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 94

Author:
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: Chicago: Bowen
Number of Pages: 1000

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 94

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In the seven years since its location in Upland, the institution has had a steady and reliable growth. Its property is now worth eighty thousand dollars ($80,000.00) and the University is without debt. It has grad- ually increased its faculty both in number and efficiency, until now it has a competent faculty of seventeen professors and instruc- fors. Beyond the Academic course of study it offers four regular collegiate courses of four years each leading to bachelor's de- grees : Classical, Scientific, Philosophical and Literary. Besides this the Theologi- cal Department known as Reade Theological Seminary offers three undergraduate courses and one post-graduate course for theological students. It has normal, music, art and business departments. The University has a large enrollment each year in its post-grad-

uate non-resident courses. Among these are graduates from many of our great edu- cational institutions.

Taylor University has two flourishing literary societies which furnish ample op- portunity for literary culture. These are known as the Philalethean and Thalonion Literary Societies.

The Mooney Library contains over three thousand bound volumes. The Walker Museum contains valuable collections worth fifteen hundred dollars ($1.500.00). The neat little observatory in charge of Dean C. L. Clippinger, Ph. D., contains a valuable telescope with ten and one-fourth inch re- flector. The chemical and physical labora- tories give evidence of a large amount of practical work done.

The boarding hall and buildings for the accommodation of students are near the campus. A Gleaner's Home, where young ladies preparing for mission work may have free rooms, is now in process of construction.

The religious influence of Taylor Uni- versity is excellent. There is no social caste. The university bids fair to become a great institution-if not great in its mate- rial resources, great in its work in the cause of Christian education. Those who become acquainted with the working of the school are led to say as did Bishop Taylor when he first visited the institution named in his honor : "Surely this is of the Lord and must have our support."-Prof. B. W.Ayres, Ph. D)., Registrar.

ENOCH BABB.

Enoch Babb, a prosperous market gar- dener in Sims township, Grant county, is a representative of one of the oldest families

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in America. He traces his genealogy in unbroken line, to Stephen L. and Marcus , to Miss Mary E., daughter of Isaac and Babb, brothers, who came from England to Jerusha Weldon. Their family comprises five children ; Belle and Dora-twins-born August 27, 1870. The first named is the wife of Edwin O. Rust, of Swayzee, Indi- ana ; Jaquette was born February 7, 1874, and is now Mrs. David Patterson, of Sway- zee; Sylvia was born August 4, 1879, and Naomi was born April 14. 1881. Mr. Babl) is a member of the Protestant Methodist church, and an active worker in the cause of Christianity. His political affiliations are with the Democratic party. He has never sought nor held public office. Plymouth, Massachusetts, in August, 1645. For more than two hundred and fifty years this family has been identified with Ameri- can institutions. It has taken part in every important event in our National history and witnessed our growth from a few feeble colonies under the administration of Eng- land into a sisterhood of States under the proud title of "United States of America." It would be a matter of great interest and historic value, could a record be made of the personal experience of a representative of each generation from that far-away day to the present. But while this is impossible it is quite certain that future generations will be more fortunate. The advent of this admirable system of local biography renders this not only possible. but very probable.

Enoch Babb was born in Clinton county, Ohio, on the 15th of May, 1842. He is a son of Henry and Sarah ( Haines) Babb. When about six years of age he accompanied his parents to Franklin township, Grant county, Indiana, and the family located upon a farm one and a half miles northeast of Herbst. Here Enoch grew to manhood. He received his education in the public schools of the district and learned the avo- cation of a farmer. This was his life-work, being engaged in general farming and stock- raising until 1889, when he turned his at- tention to market-gardening. In connection with his other lines of business, he has also been interested in apiarian work, and real- izes a handsome income from the product of his extensive apiary. He has been en- gaged in this business for twenty years.

Mr. Babb was married October 8, 1868,

The genealogical record of the Babb fam - ily, so far as obtainable, is as follows: Ste- phen L. and Marcus Babb were noted Eng- lish navigators. They were middle-aged men when they came to the shores of New England, and had spent their lives on the Atlantic and Southern oceans. As pre- viously stated, they landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in August, 1645, and en- gaged at once in building a large ship to be used in whale-fishing. Their vessel was completed in May, 1646, and being manned with sixteen sailors besides harpoonists and the two Babb brothers, put to sea. They sailed in June on an exclusively whaling expedition. When ten weeks out the boat was captured by pirates, and the two owners and commanders were put ashore on the coast of Maine. They had neither provis- ions, fire-arms nor money, though the latter would have been of little use. For weeks they roved about, and were kept alive and finally guided back to Plymouth by the In- dians. In September, 1646, they arrived at the Plymouth colony. But they abandoned the idea of following their former vocation,

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and took up land which they improved and later sold. In 1670 they emigrated with their families to Pennsylvania and located near the present site of Harrisburg. There Marcus and his entire family of seven chil- dren were massacred by the hostile Indians. Stephen was held a captive for seven years, but finally escaped through the kindly aid of an old squaw. He went to Virginia where he died in 168. His only son- Abner-becoming now the sole support of the family, cleared up a farm in the wilder- ness, and was known, locally, as an expert hunter and Indian fighter.

During some of the hostilities due to the period, he was called from home and after an absence of several months, returned to find that his mother had died in his absence. Her body was buried by her three daughters. Abner married Susanna Schmidt, with whom he had six children, three living to maturity, viz. : Rebecca. Joseph and Simon. The latter became a tailor, and located at Winchester, Virginia. where he married Agatha Arnold. They had nine children : William, John, Phillip, Elizabeth, Hannah. George, David, Thomas and Cynthia. Phillip Babb emigrated to Green county, Tennessee, in 1781, and lo- cated near Greenville. There he erected a mill for grinding corn and wheat. A few years later the mill was burned and was in time rebuilt by his son Phillip, and is still known as "Babb's Mill."

Phillip Babb. Sr., was the father of nine children: Phillip. Thomas, Seth, Joseph, Stephen. Phoebe, Elizabeth, Mary and Sa- mantha.

Rhoda and Hannah. Thomas Babb, son of Phillip, Sr., married Martha Ervin, and they had a family of eight children, named as follows: David E. W., Levi, Phillip, Isaac, Caleb and Joshua, twins, Sarah and Lydia. Seth Babb, third son of Phillip, Sr., was the father of eight children ; viz. : Polly, Ruth, Huldah. Rhoda, Nancy, Joseph and Stephen.

David E. W. Babb, grandfather of Enoch of this sketch, married Elizabeth White, with whom he had five children, viz : Henry, father of our subject, James, Thomas, Martha and Melinda. Henry Babb, father of Enoch of this review, mar- ried Sarah Haines, daughter of Abraham Haines. They had a family of twelve chil- dren of whom our subject was the fifth in order of birth. The names follow : David, William, Alexander, Samuel, Eurch, Rich- ard, James, George, Anna. Sarah, Martha Jane, and Polly Ann. James, son of David E. W., married Rachel Cox, with whom he had five children : Joshua, Floyd, Mary. Ruth and Elizabeth. Thomas, son of David E. W., married Martha West, and they had a family of ten children: James, Henry, Robert. George. Alexander, Wiliam, Ben- jamin B., Sarah Jane, Elizabeth and Melin- da. Martha, daughter of David E. W., mar- ried George Garves, lives in Clinton county, Ohio. Melinda, daughter of David E. W., married James Patch, of Clinton county, Ohio, died in 1900. They had four chil- dren, viz .: George, James, Elizabeth and Eliza. David, son of Henry, married Lydia M., daughter of Samuel Scott. and they had six children, viz. : William F., George W., Jacob, Mary Jane, Matilda Jane and Huldah Ann. William, son of Henry, married Ma- tilda Chaney, a daughter of Abraham

His son Phillip married Elizabeth Hum- bird. They had eight children : William, Abner, Phillip, Samuel. Rebecca, Elizabeth, | Chaney, and had six children, viz. : David.

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Henry, Mahala Ann, Mary Ellen, Jane, Ida and Alexander. The last named died at the age of three years. Samuel Babb mar- ried Mary C. Cochran. Their children were: Edward M., Perry H., Bertha and Grace. Richard, son of Henry, wedded Emily E. Moone, daughter of Martin H. Moone, of Grant county, Indiana.

JOHN T. BARTON.

John T. Barton, a prominent and well- to-do farmer of Sims township, Grant coun+ ty, Indiana, was born on the farm where he now lives, March 17, 1851. His parents were Joseph T. and Nancy (Barton) Bar- ton, who were among the very early settlers of Sims township. They were both born in Frederick county, Virginia, where they were married, and in 1848 they established a home in the wilderness of Sims township. Their ancestors were Scotch-Irish people who located in Virginia in Colonial days, and the maternal grandfather of John T., whose name was also Barton, served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war.

Three of the nine children of Joseph T. and Nancy Barton, were born in the old Vir- ginia home, and accompanied their parents to Indiana. John T. is the only survivor of his family and through him must come the record of the early struggles on the fron- tier. The generation which has since come into prominence since the pioneer days in Indiana, can have no just conception of the trials, struggles and privations of those who "blazed the way" to civilization. Imagine Grant county without a railroad, factory, tel- egraph, telephone or electric light. In fact

no light except such as the tallow-dip candle afforded, for petroleum and natural gas were then unheard of. The vast wealth of the young state lay hidden beneath the surface of the earth, and the people were content to live from the product of the little "clear- ings" they were able to make in the impen- etrable forest. Mothers spun the wool into yarn, wove the cloth, and eventually turned out the finished product in warm and com- fortable, though by no means fashionable, clothing. The same hands took the matured flax from the ground, prepared it for the spinning wheel, which was a necessary household article in every family, spun the thread and wove the fabric of which was made the household linen and family under- garments. Rye coffee or sassafras tea was a healthful family beverage, and the "gro- cery bill was a thing unknown, for the forest furnished the sugar, syrup, meats, and even the nucleus to the family soap, for the manu- factured article, except for toilet purposes, was then unknown. The houses were of logs, usually about sixteen by eighteen feet ground dimensions, with an attic or sleep- ing apartment overhead, and the family was especially fortunate and considered by some "quite aristocratic," if they happened to have a "lean-to addition" with a spare room. But these were the days of social equality. Nobody felt that he was better than his neighbor, and all lived together in peace and harmony. The pioneer preacher or "circuit rider," preached the gospel of Christ for the salvation of men, and not for the "best salary offered." Meetings were held in the pioneer cabins, the log school-houses or in the open air. The people assembled from far and near, for distance was annihilated in the anxiety of the people to hear the word

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of God. The young people were satisfied with the usual diversions of pioneer settle- ments, and "shucking bees," log-rollings, raisings, spelling-schools, etc., filled the whole curriculum of social enjoyments. The home-spun, linsey-woolsey dress or coat was greatly in evidence, and the starched shirt represented a "dude" of the first water, These were some of the conditions existing at the time this estimable family located in the wilds of Sims township. The parents · bore the brunt of the battle in establishing a home, and these unceasing and unselfish efforts were crowned with success. As their children became physically able, they as- sisted in the commendable work, and thus the fertile soil was divested of the native forest which to-day would be a mine of wealth, and soon the soil yielded a rich harvest to the husbandman. As time pro- gressed, additional acres were brought into subjection and soon a commodious house took the place of the pioneer cabin, but added no happiness to the family circle, for that was already complete in the cabin home.

The father of John T. Barton was born September 15, 1813, and died November 18, 1889. His wife was born in 1816, and died November 18. 1876. They, and all the deceased members of their family, except George C., are buried in the Thrailkill cem- etery, in Sims township. The memory of these worthy parents is revered and honored by their surviving son because of their pure and unselfish lives. Their highest aim and greatest care was the happiness and success of their beloved children.

Father Barton was prominently identified with the public affairs of Sims township for many years. He served in various official

positions, one of which was that of township supervisor.

The names of the children are as fol- lows: Elizabeth, the eldest of the family, married Henry Burns. She died in middle life. George C. died in the service of his country, being a member of 10ist Indi- ana. He enlisted from Sims township in 1862, and served faithfully at the front until prostrated with disease which caused his death; Andrew J .; John T., of this sketch, was the fifth in order of birth; Emily J., three unnamed infants and Franklin, are all deceased. John T. Barton received a good education in the common schools, supple- mented by a course in the Marion Normal School. He left school at the age of twen- ty-three and taught two terms of scool, one in Sims township and one in Pleasant. But he preferred agricultural pursuits to that of professional life, and returned to the farm where his early years had been happily spent. The parental farm came to him by inheritance and this has been his home for fifty years.

Mr. Barton is a bachelor, preferring the freedom and liberty of single-blessedness to the responsibilities of married life. For a number of years he sustained membership in the Marion Lodge Independent order of Odd Fellows but is non-affiliated at present. He is an upright, honorable citizen whose word is as good as his bond.

WILLIAM LILLARD.

William Lillard, a well-to-do farmer and stock-raiser of Sims township, Grant county, Indiana, is a native of Champaign county, Ohio, and was born on the 20th of January,

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1848. He is a son of Oliver and Nancy (Pence) Lillard. His father was born in Culpepper county, Virginia, of Irish ances- try, and his mother's people are of German stock, first established in America in the old Keystone state.

William Lillard traces his genealogy to Revolutionary times, his greatgrandfather. having been a soldier in the struggle for American Independence. The Pence and Lillard families as represented by subject's father and mother, located in Champaign county, Ohio, in the pioneer days of the Buckeye state. The parents of William em- igrated to Indiana and settled in Sims town- ship, Grant county, in 1849, and here they ended their days. The subject of this re- view, though his business has sometimes called him elsewhere, has always considered this as his home. He was educated in the public schools, but acquired the greater part of his education in the "school of experi- ence." His early manhood years were spent in agricultural pursuits, but in 1870 he en- gaged in the grain and stock business, which he continued successfully until 1884. Dur- ing these fourteen years he bought, shipped and sold vast quantities of grain, and his stock business was also enormous.

In 1884 Mr. Lillard accepted a position as traveling salesman of fancy groceries, crackers, etc., with the firm of J. B. Ruger & Sons, of Lafayette. He continued this business for thirteen years. In 1897 he left the road and purchased a stock of hardware and opened a store at Converse. Two years later he sold this business and retired to his farm in Sims township, where he now resides. He owns one hundred and four- teen acres of excellent land, in a high state of fertility, which is conveniently situated

as regards marketing facilities, and other conveniences. His home is located on a main traveled pike leading to Swayzee, and is also on one of the rural delivery mail routes.

At the age of twenty-one William Lil- lard became a member of the Masonic fra- ternity, with which he has since been iden+ tified as a prominent and active member. His membership is with Howard Lodge, No. 92.

Mr. Lilard has been twice married. His first wife was Miss Ester A. McAllister, (laughter of Noah and Margaret ( Leonard) McAllister, whom he wedded on the 6th of May, 1871. Thre children were born to bless this union, viz: Harry E., who was born March 1, 1872, married Elsie Weaver. They have two children, Ralph and Ruby. Gypsie was born in 1874; she is now the wife of Frank L. Jones. Their only child is lit- tle Miss Eleanor. Clarence was born De- cember 17, 1881, he is still under the par- tal roof. Mrs. Willard was born Septem- ber 9, 1855, and died July 18, 1892.

On the 19th of ctober, 1894, Mr. Lillard was united in marriage with his present com- panion, who was Miss Sylvia, daughter of James and Nancy (Stephenson) Ruff. She was born in Lafayette, Indiana January 22, 1872. Her parents were natives of Ohio, but spent all of their natural lives in Indi- ana. Mrs. Lillard was reared and educated in her native city. Her father is living, but her mother died February 14, 1874. The family is of Scotch-Irish antecedents. The only child of Mr. and Mrs. Lillard died in infancy.

Mr. Lillard has been an active and pro- gressive business man all his mature years, and has been successful in the various capac-

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ities in which he has been employed. He and his estimable wife sustain a prominent place in the social world in which they live, and the family is highly honored for their uprightness of character and useful lives. Mr. Lillard is not connected with any relig- ious organization, and though a believer in the divinity of Christ and the Christian re- ligion, he reserves to himself the right to think and act according to the dictates of conscience, hence is not bound or controlled by any creed or sect. In politics he takes an active interest, but has never aspired to political honors.

JESSE STANLEY.

Jesse Stanley, a farmer of great prom- inence and well known in his day through- out Sims township, Grant county, Indiana, was born in North Carolina, February 28, 1820, and when ten years of age was brought to Indiana by his parents, Reuben and Margaret ( Hendricks) Stanley, who settled in Rush county. In that county Jesse was reared to manhood and was em- ployed in farming until 1867, when he came to Grant county and settled permanently in Sims township.

Jesse Stanley was first united in mar- riage. in Rush county, Indiana, September 17. 1842, with Miss Catherine Sanders, who was born AAugust 25. 1825. and by whom he became the father of five children, viz. : John J., born January 1. 1845: Mary M .. born November 10. 1846: Rachel L., born March 17, 1849: Nancy E., born August, 1851 ; and William T., horn December 22, 1853. Mrs. Catherine (Sanders) Stanley

was called away January 17, 1856, and Jesse Stanley, for his second wife, selected Miss Margaret Wood, who was born April 13. 1828, and was a daughter of John and Isabel (Keiser) Wood. This lady he mar- ried February 24. 1857. and the union re- sulted in five children, born in the follow- ing order : Ellen D., April 26, 1858; George E., March 4, 1859: Samuel M. O. V .. Feb- ruary 5, 1860; Jesse C. R., August 30, 1861; and Elizabeth, June 3, 1863. Of these children Elizabeth was married, Au- gust 27, 1881, to Amos C. Patterson, and Jesse C. R. married, March 18, 1884, Miss Effa J. Morris.

The necrology of the children of Jess- Stanley's children, as far as deceased, is as follows: Rachel L., died August 24, 1851; Nancy E., died March 7, 1866; Ella D., died May 21, 1877 ; and Mary M., died in 1874. Beside the surviving children of Jesse Stanley, there are six grandchildren still living. viz .: Lee Stanley, born March 18, 1881; Lew, born October 26, 1883; Lilly, born January 17, 1886; Lulu, born September 1, 1889; Leslie, born January 25. 1892; and Laura, born December 26, 1897.

Jesse Stanley by first marriage has six grandchildren living. His son John has two children, Emma and Anna. His son William has three. Charles, John and Mervel. His daughter Mary has one child, Charles Cook. By his second marriage there are ten living. six (those of George Stanley) all already mentioned. Those of lis son Jesse are three: Goldie E., Ovid C., and Noah E. His daughter Lizzie has one daughter. Mabel E. Patterson.

Jesse Stanley's people are of English origin and were among the earliest colonists

BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS.

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of North Carolina, where their occupation was chiefly that of agriculture. Mrs. Mar- garet (Wood) Stanley's paternal ancestors were also of English extraction and early settled in Kentucky, but her maternal an- cestors were of German descent.

The demise of Jesse Stanley occurred March 19, 1899, on his farm in Sims town- ship, in the faith of the Church of Christ, 10 the teachings of which he was sincerely devoted and which he faithfully adhered to until the end. In politics he was a stanch Democrat, but although frequently solicited to make a race for various official positions, invariably declined accepting nomination as candidate for any public honors whatever. He was very successful as an agriculturist, was a truly public-spirited citizen, and left behind him an honored name, of which his widow and surviving children and grand- children may well feel proud. His ven- erated widow still resides on the old home- stead, beloved and respected by all who know her and in the enjoyment of all the comforts of life.

SYLVESTER R. FANKBONER.

Sylvester R. Fankboner, of Marion, Indiana, was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, January 29, 1832. His parents were Daniel and Susan (Good) Fankboner, who were pioneers in the woods of that section of Ohio, improving a new farm and passing their lives upon it, and dying at rather ad- vanced years. Of their family a son resides in Blackford county and four daughter are in Grant.

The boyhood of Sylvester R. Fankboner

was passed on the farm, assisting in the making and operation of it until the attain- ment of his twenty-second year, when he was married to Miss Elizabeth Thompson, who died about eighteen months later, he, in the meantime, working in partnership with his father. His uncle-John Fankboner -- had been, since 1840, operating a flour mill at Jonesboro, and after the loss of his wife Sylvester R. decided to join him, and be- came his partner in the fall of 1860. His uncle was one of the best known men of the county, and the business became an ex- tensive and lucrative one, the mill being one of the largest and best of that section. The uncle finally retiring Sylvestor R. con- tinued the conduct of the mill with grati- fying success until 1878, when he sold the property, after having been the sole pro- prietor for about ten years.

Having acquired a handsome competence and feeling the confinement drawing upon his vitality, Mr. Fankboner decided to dis- continue the personal conduct of the prop- erty, and in 1878 sold the mill, retiring to his present beautiful home at the northern suburbs of the city. However, he was com- pelled to retake the mill property, and, re- alizing the demands of the times for modern machinery, he remodeled the plant on up- to-date lines, installing a complete, modern, full-roller process at an expense of fifty- four hundred dollars. When it was once more the leading mill of that part of the county he again sold it, but the purchaser failing to meet the obligations, he found it incumbent to take the property, not, how- ever, until it had been destroyed by fire.

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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 94

Author: Publication date: 1901 Publisher: Chicago: Bowen Number of Pages: 1000

Author:
Publication date: 1901
Publisher: Chicago: Bowen
Number of Pages: 1000