USA > Indiana > Porter County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 86
USA > Indiana > Lake County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 86
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WINFIELD TOWNSHIP.
had many a wrangle with the Indians. Mr. Nichols learned the trade of a carpenter, at which he worked in Valparaiso; afterward, in company with his brother, he engaged in the grocery business. In 1864, he en- listed in Company E, Seventeenth Regiment Mounted Infantry ; he was engaged in detailed service ; he was in the trying march with Gen. Wil- son, in Alabama. When discharged, in 1865, he purchased the home- stead farm of 111 acres ; he ran the first reaper on the prairie. Mr. Nichols gave his first vote to Gen. Taylor, but has since voted for the Republicans ; he has served his township as Justice of the Peace for six years. Mr. Nichols was married, in 1852, to Sarah Thompson, of Mar- quette County, Wis. By this union they had four children-Clara, William C., Cassius W. and Elmer E.
DENNIS PALMER was born in Lorain County, Ohio, August 21, 1830, and is a son of Dennis and Olive J. Palmer, natives of Massachu- setts and Connecticut. He was reared a farmer, and attended the pio- neer school, and being of a studious disposition, made the best of what was offered him, and in 185) commenced teaching. In 1852, he was married to Mary Wilson, of Crawford County, Ohio, born in 1832, a daughter of Daniel and Sarah Wilson. By this union they became the parents of two children-Richard (a stock-dealer in Iowa) and John. In 1854, he located in Mason County, Ill., engaged in stock-raising with David Wilson, but remained only six months, then removed to this town- ship, where he purchased ninety acres of land on Section 7, and made his home here for a few years, then sold and owned land on Section 20, but in 1866 purchased his present place, and has remained here since. Mr. Palmer started in the county a poor man, but by hard work, has ac- quired a farm well improved, and stocked with hogs and cattle. He turns off from his farm over 100 fat hogs each year, besides buying and shipping to some extent ; he was the founder of the village of Palmer in 1881, which consists of twenty lots (quarter acre each). In the fall of 1881, he built a commodious store building, which is filled with a good stock of general merchandise, owned by C. W. Wise. Mr. Palmer was the first to sign the right of way contract for the Chicago & Atlantic Railroad, and donated to them the right of way for over three-quarters of a mile ; he has been Justice of the Peace for twenty years, and has never had a judgment reversed by the higher court ; he and son lost about $7,- 000 during the winter of 1880-81, by having cattle frozen. Subject is now worth about $30,000.
MOSES PHILLIPS was born in Knox County, Ohio, April 6, 1835, and was one of thirteen children of Reuben and Elizabeth (Hedge) Phillips, both natives of Maryland. Reuben Phillips came to Eastern Ohio when a young man, and started into a pioneer life where he now re-
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sides at the age of eighty-three years; his wife died in 1877, aged seventy-seven years. When nineteen years of age, Moses came to this township, stopped with his brother-in-law, John L. Hipsley, for a year, then located on what is now his homestead, the land having been entered by his father in 1856. On December 30, 1855, he was married to Phebe E. Young of this county, but born in Woodstock, Canada, November 6, 1836 ; she died June 8, 1882, at the age of forty-five years, leaving four children-Lovina E., Alvah M., Viola E. and Rosa D. Mr. Phillips has a fine farm with great improvements ; it embraces 240 acres ; he has made the prairie "to blossom as the rose," the land being valued at from $45 to $50 per acre.
JOHN ROSS was born in the North of Ireland January 2, 1826 ; he was brought up on a farm and received a fair education. In common with many, to better his condition, he emigrated to America in 1849, lo- cating at Philadelphia, where he worked six years in making packing- boxes, whereupon, with $1,000, he removed to this township, where he purchased eighty acres, his present farm, on which he built a small frame house. In 1871, this was burned and replaced ; he has now large and commodious barns, and a wind engine for furnishing water to his large herd of cattle. In 1855, he was married to Jane Wilson, a native of Ireland, by whom he had five children-Isabella J., Robert, Anna E., John and Jacob H. (deceased). Mr. Ross has been very successful, and has amassed a fair competence for his approaching age; his farm em- braces 487 acres, all of which has been acquired through industry and economy ; he is a greatly esteemed citizen. Mr. and Mrs. Ross are members of the United Presbyterian Church.
JOHN SIMPSON was born in Ireland March 11, 1830. On Octo- ber 6, 1870, he was married to Jane McClarn, daughter of Thomas and Rebecca McClarn, and born in Logan County, Ohio, in 1842. By this union they had five sons-William J., Thomas C., George W., Clarence A. and Roy H. Mr. Simpson commenced life empty-handed ; he first farmed on rented land with ox teams; he then took a lease on sixty-five acres for five years, of which he had the profits for breaking and fencing; during this time he purchased a portion of his present home ; he has been very successful in his efforts, having now 270 acres of excellent land, which is nearly all well improved, combining a commodious house and barn and a wind engine ; the land is partially fenced by a hedge. Mr. Simpson gave his first vote to U. S. Grant, and he is a stanch Republican. Both he and his wife are members of the United Presbyterian Church.
JAMES SIMPSON was born in Ireland in 1846, and is the son of William and Jane Simpson, both natives of Ireland. His parents emi-
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WINFIELD TOWNSHIP.
grated to America in 1845, locating in this township, where Wm. Simpson purchased eighty acres, without buildings ; they lived in a log house a number of years. Mr. Simpson was successful, and soon had 180 acres, which were well improved ; he died in 1865, aged sixty-five years. Mrs. Simpson is still living, aged seventy-five years. James Simpson was brought up a farmer, and has remained at home until now, and owns fifty-six acres of the homestead land. On March 4, 1874, he was mar- ried to Ellen Gaston, a native of Ireland, born May 11, 1852, and came to America in 1872; she is a daughter of John and Margaret Gaston, both natives of Ireland. To this union there have been four children- Maggie J., Mary E., James H. and Charles A. Mrs. Simpson is a member of the Presbyterian Church.
H. B. WARD was born in Portage County, Ohio, March 13, 1827, and is the eldest of the seven children of Alfred and Fannie Ward. His parents were among the pioneers of Portage County, and lived in a home they redeemed from the forest, where they died-he in 1838 and she in 1845. After' this event H. B. Ward took charge of the farm until he came West to improve his fortune, in 1850, and entered the land on which he has since resided, and so improved as to make him inde- pendent. During his youth Mr. Ward obtained a fair education, and had followed teaching for three years previous to coming here. He has served as Township Clerk, Assessor, Justice of the Peace and County Commissioner ; at the building of the township jail, he was chosen overseer. In 1847, he was married to Delia Doolittle, a native of Con- necticut, born August 8, 1827, a daughter of Luther and Eunice Doolit- tle. They have seven children-Fannie M., Lodema E., Ida A., Ella D., Nina J., Jennie and Willie (deceased). Mr. Ward is a strict tem- perance man, and Mrs. Ward is a member of the Christian Church.
ROSS WILSON was born in Ireland December 20, 1830; is the son of Andrew and Isabel Wilson, both natives of Ireland. In 1849, he emigrated to America, first locating at Philadelphia, where he made packing boxes for five years ; and there, in 1854, he was married to Margaret McCay, daughter of John and Elizabeth McCay ; she also was born in Ireland February 24, 1834, coming to America in 1850. Mr. Wilson came to this county in 1854 and rented a farm for six years, after which he bought forty acres of his present homestead, and erected a frame house and began to break the soil. He now has most com- modious buildings, with an evergreen-planted lawn, making it one of the most attractive homes in the township. Mr. Wilson has been very suc- cessful, now possessing 440 acres, nearly all of which is improved, mak- ing him worth $24,000. All this he owes to his energy and enterprise, as well as good citizenship ; he is one of the leading farmers of his sec-
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tion. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson made a trip to Califoania during the fall of 1880.
JOSEPH WILSON was born in Ireland in 1835, and is one of the nine children of Joseph and Eliza (Ross) Wilson, also natives of Ireland. Our subject came to America in 1852, and stopped in Philadelphia for two years, working at his trade as a carpenter ; he came to this county in 1855, where he worked at his trade, and where he was married, February 12, 1856, to Jane McCay, born in Ireland April 19, 1838. By this union they had twelve children, ten of whom are living-David, John, Charles, William H., Eliza M., Joseph R., Annie J., Maggie B., Eddie and Odessa. In 1862, Mr. Wilson ~ purchased forty acres of wild prairie, which he sold and went to California, where he expected to remain, but soon returned and purchased 120 acres of his present home; he first lived in a log cabin, and after- ward in a frame house 18x26; he has now a fine farmhouse and 200 acres of very good land. In 1880, he purchased a hay barn at Le Roy Station, of great capacity, his own crop of hay this year reaching 200 tons ; he also purchases hay in bulk, delivered at his farm. Mr. Wilson has been exceedingly successful, being worth nearly $20,000, besides having given to his son eighty acres of fine land, valued at $3,000. Mr. Wilson has much pride in fine horses, and a large stock of hogs.
JACOB WISE was born in Pennsylvania January 20, 1817, and is one of the eight children of George and Charlotte (More) Wise, both na- tives of Pennsylvania. When eighteen years of age, Jacob moved with his parents to Crawford County, Ohio, where he worked at brick-making and afterward managed a yard for himself previous to coming to this township in 1849. In 1848, he entered 160 acres of his present farm, and in 1849 purchased eighty acres more in Section 17; he lived several years in a log cabin, but has now erected a large commodious brick, and the first in the township ; his farm is one of the best in Winfield Town- ship. On July 4, 1838, he was married to Sarah Ditie, a native of Pennsylvania, who died in 1843, leaving three small children-Henry W., Cornelius W. and Maria E .; his second marriage took place in De- cember, 1843, to Maria Ditie, a native of Pennsylvania, daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth Ditie. By this union they had six children-James M., George M., Laura J., Amanda F., Margaret L. and Martha E. Mr. and Mrs. Wise are members of the United Brethran Church.
C. W. WISE was born in Crawford County, Ohio, July 30, 1841. On September 28, 1864, he was married to Sarah Wilson, also native of Crawford County, born September 18, 1842, a daughter of Daniel and Sarah Wilson. C. W. Wise was reared a farmer; when seven years old his
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WINFIELD TOWNSHIP.
father removed to this township, where he has since remained, except the period absent at war during the late struggle : he enlisted September 1, 1861, in Company E, Ninth Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry ; he was at Pittsburg Landing, and the second day was wounded in the right knee, an injury which crippled him for life. The ball remained in the bone for six years, when it was removed by Drs. Higgins and Cass, of this section. After his discharge, in 1862, he took charge of a small farm, and afterward engaged in mercantile business, now having a first- class farmers' store at Palmer's Station. Mr. Wise is a stanch Repub- lican, and has served his township as Assessor for six years, and with much satisfaction.
H. J. NICHOLS,
The Leading Merchant of Hebron, Porter Co., Ind.,
Dealer in
DRY GOODS, GROCERIES, CLOTHING
AND Boots and Shoes.
Makes a Specialty of Handling Live Stock, Hay and Grain.
KELLER, SHERMAN & CO.,
Lowell, Lake Co., Ind.,
DEALERS IN
General Merchandise.
A Specialty Made of
READY-MADE CLOTHING.
A Full Line of Everything usually Found in a
FIRST-CLASS GENERAL STORE.
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