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 59

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 59


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Mr. Falk in his boyhood was very hard working and economical and was early able


to purchase a farm of eighty acres, but the land was wet and situated deep in a forest. Although a plasterer by trade, Mr. Falk had had considerable experience in his early life · in agricultural pursuits and well knew what he was about when he purchased his farm. He cleared and ditched his place, which is in section 27, to which he added another tract of eighty acres in section 26. He had erected a handsome residence and substantial barn, forty by seventy-six feet, but had the misfortune to lose the latter by lightning. He at once replaced it by an equally good one, and in May, 1897, he had the misfortune of losing his house by fire, which he replaced by his present fine dwelling the same year.


Since being bereft of his wife Mr. Falk has been living alone. Mrs. Falk was a member of the Lutheran church, while Mr. Falk is a member of Lew Dailey Post, G. A. R., at Bluffton. In politics he is a Republi- can, but is not very active as a politician. He is a well read gentleman, of rare intelligence, and is one o the most public spirited citizens of Rock Creek township, where he is widely known and greatly respected by all classes.


JOHN H. HOGG.


One of the most diligent and enthusiastic young farmers of Rock Creek township, Wells county, Indiana, is John H. Hogg, a native of the place, born April 27, 1877, and the second of the three children, two sons and one daughter, that have graced the mar- riage of James and Elizabeth (Torrence) Hogg, the former of whom was born in Ireland, whence he came to America when a young man. Mrs. Elizabeth (Torrence)


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Hogg was also born on the Emerald Isle, but may almost claim America as the land of her nativity, as she was but one year of age when brought to the United States by her parents, who settled in Wooster, Ohio. James Hogg and Elizabeth Torrence were joined in matrimony in Wells county, Indi- ana, their union resulting in the birth of three children, alluded to above, who, in order of birth, were named as follows: Sar- ah, who is now the wife of W. D. Wood- ruff, of Liberty township, Wells county; John H., whose name stands at the head of this brief biographical record, and Francis W., an unmarried son, on his father's farm.


John H. Hogg was born and reared on his father's farm, which he, at the proper age, began to assist in cultivating during the summer seasons, while his winters were devoted to attending school and acquiring a sound education. This was the life he led until his marriage, December 27, 1900, to Miss Gertrude Lee, a daughter of J. A. and Delia (Goodyear) Lee. She is also a native of Rock Creek township, this county, and was born April 13, 1880, and is the only child of her parents. Her mother is still living and resides in Bluffton with her own mother. Mr. and Mrs. John H. Hogg are members of the United Presbyterian church at Bluffton, of which Mr. Hogg is one of the elders and members of the Sunday school. Both take great interest in the af- fairs of the church and are liberal contribu- tors toward its support.


In politics Mr. Hogg is a stalwart Re- publican as to national affairs, but in local matters exercises his franchise in favor of the candidate best fitted in his judgment to perform the duties of the office which is to be filled, seldom making a mistake in se- lecting his candidate.


Although still a very young man, Mr. Hogg has made a phenomenal success of his agricultural pursuits, and has proven himself a scientific and up-to-date agriculturist. He deals quite extensively in live stock, in which he handles only the best grades and has made a success in this line of business. Mr. and Mrs. Hogg, though still young in years, stand very high in the esteem of their neigh- ' bors, among whom they have lived all their days, and among whom they are looked upon with no small share of pride as being native born.


CYRUS WALTERS.


One of the youngest ex-soldiers of the late Civil war, but now a citizen of Rock Creek township, Wells county, Indiana, is Cyrus Walters, who was born in Kentucky, March 20, 1848. His parents, John C. and Elizabeth (Womer) Walters, were natives of Pennsylvania, where they were married and where they reared all their children with the exception of Cyrus. After the arrival of the family in Kentucky, the father engaged in his calling of an agriculturist, and here lost his wife, who died when their son Cyrus was quite small and while she was there on a visit, the family having moved to Indiana some years previous. John C. Walters again married and the early training of Cyrus was under the oversight of the step-mother, with whom he did not agree very well, deeming her to be unkind in many respects. However, he remained under the parental roof until he reached the age of six- teen years, when he ran away and, filled with an ardent love for his country, enlisted, in Allen county, Indiana, in Company G, Thir- teenth Indiana Cavalry, under Capt. J. C.


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Wilson. This was in the spring of 1864 and he, young as he was, proved to be a brave and gallant soldier, serving two years, principally with Gen. George H. Thomas, and taking part in many battles, including those of Huntsville, Alabama, Decatur, Ala- bama, and Nashville, Tennessee.


The Walters family were residents of Adams county when Cyrus entered the army, and after an honorable discharge from the service, with a pension of six dollars per month, Cyrus returned to his father and step-mother and lived with them a few months in Adams county, when, in June of the same year, he located in Allen county, Indiana, where for about eight months he was employed in cutting wood by the cord, and then worked out by the month for awhile.


In 1867 Cyrus Walters was happily mar- ried to Miss Mary A. Wisehaupt, a native of Adams county, but at the time of the mar- riage ceremony a resident of Wells county, where the young couple rented a farm for about a year, or until November, 1868, They then lived on the James Metts farm about three years and then moved to the Oldfather farm, on which he lived about one year, thence to Ossian, where Mr. Walters was employed by Dr. Crouse for some time on his farm. Later Mr. Walters moved to the northeast part of Jefferson township and lived on the Snarr farm for three years, and next went to Bluffton, in 1882, and en- gaged with John Studebaker on a farm for a short time, in the meantime carefully sav- ing his earnings. In 1890 Mr. Walters traded what property he owned for his pres- ent farm of forty acres in Rock Creek town- ship, the tract then being deep in the woods and possessing no improvements. This farm


Mr. Walters has since cleared up and im- proved in every respect, including five hun- dred rods of tile ditch.


To Mr. and Mrs. Walters have been born eleven children, of whom eight are still liv- ing, namely : Alfred; Ella, wife of George Bull; Frank; Eva, wife of William Sheets ; Charles, Millie, Ray and Wayne. The fam- ily attend the Methodist Episcopal church, of which the parents have long been mem- bers, and of which Mr. Walters is one of the trustees. Both Mr. and Mrs. Walters are active workers in this religious body, and fraternally Mr. Walters is a member of Lew Dailey Post, G. A. R., at Bluffton. In poli- tics he is a Republican and does faithful work for his party whenever his assistance is re- quired, but has never sought a reward of any kind. He is a gentleman of retiring habits and respected by all for his unswerving in- tegrity, for his industrious attention to his own affairs and for his kindly and equable disposition.


HARVEY B. LANCASTER .


Harvey B. Lancaster, born February 17, 1864, one-half mile south of Keystone, Wells county, Indiana, is a son of Nathan Lancas- ter, a native of Indiana, born in November, 1836, and Mary Starr, born on the old Starr farm in Chester township, Wells county, In- diana, both of whom are yet living in Ches- ter township. Nathan is a son of John and Ruth Lancaster, both natives of Ohio who settled in Grant county, Indiana, in an early day and later came to Wells county, Indiana, where John died in June, 1899. Ruth is yet living with a daughter, Mrs. Mollie Cox, in Hartford City, Indiana. Nathan Lancaster


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is the father of seven children, four of whom are still living: L. G .; H. B., the subject of this sketch ; Jennie, who is now the wife of G. A. Mason ; J. E. Lancaster, deceased ; M. E., deceased; and O. L. Lancaster, now at home with his father. The subject of this sketch attended the schools of Keystone in Chester township until he was sixteen years of age, when he entered the normal school of Bluffton, Indiana, in which he remained for three years. He then taught two terms of school in Chester township, at schools Nos. 3 and 4.


The subject remained with his father, working for his board, clothes, etc., until he was twenty-one years of age, when he began farming for himself. He spent one season on his grandfather Lancaster's farm and the next year, March 13, 1886, he married Miss Sarah Jarrett, born in November, 1866, a daughter of John and Mary (Sells) Jarrett. The parents of Sarah were both old settlers of Chester township, Wells county, and are now deceased. After his marriage the sub- ject settled on the farm where he now lives, which was then all in the woods. At the time of his purchase there were no improvements whatever on his land, but he now has seven- ty acres of it cleared, in a high state of culti- vation, and improved with good buildings. Mr. Lancaster has been a breeder of com- mon-grade stock and, being located in the oil fields, has devoted some time to his in- terests in that line. There are two wells on his farm which are producing five inches (tank measure) per day.


Mrs. Lancaster is a member of the Friends' church in Keystone, and an amiable, intelligent Christian lady, devoted to her husband, home and children. The subject is is a Republican in politics and an active


worker in the ranks of his party and especial- ly interested in all matters politically pertain- ing to his own county and township. The foregoing record of the subject establishes the fact that the old pioneers and first set- tlers cannot appropriate all the credit for subduing the wilderness and clearing up the country, and proves that a worthy descend- ant of that class to whom the present popula- tion owes so much even of the third genera- tion, after availing himself of the opportun- ities by obtaining an education, had the am- bition, energy and force of character to carve out for himself a farm and home from the virgin forest. His achievement and suc- cess in that line, as well as his efforts to im- prove the live stock interests of his locality, with his intelligent interest in public affairs, should prove an inspiraton to the young men of his vicinage to emulate his example in his aspiration to a higher citizenship. Such men as Harvey B. Lancaster are an honor to the state and wield an untold influence in moulding that higher commonwealth toward which we are tending.


WILLIAM H. RUPRIGHT.


Among the men of the northern part of Wells county who deserve special mention in this work is William H. Rupright, who was born in Trumbull county, Ohio, January 19, 1849, and is a son of John and Elizabeth (Daugherty) Rupright, natives of Pensyl- vania, where the paternal grandfather was also born, being of German extraction. The Daugherty family were of Irish origin and were among the pioneers of Ohio, where the parents of William H. Rupright were mar-


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· WELLS COUNTY, INDIANA.


ried. Shortly afterward, in the fall of 1852, being in but indifferent circumstances, they came with their personal effects in the same wagon with another family to the eastern part of Jefferson township, Wells county, Indiana. They lived in an old barn until the father was able to secure eighty acres of land in Preble township, Adams county, and build a cabin. This was deep in the woods, but he was hopeful and industrious, and as the neighborhood began to develop he found plenty of work to do in clearing up his own place and in working as a carpenter, in which capacity he erected nearly all the frame dwellings in his vicinity. Though at first in debt for his land, he prospered and as he was able he added to his purchase until he now owns five hundred acres in Wells and Adams counties. During the Civil war he was an extensive buyer of horses, finding ready sale to the government at a reasonable profit. John Rupright and wife still live on their original farm in Adams county, where he is widely and favorably known as a man of sturdy integrity, whose advice is considered worth having by his fellow citi- zens, who repose the most implicit confidence in his experience and judgment. In politics he was a Democrat and served for some years in earlier life as county assessor of Adams county. In 1883 he was elected coun- ty commissioner, and, meeting with no oppo- sition, at the expiration of his term, was unanimously re-elected, thus giving the pub- lic six years' service. The present court house and jail were erected under his watch- ful supervision, and many other important public improvements inaugurated.


Mrs. Rupright is a member of the Chris- tian church, to the support of which Mr. Rupright is at least a liberal contributor, if


not a communicant. To them were born seven children : William H. ; Granville W., who is one of the most extensive farmers in Adams county and is the present trustee of Preble township ; Mary A., wife of Alexan- der White; Elizabeth, married to Samuel M. Kreigle; Susannah, wife of John W. Rex, of Decatur, Indiana; Matilda, now Mrs. F. J. Summer's ; and Ida, wife of Sylves- ter Mills, of Lancaster township.


William H. Rupright helped to clear up his father's farm and to perform such other duties as his strength and age permit- ted, though he was given the privileges of the common schools during the winter months. He remained on the home farm until twenty-one years old, being married August JI, 1870, to Miss Francina Arch- bold, a native of Jefferson township, and a daughter of Thomas Archbold. Mr. Rup- right then assumed charge of the old home- stead, also purchasing one hundred and six- ty acres of swamp land, for which he went into debt. This he ditched, converting it into fine farming land. He added to this property until he owned five hundred acres, but this he eventually sold and purchased one hundred acres southeast of Ossian and several properties in the village itself.


To the marriage of Mr. Rupright and wife have been born five children, of whom one died in infancy and one at four years of age. The survivors are G. W .: Nellie, still at home ; Lola M. was graduated from the Ossian high school in 1901 and is now the wife of Harry Beaty.


Mr. Rupright is one of the leading Dem- ocrats of Wells county, and for years has been retained on the county central commit- tee of his party. He served as county com- missioner for seven years, during which per-


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iod the present court house was erected, three hundred miles of pike road constructed and an immense amount of public drainage done. He proved one of the most active and efficient commissioners Wells county has had and, like his father, was ever an advocate of such improvements as will not only enhance the money value of Wells county property, but make it a more desirable place of resi- dence. In 1886 Mr. Rupright purchased a half interest in the Ossian Grist Mill and ran it for two years, when he sold out and returned to his farm. In 1895, however, he again came to Ossian and purchased the fine residence on Mill street which is the center of a generous hospitality. Mr. Rup- right has been repeatedly called upon to ad- minister important estates, an evidence of the confidence of his fellow citizens, and in every instance has ably and conscientiously executed the trust confided to him. He has devoted much of his time and attention to the buying and shipping of stock since 1875, and since 1895 has devoted his energies al- most exclusively to this line of business, no man having a wider or warmer acquaintance and business relation in this particular sphere of action. He is a member and treas- urer of Ossian Lodge No. 297, F. & A. M.


IVILSON A. WOODWARD.


Among the prominent stockmen of Ossi- an and northern Wells county is found ex- postmaster Wilson A. Woodward, who was born in Jefferson township, August 2, 1866, and is a son of Abraham and Mary (Brick- ley) Woodward, natives of Trumbull coun- ty, Ohio, and who settled in Jefferson town-


ship in 1850, where the father purchased a farm and in time became an extensive agri- culturist and stock. breeder. They had ten children, who were born in the following or- der : An infant, deceased; Loretta, wife of George Wasson; Olive, deceased wife of William Beaty ; Laura J., the present wife of the same gentleman; George T., a prosper- ous farmer in Jefferson township; Saman- tha E., wife of L. T. Fryback, of Warren, Indiana ; William A., a thriving farmer and trader of Jefferson township; John W., a stockman of Ossian; Wilson A., and Allie, wife of Captain E. E. Derr.


Wilson A. Woodward was reared on his father's farm and acquired a good common school education. He remained with his father until he had attained his twenty-first year, at about which time he was united in marriage with Miss Luella Summers, also a native of Jefferson township and a daughter of William Summers, a respected farmer. For a few years Mr. and Mrs. Woodward resided on the farm, when they removed to Ossian, where he operated a grist-mill for a year and then opened a meat market, which he carried on for two years. Being a Demo- crat in politics, Mr. Woodward was appoint- ed, during the second term of President Cleveland, postmaster, a position he filled with credit to himself and the entire satis- faction of the public for four years, during that same period being associated with A. B. Davis in the drug business. Retiring from this partnership at the expiration of his offi- cial term, Mr. Woodward associated himself with G. A. Morton and A. M. Gibson in buy- ing and shipping live stock, in which busi- ness he is still engaged and with flattering success.


The family of Mr. and Mrs. Woodward


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are five children : Goldie, Garth, Dana, For- rest and Vada. The parents are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Ossian, and fraternally Mr. Woodward is a charter member of the Knights of Pythias lodge, of which he is a past chancellor and represent- ative to the grand lodge. He is also a mem- ber of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, being a trustee of his lodge, as also of the insurance department of the Knights of the Maccabees. He is one of the most ac- tive men in his line in Wells county, is a good neighbor, a broad-minded and progres- sive citizen, and enjoys to the fullest extent the esteem of every member of the commun- ity in which he lives. His life has been one of untiring industry and his fortune is of his own making, and he is generally regarded as one of the more substantial citizens of Wells county.


CAPT. E. E. DERR.


Capt. E. E. Derr, of Ossian, is the son of H. B. and Clarinda Derr and was born in Wabash county, Indiana, September 30, 1866. The Derr family formerly lived in Pennsylvania, and are natives of that state. Years ago they migrated to Ohio and later to Indiana. They lived for a time in Wa- bash and Allen counties, eventually taking up their permanent residence in Wells county, though the greater part of the first six years of Capt. Derr's life was spent in Allen county. About the year 1872 the family moved to Wells county, locating at Ossian. Here he attended school, acquiring an edu- cation that has been most useful to him in his career of usefulness. Having passed through the high school with well earned


honors, he took up the profession of teaching and, although quite successful, his experience was as to make the vocation distasteful to him for many reasons, not the least of which was the meager compensation granted for the enormous amount of work required. For eight years he worked in Nimmon's fac- tory, becoming skillful in the work required of him and popular with his employers and his fellow workmen. Meanwhile he had ac- quired a knowledge of the barber's trade, and on June 5. 1886, he opened a barber shop at Ossian. In March, 1897, the indi- vidual who would predict that this country, in little more than a year, would be involved in war with one of the leading European powers, was liable to be brought before a commission of lunacy to have his sanity in- quired into, and yet it must have been some- thing in the nature of a prophecy that in- duced E. E. Derr, at that time, to organize a military company from among the young men of the town and surrounding country. He was made captain of the company, and when not actively engaged in the duties of his shop, devoted himself to the study of military tactics. The result was that, in February, 1898, when the battle ship "Maine" was treacherously destroyed in the harbor of Havana, and when the country from one extremity to the other was clamor- ing for war, Captain Derr, so far as drill and military discipline were concerned, had his company of vigorous, athletic youths on prime war footing. Most of the members of this company enlisted and were mustered into the United States service, May 12, 1898. as Company F, One Hundred and Sixtieth Indiana Regiment. As might have been ex- pected, it proved to be one of the best be- haved, best drilled, and most efficient com-


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panies of volunteers that entered the service during the Spanish-American war. After a sojourn of some time in the South, the reg- iment was transferred to Cuba, where it did valiant service until the close of the war. It was mustered out at Savannah, Georgia, April 25, 1899. Returning to his home in Ossian, Captain Derr engaged for a time in the livery business at Warren, Indiana. Finding that calling not wholly to his taste, he embraced an opportunity of selling out and, returning to Ossian, resumed his old business of barber, in which calling he is now engaged and meeting with that degree of prosperity which his abilities, judgment and genial dispositon so well deserve.


In 1890 Captain Derr was united in mar- riage to Miss Allie Woodward, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. Woodward, and they are the parents of two sons, Dale and Russell, aged nine and six years respectively. Polit- ically Captain Derr is a Republican, and on a number of occasions has been selected as a delegate to various county and state conven- tions. He has served two full terms as clerk and treasurer of his township. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Ossian Lodge No. 297, and of the Scot- tish Rite Masons at Fort Wayne, Indiana. · He is also a Knight of Pythias and a Knight of the Maccabees.


JOHN REX.


Among the oldest living representatives of the pioneer period in Wells county is John Rex, who has been an honored resident of this part of the state for over fifty-one years. Like many of the first settlers of the county,


he is of Ohio birth, his parents, William and Susan (Sluss) Rex, having moved to Stark county, that state, from Pennsylvania, early in the last century. Mr. Rex is of German descent and inherits many of the character- istics of an ancestry long noted for industry, thrift and a high sense of personal honor. He was born in Stark county on the 25th day of January, 1828, and at the age of sixteen accompanied his parents to the county of Seneca, where he grew to young manhood on a farm. The lack of proper school facilities prevented him from acquiring any educa- tional training beyond a knowledge of the elementary branches, but a naturally bright mind and a desire for reading subsequently enabled him to make up for this deficiency. Young Rex assisted his father on the farm until reaching the years of manhood, when he severed home ties and engaged in farming upon his own responsibility. He began poor, but, with an inborn determination which hes- itated at no obstacles, he resolutely faced the future, resolved to win success if it could be done by energy, hard work and well directed thrift. The better to enable him to fight this world's battles, he chose a companion and helpmeet in the person of Miss Abigail Love, of Tiffin, Ohio, to whom he was married April 12, 1849, and in September, 1850, reached Wells county, Indiana, settling on an eighty-acre tract of unimproved land in the township of Jefferson. He built a small log cabin and for several years experienced all the hardships and vicissitudes incident to life in the backwoods. Wild game of all kinds was plentiful and afforded the family an abundance of the choicest meats. Deer would frequently come close to the house and but little skill was required to kill one when it became necessary to replenish the larder.




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