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 95
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114
The site of the present home of Mr. Fankboner on the Wabash pike, just north of the city, was entered by Jacob Smith, who
738
BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS.
was one of the widely known men of forty years ago. It contains two hundred acres of the choicest land and makes one of the most desirable country estates, the old house which had been erected by Mr. Smith many years ago, being one of the finest in the county at the time, even now possessing many features surpassing the more modern and pretentious mansions. The Fankboner rock quarries on the farm are the most valu- able in this section. They were first opened by D. R. McKinney, who operated them for many years. About six hundred dollars are required as an investment to operate them, giving employment to about ten men and producing something like five thousand perch of stone per annum. Giving the quarries his personal attention. he has made a marked success of them, finding ample market among the many contractors of the city for all that can be produced.
September 30, 1860, Mr. Fankboner political relations.
was married to Miss Jane Small, daughter of Reuben and Elizabeth (Shugart) Small, of Jonesboro. Reuben Small had been left an orphan and was reared in the family of Eli Overman, growing up by the side of Joel Overman, the well-known citizen of Marion. He and his brother Joshua erect- ed the first mill on Deer creek about 1840, later, in 1845. completing the mill at Jones- boro that became the property of Fankboner. His entire life was identified with the mill business, removing later to Wabash, where he continued to operate a similar plant un- til his death, at the age of seventy-five. His son Enoch still continues the business, being the most widely known miller in that part of the state.
The only child of the first marriage was Alice Fankboner, who died at the age of
twenty. The second family consists of William Arthur, who is the well-known physician of Marion ; Charles Oscar died at thirty; Alanzo died at twenty-seven, leav- ing a widow but three months after mar- riage : Luther is associated with his father in the operation of the quarries; Grace is Mrs. Frank Grinsted, of Marion; Albertus is a popular electrical engineer at Fort Wayne: and Harlan is a student in the senior class at Purdue University. Since the age of forty Mr. Fankboner has been an active and influential member of the Presby- terian church, and for more than thirty- five years has been a Mason. It has been his constant ambition to so live that others may profit by his example, never having indulged in those things that tend to weaken the body, but to conform his life to the demands of health as determined by the dictates of modern science. He is a Republican in his
GUNNAR TEILMANN.
In passing north from the city of Ma- rion, Indiana, when just beyond the limits, the traveler on the Huntington pike has his interest centered upon the establishment known as the Maple Heights Greenhouses, of which the proprietor is Gunnar Teilmann, the most advanced producer of flowering plants of any of those so engaged in this section of the state. This greenhouse was established but six years since and covers four acres, devoted almost exclusively to the growing of flowers and house plants. The investment demanded by such an en- terprise is about ten thousand dollars, and
739
BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS.
the fittings are of the most approved and tried apparatus, the heating being by the means of two large boilers. About twenty thousand square feet of glass are needed, the plant having several distinct houses un- der glass. Probably no other business has had such a remarkable growth during the past decade as that of the growing of flow- ers, every section of the country showing rapid strides in this matter, and many of the American growers having attained hand- some recognition in the older countries, where the business has received patronage from royalty for generations, thus proving the adaptability of the average citizen of this country to come to the front, no mat- ter in what line of action he may choose to operate.
The local demand and consumption of house-grown flowers has kept pace with the facilities of production, and that has quad- rupled within a space of ten years. A dec- ade since not a single greenhouse, worthy of the name, was in existence in Marion, while to-day there are at least uve or six which make considerable pretensions along this line. That of Mr. Teilmann has a wide trade that demands the most handsome as well as the large and growing home trade to which special attention is given, owing to the admirable training that its proprietor received in the older countries of Denmark and England enabling him to cater to that trade that demands the most handsome flowers, whether for general use or whether in the more artistic form of floral pieces, in the making of which he is an adept. The highest grade of these are made on short notice. As decorations for special occasions, as funerals or marriages. The business has grown beyond the fondest
expectations of the proprietor, the need of greater accommodations being keenly felt.
Mr. Teilmann was born in Denmark and was, from a boy of fourteen, reared inside of a greenhouse, thus becoming familiar with all the details of the growth and hand- ling of the choicest and rarest plants. There are few other lines of business that have so. many details to observe, and the attention to which can only insure success, such as the preparation of buildings, paying due re- gard to their location, to air and light, the heating and ventilation, the selection of soil and its arrangement, to say nothing of the subsequent care in watering and fertalizing, the selection and planting of seed, paying particular attention to the dates of plant- ing, the care and transplanting of the young shoots with the constant attention necessary to a successful results, must ever be borne in mind, each step being taken at the right time and in the right manner. "Eternal vigilance" was never more needed than in the operation of a greenhouse, as without it the entire work, thought and effort of dozens of men may be wasted. The de- mands of the market must be ever upper- most that the goods may be ready for sale when wanted. Take the one item of Easter lilies ; they must be handled all along their growth in an exact manner, any little mis- take causing total failure and loss. Every article grown in the modern greenhouse re- quires nearly as exacting consideration as does the lilies, so that the reader may thus realize something of the training necessary to know the business thoroughly.
For five years Mr. Teilmann served in the great establishments about London, where he became foreman and, later, man- ager. Upon coming to America he was five
740
BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS.
years near Philadelphia, coming to Marion in response to the request of an old friend, who, by the way, is the present florist at the Soldiers' Home. He soon became identi- fied with his present establishment, although he rented it for a time before deciding to remain permanently in Marion. Fondest hopes could not have been so sanguine as the actual realization has justified, the busi- ness under his able administration making rapid strides, increased facilities being now badly needed.
It is not amiss to note that Mr. Teilmann has already acquired a national reputation among florists and connoisseurs as the grower of the now famous "Major Ban- naffon" chrysanthemum, for which at ex- hibitions and shows he carried off for three consecutive years the first premiums at Chi- cago, St. Louis and Indianapolis, on this and other varieties. In 1900 he secured thirteen premiums in said three cities. This one fact speaks volumes for his devotion to the work and that those higher qualities of the æsthetical nature are well developed in his well-balanced mind.
In 1894, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mr. Teilmann married Elisa Morschhauser, a native of Germany. She came to America alone in 1892 and now has two children, Gunnar J. and Elizabeth M. Mrs. Teil- mann has proved a valuable helpmate to her husband, as their success is due to their united efforts. She assisted in the duties about the greenhouse and during her hus- band's absence looked after the business as well as her household duties.
In the fall of 1894 Mr. and Mrs. Teil- mann made a four-months tour of Europe, visiting Denmark, Germany, and seeing parts of other leading countries.
HON. SAMUEL C. WILSON.
Hon. Samuel C. Wilson has been a resi- dlent of Grant county, Indiana, for a period of sixty-three years, and is esteemed alike by old and young. He is a native of Ran- dolph county, North Carolina, where he first saw the light of day on October 14, 1834, and is next to the youngest in a fam- ily of twelve children born to John and Mary. (Winslow) Wilson. The parents were both natives of North Carolina, of which state they were citizens until 1837 when they lo- cated in Indiana, where they spent the re- mainder of their days, the father reaching the advanced age of eighty years when he was called to his reward on June 15, 1864, the mother rejoining him in the heavenly home in November, 1871.
John Wilson was a farmer by vocation and followed that employment in his native state until 1837 when the possibilities opened to the settlers in Indiana, induced him to bring his family to this state, when he loaded the family and chattels into a four- horse wagon, making the long, tedious trip in this manner. Arriving in Grant county, he bought three-quarters of a section of land of James Moorman, most of which was cov- ered with an excellent growth of timber. He erected a double log house which was the residence of the family for many years. Deer, bear and wolves were a common sight to the children occupying this little cabin, and deer were especially plentiful. At one time the boys ran a deer up to the fence and their sister Elizabeth killed it with club. Indians infested the forest, a dozen red men often passing their doorway in group.
Mr. Wilson was first a Whig in politics, but at the birth of the Republican party be-
741
BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS.
came associated with that organization and voted for their first candidate, John C. Fre- mont. He was an ardent admirer of Lin- coln and like that eminent lawyer, was a man of kindly heart and sterling worth. The last eight years of his life were spent in Fairmount and he assisted in building the first two churches erected there. He fa- vored the Friends Society, of which his wife was a consistent member, and their teachings have had a salutary effect on the lives of their children, five of whom survive them, viz. : Nancy, widow of Elim Daugherty, and a resident of Liberty township; Micajah, a retired gardener of Fairmount, who is a member of the Friends Society; Elizabeth, wife of William Cox, who died since these notes were taken, a farmer of Liberty town. ship and a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal church; Lindsey, also a Wesleyan Methodist and a retired farmer of Fair- mount ; and Samuel C.
Samuel C. Wilson was a child of two and one-half years when his parents came to this county, where he was educated and grew to manhood. The first school was of logs about sixteen feet square with puncheon floor, wide fireplace, and mud and stick chimney. The wood for replenishing the fire was cut by the scholars during the noon hour and the back log rolled into place by them. The seats were huge split logs sup- ported on wooden legs and without backs, while the desk upon which the pupils prac- ticed their writing with goose quill pens, were wide boards resting upon wooden pins driven into the walls, and light was admit+ ted through greased paper which was placed in the aperture made by leaving out a log, He remained at home until twenty-two, as- sisting in the development of the farm and
becoming a practical, methodical agriculture ist. Samuel C. started out on forty acres of improved land but with no cash, the land being located at what is known as Poplar Corner. He lived here eight years when he disposed of this property and bought one hundred and three acres of good land within a mile of Fairmount, which he has brought to its present state of improvement, placing thereon the pleasant home, commodiotis barns and outbuildings and durable fences which we see there to-day.
Mr. Wilson has been twice married, first to Miss Rachel Overman, who left no chil- dren, and after her death to Miss Elizabeth J. Jessup. This ceremony was celebrated January 10, 1867, and resulted in the birth of four sons, two of whom are living and esteemed citizens of this neighborhood. Lindsey is a prosperous farmer living just to the east of his father's residence, and is a shrewd, energetic young man. He attended the common schools and finished with two terms in the Fairmount Academy. He mar+ ried Miss Effie G. Davis, and is the father of two bright little children, Dorinda E. and Hubert Davis. Jessup, the younger son, is the genial and popular deputy post- master at Fairmount. He graduated from the common schools March 1, 1891, and fin- ished his education in the academy here. He prefers a commercial life to farming and previous to entering the post-office made a start in that direction by employing his time as salesman, where his brisk and up-to- date methods assured his success.
Mrs. Wilson, born in Rush county In- diana, October II, 1842, is a daughter of Thomas and Rebecca (Binford) Jessup. Thomas Jessup, born in Wayne county, died on his farm in 1891. His wife was a native
742
BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS.
of Randolph county, North Carolina, and (lied in 1891. Both were members in the Society of Friends and were filled with religious zeal. One son and three daugh- ters were born to them and all are res- idents of this state. Mrs. Wilson remained in Rush county until she was grown and there received her education. The greater part of the time it was necessary to walk two miles to reach the school, as they were not so thickly scattered over the country as at present. She is of that sanguine temper- ament that scatters sunshine about her path and has the rare faculty of making even tho stranger feel at home under her hospitable roof. They are members of the Friends' Society and liberal contributor to the cause. He assisted in building the Bock Creek church in which he is elder, and also con- tributed towards the erection of the brick building in Fairmount. The Bock Creek Society takes its name from a locality in North Carolina. Mr. Wilson is a strong Prohibitionist, but stands by the Republican party in the present crisis, as he is an advo. coate of the measures which he thinks will work to the greatest good to the masses. He has been chosen at various times to rep- resent his party at county and congressional conventions and has served as assessor. In in 1890 he was sent from Grant county to voice the wishes of his constituents in the halls of the state legislature.
JESSE H. RICH.
Jesse E. Rich lives on his farm in Fair- mount township and is favorably known throughout Grant county, Indiana, as a man
of integrity and a leading member of the Society of Friends. He was born in Ran- dolph county, North Carolina, in March, 1831, and is the youngest and only surviving member of a family of five children born to Ezekial Rich and Martha ( Hinshaw) Rich. Ezekial Rich was a native of the same local- ity and made farming the vocation of his life. He was a Whig and consistent mem- ber of the Quaker church, in which faith he died. His wife was also a native of North Carolina and both passed to their reward from that commonwealth where their entire lives had been passed.
Jesse H. Rich, when thirteen years old, came to Hamilton county, Indiana, with his uncle, remained there one year, then went to Howard county and thence came to Grant, arriving here in 1853. He was poor but honest, and his capital consisted in pluck and perseverance, two essential elements in the search for prosperity. Self-made men are the pride of the nation, and like the marble under the hand of the sculptor which is chiseled into forms of symmetry and beauty, the character is purified and strength- ened by rough contact with the world. His work here was clearing and grubbing trees from the forest, but the drudgery of this em- ployment held no terrors for Mr. Rich, who has literally chopped his way to success.
He has been twice married, first to Miss Mary Ann Radly, by whom he had two chil- dren, one of whom survives, namely : Alice. who is the wife of Eli Thomas, a prominent member of the Friends' Society. After the death of Mrs. Rich, Jesse H. was again united in marriage, the lady of his choice being Mrs. Mary ( Reeder) Osborne, and the ceremony solemnized March 8, 1867. Mrs. Rich had been previously married to
743
BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS.
Samuel L. Osborne on October 26, 1854, the marriage resulting in the birth of four children, three of whom are living, namely : Mahlen, a Christian gentleman who resides in Marion and follows the occupation of carpenter and joiner ; Sarah, wife of Marcus L. Goddes, a resident of Liberty township; and Jesse, who is now traveling in New Mexico in search of health. They are all married. Mr. Osborne was a prosperous man and was an old settler in this part of Grant county, the young people beginning their life on a tract of forty acres on which he afterwards died, and which forms part of present estate of Mrs. Rich. They were industrious and thrifty, and devout mem- bers of the Friends church in which they were married. He was a Carolinian. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Rich has been made glad by the birth of three sons and two daughters Those living are Rosetta, wife of P. Seal, a prominent farmer of this township, and a member of the Friends church; Leona, wife of Charles Price, a la- borer of Summittsville, this state, and also a devout member of the church; Sylvester. a resident of this township, who received an acedemic education; and Herman Ed- gar, who makes his home with his parents.
Thirty-three years of mingled sun and shade have sped on their course since this worthy couple began to travel the path of life together; often the clouds of adversity lowered, but eventually the silver lining ap- peared as the sun shone forth with renewed brilliancy and tinted the clouds with rain- bow hues of hope fulfilled. As their way advanced they held out a helping hand to the less fortunate brother, assisting him to renewed effort and counting his happi- ness their gain. Such natures could not
but have a beneficial effect on the commu- nity, their strong personality being a power for good that has caused them to be honor- ed in the councils of the Society of Friends, in which they are zealous workers. They gave material aid in the erection of the pretty brick structure in which that society now worships, also assisted in the building of Fairmount Academy, one of Grant coun- ty's excellent educational institutions, and are among the most influential members of Reverend Harvey's congregation. Their home consists of sixty-four acres of highly cultivated, well-improved land in Fairmount township, and they also own a lot in the vicinity of the academy. They are stanchi advocates of the principles of prohibition, and would rejoice in seeing the traffic abol- ished, believing with Benjamin Franklin that "temperance puts wood on the fire, meal in the barrel, flour in the tub, money in the purse, credit in the country, content- ment in the house, clothes on the back and vigor in the body."
JOHN SEALE.
John Seale, a leading agriculturist of Fairmount township, Grant county, Indi- ana, and one of the most influential members of the Friends' society, of Fairmount, occu- pies a prominent place in the community in which he resides. He was born December 27, 1827, in the village of Stock, near Chelms- ford, in the county of Essex, England, and is one of a family of seven children born to Elijah John and Elizabeth (Radley) Seale Of the four sons and three daughters who composed this family but four are living,
744
BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS.
two in their native land and two in America. The brother, William Perkins Seale, is a retired farmer of Fairmount and is prom- inently connected with the Friends' church.
John Seale took up the work of a hus- bandman at the age of fourteen, previous to which time his parents resided in a village near London, where he acquired a mod- erate education. At the age of twenty-one he came to the United States to lay the foundation of his future fortunes. Sailing from Liverpool on a steamer bound for New York, the voyage was prolonged for thirty- two days as a result of the machinery being out of repair, and the cry of land was a most welcome sound to the ears of the tired passengers. Landing at New York, he went up the Hudson river, then by rail to the lakes and by steamer to Toledo, Ohio, when he went by canal to La Gro, Indiana. Here he met a gentleman from Jonesboro who advised him to stay there until one of his wagons came up and then come on to Jonesboro with this rig, and then on foot from Osborn to Bear Creek, and he took up the life of an agriculturist in Grant county, entered seventy acres of land in Liberty township from the government under the seal of Zachary Taylor, the deed to which he still has; was married and settled down to hard work. This marriage was without issue. His second wife was Miss Amy Davidson, who bore him eight children, four of whom are living, namely: Elijah John; William Perry; Mary Ann, wife of Calvin Hancock; and Alvin. The eldest sons are farmers and all of them are men- bers of the Society Friends' church. Alvin is a member of the museum at Honolulu, has also been identified with the British museum and has received a superior edu-
cation, first attending Fairmount Academy and finishing with a course in Leland Stan- ford University, California.
Mrs. Seale departed this life on April 18, 1874, and on September 21, 1875, Mr. Seale placed at the head of his household, Miss Asenath Rich, whose kind, indulgent nature and sympathetic heart have converted her house into an ideal home where peace and sunshine reign. She was born in Ham- ilton county, Indiana, September 21, 1842, and is a daughter of Joseph and Marian (Newby) Rich. She came with her par- ents to this county when she was nine years old and here received her education. Three children have blessed her union and give 'promise of a bright future: Joseph P., who graduated from the Ann Arbor Uni- versity, Michigan, in the class of 1898. and is a physician and surgeon now practicing his profession in one of the Chicago hos- pitals, where he is meeting with flattering success and is sparing no pains to become eminent in his chosen work; Bertha E. was graduated from the Fairmount Academy in the class of 1900, and is now taking a higher course of study in Earlham College, Richmond. She has also received a musical education : Lizzie C., expects to graduate from Fairmount Academy in the class of 1901.
Mr. Seale and his estimable wife are highly honored members of the Friends' Society, and count their greatest labor well given if a fellow mortal's load is lightened or a smile is brought to the care-worn brow of sorrow. They assisted in the erection of two beautiful churches in this locality and were leading factors in the purchase of land and the subsequent erection of the academy at an outlay of great expense, but the insti-
745
BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS.
tution is managed in a judicious manner and reflects credit on the county. They have a decided stand in favor of educational ad- vancement and are identified with every upward movement in the locality. Mr. Seale is a Republican ankl takes an intelli- gent interest in current events, believing that the present policy of the administration is conductive of the best possible results. He has prospered in his business and has laid up a goodly share of this world's goods, his holdings in this and Liberty town- ship amounting to three hundred and forty- one acres. Their home is delightfully sit- uated. It is an imposing brick structure and occupies an eminence which furnishes a commanding view of the entire village of Fairmount, and here are they seen to best advantage when giving hospitality to friend and neighbor.
Mr. Seale has in his possession two vol- umes well worthy of mention, as they are curios rarely met with. One is a "Travel- ler's Pocket Farrier," published in 1755, and the other, even more interesting, is an old English Bible which is certainly a curios- ity in the way of books and bears the date of 1533. Both are well preserved and are valuable heirlooms.
JOHN N. C. WOELFEL.
John N. C. Woelfel, secretary and gen- eral manager for the Indiana Brewing Asso- ciation at Marion is one of four children born unto Karl and Eliza (Dittmar) Woel- fel, natives of Bavaria, Germany, where they still reside. Karl Woelfel was born in the month of January, 1833, and when he grew to manhood chose the vocation of 46
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.