USA > Indiana > Porter County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 32
USA > Indiana > Lake County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 32
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WILLIAM H. SAGER was born in Hardy County, Va., January 6, 1827, and is one of fourteen children, eleven of whom are living. His father was a native of Shenandoah County, Va. ; was a miller and farmer, and died in Hardy County in 1828, aged fifty-two ; his mother (Elizabeth Haldeman) was also a native of Shenandoah County, Va., and died in 1837, aged fifty-three ; they were both of German descent. William H. Sager moved to Miami County, Ind., in July, 1847, where he remained one year, thence going to Cass County, where he remained five years, and came to Valparaiso May 5, 1854, where he is yet located. On December 28, 1857, he was married, in Valparaiso, to Mary Gifford, by whom he has had ten children-George, Ida Norman, Chancey, Minnie, Charles, Alberta, Carrie, William, Arthur and Harry, all of whom, except George, are living. Mr. Sager became an Odd Fellow in 1850, but withdrew in 1860. In 1856, he became a partner with Mr. John Skinner, in the milling business. Since 1861, Mr. Sager has owned a mill with a ca- pacity of three hundred bushels a day. He is an enterprising, liberal and esteemed citizen. He lives in Valparaiso, but manages his grist-mill. about one mile south of the city.
DANIEL STONER was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, June 4, 1815. His father was a farmer, and he followed in his track. At that period, land being much higher in Ohio than in Indiana, Mr. Stoner came hither in 1840, in order to secure a farm and home in the " Hoosier" State. In common with all early settlers, he had an experience of trials and hardships. On June 15, 1835, he was married, in Ohio, to Eliza- beth Ludy, born May 21, 1813, from which union there descended eight children, two of whom are deceased. Those living are married and reside in this county. Mrs. Stoner died in November, 1880. Mr. Stoner now owns 255 acres of land, and lives two miles southeast of Valparaiso. In politics, Mr. Stoner is a Democrat. He has been a member of the Val- paraiso Presbyterian Church for about twelve years.
JERRY SULLIVAN was born in the County of Kerry, Ireland, and is one of the six children born to John and Ellen (McCartey) Sulli- van. Two of this number only are living. Mr. Sullivan came to this country in 1851, landing in New York City. In 1857, he came to Por- ter County, Ind., and has since resided here. In the year 1856, he was married to Mary Bennett, in Northern Ohio. This union has been blessed by four children-Ellen, Margaret, Mary and Julia. They are all un- married and live in Valparaiso. Mr. Sullivan now resides two miles north west from Valparaiso, on his own land, comprising ninety-four acres. He is a most generous man and a liberal and esteemed citizen.
A. W. TALBOT was born in Lewis (now Barbour) County, Va., in 1821. He came to this State, and where he now lives, in 1847, but this
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was a reconnoitering trip, and his determination to improve his condition is illustrated by the fact that he traveled from Virginia-a distance of 600 miles-on horseback, and returned in like mnanner. He came back and settled, however, in the fall of the same year. In 1842, he was married to Ruth Baker, who died in 1854. His second marriage-to Hannah Stoner-occurred in December, 1856. She also died in October, 1879. Mr. Talbot was left with eight children, five by his first and three by his second wife. Those living (three by his first marriage and one by his second) are married and reside in Porter County. Mr. Talbot has always been a Democrat, his first vote for President being cast in 1844. At the time he came hither, he owned a mountain farm in Virginia of 200 acres. He now lives about two miles southeast of Valparaiso, on a homestead of sixty acres. He belongs to the Order of Odd Fellows. Mr. Talbot owes his success to untiring energy.
JOHN J. TAFTE was born in Holstein, Germany, December 17, 1831, and is one of the seven children of George B. and Anna (Peter- son) Tafte. His father was born in Holstein in 1804. He was a cabinet- maker and contractor, and employed twenty-five mnen continuously. He died when thirty-five years old. His mother was born in Hamburg in 1806. Her father was a ship-builder, and met his death in a storm. She now resides with her son John. After his father's death, John was adopted by one Claus Fasbinder, in Holstein, with whom he lived eleven years and learned masonry. He afterward hired out for forty-five Prus- sian dollars a year, and later he was employed in hauling rock to rebuild what the Danish gunners had demolished in the war against Denmark in 1848-49. In May, 1852, he arrived in New York, aged twenty-one years. He went directly to New Buffalo, Mich., where he worked on a railroad, then " struck through the country," coming to the house of R. Starr, Centre Township, Porter County, where he hired for $8 per month. After learning some English, he worked at his trade, and in 1872 pur- chased his present place for $7,000. He was married September 26, 1858, to Anna Rathyeu, at Hebron, Ind. Six children were born to them, three boys and three girls, the latter being deceased-Albert, George, John, Anna, Emma and an infant unnamed. Mr. Tafte is a Freemason and a Democrat. He lives on 170 acres two miles northeast from Valparaiso. He also has 108 acres two miles north and 160 in Minnesota.
JEROME B. WHEELER was born in Hampden County, Mass., July 15, 1824, and is one of ten children born to William and Hannah (Crow) Wheeler, nine of whom are living. When Jerome was about seven years old, he moved with his father's family to Medina County, Ohio, and then to near Terre Haute, where his father died. The family next moved to Clark County, Mo., after which Jerome, with three brothers, came to Porter County about the year 1844, where they purchased con- jointly 160 acres. On December 25, 1855, Jerome was married to Eliza- beth Crow, in Centre Township. As a result of this union, six children followed-Adelaide Smith, Octavia Kelley, Raymond, Emma, Minnie and Ida; excepting the second, all live in Porter County. Mr. Wheeler now resides about one and a half miles north of Valparaiso, on his farm of eighty acres, comfortable, and greatly esteemed as a liberal-spirited and enterprising citizen.
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JONATHAN WISE was born in Washington County, Penn., Sep- tember 22, 1819, and is one of the eleven children born to Samuel and Elizabeth (Sheidler) Wise, of whom five only are living-three in Porter County. His parents were also born in Washington County, Penn., and 1839, moved from that State to Knox County, Ohio; his father died in Allen County, Ohio, in 1850, and his mother, in Knox County, Ohio, in 1847. Jonathan remained in Knox County about fifteen years before coming to Porter County, Ind. In 1835, he began the blacksmithing trade, at which he worked forty-two consecutive years in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana. On February 2, 1850, he was married to Margaret Clemmens, in Knox County, Ohio. They have seven children-Burney, Rob, Daniel, Janney Brodey, Kitty, Margaret and Maude. They all live in Porter County. Mr. Wise lived in Valparaiso five years, and had a shop near Flint Lake six or seven years. Afterward he purchased sixty-seven acres, on which he now lives, for $1,000. He is a member of the Baptist Church and an active worker in the Sabbath school, having begun that good work twenty years ago; he has been blest with a fine constitution, as proved by continued hard work at his trade.
WESTCHESTER TOWNSHIP.
WILLIAM BEAM, Superintendent of the T. Molding Brick Yards at Porter Station, and was born October 18, 1833, in Buffalo, N. Y. He is the youngest of four children born to Christian and Henriette (College) Beam, both natives of Germany. When sixteen years of age, Mr. Beam began life for himself, working at the brick business from that time on to the present, first in Buffalo, till his twenty-first year ; Erie, one year; Detroit, four years; Chatham, Canada, three years ; Chicago, three years ; Arkansas, four years ; Chicago again, and Otis four years, when he came to Porter Station and took his present position as Super- intendent of the brick yards above mentioned. Mr. Beam owns forty acres of land in Salt Creek, with fine brick houses, and town lots in Porter. He is a member of the Lutheran Church. While in Arkansas, he was pressed into the rebel service, but was soon discharged on account of sickness. In political belief, Mr. Beam has been a Democrat, but has voted the Greenback ticket and Republican, and is independent in local
matters. He is a thorough business man, and one of our influential citizens. He was married in 1863, to Catherine Ackerman, a native of Germany. They have had five children-Bertha, Ernest (deceased), William, Paul and Frank.
FRANK BERGSTROM was born in 1836, in Sweden. He is one of three children born to Swan and Mary E. (Millson) Bergstrom. When sixteen years of age, Frank began his trade, and in four years began business for himself. Two years later, he married Louise Johnson, a na- tive of Sweden. They have four children living-Fena, Minnie, Frank J. and Albert. After his marriage, he came to America and settled at Bailly Town, and also worked at his trade in La Porte about two years. He enlisted in the Seventy-third Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served
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nearly three years through all the operations of the regiment. He then settled at Chesterton, and has carried on his present business of harness and shoe making here ever since. He has a fine trade, always supplying everything in his line ; his is the only establishment of the kind in the northern part of the county. Mr. Bergstrom is a member of the Swed- ish Lutheran Church. He has always been a Republican, but has voted a few times with the Greenbackers. He is an industrious, thorough busi- ness man and first-class citizen. His first wife died in 1874. The fol- lowing year he married Mrs. Ann E. Johnson, a native of Sweden. She has three children-Frank J., Gust. and Tilda.
THOMAS BLACKWELL, proprietor of the Chesterton Mills (or Poplar Tree Mills), was born in 1845, in Isham, England. He is one of seven children born to George and Mary (Brains) Blackwell, both natives of England. The elder Blackwell was a shepherd, and from near the home of Oliver Cromwell. The ancestors all led a pastoral life. When ten years of age, Mr. Blackwell was apprenticed to learn his trade, and went to school no more, on account of a distaste for an overbearing " mas- ter " of the times. . His indentures provided for seven years, but the firm failed, and he was given his liberty at fifteen years of age. From that time until his twenty-first year, he worked as journeyman miller in En- gland. and was always successful and determined in anything he essayed. He was now in poor health, on account of hereditary consumption, so he emigrated to America and spent a year and a half in studying American systems of milling, and with health improved returned to England ex- pecting to stay. He married Milicent H. Leeson, a native of England, and a lady of taste and refinement. His health failing, he went to Can- ada, and had charge of two mills, one " three-run " and one "five-run," but after about two years he came to Illinois. He was at St. Charles about six years engaged in his trade, including millwrighting, as all ap- prentices of that time had to learn. In December, 1875, he came to Chesterton and bought his present mills, including a grist of "three-run," saw-mill, planer, matcher and machine shop, now valued at over $10,- 000. His residence, situated near the mill, is a fine two-story frame, valued at over $2,000, finely situated. In politics, he has always been thoroughly independent.
JASPER B. BOSTWICK, ex-Postmaster, and retired, was born March 27, 1810, in New York. He is the youngest of four children born to Joseph M. and Loraine (Wheaton) Bostwick, both natives of Connecticut. Mr. Bostwick, our subject, lived on a farm in New York with his parents until twenty-one years of age. He built a tannery, but in about two years it burned, and he soon built another on the same site, but in one year nearly it was also burned, both supposed to be the work of an incen- diary. He then came to La Porte County, settling in Michigan City, when in about two years he went to Wisconsin with a company to found a town, and named it Washington. In about a year, he came back to La Porte County and farmed for about three years, when he returned to Michigan City ; after a time went to Ohio, South Toledo, and engaged in merchandising for about ten years. He then came to Chesterton, and was associated with Mr. Hopkins as merchant for a time; then appointed as Postmaster of Chesterton, continuing for about ten years. He has
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since retired from business on account of his deafness. While in Wis- consin, Mr. Bostwick was County Sheriff. He has always been a stanch Republican, but now favors the Greenback faith. He was married, January 19, 1834, to Elizabeth Eldridge, a native of Connecticut. She was educated at an academy in Pittsfield, Mass., and is a refined, affable lady. They have three children, all married-Ellen St. Clair, of Kansas City ; Joseph W., of Central City, Colo., engaged in mining, and Samuel E., in Golden, Colo., conductor on the Colorado Central Railroad.
JAMES S. BRADLY, carpenter and retired farmer, was born September 1, 1827, in Hamilton County, Ohio, near Cincinnati. He is the younger of two children living, born to David and Currance (Platt) Bradly, the former a native of Vermont and the latter of Connecticut. They lived in Ohio until James was about sixteen, when they came to Clinton County, Ind. Two years later, the elder Bradly died. James and the family soon went to Chicago, where he remained about seven years, engaged in carpentering. He then came to Porter County and worked at his trade for about four years in Chesterton (then Calumet), and then moved on his farm in Liberty Township. He farmed there from 1856 to the fall of 1881, when he moved to Chesterton and again began his trade with his son, Charles D., who has worked at the trade for two years. They both have a lively run of business, and are first-class workmen. Mr. Bradly still owns his Liberty Township farm. In 1863, he entered service in the Twelfth Indiana Cavalry and served in Ten- nessee, Alabama and Mississippi, and was mustered out at Vicksburg at the close of the war. He has been a member of the Sons of Temper- ance, the Grange, etc. He has been Township Trustee for two years. He was a Free-Soil Democrat, but has been a stanch Republican since the formation of that party. He was married, June 3, 1853, to Elizabeth M. Jones, a native of Ohio. They have three children living-Charles D., Martha E. and Lavantia. Charles D. Bradly was born March 26, 1858, in Liberty Township. He was married, June 26, 1881, to Minnie D. Dettman, a native of Chicago. James Bradly's first wife died in 1877, and in 1878 he married Mrs. Lavina Parker, a widow, and a native of New York.
FRANCIS BROWN was born in 1832 in Ireland. He is one of four children, living, born to David and Mary (McMahn) Brown, both natives of Ireland. Francis lived with his father until eighteen years of age, when he came to the United States and settled in Chicago, engaging as foreman in a lumber yard. He continued in this position for a num- ber of years, when he came to Chesterton, and was engaged in business for twenty-four years, and has, as his present standing shows, been a suc- cessful financier. He retired from active life in the spring of 1881, and has since occupied his leisure in superintending his three farms. He has one of the finest residences in Chesterton, richly furnished. He held the office of Corporation Treasurer for two years. Mr. Brown has always been a Democrat, but of late years has concluded that men, not parties, should be the object of a citizen's vote. He is one of Chesterton's most successful financial men, and is of very active habits. He was married, May 14, 1857, to Catherine Young, a native of Ireland. They are both members of the Catholic Church. They have six children living-Sam-
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uel H., John W., Frank, Thomas, May and Lydia. The three latter are living at home.
FREDERICK BURSTROM was born June 17, 1826, in Sweden, and is the youngest of ten children born to Andrew and Caroline (Lin- burg) Burstrom. The elder Burstrom took the degree of M. D., but never practiced, while both were well educated. The grandfather, Bur- strom, was a government ship-builder, but lost everything in one of the Russo-Swedish wars. When twenty-one years of age, Frederick Bur- strom left home. He had received a collegiate education, but on account of his father's old age, he was persuaded to superintend his father's tan- nery for about four years; he then came to the United States and settled in Chicago, engaged at his trade, but he soon had to stop the work, and came to Bailly Town and lumbered for about two years. He bought about 100 acres of land and began farming; he has since lived on this land, with the exception of three years in Illinois, engaged in the grocery business with a brother-in-law. In 1879, he spent six months visiting in Europe. He enlisted in the Thirty-fifth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served in ponton service and guarding in almost all the Southern States for eleven months. His farm is all improved and excellent land, and has been brought from its primitive state by himself. He is a member of the Swedish Lutheran Church, and has been an active worker in temperance. He was Trustee for two years, and is now County Commissioner. He has always been a Republican. Mr. Burstrom was among Westchester's first settlers. He was married, in 1848, to Catherine Westrond, a native of Sweden.
REV. ANDREW CHALLMAN, minister of the Bailly Town and Chesterton Swedish Lutheran Churches, was born January 1, 1841, in Gottenborg, Sweden. He is the youngest of six children born to Andrew and Christan (Anderson) Kjellman (Swedish spelling), both natives of Sweden. When fifteen years of age, Rev. Challman began for himself, and was engaged for the first four years in Gottenborg, in a carriage factory, and then entered a seminary, in the same place, to prepare him- self for a teacher, remaining one and one-half years. He then entered a more advanced institution at Ahlsborg, and studied for two years. He then began teaching in a private school for a personage corresponding to an English earl-Adolph Stackelberg-for two and one-half years, when he came to the United States in 1868, and settled in Bailly Town, and taught in the Swedish congregation one and one-half years, and then went to Chicago, intending to go into business, but he was induced to teach in the Immanuel congregation for three years. He then entered the college at Paxton, Ill. (now Rock Island), to prepare himself for the ministry, and was then called to several congregations-among others, Hobart, Ind .- until, in 1875, his call to Bailly Town necessitated his settling here, where he has since resided in his fine residence in close proximity to the church. Rev. Challman has always been a Republican, but is independent in local affairs. He was married, in 1866, to Gustafa A. Johnson, a native of Sweden. They have seven children-Samuel, Gust A., David, Anne G., Mary, Robert and Esther.
WILLIAM H. COUCH, ticket and freight agent on Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad at Chesterton, was born August 30, 1817,
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in New York. He is one of six children born to Roswell and Mehitable (Fox) Couch, both natives of Massachusetts. The elder Couch was a cooper by occupation. When William was eleven years old, his mother, who had been a widow for two years, went to Wellington, Ohio. He now began to learn the trade of carpenter and joiner, in Elyria, and Cleveland and Medina, under instruction, for about seven years. He then began traveling, and working at Detroit, Grand Rapids, Akron, Wellington (Ohio), and other smaller places, Delaware, in Canada, Nor- walk, etc. At Norwalk, he worked for the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Company for eight years, in different capacities; at the end of which time he went to Cleveland, where his family still resides. After two years, he was appointed agent at Holmesville, Ind., for four years, when he was sent to Chesterton, where he has had control ever since. There are five by the name of Couch on the road, two cousins, our subject and his two sons. In Ohio, he was Justice of the Peace, County Sheriff, City Marshal, etc. He has been a Mason for over thirty years, having taken all the degrees in Oriental Masonry, and was Master for five years in Lorain County, Ohio He was a Whig, Free- Soiler, Abolitionist, and is now a Republican. In his earlier days, he took an active interest in politics. He was married, in 1838, to Catherine Patch, a native of Connecticut. They have three children-Edgar, Frank L. and Mary L. Kirtland, book-keeper in a wholesale furniture store in Cleveland.
JOHN C. COULTER was born June 28, 1824, in Berks County, Penn. He is the only child of Robert and Ann (Cooper) Coulter, the former a native of Ireland and the latter of Maryland. The elder Coulter was a teacher by occupation, and a self-made man. The Coulters mentioned in the early history of Oregon are said to be connected with the ancestors of our subject. Mr. Coulter's maternal ancestors were Quakers, and early settlers of Maryland. When young Coulter was seven years of age, the parents moved to Crawford County, Ohio, and bought land; young Coulter, in 1850, came to Indiana, his parents having died. He engaged in farming in Lake County for about one year, when he came to Calumet (now Chesterton), teaching and working at other things until the war began. He enlisted in 1861 in the Forty- eighth Indiana Volunteers, participating in the battle of Corinth, the siege of Vicksburg, and afterward under Sherman on his famous " march to the sea," through to Washington, then on to Louisville, where he was discharged. On his return to Chesterton, he engaged in railroading at the station for three years, when he taught three terms. He now began working in the brick yards, burning the kiln. On the day the great Chicago fire began, he was installed as station agent at Chesterton, con- tinuing in that occupation until April, 1882, when he resigned. He still holds the express office. He also engaged in manufacturing a vege- table root beer. Mr. Coulter is a member of the Masonic fraternity. He has held the office of Justice of the Peace, etc., and is at present a candidate for County Recorder on the National ticket. In politics, he is a strong Greenbacker. He was married, February 1, 1843, to Sarah Mc- Henry, a native of Ohio. They had four children, all living-William, Artelissa J., Sarah and Lana. His wife died in October, 1874, and,
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about two years later, he married his present wife, Mary Cook, a native of Columbiana County, Ohio. His parents are living at Helena, near Toledo.
HENRY DABBERT, merchant and Postmaster at Hageman, was born in 1841, in Mecklenberg Schwerin, Germany. He is the youngest of three children living born to Fred and Christina Dabbert, both natives of Germany. The elder Dabbert had charge of the Duke's race-horses. When fifteen years of age, Henry worked for himself at different things, until he came to the United States in 1864. He settled in Chicago, and was engaged for eight years following in a chair factory. He then went into the wholesale grocery business in Chicago. At the end of five years, he came to Hageman, and bought his present store. He keeps a full line of groceries, dry goods, boots and shoes, provisions, hardware, notions, etc. His stock at first was worth about $500. He has built the only brick store in the place, with his dwelling in the second story; now, his stock is increased to about $3,000, with an extensive trade. He is a mem- ber of the German Lutheran Church. In 1875, he was made Postmaster, and has held the office ever since. In political belief, he is a Republican and is an enterprising, industrious man and public-spirited citizen. He was married, in 1864, to Maria Zulke, a native of Germany; they have six children-Ida, Henry, Annie, Emma, Emilia, Frank.
NATHAN DEMASS was born August 4, 1840, in Akron, Ohio. He is one of eight children born to Nathan and Elizabeth (Nye) Demass, both natives of New York. The elder Demass was in the battle of Sack- ett's Harbor, in the war of 1812. In 1853, the family moved to Chicago and Nathan began his trade of carpenter, working at it until 1857, when they came to (Old Porter), now Porter, Porter County, and bought eighty acres of land; Nathan stayed on the farm until 1862, when he enlisted in the Seventy-third Indiana; he was with his regiment during all its experience, through to Lexington, Nashville, Alabama, on the Col. Straight raid, captured, exchanged, kept at Belle Isle, City Point, guarding pris- oners at Indianapolis, building forts at Nashville, about a year on a Gov- ernment cotton farm in Alabama, being mustered out 1865. He now returned to Chesterton, engaged in his trade, and was married in January 24, 1866, to Marcia Brush, a native of Vermillion, Ohio, and daughter of a ship-builder. He began carpentering, increasing his business con- stantly, hiring two men, then three or four, and so on until he has under his supervision from seventeen to twenty men constantly, also five horses for teaming; he contracts for anything in the carpenter line, such as bridge-building, schoolhouses, churches, house-moving, etc. His residence is one of the best in Chesterton, and finely situated. He is a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity. Mr. Demass has always been a stanch. Republican. He has five children-Charles, Elmer, Gracie, Ray and Bessie.
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