USA > Indiana > Jay County > Biographical and historical record of Jay and Blackford Counties, Indiana : containing portraits and biographies of some of the prominent men of the state : engravings of prominent citizens in Jay and Blackford Counties, with personal histories of many of the leading families and a concise history of Jay and Blackford Counties and their cities and villages. > Part 97
USA > Indiana > Blackford County > Biographical and historical record of Jay and Blackford Counties, Indiana : containing portraits and biographies of some of the prominent men of the state : engravings of prominent citizens in Jay and Blackford Counties, with personal histories of many of the leading families and a concise history of Jay and Blackford Counties and their cities and villages. > Part 97
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HISTORY OF BLACKFORD COUNTY.
until December, 1831, when he came with his wife and two children to Blackford Conn- ty, Indiana, settling in Licking Township, and while he was building his cabin his famn- ily lived in Grant County with the family of Jolın Grimes, and for about six weeks the Grimes cabin contained abont nineteen per- sons. Mr. Reasoner moved his family to his cabin abont the end of December, 1831. He made the first elearing, and was the first to engage in farming in Blackford County. The following spring he cleared enongh land to raise corn and potatoes to support his family, and their meat consisted of wild game or venison. Benjamin Reasoner, the grandfather of our subject, was an early settler of Ohio, and came to Blackford County with his son Peter in 1831, where he lived until his death. The grandmother, Mary (Ilill) Reasoner, died in Grant County. The Reasoners are of German descent, coming to America at the time of the persecution of the Huguenots. The father of our subject died October 22, 1868. The mother is still living in Licking Township, and is the oldest living settler in the county. Sherelates many reminiscences of pioneer life, of which we may mention the fol- lowing: Some time after coming to the county a large Indian opened the door of their cabin and gave a grunt. They could not understand what he wanted, but he noticed a whetstone on the mantel, which he took up and com- menced sharpening his scalping knife. The mother became greatly frightened, and taking her two children ran to the house of her father- in-law, who lived about a half mnile distant. Jacob M. Reasoner, whose name heads this sketch, was married October 26, 1875, to Miss Emma Willman, who was born in Hartford City, Indiana, January 29, 1854, where she was reared and married. She is a danghter of John P. and Nancy (Kirkpatrick) Will- man, and a grand-daughter of Lewis and
Christina (Keller) Willnan, who were born in Germany, her grandmother dying a few years after coming to Blackford County. Her grandfather died in Blackford County, Febru- ary 16, 1876. Her father was born November 27, 1830, in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, coming to America with his parents when two years old, they settling in Pennsylvania. He was bronght to Indiana in his boyhood, where he was reared and married, May 3, 1853, to Miss Nancy Kirkpatrick. To them were born four children-Emma, wife of Mr. Reasoner; Catherine, wife of George Brown, of Leipsic, Ohio; Minnie M., wife of Arthur Lyle, of Hartford City, and Rolla, at home. Mr. and Mrs. Reasoner are the parents of five children-Ralph B., born July 19, 1876; Ethel, born July 11, 1878; Walter H., born February 23, 1881; Shirley W., born March 20, 1883; and an infant yet unnamed, born May 1, 1887.
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AMES A. McVICKER, a worthy repre- sentative of an old pioneer family, was born on the farm where he still resides, in Licking Township, Blackford County, In- diana, the date of his birth being September 27, 1840. His father, Aaron Mc Vicker, was born in Virginia, but reared to manhood in Guernsey County, Ohio, where he was mar- ried to Elizabeth Bruner, who was also a native of Virginia, but reared in Guernsey Connty, Ohio. In 1836 they left Ohio by team for Indiana, settling in what is now Licking Township, Blackford County, on the Hart place, just a mile from the present home of our subject. The father cleared a small space and erected a round-pole cabin on the land he had entered, building it withont floor or door, a bed-quilt being used for the latter. Here they experienced all the hardships and
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
privations incident to pioneer life, going long distances to mill, etc. Wolves were numer- ons, and were a source of great annoyance to the early settler. Mrs. McVicker was left alone when her husband went to mill, and with no more substantial door than the cabin afforded there was considerable reason for her being afraid of these animals. Game of all kinds was plentiful, and the trusty rifle of Mr. Me Vicker furnished the family with meat, such as deer aud other game, for sev- eral years after their settlement here. Both parents died on the old homestead, the father March 18, 1861, and the mother in 1871. Both were members of the Old School Bap- tist church, Mr. Mc Vicker acting as secretary for the congregation for many years. In politics he was a life-long Democrat. James A., our subject, was reared at his birth-place, and received his education in the old Mc- Vicker school-house. His father dying just before the commencement of the war, and his eldest brother going into the army at the first call for troops, the care of his mother and the younger members of the family devolved upon him. He made his home with his mother until twenty-four years of age, when he was married, February 26, 1863, to Sarah Cunningham. She was born in Licking Township, this county, a daughter of Adam and Mary (Denny) Cunningham, who were natives of Virginia, both coming to Black- ford with their parents before their marriage. They lived in the county nntil their death. Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Mc- Vicker, of whom eight are living-Aaron Leona, Mary Levina, Julia Aun, George Mer- ritt, Ella, Elizabeth Alice, Janetta and Ida. Mr. McVicker has always lived on the old homestead, and has witnessed all the material changes which have taken place in the county. After his marriage he settled in a hewed-log house on the west end of the place, though
still continued to manage the farm. In the fall of 1882 he settled in his present com- fortable residence, which is beautifully situ- ated, commanding a view of the surrounding country. He has 120 acres of fine land, the greater part of his farm being cleared and under cultivation. In 1885 he began to de- vote some attention to fish culture, construct- ing a fine fish-poud which he stocked with thirty German carp, and now has a great number of fish, although only six of the original number remain. In politics he affili- ates with the National party. Both he and his wife are members of the German Baptist church.
LI HUGHES, grocer, Hartford City, is a native of Blackford County, Indiana, born in Jackson Township, February 19, 1840, a son of David and Eliza (Goch- nauer) Hughes, the latter dying when our subject was but two weeks old. The father was a native of Virginia, born and reared in Rockingham County, coming to Indiana when a young man. He was a millwright by trade, and became engaged on the mill at New Castle in Henry County. While living there he was married to Eliza Gochnauer, who was also a native of Rockingham County, Virginia. Mr. Hughes died about the year 1872. Eli Hughes was reared at the home of his grandfather, Samuel Gochnauer, being brought up on a farm. He was educated in the schools of Jackson Township, and at Hartford City. He was married in 1860 to Miss Susannah Ashbangh, a native of Penn- sylvania, born in Adams County, and to them have been born eight children, of whom one named Jane is deceased. Those living are -Melinda, wife of Michael Smith; Cather- ine, Samuel, Ella, Flora, Walter and Eliza.
886
HISTORY OF BLACKFORD COUNTY.
In 1878 Mr. Hughes was elected treasurer of Blackford County, when he removed to Hart- ford City, and two years later he was re-elected to the same office. At the expiration of his second term he engaged in the grocery bnsi- ness at Hartford City, establishing his business December 24, 1882. He is asso- ciated with his son-in-law, Michael Smith, and they are doing a fine business. They own the brick building which they have occu- pied since 1884. Mr. Hughes is a Lutheran in his religious faitli, and has been a deacon of his church since 1878. Samuel Goch- naner, the maternal grandfather of our sub- ject, was born in Shenandoah County, Virginia, and was of German descent, although the family had lived in Virginia many years before the Revolutionary war. Samuel Gochnaner was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, and drew a pension from the time they were granted to survivors until his death. He was married in Shenandoah County to Catherine Wolgemath, whose father came from Germany and settled in Virginia. To this union five children were born-Mary Ann was first married to Jacob Emshwiller, who was collector and treasurer for Blackford County, and died in 1848, and his widow mar- ried Lewis Willman, Sr .; Eliza Gochnaner is the mother of our subject; Catherine, widow of J. K. Hobson, lives in Allen County, and · William Benjamin, and Jacob, the two last mentioned dying in Virginia. Samuel Goch- naner and family removed from Shenandoah County to Henry County, Indiana, by team, taking four weeks to make the journey. He entered three eighty acre tracts in Jackson Township, Blackford County, walking to Fort Wayne to make the entry, a distance of fifty miles. There being no roads at that time, he was guided by a compass, making the trip in one day. He brought his family to the county in 1838, they living with a family in
the neighborhood until he had erected a log cabin. He had been a cooper by trade, and after coming to Blackford County he de- voted his attention to his trade, together with his agricultural pursuits. He and his wife lived on the land in Jackson Township, on which they first settled, until their death. Both were members of the German Reformed church. In politics he was a life-long Demo- crat. He held the office of county commis- sioner of Blackford County, and was afterward trustee of Jackson Township. He was a man of excellent habits, and of great strength, and was universally respected throughont the community where he had made his home so many years.
ILLIAM HART is one of the early settlers of Harrison Township. He was born in Stark County, Ohio, June 23, 1837, a son of John W. and Mar- garet (Blythe) Hart, natives of Pennsylvania, who in their youth went to Ohio, where they were married. They lived in Stark County until 1850, when with a family of ten children they moved to Blackford County, Indiana, making the trip with wagons. They first settled on section 5, Harrison Township, where the father and sons cleared a farm, on which the father lived until 1885, when he went to Wells County, where he now lives at the age of eighty-five years. The mother died about 1863. William was a boy thirteen years old when his parents moved to Black- ford County, and here he was reared, remain- ing at home until twenty-two years old. He was married November 22, 1860, to Jane Kirk, who died in 1865, leaving three chil- dren-Melville, Orland and Cora I. Decem- ber 24, 1868, he married Rose Ann Mussetter, a native of Greene County, Ohio, daughter
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
of Christopher and Mary (Smith) Mussetter. To them have been born six children, four of whom are living-Mary Amy, Arthur Ma- rion, Rufus Preston and Sarah Elizabeth. Ambrose C. and an infant unnamed are deceased. Mr. Hart located on the farm where he now lives in 1870. It contains 280 acres of land, 180 acres of which are cleared and improved. In politics Mr. Hart is a firm adherent to the principles of the Repub- lican party. During the war of the Rebellion he enlisted in Company G, One Hundred and Fifty-third Indiana Infantry, and served seven months. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, Montpelier Post. He is a public spirited, enterprising man, taking an active interest in all matters pertaining to religion and education.
T. KNIGHT, senior member of the firm of Knight & Robbins, proprietors of the Hartford City Tile Works, be- came established in the business in 1881, and subsequently his brother-in-law, Mr. Robbins, became associated with him. The business is quite an extensive one, a large amount of tile being manufactured annually, most of which is consumed by the home trade. The engine room is 30 x 36 feet and the drying floors are 800 feet square. The engine is of ten-horse power. Mr. Knight was born in Grant County, Indiana, near Marion, An- gust 25, 1835, a son of Jerome and Rachel (Wilcutts) Knight, the former of Scotch and Irish and the latter of Scotch, Irish and Welsh descent. He lived in Grant County until twenty years of age, attending school in Grant and Randolph counties. When twenty years old he moved to Wayne County and there worked on a farm, and for two winters attended school at Arba. He went
from there to the vicinity of Hollansburg, Darke County, Ohio, where he taught in the district schools. He went from there to Union City and taught in the school which is on the Ohio side of the line. May 2, 1864, he enlisted in Company B, One Hundred and Fifty-second Regiment, Ohio National Guard, and served four months, when he was honor- ably discharged, but subsequently served a time in the Eighth Ohio Cavalry. After the war he engaged in the insurance business in Union City, and in 1867 moved to Wells County, Indiana, where he engaged in mill- ing until coming to Hartford City in 1881. He is a thorough-going business man, and in the few years of his residence in Hartford has made many friends. He is a member of Lodge No. 250, A. F. & A. M. In politics he is a stannch supporter of the principles of the Republican party. Mr. Knight was married December 29, 1860, to Sarah J. Rob- bins, of Hollansburg, Ohio, a daughter of John and Sarah Robbins. They have had six children, five of whom are living-Edgar O., Rinaldo, Lucullus G., Ivanhoe R. and Earl. Charles is deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Knight are members of the Methodist Epis- copal church.
OSEPH DILDINE, farmer, section 8, Jackson Township, was born near Hart- ford City April 8, 1838. He is a son of Sampson and Sarah (Highland) Dildine, na- tives of Pennsylvania, his father born Octo- 19, 1799, and his mother February 28, 1799, and both moved to Ohio with their parents in 1812, the former settling in Dayton, and the latter in Lancaster County. They were married in Hancock County August 27, 1827, and in 1837 came to Blackford County and settled near the present site of Hartford
888
HISTORY OF BLACKFORD COUNTY.
City, and in 1853 moved to a farm on section 8, Jackson Township, where the mother died January 21, 1871, and the father March 29, 1879. They were the parents of five chil- dren, as follows-Ralph, 'born March 23, 1828, died December 30, 1880, leaving a wife and ten children; Jesse, born April 7, 1830, lives on a part of the old homestead; Maria, born February 11, 1832, died April 10, 1876, leaving six children; Effie, born January 27, 1835, died January 2, 1880, leaving five children, and Joseph, who was the youngest. llis paternal grandfather died in 1855, aged eighty years. His grandmother died in 1812. They had six children-Sampson, Martha, Saralı, Allen, Richard and Abigail. His grandfather was married a second time, and to the second marriage were born five chil- dren -John, William, Rebecca, Volentine and Effie. His great-grandparents were na- tives of Germany and came to America in an early day, settling in New Jersey. His mna- ternal grandparents, Joseph and Massey (McDonald) Highland, were of Scotch-Irish ancestry. Joseph Dildine was fifteen years old when his parents moved to Jackson Township, and he has since lived on the farın, then bought by his father, and is now the owner of eighty acres, which is well improved and under cultivation. He was married March 19, 1868, to Elizabeth Williams, who was born in England Jannary 1, 1843, a daughter of James and Mary (Richards) Williams. Her father was born December 26, 1804, and her mother March 7, 1816. In 1852 her father came to America and lo- cated near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where he worked at the tailor's trade, and in 1853 the mother and children followed him. In 1855 they moved to Clinton, Ohio, and from there in 1861 to Blackford County, Indiana, where the father died December 2, 1872. The mother still lives on the homestead. They
had a family of nine children, seven of whoni lived till maturity - Anna, born April 7, 1841, died August 7, 1881, leaving five chil- dren; Elizabeth, born January 1, 1843; James R., born January 26, 1845; Hannah G., boru October 28, 1846, is the wife of Dennis Garrity; Amelia, born April 27, 1850; Henry, born April 10, 1852; William J., born September 30, 1856. Mr. and Mrs. Dildine have two children- Sarah J., born November 18, 1870, and Stella A., born Jan- nary 15, 1876. Mr. Dildine was appointed assessor in 1884 to fill an nnexpired term, and in the spring of 1886 was elected to the same position for a term of four years.
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M OSES HAMLIN ROBBINS, of the firm of Knight & Robbins, tile manu- facturers, at Hartford City, was born in Abingdon, Wayne Connty, Indiana, October 5, 1846, a son of J. C. and Sarah (Fender) Robbins. The father was born and reared in North Carolina, and when a young man came to Wayne County, Indiana, with his father. In 1876 he removed to Kendallville, Noble County, where he died in 1884. The mother of our subject died in Union County in 1874. Moses H., when ten years of age, went to Hollansburgh, Ohio, where he began working in a mill, and also attended school. He after- ward engaged in farming, which he followed until the war of the Rebellion, when on tlie second call for three months volunteers, in 1861, he enlisted in an Ohio regiment, and remained at Columbus, Ohio, until the expi- ration of his term of enlistment. The re- mainder of the regiment were taken prisoners at Harper's Ferry. In the summer of 1862 he enlisted in Company H, One Hundred and Tenth Ohio Infantry, serving on guard duty in that regiment until the Eighth Ohio
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
Cavalry was organized, to which he was transferred. His brother, William II., was also a member of the Eighth Cavalry, and they served together in the Army of the Cum- berland until the close of the war. He was with Hunter on the raid to Lynchburg, par- ticipating in all the fighting there, and on their return was in the engagement at Liberty, West Virginia. After this the regiment divided, and his part went to the neighbor- hood of Beverly, where they were in two fights with the rebel cavalry and infantry, and Mr. Robbins rode thirty-five miles from Beverly to Buchanan for re-inforcements. No quarter was given here, and it was all hand to hand fighting west from that place to Phillipi. After his regiment was recruited it was sent to Clarksburg, West Virginia, remaining on duty there until after Lee's surrender and some six months after the war had closed, receiving supplies which were sold there. He received his discharge late in the fall of 1865, and after his return from the war he spent abont one year at school. He was then employed as a brakeman on the Bellefontaine Railroad from Union City to Crestline part of one year, after which he bought an interest in a saw-mill, which was delivered at Winchester, and removed from there to Holland, two miles northwest of Ridgeville on Day's Creek, Silver Settlement, where he was engaged in manufacturing lumber for the railroad company a little over a year, and when the railroad was completed to near Hartford, the saw-mill was removed to Millgrove, and from there Mr. Robbins went to Indianapolis, where he was engaged on the west end of the Bellefontaine railroad, from Union City to Indianapolis. After re- maining there four months he bought the grocery in the Craynor Block at Union City, and there followed mercantile pursuits be- tween two and three years. He then went
to Kendallville, where he dealt in boots and shoes, and gents furnishing goods until March, 1882, when he came to Hartford City, and has since been engaged in the manufac- ture of tile. Mr. Robbins was united in marriage October 13, 1867, to Miss Sarah Melissa Stewart, a native of Darke County, Ohio, and a daughter of Marsh Stewart, of Hollansburgh. They are the parents of six children-Clara Leota, Charles Elmer, Mabel, Gracie Viola, Archie Stewart and Nettie. Mr. Robbins is a member of the Masonic lodge at Kendallville, and belongs to the Good Templar lodge at Hartford City. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he is one of the official board. In politics he affiliates with the Re- publican party.
AMUEL L. GADBURY, of Hartford City, was born in Ross County, Ohio, July 6, 1832, a son of James A. and Elizabeth (Keeler) Gadbury. The father was born in Muskingum County, Virginia, and when a boy his parents settled in Ross County, where he was reared to manhood. He was there married to Elizabeth Keeler, who was a native of Ross County. In June, 1835, he started on foot for Indiana, and near the Blackford County line he heard that there was plenty of good land in this vicinity, and he with a man named Wilson came to the county, and mnade a selection of land in Licking Township. He then walked to Fort Wayne and entered three eighty acre tracts in Licking Township, at the land office. He then returned to Blackford County, and hired some hunters to clear a small space and put up a cabin on his land, after which he returned to Ohio on foot. In September, 1835, he brought his family to their new
890
HISTORY OF BLACKFORD COUNTY.
home in the wilderness, hiring a teamster to drive over his family and their necessary household effects. They remained at the house of Joseph Wilson one night, and the following day, Wilson, known as the bee hunter, accompanied them to their land, but from his house to their land a road had to be cut a distance of three miles. On arriving at their destination they found their cabin had neither door, window nor fireplace, and these Mr. Gadbury set about to build. Game of all kinds was in abundance, especially deer, and Mr. Gadbury being a good shot he kept his family well supplied with meat. Often he has shot deer while standing in the door of his cabin, and for the first few years spent in the county the principal diet of the family was venison and corn bread. Salt was hard to obtain in those days. Their marketing was done principally at Muncie, generally returning on horseback with a sack of corn meal and a pillow-slip of salt. Mr. Gadbury cleared up much of his land, and made his home in this place until his death, which occurred March 6, 1865. His wife's death occurred in 1860. Both were broken down by the exposure and hardships they had endured in their pioneer home. In politics Mr. Gadbury was an old-line Whig. In his religious faith he was a Presbyterian, and he was one of the organizers of the Elizabeth Presbyterian church. Samuel L. Gadbury, whose name leads this sketch, in his third year was brought to Blackford County, and here he was reared amid the scenes and incidents of pioneer life. He made his home with his parents until his marriage, April 20, 1854, to Miss Rebecca Hess. After their marriage they lived for three years in a little cabin on his father's homestead. He theu rented land a mile and a half from the home- stead, and there his wife died August 10, 1857, leaving one child-Sarah Jane, now the
wife of Barney Six, of Hartford City. After the death of his wife he returned to the homestead. He was again married in 1878 to Miss Judah Marshall, a native of Kentucky, who died the same year of her marriage. To this union one child was born, named George W., who is now in the drygoods business in Dunkirk, Jay County. Mr. Gadbury was married to his present wife in 1860, her maiden name being Mary J. Stahl, a daughter of Jacob Stahl, one of the early settlers of this county. Of the five children born to this union three are deceased-Jonathan W., died at Fort Scott, Kansas, November 22, 1884, aged two years, and two who died in infancy unnamed. Those living are Eleanor, wife of Reuben Reasoner, a drygoods merchant of Dunkirk, and Samuel Logan, who is also in business at Dunkirk. In 1872 Mr. Gadbury bought the old Jacob Stahl farm on the out- skirts of Hartford City, to which he removed, and the following year erected the present substantial brick residence on the place. At that date there were twenty-one lots in this tract inside the town limits, and these are known as Gadbury's addition. His land first consisted of 159 acres, and he now has 134 acres of valuable land in and immediately adjoining Hartford City. Mr. Gadbury was a soldier in the late war, enlisting October 10, 1864, in Company K, Fifty-first Indiana Infantry, reached the front at Chattanooga, and was in the engagement there in the Fourth Corps. He also participated in the battle of Nashville, after which he went with his command to Texas and remained there on duty until after the close of the war. He then went with his regiment to New Orleans, where he was discharged November 17, 1865. On his return from the army he located at Hartford City, where he has since made his home. He has been a resident of Blackford County for more than a half cen-
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
tury, and has witnessed almost all the material progress that has been made in the county from the time it was an almost unbroken wilderness. Politically Mr. Gadbury is a Democrat. In 1868 he was elected county sheriff, and served in this capacity one term at that time. In 1880 he was again elected to the same office, and has served as county sheriff in all eight years. He was a member of the Democratic Central Committee for two campaigns, those of 1860 and 1868. He is a member of Jacob Stalil Post, No. 227, G. A. R.
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