USA > Indiana > Putnam County > Biographical and historical record of Putnam County, Indiana > Part 29
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of the Presbyterian -hisch at Greencastle. Mr. Snyth is a Mister, Royal Arch and Comeil Mason, a member of the lodge, el apter and council of Greeneastle.
HOMAS JAMES, deceased, was one of the pieces of the southern part of Putman & way, but, through being the victim of the ist reat crime committed in the county, his He was cut short before the county had a legal existence three years. Among his neighbors were James Robinson, Ambrose Bandy, John Macy and Andrew Kilgore. Mr. James was living with his wife and three small children in a little cabin situated near what is now known as the " Granny Nelson" spring. He had entered a quarter-section of land lying west of his temporary home, and embracing the ground now orenpied by the Cloverdale cemetery. This land was then covered thickly with huge and towering walnut, poplar, sugar and ash trees, and was considered one of the best lo- cations in the surrounding country. Robin- son had settled and built him a cabin on a choice piece of land one-half mile south of ! James, now owned by John Dix, and was living there with his wife and five children. In that early day every article of clothing worn by the settlers was spun, woven and manufactured at home. Flax and tow linen furnished the summer wear, and it was con- corning a trifling quantity of flax that the quarrel arose which terminated so fatally. It appears that Robinson's wife had employed Mrs. Eunice Bandy, wife of Ambrose Bandy, to spin some flax. The calculating and eco- ; nomical housewives of that time knew just how much thread a ponad of the raw mate- rial would make, and after Mrs. Bandy re- turned with the span flax Mrs. Robinson : failed him. He could not strike down the
weighed it, and told some of her neighbors that the quantity returned was short "one dozen." This was gossiped abont by the neighboring women antil it reached the ears of the parties accused of embezzling one dozen flax thread. Ambrose Bandy became much incensed, and threatened to sne Robin- son and his wife for slander. This in turn enraged Robinson, who was a morose, sulky and quick-tempered man. He became an- friendly with everyone who had talked about the affair of the flax thread, or whom he suspected of having friendly relations with the Bandys. He was especially angered at James, Macy and Kilgore. A few days be- fore the commission of the crime which deprived two families of protectors and made orphans of eight little children in the lonely frontier settlement, Mr. and Mrs. Bandy visited at the house of Mr. James. remaining over night. This, perhaps, sealed the fate of the latter. Robinson arose on a bright sun- shiny morning in April. 1524. and, after carefully loading his rifle, informed his fam- ily that thereafter they would have to take care of themselves. that he should do uo more for them. He then left his cabin, gan in hand. Ile first went to Bandy's, evidently with the intention of making him the first victim, for he had previously declared that there were several persons in the neighbor- hood that he meant to destroy, referring to Bandy and his friends before mentioned, and the wives of some of them. Bandy saw : him approaching, and hid behind a tree until he went away. Robinson then turned his attention to Maey, whose cabin stood on the present site of Alexander Curry's residence in Cloverdale. When Robinson approached Mr. Macy and his son James were together in a clearing in front of their humble dwell- ing. and the blood-thirsty assassin's heart
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father in the presence of his little son, and he walked swiftly by without raising his head or speaking, and wended his way to the house of Mr. James. James was alone in the for- est, lewing puncheons to floor the house he was preparing to build on his own land. Ile had felled a tree by mistake a little south of the boundary of his land, near its southeast corner, and was consequently a few feet south of the present Mount Meridian road. The leaves were peeping from the bursting buds, birds were twittering above him in the branches of the tall trees, while rank vegeta- tion was springing from the rich soil at his feet. He was bowed over his work, and happy in building plans for the future, when the ringing report of a rifle ended his dream. The ball passed through the left arm of Mr. James and through his body, lodging against the skin. James straightened up, contem- plated his assassin for a moment, and then ran with the speed of a deer to his cabin, about 200 yards distant. A messenger was dispatched to Greencastle, and in due time returned with Dr. Low. The young and in- experienced physician removed the ball, and then directed his efforts to healing the exter- mal wounds. James lingered twenty-eight days, and died of blood poisoning, which no doubt could have been obviated by skillful treatment. After firing the fatal shot Rob- inson returned home. His oldest child, a daughter, was at the house, caring for the baby, and his wife and other children were at work in the clearing, some distance from the cabin. He reloaded his rifle, and attached one end of a string to the trigger and the other to the end of a peg sticking in the wall an the outside of the house, cocked the piece and placed the muzzle against his left breast, over his heart, and by drawing it toward him discharged it. The ball passed through his heart, causing instant death. Robinson was
buried on his own land, and for many years afterward an ignus fatuns was occasionally seen of dark nights in the vicinity of his grave, which gave rise to a superstitious fancy among the ignorant that the spot was haunted. His children grew to maturity in the vicinity of Cloverdale, but all have removed. ITis widow remarried and reared a large family of children, some of whom and their descendants are living in Putnam County. The children of Mr. James were named-Stanfield P., William and Arthur. Arthur died when about twenty years of age, and William died September 7, 1886. Mr. James was a representative type of the early Kentucky immigrant in Putnam County. Hle was tall, straight and well proportioned. As a aeighbor he was kind, hospitable and generous, and his untimely and tragie end cast a pall of gloom, sorrow and dread over the isolated settlement in the wilderness, of which the effects of like occurrences at the present day give no adequate conception.
TATILLIAM C. MCCORMICK, black- smith, Pleasant Garden, was born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, Jan- uary 21, 1831, son of Moses and Elizabeth (Buttermore) McCormick, also natives of Penn- sylvania and of German-Scotch-Irish ancestry. The parents lived in Pennsylvania until their deccase. Our subject came to this county in 1853, first settling in Manhattan County. He was married in his native county, in 1851, to Miss Elmora Landes, daughter of Samuel Landes, who was born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, July 10, 1888. Four of their seven children are living -Jerome, Clark, Belle, wife of Dr. Stockwell, of Cloverdale, and George. The deceased are-Columbus, Frank and Eliza. V : McCormick owns
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ninety acres of land where he resides, besides ; mother of mine children, seven sons and two 120 acres in Monroe County, this State. All | daughters. She was a member of the Meth- his property he has made by his own hard wlist Episcopal church. She received six work and good management. Politically he is a Greenbacker. His father was a soldier in the war of 1812, and participated in the battle of Tippecanoe. Postoffice Reelsville. slaves from her father's estate, and joined her husband in frecing them. One of them they brought to Greencastle, and she is now known as Aunt Charity Townsend. When she was married Mr. Jones performed the ceremony. He was extensively and favorably known throughout the county.
B ENJAMIN JONES, deceased, a pioneer of Patnam County, was born in Mary- land in 1750, a son of Benjamin and Permelia J. (Segur) Jones. The family set -; tled in Maryland when it was a colony, and removed to Virginia when Benjamin was ten years old. The mother died in Maryland and the father in Virginia. They had ten children, six sons and four daughter. The
SX HILTON MCCORKLE, farmer and stock-raiser, resides on section 25, Monroe Township, where he owns 123 acres of land. He was born in Putnam County February 19, 1839, son of Mathew S. and Margaret ( Patten) McCorkle, father was a farmer by occupation. Benjamin : natives of Kentucky and of Scotch- Irish an- removed to Kentucky in 1817, where he was : cestry. The parents came to the county in married in January, 1822, to Esther Alexan- : 1825, and were among the first settlers. The der, who was born in Rockbridge County, father had $100, which enabled him to enter Virginia, in 1796. Mr. Jones removed to . eighty aeres of land from the Goverment. Putnam County in April, 1822, and entered , Three of their four children are now living -.- land just south of Greencastle, a part of the ; Hannah, widow of Hiram Jones, has one land being platted. He resided on this farm child -Jesse: Nancy. widow of Dr. W. 1. until 1837, and then sold out and bought the . Hillis, has two children- Charles E. and farm of William MeCarty, which consisted William M. October 14, 1564. our subject of the southwest quarter of section 4, Jef- ; enlisted in Company B. Forty-third Indiana ferson Township. He lived on this farm Infantry, served ten months, and was dis- charged at Indianapolis. He was married November 14. 1865, to Miss Louisa Coffinan, daughter of Albert and Mary 1. (Reeves) father is still living, aged seventy-one years. The mother died in 1877, aged fifty-nine years. Mr. and Mrs. McCorkle have had no chil- dren. He has always been a farmer. He is a Republican in polities, and belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic. An unele of until his death. Jannary 22, 1845. His early education was limited, having attended school only about three months. He experienced religion when thirty-one years of age. He . Coffman. pioneers of Putnam County. Her was a miller by trade, and removed to Indi- ana to avoid slavery. Ile was very radical on that and on the temperance question. After coming to this State he was ordained a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, and was a local preacher until his death. In polities he was an Old Line Whig. Mrs. his father's was a soldier in the Revolution- Jones died in April, 1>45. She was the : ary war. His father was born in 1803, and
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HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
lied March 1, 1884. ITis mother was born in 1799, and died May 4, 1872. They were both members of the Presbyterian church. Postoffice, Bainbridge.
OEL ROBERT MITCHEL ALLEN, a retired business man of Greencastle, is supposed to have been born near Paris, Bourbon County, Kentucky, November 22, 1>13, son of Joseph and Hannah (Levy) Tlen, the former a native of Maryland and f English descent; the latter was born near Philadelphia and of Hebrew ancestry. The father was accidentally killed, in 1813, while removing to Kentucky with his family, by falling from the wagon in which they were moving. The mother died in Paris, about 1918. She was a member of the Presby- arian church. Being deprived of both par- onts while still young Mr. Allen was bound 10 Samnel Pike, of Paris, with whom he lived until fifteen years of age, under whom he learned the trade of cotton spinning. In 1527 he came to Indiana and located at Salem, where he worked in a cotton factory one year, then learned the tailor's trade, fol- lowing that calling until 1838. Ile then removed to Greencastle, where he worked at tailoring until 1885, being a merchant tailor trem 1848. Politically he was formerly a Whig, but of later years a Republican. He has served as member of the city council, and as city treasurer several terms. Novem- bor 2, 1833, he was married at Putnamville, Putnam County, to Miss Eliza Jane Mills. ITer father, John Mills, was a native of Mary- land and of English parentage. In an early day he was taken by his parents to Ohio, who, with other families, removed to that State, but were subsequently driven away by Iulians. His father and brother were killed
by them. They went to Pennsylvania and remained antil peace was restored, then re- turned to Ohio, settling near where Cincin- nati now stands. The mother, Sarah (IIar- desty) was also a native of Maryland, and of Welsh ancestry. She was also taken by her parents to Ohio, and was obliged to go to Pennsylvania to avoid the murderous sav- ages. While in the latter State she was mar- ried to John Mills, and removed with him to Ohio, and in 1815 they came to Indiana and first located at Vevay, where they lived sev- eral years, Mary A. Mills, the eldest dangh- ter, was the first child born in Madison, Indiana, in 1816. They then removed to Charleston, where Mr. Mills erected the first grist-mill in that place, on the Ohio River. Before it was fully completed it was carried away by a flood, and he lost all his posses- sions. He then removed to Salem, where he worked at the carpenter's trade until 1833, when they came to Putnamville, this county, and Mr. Mills engaged in the cabinet-maker's trade, which he continued until the infirmi- ties of old age compelled him to abandon it. They both died within a few days of each other, in 1873, while living with their chil- dren at Greencastle. Mrs. Allen was reared at Salem and educated in the private school of John I. Morrison, known as Morrison's Academy, of Salem. She removed with her husband to Greencastle in 1838, settling on Ephraim street, now College avenue, where they have lived fifty years. Thirteen chil- dren have been born to them, ten of whom are living- Jerome, eashier of the First Na- tional Bank, at Greencastle; Caroline A., wife of Rev. E. F. Hasty, of the Northern Indiana Methodist Episcopal Conference; William Henry, a druggist of Indianapolis; Albert, wholesale and retail druggist in Greencastle, Indiana; Alvira, wife of Rev. O. II. Smith, of the Missouri Methodist Episcopal
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Conference; Sarah E., who married J. L. Rippetoe, superintendent of schools at Con- nersville, this State; Joel E., a druggist of Greencastle; Alice, wife of James K. Hawk, real estate agent at San Fernando, California; Etta J., wife of M. M. Bovard, president of the university at Los Angeles, California, and Walter, a druggist at Greencastle. Both are members of the College Avenue Method- ist Church. Mr. Allen is a member of Put- nam Lodge, No. 45, I. O. O. F., of Greencastle.
self-made man, and now, with his devoted wife, is enjoying the fruits of a well-spent life of usefulness. They have been members of the Christian church over forty-three years. In politics Mr. James is a Democrat. Ile is a public-spirited man, and contributes liber- ally to whatever will benefit the community.
OIIN W. MONARY, an early settler of Putnam County, and a resident of Fill- more, was born in Mason County, Ken- tucky, May 4, 1814, son of John and Sarah TANFIELD P. JAMES, a pioneerof Put- nam County, was born in Mason County, Kentucky, July 19, 1819, son of Thomas the fall of 1822 he removed with his parents to McNary, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Pennsylvania. His grandfather. William McNary, and two brothers of the and Harriet James, natives of Kentucky. In latter, immigrated to America prior to the Revolutionary war. William was a soldier this county, who settled in Cloverdale Town- in that war, and his son John was a soldier in ship, where the father entered 160 acres of the war of 1812. The MeNarys are of Scotch- land, and where he met his untimely fate, as Irish descent. John MeNary. the father of related elsewhere. Our subject was reared to , our subject. removed from Virginia to Ken- manhood here, and educated in the pioneer schools of this county. He has been a life- long farmer, with the exception of a short in that county , and in 1826 emigrated to time spent in carpenter's work. He was married June 23, 1839, to Miss Lemira Gif- Greencastle, where he entered land from the ford. born February 16, 1822, in Mason
ยก tucky prior to the war of 1812, having en- listed from Mason County. He was married Putnam County and settled one mile east of Government and also purchased land. Ile he sold out and removed to Illinois, where he died in 1861. his wife having died in 1843.
County, Kentucky, and a daughter of Elisha ; lived there until about the year 1841. when and Nancy Gifford, who came to this county about the year 1829, and settled in Green-
castle Township. To this union have been . Their children were ten in number, of whom born four children, only one surviving-Ella, four survive-Harriet, Susan Jane, married wife of James M. Hayes, of the firm of B. F. | John Crawford; William II., a physician, and Hayes & Co., clothiers, of Greencastle. The Jolin W. Ile was a representative pioneer, deceased are-Asenath, John and one that and served several terms in the State Legis- Jature. He represented this county, and also represented Putnam and Clay counties joint- ly. Hle served as trustce of Greencastle Township for a long time. He was a very enterprising man, and his death was a great died in infancy. Mr. James removed to Fillmore in the spring of 1885, and is now living a retired life. Ile settled in Green- castle Township after his marriage, and re- sided there more than fifty years. He is a
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HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
loss to the community at large as well as to his immediate family. Ile built the first Democrat. flat-boat at Maysville, Kentucky, and steered it to New Orleans himself, having on board various kinds of produce and provisions. Every winter, for twenty-six years, he made a trip to New Orleans, down the river, generally carrying from 600 to 900 barrels of four at a load. John W. MeNary, our sub- ject, was twelve years old when he came to Putnam County with his father, and here he was reared to manhood and received a rudi- inentary education in the early schools of his time. November 5, 1838, he was married to Miss Sarah A. Applegate, born November S, 1818, in Mason County, Kentucky, and a daughter of Peter W. and Ellen (Tenness) Applegate. About 1580 she came to Putnam County with her parents, who were among the early settlers of the county. To Mr. and Mrs. MeNary have been born six children- William; Louisa, wife of James Sinclair; Margaret, now Mrs. William Knight; Peter, Harry and Charles B., the latter having been a practicing physician at Fillmore. For several years our subject rented land. About the year 1845 he bought 1663 acres of land on sections 7 and 18, Marion Town- ship, upon which he settled and improved. He has always been a farmer with the exception of nine years spent at carpenter work and wagon making. He still owns his farm. In the fall of 1885 he left his farm and removed to Fillmore, where he bought the M. A. Brann drug store, which he is still conducting under the firm name of J. W. McNary & Son, the latter being postmaster of Fillmore. They have a good trade, which is constantly increasing. Mr. McNary. has served as county commissioner nine years, and was president of the board eight years. He was trustee of Marion Township one term, being the first one to serve under the new law re-
quiring one trustee. Politically he is a
- OIIN A. HUFFMAN, farmer and stock- raiser, resides on section 29, Washington Township, where he owns 168 acres of excellent land. He was born in this county, January 10, 1855, son of Edmond and Louisa A. Huffman. He was reared a farmer, and has always followed that occupation. He was married in this county January 18, 1886, to Miss Lucy A. Smith, daughter of L. B. and Lonisa Smith, pioneers of P'ntnam County. She was born in this county, April 4, 1866. Politically Mr. Huffinan affiliates with the Democratic party. Postoffice, Reels- ville.
OWAARD E. HENNON was born in Muskingum County, Ohio, June 3, 1862, the son of Joseph J. Hennon, who was born in the same city December 1, 1825. The family removed to Martin Coun- ty, Indiana, in 1864, where Howard received a good education in the Bedford High School. Hle first worked in a printing office in Bedford. He came to Roachdale in 1880 and established the Indiana Statesman in September, 1882. This is a spicy little paper, a live sheet, np to the times, has a constantly increasing cir- culation, and is thus a good advertising medium. Mr. Hennon's father was county surveyor in Muskingum County, Ohio, for four years, and county surveyor and deputy surveyor in Martin County, Indiana, five years. He married Sarah McKee, and of their eight children these four are living- Samuel J., Maggie, Howard E. and Joshua. Minerva died in December, 1886, at the age
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of twenty-eight. She was a graduate of the Bedford High School, a fine scholar and wrote for the Statesman. Mrs. Hennon died July 17, 1872. Her husband is a member of the Presbyterian church. The subject of this sketch is a member of one secret order-the Independent Order of Good Templars.
AMES LEACIIMAN, an early settler of Putnam County and resident of Marion Township, was born in Marion County, Kentucky, April 7, 1821, son of William and Mary (Reeves) Leachman, the former a pative of Virginia and the latter of Kentucky. Ilis father removed to Kentucky when nine years of age, where he married and lived artil 1830, when he removed to this county. locating in Marion Township, where he red until his decease, which occurred in An ;; ;; t, 1858. He was a kind-hearted man a-la !: ICHARD S. DAVIS, farmer, section 10, Clover lale Township, was born in obliging neighbor. During the spring Evac year he attended seventy-three log-ro ...: z. Ile was twice married, and the father of ron children, of whom five are living-James. John, Mary J., George and William II. He served the county as commissioner, and held other minor offices. He was a man of pro- gressive ideas, and was well informed on the general topics of the day. James Leachman has been reared to manhood in this county, and has lived here ever since with the ex- ception of two years spent in California during the gold excitement. He received a rudimentary education in the early schools of his time, and has been a life-long farmer. Hle assisted in building the first two school- honses in Marion Township, also the first two churches in the same township. He has seen much of pioneer life, having settled here when the country was one vast wilderness. . over fifty years. He was a Democrat in December 3, 1843. he was married to Miss , politics, and served as trustee of Cloverdale
Ellen Matthews, daughter of Anderson B. Matthews, an early setler of this county. He was married a second the February 21, 1854, to Miss Mary E. Shoptaugh, born in Putnam County November 25, 1829, and daughter of Jacob and Mary (Griffin) Shop- taugh, natives of Maryland, who settled in this county in 1828, where they lived nntil their decease. To Mr. and Mrs. Leachman have been born twelve children, ten of whom are living-Martha A., wife of Willis N. Mark; William W .; Harriet A., wife of Walter Sellers; Rosa B .; Luella; John Q. A., a teacher; Astie S., Alice M., Jerome B., and Clara E. . Ar. Leachman settled upon his present farm on section 18, Marion Town- ship, where he owns 200 acres of good land. Politically he is a Democrat.
-1 Blount County, Tennessee, June 3, 1829, son of Ar Man ard Keziah ( Williams) Davis. The After was born in Ashe County, North Carolina, in 1806, and the mother in Maryland in August, 1806. The maternal grandfather was a soldier in the Revolution- ary war. The father removed to Tennessee when young, and came to Putnam County in 1831. After working land near where Clo- verdale now stands one year, he went to Owen County and remained three years, then returned to Cloverdale Township, where he lived until his death, which occurred December 4, 1886. The mother died in March, 1852. They were the parents of thirteen children --- eight sons and five dangh- ters. They were members of the Baptist church, of which Mr. Davis was a minister
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HISTORY OF PUTNAM COUNTY.
Township twelve years; was also county | in the livery business at Greencastle, and so commissioner one term. He was a self- ; continued, with the exception of a short in- made man, his carly education having been . terval, until 1872, when he retired from bus- limited. He was honest and upright, and : iness. He cast his first Presidential vote for respected by all. Richard S. was two years old when he was brought to this county by his parents. Ile was reared on the farm,
Andrew Jackson, but is now a Republican. December 21, 1837, he was married to Miss Phebe H. Flint, daughter of Erastus and and educated in the common schools of the ' Mary S. (Bnel) Flint, of Philadelphia, Penn- county. November 18, 1850, he was mar- ried to Mary E. Hubbard, a native of Owen sylvania, the former of English and the lat- ter of Welsh ancestry. To Mr. and Mrs. County, and they had two children- Par- Tennant four children have been born- -- thena A .. deecased, and Albert E. Mrs. Davis died December 12, 1868. She was a worthy woman and a member of the Chris- tian church. In 1869 Mr. Davis was married to Elizabeth J. Dismakes, who was born in
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