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 23

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 23
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 23
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 23

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).

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

pioneer-one of those men who assisted in subduing the wilderness, improving the coun- try and making possible the comfortable homes of to-day. He was always a democrat and a man of character and integrity.

Lloyd Cleaver was born in Franklin county. Ind., on a farm, July 20, 1854. He gained a good common school education, and being an excellent scholar, he could have received a certificate as a teacher if he had wished, but having been reared to the pursuit of agricul- ture, he became a farmer and married, February 19, 1877, Mary, daughter of Joseph and Caroline (Carson) Clarkson. Mr. Clarkson was a very early settler in Franklin county, Ind., coming with an ox-team and huge wagon from the state of Maine. Mr. Clarkson became a prominent and well-to-do farmer and died about twenty years since. He was a typical American pioneer. much respected by the early settlers as a man of sterling worth. After marriage, Mr. Cleaver remained four years in Franklin county, Ind .. and in February, 1881, he came to Boone county, and settled on eighty acres of land on the west line of Center township, which was then covered with heavy timber. With ener- getic and hard labor he cut down the trees of the virgin forest, cleared up his fields and made a good farm, and by thrift and good manage- ment he bought more land, until he now owns 120 acres and has as fine a farm, in as good a state of cultivation, as any in Boone county, having put in over 1,700 rods of tile ditching. In 1892 he built a substantial and fine resi- dence. Mr. Cleaver is a progressive citizen. is a believer in good schools and is educating his children, of whom he and wife have four now living-Alfred V., Nellie, Lora and Edgar E. Like his fathers before him, our subject believes in the principles of Jackson and Jeffer- son and is strongly democratic. He comes from sterling Revolutionary stock on both sides-than which there is no better-and his

children may well take an honest pride in the sturdy ancestry from which they spring. Mr. Cleaver is an energetic, practical, level-headed man, who, in coming to Boone county, has overcome great obstacles to secure his home and become a responsible citizen.

a APT. THOMAS A. COBB .- There is no better known citizen in Boone county than Capt. Cobb. He is not only a veteran soldier of the Civil war but is one of the early educators of the county and one of the largest farmers. He has been very active politically, and wields no small influence in the populist party, of which he is one of the leading spirits. It will not be amiss to give a concise account of the geneal- ogy of his family as far as it is known. William Cobb, the founder of the family in America, came from London, England, about the beginning of the present century, as a young, single man. He was well educated and a ship carpenter by trade. He settled in Gettysburg, Adams county, Pa., and was one of the early educators of that county. He married Catherine Strausbaugh, of good Pennsylvania-Dutch stock. To them were born --- John, William, Mary A., Abraham and one who died young. Abraham was a soldier in an Indiana regiment of volunteer infantry, and served one year. William Cobb moved as a poineer to Harrison county, Ohio, about 1816, where he continued his vocation as a school teacher and resided until his death, which occurred at the venerable age of eighty years. He was a member of the Methodist church and is remembered as a man of just character and broad mind. William Cobb, his son and the father of Thomas A., was born at Gettysburg, Pa., February 6th, 1809, and went with his father to Harrison county, Ohio, when about seven years of age, received a

The Heart

Julia 28 Coble

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good common education, learned the carpen- ter trade and became a farmer. He married, in Harrison county, Ohio, when about twenty-seven years of age, Mary, daughter of Thomas and Nancy (Sheplar) Cope- land, and to them were born the follow- ing children --- Thomas A., William F., Jacob S., Nancy, James, John, Christina C., Henry, Mary L. and Dorothy, all born in Harri- son county, Ohio, except the last two, who were born in this county.

Mr. Cobb bought land in Harrison county, and resided there until 1854, when he came to Boone county, and settled in Marion township on 240 acres of land in section 20. This land was covered by very heavy timber, and Mr. Cobb, by great labor, assisted by his sons, cleared up his land and became a substantial farmer. He and wife were members of the Methodist church and he filled all the offices of his church, in which he was a prominent man. His house was the home of the itiner- ent Methodist preachers in the early days. His judgment was respected, and he was jus- tice of the peace in his township many years, being universally known as Squire Cobb. He was almost a life-long justice. Mr. Cobb was one of the typical American pioneers of ster- ling virtues. Self made by his own thrift, he accumulated his property and was held in high esteem for his honorable character. He died October 1, 1877, aged sixty-eight years. He was one of the early friends of the free school in his township. He was a promoter of tem- perance and good morals, and a liberal support- er of his church, and assisted to build the first Methodist church in Marion township. Previous to this the meetings were held at his house, which, when he first came to the town- ship, was a log cabin. One of his sons, Henry, resides on the old homestead, and oc- cupies the residence, which was the second house built by his father. Mr. Cobb was a

war democrat of stanch fidelity to the Union cause, for which three of his sons fought as soldiers-Capt. Thomas A .; William F. was in company A, Tenth regiment Indiana volun- teer infantry, as a fifer, and was in many bat- tles. Jacob S. was in same company as a drummer. They were transferred to the regi- mental staff as chief musicians.

Capt. Thomas A. Cobb was born in Harri- son county, Ohio, on his father's farm, January 21, 1837, received a good common education in Ohio and afterward attended the Thorn- town academy and Duff's Mercantile college at Pittsburg, Pa. He was seventeen years of age when he came to Boone county, Ind., with his father, and greatly assisted him to clear up his farm and was early inured to hard work. He enlisted, at the age of twenty-four years, in company A, Tenth regiment, Indiana volunteer infantry, at Lebanon, August 8, 1861, and was elected first lieutenant of his company, and commissioned by Gov. Morton. He served three years and one month and was honorably discharged at Indianapolis, Ind., September 19, 1864. The battles in which he fought were Mills Spring, Pittsburg Landing, Corinth, Chickamauga (two days), Missionary Ridge, Buzzard's Roost, Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain and in front of Atlanta. During the battle of Stone River, his regiment was detached from the Fourteenth army corps, to attack Morgan, and encountered him at Rolling Fork, Ky. Lieut. Cobb was on recruiting service for two months in 1862, and was com- missioned captain of his company. After the war he resumed farming and married Julia A., daughter of Gotleib and Amelia (Zumphe) Wilharm. Mr. Wilharm came from Germany and married in Hancock county. His wife came from Germany in 1835, with friends, leaving her parents in Germany. Mr. Wilharm came to Boone county in 1845 and bought a farm in Marion township. He was the father

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of two children-Augustus and Julia A. Augus- tus was in the Eighty-sixth regiment, Indiana volunteer infantry, and was in the battle of Stone River. He died in the service. Mr. Wilharm, like most Germans, was a stanch republican. He lived to be about seventy- seven years of age. He was a good citizen and prosperous farmer.

Capt. Cobb has an enviable record as a leading educator of Boone county. He began teaching in Marion township in 1857. In 1859 he went to Missouri, where he taught school, and returned to Marion township, and contin- ued to teach until his enlistment. After the war, he taught winters for six years in his home district. In the spring of 1865 he settled on his present farm, which then consisted of 120 acres, forty acres of which he had pre- viously bought with his savings as a teacher, and gradually added to his land until now he owns 400 acres, one of the finest farm proper- ties in Boone county. Capt. Cobb has made his improvements from the woods, but little being cleared on the farm when he bought it. He set out the orchards, erected the buildings and carefully drained the land. He is now in very prosperous circumstances.

Politically, he was a war or Douglas demo- crat, but voted for Greeley in 1872, and after- ward for Peter Cooper. He then voted for Benjamin Harrison and is now a populist. He takes an active interest in politics and has been prominently mentioned for state senator and other important offices. He is a member of the G. A. R., Rich Mountain post, Leb- anon. Fraternally he is a K. of P., Lebanon lodge. The union of Captain and Mrs. Cobb has been blessed with six children: Addie A. and Eva A. (twins), Emma B., George M., Thomas A. and Julia L., all living. They all received good educations. Addie A. and George attended the academy at Westfield, Ind. Addie married Samuel R. Artman, a leading lawyer

of Lebanon; Emma B. married Frank Staton, a farmer of Marion township; George M., in the insurance business at Muncie, married Maggie Sanders. As a soldier, Capt. Cobb did his duty effectively and cheerfully and was in all the battles and skirmishes of his regi- ment, except Perryville, when he was home on recruiting service. His name is a synonym of integrity wherever he is known. He is very public-spirited, and has always been in favor of good schools, and roads, and all public im- provements. Mrs. Cobb died August 24, 1893, of typhoid fever, and was buried in Mount's Run church cemetery, and was followed to her last resting place by a large concourse of sor- rowing friends. Mr. Cobb was one of the originators of the present agricultural society and assisted in its organization, and has been all the time since an official in some capacity, and mostly general superintendent, and the organization owes much of its present prosper- ity to his careful and efficient management.

ARTIN W. COLE .- The father of the subject of this sketch was Thomas Cole, who was born in the state of Pennsylvania in 1806, of German parentage. He married Delilah Brandenberg, to which union were born nine children, namely-Madison, Benjamin, Martin, Thomas J., Mary A., Emmeline, Stephen, Sarah B., and William J. Thomas Cole served in the Civil war for three years as a lieutenant of a Missouri regiment. He had previously moved to that state, and the follow- ing incident is related of him: During the troublous times of the war he was called upon one night by two Confederate officers, whose purpose it was to effect his capture. One of them knocked at the door and asked for a drink of water, which Mr. Cole at once pro- cured for him, and, opening the door, reached

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forth the cup. After the officer had drank the contents he stated that more water was desired by his comrade, whereupon Mr. Cole replen- ished the cup but told tne man to remain out- side and he should have the water. This the Confederate refused to do, and forcibly pushing his way into the room, was met by Mr. Cole, who fired a revolver, killing the man instantly. The officer fled, and although fired at several times succeeded in making good his escape.

Thomas Cole accumulated quite a hand- some property, but being of a generous nature he secured a relative, through whose failure he lost nearly all his earthly possessions. He died in the year 1866. His wife, Mrs. Delilah Cole, was born in 1809. She was a member of the United Brethren church, a most esti- mable lady in every respect, and died in 1877 at the age of sixty-eight years. The father of Thomas Cole was Benjamin Cole, of whose family history but little is now known. He served in the war of 1812, entered 160 acres of land in Switzerland county, Ind., and died a number of years ago with the cholera. His wife, whose maiden name was Annie Reese, was the mother of nine children, whose names are as follows: Thomas, Martin, James, Perry, Mrs. Mary A. Monroe, Cynthia, wife of Chris- topher Pealman; Jane, wife of Joseph Marsh; Jackson, and Caroline, wife of Charles Molley.

Martin W. Cole, the leading facts of whose history are herewith presented, was born January 25, 1836, on a farm in Clinton county, Ohio. He was brought to Switzerland coun- ty. Ind., at the age of six years, was reared to agricultural pursuits, and on the sixth of Sep- tember, 1855, was united in marriage to Lydia Jane Farrow. The fruit of this union was nine children, the following being their names and dates of birth : Gazelle, June 11, 1856; Norval A., November 27, 1857; Fletcher, January 15, 1860; Mary B., December 28, 1862; Franklin P., May 28, 1866; Estella M.,

January 6, 1869; Augustus L., February 24, 1871; Carlendus E., August 13, 1873; Otter- bin, January 31, 1875; Laura, January 20, 1880; and Lulu, December 20, 1881. Mrs. Cole was born September 7, 1838. Her par- ents were Benjamin and Susan Hunter Far- row, the father originally a ship carpenter by trade and later a farmer. He was an English- man by birth and died May 30, 1892; Mrs. Farrow died in 1862.

Mr. Cole came of an ancestry of soldiers. At the breaking out of the late war he left home and family to do battle for the cause of the Union, enlisting September 20, 1862, in the Third Indiana cavalry. He was in the cam- paign from Knoxville and Chattanooga to At- lanta under Gen. Kilpatrick, participated in a number of battles, and at one time was severe- ly injured by the kick of a horse, for which he is now receiving a liberal pension. He was one of a hundred men that cut the railroad near Jonesboro, and during his long period of service spent but three days in the hospital. From Marietta hospital he rejoined his com- mand at Nashville, and after participating in a bloody battle at that place was sent to Savan- nah via New York, where he remained with the regiment until the close of the war. Since the war Mr. Cole has been actively engaged in agricultural pursuits and now owns a comfort- able little home in Clinton township. He is a reputable citizen, votes the republican ticket and fraternally belongs to Elizaville post, No. 561, G. A. R., in which he has served two terms as commander.

J OHN M. CONYERS .- The scenes and incidents of a soldier's life in the great rebellion are fast fading away from the memories of the old veterans, with the lapse of years, and some of them can hardly give the names of the battles in which they

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fought. Not so with John M. Conyers, the subject of this sketch. He was not out of his teens when he enlisted and the events of his soldier life are indelibly imprinted upon his mind, and he gives names, dates, and facts with accuracy. His comrades say: "John Conyers was a good soldier," and it is proba- ble that he inherited his soldierly qualities from old Samuel Conyers, his grandfather, who fought for American independence in 1776. John R. Conyers, son of Samuel and the father of our subject, was born in 1814, married, in Ohio, Mary L., daughter of Nicholas Bennett, of Warren county, Ohio. Mr. Conyers was a carriage maker by trade and worked in War- ren and Butler counties, Ohio, in his younger days. In 1846 he came to Indiana and settled in Brookville, Franklin county, and afterward moved to Mount Carmel. In 1859 he came to Boone county and settled near Mechanicsburg, where he bought land and thriftily increased it until he now owns a farm of 167 acres. To Mr. and Mrs. Conyers were born seven chil- dren, who lived to grow to man and woman- hood-Catherine, Emily E., John M., Will- iam H., Charles E., Luella B. and Ora A. Mr. Conyers was a strict republican, a patriot, and intensely loyal to the Union, and three of his sons served as soldiers to put down the re- bellion-viz : John M .; William H. was a pri- vate in company H, Eleventh regiment, Indi- ana volunteer cavalry or One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Indiana volunteer infantry, as it was first an infantry regiment and afterward mounted. He served from December, 1863, to July 25th, 1865. Among his battles were Nashville and Franklin, Tenn. Charles E. was a private in company E, Eleventh regi- ment Indiana volunteer infantry, and served from February 17th, 1865, until mustered out July 26th, 1865. Mr. Conyers, the father of these soldiers, is a man of liberal views and a Universalist. Fraternally he is a Mason and

member of the Magnolia lodge at Lebanon. He has now reached the venerable age of eighty years and is well preserved. He earned most of his property at the trade of carriage making, in which he was a very industrious and successful workman. Some of the carriages and wagons, made by him at an early day, are still in use. His farm is located in Clinton town- ship and is well improved. He is well known for his probity of character.

John M. Conyers was born September 18, 1842, at Rossville, now West Hamilton, But- ler county, Ohio. He was a small boy when his parents brought him to Indiana, and he gained a common-school education. At the early age of nineteen years, he enlisted at Thorntown, Boone county, Ind., on July 23, 1861, in company G, Eleventh Indiana volun- teer infantry, a Zouave regiment, under Col. Lew Wallace, Capt. John F. Cavin. Although he enlisted in Boone county, he was credited to Montgomery county, Ind. He served three years, one month, and re-enlisted as a veteran in the same organization at Lebanon, Ind., on March 1, 1863, and served until July 26, 1865, when he was honorably discharged on account of the closing of the war, at Baltimore, Md., having served throughout the war. He was in the battles of Fort Heiman, Tenn., Febru- ary 6, 1862; Fort Henry, February 6, 1862; Fort Donelson; Shiloh, April 6-7-1852; siege of Corinth, Miss., April 30-May 30, 1872; Port Gibson, Miss., May, 1863; Champion Hills, Miss,, May 16, 1863; siege of Vicks- burg, May 21-July 4, 1863; Jackson, Miss., July 10-17, 1863; Lake Tasse, La., Novem- ber 20, 1863; Halltown, Va., August 22, 1864. Mr. Conyers was in eleven general engage- ments and many skirmishes. He was also in many hard marches, marching with his regiment 9,318 miles. He was neither sick in hospital, nor a prisoner, and was not wounded during his service. He was always

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at the place of duty and in all the battles. re- corded, as a faithful soldier. He was greatly injured by exposure, the hearing of his right ear being totally destroyed by an insect which entered the ear and pierced the drum. He also suffered stricture of the glottis caused by over-heat, occasioned by a hard march on Winchester pike in the Shenandoah valley, during which Mr. Conyers became much fa- tigued and fell to the rear. During the night he narrowly escaped capture by the rebel cav- alry, which passed him twice during the night.

When his soldier days were over, Mr. Conyers returned to Boone county and was united in marriage to Mary S., daughter of James and Nancy (Hedrick) Frazier, and the household of Mr. and Mrs. Conyers was glad- dened by the birth of four children-Minnie R., Lennie L., Bertha H., and Perry M. After marriage, Mr. Conyers settled on his father's farm in Clinton township, where he remained two years, meanwhile learning the blacksmith's trade at Thorntown under Robert Coleman- a veteran of the Mexican war, and first lieu- tenant in the Civil war. Mr. Conyers worked at his trade eight years in Thorntown and one year in the country. He injured his right leg while shoeing a horse, causing its amputation near the thigh. He afterward lost the sight of

his right eye by an accident, a piece of red hot steel striking him in that organ. He has since followed various kinds of business. He was post-master at Reese's Mills, Boone coun- ty, one year, 1873-4, and then clerk in the "Grange " store at Lebanon. In 1885 he be- came a pension attorney at Lebanon, and has since been very successful in securing pen- sions. During all this time he has been more or less engaged in the gunsmith business, and now carries a line of guns and sporting goods and is well known throughout the county in this line. He owns a small fruit farm of six- teen acres adjoining the corporation of Leb-

anon, on which he resides, beside which he owns valuable real estate in Lebanon. Polit- ically he votes as he shot, and has always been a stanch republican. He and wife are both members of the Christian church. Mr. Conyers was one of the early members of the G. A. R., Rich Mountain post, at Lebanon. Fraternally he is a member of the I. O. R. M., Winnebago tribe, Lebanon, and has been chief of records many years and has passed all the chairs. He is a member of the Knights of Honor, and has filled all the offices. Mr. Conyers is a valued citizen of Lebanon, his integrity of character is granted by all, and he was treasurer of Lebanon six years-1882-88.

R ILEY COLGROVE, deceased, was one of the esteemed poineer farmers of Boone county and sprang from an honored old English ancestry, the family having come to America as early as 1690. A part of his genealogical record is lost, but sufficient is known to trace the family back to his grandfather, William Colgrove. Francis Colgrove, son of William and father of Riley, was born in the state of New York, married Elizabeth Hager February 14, 1811, and became the father of nine children, namely: John, Nancy, Jane, Permelia, Francis, Charles, Charity, Riley and Melissa, all of whom, with the exception of Charles, who died when twelve years old, lived to become heads of families, but all are now dead except Charity. Francis Colgrove settled in Kentucky in his early mar- ried life and for some years followed farming. He early moved to southern Indiana, thence to Clinton county in 1835, where he died April of the following year. Elizabeth (Hager) Col- grove was descended paternally from Dutch ancestors. Her grandfather settled at Hagers- town, Md., in a very early day, and there leased a large tract of land, a part of which is

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now occupied by the site of that city. This lease was for a term of ninety-nine years and was written in German, but the record disap- peared many years ago and was never re- covered. The relatives of Elizabeth Col- grove settled in New York and the name is still to be met with in various parts of the state. John Colgrove, eldest brother of Riley, enlisted at Paducah, Ky., in 1835, to engage in the war between Texas and Mexico. He took part in the bloody battle of Alamo and, with the rest of the ill-fated garrison, fell a victim to Mexican hatred. James Colgrove was born in 1814 in New York, moved to Indi- ana in 1860 and was elected sheriff of Tippe- canoe county, but died before the expiration of his second term. Francis Colgrove was a carpen- ter and farmer and died in Missouri, January, 1893. Nancy Colgrove married James P. Wilson, a farmer and carpenter and died at La Fayette, Ind., leaving two children, Jane and Ann. Charles Warner,. president of the La Fayette Savings' bank, married Jane Wilson who, though blessed with property and posi- tion, is totally blind and lives in perpetual night. Ann Wilson is the wife of Albert Campbell, a prominent hardware dealer of the city of La Fayette.

Riley Colgrove was born December 17, 1826, in Kentucky. He emigrated to southern Indiana about 1828, and there remained until the fall of 1835, when he moved to Clinton county. He resided in the county of Clinton until 1846, in June of which year he enlisted for the Mexican war. There being no company from Clinton county, Mr. Colgrove went from Carroll county in company C, First regiment, Indiana volunteers, under Capt. Robert H. Milroy Mr. Colgrove was mustered out of the service in the city of New Orleans June, 1847. He joined the I. O. O. F. of La Fayette, Ind., about 1852, and filled all the chairs of both the subordinate lodge and encampment. Mr.

Colgrove began business as a cooper, which trade he followed until his election as sheriff of Boone county in 1758. He was re-elected to the same position in 1860, and after filling the office with honor to himself and satisfaction to the public, he retired to private life on a farm in Clinton township. . Mr. Colgrove was a man highly respected as a citizen and was pointed to with pride by his neighbors and friends as an example of industry and integrity. Lucinda Newport, the wife of Riley Colgrove, was born in Warren county, Ohio, December 8, 1830, and on the seventeenth of June, 1850, was married to Riley Colgrove at La Fayette, Ind. This marriage was blessed with six children, whose names and dates of birth are as follows: Asbury W., December 1. 1850; Charles B., June 26, 1852; William A., January 20, 1854; Albert F., July 1, 1856; Frank N., May 15, 1859; Carrie, May 2, 1864. The death of Riley Colgrove took place August 19, 1894.

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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