A portrait and biographical record of Delaware and Randolph 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 104

Author:
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Chicago, A. W. Bowen & Co.
Number of Pages: 1474

USA > Indiana > Randolph County > A portrait and biographical record of Delaware and Randolph 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 104
USA > Indiana > Delaware County > A portrait and biographical record of Delaware and Randolph 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 104

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).

In addition to this farm he devised by his will the sum of $20,000 as a permanent fund, the interest only of which is to be used in the management and control of the Home; he also added to this permanent fund all judgments

that he should own or hold against any person at the time of his death; the judgments to be collected and the amounts added to the per- manent fund. He donated for the use of the Home $13,000, known as an improvement fund, to be used in improving the farm and making it convenient for use and attractive in appearance. He also set apart $2,000 as a library fund, the interest of which is to be used in keeping up a library for the use of the Home. And all notes not secured by mort- gage, that he should own at the time of his death, were to be collected and the proceeds used as a furniture fund in purchasing the fur- niture for the Home. By the original will Mr. Moorman selected a board of five directors for the Home, and named as such board, Nathan Cadwallader, Nathan Reed, John A. Moor- man, Davis S. Kitselman, Clement F. Alexan- der, and by a codicil to the will he increased the number of the directors to seven and added the names of Joseph R. Jackson and Thomas F. Moorman.

The death of James Moorman occurred on the 24th day of September, 1888, and on the 8th of October following the board of direct- ors named in the will, with the exception of Mr. Cadwallader, held its first meeting in Winchester and organized by electing Joseph R. Jackson, president; Nathan Reed, treasur- er; Joseph W. Thompson, secretary. Mr. Cadwallader declined to be qualified to serve, and at a meeting of the board on the 5th day of February, 1889, Joseph W. Thompson was elected to fill the vacancy, according to the provisions of the will. From the time of its organization the board remained the same till the death of Davis S. Kitselman, which oc- curred on the 3d day of March, 1892, and this was followed by the death of Clement F. Alexander, on the 27th day of October, 1892, and the death of Nathan Reed on the 26th day of January, 1893, and later on Joseph R.

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Jackson resigned his position, These vacan- cies were filled in the order in which they occurred, by the selection of Dr. A. F. Hud- dleston, L. L. Moorman, W. E. Miller and A. C. Beeson. The board, on its original organization, took charge of the Home and employed Mr. James M. Moorman, nephew of the donor, and his estimable wife, as superin- tendent and matron of the Home. The pauper children from the county infirmary were transferred to the Home and others were soon added. The board soon found that the income from the farm was not sufficient to properly keep up the farm and run and man- age the Home, as there was no income in the way of interest from the permanent fund, it was decided to put the management of the Home in the hands of the board of county com- missioners, or to abandon its operation until sufficient funds had accumulated for its proper management. Accordingly, on the 5th day of June, 1889, the management of the farm and Home were transferred to the board of com- missioners to be held by them and managed until March 1, 1892. During this time the bequests named in the will were received by the board and the money was placed at inter- est on safe investments with mortgage security as provided by the will, and by the Ist of March, 1892, sufficient funds had accumu- lated so that the board of trustees again assumed control of the farm and the management of the Home.

Since the Home was first opened there have been on an average from twelve to fifteen children, the number at times reaching as high as twenty, and there have been a total of over fifty children received and discharged by the Home. Some have been discharged because they reached the age of limitation fixed by the will, but most of them have been placed in suitable homes where they have be- come members of families.

Mr. Parrish Phillips succeeded Mr. James M. Moorman as superintendent of the farm, and remained one year, since which time the farm and home have been under the manage- ment and control of Mr. and Mrs. John How- ard, whose services in all departments have been entirely satisfactory to the board, and their management of the children has been easy and successful. The farm has been im- proved in the way of clearing more lands. building new fences, under-draining the ground, and planting of vines, shrubs and orchards of the best and most approved kinds of fruits. Mr. John D. Summers, the successful gardener of Winchester, donated an orchard of 100 fine apple trees. The farm is well stocked with cattle, young horses, sheep, hogs and chick- ens, and all the affairs of the Home have been economically administered and the products of the farm, under the management of Mr. Howard, add greatly to the support of the Home.

The board has selected the site for new buildings, and has been examining plans with a view of erecting, as soon as possible, a house with the modern conveniences suitable for an Orphans' Home, at a cost of about $10,000, and a barn sufficiently commodious for the uses of the farm. If the present plans and ex- pectations of the board can be executed it is safe to predict that the James Moorman Or- phans' Home of Randolph county, will be the best, and most elegant and convenient place of its kind in the state.

A summary of the treasurer's report, made in October, 1893, shows the assets of the Home, including the realty, to be $52, 615.96. Of this, the farm, with its improvements, is estimated at $10,000; leaving as available for the operation and management of the Home and the improvement of the farm over $42, 000. The interest on the funds now loaned amounts to $2, 500 annually. The financial affairs as

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well as all other departments are carefully managed, and the institution is in a prosperous condition.

The officers and committees for the year beginning October 3, 1893, are as follows: President, L. L. Moorman; vice-president, W. E. Miller; secretary, J. W. Thompson; treas- urer, T. F. Moorman. Committees :- Govern- ment and rule-J. A. Moorman, T. F. Moor- man, W. E. Miller, A. F. Huddleston, J. W. Thompson. Building and Improvement-T. F. Moorman, L. L. Moorman, A. C. Beeson. Supplies, Food, etc .- Dr. A. F. Huddleston, W. E. Miller, T. F. Moorman.

In addition to these liberal legacies to the Orphans' home, Mr. James Moorman, by his will, donated large sums for various other charities and commendable purposes as well as making handsome gifts to a large number of his personal friends. The total charitable do- nations and personal gifts made by his will amounted to more than one hundred thousand dollars.

He made generous provisions for the relief of the "worthy and poor and infirm women who are members of the Society of Friends, as also to all infirm ministers of the Indiana yearly meeting." A special bequest was made to the Indiana yearly meeting to be used for the advancement of the temperance cause in the state of Indiana, and a bequest to the same organization to be known as a "Gospel Fund" intended to defray the traveling ex- penses of the ministers of the society. This institution, so well founded and so rightly en- dowed, together with his other charitable donations, will stand as a more enduring monument to the memory of James Moorman, than marble slab and granite shaft.

The following are excerpts from an obitu- ary written by Rev. Elkanah Beard: To one who went to him for advice he said, in the language of William Penn: "Live sparingly

till thy debts be paid and then go not beyond thy income." On being asked if he was not giving so much attention to his moneyed inter- est, as to forget the better life, he said: "It's my duty to be diligent in business for example's sake and I am trying to be in the right spirit in serving the Lord."

During one of our Sabbath morning serv- ices, several years ago, whilst I was speaking of the great work accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ, he suddenly burst into tears and in a low voice sobbed out, "Jesus is my Sav- ior." At the close of the meeting I said: Uncle Jimmy, how's this? The report speaks volumes: "O! I'm so happy, for I see Jesus is my savior, and I do love everybody." * *

I had repeated conversations with him on religious matters both before and after his mind weakened, in which he assured me all was forgiven and that he was at peace and resting in the promise of Jesus to save all who came unto him. After the transfer of financial cares to T. F. Moorman and J. R. Jackson, I asked him if he was sure they would proper- ly care for his estate. O yes! I have no fear about that. The question followed: Who cares for thy soul? and with a sparkle in the eye and a warm pressure of my hands in both of his, he said without any hesitancy: "Jesus will take care of that. The mistakes of my life have been many, very many, but it's all fixed now."

A liberal economy, and a contempt for all vain and superfluous expense as practiced by James Moorman would lead many a poor family to a competency and many a family of very moderate means to wealth. The same interest in the church and love to God would enable many to say "Jesus is my Savior; and although the mistakes of my life have been many, Jesus cares for my soul." His last ex- pression to me was "I am ready to go, only waiting. Farewell."

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AT REST.

He writes " At rest," the Angel Reaper smiling- At rest! O cross and crown,

Life's hours' full measure answered they beguiling, And laid the burden down!

At rest with snowy hair by age annointed, O sweeter is the sleep

Of him whose four score years have been appointed, The onward march to keep.

On throne of thought hath wisdom set its sealing, Far from this mortal ken; And Heaven-opened Book of its revealing, Beyond the walks of men.

At rest! the tenor of the tomb is broken, God sets his seal to-day, Where death hath writ the token Of Hope's immortal ray!

MRS. E. S. L. THOMPSON.

J OHN HENRY McGUIRE is one of the enterprising and progressive citizens of White River township, and has a large circle of friends and acquaintances throughout the county of Randolph. The genealogy of the McGuire family is directly traceable to Ireland, of which country the grandfather of John H. was a native.

James McGuire, father of John Henry, was born in the state of Maryland, and came to Randolph county, Ind., about the year 1837 and here married Jane Mills, daughter of Morgan Mills, one of the earliest pioneers in this part of Indiana. Mrs. McGuire died in 1846 and her husband departed this life in 1884, at the age of sixty-eight years. They had three children, viz .: William T., John H., and Mary, wife of J. Mendenhall, all of whom are living at this time.

John Henry McGuire was born in White River township March 7, 1843, was reared to agricultural pursuits and remained on the home farm until attaining the years of man- hood, attending in the meantime the common schools, in which he received the rudiments of

an English education. At the age of eighteen he entered the army, enlisting September 21, 1861, in company K, Thirty-sixth Indiana volunteer infantry, with which he shared the vicissitudes and fortunes of war for three years, when he veteranized as a member of company A, One Hundred and Forty-seventh Indiana regiment. To give even a general epitome of Mr. McGuire's military experience would far transcend the limits of a sketch of this character, but suffice it to say that he served with distinction, first in the army of the Cumberland, and later in the Virginia cam- paigns, participating with his regiments in many of the bloodiest battles of the war, among which may be mentioned: Shiloh, Stone River, Chickamauga, siege of Atlanta and all the engagements around that city, where he was under fire almost constantly for a period of four months. On several occa- sions his clothing was torn by the enemy's missiles, but he was fortunate in passing through all the fiery ordeals unhurt, but for about three months, in 1862, he was confined to the hospital on account of his disabilities, superinduced by too much exposure while in the ranks. He was honorably discharged from the service August 4, 1865, and immediately thereafter returned home and engaged in farm- ing, which he has since carried on in White River and Monroe townships. He owns the home farm in the latter township, in addition to which he operates a rented farm in the township of White River, dividing his atten- tion about equally between agriculture and stock raising, making a specialty of fine hogs and cattle, his reputation as a successful breeder of the same being second to that of no other man in the county.

Mr. McGuire was married July 26, 1866, to Sarah Pursley, of Randolph county, daughter of James and Mary (McNees) Pursley, a union blessed with the birth of the following children:

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Mrs. Luella Pope, Frank L., deceased; Albert J., Mrs. Eva A. McAllister, Maud, deceased; Willie, deceased; Clemmie, May, Winnie V., deceased; Gussie and Blaine. Mr. McGuire is a practical farmer and patriotic citizen. He belongs to the I. O. O. F., A. F. & A. M., G. A. R., and is an uncompromising supporter of the republican party, his first vote having been cast for Abraham Lincoln.

a HARLES FREMONT GRAY, a popu- lar dentist of White River township, Randolph county, was born in the township named, September 22, 1856. He is a son of Simon and Nancy (Smith) Gray, of whom mention will be made further on. Charles F., was reared on the home farm, was educated at the district school and at Win- chester, and at the age of twenty entered the office of Dr. D. B. Cowdrey and Dr, H. Le Ferre, at Union City, and for a year studied medicine; he then passed an examination be- fore the state board of dentists and began the practice of his art at Fountain City, Wayne county, where he remained three years; then practiced at Petoskey, Mich., four years; then attended a dental course at the Indiana Den- tal college, Indianapolis, and afterward prac- ticed at several of the principal cities of the west, making a specialty of the administration of anæsthetics, and realizing a handsome com- petence. He now resides in his handsome country seat near Winchester. The doctor was married December 18, 1878, to Miss Jennie Townsend, daughter of Stephen and Mary Townsend, of Wayne county, Ind., and their union has been blessed with the birth of one child-Frederick A. The doctor and his wife are members of the Society of Friends; in politics he is a prohibitionist; in his profession he is progressive, and has added many new

methods to the science which tend to relieve pain and facilitate and expediate dental opera- tions. He has traveled extensively, and each finds him engaged at his profession in the west, while the winters are passed at his mansion near Winchester.

Simon Gray, father of Dr. Charles F. Gray, was born in Randolph county, Ind., April 4, 1826. His father, Absalom Gray, was born in North Carolina, in 1790, and at the age of twenty-three came to Randolph county, located in White River township, resided here until 1840, then traded the land he had entered here from the government for a farm in Iowa, to which he removed, and on which he died in the fall of 1873. Absalom had married Mar- gery, daughter of John and Patience Cox, who were among the first settlers of Randolph county. To this union were born four chil- dren, viz: John, who died at the age of thirty- three; James, who died at thirty-six; Elias, in Ward township, and Simon.

Simon Gray, at the age of four days, lost his mother, and was reared by his uncle, Simon Cox. He attended the district schools and worked on the farm until he was twenty- one, when he married Nancy Smith, daughter of Durant and Elizabeth Smith, of Randolph county. One year later he left his uncle and moved to the Indian reservation in Howard and Tipton counties, Ind., but, on account of the unfavorable climate, soon returned to Randolph county, where he has ever since resided, engaged in the quiet pursuit of agri- culture. There have been born to him four children, viz; Ezra, who died in infancy; Charles Fremont, whose sketch is given above; Douglas H., and Benjamin F. For three years Mr. Gray was county superintendent of the poor farm; he is a republican and a Friend, as were his ancestors, and is a strict prohibitionist. His conduct has ever been in conformance with the teachings of his faith.

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0 ANIEL LESLEY is a native of White River township, Randolph county, Ind., and was born May 17, 1849. He is a son of the pioneer David Lesley, and his wife, Hannah (Parker) Lasley, who were married in this county in 1825, and were the parents of thirteen children, of whom all but three reached the full years of maturity. The mother of this large family died April 23, 1888, and the father died in November, 1891. The early life of Daniel Lesley was spent in the ordinary routine labor of farm life, dur- ing which time he enjoyed such facilities for an education as were afforded by the common schools of the day, in addition to which he spent three years under the instruction of that veteran teacher, Prof. James Ferris, at that time superintendent of the Winchester public schools. Mr. Lesley studies embraced all usually enumerated in the curriculum of a scientific college course, and for ten years he himself taught school, beginning when only seventeen years of age. In 1875, he was elected superintendent of the public schools of Randolph county, the responsible duties of which office he faithfully discharged with much credit to his executive ability, having given excellent satisfaction, as evinced by his hold- ing the office for eight years. He then was admitted to the bar, and later made a com- plete abstract of titles of the county, for which there was a large demand from attorneys and real estate dealers. This abstract he later sold to the law firm of Macy, Jaqua & Goodrich, in 1888, and engaged as contractor for the Toledo Bridge company, and is still in the employ of that company. His success in this position has been most phenomenal, he having not only held together all the old cus- tomers of the company, but having, besides, secured many contracts for the building of new bridges in various parts of the country.

The marriage of Mr. Lesley took place at Peru, Ind., July 13, 1874, to Miss Edith B. Thompson, a native of Union City, Ind., born July 13, 1862, and a daughter of Valentine and Rebecca Thompson, of the same place, and by this marriage have been born two children-Ragden V., and Mary Marguerite. The parents are members of the Christian church, while Mr. Lesley is a member of the I. O. O. F. His standing in society is among the best in the county, and the respect in which he is held by fellow citizens is some- thing of which any man might well feel proud.

OL. HENRY H. NEFF was born June 5, 1815, near Eaton, Preble county, Ohio. His father, John Neff, Sr., was a native of Pennsylvania, and the descendant of German ancestors. His mother, whose maiden name was Susanna Gray, was a native of Virginia. Henry re- mained at home until seventeen years of age, acquiring at the common schools a good English education. In the fall of 1832 he went to Eaton, in company with his brother John, to learn the printer's trade under the instruction of Dr. F. A. Cunningham and John Vanausdal, remaining until the spring of 1834. He then went to Connersville, Ind., and engaged with Matthew R. Hull, who was at that time publisher of the Indiana Sentinel, a sterling whig paper. Mr. Neff was one of his assistants for about a year. He was subse- quently employed in the office of the Herald, at Liberty, Union county, Ind. In July, 1836, he accepted an engagement with Thomas Tigar, editor of the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Sen- tinel, remaining in his employ for eighteen months. Mr. Tigar finally sold the estab- lishment to George Washington Wood, in whose employ Mr. Neff remained until 1838.

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In the same year he returned to Win- chester, Ind., and engaged in the retail grocery trade. In the following year he em- barked in the drug trade with Dr. Robert Woody, at Winchester, and continued in this business for four years. On October 23, 1843, he issued the first number of the Winchester Patriot, the first newspaper published in Ran- dolph county. He continued the publication of the Patriot with marked success for four years, selling the office at this time in order to give his time fully to his duties as the repre- sentative from this,county to the state legisla- ture, to which he was elected in 1847. At the expiration of his official term he purchased the paper of its new proprietors, and resumed its management. In 1850 he received the ap- pointment of deputy United States marshal, to take the census of Randolph county. He performed the duty alone, except in the town- ship of Nettle Creek, which was canvassed by Thomas W. Reece, completing the labor and making the full return within the six months allotted by law. In 1852, he was elected clerk of the circuit court for Randolph county, and at that time made a final sale of the Patriot office. In 1856, by the unanimous voice of the convention, he was again the candidate for this office, and was elected. He retired from the office after a service of eight years, and removed to a farm south of Winchester. Shortly afterward, however, he removed to the city, and embarked in the grain trade with his son-in-law, Mr. Teal. In 1863, he went with a herd of cattle to the prairies of Champaign county, Ill., and during the summer of that year was engaged in watching them and preparing them for market. Upon his return, he was urged by Gov. Mor- ton to assist in raising a regiment for the United States service for the suppression of the rebellion. He entered enthusiastically into this work, and was commissioned captain of

company G, of the One Hundred and Twenty- fourth regiment. The organization of the regiment was completed at Indianapolis, and Capt. Neff was promoted to the office of major. The regiment was assigned to the Twenty- third army corps, under Gen. Schofield, leav- ing Indianapolis in March, 1864, and pro- ceeding to Nashville. They were sent to the front, and took part in the Atlanta campaign, under Gen. Sherman, but instead of accom- panying him on the march to the sea, they were ordered back to Nashville. After the terrible conflict at Franklin, they marched to Nashville in the night, reaching that place at daylight on the following morning. They had been on duty two days and two nights without sleep, and many of their number fell by the roadside from sheer exhaustion. They pur- sued the rebel Gen. Hood as far as Columbia, Tenn., after which they were recalled, and or- dered to Washington city. On February 22, 1865, they embarked in an ocean steamer for North Carolina, landing at Beaufort, that state, and marched to NewBerne and Raleigh, to join Gen. Sherman's advance columns. They were engaged in the battle of Wise's Fork, near Kingston, N. C., from the 8th to the 10th of March, 1865. At this battle, Col. Neff was bereaved of his son, Capt. J. L. Neff, who fell in the conflict, pierced by an enemy's bullet. He was con- veyed to his home by his father and interred in the cemetery at Winchester. His father had been commissioned lieutenant colonel, and after the funeral of the son returned to per- form his duty as a soldier. He accompanied his commanc to Greensboro and Charlotte, N. C., but in May, 1865, resigned his commission and returned to Winchester. From that time to the present he has been engaged in the lumber business at Winchester, first as a part- ner with his son-in-law, Mr. Teal, in the black walnut lumber trade, this relation existing

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AND WHITE RIVER TOWNSHIP.

for four or five years. In 1871 he became the senior member of the firm of Neff, Teal & Fisher, dealers in pine lumber. This firm was dissolved in 1879, and in June, 1880, Mr. Neff became the agent for the firm of Osterhaut & Fox, lumber dealers of Grand Rapids, Mich. In the fall of 1881 he was chosen president of the Winchester Wagon Works and Manu- facturing company. He lias always taken a leading and active part in the business inter- ests of the town of Winchester, and has ex- pended both time and money to promote the welfare of the town and county. The "Bee Line" railroad probably had not a more active friend along the line of its proposed route, when projected as the "Indianapolis & Bellefontaine" railroad. As a member of the legislature he used all his influence to secure a charter for the road, and as a private citizen he exerted his powers to enlist the sympathy and co-operation of his neighbors throughout the county. When the present Dayton & Union railroad was pro- jected, he made a strong effort to have the road continued to Winchester, making this town its western terminus, convinced that such an event would have added an impetus and life to the town, and made it an impor- tant center of manufacture and commerce.

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A portrait and biographical record of Delaware and Randolph 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 104

Author: Publication date: 1894 Publisher: Chicago, A. W. Bowen & Co. Number of Pages: 1474

Author:
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Chicago, A. W. Bowen & Co.
Number of Pages: 1474