USA > Indiana > Putnam County > Biographical and historical record of Putnam County, Indiana > Part 21
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
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full three years' course of study required by the laws of the State. He then went to Nan- tucket and remained a little more than a year, acquiring a reputation as a good lawyer. Ile then concluded to come West, which he did in November, 1841, settling at once and opening an office at Greencastle when the place was yet a small town. He immedi- ately entered upon a good practice, and at the time of his death enjoyed the distinction of being the oldest practitioner at the Put- nam County bar. At the time of coming to Greeneastle he met with much opposition, the people here being Southerners and dis- liking the Yankees, of which he was a true Puritan type, but he lived to see those who opposed him his warmest friends. In August, 1843, he married Miss Mary T. Wood, of Middleborough, Massachusetts, daughter of Judge Wilkes Wood. Ile was never an active politician, but always had pronounced views on all questions of impor- tance. He was a Whig until the formation of the Republican party, when he allied himself with that party and continued one of its warmest supporters. IIe was not an office seeker, but held several trusts by rea- son of their being thrust upon him. He was a member of the first common council of Greencastle in 1849, and was the second mayor in 1850, which office he resigned be- cause of his distaste for the duties of his po- sition. In 1848 he was a delegate to the National Convention at Philadelphia which renominated Taylor for President. He had a warm affection for Henry Clay, and made a very active canvass during the year of that race. For a time he acted as circuit judge in this district. More recently he was a member of the city school board, during which time the first and third ward buildings were erected. Ile was always interested in the schools of the city and county. He was
the father of six children-Lucy W., C. Wilkes, Charles R .. Helen R., George and Ida. These are all living except Charles R., who died in 1879.
ILLIAM M. COX, a pioneer of Jef- ferson Township, was born in Vir- ginia, May 1, 1818, a son of John and Polly Cox. His father was a native of New Jersey and his mother of Virginia. Ilis paternal great-grandfather, of English descent, was a soldier of the Revolutionary war. Mr. Cox was reared to manhood in this State, receiving an education only in the pioneer subscription schools. September 11, 1538, is the date of his marriage to Miss Hannah Powers, who was born January 22, 1816, in Lewis County, Virginia. Her father, a native of the same State, was a sol- dier in the war of 1812; her mother was a native of Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Cox have had eleven children. seven of whom are living-Sarah ., wife of Amos Evans; Adeliza, wife of Newton Reed; Melville B., Lonisa, wife of Thomas Hockett; Albert, Alvin and Winfield. The deceased are- Nancy, John, Candace and Ellen. Mr. Cox came to Putnam County with wife and one child in 1839, traveling with a one-horse wagon. Mrs. Cox rode 550 miles on horse- back, and they were about three weeks mak- ing the trip. Mr. Cox bought eighty acres of land in Jefferson Township, on which was a cabin, but no clearing. After several years of hard labor he succeeded in clearing his farm and producing good crops. They eu- dured many hardships, and worked hard. Mr. Cox split and laid up rails for 75 cents per hundred. At one time he cut and split 200 rails for a bushel of salt, carrying the same about two miles. IIe now owns 375
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aeres of land in Jefferson Township. Hle is all obtained by his own industry and econ- a member of the Methodist Episcopal church 'omy, and his time is devoted to farming and and has served as steward several years. ; stock-raising. When he arrived in Franklin Mrs. Cox is also a member of that church. : Township in 1859 he had just 10 cents. Their son Melville served in the late war four years. Mrs. Cox's maternal grandfather was a native of Wales, immigrated to America and settled in New Jersey, near Cooper's Ferry. ILer great-grandfather was a Huguenot and fled to Wales to avoid persecution. He sub- sequently went to Ireland, thence to Amer- ica. To her parents were born fonr children, Mrs. Cox being the only one now living. They came to Patnam County in 1856, where they passed the remainder of their lives. Politically Mr. Cox is a Repub- lican.
JOSEPH A. MOMURTRY, farmer, sec- tion 16, Franklin Township, was born in Barren County, Kentucky, June 1, 1838, son of Sammel B. and Louisa (Perkins) Me- Murtry, the former a native of the same place and now deceased; the latter is living in Par- kersburg, Montgomery County, this State, and is sixty-eight years of age. Joseph passed his early life on a farm, and was edu- cated at Mt. Vernon, Kentucky. He came to this county in 1859, where he worked by the month for two and a half years in Frank- lin Township. November 21, 1861, he was married to Miss Nancy Howard, daughter of William and Susanna ( Rogers) Howard, both of whom are deceased. To this union have been born ten children-Ella, Gladys (de- ceased), Susannah, George, Harvey, Robert, Mary, Eva, Orian and Donald, twins. Gla- dys was nineteen years old at the time of her dogcase. Mr. MeMurtry served as assess- or four years, and as assistant assessor one year. Ile owus seventy acres of good land,
HOMAS JOB, pioneer of Floyd Town- ship, resides on section 21, where he owns eighty acres of land upon which he settled fifty years ago. He was born in Wayne County, Indiana, in 1812, and was a son of Samuel and Rachel (Call) Job, natives of North Carolina and of English-German an- cestry. They came to this county in 1827, settling in Monroe Township, where they lived several years, then moved to Missouri. They started back to their former home, the mother dying on the road. It was the father's intention to return to ludiana, but he died one year later. They reared ten children, five of whom are now living. Thomas was the third child. He was married in Floyd Township, in 1831, to Miss Mary Gibson, who died in 1834 leaving one child, Lonis. now living in Missouri, who has three children-William, Mary E. and Charles. In 1835 Mr. Job married Naney M. Ellis, a native of Tennessee and daughter of Thomas and Sarah Ellis, also natives of Tennessee and of English ancestry. They have eight chil- dren --- Willian: L., now serving as trustee of the township, it being his third term. He is one of the most prominent young men of his township. Sarah E., wife of Joel Shinn, of Floyd Township, has seven children-Rosella M., Alma, Lee, Ollie, Otis, Dessie and Carl. Leroy is unmarried; Jefferson married Louisa Turner and their three children are -- Bessie, Zelma and Elbert E .; Allen married Nettie Mc Vay and has three children-Ida, Mattie and Daisy; Mary married Joseph Under- wood and has three children -- Roma, Charles
Byttilhamn
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and Ernest; Martha married Wallace Day, j mitted to practice in the superior courts. he and their children are Roy, Grace, Amy and ! Ethel. Mr. Job has held the office of trus- tee under both old and new law. He has also served as constable. In polities he affil- iates with the Democratic party. He started in life poor and endured hardships and pri- vations. All he has has been obtained by the sweat of his brow. Both hin self' and wife are greatly respected in their community.
TAON. DELANO E. WILLIAMSON, of Greeneastle, was born in Florence, Boone County, Kentucky, August 19, 1822. In 1880 his parents. Robert and Lydia (Madden) Williamson, removed to Covington, same State, thenee, in 1833, to Vermillion County. Ilinois, where Delano remained until his nineteenth year, and at- tended the common schools. In 1841 he came to Greeneastle with the intention of en- tering college, but abandoned the plan after two weeks sojourn, and accepted the position of deputy county clerk at Bowling Green. In March, the following year, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Elliott, and the next year returned to Greencastle and entered the law office of Eceles & Hanna to complete his law studies, having previously devoted his time to that study while residing in Bowling Green. After being admitted to the bar he located in Clay County, Indiana, where he practiced until 1852, and was then elected on the Democratic ticket to the Lower House of the Indiana Legislature, to represent Clay County. In 1553 he again returned to Greencastle, and five years later was nomi- nated for Representative to the State Legis- lature, but owing to a division in the Democratic party he was defeated by five votes. In the meantime, having been ad- I 23
had become extensively known throughout all the adjoining counties. In July. 1859, he formed a partnership with Mr. A. Daggy, under the firm name of Williamson & Daggy, which partnership still exists. They have an extensive and lucrative practice. In 1860 Mr. Williamson took an active part in the presidential contest, and was a devoted ad- herent of Stephen A. Douglas, for whom he east his last Democratic vote. ID 1861 he unflinchingly espoused the cause of the Union, and zealously devoted himself to pro- moting the war spirit in Putnam and adjoin- ing counties. This created a fend between him and the Democratic party which ex- eluded him from its connseis. In 1862 he was nominated for the office of Attorney General of the State by a union convention of Republicans and Union Democrats: but party feeling ran high and was intensified by Presi- dent Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, and the whole State tieket was defeated. In 1864 Mr. Williamson was nominated for the saine office by the Republican party, by ac- clamation, and was elected, holding the office three conseentive terms of two years cach. In 1870 he declined a fifth nomination for the same office, and has since taken but little interest in politics, devoting himself entirely to his profession and to improvements calen- lated to advance the material interests of Greencastle, the city in which he lives. Mr. Williamson was a second time married, Jan- mary 3, 1861, to Miss Carrie Badger, daugh- ter of the Rev. O. P. Badger.
UDLEY HUTCHISON, farmer and stock-raiser, resides on section 3. Wash- ington Township, where he owns ninety-eight acres of land. He was born in
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HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
this county, July 21, 1845, son of Henry, deceased, and Mary A. (Albaugh) Hutchison. The mother resides on the home farm. In 1864 Dudley enlisted in Company E, First Indiana Heavy Artillery, serving fifteen months. He was discharged at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and mustered out at New Orleans. He was married March 23, 1871, to Miss Sarah Hooten, daughter of James B. and Naomi Ilooten, pioneers of Putnam County. The mother is deceased and the father is living in this county. Mrs. Hutchison was born in this county, March 4, 1854. Their children are-Phillip O., Henry A., Peter S., Naomi F'., James L. and Otto. Mr. Hutchison is a Re- publiean in politics, and is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.
ISAAC BROWNING. an early settler of Putnam County, was born in Mason County, Kentucky, December 11, 1823, son of Edmund and Hannah Browning, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of New Jersey. His father's ancestors were English and his mother's German. The father was a soldier in the war of 1812. Ilis parents had nine children, of whom three survive --- Thompson, George and Isaac. The father died in Kentucky, and in 1836 he and his mother came to this county, settling in Greencastle Township, where the mother died in 1852. Since 1886 our subject has been a resident of this county. He was married Angust 31, 1848, to Miss Amanda Steers, daughter of Joseph and Sarah Steers, of this county, and they had seven children, four of whom are living -- William, a resi- dent of Kansas, John G., George and Scott. Mrs. Browning died November 29, 187S. She was a kind and loving wife and mother, and was greatly missed in the family cirele.
She was a worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and esteemed by all who knew her. Mr. Browning owns 255 acres of good land, and is a successful farmer. He is a Republican in politics, and has served ered- itably as school director.
OSEPHI B. BOWEN, farmer and stock- raiser, resides on section 34, Jackson Township, where he owns 154 acres of land. He also owns 340 acres in other parts of the township. He was born in this county, July 15, 1832, son of Anthony and Amanda (Vansant) Bowen, natives of Kentucky and of Scotch-Irish descent. They came to this county in 1831, settling near Russellville, where they remained until the year 1833, re- moving thence to Jackson Township and residing there until the death of the father, which occurred in 1883, at the age of seventy- three years. The mother is still living and resides in New Maysville. She is seventy. four years of age. The parents reared three sons, two of whom are living --. A. J., who re- sides in Danville, Hendricks County, and our subject. The latter was reared a farmer and has followed that occupation thus far through life. Ilis father taught school several years, in an early day. Joseph was married in this county, in 1855, to Nancy A. Vansandt, a daughter of John Vansandt, born in Hamil- ton County, Ohio, in 1537, and their children are ---- Clara A., wife of JJohn T. Jones, of Bath County, Kentucky, has one child -- Stanley ; Millard A. married Catherine Miller, and has one child -- Pearle; William II. married An- tha Cassity, and has one child-Raymond A .; Osear II., Frank HI., Eva J., Joseph B., Jr., Minnie E. and Arthur. Mr. Bowen has served as trustee of New Maysville for several years, and in politics is a Republican.
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Ilimself and wife are members of the Chris- with, and the rest of his property he has made himself. Kansas: Jennie V .: Horatio, of Wichita, tian church. He had about $500 to start : Kansas, Samuel W., William T. and Charles L., also of Wichita, and Em- ma, wife of Edward Brown, of Mont- gomery County, Illinois. Mr. Rambo set- tled upon his present farm on section 29, Greencastle Township. in 1876. and has since resided there. Ile owns a good farm of forty aeres in Clinton Township, and nine aures where he resides. Ile is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and has served as steward and trustee. His wife is also a member of the same church. Politically he affiliates with the Republican party.
AVID HI. RAMBO, an early settler of Putnam County, and a resident of Greencastle Township, was born in the State of Delaware, December 14, 1812, son of Richard and Sarah Rambo, also natives of that State. Ilis father's ancestors were Swedes and his mother's Irish. In 183S he came to Putnam County with his parents; who settled in Russell Township, where the father died soon after. Ile built and oper- ated what was so well known throughout the northern part of Putnam Conuty as Rambo's saw and grist mill, stationed at Raccoon Creek, and run by water power. He was the father of ten children, of whom the follow- ing survive -- Margaret, widow of Sammel Lloyd, of this county; Sarah, wife of William Glenn, of Missouri: Ellen, widow of Elza Butcher, of this county; French, of Kansas; and Eveline, widow of Walter Sewell, of , Putnam County. He was a menher of the Masonic fraternity, and was esteemed by all who knew him. He was twice married. Our subject was first married December 14, 1887, his wife being Catherine Brazier, of Cler- mont County, Ohio, and they had nine chil- dren, only two of whom survive --- Henry and Samuel. His second wife was formerly Miss Elizabeth Turner. His third and present wife was Martha (Wiley) Ford, daughter of Samuel and Lydia Wiley, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She had previously been mar- ried, October 16, 1839, to Horatio N. Ford, of Chester County. Pennsylvania, and they had nine children, seven living-Cornelia, wife of Lewis Martin, of Wilson County,
AMUEL CATHERWOOD. EsQ., was born in Harrison County, Kentucky, October 6. 1817. His father died when he was very young and he was reared by a brother in Lexington. He was educated at Georgetown College and at Transylvania University at Lexington. Upon reaching manhood he engaged in civil engineering. In 1889 he came to Putnam County, locating in Franklin Township, where he taught school nearly two years. He was then ap- pointed county surveyor and located in Green- castle, serving in that capacity seven years. In 1516 he embarked in the mercantile trade in connection with surveying, which he con- tinued until 1548, and was then varionsly engaged intil 1852, when he accepted the position of station agent for the Terre Haute & Indianapolis Railway, at Greencastle. Af- ter serving thirty-one years he retired from the office on account of failing health. It 1884 he was appointed justice of the peace of Greencastle Township .. He also served three years as school trustee of that township. January 3. 1545, Mr. Catherwood was inar- ried to Miss Elizabeth Strong, at Bowling
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Green, Indiana, daughter of Mrs. Robert Hanna, of Indianapolis. Her father, John W. Strong, died when she was very young. To this nion were born four children --- El- len, wife of William II. Peck, a farmer of Warren Township; John S., who died in in- faney; Albert S., a conductor on the Monon Railroad, and Fred B., a telegraph operator and clerk in office of general Southern agent of the Bee Line at Cincinnati. Mr. C'ather- wood is a thirty-second-degree Mason, and has served his lodge as worshipful master two years, and served several terms as secre- tary and treasurer in his lodge, chapter and commandery.
OSEPHI LEE, farmer, section 1, Monroe Township, was born in Barren County, Kentucky, February 4, 1823. His father, Henry Lee. now deceased, was a na- tive of Virginia. He was reared ou a farm and edneated in the subscription schools which were taught in the primitive log cabin of pioneer times. These school-houses had split logs for seats, boards on wooden pins for desks, puncheon floors, clapboard roofs, ind-and-stick chimneys, and huge fireplaces in one end of the room. One log was left out for light, and sometimes greased paper was nsed in the aperture thus made. Mr. Lee came to this county in the fall of 1845, settling in Monroe Township, where he has since resided. The home farm consists of 160 acres of land, which is devoted to farm- ing and stock-raising. He was married May 2, 1847, to Mrs. Catherine Cassity, danghter of David Badger, now deceased. She was born in Montgomery County, Kentucky, and had been married twice. By her first mar- riage was one child, Uriah W. Chambers, and to the second marriage, also one child-
Oliver A. Cassity. Mr. and Mrs. Lee have spent ten or twelve winters in Lawrence County, Middle Tennessee. They are mnem- bers of the Christian church.
HOMAS A. MOORE, deceased, late of Greencastle Township, son of Thomas and Nancy (Walker) Moore, was a Virginian by birth and by occupation a farmer. In early manhood he removed from Virginia to Tennessee, where he remained until 1834, when he removed to Putnam County, Indiana, where he resided until his death. Ile was twice married. His first wife, Jane Cox, died in 1825, leaving him one daughter, Harriet, now Mrs. Willis, of Putnam County. In 1831 he married Eliz- abeth Nugent, of Hankins County, Tennes- see. Of this marriage there were born nine children, all of whom with their mother sur- :ive. Three of the sons are attorneys and one a minister. Two of the daughters have been successful teachers in the public schools. Mr. Moore was long a leading member of the Methodist Episcopal church both in Tennes- see and Indiana. In the latter State he was a pioneer of Methodism. When he settled in Putnam County, though the county had been organized twelve years, the country was almost a wilderness, and churches and school- honses comparatively unknown. He imme- diately became an earnest worker in the church and active in the promotion of the temperance reform, then scarcely agitated in Indiana. In both these works he continued earnest and energetic until his death. Be- lieving he could best promote temperance by his own example, he personally abstained from the use of intoxicating drinks and re- fused to furnish them to persons in his employ, even when warned that such a
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course would cost him the friendship and assistance of his neighbors, so indispensable in pioneer life. However, he persisted in what he deemed right, and lived to see the vast majority of his friends and neighbors adopt both his views and practice in the mat- ter. In the church he was equally zealous and energetic. Though but a layman he was a busy organizer, and every neighborhood and settlement within his reach felt the quickening influence of his zeal and activity. There were comparatively few ministers in the country. These could not always, nor indeed often, be procured to visit the sick and dying. Such ministrations as these received were very largely the work of earnest, intel- ligent laymen. In this work Mr. Moore performed every part allowed to one not or- dained a minister, and his condnet and life were such as to eminently fit him to in- spire and hold the confidence of those to whom he ministered. He was eminently a manly man. Independent in thought, de- cided in his opinions, a natural leader, he was always found on the side of right and justice, whatever might be the question of the hour, and always ready to lend a helping hand to every worthy enterprise. His widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Moore, still lives at his old home in Putnam County.
ARON IL. SANDY, farmer, section 5, Cloverdale Township, owns $10 acres of land lying in Jefferson and Clover- dale Townships, and is engaged in general farming and stock-raising and feeding. He was born in Owen County, this State, June 15, 1842, son of William B. Sandy. When about five years of age he came with his par- ents to this county, where he grew to manhood and received a common-school education.
Ile remained at home until his marriage, which occurred April 6, 1862, with Miss Amanda Allee, who was born in Jefferson Township. February 12. 1844, a daughter of John Allee. After his marriage Mr. Sandy located on a farm in Jefferson Township. He settled upon his present farm in September, 1SS2. They have had nine children -- Luella, Eveline. Lyde, William J., Alpha A., Fran- cis M., Phillip A .. Ralph A. and Grace B. Mr. Sandy started in life with limited means. His father gave him a horse, and his wife received the gift of a horse from her parents. Those horses formed their first team. He worked for his father two years for 50 cents per day, after which he followed farming in Jefferson Township. What he has he has inade himself. At one time he owned 950 aeres; but in November. 1556. he sold 140 acres. His children have received good edu- cational advantages, and he always takes a deep interest in educational matters.
- AVID ADER, farmer and stock-raiser, section 11, Monroe Township, is one of the prominent pioneers of Putnam Coun- ty, and was born in Davison County, North Carolina, March 6, 1822. His father, Solo- mon Ader, was a native of Virginia, and a son of Adam Ader, who was a native of Mary- land and of German ancestry. His mother, Elizabeth (Pickle) Ader, was a daughter of Valentine Pickle, also of German ancestry. David came with his parents to this State in 1827, and to this county in March, 1828. settling in the wild woods among the Iidians of Russell Township. There were many wild animals and rattlesnakes when they first settled there. Their first house was a pole cabin, 14x16 fect, only one room, which served as kitchen, dining-room, sleeping-room and
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parlor. Our subject had the usual pioneer experience of grabbing, chopping, picking brush and rolling logs. He attended school in the pioneer log school-honse, which had boards on wooden pins for desks, a puncheon floor, and one row of lights for windows. The seats were made of split logs and the roof was made of clapboards. During dry seasons they had to go to Indianapolis to mill, a distance of thirty-one miles, with ox teams, requiring three days to make the trip. He was married January 9, 1845, to Miss Eliz- abeth Aldridge, a daughter of Nathan Al- dridge, now deccased. To this union were born two children -- Nathan W. and Helen E. Mrs. Ader died May 4, 1851, and January 18, 1835, Mr. Ader was married to Mrs. Belinda C. Buchanan, whose first husband was Eli Buchanan. She was born Jannary 27, 1524, daughter of Francis Edmonson. To this second union were born four children, two of whom are living -- Alice B. and Francis D. By her first marriage Mrs. Ader had two children, one of whom, Emma E., is living. Mr. Ader's son, Nathan W .. married Mollie Nelson, and their two children are -- - Charles E. and Lillie: his present wife was formerly Mattie MeKee. Helen E. married Joseph Sher- fey of Brazil, Indiana, and five of their six children are living -- David A., Winfiehl, Mary M., Elizabeth A., and Henry E. Alice D. married William Davis, of Carpentersville, this county, and they have one child-Caro- lina AA. Emma Buchanan married Thomas Hamrick, of Belleville, Indiana, and has three children-Minnie A., John AA. and Charles T. Mr. Ader never seeks official positions, but was at one time persuaded to accept the office of justice of the peace. During the late war he did a great deal of recruiting for his town- ship to secure men for the service, paying 818,000 for substitutes, as agent for his town- ship. Himself and wife are members of the
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