Counties of Morgan, Monroe, and Brown, Indiana. Historical and biographical, Part 35

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 35
USA > Indiana > Monroe County > Counties of Morgan, Monroe, and Brown, Indiana. Historical and biographical > Part 35
USA > Indiana > Morgan County > Counties of Morgan, Monroe, and Brown, Indiana. Historical and biographical > Part 35

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).

DAVID W. BREWER, dealer in groceries, hardware, glass and queensware at Monrovia, was born in this county June 16, 1835, and is the second child of Henry and Sarah (Hadley) Brewer; the former a na- tive of West Virginia, the latter of North Carolina, and both of English descent. David was reared to farming, and soon after his majority mar- ried Maria L. Rennard, who died August 22, 1876, leaving two children -Cynthia and William A. March 31, 1879, Mr. Brewer married Mattie M. Vihman, who died October 6, 1882. In August, 1861, Mr. Brewer enlisted in Company A, Thirty-third Regiment Indiana Volunteers, served three years, and was taken prisoner at Thompson's Station, and confined sixty days in Libby Prison; afterward paroled, and fought in many battles, as Buzzard Roost, Resaca, Peach Tree Creek, Kenesaw Mountain and others. After his discharge, he engaged in farming near Monrovia; was afterward engaged in the produce business, and in 1879 entered the livery business until 1882, with a branch at Mooresville, and in 1883 returned to Monrovia and engaged in his present business. Mr. Brewer cast his first vote for Gen. Fremont in 1856. He is a member of the I. O. O. F.

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JAMES A. BRICK, of Monrovia, was born in this county August 6, . 1845, and is the fifth of eleven children born to William and Sarah (Graves) Brick, natives of Ohio. When he was sixteen years of age, he left the home farm, and enlisted in Company H, Thirty-third Indiana Regiment, in which he served three years, and then became a veteran. He was taken prisoner at Thompson's Station, was confined thirty-two days in Libby Prison; was then exchanged, returned to active duty, and was with Gen. Sherman in his historic march to the sea; then sailed for Fortress Monroe, and was discharged at Indianapolis July 18, 1865. Mr. Brick was sunstruck at Peach Tree Creek. After coming home, he en- gaged in farming, but was compelled to abandon labor on account of im- poverished health. August 6, 1865, he married Jane Brewer, which union was cemented by five children-Anna Eliza, Mary F., Minnie J., Elsie D. and Ella M. Mr. Brick controls a good and well-improved farm, is a successful agriculturist, and a worthy citizen. He is a mem- ber of the G. A. R., and of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mrs. Brick of the Friends' Society.

REV. JOHN BRUNER, A. M., is a son of Elias and Jiney (Tarrant) Bruner, natives respectively of Virginia and North Carolina, and of Ger- man and English descent. He was born in Monroe County October 31, 1828, whither his parents removed in 1820, and settled on a tract of Government land, where they remained until 1835, when the mother died; the father died in 1871 in Arkansas. Rev. Mr. Bruner was reared to farming, and, after some study and preparation, became a teacher, as which he served about two years. In 1853, he entered Asbury Univer- sity, and graduated therefrom after six years, with the degrees of A. B. and A. M., an attainment which he secured unaided. He desired at first to become a lawyer, which, however, he gave up for the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church, receiving for his first year's service the sum of $142, and was ordained Deacon in 1862. His first charge was Bloomington, in which he was very successful. He has now a record of admissions amounting to 1,000 persons. April 5, 1860, he married Re- becca S. Mason, which union gave being to nine children-Mary (de- ceased), Belle, Mason, Frank, Maggie, Anna L., Burke, Hugh and Maud. Rev. Mr. Bruner is a member of the Masonic fraternity. He was as- signed to the charge of Monrovia City in 1883.

JOHN BUNDY was born in Perquimans County, N. C., August, 1805, and is a son of Jeremiah and Elizabeth (Lowe) Bundy, natives of North Carolina, and of English extraction. John Bundy was reared on a farm to industry and usefulness. March 10, 1831, he married Mary, daugh- ter of Jesse and Mary (Morris) Moore, and this union was productive of the following children: William P., Samuel C., Jesse M., Daniel W., Martha E., Sarah J., Semirah E., Mary D. and John E. In 1858, Mr. Bundy moved to this township, and purchased 120 acres near Monrovia, where he yet resides. He is a practical farmer, a Republican, and he and family are birthright members of the Friends' Society. J. E. Bun- dy, son of John Bundy, is a native of Guilford County, N. C .; was born May 1, 1853, and was reared like his father to the farm and industry. In boyhood, he devoted much time to the art of drawing, in which he has made much proficiency; he has also painted many model and valu- able works in oil, as well as being engaged in giving instruction in this divine endowment.

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JOHN M. DAVIS is a native of Henry County, Ind., and the fourth son of John and Lydia (Davis) Davis, natives respectively of North Caro- lina and Virginia, and both of Scotch extraction. Our subject first saw the light April 4, 1836; spent the first twelve years of his life in Henry County, at which period his parents moved to Wabash County, where he lived until he was thirty years of age, when his mother died, and where his father yet lives, aged ninety-four years. September 16, 1857, our subject married Eliza J., daughter of Abraham Nordyke, and with an issue of eight children-Alice, Sabinus A., Marietta, Evington E., Albert L., Leoto, Ulyssus and Elmer (deceased). In 1865, Mr. Davis moved to Hendricks County, was engaged in mercantile business at Plainfield, and in 1870 he came Monrovia, where he has been engaged in manufacturing drain tile. Mr. Davis has acquired his property and business position by his unaided industry and energy. He is a much respected citizen, and he and wife and children belong to the Society of Friends.

JAMES D. HADLEY, farmer and stock-raiser, is a native of Chat- ham County, N. C., was born August 30, 1807, and is the eighth of the nine children of Jeremiah and Ruth (Maris) Hadley, also natives of North Carolina, who moved to this State about 1823, located in this township, 1 and entered 720 acres of Government land, on which they lived and died. James began the struggle of life on the home farm, and obtained what education he could command from the public schools. October 1, 1831, he married Matilda Morris, of North Carolina, and to this union were granted the following children: Esther (deceased), Ruth, Eli (deceased), Martha J. (deceased), Enos (killed in the late war), Eli A., Martha J. and Nathan R. Mr. Hadley is the owner of a good farm of 120 acres, and has been owner of 600, much of which he has given to his children, and all of which he acquired by well-directed industry and frugality, He is a Republican in politics, a liberal gentleman, an upright citizen, and, with his wife, one of the adherents of the Society of Friends.

SAMUEL HADLEY, a pioneer farmer of this township, was born in Randolph County, N. C., January 1, 1811, and is the third of the six children born to John and Hannah (Allen) Hadley, both natives of North Carolina, and respectively of Irish and English extraction. Samuel was reared on the farm, and attended the subscription schools, and studied so as to be prepared for teaching, which he followed until 1835, when he came by horseback and located at Monrovia, Ind., and the following winter taught school here. He afterward engaged in mercantile business for some twelve years. March 18, 1839, he married Jane Clark, who died eleven years thereafter, and after he wedded, in 1852, Eliza W., widow of Jesse Reynolds, to which union was born one child-Jesse H. Mr. Hadley is a practical farmer, owning 177 acres of well-cultivated and improved land, containing good residence, barns, fencing, orchards, etc. He is now a Republican, but gave his maiden vote for Henry Clay in 1832. He has been School Examiner, and has held the office of Postmas- ter of Monrovia. Mr. and Mrs. Hadley are members of the Society of Friends.

LOT M. HADLEY, pioneer farmer and stock-raiser, is a native of Chatham County, N. C., was born February 15, 1811, and is the young- est of the nine children of Jeremiah and Ruth (Maris) Hadley. Lot M. came to this State in 1823, when the family located on Government land near Mooresville. Mr. Hadley lived to be about eighty years of age, and Mrs. Hadley to be within four years of one hundred. Lot M. received a

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fair education, which he has continually improved by study and reading. January 1, 1832, he married, in this township, Eunice Haydock, of North Carolina, which union produced six children-Nathan, Asenath, Ann (deceased), Amy, Julia and Jared C. (deceased). After the death of Mrs. Hadley, July 5, 1867, Mr. Hadley wedded, March 4, 1868, Sophia Craw- ford, by which marriage he became the father of two children -- Arthur M. and Estella B. Mr. Hadley is a Republican, and was once a Whig. He was one of the founders of the Farmers' Bank at Mooresville, and is now a Director and one of the finance committee. He has also a good farm of 130 acres, where he resides. He is a member of the Friends' Society, as was his first and is his second wife.

EVAN HADLEY was born in Chatham County, N. C., September 26, 1816, the year in which Indiana was admitted to the Union. His father, James Hadley, died in 1843; his mother, Mary Hadley, died in 1874. In 1819, the parents came to Orange County. this State, where a num- ber of relatives and acquaintances had settled within a few years, and after the harvest of 1820 James Hadley and others made a careful ex- amination of a large portion of the "New Purchase," selected land in the White Lick country, and bought at the public sale at Terre Haute. The settlement of this land is thus described by Evan Hadley: " As father had with his brother Eli Hadley been first to leave his native State, he was first, with a brother-in-law, John Jones, to move to the newer part of the country, where many of their friends and relatives expected to fol- low as soon as circumstances permitted. So they loaded the two families and provisions for the winter in wagons, and set out for the promised land, accompanied, as I have heard my parents say, by seven men. in- cluding a hand that father hired, to stay and assist in clearing land for a crop the next season. This hand assisted my father seventy days, and they cleared and fenced ten acres of ground and raised a corn crop on it the next season. The wagons and emigrants arrived on the twentieth day of eleventh month, 1820, at the cabin of Thomas Ballard, near where the William Macy brick house now stands, and by the kindness of the newly formed neighbors, the women and children obtained shelter with them, and the men of the party proceeded to camp on iny father's land, being the quarter section adjoining south of the Macy farm. They entered at once on the work of building a cabin for a residence, and in seven days they had a house completed with stick and clay chimney, cracks well stopped, door, shutter, floor, and all complete without a nail, pane of glass or scrap of sawed lumber; what light there was when the door was closed came down the chimney; the family and assistants took possession and proceeded to housekeeping in a comfortable manner, and the men all joined in the erection of a smaller cabin on an adjoining tract of land, for the use of Uncle and Aunt Jones, before mentioned, which was soon completed, when those who came to assist returned to Orange County, taking the wagons and teams with them. A few families had 'squatted' on some tracts of land the previous spring, and had partially cleared some patches of ground, and had raised a small supply of soft corn, pumpkins and squashes. I remember two families of Ballards, Mc- Crackens, Virtrees, Lockharts, Barlows, Reynolds and perhaps others, all of whom have long since disappeared, except Thomas Lockhart, who, something over ninety years old, resides in Hendricks County. In the spring following, father and his hired hand walked back to Orange Coun- ty for the team and wagon and stock, of which there were cattle, sheep

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and hogs, some assistance coming back with father to help get the stock along. An additional supply of provision was also brought out; a cow and a young calf had been procured from a neighbor, which had supplied a much needed article of diet for some of the children, and I have heard my mother say that cow did as well without feeding any as others have ' done since with plenty of food given them. Some of the hogs 'went wild;' the old ones being ear-marked, gave a right by law of custom to a ' wild hog claim,' and the proprietor of the ' mark' was justified in tak- ing what he could capture that herded with those of his mark, as the addition was supposed to be the natural descendants of the original marked ones, and sometimes by strategy all would be decoyed into a kind of trap pen by finding where they bedded in winter, and erecting the strong pen near the place, then continuing to place corn around and leave it for them to find it until they would follow it into the pen, and by interfering with a bait, properly arranged, spring the trap, and find themselves confined, when the young would be marked, and thus perpet- uate the claim. Wolves were some trouble to the sheep, but as the wool was indispensable for winter clothing, much care was taken to protect sheep by housing them of nights, and at times wolves howl around the sheep house very tumultuously when disappointed by being unable to reach their prey. Wolves were sometimes caught in strongly constructed pen traps, by baiting with the fresh carcass of sheep which they had re- cently killed. Summer clothing, bed cords and plow lines were sometimes made from the lint of the native nettle, after the woody portion had be- come sufficiently tender to be separated from the lint in the same man- ner that flax is prepared for spinning. I recollect a visit from a large black bear to our house, or near there, where he stopped when passing, sat down on haunches like a dog does, and deliberately viewed the sur- roundings for some time, turning his attention toward the house, where he could see the persons, though iny mother and the children were all there were at home at the time. Late in the evening, too, some of the children were a good deal alarmed, but mother did what she could to con- vince us that there was not likely to be any danger, at any rate when we were in the house. After satisfying his curiosity, he deliberately walked away in the same direction he was going when he stopped, as though he knew where he was going; after he was gone, mother went to my uncle, Willian Hadley's, about a quarter of a mile, and informed him of our vis- itor; he procured some company hastily and attempted to pursue with a view of capturing or at least attacking " Bruin," but it soon became so dark that the chase was abandoned. Bears frequently in the fall of the year, and especially when there was a good crop of mast, came in quite plentiful, but were seldom killed, as there were few, if any, expert bear hunters amongst the settlers. I remember seeing a few young bears af- ter they were killed, but never saw a grown one caught or killed. Deer were plentiful, and in winter would come around the clearings and pick buds from the green brush, but were very shy of exposing themselves to danger, so that it required considerable stratagy to secure them, though many were killed and furnished a very agreeable change of diet. Wild turkeys were abundant, and I suppose all the families had considerable supplies of that luxury in the fall and winter. After corn crops had be- come plenty, and some remained in the fields till winter closed in, so as to shut off access to the mast in the woods, both turkey and deer would congregate in the cornfields, when turkeys could be caught in rail pens,

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by building a few rails high, and covering the top with rails, then mak- ing a narrow ditch from the outside through under one side to the inside, coming up toward the middle; a few rails were placed over it next the wall of the pen then bated by sprinkling shelled corn in the ditch clear through to the inside, and some was scattered around on the ground out- side to first arrest their attention; when they had used up what was scat- tered around, they would follow the trail through the ditch to the inside, and as soon as they would discover they were inclosed, they would devote themselves to active efforts to escape through the openings between the rails of the walls and overhead, and when the proprietor of the pen dis- covered them, he would readily capture them by placing a man or boy in- side (I have been used for that purpose), who would catch and hand them out. A few panthers and wild cats or catamounts infested the country and did some damage by destroying young stock, but never, that I know of, attacked any person. During the first year, there was no use for mills, as there was nothing to grind; all provision was brought from older settle- ments. The first mill was built where McDaniels' Brooklyn Mill now is; that served to grind corn; the buhrs were cut out of native bowlders. A mill was early built by Joseph Moon at the present Moon Ford, which had a bolt to separate bran from flour; the customer had to do his own bolting by turning a crank similar to the operation of turning a grind stone. He also had to elevate the ground flour from the flour chest on the lower to the third floor, by hand, to the hopper of the bolt. My father sowed an acre or two of wheat about the second year, which made a crop of very poor grain, on account of the wild, green nature of the soil; he had some of it ground as corn, and sifted by a fine hair sieve, and from this flour our first native wheat bread was made. The people became quite anxious for religious association, and the Friends first met in volun- tary meetings for worship in 1822, if I mistake not, at the cabin of Asa Bales, on what is now the Moon farm; in 1823, they obtained authority, according to their rules, from the organized superior meetings in Wash- ington and Orange Counties to organize religious meetings in these parts, which was done, and they have from that beginning originated all the meetings of that order in Central, Northern and Western Indiana and Eastern Illinois. My father and his brother-in-law, Jones, before spoken of, with their families, were the first members of the Friends' Church who settled in Central Indiana. The Methodists (Episcopal) had some religious services in the neighborhood of the present White Lick Church of that denomination, perhaps a little earlier than the Friends had. The education of the children of the new settlement early claimed attention, and a cabin for the purpose of a schoolhouse was built near where R. R. Scott's brick dwelling now stands in Mooresville, and Asa Bales was the first teacher. This schoolhouse at first was designed to accommodate both sides of White Lick, but as the crossing was often difficult then as well as now, and as the settlement on the south and west of the creek soon increased sufficiently to sustain a school on that side of the creek, in 1824 the original Sulphur Spring Schoolhouse was built, and school was opened in it by my father, who taught several terms of three or six months, counting thirteen weeks of five days' school to each week for three months; the schools were paid for by the patrons by subscription of about $1.50 per scholar for three months. I omitted to mention in connection with the introduction of milling another device for preparing grain for bread now out of use, called a hominy mortar, made usually by

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burning out of the top of some solid green stump, a bowl-shaped cavity, which was dressed out smooth after burning to a sufficient size; a post was then placed at a suitable distance from the mortar, and a spring pole placed on the top of the post or fork; a pestle was then fastened to the end of the pole over the mortar, then the corn was placed in the cavity, and the pestle brought down on it with a sudden jerk, when the elasticity of the pole would immediately jerk the pestle up. So, by oft repeating this operation, the corn would be mashed into good hominy, and some -. times could be made into bread. A water-power hominy mill was some- times erected by balancing a considerable beam, leaving one end heavier than the other. A cavity was made in a substantial block and placed solidly under the heavy end of the beam, water was then conveyed by a small race across some creek of a branch, and conveyed by some kind of spout into a trough prepared in the light end of the beam, till the weight became sufficient to lower that end and lift the other up till sufficient water ran out to reverse the balance of the beam, when the ·pestle would down on the corn with forcible effect, and thus the operation would con-

tinue as long as was necessary. * * * In conclusion, I might state I have continuously resided within six miles and less of the place where my father first located, and I think I have had the longest residence in the White Lick part of the county than any now living. My father's family are all gone to the next world, except a sister, who has long resided in the West. I might further say that my wife, who was Mary Ann Ballard, daughter of Jesse and Sarah Ballard, both deceased, was born in Monroe Township in 1826, and has continuously resided in the township ever since, and is believed to be the oldest native born person in the town- ship."

ALLEN HADLEY (deceased) was born August 14, 1828, and was the seventh of thirteen children born to John B. and Elizabeth Hadley, the former having died October 12, 1845, in his forty-seventh year; the latter December 22, 1858, in her fifty-ninth year. They were natives of North Carolina, located in Morgan County, founded a home, and lived until their deaths, both members of the Friends' Society. .Allen Hadley was a native of this township, where he grew to manhood. March 20, 1851, he married Nancy T., daughter of Eli and Cecilia Townsend, to which union were born three children-Cecilia A., John F. and Allen. After his marriage, he followed farming, and continued the same until his decease, September 10, 1881. He was owner of 166 acres of improved land; a birthright member of the Friends' Society, a Repub- lican and a Prohibitionist. Mrs. Hadley resides on the farm owned by her husband, near Mooresville.

DANIEL C. HADLEY, farmer, is a native of this township, was born March 1, 1834, and is the eldest of the five children of Hiram and Louisa J. (Carter) Hadley, both being natives of the "Old North State." Daniel was reared on a farm, working and going to school, and later he attended college at Richmond, where he obtained a good education. January 23, 1857, he married Sarah J. Ballard, which union gave being to three children-Byron, born November 9, 1857; Arthur J., June 18, 1860; and Lizzie D., May 14, 1863. Mrs. Hadley died October 6, 1869, in her thirty-second year. Mr. Hadley afterward married his second wife, Sallie W., widow of Clark Hadley. Mr. Hadley is an enterprising farmer, and the owner of a home and farm comprising 185 acres, well cultivated, and under good improvement. He is a Republican by polit-

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ical preference, and he and wife are members of the Society of Friends.

WALTER HADLEY is a native of this county, was born June 10, 1857, and is the third child comprising the family of Hiram and Juliana (Painter) Hadley. Our subject was reared to farming, and obtained a good common school education, having been for a time at the high school at Jennings, and a student of Earlham College, at Richmond. November 15, 1878, he married Louisa A., daughter of Silas and Rebecca (Hola- way) Portis, and a native of North Carolina, to which union were born three children-Julia E., Jacob E. and an infant. Mr. Hadley is a practical farmer, has a good place adjoining Monrovia, which is well cul- tivated and handsomely improved, having good fencing, orchards, etc., and generally stocked with horses, cattle, sheep and hogs. " He is Repub- lican as a voter, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

NIXON HENLEY, Trustee of Monroe Township, was born in Ran- dolph County, N. C., October 30, 1846, and is the second of the eight children of John and Asenath (Hadley) Henley, natives of North Caroli- na, and of English extraction. Nixon was reared to the farming busi- ness, but received a fair education, which he improved until he was com- petent to teach, and that duty he followed with satisfaction for thirteen years, farming during the summer seasons, but abandoned the same after being elected Township Trustee. April 16, 1869, he married Alida C., daughter of Evan and Mary Ann Hadley, which union gave issue to five children-Lena, Everett Evan, Phebe A., Sibbie and Ruth Angie. Mr. and Mrs. Henley are birthright members of the Society of Friends, under the rules of which they were married. Mr. Henley is a practical farmer, and owns 160 acres, with good improvements, and furnished with residence, barns, and containing fencing, orchards and the like; he has also a stock of Poland-China hogs, short.horn cattle, and long-wool sheep, some of which are imported from Canada. Mr. Henley is a straightout Republican, and has been Township Trustee for two terms. He is like- wise a member of the I. O. O. F.

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Counties of Morgan, Monroe, and Brown, Indiana. Historical and biographical, Part 35

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