USA > Indiana > Porter County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 76
USA > Indiana > Lake County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 76
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DANIEL D. LIGHTNER was born May 21, 1810, in Virginia. He is the youngest living of six children born to John and Elizabeth (Reder) Lightner, the former a native of Baltimore, Md., and the latter of Shenandoah County. Va. They are of German descent. Grandfather Lightner was in the Revolutionary and Grandfather Reder was in the Pennsylvania Indian wars. When Mr. Lightner was seven years old, the
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family came to Ohio, Fairfield County, and were among its first settlers. When he was nine years old, his father died, and they moved to Coshoc- ton County, where he remained until reaching manhood. He was a con- stant student, and for over ten years prepared himself for teaching by his own efforts, studying grammar and algebra. He taught school up to about his thirtieth year. When thirty-two years of age, he came to In- diana, and settled in Howard County, where he remained twenty-five years. He farmed for a few years, and then entered the mercantile busi- ness for about six years. In 1860, he was elected Representative to the State Legislature from Howard County, and served during the war meas- ures of Gov. Morton, and earnestly sustained them all. Though he was born among slaves in Virginia, he has always been an Abolitionist from earliest childhood. In 1868, he came to Hobart and bought land, and has been engaged in raising grapes, small fruits, vegetables, etc. He has an apiary, also, and intends soon to devote his whole attention to bee culture. He has been a member of the F. & A. M. fraternity for many years. He was first of the Whig persuasion ; in 1854, when the Repub- lican party was born, he united with it, but votes for the man according to his choice. He favors the Prohibition movement. He was married, in 1835, to Polly Seward, a native of Coshocton County, Ohio. They have four children living-Elvira Hull, Luann Johnson, Cora Perkins and Seward.
H. FOUNTAIN C. MILLER, M. D., was born September 15, 1850, in Bedford, N. Y., and is one of seven children born to Augustus and Emily (Baker) Miller, both natives of New York. Capt. David Miller (great-grandfather) was in the Revolution ; a brother was in the rebellion. When twelve years old, his father failed, and he had to depend on his own resources. When sixteen years old, he went to New York City, and was assistant book-keeper in a hardware store, and afterward was clerk in three different retail jewelry, chandelier, statuary establish- ments, among the first in the city, but, very strangely, they each failed. After about six years, he became dissatisfied with clerking, and started for California, but, on stopping in Chicago to visit a relative, he concluded to study medicine, and began under Dr. Morrical, of Chesterton, and afterward received instruction of Drs. Meeker and Higday, of La Porte. He then went to Rush Medical College, of Chicago, and took a term of lectures, and began practicing in Otis. A year later, he visited New York City, and attended Bellevue Medical College, visited the Centennial Exposition, and then returned to Rush College and graduated in the spring of 1877 with honors, having taken a thorough course. He then practiced at Otis two years, and then came to Hobart and bought the practice of his cousin, Dr. R. E. Miller, and has since been thoroughly
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successful. He is a member of the La Porte Medical Society, and is also a member of both the A., F. & A. M. and I. O. O. F. fraternities. He has always been a Democrat, but liberal in local matters. He was mar- ried, in 1874, to Deetta Van Horn, a native of Herkimer County, N. Y. He is father of three children-Spencer A., Emily E. and Jennie D.
STEPHEN MUMMERY was born in the county of Kent, England, January 12, 1832. He is one of eleven children born to Robert and Frances (Care) Mummery-Elizabeth, William, Henry, John, Mary, Rob- ert, Stephen, William (second), Robert (second), Maria and Frances. Elizabeth, Mary, Stephen and Frances are the only ones living. When Stephen was quite young, his father emigrated to this country, and in 1849 they moved to their present place. In February, 1865, Stephen enlisted in the One Hundred and Fifty-first Indiana Regiment, but was discharged in September of the same year on account of illness. Mr. Mummery is an industrious farmer, and owns a farm of 240 acres. He lives two and a half miles west of Hobart.
JOSEPH NASH was born October 6, 1828, in England. He is the eldest son of six children born to Spencer and Frances (Hall) Nash, both natives of England. One of his ancestors was a prominent En- glish Government officer. When Mr. Nash was seven years old, his father died. From this time on, he was engaged in brick-making, more or less, as journeyman in all parts of England, up to the time he came to Amer- ica, at the age of twenty-four. He worked a short time in Detroit, Mich., and then went to Chatham, Canada, and remained one summer. After a short time in Chicago, he went to McHenrytown, Ill. Then he went to Kansas in about 1854, and after about two years he came to Chicago for about a year. Mendota, Ill., was his next residence, in part- nership with a Mr. Gooding. After one summer again in Chicago, he went to Vicksburg, Miss., one winter; then to Cincinnati one summer. After a short time in Chicago, he went to Bloomington, Ill. ; then to Cairo, where he remained three or four years; he then went to Paducah, Ky., one summer ; then came to Hobart, and has been here ever since ; he es- tablished the first brick-yard for the Chicago market in Hobart ; his pres- ent yard has been in operation for about four years ; he has made in 1882 300,000 excellent brick; he is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and is a Republican.
J. H. OSTRANDER was born September 1, 1840, in New York. He is the youngest of two children born to James and Mary (Baldin) Ostrander, both probably born in New York. When Mr. Ostrander was three months old, his mother died, and scarcely two years later his father received fatal injuries at a raising. Until seven years of age, he lived with his grandparents in New York, and then they moved to Litchfield,
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Mich., where he was reared up to 1861, when he enlisted in the Fourth Michigan Volunteer Infantry, and was sent to Washington, where he was taken sick and was discharged. In 1863, he enlisted in Battery C, First Michigan Artillery, and was with Sherman in every engagement from Chattanooga to Atlanta, Savannah, etc., and to Washington in the clos- ing review. In July, 1865, he returned, and soon settled in Porter County on his farm, where he remained until 1872; he then came to Ho- bart and engaged in the grocery business for four years, and then added a bakery and restaurant, in which he has continued ever since. He is a member of the A., F. & A. M. fraternity, and a Republican ; he was mar- ried February 20, 1864, to Mary Kent, a native of Bryan, Ohio. They have four children living-Melvin A., Charles W., Willie H. and Cora M.
ANSON PATTERSON was born in Cayuga County, N. Y., April 14, 1830 ; he is one of eleven children born to Joseph and Phebe Ann (Rumsey) Patterson, viz., Eunice, Anson, Joseph, Ann Maria, Emma, Harrison, Ellen, Clarissa, Ovid, Albert and Alice. Ann Maria, Ovid, Albert and Alice are dead. When Anson was four years old his father moved to Seneca County, N. Y., where he remained some eleven years, then moved to Seneca County, Ohio, living there about one and a half years. From there he moved his family to Joliet, Ill., where he has been living ever since. After acting as Postmaster at Joliet some two years, in 1871, Anson was appointed mail agent on the Joliet Cut-Off (a branch of the Michigan Central), which position he still holds, and has scarcely missed a day in the performance of his duty in this capacity. He was married, March 20, 1851, to Helen McClure, at Joliet ; she has given birth to ten children-William, Albert, Flora, Harry, Arthur, Charles, Mary, Nellie, Emma and John. Flora, Emma and John are dead. In 1862, Anson enlisted as a private in Company E, One Hundredth Illi- nois Regiment, but at the formation of the company he was elected First Lieutenant ; he served three years, taking part in the battle of Chicka- mauga, siege of Atlanta, battles of Jonesboro, Spring Hill, Franklin and Nashville, besides several minor engagements; he was wounded at the battle of Chickamauga, and after this battle was promoted to the rank of Captain ; he is a stanch Republican, and his sons-Albert and Arthur, are in the mercantile business at Lake Station, Hobart Township.
FREDERICK RANDHAN was born in 1821, in Prussia; the youngest of six children born to Christian and Eliza (Woodruff) Rand- han. The elder Randhan was a large land-owner and contractor in Ger- many. When twenty-one years of age, Frederick left home; worked at his trade of rope-maker, which he had learned at a three years' appren- ticeship, and was also merchant. In 1853, he came to America, and stayed in Chicago about three months, and bought a farm near the city in Cook
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County. After he had lived about a year on the place, he came to Lake County, and bought land in North Township. He then lived in Chicago for nine years and kept hotel, but in the second fire he was burned out, and then moved to his farm again. In December, 1874, he came to Ho- bart and bought the Hobart House, a large three-story brick building, with a large public hall in the third story. He still runs his farm in North Township ; he has always been a Republican of the liberal order. He is one of Lake's earliest settlers, and among its oldest hotel-keepers ; he has always been landlord at the Hobart House since 1874, with the exception of two years that he had rented it out. He was married in 1842, to Wilhelmina Hadeke, a native of Germany. They have eight children living - Frank, Johannah McIntire, Ida Harding, Amanda Roper, Albert, Robert, Lewis and Edward.
CHARLES RHODES was born in Lake County, Ind., February 1, 1848 ; he is one of eleven children born to Jonas and Susan (Stevenson) Rhodes, viz., William, Benjamin, Thomas, John, Mary, George, Mar- garet, Charles, Allen, Louis and Florence. Benjamin, Thomas, John and George are dead. Charles was born about a quarter of a mile from where he now lives, having come to his present place in 1868 with his father, who died in 1879. Charles was married, February 23, 1881, to Nellie Pierce. He is a thrifty farmer and a good citizen ; his farm com- prises 167 acres, on which he has a beautiful brick dwelling and commo- dious barn, four and a half miles west of Hobart.
LOUIS RHODES was born January 2, 1854, in Lake County, Ind., and is one of the eleven children of Jonas and Susan Rhodes. The father of Louis was born in England in 1806 ; while in England he worked at his trade (masonry), but since he came to America he paid his chief attention to farming. He died in September, 1879, on his farm in Lake County. Louis has farmed chiefly all his life, having been born not more than eighty rods from his present home. He pays especial at- tention to stock-raising; he has a fine farm of 200 acres upon which he has lately erected a fine dwelling ; he lives four and one-half miles west of Hobart. He was married December 25, 1877, to Ruby Halstead, at Hobart; she has given birth to two children-Gracie and Jessie.
WILLIAM H. RIFENBURG was born October 22, 1834, in New York ; the eldest of six children born to Aaron and Mary (Banks) Rif- enburg. Two great-grandfathers were in the Revolution. When about nineteen years old, Mr. Rifenburg left home, and went to Michigan and engaged in lumbering a year, then went to Minnesota for two years; then came to Lake Station, and was employed as clerk in a store for three years ; then came to Hobart and farmed until 1861. He then enlisted in the Ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served for about a year in
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Western Virginia and Tennessee, at Forts Donelson and Henry and at Shi- loh ; at the latter place he was wounded and discharged. He then en- gaged in the mercantile trade until 1875 in Hobart, then established a plan- ing-mill and sash, door and blind factory, which burned after about three years, Mr. Rifenburg losing his all. In this mill, Mr. Rifenburg lost his arm at the planer. He then began contracting for timber railroad sup- plies, at which he has continued up to the present. He is a member of both the Masonic and Odd Fellow fraternities, and is a member of the Unitarian Church. The Parish Library, of which he is Librarian, was established by his influence and effort. He is President of the Church Board of Trustees, and Superintendent of the Sabbath school. He has held all the township offices of importance, and was Justice of the Peace for about eight years, and has always been a conservative Republican. He was married in 1858, to Rebecca Stearns, of Indiana. She died in 1862. In 1864, he married Lillus Howe, of England, who died in 1866. In 1869, he married Sabrina Sawyer. He has three children-Mary, Grace and Maud.
JAMES ROPER, senior member of the firm of J. Roper, Jr., & Brother, live stock and produce exchange and meat market, was born in 1853, at Whitmore Lake, Mich. He is one of seven children living born to James and Charlotte E. (Baker) Roper, both natives of England. Our subject was the first of his family born in America. When Mr. Roper was about three years old, the family came to Hobart, where he resided with his father up to his twentieth year. He had learned the meat market business, and now, in connection with his brother, took his father's estab- lishment. For two years, they gave their whole attention to shipping to the Chicago market. The brothers have given a considerable impetus to their trade since it has been in their hands. Formerly our subject was also in partnership with Horace Marble, of Crown Point, for about four years, in buying and shipping hogs. Mr. Roper is a member of the I. O. O. F. fraternity. He is at present Superintendent of Roads for Hobart Township. His political opinions have always been Democratic, but he is liberal in local affairs. He was married, in 1877, to Amanda Randhan, a native of Lake County, Ind. They have one child living- Bliss H. Jarvis H. Roper, junior member of the firm, was born in 1858 in Hobart Township.
WILLIAM SCHOLLER was born in 1831 in Germany. He is one of seven children born to Charles and Mary Scholler, both natives of Germany. The elder Scholler was in the Franco-German war of 1815. At twenty-five years of age, William Scholler came to the United States. He had served an apprenticeship of three years in Germany at black - smithing, and worked at the trade three years. He found himself without
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money on arriving at Dunkirk, and shipped on board a propeller on Lake Erie for a short time. He then went to Chicago and worked at his trade in a factory for about two years, when he went to Crown Point, Ind., and after about six months' employment came to Hobart and established a shop of his own, and has remained ever since. He has now probably the finest blacksmith shop in Lake County, 24x60 feet, of brick. He does a general blacksmithing business, building wagons, buggies, plows, shoeing horses, etc. He also owns a farm of 100 acres near Hobart, with first- class buildings. He is a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity. His political opinions have always been strongly Republican. He was mar- ried, in 1861, to Amanda Shearer, a native of Indiana. They have eight children living-Alfred, Harrison, George W., Daniel, Carrie, Robert and Emanuel.
JEROME SHEARER was born in Stark County, Ohio, March 31, 1834. He is one of fifteen children, ten boys and five girls, the first four having been born to John Shearer's first wife, the rest to his second wife. The names of the children, beginning with the eldest, are John, Adam, Sarah, Elizabeth, Susan, Daniel, Rachel, Polly, James, Samuel, Wash- ington, Elijah, Jerome, George and Harrison. Sarah, Rachel, Polly and Harrison are dead. Working on his father's farm until he arrived at the age of twenty-two, he came to Twenty-Mile Prairie, Ind. He was mar- ried, September 6, 1855, to Margaret Waltz, in Stark County. She has given birth to eleven children-six boys and five girls. The names of the living children are John, George, Albert, Calvin, Frank, Clara, Wal- ter and Ida. After farming five years on Twenty-Mile Prairie, Jerome came to his present place, where he has lived ever since. In 1862, he enlisted in the Thirty-eighth Indiana Regiment, and was on active duty in and around Nashville. His father went all through the war of 1812. Jerome is a thrifty farmer, paying his chief attention to the raising of wheat, but also pays some attention to stock-raising. He is a member of the Methodist Church, and lives one mile a little southeast of Hobart, on his farm of 165 acres.
WM. H. SHOLL was born in 1831 in Pennsylvania. He is one of nine children born to Jacob and Christina (Smith) Sholl, the former a native of Maryland and the latter of Pennsylvania. When Mr. Sholl was about four years old, the family moved to Ohio, where William H. served an apprenticeship at blacksmithing for about two years, and worked at cabinet-making. When twenty years of age, he came to La Porte County, and was employed by J. J. Mann & Son, manufacturers of reap- ers and mowers, for seven years; he then moved on his farm in Ross Township, Lake County. In 1864, he enlisted in the First United States Engineers, and served in the shops at Chattanooga, Decatur
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(Ala.), Nashville and other places until discharged. In about 1876, he left Ross Township and came to Hobart. Here he engaged in dealing in and pressing hay, and also railroad contracting. He pressed an average of 800 tons annually. He owned the old Nash Brickyard for about two years, in which he experimented with a tile machine of his own invention. In July, 1882, he established his present livery, feed and sale stables, where he keeps from six to ten first-class horses and buggies, and also a fine hearse. He has the finest Gothic residence in the place. He is a inember of the Masonic fraternity and also of the Unitarian Church. He has always been a Republican, but liberal in local affairs. He was mar- ried, in 1852, to Jane A. Mann, a native of New York. She died in 1867. They had seven children-Francis E., Ellen E. Lembke, Jacob M., Florence M. Brown, Thomas C., Betty C. and Amenzo G. He was again married, in 1870, to Josephine Hodsden, a native of New York. She has been a teacher of long experience.
GEORGE STOCKER was born in 1841, in Bavaria, Germany, and is one of the twelve children of George and Theressa (Hahn) Stocker. The elder Stocker was in the Franco-German war of 1812 and against Russia with Napoleon. When our subject was twenty years of age, his father died. In 1866, he entered the Austro-Prussian war, and served for about three months, near the close; he then came to America and settled in Chicago. After about two months' work at shoemaking, which trade he had learned from his father, he came to Hobart, and after being employed about ten months he established his own shoe shop. In 1874, he went to Europe. He had traveled in Hungary, Turkey (in Asia and Europe), Italy, Austria, etc., before he came to America, and on this visit traveled in France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Germany. On his return, he built the brick business room on Third street, and started a shoe store. After about one year, he rented this building, and built what is known as Stocker's Block, consisting of three business rooms, two of which are occupied by him and the third by Vincent & Halladay, druggists. He keeps the largest stock of boots and shoes in the place in one room, and in the other an extensive and finely selected stock of gen- eral merchandise. In 1880, he rented the old Holmes Brickyard, but soon bought one of his own ; he employs on an average twenty-five hands, turning out about 14,000 brick per day; he has dealt considerably in real estate; for two years, just after the great fire, he bought timber and worked it up. In 1868, he was elected Trustee, and served four years; he belongs to the F. & A. M. and I. O. O. F. fraternities, and is at present Treasurer in the former; he is a member of the Catholic Church, to the Latin language of which he attributes his success while traveling in Asia; he has always been a Democrat in politics. In May,
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1880, he was married to Carrie Maybaum, a native of Germany; he has one child-Theressa.
J. T. STROUPE was born March 16, 1852, in Madison County, Ohio. He is one of eight children born to William and Caroline (Rankin) Stroupe, both natives of Madison. When Mr. Stroupe was seventeen years of age, his mother died. When seventeen, he began learning teleg- raphy, and, having finished, clerked for his father. When twenty years old, he went to Missouri, and was engaged at herding cattle for two years. After a short time at home (Ada, Ohio), clerking, he worked as extra for the P., Ft. W. & C. R. R., up to 1876; he then took the office at Nevada, Ohio, as operator and agent's clerk for about a year; he then went to Ada, and remained for about a year; was next an extra for about four months, when he went to Lima, Ohio, then to Nevada for over a year; he came to Hobart in 1881, and is agent and operator for the P., Ft. W. & C. R. R. Company here. He is a member of the F. & A. M. fraternity; his political opinions have always been independent; he was married in 1877, February 7, to Meda Slack, a native of Ohio. They have one child living-Neta.
ALONZO W. VINCENT, M. D., member of the firm of Vincent & Halladay, was born December 10, 1839, in Huron County, Ohio. He is the eldest of seven children born to Martin and Mercy (Pierce) Vincent, both natives of New York. Grandfather Vincent was a soldier in both the Revolution and the war of 1812. He was educated for the ministry. In 1844, Mr. Vincent's father and family came to Ross Town- ship, Lake County, and pre-empted 160 acres of land on which he has since lived and on which our subject was reared up to his twenty-first year. He learned the carpenter's trade, partly in Crown Point and partly in the country. In February, 1864, he enlisted, in Iowa, but on account of physical disability was rejected. He returned home and enlisted in the Seventy-third Indiana Volunteer Infantry, but was a second time re- jected. He then went into the mercantile and live-stock business at Hebron. In 1867, he began the study of medicine under Dr. Arnold, of Merrillville (now of South Chicago). After three years under Dr. Arnold, he went to Ann Arbor, and after his first term of lectures went to Deep River and practiced one and a half years. He then went to Bennett Medical College of Chicago, and graduated in 1871. He next took a spring course in the Hahnemann Homoeopathic School of Chicago. He returned again to Deep River and practiced for nine years, with ex- cellent success. He then attended a review term at Bennett again, and then was three months at Bellevue Hospital Medical College of New York. In 1879, he located in Valparaiso and practiced for one and a quarter years. He next, in company with his brother-in-law, established
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a fine brick drug and grocery store, which was destroyed by a hurricane, but rebuilt. With what stock he had left he came to Hobart and estab- lished his present business. He is a Knight Templar, and is a member of the F. & A. M. order. He was a Notary Public for about four years, and Postmaster of Deep River for about the same time, and has always been a Republican. He was married, January 1, 1869, to Mary Wood, a native of Deep River, and only daughter of John Wood, Sr., of that place. She was educated at Wabash College, Ind., and is the mother of one child-Alice.
ANDREW J. WALL was born in 1827 in Sweden, and is the eldest of seven children born to John and Christina Wall ; his father was in the wars between Sweden and Russia, also Norway. Mr. Wall lived at home until twelve years of age, and then worked out until nineteen years of age, and then served three years' apprenticeship at cabinet-making. He conducted business for himself for nine years, when he emigrated to America and settled in Chicago, and worked at carpentering for four years; he took to carpentering because it paid better, and his cabinet- work would be hindered by his inability to speak English. He came to Hobart in 1861, and bought property, and has lived here ever since, with the exception of a temporary residence of three years in Furnessville, Porter County ; his trade has increased greatly in the last fourteen years ; he has been in partnership with Mr. James M. Cowhlin for the last four- teen years, and they have the leading trade; he has one of the finest resi- dences in Hobart, on which he has shown his talent as a carpenter ; he is a member of the Swedish Lutheran Church and a Republican ; he was married, in 1847, to Lena C. Wall, a native of Sweden. They have seven children-Christina L. Enborg, of Chicago, John O., Andrew A., Henry, Gilbert, Albert and Cora.
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