USA > Indiana > Rush County > Centennial history of Rush County, Indiana, Volume II > Part 16
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MR. AND MRS. GARRETT D. WIKOFF
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also was born in this county, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Albert L. Aldridge, of Rushville, and has one child, a son, Stewart A., born in 1916. Mr. Bebout is a member of the Baptist church at Homer, and his wife of the Methodist Episcopal church at Rushville. Mr. Bebout is a Mason and a member of the local lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks at Rushville, and of the Tall Cedars of Lebanon, the Modern Woodmen and the Royal Neighbors at Manilla. GARRETT D. WIKOFF, a retired farmer and landowner of Union township and one of the best known men in Rush county, was born on the place on which he is now living and has lived there all his life. His father, Garrett Wikoff, who was born in Monmouth county, New Jersey, February 3, 1799, was one of the early settlers of Rush county. He was a son of Arthur W. and Eleanor (Conover) Wikoff and was seventeen years of age when he came West with his parents, the family settling near Middletown, in Butler county, Ohio. In 1820 he married Nancy Mcclellan and soon after- ward came over into Rush county, and "entered" a quarter of a sec- tion of land in what later came to be organized as Union township. He was a man of energetic action and a good judge of land values and came to be the owner of better than 2,000 acres of land in this county. It was he who introduced "Short-horn" cattle here and he became an extensive breeder of live stock. The senior Garrett Wikoff was twice married. By his marriage to Nancy MeClellan he had six children, Sarah J., Adaline, James M., Arthur W., Samuel C. and Benjamin S. His second wife, the mother of the subject of this sketch, was Nancy Groves, who was born in Kentucky on April 9, 1820, and who had come here with her parents, Donovan and Sarah (Hicks) Groves, in pioneer days. To that union there were born four children, the subject of this sketch and his sisters, Nancy A., Eleanor G., and Mary Anna. The father of these children died on November 24, 1886, and his widow survived until 1894. Reared on the old home farm in Union township, Garrett D. Wikoff completed his schooling in Fairview Academy and from the days of his boyhood has been engaged in farming on the place on which he still is living. His father gave him a tract of ninety acres on which he established his home after his marriage, and in the years that have elapsed since that time has brought the place up to a high standard of cultivation and has made improvements of a substantial character. In addition to his general farming Mr. Wikoff has been accustomed to feed out about 200 head of hogs a year and has done well in his operations. It was in 1877 that Garrett D. Wikoff was united in marriage to Julia Par- rish, who died in 1903. She was a daughter of John and Emmaline Parrish. Mr. Wikoff has a pleasant home on rural mail route No. 1 out of Glenwood, and has ever been hospitahly interested in the community's general social activities. He is a Royal Arch Mason, a member of the blue lodge at Fairview and of the chapter at Rush- ville. In his political views he is an "independent" Democrat.
CHARLES MURPHY, one of the substantial farmers of Noble township now living at New Salem, where he has a pleasant modern home, was born in Noble township, this county, September 4, 1858, a
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son of John and Anna (MeCrory) Murphy, and a grandson of Jesse Murphy. John Murphy was born in Butler county, Ohio, and was a child when brought by his parents to Rush county, the family settling in Union township, where he was edueated, adopted farming and was married to Miss McCrory, a native of Fayette county, Indiana. Later he moved to Noble township, where he bought a farm, and so sue- cessful was he in his operations that at the time of his death he was the owner of 232 aeres of valuable land. He and his wife were the parents of eight children, of whom five are living, George, Charles, Jesse, Roy and Ida May. Charles Murphy received his education at the old Applegate schoolhouse in Noble township, and upon the com- pletion of his schooling joined his father in the cultivation of the home aeres. This association continued until the death of the elder man, when Charles Murphy seeured a part of the estate as his inheritance and began operations on his own acount on a tract of ninety-two acres. There he continued as a general farmer, adding to lis means each year and bettering the improvements on the farm, until 1920, when he turned the labors of the property over to younger hands and retired to his comfortable home at New Salem. In 1880, Mr. Murphy married Maggie Fay, who was born in Fayette county. daughter of Michael and Hannah Fay, natives of Ireland, the former of County Roseommon and the latter of County Galway. Mrs. Mur- phy's parents were young people when they emigrated to the United States and settled in New Jersey, where they met and were married. Following their union they came to Indiana and located in Fayette county, where Mr. Fay was engaged aetively in farming until he mnoved to Howard county, where he is now living at the advanced age of ninety-three years. His wife passed away in 1917. They were the parents of eight children, of whom four are now living, John, William, Mary A. and Maggie. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Murphy, Elsie, who married Clifford Stamm and has two children. Ceeil and Margaret, and John, who married Jessie Colvin and has had two children, Esther and Gilbert, the latter of whom is deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Murphy are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which Mr. Murphy was formerly a steward and trustee In polities he is a Republican.
WESTON C. RICHEY, a substantial retired farmer of Ander- son township and for years an extensive dealer in live stock at Milroy, where he has resided for more than twenty-five years, was born in this county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a farm in Anderson township on July 20, 1856, son of William and Cynthia (Henderson) Riehey, the latter of whom was born in Ohio, having come here with her parents in the days of her girlhood, and both of whom spent their last days in this county. William Richey was born in Kentucky and was but a child when his father, Adam Riehey, left that state and with his family came up into Indiana and settled on a farm in Anderson township, this county, where he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives, useful and influential pioneers of that community. William Riehey grew up on that pioneer farm and in turn became a farmer on his own aeeount, a vocation in which he
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continued engaged until his death. He became the owner of an excellent farm of about 100 acres and in addition had long been accustomed to operating a considerable extra acreage of rented lands. He and his wife were the parents of eleven children, of whom seven are still living, those besides the subject of this sketch being Jerusha, wife of Frank Nadal; Arkansas, wife of Ira Tompkins; Catherine, wife of Sol Smith; Martha, wife of Maurice Maxey; Missouri, widow of David S. Stewart, and Morton Richey. Reared on the home farn: in Anderson township, Weston C. Richey received his schooling in the schools of that neighborhood and continued on the farm, working with his father until his marriage after which he rented a farm and started operations for himself. Several years later he bought a tract of eighty acres in Anderson township, later increasing that acreage to 189 acres, but afterward sold eighty-five acres of this and is now the owner of a well improved farm of 104 acres .. On this place he continued general farming until 1894 when he moved to Milroy and there became engaged in the retail meat business. Several years later. however, he sold his butcher shop and began to confine his operations to dealing in live stock, a business he had begun to develop profitably while carrying on his butcher business, and has since then been thus engaged, for the past twenty years having been regarded as one of the leading live stock dealers in this section, buying extensively hereabout and shipping to the leading markets. In addition to this Mr. Richey keeps up his interest in his farm and has a fine farm! plant. Weston C. Richey has been twice married. By his first wife, Emma Crawford, he has six children, Edith, Clarence, Anna, Mabel, Clyde and Ruth, all of whom are married and have children of their own, Mr. Richey thus having thirteen grandchildren, in all of whom he takes much pride and delight. Edith Richey married Worth Kelly and has two children, Ralph and Ray. Clarence Richey mar- ried Mary Wolforst and has three children, Clifford, Chester and Marshall. Anna Richey married Riley Coulter and has one child, a son, Charles. Mabel Richey married Harvey Ray and has four children, Vivian, Helen, Opal and Weston. Clyde Richey married Gertrude Crume and has two children, Gerald and Lillian, and Ruth Richey married Paul Glisson and has one child, a daughter, Mildred. The mother of these children died and Mr. Richey married Georgia Mae Tarkington. Mr. and Mrs. Richey are members of the Methodist church. In his political affiliation Mr. Richey is a Republican and has ever given a good citizen's attention to local civic affairs, but has not been a seeker after public office. He and his wife have a pleasant home at Milroy and take a proper part in the general social activities of the community.
MARSHALL B. RIGSBEE, a well known general farmer resid- ing in Walker township, belongs to one of the early families of this county and a part of his present farm has been in the Rigsbee name for eighty-seven years. He was born in Posey township, this county. September 7, 1855, a son of Madison and Mary (Barnard) Rigsbee, who had four children, two of whom survive, Mrs. Flora Swain, of Shelby county, and Marshall B., who owns his father's old homestead
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of 133 acres. Marshall B. Rigsbee attended the district schools int both Posey and Walker townships in boyhood, during that time mak- ing himself useful to his father and later, after his marriage, worked the farm on shares with his father. In 1834 his grandfather entered! eighty acres that are now included in the home farm, from the govern- ment, and it has always been Mr. Rigsbee's aim to keep this farm in the family. When his father died he bought out the other heirs. He keeps the property in fine repair and carries on general farming and stock raising, annually feeding about eighty head of hogs. On Sep- tember 7, 1879, Mr. Rigsbee married Emily Miller, who also was born in Posey township, daughter of James and Useba (Swain) Miller, who had a family of nine children, Lena, Cassa, Edwin, George, Pres- ton, Emily and three deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Rigsbee have had nine children, Pearl (deceased), Arlie, Ertle, Clayton, Claude, Emerson, Edith, Nella and Mary. Arlie Rigsbee, who is now residing at Indian- apolis, connected with the insurance department of the Fletcher Savings and Trust Company of that city, married Delpha Hester and has two children, Catherine and Maxine. Ertle Rigsbee, who is now residing at Portland, Ind., where he is employed in the service of the Schlosser Bros. creamery of Indianapolis, married Stella Ash and has four children, Merle, Marshall, Lowell and Denzel. Clayton Rigsbee, who is in the insurance business at Indianapolis, married Kate Vanwinkle, and has had two children, Robert, and one that. died in youth. Claude Rigsbee, who is agent for the Watkins prod- ucts in northern Rush county, married Reba Fall and has one son, Paul, the family home being at Carthage. Edith Rigsbee, who mar- ried the Rev. Francis Eddy, a minister, at Fairmount, Ind., has five children, Gerald, Lucile, Grace, Warren and the baby. Nella is the wife of Dr. Charles Zike, a dentist at Manilla, and has one child, Catherine. Mary Rigsbee married Esta Theobold, a farmer in Shelby county. Mr. Rigsbee is a member of the Friends church at Little Blue River. He is a Republican.
JOHN RICKETTS, who is numbered among the successful farmers and enterprising citizens of Noble township, was born in Anderson township, this county, on February 23, 1867, and is the son of James and Ellen (Jones) Ricketts, the former a native of Fleming county, Kentucky, and the latter of Rush county, Indiana. James Ricketts was the son of Edward and Sarah Ricketts, both of whom were born and reared in Kentucky, where they were married, and who later became pioneer settlers of this county. James Ricketts was reared to manhood in his native state and accompanied his parents on their removal to Rush county, locating in Anderson township, where he was married. He had followed the vocation of agriculture and shortly after his marriage he bought a farm, which le operated until 1875, when he moved to Noble township and bought eighty-five acres of land one-fourth of a mile northwest of New Salem. A hard worker and good manager, he was enabled to add to his holdings from time to time until eventually he became the owner of 340 acres of land, located in Noble and Anderson townships. He followed general farming and stock raising and was numbered
GEORGE WHISMAN AND GRANDDAUGHTER, DOROTIIY WHISMAN
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among the leading farmers of his section of the county. His death occurred in Noble township. To him and his wife were born seven children, of which number two are now living, the subject of this review and Mattie, who became the wife of Owen Morris. John Ricketts received his education in the schools of Noble township and his boyhood days were devoted to work on the home farm, which he continued to operate for his mother after his father's death. On the death of his mother, in 1907, he bought the home farm, comprising 115 acres, and has since devoted himself to its operation. Energetic and up-to-date in his methods, he has demonstrated his abilities as a progressive man of affairs and is meeting with well deserved success in his work. He carries on general farming operations and stock raising and his place is maintained at a high standard of excellence. On November 29, 1893, Mr. Ricketts was married to Carrie Shriner. a daughter of Ray and Caroline Shriner, and they are the parents of a son, James Garrett Ricketts, who remains at home. Politically, Mr. Ricketts is a supporter of the Republican party and takes an intelligent interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of his community.
GEORGE WHISMAN, a land owner and former merchant of Manilla, now living practically retired, was born on April 8, 1857. in Orange township, this county, a son of Warren and Paulina (Marshall) Whisman. His father was born in Franklin county, Indiana, December 3, 1827, and the mother in Kentucky, February 5, 1828. They came to Rush county with their parents when chil- dren, were married here in August, 1849, and spent the rest of their lives on their farm of 140 acres, in Orange township, where the father died in his eighty-seventh year and the mother wher. aged eighty-eight years. Of their ten children the following are living : Millie, Alonzo, George, James, Garrison, Ida, Eli G., Oliver W. Delilah died in childhood and Ellen died when aged forty years. George Whisman went to school in boyhood, attending what was called the German school in district No. 3, Orange town- ship, applying himself so closely to his studies that he was able to secure a teacher's certificate, and afterward taught school during the winters and worked as a farmer in the summer seasons. About 1877 he located at Manilla, where he worked for four and a half years in the hardware store of Cyrus E. Trees, and when Mr. Trees sold his business to Edwin Burch, Mr. Whisman continued with the new owner for two months. He and Clark John then bought the business and operated the store for nineteen years, the association then being dissolved by the death of Mr. John. His interest was bought by Samuel Jarvis, and at the same time Mr. Whisman's son, Clyde, took over his father's interest and subsequently bought Mr. Jarvis's interest. Clyde Whisman continued alone in the busi- ness until 1920, when he sold to the firm of Silverthorn & Hunger- ford. Until this final transaction, Mr. Whisman had remained in the business in an unofficial capacity, always finding enough to keep himself pleasantly occupied, and very useful in an advisory
9
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capacity. He owns a 180-acre farm in the northern part of Walker township. On March 15, 1879, Mr. Whisman married Margaret Weir, who was born in Shelby county, Indiana, daughter of Will- iam and Martha (Woodard) Weir. Mrs. Whisman is one of a fam- ily of five children, she and a brother, William Weir, now the only survivors. Mr. and Mrs. Whisman have one child, Clyde, who was born on June 18, 1880. Since disposing of his hardware store at Manilla, Clyde Whisman has become local agent for the Ford Automobile Company. He married Elizabeth Webster and has one daughter, Dorothy. George Whisman has always voted with the Democratic party. He is a Mason, a member of Manilla Lodge, No. 565, Free and Accepted Masons.
JAMES M. CROSS, now living at Arlington, having until recent years been actively and successfully engaged in farming pursuits in l'osey township, was born in Jackson township, this county, on July 19, 1858, and is a son of Andrew J. and Rachel (Hunt) Cross, both of whom also were natives and residents of Rush county until 1869, when they moved to Cumberland county, Illinois, subsequently to Jas- per county, that state, where Mr. Cross was engaged in farming until 1875, when he returned to Indiana, locating in Indianapolis, where he lived, retired, until his death, which occurred on December 25, 1903. His wife had died on May 15, 1901. This worthy couple became the parents of six children, all of whom are living, namely : James M., Sarah E. John H., Oliver P., Mary D. and Ann Eliza. James M. Cross was reared under the parental roof and secured his education mostly in the schools of Jackson township. attending the Ball school, and finished at Indianapolis. During his boyhood days he assisted his father in the work of the home farm, but at the age of twenty years he started out on his own account as a renter of farm land in Marion county. For sixteen years Mr. Cross continued to operate rented farm lands, but at the end of that period he bought forty acres of land in Posey township, Rush county, to the operation of which he devoted himself for twenty years, until 1913, when he retired from active farm work and moved to Arlington, where he now resides. He is still the owner of a threshing machine outfit, which for thirty years has done a large amount of work for the farmers of this section of the county. Mr. Cross during his active years carried on a general line of farming, and met with excellent success in his work, as the result of his energy, persistence and good judgment. On March 6, 1879, Mr. Cross was married to Sarah K. Miller, the daughter of Jonathan and Margaret Miller, and to them were born three children, Jessie N., John K., who died, aged ten years, and Earl, who died, aged three years. Mrs. Sarah Cross died on February 14, 1913, and on March 15, 1914, Mr. Cross was married to Minnie (Kennedy) Offutt. Jessie N. Cross became the wife of Elmer Readle, a farmer of Posey township, and they have three children, Louise K., John N. and Mary B. Politically, Mr. Cross has always given his support to the Democratic party. Fraternally, he is a member of Beech Grove Lodge, No. 399, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Arlington, in which he has passed through the chairs.
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He has been president of the Cemetery Association for ten years. For many years he has been an active member of the Christian church at Arlington and has been an elder in the church for twenty years. Mr. Cross has always maintained a keen interest in cyery movement which has had to do with the development of his com- munity along any line and for a period of twelve years he served as a member of the board of directors of the Rush County Fair Asso- ciation. IIe was a charter member of the Arlington Telephone Com- pany, of which he was president for five years and treasurer for cleven years.
JUDGE DOUGLAS MORRIS, former justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, has long been recognized as one of the leaders at the Rush county bar, as well as having been judge of the Rush Circuit Court for one term. He was born in Knightstown, Ind., January 15. 1861, the son of John and Hannah (Scovell) Morris. Judge Morris received his preliminary education in the public schools at Knights- town and was graduated from the high school at that place in 1878. He then taught school for one year in Henry county, after which he went to Asbury University, now DePauw, from which institution he received his A. B. degree in 1882. Having decided upon the career of a lawyer, he studied for that profession during the years 1882 and 1883 at Indianapolis under the preceptorship of Benjamin Harrison, afterward President of the United States. Then for two years he practiced law at Knoxville, Tenn., whence he came to Rushville where he has remained ever since. From 1889 to 1895 he practiced in partnership with David S. Morgan, now deceased, and from 1895 to 1898 with S. L. Innis and Wallace Morgan. In 1898, his exceptional abilities at the bar having been recognized, he was elected judge of the Rush Circuit Court, serving in that capacity until November, 1904. In 1910 Judge Morris was elected one of the judges of the supreme court of Indiana and served on that bench from January 1, 1911, for six years. He is the only person from Rush county .who ever served on that bench. Since his retirement from the bench Judge Morris has practiced law in Rushville, where he has continued his many successes. On October 6, 1892, Judge Morris married Pa- mela A. Spann, daughter of Jesse J. Spann, one of the most brilliant lawyers and politicians who has ever claimed Rush county as his home, and to Judge and Mrs. Morris have been born two children. Hannah and Douglas, Jr., both of whom are living at home, and the former of whom has been admitted to the bar and is practicing law in association with her father. In his political affiliations, Judge Morris is an ardent supporter of the principles of the Democratic party and was the candidate of that party for Congress in 1888. Ile is a member of the Presbyterian church at Rushville, and socially and fraternally is a member of the Country Club and the Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity.
JESSE LOGAN, one of the substantial retired farmers of Rush county now living at Rushville, is a native son of this county, a member of one of the pioneer families, and has lived here all his life. He was born in Richland township, son of James W. and Hester
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( Wellman) Logan, the former of whom was the fourth son of James and Elizabeth (Mann) Logan, early residents of Richland township. James Logan was born in Ireland and was but a lad when he came to this country with his parents. As a young man seeking to make a home for himself he came to Rush county and acquired the original land grant for the tract where now stands the Logan homestead place in Noble township. There he and his wife reared their family and spent the remainder of their lives, helpful citizens of that community. James W. Logan was born and reared on the old home place in Noble township and remained there helpful in the work of developing the place until after his marriage, when he bought a farm of 165 acres in Richland township and there established his home and developed an excellent piece of property. He and his wife (Hester Wellman) were the parents of three sons, the subject of this sketch having two brothers, Thomas W. and Edgar E. Logan. Jesse Logan was reared on the home farm in Richland township, receiving his schooling in the district school in the neighborhood of his home, and as a young man continued to make his home there, farming the place for his father who presently gave him a farm of 178 acres in Richland and Noble townships, and after his marriage he established his home there. He did well in his farming and as his affairs prospered he added to his land holdings until he became the owner of 235 acres, which he continued to operate until his retirement from the farm in August, 1920, and removal to Rushville, where he and his wife are now living, very pleasantly situated at 223 West Third street. In 1903 Jesse Logan was united in marriage to Anna May Ralston, who also was born in this county, a member of one of the old families of the county. Mrs. Logan is a daughter of Elias V. and Mary (McCorkle) Ralston, the former of whom was a son of William and Nancy Ralston, who came to this county from Ohio in pioneer days. Mary McCorkle was the daughter of James and Ann (Cowan) McCorkle, the former of whom came to this county from Fleming county, Kentucky, in 1823 and entered a tract of land in Anderson township, the farmi now owned by William Davis. James and Ann MeCorkle had three children, those besides Mrs. Logan's mother being David M., who is still living, and Pressley MeCorkle, who died in the service of the Union while serving as a member of I Company, Sixty-eighth regi- ment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, during the Civil war. Elias V. and Mary (McCorkle) Ralston were the parents of five children, those besides Mrs. Logan being Mrs. Mary E. Miller, Mrs. Hattie O. Noah, Mrs. Zella P. Johnston and Carl R. (deceased).
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