USA > Indiana > Wells County > Biographical memoirs of Wells County, Indiana : embracing a comprehensive compendium of local biography, memoirs of representative men and women of the county whose works of merit have made their names imperishable, and special articles by Hugh Dougherty [et al.] > Part 21
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HENRY A. MANN.
Henry A. Mann was born in Monroe county, West Virginia, July 8, 1828. His father, Michael Mann, was born in Vir- ginia, August 12, 1795, his father being Jacob Mann, a native of Germany. The
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maternal parent of the subject, Cynthia (Walker) Mann, was also a native of Vir- ginia, born January 5, 1797. The parents of the subject were married March 14, 1816, and settled on a farm in Virginia, where the father engaged in farming, also conducting the business of blacksmithing. In 1833 they came to Henry county, Indi- ana, entering land in the new country where the wife died September 30, 1871. Michael afterward married a second wife, who died prior to his own death, which occurred at Rensselaer, Indiana, December 21, 1889. Michael Mann was the father of the fol- lowing children: Jacob C., born July 20, 1821, a resident of Howard county, Indi- ana; Christopher D., born December II, 1830, now a resident of Marion, Indiana; Henry A .; Clayton W., born June 29, 1819; Marinda, born July 5, 1823; Leroy, born March 7, 1826; Lucinda C., born October 6, 1833.
Henry A. Mann attended the district schools of Henry county until he was about eighteen years of age, but at that period of time the terms of school were very brief and the most of his time until that age was spent in assisting his father on the farm. He also attended Franklin College, south of Indianapolis, for a short time in 1854 and at the age of twenty-one years began work for himself, a part of the time crop- ping on his father's place and a part of the time working for wages on the farm for his father. He made his home with his father until January 3, 1856, at which time he married Martha Allen, a daughter of Wil- liam and Sarah (Prathee) Allen, the father a native of North Carolina, born Septem- ber 7, 1798, and the mother a native of Vir- ginia, born October 8, 1806. William
Allen was a son of Reuben Allen, also a native of North Carolina. William and Sarah Allen were married October 19, 1826, in Wayne county, Indiana, where they settled, remaining there for a time. They then removed to Madison county, In- diana, where they lived the remainder of their lives. William was the father of eight children, four of whom are yet living : James, born July 30, 1827, died February 15, 1893; Thomas C., born September 10, 1829, died November II, 1854; Martha, born October 16, 1831, the wife of the sub- ject ; W. A., born in March, 1834, a physi- cian now practicing in Rochester, Minne- sota; Jonathan P., born August 12, 1837, died January 5. 1862, of disease contracted in the army: Benjamin F., born February 6, 1840, now a dentist in Glencoe, Minne- sota ; Mary E., born November 16, 1842, died September 19, 1845, and Rachel, born December 15, 1846, now the wife of C. W. Wymant, of Danville, Indiana. The sub- ject, after his marriage, settled in Henry county, Indiana, renting a farm for a period of three years. He then removed to Wells county, settling in Nottingham township, purchasing one hundred acres of land, which he cleared and brought under culti- vation. After remaining on this farm sev- enteen years, he purchased eighty acres, where he now lives, also clearing the greater part of this place. The subject now owns one hundred and eighty acres of fine farm- ing land and, besides being a general stock farmer, is one of the four stockholders in- terested in the grain elevator at Poneto, Wells county.
Mr. Mann is the father of two children, one of whom is yet living: Emma, born August 16, 1857, died September 2, 1859 ;
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James M., born April 15, 1860, married Sarah Stahl, and is now a resident of Not- tingham township, and is the father of one child, Lillie. The subject and family are connected with the Baptist church, of which he has been a clerk for thirty-one years and a deacon for about thirteen years. He answered his country's call during the great Rebellion, enlisting in the army on October 16. 1864, in Company K, Fifty-third Regi- ment Indiana Volunteers, and served until the close of the war. While the husband was absent in the army serving his country, his wife was left alone on the farm with her little son, then five years old. Owing to the absence of nearly all the men in the army she did her own plowing, but she says that her old horse knew more about the business than she did herself.
In politics the subject of this sketch has been a Republican all his life, and, as in all the relations of life, he has performed his civic duties from conscientious motives of duty, and when he is convinced that he is right is hard to swerve from his course. He is a type of the solid, responsible yeomanry of our state, possessing all the traits of eco- nomic thrift and industry possessed by the German people.
JOHN S. HYDE.
John S. Hyde was born November 19, 1842, in White Water township, Franklin county, Indiana, and is a son of Thomas Hyde, a native of Lancastershire, England, born near Manchester in 1808. Thomas Hyde came to the United States in 1839, finding his first stopping place near Mt. Car- mel, Franklin county, Indiana. While in England he spent seven years as an ap-
prentice to a surgeon. He began practice with his brother while in England and was with him two years. After coming to this country he again began practice and con- tinued in that vocation until his death, which occurred November 9, 1886, he being at that time the oldest practitioner in Frank- lin county. He was married to Esther Hall, February 22, 1842. After his marriage he bought a piece of land in Franklin county and began to devote some time to farming. He was the father of twelve children, six of whom are yet living: John S., Edward, who is now a resident of Franklin county ; Thomas F., deceased; James P .; Harrison M., deceased ; Eli E .; Joel B. ; James died in infancy; Esther died in childhood; Eliza- beth, and an infant who died unnamed.
John S. Hyde attended the schools in Franklin county, Indiana, until he was about twenty years of age, going about ten weeks in the year. He then taught one term of school. In 1864, when he was in his twen- ty-second year, he went west, stopping near Virginia City, Montana; he stopped there most of his time, although he spent four months where Butte City now stands. When he first went to Butte there were but two houses in the place, and one of those a mis- erable log hut. He spent eight years and nine months in mining, most of the time on his own account. He had fair success and thinks he made more money than if he had remained in Indiana. In 1873 he came back to his old home in Franklin county, In- diana. After one year he, with his brother Edward, purchased one hun- dred and seventy-three acres of land in Franklin county and began farming in the spring of 1875, continuing it until March, 1888, at which time he sold out and re- moved to Wells county and purchased a
MRS. JOHN S. HYDE.
JOHN S HYDE
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farm, to which he moved in August, 1888, and where he still resides. He now has one hundred and sixty acres of finely improved land, about one hundred and thirty of which are under cultivation. When he came onto the farm it had no improvements worth mentioning, but in 1900 Mr. Hyde built a very fine residence on the farm, in which he lives and which improvement adds material- ly to his surroundings. There are eleven productive oil wells on his farm, which are making about thirteen inches (tank meas- ure) daily. The territory on his farm is not yet fully developed; when it is, his oil wells will probably yield him a profit of one hundred dollars per month. He has been a general stock farmer and a breeder of Poland China hogs, but he has changed to the Duroc, and his preference is for shorthorn cattle. Mr. Hyde was married October 19. 1875, to Mary C. Campbell, who was born November 22, 1855, the daughter of David and Nancy (Lafforge) Campbell. The father of Mrs. Hyde is a native of Cincin- nati, Ohio, and her mother, of Brookville, Franklin county, Indiana, the daughter of Jacob and Katie (Hartman) Lafforge. David was the son of John Campbell, a na- tive of Scotland, and died when his daugh- ter, the wife of the subject of this sketch, was but a child. Mrs. Hyde attended the public schools of Franklin county, Indiana, until she was about fifteen years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Hyde are the parents of eight children : Mary E., born August 16, 1877, is the wife of Arthur L. Palen, now a resi- dent of Mt. Zion, Wells county, and is the mother of one child, Blanche; Estella Hyde was born July 25, 1880, married Urias M. Brinnemann, a resident of Petroleum, Wells county, Indiana, and they have two children, Russell and Ralph; Alice G., born Septem-
ber 10, 1881, was married October 22, 1902, to Charles Bevington; Amy B., born November 19, 1885, is at home; John H .. born May 26, 1887, is at home : Charles E., born August 2, 1889 ; Leona L., born March 23, 1893, and Clara E., born October 5, 1894. Mr. Hyde has made all he is worth by his own efforts by the aid of his esti- mable wife, is blessed with a good wife and a pleasant home, with dutiful children, and enough of the goods of this world to make him comfortable. He appreciates his bless- ings and enjoys life. He is a member of the Masonic order at Mt. Carmel, Franklin county, Indiana, but has his membership at present in Lodge No. 246, Warren, Indiana. He has always voted the Democratic ticket in national affairs, but in local affairs he votes for the man. When he bought the farm where he now lives his neighbors thought he was a "sucker" and said he could not "raise beans." He now has as fine a farm as there is in the country, and is also the owner of six hundred and forty acres of land in Pecos county, Texas, which shows that he has raised other things than "beans;" he has raised his own reputation wherever he is known, as a live, energetic farmer, and first class citizen.
Mr. and Mrs. Hyde have in their pos- session an old parchment deed executed August 20, 1838, and bearing the signature of President Van Buren.
HENRY STEGKAMPER.
The gentleman whose name introduces this sketch is a creditable representative of the large German element which has exer- cised such a potent influence in American life and upon American industries. Like
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the majority of his countrymen who have found home and fortune in the new world, he inherits many of the sterling characteris- tics for which his nationality has long been noted and that he is a true and loyal citizen of his adopted government has been abund- antly demonstrated by the brave part he took while fighting for its maintenance on some of the bloodiest battle fields of the sun- ny Southland. Mr. Stegkamper was born December 15, 1843, in the kingdom of Han- over, the son of Fred and Catherine (Not- bush) Stegkamper, both parents natives of Germany. By occupation the father was a carpenter, which trade he followed for a number of years in Hanover. In 1863 he came to the United States, whither his son Henry had preceded him by one year, and spent the remainder of his life in this coun- try, continuing his chosen calling as long as able to perform manual labor.
Henry Stegkamper was reared in the land of his nativity and received a good edu- cation in the public schools. He grew to young manhood with a fixed purpose of making the best of his opportunities, but early learned that the condition under which the common people of his native land ob- tained a livelihood was calculated to re- tard rather than encourage those not born to fortune or influential surroundings. Be- ing without either of these essential prereq- uisites, he did the best he could under the existing circumstances, meantime forming a resolution to leave the Fatherland and go to America, of which country he had re- ceived many favorable reports from friends and relatives who had emigrated thither. Not having sufficient means to pay his pas- sage, he wrote to an uncle living in the United States soliciting a small loan, which
in due time was remitted. With this money he purchased a ticket, set sail and after an uneventful voyage landed in New York on the 20th day of September, 1862, proceed- ing thence to the city of Cleveland, Ohio, In the latter place he at once began learning the cigarmaker's trade, but after a couple of years left his work for the purpose of ten- dering his services to his adopted country, which at that time was in the throes of a great civil war. In March, 1864, Mr. Steg- kamper enlisted in Company H, Thirty-sev- enth Ohio Volunteers, and within a short time thereafter was at the front with the army under General Sherman, experienc- ing all the horrors of war in the celebrated Atlanta campaign. Eleven days after leav- ing home he received his first baptism of fire in the bloody battle of Resaca and dur- ing the one hundred and five days following his regiment was constantly under arms. He took part in all the engagements pre- ceding the fall of Atlanta and later marched with Sherman to the sea, subsequently ac- companying the celebrated army through the Carolinas northward.
Mr. Stegkamper received a painful wound at the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, which eventually incapacitated him from active service, although he remained with his command quite a while after his recov- ery. In June, 1865, he was discharged on account of this disability, after which he returned to Cleveland, resumed his trade and worked at the same with encouraging results until his removal, in 1870, to Hunt- ington, Indiana. On the 17th day of Aug- ust, 1873, he was happily married to Miss Louisa Conklin, of Wells county, and three years later located at Bluffton, where he has since been actively engaged in the manufac-
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ture of cigars, having a large and constantly increasing trade. '
Mr. Stegkamper is an accomplished busi- ness man and a thorough master of the call- ing to which the greater part of his life has been devoted. He manufactures a high grade of cigars, which have a wide reputa- tion, and his establishment is the largest and best patronized industry of the kind in Bluffton. By industry and close attention to details he has steadily advanced to a prominent place in the business world and today his name is honored as one of the rep- resentative men of the city in which he lives. In the true sense of the term he is a self- made man, as he came to this country on borrowed capital and without assistance other than his own energy and determina- tion, worked himself up to the respectable position which he now commands.
The family of Mr. and Mrs. Stegkam- per consists of two sons and four daughters, whose names and dates of birth are as fol- lows: Ida, June 15, 1874, now the wife of Ed. McClure, of Marion, this state; Cora, November 4, 1875; Rosa, January 27, 1878; Catherine, September 7, 1881; Har- ry, January 10, 1884, and Fred, who first saw the light of day on the 3Ist of January, 1890.
Mr. Stegkamper is a prominent member of the Odd Fellows fraternity, belonging to Lodge No. 114, at Bluffton, and Encamp- ment 141, having passed all the chairs in both organizations, besides representing his lodge in the grand lodge of Indiana. He is also identified with the Grand Army of the Republic, being one of the active workers in Lew Dailey Post No. 33, of which he is now past commander. His religious views are in harmony with the Lutheran creed, he
and wife belonging to that church and doing all in their power to promote its growth and usefulness. While not a politician in the sense of the word as commonly used, Mr. Stegkamper keeps himself well in- formed upon all public and political matters, voting with the Republican party in state and general elections, but in local affairs giving his support to the candidates best qualified for the offices sought. He has no political aspirations himself, preferring his business to the distractions of partisan politics and the domain of private citizenship to official distinction. As a citizen Mr. Stegkamper is honorable and upright, strictly honest in all his dealings, and his reputation is above the shadow of reproach. He stands high in the confidence and esteem of the people of Bluffton and all who know him speak in the most complimentary terms of his sterling integrity and straightforward, manly con- duct.
CAPT. BENJAMIN F. WILEY.
One of the oldest and most honored resi- dents of Wells county, Indiana, is Capt. B. F. Wiley, of Bluffton, who was born in Greenville, Darke county, Ohio, October 16, 1830, a son of William and Rachel (Mann) Wiley. The Wiley family is of Scotch-Irish descent, and on coming to America the an- cestors of the Captain first located in Vir- ginia, whence they removed to Kentucky, where William Wiley, father of the Captain, was born and reared. From Kentucky William Wiley went to Maryland, where he met Rachel Mann, who was then attending school and whom he subsequently married. This lady was a daughter of Lieut .- Gov.
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David Mann, of Pennsylvania, and a rela- tive of Congressman Mann. William Wiley, however, was not in opulent circum- stances and emigrated to Greenville, Dark county, Ohio, where he carried on tailoring somewhat extensively for that early day, but was called from earth when his son, B. F., was but seven years of age. Mrs. Rachel Wiley later married Nelson Kellogg, and in 1839 the family came to Wells county, Indi- ana, and settled in Bluffton, when there were but twelve houses in the village and these houses far apart. Of the inhabitants of the forest in which Bluffton was at that time situated the only survivors are Capt. Wiley, John Studebaker and Amos Town- send, although the city has now a population of about five thousand. Mr. Kellogg was a plasterer and for twenty years was a justice of the peace in Bluffton.
B. F. Wiley, at the age of thirteen years, was employed in making brick for the con- struction of the first brick court house erect- ed in Bluffton, which has since been replaced by a handsome modern structure, and for his labor, from daylight until dark, he was paid at the rate of four dollars per month. In 1844 he was employed in carrying these same brick to the masons engaged in erect- ing the court house. In the winter of 1845-6, young Wiley went to Camden to as- sist in a branch store owned by John Stude- baker, and when that store was abandoned he returned to Bluffton and worked for Hall & Townsend for some time. In 1850 Mr. Wiley walked across the plains, a dis- tance of twenty-three hundred miles, to California. He returned to Bluffton . in 1852, and worked with his stepfather at masonry for some time. Later he engaged in merchandising, and afterward clerked for
George Arnold. About this time came the breaking out of the Civil war. Ben Wiley, as he was called by his intimates, although at that time entering upon the prime of early manhood, was, like the majority of North- ern youth, inspired with loyal patriotism and volunteered his services to assist in pre- serving the Union. Accordingly he enlisted in Company K, Seventy-fifth Indiana Vol- unteer Infantry, under Colonel Robertson and Captain Karnes, in August, 1862. This regiment was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland and had its first fighting ex- perience at the famous battle of Chicka- mauga, September 19 and 20, 1863. In 1864 he was appointed adjutant of the One Hundred and Thirty-eighth Indiana, and later was commissioned captain of Company C, One Hundred and Fifty-third Indiana, and in this capacity served through the war and was honorably mustered out at Louisville, Kentucky, in August, 1865, after an active and faithful service of over three years.
On returning from the army, Captain Wiley joined John Studebaker in the busi- ness of buying and selling produce at Bluff- ton, which business they conducted for about five years, and later, in 1872, joined John Daugherty and James Crosbee in pork- packing. The Captain was also associated with Mr. Studebaker in merchandising, but sold out to H. C. Arnold, then joined Mr. Sunier in the same line, next was by him- self awhile, selling to Baumgartner & Hat- field in 1882. Captain Wiley then bought the Wilson stock and in company with his son carried on business in Bluffton for sev- eral years. In 1892 he and his son purchas- ed a stock of goods in Elwood and in 1893 returned to Bluffton and retired from busi-
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ness. He now deals in real estate and is also a farmer, owning one hundred and twenty-five acres in Bluffton and one hun- dred and sixty acres just outside the city limits. The Captain is a very public spirited citizen, has made three additions to Bluff- ton, Nos. 1 and 2, and Main street additions. Wiley avenue was named in his honor, Cen- tral avenue being the present north line of his farm.
Captain Wiley was married September 6, 1855, to Miss Susan Waltz, five children being the result of the union, viz: Rachel Ellen, who is the wife of Dr. H. H. Wear; May, unmarried ; William F., a retired mer- chant of Chicago, Illinois; Mary E., wife of W. D. Burgan, real estate dealer in Bluffton, and Charles F., clerk in a retail store in New York city.
Fraternally Capt. Wiley has been a mem- ber of Bluffton Lodge No. 145. F. & A. M., since 1854, and has also been a trustee of the Presbyterian church at Bluffton, of which his family are all devoted members. Po- litically he was primarily a Whig and cast his first presidential vote for Winfield Scott, with Graham for vice-president, next in 1856 for Millard Fillmore, and in 1860 for Abraham Lincoln. He became a Republi- can in 1860 and adhered to it until 1884, when he became identified with the Prohi- bition party, of which he is a leading and ardent member and was one of its delegates from his district at its last state convention. Captain Wiley is a broad minded and liberal man, whose sympathies are always extended to the laboring classes, to the elevation of which he devotes much thought as well as practical aid as far as circumstances will permit. His popularity among all classes is unbounded.
JOSEPH A. ULLMAN.
The pump factory at Bluffton, Wells county, Indiana, is one of the leading in- dustries of the city and is under the efficient management of one of the most able young business men of the county, Joseph A. Ull- man, who was born January 2, 1870, in Loudenville, Ohio, a son of George A. U11- man, of German descent. George A. Ull- man settled in Ashland county, Ohio, when a young man, there grew to manhood, and is the present cashier of the Farmers' Bank in the city of Ashland. From him Joseph A. Ullman received his splendid business education. The literary education of Jos- eph A. Ullman was acquired in the graded and high schools of Ashland city, from the latter of which he was graduated in, 1888 with honors and was then appointed to a position in the Farmers' Bank of Ashland, in the service of which he was retained four years, as he was very attentive to his duties and withal performed them in an intelligent and acceptable manner. After quitting the bank, Mr. Ullman engaged in the manufac- ture of pumps in Ashland and from a small beginning increased the capacity of the plant until it required forty workmen to fill the orders that poured in upon the con- cern. In the winter of 1897-98 Mr. Ull- man came to Bluffton and formed a part- nership with J. W. Sherick, of this city, and R. G. Marcy, of Kendallville, Indiana, for the purpose of founding the Marcy Manu- facturing Company, the object of which was to make and introduce upon the market the now famous Red Cross Pump and also to handle pump supplies in general. The com- pany at first employed about ten men only, but under the skillful management of Mr.
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Ullman the business has now been so in- creased as to require the services of one hundred and thirty workmen and the week- ly disbursement of cash for wages reaches the sum of one thousand dollars in Bluffton alone, besides which large amounts are ex- pended on salesmen in all parts of the United States.
In addition to his extensive business at Bluffton, Mr. Ullman is a stockholder in and president of the Tipton Clay Company, at Tipton, Indiana. He is a thorough busi- ness man and a busy one at that, and pos- sesses an enterprising spirit that is in itself marvelous. Although he has been in Bluff- ton but five years, he has developed a line of manufacture that excels in extent possi- bly any other in the town and has made friends by the hundred who esteem him for integrity as a business man and his gen- ial and social ways as a neighbor. His busi- ness enterprise has been a blessing to the community, as his factory gives employ- ment to a large number of persons who are not necessarily skilled mechanics but must have some knowledge of tools and machin- ery, and there are always numbers of such persons seeking employment, which it is Mr. Ullman's good fortune to be able to give. It is somewhat surprising to the or- dinary individual that a gentleman reared at the beginning of his business life to cler- ical work should later make so phenomenal a success as a manufacturer, and this in- stance may be adduced as an evidence of Mr. Ullman's wonderful versatility.
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