USA > Indiana > Washington County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 35
USA > Indiana > Harrison County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 35
USA > Indiana > Crawford County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 35
USA > Indiana > Clark County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 35
USA > Indiana > Scott County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 35
USA > Indiana > Floyd County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 35
USA > Indiana > Jennings County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 35
USA > Indiana > Jefferson County > Biographical and historical souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott, and Washington, Indiana > Part 35
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He is a member of the Masonic Order, and of the Odd Fellows, and of the Knight Templars. He is a member of the German Reformed Church, and one of its Trustees. He is one of the directors in the Citizens' National Bank, and has been a director in the German Savings and Loan Association ever since its organization, about eighteen years.
Mr. Pfau is one of the best German- American citizens of his city. He has risen from very humble circumstances to an honorable position, and has won recog- nition among the highest and best class of his fellow-citizens. He has made himself worthy of all commendation.
THOMAS B. RADER is a native of Henryville, Clark county, Ind., and was born on the 25th day of December, 1859, and was brought up in his native village re- ceiving such education as the common schools there afforded, He commenced
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teaching school at an early age, having taught a district school at the age of 16, and continued to teach a district school for five consecutive years, when he was ap- pointed deputy under Dr. H. H. Ferguson, County Treasurer of Clark county. In this capacity he served for four years, when Dr. Ferguson retired from the office and Jacob S. Fry became County Treasurer, which was in 1883. He then accepted a position as clerk in the Auditor's office of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad Company in Louisville, which position he held until the spring of 1888, when he resigned it to go into business for himself in the city of Jeffersonville, that of real estate and insur- ance agency. Mr. Rader has embarked in this business with a determination to make a success of it. If energy and enterprise, backed by a strong will and determination avail anything, he will succeed in building up a business that will be an honor to the city and profitable to himself. We are sure that he has the hearty good will for his success of every man whose good will is worth having.
He is a member of the lodge of the K. of P. and a member of the American Legion of Honor, and is secretary of the Citizens' Loan Association. He was married on the 8th of May, 1880, to Miss Lotta Butterfoss, of Jeffersonville. The union is blessed with three nice boys, Thomas L., Ralph and Claud G. His father, Commodore B. Rader, is a native of Kentucky, and his mother, Mary (Bogle) Rader, is a native of Pennsyl- vania; she died in 1876, at the age of 41 years. When his father came to Indiana he was only a boy and was engaged in the saw-mill business for a number of years.
CHARLES RUEHL was born in the city of Jeffersonville, Clark county, Ind., July
22, 1860. He was brought up in the city of his birth and attended the public schools until he was taken from school and placed as a clerk in his father's grocery, and re- mained there until 1873, when he left his father and engaged himself as a traveling salesman for Kesler, Koch & Co., of Louis- ville. He traveled for this firm for four and a half years. Becoming weary of traveling around all the time, in 1888 he started in the grocery business for himself, and opened at No. 147 Spring street, Jeffersonville, Ind., and has no cause to regret the change. Owing to his many friends and his close attention to business, and the exercise of prudence and good judgment in extending credit, he has built up a large and prosper- ous trade.
Mr. Ruehl was married in 1881 to Miss Clara Schultz, daughter of John Schultz, a merchant tailor of Jeffersonville, who was appointed Inspector of Clothing at the Quartermaster's Depot, in Jeffersonville, on the 1st of October, 1888, but it not suiting him, he resigned his position, to take effect the 1st of January, 1889. They have two children, a boy and a girl, Charles A. and Mabel M.
He is the son of John and Johanna (Leir) Ruehl, both natives of Germany, and came to the United States in 1847, and first located in Louisville, Ky., where they were married, and came to Jeffersonville in 1856, and in 1858 engaged in the grocery business and continued in that business until 1884, when he retired from business, and is now living a retired life. His mother died in 1879, at the age of 53 years.
Mr. Ruehl is a member of the order of the Knights and Ladies of Honor, and of the German Evangelical Reformed St. Lucas Church. He is a quiet, gentle and unas- suming citizen. His honesty and integrity as a merchant stand unimpeached, and as
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a man and a citizen he commands universal respect from all who know him.
DR. ISAAC N. RUDDELL is a native of Clark county, Ind. He was born on his father's farm near New Market, on the 6th day of June, 1857. He is the son of Alex- ander T. and Kate (Haymaker) Ruddell, both of whom are also natives of the county. His grandfather, William Ruddell, was born near the little town of Utica, and was one of the earliest merchants of the city of Jeffersonville. His great grandfather was a Virginian by birth, and came to the North- west Territory at quite an early day and settled in Clark county.
He was a Methodist preacher, and would often leave the plow to go to fill an engage- ment to preach, seeming to consider the cultivation of souls and preparing them for Heaven was of more importance than the cultivation of corn for man's temporal wants. Grandfather John Haymaker came from Jefferson county, across the Ohio river, and settled in Clark county. Our subject's father is still living upon his farm. A great deal of his life has been spent in the mercantile business at the town of Charlestown in this county.
Dr. Isaac N. Ruddell passed his boyhood upon his father's farm, and did his share on the farm, as farmers' sons usually do. He was educated at the Charlestown schools and spent a while at Asbury University, but graduated in 1878 from the Barnett Academy, at Charlestown, Ind. He com- menced his studies of medicine with Dr. Thomas A.Graham, of the city of Jefferson- ville. He entered the Medical Department of the Louisville University and took a thorough course, and graduated on the 25th February, 1881.
He immediately stuck out lis shingle and
commenced the practice of his profession in Jeffersonville. He was appointed by the Board of County Commissioners to do the pauper practice for the city and town- ship of Jeffersonville. He has, by close application to his profession and by gener- ous and fair dealing, built up for himself a good practice, and it is only fair to predict, if he continues in the same line, that at no distant day he will stand among the fore- most of his profession.
He was married on the 21st day of De- cember, 1887, to Miss Mattie Ashford, of Lexington, Ky. He is secretary and treas- urer of the Clark County Medical Society, and a member of the State Medical Society, and was secretary of the Congressional Medical Association until that Association dissolved.
ALFRED O. SCHULER is a native of Germany. Was born June 1, 1837. He came to the United States in 1857, when he was only 20 years of age, and located in Jeffersonville in 1858, and engaged as clerk in the store of G. W. Swartz, who was at that time one of the leading dry goods merchants in Jeffersonville. He re- mained with Mr. Swartz until 1860, when he started in the boot and shoe business for himself. He continued in this business until 1862, when he sold out and took a trip to his old home in Germany, on a visit to his relatives and friends. In 1863 he returned to Jeffersonville, but during that year he went to Cincinnati and obtained a situation as clerk for Kuhn, Netter & Co., at that time the largest wholesale cloth house in Cincinnati. He remained with this firm until in 1864, when he again re- turned to Jeffersonville and clerked in the dry goods store of R. S. Heiskel & Co. He continued with this firm until 1866, when it was dissolved, and the goods of the firm
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offered for sale. He then purchased the stock of the old firm, and opened up in the dry goods business, and has continued in it ever since, and by honest effort and close attention to business, has made a success of it and built up a large trade.
Mr. Schuler is a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows' Lodges, and a member of the German Evangelical Reformed St. Lucas Church. He was elected by the Republican party as a member of the Com- mon Council of his city, and served in that capacity for two years, 1883 and 1884.
He was married in 1868 to Miss Louisa Keepfer, of New Jersey, and they have been blessed with five children, all girls : Anna, Lena, Cora, Minnie and Amy, all living at home.
Mr. Schuler is one of our very best Ger- man-American citizens, and is an honor to his adopted city, and would be to any city wherever he might locate.
WILLIAM B. SHELBY, deceased, is of a family noted as soldiers and statesmen in the United States. He was born in 1804, in Clark county, Ind., on what is known as the Shelby farm, and was a son of Evan Shelby-the latter a son of James Shelby, a brother to Gen. Isaac Shelby, twice governor of Kentucky, and a Revolu- tionary soldier. Evan Shelby was a na- tive of Virginia, came to Indiana on a flat- boat in an early day, and was married soon after his arrival. William B. inher- ited the martial spirit of his ancestors, and took part in the Blackhawk war in 1832- 33, furnishing his own horse and outfit. In 1838 he married Miss Mary E. Wilson, a daughter of Jacob Wilson, of Carmi, Ill., whose parents were Pennsylvanians. He (Jacob Wilson) was in the War of 1812, under Col. William Washington. Mr. and
Mrs. Shelby had seven children, viz : Margaret, John Shelby, Wat (died at the age of 30 years), Charles D., Ida M., Oliver W. and Evan. Mr. Shelby lived all his life on the old Shelby farm where he was born, and where he died October 23, 1862. His widow still resides on the farm, which she has carried on as in the days of her husband. Here she has lived since his death, and has succeeded in bringing up her children and educating them to fit them for any station in life they may be called to fill. The homestead comprises about 400 acres of good land, which Mrs. Shelby now owns.
ALEXANDER W. SMITHA is a native of this State, and was born in Madison township, Jefferson county, Ind., May 26, 1843. He is the son of W. B. Smitha and Emma (Robinson) Smitha, both natives of the State of Kentucky. His father died in 1850 of cholera. His family is of German origin. Mr. Smitha, July 1, 1861, an early day in the Rebellion, enlisted in the 37th Regiment of Indiana Volunteers, and was mustered into the service, in October of that same year, as a private. He served in the 37th for twenty months, when he was transferred to the 10th Regiment In- diana Cavalry, and was wounded at the battle of Stone River. He filled several positions as non - commissioned officer. He was mustered out of the service at Vicksburg, Miss., in August, 1865, after the close of the war.
After he returned home from the war he was engaged in several pursuits. Among others he did the township assessing dur- ing the spring. He was appointed by John L. Delahunt, county auditor of Clark county, in 1883, his chief deputy, and served in that capacity until the general
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election in 1886, when he was nominated by his political friends and elected in No- vember of that year as treasurer of Clark county, and entered upon the discharge of the duties of his office September, 5, 1887. In 1888 he was re-elected to succeed him- self. His second term will commence September, 1889.
He was married February 13, 1874, to Miss Rea Fewell, of Jefferson county, Ind., and has three children living,-Geo. R., Emma M. and Oscar F.
PHILIP SPECHT is a native of Ger- many. Born March 26, 1843. He came to the United States while an infant in arms with his parents, who located in Philadel- phia, Pa., and in 1852 they came West and located in Old Vernon, the county-seat of Jennings county, Ind. After the battle of Bull's Run, when troops from the North were being enlisted and hurried to the front, in August, 1861, he, prompted by a patriotic impulse to march to the defence of his adopted country, enlisted in Co. H., 26th Reg. Indiana Infantry, in August, 1861.
He was regularly and honorably dis- charged from the service, on the 24th day of September, 1864, serving a little over three years. During his three years of service he was in some pretty close actions and saw some pretty rough service, but his spirit and bravery were equal to the occa- sion at all times and under all circumstan- ces. He was in the battle of Prairie Grove, Ark., at the seige of Vicksburg and at the battle of Fort Hudson. His Regiment, and he with it, were captured and taken prisoners of war at Morganza's Bend on the Mississippi river, and were taken to Camp Ford, Tex., and were held there in captivity for eleven months, After some nine months
of wearisome captivity, Mr. Specht and three of his comrades made their escape and safely reached Natchez, Miss., and were returned to their Regiment, after it had been released at Donaldsonville, La ..
After his discharge he returned to his old home, Vernon, and went into the saloon business. In 1871 he left Vernon and came to Jeffersonville and went into the same business there, and has been in it continuously ever since. He is a member of the K. of H. and of the G. A. R. and of the Chosen Friends. He was married in 1868 to Miss Susan Egan, of Vernon, Jennings county, Ind. They have two living chil- dren, both girls,-Julia and Theresa.
Mr. Philip Specht is one of the substan- tial German-American citizens. He has accumulated, by economy and industry, a large property in and around the city of Jeffersonville. He owns twenty-six acres of valuable land lying about a mile north- west from the city and four houses in the city. However men may differ upon the subject of saloon keeping all have to admit that Phil Specht is an honest man and a good citizen.
EUGENE V. STEALEY is a native of Helena, Ark., where he was born March 2, 1850. His father, John O. Stealey, was a native of Virginia. His mother, Mary Patrick Stealey, who is living with him in Jeffersonville, is a native of Clark county, Ind. His grandfather and grand- mother on his mother's side came with their parents to Clark county, at an early day, and his great grandfather was ap- pointed first postm ister of Jeffersonville. Mr. Stealey was sent to the public schools Jeffersonville at the age of eight, and con- tinued until he was fourteen, when he was apprenticed to his father to learn the tin-
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ning business. After arriving at his ma- jority he opened business on his own ac- count, and continued to prosecute it with vigor until 1882, when he was elected Township Trustee by an overwhelming majority. In 1884 he was re-elected to succeed himself, serving in this office in all four years. In 1886, after a vigor- ous contest, he was nominated over Richard C. McGill, the then incumbent of the office, as a candidate for the office of County Clerk, by a clear but small majority. Some of Mr. McGill's friends were not satisfied and per- suaded him to become an indepedent candi- date against the nominee of his party. This made Mr. Stealey's friends indignant, and the canvass became bitter and personal. Notwithstanding he was elected by a ma- jority of 226. At the expiration of the term of office of his predecessor he entered upon the discharge of the responsible duties devolving upon him, and continues to discharge them. He was married De- cember 15, 1884, to Miss Eva Ivell.
ALLEN A. SWARTZ is the son of Rev. Jacob Swartz and Rebecca (Jacobs) Swartz, and was born in Clark county, Indiana, September 11, 1849. Rev. Jacob Swartz, his father, is a native of the State of Pennsyl- vania, and was brought to Indiana by his parents, and settled in Clark county at an early day in its settlement, when he was three or four years old. He was what was known as a local Methodist Episcopal preacher; he was licensed to preach, but took no charge. He was born in 1800, and died in 1879, at the age of seventy-nine years, thus reaching nearly to his fourscore years, he died at his home in the city of Jeffersonville, surrounded by his aged wife and seven children. His wife soon fol- lowed him, dying in December, 1886.
Mr. Allen A. Swartz was born and brought up on a farm in Utica township, Clark county Indiana. He attended, during his boyhood at home, the common schools of the neighborhood. At the proper age he was sent to Moores Hill College for a while, and then to Asbury University, now the DePauw University.
After finishing his course of study, he returned home and formed a partnership with A. J. Frank, and engaged in the dry- goods trade under the firm name of "Frank & Swartz." This firm continued for three years, when Mr. Swartz bought out his partner and has continued in the dry goods mercantile business ever since, making him one among the oldest dry goods merchants in the city of Jeffersonville.
His store is situated in a double brick business house erected by himself for the purpose on Spring street, Nos. 93 and 95, where he is doing a large and successful business. All this he has accomplished by strict attention to business and honest dealings with all who trade with him.
He follows in the footsteps of his ven- erable father, and is an active member of the Wall Street Methodist Episcopal church in his city and is one of its official board. He is also a member of the Masonic Lodge of his city.
He was married in 1879 to Miss Sallie Clarke, daughter of Prof. Joseph Clarke, of Jeffersonville. They have been blessed with two children, Clara and Walter A.
SAMUEL C. TAGGART was born on the 14th day of September, 1828, in Clark county, Ky. His father, James Taggart, was born near Colerain, Ireland, on the 4th of July, 1800, and came to the United States in 1817 and settled in Clark county, Ky., and removed thence to Clark county, Ind.,
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in 1833, and settled in Charlestown. He died April 2, 1879.
He was a member of the Presbyterian Church; he was a graduate of Transylvania University, Lexington, Ky., in 1822. He practiced medicine in Kentucky and for a short time in Clark county, Ind. He in- troduced his younger brother, Dr. William Taggart, in this county, and then retired from practice. His brother died in June, 1888.
Dr. Samuel C. Taggart came to Clark county, Ind., with his father in 1833, and worked on the farm until he was 17 years old, when he entered Hanover College and graduated in 1848. After graduating from college he commenced the study of medi- cine with his uncle, and after proper prepa- ration he entered the Medical Department of the Louisville University and graduated in March 1851, and immediately com- menced the practice of his profession in the town of Charlestown, Clark county, where he continued to practice with great success until 1880.
In 1878 he became the Republican nomi- nee for the office of clerk of the Clark Cir- cuit Court against Mr. Plez James who had been nominated by the Democrats for re- election, and on account of the great per- sonal popularity of Dr. Taggart, and some bitterness felt by some Democrats against Mr. James, growing out of the Court House Removal question, which yet rankled in the breasts of many, Dr. Taggart was elected, and assumed the duties of his office in 1880 and leaving his practice he removed to Jef- fersonville to take charge of his office.
In 1882 he was nominated by his polit- ical friends for re-election against Richard C. McGill, a young man of good character and of undoubted qualifications for the position, having been trained under his Uncle, Plez James, whom the Doctor had
beaten, as a deputy in the office. This time the Doctor was defeated, however, by a greatly reduced Democratic majority. So at the termination of his official life, in a short time he returned to his old home in Charlestown, and to re-commence the prac- tice of medicine among his old friends and patients.
In 1886 Doctor Taggart was nominated by his political friends as a candidate for State Senator for this Senatorial District, consisting of the counties of Clark and Jefferson. Dr. David McClure, of Jeffer- sonville, an old wheel horse of the Demo- cratic party, was nominated by his party friends for re-election. Clark county is Democratic and Jefferson county is Repub- lican, but it was generally supposed that the Democratic majority in Clark would sufficiently overtop the Republican majority in Jefferson county, to make it safe for the success of the Democratic candidate. Dr. McClure was elected by barely eight ma- jority.
On the death of James H. McCampbell on the 15th of February, 1888, the office of President of the First National Bank of the city of Jeffersonville became vacant. This bank was organized in 1865 with a capital of $100,000, subsequently increased to $400,000, but it was afterward reduced to $150,000, principally by the efforts and capital of Jas. H. McCampbell, who was made its President and held that position until his death. Dr. S. C. Taggart was elected, and, after considerable hesitation and delay, accepted and is now performing the responsible duties pertaining to the position.
In 1852 Dr. Taggart was married to Cynthia E. McCampbell, daughter of Sam- uel McCamphell, of Charlestown, a Virginian by birth and one of the early settlers of that ancient county-seat, and was a tanner
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by trade and owned a tanyard in Charles- town and carried on the business. Out of this matrimonial union have come two children,-James E. Taggart, a member of the law firm of Burtt & Taggart, and Jennie, wife of Charles E. Louis.
Dr. Taggart is endowed with great men- tal and physical endurance. He is a mem- ber of the Presbyterian Church, and his hand is ever open to bestow charity upon the poor, the needy and the deserving. As a citizen, none stands higher. In social life he is pre-eminent ; he is genial, courte- ous, kind and gentle to all, rich and poor. His friends are many, and his enemies, if he has any, are few.
JAMES E. TAGGART, the junior mem- ber of the firm of Burtt & Taggart, was married to Miss Nettie Winesburg, daugh- ter of John P. Winesburg, in Jeffersonville, April 24, 1885, with one child the result of the union.
He is the son of Dr. Samuel C. Taggart, President of the First National Bank of Jeffersonville. Mr. Taggart is a graduate of Hanover College, of the class of 1874, and was admitted to practice in the sum- mer of 1885. He had previously served as deputy under his father, who was clerk of Clark Circuit Court for four years, from 1879 to 1883. He graduated from Union College of Law, Chicago, in 1885. He was born in Charlestown, July 1, 1858.
JOHN W. TIMMONDS was born in Adams county, Ohio. He went to Ports- mouth, Ohio, when a boy to learn his trade as engineer in that city, on the mail boats plying between Portsmouth and Cincinnati. He was on these boats for three years, when in April, 1852,
he went on the Portsmouth, Hamden & Columbus Railroad, which is a branch of the Baltimore & Ohio Road. He run on this road continuously for seven years as engineer. In January, 1860, he came to Jeffersonville, and run as engineer on the Jeffersonville & Indianapolis Railroad, now the J., M. & I. R. R., and run on that three years.
In 1863 he went into the Quartermas- ter's department of Louisville and Cincin- nati. Was under old General and Captain Allen in the Louisville department, and was under Captain Lewis in the River Transportation department of Cincinnati. In the summer of 1865, he came to Jeffer- sonville, and took charge of the engine in the Quartermasters' Supply Depot, and served the Government as chief engineer in that department for twenty-four years, and never lost a day in all that time.
He is both a Mason and an Odd Fellow, and a passed officer in both Lodges, both in the subordinate and in the encampment. He is a member of the Jeffersonville Wall Street Methodist Episcopal Church, and is passed officer of the National Association of Engineers of the State of Indiana.
He was married on the 12th day of April, 1855, to Miss Caroline Gebhardt, of Scioto county, Ohio, and their union has re- uslted in three living children, one boy and two girls-John W., Lillie and Blanch Adale.
Mr. Timmonds is the son of John W. and Mary (Woodworth) Timmonds ; his mother was a native of Adams county, Ohio, and died in 1847 at the age of +2. His father a native of Berkeley county, Virginia, and died in 1849, surviving his wife only two years, leaving seven young and almost help- less children, of which the subject of our sketch was the oldest boy, to struggle through life as best they could, five of
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whom are still living. They are John W. Timmonds ; Richard Henry Timmonds, who is now employed at the Ohio Falls Car Works as steam pipe fitter there-he was employed as first assistant engineer at the Government Depot for twenty-one years ; Harriet Amanda, wife of Captain William Little, now living in Greenup county, Ky., owning one of the finest farms in that coun- ty-Mrs. Little is the oldest child; Sa- mantha, who is married to H. C. McCoy, also of Greenup county, Ky., who owns and lives on a fine farm; and Melissa, who is still single, and lives with her sister, Mrs. Capt. Little.
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