USA > Indiana > Clark County > Baird's history of Clark County, Indiana > Part 28
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1842, he married Mary C. Congleton, by whom he had six children : Marietta, Nancy Ann, wife of William Smith; Peter, who died October 17, 1885; Irene R., wife of James Wier, Justice of the Peace at Sellersburg for thirty-five years; Lewis, who married Emma Kramer, resides at Speed. Moses E. Bot- torff, the youngest child, was born on his father's farm in Charlestown town- ship, Clark county, Indiana, in 1856, and remained under the parental roof until about twenty-two years old. On October 24, 1878, he married Amanda, daughter of John and Erthusa (Carr) Hill. The latter was a niece of Col. Joseph Carr, who was a colonel under General Harrison at the battle of Tippe- canoe. Mr. and Mrs. Bottorff have five children : Elbert, who married Clara Pass, lives on his father's farm in Charlestown township; Lulu; Myrtle Irene, who married Charles M. Sage, son of County Assessor, Erasmus T. Sage; and James L., an unusually promising young man. He was appointed by Governor Hanly, Justice of the Peace, when only a little over twenty-one years old, and is entering on the practice of law and holds the position of telegraph operator on the Louisville branch of the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern Railway, at Watson. Clarence C., the youngest son, is still at home with his parents. By a previous marriage of his father Mr. Bottorff has several half brothers and sisters. These were James, George, and Sarah Catherine, wife of Dr. Joseph McCormick. James was a soldier under Grant and present when the terms for surrendering Vicksburg were being arranged by the two commanding generals. Among the interesting landmarks in this neighborhood is a stone house now owned by Calvin Bottorff, built in 1817, out of material of a still earlier structure, on a site about a quarter of a mile away. A short distance west is another stone house, said to have been built in 1800 by Ephraim Arnold, and sold by him later to a Scotchman named Purdy. There is a tradition that it was erected as a refuge from the Indians and wild beasts in the pioneer period and that at one time it sheltered sixteen families. Mrs. Rachael Bowen, of Charlestown, who is authority on things relating to the old days, talks inter- estingly concerning old houses and the people who occupied them in the distant past.
THOMAS DOUDEN JACOBS.
The reader of Clark county history will often find the names of Prather, Lentz and Jacobs and closer inspection in the biographical branch will dis- close the fact that these families, by intermarriages for several generations, have left descendants that constitute some of the best citizenship of the various townships. Thus we find that Eliphalet Douden Jacobs married Catherine, daughter of Thomas W. and Elizabeth (Lentz) Prather and all these recall names familiar in the pioneer period. Thomas Douden Jacobs, a son by this
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union, was born at Jeffersonville, Clark county, Indiana, March 29, 1857. When he was three years old his parents removed to their farm three miles from Jeffersonville on the Plank Road. After a residence there of eleven years, they changed locations by moving to the old Thomas W. Prather farm, between Watson and Utica, which was the homestead of Mr. Jacobs' mother. He remained there until March 10, 1880, when he married Belle, daughter of Tilford Prather. The latter was a son of Samuel and grandson of Basil Prather, founder of the family in Clark county. Clarence Newton Jacobs. the only fruit of this union, married Bertha, daughter of Edwin LaDuke, of Utica township, and is a resident of Port Fulton. His mother died October 9, 1889. After his marriage in 1880, Mr. Jacobs moved to the farm in Utica township now occupied by Isaac Jacobs. In December, 1890, he mar- ried Sallie, daughter of A. J. Crum, who lives In Utica township on tlie Charlestown Pike. Of the three children by this second marriage only · one is living, her name being Minnie Olive. The mother died April 10, 1897, and after this bereavement, Mr. Jacobs sold his farm above mentioned . and built a residence on the other place at the crossing of the Plank and Sellersburg, Utica roads. This farm consists of one hundred and sixty-one acres of good soil which Mr. Jacobs has cultivated carefully and kept in ex- cellent condition in every respect. The house is large and home-like, well fur- · nished and possessing all the modern conveniences for comfort.
On September 20, 1898, Mr. Jacobs married Ethel, daughter of Abram Fry, of Utica township, a sketch of whose family appears elsewhere in this · volume. Of their four children, one named Mary died in infancy, the others being Margaret, Elizabeth and Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs are members of the New Chapel Methodist church, and also belong to Farmers' Institute . No. I, in Utica township. Mr. Jacobs is regarded as one of the county's pro- gressive farmers and his home is the abode of hospitality and cheerful greeting to friends.
JEFFERSON AND DAVID L. PRATHER.
The family of this name has been identified with Clark county for more than a hundred years and borne a conspicuous part in its development. De- voted chiefly to farming, its members have found time, for other activities and the county history will show them always ready to bear their full share of responsibilities in the civil, religious and political activities of their respective communities. Basil Prather, the founder of the family, came to the county about the beginning of the last century and was one of the sturdy old pioneers " who left their impress upon this section of Southern Indiana during the forma- tive period of the state. He was one of the founders of New Chapel church, :
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the second Methodist meeting house established in Indiana and the oldest exist- ing religious society in the state. He left a son who became well known in after life as Judge Samuel Prather, in his time one of the county's most substan- tial citizens. He married a Miss Holman, by whom he had a son named Sion, the latter married Catherine, daughter of David Lutz, who came from North Carolina before the year 1800. His father, Henry Lutz, a native of Ger- many, found his way north to the then Indiana Territory and established a home in the wild woods of Clark county, subsequently known as Charlestown township. A fuller sketch of this early pioneer appears on another page of this volume. Sion and Catherine (Lutz) Prather were the parents of four children : Jefferson, David, Alvin and Tilford. Alvin joined the Union army in the Civil war and was killed at the battle of Stone River. Tilford reached maturity, married Indiana Bennett and died in 1907, leaving one child.
Jefferson Prather, the third in order of birth of these four children, was born on the paternal farm in Utica township, Clark county, Indiana, in 1840. In 1865 he married Annie, daughter of William and Mary (Hikes) Gibson, who came from Kentucky to Clark county in what the historians call an "early day." Mrs. Prather died September 26, 1906, after becoming the mother of two sons, Rolla and Morris; Rolla removed to California some years ago and settled in Fresno county, where he has a family consisting of a wife and four children. Morris was married in the fall of 1908 to a Missouri lady and makes his home with his parents. Mr. Prather's farm consists of one hundred and eighteen acres, a part of the old homestead which fell to him after his father's death. David L. Prather, his younger brother, was born in 1844, and remained on the home place until his marriage to Rebecca, daughter of John Glossbrenner, one of the early pioneers of Utica township, now a resident of Jeffersonville. By this union there were seven children. Jesse R. married Hattie Pass, and lives with his uncle Jefferson. Elmer, Durward and Her- bert still remain with their parents. Royd Alvin died December 17, 1908.
Mr. Prather was elected County Commissioner on the Democratic ticket in 1892, and made an excellent official during his term of service. At his father's death the north part of the old homestead, consisting of seventy-four acres, and the residence fell to his share and here he has since lived the simple and wholesome life that comes from agricultural pursuits. He and his brother Jefferson are members of the Cement Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Aside from its value as farmland, the old Prather homestead, now occupied by these worthy brothers, is of interest to archaeologists. The ground is thickly strewn with Indian arrowheads and other relics of the red men, skeletons having been found which are known to have belonged to the original occupants of this part of Indiana. . Still earlier and more interesting relics are remains of the Mound builders, going back to pre-historic times. Three mounds, with indications of a fourth have been found on the Prather place.
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They are arranged in a semi-circle, connected by a strip of black earth over- lying the natural soil. Two burial mounds yielded potsherds, stone-pipes, bone- needles, pestles, axes, a color cup and stone from which red color was made, spear and arrow heads in great variety, besides skeletons of this vanished race, lying on a quantity of charcoal.
WILLIAM H. DEIBEL.
The family of this name in Clark county is of German origin. Peter Deibel, a native of Germany, emigrated from that country in the early forties, and, after spending a few years in Kentucky, crossed the Ohio river into In- diana. Early in the fifties he bought the first farm west of New Chapel church. He married Magdalene Foreman, also a native of Germany, who came to this county about the time of his own arrival. Eight children were born to them, of whom the five living are Henry, William H., Mary, wife of George Edward Crum, of Jeffersonville ; Katie, wife of George Sweeney, of the same city; Christina, wife of G. N. Prather, a resident of Johnson county, Indiana ; John, died aged six years; Minnie, wife of William Miller, died in Oldham county, Kentucky, leaving three children; Peter died in Jef- fersonville, leaving three children, Rudolph, Peter and Isabelle. . William H. Deibel, the fifth child of his parents, was born on his father's farm in Clark county, Indiana, December 24, 1862. He attended the public schools in his neighborhood and after reaching manhood became a farmer. He owns a place of fifty-one acres of the good farming land of Utica township, where the soil is underlaid with limestone. He is enterprising as a manager, up-to- date in his methods and aims to keep well informed in matters pertaining to agriculture. His home is the abode of hospitality and all who call either on business or pleasure are given a cheerful greeting. He joined the Masonic Order in 1896, and is also a member of the Odd Fellows and Modern Wood- men. On April 21, 1897, Mr. Deibel married Paulena, daughter of Charles and Mary (Fichter) Holzbog, of DuBois county, Indiana. They have three children : Marie Paulena, Lulu Loretta and Charles William. The family are members of the New Chapel Methodist Episcopal church and enjoy ex- cellent standing in the community.
Henry Deibel, eldest son of Peter and Magdalena (Foreman) Deibel, was born on his father's farm in Clark county, Indiana, in 1854. As he grew up he attended the schools of his neighborhood and also those of Jefferson- ville. While a young man he spent a couple of years in Illinois, and then re- turned to Jeffersonville to take a job at the car works, where he remained about one year. On December 25, 1885, Mr. Deibel was married to Mary,
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daughter of Michael and Mary (Kansinger) Dietrich, the former one of the pioneers of the county and a resident of the community about four miles north of Jeffersonville. Mr. and Mrs. Deibel are the parents of the following children : Otis married and settled at Franklin, Indiana, and has two chil- dren: Ida May, wife of James Stanforth, resides in Jeffersonville; Matilda married Rufus Rogers, of Jeffersonville, and has one daughter; Lora, also lives at the county seat, while William, Magdalene, Eva Lee, Henrietta, Bu- ford, Bertha and Louisa, are all at home with their parents. After his mar- riage Mr. Deibel lived two years on the old Falker farm, but in the fall of 1887 purchased thirty-three acres of land on the Plank Road, about five miles out from Jeffersonville, where he has since made his residence. Re- cently he bought the old Wormald tract of fifty-seven acres, adjoining his home place, and is comfortably fixed for farming on a large scale. Mr. and Mrs. Deibel are members of the Lutheran church at Jeffersonville, and he be- longs to the Odd Fellows and Modern Woodmen.
THE DUNBAR FAMILY.
Though Scotland has contributed much valuable material to the citizen- ship of America, she has sent over few worthier families than the Dunbars. The "Head of the House," as the term is used in old Scotia, was William Dunbar, who was born in 1806 and reared a family of lusty sons, destined at a later day to make their marks in the United States. John was born in Scotland in 1830, James in 1846 and William in 1848. John reached the United States in 1852, and five years later was joined by the family. Coming to New Albany, Indiana, about 1854, John Dunbar became superintendent of the gas works, which position he held until his death, in 1870. In 1854 he returned to Scotland and married Margaret Whitson, bringing his bride to New Albany, where they made their home. Of their nine children five died in early childhood, the four still living being James W., Mrs. George W. Robb, Alexander and Lundy. James W. is superintendent of the gas depart- ment of the United Gas and Electric Company of New Albany and Jeffer- sonville. He married Nannie, daughter of Morris McDonald, and is a resi- dent of New Albany. Mrs. Robb was formerly the wife of Professor Borden, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. Alexander and Lundy are both citizens of Indianapolis. William Dunbar, uncle of these children and one of the three brothers who came to this country in the fifties, now a resi- dent of California, was the father of Horace Dunbar, well known as a lawyer in Jeffersonville and now mining editor of the Salt Lake Tribune. James Dunbar, the second of the emigrant brothers, died without marrying. Though
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the Dunbars are rather of Floyd than Clark county, their business connections and social relations have brought them in touch with the affairs of both counties and made them well known throughout Southern Indiana. All of them developed an aptitude for business in the prosecution of which they dis- played the Scotch skill, application and industry which are the chief factors in gaining success in any calling.
FLOYD J. REDDING.
The family of this name is of Kentucky origin and its members have long been identified with the farming interests of Clark county, though not figuring in public life, but pursuing the even tenor of their way, they have borne their full share of the burdens and responsibilities of developing the county and giving it its high standing in the state. John Redding, founder of the family in Clark county, was a native of Oldham county, Kentucky, but crossed the river in early manhood in search of an opportunity to better his fortunes. Securing employment with Abram Fry, he worked for him several years as a farm hand and during that time a romance such as we read about in the story books, developed and had an important influence over his sub- sequent life. The yellow fever plague which devastated New Orleans shortly after the Civil war was of widespread damage to thousands of families and many persons came north to escape its fatal effects. Among those stricken was a family named McDonald, and as a result of the death of her parents, little Mary was left an orphan of tender years. Abram Fry knew them, and out of sympathy adopted this child, who in time became a permanent member of his household. As she grew up she became a good friend of John Red- ding; this friendship ripened into love and in due time they were married. Of the four children resulting from this union three are living: Emma is the wife of J. Ellis Potter, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this volume; Ella L., another daughter, makes her home with her brother, who is the sub- ject of this sketch. The father died in January, 1877, and the mother in February, 1900.
Floyd J. Redding, the only surviving son, was born on his father's farm on the Plank Road, three miles from Jeffersonville, Indiana, July 22, 1874. He was but a little over two years old when he lost his father, but enjoyed the care of an affectionate mother until he reached manhood's estate. On March 11, 1903, he was married to Nellie, daughter of Edwin and Lauara (Swartz) Dunn, of Utica. Mrs. Redding's mother was a daughter of Frank- lin Swartz, whose father was the John Swartz that became so well known as a leader in the establishing of the New Chapel Methodist church in pioneer
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days. The Dunns have been well known residents of Utica township for many years. Mr. and Mrs. Redding have two children, Ruth Alene and John Edwin. The family, like their ancestors before them for many decades, are members of the New Chapel church, which since the early settlement of the county has been one of the bulwarks of Methodism. Mr. Redding is a quiet, unassuming man of frugal and industrious habits who enjoys the esteem of all his neighbors.
JACOB H. GIBSON.
It was while Kentucky was earning its name as the "Dark and Bloody Ground," that William Mac Gibson came in from Winchester, Virginia, and cast his lot with the western wilderness. He located in Nelson county, some thirty-five miles south of Louisville, in 1792, and there reared his family. His son, who was given the same name as himself, was born at Bardstown, in 1810, and when seventeen years old he began teaching school on the pike . about five miles from Louisville. In that neighborhood was a family whose members figured conspicuously in the early history of the locality. George Hikes, its founder, came from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1790, and settled at Gilman's Point, two miles from Louisville, when the latter was a village of log cabins, and he became the owner of twelve hundred acres of land. He had six children and left each of them two hundred acres, which eventually increased into landed estates of great extent and value. Jacob Hikes, one of the sons, was a child when his father moved in and after growing up, in con- nection with his brother, established large nurseries near Louisville. He owned hundreds of acres of land and many slaves, which he freed and sent to Liberia, paying all their expenses and enough besides to support them for a year. Five hundred acres of his land was located near Charlestown, in Clark county, Indiana, and another tract of two hundred and fifty acres was situated near Mitchell. He also owned a fuller mill, a distillery on the Bear Grass creek and held ten thousand dollars' worth of stock in the Bardstown Pike Company. He made the first writing paper that was made in Louisville and altogether was one of the most important men in Northern Kentucky during the days of his activity. He married a daughter of Frederick Geiger, who was with General Harrison at the battle of Tippecanoe and received a slug bullet in his body which he carried to his dying day. John, a brother of Jacob Hikes, was also in this battle though he seems to have escaped without injury. While William M. Gibson was teaching in the neighborhood, he be- came acquainted with Mary L. Hikes, a daughter of Jacob, to whom he was subsequently married, and to this union we are indebted for the subject of. our sketch.
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Jacob H. Gibson was born in 1841, on his father's farm four miles south of Charlestown, Indiana. His rearing and schooling did not differ materially from the average country boy of that day, his training being such as to fit him for agricultural pursuits. The Civil war broke out when he was about twenty years old and being patriotic in impulse and filled with youth's nat- ural ardor he was anxious to become a soldier in the army that was to fight for the restoration of the Union. With this end in view he enlisted in Com- pany D, Fourth Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, and with his command became a part of the forces engaged in the great task of re-opening the Mississippi. The Fourth Regiment served under Wilson, Rosecrans and Thomas, took part in the campaigning from Chattanooga to Atlanta and later joined the great march to the sea under Sherman, winding up at Macon, Georgia. Being dis- charged in July, 1865, Mr. Gibson returned to the old homestead to receive the plaudits of his friends and relatives. He engaged in farming, has met with success and at present owns one hundred acres of land, on which is located a comfortable farm home, surrounded by all that a reasonable man can desire.
In December, 1869, Mr. Gibson married Sallie, daughter of Adam and Mary (Lutz) Howard, representatives of old pioneer families. Her grand- father, George Howard, came to Kentucky in the latter part of the eighteenth century and as early as 1800 owned a flouring and saw mill at Fisherville. About the year 1832 he located in Charlestown township, Clark county, In- diana, where he owned a square mile of land. The Lutz family, from which Mrs. Gibson was descended on her mother's side, came from North Carolina about 1801 and were people of consequence in their day. Mr. and Mrs. Gib- son have two children, Mrs. Stella Dettmer and Mrs. Carrie Lawrence, the latter a resident of Utica township, south of Watson.
JOHN HENRY GOEDEKER.
This representative farmer lives in section 19, within a distance of six miles of Borden, Clark county. He has already reached his sixty-third year and his life story tells of a career unremittingly spent in an effort to bring about the success which justly rewards his later years. His married life has brought him a large family, the greater portion of whom he has the pleasure of seeing prosperously settled in good circumstances. An early life not without its quota of vicissitudes and set-backs of a minor nature, from the ex- perience of which he profited, enables him to appreciate the present years of tranquillity.
John H. Goedeker was born on the 13th of February, 1846, in Wood
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township, being the son of John H. and Mary K. (Richter) Goedeker. Both parents were natives of Hanover, Germany. John H. Goedeker, senior, came to America in the early thirties of the previous century. He sojourned in Baltimore, Maryland; Cincinnati, Ohio, and Lexington, Kentucky. His mar- riage is supposed to have taken place in Cincinnati, and he ultimately settled in Wood township, Clark county, in the early days of that locality. The elder Goedeker settled down as a farmer at the time of his settling in Wood town- ship, and his death, after an industrious life, occurred at the age of sixty-five ; his wife, our subject's mother, died about twenty years ago. Our subject is the second eldest of ten children, of whom he was the eldest boy. He became a shoemaker in his youth, learning the trade in Louisville about the time of the war. Sometime afterwards owing to ill health he quit his shoemaker's bench and embarked in general farming, which he has followed ever since. In the year 1870 his marriage with Mary J. Huber, the eldest daughter of Ignatius and Mary Huber, took place. Mrs. Goedeker was born in Wood township and had two brothers and five sisters. Her father was an old resi- dent of the township, and her grandfather Huber was one of its earliest settlers.
Mrs. Goedeker has borne her husband eleven children. In regular order they were: Ignatius, born April 9, 1871 ; Francis, born May 27, 1873 ; Kath- erine, born March 11, 1875; John H., born August 18, 1877; Charles J., born October 26, 1879, died in infancy; Joseph H., born January 20, 1881, died July 10, 1882; Hannah M., born April 13, 1883; Henry Ludwig, born February 13, 1885; Edward H., born November 14, 1887; Florentine, born 27th of October, 1889, deceased; and Anna J., born December 12, 1891. Ignatius married Gertrude Schaffer, has five children, and lives in Charles- town. Frances married William Shalk, has one child, and lives at Otisco. Katherine is the wife of Peter Missie, has two children, and lives at Otisco. John H. married Frances Tomling, deceased. His second wife, Frances Mis- sie, has borne him two children; they live at Charlestown. Hannah M. mar- ried Theodore Trindeitmer; they live in Carr township and have two chil- dren. Henry Ludwig lives in Charlestown and both Edward H. and Anna Josephine are still at home.
John H. Goedeker and his family belong to the Catholic faith and are members of St. John's church, in Wood township. In politics he is an un- swerving Democrat and a man who has never aspired for political office; he was once elected Justice of the Peace for his district, but did not serve. Part of the land he now owns is part of the old Goedeker homestead. In his boy- hood days the place was mostly timber land and he took a prominent part in improving the place. He has a substantial and cheerful home and enjoys the friendship and good will of his neighbors.
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