USA > Indiana > Greene County > Biographical memoirs of Greene County, Ind. : with reminiscences of pioneer days, Volume III > Part 3
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he disposed of the place and bought a sixty acre tract which he improved and erected good buildings, making it his home until retiring to Worthington three years later. Since 1897 he has not actively been engaged in business of any kind, having a sufficiency of the world's goods to insure ease and comfort for the remainder of his days. Surrounded by this evidence of his industry and thrift and in the midst of a host of friends, he is spending his time in the enjoyment of that peace and content which have come to crown a long and strenuous career, and standing high in the esteem of the public and making his influence felt in behalf of all that tends to its advance- ment, he may truly be regarded as one of the leading and enterprising men of the community which he honors with his residence.
Mr. Faulk was first married in 1859, to Malona Pearce. After her death he chose a second companion and helpmate in the person of Margaret Stanley, daugh- ter of John and Mary ( Ball) Stanley, who has presided over his home from that time to the present, and contrib- uted not a little to his success in life. Two children were born to the former union, the second being without issue.
Mr. Faulk is a Republican in politics, a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and for many years has been a leading and influential communicant of the Baptist church. He has ever manifested a lively interest in be- half of all lines of good work under the auspices of the Baptist denomination, contributing liberally to its educa- tional and benevolent institutions, the endowment of Franklin College especially profiting by his benefactions, and to him more than to any one man is due the erection
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of the house of worship known as Mt. Vernon church, near his farm home, having personally gotten out all the timber for the building, besides raising the greater part of the funds necessary to its construction.
JAMES M. McDOWELL.
James M. McDowell, hotel proprietor of Linton, Indiana, was born July 11, 1843, at Springville, Law- rence county, and after attending school there for a number of years engaged in teaching in the public schools of his native county for three years. He was elected sheriff of that county in 1883 and served two years. In 1885 he purchased a stock of hardware, also a hotel at Owensburg, and conducted these for a period of fifteen years. He left his property there and went to Oolitic, Indiana, later selling his holdings at Owensburg and operated a hardware business together with a hotel at Oolitic, and was postmaster of the place for three years, beginning in 1902, but he resigned the office in 1905, sold his business interests and purchased the Remington hotel, which he now conducts. He served as justice of the peace and notary public in Lawrence county, and as census enumerator in 1880. He is a Republican, and has been a member of the Christian church for more than forty years. He married Ellen Armstrong on March 1, 1874. She was the daughter of Ari Armstrong, of Perry township, Lawrence county. Seven children have been born to this union as follows: Edith, deceased : Winnie, deceased; Gail, wife of Homer Thrasher, of Bloomington ; Lena, Nellie, Ari C. and Paul, all living at home. All are graduates from the common
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schools except Paul, who is now in the eighth grade work. Ari is a civil engineer in the employ of the Illinois Central Railroad Company. Nellie attended Valparaiso Normal College. She and Lena also attended the Danville, Illi- nois, normal school, where they took the teacher's course.
The subject was a charter member of the Hardins- burg Lodge, No. 23, Knights of Pythias, organized in February, 1872. He has since transferred his member- ship to the Bloomfield, Acolade Lodge, No. 63. He is also a member of the Odd Fellow's Lodge, No. 545. at Owensburg, having joined it in 1885.
The subject is the son of John and Ann ( Owen) McDowell, the former was born in North Carolina, in 1809, and the latter in the same state, in 1811. They married in Lawrence county, where they spent their lives. They had nine children, namely : Sallie, Elizabeth, Mary, William H., James M., Milton P., Nancy A., Jennie and Lucinda. The parents of the subject both died in Monroe county, Indiana, in their seventieth year. William H. McDowell, the subject's brother, was a private in Com- pany H, Third Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Milton B., a brother, was also a soldier in the Civil war. Both saw hard service. The former was wounded at Pittsburg Landing. The latter was wounded at Raleigh, North Carolina. Both are still living. William is a phy- sician in Iola, Kansas.
WARREN CLYDE TINSTMAN.
Among the progressive young business men of Lin- ton, Indiana, is Warren C. Tinstman, who was born in
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Butler, Dekalb county, this state. January 19, 1880. He at- tended school at Butler, graduating from the high school there when fifteen years of age. He was engaged in the laundry business for many years, beginning as an em- ploye in his home town. He purchased a laundry plant at Garrett, Indiana, which he operated for one year. Then he sold out and leased a plant at Bloomfield, for eight months, pending negotiation to purchase his present business. This was culminated in August, 1903, when he purchased a half interest in a laundry and continued in a partnership business for two years, when he bought the entire plant, which has a capacity of doing about three hundred dollars' worth of business each week. He em- ployes an average of nine people. It is equipped with modern machinery and appliances and is perhaps the bus- iest place in Linton. It turns out first class work and Mr. Tinstman enjoys a very liberal home patronage.
The subject was married September 17, 1903, to Lillian R. Roberts, daughter of Charles H. and Catharine Roberts, of Fair Play township. Greene county. Mrs. Tinstman was born on a farm where her parents now live. They have a fine farm and are among the prosperous families of the community.
The subject is the son of John W. and Sarah (Gun- senhauser) Tinstman, the former being born in 1858, in Elkhart county, Indiana, and the latter in Dekalb county. John W. is a contractor and builder. He is now promot- ing a patent right business. He is the patentee of the Tinstman Concrete Block Machine, and he has discontin- ued contracting to devote his attention to the sale of his patent machine. He is living at Butler, Indiana. He had
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two sons, of which the subject is the eldest. John Henry, the other son, is a locomotive engineer, employed on the Pennsylvania Railroad. He is unmarried and lives at Carnegie, Pennsylvania. The father of the subject has been very successful in his business career. Both he and his wife are descended from German ancestors, who first settled in Pennsylvania. John Jacob Gunsenhauser, the subject's grandfather, was a tailor in New York City. He later came to Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana, dying in Dekalb county.
The subject is a Republican, a member of the Elks. and also Uniform Rank Knights of Pythias. He is also a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles.
LEWIS R. HALL.
Among the highly respected citizens of Lyons, Greene county, Indiana, none stand higher in popular regard than does the subject of this brief sketch, which should have a tendency to inspire the ambitious, though poor, young man, who chances to read it, for this biog- raphy has to do with a man who was handicapped in his boyhood, but who did not permit poverty to down him. On the contrary, he believed with Shakespeare that "sweet are the uses of adversity ; though, like the toad, ugly and venomous, yet wears a precious jewel in their head," and, having this conception of his early lack of opportunities, Mr. Hall set out on life's pathway with fortitude and his efforts have been crowned with abundant success.
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The subject was born in Bloomfield, Indiana, mn 1861, the son of Albert and Jennie ( Fox) Hall, the father of the latter having come to Bloomfield as a pioneer from North Carolina. He was always identified with the mer- cantile business. Grandfather Fox was a Revolutionary soldier. The father of the subject came from North Car- olina when a young man and settled in Bloomfield, where he followed his profession as tailor. dying there in the early sixties, when only middle aged, his wife having preceded him by several years, leaving two children, a daughter and Lewis R., the subject of this sketch.
Mr. Hall attended the public schools for a short time in Bloomfield, and later came to Lyons when but a boy with no one to care for him or to assist him in any way, but the fact that he was thus early in life thrown upon his own resources, developed in him that independence of nature and self-reliance that have made for success, without which no one succeeds to any marked degree. He attended school in Lyons for a short time, but he was compelled to work at whatever odd jobs could be picked up, and for several years he hired out as a farm hand. By habits of economy he was able to save enough to take part in a company organized to mine coal, and known as the Island Valley Coal Company, with head- quarters at Linton, which continued for many years until sold to the trust. Our subject was very successful in this venture. He then identified himself with another com- pany with offices at Terre Haute, known as the Sugar Valley Coal Company, in which he still owns an interest, but does not give his personal services to the work. This company is incorporated and doing an extensive business.
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In September, 1905, Mr. Hall bought a hardware store in Lyons, in partnership with J. W. Sappinfield, under the firm name of Sappinfield & Hall. They gradually built up a trade sufficient to greatly increase their original stock until now it is doubled. They maintain a high grade store, carrying a general line of hardware and farm- ing implements of all kinds. Their business is at present very large; in fact, it would compare very favorably with similar lines of business in larger cities. The trade of this well established firm is not confined to the community in which their store is located, but it extends to remote parts of the county.
Mr. Hall was married in 1884 to Sallie E. Brinson, daughter of Zebulon Brinson. She is a native of Greene county, her ancestors having come to this state from Ken- tucky. One child has been born to this union, Lillie Viola, the date of her birth being 1888. She is married and the mother of one child. She and her mother are both members of the Methodist church.
James Hall, an uncle of the subject, was a soldier in the Mexican war and also in the Civil war, later serving as a regular for five years. He is now deceased.
Fraternally the subject of this sketch is identified with the Masons and the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, having filled all the chairs in the local lodge of the latter. He is a Democrat, but does not have the time nor the inclination to take very active part in politics. However, Mr. Hall can always be depended upon to be on the right side of all questions pertaining to the general public good and the moral uplift of his community.
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JAMES D. ENGLISH, D. D. S.
The professional men of Worthington have done much to promote the best interests of the city, and among those who are well known and have been closely identified with the city's growth, is Dr. James D. English, who was born in Sullivan county, Indiana, March 16, 1858. His father, Jarred P. English, was a native of Ohio, hav- ing been born there December 4, 1825. James' great- grandfather came from Ireland in 1795, settled in Dela- ware and later removed to near Redstone, Pennsylvania. His wife, about whose name subject is not certain, but is either Anna McCollister or Anna ( Collins) English, was the mother of six children, viz. : James, John, Patrick, Thomas, Katie and Polly. Thomas, our subject's grand- father, was the father of six children: Mary, Harriet. Jarred P., Nancy, Thomas, William, and John. He had one child, Samuel I., by a second wife.
James' mother, Mary A. (Lyons) English, was born in Ohio February 11, 1829, and died November 1, 1871. Her grandfather, Hugh Lyons, was born in County Down, Ireland, in 1756, and died in Ohio in 1836. Her grandmother, whose maiden name was Arabella Arburth- not, was also born in County Down, Ireland. She died in Belmont county, Ohio, in 1808. at the age of forty- six years. Mrs. English's father was born in Belmont county, Ohio, in 1800, and died in Sullivan county, In- diana, in 1876. He was a blacksmith and edge tool maker, being a skilled workman and a most pious Chris- tian gentleman, having been an elder in the Presbyterian church for over fifty years. At the time of his death he
L.D.English
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held the distinguished record of being the oldest Free Mason in point of membership in Sullivan county.
Jarred P. English, our subject's father, was an or- derly sergeant in the Thirteenth Regiment of the Indiana Light Artillery, having enlisted in 1862 and was mus- tered out in the fall of 1864. This regiment had a most noted record, and was engaged in some of the most bit- ter and hard-foughts conflicts of the war. To follow this company through its many vicissitudes would consume more space than this limited biography can afford, but reference to any standard chronicle of the Civil war will enable the reader to form an estimate of what the com- pany endured. Just as a suggestion we make reference here to Chickamauga, where the losses to both sides in killed, wounded and missing reached almost 40,000 men. Other conflicts in the list are Chancellorsville, Missionary Ridge, Lookout Mountain, Perryville, and many others. But in addition to active service on the field of battle Mr. English endured many hardships as a prisoner of war. coming out at the close of the service much weakened in body, but strong in patriotic spirit. After the war he fol- lowed the trade of blacksmith and also that of baker, and died October 20, 1897.
James was educated in the public schools of Greene county and worked with his father in the bakery, thus learning the trade, and then followed the business for several years. Having come to Worthington in 1865 with his parents, being then only six years of age, he later took up dentistry, beginning the practice with Dr. P. H. Wilson in 1876. Following this he formed a part- nership with W. H. Welch and finally, in 1880. he en-
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gaged in business for himself, having a most gratifying patronage.
Mr. English is a Republican, but has taken a stand at all times for fair and honorable discharge of public obligations. He has been chosen a member of the town board and has also served his townsmen on the school board, one term each. He lends his support to the Pres- byterian church, having served as deacon and as teacher in the Sunday school. Not only in church life has Mr. English been prominent, but he is a familiar figure in the lodge halls of the city. Among his affiliations are the Odd Fellows, Masons, Modern Woodmen and East- ern Star, in most of which he has filled important offices. In the laying out and platting one of the additions to the city Mr. English has also had a part, as well as in per- fecting an addition to the cemetery. .
On December 26, 1879, Mr. English was joined in matrimony to Dorcas A. Cantwell, of Worthington, daughter of James F. and Margaret ( Harper) Cantwell, both natives of this county. Three children have graced this union : Raymond A., born May 6, 1881, is practic- ing dentistry at Clay City : Jessie A., born October 15, 1883. is the wife of Fred M. Dyer : Mamie, born in 1887. is a student in the Indianapolis Conservatory of Music and is now acting as assistant instructor in elocution. The subject owns a beautiful home and spent eleven years in the drug business with J. T. Cooper as partner, under the firm name of Cooper & English. He was one of the orig- inators of the local telephone exchange and has been prominent in all local industries.
Mrs. English's father, James F. Cantwell, was a sol- dier in the Civil war and served three years in the Eighti-
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eth Indiana Volunteer Infantry and was a non-commis- sioned officer, acting as captain for nearly two years, and he now resides at Cambia with his daughter, Mrs. Mag- gie Beach. He was a farmer in early life and later en- gaged in the manufacture of brick. Since the death of his wife in February, 1908, he, has resided with his daughter. He is a Republican, a Presbyterian, and be- longs to the Masonic fraternity and the Grand Army of the Republic, and was one of General Wilder's brigade.
CHARLES E. COMBS.
Charles E. Combs, a real estate and insurance dealer and one of the representative business men and public-spirited citizens of Greene county, is de- scended from sterling pioneer ancestry and traces both branches of his family to a period when the savages still roamed over Indiana soil, and the few cabins of the settlers were as niches in the dense pri- meval forests. William Combs, the subject's grand- father, a native of North Carolina, married in that state, Asanath Ellis, and in 1830 migrated to Rush county, Indiana, settling on land about six miles from Rushville, where he remained until removing to Hancock county four years later. Subsequently, about 1838, he changed his residence to Greene county, and purchasing a tract of government land in Taylor township, in due time devel- oped a good farm and became a man of considerable local prominence. Mr. Combs made the long journey from
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North Carolina to his new home in the forests of Indiana, by team, cutting no small part of the way through the wilderness, camping ont at night and meeting with many stirring adventures en route, to say nothing of the nu- merous hardships experienced. He was an industrious man, a pious member of the Baptist church and an ar- dent Whig. although coming to the state where no black man was held in servitude. He reared a family of eight children and died in 1869. The names of his children were as follows: Joel E., deceased ; Jabez J., Adoniram P., Martha K., Mary Ann, deceased : Eli S., William H .. and Margaret, who died in infancy.
William H. Combs, the youngest living member of the above family, and father of the subject of this review, was born June 25, 1840, on the homestead in Taylor township, and grew to manhood, a tiller of the soil, which honorable vocation, he has since followed. He married in 1869, to Isabella Faucett, whose birth occured in the above township in 1847. being the daughter of George and Elizabeth Stone Faucett, the father born in Orange county, Indiana, where his family settled many years ago, moving to this state from Kentucky. The family of George and Elizabeth Faucett consisted of ten children. the majority of whom grew to maturity and became well settled in life. Mr. Faucett died of measles while in the army, having been a member of the Fifty-ninth Indiana Infantry, his widow departing this life in Kansas, in 1907, at the advanced age of eighty-three years.
William H. and Issabella Combs have had ten chil- dren as follows: Charles E., whose name introduces this sketch : Minnie, wife of Joseph Crabb : James E .; Mar-
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garet, died in infancy : Charlotte F., now Mrs. John Devil- biss : Emma E., who married Alfred Isenogle: Mary A. wife of Alonzo Carroll ; Carrie E., John T., and William H., the last named dying in infancy.
William H. Combs is a practical farmer and a most excellent and praiseworthy citizen. He served two years in the Civil war, in Company H. Eighty-first Indiana Infantry, and was discharged on account of disability before the expiration of his period of enlistment. He is a Republican in politics, and a consistent member of the Christian church, to which his wife and several of his children belong.
Charles E. Combs, our subject, was born on the fam- ily homestead in Taylor township, June 25, 1870, and grew to maturity familiar with the rugged duties of the farm, attending at intervals the district schools of the neighborhood. After finishing the common school course he took a business course in the Indiana Business Univer- sity, at Indianapolis, in addition to which he also attended several normals, thus fitting himself for teaching, a pro- fession he followed for about four years with gratifying success. The inducements of the educational work, how- ever, not being in keeping with his ideas of what a per- manent calling should be, he discontinued it at the expira- tion of the period indicated, and in 1894 removed to Bloomfield, where he served four years as deputy county auditor under H. L. Doney, following which he engaged in the real estate and insurance business, his real estate interests in Greene and neighboring counties, taking a wide range, and he has made as many deals and as many sales as any other agency in the city of Bloomfield, to
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say nothing of his large and steadily growing patronage in the field of insurance.
In the year 1892 Mr. Combs was happily married to Isadore D. Edington, the accomplished daughter of William W. and Harriet R. (Hays) Edington (a sketch of whose family history will be found elsewhere in this work). Mrs. Combs was born in Jackson township. Greene county, and enjoyed the advantages of a liberal education, and she possesses those admirable qualities of character which have made her a favorite in the best social circles of the city in which she lives, giving her encouragement and active support to the club movements there, being a member of the Twentieth Century club, which has proven an influential agency both socially and educationally. She is also identified with the Daughters of Rebekah, takes an active part in the deliberations of the organization and for some time past has been recognized as one of its most influential leaders.
Mr. and Mrs. Combs are the parents of two chil- dren-Earl a student in the Bloomfield schools, and Eli D., dying in infancy.
In his political views Mr. Combs is a Republican, but not a partisan, and at the present time is serving as the efficient president of the town board of Bloomfield. Fraternally he belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America.
WILLIAM WALLACE TEMPLETON.
The subject of this review is one of the representa- tive men of Greene county, and enjoys the general respect
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that comes to those who live clean lives and use their abilities for the betterment of humanity. William W. Templeton is a native of Greene county, Ohio, where his birth occurred July 28, 1837, being the son of William and Ruth ( Booth) Templeton, both born in Pennsylvania. The father, a soldier in the war of 1812, and a man of sterling worth, was the son of an Irish emigrant who came to America in 1764, and served with creditable record in the struggle for Independence, subsequently. settling in Pennsylvania. He married Joan Wallace, an aunt of Hon. David Wallace, at one time governor of Indiana, and father of General Lew Wallace, the distin- guished soldier, diplomat and author.
William W. was reared on a farm, and continued that kind of life until reaching maturity, and then, in addition to agricultural pursuits, devoted much time to cutting cord-wood, remaining in his native state until 1859, when, with a number of youths as daring as him- self, he went to Pike's Peak in quest of fortune and adventure. Returning from the West lie resumed his former occupation and was thus engaged until the national horizon became overcast with the ominous clouds of rebellion, at the breaking out of which he re- sponded to his country's call by enlisting in 1861, in Company C, Twenty-first Indiana Infantry, subsequently, the First Heavy Artillery, with which he shared the for- tunes and vicissitudes of war in a number of campaigns and battles, including, among others, the actions of Baton Rouge and Port Hudson, Louisiana, Spanish Fort. and Mobile, Alabama. Being promoted to first sergeant shortly after entering the service, he later rose to the
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ranks of second and first lieutenant, the former in April, 1864. the latter in March of the year following. After a military career covering a period of four and one-half years, he was mustered out of service at Baton Rouge. Louisiana, January 10. 1866, and eleven days later re- ceived an honorable discharge at Indianapolis, Indiana, after which he engaged in the manufacture of lumber in Greene county, purchasing a well equipped mill which he operated with encouraging success during the thirty-five years ensuing. While thus engaged he met with several reverses in fortune, not the least of which were the two fires in which his mill was completely destroyed, entailing severe losses from which he did not immediately rally. Later he operated lumber mills for other parties for a period of five years, at the expiration of which time he discontinued active pursuits and has since been living in retirement in Bloomfield, where he owns a comfortable and commodious home, and enjoys the respect and confi- dence of the large circle of friends and acquaintances with whom he mingles.
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