacie I., born Sep- tember 18, 1888; Alva C., born July 4. 1890, died December 10, 1890; Ogle J., borr. Octo- ber II, 1891, and Alta N., born January 18, 1892.

S AMUEL R. ARTMAN, chairman of the Boone county republican central committee, and city attorney of Lebanon, Ind .. is a native of the county of Boone, and was born May 15. 1866. His parents were Joseph and Elizabeth Dun- lap) Artman, both natives of Pennsylvania. Joseph was a son of Andrew Artman. also a native of the Keystone state, where he passed his life in the peaceful pursuit of agriculture. Joseph was also reared to farming in bis native state, and was there married. He started out in life a poor boy, and in 1855 came to Indi- ana and located in Marion county about six miles from Indianapolis, where he tilled the soil until early in the spring of 1866, when he moved to Union township, Boone county, where he has made for himself and family a good home and where he has ever since re- sided. There have been born to him Ere sons and four daughters, of whom one daughter died in childhood. Mr. Artman is a democrat in his political proclivities, and socially he and his family enjoy the good opinion and confi- dence of the entire community.

-----

i 1 1

205

OF BOONE COUNTY.

Samuel R. Artman was reared to manhood. in Union township, Boone county, attended the common school until seventeen years of age, and then taught two consecutive terms in Marion township. During this time and for some time following he attended the State Normal institute, where he lacked but one term of taking a full course, and this lack was owing to a failure of his eyes, which caused him temporarily to leave the school-room. In the winter of 1886-87 and 1887-88, however, he was assistant principal of the Lebanon high school and began reading law in the interim. In the fall of ISSS he was nominated on the republican ticket for county surveyor, was elected, and for two years performed the du- ties of the office most efficiently. He then read law with T. W. Lockhart, of Lebanon, was admitted to the Boone county bar in the fall of 1890, but continued as a student until the fall of 1891, when he formed a partnership with his former preceptor, which connection, however, lasted but one year, as Mr. Lock- hart then moved to Bakersfield, Cal .; Mr. Artman next practiced alone for one year, and then united with John L. Lewis, under the firm name of Artman & Lewis, who now oc- cupy the finest suit of offices in Lebanon and enjoy a lucrative practice.

As intimated, Mr. Artman is in politics a republican, and is one of the most active and ardent members of that party within the boundaries of Boone county, and has sacri- ficed much to his political principles, being the only member of his family who is con- vinced of their soundness and their efficacy for the good of the government. He has indeed risked his filial and fraternal ties on this account, his father and brothers being among the stanchest of democrats. Mr. Artman is now chairman of the Boone county republican central committee, as stated above; he had been a member of the Lebanon school board

for eighteen months, when he resigned to fill the vacancy occasioned by the withdrawal of Mr Lockhart as city attorney, and succeeded himself in this office by election in December, 1892, and re-election in the spring of 1894. Fraternally, Mr. Artman isa member of Boone lodge, No. 9, F. & A. M., in which he was worshipful master two years, and is also a member of K. of P. lodge, No. 4. The mar- riage of Mr. Artman was solemnized May I, 1889, with Miss Addie A. Cobb, who was born in Boone county, Ind., May 31, 1868, and is a daughter of Capt. Thomas A. Cobb, of Marion township. This union has been blessed by the birth of one child-Thomas B .- February, 1890. Mr. and Mrs. Artman are members, in good standing, of the Christian church, and their position in society is a most enviable one.

EORGE W. BAIRD, one of the prom- inent business men and president of the First National bank at Lebanon, Ind., has long been identified with the best interests of Boone county. His grand- father, Archibald Baird, was a native of Buck- ingham county, Va., was a farmer, and passed all his days in his native state. Samuel D. Baird, his son, and father of George W., was born in Buckingham county, Va., but went to Kentucky when a young man. He married Susan Ratliff, daughter of Zepaniah Ratliff, of Kentucky, and to this union were born fifteen children, twelve of whom lived to grow to maturity, and all married, except one son, Milton. The twelve that reached maturity were named: Ratliff, Angelina, Mary, Phila- delphia, Archibald, Henry J., Caleb, Milton, Elizabeth, Joseph, George W., and Margaret. Mr. Baird lived in Bath county, Ky., where he passed all the rest of his days, and was a sub- stantial citizen; was a wheelwright and farmer, owning a large farm, and was a slave owner.

206

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

Politically, he was an old-time whig, and in religion a member of the Presbyterian church, while his wife was a life-long member of the regular Baptist church. Mr. Baird lived to be seventy years old and died on his farm in 1853. Mrs. Baird died in 1833. She was a woman of a noble christian character and Mr. Baird was very prominent in his county.

George W. Baird was born on his father's farm October 13, 1825, received a common school education and was reared a farmer. He married in Bath county, May 10, 1848, Annie, daughter of Gen. Samuel and Sallie (Lane) Stone. Gen. Stone was a prominent man, was a large land owner and sheriff of his county twice. By this marriage Mr. Baird had two children, both dying in infancy. In September, 1853, he came to Boone county, Ind., and settled on a farm in Washington township. Mrs. Baird died in the fall of 1854 and he moved to Lebanon and engaged in the grocery buisness, and then in the livery busi- ness, and then was in the grocery and general mercantile business many years. In 1874 he engaged in the wholesale boot and shoe business, and in 1880, while engaged in the business in Lebanon, was elected vice-president of the First National bank of Lebanon. He was one of the original incorporators of this bank and one of its first and largest stock- holders. This bank was chartered in 1872 with a capital stock of $100,000 and with John C. Daily president and A. O. Miller cashier. The bank did a successful business and in 1892 a new charter was granted for twenty years, the old charter having expired. The capital stock is now $75,000; George W. Baird, president, Levi Lane, vice-president and Wesley Lane, cashier, and Mr. J. DeVal, assistant cashier. The bank is doing a large, safe and successful business, and has a high standing among the financial enterprises of the state. Mr. Baird, in politics, was first an old-

line whig and then a democrat; but although frequently solicited, Mr. Baird has never accepted public office. He is a member of the Baptist church, holds the office of church trustee and has been a life-long supporter of this denomination, to which he is a liberal contributor of his means. He assisted to build the present Baptist church edifice and also aided all the other churches. He was one of the early members of the I. O. O. F. in Lebanon, and for many years was quite active and held all the offices in the lodge. He is now non-affiliating on account of his health. Mr. Baird married March 2, 1856, Sarah A .. daughter of Joseph C. and Minerva (Tomlins) Lane, widow of Dr. Boone of the famous Daniel Boone stock. To Mr. and Mrs. Baird were born two children, Jessie B. and Nettie. Beside Mr. Baird's banking business. he has a large farm one mile from Lebanon. which he himself manages. He is a public- spirited man, has been and is interested in all public enterprises. He is a man of quiet manners, and it is needless to say that his integrity is unimpeached.

I SAAC N. BARKER, well known as a farmer and stock breeder in Sugar Creek township, Boone county, Ind., is a native of Wayne county, Ind .. born January 17. 1841, and a son of Jeremiah and Jane (Kerlin) Barker. Jeremiah Barker was born in North Carolina April 1. 1813, and was a son of Isaac and Mary (Cox) Barker, who were also natives of North Carolina. of English de- scent. Isaac was a substantial farmer and the father of fourteen children, having been twice married, and of these children, nine were by our subject's own grandmother, Mary (Cox, Barker, and were named as follows: Enoch, Hannah, Jeremiah, Ruth, Nicholas, John. Elijah, Catherine, and Margery. Isaac and

.I. N. BARKER.

209

OF BOONE COUNTY.

Mary, who were members of the Friends' church, were among the pioneers of Boone county, Ind., having come here in 1833, when the woods were filled with Indians and wild animals, and here they entered 160 acres in the wilderness, from which they hewed out a comfortable home, on which they resided until their respective deaths, his occurring in 1844, and hers in 1860. Jeremiah Barker, father of our subject, was nineteen years of age when he left the parental roof, married Jane Kerlin, and came to Wayne county, Ind., where he lived until 1843; then he moved to Boone county, where he resided until 1857, when he went to Howard county Iowa, where he pur- chased land on which he lived until his death, Jan- uary 5, 1858, his widow surviving until July 4, 1876. They were the parents of thirteen chil- dren, born in the following order: Martha, de- ceased; Benjamin, a fruit grower of California; Elijah, of Howard county, Iowa; Sarah, de- ceased; Isaac N., the subject of this sketch; Mary, deceased; William. of Howard county, Iowa; Malinda, deceased; Catherine, wife of Al- bert Haines, of Day county, Dak. ; Margery, wife of Dwight Dow, of South Dakota; Jeremiah, deceased; Amos, of Howard county, Iowa, and John, of Portland Oregon. The parents and all the children were members of the Friends' church-the father and his sons all re- publicans.

.Isaac N. Barker was married September 7, 1862, in Boone county, Ind., to Jane M. Cox, a native of Montgomery county, Ind., and daughter of Enoch and Rachel Cox; to this marriage were born two children, viz : Rachel, wife of John Doan, of Sugar Creek township, Boone county, Ind., and Charles L., living with his father. Mrs. Jane M. Barker died October 16, 1867, and Mr. Barker was next married December 2, 1868, in Boone county, Ind., to Cyrena A. Brown, who was born iu Sugar Creek April 4, 1842, a daughter of Seth

and Alice Brown, and to this union have been born three children, viz : Perry M., Murray S. and Elbert J. The family are all members of the Friends' church, and in politics the male members vote the republican ticket. Mr. Barker owns 167 acres of fine arable land in this township, but gives his attention chiefly to the raising of livestock, making specialties of swine and poultry. He began breeding Berkshire swine in 1869, and from that time until the present has stood at the head of the list of valuable swine owners.

Mr. Barker's herd of Berkshires is unex- celled in the state of Indiana, if, indeed, any- where else, and at the World's fair it secured several valuable prizes; his poultry also stood well at the front, and was successful in carry- ing off more than one first-class premium. In fact, Mr. Barker is known all through the coun- try as a supreme judge of poultry and swine, and has been called as far west as California, and as far east as New York, to act as judge at exhibits of both swine and poultry. Mr. Barker is a gentleman of very observing habits, and of keen and discriminating judgment in all that pertains to his particular vocation; he is pleasant to deal with in his transactions, and is accorded to be one of the most upright and conscientious dealers in the country. His standing in society is co-equal with that in business circles, his integrity and purity of character being without a blemish.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Author: Publication date: 1895 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : A.W. Bowen & Co. Number of Pages: 1080

Author:
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : A.W. Bowen & Co.
Number of Pages: 1080