USA > Indiana > Rush County > Centennial history of Rush County, Indiana, Volume II > Part 52
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HISTORY OF RUSH COUNTY
marriage he assisted his father in the operation of the home farm. After his marriage he worked for about two years at the trade of a carpenter with his brother-in-law, but he then began farming on his own account, first as a renter for about nine years. He was indus- trious and a careful manager, so that he was enabled to purchase a farm of eighty acres, which he owned for about a year. Selling that, he then bought eighty acres of land in Center township, which he sold six months later and bought the place where he now lives in Posey township. The farm comprises 130 acres, well adapted to general farming operations, and he keeps the place well improved and in the best of condition. In addition to the cultivation of the soil, Mr. Ward also raises and markets about two carloads of hogs each year. Mr. Ward was married on October 13, 1907, to Bertha Ken- nedy, a native of Posey township and the daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Tribby) Kennedy, former a native of Rush county and the latter born in Kentucky. Mr. Kennedy was a farmer by vocation. He and his wife were the parents of nine children, of which number eight are living, namely : Elva, Ethel, Charles, Orva, Byrl, Samuel, Earl and Orville. To Mr. and Mrs. Ward have come a son, Lowell R., born on December 23, 1915. They are members of the Christian church and in politics Mr. Ward has been a firm supporter of the Democratic party. In all the relations of life he has proved true to every trust, being known as a careful and able business man and one whose integrity of purpose has never been questioned. Because of these characteristics he has won the respect and confidence of everyone.
FRANK WHITINGER, a well-known farmer and landowner of Orange township, this county, living on rural mail route No. 3 out of Rushville, was born on the farm on which he is now living and has lived there all his life. He was born on October 25, 1849, son of James and Rhoda (Hungerford) Whitinger, Ohioans, whose last days were spent on the farm here referred to and who in their days were among the best known residents of that community. James Whitinger and wife both were born in Hamilton county, Ohio, but not long after their marriage came over into Indiana and located in Orange township, this county, where they spent the remainder of their lives. James Whitinger was a good farmer and became the owner of a well kept place of 160 acres which he farmed until his death. He and his wife were the parents of four children, of whom three are still living, the subject of this sketch having two brothers, Richard and James Whitinger. Reared on the farm on which he was born in Orange township, Frank Whitinger received his schooling in the old Dodson, Hungerford and King school houses in that district and from his boyhood devoted himself to a farm career. He remained at home, a valued assistant in the labors of developing the home place, until his marriage when about twenty-two years of age and then he rented a portion of his father's farm and started out "on his own. hook," continuing to remain there thus engaged until in the distribu-
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tion of the estate nearly twenty years later he bought that portion of the place on which he is now living, a tract of seventy-five and one-half acres including the old home, and has continued to reside there, though of late years renting the fields and living practically retired from the active labors of the farm. Since coming into ownership of the place Mr. Whitinger has made numerous improvements on the farm and has an excellent place, well improved and well kept. The Whitingers are members of the Big Flat Rock Christian Church and have long given their interested attention to church work and general neighbor- hood good works. Mr. Whitinger is a Democrat but has never taken particularly active part in political affairs. On September 28, 1871, Frank Whitinger was united in marriage to Mary Elder, who was born in Rush county, daughter of Joseph and Matilda (Callahan) Elder and the only present survivor of the three children born of that par- entage, and to this union four children have been born, namely : Rena, who married Jack Dwiggins, a farmer of Jennings county, this state, and has three children, Lawrence, Albert and Mary; Florence, who married Clyde Wagoner, a farmer of Orange township, this county, and has two children, Clifton and Floyd; Inez, who married Harry Albert, now living at Logansport, Ind., and has five children, Flossie, Crystal, Howard, Tessie and Mary; and Faran, an Orange township farmer, who married Nellie Barlow and has two children, Doris and Garland, Mr. and Mrs. Whitinger thus having twelve grandchildren, in all of whom they take much pride and delight.
WILLIAM H. PRINE, who has been engaged in general farm- ing in Washington township, this county, for many years, was born on November 15, 1858, in Marion county, Indiana, a son of John F. and Mary (Maze) Prine. His father was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and came to Indiana with his parents, James and Lydia Prine, the family locating in Rush county. James Prine secured a farm of eighty acres in Washington township, south of Raleigh, and there spent the rest of his life. Of his family of ten children but two survive, Martha and William H. John F. Prine grew up and attended school in Washington township. In 1849 when gold was discovered in California, he made the long and dangerous journey with thousands of others. In 1853 he returned to Indiana and married Mary Maze in Marion county, where he followed farming for the following ten years; then came back to Rush county and purchased a farm of 160 acres, which remained the family home. He died there on March 1, 1898, and his wife died on February 4, 1910. They were well known and highly respected people and had four children, James N., Joseph T., William H. and Margaret E., the last named born on February 9, 1861. William H. Prine was six years old when his parents moved from Marion to Rush county and he received his schooling in Washington township. On September 16, 1890, he mar- ried Ellen Rich, of Wayne county, Indiana, who died on October 21, 1911, leaving no issue. Mr. Prine has always taken some interest in local politics and is one of his township's leading Democrats.
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HISTORY OF RUSH COUNTY
RICHARD E. ABERNATHY, who is engaged in the battery business in Rushville, was born in Howard county, this state, but has been a resident of Rushville since he was seven years of age. His father was a native of Rush county and his grandfather was one of the pioneer residents of the county. The latter, John Abernathy, a native of the Old Dominion, came to Indiana from Virginia in the days of his young manhood and located in Rush county, settling on a farm in Union township, where he and his wife (Jemima Kinder) reared a family of six children, Jane, Robert, Isabelle, Mary, James and George, of whom but two, Mrs. Jane Nixon and Robert, are now living. George Abernathy, one of the sons of John Abernathy, the Virginian, was born in Rush county and received his schooling at Fairview. He married Sarah A. Carter and had eight children, all of whom are living, those besides the subject of this biographical sketch being John T., Norval L., Harry E., Mrs. Margaret Coy, Grace M., Ada and Kate F. As noted above Richard E. Abernathy was but seven years of age when his parents returned to this county from Howard county and he received his schooling in the Rushville schools. As a young man he became engaged in the lumber and furniture busi- ness at Rushville and continued thus engaged until in 1915, when he established a battery service station at the point where he is now located and has ever since been thus engaged, doing very well in his business, having started his business just at the right time to develop with the remarkable expansion which has marked the development of the automobile demand during the past few years. At the age of twenty-five years, Richard E. Abernathy was united in marriage to Flora Belle Stahly and to that union were born two children, Laura M. and Miriam (deceased.) Following the death of the mother of these children Mr. Abernathy married Rose Harper. Politically, Mr. Abernathy is "independent" in his views. Fraternally, he is affil- iated with the local lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Knights of Pythias at Rushville and has served two terms as secretary of the Odd Fellows lodge, in the affairs of which he has long taken an active interest.
JOHN H. POWER, one of the favorably known retired citizens of Rushville who are now enjoying the fruits of their earlier years of labor in quiet and comfort, was born on a farm in Anderson town- ship, this county, February 21, 1846, a son of John D. and Mary Ann (Smisor) Power. John D. Power was still a lad when he lost his father, and when he was eight years of age was brought by his mother to Anderson township from Kentucky. Here he received somewhat limited educational advantages and early began farming, eventually becoming the owner of a farm of some value. His career, while an active one, was not rounded out in full, as he was called by death in middle age, when his son, John H., was but twelve years of age. He and his wife were the parents of the following children: George, who married a Miss Crawford; Thomas, who married a Miss Overleese : Nathan B., who married a Miss Murray; Emery J., who married a
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HISTORY OF RUSH COUNTY
Miss Spurgeon ; Daniel, who married a Miss Whiteman; and John H. William S. and Richard M., the two first born, grew to manhood and are now deceased. Mrs. Elizabeth Power Overleese also is deceased and Amanda Alice died at the age of seven months. John H. Power attended the public schools of Orange and Anderson townships, after which he spent one year in study at Milroy, and a period at the Burton school. When he was twenty-one years of age he began farming on his own account, as a renter, and after some years bought a property of his own in Anderson township. On this he continued to carry on operations as a general farmer and stockman until his retirement to Rushville in 1906. He is a public-spirited citizen who gives his sup- port to all worthy measures, and has won and held the confidence of those among whom he has resided in several communities. In politics Mr. Power is a Democrat, and his religious faith is that of the Christian church. His fraternal affiliation is with the Knights of Pythias. On October 27, 1871, Mr. Power married Viola, daughter of James and Evelyn Murray, of this county. To that union one child was born, a daughter, Mate Power, who married William Jay and died on October 31, 1913, leaving one child, a daughter, Viola Power Jay. Mrs. Viola Power died on March 21, 1906.
ALLEN S. BARNES, one of the honored retired farmers of Richland township, who has done much for the betterment of his com- munity and is one of the substantial men of that part of the county, was born in Noble township, this county, on October 17, 1850, and was there reared, securing his educational training in the old Neff Corner school. After completing his studies he devoted his energy to work on the home farm, assisting his father until the latter's death. From the time of his marriage, however, the subject had been operating a part of his father's land on his own account. At the time of his father's death, he acquired possession of a part of the homestead and is now the owner of eighty-two acres. He operated this land with success and profit up to 1913, when he retired from active labor and has since lived quietly in his comfortable home, enjoying the fruits of his former years of toil. He always carried on a general line of farming, raising all the common crops and feeding his grain to hogs for market. Mr. Barnes was married to Otelia Winchel, the daughter of W. G. and Sarah Stevens Winchel, and to them was born a daughter, Daisy, who became the wife of Luther Gwinnup. Mr. and Mrs. Gwinnup are the parents of two children, Owen Ellis and Wilna Alliene. Owen E. Gwinnup married Florence Loffler and they have one child, Ruth Alice. Mrs. Barnes was born in Noble township, of which township her mother also was a native. Her father, who was born near Laurel, Ind., was a fariner for many years in Noble township, and also followed the trade of shoemaker, at which he was an adept. Of the eight children born to him and his wife, four are now living, namely : George, Otelia, Alvin C. and Melissa J. Mr. and Mrs. Barnes are faithful members of the Christian church, with which Mr. Barnes has been identified since 1875. Fra-
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ternally, he is a member of the Improved Order of Red Men, and politically, he is a stanch supporter of the Republican party.
JAMES WHITINGER, a highly respected citizen and well sit- uated general farmer and stockraiser of Anderson township, this county, has spent his life in this county and has devoted himself mainly to agricultural pursuits. He was born in Orange township on August 17, 1843, a son of James and Rhoda (Hungerford) Whitinger, who were born, reared and married near Venice, Butler county, Ohio. They had four children, Sarah (deceased), Richard, who lives at Milroy; James and Frank, the latter of whom is a resident of Orange township. The parents came as early settlers in 1839 to Rush county, the father buying 154 acres of land in Orange township, and this constituted the old homestead. James Whitinger had such school privileges as this section afforded at that time, grew up strong, sturdy and industrious, and worked for his father and other farmers in the neighborhood up to the time of his marriage, when he rented a tract of land. For seventeen years afterward Mr. Whitinger continued to farm on rented land, and then found himself able to purchase seventy acres, his present home farm. He now owns ninety-two acres and carries on general farming and stockraising. In 1872 Mr. Whitinger married India Forsythe, daughter of Asa Forsythe, and they have had three children, Wilmer (deceased), Edgar, who married Cora Laud and has one child, Helen; and Raymond, who resides at home. Mr. Whitinger and his sons are affiliated with the Democratic party. The family belongs to the Big Flat Rock Christian Church, Mr. Whitinger being church clerk.
JOHN H. VERNON, general farmer and public official in Orange township, this county, was born in Shelby county, Indiana, February 17, 1860, a son of Thomas P. and Mariah J. (Ayers) Ver- non, natives of North Carolina and Shelby county, respectively. The father followed farming all his life. Of their family of twelve chil- dren the following are living: Jennie, Ollie M., Josephine, Minnie, Elijah A. and John H. John H. Vernon attended school in both Shelby and Hancock counties. In his earlier years he assisted his father and afterward worked for neighboring farmers up to the time of his marriage, when he began for himself on rented land. After renting for four years he bought seventy-eight acres in Orange town- ship, Rush county, operated it for several years and then sold to advantage. Since then he has bought and sold other farms, his present farm in Orange township containing eighty acres. He has always carried on general farming and stockraising, paying much attention to hogs. On August 22, 1883, Mr. Vernon married Florence Harcourt, who was born in Orange township, this county, daughter of Nathan and Lucinda (Camerer) Harcourt, both of Rush county. Nathan Harcourt was a farmer and owned 375 acres of land. Of his family of seven children, the following are living: Oliver, Marion, Florence, Mary, Lina and Martha. Mr. and Mrs. Vernon's only child, Hazel, died when twenty-three years old and was buried in
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the McCarty cemetery. Mr. Vernon is somewhat active in Democratic politics in Rush county and is serving his second term as a member of the township advisory board. He is a member of the board of directors of the First National Bank of Milroy. He is past chancellor commander of the Knights of Pythias at Milroy and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Gowdy.
JOHN FULTON, a well-known and substantial farmer and land- owner of Union township, now living retired from the labors of the farm, is a native Hoosier and has been a resident of this state all his life. He was born in the neighboring county of Franklin on July 1, 1848, son of James and Mary Ann (Smith) Fulton, both of whom also were born in Indiana of pioneer stock. James Fulton was a carpenter from the time he was fifteen years of age, his trade having been learned in Wayne county. He was married in Franklin county and established his home there. Though his work in connection with his building operations took him to several counties in this state and to other states at times he ever regarded Indiana as his home. He died in Missouri at the age of eighty-one years. James Fulton was twice married. By his first wife, Mary Ann Smith, he had four children, three of whom grew to maturity, the subject of this sketch and his sisters, Sarah Jane and Harriet, both now deceased. Upon the death of the mother of these children James Fulton married Susan Carpenter and to that union nine children were born, eight of whom are still living, all living in the West. John Fulton was reared in Franklin county and there received his schooling. He early became engaged in farming, working as a farm hand until his mar- riage at the age of twenty-four, when for a year he rented a farm with a view to starting farming on his own account, but the next year took up carpenter work with his father and was for three years thus engaged, at the end of this time returning to farming and buying a farm of forty-five acres in Franklin county, on which he made his home for seven years. In 1885 he sold that place and returned to Rush county, buying a tract of eighty-one acres in Richland township, where he remained for seven years, at the end of which time he bought another tract of eighty-five acres in the northern part of that same township and established his home there, remaining on that place for thirteen years. Then he bought the place on which he is now living, a farm of 176 acres, and has since made his home here, though some time ago reducing his acreage by selling to his son, Charles, seventy acres of the home place, and since his retirement from the active management of the farm has been renting out the 106 acres of the home place, and is continuing the development of an excellent piece of property. Mr. and Mrs. Fulton are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Glenwood and Mrs. Fulton has served the church as a class leader and has also been a Sunday school teacher for over twenty years. Mr. Fulton and his son are Democrats and have ever taken a proper interest in party affairs. On February 27, 1872, John Fulton was united in marriage to Phoebe Ellen Cupp, who was born in
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Franklin county, this state, daughter of John H. and Mary A. (Davidson) Cupp, and to this union has been born one child, a son, Charles Fulton, who has been twice married, his first wife having been Eva Liming and his second, Pearl Kirk. John H. Cupp, father of Mrs. Phoebe E. Fulton, was a Kentuckian, born at Maysville, who came to Indiana with his parents, Joseph and Ellen (Lefler) Cupp, when he was eight years old, the family locating in this county, Joseph Cupp having entered land in Richland township. The family later moved to Metamora in Franklin county, where John H. Cupp grew to manhood. In that county he married Mary A. Davidson, who was born in Hancock county, this state, and after his marriage established his home on a farm in Franklin county and there spent the remainder of his life, becoming a substantial farmer and the owner of a fine farm of 220 acres. He and his wife were the parents of seven children, of whom four are still living, Mrs. Fulton having three sisters, Maria J., Angeline and Louise. The Fultons have a pleasant home on rural mail route No. 2 out of Glenwood and have ever taken an interested and hospitable part in the community's gen- eral social activities.
ROBERT A. INNIS, a well known retired manufacturer of Rushville and formerly and for years prominently connected with the industrial and commercial interests of this community, is a native son of Rush county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a farm in Anderson township on January 25, 1859, son of William and Jennie (Buchanan) Innis, who were among the pio- neers of Rush county, and whose last days were spent here, influ- ential residents of the Milroy neighborhood. William Innis also was born in Anderson township, in 1826, a son of Alexander and Christian (Kirkpatrick) Innis, who had come here from Pennsyl- vania in the early '20s, and had become established in Anderson township, among the first settlers of the Milroy neighborhood, the Innis family thus having had representation in Rush county almost from the days of the beginning of a social order hereabout. Alex- ander Innis was a son of James and Ann (Arbuckle) Innis, the former of whom was a son of Francis and Marjorie (Millikin) Innis, natives of Scotland, who had come to this country in Colonial days. During the time of one of the Indian outbreaks in Colonial days the entire family of Francis Innis was captured by the Indians, the members of the family becoming separated by their captors. Just as the Indians were preparing to put Francis Innis to death a French trader chanced along and made a deal with the Indians whereby their captive was released, giving them goods as ransom, and the captive acknowledged an obligation to work for the trader until the amount of the ransom was compensated. Not long after- ward the trader and his party met the band of Indians which held in captivity Francis Innis's wife, and they likewise ransomed her, the husband agreeing also to work in requital of this further sum.
ROBERT A. INNIS
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HISTORY OF RUSH COUNTY
Some of the children of this distressed family never were recovered from their savage captors. It was afterward that James Innis was born. Ile grew to manhood in Pennsylvania, and when the colonists declared their independence he enlisted his services in behalf of the struggle for freedom from overseas rule, and became an active participant in the Revolutionary war, with which cause he continued constant until the close of the struggle, being mus- tered out as an ensign of the Ninth Battalion, Pennsylvania. James Innis enlisted as a private in the company of Captain Fra- zier, Fourth Pennsylvania Battalion, then commanded by Col. An- thony Wayne, who became one of the famous generals of the Revo- lutionary war. He served with that command from January 13, 1776, to January 24, 1777, when he re-enlisted, and was presently promoted to surgeon's mate. On February 4, 1779, he was promoted to ensign and thus served as a commissioned officer until the close of the war. At the battle of Stony Point he was captured by the Brit- ish, but was later exchanged. He was with Washington's army dur- ing the memorable winter at Valley Forge, and rendered valorous service. For this he was given a grant to a tract of land in Penn- sylvania when the Republic was set up and that land is still held in the Innis name, the family still being represented there. William Innis, son of Alexander Innis and grandson of James Innis, the Revolutionary war patriot, grew to manhood in Anderson township, where he was born, and remained there until 1879, when he moved with his family to Rushville and there became engaged in associa- tion with Mr. Pearce in the coal and lumber business, at the same time continuing to look after his land interests in Anderson town- ship. It was during the time of this association that the Innis- Pearce furniture factory was established, Mr. Innis thus having been one of the founders of that important industrial concern. William Innis continued thus actively engaged in business at Rush- ville until his death in 1898. He and his wife were the parents of five children, of whom but two are now living, Robert A. and his brother, Perry T. Innis, the Milroy banker, of whom further men- tion is made elsewhere in this volume. Robert A. Innis was reared on the home farm in Anderson township, and was twenty years of age when his parents moved to Rushville. He had received his early schooling in the schools at Milroy and in the old Richland Academy, and this he supplemented during the years 1879 and 1880 by a course in the university at Valparaiso, after which he became engaged as a clerk in the store of Reeves & Burke at Rushville. Two years later he became associated with his father and Mr. Pearce in the planing mill, lumber and coal business at Rushville, and in 1883 was made secretary-treasurer of the company, which in 1900 was incorporated as the Innis-Pearce Company, and with which he continued actively connected until he sold his interest in 1918. Mr. Innis has been active in other ways in the industrial and
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