USA > Indiana > Clay County > Counties of Clay and Owen, Indiana : Historical and biographical. > Part 97
USA > Indiana > Owen County > Counties of Clay and Owen, Indiana : Historical and biographical. > Part 97
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TOWN OF SPENCER.
A. A. and Emily Hollembeck, of Springboro, Penn. They have had four children, only two of whom are living-Edna and Frederick H. In politics, Mr. Fowler is a Democrat, and believes in the integrity of the principles of that party. He is a man of spare and slender make-up, but pos- sesses a constitution of great vitality, with indomitable energy, zeal and perseverance, meeting and surmounting all obstacles that come in his way. Whatever he undertakes is undertaken in no sluggish manner, but with a view to success. Possessing all these rare faculties, it is not to be wondered if he has made a success in the journey of life.
FRANKLIN FAMILY .- John Franklin immigrated to the United States from England; he was a cousin to the celebrated Dr. B. Franklin; he died in the State of North Carolina in 1813, at the advanced age of one hundred and three years; his wife, Phœba, died at the age of ninety- six years. His son, Jonathan Franklin, emigrated from North Carolina to the State of Indiana, and died in Owen County, in the year 1870, at the age of ninety-six years. His first wife, Rachel, died in North Caro- lina; by her he had seven children-John, Samuel, Mary, Thomas C., William, David and Henry, all of whom are now dead except Thomas C., who lives in this county, and is eighty-seven years old. By a subse- quent marriage he had nine children-Jonathan, Moses, James, Abner, Joseph, Jane, Jacob, Joshua and Pleasant, only three of whom are yet living, to wit : Moses, Abner and Joshua, and they all reside in this county. The eldest son, Col. John Franklin, was the first of the family to settle in Indiana. He moved to the State and first located in Monroe County, near Ellettsville, in 1816; he shortly afterward located in Owen County, four miles south of Spencer, where he resided until 1849, when he removed to McLean County, Ill., near Lexington, where he died in 1857, aged sixty-four years. He was married in North Carolina in the year 1814, to Mary Puett, daughter of John and Mary Puett. She is still living and resides on the old homestead in Illinois; she is ninety years old. They had eleven children-Mahala, Emily, William M., Nancy, Harriet, John, Elizabeth, Noah, James N., Wesley and Joseph F., four of whom are now dead, to wit: Mahala, Emily, Harriet and Joseph F .; all of the family moved to Illinois except the oldest son, William M., who yet resides in Spencer. Col. John Franklin was one of the prominent men of the county in its early settlement. He had a lim- ited education and was a thrifty farmer, honest and zealously religious, never sought public positions, and was attentive to his own business. The family have generally followed his examples; his oldest son has de- parted a little by making his profession that of a lawyer and holding some public positions. As he is yet a citizen of the county, we give a more extended sketch of his life. He was born February 13, 1820, reared on the farm and inured to hard work. When of age, he taught school and obtained a reasonable education at Asbury University; he commenced the study of the law and took a course of lectures at the State University at Bloomington; he was married to Miss Mary D. Ritter May 6, 1844, by whom he has had nine children, five of whom are living, to wit: Virginia, Eudora, Benjamin, Ida and William. He served one term in the State Legislature in 1849 and 1850; one term as Prosecutor in the old judicial circuit presided over by Judge David Mc- Donald, in 1851 and 1852; one term as Common Pleas Judge from 1852 to 1856; another term as Common Pleas Judge from 1864 to 1868, and a term as Circuit Judge from 1870 to 1876; one term as Supreme Court
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:
Commissioner from April, 1881, to April, 1883, and is now serving a second term of two years in the same position. He has always taken an active part in politics, being a Democrat of the regular school, has been a Presidential Elector and a delegate to some of the National Conven- tions, and generally to the State and District Conventions. He has been a zealous member of the Christian Church for over forty years, and a faithful Sunday school worker. He is liberal in the support of the church and all public enterprises; it is largely attributable to his efforts that the Indianapolis & Vincennes Railroad was built; and by his industry and economy, he has accumulated a competency for old age and the support of his family.
SAMUEL FRANKLIN is the third and only living child of Thomas C. and Ersley (Cline) Franklin. The father is a native of North Caro- lina, and came to Owen County in 1818. He entered the land where the poor-farm now is, and lived there until his first wife's death. He then sold his farm, and moved to Spencer, where for one year he carried on general merchandising. After this he built the Moore House, and under the name of Spencer House ran it for one year. He also built the block known as the Post Office Block, since which time he has farmed about four and one-half miles from Spencer. He now resides in Spencer. He was for fifty-four years an ordained minister of the Baptist Church. The mother was a native of Owen County, and died December 17, 1871. Our subject was born in Spencer on December 10, 1855, where he ob- tained a good education, and when nineteen years of age began learning the tinner's trade with F. T. Batterton, of Spencer. After three years' apprenticeship, he worked at his trade in Freedom for some time, and then returned to Spencer, where he followed his trade for another year. In 1880, he went to Morgantown, Morgan County, and worked for J. S. Coleman, a tinner. Thence he went to Vincennes, where he was em- ployed, and remained until the fall of the same year, when on account of poor health he again returned to Spencer. In the following spring, he went to work for Mr. Batterton again, and in 1883 he purchased an interest in the business, the firm name at present being Batterton & Franklin. They are accomodating and energetic hardware merchants and tinners, and in every way worthy of the patronage so liberally bestowed upon them. Mr. Franklin was married in 1876 to Una S. Hough, a native of Owen County. He is a member of the Democratic party.
FRANCIS H. FREELAND, a prominent and influential citizen of Spencer, Owen County, Ind., is the third son and fifth child of John R. and Ann (Hance) Freeland, natives of Maryland, and of English and German extraction respectively. He was born in Spencer March 22, 1836. His early youth was spent upon the farm and at the public schools, where he acquired a good education. From the age of eighteen to twenty-three years, he was engaged as clerk in a dry goods store in his native town. In 1861, he enrolled as a musician in the Fourteenth In- diana Volunteers, under Col. Kimball, and in August, 1862, was honor- ably discharged, by virtue of an act of Congress discontinuing the service of Regimental Bands. He enlisted as private soldier March, 1864, at Chicago, Ill., in Company I, First Illinois Light Artillery, and served to the close of the war. He participated in the battle of Nashville, Tenn., and a number of skirmishes as well. In March, 1866, he entered the Auditor's office of Owen County, as Deputy to D. Phillips, and held
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TOWN OF SPENCER.
the position until elected Auditor in 1874. In the fall of 1875, he assumed the duties of this office. In 1880, he began merchandising, which, at the end of one year, he gave up, and again became Deputy Auditor, which position he holds at present. He is Secretary of the Spencer Mill Company, and also of the Spencer Ice Company, in each of which he owns the largest individual share. He was married, in 1867, to Martha Perry, of Spencer, by whom there is one child -- Ada. Mr. Freeland is a wide-awake Democrat, and has the respect of that party. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M., of the K. of P., K. of H. and of Eden Lodge. He has been wholly dependent upon his own resources in the battle of life, and by hard work and good management has accumu- lated his own fortune.
EMANUEL FULK, was born in Lafayette Township, Owen County, Ind., April 30, 1827. He is the third in a family of twelve children born to Jonas and Catharine (Arney) Fulk, natives of North Carolina. They came to Indiana in 1820, and located in Washington County. Two years later they came to Owen County, and settled in Lafayette Township, where they entered a farm of 200 acres of good land which they cleared and lived upon until the father's death, which occurred May, 1876, having survived his wife twenty years. When Emanuel was eighteen years of age he entered eighty acres of land in Lafayette Township, began clearing a farm and added to it until he had 120 acres. He farmed until 1871, when he was elected Recorder of Owen County on the Democratic ticket, and after serving for four years he returned to his farm. In 1877, he again returned to Spencer, having been appointed Deputy County Treasurer with G. W. Ellis, and served two terms of office. He was re-elected with Mr. Megenhart (the present County Treasurer), and now creditably fills this office. In connection with his official duties, he continued managing his farm of 200 acres. He served a term as Trustee in Lafayette Township, and after his removal to Spencer served as City Treasurer in 1881 and 1882. He was married in 1849 to Melissa Long, daughter of Jacob and Mary Long, early settlers in Owen County. By this union there were four children-Isabella, Mary C., Sarah M., and Harriet J. (deceased). His wife died in April, 1879, and he was married in March, 1881, to Indiamoa Johnson, daughter of Findley B. Johnson, one of the earliest pioneers of Owen County. Mr. Fulk is a member of the A. F. & A. M., and also of the Christian Church.
ANDREW J. GLOVER, druggist, is a native of Owen County, Ind., born November 10, 1830. He is the fifth in a family of thirteen children born to William and Nancy (Anderson) Glover. His parents came to Owen County from Kentucky in 1826, and located in Owen County, near Gosport, where they remained for several years. They then moved to a farm north of Spencer, where the mother at present resides. The father died on the farm, in 1863. Andrew commenced farming and stock-raising when eighteen years of age, and continued in it for several years. In 1859, he engaged in pork packing at Gosport, and remained there until 1874. He was also in Indianapolis engaged in the same business during the year 1872-73. About this time he lost $70,000 through going the security for different persons in Gosport. Yet not- withstanding his misfortunes, he struggled on, again went to farming and trading in stock, and in June of this year (1883), he purchased a drug store, and is at present doing a lucrative business in Spencer. In June, 1851, he was married to Elizabeth Alverson, daughter of Wesley
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:
and Savina Alverson, old and respected pinoeers of Owen County. To this union were born eight children. He subsequently, in 1871, married Eliza Stewart. Mr. Glover is a member of the Democratic party, and is ranked among the most substantial business men of Spencer. J. R. GREENE is a native of Indiana, and was born in Jamestown, Boone County, June 23, 1854. His parents, James and Tabitha A. (Hale) Greene, were married in Indiana, and died, the mother in 1860, in Salem, Ind., the father at Crawfordsville, Ind., in 1874. Our sub- ject is the eldest of two children, and was reared at Crawfordsville, where he obtained a good education. When sixteen years of age, he went to Greencastle, Putnam County, and entered the employ of Hays & Brother, dealers in general merchandise. About one year later, he was employed by the Greencastle Street Railway Company as conductor; he served for one year, and then became clerk in Boswell & Brother's general merchan- dise store. In 1878, he formed a partnership with Maj. F. H. Boswell in the grocery business, and in about two years sold his interest to Mr. Boswell, came to Spencer, went into the grocery business, and in six months after became partner of J. M. Sadler and Charles R. Ellis, under the firm name of Sadler, Greene & Co. They had two mammoth stores. In 1881, Mr. Sadler went out, and the firm still continued, under the name of Greene & Ellis. In 1882, the firm name was changed to Greene, Ellis & Egnor. In December of the same year, Mr. Ellis withdrew, and the firm has since been Greene & Egnor. They are both industrious, en- terprising men, and do a flourishing business. In 1878, Mr. Greene was married to Miss Kate Dean, of Greencastle. By this union there have been two children-Grace and Ralph. He is a member of the K. of P., and of the I. O. O. F. Mrs. Greene is a faithful member of the Presby- terian Church.
J. W. EGNOR is a native of Ohio, and was born in Cincinnati March 18, 1852. His parents, James B. and Emily (Barnes) Egnor, both na- tives of Virginia, came to Indiana from Ohio when he was one year old, and settled near Madison, Ind., where they lived until their father's death, which occurred in 1860. He is the sixth child in a family of seven children, and when twelve years of age his mother went with her family to Greencastle, Putnam County. Three years later, he entered the employ of Lyno & Weik, grocers of Greencastle. He remained with this firm for seven years, when he was employed by the American Ex- press Company at Greencastle for about two years, after which he opened a grocery store and run it about one year and a half. In August of 1879, he came to Spencer and was in the employ of Sadler, Greene & Co. Shortly after this, Mr. Sadler withdrew from the firm. Mr. Egnor still continued in the employ of Greene & Ellis, and in 1882 he became a partner in the firm, and it continued under the name of Greene, Ellis & Egnor. In December of the same year, Messrs. Greene & Egnor pur- chased the interest of C. R. Ellis, and the firm name is at present Greene & Egnor. Our subject was married, in 1877, to Myra E. Craft, daughter of John B. Craft, a citizen of Brazil. By this union there are two chil- dren-Carrie E. and Paul B. Mr. Egnor's mother at present resides with him in Spencer. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and the K. of P. Lodge. His wife is a member of the Christian Church.
HENRY C. GROOMS was born in December, 1844, in Jefferson County, Ind. His parents, William M. and Mary (Kennedy) Grooms, natives of Kentucky, moved to Madison, Ind., in an early day, and were
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TOWN OF SPENCER.
among the earliest settlers. The father had the first tailor shop there, in which business he continued several years, finally removing to a farm eight miles from Madison, where, in 1864, he died. The mother has since continued to reside in Madison. Henry C. is the fifth in a family of six children, and was raised in his native county, where his education was gained. When eighteen years of age, he enlisted in Company I, Ninth Indiana Volunteers, and two years later in Company D, Thirteenth Indiana Volunteers, during which time he participated in several bat- tles. In the battle of the Wilderness, he was taken prisoner, and for some time was incarcerated in Libby Prison. In 1869, he came to Spencer and assisted in the building of the Indianapolis & Vincennes Railroad, as foreman of bridges and buildings. Mr. Grooms is a mem- ber of the I. O. O. F., and is a charter member of the K. of H." He and his wife are both members of K. &. L. of H., also of the Presbyte- rian Church. Mr. Grooms was married in March, 1866, to Elma E. Davidson, daughter of James and Leanna Davidson. By this union there were five children-Henry W., Lelia I., Agnes (deceased), Frank B. and Clay. Mr. Grooms is highly esteemed as a citizen, always ready to assist in any public enterprise. C
WILLIAM R. GWIN, an enterprising farmer, was born in Owen County, February 24, 1823. He was the seventh child of eight children, and received as good an education as those primitive times afforded. Previous to his birth, his parents, Thomas and Nancy (Orum) Gwin, had moved from Kentucky to Van Buren Township, Ind., where they lived for several years. The father died in 1841, the mother in 1875. The subject of this sketch was married, in 1847, to Mary A. Burk, a na- tive of Kentucky. After marriage, he settled on a farm of his own in Van Buren Township, Monroe County, which he cleared and highly im- proved. He lived in Monroe County for fifty-two years. In 1875, he traded his farm for a farm in Greene County, moved there and remained for four years, after which he traded for property in Spencer, where he now resides. Mr. Gwin is the father of seven children. He has been a consistent member of the Christian Church for forty-four years, and is a stanch Republican.
CHRISTOPHER HAASE was born in Morgan County, Ind., June 4, 1844. His parents, Isaac and Susan (Parker) Haase, immigrated to Indiana from North Carolina in an early day, and located in Morgan County on a farm, where they remained until the death of his mother. The father still lives on the old home farm. Christopher is the fifth in a family of ten children, and was reared on the farm in Morgan County. When twelve years old, he went to work on a farm near his home, and continued in this way until eighteen years of age, meanwhile attending school occasionally, when he went West and remained for about two years. He then returned to Morgan County, and went into the saw mill business with his cousin, A. Haase. They introduced the first circular saw mill into Morgan County, and continued in this business for about eight years. In 1873, he came to Spencer and ran a saloon for about two years, after which he went to Clay County, bought a saw mill, which he ran for eighteen months, and then sold out. He returned to Spencer, again went into the saloon business, and after one year in this, he was employed by Howard & Denning in the " State House Stone Quarries," where he worked for some time, and returning to Spencer, went into the drug business, but afterward started a restaurant on the south side of the
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:
square, and is now doing a successful business. In 1869, he was mar- ried to Marietta Mosier, of Morgan County. They had one child which died in infancy. Mr. Haase is a stanch Democrat. His wife is a con- sistent member of the Baptist Church.
J. E. HANCOCK, second child and son of Joseph and Margaret (Vaughn) Hancock, was born December 26, 1859, in Spencer, Owen Co., Ind. His parents came to Indiana and settled in Spencer. In 1863, they went to their farm in Franklin Township and remained for five years, removing thence to Newton County, Mo., where his father farmed until 1870. He then moved to Kansas, farmed for two and a half years, and thence moved to the Indian Territory, where, after resid- ing a short time, he returned to Spencer and at present resides there. J. E. Hancock was educated partially in Owen County and in the various other places where his parents had lived. When sixteen years of age, he began learning the blacksmith trade with Luther Smith. He re- mained with him for four years, and then went to Howesville, Clay Co., Ind., where he worked at his trade for one year, returning thence to Spencer. He has since resided here with the exception of about two years while brakeman on the Indianapolis & Vincennes Railroad. He was married on May 21, 1883, to Lettie P. Rosse, daughter of Henry Rosse, a prominent and influential citizen of Clay County. Mr. Han- cock is politically a Democrat.
RICHARD T. HARDIN is a native of Owen County, and was born February 17, 1845. He is the fourth in a family of five children, and was reared and educated in Owen County. His parents, Jesse T. and Nancy (Green) Hardin, came to Indiana from Ohio, and located in Spen- cer, where they resided until his mother's death, which occurred in 1847. The father died in Missouri in 1882. When sixteen years of age, Richard enlisted in Company F, Thirty-first Indiana Volunteers, and served until the close of the war, under Capt. Squares. He took part in the follow- ing engagements: Fort Donelson, Fort Henry, Shiloh, Corinth, Stone River, Chickamauga, Rocky Face, Resaca, Dallas Woods and others. At the close of the war, he came home to Owen County for a short time; he then went to Centreville, Vigo County, and tended bar eight months. He then went to Champaign County, Ill., and worked on a farm for one year, after which he returned and worked on the Indianapolis & Vincennes Railroad for quite awhile. He then went to Illinois and farmed two or three years longer; came back to Spencer and again went to work on the Indianapolis & Vincennes Railroad. He was next in a lumber yard, and was employed by Mr. Schwitzer to work in the stone quarry. In 1874, he commenced tending bar for Mr. Stockwell, and finally purchased the saloon. He is now enjoying a lucrative business here. He is recognized as one of Spencer's solid business men, and is a member of the K. of P., also of the Grand Army of the Republic. Politically, he is a Democrat.
J. R. HARROLD, grocer, is a native of Morgan County, and was born in Mooresville September 22, 1834. His parents, Thomas and Sarah (Rooker) Harrold, were natives respectively of Ohio and Tennes- see. They came to Indiana at a very early date with their parents, and settled in Morgan County, where they reared a family of nine children, and lived until 1849, when the father died. The mother is now living : in Owen County. J. R. Harrold was the fourth child, and received as good an education as the Morgan County Schools afforded, and in 1852
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TOWN OF SPENCER.
he began learning the blacksmith trade with Henderson & Johnson, of Mooresville, after which he was with another firm for one year. In 1855, he opened a blacksmith shop of his own, which he ran until 1858, when he came to Spencer, where he worked at his trade for four years, and then went to Lancaster, Owen County, and stayed about four months. He then enlisted in Company F, Seventy-first Indiana Volunteers. Later on, he was changed to the Sixth Indiana Cavalry, under Capt. Rockwell. He served for two years in this company, and then enlisted in the One Hundred and Forty-ninth Indiana Volunteers, and served until the close of the war. He participated in the battle of Richmond, Ky., where he was captured and detained for about one week, when he was exchanged. He was also in the battle of Muldraugh Hill, where he was again captured and immediately exchanged. At the close of the war, he returned to Lancaster, Owen County, and began working at his trade there until 1880, when he again came to Spencer, and in May, 1883, formed a part- nership with J. W. Anderson, and purchased the stock of groceries of Layman & Shurley, on the north side of the square, where they are at present doing a flourishing business. Mr. Harrold was married, in 1856, to Eliza J. Stephenson, daughter of Joseph Stephenson, an old and re- spected pioneer of Owen County. He is a member of the K. of P., of the I. O. O. F., has been a member of the A. F. & A. M. for twenty years, and is a member of the Christian Church.
SAMUEL E. HARWOOD was born near Nashville, Tenn., Decem- ber 20, 1848. His parents were natives of Tennessee. In 1851, they went to Gibson County, Tenn., where they remained for thirteen years, after which time they removed to Kentucky, and thence to Carbondale, Ill., where they at present reside. The subject of this sketch is the eldest of six children. He attended both private and public school, and received a good education. His one desire was to attend college, in which he was disappointed, having to start early in life to make his own living. He began in 1867 by teaching school in a log schoolhouse in the neighboring district. He taught six-month schools in 1868 and 1869, and in 1871 and 1872 he was in Elkville, Ill., where he taught for nine months. Mr. Harwood was Principal of the Carbondale Schools during the years 1872 and 1873, immediately after which he entered the class of 1873 at Bloomington, Ind., and graduated in 1876. During this same year he represented the university at Greencastle in a State contest in oratory, and also obtained a State certificate in Illinois. He was next Principal in the upper schools at Grand Tower, Ill., for three years, after which time he was appointed Superintendent of the Carbon- dale Schools. After two years' service, he came to Indiana in 1881; while in Spencer he was employed as Superintendent of the schools there. He took this position in August, 1881, and has since creditably dis- charged all duties devolving upon him. He was married in Spencer, in May, 1878, to Carrie E. Howe, daughter of Amon and Harriet C. Howe, who for many years conducted the National in Spencer. The wife died in 1881. There was one child by this union, a daughter, who died in infancy. In 1878, he published "Harwood's Writing Speller." In August, 1883, he was united in marriage to Nina Scott, of Spencer. He is a Methodist and Prohibitionist.
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