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 47
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William Francis Shaver was born near Germantown, Montgom- ery County, Ohio, on the 27th of November, 1840, and was thus nearly seventy-five years of age at the time when he was summoned to the life eternal. His father, John Shaver, was born in Warren County, Ohio, on the 3d of August, 1812, a date that indicates con- clusively that the latter's parents, John and Elizabeth (Weaver) Shaver, were numbered among the very early settlers of that section of the Buckeye State, to which they had removed from Pennsylvania prior to the inception of the War of 1812. John Shaver, Sr., finally removed from Warren to Logan County, Ohio, and in the latter county his death occurred in the year 1822. His widow survived him by many years, contracted a second marriage by becoming the wife of William Hogan, and she continued to reside in Logan County until her death, in 1874, when venerable in years.
John Shaver, Jr., was about ten years of age at the time of his father's death and was reared to adult age in Logan County, Ohio, where his early educational advantages were those afforded in the common schools of the pioneer era. He remained with his mother and stepfather until he had attained to the age of nineteen years, when he released himself from the responsibilities of his minority by "buying his time" from his stepfather and thus becoming inde- pendent about two years before arriving at his legal majority. He found employment principally at farm work, being engaged by the day at times and at other intervals working by the month, and he thus continued his activities in the Buckeye State until he had mar- ried and become the father of one child. In 1841 he came with his wife and child to Elkhart County, Indiana, the overland journey having been made with team and wagon and over roads that were such in name rather than in fact. He became one of the pioneer set- tlers in Osolo Township, where he entered claim to 160 acres of land in section 20. He secured this heavily timbered tract directly from the Government, made a small clearing on which to erect his pioneer log cabin as the unpretentious family domicile, and then set to himself the arduous task of reclaiming a productive farm from the wilderness. With indefatigable energy he continued his labors until he had developed a good farm and gained definite independence and prosperity. With increasing success he made judicious invest-
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ments in other land in this locality, and his estate was finally made to include 140 acres across the state line in Cass County, Michigan. Representing the best on the local stage of pioneer activities, John Shaver did well his part in furthering the civic and industrial de- velopment and progress of Elkhart County, commanded unqualified popular esteem and continued to reside on his old homestead until his death, when venerable in years.
On the Ist of January, 1840, John Shaver married Miss Eliza- beth Bailey, who was born in Clinton County, Ohio, on the 12th of February, 1812, and who was summoned to eternal rest in March, 1852, the seven children of this union having been as here desig- nated: William F., John H., Louisa, DeWitt C., Maria, Abraham and Sarah E. For his second wife Mr. Shaver married Mrs. Tresa Dills, who was born in Cayuga County, New York, and who sur- vived him by several years, the three children of this union having been Ida C., Jennie and Charles C. John Shaver was essentially a liberal, broadgauged and progressive citizen, and his prominence and influence in the community were indicated by his having been called upon to serve in various local offices of public trust. He and his second wife were charter members of the Osolo Grange. In later years his memory constituted an indissoluble link between the pioneer days and those of modern prosperity and progressiveness, and his reminiscences of the early days in Elkhart County were spe- cially graphic and interesting, a former history of the county having included his account of a bear hunt in which he had taken part in 1850.
Mrs. Elizabeth (Bailey) Shaver, first wife of John Shaver and mother of the subject of this memoir, was a daughter of Thomas Bailey and the latter's father was William Bailey, who was born in England and who, as a boy of nine years, was enticed on board a vessel by which he was transported to America. He was inden- turcd, or virtually sold, to a Virginia planter, with the understanding that he should serve until he had earned sufficient money to pay for his passage on the sailing vessel on which he had involuntarily come to this country. He was cruelly treated by his master and at the first opportunity he made his escape from bondage. He grew to manhood in Virginia, where he married and established a home, the remainder of his life having been passed in that historic Old Dominion.
Thomas Bailey was reared and educated in Virginia, and as a young man immigrated thence to Ohio, which was then considered on the very border of civilization. He purchased a large tract of land and became one of the successful farmers and influential citi-
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zens of Clinton County, that state, where he accumulated a very extensive'landed estate and where he continued to reside until his death.
William F. Shaver, the only one of the children born before the family removal from Ohio, was only six weeks of age when the home was established on the pioneer farm in Elkhart County, and thus he was reared to manhood under most invigorating discipline, with every privilege of holding "communion with nature in her vis- ible forms" and with incidental labors whose insistent and arduous demands did not tend to idealizing Dame Nature but to combating her forces in reclaiming the forest wilds to cultivation. In the little log schoolhouse, with its primitive equipment and facilities, he laid the basis of his education, which was made symmetrical through his self-application and varied experiences in connection with the practical affairs of a workaday world. He ably assisted his father in clearing and otherwise improving the farm and eventually he suc- ceeded to the ownership of the old homestead portion of the estate, the place, still owned by his heirs, being one of the finest farms of the county and comprising sixty acres.
About six months before Mr. Shaver attained to his legal major- ity the Civil war was precipitated on the nation and he promptly subordinated all other interests to go forth in defense of the Union. In August, 1861, he enlisted as a private in Company C, Ninth In- diana Volunteer Infantry, with which command he proceeded forth- with to the front and with his regiment he lived up to the full ten- sion of the great fratricidal conflict and proved a faithful and valiant soldier. He endured the fatigues and hardships of heavy campaigns and marches and took part in twenty-five engagements, including a number of the important battles marking the progress of the war. On the last day of the memorable and sanguinary battle of Chicka- mauga he was captured by the enemy, and it became his dismal fate to be incarcerated as a prisoner of war in the odious Libby prison, at Richmond, Virginia. There he suffered untold hardships and privation, as the result of which his health became seriously impaired and he was a ragged, jaded and pitiable physical wreck when his exchange was finally effected, after a period of nine months. His condition was such that he was taken to a Federal hospital in the City of Annapolis, Maryland, where he received proper care and treatment and where he measurably recuperated his physical powers. He finally went to Washington, and in the national capital he re- received his honorable discharge on the 29th of September. 1864, only a few months prior to the close of the war. He was given his discharge at this time because he was so disabled physically as to
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render impossible his further service in the ranks. In later years he found much satisfaction in perpetuating the more gracious mem- ories and associations of his military career by means of active affilia- tion with the Grand Army of the Republic, in which he was an appreciative and honored member of the post in the City of Elkhart. He took a lively and intelligent interest in governmental and political affairs, his tastes and inclinations were such that he had no ambi- tion for the honors or emoluments of public office of any description. With his devoted wife he attended and liberally supported the Pres- byterian Church for many years prior to his demise.
. After the close of the war Mr. Shaver resumed his association with agricultural pursuits in Elkhart County, and he continued until his death to be known as one of the most progressive and substan- tial farmers and stock-growers of this favored section of the Hoosier State. On the old homestead he made the best of improvements of a permanent order, including the erection of high-grade buildings. The beautiful residence is picturesquely situated in a fine grove of large native oak trees and it is uniformly conceded that this is one of the most attractive of the many admirable rural homes in Elkhart County, even as it has long been known for its gracious and gener- ous hospitality. The old place still continues the residence of Mrs. Shaver and with her remain her elder daughter and the latter's hus- band, so that from the time the land was obtained from the Gov- ernment up to the present time there has been no period in which representatives of the Shaver family have not maintained residence here, the home having attained specially high reputation for its hos- pitality under its present gracious chatelaine, widow of the honored subject of this memoir.
On the 16th of August, 1866, was solemnized the marriage of William F. Shaver, the gallant young veteran of the recently closed Civil war, to Miss Martha Ann Martin, who was born on a farm in Newark Township, Licking County, Ohio, and who is a daughter of William and Sarah ( Showman ) Martin. William Martin was born in Licking County, Ohio, where his father. Andrew Martin, settled in the early pioneer period, there reclaiming a farm from the forest wilds. On his farm in Licking County Andrew Martin continued to reside until his death. His widow passed the closing years of her life in the home of one of her daughters, near Ottawa, Illinois.
William Martin was reared and educated in his native county and there continued to be identified with agricultural pursuits until about 1861, after which he lived one year in Michigan. He then came to Elkhart County, Indiana, and purchased a farm in Osolo Township, where he died at the age of forty-eight years. As a
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young man he wedded Miss Sarah Showman, who was born at Hagerstown, Maryland, and who was a child when her father, Jacob Showman, removed with his family to Ohio and became a pioneer farmer of Licking County, where he became the owner of a large landed estate and where he passed the residue of his life. Mrs. Martin survived her husband by many years and died at the age of seventy-three years, her children being here designated by name and in order of birth: Mary J., Martha Ann, John, Daniel, Jacob, Wil- liam, Charles, Louise and Albert.
William F. Shaver is survived by two daughters-Minnie M. and Cora B. Minnie supplemented the discipline of the public schools by an effective course in the Indiana State Normal School at Goshen, and later she pursued an advanced course in the great University of Chicago, besides availing herself of the advantages of the Bay View summer school in the same city. She taught her first term of school in Cleveland Township, Elkhart County, and then became a teacher in the public schools of the City of Elkhart. where she served several years as principal of the East Side School, a position which she retained until her marriage. She was specially successful and popular as a representative of the pedagogic profes- sion in her native county and is still active in the representative social life of the City of Elkhart. She is now the wife of Charles E. Teed, who is engaged in the real-estate and insurance business at Elkhart. Cora, the younger daughter, is the wife of Frank D. Brod- rick, of Elkhart, and they have two children, Ruth M. and Florence E. Mr. Brodrick is a commercial traveling salesman by vocation.
STANFORD WILLARD, former teacher and now banker at Waka- rusa, is one of the most widely known citizens of Elkhart County. His career is one that adds value and incentive to the pages of this publication, and it is also proper to give some brief record of his very interesting family.
He was born on the 4th day of November, 1858, near Valley View, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Jonathan R. Willard, his father, was born in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, March 15. 1827, the son of John Willard, a native of Rochester, New York, and Anna ( Velker ) Willard, who was. a native of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Jonathan R. Willard died at 8 p. m. August 23, 1900. His wife was Catherine ( Schwalm) Willard. She was born in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, August 21, 1836, and died June 28, 1908. Her father was Frederick Schwalm.
In the paternal line Stanford Willard is of English descent and in the maternal German. The original maternal emigrants came to
STANFORD WILLARD ANNA E. WILLARD FRANCES E. WILLARD
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America in 1720 from Essen, where the great Krupp gun works are now located and where the remains of Schwalm castle can still be seen. The first Schwalms were part of the Palatinates driven from Germany through religious persecution. The Palatinates or Pennsylvania Germans settled in Berks and Schuylkill counties, Pennsylvania. The first of the family born in America, between the years 1730 and 1740 were three brothers, John, Andrew and Philip. The Schwalms played a conspicuous part in the War of the Revolution. They were millers, farmers and manufacturers. During the dark days of the revolution one of the reasons that Washington located his forces at Valley Forge to recoup and reor- ganize was because he had such a loyal people as the Schwalms back of him, who were able and willing to furnish him with supplies. History states that the Schwalms with their grain and flax mills did much good for their proportion of loyal soldiers. The Schwalms have at all times been prominent in every loyal movement for the perpetuation of the American Government. They not only took part in the Revolutionary war but also in the War of 1812, the Mexican war, the Civil war, the Spanish-American war. The Schwalms made the powder used at Bunker Hill, Princeton, and when Mollie Pitcher personally took charge of the cannon she ordered the use of Schwalm powder. George Washington called the Schwalm powder "excelsior."
The paternal or Willard family is of English descent, the first of the name settling in Connecticut in 1700. Their descendants emigrated to Oneida and Rochester County, New York, and to Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Several of the family have been important figures in our national life. Ashbel P. Willard, who was born in Oneida County, New York, in 1832, the son of Erastus Willard, graduated at Hamilton College in 1842, was governor of Indiana from 1853 to 1858 and died at St. Paul in October, 1860. One of the great American women who did pioneer work in the field of female education was Emma Willard. She was born at Berlin, Connecticut. in 1787, and died in 1870. After many struggles to obtain a liberal education she began teaching at the age of seven- teen, and her fitness for that vocation was so marked that at the age of twenty she received many invitations to take charge of the female seminary at Middlebury, Vermont. In 1814 she opened a boarding school in Middlebury, but in 1821 her school was removed to Troy, New York, and it became the female seminary. In 1854 she attended the World's Educational Convention in London, and afterwards visited the schools of Germany, Switzerland, France and other countries. Emma Willard's improvements in text books were
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numerous and were not least among her contributions to American culture. She also lifted her voice against the exclusion of her sex from the participation in the advantages of the higher educational program. It was largely due to her and to the fact that her school stood as an evidence of the feasibility of her demand that the cause of female education gained recognition and eventually a definite place in all American communities. Through this one woman the Willards have been an effective force in advancing humanity many steps. Another of the Willard lineage is perhaps the best known of the family in America. Frances E. Willard, who was born at Churchville near Rochester, New York, a daughter of New Eng- landers of English descent, became actively identified with the temperance cause in 1874. Miss Willard was elected corresponding secretary of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, and she made the temperance movement national and became national pres- ident of the organization in 1879. In the last quarter of the nine- teenth century she was probably America's foremost woman in influence and character, and it is noteworthy, and a deserved tribute, that her statue is the only statue of a woman that has found place in the Memorial Hall at Washington. She was pre-eminent in ennobling the cause of temperance, and she gave a definite course to a movement which will undoubtedly bring about a moral revolution in mankind in the course of a generation or so.
With such an ancestry it is not strange perhaps that Stanford Willard has devoted much of his life to the service of humanity, and that he has turned his influence strongly for the betterment of conditions in every field where his work has lain, whether educa- tional, agricultural, or banking.
A coincidence that he will always remember was the removal of his parents from Pennsylvania to Olive Township in Elkhart County at the same date when Abraham Lincoln's corpse was conveyed to Springfield. While the family were at Lafayette, Indiana, Mr. Wil- lard viewed the cortege of the great emancipator. The Willard family in that year, 1865, moved into a log house, and that building is still standing on the old homestead in western Elkhart county. In September, 1865. Stanford Willard, then six years ten months old, started to school in the home district (Ehrets) to Samuel Holdeman as teacher. He attended school there steadily for nine years. Afterward he spent two years in the Wakarusa High School, and in April, 1876, began teaching one mile west of Wakarusa. He taught eleven consecutive years in the Southwest schools, taught altogether twenty-five years, and concluded as superintendent of the Wakarusa High School. He graduated from the Elkhart County
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Normal and Classical School in 1880 and in 1879 attended the Fort Wayne College, receiving his degree in commercial arithmetic, geodesy, general history, physics, chemistry, rhetoric, algebra, English and history of education from that institution. He received three common school licenses averaging a hundred per cent, four exemption licenses, and one high school license averaging one hun- dred per cent in all high school studies. He received first premium three consecutive years at the Elkhart County Fair for teaching penmanship, ornamental penmanship, landscape painting and his school received first premium for penmanship, drawing and exam- ination papers.
In his later career Mr. Willard has been a farmer, abstractor, legal adviser, real estate dealer and banker. In all he has been very successful. He established his bank at Wakarusa April 1, 1907. Some weeks previously in its issue of August 29, 1906, is found the following in a Goshen newspaper: "Will Enter Banking. Former school teacher, one of Elkhart county's capitalists. Stan- ford Willard expects to open a private bank at Wakarusa April 1, 1907. Mr. Willard was a teacher for a quarter of a century, is one of the very few teachers of this or any other county to graduate into a banker. He is either an exceptional example of thrift in that profession or else there is not so much as is supposed in the old story about the poverty of the school teacher. Of course nobody will claim that he has made all his money by teaching school, although that has contributed in no small way toward his present position, especially in the early part of his career. He has a genius for money making and no opportunities to accumulate have been permitted to pass by. Mr. Willard is worth a hundred thousand dollars." In 1908 appeared the following in a Goshen paper : "A letter from the Auditor of State of Indiana to Stanford Wil- lard of the Citizens Bank says the result of Mr. Camp's examina- tion of your bank is very gratifying to me and shows that you will have no trouble in maintaining a good bank and I trust one that will be profitable to you." The Goshen News-Times also speaks very highly of his bank, saying it has the largest reserve fund in the county. Mr. Willard is the sole stockholder of the Citizens Bank, and has made that institution a source of profit and benefit to the community, having saved as high as eighty dollars a day for the local depositors doing business there, and brought about a great saving by stopping interest on transferred interest bearing checks. His private bank has the distinction of having the highest avail- able cash reserve of any bank in Northern Indiana, also of having all its loans and discounts secured by first mortgages on farm
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lands. Mr. Willard owns twenty-four farms, two business build- ings, two town residence buildings, has the agency of 2,864 farms, and is director and agent of a number of prominent fire insurance companies. While quoting from various newspapers the following item which appeared in the Goshen News-Times of 1900 states : "Stanford Willard, one of the teachers of Elkhart county, has again as usual captured all the prizes at our county fair for school work and sweepstakes for teaching. Mr. Willard is now teaching the Southwest school for the eleventh year, which speaks well for Mr. Willard."
On May 19, 1888, Stanford Willard married Anna E. Holde- man. She was born December 10, 1864, in Olive Township of Elkhart County one mile west of Wakarusa on a 360 acre farm where she lived until her marriage. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Willard moved to the town of Wakarusa, where they had their home until February, 1905, and have since lived on their fine farm adjoining Wakarusa on the east. Mrs. Willard was educated in the common schools, the Wakarusa High School and the North- ern Indiana College. After being awarded three first grade certificates she was given a certificate to teach for life. Her career as teacher began in the home school in April, 1885. She taught six terms in the Mitchell school four miles north of her home, and spent many happy hours in that community. After teaching eighteen terms in Olive and Harrison townships, the last six terms in the Harrison Center schoolhouse, she gave up a work where she had made her influence felt in behalf of the intellectual improvement of Elkhart County, though she has never forgotten the pleasant memories of those interesting days spent in school work, which covered the space of ten years and ceased April 25, 1895. On April 1, 1907, Mrs. Willard became assistant cashier of the Citizens . Bank of Wakarusa, and has served in that capacity ever since.
Mrs. Willard's ancestry is German, and her paternal forbears settled in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and her maternal ancestors in Lancaster County of that state. Her grandparents were Chris- tian and Christiana (Buzzard) Holdeman, the latter being one day younger than Christian Holdeman, who was born November 30, 1788, and died September 28, 1846, aged fifty-seven years nine months twenty-eight days. Christiana Holdeman, who was the daughter of George and Rachel Buzzard, after the death of her husband in 1846 set out with her children in 1848 and settled in Baugo Township of Elkhart County, where she died.
Joseph Holdeman, father of Mrs. Willard, was born in Bucks
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County, Pennsylvania, May 11, 1823, and when three years of age went with his parents to Columbiana County, Ohio, and later to Chester Township in Wayne County locating near the Eight Square Church not far from Wooster. Much of his early youth and manhood was spent in Ashland, Ohio, where he worked at the carpenter trade in summer and taught school in the winter. Alto- gether he taught eighteen terms of school in Ohio and Indiana. Leaving Ashland, Ohio, in October, 1850, Joseph Holdeman settled in Olive Township of Elkhart County, where he lived until his death. The following is quoted from his obituary: "Joseph Holdeman died on Sunday at 8 o'clock August 19, 1894, of paraly- sis. He was one of our leading farmers and citizens and a man with more than ordinary intelligence. He was a consistent mem- ber of the Mennonite Church, being known for his liberality in the cause of Christ. He was a kind and affectionate father and hus- band and beloved by all our people for his manly principles. Though not in the ministry his voice was raised on matters of moment in conference deliberations, and his advice was sought and appre- ciated. He was deeply interested in the welfare of the church and the maintenance of gospel simplicity in all the various channels of Christian work. His death falls heavily upon the entire com- munity, but what is our loss is his gain. His interment took place August 22 at Shaum's Church, and it was the largest funeral held there. Age seventy-one years three months eight days."
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