USA > Indiana > Warren County > Biographical history of Tippecanoe, White, Jasper, Newton, Benton, Warren and Pulaski counties, Indiana, Volume II > Part 15
USA > Indiana > Jasper County > Biographical history of Tippecanoe, White, Jasper, Newton, Benton, Warren and Pulaski counties, Indiana, Volume II > Part 15
USA > Indiana > White County > Biographical history of Tippecanoe, White, Jasper, Newton, Benton, Warren and Pulaski counties, Indiana, Volume II > Part 15
USA > Indiana > Newton County > Biographical history of Tippecanoe, White, Jasper, Newton, Benton, Warren and Pulaski counties, Indiana, Volume II > Part 15
USA > Indiana > Pulaski County > Biographical history of Tippecanoe, White, Jasper, Newton, Benton, Warren and Pulaski counties, Indiana, Volume II > Part 15
USA > Indiana > Benton County > Biographical history of Tippecanoe, White, Jasper, Newton, Benton, Warren and Pulaski counties, Indiana, Volume II > Part 15
USA > Indiana > Tippecanoe County > Biographical history of Tippecanoe, White, Jasper, Newton, Benton, Warren and Pulaski counties, Indiana, Volume II > Part 15
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Moses A. Dilts.
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further stated that two of the brothers, not being able to cross the ocean otherwise, were sold for their passage money and were obliged to work until the amount was paid, as was the custom at that remote day.
The paternal grandfather of our subject, Peter Dilts, was probably a native of Virginia, and he died at Abington, Wayne county, Indiana, about 1848, when sixty years of age. He married Sarah Renfroe, probably of Montgomery county, Ohio, and their children were: Jefferson, who was in the employ of the government, going with wagon-trains across the western plains, between 1860 and 1870, and was killed by Indians; Francis, the father of our subject; Enos, who was a brick manufacturer by trade, lived in Wina- mac from 1862 to 1864, and then removed to Missouri; Henry, whose home is in Cherryville, Kansas, where he is engaged in the insurance business; Lyman, twin brother of Henry, a resident of Colorado Springs, and father of one child, Estella; and Mary, wife of David Clark, both deceased, and for- merly of Dayton, Ohio. They were the parents of two children. Henry has two children,-Daisy and Harry,-the latter agent for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad at Emporia, Kansas.
Francis Dilts, the father of our subject, was born near Dayton, Ohio, October 2, 1816, and in his youth learned the trade of wagon-maker. For about four years he ran a shop at Farmersville, Ohio, and besides making wagons was also at the head of a plow manufactory there. Then for a period of eleven years he kept a meat market in the same town, and in 1854 he located in Goshen, Indiana, where he was employed in Kumber's wagon shop for a year. From 1856 to 1859 he carried on a wagon-repairing shop and a meat market at Rochester, Indiana, and in August, 1860, arrived in Winamac, where he established a butcher's shop. He also spent a portion of his time in the employ of Nelson Bennett, in the wagon shop. His death occurred in this town May 8, 1876. He was a Republican and in religion was identified with the German Reformed church. For a wife he chose Sarah Weaver, who was born March 23, 1820, in Germantown, Ohio. They were married November 20, 1838, and she survived her husband many years, dying in Winamac, December 27, 1897. Her father, a Pennsylvanian of German descent, was a soldier of the war of 1812, and was surrendered by General Hull. His death took place a few years after he left the army. He left three young children-Daniel, Sarah and Mary-who were reared by relatives. Mary became the wife of Henry Beachler, of Darke county, Ohio, and her eldest child, Henry, lives in Iowa, while her daughter Sarah, wife of Samuel Kerst, and Mary, wife of J. Barnhart, reside in Darke county.
The eldest child of Francis and Sarah Dilts was Preston, born Decem- ber 9, 1839, and died October 26, 1877. He first married Carrie L. Hol- lingshead, the ceremony being performed by Rev. P. C. Prugh, August II,
43
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1862. She was born in Xenia, Ohio, February 10, 1844, and died Novem- ber 5, 1872. Their eldest child, Harry Preston, born April 13, 1864, died March 5, 1868. Florence May, born March 15, 1867, married Frank Belt, a farmer of Greene county, Ohio, March 17, 1890. Mary Emma, born March 5, 1868, died December 8, 1877. Francis William, born November 25, 1869, died June 25, 1874. Clara Josephine, born March 13, 1871, died December 11, 1890. Walter Riley, born March 11, 1872, is now employed by William Sabel, merchant, of Winamac. For his second wife, Preston Dilts chose Mrs. Susie M. Woods, their marriage being solemnized November 6, 1873. Their son, Albert Lee, was born July 21, 1874, and is now employed by the Standard Oil Company at Whiting, Indiana. Harrison Elmer, born August 25, 1876, resides in Burlington, Iowa, where, on the 2d of October, 1898, he wedded Colorado, daughter of Jesse and Martha Jane Beeson. Mrs. Susie M. W. Dilts, who died December 7, 1877, married a Mr. Lang- ley in her early womanhood, and their daughter, Jennie, is now the wife of James Davis. Later Mrs. Dilts became Mrs. Wood, and two sons were born of that union, namely: William and Mark. Daniel, the second child of Francis and Sarah Dilts, was born April 23, 1842; served in the civil war, in Company B, Eighty-seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and in 1866 mar- ried Jennie, daughter of James McCall, and has one child, Etta, who is with her parents at their home in Winamac. Louisa, the third child of Francis Dilts, was born November 21, 1844, and departed this life October 4, 1855. Francis Dilts, Jr., was born December 9, 1845, and died July 25, 1875. He married Ellen Ann Woods, daughter of George and Ann (South) Woods. The mother was a daughter of William and Catherine (Mauler) South, and was born April 21, 1820, in Wayne county, Ohio. She first married George Wood, and their children were Melissa, born February 18, 1845, in Clinton, Ohio, and died in September, 1852; and Ellen Ann, born March 9, 1846, also in Clinton. George Woods, born March 3, 1809, first married Catherine King, June 25, 1834, and their children were Rebecca Jane, born August 22, 1835; and Horatio, born December 13, 1837, whose wife was Susan Morris.
The marriage of Mrs. Ann (South) Woods and Peter Kroft took place March 19, 1844, in Clinton, Ohio. He was a native of Stark county, Ohio, born April 11, 1817, and his death occurred April 11, 1898. His eldest child, Benjamin Franklin, born December 20, 1848, in Fulton, Ohio, mar- ried Ida Collins, April 3, 1877, and she died February 20, 1897, leaving one child, Blanche May, born July 16, 1885. On the 15th of December, 1898, he wedded Elizabeth Fry, widow of John Fry, and daughter of David Will- iams. William, father of Mrs. Ann (South) Woods Kroft, was born in Penn- sylvania, the son of Major South, whose title was won in the war of the
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Revolution. He wedded a Miss Yowey, and their children were Joseph, Nancy, Rachel and Samuel. William South was first married to Catherine Mauler, whose brothers and sisters were William, John, Nancy, Elizabeth and Rebecca. The children born to William and Catherine South were: Jane, who became the wife of Eli Johnson, of Monterey; Sarah, Richard, Thaddeus, Catherine Ann, Elizabeth, Schuyler and Julia, Mrs. Samuel Ward. William South married, secondly, Prudence Mosier, and their children were: John; Catherine, Mrs. John Karnes; Anderson; James; So- phronia; Rhoda, wife of Peter Edinger; Margaret, wife of Benjamin Camp- bell; Henry, of Logansport; Eliza, and one who died when young. The children born to Francis Dilts and his wife, Ellen Ann, were Rosie E., Alice and Frank. Rosie E. married Jacob W. Rearick, March 21, 1886. He was born May 26, 1859, in Seneca county, Ohio. Their children are: Arlu Belle, born February 23, 1888; Jacob Arden, born May 26, 1890; and Charles Foster, born January 17, 1897. Alice Dilts is the wife of Francis Hutchinson. The younger children of Francis and Sarah Dilts are: Mary Ann, born November 22, 1847, and died March 17, 1849; Moses; Minerva, born September 8, 1851, and died March 17, 1863; William Jefferson, born February 7, 1853, and died September 10, 1874; Salome E., born January 7, 1855, wife of S. M. Hurst, a carpenter of North Judson, Indiana, and mother of Grace, Jessie, Noah, S. A., Morris (deceased) and Frances Fern; Charles, born November 22, 1857, and now living in Winamac; America, born November 29, 1859, and wife of J. E. Jones, whose sketch is printed elsewhere in this work; and Carrie Luella, born May 21, 1863, and now the wife of W. J. Griffin, of Winamac.
The birth of Moses A. Dilts occurred October 25, 1849, at Dayton, Ohio, and when he was eleven years of age he left home and lived with John Daven- port for a period. He then returned to the parental household, where he re- mained until he was in his seventeenth year. Entering the employ of Oba- diah Carper, he worked in his hotel for two years, and then started out to sell small wares through the country, walking and carrying a satchel filled with goods. Later he hired a team and finally he became an auctioneer of goods. One winter he clerked in the book-store of Samuel Newton, in Xenia, Ohio, and later was employed for two years in the grocery owned by his brother Preston, in the same town. The following year he was a travel- ing salesman for the agricultural implement firm of J. A. Barrows & Com- pany, of Xenia, and in March, 1873, he embarked in business for himself, opening a grocery and restaurant in Xenia. In May of the ensuing year he sold out to Robert McClelland, and in June opened a dry-goods house at Greenville, Ohio, his stock amounting to but eight hundred dollars. In the fall of the same year, 1874, he shipped his goods to Winamac, where, in
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December, he started in business in the W. C. Barnett block. In April, 1875, he took his brother Frank into partnership with him, and added a stock · of groceries. That autumn the brother died, but the firm continued to be known as formerly, Dilts & Dilts, until March, 1876, when our subject dis- posed of his entire stock of goods and opened a drug store at the same loca- tion. In June, 1877, he sold out to Mr. Carper, and it is still known as the Carper drug store.
During the same summer, Mr. Dilts launched himself in a venture en- tirely new to him, -real estate. He invested in two and a half acres of town property and proceeded to buy and sell land, as opportunity offered, at the same time engaging in the auctioneering business. In 1878 he bought his first farm, and since then he has owned and handled over forty thousand acres in this county alone, while altogether he has bought and sold, for him- self and others, over eighty thousand acres. He has handled about five thousand acres of land outside of this county, and at the present time owns about that amount of property in the county, it being divided into thirty-seven farms, now leased to fifty tenants. While he has fine farms for sale in every township, most of his land is situated in Franklin, Monroe and Harrison townships, and more than half of it is under cultivation. Associated with ten of the leading business men of the county, he owns sixteen improved city lots in Winamac and eighteen unimproved pieces of property here, and has built ten residences in the town, besides rebuilding the Kylander block in 1894. No commentary on the remarkable success which he has won is necessary, aside from the facts and figures given above, as it is plainly evident that he possesses exceptional business ability, and that few, if any, of the citizens of northern Indiana can compete with him in the sales of real estate for the past score of years. When his lowly start in the business world is remembered, his present prominence and wealth appears almost incredible, but adherence to the simplest principles of integrity and justice have been among the elements of his prosperity, and no one begrudges him his success.
On the 24th of November, 1874, Mr. Dilts and Rachel W. Williamson were united in marriage. She was born in Xenia, Ohio, and died November 12, 1884, when in her thirty-first year. Their eldest child, Minnie Maud, was born December 9, 1876, and is now a student in the schools of Logans- port; Florence Emma, born July 24, 1877, was graduated in the Winamac high school, and in Bauer's Academy of Music, in Cincinnati, where she pur- sued a course of voice culture and painting, and July 7, 1897, she became the wife of the Rev. C. H. Leeson, of the Methodist church, and now located at Fowler, Indiana; Reuben Alfred, born August 10, 1880, died September 13, 1882; and Frederick LeRoy, born November 12, 1884, died when one year and three months old. On the 29th of September, 1886, Mr. Dilts
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married Amanda M., daughter of Jacob and Mary Ann (Good) March. She was born at Pulaski, Indiana, December 8, 1858, and by her marriage has be- come the mother of three children: James Albert, born August 19, 1888; Russell Allen, September 13, 1890; and Clara Cecelia, October 31, 1894.
Fraternally, Mr. Dilts is identified with Winamac Lodge, No. 262, F. & A. M., and was admitted to the Royal Arch degree at North Judson, Indi- ana. He also is a charter member of the local lodges of the Knights of Pythias and the Royal Arcanum, and, with his wife, belongs to the Order of the Eastern Star. She also is affiliated with the Rathbone Sisters, and they are both members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Dilts is a true- blue Republican, and besides serving as a notary public for eight years was an efficient member of the town board for some time. The Dilts family have a grand re-union every year, two or three hundred assembling, and in 1898 they were the guests of our subject and wife, who played the host in a most pleasing manner, entertaining them with the hearty hospitality for which they are noted, far and wide.
WILLIAM E. NETHERTON.
William Evans Netherton, a prominent citizen of Monroe township, Pulaski county, is one of the native sons of Indiana, his birth having occurred on his father's farm in Wayne township, Starke county, December 23, 1855.
The Nethertons are of Scotch descent, and Henry Netherton, the pater- nal grandfather of our subject, was a native of North Carolina, whence he removed to Virginia and finally to Kentucky, in the latter state being the owner of a large plantation and a number of slaves. His sister, Sarah, became the wife of Preston Arterburn, and mother of Elizabeth (Mrs. Peter Quigley), of Pulaski county, Indiana. Henry Netherton married a Miss Har- din, in Virginia, and to them were born the following named children: Moses; John, who wedded a Miss Yeager and had a son, James, and a daughter; William; Eliza, who married Franklin Pinell, and had five children, four attaining maturity, -George, Henry, Narcissus and John Elijah; George Har- din, who was a soldier in the Mexican war; and Evans, who never married.
William Netherton, the father of our subject, was born January 1, 1809, on a farm in Oldham county, Kentucky. When about twenty-two years of age he went to Johnson county, Indiana, to buy cattle, and remained there for some time, later settling in Bartholomew county, Indiana, where he mar- ried Elizabeth Chenowith. She was a daughter of Havilah Chenowith, and had four brothers, Havilah, Lawrence, Newton and Harrison. About 1852 William Netherton and family located permanently in Wayne township, Starke county, Indiana, where he owned two hundred and forty acres of land,
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on sections 32 and 33. Here he erected a hewed-log house and made sub- stantial improvements in the years which ensued. For several years he was a justice of the peace, and held other local offices, being a man of prominence in his community. He was a member of the Christian church, and in politics was a Democrat. He was called to his reward at his old home, October 26, 1872, having long survived his first wife, whose death had occurred in 1857, when she was but thirty-five years of age. After her death he married Ellen Hand, a widow. The children born to his first marriage were as follows: (1) George Arthur, who was born March 30, 1840, never married; he was a pri- vate in the Twelfth Indiana Volunteer Infantry during the civil war and was a teacher by profession; he was elected a member of the Indiana legislature from La Porte and Starke counties in 1870, and served one term with credit. The next two children were twins, a girl and boy, who died in infancy, unnamed. (4) Nancy Ann, born July 8, 1843, married Martin V. Blue, and went with her husband into the Union army during the civil war, serving for part of the time as a nurse. They had eight children, William, Mollie, Eliz- abeth, George, Harry, and three who died when young. Mrs. Blue later became the wife of a Mr. Dalrymple. (5) Havilah Chenowith, born in 1849, married Susan Burris, is a farmer of Starke county, and had four children: Rosa Della, who died when a year old; Charles Edgar, born January 18, 1880; John William, born in 1882; and Daisy Ella, born in 1889. (6) Mary Cordelia, born in 1851, and now living at Muncie, Indiana, married Arthur B. Eidson, now deceased, and their children were Jacob, Flavius, Mary and Lillie, the two last mentioned being deceased. (7) William Evans, the youngest and the subject of this article.
William Evans Netherton remained under the parental roof until he had reached the age of eight years, when he went to live with his uncle, George H. Netherton. Four years later he became a member of the household of his brother George, and continued with him four years. He was but sixteen when he taught his first term of school, near Ora, Indiana, and for a number of years was engaged in this occupation, with intervals spent in making railroad ties on contract, and performing other work for the railroad companies. The summer of 1875 he spent in the Valparaiso Nor- mal school, in order to better qualify himself for educational labors, and for several winters thereafter he was regularly employed in teaching. In the summer of 1879 he assisted the county superintendent of Pulaski county in conducting the normal, and in September of the same year he was elected to the responsible office of county superintendent, in which capacity he served three terms, laboring to the satisfaction of all concerned. His term of office expired in June, 1885, and he then became an agent for a company dealing in school supplies, and for two years traveled through Pulaski, Jasper and
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Starke counties, selling goods for the company. Since 1887 he has been giving his attention to market gardening and horticulture, in which pursuit he has been extremely successful. At first he lived in the town, but rented land for the purpose noted, and in 1891 he settled permanently at his present home. Here he owns forty acres, formerly the property of William Key, twelve acres being planted with vegetables, and five acres being cov- ered with berry bushes and various other small fruits. While disposing readily of the produce of his own place, he also buys quite exten- sively of people in this locality, and ships to commission houses in the neigh- boring cities. In addition to this he imports quite large quantities of fruits not raised in this locality, such as California products, etc. Well deserved success is attending his energetic efforts, and his example as a market gar- dener is being followed by others in this vicinity. Politically, he is a stal- wart Republican, and fraternally, is a member of the Royal Arcanum.
On the 2d of September, 1882, Mr. Netherton married Clara Marie, daughter of James H. and Harriet (Ross) Ross. Mrs. Netherton was born July 11, 1860, in Illinois, and resided in that state until 1881. Four sons and a daughter bless the union of our subject and wife, namely: Clyde Romeo, and Claude Othello, twins, born February 2, 1884; Ross DeWitt, born July 20, 1886; Cecil William, August 28, 1889; and Hazel Clare, Novem- ber 27, 1893. Mr. and Mrs. Netherton are members of the Christian church, and are highly esteemed by all who have the pleasure of their acquaint- ance.
SOLOMON SPENCER.
The subject of this memoir was for nearly thirty years a general farmer and stock-raiser in Honey Creek township, White county, and was held in high esteem in the community. He was born in Union township, in the same county, January 6, 1839, a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Barnett) Spencer. Thomas Spencer was born in Pennsylvania and when eight years old removed with his parents to Ohio, where he lived until about thirty-two years old, dur- · ing ten years of which time he was engaged in the tannery business. He then located in Union township, three miles south of Monticello, where he bought out his brother Benjamin. His first purchase comprised one hundred and sixty acres, to which he added until he owned about two thousand acres, in Honey Creek and Union townships. He carried on general farming and stock-raising, having from one hundred to one hundred and fifty cattle, fifty to a hundred sheep, besides a number of hogs and horses. His death took place in 1875, at the age of seventy-six years. The mother of our subject was born in the District of Columbia in 1813, was married in Fairfield county,
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Ohio, and came to White county, Indiana, at an early day, making the trip in a wagon. She died November 23, 1869, having been the mother of eight children, namely: Margaret and Robert, deceased; Austin, now an inmate of the Indiana Insane Asylum, as a result of a sun-stroke; Solomon, our sub- ject; Perry, one of the county commissioners of White county residing at Monticello; James, deceased; and Julius and Alva, twins, deceased.
The paternal grandparents of our subject, Thomas and Margaret (Arm- strong) Spencer, were natives of Pennsylvania. Our subject's great-uncle, Robert Armstrong, when a small boy, was taken prisoner by the Indians and was reared by them. He acted as interpreter on one occasion in Ohio and was recognized by Grandfather Spencer. Robert visited his relatives for a short time, but returned to his Indian wife and family and remained with the tribe until his death. The maternal grandfather of our subject, Solomon Barnett, was born in the District of Columbia and was of English descent. He served in the war of 1812 and later was a weaver in the employ of the government. He lived to the advanced age of one hundred and four years.
Solomon Spencer remained on the home farm until 1869, assisting his father in breaking part of the land, and securing his preliminary educational training in the district schools of the vicinity. Later he spent one year in the school at Monticello, subsequently teaching for several terms, and he most diligently improved his opportunities for self-education, and was a successful teacher. In 1870 he came to the farm where he continued to reside until his death, buying two hundred and forty acres, situated six miles northwest of Monticello, in section 13, Honey Creek township, and on this he built a house, which is still standing, and which is now used as a granary. To this place he added two hundred and forty acres, and he gave eighty acres to his adopted daughter, Mrs. J. S. Miller. Mr. Spencer has carried on general farming and stock-raising for twenty-eight years, and has from seventy-five to one hun- dred head of cattle ready for market every year. Of other stock he carries just enough to run the farm. When he first took possession of his place it was rough prairie land, without any improvements. To-day it is under a high state of cultivation, he having redeemed the swamp land by ditches and tile drains, and the entire property shows evidence of skillful management.
The marriage of our subject to Miss Clivia Thomas took place at Battle Ground, Indiana, February 11, 1869. Mrs. Spencer is a daughter of Jona- than and Elizabeth (Carr) Thomas, the latter a sister of John P. Carr. She was born in Madison county, Ohio, one mile east of South Solon, August 4, 1851. They had no children of their own, but an adopted daughter, Canna, to whom they became greatly attached, is now the wife of J. S. Miller. Mrs. Miller has had three children, two of whom are living-Dale, born February 13, 1895, and Frank E., August 5, 1897. Mr. Spencer was a man of utmost
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integrity, and was a true Christian. His widow is a member of the Method- ist church. He was a Master Mason and a loyal Democrat. Mr. Spencer passed from earth February 2, 1899, secure in the esteem and high regard of all who knew him.
WILLIAM SHIPMAN HUDDLESTON.
The value of a noble life cannot be overestimated, as its influence may be observed in a community for generations. If a stretch of highway has been made passable, a tract of land cleared of the dense forest with which it was encumbered, a new business or industry started in his locality through his energetic efforts-a man has not lived in vain. True, his name may not be known beyond his township or county, but it is something worthy of his ambition to have his name always associated with progress in some direction -with some enterprise which multitudes enjoy and profit by, or some insti- tution or organization which tends to aid and elevate mankind.
William Shipman Huddleston, whose death occurred nearly a score of years ago, is remembered well by a host of his old-time friends and acquaint- ances in Pulaski county. He was uniformly esteemed and trusted, and bore a name which was above reproach. He was born February 27, 1825, in Cham- paign county, Ohio, and was a descendant of an ancient Anglo-Saxon family. Several generations ago the founder of the family in America settled in Vir- ginia, in which state. William Huddleston, the grandfather of our subject, was born. He went to Ohio, where he engaged in farming until his death. His children included the following: Henry, John, William, Aletha (who mar- ried Lewis Mckay), Nancy, Sarah and Martha (known as " Patty "), the wife of William Noe, who is mentioned in the sketch of L. J. Noe, elsewhere printed in this work. William Huddleston, the father of William S. Huddle- ston, was born in Kanawha county, Virginia, and accompanied his parents in their removal to Champaign county, Ohio. He later became the owner of a fine one-hundred-acre farm in Jackson township, that county, and it was still in his possession at the time of his death. That event occurred while he was visiting relatives in Winamac, in September, 1866, he being in his sixty- eighth year.
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