USA > Indiana > Porter County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 84
USA > Indiana > Lake County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 84
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JOHN PEARCE was born in Eagle Creek Township, Lake County, Ind., January 11, 1842, and is a son of Michael and Margaret J. Pearce. On September 9, 1867, he was married to Elizabeth B. Foster, a native of Susquehanna County, Penn., born August 29, 1839. To this union were born two children-Florence and Jay. John Pearce, being the eldest son, at the death of his father was called to take charge of the home farm, and when twenty-two years of age, received a renter's share ; his portion as an heir, was sixty-two acres, which he has improved by fencing, good, commodious buildings and the like, and also added thereto
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until his farm embraces 145 acres. His main productions are hogs and corn, and recently he has been growing thoroughbred Poland-China hogs, and has been the means of greatly improving such stock in his vicinity. Mr. Pearce is an energetic business man, and one of the rising farmers of his locality ; he is a member of the Masonic Brotherhood, and an active supporter of temperance. Mrs. Pearce is a member of the Bap- tist Church.
HIRAM POST, retired farmer, was born in Luzerne County, Penn., September 12, 1796, and was married, October 10, 1818, to Miss Hannah Josslin, who was born in the same county November 8, 1800. To this union were born ten children, of whom three sons and one daughter are still living. Mr. Post lived in Pennsylvania until 1850, when he came to this township and entered a claim of forty acres. Mr. and Mrs. Post are probably the oldest couple living in the county, and although he came here with but $7 in cash and a small amount of household furniture, he has, by hard work and economy, placed himself and family beyond the reach of want.
PETER RICH was born in New Jersey in 1823, and is one of the eight children of Henry and Elizabeth Rich, natives of New Jersey ; his father removed to Steuben County, N. Y., where he made a good home and remained ten years, after which he removed to Illinois, where he re- sided a number of years, and afterward lived with his son, Peter, until his death, at the age of seventy-two years. In 1847, Peter Rich married Miss Sarah Baker, of New York, to which union were born four children -Mary I., Caroline, Corilla D. and William P. Soon after his mar- riage, he moved on forty acres of his first purchase in Illinois, where he remained two years. In October, 1849, he moved to this township and rented land for four years, when he purchased eighty acres, partly im- proved, making a part of his present home, which placed him $600 in debt. After many privations and struggles, he now has a good home, comprising 187 acres, besides village property and a donation to his son of forty acres, and is worth $15,000, all gained by his energy and perse- verance. He is a Republican, and a leader in all home advancements. Mrs. Rich died November 16, 1880, aged fifty-two years.
TIMOTHY SERJEANT was born in Warren County, Ohio, in 1828, and is a son of David H. and Mary Serjeant, who came to this county in December, 1837, with three children-Ellis, Sampson and Timothy ; having met with a failure at home, they were without means on coming hither. They located at La Porte in 1835, where Mr. Ser- jeant worked land on shares two years ; he then pre-empted a quarter section of land in Section 28 of this township ; he found his claim covered with timber, of which, previous to moving thereon, he had cleared two
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and a half acres, sowed buckwheat and erected a log cabin ; this wheat. was hauled to Chicago-fifty-five miles-for 3 shillings per bushel, and dressed pork 12 cents per pound, one-half of which was store pay. Mr. Serjeant was present at the organization of the county and his township, (Eagle Creek). Mr. and Mrs. Serjeant acquired a comfortable home and died, he in 1843 and she in 1846. Timothy Serjeant came with his parents to this county, where he has since made his home. In 1867, he was married to Mrs. Lucinda V. (Berdine) Flint, by which union they had four children-Mary C., Ellis, Cora and Ora (twins). Mrs. Ser- jeant had one child by her former marriage, Emmet E. Mr. Serjeant was early taught the use of the ax and grubber, and has since worked on the farm he now owns, it being one of the pleasantest locations in the township ; he now owns 240 acres of well-improved land, with good, com- modious buildings ; he is now Township Trustee, and has been Township Assessor and Justice of the Peace. Mr. Serjeant is an active Repub- lican politician ; he well remembers many a romp with the Indians, as many as fifteen staying in his cabin overnight. Mr. Serjeant is a mem- ber of the Grange, and Mrs. Serjeant is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
ORLANDO V. SERVIS was born in Lake County, Ind., September 12, 1843, and is the son of Orlando and Elizabeth Servis, both natives of New York. Mr. Servis was one of the first settlers of this township, and entered land on which was an abundance of timber, where he labored and improved a good farm of 160 acres ; he was the leading light of his church circle and the leading man in all measures of advancement ; he was at the organization of the township and its servant as Township Trustee and the like. In 1872, he removed to Hebron, where he still lives, aged seventy-four years. Orlando V. Servis attended school and assisted his father until 1861, when he enlisted in Company E, Ninth Regiment Indiana Volunteers, and was under Gen. Sherman from Pitts- burg Landing to Pine Mountain, Ga., where he was wounded in the left thigh ; he was sent to the hospital at Nashville, where he had ery - sipelas, and after a severe time joined his company at Pulaski, Tenn., after four months' absence. In 1863, he re-enlisted as a veteran, and was honorably discharged in 1865, after many chances in battle. On return- ing home, he resumed farming on rented land, and in 1867 or 1868 pur- chased 120 acres, which he improved. This he sold, and located in this township, where he now has 200 acres well improved. In 1870, he mar- ried Nancy A. Pearce, of Lake County, Ind., by which union was born one daughter-May Bell. Mr. Servis is a stanch Republican and tem- perance supporter. Mrs. Servis is a member of the United Presbyterian Church.
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EAGLE CREEK TOWNSHIP.
CHARLES SIMPSON was born in Tyrone County, Ireland, in 1837, and is a son of William and Jane (Semple) Simpson ; he came to America when nineteen years old, locating near Hickory Point, Winfield Township, where he resided until he removed to Section 33, in same township. On March 23, 1864, he was married to Maggie McCracken, born in New York December 18, 1838, daughter of Robert and Mary (Hawthorne) McCracken, natives of Ireland. To this union was born one son-Robert Charles, June 10, 1877. Soon after his marriage, he left the home farm, owning one horse and sixty acres, which he sold a few years later, and bought 100 acres on Section 18. This he sold in 1871, and purchased his present home of 137 acres, which he improved with commodious buildings and by planting numerous fruit trees ; he well remembers the abundance of game and many privations, being once compelled to haul his products to Lake Station. Mr. Simpson is one of the leading farmers of his section, identifying himself with all home ad- . vancement ; he is now giving attention to bee culture, owning thirty-eight stands ; he is also interested in raising Poland-China hogs and Pekin ducks ; he gave his first vote for Abraham Lincoln ; he is a Republican, and also a stanch temperance advocate; he and wife are members of the United Presbyterian Church.
WILLIAM SIMPSON was born in Tyrone County, Ireland, March 27, 1842, and when thirteen years old came to the United States with his parents, who located in Winfield Township, in this county, where he received a common school education and tilled the soil, and afterward drove an ox breaking team and gave attention to farming. In 1865, he was married to Jennie McCracken, a native of Cook County, Ill., born in 1844, daughter of Robert and Mary McCracken. To this union were born five children, three of whom are living -- Lizzie, Maggie and Fred- erick W. In 1867, he purchased his present home of 125 acres, 100 of which are under the best cultivation, and improved by commodious build- ings. Mr. Simpson is a devoted sportsman, finding much delight in hunting wild duck and prairie chickens. By industry and economy, he has become well situated in life, and is one of the most enterprising farmers of the township; he is a Republican home politician, also a tem- perance advocate. Mrs. Simpson is a member of the United Presbyte- rian Church.
THOMAS J. TEMPLE was born in Bennington County, Vt., March 30, 1804, and attended a subscription school, obtaining a fair ed- ucation. He was reared a farmer, and in 1827 started in life for him- self, successively working on a canal, coasting vessel, as clerk, in a turn- ing factory, a woolen factory, and as a lumberman on the Green Mount- ains. He settled in New York in 1839, and the following year married
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Harriet Wallace, born in Vermont in 1824, by which union ten children were born, eight of whom are living-William, Palmer, Lyman, Thomas, Monroe, Jerome, Warren and Mary. He followed carpentering in New York until 1844, when he removed to Southeast Grove, in this county, and laid claim to the land he now owns. Previous to erecting a log cabin, he lived in a 11x12-foot shanty. Coming here with but $62 cash, Mr. Temple experienced the need of market and milling privileges, as well as of money to pay his taxes, schooling, etc. He once sold a set of chairs to buy a cow, and no iron was used in the construction of his first wagon ; he raised corn for 10 cents per bushel ; oats, 10 and 12} cents; wheat, deliv- ered in Chicago, 50 cents, and hogs, dressed, $1.25 per hundredweight. In 1848, he was compelled to unload his wheat five times before he could reach Chicago. He now owns 357 acres, most of which is well-improved, being farmed by his sons, Monroe and William. Mr. Temple had early learned the use of the gun, by which he succeeded in supplying his ta- ble with game for food, which at that time abounded on the prairie. . Though now in his seventy-ninth year, he is still a good marksman. When the roads were impassable, he manufactured flour by cracking and mash- ing corn in a log hollowed out by fire. Mr. Temple cast his first vote for James Monroe in 1825, but later became a Whig, and is now a Republican.
WEST CREEK TOWNSHIP.
E. P. AMES was born in Merrimack County, N. H., June 4, 1848, one of two children born to Samuel and Emily J. (Hubbard) Ames ; the father was born in New Hampshire, and the mother in New York. In 1866, Mr. Ames and family moved to Lake County, Ind .; purchased and moved on the farm where our subject now lives, remaining there until July, 1882, when he moved to Elkhart County. Mr. Ames has been a member of the Masonic order for forty-five years. In 1874, he was elected Representative, serving two years, and was re-elected for two years. His children were E. P. and Lizzie P. E. P. Ames was mar- ried, December 4, 1875, to Nannie R. Wason, who was born June 9, 1851, daughter of Rev. Hiram and Betsey R. Wason. To their union three children have been born-Charles W., Raymond H. and Edward E. Shortly after his marriage, he moved on the farm where he now lives. He owns 150 acres of land, well-improved with all modern conveniences.
JAMES BRANNON was born in Summit County, Ohio, July 31, 1819, and is next to eldest of a family of six born to William and Lu- cinda (Loveland) Brannon, the former a native of Pennsylvania, and the latter of Vermont. They were married in Trumbull County, Ohio, and
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shortly afterward moved to Summit County, where they lived the re- mainder of their days. Their family were-Jemima, James, Amos, Nan- cy, William and Emily. In the fall of 1843, James Brannon came to Lake County, Ind., and purchased land in Cedar Creek Township, of which he improved eighty acres. He sold this and purchased a quarter section in West Creek, a part of the farm on which he now lives. IIe was married. May 16, 1851, to Eleanor Foster, who was born in Bradford County, Penn., March 25, 1832. To their union were born five children -Lucinda C., Julia (deceased), William P., George D., Melvin A. Mr. Brannon owns 570 acres of good land, well improved ; he held the office of Township Trustee for a number of years; he and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church.
AMOS BRANNON was born in Summit County, Ohio, September 4, 1821 ; his parents, William and Lucinda Brannon, came to this township in 1843, Amos coming with them, and here he married, September 18, 1845, Miss Sally Taylor, who was born in Erie County, Penn., April 6, 1827. The spring following his marriage, he settled on a farm on Sec- tion 3, this township, but remained thereon only one year ; he then moved to Section 6, and the year following he purchased and moved to the farm he now occupies, and which consists of 270 acres. His children, ten in number, were born and named as follows : Mary A., William (deceased) ยท Charles A. (deceased), Calvin (deceased), James M. (deceased), Almeda, Ida, Mimo, James W. and Lucinda A. Mr. and Mrs. Brannon are members of the Presbyterian Church, and stand very high in the estima- tion of the community in which they live.
JOHN BRUCE was born in Holland February 28, 1824, and is the eldest son of John and Grada H. Bruce, the former a native of Scotland and the latter of Holland. The elder Bruce, when young, took up his residence in Holland, and was there married ; he left that country in 1846, and came to Milwaukee, Wis., and thence moved to Sheboygan County, where he died ; he had fought at Waterloo, and was the father of the following-named children : John, Garrett. Delia, William, James, Berend and Henry. John Bruce attended Prof. Buck's Collegiate Insti- tute at Milwaukee two years, and subsequently the Rochester (N. Y.) University four years, taking a theological course, and was ordained a Baptist minister in 1854. January 5, 1852, he married Miss Caroline Hart. In the spring of 1865, he came to Lake County and began farm- ing. In 1876, he purchased his present farm of 165 acres. October 2, 1871, Mrs. Bruce died, and June 22, 1872, our subject married Mrs. Charlotte Himebaugh, a daughter of Elkanah Phelps, and born in Penn- sylvania in 1829. His children are six in number-Charles, William, Nellie, Jennie, Effie and Annie. Mrs. Bruce is the mother of one son- Charley-by her former husband.
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C. A. BURHANS was born in La Porte County, Ind., December 25, 1847, and is the eldest of the seven children of Peter and Martha H. (Andrews) Burhans, of Crown Point. The father was born in Ulster County, N. Y., December 28, 1821, and the mother in Wayne County, Ind., December 31, 1824. They were married in La Porte County in March, 1847, and there lived until 1853, when they came to this town- ship and bought and settled on the farm now occupied by our subject. In the spring of 1881, they retired from active life, and took up their residence at Crown Point. Their children were born and named in the following order: Charles A., Alexander B., James A. (an infant son deceased), Millard (deceased), Edith J. and Sarah I. Charles A. Bur- hans was married May 7, 1881, to Maria L. Wason, who was born in Switzerland County, Ind., December 18, 1853; her parents, Rev. Hiram and Betsey R. Wason, are now residents of this township. Mr. and Mrs. Burhans are parents of one child, Mary C. They are members of the Presbyterian Church and he is a Mason.
REUBEN CHAPMAN was born in Middlesex County, Conn., July 24, 1810, and was one of a family of four children born to Oren and Penelope Chapman, who were also natives of Connecticut, where they were married aud remained until their death. Their family were named Reuben, Julia, Samuel and Robert, our subject being the eldest. Reuben remained at home until he was twenty-one, and the following fall went to Cuyahoga County, Ohio, the next year to Cook County, Ill., and thence to Kankakee County, near the town now called Momence, where he assisted in building the first mill. In 1834, he came to Lake County, Ind., where he has remained since ; he was married in June, 1837, to Mrs. Matilda Bailey, who was born in Virginia September 25, 1812, a daughter of Josiah Brant. They have one son, Oren. Shortly after his marriage, he purchased and moved on a farm in West Creek Township, Section 7, and after about two years he sold it and purchased and moved on the farm where he now lives, in Section 12.
AMASA EDGERTON was born in Erie County, Penn., August 16, 1825, and is one of a family of eight children born to Horace and Betsey Edgerton, who were natives of New York, where they were married. In an early day, they removed to Erie County, Penn., remaining until the year 1835, then removing to La Porte County, Ind., where Mrs. Edger- ton died shortly afterward. In 1836, he and family moved to Lake County, settling near Cedar Lake, where he remained until his death. Shortly after they arrived in Lake County, Amasa Edgerton went to live with a man named Horace Wood, remaining with him about five years ; he then lived with his father until his marriage, which took place on October 3, 1852, his wife being Miss Dorothy M., daughter of James
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and Almira Palmer. She was born in St. Joseph County, Ind., March 7, 1835. In 1854, Mr. Edgerton moved to the farm on which he now lives, which he had purchased previously, and has since remained ; he owns 100 acres of land. They have had three children-an infant son (deceased), William A. and Palmer C.
VOLNEY FOSTER was born in Lake County, Ind., and on the same farm on which he now lives, October 10, 1850 ; he is a son of George L. and Lucy J. (Hathaway) Foster ; the father was born in Brad- ford County, Penn., April, 1820, and the mother in Cayuga County, N. Y., April, 1828. In 1836, George Foster came to Lake County, Ind., and at the land sales purchased the farm upon which our subject now lives, remaining until 1870, when he moved to Montgomery County, Kan., where they remained until death ; he died May, 1877, and she November, 1876. Mr. Foster was a very fine man ; he held the office of County Commissioner for a number of years during the war ; his family, consisting of nine children, are all living and named as follows : Edwin, Volney, Edson, Albert, Eliza, Emeline, Martha, Marilla and Julia. In 1874, Volney Foster went to Colorado, where he engaged in mining about two years, and after being in Kansas and a number of States, he returned to Lake County, Ind., and was married September 11, 1879, to Flonnie Harress, who was born in St. Joseph County, Ind., January 8, 1856. Shortly after his marriage, he moved on the old homestead, con- sisting of sixty-eight acres, which he now owns. He has a family of two children-Gertrude and Katie.
ABIEL F. GERRISH was born in Merrimack County, N. H., March 7, 1806, and is one of a family of seven children born to Henry and Mary (Foster) Gerrish, who were also natives of New Hampshire, the former born August 14, 1744, and the latter October 1, 1744. They were there married June 6, 1796, and there spent their days, he dying September 11, 1862, followed by his wife September 23, 1869. They were the parents of seven children-Susanna, infant daughter (deceased), Jacob, Lucy, Abiel F., Mary and Elizabeth. Our subject is the only one of the family now living. He was married, in Merrimack County, N. Il., February 18, 1830, to Eliza Dodge, who was born in New Hampshire January 12, 1806, daughter of Paul and Jane Dodge. In the spring of 1856, he moved to Lake County, Ind., settling in West Creek Township, on the farm where he now lives ; he owns 577 acres of land ; his wife died September 19, 1881. They had a family of six children-Maria, Martha (decased), Mary, James L., Paul P. and Ann E. Mr. Gerrish is a member of the Presbyterian Church ; he has held the office of Town- ship Trustee for a number of years.
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BETHUEL HATHAWAY was born in Seneca County, N. Y., February 27, 1815, and is one of a family of twelve children born to Peter D. and Rebecca Hathaway, natives of New Jersey, and born March 17, 1782, and May 23, 1788, respectively. They were married in New Jersey, and in an early day removed to New York, and thence in 1838 to La Porte County, Ind., remaining only about one year. They then moved to Lake County, where they remained until death. She died in 1854, and he in 1862. Their family were named as follows : James P., Silas D., Abram, Bethuel, Sarah E., Temperance R., Lewis A., Peter, George B., Elizabeth, Harriet and Asher, who are all dead except Abram and our subject. In August, 1835, Bethuel Hathaway started out in life for himself; he came from Ohio to Elkhart County, Ind., on foot, and on arriving there had five shillings left ; he hired out on a farm, re- maining until the following January ; he then went to La Porte County, where he remained about two years, and from thence to Lake County, and as soon as the land was in market, purchased a farm joining the one where he now lives. Shortly afterward, he went to what is now Kanka- kee County, Ill., purchased land, and was married, December 31, 1855, to Mrs. Lucinda Cleaver, widow of Walter Cleaver, and daughter of Nehemiah and Harriet Hayden. She was born in Pennsylvania March 13, 1825. Shortly after his marriage he removed on his farm, remain- ing until 1864, when he moved to Lake County, on the farm which he had previously purchased, and after about five years he purchased and moved on the farm where he now lives ; he at present owns 374 acres of fine land well improved; he has a family of three children-Mahlon, Henry and Jane. Mrs. Hathaway also has a family of three sons by Mr. Cleaver-David, Daniel and Walter. Mr. Hathaway and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are respected by all who know them.
WILLIAM N. HAYDEN was born in West Creek Township, Lake County, Ind., May 24, 1855, one of the fourteen children born to Nehe- miah Hayden, the old pioneer of Lake County. His mother died when he was two weeks old, succeeded by his father in about two years ; he was then taken by his brother, Lewis, with whom he remained until he was past twenty-one years old ; he was married, August 21, 1876, to Maria J. Edmonds, who was also born in West Creek Township March 13. 1855, a daughter of Melvin and Sarah Edmonds. They have one son- Jodie N. In 1878, he bought and moved on the farm where he now lives. He owns eighty-five acres of land.
J. A. LITTLE was born in Merrimack County, N. H., May 24, 1830, and is one of a family of three children born to Thomas and Myra A. (Ames) Little, who were also natives of New Hampshire. The former
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was a son of Jesse Little, who was born at Hampstead, N. H., July 30, 1767, and went with his parents in 1774, to Boscawen Township, Mer- rimack Co., N. H., where he remained till his death ; his family were seven in number, among whom were five sons-Jacob, John, Henry, Thomas and Leavitt C. Thomas, the father of our subject, was born in Boscawen Township, N. H., January 2, 1802, where he was married June 2, 1829, to Myra Ames, who was born Jannary 4, 1804, and re- mained until 1855, when he and family moved to Lake County, Ind., purchased the farm where our subject now lives, and remained until his death, which occurred August 19, 1877; his wife died June 17, 1869. Their family were named as follows : Joseph A., Sarah H., Lucy J. J. A. Little was married, November 1, 1859, to Mary Gerrish, born in Merrimack County, N. H., August 22, 1834, daughter of Abiel and Eliza (Dodge) Gerrish. Shortly after his marriage, he moved to Iroquois County, Ill., where he purchased land and remained until 1862, when he returned to Lake County, Ind., where he has remained since; he owns 680 acres of land. They have had seven children-Lewis G., infant daughter (deceased), James H., Ellen, Jesse, Myra A. and Mary E.
JOHN J. LUCADO was born in Campbell County, Va., March 31, 1825, one of a family of eleven children, born to Edwin and Lucy F. (Fretwell) Lucado, who were natives of Virginia. The former was born in the year 1789, and was a son of Isaac Lucado, who was a native of France, and crossed the ocean on the same boat with La Fayette, landing in Virginia, where he remained until his death ; he served all through the Revolutionary war ; he was a minister of the Baptist Church ; the last sermon he preached was a funeral sermon, he being then ninety-six years of age. He was blessed with six children, five of whom were sons -Peter, Noah, Edwin, William and Berry. The father of the subject of our sketch married in Campbell County, Va., in the year 1812, a Miss Lucy Fretwell, who was born in the same county in the year 1796, daughter of Thomas Fretwell, who was a native of Scotland, and moved to Virginia one year after the breaking-out of the Revolutionary war, in which he served until the close. His family were five in number. Mr. Lucado spent his entire life in Virginia, dying in 1852, his wife surviv- ing him until 1866. John J. Lucado remained with his parents until he was twenty-one years old, when he was employed to oversee a plantation by a man named George Richerson, with whom he remained one year, then, in partnership with a Mr. William Oliver, rented a large farm in Halifax County, Va., and engaged in farming for several years. He was married, May 12, 1855, to Elizabeth Challer. In 1856, he moved to La Porte County, Ind., and from thence to Kankakee County, Ill., and in 1871, to Lake County, Ind., where he purchased and moved on the
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