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 74

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 74
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 74
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 74

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J ACOB HODGEN, retired farmer and highly respected old citizen of Frank- fort, was born July 9, 1831, in Clinton county, Ind., of which he is now one of the oldest native residents. His father, William Hodgen, was of Scotch-Irish descent and grew to manhood in Kentucky, where he was married a number of years ago to Mary Magdalene. William Hodgen was a farmer and followed that useful calling in Kentucky until his removal to Daviess county, Ind., of which he was one of the pioneers. In 1828, he be- came a resident of the county of Clinton and entered a tract of goverment land, from which he developed a farm and upon which he resid- ed until his death in 1831. His wife survived him a number of years, departing this life in 1864. William and Mary Hodgen had a family of ten children, only two of whom are living at this time-Pleasant, who was born March 12, 1827, and Jacob, whose name ap- pears at the head of this sketch. The naines of those deceased are as follows : James,

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OF CLINTON COUNTY.

John, Sarah, Harrison, Joseph, and Eliza; two also died that were unnamed.

Jacob Hodgen spent his boyhood days as- sisting with the farm work, and his education, by no means elaborate, was obtained in the subscription schools of the township where he resided. He remained with his mother until after attaining his majority, and in 1853 went to California, making the trip to that far away country by water, the journey requiring twen- ty-seven days. While there he followed min- ing, a part of the time in the employ of other parties, and for two years operated a claim of his own with very successful results. After remaining in California for a period of three and one-half years, he returned to Clinton county and purchased a farm, which he made valuable by good improvements and upon which he resided until 1890, in which year he moved to Frankfort and purchased a grocery store and meat market. He continued in business for about eighteen months, disposing of his interest at the end of that time and re- tiring from the active duties of life. He sold his farm in 1893 to his son and is now enjoy- ing that rest and quietude so nobly earned by a long life of activity.

Mr. Hodgen, on the eighth of April, 1857, was united in marriage to Mary McKinzie, daughter of Mercer and Sarah (Elmore) McKin- zie, natives of Ohio and of Scotch lineage. The following are the names of the brothers and sis -. ters of Mrs. Hodgen : Jacob, Mary, Catherine, Noah, Patrick. Hale, Juliana (deceased), Mel- vina, Job (deceased), Thomas, and Emeline. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Hodgen have been born six children, namely : Laban C., born June 1, 1861; Henry H., October 3, 1862; Oscar, July 9. 1864, died February 19, 1865; Josie, wife of D. V. Lucas, born January 18, 1867; Anna F., born August 27, 1869, died February 14, 1892, and Magdalene, who was born July 27, 1876.

Mr. and Mrs. Hodgen are faithful members of the old Christian church. Originally he was a republican and as such served one term as trustee of Jackson township. . Of late years he has affiliated with the prohibition party, the principles of which he believes to be for the best interest to the country. By close ap- plication and successful management he has gained for himself and family a comfortable competence, and he deserves mention as one of the representative citizens of the county of Clinton.

0 R. HORATIO D. HOLMES, of Scircleville, Clinton county, Ind., and the leading physician in the eastern part of the county, descends from good old Irish stock and a generation of American ancestors, his paternal grandparents coming from the Emerald isle in 1795. After residing twenty years in Virginia they went to Pulaski county, Ky., where they both died. His grandfather was a school-teacher for thirty-five years after reaching America, and his ability is attested by the fact that he taught seven con- secutive years in one district. Col. John M. Holmes, the father of our subject, was born in Virginia, November 4, 1796, and was reared on the home farm, and followed farm- ing all his life to a greater or less degree. His education was far beyond the average. He married, in Kentucky, Jerusha Hill, daughter of John and Delilah (Cooper) Hill, the former of whom came from Kentucky to Clinton county, Ind., while it was yet a wil- derness. He was a minister of the Baptist church, and organized the Hill church, the first church of that denomination in the county. Before coming to Clinton county, he had rep- resented Pulaski county, in the legislature of Kentucky as a democrat. Col. John M. Holmes, after marriage, remained a few years

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

in Kentucky and then came to Indiana, stop- ped a while in Jennings county, and then moved to Tipton county, where he entered 103 acres in the "green" among the Indians. He was an active democrat, and was the first election clerk of Tipton county; later, he was elected county commissioner, and at the ex- piration of his term was re-elected. Mrs. Holmes was a devout Baptist, and was very careful in rearing her children, of whom she had nine, viz: David, who died in Kentucky, .an infant; Polly Ann, deceased; William; Amanda J .; John H .; James, deceased; Theo- dore; Telemachus Polk and Horatio D., twins.

Dr. Horatio D. Holmes was born in Tip- ton county, Ind., July 24, 1845. He remain- ed on the home farm in all twenty-two years, securing his education meantime. At the out- break of the Civil war he offered his services to his country, but on account of his youth, they were not accepted. The family was rep- resented, however, by his brother John, who was wounded at Kenesaw Mountain and died from the effects of the injury; his brother Will- iam also did gallant service in the field.

Dr. Holmes commenced the practice of his profession, in 1872, at Hillisburgh, where he was very successful, but changed his location to Scircleville in 1887, where he has as large a practice as any physician in the county, out- side of Frankfort. He has a most valuable medical library and is a close reader of all the medical journals of the United States, and keeps well abreast with the progress of the profession. He is a man of generous im- pulses, and was never known to refuse aid or advice to a sick family or person on account of poverty. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity at Kirklin, and of Sugar Creek lodge, No. 321, I. O. O. F., in which he has filled all the chairs and which he has represented in the grand lodge. In politics he is a stanch democrat, and is active in the support of his

party. The doctor was married January 5, 1877, to Miss Charlotta Neal, daughter of Thomas Neal. This lady was born April 19, 1862, and is a member of the Baptist church, which the doctor liberally aids, as well as all the local churches. Two children are the re- sult of this happy union, and are named Thomas and Iva. The doctor and his family stand deservedly high in the estimation of those who have the honor of being socially acquainted with them.

A BRAHAM HOLLCRATT, a promi- nent farmer and one of the largest land owners of Kirklin township and of Clinton county, Ind., as well, is descended from sturdy English and Irish an- cestry. His paternal grandfather emigrated from England, and was a resident of Washing- ton county, Pa., at the time of his death. The father, James Hollcratt, was married in that county to Elizabeth Lyttle, and on a flat- boat he and his family went down the Ohio river to Warren county, Ohio, where they lived for four years. Their next place of residence was Clinton county, Ohio. Mr. Holleratt secured 160 acres of land from the government and purchased another quarter section. He went through all the hardships of pioneer life, but his earnest efforts were at length successful, and the land which he pur- chased at $1.25 per acre is now valued at $60. He belonged to the Christian church, and was a democrat in politics. His death occurred at the age of sixty years. By his first mar- riage were born eight children: Robert, who wedded Susan Kimbaugh: John, who died at the age of twenty-one; Abraham; Ann, wife of Abner Luddington; Eliza, wife of George Woodmansee; Lucinda, wife of Ambrose Whittaker; Melinda, wife of Seth Cook; and Harvey, deceased. The mother died, and Mr.

Indian & Kolleratt

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OF CLINTON COUNTY.

Hollcratt afterward wedded Mrs. Rachel (Cook) Spaulding, by whom he became father of three children-William, Samuel and Mary.

benefit to him and gave him a start in other directions. All other experiences of frontier life are known to Mr. Hollcratt, and he can relate many interesting incidents of those pioneer days ..

The record of Abraham Hollcratt will prove of interest to the readers of this volume, for he is both widely and favorably known in In 1868, he was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who died in the month of Jan- uary. On the twelfth of November, following, he married Mrs. Harriet (Campbell) Kersey, who was born May 30, 1817, in Bath county, Ky., a daughter of Williamson and Nancy (Cashaw) Campbell. She is a member of the Christian church, to which Mr. Hollcratt for- merly belonged. In early life he was a Jack- son democrat, but subsequently became a re- publican. He has given to each of his seven grandchildren a good house and lot and owns fifteen houses and lots in Kirklin, and the same number in Frankfort, together with a number of well improved farms, comprising 840 acres, on which are 1, 200 rods of wire fence with iron posts and many rods of tiling. He has $5,000 in stock in the Farmers' bank at Frank- fort, and is now a wealthy man, owing to his own earnest labor, economy and perseverance. He has a very pleasant home, supplied with all modern improvements and lighted with natural gas, and there he is spending his remaining days, enjoying the rest which he has so truly earned and richly deserves. this county. He was born in Washington county, Pa., October 5, 1807, and in his younger years he worked at splitting rails for $8 per month. As a companion and helpmate on life's journey he chose Polly McGill, whom he married November 12, 1832. He then traded his stock and his crops to a man who was to bring him to Indianapolis, and in No- vember, 1833, arrived in this county, after a journey of eleven days. They had a four- horse team and Mrs. Hollcratt rode on horse- back. When the expenses of the journey were met our subject had only $22. 50 remain- ing. The year previous he had here pur- chased 100 acres and entered forty acres ad- ditional, and on the second of December, 1833, moved into the little log cabin which he built upon his farm. His wife was taken sick and there were many hardships and trials to be borne. They also had two little children: Elizabeth Jane, now the wife of Robert Mc- Clamroch; and one wno died early in life. Deer and other wild game were plentiful, and wolves were frequently seen. Mr. Hollcratt at once began to clear and improve his land, and worked very hard during those days. At this time a rich firm was buying all the coon S AMUEL A. HOOVER, deceased, was a native of Indiana, and was born in Fulton county, near Rochester, March 16, 1848, a son of Enos and Rhu- anna (Shaw) Hoover, both of German parent- age. In his boyhood days Samuel A. was brought by his parents to Frankfort, where he was educated in the common schools, and where he passed his vacations in the tin shop of his father, learning the trade. At the early skins in the county, having a monopoly on the same, when a Mr. Fury made a contract with Nathan Kirk, telling him to buy all the skins he could possibly obtain, and get others to do the same. Mr. Hollcratt, who had sold a horse and saddle for $65, was advised by Mr. Kirk to buy coon skins with the cash, and this he did, purchasing them for fifteen cents each and selling for eighty-one cents each, thereby making a good profit. This proved of great | age of fourteen he began clerking in the cloth-

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

ing house of Givens Bros., with whom he re- mained several years; · later he clerked for sev- eral firms, and finally, in the fall of 1869, he began business on his own account, handling clothing and gents' furnishing goods, in which trade, having become very popular, he contin- ued until his untimely death, January 24, 1887. He was always courteous and obliging, made hosts of friends and customers, and rose from a position comparatively at the bottom of the ladder to one of comfort and leadership among his fellow-merchants. He was fraternally an Odd Fellow and Red Man of Frankfort; in politics was a republican, and in religion was an adherent of the Methodist church.

Mr. Hoover was married May 10, 1871, to Miss Mary Elizabeth Lee, daughter of George R. Lee and one of the able lady teachers in the county of Clinton. This lady was born April 1, 1852, and is the eldest daugh- ter in the Family of four children born to her parents. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Hoover was blessed by the birth of five children, as follows: Josie Lee, now a teacher in one of the city schools of Frankfort; Homer E., El- bert L., Bertha R. and Helen J. Mrs. Hoo- ver, since the death of her husband, has reared her children in a most genteel manner, and is quite comfortably situated at her home on North Main street, where she is surrounded by a large circle of devoted friends. She is a worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and is also a member of Rebecca lodge, No. 77, which is held under the aus- pices of the I. O. O. F.

George R. Lee, father of Mrs. Hoover, and a retired merchant of Frankfort, Ind., was born in Warren county, Ohio, September 29, 1835, and is the son of Robert and Mary (Jack) Lee, the former of Scotch-English descent and the latter of Scotch extraction. Mr. Lee at the age of thirteen years came to Indiana with his widowed mother and resided

near Frankfort for three years, and then began learning the shoemaker's trade in Frankfort where he has lived ever since.

The marriage of Mr. Lee took place September 25, 1847, to Miss Nancy Aughe, daughter of John F. I. and Elizabeth (Bran- ard) Aughe. This lady was born in Montgom- ery county, Ohio, near Dayton, October 25, 1858, and came with her parents to Frankfort, Ind., in 1831. To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Lee were born the following children : John Wilson Lee, Mary Elizabeth, Eunice B., and Emma J. Mrs. Lee is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and has never missed a service for the last ten years; her husband, however, is not a communicant. In politics, Mr. Lee is a stanch republican.

I e SAAC HORN, one of the old soldiers of Rossville and a retired farmer, de- scends from an old American family. Jacob Horn, grandfather of Isaac Horn, was a farmer of Cumberland county, Pa. Frederick Horn, father of Isaac, born in Penn- sylvania near Harrisburg, became a farmer and married. in Ohio, Debora Green, of Massillon. Frederick Horn moved to Elkhart county, Ind., about 1854, and settled on a farm seven miles southeast of Goshen, where he passed the re- mainder of his days; he was a substantial farmer, owning 140 acres of land. To him and wife seven children were born: William, James, Isaac, Jacob, Jonas, Emeline and ---. Mr. and Mrs. Horn were members of the General Baptist church, in the faith of which Mr. Homn died on his farm at eighty-four years of age. Politically, he was a democrat and a strong Union man during the war, in which he had two sons-Isaac and James-both in company E, Seventy-fourth regiment, Indiana volunteer infantry. James served more than three

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OF CLINTON COUNTY.

years, was in many battles named below, which were also participated in by his brother Isaac.

Isaac Horn was born May 23, 1844, in Ashland county, Ohio, and was about ten years of age when he came with his parents to Elkhart county, Ind. He received a good common school education in the district schools and became a farmer. He enlisted at the age of nineteen years, August 8, 1862, in company E, Seventy-fourth regiment Indiana volunteer infantry, at Goshen, under Capt. William B. Jacob and Col. Myron H. Baker, and was in the following . battles: Rolling Fork, Hoover's Gap, Dug Gap, Chickamauga, Chattanooga (missed being in the battle of Missionary Ridge by being sick with small-pox), Buzzard's Roost, Kingston, Kenesaw Moun- tain, Lost Mountain, Dallas, Chattahoochee, Peach Tree Creek and Atlanta-where he was shot through the face by a minie ball, which came out under the left ear, destroying the roof of his mouth. He here fell on the field, was taken to the rear, and was in hospital from August 8, 1864, to February 27, 1865- first in field hospital at Chattanooga and then at Nashville. He was at first reported to be mortally wounded, not being able to talk or get any one to write a letter to his friends; he finally returned home to Elkhart county, ar- riving in the dark, at two o'clock in the morn- ing, taking his people completely by surprise, as they had given him up for dead. He weighed but ninety-six pounds, and when well had weighed 180 pounds. He was from nine o'clock p. m. until two o'clock a. m. walking home from Millersburg, a distance of three miles. It was one year before he recovered his speech. He took an active part in all the battles, skirmishes and marches of his regi- ment, except when sick with small-pox. Be- side the serious wound mentioned, he also re- ceived a slight scalp wound at the battle of Chattanooga, and in addition, from the ex-

plosion of a cap on his gun, his sight was gradually destroyed. He married Sarah Simp- son, daughter of George and Margaret (Justice) Simpson. George Simpson was an old settler in Elkhart county, Benton township, where he entered his land, and where he lived until his death, which occurred in May, 1895, at the age of seventy-five years. He was from Knox- ville, Tenn., and the father of ten children: Mary, Thomas, Lucinda and Matilda, twins; Frank, Sarah, Ella, Edward, Achsa and Nor- man. Mr. Simpson was well known to all the old settlers and well respected.

After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Horn settled on a farm in Elkhart county, where they lived thirteen years, and in 1881 moved to Carroll county, Ind., remaining there until he retired from active farming, in 1884, to Rossville. Mr. and Mrs. Horn are members of the Methodist church, in which he has held the office of steward. He is a republican in poli- tics, is a member of the G. A. R., and has held the office of senior and junior vice-commander; also a member of Bringhurst lodge, F. & A. M., Carroll county. Mr. Horn has a splendid soldier's record-one of the best in the county -and stands high as a citizen.

ILLIAM A. HUMBLE is one of the old soldiers of the Civil war, in which he lost his left leg, and is prominent as a liveryman of Ross- ville, Ind. Philip Humble, his father, was born in Indiana, where he married Sarah Mc- Farland, and by her became the father of seven children : Malinda, Lucinda, Martha, Rebecca, James, John and William. Mr. Humble eventually moved to Vermillion coun- ty, Ills., where he died at sixty-three years of age. He was a Unionist and had three sons in the Civil war-James, John and William A .- all in company B, Twenty-fifth Illinois

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

volunteer infantry. James served one year and John served from the beginning to the end of the war. The military record of Will- iam A., is given below.

William A. Humble was born August 24, 1845, in Iowa. He received but little educa- tion, not having the opportunity to attend school, and he early began to work at farming. He enlisted November 3, 1863, for three years or during the war, under Capt. Jeff. McGibben and Col. Houston, He was in the battle of Charleston, Tenn., on the Atlanta campaign, also in the battle of Kenesaw Mount- ain. He was taken sick with erysipelas be- fore Atlanta and was sent to hopsital No. 15, at Nashville, Tenn., thence, to Cairo, where he remained a month. He was then sent home on a furlough of fifty days, then re- turned to Nashville, thence was sent to Texas, where he served until honorably discharged at Victoria, September 21, 1865, on account of the close of the war. He returned home com- pletely disabled, and for years struggled along without applying for a pension. He engaged in teaming and farming at Danville, Ill., re- maining there until 1875, when he moved to Rossville, Ind. He married in Vermillion county, Ill., February 1, 1866, Amy, daugh- ter of Abraham and Druscilla (Willis) Haney, and to him and wife were born three children : Ella (died aged thirteen years), Josie and Al- bert. Mr. Humble, having an independent character and feeling able to care for himself, made no application to the government for a pension np to that time. He has been a con- tinual sufferer from the effects of army life, the erysipelas settling in his left leg on the At- lanta campaign troubling him ever after. In 1886 he became completely disabled, and his leg was amputated below the knee. He ap- plied for a pension this year, but it was not granted until 1888. He now receives thirty dollars per month, formerly receiving seven-

teen dollars per month; he also received about $1,300 back pay, and is now in comfortable circumstances, owning a house and lot and livery stable. Politically he is a republican. Mr. and Mrs. Humble are members of the Church of God, and he is a member of Oliver Short post, No. 490, G. A R., of Rossville. Mr. Humble's daughter married Albert Fife, and she is now the mother of three children. Mr. Humble has always been an industrious man and only applied for his rightfully due pension when compelled to by disability. He is high- ly respected by his old comrades and likewise enjoys the full confidence and high respect of his neighbors.

S IMON P. IRBY, ex-soldier and farmer of Forest township. Clinton county, Ind., is of sturdy Anglo-Saxon stock, his great-great-grandfather, Joseph Irby, having come from England in company with his brothers, and made his settlement in Virginia. Joshua Irby, his son, and great- grandfather of our subject, was born in Vir- ginia and was a planter and slave-owner. Charles Irby, grandfather of Simon P., was born in Virginia May 10, 1770, married Re- becca Lewis, and emigrated to Tennessee, where he reared a part of his family, then moved to Switzerland county, Ind., in 1827. and thence to Tipton county in 1850. Wylie R. Irby, the father of our subject and son of Charles Irby, was born in Tazewell county, Tenn., January 24, 1819, and married Rebecca Smith, daughter of Peter and Susanna (Line- back) Smith, and to their marriage had born the following children: Simon P., Eliza Ann, Columbus, Elizabeth J., Mary M., Joseph W., Lucinda C., Wylie R., Silas M., Rebecca S. and Matilda E. The parents of this large family are now seventy-five and seventy-three years of age respectively. The father has been

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OF CLINTON COUNTY.

a deacon in the New Light church for many years, and is well read in the Scriptures. It is worthy of remark, incidentally, that not a nail was used in the erection of the first log cabin that Mr. Irby built on his present farm.

Simon P. Irby was born in Switzerland county, Ind., December 2, 1842, and married Mary M. Suit, December 6, 1863. This lady is a daughter of Alexander and Abigail (Pike) Suit, the former of whom was an early settler and a renowned hunter of .Clinton county; he was also a pioneer school-teacher and a Farmer; he was twice elected township trustee on the democratic ticket, and was a deacon in the New Light church. After their marriage Simon P. Irby and wife lived for some time on a farm in Tipton county, and have been living twenty years on their present farm of eighty-two acres of very fertile land, which they have realized through their joint industry and economy- clearing and improving nearly the whole of it. To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Irby five children have been born, in the following order: Lewis S., John A , Lucinda A., Isaac M. and Harvey A. Mr. Irby enlisted Novem- ber 2, 1864, in company B, Fortieth Indiana volunteer infantry, and fought in the cam- paigns of Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Alabama, the most prominent battles in which he took part having been those of Columbia, Spring Hill, Franklin, Nashville, and the seven days' fighting in pursuit of Hood. He was honorably discharged November 13, 1864, and is now a member of H C. Coulter post, No. 131, G. A. R. He and wife are members of the Christian church, in which he is a deacon. Lucinda A. Irby, the third child born to Simon P. and his wife, married James H. Jones, who is now deceised, and became the mother of the famous Jones twins. These children were united, like the renowned Siamese twins, Chang and Eng, by a cartilagenous tissue;

they were strong and healthy, lived many months, but were attacked by the measles, then the bronchitis, and so perished.

R OBERT S. IRWIN, now living in re- tirement in Frankfort, Ind., was born in Ross county, Ohio, January 14, 1818, a son of Samuel and Esther (Dean) Irwin, of whom further details are given later on. Samuel Irwin was born in Maryland January 1, 1782, and was but two years of age when taken to Kentucky, and but a few years later to Ohio. He there grew to maturity and was married in Ross county to Esther Dean, who bore fourteen children, viz: Catherine, Abigail, Jessup, Mesner, Gustin, Jared, William, Samuel K., John, Robert S., Price, Asa, Nancy J. and James L., all born in Ross county, Ohio. In 1829 the parents of Robert S Irwin came to Indiana and settled in Montgomery county, where the father died August 18, 1834, in the Presbyterian faith- the mother surviving until January 27, 1865.

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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