USA > Indiana > Marshall County > A twentieth century history of Marshall County, Indiana, Volume II > Part 10
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Mr. Allman is one of the oldest merchants in Plymouth and has con- ducted his business throughout the years with invariable success. He is well known in the city of Plymouth and the surrounding country. In politics he is a Democrat and is vitally interested in all that pertains to the public good.
RILEY VANVACTOR. Among the earliest families to settle in Mar- shall county were the VanVactors, a prominent representative of whom is Riley VanVactor of Center township. He might almost be called a native of the county, though born in Union county, Indiana, March IO, 1834, as he was but one year old when his parents came here in 1835, and here he has since resided and is consequently numbered among the oldest as well as the best known citizens of the county. In reviewing the family history it is found that the VanVactors were of Holland descent and that the name was founded on American shores by two brothers whose names cannot now be recalled, but who came from Holland to America in a very early day in its history. David VanVactor, the father of Riley, was born in Pennsylvania in 1810 and was a son of Joseph Van Vactor, a native of that commonwealth, from whence he came to Indiana in an early day and located in Union county. There David Van Vactor married Harriet Warren, who was born in New Jersey and who departed this life in 1874, her husband having preceded her in death, passing away in 1862. They became the parents of eight chil- dren : Miles, Riley, Mary Jane, Joseph, Sarah (Mrs. William Pomeroy), Hiram and two who died in infancy.
In 1835 the family came to Marshall county and settled on the Mich- igan road in section 15, Center township, establishing their home in the uncut forests. At that time the Indians still roamed at will here, and among them this early pioneer family made many friends and Riley Van Vactor can yet recall to mind many of their names. The father after securing his land here at once set about to construct a log cabin for the habitation of the family, and, assisted by his faithful wife and dutiful children, he soon became well established. A fine farm was evolved from the wilderness, and the old homestead is now the property of the imme- diate subject of this review. David VanVactor was first a Whig in pol- itics, and later became one of the organizers of the Republican party. He was honored among his fellow citizens for his integrity of character and straightforward manner of dealing, and although not a member of any church he was noted for his moral rectitude. His faithful and
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devoted wife was a communicant of the Baptist church, and both were universally respected by all who knew them.
Amid pioneer scenes and on the old home farm Riley Van Vactor was reared, and in the primitive log school house was given only a fair education. In 1882 he chose for his wife and helpmeet Sarah A. Russell, who was born in Delaware county, Indiana, July 14, 1841, a daughter of James and Harriet (Pittenger) Russell, natives of Ohio and Pennsylvania respectively. They were married in Ohio and from that state came to Indiana, settling in Delaware county, but in 1849 came from there to Marshall county, from whence they removed a few years later to Illinois, where both subsequently died. Mrs. VanVactor is now the only member of the family residing in Marshall county. Their marriage has resulted in the birth of five children, two of whom are deceased, and the three now living are David J., Mark R. and Jennie, the wife of Mr. John Gibson.
Mr. Van Vactor has devoted his life to the occupation of farming, and has been very successful in business affairs. He owns one of the best farms in the county, its boundaries embracing one hundred and forty acres, and it is well improved and under high state of cultivation. In early life he toiled in the clearing of the timber from the parental home- stead, and there learned the lessons of industry and perseverance which have characterized his long and useful career. In politics he has always supported the measures of the Republican party, and both he and his wife are members of the Methodist church. He has not only witnessed the development of Marshall county, but has largely contributed thereto, and his record has always been that of a public-spirited citizen.
JACOB E. MYERS, the honored citizen of Union township, has faith- fully followed the patriotic traditions of his race, the representatives of which have always been among the most dependable colonists of the world. When the native German transfers his home to another land, although he carries with him the pride of ancestry, he at the same time is ready to give his best strength and blood in the support of the institu- tions of his adopted country. Thus it was, most emphatically, with Mr. Myers. Born in Germany on the 14th day of March, 1846, when he was eight years of age, his parents left the fatherland with him for America, but the father died before reaching New York. Although thus suddenly bereft and with small resources at their command, the widow and her young son bravely faced the situation, and were enabled after a time to reach Marion, Ohio, and locate near that place. In 1860 they transferred the scene of their struggles to Marshall county, Indiana, where they were found at the outbreak of the Civil war. Living in the midst of an intense loyal atmosphere, the sympathies of the sturdy youth were from the first with the Union cause, and as the bitter conflict progressed he was sorely harassed between filial duty and his burning desire to aid in the defense of the institutions which he knew were to benefit his future. Finally, in 1864, he enlisted in the Forty-eighth Indiana Volunteer Infan- try, Company D, and participated in the campaigns of Sherman's great army in its historic marches from Atlanta to the sea, and northward, through the Carolinas, to join the massed forces of Grant pressing down from Virginia.
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
Following the war Mr. Myers returned to Union township, and entered into the paths of industry with characteristic faithfulness. He devoted himself to the carpenter's trade until his marriage in the fall of 1866, when he wisely decided to base his future on the soil, which always yields its bounties to those who do their work patiently, energetically and intelligently. First, he purchased forty acres of land, which he cleared of its timber, cultivated and improved with the necessary buildings. This tract he afterward rented for two years, and eventually sold. In 1876 he purchased his present farm of 146 acres, which was originally wooded land, and for the succeeding seven years, while clearing it of its heavy timber, also operated a sawmill. Gradually he brought the entire area into a state of perfect cultivation, erected a comfortable residence and convenient outbuildings, and had the final satisfaction of creating a val- uable and attractive homestead. He is both a farmer and a stock-raiser of substantial standing, is a citizen of acknowledged worth, and, although never a politician, has always been ready to defend Republicanism since he reached his voting age, two years after the termination of the Civil war. He was among the first to identify himself with the Grand Army of the Republic, and is also a member of the I. O. O. F. In his religious faith, he is an earnest adherent to Methodism.
On the 28th of October, 1866, Mr. Myers was united in marriage with Miss Sarah A. Kaley, born near Bellevue, Ohio, and a daughter of Reuben Kaley, born and reared in Pennsylvania, married in Ohio and a pioneer settler of Union township. Mary (Crouse) Kaley, Mrs. Myers' mother, was born in Germany, coming to the United States in early girlhood and developing into womanhood in the state of Ohio. She became the mother of five children. After her death Mr. Kaley married again, and to this union were born seven children. The father of these families settled in Union township in 1845, and, as was customary with the pioneers, selected timber land as the site of his homestead. The first four weeks after his arrival were spent in a rail pen, but as soon as possible he erected a log house and commenced the clearing of the place. At that time he was simply one of a few white settlers, surrounded by woods and lurking Indians. He spent the remainder of his life in that section, and lived to see it develop into a prosperous and progressive community. In politics, he was a Democrat : was a member of the Evangelical church, and widely known and honored throughout Marshall county.
Mr. and Mrs. Myers have had nine children, three sons and six daughters, five of whom are living,-William H., located in Union town- ship and a farmer, married Miss Daisy Oiler and has two children ; he is a Republican ; Clara, wife of John Swanson, resident of South Bend, and engineer and janitor at courthouse, South Bend, has two children ; Pearl, wife of Lloyd Custer, and a resident of Mishawaka, Indiana, works in the rubber factory; Mary, is engaged with the Bell Telephone Company at Culver, Indiana: Tina, the youngest, is at home. Mrs. Myers was reared in this county and educated in the township.
CHARLES A. GONTER. The farming interests of Marshall county find a worthy representative in Charles A. Gonter, whose estate is located in section 24. North township. He has resided here since 1898, and
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previously maintained his residence at the old homestead of his father in North township. He was born two miles east of Linksville, January 24, 1870, a son of Jackson Gonter, whose birth occurred in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, May 6, 1829, and in 1857 he established his home in North township, Marshall county, Indiana. There he became well known as a farmer and thresher, and his life's labors were ended in death about the Ist of July, 1892. His wife, Catherine (Large) Gonter, was born in Darke county, Ohio, on September 8, 1834, and she died on July 19, 1901. In their family were four children, two sons and two daughters,- Charles A., the subject of this review ; Lydia A., of North Dakota; Mary E., deceased, and Adrian M., of Lapaz.
Charles A. Gonter was born and reared in Marshall county, supple- menting his educational training, received in the public schools of North township, by attendance at the Valparaiso University, and for thirteen years thereafter he was numbered among the county's most successful edu- cators. He entered the profession when but nineteen years of age, and he taught continuously in North township. On the 18th of March, 1894, Mr. Gonter married Irene Milner, the only daughter of Joseph B. and Ann (Murphy) Milner. She was born in North township November 8, 1872, and by her marriage has become the mother of one daughter, Ruth A., born January 13, 1899; in third grade. Mr. Gonter is a stanch Democrat in his political affiliations and was made a member of the county council, 1904, which position he held until the last election, cover- ing a period of two years. His fraternal relations connect him with the Modern Woodmen of America, affiliating with Lapaz Camp, No. 4325.
WILLIAM O'KEEFE, a prominent lumber dealer in Plymouth, Indiana, was born in Vigo county, this state, September 24, 1854. His father, Timothy O'Keefe, was a native of Ireland and was born in the city of Cork, coming to America in 1836 and locating first in the state of New York, from whence he removed to Logansport and later to Terre Haute, Indiana. In 1871 he located in Plymouth, where he died in his seventy- ninth year. The mother of our subject, Anna Maria ( Wilson) O'Keefe, was born in Butler county, Ohio, and died in her seventy-seventh year.
William O'Keefe, the second of their five children, was about seven- teen years of age when he came to Plymouth, and he devoted the early years of his life to farming. In 1880 he engaged in the lumber business in Plymouth, and he is still prominently identified with this occupation. His campaign for the conservation of state and county funds dates back to 1900, when he was elected treasurer of Marshall county, and upon entering upon the duties of his office he issued the following statement : "In entering upon the office of county treasurer it is my purpose to dis- charge all the duties connected therewith to the best of my ability and in strict accordance with the law. I believe that a public office is a public trust, and that it should be administered in the interest of the people and not for the benefit of the incumbent of the office. So believing, I shall deposit in safe banking institutions all funds received by me as such treasurer, where the same will be kept until paid out to the parties author- ized to receive the same; and all interest received by me from said banks on all county funds so deposited will be paid into the county treasury for
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
the benefit of the taxpayers. I will not use any of the money in the transaction of my private business, nor will I loan any of the funds of the county to private individuals or others, as the money is not mine to use in that way." In commenting upon the declaration of Mr. O'Keefe upon his assumption of office the Indianapolis Sentinel on January 18, 1902, said: "Mr. O'Keefe has the right conception of the sacredness of a public trust. One of the greatest evils in the transaction of public busi- ness is the use of public moneys for the private benefit of the custodians thereof. It is, however, an abuse so universal that it has come to be taken as a matter of course and entirely compatible with perfect integrity. * *
* Mr. O'Keefe has taken an unassailable position and one which cannot be too highly commended without reflecting upon the integrity of others occupying similar positions who take the ground that having assumed the responsibilities for the safe-keeping of public moneys and given an adequate bond for the same they are entitled equitably, if not in law, to the profits arising therefrom while in their possession." At the close of his incumbency Mr. O'Keefe presented to the county a sum amounting to about five thousand dollars. This represented interest on the people's money. It went back to the people; it went back to the county ; it went back to where it belonged.
In 1879 Mr. O'Keefe was united in marriage to Miss Bertha D. Snyder, a daughter of John and Jane ( McCormick) Snyder. She was born in Marshall county and of which she has been a lifelong resident. Mr. and Mrs. O'Keefe are the parents of two children,-Arthur W. and Esther C. Mr. O'Keefe is a Democrat and is widely known as a pro- gressive and public-minded citizen.
STEPHIEN EDWARDS, the well-known farmer of Union township, Mar- shall county, is a pioneer of this section, and the son of a pioneer. He has been content to remain faithful to the interests which lie nearest at hand, and thereby has fulfilled the highest duties of a Christian and an American citizen. Born in Miami county, Indiana, on the 12th day of January, 1844, he is the son of Francis Edwards, who was a native of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and at an early day settled upon a farm in the county named. The mother (nee Elizabeth Hoover) was a native of Maryland, but was reared near Marion, Indiana. There were eleven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Francis Edwards, of whom Stephen was the tenth. The father also came to Marshall county, Indiana, at a time which places him in the pioneer class. He selected for his new home a wooded tract of seventy-three acres in Union township, upon which he built a log house and initiated the improvements which his son has since carried to completion. Here he passed the balance of his life, which extended to the age of seventy-three years. The deceased was a Democrat throughout his life, but simply a voter-never an office seeker.
Stephen Edwards received his education in the district log school- house which was nearest to his home, and, as he has never left the old homestead to reside, his most heartfelt interests are identified with this locality. His own homestead farm now embraces, 104 acres, and it is a country place in which centers just pride and filial affection. In 1871 Mr. Edwards was united in marriage with Miss Nancy Savage, a native
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
of Ohio, whose parents also joined the pioneer agricultural element of Marshall county. Seven children were born of this union, three of whom are deceased. The mother of this family died December 23, 1897, and on the 7th of February, 1901, Mr. Edwards married Miss Adelia Ruth, of Wells county, Indiana. Since his majority he has been a member of the Democratic party, and in his religious faith has long been a loyal adherent to the Methodist Protestant church.
ALBERT W. DOLPH was born in Ashtabula county, Ohio, November 17, 1841, but many years of his life have been identified with the farming interests of Marshall county. His father, Osman Dolph, a deceased farmer and cheese manufacturer, was a native son of New York, born in 1804, and attaining to manhood's estate he was there married to Olive Horton, who also claimed the Empire state as the commonwealth of her nativity, and their union was blessed by the birth of ten children, six sons and four daughters, of whom their son Albert is the eighth child in order of birth. From their native state of New York Mr. and Mrs. Dolph journeyed to Ohio, where the husband and father became actively identi- fied with the lumber business and was also active in its political life, voting with the Republican party. He was a member of the old and time- honored order of Masons, was a Universalist in his religious affiliations, and in Ohio, where he had lived to such goodly ends, he passed away in death at the age of seventy-six years.
After receiving instructions in the public schools of his neighbor- hood Albert W. Dolph became a student in the academy. at Conneaut, Ohio. Going to Laporte county, Indiana, in 1868, he became interested in the lumber business, and seven years later, following the building of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad through Marshall county, he came here in 1873 and purchased three hundred and twenty acres of his present farm and continued the manufacture of lumber for about fifteen years. In time he cleared his original purchase of three hundred and twenty acres, also other places adjoining, and at the same time increased the boundaries of his land to six hundred and sixty acres, on which he has placed many valuable and substantial improvements. He makes a specialty of the raising of Shropshire sheep and has shipped his stock to almost every state in the Union.
Before leaving his native state of Ohio, Mr. Dolph enlisted for service in the Civil war, joining on the 26th of August, 1861, the Thirty- eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving with the Army of the Cumber- land until the close of the war. In 1864 he veteranized and was promoted in turn from a private to orderly sergeant, quartermaster sergeant and first lieutenant, and during his service of four years he was continually under the command of General Thomas, with whom he participated in the battle of Mill Springs, the siege of Corinth, Perryville, Murfreesboro, in many skirmishes, and was in the entire Atlanta campaign. At Jones- boro his regiment lost heavily, and after participating in the battles of Savannah and Goldsboro he went to Washington and participated in the Grand Review, from whence he returned to his home in Ohio. He bears a record of a brave and loyal soldier in his country's cause. After his
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MRS. PHOEBE C. DOLPH.
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
return from the army he taught school for one term and then engaged in the lumber business.
On the 3d of December, 1868, in Rolling Prairie, Indiana, Mr. Dolph married Phoebe C. Teeter, who was born December 23, 1850, in Laporte county, Indiana, a daughter of Henry and Caroline (Fale) Teeter, natives, respectively, of New York and West Virginia. They came to Laporte county during an early period in its history, and in their family were seven children. Eight children, five sons and three daughters, have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Dolph, namely: George H., Demis Holt, Rosa Reamer, Morgan, Daniel, Clem, Albert and one who died in infancy. Two of the children were born in Laporte county, but the remainder were born on the homestead farm in Polk township. Mr. Dolph takes an active interest in the public affairs of his community, and in 1896 he served his county as one of its commissioners. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Grange Society, and is a prominent and worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mrs. Dolph died March 20, 1904, and for his second wife Mr. Dolph wedded Mrs. Nancy C. (Bybee) Davenport, a native of Kosciusko county, Indiana, born January 28, 1848, a daughter of Nathan and Susan ( Blue) Bybee. Her father was a native of Ohio and was a Republican politically. By occu- pation he was an agriculturist. His progenitors were natives of Virginia. Mrs. Dolph's mother was a native of Kosciusko county, Indiana, and she is deceased, as is her husband. Mrs. Dolph wedded for her first husband James Davenport and three children were born, but only one son, Allen, is living, a farmer and resident of Marshall county. The name Dolph is of French origin, the early progenitors of Mr. Dolph being named "De Wolph." In the sixteenth century they came to the colonies and settled in Connecticut. Some one of the early De Wolphs were soldiers in the Revolutionary war.
GEORGE BERGER, who carries on general farming and stock-raising in German township, where his birth occurred February 26, 1855, is a son of Henry Berger, who, during the pioneer epoch in the history of Marshall county, took up his abode within its borders, settling in German township. The days of his boyhood and youth had been passed in Ger- many, his native land, and he came to America when a young man of about eighteen years of age with his father. Further mention of the Berger family is made on another page of this volume. After arriving at years of maturity Henry Berger was married in German township to Miss Sophia Zimmers, also a native of the fatherland. From the government Mr. Berger had entered a tract of land in German township, thus securing eighty acres in the '30s. It constituted the nucleus of his farm, to which he afterward added by a further purchase of forty acres. He cleared and improved a part of this tract and for many years successfully carried on general agricultural pursuits, but eventually retired to private life and removed to Bremen, where he spent his remaining days in the enjoyment of well-earned ease, reaching the advanced age of eighty-four years ere he was called to his final rest. He was a lifelong Republican, unfaltering in his advocacy of the principles of the party, and he was equally loyal in his championship of every cause in which he
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believed and which he deemed would prove of benefit to the county. He belonged to the Evangelical church and was well known, his many excel- lent traits of character winning for him the warm esteem of his fellow- men. In his family were eleven children, six sons and five daughters.
George Berger, whose name introduces this record, was the sixth child and fourth son. He was a pupil in the public schools near his father's home and as the years went by he received ample training in the work of the farm, so that he was well qualified to take charge of a farm of his own at the time of his marriage. On the 8th of March, 1882, he wedded Miss Susan Ewald, who was born in Dearborn county, Indiana, where she lived until four years of age, when she was brought to Marshall county by her parents, Jacob and Barbara (Geyer) Ewald. They arrived here in 1864, making the journey by wagon train, and located in German township, where the father bought a farm of eighty acres, which he improved and cultivated. Upon that place he lived for twelve years, and then bought another farm of eighty acres, upon which he resided until he retired from active business life in 1893 and removed to Bremer, Indiana. His political endorsement was given to the Republican party and its principles and he belongs to the Lutheran church.
Mr. and Mrs. Berger were residents of Kosciusko county, Indiana, for three years after their marriage and then took up their abode upon the old family homestead in Marshall county, where they remained for eight years. In 1893 Mr. Berger purchased eighty-one and three-fourths acres of land, constituting his present farm in German township. He has made some of the improvements upon this place and has brought his fields under a high state of cultivation, while everything about the farm is kept in neat condition and indicates his careful supervision and prac- tical methods. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Berger have been born three sons and two daughters : Carson, Pearl, Herman, Lola and Victor. The eldest son is now teaching school in the Philippines. The parents are members of the Evangelical church and are favorably known in this part of the county. Mr. Berger is a Republican, but while in thorough sympathy with the party he does not seek nor desire office, preferring to give his undivided attention to his business affairs, in which he is now meeting with good success.
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