USA > Indiana > Elkhart County > A twentieth century history and biographical record of Elkhart County, Indiana > Part 58
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87
His history is also especially interesting in this county record because he belonged to one of the very first families to make settle- ment within the county, and as a boy he himself saw and experienced most of the eventful life which was the lot of the first-comers to this section of the state.
In Franklin county, Indiana, Alexander Irwin married Miss Elizabeth McConnell, who bore him several children, and after her death he married Mrs. Elizabeth Daily, ncc Wycoff, who became the mother of John W. Irwin. In 1832 Alexander, with his family. set- tled in Elkhart county, on Elkhart Prairie, in which was known as the "Goshen settlement." the "Elkhart settlement" being then the only other community in the county. Three years after his arrival he suc- cumbed to an attack of inalarial fever, which was very prevalent in those days and in that new country, and was perhaps aggravated by its crude treatment, by bleeding, purging and heroic doses of calomel prescribed by pioneer doctors.
John W. Irwin, one of the five children by his father's second marriage, was born near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, September 24. 1822. Reared on a farm, he received very indifferent instruction in the subscription schools of the neighborhood, his early schooling be- ing supplemented by two years spent in the State University at Bloom- ington. He began the study of law when but a boy, at first under the . guidance of Judge Chamberlain and others, and then attended lec- tures in the law department of the university at Bloomington. . He began practice in 1849. locating in Goshen, where, to use his phrase. he " began the starving process." From then until his death nearly fifty years later Goshen was his home, and he honored the city by his ability and usefulness. For years he confined his professional work to probate and ex parte practice.
In 1856, together with W. A. Thomas, General Milo S. Hascall, Edward Metcalf, Charles Murray, Thomas G. Harris, Judge Joseph
536
HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY
Mather and others, he organized the Republican party in Elkhart county, consolidating in that organization the disaffected Democrats and the defunct Whig and Free-Soil parties. In 1860, as the Repub- lican candidate, he was elected to the office of county treasurer, and served two terms in that office. He had previously served two years as deputy county clerk. At the expiration of his services as county treasurer he was appointed deputy internal revenue collector.
In 1854 he became associated with Hon. Robert Lowry in legal practice, and in 1865, while still in the office of revenue collector, formed a partnership with General Milo S. Hascall, in the purchase of the business and good will of the Salem Bank, from John Cook. This partnership continued uninterruptedly twenty-five years, lacking a few months. and then Mr. Irwin became sole proprietor. The Salem Bank was established in 1854. as a state bank, at the old town of Salem (now Wakarusa), by the late John Cook and Thomas G. Harris, who conducted it as a bank of issue until 1863, when it was taxed out of existence as such. It had the creditable record of being among the few Indiana banks which paid all bills and redeemed all its issue. Its charter being lost in 1863, it was thenceforth continued as a private institution, being moved to Goshen in that year and located at the spot where the Masonic Temple now stands. In 1866, the new owners, hwin and Hascall, moved it to where it has since been con- ducted, on the south side of the public square. It is now the oldest continuously existent banking institution in the state. Mr. John H. Lesh was for a time associated with Mr. Irwin in the operation of the bank, and since Mr. Irwin's death, in 1898, the bank has been con- ducted by his estate, under the direct management of his son. Frank J. Irwin. As a private bank it offers the very highest security to its depositors, by reason of the law holding liable the entire possessions of its owners.
Its business has always been conducted on a sound and consery- ative basis, and is secondary in extent and importance to none in the county. The sapient business ability of Mr. Irwin was responsible for the success of the institution, and the policy inaugurated and so profit- ably carried out by him has since been continued by his son,
With unquestioned loyalty to country and her institutions as a dominating characteristic, Mr. Irwin took an active part in raising troops for the Union during the Civil war period. During his long and active career he was identified with many of the enterprises and movements which have been such great factors in the upbuilding of the city of Goshen. Ile was one of the organizers of the Elkhart County Agricultural Society, and remained its secretary twenty-five years, then declining to serve longer. He left the society with thirty- two acres of land, with buildings thereon, and five hundred dollars in cash, all made from year to year from the receipts of the society. A busy man throughout his life, he nevertheless found time for reading
537
HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY
and travel. He twice crossed the Atlantic to Europe and visited all the places of note in the old world. In his large and miscellaneous library he found one of his chief joys, and his interests and sympathies continned to expand and become more genial with the advance of years.
October 11, 1855, Mr. Irwin married Miss Hager Jackson. the third daughter of Colonel John Jackson, the Elkhart county pioneer. Two children were born of this marriage. Frank J. is now at the head of the Salem Bank, and the daughter. May, is the wife of Hon. Francis E. Baker. judge of the United States Circuit Court.
JOHN KRAU.
John Krau is one of the oldest and most prominent citizens of Elk- hart, his years verging toward the fourscore mark, and all of them filled with useful effort and varied experience in the affairs of the world. Born in Germany on Christmas day of 1827, reared and educated in his native land, when he was about twenty years old he entered upon the career which has brought him in contact with men and affairs in different parts of the world, and which from a material standpoint has resulted in the accumulation of large resources. He went to France, then sojourned four years in the little republic of Switzerland, where he was a paper maker, lived in sunny Italy for a time, thence returned to Switzerland, and in 1855 embarked for a permanent home in the new world. After a voyage of six weeks he landed, on July 10, in New York city. To illustrate how he has achieved his own success since coming to this country, it is well to state that on his arrival at Castle Garden his cash capital was represented by cents rather than dollars. Self-reliance and confidence in his own strength were all that he then needed. and his career has been marked by steady progress through all the succeeding years.
Selling his watch in order to get money for further travel, he went from New York to Buffalo, thence to Detroit and to Niles, Michigan. where he was employed a short time, and then went to South Bend. South Bend was then a town of only twelve hundred inhabitants. and his employment there was in helping dig the canal. In 1856 he went to Lockport, St. Joseph county, Michigan, where he followed his trade as paper maker for a time, and while there was also married. Rockton. Illinois, was his home for a while in 1857, then Milwaukee one year. Beloit. Wisconsin, four years, after which he came to Elkhart county and after a short stay in Goshen located in Elkhart. He engaged in the butcher and stock buying and selling business from 1862 to 1866, then farmed in Michigan for eighteen months, after which he returned to Elkhart and resumed his old line of business with his former partner. William Cornish. In June, 1872, Mr. Cornish died, and until 1883 Mr.
535
HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY
Krau conducted the business alone, selling out in the latter year and re- tiring from strenuous participation in business affairs.
Mr. Krau is one of the largest landowners in Elkhart county. In 1886 he bought what is known as the old county farm, the purchase price of this fine property being thirty thousand dollars. Altogether he owns four hundred and fifty-three acres, located about four miles east of Elk- hart on the Lake Shore road, and is the owner of considerable real estate in the city of Elkhart. He has shown his confidence in the permanent prosperity of this city by building twelve brick blocks besides various dwelling houses, having erected, in 1873, the first block on the east side of Main street in Kemble's addition. In numerous other ways has he been identified with the progress and welfare of Elkhart, and his own prosperity in business affairs has resulted for the good of his community. In politics he is a Democrat, and is influential in matters of citizenship.
Mr. Krau married, in 1856, at Lockport, near Three Rivers, Michi- gan. Miss Christina Dick, who was born in Würtemberg, Germany, and came to America in the same year as her husband, she being then twenty- two years old. Their wedded life has endured for nearly half a century, and four sons have blessed their union. John is head bookkeeper in the First National Bank of Elkhart. William P. is in the meat business. Charles is foreman in the roundhouse of the Lake Shore Railroad. And George is in Alaska.
JACOB WELDY.
At the time of the compilation of this history of Elkhart county Mr. Jacob Weldy is found to be numbered among the foremost men of affairs in the town of Wakarusa and Olive township. A man just now in the prime of his years and powers, his work and his influence are positive factors in the business. industrial and civic life of this part of the county, and it is not too much to say that he has promoted the material prosperity of this district to a degree not surpassed by anyone in the course of the last fifteen or twenty years.
Mr. Weldy's career is by no means commonplace or typical; it is distinctly individual. Strength of character, varied resourcefulness, and indomitable energy and perseverance have been his chief capital in all his undertakings, from youth np, and relying more upon these qualities than upon chance or circumstance he has effected a success and position in the world of affairs such as only great and strong men may attain.
.A native of Elkhart county, born January 14, 1857. Mr. Weldy was the fifth of thirteen children, seven sons and six daughters, of Abraham and Nancy ( Yoder) Weldy. Seven of his brothers and sis- ters are still living, as follows: Anna, wife of Peter Hartman, a farmer of Locke township: John, a farmer in St. Joseph county. and married : Henry, who is a minister of the Mennonite church; Joseph, who is married and is a farmer of St. Joseph county and also a butcher by
Jacob Heldy
Mors Hannah D Meldy
539
HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY
trade; Levi, a farmer in Locke township, and married; Emma, wife of Samuel Madlam, a farmer at White Cloud, Michigan; and Amos, who is married and farms the old homestead in Locke township.
Abraham Weldy, the father, who is now verging closely upon the age of fourscore years, is living in Wakarusa, retired from a very successful agricultural career. He was born in Holmes county, Ohio, January 4. 1827. being of old Pennsylvania German stock, his grand- parents coming to this country from the fatherland. In its original form the name was spelled " Velta." \ successful man in every way. Abraham became the owner of perhaps four hundred acres of land, all told, in this county, most of it located in Locke township. He and his wife are earnest members of the Mennonite church and have kept their lives in harmony with the quiet and noble teachings of that re- ligion. His reliability brought his services often into call as executor in the settlement of estates, and he has also been known as a stanch friend of public education. lle has resided in Wakarusa since 1897. His good wife, who was born in Holmes county, Ohio, in June, 1832. has always been esteemed as the beloved mother of her large family of children and also for her devotion to religion and moral conduct.
Reared on his father's farm until he attained his majority, Mr. Weldy has from childhood lived in the atmosphere of serious purpose and straightforwardness of action, so that the period of " wild-oat sow- ing " has never been part of his career. His education was received in the common schools, and his earnestness in acquiring an education man- ifested itself in his poring over his books far into the night hours, so that what learning he acquired in boyhood was not absorbed but was really won by concentrated effort. When it came time for him to begin his independent career he made his start practically without capital. His father gave him a team, he went in debt for another one, and on some land in Madison township. St. Joseph county, he farmed as a renter for five years. Then. the father having given each of the chil- dren their share in the estate, he took his part, which was two thousand dollars, and invested in eighty acres of land in St. Joseph county, paying fifteen hundred dollars in cash and going in debt for thirty-five hun- dred. Almost immediately afterward he purchased forty acres adjoin- ing his first place and situated in Elkhart county, and he gave his note to his father for the amount of this purchase.
Mr. Weldy's success in business affairs stands out conspicuously by reason of the many misfortunes which he has met and overcome. While he was still a renter his big barn took fire and burned to the ground. Stored under its roof was the crop from thirty acres of wheat. twenty acres of oats, twenty-five tons of hay, a new seeder. fanning mill, a new wagon, and in fact the greater part of his farming tools. Dauntless. and seeming to take renewed strength from every such financial setback, he recouped his losses in a short time. He had already paid for his forty-acre purchase and was succeeding nicely when he suffered another
540
HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY
throw of fortune. in the failure of certain parties to meet their obliga- tions, which called his security to account for their loss. In the trans- actions that followed he had to take over a grocery store in Wakarusa, and he was thus introduced into mercantile life. This was in 1894, and he had previously bought a store building just across the street from the store which he took over, and into the former he moved all the grocery stock. He and Adam Domer conducted the concern in partnership for six months, and then Mr. Weldy purchased his partner's interests and turned over the management of the store to his daughter. Mary, whose business ability proved equal to the task set for her and she conducted it at a profit four years and then sold, the invoice being twenty-two hundred dollars.
In the meanwhile Mr. Weldy had been purchasing shares in the Wakarusa Mill and Elevator Company, and, investing the twenty-two hundred dollars he received from the store, he brought his interest in the mill up to sixty-five hundred dollars. From 1897 to 1899 he paid off Two thousand dollars of the four thousand indebtedness of the mill company, and every prospect seemed exceedingly bright for continued prosperity in his enterprises. He had gained by his integrity and ability the full confidence of the people, and the farmers of the vicinity had indicated their trust by storing twelve thousand bushels of wheat in the elevator, hoping to get the level price of a dollar a bushel. Instead the market declined to sixty-three cents a bushel, and when the grain was disposed of and the smoke of the crash had cleared away Mr. Weldy found himself at the very bottom of the ladder of business and with a weight of debt piled upon him such that he could hardly hope to rise in the near future. But, turning over everything to his creditors, selling his farm of one hundred and twenty acres and accepting a loan from his father in order to reimburse his creditors, he at once began the task of meeting his obligations and getting on his feet in business. The receiver sold the mill for forty-eight per cent of the indebtedness. the property being purchased by John Bechtel, who at once returned the control of the business to Mr. Weldy. The milling industry is one of the principal sources of industrial wealth in this part of the county, and Mr. Weldy had every confidence in his ability to take care of the future provided the opportunity were given him. He has since proved the wisdom of his views, for he has practically discharged the entire indebtedness to the farmers and has rehabilitated the business until it has more than regained its former prestige in this part of the county. In 1900 he changed the name of the enterprise to the Waka- rusa Milling Company, and now, five years later, it is pointed to with pride as one of the substantial institutions of Olive township. Other branches of the business include dealing in tile. coal, cement and lime, and the annual sales foot closely up to one hundred and forty-four thousand dollars. This shows what an honest and persistent man can accomplish when he has the confidence of the people, whereas, if the
WAKARUSA MILLING CO. 1894 1900 7
WAKARUSA FLOURING MILLS EAST VIEW
WAKARUSA MILLING COJ 1894 21900
WAKARUSA FLOURING MILLS NORTH VIEW
541
HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY
creditors had pressed him, there would have been a different aspect to the business status of Wakarusa and vicinity. Mr. Weldy was born and reared in this locality and all his life has been spent here, and here he has retrieved his fortune, credit and character, and not a single asper- sion can be cast upon his business career.
Mr. Weldy married, in January, 1878, Miss Hannah D. Null, and eight children have been born to them, five of them living at the present time. Anna Mary. the eldest, who is the wife of Rev. Frank Hartinan, a minister of the Evangelical church at Noblesville, Indiana, is a woman of many talents. She graduated at the Wakarusa high school, has been trained in music and is organist of the Evangelical church, and before her marriage was in many ways her father's most capable assistant. As already noted, she took charge and managed very successfully her father's mercantile interests in Wakarusa, and after that business had been closed up she was tendered a good position with an Elkhart business firm, with which she remained four years and received constant promotions. She then returned home and assisted her father until her brother Leander graduated and was able to take her place. She and her husband have one little daughter, Esther Marie.
Leander, the second of the living children, graduated at the Waka- rusa high school in the class of 1901, then passed his examination for a teacher's certificate, entered the Elkhart Institute (now Goshen Col- lege) and after an attendance of two weeks was credited two years on his four years' course and at the end of two years graduated with hon- ors. At the conclusion of his school days he became bookkeeper and accountant for his father and has since been associated with the latter's enterprises, being one of the capable and thoroughly estimable young business men of Wakarusa. He is a devout member of the Mennonite church, a teacher in the Sunday school and a leader in the evening Bible school.
The son Timothy is one of the intelligent and practical farmers of the county, and is already well started on a prosperous career. He married Miss Ella Brenneman. Sylvester is still a schoolboy, as is also his brother Aaron. the former being in the seventh grade and the latter in the fifth, and both are bright little fellows with the same promise of usefulness for their future careers as has proved fulfilled so often in the case of their elders. Of the deceased children. Irwin died May II, 1891, aged two years eight months and six days, and Martha died April 22, 1896, aged twelve years one month and seven days.
The daughter, Elma E., who was taken from family and friends by the hand of death when eighteen years old. had been employed in one of the leading stores of Wakarusa, and, at the entrance imon a use- ful and noble womanhood, was highly esteemed in church and social circles of this community. Following is the notice of her death, pub- lished at the time :
" Elma Weldy died Saturday morning, and although he had been
542
HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY
ailing for nearly two months, she was confined to her bed but one week before her death. and the Saturday previous to her death she occupied her position as clerk at Freed & Lehman's. Little did the many customers she so cheerfully waited upon that day dream that in one short week she would be a corpse. Her death was caused by per- forating ulcer of the bowels. She suffered intense pain, yet not a word of complaint passed her lips. Hers was a beautiful life, as pure as a lily, and people with whom she associated were made better by that association. Elma Elizabeth Weldy, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob WVeldy, was born on a farm west of Wakarusa, July 24, 1882, died De- cember 1, 1900, aged 18 years 4 months and 7 days. Father, mother, four brothers, one sister and a host of friends and relatives mourn their loss. A brother and a sister preceded hier to the spirit world. The funeral was held at the Dunkard church Monday afternoon, conducted by Rev. Blosser of Ohio, assisted by Jacob Shank. An immense con- course of friends were present to pay their last respects. The remains were laid to rest in North Union Cemetery."
Mrs. Weldy, who has been so loyal and helpful to her husband and family through all the mutations of joy and sorrow, and who is one of the most highly esteemed women of the town and community, was born in the state of Ohio, December 20, 1856, and as a girl came with her parents to St. Joseph county. She and her husband were school- mates together, and their lives have run side by side in happiness and usefulness for many years. They are members of the Mennonite church in Olive township. the Sunday-school of that church being one of the largest in the county. The political principles which have most ap- pealed to Mr. Weidy's judgment and understanding are those advocated in general by the Prohibition party, and he takes especially high ground on the matter of temperance. At one time Mr. Weldy served as & member of the town council of Wakarusa. The Weldy home is on Wabash avenue, near the Wabash depot and near his business.
C. T. GREENE.
C. T. Greene, mayor of Elkhart and cashier of the First State Bank of Elkhart, an ex-county treasurer, and for many years connected with the mercantile affairs of the city, was born in Elyria, Lorain county, Ohio. August 9, 1840. Nearly forty years of his life have been spent in Elkhart, where he took up his residence with his mother in 1857, having been reared and educated, previous to that time. in his native county and in Buffalo, New York, in which city he lived seven years.
Being a strong and ambitious youth of seventeen. when he arrived in Elkhart, he at once embarked in the practical affairs of life, in the employ of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad. Soon after- ward he went into the grocery business with C. J. Gillette, the firm being styled C. T. Greene and Company, and for the subsequent thirty-eight
543
HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY
years he was one of the leading grocerymen of this city. Since his re- tirement from commercial affairs he has been the cashier of the First State Bank.
One of the influential Democrats of Elkhart county, Mr. Greene has for many years taken an active part in political affairs. From 1872 to 1876 he was the incumbent of the office of county treasurer, having been elected to that office on the Democratic ticket and overcoming a normal Republican majority. Two years' service in the common council of Elkhart was followed by his election to mayor, which position he is now filling for the second term.
An interested participant in fraternal work, Mr. Greene is a Knight Templar Mason and is affiliated with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Modern Samaritans of the World and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, belonging to the encampment of the latter order.
Mr. Greene married. in 1879. Mrs. Mary Curtis.
PETER D. BERKEY.
Peter D. Berkey unites in himself the stability of character and the business acumen which are the principal requisites to broad success in this modern world where " Business is King." A practical man of affairs, strong and self-reliant in grappling with all the difficulties which are in the way to accomplishment along the lines of his endeavor, Mr. Berkey has long since been recognized among the foremost citizens of his part of the county, whether considered for what he has done in ma- terial directions, or in the public spirit which lends effectiveness to the general progress and welfare, or in the things that concern home and society.
Of one of the old families, he has well represented his kindred and honored the name in this county. He was born . in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, July 22, 1844. the youngest of seven children. whose parents were Daniel and Fannie ( Hoffman ) Berkey. The four living are : Andrew, married and a farmer in Harrison township: Val- entine, farming and in the lumber business in Elkhart township; Mary. a resident of Concord township and widow of Lewis Berkey : and Peter D.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.