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 55

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 55
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 55
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 55

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).

own affairs, and has made a success of his farming. He is republican in politics, voting as he shot, but has never been solicitous for public office. He and family have won the respect of the citizens of his township, and his upright life entitles him to the full confidence that his neighbors repose in him.

LOYD N. WORRELL, a deceased Union soldier, came from a long line of Virginian ancestry. His grand- father, Amos Worrell, was an old- time planter in the Old Dominion, and James B. Worrell, son of Amos, was born on this plantation, and was reared to the pursuit of agriculture. James B. first married Lottie Sanders, and there were born to this union the following children: Peter, Alexander, Corne- lius, Fleming, Floyd N. (the subject of this sketch). Eli B., Granville, Rebecca, Carolina, Susan, Lucy A., and Olive. Mrs. Lottie Wor- rell died in Carroll county, Va., where her life had been passed, and Mr. Worrell next mar- ried Rhoda Tudor, of North Carolina, but to this marriage no children were born. James B. Worrell passed away in 1874. in Mercer county, W. Va., at the age of seventy years, a devoted member of the Baptist church and in politics a democrat, and the owner of a farm of 400 acres.

Floyd N. Worrell was born in January, 1829, in Carroll county, Va., was reared on his father's farm, and, September 19, 1850, married Miss Nancy D. Boyd, daughter of Levi and Levina (Dickerson) Boyd. The father, Levi Boyd, was born in Virginia in 1808, was a hatter by trade, and also the owner of a fine farm of 400 acres, which he himself improved with good substantial build- ings. He was a leading citizen and a demo- crat in politics, and died in Carroll county, Va., at the age of fifty years. His widow later

531

OF BOONE COUNTY.

came to Boone county, Ind., and bought eighty acres of land just north, and west of the farm Mrs. Nancy D. Worrell now owns, and this property she improved with good substantial buildings, and resided upon it from 1850 until her death, June 7, 1884. She was a sincere Christian and was mourned by many friends. Mr. and Mrs. Floyd H. Worrell were married in Carroll county, Va., and eight years later sold their farm of 170 acres, came to Indiana in 1858, and settled in Boone county, in Perry township, on rented land, which the husband cultivated until called to arms. June 13, 1862, he enlisted in company A, Eighty-sixth Indiana volunteer infantry, at LaFayette, Ind. He was first drilled in Tippecanoe county, and then sent to the front, where, in a remarkably short time, he was promoted to corporal. He was in the hottest of the fight at Stone River, and December 31, 1862, after three days' fighting, was shot in the hip by a rifle ball. He lay on the battle field for some time -- after the battle, was then carried to a deserted house, and finally taken to the hospital at Nashville, placed in ward 3, and there the ball was ex- tracted some weeks after the wound was in- flicted. The wound, however, healed nicely, and a furlough to come home was on its way to him, when he was seized with camp diar- rhoa, and died suddenly, February 16, 1863, and buried with military honors in the hospital cemetery at Nashville, Tenn. His widow was first awarded a pension of $8 per month, which has since been increased to $12 per month. She kept her family of five children together and gave them all good common-school educa- tions. These children were born and named in the following order: Levi S., James B., Elijah D., Susannah L. and Mary J. Mrs. Worrell first bought thirty-six acres of land, but by good management increased the acre- age to seventy-two, and she is assisted in its cultivation at the present time by her son Eli- 26

jah D. Mrs. Worrell, as was her husband, is `a devout member of the Baptist church and is deservedly respected by her neighbors for her business sagacity as well as for her womanly modesty.

R. GEORGE T. WRENNICK .- - Prominent among the many success- ful medical men of Boone county is Dr. George T. Wrennick, a descend- ant of one of the early pioneers of Indiana. His paternal grandfather, William Wrennick, came from Ireland when a young man and was a pioneer in Kentucky, contemporaneous with Daniel Boone. He married there and reared a family of children, only two of whom are re- membered-William, and Hester J., who mar- ried Thomas Council, a prominent citizen of Indianapolis. William Wrennick died early in the history of the state, probably in the 'twenties, in Indianapolis, aged seventy-five years. His son, William, the father of our subject, was born near Frankfort, Ky., April 12, 1807, and received no education, as the pioneer schools of those early days were very few and far between. He learned the tan- ner's trade, and in 1827, when twenty years of age, came to Indiana, running away from his apprenticeship. He settled in Indianapolis when that city contained but few houses, and married there Nancy, daughter of Joseph and Ann (Tarbietton) Hewitt, and the six children born of this union were as follows: Joseph H., Mary, William, Thomas, George T. and Mar- tha J. After a few years Mr. Wrennick moved to Shelby county, Ind., where he lived on a farm until his death, which occurred in April, 1888, at the venerable age of eighty years and two days. He was a member of the Christian church, in which he had been honored by all the offices. His wife was a member of the Methodist church. He was an industrious,

532

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

hard-working man, made a good living and was respected by all. In politics, he was an old-time whig, afterward a republican, and a strong Union man during the war, in which he had two sons, William and George T., both in company L, Forty-fifth regiment Indiana volunteer infantry, for three years, and in many battles.

Dr. George T. Wrennick was born in Shel- by county, Ind., July 15, 1841, received a good common school education and worked on the farm. Before he had reached his twentieth year, April" 17, 1861, he enlisted in company E. Sixteenth regiment Indiana volunteer in- fantry, for one year, at Connersville, Ind., under Capt. John Orr-afterward Gen. Orr. Our young soldier served out his time and im- mediately re-enlisted on May 1, 1862, as a veteran for three years, or during the war, and was honorably discharged August 8, 1865, at Lexington, N. C., having served his country as a soldier for four years and four months. He was in the battles of Ball's Bluff, a heavy skirmish, Rappahannock Station, and Blue Springs, Tenn., Greenville, Watage Station, Bull's Gap, Tazewell, Strawberry Plains and a battle near Knoxville. He marched with Sher- man from Chattanooga to Atlanta, and many battles were fought under Gen. Kilpatrick, being for weeks under fire, and in Kilpatrick's raid around Atlanta; and on the flank move- ment on Atlanta, his brigade led the division to Jonesboro, and his regiment covered the retreat from Louden back to Atlanta, following Hood's retreat to Altoona, fighting constantly. They fell back at Powder Springs and went to Marietta to recruit, and there joined Sherinan's army in the famous march to the sea; he participated with his regiment in every battle of that march-Waynesboro, Macon, Savan- nah, Fort McAllister, Columbia, Fort Wade Hamilton and on to Goldsboro. N. C. Upon this march millions of dollars' worth of prop-

erty were destroyed and the whole country laid waste. The suffering was fearful. Mr. Wren- nick was in the last skirmish between Sherman and Johnston-the last battle of Sherman's army. The regiment marched to Raleigh and to Lexington, N. C., and was discharged. After this Mr. Wrennick was taken sick at Goldsboro, but recovered after he received his discharge. He had never been in hospital, but was always on active duty; was not out of the ranks during his entire service, but was in all the battles, skirmishes and marches of the his regiment.

After his return home he tried to resume farming, but was too disabled by his sickness and could do no hard labor. He began study- ing medicine, in 1865, with Dr. D. S. Mc- Gaughey, Morristown, Shelby county, Ind., as preceptor; after which he attended the Ohio Medical college, and, graduating in 1867, he began practice at Pierceville, in Ripley county, Ind., remaining over one year. He then went to Hancock county, where he followed his profession until 1873, and then moved to Cen- terville, Wayne county residing until 1880, when he settled in Porter, Jay county. In November, 1888, he went to Indianapolis, re- maining one year for his health. Dr. Wren- nick came to Boone county in 1889 and to Lebanon in 1893. He has prospered in the practice of his chosen profession, in which he stands high. He is a member of the Boone County Medical society, and is a patron of the leading medical periodicals of the day.

The marriage of Dr. Wrennick took place, in 1867, to Mary E., daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Kyle) Harrison, both old American families of Virginia. Two children were born to this union-Joseph and Edwin. Mrs. Wren- nick died in 1880, and the doctor married, in 1889, Josephine E. Ertel. Mrs. Wrennick is a member of the Christian church. In political opinions he is a republican, and fraternally he

533

OF BOONE COUNTY.

affiliates with the Masons, Jay lodge of Port- land, Ind., and has filled the office of junior warden. He is also a member of the K. of P., I. O. O. F., and Red Men of Nip Muck tribe, at Advance, Ind., in which he is keeper of records. Dr. Wrennick is one of those In- diana soldiers who have a long and varied military record, and has endured his full share of the vicissitudes of the camp, of the hard march, and the brunt and shock of battle. He was an eye-witness and participant in many of the great scenes of the great Civil war, and the events of Sherman's great march are in- delibly impressed upon his mind. He was young and hardy and served with gallantry and credit. His intelligence and perseverance have been well exhibited since the war in the mastery and successful practice of the medical profession.

3 AMES W. WYNKOOP, one of the old- est living residents of Boone county, Ind., springs from sterling German an- cestry, and traces his genealogy to the early history of Pennsylvania, in which state his paternal grandfather was born and reared. His father, Isaac Wynkoop, also a native of the above state, where he married Ann Win- der, became a resident of Indiana at the age of thirty years, locating first in Union county, and later in the county of Boone, which at that time was an almost unbroken wilderness. He was by occupation a farmer, in which use- ful calling he took a front rank, and did much, in a quiet way, for the material and moral ad- vancement of the community which he assisted in founding. He was progressive and enter- prising, a leading member of the Presbyterian church, and he enjoyed the acquaintance of a large circle of friends throughout the county of Boone.

James W. Wynkoop was born in Franklin county, Ind., January 23, 1821, and was seventeen years of age when he accompanied his father to Boone county, of which he has since been an honored resident. In the pio- neer school-house of the olden time, with its stick chimney, puncheon floor and greased pa- per windows, he acquired a limited education, and in the clearing of the fields learned the lessons of industry which afterward enabled him to succeed in life and become the possess- or of a comfortable portion of worldly wealth. He recalls with pleasure the stirring scenes of long ago, when the deep forests abounded in wild game of all kinds, which served as the chief means of subsistence for the early set- tlers, and when the nearest neighbor lived several miles distant from his home. From a primitive condition he has witnessed the many changes through which Boone county has passed to its present advanced stage of civili- zation, and frequently goes back in memory to the period when he assisted the neighbors in log rolling for thirty days in succession. He married in April, 1845, Amanda J. Gleaner, daughter of Benjamin and Elsie (Shepherd) Gleaner, and immediately thereafter settled on a farm not far from the county seat. Later he purchased his present place in Harrison township, which at that time was but little im- proved-only a very small area being in culti- vation. He states that when he moved to his new home in the forest the brush grew to the very door of his dwelling, and the outlook was anything but encouraging. Possessed of a strong physical frame, he at once began felling the forest. and with the assistance of his good wife, who worked with him early and late, succeeded in due season in bringing a number of acres under a state of cultivation. He has always been a very industrious man and spent the prime of his life in improving his place, which is now one of the best farms

534

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

in Harrison township. He has reached the good old age of seventy-three years, is well preserved physically and mentally, but is now practically retired from the active duties of the farm; his wife is hale and hearty at sixty-six years of age, and it is a compliment justly be- stowed in saying that she is one of the most highly respected and kind-hearted women of her neighborhood. Their children are as follows : Levi L., Julia A., Isaac, Rebecca, Perry, Henry G., David, Mary E. and Ora. Of the above, Isaac, Mary E., Julia A. and Perry are dead; the others are all living and doing well for themselves. The parents of Mrs. Wyn- koop were early settlers of Boone county and highly respectable people. Her grandfather, William Shepard, was a patriot of the Revo- lution, in which struggle he served eight years and eight months, and took part in a number of leading battles under Gen. Washington.

3 OHN V. YOUNG, farmer of Jefferson township, Boone county, Ind., is " na- tive "ere," and was born December 17, 1836. William and Mary (VanNice) Young, who were his parents, were born in Tennessee and Kentucky. The father of John V. Young located in Boone county December 17, 1829, and at one time owned 1, 200 acres of good land. His death occurred in Novem- ber, 1870, and that of his wife in May, 1887. May 11, 1857, Mr. Young married Miss Eliza- beth A. Caldwell, daughter of Robert and Sibba (Russell) Caldwell, and of the six chil- dren that blessed this happy union four are still living, viz: Alonzo A., Omer B., Edward C. and Lee. The two deceased were named Louisa T. and Addison.

Mr. Young has not only proved himself to be an excellent farmer, but he has also shown himself to be an excellent raiser of livestock. somne of his horses being recognized as among

the best breeds in the county. In politics Mr .. Young is a pronounced democrat, and has served as township trustee and justice of the peace. He is well known as a free contributor of his means to every educational and church enter- prise, and no one in the township sustains a higher social position than his. He owns 260 acres of fine land, well improved, in Boone county, and forty acres in Montgomery county, Ind.

a HARLES M. ZION .- Conspicuous among the successful attorneys of the Boone county bar is Charles M. Zion. who is descended from an old colonial Virginia family, the ancestors of which came originally from Scotland and Germany. Jacob Zion, his grandfather, was a native of Virginia, and there married and became the father of a large family of children, among whom were William, John, Jonathan, Alexander and Sarah. Jacob Zion was twice married, and emigrated to Rush county, Ind., as early as 1827; thence, sometime in the 'thirties, went to Iowa, locat- ing in the county of Des Moines, where all of his children except William, the father of Charles M., eventually settled. Jacob Zion was a typical pioneer of his day, was an honorable, respected man, and prospered greatly in Iowa, of which state many of his descendants are now substantial citizens. He died in Iowa at the advanced age of eighty- five years William Zion, father of the sub- ject, was born in Washington county, Va., January 19th, 1812, received a common school education and early learned the black- smith's trade. He was about fifteen or eight- een years old when he went with his father to Rush county, Ind., and he there married, December 13, 1832, Amelia, daughter of Stephen and Elizabeth (Creek) Sims. Mr. Sims was one of the pioneers of Rush county,

@ motion.

539

OF BOONE COUNTY.

served as justice of the peace many years, and was a member of the constitutional convention of Indiana in 1851-2. He became a resident of Lebanon in 1855, and after a few years moved to the county of Clinton, which he afterward represented in the general assembly of the state. He lived to be over seventy years of age and died during the late Civil war, in which five of. his sons served with distinc- tion in the Union army. William Zion locat- ed at Lebanon in the fall of 1834 and engaged in business, which he pursued quite successfully for a number of years, accumulating consider- able property. For a period of more than twenty years he was prominently identified with the mercantile history of Lebanon, but disposed of his store during the war and be- came one of the leading promoters and large stockholders of the La Fayette & Indianapolis railroad, of which he was also a director until the road passed into the hands of the Cincin- nati & Indianapolis railroad company in 1867. He was the first railroad station agent at Lebanon, and, in addition to his other busi- ness, dealt extensively in buying and shipping . hogs, and was also known far and wide as a successful dealer in horses. He ever had the welfare of Lebanon at heart and was untiring in his efforts toward building up and improv- ing the town. He erected the first brick house within the present limits of the city, put up the Zion block on the south side of the square, assisted liberally in building churches and school-houses, and was for many years presi- dent of the board of trustees of the Lebanon academy. He served as sheriff of Boone county from 1836 to 1838 inclusive, was an old-line whig in 1840, and assisted in the organization of the republican party in Leban- on, in the principles of which he remained firmly true until death He served as postmaster of Lebanon under President Lincoln and was one of the charter members of Boone lodge, No. 9,

F. & A. M., in which he held important official positions. He was an energetic business man, one of the foremost in Boone county, and at one time was the possessor of a handsome. property, but suffered severe financial losses during the latter part of his life through rail- road enterprises.

Mrs. Amelia Zion was born in Brookville, Ind., May 28, 1814, and was married to Will- iam Zion December 13, 1832, in the town of Rushville. She was a prominent charter member of the Methodist church of Lebanon, organized in 1835, and for forty years, after moving to Boone county, was intensely inter- ested in everything that tended to advance the interests of the community. Her home was the stopping place for the early pioneer preach- ers; and governers, senators, congressmen, railroad officials and many dignitaries of less prominence, found, beneath her roof, a free and open hearted hospitality. In caring for the sick of the town, her tender hands and sympathizing heart were ever ready to respond, and many persons in distress were consoled by her kind and loving ministrations. She died in Lebanon April 5, 1894, aged seventy-nine years, ten months and six days. The follow- ing are the names of the children born to Wil- liam and Amelia Zion: Charlotte, George, Elizabeth K., Parisade A., Mary L .. Theodore L., Alonzo A., James M., William A. and Charles M.

Charles M. Zion was born at the town of Lebanon September 7, 1854, and received his education at Asbury university (now DePauw), Greencastle, Ind., from which he was gradu- ated in 1876. He made a creditable record as a student, and, after completing his educa- tion, began the study of law in the office of Clements & Terhune, of Lebanon. After ac- quiring a thorough knowledge of the principles of the profession, he was admitted to the bar in 1878, and one year later began the practice

540

BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

at Lebanon, where his fine abilities soon won for him a successful practice and high reputa- tion as a careful and painstaking lawyer. He .was prosecuting attorney of Boone county from 1889 to 1891, nearly two years, and during his official term discharged his many duties with credit to himself and satisfaction to all concerned. Mr. Zion is one of the leading re- publicans of the county of Boone, and as such has contributed much to the success of his party in a number of campaigns. He is a member of. Boone lodge, No. 9, F. & A, M., in the deliberations of which he takes an ac- tive part, and he has filled the offices of junior and senior warden and deacon. Mr. Zion was married February 2, 1879, to Mary Clements, daughter of William P. and Mary A. Clem- ents, to which union one child, Mary A., has been born. The father of Mrs. Zion was a native of Kentucky, a wealthy farmer and stock raiser, and at one time served as a mem- ber of the legislature of Indiana. Theodore L. Zion, brother of Charles M., served in the late Civil war in the Eleventh Iadiana cavalry. He participated in a number of battles, in- cluding the engagement at Franklin, Tenn., and made a very creditable record as a soldier. Alonzo A., another brother, entered the gov- ernment service when but seventeen years of age and continued therein for a period of over one year.

S AMUEL WEST, one of the early pio- neers of Boone county, Ind., was born in Estill county, Ky., May 29, 1825. His parents, Willis and Ellen (Dixon) West, also natives of Kentucky, were of' En-

glish, Irish and German extraction Willis West was a son of Samuel West, a native of Virginia, who settled in Kentucky at a very early day. He married Lydia Whiteside, and was the father of thirteen children, all of whom

grew to maturity: Elizabeth, Nicholas, Lucy, Sarah, Willis, James, Hiram, Tinsley, Nancy. Minerva, Louisa, Samuel and Lydia. Willis West was born September 9, 1800, and was married in 1824. In the fall of 1828 Mr. West moved to Montgomery county, Ind., where he resided until 1834, when he moved to Boone county, and settled in Clinton township, on land which he had entered the year previously. Here he resided in the woods until 1853, when he moved to Lebanon, where his wife died August 23, 1870, leaving four children: Sam- uel, Sally A., Ebenezer and Margaret E. In February, 1871, he married Mrs. Mary J. Johnson, and died March 18, 1888.

Samuel West, our subject, came with his parents to Montgomery county. Ind., and thence to Boone county in 1834. which he has made his home ever since. He was married in Boone county, Ind., September 28, 1845. to Susanna Evans, who was born in Piqua county, Ohio, August 5. 1827, and was a daughter of Jonathan and Margaret (Bell) Evans, natives of Pennsylvania and Ireland respectively, and of Welsh and Irish extraction. These parents were married in Ohio, and in 1828 moved to Wayne county. Ind., and thence to Boone county in 1839. They were the parents of eleven children: Susanna, James, Jane, David, Elizabeth, Margaret A., Mary, Elvira, Jonathan S., Louisa L. and Elmer. After Mr. West's marriage he first settled in Clinton township, where he resided until 1853, when he moved to Lebanon, Ind .. and there resided until 1864, when he moved to Worth township and settled on a part of the same farm on which he now resides, and which at present comprises 240. acres, well improved. Twelve children have been born to Mr. and Mrs West, viz: Willis G., Jonathan E .. Martha J., Rosella. James E. (deceased). Sarah M., Mary E., Samuel A., Charley J .. Susanna, Albert F. and Harvey W. They are

541

OF BOONE COUNTY.

the grandparents of thirty-eight children, and , an carly settler of Putnam county, Ind., and great-grandparents of three, all living. Since the biography of Jonathan E. West, son of the above, was printed on page 528, th dates of the birth of the children of the latter (and the grand-children of Samuel West) have come to hand, and are given herewith, as follows: Daniel J., November 21, 1874; Lillian E., August 30, 1876; Samuel J., March 17, 1878; Edgar S., December 17, 1879; Nancy, Novem- ber 12, 1881; Florence, December 15, 1883; Joseph B., February 2, 1886; and Norah E., May 12, 1888-all living.

Mr. and Mrs. West are members of the Regular Baptist church, and with their large family enjoy the respect of all their neighbors.

...

0 RLISTUS B. STEPHENSON, of Irish descent, was born in Clinton township. Boone county. Ind., Oc- tober 18, 1867, and was educated at the high school of Lebanon, which he at- tended four consecutive years, graduating May 22, 1891. September 9, of the same year, he married Gurtha Dickerson, who was born in Jamestown, Ind., November 14. 1869-the daughter of William H. and Tryphena (Elrod) Dickerson, and also a graduate of the Lebanon high school. Tryphena Elrod was the daugh- ter of William and Lavina (Henkle) Elrod. the former of whom was one of the first judges of Boone county. William H. Dickerson was formerly a merchant, and for many years a justice of the peace of Jamestown, and has taught more terms of school in the county named than any man yet engaged in the work, and still holds a state license. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Dickerson were named in the order of birth: Gurtha, Corinne, de- ceased; and Otto B. Jacob Dickerson, father of William H., was a native of Virginia, was

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