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 58

Author: Dougherty, Hugh
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Logansport, Ind. : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 732


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 58


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of twenty-two he engaged in the lumber busi- ness with J. H. Preskey, their saw-mill being located three miles east of Markle, Indiana. This partnership business contin- ued eight years, and realized them quite a handsome profit. Mr. Miller first rented the old homestead of eighty acres in the fall of 1891, but later on purchased it.


Andrew J. Miller was united in mar- riage, November 1, 1883, with Miss Luella M. Lesh, a daughter of Jacob Lesh, of Rock Creek township, by his first wife, and who was educated in the district and Bluffton schools. The marriage of Andrew J. Mil- ler and Luella M. Lesh has been crowned with five children, namely: Herman L., born August 22, 1884, and now in his sen- ior year in the common school; Lizzie, born August 20, 1886; Edna E., born February 15, 1889; Vera, born November 17, 1892, and Roy J., born November 18, 1901.


Mr. and Mrs. Miller are members of the Lutheran church at Horeb, to the main- tenance of which they liberally contribute and otherwise aid, Mr. Miller having offi- ciated as elder for many years, and also as superintendent of the Sunday school. Fra- ternally Mr. Miller is a member of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, and is re- cording secretary of his lodge; in politics he is one of the leading Democrats of Rock Creek township and Wells county. In 1894 he was elected township assessor and served with credit to himself and to the entire sat- isfaction of his party and his fellow citizens until 1900. He has also served as township committeeman for years, and likewise as delegate to several important Democratic conventions. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are among the prominent and influential resi- dents of Rock Creek township, and Mr. Mil-


ler is honored as a public-spirited citizen, ready at all times to aid with his advice and means every project desgned for the in- crease of the happiness and comfort of the community. He has recently been selected and served as a juror in the United States federal court for this district at Fort Wayne.


JONATHAN J. MARKLEY.


Each business or calling, if honorable, has its place in human existence, consti- tuting a part of the plan whereby life's methods are pursued and man reaches his ultimate destiny. Emerson said that "All are needed by each one." And that is as true in one avenue of life's activities as in another. However, the importance of a busi- ness or profession is in a very large meas- ure determined by its beneficence or use- fulness. So dependent is man upon his fel- low men that the worth of each individual is largely reckoned by what he has done for humanity. There is no class to whom great- er gratitude is due than to those self-sacri- ficing, sympathetic, noble-minded men whose life work has been the elevation of their fellow men to a higher conception of God, their duty to him and their duty to their fellow men. There is no known stan- dard by which their beneficent influence can be measured, but it is certainly safe to say that to no class of men is the country today indebted for the present high moral and spiritual standard of the community in as large a degree as to the early ministers of the gospel, those earnest and consecrated men who, disregarding personal comfort, spread abroad a knowledge of the Christ


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and taught the great truths of the father- hood of God and the brotherhood of man. The subject of this sketch for many years labored faithfully in the cause of the Master and by a long life of earnest and self-deny- ing toil accomplished great good in this com- munity and now possesses the confidence and respect of all who know him. Because of the prominent part he took in the devel- opment of this region he is justly entitled to representation in a volume of this char- acter.


The first ancestor of the subject of whom anything definite is now known was his great-grandfather, probably Gabriel Mark- ley by name, who was driven by re- ligious persecution from Holland in the year 1720. With a number of his fellow countrymen, he emigrated to America and settled first in Maryland. His son, Jonathan Markley, grandfather of the subject, was born in Maryland in 1760. In 1815 he emigrated to Pennsylvania and after residing there a few years went to Madison county, Ohio, where he remained until his death. The subject's father, John Mark- ley, was born near the city of Baltimore, Maryland, March 10, 1809, and died De- cember 19, 1870. His wife, who in her maidenhood bore the name of Melinda Wil- son, was born in Madison county, Ohio, January 12, 1816, and died April 20, 1888. John Markley remained upon the home farm during his boyhood, assisting his father in the clearing and development of the land, receiving in the meantime but little educa- tion. On the 2d of March, 1834, he was married to Melinda Wilson, the daughter of Valentine Wilson, reputed to be the wealthiest man in Madison county, Ohio. In 1835, accompanied by his young wife


and his brother Gabriel and wife, he emi- grated to Wells county, Indiana, and located on the north bank of the Wabash river, five miles above where the city of Bluffton now stands. He entered there two hundred acres of land and proceeded at once to the task of clearing and developing it. He at first erected a rude log cabin, in which they made their home for a number of years and in which the subject was born. Subsequently Mr. Markley was enabled to purchase five hundred acres of additional land, which he cultivated with marked success for a number of years. He always followed the pursuit of farming, in which he was prosperous, was honorable and straightforward in his intercourse with his fellow men and enjoyed the respect and esteem of a large circle of friends and acquaintances. When he first went to that locality there were not enough settlers there to fill a jury and officer a court. In politics he was a Republican and took a keen and active interest in all things affecting the interests of his county. He and his wife were members of the Christian church and were consistent and faithful in the performance of their religious duties, bringing up their children in the light of the gospel and of their own examples. They were the parents of eleven children, briefly mentioned as follows : Valentine is deceased ; Rachael Ann is the wife of Stephen Adsit, of Hoopeston, Illinois; Jonathan J. is the subject : William D. lives at Vera Cruz, Harrison township, this county; Hester is deceased ; Matilda J. is the wife of Capt. E. Y. Sturgis, of Bluffton; Amanda, deceased; Ellen is deceased; Louis P. lives at Vera Cruz, this county ; Samuel T. resides at El- wood, Indiana, and Wilson A., of Harrison township, this county.


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WELLS COUNTY, INDIANA.


Jonathan J. Markley, the immediate sub- ject of this biographical sketch, was born in Harrison township, Wells county, Indiana, on the 7th of March, 1839, his birth taking place in the little log cabin which his father first erected on the clearing he had made there. The subject remained at home until he attained his majority, faithfully assisting his father in the arduous task of clearing the land and cultivating the soil, and developing at the same time that strength of body and those sturdy qualities of character which served him so well in the after years of his life. During his teens he received the ad- vantages of such mental training as was to be obtained in the common schools of the neighborhood. Not . being satisfied with such education as he had received, after at- taining his majority he secured a position as teacher in the schools of Vera Cruz, holding this position for three years and also teaching one year in another school. In this way he earned enough money to enable him to enter Liber College in Jay county, this state, where he spent three years in earnest 'study. During his attendance at college he found it necessary to work out on Saturdays and in evenings in order to defray his ex- penses. He selected his studies with a view to entering the ministry and all his ambi- tions and efforts were centered upon that purpose. Upon leaving college he returned home, but after remaining there about two years he, in 1871, came to Lancaster town- ship and occupied forty acres of land which he had previously purchased. He was a member of the Christian church and in 1869 he began preaching, his first charge being the Christian church at Murray, Lancaster township. That his services in the capacity of a pastor and minister of the gospel were


satisfactory is evidenced by the fact that he was retained in this one charge for the re- markably long period of thirty-one years, a period in which his influence in the com- munity was constantly manifest and ac- knowledged by all who were conversant with his labors. In 1900 Mr. Markley re- signed his ministerial work and retired from active pastorate, much to the regret of many who had sat under his preaching and been the recipients of his ministrations. During this long pastorate he labored earnestly and indefatigably for the uplifting of those with whom he came in contact and by an ex- emplary life influenced many to turn from sin and follow the teachings of the Nazarene.


In 1898 Mr. Markley erected a hand- some large brick house and in 1900 he erected a fine new barn, being now the owner of one of the finest pieces of farm property in Wells county. From the original tract of forty acres he has, by thrift, economy and enterprise, been enabled to increase his hold- ings to two hundred and forty acres of as good land as can be found in Wells county. Mr. Markley enjoys the distinction of being one of the oldest ministers in the county and also of having married more couples and preached more sermons than any other preacher in the county. In politics he has been a lifelong Republican and has always taken a keen interest in the trend of public events, though at no time an aspirant for public office. A bit of early history is con- nected with, Mr. Markley's home in the fact that where his house now stands occurred the first marriage ceremony performed in the county, a minister from Ft. Wayne of- ficiating. The couple then married are yet living at Buena Vista, the wife having cel- ebrated her eighty-fourth birthday during


29


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the first week in July, 1902. Another note- worthy fact is that Mr. Markley officiated at the funerals of eight of his neighbors within two years, all residing within sight of his home and their aggregate ages being six hundred and forty-three years.


On the 18th of January, 1871, Mr. Markley was united in the holy bonds of matrimony with Miss Mary M. Huffman, who was born August 18, 1840, the daugh- ter of Philip and Margarite Huffman, of Bluffton. This union has been a most happy and congenial one and in many ways Mrs. Markley has proven her devotion and faith- fulness to her husband's best interests. A devout and consecrated Christian, she has always so lived as to cast no discredit upon the religion which she professes and by her many acts of charity and kindliness has en- deared herself to a host of warm and loyal friends.


WILLIAM WILKIN.


Sixty-six years' continuous residence in one county ought to be sufficient to en- title a person to fame, and when coupled with a most exemplary life, interspersed with much good work and the achievement of some success in all that was undertaken, it certainly does. William Wilkin, of Lan- caster township. Wells county, Indiana, may justly lay claim to all this. He was born in Harrison county, Ohio, April 5, 1833. His father was Thomas P. Wilkin, who moved his family, consisting of two children and his mother, in 1836 from Harrison county, Ohio, to Wells county, Indiana. His wife had died in Harrison county, Ohio, in October, 1834. He settled upon two


hundred and forty acres of government land in Lancaster township and afterward ac- quired three hundred and twenty acres in Jefferson township. For the first year and a half of his life in the Hoosier state he made his home at Murray, when he built upon his land in Jefferson township a comfortable log cabin, into which he moved his family and began life in regular pioneer style. After coming to Wells county he married Rhoda Sutton, but had no children by this lady. He proceeded to drain, clear and fence this land and as his means permitted erected suitable buildings. Up to the time of his death, which occurred November 19, 1873. he continued to improve this farm, and made it one of the best in that part of the county. He was a native of Virginia and was born January 9, 1800. His father died while he was still an infant in their Virginia home. His widowed mother was a woman of much force of character and unusual courage, and with her infant son she braved the perils and hardships of the long journey over mountain and stream, through forest and swamp to Harrison county, Ohio, where she continued to reside thereafter. Here Thomas P. grew to manhood, acquiring such education as could be had in those early times and tenderly caring, until her death, for the brave mother who had been so de- voted to him. When he was thirty-one years of age he married Mary Poland, daughter of James Poland, of Muskingum county, Ohio, and to them were born two children, William and Mary, the latter the widow of John Kleinknight, of Lancaster township. Wells county. In politics Thomas Wilkin was a Democrat, and took an active interest in the success of his party, though never aspiring to public office.


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WELLS COUNTY, INDIANA.


William Wilkin, the subject of this re- view, was reared in his father's log cabin on the farm in Jefferson township. When sufficient strength had come to him it was utilized by his father in the clearing or in the field. He swung an ax in the forest, pulled a cross-cut saw in the clearing, wielded a spade in the ditch or followed a plow in the field. Thus he was trained in habits of in- dustry and thrift which he has ever found useful during the course of his long and active life. The opportunities for mental culture were, unfortunately, by no means equal to those offered for the development of the body in the times to which reference is made. Schools were then few and far between and books were esteemed almost priceless treasures. The era of numerous printing presses had not yet set in and indi- viduals were born, grew to maturity, passed to old age and died without ever experienc- ing the ecstatic delight of even once seeing their name in print. It may, therefore, be inferred that where people were depending for their education upon what fugitive pieces of printed matter might find their way out on the borders of civilization, they could hardly be expected to become particularly ripe scholars. By nature young Wilkin was passionately fond of letters. Every scrap of paper that looked as if it had even a re- mote acquaintance with a printing press was carefully treasured up, and by the light of the light of the log fire in the big hearth, at night, was carefully gone over until its ut- terance became familiar. This was a hard way of getting an education, but it was a way that was quite likely to impress the possessor with the value of the education thus obtained.


William Wilkin was united in marriage,


on February 21, 1856, to Mary F. A. Tren- ary, daughter of Richard Trenary, of Jeffer- son township. This lady was born in Allen county, Indiana, July 4, 1838. A year pre- vious to his marriage Mr. Wilkin had pur- chased his father's farm, and taking up his residence there he continued to care for the old gentleman until the latter's death. To Mr. Wilkin's first marriage were born nine children. They were Richard D., born Janu- ary 14, 1857; Mary E., January 2, 1859; Nancy M., September 19, 1860 ; William A., April 4, 1862; Emma J., February 12, 1864; Alonzo D., March 8, 1867; Clarence V., April 19, 1869; Nelson S., February 7, 1872; Grace A., May 3, 1874. Richard, Mary, William and Grace are dead; Nancy M. is the wife of Marion Garton, and Emma is the wife of Charles Gillon. They all re- side in Wells county except Emma, who lives in Michigan. Mary T. Wilkin, mother of this interesting family, departed this life November 19, 1874. On July 13, 1884, Mr. Wilkin was united in marriage to Rachael A. Norton, daughter of Harvey W. and Sarah A. Norton, of Liberty township. Rachael (Norton) Wilkin was born May 12, 1850, in Chester township. Both are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which Mr. Wilkin has been a trustee for over thirty years.


Politically Mr. Wilkins is a very pro- nounced Democrat, working energetically for the success of the ticket in each succes- sive campaign. Defeat to his party is looked upon by him almost a personal calamity and his joy is correspondingly great over each success. It may be noted that the calamities have been monotonously frequent in recent years. He is a generous, kind hearted man, with a strong disposition to look carefully


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after his own affairs and allow other people to do likewise. Every one who knows him is his friend, his popularity not being con- fined to any sex, class or calling.


MATTHEW J. PARK.


Among the most enterprising and suc- cessful agriculturists of Rock Creek town- ship, Wells county, Indiana, is found Mat- thew J. Park, who was born in county Don- egal, Ireland, January 26, 1853, a son of Matthew and Jane (Buchanan) Park, farm- ing people and quite well-to-do. Matthew Park, about 1850, having heard glowing descriptions of the success which attended a number of his fellow countrymen who had made their homes in the United States, de- termined to follow their example. Accord- ingly he left his family behind him and came to America and lived two years in Wooster, Ohio, where he engaged at mason work with his cousin. He then returned to Ireland, and, in 1853, came back with his family to America, worked in Wooster three years and then came to Wells county, Indiana, settling in section 30, Lancaster township, on forty acres of wild land he had pur- chased in the woods. He cleared up a farm and there passed the remainder of his life. He was educated in a high school in the old country, and was an elder in his church. The latter fact implies that he was a moral man, and as his walk through life was modest and unassuming, it is inferable that he was deeply imbued with the teach- ings of his Divine Master. His death took place in April, 1893, and he was mourned by all who knew him. His widow still sur-


vives and makes her home with the subject, being in her ninety-first year. To the mar- riage of Matthew and Jane (Buchanan) Park were born nine children, of whom the following attained mature years: Rebecca, now the widow of Joshua Perkins, of Mur- ray, this county ; James A., who resides in Bluffton ; Ellen, deceased wife of John Bur- nett; Joseph W., a blacksmith in Murray; Rev. Robert H., a graduate from the Na- tional Normal University of Lebanon, Ohio, and from the Xenia Theological Seminary, and now officiating in Valencia, Pennsyl- vania, and Matthew J., of this review, the next to the youngest member of the family and the youngest one who grew to maturity.


Matthew J. Park was a child but ten weeks old when his parents started for America and not quite four years of age when brought to Wells county, Indiana. He was educated in the district schools and when old enough and strong enough was set to work as an assistant to his father on the home farm. He attended school, how- ever, until completing the graded school course of Bluffton and at the age of seven- teen years was licensed to teach, a vocation he followed in the winters of 1871 and 1872 in Harrison and Liberty townships. He then entered the National. Normal Univer- sity at Lebanon, Ohio, where he took a teacher's course, the better to qualify himself for the profession he had chosen, and for ten years afterward met with eminent success in his calling in Wells county. On the 29th day of December, 1881, Mr. Park was joined in marriage with Miss Rachel O. Lee, a daughter of John Lee, a well known resi- dent of Rock Creek township. She was born in Wells county, Indiana, April 5, 1860. Mr. Park had no money nor any other capital


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save good health, energy and a determina- tion to win in the battle of life. He there- fore rented a farm, and, thoroughly under- standing the management of this line of industry, was able, at the close of fourteen years, in 1895, to purchase his present place of one hundred and four acres, but which place at that time was cleared off to the ex- tent of thirty acres only, with no buildings whatever. . In 1896 Mr. Park erected his present substantial and handsome dwelling and in 1902 built his convenient barn, sixty- six by sixty-six feet in its ground plan, with a cement floor, and finished in a style unsur- passed by that of any other barn in the county, the cost of erection reaching about sixteen hundred dollars.


The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Matthew J. Park has been blessed with three children, namely : John C., who was born April 24. 1883, attended the common schools until about 1899, and in 1900 attended the high schools of Murray and is now in Purdue University ; Harold M., born September 27, 1887, will graduate from the common schools this year, and Archie Glenn, the youngest of the three, was born August 24, 1892.


Mr. and Mrs. Park are members of the United Presbyterian church at Murray, of which Mr. Park is an elder and a trustee. In politics he is a Republican, but has never been a seeker after office. Mr. Park has long been an active member of the Farmers' Institute and was its secretary in 1901, and in 1903 was elected president. He is at present the solicitor for the Rock Creek Township Mutual Insurance Association, which was organized in 1875 and has a real estate capital worth three million dollars. Mr. and Mrs. Park are classed among the


most intelligent of the residents of Rock Creek township and consequently enjoy the respect and esteem of their neighbors to an unusual degree, and no words of commenda- tion that can here be added could enhance the esteem in which they are held.


JOSEPH FALK.


This gallant ex-soldier of the late Civil war, but now one of the most peaceful and industrious residents and farmers of Rock Creek township, Wells county, Indiana, is a native of Richland county, Ohio. He was born June 29, 1838, and is a son of Albert and Catherine J. (Pfaff) Falk, who were married in their native country, Herholtz, Germany, and shortly afterward immigrated to America, and for some time lived in Richland county, Ohio, and in 1849 came to Wells county. Albert Falk first bought a tract of one hundred and sixty acres of land in Rock Creek township, later pur- chased an additional tract of one hundred acres, and still later, purchased forty acres more, then fifty acres, and finally added ninety acres more, making in all four hun- dred and forty acres, which was considered to be quite a fortune in Wells county half a century ago, the first tract being that which Eli Houtz now owns. To Albert and Catherine J. (Pfaff) Falk there were born nine children, of whom seven are still living, viz: Joseph, Catherine, Mary, John, Wil- liam, Peter and Henry. Jacob, the eldest member of the family, and Susan are de- ceased. Mrs. Catherine Falk was called hence by death about 1857, and subsequently Albert Falk married Mrs. Rachel Fulton,


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but to this union there have been no children born.


Joseph Falk, the gentleman with whom this biographical record has the most to do, was educated in the district school and was reared to hard labor on the home farm. He was thus employed at work when the fierce alarm of war was sounded throughout the country, and, inspired with patriotism, he at once offered his services, and life if need be, in his country's cause. He enlisted, August 18, 1862, in Company B, One Hun- dred and First Indiana Volunteer Infantry, Capt. Peter Studabaker, and among the other actions in which he took part were the following : Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Resaca and Dalton ; he was on the march through Georgia to the sea, and fought at Bentonville, North Carolina. He was hon- orably discharged June 24, 1865, and re- turned to his home in Rock Creek township and resumed his work on the farm.


Joseph Falk was united in marriage No- vember 12, 1868, with Miss Catherine Bender, who was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, May 23, 1844, and is a daugh- ter of John and Barbra (Mast) Bender, who were among the early settlers of Wells county, Indiana. This union was crowned by the birth of three children, namely: Eliza J., born January 30, 1870, and now the wife of Archie W. Gordon, a stock dealer in Lib- erty Center, this county; William S., born February 23, 1878, married Ida V. Ludwig, and is a resident of Rock Creek township, and Philip S., who was born September 5, 1880, and died December 12, 1882. Mr. Falk was bereaved in the loss of his wife February 21, 1899.




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