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 69

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 69
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 69

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).

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· MOUNT PLEASANT TOWNSHIP.

less laborious way to gain a livelihood than at the forge, he decided to prepare himself for the medical profession. His inclination had al- ways been toward medicine, and about 1872 he began the study of the same under the in- struction of Dr. Van Camp, a well known prac- titioner of Danville, Ill. He continued with this excellent tutor for three years, taking two courses of lectures in Indianapolis in the meantime, and then located at Ogden, Cham- paign county, Ill., where, for four years, he was a very successful practitioner. Returning to Delaware county, he located at Reed's Station, and in 1886 came to Yorktown, where he has built up a fine practice, and is universally re- cognized as one of the most skillful of the phy- sicians and surgeons of the county. Dr. Down- ing was married January 6, 1882, to Miss Lizzie C. West, a daughter of William West, of Delaware county. Dr. Downing affiliates with the republican party and is socially con- nected with the I. O. O. F. Both he and wife are members of the Methodist church and are among the most prominent people of York- town.

S. DRAGOO .- When the subject of the present sketch came to Delaware county, at the age of sixteen years, farming was still almost a life of drudgery, but now the farmer has so many aids to assist him in his work, in the shape of improved machinery, that the life of the agri- culturist is one of enjoyment and independ- ence. This is a fortunate state of affairs for Mr. Dragoo, for, with his great farms it would be drudgery indeed to carry on his great agri- cultural labors in the old way. Mr. Dragoo was born in Clinton county, Ohio, and is a son of Ephraim, who was a native of Kentucky. The father removed to Brown county, Ohio, where he lived for some years, and then came

to Delaware county, Ind., and bought a farm of 400 acres in Mount Pleasant township, where he lived until the time of his death. His wife's father was a soldier in the war of 1812, and came with his son to this county, dying in Yorktown. The mother passed her last days in Ohio.

B. S. Dragoo remained with his parents until he had reached maturity and was sixteen years of age when his parents came to this county, where he is now one of its most re- spected residents. He was married March I, 1854, to Miss Minerva Cox, a native of Clin- ton county, Ohio, her parents being old pioneers. She died June 7, 1857, leaving two children, both of whom are deceased. He married again, March 13, 1860, Miss Sophia Mckinley, a daughter of Samuel and Sarah McKinley, the father a native of Virginia and the mother of New Jersey. Mr. Mckinley came to this county in 1834 and located near Muncie, where he engaged in farming, and remained there until his death, which occurred in 1842, his wife surviving him until 1856. By this marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Dragoo be- came the parents of two children, Samuel, who married Miss Rebecca Williams, and now engages in farming and school teaching, and Catherine, deceased. The farm of Mr. Dragoo consists of 359 acres of land, which is well im- proved.

AVID WHITMER FLOWERS, late a prominent merchant of Mount Pleas- ant township, was born in Darke county, Ohio, June 9, 1846, son of Amos and Phebe (Longstreet) Flowers. Mr. Flowers' paternal ancestors were of English descent, and in early day settled in eastern Pennsylvania, in Bucks county, of which part of the state his grandparents, William and Mary Flowers, were pioneers, locating there

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before the dawn of the present century. Amos Flowers was born in Bucks county, December 5, 1811, and there married his wife, who was born in the same county and state in the year 1821. She was the daughter of Miller Long- street, who was also one of the early settlers of eastern Pennsylvania, where he located in the time of the colonies. Amos and Phebe Flowers had a family of eleven children, of whom the following grew to maturity: Virena, wife of L. W. Colvin; Ella, wife of L. S. Allen; David W., the subject of this sketch, and George M., a resident of Delaware county, Ind. The parents moved to Darke county, Ohio, in 1840, where they resided on a farm until 1852. Amos Flowers died in 1861. He was for many years a local minister of the Methodist church, in which he was highly es- teemed; belonged to the Masonic fraternity, and was a firm supporter of the principles of the republican party. He passed away in the hope of a life beyond, and left as a legacy to his children an unblemished reputation and a record of a life well spent in the service of his Master and in behalf of his fellow men. His wife, a woman of most excellent character, and a consistent member of the Methodist church, in the communion of which the greater part of her life was passed, was summoned to her final rest in 1874.

David Whitmer Flowers enjoyed the ad- vantages of a liberal education, attending, first, the common schools and later the Nation- al normal at Lebanon, Ohio, where he pur- sued his studies for a period of one year. In 1866 he went to Mason county, Ill., where he was engaged in teaching for some time, and afterwards accepted a clerkship in a general store, in which capacity he continued two years. In 1869, April 25, he was united in marriage to Miss Cassie Kelley, of Miami county, Ohio, who bore him two children: Harry W. and Ellis C. Mrs. Flowers died

July 3, 1873, in Mason county, Ill., and in September, 1875, Mr. Flowers married Mattie Curtis, in Butler county, Ohio, where she was born in 1853. To this marriage four children were born, namely: Edna M., Laura B., Charles and Oscar.' While in Illinois Mr. Flowers, for some time, held the office of town clerk. He removed to Vermillion coun- ty, that state, in 1882, and engaged in farm- ing for two years, and, later, began merchandising, which he carried on for one year, removing at the end of that time to Yorktown, Delaware county, Ind., where, after 1885, he successfully conducted a gener- al goods establishment. Mr. Flowers, by diligently pursuing a straightforward and honorable course, succeeded in building up a very profitable business, and at the same time was an honor to the occupation in which he was engaged. He carried a large stock of miscellaneous merchandise, and by consulting the wishes of his many customers, kept fully abreast of the times, and occupied a front rank among the successful commercial men of Del- aware county. He was a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity, and prominently identified with the order of Red Men. August 25, 1893, David Whitmer Flowers passed from earth, a sincere member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Yorktown.

ISS JULIA GILBERT .- Perhaps no profession or occupation has conduced more largely to the gen- eral well being of mankind than that of teaching, in the ranks of which noble profession are to be found many of the real benefactors of the race, both man and woman, whose earnest work and self denying efforts may not be fully appreciated until the time when all things are estimated at their true

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value. To this self denying class belongs Miss Julia Gilbert, the greater part of whose life has been spent in the discharge of the active and onerous duties of the school room. Miss Julia Gilbert is a native of New York, having been born near the city of Rochester, on the 13th day of February, 1833. While a mere child she formed a determination to de- vote her life to teaching, and with this object in view, bent all her energies to its accom- plishment. She engaged in this profession in her native state when quite young, and was there employed continuously until her removal to Indiana in 1860, making a record, in the meantime, as an instructor, which enabled her to secure a position in the schools of Muncie shortly after moving to this state. After resid- ing in Muncie for a limited period, she accom- panied her parents to Mount Pleasant, and for sometime thereafter taught in the common schools, and later accepted a position at York- town, where she taught for several years. Sub- sequently she was again employed in the Mun- cie schools; later for a period of five years was first assistant in the high school at Amboy, Lee county, Ill., and afterward held a position of principal of the grammar department at that place for four years. Severing her connection with the schools of Amboy, she returned to Muncie, and for two years thereafter was em- ployed in the intermediate grades of the city schools, and later held a similar position in the school at Yorktown for the same length of time. For several years she has not been actively engaged in her profession, and now gives her entire attention to the management of her farm in Mount Pleasant township, own- ing a beautiful place of eighty acres near York- town. Miss Gilbert has performed well her part in life, and is held in grateful remem- brance by many hundreds who have at differ- ent times listened to, and profited by, her valuable instruction.

HOMAS H. GILBERT, one of the enterprising farmers of Mount Pleas- ant township, and one of the brave soldiers in the late war, was born in Erie county, N. Y., August 19, 1834, a son of John and Mahala (Potter) Gilbert, both par- ents natives of Washington county, N. Y. The father was, by occupation, a cooper. He located in Muncie at an early day, and for forty years worked at his trade and also man- aged a farm, at the time of his death owning 340 acres of land. He was a prominent man in the county in those days, being judge of the county court for several years, and serving as justice of the peace for six years. His first wife died in 1857, and later he married Phebe Potter, the widow of Horace Potter. In early life he was a whig, but upon the formation of the republican party, became a member of it, and so continued until his death.

Thomas Gilbert remained at his child- hood's home until the time of his father's death, and then enlisted, July, 1861, for a period of three years or during the war. He served three years in the Nineteenth Indiana regiment and one year in the Thirteenth Indi- ana infantry, and saw much hard service, taking part in the battles at Bull Run, South Mountain, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wil- derness, Laurel Hill, Petersburg, Cold Harbor, North Anna, Five Forks and Appomattox. He passed through the war uninjured, and on leaving the army was engaged, for some time, building bridges in Bartholomew county. Ind., and later bought his present farm in Mount Pleasant township, Delaware county.

Mr. Gilbert was married March 1I, 1868, to Miss Hannah E. Reynolds, daughter of Berry and Lucinda Reynolds, natives of Ken- tucky. Mr. Reynolds was a farmer by occu- pation and a democrat in politics, and both he and wife were members of the Christian church. The following children have been

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born to Mr. Gilbert and wife: Catherine, wife of Thomas Collier; Mary, wife of George Hensley; Bessie, Harry, Archie, Webber William, Loesse, Emma and Charlotte. Mrs. Gilbert is a member of the Methodist church, in which she is highly esteemed. The farm which Mr. Gilbert owns is a fine place of sixty-five acres, is well cultivated and makes a pleasant home. The army record of Mr. Gil- bert entitles him to the repect of all good citizens who remember the troubled times of the late war. True Americans can never forget the heroes of the sixties nor should they ever fail to do them honor.

J OHN GRIESHEIMER, an aged and well known citizen of Mount Pleasant town- ship, is a native of Germany, born in the province of Hesse Darmstadt Janu- ary 1, 1807. His father, Peter Griesheimer, and his mother, whose maiden name was Mary Neutzenhultzer, were both natives of the same province, and there reared their family, dying in their native land. Peter and Mary Griesh- eimer were the parents of three children, all deceased except John Griesheimer, who grew to manhood in his native country and lived there until 1848, at which time he came to the United States, landing at New York after a long and tiresome voyage of forty-two days' duration on the sailing ship St. Anna. On ar- riving in this country he immediately proceeded to Chillicothe, Ohio, and after remaining there a few months went further west, eventually reaching the town of Connersville, Ind., near which place he resided until his removal to Delaware county in 1850. In the latter year he purchased the land from which his present farm has been developed in Mount Pleasant township, and has since been one of the most industrious and respected citizens of the com-

munity, in the substantial growth of which he has taken such an active part. On coming to this county, Mr. Griesheimer found his pur- chase in a very primitive condition, the coun- try being covered with a dense forest growth and game of all kind being very plentiful. He has labored hard to accumulate a competency, which he is now enjoying in his declining years, having retired from active life. Mr. Griesh- eimer was married in his native country to Elizabeth Knecht, also born in the province of Hesse Darmstadt, June 12, 1807, and to their union have been born the following children, namely: Catherine, wife of John Wiggerly; John, deceased; Elizabeth, deceased; Mary, wife of Jacob Hofherr; Wilhelmena, widow of John Raible; Christina, deceased; Margaret, wife of John Bishop; Eva, wife of Marion E. Jones; Sarah, wife of John Zeigler.

Mr. and Mrs. Griesheimer are members of the Reformed Lutheran church, and are known far and wide as devont christian people. Their greatest pleasure now is taken in the Scriptures, and they can daily be seen read- ing the old Bible which has been in their family for five generations. This worthy old couple celebrated the anniversary of their golden wedding in 1880, which occasion was one of great joy to them, there being present over 100 invited guests. ' Mrs. Griesheimer is a remarkably well preserved woman for her years, and is still able to attend to a large share of the household duties, reads without the aid of glasses and is noted for her wonder- ful memory.

The long years which these worthy people have passed in each other's society have only served to cement closer the bonds with which they are united, and as hand in hand they go onward toward the twilight and the journey's end they present a pleasing picture, which all their friends unite in wishing may never fade.

Thirty-seven years ago, Mrs. Raible was

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united in marriage to John Raible, who died in 1871. He was a tailor by occupation. Mrs. Raible lived in Indianapolis from 1861 to 1889, since which time she has been living at the old homestead, taking care of her aged parents. Mrs. Raible has two children: Frank and Lizzie Goodall.

LBERT GWINN, a prominent busi- ness man of Mount Pleasant township, Delaware county, Ind., is one who has made his own way in the world in the face of adverse circumstances. Albert Gwinn was born in Hancock county, Ind., September 27, 1855, a son of Samuel and Jane E. (Conger) Gwinn, of Scotch and German extraction. They were married in Ohio and reared a family of four children, as follows: Royal, Albert, Fannie and Charles. The father died a bout 1860, but he mother is still living and finds a pleasant home with her daughter in Hancock county. Mr. Gwinn was a whig in his political views; and followed the trade of saddler as an occupation.

The subject of this biography was but eight years of age when he was left to care for himself. He had no education worthy of mention, and until he was twenty-five years of age could scarcely read or write. However, he took advantage of later opportunities for improving himself, and is now a well informed man, apparently as well able to successfully conduct his business affairs as if he had had much better opportunities than fell to his lot. He early became a general laborer, and in searching for honest work traveled through almost every state in the Union, finally locating at Acton, Ind., where he learned the barber trade under Thomas Gardener, and there he worked for one year, but in 1877 came to Yorktown, where he has since remained and has carried

on a very successful trade. He now has a very comfortable home and a fine business in this growing village. He married, in Hancock county, Ind., October 27, 1878, Miss Frances Hiday, who was born in Hancock county, Ind, in 1861, to which union one son has been born, Charley, July 27, 1880. Mr. Gwinn is an example of what honest effort combined with perseverance and economy will produce. He is now respected and looked upon as one of the good citizens of the place, even if his beginning was humble and dis- couraging. All the more credit is due him for his own brave efforts, and his example may well be imitated by those whose youthful environments are not of an encouraging nature.

J OHN W. HARMAN .- Prominent among the widely known and popular citizens of Mount Pleasant township, Delaware county, Ind., is the gentleman whose name introduces this biographical sketch. Mr. Harman is a native of Maryland, where his birth occurred September 1, 1829, being the son of John and Elizabeth Harman, natives of the same state, the father of Ger- man descent, born in 1805, and the mother of French-English descent, born January 1, 1797. To the marriage of John and Elizabeth Har- man two children were born: Elizabeth Ann, whose birth occurred on the 20th day of June, 1827, and John W. The father of John W. dying, the mother, after seven years of widow- hood, married David Orsborn, a native of Madison county, Ohio.

After the death of her first husband the subject's mother was left with but limited means, in consequence of which, although she did all that lay within her power for her chil- dren, John received but meager advantages of obtaining an education. In the year 1833, in

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company with his mother and her father, he went to Madison county, Ohio, where he lived five years, thence moving near Indianap- olis, Ind., which was his stopping place for a limited period; when they moved to the coun- ty of Tipton, where he resided for about one year. The family next moved to a point known as "Broad Riffle," about three miles from the city of Indianapolis, where they lived until 1842, when they again returned to their former home in Tipton county, Ind. After two years they again changed their home, locating in the township of Salem, Del- aware county, Ind., thence in March, 1847, moved to the county of Madison, but finally returned to Salem township in March of the ensuing year.

John W. Harman began work for himself by hiring out to one Francis P. James, for nine dol- lars a month, being employed during the summer on a farm, and in the following fall he labored in a brick yard. During the winter that suc- ceeded, he did "chores" for his step-father and went to school, worked a month in the spring for Jason Hudson for ten dollars, and during a part of the same season was employed by Francis Pugsley, who paid him for his serv- ices, thirteen dollars a month, the latter price being considered very high for common labor in those days. Later, he worked for various other parties, doing any labor that would bring him an honest dollar, and in the winter of 1849, attended school. paying for his board, by doing "chores" and other odd jobs.

His accumulations, up to the time noted, amounted to fifty dollars, and in the spring, he engaged to work on a farm for Peter Smeltser for eight months for the stipulated sum of ninety-two dollars. He cut wood at Conners- ville during a part of 1850, and in 1851 got out on a contract, in sixteen days, 500 railroad ties, for which he received forty dollars, and during the following winter, his time was occu-

pied in cutting cord wood. Mr. Harman pur- chased his first piece of land in the year 1850, in Bartholomew county, paying therefor the sum of $350, but did not move to it. During the harvest seasons of 1851 and 1852, he was engaged in cutting grain, his eight days' labor in the latter year amounting to thirty-two acres. When this work was finished, he re- turned to his home in Delaware county, carry- ing his grain cradle and clothing, a distance of fifty miles.

Mr. Harman was married September 2, 1852, to Lavina Van Matre, daughter of James M. and Mary Van Matre, after which he rented the place where he now lives, con- tinuing on the same, as a tenant, for a period of about four years. He exchanged his land in Bartholmew county for 120 acres in Mount Pleasant township, paying a difference of $400. making the latter cost him $750 in all. He stayed upon the new farm until July, 1861, clearing, in the meantime, forty-five acres, and then moved back to where he now lives, owning a share of the present home place at that time. He then began buying portions of the farm until, finally, he became possessor of the entire fine property. In June, 1865, he purchased eighty acres, paying for the same $2,000, and in June, 1869, sold 100 acres of his land to Pollard S. Hancock for $3,600. His present handsome residence was begun in 1869 and completed the same year. When a mere boy, Mr. Harman resolved that, before he was forty, he would own forty or eighty acres of land and a residence, and he carried out his purpose, for before arriving at that age he had a comfortable home and much more than the number of acres noted. He bought eighty-nine acres in 1869, and his next pur- chase consisted of twenty-two acres, for which he paid the sum of $770. In 1879 he bought eighty acres for $3, 500, and later made pur- chases for. his children to the amount of

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$10.000. In 1885 he purchased forty acres, paying for the same $400; in 1889, bought another forty acre lot for $2,600, and the same year, exchanged forty acres of his Mount Pleasant land for 200 acres valued at $13,900. At this time Mr. Harman is the owner of 590 acres of valuable land, being one of the largest holders of real estate in the county of Delaware.

Mr. Harman is a republican in politics, and with his wife belongs to the Methodist Protestant church. Mrs. Harman is a daugh- ter of James M. and Mary (Jones) VanMatre and was born in Henry county, Ind., March 31, 1832. Her father was born in Clarke county, Ohio, May 10, 1810, and the mother's birth occurred in Fayette county, Ind., August 17, 1813. James M. VanMatre came to Delaware county, Ind., when sixteen years of age, became the possessor of a good farm and died in 1844, leaving a widow and a large family. Mrs. VanMatre died, regretted by all who knew her, in the year 1863.

J OHN HARMAN, JR., is one of the representative farmers of Mount Pleas- ant township, in which he was born on the 21st day of January, 1862, the son of John and Lavina Harman, a sketch of whom appears above. Mr. Harman has spent the greater part of his life in the county of his nativity, received a practical English education in the common schools, which he attended during his minority, and at the age of twenty- one was employed by his father on the home farm, where he remained until 1883. On March 8, of that year, he was united in mar- riage with Miss Emma E. Stewart, daughter of John and Mary Stewart, both parents na- tives of Indiana. The father was born April 15, 1840, and the mother on the 8th day of

February, 1848. John Stewart was one of the pioneers of Delaware county, became a very successful man financially, followed farming for his occupation, and is now living a retired life. Shortly after his marriage, Mr. Harman moved to his present home in Mount Pleasant township, where he has since resided and where he operates very successfully a very beautiful and productive farm. He is indus- trious, energetic and progressive in all those terms imply, and has brought to his life work the intelligence acquired by years of close ob- servation and careful study of the science of agriculture. Mr. and Mrs. Harman are the parents of two children, namely: Charles Har- rison and Marion Martin; the latter was born October 5, 1892, and departed this life Decem- ber 4, of the same year.

NTON C. HEFEL, civil engineer of Muncie, is a native of Austria, born on the 8th day of April, 1844, in the town of Feldkirk, province of Vorarl- berg. He attended the common schools of his native town during his youthful years, later pursued his studies for four years in a normal school, and afterward became a student of the university of Munchen, Bavaria, in which well- known institution he completed the prescribed course, having graduated in 1864. Mr. Hefel early turned his attention to mechanics, and for some time after leaving the university was employed as a builder of water works in vari- ous parts of Bavaria, notably at Augsberg, where for two years he acted as superintendent of construction. In 1866, when twenty-three of age, he came to the United States, locating at Cincinnati, Ohio, where he engaged as draughtsman for the water works of that city, in which capacity he continued for a period of six years, and afterward served as engineer and

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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 69

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