USA > Indiana > Porter County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 29
USA > Indiana > Lake County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 29
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O'SULLIVAN & MCAULIFFE. Patrick T. O'Sullivan is a native of the village of Shannonvale, County Cork, Ireland, and was born April 5, 1852. He is one of eight children, five of whom are yet living, born to John and Hanora (O'Donovan) O'Sullivan. He was educated in the Irish national and select schools, and in November, 1872, emigrated to America, landing in New York in December. He came to La Porte, Ind., and in January, 1873, entered Notre Dame University, graduating in June, 1874. The following August, he came to Valparaiso and be- came a teacher in St. Paul's Grammar School, where he remained eight years. In September, 1881. in partnership with J. F. McAuliffe, he es- tablished the Valparaiso Herald, issuing the first number on the 29th of that month. The paper is a six-column quarto, independent in politics, has become one of the leading journals of Porter County, and ranks among to most ably edited papers of Northern Indiana.
J. F. MCAULIFFE was born in Porter County, Ind., in December, 1859, and is one of the five living children of a family of nine born to John and Catharine (Clifford) McAuliffe, natives of Ireland. The parents came to America in about 1849. The father died December 14, 1876; the widow still survives and is living in Centre Township, on the Joliet road, west of Valparaiso. J. F. McAuliffe was reared in this county, and received a good practical education, which was finished at St. Paul's Grammar School, Valparaiso. He was married, May 3, 1881, to Sophia Haberle, and is the father of one daughter, Catharine.
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AARON PARKS was born in Erie County, Ohio, June 17, 1833, and is a son of E. W. Parks, a native of Vermont, a grandson of Aaron Parks, and his great-grandfather was a native of Ireland, and came to America previous to the war of the Revolution. He served in this war, as did also the grandfather, the former dying in the defense of his adopted country. The grandfather, Aaron Parks, lived to the age of one hundred and two years, and died in Vermont. E. W. Parks, was a carpenter by trade, but also farmed. He was twice married; first, to a Miss Olds, who died leaving him a family of four children, three of whom yet live. His second wife, the mother of Aaron Parks, of Valparaiso, was Mrs. Mary (Gilbreath) Bear, a wid- owed lady with two children, only one yet living. To her union with Mr. Parks there were born five children, only two, Aaron and a sister, yet living. The mother died in 1844, and the father went to Lenawee County, Mich., where he died in 1848. Aaron Parks lived with his father until his death, then went to live with a half-sister in Berrien County, Mich., but at the age of eighteen, went to Niles, Mich., to learn the gun- smith trade with William Van Blear, remaining with him three years. He then went to Michigan City, where for about a year he worked at his trade. In 1852, he came to Indiana, and for the first two years was in La Porte, working at gunsmithing. He then came to Valparaiso with but very little more than his tools, but has accumulated some property and a home. He was married, June 1, 1856, to Jane Cook, and to them have been born five children-Alice E., Gilbert (dead), Emery (dead), Samuel A. and Gordie (dead). Mr. Parks at one time held the position of one of the " City Fathers " of Valparaiso. He is a Republican, and is the present Township Trustee of Centre Township. In 1864, he entered the Government service for seven months, and was on detached duty as Orderly at Camp Carrington. He is at present working at his trade, and in addition does a general repairing business. He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
WILLIAM E. PINNEY, attorney at law, was born in La Porte County, Ind., November 10, 1847, and is the fourth of the eight children of William and Cynthia (Long) Pinney, natives, respectively, of Ohio and Virginia, and of English descent. The paternal progenitor of this family came to America in 1620, and his descendants are now scattered through- out almost all the States of the Union. In 1837, William Pinney came from Ohio to La Porte County with his parents, and December 23, 1841. married Miss Cynthia Long, who came to La Porte County with her parents in 1836. Mr. and Mrs. Pinney still reside in La Porte County. in Clinton Township, on the old homestead. William E. Pinney was reared in La Porte County, assisting on the home farm, and attending the district schools. Subsequently, he attended the old Male and Female College at Valparaiso, this county, and then began the study of law in the office of Weir & Biddle, of La Porte, remaining with them some time. In 1872, he entered the Law Department of the Indiana University, at Bloomington, and in April, 1874, came to Valparaiso, and opened a law, loan and abstract office. Here Mr. Pinney has the only complete set of abstract titles in Porter County, and ever since his location here has been actively employed in his profession of attorney and counselor at law, and
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the transaction of loan and title abstract business. On the 18th of Novem- ber, 1875, Mr. Pinney married Miss Finette Morrison, a native of La Porte County, born July 7, 1850, and eldest of the three children of John and Susan (Blair) Morrison, both families being early settlers in Northern Indiana, and Judge Blair, her mother's father, one of the old and prominent settlers of Porter County, and also one of the founders of the Presbyterian Church at Valparaiso. Mrs. Pinney is a lady of more than ordinary culture, is devoted to the interests of the family, and to her intelligence and industry Mr. Pinney attributes much of his success. Their little daughter, Myra Finette, now two years of age, and their only child, is very intelligent and far advanced for one of her age. Mrs. Pinney is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and Mr. Pinney, although a member of no religious society, is thoroughly orthodox in his views of theology. In politics, he is a Democrat, although liberal in his opinions, never hesitating to condemn that which he considers to be wrong in his party, but firmly upholding the right. His grandfather, Horace Pinney, served in the war of 1812 as a Drum Major, and others of his ancestors served in the Revolutionary war, one as Lieutenant and one as Colonel. The characteristic feature of the family is an unassuming, quiet disposition, but a number of them have become quite prominent as private citizens. Mr. Pinney's father, William Pinney, is a man of extraordinary natural ability.
HOMER W. PORTER, County School Superintendent, was born in Onondaga County, N. Y., March 9, 1843, the only child of Hiram and Lucy (Ayres) Porter, natives of the same State and of English descent. Mr. Hiram Porter died when Homer W. was but two years old, his widow afterward marrying Abner Tillabaugh. Homer was reared by his grandmother Porter, and was educated chiefly by members of the family, and in his nineteenth year began teaching school at $8 per month ; the next year he received $11. In the spring of 1863, he moved to Somonauk, Ill., where he engaged in the drug trade with an uncle for six months, taught another term of school, and in the spring of 1864 came to Valparaiso, and entered the Freshman year of the old Male and Female College. At the end of the summer he again taught school and clerked until the fall of 1868, when he married Miss Caroline Haste. He was next employed as first teacher in the grammar department of the high school ; then farmed for some time, and continued farming and teaching until the spring of 1881, when he moved to Valparaiso, and was elected County School Superintendent in December of the same year, now filling the unexpired term of Reason Shinabarger, resigned. Mr. Porter is a Republican, and he and wife are parents of two children-Willie H. and Edith.
GEORGE QUATERMASS, retired farmer, first came to Porter County, Ind., with his family from Canada in 1860, and settled where he now resides and engaged in farming. He was a native of the State of New York, and was born February 19, 1813. Moved to Canada with his parents when but a small boy, and was reared there to manhood. Was twice married, first to Emily Harris, who died in Canada in 1860. He married his second wife, Sarah Janes, in Porter County, and he and she are yet living at Wheeler. The names of the children born to his
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first marriage were Eliza, Almira, Reuben, James (deceased), Martha, Emerson, George and Martin (deceased). The children are all mar- ried. In 1871, Reuben came to Valparaiso and opened a general store, and this led to the business that is now carried on by those of that name. At the end of four years, Emerson became a partner of Reuben, and the firm then became Quatermass Bros. Previous to their partnership being formed, the building now occupied by E. Quatermass & Co. was built, and into this they removed their stock in 1874. In 1878, Reuben Qua- termass retired from the partnership, and in March, 1882, moved to Moline, Kan., where he yet resides, engaged in the stock business. Em- erson then formed a partnership with a brother-in-law, F. W. Schenck, under the firm name of E. Quatermass & Co. Their stock comprises on the first floor dry goods, gents' furnishing goods, house furnishing goods and notions of every description ; on the second floor is clothing, carpets and merchant tailoring. They carry a first-class stock of all kinds of dry goods, silks, and, in fact, everything that can be found in a city of ten times the size of Valparaiso. Their force employed in this establish- ment is twenty-four persons, and they do an average annual business of $100,000. Emerson Quatermass, the senior member of the firm, was born in Canada in 1850; came to Porter County in 1872, and in November, 1878, married Miss Grace Schenck, daughter of Benjamin Schenck, deceased, one of the pioneers of Porter County. Mr. Q. is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mrs. Q. is a member of the Christian Church.
AARON ROGERS, son of Elisha and Zilpha (Dean) Rogers, was born in Cattaraugus County, N. Y., April 27, 1827. His father was a native of Madison County, N. Y., and of Irish descent. He was a farmer, and married in Genesee County, N. Y. He and wife came to Porter County, Ind., in 1851, where they both died. Aaron Rogers passed his early years on his parents' farm, and at the age of seventeen began life's battle on his own responsibility, but the greater part of the proceeds of his labors went to his parents until he attained his majority, when he opened a dry goods, general notion and auction house in Western New York. After that, he engaged in traveling and selling goods until 1851, when he came to Valparaiso, and July 3, of that year, opened a jewelry store, and worked at manufacturing and mending until within the past few years, when he turned his attention more chiefly to banking and deal- ing in real estate. Mr. Rogers was married in Kenosha, Wis., April 27, 1853, to Miss Jane Conner, and to this marriage have been born four children-Eleanor Arvilla, now Mrs. C. T. Allen ; Chauncy Jerome, Eugenia and Roscoe. The mother is a member of the Methodist Episco- pal Church, and Mr. Rogers is a Republican, but formerly was a Whig. J. A. RYAN, M. D., was born near South Bend, Ind., September 23, 1852, and is the third child of a family of seven children born to John L. and Eliza (Nixon) Ryan, who were natives of New York State. Dr. Ryan's grandfather, Ryan, was a native of Ireland, and came to America, where he died very shortly after the birth of John L. Ryan. Our subject's mother died December 24, 1879 ; his father is yet living on his farm near South Bend, where he has resided the past thirty-five years. Dr. Ryan was reared in St. Joseph County, Ind., and after attending the
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common country schools, went to South Bend, graduating from the high school of that city. He began the study of medicine in 1875, under Dr. Sweetland. He taught school three terms after coming out of high school, and the winters of 1876, 1877 and 1878 attended and graduated from the Bennett Eclectic Medical College of Chicago. The spring of 1878, he took a special course in the Eye and Ear College, receiving a special diploma. While then not knowing where he would locate, he passed an examination before the State Board of Health, receiving a cer- tificate from that institution. He came to Valparaiso in October, 1878, and in partnership with Dr. Vincent, embarked in the practice of his pro- fession. In May, 1879, he purchased Dr. Vincent's practice, and has met with excellent success. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and is a Knight Templar of Valparaiso Commandery, No. 28. He was mar- ried, May 20, 1879, to Miss Carrie Wood, daughter of Agustus Wood, one of the old settlers of Northwestern Indiana, and now a merchant of Hobart. He and wife are the parents of one son-Claude A., born Au- gust 26, 1881. The mother was born at Michigan City, in May, 1853.
M. A. SALISBURY was born in La Porte County, Ind., April 22, 1836, one of five children, three yet living, born to D. J. and Mariette (Congdon) Salisbury, who were natives of Vermont and New York respectively. His grandparents, John and Sabrina (Jones) Salisbury, were natives of New England, and emigrated to La Porte County in about 1833. They were farmers, and lived and died there. The parents of our subject also emigrated to La Porte County in about 1834, and located in Kankakee Township. In about 1853, the parents went to Clinton County, Iowa, and thence came to Valparaiso, Ind., in 1858, where both are yet living retired. M. A. Salisbury was reared in La Porte County, during which time he received only a common school edu- cation. November 19, 1856, he was married in Valparaiso to Martha Hicks, and has made his home here ever since. He first came to Porter County in August, 1852, and entered as clerk in a drug store. He so continued until 1861, when he was appointed Postmaster at Valparaiso by Abraham Lincoln, retaining the position until after the assassination of Lincoln, when he was deposed by Andrew Johnson. He then engaged in dealing in books, stationery, wall-paper, musical instruments. etc. His wife died December 24, 1861, the mother of one daughter, Clara, who died at the age of twelve months. May 26, 1863, he mar- ried Viola (Mallory) Salisbury, who has borne him a family of five chil- dren-Jennie, Mariette, Charles (deceased), Alice (deceased), and Marion. G. Z. SALYER (deceased) was born in Tompkins County, N. Y .. April 16, 1809. He went to White Pigeon, Mich., in about 1831, and there, May 9, 1833, married Xenia Read, who was born in Susque- hanna County, Penn., November 14, 1814, and was a daughter of Belden Read, who moved to White Pigeon in 1830. Succeeding their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Salyer moved to La Porte, Ind., when Mr. Salyer worked at his trade (carpenter and joiner) until the land sales in Porter County in 1835, when they removed to Centre Township, when Mr. Salyer purchased eighty acres and bought out a grocery store, which he carried on in connection with his trade. He assisted in the erection of some of the first buildings of Valparaiso, and made this his home
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until his death, September 20, 1865. He was one of the prominent and influential men of his time, and for many years acted as Justice of the Peace. He was a Republican, formerly a Whig, and was a member of long standing in the Methodist Episcopal Church. He and wife began married life with but very little means, and they worked hard and econo- mized, until at the time of Mr. S.'s death they had considerable prop- erty. Mrs. Salyer owns valuable city property adjoining the public square, and is yet a resident of Valparaiso. To her marriage with Mr. Salyer there were born seven children-Don A., Mary E. (now Mrs. David Hamilton), Charlotte (now Mrs. Elijah Wood), Leon G. (deceased), Orvin (deceased), Robert E., married to Orpha Dennison and residing in Steuben County, Ind., and Winfield S., who married Edith Patrick, and resides in Valparaiso. G. Z. Salyer was for many years a merchant of the place, and his name is familiar to all old settlers of Porter County. He was one of the charter members of the Masonic order of Valparaiso, and was buried with Masonic rites. Don A. Salyer was born in La Porte, Ind., September 22, 1834, and came with his parents to Val- paraiso in 1835, and has always made this his home. He received his education from the town schools, and was married in the fall of 1856 to Miss Amy Armstrong, daughter of Chauncy and Polly (Griswold) Arm- strong, of Ogdensburg, N. Y., and succeeding his marriage Mr. Salyer engaged in merchandising in Valparaiso, which he continued until about 1876, when he purchased the paper mill he yet owns, which he had pre- viously erected in partnership with T. G. Lytle in 1864. He has oper- ated this mill ever since. He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the parents of two sons and one daughter- Dorsey C., George C. and Fidelia. Mr. Salyer is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and has ascended to the Commandery, being Sir Knight of Valparaiso Commandery, No. 28. He is a Republican and a member of the City Council.
G. A. SAYLES, of the hardware firm of Sayles & Conover, was born in Warren, Warren Co., Penn., January 3, 1830, one of a family of seven children, five of whom are yet living, born to Scott W. and Rhoda (Bal- lard) Sayles, who were natives respectively of New York and Vermont. Scott W. Sayles was a manufacturer and dealer in hats, caps, furs, etc., in Warren, and after his removal to Cleveland, in 1836, continued the same until he was burned out. He was then elected County Treasurer of Cuyahoga County, serving in that capacity eight years. After this he engaged in ship-building for three years, after which he established steam saw-mills at Cambridge and Erie, Penn. From the latter place, he removed to Cleveland, and from there to Bay City, Mich., where he died February, 1865. His widow survived him until July 5, 1881, when she, too, died. They were members of the Congregational Church, and Mr. Sayles was a Republican, but formerly a Whig, tinctured with Free-Soil- ism. He served two terms as County Clerk of Bay County, Mich. G. A. Sayles lived with his parents until about the age of twenty-four, dur- ing which time he received a fair education from the common schools. He learned the tinner's trade at and near Cleveland, and worked for one year at the same in Anamosa, Iowa. In August, 1855, he came to Val- paraiso ; at that time he was only worth about $400, all of which he had
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earned by his own labor. He in company with Isaac Marshall engaged in a stove and tin store, but after Mr. M.'s death, a few months later, William Wilson was admitted, and this firm added hardware to their stock. Mr. Sayles has remained in the hardware trade ever since, and has been very successful. He formed his present partnership with George Conover in August, 1881, and this firm now carries a full line of hard- ware, stoves and tinware. Mr. Sayles is a Republican, and he and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church. They were married in Cleve- land, Ohio, the winter of 1854, Mrs. Sayles at that time being Miss Sarah Foote, a daughter of Caleb Foot. They are the parents of five children-Anna, Henry, Kate (now Mrs. George Conover), Emma and Gilbert.
DR. M. F. SAYLES, brother of G. A. Sayles, was born in Cleve- land, Ohio, March 8, 1836. He received a good practical education from the public schools of Cleveland and high school at Erie, Penn. In 1858, he came to Valparaiso, and engaged in clerking in his brother's hardware store. In 1864, he began the study of medicine with Dr. Ken- dall, of Valparaiso, and in 1865 attended the Hahnemann Medical Col- lege of Chicago. After leaving there, he went to St. Charles, Minn., and became associated in the practice of medicine with Dr. T. H. Everts, formerly of Valparaiso. He remained in company with Dr. Everts, profiting by his experience, for one year. He then spent one winter at Boonville, Mo., and then returned to Porter County, and opened an office at Hebron, where he carried on a successful practice until 1876, when he came to Valparaiso, where he yet remains in active practice, and is now one of the well known physicians of the place. Dr. Sayles was married in 1860, to Miss Fanny Jones, daughter of Isaac Jones, of Chicago.
AARON STANTON was born December 7, 1832, in La Porte, Ind., and is the eldest of seven living children of a family of nine born to Thomas E. and Sarah (Pagin) Stanton, who were natives of Preble County, Ohio, and of English and German descent respectively. The Stantons were Quakers, and the maternal great-grandfather of our subject, Fisher, was a native of Germany, and during the Revolutionary war was drafted from the German Empire to return a favor to England that Ger- many owed. He served five years on the British side, but after the war adopted this as his country. The parents of our subject were married in Union County, Ind., and in 1829 moved to La Porte, Ind., where they engaged in farming. The father, in 1849, crossed the plains to California, and remained in that country two years engaged in mining. In 1852, he sold out at La Porte and removed to Winneshiek County, Iowa, and from there moved to California in 1856, locating in Santa Barbara, where he died in 1874. His widow and the remainder of the family are still residents of California, Mrs Stanton making her home at Los Angeles. Aaron Stanton was reared in La Porte County, Ind., during which time he received a good common school education. He learned two trades- blacksmith's and tinner's-but his chief employment has been farming. He was married the 6th of March, 1853, to Miss Caroline S. Malone, and the spring of 1854 came to Valparaiso and established the first ready-made clothing store in the place. In 1856, he sold out and moved to Winneshiek, Iowa, where for two years he was in the hardware trade,
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and in 1861 moved back to La Porte County, Ind., and purchased a farm of 190 acres in Washington Township, and engaged in farming. In 1881, he removed from that county to Valparaiso, and is now engaged in the agricultural implement business and looking after his farm. He is a Sir Knight of Valparaiso Commandery, No. 28, and is a Republican. He and wife are the parents of three children-George E., married to Dell Ball, and a merchant of Valparaiso; Sarah B. and Mary E.
RUEL STARR, deceased, one of the pioneers of Porter County, was born in Oneida County, N. Y., December 22, 1804, and was a son of Noah and Alfleda (Fuller) Starr, the former being a soldier in the war of 1812, and in command of a company at Buffalo that crossed the Niagara River from Black Rock, and participated in the battle of Queenstown, October 13, 1812. Ruel Starr, in 1830, went to Kalamazoo, Mich., and in Comstock, of that State, December 29, 1830, married Phebe E., daughter of Caleb and Phebe (Brownell) Eldred, who was born in Otsego County, N. Y., January 18, 1812. This couple, in May, 1834, moved to Washington Township, Porter Co., Ind., where they built a cabin and engaged in pioneer pursuits. They partook of all the hardships of life in a new country, and in the spring of 1859 moved to Valparaiso, where Mr. Starr died April 19, 1875. His widow yet survives him and resides in Valparaiso with her only living child, Mrs. Kittie L. McGill, who was born May 3, 1849, and was married May 18, 1869, to James McGill. There were born to Mr. and Mrs. Starr a family of six children altogether, but the five following-named died : Noah W., Octavius E., Augustus A., Caleb E. and Phebe E. Of the death of Mr. Starr, the following is a sam- ple of what the county papers said of him : "He was one of the oldest and most prominent citizens of Porter County. He was very active in everything pertaining to the welfare of his country and he did much toward building up the county to its present proportions. In every sense of the word he was a self-made man, coming to the county poor, and by industry and economy accumulating a competence. He was a Democrat in politics, but not by any means a politician, although he was often called upon and did fill both township and county offices. His death was sin- cerely mourned and regretted by a large concourse of friends who followed his remains to their last resting-place-the grave-but by none more than his family. He was interred in the city cemetery."
COL. I. C. B. SUMAN, Postmaster at Valparaiso, is a native of Frederick County, Md., and was born January 4, 1831, the next to the youngest of a family of seven children, six of whom are still living, born to Albert and Mary (Lantz) Suman, who were natives of the South, and of English-German descent. Albert Suman was born August 17, 1763, and served several years in the Revolutionary war under Gen. Marion. He was a tanner by trade, and made that his occupation until his death, March 16, 1842. Mrs. Mary Suman was born December 12, 1793, and died December 8, 1871. Col. I. C. B. Suman was reared in Maryland, and received a common-school education. In May, 1846, he enlisted in the First United States Artillery for the Mexican war under Maj. Ring- gold, of Maryland. He remained in the artillery service about two years, and was then transferred to the Second United States Dragoons, and served in the United States Army at that time a total of five years.
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