USA > Indiana > Shelby County > Chadwick's History of Shelby County, Indiana, Vol. 2 > Part 24
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After his marriage in 1856. James Parrish went to Shelbyville and en- gaged in the hardware business. In 1862 he removed to Addison township and obtained eighty acres of land. Eventually he erected the farm home where Edmond now lives and succeeded in adding one hundred thirty acres to his holdings. He died May 18. 1907. and his wife in August. 1906. He was known as a pioneer breeder of fine horses and Poland China swine. In politics he was a Democrat. but never held office. The children born to the union were: Eliza, who marrie:1 Ezekiel Jackson, is the mother of one child. Ora : they live in Washington township: Dr. J. Willard, of Shelbyville, prom- inent physician. a graduate of the Medical College of Indianapolis and Rush Medical School of Chicago: he is at present head of the City Board of Health. of Shelbyville: William L., a teacher at the age of seventeen years: farmer and gardener at Flat Rock. Shelby county: he married May Billingsby. and
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has two children, Lawrence and Sadie: Mary Ellen married William Gray, of Addison township: farmer, three children, Nora. Bertha and Bessie : George, single, for many years teacher in county schools: Frank, now of Sacramento, California, and connected with the Union Pacific Railroad : he married a Miss Lamasters: Edmond. farmer in Shelby township. He has always lived on the farm he now owns, and was educated in the common schools of the county. He and his brother. George. are partners in farming the one hundred fifty-five acres of the old homestead. Edmond is a lover of fine trotting horses and breeds and deals in this grade. He has made the rounds of the various county fairs, and always drives his own racers. He is favorably known over the county and has many warm friends. Hle belongs to the Odd Fellows' lodge at Smithland. The other member of the family is Eva, who married Elmer Hurst, of Shelbyville: they have five children-Marie, Ethel, Leo. Carl and James. The Parrish family is one of the pioneers of Eastern Indiana, and all the members are esteemed as good citizens.
CHARLES WERNER.
Charles Werner, gardener and forist, whose establishment in Smithland is one of the largest and best conducted of the kind in Southern Indiana, hails from Germany, being a native of the Kingdom of Saxony, where his birth occurred January 11, 1860. His parents were Charles and Christina (Shrader) Werner, both born in the old country, the father a farmer by oc- cupation, dying near the ancestral home in Saxony some years ago. The mother subsequently came to the United States, where she spent the remainder of her life. The family of Charles and Christina Werner consisted of eight children whose names are as follows: Charles, of this review; Frank, who resides in Cincinnati, Ohio: Henry, of New York City: Otto, who resides in New York, also; Robert, Adolph. Frederick and Fannie, the last four de- ceased, Fannie having been accidentally killed while coasting down a hill, while the family lived in New York.
Shortly after the death of Mr. Werner, his widow and certain of her children came to America, landing in New York, remaining in that state from 1882 until 1907. Charles, the oldest son, preceded the family to this country in 1878. and for about three years following his arrival worked in - New York as a cabinet maker, which trade he learned in his native land, and at which he acquired great proficiency and skill. Before coming to the United States he also devoted considerable attention to scientific gardening. for which he early manifested a decided preference, and when not following his trade he found employment at this fascinating pursuit. during the time spent
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in New York. At the expiration of the period indicated. Mr. Werner went to Cincinnati, where he worked as a cabinet maker for four years, and then en- gaged in gardening in the city of Dayton, where he remained until his removal to Shelbyville. Indiana, in 1888.
On coming to the latter place Mr. Werner entered the employ of the Shelbyville Cabinet Company as foreman and shipping clerk, but after a short time in that capacity resigned his position and took charge of a grocery store. which he conducted for a limited period. later becoming manager of a con- fectionery establishment. Meanwhile he matured plans for engaging in gar- dening, and in due time carried the same into effect by establishing his present thriving business at Smithland, where, in addition to general gardening. he conducts a large and thoroughly equipped green house, which has proven a very profitable enterprise.
Mr. Werner has given much though to the calling in which he is en- gaged. and conducts his establishment on strictly scientific principles, being an educated gardener and accomplished florist, and familiar with every phise of the business. While raising all kinds of vegetables for which there is any demand in their season and supplying a large local and general trade, he makes a specialty of winter gardening, his plant, which contains about twenty- five thousand square feet of space under glass, being thoroughly cquipped and complete in its every detail. Connected with the establishment is a large mod- ern plant, which keeps the interior at an even temperature, one of the houses being devoted to the raising of radishes for winter consumption, one to let- tnce, and in a third are raised all kinds of flowers, plants and bulbs. in which department, as already stated. he has built up an extensive and profitable pat- ronage. Since engaging in the business it has grown beyond his most sanguine expectations, the demand for his various products becoming so great, from time to time. that he has been obliged to enlarge the capacity of his plant. the improvements now in process of construction being such as to increase the space under glass to an area of thirty-five thousand square feet.
Mr. Werner is not only a scientific gardener who keeps in close touch with everything relating to his calling, but is also an enterprising business man, besides possessing refined tastes and decided artistic tendencies as is in- dicated by the beauty and attractiveness of his establishment, and the skill- ful manner in which his business is conducted. In politics he is a Republican. but not a partisan, and in religion a member of the Lutheran church, his wife being a Baptist in belief. Fraternally he is identified with the Knights of Pythias and Modern Woodmen, in both of which societies he is an active and influential worker.
Mr. Werner's domestic life dates from 1884. when he was united in marriage with Caroline Leonard, of Morristown, New Jersey, daughter of Silas and Fannie Leonard, both parents natives of New Jersey. Mrs. Werner
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is the fourth of a family of five children, the names of her brothers and sis- ters being as follows: Susan, George, Caroline and Bert Leonard. In ad- dition to himself and wife. Mr. Werner's home circle at this time includes six children, namely : Walter, Lula. Fanny, Grace. Christina and Louisa. all very promising young people, and with their parents, constituting a mutually helpful and happy household.
SAMUEL JONES.
The well known and widely extended family of this name has been con- nected with Shelby county for nearly eighty years, and has figured prominent- ly in the agricultural development of the northeastern townships. David and Jane ( McKee) Jones were Pennsylvanians, who settled in Ohio during the first quarter of the nineteenth century, spent several years in that state and came to Shelby county in 1831. where they passed the rest of their days. David Jones, Jr., a son of this couple, was born in Muskingum county, Ohio. and came here with his parents in the year above stated, settling on land bought from the government in Noble township. He married Mary Stewart. of the same section of Ohio, and reared a large family; he died November 23, 1892, aged seventy-seven years. His wife passed away June 9. 1892. after completing her sixty-ninth year. The children of David and Jane ( Mc- Kee) Jones were : John, Thomas. David. Jacob, Samuel, Nancy, Mary. Mar- tha, Elizabeth, Ellen and Ann. The children of David and Mary ( Stewart ) Jones were : Mary J., who married Reason Beggs: Samuel, deceased : Eliza- beth, Michael Halloram. Daniel S., who married Leah Hazzard, and resides in Alabama : Martha E., wife of William Riggs, of Noble township : Melinda, deceased, wife of Thomas J. Hodge, of Liberty township, whose second wife was Blanche Lantz. David Jones, Sr., the founder of the family in Shelby county, came from Ohio on foot and located his land, then brought his family in a wagon. The site of his farm was near where Waldron now stands, and . he went through all the labors and hardships of the early pioneer in clearing and making the home where he lived. until called away by death. His son David took up land in Noble township, where he farmed and worked as a carpenter until his death.
Samuel Jones, his eldest son and first child, was born in Noble township. -Shelby county, Indiana, February 10. 1841. He obtained but a limited educa- tion and remained at home until he became of age. December 22. 1864. he married Nancy, daughter of John and Amelia ( Slye) Monroe, of Clermont county, Ohio. John was eight years old when brought to Ohio by his par- ents. John and Mary ( Jackson) Monroe, both sides of the family being re-
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lated to the Presidents of their names. The founder of the family was Robert Monroe, who came from Scotland to the United States, and settled in New Jersey. He was the grandfather of John Monroe, who came to Shelby county in 1832, and settled in Noble township. His father came later. John Mon- roe bought timber land, erected a cabin and entered upon the business of making a home after the manner of the pioneers. Ile prospered, and before his death, in 1883. had accumulated six hundred acres of land. His wife passed away in 1896, on the same homestead that they had entered some sixty- two years before. To John and Mary ( Jackson) Monroe eight children were born: Samuel, a farmer and tanner, who married Dorcas Haymond : Robert, who first married Nancy Green, and second Margaret Nichols: John : Joseph, who married three sisters. Hariett, Emma Keeler, and Mrs. Eliza Ann ( Keeler ) Cooley: Elizabeth. Amos. Joshua and Ephraim. To John and Amelia ( Slye) Monroe the following children were born : Elizabeth, wife of John Watson, both deceased: James, widower of Sophia Allen, deceased : Samuel died at the age of twenty-two: Cicero died immarried; John. car- penter and teacher, married Rebecca McCarty, and lives in Platsmouth, Nebraska : William, a farmer in Washington township. first married Martha Jones, second. Mrs. Dora Riggs: Jacob died young: Wesley, a farmer of Shelby township. married Louisa Ober, second, Susan Dark: Henry died in 1863. at Milligan's Bend. during the war: Nancy, wife of Samuel Jones. The latter had three children.
Henry C. Jones, the eldest, was born in Noble township, educated in the common schools and served as Commissioner of Shelby county from 1906 to 1909. He is a prosperous farmer, and one of the leading stock men of the county. Zora, the second child of Samuel and Nancy Jones, married Walter E. Sanders, of Liberty township, and has two children. Theresa L. and Clif- ford H. : Ora C., the youngest of the children of Samuel Jones, married Ora D. Gillespie, a farmer of Noble township, and has three children-Mary E., Willard A. and Mildred R.
Andrew. the eleventh child of John and Amelia ( Slye) Monroe, is a miller in Washington township. He first married Caroline Maple. and after her death. Lennie Deiwert. Mary, the twelfth child of John and Amelia Monroe, married Thomas Cage, and resides in Tipton county. Indiana. Eliza, the thirteenth child of John and Amelia Monroe, first married George Hum- phries, and second, Abijah Farmer, who lives in Tipton county. Samuel Jones died June 17, 1880.
The emigrant founder of the Monroe family was a Scotchman, who emi- grated to America before the Revolution, and settled with his family in New Jersey. At a later period he removed to Allegheny county, Maryland. of which Cumberland is the county seat. A son named Robert, who was a na- tive of Scotland, married and reared a family of seven sons and two daugh-
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ters: the sons were: John. William, Joshua, Andrew, Robert, Daniel and Caleb. John was born in New Jersey, January 8. 1772, joined the Metho- dist church when fourteen years old, and afterwards became a minister of the Gospel. He died July 18. 1862. William began preaching when still a boy, acted as chaplain to Congress for a year in early manhood, and fifty years later resumed the same position. He was presiding elder of the church in Maryland for many years, and died in that state. Joshua was also of a strong religious turn, and served for forty years as a Methodist minister, be- sides acting as presiding elder in Pennsylvania. Andrew was a preacher and presiding elder in Kentucky, and went from there to Missouri, where he died. Robert, who was a farmer, died in Iowa, near Mount Pleasant. One of the daughters of Robert Monroe married a man named Toushea, and moved to Missouri. John Monroe married Mary Jackson, who was born in New Jer- sey, April 14. 1775. The Jacksons were Tories during the Revolutionary war. Their eldest son, Joseph, was a preacher and a strong sympathizer with the American patriots, which so enraged his father that he ordered him from home. John Monroe, when eight years old. went with his parents to Mary- land, and Mary Jackson, then aged four, came in about the same time with her parents. Years afterward they met. married and settled near George Hall. Two children were born to them at that place. Samuel and Robert. Next. they migrated to Highland county, Virginia, and located on a stream called Middle Island. Four more children were added to their residence at this point -- John. Joseph. Amos and Joshua. Finding the farm too poor to yield a support, they decided to abandon it and push on into the West. In the spring of 1811. the father built a flat boat and landed, with his family. on the broad bosom of the Ohio. It was a typical pioneer turnout, the passengers consisting of father, mother, six children, a man named Holmes, who was a Methodist minister, a Mr. Gray and Mr. Ankrum. The live stock inchi. led three horses, four cows, and twelve head of sheep. besides all of the household goods. After a week of pushing and rowing on the water, the little cavalcade landed at Point Pleasant, in Clermont county, Ohio, some twelve or fifteen miles from Williamsburg. Three more children were added to this family . at this place-Elizabeth. Ephraim and Jacob. Elizabeth died when ten years old, of measles. Being dissatisfied with the surroundings and opportunities at this stopping place. the head of the house decided to push on to Auglaize county, where they bought military land, given to the soldiers of the Revolu- tionary war. One Towell owned the tract, a man named Little held a claim on it. and John Monroe bought it of one Bunnell, who had secured his clain from Little. The surveys, which were recorded at the state capitol. proved defective and a law suit ensued, which, after lasting twenty years, went against John Monroe. The title and improvements were involved and Towell won the case, through a Kentucky lawyer named Morton Marshall, who put
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up a vigorous defense for his client. Jacob Monroe, one of the sons. who had married a Miss Spraig, died while their home was at this place, leaving no heirs. John Monroe moved to Rush county, Indiana, where he bought eighty acres of land and started over again.
JULIU'S L. BENSON.
The Shelbyville family of this name originated in North Carolina, from which state Robert and Mary ( Lane) Benson migrated to Butler county, Ohio, well back in the nineteenth century. Their son, John W., who was at this time about thirteen years of age, some years later married Mary J. Clark. In 1840 the two families came to Shelby county and located in Noble town- ship, where the son had previously purchased land. He went through all the rough work of grubbing, clearing and building, out of which eventually grew
a comfortable country home. He was a carpenter by trade, served twelve years as Justice of the Peace and enjoyed considerable local prominence. He died March 4. 1885, and his wife en December 6. 1907. They had thirteen children: Rachel A., wife of Elkanah Lewis: Julius I ... Mary J., wife of James Thornburg. of Decatur county: Lavina, widow of George Brooks: Eliza Ellen, deceased, wife of Ardrey Welch: Elkanah, who married Naomi Moore, and lives in Noble township: Henrietta, who first married Alva Dronebarger and second Frank Robinson, of Anderson, Indiana. Charles. who married Susan Reed, is now deceased: Sara .A., wife of W. S. Pavey. of Decatur county: William A., who married Catherine Deiwert, of Wash- ington township: Robert, George and John. deceased.
Julius L. Benson, second of this large family of children, was born in Noble township. Shelby county, Indiana, February 18. 1842. After he grew up. Mr. Benson became a school teacher and taught for twelve years in Shelby county, Indiana, and Monroe county, lowa. He also resided for some years in Decatur county, this state. and has been engaged in various lines of busi- ness. For several seasons lie sold nursery stock and dealt in agricultural implements. Though a supporter of Democratic policies, he has never sought or held public office. He is a charter member of the Knights of Pythias at Waldron. Lodge No. 422. February 8. 1865. he married Mary M. Hanks, of Noble township, who died September 27. 1888, leaving two children : Lillie. wife of Alexander Nugent, of Washington township, and Carrie B., wife of Jacob Ketchum. of Westport. Indiana. August 22, 1893. Mr. Benson mar- ried the widow of Sanmel Jones. Mrs. Benson's maiden name was Nancy Monroe. The maternal grandmother of Mr. Benson was Rachael Chilcott. of English stock, who married John Clark and settled in Shelby county in
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the carly days. Mr. Benson's children by his second marriage were : Hanson. who married Lydia Monfort, now deceased; Richard, who married a Monfort. is also deceased: Mary J. : Lavina, wife by successive marriages of Rev. John Nicum, George Reed and John Smith, all now dead. The brothers and sisters of Mr. Benson's father are as follows: Julius L .. M. D., died in Hamilton county, Indiana : Sarah, wife of Aber Colec, both now dead : Alice, deceased : Jesse, a physician in Howard county. Indiana, deceased; John W .; Robert first married Rachel Jones and second Emma Jackson, served in the Mexican war. and died in 1908. in Hamilton county. Indiana; Hiram Y., formerly practiced medicine in Shelby and Decatur counties : Temple, a minister of the Baptist church : Mary, wife of George Davis, both now dead; Saralı, wife of Jacob Kenull.
THE WILLIAMS FAMILY.
Near the village of Barmouth, in the Province of Wales, on the coast of the Irish Sea, under the shadow of Mount Snowden, about the year 1651. was born John Lanier Williams, the person believed to be the paternal ances- tor of the Williams family, of Shelby county, Indiana. Of John Lanier. it is recorded that he was a devout minister of the Quaker persuasion. visiting many of the large cities of England during the course of his ministry. About this time Charles H, King of England. had granted to William Penn forty- eight thousand square miles of land along the Delaware river, In America. where a very important colony of Friends was later established, in which John Lanier Williams established himself in the village of Middletown, in the year 1685. The ancestral mother of this family, who was the wife of patriarch John Lanier, was also a devout woman, but very little is known regarding her history ; however, it is reasonably certain that three sons were born to her in the County of Dauphin. in the Province of Pennsylvania. named Lewis. John and Amos. The last of these, Amos, was the father of Allen Williams, whose grandchildren and lineal descendants, many of them, are today living in this county. The children of Lewis and John attained considerable emi- nence in the councils of the young republic. Their families first went to Vir-
ginia, then to the Carolinas, then to East Tennessee, later farther to the south. The entire Williams family, early in the eighteenth century, moved from Pennsylvania to Hanover county, Virginia. It was here that John Williams. son of Lewis, was born. He was reared to the profession of carpenter. but after the family moved to Sussex county. North Carolina, he studied law. becoming one of the first judges under the State Constitution. and was a delegate to the Continental Congress. 1777-1778. Major Joseph Williams, son of John. was a noted Whig, and, during the Revolutionary war acted as
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adjutant general of North Carolina. He was a member of Congress for three terms, from 1797 to 1803. and was the appointed Land Commissioner for Mississippi. His son. Robert, was born in Sussex county. North Caro- lina, in 1778, and died in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1837. He had. possibly. the most brilliant career of any of the Williams family, as a soldier and states- man. Ile was appointed captain in the Sixth United States Infantry in 1799. but soon resigned and began the study of law, which he practiced in Knox- ville. In 1812 he raised a regiment of mounted volunteers and conducted a vigorous campaign against the Seminole Indians. After his return he was commissioned colonel of the Thirty-ninth United States Infantry, and ordered to the Creek nation, where he took an active part in the battle of Horse Shoe Bend. on the Talapoosa. He served until the close of the War of 1812. He was twice elected United States Senator, serving from 1815 to 1823.
A brother of Robert was Lewis, born in Sussex county, North Carolina. in 1786, and died in Washington City in 1842. He graduated from the Uni- versity of North Carolina in 18OS, and in 1813 he entered political life. first serving in the state Legislature, then took his seat in Congress, to which body he was twelve times returned, remaining a member until his death, which brought forth many eulogies from distinguished members of Congress. John Quincy Adams spoke of him as "the father of the House." A twin brother of Lewis, Thomas Lanier, was also graduated at the University of North Carolina, securing the valedictory honors of his class. He moved with his family to Eastern Tennessee, where he was loaded with official honors, serving as Representative and as one of the judges of the Supreme Court. He was appointed chancellor in 1836. upon the establishment of corporate courts of equity jurisdiction in Tennessee, and served in this high capacity for sixteen years. He was regarded as the father of equity jurisprudence in that state. and during his long judicial career only two of his decisions were reversed.
Amos Williams and his family were distinctively agriculturists, and from the pioneer days to the present none of them seem to have aspired to official or military honors. For one hundred and fifty years, in every war, the descendants of Amos Williams have stood dutiful. loyal citizens, ever asking for a musket to fight in the ranks, disdaining the sword, shoulder-straps and other emblems of authority, content with that element of good citizenship which characterizes the man ever ready for duty in the humblest capacity. Amos Williams was born in Pennsylvania. in 1720, on the Susquehannah river, eighty miles northwest of Philadelphia. He was a Quaker. Personal- ly, he was small of stature, and lived to the remarkable age of one hundred and five years. It is not known whom he married, but his family consisted of four sons and three daughters -- James, Thomas, Allen, Joel, Ann, Elsie and Rachael. It is probable that these children were born in Sussex county. North Carolina. James and Thomas took a conspicuous part in the Revolutionary
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war, but their father, Amos, took no part in the conflict, being religiously op- posed to fighting. After the war this family went to East Tennessee, pos- sibly about 1795. settling in the Sequashia valley. Here Allen Williams. whose immediate descendants live in Shelby county, among his grandsons being . Attorney A. J. Williams, was married to his first wife, and to this union four children were born-Elsie, Phoebe, Hannah and William. Elsie mar- ried Reuben Lawless, and they moved to Kentucky. later to Kansas, where she died in Summer county, in 1878. Phobe married Robert World, moved to Missouri, and died there. Hannah married Hampton Queen, and Wil- liam married a Miss Ralston. in Wayne county. Indiana, and subsequently settled in Clinton county, where he died. After the death of Allen Williams first wife, he married Charity Nations in Overton county, Tennessee, and to this union were born Amos. Allen, Joel, John, Jane, James, Elizabeth, Jack- son, Claborn, Margaret and Wesley, the last named dying in infancy. Of these the first nine were born in Tennessee, the others in Indiana. Allen Wil- liams accumulated considerable property in East Tennessee during his twenty years' residence there. In the early summer of 1816 he started with his large family and twenty head of horses and several wagons loaded with household goods and provisions. for Indiana, then a wilderness. Allen's father accom- panied them. He was then ninety-six years old, but active and a good horse- man. Their long journey through the mountains of Tennessee and Ken- tucky was attended by many adventures and mishaps. Their principal meat was that of bear and deer, obtained by side hunting trips. The entire com- pany of seventeen persons, after a perilous journey, finally landed in Wayne county, Indiana, in the early autumn of 1816, the year the state was admitted to the Union. Here Amos Williams died, and his daughters. Elsie and Rachael, were married. Allen Williams purchased eighty acres of land near Edinburg. in Bartholomew county, in 1820. Here his two children, Mar- garet and Wesley, were born and here his wife, Charity, died in 1826. Allen entered much land for his children in Bartholomew county, also in Johnson county. He lived with his son. Jackson, during most of his remaining life. hunting wild game and assisting to clear and develop the new farm. Ile was a fine marksman, skilled woodsman, and a thorough frontiersman. His death occurred in 1842. Ile had the piercing gray eye, the wiry, tall figure, and the calculating disposition of the pioneer of those early times that tried men's souls. Many of these sterling characteristics were plainly discernible in his children, who were honest, industrious citizens, Init took no particular part in public affairs. James Williams, the last survivor of Allen's family, died in 1897. at the age of eighty-seven years. During his residence of sixty-five years in Clark township. Johnson county, he took a great interest in educa- tional affairs. He was widely known in that county, and regarded as one of its best citizens. Taken as a whole, the lives of the children of Allen Wil-
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