USA > Indiana > Wayne County > Biographical and genealogical history of Wayne, Fayette, Union and Franklin counties, Indiana, Volume I > Part 24
USA > Indiana > Franklin County > Biographical and genealogical history of Wayne, Fayette, Union and Franklin counties, Indiana, Volume I > Part 24
USA > Indiana > Union County > Biographical and genealogical history of Wayne, Fayette, Union and Franklin counties, Indiana, Volume I > Part 24
USA > Indiana > Fayette County > Biographical and genealogical history of Wayne, Fayette, Union and Franklin counties, Indiana, Volume I > Part 24
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61
In 1891 Mrs. Harrell was appointed, by Governor Hovey, a member of the Indiana Columbian Exposition Board and was chosen a member of the committee on education and on woman's work, but gave most of her time and energy to the first named, in the department of literature and school work. As secretary of the educational committee she worked almost day and night for many months, until every plan was before the teachers of the state and a free and full correspondence was opened up from every quarter. The scheme for raising money, known as the penny fund, was entirely her own, and resulted in securing the funds necessary to carry on a work which at first seemed almost impossible to accomplish, on account of the lack of money. In the report of the state superintendent of public instruction appeared the following: "Under the determined, public-spirited and skillful managment of Mrs. S. S. Harrell, secretary of the committee on education, the literary exhibit of the state of Indiana proved to be one of the most popular as well as one of the most instructive and creditable exhibits made by the state. At one time it was feared that this important feature of the work of the committee would have to be abandoned, but Mrs. Harrell, with rare disinterestedness, indefatigable energy and clear-sighted tact, overcame all obstacles, stimulated active co-operation out of apparent indifference, and secured an exhibit which, though not complete in all details, proved clearly that in literary activity, as well as in literary achievement, the state of Indiana takes among the sisterhood of states a rank of which her citizens may well be proud. Mrs. Harrell arranged, in a case convenient of access, hundreds of volumes from the pen of Indiana's gifted sons and daughters. In suitable portfolios the numerous periodical publications of the state were displayed, and convenient tables and racks were filled with the current daily and weekly publications. The reading room of the Indiana State Building, in which these displays were made, was one of the chief points of interest for visitors from Indiana and other states." The reading room was under the direct supervision of Mrs. Harrell, and her genial and social qualities there displayed greatly endeared her to the people of her state.
In the state superintendent's report there also appeared an account of the " penny fund," which was so popular and practical that it was adopted
196
BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY.
by many other states: "Unfortunately, as it seemed at first, -- fortunately as it ultimately proved, -the financial means for an educational exhibit were lacking. This of itself, unless remedied, must always prove fatal to such an undertaking. A practical, popular and sufficient plan must be devised at the outset for meeting the necessary expenditures in procuring and manag- ing an exhibit such as would prove really representative of and creditable to the state. Happily, such a plan was quickly conceived and promptly exe- cuted. For this we were indebted to a cultured and efficient lady, a former teacher, who was appointed one of the lady commissioners of the exposition, for Mrs. S. S. Harrell, of Brookville, whose name is associated with the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and with educational and literary work in various forms, submitted a comprehensive plan." This was carried into effect and proved most successful. The plan was that the fourth Friday in November, 1891, and the 11th of February, 1892, should be set apart as Exposition days, on which a programme of patriotic, historical and social exercises was to be rendered in every school throughout the state. On each of those days a collection was taken, as follows: From the pupils, one cent each; from the teachers, ten cents; from the principals of high schools, twenty-five cents; from county superintendents, city superintendents, town- ship trustees and members of school boards of towns and cities, and college professors and presidents, fifty cents. "The result of Mrs. Harrell's plan," continues the report from which we have quoted, "has become a proverb throughout the nation. 'Penny funds' were collected in other states, and secured, in one notable instance, the exhibition of a remarkable statue, the Hiawatha and Minnehaha, in the Minnesota building. The exposition days were generally followed as proposed in the circular, and in many schools unique and original entertainments were devised. The year was one of happy memories in every school in Indiana. To Mrs. Harrell, whose patriotic fore- sight provided the plan, and whose labors and wide-reaching influence carried it through to its consummation, the schools of the state owe a debt of grati- tude which is not likely to be underestimated or forgotten. The total amount of the penny fund turned over by the treasurer of the educational committee was four thousand seven hundred and thirty-one dollars and fifty-two cents, and the total amount expended in preparation for the Indiana educational exhibit was four thousand two hundred and sixty-eight dollars and fifteen cents. The surplus amount has been turned over by the committee to the battle-ship Indiana fund to be used toward the purchase of a library."
As a member of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union Mrs. Har- rell served for two years as superintendent of the department of scientific temperance in the public schools, and pressed the subject so closely, by per- sonal solicitations and the distribution of many hundreds of petitions, that in
197
BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY.
the general assembly of 1895 a bill was passed making it obligitory to teach the injurious effects of alcohol and narcotics upon the human system. She has never felt any interest in the suffrage movement, having views peculiar to herself in regard to woman's position and usefulness, -the chief of which is: " If she does the very best she can with the responsibilities lying near- est her, honors will come, opportunities will open up for her to exercise a more powerful and perhaps better influence than with the ballot in hand." However, she has no word of condemnation for the woman who " womanly " thinks or moves otherwise.
Mrs. Harrell is a writer of superior ability, clearness, force and beauty, and has been a frequent contributor to floral and household magazines and educational journals; yet has no ambition as an author. A contempora- neous biographer said of her: " Over the signature of Citizen, at the age of sixteen, she furnished a series of letters to the local press, so showing up the management of the liquor traffic, the boldness of so-called moral and relig- ious men in its patronage, etc., that such an awakening to its evil influences was created as had not been stirred up for years. Her circular letters in the preparation and management of her Columbian Exposition duties and the preliminary work leading up to the enactment of a scientific temperance-edu- cation law were models of clear and comprehensive composition, possible to none but those of a ready pen and clear thought. Her letters of travel and those pertaining to the progress, completion and final work of the Columbian Exposition appeared in many of the newspapers of southeastern Indiana. Her essays and papers on various topics have been voluminous, covering a period from her sixteenth year to the present time."
Mrs. Harrell's ancestry were Scotch Presbyterians, and from her youth she has been an active worker in the church. Her last public labor, and to her a very dear one, was the opening of a reading room for boys. In this she was associated with a few other ladies of her native town. She watches over this enterprise with great interest, delighted with the good already accom- plished. Who can measure the influence of her labors in this and other directions? The center of a happy home circle, she has also extended the field of her endeavors, and many people have been benefited and blessed thereby. Her strong mentality and intellectual attainments, her broad sym- pathy and charity and her pleasing social qualities have rendered her very popular and won her the love of many with whom she has been associated in the active pursuits of life.
JOHN MILTON HIGGS.
For forty years this gentleman has been a resident of Connersville and for a third of a century has been connected with its journalistic interests as
198
BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY.
editor and proprietor of the Examiner, one of the leading Democratic papers in Indiana. He was born in Franklin county, four miles west of Brookville, April 5, 1842, a son of George and Melinda (Irwin) Higgs. His paternal grandfather, William Higgs, was a native of North Carolina, came to Indiana at an early day, and spent his last years in Franklin county. By occupation he was a farmer. The father of our subject, a native of Franklin county, also carried on agricultural pursuits as a life work. For five years previous to his death he resided in Connersville, where he died July 29, 1895.
Under the parental roof John M. Higgs was reared to manhood, acquir- ing his education in the common schools and in the Brookville high school. He put aside his text-books at the age of fifteen years in order to learn the more difficult lessons in the school of experience and obtained his first busi- ness training in the office of the Brookville Democrat, where he remained for seven years, thoroughly mastering the business in all its details. Forty years ago he came to Connersville, and established a paper called the Con- nersville Telegraph, which he published for two and a half years. The country then became engaged in the civil war, and on the 18th of September, 1861, he responded to the call for troops, enlisting as a member of the Forty-first Regiment, Second Indiana Cavalry, under command of Colonel John A. Bridgeland. He was made quartermaster-sergeant of Company L, and served for three years and nine days, during which time he partici- pated, with the Army of the Cumberland, in the battles of Shiloh, Perryville, Chickamauga and Stone river, together with many skirmishes. The com- mand was surrendered by General Johnson, at Gallatin, Tennessee, but his company managed to get away.
After the close of the war Mr. Higgs went to Indianapolis, where he was employed on the Indianapolis Sentinel and Gazette. The Democrats of Fayette county, however, wanted a paper, and he returned to Connersville, where he issued the first copy of the Examiner, December 24, 1867. A contemporary publication spoke of the paper as follows: "The Examiner was established in 1867. It was at a time when the country was still involved in the results of the civil war, when the great questions agitating the public were those of reconstruction, a settlement of the public debt and providing a safe currency. The Examiner took the extreme Democratic view on all these questions, and soon became a noted Democratic organ. It had its times of trial and its seasons of prosperity, like all the other papers of that time, but in the main its life has been prosperous, and to-day it ranks among the ablest Democratic papers of the state. It has always been a friend of Connersville, and much of the prosperity of the little city is due to the progressive spirit of this journal. In 1887 a daily was also pub- lished, and Mr. Higgs now issues both the daily and weekly edition, having a
199
BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY.
large circulation extending to every state in the Union 'and also to Europe. Its advertising patronage is extensive and its success is well merited."
Mr. Higgs was united in marriage to Miss Kate T. Davis, a daughter of Colonel A. M. Davis, who was killed in the battle of Shiloh, October 31, 1861. Mr. Higgs is a member of Connersville Post, No. 126, G. A. R., and in Democratic circles he has been a very prominent factor, doing all in his power to promote the growth and insure the success of his party. He was appointed postmaster by President Cleveland in both of his administrations, filling the office altogether for seven years. He has served three times as a member of the city council and for two terms as secretary of the school board. In 1872 he received the nomination for county treasurer, and obtained the largest vote ever cast for a Democratic candidate in the county up to that time, but was defeated by ninety-nine votes. His public duties have ever been discharged with marked promptness and fidelity, and during his long residence in Connersville he has been very closely connected with its progress and advancement, supporting all measures for the public good.
BENJAMIN MOORMAN.
As one reviews the history of the county and looks into the past to see who were prominent in its early development, he will find that almost throughout the entire century the name of Moorman has been closely con- nected with the progress and advancement of this section of the state. For eighty-two years Benjamin Moorman of this review has been a resident of Wayne county. Wild was the region into which he came when a boy of eight years. Its forests stood in their primeval strength, the prairie land was still unbroken, and the Indians still roamed through the dense woods, seek- ing the deer and lesser game which could be had in abundance. From that early period Benjamin Moorman has been prominently identified with the history of eastern Indiana, and now in his declining years he is living retired in Richmond, crowned with the veneration and respect which should ever be accorded an honorable old age.
He was born in Richmond county, North Carolina, August 21, 1809. His parents were also natives of the same county, where four of their sons were born, while three were born in Wayne county, Indiana. Of this num- ber only two are living, Benjamin and Jesse, the latter a resident of Miami county, this state. In 1816 the parents removed with their children to High- land county, Ohio, and a year later came to the Hoosier state, locating twelve miles north of Richmond, in what is now Franklin township, Wayne county. Their farm comprises one hundred and sixty acres of land, which had been entered from the government by Archibald Moorman, the grand- father of our subject, who paid for it the usual price of a dollar and a quarter
200
BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY.
per acre. He lived upon the place until his death, which occurred in 1830. He was a Quaker in religious belief and a leading member of the church. His life was most honorable and upright, and commanded the respect of all who knew him. John Moorman, the father of our subject, after a few years' residence in Wayne county, removed to Amboy, Miami county, Indiana, where his death occurred about 1887.
Upon the old family homestead in Franklin township, however, Benja- min Moorman spent his boyhood days. He was reared by his grandfather, with whom he remained until the latter's death, after which he made his home with his uncle, Benjamin, upon the same farm until the latter also passed away. When he came to Indiana this entire region was an almost unbroken wilderness and the first home of the family was a little log cabin. Neighbors were miles apart and it seemed improbable that cizilization would soon transform the district into beautiful homes and fine farms, while towns and villages would bring into the region all the industrial and commercial interests common in the east. As time passed and the land was cleared and developed, improvements were added to the farm, the little cabin home was replaced by a commodious one of more modern construction, and all the accessories and conveniences of the model farm of the nineteenth century were added. Indians were frequently seen, and some years passed before they retreated into the west before the oncoming tide of civilization. Turkeys, squirrels and all kinds of wild game were plentiful, and Mr. Moorman has shot as many as a hundred deer in the neighborhood of his home. As a boy he frequently rode to the then little town of Richmond, carrying with him a grist. He was very much afraid of the wolves, which were quite common, often carrying off the farmyard animals and making the night hideous with their howls. He also performed his part in the arduous task of clearing the land, plowing, and planting the crops, and for eighty-one long years was engaged in agricultural pursuits on the old family homestead in Franklin township.
In 1835 Mr. Moorman was united in marriage to Miss Anna Turner. He brought his bride to the old homestead, and, in addition to managing the farm, he began dealing in live stock, handling cattle, horses, sheep and hogs. For fifty years he carried on business along that line and was one of the most extensive and best known stock dealers in Wayne county. An excellent judge of stock, he found this a profitable source of income, and gained thereby a handsome capital. As he approached the western slope of life, he laid down his cares, and in 1885 retired from all business duties, but con- tinued to live upon the farm until 1897, when he removed to Richmond, where he is now making his home. His own industry and enterprise in former years now enable him to secure all the comforts of life.
201
BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY.
Mr. and Mrs. Moorman had no children of their own, but their kindness prompted them to furnish homes to four little ones. They reared Ruth Frazer, who is now the wife of David Pyle, of Franklin township, Wayne county ; John W. Turner, who is now the present county treasurer of Wayne county and a prominent and influential citizen ; Emma Turner, a sister of John, who became the wife of Reuben Rich, of Richmond, and died, leaving a son, Morrison D., whom they also reared.
In early life Mr. Moorman was a stanch Democrat of the Jacksonian school and a leader of his party in the neighborhood, but his opposition to slavery led him to espouse the cause of the new Republican party in 1856, and he has since been one of its stalwart advocates. He has long been a prominent member of the Friends' meeting, and for the past thirty years has been a deacon of the New Garden quarterly meeting. He is an earnest Christian man, and the teachings of the lowly Nazarene have actuated his life and formed the principles upon which his conduct has been based. He has almost reached the ninetieth milestone on life's journey. His path has been marked by good deeds, by honest purpose, by commendable industry and worthy motives, and when the final summons comes he will leave a record that is well worthy of emulation.
RALPH A. PAIGE.
Ralph A. Paige was born in Ware, Massachusetts, August 26, 1825, and died in Richmond, Indiana, September 23, 1887. The ancestry of the family can be traced back to the early part of the seventeenth century, when settle- ment was made in Massachusetts by ancestors of the subject of this sketch. The grandfather, Major James Paige, was a minute man on the immortal 19th of April, 1775, when American history first began to be made. His immediate ancestors were Benjamin Paige and Mary Ann (Magoon) Paige. Benjamin Paige saw service in the Massachusetts militia, holding a com- mission as lieutenant, signed by Elbridge Gerry in 1811, and one as lieu- tenant colonel by Governor Brooks, of Massachusetts, in 1822.
Ralph A. Paige was the youngest of a large family of children. In 1831, when he was six years of age, his parents decided to try their fortunes in the great and then almost unknown west. They came out to Zanesville, Ohio, where after a short stay they moved to Richmond, Indiana, where Benjamin Paige for some time kept hotel, or "tavern," as was then the usual method of denominating hotel business, at what is now known as the northeast corner of Sixth and Main streets. The son Ralph A. for a brief period during his boyhood days attended such private schools as the times and country afforded,-crude and imperfect affairs, compared with the system of modern times; but the greater part of his education was obtained
202
BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY.
through his own industry and efforts, after his daily work was finished, and the midnight hours often found him endeavoring to overcome the want of early educational training.
He began his business career at an early age, first clerking for James Morrisson, Sr., a relative of the well known Robert Morrisson, donor of Morrisson Library. After some time spent with Morrisson he was employed in the dry-goods business with James E. Reeves, with whom he was associated later on as partner. ยท In 1846 he started a store at Williamsburg, Wayne county, Indiana, but after a short time there returned to Richmond, where he continued business with William Wilson. Upon the dissolution of this partnership he was associated with his cousin, Edwin C. Paige, in the dry-goods business, with whom he continued in business until 1853, when he bought out his partner. From this period until the time of his retirement from active business in 1873 he was entirely alone in his business ventures, which he carried on with excellent judgment and success.
In 1853 he was married, at Centerville, Indiana, to Miss Mary E. McCul- lough, only child of Isaac W. Mccullough and granddaughter of Samuel Mccullough, one of the early settlers of Oxford, Ohio. Two children were born to them, Ralmaro and Lillian E. Fraternally he became a member of the Order of Odd Fellows, and was an early noble grand in the first lodge at Richmond,-Whitewater Lodge. He was also a charter member of Oriental Encampment, of which he was chief patriarch. He also obtained the charter and selected the name, it being suggested to him on account of the situation of Richmond, in the extreme eastern part of the state. Politically his first vote was cast for Zachary Taylor. Upon the formation of the Republican party he became one of the original members of that organization, with which party he continued to affiliate. While in no sense an office seeker or poli- tician, he took great interest in the political welfare of his country; and his extensive reading of political history and his wonderful memory of events and dates were such that few men were better acquainted with the historic affairs of his country than he.
Coming from New England Congregational religious training, his later years were, through family associations, more or less Presbyterian. Though not a member of any church, his religious beliefs were well grounded, and his knowledge and practice of fundamental religious principles were more thor- ough than those of many of more pretensions. His belief can best be expressed by an extract from a poem written by himself, which we quote:
" When our work on earth is done, And time shall veil our setting sun; When the spirit shall leave its mortal mold, And all the glories of Heaven behold,- Then the goal of life is won."
203
BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY.
In his business relations he was thoroughly upright and conscientious, gentlemanly, considerate and courteous in his personal and social contact, and with all mankind an honest man.
JOHN W. BARNES.
Conspicuous in the roll of names of men that have conferred honor upon the profession of journalism in Indiana is that of John W. Barnes, one of the proprietors and editors of the Evening Item, of Richmond. He has a great versatility of talents, and exactness and thoroughness characterize all his attainments and work. He is a writer of superior force and ability, while he has been an earnest worker; and in all the relations of life he is an honorable, upright gentleman who has won the sincere respect of all with whom he has come in contact.
A native of Ohio and a son of William W. and Eliza J. (Littler) Barnes, he was born in Centerfield, Highland county, on the Ioth of January, 1847. On the paternal side the family is of English lineage and was founded in Connecticut as early as 1645, by ancestors who came from England, where many representatives of the family still reside.
William W. Barnes, the father of the subject proper of this sketch, was born near Danbury, Connecticut, in 1819, and is now a resident of Indiana, spending his summer months on his valuable farm in Howard county and the winter seasons in the salubrious climate of Florida. He married Eliza J. Littler, and of their six children three are living, of whom John W. is the eldest. The mother of these children died in 1890.
John W. Barnes spent the first ten years of his life in the county of his nativity, and was with the family in their removal to Martinsburg, Fayette county, Ohio, where his father was engaged in the dry-goods business for two years. The next removal of the family was to New Vienna, that state. When our subject was seventeen years of age he responded to his country's call for troops, enlisting in Company G, One Hundred and Forty-ninth Ohio Infantry, and serving until the close of the war. After his mustering into the service his company was ordered direct to the Shenandoah valley, attached to Sheridan's army and participated in the battle of Monocacy Junction, against the troops of General Early, who was advancing north on Washing- ton. Although but a boy, he was a brave and loyal defender of the starry banner, that is, the cause it represented; and of his military record he has every reason to be proud.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.