USA > Indiana > Rush County > Centennial history of Rush County, Indiana, Volume II > Part 10
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HISTORY OF RUSH COUNTY
survived him until in April, 1897, her death also occurring in Wa- bash county.
JOHN F. CROSS is one of the extensive landowners of Rush county and his home farm of 120 acres in Rushville township is under his own supervision, and is conducted according to modern methods. He was born in Jackson township, this county, Novem- ber 2, 1855, a son of Jacob and Jane (Harter) Cross, natives of Greene county, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky, respectively Both were brought to Indiana at an early day by their parents and were reared and educated in Rush county. With the exception of a year spent in Iowa, Jacob Cross spent his life in Rush county, and de- voted himself to agricultural pursuits. He and his wife had eight children, six of whom survive, namely : Polly A., Elizabeth, Ma- linda, John F., Laura, and Harvina T. John F. Cross attended the schools of Jackson township and was a student of the Downey school. After the completion of his schooldays he was engaged in farming with his father, with whom he remained until his mar- riage, at that time moving to his own farm of ninety acres which his father had given him when he reached his majority. Here he continued to live until 1902 and then moved to Rushville; but in 1910 resumed his agricultural operations, locating on his present farm of 120 acres in Rushville township. He also owns his father's homestead of 500 acres which he rents to his sons, Chester F. and Chase G. Cross. On his own homestead Mr. Cross is doing general farming and raises about 200 head of hogs annually. Mr. Cross has been twice married. On January 17, 1878, he was united in marriage to Olive Powell, daughter of John M. and Mary E. (Porter) Powell, natives of Kentucky and Rush county, Indiana, respectively, the former of whom was a farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Powell had three children, but only one, Homer, survives. Mrs. Olive Cross was born in Jackson township, this county, and was here educated. She died on May 10, 1900, and her remains were laid to rest in East Hill cemetery. She bore her husband three children, of whom two survive: Chester F. and Chase G., Nora having died at the age of ten years. On February 20, 1910, Mr. Cross married Lula Smith, daughter of William P. and Frances E. (Porter) Smith, and who died on May 8, 1921. Mr. Smith was a machinist of Jackson township, where his daughter was born. Mr. and Mrs. Smith had eight children, of whom five are now living, Laura, Mila A., Charles, Cassius, and Hazel M. Mr. Cross is a Democrat. The two sons of Mr. Cross are married. Chester F. Cross married Carrie Northam and has one child, Tracy. Chase G. Cross married Jennie Osborn and has three children, Olive, Mary E. and Annabelle. These young men are numbered among the alert young farmers of Jackson township and are very successful in their work of conducting the old Cross homestead in that neighborhood.
W. H. SMELSER, one of the favorably known and representa- tive citizens of Rush county, in which he has spent his life, has a fine farm in Noble township. He was born in Jackson township, this
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county, on May 3, 1851, the son of Boone D. and Malissa (Morris) Smelser, the former a native of Union county, Indiana, and the latter of Rushville township, this county. Boone DeHaven Smelser, grand- father on his mother's side, was a relative of the DeHaven that loaned George Washington $50,000 at Valley Forge to carry on the Revolu- tionary war. The Smelser family comes of sterling old Kentucky stock. The subject's grandfather, Jolın Smelser, came in an early day to Union county, Indiana. Sometime later he came to Rush county and bought a large tract of land in Jackson township. His son, Boone D. Smelser, was but three weeks old when the family came to Rush county and he was reared to manhood on the Jackson township farm, securing his education in the schools of that neigh- borhood. After his marriage, he devoted his attention to farming, which he followed during the remainder of his life. He was success- ful and at one time was the owner of 600 acres of land in Jackson township. Selling that land, he bought 720 acres of land in Mont- gomery county, which he operated for four years. He then went to Alabama, but a short time later he came back to Rush county and bought 160 acres in Union township, where he was engaged in farm- ing up to the time of his retirement. He carried on general farming operations, giving special attention to the raising of wheat, and also raised considerable live stock. He and his wife are both deceased, his death occurring in 1914 and that of his wife in 1895. They were the parents of eleven children, of whom seven are now living, namely : W. H., Fannie, John, Laura, Edward, Bert and Mattie. W. H. Smelser received his education in the common schools of Jackson township, and after completing his studies he worked for his father on the home farm up to the time of his marriage. He then started farming for himself in Union township, renting land for a number of years, and then, in 1900, he bought the place on which he is now living in Noble township, comprising 110 acres. He has placed all of the improvements on this place, has always maintained it in the best possible condition and has met with excellent success in his operations. Besides carrying on a general line of farming, he feeds from fifty to sixty hogs a year, giving special preference to the Poland China breed. In 1875 Mr. Smelser was married to Saralı Ilinchman, the daughter of Andrew and Mary Hinchman, and they have become the parents of five children: Cora, Charles, Albert, Chester and Chase. Cora became the wife of O. D. Green and they have seven children : Marie, Maude, Anna, Florence, Frank, Earl and Harvey. Albert married Opal Sims and they have one child, Maxine. Chester married Bessie Smith and they have one child, Josephine. Politically, Mr. Smelser gives his support to the Democratic party.
THOMAS SULLIVAN, one of Rush county's prominent retired business men, was born on March 16, 1859, in Wayne county, Indiana, the son of Jeremiah and Nora (O'Brien) Sullivan, the former a native of County Clair, Ireland, the latter of County Kerry. They were married in Ireland, where Mr. Sullivan followed the occupation of florist, but realizing that there were far greater opportunities for success awaiting them in America, they made their way hither about
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the year 1856. They first located in Pennsylvania where he followed his trade of florist, but later came to Indiana and he was employed as a farmer in Wayne county until the outbreak of the Civil war. Then, though so recent an arrival in the United States, he could not bear to think of the flag he had come to love go down to destruction, and he immediately volunteered in the Eighth Indiana Volunteer Infantry regiment under Colonel Benton, serving throughout the war. He was in three armies, the Potomac, the West, and the Gulf. and saw some of the hottest fighting of the great struggle, partici- pating in the battles of Shiloh, Pea Ridge, Wilderness, Fort Donald- son, Gettysburg and Stone River. When discharged from the service, he returned to Wayne county where he passed the remainder of his days. He and his wife became the parents of thirteen children, four of whom are now living: John, Hannah, Maggie, and Thomas. One son, Jerry, volunteered in the Union army, though but sixteen years old, and laid his life upon the altar of freedom, being killed in the first engagement in which he was engaged. Thomas Sullivan was educated in Wayne county, and after leaving school worked in a machine shop for several years. He then took up the molding trade at Richmond, Ind., and in 1871 removed to Indianapolis where he was employed in the Quaker City Machine Works until 1876. At that time he came to Rushville to work in the Nolan-Madden foundry where he helped make the first casting ever done in Rushville. For the next twenty years he was engaged off and on at the foundry, and then conducted a transfer business for several years. Next he became the proprietor of a saloon, and after seven years sold out to devote his time to farming in which he has been successful, having acquired 140 acres of land lying in Rushville township. In 1878, he was mar- ried to Catherine Ryan, and to their union have been born four children : Francis, Jerry, Mae, and Anna. Francis married Viola Gordon and died on August 29, 1915, leaving his wife and six chil- dren survivors: Margaret, Frank, Thomas, Richard, Dick, and Den- nis. Jerry and Mae are both unmarried, and Anna' married Doctor Dragoo. The entire family are communicants of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Rushville.
ARNOLD ORME, member of the firm of Ball & Orme, operating a grain elevator at Rushville, is an enterprising business man at that city. He was born in Walker township, this county, September 4, 1878, a son of William and Amanda (Lower) Orme, also natives of Rush county. His father was a farmer and owned 160 acres of land in Walker township. There were four children in the family and all are living: Lon, Dessie, Russell and Arnold. Arnold Orme attended the public schools in Walker township, in the meanwhile assisting on the home farm, afterward renting eighty acres of land in Rushville township, where he carried on farming for four years. He came then to Rushville and embarked in the elevator business and has occupied his present location for thirteen years, the business being conducted under the firm name of Ball & Orme. The firm handles grain, flour and seed, the capacity of their elevator being about 35,000 bushels. On October 25, 1899, Mr. Orme married Pear!
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Ball, who was born at Rushville, daughter of Ephraim and Belle (Frazer) Ball, and they have five children : William, Thomas, Fern. Frank and Fay. William and Thomas have completed the public school course but the others are yet in school. In politics Mr. Orme is a Democrat and served three years as a member of the city council. He is a Mason, belonging to blue lodge, council and chapter; is a member of the grand lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and belongs also to the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen. Mr. Orme is well known over Rush county and his reputation is that of an upright and reliable business man.
JOHN H. MCCORKLE, a well known and substantial retired farmer of Anderson township, now living at Milroy, was born in this county, a member of one of the pioneer families, and has lived here all his life, having thus been a witness to the amazing changes that have taken place in conditions here during the time of the com- munity's progress away from the primitive state of things which faced the pioneers seventy-five years ago, and has thus many inter- esting stories to tell of the manner of doing things which prevailed in the days of his boyhood. The MeCorkles are of colonial stock, the first of the family in this country having been a Scotsman, James McCorkle, who came to America in colonial days and settled in Virginia. When the colonists found it imperative upon them to issue their Declaration of Independence James McCorkle added his weight to the force of this declaration and joined the Continental army, serving as a soldier of the Revolution until incapacited for further service by a serious wound received at the historic battle of Cowpens. In recompense of his service he accepted a land grant from the state of Virginia to a tract of land in the then western county of the Old Dominion and located on the tract, thus becoming one of the pioneers of Kentucky and a force in the community when Kentucky county was raised to statehood. He and his wife reared their family there, in what is now Fleming county. One of their sons, Joseph McCorkle, married Hannah Scott and reared a family in Fleming county. John McCorkle, one of the sons of this latter pair, married Jane (Howe) Hillis, who also was born in Fleming county, and soon after his marriage came up into Indiana with his bride and settled ou a quarter of a section of land in Anderson township, this county. On that place John McCorkle died on January 16, 1850, leaving his widow with three small children, a son, John H., the subject of this sketch, and two daughters, Sallie and America. The Widow McCorkle was a woman of true pioneer spirit and she continued the operations of the farm, overseeing the continued improvement of the same, and thus maintained her family there, the place being developed in time into an excellent piece of property, and it was there that John H. McCorkle grew to manhood, later established his own home when he married and there continued to reside, carrying on the operations of the farm very successfully until his retirement from active labor in January, 1918, and removal to Milroy, where he and his wife are now living. Mr. McCorkle has a well improved farm of 250 acres, over the operations of which he continues to keep a supervisory eye.
ROWLAND II. HILL (From Photo taken in Indiana Senate Chamber, 1921)
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John H. McCorkle has been twice married. It was in 1877 that he was united in marriage to Mary H. Young, who also was born in this county, a member of one of the pioneer families, and to this union three children were born, a son and two daughters: Frank, Jessie and Maude. Frank McCorkle, a landowner of Anderson township, trustee of the township and dealer in Ford automobiles at Milroy. married Inez M. Cowan and has two children : Gertrude and Wilbur. Jessie McCorkle married Cash Redmon and has two children : Howard and John David, and Maude McCorkle married Hugh Cowan and las one child, Maurice. Mrs. Mary H. McCorkle died in 1906 and in 1918 Mr. McCorkle married Mrs. Anna Somerville Bosley, dauglı- ter of Watson Somerville and widow of Alonzo Bosley. Mr. and Mrs. McCorkle are members of the United Presbyterian church and in his political views Mr. McCorkle is a Republican.
HON. ROWLAND H. IIILL, of Carthage, state senator from this district and prominent among the men whose inherent ability, great industry, accurate forethought and sound and reliable judg- ment have added to the character, wealth and good government of Rush county, and more particularly of the community of Carthage, is a native Hoosier and has lived in this state all his life. Senator Hill was born in Hancock county, Indiana, June 5, 1878, son and only child of Samuel B. and Mary R. (Hadley) Hill, both also Hoosiers, the former a native of Wayne county and the latter of Hendricks county. For a number of years Samuel B. Ilill was engaged in agricultural operations in Hancock county, but even- tually came to Carthage, where, with his son, he was the owner and operator of a dry goods store for about twelve years. He stood high in business circles of his community, where he was recognized generally as a man of high principles, while as a citizen the manner in which he discharged his responsibilities left no doubt as to his public spirit. Rowland II. Hill was but. a child when brought by his parents to Carthage, and his primary education was acquired in the graded schools of that place. After graduating from the high school he pursued an academic course at Earlham College, and in 1898 became his father's partner in the conduct of a dry goods business at Carthage. This they carried on with suc- cess until 1908, when they sold out, and Rowland H. Hill at that time became a traveling salesman. He was a representative on the road for the Geddes-Brown Shoe Company, of Indianapolis, until 1914, when he returned to Carthage and purchased the grain ele- vator and coal yard which he now owns and operates. The elevator has a capacity of 5,000 bushels, and the coal yard is one which covers a large area. Both ventures have prospered greatly under the owner's capable and energetic management. In addition, Mr. Hill is the owner of a large and productive farm in Rush county and is an extensive dealer in hogs, buying and feeding off on an average of 2,000 each season. In business circles he is known as a man of the highest integrity and possesses in the fullest degree the esteem and respect, as well as the confidence, of his associates.
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He has for years been interested in public affairs and in 1920 was elected a member of the Indiana state Senate on the Republican ticket. His work in that body has been constructive and beneficial and has marked him as one of the working members. In October, 1900, Senator Hill was united in marriage to Verna Sutermeister, who was born at LaPorte, Ind., where she was reared and primarily educated, later pursuing a course at Earlham College. She is a daughter of Constantine and Rachael (Denham) Sutermeister, the former a native of Scotland, and the latter of the state of Indiana, Mrs. Hill's parents being farming people throughout their lives. They had two children : Verna and an infant, deceased. Senator and Mrs. Hill are members of the Carthage Meeting of Friends. Senator Hill is well known in fraternal circles, being a Mason and Shriner, belonging to the lodge at Carthage and the Mystic Shrine at Indianapolis. He also holds membership in the Elks lodge of Rushville, the United Commercial Travelers and the Columbia Club of Indianapolis. During the World war period Senator Hill was one of the most active war workers of this locality and served as a member of the Rush County Council of Defense and as a director of the Red Cross Society of Rush county in its various drives.
ELIHU PRICE, a venerable and honored citizen of Arlington, now living in retirement after a long and busy life, spending his later years in quiet and in plenty as a result of his earlier years of strenuous endeavor, has been a life-long resident of the county. having been born in Posey township on October 5, 1843. He is the son of John and Mary (Cotney) Price, both of whom were born and reared in Kentucky, whence they came to Rush county in about 1830. Here John Price devoted himself to agricultural pursuits. mostly in Posey township, and that he was successful is evidenced by the fact that he became the owner of 500 acres of land in Rush county. John Price was married twice and became the father of sixteen children by the two unions. Four of these children are now living, namely : Sarah, Elihu, Nathan and Jane. Elihu Price re- ceived his elementary education in the common schools of Posey town- ship and then completed his studies in the normal school at Lebanon. Ind., where he attended two years. During the following eight years Mr. Price was engaged in teaching school, seven years in Rus !! county and one year in Jasper county, Illinois. He then turned his attention to farming in Posey township and devoted himself inde- fatigably until 1909, when he relinquished the active duties of the farm and removed to Arlington, where he now resides. His first efforts as an independent farmer were on rented land, but he later bought 160 acres, which was eventually increased to 230 acres. Since his retirement from the active management of the farm, it is being operated by his son Noah. The place is well improved. Here Mr. Price carried on general farming and stock raising and as a farmer has always been held in high repute. On August 17, 1871, Mr. Price was married to Mary Reddick, who was born in Ripley township, this county, the daughter of John and Catherine (Ruby) Reddick, botlı
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of whom were natives of the state of Ohio. Mr. Reddick was a farmer by vocation and was the father of ten children, of whom the following survive: Lewis, Mary, Amanda, Elizabeth, Noah, Frank and Jesse. To Mr. and Mrs. Price have been born six children, all of whom are living, namely : John J., Mary C., Amanda, Jesse F., Sarah J. and Noah. John J., who is a farmer in Posey township, married Flora Jamison, who died on August 11, 1908. Mary C. became the wife of Jesse Nelson, a farmer of Shelby county, Indiana, and they have three children, Bessie married Rowland Earnest, a farmer of Posey township, and they have four children: Howard, Dallas, Katheryn and Robert; Braynard, farmer in Shelby county, married Alta Pitts and they have one child, Margarie, and Warren, a farmer of Shelby county, married Lillian Jordan. Amanda became the wife of Hugh Birt, a farmer of Posey township. Jesse F., who also is a farmer in Posey township, married Lillian Green and they have two children : Everett C. and Charles E. Sarah J. became the wife of Earl Mull, a farmer in Walker township, and they have one child, Leoto, who married and is the mother of one child, Geonie. Noah, who lives on the home farm, married Laura Abercrombie, and they have one child, Donald. Politically, Mr. Price has been a life- long supporter of the Democratic party and has held several public offices, having served four years as trustee of Posey township and eight years as justice of the peace. He and his wife are members of the Christian church at Arlington and, fraternally, he is a member of Beech Grove Lodge, No. 399, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Arlington.
FRED GROSS, merchant, and proprietor of the leading general store at Manilla, this county, was born in Walker township, Rush county, March 29, 1875. His parents were John and Catherine (Ottmau) Gross, who were born in Germany and came to the United States when young, after their marriage settling in Walker township, this county. For some years John Gross followed the cabinet making trade at Manilla, but in 1861 became a merchant, establishing a store on the location that has never been changed, although there has been a considerable amount of expansion. He continued active as a mer- chant during the rest of his life. Of his eight children, the following survive: Kate, Emma, Caroline, Jacob, William, Fred and Otto. Fred Gross was educated at Manilla, where he was graduated from the high school, following which he began assisting his father in the store. In 1895 he and his sister, Caroline, jointly inherited the store business, and since that time Mr. Gross has managed the business very profitably, demonstrating excellent judgment and commercial fore- sight. On April 12, 1907, he married Vivian Barnum, who was born at Manilla, daughter of Dr. William E. and Lavancha Barnum. The father of Mrs. Gross has practiced medicine at Manilla for forty-five years. She has one brother, Dr. Emerson Barnum. Mr. and Mrs. Gross have two children, Fred, Jr., and Katherine. In political life Mr. Gross is a Democrat and has served four years as township trustee, having been elected on the Democratic ticket. He is quite active in fraternal life, being a Mason, belonging to the blue lodge
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at Manilla and chapter, council and commandery at Rushville, and is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America at Manilla and of the Knights of Pythias at Blue Ridge, over in Shelby county. Mr. Gross is accounted one of the representative business men of Rush county.
MONET O. SEFTON, a successful farmer and enterprising citizen of Noble township, is a native son of Indiana, having been born in Decatur county on September 5, 1867, and is the son of George W. and Julia (Lanham) Sefton, both of whom also were born and reared in Decatur county. George W. Sefton was educated in the public schools of his native county and he then took up the vocation of farming, his first employment being as a farm hand. Eventually he bought land of his own and in the course of time became the owner of 160 acres. He was a veteran of the Civil war, having enlisted in the Seventh regiment of Indiana Volunteer Infantry, with which command he served for three years and three months. He took part in some of the great battles of that war, including the battles of Gettysburg and of the Wilderness. After the war he returned to Decatur county, where he remained until his death, which occurred on May 2, 1918, at the age of seventy-six years. His wife had died in 1869. They were the parents of five children: Julia, Emma, Mary, Stella and Monet O., the last named being the only resident of Rush county. Monet O. Sefton attended the common schools of Decatur county, and then applied himself to the cultiva- tion of the home farm up to the time of his removal to Rush county in 1894. For three years he was employed by his uncle, James Miller, and then for seven years he was engaged in the operation of a farm. of 160 acres in Richland township which he rented, followed by a three-year rental of a farm of 204 acres. He then bought his present fine farm of 160 acres, located in Noble township, and which he has improved and developed into one of the best farms in this section of the county, the place being devoted to general farming and stock raising. He raises fifty acres of corn and fifty acres of wheat every year and feeds practically all of his corn on the place, feeding from 150 to 200 hogs a year. Mr. Sefton was married to Maude Humes, the daughter of Israel and Mollie (Cooper) Humes, and they have become the parents of two daughters, Myrtle, who is taking the domestic science course at Purdue University, and Marion, who is taking music at DePauw University. In religion, Mr. Sefton and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which Mr. Sefton is a member of the board of trustees. Politically, he gives his support to the Republican party.
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