USA > Indiana > Greene County > Biographical memoirs of Greene County, Ind. : with reminiscences of pioneer days, Volume III > Part 12
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Our subject was married in 1872 to Elizabeth Hase- man, of Stockton township, the daughter of Detrick Haseman. Five chidlren have been born to this union, all living in this township and all favorably known for their honesty and industry. The children of the subject and wife are: John, Lizzie, William, Herbert and Her- man. The subject and his good wife worship at the German Reformed church. Mr. Bredeweg has never re- turned to the land of his birth, being contented to spend his declining years in the shade of his own "vine and fig tree" in the land of his adoption, where he can honestly enjoy the respite from a life of hard endeavor and the well earned fruits of his early toils.
DAVID O. SQUIRE.
By his own unaided efforts the gentleman whose rec- ord we now examine has worked his way from a modest beginning to a position of prosperty and influence, and the systematic and honest methods he has employed have
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won him the unbounded confidence of his fellow citizens in Stafford township. Greene county, Indiana, and, hav- ing such a splendid start at such an early age, the future of his career is most flattering. David O. Squire first saw the light of day August 1, 1870, in Wright town- ship, this county, being the son of Nathan and Sarah C. ( Bonham) Squire, the former a native of Columbus, Ohio, but who has been in Greene county, Indiana, since 1859. now living in Stafford township, where he is known as an active worker in politics.
In 1878 our subject came with his parents to Staf- ford township, and has remained here since that time, re- ceiving a common school education and starting on his business career early in life, in which he has always pros- pered. He now has a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres, partly in Stafford and partly in Washington town- ships, and he also owns and operates a saw-mill and an up-to-date threshing outfit. Although these require a great deal of his time, he devotes all the attention possi- ble to his farm, which is well improved and successfully managed in every respect, and is worth one hundred dol- lars per acre. He also owns an interest in five hundred acres of land in Morgan county, which is heavily tim- bered.
Mr. Squire has had a vast experience in the timber business and he has made most of his property by buy- ing and sawing timber. He has a beautiful residence of ten. rooms, thoroughly up-to-date and beautiful sur- roundings.
The subject's wife was Sarah E. Haywood, a wo- man of splendid traits, who has borne him four promising children, namely: Nathan E., Walter, Myrtle and Pearl.
GREENE COUNTY, INDIANA.
Mr. Squire is a Republican in political belief and he formerly took an active part in local politics and became quite popular with his fellow voters in the Republican party, having been nominated and elected county com- missioner in 1903. After serving very successfully one term he refused a second nomination, which his party was anxious to have him accept. He also refused the nomination for county treasurer.
Mr. Squire stands in the front rank of Greene coun- ty's honorable and industrious citizens, and he has won the highest respect from all his acquaintances owing to his well ordered life.
WILLIAM L. PARKS.
The family to which the subject of this sketch be- longs is widely known throughout Greene county, where it has been represented for many years and the reputa- tions of its various members for honorable manhood and womanhood and sterling citizenship is second to that of no other family in this part of the state. C. M. D. Parks, the subject's father, was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, in 1830, married there when a young man Mary E. Rich- creek, whose birth occurred in 1830 in Virginia, and in 1856 moved to Greene county, Indiana, locating on a farm in Wright township, where he still lives, Mrs. Parks having died in March of the year 1905. All of the eight children born to this couple are living, their names be-
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ing as follows: Almeda J., wife of William Daugherty, of Wright township: Mrs. Hannah C. Ricketts lives in that township also, as does Mrs. Miranda E. Moss ; James P., the fourth in order of birth, resides at Evansville, In- diana ; William L. is the fifth of the family, after whom comes Charles F., a painter of Wright township: Mary E., who married Henry Houghten, and Lewis A., an em- ploye of the Atlas mine, in which he holds the position of checkman. C. M. D. Parks was a member of the In- diana militia during the Civil war and served in various capacities throughout the state under the direction of Governor Morton. He has long been one of the repre- sentative agriculturists of the township of Wright and is now living in honorable retirement, being the possessor of a sufficiency of this world's goods to make him in- dependent.
William L. Parks first saw the light of day on the family homestead July 29. 1863, and grew to mature years familiar with all the details of farm life. His educational discipline embraced the common school branches, and he began his independent career as a farmer, to which hon- orable calling he devoted his attention for about twenty years, in the meantime becoming quite skilled as a cabinet maker, his father having carried on that line of mechan- ical work for some years at the home place. In the year 1882 Mr. Parks established himself in carriage build- ing and repairing at Linton and has continued the same to the present time, being now the proprietor of a large and thoroughly equipped establishment, in which all kinds of work in his line is done with neatness and dispatch. confining himself to the carriage industry in its every
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detail. His business has grown steadily in volume and the high reputation of the vehicles which he turns out, together with the superior order of workmanship in all that he does, lias given him wide publicity, and to meet the constantly increasing demands on his establishment he keeps employed quite a number of mechanics selected with especial reference to efficiency and skill. He has achieved merited success in the industry which he has built up. and in addition to his large place of business owns a beau- tiful home adjoining and is well situated to enjoy the lib- eral income of which he is the recipient.
Mr. Parks is unswerving in all his allegiance to the Republican party, and while active and even aggressive in upholding its principles, numbers his friends by the score, irrespective of political ties, as his election to the office of township trustee in 1904 in a township normally Democratic by nearly five hundred majority abundantly attests, being the only Republican ever elected to that office in the township of Stockton. Few men in the county enjoy as large a measure of personal popularity and none stands any higher than he in the confidence and esteem of the public. His voice and influence have ever been in favor of progress and improvement, and for many years his name has been closely associated with the measures and movements having for their object the wel- fare of his fellow men.
In the year 1890 occurred the marriage of Mr. Parks and Lorena J. Dowell, daughter of James Lewis Dowell, of Grant township. Greene county. Mrs. Parks' birth- place was in Monroe county, of which part of the state her family were early pioneers. Mr. and Mrs. Parks
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have five children, namely: Roy D., Wayne, Madalene, Bob D. and Mary. The three eldest are pupils in the city schools. In their religious faith the subject and wife hold to the Methodist creed, being respected mem- bers of the church in Linton and active in the various lines of good work under the auspices of the same.
Mrs. Parks' people came originally from North Car- olina and, as already indicated, were among the pioneer settlers of Monroe county, where the name Dowell has been widely and favorably known for many years. They have long been noted for physical vigor and longevity, the majority of the family having lived to ripe old age, an aunt of Mrs. Parks, now living, having reached the remarkable age of ninety-eight years and is in full pos- session of nearly all of her faculties, physical and mental. The father of Mrs. Parks died in this county some years ago, her mother at the present time being a resident of Linton.
JOSEPH LEONARD.
The subject was born in Fayette county, North Car- olina, July 21, 1818, and died near Owensburg, Greene county, Indiana, July 8, 1907, living nearly eighty-nine years. His long life was one of mingled joys and sor- rows, but useful and successful, so that he has left his family a heritage of which they can justly be proud. He was one of the pioneers of Greene county, having come there in 1839 when he entered government land, which he turned into a desirable farm and built a good home,
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in which he lived during the remainder of his life. When he came to Indiana he walked all the way from his native state and carried all his personal effects, and, in fact, all the property he had, done up in a bandana handkerchief. having followed a wagon across the mountains and as far as what is now Indianapolis, where he left his friend and came alone from there to the place where he desired to locate, having made the trip to Springville, Indiana. in a single day.
He was married August 27, 1840, to Sophronia Lyons, who died March 30, 1888. Seven children were born to this union, as follows: Leander P., Nancy A., Kate. Richard J., a physician of St. Louis, Missouri : Thomas J. lived on the old homestead and died in early life.
The subject and wife united with the Baptist church at Springville, Indiana, and were baptized by Elder Thomas N. Robinson, shortly afterward transferring their membership to Owensburg, and always lived conse- crated Christian lives. Mr. Leonard attributed his long life and robust health to the regularity of his habits. He was prompt and honest in all his dealings with his friends and neighbors. He was a staunch Republican in politics and voted at every presidential election since 1840. He was a great admirer of Lincoln, Grant and Mckinley ; also Roosevelt. Being a great reader, he was always better posted on the affairs of the country in general than most men, and he kept especially close to the actions of President Roosevelt, keeping in sympathy with all the important acts of his remarkable administration. When Mr. Leonard died it was said of him that he left many friends, but no enemies.
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MOSES RITTER.
Prominent among the pioneer settlers of southern Indiana was Moses Ritter, deceased, whose life became closely identified with the advance of the industrial in- terests of the country. He was born in North Carolina on September 2, 1797, being the son of James Ritter, a farmer and a preacher of the Baptist faith, who ended his days in that state. When Moses was about twenty- two years of age he joined the tide of emigration to the West and North, coming across the mountains into Ken- tucky and thence northward into Indiana. He arrived at Salem and became engaged as a mechanic and carpenter. After some time he came to Newberry. Greene county, and there started the first dry-goods store that did busi- ness in the town. Coming later (in 1850) to Bloomfield, he set on foot a plant for the manufacture of wagons and cabinet goods. After conducting this for a time he entered again into the dry-goods business, coupling with it the handling of general merchandise. His was a busy life, for he let no time pass by unimproved. He kept his hands busy as well as his mind, and was enabled to see his business ventures attain to material success.
In the course of time, however. his general health be- gan to be impaired, and it soon became evident that he would have to relax from active work, and he accord- ingly retired. He passed to his well-deserved rest in 1871.
In 1819 Mr. Ritter was united in marriage to Ach- sah O'Neal, at Salem, Indiana. She was the daughter of John and Hepsibah (Gilbert) O'Neal, Quakers of the
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purest type, whose home had been in the South, where they owned a large plantation. On account of slavery they left the South in 1818 and came to Salem, Indiana. Later they made their home at Newberry, practically founding that place. Here Mr. O'Neal carried on farm- ing and spent the remainder of his days in that vicinity. He was a public-spirited man, and his devout tempera- ment made a lasting impression on the life of the com- munity.
Mrs. Ritter survived her husband until March 6. 1873. In their later years the Ritters affiliated with the Methodist church. They were the parents of five chil- dren-Mary Ann, who was married to William Mason. died in the year of her marriage, 1843: Hepsibah, born January 12. 1825, is still living at an advanced age in Bloomfield. She was married on March 7. 1860, to George Grismore, a farmer, who died February 14, 1867. Her only son, Belton D., died on December 6, 1900; WVil- liam D., born April 7, 1827, a farmer and historical writer of known ability in Richland township: Eliza Ellen, born October 28, 1831, is now living at Bloomfield, having married William W. Gainey in April. 1855: Emma R .. born May 24. 1835, now lives in Bloomfield. On June 25, 1861, she was married to Henry C. Hill, whose biog- raphy is in this history.
Moses Ritter became a member of the Whig party upon its organization, and later joined the Republican ranks. His life was not all for self, however. He served at one time as county treasurer, and was for many years the justice of the peace. He was a strong temperance ad- vocate, and an enthusiastic adherent of the Federal
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Union. While he stood firmly and solidly for such poli- cies as he felt were just and right, yet he avoided being a narrow and uncompromising enthusiast. He felt that justice is bound to come to those who deserve it, and in this belief he went calmly forth in the conscientious dis- charge of his regular duties.
HON. GILBERT H. HENDREN.
Gilbert H. Hendren, journalist, political leader, ed- itor and publisher of The Bloomfield Democrat, is a na- tive of Franklin county, Ohio, and the only child of Lewis C. and Joanna (Dorsey) Hendren, the former born in 1832 in Delaware county, that state, the latter in the town of Dresden in the year 1835. Hiram Hendren, the subject's grandfather, was a man of more than local repute in the early history of Ohio, having represented the Columbus district in the state legislature and served as chairman of the committee on public buildings, besides taking an influential part in the general deliberations of that body. The great-grandfathers on both sides of the family were Revolutionary soldiers, and a large number of their descendants and relatives served in the Civil war, some in the Union army, while others espoused the cause of the Confederacy.
Gilbert H. Hendren was born March 29, 1857, in the town of Canal Winchester, Ohio, and inherits many of the traits and characteristics for which his Scotch- Irish and English ancestry were distinguished. After finishing the studies constituting the common school
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HON. GILBERT H. HENDREN.
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GREENE COUNTY, INDIANA.
course he obtained a knowledge of the higher branches of learning in a normal school training and later entered the Law School at Indianapolis to fit himself for the legal profession. He had previously taught several terms of school, besides learning telegraphy, which he followed for some time, and he also had a business experience in the mercantile line prior to 1887. Since 1893 Mr. 'Hen- dren has loaned insurance companies' money upon im- proved farms in Greene county in the aggregate of more than two million dollars and never had a foreclosure and never lost a dollar for any company. At this time he makes almost eighty-five per cent. of all the farm mort- gage loans in the county. Mr. Hendren has been called to various positions of honor and trust, having served as deputy clerk, Greene county circuit court, three terms as chairman of the Democratic county central committee. two terms as chairman of the second congressional dis- trict, chairman of speakers' bureau of the state in 1906. and first vice-chairman of the state central committee and chairman of the speakers' bureau of the state during the great Bryan presidential campaign of 1908, giving to the Democratic party the greatest stumping and educa- tional campaign in the history of the state. without parallel, perhaps, in party annals.
From the foregoing record it is easily perceived that Mr. Hendren is not only an able and judicious cam- paigner, but a recognized political leader of rare force and discretion, whose influence has been felt in party man- agement as well as in the making of platforms and form- ulating policies. In the state of Indiana Mr. Bryan has no closer political or warmer personal friend, the dis- tinguished Nebraskan reposing the utmost confidence in
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the wisdom and sagacity of the Bloomfield editor, to whom he is largely indebted for much of his strength and popularity in the Hoosier state.
As editor of The Bloomfield Democrat, usually known as "The Democratic Commoner of Indiana," Mr. Hendren has been a tower of strength to the cause of Democracy, his editorials being clear, logical and trench- ant, always carrying weight and inspiring respect, and it is doubtful if there is another party organ in the state that has gained more publicity or exercised greater influence in political circles. In discussing the questions and issues of the day, The Democrat takes no half-way ground and makes no compromise. Being Democratic in all the term implies, it seeks to become a true expo- nent of the principles and policies of the party, and that it has realized its ideal in this respect is amply proven by the high esteem in which the paper is held and the com- manding influence it has long exerted. Mr. Hendren has made his paper the reflex of current thought not only po- litically, but upon all matters of public concern. It is a clean, well edited family paper, in which all legitimate news, both local and general, finds publicity, and with a liberal advertising patronage and a steadily growing list of subscribers, it bids fair to continue in the future what it has been in the past-an influence for good in direct- ing its readers to noble aims and high ideals.
Mr. Hendren has been identified with the Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows for a quarter of a century and is active in the deliberations of the Bloomfield lodge, with which he holds membership. He also belongs to the In- diana Democrat club of Indianapolis, manifests a lively interest in behalf of the same, and his counsel and advice
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are listened to with respect by his fellow associates, among whom his popularity is unbounded.
On April 13, 1881, Mr. Hendren was united in marriage with Anna M. Hadley, daughter of Jeremiah and Eliza E. (McCracken) Hadley, of Mooresville, In- diana, the following being the names of the children born to the union : Gilbert H .. Jr., an attorney practicing his profession at Linton ; Alice J., wife of George W. Cant- well, of Bloomfiekl: Seaborn D. is a clerk with the American Express Company, Indianapolis : O. Herman, advertiser, circulator and manager. Bloomfield Demo- crat : William F., bookkeeper and stenographer in the same office : Curtis C., Mary M. and Edith, high school pupils in the fourth, second and first years, respectively : Charity, Robert D. and Marjorie Faith, who are pursuing their studies in the lower grades.
REV. JOHN W. BUCK.
No man in Greene county is more widely known than the reverend gentleman whose name appears above. and few in the course of a long and strenuous life have accomplished so much good for their fellow men or so indelibly impressed their individuality upon the public. Rev. John Buck, of Linton, for fifty-two years a distin- guished minister of the Methodist Episcopal church and a citizen of the highest American type, is a native of In- diana, born at Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo, on July IIth of the year 1837. His antecedents came to the United States from England, in which country his fa-
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ther. Wilham Buck, was born in February. 1808. being the son of John Buck, of Leicestershire. John and Wil- liam Buck left their native land about 1816 to find a home in the new world, the latter being eight years of age when the family settled in New Jersey. William Buck, Sr., fa- ther of John, died in England at the almost unprecedent- ed age of one hundred and seven years, the son dying in this country when sixty-four years old.
William Buck, the younger, was reared in New Jer- sey and married in that state in 1830 Pharzina Ruckman, who was born May 9. 1809. her parents belonging to an old Jersey family that came originally from Ireland.
About the year 1834 William Buck moved his fam- ily to Indiana and for eleven years thereafter lived at Terre Haute, between which place and Chicago he freighted goods in an early day, driving overland and ex- periencing many vicissitudes as a teamster. Later ( 1845) he changed his abode to Greene county, where in due time he became a successful farmer and influential man of affairs, his home place consisting of three hundred acres in the western part of Stockton township, being long considered one of the best improved and most val- uable farms in the county. Like a number of his ances- tors, he, too, lived to a green old age, dying in 1901 after rounding out his ninety-third year, his faithful wife and companion preceding him to the grave in the year 1890. This worthy couple had nine children, namely: Esther Ann, Sarah Elizabeth, Mary, John W .. Stephen R .. James, Isaac, Susan P. and Mary Ellen, of whom Sarah, John W., Susan and Mary are living.
After a preliminary discipline in the common schools John W. Buck entered Asbury (now DePauw) Univer-
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sity, at Greencastle, where he received a liberal educa- tion with the object in view of devoting his life to the noble work of the Christian ministry. He was reared un- der excellent home influences and, with a decidedly reli- gious environment, it was not long until his life received the impetus which in due time led him to the sphere of usefulness in which his talents have been exercised to such good advantage and in which he has achieved so many beneficent results for humanity. Mr. Buck began the active work of the ministry in 1857, receiving at the age of twenty a quarterly conference license and being assigned a circuit of which Linton was the largest and most important point. He continued the itinerary dur- ing the next fifteen years, and while thus engaged min- istered to various circuits of central and southwestern In- diana, his labors being very acceptable and fruitful of good results. Under his able preaching and efficient management the cause of Methodism in his various ju- risdictions was greatly strengthened, new congregations were organized, and through his influence many souls were won to the higher life. At the expiration of the pe- riod mentioned Mr. Buck retired from the itinerary field to take charge of local congregations, and for the last thirty-one years he has devoted his attention to this class of work, serving during the interim a number of strong churches in different parts of the country and building up the cause among various weak congregations, besides es- tablishing churches and classes in communities destitute of religious influences. He collected the funds and built seventeen church edifices, and all were paid for before the day of dedication. Nearly six thousand members
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were added to the church under his preaching. In all he has rounded out fifty-two years in his sacred calling, the amount of good accomplished through his efforts be- ing incalculable and only to be made known when the "books are finally opened" and every man rewarded ac- cording to his deserts. In addition to his ministerial duties, Mr. Buck at one period of his life taught several terms of school, devoting portions of five continuous years to educational work, and during the early part of his ministry he lived on and managed a farm. On re- tiring from regular ministerial labor he moved to his farm in Greene county and lived on the same until 1893, since which time he has been a resident of Linton, where he owns a comfortable home, in which he proposes to pass the closing years of a well spent life.
On the breaking out of the war between the states Mr. Buck was among the first men of Greene county to tender his services to the government, enlisting July 13. 1861, in Company D. Twenty-first Indiana Infantry, with which he served until October 13th of the following year, in the meantime taking part in a number of battles, in- cluding the action at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he received the injuries which necessitated his retirement from the army at the time indicated.
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