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 82
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By occupation Mr. McAllister was a farmer and followed this calling all his life, dying in 1881 and leaving a widow and five children. His remains lie in Painter cemetery. His son Francis is now farming the old home place. and here Mrs. McAllister resided for the next two years, when she married Calloway Pierce, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. The church to which Mr. McAllister was con- nected was the Christian, and in its welfare he took a deep interest. He was a republican in his politics, and all the boys have imbibed their father's principles. Mrs. McAllister is a member of the Methodist church, and two of the children also joined that denomination.
James E. Pierce was born in Salem town- ship, Delaware county, April 21, 1863, a son of Calloway and Ruanna (Goodpasture) Pierce -the father born in Montgomery county, W. Va., September 17, 1822, and the mother at Lebanon, Ohio, December 10, 1827, of Eng- lish ancestry. These parents were married in Delaware county and by occupation were farmers, although for some years Mr Pierce worked at intervals at the carpentering trade. He was a successful man in business, and al- though he began with nothing he attained a comfortable competency. He reared a family of eight children, six living as follows: Thomas, Calvin, Walter, William, Flora, and Mattie, deceased. The mother of this family
died November 27, 1873, and Mr. Pierce now lives in Daleville the life of a retired farmer.
James E. Pierce was reared on his father's farm and from early life was accustomed to hard work. He received a good education and prepared himself for teaching, which pro- fession he followed for ten years, two years of which time he was principal of the Princeton schools and two years were passed in the same capacity in Daleville. He then engaged in drugs, and has built up a very fine business in this line. His means were small at first, but since 1891 he has continually progressed and now is considered one of the rising young men of the place. Mr. Pierce was married April 24, 1884, to Miss Donnie Brindel, who was born in Yorktown, this county, April 24, 1864, a daughter of M. G. and Margaret Brindel, of German descent. Mr. and Mrs. Pierce have a family of five children, as follows; Leona, Ralph, Chester, and Herbert and Russell, twins. Mrs. Pierce isa member of the Metho- dist church, a lady of many excellent traits. Politically, Mr. Pierce is a republican.
PHRIAM McCONNELL, a repre- sentative business man and manu- facturer of the town of Daleville, Ind., was born, in Delaware county, August 11, 1850. His father, John McCon- nell, and his mother, whose maiden name was Mary E. Cavault, were both natives of Ohio, and they reared a family of seven children, of whom the following reached the years of ma- turity: Thomas N., Abraham, Bethuel, Mary E., Ephriam, and John D. The parents of these children died in the years of 1854 and 1876, respectively, and are remembered as most excellent people.
Ephriam McConnell passed the years of his youth and early manhood amid the routine
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of farm labor, received a practical education in the common schools, and for some time, after beginning life upon his own responsibility, found employment at various occupations. He early turned his attention to the manufac- ture of lumber, having manifested a decided preference in that direction, and, becoming the possessor of a saw mill, operated the same very successfully for some years, in the town- ship where he now resides. Disposing of his first saw mill he subsequently purchased another, which, in turn, gave place to a third, and he is operating the last one very ex- tensively, at the town of Daleville, at this time. Since about the year 1887, Mr. Mc- Connell has been associated in the manufac- ture of lumber with J. N. Dale, but he is best known among the mill men as the inventor and patentee of the the most complete appliance for the elevating of saw dust or grain ever put upon the market. He received letters patent for this valuable invention on the 28th of June, 1892, since which date, in connection with the lumber interests, he has been selling the exclusive right to manufacture the same among the mill men of Indiana and a number of other states. The chief characteristic of Mr. McConnell's life is an energy which hesi- tates at no obstacle, and his business career has been marked by a success such as few, whose early struggles were similar to his, have attained. He is familiar with the lumber trade in all its details, and as an inventor of the uscful appliance above noted, his name is destined to become still more widely and favorably known among the people interested in machinery, wherever lumber is manufac- tured.
Mr. McConnell was united in marriage in September, 1873, to Miss Sarah E. Miller, daughter of Elijah and Mary Miller, of Ger- man and Irish lineage respectively, from which union have sprung the following children:
Willie O., Ada B., Wattie A., Walter and John L. Mr. McConnell and family are highly respected and consistent members of the United Brethren church, and in the esti- mation of the people of the town they are held in the highest regard.
S AMUEL McNAIRY, a resident of Salem township, Delaware county, Ind., and one of her bravest ex-sol- diers, was born in this county, Sep- aember 13, 1840, a son of Francis and Mary (Price) McNairy, both of them natives of North Carolina, of Irish origin, who emigrated to Indiana in the year 1831. In 1870, Mrs. McNairy died, and some time after Mr. Mc- Nairy remarried.
Samuel McNairy was one of a family of four children, and had no educational advan- tages whatever. He was obliged to assist his father in clearing up the farm, and worked very faithfully until he had attained his major- ity. In the memorable year, 1862, he en- listed in the Union army, entering the Eighty- fourth Indiana infantry, under Capt. Taylor, of Muncie, and later served under the famous Capt. McClellan, of Muncie.
Mr. McNairy experienced his first camp life at Richmond, Ind., going from there to Covington, Ky., and then to Catlettsburg, thence to Nashville, and from there to Frank- fort, where he was taken sick and was sent to the hospital at Nashville. In about six months he rejoined the regiment, again resolved to do his full duty, at Blue Springs, Tenn., and there the regiment remained during the winter of 1863-4. In the spring the regiment belonged to that grand army, which, under the leader- ship of Gen. Sherman, started to the sea, but our brave soldier got no farther than Kenesaw Mountain, where he was shot through the leg.
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He was then taken to the hospital at Chatta- nooga, where he remained two weeks, being then sent to Nashville, where the ball was re- moved, entailing much suffering. After two weeks in the hospital he was sent home on furlough, and two months later rejoined the regiment at Pulaski, Tenn., and was in time to assist at the battle of Nashville, following which came his honorable discharge at Nash- ville.
March 28, 1867, Mr. McNairy married Miss Margaret McAllister, daughter of Andrew and Nancy (Johnson) McAllister, and three chil- dren were born of this union: Mary B., the wife of Elmer Pittenger, of this township; Samuel A., born November 1, 1873, and died September 21, 1874; Osee A., born May 15, 1876, was the third. Politically, Mr. McNairy is a democrat, and believes firmly in the doc- trines of that party. Socially, he is a member of the I. O. O. F., of lodge No. 345, located at Yorktown. He and wife, and one daughter, are members of the Christian church, and the family is much esteemed in the neighborhood.
J ONATHAN MAY is a prominent farmer of Salem township, who is now en- gaged in managing his fine farm on section 32. He is the son of George and Leana (Sheets) May, and one of a family of twelve children, seven of whom are yet living. He was reared on the home farm and continued under the parental roof until the time of his enlistment, at the age of nineteen, under Capt. Tykle. He was sent to St. Louis, and during his service took part in the follow- ing battles: Rich Mountain, W. Va., Black Water, Mo., Sugar Creek, Ark., Pea Ridge, Ark., Cotton Plant, Ark., Champion Hills, Jackson, Big Black, Vicksburg, Jackson, No. 2, Fort Esperanza, Austin, Baton Rouge,
Walltown, Winchester, Fisher Hill, Newmarket, and Cedar Creek. This list represents regu- lar engagements in which Mr. May took an active part, and, strange as it may appear, he passed through all of this dangerous time without a wound. He gave four years of the best part of his life to his country, being hon- orably discharged at Darien, Ga., August 28, 1865, although he received no pension until April 27, 1891, when the government granted him $4 per month, but this was increased November 17, 1892, to $8 per month.
Three years after his return he married Miss Melissa Helvie, daughter of Henry and Lillie Helvie, Mrs. May being a native of Vir- ginia. Mr. and Mrs. May are the parents of the following children: George E., born August 21, 1870; Lillie F., born May 21, 1872; Mertie L., born October 19, 1874. Politically Mr. May is a republican, and is one of the good citizens of the township who merit the esteem of the community.
AMBERT MOFFETT .- The follow- ing sketch concerns one of the pio- neer settlers of Delaware county, Ind., who has passed out of life, leaving behind him a record to which his chil- dreh turn with pride, as he was an honest, industrious and successful man, who lived a life of peace and died respected by the com- munity. His birth occurred early in the cen- tury, December 12, 1806, in Granger county, Tenn., and later he accompanied his parents to Fayette county, Ind. His parents were natives of Ireland. Of the early life of Mr. Moffett but meager accounts are accessible, but of his life as a pioneer and the privations and vicissitudes of those early days local his- tory gives us a few glimpses. He was married December 18, 1832, to Miss Maria McCray,
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following which event he worked four years in a saw mill, then immigrated to Delaware county, Ind., in 1836, with his young wife. They here entered 160 acres and bought eighty. The father-in-law of Mr. Moffett gave him $125, but this was all the assistance he ever received, all the labor involved in the clearing up of this land was done by himself.
At the time of the settlement of Mr. Mof- fett in this locality, the land was covered with dense forest and the amount of labor to make of it a cultivated and productive farm was simply prodigious. Mrs. Moffett died Sep- tember 23, 1887, and five years later Mr. Moffett passed away at the age of eighty-five years. His life had been one of hard work, but he had made it successful in a financial way and left a fine property to his children. In his political belief he was a democrat and all the sons follow the example of their father.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Moffett are as follows: Elizabeth, born May 5, 1834, and was the wife of A. Pence, she dying March 16, 1869; Samuel C., born January 11, 1836, married October 2, 1862, to Miss Rebecca Dewitt; Susan M , born November 18, 1837, and married David Campbell, but died July 13, 1860; James T., born September 11, 1839; Sarah J., born July 31, 1841; William H., born February 10, 1844; Nancy A., born November 22, 1845, married Taylor Clark; Jemima, born June 3, 1848, married Henry Stewart; John T., born October 29, 1850; Clarinda E., born February 12, 1853, married Thomas Barrett, and Lambert E., born Au- gust 9, 1855. The last named with his sister Sarah now own the old homestead. They are people of the greatest respectability in the county where their homes have always been. The children married above have maintained the enviable reputation established by their parents, and are a credit to the township in which they live.
ILLIAM M, MOORE, a successful farmer and an ex-soldier, now liv- ing upon his own farm in Salem township, Delaware county, Ind., was born in Franklin county, Pa., March 26, 1846, a son of David M. and Effie E. (McEwen) Moore, both of whom were natives of the Keystone state. Mr. Moore was of German and his wife was of Irish descent, both vigorous and enterprising people. They immigrated to Middletown, Ind., Sep- tember 1, 1848, where Mr. Moore followed his trade of wagonmaker for some time, later in life becoming a farmer. His death occur- red in 1880; Mrs. Moore still survives, and resides with a daughter in Fall Creek town- ship, Henry county.
William M. Moore is one of a family of ten children, and remained with his parents until he enlisted in the Union army during the late war. November 18, 1861, he entered the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Indiana volunteer infantry, under Captain Jackson, and was sent to Indianapolis, thence to Lou- isville, then to Nashville and to Murfreesboro, and took part in the battle of Buzzard's Roost, this being the first engagement with Hood. They went all through Georgia, and Mr. Moore was with his regiment and participated in the battles, skirmishes and marches of that brill- iant campaign and followed Hood's army to Clifton, Tenn. They also were through North Carolina, and the last engagement was at Kinston, that state. They were mustered out the last day of August, 1865, at Greensboro, and arrived safely in Indianapolis, September 10, 1865.
After his return from the army, Mr. Moore worked at the trade of wagonmaker for four years, but later became a farmer, and now owns a fine place, well improved, which he has obtained by his own honest and untiring labor. He was married January 15, 1873, to Margaret
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E. Vanmatre, the daughter of Henry and Eliz- abeth (Summers) Vanmatre, and by this union seven children have been born, four of whom are now living, the family record being as fol- lows : Iva Ethel, born November 1, 1873; Sadie V .. born February 20, 1875; Joseph H., born February 23, 1877; Carrie B., born No- vember 18, 1879; Blanchie, born August II, 1881, and died December 20 of the same year; Helen V., born May 28, 1888, and died Janu- ary 31, 1889, and William M., born March 16, 1890, and died August 20, 1891. Politically Mr. Moore is a republican, and is well known and much esteemed in the county.
J OHN MORELAND, a representative citizen of the township of Salem, and one of the intelligent and progressive agriculturists of Delaware county, Ind., is a native of Pennsylvania, and son of David Moreland, who was born in the Key- stone state in 1792. David Moreland lived in Pennsylvania until 1854, at which time he immigrated to Indiana, locating in the county of Henry, where he engaged in farming, and where his death subsequently occurred. His wife, Isabelle Long, whom he married in 1821, was born October 17, 1797, in the above state, and bore her husband six children, of whom John Moreland is first in order of birth.
John Moreland, as stated above, is a na- tive of Pennsylvania, born March 9, 1822, in the county of Franklin, where the years of his early youth were passed. His father being in rather indifferent circumstances financially, young John was compelled to remain at home and contribute his share to the support of the family, in consequence of which he had but little time for acquiring an education. He re- mained with his parents until his twenty-fifth year, looking after their interests with com-
mendable fidelity in the meantime, and then, for a number of years, obtained a livelihood at any kind of honest labor to which he could turn his hand. At the age of thirty-three Mr. Moreland was united in marriage to Mary Ann Brumbaugh, the result of which union is seven children, whose names are as follows: John, William, David, Henry, Emma, Elizabeth, and Frank. Mrs. Moreland is the daughter of Abram and Elizabeth Brumbaugh, and dates her birth from the 27th day of January, 1830.
For a number of years Mr. Moreland rented farms in various parts of the country, but in 1870, purchased the place where he now resides in Salem township, owning a comfort- able home in which a true hearted hospitality is generously dispensed by both himself and wife. Mr. Moreland belongs to that large and highly respected class of people who do much, in a quiet way, toward the moral and the well being of the community, and he is content to pursue the peaceful vocation of a tiller of the soil rather than aspire to official preferment, political or otherwise. Originally, he was an old line whig, casting his first presidential ballot for Henry Clay, but since the dissolution of that party, he has been earnest in his allegi- ance to the principles of its successor, the republican party. Mr. and Mrs. Moreland united with the Lutheran church in 1873, and have been consistent members of that denomi- nation from that time until the present.
LFRED M. PENCE, an honored cit- izen and one of the most influential men of Salem township, Delaware county, Ind., was born in Henry county, Ind., January 13, 1837, son of Chris- tian and Frances (Fisher) Pence, who were both natives of Rockingham county, Va., of German extraction. Christian Pence came
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with his family from the old home, traveling in a wagon, to the new state of Indiana, in- tending to found a home in the wilderness. They entered 160 acres of land in Jefferson township, Henry county, and lived in the traveling wagon until they could erect a log cabin in the woods. These were lonely and trying times, as they were among the early pioneers of the section and were obliged to subsist mainly on wild game, which fortunately was very abundant.
Mr. and Mrs. Pence reared eight children in this pioneer home, of which family Alfred M. is a representative. Although hardships had to be endured, perhaps the privations of those times taught children lessons of self de- nial and economy which served to help them in after years over many rough places. Chris- tian Pence lived until 1875 and his wife until 1884.
Alfred M. lived with his parents and as- sisted in the clearing up of the large farm, at- tending, perhaps, one monfh out of twelve on the nearest school. In 1864, he enlisted in the ranks of the Union army, but one week be- fore this he married Miss Delilah J. Painter, daughter of Abraham and Rhoda (Sanders) Painter, natives of Henry county. Notwith- standing this occurrence, Mr. Pierce left his young bride, as his country needed his stal- wart services, and marched away in company H, One Hundred and Fortieth Indiana regi- ment, leaving Indianapolis November 15, 1864. The regiment reached Murfreesboro, Tenn., on the twenty-second of the same month and took an active part in all of the battles around Nashville during Hood's raid, joining the Third brigade at Columbus and arriving in Clinton, Tenn., January 8, when they embarked for Fortress Monroe, landing at Fort Fisher Feb- ruary 7, 1865, and participated in the fights . around Wilmington, took part in the battle at Fort Anderson, was on the skirmish line for
two days on Town Creek, N. C., and entered Wilmington February 22, 1865. He also par- ticipated in the skirmishing around Kings- ton and Raleigh, and was also at the final surrender; the regiment was mustered out of the service at Greensboro, N. C., July 11, 1865. He was honorably discharged July 26, and returned home, after a year of hard fighting, without a wound. After the war he settled down to an agricultural life, in which he has reaped success. His has been a happy home and he and good wife have had born to them a family of twelve children, as follows: Otto B., born June 19, 1867; Leroy M., deceased, born April 21, 1869; John D., born March 13, 1871; Hattie M., born Octo- ber 4, 1873; Walter R., born April 21, 1875; Mary E., born July 1, 1877; Francis M., born May 8, 1879, deceased; Lenona, born June 12, 1881; Delia F., born August 21, 1882; William O., born January 26, 1885; Chester A., born September 26, 1888, and Jessie,. born April 21, 1891. Althoug has been very fortunate both in peace and war, he has sometimes felt the hand of afflic- tion, one case being the burning of his barn, in 1890, which caused the loss of 500 bushels of wheat and all of his farming implements, but he has fully recoved from that, has built a finer barn and is most comfortably situated, being a very fine farmer.
ALAWAY PIERCE, a retired farmer of Daleville, Salem township, Dela- ware county, Ind., was born in Mont- gomery county, in what is now West Virginia., September 26, 1822, and is a son of Thomas and Susanna (Thompson) Pierce, na- tives of the same state. They were married in West Virginia (then a portion of Old Vir- ginia), in 1818, and resided there on their
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Calcuvan Oceree
MRS. RUANNAH PIERCE.
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farm until 1828, at which time they removed to Clarke county, Ohio, and then to Miami in 1830, but were not over pleased with the coun- try, and consequently tarried there but three years, when, in 1833, they came to Indiana, and settled in Salem township, Delaware county, when the mother died in 1840, and the father in 1855. Beside their son Calaway they had born to them ten children, viz: Ma- linda, Rebecca, Amanda, Susanna, Eliza, Arminda, Jane, Vorintha and two infants that died unnamed. The parents were devout members of the Methodist Episcopal church; the father who was a very successful man through life, was in politics a stanch democrat.
Calaway Pierce remained on the home farm, sharing its hard toil and its rude enjoy- ments, until he was eight years of age, and doubtless found more of toil than he did of enjoyment in the rugged life; yet he learned many lessons in thrift, industry and frugality that were afterward of benefit to him and laid for him the foundation of a future competence in the same vocation, which he eventually adopted as his life pursuit. On leaving the home place he employed himself at farm labor by the month for two years, and then engaged in carpenter work for nineteen years in Tipton county, Ind. He then moved back to Dela- ware connty, and in 1859 resumed his old oc- cupation of farming, purchasing a tract of 120 acres of land in Salem township, which he cultivated with great success for several years, but which he later sold, and then bought a tract in of eighty-eight acres in Richwood, same township, which he continued to work with profit until 1892, when he retired to Daleville, to enjoy in peace, ease and honor the reward of his early toil.
Mr. Pierce was first married in Delaware county, January 11, 1849, to Ruannah Good- pasture, of Warren county, born December 10, 1827, and this union was fruitful in the
birth of eight children, who were named as follows: Thomas, Walter, Flora, James E., Calvin, John, William, and Mattie. The mother of this family was called upon to part from her children November 28, 1870, and laid to rest in Palmer cemetery. After duly and sincerely mourning her loss, November 28, 1882, Mr. Pierce chose a second companion to share his joys and sorrows, and wedded Matilda McAllister, whose name has been ad- verted to elsewhere. Mr. and Mrs. Pierce are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and by their daily walk through life give evi- dence of the sincerity of their faith. Mr. Pierce is also a member of lodge No. 271, A. & F. M., and in politics is a republican, under which party he has filled several township offices. To such men as Mr. Pierce it is that the prosperity of every township is due.
ARON RINKER is an enterprising farmer residing in section 7, Salem township, and is a native of Henry county, Ind. He was born April 16, 1842, a son of John and Jane (Clevenger) Rinker and a brother of Daniel Rinker, whose sketch appears below, in alphabetical order. Aaron Rinker spent the days of his boyhood and youth on his father's farm, attending school in the neighborhood about one month in the year. His father had a large family to support and needed Aaron to assist on the farm, hence his education was somewhat neg- lected. In the spring of 1862, he enlisted in the Union army, entering the Thirty-sixth Indiana regiment under Col. Groose. From Indianapolis he was sent to Jeffersonville, to Louisville and Nashville with his regiment, then was sent to Pittsburg, and was placed on detached duty to drive cattle. The party started from Chattanooga, Tenn., with 3,000
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head of cattle for the army. About 125 miles from Atlanta they were attacked by the Con- federates, who captured 1,500 of the cattle, and his partners were also captured, but he managed to reach Atlanta, where he joined his regiment. The regiment had a skirmish at Jonesborough, and from Atlanta they went to Frankfort, Tenn., thence to Nashville, and then on to Athens, Ala., where they went into winter quarters. In the fall of 1863 he went to Dalton, Ill., with Confederate prisoners. He faithfully served his country for two years and participated in many skirmishes and bat- tles, but never received a wound. He burst some of the veins in his legs by hard march- ing and had to be taken to the hospital on ac- count of it, but as soon as able, he went back again to his army life.
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