USA > Indiana > Grant County > Biographical memoirs of Grant County, Indiana : to which is appended a comprehensive compendium of national biography with portraits of many national characters and well-known residents of Grant County, Indiana. > Part 40
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deal to the young men, and they attribute their success largely to his influence and good advice.
Mr. Wigger was reared in the Lutheran faith, but in 1863 he united with the Meth- cdist Episcopal church, in which he has been a zealous worker, filling the offices of trustee, treasurer and class-leader with credit to himself and the church.
In 1863 Mr. Wigger became a member of Jonesboro Lodge, No. 82, I. O. O. F. He filled all the chairs and represented the subordinate lodge and encampment several times in the grand lodge. He has since transferred his card to Mississinewa Lodge, No. 96, of Marion. Politically he is an independent Democrat, but has never been an aspirant for office. Mr. Wigger has been successful in his business enterprises and has accumulated considerable property. He has been a good citizen, progressive and up-to-date in his ideas.
WILLIAM WHITE.
William White, a well-known stock- raiser and stock-dealer, residing in Marion, was born in Cadiz, Harrison county, Ohio, August 2, 1832, and is a son of George and Nancy (Knox) White. The father was born in Ireland and the mother in Penn- sylvania.
George White, whose birth took place in 1805, came to America when six years old, his mother accompanying him. He was cap- tured by the British, taken to Halifax and kept two years, then came to New York and two years later, in about 1815, went to Ohio. His first employment in Ohio was found in
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a harness shop, and at this business he con- tinued for several years.
June 1, 1840, the family arrived in Marion, and here George White carried on a general mercantile business until his re- tirement in 1870. His death occurred when he was eighty-six years and four months old, July 27, 1891.
When Mr. White began business in Marion there were but five or six stores in the city, and of these he soon took the lead, and by his close attention to business and desire to please acquired a competence. In politics he was a Republican, but was not aggressive. He was school commissioner in an early day, and was county commissioner for several years; and these offices satisfied his political ambition. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and was a truly Christian gentleman.
Mrs. Nancy ( Knox) White was a native of Pennsylvania and was married in Ohio. Her father, Rev. William Knox, was a na- tive of Ireland, a minister in the Methodist church, and lived to be over eighty years of age. Mrs. Nancy White was called away at the age of sixty-eight years. To the mar- riage of Mr. and Mrs. White were born ten children, all now deceased with the excep- tion of two. The last death in the family was that of Helen, who was married to Rufus Bailey, and died in 1891. The sur- vivors are William, whose name stands at the opening of this review, and Sarah Jane. wife of Charles F. Mather.
William White was but eight years old when he reached Marion in a two-horse wagon, the family having traveled over three hundred miles in this vehicle from the for- mer home in Ohio. Young William assisted his father in the store, and on the home
farm until he attained his majority. He then worked for his father eight consecutive years in the store as a salaried clerk ; but his health began to fail and about 1861 he be- gan buying, fattening and selling live stock. Later he bought a farm of seventy acres, two and a half miles from Marion, and con- tinued stock-raising with his usual success. To this land he added from time to time until he owned about five hundred acres, and was at one time the heaviest shipper of live stock in the county. He is still in the stock business in a small way, but having amassed a comfortable fortune he has virtually re- tired from active life.
Mr. White married Mrs. Harriet (Smith) Frazier, who died in March, 1898. She was a member of the Presbyterian church.
In politics Mr. White is a Republican, but has never been a seeker after office.
JOEL OVERMAN,
Of Marion, Indiana .- Among the few re- maining, who saw this section of the coun- try when it still bore the untouched forests, and whose lives have been passed in the development of that wilderness into beau- tiful and valuable farms, and, who is now living in the retirement that his labors have won for him, is Joel Overman. He was born May II. 1822, in Randolph county, but a few miles from the old Newgarden meeting house in Wayne county.
He is the youngest son of Eli and Polly (Thomas) Overman, both of whom were natives of North Carolina, and were mar- ried at Richmond, Indiana. His grand-
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father was Ephraim Overman, of the old "Pine Tree state." The family is said to have had its origin in Germany, migrating to England on account of political opinions, and finally making its permanent home in America about the close of the seven- teenth century. Many of the first settlers of Wayne county, Indiana, were Friends, and of these Ephraim Overman was a man of considerable importance, and served for some years with distinction in the territorial legislature. In the year 1807 he removed to near where the city of Richmond now is, and secured a tract of land. In fact, it is 'claimed that his farm embraced part of what is now in the city, and after some years passed there, secured quite an exten- sive tract of land in Randolph county, where he died at the age of seventy. His sons were Eli, Jesse, Ephraim, Silas, and Reuben, and his daughters were Lydia, who married Joseph Holman, and Rachael, who became the wife of Isaac Elliot.
Eli Overman settled in Grant county in the year 1827, his home for the remain- der of his life being now included in the southern part of the city of Marion. He and his brothers, with the Ballingers and a few others, organized the first Friends' So- ciety at what, later, became the Mississin- ewa meeting house, which stood on the same tract as the Friends' cemetery, which is now incorporated with the Odd Fellows' ceme- tery. He was a teacher for some years, and is quite well remembered as a practical sur- veyor ; but the principal occupation was that of farming, which he conducted till his death, in 1855, at the age of seventy. His two brothers, Silas and Reuben, in company with Jesse Small, went to Illinois, in 1852, to look at land, and while there both of them
were stricken with the cholera, and both died within a few hours, Small escaping and returning. Curtis B. Overman, son of Si- las, resides at Silver Lake, Indiana. Na- than P. Overman, of Marion, and Ellis Overman, of Grant county, are the sons of Reuben. Another brother, Ephraim, reached advanced years, residing where his son, George B., lives in the city.
The family of Eli Overman were Stephen, who was a farmer, dying at sixty ; John, the father of David Overman, and of whom further mention is found in the sketch of his son; Jesse died at thirty-three; his sons Joseph, Henry, Joel, George, and Mil- ton still reside in the county. One son, William, has died since his father; Ephraim died at Indianapolis, his daughter, Mary, being his only representative. The only daughter of the family was Rachael, who married Ephraim Smith and died at Marion at the age of thirty.
Joel Overman was married, while in his twentieth year, to Miss Mary Smith, daugh- ter of Jesse Smith, of Franklin township, and a native of Preble county, Ohio, who came to Grant county shortly before her marriage, and was but fourteen at that time. They were united in the old Mississinewa meeting house under the regular forms of the Friends' Society, and began their wed- ded life by assuming charge of the old homestead, which they continued to conduct for nearly sixty years. Thirteen years after his marriage, he inherited the old place, his father having died after having already given each of the other children eighty acres of fine land. The mother remained at the old home, being cared for during the re- mainder of her life by her son, and surviv- ing her companion for nearly a quarter of
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a century, being eighty-seven when she passed to the final rest. For nearly fifty- nine years, Joel Overman and his esteemed helpmate trod the pathway of life together, when, on the 28th of August, 1900, he was called upon to yield his claims to her com- panionship to a higher power, her spirit passing back into the foundation of all.
To the past, go more dead faces, Every year; As the loved leave vacant places, Every year; Everywhere the sad eyes meet us, In the evening's dusk they greet us, And to come to them entreat us, Every year.
The family of this worthy couple con- sisted of Sarah Ann, wife of Joseph Small, the son of Jesse Small, who has been men- tioned. Jesse Small was born in Highland county, Ohio, and came to Grant county, Indiana, about 1830, settling in Center township. He and Millicent Ratliff were married in Friends' meeting. He made a valuable farm removing rather late in life to Wabash, from where, after some years residence, he returned and died at Marion. His death was one of the saddest events that is recorded in the history of Marion, being stricken down by a train on the Pan Handle railroad at the crossing of Wash- ington street. Lindley Murray Overman, Isaac S., and Allen J. are the others of the family to reach maturity, one-Mary Anne -dying at six.
The demands of assistance to the dis- tressed and hunted slaves who sought a land of freedom, wert never turned away from the door of Joel Overman, his house even becoming one of the places of rendezvous, and from where they were sent on their way, with such assistance and advice as
would almost insure their safe arrival be- yond the reach of masters. For many years he was a well-known teacher, his own chil- dren being among his pupils. He and wife were ever active in the Society of Friends, generally holding positions of trust and honor, either in the monthly, courtly or year- iy meetings. No man has stood higher in the esteem of all who have known him than Joel Overman, expressions on every hand being that his life has been that of the hon- est high-minded Christian gentleman.
He is now an old man, but one whom all delight in showing honor. Though he feels heavily the sad affliction, he can say with that other old-time and courtly gentle- man,-
That the truer life draws nigher, Every year; And its morning star climbs higher, Every year; Earth's hold on us grows slighter, And the heavy burthen lighter, And the dawn immortal brighter, Every year.
THOMAS P. BROWN.
Among the many delightful and de- sirable farms on the Washington pike, some twelve miles northeast of Marion, is that of which the proprietor, Thomas P. Brown, who was born near Rushville, Rush county, indiana. December 11, 1833. His parents were Daniel Brown and Elizabeth (Duke) Brown, both natives of Kentucky, his birth being in 1792, while she was born in 1804. Both came from families whose names are inseparably associated with the interesting days, when Kentucky was "the dark and bloody ground," the Duke family espe- cially having produced many men who have
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been prominent, not only in state but in National affairs.
Soon after the war of 1812, this couple were married, coming at an early day to Indiana, the permanent home being made in Rush county. Of the eleven children born to the parents, Thomas is the only one in Grant county, three other sons being farm- ers of Rush county, the youngest-Daniel- residing on the old homestead, which had been entered from the government by the father. The father passed away in 1857, while his consort survived him for upwards of thirty years, finally taking her place among those who had gone before, at the ripe age of four-score years. Their lives were devoted to the making of a home and in assisting their children, and in the exer- cise of the earnest and heartfelt religion that manifested itself in their daily lives.
Thomas P. Brown remained under the parental roof until establishing a home for himself, the first important step in that di- rection being in the choice of a bride, in the person of Miss Margaret E. Carr, to whom he was espoused February 22, 1855. Her parents were Isaac and Clementine ( Hilla- goss) Carr, and she was born in Rush coun- ty December 31, 1833, being thus but twen- ty days younger than her husband. In con- nection with his brother Daniel, he operated the home farm until the death of his father, when, selling his inheritance, he secured eighty acres of his present farm, all then being in the woods and that of a heavy char- acter. The tract had been entered by a Mr. Johnson, and it had been owned by the fa- ther of Mrs. Brown for some years. Thom- as cut the first stick and erected a hewed log house; and, with discouragement star- ing him in the face, set himself to the task
of making a farm. Ponds covered a good part of the place, the higher ground being all that could be cleared for some years, there not being adequate outlet to carry off the surplus water. It was some eight years before this was accomplished, there being nearly four miles of ditching through non- resident land before sufficient passage was made for a drainage. When this land had been secured he installed a system of drain- age by the means of timber ditches, which enabled him to extend the cleared and cul- tivatable land and gave ample opportunity to produce a fine growth of the staple cereals. This early plan of timber ditches was in later years largely superceded by the more modern tile ditching, of which he has placed upwards of two thousand rods on the orig- inal eighty acres. Fully one-half of the tract had been so low and flat that it was impossible to do anything with it before the drainage was established; this, however, empowered him with the ability of bring- ing into an excellent state of cultivation that portion of the farm now being the most valuable and productive. In due time he managed to acquire such a competency as to place him in easy circumstances, com- pleting a course of improvement by the erection of the present handsome residence and convenient barns.
The roads in those earlier days were much of the time almost impassable and winding about in order to avoid swamps and slashes. After years of this inconven- ience a move was started to secure a better system, the effort resulting finally in the completion of what is to-day a complete net-work of fine gravel roads extending across the country in various directions. At the building of the Washington and Van
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Buren pike, which passes his own farm, Mr. Brown was selected as superintendent of part of it, his attention to the details being such that the officials have retained him in the same position till within the past year. Mr. Brown has now one of the most agreeable and convenient farms on the line of the above road, the appearance of the whole speaking in emphatic terms of the skill and good judgment of the proprietor.
The military career of this gentleman extended over the latter years of the war, when he entered the Tenty-fifth Indiana regiment as a recruit. He joined the com- mand as it lay before Atlanta, and went with it on the famous march to the sea, and on to Bentonville, where the regiment lost several men, the man standing immediate- ly in his rear being shot through the breast. This action lasted but three-quarters of an hour, though the lines were in readiness for action for half a day. After the surrender of Johnston Mr. Brown was detailed to drive a headquarters wagon, driving through to Washington, where he marched in the grandest military review this coun- try has ever seen. He has ever since re- tained a relation to the old comrades by associating with them in Wiley Post at Van Buren, and finds greatest pleasure in the re- unions of the command. Having since then clevoted himself wholly to the operation of the farm, he has met with a degree of suc- cess commensurate with the effort, which has placed him among the most substantial men of the county. Though the farm lies in the renowned Van Buren oil field, but one well has thus far been placed, the re- sult, however, giving encouragement to the investors.
Four children have blessed the union of
Mr. and Mrs. Brown, viz .: John A. is a farmer in Rush county; Ida L. is the wife of Thomas Pulley, of the adjoining town- ship; Charles A. operates the farm, his wife being Clara Love, who is the mother of three children, Howard, Sherman and Mah- lon; Ella A. is the wife of Sherman Lee, of Huntington. Beside their own children, a nephew, Edward Carr, was given a home from the time of thirteen till he had at- tained his manhood, when he was started out with material assistance.
While Mr. Brown is a Democrat, he has not taken an active part in the opera- tion of the party, being content to attend to his business interests and letting others take the initiative in public matters.
Grant county has few citizens whose lives have been more devoted to the ad- vancement of its material interests, no ef- fort having for its object the improvement of the county and state but has found in him an ardent adherent and able supporter. Possessed of those excellent qualities of head and heart that make and retain warm friends, he has never lacked for the warm- est regard from those who have felt the personal magnetism of his warm nature.
STEPHEN A. COULTER.
Stephen A. Coulter was born March 13, 1843. on the farm where he now resides, in section twenty-four. Center township, Grant county, Indiana, and is a son of James and Jane ( Howe) Coulter.
James Coulter was a native of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, but grew to manhood !in Clinton county, where his parents had
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located during his boyhood. About the year 1839 he came to Indiana, entering one hundred and sixty acres of land from the government, upon which our subject now resides. He built a cabin of logs and oc- cupied it when there were few settlers in Grant county, and assisted in laying out the roads through this wilderness. The timber with which his land was covered was of hard wood and would be valuable prop- erty to-day, as most of the early timber has been cut off. This was his home for almost sixty years, and here he saw his children grow up around him filling useful stations in life, and from this farm he passed to the great home beyond the skies, in the month of October, 1897, as mother Earth was decking herself in her most gorgeous raiment, preparatory to entering the chrys- alis state which precedes the awakening of spring. He was a man of deep religious convictions, and an active member of the Disciples' church, and his demise at the age of eighty-nine years was felt to be a severe loss to that body. His marriage with Miss Jane Howe resulted in the birth of seven children, namely: Libbie, wife of Martin Nelson, of Monroe township; Cyrus R., who lives in Coffey county, Kansas ; Stephen A., our subject; Mary, wife of Josephus Har- ter, of Livingstone county, Illinois; Ara- bella, widow of Sylvester Hummel; Dora, wife of Thomas Wilson, a merchant of Marion; and Ritta, wife of Harvey Neitz, a resident of Marion.
Stephen A. Coulter grew to manhood on the farm now tilled by him and in his youth attended the subscription schools which were conducted for a short period each winter in the log school-house. Dur- ing his early days the woods were filled
with wolves, wild cats, deer, turkeys, etc., and Indians were quite numerous in his vicinity. After he was grown he carried on farming with his father for several years and is now the owner of the original home- stead of one hundred and sixty acres. He carried on general farming and stock rais- ing, but his farm has another prolific source of revenue, as it has three oil wells which yield handsomely, and a gas well of no small merit. There are five wells on the property, which will add greatly to the value of the land. Forty acres of this land was cleared of timber by his own hand, as he has not been afraid of hard work, and attributes his success to industry and stick-at-it-ive- ness. He has always conducted himself in an honorable, upright manner, and is a con- sistent member of the Disciples' church.
HENRY A. SUTTON, M. D.
Henry A. Sutton, M. D., eclectic physi- cian at No. 1506 Jeffries avenue, Marion, Indiana, was born in Jay county, Indiana, November 2, 1847, and is a son of Daniel B. and Mary J. ( Roberts) Sutton, natives or Ohio and Pennsylvania, respectively.
Daniel B. Sutton was of English de .. scent, was a farmer by calling and a minister in the Methodist Episcopal church, but is now living at Muncie, Indiana, with his son Samuel, and is eighty-six years of age; he lost his wife at Redkey, Jay county, just as she had attained the age of eighty-six. To Daniel B. and Mary J. Sutton were born four children, of whom Samuel, a carpenter and contractor at Muncie, is the eldest ; Emily is the wife of Thomas Hall, a farmer
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at Redkey ; William was a farmer, enlisted in the Thirty-sixth I. V. I., in the Civil war, and incurred disease which eventually re- sulted in his death at the age of thirty-three years, at which time he was drawing a pen- sion ; Dr. Henry A. Sutton is the youngest of the family.
Dr. Henry .A. Sutton was primarily edu- cated in the common schools of Jay, Dela ware and Grant counties, Indiana ; he began the study of medicine in Jay county, later pursued it in Delaware county, and lastly studied under Dr. Ellsworth, at Lowell, Michigan. Dr. Sutton began practice in Del- aware county in 1884; moved thence to Michigan, then to Wabash, Indiana, and in 1894 came to Marion, engaged in general practice, and has been very successful pro- fessionally, and consequently, financially.
The marriage of Dr. Sutton took place near Bethel, in Delaware county, Indiana. April 2, 1868, to Mrs. Melinda E. Wright. widow of Elisha Wright, who was a soldier in the Civil war for three years and died . from disease contracted in the service. Mrs. Sutton is a daughter of John W. and Eliza- beth ( Reeves) Vincent, of whom the for mer was a native of Baltimore and the lat- ter of Virginia. These parents reared a fam- ily of twelve children, of whom eight are still living and are mentioned here in order of birth while the names of the four deceased will close the list, namely : Jane Wright, of Albany, Delaware county ; Philip, on a farm near .Albany: Orilla Morris, of Fairview; Randolph county; Sarah Green, in Muncie : Hannah Cochren, at Wabash : Cynthia Delk. at Lowell, Michigan; and Lucy Hall, of Winchester, Randolph county, Indiana, to which list is to be added the name of Mrs. Dr. Sutton : Thomas died when but twenty-
five : Mary Parrish died at Muncie, aged fif- ty-five : Matilda A. Wingate died at Lowell, Michigan, leaving four children, and John Henry died in childhood.
To the marriage of the Doctor and Mrs. Sutton have been born four children, name- ly : Charles, who married Miss Cora Priest, and is engaged in business in Marion; Mrs. Mary Hodson, who passed away, leaving one daughter, Goldie Hodson, now a mem- ber of Dr. Sutton's family; Frank, who married Ada Parott, in Wabash county, and has two daughters; Mattie is married to Albert Jackson and resides in Marion. Dr. Sutton and wife are members of the United Brethren church, in the faith of which their children have been reared, and all have been active in church work. The family is most highly respected, and in his profession the Doctor has but few equals in any part of the state. In politics the Doctor is a Republi- can, but has never accepted a public office.
ELKANAH HULLEY.
Elkanah Hulley, Superintendent of Water Works and the Electric Light Plant at Marion, was born near Moorefield, Switzerland county, Indiana, June 6, 1849, and is a son of William and Mary Ann (Summerville ) Hulley, natives of England. and whose biographical sketch will be found in this volume.
Elkanah Hulley was reared on the farm on which he was born and educated in the common schools of Switzerland county. When twenty-one years of age he came to Marion and entered the foundry and machine shop owned and operated by his uncle Samuel
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Hulley, and cousin, Joseph Hulley, remained there from 1871 until 1876 and thoroughly learned the trades of molder and machinist. He then rented the interest of his uncle Samuel in the foundry for three years, at the expiration of which time all three operated the plant until 1895, when Joseph Hulley bought out the entire establishment. A year later, Elkanah Hulley accepted the position of superintendent of the Citizens' Gas Com- pany, of which he is now a member of the board of directors, and in May, 1897, was appointed superintendent of the water works and the electric light plant-the lat- ter utilized for street lighting only. The complex minute attention given by him to every detail has given satisfaction, without a complaining voice from the general public.
Mr. Hulley was joined in marriage in Marion, May 20, 1873, with Miss Amanda J. Neal, daughter of Thomas J. Neal, late a dry-goods merchant of Marion, and this marriage has been favored with three chil- dren : Lewis S., assistant cashier of the Ma- rion Bank; Earnest N., bookkeeper for the Newman Johnson Paper Company, of Alle .. gan county, Michigan, and Edwin S., a stu- dient at the Indiana Dental College.
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