USA > Indiana > Porter County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 72
USA > Indiana > Lake County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 72
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ceased), Cassie, Schuyler C., Sylvia and two who died in infancy. The Clark family are among the oldest, best known and most respected of any in the community.
JOSEPH A. CLARK was born March 27, 1828, in Ontario County, N. Y., and is the eldest of the eleven children of Joseph A. and Harriet (Story) Clark, both natives of Ontario County. Elijah Clark, grand- father of our subject, was a soldier of the war of 1812, and was a pris- oner of the British at Queenstown Heights, but afterward exchanged. Joseph A. Clark (deceased), born in 1803, was a farmer by occupation and a machinest and cabinet-maker by trade. He moved with his family to Branch County, Mich., in 1836, having previously entered a quarter section of land. In 1837, they came to Cedar Creek Township, Lake County, Ind., at that day containing but six or eight families, where they have since resided, having passed through the struggles and privations of those early times. Mr. Clark was the first Treasurer or " Collector," as then called, of Lake County, and was Justice of the Peace at the date of his death, in May, 1854 ; his widow died about 1872. They had nine children. Three served in the late was, one-Alden V .- dying from disease contracted in said service. Joseph A. Clark, our subject, received a limited education, and was reared in Lake County. When the late war became a fact, he enlisted in Company B, Twentieth Indiana Volunteers ; he served three years and four months, and was in the hard-fought battles of his regiment in the Potomac Division-thirty -seven pitched battles. He was five times slightly wounded, and now carries a rebel shot in his ankle. Mr. Clark rose to be Second Lieutenant in the regular line of promotion, and had command of his company two years before quitting the service. By reason of sickness, he resigned his com- mand October 26, 1864. On September 1, 1869, he was married to Miss Arabelle Hull, daughter of Samuel and Emeline (Castle) Hull, by whom he has had two children-Joseph A. and Beatrice. Mr. Clark was formerly a Whig, later a Republican, and now a Greenbacker; he is also a Royal Arch Mason. Mr. Clark owns seventy-seven acres where he re- sides, and five acres of timber on the Kankakee River, in Cedar Creek Township. Mrs. Clark is a member of the Episcopal Church.
JOHN DAUM was born in Prussia October 2, 1820, and is the younger of the two sons of Henry and Catherine (Ellenberger) Daum, both natives of Prussia. Henry Daum was a farmer, which occupation he followed in Germany until his death in 1827 or 1828. He was a member of the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1848, Mrs. Daum came to the United States with her eldest son, Reinhart, locating in Clarion County, Penn., with whom she resided until her death ; she, also, was a member of the Dutch Reformed Church. John Daum received the edu-
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cation of the common schools of his native country. At the age of sev- enteen he began to serve two and a half years ' apprenticeship to the trade of a carpenter. When twenty, he was enrolled in the Prussian Army, serving five years, but in actual service only seventeen months, being the rest of the term at home on furlough or at work at his trade. In 1847, he emigrated to America, and settled in New York City, where he worked ten years. He then removed to Clarion County, Penn., and thence, in 1865, to Cedar Creek Township, Lake County, Ind., where he purchased 152 acres, and on which he has since been engaged in agriculture. On May 8, 1857, he was married to Louisa Ruather, of Prussia, by whom he had five children, four of whom are living. Mrs. Daum died Sep- tember 19, 1860 ; she was a member of the Lutheran Church. Mr. Daum's second marriage, in October, 1865, was to Mrs. Susanna Ricken- brode, of Clarion County, Penn. By this union were born six children, five of whom are living. Mrs. Daum had five children by her former marriage. Mr. Daum is known as an enterprising farmer; he is a stanch Republican. Mrs. Daum is a member of the Methodist Episco- pal Church, and Mr. Daum of the Dutch Reformed Church.
JOHN E. DAVIS, M. D., was born in Mercer County, Ky., May 21, 1844, and is one of the nine children of Achilles E. and Melinda (Moore) Davis, both natives of Mercer County, Ky. His great-grand- parents came to America before the Revolution, on his father's side from England, and on his mother's side from Wales. Most of the family were farmers, but one uncle was a prominent attorney in Kentucky, and for a number of years Mayor of the city of Lexington. Two other uncles, George and Harrison, were soldiers in the war of 1812, and also in the Mexican war. Another uncle was a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Indiana many years. Mr. Davis' parents are yet living on their farm near Harrodsburg, Ky .; eight of their children are also living. One son, Harrison, was a soldier in the late war, and is now located at Harrodsburg, Ky., in the furniture business, and where the eldest son is a practicing physician. Dr. Davis received a school and academic educa- tion, and at the age of twenty-three began the study of medicine with his brother, Dr. Henry C. Davis. After reading with him for some time, he entered and graduated from, in 1869, the Medical Department of the University of Louisville. The same summer, he came to Lowell, Ind., and engaged in practice. For one year, his business was small, but after that he advanced to a good and paying practice, and he has now, perhaps, the largest of any physician in the town. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, having been advanced to the Royal Arch degree. On Octo- ber 8, 1873, he married Miss Etta Himebaugh, daughter of Francis and Mary (Phelps) Himebaugh, early settlers of Kane County, Ill. To that
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union were born four sons-Francis A., John J., Willard B. and Ezra B. Dr. Davis is an enterprising and esteemed citizen. Mrs. Davis is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
GEORGE M. DEATH was born in Rush County, Ind., January 17, 1841, and is one of nine children born to John M. and Mary C. (Petro) Death, both natives of Ohio. John M. Death, in his early days, was a merchant, but afterward engaged in farming; he died March 27, 1879, near Hastings, Neb. His widow resides with her daughter at Hebron, Ind. George M. Deathi was reared mainly in Henry County, Ind., where he received a fair education, and, at the age of fourteen, began to learn the trade of a tinner at Ogden, and, in 1859, came to Lake County and engaged in farming. About three years later, he became clerk in a dry goods store in Lowell, which he continued three years, when he opened a tinshop. He had but a small beginning, increasing his stock with his means, until, with the growth of the town, he, too, has grown, and now has a first-class trade in tinware, stoves and hardware, of which he has the best stock in the market. Mr. Death married Miss Margaret John- son, a native of Canada, by which union have been born four children- Minnie (deceased), May, Winnie and Jessie. Mr. Death belongs to the Masonic and Odd Fellow fraternities ; in the latter he is in the Encamp- ment ; he is a Republican in politics, and an old merchant of Lowell.
CHARLES DE WITT was born in Steuben County, N. Y., January 26, 1822, and is the eldest of ten children born to Joseph and Sarah (Sample) De Witt; the former a native of Pennsylvania, the latter of Canada. The father of Joseph De Witt was a soldier and pensioner of the Revolutionary war. Joseph De Witt was a life-long farmer, residing in New York until the fall of 1845, when, by reason of Charles De Witt having come to Indiana and purchased eighty acres in Cedar Creek Town- ship, the family removed hither and made a home. Mr. De Witt died in 1857, his widow in 1879. Charles De Witt was reared and received some education in New York. He was incited to move West in order to get land for himself, and was necessitated to work early and late to ac- complish his desire, in addition to the toils and hardships of new settlers. In spite of these, he made steady progress, and, in 1849, Mr. De Witt married Miss Marietta Sanger, daughter of John Sanger, one of the old settlers, by whom he had one daughter-Sarah (deceased) ; her mother also died about 1851. In 1853, Mr. De Witt married his present wife, Anna Pratt, a native of Guernsey, Ohio, born May 31, 1824, who came with her parents-Rufus and Martha (Merritt) Pratt-to Lake County in 1851. Four children were born to them-Homer C. (born December 2, 1854, died August 23, 1877), Ladora L. (born February 4, 1856), La- vina F. (born January 23, 1858, now Mrs. Fred Viant of Lowell), and MM
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Martha A. (born December 6, 1861, now Mrs. Charles Hill of Lowell). Since his residence here, Mr. De Witt has steadily followed farming. In 1875, he moved to Lowell, where his family have resided ; he is one of the few remaining old settlers who began poor, but has now a competence, having paid his only $100 for his first eighty acres. Mr. De Witt is in politics a Republican ; he and wife are esteemed residents, and adhere to the religious faith known as Brethren of Christ, or Soul Sleepers.
HENRY DICKINSON was born in West Riding, Yorkshire, En- gland, November 22, 1816, and is the second of the ten children of Henry and Diana (Wood) Dickinson, both natives of Yorkshire. Henry Dickinson was a farmer, as were many of his family. With strong pre- dilections for the free institutions of America, he emigrated hither, in 1830, sailing from Liverpool in the ship "Peru," and after seven weeks arriving in Philadelphia. They located there and remained there three years, Mr. Dickinson dealing in horses. In 1833, they removed to Car- roll County, Ohio, and engaged in clearing and farming; they afterward moved to Morgan County, where they died. Henry Dickinson, Jr., came to America with his parents when he was fourteen years of age, after which he attended school two months only. On October 28, 1841, he was married, in Carroll County, Ohio, to Lydia, eldest daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Richeson) Denny, born in Pennsylvania May 3, 1817. In 1847, they removed to Indiana, and having relatives in Lake County, concluded to make that their home. Accordingly, Mr. Dick- inson purchased eighty acres near Orchard Grove, Cedar Creek Town- ship, to which he subsequently added forty acres ; this was in the early time of Lake County. On February 25, 1875, Mrs. Dickinson died, leaving nine children-Thomas D., Henry W., Sarah A., Emma H .. Cyrus F., Lucinda M., Alonzo, Lydia F. and one deceased in in- fancy. Henry, Emma and Lucinda, also one unnamed, deceased. Mr. Dickinson's second marriage was on March 22, 1876, to Mrs. Eliza (Sherman) Warner, born in Newtown, Conn., September 18, 1820, and daughter of Carlos and Polly (Plumb) Sherman. By her former mar- riage she had two sons-Carlos S. and Lucius C. Mr. Dickinson is one of the few living pioneers of Lake County ; he has watched its growth and prosperity. In 1876, he removed to Lowell, where he is engaged in the manufacture of the " Chicago water elevator and purifier "-a pump of high value. Mr. Dickinson is a public-spirited and enterprising citi- zen, and has found a field and reward for his efforts. Besides town prop- erty in Lowell, he owns the old homestead of 290 acres ; he was at one time a Whig, but is now a Republican, and has held various local offices. Both himself and wife are members of the Christian Church.
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THOMAS DICKINSON was born in Yorkshire, Eng., December 30, 1821, and, in 1828, came to the United States with his parents. His father, Henry Dickinson, was a farmer. After coming to America, he located in Philadelphia, where he remained three years. In 1833, he moved to Carroll County, Ohio, with his family, where he engaged in farming and stock-raising, and became one of the most extensive sheep- raisers in that country. About 1850, Mr. Dickinson removed to Morgan County, Ohio, where he and wife died and are buried. Thomas Dickin- son received but a limited education ; was reared on the farm of his father, and on August 9, 1846, was married to Rachel Miller, a native of Car- roll County, Ohio, after which he followed farming and threshing until 1851, when he moved to Morgan County, following grist and saw milling for nine years. In 1860, he emigrated West ; was pleased with Indiana, and located in Cedar Creek Township, Lake County, which has since been his home. He purchased 170 acres at $14 per acre, but has added thereto until he now owns 380 acres, one of the best farms in the county, of which he is one of the most progressive and enterprising farmers ; he has at present two full-blooded Clydesdale colts. Mr. and Mrs. Dickin- son are parents to nine children-Minerva (now Mrs. E. L. Watson), Charles (deceased), Mary C. (deceased), Frank (deceased), Susanna (now Mrs. Allen), William T. (husband of Lida Miller), Edmund, Byron and Grant. The three deceased died within twenty days of each other, from malignant scarlet fever. In politics Mr. Dickinson is a Republican.
MARTIN DRISCOLL was born in Cedar Creek Township, Lake County, Ind., December 5, 1840, and is the oldest of the six children of John and Betsey (Murphy) Driscoll, both natives of Ireland. John Driscoll came to the United States when but sixteen years old, and worked as a farmer in Vermont, New York, Michigan and Illinois for a number of years. He once owned forty acres on the site now occupied by the town of White Pigeon, Mich. In 1834, he came to Porter County, Ind., and pre-empted 160 acres, afterward known as the Bryant farm. In 1835, he came to Cedar Creek Township, where he pre-empted a sec- ond quarter section, which he exchanged for a like number with Peter Surprise ; here he resided until his death, October 7, 1862. Martin Driscoll received a fair education, and worked for his father until twenty- one years old, when his father gave him 155 acres in West Creek Town- ship, where he followed agriculture until 1864, when he sold the farm. In February, 1865, he enlisted in Company K, Forty-third Illinois Volun- teers, and served until mustered out, in December of the same year. Thereafter, he purchased 100 acres of unimproved land in West Creek Township, on which he resided until 1870. He then sold and exchanged this property several times, yet still owning a livery stable and farm near
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the village, which last he cultivated for three years. This village prop- erty he exchanged for land adjoining his farm, and on which he at this time resides. On August 21, 1861, he was married to Lizzie Binyon, of Walnut Grove, Porter Co., Ind., a daughter of John and Nancy B. (Hughes) Binyon. Mr. Binyon is a native of East Tennessee, and one of earliest settlers of Porter County. To this union have succeeded eight children, of whom seven are living-three boys and four girls. Mr. Driscoll is Superintendent of Roads for Cedar Creek Township. Both Mr. and Mrs. Driscoll are members of the M. E. Church. (For inci- dents, see history of Cedar Creek Township.)
JOHN R. DRISCOLL was born in Cedar Creek Township, Lake Co., Ind., December 24, 1852, and is one of six children born to John and Betsey (Murphy) Driscoll, both natives of Ireland. (A sketch of John Driscoll appears elsewhere in this work.) John R. Driscoll re- ceived a common school education ; his father died when he was ten years of age, but he remained on the home farm until he was twenty-one, when he went to Lowell, engaged in the dry goods trade and resided until 1878, when he moved on a portion of the old homestead be- queathed to him by his father. This has since been his home, and he has now a well-improved farm of 140 acres in this township. On September 18, 1876, he was married to Ida Lynch, a native of Lowell, Lake Co., Ind., daughter of John and Sarah M. (Sherard) Lynch, the former of Ireland, the latter of Ohio. To this union there was born one child- Don Carl. Mr. Driscoll is a member of Colfax Lodge, No. 373, A., F. & A. M. In politics, he is a Republican, and he is a leading farmer of the township and county.
ALFRED EDGERTON was born in Erie County, Penn., May 23, 1822, and is one of the eight children of Horace and Betsey (Taylor) Edgerton, the former a native of Connecticut, the latter of New York. Horace Edgerton was a carpenter, which calling he followed almost con- stantly until his death; he was a soldier of the war of 1812. When young, he went to New York, where he was married, and thence removed to Erie County, Penn. In 1834, he moved to La Porte, La Porte Co., Ind., and thence to Cedar Lake, where he pre-empted 160 acres, which he farmed, and also worked at his trade. In 1843, he purchased and improved eighty acres in Cedar Creek Township; he died in Cook County, Ill. Mrs. Edgerton died at La Porte in 1836. Alfred Edger- ton attended the frontier subscription schools, and afterward worked for his father until he was twenty-one years old. In 1848, he bought eighty acres of State land in Cedar Creek Township, built a cabin and improved the same, and here he has since resided. In 1852, he went by overland route to California, and engaged in mining until 1853, when he returned via Panama. On May 9, 1854, he was married to Jane H. Scritchfield,
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of Kentucky, daughter of Hiram H. and Esther A. (Highfield) Scriteh- field, both natives of Kentucky. To this union have been born thirteen children, ten of whom survive-Flora F. (now Mrs. L. G. Cutler), Susan A. (now Mrs. C. A. Taylor), Oscar P., Norah J., George W., Bertha F., Millie F., Homer A., Alma M. and Ruth B. Both Mr. and Mrs. Edgerton are members of the M. E. Church. Mr. Edgerton is, in politics, a Greenbacker, and also an old settler and a prominent farmer.
MOSES M. ESTY was born in Norfolk County, Mass., May 19, 1831, and is one of seven children born to Moses and Julia A. (Good- ridge) Esty. both natives of Massachusetts. Moses Esty was a farmer ; he was married in Massachusetts, and in 1835 moved to Lake County, Ill., where he entered 2,000 acres of prairie land, on which he erected a log house, and which he improved ; that house was replaced by a frame one in 1850 ; he also owned a grist and saw mill, which he operated in connection with his farm. In 1862, he sold both farm and mill, and re- moved to Livingston County, Ill., where he purchased 640 acres. on which he resided until his death, in 1869. Moses M. Esty received a. fair school education, and was thereafter employed on his father's farm and in the mill until he was twenty-one years old ; his father then gave him one-half interest in the mill which he continued to operate until 1863, in the spring of which year he was married to Martha J. Grant, a native of Norfolk County, Mass., daughter of Samuel and Harriet (Bond) Grant. By this union they had one child-Herbert M. In 1864,. Mr. Esty moved to Cedar Creek Township, Lake County, Ind., where he purchased 350 acres, on which he has since been engaged in farming and stock-raising, in the latter extensively, having some of the best cat- tle in the township. In politics, Mr. Estey belongs to the National. Labor party, and is one of the leading farmers of the township.
JAMES E. HALE was born in Cedar Creek. Township, Lake Co., Ind., August 9, 1843, and is one of the ten children of Aaron and Han- nah A. (Kenney) Hale, both natives of Maine. Aaron Hale was by oc- cupation a farmer, and was married in his native State. In 1837, he moved westward, most of the journey on foot, to Porter County, Ind .; he first located near Hebron with his brother, where he raised one erop. In 1838 or 1839, he came to Eagle Creek Township, in this county, where he preempted 160 acres, built a cabin and lived for two years ; his- family joined him in 1838. In 1841, he bought eighty acres in Cedar Creek Township, which he set about to improve. This he sold, and moved to and purchased 320 acres in La Porte County, which he cleared. He- now resides with his daughter in Eagle Creek Township. James E. Hale- received in youth an ordinary education. On his nineteenth birthday he- was sworn into Company A, Seventy-third Indiana Volunteers, in
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which he served creditably until the war closed. He participated at Perryville, Stone River, Nashville, and was discharged at Nashville July, 1865. After his return, he visited Kansas, and later farmed on shares in this county for two years. On February 22, 1866, he was married to Gertrude McCann. By this union they had seven children, five of whom are living. On February 25, 1869, he came to Lowell, in this county, and began the harness-making business. This he sold in 1871, and began the hardware business, in which he continued until 1874, when he sold and became Superintendent of the Hame Manufacturing Company for one year, after which he, with James A. Fuller, purchased said business, and operated the same until 1875, when he sold to Mr. Fuller. In 1876, he engaged in merchandising until he removed to Alvin, Ill., where he bought grain. In 1877, he went to Chicago as speculator, and in 1880 returned to Lowell, Ind., and commenced harness-making, in which he has done a fine business. Mr. Hale is a Republican ; has been Town Trustee, and was a prominent candidate for County Treasurer ; he is a member of Col- fax Lodge, No. 378, A., F. & A. M., and Lincoln Chapter, No. 53, R. A. M.
MELVIN A. HALSTED was born in Rensselaer County, N. Y., March 29, 1821, and the only living of the three children of William and Patty (Haskin) Halsted, both natives of same county. His grandparents on his father's side were Joseph and Katie (Agan) Halsted, and on his mother's side, Enoch and Lydia (Ackly) Haskin. Throughout the Rev - olutionary war the family was bitterly divided in political views, espe- cially Joseph Halsted, who was a Major and active officer in the colonial cause, while his wife's people were strong Tories, having two brothers en- gaged on the English side ; Enoch Haskin was also a soldier for Ameri- can independence. William Halsted was a musician of the war of 1812. Melvin A. Halsted lived in his native State, where he received a fair edu- cation in schools and academies, until thirteen years of age, but in 1835 came West to Ohio, and in 1842, while engaged in farming in Montgom- ery County, he married Miss Martha C. Foster, and in 1845 moved to Lake County, Ind., locating in West Creek Township, five miles west of Lowell. In 1848, he built a water-power saw-mill in Lowell, and in 1849 moved thereto. In 1850, he took the "gold fever," and went to Cali- fornia by the overland route, but returned to Lowell in 1851, and built a flour mill. In 1853, he surveyed and laid out the town of Lowell. In 1857, he sold and removed to Southern Illinois, and engaged in milling in Kinmundy. In 1859, he again went to California, by way of New York and Panama, but returned to the States in 1861. In the same year, he went back to the mining regions of the far West, and became interested in the gold and silver Comstock mines of Nevada, where he
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made a fortune. In January, 1864, he came back and purchased the property he formerly owned in Lowell, as well as other real estate. In 1869, he removed his family to California, where and in Utah they re- mained two years. In 1874, they came to Lowell, where Mr. Halsted interested himself in constructing the L., N. A. & C. R. R. through this place. Mr. Halsted has done more for Lowell than all others combined. He is an energetic citizen and a public-spirited gentleman ; he is a mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity, and he and wife have been members of the Baptist Church for forty years. Mr. and Mrs. Halsted have had four children-William N., Theron H., Mary and an infant (both deceased). Mrs. Halsted is a native of Troy, Penn., born September 12, 1824, and a daughter of Elijah D. and Ruth C. (Nichols) Foster; they came to Lake County in 1863, and are both now deceased.
JAMES HILL was born in Rockcastle County, Ky., May 29, 1810, and is the eldest of the four children of William and Elizabeth (Jones) Hill, both natives of Kentucky. William Hill was born, reared and mar- ried in Madison County, Ky. When young, he learned the carpenter trade, which he followed several years. About 1807, he went to Rock- castle County, Ky., where he mined saltpeter until 1812, when he re- turned to Madison County and purchased 113 acres ; here he resided until his death in 1822; he was for many years a Captain of militia. Mrs. Elizabeth Hill died at the same place ; she was a member of the Baptist Church. James Hill attended the ordinary schools, and when thirteen years old went to live with one James Loyd, who removed to Decatur County, Ind., in 1827. When twenty-one years old, he bought 120 acres of unimproved land in Decatur County. On November 18, 1838, he was married to Mary Skinner, of Livingston County, N. Y. By this union there were born six children, four of whom are living- Lucinda, Elizabeth (now Mrs. Henry Surprise), William J. and Jesse L. William J. served three years in the late war, and now resides in Oregon. In 1853, Mr. Hill sold his farm, and came with his family to Cedar Creek Township, where he purchased 320 acres, and has since resided. Mr. Hill is an old settler and valued citizen. For about twenty years, he has been a cripple, from partial paralysis of the lower limbs, caused by being thrown from a wagon near Chicago. Mrs. Hill is a member of the Baptist Church.
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