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 95

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 95
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 95

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).

Stephen Clayton came to Randolph county, Ind., 1822, and bought land on which John W. now lives, about two years later. As this territory was formerly a part of the Indian reservation, red men continued to hunt long after the arrival of Mr. Clayton, and it was not an unusual thing for them to come to his cabin to trade with him. This old log cabin was long since demolished, and the present residence is the third to be erected on its site. After twelve years of hard, yet profitable, labor on this land, Stephen Clayton, who was born February 10, 1787, died June 29, 1834- his widow, Mary Clayton, surviving until May 6, 1858. They were the parents of eight children, born in the following order: James J., William, died in infancy; Elizabeth, now Mrs. Hutchins; Mary A. (Mrs. Heaston), de-

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ceased; Stephen, Jr., deceased; Catherine (Mrs. Robbins), deceased; John W .; and Sam- uel A.

John W. Clayton was reared to farm labor on the old homestead, and, although advan- tages were somewhat circumscribed, his natural predilection for study enabled him to acquire in private a sound general fund of information. At the age of seventeen years he took entire charge of the farm and conducted it under the advice and instruction of his mother, who re- mained with him until called away by death. Mr. Clayton then began purchasing the inter- est of his brothers and sisters in the estate, and eventually secured control of the entire property, which he most judiciously labored to improve. Most of the buildings were erected by himself, and he constantly added to his acreage until he now owns 159 1-2 acres where he resides, and three other farms in the neighborhood, comprising, respectively, 197 acres, 140 acres and eighty-eight acres, then fifteen.

He has always been a shrewd business man, and always was wise in his choice of investment. He was one of the incorporators of the Farmers & Citizens' bank at Farm- land (1887), and has ever since been presi- dent of that institution; for twenty-five years he was engaged in handling live stock, realiz- ing handsome profits by his trading. For several years past, however, he has lived a comparatively retired life, having rented the old homestead. He was married June 2, 1859, to Mary, daughter of Solomon R. Wright, of Stony Creek township, where Miss Wright was born. They reared one adopted child, Lula B., now the wife of Edwin S. Jaqua, whose sketch will be found on another page in this volume. She is a member of the Society of Friends, but her father has never been connected with any society, order or association. In politics Mr. Clayton is a. re-

publican, and cast his first presidential vote for John C. Fremont. He has, however, never sought public office, nor accepted any that has ever been proffered him. He has been content to follow the legitimate routine of business life, and has followed it success- fully, and has ever been upright and honor- able in all his dealings.

S TEPHEN CLEVENGER, an exten- sive dealer in coal, lime, cement and building material, at Winchester, Ran- dolph county, Ind., is a native of the county, born October 27, 1847, son of Thomas and Mary A. (Clanin) Clevenger, natives of Montgomery county, Ohio. The father was a farmer, and in 1850 came with his parents to Indiana and engaged in his calling in Greens- fork township, Randolph county, until Febru- ary, 1862, when he removed to White River township, same county, bought 200 acres of land, and continued farming until his death, which occurred December 1, 1890. His widow died August 3, 1893, aged seventy-four years, highly respected by her neighbors. Thomas and Mary A. Clevenger had born to their mar- riage ten children, of whom six still survive, viz .: Hannah, wife of J. H. Tharp; Sarah E., married to Samuel Frazer; Stephen, whose name heads this sketch; John W., of White River township; Isabelle, wife of Levi Coats, and James I. The father, Thomas Clevenger, was a republican in politics and had the full confidence of his party. He was elected real estate appraiser of the county in 1858, and was besides, county commissioner for nine years. His son, Stephen, was reared on the home farm and ably assisted his parents until he was twenty-one years of age, and then farmed on his own account until 1872, and then, for five years, was connected with the

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Singer Sewing Machine company. About 1882 he settled down to handling coal and lime at Winchester, and this trade has occupied his attention to the present time. September 23, 1873, Mr. Clevenger was united in mar- riage with Miss Julia A. Jobes, who was born in Henry county, Ind., November 23, 1846, the daughter of Dr. George O. Jobes, now of Indianapolis. This union was graced with five children, viz .: Julia B. deceased, Carlos W., of this township; Walter L .; Norman L., and Mary L., all three deceased. The mother of this family passed away May 8, 1883, and on November 10, 1892, Mr. Clevenger married Sarah E. Gephart, a matron of Montgomery county, Ohio, born in December, 1850.

Mrs. Clevenger is a consistent member of the Reformed church and in politics Mr. Clev- enger is a republican. He is a Free Mason, an Odd Fellow, a Red Man and a Knight of Pythias. He has had his war experience, hav- ing enlisted in December, 1864, in company A, One Hundred and Forty-seventh Indiana volunteer infantry, for one year, and receiv- ing his discharge in August, 1865. He was in the army of the Potomac and served in the valley of the Shenandoah and in other parts of Virginia and in Maryland, and is now the recipient of a pension.

John Jobes, the grandfather of Mrs. Julia A. Clevenger, was born in Trenton, Septem- ber 20, 1790. His paternal grandfather, John Jobes, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and his father and mother, as children, wit- nessed and retained, to the last, vivid recol- lections of some of the stirring events of the times that tried men's souls. Whe John, the younger, was about four years old, his parents, George and Catherine, removed to Greene county. Here his boyhood was spent. Grown to manhood, in 1812, he enlisted in the regu- lar army, in which he served for a term of five years as a private. During his term of

service he took part in the battles of Chippewa and Bridgewater and the siege of Erie, besides several other hard fought skirmishes of less note. At Bridgewater he was in Ripley's command and took part in the famous charge of Col. Miller upon the British artillery. At the siege of Erie he received a severe wound, from the cousequences of which he never fully recovered and on account of which he drew a pension. After his discharge from the army he spent several years in Illinois and Missouri and then came to Wayne county, Ind., where his parents had in the meantime removed. Here he was married to Mary Paget, with whom he continued to live for more than fifty years and shared the checkered good and ill of life, the sunshine and the shadows.

In 1849 he removed to Henry county, where he remained three years, and in 1852 came to Huntsville, Randolph county, Ind., whe he continued to reside until 1861, when he returned to Wayne county. In 1865 he returned to Huntsville and made their home with their son and only child, Dr. George O. Jobes, at Farmland, until the latter removed to Indianapolis, when they took up their home with their granddaughter, Mrs. Thomas H. Johnson, of Winchester. Here, after a brief illness, Mr. Jobes died on the 7th of Septem- ber, 1876, aged nearly eighty-six years.

S ETH D. COATS, president of the Randolph County bank, of Winches- ter, was born in White River town- ship, Randolph county, February 20, 1847, and is a son of William and Mary (Moffet) Coats. The Coatses have been and still are numerous in Randolph county. They are of Scotch descent. Three brothers, Rob- ert, James and William belonging to the "House of Coats" and the family of the

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thread-makers of Paisley, Scotland, came to South Carolina before the Revolutionary war, but at what exact date cannot now be stated. These brothers settled in North Carolina and resided there until their death. John Coats, the first of the name in Randolph, was the son of William Coats, one of the three brothers immigrants from Scotland, above named. William Coats was the son of Philip Coats, of Scotland, and a sister of William Coats was the mother of Rev. John Coats, of Coatsville.

William Coats had a large family, at least seven of whom came to the northwest from Carolina, as follows: John Coats, William Coats, Joseph Coats, Hepsy (Wright), Rhoda (Wrench). Hattie (Harrison), - - (Beanblos- som). John Coats was born in North Caro- lina Jenuary 20, 1788; died September 19, 1878; married Sally Wright, daughter of Thomas Wright, in 1807 (she was born Sep- tember 20 1789; died July II, 1875); they came to Ohio soon afterward, and in 1819 moved upon White River, Randolph county, Ind. John Coats and Thomas Wright, liis father-in-law, lived for a while near Coving- ton, Ohio, upon what are now the famous and valuable stone quarries of that place.

William Coats, father of Seth D., was a son of John and Sarah (Wright) Coats, and was born near Covington, Ohio, May 28, 1817. Seth D. Coats lived on the home farm until nineteen years of age but in the interval, May II, 1864, when but seventeen, volunteered, at the call ,for 100 day men, in company F, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Indiana vol- unteer infantry, and was assigned to the army ENRY S. COBLE, a well known and prominent citizen of White River township, was born in York county, Pa., July 31, 1842. His father, Samuel S. Coble, and mother, Elizabeth (Sipe) Coble, were also natives of the same of the Cumberland, and was mustered out at Indianapolis in September following. After leaving the farm in 1866, he engaged in sec- tion work on the Grand Rapids & Indiana, and other railroads for four years. He was then elected township trustee, in which office i county; when a boy the father learned the

he served another period of four years, and during this time was also in the boot and shoc business. He was next given a position in the Randolph County bank, at Winchester, as assistant cashier. For five years he held this position, and the next five years served as cashier. March 5, 1891, he was elected president of the institution, and still holds that honorable and responsible office. His cashier is Charles E. Ferris, and his assistant cashier is Thomas L. Ward

The nuptials of Seth D. Coats were celebrated in Winchester, November 4, 1865, the bride being Lucinda Skiver, who was born in Randolph county, February 18, 1850. Her parents are Adam and Margaret (Shaw) Skiver, natives respect- ively, of Virginia and Ohio, the former born in 1805 and the latter in 1812, near Bellefon- taine. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Coats has been blessed with three children, viz: Orin, Oscar, and Lydia Leonia. In politics Mr. Coats is a republican. He is also a member of several fraternal societies, including the I. O. O. F., G. A. R., and the Knights of the Golden Eagle. Mr. Coats has been a hard worker at whatever he has been called upon to do ever since his boyhood, and he has won a just reward in the high esteem and respect in which he is held by his fellow citizens, and in the competency he has acquired in yet mellow middle age. "Seest thou a man diligent at his business; he shall stand before kings, he shall not stand before mean men."

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shoemaker trade, but at inanhood began farm- ing in connection with his trade. Seven chil- dren blessed this union, namely: Cornelius, Bernard, Henry, Catherine, Andrew, Davfd, deceased, and Samuel, a twin of David. The father was a fairly successful man, and passed away in 1848, leaving the wife and five chil- dren, the twins being born three months after his decease, making seven children in all left. Henry S., at his father's death, was bound out by his mother, at the age of six years, to David Reesor, with whom he stayed for two years and afterward worked about wherever he could, and at the age of fourteen was ap- prenticed to a blacksmith, with whom he remained for three years, and became · master of his trade. After serving the term of his apprenticeship he opened a shop in his native county on his own hook with his own resouces, and was successful for a time, but when the war broke out he closed his shop and enlisted September 1, 1861, in the One Hundred and Thirtieth Pennsylvania infantry. He was trans- ferred into Sedgwick's Second brigade, but in the following February was taken sick with typhoid fever and remained in the hospital a little over three months, and finally received his discharge, weighing at that time but the boy weight of ninety-three pounds. He re- turned home broken in health and with con- stitution impaired. The practical side of the war came to the young soldier very promptly, as he was in the fiercely fought battle of Antietam on the memorable 15th day of Sep- tember, 1861, just fourteen days after his enlistment. After regaining his health he had a desire to see more of the world, and having a bad attack of "western fever" caught during his campaign, in August, 1864, he came to this county, where he worked at the carpenter trade for a year and assisted in building a saw- mill for Samuel Keister in Wayne township, and when completed became its engineer.

In the fall of 1865 he was married to Luzena Coffin, a daughter of Stephen and Charity Coffin, after which he located on the farm where he now lives and has lived con- tinuously, with the exception of three years, when he removed to Portland, Jay county, Ind. At Portland he engaged in the lumber business, but unfortunately for his venture was caught in the panic of 1877 and 1878 and was obliged to return to the farm to rebuild his broken fortunes. And here he has been ever since. Three children have been born to them; Cora, who married a farmer of White River township, Roscoe Harris; Miles, assis- tant county surveyor, and Henry E. Private Coble's farm is pleasantly located two miles east of town. Besides farming he still does blacksmithing, his early and first trade. His farm consists of forty acres at present, but at one time he owned eighty-three acres. The results of his army life and rough experience follow him, his health always having been bad since that period. He receives a pension of $8.00 per month in partial payment for his loss and sacrifice. In politics he is a republi- can, and never swerves from his allegiance to it. He is a member of the Friends' church. Private Coble was a good and valiant soldier and is a good citizen, and no higher tribute of honor can be paid him.

EN. SILAS COLGROVE is a native of Steuben county, N. Y., and was born on the 24th of May, 1816. He is one of a family of eighteen chil- dren, of whom all but one grew to maturity and were married, and fifteen are still living. Five reside in New York, three in Ohio, and others in Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota and Cal- ifornia, respectively. In 1837, Gen. Colgrove was united in marriage with Miss Rebecca P.

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Stone, in New York, and in the fall of the same year left home with his bride for the west. He began the study of law at his home in New York, completing his course of prep- aration in the office of Zachariah Puckett. He was admitted to the bar of Randolph county in 1839, and has been one of its foremost mem- bers in the years that have followed. In April, 1839, he was elected justice of the peace, and served five years in this capacity. In 1852, he was elected prosecuting attorney for the district composed of the counties of Randolph, Henry, Wayne, Jay, Blackford, Grant and Delaware, in which capacity he served two years. In 1856, he was elected representative to the state legislature, from Randolph, serving two years, and was re-elect- ed. His term of cffice had scarcely expired when a call to arms was made. He was the first in this county to raise a company, and his own name was the first on the roll of enlisted men. It was enrolled as a private soldier, and he expected to serve in that capacity, but in three days he had a company of 140 men, and before they left for Indianapolis he was elected captain by a unanimous vote. Of this num- ber, 100 were accepted for the three months' service. This company was assigned to the Eighth regiment, and Capt. Colgrove was commissioned lieutenant colonel. The regi- ment was in Maj. Gen. McClellan's army, in the West Virginia campaign, with Gen. Rose- crans as their brigade commander. They took part in the battle of Rich Mountain, and assisted in the capture of Garnett's forces. At the expiration of his term of enlistment, Col. Colgrove returned to Winchester, and as- sisted in organizing the Eighth regiment for the three years' service. Shortly afterward, however, he was appointed colonel of the Twenty-seventh regiment Indiana volunteers, which was placed under the command of Brig. Gen. Banks They took part in the terrible

battle at Ball's Bluff, and helped to convey the dead across the Potomac after the fight. The regiment was a part of the army of the Potomac, serving first with the Fifth and afterward with the Eleventh corps, and par- ticipating in all the important battles in which these corps were engaged. Finally, the Elev- enth and Twelfth were consolidated under the name of the Twentieth army corps, with Gen. Hooker in command, and sent to Chattanooga, where they joined Gen. Sherman, remaining with his army until the fall of Atlanta. During his period of service, Col. Colgrove was wounded several times, but remained bravely at his post, although his injuries were sufficiently serious to justify him leaving the service, had he chosen to do so. His distin- guished services were recognized by President Lincoln, who conferred upon him the rank of brigadier general, by brevet, on the 7th day of August, 1864. He resigned later in that year, and returned to his home in Winchester, hav- ing, in the meantime, been appointed by Gov. Morton to fill the unexpired term of Judge Elliott, who had been chosen one of the judges of the supreme court of Indiana. In the same year he was elected president of the Cincinnati, Fort Wayne & Grand Rapids railroad, and on the 19th of December, 1864, he was appointed president of the military commission for the trial of Horsey, Milligan and Bowles, the traitors. The trial was in progress for a period of 100 days, and the defendants were found guilty and sentenced to death. This sentence, however, was commuted to imprisonment for life, and the trio were finally set free by the supreme court of the United States, on the ground that a military tribunal had no jurisdiction over the offense. In 1865, Gen. Colgrove was elected judge of the circuit court, composed of Ran- dolph. Wayne, Henry, Jay, Blackford and Grant counties, serving six years. In 1873 he

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was again elected to this office, continuing to occupy the bench until 1879. Retiring from this position, he resumed the practice of his profession. As an attorney, he has attained marked success; as a judge, his opinions were always profound and his decisions just. As a citizen, he has always been enterprising and public spirited, and during his residence in this county has been identified with many of its public improvements. In politics, he affil- iated with the whig party during its existence, but afterward became a republican, and has ever since continued to act with that party. He united with the Odd Fellows at Win- chester at an early day. He has lived nearly half a century in this community, and by an upright, honorable life has gained the confi- dence and esteem of all who know him.

His wife, Miss Rebecca P. Stone, was born in Steuben county, N. Y., March 30, 1820, and died in August, 1887. To bless their wedded life, there were eleven children, four of whom are now living. One son became celebrated as an aeronaut, but lost his life in the pursuit of his perilous profession, near San Francisco, Cal.

J OHN W. COTTOM, prominent in the insurance business at Winchester, and formerly merchant on an extensive scale, was the first white child born at New Paris, Preble county, Ohio. His parents were John H. and Rebecca (Jameson) Cottom. John H. was born in Snow Hill, Md., June 4, 1788, and when ten years old was taken to Kentucky, was married in that state, and located in New Paris, Ohio, in 1812, and there the birth of John W. took place March 20, 1818.

John H. Cottom conducted a general store at New Paris until 1829, when he went into

the hotel business, which he conducted until 1838, when he retired. His death took place in Cincinnati in 1875. at the age of eighty- seven years. Mrs. Rebecca (Jameson) Cottom was born in Bourbon county, Ky., October 22, 1787, and passed away in 1864, at the age of seventy-seven years. They were the parents of four children named as follows: David J., deceased; Thomas F., deceased; John W., now of Winchester, and James S., deceased. Both parents were members of the Methodist Epis- copal church, and in politics the father was first a whig and later a republican. John W. Cottom was reared in New Paris, Ohio, and remained there with his father until about 1845, when he came to Winchester and engaged in mercantile trade until 1857, when he went to Peoria, Ill., and carried on a wholesale tobacco business for two years; his next venture was at Cincinnati, Ohio, where for two years he was engaged in the wholesale dry goods trade; next he went into the wholesale boot and shoe busi- ness, which occupied his attention for four years; again resuming the wholesale dry goods business, he continued in that trade for ten long years, and then went to Douglas county, Kan., where he followed agriculture for seven years.

In 1884 he returned to Winchester and established an insurance agency, and in 1889 attached the loan business, in company with Wesley O. Smith, under the name of Cottom & Smith, and is now doing a prosperous busi- ness. Mr. Cottom was married in his native town, June 18, 1839, to Miss Eliza A. Jones, a native of Chester county, Pa., born July 17, 1818, a daughter of Jacob and Phebe (Cannon) Jones, of Irish extraction. This union has been blessed with five children, viz. : Evan, a quarryman of New Paris, Ohio; David, a miller of East Lynn, Cass county, Mo .; Mary E., wife of Dr. C. L. Armstrong, of Cincinnati, Ohio; Etta, wife of Charles E.

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Hand, a marble and mantel dealer of Cincin- nati, and Charles E., who died March 28, 1891. Mr. and Mrs. Cottom are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in politics he is a republican. It will have been seen by the foregoing that Mr. Cottom has had a very extensive and varied experience in business affairs, and he has the proud satisfaction of knowing that, through good fortune and bad, his integrity has never been doubted and that his reputation stands without a blemish.

EORGE COX (deceased)-late promi- nent farmer of White River town- ship, was born June 6, 1820, in Randolph county, Ind. He was the son of Simon and Tamar (Sugart) Cox, natives of North Carolina, the former born February 15, 1798, and the latter March 14, 1801. These parents moved from their North Carolina home to Ross county, Ohio, thence to Randolph county, Ind., in the fall of 1819, settling on a farm in White River town- ship, where they lived until their removal to the township of Wayne sometime later. Mrs. Cox died November 11, 1857. Simon Cox subsequently married Mrs. Hannah Weisner, after whose death he was wedded to Mrs. Abigail Paxton, who lived seven years. It is a fact worthy of note that the death of the three women all occurred on the same month and on the same day of the month, viz: the IIth day of November. After the death of his third wife Simon Cox made his home with the subject of this sketch until his death, which occurred November 8, 1881, at the ad- vanced age of over eighty-three years.

George Cox was raised on a farm and fol- lowed the farmer's vocation all his life. He received a limited education in the indifferent subscription schools of that time, but being

possessed of more than ordinary intelligence he afterwards became quite well informed in the current literature of the day. He was twice married, the first time to Miss Zeruiah Tomlinson, daughter of William and Nancy Tomlinson, of Randolph county. This union was blessed with the birth of nine children, namely: Nancy, born August 30, 1839, mar- ried to Isom Harris in 1861, and died October 13, 1862; Lavina, born October 23, 1840; William L., born September 16, 1842; Ange- line T., born October 2, 1844; Olinthus, born August 22, 1846; Tamar, born December 18, 1848; Henry, born November 13, 1850; Gil- bert, born August 15, 1852; Cyrus, born De- cember 6, 1853. Henry died in infancy and Tamar in maturer years. Mrs. Cox died Sep- tember 3, 1858, and on the 22nd day of November, 1862, Mr. Cox was united in mar- riage to Sarah Sanders, who still survives.

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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 95

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