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 52

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 52
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 52
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 52

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).

occupation a carpenter and afterward became a successful farmer ; he died in the above county and state at the age of ninety-six years. Benjamin Troutman, son of Peter and father of the subject of this biography, was born in Berks county, Pa., and there married Sarah Wolgamott, a native of Martinsburg, Va., daughter of Solomon Wolgamott, which union resulted in the birth of the following children: Rachel, Elizabeth, George, Joseph, John, Mary, Tenie, Isaac, Nancy, Daniel, Emanuel, Adam, Sarah and Harriet. Benjamin Trout- man was a mechanic and worked for a num- ber of years at the gunsmiths' trade. He was popular in the community where he lived, sub- scribed liberally to church and other moral and religious purposes, took an active part in poli- tics as an old-line whig, and departed this life in his native county and state at the age of eighty years; his wife lived to be seventy-eight years old.

J. W. Troutman, while quite young, learned to work on the farm and later turned his. nat- urally fine mechanical skill to good account as a carpenter and blacksmith. He married, in Bedford county, Pa., December 31, 1837, Eliz- abeth Miller, daughter of John and Catharine (Wilhelm) Miller, a union which was termi- nated by the death of Mrs. Troutman on the seventh of December, 1893. Mrs. Troutman was a lady of deep religious convictions, an earnest church worker, and her whole life was fraught with good deeds and charitable acts, and she died lamented by all who knew her. In 1861, October 15, Mr. Troutman responded to the country's call for volunteers and enlisted in company F. Fortieth Indiana infantry, with which he served until July of the following year. He was with his command in the bloody battle of Shiloh and other engagements, and saw much active service during the brief period of his enlistment. He was promoted corporal of his company and at one time was made

504

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

color-bearer, a position of much honor, and still more danger, as it made him a conspicu- ous mark for the enemy's bullets. He con- tracted a chronic ailment in the army, and while at Indianapolis accidently stepped off a platform, so injuring his ankle as to render its amputation necessary. At the termination of his period of military service Mr. Troutman re- turned to Boone county, and has since that time been one of the prominent citizens of Jackson township. He is. a member of Antie- tam post, No. 167, G. A. R., and is promi- nently identified with the. Masonic fraternity, belonging to Hazlerigg lodge, No. 200, of which he is a charter member. Socially, he occupies a conspicuous place in the estimation of his fellow-citizens, and in every relation of life has proved himself an intelligent and honorable gentleman.

J AMES M. TURNER was born in Rush county, Ind., December 29, 1844, on a farm, and received a common educa- tion. He is one of the old soldiers of Lebanon, enlisting at the age of twenty years, on February 29, 1864, at Indianapolis, in com- pany F, Fortieth regiment, Indiana volunteer infantry, for three years, or during the war, under Capt. James Bragg and Col. James Blake. He served until the close of.the war, and was honorably discharged at Indianapolis, November, 1865, having been detailed on hos- pital duty at Nashville. He was in the Atlanta campaign and in all the battles and skirmishes of his regiment-Resaca, Rocky Faced Ridge, Big Shanty, Kingston, Kenesaw Mountain, Dalton, New Hope Church, and Peach Tree Creek. His health having been bad some time previous to this last-named battle, he was here taken sick with fever, and was sent to the field hospital and then to Chattanooga and Nash- ville. He was sick for six weeks and then

furloughed home, and upon his return was de- tailed for duty at Nashville hospital, No. 2, as nurse until the close of the war. He was an active and efficient soldier; doing the duty before him cheerfully. After his service he returned to Boone county, his father having moved there when James was but nine years of age, and settled on a farm in Marion township. Here he worked on the farm until his marriage, which occurred in August, 1867, to Mary J., daughter of John P. and Isabell (Maze) Weed, eight children resulting from this union- Emma, Lora, Arthur, Anna, Mabel, William, Dickey, and Ethel. After marriage, in 1868, Mr. Turner bought a farm of eighty acres in Clinton township, and his wife inherited sixty acres, thus increasing the farm to 120 acres. In 1882 Mr. Turner moved to Lebanon and engaged in the butcher business, but after- ward engaged in farming. In 1884 he bought an interest in the plow-handle business, the firm being Neff, Holloway & Turner. This business prospered and Mr. Turner is now building a fine residence for himself and family.

Mr. and Mrs. Turner are members of the Presbyterian church, in which he is a trustee. In political opinions he is a republican, and was township trustee of Clinton township two years. Mr. Turner is a man of integrity and a good citizen. The Turner family is of Scotch- Irish descent, and were early settlers of North Carolina. James Turner, the grandfather of our subject, was a pioneer of Monroe county, Ind., and a blacksmith by trade. Moses Tur- ner, his son, was the father of our subject, born in North Carolina, and was about ten years of age when his father settled in Rush county. Ind., among the pioneers, afterward moving to Monroe county. He was a farmer, and married, in Rush county, Rebecca Presley, and to them were born four children-Thomas, Eliza, Dickey and James M. Mr. Turner finally settled in Marion township, Boone county, in

IS. Sumer

507

OF BOONE COUNTY.

1850, and still lives on his farm, at about seventy-three years of age. He is a prosper- ous farmer, a much respected citizen, and has always been an industrious, honorable man. He had two sons in the Civil war-Thomas E. and James M. Thomas was in an Indiana regiment, and served one hundred days. Mr. Turner is a valued member of the Presbyterian church, in which he has been an elder for many years. He is a stanch republican, and has served in several township offices.

0 R. T. S. TURNER is one of the lead- ing physicians of Harrison township, Boone county, Ind., and, although a young man, has a fine practice and a promising field. His grandfather, Sanford, was born in Fleming county, Ky., 1816-7. He went to Rush county, Ind., at the age of four years, and at the age of twenty-four mar- ried Miss Rachel Drysdal. Rachel was born in Campbell county, 1820, and in 1848 he, with his family, went to Grundy county, Mo. He then went to California from Missouri dur- ing the gold excitement of 1849, and although he wrote home that he would return at a defi- nite period, he was never more heard from, and it is thought he was murdered for his money. His wife, Rachel, with her family, consisting of five children, Susan, Thomas, Sanford, John, and James W. Turner, father of the doc- tor, after some years' waiting, went to Rush county, Ind., where she married Joseph Os- born, a wealthy and prominent citizen; they then came to Harrison township, in Boone county, and finally settled in Whitestown, where Mr. Osborn died at the age of eighty- four. James W. Turner, father of the doc- tor, was born in Rush county, Ind., 1840, grew up on a farm, and there married Miss Minerva Kendell. This lady, the doctor's mother, died

when the latter was but eighteen months old, "but her husband is still living on a farm.

Dr. T. S. Turner was born in Madison county, Ind., May 14, 1863, on a farm; he first attended the district school, then the graded school, and then entered the Physio-Medical institute at Marion, Ind. Dr. Turner's father was unable to aid him financially in attending the college, so, when but eighteen years of age, he went to Dr. D. B. Snodgrass, the dean, and contra ted to perform the duties of office man for $13 per month. He here had the oppor- tunity to read and study for his chosen profes- sion for two years, and for three years took courses of lectures in the college proper, con- tinuing to perform his office duties during the summer seasons. Dr. Turner finally gradu- ated from the Physio-Medical institute, March 4. 1885, with honors, standing high in his classes, and in the estimation of the faculty, and being recognized as a particular favorite of the dean. After graduation, Dr. Turner immediately located for practice in Milledge- ville, Boone county, Ind., where he has met with phenomenal success. While at college the doctor regularly attended the meetings of the Northern Indiana Medical association, and read before it papers on nasal catarrh and ty- phoid fever, and several others at stated meet- ings, all of which met with great approbation; he also investigated all schools of medicine, and his valuable library represents all systems of treatment, enabling him not only to use his own, but to combine all, and to this fact, per- haps, much of his great success is due. The doctor is a member in good standing of the Indiana State Eclectic Medical association, and May 12, 1892, was admitted to member- ship in the State Eclectic Medical association at Indianapolis. For the years 1893 and 1894 he was elected by the society to the office of vice-president, an honor rarely conferred on so young a practitioner. For the meeting that

508

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

was held May 17, 1894, the doctor was as- signed to discuss the Pathology and Treatment of Influenza, and also read before it a paper on Specific Medications.

The marriage of Dr. Turner took place September 19, 1888, to Miss Sarah M. Beach, daughter of Joseph and Rachel (Bennett) Beach, members of a prominent and early- settled family of Boone county. Mrs. Sarah M. Turner was born in Clinton county, Ind., July 1, 1868. Mr. and Mrs. Turner are re- spected members of the Methodist church, in which he takes an active part in the Sunday school ; fraternally, he is a member of K. of P. lodge, No. 45. of Lebanon: politically, he votes the democratic ticket. and has filled the office of township trustee, and has aided in adding some fine school-houses to the town- ship, as he takes great interest in school mat- ters: socially, he and wife are great favorites in town and county, and professionally he stands at the head of his vocation.

J OSEPH TODD, of Sugar Creek town- ship, Boone county. Ind., and one of its most successful tile manufacturers, was born in Franklin county, Ind., May 3, 1862, a son of Joseph S. and Ann R. (Pinkerton) Todd. Joseph S. Todd was born near Newark, N. J., in 1810, and his wife in Hunterdon county, same state, March 12, 1824. Joseph S. Todd was but six years of age when he was brought to Franklin county, Ind. He and wife were the parents of three children, viz: Rebecca, deceased; Joseph, our subject, and Ella F., wife of David Cus- ter. The parents of this family now live a re- tired life in the village of Thorntown.

Joseph Todd was but twelve years of age when he came to Boone county, and until twenty-five years old took care of his father's farm. He then married, and purchased a

small tract near the old homestead, but still managed the old place for two seasons. In 1890 he bought his tile mill, and the twenty- nine acres of land connected with it-the out- put of the mill being about 300,000 tile per year. He employs seven hands during the busy season, and in the fall of 1893 put in a set of the best and latest improved machinery. His product is of the best, and includes all grades and sizes of tile, and, to some extent, brick of very good quality. On his farm he breeds some fine horses, as well as Chester White hogs, and grows the mixed crops usual- ly cultivated in this latitude. Mr. Todd was married, February 23, 1887, to Miss Anna M. Milner, who was born in Montgomery county, Ind., July 12, 1866, and to this happy union have been born two children, named Paul E. and Fern. Mrs. Todd is a member of the Society of Friends. In politics Mr. Todd is a democrat, and, fraternally, he is a Knight of Pythias.

ILLIAM H. VAN ARSDALL, a deceased soldier of Center town- ship, Boone county, Ind., was of French origin, his forefathers hay- ing settled in America at an early period of its history. Our subject's father, John Van Arsdall, was born in Kentucky, however, was there reared a farmer, there married, and be- came the father of the following children: Sarah, Cynthia, Amanda, Tibithia, William H.,, James, Cornelius and Alexander, who were all educated in the little log school-houses of their early day. Jacob, the father, was also a blacksmith as well as small farmer, and was much respected as a hard-working man and as a pious member of the Presbyterian church.

William H. Van Arsdall, whose name opens this biography, was born August 2, 1835. in Harrodsburg, Mercer county, Ky., was reared

509

OF BOONE COUNTY.

to farming, and when a young man came to Indiana and located in Johnson county, where he soon after, in September, 1855, married Miss Sarah E. Berry, daughter of David and Hester (Bowers) Berry. David Berry was a well-to-do farmer and owned a homestead of 160 acres, well improved with substantial buildings. He and his wife were both church members and were the parents of the following children: William H., Sarah E., Mary J., Jemima J. and Phineas M. These all lived to be grown and all were given as good educations as the common school of the district afforded. In politics the father was a republican, and both parents lived to a ripe old age, highly respected as Christians and neighbors.

Mr. and Mrs. William Van Arsdall lived in Johnson county seven years on their farm and then came to Boone county, where the husband still followed agriculture as a vocation. But he was patriotic, and was not afraid to face the cannon's mouth in defense of his country's honor and integrity. He therefore enlisted at Lebanon, April 11, 1865, in company H, One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Indiana volunteer infantry, and went with his command at once to the front in Virginia, where he was drilled and placed on guard and picket duty, and com- pelled to make many long and tiresome marches, and this exposure and fatigue broke down his constitution, so that he was confined in the hospital, in Virginia, much of his time. In one of these distressing marches he sustain- ed a rupture which effectually disabled him, and he was in consequence discharged August 4, 1865. On his return home he purchased thirty-five acres of land, on which his widow now resides (but which is now increased to seventy-two acres), and here employed his time in farming until his death, December 5. 1881, a devoted member of the Methodist church. He was a republican in politics, and fraternally a member of Ben Adhem lodge of

Odd Fellows of Lebanon. His death was a sad blow to his bereaved widow and children, and his memory is still cherished by a large number of attached friends. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Van Arsdall were named: Laura J., Guilford E., William F., Hester A., Eva V. and Mary E. Of these, Hester Anna was married to William Glener, was a truly devout member of the Christian church, and died August 2, 1890, highly re- spected and much beloved by all who knew her. Mrs. Sarah E. Van Arsdall is a con- sistent member of the Methodist church and liberally aids it with her means and influence. She stands deservedly high as a christian lady and is greatly beloved by a large circle of friends. Mrs. Van Arsdall contents herself with the pension first granted her husband, $3 per month, under the first pension act of con- gress, never having sought to avail herself of the increase allowed by subsequent enactments.

ILLIAM .G. VANDEVER. a thriv- ing farmer of Perry township. Boone county. Ind., is a native of the state and was born in Marion county, December 12, 1843. His parents were James and Sarah E. (Tucker) Vandever, the former a native of Mercer county, Ky., born January 9, 1814, and a son. of Garret and Sarah (Chatham) Vandever; the latter born in Henry county, Ky .. August 22, 1821, was a daughter of James and Mary (Richey) Tucker, natives, respectively of Virginia and Ireland. James Vandever and Sarah E. Tucker came to Indiana in 1824 and were married in Marion county, where they lived until 1872, when they came to Perry township, and, in conjunction with their son William G., bought 160 acres of land. They are the par- ents of seven children, viz: Mary J., wife of WV. Bensen; Louisa, married to J. H. Half-

510

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

acre; William G .; D. D .; Margaret, wife of D. Ross; S. R .; and Alice, wife of James Demott, of Lebanon. The parents are Bap- tists in their religious faith, and in politics the father votes with the people's party.

William G. Vandever was reared and edu- cated in Marion county, and at the age of twenty-one began life on his own account as a monthly farm hand. October 6, 1870, he married, in Marion county, Miss Sarah L. Smith, a native of Marion county, born May 6, 1852, and a daughter of Samuel and Agnes Smith. To this union have been born three children, viz: Flora A., wife of Charles Herr, of. Perry township; Carl and Omer. Mr. and Mrs. Vandever are sincere members of the Baptist church, and in politics he is a member of the people's party. He owns 140 acres of of nicely cultivated land, and stands very high in the estimation of his fellow-townsmen.

S AMUEL D. VANDEVER, of Perry township, Boone county. Ind., was born in Marion county, April 17. 1845, and is a son of James and Sarah E. (Tucker) Vandever, a detailed notice of whom will be found in the biography of William G. Vandever, which precedes this sketch. Samuel D. was reared on the home farm in Marion county and was there educated. At the age of twenty-two he started out on his own account, and for five years traveled through the country, doing general labor. In 1872 he came to Boone county and bought eighty acres of land in Perry township, which he disposed of later, and then bought the forty-two acre farm on which he has since resided. He was married in Boone county to Miss Martha V. Fulwider, who was born in Montgomery county. Ind., October 3. 1851. a daughter of Moses and Sarah Fulwider. To this congenial union have been born five children, of whom the

last three were triplets, that died in infancy; the surviving two are James and Mina. Mr. and Mrs. Vandever are members of the Christian church, and the populist party is that to which he is attached politically.

ONTRAVILLE WADDLE .-- Boone county furnished many a good sol- dier for the war, and among them the subject of this sketch, who is now a substantial farmer of Center township. His grandfather was one of the pioneers of Nicholas county, Ky,, and descended from an old American colonial family of Scotch- Irish ancestry. Isaac Waddle, the father of our subject, was reared on a farm in Nicholas county, Ky., and married Mary, daughter of William and Isabel (Davidson) Burns. Mr. and Mrs. Waddle were the parents of four children-Martha A., James, Montra- ville and Mary, is the proper order of their birth. Between 1832-5, Mr. Waddle moved to Decatur county, Ind., and after a few years came to Boone county, and settled two miles from Jamestown, on a small farm. He died a comparatively young man. He was a mem- ber of the Methodist church and his wife was a member the Presbyterian church.

Montraville Waddle was born in Boone county, Ind., on his father's farm, March 14, 1838. He was about eighteen months old when his father died, and his mother, taking all her children, returned to Nicholas county, Ky., and made her home with her father, William Burns. Here our subject received the limited education of the subscription school until he was about fifteen years of age, when he returned to Boone county with his mother and her father. and the remainder of the chil- dren. His uncle, Andy Burns, came also and bought land in Clinton township. Our subject early began to work out at farm labor, and at

511

OF BOONE COUNTY.

the age of twenty-three years, in October, 1861, enlisted at Fayette, Ind., for the Civil war. He was mustered in, at Indianapolis, October 8, 1861, in company A, Fifty-first regiment Indiana volunteer infantry, as a pri- vate for three years, or during the war. At the expiration of this time he veteranized in the same regiment, May 29, 1864, at Indian- apolis, and was hororably discharged, on ac- count of wounds, also at Indianapolis. He was in the battle of Stone River, and, his reg- iment being mounted, he was in Streight's raid through Alabama and Louisiana, and for six days and nights there was severe fighting, and he was hardly out of his saddle during this time except to catch an hour of occasional sleep during a lull in the firing. The command, in its hasty march, was fiercely pursued by the rebels, and stopped only long enough at times to check them and feed the horses. At Col. Streight's surrender, May 8, 1863, near Rome, Ga., he was among the prisoners, and was taken to Richmond, Va., and imprisoned at Belle Island for seventeen days, when he was paroled and sent home. He was exchanged and returned to the service, and was in the battle at Nashville, Tenn., December 15 and 16, 1864, when he was shot through the thigh and taken off the battle field that night to the field hospital, and afterward sent to a hospital in Nashville, where he lay about four months, and was then sent home on a furlough, after which he was in a hospital at Indianapolis until discharged on account of his wounds. During his services as a soldier, he was in several foraging expeditions and in many severe skirmishes. He suffered greatly from hard- ships and exposure, frequently sleeping, with no blanket, on the ground in the rain and cold, and was often without food, and to this day has not recovered from the effects of army life.

On September 19, 1866, he married, in 25

Hendricks county, Ind., Sarah A., daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Schenck) McDaniel. Jacob McDaniel was a substantial farmer of Hen- dricks county, owning over 240 acres of land. He was of Scotch descent and came from an old American family. Both of his grand- fathers fought in the Revolutionary war, and were old settlers of North Carolina. J. McCullum, his maternal grandfather, was wounded in the war of the Revolution and went blind thirty years before his death as an effect of his service to his country. Jacob McDaniel came to Hendricks county, Ind., in 1839. He was a devout member of the Bap- tist church, in which he was a deacon many years. He and wife were the parents of nine children : Mary, Samuel, Sarah, Rebecca, Elizabeth, John, Caroline, Martha and Wil- lard; all lived to be men and women. Mr. McDaniel was a straightforward and very temperate man. He held a high place in the esteein of his neighbors, and his children may well take an honest pride in his record and cherish his memory. In 1865, directly after marriage, Mr. Waddle bought his present farm, then consisting of eighty acres, and in Octo- ber, 1866, he settled with his wife on this land, which had only about ten acres cleared. By indomitable perseverance and great labor, the heavy timber was cut off, the brush burned, the stnmps removed, and from the wilderness level and well-tilled fields appeared. During a process of years, by careful economy. more land was bought, and the home farm in- creased to 140 acres, upon which a substantial and commodious brick dwelling house was erected, and excellent farm buildings took the place of the first rude structures of logs, which had done good service. Besides this fine prop- erty, Mr. Waddle owns 130 acres of good farm land. Mr. and Mrs. Waddle are mem- bers of the Missionary Baptist church, which they have always liberally aided with their

512

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

support. Mr. Waddle votes the ticket for which he fought when in the war-straight re- publican. Around the family hearthstone of this excellent couple have gathered five chil- dren, who are now living-Lizzie, Martha, Bertus, Edgar, and Freddie. Mr. and Mrs. Waddle have resided twenty-seven years on their homestead and have always retained the regard of the people in their neigborhood. Mr. Waddle has a good record as a soldier and is one of the most industrious and successful farmers of Center township.

S AMUEL AARON WEST, a leading farmer and popular citizen of Marion township, was born in Lebanon, Boone county, Ind., February 8, 1863, and is the son of Samuel and Susannah (Evans) West. His maternal grandfather, Evans, was a native of Ireland, which country he left a number of years ago. immigrating to the United States and settling in Ohio, where he married and reared a family consisting of the following children: James, Susannah, David, Jane, Elizabeth, Jonathan, Lavinia, and Elmore Evans. . Mr. Evans moved to Fairview, Center township. Boone county, and entered 160 acres of land, which he after- ward sold and purchased other real estate, owning, at the time of his death, a valuable tract of 220 acres. For a number of years he was an acceptable minister of the Baptist church, and is remembered as a man of many excellent traits of character. Samuel West, father of our subject, was born in Kentucky, moved to Indiana in an early day, settled in Putnam county, and later became a resident of the county of Boone, where he now lives, own- iug at this time real estate aggregating 240 acres. In addition to farming he was for some years engaged in carpentering, and at the present time gives his attention principally to

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