USA > Indiana > Marshall County > A twentieth century history of Marshall County, Indiana, Volume II > Part 32
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
in Butler county, Ohio, May 29, 1811, and both she and her husband died in Argos. They were married in Marion county, Indiana, January 17, 1828, and of the eleven children which blessed their union, six are now living: William, David, Nathan, U. B., R. C. and B. F.
William Railsback was born in Marion county, Indiana, December 3, 1830, and accompanying his parents to Marshall county during his early manhood he began farming for himself in Walnut township soon after his marriage. His farm consisted of Michigan road land in section 21, where the young couple resided for three years in a hewed log house which he had built, removing then two miles south of Argos, and in the winter of 1854-5 he erected the first saw mill in this locality. But after running this mill continuously until 1873 he sold it and moved to Argos, while later he purchased it and continued its conduct until 1885. On the 2Ist of April of that year, and in company with T. O. Taber, Mr. Rails- back organized the Exchange Bank of Argos, and in 1890 with others he organized the State Exchange Bank of Argos, of which he was made the president and continued in the office until 1896, while in January, 1907, he was re-elected to the presidency. He has served as the trustee of his township for one year, and his vote was cast for the first presi- dential nominee of the Republican party, John C. Fremont. He is a member of the Church of God.
On the 3d of February, 1853, Mr. Railsback married Miss Melissa Brown, who was born in Henderson township, Jefferson county, New York, February 8, 1832, a daughter of Charles and Lucy (Conner) Brown, the former of whom was also a native of the Empire state, born on the 5th of April, 1805, and the latter was born near Dublin, Ireland, May 14, 1808. The father was called to the home beyond at the age of sixty-seven years, in 1872, and the mother died on the 16th of March, 1900. They were married in Madison county, New York, January 27, 1829, and became the parents of ten children, the five now living being : Melissa, Sallie, Kaziah, Sylvanus and Lucy. The family left their New York home in 1837, and with horse teams started on the overland journey to Indiana, but in Michigan they traded their horses for oxen, and thus proceeded on their way to Marshall county, where Mr. Brown entered eighty acres of government land. The first home of the family was a little log cabin which he had built in the wilderness, their most frequent visitors in those early days being the Indians and wild animals. He owned at one time two hundred and forty acres of land and was promi- nent in the public life of his community, serving as a justice of the peace and as a school director for many years, and was a member of the Church of God. He was a Whig politically. Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Railsback, namely : Simon B., who married Alice Hoover ; Diantha, the wife of William M. Bryan; Melissa J., the wife of Thomas O. Taber; Nancy M., who became the wife of William Cuffle and died at the age of twenty-two years; John W., and Lucy E. Mr. and Mrs. Railsback also have fifteen grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
JOHN W. LELAND, one of the most highly esteemed of Marshall county's early pioneers, was born in what was then the territory of Michigan, October 27. 1835, a son of Moses and Bretanna (Wells)
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Leland, the former of whom was born in Chester, Windsor county, Ver- mont, May 2, 1795, and the latter in Oneida county, New York, April 12, 1803. They came to Marshall county, Indiana, during an early epoch in its history and spent the remainder of their lives here, the father dying on the 17th of January, 1860, and the mother May 12, 1879. They were married in Otto, Cattaraugus county, New York, May 2, 1823, and nine children were born to them, four sons and five daughters, and the five now living are: Margaret E., the widow of Francis G. Davis and a resident of Jackson county, Wisconsin; Miriam, the widow of George W. Marsh and living in Argos, Indiana; John W., the subject of this review; Moses R., who married Emma Unger and is living in Fitzgerald, Georgia; and Asa M., who married Wealthy E. Martin and is residing in California. Three of the sons were soldiers in the Civil war, Moses serving in the Seventeenth Regiment of Indiana Mounted Infantry ; Aaron as a member of Company C, Forty-eighth Regiment of Indiana Volunteers, and he was promoted to the rank of field major; and Asa as a member of Company K, Twentieth Regiment of Indiana Volunteer Cavalry. He was sergeant of his company.
Moses Leland, the father, was a highly educated man of his day, having first studied under the preceptorship of his uncle, Aaron Leland, . who later became a judge and the lieutenant governor of Vermont, and he was also a Baptist minister. Moses Leland later attended Chester Academy at Chester, Massachusetts, and was also a student in a school in Boston. He was the son of a farmer, and his boyhood days were spent among the Green mountains of Vermont, but in 1822 he left his native state and located in Cattaraugus county, New York, where he became a licensed minister of the Baptist church and also taught school and a singing school. Leaving the Empire state in 1834 with his wife and children he started for Indiana with ox teams, and on reaching what is now Monroe county, Michigan, they spent two years there, and while there their son John was born to them. At the close of that period the westward march was resumed, and they reached Laporte county, Indiana, in 1836, driving three yoke of oxen, and after tarrying there a short time they continued on to Marshall county and established their home in what is now known as Green township. Mr. Leland became a very prominent factor in the early history of the county and was a member and the clerk of the board which organized Green township. They were charter members of the Jordan Baptist church, and to Mr. Leland be- longed the honor of being the first ordained minister of this the first Baptist church in Marshall county. In political matters he first affiliated with the Whig party and later became a prominent Abolitionist.
John W. Leland, a son of one of Marshall county's most honored pioneers, accompanied his parents on their journey hither when a babe of one year, his first summer being spent in Laporte county, and with them he then journeyed to Marshall county. Their first home here was a little log cabin which the father had erected on his wooded farm of one hundred and twenty acres, and there the little son attained to man- hood's estate and later on with his sisters became the owner of the old homestead. After a time Mr. Leland purchased one hundred acres of land, and he continued to farm in Green township until 1906, when
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
failing health caused him to lay aside the active duties of life, and he removed to Argos, his son assuming charge of the farm. For eight years he was a justice of the peace, and during that time he married over forty couples. During Mr. Leland's journey down the pathway of life he has passed many yearly milestones, and each birthday has been filled with sunshine until on the 27th of October, 1907, he witnessed his first stormy anniversary of his birth. For many years he has been a prominent and worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and politically is a Republican, having cast his first presidential vote for John C. Fremont.
On the 2d of September, 1860, Mr. Leland was united in marriage with Marietta Lawson. She was born in Union township, Marshall county, Indiana, May 3, 1843, a daughter of Noah and Nancy (Thomp- son) Lawson, natives, respectively, of Kentucky and Rush county, In- diana. Both died in early life, when Marietta was about two years of age, and they left two children, a son and daughter, the former being Charles A. The father followed the carpenter's trade, and his political affiliations were with the Whigs. Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Leland: Mark, Eva, Charles, Noah, Alice, Elsie, John, Jessie, Lawson and George. The first born, Mark, died at the age of six years, Charles died when twenty years of age, and Elsie and Alice are also deceased.
LEONARD BOCK, one of the leading business men of Argos, identified with its milling interests, was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, No- vember 14, 1835, a son of John and Elizabeth (Flath) Bock, both natives of that community in the fatherland. The father, who was a wagon maker, also owned a farm and did milling. He was a member of the Lutheran church. Mr. and Mrs. Bock were the parents of five children : Frederick, deceased; Adam, a resident of Murphysboro, Louisiana ; Leonard, whose name introduces this review; George, who yet main- tains his home in Germany; and Jacob, living in Mishawaka, Indiana.
Leonard Bock was reared in the town of his nativity, Oberkincig, where he also received a fair German education, and between the age of fourteen and fifteen years he was placed out to learn the trade of a baker, and after the completion of his apprenticeship he continued the trade for about ,three years, in the meantime learning the milling busi- ness. In order to evade the military law of Germany he emigrated to America in the year of 1853, leaving his native land in the month of June, and thirty-three days were spent on the ocean in a sailing ship. Arriving on American shores he proceeded at once to Dunkirk, New York, but after following his trade there for a short time he went to Buffalo, that state, and during his residence there of five years he learned carriage trimming. In 1856 he trimmed the coach which received the second premium at the New York State Fair. From Buffalo Mr. Bock went to Niagara Falls, Canada, but in the fall of 1858 returned to Buffalo to become the proprietor of a market; from the spring of 1859 until the spring of 1860 was employed as a carriage trimmer in Holly Springs, Mississippi, and in February of 1860 he removed to South Bend and be- came an employe of the Studebaker Brothers, with whom he remained
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
for eight years and four months. It was at the close of this period, in 1868, that he came to Argos, Indiana, and on the 4th of May of the same year he purchased a half interest in the Huff & Hensel mill, pur- chasing Mr. Huff's interest, and in 1882 he came into possession of the remaining half of the business and continued as its sole proprietor until his son became interested in the business. In 1907 Mr. Bock spent about two months in travel through the west, visiting his son, Dr. Charles Bock, who is located in Los Angeles, California. Throughout the period of his residence in Argos Mr. Bock has taken an active interest in its welfare and improvement, and for seven years he served as a member of the town board, while for nine years he was a member of its school board.
On the 3d of November, 1863, he was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Hensel, who was born in Marshall county, Indiana, in 1838, and her death occurred here on the 19th of September, 1904. She was a daughter of Adam and Elizabeth (Lauderman) Hensel, both of whom were born in the Rhine province of Bavaria, Germany, and of their six children, three sons and three daughters, all are now deceased. The parents came to Indiana in the early '3os and established their home near Bremen in Marshall county, where the father first entered forty acres of wild timber land and erected him a little log cabin home. In time he succeeded in clearing his land, and on this homestead he spent the re- mainder of his life and died in the faith of the Lutheran church. Of the six children born to Mr. and Mrs. Bock four are now living: John A., Dr. Charles, Fred. and Erdine. The daughter is the wife of M. H. Ormsby. Mr. Bock is a member of the Christian church, and also has membership relations with Argos Lodge No. 399, A. F. and A. M., of which he is a past master. His political affiliations are with the Repub- lican party.
R. C. O'BLENIS, a well known lawyer of Marshall county, public spirited and thoroughly interested in whatever tends to promote the ma- terial welfare of his community, is numbered among the native sons of the county, born in Green township on the 22d of April, 1861. His parents, Abel and Mrs. Eliza (Shakes) (Worrell) O'Blenis, were born in Indiana and were the parents of four children: Jacob M., R. C., Eva, the wife of Charles Tilden and Emma May, the wife of George G. Mill. The father followed the tilling of the soil as a life occupation and at the outbreak of the Civil war hie offered his services to his country's cause, entering the Twentieth Regular Indiana Volunteers. He was captured by the rebel ship Fanny off Cape Hatteras and incarcerated in Anderson- ville prison, there remaining until his exchange and his re-enlistment in the Eighty-seventh Regulars with the rank of a lieutenant. His re-enlist- ment occurred soon after the battle of Chickamauga, and he served as a brave and valiant soldier until the close of the war.
When R. C. O'Blenis was fifteen years of age his father died, and he then began work on a farm for ten dollars a month. After working three months or more here he walked two hundred miles into Illinois, where he resumed his former occupation of farming by the month, but after a time returned to Marshall county on foot and began working for
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
the farmers during the summer months, while in the winter months he attended school and worked for his board. He later became numbered among the educators of Green and Walnut townships, also teaching in the schools of Argos, and here he was later appointed the deputy prose- cuting attorney by the Hon. Charles P. Drummond. After remaining the incumbent of this office for four years, Mr. O'Blenis resumed his educational work and taught for two years. In 1891 he began the practice of law, and is now numbered among the leading representatives of the calling in Marshall county.
Mr. O'Blenis married Addie Robey on the 26th of December, 1886. She was born in Howard county, Indiana, May 17, 1865, a daughter of James and Jane (Davis) Robey, both of whom also claimed Indiana as the commonwealth of their nativity. Two children were born to them, Laura and Addie, but the elder is deceased. Mr. O'Blenis holds member- ship relations with many of the fraternal orders, including Lodge No. 399, A. F. & A. M .; Warsaw Lodge No. 802, B. P. O. E .; Argos Lodge No. 212, K. of P., and in this order he has held all of the offices and has served as a delegate to the Grand Lodge. His political affiliations are with the Republican party.
THOMAS O. TABER. The specific and distinctive office of biography is not to give voice to a man's modest estimate of himself and his accom- plishments, but rather to leave the perpetual record establishing his char- acter by the consensus of opinion on the part of his fellowmen. Through- out Marshall county and this part of the state Mr. Taber is spoken of in terms of admiration and respect. His life was varied in its activity, honorable in its purposes and far reaching and beneficial in its effects, and when he was called to the home beyond his fellow-townsmen mourned the loss of one whom they had come to esteem and honor by reason of his sterling manhood.
Mr. Taber was a native of Center township, Marshall county, born November 25, 1856. His life span covered a half century, his death occurring December 26, 1906. His paternal grandfather was Samuel D. Taber, one of the first settlers of Marshall county. He came here from New York when this was a wilderness and he died at Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1826. He was of English parentage and was a man of many excellent traits of character. By occupation he was a farmer and was recognized as one of the leading pioneers of the early days, leaving the impress of his individuality upon the development and upbuilding of the county. He belonged to the Church of God and his political views were in harmony with the principles of the Whig party. The parents of Thomas O. Taber were Cyrus and Rachel ( Plake) Taber, the former born in Center township, this county, June 26, 1833, and the latter near Connersville, Indiana, February 10, 1837. They were married November 15, 1853, the wedding ceremony being performed by Mack Smith at Smith's Tavern, where the town of Argos now stands. The death of Cyrus Taber occurred December 26, 1877, and his widow, who is yet living, afterward married Jonas Miller. She was the daughter of John and Nancy Plake, early settlers and highly respected citizens of Marshall county. Cyrus Taber was the first white male child born in this county
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
and was widely known throughout this part of the state as Judge Taber. He contributed in large and substantial measure to the early development and progress of the locality in which he lived and furthered many pro- gressive measures for the public good. He opened up the Michigan road and at one time was an extensive land owner here. He held mem- bership in the Church of God and gave his political allegiance to the Whig party. Unto him and his wife were born six children, five sons and a daughter, but only one is now living, John H.
Thomas O. Taber acquired his education in the Jordan school, in the Plymouth high school and in the schools of Valparaiso, Indiana. When sixteen years of age he became teacher of the Shoemaker school and taught in all for about two and a half years. It was subsequent to this time that he attended the Northern Indiana Normal School at Val- paraiso and later he went to Plymouth, where he worked for Barnhill & Taber, merchants, in whose employ he remained for some time. He afterward engaged in farming for about two and a half years and in 1883 again went to Plymouth, where he purchased a half interest in E. K. Barnhill's mercantile store. Some time later he bought out his partner and continued the business alone until 1884, when he sold his store. He then spent six years upon the road in the cigar business and during that time he and his father-in-law, William Railsback, established a banking house at Argos, in 1885, under the firm name of Railsback & Taber, bankers. In 1890 they organized the State Exchange Bank of Argos, of which Mr. Taber was the cashier until 1902. In 1888 they also opened a banking business at Mentone under the firm name of Railsback & Taber, which institution became known later as the Citi- zens' Bank, and was conducted by J. H. and T. O. Taber under the style of Taber Brothers. T. O. Taber also organized a bank at Silver Lake called the Commercial Bank, which was owned by Taber Brothers & Cavender, John C. Cavender being in charge of the business. T. O. Taber likewise organized a bank at Markle, Huntington county, Indiana, in connection with C. D. Chapman, who was in active charge, this insti- tution being conducted under the style of the Farmers' & Traders' Bank, with Mr. Taber as president. In May, 1893, the Columbian National Bank of Chicago failed. It was the exchange house for the four banks which Mr. Taber had organized, and its failure brought on trying times for Mr. Taber, but his characteristic good management and conservative methods enabled him to continue his banking interests in all of these four institutions undisturbed. In 1902 he organized at Marion, Indiana, the Grant Trust & Savings Company, with Harry A. Ford, his son-in-law, as treasurer, while Mr. Taber became secretary. They began business on the 26th of May, 1902, the company being capitalized for one hundred thousand dollars, and the phenomenal success of the business is indicated by the fact that there is today a capital of seven hundred and fifty thou- sand dollars. In 1904 Mr. Taber returned to Argos on account of poor health. At the time of his demise he was president of the State Exchange Bank and had extensive financial interests. He was one of the most successful men of this part of the state, owing not to any fortunate or adventitious circumstances, but to his keen insight, his ready discern-
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
ment concerning business conditions and his recognition of possibilities for successful accomplishment.
On the 18th of October, 1877, Mr. Taber was married to Miss Melissa Jane Railsback, who was born in Walnut township, this county, March 7, 1858, a daughter of William and Melissa (Brown) Railsback, who are mentioned elsewhere in this volume. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Taber were born ten children, of whom seven are yet living: Stella, the wife of Harry A. Ford; Earl R., who attended the Oberlin (Ohio) College and was graduated from the Indiana State University in the class of 1905 and is at present cashier of the State Exchange Bank at Argos; Charles C .; Gladys ; Jessie ; Glenna, and William P.
Mr. Taber was a member of the Knights of Pythias and was treas- urer of the lodge. From his boyhood days he was a member of the Church of God and loyal to its teachings and precepts. In politics he was a stanch Republican and in matters of citizenship was ever pro- gressive, alert and enterprising. In no sense a man in public life, he nevertheless exerted an immeasurable influence on the communities in which he lived: In business life as a financier, in social circles by reason of a charming personality, in matters of citizenship by reason of his loyalty to the public welfare. In all of his business life he displayed an aptitude for successful management and maintained a reputation for probity and 'commercial integrity that was above question.
ANDREW J. THOMAS. One of the well improved farms of Walnut township is the property of Andrew J. Thomas, whose labors have wrought a marked transformation in its appearance. In all of his work he is practical, methodical and progressive, and his labors are bringing to him a gratifying and well merited success. He was born in Elkhart county, Indiana, November 27, 1850, his parents being E. P. and Mar- garet Ann (McConnell) Thomas. The father was born in South Caro- lina, September 23, 1823, and died in 1905 at the age of eighty-two years, while the mother, whose birth occurred in Elkhart county, Indiana, died in 1864 at the age of thirty-four years. The father carried on farming in Elkhart county until 1854, after which he spent two years in Iowa. He then returned to Elkhart county and in the midst of the green woods built a log cabin and cleared his land, continuing its cultivation until his removal to Kosciusko county, Indiana. He was one of the worthy and valued pioneer settlers of this state, aiding in reclaiming the district for the purposes of civilization and in laying broad and deep the foundation for the present development and progress of the localities in which he made his home. He was a consistent member of the Christian church and in politics was a Jacksonian Democrat. He was married in Elkhart county, Indiana, to Miss Margaret Ann McConnell and they became the parents of seven children, namely: Andrew J .; Sarah J., the wife of Henry Roberts; James F., who married Mary Busby ; John S., who married Matilda Hepler; William, who died at the age of eleven years; Catherine, the wife of E. Anglin; and Albert P., who wedded Etta Boggs. After the death of his first wife Mr. Thomas married Zilpha Ramsey, and unto them were born nine children, of whom seven
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HISTORY OF MARSHALL COUNTY.
are yet living: Elizabeth, Henry, Ellen, Luretta, Lillie, Wesley and Ernest.
In taking up the personal history of Andrew J. Thomas we present to our readers the life record of one who is widely known in Walnut township. He lived with his parents until fourteen years of age, when he came to Marshall county to make his home with his uncle, Solomon Pearman, with whom he resided until he attained his majority. He then started out upon an independent business career, renting a farm from his uncle for three years, during which time his unremitting industry and careful expenditure brought him the capital that enabled him to purchase land in Green township, where he carried on farming for six years. On the expiration of that period he sold his property and bought the farm upon which he now lives in Walnut township. It has since been his place of residence, and in 1897 he rebuilt the house, making it a modern and attractive home. In 1902 he rebuilt the barn and now has substantial improvements upon the place. His fields are well tilled and in addition to the cultivation of the cereals best adapted to soil and climate he breeds fine horses and graded cattle and hogs, his live stock interests proving to him a profitable source of income.
Mr. Thomas was married on the Ist of May, 1873, to Miss Emily Jordan, who was born in Wayne county, Indiana, April 15, 1849, a daughter of Benoni and Julia Ann (Boggs) Jordan, both of whom were natives of Wayne county, the former born November 28, 1815, and the latter November 12, 1818. The father spent his boyhood days with his parents in the county of his nativity and was there married. Five children were born in Wayne county ere the removal of Mr. and Mrs. Jordan to Marshall county in 1849. They drove across the country with teams and settled in Center township, Mr. Jordan purchasing timber land. There was a log cabin on his farm which the Indians had built and this the family occupied for about two years, when he erected a more com- modious frame residence. He was one of the pioneers of the locality and did his share in clearing away the timber and preparing the soil for the plow. Only one acre had been cleared when he purchased his farm and as the years passed he prospered and added to his original holdings until he was the owner of three hundred and fifty acres of land. He was one of the prominent men here, being recognized as an influential citizen of the community. He greatly enjoyed hunting wild game, which was very plentiful at that time, including deer, turkeys and prairie chickens, and his skill with the rifle enabled him to keep a plentiful supply of game for the table. Both he and his wife were earnest and persistent Christian people, holding membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, and his political allegiance was given to the Whig party. The death of Mr. Jordan occurred August 9, 1891, and the mother, who is still living, now makes her home with her children. Unto them were born thirteen children, of whom nine are yet living: John, who married Elizabeth Roberts ; Jane, the wife of Franklin Mohn; Susan, the wife of Jefferson Worthington; Mrs. Thomas; Minerva, the wife of F. Worthington; Wiley, who married Lydia Yerick; Samuel, who married Alice Gunder ; Rufus ; and Olive, the wife of Sherman Orr.
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