USA > Indiana > Vermillion County > Biographical and historical record of Vermillion County, Indiana : containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States from Washington to Cleveland, with accompanying biographies of each; a condensed history of the state of Indiana; portraits and biographies of some of the prominent men of the state; engravings of prominent citizens in Vermillion county, with personal histories of many of the leading families, and a concise history of the county and its villages > Part 50
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1847, to Ellen Hankins, who died in 1866, leaving two children-Samantha and Martha. Samantha is the wife 'of William Swindle and has one child-Ida, and Martha is the wife of Charles Wintermede, and has one child-Mona. Mr. Forman then married Martha Bush, who died in 1877, leaving three children- - Charles, Ella and Noah. Ella is the wife of Munford Jackson. Mr. Forman married for his third wife, Harriet Burson, and to them were born two children-Burley and Burton. Ilis wife died in 1885 and in 1886 he married Mrs. Jane (Hollingsworth) Hannahs.
ARRY II. JAMES, M. D., residing at St. Berniee, was born in Helt Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, June 5, 1840, a son of Zachariah D. James, of Mon- tezuma, Indiana. The subject of this sketelı - ILLIAM D. McFALL, general mer- chant at St. Berniee, and also en- gaged in farming and stock-raising and dealing in stock, is a native of Virginia, born in Augusta County, February 14, 1850, his father, William McFall, having been born in Albermarle County, Virginia. He was reared to the vocation of a farmer, and re- ceived a common-school education in the schools of his neighborhood. He came to Vigo County, Indiana, in 1871, and from there went to Edgar County, Illinois. He came to Vermillion County, Indiana, in 1877, and has since been a resident of St. Bernice. On first coming to Indiana in 1871 he had was a small boy when his parents removed from their farin in Helt Township, to Monte- zuma, and there he grew to manhood, reeeiv- ing his education principally at Asbury, now De Pauw University, at Greencastle. He left the University in 1861 while in his junior year, to enlist in the Union army, when he was assigned to Company G, Sixthi Indiana Calvary. He participated in fifty engagements ineluding the battles of Rich- mond, Chattanooga. Resaca, Dalton's Woods, Peach Tree Creek, Kenesaw Mountain, At- lanta, Mission Ridge, Nashville and Dallas. Ile served almost four years, enlisting as a private, acting as Captain the greater part of his term of service and was discharged as First Lieutenant. lle was disabled in the | but $20.20 with which to commenee business, service and now draws a pension. Dr. James and by his own efforts he has acenmulated a fine property, and become elassed among the well-to-do citizens of the county. He is now was married January 23, 1861, to Miss Eliza- beth Wade, a daughter of the late Jolin Wade. Mrs. James died in January, 1873, leaving | the owner of a fine farm of 315 acres of
at her death two children, named Feury K. and Edward B. Mr. James was again mar- ried in September, 1876, to Miss Annie Mor- rison, a daughter of Benjamin Morrison, who is deceased. Three children have been born to this union, of whom only one is liv- ing, named Schell I. In March, 1869, Dr. James graduated from the medieal depart- ment of the Michigan State University, at Ann Arbor, and the same year located at Terre Haute, Indiana, where he praetieed medieine, and carried on a drug store until 1875. He then removed to Clinton, Ver- million County, and in April, 1877, settled at St. Berniee where he has since made his home, practicing his chosen profession until within _the_ past year and a half, when his health began failing him. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, an or- ganization in which he takes an active interest.
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choice land. IIe has established a good business at St. Bernice, carrying a full line of dry goods, clothing, groceries, boots and shoes, liats and caps, hardware, etc. 'Ilis capital stock is valued at $5,000, and his annual business amounts to about $12,000. In poli- tics Mr. MeFall is a Democrat. IIe is the present efficient postmaster at St. Bernice, having been appointed in October, 1885, and assumed the duties of that office November 4, following. Mr. McFall was married June 11, 1874, to Miss Victoria Dyer, a daughter of the late Jocl Dyer. Of the five children born to them, four are living, named Freder- ick, Claude, Luey B. and Rosa. Mr. McFall is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and a much respected eitizen.
AMILTON BETSON, farmer and stock- raiser, resides on seetion 8, Vermillion Township, where he owns a fine farm of 415 acres, all under a high state of eultiva- tion. This property he has acquired by years of persevering toil, economy and good man- agement. Possessed of an indomitable will that laughs at obstacles, he has come from a life of hardship to one of ease and comfort and can now look back over a well spent life, and enjoy the fruits of his years of labor. Mr. Betson was born in Otsego County, New York, May 8, 1831, a son of Henry and Mary A. (Johnson) Betson, natives also of the State of New York, of English and Ger- man ancestry. In 1857 the family moved to Indiana and settled in Vermillion County, but two years later the parents went to Chrisman, Edgar County, Illinois, where the father died in 1875, and the mother still lives. They had a family of ten children, six of whom are living, Hamilton being the fourth child. Mr. Betson was married in
Vermillion County, in 1857, to Mary E. Clark, a native of this county, born in 1838, a daughter of Ezra and Nancy (Fullander) Clark, natives of Ohio, of French and German descent. Mr. and Mrs. Betson have had eiglit children, six of whom are living- Florence, Arthur, Alice, Frank, Claude and Theodocia. Florence is the wife of Alonzo Truitt and has three children -- Clark, Clayton and Delbert. Mr. Betson is a member of the Odd Fellows order, Newport Lodge, No. 650.
DMUND T. SPOTSWOOD, M. D., of Perrysville, the oldest practicing physi- eian in Vermillion County, was born in the city of Richmond, Virginia, October 10, 1827. He is a direct descendant of Sir Alex- ander Spotswood, a Major General in the British army, and Governor of the Virginian Colony from 1710 to 1723. Alexander Spots- wood was of Scoteli parentage, and was born on board a British man-of-war in the port of Tangia. He was literally bred in the army from his childhood, and by his genius and courage served with distinction under the Duke of Marlborough. He was wounded at the battle of Blenheim, where he was acting as Deputy Quartermaster-General. IIe was sent to America by the King of England as Governor of Virginia. IIe was a man of great ability, and no name is more promi- nently identified with the history of Colonial Virginia than his. He developed the first mines and erected the first iron furnace in America, and was the first to introduce iron into the colonies, for which he was called the Tubal Cain of America. He was the first to bring the writ of habeas corpus to America. In 1739 he was appointed Deputy Postmas- ter-General of the Colonies, and it was he who promoted Benjamin Franklin to the
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postmastership of the province of Pennsylva- nia. Governor Spotswood died at Annapolis, Maryland, June 7, 1840, while on his way to Central America to take charge, as Major General, of the British troops in that coun- try. Dr. Edmund T. Spotswood is a son of Robert and Eliza L. (Henning) Spotswood, the father dying when he was a child of five years. His mother was a daughter of Will- iam Waller Henning, who was a prominent lawyer of Virginia, and an author of law books. The mother of our subject was a woman of culture and refinement, and pos- sessed of high scholarly attainments. She was a poetess of high rank. After the death of Mr. Spotswood she married Rev. John F. Schermerhorn, of New York. They subse- quently came to Indiana, and settled in Car- roll County. The mother died at the home of Dr. Spotswood, at Perrysville, March 8, 1873, at the age of seventy-three years. Dr. Spotswood, the subject of this sketch, was fourteen years old when he accompanied his mother and stepfather to Carroll County, In- diana, and there lie grew to manhood on their farm near the Tippecanoe River, receiving his literary education at home under the in- struction of his mother. In 1852 he gradu- ated from Rush Medical College, Chicago, Illinois, and the same year located at Perrys- ville, Vermillion County, where he has since resided. Ile was married May 17, 1853, to Miss Sarah Schermerhorn, a daughter of Rev. John F. Schermerhorn, of New York. Five children have been born to them, of whom only the two youngest survive-Edwin, living in Terre Haute, and Mary, at home with her parents. Edith died at the age of twenty years; Welford at the age of four years, and Bernard aged seventeen years. Soon after the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion Dr. Spotswood extended his professional ser- vices to the Government. Immediately after
the battle of Shiloh, in April, 1862, he, in company with Governor Morton and Miles Fletcher, the Superintendent of Public In- struction, started as a volunteer surgeon to the field of battle. On arriving at Evans- ville it was found that a large number of the wounded had been transferred to that place. He therefore accompanied such of the wounded as were able to be removed, to In- dianapolis, where he was offered by the Gov- ernor any position as surgeon that was in his power to grant, but none being desirable, the Doctor returned to Perrysville. August 18, 1862, he was appointed Surgeon of the Seventy-first Indiana Infantry, and remained with the regiment about eighteen months, when he was compelled to resign on account of disease of the eyes acquired in the dis- charge of his official duties, and from this affliction he has never fully recovered. As soon as he had sufficiently recovered he re- sumed his medical practice at Perrysville, in which he is still engaged. IIe has long been a member of the American Medical Associa- tion, and in his profession ranks high. The doctor has always taken a deep interest in polities. He was elected to the Legislature as an anti-Nebraska Democrat. IIe was the first man to give his allegiance to the Repub- lican party in Vermillion County, and affili- ated with that party until 1876, when he became connected with the National Green- back party. Ile is now independent in his political views. He is a speaker of marked ability, and inherits much of his mother's poetical genius. In 1854 Dr. Spotswood was elected to the General Assembly of Indiana, and with one exception was the youngest member in the House of Represen- tatives at the following session. While a member of the Legislature he introduced the following resolution, which was the first ever offered in the Indiana Legislature relative to
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the establishment of State Normal Schools: " Resolved, That the committee on education be instructed to inquire into the expedieney of establishing a State Normal School, in which persons who design to make teaching a profession shall receive instruction free of charge; Provided, they bind themselves to teach for a specified term of years within the State of Indiana; and also if it is deemed expedient to establish such schools, whether it would be practicable to establish it on the ' Manual Labor Plan,' so as to make it a self-supporting institution as near as possible, with leave to report by bill or other- wise." The doctor was also the first to agitate in the Legislature the establishment of a State Bureau. The subject of this sketch was reared in the Episcopal faith, but there being no church of that denomination in his neighborhood, he has affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal church. Genial in his manner, well informed on the general topics of the day, and possessed of fine conversa- tional powers, the doctor is an interesting and instructive companion, and no man is better known or more highly respected throughout Vermillion County than he.
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AVID A. RANGER, one of the early settlers of Vermillion County, was born in Colerain, Massachusetts, May 20, 1827, a son of Moses and Jane (Smith) Ran- ger, both of whom were natives of the same State. Moses Ranger, Sr., and Orin Smith, grandfathers of our subject, were heroes of the Revolution, and Moses Ranger, Jr., was a soldier of the war of 1812. David A. Ranger left the old home in Massachusetts when sixteen years of age, and coming to Clinton, Vermillion County, Indiana, that year, 1843, he entered the employ of James 29
McCulloch, general merchant and pork- packer. He was a faithful employe, and was often entrusted by his employer with large interests, making trips to the northwest in charge of stock for sale, and to the lower rivers in charge of pork and grain. IIe re- mained in the constant employ of Mr. Mc- Culloch until the opening of the war for the Union, when his patriotism would not allow him to remain in the rear. Ilis work be- came known, and he was commissioned First Lieutenant, and October 19, 1861, he was mustered with Company I, Forty-third Indi- ana Infantry. Their first effective service was at New Madrid, and they also partici- pated in the engagements at Island No. 10, Tiptonville, Fort Pillow, and the capture of Memphis. July 4, 1863, they fought and repulsed General Price's army at Helena, Arkansas. The winter of 1863-'64 Lieuten- ant Ranger spent at home, recruiting for his company. March 15, 1864, with sixteen re- cruits, he joined his regiment, which was with General Steele at Little Rock, Arkansas. In the campaign of 1864, at Mark's Mill, Arkansas, Lieutenant Ranger was wounded in the left thigh, breaking the femur bone, and cutting the sciatic nerve, thus disabling him for further service, and of course necessi- tated his discharge. He now receives a pen- sion of $24 per month. Never since his return from the army has he been able to resume his busy, active life of former years, but he has by no means been simply a looker- on. In 1865 he was elected to the office of magistrate, an office he held continuously until 1873, when he declined a re-election. He is now a member of the city council, where he has served many years. He is one of the oldest Masons in Vermillion County, and is at present secretary of Jerusalem Lodge, where he has been an honorable and useful member for over a third of a century
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He has never married, and has no relatives near him. His parents left Massachusetts in 1854, and settled in Rosendale, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, where he occasionally visited them before their death. In politics he is a Republican, and has ever taken an active interest in the public affairs of the county. Ile is a comrade of Owen Post, No. 329, G. A. R.
DDISON L. WHITCOMB was born in Clinton, Vermillion County, Indiana, in the year 1839, and died at his birth- place October 7, 1886. His father, John R. Whitcomb, was one of the pioneers of the county, settling at Clinton in 1831, where he became one of the leading business men. The subject of this sketch was educated in the schools of Clinton, where he made the most of his educational advantages. Soon after reaching his majority he began to show that capacity for business which later inade him one of the most successful merchants in Western Indiana. He began his business career as clerk in his father's mercantile establishment. Eventually he engaged in business for himself, never halting in his successful course, and at the time of his death was the head of the firm of A. L. Whitcomb & Co., the leading establishment of the kind in Vermillion County. He was the architect of his own fortunes, having commenced life a poor boy, but through persevering energy and good management he became wealthy, having at the time of his death four farms in Clinton Township, real estate in the city of Clinton, and personal property exceeding in valne $75,000. Mr. Whitcomb was united in marriage, December 25, 1861, to Miss Emeline A. Greene, a daughter of James M. and Julia (Halstead) Greene. She was born
in Erie County, New York, May 12, 1841, coming to Clinton with her parents, where her mother died July 5, 1875. Her father was at one time a business partner of Mr. Whitcomb. After the death of his wife he returned to his old home in Erie County, New York. Mrs. Whitcomb was their only child. She still makes her home in Clinton, where her husband died. Both Mr. and Mrs. Whitcomb united with the Christian church, of which she is still a member. He was a member of no secret societies. In politics he always affiliated with the Republican party, and although he never aspired for official honors, he was not lacking in interest in public affairs. He was a highly respected citizen, and his death was mourned by a large circle of friends and acquaintances.
ACOB C. PETERS, general merchant, Cayuga, was born in Circleville, Ohio, the date of his birth being December 8, 1856. He is a son of Newton and Margaret (Harren) Peters, of Circleville, both being natives of Ohio, the father born in Stouts- ville, Fairfield County, and the mother born in Delhi, Hamilton County. Jacob C. was reared in Circleville, receiving his education in the schools of that place. He learned thie carriage painter's trade, which he followed four years before coming to this county. In 1875 he came to Eugene, and for ten years following was employed as clerk in the store of his brother, Il. O. Peters, after which lie was associated with his brother as partner for two years, and in September, 1887, he bought his brother's interest. The broth- er's had established their business in Cayuga in 1885, since which time it has steadily increased until it has become one of the leading mercantile establishments in Eu-
AL Whitcomb
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gene Township. They deal in dry goods, clothing, hats and caps, boots and shoes, groceries, hardware, queensware, and gents furnishing goods, carrying a capital stock of $3,500, their annual business amounting to about $12,000. Mr. Peters was married June 14, 1882, to Miss Olie Parren, who was born in Perrysville, Vermillion County, Indiana, a daughter of William Parren, who is now de- deased.
RE LATT Z. ANDERSON, attorney at law, and one of the prominent and enterpris- ing citizens of Clinton, has been a resi- dent of this city since November 7, 1856. He is a native of West Virginia, born in Wood County, December 28, 1838, a son of Michael and Prudence (White) Anderson, both of whom were Virginians by birth. The inaternal grandfather of our subject, George White, married for his second wife, Rebecca Jackson, who is still living, aged seventy- nine years, and is an aunt of the late General Thomas Jackson, familiarly known as Stone- wall Jackson. Michael Anderson still resides on the old homestead in West Virginia which has been the family home for forty-five years. His wife died at the age of thirty-five years. Besides our subject, three of their children are living, William P., Cummings and Elizabeth, their homes being in West Vir- ginia. Soon after coming to Vermillion County, the subject of this sketch entered the Inercantile establistinent of Dale, Livengood & Co., of Clinton, as a clerk, and later was employed in the same capacity for John Whitcomb, becoming his partner in 1866, the business being conducted under the firm name of Whitcomb, Anderson & Co., for two years. Mr. Anderson then retired from the firm, and in company with Dr. Bogart, engaged in the drug business, Buying the
interest of his partner soon after, he continued the business alone until 1875. In 1879 he was elected county surveyor, and a more thoroughly competent and efficient officer than Mr. Anderson the county has never had. HIe served in this capacity four years, and during this time, under his supervision and direction, all the graveled roads of the county were made, and the principal bridges built. Ile also served twelve years as magistrate, from the year 1861. In 1872 he was admitted to the bar, and has since been engaged in the practice of law. In connection with his law practice he does an agency business in real estate, insurance and collecting. Mr. Ander- son was united in marriage September 1, 1859, to Miss Jennie Nourse, who was born at Nanvoo, Illinois, June 28, 1837, a daugli- ter of E. B. Nourse, then a resident of Nauvoo, but now living in Clinton, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson are the parents of seven chil- dren-Eva, wife of John Payton; Lawrence B., Claude M., Max, Clifford, Platt Z. and Forrest G. Mr. Anderson cast his first presiden- tial vote for Abraham Lincoln, and has ever since been a stanuch adherent to the Republi- can party. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity. Mr. Anderson has always mani- fested a deep interest the town in which he lives, and in every movement calculated to aid in building up the place or developing its business interests has his encouragement and assistance.
ILGIIMAN FONCANON resides on section 35, Helt Township, where he owns a fine farm of 200 acres, 160 acres of which he entered from the Govern- ment. He was born in Mifflin County, Penn- sylvania, August 7, 1812, a son of Jacob Foncanon, a native of the same county, who
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HISTORY OF VERMILLION COUNTY.
moved to Perry County, Ohio, in 1815. Tilgh- man was reared on a farm in Ohio, and when eighteen years old began to learn the brick mason's trade at Lancaster, at which lie worked twelve years. In 1842 he came to Vermillion County, Indiana, and located in IIelt Township, where he has since lived. He was married August 11, 1840, to Sarah, daughter of John and Christina May. To Mr. and Mrs. Foncanon have been born ten children, eight of whom are living-Thomas Jefferson, Emily, Isabelle, Charles A., Mark, Georgiann and Christiann (twins), and Elva All are married and settled near the old home- stead. Mr. Foncanon has twenty grandchil- dren living, and one great-grandchild.
SAAC RICE, farmer and stock-raiser, re- sides on section 15, Vermillion Township, where he owns 173 acres of land under cultivation, and twenty acres of timber land. Ile has a valuable property, which he has acquired by years of toil and economy, hav- ing nothing when he started for himself, his first money being carned by hauling wood and running a threshing machine. He lias inade a specialty of stock-raising, and has some very fine cattle and horses. Mr. Rice was born in Floyd County, Indiana, March 7, 1832, a son of John and Catherine (Smith) Rice, natives of Kentucky, of German de- scent, who were early settlers of Floyd County, where they spent their last days. In 1857 Mr. Rice came to Vermillion County and settled on the farm where he now lives, which at that time was a tract of wild, uncul- tivated land. Ile was married in 1858 to Christina Burkhart, a native of Floyd County, born in 1834, a daughter of Jacob Burkhart. To Mr. and Mrs. Rice have been born four children, one of whom, John W., is deceased.
Those living are-James A., Alice and La- fayette. Alice is the wife of Bruce Merri- man, and has two children-Collett and Jessie B. Mr. Rice is a member of the Odd Fel- lows order, Lodge No. 563. In politics he is a Republican.
- ENRY NEBEKER, M. D., one of the leading physicians of Clinton, is a member of one of the old and promi- nent families of Vermillion County. He was born in IIelt Township, this county, June 16, 1854, a son of Aquilla and Naomi (Wright) Nebeker, his father a native of Newport, Delaware, and his mother of On- tario County, New York. They were mar- ried in Vermillion County, having come to the county when young. The early life of our subject was spent on a farm, completing his literary education at De Pauw University at Greencastle, Indiana. His preparatory medical studies were commenced in the office of Drs. Hedges and Bogart, in Clinton, and in 1873 he attended the medical department of the Michigan State University, at Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 1875-'76, he was a student at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, graduating from that institution in March of the latter year, and immediately after he com- menced the practice of medicine at Clinton. He is devoted to his profession, and has es- tablished a large and Incrative practice which is gradually increasing. September 6, 1877, he was united in marriage to Miss Ida M. Wilson, who was born December 27, 1857, in Parke County, Indiana, a daughter of E. G. Wilson, who is still a resident of Parke County. Doctor and Mrs. Nebeker are the parents of two children named Ray B. and Mark E. In politics the doctor is identified with the Republican party. He is a promi-
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nent Mason, and belongs to Jerusalem Lodge, No. 99, and Terre Haute Chapter, No. 11. The doetor is a man of public-spirit, taking a deep interest in the town where he resides, and every enterprise caleulated to aid in building up the place has his encouragement and assistance.
AMUEL J. HALL, an active and enter- prising agrieulturist of Vermillion Township, residing on section 16, is a native of Vermillion County, Indiana, born April 13, 1835. Ilis parents, William B. and Naney (Jordan) Hall, were of English deseent, the father a native of the State of Virginia, and the mother born in Kentneky. She left her native State in 1822, coming to Parke County, Indiana. The parents of our subject lived in Parke County until 1830 when they removed to Vermillion County. residing here until their death, the father dying December 10, 1863, and the mother in the year 1872. They reared a family of thir- teen children, as follows-Mrs. Harriet Davis, Tabitha (deceased), Mrs. Lacy A. Lemon, Mrs. Elizabeth Woodward, Mrs. Mary Saun- ders, Charles II., Samuel J., Mrs. Emily Dunlap, Mrs. Amanda Utter, Mrs. Ellen Hopkins, Melvin L. (a prominent physician of the county, residing at Newport), James W., and John D. The latter was a member of Company C, Eighteenth Indiana Infantry, and died while out on the field in Missouri. Samuel J. Hall, the subject of this sketch, was reared to agricultural pursuits which he has made the principal vocation of his life. Ile was a soldier in the war of the Rebellion, enlisting October 9, 1861. IIe raised a company know as Company I, Forty-third Indiana Infantry, and served three and a half years. IIe was in the engagements at New
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