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 49
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The Lobdell family which is among the first in the county in intelligence and popu- larity consists of five children, viz. : Joseph- ine, wife of Henry C. Creviston, of Van Buren township, and of whom further men- tion is made on another page: Francis Ma- rion, who became a teacher in his eighteenth year and assumed an enviable position among the successful teachers of the county. When nearing the close of his fourth term he was stricken with disease that had under- mined his constitution, and which termin- ated in death. The loss of this talented young man was keenly felt by pupils, friends and relatives, all of whom had felt that for hini a brilliant future was in store ; Emma Cath- erine, wife of Henry L. Bradford, of Wash- ington township; Laura Ellen, wife of Al- bert Feighner, also of the same township: and John T., who remains at home assisting in the operation of the farm. Mr. Lobdell and wife have ever indicated the greatest interest in the education and training of their children, few parents having done more for the advancement of their families than they.
Now, that the weight of years is felt pressing, a keener sense of the brevity of hu
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man life comes to this honored citizen, and turning from the closer applications of the cares of business, gives keener contempla . tion to those matters that pertain more di- rectly to the great hereafter. Feeling that the duties he has been called upon to do have been done with all the assurance of an honest heart, the approach of the dark messenger gives no cause for fear; but. on the other hand, emphasizes that feeling of security which only comes to him who has that sense of duty nobly done.
DAVID B. SNODGRASS, M. D.
Dr. David B. Snodgrass, an old, expe- rienced and successful physician, of Marion, Grant county, Indiana, was born in Lees- burg. Kosciusko county, Indiana, March 6. 1836, and is a son of Samuel M. and Mary ( Polly ) Snodgrass, natives of Virginia and Ohio.
Samuel M. Snodgrass, born in 1801, was & minister of the Disciple church for over fifty years, having begun preaching when eighteen years old and continued in the work until his death, which occurred when he was seventy-seven. Mrs. Mary Snodgrass, born in 1802, was a physician in active practice for forty years, and also died at the age of seventy-seven years.
To the above-named parents were born nine sons, in the order here given; Benja- min D., who was a retired physician at Mun- cie, Indiana, and died in 1901 : William G., was a farmer and stock-raiser, and died in 1899 at the age of seventy-two years; Kyle was a shoemaker by trade, a bright scholar, but was unfortunately crippled in early life and died when twenty-seven years old ; James P. was a farmer and extensive dealer
in live stock near Muncie, and died at the age of fifty-eight years; Joseph is an agricultur- ist near Muncie: David B., whose name opens this sketch is the next in order of birth : Robert M. is a lawyer and resides on his farm near Muncie: George B. died in 1898, at the age of fifty-eight years, and Rev. Jefferson K., a minister in the Disciples church, resides on the old home farm near the city of Muncie.
Dr. David B. Snodgrass was primarily educated in the pioneer common schools of Indiana, and assisted in erecting the log school-house in which his early school-life was largely passed, and after his first mar- riage. in his twentieth year. he was an at- tendant at school two additional terms, de- riving great benefit from these two terms of study, his mind being then well matured.
It was under his mother's tuition that Dr. Snodgrass began the study of medicine, and May 9. 1853, he went to Springfield, Ohio, where his brother. Benjamin, was a medical practitioner, received further instruc- tion under that successful physician, and for about a year and a half was there engaged in general practice. He then returned to Indiana and located in Eaton, Delaware county, where he met with very encouraging success as a physician. but September 28, 1860, sought a broader field in Grant county, and in July. 1870, settled permanently in Marion, where he has met with unvarying prosperity up to the present time.
Dr. Snodgrass has been twice married- first in September. 1855. to Miss Sarah An- trim, a native of Clinton county, Ohio, to which union were born five children, three of whom are still living, viz. : Ida, a widow; Samuel J., a physician in Warsaw, Indiana; Rosie E., also a physician and the wife of
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Dr. Thomas, of Red Key, Jay county, In- diana. The deceased two were George Mor- ton, and Colfax, who died at the respective ages of seven and eight years. Mrs. Sarah Snodgrass died at Converse, Grant county, October 21, 1870, a truly good woman, who loved her home and family better than all else earthly. The second marriage of Dr. Snod- grass took place March 28, 1870, to Miss Mary James, daughter of Judge James, of Marion, and who for eight years had been a teacher in the public schools of Grant coun- ty, and to this marriage have been born six children, of whom two died in infancy, the surviving four are Laura A., a stenographer at Cripple Creek, Colorado; Alva H., is a medical student; Earle P., is at home em- ployed in the lumber business, and Carlton is also at home.
Dr. Snodgrass is the founder of the Cur- tis Physio-Medical Institute at Marion, which was incorporated in 1881. and is named in honor of Dr. Alva Curtis, of Cin- cinnati, from whose college Dr. Snodgrass and his wife were graduated February 23, 1878. Nine regular professors lecture at the Physic-Medical Institute, each in his special branch of the science of medicine, and Dr. Snodgrass is of course the dean of the faculty. About four hundred students have been graduated from this institution, the full course now comprising four years of study. Mrs. Dr. Snodgrass has a very extensive list of patients in Marion, compris- ing many of the elite of the city's social cir- cles, and each one feels honored in being esteemed as her personal friend. Dr. Snod- grass and wife are members of the Christian church, and in politics Dr. Snodgrass has been a life-long Republican, but has never sought a public office.
JOSEPH A. SMITH.
Joseph A. Smith, of Franklin township, Grant county, Indiana, was born in Adams county, Ohio, November 4, 1825, near Jack- sonville, and was one of three sons and two daughters born to Joel and Isabella (Mc- Adow ) Smith. He remained on his father's farm until he was twenty-one when he went to Winchester and learned the trade of a cab- inet maker and carpenter, and during the remainder of his residence in that state fol- lowed that occupation as well as operating a farm. In 1865, in November, he came to Grant county, and located for a short time in Greene township, and the following Feb- ruary moved on the farm where he has re- sided ever since. On February 1I, 1848, he was joined in marriage with Miss Martha Daggett, a native of Virginia, who bore him. six children, viz .: Reuben T., deceased ; Joel B., deceased : Mary I., wife of Joseph Galbreath; Joseph W .; Sarah A., wife of Jordan Miller ; and John M.
Since locating in Grant county he has been a very busy man, superintending his farm of one hundred and sixty-nine acres, rotating his crops to produce the best yield and raising large herds of stock which still further increased the value of his land. There were only ten acres cleared when he came here, while at the present time he has one hundred and forty acres under cultiva- tion. It has not been many years since gas has been talked of in this section, and, be- lieving that his property contained that valu- able commodity, Mr. Smith sank a gas well in 1894 and found his hopes realized, as they struck gas in paying quantities. In addition to this work he has done considerable con- tracting and building in Swayzee and other
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places, his last building being the residence of Newton Parks.
Mr. Smith received a common school education and is a man of broad understand- ing, his naturally keen perception being sharpened by observation and reading. He is a member of the Christian church and a Democrat in his political views. He has a wide circle of acquaintances throughout this region and bears a good name for in- dustry and integrity.
JESSE JOHNSON.
Jesse Johnson, one of Mill township's oldest and most respected farmers and one that has endured the hardships of pioneer life in the early days, was born in Guernsey county, now Noble county, Ohio, August 8. 1824. a son of John Johnson. He was reared on the home farm, taking charge when he became old enough, and remained there until 1875.
Mr. Johnson received his education in the common schools of his native county, his first term being at a subscription school hekl in an old-fashioned log school-house, with a fire-place instead of a stove. and with benches for seats, and it may be said that the instructors of that time were scarcely up to the standard of to-day, though Mr. Johnson made the best of the advantages offered and profited by his training obtained therein.
In 1875 Mr. Johnson came to Grant county, Indiana, locating on a farm in Mil! township, which was entered as government land by his father some years previous, and here Mr. Johnson still lives; in these many years of residence in Grant county he has
been more successful than some and has added many acres to his original purchase. He now owns three hundred and twenty acres in the home farm, as well as other farms in Grant county, aggregating about thirteen hundred acres ; in Pulaski county he has a farm of one hundred and sixty acres and in Carroll county, Missouri, he is the owner of four hundred acres of land. He has carried on general farming many years and has been successful in all his undertak ings, though like many others, started at the bottom of the "ladder" and when a boy did many a hard day's work, receiving in re- turn the small sum of fifty cents, but be- ing endowed with energy and desire to ac- cumulate something for a "rainy-day" he was not discouraged and made the best of all opportunities offered him.
In politics Mr. Johnson is a Republican, and is ever ready to serve his party, which he has supported many years.
John Johnson, father of Jesse, died April 15. 1861, when seventy-six years old, and the mother of Jesse passed away October 17. 1866, at the age of seventy-four years.
WILLIAM BONE ( DECEASED).
While this volume contains biographical sketches of many of our most prominent cit- izens of to-day, it is found befitting to add to its list the names of some of our honored cicad.
William Bone will be remembered by many as one of our leading citizens who passed to his long rest some years ago. He was a native of Ohio, being born in Greene county, that state. November 16, 1821. There
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he was reared as a farmer lad, receiving his education in the common schools of their county, and while the advantages were in- deed limited he always made the best of them. was always a leader in his classes, thus ac- quired by diligent study. He remained under the parental roof until starting in life for himself at the age of twenty-four.
In 1844 William Bone married Sarah Oliver, who was born in Northampton coun- ty, North Carolina, in 1824. After their marriage Mr. Bone rented his father's farm and there carried on farming for five years, In 1849 they moved to Grant county, and there rented the farm of Martin Griffins in Center township, where they remained three years when Mr. Bone purchased the farm where his widow now lives. This farm of eighty acres was purchased in 1852 though it could hardly be called a farm at that time as it was but a heavily wooded piece of land, though it took but a short time until they had erected a log cabin of but one room. which served them as parlor, sleeping room, and kitchen, but it was home and they spent many happy days therein. Mr. Bone lived on this homestead until 1878 when he moved to Gas City where he died August, 1880.
Mr. and Mrs. Bone were the parents of three children, named in order of birth as follows: Martha J., who married John Pearson, was the mother of two children, Cora and Sarah B., and died July 1, 1877, aged twenty-eight; Mary, now the wife of John W. Nelson; they are the parents of three children : Josephine, William and Burr ; the last born is Amanda, who is now Mrs. Freeman Hiatt, residing on the old home farm with the widow of the subject of this sketch. Mr. and Mrs. Hiatt have had born
to them seven children, viz. : Jasper, Edith, William, Emery, Clyde, Mary and Harley.
William Bone was a faithful and de- voted member of the Christian church polit- ically he was a Democrat.
In 1882 Mrs. Bone, then a widow, re- turned to the old homestead where she has ever since remained. She has reached the advanced age of seventy-six, though in that she deceives her looks, and one fact of which she boasts is that she has never had a toothi extracted. Mrs. Bone has been a faithful member of the Christian church for just a half century, and in that time she has always lead a life becoming to a true chris- tian lady. Mrs. Bone knew but little of the blessing of a father's protecting care, he having been called away when she was but a child of five years, leaving the mother with ten small children to care for. She, with this family of little ones, moved to Greene county, Ohio, where she purchased land and made for them a home, remaining there some time; then came to Grant county, Indiana, where she lived to the advanced age of sev- enty-eight years.
In the death of William Bone, the wife lost a kind and lovable companion, the chil- dren a devoted father and the community a highly respected citizen, one whose kind words and actions stand as a monument to his memory.
JACOB TROYER (DECEASED).
Jacob Throyer was one of the wealthy and influential agriculturists who made their home in Grant county, Indiana, and although he had resided here but a few years his per-
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sonality was such as to exert a lasting influ- ence on those with whom he was associated, and his death was the cause of deep sorrow. He was born in Holmes county, Ohio, No- vember 17, 1838, but in his boyhood moved with his father to Putnam county, that state, near Ottawa, where he grew to man's estate and obtained a common school education. He was reared on a farm and made that the business of his life, beginning for himself at the age of twenty-one years by renting land which he cultivated until 1863.
Mr. Troyer responded to the first call for troops in 1861 and enlisted in Com- pany E, Twenty-first Ohio Regiment, for three months' service, being sent to Kentucky where he participated in the engagements there, and at the expiration of his term of en- listment received his honorable discharge. Returning home, he was joined in marriage, October 27, 1861, to Miss Lucy M. Allen, who has been an able and efficient helpmate to him for almost thirty years. Five chil- dren were the fruits of this marriage, name- ly : Jennette, wife of John Welsh; Isaac F., who with Charles H., carries on the farm; William O., a resident of Ohio; and Jennie C., who lives at home.
In 1863, Mr. Troyer purchased eighty acres of land near Ottawa, Ohio, where he lived until 1884, when he came to Grant county and bought one hundred and sixty acres and still retained possession of it at the time of his death. In 1884 he located in Center township, Grant county, purchasing one hundred and sixty acres of land where he carried on general farming until his death on December 6, 1890. During the short time he was a resident of this vicinity he made many friends who prized him for his sterling worth and strict integrity, as he was
a man whose probity was above question. He was a Democrat in politics.
Mrs. Lucy M. Troyer still resides on the homestead and is a devout member of the Protestant church, and with her children is held in high esteem by all who know her and them.
CHARLES D. PILCHER.
Charles D). Pilcher, a thrifty farmer of Center township. Grant county, Indiana, is a native of Washington county, Pennsylva- nia, was born December 20, 1825, and is a son of Joshua and Mary A. (Dawson) Pil- cher. There were eight sons and two daugh- ters in the family, all of whom grew to adult years and all but two of whom were mar- ried. The father had settled in Greene coun- ty, Ohio, and in 1841 came with his family to Grant county, settling in Monroe town- ship, where he purchased forty acres of wild land upon which he erected a cabin and lived for many years.
Charles D. Pilcher was educated in the log school-house, which was furnished with piank benches for seats. The distance walked to reach this seat of knowledge was one and one-half miles over roads that were often anything but good. He was sixteen when he came with his father to this county and remained at home until he was twenty- one, when he engaged in making wooden pumps and farming. In October. 1849, he was married to Miss Sarah Smith, who has presented him with five children : Mary .1 .. (leceased : Martha J .: Ottila. deceased; Josh- ua, deceased : and Charles F. He lived in Monroe township until 1876, and the follow- ing year moved to Center township on the
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farm where he still resides. He owns eighty acres, twenty of which he has cleared since in his possession. He does a general farm- ing business and has one gas well on his farm at this time.
Mr. Pilcher was formerly a Whig, but later affiliated with the Republican party. He is a hard-working, energetic man, whose neighbors all speak in the highest terms of him.
DAVID A. WILLIAMS.
David A. Williams, M. D., eclectic physician and surgeon at rooms Nos. 206 and 207, Glass block, Marion, Grant county, Indiana, was born in Cambria county, Penn- sylvania, November 16, 1862, a son of Jo- seph J. and Mary A. (Emfield) Williams, both natives of the Keystone state, the father having been born in Cambria county, August 22, 1836 and the mother in Indiana coun- ty, August 4, 1838, and married in Cam- bria county in 1858.
Joseph J. Williams was a cabinet maker by trade, but early in 1864 enlisted in Com- pany H, One Hundred and Tenth P. V. I .; was assigned to the army of the Potomac, and died in the service December 19, 1864. after nine months of active duty; his widow died December 5, 1891, leaving a family of three children, vez. : Joseph Spurgeon, who died January 20, 1892, six weeks after the death of the mother, typhoid fever being the cause. Joseph S. being aged thirty-two years, married, and became the father of two chil- dren : a daughter of Joseph J. and Mary A. Williams is now Mrs. Mary L., wife of Thomas McGuire a railroad conductor; the only other member of the family is the
youngest child, Dr. David A., whose name opens this sketch. The father's people were of English and Welsh descent, while the mother's family were of Irish and German ar.cestry.
Dr. David A. Williams received his ele- mentary education in his native county of Cambria; then attended the Soldiers' Or- phans' school for four years in Huntingdon county, at Philipsburg, in Beaver county, for two years, and graduated from McAllister- ville Seminary as finished in his literary edu- cation. Mr. Williams then entered upon the study of medicine in 1886 in the office of Dr. George E. Conrad, at Johnstown, Penn- sylvania ; studied there two years, and then entered the Eclectic Medical Institute at Cincinnati, Ohio, from which he was gradu- ted in January, 1890, and then came directly to Marion and opened an office at his present location in February of that year. For the first nine months he was in partnership with Dr. J. V. Conover, after which, until Sep- tember 1, 1899, was alone, but is now asso- ciated with Dr. V. V. Cameron, an allo- pathic physician, and a graduate from the Baltimore Medical college.
October 21, 1891, Dr. David A. Will- iams married in Greenville, Indiana coun- ty, Pennsylvania, Miss Laura C. Cameron, an aunt of Dr. V. V. Cameron, the present professional associate of Dr. Will- iams. Mrs. Laura C. Williams was born, reared and educated in Indiana county, Pennsylvania, and later attended the Indi- ana State Normal School. Three children have been born to the marriage of Dr. and Mrs. Williams, two of whom still survive, viz. : Martha Grace and Laura Elizabeth ; Joseph Cameron, a deceased child, died at the age of nine months.
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Dr. Williams is a member of the Indiana State Eclectic Medical Association. Polit- ically he is a Republican, and is a worker in the party's conclaves and council. He served as a member of the Marion City couli- cil from May, 1892, until May, 1900, rep- resenting the Republican party from the Fifth ward, and while in the council was most of the time chairman of the sanitary committee and was likewise a member of va- rious other committees. The Doctor is ex- aminer for several insurance societies, among which is the tribe of Ben Hur, of which the Doctor is a member, as well as of the Knights of Pythias. The Doctor and wife are con- sistent members of the Ninth Street Metho- dist Episcopal church, of which the Doctor is one of the trustees.
Dr. Williams is a genial, companionable gentleman, has made hosts of friends and has been successful from a financial point of view and has accumulated some fine property as a result of his own efforts, including his newly-erected residence at No. 1224 West Fourth street.
ASA AUGUSTUS HAMILTON, M. D.
Dr. A. A. Hamilton, a well-known physi- cian and surgeon, with his office in the Web- ster block, Marion, Indiana, is a native of Philadelphia Pennsylvania, born August 28 1850, and is a son of Thomas James and Rebecca (McIntyre) Hamilton.
Thomas James Hamilton was born in the city of Augusta, state of Georgia, his parents being Scotch-Irish Presbyterians. In 1852 when the subject of this sketch was about two years of age, the family came west from Philadelphia and located in Bellefontaine,
Ohio, where Thomas J .. the father, who was a mechanic, followed his trade until the out- break of the Civil war, when he enlisted in the Union volunteer army. In 1866, the family removed to Indianapolis, where the death of the mother occurred in 1871.
Dr. A. A. Hamilton received his ele- mentary education in Bellefontaine, Ohio, which was supplemented by an attendance at the Indianapolis high school for a few years. At the death of his mother the fam- . ily circle was broken, and Asa A. has since been self-maintaining. He entered the office cf Drs. T. B. Harvey and John A. Comin- gore, prominent physicians of Indianapolis, by whom he was prepared for the medical profession ; and next attended three full courses of lectures in the Indiana Medical College. from which he was graduted in the spring of 1872. Immediately after his grad- uation he was appointed to the position of assistant superintendent of the Indianapolis City Hospital, but resigned after a few weeks. In . April of the same year, Dr. Ham- ilton came to Grant county and began prac- tice, meeting with a very satisfactory degree of success ; and since January, 1880, as al- ways, has had a creditable professional standing in the city of Marion.
The marriage of Dr. Asa A. Hamilton was solemnized .August 30. 1882, with Miss Emma, daughter of Dr. S. D. and Maria (McKinney) Ayres, highly respected resi- dents of Marion. The Ayres family settled here in 1836, and here Dr. Ayres passed the remainder of his long and useful life, dying in 1898, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years. His wife preceded him to the grave two years, in her eighty-seventh year. They were well connected and influential, and among the best known of the pioneers of
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A. A. HAMILTON, M. D.
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Grant county. Mrs. Dr. Hamilton was edu- cated in the common schools and in the Acad- emy at Marion, and is highly respected by a large number of friends and relatives in this city and elsewhere. The Doctor has three children : Lou, the wife of Otto Allen, attorney of Marion; Harry A., and Emma Marie, who are students in the Marion high school.
Dr. Hamilton has long been a member of the Grant County Medical Society and like- wise of the Indiana State Medical Society, in the former of which he has held various positions of honor. He is also a member of the American Medical Association, to which he has twice been sent as delegate to represent his county society. The Doctor, in his fraternal affiliations, is a Freemason and a Knight of Pythias; of the latter he became a charter member of his lodge in 1881, and has filled the office of chancellor commander. The Doctor was also one of the organizers of the Commercial Club, in which he was the first chairman of the committee on mem- bership.
In politics Dr. Hamilton has been a Re- publican ever since he acquired the right to exercise his franchise, has been actively identified with the party and has been hon- ored with several official positions. In the spring of 1880, without solicitation on his part, he was nominated for county coroner was elected, and filled the office two years ; he was the first county health officer elected after the office was established in November, 1880, and served three terms of one year each, beginning in 1881. About 1892, the Doctor was elected a member of the city council, and served continuously for nearly six years, being of the important committee on claims, was a member of the ways and 24
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