USA > Indiana > Porter County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 77
USA > Indiana > Lake County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 77
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JOSEPH M. WHITMORE was born January 2, 1833, in Conners- ville, Ind. He is one of three children living born to Julius and Eliza- beth (Stebbins) Whitmore, the former a native of Connecticut, and the latter of Vermont. The elder Whitmore was a Colonel in the war of 1812. Many of the relatives are physicians. Grandfather Whitmore, with his two brothers, carne from England, and were the first Whitmores to come to America. When our subject was four years of age, his father moved to La Porte County, where he was educated up to his nineteenth year. He had learned his trade of tinner, and went to Valparaiso and established a hardware store, continuing for about nine years. He then went to Sheboygan, built a vessel, and engaged in transporting lumber in partnership with a lumberman, between Chicago and near New Buffalo, Mich., for about two years. He then went to Valparaiso and built a business room, and established a hardware store again. After about four-
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teen or fifteen years, he came to Hobart and began manufacturing an oil stove he had invented, and has since been engaged in the work. He has a very extensive trade, selling in Chicago, Fort Wayne and other mar- kets. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. fraternity, and has always been a strong Republican. He was married, in 1856, to Emma L. Alexander, a native of Luzerne County, Penn. She died in 1875, leaving three children-Lizzie A., Louise and Jesse M.
AUGUSTUS WOOD, son of John and Hannah E. (Pattee) Wood, was born in Danvers, Mass., in 1828, and in 1836 came with his parents to Lake County. At the age of twenty-one, he engaged in clerking at Crown Point and Michigan City ; in 1855, he entered in business at Wood's Mill, carrying a stock of general merchandise until 1880, when he moved to Hobart, built a store. and resumed his trade in dry goods, notions, groceries, crockery, etc. He is a Knight Templar and belongs to the Valparaiso Commandery ; he was married at Michigan City, in 1852, to Jessie M. Brown, a native of Cincinnati. They have three children living-Carrie M. Ryan, of Valparaiso ; Abbie M. Bullock, of Hobart, and John J. Wood, now associated in business with his father.
JOHN ZUVERS was born in Bartholomew County, Ind., October 19, 1825. He is one of nine children, boys, born to George and Wini- fred (Branhan) Zuvers, viz., Solomon, John, Leander, William, Amos, Charlie, Francis, George and Jasper. Solomon, John, Leander and Amos are still living. The father of John was a cabinet-maker and carpenter by trade ; was in the war of 1812, and died in 1845. The subject of this sketch was married to Mary Warchus, in Lake County ; he lived with his father in Bartholomew County almost continually until the family set- tled in Lake County in 1836, in which county John has made his home ever since. The Zuvers family found this country in all its primitive wildness, there being very few settlers here at that time ; he is a God- fearing man, a genuine politician and a strict temperance man, and says that he hopes before he dies to see intemperance wiped out of existence ; he now lives on Deep River, hemmed in with three railroads, two and one-half miles northwest of Hobart.
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NORTH TOWNSHIP.
MAGNUS ANDERSON, son of Anders Johnson, was born in Sweden January 1, 1825. When sixteen years old, he commenced to peddle goods through the country, and so continued until 1852, when he came to Boston and learned safe-making, and was there married, Novem- ber 5, 1853, to Anna M. Arnedson, who has borne her husband nine children, five boys and four girls. From Boston, Mr. Anderson moved to Rhode Island, and then to Chicago, and in the fall of 1857 came to Lake Station, this township. He next moved to Miller Station and purchased eighty acres on Section 31, built a nice frame house, farmed, and began gathering moss from the lowlands, which he dries and presses and ships in large quantities to Chicago to be used in wrapping fruit trees. Mr. Anderson and wife are members of the Lutheran Church, and their chil- dren were born and named in the following order: Victor Edwin, born in Boston and now deceased; Lodwick A., born in Rhode Island ; Jen- nie A., Susanna N., Ida M., Victor G., Carl F., Herrman and Huldah, all born in this township.
JAMES H. ANSBRO is a son of Michael and Anna (Hughes) Ans- bro, of Ireland, where our subject was born July 28, 1829. When but ten months old, his parents left him with his grandmother, and they came to America, his grandmother not being willing for them to bring so young a child across the ocean. When about six years of age, he commenced school, and continued till about seventeen, reaching a course in the high school, after which he taught for about two years, and on July 10, 1848, he came America and located in Wyandot County, Ohio ; went to work on the railroad for about eight months; then to Sandusky City, where he taught school for some time ; from there he went to work on the Ken- tucky Central Railroad ; from there to the New Albany & Salem road, as foreman ; then back to the Kentucky Central some two years. While there, on September 19, 1856, he was married to Miss Catherine Pender- gast, daughter of Patrick and Bridget (Mathewus) Pendergast. Nine children have been born to them, three boys and six girls-John, born September 6, 1854, died December 10, 1854; Anna J., December 8, 1855; Catherine B., July 1, 1857; Margaret A., August 24, 1858 ; Mary A., July 15, 1860 ; Jane E., April 13, 1862 ; James F., Febru- ary 13, 1865; Bridget A., July 18, 1869, and John, April 10, 1877. In December, of 1855, he came to Porter County, Ind. ; worked on a rail- road till 1863 ; from there he came to Miller's Station, bought eighty
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acres of land in Section No. 8, and fifteen acres in Miller's Station ; he then went to railroading, and is still following the same. Our subject and family are members of St. Patrick's Catholic Church at Chesterton. He is liberal in politics.
E. J. BEALL is a native of Washington, D. C., and a son of Charles and Sarah J. Beall, both natives of Washington, D. C., where his mother died, and where his father still resides. Charles Beall was a carpenter by occupation. E. J. Beall passed his early days in Washing- ton, where he received a good public-school education. During his boy- hood, he learned the trade of a plasterer, which he has since made a life-long handicraft. On November 20, 1876, in Chicago, he was mar- ried to Miss Louisa M. Sohl, daughter of William and Louisa Sohl, and a native of London, as was her mother, her father being a native of Ger- many. They came to Lake County in 1854, where they cleared a farm and resided until their deaths-Mr. Sohl in February, 1877, and Mrs. Sohl June 40, 1879. Mr. and Mrs. Beall have been residents of Ham- mond since 1878. They have been blessed with two children-William H. and Charles.
CHARLES F. BLANK is a son of Nils August and Anna Lena (Anderson) Blank, who were born in Sweden in 1822 and 1818 respect- ively. Our subject was born in Hygsby, Sweden, September 4, 1855. When but a child, July, 1863, his father brought his family to America, and located at Lake Station, where our subject attended school till about thirteen years of age. He then worked in a general store for a Mr. Flint about one year ; was then confirmed in the Lutheran Church, which event took about three months ; after which, in 1871, he went to Chicago to learn the trade of watch-maker, finished same and returned to Lake Station, back in the old store as clerk for Mrs. Flint (her husband having died during our subject's absence), where he remained for four years ; he then, in 1874, came to Miller's Station where he started a small store, doing a good business, and on April 25, 1875, was married to Johanna Erlandson. To them six children were born, five girls and one boy-Lillie Georgiana, born March 9, 1876, and died March 14, 1876, (an infant twin sister who died unnamed), Nella Charlotta, born June 24, 1877, died February 10, 1879; Charles August, May 24, 1879 ; Lilly Augusta, February 18, 1881, and Ester Charlotta, October 20, 1882. In the fall of 1882, he finished a fine two-story house and store 30x40 feet on lot 50x100, fronting on L. S. & M. S. R. R., where he is a dealer in general merchandise, staple and fancy groceries, dry goods, notions, drugs, hard and tin ware, watches, clocks, jewelry, musical instruments, sewing machines, guns, pistols, revolvers, etc., etc. On July 4, 1882, his store was broken into and robbed of quite an amount, but.
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most of his valuables being in his safe, his loss was not so great as it otherwise might have been. Our subject and wife are members of the Swedish Mission Church. He is a Republican, and withal a self-made man.
ANDREAS BORCHERT, son of Charles and Elizabeth (Boehl) Borchert, was born in Prussia November 4, 1830. He attended school till fourteen years old, then worked on his father's farm some six years, and in 1850 joined the Prussian Army, in which he remained for three years ; after his time was out he again went to farming, and on October 5, 1856, was married to Dorathia Grapenthis. To this union, while in Prussia, five children were born-Augusta (deceased), Minnie, Paulina, Mary and Caroline (twins); Caroline (deceased). In 1867, he came to America, located in Chicago, worked in a brick-yard some two years, and then, in 1869, came to Clark Station, bought five acres of land, built two frame houses, one of which he rents, and lives in the other. After coming here to live, three children were born to him, namely : William, Charles (deceased) and Oscar. Our subject is keeping a garden farm. He is a Republican, and he and wife are members of the German Lutheran Church.
CHRISTOPHER BORMANN, son of Christopher aud Conradina (Lessman) Bormann, was born February 25, 1830, in Brunswick, Ger- many. His father was a trader in cattle and butcher. Christopher, Jr., went to school till fourteen and then to learn butchering; two years after that he commenced to study music with Prof. Frost, after which he traveled with a circus band to England and Scotland for some three years ; in 1851, his father brought his family to America, located in Ful- ton County, N. Y., and Christopher again traveled with different circus bands for some eight years. His father came to this township in 1858, where he bought a small farm, and our subject soon after came home, and on April 26, 1863, was married to Mena K., daughter of Frederick and Johanna Beekman. They have had born to them nine children- Christopher A., June 16, 1864; Matilda L., July 7, 1866 ; Augusta (deceased), March 3, 1868; Albert F., January 13, 1870; Conradina (deceased), October 12, 1872; Frank, January 7, 1875 ; Otto C., March 3, 1877 ; Frederick A. Otto (deceased), April 28, 1879, and Emma (deceased) March 22, 1882. His father gave him twenty-eight acres of land but he traveled again with a circus band some two years, and in 1865, gave up the business and came home to stay ; he worked on his farm some time, and in 1875 bought a lot in Tolleston, built a house and started a general country store. In 1878, he was appointed Postmaster, and held that position some two years. He is a liberal Democrat and he and wife are members of the German Lutheran Church.
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J. M. BRADFORD was born in Bradford County, Penn., July 6, 1852, and is a son of William T. and Sarah (Gardner) Bradford, both natives of Massachusetts. His father is a lumberman and millwright, but is at present in a hotel at Bellaire, Ohio. J. M. Bradford's first school days were at Danby, Tompkins Co., N. Y., where he obtained a fair education. When fourteen years old, he began to learn house-paint- ing, which he followed steadily since until within a short time. He came to Hammond July 22, 1879. Only a short time ago, Mr. Bradford opened a neat hardware store, which he managed in connection with his trade, where he has a fair stock and has done a good businesss ; he car- ries, also, a large variety of wall-paper, from which any one may make choice. On December 31, 1879, he was married to Miss Martha J. Watts, daughter of James and Hannah Watts, and a native of Jefferson Township, Cass County, Ind. One child has been born to them- Annie M.
CHARLES CHICK is the son of George and Mary (Palmer) Chick, who were born in England, the father on January 12, 1805, and the mother in 1809, and were married about the year 1833. Charles Chick was born in Bristol, Eng., January 21, 1840, and attended school until about twelve years of age; his father being a blacksmith, Charles learned that trade, and he remained with his father till his marriage, which took place in February, 1858, to Elizabeth Y. Vickers, daughter of Richard Vickers, of England. Five children were born to this union-Harriet, George (deceased), and Mary Ann, born in England, and William George and Emily E., born in America. In 1863, our subject first came to America, but soon returned to England ; he was not satisfied there, and, after crossing the ocean some seven times, brought his family over in 1866, and came here to live ; located in Chicago, where he remained till 1869, then came to this township, bought eleven acres of improved land, and built the first blacksmith-shop in the township, and also made the first wagon ever built here. Mr. Chick and wife are members of the church at Ross, and, in politics, he is a Republican.
M. CLEMENTS is a native of Philadelphia, born July 28, 1855, and is a son of John and Mary Clements, both natives of Pennsylvania ; both died in Philadelphia. Mr. Clements, after attending the ordi- nary schools, attended also a German school, an advantage he prizes highly. He afterward learned the trade of whip-making, which oc- cupation he abandoned in 1876, when he came West and worked on a farm for one Mr. Payne, of Chicago, for one year. Afterward he came to Hammond, Lake County, where he formed a partnership with Mr. S. Harden in the proprietorship and management of the Hammond House.
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J. H. CLIFFORD is a native of Illinois, born March 12, 1851, and is a son of Charles and Mary (Hart) Clifford, both natives of Ireland. Charles Hart is a cabinet-maker by occupation, and has been a citizen of the United States for about fifty years. The early school days of J. H. Clifford were spent in La Salle County, Ill., ;where he received an ordinary education. When seventeen years of age, he went into a ma- chine shop, where he labored two and a hall or three years; he then commenced as clerk for S. B. Gridley, in Ottawa, Ill., and later, in the same building with D. C. O. Kane. In 1875, he formed a partnership at Earl Park, Ind., with Mr. Magher, in the general merchandise busi- ness, which was continued two years, after which he clerked for Hartley Bros., in the same place, for two years. On October 21, 1875, he was married in Ottawa, Ill., to Miss Teresa L. Magher, a native of New York, daughter of Michael and Catherine Magher, both natives of Ireland. To this union were born three children-Catherine, Charles and Mary. After his marriage, Mr. Clifford engaged in farming for three years. In 1882, he came to Hammond, where he began the grocery, queensware and crockery business, and has now a good trade. Mr. and Mrs. Clif- ford are members of the Catholic Church.
W. S. COLE, station agent at Clarke, on Pittsburgh, Ft. Wayne & Chicago Railway, was born near Boydston's Mills, Kosciusko County, Ind., August 5, 1851 ; his father, Dr. P. L. Cole, was a native of Camden, N. J., born in February, 1815, died in Kosciusko County, Ind., October, 1880; his mother's maiden name was Muirheid. She is a native of West Virginia, born near Phillipi July, 1830, and is a resident of Warsaw, Ind. Mr. Cole was early thrown on his own resources, and, at the age of seventeen, was a printer's devil, learning the art preservative. After between three or four years' service in different offices, he learned the art of telegraphy, which was followed for three years, and in turn abandoned for farming, which occupation was followed until continued ill-health compelled a resort to telegraphy again in 1881. He was married to Mrs. Julia Leach, September 27, 1873, in Osceola County, Mich., who was born in Lake County, Ohio, April, 1833. They have one child-Lizzie, born November 17, 1874. Mr. Cole became a resident of this county in April, 1882.
AUGUST F. CONRAD is a son of Frederick and Johanna (Schultz) Conrad, who were born in Prussia in 1804; our subject was born in the same country September 9, 1841; he went to school till about fourteen, then learned the trade of cabinet-making with his father ; he then went to Berlin, where he worked at his trade some two years ; then served as a soldier three years ; after that, was one year at home, then came to Ameri- ca; located in Chicago; worked at house-building some years, and on
PP
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March 8, 1874, was married to Hermina Ratzlaw, of North Township. To them were born five children-Fred (deceased), Mita (deceased), Otto, Mina and an infant girl. Soon after his marriage, he moved to Clarke Station, North Township, and, in 1879, came to Tolleston ; leased the house known as the Crossing House, located at the crossing of the M. C. and P. Ft. W. & C. R. R .; he is keeping the only first-class saloon and boarding house in the township. He is a member of the German Lu- theran Church and a Democrat.
WILLIAM G. COOK was born in Ohio September 27, 1843, and is the son of Robert and Elizabeth (Hoff) Cook. The father was born in Ohio December 12, 1816, and the mother in England October 6, 1824, and were married at Bowling Green, Ohio, October 6, 1841. The father is a farmier, and has served as Justice of the Peace. In 1848, he brought his family to Indiana, where William G. attended school until 1861, when he enlisted in the Fortieth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and took part of the battles of Perryville, Shiloh, Stone River, Chattanooga, Mission Ridge and others. At Stone River he was wounded by a minie ball, and was honorably discharged after a service of two years. On his return, he taught school some five terms ; was then appointed railroad telegraph operator, and, a year later, appointed Agent for the Lake Shore & Michi- gan Southern and Baltimore & Ohio roads, at Miller Station, which po- sition he still holds, as well as that of Postmaster, to which last he was appointed in 1871. He was married, February 22, 1872, to Christina Nel- son, of Miller Station; his four children are named Carl William, Clarence R., Horace A. and Francis M. Mrs. Cook is a member of the Lutheran Church, and in politics Mr. Cook is a Republican.
HEINRICH D. EGGERS is the son of Heinrich and Augusta (Hal- fast) Eggers. of Hanover, Germany, where our subject was born Decem- ber 1, 1817, and where he attended school until fourteen years old ; he then worked several years with his father, cutting timber, and then served nine years in the army under the King of Hanover. In 1846, the family came to America, locating in Chicago. In 1848, our subject purchased 163 acres of wild land on Section No. 8, this township, which he put under cultivation, and on which he built a fine frame house. In the fall of 1849, he married Amelia Vater, a native of Germany, and to this union were born four children-Henry, Frederick, Augusta and Frederica. Although a general farmer, he gave some attention to housing ice, and soon formed a company, who erected one of the largest ice houses in the county, its capacity being 18,000 tons. Mr. Eggers is a Republican, and has been four times elected Constable ; he and wife are members of the German Lutheran Church, and are highly esteemed in the community in which they live.
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JAMES EWEN, son of Henry and Mary A. (Dawson) Ewen, was born in England July 12, 1821 ; when but sixteen years of age, he went to sea; remained away about three years, came home, and learned the trade of machinist, and in 1847 was married to Ann Holmes. In 1849, he came to America ; worked in different railroad shops for about three years ; then went to Chicago, where he lived some two years, and on May 1, 1854, came to North Township, being one of the first settlers; he bought forty acres of wild land, built a shanty, farmed and hunted for several years ; worked hard, saved his money, and bought out the claim of the celebrated McConger family (they being murderers and thieves). Mr. Ewen lost his wife August 9, 1872, and on October 15, 1872, was married to Elizabeth Ann Watts, daughter of Capt. William Watts, of North Township. To this last union were born five children-Mary A., born December 24, 1873; James (deceased) January 3, 1875; William J., born December 25, 1877 ; Henry, December 28, 1879, and Ellen, April 5, 1882. In 1872, he built a large house of sixteen roomns, es- pecially for the accommodation of hunters, and called the same the Hunter's Home. He now has eighty-one acres in farm land in Section 13, Town 36, Range 9. Mr. Ewen was the first person to raise wheat in North Township, thirty-five bushels to the acre. He and wife are church members, and in politics he is a Liberal Republican.
DUANE RANDALL HALL is a son of Richard Randall and Anna (Fletcher) Hall, who were born in York State, where also our subject was born October 10, 1858. He went to school till twelve years of age, when the family moved to Canada, where our subject learned the trade of nail-making, and on January 25, 1850, was married to Agnes Melville, daughter of William T. and Grace (Pattison) Melville, of Scotland, to whom six children were born-Annie (deceased), William (deceased), Duane Fletcher, Agnes, Norman B. and James King. In 1865, he moved to Chicago, where for fifteen years was in the cutlery business ; in 1870, he came to this Township, and was appointed Superintendent of the Tolleston Club House, which position he held some four years; was afterward appointed by Mr. Alexander to superintend his farm adjoining the house, and he now has full charge, and is raising some fine Jersey cattle, imported horses, hogs, etc. Our subject has had an eventful life, having been twice shipwrecked, once off the Irish coast, and once while on a voyage to New York from San Francisco. Mr. H. is a Democrat.
S. HARDEN was born in Ohio March 25, 1833, and is a son of Samuel and Harriet Harden, both natives of Ohio. Samuel Harden was a farmer by occupation, and emigrated to La Salle County, Ill., where he died. Mrs. Harriet Harden died at Sheldon. S. Harden, at the age of twenty-one, after receiving a common school education, began life as a
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farmer, a vocation he followed most of the time while in the State of Illinois. He was married in La Salle County, Ill., to Miss Clara A. Uhl, a native of West Virginia, and daughter of Daniel and Martha Uhl, both of German descent. Mr. and Mrs. Harden have had born to them five children-Edward, Albert, Oliver, Etta and James. Mr. Harden came to Hammond March 1, 1882, where, in partnership with M. Clements, he took charge of the present hotel, furnishing a pleasant home for the traveling public as well as many residents. They have a good bar connected with the hotel ; can accommodate fifty guests, and from thirty to forty regular boarders.
E. D. HARDEN was born in Ottawa, Ill., and is a son of S. and Clara (Uhl) Harden, the former a native of Ohio, the latter of Virginia. His father's occupation was farming, but later in life he became a mer- chant. E. D. Harden's early days were passed in Ottawa, where he attended school, and afterward at Valparaiso, Porter Co., Ind., in 1879, where he graduated in the year of 1880. He then went to Che- banse, where his father was in the hardware trade, and whom he assisted until 1881, when his father sold out and moved to Chicago with his family, and in February, 1882, they moved to Hammond, Lake Co., Ind., where E. D. Harden became time-keeper for Brown, Howard & Co., of the N. Y. C. &. St. L. Railroad. This he resigned after two months and embarked in his present business of clothing, gents' furnish- ing goods and boots and shoes. He has a fine location and keeps a good and varied assortment of goods, which he is pleased to exhibit to patrons.
JOHN HESS was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, and is a son of Andrew and Sarah (Holman) Hess, the former a native of Virginia, the later of Ross County, Ohio ; his parents moved to Indiana in 1856. John Hess went to school in a log house near Chillicothe one season, and after com- ing to Indiana, in Newton County, to a district school, later he attended one term at Battle Ground, Ind., then at Bloomington, Ill. He taught a school in winter to assist in defraying expenses during the remainder of the year while attending school. John Hess entered the law office of Denny & Burns, of Indianapolis-the former is now City Attorney, and the latter Supreme Judge. Here he remained from January, 1876, until October, 1877, and afterward began the practice of law in Kent- land, Ind., in January, 1878, and remained until October, 1880. He then practiced in Logansport, Ind., until 1882, when he located at Ham- mond, where he soon obtained a good business, being the only attorney in the place. On June 10, 1880, he was married to Miss Rose J. Beck- ner, daughter of Dr. G. F. Beckner, of Kentland, Ind.
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