Centennial History of Grant County Indiana, Part 100

Author: Rolland Lewis Whitson
Publication date: 1914
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1034

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Jane Benbow Modlin, his wife, is also of that strong and courageous stock that peopled the states of Virginia and North Carolina when they were British colonies. Her maternal grand-father, whose name was Isaac Elliot, emigrated from these eastern states early in the history of the western tide of emigration, and he entered the land upon which the National Military Soldiers' Home is now located. Five children were born to William and Jane Modlin, as follows, George A., Willis O., who is a farmer of Jefferson township; Lillian M., who married Mell T. Pilcher, of Marion, Indiana; Myrtle, who is the wife of J. E. McMullen, who is the professor of literature at Muncie College, at Muncie, Indiana; and Edgar C., who is engaged in the printing business in Marion.

George A. Modlin, the eldest of his parents' children, spent his boy- hood on his father's farm, first in Liberty township and later in Franklin township. He attended the public school, but ambitious for further education he went to Terre Haute, Indiana, where he attended the State Normal School. After leaving school he taught for a time in Grant county, Indiana, and then took a course in the Eastman Business College, at Poughkeepsie, New York. After this he taught school for one winter and then came his entrance into public life.

It was in the spring of 1890 that Mr. Modlin was appointed deputy clerk of Grant county and about a year and a half later he was made deputy auditor, serving under George A. Osborne. He served through- out the term of the latter and also through that of his successor, John Wilson, completing eight years in the office of deputy auditor. In the fall of 1898, he was himself elected auditor and served until December 31, 1903, a period of four years and two months. After he retired from public office he returned to the farm, and two years later he moved to the farm where he now resides. This farm, which is known as the Villa View Farm, is located at the intersection of the Marion, Roseberg and Range Line, and of the Range Line of the Tree Gravel road, just on the boundary line between Sims and Franklin townships. This place is ten miles southwest of Marion and two miles east of Swayzee, Indiana, and

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consists of two hundred and forty acres. Two hundred acres of this property lies in Franklin township and forty acres in Sims township. Mr. Modlin has two hundred and thirty-two acres under cultivation and eight acres is well drained woodland. He has built a ten roomed house on the property, which is a most attractive home with all the modern conveniences. Commodious barns and all the improvements of an up-to- date farm make the prosperity of Villa View Farm apparent. Mr. Modlin is a general farmer and also raises fine stock.

In politics Mr. Modlin is a member of the Republican party and he has been active in politics. In the fraternal world he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, affiliating with Mississinewa Lodge, No. 96.

Mr. Modlin was married on the 25th of June, 1902, to Miss Lucy Willcuts, a daughter of Clarkson Willcuts. Mrs. Modlin was reared in Center and Franklin townships and received her education in the public schools of Franklin township. Two children have been born to this union : Lois G., who is a graduate of both the grammar and high schools of Marion, and Walter W., who is now a student in the Marion public school. Mrs. Modlin is a member of the Friends church in Marion.

JAMES I. HOGSTEN. For nearly thirty years a resident of Franklin township, Mr. Hogsten is a substantial farmer, has provided well for his family, and though he began as a tenant farmer, he has long since reached that place of independence which is the ambition of all enter- prising men in any vocation.

James I. Hogsten was born in Randolph county, Indiana, February 10, 1850, a son of Alfred and Mary (Lacy) Hogsten. Alfred Hogsten, the father, was a native of Iredell county, North Carolina, from whence he came to Indiana, when about three years of age with his parents, who settled in Wayne county. In that county he grew up, was educated and was first married and afterwards moved to Randolph county, which con- tinued to be his home during the rest of his life. He was an industrious farmer and lived in the quiet round of civic and domestic duties. His first marriage was to Ann Price, who became the mother of two sons, Anderson and Samuel, both now deceased. To his second marriage there was one son, James I.

Mr. Hogsten was reared to manhood in Randolph county, and had his education principally in the district schools during the winter terms. Later by attendance in the summer normal schools he qualified himself for work as a teacher, although he has never followed that calling. After leav- ing school he turned his attention to farming, and on November 30, 1878, married Rebecca A. Mann. Mrs. Hogsten was born and reared in Ran- dolph county. After their marriage they found themselves at the threshold of larger life and responsibilities and yet with only a very small amount of capital. They began as renters, and made a living that way both in Randolph and Adams county, until 1882, in which year they moved to Grant county. Locating in Franklin township, they have made their home here ever since, and now possess one of the comfortable farm estates and homes of the township. He owns in all 460 acres located in Sections thirty-two, thirty-three and twenty-eight.

Six children were born to their marriage, four of whom are living in 1913, namely : Alfred, who has been a student in the State University of Indiana, and has served as principal of the Jonesboro public schools. He married Verna Jackway, their present home being in Marion, and they have two children, Frederick and Lyndel; Ada, wife of John A. Patterson, has five children; Myrtle K., wife of Earl Cabe, has three

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MR. AND MRS. JOHN TOYNE AND DAUGHTER

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children; Richard, who married Bertha Babb, of Franklin township, has one child. In politics Mr. Hogsten is a Republican, and has served as deputy assessor of Franklin township.

ABRAHAM L. SMALL. Born to farm life, Abraham L. Small has devoted himself to that industry since he came to years of manhood, and in it he has proven himself a master hand at the business, winning a success that gives him place among the foremost agricultural men of the township. He has one hundred and ninety acres of fine land, fertile and well kept, and his home is one of the attractive spots in the com- munity. Mr. Small was born on the old Small homestead on October 21, 1862, and is a son of Samuel and Ruth (Marshall) Small, who are both residents of Franklin township, and have for many years been identified with the industrial and social life of the community. They have five living children, concerning whom brief mention is here made as follows: Ellen, the wife of T. F. Floyd, of Franklin township; Lydia, who married James T. Kelley, of Michigan; A. L., of this review ; Emma, who is the wife of Frank Jaqua; and Oliver M. Small, of Liberty town- ship, Indiana.

Abraham L. Small was reared on the Franklin township farm where he was born, and in boyhood attended the district schools, finishing his training there at the age of eighteen years. He continued at home until he was about twenty-one, when he set out on a trip of exploration, and traveled through Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico and Michigan from border to border in search of a suitable location. He decided that Indiana offered as many opportunities as Michigan, and returned ac- cordingly to Grant county, where he married and settled down to a life devoted to agriculture. For a short time thereafter he worked for his father, then moved on a forty acre tract which he later purchased and began independent farming. He has gradually added to his hold- ings until today his farm aggregates one hundred and ninety acres, and he operates on a rather larger scale than do many of his neighbors.

In 1884 Mr. Small married Adeline Capron, the daughter of Oliver and Sarah (Yunt) Capron. She was born in Ohio, but spent the most of her life thus far in Grant county. Five children have been born to them : Jennie is the wife of Harley Richey, of Scott county, Indiana; Cecil is the wife of Sandy Roe; Nora married Venard F. Said of Franklin township; Quincy O. is unmarried; and Sarah E., who with Quincy, lives at home.

Mrs. Small is a member of the Society of Friends, and an active worker in that body. Mr. Small is a Republican, and takes his place as one of the most estimable citizens of the community, where he is known and honored for the many excellent qualities that dominate him.

JOHN TOYNE. In 1890 John Toyne arrived in America, a youth of twenty years, just from his old home in England. His previous expe- riences had been with English farmers, though in a measure he was fairly well equipped to make his own way, even without capital or influential friends. His possession of a good country home and the employment of substantial influence and position in his community in Green township has proceeded from many years of hard work and good management. Since his marriage he and his wife have thriftily added to their capital, a little every year, and now have a comfortable share of the goods most cherished by mankind.

John Toyne, whose well improved farm lies in section 1 of Green township and two and a half miles south and two miles east of Swayzee, was born in Lincolnshire, England, February 4, 1870, a son of Daniel

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and Harriet (Salvester) Toyne, both now deceased, they having died in England. They were the parents of eight children, six of whom are living in 1913. One brother, Charles, lives in Massachusetts and the re- mainder are in England.

In the mother country John Toyne resided during his boyhood and early youth, received his education in the local schools, and when he was ten years old had completed with credit the course through five grades, being the only one in his school who had accomplished this feat. When he was fourteen he started out to earn his own way, and worked on a farm in England for some years. In 1890 he came to the United States and had enough money to bring him as far as Illinois, locating first in Iroquois county, where he found work as an agriculturist, and there he also met the lady who afterward became his wife. Mr. Toyne lived in Iroquois county until 1904, and in the spring of that year he came to his present farm in Grant county, which he had purchased two years pre- viously, in 1902. His homestead now contains eighty acres in Green township, all of which he has made as a result of the efforts of himself and wife. He erected the fine barn which now adorns the place, also the other farm buildings, and has greatly remodeled the residence. He takes great pride in the fact that he arrived in America with little or no capital, and all that he now owns has been achieved as the result of his own efforts.

On December 15, 1897, in Iroquois county, Illinois, Mr. Toyne was married to Orise Miller, who was born and reared in Illinois and edu- cated in the common schools of that state. They have one daughter. Ruth E., born November 14, 1898, to whom they have given the best of advantages. Mr. and Mrs. Toyne are cultured, well read people, and. they have traveled extensively in America. Among the many luxuries which they now enjoy is a fine Oakland automobile. Mr. Toyne is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias fraternity at Swayzee, and in poli- tics is a Prohibitionist. He follows general farming and stock raising, and lends his influence in a quiet way to the promotion of any enterprise for the local good and welfare.

RINALDO R. TAYLOR. Nearly forty years have passed since Rinaldo R. Taylor first settled on his farm in Richland township, about four miles northeast of Converse, and during this time he has come to be known as one of his community's leading agriculturists. The owner of one hundred and eighty acres of well-cultivated land, he is carrying on his operations in the most approved manner, thus not only furthering his own interests but advancing those of his locality as well. Mr. Taylor has the added distinction of being a native son of Richland township, and was born September 16, 1852, the next to the youngest of the ten children of George W. and Jane (Whittaker) Taylor.

The parents of Mr. Taylor were both born in Fayette county, Penn- sylvania, and shortly after their marriage migrated to Ohio, from which state they came to Grant county, Indiana in 1847, entering the old homestead which is four miles north of our subject's farm, in Richland township, on which they resided during the remainder of their lives. Of their ten children, Rinaldo R. is the only survivor. He received a liberal education in the common schools, and during his boyhood and youth spent the summer months in assisting his father with the work of the home place, as was the custom of farmers' sons of his day. Until attaining his majority, he continued under the parental roof, and one year later moved to his present farm, which was then owned by his father and on which he has continued to reside to the present time. Mr. Taylor began his operations in a modest manner, but as the years have passed he has added to his buildings, his stock and his equipment, and

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now has one of the valuable properties of Richland township, his one hundred and eighty acres being practically all under the plow and in a high state of cultivation. His residence is a handsome two-story brick structure, his barns are commodious and fitted with the most highly improved equipment, and his various buildings for the shelter of his stock, grain and farming machinery are conveniently placed and in an excellent state of repair. As a result, the appearance of the property is pleasing and attractive, and eloquently evidences the presence of able management. In addition to general farming, Mr. Taylor has been suc- cessful in the raising of fancy cattle and high-grade hogs, and his stock has always commanded the highest prices in the local market. No citi- zen of Richland township stands higher in the esteem of his fellow- citizens, and the honesty and integrity with which he has conducted all of his business operations have placed him firmly in the confidence of his associates.

Mr. Taylor was married in 1873 to Miss Rosa Hudson, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Hudson. She was born, reared and educated in Richland township, and is widely and favorably known among her neigh- bors. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Taylor: one who died in infancy ; and a son, Alfred B., who lived to be thirty-six years of age and died in Chicago, Illinois, in 1910, leaving a son and a daughter, Rex and Delight; Rex resides with our subject.

Since reaching his majority, Mr. Taylor has been an unswerving Republican, but his interest in political matters has been mainly con- fined to supporting the candidates of his party. He has not been indif- ferent to the duties of citizenship, however, and for two consecutive terms has served in his present office as township trustee of Richland township. For many years he has enjoyed the privileges of membership in the Masonic fraternity, being connected with the Blue Lodge at Somerset.

WILLIAM H. BECK. As one who has quietly pursued the "even tenor of his way" for many years in Grant county, William H. Beck, well known to the farming interests of Franklin township, has spread abroad an influence that can not fail to be productive of good results. He has been a resident of Franklin township, in Grant county for a considerable period of years, and has gained a wide acquaintance, de- spite the retiring and gentle nature of the man.

Born in Seneca county, Ohio, on June 22, 1848, he is the son of George Beck and Sarah (Ripley) Beck. The father was a blacksmith by trade, and has plied his craft in Sandusky, where the subject was reared. Mr. Beck received a fair common school education, and he was in his early manhood when he married Mary A. Spade, a native daugh- ter of Sandusky. They engaged in farming in the Sandusky district, and after coming to Grant county they rented land and here continued in farming activities. For the past twenty-five years Mr. Beck has tation for skill and ability in his operations.

One son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Beck, Roland. who was educated in the public schools and in the Marion Business College. He is now employed as an electrician at the Bradstreet & Water plant in Marion. Roland Beck is married, and is the father of three children.

Mr. and Mrs. Beck are members of the United Brethren church, and their son has membership, in a fraternal way, in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Father and son give their political allegiance to the Republican party, and both acquit themselves creditably as cit- izens of the highest type. They enjoy the friendship of a host of worthy people, and all who know them accord to them their genuine esteem, so marked are their excellent qualities and characteristics.

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HENRY M. SHUGART. Four miles southwest of Marion is located the fine Shugart farm, on sections twenty-five and twenty-six of Frank- lin township, alongside the Liberty Pike. Mr. Shugart is a fine example of the farmer of the present day; well educated, broad-minded, with a vision that extends beyond the borders of his farm, he typifies the modern progressive spirit that has so changed farm life in the last decade or so. Mr. Shugart was born on the estate which he now occupies, and is therefore even more interested in the welfare of the county and the prosperity of its citizens than is the farmer who was not born on the soil.

Henry M. Shugart, was born September 16, 1846. His parents were George and Abigal (Osborn) Shugart, the former a native of Guilford county, North Carolina, from which state his wife also came. He accompanied his parents from North Carolina from Wayne county, Indiana, where he lived for ten years, and then moved to Grant county, locating on Deer Creek, which remained his home the rest of his life. He was the father of three children, two of whom are now living, the sister being Mary J.

Henry M. Shugart was reared on the farm, and as a boy attended the district school of Deer Creek until he was about seventeen years old. He then became a student in the Jonesboro graded schools, which had the distinction of being the first regularly graded school in Grant county. Having completed a fair education, he was first employed in a general store for two years, after which he returned to the farm and has made farming his regular vocation. He began with eighty acres of land and was shouldering a heavy debt at the beginning. At the present time he possesses two hundred and forty acres of land all in Franklin township, has it well improved and well stocked, and his pros- perity and business ability have been such that he has as good credit as probably any man in Franklin township.

Mr. Shugart was married in 1871, at Fairmount, to Martha J. Wins- low. Their two children were: Robert W., a graduate of the business college at Marion, and now proprietor of the Marion Wood & Coal Company ; and Estella, widow of Dr. Ratcliff, of Fairmount. Mrs. Shugart died in 1887, and for his present wife Mr. Shugart married September 9, 1888, Miss S. A. Brewer. She was born in Clinton county, Ohio, reared there, and educated in the common schools, a daughter of Randall Brewer, who was a native of North Carolina, and later she came to Grant county, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Shugart are members of the Friends church, and she has active membership in the W. C. T. U. In politics Mr. Shugart is a Republican, but has never been active in party affairs, although he has served his township of Franklin as trustee for two terms. The three children of Mr. and Mrs. Shugart are: Cora M., a graduate of the common and high schools, of the Ohio State Uni- versity at Columbus, and of the Lewis Institute of the Chicago Univer- sity ; having equipped herself for educational work; Pearl J., age twenty- one, and a student of the Marion Normal College; and Raymond, six- teen years of age, and also a student at the Marion Normal.

DANIEL M. HIGHLEY. For sixty-five years the Highley homestead in Richmond township has responded to good management and industry, has furnished the crops of the soil, a comfortable home and enabled the various members of the family to enjoy the good things of life. Mr. D. M. Highley lives on the old farm, so endeared to all members of the family by its many associations, and assists his mother in its cultiva-

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tion. The place is the old James Highley farm, which was entered direct from the government in 1847 by James Highley.

Daniel M. Highley was born on this place April 13, 1852, a son of James and Sarah (Myers) Highley. The parents came to Grant county from Union county, Indiana, locating on the northwest corner of section twenty-three in Richland township. There the father spent all his life and died on July 6, 1891. His widow now owns the old homestead, and manages it with her son Daniel. There were seven children in the family, five sons and two daughters, six of whom are yet living: David F .; Samuel M .; Daniel M .; Lydia, deceased; Clayburn, of Jonesboro; Martha, wife of William Eller; and Jacob M., of Miami county.

Daniel M. Highley was reared on the farm he still lives on, where he had a wholesome environment and learned the lessons of industry as well as those of books. He attended the district schools, and after completing his education remained at home and worked on the farm until he was about thirty years of age. He then established a home of his own, by his marriage on January 8, 1882, to Mary E. Weaver. Three sons were born to their union. Ora and Omar, twins, were born November 24, 1882, while the third is Wilbur F. Omar is a graduate of the common schools. His brother Ora married Dora Julian. They have four children, Herman, Velma, Zelma and Earl. Wilbur married Inez Miller and had two children, Walter and Charlotte. The family are members of the Christian church. In politics Mr. Highley is a Republican, and has for a number of years taken an active part in local politics and has served as supervisor of his township. He is the owner of one hundred and twenty acres of land in section fifteen of Richland township, besides which he is closely identified with the management of the old homestead, which consists of one hundred and sixty acres.

MRS. JONATHAN HAVENS. Of Grant county octogenarians the most interesting, both for age and for remarkable clarity of mind and facul- ties, is, properly speaking, not now eligible to that association of venerable men and women, since she is no longer an octogenarian but a nona- genarian. Mrs. Jonathan Havens is now past ninety-three years of age, is in perfect health, with mind as clear as a bell. She is one of the best known women in the county, and recalls with perfect ease her seventy years of experience. She is known and loved by everybody in the southern half of the county and the following brief record will be read and appreciated as a distinctive chapter in this history.

The Havens family comes down through a Pennsylvania stock, which during the eighteenth century was established in the southwestern part of Pennsylvania, in what was known as the Redstone section. The . grandfather of Jonathan Havens was also Jonathan, and was of Welsh ancestry. The name was established in America during the Colonial days, and its first home was in New Jersey. It is thought that the name of the American settler was Abram Havens. He had twelve sons and most of them saw service in the Revolutionary war on the American side. One of them located in Connecticut, two in Virginia, and one in western Pennsylvania. The latter was Jonathan, grandfather of the Grant county citizen named at the introduction of this sketch. Another son located in Kentucky, while the other lived in New Jersey. As to religious affiliations they were all Presbyterians. Grandfather Jona- than Havens was a deacon in the church. His life was spent in farming in western Pennsylvania, and he died in 1802 when quite an old man. He married a Miss Lippencot, of Pennsylvania, and she outlived him a good many years. Among their children were James, Elisha, and

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Benjamin, besides some daughters, all of whom lived to be quite old, and had families of their own.

Benjamin Havens, the father, was born in Pennsylvania in 1785, was in early life apprenticed to learn the trade of harness maker, and by the death of his father was left an orphan at the age of seventeen. He later left his employer, and learned the trade of shoemaker and also of brick mason. He was a man of many trades, but was an expert in all of them, and performed a useful service in every community where he lived. He was married in 1816 in Fayette county, Ohio, to Miss Judith Davis, who belonged to the faith known as the Seven-Day Baptists. She was born in Ohio, and died in Clinton county of that state at the birth of her sixth child, being then in the prime of life. Her husband later married Mary Ann Carver, and in June, 1841, they came to Indiana and settled in Jefferson township of Grant county. Some years later they moved out to Iowa and while there his second wife died also in childbirth. Benjamin Havens then returned to Indiana with his children and died in Huntington county, February 6, 1848. His last child, a daughter, was adopted by a family in Iowa.

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Centennial History of Grant County Indiana, Part 100

Author: Rolland Lewis Whitson Publication date: 1914 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1034

Author: Rolland Lewis Whitson
Publication date: 1914
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1034