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 27

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 27
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 27
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 27

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

name was Mercy Heaton, born in 1803, died in 1879. Her father was born in 18or in Warren county, Ohio, married in 1823, died 1864, and their children were Sarah; William H., who died August, 1893; Mary A., Rebec- ca, Robert M., Sylvester, killed in the late war; Ennis, Martha E., who died at twelve years of age, and Flavius J., in the Civil war. Her parents are buried in Mason cemetery, Warren county, Ohio. Robert Witham, her grandfather, was born in Connecticut, was a farmer, and lived to be eighty-six years old; married Sarah Woodruff, who was born in Pennsylvania, was about thirty when she mar- ried, and died aged seventy-seven. In War- ren county her parents owned 330 acres of land. In his early manhood he took a kettle, built a fire in a stump, cooked his own meals, and cleared his land. He was a great hunter and delighted to tell his children his hunting stories. Their children were William, Han- nah R., Mary, Betsey, Rachael, died early; James, Samuel; six lived to be married. On the maternal side the grandparents were Daniel Heaton, his wife being Annie Young, who was born in New Jersey, and lived to be seventy-seven. This union was blessed with Rebecca, Rachael, Abigail, Mercy, William. She, being widowed, married Frederick Briney, and had three children,' Daniel, Mary, and Frederick. She has the old note and hymn book with the "buckwheat system," which is considered much of an heir-loom.

0 AVID D. DOYAL, a leading citizen, official and farmer of Perry township, Boone county, Ind., is a native of the township named and was born August 4, 1845, a son of John N. and Matilda (Howard) Doyal, both natives of Lewis county, Ky. John N. was born in 1801 and was a son of John and Christena (Davis) Doyal; Matilda

was born February 27, 1807, and their marriage took place May 27, 1830. Their parents came from Kentucky to Perry township in 1840, and John entered 160 acres in what was then a wilderness but from which he redeemed an ex- cellent farm. He was a prominent man so- cially, and in politics a democrat; he served as township trustee two years, was justice of the peace eighteen years, and assessor two years; he was industrious and thrifty, and added to ·his land until he owned 360 acres. He and wife were devoted members of the Christian church, in which faith he died January 6, 1886, and was followed by his wife June 16, 1886. Their five children were named as follows: Amanda, widow of A. Frazee, of Perry town- ship; Samuel H., county judge of Frankfort, Clinton county, Ind .; John L., died in the Seventh Indiana volunteers, at the battle of the Wilderness; David D., whose name opens this sketch, and Emily C., deceased.

David D. Doyal was reared on the farm on which he was born and on which he still resides, and received a very good common- school education. At the age of twenty-one years he began business on his own account, but remained with his father until the latter's death. In 1880 he married, in Boone county, Miss Maggie Raider, who was born in Cincin- nati, Ohio, in 1854, a daughter of George and Margaret Raider, the former of whom was killed by accident when Maggie was but two years of age. To Mr. and Mrs. Doyal have been born five children, named as follows: George, Everett, Luella, John W, and Sarah. Mrs. Doyal is a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in politics Mr. Doyal is a democrat, and under the aus- pices of that party was elected township trust- ee in April, 1888, and so satisfactorily did he perform the functions of the office, that he has been re-elected each term since, and has prob- ably done more good work for the township

D. D. DOYAL.

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OF BOONE COUNTY

than any one who had preceded him in the office. July 17, 1884. while Mr. Doyal was riding on a reaper, his horses ran away and he had a leg broken and was otherwise seriously injured; what he has, however, is the result of his own hard labor, and he now owns a highly improved farm of 233 acres, unsurpassed by any other in the township in skillful management. Mr. Doyal, fraternally, is a Freemason, being a member of the blue lodge and of the chapter; he is also a member of the Improved Order of Red Men, and was formerly member of a lodge of the I. O. O. F., which is now defunct. So- cially, he and his estimable lady maintain a high position in Perry and the surrounding townships.

ILLIAM G. DOYLE, one of the well-to-do and enterprising farmers of Harrison township, Boone county, Ind., was born in' Pittsburg, Pa., December 25, 1842, and springs f.om sterling Scotch-Irish stock. His father, Henry Doyle, was also a native of Pennsylvania, but removed to Ohio when a young married man, and thence to Indiana, where he first located in Bartholo- mew county, but later settled in Johnson county, where he died at a good old age, having lost his wife, Mary (Green) Doyle, many years previously. They were the parents of seven children, who were born in the following order: Adam, Sarah, William G., Samuel S., Mary, Henry and Thomas I. Of this family William G. Doyle came to Bartholomew county with his parents and early hired to William Ely, with whom he worked until the Civil war broke out, when he was among the first. to enlist, in Johnson county, in response to his country's call for volunteers, the date of his enlistment being August 12, 1861, in company C. Twenty-seventy Indiana infantry. He was first sent to Camp Morton, at Indianapolis,

and was thence dispatched to Washington, D. C., but between Lyons and Massillon, Ohio, the train ran over a cow, and was thrown down a steep embankment, one car of horses and four cars of men going down and four men being killed outright and many wounded. This was his first experience of the dangers pertain- ing to war. After drilling a month in the national capital, his regiment was marched to Ball's Bluff, but did not reach the ground in time to take part in the fight on that field. Hence they went to Harper's Ferry and then to Winchester, where Jackson was defeated by Shields. At Dog Town Mr. Doyle rendered valiant and effective service for the Thirteenth Indiana, which was surrounded, and but for this aid would have been captured. At Shenan- doah valley the gallant Twenty-seventh, on a retreat, was ordered back to rescue a wagon train, which it succeeded in doing, but lost everything else. They then crossed the Potomac river into Maryland, and in this passage Mr. Doyle received a flesh wound in the leg. which, though painful, did not necessitate his going to the hospital; at the battle of Slaughter Mountain, August 9, 1862, in a three hours' strug- gle several men in Mr. Doyle's company were wounded; soon after this, Mr. Doyle barely escaped death in blowing up a Federal provis- ion train, to prevent its falling into the hands of the enemy; they next reached Bull Run about sundown on the day of the first battle, and had a half hour's fight. September 14, 1862, they were at South Mountain just in time to see the end of the battle; on the 17th reached Antietam, where the line of battle was seven miles long. and here Mr. Doyle was shot through the right wrist and sent to the hospital, but refused to have his hand amputated, and the surgeon refused to bind up the wound; Mr. Doyle was then transferred to Washington and thence to David's Island, N. Y., where, after a confinement in hospital eight months,

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he was discharged for incapacity to perform further duty, and on the day he started for home was seized with small-pox, but did not know what ailed him till he reached his desti- nation. From this disorder he lost his left eye, and his right was greatly weakened. For his gallant services, Mr. Doyle is now receiving a pension of $24 per month.

Mr. Doyle is married to Susannah Bozell, daughter of George and Elizabeth (Mckibben) Bozell. Mr. Bozell was one of the wealthiest farmers of Bartholomew county, Ind., his farm comprising 600 acres. He and his wife were members of the Missionary Baptist church, which they aided by all means in their power. Robert Mckibben, the grandfather of Mrs. Doyle, was a patriot in the war of 1812, and both branches of the family were greatly respected in their communities. Mr. and Mrs. Doyle came to reside in Boone county, Ind., in 1888, and bought their present farm of 120 acres, which has been- placed under a high state of cultivation and otherwise greatly improved. Mrs. Doyle is a member of the Baptist church, and has borne her husband the following children: Mollie, Cora, George B., Harvey F., William G., Albert H., and Elizabeth-all living. Mr. Doyle is an honored member of the G. A. R., and stands deservedly high as a citizen, farmer and soldier.

NDREW DUNNINGTON, M. D., of Thorntown, Boone county, Ind., is a native of Putnam county, in the same state, and was born November 19, 1839. His parents were William and Mary (Douglass) Dunnington, the former of whom was born in that part of Virginia now known as West Virginia, in June, 1806, and was a son of Reuben Dunnington, a native of the same county and state, and a farmer and

stockman of considerable note. Reuben Dun- nington was the father of seven children, who are all now deceased. They were born in the following order, and were named John, Reuben, William, Joshua, Palatiah, Henley and Lottie. The family were of Scotch Presbyterian stock and possessed all the virtues of that sturdy race, which necessarily gave them the position in society which the exercise of those virtues always brings. William Dunnington, one of the children born to Reuben and enumerated among the family of seven mentioned above, was reared in Knoxville, Tenn., to which place his parents had removed in 1818, and there was taught tanning. About 1832 he came to Union county, Ind., where, for a few years, he followed his trade, and then moved to Put- nam county, where he lived until 1856, when he moved to Morgan county, where he was engaged in another branch of business until 1865, when he removed to the neighborhood of Stilesville, Hendricks county, where he died in February, 1870. The marriage of William Dunnington to Mary Douglass occurred in Put- nam county, Ind., in 1834. She was a native of Kentucky, and daughter of Hugh Douglass. The children born to William and Mary num- bered eight, and were named John W., An- drew, Hugh, Emeline, W. W., E. M., Eliza and Reuben C. The mother of this family was called away in April, 1845.

Andrew Dunnington was reared in Putnam and Morgan counties, Ind., and after receiv- ing his preparatory education in the Green- castle school, and the Friends' academy at Mooresville, Morgan county, attended Asbury university, now Depauw university, and next studied medicine under Dr. Green, of Stiles- ville. Monroe county, Ind., for three years; he then attended the university at Ann Arbor, Mich., from which he graduated in the spring of 1866. His first eighteen months' practice was with his former preceptor, Dr.

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OF BOONE COUNTY.

Green, at Stilesville, and then, for the period of fifteen years he conducted a most success- ful practice at Cloverdale, Putnam, county. In [SS2 he located in Thorntown, Ind., where he practiced until the spring of 1891, and then for a year had charge of the Keeley institute at Plainfield; thence he went to Frankfort, Ind , where he remained until the spring of 1894, when he made a final settle- ment in Thorntown. On the twenty-third day of May, 1872, the doctor married, at Danville, Ind., Mary Helen Cash, who was born in that city January 8, 1846, a daughter of Coleman and James (Chambers) Cash, and by this union became the father of two children, viz: Gertrude Lucille and Guy W. The doctor and his wife are consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church and in politics he is a republican; he is also a mem- ber of the I. O. O. F. and of the Masonic fraternity. He has been most successful in his general practice as physician, but is chiefly renowned as a specialist in catarrhal and throat troubles, in the treatment of which he has no superior in the county of Boone.

ATRICK HENRY DUTCH, prosecut- ing attorney of Lebanon, Boone county, Ind., and one of the leading lawyers of the county, descends from a very old ante-Revolutionary family of Salem, Mass. Capt. Ezra J., subject's father, was born in Salem, was a captain of a merchantman dur- ing the war of 1812, and was taken prisoner on the high seas, and he and his vessel taken to the Bermudas. John Dutch, brother- of Ezra J., subject's father, was the owner of this vessel. Both of these gentlemen later entered the American marine service and served until the close of the war of 1812. John was shot in the forehead, but lived to be an

old man, and died wealthy at Virginia, Cass county, Ill. He was never paid for his cap- tured vessel until the administration of Jackson held power. On the maternal side, among the ancestors of our subject, Col. Jones served in the army throughout the war of the Revo- lution. Ezra J. Dutch led a sea-faring life for twenty-four years, and accumulated a fortune, being a ship owner. He married on Long Island, N. Y .. Matilda Thorington, and had born to him a family of eleven children, includ- ing Patrick Henry. For some time after his marriage he resided in Philadelphia and in Burlington, N. J., and in 1833 went to Cin- cinnati, and then to Cape Girardeau, Mo., and engaged in the preparation of dried beef for the South American trade. in company with Richard Spates, doing a profitable business until 1836, when he moved to Cass county, Ill., where he bought a large tract of land and engaged in farming, being a pioneer of the county, with his nearest neighbor three and a half miles distant. In politics he was first a federalist, and then an old-time whig, and un- der President Taylor was appointed postmaster of Beardstown, Ill., but died in 1849 at the age of sixty-three years, without entering upon the office. He had been offered a colonelcy in the Mexican war, in the regiment in which Gen. Hardin was colonel, and in which the latter was killed, but declined acceptance. Capt. Dutch and wife were devout members of the Presbyterian church, and in this denom- ination the captain was a ruling elder for many years. He early became a Freemason, was a man of good education, and was master of several languages, including Spanish; he was most highly respected, and was one of Cass county's most influential citizens and an im- portant factor in its growth and the promo- tion of its general prosperity.

Patrick H. Dutch, son of the above and the subject proper of this sketch, was born

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in Cass county, Ill .; on his father's farm, August 14, 1837. He received his prelimi- nary education in the common schools of his district, and finished it at the high school of Beardstown; this literary course was supplemented by attendance at Asbury (now DePauw) university, at Greencastle, Ind., where he studied law and theology. He taught school for some time in Warren county, Ind., with much success, and in 1857 was re- ceived on trial in the Northwest Indiana con- ference as a Methodist preacher; for four years he traveled in this capacity through the counties of Tippecanoe, Benton, Montgomery, Porter and Brown, and during this interval, on April 6th, 1858, he married Mary A. Stoddard, daughter of Daniel and Mary A. (Sparks) Stoddard-the former a wealthy farmer of Montgomery county, Ind., but a native of New York state. To this felicitous union have been born twelve children, viz: Daniel, (died 1860); Patrick H., Jr., who died in 1881; Frank S., Caroline, Matilda M., Winton A , James S., Lewis, Nellie, John J., Chester A. and Edwin J. In the fall of 1860 Mr. Dutch settled in Thorntown, Boone county, Ind., as a Methodist parson and soon reached a promi- nent position. In 1866 he was admitted to the bar, and at once began the practice of his profession, in which he achieved an enviable reputation and was favored with a lucrative patronage until December 6, 1892, when he removed to Lebanon and assumed the duties of prosecuting attorney, to which office he had been elected the previous November. He has been connected with many famous cases in Boone county and elsewhere, through which he has reached his present distinguished * posi- tion. Mr. Dutch has taken an active interest in the public schools of Boone county, and for years has been connected with the old Thorn- town academy, as well as for three years a member of the school board. In politics he is

a republican, and is always active in advanc- ing the interests of his party, whose principles he thinks to be best adapted to promote the welfare of the country, and he is ever ready, by all means in his power, to advance its suc- cess at the polls. He was a member of the re- publican township committee during the Blaine campaign, and no man did more arduous work than he in local endeavors to attain a sup- reniacy for the republicans during that cam- paign, disastrous as was the result to the general ticket. Mr. Dutch is an able orator and a finished lawyer. and few men in the state, with his practice. can get as close to a jury, or reach its heart as well as its understanding, as he. Mrs. Dutch, like her husband, is a zealous member of the Methodist church, and the family sustain the closest relations with the members of the best society of Boone county.

ELAND M. EATON, a representative farmer and popular citizen of Clinton township. Boone county, Ind., was born February 17, 1833. His father was William Eaton, who was born in 1803 in Kentucky, and who married Sarah Fipps, who was born in 1805 in Virginia, but who moved to Kentucky. They were blessed with twelve children-James A., William, Thomas, Leland M., Charles, Wesley, Henry, Robert, Sarah, Elizabeth. Lydia and Harriet, several of whom are now living and married. He was a man who educated himself by hard knocks, and, being full of energy, secured a cart and ox-team, and landed where the city of Indian- apolis now stands. After working for a time on adjacent farms he entered eighty acres ten miles north and east of Indianapolis, where he raised his large family. He was a republican, but had been an old-line whig. He and wife were members of the Baptist church, in which

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OF BOONE COUNTY.

he served for many years as deacon. They were very industrious and highly respected citi- zens. The wife had her hands tied with many cares, such as carding, spinning and weaving, making the clothing for the entire family. He died at the age of seventy-three years.

Leland M. Eaton was married to Ruan Eaton in Hendricks county; she was born in 1840, September 4. This union was blessed with the following children : William, Mahala E., Eva, Flora, Lillie, Dora, Lola, Resa, Tyre and May. Mrs. Ruan Eaton was a very domestic lady, an ardent Baptist, and died July 10, 1869. Mr. Eaton was next mar- ried to Mrs. Lovina (Caldwell) Voorhis, March 22, 1893. She was born February 15, 1845, and received the common school education of those days, in Hendricks county. She was married to Smith Voorhis July 14, 1870, by whom there were two children born, Marion R. and Flora M. Her ancestors were as fol- lows : The grandmother on the mother's side was Rebecca Abrams. who lived to a ripe old age. Her grandfather was James Caldwell, whose wife was Catherine. He died at eighty- three, she at fifty-five years. Richard Green Caldwell, her father, was born in 1819, mar- ried, in 1844, to Editha Abrams, settled in the northeast corner of Hendricks county, on eigthy acres, and here they have reared their fainily, whose names and dates of birth fol- low : Lovina, February 15, 1845; James W., December 14. 1846; Rebecca, September 23, 1848; William H., June 30, 1850; Margaret, March 9, 1852; Oliver, March 14, 1854; Mary J., January 7, 1857; Thomas A., February 19, 1859; Sarah L., February 23, 1861; Richard G., January 26, 1863. Mrs. Editha Caldwell died at the early age of thirty-nine years. Mr. L. M. Eaton began his married life as a renter on a farm, which for six years he continued. He then purchased twenty-five

acres, which he sold, moving to Boone county, Clinton township, where he secured eighty acres of his present farm. He has been prominent- ly connected with the tile industry, having erected and operated two factories. He con- ducts a general farming business and makes it pay. He has good comfortable buildings, and a garden spot of a farm. He is an earnest republican, a member of the Elizaville Horse Thief Detective association, as well as being a non-affiliating member of the I. O. O. F.

ETER ELLIOTT, one of the most respected farmers and stock-raisers of Sugar Creek township, Boone county, Ind., is a native of Randolph county, N. C. His birth took place January 31, 1826. His parents were Nathan and Sarah (Rich) Elliott. Nathan Elliott was also born in Ran- dolph county, N. C., the date of his birth being October 22, 1802. The parents of Nathan were Obediah and Sarah (Chamness) Elliott. also natives of the Old North state. Obediah was a wagon-maker, and a good one. He came to Indiana in 1834 and settled in . Sugar Creek township, Boone county, and fol- lowed his trade until his death in 1837, his wife, Sarah, following in 1839, and both being laid to their final rest in Sugar Plain cemetery. Their eight children were named Lydia, Han- nah, Obediah, Ephraim, Sarah, Nathan, Eliz- abeth and Abigail, all of whom have passed to a land where there is no toil, all dying in a faith founded on a sound philosophy-not superstition-and usually called that of the Society of Friends. Nathan Elliott, one of the above enumerated children of Obediah and father of Peter Elliott, the subject proper of this biographical record, was a farmer by occu- pation until the age of twenty-two, his work being confined to the home farin. He then embarked in business for himself, and added

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to his knowledge of agriculture that of milling and carpentry. Nathan Elliott was also a minister and traveled extensively in that capa- city in the states and Canada. In 1825 he married Sarah Rich, and to this union were born five children, named as follows: Peter, whose name opens this notice; Malinda, wife of E. S. Woody, of Iowa; George, Bettie and Annis, all three deceased. Mrs. Sarah (Rich) Elliott died in 1834, and January 8, 1835. Nathan Elliott married Catharine Woody, a native of Alamance county, N. C., born De- cember 8, 1806, the daughter of Samuel and Eleanor (Hadley) Woody. Later, in the year 1835, Nathan Elliott and his family came to Sugar Creek township, Boone county, Ind., and bought the farm of 160 acres, where his son, Peter, now resides, and near where he died in 1876, his remains being interred in Sugar Plain cemetery.

Peter Elliott was reared to practical farm- ing on the home farm, in the meanwhile at- tending the public schools, and for two terms at the high school at Bloomingdale, Parke county; he then taught school ten terms, aver- aging four months to the term. At the age of twenty-eight years, May 15, 1854, he married, in Hendricks county, Ind., Abigail Kersey, who was born in North Carolina, September 14, 1829, the daughter of James and Elizabeth (Hodson) Kersey, the former of whom was a physician and farmer. Four children resulted from this union and were named James, de- ceased; Sarah, married to J. Stewart, Mont- gomery county, Ind .; Marietta, deceased; and an infant that died unnamed. The mother of these children was called away May 28, 1863, and the next marriage of Mr. Elliott took place September 16, 1868, to Eliza Brown, a native of Montgomery county, Ind., born Feb- ruary 7, 1832. This lady is the daughter of Elijah and Nancy (Brown) Cox, and has borne her husband three children, viz .: George,

Mark and Enos. The family are all members of the Society of Friends, and lead the lives inculcated through the teachings of that soci- ety. A handsome and well improved farm of ninety acres is sufficient for their support, and Mr. Elliott's skill as a stock grower adds ma- terially to his income. In politics he is a re- publican, and for ten years was an overseer in the religious order to which he belongs.

RADFORD EPPERSON. - Among the older and respected citizens of Boone county, Mr. Epperson ranks among the first. He comes from old colonial American stock of English descent. His grandfather, John Epperson, was born in Virginia and was a pioneer in Kentucky con- temporaneous with Daniel Boone. He mar- ried and made his residence in Shelby county, Ky., and of the fruit of this union Daniel, John, Francis and Elizabeth are remembered. Mr. Epperson died in Kentucky an aged man. He was a farmer, member of the Baptist church, and an industrious. hard-working, pioneer citizen, much respected by the old settlers. Francis Epperson, the father of our subject, was born in Shelby county, Ky., and reared among the pioneers. He married, in that county, Tabitha, daughter of Reuben and Elizabeth (Roberts) Redding. To Mr. and Mrs. Epperson were born eight children- William, Nancy, Daniel, Willis, Bradford, Elizabeth, Polly and Juriah. In 1826 Mr. Epperson moved to Putnam county, Ind., settling in the woods, where he built a log cabin, and cleared up a good farm. He then sold out and bought a farm south of Ladoga, in Putnam county, where he died at the age seventy-four years. He was an able and indus- trious farmer, held the respect of the people and reared \ good family of children. In political opinions Mr. Epperson was a Jack-

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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