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 151

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 151
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 151

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ing stock, but in every way helping to raise the required amount. Mr. Smith was married in 1863 to Elizabeth, daughter of Benjamin Farley. This union was blessed by two chil- dren, one dying in infancy, and Cora, who is the wife of L. C. Huesmann. In 1880, Mrs. Smith died, and ten years later Mr. Smith was married to Miss Alice Ames of Green- castle, Ind.

a APT. WILLIAM D. STONE was born in Cincinnati, Hamilton county, Ohio, June 16, 1826. His first school- ing was in an old frame building on the elbow of the canal. From this building the school was taken to the new brick build- ing on Eighth street. His father, Ezra Stone, was a master mechanic, and in the fall of the year he would move with his family to New Orleans to work at his trade. In this manner young Stone was taken to New Orleans seven times. During one of these trips the family remained two winters and the intervening summer, during which summer his mother died. She was a most intense lover of free- dom and humanity, a life long member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and unswervingly and religiously opposed to human slavery. On one occasion, when hateful brutes were vicious- ly beating one of Mrs. Stone's colored female friends, she called her little boy William into the house, closed all the doors and window shutters, kneeled beside a chair, placed her arm around her boy, and, amid the agonizing screams of the suffering girl, she swore him to eternal enmity against human slavery, and the boy still holds the oath binding here and here- after. To save the resting place of his moth- er's remains from being in a foreign country, was one great reason which prompted Capt. Stone in taking the active part he did in sup- pressing the rebellion.

Jm D. Sono.

MRS. JANE D. STONE.

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In 1839, his father brought him to Win- chester, Randoplph county, Ind., and this county has been his recognized home nearly all the time since. He lived with his father on a farm adjoining Winchester on the north until his father died in 1848. William's op- portunity for schooling was poor, although he attended school in the old Methodist Episcopal meeting house, taught by James Ferris. Afterward he attended the county seminary and made rapid progress in his studies. At home of nights he would get into one corner of an old fireplace, which reached clear across one end of the family log hut on the farm. Here, amid ashes and smoke, he would get his lessons and thus be able to keep up with his classes in the seminary. In accomplishing this he burned an electric light which was generated by bringing hickory bark in contact with live hickory coals.

In May, 1847, he volunteered in company A, Fourth Indiana volunteers, Mexican war. While crossing the gulf of Mexico on the steamer Ann Chase, a flue collapsed and sev- eral men were injured, and some were killed. Young Stone had his left knee injured severe- ly, but soon was able for duty. Sixty-five men went on shore on poles, dugouts and skiffs, Stone among them, and then had to wade swamps, edge through cane-brakes, two days and nights, with nothing to eat or drink, the water being brackish and unfit to drink. He was in the war till it closed and was in the battles of Huamantla, Puebla, Tlascala and Atlixco. He was honorably discharged and reached home on the 20th of July, 1848.

August 23d, his father died, and on the 3d day of December, 1848, he was married to Miss Jane D. Poore, daughter of Edwin L. and Nancy A. Poore. Miss Poore was born in Goochland county, Va., January 16, 1831, and comes of old Virginia prominent names. Her grandfather was quite prominent, and her

grandmother was a Lee. Capt. Stone cap- tured one of his wife's uncles during the rebel- lion. Mrs. Stone is a quiet, unassuming, gen- erous and every-day-alike religious. She loves the church, and from all appearances she is duly appreciated and loved by its mem- bers. She joined the Christian church Octo- ber 3, 1854, and the captain came forward the next day. Both are highly respected by the community, both in and out of church circles.

Soon after their marriage, they moved to Winchester, and in 1852 they moved to Wayne township, near the then new town of Union City. The captain considers this the most important move of his life. The good people of Union City and Wayne township threw around the newcomers every evidence of friend- ship by sustaining him in his schools and as- sisting him in many ways to climb the rugged hill of life. In 1854, he moved to Salem, south of Union, and owned a little home there as late as 1871. Here the Christian church gave the meeting house to Mr. Stone, to be by him used as a schoolroom, and generously furnished a large number of pupils, and thus made the school a grand success. Its influence was very widely extended, and many were in- duced to come from far and near to lend influence to the movement. In the meantime Mr. Stone's efforts were in demand as a preach- er. The Randolph County History, published some years since, speaking of Mr. Stone's teaching and preaching, says: "He is an active, wide-awake, somewhat eccentric, but a very energetic and successful educator and preacher. He was almost idolized by his pupils, and is greatly esteemed by the churches to which he ministers. He is enthusiastic, acting on the Bible maxim, 'Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do with all thy might.'" For twenty years he taught in the same neigh- borhood, and for over thirty years he preached more or less regularly for the same church.

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In 1859, he moved to Fort Recovery, Ohio, and engaged in teaching. In 1861, when the rebellion raised its hydra head, Mr. Stone raised the first company in Mercer county, taking many of his pupils with him, and was elected unanimously its captain. The com- pany was attached to the Seventeenth O. V. I., as company I. This company saw some severe service in West Virginia, yet every man was brought back, although one poor fellow died shortly after arriving home. In 1862, Capt. Stone was appealed to by the entire community to again take out another com- pany, and thus save the necessity for a draft, inasmuch as serious trouble was brewing in that vicinity. The people met in mass meet- ing and requested the governor of Ohio to commission the captain to raise another com- pany. The young men rallied promptly, and the company was on the road to Columbus in less than thirty-six hours. In 1863, Capt. Stone was detached from his regiment, and put in charge of a large detail of troops to go to Massachusetts, and take charge of con- scripts, and forward them to the eastern army. This duty was too inactive for the captain, and by his request, he was relieved from it, and returned to his regiment, the One Hundred and Eighteenth Ohio. He was in Sherman's start for the sea, up to the battle of Resaca, Ga., in which engagement he was severely wounded in the left hip by a shell, May 14, 1864, while leading his men in the charge upon the rebel works. He was reported by the papers as killed upon the field, but when he saw the report, he promptly declareed it to be a lie. July 20, 1864, he received from the war department the following statement: "Hon- orably discharged on account of wounds re- ceived in the battle of Resaca, Ga .. May 14, 1864." Capt. Stone has in his possession three commissions as captain. First, captain of Randolph County guards, 1851; second,

captain company I, Seventeenth O. V. I .; third, captain company C, One Hundred and Eighteenth O. V. I. In Mexico, he was a sergeant, by promotion. Many prefixes have been placed before his name, such as Rev., Eld., Past., Prof., Capt., Maj., etc., but he desires to be known as simply "Cap."

In 1889, he moved to Parker, in Randolph county, in order to get the benefit of natural gas. He bought seven acres of ground in a beautiful location, and erected a handsome seven-roomed house, with all necessary out buildings and conveniences. He then built and furnished at his own individual expense a neat church edifice. The house was dedicated, but is now used as a printing office tempor- arily (1893). Mr. Stone laid out an addition Parker in 1893, which sold off rapidly, and built up speedily, leading all other additions. He has also erected in Fountain Park ceme- tery, adjoining Winchester, a beautiful monu- ment in memory of his old Mexican comrade, Allen O. Neff, who was also in the Union army of 1861. In 1893, Mr. Stone made a magnificent gift to the schools of Union City, Ind., consisting of about 500 volumes of his library; many of the books are rare and very fine volumes, and the people and officers of the city have shown their appreciation of the donation by having set apart and elaborately furnished a most splendid room for the books, and tendered the captain and his generous companion a grand reception.

In August, 1893, business matters seemed to require it, and Mr. Stone moved to Union City, but he thinks that it is not certain that he will remain a great while, as the Parker gas has a warm place in his dreams. He is a man of but moderate means, but feels that men should live and do as they go along. He is a soldier, the son of a soldier, the grandson of a soldier. His grandfather was wounded in the Revolution; his father was wounded in the

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war of 1812; he was himself injured in the Mexican war, and badly wounded in the Union army.

Politically, Mr. Stone is an uncompromis- ing republican. In 1890, he was elected representative of Randolph county to the state legislature by a larger plurality than was given any one on the ticket for any state office. During the session of 1891, he took an active in all the proceedings, besides officiating as chaplain a large portion of the time. He was appointed by the speaker to deliver the me- morial address upon the death of Gen. Sher- man. He has now retired from all active physical and mental drudgery in order to se- cure much needed rest. He is indeed worthy of the desired repose.

HARLES W. TRITT, secretary of the Union City Carriage company, was born November 3, 1852, in Fair- field, Greene county, Ohio. His father, Tilghman Tritt, is a native of Freder- ick county, Md., born February 22, 1828. He is a son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Arnold) Tritt, and received his educational training in the common schools, until he was ten years of age. His mother having died when he was ten years old, he came to Ohio, by wagon, over the mountains, with a man by the name of Will- iam Routsong. He joined his father at Fair- field, who had preceded him, and they worked together at carpentering until Tilghman reached the age of eighteen, when he struck out for himself, going to Cincinnati, where he learned the trade of cabinet making with S. J. Jones of that city. He was thus employed for about four years, when he returned to Fairfield, Ohio, where he engaged in cabinet making and undertaking. He was thus em- ployed during the cholera epidemic of 1849,

and buried over 100 of its victims. It was here that he was married, May 18, 1848, to Miss Elizabeth Rockfield. He continued suc- cessfully in the furniture business at Fairfield until 1854, when he came to Union City, Ind., and was first engaged temporarily at butcher- ing. A large volume of business was trans- acted, as a considerable number of railroad men were here emploped at that time.

The wild-cat money of that period all at once became worthless, and Mr. Tritt experi- enced heavy financial losses thereby. He next found employment as carpenter in a company of twenty men in building the Bee Line depot, at this city, and was selected as superintendent of buildings and bridges between here and Indianapolis. He competently filled that po- sition for the Bee Line company for seven years, when he transferred his services to the Pennsylvania Central road, at higher wages, in the capacity of superintendent of buildings and bridges for three years between here and Logansport. At this time, Dr. Converse, of Union City, called him to assist in the con- struction of buildings and bridges for the Midland Pacific railroad, and he took charge of that work, with headquarters at Nebraska City, and was thus employed for three years. He then returned to Union City, and engaged with his son, Charles W. Tritt, in the grocery business for three years, when he again re- sumed his old employment of carpentering, and was thus engaged until the Union City Carriage company was organized, at which time the construction of its buildings was en- trusted to his care; and since that time he has had charge of repairing the machinery for that company.

Mr. Tritt has two sons, a sketch of each appearing elsewhere. Two sons died in in- fancy. Mr. Tritt is recognized as a reliable mechanic and a worthy gentleman.

Charles W. Tritt was but four years old

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when his parents removed to Union City, Ind. He attended its schools until the age of four- teen and subsequently at Hillsboro, Ind. He entered commercial life as clerk in the grocery of Reeves & Robbins, and continued in their employ about two years, when he bought his employers out and conducted the grocery business successfully for about twelve years. In 1880, he became one of the principal or- ganizers of the Union City Carriage company, and. has since that time been its secretary and treasurer. The original incorporators with him were James Starbuck and Pierre Gray, son of Gov. Gray, with a capital stock origin- ally of $30,000. The success of this com- pany, under the careful and energetic manage- ment of Mr. Tritt, has been remarkable, its present plant on Pearl street consisting of five buildings, with 300 feet front, the main build- ings being of brick, and three stories high, and of substantial character. It employs, when running at full capacity, 165 men, and has a pay roll of over $1,000 per week. It enjoys an enviable reputation for its undercut surreys, which are its principle out-put; and the capacity is twenty complete vehicles per day, or one vehicle every thirty minutes. They enjoy an extensive sale, which, to the popularity of the product, is accomplished by correspondence, and is distributed throughout Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Kentucky. The present company is incor- porated with a paid up capital of $40,000, and has a substantial surplus exceeding the original stock. Its officers are W. C. Elston, president, C. W. Tritt, secretary and treas- urer, and Sanford Woodbury, vice president and superintendent.

Mr. Tritt, is prominetly identified with the republican party, the Masonic fraternity and the Christian church. He was married, in 1880, to Miss Libbie A. Reeves, daughter of

John L. Reeves, and to this union there have been born four children: Raymond having died at the age of six years, leaving the three remaining, Inez, Russell and Nellie.

DWIN C. TRITT, the youngest son of Tilghman Tritt, was born in Union City (Ohio side), one square east of the state line, in March, 1858. He received his education in the public schools of Union City, except three years, during the time of the family's residence in Nebraska City, Neb. It was at the latter place, during one of his vacations, that he studied telegraphy in the office of the Midland & Pacific railroad. At the age of seventeen years Mr. Tritt entered the employ of the Big Four, and was for seven years in their employ as telegraph oper- ator at various stations between Indianapolis and Galion. Mr. Tritt followed the same vocation subsequently for a number of years in the employ of the Panhandle railway, the J., M. & I. and the L. E. & W. railways.

At the organization of the Union City Carriage company, in which his brother, Charles W., was an incorporator and large stockholder, he was induced to quit the rail- road telegraph service and engage with this company. He chose the department of car- riage painting, learned the trade, and for the last eight years has been foreman and superin- tendent of the paint shop, which, when running at full capacity, employs sixty men, and com- pletes an average of about twenty vehicles per day. Mr. Tritt, by his skill, experience and devotion to the business, has contributed his full share to the building up the inevitable reputation of the Union City Carriage com- pany.

Mr. Tritt was married October 21, 1879, to Miss Flora E. Snider, of Pittsburg, Ind.

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To this union there have been born three sons: Albert R. and Charles W. Tritt, Jr., still living. One son, Fred, died at the age of two years, eight months and thirteen days. Mr. Tritt is a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church; he is also affiliating member of the Knights and Ladies of the Golden Eagle, and since the year 1887 has been actively identified with the temperance reform interests of. Union City.

J OHN M. TURNER, eldest son of Wil- liam and Margaret (Monks) Turner, was born in White River township, Randolph county, Ind., September 14, 1840. His father was born in Virginia in 1816, and with his widowed mother came to Randolph county in 1833, where he grew to manhood, married and reared eleven children, ten of whom are still living. He once owned an extensive landed property, but has since suf- fered such heavy financial reverses that he has lost the greater portion of his estate. He and his wife are now living at Camden, Jay county.

John M. Turner's boyhood days were spent on the home farm and his education was ob- tained in the public schools. When John M. was ten years of age his father entered a new farm in section 15, Wayne township, with few improvements, and here John went to work manfully to help clear and improve the same. In August, 1861, like a true patriot should, he answered his country's call and enlisted in the Eighty-fourth Indiana volunteer infantry. He fought in the army of the Cumberland and served eleven months, when, on account of disability, he was discharged and returned home. He lived with his father till he was twenty-four years of age, and then went to farming for himself. He entered a part of his present farm and cut the fields himself right out of the green, starting with twenty-two

acres, and by persevering industry has made additions till he now has a total of about 540 acres in a good state of cultivation-500 acres in Wayne township and forty acres in Greens- fork township. Mr. Turner raised and fed hogs quite extensively till 1878, and since then has been paying much attention to both hogs and cattle, and has now a much better grade of stock than in former years. The land he purchased at first was obtained at a very rea- sonable price, but that which was bought later cost about $40 per acre.

In politics Mr. Turner is a republican, proudly claiming the distinction of having cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln for his sec- ond term. He has done his full share of party work, attending both county and state conventions. He served one term as trustee of Wayne township in 1867. In 1886 he was elected county treasurer and filled the position with perfect satisfaction. He has for years been an active member of the Christian church. On June 4, 1865, he was married to Mary J., daughter of John Hartman of Wayne township. To this union were born three daughters and one son. Their names are; Effie, wife John Shockney; Minnie A., wife of John Morris; Irene, wife of Earnest Thorn- burg; Loftus Orville; a farmer, married to Mollie Smith. The children all live in Wayne township. Mr. Turner's wife died in 1878, and in 1881 he was married to Nannie, daugh- ter of Silas Hinshaw of Washington township. To this last union have been born three daughters and two sons-Mary J., Ada G., John, Goldie and Lester, all of whom are at home.

URPEN BROTHERS .- One of the oldest and most successful grocery firms in Union City is that of Turpen Brothers. Historically considered, the business was established by the father of

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Charles J. and Rolla B. Turpen, namely: Enos H. Turpen. He was the son of Henry Turpen, and was born in Warren county, Ohio, February 2, 1826. His parents came origin- ally from New York, and emigrated to Ohio, first settling in Warren county, and later in Darke county, Ohio, about 1829, on a farm four miles north of Greenville. Mr. Turpen endured privations and excessive toil during his boyhood in this pioneer settlement, which afforded but meager school advantages. His mother died when he was but twelve years old, and at the age of seventeen he went to Greenville, where he was apprenticed for three years to learn the tailor trade with Anthony Brown, on the completion of which he opened a shop of his own at Ithaca, Ohio, and con- ducted a regular business at a later period at Ansonia and New Madison, Ohio, continuing at the latter place five years. In 1853 he came to Union City, and one year later be- came manager of a dry goods store at Deer- field, Ind., for Col. Ward of Piqua, Ohio. He also managed a general store for James White at Hill Grove, Ohio, for a period. He next became a clerk for his brother, J. J. Tur- pen, in Union City, for one year. About 1855 or 1856 Mr. Turpen engaged in the grocery business in Union City for himself, and con- tinued in that business from that time until June, 1890. From 1868 to 1890, his business associate in the grocery business was Maj. Willlam Harris, his son-in-law. In addition to their extensive trade in groceries, they em- barked, in 1870, in extensively buying and shipping country produce, under the firm name of Turpen & Harris. In the division of labor, Mr. Harris devoted his attention largely to the produce, and Mr. Turpen to the grocery business. Under their combined efforts the scope of their produce business greatly en- larged from year to year until eight or ten branch establishments were founded in differ-

ent towns and cities in Ohio and Indiana. They continued in this line until 1890, when their interests were purchased by the Horne Produce company. Mr. Turpen was married at Ithaca, Ohio, in 1846, to Miss Julia A. Bite- man. To this marriage five children have been born. Anna, wife of Maj. William Har- ris; Warrington, who died in 1880 at about thirty years of age; William H., an employee of the Produce company, Union City; Charles J. and Rolla B.

Charles J. Turpen, third son of Enos H. Turpen and senior member of the firm of Turpen Bros., was born in Union City, Ind., July 8, 1860. As a preparation for a useful business career, he attended the Union City schools until the age of eighteen, and follow- ing that, completed a business course in the Miami Commercial college at Dayton, Ohio, in the winter of 1879 and 1880, and immedi- ately entered the employ of the grocery store of Turpen & Harris, where he continued five years. Subsequent to this, he was employed by the same firm as bookkeeper of their ex- tensive produce house at Union City. In 1890 he formed a partnership with his brother, R. B. Turpen, which purchased the old stand and business of Turpen & Harris, which had been founded by his father over thirty-five years ago, and which, under his management, still retains the large business it has always enjoyed. Mr. Turpen was married, in 1881, to Miss Lou Woods, of Union City. To this union there is a daughter, Nina. Mr. Turpen is not only active in business affairs, but is a member of the Knights of Pythias, Invincible lodge, No. 84, of Union City, in which he is a past chancellor commander. He is also a member of the uniform rank.

R. B. Turpen, the youngest son of Enos H. Turpen, and junior member of the firm of Turpen Bros., was born in Union City, Ind., November 27, 1863. He graduated from the

E. L. WELBOURN, M. D.

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Union City schools in 1883, and also graduated from the Eastman Business college, Pough- keepsie, N. Y., in 1884, having been employed during vacations in the grocery house of Turpen & Harris, and after graduation regu- larly from 1883 to 1890, when, with his brother Charles, he formed the present part- nership, and purchased the stock and business of his old employers, and by careful attention and good adaptation to business has contributed his full share to merit the large trade and en- viable reputation which his house now enjoys. He is a member of Invincible lodge, No. 84, K. of P., of Union City.

a DWARD L. WELBOURN, M. D., of Union City, Randolph county, Ind., was born in Marion county, Ohio, January 11, 1843, a son of George and Jane (Lawrence) Welbourn. He was reared on the home farm until seventeen years old, attending the country schools in the meantime. July 4, 1863, he enlisted in the state troops for a term of five years. In 1864, with the consent of his colonel, he entered the Eclectic college of Pennsylvania, at Phila- delphia, from which he graduated in January, 1866. In February of the same year he located in Union City, Ind. In 1868 he married Mar- tha Lavina Jones, of Harrison township, Darke county, Ohio, to which union were born two sons, viz: Ulysses Edward Alaska and Oclasco Carlos. In 1870 the doctor purchased a farm in Darke county, Ohio, on which he resided for a time, in the meanwhile making trips to the west-Old Mexico, California, Canada, and elsewhere-on business and pleasure. During these travels the doctor contributed a series of descriptive papers to his home journal, which were read with pro- found interest. In 1870, also, the doctor en-

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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 151

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