USA > Indiana > Rush County > Centennial history of Rush County, Indiana, Volume II > Part 15
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D. D. VANOSDOL, M. D.
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HISTORY OF RUSH COUNTY
at Milroy, Carthage, Manilla and Waldron. His readers are given United Press Association news, as his papers belong to this news bureau. The columns of his publication are ever at the service of worthy civic movements, and his news matter is clean and reliable and presented in an interesting way. Politically Mr. Hagen is a Republican, and fraternally he is a member of Milroy Lodge, No. 139, Free and Accepted Masons. On September 9, 1915, Dewey Hagen was united in marriage to Vera W. Kepp, who was born and educated at Ingraham, Ill., a daughter of Cornelius and May (Pugh) Kepp. To this union there have been born two children, Jules Con- rad and a child who died in infancy.
DAWSON DWIGHT VANOSDOL, M. D., one of the foremost medical practitioners of Rushville, is a representative of one of the pioneer families of Indiana, and of old colonial stock. His great- great-grandfather was one of three brothers who came to America from Holland prior to the Revolution. Doctor VanOsdol's great- grandfather, Benjamin VanOsdol, was born in this country on August 9, 1777. On January 23, 1816, he entered into a contract with one Hugh Espey whereby in return for certain labors he was furnished with a flatboat and $100 to transport his family to "a place called the Rising Sun in the Indiana Territory." Ile later settled in New Hope, Ohio county, Indiana, and died there on Sep- tember 12, 1848. IIe married Rebecca Reese, who was born on April 11, 1779, and died at New Hope on March 5, 1844. To this union there were born six children, of whom Nathan Allan Van- Osdol was the youngest. Coming from Fayette county, Pennsylvania, with his parents, he first was employed as a farm laborer, but later took up flatboating, a business which he followed until the year 1837. Leaving the river, he bought a farm near New Hope, Ind., where he spent the remainder of his life in the pursuits of agricul- ture and in the cooperage business. On June 30, 1836, he married Elizabeth Crowley, a native of Clark county, Virginia, where she was born on September 26, 1818. To Nathan Allan VanOsdol and his wife were born a large family, in which John Winchester Van- Osdol was the fifth child. He was born on December 13, 1845, received his early training on a farm, and when the Civil war broke out, volunteered in Company I, One Hundred and Thirty-ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, with which organization he rose to the rank of sergeant. After being honorably discharged from the service he resolved to become a member of the medical profession, and accordingly attended the Miami Medical College at Cincinnati for two years, the prescribed course in those days. On September 15, 1868, Dr. John W. VanOsdol was married to Mrs. Sophia Orten- tia Downey, and to them five children were born: Dawson Dwight, VanOsdol, the subject of this review; Dr. L. E. VanOsdol, a prac- tising dental surgeon, of Peru, Ind .; Dr. Nathan Wilford VanOs- dol, doctor of dental surgery, of Indianapolis; Mary Elizabeth, who married Dr. Jesse Frank Coffield, of Ohio county, Indiana, and Fred Arthur, who died when he was but four years of age.
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Dr. John W. VanOsdol passed his declining years in Rushville, where he passed away on November 2, 1903. Dawson Dwight Van- Osdol was born on July 30, 1869, at Allensville, Switzerland county, Indiana. After completing the common school enrriculum, he at- tended the Edinburg high school for one year, and subsequently the Miami Medical College at Cincinnati, from which he was grad- uated on April 4, 1894. For three years following his graduation Doctor VanOsdol praetieed at Allensville, and then, on October 12, 1897, he married Myra Jane Gary, daughter of the Rev. T. B. Gary, of Rush county. Ile then moved to East Enterprise, Ind., and on August 1, 1899, located at Rushville, where he has sinee remained. To Doctor and Mrs. VanOsdol two children have been born : Dwight Gary, born December 13, 1898, at East Enterprise, Switzerland county, Indiana, who was graduated from the Rushville high school and in the fall of 1917 entered Indiana University with a view to entering the medical profession, and Max Ball, born on May 17, 1904. Doetor VanOsdol has always kept abreast of the progress made in his profession, and is a member of the various local, state and national medical associations, in the affairs of which he takes an active interest. He is a Royal Arch and Scottish Rite Mason and a noble of the Ancient Arabie Order of Nobles of the Mystie Shrine, affiliated with Murat Temple at Indianapolis, and is also affiliated with the local lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias. He is a Republican and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
MERRILL S. BALL, a former member of the board of county commissioners of Rush county, who is now engaged in the dry-elean- ing business at Rushville, member of the firm of Ball & Bebout, is a native son of Rush county and has lived here all his life with the exception of a period during the days of his youth when the family lived at Knightstown in the neighboring county of Henry. He was born in Posey township on November 14, 1875, son and only child of Caleb and Carrie M. (Stuart) Ball, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania but was but a child when he came to Indiana with his parents, Jonathan and Asenath Ball in 1835, the family loeating in Posey township, this county. Jonathan Ball was a man of much force and was one of the best known and most influential among the pioneer settlers of that section of the county. He became the owner of 2,300 acres of land in Posey township and did much to promote the advancement of social and economic conditions thereabout in the formative period of that now prosperous and well developed eom- munity. Caleb Ball grew to manhood in Posey township and as a young man became engaged in farming with his father. After his marriage he for some time made his home in Knightstown, where he became engaged in the hardware business, but later returned to the old home place in Posey township, where he resumed farming and where he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring there in 1881, Caleb Ball was twice married. His first wife, Harriet Fer- guson, was born in Henry county, as was his second wife, Carrie M.
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Stuart, mother of the subject of this sketch. Merrill S. Ball received his early schooling in the schools of Knightstown and supplemented the same by a course of two years at Earlham College at Richmond. Upon leaving college he resumed his place on the home farm in Posey township, which he had inherited, and there remained for twelve years, or until 1911, when he moved to Rushville and opened a garage. For two years he was engaged in this business and then, in the fall of 1913, he formed a partnership with Clata L. Bebout, under the firm name of Ball & Bebout, and opened a dry-cleaning, pressing and tailoring establishment at Rushville, a business in which he has since been quite successfully engaged. Mr. Ball is a Republican and has for years taken an active interest in local political affairs. He served one term as member of the board of county commissioners from his home district and has in other ways given of his time and attention to civic matters. In 1898 Merrill S. Ball was united in marriage to Mary E. Rash, who was born in the neighboring county of Hancock, daughter of W. R. Rash, a former merchant of that county, now living retired, and to this union two children have been horn, Margaret C. and Richard S., the former of whom is now (1921) a student at the University of Indiana at Bloomington. Mr. and Mrs. Ball are members of the Methodist church and have ever taken an interested part in church affairs as well as in the general social activities of their home community. Mr. Ball is a Mason, a member of the local lodge of that order at Rushville, and is a Knight Templar, a member of the Rushville commandery. He also is affiliated with the local lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and in the affairs of al! these organizations takes a warm fraternal interest.
SAMUEL E. COWAN, who died at his home in Noble township in the fall of 1911 while serving as a member of the county council of this county was a man of much public spirit and in his official capacity had rendered excellent service. Diligent in his own business he had a no less intelligent appreciation of the public business and his acts as a member of the county council were ever measured by his high sense of values as related to the general good of the common- wealth. Mr. Cowan was born in this county and here spent his life, a useful citizen and a faithful and intelligent public servant. He was born on a farm in Richland township on March 4, 1870, a son of John A. and Sarah E. (Meek) Cowan, the latter of whom was born in the neighboring county of Decatur and both of whom spent their last days in this county. John A. Cowan was born in Rush county, a member of one of the old families here, and all his life was spent in the county, a helpful force in the community in which he long resided, southeast of Richland. He and his wife were the parents of five children, three of whom are still living, Anna, of Rushville: Inez, wife of Frank MeCorkle, of Milroy, and William Cowan, of Indianapolis. Reared on the old Cowan home farm in Richland township, Samuel E. Cowan received his schooling in the excellent schools of that neighborhood and from the days of his boyhood was well trained in the ways of farming, a vocation he followed all his
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mature life. He remained at home, a valued assistant in the labors of his father's farm, until after his marriage when he rented a farm southwest of Richland and was there engaged in farming for several years, at the end of which time, in association with his father, he bought a farm of 175 acres in Noble township, proceeded to improve and develop the same and at the time of his death ten years later had an excellent farm and one of the best equipped farm plants in that part of the country. Mr. Cowan was a Republican and had from the days of his young manhood given his earnest attention to local public affairs, ever advocating movements promotive of better gov- ernment, and at the time of his death had for some time been serving as a member of the county council, a position of responsibility re- quiring well poised judgment and a comprehensive knowledge of local conditions, and to the duties of that office had given his most thoughtful attention and consideration. Mr. Cowan's death occurred on September 9, 1911, he then being forty-one years of age-at a time generally regarded as the very prime of life, when the capacity for useful service is on the increase, and his early passing was widely mourned throughout the county, a good memory being had of him in the community in which his whole life was spent. It was in 1894 that Samuel E. Cowan was united in marriage to Mary Louise Nesbit, who was born in Decatur county, daughter of John and Mary (McHargh) Nesbit, both of whom also were born in that county. members of pioneer families there. John Nesbit was a farmer and live stock buyer and was widely known throughout this section of the state by reason of his extensive live stock operations, his buying for the horse and mule markets particularly giving him a wide acquaintance among the farmers of the region. He and his wife were the parents of five children. Since the death of her husband Mrs. Cowan has made her home in Milroy and is looking after the operations of the farm which she owns aud is directing in admirable fashion, and has made numerous improvements since the place has been under her direction. She is a member of the United Presbyterian church, as was her husband, and has ever taken an earnest and helpful interest in church work as well as in the general good works of her neighborhood.
JOHN M. WISSING, a well known farmer and stockman of Walker township, was born in that township on February 27, 1876, a son of Jacob and Caroline (IIertzel) Wissing. His father was born in Germany in 1844 and was twelve years old when he accom- panied his parents to the United States, and during the greater part of his subsequent life has lived in Rush county. The mother of Mr. Wissing was born in Rush county, a daughter of Christian and Salome (Bayer) Hertzell. John M. Wissing attended school in district No. 3, Walker township, and afterward assisted his father on the home farm until his marriage. For six years afterward he rented land from his father, then bought fifty-three acres in Walker township and to this first tract has added until he now owns 135 aeres. He carries on general farming but gives his chief attention to live stock, being one of the most extensive feeders in this section, usually having
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RESIDENCE OF JAMES A. BROWN
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HISTORY OF RUSH COUNTY
fifty head of cattle and often as many as 1,000 head of hogs yearly. On March 19, 1902, Mr. Wissing married Mary D. Webster, who was born in Rush county, daughter of Jacob L. and Annetta (Linvill) Webster. The father of Mrs. Wissing was born in Rush county and the mother in North Carolina. They had five children, Mary D., Augusta, Elizabeth, William and Jacob H. (deceased). Mr. and Mrs. Wissing have four children, Howard W., Jacob L., Annetta C. and Alice M., the three elder now attending school at Manilla. Mr. Wis- sing and his family are members of the Evangelical church, in Shelby county. He has always supported the principles of the Democratic party but has never accepted a political office. He is a member of the Masonic lodge at Manilla and also belongs to the Modern Wood- men body there.
JAMES A. BROWN, a substantial retired farmer of Anderson township, now living at Milroy, is a Kentuckian by birth, but has been a resident of Rush county since he was twelve years old, and thus very properly feels that he "belongs" here quite as much as though "native and to the manner born." He was born on a farm in Bath county, Kentucky, August 3, 1854, son of Abraham and Elizabeth (Hencey) Brown, both of whom were born in Nicholas county, Kentucky, members of pioneer families in that part of that state. In 1864 Abraham Brown left Kentucky with his family and moved across the river into Clermont county, Ohio, where he made his home for two years, at the end of which time he came with his family over into Indiana and located in this county, first renting a farm in Walker township, but presently moving to Rush- ville township where not long afterward he died, his death occur- ing in 1870. His widow survived him and kept the family of chil- dren together on the farm. There were five of these children, two of whom are still living, the subject of this sketch having a brother, Samuel Brown. As noted above James A. Brown was but a boy when he came to Rush county with his parents and his schooling was completed here. This schooling, however, was confined to brief terms of two or three months a year. He was but sixteen years of age when his father died and he thus early assumed mature responsibilities, helping to carry on the farm operations in his mother's behalf until he was twenty-one when he rented a piece of land and began operations on his own account. He married at the age of twenty-three and then established a home on his rented farm and continued there until 1890, when he moved onto an "eighty" of timber land which belonged to his wife and proceeded to clear and develop the same. He cleared the place, got it under cultiva- tion and as his affairs prospered added an adjoining "eighty" and now has a well improved farm of 160 acres. On that place he con- tinued his active labors until his retirement and removal to Milroy, where he and his family are very comfortably situated. Despite his "retirement" Mr. Brown continues to take an active interest in his farm and keeps a pretty close supervisory eye on operations there. It was in 1877 that James A. Brown was united in marriage
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to Carrie Lowden, who was born in this county, daughter of George and Mary Jane (Plough) Lowden, and to this union five children have been born, namely : Lola, who married Clair Johnson and has three children, Carl, Fay and Ruth; Leslie B., who married Myrtle Hasty and has two children, Lois and Donald; Jacob, who married Jessie Palmer and has three children, Wilma, Thelma and Weldon ; Pearl, who married Charles Fisher and has one child, a daughter, Margaret; and Mary, who married Clifford Senior and has two children, Fred and Lester. Mr. and Mrs. Brown are members of the Methodist church at Richland and have for years taken an active interest in the work of the same, Mr. Brown formerly having served as a steward of the church and is now a member of the board of trustees of the same. In his political views he is a Re- publican and has always taken an interested part in local civic affairs. He has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows for more than forty years and has been "through the chairs" of the local lodge, in the affairs of which he has ever taken a warm interest.
JAMES O. DRAPER, a progressive farmer of Posey township and one of the worthy native sons of Rush county, was born in Posey township on February 17, 1862, and is the son of J. T. and Saphrona (Lower) Draper, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Ohio. These parents were reared and educated in their respective native localities, but were married after moving to Rush county, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Mr. Draper was the owner of 140 acres of land in Posey township. To him and his wife were born six children, all of whom are living, namely: Francis, Henry, George, Charles, James and Elma. James O. Draper was reared under the parental roof and secured his education in district No. 9. He remained on the home farm until after his mar- riage, when he took up farm work on his own account beginning as a renter, but he was energetic and a good manager and about ten years after his marriage he bought sixty acres of land in Posey township. Five months later he sold that farm and bought an eighty-acre tract in Rushville township, where he remained about three years. Selling that place, he then bought ninety-nine acres near Carthage, which he cultivated for about five years. Ile then moved onto the farm of 159 acres in Posey township which Mrs. Draper inherited, where the family lives, and here he has since remained, engaged in general agricultural operations. He raises all the crops common to this locality and also gives some attention to the raising of live stock, handling about 100 head of hogs each year. The farm is well im- proved and is returning a satisfactory income. In February, 1883. Mr. Draper was married to Viola Nelson, a native of Posey township and the daughter of W. H. and Elizabeth (Adams) Nelson. To Mr. and Mrs. Draper have been born nine children, all of whom are living, namely: Olive, Cora, Nellie, Waldo, Pearl, Alphonso, Ozro, Millie, and Emerson. All of these children are married excepting Millie, who is engaged (1921) in teaching in the Washington town- ship school at Raleign. In addition to his general agricultural opera-
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tions, Mr. Draper has been interested in the breeding of speed horses and among the good horses which he has raised are the following : "Robert Axworthy," trotter, trial mile 2:201/4, sire, "Morgan Ax- worthy," dam, "Martha MacJay;" "Elizabeth Hall," bay trotter, trial mile 2:36, sire, "Bingen Hall," dam, "Lou C. McGregor;" "Lady Blacklock," pacer, record 2:241/2, sire, "Blacklock," dam, "Zulcka." Politically, Mr. Draper is a strong supporter of the Democratic party, while in religious belief he and his family are identified with the Christian church at Arlington.
LOREN MARTIN, county clerk of Rush county and one of the most popular young officials about the court house, was born in this county and has lived here all his life save for a period of a few years during the days of his boyhood when the family made their home in the neighboring county of Decatur. IIe was born on a farm in Richland township on January 12, 1890, son of Ralph Erastus and Carrie (Price) Martin, both of whom were born in Decatur county and the latter of whom is still living. Ralph E. Martin was reared in Decatur county and began his active career as a farmer, a vocation he maintained all his life. He was married in Decatur county and not long afterward moved over into Rush county and began working on a farm in Richland township. A year later he returned to Decatur county, where he remained for nine years, at the end of which time he returned to Rush county and bought a farm of fifty acres in Noble township on which place he made his home for about two years, at the end of which time he sold that place and rented a farm in Anderson township. Fourteen years later he left that place and moved to a farm in Rushville township where he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring there on Feb- ruary 1, 1918. Ralph E. Martin and wife were the parents of eight children, seven of whom are still living, those besides the subject of this sketch being Charles, Clyde, Ralph, Hugh, Bertha and Walter. Loren Martin "grew up" in Rush county, assisting in the labors of the farm, and was graduated from the New Salem high school. In 1910 he took a course in the normal school at Marion, Ind., and thus equipped for teaching entered the ranks of Hendricks county school teachers and was engaged in teaching for two or three years, alternating the winter terms of school with the summer courses at Indiana University. He then became connected with the Indiana State School for the Blind at Indianapolis and was thus engaged in a supervisory capacity when the United States entered the World war in the spring of 1917. He enlisted his services in behalf of our arms and on May 14 following the declaration of war entered the officers' training corps at Ft. Benjamin Harrison and was there engaged in preparation for expected service until July 3, when he received an honorable discharge on the ground of physical incapacity and returned to his home on the farm, continuing there engaged in looking after matters for his father until the latter's death early in the next year. On August 1, 1919, Mr. Martin was appointed to fill an unexpired term in the office of the county clerk and is still serving in that capacity. On October 30, 1919, Loren Martin was united in marriage
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to Helen Norris, daughter of W. A. Norris, and has since made his home in Rushville. Mr. and Mrs. Martin are members of the Meth- odist church and take an interested part in church work, as well as in the general social affairs of their home town. Politically, Mr. Martin is a Republican and from the days of his boyhood has taken an active interest in local political affairs, coming to be regarded as one of the leaders of his party in Rush county. Fraternally, he is affiliated with the local lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks at Rushville and takes a proper interest in the affairs of that popular fraternal organization.
CLATA L. BEBOUT, former sheriff of Rush county, former mayor of the city of Rushville, at one time postmaster at Manilla. for many years actively identified with the general civic affairs of the county, at one time chairman of the county Republican central committee and now and for some years past engaged in the dry- cleaning business at Rushville, is a native son of Rush county and has lived here all his life. He was born in Rushville township on April 8, 1872, son of James H. and Mary E. (Lowden) Bebout, both of whom are still living. James H. Bebout also was born in Rush- ville township and there grew to manhood. After his marriage he became engaged in farming but not long afterward turned his at- tention to carpentering at Manilla and was thus engaged as a building contractor until his retirement from business in 1920. Clata L. Bebout received his schooling in the schools of Walker township and from the days of his youth evinced an active interest in public affairs. For three years he served as postmaster at Manilla and later and for some time was engaged on the local section of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company's line at Manilla. In 1900 he served as census enumerator for Walker township. In the meantime he had become engaged in the carpentering business and for sixteen years followed that vocation. In 1908 Mr. Bebout was elected sheriff of Rush county and has since then made his home in Rushville. He was re-elected to the office of sheriff, thus serving two terms, and in 1913 was elected mayor of the city and for four years held that office. In September of that same year Mr. Bebout organized the company of Ball & Bebout, dry-cleaners and pressers, in Rushville, and is still engaged in that business, having a well-equipped plant for carrying on the company's operations. Years ago Mr. Bebout became engaged in the fire insurance business and still maintains a local agency in that behalf. He is a Republican and for years has been recognized as among the leaders of that party in this county, for some time having served as chairman of the county committee. In 1892 Clata L. Bebout was united in marriage to Katherine Heifner, who also was born in this eounty, daughter of John and Alice Heif- ner, the former of whom is a retired farmer of Walker township, and to this union two children have been born, Dr. Verl A. Bebout and Gladys K., wife of Edwin H. Hughes, Jr., of Boston, Mass., now resid- ing at Tulsa, Okla. Mrs. Hughes completed her schooling at DePauw University and Dr. Verl A. Bebout was graduated from the Indiana Dental College at Indianapolis. IIe married Ruth Aldridge, who
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