USA > Indiana > Porter County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 36
USA > Indiana > Lake County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 36
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C. G. CARMAN is a native of New York, and son of Morris and Ann (Gregg) Carman, who were both natives of New York, but died in this township. C. G. Carman was brought to Lake County by his parents in 1834, when four years of age, and is one of its pioneers. In his early youth, he attended a subscription school, and at the age of sixteen years he began the trade of a carpenter, serving two years, and which he fol- lowed until the war. In 1861, he enlisted in Company I, Twentieth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, for three years, and was engaged in many important battles up to Gettysburg, and was discharged at Wilmington, Del., in 1865. He was twice wounded by the same ball-in the hand and left side of upper jaw, which caused much suffering. On returning, he engaged in carpentering for several years, and came to Hebron in its early days. On January 23, 1867, in White County, Ind., he was mar- ried to Miss Elizabeth O. Carson, daughter of James and L. A. Carson. By this union they have had two children-Mary and Loren. Mrs. Carman is a member of the Presbyterian Church.
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JOSEPH C. CARSON, physician and surgeon, was born at Mal- vern, Ohio, November 29, 1850, and is a son of Matthew and Margaret J. (Knox) Carson, natives of Ireland; the former died in Indiana in 1863, whither he came in 1861, and the latter is yet living in Porter Township, Porter Co., Ind. Joseph C. Carson first attended school at Hickory Point, then at Hebron, and later the high school at Valparaiso ; he then commenced teaching and attending normal school, so continuing until 1876, when he graduated in the scientific course and became Prin- cipal of the school at Hebron for two years. During this period, he studied medicine and the branches appertaining thereto, and attended a course of lectures at Columbus, Ohio, in 1878-79. He graduated in the Medical Department of Butler University at Indianapolis in 1880. He then returned to Hebron, where he has now a good practice. On April 22, 1880, he was married to Miss Lizzie Cain. They are both members of the M. E. Church.
THOMAS CLOWES was born in 1840, in the State of Michigan, and is a son of Charles L. and Edith Clowes, both natives of Virginia ; both died in Michigan, where the boyhood of Thomas was passed, and where he attended school-in Cassopolis-and where he remained until twenty-two years of age. At fourteen years of age he commenced to learn the trade of a painter. In 1864, he came to visit in Lake County, and afterward removed to Hebron, where, on June 12, 1866, he was mar- ried to Miss Mattie E. Johnson, of the family of Eli and Sarah Johnson. They have but one child-Edith. Mr. Clowes now made farming his principal business until 1882, when he procured a stock of groceries and provisions ; he also has a room for serving ice cream and lunches. Mr. and Mrs. Clowes are members of the Christian Church and most gener- ally respected.
ROBERT DOUGLAS is a native of Burns, Scotland, and is a son of Samuel and Martha (MeNabney) Douglas; his father was a native of Scotland, where his mother died. In company with three sons, his father landed in America at New York in 1879. Our subject had preceded him in 1872. He had been in the civil service in England. On the 16th of June, 1872, he reached Porter County, Ind., with but $5 as his capital; notwithstanding this, however, by economy, perseverance and thrift, he got together money enough to purchase his present property, consisting. of eighty acres, and also the necessary amount of stock found upon like- sized farms. On the 6th of April, 1875, in Porter County, he was mar- ried to Miss Alice McNabney, a native of Porter County, whose father was a farmer and had been a soldier in the Mexican war. This union was blessed with four children-Andrew M., Mary, Roscoe and Ida.
CONNER DOWD was born in Ohio, and is the seventh of the nine children of Conner and Hannah (Graves) Dowd ; his father was a native of Ireland, his mother, of North Carolina; both died in Ohio. The boy- hood of our subject was passed in Ohio, where he received the learning of the common schools. In 1835, he was married to Miss Cynthia Pratt, daughter of Rufus and Martha (Merritt) Pratt, by whom he has two chil- dren living-Lucretia and James H. Mr. Dowd began farming on sixty acres, to which he afterward added forty acres ; this he sold and emigrated to Lake County, where he purchased 120 acres, on which he lived and
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which he cultivated for twelve years, when he removed to 400 acres on Eagle Creek. He came to Hebron in 1873, where he is engaged in the hardware trade, and has a stock of $4,000 to $5,000; he owns his store site, as well as a house and lot. Mr. Dowd was Township Trustee sev- eral years in Vinton County, Ohio. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, with which they united about 1832.
HUGH FICKLE is a native of Perry County, Ohio, and is a son of William and Ann Fickle. His grandfather was a native of Germany ; came to America and purchased land, for which, owing to previous claims, he had to pay a second and a third time. Hugh Fickle received but a meager education in Ohio, among the hills; he was married in Perry County, Ohio, to Miss Isabella Hazlett, who died February 12, 1862, leaving two children-Sarah J. and Martha A. (both deceased). Having received 320 acres of woodland from his father, he built a house and be- gan clearing, on which he lived until 1864. Of this he gave 160 acres to each of his daughters, sold the balance, and removed to Porter County. In 1864, he purchased 340 acres; then went to Ohio, where he purchased the old farm. On returning, he purchased his present place; he has con- siderable stock, and usually ships two car-loads of hogs every year; his second marriage was to Mrs. Oliver, to which union there have been born three children-David B., Charles A. and John H. Mr. and Mrs. Fickle are members of the United Presbyterian Church, of which Mr. Fickle has been a Ruling Elder for thirty years.
D. A. FISHER is a native of the State of Indiana, where he was born in 1855; he is the eldest of the four children of William and Nancy (Bryant) Fisher, both living in Lake County. The schooling obtained by D. A. Fisher was first received at a district school. and afterward at the Normal School of Valparaiso, which he attended five terms ; he then engaged in farming. On June 7, 1876, he was married to Miss E. L. Bliss, daughter of W. O. Bliss, native of the State of New York, and a farmer. Mr. Fisher continued farming until 1881, at which time he en- gaged in his present business of hardware dealing at Hebron, where he has a fine location and an excellent trade. carrying a stock worth $1,500 to $2,000. In 1879, Mr. Fisher visited Colorado and other Western points, being absent about eight months.
WILLIAM FRY, was born in Crawford County, Penn., March 7, 1833, and is a son of John and Hannah (Meeker) Fry. His parents moved to Porter County in 1846, and wintered near Valparaiso, where his father died; his mother, with the children, soon moved to Boone Town- ship, where she died. William Fry's opportunities for acquiring educa- tion were very narrow; he remained on the farm until twenty-four years old, when he went into the lumber business in the pines of Indiana, at which he continued two years. While there, he was married to Miss Sarah J. Wallace, daughter of James and Sarah A. Wallace. Mr. Fry returned and sold his heirship; he now owns 200 acres of his homestead, and sixty-four acres in another tract; his farm is well improved and stocked, and very productive; he raises from twenty-five to thirty hogs and cattle every year, with five or six horses ; likewise a full line of staple crops. Mr. and Mrs. Fry have had seven children-Orville M., Ira V., Harriet E., Ancil C., John W., William (deceased), and Florence J. Both himself and wife are members of the Congregational Church.
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WILLIAM GIBBS was born in Athens County, Ohio, April 6, 1829, and is a son of Hiram and Elizabeth (Shanks) Gibbs, the former a native of Vermont, the latter of Virginia. The father died at Hickory Point ; the mother is yet living in Lowell, Lake County. William Gibbs had but meager opportunities to acquire learning from the schools. He came to Porter County, Ind., with his parents, in 1845, and located on a farm. In 1846, he came to Lake County. After his father's death, he was commissioned to manage the farm, which he did until he was twenty- eight years old, at which time he was married to Miss Mary Gordon, daughter of Joseph and Ruth Gordon, by which marriage he had one child-Laura. After this, he farmed for five years, then peddled dry goods and notions, and later, in 1868, settled in the furniture and agri- cultural goods business at Hebron ; this he continued until 1878, when he moved West to improve his wife's health ; this failing, he returned in 1879, and in 1880 she passed away. He was made Justice of the Peace in 1878, and in 1879 engaged in the insurance business, in which he has remained. His second marriage was to Miss Mary A. Guinn, daugh- ter of John D. and Eliza Guinn, by which union there was one child- Otto W. Mr. Gibbs is a correspondent for several newspapers. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
JOHN GIDLEY is a native of England, and a son of John and Mary (Maddock) Gidley, both natives of England. His parents came to America in 1833, and moved to Porter County, Ind., in 1840, locating one mile east of Hebron, where they died. Owing to the early appren- tice system of England, our subject obtained but a meager education be- fore his tenth year, when he was bound to a farmer, from whom his un- expired term of six years was purchased when he came away. On coming to this country, he engaged in boating on Lake Erie, and afterward drove stage in Michigan, and reached Porter County, Ind., in 1838. At Shel- byville, Shelby Co., Ind., December 12, 1837, he was married to Miss Mary Davis, daughter of Archibald and Sandal Davis, a native of Ken- tucky. To this union succeeded eight children-Mary S., Elizabeth A., (deceased), Sarah (deceased), John A., Louisa P., Andrew B., Henry W. (deceased) and George W. Mr. Gidley first farmed on rented land, afterward purchasing twenty acres, and adding forty, and later, eighty acres thereto, until he had 180, on which he lived until 1879, when he retired to Hebron, to live in ease and comfort. Mr. and Mrs. Gidley are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and among the first in Hebron at its organization. Mr. Gidley has been Steward and Trustee for thirty years.
DAVID HURLBURT was born in Athens County, Ohio, March 4, 1816, and is the eighth of the nine children of Reuben and Rachel (John- son) Hurlburt, the former a native of New Jersey, and the latter of Pennsylvania. His parents moved to what is now Porter County in 1834 ; both died in Porter Township. David Hurlburt was seventeen years of age when he settled in the wilderness, and his opportunities for schooling were the very worst. In 1851, he was married to Miss Eliza- beth Spafford, a native of Wayne County, Ohio, and daughter of Chester and Margaret Spafford. This union was fruitful by three children - Chester, Edith A. and Ruth S. Mr. Hurlburt continued farming in Porter
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Township, where he owned 160, and to which he added forty-five acres ; this he sold and purchased eighty acres, to which he added, by degrees, until it embraces 320 acres. He came to his present farm in 1872, and before giving his children portions, he possessed 700 acres ; he also has thirty head of cattle, 100 hogs and twenty-five milch cows, and will aver- age 200 tons of hay per year. Mrs. Hurlburt is a member of the Chris- tian Church.
SAMUEL IRVIN is a native of Ohio, and a son of William and Martha (Brooks) Irvin, his father a native of North Carolina, and his mother of Virginia. The opportunities for education by the schools were very few to S. Irvin, who could not attend after his tenth year. In 1845, he moved to Porter County, Ind., locating in Porter Township and farm- ing there, where he lived nine years. He was married in Montgomery County, Ohio, to Miss Ann C. Keller, daughter of John and Magdalene Keller. In 1854, Mr. Irvin removed to Chicago, where he engaged in brewing until 1857; then returned to Valparaiso, where he erected the first brewery in the county, and afterward engaged in railroad carpenter- ing on the railway through Hebron, and also general carpentering. Mr. and Mrs. Irvin have had four children-William G., Alpheus A., Eddie S. and Annie B., living ; and Luman, Alice and Sarah, deceased. Mr. Irvin was County Assessor three years, and Assessor of Boone Township fifteen years. Both himself and wife are members of the Christian Church.
JOSEPH KITHCART was born in Westmoreland County, Penn., in 1819, and is the eldest of the ten children of Thomas and Deborah (Wright) Kithcart, both natives of Pennsylvania; they died in Ohio, having been pioneers of Richland, now Ashland, County. Joseph received what education was afforded at a district school, and, as soon as he became able, took charge of the farm, remaining until his twenty-fifth year. On August 29, 1844, he was married to Miss Mary J. White, a native of Ohio. Joseph Kithcart commenced farming on the forty acres given to him by his father, and which he improved. This he sold and removed to Auburn, De Kalb Co., Ind., and engaged in the grocery business. His wife died in Ohio, leaving two children-Thomas W. and Martha. His second marriage was to Phebe A. Barber, a native of Ohio; this wife died in Auburn, leaving two children-Mary J. and J. C. His third marriage, in Ohio, was to May G. Tannehill, of Ohio, by whom he has four children-L. Ella, Charles T., Clark and Goldie. In 1868, Mr. Kithcart came to Porter County, where he bought 257 acres and made improvements. Mr. and Mrs. Kithcart are members of the Christian Church.
G. W. MAXWELL is a native of Franklin County, Ind., and a son of James and Mary (Thorn) Maxwell, the former a native of Pennsyl- vania, the latter of Maryland. The education of G. W. Maxwell was limited to what could be acquired in pioneer days, his father dying when he was two years old. In February, 1853, he was married, in Decatur County, Ind., to Miss Martha A. Belt, a native of Ohio ; her father was a farmer, and her mother a nurse. Mr. Maxwell moved to Lake County in 1856, and engaged in farming, purchasing 80 acres, and also 40 in Porter County, where he removed in 1871, and located one mile south of
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town on 120 acres, on which he lived until removing to Hebron, one year ago, leaving the farm to the care of his son. His wife died July 9, 1853. His second marriage was to Miss Margaret Downs, a native of Franklin County, Ind., by whom he had five children-William, George R., Albert F., Mary E. and Bertha. Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell are members of the Christian Church, of which the former is a Deacon and likewise Treasurer.
J. L. McALPIN is a native of Highland County, Ohio, where he lived until eighteen years of age, his father dying when he was one year old. The advantages being poor, he got but a scant education, being necessitated to work on his mother's farm, and with whom he came to this State and located in Boone Township in 1844. In 1848, he was married to Miss Sarah Dinwiddie, daughter of Thomas Dinwiddie, farmer. By this union there were born nine children-Mary L., Augusta, Eliza J., Susie I., Emma (deceased), Maggie, John S. (de- ceased), James P. (deceased) and J. D. Mr. McAlpin commenced on sixty acres, then sold, and purchased his present farm of sixty acres, on which he has since lived. To this he has added until his farm now embraces ninety acres, with twenty acres of timber in the wet lands. This farm is one mile south of Hebron, and fine soil. In 1862, Mrs. McAlpin died, and he was married to his second wife, Miss Mary J. Morrow, by whom he has had seven children-Harry, William, Ber- nard, Carl, Freddie, Ina and Benjamin (deceased). Mr. and Mrs. McAlpin belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church.
JOHN MCINTYRE is a native of Washington County, Penn., and moved to Ohio with his parents, where he resided from the time of his tenth year until manhood. In the month of March, 1848, he was mar- ried to Miss Rebecca Carson, a native of Ireland, whose parents were farmers. In 1852, Mr. McIntyre settled on his present farm of 120 acres, which he had recently purchased. He has a good place, and culti- vates corn, oats and hay. Mr. and Mrs. McIntyre have had a family of six children-Samuel, who is in Colorado ; Robert, deceased ; James, deceased ; William A., Robert and Rebecca A., who are single and live at home.
WILSON B. MORROW is a native of the State of Ohio, and the second of the six children of William and Eliza (McAlpin) Morrow, the former a native of Ohio, the latter of Virginia, who died in Boone Township in 1872, where Mr. William Morrow is now living. Wilson B. Morrow, when two years old, came with his parents to Boone Town- ship, Porter County, Ind. His school days were passed in a log struct- ure. He remained on the farm until 1872, when he came to Hebron and engaged in the stock, hay and grain business with Mr. Bryant, under the firm name of Bryant & Morrow, which was continued nearly ten years. In 1882, he purchased the entire stock of general merchandise of William E. Sweney, having $5,000 worth of goods, and leading in his business. On January 8, 1863, he was married to Miss Margaret G. Hildreth, daughter of Gabriel and Betsey J. (Wilson) Hildreth. Mr. and Mrs. Morrow have five living children-Ninetta, John, Elsie, Ernest and Charles.
G. C. MOSIER, retired farmer, was born in Hanover, Germany, and is a son of Frederick and Louisa (Herborg) Mosier. The former
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died in Germany. In 1838, G. C. Mosier came to Indiana and located in La Porte City, where he learned carriage painting. On October 26, 1856, he was married to Miss Christina Fehrman, daughter of George and Christina Fehrman, by whom there succeeded five children-George, Rose (now Mrs. McKay), Samuel, Lucy and Alfred. Mr. Mosier now commenced farming in Union Township, Porter County, where he owned 320 acres, and on which he lived seven years. This he sold and went to Valparaiso and engaged in real estate business. Seven years later, he removed to Hebron, Porter County. Here he deals in real estate, but engaged in merchandising for one year. Mr. Mosier owns two acres in the central part of town and some town lots on the west side of Main street. He served as Justice of the Peace in Union Township for four years, and six years in Hebron, also seven months in Valparaiso. In the spring of 1882, he was elected to the same position.
WILLIAM M. NELSON is a native of Bedford County, Penn. His father was a native of England and his mother of Pennsylvania. William received the usual amount of education at the common schools, and, before manhood, learned the trade of blacksmithing from his father. At the age of twenty-two, he took charge of his father's shop in Ander- sonville, Franklin Co., Ind. On October 1, 1864, he was married to Miss E. M. Scott, born in Rush County, Ind., of which county her parents were pioneers. This union was blessed with four children- John S., Leora E., Alpha A. and Jennie. In 1867, Mr. Nelson came to Hebron, where he has since lived, and formed a partnership with Mr. Paramore in the blacksmithing trade; this continued two years, when he rented and afterward purchased a shop of his own, and which is one of the leading ones in the town. He is a much-respected citizen. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson are members of the Christian Church.
HERSCHEL J. NICHOLS was born in Ohio December 22, 1849, and was the first child of Jacob and Elizabeth (Hite) Nichols, both of Ger- man descent; his father lives at Creston, Lake Co., Ind .; his mother died in Lake County in June, 1871. The boyhood of Herschel J. Nichols was passed on a farm; he attended the district schools, and also Ball's school, at Crown Point, one year ; then engaged as a clerk at Lowell for five years, afterward beginning for himself as a merchant at Leroy, and then came to Hebron, where he managed a store for Mr. Sweney two years, after which he purchased the present entire stock of Bryant, and has continued the business. He has now an $8,000 stock and one of the principal stores in the place. He is also in the regular shipping business, shipping hay at all seasons of the year. In 1872, he was mar- ried to Maria Lambert, daughter of Cornelius Lambert, a union blessed with three children-Virgil, Marshall and Floyd. Mr. Nichols was elected Township Trustee in 1882.
H. J. RATHBUN is a native of New York, and a son of Harry and Mary (Malatt) Rathbun, both natives of New York ; his parents became residents of Ohio when our subject was two years old, where they afterward died. H. J. Rathbun's boyhood was passed in Ohio, where he obtained some education from the common schools, remaining with his parents until he was twenty-four years old; he moved to Lake County, Ind., on February 22, 1854; he was married June 5, 1860, to
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Miss Alice Bates, a native of Michigan, but a resident of Porter County. Four children blessed this union-Harry (deceased), Grace, Augusta (deceased) and Roy. Mr. and Mrs. Rathbun have lived in Boone Township since their marriage, except a three years' absence in Porter township. Mr. Rathbun has a charming farm of 383 acres, all in the home place except thirty-eight acres ; he makes seventy-five tons of hay annually ; has twelve to fifteen horses, and has raised many sheep. Mr. and Mrs. Rathbun are members of the Christian Church.
L. P. SCOTT, station agent at Hebron, is a native of Cavendish, Windsor Co., Vt., and a son of Isaac and Polly (Eaton) Scott-the former a native of Vermont, and the latter of Connecticut, both of whom died in Welshfield, Ohio. L. P. Scott received a fair education, having attended, in addition to the common schools, a select school in the winters ; he afterward learned the trade of a carpenter. On September 1, 1852, at Ravenna, Ohio, he was married to Miss Emma M. Pool, a native of Eastern New York. Mr. Scott engaged in stock dealing for a number of years, and afterward in merchandising at Welshfield, Ohio; he moved to Hebron, Porter County, in the spring of 1869, and became station agent, which office he now holds; he is a Mason and an Odd Fellow, and likewise a member of Valparaiso Commandery, No. 28, of Indiana.
H. W. SHAFER was born in Knox County, Ohio, October 17, 1834, and is the eighth of the twelve children of Michael and Nancy (Ireland) Shafer; the former a native of Pennsylvania, the latter of Ohio ; both died in Hancock County, Ohio. The early education of H. W. Shafer was begun in the county school of Hancock County ; he remained with his parents until his eighteenth year, when he became a clerk at Huntsville, Logan Co., Ohio, where he remained five years, during which time he bought considerable stock, and thence went to Chi- cago, where he dealt in horses and cattle for four or five years. In 1860, he came to Crown Point, Lake Co., Ind., and engaged in stock dealing and shipping, and purchased eighty acres. At the blast of war. he enlisted in Company A, Ninety-ninth Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, but before being mustered in was commissioned First Lieuten- ant; he served nearly three years and was wounded at Resaca, Ga., captured at Sunshine Church and imprisoned, but escaped on the road to Columbia, S. C .; he was retaken after seventeen days, and returned to Co- lumbia Prison; he subsequently escaped and was re-captured several times, and finally got away from rebeldom and was discharged at Indianapolis ; he was afterward married to Miss Louisa Skelton, who died in 1872, leaving three children-Owen, Erwin and Robert; his second marriage was to Miss Nan R. Reicketts, of Hancock County, Ohio, by which union he had three children-Clara, Ray and May. Mr. Shafer now owns 200 acres, all under cultivation.
JOHN SKELTON is a native of Pennsylvania, and a son of Robert and Susan Skelton, both natives of Pennsylvania. The grandfather of our subject was a Revolutionary soldier. The early education of John Skelton consisted only of what he learned in a country school. When thirteen years of age, he went to learn blacksmithing in Philadelphia, at which he served four years. This he followed for eighteen years, when
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he was compelled to seek a less laborious vocation, and he commenced a general store in Kewanna, Fulton Co., Ind., continuing eight years. In 1865, he removed to Hebron, Porter Co., Ind., where he sold hardware and groceries. In 1877, he dropped hardware, and three years later commenced his present business, where he is always on hand for trade. On March 4, 1845, he was married to Miss Emily C. Norris, daughter of Arthur and Catherine Norris. To this union were born four children-John, Leah and Charles (all married) and Louisa (deceased). Mr. Skelton was Township Trustee two years and Justice of the Peace in Fulton County four years. Both himself and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church.
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