Counties of Morgan, Monroe, and Brown, Indiana. Historical and biographical, Part 31

Author: Blanchard, Charles, fl. 1882-1900, ed. cn
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, F. A. Battey & co.
Number of Pages: 814

USA > Indiana > Brown County > Counties of Morgan, Monroe, and Brown, Indiana. Historical and biographical > Part 31
USA > Indiana > Monroe County > Counties of Morgan, Monroe, and Brown, Indiana. Historical and biographical > Part 31
USA > Indiana > Morgan County > Counties of Morgan, Monroe, and Brown, Indiana. Historical and biographical > Part 31

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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tion. The late panic came nearly bankrupting him financially, but left his energy and business ability unimpaired. He is a prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, a Republican, an advocate of temperance, and a public speaker of merit and a progressive citizen.

BENJAMIN THORNBURGH (deceased) was born September 25, 1797, in Mercer County, Ky. In 1808, his parents moved to Indiana Territory, and settlel one mile southwest of Salem, on Blue River, in Washington County. He lived with his father on the farm until his twentieth year, when he was married to Susan Monical on the 20th day of February, 1817, by Rev. James Harbison. During the war of 1812, he joined the Territorial army of the frontier under the proclamation of Gov. Jennings, and helped to build several block-houses for defense, into which the early settlers fled for protection from the Indians. He enlisted under Maj. William Hockett, and they sent out pickets who passed over the country from where Fredericksburg now stands to Liv- onia and Brownstown. They built a fort near Salem, in which his par- ents remained about three months before the close of the war. In April, 1822, he moved to Morgan County and settled on the east side of White Lick, near where Brooklyn now stands. He assisted his father-in-law, Peter Monical, in building the first permanent dam across White Lick, at Brooklyn. In about 1825, he entered the land from Congress, which he cultivated and lived upon until his death, which occurred on the 13th of November, 1883, at the advanced age of eighty-six. He joined the Meth- odist Episcopal Church in August, 1816, and was licensed as an exhorter in 1833, by Eli P. Farmer. He was a firm believer in the truth of the Bible and in the Christian religion. and tried to follow out every day, during his long and eventful life, the principles taught in that great Book. He was among the first to speak out against licensed saloons in Mooresville. He never had a law suit with any one, but peace seemed to crown his pathway, and he closed his life in full hope of im- mortality and eternal life.

BENJAMIN F. TROGDON, farmer and stock dealer of Brown Township, Morgan County, Ind., second of the twelve children of Joel J. and Sallie I. (Julian) Trogdon, was born in Randolph County, N. C., February 15, 1847. His parents emigrated from Carolina to Missouri, and from there came to Indiana in 1865, our subject having at that time been in Morgan County about five years. Benjamin grew to manhood on a farm, and at the common schools acquired the rudiments of an En- glish education. On February 9, 1864, he enlisted in Company L, Twenty-first Regiment, First Indiana Heavy Artillery, and served until January 10, 1866. August 17 following, having laid aside the accou- terments of war, he donned those of a true civilian, and forgetting not the many pretty promises he had made, and remembering the heart that beat most wildly as two tearful eyes glanced over the dispatches that told of the booming of the cannon at the siege of Mobile, he led to the altar El- mira J. Moon, and there took upon himself the obligation which enrolled him again in the service of his country, and though his commission en- titles him not to gilt bands and epaulets, he is nevertheless captain of the host which to the time of sweetest music engendered by happy hearts goes marching on, making the world better for having lived in it. Mr. and Mrs. Trogden are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. They have had born to them four children-Ada B. (deceased), Lena D., Glenney V. and Ida May. Mr. T. is a self-made man, and there is

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nothing in his make-up that he need be ashamed of. He belongs to the I. O. O. F. and G. A. R.

REV. JOHN ANTHONY WARD was born in Rock Island County, Ill., December 25, 1839, and is the second son and fourth child born to Stephen and Adaline (Baxter) Ward, natives respectively of North Carolina and Ohio, and of English extraction. The family came into Indiana in 1846 and located in Putnam County, where they resided several years, coming finally into Morgan County in 1857. John Anthony was reared upon a farm, and educated at the public schools, two terms of which he afterward taught. On February 16, 1860, he was married in Morgan County to Sylvina Farmer, and on August 12, 1862, enrolled at Indianapolis in Company D, Seventieth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served about three years.

He was with this regiment in many bloody engagements and escaped without injury. At Peach Tree Creek, Ga., he contracted chronic dysentery, from which he has never fully recovered. He has six children living-Laura L., Charles G., Luella Ann, Harry H., John S., Walter R. and Francis Asbury (deceased). He united with the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1858, and in the fall of 1865 was licensed local preacher, and a year afterward entered the traveling connection. In 1868, he was ordained Deacon, and in Septem- ber, 1870, graduated in the theological course of study, and was regularly ordained Elder at Bloomington, Ind. In the fall of 1866, he was assigned to Francisco Circuit (Gibson County, Ind.), and has since devoted his entire time to the service of the Master. The Rev. Mr. Ward is a forcible and argumentative speaker. He has received into church membership not less than 1,200 persons. He ook charge of the Methodist Episcopal congregation at Mooresville in 1881, and is at this time upon the last year of the maximum limit according to the rules of the church. He is purely a self-made man; belongs to the Masonic order, and ignores politics.

WILLIAM FLETCHER WHITE was born in Putnam County, Ind., November 1, 1842, and is the second son and fourth child of John and Cynthia (Ruggles) White, natives of Virginia and Kentucky respectively. William F. was twenty-eight years of age before he left the parental roof for the purpose of making a home for himself. The vigorous exer- cises incident to farm life, and the tutelage of the public schools had supplied him with both muscle and a fair English education before he arrived at his majority. In the spring of 1861, he enlisted in the three months' service as a private in Company H, Tenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and in the summer of 1862, did the sixty-day service in the Seventy-eighth Indiana. At Uniontown, Ky., the enemy " gobbled him up" and put a temporary "embargo" upon his soldiering. However, being full of patriotism and "fight," and having been exchanged as prisoner of war, he enlisted October, 1863, in Company F, One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Indiana Volunteer Infantry; was promoted to a non- commissioned office, and stayed with them until August 25, 1865. He fought the enemy at Richmond, Ky., Resaca, Ga., and in the Atlanta campaign, at Nashville, at Franklin, at Kingston, N. C., and at Kene- saw Mountain; and when the war was over, returned to his home as sound as a dollar. From 1866 to 1871, he worked at carriage-making in Green- castle, and in 1872 canvassed a few months in the picture business. He came to Mooresville in October of the latter year, and for five years worked as "journeyman " at his trade. In 1877, the firm of White &

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Shanafelt, carriage manufacturers, was organized, and has proved a suc- cess. Mr. White was married, December 25, 1873, to Ladoskey Jenkins, and has had born to him two children-Jessie Pearl and Arthur Earl. Mr. and Mrs. White are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the voting one of the family is a Republican.

MICHAEL M. WILSON was born in Guilford County, N. C., on July 6, 1838, and was twenty years old when he came to Morgan County. His life has been spent upon the farm, and his learning, consisting of a fair English education, was not acquired at school. He was married, February 10, 1861, at Mooresville, to Margaret, daughter of Hiram Staley, and has had born to him ten children-William M., John B., Mary C., Peter F., Charley O. (deceased), Michael M., Cora (deceased), Thomas M. (deceased), Robert R. and India P. His parents, Louis and Mary (Coble) Wilson, were natives of North Carolina; came to Indiana in 1865, and have since resided in Morgan County, and at this writing are both octogenarians. They had five children, four sons and one daughter; the eldest being the subject of this sketch. Since July, 1883, M. M. Wilson, in addition to his farming and stock growing, has been engaged in the buying and shipping of grain at Mooresville. He is well fixed financially, every dollar of which has been acquired by his own industry. He be- longs to the Methodist Episcopal Church; holds official positions in both Masonic and Odd Fellows societies, and in politics is a Democrat.

WILLIAM HENRY PRESLY WOODWARD is descended from the English and Welsh. His parents, William and Lavina (Munsee) Wood- ward, spent their lives in Virginia-the mother, who lived seventeen years after the death of the father, having died in 1834. They had three children; the youngest, William H. P., was born in Lee County, Va., September 30, 1816, and came to Mooresville in the spring of 1835, having walked all the way. From fourteen to eighteen years of age, he learned the tailor's trade, and followed it for several years after coming to Mooresville. October 17, 1839, he was married to Keziah Bray, daughter of John H. Bray, one of the early settlers of Morgan County. She bore him five children, two of whom-Sarah and Ella-were living at her death, December 1, 1858. August 25, 1859, our subject married Lydia E. Thompson, who has borne him one child-Mattie, wife of W. A. Comer, of Martinsville, Ind. In 1853, Mr. Woodward accepted a clerkship with Holman Johnson in the mercantile business, and at the end of four years, in partnership with D. Fogleman, bought his employer out, since which time he has continued in the goods busi- ness, Mr. Fogleman having retired from the firm in 1856. July 3, 1881, his business house was consumed by fire, as was also much of his stock; but by the fall of the same year he had rebuilt, and was again in busi- ness at the old stand. He received little schooling. His father was a school-teacher, but his step-father took no interest in him. Mr. W. is a prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and a Republican. He inherited from his father one old book, and from his grandfather $65. What else he has has been acquired by his industry, and though some- what crippled by the burning of his store and by friends (?), for whom he unwisely indorsed, he is yet full of life and energy, and possessed of sufficient property to insure ease and tranquillity to his declining vears.

HENRY L. WOODWARD is the fourth son of Clark and Ann (Warren) Woodward, natives of Vermont and Ohio respectively, and was born in Jefferson County, Ind., October 26, 1840. He accompanied

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his parents to Mooresville in the summer of 1861, and here he has since remained. His father, who died at the age of seventy-two years, was Postmaster at Mooresville from the year 1861 to 1864-65, and was suc- ceeded therein by the subject of this sketch, who held the office for several years, carrying on the boot and shoe business at the same time. In 1873, he formed a partnership with Reuben Harris in the grocery business. In 1875, Mr. Harris sold out to James Hinson, and the business was con- tinued under the firm name of Woodward & Hinson until November, 1879, since which time Mr. Woodward has been alone. In February, 1873, he was married in Mooresville to Artie, daughter of William Rose, of Ohio, and has had born to him four children -- Luther, Walter, Charles and Sadie. From about the year 1868 to 1880, excepting prob- ably one year of the time, Mr. Woodward held the office of Clerk of the town of Mooresville. He is a member of the Methodist / Episcopal Church, a Republican, a good citizen, an honorable merchant, and does the leading grocery business of Mooresville.

JACKSON TOWNSHIP AND MORGANTOWN.

HUGH ADAMS, pioneer farmer and stock-raiser, was born April 11, 1808, in Henry County, Ky., and is the eleventh of the fourteen children of David and Polly (Kephart) Adams, the former a native of Ireland, the latter of Germany, and respectively of Irish and German descent. David Adams came to this county about 1830, remained awhile and returned to Kentucky, then came back, and here finished his course of life. Hugh Adams was brought up to farming, and located in this township in 1832, which has since been his residence, he living now upon his original entry of 120 acres, to which he has added 180, making a large farm, well improved and stocked. When he was eighteen years old, he became an apprentice to the blacksmithing trade, which he set up in Morgantown and continued five years. He afterward engaged in farming, working alternately on the land and in his shop; but after 1869, he devoted himself entirely to his farm and stock-raising. Mr. Adams has been twice married-first, Janu- ary 8, 1829, with Miss Ruth Paton. who bore ten children-Charity, David, Mary J., Elizabeth, Christina, Ruth (deceased), C. H., Amy, Sarah (de- ceased), and an infant deceased. His second marriage was with Mrs. Eunice Kephart, August 26, 1875. Mr. Adams is a Democrat, and gave his first vote for Gen. Jackson. His career has been honorable and his life a useful one. He and wife are members of the Baptist Church.

JACOB ADAMS, farmer and stock raiser, was born in this township July 24, 1829, and is the eldest of the six children of Henry and Amy (Kephart) Adams, both natives of Kentucky, and of Irish and German descent respectively, who came to and settled in this vicinity in 1828. Jacob attended school some time during the winters,and worked on the farm in other seasons until he was twenty-five years of age, when he began the effort of taking care of himself, as a help to which he received 100 acres of rich land as a parental reward. April 13, 1854, he wedded Miss Mary Lake, a native of Virginia, which marriage gave being to six children- George A., Rebecca A. (deceased), Henry A., John J. C., Hendricks V.

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and infant. Mr. Adams is an esteemed member of the Masonic frater- nity, of the Knights of Honor, and also of the Democratic party, and has served his township seven years as Trustee and four years as Assessor. He is an advocate of all good and progressive measures, a well-to-do farmer and able manager. Mrs. Adams is a member of the Missionary Bap- tist Church.

SAMUEL T. ADAMS, farmer and stock-raiser, is a native of this township, was born May 19, 1848, and is the fourth of the eight children of Henry and Nancy (Slusser) Adams. Samuel T. Adams received a common school education, and was reared to the venerable business of farming. He worked for his parents until he was twenty-five years of age, at which period he began life on his own account, his father pre- senting him with eighty acres of good land, on which he has erected buildings and added other improvements, making a good home and a de- sirable property. May 25, 1873, he married Miss Jemima Kephart, a native of Owen County, and to which union five children have been be- stowed-Nancy O., deceased; William H .; Charity J., deceased; Ida M., deceased; and an infant unnamed. Mr. Adams is an energetic Demo- crat, a rational and charitable gentleman, and a prosperous farmer and stock breeder. Mr. and Mrs. Adams are highly respected members of their community.

JOSEPH ADAMS, stock-raiser and farmer, is a native of this town- ship, was born March 22, 1852, and is the eighth of the twelve children of Henry and Nancy (Sluser) Adams, the former a native of Kentucky, · the latter of Virginia, and of English and German extraction respect- ively. Joseph Adams was reared to the farming profession, and received a fair education. He is the owner of eighty acres of good land; his father-who is now residing with him in his age-having given to each of his children some assistance. Recently Mr. Adams has added forty acres to the paternal gift, making a valuable property and a desirable home. He is a Democrat by political preference, and a liberal and re- garded citizen. Thus far he has been successful in the battle for inde- pendence, and, with his good management and bright foresight he must become one of the prosperous farmers of his section.

JOHN ADAMS, farmer and stock-raiser, was born December 14, 1834, in this township, and is the second of the fourteen children of Jacob and Julia A. (Shell) Adams, the former a native of Kentucky, the latter of East Tennessee, and of Irish and German descent respectively. Jacob Adams came hither about 1830, married, went back to Kentucky for about two years, when he returned to this county and reared a family. In 1862, he was elected County Treasurer; he is now a resident of Kansas. John Adams gave his boyhood to the labor of the farm, during which he ob- tained about three months schooling each year; but he qualified himself by self-study, and has taught two terms of school. November 20, 1856, he married Miss Ann Lake, a native of this county, which union was fol- lowed by ten children, eight of whom were named Leroy, Joseph S., Jacob (deceased), Mary A., William K., Amanda C., Elizabeth and George H. Mr. Adams has managed his business successfully, now having two good farms, and dealing somewhat in stock. In politics, he has always been a Democrat, and was elected Township Trustee in 1866, which office he held for three terms. Mr. Adams is a liberal citizen, an advocate of public education, and a member of the Knights of Honor. Mrs. Adams is an esteemed member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

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GEN. WILL A. ADAMS (deceased) was born near Greenville, E. Tenn., October 24, 1839, and was the eldest of the family of David B. and Desdemona (Orto) Adams, natives of Tennessee, and of Scotch de- scent, who moved to Brown County, Ind., in 1849, where our subject was educated. During the war-1861-he enlisted in Company C, Twenty- second Indiana Volunteers, at which time he was Clerk of the Circuit Court of Brown County. He was made Second Lieutenant, and, from efficiency and valor, promoted again and again, until at the close of the war he was Colonel of the One Hundred and Forty-fifth Indiana Regi- ment, and, when discharged, a Brigadier General. He was a brave, hon- orable, worthy officer, and an affable and respected gentleman. After the war, he engaged in merchandising in Brown County, in which, as in all his efforts, he was signally successful, and happy in obtaining the confi- dence of the community. Mr. Adams married, July 9, 1861, Miss Mary K. Butler, of Belmont County, Ohio, with an issue of four children- Amanda (born September 19, 1865), Ada L. (born May 1, 1868, died January 12, 1869), Edwin B. (born January 19, 1870, died August 6, 1876) and Emma D. (born August 11, 1872). In the midst of his useful- ness, and in all his well-earned glory, the great ravager, consumption, laid untimely hands upon him, and carried him through death to greater victory than any earth had given him. He was a true member of the Masonic fraternity, and also of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His funeral was large, and his body was interred in the peerless ceremony of Freemasonry. In politics, he was Republican. He left his widow well cared for, and provided for his children a fair beginning.

EZRA H. BRIGGS, stock-raiser and farmer, was born October 8, 1823, in Franklin County, Mass., and is the ninth of the thirteen chil- dren born to Simeon and Elizabeth (Saddler) Briggs, natives of Massa- chusetts and of English extraction. Ezra was reared a farmer, and remained in his native county until he was twenty six years old, at which time he came to this State and settled in Dearborn County, where he was engaged at farming for several years. In 1863, he came to Morgan County, which has since been his home. Mr. Briggs is a member of the Republican party, by which he is very highly regarded, and was elected in the spring of 1872 Assessor of this township. He is a man of liberal views, of generous character and a prosperous farmer and raiser of stock.

GEORGE E. BRONSON was born in Summit County, Ohio, Janu- ary 25, 1823. He is a deaf mute, in consequence of early inflammation of the drums of the ears. He graduated at the Deaf and Dumb Insti- tute at Columbus, Ohio, where he remained five years, and later learned the printing trade in Cleveland; but, becoming discouraged, he went to work for the Recorder of Lenawee County, Mich .; moved thence to De- troit and was in the Auditor's office, where he remained three months; thence he went to Milwaukee and thence to Iowa City, where he became a legislative clerk, and afterward worked in the Recorder's office at St. Louis. He was later appointed Principal of the Deaf and Dumb Insti- tute at Nashville, Tenn., where he remained until the war began, after which he purchased 200 acres of land, and made a trial of farming. July 14, 1852, he married Lucy C. Blacknall, of Tennessee, the result of which union was ten children-Josephine Alice, Charles Egbert, Benja- min Franklin, Emma Dora, Abraham Lincoln, Fannie Lisslie, Clarence Ashley, Silas Alling, Mildred Maggie and Ida Lucy. After the death of his first wife, Mr. Bronson wedded, in Logansport, Ind., Annie Barnes;

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this marriage took place May 5, 1874, and was followed by five children: Effie Nellie, Cassie Mabel, Jessie Edna, Myrtle Maud and George Eg- bert, Jr. In 1868, he sold his Tennessee property and moved to Morgan- town, Ind. His father bequeathed him $15,000 and his uncle a like amount.

W. H. BUTLER, M. D., prominent physician and surgeon of Mor- gantown, was born January 15, 1846, in Jennings County, Ind., and is the fourth of the six children of George and Eliza (Stott) Butler, na- tives of Kentucky, and of Irish and English descent respectively. They removed to Bartholomew County, Ind., where our subject received some education, worked on the farm, and grew to manhood, having sufficient money to pay for three years' tuition at Hartsville. December 4, 1863, he enlisted in Company A, One Hundred and Twentieth Regiment In- diana Volunteer Infantry, served at the battles of Dalton, Marietta, Ken. esaw Mountain, Atlanta, Columbia, Franklin, Nashville and Kingston. He was discharged January 8, 1866, after which he prepared himself for teaching; taught two terms; became salesman in a drug store, and be- gan the study of medicine under Dr. McLeod, of Barnesville, which he continued two years, then attended lectures at the Indiana Medical In- stitute, at Indianapolis, and graduated in 1879, having previously prac- ticed at Middlebury, where he continued for a time. May 31, 1877, he married Miss Jennie Horner, with a result of two children-Chloe A. and George J. In 1880, Dr. Butler came to Morgantown, in which place he has established a good and growing practice. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and an active Republican. Mrs. Butler is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

MOSES T. COFFEY, stock-raiser and farmer, is a native of this county, was born May 24, 1831, and is the fifth of the ten children of Lewis and Delilah (Turpin) Coffey, natives of Kentucky, and respectively of English and Irish descent. Lewis Coffey emigrated to this county in 1828; entered land, which he afterward cleared and sold, then engaged in flat-boating to New Orleans and died in the spring of 1844. Moses was reared on the paternal farm, and received the rudiments of an edu- cation from subscription schools. After the death of his father, the care of the family descended upon him, and to which he gave the wages earned by monthly labor; yet now, as a result of his economy and appli- cation, he owns a good farm of fifty acres, containing stock, and being generally well improved. March 11, 1852, he married Miss Lucinda Renner, a native of Ohio, born March 24, 1834, a union which has been prolific in thirteen children, only eight of whom received names-George W., Mary J., John D., Philip L., Barbara A., Eliza C., Martha P. and William T. Mr. Coffey is a radical and active Democrat, by which party he was elected Justice of the Peace in 1874, for a term of four years. He is a liberal gentleman and his wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

F. M. COLEMAN, retired farmer, was born April 10, 1823, in the State of Ohio, and is the fifth of the eight children of Jacob and Eliza- beth (Thomas) Coleman, the former a native of Virginia, the latter of Pennsylvania, and respectively of German and English descent. F. M. Coleman was reared a farmer, and received but sixteen days' schooling; yet he has made himself a fair scholar by application. When he was sixteen years old, his parents moved to Johnson County, Ind., where he remained until 1880, engaged in farming, at which time he sold his place

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Counties of Morgan, Monroe, and Brown, Indiana. Historical and biographical, Part 31

Author: Blanchard, Charles, fl. 1882-1900, ed. cn Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago, F. A. Battey & co. Number of Pages: 814

Author: Blanchard, Charles, fl. 1882-1900, ed. cn
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, F. A. Battey & co.
Number of Pages: 814