USA > Indiana > Porter County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 31
USA > Indiana > Lake County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 31
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JOHN CARVER was born in the County Cork, Ireland, March 22, 1832, and is one of eight children born to Thomas and Honora (Mc- Auliffe) Carver, four of whom are living in Valparaiso. At the age of fifteen, John came to this country with his father, landing in Boston. After living there and in Vermont a short time, he came to Ohio, and to Porter County in 1856, which he has since made his home. He has done some farming, but has given more attention to railroading, acting as foreman and contractor ; his father died in 1849, in Ohio, and his mother in 1872, in Valparaiso. John Carver was married October 26, 1860, to Sarah Dwan, in Valparaiso. Eight children have been born to them- Honora, Margaret, Catharine, Mary, Thomas, Julia, Honora (second) and Sarah ; three of these are deceased. Mr. Carver lives three-quarters of a mile west from town, on his farm of 100 acres. He is universally respected as a worthy man and a valuable citizen.
PATRICK T. CLIFFORD was born in Kerry County, Ireland, March 17, 1823 ; he is one of the ten children of Timothy and Margaret (O'Reilly) Clifford, five of whom are living, and three in Porter County. Mr. Clifford came to this country in 1848, landing at Quebec. In 1854, he came to Porter County, which has since been his residence. Shortly after coming to America, he commenced the business of railroad con- tractor, which he has since continued. His residence is two and one- half
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miles northwest of Valparaiso, on his farm of 300 acres. He is a public- spirited and enterprising citizen. Mr. Clifford was married August 9, 1843, to Mary Bennett, in the county of Cork, Ireland, from which union a family of seven have descended-Timothy, Thomas, Margaret, John, Michael, Mary and Patrick, of whom the last four are surviving.
JOHN B. CLIFFORD was born in Richland County, Ohio, Janu- ary 14, 1852, being one of a family of seven, three of whom are dead. His parents were natives of Ireland, his mother being a relative of Cur- ran, the great Irish Barrister. His father was a shoemaker, and re- mained in Ireland, following his business, until 1848; then he emigrated to America, landing at Quebec. Afterward, he went to Bucyrus, Ohio, and began business as a railroad contractor, which he also established, in about 1854, in Valparaiso, Ind., which he has since continued. John B. Clifford came to Valparaiso with his father, and in February, 1874, was married to Margaret La Force. Mr. and Mrs. Clifford have a family of four-Minnie, Joseph, John and Margaret, all of whom live at home. For a time after his marriage, Mr. Clifford followed farming ; afterward, he began working for the Government at Fort Yates, D. T., which he continued about eighteen months ; then returned to Valparaiso, where he now superintends the work-train on the Chicago & Grand Trunk Rail- road.
MICHAEL F. CLIFFORD was born September 10, 1852, in Tiffin, Ohio. When he was about two years of age, his father removed with his family to Porter County, Ind., where they have since resided. Michael received a common school, and afterward an academical, education at St. Paul's Academy in Valparaiso. He was married, January 4, 1876, to Eliza Carter, in the city of Valparaiso. To this union there have been born two children-Edward and William. After his marriage, Mr. Clif- ford lived at the old home, three miles northwest of Valparaiso, about three years, and moved to his present home in November, 1881. The business of his life has been that of railroad contractor, he now being one of the partners of his father, Mr. P. T. Clifford. He is justly esteemed as a liberal and public-spirited citizen.
SAMUEL S. COBBS was born in Bedford County, Va., February 10, 1835, and is one of seven children born to Charles and Louisa (Scott) Cobbs, of whom three are living. At the age of thirteen, Samuel came to Valparaiso with his parents, where he has since resided. He received his education at the common schools and at Valparaiso Male and Female College, which he attended about two years. On coming to Valparaiso, his father engaged in mercantile business, while Samuel superintended the farm. His father afterward removed to Morgan Prairie, and re- mained eleven years. Mr. Cobbs was married, September 9, 1873, to Elizabeth Pinney, in Valparaiso. Two children have been born to him -Leroy and Charles. When the family were coming from Virginia, and Samuel, as he rode, admiring the flower-adorned prairies, and thinking how great an improvement they were over the mountains of his late home, his horse stepped into a mud-hole and threw him over its head. Then Samuel reflected how "the world is deceived by ornament." Mr. Cobbs resides two miles northwest of Valparaiso, on his farm of 110 acres, which he took possession of in 1874.
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HARRY CROW was born in Hampden County, Mass., May 7, 1802, and is the eldest of thirteen children born to William and Abigail (Avery) Crow. His father died about the year 1844, at the age of seventy-two. Harry Crow was married about the year 1826, to Thank- ful Wheeler, a native of Hampden County, Mass., born September 20, 1807. To this union a family of ten children were born-Henry, David, Jane Rumsey, Eunice Rumsey, Almeron, Emeret Wheeler. Thomas and Elizabeth. (Two died before they were named.) About the year 1832, Harry Crow moved to Medina County, Ohio, where he resided about seven years ; thence to Indiana, living in Vigo and Parke Counties about four and a half years, and thence to Valparaiso, Porter County, where he has since lived. He has always been a farmer, but is a most en- terprising citizen. He resides on forty acres about one mile north of Valparaiso. He also owns forty acres in Jackson Township. Mrs. Crow is a member of the Presbyterian Church, having joined that body in Montgomery, Mass., about the year 1822.
JOSEPH DURAND, French Canadian, was born near Montreal, Canada, July 20, 1846. In February, 1861, he moved to Pine Town- ship, Porter Co., Ind., from Kankakee County, whither he had gone in 1851, working on a farm and studying under the instruction of Charles Chinequi, the priest who converted so many Catholics to Protestantism. His father, Gilbert Durand, was also born near Montreal, in 1817. In 1851, he went to California and mined gold for two years; he is still living. Joseph's parents were married July 29, 1845. On February 29, 1868, Joseph Durand was married to Mary Tatro, a native of New York, who came West in 1852. Mr. Durand made his home in Porter County in 1871, making brick in summer and chopping wood in winter; he had so great a capacity for hard work that he was called " the little iron man." In 1871, he made bricks on three-fourths of an acre, and in 1880 bought a yard-thirteen and a half acres-for which he was to pay $2,500. In 1881, the New York Central & St. Louis Railroad cut through his land, for which he received $3,750; he then established another yard, and now has the largest in Valparaiso, employing twenty five hands and five teams, and turning out 30,000 bricks daily. He values his entire property at $5,000. In 1882, he made his brother, Nelson Durand, a partner. He has been worderfully successful, though he was some time ago ridiculed for his supposed rashness and folly. He is a Republican, and also a member of the Presbyterian Church.
NELSON DURAND was born near Montreal, Canada, May 19, 1851. When six months old, his parents removed to St. Anne, Ill., re- maining ten years, and thence to Furnessville, Ind., remaining eight years. Nelson acquired some learning at St. Anne, and at Furnessville did various kinds of work, after which he went to Chicago, and left there just before the fire (1871), going to Michigan for about six months. He then returned to St. Anne, and worked on the Chicago, Danville & Vin- cennes Railroad about two years, and afterward on the Chicago & Pacific Railroad. On February 22, 1876, he was married to Lucy Faucher, at St. Anne. Her parents came from Quebec, and were Cath- olies until converted by Father Chineque, the reformer. After his mar- riage, he followed farming at St. Anne for six years. In December, 1881,
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he became a partner with his brother, Joseph, in the brick-making busi- ness ; they now have the largest yard in Valparaiso. Mr. and Mrs. Durand have four children, the youngest of whom is dead. Both he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church.
ALANSON FINNEY (deceased) was born in Madison County, N. Y , in 1805. In 1834, he came to what is now Porter County, his ob- ject being, as with the most of those who emigrated from the East at that period, to better his condition in life. While in New York, he was em- ployed some ten or twelve years in a distillery, in which occupation he accumulated sufficient means to give him a start in the West. On com- ing to Indiana, he was so zealous in the cause of religion that he became instrumental in the organization of the Baptist Church at Valparaiso. In the spring of 1836, he returned to New York for the purpose of marrying Miss Laura Allen, after which he came back to Indiana. To this pioneer pair seven children were born, five of whom are vet living, three in Porter County, one in Chicago and one in Central Illinois. He was first a Whig, and afterward a Republican. He died on April 16, 1867, at his farm, one and a half miles east of Valparaiso.
JOSEPH GALBREATH was born in Butler County, Ohio, May 12, 1812, and is one of the ten children (two living) of John and Eliza- beth (Aikman) Galbreath, who were natives of Pennsylvania. Joseph's grandfather was a Scotchman, and came to this country during the last century. Joseph's father served as a non-commissioned officer in the war of 1812, and his nephew was killed during the war with Mexico, at the battle of Monterey. Our subject was reared a farmer. In 1833, he married Eliza Bricker, a native of Virginia, by whom he had ten children -John C., Martin V., Samuel, La Fayette and Byron, living ; and Char- lotte, Nancy, Elizabeth J., Benjamin F. and William, deceased. Benja- min, while in the West, was accidentally killed by a self-inflicted gunshot wound, after serving in the late war, as did also John and Martin. In 1838, Mr. Galbreath and family removed to Kosciusko County, Ind., built a cabin and commenced clearing amid the usual vicissitudes of pioneers. In 1866, they came to Porter County, where Mrs. Galbreath died January 21, 1873. In August, 1873, Mr. Galbreath married his present wife, Mrs. Mary (Whitney) Clover, by whom he has had two chil- dren-Edgar P. and Nellie May. Mr. Galbreath is a Republican and an influential, energetic citizen.
JOHN S. HICKS, one of the early settlers of Porter County, was born on Long Island, N. Y., February, 16, 1813, and is the only child of Samuel and Ann (Searing) Hicks, both natives of Long Island, N. Y .; their ancestors were among the Plymouth Pilgrims of 1620. His father was a farmer, a soldier of 1812 and an honest man. His mother was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, but died when John was eighteen months old. Shortly after, when his father died, he was taken charge of by his grandparents. He received a practical education and learned the trade of a tailor ; he was afterward employed by H. D. Brooks & Co., with whom he remained fourteen years. He then purchased land on Long Island and engaged in agriculture ; this he relinquished, and en- gaged with F. Kurby & Co. of New York, for four years. In 1854, he ar- rived in Indiana and came to Porter County, purchased land, brought his
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family and commenced farming on Morgan Prairie ; this he likewise sold, and came to his present location. He once had two hundred, and still owns ninety acres. Mr. Hicks has been twice married-once in 1834, to Sarah Van Nostrand, who died soon after our late war, by whom he had eight children-John A., William F., Mary C. and Eugene, living, and Alex- ander H., Elizabeth A., Sarah and Ida, deceased; of these, John and William served through the war. By his second marriage, to Mrs. Ellen (Birmingham) Gilbert, on June 10, 1873, there were two children-Ida, living, and Caleb N., deceased.
WILLIAM HOLLISTER was born in Tioga County, N. Y., August 30, 1824, and is the youngest of nine children born to Gersham and Ruth (Scott) Hollister; of these, two only are living, and both in Porter County. His parents were born in Connecticut, but married in New York. His father died in 1862, and his mother in 1856, both in Union Township, Porter County. William Hollister resided in Tioga County until fourteen years old, when he came to Indiana and located in Porter County. His father was then living on Government land, and this when it came into the market the sons and father began purchasing. William lived in Union Township until 1877, when he removed to Val- paraiso and worked at carpentering. On October 1, 1851, he was mar- ried to Henrietta Hunt, in Union Township. They have had five chil- dren-Horace, Mary Caldwell, James, William and Elva ; two of these, Horace and James, are deceased. Mr. Hollister owns 128 acres in Union Township, but lives in Valparaiso, where he is recognized as a generous and enterprising citizen, and greatly esteemed.
WILLIAM A. HUGHART was born in Greenbrier County, Va., June 23, 1830, and is one of eight children of David and Nancy (Dozer) Hughart, who were named Mary Keeler (deceased), Elizabeth Campbell, William, Arthur, Henry. David, Nancy Harding and Martha Fulton. Our subject's father was born May 20, 1806, in Virginia ; was a farmer and miller, and is still living in Centre Township ; his mother was also a Virginian, and died in Valparaiso about 1876. The family moved from Virginia to Liberty Township, Porter County, in 1835, and into Centre Township about 1850. On June 7, 1861, William A. Hughart was mar- ried to Mary Malony, in this township. By this union they had four children-Alta, Arthur, Clarinette and Ruth. Mr. Hughart is one of the oldest settlers in the county, and a most enterprising and respected citizen. He resides on his farm, comprising 100 acres, about four and a half miles northwest of Valparaiso.
DAVID M. HUGHART was born in Greenbrier County, Va., April 3, 1835, and is one of the eight children of David and Nancy (Dozer) Hughart. His father came to Porter County, Ind., in the fall of 1835, and purchased a farm in Liberty Township. David M. Hughart was married in Valparaiso, in 1857, to Emily Bull. This union was blessed with six children-Clinton, Elnora Parrott, Albert, Pertia, Nellie and Ella. Of these Albert alone is deceased, and Elnora married. In 1856, Mr. Hughart purchased sixty acres, a part of his present farm. He entered the Thirty-third Indiana Regiment during the war, and was stationed in the South about eleven months. Mr. Hughart has always been a Democrat and a farmer, as well as a worthy and conscientious
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citizen. He now lives on his place of 120 acres, about five and one-half miles northwest of Valparaiso; he owns also ten acres of timber land in Liberty Township.
JOHN JUNKER was born in Germany June 28, 1853, being one of seven children comprising the family of John and Sophia Junker, two of whom are deceased. The father of our subject was born in Ger- many, and came from New York to Chicago, after emigrating from the fatherland, where he remained about one year, thence moving to Lake County with his family, where he has been engaged in farming about sev- enteen years. In 1881, John Junker came to Valparaiso, where he pur- chased a half-interest in what is now known as Korn & Junker's brewery. In regard to Mr. Junker, as a man and a citizen, he has always been foremost in every enterprise affecting the interests and welfare of his fellows.
IRA B. KEELER was born January 14, 1826, in Seneca County, Ohio, and is one of the nine children of Joseph and Olive (Brite) Keeler. His parents were married in Cayuga County, N. Y., in 1811. His father was born in Fairfield County, Conn .; December 29, 1787; his mother, in New Jersey, July 20, 1790. His father died February 14, 1868, in Marshall County, Iowa; his mother, February 26, 1858, in Centre Town- ship, Porter Co., Ind. They came to Seneca County, Ohio, in 1818. Ira labored for his father until they all moved to Porter County, in 1847. He had worked some time at shoemaking, and on coming to Porter Coun- ty continued so to do for eight years in Valparaiso. On October 1, 1848, he married Mary Hughart, born September 17, 1828, in Centre Town- ship, Porter Co., Ind. ; her parents were Virginians. In 1855, Ira B. Keeler purchased the eighty acres on which he resides for $1,400; he also owns twenty acres of timber land in Liberty Township. Mr. and Mrs. Keeler have had six children-David, Joseph, Harriet, Schuyler, Henry and Susan; David alone is married. Mr. Keeler has been a Freemason since 1849.
TIMOTHY KEENE was born in Cortland County, N. Y., March 6, 1825, and is one of the eight children of Sprague and Chloe (Higgins) Keene. Sprague Keene was by trade a stone-mason, but mainly followed farming. In 1859, he moved with his family to Porter County, Ind., where he died in 1865, his wife having died in 1863. Timothy Keene was reared a farmer, but received an academic education. On May 9, 1849, he was married to Miss Susan A. Parks, a native of New York City, and born September 3, 1827, a daughter of Lee and Mary (Gates) Parks. In 1857, he came hither and purchased the place on which he now resides, which he improved and farmed ; it embraces 150 acres. Mr. and Mrs. Keene have had five children-Andrew B., Edna (deceased), Brayton L., Elmer M. and Eddie S. Mr. Keene is a Republican, and has been School Commissioner over seven years; he is also Secretary of the County Agricultural Society. Mr. and Mrs. Keene are active mem- bers of the Baptist Church. The father of Mrs. Keene-Lee Parks-is passing his last years with them, being ninety-one years of age and a pensioner of the war of 1812.
WILLIAM H. KNAPP was born in Denmark, Ashtabula Co .. Ohio, July 2, 1824, and is one of the nine children of Elihu and Nancy
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(Huntley) Knapp, the former born in New York, the latter in Washing- ton, Mass. His father was a farmer, and held the offices of Justice of the Peace and Postmaster of Denmark. He started to the war of 1812, but peace was proclaimed, and in 1833 moved his family to Ashtabula, where he purchased a farm, and there lived until his death. William worked for his father until of age, when he went to Hamilton, N. Y., for eighteen months, then returned to Ashtabula and purchased twenty- five acres. In 1855, he came to Porter County. On October 1, 1851, he was married, in Ashtabula, to Mary Booth, born January 17, 1828, whose father was a sailor and lost on Lake Erie. To this union were born nine children-Mary Kieffer, Maria Herrick, Herbert, Frank, Lincoln and Merton, living ; the deceased are Emma, Fred and Ella. Mr. and Mrs. Knapp are members of the Baptist Church, he having been an officer thereof since 1857. He resides on his farm of 137 acres, all of which he cleared and improved ; he also owns eighty acres two miles north of his residence.
W. HERBERT KNAPP, JR., was born February 5, 1856, in Centre Township, Porter County, Ind., and is one of the nine children of William H. and Emily (Booth) Knapp; the family was named respectively-Mary Kieffer, Maria Herrick, Herbert, Frank, Lincoln, Emma, Ella, Merton and Fred. Of these Emma, Ella and Fred are deceased. Herbert remained with his father until he was twenty-two years old, when he purchased sixty-five acres three miles north of Val- paraiso, where he remained nearly three years. He was married December 23, 1877, in Valparaiso, to Hannah Pomeroy, daughter of George Pomeroy, of Porter County, who came to this county in 1864, a member of the Christian Church, as is his wife also. Mr. and Mrs. Knapp have had two children-Arthur and Etta ; the latter died February 19, 1882. Mr. Knapp joined the Baptist Church at Valparaiso in 1868, and Mrs. Knapp the Christian Church in 1876. They are residents of Valparaiso, where he keeps a store on College Hill.
AARON W. LYTLE was born in Boone Township, Porter County, Ind., July 12, 1841 ; he is one of the nine children born to Aaron and Hannah (Jones) Lytle, three of whom are living, two of them in Porter County. Mr. Lytle lived in Boone Township until he was about eleven or twelve years old, when he moved with the family to Valparaiso. In 1853, Aaron's father purchased a saw mill and some land on Flint Lake, where he did not long remain, but returned to Valparaiso. Aaron received most of his education at the Presbyterian institute at this place. In 1863, he entered the volunteer army, serving eighteen or twenty months ; for nine months he was Captain. On February 21, 1866, he was married to Cordelia Denison, in Wood County, Ohio; she was a native of Richland County, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Lytle have had five children -- George, Jesse, Carrie, Dick and James; the first is dead, the others live at home. In 1868, Mr. Lytle connected the ice business with farming, which he has continued. He moved to where he now lives, three miles north of Valparaiso, in March, 1882.
JOHN MCAULIFFE was born in the county of Cork, Ireland, and came to the United States in the year 1847. He resided first in Vermont, then in Ohio, and came to Valparaiso in 1857. Since he
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arrived in this country, he has been engaged for the most part as a fore- man over the employes engaged in building railroads; and should this sketch come to the notice of any of the very many men who have served under the good-natured rule of " Uncle John," they will no doubt remem- ber the old man with kindness. He died December 14, 1876. He was a good father, an upright citizen, and an honest man, and was one of those rare men who never sacrifice their honest principles.
WILLIAM McCONKEY was born in Wayne County, Ohio, March 10, 1×24, and is one of the twelve children of David and Margaret (Crawford) McConkey, of whom eight are living. William lived on his father's farm until he was twenty-three years of age. He was married, January 6, 1848, to Sarah Hague, in Holmes County, Ohio. They have had six children-James, Nancy Pennock, Maggie Sturgeon, Alvin, Camby and Vita ; five of these are living, and four reside in Porter County. After his marriage, Mr. McConkey operated a mill in Holmes County, Ohio, for sixteen years. In 1863, he came to Porter County, Ind. ; after farming three years in Porter Township, he came to Centre Township, where he has since been farming and milling. His mill is two miles west of his residence, on Salt Creek, and has a capacity of three hundred bushels per day ; this grist-mill is valued at from $10,000 to $12,000. He now lives one mile southwest of Valparaiso, on thirty acres ; yet he owns 129 more where his mill is located. He is a worthy man, and an esteemed citizen.
GEORGE W. MERRILL was born in Ashtabula County, Ohio, December 16, 1833; he is one of four children born to Nehemiah and Luna (Williams) Merrill ; of this family, but two are living. When George was two and one-half years old, his father moved to Porter County and purchased 160 acres of land about three-fourths of a mile east of Flint Lake, where the family lived about three years ; he afterward purchased land on the south shore of the lake, where they have since resided. On July 2, 1862, George W. Merrill was married to Ellen Crow, in Valpa- raiso. Three children were the result of this marriage-Rosa, Jennie and Lottie; the two first are dead. Mr. Merrill was brought up amid the primitive wilds and romantic scenery of this beautiful lake, then environed with timber, and a lurking place for Indians, deer, bears and wild cats. Mr. Merrill has reduced fishing to an art ; he has studied the nature and habits of black bass-the most valuable contained in the lake-to such an extent that he can catch them when no one else can. He has been a member of the Methodist Church, and on all occasions an upright citizen.
WILLIAM MEYER was born in the Kingdom of Hanover, Ger- many, March 18, 1828, and is one of seven sons of Christian and Marie (Cook) Meyer, only two of whom are living. His father was born in Hanover in 1792 ; he was by trade a shoemaker, and served under Na- poleon in his campaigns ; he was at the siege of Moscow and at Waterloo, and was unharmed ; he died in Hanover in 1876. His mother was also born in Hanover in 1800, and died in 1864. William learned the shoe- making trade, at which he worked while in Germany. He served three years in the German army, during the war against the Danish King. On June 1, 1851, he was married to Joanna Seuram, in Dessau, Hanover. To this
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union two children were born-Christian and Henry. On October 6, 1863, Mr. and Mrs. Meyer landed in New York, with but five francs in hand ; here he remained four years, working at shoemaking, then moved to Fort Wayne, then to Stark County, Ind., then to Valparaiso, where he purchased land in about 1880 ; his wife died August 17, 1882. They both joined the Methodist Church, in New York, in 1853. Mr. Meyer now resides two miles north of Valparaiso ; he is a gardener, and owns a tim- ber tract of twelve acres in Liberty Township.
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