USA > Indiana > Blackford County > Biographical memoirs of Blackford County, Ind. : to which is appended a comprehensive compendium of national biography embellished with portraits of many well known residents of Blackford County, Indiana > Part 89
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When the war of 1812 broke out he re- sponded to the call for troops and saw ser- vice for a few months in th lake country under General Harrison Physically he was a man of medium build, but very active, and his alert mentality was such that he was quick to dec'e in matters in which he was interested. Ilis devoted wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Wolf, was born September 22, 1801, and died October 20, 1863. The following is a brief record concerning their children :
William Tetlow, born February 23, 1818, died January 17, 1890; Josiah, the second child, was born February 19, 1820, and died August 19, 1822; Elizabeth, born October
17, 1821, died September 20, 1822; Amelia, born June 3, 1824, died January 13, 1878; Catharine, born June 10, 1826, die on the 28th day of September, that year; Calvin Q., our subject, is the next in order of birth ; Sarah Ann, born January 3, 1823, died Sen- tember 7. 1833: Harrison Irving, born No- vembe. 7. 1837: Thomas, horn October 13, 1840, of whom further mention may be found on a contiguous page of this volume ; Henrietta, the youngest of this family, was born June 16, 1847.
Peter Wolf, the maternal grandfather of Dr. Shull, married Elizabeth Grove, a de- scendant of Hans Groff (John Grove), a Protestant who emigrated from Holland to America in 1744 to escape religious persecu- tion. The children of Peter and Elizabeth (Grove) Wolf, were: Peter, Henry, Jacob, Daniel, Julia Ann and Sarah, the last named being the mother of our subject.
Dr. Calvin Q. Shull, the subject of this review, has practically spent all of his life in Indiana, having been brought to Milton, Wayne county, by his parents at four years of age. He worked in his father's store, of which he had charge at the age of fourteen, conducting it for two years; the business was then disposed of so that young Calvin might go to school. His medical education began at the age of eighteen years, at which time he began his technical reading under Dr. David Funkhauser, a prominent physi- cian of Indianapolis who was his preceptor for a short time. Subsequently he was ma- triculated at the old Indiana Central Medical College at Indianapolis, which was a part of the Asbury University, and which soon after passed out of existence. In June of that year he located in Montpelier where his brother William, a physician, was in active practice. A partnership was formed
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with his brother, which association was ter- minated at the end of the year. He then practiced alne, and at the end of the second year of his professional career he had built up and was in control of a large and lucra- tive practice which extended into four coun- ties, the greater part, however, coming from Wells county.
From 1870 until 1880 Dr. Shull was as- sociated with J. P. A. Leonard in the drug business under the firm nam of C. Q. Shull & Co. In April. 1870, he took active part in organizing the Citizens Bank, of Hart- ford City, and was elected its vice-president, a position which he held until the reorganiza- tion of the bank, twenty years later. This was a state bank, and was organized with a paid-up capital of twenty-five thousand dol- lars. In 1887 the capital was increased to sixty thousand dollars. In 1880 this bank established at Montpelier a branch known as the Citizens Bank, of which Dr. Shull took charge. After doing business for ten years it was discontinued, for the Doctor's health had become so poor that he could no longer give it the proper attention.
In February, 1900, Dr. L. E. Maddox, D). A. Bryson and Dr. Shull conceived the idea of establishing a national bank at Mont- pelier, with a capital of fifty thousand dollars. The books were opened for subscriptions, the stock subscribed, with the above named gen- tlemen principal stockholders, and the doors of the bank were opened for business on April 15, with Dr. Shull, president: H. B. Smith, of the Citizens State Bank, of Hart- ford City, vice-president; D. A. Bryson, cashier, and Dr. L. E. Maddox, assistant cashier.
No one has been more active in the de- velopment of the resources of Montpelier than has Dr. Shull. He was one of the
principal organizers of the Salamonie Min- ing & Gas Company, in October, 1887. W. W: Worthington, of Fort Wayne, becoming its president ; the object of this company was to drill for gas. The first well was put down on what is now Windsor street, and at a depth of nine hundred and sixty-three feet Trenton rock was found, into which they drilled, finding oil at thirteen feet and at eighteen feet a spraying well. . Is the well had been put down for the purpose of finding gas, a disappointment was felt in the discovery of oil, the prospectors little dream- ing of the riches that lay in store beneath the surface. While there was a goodly sup- ply of gas in this well, the abundance of oil prevented it from being used and conse- quiently the well lay idle for about two years ; during this time large tracts of land were leased. The Northern Indiana Oil Com- pany was now organized, with Dr. Shull as president ; the company leased eight thou sand acres of land, and drilled its first well two miles northeast of the town ; this proved a fair well, yielding about five hundred bar- rels of oil, which was stored in tanks. The tanks were struck by lightning and entirely destroyed with their contents. The next well was drilled at the village of Keystone, and was a one-hundred-and-twenty-five-bar- rel well. This was the beginning of the oil excitement which swept northeastern In- diana. The well at Keystone is still being pumped and is a good producer. Dr. Shull sold his interest in the Northerir Indiana Oil Company at the end of two years. He is the owner of several hundred acres of land, all of which is oil-producing, in addition to which he has important real estate interests and business property in the town of Mont- pelier.
Dr. Shull was united in marriage with
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Miss Mary Cornelison Scudder, April 29, 1852. This lady is the daughter of Caleb and Mary (Gardiner) Scudder, her father being one of the typical pioneer settlers of this state. He was born in Westfield, Essex county, New Jersey, in 1795, and was mar- ried in 1814. removing shortly afterwards to Cincinnati, Ohio, and later to Dayton, Ohio. In 1821 he made a permanent loca- tion at Indianapolis, and so new and wild was the country that he frequently shot wild turkeys on what is now Washington street of that city. He was a cabinetmaker by trade, and in his shop the first Sabbath school ever hell in Indianapolis was organized and For a considerable time conducted. When the week's work was over on Saturday night the tools were carefully put away, the shay- ings swept out and benches arranged for the next day's service. Mr. Scudder suc- ceeded Judge Newcomb to the mayoralty of Indianapolis, being the second to hold that position. He died at his residence at the corner of Market and Tennessee streets, March 9, 1866, and his wife, who was born in December, 1793, died May 28. 1867. Their daughter, Mary Cornelison, born March 3, 1834, is now the honored wife of our subject.
Of the children of Dr. and Mrs. Shull we make record as follows: Mary Ella, born November 2, 1854; Ida Bell, born Septem- ber 22, 1856, is now the wife of William Beard, of Mendon, Michigan; Alice Eva, born February 11, 1860, died November 29, 1864; Eugine C., born March 3, 1863.
Dr. Shull is not in active practice at this writing, although he occasionally visits a friend when asked to do so ; he has not, how- ever, lost interest in his chosen profession, being a member of the Blackford County Medical Society, Delaware District Medical
Society, Indiana State Medical Society, American Medical Association, and his other extensive business interests which claim al. most all of his time. Dr. Shull has reached his sixty-ninth milestone on life's journey. and retains to, a remarkable degree both the mental and physical vigor that is generally supposed to belong to younger years.
Sanguine in temperament and retaining a fine equipoise in discernment, his decisions according to his knowledge are on the side is clear in his deductions, concise in his state- ments and a spirit of frankness and candor characterize him in manner and speech. Broadly American in his views, there is in his composition nothing which begets nar- rowness, radical offensiveness, or the idle day dreaming of visionary schemers.
SAMUEL NEWTON JAY.
The ancestors of the subject of this sketch were among the early Quakers of Pennsylvania, and later the name became widely known throughout certain sections of Ohio, and in various parts of Indiana. Mr. Jay's father, Lot B. Jay, for many years a resident of Jay county, Indiana, was born October 2, 1827, in Miami county, Ohio, and departed this life in December, 1898, in Cumberland county, Illinois. He married Sarah L. Taylor on the 2d day of October, 1851, and had children, among whom was the subject of this sketch.
The parents of Lot B. Jay were John and Lucy (Toles) Jay, the former born at New- berry, South Carolina, August 24, 1780, and the latter in the same state on the 17th of April, 1787. John and Lucy Jay were mar- ried in the state of their nativity, February
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23, 1803, and died in Miami county, Ohio, September 6, 18.46, and September 16, 1849. respectively. John Jay was the oldest of five children, three sons and two daughters, born to William Jay and his second wife, Margaret, all of whom emigrated from South Carolina early in the nineteenth cent- ury and settled in Miami county, Ohio. From the most reliable information obtain- able the father of the above John Jay ap- pears to have been William Jay, whose birth occurred Frederick county, Virginia, about the year 1745, and who married in that state Mary Vestal. William and Mary Jay were the parents of eight children, all of whom after the father's death emigrated, about the year 1770, to South Carolina, from whence their descendants drifted to various parts of the country, south and west.
The remote history of the Jay family is enveloped in considerable obscurity, and it is impossible to determine definitely its origin or fix the date of the arrival of any of its members in the new world. The concensus of opinion, however, favors English ances- try, and it is believed by some that the Amer- ican branch is descended from a gentleman of considerable social standing who located in Maryland when that colony was governed by Lord Baltimore.
The original settlement of the family ap- pears to have been in St. Mary's county, and later a home was located in the county of Montgomery. From here their descend- ants afterwards crossed the Potomac and settled in Fairfax and Frederick counties, Virginia ; thence in process of time various emigrations took place, principally south- ward, to one of which reference is made above.
Samuel Newton Jay was born on a farm near the town of Dunkirk, Jay county, on
the 15th day of July, 1858, and when nearly three years of age suffered the irreparable less of his mother. He was reared by foster parents, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel B. Ridgeway, who watched over his tender years and of- fered him every advantage within their power to bestow. After obtaining a pro- Jiminary education in the common school he entered Oberlin College, Ohio, where he took a course in telegraphy, graduating therein December, 1872. Shortly after re- cciving his diploma Mr. Jay entered the em- ploy of the Lake Erie & Western Railroad Company, taking charge of the station at Redkey, Indiana, and discharged his duties in an eminently satisfactory manner until the year 1889.
In the latter year he resigned his posi- tion for the purpose of engaging in the mer- cantile business, which he carried on but one year, disposing of his stock at the end of that time, and resuming railroading by taking charge of the Lake Erie & West- ern station at Hartford City. In this ca- pacity he continued until January, 1895, when he resigned and accepted a cler- ical position with the Hartford City Glass Company. He remained their accountant until the company passed into the hands of the American Window Glass Company, since which time he has had general charge of the office, a place of great responsibility, and he is now one of the most trusted employes of the concern.
Mr. Jay is public spirited and has always taken an active interest in promoting the welfare of the communities in which he has resided. While a resident of Redkey he served as president of the first town council and was also postmaster at that place for four years, during President Cleveland's sec- ond term. At this time he is serving as
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president of the Hartford City council, to which position he was elected in 1897, and he also served on the board of education dur- ing the year 1894.
. Mr. Jay became an Odd Fellow at Red- key in 1883, and still holds his membership with Lodge No. 335, of that place; he and wife were charter members of the Century Degree Lodge, Daughters of Rebekah, at Hartford City, since 1890, and he is identi- fied with the order of Maccabees. In July, 1886, he was made a Mason in Halfway Lodge, No. 298, at Redkey, and in 1893 moved his membership to Hartford City, where he is now serving his second year as master of Blackford Lodge, No. 106. He also served one year as worthy patron of Purity Chapter, No. 126, O. E. S., and has otherwise been quite active in behalf of the interests of the fraternity to which much of his .me and attention are given. In 1898 he represented Purity Chapter in the grand lodge, and in the years 1899 and 1900 was similarly honored by Blackford Lodge, F. & A. M.
Mr. Jay was married July 20, 1881, to Miss Josephine Robertson, who was born June 28, 1854, and w. , a daughter of Flem- ing W. and Catharine (Adkinson) Robert- son, the latter a distant relative of ex-Gov- ernor Adkinson, of Virginia, and his home is brightened by the presence of two chil- dren, Jay Gould, born April 20, 1885, and Russell R., who first saw the light of day on the 20th of March, 1890.
Mrs. Jay is of Scotch descent, and comes from an old and aristocratic Virginia fam- ily. She was born in that state and there resided until eleven years old, when, upon the death of her parents, she with her sisters came to Indiana and settled near Richmond, Wayne county. Later she accompanied her
sisters to Redkey where she met the gentle- man who afterwards became her husband.
Mr. Jay is a Democrat in his political be- lief and in religion is a communicant of the Christian church, holding at this time he position of trustee in the local congregation with which he and his family worship. Ile owns a beautiful home at No. 19 East Washington street, which is a popular resort for the best social circles of the city.
The story of a very active and useful life has been briefly toll in the foregoing lines, and it will doubtless serve as an incent- ive to more than one young man whose fortune and destiny are yet to be achieved. From early youth Mr. Jay has been called to fill positions of honor and trust, in all of which he has acquitted himself creditably and given complete satisfaction to his cm- ployers. The high character he has won in life is sufficiently attested by the nature of duty performed while his standing as a citi- zen may be attributed to his unselfish devo- tion to the interests of the public. wherever his lot has been cast. Few men have ac- complished as much in a longer life, and taking his past career as a criterion his friends predict for him a future of still greater prosperity and usefulness.
JOHN W. PETERSON.
John W. Peterson, prominently known throughout Blackford county as one of its most progressive agriculturists, has since 1896 resided at Millgrove, where he owns and operates a large and extensive livery stable.
Mr. Peterson was born in Licking coun- ty, Ohio, April 21, 1836, and when but two years of age was taken by his parents to
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Henry county, Indiana, where his boyhood days were spent and where he also received huis education in the common schools of that county. At twenty years of age Mr. Peter- son and his brother engaged in farming for themselves, renting the oldl homestead, which they farmed for five years, when our subject purchased his brother's interest and contin- tied to operate the same until 1870.
In the same year Mr. Peterson engaged in handling stock for one season. He then bought one hundred and sixty acres just east of the Lake Erie depot at Hartford City. Indiana, on the Newton pike; this was in July, 1870. there being but six acres under cultivation. Mr. Peterson had purchased this farm ouce before, in March, 1861, pay- ing for it sixteen hundred dollars, but six years later traded it for one hundred acres of the old homestead, though he moved back to Blackford county, July 30, 1870, and that clay had field corn roasting ears and out of thirty-one consecutive crops failed but four times having roasting ears on that date. His first crop was planted April 25, 1871, and it was stated by the old residents that this was the earliest known in that district, though it proved a success, and Mr. Peter- son ever afterward followed that plan, get- ting as much of his corn planted in April as possible. He still owns the farm and con- tinued to operate it himself until his house was destroyed in 1896, when he moved to Millgrove and erected the large livery barn in which he is now doing a very lucrative business. He also erected a handsome resi- dence, which is located on one of the most desirable streets of the village of Millgrove, and since then has given his attention en- tirely to the livery and breeding of horses of the Clyde, Norman and Hambletonian breeds, also Shorthorn and Galloway cattle
and Poland China hogs, taking great pleas- tre in exhibiting his various lines of stock at adjoining county fairs.
Mr. Peterson was married, on his twen- tv-fifth birthday, to Miss Rachel Downs, of Henry county, Indiana, and this union has been blessed with the birth of four children, who are named in order of birth: Ross D., who operates the old home farm ; Eliza- beth, who died at the age of thirty-six. was the wife of David Justice: Pay A., operating the farm of Henry Shroyer, of Licking township: Mary, wife of John Stroble, of Jackson township, this county.
The parents resided on the farm until their children were all grown and settled in life, which is very gratifying to them.
Mr. Peterson was made a Mason when twenty-one years of age, at Muncie, Indi- ana, in Delaware Lodge, No. 46, and still retains his membership there; also Muncie Chapter, R. A. M., at Muncie, Indiana. Though he had kept his dues paid and was always in good standing Mr. Peterson had not visited his home lodge for thirty years until June, 1899, at which time there was not a member present with whom he was acquainted, he having during this time at- tended the lodge at Hartford City, with which he still affiliates.
Politically Mr. Peterson is a Republican, though not an aspirant for official honors, always casting his vote for the right as he sces the right, asking nothing in return. Mrs. Peterson is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Millgrove and active in all its work. Living an upright life, pos- sessing hosts of warm personal friends and being in every sense of the word a man among men, it is a pleasure indeed to make mention of one who so worthily deserves the confidence of all.
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