USA > Indiana > Delaware County > A twentieth century history of Delaware County, Indiana, Volume II > Part 54
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Robert Nash was born in Fayette county, Indiana, June 19, 1824, and grew to manhood on the old homestead farm there. He was married in 1854, and soon afterward located in Tipton county, where he entered and improved a good farm, while later, as able, he bought other surveys and became a large land owner and a prominent farmer and stock raiser. He helped develop Tipton county from its primitive state to a rich agricultural country, and throughout his business career he raised and handled good stock, for which he aiways tound a good market at home. Joining the Quaker church, he lived a good and consistent Christian life, and was a stanch Republican in his political affiliations. He died at his old homestead August 12, 1902, and is yet survived by his wife, who resides on their old home in Tipton county. She is a daughter of Benjamin and Barbara (Jones) Stiers, respectively of Irish and German descent, and both were born in Ohio, and were there married. Coming to Rush county, Indiana, they took up their abode among the early pioneers and there reared their family. They were the parents of nine children: Minerva, Mary A., Ruhama, Joseph, Lucinda, Perry, John M., Frank and Hester A. All are yet living and are prominent citizens of their respective localities. Eight children were born to Robert and Ruhama Nash: Darius A., the subject of this review ; Benjamin F., of Peru, Indiana; William F., of Sharpsville; Ida J., who became Mrs. Parks and is now deceased; Charles and Oliver, both of Sharpsville; Arta, the wife of George Romack; and Effa, the wife of Mr. A. Rose. The mother is a member of the Society of Friends.
Darius A. Nash was born in Fayette county, Indiana, July 17, 1855, and during his boyhood days received a good education in the common and high schools, and later he taught a few terms of school. Remaining under the parental roof in Tipton county until his marriage in 1880, he then purchased a farm and began agricultural pursuits for himself, but in the following year he moved to Fayette county, Indiana, and for many years thereafter gave his entire attention to his agricultural labors. In 1901, however, he sold his possessions there and came to Yorktown, where he erected a pleasant and commodious residence and has since lived retired from the active cares of a business life. He is the owner of a large and well improved farm, as well as property in Yorktown which he rents, and his wife is also the owner of some valuable farm property in Mount Pleasant. Mr. Nash thus finds a pleasant and congenial task in looking after their various property interests.
In 1880 he married Margaret J. Knott, a native of Delaware county and a daughter of James and Charity Knott, natives respectively of Delaware county, Indiana, and of Virginia. The father was a prominent and highly respected farmer of this community, a Democrat in his political affiliations and a member of the Methodist church. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Knott were born the following children: John, Samuel, Mary, Minerva, Martha, William and Margaret J. Mrs. Nash died in 1894 without issue, and in 1897 Mr. Nash married Ellen Reed, who was born and reared in Delaware county, a daughter of Cornelius and Margaret Reed, the father a native of 28
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Virginia and the mother, of Madison county, Indiana. They were prominent and well known farming people in Delaware county, where they spent the remainder of their lives, and the father gave his political support to the Democratic party. One child blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Reed, Ellen, the wife of Mr. Nash. Mr. Nash has a birthright membership in the Quaker church, and affiliates with that denomination.
CRAVEN P. KEYS is descended from an honored early family of Dela- ware county, and for many years he has been prominently identified with the county's farming and stock raising interests. His birth occurred in Clinton county, Ohio, April 3, 1848, his parents being Samuel and Maria (McCulloch) Keys, both Ohioans. The father was a son of George Keys, who established his home in Ohio and there reared his family and worked at his trade of blacksmithing. In his family were two sons, Samuel and Levi. The younger was at one time a grocer at Middletown. He moved to Indiana about 1849, and here reared his family.
Samuel Keys emigrated from his native commonwealth of Ohio, where he had followed agricultural pursuits, to Muncie, Indiana, in 1849, and turned his attention to farming and freighting with horse teams. He was successful in that occupation and accumulated stock of different kinds. About 1853, however, he resumed his former occupation of farming, rented land, and thus continued here until 1868, when he removed with his family to Richland county, Wisconsin, and again began the battle of life in a frontier community. He took his stock with him and, purchasing land, became prominently identified with the farming interests of that state, his death there occurring in 1890. He is well remembered by the early residents of Muncie, and his name is recorded prominently on the pages of its early history. His political affiliations were with the Republican party. Unto Samuel and Maria (McCulloch) Keys were born a large family of children, as follows: Evaline, who was first married to Gayman Swan and after- ward to Samuel Haynes; Mahala, the wife of R. Danner ; George, a promi- nent farmer of Delaware county ; Jonathan, of Muncie ; Craven P., the sub- ject of this review; Samuel, who died in Wisconsin; Lizzie D., now Mrs. Jones ; Flora, the wife of George W. Roudabush, sheriff of Richland county, Wisconsin ; Squire S., who also died in Wisconsin; Arabell, who was first married to a Mr. Raddington and afterward became the wife of George Benton; and W. G., a farmer of Delaware county. Mrs. Keys was a valued member of the Baptist church.
Craven P. Keys remained in the parental home, assisting his father in the work of the farm, until twenty years of age, when he left Wisconsin and returned to Delaware county, Indiana. His first employment here was in chopping cord wood, later assisted in grading the Jackson street pike, and for five years was engaged in making railroad ties. During five years he was continuously employed in the timber, and in. 1874 he was married and purchased a small tract of land, on which he erected a shanty and began
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the arduous task of clearing and improving new land. For two years he carried on the work of this farm, spending the winter months in the timber, and he then sold and purchased an interest in a large farm, on which he remained during the following two years. During the latter part of this time he purchased another tract of fifty-two acres, still retaining his interest in the former place, and moved to his last purchase, known as the William Crisp farm. A few years later, however, Mr. Keys returned to the farm in which he held a partnership interest, and in a few years became the owner of the entire tract, while still later he became the owner of another tract of eighty-six acres. By a subsequent purchase he enlarged the boundaries of a forty-acre tract to one hundred and five acres, known as the old Slack farm, and he is now the owner of two hundred and twenty-nine acres of rich and well cultivated land, which he rents to members of his family. During his active business career he was extensively engaged in farming and stock raising, handling fat stock for the market, and his well directed efforts were crowned with a high degree of success. In 1903 he retired from active work of the farm and removed to a commodious and attractive home which he purchased in Yorktown, there to enjoy the fruits of his long years of activity in the business world. He, however, believes in the theory that an "idle man will rust out," and he therefore busies himself when he desires in the selling and erecting of wire fences, in which he has built up quite an extensive trade. He is a self-made man in the truest sense of the word, but while promoting his own interests he has also advanced the welfare of his community.
Mr. Keys has been twice married. His first wife, who bore the maiden name of Arminda Dragoo, was born in Delaware county. where her father, Bellshaser Dragoo, established his home in an early day and became identified with its agricultural interests. He died in middle life, and to his wife devolved the task of caring for their children, she remaining at the old homestead and rearing her family to lives of usefulness and honor. Mr. and Mrs. Dragoo were the parents of seven children: Andrew, deceased; Ephraim, a farmer of Delaware county ; Molly, the wife of John Reynolds ; Cyrus, who died in Hamilton county, Indiana; William, who died in Ohio; Matilda, the wife of Tabor Reed, of Oregon; and Arminda, who became the wife of Mr. Keys. Five children blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Keys, namely : Anna M., now Mrs. De Bush, of Cincinnati, Ohio; Lilly May, the wife of P. Pugsley, who is farming the old homestead; Daisy C., the widow of George Davis, and two who died when young. The wife and mother is also deceased, dying in January, 1881, and in 1883 Mr. Keys married Eleanor I. Burgiss, the widow of James Burgiss, who died leaving two sons, Charles and Percy C. Burgiss, who were reared by Mr. Keys. Both are now promi- nent farmers. Mrs. Keys is a daughter of Charles and Ann (Parkinson) Morris, prominent farming people of this community. The only child of the second marriage died in infancy. Mrs. Keys is a member of the Christian church.
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WALTER LOSSON BALL was born in Blackford county, Indiana, January, 16, 1869, and moved into Delaware county with his parents in the fall of 1870, where he has since resided. His father, George M. Ball, was born in the southern part of Delaware county, and his mother, Susan R. Hale, in the northern part of Henry county. His father died in March, 1879, leaving a family of six children, and Mr. Ball remained on the farm until his matur- ity, and, being the eldest child, of necessity was required to assume the management of the farm, which limited his opportunity for school and education.
However, he attended the district school near his home during the winter terms, and later a graded school at Springport, Henry county, Indiana, and after arriving at age attended the Valparaiso Normal School, at Valparaiso, Indiana. After finishing at the Normal School, he returned to Muncie and took up the study of law, in 1891, in the office of Messrs. Gregory and Silverburg, and continued with the firm until 1895, when he formed a partnership for the practice of his profession with Hon. Joseph G. ยท Leffler. This partnership continued until 1898, when Mr. Leffler was elected judge of the Delaware circuit court, and immediately thereafter Mr. Ball entered into a partnership with Albert E. Needham, which firm still exists and is still engaged in the practice of law at Muncie, Indiana.
In 1894 he was married to Seretha Frances Taylor, daughter of William Taylor, a farmer, residing north of Muncie. Mr. and Mrs. Ball have one daughter, Ruth Lucile Ball, aged eleven years. They reside in the city of Muncie.
Mr. Ball was elected to represent Delaware and Randolph counties in the senate of Indiana in 1896, and was renominated and reelected without opposition in 1900. He was one of the leading members of the senate during his two terms, and took a conspicuous part in the debates and in all important legislation. He is still engaged in the active practice of law.
ARTHUR W. BRADY was born at Muncie January 13, 1865. His parents were Thomas J. Brady and Emeline Wolfe Brady. He obtained his general education in the public schools of Muncie, private school of Rev. Henry Upson at New Preston, Connecticut, and at Yale University, from which he was graduated in the Class of 1887 of the Academic Department with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. After graduation he read law in the office of Robert C. Bell, of Fort Wayne, his uncle by marriage, during 1887 and 1888. In the fall of 1888 he entered the Senior Class of the Law School of the University of Michigan, from which he was graduated in June, 1889, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws.
After graduation from law school, Mr. Brady returned to Muncie, where he entered on the practice of his profession in the fall of 1889, making his home with his grandfather, Adam Wolfe. At the spring election of 1902 he was elected Mayor of the City of Muncie on the Democratic ticket by a large majority. He served as Mayor until September, 1905, the term
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of office having been extended by act of the General Assembly. He re- mained at Muncie, engaged in the practice of his profession, until the fall of 1902, when, having become connected with the Legal Department of the Union Traction Company of Indiana as General Counsel, he moved to Indianapolis in connection with the building of the interurban line from In- dianapolis to Kokomo, Peru and Logansport. The general offices of the company having been taken to Anderson, Mr. Brady moved to that city in the fall of 1904, where he has since resided. At about the same time he was elected president, as well as general counsel, of the Indiana Union Traction Company, which position he still retains.
Mr. Brady married in June, 1893, Jane Ninde, daughter of Lindley M. Ninde and Beulah C. Ninde, of Fort Wayne, who died in November of the same year. In December, 1902, he married Caroline H. McCulloch, daughter of James McCulloch and Caroline J. McCulloch, of Muncie. Their children are George Wolfe Brady, born at Indianapolis, August 22, 1903, and Arthur Adam Brady, born at Anderson, February 23, 1906.
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