USA > Indiana > Rush County > Centennial history of Rush County, Indiana, Volume II > Part 47
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PHILIP S. RYMAN, who has followed farming as a business since reaching mature years, is now very comfortably settled in Washington township, this county. He was born in Franklin county, Indiana, September 14, 1873, a son of Alanson R. and Jane (Craw- ford) Ryman, the latter of whom also was born in Franklin county, and the former in Pennsylvania. Alanson R. Ryman came to Brook- ville, Ind., with his parents, Joseph and Mary (Warden) Ryman, the latter of whom was a descendant of General Warden of Revolu-
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tionary fame. Alanson R. Ryman was a veteran officer of the Civil war. He enlisted early in the Union army and proved a brave soldier. He was wounded at the battle of Chickamauga and after that was made aid-de-camp on the staff of General Thomas. After the war he returned to agricultural pursuits and engaged in farming for a number of years in Franklin county. Just before entering the army he married Jane Crawford and they had six children : John C., George, Mrs. Carrie W. Stant, Wilbur, Philip S. and Charles A. Philip S. Ryman obtained his education in the public schools of Franklin county and afterward assisted his father and then he and his brother, C. A. Ryman, bought 165 acres of land in Fayette county, which they operated for four years. In the meanwhile on August 25, 1909, Philip S. Ryman married Louise Shockley, who was born in Ohio, a daughter of Rev. H. M. and Nannie (May) Shockley. He then sold his interest in the Fayette county farm to his brother and moved to Washington township, Rush county, where he pur- chased 120 acres of land and engaged in farming there for some years. The present home farm in Washington township contains 160 acres and is owned by Mrs. Ryman. It is fertile land well adapted to grain and hay, and under Mr. Ryman's careful management is profitably productive. Mr. and Mrs. Ryman have two children, Richard and Lorena, both of whom are attending school. The family belongs to the Presbyterian church. As a good citizen, Mr. Ryman is interested in all that concerns his country afar as well as in his home neighborhood and in politics is a Republican. Mrs. Ryman is a granddaughter of Jeremiah May, a pioneer of Washington town- ship. Her father, the Rev. H. M. Shockley, was a native of Delaware.
ELBERT C. DAVISON, one of the agriculturists of Rushville township who is specializing on hog raising and is succeeding in mak- ing his work yield him a fair profit, was born in Noble township, this county, October 25, 1874, son of John and Isabelle M. (Guffin) Davison, both natives of Noble township, where they were reared, educated and married. John Davison spent his life in farming, became the owner of 218 acres of land in Noble township, and was one of the well known men of his day and locality. He and his wife had four children, three of whom survive: John A., Harry and Elbert C. Elbert C. Davison attended the Frog Pond school in Noble township and remained with his father until his marriage. He then began farming for himself on a farm of 126 acres in Anderson township, on which he spent five and one-half years, and then moved to his present farm of 2571/2 acres known as the Moore farm, and in conjunction with this property Mr. Davison also operates the 115- acre farm which he rents from his father-in-law. He is a general farmer and stockraiser and produces from 250 to 300 head of hogs annually, preferring the Duroc-Jersey strain. On August 21, 1895, Mr. Davison was married to Elsie, daughter of Albert and Mary E. (Moore) Winship, formerly farming people of Rushville township. Mrs. Davison was born in Rushville township and was educated in
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the public schools of Rushville. Mr. and Mrs. Davison have two children : Paul, who married Ruby Gwinnip, a farmer of Rushville township and has one child, Paul, Jr., and Laurence, who is attending the Webb school. Mr. Davison belongs to the Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks and the Knights of Pythias lodges of Rushville. He is an active member of Little Flat Rock Christian Church and his wife of the Methodist Episcopal church. The Republican party has always had Mr. Davison's support, but he has never cared to participate actively in politics.
GEORGE NEEB, a well-known farmer of Orange township, this county, was born on a farm in Union township, in the neighboring county of Shelby, December 2, 1886, son of Henry and Josephine (Friday) Neeb, both of whom were born in that same county. Henry Neeb followed farming all his life and was the owner of a farm of seventy acres. He and his wife were the parents of ten children, all of whom are still living, those besides the subject of this sketch being John, Jacob, William, Peter, Margaret, May, Lucy, Elizabeth and Barbara. Reared on the home farm in Shelby county, George Neeb received his schooling in the schools of that neighborhood and at seven- teen years of age began working at the carpenter trade, a vocation he followed for three years, at the end of which time he returned to the home farm and was there engaged for two years in operating the place. He then continued farm work elsewhere until his marriage in 1910 when he rented a farm in Shelby county and began farming on his own account. Some years later he came over into Rush county and has since resided here, now and for some time past occupant and renter of the Bellman place in Orange township, a farm of 103 acres, on which he is doing well, carrying on his farming operations in up-to- date fashion, and in addition to his general farming giving consider- able attention to the raising of live stock. It was on February 22, 1910, that George Neeb was united in marriage to Leona Jackson, who also was born and reared in Shelby county, daughter of Andrew and Catherine (Main) Jackson, and to this union one child has been born, a daughter, Ethel M. Mrs. Neeb's parents had three children, Mrs. Neeb having a sister, Ethel, and a brother, Amos Jackson, Mr. and Mrs. Neeb are members of the Methodist church and take a proper interest in church work as well as in the general good works of their home neighborhood. Mr. Neeb is a Democrat. In his fraternal relations he is affiliated with Blue Ridge lodge, No. 554, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in the affairs of which he has for years taken an active interest, and is past noble grand of the lodge.
THOMAS H. ERTEL, who is a representative of one of the old pioneer families of Rush county, has successfully followed farming and stockraising ever since he reached manhood. He was born in Washington township, this county, April 20, 1874, a son of Philip and Mary (Burnau) Ertel. Philip Ertel was born in the city of Philadel- phia and in boyhood came to Indiana with his parents, Philip and Mary (Ludy) Ertel, the family settling in Rush county. Philip Ertel,
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Sr., was born in Germany and was a young man when he came to the United States. He was married in Philadelphia and some years later came with his family to Indiana and entered eighty acres of land in Washington township, Rush county. Here he followed farming and stock raising and also, for a time, operated a cordage mill in Union township. He and his wife had four children, Philip, George, Eliza- beth and Charles. Philip Ertel, the second, attended school in Wash- ington township and early showed business capacity that led to his being engaged as a commercial traveler by a Philadelphia firm. After he returned to Washington township he acquired land and sold lumber for the next ten years, then settled down to farming and stock rais- ing on the farm that is now owned by Mrs. G. Abernathy. He mar- ried Mary Burnau, of New Paris, O., and they had five children : Thomas H., Mary, Charles, all living, and George and Ida, deceased. The family has always been held in high regard in Washington town- ship. Thomas H. Ertel was educated at Newcastle, Ind. From his father's estate he inherited 193 2-3 acres of land in Washington town- ship, the same farm on which he lives, to which he has added until he now owns 260 acres of exceedingly valuable land. He grows grain and produce and gives considerable attention to stock. On May 31, 1900, he married Eva Hinchman, who was born in Rush count, and they have had two children, William H., who is a student in the high school at Raleigh; and Wayne W., who is deceased. Mr. Ertel and family are members of the Plum Creek Christian Church. For many years he has been identified with the Masonic fraternity, is a Knight Templar, has attained the thirty-second degree in Masonry, and also is a noble of the Mystic Shrine. Politically he is a Republican.
FRED B. BELL, one of Union township's progressive and enterprising farmers and substantial landowners and president of the Rush County Farmers' Federation since its organization, is a member of one of the real pioneer families of Rush county, the Bells having been represented here for the past hundred years. The first of the family to settle here were John and Margaret Bell, who came up here from Cynthiana, Ky., in pioneer days and en- tered a tract of land in Center township, a place still known as the old Bell homestead. They established their home there and became early recognized as among the most useful and influential pioneers of that section. John Bell was a good judge of land values, and as his affairs here prospered added to his holdings until he became the owner of about 1,000 acres of land in Rush county, and left a fine estate to be divided among his children. He and his wife were the parents of eleven children, only one of whom is now living, Joseph Bell. The others were Hugh, John M., W. C., Samuel J., Jane, Charity, Nancy, Mary and two who died in infancy. Of the children of this pioncer pair here enumerated, W. C. Bell, father of Fred Bell, was born on that pioneer farm in Center township on
FRED BELL
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December 12, 1833, and there grew to manhood. He received his early schooling in the neighborhood school and supplemented this by attendance at Fairview Academy and in the normal school at Danville, Ind. For several years he was engaged during the win- ters in teaching in the schools of his home neighborhood, teaching at the Hinchman and Scott schoolhouses, and after his marriage at the age of twenty-six, became engaged in the lumber business in Union township. This business grew to such an extent that he found it necessary to arrange a more central headquarters and he moved to Rushville, which city thereafter was the base of his ex- tensive lumber activities, his interests expanding to cover a wide territory, particularly in the South, with offices at Indianapolis, St. Louis and Memphis. Upon his retirement from actual business he returned to Rushville, where he spent his last days, his death occurring there in 1910. W. C. Bell was twice married. In 1858 he was united in marriage to Nancy Smelser, who also was born in this county, a member of one of the pioneer families, and to that union one child was born, a son, O. P. Bell, now deceased. Mrs. Nancy Bell died and in 1875 Mr. Bell married Sarah Barnes, who also was born in Rush county, a member of one of the old families of Noble township, and to this union were born two children, both still living, Mrs. Edith R. Pratt and Fred Bell. Fred Bell was born on January 7, 1879, at Indianapolis, during the time of his father's temporary residence in the state capital while looking after the extension of his growing lumber interests. The family later lived at St. Louis and at Memphis, W. C. Bell's lumber interests in the South for some years requiring his residence there, and it was in the latter city that Fred Bell received his early schooling, going on through the high school. This he supplemented by a course at Graham Academy, Rushville, and then became engaged with his father in the lumber business, continuing thus engaged until after his marriage in the spring of 1900. In 1904 he established his home on a eighty-acre farm in Union township, this county, the place on which he is still living and where he and his family are very comfortably situated. Since taking possession of that small farm Mr. Bell has gradually extended his land holdings until now he is the owner of a fine farm of 350 acres, which he has improved in excellent shape, having one of the best farm plants in that part of the county. Mr. Bell is an extensive hog feeder, feeding off from 1,000 to 1,500 head a year. He was the first man in Rush county to ship a train load of hogs in one shipment, taking a special train on the L. E. & W. railroad. That was in 1912, and his hogs brought almost the record price for that year. When the Rush County Farmers' Federation was organized Mr. Bell was elected first pres- ident of the same, and has since continued to act in that capacity, doing much for the cause. It was on May 15, 1900, that Fred Bell was united in marriage to Nancy Sharp, who was born in Scott
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county, Kentucky, daughter of Alfred C. and Mary (Whitton) Sharp, both of whom were born in Kentucky, and further mention of whom is made elsewhere in this volume, and to this union two children have been born, Russell W. and Margaret Ann, both of whom are at home with their parents. The Bells have a very pleasant home on rural mail route No. 7 out of Rushville, and have long taken an interested and hospitable part in the general social activities of their home neighborhood. Mr. Bell is a York Rite Mason, and is also a noble of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, affiliated with Murat Temple at Indianapolis. He also is a member of the Rushville Rotary Club and of the local lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and in the affairs of all of these organizations takes an active interest. In his political views he is a Republican and has ever taken a good cit- izen's interest in local civic affairs.
JAMES T. THRALL, a well-known farmer and live stock breeder of Orange township, for many years gave particular atten- tion to the breeding of horses and in that line became widely known among the farmers and horsemen hereabout, and was also well known among the exhibitors at the horse shows at the state and county fairs. Of late years he has given more particular attention to the breeding of big type Poland China hogs and in that line has done much to raise the standard of this valuable type of swine throughout this region. Mr. Thrall was born over in the neighboring county of Shelby, but had the good judgment to marry a Rush county girl and take up his residence in this county and thus has for many years counted himself as of Rush county, doing well his part in the general development of that section of the county in which he has long resided. He was born on a farm in Liberty township, Shelby county, July 5, 1858, son of Richard and Verlinda C. (Worland) Thrall, both of whom also were born in that county, members of pioneer families there and who were the parents of three children, of whom Mr. Thrall alone now survives, he having had a brother, William M. Thrall, and a sister, Catherine. James T. Thrall was reared in Shelby county and there received his schooling. As a lad he made his home with his uncle, Celestian Worland, working for the latter until he reached his majority. When twenty-three years of age he married and estab- lished his home on a farm of about forty acres belonging to his father- in-law, William A. Wagoner, in Orange township, this county, and has since been a resident of this county. For twenty years or more after beginning operations on his own behalf Mr. Thrall was extensively engaged in the breeding of horses on his farm and during that time did much to raise the standard of farm horses hereabout. He was the first man in this section to import a stallion of the heavy "coach" type, an animal that attracted much attention in its day here, and was widely exhibited. Mr. Thrall for years kept up exhibits of his horses at county fairs in this section and at the state fair and became
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widely known among horsemen throughout the state. Of late years, as noted above, he has been giving his attention to the breeding of Poland China hogs of the big type and is also doing well in that line, his breeding pens attracting much attention. From 1912 to 1917 Mr. Thrall conducted annual hog sales which were largely attended. He is now living on a well kept farm of 100 acres which was inherited by his wife and is continuing to supervise the operations of the same. He has an admirably equipped farm plant and he and his family are very comfortably situated. In his political views Mr. Thrall is a Democrat. Mrs. Thrall is a member of the Methodist church. It was on November 8, 1881, that James T. Thrall was united in mar- riage to Mary E. Wagoner, who was born in Orange township, this county, daughter of William A. and Sally (Jones) Wagoner, the latter of whom also was born in Rush county, a member of one of the pioneer families here. William A. Wagoner was born in Kentucky and was but a lad when he came up into Indiana with his parents, the family settling in Rush county, where William A. Wagoner grew to manhood and was married. He became the owner of an excellent farm in Orange township and was for years regarded as among the useful and influential citizens of that part of the county. He and his wife had four children, Mrs. Thrall having three brothers, Hayden and Bracken and Franklin P. Wagoner. To James T. and Mary E. (Wagoner) Thrall four children have been born, namely : Mabel, who married Bert Alter, a farmer of Orange township, and has three children, Acil, Agatha and Marcella; Curtis, who is farming in Walker township and who married Oma Land and has had six children, Kyle, William, Maurice and Marjorie, and two that died in infancy; Vasco, now living at Beach Grove, near Indianapolis, where he is employe in the Big Four railroad shops, and who married Sarah Meal and has two children, Lois E. and Merle J., and Leila, who married .
Samuel Heiner, a farmer of Anderson township, and has two children, Richard and Helen C.
PETER NICKEL, a substantial farmer of Walker township, this county, was born on April 22, 1864, in Ripley township, Ripley county, Indiana. He is a son of Peter and Catherine (Graf) Nickel, both of whom were born in Germany but were married in the United States. The father followed farming first in Franklin county, Indiana, but after marriage he and wife removed to Ripley county and there they spent the rest of their lives as farming people. Of their family of seven children the following are living: Philip, Lewis, Susie, Mary, Louise and Peter. Peter Nickel, Jr., attended school in his native county and later came to Rush county. Here he began to work on farms by the month and so continued until his marriage, following which he rented land for eleven years before buying his valuable farm of eighty acres in Walker township. Mr. Nickel has a fine place here, with his own water plant, a modern utility in line with his progressive ideas. His surroundings show thrift and comfort, Mr. Nickel having erected a commodious dwelling with modern
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improvements, and rebuilt and remodeled the barn in a substantial manner. In addition to doing general farming he ships 100 head of hogs yearly. On July 30, 1892, Mr. Nickel married Pearl Shinkle, who was born in Madison county, Indiana, daughter and only child of Andrew and Mary A. Shinkle, both of that county. To Mr. and Mrs. Nickel six children have been born, five of whom are living: Donald C., a farmer in Walker township, who married Esther Rainey and has three children, Mary E., Ella M. and Evelyn; Frank L., a machinist living at Manilla, where he is engaged in the garage business, who married Hattie Taylor ; May B., who married Clarence C. Craven, a farmer in Ripley county, and Clyde C. and Carl L., both of whom are at home. Their first born, Ralph, died in infancy. Mr. Nickel and his family are members of the Christian church at Homer. A strong advocate of national temperance, Mr. Nickel has voted with the Prohibition party for many years.
ALFRED C. SHARP, a well known and substantial farmer and landowner of Union township, is a native of the old Blue Grass state, but has been a resident of Rush county since the days of his young manhood and has thus for many years regarded himself as wholly belonging here. He was born on a farm in Scott county, Kentucky, December 20, 1856, son of Leonard and Mary Sharp, both of whom were born in that same county, members of pioneer families there, and who were the parents of nine children, those besides the subject of this sketch being Adeline, Perlina, John, James, James Garrett, William, Melvina and Sallie. Reared on the home farm in Kentucky, Alfred C. Sharp received his schooling in the schools of his home neighborhood and was early trained in the ways of farming. Ile married at the age of twenty-four, and then began farming on his own account, remaining in Kentucky thus engaged for two years, at the end of which time he came up into Indiana with his family and located in Rush county, working as a farm hand in Rushville township for three years while he was "getting the lay of the land." He then rented an eighty-acre farm in Rushville township, but in the following year moved to Noble township, where he rented a farm of 160 acres in the Orange neigh- borhood, and on this latter place made his home for seven years, at the end of which time he moved to the Sexton neighborhood in Center township, where he rented a farm of 320 acres. Two years later he seenred the rental of a farm of 455 acres east of Rushville and moved to that place, remaining there for nine years, during which time he purchased a farm of 120 acres in Union township as an investment, renting the same. A little more than twelve years ago Mr. Sharp moved onto this latter place, his own farm, and has since resided there. During this time he has made numerous sub- stantial improvements on the place, erecting a new house and sev- eral other buildings, including an additional dwelling house, and has the place in strictly ship-shape form, improved in up-to-date
Four Generations of Sharp Family: Left to right-Mrs. Nannie (Sharp) Bell, Russell Bell, Mrs. Mary (Butler) Sharp, Alfred C. Sharp
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fashion, and his farm plant is one of the best in the neighborhood. In addition to his general farming Mr. Sharp has long given con- siderable attention to the raising of live stock and feeds about 150 hog's a year, doing quite well in his operations. Alfred C. Sharp has been twice married. At the age of twenty-four, as noted above, he married, in Kentucky, Mary Whitton, who was born in Scott county, that state, a daughter of R. K. and Nancy J. Whitton, and to that union seven children were born, Nancy, James, Robert, Walter and Alfred, who are living, and Mary and Verne, deceased. The mother of these children died in 1899, and in 1900 Mr. Sharp married Josephine Whitton, his deceased wife's sister. Of the sur- viving children of Alfred C. and Mary (Whitton) Sharp all are married save Walter, who is now residing in Canada. Nancy Sharp married Fred Bell, of Union township, this county, and has two children, Russell and Margaret. James Sharp married Anna Youngston, and is now living in South Dakota. Robert Sharp married Luella Bittner and has six children, Harold, Jeanette, Frances, Helen, Alfred and Robert. Alfred Sharp married Bessie Rogers and is running his father's farm. Mr. and Mrs. Sharp have a pleasant home on rural mail route No. 7 out of Rushville, and have ever taken an interested and hospitable part in the general so- cial activities of their neighborhood, helpful in advancing and pro- moting the community interest.
J. B. ERTEL, a representative citizen and enterprising farmer of Washington township, this county, was born in that township, Decem- ber 4, 1882, a son of Charles and Rowena (Houston) Ertel, and a grandson of Philip and Mary (Ludy) Ertel, natives of Germany. When they came to the United States they settled in the city of Philadelphia and there the grandfather engaged in the milling busi- ness, later coming to Rush county. They had four children : Charles, Philip, Elizabeth and George. Charles Ertel was born in Philadelphia and was an infant when his parents brought him to Rush county. He was reared and attended school in Union township, and assisted his father until twenty-three years old, at which time he married and began farming for himself. He bought eighty acres of land to which his father added eighty acres, and for many years this farm of 160 acres engaged his main attention. He was an honorable, upright man and industrious and practical farmer. To his first marriage to Priscilla David, three children were born, Silas Marion, Mrs. Harvina Cockran and Lewis, who died aged two years. His second marriage was to Rowena Houston, who was born at Lancaster, O., and they had nine children, four sons and five daughters: Leota, John P., Nettie, Charles D., Ida M., George F., Lucy M., Pinnah E. and Joseph Benjamin. Leota married S. L. Newhouse of Rush county; Nettie married Albert McMillan, of Madison county ; Ida M. married Curtha Wagner of Rush county; Lucy M. married Walter G. Carson of Rush county; and Pinnah Elizabeth married William M. Sprong of
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