USA > Indiana > Porter County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 43
USA > Indiana > Lake County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 43
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G. M. HAXTON, born in Livingston County, N. Y., June 25, 1820, is a son of Marsena and Eliza (Parmer) Haxton, and the second of seven children. Marsena Haxton was a clothier, a soldier of the war of 1812, and both he and his wife were natives of New York. When G. M. Haxton was a child, his parents moved to Monroe County, N. Y., where he lived until the age of twenty, when he began working in a planing-mill factory, and two years later went to Lorain County, Ohio. Here he remained twenty-five years, with the exception of four years passed in Medina County, and, in 1867, settled in Portage Township on his present place; this farm covers 320 acres ; he gives his main atten- tion to dairy and stock business. On May 1, 1842, he was married to Lodema Vosburgh, of Monroe County, N. Y., who died in 1852, leaving two children-Mrs. Eliza M. Waite, of Lorain County, Ohio, and Mar- sena (deceased). His second marriage, to Wealthy A. Vosburgh, on November 25, 1852, was blessed with four children-Lodema, Mrs. Car- oline M. Small, Florence and George E. Mr. and Mrs. Haxton are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is Independent in politics.
WEBSTER MILLER was born in Berrien County, Mich., January 22, 1851, the eldest of the seven children of Nicholas and Mary J. (Platts) Miller. His father was a native of Lake County, Ind., and by trade a plasterer. Webster Miller was reared on a farm in Berrien Coun- ty until twenty-three years of age, with the exception of six years of his youth passed in La Porte County, this State. In 1876, he came to Por- ter County, where he was married November 22. 1877, to Ina A. Gay- lord, a native of this county, and the third of four children born to Charles H. and Theodocia (Sayles) Gaylord, both natives of Onondaga
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County, N. Y. They settled in this county in 1852, and the father, who was of French descent, was killed in the late war ; the mother died May 6, 1875. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are the parents of one child-Sylvia T. In politics, Mr. Miller is Republican ; he is progressive in his views and is a prosperous farmer, owning 120 acres of good land, improved with excellent buildings.
JOSEPH WHITE was born in Clark County, Ohio, June 18, 1818, and is the eldest of seven children of Benjamin and Sarah (Foreman) White; the former a native of Pennsylvania, the latter of Kentucky. Joseph White worked at home until the age of twenty-two, when he went to Champaign County, Ill., and farmed for eight years. In May, 1845, he enlisted in the Twelfth Illinois Regiment, and started for the halls of the Montezumas, serving in the war with Mexico fourteen months. In 1851, he went to Will County, Ill., where he farmed until 1871, having been Deputy Sheriff and Justice of the Peace six years, when he came to Portage Township and settled on a farm near Crisman. In January, 1879, he moved to town and entered mercantile life. He is now Postmaster, and has been Justice of the Peace since 1878. Besides his property at Crisman, he owns forty acres in this township. On November 25, 1841, he was married to Fannie Spencer, a native of Clark County, Ohio, by whom he had six children-Mrs. Jane Crisman, John A., Mrs. Abigail Rose, Benjamin F., Isaac P. and Joseph, deceased. Mrs. White died in 1857. His second marriage, to Sarah Chamberlin, of Will County, Ill., took place on July 25, 1857. To this second union there followed five children-Martha, Edmond, Henry C., George W. and Albert. Mr. White is a Republican.
WILLIAM A. WISE was born in Knox County, Ohio, July 27. 1844, and is the oldest of the two children of Jonathan and Caroline (Price) Wise, who came to Centre Township, this county, about 1856, and still resides there. William assisted on the farm until April 18, 1861, when he enlisted in Company A, Seventh Indiana Cavalry. At the ex- piration of his three months' term, he re-enlisted in the same company. and received his final discharge September 19, 1865. He took part in most of the battles of the Western Department, and during the whole of his service acted as Company Quartermaster Sergeant. On his return, he worked on the old farm until November 17, 1870, when he married Miss Mary E. James, who has borne him four children-Allen B., Del- bert J., Roxiana M. and Dudley. In politics Mr. Wise is a Republican, and he is one of the most enterprising men in the township. He is owner of 132 acres of fine land in Portage and forty in Westchester Township, and is a thorough agriculturist.
JOSEPHUS WOLF was the youngest of the seven children of Jaeob and Lydia (Dorr) Wolf, and was born in Athens County, Ohio, June 22, 1822. His father and mother were natives respectively of Pennsylvania and New York, and in 1834 settled on Twenty-Mile Prairie, this town- ship. Josephus Wolf was here reared on the farm, and here he has al- ways lived. with the exception of the years 1851 and 1852, which were spent in the mines of California. By industry and good management, Mr. Wolf has become the owner of 4,500 acres-the largest farm in the county, and well improved with a fine residence, erected in 1876, and all
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other requisite buildings. He has devoted his attention mainly to stock- raising and dairying, and now has a herd of about three hundred and fifty cattle, including some extra fine specimens of blooded Holstein and Hereford Stock. September 29, 1852, he married Miss Susan M. Youngs, of Erie County, Ohio, who has borne him eight children, of whom three only are living-Francis M., Elmer and Martin. In poli- tics, he is a Republican, but is no office-seeker. He was among the first to settle on the Prairie, and much of its growth and improvement is due to his enterprise.
PLEASANT TOWNSHIP.
JOHN ANDERSON was born in Ireland November 5, 1834. He was the eldest of two sons born to Robert and Margaret Anderson. The former was born October 16, 1807 ; was married to Margaret Adams, and after her death, in 1837, moved to Trumbull County, Ohio, and was again married, September, 1842, to Elizabeth Biggart, and about three years afterward moved to Porter County, Ind., purchased and moved on the farm on which he now lives in Pleasant Township. Our subject was also married, in Ireland, February 12, 1856, to Eliza Anderson, born September 21, 1838, and daughter of Robert and Mary Anderson, but no relation of our subject. He moved to Porter County, Ind., in 1868. He purchased the farm of 200 acres on which he now lives. There was born to him a family of nine children-Robert (deceased), William J., George B., Mary E., Margaret A., Anna, Robert (deceased), Newton (deceased) and Lillian.
BENJAMIN ASHER was born in Harrison County, Ohio, June 1, 1816. He was the youngest of a family of eight children born to Luke and Nancy Asher. He was married, in Guernsey County, Ohio, July, 1836, to Miss Sarah M. Hinline, and shortly afterward moved on a farm in that county, remaining until 1845. He then moved to Porter County, Ind., and has remained here since. His wife died October 28, 1866. He was next married, November 15, 1868, to Mahalah Griffith, born in Por- ter County, Ind., June 2, 1846. He had a family of eleven children- Reading, Abraham (deceased), Edward, John, Paulina, Benjamin, Nancy, Caroline, by his first wife, and Lyman G., Carrie, Katie, by his present wife. He owns 200 acres of land, and is a member of the Masonic Order.
L. ATKINS, M. D., Kout's Station, Ind., was born at Westfield, Hampden Co., Mass., August 26, 1819. He was a son of Elisha Atkins, who was born in Connecticut October 8, 1792. His grandfather's name was Luther Atkins, and he was also a native of Connecticut, and was of English descent. In an early day, he moved to Hampden County, Mass., where he remained until his death. He served all through the Revolu- tionary war, and died in his eighty-fourth year. He was blessed with a family of six children, two of whom were sons, namely, Perry and Elisha, the father of the subject of our sketch. Elisha Atkins' occupation was that of a carpenter and joiner, which trade he pursued the principal part of his life. He married, at Westfield, Mass., in the year 1816, a Miss Polly Noble, who was born in Massachusetts, in the year 1796, and in
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the year 1832 moved to Ashtabula County, Ohio, and in 1845 moved to Porter County, Ind., where he now lives, at the advanced age of ninety years. His wife died in 1864. They had a family of nine children, of whom our subject was next to the eldest. He received his education in Ashtabula County, Ohio, and in 1844 came to Porter County, Ind., and the following winter began the study of medicine, being his own pre- ceptor. He studied three years, and then began practice. February 27, 1845, he married Catharine Vandalsen, who was born in Franklin County, Ind., May 18, 1822. In 1865 and 1866, he attended lectures at Phila- delphia, Penn., receiving a diploma. In the fall of 1880, he moved to Kout's Station, and opened up a drug store, and also resumed his prac- tice. He has had born to him three children-Alzina (deceased), Ade- laide and Elzina (deceased).
JOSEPH D. BARNES was born in Claremont, Sullivan Co., N. H., October 14, 1825; he was next to eldest of a family of five children born to Ira N. and Harriet (Eastman) Barnes. The former was born in Sullivan County, N. H., in the year 1800, and the latter in Vermont in 1802. They were married in the former county and State about the year 1822, and remained until his death in the year 1830, after which Mrs. Barnes was married to a Mr. C. B. Maynard. She died in 1863. Our subject, after his father's death, was taken by his grandfather to rear, and, when fourteen years of age, he began learning the tanner's trade, his uncle being his preceptor; he served an apprenticeship of seven years, when he came to Porter County, Ind., purchasing land in Boone Township. October 3, 1848, was married to Emily M. Price, who was born in Richland County, Ohio, October 24, 1827, and shortly afterward purchased a farm in Porter Township, on which he moved, and remained until 1855, then bought and moved on the farm where he now lives ; he owns 330 acres of land. He had born to him one daughter- Harriet E., deceased. Mr. Barnes is a member of the Masonic order.
GEORGE BIGGART was born in Ireland May 21, 1816, and is a son of Samuel and Margaret Biggart, also natives of Ireland ; the former born in 1791, the latter in 1795. In 1835, they came to America and went to Trumbull County, Ohio, thence to Porter County, Ind., and thence to California, where they died. George Biggart came, with his parents, to Trumbull County, Ohio, where he remained until 1837, when he came to Porter County ; he attended the land sales at La Porte, and purchased 220 acres of land. On July 27, 1842. he was married in Jennings County, Ind., to Parmelia Edmister, who was born in the same county October, 1819. This union resulted in nine children-Marion (deceased), Jerome (deceased), Robert, Alfred (deceased), Sarah, Martha (deceased), Mary, Parmelia and Jane. After his marriage, Mr. Biggart removed to Porter County, and occupied the farm he had previously pur- chased, and on which he has since remained. He now owns, in all, 640 acres.
ROBERT E. BIGGART was born in Porter County, Ind., Janu- ary 2, 1848; he was among a family of nine children born to George and Parmelia Biggart, of Pleasant Township, Porter County, Ind. He was married, December 24, 1874, to Jennie Birch, who was born in Por- ter County September 11, 1855, the daughter of William and Lizzie
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Birch. After his marriage, he moved on the farm on which he now lives, and has remained since ; he owns 210 acres of land, well improved. He has had a family of three children-Molly (deceased), Burtie and George. Mr. Biggart and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church.
MICHAEL HANNON was born in Ireland October, 1814; he was the youngest of a family of thirteen children born to Matthew and Mary Hannon. Our subject was married in 'Ireland, in the spring of 1842, to Ella Mulehon, who was born in the year 1812. In the year 1843, Mr. Hannon moved to La Porte County, Ind., remaining about four years ; he then moved to Porter County, Ind., and, in 1850, purchased the farm where he now lives ; he now owns 489 acres of land. Has a family of five children-Matthew, Mary, David, John and Thomas. He and wife are members of the Catholic Church.
JOHN H. HANNON was born in Porter County, Ind., January 27, 1852, and is a son of Michael Hannon, of Pleasant Township, Porter County. He was married, at Valparaiso, Ind., February 18, 1879, to Johanna, daughter of Edward and Bridget Hartnett; she was born at Valparaiso July 11, 1857. Shortly after his marriage, he moved on the farm where he now lives. He has two children-Mary and James. Hc and wife are members of the Catholic Church.
S. D. JOHNSON was born at Perry, N. Y., May 13, 1829. He was fourth of a family of six children born to Moses and Eunice (Lyman) Johnson, who were natives of Connecticut, where they were married, and in an early day moved to Perry, N. Y., and in 1837 moved to Oakland County, Mich., where they remained until death. S. D. Johnson remained at home until after his father's death, and in 1849 went to California, engaging in mining some time, returning to Michigan, and in 1852 went on the Michigan Central Railroad as brakeman, and after one year was promoted to baggage-master, continuing that five years ; he then was pro- moted to conductor, which position he filled nineteen years. He was married, at Detroit, Mich., May 3, 1859, to Mary M. Cooper. In 1850, Mr. Johnson moved to Porter County, Ind., and purchased and moved on the farm on which he now lives. He is one of the most energetic men of the township, and is respected by all with whom he is acquainted. He has a family of six children-Jessie E., Grace C., James H., Myra K., Hattie B. and Stephen D.
PRUDENCE MORRISON, widow of William Morrison (deceased). Mr. Morrison was born in Irsland July 5, 1800 ; he was married April 6. 1832, to Prudence Irvine, who was also born in Ireland May 15, 1809. Shortly afterward they moved to New York City, remaining until 1834, when they moved to Giles County, Va., where he purchased property and remained until 1852; then moved to Porter County, Ind., where he died January 11, 1876. Mrs. Morrison still remains on the old homestead on Section 24. She owns 400 acres of land and has had a family of ten chil- dren-Mary, Rebecca, Thomas (deceased), Lavinia, Catharine (deceased), Margaret, Victora, John E., George (deceased) and Sarah E. Mr. Mor- rison held the office of Justice of the Peace for some time ; he was a mem- ber of the M. E. Church, and died beloved and mourned by his fellow- townsmen.
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HERMAN ROSENBAUM, merchant, Kout's Station, Ind., was born in Germany March 29, 1834; he was the youngest of a family of eight children, born to Martin and Elizabeth (Krenz) Rosenbaum, also natives of Germany. The former died when our subject was about six months old, succeeded by his wife about six months afterward. Our sub- ject was then taken care of by his brother, whom he remained with until he was about fifteen years old ; he then went to Klotzmell, Germany, and began the miller's trade, with a Mr. Lewis Keil. In 1854, he started for America ; after a ten weeks' voyage he landed at New York City; shortly afterward he came to La Porte County, Ind., where he was married, November 13, 1861, to Ernestine Notezel, born in Germany October 20, 1841, and the following year purchased a farm in Cass Town- ship, La Porte County, on which he remained one year. In 1874, he moved to where he now lives, and opened up a store which he has con- tinued since. Mr. Rosenbaum has had a family of eleven children, nine of whom they reared to be men and women, namely, Emma I., Mathilde C., Ada A., Frederick H., Gustav A., Albertine A., Paul W., Carl H., Ferdinand E. M.
S. R. SPENCER was born in Perry County, Ohio, June 17, 1819; he was the eldest of a family of seven children born to Jesse and Sarah (Tait) Spencer, who were natives of Pennsylvania. In 1841, our subject came to Porter County, Ind., and purchased land in Morgan Township; he was married in this county, October 25, 1847, to Elizabeth Janes, born in Washington County, Ind., January 31, 1827, daughter of Rev. John Janes, the old pioneer preacher of Porter County. Shortly after his marriage, he moved on his farm, which he had purchased previously, remaining until the spring of 1848, and then moved to Pleasant 'Town- ship, where he has remained since ; he owns 160 acres of land ; he has had a family of four children-James F. (deceased), infant daughter who died when young, Erasmus M. (deceased) and John. Mr. Spencer has held the office of Township Assessor four years, Township Treasurer two years, and Township Trustee for eleven years.
GILLEANN (JONES) TRINKLE, wife of William Trinkle (de- ceased). Mr. Trinkle was born in Tennessee May 12, 1804, and was a son of Henry Trinkle, who was also a native of Tennessee, and moved to Washington County, Ind., in an early day, where he remained until death ; his family consisted of twelve children, among them being five sons, namely : William, Stephen, Henry, Alfred and John. William, the eldest son, was married in Washington County, Ind., July 25, 1832. Mrs. Trinkle was born in Randolph County, N. C., July 5, 1815. In 1835, Mr. Trinkle moved to Porter County, Ind .; settled on the farm where his widow now lives, remaining until his death, which occurred October 13, 1867. The family consisted of ten children -- Nancy (dead), Henry, Catharine, John, Lucinda, Lambert (deceased), Leander, Ran- dolph (deceased), William and Ella. Mrs. Trinkle owns 160 acres of land, and she and husband were the second white settlers of Pleasant Township.
JOHN WELSH was born in County Meath, Ireland, December 23, 1827 ; he was one of a family of eight children born to Michael and Mary (Shaw) Welsh, who were natives of Ireland, where they remained
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until death. In the year 1850, our subject came to Herkimer County, N. Y., where he was married, October 9, 1853, to Margaret Burns, who was born in County Louth, Ireland, November 1, 1830. Shortly afterward, he moved to La Porte County, Ind., where he engaged in cheese- making four years, after which he engaged in farming, remaining until 1859, when he moved to Porter County, where he has remained since. In 1863, he purchased and moved on the farm on which he now lives; he owns 385 acres of land in this county, and 240 in Bourbon County, Kan .; he has a family of four children-John W., Henry C., Sarah A. and Joseph J .; he and wife are members of the Catholic Church.
H. A. WRIGHT was born at Valparaiso, Ind., January 23, 1840 ; he is next to eldest of a family of five children and the only son born to John W. and Elizabeth Wright. The former was born in Fayette County, Ky., July 4, 1812, the latter in Botetourt County, Va., April 7, 1814. They were married in Fountain County, Ind., October, 1834. In the year 1838, they moved to Porter County, Ind., settling in Val- paraiso. The year following, John W. was elected Sheriff of the county, and served two terms in succession ; he then bought a farm in Pleasant Township, moved on and remained five years, and then, having learned the miller's trade previous to his marriage, bought what is known as the Bigelow Mills in La Porte County, Ind .; moved there, and engaged in the same for twelve years, after which he moved to Tassinong, Porter County, Ind., and began the practice of law, which he pursued the remainder of his life. In 1866, he moved to Kout's Station, Ind., where he died August 20, 1867 ; his widow is still living at Kout's Station. Our subject attended school at Valparaiso, and in 1861 completed his education at what was then known as the Valparaiso Male and Female College, after which he taught school for some time; he was married. December 25, 1864, to Miss Susie Maxwell, and shortly afterward moved to Kout's Station, and in partnership with Barnhart Kouts opened a store, which they conducted until 1878. Kouts going out, he conducted the business himself until 1880; he then sold out his store and is now engaged in the sale of agricultural implements, grain, etc .; he also owns 200 acres of fine land, and fine property in the village; he has a family of three children, namely : Shirley, Edna and Musa. Mr. Wright is one of the most enterprising, energetic, and prominent men of the township, and is respected by all who know him.
PORTER TOWNSHIP.
THOMAS S. BOWKER, the fourth child of Michael and Hester (Richardson) Bowker, was born in New Jersey January 12, 1820. When about two years of age, his parents moved to Warren County, Ohio, where he attended school and worked on the farm until 1836, when the family moved to St. Joseph County, Ind., and bought and cleared up a farm. In 1845, Mr. Bowker came to this county, and went to farming on rented land. December 26, 1847, he married Miss Mary Smith, daughter of John H. and Maria Smith, who came to this county in 1838,
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from Richland County, Ohio. Mrs. Bowker bore her husband one child, Sarah L., born February 7, 1849, and now the wife of William L. Saw- yer. In 1853, Mr. Bowker purchased forty acres of unimproved land, and some years later added eighty acres more ; he died April 7, 1880, of cancer of the eye, from which he suffered greatly for seventeen years; he willed his farm to his wife, who has it rented out. She resides with her son-in-law, William L., son of James S. and Polly E. (Ellsworth) Saw- yer, and born in this township July 17, 1842. Mr. Sawyer bought his land in 1866, with money saved from his earnings as a farm hand, and he has now a fine farm, with a good two-story frame dwelling and every convenience and appliance of comfort about him; he is a member of the Christian Church, and in politics is a Republican.
SAMUEL CAMPBELL was born in Jefferson County, Tenn., No- vember 14, 1797, the eldest of eleven children of John and Sarah (Vance) Campbell, natives respectively of Virginia and Pennsylvania. Mr. Camp- bell attended school at intervals until fourteen years old, and then assisted on the home farm till about twenty-eight; the family then moved to Preble County, Ohio, and settled on a piece of land John Campbell had entered in 1816. September 25, 1823, Samuel Campbell married Eliza- beth Frame, a daughter of William and Margarette Frame, and to this union were born eight children, viz .: Margarette J., now Mrs. Silas Grigg ; Amanda M. (Mrs. Lacount Lambert), now deceased ; Newton J., William F., John F. ; Sarah E., now Mrs. James H. Kenworthy, and Nancy T., now Mrs. David B. Peck. The son William served in the late war, and is now a resident of Nebraska. John Campbell died in 1831, when Samuel brought his family to this township, entered forty acres of land, and commenced life in a wilderness filled with wild but friendly Indians. Here he was made the township's first Supervisor, and has since been frequently elected to offices of trust and honor. In 1862, his house was destroyed by fire, and nearly all it contained was lost, but he soon put up a comfortable frame in which he and wife are passing their declining days in retirement, attended by their daughter, Mrs. Kenworthy. Mr. Campbell is a stanch Republican, and stands well with his party.
LEVI A. CASS, M. D., son of Levi A. and Lucy (Sanford) Cass, was born in Wayne County, Ohio, July 9, 1819; his father was born in Massachusetts, in 1799, and his mother in Vermont, in 1802; his father was a physician, and in 1817 moved to Wayne County, Ohio. Our sub- ject entered Oberlin College when fourteen years of age, after which course he read medicine with his father. In 1840, he came to this county and engaged in practice; he afterward went to La Porte County and read with Prof. Meaker. In 1846, after his graduation, he returned hither and resumed practice, which he succeeded in establishing after ten years of hard labor. On December 28, 1856, he was married to Louisa S. Porter, daughter of Philo A. Porter. a pioneer of this county. To this union there were born four children-Ida Grace (now married to Rev. L. S. Buckles), Albertha B., Cassa and Irena B. In 1858, Mr. Cass purchased eighty acres in this township, built a log house and began farming and stock-raising, but he never relinquished practice. In 1863, he was elected to the Legislature, and was appointed by Gov. O. P. Morton to collect the official vote of this Congressional district at the
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time of Lincoln's election ; he was twice appointed Army Surgeon, but declined on account of legislative duties ; he was also one of the organizers of the First National Bank at Valparaiso, and for a time its President. On March 1, 1879, he lost his wife ; she was a member of the Presby- terian Church, and a model Christian ; he is now engaged in the practice of his profession, and his three youngest daughters grace his home ; he is an attendant of the M. E. Church, and a stanch Republican.
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