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 98

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 98
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 98
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 98

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messmates in Libby prison. He was commis- . sioned captain in 1864, while he was in prison.

After the war, he engaged in farming, buy- ing his present farm in 1865, consisting of eightty acres, and besides this home, the cap- tain has 100 acres in the same neighborhood. Politically he is a republican, and cast his first vote for John C. Freemont, for president. He is a member of the G. A. R., Jesse S. Ogden post, Danville. Capt. Dooley stands high -among the people, and was county commis- sioner from 1876 to 1882. Before the war he was township trustee of Marion township. He and wife are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, in which he is elder. When he surrendered, the terms were that the solders retain their effects and side-arms, money, etc., but he was soon robbed of his greenbacks, of which he had quite a sum. The guards at Libby prison were very brutal and many prisoners were shot down. There were 1,400 confined there at one time. When Col. Straight made his famous escape, Capt. Dooley was prevented from going out by the rush until too late. One hundred men escaped, in- cluding Col. Straight, it requiring some time for them to crowd through the long tunnel. Capt. Dooley is one of the respected citizens of Hendricks county and stands deservedly high as a citizen and his descendants will long preserve the record of his terrible experiences as a prisoner of war. In the museum at Libby prison in Chicago, the bunk of Capt. Dooley is preserved, to which his name is attached.

RS. MALINDA SHARP, of Marion township, Hendricks county, Ind., has for years managed her farm, and has reared an excellent family of children. She is the widow of James Sharp, who was born January 16, 1814, in Tennessee, the son of James Sharp, a Ken-

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OF HENDRICKS COUNTY.

tuckian, who married Margaret Owens and became the father of five children: George, Elizabeth, Anna, James and Joseph. Mr. Sharp was a millwright and settled in east Ten- nessee, where he passed the remainder of his days and died in middle life. James Sharp, the deceased husband of our subject, was reared a farmer and was twenty-two years of age when he came to Hendricks county, Ind., in 1836, where he entered ninety-three acres of land, east of where his widow now lives. He married in Putnam county, November 2, 1837, Malinda, daughter of William and Nancy (McReynolds) Randel. Thomas Ran- del, grandfather of our subject, was born in New York state, was a farmer, and married Margaret Bishop, who bore four children: Rachel, Virginia, William and John. . Thomas Randel first moved to North Carolina when a boy with his father, and was twelve years of age when the Revolutionary war broke out. He moved from North Carolina to Georgia, thence to Kentucky, finally arriving at Green- castle Ind., Putnamn county. December 20, 1824, and here he made a large farm in the green woods, eight miles northeast of Green- castle. He lived to the great age of ninety-three years and was never confined to bed a whole day in his life through sickness. At the age of sixty-five years, his second marriage was to the widow Connor, nec Polly Gent, but there were no children to this union. Mr. Randel was a member of the Predestinarian Baptist church, although his ancestors were Quakers. He was a typical American pioneer, with ster- ling qualities of mind and body.

James Sharp, husband of our subject, after marriage, settled on the land he had en- tered, one mile northeast of the present home- stead, cleared up his farm from the heavy timber, lived on this land until 1846, then set- tled on 135 acres, part of Mrs. Sharp's present homestead, cleared this, and by thrift, hard

work and good management, assisted by his faithful wife, added to this until he owned 415 acres. To Mr. and Mrs. Sharp ten children were born, all now living, viz .: William P., George W., Elizabeth J., Nancy M., James A., Thomas M., Malinda M., Joseph G., Ma- tilda A. and Mary J. Mr. Sharp was a mem- ber of the Christian church, and in politics was a republican. He was a man of great in- dustry and accumulated a good property. He was a stock dealer and trader, and well known in the county as a man of integrity of charac- ter. He died at the age of fifty-eight years, January 16, 1872, on his birthday. Mrs. Sharp, our subject, was born May 7, 1819, in

· Allen county, Ky., and was but five years old when brought to Putnam county, Ind. She was married at the age of eighteen years to Mr. Sharp, since whose death she has man- aged her farm for years, but now rents the land. She is a good business woman, has all the property left her by her husband, and was administratrix and guardian for her chil- dren. She will have been a member of the Christian church fifty-five years in August, 1895. She has all her life been a woman of remarkable constitution, and at the age of seventy-six retains her faculties and has a wonderful memory. She has always been a hard-working woman, and brought up her chil- dren to work and to be good citizens.

William Randel, father of our subject, and son of Thomas Randel, was born in Georgia, but left that state at thirteen years of age and went to Kentucky with his father. He mar- ried, in Allen county, Ky., Nancy Reynolds, who bore him nine children: Gibson, Malinda, Mariah, Emma J., Matilda, John W., William, James M. and Harrison. December 20, 1824, Mr. Randel settled in Putnam county, Ind., entered eighty acres in the green woods and bought eighty acres more, and cleared his farm, on which he remained all the remainder of his

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

life. His first wife died and he married the widow of Thomas Stevens, nee Nancy Siddons, but there were no children by this marriage. He was a member of the Predestinarian Bap- tist church and an elder. He lived to be ninety-two years of age and died April 17, 1886. He was a man of upright character and high repute and was one of the pioneers of Putnam county. The Sharps were among the pioneers and first settlers of Kentucky and founders of the town of Sharpsburg. one of the oldest towns in the state, and James Sharp's first wife was an Owen, whose family were the first settlers of Owensburg, Ky. Both were families of distinction and descended from old American colonial stock. The founders of the Rey- nolds family, or McReynolds, as the name was formerly spelled, were of a mixed race, Eng- lish, Scotch and Irish. The McReynolds were of Scotch-Irish descent and James Mc- Reynolds, maternal grandfather of Mrs. Sharp, married Susan Anderson of Swedish ancestry.

William P. Sharp married Anthana Hig- gins, who bore three sons. He is a farmer and school teacher in Kansas. George W. mar- ried Sarah Brown; he is a Chicago grain dealer. Elizabeth J. married John S. Shannon, and for her second husband Thomas Crow, of North Salem. Mary M. married Zimri Hunt, a farmer of Hendricks county, and has eight children. James A married Martha Minter, and is a farmer of Marion township with three children. Thomas M. married Alice Minter and has seven children. He is a lumber dealer of Brazil, Ind. Malinda M. married I. J. Mendenhall, in the saw-mill business at Mont- clair, and is the father of five children. Jo- seph G. married Mary A. Bryant and has one child; he is a druggist of Coatsville. Matilda A. married Theophilus McPeters (deceased); he was a farmer three miles north of Danville with two children. Mary J. married James Field, a farmer and assessor of Marion town-

ship. Mrs. Sharp has thirty-two living grand- children and three deceased.

J EREMIAH DAVIS, of Eel River town- ship, Hendricks county, Ind., is one of the veterans of the Mexican war, as well as the Civil war, and is an honored citizen who has reared a respected family of seven stalwart boys, all grown and married. He was born in Perry (now Owsley) county, Ky., November 10, 1819, a son of Henry and Mary (Walters) Davis, who settled in Hen- dricks county, Ind., about 1829. Jeremiah here grew up among the pioneers, with little chance for an education, but with early op- portunities for hard work at clearing land, and at other pioneer labor. He married, at the age of about twenty-six, Lucy Reeves, who died seven months later; he then married Sallie A., daughter of James and Mary (Mor- ris) Davidson, and to this union have been born eight children: Calvin M., Grenville, Mary J. (died at four years), George W .. James M., William J., Daniel Ellworth and Charles F., all born in Eel River township, Hendricks county, Ind., except George W. and James M., who were born in Boone coun- ty, Ind. Mr. Davis enlisted, at Danville, Ind., in the Mexican war, and was elected sergeant of company L, First Indiana infantry, under Capt. Crawford and Col. Drake and Lieut .- Col. Nave, served ten months, and was on the Rio Grande much of the time. He re- turned home and resumed farming until Sep- tember 19, 1862, when he enlisted in company L, Forty-fifth infantry, Third Indiana cavalry. The members of this regiment found their own horses, saddles and bridles. Mr. Davis served principally in Tennessee and was also in all the battles of the Atlantic campaign. He was, beside, in the battles of Buzzard's Roost and Kenesaw Mountain. He was badly ruptured

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OF HENDRICKS COUNTY.

in a fight at Walker's Ford by the falling of his horse and was in the hospital at Nashville, Tenn., also at Jeffersonville and Madison, Ind., making a hospital record of eight weeks. He was honorably discharged at Madison, Ind., in December, 1864. He returned home and re- sumed farming, buying a farm of 120 acres, which he partly cleared, and here he remained until 1893, when he came to North Salem, Ind., bought property and retired.

Mr. Davis' second wife died in 1867, and he married, May 3, 1868, Eliza Tinder (née Spicklemire) a widow, daughter of Adam and Phœbe (Dolarhite) Spicklemire. Adam Spickle- mire was of German descent, came from Ken- tucky, and was a pioneer of Hendricks county; he settled, in 1826, in Middle township, where he died at fifty-four years of age. He was a substantial farmer, owning 640 acres. He was a member of the Baptist church, of which church Mrs. Davis is also a devout member. She is a lady of pleasant manners and cheerful disposition. In politics Mr. Davis is a republican; fraternally, he is a mem- ber of the I. O. O. F., North Salem lodge, No. 158, and is one of the straightforward and respected citizens of Hendricks county; he has always been a prosperous farmer and stock trader, but is now retired from active life.

IEUT. JAMES M. EMMONS, one of the old soldiers of Hendricks county, Ind., ex-sheriff and a practical farmer, was born in Giles county, Va., Octo- ber 8, 1828, the son of Jehu and Sarah (Hen- derson) Emmons. Jehu Emmons moved to Hendricks county, Ind., and settled in Marion township, and was the father of Rebecca, Mary Jane, James M., John W., William and Oscar. Mr. Emmons was a democrat in poli- tics and died at about sixty years of age in 1861. He was a manufacturer of tombstones 46

at Danville several years, and was so employed at the time of his death. He was a man of integrity of character, and John W. Emmons, his son, was first lieutenant in company A, Fifty-first regiment Indiana volunteer infantry, and was all through the war and in many bat- tles, among them Nashville, Tenn. William Emmons was in the Twentieth Indiana as a private and served three years and was in many battles, among which was the Wilder- ness, where he was wounded in the head.

James M., our subject, was about eight years of age when he came with his father to Hendricks county, Ind., and received a com- mon education. He married Elizabeth J., daughter of James and Sarah (Whitt) Trotter, and to this union were born eight children, now living: James O, Sarah, Ida, Eldred, Joel, Gertrude, Adina and Lon. James M. Emmons learned the carpenter business when young, and settled in North Salem.

In 1864 he enlisted, at North Salem, in company H, One Hundred and Thirty-second regiment Indiana volunteer infantry, and on the organization of the regiment at Indianpolis was elected second lieutenant of his com- pany, under Capt. King and Col. Manker. He served out his time of ninety days and was honorably discharged at Indianapolis. This service was in Alabama and Tennessee, guard- ing railroads. Shortly after his return he en- listed as a veteran in company E, One Hun- dred and Forty-eighth regiment Indiana volun- teer infantry, at North Salem, for one year, and was promoted to sergeant. He served eight months and was honorably discharged at Indianapolis on account of the closing of the war. This service was guard duty in Tennes- see. He was broken down from exposure, rheumatism and dyspepsia. After his return he resumed his trade of a carpenter at North Salem, and in 1883 bought 152 acres of land two miles south of North Salem, and here he

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

still remains. In politics he is a republican, and fraternally he is a member of lodge No. 142, F. & A. M., and was secretary several terms. He and wife are members of the Christian church. He is also a member of Joseph Fleece post, G. A. R. He was elected sheriff of Hendricks county in 1878, and served two terms with satisfaction to the people and credit to himself. Mr. Emmons is a substan- tial citizen, has always been industrious, was an active and efficient soldier, and stands de- servedly high for his integrity of character.

IEUT. JOHN W. TINDER, one of the old soldiers in the Civil war, springs from sterling Scotch-Irish an- cestry. His grandfather, Elija Tin- der, was a native of Scotland, located in Vir- ginia, was later one of the pioneer settlers of Shelby county, Ky., and remained there until 1833. His wife was from Germany and his children were: Joel, Jesse, Jeremiah, Martin, Lydia, Susan and Dicy. In 1833 Mr. Tinder came to Indiana and settled five miles north- west of Danville in the woods, and here here- mained until his death, which occurred at about eighty-two years of age. He was a sub- stantial farmer, owning about 400 acres of land. Jeremiah Tinder was born in Woodford county, Ky., November 19, 1808, and married January 27, 1831, Catherine Radford, and to them were born five children: Simeon D., liv- in Platte county, Mo .; John W., our subject: Jesse Franklin, born in Hendricks county, Ind. : Hulda Jane, wife of W. E. Crawford, living in Labette county, Kan .; and Samuel Martin, now of Center township. Mrs. Tinder died in 1841 and Mr. Tinder married Mrs. Delilah Ann Wells of Kentucky, April 2, 1843, and to them were born two children: Ann E., and Jeremiah, both deceased. Mr. Tinder came to Hendricks county in 1834 and entered land

four miles west of Danville and settled on it the same year, cleared it from the heavy tim- ber and prospered, and added to this until he owned between 400 and 500 acres. He died on his farm December 6, 1874. In politics he was a stanch democrat, except during the war" of the rebellion, when he voted for Lincoln. He was a strong Union man and had three sons in the Civil war: John W .; Samuel M., four years in the Twenty-first regiment Indiana heavy artillery. company E; Jeremiah, in the same regiment and company, sickened and died after a few months at Baton Rouge, when about twenty-one years old. Jeremiah Tinder was one of the original members of Silcox lodge, No. 123, 1. O. O. F., of Danville, and passed all the chairs.

John W. Tinder was born in Marion town- ship, Hendricks county, Ind., January 22, 1835, received a common education, was reared a farmer and remained at home until he was twenty-two years old. He married, February 5. 1857, Laura, daughter of William F. and Jane 'Crawford) Hamrick, of Marion township. Mr. Hamrick was one of the pioneers of Hendricks county, coming about the same time as the Tinders. He was born in Shelby county, Ky., son of Thomas Ham- rick, one of the pioneers of Kentucky, but who settled at an early day in Putnam county, Ind., below Greencastle. He was the father of James W., Laura, Charity, Mary, Mar- cella and Emily. Mr. Hamrick later settled on land five miles west of Danville, and be- came a substantial and prosperous farmer, owning, before he divided with his children, 1,200 or 1,400 acres, and still retaining about 500 acres for the home farm. He is now liv- ing at the advanced age of seventy-nine years. He had one son in the Civil war, Capt. James W., in company E, Twenty-first heavy artil- lery, who served nearly three years. William S. Crawford, grandfather of Mrs. Tinder on

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OF HENDRICKS COUNTY.

the maternal side, was born in Ireland of Scotch-Irish ancestry. He settled first in Ken- tucky, but came to Hendricks county, Ind., at an early day. He was one of the early post -. masters of Danville, and died in that city at an advanced age. He was the father, by his first wife. of Jane, Polly, Henry, Eliza, Frances, all born in Danville. After marriage, Mr. Tinder settled down to farming on part of the home farm.

On July 2, 1862, he enlisted at Danville, in company-A, Fourth cavalry, Seventy-sev- enth regiment, and on the organization of the company was promoted to sergeant, and was mustered out as second lieutenant. He served over three years, and was honorably dis- charged at Nashville, Tenn., in September, 1865, on account of the closing of the war. He was in the battles of Chickamauga, Dal- ton, Resaca, in all the battles of the Atlanta campaign, Kenesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, Jonesboro and Wilson's raid. He was in the battle of Lebanon, Ky., Murfreesboro, Perryville, and while on the Bardstown pike was wounded in the left leg below the knee, and furloughed home for two months, and then rejoined his regiment at Gallatin, Tenn. On the Atlanta campaign his regiment was under fire for nearly four months. After the surren- der of Atlanta, he returned to Nashville, and was in the battle of Franklin, then in Missis- sippi, Florida, and at Tallahassee at the close of the war, and returned to Nashville, Tenn., via Macon, Ga. He was on several hard marches, the most notable one, from Atlanta to Nashville, on the return after the surrender of the former city, occupying ten days in July and August. He was always an active soldier, and, possessing a hardy constitution, endured all the vicissitudes and hardships of army life with fortitude. He was in all the marches, battles, raids and skirmishes of his regiment and was never in hospital or a prisoner. His

hardest battles were Dandridge and Mossy Grove, east of Knoxville, Tenn., twenty miles. Here the cavalry charged the artillery under heavy fire, and his colonel, Leslie, was killed.

To Mr. and Mrs. Tinder were born two children: James W., born March 3, 1858, and died March 9, 1888, and Carrie, born Febru- ary 11, 1862, died January 18, 1863. They have, however, raised several children, among them Thomas Benze, taken at the age of ten years and now a young man of sixteen years; also Johny O'Donnell, from eight years of age until aged twenty-three; he died, aged twen- ty-five; and Linnie Wallin, from the age of ten until aged twenty; she married and died in 1894. In 1867 Mr. Tinder settled in Danville, where he has a fine property. He is also en- gaged in farming, owning a farm of 300 acres. Mr. and Mrs. Tinder are both members of the Methodist church, and he is one of the church trustees. He is held in high esteem in the county and was commissioner twelve years. Mr. Tinder is a member of Silcox lodge, I. O. O. F., of Danville, and has held the offices of past grand and treasurer of his lodge. He is a member of Jesse S. Ogden post, G. A. R., and has been quartermaster since its organiza- tion. In politics he is a republican. Mr. Tinder is one of the prominent citizens of Danville and is a member of the city council and superintendent of the water-works, and has taken an active interest in all public enter- prises. His military record is one of the best in the county, as he served nearly through the war and was an efficient officer, always at the post of duty and never losing a battle.

a ONRAD E. HARLAN, D.D. S .- Modern dentistry is a science within itself, combining as it does the knowl- edge of the physician with the skill of the artisan, as the dentist of our day must be

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

familiar with the entire structure of the human system and possess the power to analyze dif- ferent constitutions, as he is frequently called upon to administer the most powerful anes- thetics. But a comparatively few years have elapsed since this profession was in its infancy, and its progress within the last thirty years embraces nearly its entire history as now prac- ticed, although it is more than one hundred years since the first native American dentist, John Greenwood, of New York, made a com- plete set of teeth carved from ivory for Gen. Washington. The upper and lower plates were fitted with a hinge, and were so large and cumberson as to greatly distend the general's cheeks, and it is said that the square appear- ance of the face, in his portraits taken in later life, is due to this fact. The dental profession of our day has greatly improved its curriculum, and now has schools of its own, in which dentistry is taught as a science, with all the advantages of modern appliances. The dental instruments of to-day display great ingenuity and inventive genius, and are of the finest workmanship. By modern methods and in- ventions, the teeth are not only preserved to old age, but if they are lost through neglect, their places are supplied by such natural and effective imitations, that the wearer, freed from pains and aches, rejoices in their posses- sion. It has been learned that outside of the attractiveness of well-preserved teeth, the health is greatly improved and life prolonged by the ability to properly masticate food. It has been well demonstrated that we inherit from our fathers many traits of character; that the son of the lawyer naturally follows the profession of his father, and usually with greater ability than if he had followed some other walk in life. Dr. Harlan, the subject of this sketch, had the advantage of being the son of one of the early dentists of this country, who was a man skilled in his profession. Thus,

while in his young and receptive years, the doctor had the advantage of a trained and able teacher, to which fact and to his natural taste and ability, may be attributed his marked suc- cess in his chosen profession, which places him to-day in the front ranks of the science.

Dr. C. E. Harlan descends from an old colonial family of English origin. George Harlan was the great-grandfather of our sub- ject, and like many of the early Harlans, was à pioneer farmer, who reared a large family, of whom George and Samuel are remembered. Samuel was the father of Senator Harlan, of Iowa. This family were all noted for their longevity and great strength. Samuel, when ninety-two years of age, having ridden a horse from Parke county, Ind., to Kansas. Aaron Harlan, son of George, was the grandfather of our subject, and was a pioneer settler of War- ren county, Ohio, where he became a substan- tial farmer. He married Elizabeth Gregg, and in his old age moved to Montgomery county, Ind., where he died, aged eighty-six years. His wife died in Ohio, aged sixty-six years. Mr. Harlan was a prominent man in Ohio, holding the office of county commissioner and other minor offices. He was reared a Quaker, and was throughout life a religious man; was a close student of the Bible and a wide general reader and a man of broad intelligence, and in political opinions was an old-line whig. He was the father of John, George, Samuel, Aaron, Joshua, Keziah, Sarah. Mary and Mar- gery, all of whom lived to a great age except Samuel and Aaron. Mr. Harlan was a man of high moral character, and a lover of liberty. In Ohio his house was the home of the op- pressed, was in old slavery times a station on the underground railroad, and he aided in the escape of several runaway slaves.

Dr. Joshua B. Harlan, the youngest son of above and father of our subject, was born in Warren county, Ohio, December 30, 1815,

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OF HENDRICKS COUNTY.

and at the age of twenty-three years, on May 12, 1838, after receiving a common education, left home and went to Upshire, Preble county, Ohio, where he studied medicine with Dr. Wikinson eighteen months. On November 17, 1839, he married Lucinda, daughter of Conrad and Lydia Bomebrake. Mr. Bome- brake was a soldier in the war of 1812.

Dr. Harlan began the practice of dentistry in 1845, at Upshire. He and wife were the parents of five children: Theopilus L., born September 10, 1840, and died March 4, 1859; Conrad E., born August 19, 1842; Lydia D., born January 16, 1844, and died February 12, 1866; D. Emma, born August 19, 1847, and died July 28, 1849; and Aaron, born May 8, 1849, and died July 28, 1849. Dr. Harlan opened a dental office in Centreville, Ind., on August 12, 1851, in company with Dr. O. H. Kendrick, and on December 12, 1855, formed a partnership with Dr. J. F. Wilson in Green- castle, Ind. He then came to Danville and opened a dental office March 22, 1857, which he conducted successfully many years and which is still being continued by his son, Dr. C. E. Harlan. The firm for many years was J. B. Harlan & Son. Dr. Joshua B. Harlan has now retired from the active practice of his profession and in June, 1892, located at Santa Morica, Cal. He had practiced his profession in Danville for the long period of thirty-five years, and has practiced dentistry for forty- one years, or nearly half a century. He was one of the very early dentists of Indiana, be- ginning his practice at Centreville in Wayne county, Ind., in 1851, becoming very skillful and able, and was one of the first practitioners who combined the knowledge of medicine with the practice of dentistry. Dr. Harlan is a man of conservative views and was an honored citizen of Danville, highly respected by the people. He has been a devout member of the Presbyterian church for thirty-five years, and is

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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