USA > Indiana > Delaware County > A portrait and biographical record of Delaware county, 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 37
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90
From Gettysburg young Moore was sent to Philadelphia, where he was given a clerkship after his wound healed. * The last six months of his service were spent in Indianapolis as chief clerk for Dr. P. H. Jamescn, surgeon in charge of the soldiers' home. He was must- ered out of the service in August, 1864, and immediately secured a position on what is now the main line of the Big 4 system. After- wards he went to Cincinnati and took a com- mercial course in Bryant, Stratton & DeHans' Commercial college. Good luck seemed to follow him. He has seldom had to seek a situation. In 1865 he returned to his old home on a visit; while passing through Indian- apolis the superintendent of the Bee Line tendered him the agency of his road at Selma. His parents persuaded him to accept it, which he concluded to do. In connection with that
301
AND CENTRE TOWNSHIP.
he engaged in buying and shipping grain and prospered in his business.
In 1866, he married Susanna, daughter of William Miller, who was at one time county commissioner. Two children, girls, blessed this union but they were soon called to Him who gave them. In 1873 he was promoted and sent to take charge of the station at Sidney, Ohio. Two years after moving there the direc- tory of the First National bank of that place tendered him a position as cashier of their bank at a salary greatly in advance of any that they had ever paid previously. He accepted the position, and the earnings of the bank during his management was the greatest in its history. The Resumption act, to take effect in 1879, scared hundrds of National banks into liquida- tion. This bank went into voluntary liquida- tion, paying its shareholders one hundred and seventy-five cents on the dollar. He after- wards engaged in the grain trade on an exten- sive scale, subsequently taking a partner in the business. They operated several grain eleva- tors, and owned and operated a line of boats in connection with their business. Having splendid banking facilities, they engaged exten- sively in buying track grain of other dealers throughout Ohio and Indiana, and shipping it to the seaboard. During the large crop years of 1879-80, they got caught in a blockade with large quantities of grain, which they could not get into the seaport markets in time to apply on their sales, in consequence; they were squeezed badly, crippling them, which event- nally ended in an assignment. Mr. Moore, when prosperous, had often said that he would not give shucks for a young man who could not get on his feet again after a financial failure, not knowing that he would so soon have a chance of trying it for himself. The loss of all of his money was as nothing as compared with the anguish and humiliation that he felt reflect- ed on his business judgment, on which he
prided himself. Two days after his failure a friend from another town came over expressly to offer him employment, knowing that it was needful for him to do something at once to ward the wolf from the door. The friend pretended that it was doing him a favor, but it was princi - pally in the fact of his enjoyment of the con- sciousness that he had done a kind act to a fellow man in distress. The offer of employment was appreciated and promptly accepted and afforded time for the "lame duck " to get its bearings. After traveling a few weeks another friend volun- tarily offered him money for him to engage in his former business on a small scale; within six months he had cleared his first thousand dollars, passing the Rubicon. Mr. Moore had inherited from his father father pluck, preseverance and good common sense, and with practical knowl- edge gained in his varied business experiences was soon on the road to prosperity once more. He removed to Union City, Ind., where he remained two and one-half years, and where splendid opportunities offered for regaining lost wealth.
In the spring of 1887 he removed to Mun- cie, and at the present time is devoting all of his business ability to official duties of the Delaware County Building, Savings and Loan association, one of the largest in the state, of which he was the promotor and principal or- ganizer, he holding the principal office, that of secretary. He has had many years' experi- ence in various capacities in the building and loan business, and has the reputation of being the best posted in this particular line of business of any one in the state.
Susanna Moore, the wife of William R., is the daughter of William and Anna Miller, nee Janney. Her parents were born and reared in Stark county, Ohio, and removed to Harrison township, Delaware county, many years ago, where they continued to reside up to the year 1865, when they removed to Selma. Her
392
MUNCIE CITY
mother was of English descent and was a re- markably beautiful woman in her day. She died at her home in Selma, June 4, 1882, and was interred in Mount Tabor cemetery. Her father possesses a vigorous constitution and is still living at an advanced old age. He is en- dowed with good common sense, has a cultiva- ted mind and a large fund of general informa- tion. Susanna takes an active part in church work, in literary clubs and her domestic duties, and enjoys the confidence and respect of all who know her.
EORGE W. MUNN, route agent for the United States. Express company for all its lines within the state of Indiana, was born on a farm near Bradford, Vt., where he lived until he reached his eighteenth year, attending school in the meantime. In 1870, he went to Chicago, whither his brothers had preceded him, and just after the tremendous conflagration which swept that city in October, 1871; was ap- pointed messenger by the American Express company for the run between Chicago and Cairo, Ill. In 1873 he was appointed deputy internal revenue collector for the first district of Illinois, and held the position until October, 1875. In 1876 he went to Emporia, Kans., was employed by the Adams Express com- pany as messenger on the run from Atchison, Kans., to Pueblo, Colo., for a year, and then between Emporia and Denison, Tex .; he was then agent for the same company at Jop- lin, Mo., for six months, and in January, 1878, accepted a position with the Baltimore & Ohio Express company as messenger between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Parkersburg, W. Va., filling the position two years; the next nine months he was transfer agent at Cincinnati for the Baltimore & Ohio and Ohio & Missis-
sippi companies, and then auditor of express accounts at Cincinnati for the Ohio & Missis- sippi company and for a time was acting superintendent. April 10, 1882, he became route agent for the Baltimore & Ohio Express company on the Ohio and Mississippi division between Cincinnati and St. Louis, and filled that position until March, 1887; later he was appointed route agent of the Baltimore & Ohio Express company for all of the Cincin- nati, Hamilton and Dayton territory, covering 400 miles, with headquarters at Hamilton, Ohio. In September, 1887, the United States Express company succeeded the Baltimore & Ohio company and Mr. Munn was placed in charge at Deshler, Ohio. April 1, 1891, he was transferred to Indiana, with headquarters at Muncie, where he has ever since had cha ge of the lines of the combined express companies for the state of Indiana, controlling 805 miles of road and 103 offices and all the employees.
Mr. Munn was married in July, 1873, to Miss Jane E. Shants, of Willamette, Ill., the result being five children, of whom two are sons: Amos S., and Clark C. The other three, daughters, are deceased.
Clark Munn, the father of G. W. Munn, was born in New Hampshire, in 1801, and led the life of a farmer in the Green Mountain state until within the last ten years of his life. He was highly honored by his fellow towns- men, was their selectman and trustee. He ended his days with his children in Chicago, Ill., at the age of seventy-seven. His wife, who was born in West Fairly, Vt., February I, 1804, was a daughter of Randall Wild, and survived until December, 1892. Both were interred in Rose Hill cemetery, ten miles from Chicago. The family were Congregational- ists on both paternal and maternal sides, and Clark and his wife died in that faith. Of their family of seven sons and four daughters four are living, George W. being the seventh
C. F. W. NEELY
393
AND CENTRE TOWNSHIP.
boy; of the others, Benjamin M. Munn is a member of the noted law firm of Munn & Mapledom, of Chicago. Daniel W. is a mem- ber of the criminal legal firm of Munn & Wheeler, of the same city, and James Monroe Munn is in charge of the records of Cook county, Ill. Each of these boys was a faith- ful soldier in the Union army during the civil war. Of the deceased children all expired in early youth excepting two-Mary, wife of Daniel Hastings, of Corinth, Vt., who died about 1853, leaving two children, Hallie, and the other daughter was the wife of Sergeant Peabody, superintendent of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad at Columbus, and died May 22, 1893, leaving three children.
cities much larger than Muncie, and therefore the success of the Morning News has been a . source of much gratification to its proprietor. In August, 1892. Mr. Neely associated with himself Frank J. Claypool, and together they began the publication of the Farmers' Record, which was, for the time, the official organ of the F. M. B. A., but when that political and economic organization began to show evidences of loss of vigor, Messrs. Neely & Claypool dis- posed of their organ to the American Farmer company, of Springfield, Ohio.
In politics, Mr. Neely has always been an earnest republican, and for five years has been chairman of the city central republican com- mittee; fraternally, he is a member of the B. P. O. E., and of the I. O. R. M. He has always manifested a lively interest in the in- dustries of Muncie, and has done much toward
a HARLES F. W. NEELY, editor and forwarding them, both by the use of his pen and other means. He is a sprightly and incisive writer, a shrewd politician, and a born newspaper man. His marriage occurred March 23, 1886, to Miss Sarah E. Morgan, of Muncie, a daughter of Thomas Morgan, of of Madison county, Ohio. proprietor of the Morning, the Sunday and the Weekly News, Muucie, Ind., is a native of the city, born January 4, 1859, and a son of Moses L. and Mary A. (Kenower) Neely. He was educated at the city schools, and after graduating at the Muncie high school, in 1877, studied law for three Moses L. Neely, father of Charles F. W. Neely, was born in Adams county, Pa., April 30, 1816, and was a son of Moses and Jane (Smith) Neely, who left Pennsylvania in 1834, and with their son, Moses, and other members of their family settled in Clarke county, Ohio. He was married March 20, 1838, to Mary A. Kenower, a native of Cumberland county, Pa., born March 7, 1818, and taken to Clarke county, Ohio, in 1835, by her parents, Jacob and Sarah Kenower. In February, 1839, Moses L. Neely came to Muncie, Ind., and was the second cabinet maker in the town. After some years he engaged in general mer- chandising at the corner of Main and Walnut | streets, carrying on the business for eighteen years in the office of Blount & Templer. About the time he was well prepared to enter upon the practice of his chosen profession, he found the city of Muncie overcharged with legal aspirants, and he found employment at other business at other points, including St. Louis, Mo, for one year, and Kansas City, in the same state, for one year, and elsewhere. In 1885 he purchased the Evening News, of Mun - cie, from N. F. Ethell, who founded that journal in 1872. It was continued as an even- ing newspaper until July 5, 1892, when it was changed to the Morning News. To venture upon the publication of a morning journal was a somewhat precarious undertaking, as many sad failures of similar ventures had occurred in | years, and then purchased a farm near town,
394
MUNCIE CITY
to which he retired to enjoy the fruits of the labor of his earlier days, but in the short space of five years, on January 9, 1869, he passed away, leaving, to mourn his loss, a widow and ten children, the names of the latter being: Cyrus G., Carey O., Charles F. W., Sarah F., Mary J., Laura S., Wilma E., Leonora I., Emma and Kate W. Mr. Neely was a repub- lican from the organization of that party, and a pious member of the Presbyterian church, of which, also, his widow is a consistent member.
HOMAS S. NEELY was born Sep- tember 13, 1811, in Adams county, Pa., of which county his grandfather, Thomas Neely, and his father, Moses Neely. were also natives. His father married Jane Smith in that county, and was engaged in agricultural pursuits, owning a farm within eleven miles from Gettysburg. In 1831, he moved with his family to Miami county, Ohio, and, about the year 1840, to Randolph county, Ind., settling near the town of Windsor. His family consisted of four sons and five daughters, of whom Thomas S. is the only survivor.
In early life Thomas S. Neely was engaged in the labor of farm work at home, attending the district school in the winter until seventeen years of age, when he was apprenticed to a blacksmith at Petersburg, Pa., to learn the trade. He remained with him for nearly three years, and having acquired a good knowledge of the trade, he began to work on his own ac- count, and in 1831 removed with his parents to Miami county, Ohio. He worked at his trade in Troy, Urbana, and other Ohio towns, and, in 1833, returned to his former home in Pennsylvania, and was wedded to Miss Matilda Wierman. He lived in Miami county six years, and, in February, 1839, came to Muncie, with whose interests he has long been identified.
He at first engaged in the grocery trade, but the town was small and the merchants plenty, and he was soon convinced that there was a better opening for the mechanic than the merchant, and decided therefore to devote himself to his trade. He accordingly opened a blacksmith shop, and followed his trade for over twenty years. From 1842 to 1848 he served as a member of the board of county commissioners of Delaware county, and as school director subsequent to that time. In June, 1878, he was elected as a member of the board of education. His first purchase of real estate was the lot now occupied by the Abbott house, where he had his residence, and, at a later date, he erected the brick block on Main street, in which the photographic rooms of L. S. Smith are now located. In this building Mr. Neely established a daguerreotype gallery, and made the first pictures in Muncie, and was the leading photographer of this city until about twenty years ago, when he transferred the gallery to his son, Lon M.
While carrying on the trade of black- smithing in Muncie, he was compelled to send to Cincinnati for iron, hauling it home by teams, and often had to leave his work here and make a personal visit to that city, when important purchases were to be made. This slow and expensive method of transportation set him to thinking, and with characteristic promptness, his thoughts developed into action. In the spring of 1847 he determined to move to secure the location of a railroad to Muncie, by some practical route; and acting upon this determination, circulated a subscrip- tion paper to secure funds with which to pay for posters to advertise a railroad mass meet- ing, to be held at Muncie. A hard canvass resulted in his securing only a part of the funds necessary, and, contributing the balance from his own purse, he had the bills struck and posted up, designating June 26, 1847, as the
395
AND CENTRE TOWNSHIP.
day of meeting. This meeting was almost barren of results, and was adjourned to August 20, when men of talent and public spirit from abroad were invited, resolutions were passed recommending Delaware county to vote a tax of $12,000, at the ensuing fall election, to aid the enterprise. Mr. Neely, although unac- customed to public speaking, yet led in the public discussion of this question throughout the county, and had the pleasure of seeing it settled by an affirmative vote.
The happy choice of a companion in early life proved the solace of other years; and they were each spared to bless the other, and see their children grow to honorable and useful maturity. Eliza is the wife of A. J. Wachtell, of Muncie; M. Jennie resides with the father; Thaddeus A., prominent manufacturer of Muncie, married Miss Harriet Huston, of Par- is, Ill .; Leonidas M., married Miss Welthy Berkey, of Grand Rapids, Mich., and resides in Muncie. Mrs. Neely died September 19, 1886, since when Mr. Neely has lived with his daughter, Miss M. Jennie.
J EREMIAH FULLER NICKEY (de- ceased), for many years an active busi- ness man and prominent citizen of Muncie, was a native of Pennsylvania, born on the 3d day of March, 1826, in the county of Cumberland. His parents were Samuel and Elizabeth Nickey, both natives of the Keystone state, where their ancestors had resided from an early period in the history of the country. At the age of sixteen Jeremiah F. Nickey left the parental roof and located at Fairfield, Greene county, Ohio, but previous to that time he had learned the tailor's trade in the county of his nativity. Owing to circum- stances, over which he had no control, his means of obtaining a literary education were
greatly limited, but possessing a mind of great activity, and desirous of acquiring a knowledge of books, he devoted his leisure moments to the accumulation of knowledge, frequently poring over his studies at a late hour, with no other light than that afforded by a blazing pine knot. After becoming proficient in his trade, he worked at the same for four years, in Ohio, and, at the same time, read medicine under the instruction of Dr. McElhaney, of Fairfield. Later, he added to his literary knowledge by a course in Wesleyan college, Delaware, Ohio, which institution he attended for some time, and after his marriage, in 1850, with Miss Christina Miller, he located at the town of Quincy, Ohio, where, in addition to working at his trade, he taught school until his removal to Muncie, Ind., in the year 1858.
On locating in this city, Mr. Nickey ef- fected a co-partnership in the drug business with Dr. William Craig, which relationship terminated after five years' duration, the place of business being on Main street. After the retirement of his partner, Mr. Nickey con- tinued on the half square between Walnut and Mulberry streets, where he carried on business until his death. Mr. Nickey's life was characterized by energy and probity, and by his long residence in Muncie and active association with the people became widely known. He fairly solved the problem of suc- cess, so far as material wealth is concerned, earned the reputation of a man of honor and integrity, and ended a well rounded life on the 7th of July, 1886. He was a life-long member of the Methodist church, and in the Masonic fraternity he was for many years an active worker, having taken a number of de- grees, including that of Knight Templar. Politically he was a republican. Mrs. Nickey, who survives her husband, was born in Greene county, Ohio, April, 1830, and is the mother of three living children: Vinton I., Mary V.
396
MUNCIE CITY
and Frank B .; a daughter, Artemissa, is de- ceased.
Frank B. Nickey, third child of Jeremiah F. and Christina Nickey, was born June 9, 1867, in Muncie, Ind., in which city his life has been passed to the present time. His lit- erary education was received in the Muncie schools, and in 1889 he graduated from the St. Louis college of Pharmacy, since May of which year he has been actively engaged in the drug trade. He is a Mason, being a mem- ber of both chapter and commandery, belongs to Welcome lodge, No. 37, K. of P., and is also connected with the K. O. E. M. Mr. Nickey was married, in 1889, to Miss Ina C., daughter of James N. and Sarah (Mills) Cropper, the fruit of which union is one child, a daughter, Pauline.
R OBERT I. PATTERSON .- " Biog- raphies should not be published unless there is something in the life or char- acter of the individual worthy of emu- lation or imitation by others under like circum- stances- certainly not for self aggrandizement." Such were the words of Mr. Patterson when approached by the publishers of this work, but sufficient was drawn from him to learn that there was something in the inner life of the man worthy of more than incidental mention. Robert I. Patterson was born in Muncie, Ind., March 28, 1843. His father, S. R. Patterson, was a native of Vermont, and his mother was born in Lexington, Ky., to which place her father, Burns Turner, moved with his family from the state of Delaware to assist in build- ing a house for that sterling patriot and states- man, Henry Clay. Here her mother died, and upon the completion of the building the family came to Indiana and located near Econ- omy, Randolph county, but later, in 1828 or
1829, moved to Muncie, where her father, and her brothers, Minus and William Turner, engaged in burning brick, brick laying and plastering. At that time Muncie was little more than an Indian trading post, containing but a few log houses, and they built the first brick dwelling ever erected in Delaware county - the dwelling being on Main street and the business house on the ground now occupied by the Delaware County National bank. Minus Turner also built the first hotel (or tavern), on the present site of the Patterson block, corner Main and Walnut streets. In this hotel the parents of our subject first met and were married. After a few years of hardship and privation incident to pioneer life, they moved in a covered wagon to Chicago, Ill., where the father went into the tin and stove business, and became the owner of several lots at the corner of Lake and State streets. Here, also, the subject of this sketch (then a child) strayed from home and was lost for two days and a night, an event which so prostrated the mother that she was confined to her bed for many months. Disheartened by sickness and business losses, the father sold what little was left him and endeavored to retrieve his fortune at various points in Illinois. In Bloomington he was associated with the great land owner and cattle king, Isaac Funk, and later became ac- quainted with the then young lawyer, Abra- ham Lincoln. Being the only whig, or republican, at that time in a family of eight brothers, he was always an ardent supporter of this great and good man, and finally was killed at Kenesaw Mountain, Ga., in the serv- ice of this great chieftain. Robert I. Patter- son inherited this love of country and the cause of human freedom, and he, too, at the age of seventeen years, enlisted, in 1861, and served his country four years in the Nine- teenth Indiana infantry, and re-enlisted in the field for three years more. He was wounded
397
AND CENTRE TOWNSHIP.
at Antietam and Gettysburg, and at the latter place was also taken prisoner.
The services of Mr. Patterson throughout the war were rendered in the celebrated Iron brigade, it being the First brigade, First di- vision of the First army corps of the army of the Potomac, being the first brigade organized in the Union army, and the official records show that it sustained a greater loss in actual killed than any other. He has an individual record of fourteen general engagemets, beside the minor battles and skirmishes in which the brigade took part. Up till the time of his enlistment, the life of Robert I. Patterson was passed in helping to batter the wolf of hunger and privation from his cabin home, and he was consequently deprived of even a common school education, but his father having been a school teacher, and the son being of a very studious nature, the latter mastered the rudi- ments of an English education, which were later supplemented by knowledge gained in the great school of experience. The precepts and examples of an earnest christian mother were fortitude and devotion at all times, especially through the dark days of the Rebel- lion, when she was left at home with eight small children to care for, one of whom died just before the father was killed and while the subject was lying wounded in the United States hospital. The good people, however, have been considerate of the claims of worthy soldiers, and Mr. Patterson has been honored by them. Being an ardent but consistent partisan and writer, his influence was appreci- ated, and he was appointed to a clerkship in the Indiana house of representatives during its session of 1876-77, a part of which term, however, he resigned to accept a position as railway postal clerk between Pittsburg, Pa., and St. Louis, Mo. He was subsequently transferred and distributed mail between In- dianapolis, Ind., and Cleveland, Ohio. The
service was severe and the strain on his nerv- ous and physical system immense, aggravating his army injuries, and he was compelled to re- sign. About this time his name was men- tioned as a candidate for county treasurer, but the convention was corrupted and he lost the nomination. February 7, 1882, he was ap- pointed postmaster at Muncie by President Arthur, and filled the office very satisfactorily, and a change of administration alone prevented his re-appointment. The faculty of invention and construction is largely developed in Mr. Patterson, and he is the patentee of several useful inventions, among which are the J. I. C. steel wire curry-comb, and two patents on fruit jar fastenings, the complete jar, with its fastening, being now manufactured at West Muncie by the Patterson Glass company, and being pronounced by experts the most simple, cheap and durable of any invented. Mr. Pat- terson, however, is perhaps best known as a poet, and many of his poems have had an ex- tensive publication in the poetical and secular press, some of them in the Indianapolis Jour- nal, the Judge, Cosmopolitan and other peri- odicals. Some have become more favorably known through their rendition by his daughter, Pearl, (now Mrs. W. R. Bean) who has earned a wide reputation as an elocutionist.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.