USA > Indiana > Porter County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 34
USA > Indiana > Lake County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 34
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CHARLES LAWSON, farmer, was born in 1825 in Sweden. He is one of seven children born to Carl and Lora M. (Anderson) Lawson, both natives of Sweden. The elder Lawson was a soldier of the Swedish regular army for thirty years. When ten years old, Mr. Lawson left home and worked out at farming until twenty-one years of age, when he married Hannah Nelson, of Sweden. She died four years later. He had 160 acres of land on which they lived. They had one child. About one year later, he married Charlotte Anderson, of Sweden. He now farmed about two years, when he came to the United States and settled in La Porte, Ind., near which he rented 160 acres for five years. He then came to Porter Post Office settlement, and bought and cleared the farm owned at present by Mr. Engberg. He then bought his present farm of about 190 acres of good land. He is a member of the Swedish Lutheran Church. In political faith, he has always been a strong Republican. He is one of our most enterprising farmers and public- spirited citizens. He has three children living-Charles W., Emma C. and Gust A.
DAVID LONG, one of Porter Station's business men, was born in 1839, in Buffalo, N. Y. He is one of five children born to Benjamin and Seba (Stayle) Long, both natives of Pennsylvania. When David was thirteen years of age, they came to Porter Station, and engaged in farming and milling; when David was eighteen, he owned the present Pierce Mills, of Union Township, until about twenty-four years old, when he went to Jackson Township and engaged in saw-milling. In 1869, he and others built the Liberty Mills, at present owned by Mr. Wheeler. In 1877, he went to Millersburg, Ind., and remained about two years. He then came to Porter Station and embarked in his present business. He has the only rooms of the kind in town, kept in an orderly manner. In politics
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he has always been independent, and votes for the man and not the party.
JOHN B. LUNDBERG was born January 13, 1840, in Sweden, and is one of seven children born to Charles and Eva C. Lundberg. The elder Lundberg was a tailor and afterward farmer. The mother of our subject having died at his birth, the father married again, and when Mr. Lundberg was about twelve years old they came to the United States and settled in Chicago, where the father soon died. Mr. L. lived with his step-mother, she having married again, until 1866, when he came to Chesterton. He had learned cabinet-making in Chicago, and now began business for himself; besides the furniture business, he erected a turning factory, by which he expected to furnish turned work for the Chicago market, but, after about four years, the buildings burned ; he rebuilt them, and in addition to that went into the broom-handle busi-
ness. He also bought land, cutting and shipping the timber. In 1875, he sold his other interests, and has since confined himself to undertaking and dealing in furniture. He belonged to a Chicago Swedish society for the promotion of education, charity, etc. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, having taken all the Blue Lodge degrees. He has been Township Trustee for six years, also Township Assessor for four years. He has been a Republican, but is now a member of the National party. He was married in the spring of 1871 to Phebe A. Hammond, a native of New York. He has one child -- Eva. C.
HENRY R. McDONALD, farmer and lumberman, was born in Canada in 1831. He is one of nine children, living, born to Walter and Betsy (Dean) McDonald, the former a native of New Brunswick and the latter of New York. The elder McDonald was drafted into the British service in the war of 1812, and two of his sons were in the Canadian rebellion. The McDonalds came from Scotland and settled in New York, but at the Declaration of Independence they went to Canada; but the last generation has settled under Uncle Sam's protection. Senator Mc- Donald is a distant relative, and the name is well known in Scottish his- tory. When Mr. McDonald was thirteen years old, his father died, and three years later he went to New York and farmed for five or six years, with the exception of one year in Michigan. He then spent about a year in Wisconsin. He was married, in 1850, to Martha Wilson, born in Dublin, Ireland. He then went to St. Paul, Minn., but in about a year he came to his present settlement, now known as Furnessville, and is the oldest settler now living there. He was employed about five years at lumbering, and then began lumbering for himself, and is now one of our largest land-owners, and is the largest tax payer in Westchester ; a member of both the F. & A. M. and I. O. O. F. He was, up to the Garfield campaign, a Democrat, but has since been a Republican. He has six children living-Charles, Martha Jones, Fannie Lynn, Abbie, Henry and Mary.
MRS. MARTHA McDONALD, hotel proprietress at Hageman, was born in New York City in 1835. She is the youngest of thirteen chil- dren born to William and Mary (Dale) Wilson, both natives of Dublin. When Mrs. McDonald was about nine years old, her parents moved to Watertown, Wis. In 1851, she married Mr. McDonald, and went to St.
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Paul, Minn. They then went to Michigan, then to Michigan City, then to Furnessville, where they remained until the fall of 1881, when they separated and she went to Illinois, but soon came to Hageman and estab- lished a hotel, the only one in the place, where the traveling public are cordially welcomed and cared for. Mrs. McDonald is a lady of some wealth and taste. She has six children living-Charles, Martha, Fannie, Abbie, Henry and Mary.
FREDERICK MICHAELS, merchant and Postmaster at Porter Post Office, was born April 27, 1829, in Prussia, Germany. He is the only child living of Frederick and Wilhelmine (Mix) Michaels, both natives of Germany. The elder Michaels had a trade, not common as a trade in this country, viz., the finishing and adjusting ornaments, crosses, etc., on towers. Mr. Michael's father died when the former was ten years of age ; and four years later our subject began shoemaking in Breslau, and traveled in Germany until 1853, when he came to the United States and settled in La Porte, where he remained until 1855, en- gaged as tailor, shoemaker, etc. He then came to Porter Post Office without money, and engaged in railroading and carpentering, and took his pres- ent store, then very limited. He has been engaged as merchant, exclu- sively, for about twenty years, and has built all his buildings himself. He has two dwellings, store and dwelling, green house, windmills, etc., in " Old Porter," and nearly a quarter section of one of Westchester's finest farms, known as the Frayd farm, what is known as the " depot grounds," and town lots, etc. He has a fine family vault in the Bailly Town Ceme- tery, value about $1,000. He was made Postmaster January 15, 1873, and has held the office ever since. He is a member of the Valparaiso Commandery, No. 28, and also of the Consistory. He owns a business block in Chicago, on Ogden and Central Park avenues. Since the birth of the Republican party, he has been one of its stanch supporters. He married, after he came to Porter County, Mrs. Henriette Dedskind, a native of Saxony, now deceased. In 1876, he married his present wife- Bertha Fleming, a native of Saxony, and sister of his late wife. He has an adopted child-Paul F., and five step-children-Hilmar, Mrs. Fran- ciska Faust, Mrs. Emma Lyon, Martha Fleming and Curt.
ROBERT E. MILLER, M. D., was born May 26, 1846, in Nor- walk, Ohio. He is the eldest of four children born to Robert and Har- riet (Wilkinson) Miller, the former of Connecticut, and the latter of Penn- sylvania. Dr. Miller's grandfather was a soldier in the war of 1812. The elder Miller soon went from Norwalk to go to Illinois, but stopped in He Hobart, Lake Co., Ind., working at his trade of blacksmith. entered near there 240 acres of land, and moved onto it, living there and clearing until 1852, when, as one of the victims of the "gold fever," he went to California. He left his family on the farm. the mother taking care of it, and struggling to educate her family-she having been a teacher. After a stay of six years in California and one year in British Columbia, along the Frazer River, he came home, and died March 21, 1882, at the age of seventy-seven years. The mother is still living on the old homestead. Dr. Miller had but few advantages of education before of age, but he possessed a love for reading. Five months before he was twenty-one, his father reluctantly consented to his entreaties to attend
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school, without any help from him. He went, and by cutting wood, board- ing himself, working odd hours, etc., succeeded in paying his way. He then came home and worked for his father, doing this a part of the sea- son, and acting as agent another part, for about two years; then alternated teaching and farming the two following years. He then began the study of medicine in the fall of 1871, with Dr. Morrical, of Chesterton, for three years, when he entered the Rush Medical College of Chicago, tak- ing one term of lectures. He then practiced over four years in Hobart, his old home, when he sold his practice, and, returning to Chicago, grad- uated. He remained in the city taking post-graduate studies, experiment- ing and studying city practice, for about eighteen months. In 1881, he returned to Chesterton, his preceptor having moved away, and began building up a practice, and has succeeded remarkably for a young physi- cian. He is a member of both F. & A. M. and I. O. O. F. fraterni- ties, of Hobart, Ind. He has held all the different offices in the Odd Fel- lows Lodge, including Grand Representative. He is a moderate Repub- lican ; a very conscientious man, of studious habits and one of our best citizens. In June, 1876, Dr. Miller laid out the village plat of Crisman, at the junction of the M. C. and B. & O. R. R.'s. It comprises thirty- six acres.
JOHN G. MORGAN was born September 12, 1832, near Kings- bury, La Porte Co., Ind. He is the youngest of five children, living, born to Jesse and Jane (Cisna) Morgan, the former of Virginia, and the latter born near Detroit, Mich. (For account of the settlement of the elder Morgan, see the general history of Westchester and the county). When John was but six months old, they moved to what is now Porter County, and settled in the present Morgan settlement, and bought a quarter section of the finest land in the county, and pre-empted another quarter. Here the family was reared, inured to the hardships of pioneer life, with limited means of education, but with a love for reading that sup- plies the want. Jesse Morgan died when John G. was twenty-one years old ; the latter still lived with the family up to 1867. In 1860, he was married to Mary A. Holland, a native of Canada. Her parents came from Ireland. The homestead was divided in 1867, and our subject re- ceived 177 acres, and has since added until he now owns about 381 acres, with good buildings ; he has a fine grove, much used for picnics, etc. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. of twenty-six years' standing. He has always been a Democrat, but is liberal in local affairs. He is one of our most intelligent and thoroughgoing farmers, and among our first citizens. He has three children living-Bently J., Agnes C. and Annie H.
JOHN MURPHY, cooper, was born June 15, 1823, in Ireland. He is one of three children born to Martin and Mary (Byrne) Murphy, both natives of Ireland. When nineteen years of age, Mr. Murphy came to the United States and settled in South Hero Island, Lake Champlain, for two years, when he went to Montezuma, N. Y. After about two years, he went to a town near Auburn, N. Y., and stayed until he came to City West in the fall of 1857. After a four years' residence here, he went to Chicago and remained a year. He then came to Chesterton and was engaged as foreman in Mr. Hopkins' shops for about six years, when he established shops of his own, but was at one time in partnership with
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Messrs. Thomas & Hopkins. He is an excellent workman and ships a large amount of stock to the Chicago market. He has been a member of the I. O. O. F. fraternity, and has been trained in the Catholic Church. He has held the office of Township Trustee and other offices. He has always been a Democrat, with the exception of the Whig and war periods. He is a thoroughly conscientious man, of broad information and good judgment, and a citizen of sterling worth. He was married, June 18, 1848, to Mary Dooley, a native of Rochester, N. Y. They have seven children living-Mary R., Edward, James, Frank, Joseph, Lucy and Ella.
W. B. OWEN, SR., of the firm of Hinchliff & Owen, brick-yards, at Porter, was born June 5, 1834, in Crown Point, N. Y. He is the only child of Hiram and Betsy Owen, both natives of New York. The elder Owen was a stone-cutter; the ancestors were purely Yankee. Mr. Owen's father and mother both died when he was nine years old. He was thrown on his own resources without even a guardian, and worked on farms until about seventeen, when he entered the machine shops at Springfield, Mass., for about ten years. At Boston, he worked for the next five years at the same trade. At the end of this time, he went to Salt Lake City, having traveled with mules 1,700 miles to Virginia City, where he worked in the mines one summer. In the fall he came to Chi- cago, where he remained about five years, engaged in the machine shops about two years, and afterward in the brick-yard business. On December 12, 1867, he married Annie Pride, a native of Glasgow, Scotland. He then went to Champaign, Ill., and began farming 640 acres of land, one of the best farms of the county, but it being the dry year of the great fire, he remained but twelve months. He then went to Porter Station and started what was known as the old " Kellogg " brick-yard. He soon bought a third interest in one of his present yards, owned at that time by Moulding & Harland ; after being partner for a time, he sold out and was their foreman for about seven years. He then bought out the senior member, and fourteen acres of brick-yard land of a Mr. Tuttle. The firm then bought nineteen acres of Mr. Hageman, on which they estab- lished a steam yard, with the capacity of 30,000 brick per day. The firm then bought 200 acres woodland of George Morgan, and also the Waterbury & Mills brick-yard, at Hobart, Ind., where they put in steam appliances ; capacity 40,000 per day. Harland then sold his interest to Hinchliff, of Chicago, with whom Mr. Owen is at present partner. The firm put in a 2,200-foot side track connecting the yards with the L. S. & M. S. Ry. The firm now have 150 hands employed in Porter and Hobart (100 in Porter), all steam yards, with a capacity of 65,000 per day in Porter, and 105,000 per day in Porter and Hobart. Mrs. Owen kept from fifteen to twenty-five boarders in Porter for about seven years, and in the interim built a residence in Chicago, and bought 110 acres of woodland near Porter Station, the latter through Mrs. Owen's personal efforts. Mr. O. is a member of the F. and A. M. order and a stanch Republican. He has three children-Jesse C., Leonard and an infant. OSCAR S. PETERSON, retired farmer, was born in 1837 in Swe- den. He is one of eight children born to John and Anna (Lindstadt) Peterson, both natives of Sweden. When sixteen years of age, Mr.
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Peterson left home and came to the United States, and settled in Chicago, and was engaged in building the early Chicago "plank streets." In a short time, he went to Aurora, Ill., and learned and worked at upholster- ing for about three years. He then went to Lyons, Iowa, and established his business there, but failed, and as he was but nineteen years of age, and lost all, he shipped on a steamboat as "roustabout " to St. Louis, where he was without work and food for about three days, but soon got work near, on a farm, for all winter. He afterward bought a team, and began farming in Madison County, Ill. After two years, he moved to Westchester Township, and began farming in Waverly, remaining there eleven years, when he bought his present farm of 209 acres of fine land, near Chesterton, on which he lives in a beautifully situated brick, nearly hidden by a fine grove. He has altogether about three hundred and thirty acres, indicating him to be a successful farmer and financier. He has been a member of the Swedish Lutheran Church. He has always been a Republican, but in local affairs is liberal. He was married, in 1861, to Christina S. Carlson, a native of Sweden. They have four children-Charles A., Ida B., Arthur O. and Cora M. In 1863, he went to Sweden on business, and on the way there and back he visited and traveled through Norway, Germany, France, Denmark, all Great Britain and Ireland, to see the countries.
MARTIN PHARES, SR., farmer, was born May 16, 1816, in Greene County, Ohio. He is the youngest of ten children born to Rob- ert and Mary (Clevenger) Phares, both natives of New Jersey. Martin lived with his father until twenty-two years old, and received the usual early educational advantages. He married, October 24, 1837, Maria Shafer, a native of Luzerne County, Penn. In 1841, they came to Por- ter County; and bought eighty acres of the present farm, now consisting of 124 acres of good land, well improved, and farmed by their son, Fre- mont. Martin Phares taught a few terms of school here, held the office of Township Trustee, and in politics was a Whig, then joined the Repub- lican ranks, from which he never separated. He died February 21, 1882, and his widow is living on the old farm with her son. She is an intelli- gent elderly lady, respected by all who know her. They have eight children-Samuel M., Emeline Biggs, Mary A. Wheeler, Adam P., Mar- tin L., Lydia M., John C. F. and Amy C.
MARTIN LUZERNE PHARES was born in Liberty Township, Porter Co., Ind., March 28, 1854. From the age of six until in De- cember, 1872, he attended the district school, at which date he was engaged to teach at Salt Creek, four miles away. Teaching at this place three terms, he went, in the spring of 1874, in company with a friend, A. P. Bond (the winter previous, Mr. Phares' pupil) to the " pineries" of Oceana County, Mich. Here Mr. Phares taught one term, then returned and took charge of the school in which two years before he had been a pupil. Here he was engaged four or five terms; also again at Salt Creek, and in other schools of the county, until, in 1881, he accepted the Superintendency of Schools at Chesterton. This position he now holds. Mr. Phares' higher schooling was principally at the Valparaiso Normal, beginning with the first term of that institution, in September, 1873, and continuing, alternately with teaching, until in the spring of 1880. His
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attendance here amounted to about three years, his work being such as he believed would be of greatest practical utility. Politically, with the prin- ciples of the Republican party taught him from early childhood, to which principles and their triumphs he continues warmly attached, he became an early convert to the National party, first voting with it in 1880. At this writing, he is the candidate of his party for the office of County Clerk, and was made a candidate a few years ago for County . Superintendent, making a remarkably good race, but, on account of the weakness of his party only. was defeated. Mr. Phares is a young man of more than ordi- nary ability and promise; being a hard, thorough student, he has become one of the best teachers in the county, taking an active interest in, and studying political questions in a logical manner. As a writer he uses logical reasoning, and accurate, exact expressions, having been connected with newspaper work for some time. He has been one of the leaders in the County Teachers' Association, standing high in the esteem of those who know him, as a strictly moral and conscientious young man.
PILLMAN BROTHERS. August Pillman, junior member of the firm of Pillman Bros., in Porter Station, was born July 23, 1854, in Sweden. He is one of four children, living, born to Andrew and Mary (Peterson) Pillman. The elder Pillman came with his family to the United States, in 1864, and settled in Liberty Township. August lived at home until the spring of 1882, engaged in farming. He, with his brother, then bought their present store, furnished with a stock worth about $700. Their trade has grown very rapidly, so that their stock is increased to about $3,000, and includes a full line of groceries, provisions, dry goods, boots and shoes, crockery, hardware, etc., and they are in- creasing their stock daily, and do a very extensive trade. Mr. Pillman is a member of the Swedish Lutheran Church, and has always been a Republican in political faith.
JOHN PILLMAN, senior member of the firm of Pillman Bros., at Porter Station, merchants, was born July 23, 1851, in Sweden. He is the eldest son of four children born to Andrew and Mary (Peterson) Pillman, both natives of Sweden. The elder Pillman's father was a Swedish soldier in the early part of the nineteenth century. John lived at home until of age. In 1872, he married Hannah Johnson, a native of Sweden, and began farming one of his father's farms. At the end of three years, he began railroading, until he and his brother formed their present firm. He is a member of the Swedish Lutheran Church, and in political faith is a Republican. He is a public-spirited citizen, and is interested in promoting temperance and other public benefits. His wife died in October, 1881. They had two children-both dead.
JAY PINNEY, merchant, was born January 20, 1847, in La Porte County, Ind. He is the eldest of nine children, living, born to Horace and Angeline (Haskill) Pinney, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Pennsylvania ; the elder Pinney and his father-in-law were among the first settlers of La Porte County. A peculiar fact concerning the elder Pinney and wife was that she was born without a palate, and his palate was eaten off by medicine. Young Pinney lived with his father in La Porte County until about twenty-three years of age ; he was an unusually bright child, and learned very fast. He has had the advantages of High
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School education ; he then went to Kansas for health and business, and after a residence of about fourteen months, bought two car loads of Texas cattle and brought them to Chicago. He now bought a half-interest in a store in Wanatah, La Porte County. After about fourteen months, he came to Chesterton and purchased his present general merchandise store. Mr. Pinney has built up one of the finest trades in the township ; his sales, the first pear, amounted to $26,000. He carries an average stock of $6,000; he has been City Treasurer, and has been a Democrat, but votes for the man and principle rather than party. Mr. Pinney was married, June 9, 1874, to Laura E. Hopkins, a native of Chesterton. They have one child, Clara B., born September 9, 1875. Mrs. Pinney is daughter of Hamilton Hopkins, one of the first merchants of Chester- ton, and one of the old settlers ; he died in July, 1870. Mr. Pinney is agent for the Studebaker Wagon Company.
GEORGE H. RILEY, M. D., was born in Cherry Valley, N. Y., April 12, 1853. He is one of nine children, living, born to Nelson and Hannah (Wing) Riley, both natives of Cherry Valley. The elder Riley is a retired farmer, living in La Porte, Ind .; was a high school teacher for fourteen years in New York, and has taken pains to educate all his children. When Dr. Riley was about seven years of age, the' parents moved to La Porte County, living on the farm until the Doctor was seventeen ; he had graduated at the La Porte High School, and now be- gan teaching and studying medicine, paying his own way through college after two years in the school room. He graduated at the Rush Medical College, of Chicago, in the spring of 1875; he then began the practice of medicine in New Buffalo, Mich. After four years of successful prac- tice, he found a better place in New Troy, where he built up a lucrative practice, but, having lost his wife, he came to Indiana, and has been as- sociated with Dr Green in the practice of medicine and the drug busi- ness. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., and has taken all the degrees. Dr. Riley held the office of School Superintendent in Michigan ; he is a moderate Republican, but favors the financial theories of the National party. He married Mary E. Phillips. a native of Michigan, and an educated lady, having been a teacher for several years. They had one child, Carrie E.
SAMUEL A. SAMUELSON was born, in 1839, in Sweden. He is the youngest of seven children born to Samuel Ericson and wife, both natives of Sweden. When thirteen years old, Samuel and parents came to the United States and stopped a year in Chicago, then settled in West- chester Township. Our subject left home at about his twenty-first year, and worked out until the war began, when he enlisted in the Seventy- third Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served at Stone River, Perryville, Murfreesboro, etc., for eight months, when he was discharged on account of a wound received. He was disabled for over three years, but soon worked his own farm alone up to the time of his marriage, in 1871, to Mary Swanson, a native of Sweden. She died in 1879. They had five children-John V., John L., Alfrida, Badea and Gustof. He has 219 acres of land, partly improved. He is a member of the Swedish Lutheran Church, and has always been a Republican in politics ; he is an enter- prising farmer, and a good citizen.
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