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 90
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himself to thank for the success for which he laid the foundation in early life when dig- ging out an education by the firelight. He saved his wages earned at teaching and at the age of twenty-one this was his sole cap- ital. He married Miss Eunice Leonard on March 1, 1866, and began their home-mak- ing in a little log cabin situated on eighty acres of land in section II of this town- ship. Five sons and one daughter blessed their union, two of whom have crossed the river into the eternal morning of life. Fully appreciating the advantage of school train- ing they have given their children every op- portunity in this direction. William, the eldest, finished the common school and took up the work of an agriculturist in this town- ship and has proven himself not only success- fut but practical as well. Alta passed the first examination in the township, and received her diploma. She matriculated in Fairmount Academy and Marion Normal and received a teacher's certificate, but was married about this time to W. C. Roush, a graduate from Lebanon, who is a prominent druggist and pharmacist of Anderson, Indiana. Mrs. Alta (Strange) Roush, it is sad to relate, however, was called away November 18, 1900, leaving one son, Paul, aged five years. Leonard passed through the common school, Fairmount and Marion Normal, and grad- uated from the Dental College at Indianapo- lis in 1897. He married and located in Ma- rion where he is building up a large and lucrative practice among the best class of patrons. Ernest. the youngest of the family graduated from the common school at the age of twelve, the youngest graduate in the county. Graduating from Anderson, Indiana, at the age of eighteen he spent one year at the State University at Bloomington. Mrs.
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Strange was born in this county, August 3. 1845, and is a daughter of George W. and Hannah (Dwiggins ) Leonard. There were seven children in the family, and one of her brothers was a well-known educator. Her father was from North Carolina and her mother from Ohio, to which state her father had moved in early life and where he met and married his wife.
In 1836 they moved to this state and en- tered one hundred and sixty acres of land in Grant county, under Martin Van Buren. Their first home was made from rough logs, amid the dense trees, and was 14X16 in dimension. Their next residence was an improvement on this, in that it was built from hewn logs and afforded more room. Mr. Leonard was a Republican in politics, and both he and his wife had been members of the Society of Friends before their union.
Joshua Strange and his young wife be- gan their wedded life on eighty acres of land in section II, their abode being similar to those occupied by their neighbors-a log cabin-where they remained two years. This property was then sold and one hundred and sixty purchased in section 15, upon which they resided from 1869 until 1884, when they erected their present home in section 10. It is a grand and imposing brick structure of modern architecture and a model of con- venience and beauty. It was designed en- tirely by Mr. Strange and built under his supervision, showing a talent that would in- sure him success if he chose to enter the field of architecture. His home is furnished with taste and is one of the most attractive spots in the county. It contains a few relics which have been picked up by him in various parts of the county, many of them of historic merit. Among other things may be men-
tioned a pipe which he secured from the Sioux Indians at Chamberlain, South Da- kota; a cedar cane from the island in the Missouri river, near the same city, where it was proposed to select a national park; a branch of the historic elm tree in which the Indian crouched when he shot down General Harrison's officers from the side of the latter at Fort Meigs; from the Indian mounds on his farm he has taken several bones which probably at an early day helped to form the frame work of some stalwart Indian chief. He has teeth, tarsal, maxillary bones and two patellas.
Mr. Strange has not accumulated his money by miserly methods as he has been a liberal man, spending freely of his means and believing nothing too good if it made him or his family and friends happier by its possession. If his family desired an article he bought it just as he would purchase for himself a nice horse or cow, and indeed his herd of short-horns are beauties well cal- culated to inspire enthusiasm in the heart of a connoisseur. Ile began breeding this stock in 1878 and his stock-yard contains some choice animals of superior merit. In 1889 he introduced Shropshire sheep on his farm and has been quite successful in raising them, having a flock of over eighty that are rgesitered or eligible to registration.
Mr. Strange is a member of both the American Short Horn AAssociation and the Shropshire Association, and can furnish the pedigree of his stock.
For twenty-five years Mr. Strange was engaged in sawing hard wood in Grant county, at his home, and in 1895 he started mercantile lumbering in Van Buren town- ship, continuing it until 1898 when he dis- posed of the business. When the pioneer
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took down his flint to ignite the tow with which the fire was started in the great fire- place, it did not occur to him that by drill- ing a hole into the earth he would find a substance that would burn more readily and furnish as great heat and a much better light than any he could obtain. The gas wells of the state were discovered by a later genera- tion, and even they have not realized the possiblities which lie before them. Mr. Strange was first interested in the subject about 1890, gave to it a close analytical at- tention, studying the question in detail, and became convinced that oil was to be had on his farm for the digging. He could have leased this land to capitalists at a good figure but preferred to develop it for himself. His first find was in 1895 when two wells were sunk and oil struck. He has five gas wells at present with a quarter interest in a sixth, and from these wells supplies light and heat to the villages of Van Buren, Arcana, and Landessville. He has a plant at each place and pipes gas about twenty miles in two-inch mains. His gas wells also yield oil and he is at present erecting a plant, or power with which he can work all his wells. The crude oil comes in a steady stream, one well being 1014 feet deep with an output of twenty-five barrels daily, the other wells averaging equally well. The oil is pumped from the farm to the station eight miles distant. There a "donkey pump" is used to place it in two- hundred-and-fiftybarrel tanks in which it is shipped direct to Lima, Ohio. During 1898 and '99 he separated four thousand barrels of oil from gas, using a separator of his own invention, the gas being carried into the mains for lighting and heating purposes, and the oil passing directly into the tanks. This industry is as yet in its infancy in In-
diana, and it bids fair the raise the price of land in the oil belt to fabulous prices before the supply is exhausted.
Mr. Strange has been wonderfully active along several lines and is well-known in the political arena where he has figured prom- inently. He had been a Democrat until 1890, when he was one of the organizers. of the People's party in the county, state and also of the nation. He was one of the committee selected by the state to formulate the plat- form of this party. In February he was a delegate to the consolidated conference of labor, held at St. Louis. Two years later he was a delegate to Omaha and assisted in nominating the national ticket. He was chairman of the Indiana State Central Com- mittee, and author of the initiative and ref- erendum resolution which was submitted and embodied in the national platform. He was a delegate to the national convention held in St. Louis in 1896, when Bryan and Watson were nominated by the Populist party after a bitter fight, and at this convention was selected as member of the National committee and served four years. He is a deliberate, careful, fairminded and resolute man, whose oratorical and liter- ary ability have brought him before the peo- ple as a speaker, and he has been fearless in his utterance of the truth, as seen from his standpoint, and unremitting in his efforts to establish conditions that would advance the masses. In 1888 he was nominated by the Democratic party by acclamation and with- out solicitation, as candidate for representa - tive of his county, and two years later he was the nominee of the Populist party for the same office, when the Democrats again placed him upon their ticket, making no other nom- ination. In 1892 the congressional conven-
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tion of the Populist party was unanimous in making him their candidate for congress, and in 1896 he was chairman of the convention, and it was the wish of that body to again place him in nomination, but he declined. He was chairman of the central committee from the Eleventh district, acting also as treas- urer from 1890 to 1894, and has also served in the capacity of secretary.
During the farmers' organization in 1890 his services were in constant demand as a speaker, his experience in agriculture giving his ideas a practical value which is lacking in many, so-called, authorities on these sub- jects. His objections to monopolists and trusts are well founded and he has been active in counteracting their influence wherever possible. The Grange has been one of the most successful means to this end, and Mr. Strange was among the first agitators of the movement in Indiana. He was one of the organizers of the Farmers' Alliance of Mon- roe township in 1890, a body which accom= plished great good for the farmer during the several years of its existence. He has several times been a representative to the state board of agriculture from the Grant County Agri- cultural Association, of which he is presi- dent and director, having held these posi- tions many years. He was chairman of the farmers' county institute several years and was also one of the workers in the state in- stitute, having been chosen by the superin- tendent of the state institute of the state of Indiana. He was offered full time as in- stitute worker during the institute year as his ability in this line made his services val- uable, but his priate business was such that he was compelled to decline the offer. He has been chosen at different times to look after
the agricultural interests during the legis- lative session, and was one of a committee of three who were successful in having a live stock sanitary commission created by that august body in 1889, the committee repre- senting the Live Stock Association. He has been selected as judge of live stock in county, district and state fairs where his knowledge of cattle, sheep and hogs has been clearly demonstrated.
Realizing the value to the farmer of an insurance company conducted by officers of their own ranks, Mr. Strange assisted in or- ganizing the Farmers Mutual Insurance Union, of which he is secretary, and in 1800 helped organize the Grant County Farmers' Mutural Insurance Company, of which he was secretary for years. He was state rep- resentative to the National Insurance Asso- ciation held in Chicago in 1899, acting as secretary pro tem. He is vice-president from Indiana of the National Association of 1900. He held a commission from Governor Matthews in 1895 as delegate to the National Farmers' Congress hell at Atlanta, Georgia, and was honored by the same appointment by Governor Mount. Socially he is a mem- ber of Van Buren Lodge, No. 633. Irklepen- dent Order of Odd Fellows, at Van Buren. Both he and his wife are members of the Disciple's church to which they give liberal support. They have also aided in the build- ing fund of five other churches in the com- munity, believing in the spread of religion, no matter what the creed. They advocate advanced education and believe in employ- ing the best instructors to be obtained, as that is the only way the public school system can be kept at the proper standard of excel- lence.
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A. GRANT HAM.
A. Grant Ham, Marion, an ex-soldier of the Spanish war, was born in Madison coun- ty, Indiana, January 20, 1864. His father, William J. Ham, was reared on a plantation in Rockingham county, Virginia, came to Indiana and married Sarah E. Riggs, daugh- ter of Alfred and Mary Riggs. The former a native of Ohio and the latter was born in Marion county, Indiana, on site now occu- pied by the city of Indianapolis and subse- quently lived on a farm in Madison county. Mr. Ham served as a volunteer soldier ini the Civil war, was wounded in the engage ment at Mill Springs and now resides in the National Soldiers' Home at Marion.
A. Grant Ham resided at home until nineteen years of age when he became a rail- road employe and served the Atchison, To- peka & Santa Fe Railroad Company as fire- man on a run between Nickerson and Dodge City, Kansas, until the great railroad strike inaugurated by the American Railway Union in which he took part and on account of which he was blacklisted and consequently barred from farther service in his chosen line of work.
In 1898 he enlisted and was mustered into service as a private in Company A. One Hundred and Sixtieth Indiana Volunteer In- fantry and was attached to Hospital corps doing duty at Matanzas, Cuba, until dis- charged at Savannah, Georgia, at the close of the war. He then engaged in the grocery trade at Marion, but his stock was destroyed by fire in 1900, when he devoted his atten- tion to the care of his invalid mother who required constant care, until her death De- cember 23, 1900.
Mr. Ham has taken an active part in poli-
tics and is counted as a worker in the ranks of the Republican party. While in Kansas he was closely associated with Senator Kirk- patrick and other candidates, and at Marion has done valuable service for the party.
VICTOR R. ROEHM.
Victor R. Roehm, manager of the Ma- rion branch of the L. Hester Brewing Com- pany is one of a family of eleven children born unto George H. and Catherine ( Muller ) Roehm. George H. Roehm was born in Ger- many in June, 1836, and came to the United States with his father when fourteen years of age. He is a mechanic and resides at Dayton, Ohio, where he conducts a business of his own.
Victor R. Roehm was born in Dayton, October 14, 1864. He was graduated from the common schools and supplemented this education by taking a full course at the Miami Commercial College of Dayton. At the age of eighteen years he embarked in the coal business and met with fair success until 1885 when, on account of natural gas taking the place of coal as fuel, he closed up his bus- iness. He then accepted a position with C. White & Son Lumber Company. In 1889 became assistant secretary of the Dayton Ice Manufacturing and Cold Storage Company. In 1890 he resigned his position and accepted the more lucrative one of general manager for the Crystal Ice and Cold Storage Com- pany of Columbus, Ohio, and superintended their extensive business with marked suc- cess for seven years. In 1897 he accepted his present situation, as successor to J. S. Corbett and Thomas Maheffey, and under
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Mr. Roehm's management there has been a large increase in the business.
Mr. Roehm was married in April, 1883, to Miss Annetta Shieble. Her father, Frank Shieble, conducted a large insurance busi- ness at Dayton, where his death occurred in 1800.
Victor R. Roehm and wife are the par- ents of five children ; living : Marguerite E., Estella E., Robert, Louis, and Victor. The last two named being twins. One child died in infancy. Mr. Roehm is a member of Knights of Pythias, the Improved Order of Red Men, and in politics is an indepen- cent.
JOHN W. BOND.
Conspicuous among those who have been instrumental in bringing Grant county up to its present high plane, is John W. Bond. He now lives in easy retirement a short distance north of Marion city, where he has erected a handsome brick residence, and is passing the closing years of a busy life in the enjoyment of a hard-earned competence. He was born in Wayne county, Indiana, September 28. 1838; his parents being Milton and Sarah (Cook) Bond. His grandfather was Silas Bond, who was a native of Pennsylvania, and who became one of Wayne county's earliest settlers. The Bond family have, for nearly half a century, been conspicuous in the affairs of Grant county.
In 1835 several members of the Society of Friends, prominent among whom were Benjamin and Moses Bond. Samuel Wool- mer. James Hix, Samuel McNeery and Ed - mond Gaines, came from Green county, Ohio, and settled in Grant county, Indiana. the Bonds locating three miles north of Ma- rion in Washington township.
John W. was one of two sons, one of whom-William-sacrificed his life in the cause of his country. dying in a rebel prison after his capture during the memorable siege of Vicksburg.
When but two years of age John W. was taken by his parents to Jefferson township, Huntington county, Indiana, where he was retained until his eighth year, when he went to live with his grandparents in Wayne county. He remained a member of his . grandfather's family until the age of four- teen, when he returned to make his home with his father, with whom he remained un- til attaining his twentieth year.
He attended the common schools in both Wayne and Huntington counties, acquiring the fundamental principles of an education. When but twenty years of age, he sought and won the hand of Miss Ellen Morrow. although his cash capital, after securing his marriage license, was but fifty cents.
Nothing daunted by the struggle and effort that faced him. he began the actual and real duties of life by renting a small farm, which he continued to operate for six years. Those were the most trying years of his life. as the necessities of a young family were such as to demand. upon the part of himself and wife, the persistent exercise of those traits which heretofore somewhat dor- mant, were now given ample opportunity for their fullest development. No less credit is due the wife for the share she displayed in those years, than should be accorded him- self. In every emergency, the duties that devolved upon her were promptly and faith- fully met. her wise counsel and companion- ship being ever a means to the strengthen- ing and encouragement of her husband.
Having made some progress, he bought
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his sister's interest in the old homestead of eighty acres, to which he devoted his atten- tion until the demands of health compelled a change, and in 1880 he became a citizen of Grant county.
For the subsequent five years he resided in Marion, and after making several real estate transactions he secured a desirable tract in Washington township, which became his home for the next nine years. Leaving that, he erected his present residence, devot- ing his attention to the small farm in con- i nection, and the supervision of two farms, of two hundred acres, in Huntington county.
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The Bond family are five children, to- wit: Sylvester; Mary, who is the wife of Wilson Myers; Alice, wife of Barney Bogue ; Florence, who resides with her par- ents ; and Malinda, widow of Burton Brad- ford.
While never offensively enthusiastic in politics, Mr. Bond is a stanchi and consistent adherent of that party of which Lincoln, Grant and Sherman were conspicuous leaders. He and companion are devoted members of the Society of Friends, endeav- oring to so live that their existence in the world to come will be doubly assured, if the life in this is a criterion as to what will be in the hereafter.
Unassuming in demeanor and in living, Mr. Bond, by the exercise of those traits that distinguish the well-bred gentleman-affa- bility and good nature-has won for himself a host of warm friends.
WILLIAM BROOKS.
William Brooks, a retired farmer resid- ing in Swayzee, Grant county, Indiana, is a son of Eli and Sarah (Lore) Brooks, and
was born in Franklin county, Indiana, June 14, 1833, where he attended the old-fash- ioned subscription schools until fourteen years of age. His life employment has been that of a farmer, a vocation he entered when immediately after quitting his studies. In 1865 he enlisted in Company I, Thirty- eighth I. V. I., and was assigned to a reserve corps at Chattanooga, Tennessee; served until honorably discharged at Indianapolis, Indiana, July 3, 1865, but had been mustered out a month previously at Louisville, Ken- tucky. A very unusual proceeding, as a sol- dier is first discharged and his services fre- quently availed of until he is mustered out that last act of all, as far as his service is concerned.
The first marriage of Mr. Brooks took place August 12, 1855, when he wedded Miss Mary Parker, daughter of Daniel and Delilah (James) Parker. Mr. Brooks next married Mary Ewell, daughter of John and Matilda (Lee) Ewell. The second Mrs. Brooks, however, had previously been mar- ried to Peter McDonald in May. 1863, to whom she bore one child, Rhoda who died in 1883-Mr. McDonald having died in 1876. The second husband of Mrs. Mary ( Ewell) Brooks was William Taylor who died in the spring of 1883, and her third marriage took place to Mr. Brooks April 22, 1884.
The maternal grandfather of William Brooks was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and from his native state of Virginia went to Kentucky, where his son Eli died, before his son William, the subject of this sketch, was born. The widow of Eli next married a Mr. Bennett, and with him went to the state of Ohio, from which state they came with a colony of five families and were the first to settle on the west side of White-
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water in Franklin county, Indiana. There Eli Brooks died on the land he had entered. and there his son William, the subject of this sketch, was born.
The children born to Eli and Sarah Brooks were thirteen in number, viz. : Jere- miah, Mary, Mahlon, Aaron, Rebecca, de- ceased; Martha, deceased ; Charlotte, Will- iam, Lucinda and George. The others died in infancy.
The parents of the present Mrs. William Crooks were natives of Virginia and Penn- sylvania, respectively ; on coming to Indiana they first located in Delaware county, where the father died, the mother afterward re- moved to Jay county, and in Camden, that county she passed away. They had ten chil- dren, namely : Miranda, now Mrs. Ellis; Josephus; Nancy J., deceased; Thomas; Vina, now Mrs. White; Elcinda, now Mrs. Depue; Mary, now Mrs. Brooks; Eveline, wife of Mr. Berry Coppersmith ; Verette, now Mrs. Williams; and Anna, now Mrs. Dangerfield.
Mr. and Mrs. Brooks have adopted as their own a little girl named May Blessing. The mother of this little girl was first mar- ried to Elisha Matchett, to whom she bore three children, two of whom died in infancy, but the third, Daniel Matchett, is still living ; Elisah Matchett, the father of these three, having died, his widow married William Blessing, and by him became the mother of four children, viz. : Lillie, Florence, Frank and May, the last named of whom was born March 17, 1890, and is now making her home with Mr. and Mrs. Brooks who are rearing her with the most tender care and will leave to her their estate.
William Brooks has been a successful agriculturist, and has realized a competency
on which he lives in comfortable retirement, and in the enjoyment of the esteem of his friends and neighbors. He has always been a useful citizen, and has aided every project designed for the public good. In religion he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and in politics is a Republican.
CHAUNCEY R. F. BERRY.
Chauncey R. F. Berry, formerly editor and proprietor of the Swayzee Press, one of the most ably edited independent weekly publications of Grant county, Indiana, was born in Terre Haute, this state. June 27, 1867, and is a son of John H. and Savilla M. (Johnson) Berry, the former of whom was a native of Syracuse, New York, and on removing to Terre Haute, Indiana, enlisted in Company D, One Hundred and Fifty- sixth I. V. I., served three years and was promoted to be corporal. He died in Bay City, Michigan, in 1870.
Chauncey R. F. Berry, at the age of seven years, was consigned to the care of the Or- phans' Home at Xenia, Ohio, where he was educated and detained until fifteen years old, when he went to Weston, Ohio, to learn the printer's trade of E. D. Moffett, now an attorney at Hartford City, Indiana. At the age of twenty years, Mr. Berry, in partner- ship with Edward Pugh, purchased a print- ing office at Pemberville. Wood county, Ohio, but one year later Mr. Berry bought out Mr. Pugh's interest, then ran it another year on his sole account, after which he soldl the entire establishment to George Speck, the present editor of the Wood County In- dex. Mr. Berry next went to Cleveland,
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Ohio, where he worked as a journeyman eighteen months, and then went to Conti- mental, Putnam county, Ohio, and bought out the Continental Enterprise, which he edited and published for three years. His next enterprise was the establishment of the Brinkhaven Leader, at Brinkhaven, Knox county, Ohio, and this journal he success- fully conducted for three years, and then sold the concern to three men. Finally, on April 27, 1896, Mr. Berry came to Swayzee, Grant county, Indiana, and established the Swayzee Press, of which he made a success from the start. This newspaper has a circulation of five hundred copies weekly, is newsy and spicy, up-to-date in local events, is abreast of the world at large and its editorial columns were a credit to the editor and the party he represented. The Press is also equipped with a well appointed job office from which is turned out a great deal of work that will compare favorably with that of many metro- politan offices. Mr. Berry, however, has re- cently disposed of the entire plant.
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