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 59
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John D. White lived with his parents until his marriage, which occurred December 31, 1835, with Louisa Earl, daughter of James and Nancy (Ward) Earl, after which event he engaged in farming for himself in Decatur county, where he lived until his removal to the county of Delaware in 1869. He has given the best energies of his life to his chosen call- ing of agriculture, and financially has met with gratifying success, owning at this time a well improved farm in Hamilton township. By his marriage with Nancy Ward, Mr. White became the father of the following children: Thomas, deceased; Mary, deceased; Robert ; Isaac; John N .; Mary J., wife of Charles Tingle; Nancy L., wife of Joseph Campbell, and Thomas R. In the year 1853, death in- vaded the home of Mr. White, and took thence his companion, and later he was united in marriage to Anna Earl, of Indiana. Mrs. White was born in Franklin county, Ind., and has borne her husband the following chil- dren: Elizabeth, wife of John Turner; Han- nah J., wife of Ephraim Colvin; America, wife of Joseph Shaffer; Hester, wife of George Rusler; Samuel D., Edda N., Joseph E., and James O., the last named not living. Mr. and Mrs. White are well known and highly
respected citizens, and have endeared them- selves to their friends and neighbors by their many kindly acts and words of encouragement. For a number of years they have been mem- bers of the Christian church, and their lives have indeed been exemplary.
DAM WILLIAMSON. The ances- tors of the gentleman whose sketch is herewith presented were natives of Germany, from which country his paternal ancestors emigrated to the United States many years ago, settling in one of the eastern states, subsequently moving to Ohio. His father, Peter Williamson, was born in 1802, and in 1827 married Rosanna Shafer, the daughter of a German emigrant who came to this country in the year 1820. Peter Will- iamson owned a farm in Ohio, which he dis- posed of in 1834, and moved to Delaware county, Ind., where he purchased 320 acres of land, adding to the latter tract an additional eighty acres, thus making a good home, upon which his death occurred in 1870.
John Adam Shafer, the maternal grand- father of Adam Williamson, accompanied by the mother of Mrs. Rosanna Williamson, left Germany on the 19th of September, 1819, with the object of coming to the new world. He was accompanied by his family, consisting of his wife, Sabina, three sons and five daugh- ters, all of whom were born in the province of Nuremburg, and after passing through several provinces of Germany, finally took a sailing vessel for Amsterdam, Holland, which city they failed to reach on account of the vessel springing a leak, which necessitated the cap- tain putting into the port of Lisbon, Portugal, where they remained until December 24, of the same year, when they again put to sea. From Lisbon the vessel, upon which they em-
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barked, made its way directly to Baltimore, Md., where they arrived, without any further mishaps, February 25, 1820. Having been so long upon the journey from the fatherland, Mr. Shafer was compelled to expend all of his means, so that upon arriving in the new world, three of the older children were bound out from three to five years, in order to pay their passage, which amounted to $80 each. The rest of the family immediately proceeded by wagon to Brownsville, Pa., thence to Portsmouth, Ohio, by flat boat, where Mrs. Shafer died in 1821, a short time after reach- ing their destination. Three and one half years after their arrival at Portsmouth, George Shafer walked to Baltimore to fetch his sisters to their western home, two of whom returned with him, while the third remained in the east several years longer, rejoining the family in 1832. Subsequently, Mr. Shafer came to Indiana and settled in Hamilton township, Delaware county, where he remained until his death, July, 1870, at the advanced age of ninety-five years.
Adam Williamson accompanied his parents to Delaware county when five years of age, since which time he has passed the greater part of his life within its borders, being now among its oldest living residents. Here he grew to manhood, and in his youthful days at- tended the country schools, and on attaining his majority engaged in the pursuit of agricul- ture, which has been his life work. April 12, 1853, he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Moore, daughter of Lewis and Patience (Truitt) Moore, the parents both being natives of Ohio and of English descent. Six children were born to this union, namely: William A., a resident of Muncie; Flora B., wife of Amos Garrison; Mary T., wife of Dont Smith; Hat- tie, wife of William Norris; Emma Z. and Effie. The mother of these children died No- vember 6, 1880, and lies buried in Beech Grove
cemetery, Muncie. Subsequently, March 8, 1882, Mr. Williamson married his present wife, whose maiden name was Nancy Pittenger, daughter of Daniel and Ellen (Jones) Pitten- ger. Mr. Williamson is a democrat in politics, belongs to Muncie lodge, No. 74, I. O. O. F., and with his wife is a communicant of the Methodist Episcopal church. He owns 160 acres of fine land two and one-half miles north of Muncie. He settled on this farm forty years ago, and cleared it from the green. He is one of the leading citizens of the township.
J AMES WOOD .- Among the well known citizens of Hamilton township was the late James Wood, who, for many years, was one of the representative men of this community. His parents, William and Dorcas (Bowen) Wood, moved to Delaware county in 1839 and remained here until their respective deaths. James Wood was born in Ross county, Ohio, April 11, 1821, and when thirteen years of age began to learn the tailor's trade in the town of Greenfield, the same state, and after remaining in that place until 1840, came to Indiana and followed his chosen call- ing for some time in the town of Anderson; later he opened a shop of his own in Granville, Ind., where he carried on a successful business for several years. In 1850 he located on the farm in Hamilton township, Delaware county, upon which his widow still resides, and became a leading agriculturist. Mr. Wood was a man of character and good social standing, a devout member of the Christian church, in which he had been a deacon for a number of years, and the precepts of which he exemplified in his daily life and conversation. The death of this excellent man occurred on the 29th day of May, 1892, and his remains now rest beneath the shades of the Granville cemetery.
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His marriage with Miss Susan Gregory, daughter of John and Nancy (Shideler) Greg- ory, took place in 1845. Mrs. Wood was one of a family of eleven children, only one of whom, besides herself, is living, namely, Thomas Gregory. The names of those de- ceased, as far as can be remembered, are as follows: Mary P., Sarah, Susannah, Elizabeth, Jane, John S., and Noble; the last named killed while serving this country in the late
war. The father of these children died Janu- ary 29, 1843 and the mother departed this life April 2, 1887. Mrs. Wood resides on the home farm, which she manages very success- fully, and is an estimable christian lady, highly respected in the community. Never having had any children of her own, she is now rais- ing a niece, Miss Nettie Gregory, daughter of Thomas and Jennie Gregory, whom she took at the age of seven years.
HARRISON TOWNSHIP.
B ENJAMIN BARCLAY .- All of the people of Harrison township know Benjamin Barclay, the subject of this sketch, and know him favorably. He was born May 4, 1828, in Licking county, Ohio, being the son of James and Elizabeth (German) Barclay. The father was born in 1804 in Virginia, and the mother in Maryland. The father came to Licking county when but a boy with his parents, and spent the greater part of his life in farming. In politics he was a democrat of the Jackson school. He and his wife were members of the Methodist church.
Benjamin Barclay lived with his parents until the age of eighteen, when he was ap- prenticed to the trade of a blacksmith, work- ing at this for two years for his board and clothing. After this he followed his trade for two years and then was a farmer for one year. At this time he came to Indiana and located in Henry county, following his trade, after which he came to this county and bought eighty acres of land in the northwest corner of Harrison township. Here he built a shop and worked at his trade, farming at the same time for eighteen years. At this time our subject
lives on a farm in this township, and still owns the original acres upon which he settled. Mr. Barclay was married November 1, 1849, to Miss Elizabeth McInturf. His wife was born July 4, 1831, and died January 25, 1865. She was the daughter of Frederick and Anna (Myers) McInturf, they being natives of Ohio, her father following the occupation of a farmer. Mrs. Barclay, the wife of our subject, was a devoted member of the Methodist church. By this marriage our subject was the father of six children, namely: Salathiel, deceased; Louisa, Susannah, Sarah, Netta, and James Leonidas.
Mr. Barclay again entered into the holy bonds of matrimony December 24, 1885, taking for his wife the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Shafer) Williamson; her father being a native of New Jersey, where he was born in 1790, and her mother was born in Germany in 1802, the latter came to this country with her parents when but a child. The father of Mrs. Barclay came to Scioto county, Ohio, where he owned a fine farm at the time of his death, which occurred in 1849. His wife survived him until the year 1880, when she died in the faith of the Methodist
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church, in which she had lived all her days. The second wife of Mr. Barclay was the widow of W. F. Nottingham, who was a na- tive of Ohio and came to this state when but a child. He was born in 1828, and died in 1880. He was married to the present Mrs. Barclay August 4, 1850, and by this marriage Mrs. Barclay had four children, namely: Jos- eph, deceased; George, deceased; John; and Sarah Catherine, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Barclay are both consistent members of the Methodist church. Our subject is devoted to the principles of the democratic party, and heartily supports its candidates.
EV. GEORGE BOXELL .- Harrison township can point to more than one of her citizens with pride, for not only have they fulfilled all the require- ments of private life, but when occasion de- manded have assumed the duties of public office in such a manner as to call forth the admiration of their constituents. Such a man is George Boxell, one of the prominent farm- ers of the township, now serving as township trustee. Mr. Boxell was born January 16, 1833, in the state of Virginia, a son of Joseph and Elenor (Shamlin) Boxell, natives of Vir- ginia and Ireland, respectfully. Mrs. Boxell came to this country when still young. When the subject was still a boy, the family removed to Boone county, Ohio, and in 1835 to Grant county, Ind. The family name of Boxell is an old one, the ancestral record reaching back many generations to English progenitors.
George Boxell remained with his parents until he reached his majority, when he engaged in teaching for some three years in Grant county, after which he began to preach, riding what was known as the Jonesborough circuit for a number of years. During his
ministry he was greatly beloved and the good he did in this capacity can not be over esti- mated. At present Mr. Boxell is the owner of eighty acres of choice land in Harrison town- ship, where he is greatly respected by the entire community. Mr. Boxell's first marriage was solemnized January 16, 1858, with Miss Rhoda McKever, daughter of Noah and Eliza- beth McKever, natives of Ohio. Mrs. Boxell died January 10, 1880, and July 26, 1882, Mr. Boxell was married again, his second choice being Miss Emma Thompson, who was born October 18, 1862. By this last marriage one child, Estella, has been born. It is a remark- able fact, and but an indication of the popu- larity of Mr. Boxell, that, at the time of his election to his present office, he received a large majority over the republican candidate, although he had made no canvass, which fact attests his great popularity with the people, irrespective of party affiliation. He is a mem- ber of the democratic party. In the language of David Hill, of N. Y., "I am a democrat." He is a minister of the Methodist Protestant church and for thirty-five years he has been preaching. He has preached 1,308 funeral sermons. He has been prominent in church work.
IRAM BRANSON is a man approach- ing seventy years, and has spent his life in such a manner as to command the respect of his neighbors, and meet with the approval of his conscience. He was born in Highland county, Ohio, May 4, 1825; being the son of Elizabeth and Robert Branson; the former was born in North Caao- lina, in 1798, and the latter was born in Vir- ginia in 1802. Robert Branson settled in Highland county, Ohio, with his grandfather when a boy, going there on a pack horse. He was one of the first settlers of Henry county,
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Ind., reaching there in 1827. In the spring of 1840 he came to Delaware county, Ind., where he engaged in farming until his death, which took place in 1852. Hiram Branson re- mained at home until his marriage, which occurred July 27, 1848; his wife being Miss Charlotte Jackson, daughter of Jesse and Mary Jackson, both natives of Tennessee. Mr. Branson had born to him by this marriage the following children: Rufus, Isaac, Sarah, Noah C., John, Jerry S., Martin, Phebe Jane and Oliver P. Mr. Branson married again January 20, 1865, his choice being the widow of Wilson Lacy; her first husband being a native of Tennessee and a farmer. This wife was called away from earth in August, 1877; having borne Mr. Branson five children, as follows: Frances, Martha, George, Cynthia Ann, and Cora May, deceased. Mr. Branson married a third time, September 27, 1878, the maiden name of his wife being Susanna Bur- gess, the widow of Jacob Jetmore. By this wife there was one child, Clara Ellen. He and his wife are both members of the German Baptist church.
Mr. Branson enlisted during the war in company B, One Hundred and Forty-seventh Indiana regiment, for one year, or during the war. This was in February, 1865, and he returned home May 22 of that year, having been in no battle. Our subject was a whig, after which he became a republican, and is now a prohibitionist.
J. H. Branson was born in Stony Creek township, Henry county, Ind., February 10, 1831, and lived with his parents until he was of age, after which he worked for his father two years on the farm, and then went to Cal- ifornia. There he remained two years engaged in mining, which proved profitable; then he returned to this township and bought eighty acres of land, which is his present farm, and is under good cultivation. He was united in
marriage July 6, 1856, to Miss Mary Fox, daughter of Asa and Mary Fox; her mother being a native of Connecticut, and her father of Pennsylvania.
The father, when a young man, located in Kentucky, where he remained thirty years, and then came to Harrison township. The mother of the wife of our subject was a member of the Methodist church. -
By his marriage with Miss Fox our subject had the following children: Elizabeth, Sara Ann, Ellen Martha, George W., Premma, William, deceased, Joseph, William Jehosha- phat, deceased, Edward J., Asa deceased, Flora Belle and Mary Minnie. In politics Mr. Branson was a whig until the republican party came into existence, since which time he has been an active member of that party. He is a member in good standing of the Christian church, and is a worthy and good citizen.
OSEPH S. BROWN .- No man is so in- dependent as the farmer. To him the residents of the great cities look for theproducts of the soil, while he, if he wish, can be entirely independent of their toil. After many years devoted to the tilling of the soil, the subject of this sketch, Joseph S. Brown, is ready to agree that, although the life of a farmer be full of toil and hardships, yet on the whole it is a very pleasant one. Mr. Brown was born March 20, 1819, in the state of Penn- sylvania, son of John and Elizabeth (Staup) Brown, both natives of Pennsylvania, of Ger- man descent. In 1834 the family removed to Ohio, settling in Henry county. Mr. Brown, Sr., remained in Henry county until the time of his death, engaged in coopering, carpenter- ing and farming.
Joseph S. Brown was educated in the com- mon schools and remained with his parents
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until he became of age, when he rented a farm in Clinton county, Ohio, where he remained until 1853, at which date he removed to Dela- ware county, Ind., and purchased forty acres of land, to which he later added forty acres, making eighty acres in all. This farm was a wild, unculti- vated one, but Mr. Brown reclaimed it from a wil- derness and brought it to its present state of cultivation. Mr. Brown was married in 1841, to Mrs. Mary (Jones) Taylor, born in 1809, widow of James Taylor, and daughter of Will- iam and Nancy Jones. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Brown, namely: John, deceased; William Henry; Eliza Jane, wife of William Downing, and James H., deceased. Mrs. Brown died in 1891, and her remains rest in Nottingham cemetery. She died in the faith of the Christian church, of which body her hus- band has been for years a faithful member. In politics Mr. Brown supports the principles enunciated by the democratic party. In every particular he has fulfilled all the duties re- quired of him in every walk of life to which he has been called, and justly meriis the esteem in which he is held by his neighbors and friends throughout Harrison and other town- ships.
ILLIAM H. COFFIN .- Among the prosperous farmers of Harrison township whose name his friends will greet in this volume with pleasure, is the subject of the present notice. He was born in this township, January 20, 1847, a son of Isaac and Mary (Reed) Coffin, the former a native of Hamilton county, Ohio, born there November 18, 1821, a son of Sam- uel and Rachel Coffin, natives of Massachu- setts and of Kentucky. Samuel Coffin was a stone mason and plasterer by trade. He came to this state and located in Fayette county, in 1833, on 100 acres of land there, but six
years later he came to Delaware county and bought the 160 acres now owned by his son. He died in 1855 and his wife then removed to Wayne county where her life ended ten years later. They had both been members of the Baptist church. Isaac Coffin lived with his parents until he was of age, and then engaged to work, for his father, by the month, for a few years, at which time he bought a farm of eighty-five acres of his father. For one year he lived in Butler county, Ohio, since which time he has lived on his present farm engaged in agricultural pursuits. In 1841 he married Mary Doty, the widow of Samuel Doty, who had formerly been a Reed. Her death oc- curred November 15, 1892, and her remains rest in Bethel cemetery in Harrison township. For forty years both she and husband were members of the United Brethern church. They had two children, William Henry, and Rachel, the wife of William Brown.
William H. Coffin was reared on the home farm and remained during his minority with parents. He learned the carpenter trade and worked at that for two years, following which he rented a farm of Mr. Joseph Quick for two years, and then moved to Grant county where he was engaged in the manufacture of tile for two years. He then moved to his present farm, having since resided in Harrison township. He has a fine place here, and is a man much esteemed in this locality. For the past four years he has held the office of justice of the peace. Politically, he is a republican. Mr. Coffin was married November 22, 1873, to Miss Mary Ann Needler, daughter of George and Lydia (Cun- ningham) Needler, he a native of Ohio, born in May, 1832, and she in the same year, No- vember 20, in the state of Virginia. Mrs. Cof- fin accompanied her parents to Grant county when three years of age, and Mr. Needler is still a resident of that county, where he is en- gaged in farming. The mother died a year
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ago. Both parents were members of the Methodist church, and Mr. Needler is a repub- lican of that county, known as a man of worth and sagacity. Mr. and Mrs. Coffin are the parents of the following children. Adam C., Nora Josephine, deceased; James Henry, Lydia Margaret, deceased; John, deceased; Martha R., Walter Earl, and Osa Edna, de- ceased. Mr. Coffin formerly voted the repub- lican ticket, but in late years his views of public questions have undergone a change, and he now belongs to the people's party. He is a man who is highly respected wherever known.
a NOCH DRUMM, an enterprising citi- zen of Harrison township, Delaware county, Ind., was born in the county of Muskingum, Ohio, on the 10th day of June, 1840, son of Peter and Clasissa (Lake) Drumm. Paternally, Mr. Drumm is descended from German ancestry, and his father was for many years a farmer and manufacturer of stone ware in the above county and state. Mr. Drumm's boyhood days were spent on the farm much the same as the majority of country lads and from the age of twelve his time was alternately devoted to tilling the soil and working in the stoneware factory in the sum- mer and attending the district schools in the winter season. In his twentieth year Mr. Drumm came to Muncie, Ind., near which city he found employment as a farm laborer, and later he taught in the public schools for a limited period. On the 21st day of August, 1861, he married Margaret Gibson, daughter of Andrew and Rebecca Gibson, of Delaware county, and from that time until April, 1867, lived in Monroe township. He then moved to his present beautiful farm in Harrison township, where he has since resided, and he now ranks among the most energetic and
thrifty agriculturists in the county of Dela- ware. Mrs. Margaret Drumm bore her hus- band the following children: Emanuel, An- derson, Peter Emsley, Marion, Howard, Clara R. and Enoch Orvil. Of these children Peter E. and Anderson preceded their mother to the grave, and on the 24th day of April, 1879, she was summoned to her final rest, leaving a child twenty-two days old, Enoch O., who died shortly thereafter. Left with a family of de- pendent children on his hands, Mr. Drumm managed to keep them all together and look after their interests as only an indulgent father could have done, until 1881, on October 29 of which year he married Mrs. Ann E. (Kern) Gough, who proved to be a kind mother to the family and a helpmate in the true sense of the word to her husband. Two children have been born to the second marriage: Addie F. and Maud. As already noted, Mr. Drumm is one of the leading farmers and stock raisers of Har- rison township, and it is also just to class him with its most intelligent, wide-awake and broad minded citizens. His farm, consisting of 160 acres of highly cultivated land, is well pro- vided with excellent buildings, among which is a silo, the first structure of the kind ever erect- ed in Delaware county. Mr. Drumm was elected trustee of this township in 1873, the duties of which office he discharged with credit to himself and satisfaction to the public for a period of nine years. He takes considerable interest in all matters pertaining to natural gas and he uses that ideal fuel in his home also for pumping water and operating other kinds of machinery. He is essentially a self-made man in all that term implies, and his present comfortable competence and fortunate position in life are the results of his own unaided efforts. In all the relations of life Mr. Drumm has proven himself up to the mark, whether those relations were of a public or private nature.
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J OHN DRUMM-About as near as one gets in this country to being absolutely independent is to be the owner of a nice farm in a section that gives plenty of rain and sunshine for the crops. Take the case of John Drumm, of Harrison township, with his broad acres, his nice house and barn, his horses and cattle and hogs, there is no noble in Europe half so happy and independent as he and his neighbors, who are fixed like him. Mr. Drumm has passed the three score and ten of the psalmist, and yet his natural vigor is not abated, and he enjoys life as it passes. He was born October 20, 1820, at Hopewell, Muskingum county, Ohio, being the son of Samuel and Susan H. (Writner) Drumm, the father being born December 15, 1786, and the mother February 12, 1795, he being a native of Virginia, and she of Philadelphia, Pa. Samuel Drumm went to Ohio when a boy with his parents, and lived with them until he was of age, spending his time upon the farm. Then he went into the manufacturing business, con- tinuing at it for fifteen years; after which he became a farmer and continued at that until his death, at the age of sixty-eight. In poli- tics he was a democrat, and voted for the can- didates of that party. His wife survived him six or seven years. He and she were members of the Methodist church. At the time of his death he owned 640 acres, the result of the labor of his own hands. He was the father of twelve children, all of whom lived to a good old age except one, who died in early woman- hood.
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