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 36

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 36
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 36

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 grocery trade, but after a few months severed his connection with merchandising and opened a real estate office and has since been extensively engaged in real estate trans- actions in Delaware and other counties. The following are the names of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Messersmith: Della, wife of R. L. Gwynn; Gustave and a deceased infant. Mr. Messersmith is a democrat in politics and a member of the I. O O. F. While not a member of any church he is a believer in the truths of the Bible and contributes liberally to all religious and charitable purposes. His wife is a member of the Presbyterian denomination - a lady highly respected by all who know her.

At the breaking out of the war Mr. Messer- smith enlisted, at the age of twenty, in company E, One Hundred and Sixteenth Indiana volun- teer infantry, which was mustered in at Con- nersville for the three months' service. His military record began at the first call of the president for volunteers, three days after the firing on Fort Sumter. While he was absent at home on a furlough his regiment left for the front. In company with five others he solic- ited aid from the citizens of Richmond to enable him to rejoin it. He rode in a cattle car to Baltimore, Md., but on reaching that city learned, to his great surprise and vexation, that the regiment had left sometime previous. Accordingly, he remained with the Twenty-first regiment for two weeks, in the meantime doing his utmost to ascertain the whereabouts of his command. Through the kind offices of Gen. Hicks he secured transportation to Point of Rocks, Md., but the only information he received there wasthat the regiment had passed through the place about two weeks before. He at once formed the resolution of following on foot, and after a number of days' rambling from place to place, at length succeeded in over- taking his comrades one nightfall in camp near what was then known as Sugar Loaf Mountain.

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Mr. Messersmith was in the army for a period of thirteen months and received an honorable discharge from the service at Washington, D. C.

J AMES MILLER, a brief review of whose life is herewith presented, was born October 27, 1836, in Dayton, Montgomery county, Ohio. James Miller, the father, a farmer by occupation, was a native of Adams county, Ohio, and later became a resident of Dayton, to which city he removed about the year 1830. He married, in his native state, Martha J. Lynn, who bore him eleven children, six of whom are living at this time, James being the sixth "member of the family. James Miller, Sr., died in 1876, while on a tour through the west in search of a location; Mrs. Miller is still living at her home in Dayton, Ohio.

James Miller was reared on a farm near Dayton, and received his education in the schools of that city. When the war cloud appeared in 1861, he enlisted in the fall of that year in the Seventy-fourth Ohio volun- teer infantry, was mustered into the service at Xenia, Ohio, after which the' regiment went into camp at Columbus. From Camp Chase the command went to Nashville, Tenn., and joined the army of the Cumberland under Gen. Rosecrans, and its first active participa- tion in the war was at Bowling Green, Ky. Mr. Miller took part at Stone River, Chicka- mauga, Mission Ridge, Buzzard's Roost, Resaca, Big Shanty, Kenesaw Mountain, Manetta, Chattahoochee, Atlanta, Jonesboro, Savannah and Bentonville, and was with Sherman in the celebrated march from Atlanta to the sea. He was fortunate in escaping with but a single wound, received at Stone River, and he points with pride to the fact that during the long period of service

he never missed a muster, or a battle in which his regiment was engaged. Mr. Miller received his discharge at Golds- boro, N. C., and immediately returned to Ohio and resumed the pursuit of agriculture in Montgomery county. After three years thus spent he located on a farm in Madison county, Ind., not far from Anderson, where a little later he was united in marriage to Miss Nancy Jane Myer. After farming there seven years he removed to the city of Muncie, where for a period of five years he followed the tim- ber business, buying extensively throughout Delaware, Madison and other counties of cen- tral and eastern Indiana. In the spring of 1883 Mr. Miller was appointed a patrolman of Muncie, served with great credit for eight years, and was then elected city marshal. His popularity with the people, irrespective of political affiliation, is sufficiently attested by the fact of his having been elected to the office of marshal as a democrat, overcoming a republican majority of 700, and receiving 622 more votes than his competitor. Mr. Miller proved himself a very capable and efficient guardian of the peace, was popular with all, courteous in the discharge of his official func- tions, and it is a compliment well deserved to accord him a prominent place among the most capable and painstaking officials of Mun- cie, having been appointed superintendent of police March 17, 1893, and holding that posi- tion at present. Mr. Miller belongs to the G. A. R. and I. O. R. M., in both of which fraternities he is an active worker. The fol- lowing are the names of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Miller: Margaret Jane, Charles Andrew, James Franklin, John Andrew, Mary Frances, William Wilbert, Earl Clarence and Harry Miller. It will be seen from the above that James Miller was not only a brave soldier in conquering a peace, but has been equally brave in preserving it.

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0 ARIUS CLINTON MITCHELL oc- cupies a very important position among the well known and promi- nent business men of Muncie, Ind. He was born in Clarke county, Ohio, April 3, 1851, son of Joseph R. and Sarah (Saylor) Mitchell, natives of that county, who in 1865 came to Muncie, where the father was engaged in contracting and building for about twelve years, but is now living retired. The mother passed from earth in 1880. Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell reared four sons, as follows: William H., superintendent of the Indiana Bridge company, of Muncie; Alpheus, of Detroit, Mich .; Joseph, a resident of Indianapolis, and Darius C. Darius C. Mitchell was educated in the public schools of Muncie, served an apprenticeship to the trade of carpenter in Indianapolis, and as early as 1872 began con- tracting in Muncie, which has resulted in the following record of fine buildings erected by him: The New Southern hotel, at a cost of $17,000; Central block, at a cost of $16,000; Fred Klopfer's building, $9,800; George Bow- er's block, $7,000; Eagle block, $9,000; Branch Brothers' block, $8, 000; Leager Block, $5,000; Boyce block (rebuilt), $9,000; Or- phans' Home, $8,500; Architectural Iron works, $7,500; Shoe factory, $7,000; Muncie Glass factory, $4, 500; Muncie Casket factory, $10,000; Ball Bros. Glass works, $5,000; Muncie Rubber works, $3,000; David Cam- mack, residence, $5,000; twenty-five houses in Boyceton, $15,000; twenty houses in Avon- dale, $16,000; fifty houses, Homestead com- pany, $28,000; the Common Sense Engine works; J. H. Smith's residence; William E. Hitchcock's residence; the 'R. E. Hill Knit- ting works, and the Nelson Glass works.

Mr. Mitchell has always taken a prominent part in everything that has seemed to offer benefit to the city, and was one of the largest contributors to the Citizens' Enterprise com-

pany, and was a stockholder in the first gas well company. In politics Mr. Mitchell is a firm republican, and stanchly upholds the prin- ciples of his party upon every occasion. In a social way, he is a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, having gone from the Blue lodge on to the Mystic Shrine, and takes a deep interest in the workings of the different lodges. Mr. Mitchell was married, in 1872, to Miss Elmira Newcomb, a daughter of Lyman B. Newcomb, of Yorktown, Ind .. and he is the father of four children, as follows: Lillian; Gertrude, Fern and Horace Irvin. He and family are members of the High street Metho- dist Episcopal church, in which he holds the office of steward. He is a free supporter of all churches and benevolent organizations, and is considered one of the most enterprising and valuable of the business men of the city of Muncie.

The high standing in the social circles of Muncie occupied by Mr. Mitchell and his family has been worthily won by that gentleman, and the citizens may well congratulate themselves on the fact that he so early took up his resi- dence among them, for his presence here has certainly done much toward lifting the city to its present high position as the chief among the manufacturing points of the natural gas belt.

ARVEY MITCHELL, M. D., was born in Greene county, Pa., July 21, 1825, and is the son of Thomas and Sarah Mitchell, both parents natives of the same county and state. Thomas Mitchell was born March, 1801, married in 1822 Sarah Shideler, whose birth occurred in the year 1802, and in 1830 emigrated to Ohio, locating in Miami county, where he engaged in the pursuit of agriculture. He died in Ohio, September, 1861, after which event his widow went to

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California, where she departed this life at the home of her only daughter, Mrs. Carl, in the year 1866. Thomas and Sarah Mitchell were people of sterling worth and for many years leading members of the Christian church. They reared the following children: John A., a successful farmer of Troy, Ohio; Dr. Harvey. the subject of this mention; Isaac, a well known physician of Greenville, Ohio; Margaret, wife of Wesley Carl, a miner of California; Shadrach, farmer, residing in Dane county, Wis., and David, a railroad engineer, whose home is in California.

The early years of Dr. Mitchell were spent on the home farm, and his educational train- ing embraced the studies usually taught in the common schools of that period. At the age of seventeen he yielded to an inclination of sev- eral years' standing and began the study of medicine, subsequently taking a full course in the Medical college at Columbus, Ohio, from which he was graduated in 1850. Thoroughly prepared for the active duties of his chosen calling, the doctor began the practice of the same at the town of Granville, Delaware county, Ind., in 1850, and continued there with most flattering success for a period of fourteen years," removing to Muncie in 1864. From that date until 1890 he continued in the active practice, but in the latter year, on account of failing health, was compelled to take a long needed rest, since which time he has gradually retired from the profession. In 1893 he met with a painful accident, resulting in the fracture of the bone in one of his lower limbs, the effect of which has made him an invalid, though he still retains, unimpaired, all of his strong mental faculties. Dr. Mitchell. has met with encour- aging success in his profession, and financially his expectations have been more than realized, being at this time one of the wealthy men of Muncie. He is largely interested in real estate, owning valuable property in the country and

city, among his improvements in the latter being the well known Mitchell block. Orig- inally he was a supporter of the democratic party, but of late years has gradually drifted from the principles of that political faith, and is now a republican. In his religious views he adheres to the Christian church, of which he has been a consistent member for a number of years.

Dr. Mitchell was married in Granville, Delaware county, Ind., October 9, 1853, to Miss Catherine Ash, who was born in Green county, Ohio, May 30, 1837, daughter of William Ash. Two children resulted from this union: Sarah Florence, deceased, and Har- riet B., wife of C. H. Anthony.

J AMES F. MOCK, senior member of the firm of Mock Bros., manufacturers of brick and brick machinery, Muncie, Ind., was born in Clarke county, Ohio, October 4, 1843, the son of Peter and Sarah (Ayers) Mock. These parents were married in the above county and state and resided upon a farm there until 1845, at which date they re- moved to Delaware county, Ind., and pur- chased 120 acres of land in Centre township, now Boyceton. They resided upon this place until 1851, when they moved to what is now known as Mock avenue, Muncie, thence, in 1864, to the corner of Macedonia and Kirby avenues, where the widow now resides, Mr. Mock having died November 11, 1885. Mr. and Mrs. Mock were the parents of six chil- dren, namely: Mary, wife of J. Russell; James F., John D., Martin G., Riley (deceased) and Andrew. James F. Mock, was reared to agri- cultural pursuits, received his education in the common schools, and on attaining his legal majority entered into partnership with his father and brother in the manufacture of brick

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and drain tile, with which business he was con- nected for a period of twelve years. Disposing of his interest in the above business, he went to Indianapolis and there engaged with Cooper, Lamb & Co. in the manufacture of brick, and after one year thus spent he was for the same length of time engaged in the manufacture of carriages. He then returned to Muncie and continued in the same line for a period of two years, meeting with success in the meantime. His next venture was as a manufacturer of farm implements, which he carried on with a fair degree of success unti 1881, at which time, in partnership with his brother, John D. Mock, he engaged in the manufacture of brick and brick machinery, a business which is still conducted by the same firm, and which has be- come one of the well known industries of Mun- cie. The Messrs. Mock employ forty men continually, and the output of their mill is es- timated at over six million brick per year, nearly all of which find ready sale in the local market. Mr. Mock was married November 6, 1876, to Elizabeth C. Vannort, who was born in Brookville, Ohio, on the 16th day of Janu- ary, 1860, the daughter of Thomas and Mary (Williams) Vannort. To Mr. and Mrs. Mock have been born the following children: Annie, Arthur and Leo C. Politically Mr. Mock is a democrat, and as a business man his reputation is not confined altogether to Muncie and Dela- ware county, but extends throughout the vari- ous parts of the United States.

3 OHN D. MOCK, brother of the pre- ceding, was born in Delaware county February 28, 1846. He grew to man- hood in his native county and early . effected a business partnership with his father and brother, and for many years has been a prominent manufacturer of Muncie. Mr.

Mock was married May 2, 1870, to Mary Jackson, daughter of William and Sarah (Col- lins) Jackson, of Delaware county. Mrs. Mock was born March 23, 1852, in the county of Delaware, and is the mother of seven chil- dren, whose names are as follows: James Frank, now bookkeeper for the firm; Wini- fred, deceased; Harvey; Jesse, deceased; Mil- dred, and two infants who died unnamed. Mr. and Mrs. Mock are members of the Bap- tist church of Muncie, and are most estimable and highly esteemed people. Mr. Mock has shown commendable energy in connection with the manufacturing establishment with which he is identified and is recognized in business circles as a man of honesty and integrity of purpose. He is a democrat in politics and a member of the Pythian fraternity. He is a member of the Order of Maccabees, and for fifteen years has been a deacon of the Baptist church of Muncie, also holding the position of trustee in the same at this time. John D. and James F. Mock recently purchased a valuable tract of land, consisting of sixty acres, known as the Cooper farm, north of the city, where they now operate an extensive brick factory, the capacity of which is over 40,000 per day, being one of the largest establishments of the kind in Delaware county.

ARTIN G. MOCK, a representative business man of Muncie, and the largest collector of ancient relics, curios, etc., in the west, is a native of Delaware county, Ind., a son of Peter and Sarah Mock, mention of whom appears in connection with a preceding sketch. Martin G. Mock was born in Centre township on the Ist day of May, 1848, and after obtaining an education, embracing the curriculum of the common schools, engaged with his father in

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the manufacture of brick, which business he continued until 1874. From the latter year until 1878, he followed carriage making with financial profit in the city of Muncie, and then

MARTIN G. MOCK.

began dealing in hardware and furniture, with which lines of trade he was prominently identi- fied for a period of nine years. At the end of that time he discontinued the hardware business and has since given his attention almost exclusively to furniture and stoves of all kinds, being at this time the proprietor of one of the largest and best stocked houses of the kind in the city-known as the "World's Fair." His store rooms, situated on the cor- ner of Walnut and Wall streets, are stocked with a full line of all articles of furniture, ranges, stoves, etc., demanded by the general trade, and his business has been conducted with a wisely directed energy that has borne results of a most satisfactory financial char- acter.

For a number of years Mr. Mock has de- voted much time and attention to the collect- ing of ancient relics and curiosities of histori-

cal, archæological, geological, marine and general scientific value, and his large collec- tion, which is always open to the inspection of the public, represents an expenditure of

MRS. MARTHA D. MOCK.

several thousand dollars in money, and exten- sive travel throughout nearly every state of the Union. The collection is the largest owned by any individual in the state, if not in the United States, and compares favorably with the public collection of the different his- torical societies throughout the country. It is a museum within itself, and to enumerate the many curious and interesting objects with which his cabinets are stored would far tran- scend the limits of a sketch of this character. As already stated, the collection is the result of much travel, wide correspondence and pains- taking research, which certainly would have discouraged any one but a man actuated by the most intense enthusiasm in this valuable and fascinating pursuit. His collection of historical relics includes many articles not ob- tainable in any part of the country, embracing ancient arms of warfare, old muskets, which

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did valiant service in the hands of our fore- fathers in the struggle to throw off the British yoke; swords wielded by the sturdy hands of the colonists in their contests with the savages in ante-revolutionary times; curiously wrought fire arms from nearly all nations of the world, rude knives, clubs, spears, slings and other weapons, representing many of the savage tribes in different parts of the earth; imple- ments of domestic use and instruments of tor- tue, grewsome relics of savage butchery in the early history of the country, musical instru- ments used by the ancients, interesting mementoes from the leading battle fields of the United States and other countries, and from scenes of great national disasters, personal belongings of many of the leading men of this and other times, autograph letters of eminent soldiers, statesmen and other men of renown, books, whose value cannot be estimated, printed long before the existence of the American con- tinent was known to the civilized world, ancient coins, bearing the stamp of rulers who swayed the destinies of the Roman empire before the dawn of the Christian era, old land grants bearing the signatures of the early presidents of the United States, writs of attachment issued by the courts of the colonies, numerous missiles picked up on many southern battle fields, remnants of flags which annimated brave soldiers in many bloody struggles of the late war, and hundreds of other curious and interesting articles, the mere mention of which would be an exceedingly difficult undertaking.

Among the many articles in the historical collection deserving of specific mention the following may be noted: a flintlock pistol made in 1712 and carried by one of Gen. Braddock's men in the disastrous expedition against Fort Duquesne, a sword carried by Capt. Riggins in the Revolutionary war, gun barrel and six pound shot found at Fort Recov- ery, Ohio, 1791, German gun elegantly inlaid

with silver bearing the date of 1791, pair of pistols made in London in 1746, a pair of candelabrums that belonged to John Quincy Adams-while he was president of the United States, also snuffer and trays, and the hammer that made Washington's shoes while general of the army.

The archæological department is especially rare, and contains many valuable articles such as are found in no other private collection in the country, and the counterparts of which are to be seen in but few state historical col- lections. The collection of relics from mounds in different parts of the United States is es- pecially valuable, and the well preserved specimens of pottery, axes, knives, spear and arrow heads, and various stone implements of domestic use, speak eloquently of a strange and numerous people whose civilization ante- dated that of ancient Egypt, but whose his- tory is forever wrapped up in the silent mystery of the past. Stone tomahawks, flint knives, darts, pipes, scrapers, hoes, war clubs and other arms and numerous specimens of skillful as well as rude ornaments, are among the hundreds of relics of the aboriginal period, while implements and arms of a more recent type, namely, iron and brass hatchets, bows and arrows, knives, guns, etc., etc., represent the more modern status of the Indian tribes of the United States. A lover of books could desire no greater pleasure than to linger awhile among the ancient and rare volumes in Mr. Mock's collection, some of which represent the earliest stages of the art preservative, and speak of an age when only the wealthy could afford to gratify the taste for literature. In this department may be noted a Latin book 250 years old, Luther's translation of the Bible 346 years old, a complete set of Peter Pindar's works, very rare; school books of all kinds, readers and spellers used in our country in pioneer times, papers printed during the

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Revolutionary period, complete files of the Illustrated Press printed during the late war, and other publications, manuscripts, etc., too numerous to mention.

In addition to the numerous articles, of which but a mere mention has been made, Mr. Mock has a large and valuable collection of geological specimens, many varieties of marine plants and animals of great scientific value, many of which were gathered by himself in his travels and search after treasures. His large collection of ancient clocks, watches and sun dials is very valuable, and other specimens of skilled workmanship from many countries cannot be duplicated in any other collection in the west. All in all, the collection is a very creditable one and its value cannot be estimated in dollars and cents. Mr. Mock certainly deserves great credit for getting together so many rare and interesting articles, and the col- lection represents the labors of no ordinary mind in this field of research.

Mr. Mock was married October 19, 1871, to Miss Martha D. Langdon, a native of Law- rence county, Ohio, born September 5, 1855, daughter of Elijah J. and Lucinda (Yingling) Langdon. The wedded life of Mr. and Mrs. Mock has been crowned with the birth of four children: Pearl (dead), Robert (living), and Minnie, and an infant that died unnamed. Mr. Mock wields an influence for the democratic party, but has never been an aspirant for politi- cal recognition or a seeker after the emolu- ments of office. Religiously he is a Baptist, to which church his wife and son also belong, both being valuable members of the Muncie congregation. He is an active worker in sev- eral fraternal orders, in which he has held important official positions: He is P. G. S., Improved O. R. M .; P. C., K. of P .; member of the I. O. O .; F. P. M. W., A. O. U. W .; S. V. K., K. of P .; second vice-chieftain Na- tional Chieftains' League, I. O. R. M. Per-

sonally Mr. Mock enjoys popularity with all classes, and his life has been characterized by a uniform kindness and courtesy that are com- mendable in every respect. His many sterling qualities of mind and heart have won for him the confidence and esteem of all, and it is with pleasure that his biographical sketch is here- with presented with those of other representa- tive citizens of Delaware county.

R. ANDREW R. MOCK, son of Peter and Sarah M. (Ayers) Mock, was born near Muncie, March 13, 1859, and received his early education in the common schools of the city. In his youth and early manhood he was employed in farm- ing and brickmaking, and in his maturer years became a street contractor. But medicine early attracted his attention, and for some time he was a student in the office of Dr. D. Schaub, of Muncie. In 1882 he graduated from the vitapathic school of the American Health co lege, and for three years was engaged in active practice, and still occasionally con- sents to give professional advice in urgent cases. The system includes the clairvoyant diagnosis of diseases and the magnetic and massage treatment. In 1888 he entered largely upon taking street contracts, and im- proved several of the principal avenues of the city, graveling Ohmer avenue three miles, Macedonia avenue one-half mile, and finishing Heekin avenue over a half mile, and also graveling other streets and sidewalks, employ- ing in active times twelve to fifteen men, five teams of his own, and hiring others.

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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 36

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