Centennial History of Grant County Indiana, Part 8

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

USA > Indiana > Grant County > Centennial History of Grant County Indiana > Part 8

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

James Flanagan, father of John Flanagan, the Fairmount merchant, was born in County Mayo, Ireland, about 1820. Growing up on a little farm, he had absolutely no opportunities for education, though he learned thoroughly the lessons of industry and they proved very valuable to him in his later career. Before leaving his native isle, he married Mary Morley, who came of good Irish stock, and of people long noted for their honesty and integrity. While they lived in Ireland, two children were born to them. Leaving the older, they set out with the baby about 1848, taking passage on a sailing vessel which after a voyage of nine weeks landed them in New Orleans. While aboard ship, the father and baby were stricken with ship-fever, and the infant died.

With the aid of some charitable friends at New Orleans, the father and mother continued their journey up the Mississippi River as far as Cincinnati. There James Flanagan found employment on the Cin- cinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railway. That work ultimately brought him into west central Ohio, where at Westville, he left the railroad serv- ice and began farming. He thus continued until 1865, when he moved from Preble county to Indiana. Prior to coming to Indiana, he had rented land at New Paris, Ohio, spending a few seasons on three different farms. After coming to Indiana, he rented a farm east of Fairmount, and later bought eighty acres in Fairmount township adjoining the farm he had rented. There he continued to live until his death when about sixty years of age. An industrious, hard working, honest and upright man, he stood in the high esteem of all his neighbors, and through his liberal provisions for his growing family may properly be said to have been fairly successful. He was a Democrat in politics, and a Catholic in religious affiliation. Some years after his death his widow came to the city of Fairmount and made her home with John Flanagan, where she died in 1906, at the age of seventy-five years.

The children of James Flanagan and wife are mentioned as follows: 1. Mary, born in Ireland, came to America with an uncle and aunt, Vol 11-4

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and was married in Grant county, to Patrick Kine, both of whom are now living in the state of Oregon. They have no children. 2. The second child was the baby, who died at New Orleans, shortly after the family landed. 3. Catherine is the wife of Newton J. Wells, a retired farmer at Fairmount, and an ex-soldier of Company C in the eighty-nine Indiana regiment during the war. They are the parents of two sons and four daughters, all of whom are married. 4. Martin, now deceased, was married and left two sons, his widow residing in Marion. 5. The fifth child was John Flanagan, mentioned hereinafter. 6. Thomas died after his marriage, and his widow now lives in Fairmount, being the mother of two sons and one daughter. 7. James died when a young man of great promise, being a teacher at the time of his death. 8. Sarah A. became the wife of Albert Kimes, a farmer, and died a few years ago, leaving a son and daughter.

John Flanagan was born in Preble county, Ohio, August 10, 1853, and was twelve years of age when his parents moved to Grant county. Here he completed his education begun in the country schools, and for a short time attended a normal school. During four years of his early manhood, he spent his winters as a teacher, while he followed farming during the summer seasons. Practically all his business career has been devoted to merchandising. During the winter of 1878-79, Mr. Flanagan was engaged in teaching, and on April 1, 1879, became associated with E. N. Oakley, and they worked together as partners in a mercantile es- tablishment for three years, at the end of which time Mr. Flanagan sold out his interests. For some years, the firm of Henley & Nixon had been engaged in the grain business in Fairmount, and in April, 1882, Mr. Flanagan and this firm of Henley & Nixon took over a grain elevator at Summittville, Indiana, under the name of Flanagan & Company, Mr. Flanagan conducting the elevator at Summittville for one year. The same firm of Flanagan & Company, consisting of John Flanagan and Henley & Nixon bought the stock of goods valued at eight thousand dol- lars, located at the corner of Main and Washington Streets in Fairmount. Mr. Flanagan owned one half, and Henley & Nixon owned the other half of this store. However Henley & Nixon continued as grain dealers in Fairmount, for a number of years, but Mr. Flanagan was not in the grain business after the first year, and devoted all his time and attention to the mercantile establishment. The business was conducted as Flanagan & Company from May, 1883 to 1888, when the title was changed to Flan- agan & Henley, the latter having bought Mr. Nixon's interest. In 1889 the partners bought the building, a large substantial brick structure. In June, 1893, Mr. Flanagan bought out all the interests of Mr. Henley and has since been sole proprietor. He is a merchant who thoroughly understands the wants of the people in this section of the county, has given close attention to the business, and his success has followed as a matter of course. Besides his mercantile interests, he owns a large amount of land comprising two hundred and forty acres in Orange county, one tract of one hundred acres in Grant county, and another of fifty-six acres in the same county. This land is all well improved with good buildings, and in his farming operations he keeps up the quality of his soil, but feeding all the grain crops to his stock.

Mr. Flanagan has served as member of the Fairmount school board six years, being president all that time. His politics is Republican. In religion he did not accept the church of his parents and ancestors. and has never become a member of any church, though he attends the Quaker Church of Fairmount, and is generous in his contributions to all religions and charities.

Mr. Flanagan was married in Fairmount to Miss Sarah E. Winslow. She was born near Fairmount, March 8, 1860, was educated here and belongs to an old Quaker family, being a daughter of Levi and Emiley (Henley) Winslow. Both her parents are still living. Mr. and Mrs.

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Flanagan have no children of their own, but reared a foster daughter, named Gertrude Winslow, who died unmarried.

Mr. Flanagan was one of the organizers of the Fairmount State Bank, and held the office of president seven years. He was also a director and secretary of the Fairmount Mining Company, a company which put down some of the productive wells in the oil and gas districts of Indiana. For many years Mr. Flanagan has been looked upon as one of the leading citizens of Grant county. He has never held any political office except as president of the Fairmount school board, but has always been a leader in matters pertaining to his town and county's progress. He was president during the entire life of the Fairmount Commercial Club, an organization no longer in existence. He helped organize and was president for several years of the Fairmount Building & Loan Asso- ciation, and was for several years president of the Tri-County Fair Association.

NATHAN D. Cox. The following sketch contains the important facts in the life and family records of a Grant county citizen whose name has always stood for all that is honest and of good report in this community for successful thrift and business integrity, for a position which all must respect. The Cox family have been Indiana residents since pioneer days, the early generation having made homes out of the wilderness, and later descendants bore a worthy part as soldiers and as citizens. Nathan D. Cox has for many years been sexton and caretaker of the beautiful Park Cemetery of Fairmont. Previous to that he was a successful farmer in . this part of the county, and none would deny that the comforts and bless- ings of good children now surrounding himself and wife were merited rewards to worthy and well spent lives.

Nathan D. Cox was born in Grant county, in Liberty township, Sep- tember 5, 1846. His grandfather, Joshua Cox, a native of Randolph county, North Carolina, where he was born about one hundred and fifteen years ago, was of a Quaker family, a farmer by occupation, and married in his native state, Miss Rachael Cox, who was no relative though of the same name. She also belongs to the Quaker religion. In 1830, with their chil- dren, these pioneers embarked their household goods, and other movables in wagons drawn by ox teams, and by many days of alternate driving and camping along the way finally reached Indiana, and settled in Morgan county. There Joshua Cox and wife died some years after their settle- ment, and it is believed that they were not more than fifty years of age at the time of their death.

Of a family of Joshua Cox was William Cox, father of the Fairmount citizen. He was born in Randolph county, North Carolina, November 9, 1824, and was six years old when he accompanied the family on its migra- tion to Indiana. Growing upon the home farm in Morgan county, he came to Grant county before his marriage. In this county at the age of twenty-one, in 1845, he married Elizabeth Wilson. The Wilson family has played a worthy part in Grant County history. Elizabeth Wilson was born in North Carolina about 1824 or 1825, and was a small child when brought to Grant county by her parents, John and Mary, better known as Polly, (Winslow) Wilson. The Wilson family located on gov- ernment land, improved a farm out of the wilderness, and there the par- ents spent their final years, dying at a good old age. They were of the Quaker Faith, were most estimable people, and in their children incul- cated the virtues of honor and thrift and simple living, which had been characteristic of Quaker people for generations. They were the parents of seven song and six daughters.

After his marriage William Cox began life in Liberty township. For some years he rented and worked on others' farm and with his accumula- tions finally bought land for himself in Fairmount township. Some years

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later he sold out and bought a farm in Liberty township, and it was on that homestead that he and his wife died. His death occurred in 1901, and she died five months later in the same year, being seventy-four years of age. He was originally a member of the United Brethren church. William Cox had married outside of his Quaker church, and when called upon in a public meeting of the Quakers to express his sorrow for his act, he refused, and was accordingly dismissed from the congregation. He and his wife then joined the Wesleyan Methodist, and died in that faith. In politics he was first a Whig voter, and later a Republican. However, he at the time maintained a rigid adher vace to the temperance cause, and did all in his power to uphold prohibition principles, irrespective of the larger party lines. There were seven sons and six daughters in the family of William Cox and wife. All the sons are still living, are married, and with the exception of one, have their homes in Indiana. Two of the six daughters are deceased, while the others are all married and have homes of their own.

Mr. Nathan D. Cox, the oldest of the family, came to manhood in Lib- erty township. He was still a boy when the war between the states broke out, and at the age of nineteen, on October 7, 1864, volunteered in Com- pany A of the Thirty-Third Indiana Infantry. At the close of the war he was discharged, after having seen considerable active service. He fought at the great battle at Nashville, in the closing months of 1864, but escaped unhurt. On starting out for himself he became a farmer, and in 1890 left the farm and took up his residence in Fairmount. In the same · year he was appointed superintendent of the Park Cemetery, and has now held that position and given most efficient service for more than twenty years. The Park Cemetery is a matter of much pride to the residents of Fairmont, comprising twelve acres of beautifully laid out and improved grounds, and the cemetery was incorporated in May, 1889. Up to the present writing the interments in the cemetery number over 1,500 and nearly all these additions to the city of the dead have been while Mr. Cox was superintendent. Mr. Cox owns some fine residence property in Fairmount, and has been well prospered through his long career.

For many years he has been a strong Prohibitionist in politics, and he exemplifies his principles not only in abstaining from all spirituous liquors, but has never used tobacco in any form.

On June 6, 1869, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Cox with Miss Jennie Fisher. She was born in Clinton, Ohio, March 12, 1848, and was a young girl when her parents Asa and Susan (Horsman) Fisher, came to Delaware county, Indiana. Both her parents were natives of Ohio, were married in Clinton county, and settled in Delaware county about 1855. They bought a farm near Bethel, where they lived until their death. Mrs. Fisher died during the war, while her husband passed away some years later. Both were in middle life at the final summons. They were active members of the Christian church. One son, Andy Fisher was a soldier in the Thirty-Sixth Indiana Regiment, was badly wounded at the battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, when a bullet struck him in the loins, and he lay for three days and three nights on the battle field. Finally he was cared for by a Confederate soldier, and then sent home, and largely owing to exposure as a soldier died from tuberculosis. He was unmarried. Mrs. Cox is the only one of the ten children in her parents' family now living.

The five children of Mr. and Mrs. Cox are mentioned as follows: Nora is the wife of David Gregg, of Fairmont, and their children are: Edward, who is a teacher; William, who has received an excellent education, and Dewey. Cora, the second in the family, is the wife of Clinton Haisley, who is with the Rubber Company of Jonesboro. They have two children,

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Chester and Etha, both of whom have been provided with good advantages in the public schools and the Fairmount Academy. The daughter Flora, died in infancy, and the next child, also named Flora, died when young. The fifth and youngest child, William, died at the age of fourteen.

Mr. and Mrs. Cox have for forty-five years been active members of the Wesleyan Methodist church. Mrs. Cox has given a quarter century of work as a Sunday school teacher, while her husband has been a class leader for several years in his local church, later held the same position six years more, and for many years served as superintendent of the Sun- day School.

ROBERT A. MORRIS. Among any community's most important inter- ests are those which deal with its financial affairs, for financial stability must be the foundation stone upon which all great enterprises are erected. The men who control and conserve the money of corporation or country, or of private individual, must of necessity possess many qualities not requisite in the ordinary citizen, and among these, high commercial in- tegrity, poise, judgment, exceptional financial ability and foresight may be mentioned. They must possess the public confidence, for often through their wisdom, sagacity and foresight panics that have threatened the government have been averted. A citizen whose entire training has been along the line of finance, and who has been prominently connected with the banking interests of Grant county for a number of years, is Robert A. Morris, president of the Fairmount State Bank.

Mr. Morris comes of old Southern stock, his paternal great-grandfather having been born in North Carolina of Welsh and Scotch parentage. The family came to the American Colonies prior to the outbreak of the Revo- lutionary War, and belonged to the Hicks Quaker stock, Mr. Morris him- self being a member of the Society of Friends. He was married in North Carolina, and in 1823 came north with the Quakers who left the South because of their opposition to the practice of slavery prevalent in the Old North State, making a settlement near Richmond, Indiana, where they became pioneers. Mr. Morris was a miller by vocation and established one of the first mills in Wayne county, continuing to spend the remainder of his career there and dying in advanced years, as did also his wife. Among their children was George Morris, the grandfather of Robert A. Morris.

George Morris first saw the light of day in North Carolina, and was still a small boy when he accompanied his parents in their journey over- land to the wilderness of Indiana. He grew up to sturdy manhood, was reared to agricultural pursuits and followed farming for some time, but subsequently became an early merchant near Richmond. He was mar- ried in that city to Miss Rhoda Frampton, who was born a Quakeress and a member of an old Maryland family of Friends. Mr. Morris passed away near Richmond when but thirty-six years of age, while his wife survived him for a long period, dying at the advanced age of ninety years.

The second son and child of the five children of his parents, Aaron Morris, the father of Robert A. Morris, was born near Richmond, Wayne county, Indiana, November 21, 1834. There he was educated, reared and spent his entire life, and there his death occurred February 15, 1907. His brothers and sisters are all still living, are married, and have homes of their own. In his youth Aaron Morris learned the trade of wagon-maker' and this he followed with a reasonable amount of success until 1865, when he was married. At that time he became one of the organizers and part- ners of the Hoosier Drill Company, of which he continued as manager and a director until 1876, when he disposed of interests and became an official member of a reaper and mower concern. With this venture he

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continued until 1888, when he embarked in the banking business, at Pen- dleton, Indiana, where he became the founder of the Pendleton Banking Company. Of this institution he became president, and so remained for a number of years, and it is still in the family name, being now conducted by William F. Morris, a son of its founder. In 1902 Mr. Morris came to Fairmount, Indiana, and here established the Fairmount State Bank, with which he was connected in an official capacity up to the time of his death. Mr. Morris was an excellent business man and finan- cier, and was widely known in banking circles, especially in Wayne, Grant and Madison counties. He bore a high reputation for business integrity and honorable dealing, and in his private life was known to be a man of the utmost probity. He was a stanch Republican throughout his life, but was content with his business interests and never sought personal preferment as a candidate. Throughout his life he was a Quaker, and lived up to the teachings of his faith. While residing in Wayne county, near Pendleton, Mr. Morris was married in 1865, to Miss Martha Thomas, who was born, reared and educated in Madison county, and was a daughter of Louis and Percilla (Moore) Thomas, natives of Pennsylvania, who came from Philadelphia and Chester county in that state at an early date, and located in Madison county. There they spent their lives in agri- cultural pursuits, in the community in which there were so many members of the Friends church, to which faith they belonged. Mrs. Aaron Morris was one of a large family, the most of whom are still living, and she still survives her husband and makes her home in Madison county, being seventy-five years of age. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Morris, namely : William F., manager of the State Bank of Pendle- ton, who married Lyle Zeublin and has two daughters-Mildred and Eleanor; Luella, who is the wife of Elwood Burchell, of Port Chester, New York, a manufacturer of bolts and nuts, who has three sons-Rich- ard, Morris and Robert; Robert A .: and Elizabeth, who is the wife of Frederick Lantz, a merchant of Pendleton, and has one daughter, Deborah.

Robert A. Morris was born near Richmond, Wayne county, Indiana, May 16, 1877. He received his early education in the schools of Rich- mond, following which he attended Earlham College, and then embarked in the banking business with his father at Pendleton. There he remained from 1895 until 1902, when, having thoroughly mastered the details of banking, he came to Fairmount to take charge of the Fairmount State Bank, and of this he has since had control. This institution has a capital and surplus of $32,000, and is known as one of the solid and substantial financial houses of Grant county. Under the management of Mr. Morris it has enjoyed a steady and continued growth, and has gained the complete confidence of the public.

In 1908 Mr. Morris was married in Fairmount to Miss Artie Suman, who was born, reared and educated in Fairmount, where her people were early settlers. They are now residents of North Dakota, where they are engaged in farming. Mr. and Mrs. Morris have one son: William S., born January 2, 1913. In his political preferences Mr. Morris is a Repub- lican.

ELI J. Cox. A native son of Grant county, who is well known to the 'citizens of Fairmount, Eli J. Cox has not confined his activities to the Hoosier State, but is widely known in other parts of the country, especi- ally in Florida, where he is the owner of extensive orange groves: He is of Scotch-Irish descent and is descended from one of two brothers, Joseph and Samuel Cox, who emigrated to this country prior to the War of the Revolution, settling in Pennsylvania, where they were identified with the

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Fox Quakers. One of these brothers subsequently moved to North Caro- lina and established a home among the Quakers of Randolph county, and from him Eli J. Cox is directly descended.

Joshua Cox, the grandfather of Eli Cox, was born in North Carolina between the years 1790 and 1795. He grew up there to agricultural pur- suits, and was united in marriage with a Miss Rachael Cox, no doubt a distant relative. At the time the Quakers who were opposed to slavery began their migration north, about 1834, Joshua Cox left North Carolina with his wife and children and located in the Quaker settlement in Morgan county, Indiana, where he secured a tract of undeveloped land from the government and settled down to make a home. There he died not long afterward, when still in the prime of life, while his widow survived him for many years. They were Quakers all of their lives and were the par- ents of four sons and two daughters, all of whom grew to maturity, were married and had families.

The third in order of birth of his parents' six children, William Cox was born in North Carolina in 1824, and was still a lad when he accom- panied them in their migration to Morgan county, Indiana. At the age of twenty years he came to Grant county, Indiana, and when not yet twenty-one was married to Elizabeth Wilson, who was born in 1826 in Randolph county, North Carolina, and was a child when she accompanied her parents, John and Mary R. (Winslow) Wilson, to Grant county. Mrs. Elizabeth (Wilson) Cox was reared a Quakeress, but before marriage joined the United Brethren church, and her husband, refusing to declare himself sorry for his act, was excommunicated by the church and a few years later they both joined the Wesleyan Methodist church, in the faith of which they died. After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. William Cox located on a farm in Fairmount township, but subsequently moved to another tract in Liberty township, on the Little Ridge road, two and one-half miles southwest from Fairmount. There Mr. Cox's death oc- curred in January, 1901, while his wife followed him to the grave on June 12th of the same year. They were the parents of thirteen children, as follows: Nathan D., of Fairmount, who is married and has children, grandchildren and one great-grandchild; Abigail, who married first Jonathan Bogue, by whom she had a large family, and married second Josiah Winslow, and lives in Fairmount; John W., a farmer near Fair- mount, who is married and has five children; Mary R., who is the wife of Oliver Haisley, a carpenter of Fairmount, and has two married chil- dren; Eli J., subject of this review; Milton T., a fruit grower near Fairmount, who is married and has one son and two daughters, the latter being married; Zimri E., a Colorado ranchman, who is married and has two sons, both civil engineers and graduates of the College of Mining, at Golden, Colorado; Eliza Ann, who married William Shields, now of California, and died leaving three sons; Sarah E., the wife of C. C. Powell, a farmer of Grant county, and has two sons and one daughter at home; Elizabeth C., the wife of E. J. Seale, of Fairmount, who has one son and one daughter; William V., a farmer of Fairmount township, who has one adopted daughter; Micajah T., who has two sons and one daughter; and Margaret E., twin of Micajah T., who died after her marriage to William T. Cammack, now in the West, by whom she had one son and one daughter.

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Centennial History of Grant County Indiana, Part 8

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

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