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 39

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 39
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 39
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 39

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hold on any longer. I looked down the river and saw the headlight of a boat coming, and encouraged my comrade to hold on by saying it would probably take us in. This was about one hour before daylight. We became un- conscious and did not remember when we were picked up. We came to about 9 A. M. that day." On his return home Mr. Mayes re- engaged in farming, and December 2, 1875, married Miss Mary (Stokes) Moza, daughter of Joseph and Nancy (Grimes) Moza, and in March, 1876, came to Boone county and bought 125 acres of land in Jefferson township, on which he resided twelve years, and then bought his present farm of seventy-four acres, which he has thoroughly cultivated and im- proved. To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Mayes have been born two children-Charley S. Mayes and Otto C. Mayes. Mr. Mayes, it will be seen, descends from a family of patriots, and the part he has acted shows that he is well worthy his ancestry, and it is needless to say that his fellow-citizens esteem him accordingly.

B ARL H. MEYER is a young farmer of progressive ideas and substantial means, residing in Jackson town- ship, Boone county, Ind. His father, Henry Meyer, was born in Detmold, Germany, in the year 1836, but came to America in company with an uncle when only fourteen years of age and returned home on a visit in 1880. For some years his life was spent in Dayton and Cincinnati, Ohio. where he learned and worked at the shoemaker's trade. Some years later he settled in Boone county, Ind., and bought a tract of unimproved land, finally adding to this until he owned 450 acres. At his death, he owned 420 acres, which he had improved, erecting a large, two- story, brick residence, beside a large barn and other farm buildings. He proved himself a

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most worthy citizen, progressive in all his undertakings. Coming to America without education or capital, he made himself one of the wealthiest men of Jackson township by hard work and frugal industry. In politics he was a member of the old independent party. Both he and wife were consistent and devout members of the New Light church, of which he was numbered among the strongest financial members, and of which he was trustee. He married Mary F. Pratt, which union was blessed with two children, namely: Charlotte and Dota, the former alone surviving. The second marriage of Mr. Meyer was to Elizabeth Islay, daughter of David and Mary (Murphy) Islay, who were natives of Tennessee and among the first settlers of Boone county. The children by this second union were born in the following order: David, Anderson, Malinda J., and Karl H., our subject. The father and mother so lived that they had the confidence and esteem of all who enjoyed their acquaint- ance. He was killed October 15, 1890, by a runaway team; the mother afterward married Milton Young, who is also the father-in-law of our subject. Mr. Young owns a fine farm of over 200 acres and now lives a retired life in Lebanon. He and his wife are members of the New Light church and he affiliates with the democratic party.

Karl H. Meyer was born in Jackson town- ship, Boone county, September 26, 1870, on the farm where he now resides and where he has always lived. He received a common school education and began life for himself upon arriving at his majority, and since has followed the life of an agriculturist. He mar- ried Ella M. Yonug, the daughter of Milton and Susan (Parish) Young. The Youngs were among the first settlers of Montgomery county, Ind., and Mr. Young is now one of the gray- haired pioneer farmers of Boone county, who has lived to see these counties rescued from

their primitive state. To Mr. and Mrs. Meyer has been born one child, namely: Sylva I., who is the idol of the home. Mr. Meyer owns the old homestead of 115 acres, a good farm in every sense of the term, beautifully situated on the Lebanon and Jamestown pike, two miles from Jamestown. He has a two-story, spacious, brick residence, and a large modern barn, windmill and other out-buildings. Mr. and Mrs. Meyer in religion belong to the New Light church, and Mr. Meyer is an active worker as well as teacher in the Sunday-school. He is the happy owner of a beautiful draft stallion of the Norman breed, named Duke. The horse is a beautiful dark bay of powerful build, five years of age. and is the pride of the country roundabout.

...

EORGE ERVIN MILLER, merchant of Terhune and gallant ex-soldier, was born in Brown county, Ohio, November 2. 1844. His paternal grandparents were Robert and Mary (Wooster) Miller, who reared a family consisting of the following children-Robert S., John G., Bar- ton, Mary A., Julia A., and Nancy A. His maternal grandfather was William Evans, born 1787 and married in 1813 to Mary Potter, who bore him ten children, namely-Ed P., Samuel J., Martha, William H., Mary J., James K., Elijah, Nathan, Louisa and Lu- cinda. His second marriage was consummated with Harriet Taylor, the result of which union was four children-Mary J., Jemima, Taylor and Amanda. William Evans was a soldier under Gen. Harrison in the war of 1812, was for a period of forty-five years an elder of the Presbyterian church and died February 16, 1873. Robert Scott Miller, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Brown county, Ohio, November 22, 1817. He married Mary J. Evans, who was born July 12, 1821, and reared

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OF BOONE COUNTY.

a family consisting of the following children --- George E., John W., Robert W., William W., Jane Belle, James E., Caroline, and Sarah F., all living except Caroline, who died at the age of twenty-two years. The mother of the above children died on the twenty-fourth day of January, 1875; the father is still living.

George Ervin Miller was reared to man- hood in Brown county, Ohio, where he began life for himself as a farmer, owning, at one time there, a well improved place of 1623 acres. He afterwards sold his farm and mov- ing to Indianapolis, Ind., engaged in carpen- tering, which he followed for a period of seven years, and then began huckstering, continuing the same about one year. His next move was to Terhune, Boone county, where he opened a general store, which he has since continued, and, at this time, carries a stock amounting to about $7,000, and is in the enjoyment of a large and lucrative patronage in the town and surrounding country. Mr. Miller is a careful business man, is well known in commercial circles and has a reputation for fair dealing much more than local. He served as trustee of Marion township for a period of two years and discharged the duties of the position in a man- ner highly satisfactory to the public. Mr. Miller has traveled extensively, having visited twenty-one states and territories. Mr. Miller and Louisa T. Summers, daughter of Albert B. and Caroline (Trexler) Summers, were united in the bonds of wedlock May 18, 1865, the result of which union is the following chil- dren-Albert S., born April 6, 1867; Mary E., February 18, 1870; Katie B., December 30, 1872; Tilla A., December 7, 1875; Ervin E., November 4, 1878; Chester L., October 7, 1880; Blanch A., July 1, 1882, and Frankie R., April 11, 1888.

Mr. Miller served with distinction in the late rebellion, enlisting at the early age of sev- enteen in company E, Eighty-ninth Ohio vol-

unteer infantry, and saw his first active serv- ice in Kentucky, going thence through the Kanawha valley to Fayetteville, a distance of 125 miles, being under fire there for a number of days. From Fayetteville his command went to Chickamauga, Tenn., but owing to sickness, he did not accompany the regiment, but, instead, was sent to Charleston, and thence on a furlough returned home. On re- rejoining his command he was placed in com- pany G, Seventeenth invalid corps, and later transferred or detailed to Gen. Hovey's body guard as one of the latter's private escorts. He was one of the soldiers who assisted in the arrest of Horsey, Bowles and Milligan for trea- son, and at one time assisted in guarding the Confederate prisoners confined at Camp Mor- ton, Indianapolis. He was intrusted at differ- ent times with messages of much importance, and became pretty familiar with the inside workings of the conspiracy which, but for the timely discovery, would doubtless have re- sulted in much aid to the rebellion in the liber- ation of the Confederates held at Camp Mor- ton. At this camp there were 13,000 rebel prisoners guarded by fifty-one Federals during the day, which number, however, was in- creased at night. Rebel sympathizers, or mem- bers of the Knights of the Golden Circle, who planned the release of these prisoners, at- tached letters to rocks and threw them over the stockade, explaining the scheme to those inside. This scheme was to furnish them with arms, on their release, to enable them to give battle right in the streets of the city. Several boxes marked "Sunday School Books," were unloaded at the Sentinel building, and their great weight was the cause of the governor's attention being called to them; on being opened, the-boxes were found to contain re- volvers. The governor, of course, notified the commander of the prison, at once, that there was to be a revolt at a set time, the guards

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were to be shot, and that the prisoners were to escape. George E. Miller was the trusty messenger to be called from his bed at mid- night to carry this dispatch from the private office of Gen. Hovey to the commandant of the camp and take his receipt therefor.

As stated in the preceding paragraph, Mr. Miller has been an extensive traveler, and he was one of the passengers on the ill-fated train wrecked on the Monon route January 27, 1890, in which six persons were killed and a great many wounded. In that terrible accident he was severely injured in the shoulder, spine and lower limbs, the nature of which was such as to render him a physical wreck for life. He brought suit for damages against the railroad and received judgment to the amount of $10,- 000, which judgment has recently been con- firmed by the highest court of the state, Po- litically Mr. Miller is an earnest supporter of the republican party, and has been an active worker for upward of thirty years, and is con- sidered as one of the leaders. He is an active member of the G. A. R., belonging to post No. 103, at Sheridan, Ind.

Mrs. Miller was born in Philadelphia, Pa., October 8, 1848, and, at the age of ten years, came with her parents to Indianapolis, where she grew to womanhood, was educated in the city schools, and was here when she was mar- ried. Mrs. Miller is a member of the Presby- terian church.

Albert B. Summers was a carpenter by trade and an active citizen and became well to do. He met his death August 5, 1886, by falling from a ladder while working at his trade. He was a stanch republican and a member of the Fifth Presbyterian church. He left a family of four children and a wife at his death, and Mrs. Sum- mers yet resides in Indianapolis, a member of the Congregational church. He and wife were parents of eight children -- Mary, Louise, Gilbert Albert, Thomas, Sarah, Elizabeth and Caroline.

a ILLIAM MILLER, one of Boone ·county's substantial and representa- tive citizens, is a native of Cocke county, Tenn., where his birth oc- curred on the third day of January 1832. His father, Charles M. Miller, was a son of Frederick Miller, the latter a native of France, who came to the United States with Gen. La Fayette during the Revolution, in which struggle he served with distinction until inde- pendence had been achieved. Frederick Miller married, in North Carolina, a Miss Edwards, by whom he had three children-Andrew, Mary and Charles M. Charles M. Miller was born in Rowan county, N. C., in 1791, and there married Sarah Fries, whose birth occurred the same year. Her father, Jacob Fries, emigrated to the United States from Germany in the time of the colonies, and, at the breaking out of the Revolutionary war, he espoused the cause of freedom and did valiant service in assisting his adopted country to throw off the British yoke. Charles M. Miller settled in east Tennessee in an early day, and made that his home until his death, which occurred on the twenty-ninth day of May, 1876; his wife survived him until the following winter, dying on the twenty-third day of December of the same year. The fol- lowing are the names of the children born to Charles M. and Sarah Miller-Frederick S., deceased; Mary, deceased; Catherine, deceased; George W., deceased; Susan, Margaret, Frances, Charles P., Andrew, William and Mahala A.

William Miller grew to manhood in his native state, and in the fall of 1853 moved to Indiana, locating first in Clinton county, and later removing to the county of Howard, thence, after a short period of residence, moving to Worth township, Boone county. On arriv- ing in the township of Worth, Mr. Miller leased a tract of land of Ambrose Neese and resided

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OF BOONE COUNTY.

upon the same for a period of about seven years. In the meantime, he had been quite successful in his financial affairs-so much so, indeed, that he was enabled to purchase the farm on which he lived, and he has ever since continued to make it his home. To his original purchase he has, at different times, made ad- ditions, and he now owns 233 acres, 200 of which are under a high state of cultivation.

Mr. Miller's marriage with Rachel M. Ottinger, daughter of Michael and Elizabeth (Winters) Ottinger, was solemnized in Cocke county, Tenn., on the twenty-fourth day of December, 1851. Mrs. Miller was born in Tennessee May 21, 1836, and departed this life on the fourteenth day of December, 1870; she was the mother of four children, namely : Sarah E., born May 29, 1862; William H., born February 29, 1864; Mary J., born April 18, 1866, and Albert A., born July 12, 1869, died July 31 of the same year. On the thir- tieth day of November, 1871, Mr. Miller was united in marriage with Miss Laura A. Ronk of North Carolina, daughter of John P. and Eve (Leinback) Ronk. Mr. and Mrs. Ronk came to Indiana from Tennessee in 1875, set- tling in Bcone county, where their deaths oc- curred- the mother dying December 3, 1887, and the father April 16, 1894. They were the parents of seven children : Eugene R .. Laura A , Permain, John B, Sybila C., Irvin S. and Amanda D. To Mr. Miller's second marriage eight children have been born, name- ly: Charles I., whose birth occurred August 26, 1872, John M., January 5, 1874; Gilbert A., March 30, 1875; Leotis N, August 25, 1876, died March 24, 1893; Zerba C., born May 5, 1878, died July 19, 1878; Louada E., March 27. 1880; Bessie F., February 1, 1883, and Flora J., November 21, 1885. Mrs. Miller was born in Forsythe county, N. C., on the second day of April, 1843. Mr. Miller is highly esteemed in the community where he

resides and is a man who commands the re- spect of all who come in contact with him in social or business relations. His life has been singularly free from the slightest taint of sus- picion, and his excellent judgment and high sense of honor have always won for him a conspicuous place in the estimation of the public.

EORGE D. MILLER is a successful farmer of Jefferson township, Boone county, Ind., and he springs from an old American family of Virginia. His father was Alexander Miller, who married Louisa Bell, of a Kentucky family, a family of nine children resulting from the union: Eliza- beth, John C., Catherine, Mary, George D., Ellen, Julia, Martha and James. Mr. Miller moved to Indiana in 1816, bringing his family, and passed the remainder of his days in Deca- tur county, where he was a substantial farmer. He lived to be sixty-five years of age, was a member of the Methodist church, and a repub- lican in political opinions, having been an old- time whig until that party became consolidated into the great republican party. He was re- spected by the people as an honorable man and an industrious and prosperous citizen. His son John C. was in the Civil war in the Sev- enth Indiana volunteer infantry, serving three years.

George D. Miller, our subject and son of Alexander, was born in Decatur county, Ind., October 16, 1838, where he received a common education. He enlisted in Decatur county at the age of twenty-two, in company F, Seventh Indiana volunteer infantry, for three months, on April 12, 1861, at Clarksburg, under Capt. Joseph Beernisdoffer. He was in the battles of Philippi, Carmix Ford and a severe skirmish, serving out his enlistment. He then re-enlisted at Greensburg, Decatur county, Ind., in

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August, 1862, in the Twenty-sixth Indiana- battery, and served until the close of the war, in July of 1865. He was engaged in the siege of Knoxvillle, many skirmishes and other engagements. Mr. Miller was in the hospital but little, but was sick of typhoid fever in an ambulance for one month, and at a private house. Thissickness greatly injured his health, which he has never fully recovered. His wife was Mary J. Hollingsworth, daughter of Samuel and Fanny (Alexander) Hollingsworth. Mr. Hollingsworth is a venerable and much respected gentleman of eighty years, and an old settler of Boone county, coming here in 1833-4, from North Carolina-of English stock and an old Quaker family. He is a well-to-do farmer, owing 320 acres of land, and the father of but two children-Mary J. and Will- iam W. George D. and Mary J. Miller had born to them but two children-Fannie H. and Florence J.

Politically, Mr. Miller is a republican, and fraternally he is a Mason of Thorntown lodge.

veteran who endured the hardships and fought the battles as one of the defenders of the Union.

A BEL . MOFFITT, of Thorntown, Boone county, Ind., was born in Ran- dolph county, N. C., October 8, 1826, a son of David and Rachel (Cox) Moffitt. Both parents were born in Randolph county, and were there married and lived on their farm until 1840, when they came to Indiana, and for a year resided in Hamilton county, whence they came to Boone county and settled down to farming, although Mr. Moffitt was also a wagonmaker. They were the parents of nine children, named as follows: Mary, William, Jane, Joshua, Rachel, David, Abel, Ruth and Silas, all deceased with the exception of Abel and Silas, the latter being a real estate agent in Minnesota. Both parents are also deceased, and their remains are at repose in Sugar Plains cemetery at Thorntown, David, the father, was a member

He came to Boone county in 1867. There is of the Friends' church, and in politics was a

no more industrious, straightforward and republican. He was a very successful man, owned 160 acres at his death, and had given his two children surviving him 160 acres each. 1 He had been quite prominent in local affairs and his death was greatly lamented by the community. honorable citizen in Jefferson township than George D. Miller. Natuarally of a quite dis- position, he is a kind friend and accommodating neighbor. John Miller, the grandfather of George D., was born in Virginia, and moved to Decatur county, Ind., about 1816, coming Abel Moffitt was but fourteen years of age when brought to Indiana by his parents. He was educated as farmers' lads usually are, and lived with his father and mother until they were called to their long home. At the age of twenty-seven he began the affairs of life on his own account, traveling, however, for three years in the states and Canada for pleasure and observation before permanently settling down to farming on his 160 acres in this township, on which he remained until 1872, when he went to Battle Creek, Mich., for a year, and down the Ohio river in a flat boat. He set- tled in the new country of Indiana. He was a backwoodsman and a hunter and the father of six children, as follows: Alexander H., John, George, Elizabeth, Jane and Mary. John Miller was a typical American pioneer, possessing the rugged virtues of the old settlers. George D. Miller was one or those sturdy soldiers of the Civil war who served from the beginning to the end. He was always prompt, faithful and reliable, and is deserving of a place in the record of Boone connty, as a : then went to Vermillion county, Ill., where he

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OF BOONE COUNTY.

purchased 114 acres and employed himself with farming for two years, when he came again to Thorntown and for a year carried on a meat market, and then engaged in the livery busi- ness, in 1887, which he has since followed with gratifying success. Mr. Moffitt was married in Montgomery county, Ind., March 13, 1858, to Asenath H. Clark, who was born in Ran- dolph county, N. C., in August, 1829, a daugh- ter of Samuel and Mary (Hussey) Clark, and to this union have been born eight children, viz: Rollin C., deceased; Elmer E .; Orrin, de- ceased; Alvaretta, Leora Electo, deceased; Walter, deceased; Josephine and Quincy A. The mother of this family died July 13, 1889, and lies buried in Sugar Plains cemetery.

Elmer E. Moffitt, son of Abel and Asenath Moffitt, was born in Sugar Creek township, Boone county, Ind., March 23, 1861, and was reared a farmer. He received the ordinary education of the common school of his district, which was supplemented by a course in the city school of Battle Creek, Mich. October 13, 1887, he married in Sugar Creek township Miss E. May Wickersham, who was born here October 2, 1866, a daughter of George and Mary (Hadden) Wickersham of Kentucky. To Mr. and Mrs. Moffitt has been born one child, Walter. Mrs. Moffitt is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in politics Mr. Moffitt is a republican. By trade he is a butcher, and also handles fine draft horses and trotters, owning, among the latter, Little Sam, with a record of 2:223.

A more fitting close to the above biography cannot be made than the giving of the follow- ing short account of the ancestors of the Moffitt family in America: Robert Moffitt was born in Scotland, but emigrated to Ireland when young, and married there to Margaret Stewart of England, a near relative of King James II. Both died in Ireland. Their chil- dren were as follows: James, William, Adam,

Margaret, Mary, Catherine, Robert, Hugh, John and Patrick. The latter never came to America. John came over, but went back, and married and died in Ireland. William came over first, alone, and went back. Being pleased with this country, he with five other brothers came to Philadelphia and remained there some time, then went to North Carolina, into Chat- ham or Randolph county. James went to Georgia or South Carolina about the year 1790. William, Adam and Charles died in North Carolina; Hugh emigrated to Ohio in 1798 or 1799, and settled near Chillicothe, and died about a year afterward. Robert started back to Ireland and was never heard from by those that remained. They suppose he was lost at sea. At that time only sail ships were in use. William and Hugh married Charles Davis' daughters in North Carolina. Their father was from England and was a boy when his father died; his mother put him at the weaver's trade, but not being pleased with his situation he left England without his mother's knowledge and landed in Philadelphia, where he was sold to pay his passage.

J ACOB F. MOORE, a prosperous farmer and ex-soldier of Marion township, Boone county, Ind., was born in Dear- born county, same state, June 9, 1824, and is of English and German and Irish de- scent. Peter Moore, father of Jacob F., was born June 17, 1797, married Rachael Norris for his first wife, and died in 1860. To this union were born Jacob F., Joseph N., John S., Mary A., James B., George W., William W. and Peter R., the last named dying young. Mrs. Moore died when about forty-six years of age. Mr. Moore then married Sarah Amos, who bore one child, Martha R. Peter Moore, who was a native of Rowan county, N. C., moved to Boone county, Ky., when fifteen

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years of age, and in 1836 came to Boone county, Ind., and entered 160 acres of land in a wilderness filled with Indians and wild ani- mals. This he eventually caused to "blossom like the rose," and added to until he became one of the largest land owners in the township, and was able to leave his children forty acres each at his decease. He was, beside. a skill- ful boot and shoemaker, which trade mate- rially assisted him in acquiring a fortune.

Jacob F. Moore, after coming to this county, December 6, 1836, although but yet a lad, aided his father materially in developing the crude farm. In his thirtieth year, January 8, 1854, he married Mary A. Harbert, daugh- ter of Richard and Mary A. (Moore) Harbert. His only child by this marriage, William, died June 9, 1888. The second marriage of Mr. Moore was on May 25, 1865, to Mary E. Sed- wick, who was born January 8, 1836, a daugh- ter of Scipio and Louisa (Brinton) Sedwick, the former of whom was born in Boone county, Ky., in 1801, was a brick mason, and erected the first brick building in Indianapolis, Ind. The children born to this second marriage were named Rebecca, James, Elizabeth and Mary E.

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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