USA > Indiana > Elkhart County > A standard history of Elkhart County, Indiana : an authentic narrative of the past, with particular attention to the modern era in the commercial, industrial, educational, civic and social development, Volume II > Part 33
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James F. Boyer is indebted to the public schools of Elkhart for his early educational discipline, and received higher academic train- ing in Valparaiso University. at Valparaiso, this state. He early manifested distinctive musical talent, and it has been his privilege and pleasure to develop the same most effectively, his technical train- ing having included a course in the Chicago Musical College, in which he was a student in 1892-3. In 1894 Mr. Boyer became director of the American Grand Opera Company, with which he made an extended and interesting tour through the Orient. Re- turning to the United States in 1806 he assumed charge of the har- mony department of the C. G. Conn band-instrument manufactory, in his native city. In 1898 he produced his first opera composition "Don Pedro," and in 1899 he studied in New York with the best instructors in the metropolis. In 1900 he assumed the full functions of the position of director of the Conn Conservatory of Music, the work of which he brought up to the highest standard. In 1905 he went to New York City and became the director of what is com- monly known as the Millionaire Band, by reason of the fact that all of its members are men of wealth. In 1909 Mr. Boyer organized in the national metropolis the Mecca Shrine Band, with seventy- five members, and he developed this into one of the finest organiza- tions of the kind in New York City. He continued his service as its director until 1911, when he returned to Elkhart and assumed the position of sales manager for the Conn band-instrument cor- poration, and since the beginning of the year 1915 he has held the responsible position of manager for this extensive and important
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company. Mr. Boyer is not only a progressive and energetic busi- ness man but has also achieved high reputation in the domain of musical interpretation. He is a talented performer on both the piano and the pipe organ, and as such has filled concert engagements through all sections of the United States.
Mr. Boyer's circle of friends in his native city is limited only by that of his acquaintances and he is a popular factor in both business and social circles. He is affiliated with Lodge No. I, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, in New York City, where he is also an honorary member of the New York Press Club; and where his Masonic affiliations are maintained, as here noted: Ancient Lodge, No. 724, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons ; Triune Chapter, No. 241, Royal Arch Masons : Columbian Commandery, No. 1, Knights Templar, and Mecca Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. At Elkhart he holds membership in the Cen- tury Club, and he is well known in representative musical circles in the leading cities of the Union.
On the 22d of February, 1898, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Boyer to Miss Martha M. Wenger, who was born and reared in Elkhart.
JOHN M. BRUMBAUGH, whose career as a man of affairs and varied interests presents some points of unsual prominence from a biographical standpoint, was born on a farm in Kosciusko County, Indiana, June 16, 1849. He is a son of William and Catherine ( Mil- ler) Brumbaugh, who were married in 1844, and the father died August 21, 1856, and the mother, in California, June 16, 1900. The father was born May 23, 1819. and the mother December 6, 1825. They were the parents of two sons and three daughters, but one of the sons, Henry C., died in California, September 22, 1885. The daughters are Mary E., Annie E. and Emma.
Mr. Brumbaugh spent the first sixteen years of his life in his native county, living there after his father's death until his mother sold the farm, and with her children moved out to Marion, Marion County, Kansas. Mr. Brumbaugh spent twenty-seven years of his life in Kansas, and was identified quite prominently with the official life of the state. He was a clerk in the Kansas state treasurer's office at Topeka two years. He lived five years at Concordia and during that time served two years as Kansas state fish commissioner. During his residence in the Sunflower State he was known as one of the stanch and steadfast republicans, unshaken in his allegiance by the populistic movement which swept into its ranks so many members of both of the old parties. In 1891 Mr. Brumbaugh met
Worthie W. Haynes
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the noted Mary E. Lease in joint debate on the topics of land, finance and transportation, and also took prominent part in many other phases of the campaigns of those years, appearing frequently in joint discussions in populist orators. In this connection he estab- lished a reputation as a debater and fluent speaker and showed him- self a master of many of the important problems of the day. Mr. Brumbaugh is a well educated man, although the common schools furnished his early advantages, his native intelligence and practical study of everday affairs supplying many deficiencies which are often observed even in college graduates. He taught school for ten years of his career. Mr. Brumbaugh took up his residence in Elkhart on April 22, 1892, and has lived there ever since. For three years he was engaged in farming in Osolo Township, and also filled out an unexpired term as trustee of that township. Well versed in economic subjects and in political affairs, it was but natural that he should turn his attention to the law. He pursued his studies as op- portunity offered and was admitted to the bar of this county in 1898. He was appointed justice of the peace in 1899, and still holds that office.
Mr. Brumbaugh married, in 1879, Miss Lora M. Johnson, a daughter of Guy C. Johnson, deceased. She died February 22, 1900, leaving two daughters, Frances E. and Kathleen, who are both mem- bers of the Presbyterian Church and very popular members of society. In November, 1904, Mr. Brumbaugh married his present wife, Marie Engle. Fraternally Mr. Brumbaugh affiliates with the Modern Samaritans of the World.
WORTHHE WILLIS HAYNES. Before he came of age Mr. Haynes was setting up as an independent business man in Elkhart. He is not yet thirty, but has already achieved a generous success in real estate, insurance and loan business, and is a man who has the com- plete confidence of a great number of customers who at different times had transactions with him and also of men seeking oppor- tunities to invest their surplus capital.
He comes of a pioneer family of Southern Michigan and was born on a farm eight miles south of Hillsdale and two miles from Reading in Hillsdale County, December 12, 1887. His father was Albert Willis Haynes, who was born in Onondaga County, New York. The grandfather, Horace Haynes, was of Scotch ancestry .. removed from New York State to Michigan in the very earliest times, long before any railroads were built in the West. He made the journey with wagons and teams, and arriving in Hillsdale County bought a tract of timbered land two miles from the present site of
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Reading. On that land he constructed a log cabin, and that was the first home of the Haynes family in the West. Southern Mich- igan was then very sparsely settled, only here and there had clear- ings been made in the woods, and the one great artery of traffic west of Detroit was the old Chicago Road. Horace Haynes had all the qualifications for his pioneer task. In the course of time he cleared up the greater portion of his land, erected substantial frame buildings and lived there until his death at the venerable age of eighty-four, his wife having also reached a good old age. They reared five children : Arthur E., Silas, Delia, Martha and Albert Willis.
Albert W. Haynes grew up in Hillsdale County, and though he has had much experience as a farmer his inclinations were early developed as a trader, and he became interested in dealing in live stock, and also in the butchering business. For a time he operated a meat market at Reading. When twenty-eight years of age he went West to California, spent two years there, returned to Mich- igan to get his bride, and then again west out to California for two years. On returning East he settled at Elkhart, and for about four years was in the employ of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway. After that he followed various lines until 1900 when he bought a farm east of Elkhart and conducted it under his personal supervision until 1911. In that year he sold out and went to the Southwest, investing heavily 'in property at Palacios on the gulf coast of Texas. He remained a resident there until his death on June 21, 1912. Albert W. Haynes married Nellie Hart, who was born in Hillsdale County, Michigan. Her father, Harmon Hart, was a pioneer at Reading, where he owned two farms and was also well known as a stock buyer. He died at the age of sixty-five as a result of injuries received while building a barn. Mrs. Albert W. Haynes is still living at Palacios, Texas. She reared three children : Worthie W., Edith Mary and Carrie Theodosia.
Worthie W. Haynes has been well known in Elkhart since early youth, having attended the public schools there and having also had some practical experience on his father's farm. At the age of eighteen he found work as clerk in the Grosh Brothers' farm imple- ment house, and made the year with them one of valuable experience. In the meantime he pursued a commercial course, and also put in much spare time in the study of law.
He was just nineteen years old when he began a business career in the real estate business, being associated with Harvey Chamber- lain with offices in a residence at 321 North Main Street. Young l laynes had at that time only $too in capital and had practically to
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learn the business in all its details. In order to meet expenses he also worked as a collector for the gas company, and paid his board by waiting on table at a restaurant. With such qualities of self- reliance and enterprise, it is not strange that he has made a com- mendable success. After two years spent with Mr. Chamberlain C. E. Teed was taken into the firm, and the title was then Chamber- lain, Haynes & Teed. A year later Mr. Haynes sold his interest, and then established an office of his own in the Monger Building, but a few months later, in 1910, he removed to 405 South Main Street, where he was located until 1916 when he completed his new fire proof office building on South Second Street, his present location. For two years E. M. T. Nallinger was his partner, but he then bought Mr. Nallinger's interest, and has since operated independently. As a real estate man Mr. Haynes' transactions have covered all classes of city and farm property, and his specialty has been the buying of suburban tracts, which he has subdivided and improved for the building of homes. During the past five years he has built about fifty houses on his suburban tracts, which he has sold on easy pay- ments.
In 1910 he married Dora Nallinger, who was born at Sturgis, Michigan, daughter of Albert Nallinger. They are the parents of two children: Albert and Leona. Mr. Haynes is affiliated with Pulaski Lodge No. 60, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; Lodge No. 599. Loyal Order of Moose; Progress Camp No. 3320 of the Modern Woodmen of America ; and also belongs to the North Amer- ican Union and the Travelers Protective Association. He affiliates with the democratic party, and is a member of Concord Township Advisory Board. Mr. Haynes is always willing to do anything for the good of his city. He has done a great deal toward building up the south part of Elkhart, where he has bought and sold three addi- tions.
PHINEAS K. CLARK. It is a distinct privilege and satisfaction here to enter brief tribute to a sterling and highly esteemed citizen who has the honor of being one of the oldest native sons of Elkhart now residing within the limits of this county, the old homestead farm obtained by his father in the early pioneer days being now to a large extent included within the corporate limits of the City of Elk- hart, and the family name having been prominently and influentially linked with the annals of the county for three-fourths of a century.
On the site of the City of Elkhart as now constituted Phineas K. Clark was born on the 14th of July, 1842, and is a son of Edwin and Mary (Kenyon) Clark, the former of whom was born in La-
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moille County, Vermont, in 1805, and the latter of whom was born at Sandy Hook, New York, in which section of the Empire State it is presumed her parents passed their entire lives, she having passed to the life eternal in 1844, when her son Phineas K., subject of this review, was about two years of age, the only other child hav- ing been Mary A., who died at the age of thirteen years.
Edwin Clark, a scion of a staunch old family that was founded in New England in the early colonial days, was reared to manhood in his native state, where he received in his youth the advantage of the common schools of the period. He continued his residence in Vermont until his removal, as a young man, to the State of New York, where his marriage was solemnized, and about the year 1830 he set forth to establish his home in the pioneer wilds of Indiana, which state was then considered to be in the far West. He made his way on foot to Buffalo, New York, from which point he con- tinued his journey on a sailing vessel across Lake Erie to Toledo, Ohio. From Toledo, which was then a mere village, he came with team and wagon on the strenuous overland trip through the forests and over primitive ant ill defined roads to his destination in Elkhart County, Indiana, within which no railroad penetrated for many years thereafter, all communication with the outside world being made by the pioneers going forth on foot, on horseback or with teams, and merchandise being brought in by team from Toledo or transported by boats from St. Joseph, Michigan, to the nearest avail- able port on Lake Erie. At the time when Edwin Clark established his residence in Elkhart County most of the land in Northern In- diana was still held in the possession of the Government. The land on which the City of Elkhart is now situated could be purchased for $1.25 an acre, and the future city was represented by a straggling little pioneer hamlet in the midst of the dense forest. Edwin Clark purchased land here and became one of the earliest settlers of Elk- hart, to the development and upbuilding of which he contributed of his influence and energies, the while he was long one of the promi- nent and representative figures in community affairs in general. He served many years in the office of justice of the peace and continued his residence in Elkhart until his death, in 1848, at the age of forty- one years. He was one of the most venerable pioneer citizens of Northern Indiana at the time of his death and few were able to give more succinct and effective reminiscences concerning the history of Elkhart County than this honored pioneer, whose life was one of signal usefulness and honor.
After the death of his mother Phineas K. Clark was taken into the home of his maternal uncle, Benjamin F. Kenyon, who likewise
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was one of the well known and honored pioneers of Elkhart County. He acquired his early education in a little frame schoolhouse that was then the only institution of learning in the Village of Elkhart and which was situated at the corner of Main and Jefferson streets and later was graduated from Hillsdale Indiana College. His uncle was a prosperous farmer and Mr. Clark early began to assist him in the work and management of the homestead, his activities along this line having continued until he had attained to the age of eighteen years. Thereafter he devoted four years to service as a clerk in mercantile establishments in Elkhart, and he then learned the art of photography, after perfecting himself in which he conducted a photograph gallery in Elkhart for two years. After his retirement from this business he was engaged again in clerking in a local mer- cantile establishment, for three years, and from that time forward he followed various lines of occupation for many years, with invari- able energy and with loyal interest in all that concerned the welfare and progress of the fine little city which he has seen grow from a mere village to its present metropolitan status.
In politics Mr. Clark has been found aligned as a staunch sup- porter of the cause of the democratic party, and since 1910 he has served with marked discrimination and efficiency in the office of jus- tice of the peace, to which he was appointed in that year and of which he has continued the incumbent through regular elections since that time. He is affiliated with Conroy Tent, No. 1096, Knights of the Modern Maccabees, and he and his family are held in unqualified esteem in the county that has been his home from the time of his birth to the present.
On the 30th of May, 1865, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Clark to Miss Georgia Rosslewin, who was born in Ireland and who was a child at the time of her parents' emigration to the United States. Her father, Francis B. Rosslewin, established the family home at Rochester, New York, where he remained until 1857, when he came with his family to Elkhart County, Indiana, where both he and his wife passed the remainder of their lives. Mr. and Mrs. Clark have two children: Frank K. and Kate B. Frank K. main- tains his home in Youngstown, Ohio, the maiden name of his wife was Mary Shannon, and they have two children,-Paul S. and Geor- gia. Kate B. Clark became the wife of Frederick M. Swineheart, of Elkhart.
JAMES R. RHEUBOTTOM. A virile and benignant personality is that of this well known and highly honored citizen of Elkhart County, and in the course of a long and active career he has wielded
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much influence in the directing of popular sentiment and action in Indiana, through his association with newspaper enterprise, and he has the distinction also of being one of the gallant men who went forth to represent Indiana in the Union ranks during the climacteric era of the Civil war. Though he is now living virtually retired, in the attractive little City of Wakarusa, Mr. Rheubottom is not con- tent entirely to sever his connection with journalism, and finds satis- faction in maintaining an incidental association with the Wakarusa Tribune, of which he was the founder and of which his only son, DeAlton Rheubottom, is now editor and publisher.
The family history of the subject of this review is one of spe- cially interesting order and bespeaks long and worthy identification with the annals of American history. He was born at Mayville, the judicial center of Chautauqua County, New York, on the 27th of February, 1845, and is a scion of one of the sterling pioneer families of that favored and beautiful section of the western part of the Empire State. His father, William Rheubottom, was born on a pioneer farmstead near Mayville, Chautauqua County, in the year 1812, and he was a son of John Rheubottom, who was a native of Lincolnshire, England, and whose parents, insofar as now avail- able data indicate, passed their entire lives in that section of the "right little, tight little isle." Henry Rheubottom, a brother of John, likewise came to America and settled in Chautauqua County, New York, and a third brother who also came to establish his home in the United States became separated from his brothers, who thereafter gained no trace of his whereabouts or knowledge of his ultimate fate.
John Rheubottom, grandfather of him whose name initiates this article, was numbered among the very early settlers of Western New York, and he established his residence in Chautauqua County long before the era of canals or other improved methods of trans- portation in that section. In the midst of the forest wilds he pur- chased a tract of land, including what is now known as Chautauqua Point, and there he' reclaimed a farm from the wilderness. He was a pioneer in the dairy business in that part of the Empire State, and at the age of eighty-four years he went to Michigan to purchase .cows for his farm.' While absent he was stricken with cholera, which was then epidemic, and his death occurred in Michigan, whence his remains were taken back for interment in the little fam- ily cemetery on his old homestead farm. The maiden name of his wife has not been preserved in the family records now in existence, but it is known that they reared three sons,-Rensselaer, William and Warren, one daughter having attained to adult age and having
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married, but having been still a young woman at the time of her death.
William Rheubottom was reared to manhood in his native county, under the conditions and influences of the pioneer days, and as a youth he served an apprenticeship to the blacksmith and car- riagemaking trade, in which he became a skilled workman, After completing his apprenticeship he engaged in business at Mayville, Chautauqua County, as a general blacksmith and a manufacturer of wagons and carriages. There he continued his operations until his removal to the Town of Northeast, in Erie County, Pennsyl- vania, where he continued in the same line of enterprise for three years. He then came with his family to Indiana and established bis home in the little Village of Lagrange, where he was engaged in business for a term of years. Under the administration of Presi- dent Lincoln he was appointed postmaster of Lagrange, and of this position he continued the efficient incumbent for the long period of twelve years. He then entered the railway-mail service, in connec- tion with which he served as the first mail clerk on the line of the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad. After a service of four years he resigned this position, on account of impaired health, and soon- after his retirement he was elected justice of the peace at Lagrange, where he had continued to maintain his home and where he remained in tenure of this judicial position until his death, at the age of sev- enty-five years.
As a young man William Rheubottom wedded Miss Maria Tin- com, who was born and reared in Chautauqua County, New York. her father, John Tincom, having for many years conducted a hotel at Mayville, the county seat, and later having been engaged in the same line of enterprise at Westfield, that county, where he passed the closing years of his life. Mrs. Maria (Tincom) Rheubottom was sixty-eight years of age when she was summoned to the life eternal, and she and her husband, with all of zeal and earnestness, carefully reared their children, to whom they gave the best educa- tional advantages possible, the names of the children being here noted : Helen. James R., Anna, Martha, Willard, and Persis.
James R. Rheubottom has been in the most significant sense the artificer of his own fortunes, and his advancement has been won by his own energy, ability and well ordered efforts. He attended the common schools when opportunity presented, and after the re- moval of the family to Indiana he was here favored in acquiring the discipline that has been pronounced equivalent to a liberal edu- cation,-that of the newspaper office. In the office of the I.agrange Standard he served a thorough apprenticeship to the "art preserva-
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tive of all arts," his novitiate having had its inception when he was a lad of twelve years and his service in connection with the printing business having continued until the outbreak of the Civil war, when he manifested his intrinsic loyalty and patriotism by subordinating all else to answering the call to arms.
In April, 1861, Mr. Rheubottom enlisted as a member of Com- pany A, Twenty-first Indiana Volunteer Infantry, a command that was changed, a year later, to the Indiana First Regiment of Heavy Artillery. Mr. Rheubottom lived up to the full tension of the great conflict through which the integrity of the nation was preserved, and made a record that shall reflect enduring honor upon his name. He took part in the strenuous campaigns and marches in which his command was involved, and participated in many engagements, in- cluding a number of the important battles of the war. His service was in the states of Maryland, Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Missouri and Arkansas. He was with his regiment at New Orleans, and later took part in the celebrated Red River expedition, under General Banks. Mr. Rheubottom was a valiant and faithful soldier of the republic during the entire course of the war, and he received his honorable discharge in July, 1865.
After the termination of his gallant military career Mr. Rheubot- tom resumed his association with the Lagrange Standard, in the office of which paper he continued his work until 1878. He then went to Wolcottville, Lagrange County, where he founded a weekly paper to which he gave the name of the Wolcottville Gazette. After publishing this paper four years he sold the plant and business and . returned to Lagrange, but within a short time thereafter he went to Sturgis, Michigan, where he was identified with newspaper work four years, the following year having recorded his service on a paper at Big Rapids, in the northern part of the same state. He then returned to Wolcottville, Indiana, where he founded another weekly paper. A year later he sold the same, and the new owner removed the plant and business to Lagrange, where Mr. Rheubot- tom continued to be associated with him for four years. The ensu-
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