USA > Indiana > Rush County > Centennial history of Rush County, Indiana, Volume II > Part 4
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DORA M. HILLIGOSS, a well known farmer of Rushville township, living on rural mail route No. 4 out of Rushville, was born in that township on August 22, 1863, son of Ira C. and Elizabeth (English) Hilligoss, both of whom were born, reared and educated in that same township. The father followed farming all his life in that locality and became the owner of 240 acres of land in Rushville and Walker townships. To him and his wife were born two children, the subject of this sketch and Joanna, who is deceased. Dora M.
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IIilligoss received his education in the Webb school, distriet No. 10, Rushville township, and thereafter he applied himself to work on the home farm up to the time of his marriage. He then engaged in farming on his own account on a farm of eighty acres which he had inherited from his father some time prior to his marriage. He also rented more land from his father-in-law. During the subsequent years he has been successful in his labors and is now, with his wife, the owner of 340 acres of land in Rush county. He and his son operate 206 acres of this land, the balance being rented out. Mr. Hilligoss carries on general farming operations and also gives some attention to the raising of live stock. His farm is well improved and is rated as one of the best farms in Rush county. On January 10, 1884, Mr. Hilligoss was married to Emma Ramsey, who was born in Anderson township, this county, the daughter of Eugene and Ann M. (Tyler) Ramsey, the former a native of Cumberland Gap, Va., and the latter of Anderson township, this county. Mr. Ramsey came to Rush county in an carly day and here spent the remainder of his days, being engaged in farming. He owned 160 acres of land in An- derson township. To him and wife were born two children, Emma (wife of the subject) and one who died in infancy. To Mr. and Mrs. Hilligoss have been born three children, Leona May, born August 13, 1885; Lavon Estel, December 11, 1886, who died on June 2, 1908, and Elsa Mivard, born on January 31, 1893. Leona May Hilligoss married Casper Johnson, son of Lafayette Johnson and a farmer of this county, and has three children, Viola Lavon, Chlorine Bernice and Dora Lafayette. Lavon Estel Hilligoss married Bert Osborn, son of L. B. Osborn, also a farmer of this county. To this union one child was born, a son, Lowell Marshall. Mrs. Osborn was a noted horsewoman and drove at many of the horse shows given in this section of Indiana. Elsa Mivard Hilligoss married Nellie Logan, daughter of Ora Logan, and is farming on the Hilligoss home place. He and his wife have two children, Lavon Estel and Harold Eugene. Mr. and Mrs. Hilligoss are earnest members of the Main Street Christian Church in Rushville. Mr. Hilligoss is a staunch supporter of the Democratic party, while, fraternally, he is a member of Ivy Lodge No. 27, Knights of Pythias, at Rushville, and Lodge No. 1307, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Mrs. Hilligoss is a mem- ber of and holds official position in the Pythian Sisters. Since 1908 the Hilligoss family has been holding an annual reunion, the organ- ization having been perfected by Mrs. Hilligoss and the late Levi Hilligoss, of Foley, Minn. Mrs. Dora M. Hilligoss is secretary of the association, and has been for ten years. In 1913 Levi Hilligoss pub- lished a history of the Hilligoss family, a profusely illustrated book of more than 200 pages.
THOMAS HEATON, for nearly three-quarters of a century an honored resident of Rush county, and for the greater part of this time a successful agriculturist of Noble township, is widely and favor- ably known to the people of this community. He was born in Noble township, December 27, 1848, a son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Arm- strong) Heaton, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter
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of Rush county. Joseph Heaton was three years old when he was brought from the Keystone state by his parents, John Heaton and wife, who settled in Rush county and entered land in Noble town- ship, on which they spent the balance of their honorable and well- ordered lives. Joseph Heaton grew to manhood in this community, where he followed in his father's footsteps and adopted farming as his life work, a vocation which he followed throughout his career, and in which he attained marked success, accumulating 305 acres. He and his wife were the parents of six children, of whom three are living : John, Thomas and Sanford. Thomas Heaton received his education in the public schools of Noble township, after leaving which he associated himself with his father in the cultivation of the home place, and remained with the elder man until his marriage. He then struck out for himself, and for the next thirty years or more was occu- pied in farming as a renter. In 1900 he purchased the property on which he now resides, a tract of eighty acres, on which he carries on general farming and feeds out about fifty hogs annually. He is practical and progressive in his aims and methods, and is accounted one of the well-informed men of his locality, not alone upon the subject of farming, but along other lines. In polities Mr. Heaton is a Democrat, but has not sought political preferment or public office. He married Mary, daughter of William Willis, and they have two children: Thornton, who married Maud Benedict, and Myrtle, who married Ellis Culbertson and has two children, Helen and Bethel.
CHARLES H. PARSONS, M. D., who died at his home in Ruslı- ville in the spring of 1921, was one of the oldest and best known physicians and surgeons in this section of Indiana, a member of one of the old families of Rush county, for many years a recognized leader in the social and civic life of his community, a man whose good works and useful achievements had endeared him in the hearts of his fellowmen, and at his passing left a memory which will long endure in the community in which his life of faithful endeavor had been passed. It thus seems fitting that there should here be carried some brief memorial of this useful life in this volume commemorative of a centenary of civic organization in Rush county. Doctor Parsons was a native son of Rush county and had ever held the interests of his home county as the uppermost motive of his activities. He was born on the old Parsons homestead place in Rushville township, a short distance northeast of the city of Rushville, January 28, 1855, a son of Mathias and Mary (Dill) Parsons, both of whom were mem- bers of pioneer families in this county and whose last days were spent here. The Doctor's early schooling was received at Rushville and following his graduation from the high school he entered the old Northwestern Christian University (now Butler College) at Indianapolis, from whence, after a course in the "humanities," he went to Cincinnati and entered the Ohio Medical College, where he spent one year. In 1876 he went to New York and there entered the Bellevue Hospital Medical College, from which institution he was graduated in March, 1878, with the degree of doctor of medicine and
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surgery. Thus admirably equipped for the practice of the noble pro- fession to which he had devoted his life, Doctor Parsons returned to Rushville and entered upon a professional career which was marked with much success, continuing actively engaged in practice until a few years prior to his death, his later years being marked by a retirement from his professional duties, save such as he felt in duty bound to continue as "the old family physician," and in these later years lic found much relaxation in looking after the affairs of the Parsons farm northeast of the city. Doctor Parsons was a busy man and was not content to be idle; the "leisure" of his practice being occupied much of the time in attention to public affairs and had served variously in positions of public trust and responsibility. He was an ardent Democrat, for years regarded as one of the leaders of that party in this county, and for four years served as a member of the Rushville city council, his term of service in that connection cxpiring in December, 1913. It is recalled in this connection that the Doctor was very sincere in his efforts to perform a real public service and his incumbency was marked by much valuable service to the city. Doctor Parsons was for years a member of the local pension board and during the period of America's participation in the World war also rendered valuable service as a member of the medical advisory board for the physical examination of men registered for service. The Doctor was a faithful member of the Main Street Christian Church and had for years been an office bearer in the same as well as an earnest teacher in the Sunday school, for several years teacher of the men's Century class and in recent years teacher of a woman's class. Doctor Parsons died at his home, 410 North Main street, at 12:15 p. m., Saturday, March 5, 1921, and his widow is still making her home there. The only other close family survivor is the Doctor's sister, Mrs. Mary Parrish, of Indianapolis. Mrs. Parsons also is a member of one of the old families of Rush county and has lived here all her life. She was born in Rushville, Sallie Sexton, daughter of Dr. Mar- shall Sexton and his wife Elizabeth, of excellent memory and further and fitting mention of whom is made elsewhere in this volume, together with portraits of four successive generations of Doctors Sexton who have practiced their profession in this county. She was united in marriage to Doctor Parsons on December 17, 1878, and to this union: one child was born, a son, John Parsons, who died in 1893.
WALLACE G. MORGAN, attorney-at-law at Rushville and one of the best known lawyers in the Sixth district, was born in this county and has lived here all his life, a practicing attorney since the days of his young manhood, formerly associated in the practice of law with his father, the late David S. Morgan, and now associated in practice with Gates Ketchum. Mr. Morgan was born on a farm in Richland township on May 8, 1866, son of David S. and Mary E. (McIlwain) Morgan, the latter of whom years ago was a teacher in the old Richland Academy. David S. Morgan was a Kentuckian by birth who at the age of eighteen years came to Indiana with his parents, Samuel Morgan and wife, the family locating in Richland township, this county. David S. Morgan completed his schooling in
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HISTORY OF RUSH COUNTY
the Richland Academy and thereafter for many years taught school in that township, teaching during the winter seasons. In the mean- time he took up the study of law, was presently admitted to the bar and in 1881 moved to Rushville, where he opened an office for the practice of the profession to which he had devoted his talents and there continued in practice the remainder of his life, his death occur- ring in 1905. David S. Morgan and wife were the parents of five children, sons all, three of whom are still living, the subject of this biographical sketch having two brothers, Samuel and William O. Morgan. The deceased were Rosco and Bert Morgan. Wallace G. Morgan was about seventeen years of age when his parents moved from Richland township to Rushville and he completed his schooling in the Rushville schools. Under the able preceptorship of his father he early entered upon the study of law and upon his admission to the bar formed a partnership with his father in the practice of that profession and this mutually agreeable association continued until the death of the elder Morgan in 1905. Not long after the death of his father Mr. Morgan formed a partnership with Douglas Morris and this firm had a wide practicc. One of Mr. Morgan's legal connections of considerable consequence is that as attorney for the Dollings In- vestment Company of Indianapolis. Mr. Morgan's wife, nee Mary MeLaughlan, also was born in Rush county, a member of one of the county's old families, and she and Mr. Morgan ever have taken an interested part in the general social activities of the community. helpful in promoting and furthering all movements having to do with the common good hercabout. In his political affiliation Mr. Morgan is a Democrat and for many years has been regarded as one of the leaders of that party in Rush county and throughout the Sixth dis- trict. Fraternally, he is affiliated with the Masonic lodge at Rushville.
CHESTER F. CROSS, one of the conspicuous figures in agri- cultural circles in Jackson township, is essentially a man of affairs, of sound judgment, keen discernment and far-seeing in what he undertakes, and his extensive interests are but the legitimate fruitage of consecutive effort, directed and controlled by good judgment and correct business principles. Mr. Cross is a native of Jackson town- ship, born there on August 25, 1883, the son of John F. and Olive (Powell) Cross, who are represented in a personal sketch elsewhere in this work. The subjeet was educated in the Osborn school and on completing his studies he devoted himself to the work of the home farm, remaining with his father up to the time of his marriage. He then engaged in farming on his own account on the land where he now lives and has continued here to the present time. IIe now owns 160 acres in this farm, and 100 acres elsewhere in Jackson township, making his total holdings 260 acres. He keeps his farms up to the highest standard of excellence, both as regards buildings and the condition of the soil, and is regarded as a thoroughly up-to-date and progressive farmer. Mr. Cross gives considerable attention to live stock, raising from 400 to 500 hogs each year, in addition to which he buys about 250 head, so that altogether he feeds about 650 head a ycar. He also feeds about two car loads of cattle annually. On
MR. AND MRS. PERRY T. INNIS
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HISTORY OF RUSH COUNTY
March 20, 1904, Chester F. Cross was married to Carrie J. Northam, who was born and reared in Posey township, the daughter of Jasper N. and Kate (Coffin) Northam. Her parents were both natives of Rush county, the father having cultivated a farm in Posey township for a number of years. They became the parents of five children, all of whom are living, namely: Carrie, Russell, Merrill, Thelma and Katherine. Mr. and Mrs. Cross have one child, Tracy, born in 1904, who is now a student in the Rushville high school. Mr. Cross is a staunch supporter of the Democratic party, and is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, holding membership in all the bodies of that order at Rushville up to and including the commandery of Knights Templar; he is also a member of Murat Temple of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at Indianap- olis, and Lodge No. 1307, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, at Rushville. Personally, Mr. Cross possesses to a marked degree those qualities which win friendships and he is a popular member of the circles in which he moves.
PERRY T. INNIS, president of the Milroy Bank at Milroy and long recognized as one of the most progressive and substantial business men of Rush county, has been a resident of this county all his life and has ever been interested in community betterment and advancement. He was born on a farm in Anderson township on January 12, 1855, son of William W. and Jennie (Buchanan) Innis, the former also a native of this county and the latter of Bourbon county, Kentucky, well known and influential residents of the Milroy neighborhood in their generation and whose last days were spent here. William W. Innis, who was the founder of the Innis- Pierce Furniture Company at Rushville and whose name ever will be inseparably associated with that concern, was born on a farm in Anderson township, son of Alexander and Christina (Kirkpatrick) Innis, the latter of whom also was born in Indiana, a member of one of the pioneer families of this region. Alexander Innis was a Pennsylvanian who left his home in the old Keystone state in the days of his young manhood and came to Indiana, locating in Rush county, where he married Christina Kirkpatrick and established his home on a farm in Anderson township, developing a fine piece of property there and there spending the rest of his life, a helpful factor in the development and prosperity of that community. He and his wife were the parents of six children, those besides William W. having been James, Andrew, Eliza, Ellen and Lucinda. Reared an a farm, William W. Innis for a time after starting out "for him- self" was engaged in farming in his home township, but presently left the farm and moved to Rushville where he became engaged in the coal and lumber business, later becoming associated with Will- iam M. Pierce in the manufacture of furniture at Rushville under the firm name of the Innis-Pierce Furniture Company, built up an extensive plant and a fine business and was thus engaged the rest of his active life, one of the most influential factors in the develop- ment of the industrial activities of the city of Rushville. William
3
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W. Innis was for years an elder in the United Presbyterian church and he and his wife were ever concerned in community good works. They were the parents of five children, those besides the subject of this sketch being Elizabeth, Mary Ellen, Robert and Arie, the latter of whom died in infancy. Perry T. Innis "grew up" on the home farm in Anderson township and supplemented the schooling obtained in the Milroy schools by a course in the old Richland Academy, after which he became engaged in farming on his father's place, later engaging in the same vocation on his own account and became the owner of a fine farm of 160 acres in the vicinity of Milroy on which he established his home and on which he was ac- tively engaged in farming and live stock raising until his retire- ment from the farm to become engaged in banking. It was in 1904 that the Bank of Milroy was organized and at the first meeting of the stockholders for organization Mr. Innis was elected president of the institution, a position which he ever since has held and in the exercise of which office he has made himself a strong figure in the commercial life of this section of the state. In 1906 Mr. Innis moved from the farm to Milroy and shortly afterward began to give his whole time to the affairs of the bank and is still thus en- gaged, he and his associates having built up a strong and continually growing banking institution there. On January 1, 1878, Perry T. Innis was united in marriage to Flora Tompkins, daughter of G. W. and Eliza Tompkins, of this county, and to this union two chil- dren were born, sons both, Harry Innis, now a resident of Indianap- olis, and Rex A. Innis, who married Mary Hammond and makes his home on a farm in Rushville township. Mrs. Flora Innis died on September 23, 1918. Mr. Innis is a member of the United Pres- byterian church at Milroy, in the general activities of which con- gregation he has for years taken an earnest interest and has long served the congregation as a member of the church session. Ile is a Republican and in his fraternal relations is a Mason.
LEWIS EDGAR HARCOURT, a member of the advisory board of Anderson township and a substantial retired farmer of that town- ship now living at Milroy, was born in Rush county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a farm in Orange township on October 16, 1862, son of James A. and Harriette (Kealer) Harcourt, who in their generation were among the best known and most influ- ential residents of that community, and whose last days were spent in this county. James A. Harcourt was born in Rush county of pioneer parents and grew to manhood on the old home farm in Orange township, in time becoming a farmer on his own account and as his affairs prospered became the owner of two farms, one of 120 acres, a part of the old home place, and another of 240 acres. He is well remembered hereabout as the patentee and manufacturer of the Harcourt Hoosier grain drill, a device which had a wide popu- larity throughout this region in the days before the one-way drill was introduced. For some time after patenting the Hoosier drill he manufactured the device on his farm, his little shop being operated
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HISTORY OF RUSH COUNTY
by horse power, and he would turn out ten or twelve machines a year simply for the use of the neighbors, but as the popularity of the drill extended and demands began to come in from other sections he bought the old Scull woolen mill on Big Flat Rock, two and a half miles north of Moscow, and equipped the plant for the manufacture of 1,000 or more of the drills a year. This manufacture he kept up until the improved drills entered the general market, when he abandoned the business and retired to his farm in Orange township and was there engaged in farming the rest of his life. James A. Harcourt and wife were the parents of nine children, five of whom are still living, those besides the subject of this sketch being Alonzo Harcourt, of Orange township; Melissa, wife of Jolin Hungerford, of that same township; Elmazie, wife of John IIardick, of Rushville, and Wilbur Harcourt, the well known blacksmith. Lewis E. Hareourt was reared on the home farm in Orange township, received his school- ing in the excellent schools of that neighborhood and until he was twenty-three years of age was engaged in work in his father's drill factory. He then rented his father's farm in Anderson township and thus occupied that place until after his father's death. In the distribution of the estate he received a tract of forty acres, to which by purchase he added an adjoining "forty." This place he presently sold and then bought the old Rickets farm of 117 acres, moved to the same and there made his home for fourteen years, at the end of which time he retired from the active labors of the farm and moved to Milroy, where he has a very pleasant home and where he and his family are quite comfortably situated. Mr. Harcourt is an ardent Republican, as was his father before him, and has ever given his earnest attention to local civic affairs, at present and for some time past serving the public as a member of the advisory board of Ander- son township. In 1886 Lewis E. Harcourt was united in marriage to Martha C. Hodges, who also was born in this county, daughter of Alfred Hodges, and to this union five children have been born, Faud, Ertel, Callie, Clifford and Jewel (deceased). Faud Harcourt mar- ried Nellie Whiteman, who died leaving one child, a little daughter, Lois. Ertel Harcourt married Grace Kiplinger and Clifford Har- court married Carrie Brown. Mr. and Mrs. Harcourt are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and have ever taken an interested and active part in church work, Mr. Harcourt now and for some time past serving as a member of the board of trustees of the church. ALBERT M. ROBINSON, plumber, an enterprising business man of Manilla, Ind., was born there January 1, 1868, a member of old Rush county families, both parents having been born and reared' in this part of Indiana. They were John T. and Martha U. (Titus) Robinson, and had two children, Albert M. being the only one now living. John T. Robinson was an engineer and also a carpenter and was well known at Manilla. Albert M. Robinson attended the God- dard and Homer schools in Walker township, until old enough to become self-supporting, when he began farm work and for five years was engaged as a farm hand. Following this he cut timber for W. E. Talbert, for about ten years and then went into the plumbing
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HISTORY OF RUSH COUNTY
business at Manilla, some nineteen years ago, in which business he has continued ever since. On October 24, 1892, Mr. Robinson married Catherine E. Hey, born in Shelby county, Indiana, daughter of Jacob and Amanda (Ross) Hey, and one of their two children. Mr. and Mrs. Robinson have had five children: William E., who is a farmer in Shelby county, married Lucy Kuhn; Evon E., who married C. P. Hale, freight agent for the Pennsylvania railroad at New Albany, Ind .; Flo and Loren, who reside at home, and Dorothy, who died at the age of seven years. Mr. Robinson and his family are members of the Christian church at Manilla. Although never very active in politics, Mr. Robinson has always been a sturdy Democrat and takes a good citizen's interest in public affairs. He is a member of the Masonic lodge at Manilla and belongs also to the Modern Woodmen.
JOHN D. FLEENER, who died at his home in Jackson township on April 3, 1917, and whose widow still lives there, having a pleasant home on rural mail route No. 8 out of Rushville, was born in that township on November 25, 1843. His parents were Drury and Sarah M. (Dill) Fleener, the former a native of North Carolina and the latter born and reared in Rush county. John D. Fleener received his educational training in the local public schools in Jackson township. After completing his studies he continued to live on the home place with his father, assisting him in the operation of the farm up to the time of his marriage. He then began farming on his own account on the place where his widow now lives, and which comprises eighty-five acres of land, a part of which land he inherited and a part of which he bought. He successfully carried on farming operations for many years and won a high reputation as a wide-awake, up-to-date and enterprising farmer. On April 6, 1865, Mr. Fleener was united in marriage to Sarah M. (Downey), who was born in Jackson township, and attended the Downey school, the same which her husband at- tended. She is the daughter of James and Rebecca ( Hinton) Downey, both of whom were natives of Kentucky. They came to Rush county soon after their marriage and entered the land where he spent the remainder of his days, the place comprising eighty acres. He and his wife were the parents of nine children, five of whom are living. namely : David E., Ezekiel, Martha, May and Sarah M. To Mr. and Mrs. Fleener was born one child, Nolen D., on March 21, 1888, but who died at the age of eleven years, seven months ond twenty-two days. Mr. Fleener was an earnest and consistent member of the Christian church, to which his widow now belongs. Politically, he was a life-long Democrat, though never an aspirant for public office. He was one of Jackson township's most substantial and highly esteemed citizens and the many beautiful tributes to his high stand- ing as a man and citizen attested to the abiding place he had in the hearts of his friends throughout this locality.
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