USA > Indiana > Rush County > Centennial history of Rush County, Indiana, Volume II > Part 57
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HISTORY OF RUSH COUNTY
Indiana and became employed at Rushville. He married here and after his marriage became engaged as a farmer on the farm of his father-in-law, Daniel B. Newkirk. Not long afterward he began to follow the profession of nursing, his capacity in that direction having become recognized in the community, and for fifteen years or more was widely known hereabout as a nurse. At the same time Mr. Vanda- ment continued his farming operations and has remained on the farm, now the owner of an excellent place of 103 acres. In 1915 Mr. Vanda- ment retired from the active operations of the farm and has since been taking things somewhat easier. He and his family have a pleasant home on rural mail route No. 7 out of Rushville and are well situated. Joseph S. Vandament was united in marriage to Laura Newkirk, daughter of Daniel B. and Polly ( Hamilton) Newkirk, further men- tion of whom is made elsewhere in this volume, and to this union five children were born, three of whom, Mary, Walter and Mildred, are living, the deceased being Nina and Charles. Mary Vandament married Jesse B. Gilson. Dr. Walter Vandament is a practicing physician at Carthage. He married Gretta Kirkpatrick and has one child, a daughter, Geneva. Mildred Vandament married Weimer Pearson and has two children, Weimer, Jr., and Donald. Mr. and Mrs. Vandament are members of the Plum Creek Christian Church. Politi- cally, Mr. Vandament is an "independent" Democrat. Fraternally, he is affiliated with the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
ROLLA E. ZORNE, a well-known farmer and landowner of Union township, former postmaster at Carthage and formerly and for years a teacher in the schools of Rush county, was born in this county, a member of one of the old families here, and has resided here all his life. He was born on a farm in Posey township on August 24, 1869, son and only child of Frank M. and Jane (Davis) Zorne, both of whom were born in that same township and the latter of whom is still living, making her home with her son. The late Frank M. Zorne was a son of John Zorne, who had come here from Frankfort, Kentucky, in pioneer days and had bought a tract of land in the Gwynneville neighborhood in Posey township, this county, where he established his home. On that pioneer farm Frank M. Zorne was born and reared, in turn becoming a farmer on his own account and not long after his marriage to Jane Davis, who was a member of one of the pioneer families of that neighborhood, bought a farm of sixty-six acres in Ripley township. Some years afterward he sold that place and bought a farm of seventy-two acres in Center township, where he made his home until 1908 when he retired from the farm and moved to Carthage where his last days were spent, his death occurring there in April, 1915. As noted above, his widow is still living, making her home with her son Rolla. Rolla E. Zorne was reared on the old home farm in Posey township and early prepared himself for teaching, his first school being taught in the schools of this county when he was seventeen years of age, and for seven years thereafter he continued
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as a teacher during the winters, farming during the summers. Under the Cleveland administration Mr. Zorne was appointed postmaster at Carthage, a position he occupied for two years, at the end of which time he resigned to take charge of the farm on which he is now living and where he has resided ever since. Mr. Zorne owns eighty-three acres where he is living and a tract of eighty-four acres in another part of Union township, renting out the fields on both places "on the shares." He has his home farm well improved and in addition to his general farming operations has for years been quite an extensive breeder of swine and has done well. In November, 1893, Rolla E. Zorne was united in marriage to Millie Newkirk, who has been a resi- dent of this county since the days of her infancy. Mrs. Zorne was born in Madison county, Indiana, a daughter of Daniel B. and Polly (Hamilton) Newkirk, the latter of whom was born in Rush county. Daniel B. Newkirk was born in Adams county, Ohio, and was six years of age when his parents came to Indiana with their family and located in Rush county, settling on a farm in Jackson township, where he grew to manhood. He was married in this county and later moved to Madison county, where he remained until 1869 when he returned to Rush county, re-established himself here on a farm and spent the remainder of his life here, his death occurring on December 3, 1903. His widow survived him until April 29, 1911. They had five children, of whom four are still living, Mrs. Zorne having a brother, James L. Newkirk, and two sisters, Sallie and Laura. Mr. and Mrs. Zorne have three adopted children, Dorothy, Gayle and Marion, the first named of whom married Fred Dagler and has one child, a daughter, Mildred. The Zornes are members of the Plum Creek Christian Church. Mr. Zorne is a Democrat. He is a York Rite Mason, affiliated with the blue lodge at Carthage and with Rushville com- mandery, Knights Templar. The Zornes have a very pleasant home on rural mail route No. 7 out of Rushville and have ever taken an interested part in the community's social activities.
WILLIAM M. ORME, deceased, who for years was a substantial farmer and highly respected citizen of Walker township, this county, was born in Rushville township, this county, March 21, 1852. He was a son of Henry and Minerva (Morrison) Orme. In boyhood he attended school in Rushville township and later at Rushville. He spent his life in Rush county and was always engaged in farming, for some years renting land but afterward he bought the farm of 160 acres situated in Walker township, on which his family still reside. Mr. Orme was considered a judicious farmer and good manager. For some years he operated a threshing outfit in addition to his other activities. On September 10, 1874, he married Amanda E. Lower, who was born in Rushville township, this county, daughter of John and Rhoda (Edmonson) Lower, natives of Kentucky and Rush county, respectively, and who were the parents of six children, Emily, Martha, Anna, Amanda, James and Thomas, all of whom are living except James. The following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Orme :
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Dorr, who died in boyhood; Arnold, a grain dealer at Rushville, who married Pearl Ball and has five children, William, Fern, Thomas, Frank and Fay; Desire, who married Omer A. Miller, a farmer in Rushville township, and has four children, Herbert, Leonidas, William and Woodrow; Lonnie, farmer in Walker township, who married Julia Mann; and Russell, who married Della Hufferd, of Posey town- ship. Russell Orme resides at home and operates the farm for his mother. Mr. Orme was a Democrat in politics. He belonged to the order of Odd Fellows and had passed the chairs in the lodge at Homer.
DORA JACKMAN, a well-known farmer and stockraiser in Anderson township, this county, and vice-president of the First National Bank of Milroy, is a native of that township, born on December 6, 1870, a son of Allen and Frances (Winship) Jackman. Mr. Jackman attended the public schools in Anderson township and also the Normal school at Danville, Ind., after which he began to teach school and for nine years continued as a teacher in Rush and Madison counties. When he retired from the educational field he took up farm- ing and is now operating 400 acres of land, all of which except seventy acres that he rents, belongs to him and his wife. He began farming on a tract of 100 acres that he rented from his father. As a farmer Mr. Jackman has shown excellent judgment and is prospering. He feeds all his corn to hogs and cattle, raising 300 head of hogs and forty head of cattle yearly, all high grade stock. He married Nellie Patton, who was born at Monmouth, Ill., daughter of Nathan and Frances (Holmes) Patton, and they have one son, Lawrence, now a student at Wabash College. Mr. Jackman and his wife are members of the United Presbyterian church, of which he is treasurer. He is a Repub- lican and is quite active in party affairs, for some time having been a member of the Republican central committee of Anderson town- ship. He is a member of the Masonic lodge at Milroy and of the Knights of Pythias lodge.
WILLARD COLTER, one of the favorably known young farmers of Richland township, is a native son of Rush county, having been born in the township where he now lives on January 22, 1895, and is the son and only child of Henry and Daisy (Johnston) Colter, the former a native of Franklin county, Indiana, and the latter born and reared in Rush county. He secured his elementary education in the common schools of Richland and Anderson townships, completing his studies in the high school at Milroy. After leaving school, he was engaged for several years with his father in the contracting business, mainly in the construction of roads. On July 1, 1918, Mr. Colter enlisted for military service and for six months served in the Signal Corps. He received his discharge on January 17, 1919, and on his return home engaged in farming on his father's land, the tract com- prising 160 acres, and has been engaged there continuously since. He carries on general farming and stock raising and is meeting with
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splendid success. On October 3, 1917, Willard Colter was married to Lucile (Crosby ) Harcourt, the daughter of Charles and Mattie Crosby. Mr. and Mrs. Colter are members of the Presbyterian church. Fra- ternally, he is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons and the Knights of Pythias, while, politically, he is a Republican. Genial in disposition and unassuming in manner, he enjoys the confidence and esteem of all who know him.
EDD MOORE, one of the progressive men of Rush county and an enterprising farmer of Richland township, whose good manage- ment has brought to him the prosperity which is today his, has been a lifelong resident of Richland township, having been born there on July 14, 1889. He is the son of Frank and Lida (Hedrick) Moore, the latter a native of Franklin county, Indiana. They were married in the latter county and soon afterwards came to Rush county, locating in Noble township, where Mr. Moore was engaged in farming for a time. He then went to Kansas, remaining but a short time and then returned to Rush county. To him and wife were born eleven children, namely : William, Nelle, Bessie, Webb, Pearl, Charles, Edd, George, Ruth, Orie and Susan. Edd Moore received his education in the Freeman and Neffs' Corner schools and on the completion of his studies he went to work on the home farm, remaining there until his marriage. Soon afterward he engaged in farming on his own account, going to Franklin county, where he rented a tract of 160 acres. One year later he bought the place in Richland township, where he now lives, and he has since continued to pursue his vocation with success and profit. He is up-to-date in his methods, keeps his place under a high state of improvement and enjoys a good reputation as a pro- gressive farmer. His farm consists of 121 acres, which he devotes to general farming and stock raising. On January 24, 1914, Mr. Moore was married to Mary Barber, who was born in Franklin county, the daughter of William and. Esther Barber, and they have two children, Leonard Edd and Martha Aileen. Politically, Mr. Moore gives his support to the Democratic party and takes a keen interest in the moral, educational and material development of his community, giving his influence in favor of all worthy movements.
JONAS W. LOGAN. One cannot follow the long career of the late Jonas W. Logan without renewing appreciation of those homely, sterling qualities which, when allied with practical business sense, lift men from obscurity to influence and from poverty to wealth. This substantial agriculturist and worthy citizen of Noble township was born on the farm in that township upon which his widow now resides, the old Logan homestead, October 26, 1846, a son of James L. and Elizabeth (Mann) Logan. James L. Logan was but an infant when his father died, and when he was one and one-half years old he was brought by his mother from his native Ireland to the United States. He grew to young manhood in Fayette county, Indiana, where he received a common school education, and married Elizabeth Mann, a native of Ohio. After their union they moved to Rush county,
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where they were early pioneers, and entered land from the Govern- ment. They lived in a log cabin home while Mr. Logan was engaged in the work of clearing his land and for many years thereafter, but with the bettering of his finances and the acquirement of 700 acres of land, they enjoyed all the conveniences of modern civilization and resided in a comfortable and commodious dwelling. These worthy people were the parents of nine children: Alice, Abbie, Mary Ann, Thomas, John M., Oliver P., Samuel H., James W. and Jonas W. Jonas W. Logan obtained his education in the country districts of Noble township, and upon leaving school followed the usual custom of farmers' sons of his locality, settling down to the work of the home place as an assistant to his father. As a reward for his faithful work, when he was married his father deeded to him the original home farm of 160 acres, which has never been out of the Logan name, and which Mr. Logan increased to 500 acres. He was an energetic and intelligent agriculturist, who was able to discriminate between practical and impractical methods, conservative in his views, yet progressive in adopting new methods once they had proven feasible. He did much in the way of improving the property, building a large and fine home and installing other features of latter-day progress, and his farm was always one which presented a prosperous appear- ance. In addition to carrying on general farming, Mr. Logan was a large hog feeder and shipper, and in each department of his work showed his ability, while his business reputation was of the highest and he had the full confidence of those associated with him. When he died on March 11, 1914, his community lost one of its substantial and reliable citizens. On March 18, 1869, Mr. Logan was united in marriage to Sarah I. Jones, daughter of George W. and Elizabeth (Bedee) Jones, and to this union there was born one child, a son, Thomas Ora, who married Fannie R. Stiers and has two children, Carl, who married Wilma Bowen and has two children, Catherine Lucille and Frances Louise, and Nellie, who married Elsa Hilligoss and has two children, Lavon Estelle and Harold Eugene. Mrs. Logan, who survives her husband and resides on the old Logan farm, is a consistent member of the Little Flat Rock Christian Church, in the work of which she has been active for many years.
GRANT THOMAS, one of Anderson township's sterling citi- zens and well known over Rush county as an enterprising and success- ful farmer and stockraiser, was born in Howard county, Indiana, August 15, 1868, a son of Daniel and Martha (Phillips) Thomas, both native Hoosiers, the former born in Rush county and the latter in Franklin county. Daniel Thomas attended the district schools in Rush county and worked on farms until he enlisted for service in the Civil war as a member of Company F, Sixteenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, completed his term of enlistment, was honorably discharged, returned home and married, and from then until the close of his life followed farming. From his first farm in Rush county, he moved to Clinton county and from there to Howard county where he bought
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eighty acres near Kokomo, remaining there until in September, 1881, when he moved back to Rush county and lived here until his death in 1900. He was survived two years by his widow. Of their eight children the following are living: Adda, Omar, Pleasant and Grant. Grant Thomas attended the public schools of Milroy. Coming of agricultural ancestry he naturally inclined to farm life and early began to make his own way by working as a farm hand. Mr. Thomas recalls the fact that for two years he worked steadily on farms for a wage of 75 cents a day and thereby, through thrift and industry, was able to accumulate a substantial addition to his capital that enabled him to purchase the old homestead of thirty-two acres in Anderson township. Since then, by continued industry and good management, he has added to his first body of land until he now owns 137 acres, highly cultivated and well improved. The Thomas home is a hand- some modern residence. Mr. Thomas engages in general farming and raises stock, turning off about seventy-five head of hogs a year. In 1897 he married Edna Innis, daughter of William W. and Laura (Pat- ton) Innis, and they have four children : William M., Jeanette, Pauline and Robert Patton, all residing at home. In politics Mr. Thomas is a Republican and interests himself to some degree in township affairs. With his family he belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church at Milroy.
WILLIAM B. CRANE, one of the men whose ability, industry and good citizenship have added to the character, prosperity and good government of Anderson township and the owner of a large and pro- ductive farm property, is a native of that township, born on Decem- ber 1, 1862, a son of Isaac and Belinda (Camerer) Crane, natives of Rush county. The paternal grandparents of Mr. Crane, William Hayden and Sarah (Selby) Crane, emigrated to Rush county from Kentucky and were numbered among the early settlers of Anderson township, where they rounded out long, useful and honorable lives and died with the respect and esteem of the community. Isaac Crane was reared in Anderson township, and on the completion of a district school education began his activities in the field of agriculture, a vocation to which he devoted his entire life. One year prior to his demise he moved to Milroy, where he passed away in 1895. He was one of the successful farmers of his locality, and became the owner of 269 acres of valuable and productive land, all accumulated through his own exertions. Much of his success was due to his financial ability, and an important feature of his business activities was the loaning of money to the farmers of his locality. Mrs. Belinda Crane died in 1871, having been the mother of seven children, of whom five are now living : Marshall H., of Gowdy; William B., the subject of this review ; George M., of Indianpolis; Clara, who married Seward Whiteman, and Emma, who married Charles Hasely, of Theodore, Ala. After the death of his first wife, Isaac Crane married Sarah Thomas and had two children, Daisy and Claude R. William B. Crane secured a good mental and general training in his youth, first
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attending the district schools of Anderson and Orange township and subsequently pursuing a course at the Central Normal School at Dan- ville. For ten winters he was a teacher in the rural schools of Orange and Anderson townships, the summer months being devoted to the duties of the home farm. When he gave up teaching Mr. Crane con- centrated his attention to farming. His independent career was started as a renter, but after one year he bought eighty acres of the farm that is now his home in Anderson township. As the years passed he added to his holdings little by little, and at the present time is the owner of 287 acres of highly cultivated land, furnished with the most modern improvements and a commodious, comfortable and up-to-date home. In addition to carrying on general farming, he feeds out, annually, about forty head of cattle, and from 100 to 200 hogs. Mr. Crane married Martha J. Whiteman, daughter of William and Emma Whiteman, and to this union there have been born three children: Emily, who married A. H. Wimmer and has two children, Robert and John; Dolph W., who married Lenora La Velle, and has one child, Mary Martha, and Belinda, who is unmarried and makes her home with her parents. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Milroy, of which Mr. Crane has been a member of the official board for many years. In politics he is a Democrat. Since its organization, in 1904, he has been a member of the board of directors of the Bank of Milroy. He is a well educated and well posted man, fully abreast of the times in all that pertains to agriculture and its most practical development, and takes a keen interest in education, politics, religion and homemaking.
CHARLES L. SMULLEN, M. D., physician and surgeon at Raleigh, is well and favorably known all through this section. Dr. Smullen was born in Fayette county, Indiana, November 20, 1864, a son of John and Elizabeth (McCann) Smullen. John Smullen was born in Bourbon county, Kentucky, where his people had settled at an early day. For many years he was engaged in the milling business at Connersville, Ind., after which he rented 160 acres of land in Union township, this county, and engaged in farming. He was a man of substantial character and universally respected. He married Eliza- beth McCann, who was born in England, and they had seven children, two of whom survive, Richard and Charles L. Doctor Smullen was reared in Fayette county through boyhood, attended Fairview Academy and then pursued his medical studies in the Ohio Medical College and completed the same in the Indiana Medical College. He located first at Fairview where he practiced for several months and then moved to Raleigh. Doctor Smullen is the only medical prac- titioner there and enjoys a professional reputation that covers the vicinity. To some extent he is interested in agriculture in Rush county as he owns a highly productive farm located in Washington township. Doctor Smullen married Mary Higley, who was born in Fayette county. His second marriage was to Bertha M. Bunker, of Los Angeles, Cal., who was born in Rush county and formerly was
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principal of the Washington township high school. Doctor and Mrs. Smullen have a wide social acquaintance and both are active in pro- moting the best interests of their county. In politics the Doctor is a Democrat. He is a Knight Templar, a thirty-second degree Mason and Shriner and belongs also to the Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias.
HUBERT R. JONES, a well known young farmer of Union township is a member of one of the pioneer families of Rush county, his grandfather, John A. Jones, having been one of the early settlers of Jackson township, he and his family having come here from North Carolina and established their home in the then almost wilderness section in which the family ever since has been represented. Hubert R. Jones was born in Jackson township on April 22, 1883, son of Calvin B. and Minerva (Porter) Jones, the latter of whom also was born in that township, a member of one of the real pioneer families there. Calvin B. Jones, who was a son of the pioneer John A. Jones above mentioned, was but a lad when he came to this county from North Carolina with his parents and he grew to manhood on the farm in Jackson township. For several years after leaving school he spent his winters teaching in the schools of Rush county and was ever inter- ested in public affairs. He served for some time as trustee of Jackson township and then was elected a member of the board of county com- missioners from his district and was thus serving at the time the new court house was erected. Calvin B. Jones was the owner of a good farm of 130 acres in Jackson township and his last days were spent in farming. He and his wife were the parents of five children, those besides the subject of this sketch being Frank P., George B., Anna M. and Margaret. Reared on the home farm in Jackson township, Hubert R. Jones received his schooling in the neighborhod schools and remained on the farm assisting his father in the operations of the same until the latter's death and after that operated the place in his mother's behalf and so continued until her death. In 1914 he bought a tract of sixty acres in Union township and was there engaged in farming for four years at the end of which time he sold that place and bought the ninety-acre tract on which he is now living in that same township, he and his family being very comfortably situated there on rural mail route No. 7 out of Rushville. In 1904 Hubert R. Jones was united in marriage to Edna Fletcher, who was born in Henry county, daughter of Elam Fletcher, and to this union three children have been born, Anna, Margaret and Russell. Mr. and Mrs. Jones are members of the Fairview Christian Church and are Repub- licans. Mr. Jones is a member of the Masonic lodge at Raleigh.
IRA B. HITE. The third generation of the Hite family to main- tain the agricultural and stock raising prestige of Rush county, and to contribute also to the prosperity, well being and advancement of Richland township, is represented by Ira B. Hite, whose home is sit- nated at Clarksburg. He was born in Richland township on July 19, 1868, a son of James D. and Malinda (Patterson) Hite, and a grand- 30
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