USA > Indiana > Greene County > Biographical memoirs of Greene County, Ind. : with reminiscences of pioneer days, Volume II > Part 6
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beth, wife of the subject: Jacob lives in Kansas; Eliza is deceased : David is also deceased : Frank is living in Kan- sas: Henry lives in Nebraska: Carrie lives in Greene county : John and George were soldiers in the Civil war, the former dying while in service.
The subject and wife had eight children: The first two died unnamed: Andrew, who lives in Portland, Ore- gon. married Rosa Clark: Edward. the subject's fourth son, who lives in Worthington. Indiana, married Emma Love and they have two children. Iris and Albert; Ade- rella is the name of the subject's fifth child, who is the wife of Granville Stewart. a farmer in Richland town- ship : they have four children, Ruby Dessa. John W., Dex- ter and Lexie Lee. The subject's sixth child is Tona, who lives at Jasonville, Indiana. She married Ray Ba- ker. They have three children. John D., Mildred E. and Elnora. Charles. the subject's seventh child, died in in- fancy, and the last one died unnamed.
Mr. Osburn is a Republican and he held the office of supervisor of his home township for a period of twelve years. He is a member of the Methodist church. while Mrs. Osburn is a member of the Church of God.
WILLIAM JEFFERSON MCINTOSH.
The annals of Greene county would certainly be in- complete without a record of the life history of this very early pioneer, whose life was closely interwoven with the history of the county in the early days. Numerous rep-
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resentatives of the family are still residents of the county, and through their prominence and activity contribute much to the history of Greene county of today.
There is a well founded tradition that the McIntosh family now under consideration are lineal descendants of General McIntosh of Revolutionary fame, and later a United States congressman from Georgia, but since much of all history back of a hundred years is traditional, and often well founded, we may be pardoned for here in- troducing this means of tracing a family genealogy. Wil- liam J. McIntosh was a son of William McIntosh, of pure Scotch antecedents, though how far removed is not defi- nitely known.
The subject of this review was born in Bath county, Kentucky, July 10, 1802, and died in Greene county, In- diana, September 13, 1876. He was reared on a farm near the Licking river in Kentucky, and when a young man of twenty embarked with his parental family on board a house boat, known as a "pirogue," and floated down the Licking into the Ohio, thence down the Ohio to the mouth of the Wabash, up the latter by poling, con- tinuing their way under many hardships and dangers, up the White river to near the mouth of the Eel river, where they disembarked and settled on the east side of White river, in 1822. (Another reliable authority fixes this date as 1821.) This trip, covering eleven hundred miles, was made in forty days, though the perils of such a jour- ney cannot be estimated in days and weeks. They were traveling over unknown waters, through a country then scarcely known to the white man, the adjacent forests abounding in wild animals, and, perhaps, wild men.
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Though the Indians had been subdued and mostly driven away, there yet remained parties of prowlers bent on re- venge for real or fancied wrongs. Then the country to which they were going was wild and unsettled, and their "homecoming" was no more alluring than the long and dangerous voyage. Establishing a home in the wilder- ness, they at once began the laborious work of clearing up a farm and producing the means of subsistence. The for- ests yielded a rich harvest in all kinds of wild game, and the reveries of the finny tribe had scarcely been disturbed. Those were the days, too, when there was such a thing as "pure maple sugar," and this was a source of satisfaction not enjoyed to the full by present-day citizens.
William J. McIntosh, with whose history this sketch has most to do, was a young man of religious turn of mind and frequently preached to the pioneers with whom he came in contact, and while filling an appointment in Marion county met his future wife in the person of Sarah Negley. to whom he was wedded on the 12th of May, 1829. She was born in Ohio, September 22, 1810, and died in Greene county, Indiana, November 12, 1890. They established a home near Fall creek, where they lived for a number of years, probably until 1837. Four of their eleven children were born there, the names of their family being Peter, Caroline, Elizabeth, Jacob Perry, Dil- lian, Amanda, Galen, David Negley, Celia Buskirk, Wil- liam Reed and Edward West. Of this family six are liv- ing, viz. : Jacob ePrry ( see personal sketch), Dillian, Ga- len, Celia, William Reed and Edward West. The first named, Hon. Jacob P., is a resident of Worthington, In- (liana ; Dillian is a resident of Mountain View, Oklahoma :
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Galen lives at Hamburg, Iowa ; Celia resides at Newark, Indiana ; William Reed is a resident of Los Angeles, Cal- ifornia, though not heard from in many years; he is be- lieved to be living. Edward West, the youngest of the family, is a prosperous attorney at Gotebo, Oklahoma. It will thus be seen that the six survivors of this large family now represent five different states and are far separated from each other, though no doubt the love of "home en- vironments" is with each a precious memory. No friend is like the youthful companions of childhood and the char- acter-forming period of early youth.
About 1837, as previously intimated. William J. Mc- Intosh removed his family from Marion county to Greene and here his days were ended. He was one of the early sheriffs of the county and served six years in that office. He was so closely attached to the peaceful and quiet life of the farmer that he did not move his family to the coun- ty seat when elected, but continued his home on his farm. He was a man of very strong domestic ties, an exemplary husband and kind and indulgent father, a friend to every- body-a man who daily tried to make the world better for his having lived. He was a friend to humanity in general, liberal to a fault and helpful in every avenue of human ef- fort. Unscrupulous persons took advantage of his generous impulses and he often rendered aid to unworthy applicants, and frequently indorsed with people who left him to pay their debts. For these reasons, he never accumulated wealth, but probably enjoyed earning money for others, even when unworthily bestowed. The later years of his life were embittered by incurable disease, and from 1861 until his death he was a helpless cripple from sciatic
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rheumatism, though he had been partially crippled from early life. But during the later years of his life he suf- fered intensely, and was bed-ridden, or at best only able to move about with the aid of crutches, and that in great pain. But he bore his sufferings with a degree of patience seldom manifested in human existence. He was always cheerful, always ready to receive calling friends and greet them in the old way so well known to them. This bright and sunny temperament remained with him through all his sufferings, and he went to his grave as he had lived, trying to cheer and brighten the lives of others. He served the people in different official capacities twenty-one years while living in Greene county, and his record as a citizen and official was without a blot or stain.
In religious views he was a believer in the doctrine of universal salvation, but was not intolerant of others views, and contributed liberally to the support of the gospel of whatever name. At the time of his death he was a member of the Christian church.
JAMES MANAUGH CRAVENS.
James Manaugh Cravens, of Richland township, was born in Clark county, Indiana, April 13, 1837. In about 1838 the family moved to Jefferson county, where he attended the public schools, working on his father's farm during the summer months. In April, 1862, he came to Greene county, locating one mile north of Bloomfield. In 1899 he bought the place where he now lives, which was formerly owned by Abel J. Fausett.
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He raises draft horses, Hereford cattle, mules and several varieties of good hogs, besides, carrying on general farming. He was proprietor of a drug store in Bloomfield for several years and taught sev- eral terms of school and was county commissioner for two terms. He has always been active in Democratic poli- tics. He married Elizabeth Martin, of Jefferson county, who died in 1863. His second wife was Angelia M. Buckner, a widow of Edward R. Buckner, of Worthing- ton. She died April 5, 1899. He had no children by his first wife, but had three by his second, viz: John A .. a real estate dealer in Bloomfield, Indiana. He married Cora Williams. They have four children: Frank, Thomas, George, Mary ; Carrie Cravens died at the age of twenty-one years. James D. was the third child of the subject. He married Emma Porter, of Greene county. They have four children: Angelia, James, Thomas and Ione; James D. has always been a farmer with his father.
The subject's father was John C. Cravens, a native of Pennsylvania, and coming to Clark county, Indiana, married Nancy Manaugh, of Wheeling, West Virginia. John C. Cravens was a son of Samuel Cravnes, of Penn- sylvania, who married Mary Coleman. They came from Pennsylvania to Clark county, Indiana, in early youth, where he followed teaching and farming and where he died. His wife died in Jefferson county. They had eight children. James Manaugh, the subject's grand- father, was a native of Ireland, who came to this country when six years old and married Mary Hutchinson, of Virginia. They moved to Bethlehem, Clark county, In- diana, with their parents, where James followed his trade
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of cabinet maker. He also farmed. John C. Cravens had but little education, preferring to remain at home during his youth and take care of his parents. He went to Jefferson county, Indiana. in 1839, where he secured wild land, which he cleared and resided on until he died. soon followed by his wife. They had twelve children. namely : Mary Adeline, who is single, living on the old homestead ; James M., the subject of this sketch ; Samuel C., a doctor at Bloomfield for many years, died Septem- ber 5. 1904: Henriet Angeline, widow of Lee A. Riley, living in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma ; John L., a real estate dealer, who lives in Linton : Elizabeth, single, who lives on the old homestead ; Thomas, a physician, who lives in Oklahoma City: Robert S., a druggist, living at Roswell, New Mexico; William, a Presbyterian minister, living in Chandler, Oklahoma; Martha, single, living on the old homestead : Elmer, a physician, of Linton, and Milton, a physician of Arlington, Texas.
WILLIAM HENRY MANSFIELD.
By Alice Mansfield.
The subject of this sketch resides at Bloomfield, In- (liana, and was born September 7, 1862, on the old Rock Spring farm, about one mile east of Koleen, Greene county, where he grew to manhood. At the age of twenty years he was employed as a clerk in a dry goods store by the firm of Maple & Company, at Koleen. After
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one year of service he bought the store and went into business for himself and has been in the mercantile busi- ness ever since, covering a period of about twenty-six years. He was married to Alice Edington on March 8, 1884. To them were born three boys, Lester, Vactor and Vero. The last two named died when still quite young. Lester, the oldest of the family, and only surviving child, is now twenty-three years old, living at Bloomfield, and is traveling salesman for the firm of Brinkmeyer, Kuhn & Company, of Indianapolis. He was married to Dollie Ramsey, March 12, 1904, and they have two sons, Wayne Lester, two and one-half years old, and Dale August, born in 1908.
William Henry Mansfield's father, whose name was also William Henry Henry Mansfield, was born in Ohio, and came to Indiana in the lear 1840. He took part in the Civil war, being a member of the Ninety-seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and died within twelve miles of Vicksburg, when William H. Mansfield, junior, was but one year old. The subject's mother, Jane Baker, was the daughter of Robert and Sarah Baker, one of a family of twelve children, nine boys and three girls. Robert Baker, her father, was born in Tennessee and was at one time coroner of the county ; also a bear hunter, and kept a pet bear in his home; this bear was very disobedient to everyone excepting "Uncle Bobby." When he was away from home it would get up in the middle of the bed, and no persuasion or commanding by the wife could in- duce him to leave his comfortable position until his mas- ter returned; then with many snarls and growls he was ejected. Sarah Christenbury, wife of Robert Baker, was
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from Virginia. They were members of the Baptist church.
After the death of William Henry Mansfield his wife, Jane Baker Mansfield, was married to Jasper N. Hardisty, another veteran of the Civil war, who answered the last roll call nine years ago the twenty-eighth of September.
William Henry Mansfield, our subject's paternal grandfather, Jacob Mansfield, was born in Germany in 1774. His wife, Christina, in Switzerland. Jacob came with his parents to Pennsylvania in 1776, and later came to Indiana, settling near Robinson, Greene county, in 1849. He was the father of twenty-one children. Riley Mansfield, the nineteenth in order of birth and the only surviving one of the family, is now living in a part of the old-fashioned double log house, with an entry between, which was his grandfather's home. "Uncle Jakey," as Grandfather Mansfield was commonly called, was a great bear hunter, and at one time he entered a bear den with only a butcher's knife as a weapon and carried away two cubs and raised them for pets. In his religion he adhered to the Baptist faith, and an old legend is handed down through the generations that at one time when "Uncle Jakey" was washing his feet with the brethren he said to the man next to him, "I God, Brother Rollins, you draw my boots, and I'll draw yours." He was a major in the War of 1812, and also fought in the Black Hawk war; he died at the age of ninety-three.
Alice Edington Mansfield, wife of our subject, was born March 18, 1858, on what is still known as the old Edington farm, near Koleen, Greene county, Indiana.
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She was a daughter of Thomas and Ursula Edington, being one of a family of eight children, two of whom died in infancy. Those living are Leroy W. Edington, near Koleen; Pearl McGlaughlin in Koleen; W. W. Ed- lington, in Bloomfield, sheriff of Greene county ; Alice A. Mansfield, Bloomfield; E. W. Edington, deputy sheriff, Bloomfield, and Leonard Edington, near Koleen.
Alice Edington was raised on the farm and had her wits ground in the old Edington school house with the Edington, Ashcraft and Hardisty children, of which the community at that time was principally made up. She chose teaching as a profession and began at the tender age of fifteen years. She was the first lady teacher in Jackson township, and had to take a girl friend with her or be the only woman at the township institutes, which were usually held at Owensburg. She taught thirteen terms of school, the first as a helper to another teacher, for twenty-five cents a day and the privilege of reciting her own lesson, which she would prepare at night. She had the pleasure in after years of seeing some of her pupils become very important factors of Greene county and elsewhere.
Thomas Edington, her father, was born in Ohio and came to Greene county, Indiana, in 1855. He was a farmer by occupation, but taught in the public schools during the winter seasons. Three of his brothers, Elijah, Aquilla and Edward, were in the war; Elijah was captain. The ancestors of the Edington's were from England. Some of the old Edingtons were immensely wealthy, and were quite important factors in the Revolu- tionary war, one being a major. Their fortune was lost
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by loaning the government their money and taking what was called "continental money, "which was repudiated by the government and was not worth anything. It was said that one Edington had so much gold in a sack that his wife could not lift it from the floor. They very prop- erly belong to the middle class; as far as we have any knowledge of them not one ever had to lie in jail or be punished for crime, or beg for bread.
Ursula ( Moore) Edington, mother of Mrs. Mans- field, was of Scotch-Irish descent, born in Ohio; her par- ents, John I. and Penina Moore, both dying when she was quite young, she and one brother, W. R. Moore, be- ing all that is left of the family. They were raised by their grandparents, the Fergusons, who were from Scot- land. William R. Moore was a fifer in the Civil war, was also a successful lawyer and a poet of some note, his Irish wit being clearly shown in his writings. The grand- mother of these children kept a wayside inn in the time of stage coaches. Ursula was married to Thomas Eding- ton, and came to Greene county with him, where they set- tled on the above mentioned Edington farm in about 1855.
It can truly be said of some of our fathers that they were the pathfinders of Greene county. They were not exactly the settlers of bear hunting times, but when the country was still a wilderness and wild hogs and tur- keys were the principal meat, and log-rolling and house- raising, flax-pulling, quilting and husking-bees the only amusements. Our mothers were the Pricillas of the county, as they helped to pull the flax; then break, "scutch" and "hackle" it; then their John Aldens would
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hold while they wound it on a distaff to be spun by them on a little spinning wheel into thread to be woven into cloth for various uses about the home. Our mother's little spinning wheel is being kept as a relic and is the property of Alice Mansfield.
JOHN STEWART.
Holding worthy prestige among his fellow citizens of Greene county, Indiana, the subject of this article has richly earned the respect and confidence of those with whom he has been brought into contact. For many years he has been actively identified with the material interests of this part of the state, contributing also to its advance- ment educationally and morally, but now in the evening of a long and arduous life, after retiring from active participation in the affairs of men, he is spending the residue of his days in the enjoyment of that rest and quietude to which his efforts so well entitle him.
John Stewart is a native of Washington county, Pennsylvania, and one of eight children, whose parents, William and Martha (McMun) Stewart, were also born and reared in the state of Pennsylvania. The subject's paternal grandfather was a Pennsylvania farmer and a soldier in the War of 1812. He spent the greater part of his life in the state of his nativity and there died a number of years ago, honored and esteemed by a large circle of neighbors and friends. William Stewart was also a tiller of the soil and followed that calling in Penn-
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sylvania until 1842, when he moved to Washington county, Ohio, thence in 1866 changed his residence to Greene county, Indiana, where he spent the remainder of his days, departing this life September 16, 1876, his wife preceding him to the grave in October of the previous year.
John Stewart was born May 17, 1830, and spent the first twelve years of his life on the family homestead in Pennsylvania, accompanying his parents to Ohio in 1842. In such subscription schools as his native county afforded he obtained the rudiments of a practical education and after moving to Ohio attended at intervals during the winter seasons the public schools until completing the course of study then in vogue. In the meantime he was taught the lessons of industry and frugality on the home farm and attended to the duties of the same until 1865. when he responded to the country's call for volunteers by enlisting in Company F, One Hundred and Seventy-ninth Ohio Infantry, with which he served until the latter part of the same year, his command the meanwhile participat- ing in several battles and minor engagements, the most important of which being the actions at Nashville and Franklin, Tennessee. After his discharge Mr. Stewart resumed farming in Ohio, but the following year removed to Indiana and purchased eighty acres of land in Greene county, only a small part of which was improved. To the clearing and developing of this place he now devoted his energies, and in due time reduced his land to a suc- cessful state of tillage, besides adding to it at intervals until the tract was increased to one hundred and forty acres, which he has improved with good buildings and
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converted into one of the finest country homesteads in Richland township. On this place he lived and thrived for a period of thirty-five years, at the expiration of which time he disposed of his farm and purchased a com- fortable and commodious home in Bloomfield, where, as already indicated he is now living a life of honorable retirement, respected and esteemed by all who know him. Mr. Stewart was a model farmer, who cultivated the soil according to the most approved and modern methods, and by good management, consecutive industry and econ- omy succeeded in amassing a competency for his declin- ing years, being at this time in independent circumstances with a sufficiency of this world's goods to render his fu- ture free from care.
On February 3, 1859, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Stewart and Mary Ann Johnson, daughter of Wil- liam Johnson. To this union were born three children, whose names are given, as follows: Margaret E., de- ceased : Martha E., now the widow of Sherman Blivens, has three children living; Asenath L., married Owen Buzzard, of Linton, and is now the mother of two chil- dren.
Mrs. Stewart departed this life June 2, 1868, and on February 10th of the following year Mr. Stewart chose a second wife in the person of Susan Hopkins, who bore him one child, Joseph William, who was called to the silent land June 28, 1887, being at the time of his death just sixteen years and a few months old.
Mr. Stewart is a Republican in politics and in reli- gion subscribes to the creed of the United Presbyterian church, to which body his parents belonged, as does also
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his wife. Thus briefly has been set forth the leading facts of the career of one of Greene county's most praise- worthy citizens. He has led a life full of activities and is now rounding out a career of honor and usefulness, living quietly in his commodious home in Bloomfield, where he is surrounded by all the comforts that ample means can suggest.
WILLIAM GORDON.
William Gordon was a native of Monroe county, Indiana, born June 21, 1845. He was the son of James and Martha ( Marshall) Gordon. His father was an early settler in Monroe county, coming from South Car- olina. The mother was a native of Monroe county. On coming to Greene county they settled in Taylor township, where they lived until his death in 1880, and her death occurred in Nebraska in 1902. They were both mem- bers of the Presbyterian church. In politics he was an adherent to Republican principles.
They had six children born to them-William, Hugh, Riley, Ann G., wife of James Carey, of Nebraska ; Sarah J., wife of Jolin Hogue, of Nebraska, and Nancy F., wife of Joseph Erwin, now living in Nebraska.
William, the subject of our sketch, was raised on a farm in Monroe and Greene counties. Like all those who lived in that day, their educational facilities were some- what limited, but he availed himself of the advantages the common schools of the time afforded, and obtained a fair education. He remained at home until after his
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marriage, which occurred April 7, 1872, with Angeline Phillips, daughter of Alvin and Sarah Jane ( Hattabaugh) Phillips. She was a native of Greene county, of which her parents were early settlers, and was born March 9. 1855. To Mr. and Mrs. Gordon were born three chil- dren-Emma, wife of John Scarbrough, who now lives in Newberry, Indiana. To them were born three chil- dren, Myrtle, Ora Lee and Mildred; Rena L., wife of Robert McCain. To them came one child, Francis. They live in Elnora ; and Eva, wife of George Kidd, now lives in Bloomfield.
After Mr. and Mrs. William Gordon were married they immediately went on a farm in Taylor township, which he improved, making it a desirable home during his life. Here they lived, beloved by a host of friends and neighbors, until his death, which occurred October 20, 1900. He was an earnest, consecrated Christian, a faithful and consistent member of the Presbyterian church. He was a loving husband, a kind and indulgent father, and had made provision for future days, which for some reason he was not permitted to live and enjoy. His widow now lives in Bloomfield and is a member of the Baptist church. He was a Republican in politics and a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
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