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 68
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that time, were very indifferent. He was early taught those lessons of industry, thrift and economy which contributed to his success in after life, and, at the age of nineteen, began working for himself at farming in the county of Pickaway, Ohio, to which he had previously removed. His first marriage was solemnized in 1843 with Miss Frances Merrill, who died in 1861, leaving two children, Jacob William and James I. Crawford, both residents of Delaware county, Ind. Mr. Crawford enlisted June 15, 1862, in company A, Forty-fifth Ohio volun- teer infantry, with which he served three years, four months and twenty days, during which period he participated in a number of hard fought battles, including, among others, the engagements at Knoxville, Frankfort, Nash- ville, and numerous battles around Atlanta. He was honorably discharged at Columbus, Ohio, in June, 1865, and immediately there- after returned to his home in Ohio, where he remained until his removal to Delaware county, Ind., in March, 1881. On moving to this county he purchased sixty acres of fertile land in Mount Pleasant township, upon which he has since resided, engaged in farming and stock raising. He was married in July, 1886, to Caroline Blaine, who bore him three chil- dren, namely: Frank, Lawson, and Pearl. Mrs. Crawford departed this life in 1883, and on the 12th day of December, 1887, Mr. Crawford wedded his present companion, Sarah E. Thumma, of Madison county, Ind. Mr. Crawford is a democrat in politics and a man of local prominence in the community. He is an intelligent and highly respected citi- zen, and is well deserving of mention in this connection with the representative men of Mount Pleasant township.
Jacob William Crawford, son of the prece- ding and present postmaster of Yorktown, was born December 28, 1858, in Pickaway county, Ohio. He passed the years of his youth and
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early manhood on the home farm, and, after attending, for a limited period, the common schools, took a course in the Northwestern nor- mal at Ada, Ohio, for the purpose of preparing himself for the teacher's profession. He taught, successfully, several terms of school, and on the 19th day of April, 1885, was united in mar- riage to Martha E. Koontz, who was born near Mount Shasta, Cal., September 23, 1861, daughter of L. D. and Matilda Koontz. After his marriage, Mr. Crawford engaged in the drug business at Yorktown, to which place he had previously moved, and, after continuing in that line of trade for seven years, established a meat market, which he sold out in February, 1893. Mr. Crawford has always taken considerable interest in the affairs of Yorktown and Mount Pleasant township, and served as trustee of the latter from 1886 to 1888. He was appointed postmaster of Yorktown in 1889, and is the present incumbent of that office, the dufies of which he has discharged in a very acceptable manner. He is a stockholder and secretary of the Yorktown Natural Gas company, belongs to the I. O. O. F., and is in every respect a praiseworthy and energetic citizen, in whom his fellow townsmen have implicit confidence. He is a republican in politics, and as such has done good service for his party in a number of local campaigns.
RS. RHODA CATHARINE CUR- TIS was born April 10, 1828, the daughter of Hieronymous Curtis, a Virginian, whose birth occurred in the year 1800. Mrs. Curtis's maternal ances- tors came from Maryland, in which state the family settled a great many years ago, moving thence to Virginia. Shortly after their mar- riage the parents of the subject emigrated to Ohio, where the family resided until the
father's death, which occurred in 1839; the mother subsequently moved to Minnesota, where she died a few years ago at an advanced age. She left to her descendants the wealth of a good name and was remembered as a woman of many excellent virtues and a sincere christian, having been a devout member of the Christian church. Mrs. Rhoda C. Curtis was born in Virginia, in which state she passed the greater part of her early life, marrying there, in 1847, Benj. Curtis, who was a native of Ohio. For six years following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Curtis resided in Clinton county, Ohio, and then came to Indiana, locating in the county of Delaware, where they remained one year, removing, at the end of that time, to Madison county, where they made their home for a period of three years. Disposing of their farm in the latter county, they again re- turned to Delaware and located in Mount Pleasant township, purchasing their present place, which has been the family residence ever since. Mr. Curtis followed agricultural pursuits all his life, was a practical farmer and succeeded in accumulating a valuable tract of real estate, his farm consisting of 140 acres of very valuable land. He was a most exemplary citizen, and his death, which occurred on the 18th day of February, 1890, was felt as a great personal loss to every person in the com- munity where he resided. Politically he was a democrat, and in religion subscribed to the creed of the Christian church, of which relig- ious order his wife was also a member. To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Curtis were born the following children, namely: Richard; Mary E., wife of John C. Brown; Benjamin Franklin, John P., William Alvin, General Grant and Charles Marion.
Since her husband's death Mrs. Curtis has resided on a part of the home farm and has won for herself an affectionate place in the hearts of her friends and neighbors by her
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many kindly acts and deeds. Her life has been fraught with good works and she is now passing her declining years cheered by the consciousness of having discharged faithfully her duties as a neighbor and christian.
IRAM H. DARTER, retired farmer and business man and representative citizen of Mount Pleasant township, is a native of Indiana, born in Fay- ette county, on the 5th day of May, 1828. His father was Samuel Darter, a native of Virginia, and his mother, whose maiden name was Letitia Parker, was born in the state of North Carolina. These parents moved to In- diana in an early day, and settled in the county of Fayette, where they lived for a number of years, and where Samuel Darter became the possessor of valuable real estate, owning at one time a farm of 160 acres. This he dis- posed of, and, moving to Delaware county, purchased fifty-two acres in Mount Pleasant township, and a tract of one hundred acres in the adjoining township of Harrison, on the latter of which he made his home until his death. Mrs. Darter died in 1856, and subse- quently Mr. Darter was united in marriage with Sarah Black, a native of Indiana, who departed this life in the year 1887. Mr. Darter was a man of local prominence in the com- munity where he resided, took an active part in the promotion of the cause of religion as a member of the Methodist church, and was in- tensely radical in his political views, having been one of the original abolitionists of Indiana.
Hiram H. Darter remained with his parents until the age of fifteen, at which time he com- menced life for himself by learning the carpen- ter's trade, in which he soon became quite proficient, and at which he worked for the first three years for the insignificant sum of $199.
In connection with carpentering he also gave considerable attention to painting, both of which trades he followed from time to time until the breaking out of the rebellion. Ani- mated by a patriotic desire to serve his country he enlisted, and for some time thereafter served as a recruiting officer, being instru- mental, in 1862-3, in raising a company, which he entered as a private in 1864. Shortly after being mustered into the service, he was appointed first lieutenant, in which capacity he continued for five months, when, on ac- count of gallant and meritorious conduct, he was promoted captain, and served as such until the close of the war. This company took an active part in a number of engage- ments, and Capt. Darter, with his command, participated in several raids.
During his period of service Capt. Darter husbanded his pay with true economy and succeeded in sending sufficient money to his wife to enable her, at his suggestion, to pur- chase their present home at Reed station. While in the service Mr. Darter contracted a chronic ailment from which he suffered greatly for the period of two years after leaving the army, the effect of which was to impair seri- ously his subsequent health. In 1867 he engaged in merchandising in the town of Bethel, Harrison township, and after conduct- ing a fairly remunerative business there for five years, disposed of his interest, and, re- moving to Reed station, erected the first store building in the latter town in 1872. He carried on a successful business with a mis- cellaneous assortment of merchandise until 1882, at which time he engaged in the manu- facture and sale of lumber, operating a mill very successfully until its destruction by fire in 1884, entailing upon him a loss of over $2,000. From the latter year until 1887 he was engaged in farming, and subsequently entered the mercantile business in Mount
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Summit, Henry county, where he carried on the trade for a limited period, removing thence to the town of Gilman, Madison county, where he sold goods for about two years. Disposing of his interest he retired from active life and is now living on his farm in Mount Pleasant township, which he oversees and manages with the same success that has attended him in his various business enterprises. In addition to his land in Mount Pleasant, he owns a valu- able tract of about 100 acres near the city of Anderson, and in connection with farming pays considerable attention to the breeding of fast horses, in which he has earned consider- able of a reputation. . Mr. Darter was married October 4, 1844, to Sarah Mckinley, daugh- ter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Waltz) .McKin- ley, the father a soldier in the war of 1812 and for many years a well known resident of Fayette county, Ind. Mrs. Darter was born August, 1842, and is the mother of the following children: John, deceased; Riley and Frank K. Darter. Capt. Darter is an earnest sup- porter of the republican party and enjoys the respect and confidence of a large circle of friends both at his home and throughout the county.
J ONATHAN R. DOWNING, M. D., is one of the leading physicians of Yorktown, Delaware county, Ind. He was born in Logan county, Ohio, Octo- tober 18, 1844, son of Israel and Elizabeth (Rector) Downing, the former a native of Vir- ginia and the latter of Ohio. They located in Logan county, where they engaged in farming, which occupation Israel Downing followed all of his life, although he combined with it the trade of a skillful carpenter. In 1851, Mr. and Mrs. Downing came to Delaware county, and located on a farm, where he resided until his death, March 13, 1854. His remains were
interred in Mount Pleasant cemetery, where a modest stone marks his last resting place. In 1870, Mrs. Downing removed to Vermillion county, Ill., where her life ended in 1872, in the month of April; her place of interment is at Newtown cemetery, in that county. Three children were born to this worthy couple, Daniel G., a farmer of Eugene, Ind., Jonathan R. and Samnel G., a physician of considerable note, now a partner of Dr. J. R. Mr. and Mrs. Downing were people most highly re- garded wherever known, and were consistent and earnest members of the United Brethren church. Mr. Downing was identified with the whig party in early life, and was a successful man in his financial affairs. He was a man of great firmness and possessed a wonderful amount of vitality and great bodily strength.
Dr. Downing was reared on the home farm and was early taught the dignity of labor. The various duties of an agricultural life were learned by a practical experience, and he made a good farmer, as he has since become an ex- cellent physician. At the age of nineteen years he was but poorly educated, as his school ad- vantage had been limited. He then began to learn the trade of blacksmith in 1862, and in December, 1863, enlisted in company G, Ninth Indiana cavalry, for three years or during the war, and served until July 8, 1865. On Sep- tember 25, 1864, he was captured and kept a prisoner until March 6, 1865, at which time he rejoined his command and was twelve days on the way to join his regiment at Vicksburg. He participated in several hard fought battles and many lesser engagements, but returned to Dela- ware county without any serious injury. On severing his connection with the army he en- gaged for one year in farming and then went to Vermillion county, Ill., and followed his trade of blacksmith for five years. Finding that his army service had impaired his health and ren- dered it imperative that he should seek some
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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, 18II, 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
D. W. FLOWERS.
MRS. MATTIE FLOWERS.
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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 11, 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-
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