USA > Indiana > Pulaski County > Counties of White and Pulaski, Indiana. Historical and biographical > Part 38
USA > Indiana > White County > Counties of White and Pulaski, Indiana. Historical and biographical > Part 38
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AMASIAH DAVISSON was born in Preble County, Ohio, May 22, 1832, and is the second in a family of seven children born to Jonathan and Isabella (Adams) Davisson, natives of Virginia and New Jersey. The parents of Jonathan settled in Preble County in the spring of 1815, and there he was married. At his majority, his father presented him with a farm of 160 acres, which he cultivated until 1878, when he moved to Cass County, Ind., where he died August 7, 1880, in his seventy- fourth year. When he left Ohio, he was the oldest settler in Preble
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County ; he had been one of the County Commissioners for six years, and Assessor for ten or twelve years, and at the time of his death was owner of the original Preble County farm, besides town lots in West Manchester, that county. Amasiah Davisson, at the age of twenty-one, began life by farming on shares. In the spring of 1854, he came to this township, where his father had bought and given him eighty acres of wild land. This he has increased to 380 acres, of which 360 are now under cultiva- tion. Years ago, he had replaced his original log cabin with a fine frame residence, which was destroyed by fire the night of October 18, 1879. He immediately rebuilt on the same site, and has now one of the finest farm residences in the township, into which he moved three weeks after the old one was burned. He was married, September 23, 1852, to Sarah A. House, a native of Preble County, who has become the mother of four boys and one girl. Mr. and Mrs. Davisson are members of the Method- ist Episcopal Church, and in politics he is a Democrat.
JOSIAH DAVISSON was born in Preble County, Ohio, September 23, 1830, and is the eldest of ten children born to Absalom and Belinda (Adams) Davisson, natives respectively of Virginia and New Jersey, and of Scotch-Welsh and English descent. The parents of Absalom settled in Warren County, Ohio, in 1814, and next year moved to Preble County. There, on the 14th day of June, 1829, he married. His father had given him 120 acres of land, to which he made many additions, and on which he resided until his death, May 24, 1874, at the age of seventy-two. Josiah Davisson, at the age of twenty, hired out as a farm hand for a year, and then learned carpentering. In April, 1855, he came to this township and bought 120 acres of land, but for three years farmed on shares. In April, 1858, he moved upon his own place, and there he still resides. He was married, October 25, 1855, to Ann M. Hoffman, a native of Mont- gomery County, Ohio. She has borne her husband two sons and five daughters, all now living. Mr. Davisson is a Republican, and he and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
VAUS DOBBINS was born in Hampshire County, Va., November 1, 1819, and is one of the eleven children born to Samuel and Sarah (Mitchell) Dobbins, both natives of the same State. Samuel Dobbins was a blacksmith by trade, but in his later years became a planter, and owned at one time nine plantations, aggregating 2,000 acres, which he subse- quently divided among his children. He died in December, 1848, a member of the United Brethren Church. Vaus Dobbins attended the ordinary schools of his day, and when twenty-five years of age was presented, by his father, with a farm in his native county, which he managed until 1849, when he sold, and bought 1,117 acres in Tyler County, W. Va., including a saw and flouring mill, and a lath and
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carding mill. In 1856, he sold out and came to Princeton Town- ship, this county, and there farmed until about 1863, when he moved to Battle Ground, Tippecanoe County, for the purpose of educating his children. In 1867, he returned to White County, and rented a large farm in West Point Township. In 1870, he came to this town- ship and bought the farm of 140 acres near Chalmers, on which he has ever since resided. He also owns lands in Princeton Township and building lots in Chalmers. He was married, in 1844, to Harriet A. Ham- mock, a native of Hampshire County, Va., and of the ten children born to him, six are still living. Mr. Dobbins is a Freemason, and both he and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics, he is a Republican.
WILLIAM T. DOBBINS was born in Hampshire County, Va., September 13, 1845, and is the second of the ten children born to Vaus and Harriet A. (Hammock) Dobbins, natives of Virginia, and of English descent. William T. Dobbins received a good academical education, attending also the Battle Ground Collegiate Institute in Tippecanoe County, Ind. In June, 1870, he engaged in general mercantile trade at Battle Ground, but in September, 1872, removed his stock to Chalmers, this township; he carries a large and well-selected stock of dry goods, clothing, hats, caps, boots, shoes, groceries, queensware, hardware, drugs, medicines and notions, valued at $6,000, his annual sales amounting on an average to $15,000; he also handles lumber and coal. November 21, 1872, he married Rhoda A. Moore, a native of Tippecanoe County, and this lady has borne him two children, one, Nellie G., still living. Mr. Dobbins is now serving his second term as Township Trustee, and he has filled the position of Postmaster since 1874. Both he and wife are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in politics he is a Repub- lican.
CHARLES D. FINNEY was born in Daviess County, Ind., Novem- ber 20, 1845, and is the youngest of the five children born to John and Mary J. (Waller) Finney, natives of Indiana and Kentucky, and of English and Scotch descent. John Finney was married in Trimble County, Ky., where for several years afterward he was engaged in farm- ing, and subsequently in Illinois and Indiana. In 1862, he enlisted in Company G, Third Indiana Volunteer Infantry, was made Commissary Sergeant, and served with his regiment until the fall of 1864, when he was transferred to the Eighth Indiana Cavalry. He took part in the battles of Shelbyville, Stone River, in the Atlanta campaign and the "march to the sea." He is a Mason and a member of the Baptist Church, and is now a resident of Greenwood, Johnson County, this State. Charles D. Finney, at the age of sixteen, was employed as a clerk in a
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general store at Greenwood ; he remained about a year, and then went on the Jeffersonville, Madison & Indianapolis Railroad, remaining until John Morgan's raid into Indiana. In September, 1863, he enlisted in Com- pany M, First Indiana Heavy Artillery, and served until the close of the war, taking part in the siege against Forts Gaines and Morgan, Spanish Fort, and the other defenses of Mobile. On his return, he was variously employed until 1875, when he came to Wolcott, this county, where he was employed at farming, etc., until May, 1880, when he came to Wheeler, this township, and opened a general store. He was appointed Postmaster August 2, 1880; he was married, February 1, 1866, to Mary E. Gregg, who has borne him six children, of whom three are living. Mr. Finney is an Odd Fellow, and both he and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church.
DAVID FISHER was born in Fayette County, Penn., November 7, 1812, and is one of the fifteen children born to John and Nancy (Fraser) Fisher, both natives of Pennsylvania, and of German and Scotch descent. John Fisher was a farmer and a blacksmith, and he died, in 1853, a strict member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. David Fisher, at the age of sixteen, began the blacksmith trade with his father and brother, and followed the business most of the time until he was forty-seven years old. In the spring of 1836, he came to this county, where he entered 240 acres of land for himself and 160 acres for his brother in Big Creek and Honey Creek Townships. He returned to Pennsylvania the same summer, accomplishing the entire journey both ways on horseback. In 1850, he bought land in .Western Virginia, and farmed for three years; then returned to Pennsylvania and engaged in mining for several years. In 1859, he returned to this township and settled on his land. He was married, July 7, 1839, to Sarah J. Huston, a native of Fayette County, Penn., and to this marriage were born ten children, of whom only two are dead-John C., member of Company K, Twentieth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, who was killed at Cold Harbor, Va., after having served over three years; and Joseph, of Company D, Twelfth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, who died in hospital in Scottsboro, Ala., January 7, 1864. Two other sons also served in the army-Jacob, in the One Hundred and Sixteenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and Henry, in the One Hundred and Fiftieth Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Mr. Fisher is a Democrat, a believer in the Methodist Episcopal faith, but is not a member of the church.
ABNER FOX was born in La Fayette, Tippecanoe Co., Ind., Sep- tember 6, 1840, and is the second of the six children born to Jonathan and Margaret N. (Hawk) Fox, both natives of Butler County, Ohio. Jonathan Fox was by trade a butcher ; he was married in Butler County,
THEREW YORK MIELI LIBRARY
JONATHAN HIGH.
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Ohio, and in 1836 moved to La Fayette, Ind., and was the first butcher to occupy a stall in the La Fayatte market house. In the spring of 1854, he came to this township, bought land and engaged in farming until his death, September 13, 1880. Abner Fox, at the age of twenty- one, left his father, and for two years farmed on shares in this township. In 1863 he bought his present farm of 100 acres. He was married, December 24, 1863, to Mary Wolverton, daughter of Philip Wolverton, Sr., one of the pioneers of the county, and to this union have been born three children. Mr. Fox has always taken a great interest in fast horses, and is now the owner of the noted runners "Bay Dick " and " Blue Jeans," the former having made a running record of 1:44. Mr. F. is a member of Brookston Lodge, No. 154, A., F. & A. M., and in politics he is a Democrat.
JONATHAN HIGH was born in Hampshire County, Va., June 9, 1809, and is the fifth of the twelve children born to Henry and Susan (Myers) High, natives of the same county and of German descent. Henry High was a soldier during the war of 1812, and also helped to quell the whisky rebellion in Pennsylvania and Virginia. He died on his own farm in his native county January 24, 1834, a believer in the doc- trines of the German Baptist Church, although not a member of the so- ciety. Jonathan High, although he received comparatively little educa- tion in his youth, is a man of more than ordinary mental powers, and has given himself a practical business education. Until his thirtieth year, he remained on his father's farm, and in 1838 brought his family to Tip- pecanoe County, this State, where for ten years he farmed on shares. In 1848, he came to this township, where he bought a partially improved farm of 200 acres, on which he still resides, and to which he has from time to time added, until he now owns 640 acres. Mr. High was mar- ried, September 15, 1836, to Miss S. Shoemaker, also a native of Hamp- shire County, Va., and to their union were born twelve children, of whom only two are now living-Nancy A. and Thomas J. Mrs. High died Oc- tober 20, 1875, a member of the United Brethren Church. Mr. High is a member of the German Baptist Church, is a Democrat in politics, is one of the early settlers of Big Creek, and is one of the most prominent farmers in the township.
A. C. LANE was born in Hamilton County, Ohio, March 28, 1818, and is the second of eight children born to John and Rosanna (Crumm) Lane, natives of New Jersey and Kentucky. John Lane was born in January, 1793 ; his ancestors were among the colonists of New Jersey, landing in 1642; his parents came West in 1798, landing at what is now Cincinnati in 1799. The same year, they moved nine miles north, where John was reared to manhood. He was married in Wayne County,
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Ind., and died on his farm near Cincinnati, June 4, 1880 ; Mrs. Rosanna Lane died at the same place in 1878. A. C. Lane, at the age of seventeen, left the home farm and served an apprenticeship of three years at wagon-making ; he then did business for himself seven years at Mount Pleasant and for five years at Darrtown, Ohio. In April, 1852, he moved to Tippecanoe County, this State, where he bought a farm and remained until August, 1864, when he sold and came to this township and pur- chased 352 acres, which he has increased to 400. In May, 1839, he married Eliza R. Woolley, who bore him three children, and died in 1844, a member of the Christian Church. In 1845, Mr. Lane married Bar- bara A. Darland, a native of Clinton County, Ind., who bore him four children and died September 7, 1868, a member of the Presbyterian Church. In February, 1870, Mr. Lane married Mrs. Mary A. (Keth) Baker, of Allen County, Ohio, who died in 1877 without issue, and a member of the Christian Church. Mr. Lane is a member of the last- named church, is a stanch Republican and has two sons who served their country throughout the entire war of the rebellion.
DANIEL J. ORTH was born in Lebanon County, Penn., July 17, 1848, and is the second in the family of eight children born to Henry W. and Maria (Stein) Orth, both natives of Pennsylvania and of German descent. Henry W. Orth was reared a farmer, and when a young man was employed as a civil engineer and helped to locate the Erie Canal. Later, he followed distilling several years. In about 1848, he moved to Western Ohio and engaged in buying horses and mules for the Eastern market. In 1850, he came to Tippecanoe County, Ind., and entered the lumber and cabinet-making trade. In 1856, he came to this township and bought 160 acres, engaged in farming until 1870, and then sold and moved to Brookston, where he now resides. Mr. Orth was Colonel of militia in Pennsylvania, and has twice been Trustee of this township. He is a Mason,a member of the Universalist Church, and a brother of the late Hon. Godlove S. Orth, of La Fayette. Daniel J. Orth, at the age of twenty-one, bought his present farm of 160 acres, on which he has since lived, with the exception of one year, when he was engaged in the agricultural implement business at Chalmers. He was married, April 7, 1870, to Margaret Wolverton, a native of this county ; she has borne him six children, five of whom are living. In politics, Mr. Orth is a Republican, and he is an enterprising young farmer.
JACOB PFISTER was born in Germany August 21, 1833, and is the youngest of seven children born to Joseph and Mary A. (Hitzman) Pfister, natives of the same country. In the spring of 1852, Jacob Pfis- ter came to the United States, stopping in Cincinnati a few months and then going into the interior of Hamilton County, where he learned car-
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pentering. . He afterward worked as journeyman with his former precep- tor, both at Cincinnati and Dayton-at the latter place helping to build the aqueduct. In 1855, he came to Reynolds, this county, where he worked at his trade until 1875, when he bought the "Pfister House," now known as the " Junction House." . In 1880, he bought and moved upon his present farm of 160 acres in this township. In the fall of 1862, Mr. P. enlisted in Company B, Fifty-second Indiana Volunteer Infantry. In December of the same year, the company was transferred to the Thirty- second Regiment, and Mr. P. was assigned to Company G. Ile served until after the battle of Shiloh, in which he was severely wounded, and, in consequence, was discharged in the summer of 1863. September 19, 1869, he married Christina Hiller, a native of Baden, Germany, and a widow with four children. In 1872, Mr. P. was elected Trustee of Honey Creek Township and served one term. In the fall of 1876, he was elected County Commissioner, and re-elected in 1878. He is a Democrat and a member of the Catholic Church. Mrs. Pfister is a member of the Lutheran Church.
J. & W. W. RAUB, at Chalmers, are doing an extensive business, and handle all kinds of grain, live stock and coal. Their annual average shipments of grain reach 150,000 bushels, and their shipments of live stock are in proportion. They commenced business at Chalmers under the present firm name in November, 1872, when they erected extensive cribs and grain warehouses, which they provided with a large corn-sheller, and then put in a steam engine. In 1879, they put up their steam ele- vator. Jacob Raub, the senior member, is the eighth child, and William W. Raub, the junior member, is the youngest of thirteen children born to Jacob and Maria M. (Ostrander) Raub, the former a native of Sussex County, N. J., and the latter of Troy, N. Y. Mrs. Raub was the daugh- ter of Dr. Edward Ostrander, of Troy, and a relative of Prof. Tobias Ostrander, the well known mathematician of New York, and author of " Ostrander's Arithmetic." In 1815, Jacob Raub, Sr., removed with his parents to Pickaway County, Ohio. He was married in Ross County, Ohio, in 1822. In November, 1836, he moved to Tippecanoe County, Ind., where he bought 280 acres of land, which he improved and resided upon until his death, in November. 1849. He was a public-spirited man, and took an active part in securing the right of way for the Crawfords- ville & La Fayette Railroad, which is now a part of the L., N. A. & C. R. R. Mrs. Maria M. Raub died April 26, 1875. Jacob Raub, senior partner in the firm of J. & W. W. Raub, was born in Ross County, Ohio, October 3, 1835, and received a very good common school and acadein- ical education. As early as 1851, he began in the grain business at South Raub, Tippecanoe County, as the junior member of the firm of
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A. & E. Raub & Bros. This firm shipped the first car-load of grain ever sent over the N. A. R. R. between Crawfordsville and La Fayette. The firm, in connection with their business, were also extensively eugaged in farming. In December, 1864, the firm was dissolved and the lands divided. Jacob Raub, having received his share in lands situated in this township, moved upon the same in 1866, and engaged in farming and stock dealing. In 1867, he commenced handling grain at Chalmers, in connection with his farming. In 1872, he purchased a part of the Ross farm, on which he laid out the present village of Chalmers. He has been in the grain business for the past twenty-nine years, longer, probably, than any other man in the county. He was Vice President of the White Conty Agricultural Society in 1869, and President thereof in 1870. In 1868, he was nominated by the Democrats for Representative in the State Legislature from White and Benton Counties, and, although the district was Republican by 120 majority. he was defeated by only 83 votes. In company with his brother and others, he was largely influen- tial in securing the first gravel road ever located in White County, and which is now being built through Chalmers. Mr. Raub was married, March 28, 1871, to Miss Sallie C. Reynolds, a native of this county, and daughter of Benjamin Reynolds, one of the county pioneers. To this union have been born four sons, all still living. William W. Raub was born in Tippecanoe County; Ind., December 26, 1845, and at the age of sixteen commenced business on his own account as a farmer and stock dealer. For several years he bought stock for packing houses at La Fayette, and also shipped to Chicago. In 1865, he moved to Dan- ville, Ill., and became interested in two coal mines, as a member of the firm of Webster, Stufflebeam & Co., who represented a capital of at least $25,000. Two years later, he sold his interest at a handsome profit, and returned to Tippecanoe, where he engaged extensively in stock-rearing, and also engaged in shipping stock and grain. In 1872, he bought a farm of 280 acres near Chalmers, where he has ever since resided. Mr. Raub was married, December 18, 1877, to Mary Allen, a native of Wis- consin, and daughter of C. G. Allen, a commission merchant at the Union Stock Yards, Chicago. Two children have been born to this union, one now deceased. In politics, Mr. Raub is a Democrat.
LEVI REYNOLDS was born in this township March 7, 1850, and is one of five children, now living, born to Benjamin and Lydia J. (Gard- ner) Reynolds, natives respectively of Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Benjamin Reynolds, although he attended school but three nights in his life, acquired, by his own exertions, a sound, practical business educa- tion. When a young man, he settled in Perry County, Ohio, where he married, and soon after bought and operated a stage line from Vincennes
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to Toledo, following the Wabash and Maumee Rivers. In 1828, a dis- temper carried away many of the large number of horses used, leaving Mr. R. almost penniless. In about 1830, he came to this county and began life anew. Being well acquainted with the country, he was em- ployed to locate land on commission, which commission consisted chiefly in lands, and thus he became owner of from 15,000 to 20,000 acres in Indiana and Illinois. He was eminently a public-spirited man. He had a contract for excavating many miles of the State ditch, a part of which he sub-let. He was largely influential in locating and building the N. A. & S. R. R., and also the Pan Handle Railroad, in both of which he
became a large stockholder. He was also interested in the Junction Railroad, and in 1854 or 1855 had the misfortune to lose $100,000 by that concern. His first wife bore him five children, four of whom are yet living. He married his second wife. Lydia J. Gardner, at Vincennes, in 1839 or 1840. She is now living at Monon, this county, and is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. R. laid out the town of Rey- nolds, which was named for him by Gov. Willard. During the late war, Mr. Reynolds met with his second financial reverse, having to pay over $10,000 bail debts. From this, however, he had nearly recovered before his death, June 6, 1869, at his home in this township. Levi Reynolds and a brother cultivated the home farm after the father's death, until the same was sold under administrator's sale and bought by the mother, and the estate divided. In 1878, he went to Monticello, and engaged in the livery and saloon business until 1881, when he returned to the farm. He was married in September, 1879, to Mary E. Cooper, a native of Perry County, Ohio, who has borne him two children-Roy HI. and Glenn C. Mr. R. is Road Superintendent of the township, is a member of Brookston Lodge, No. 66, A. F. & A. M., and in politics is a Demo- crat.
SAMUEL SHENK was born in Lebanon County, Penn., October 15, 1829, and is one of six children born to Abraham and Magdelena (Overholser) Shenk, both natives of Pennsylvania. Abraham Shenk died on his farm in Lebanon County, Penn., in his forty-eighth ycar, and when Samuel was only ten years old ; the family then moved to Annville, where Samuel attended school and worked by the job until eighteen years old. He then worked on a farm by the month and year until twenty-two, and then on shares for two years. In the spring of 1856, he came to this township and bought the farm of 160 acres on which he has ever since resided, and which is now one of the best in the township. He was mar- ried, October 26, 1852, to Catharine M. Behm, a native of Lebanon County, Penn. One son and one daughter have blessed their union- Daniel H. and Clara B. In politics, Mr. Shenk is a Republican.
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BERNARD G. SMITH was born in Harrison County, W. Va., Feb- ruary 19, 1838, and is the fifth of a family of nine children born to Abel T. and Deborah S. (Wilson) Smith. Abel T. Smith was a farmer, and for several years was Sheriff of Harrison County. He came to this township in the fall of 1846 and entered 280 acres of land, to which he added until he owned 816 acres. He was at one time one of the three Township Trustees under the old constitution, and for thirty-four years was a class leader in the Methodist Episcopal Church. He died January 16, 1875, in his seventy-second year. His wife was one of thirty children born to Col. Benjamin Wilson, of Virginia, a distinguished soldier of the war of the Revolution and also of the war of 1812. Bernard G. Smith left his father's farm in August, 1862, and enlisted in Company K, Fifth Indiana Volunteer Cavalry, and at the organization of the regiment was made Quartermaster Sergeant; he advanced to First Lieutenant, and in March, 1865, was appointed Quartermaster. He was mustered out at Murfreesboro, Tenn., October 3, 1865. He took part in all the bat- tles of East Tennessee, the Atlanta campaign, the chase after Gen. Morgan, etc., and was wounded at New Hope Church. On his return, he resumed farming and has now a fine place of 300 acres. He was married, October 14, 1869, to Emma B. Lane, a native of Hamilton County, Ohio, and of the four children born to this union three are living-Robert C., Nellie G. and Maud L. Mr. Smith is a Mason and a Republican, and he and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
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