USA > Indiana > Warren County > Biographical history of Tippecanoe, White, Jasper, Newton, Benton, Warren and Pulaski counties, Indiana, Volume II > Part 23
USA > Indiana > Jasper County > Biographical history of Tippecanoe, White, Jasper, Newton, Benton, Warren and Pulaski counties, Indiana, Volume II > Part 23
USA > Indiana > White County > Biographical history of Tippecanoe, White, Jasper, Newton, Benton, Warren and Pulaski counties, Indiana, Volume II > Part 23
USA > Indiana > Newton County > Biographical history of Tippecanoe, White, Jasper, Newton, Benton, Warren and Pulaski counties, Indiana, Volume II > Part 23
USA > Indiana > Pulaski County > Biographical history of Tippecanoe, White, Jasper, Newton, Benton, Warren and Pulaski counties, Indiana, Volume II > Part 23
USA > Indiana > Benton County > Biographical history of Tippecanoe, White, Jasper, Newton, Benton, Warren and Pulaski counties, Indiana, Volume II > Part 23
USA > Indiana > Tippecanoe County > Biographical history of Tippecanoe, White, Jasper, Newton, Benton, Warren and Pulaski counties, Indiana, Volume II > Part 23
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60
737
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
to the principles of honesty and integrity, and the fortune he now enjoys is the result of his untiring individual labors.
Mr. Burk was reared by Whig and Abolition parents, and as a result be- came imbued with the principles of the Republican party, in the work of which he takes an active and influential part. He has never aspired to polit- ical preferment, but was elected to the office of county commissioner, which he filled with credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of his constitu- ents, and it was during his term that the dam was built, the county jail erected and other public work of importance accomplished.
The marriage of Mr. Burk took place February 19, 1857, when he was united to Miss Amanda J. Kenton, of Champaign county, Ohio, who was born January 1, 1837, a daughter of Edmond C. and Sarah V. (Anderson) Kenton, who came to Indiana in 1841 from Ohio. Of this union the following chil- dren were born: Sarah E., the wife of D. B. Nowles, who is a lumber mer- chant of Rensselaer; Lillian A., who married W. Robinson; Eva A; John E., in the cattle business in Kansas; George M., at home; and Bessie A. Mrs. Burk is a member of the Primitive Baptist church.
William Burk, grandfather of our subject, was born in Virginia, of Irish origin, and settled in Indiana in 1824, bringing his family with him. He located in Tippecanoe county, entered land in Wea township, in 1828, and improved it, subsequently moving to Warren county, where he also bought land and improved it. His declining days were spent in Howard county, where he died in 1850. His children were Rebecca, Elizabeth, Thomas, John (the father of our subject), Mary, William, Clarissa, Susie, George, Joseph and Margaret.
John Burk was born in Virginia, where as a young man he followed the occupation of teaming, and when twenty-seven years old came to Indiana with his parents and settled down to farming. He moved to Warren county in 1828, where he bought land and cultivated a fine farm. Unfortunately he was compelled to liquidate a county treasurer's bond that he had signed, which reduced him to bankruptcy, and in 1850 he removed to Jasper county and rented a farm, on which his death occurred March 19, 1851, his wife having passed away nine days previously, on the 10th of March. Mrs. Burk was born in Preble county, Ohio, and came with her parents to Tippecanoe county. She was a daughter of Simon and Mary (Miller) Phillips, the former of whom was captain of a company during the war of 1812. His wife died in Tippecanoe county, and Simon came to Jasper county, where he spent his remaining days with the Burk children, his death occurring in 1851. To him and his wife were born these children: Frederick M., Abigail, Sarah E. (mother of our subject), Elizabeth, Susan, Delila, Eliza and Jessie. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips affiliated with the Quaker church.
738
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
The following children comprise the issue of Mr. and Mrs. John Burk: Lavina J., who married A. Farris, and is deceased; George W., our subject; Mariah L., who married Wesley Downing, and both she and her husband are now deceased; Mary, who died in infancy; Joseph A., who was accident- ally killed by a horse when eleven years old; Cornelius, who died young; Delila P., who married T. Sampson; Clarissa, who became Mrs. William Butcher; and Charles, who is a farmer in Iowa.
Edmond C. Kenton, father of our subject's wife, was a member of an early Kentucky family, the members of which distinguished themselves in the Indian wars with Daniel Boone, Simon Kenton, and other brave and heroic defenders of the settlers of Kentucky. Edmond came to Indiana in 1842 and settled in Jasper county on a tract of land which he entered and on which he made the first improvements. Politically, he was a Whig, but never aspired to office, and was favorably known as an honorable man who was fair in all his dealings with his fellow men. He died in 1851 and was sur- vived by his wife until 1859. She was a Methodist in her religious belief. To Mrs. and Mr. Kenton the following children were born: Eliza, who mar- ried E. Cannon; William, who served through the civil war; Amanda J., the wife of our subject; Rebecca F., who married E. Israel, a soldier of the civil war; Elizabeth, the wife of John W. Duvall; and Mary J., who married B. D. Morris.
MICAH B. HALSTEAD.
Mr. Halstead resides near Rensselaer and is among the prominent and representative farmers and stock dealers of Jasper county, where he came in 1851, later going to the extreme west and returning in July, 1856, since which time he has resided in this state. He was born in Crawford county, Ohio, May 3, 1832, and is the son of Samuel and Susanna (Webster) Hal- stead, both natives of New York. He was reared on a farm and received his education in the common schools. His father lived at various times in Indiana and Illinois, the mother and three children dying in the latter state and the rest of the children being sent back to La Porte county, Indiana, where our subject, then seven years old, was given a home with his uncle, Asaph Webster. Here he was taught the principles of honesty and integrity, and he ascribes much of his success in after life to the careful instructions and kindly advice of his uncle, who took a deep interest in the welfare of his nephew. When grown to manhood Mr. Halstead came with a brother to Jasper county, the latter bringing with him the first separator ever used in this locality. Having a sister living in this county, the wife of Mr. Benja- min, our subject remained with her and during the winter of 1852 taught
739
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
school, going the following year to Illinois. While there he had an oppor- tunity to visit Oregon, helping a man to drive stock to that state, and was so pleased with the country that he remained there and in northern Califor- nia for nearly three years. He then took a steamer at San Francisco, and, sailing via the Nicaragua route, he crossed the isthmus in July, 1856, and landed in New York July 15. There he spent but one day and then returned to La Porte county. While in Oregon he worked for a time in the mines, at good wages, and at this and other employment earned a good sum of money, with which he came to Jasper county in 1856 and invested in cheap land, on which there were few improvements. The following year he took to him- self a wife and settling on his farm began the work of converting it into the productive and valuable property which it has since become.
During the next few years Mr. Halstead bought and sold two farms, and in 1865 purchased the land on which he now lives, consisting of two hundred acres, on which some improvements had been made. Since then he has at various times added to it until he now owns two thousand acres, three hun- dred of which are in meadow and lawn and two hundred and fifty under cultivation. He has commodious ontbuildings, barns, etc., and the entire place shows evidence of careful management. Mr. Halstead has always given considerable attention to stock-raising and for a good many years has been quite extensively engaged in the cattle business, buying, raising and feeding for market. Lately he has undertaken the grading up of cattle and is now procuring stock from Canada, principally of the short-horn Durham breed, which he considers the best for beef. He also raises horses and hogs.
Our subject was married August 30, 1857, to Miss Virginia U. Harris, who was born in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, February 19, 1836. She is the daughter of Benjamin and Betsy (Faulk) Harris, her father being the son of Thomas Harris, of Virginia, the well known physician. Benjamin Harris was married in Virginia and came to Indiana in 1835, settling in Tippecanoe county, where he died in 1837. He was a farmer and speculator and a prom- inent man in his community. His wife survived him and kept the family of little children together, giving them the best education in her power. In 1851 she removed to Jasper county, where she entered land and improved a farm, on which she died December 30, 1856, when forty-nine years of age. Both she and her husband were members of the Society of Friends, or Quakers, and were most estimable people. Their children were as follows: William, deceased; Henry O., a banker in Rensselaer; Regina, deceased; John, who served three years as a soldier in the civil war and is now deceased; Virginia, wife of our subject; and Benjamin, a farmer, residing in Rensselaer.
To Mr. and Mrs. Halstead eight sons have been born, namely: Orpheus C., David L., Edwin M., William, Sanford S., Everett R., M. Rankin and
740
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
Chester H. The first four are all farmers in Jasper county. Both parents are members of the Church of God, and Mr. Halstead is a strong and influ- ential Republican, but he has never aspired to office. He has always been active in business life, but has devoted much of his time to the care of his children, all of whom are well educated, several of them having become teachers. Edwin, who was a school-teacher in Dakota, was murdered there February 1, 1886. The family are most highly respected and are well wor- thy the esteem in which they are held.
Samuel Halstead, the father of our subject, came to Indiana in 1836 and located in La Porte county, where the Indians at that time were very numerous. A few years later he removed to La Salle county, Illinois, where several of his children and his wife fell victims to disease, and he then went to Iowa, where he is supposed to have died. The children of this couple were: Letta, wife of Jared Benjamin; David, a resident of South Dakota; Merriman, deceased; Micah; Joanna, and George, deceased.
ADDISON PARKISON.
Sixty-one years ago, Addison Parkison, then a lad of ten years, came to Jasper county. Here he grew to manhood being closely associated with the development of this portion of the state from a wilderness to a fertile farm- ing country, and here he expects to pass his declining years. His career as a business man has been more than ordinarily successful, and comprises a series of enterprises varied in scope and beneficial to the whole community. From its organization he has been the president of the Rensselaer Com- mercial State Bank, a stable and thoroughly reliable institution, and his home has been in the flourishing town of Rensselaer for the past fourteen years.
The father of the above named gentleman was John G. Parkison, a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1799, and of German extraction. In early manhood he went to Ohio, where he married Matilda Kenton, a daughter of Simon Kenton, whose name is conspicuous in the annals of Kentucky, in whose early Indian wars he was an active participant. In the year 1837 John G. Parkison, accompanied by his little family, set out to found a new home in the wilds of Indiana. Coming to Jasper county, he located on a home- stead in what is now Barkley township, and was one of the pioneers in that section. There he and his estimable wife passed the remainder of their in- dustrious, God-fearing lives, respected and loved by all with whom they were associated in any manner.
Addison Parkison was born in the Buckeye state, in the town of Zanes- field, Logan county, May 22, 1827, being the third in order of birth in a
741
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORI.
family which comprised twelve children. Three of the sons and two of the daughters are still living at this writing (1899). As he was a boy entering upon the eleventh year of his life when the family removed to this county, Addison Parkison readily recalls his first impressions of this state, and has numerous interesting reminiscences of the frontier hardships, privations and pleasures. From an early age he was impressed into the labors of the farm and was of great assistance to his father in the arduous duties of clearing and improving the new farm in the midst of the forest. Later he followed gen- eral farming and stock-raising upon his own account for many years and was blessed with abundant success. As his property accumulated year by year, the result of his energy and good business judgment, he invested in various enterprises, and in almost every instance thereby increased his possessions. He now owns a finely improved farm and a beautiful residence in Rensselaer, the latter being occupied by him and his youngest daughter, who tenderly cares for his comfort. No man in this locality is held in higher respect, and his entire career is like an open book, worthy " to be seen and read by all men." His absolute integrity and regard for his word have never been ques- tioned by his fellow citizens, and his record is one of which his children have just reason to be proud. His right of franchise is used in behalf of the Republican party.
May 25, 1849, Mr. Parkison married Miss Barbara A. Kenton, who, after a long and happy companionship with our subject, was summoned to her reward in January, 1898. They were very distant relatives, as Mr. Parki- son's grandfather and her great-grandfather were cousins, bearing the same surname, Kenton. Three daughters were born to our subject and wife, namely: Mrs. Julia Moore, Mrs. Martha J. Willey and Stella A. Parkison.
MRS. HANNAH HAWKINS.
The subject of this brief review merits distinct recognition in this con- nection, being a representative of one of the old and honored pioneer families of Tippecanoe county and the widow of one who figured as one of the leading men of this section of Indiana, -a man of noble character and sterling worth, and one who here maintained his residence from the early pioneer epoch until the hour of his death. Mrs. Hawkins, who is the mother of Mrs. Samuel L. Baugh, to whom more specific reference is made in the sketch of her hus- band, Dr. Baugh, was born in Butler county, Ohio, on the 19th of Novem- ber, 1827, being the daughter of William and Mary (Cook) Hollingsworth. She was about one year old when she was brought by her parents to Tippe- canoe county, Indiana, where the family took up their abode in October,
742
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
1828. In the pioneer community she was reared to maturity, receiving such educational advantages as the time and place afforded.
Joseph Hollingsworth, the grandfather of Mrs. Hawkins, was a native of South Carolina and was a birth-right member of the Society of Friends, with which noble organization the family has been identified for several genera- tions. According to the statements of William Hollingsworth, father of the subject of this review, the family is of Holland-Dutch extraction; while another account, premised somewhat on tradition, is to the effect that the original American representatives came from England with the Friends about the time that William Penn established his colony in the New World. This account records that three brothers of the name thus settled in America, but the first authentic datum is that concerning George Hollingsworth, the great- grandfather of Mrs. Hawkins. He was a farmer, or planter, in Virginia, and there married a Miss McCoy, both being devoted members of the Society of Friends. Their children were Abraham, Joseph, John, Isaac, Robert, George, James, Nathan and Henry. Of these Joseph was the grandfather of Mrs. Hawkins, as has been already noted. He was a native of Winchester county, Virginia, whence he eventually removed to Lawrence county, South Carolina. He was twice married, his first union having been with a Miss Frost, who bore him two sons, David and Jonathan. After her death he consummated a second marriage, being united to Margaret, daughter of John and Rachel Wright, of Maryland, who had become residents of South Carolina. Mar- garet Wright was first married to David Hammer, and they became the par- ents of two children, David and Mary. After the death of Mr. Hammer she became the wife of Joseph Hollingsworth, to whom she bore ten children, namely: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, John, Joseph, Zebulon, Ezekiel, Charity, William and Susanah. Joseph Hollingsworth continued to reside in Law- rence county, South Carolina, until his death.
William Hollingsworth, the son of Joseph and Margaret (Wright) Hol- lingsworth, was born in Lawrence county, South Carolina, on the 18th of January, 1785. He was a farmer by occupation, and he eventually emigrated to Butler county, Ohio, where, on the 10th day of the 10th month, 1811, at the Elk monthly meeting of the Friends' church, he was united in marriage to Mary Cook, who was born in Union district, South Carolina, November 18, 1794, the daughter of John and Olive (Smith) Cook. The marriage cer- tificate of this worthy couple is still preserved by their descendants. Olive Cook was a woman of heroic character, and passed through thrilling experi- ences in connection with the war of the Revolution, having been on the scene of action. Her horse having been stolen by British soldiers, she rescued the animal by waving her apron in such a way as to frighten the horse, which threw its rider and escaped. She died in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, at the
743
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
advanced age of eighty years, the Cooks having settled in Butler county, Ohio, on their removal to the west.
After their marriage William and Mary (Cook) Hollingsworth, in 1811, settled in Union county, Indiana, near the present county-seat, Liberty. They were driven from Indiana by the hostile Indians, and subsequent to 1812 resided in Butler county, Ohio, where eight of their children were born. As has already been mentioned, they removed to Tippecanoe county, Indiana, in October, 1828. Mr. Hollingsworth here entered land where Mrs. Jonathan Baugh now lives, -at Farmers' Institute. He devoted his attention to the cultivation of his farm, a portion of which was timbered, and the place became, eventually, one of the best improved in this section. He added to his estate from time to time until he had about six hundred acres in Tippeca- noe county, while he also owned land in what is now Tipton county, this state, and in Iowa. He was a man of highest integrity in all the relations of life and was one of the substantial and representative pioneer farmers of the county. In religion he adhered to the faith of his fathers, being a prominent member of the Society of Friends and having been one of the founders of the church at Farmers' Institute, in which he held some important offices. In politics he gave his support to the Whig party, and his sentiments were strongly arrayed against the institution of slavery.
Of the children of William and Mary Hollingsworth we enter the follow- ing brief record: Sarah was born November 18, 1812; Susanah, November 9, 1813; John, April 14, 1816; Elihu, April 20, 1818; Midian, January 12, 1820; Asenath, November 10, 1821; Olive, November 22, 1823; Milton, November 4, 1825; Hannah (subject of this sketch), November 19, 1827; Eli, October 6, 1830; Josephus, May 19, 1834; and Addison, February 9, 1837. Mr. Hollingsworth died, at his homestead farm, on the 24th of Sep- tember, 1855, and his wife passed away on the 26th of March, 1850. His life was ordered upon the highest plane and animated by the most exalted motives, being singularly in harmony with the pure and noble religious prin- ciples which he advocated. His kindly disposition, his charity of judgment and his pronounced benevolence won to him hosts of friends and the confi- dence and esteem of all. He reared two of his grandchildren in the old homestead and gave to them the deepest affection and most solicitous care. They were Asenath and Sarah A. Holeman, children of his daughter, Su- sanah, who died when they were still in infancy.
Hannah (Hollingsworth) Hawkins, whose name introduces this sketch, beeame the wife of William Evans Hawkins on Christmas day of the year 1845, being then eighteen years of age. The ceremony was performed near the home of her father, where Farmers' Institute is now located, and in this locality she has continued to reside until the present day, secure in the affec-
744
BIOGRAPHIC.s. TISTORY.
tion and esteem of those among whom she ssed so many years. ill- iam E. Hawkins was born in Butler county, io, on the 20th : april, 1821, being a child of about seven years at the ti his parents came to Tip- pecanoe county, in October, 1828, in company with William and Joseph Hollingsworth (brothers) and their respective families. The journey was made according to the primitive methods then in vogue, horse and ox teams furnishing the transportation facilities to these pioneer settlers in the wilds of Tippecanoe county. The party were about ten days on the way, camp- ing out at night and bringing with them their cattle and sheep, which were driven through the long distance of nearly two hundred miles.
William E. Hawkins was born April 20, 1821, in Butler county, Ohio, attended the pioneer schools and was enabled to lay there the foundation for the broad fund of information which he later gained in connection with the practical affairs of a busy and useful life. After his marriage he settled on a tract of land near Raub's Station, this county, and there continued to reside about eighteen months, when he disposed of the place and removed to the present homestead, which comprised three hundred and seventeen acres. The land which he thus purchased had been improved to a considerable ex- tent, had a large house and was a valuable property, even at that early day. The farm was one of the first to be improved in this neighborhood, having originally been the property of Jehu Ellis, from whom Mr. Hawkins pur- chased the place.
By sturdy thrift and industry Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins improved the farm and added to it until they owned about four hundred acres. In 1866 they built a tasteful two-story residence, which is the present home of Mrs. Haw- kins,-a place hallowed by the tender associations of many years. They were both birth-right members of the Society of Friends, according to whose teachings and precepts they guided their lives. In the church Mr. Hawkins was at different times both an elder and an overseer. In his political pro- clivities he was stanchly arrayed as an old-line Whig until the dissolution of that organization, when he became a zealous adherent of the Republican party, opposing the institution of slavery with all the power of his strong character and rendering aid to the Union cause when rebellion menaced the integrity of the nation.
Mr. Hawkins passed away June 21, 1883, at the age of sixty-two years, and the community mourned the loss of one whose life had been an abiding inspiration and lesson. His religion was one which entered into every act and thought of his daily life, and his devotion to the cause of humanity was unwavering. He contributed with liberality to the support of the Friends' church as well as to other organizations whose aim was the furthering of the Master's cause on earth. His charity was deep and earnest, and intolerance
745
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
of spirit, in either spiritual or practical affairs, was essentially foreign to his nature. He was industrious in his habits, realizing the dignity of honest en- deavor in all the walks of life, and his integrity was never shadowed by even the breath of suspicion.
Since the death of her husband Mrs. Hawkins has continued to reside on the old homestead, where she is surrounded with all the evidences of taste and refinement. She is a woman of marked mentality and sterling character, and in the community where she has practically passed her entire life she is held in love and veneration by a large circle of friends, young and old. She has reared an excellent family of children, who have taken useful places in life and have shown their appreciation of the Christian example and teach- ings of their devoted parents. The children of William E. and Hannah Haw- kins were as follows: Addison, born April 24, 1848; Angeline, born July 12, 1852; Howard and Horace, twins, died in infancy; William Perry, born Oc- tober 10, 1857, and Robert Douglass, born May 22, 1873.
RICHARD C. McCAIN, M. D.
For twenty-four years Dr. McCain has practiced medicine in Kentland, where he is well known as an able and conscientious physician. He was born in Trenton, Grundy county, Missouri, July 10, 1852, a son of Rev. Cornelius and Eliza (Curry) McCain. (For ancestral history see sketch of Rev. Cornelius McCain on another page of this work.) His preliminary literary education was obtained in the public schools, and at the age of fifteen he was sent to Hanover College, at Hanover, Indiana, which he attended about three years. His father in the meantime had settled in Huntington, Indiana, and here our subject began the study of medicine under the tuition of Dr. A. H. Shaffer, supplementing this with a course of study in the medical department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and completing his studies in the Louisville Medical College at Louisville, Ken- tucky, being graduated with the class of 1875. He practiced a few months at Darlington, Montgomery county, Indiana, and then came to Kentland, where he has since resided, with the exception of eight months in 1890-91, which he spent in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the drug business. He also established a drug store in Kentland, and of this he is the present proprietor. He is a member of the board of United States pension examiners and of the Newton County Medical Association. Socially, he is a member and past chancellor of Damon Lodge No. 72, Knights of Pythias, and belongs to the Masonic fraternity.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.