USA > Indiana > Union County > Biographical and genealogical history of Wayne, Fayette, Union and Franklin counties, Indiana, Volume II > Part 16
USA > Indiana > Fayette County > Biographical and genealogical history of Wayne, Fayette, Union and Franklin counties, Indiana, Volume II > Part 16
USA > Indiana > Franklin County > Biographical and genealogical history of Wayne, Fayette, Union and Franklin counties, Indiana, Volume II > Part 16
USA > Indiana > Wayne County > Biographical and genealogical history of Wayne, Fayette, Union and Franklin counties, Indiana, Volume II > Part 16
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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 | Part 62
The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Ballinger were as follows: Samuel H. (see his sketch); Amanda Ellen, wife of William Moss, of Harrison township; Thomas Corwin, a commercial traveler, of Burlington, Kansas, who has served in the Kansas state legislature for two terms and was treasurer of Coffey county for two terms; Albert Allison, who owns one of the farmns above mentioned; William Bennett, who died July 31, 1887, aged thirty-two years; Inez, wife of Jackson Stivers, of Fairmont, Indiana; Mary Idella, who is at home; and two who died in infancy. William B. had been engaged in merchandising for four years in Franklin, Ohio, and for some years prior to his death was in business with his brother, Samuel H. His widow, Mrs. Laura (Young) Ballinger, is now living in Oxford, Ohio.
In his boyhood Isaac Ballinger was reared in the doctrines of the Quakers, but, as he trained with the militia and refused to acknowledge sor- row for so doing he was turned out of the society. For many years he has been a faithful member of the Christian church, and for two-score years has held the office of deacon. He is an ardent Republican, and once a candidate for county treasurer, and has voted for every president from W. H. Harrison down, with one exception.
SILAS HUDDLESTON.
The Huddleston family is one of the oldest and most honored in the United States and England. Ancient documents and records, well authenti- cated and acknowledged, such as the " Peerage and Gentry of England, " state that the Huddlestons come from the same stock as Rollo, the Danish pirate chief, who turned reformer and was the Duke of Normandy in 922, and that
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the Danish blood of Rollo and the Huddlestons has flowed through the veins of all the kings and queens who have reigned in England since the Norman conquest. The name, with its numerous forms, such as Hudelston, Huddel- son, Huddlestone, is derived from Hod or Hud (meaning head), -this root being softened by the inflection "el or le"-and ston (stone), and thus the entire' word might be translated, " head-of-stone" or "headstone," or "head (farthest point) of the quarry." The family was located at Milum Castle, in Cumberlandshire, in the time of Rollo, and the genealogy there begins with Adam; John, son of Adam; Richard, son of John; Richard. son of Richard; and so on, down to the twelfth century, when more noted names appear, as : Nigel de Hudelston; Sir Gilbert; Richard; Sir John, who was one of the great council that indited the celebrated letter to Pope Boniface VIII, in 1301; Richard; Sir John, and Richard. All of those just mentioned held offices of honor, and were more or less prominent in public affairs of the kingdom. Christopher, a brother of the Richard last named, was associated with him in the wars in France in the beginning of the fourteenth century. He spelled his surname Huddlestonne, and after his military career he married and settled in Paris, in 1421. Of his descendants in the direct line were Charles; Jean de Iles, who was renowned and lived to the age of one hundred and seven years; Philo, a minister of the reformed church and cousin to Henry IV, of France; Martin, a very wealthy man; Cephas, who was disowned by the fam- ily for marrying a poor woman, and was, perhaps, the first of the line to earn his bread " by the sweat of his brow;" Stephen was put to death by the Roman Catholics; and Nathan, who met a similar fate at the hands of the same persecutors. Small wonder, then, that the two brothers of Nathan, mourn- ing his loss and that of their father, and feeling their own lives insecure, determined to seek a home in the new land of religious toleration, America. These brothers, William and Eli, came to these hospitable shores in 1758, bringing with them the fatherless children of Nathan, and from them are descended the many branches of the family in this country.
David Huddleston, the father of the subject of this sketch, was a native of North Carolina, and was one of the pioneers of Union county, Indiana. He married Elizabeth Powell, a native of Tennessee, and most of their wedded life was happily spent on a farm in Union county, whence they removed to Wayne county in 1868. He died at the age of eighty-nine years, on the Ist of October, 1890, and was followed to the silent land about a year later by his devoted wife, whose death took place December 16, 1891, when she was in her eighty-fifth year.
Silas Huddleston was born May 1, 1828, in Union county, and is the eldest of eight children. The others are as follows: Eliza, widow of Henry
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Pickett; Aaron, a resident of California; Martha, wife of Aquilla Binford, of Boone county, Indiana; Enos, who died in California; Benjamin F., of Seat- tle, Washington; Lucinda, wife of James Coffin, of Hancock, Indiana; and Elwood, deceased.
The early years of Silas Huddleston were filled with hard work, as his father needed assistance in the clearing and development of his frontier farm, and it was only in the winter season that the lad attended school. Reared to the life of a farmer, he continued to follow pastoral pursuits, and in 1866 he came to his present home, on the outskirts of Dublin, Wayne county. Here he purchased a tract of land, of which he has sold sixteen building lots to citizens of the town, and still retains three acres. He is engaged in the cultivation of small fruits and vegetables, has a model garden and pleasant home, and the neat and thrifty appearance of everything about his grounds bespeaks the constant, careful attention of the owner.
Silas Huddleston and his estimable wife celebrated their golden wedding on the 10th of May, 1899, on which occasion the children, grandchildren and many other friends and relatives were in attendance. It was a happy gather- ing and one that will long be remembered. Mrs. Huddleston is the youngest daughter of Alexander and Hannah DuBois, natives of New Jersey and Ohio, respectively, the father born May 24, 1783, and the mother, October 23. 1786. They lived in the Buckeye state at a time when it was, in the main, a vast wil- derness, and in 1 840 they removed to the neighborhood of Salem, Union county, Indiana, where the father died at the age of eighty-six years. Ten of their children lived to maturity, namely: John, born July 23, 1807; Charlotte, February 10, 1810; Isaac, March 20, 1812; Jane, April 28, 1814; Isaiah, October 23, 1816; Katherine, November 12, ISIS; Hannah, March 29, 1821; Lydia, March 1, 1823; Alexander, September 17, 1826; and Emily Ann (Mrs. Huddleston), January 16, 1829.
The children who bless the union of our worthy subject and wife are Hiram, a dentist, of Maryville, Tennessee; Albert, a physician, of Winches- ter, Randolph county, Indiana; and Rosetta, wife of Charles R. Hill, of Maineville, Ohio. Dr. Albert Huddleston is connected with several public enterprises in Winchester, and is a member of the board of health and the board of the Orphans' Home. Our subject is a member and a strong sup- porter of the Friends church. He is genial and social in temperament and possesses the high regard of all who know him.
MAHLON C. GORDON.
Mahlon C. Gordon, one of the honored residents of Metamora or vicin- ity for nearly three-quarters of a century, is the sole survivor of a family of children which formerly comprised thirteen members, and which is notable
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from the fact that it was one of the first to make a permanent settlement in this section of Franklin county.
William Gordon, the paternal grandfather of our subject, emigrated from England to Virginia in colonial days. In that state he married Miss Dued- worth, whose birth had occurred near Lancaster, England, September 14, 1731, and who came to America with her parents when she was young. They took up their abode upon a fine old plantation on the Potomac river, about thirty miles above Washington, the present capital of this nation. Of the . six children born to William Gordon and wife, William, Jr., and Sarah, twins, were born after the death of the father. The mother subsequently sold her plantation and in 1796 removed with her family to Kentucky. Her last years were spent at the home of her son William, near Metamora, her death taking place September 12, 1822, when she was in her ninety-second year.
The birth of William Gordon, Jr., the father of the subject of this article, occurred in Virginia, August 11, 1779, and when he was about seventeen years of age he accompanied his mother to the Blue-grass state. In 1803 he married Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Kelley, an Englishman, who had come to America as an officer in the army commanded by General Corn- wallis. Six years after their marriage the young couple mentioned went to Ohio, where they lived but one year, then coming to Franklin county. Arriving here in the latter part of 1810 or the spring of 1811, Mr. Gordon was the first person to buy land on Duck creek after the land had been sur- veyed. He was prominently identified with the early settlement of this sec- tion and was the owner of large estates during his prime. He passed to his reward September 9, 1860, at his home near Metamora; and his wife, Eliza- beth, died August 28, 1865, aged seventy-six years and three months. Thir- teen children blessed their union, namely: William, Orville, Selina, Julia Ann, Eliza, Emeline, Milton B., Melvin H., Isabella, Leonidas, Angeline, Mahlon C. and Chilton T.
As previously stated, Mahlon C. Gordon is the only one of this large household now living. He was born on his father's farm near Metamora, February 10, 1826, and in his early manhood he owned a flouring-mill and a woolen mill below the town, and operated them successfully until 1858, when the mills were destroyed by fire. Then he removed to the village and started in business again, owning a flouring-mill here for several years. Finally, dis- posing of this property, he turned his attention to farming, and now lives upon and cultivates the old homestead of his wife's father, John McWhorter. The marriage of Mr. Gordon and Rebecca McWhorter was solemnized Jan- uary 1, 1850, and for almost half a century they have pursued the journey of life together, loved and respected by all who know them.
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GEORGE SCHURMAN.
George Schurman, deceased, is remembered as a public-spirited and broad-minded man, who did much to advance the best interests of Richmond, and was a leader in business circles. He was born in Hanover, Germany, January 5, 1830, and received his education in the public schools, whose excellent system is recognized the world over. At an early age he entered the shop to learn the trade of a cabinetmaker with his father, Henry Schur- man, who was an expert worker and did much contract work for the nobility of Germany. George remained with his father until 1860, when he came to America to make a home and seek his fortune. He stopped in Cincinnati, where he vainly sought employment, and, with dismay, saw his means fast disappearing. Not knowing what to do, and unable to secure work, he decided to enlist as a soldier of the civil war, and wrote his determination to his father, who at once wrote him words of encouragement, advised him not to enlist, and inclosed a draft of one hundred dollars. Soon after this he found employment, and continued at it two years.
In June, 1862, he came to Richmond, Indiana, where he worked at his trade and carpentering until 1867. Part of the time he was engaged with Mr. Hutton in the manufacture of sash and doors. He then purchased an interest in the coffin works, borrowing seven thousand dollars for that pur- pose. This plant was soon afterward destroyed by fire, and in 1870 the firm of J. M. Hutton & Company was incorporated. Mr. Schurman was one of the original stockholders, a director and the foreman of the company, a posi- tion in which he was retained until 1894, when he retired and was succeeded by his son, Henry G. He was one of the founders and a lifelong director of the Richmond city water-works, and also a stockholder in the Richinond Natural Gas Company. He took a lively interest in everything pertaining to the public good, and had the welfare of the community ever at heart.
He was married in 1863 to Miss Dorothea Weber, who was born in Hanover, November 7, 1833, and came to this country in 1861. They were members of the St. Paul Lutheran church, in which faith they reared their family and of which he was trustee for many years. He was called to his reward April 10, 1896, and on August 12, 1898, he was joined in the better land by the faithful wife with whom was passed so many tranquil years. Five children survive them, namely: Anna, Mrs. Edward H. Beggs, who resides at Boise City, Idaho; Henry G., our subject; George F., a resident of Columbus, Ohio; Minnie D., the wife of Rev. Lawrence Kuhlman, a Lu- theran minister of Boise City, Idaho; and William E., of this city.
Henry G. Schurman was born in this city January 5, 1865, and attended the public schools until he was seventeen years of age, when he entered the
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factory of J. M. Hutton & Company, where he became thoroughly familiar with all the details of the business, and upon the retirement of his father in 1894 was placed in charge as foreman. He was elected to the office of director, made vacant by the death of his father, and was also elected a director in the Richmond Water Works. He is wide-awake and industrious, shrewd and clear-sighted, and has been prominently engaged in advancing the interests of the city. He is a stockholder in the Natural Gas Company, and also in the Westcott Carriage Company, providing employment for many men. He has been appointed agent to settle up his father's large estate.
He was married on October 17, 1898, to Miss Florence, daughter of Charles R. Unthank, sheriff of the county. He and his mnost estimable wife reside in the elegantly appointed home he had prepared at No. 132 South Thirteenth street, where their friends find in them the dispensers of a liberal hospitality.
MARQUIS D. BEESON.
The honored family to which the subject of this biography belongs is one of the oldest in Wayne county, and its numerous representatives have intermarried with the leading families of eastern Indiana. The name occurs time and again in this volume, as it necessarily must in any comprehensive history of this locality, for the reason that the Beesons have been connected with the founding and development of Wayne and neighboring counties, taking very important parts in the struggle which reduced the wilderness to a flourishing agricultural community. In former generations connected with the Society of Friends, they seemed to be thoroughly emancipated from its strict discipline after coming to the north, while at the same time they retained the noblest principles of the creed and ever have been actuated with profound regard for the rights of others, and with justice, harmony and love have striven to work out the problems of life which confronted them.
The persecutions which were endured by the Quakers two or three cent- uries ago, in England, led to their fleeing to this continent in large numbers, as in this new and little inhabited land they hoped to find the freedom to worship God which was denied them by the bigoted people of their native isle. Among the little bands of emigrants who took refuge in one of the colonies of William Penn was one Edward Beeson and wife, of Lancashire, England. They crossed the ocean in 1682, and after a few years spent in Pennsylvania they accompanied a colony to Virginia. They had four sons, -Edward, Richard, Isaac and William. Richard was born in England, and to himself and wife, Charity, a son, Isaac, was born in America, Feb- ruary 3, 1729. This son married a lady whose Christian name was Phoebe, she having been born December 26, 1733. Their children were named respectively Benjamin, Rachel, Mary, Samuel, Isaac, Charity, Edward,
4
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Phæbe, William, Nathaniel and Martha. Mr. Beeson went to Delaware and purchased some land in Newcastle county, a portion of this property now being included within the corporation of Wilmington. Isaac, son of Isaac and Phæbe Beeson, went to North Carolina, where his son Benjamin and grandson, Benjamin, Jr., were born.
The last mentioned, father of the subject of this sketch, had a brother Isaac who came to Indiana " to spy out the land," in 1812. He decided to make a permanent settlement near Richmond, and the following year Benja- min Beeson, Jr., came here and selected a quarter-section of land, entering the tract in the land office at Cincinnati, Ohio. A third brother, Thomas, took up his residence in eastern Indiana in 1818. Returning to North Car- olina, Benjamin Beeson, who was a wheelwright by trade, constructed a sub- stantial four-horse wagon, in which his household goods and family were placed and conveyed to the new home in the wilds of Indiana. On the way, a man in Tennessee was so impressed with the strength and desirability of the wagon that a bargain was made, whereby he was to become the owner of the vehicle as soon as the occupants were safely at the end of their jour- ney. Thus about the first thing which Mr. Beeson did was to return to Tennessee to deliver the wagon, and made the home trip on horseback. Building a log cabin on his property, he commenced clearing the land, and in a short time put up a blacksmith shop, where he pursued his trade when not otherwise occupied. His nearest neighbors were three or four miles dis- tant, milling was a tedious task, as the mills were so far away, and grain fre- quently was taken to Lawrenceburg, on the Ohio river. Neighbors were kind and accommodating in those days, however, and when one of them went to town upon business he executed innumerable commissions for the entire community. Mr. Beeson was one of the most invaluable members of the pioneer settlement, as he was a natural mechanic and always ready to assist others in every possible way, was hospitable and anxious to aid strangers in selecting land and starting new homes, and was highly respected and looked up to for advice and counsel. From the time that he had cleared his first ten acres and had raised a crop thereon, success was his, and contentment and plenty were his portion. All of the woolen and linen clothes needed by himself and household were spun and woven by his thrifty and industrious wife and daughters. Sometimes driving cattle and hogs to Cincinnati, he disposed of them at good prices, and with the proceeds of such ventures he bought land, later giving good farms to each of his children. Politically a Democrat, he was not desirous of holding public office, but was elected and served as a justice of the peace for a number of years. Deservedly popular among his neighbors, they apparently sought for means of expressing their admiration and high regard for him, and in the early days when he needed
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assistance in the raising of a log cabin or anything of the kind, he never even notified them of the fact, for they would inquire and when the day came were present in numbers to render kindly aid. His life was that of a sincere Chris- tian and when death came he was prepared to depart in peace to the man- sions above, the inheritance of the good and just. His death, March 1, 1852, when he was sixty-four years of age, was the result of the amputation of one of his limbs. He was survived some years by his widow, Dorcas (Starbuck) Beeson, who, likewise was a native of North Carolina. After living to see her children happily settled in life, she was summoned to her reward, in October, 1872. Her two eldest children, Bezaleel and Othniel, were born in the south, while the others were natives of this state. They comprised Templeton; Delilah, wife of John Patterson: Rachel, wife of James Harvey; Gulelma, wife of William Dick; Cinderella, wife of William Harvey; B. F., a prominent farmer of this township; Amanda M., wife of Thomas Emerson; Marquis D .; and Charles, who died unmarried in 1852. Only three survive, -B. F., Mrs. Dick and our subject.
The birth of Marquis D. Beeson took place in this township, October IS, I 829. Such education as fell to his share was obtained in the subscription school of his boyhood. He continued to live under the parental roof until he was twenty-two years of age, when he was married and went to a home of his own. A small brick house and some clearing were the improvements upon the farm where he settled, and he energetically set to work to make a model homestead of the place. In this endeavor he has succeeded, and his farm, situated two and a half miles south of Milton, is one of the most de- sirable in this locality. A comfortable two-story frame house was built by the owner and numerous barns and farm buildings afford shelter for his stock and storage places for the grain and products of the farm. To each of his children he has given a quarter-section of land or its equivalent, as well as good educational advantages and business training. His integrity is beyond reproach, and strict rectitude and justice have marked all of his transactions with his fellow men. Kindliness and generosity are among his chief char- acteristics, and no one, needy or suffering, has gone from his door unaided and uncomforted. In his political opinions he is a Democrat, as are most of his relatives.
The marriage of Mr. Beeson and Miss Ellen Harvey was celebrated in 1851. Her grandfather, John Harvey, of North Carolina, a life-long mem- ber of the Friends' church, came to this state at a very early period, settling near Centerville. He dealt extensively in live stock and became very wealthy and influential. Born May 17, 1779, he lived until September 12, 1850. His wife, Jane (Cox) Harvey, born March 3, 1782, died April 16, 1854. Their children comprised: Rebecca, wife of G. Newby; Isom, who died in Iowa;
BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY.
Benjamin; Aaron, who died in this county; Nathan and William C., of Kan- sas; John P'., who died at his home near Centerville; Mary E., wife of Joseph Jackson; and Mrs. Jane Ray, who died in Cambridge City. A native of this county, born May 15, 1808, Benjamin Harvey, the father of Mrs. Beeson, began farming in Washington township, upon land which his father had entered, and there he improved a valuable homestead and died March 27, 1856, at the age of forty-seven years. Though comparatively young at the time of his death he had been so industrious and diligent in business that he owned six hundred acres of land and was on the high road to fortune when his career was cut short. No man could be more fond of his home and family than he was, and all of his actions were animated by a strong desire to benefit those dependent upon him. He married Nancy, daughter of Isaac and Nancy (Brandon) Sellars, who was of Irish descent and were Protestants, identified with the Baptist church. Mrs. Nancy Harvey was born November 1, 1809, in Kentucky, and came to Jacksonburg, Indiana, with her parents about 1816. She had four sisters and two brothers, namely: Mrs. Rebecca Merritt, Mrs. Ruhama Wright, Mrs. Elizabeth (Hastings) Brown, who sur- vived both of her husbands and is now a resident of Kansas; Isaac, who died in Madison county; John; and Mary, wife of R. Burns.
The children of Benjamin and Nancy Harvey were thirteen in number: Isaac S., born June 20, 1831, died when in his twentieth year; John, born October 29, 1832, died in Oklahoma; Ellen, born March 20, 1834, is the next; Louisa J., born January 12, 1836. married M. G. Beeson, and has passed to the silent land; Ira, born April 20, 1837, is deceased; Viola, born January 6, 1839, is the wife of A. Banks; Amanda, born August 19, 1840, married J. Howard, is deceased; Nancy, wife of E. Wilson, of Indianapolis, was born May 4, 1843; William O., born November 5, 1845, is deceased; Granville, born November 7, 1847, is now in California; and Melinda and Melissa, twins, were born November 14, 1853. The former is the wife of T. Beeson, and the latter died when young.
To the union of our subject and wife three sons and a daughter were born: Lycurgus W., February 7, 1856; Lafayette, March 10, 1858; Welling- ton, September 6, 1860; and Eva, wife of C. Ferguson, June 28 1863. AH are established in homes of their own and are honored and esteemed citizens of the communities in which their lot is cast.
MOSES RIKER.
Mr. Riker is one of the foremost farmers of Franklin county, Indiana, and has been a life-long resident of that county, residing now near Metamora, in Brookville township. He was born in February, 1821, in Cedar Grove, Franklin county, and is the son of Arteinus and Jane (Schoonover) Riker.
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His grandfather was David Riker, of the state of New York, who was taken seriously ill while on a visit at the home of our subject's father. He never recovered from this illness and died there, his body being interred in the family cemetery, which is located on the farm.
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