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 144

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 144
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 144

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).

The Eagle was the first secular paper in the United States to take up the anti-vaccina- tion fight. It has treated the subject with great ability, and its articles have been ex- tensively copied by the leading papers of the country. Mr. Ensign married Ida Frances, daughter of Prof. T. J. Davis, of Mt. Gilead. They have four children, of which they have every reason to feel proud. Their names are as follows: Mary Virginia, David Winfield, Thomas Decatur, and Frances Beatrice. Mr. Ensign is making a success of his life, as many can testify, and by his work and influence has been helped to a higher degree of use- fulness and a higher plane of life.

PILLIAM C. ELSTON, a prominent citizen and business man of Union City, Ind., was born in Darke county, Ohio, May 19, 1839, and was reared on a farm in his native county. He attended the common schools until fifteen years of age, and later on was a student for two years at Liber college. After leaving col- lege he taught school and worked on the home farm until twenty-one years old, and then turned his attention to agriculture on his own occount, having a tract of 280 acres, 210 acres of which were improved. In the latter part of 1860, he began to ship live stock to the eastern markets- cattle and hogs, but chiefly the latter-and so continued in Darke coun- ty Ohio, until 1890, when he came to Indiana and took np his residence in Union City, bought an interest in the Union City Carriage works, and has since been president and treas- urer of the company. Mr. Elston had also become interested in the Second National bank of Greenville, Ohio, before he left Darke county, was one of its original stockholders, and for five years has been one of its leading directors.

Mr. Elston was most happily married, in 1860, to Miss Rebecca, the amiable daughter of Hon. James and Margaret (Wilson) Griffis, Mr. Griffis having formerly been a representa- tive from Randolph county. This union has been blessed by the birth of three daughters, viz; Ida, wife of D. H. Shively, a farmer of Darke county, Ohio; Ketta, married to Boyce Eidson, also a farmer of Darke county, and Maggie, still unmarried. Levi Elston, the grandfather of onr subject, came from New Jersey, was a farmer, and settled in Darke county, Ohio, about 1820, when there were but few settlements in the neighborhood of Greenville, and there died a few years later, leaving a family of five sons and five daugh- ters. George Elston, the father of William

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C., was the third son of Levi, and married Elizabeth Cole, daughter of Samuel Cole, of Darke county, Ohio. Mr. Cole was also a native of New Jersey, from the same neigh- borhood with Levi Elston. George Elston was the father of two sons and two daughters, viz: William C., the subject proper of this sketch; Samuel, a farmer of southern, Ills .; Catherine, wife of I. W. Swell, of Union City, and Harriet, wife of John W. Griffis of Strong City, Kans.

OBERT S. FISHER (deceased), son of John and Jane (Starbuck) Fisher, was born on a farm in Wayne county, Ind., near Fountain City (then called New Port), July 8, 1834. John Fisher was born in North Carolina in 1792, near the old "Guilford Battle Ground." He left that state and came to Indiana, in pioneer days, on horseback, and rode alone (except two days' journey) all the way to Lebanon, Ohio, and (after five or six days spent in visiting friends there) to Wayne county, Ind., having been fifteen days on the road-a pretty quick trip, compared with the speed often made by fam- ilies and groups coming through on a moving expedition. He entered 160 acres in the win- ter of 1816-17, put up a cabin, was married to Jane Starbuck, September 16, 1819, by Adam Boyd, the only justice of the. peace in Wayne county at the time. Mr. Fisher and his wife began to keep "cabin" October 7, 1819, and they lived on that farm until January, 1866, more than forty-six years. Some years ago, in describing the early episode, Jane Fisher had to say: "When we kept house at first, we had a table, four cups and saucers, half dozen plates, four knives and forks, one iron pot, one skillet, one rolling pin, four chairs, one light feather bed, two sheets (one flax-and- cotton and one tow), one quilt, one coverlet.

I have the coverlet yet. Mother wove it her- self, in old Guilford county, N. C., and she gave it to me. I have had it more than sixty years, and how much older it is I cannot tell. I borrowed a straw tick of Aunt Rebecca for three or four weeks, till I could make some for myself out of tow, which I did, all but the weaving-I hired that done. For a bedstead I borrowed an anger and made two benches out of puncheons, lugged in nine clap-boards and put across on the benches, and on this new grand bedstead, I made up our bed; and, let me tell you, I was 'set up' greatly, and felt as proud of my bed, all nice and neat, as of any thing I ever had.

My brother Edward and myself went back to North Carolina ten or twelve years ago. I was surprised, and pleased, also, to find how well I remembered the country; I could go anywhere, and knew every hill and stream, every road and farm, although I had been ab- sent fifty years. I found, in that ancient region, four aunts and one sister, whom I had not seen since my father moved away. They were, of course. greatly rejoiced that we should be spared to meet, face to face, this side of glory land." John Fisher passed away February 8, 1881, in his eighty-ninth year, having broken a bone by a fall in slippery weather, and having never recovered. Mrs. Jane Fisher departed this life at the dwelling of her son-in-law, Capt. J. R. Jackson, Union City, Ind., Thursday, February 4, 1882, aged about seventy-eight years.

R. S. Fisher was an active business man, and was one of the organizers of the People's bank of Portland, Ind., invested considerable of his means in its stock, and in other ways promoted its prosperity. This stock is still owned by the family. There was born to him by his first wife, Anna Henderson, one daugh- ter, Cora F., who married James R. McMasters, a member of the firm of John McMasters &

Both S. Fischer

MRS. ROSA A. FISHER.

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Sons, of Dayton, Ohio. By his second wife, Rosa Cottom, daughter of James S. and Edith J. (Mitchell) Cottom (of whom mention is made elsewhere) and who was born at Will- iamsburg, Wayne county, Ind., August 20, 1846, there were born two sons, viz: Clifford C., bookkeeper, and Russell C., who died at the age of seven years. Mr. Fisher died April 8, 1880, honored by all who knew him. He was very devoted to his family, and at his death expressed his only regret as being that of parting with them. He was charitable in the extreme, and the world could hardly lose a better man. He was a member of the Method- ist Episcopal church, in which he always took an active interest and was one of its most liberal supporters. He was one of the most kind hearted men in this part of Indiana. He was a most earnest republican, and was a member of the I. O. O. F. Mrs. Fisher is also a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which she is deeply interested.

J OHN B. FORTENBAUGH, now a prosperous farmer of Wayne township, Randolph county, Ind., was born in York county, Pa., April 14, 1848, and is a son of Peter and Elizabeth (Brubaker) Fortenbaugh, by the second marriage of his father. John B. passed his youth in York county, and attended the country schools un- til seventeen years old, then went to Wayne county, Ohio, where he served an apprentice- ship of three years at carpentering without compensation, and then for another period of three years worked as a journeyman at Wooster, and vicinity. In 1870 he came to Randolph county, Ind., and settled at Harrisville, where he went into the saw and grist milling busi- ness, and ran it for three years in partnership with Rayford Swisher, and later with Silas P.

Engle. At the termination of the three years Mr. Fortenbaugh sold his interest and began carpentering and contracting, and erected all the principal buildings in Harrisville and vicin- ity, including several school buildings and church edifices, following the business until elected township trustee in 1882. He had al- ways been a stanch republican, and at the primary in 1884 received eighty-four votes out of eighty-nine in his home precinct; received the nomination in the convention by a large majority, and was re-elected at the polls by a majority proportionately as large. During his administration he built three new school houses. converted his home school into a graded school and erected the building which was pronounced by Mr. Denny to be one of the best school houses outside of incorporated towns. In 1888, Mr. Fortenbaugh resumed his contract work, which he followed until September, 1890, when he purchased a general store at Harrisville from Lindley Baird, which he carried on two years and a half, then sold out and has since been interested in farming.

Mr. Fortenbaugh was married December 9, 1875, to Miss Martha A., daughter of Tobias and Mary (Shelley) Whitesell, of Wayne township, Randolph county, Ind., and has had born to him four children, viz: Blanche May, Bessie, Grace (died at one year) and Madge (died at about two years of age). The parents of Mr. Fortenbaugh were both members of the Dunkard church, and died in that faith. The father was born in Newberry township, York, Pa., in 1796, on the farm on which he died in 1870, and which is now the property of his eldest son, Henry-being now occupied by the third generation of the family. The father was twice married; first to Harriet Grimes, who bore him four children, all de- ceased; secondly, to Elizabeth Brubaker, to which union eight children were born, viz: Henry on the homestead; Martin, market

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master at York; Harriet, wife of Joseph Upde- graff, of Newberrytown; Mary, wife of John W. Prowell, farmer of York county; John B. Susan and Lydia, deceased, and Peter L., of Goldboro, Pa.

John B. Fortenbaugh is a member of the Masonic fraternity; of the I. O. O. F., and the Knights of Pythias, all of Union City, and of the Christian church at Harrisville. He is the owner of 125 acres of fine land adjoining Harrisville; and is one of the most respected and substantial citizens of the community.

...

W. FOWLER, a popular attorney at law of Union City, Randolph county, Ind., and now in his mental and physical prime, was born in Darke county, Ohio, November 5, 1851. His grandfather, Hezekiah Fowler, a native of Frederick county, Md., and of English descent, located in Holmes county, Ohio, prior to, and took part in, the war of 1812; moved to Darke county in 1818, settled on what is now the Winchester and Greenville pike, made an improvement, and lived there until 1830. In November, 1831, he moved to the state line of Indiana, entered 160 acres, forty of which are now within the corporation of Union City, Ohio, but there was no village there at that time, and Hanson T. Fowler (father of W. W.) then eight years of age, after he had grown, killed a three-spike buck on the site of Hon. N. Cadwallader's present residence. Piqua, Ohio, was the nearest grain point, and Green- ville was a small trading post. Hezekiah traveled on horseback to do his trading, never having owned a wagon until he was a man grown. Hezekiah Fowler married Isabel Duval, of Darke county, Ohio, and to the union were born nine children. Hanson T., the eldest son, received eleven months' school-

ing, and with that exception was self-taught; yet he taught in the common schools, both of Ohio and Indiana, for many terms. He served in several township offices, and was a shrewd business man withal. He and a brother made an addition of thirty-two lots to Union City, which is now well built up with resididences and factories, and is known as Fowler Bros.' addition. Hanson T. first married, in 1850, Sarah Livengood, daughter of John Liven- good. She was then a resident of Randolph county, Ind., but had been reared in Darke county, Ohio, and was of Pennsylvania German parentage. Four children resulted from this union, of whom three are living, viz: William W., Hezekiah and Jacob L. William W. Fowler was educated in the common schools of country and city. In 1871 he began teach- ing, and taught in Randolph and Jay counties, Ind., and in Darke county, Ohio, and at one time was principal of Castine, Hillgrove and of Dawn. He continued to teach until Feb- ruary, 1889, and since 1890 has been engaged in the practice of the law, having been ad- mitted to the bar, in that year, at Columbus, Ohio. He had been prepared for the profes- sion by study at Greenville, Ohio, since 1885, in the office of Allready & Bickel. In politics Mr. Fowler is a republican, has been a dele- gate of his party to its state convention, and for two years has served as corporation clerk of Union City. He was married, in 1879, to Miss Ella Brambaugh, and is now the happy father of one son.

R EV. ERNEST GERFEN, of Union City, Ind., youngest son of Christian Ludwig and Caroline Gerfen, was born May 1, 1853, in Germany. His father was a machinist and owner of three iron mines, employing a large number of men

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in these mines. His parents, being members of the Lutheran church, carefully educated him in the faith and doctrines of their church as well as in the secular branches of knowl- edge. When the war broke out in this coun- try in 1861, his oldest and only brother left Germany with the avowed intention to enter the Union army to put down the rebellion. This brother served during the entire war un- der the command of Franz Sigel, Sherman and Grant. At the battle of Shiloh he was dan- gerously wounded. After the war Mr. E. Gerfen together with his parents and two sis- ters also came to this country, settling down in Washington county, Ills. He now entered Concordia college, at Sringfield, Ills., and af- ter a period of two years he concluded to study for the ministry. For this purpose he entered the Theological seminary, at Capital university in Columbus, Ohio, graduating with honors in 1879. He was called to serve a Lutheran congregation at Lebanon, O., and in addition to his pastoral work he accepted the chair of modern languages in the National Normal university, of Lebanon, O. He also compiled a German-English grammar entitled, "Gerfen's Deutsche Schule," and then trans- lated "Count Struensee's Conversion" into English. This is the only English translation of this remarkable book, answering all objec- tions to the Scriptures made by infidels and atheists.

Mr. Gerfen received and accepted a call to Trenton, O., in 1886, and after serving this congregation for two years he was appoined proof reader at the Luthern Book concern in Columbus, O., This work being too severe for his eyesight, he accepted a call to the Lutheran St. Trinity church at Union City, a very large and flourishing congregation, where he is preaching the word of God in German and English.

In 1880 Mr. Gerfen was married to Miss

Minnie, oldest daughter of Fred Hebbeler, a prominent merchant of Lebanon, O. This happy union has been blessed with five bright children: Clara, Victor, Emil, Manrice and Edna. Mr. Gerfen is in the best of his years and in his work he is very successful.

ILLIAM H. GITTINGER, of Union City, who now heads the roster of architects in his native county of Randolph, was born on a farm in Jackson township, May 26, 1845. His parent- age will be mentioned in full at the close of the sketch. William H. Gittinger attended the schools of his neighborhood until 1865, and learned the carpenter's trade in his immediate neighborhood, where he worked until 1880, contracting for all kinds of building from 1874 onward. He was born an architect, and drafting was an instinct. In 1875 he took the contract for the Union City Christian church, which he completed in 1876, and also finished a number of equally good contracts. In 1880 he settled down to a systematic course of studying the science of architecture, and read all the standard works, acquiring a thor- ough knowledge of architecture without the aid of tutor or preceptor. He visited the prir cipal cities of Indiana and Ohio, studied all the models and better class of structures, and in 1885 began drawing plans, and then taking contracts. Among his earlier achieve- ments were the Kelley block, at Winchester, the school building at Harrisonville, the Union City public school, at a cost of $35,000, in modern renaissance, with twelve rooms and offices and all in brick, with stone trimmings, and considered by school men as one of the best in the state, taking cost into considera- tion. He really began the work of an archi- tect in 1889, since when he has furnished plans for the Catholic church, Union City, in Gothic

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of the twelfth century, at a cost of $20,000; the new Bank block, Winchester, $20,000; school house at Red Key, $20,000; school house at Dunkirk, and Briscoe block at Hart- ford, 100X120; the Catholic church at Muncie, Gothic, twelfth century, $35,000; Anderson Catholic church, modern Romanesque, $37,- 000; the Marion Catholic church, early Eng- lish, about $20,000; the Christian church (New Light), at Ansonia, $4,500. He has also made numerous plans for many other build- ings, at various points in Indiana and Ohio. Mr. Gittinger was happily united in wedlock, in 1875, to Miss Asenath E. Shreeve, of Jack- son township.

Jacob Gittinger, father of William H., was born September 19, 1817, in Carroll county, Md. He reached Darke county, Ohio, at eighteen years of age, and settled there in the fall of 1844. He was married, in the early part of 1844, to Margaret Adkins, who was a native of Butler county, Ohio, born December 25, 1823. Two children blessed this union- William H. aud Lily C., the latter born February 19, 1851. Mr. Gittinger is a self made man, and has been intimately connected with the progress and development of the county. He and wife are worthy members of the German Reformed church. He owns a valuable farm of 100 acres of land, and is a democrat in politics. His father and mother, Jacob and Mary (Joret) Gittinger, were of the best families of their native state. The father of Mrs. Gittinger was George Adkins, a native of Delaware, born in the year 1800, moved to Butler county, Ohio, in 1807, and finally settled in Darke county, Ohio, where he died in February, 1878; his wife Jane Wilson, a na- tive of Butler county, and a few years his junior, died in April, 1823.

The Gittinger, Adkins and Wilson families were all three of the highest respectability, and still are much respected.

J AMES H. HORNEY, one of the firm of Ross & Horney, carriage manufac- turers, Union City, Randolph county, Ind., is a son of John and Mary F. (Fahnestock) Horney, and was born in Darke county, Ohio, in 1860. The father, John Horney, was killed when James H. was about six months old, and in 1865 the mother moved to Union City. James H. was educated at the public schools of Union City until he was fifteen years old, and was then apprenticed for three years to Ross & Knapp, at carriage trimming; he next worked as journeyman and at contract work for the Union City Carriage company for six years, hiring all the help in his department, and having entire manage- ment of it: later, contracted with George W. Ross for doing all his work for three years. In 1891 he formed a partnership with Mr. Ross, under the firm name of Ross & Horney. in the manufacture of carriages, at the corner of Union and Pearl streets, but on June 27, 1893, fire destroyed the premises, causing a loss of $5,000, of which $3,000 was on stock, the finished work alone being saved. The firm now occupy the Bowers and other build- ings, on Columbia and Oak streets, employ ten hands, and turn out all kinds of modern, stylish, high-class vehicles, that represent the progressive experience of twenty-five years in this particular line.

The grandparents of Mr. Horney were among the pioneers of Ohio, and his parents were both natives of Darke county. When his father was accidentally killed he was but twenty-two years of age, and left behind two children, viz .: Minnie, now wife of William Morrow, of Union City, and James H. The marriage of James H. Horney took place in 1885 to Miss Emma Harlan, of Union City, and resulted in the birth of four children, who are named May, Herschel, Howard and Ger- trude. Mr. Horney is a member of the I. O.

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O. F., holds the respect of his fellow citizens and is recognized as an industrious, skillful workman and courteous gentleman. In poli- tics he is a republican.

OUIS C. HUESMANN, president and manager of the Knapp Supply com- pany of Union City, Randolph county, Ind., was born in Dayton, Ohio, June 20, 1856; he was educated in the schools of that city, and at the Miami Commercial college, and in 1872 he entered the employ of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton railroad company, as fireman, and after two years' service for that company went into the employ of the Dayton & Union road in the same capacity, but in 1876 became an engineer, running from Dayton to Union City, and then acted as express messenger and baggage man on the same road until 1889. In the latter part of 1889 he became a stock holder in the Knapp Supply company of Union City, help- ing to organize this firm, which bought out Capt. Alex. A. Knapp, mentioned elsewhere. Mr. Heusmann became treasurer, and, later, president and manager of the company. Its paid up capital is $25,000, and it handles natural gas and plumbing supplies, employing two salesmen in its warehouses and two on the road, in Ohio and Indiana, and enjoying a vigorous growth from year to year. Its store room is three stories, 100x80 feet, erected at at a cost of $15,000 and especially adapted to the requirements of the business.

Louis Huesmann, father of Louis C., was born in Osnabruck, Germany, and came to the United States in 1832, locating at Dayton, Ohio. £ He married Miss Harriet Loury, daughter of Gen. Fielding Loury, a member of the Ohio legislature, and a surveyor in the early history of the state. To this union were

born ten children, of whom six are still living. Mr. Huesmann was a lawyer and was actively engaged in his profession until the time of his death, which occurred in 1888, at the age of eighty-two years. Louis C. Huesmann, whose name opens this brief sketch, was united in marriage, in 1889, to Miss Cora L., daughter W. K. Smith, a merchant of Union City. Mr. Huesmann is a royal arch Mason and a Knight of Pythias; he is a republican in politics, and is treasurer of the Union City school board. He is regarded as a man of solid business qualifications, is personally very popular, and his integrity in all his transactions has never been tarnished by even the shadow of a doubt.

HOMAS JONES, prominent manu- facturer of Union City, was born on the 4th day of April, 1841, in Miami county, Ohio. His father, Jonathan Jones, was a native of Virginia, and his moth- er, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Rod- erick, also born in the Old Dominion, was of German parentage, and died when Thomas was about four years old. Jonathan Jones came to Indiana about the year 1845 and set- tled on the Mississinewa river in Deleware county, about twelve miles north of Muncie, in which locality the youthful years of the subject of this sketch were passed amid the active duties of farm life. Owing to the un- developed condition of the country at that time, his educational advantages were some- what limited, and he obtained but a rudimen- tary knowledge of the common branches by attendance a few months during the winter season at a school taught in a primitive log building supplied with rough slab seats, which stood three miles from his father's dwelling. He worked with his father on the home place until his marriage, which occurred in the year

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1864 with Catharine, daughter of Christian and Mary (Knife) Negley, sister of Hon. Charles Negley, after which he remained with. his mother-in-law for two years, removing to Darke county, Ohio, at the end of that time.

After a two years' residence in the latter county and state, Mr. Jones came to Union City in 1866 and purchased a lot upon which he at once erected a dwelling. While living in Delaware county he had had a limited ex- perience as a mill-wright, and on coming to this place he engaged first in carpentering, and, after contracting and building for some time, began cabinetmaking, in which he ac- quired great skill and proficiency. For a period of three and a half years he was fore- man in the lumber yard of Kuntz & Wilson; at the end of that time began buying and shipping hard wood, lumber and logs, which line of business he followed very successfully until 1881. In the latter year he took $4,000 worth of stock in the Union City Carriage company, but continued actively in the lum- ber trade until 1890, when he became superin- tendent of the carriage works, the duties of which position he discharged for a period of two years.

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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 144

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