USA > Indiana > Rush County > Centennial history of Rush County, Indiana, Volume II > Part 44
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JOHN P. DOWNEY, one of the best known and most substan- tial farmers and stockmen of Rush county and the proprietor of a fine farm one mile north of Arlington, in Posey township, was born in that township, a member of one of the old families of Rush county, and has lived here all his life. IIe was born on December 9, 1861, son of James H. and Lucinda L. (Price) Downey, both of whom also were born in this county, members of pioneer families and further mention of whom is made elsewhere in this volume relating to the old families of the county, together with additional details regarding the Downey and Price families, the latter of whom came up here out of Kentucky. The Downeys also were Kentuckians, the first of the name to come to Rush county having been Jacob Downey, who entered a tract of land from the Government in what is now Jackson township, and there established his home, thus becoming one of the influential figures in the development of that now prosperous farming section. Jacob Downey and wife were the parents of seven children, William, James II., Sarah, Mary, Elizabeth, Deborah and Rebecca and the Downey connection of this line is thus a considerable one in the present generation. James H. Downey was reared in Jackson township and in the days of his young manhood was for some years engaged in teaching school, giving his attention to farming during the summers and after his marriage to Lucinda Price established his home on a farm in Posey township, where he became the owner of an excellent farm, and was long regarded as one of the leading citizens of that
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part of the county. He and his wife had two sons, the subject of this sketch having a brother, Jacob F. Downey, cashier of the Arlington Bank, of whom further mention is made elsewhere. John P. Downey was reared on the home farm in Posey township, receiv- ing his schooling in the local district school, the same being supple- mented by the further excellent instructions received from his schoolteacher father, and from the days of his boyhood has been a farmer. In 1888 he became the owner of a farm of 120 acres five miles northwest of Arlington, which he sold in 1901 and bought the place where he now lives, which contains eighty acres. When his mother died he inherited fifty acres of the 3. H. Downey homc- stead. His farm is improved in admirable fashion and in addition to his general farming he has long given considerable attention to the raising of live stock. On March 21, 1883, John P. Downey was united in marriage to Mary R. Stevens, who also was born in this county, daughter of Francis and Violet (Bitner) Stevens, of Rip- ley township, both of whom also were members of pioneer families in Rush county, and to this union two children have been born. Orwin F. and Maggie A. Orwin F. Downey, who is now engaged in the garage business at Arlington, married Anna Fancher, daugh- ter of Johnson and Hettie Fancher, of this county, and has four children, Frank F., Edith Joy, Janice Ruth and Edna Hope. Mag- gie A. Downey married Ollie N. Brown, a well known young farmer of Posey township, and has had three children, Wilson Eugene (de- ceased), Jean Esther and Fern Isabel. Mr. and Mrs. Downey are members of the Church of Christ at Little Blue River and Mr. Downey has served this historic old church as an elder for about twenty-five years. He is a Democrat and for some time served his community as a member of the township advisory board. He is a man of progressive methods and has done well his part in advanc- ing the common good in the community in which he has so long lived.
LEWIS J. NEWHOUSE, a well known farmer of Center town- ship, this county, is the scion of a family that has been prominent in the public affairs of this section of the state and he himself has taken a keen interest in everything pertaining to the upbuilding of the community along legitimate lines and the general advancement of the public welfare. Mr. Newhouse is a native son of the old Hoosier state, having been born in Fugit township, Decatur county, on July 15, 1886. He is the son of Marshall E. and Ella (Throp) Newhouse, the former a native of Rush county and the latter of Decatur county. Marshall E. Newhouse was a successful man in his business affairs, having made farming his principal vocation throughout life, owning 240 acres of land in Decatur county. A strong Republican in his political faith, he was active in public affairs and served several years in the state legislature, including two terms, 1893-95 as representative from Decatur county, and two 23
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terms, 1901-03, as joint senator from Decatur and Bartholomew counties. To him and his wife were born five children, of which number three are living, Winifred, Helen and Lewis J. Lewis J. Newhouse attended the common schools of his native township and completed his public school studies in the Clarksburg high school. He took a two-years preparatory course at Franklin Col- lege and then entered Purdue University, at Lafayette, Ind., where he took a mechanical engineering course. Mr. Newhouse then went to Texas and located on 320 acres of land belonging to his father, and on which he made a number of valuable improvements. Two years later he returned home and engaged in the operation of his father's farm for two years. During the following four years he engaged in valuation engineering in various parts of the country, but at the end of that period he again returned to the home farm, to which he devoted his efforts until 1919, when he moved to the place where he now lives, consisting of 185 acres of land in Center township, and known as the William F. Reeves farm. Here he car- ries on general farming and stock raising and has met with a sat- isfactory measure of success. On February 22, 1919, Mr. Newhouse was married to Ruby L. Emmert. To this union were born two sons, Philip, who died in infancy, and David Lewis, born on April 18, 1921. Mrs. Newhouse was born, reared and educated in Decatur county, completing her studies in the Clarksburg high school. She also attended the Ohio Conservatory of Music and is an accom- plished musician. She is the daughter of Jacob and Catherine (Hauk) Emmert, the former a native of Bavaria, Germany, and the latter of Hamilton county, Ohio. Mr. Emmert was engaged in the lumber and flouring business in Clarksburg and also owned a farm of 285 acres in Decatur county. To him and his wife were born six children, of whom five are living, those besides Mrs. Newhouse being Carrie, Clinton, Sylvia and John L. Politically, Mr. New- house gives his support to the Republican party, while fraternally, he is a member of Lodge No. 148, Knights of Pythias, at Greens- burg. Mr. Newhouse is an earnest member of the Methodist Epis- copal church, and Mrs. Newhouse of the Presbyterian church.
BENJAMIN L. OWEN, a well known and substantial farmer of Orange township, was born in that township, on the farm a part of which he now owns and occupies, and has lived there all his life. He was born on December 21, 1857, son of Joseph and Sarah (Farlow) Owen, both of whom also were born in that same town- ship, members of pioneer families there. Joseph Owen was a good farmer and was the owner of a farm of 665 acres in Orange town- ship, where he and his wife spent their last days. They were the parents of four children, three of whom are still living, the subject of this sketch having a brother, Elmer Owen, and a sister, Mary. Reared on the home farm in Orange township, Benjamin L. Owen received his schooling in the old schoolhouse of district No. 6, and
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from the days of his boyhood was well trained in the ways of the farm, a vocation he has followed ever since. He remained on the home farm until his marriage at the age of twenty-six, when he rented a portion of the home place and there established his home, developing an excellent farm, which he later inherited and on which he still lives. In addition to his general farming Mr. Owen raises about 100 head of hogs annually, and likewise gives proper atten- tion to his other live stock interests. In his political views Mr. Owen is a Republican and has given a good citizen's attention to local civic affairs, but has not been what may be called an "active" politician nor a seeker after office, being content to give his atten- tion to the duties daily at hand on the farm. It was on March 27, 1884, that Benjamin L. Owen was united in marriage to Sarah Marsh, a neighbor girl, who also was born in Orange township, and to this union five children have been born, Joseph, Nellie, Forest (deceased, March 20, 1895), Elmer and Fred. Nellie Owen mar- ried Harvey Fisher, a well known young farmer of Orange town- ship. The three other children are unmarried and still at home. Mrs. Owen also is a member of one of the old families of Rush county, her parents, William and Katherine (Folck) Marsh, hav- ing been substantial farmers of Orange township. William Marsh was the owner of about 300 acres of land and had a good farm. He and his wife were the parents of seven children, all of whom are living save Mary, who died on January 23, 1903, the others besides Mrs. Owen being Margaret, Maria, Ellen, Rilla and Flora.
GRANT MILLER, whose valuable farm of eighty acres in Rushville township is one of the best in his neighborhood, was born in Shelby county, Indiana, April 3, 1865, son of Harrison and Mary (Thomas) Miller, both of whom were born in Rush county, he in Rushville township and she in Anderson township. After their marriage they moved to Shelby county and there he alternated his farming with teaching school in the winter until his wife died in 1868. At that time he returned to Rush county and bought a farm of 160 acres to which he kept on adding until at one time he owned 400 acres in Rush county. Of his two children, Grant Mil- ler is the only survivor. He grew up in Shelby county and attended the Compromise school, and later became a student of the normal school at Danville, Ind. From boyhood he worked on the farm, and remained at home until his marriage, but after that rented a por- tion of the homestead from his father. Subsequently he moved to his present farm which he rented until his father's death, when he inherited the property. He has added to his holdings until he now owns 297 acres all of which is in Rush county. Ile carries on gen- eral farming and raises about 100 head of hogs annually. On March 14, 1889, Mr. Miller was married to Della E., daughter of Henry and Martha (Thompson) Hungerford. Mr. and Mrs. Miller became the parents of three children : Ariel W., who married Viv-
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ian Kemple, a farmer on her father's homestead; Florence, who married Arthur Weidner, a farmer on her father's homestead, and Lillie, who died at the age of two and one-half years. Mr. Miller is a Republican, and has been a director of the Compromise school district for about six years. The family belongs to Big Flat Rock Christian Church and is active in its good work.
DAVID S. STEWART, an honored veteran of the Civil war and substantial landowner of Richland township, who died at his home in Milroy in the spring of 1917, and whose widow is still living there, was born on the farm of which he died possessed and had lived there nearly all his life, or until his retirement from the farm and removal to Milroy in 1906. He was born on July 7, 1837, son of David B. and Margaret (Wilson) Stewart, natives of Ken- tucky, who had come up into Indiana after their marriage and had entered a tract of land in Richland township, this county, which they developed into an excellent farm and on which they spent the remainder of their lives, useful and influential pioneers of that community. Reared on that pioneer farm, David S. Stewart com- pleted his schooling in the old Richland Academy and was living at home, a valued assistant in the labors of the farm, when the Civil war broke out. He enlisted his services in behalf of the Union and went to the front as a member of K Company, Thirty-second regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, with which gallant com- mand he served for more than three years, and with which he took part in the historic battles of Lookout Mountain, Stone's River, Missionary Ridge and Gettysburg. Upon the completion of his military service Mr. Stewart returned home and resumed his place on the farm. After his marriage in 1869 he continued to make his home there, in active management of the farm, eventually coming into possession of the same, a well improved place of 200 acres, and there resided until his retirement from the farm in 1906 and re- moval to Milroy, where he died on April 23, 1917, and where his widow is still living. Mr. Stewart was a member of the United Presbyterian church, and had ever taken an interested and active part in church work. He was an active member of the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic and in the affairs of that patri- otic organization took a warm interest, his surviving comrades of the post having a most excellent memory of him. In his political affiliation Mr. Stewart was a Democrat but had never taken a particularly active part in politics, although ever interested in movements looking to better government in local affairs. In the year 1869, David S. Stewart was united in marriage to Missouri Richey, who also was born in this county, in Anderson township, daughter of William and Cynthia (Henderson) Richey, and to this union one child was born, a daughter, Anna. Mrs. Stewart's father, William Richey, was for years one of the substantial and influential residents of Anderson township, where most of his life
DAVID S. STEWART
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was spent. He was but a lad when he came to Indiana with his parents in pioneer days from Kentucky, the family coming to Rush county and settling in Anderson township, where he grew to man- hood and where he married Cynthia Henderson, who was born in Ohio and who had come here with her parents in the days of her girlhood. After his marriage William Richey continued to follow farming and developed an excellent farm. He and his wife were the parents of eleven children, seven of whom are still living, those besides Mrs. Stewart being Mrs. Jerusha Nadal, Mrs. Arkan- sas Tompkins, Mrs. Catherine Smith, Mrs. Martha Maxey, Weston C. Richey and Morton Richey. Mrs. Stewart and her daughter have a pleasant home at Milroy and have ever given their interested and helpful attention to the work of their church, the Methodist Episcopal church at Milroy, and to the general helpful social ac- tivities of their home community.
HERBERT M. DEARINGER, a well-known general farmer residing in Rush county, was born in Washington township, this county, November 21, 1883, a son of George H. and Ellen (Dearinger) Dearinger, also natives of Rush county. Of their family of twelve children the following are living : Russell, of Rushville, Ind .; Wilbur, of Blue Ridge, Ind .; Loren, of Homer, Ind .; Mrs. Edna Dilenger, of Walker township, Rush county; and Herbert M. The father engaged in farming all through his active life, mainly in Walker township, this county. Herbert M. Dearinger obtained his schooling in Walker township, where he attended the Goddard school until fifteen years old, after which he worked as a farm hand in the neighborhood until twenty-three years of age, at which time he married. For some years after this he rented land in Shelby county, Indiana, and then came to his present place in Walker township, where he is successfully oper- ating a farm of eighty acres that is owned by his father. On Novem- ber 18, 1906, Mr. Dearinger married Fern Steele, born in Shelby county, Indiana, daughter of John and Alice (Hiner) Steele, farm- ing people there. Mrs. Dearinger has one brother, Harry Steele, and one sister, Mrs. Jessie Alexander. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Dearinger: Estel, Mabel, Denzel, Malcolm, Mary Alice, Lowell and Hugh. The family belongs to the Christian church at Homer. In politics Mr. Dearinger has always believed in and supported the doctrines of the Democratic party. He belongs to lodge No. 157, Knights of Pythias, at Morristown.
CLARENCE L. TEVIS, a well known and substantial farmer and stockman of Orange township and formerly and for some years a teacher in the schools of that township, has the distinction of owning the site of the first village planned in Rush county, on the farm which he owns, having been laid out the historie but long vanished town of Ashland, the first hamlet to spring up in what one hundred years ago became the confines of Rush county. Ash- land, however, has long been but an indistinct memory of pioneer
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days, but the land on which it was planned a fair city some day should arise is just as fertile as in those days of its pristine excel- lence and Mr. Tevis has made of it a valuable farm. Ilis father formerly owned the place and there are many recollections of boy- hood days inseparably connected with it that give it to him a double value, even more than its undoubted intrinsic worth. Mr. Tevis was born in Orange township and has lived there all his life. He was born on December 1, 1875, son of Augustino D. and Mary E. (Carr) Tevis, the latter of whom was born in the neighboring county of Decatur, a member of one of the old families down there. Augustino D. Tevis was born in Rush county, a member of one of the pioneer families of Rushville township, and all his life was spent here. For about twenty-five years from the days of his young manhood he was engaged as a teacher in the schools of Rush county, teaching during the winters and farming during the sum- mers, and thus came to have a wide acquaintance throughout the county. He also took an active part in local political affairs and for four years served as trustee of Orange township. His farming prospered and he became the owner of an excellent farm of 195 acres, the site above referred to as having been platted for the am- bitious but ineffectual village of Ashland back in the days more than a century ago, before Rush county had been created a sep- arate civic unit in the then growing group of Indiana counties. On that place Augustino D. Tevis and his wife spent their last days, honored and influential residents of the community. They were the parents of four children, two of whom are living, the subject of this sketch having a sister, Effie, now living at Indianapolis, wife of William Buxton, city salesman for the Standard Metal Company of Indianapolis. Reared on the home farm, Clarence L. Tevis received his early schooling in the excellent school at Mos- cow and at seventeen years of age was licensed to teach, his first school being that at Gowdy, and for eight years thereafter he con- tinued to teach in the schools of his home township. While thus engaged Mr. Tevis continued his studies, attending in succession the. normal school at Danville, Ind .; the Indiana State Normal School at Terre Haute, and the university at Valparaiso, from which latter institution he was graduated, receiving his bachelor degree. When he left the school room Mr. Tevis became engaged in farm- ing on his own account, renting a half of the farm on which he is now living, and after his marriage established his home there and has since made that his residence. Upon the distribution of his father's estate he purchased from his sister the other half of the old home farm, and is now the owner of a well kept place of 112 acres, on which besides the general farming he carries on he gives considerable attention to the raising of live stock, with particular attention to the breeding of spotted Poland China hogs, and is do- ing well in his operations. It was on February 29, 1908, that
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Clarence L. Tevis was united in marriage to Daisy E. Stotsenburg, who was born in the neighboring county of Decatur, and to this union three children have been born, George A., Mary E. and Carol L., the first two of whom are now (1921) attending school at Moscow. Mr. and Mrs. Tevis are members of the Christian church at Moscow and take a proper part in the work of the church and in the general good works of the neighborhood. They have a pleasant home on rural mail route No. 2 out of Milroy, and have ever taken an interested part in the community's general social activities. In his political views Mr. Tevis is a Democrat and has ever taken an earnest interest in local civic affairs. He is a mem- ber of the Masonic lodge (No. 217) at Waldron and has long given his interested attention to Masonic affairs. Mrs. Tevis was, as noted above, born in Decatur county. She was graduated from the St. Paul (Indiana) high school and then took a course in the nor- mal school at Marion, and she and her husband have ever main- tained their warm interest in the promotion of the cause of better schools. Mrs. Tevis's parents, George and Elizabeth (Sanford) Stotsenburg, the latter also born in Decatur county, a member of one of the old families there, and the former an Ohioan by birth, were the parents of six children, of whom four are still living, Mrs. Tevis having a brother, Joseph Stotsenburg, and two sisters, Pearl and Grace.
GEORGE RIDER, a well-known general farmer and stockraiser in Washington township, this county, has spent the greater part of his life in this state and has always been engaged in agricultural pursuits. Mr. Rider was born in Ross county, Ohio, June 2, 1853, a son of Thomas and Sarah (Gotchall) Rider. Thomas Rider was born and grew to manhood in Ohio. When he first came to Indiana he located in Henry county, where he rented and operated eighty acres of land for two years and then moved to Rush county and settled on a farm of 300 acres, on which he died four years later. George Rider attended school in Ohio and in Henry county, Indiana, giving his father assistance from the time he was old enough until his father died, after which he managed the farm for one year. He then moved to Raleigh and for the next ten years hired out to farmers, at the end of that time renting a tract of twenty-five acres, which he con- ducted until his marriage, when he moved to his present farm in Washington township. Mr. Rider has a fine property here, compris- ing fifty-three acres of well developed land. He married Sarah C. Scott, and they have seven children: Earl, Hazel, Mary, Harold, Elmer, Marion and Charles, all residing in Rush county except Mary, who is the wife of Alonzo Ayers, a farmer in Jackson county, Indiana. Mrs. Rider was born in Washington township, Rush county, a daugh- ter of James and Mary (Finney) Scott. Her grandfather, Jesse Scott, was the first of the family to come to Rush county and he entered eighty acres of Government land in Washington township.
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The parents of Mrs. Rider died in Washington township, her father at the time of his death owning 208 acres in this township, where he had been a successful farmer and stockraiser. There were eight children in the Scott family, the survivors being Sarah, Mrs. Rider, Parks and Joseph. In politics Mr. Rider is a Democrat.
ALBERT G. SIIAUCK, M. D., of Arlington, in whom the med- ical profession in Rush county has an able exponent, has firmly established himself in his vocation here and won the confidence and esteem of the people and his professional brethren. Doctor Shauck was born in Union township, this county, on March 9, 1878, and is the son of John L. and Josephine (McMillin) Shauck, the latter also a native of Union township, daughter of John T. and Nancy (Pentecost) McMillin. John L. Shauck was born in Mor- row county, Ohio, where he was reared and educated, coming to Rush county in early manhood. and has here ever since been act- ively engaged in school work, formerly county superintendent of schools and for many years one of the most influential figures in the educational life of the community. John L. Shauck is a son of William H. and Mary A. Shauck, the former a native of York county, Pennsylvania, and the latter of Maryland. William H. Shauck was a son of John and Rebecca (Lemmon) Shauck, both natives of Maryland and the former of whom served as a major in the colonial forces during the Revolutionary war. Albert G. Shauck attended the common schools of his native community, and then went to the high school at Milroy, where he was graduated. He then attended Otterbein University at Westerville, Ohio, where he spent two years, and on the completion of his academic studies he matriculated in the Indiana Medical College, at Indianapolis, where he spent four years, being graduated in 1905 with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Immediately thereafter, Doctor Shauck located in Arlington, where he has remained continuously since. He has met with success and is numbered among the leading physi- cians of Rush county. He is a constant student and a reader of the best professional literature and keeps constantly in touch with the latest advances in the healing art. On September 22, 1920, Doctor Shauck was married to Rita E. Gilson, who also was born in Rush county, daughter of Herbert T. and Katherine (Krammes) Gilson, both members of old families in this county. When Mrs. Shauck was four years of age her parents moved from this county to Spo- kane, Wash., where she was reared and educated. She specialized in oil painting and is a licensed instructor in that branch of art. She has two brothers, Francis K. and Robert C. Gilson, and a sis- ter, Flora Belle. Politically, Doctor Shauck has been a lifelong supporter of the Republican party and served two terms as coroner of Rush county, 1912 to 1916. Fraternally, he is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, in which he is affiliated with the blue lodge at Milroy, and the chapter and council at Rushville; the Be-
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