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 29
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of Nottingham township, Wells county, may be said to have begun active life as a farm hand. He is not ashamed of it, and has no cause to be, for he has demonstrated that he has the material in him that enables him to rise far above such an humble be- ginning.
James Lockwood was born in Cham- paign county, Ohio, April 12, 1842. His parents were Alonzo and Eliza (Stanly) Lockwood, a sketch of whose lives will be found elsewhere in this volume. The sub- ject hereof was educated in the public schools of Nottingham township, which he attended during the winter season as much as possible. The education received by him in this way was of course quite limited, but by judicious reading and retentive mem- ory, supplemented by an excellent fund of common sense, he is far better informed than many who arrogate to themselves much more learning. On attaining his ma- jority he went to work by the day or month as he found employment, but the ambition to make and have a home of his own took possession of him and as an initiatory step in that direction he did what most youths do, got married.
July 30, 1863, James E. Lockwood was united in marriage to Miss Frances O. Blacklidge, a native of Wells county, born May 3, 1847. Her parents were Joseph and Susan Blacklidge, among the oldest settlers of Wells county. The young people took up their residence on forty acres of land in the woods, in a modest log cabin, eighteen by twenty feet in size. with a clap- board roof and walls daubed with mud to exclude the wind. If they had lived in the land of the Caesars, they might be remind- ed of Shakespeare's couplet :
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"Great Caesar dead and turned to clay Might stop a hole to keep the wind away."
The log cabin is still standing, but is no longer used as a human habitation. A horse, a cow, a sow and pigs and a scant supply of rude furniture constituted their entire worldly possessions. However, they had youth and strength, and inexhaustible supply of hope and confidence in each other and a peace and happiness which far oftener accompany humble poverty than grasping wealth. For the neighboring farmers he continued to work by the day, month or job as he could get work to do, and as a workman his services were always appre- ciated. One of those who knew him in those days describes him as "a young man without a lazy fiber in his makeup." When not employed by others he worked for him- self, clearing and improving his land and planting as he cleared. After he had earned and saved enough money to purchase some stock and had enough land cleared to oc- cupy all of his time in planting, cultivating and gathering his crop, he devoted all of his time to his own little farm. Some six years after his marriage an opportunity offered to purchase forty acres lying northwest of where he lived. For this he went in debt, the burden being an additional incentive to industry and economy. This land he pro- ceeded to clear, improve and pay for and when this was done forty more acres, ad- joining his original place on the south, were purchased, of which tract fifteen acres were cleared and under cultivation. He next sold twenty acres and bought another twenty acres in order to give his farm more symmetrical proportions, so that he now owns in one tract a splendid farm of one hundred and twenty acres, under good cul-
tivation and all cleared, ditched, fenced and improved except about ten acres that is in timber. He built a large, substantial barn, conveniently arranged, in 1887, and a hand- some, comfortable, well finished house in 1889. This home he has splendidly fur- nished and it forms quite a contrast, indeed, with the rude log cabin that sheltered him and his wife during the early days of their wedded life.
On this farm there are eight oil wells, which yield to the owner of the land about one dollar per day. There was a time when their output was more valuable, but the highest he ever received from them in a single month was three hundred and forty dollars. These latter years, not caring to subject himself to the hard work he did in other days, he keeps a renter on his farm by whom most of the crops are raised. His place is well stocked with polled Durham cattle and a general class of sheep. He is a thorough farmer, having devoted his en- tire life to the work, and under his man- agement and direction the business is con- ducted most profitably.
To Mr. and Mrs. Lockwood eight chil- dren have been born, viz: James S., whose home is in Nottingham township, married Ida Heaston, and they are the parents of four children, Vera, Flossie, Zarapha and Lewis; Joseph F. married Hepsie Stephens and they have eight children, Roscoe, Bertha, Virgil, Edward, Harry, Cecil, Grace, Estella; Arthur married Elizabeth Neusbaumer and they have two children, Delma and Chella; Charles married Anna Walker ; Lonella married Samuel I. Nelar and they have one child, Hugh; Maggie re- sides at her home with her parents, and two that died in infancy.
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In religion Mr. and Mrs. Lockwood and their daughter Maggie are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, devout and regular in their attendance upon the serv- ices and liberal in their support of religion and charity. In politics Mr. Lockwood is a Republican of the true stalwart type and earlier in life was quite active in campaign work. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows lodge at Petroleum and takes much interest in the work of that fraternal order. The only public position he ever occupied was that of township trus- tee. He always had too many interests of his own demanding his attention to be able to spare any time to look after public inter- ests. Close application, industry and economy are the virtues that have given him success. He and his good wife have well earned the leisure and comfort that is now theirs in their declining years. With the love of their children and children's children and with the esteem and regard of all their neighbors and acquaintances, they can glide smoothly down life's rugged course until their summons comes to "wrap the drapery of their couch about them and lie down to pleasant dreams."
JOSEPH ROSE.
Among the prominent business men of Bluffton, Wells county, Indiana, but who started in meager circumstances, is Joseph Rose, who was born in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, March 17, 1852, and is a son of Samuel and Sarah (Gordon) Rose, also natives of the Keystone state. Samuel Rose was a railroad contractor in his early
business career, but later became a mer- chant, in which calling he both made and lost money.
To Samuel and Gordon (Rose) have been born nine children and of these Joseph is the fifth in order of birth. As the father found it necessary to utilize the services of the son in his business of contracting, the education of the latter was somewhat neg- lected in youth. The father paid the son wages from the time the latter . was fifteen years old until twenty-two and their mutual labor was always of a harmonious nature. After ceasing to work for his father, Joseph entered a general store in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, in which he was employed as a salaried man for six years, but in the meantime, December 25, 1879, he married Miss Sarah A. Stoever, of Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, a daughter of David and Elizabeth (Hunsicker) Stoever. Sarah A. was born February 23, 1854, on a farm in Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, and re- ceived her education in the common schools of her native township.
March 21, 1881, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Rose came to Wells county, Indiana, Mr. Rose being then possessor of about two hun- dred dollars. He found employment in the grocery store owned by Joseph Valentine, with whom he continued about one year, then entered the employ of Jacob Brown, with whom he remained four years ; he was next employed by John A. Bowman for a year and a half, and next by Albert Shepherd for a period of similar duration. All this time Mr. Rose employed his small capital in speculating in town lots and in this line made money rapidly. In 1892 he also pur- chased two farms, comprising one hundred and seventy-nine acres west of Bluffton,
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and later disposed of them at a profit that was satisfactory. In 1892 Mr. Rose erected his present brick building, twenty-four by one hundred and forty feet, on Main street, at a cost of about twelve thousand dollars, the lower or ground floor of which is occu- pied as salesrooms while the upper floors are arranged as living rooms.
The residence of Mr. Rose, erected in 1900 at the corner of Washington and Mar- ion streets, at a cost of nearly eight thous- and dollars, is one of the finest dwellings in Bluffton, contains nine rooms and is heated by furnace. The fortune of Mr. Rose is now estimated at thirty thousand dollars, which he, aided by his amiable helpmate, has realized through personal efforts, shrewd speculative tact and the judicious manner in which he has made his invest- ments.
Fraternally Mr. Rose is a member of Lodge No. 114, I. O. O. F., at Bluffton, and Mrs. Rose is a member of the Rebekah Lodge No. 87, of the same order, in which he has passed all the chairs and in April, 1898, represented her subordinate in the grand lodge; she is also an active member of the Woman's Relief Corps, of which she was once the president and in which she has filled all the minor chairs. Being a lady of culture and fine literary taste, Mrs. Rose is also a member of the Shakespearian Reading Club of Bluffton.
In politics Mr. Rose is a Republican in national matters, but in town and county affairs he exercises his own judgment in casting his vote, generally selecting the most competent candidate for the office to be filled regardless of party affinities, he be- ing himself a broad minded and public spirited citizen and fully competent to
judge of the needs of the community and of the manner in which they should be sup- plied. He is honest in all his dealings and his bare word is as reliable as would be any document to which he might affix his signa- ture.
GEORGE W. HUFFMAN.
A biographical compendium of the nature of this work would be incomplete without due reference to the life of George W. Huffman, whose career as a citizen and as a public official have won for him a prominent place in the esteem of the people of Wells county. Mr. Huffman's parents were natives of Clark county, Ohio, but about the year 1846 they came to Indiana, settling in the county of Huntington, where the subject was born on the 27th day of January, 1847. His father, John Huffman, was a farmer and spent the remainder of his life in his adopted state. Like the major- ity of country lads, the early life of George W. was spent under the parental roof and as soon as old enough to be of practical service he was obliged to contribute his share towards cultivating the farm and pro- viding for the general support of the family, In the common schools he acquired a fair knowledge of the fundamental branches and later, by .much reading, close observa- tion and contact with the world in various business and official capacities, became one of the well balanced 'and thoroughly in- formed men of the community in which he has so long resided. Actuated by motives of filial duty he remained at home until his twenty-second year, meantime assuming much of the responsibility of managing the
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farm and sparing no pains in looking after his parents' interests and ministering to their comfort and welfare. At the age of twenty-two he took a life companion in the person of Miss Sarah C. Neff, of Wayne county, this state, and shortly after his mar- riage moved to the county of Wells where he engaged in farming on land leased for the purpose. Mr. Huffman began life as an independent factor with a limited capi- tal, but in the course of two years was en- abled to puchase a home of his own, invest- ing his means in an eighty-acre tract of wood land in section I, Jackson township. To clear and reduce this place to cultivation required long and unremitting toil, but with a spirit born of a determination to succeed, he pursued in the undertaking until in due time he not only had a well tilled farm, but had increased his real estate to one hundred and ninety-eight acres of as fine soil as the county can boast. Mr. Huffman was ex- tremely fortunate in his selection, although unconsciously so, as future developments attested. When oil was discovered in the Indiana field, it was found that his farm lay in the heart of the finest producing dis- trict of the state, the result of the discovery raising the 'value of his land many fold, its present worth being conservatively esti- mated at over thirty thousand dollars. As a farmer Mr. Huffman has long enjoyed the reputation of being one of the most enter- prising and thorough of the county, as the splendid condition of his fields and the gen- eral appearance of his place abundantly prove. Admirably situated for agricul- tural and live stock purposes, he has spared no pains in its development and, barring the boundless wealth which lies beneath the soil, it is today one of the finest farms as well as
one of the most beautiful and attractive homes in the township of Jackson.
For many years Mr. Huffman has taken an active interest in public and political af- fairs and since attaining his majority has been unwavering in his allegiance to the Democratic party. Not only has he been an active worker, but his ability as a natural leader of men long since caused his services to be sought by the councils of his party both in local and general campaigns. In the year 1893 he was elected sheriff of Wells county, which responsible office he filled four years, proving a most capable and obliging public servant, his administration being eminently satisfactory to the people regardless of party ties. At the expiration of his term he retired with the best wishes of all and since that time has not been act- ively engaged in any vocation further than to look after his large and constantly in- creasing oil interests, which yield him a handsome income. At the present time there are twelve producing wells on his place which, with others to be drilled at inter- vals, assure him a fortune of still larger magnitude in years to come. To Mr. and Mrs. Huffman have been born three chil- dren, the oldest of whom, Oscar, died at the age of three and one-half years ; Ella, now the wife of Isaac Roush, of Mt. Zion, this state, and Charlie Wayne, the youngest, who served with distinction in the late Spanish-American war and at the present time lives in the city of Bluffton.
In his private life Mr. Huffman is so- ciable, hospitable and generous, ever ready to lend a helping hand to others and to give his influence and material assistance to all enterprises having for their object the gen- eral welfare. Few men in the county are as
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well and favorably known. His integrity has always been above reproach and his name is synonymous for all that is correct in manhood and ennobling in citizenship. Already he has won many victories in life's battle field and it is no extravagant flight of fancy to indulge in the prediction that many more triumphs will yet be his before the days of his usefulness and power shall end. Fraternally Mr. Huffman is a member of Lodge No. 92, Knights of Pythias, and re- ligiously belongs to the Methodist church, as does also his wife.
MICHAEL MILLER.
For a number of years this gentleman has been a prominent factor in the agricul- tural affairs of Nottingham township and as such should be accorded specific recogni- tion in a work of this character. Mr. Miller is a native of Wells county, Indiana, born on the 25th day of December, 1848, about a quarter of a mile north of his present place of residence. His ancestors on both sides were German and the family was first rep- resented in the United States by his parents, Henry and Mary (Gottschalk) Miller, who came from their native land of Wittenburg in 1841 and settled in Ohio. There the father worked by the day and month at any honest employment he could find until earn- ing enough money to buy forty acres of land in Wells county, Indiana. He came here about the year 1846, settling on a tract of woodland in Nottingham township which he at once began to improve. Like other early comers, he was obliged to live in the con- ventional log cabin until a better habitation
could be prepared and for many years his life was a ceaseless round of toil, attended at times by hardships and vicissitudes cal- culated to test to the utmost his courage and endurance. He lived to see the country transformed from a wilderness state into a very garden of plenty, the meantime im- proving his farm and adding to his posses- sions until his real estate amounted to one hundred and twenty acres, the greater part of which he brought to a high state of cul-
tivation. After living forty years on the place where he originally settled he discon- tinued farming and moved to Vera Cruz, where his death subsequently occurred. His wife died at Buena Vista, this state, where she had made her home for some time with a married daughter. Michael and Mary Miller reared a family of nine children, but three of whom are living at the present time, namely : Lucinda, wife of William Mertz, of Ft. Wayne; Sarah, wife of Ed Helbe, and the subject of this review ; the following are the names of those who are now deceased : John, Lena, Mary A., Jacob, Barbara and Noalı.
Michael Miller is the third of the above children in order of birth. He grew up to the full staturc of robust physical and mental manhood amid the bracing and vitalizing scenes of farm life and received the best edu- cational advantages this native township af- forded, attending the district school of win- ter seasons until his eighteenth year. Like a dutiful son, he remained with his father several years after attaining his majority, receiving for his labor after reaching the age of twenty-one nothing but his board and clothing. When twenty-four years old he was united in wedlock with Miss Eliza Eger, of Wabash county, this state, the cere-
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MICHAEL MILLER FAMILY GROUP.
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mony being solemnized on the 21st day of November, 1872. With a wife to support, Mr. Miller settled down on a forty-acre farm in Nottingham township which he purchased of his father for fifteen hundred dollars, go- ing in debt for every cent of the amount, and began housekeeping in the little old log cabin that had been erected many years be- fore. This cabin is still standing as a monu- ment of the olden time and in spite of the fif- ty-five years that have passed over it the old structure is in a fairly good state of preser- vation. When Mr. Miller commenced farm- ing on his own accord a team of horses and a few agricultural implements represented the sum total of his worldly wealth. How- ever, he was rich in a well-defined purpose to succeed and being blessed with good health he succeeded in getting a substantial start in life. He energetically prosecuted his farm work and in a few years bought a threshing outfit which he operated very successfuly for some time, thus materially increasing his earnings. In due time he discharged every dollar of the indebtedness on his land and five years after his marriage was able to add another forty acres to that which he already owned. As years passed by he bought with his savings other tracts until he now has real estate to the amount of two hundred and twenty acres, one hundred and eighty of which constitute the home farm, the other forty lying in the county of Wabash. Every foot of land and every dollar's worth of property in his possession has been obtained by his own good judgment and foresight, coupled with sterling honesty and tireless industry. He has made farming a study and knows how to produce the best results from his means and labor. Mr. Miller is known throughout the township of Nottingham
and elsewhere as one of the most successful agriculturists and stock raisers in this part of the country, while his high standing as a neighbor and citizen is cheerfully conceded by all who know him.
In 1888 Mr. Miller built a fine modern residence on his farm, followed five years later by a large and commodious barn, both structures being among the best of their kind in the township of Nottingham. By a successful system of tile drainage he has greatly enhanced the fertility of the soil, be- sides reclaiming and reducing to the high- est state of tillage quite an area which was formerly considered too wet and swampy to be of any practical value. Reference has al- ready been made to Mr. Miller's success as a raiser of live stock ; to be more specific, suf- fice it to state that he devotes especial atten- tion to the Chester White, Poland China and Duroc breeds of swine, shorthorn cat- tle of various species and 'several varieties of fine wooled sheep.
Mr. Miller has a beautiful home and the comforts and conveniences of life with which he has surrounded his family are many. He and his wife are the proud par- ents of nine children, whose names are as follows : Jacob H., who married Minnie Sells and lives in Wabash county, has one child, Sarah E .; John E. married Myrtle French and assists his father in cultivating the home farm; Reuben, Irvin, Tina, Clara, Wesley and Glennie are still members of the home circle ; one daughter, May, died in in- fancy. Mr. and Mrs. Miller, together with nearly all of their children, are members of the Evangelical church. During the last twenty-two years Mr. Miller has served as trustee of the local congregation to which he belongs, in addition to which office he was
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also steward for a period of twelve years. He is zealous in all departments of religious endeavor and has always demonstrated the genuineness of his faith by his works, as the two, according to the apostle James, go hand in hand. In national and state politics Mr. Miller is soundly Democratic, but in township and county affairs he always votes for the best qualified candidates regardless of party affiliation. Mr. Miller is a splendid example of the successful self-made man and his life and career may be studied with great profit by the young man just starting on the road to fortune. He is indebted to no one but himself for his present respectable posi- tion in the world, as he realizes how every dollar of the ample fortune which he now commands has been earned.
JOHN WISNER.
The subject of this sketch is an honor- able representative of one of the earliest pioneer families of Wells county. Not long after this part of the state was opened for settlement one William Wisner purchased land in what is now Lancaster township and proceeded to clear and develop a farm. He was a man of excellent repute, industrious, frugal and honest and in due time his la- bors were rewarded with a comfortable home on which the remainder of his life was spent. Mr. Wisner was a native of Ohio and there married Mary Plummer, who bore him the following sons and daughters : Richard, John, Silas, Sarah, Mary J. and Nancy A., all living in the county of Wells.
John Wisner, the second son, was born
on the homestead in Lancaster township, June 26, 1843, and spent the years of his childhood and youth amid the stirring scenes of pioneer times. Reared on a new farm, he early became skilled in the use of the ax and as soon as old enough to wield that implement to advantage he was set to work in the woods, where he was soon able to perform a man's labor. Of winter sea- sons he attended the little school hard by, but not taking kindly to books or to the re- straints of indoor life did not make the prog- ress in his studies that he should or that his parents desired. Naturally ingenious, he spent his leisure time making various mechanical devices and long before reach- ing manhood's estate he had developed an aptness and skill in the use of tools which enables him to do all kinds of mechanical work with ease and dispatch. While at home his ability in this direction proved of practical use in the way of carpentry, all kinds of repairing and the making of va- rious agricultural implements of much greater value and utility than those pro- cured in the market. Young Wisner bore his full share in running the farm and it was while thus engaged that the national atmosphere became darkened by the clouds of impending civil war. Imbued with a spirit of patriotism and impressed with the belief that every able bodied man should be willing to sacrifice his life if need be in or- der that the government might be preserved, he laid aside the implements of husbandry on the 23rd of November, 1861, and enlist- ed in Company H, Forty-seventh Indiana Infantry. Mr. Wisner was mustered into the service on the 31st day of the month following and immediately thereafter pro- ceeded to the front via Louisville and
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