Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical, Part 30

Author: Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Blanchard, Charles, fl. 1882-1900
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: 428, 502 p. : ill., ports. ;
Number of Pages: 962

USA > Indiana > Whitley County > Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 30
USA > Indiana > Noble County > Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 30

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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COLUMBIA TOWNSHIP.

acres in the northwest corner of this township, then one vast forest, and set to work to clear a farm. The father traded this land for the farm on which our subject now resides, taking possession in 1846, and they have succeeded in bringing it all under cultivation. In those days, our subject was a great hunter, and numberless deer have fallen before his rifle, and even now he is not averse to a hunt. In November, 1847, he married Lucy A. Helms, and by her had a family of ten children, nine of whom are yet living, and named as follows : Aurelia E., Mary A., Lyman C., Hiram L., Charles B., Alzada M. (deceased), William J., Eugene E., Rosanna D. and Phobe L. Of these six are married, and all live in Columbia Township.

WILLIAM PLUMMER was born in Rutherford County, N. C., April 5, 1805, one of six children born to Joseph and Sarah Plummer. At the age of twenty-one, our subject came West and went to boating, running between Terre Haute and New Orleans. He came to Whitley County in 1832, entered eighty acres Government land, made Union Township his home from 1838 to 1850, and then sold out and purchased his present farm in this township, now all under cultivation. In January, 1862, he enlisted in the Fifth Indiana Battery of Light Artillery, and took part in the battle of Perryville, Ky., Stone River, Tenn., and many other engagements. In the Stone River fight, he was wounded; was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps, sent to Wash- ington, and served there until his discharge, January 31, 1865. When Mr. Plummer came to Indiana, Columbia City was unthought of ; there was not a white inhabitant in Jefferson Township, and the country was filled with Indians. October 15, 1835, he married Miss Sarah Crowel, of Preble County, Ohio, by whom he had seven children, five of whom are now living. They were named ' as follows : Michael C., Joseph E., Mary E., Jacob W., Sarah J., William C. and David L. Michael, Joseph and Jacob were soldiers in the late war. Jacob, with whom our subject now lives, served from 1862 to 1865, and was at Chick- amauga-where he was wounded-at Mission Ridge, and with Sherman on his march to the sea. He was also wounded while on a guerrilla expedition. After the war, he spent six years in the West and then returned to his home. September 26, 1879, he married Caroline Londt, and he has been a resident of the county for nearly forty years.

GEORGE ROBERTS was born in Holmes County, Ohio, February 12, 1823, and is the youngest of five children, four living, born to William and Ruth (Tribey) Roberts, natives of Virginia, who emigrated to Ohio at an early day. Our subject is a tanner and worked at that business until he came to Whitley County in 1854, when he located on what is now the Poor House Farm, in this township, and resided there two years and then spent the seven years following in Iowa, Missouri and Illinois, when he returned to Whitley and purchased the 160-acre farm he now resides upon. In 1845, he married Elizabeth Poulson, of Holmes County, Ohio, and they have now a family of four children, namely, Nathan, Mary E., Amanda and Sarah J. Mr. Roberts,

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by hard work and the exercise of sound judgment, has acquired a good farm and a fine brick house. He and wife have been members of the Methodist Church forty-two years, and their children are married, excepting the youngest, and all reside in Whitley County.

WILLIAM ROUCH, son of Samuel and Louisa (Hamer) Rouch, was born in Wayne County, Ohio, January 25, 1840. His father is a native of Penn- sylvania, and his mother of Germany, and they came to this township in 1854, and settled on the farm the father still occupies. Our subject is also a farmer, and owns a fine farm on the banks of Eel River. March 5, 1863, he married Jerusha Page, and they had three children, as follows : William E., born April 8, 1864; Howard G., born August 12, 1868 ; Louisa M., born December 12, 1869. Mrs. Rouch died in 1872, and in 1880 he married Martha Churchill, and to this union has been born one child-Samuel Merritt.

J. M. SHERWOOD was born in Wythe County, Va., May 29, 1829, the second child of Benjamin and Catharine (Williams) Sherwood, and was taken by his parents to Morrow County, Ohio, in 1831, where his father died in 1834. Our subject, James M. Sherwood, came to Columbia City in 1850, and worked for F. H. Foust for three years, and then went to farming and butchering till 1859, when he moved to the farm he now occupies, on which there was only a small clearing west of his house for a garden patch, the balance being unbroken forest; but by industry, he has succeeded in clearing nearly all, and has now a splendid farm. He was married, April 21, 1853, to Mary E. Jones, of Colum- bia City, and they have a family of four children, viz., Jane V., Hugh M., Florence M. A. and Josephine M.

JOHN B. STERLING was born in Holmes County, Ohio, April 23, 1828, and was one of seven children born to James and Mary (Battey) Sterling, four of whom are yet living. The father was a farmer, and also ran a saw-mill. Our subject had no advantages for an early education, his boyhood being occu- pied at work at home. In 1849, he began life for himself, and arrived at this point with but 65 cents in his pocket. He began work with a brother in a saw- mill on Eel River; remained there over a year, and then, in 1852, moved to the place he now occupies, and has lived here ever since. In February, 1851, he married Sarah J. Wantz, of this county, who died in May, 1853, leaving two children-John and Mary J., both now dead. In 1857, he married Barbara Brenneman, who died September 22, 1862, leaving one son-Abraham F., now in California. He was married to his present wife (Eliza Stoner) in 1867, and by her has had two children-Ida E. and Cora B. Mr. Sterling is an Odd Fellow, and also a granger.

WILLIAM TANNEHILL was born in Knox County, Ohio, Feb. 25, 1825, the son of William and Eleanor (McMullen) Tannehill, natives respectively of Scotland and Ireland. They came to Knox County in 1820, and settled on a farm in Brown Township, remaining there till 1838. They had eleven chil- dren, five boys and six girls, of whom two girls and one boy have died. The

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mother also died in 1846, and the father February 16, 1878. The latter had been Constable for a number of years, was of a jovial disposition, and was well liked throughout his township. William, Jr., lived with his father till of age, 1846, and then sought work about the county, on his own account, till about 1848, when he came to Whitley County, Union Township, and remained here till 1852, then went to Fulton County, Ohio, for one year, thence to Williams County, where he remained till 1861, clearing and farming. In 1850, he there married Miss Mary Jane Smolley, who bore him eight children, but who died October 14, 1874. May 9, 1876, Mr. Tannehill married Miss Annie Sherick, whose parents were natives of Germany. May 10, 1876, he returned to Columbia Township, this county. He redeemed sixty-two acres of land from what was then a wilderness, and put it in good farming order. He was elected County Commissioner in 1878, and re-elected in 1880, and still fills the position to the satisfaction of his constituents. By his present wife he is the father of three sons, all living. He is a thriving farmer, prominent in his township, and, in politics, is a Democrat.

TOBIAS WAGNER, a pioneer of Whitley County, was born in Penn- sylvania April 28, 1816, and is one of a family of eight children born to Peter and Margaret (Betts) Wagner. His parents moved to Seneca County, Ohio, when he was about twelve years of age, and there he remained till October, 1841, when he came to Whitley. He received a good common-school education, which he has improved by his own efforts. He settled first in Richland Town- ship, and farmed four years ; then bought a farm east of Columbia City, where he resided, with the exception of a few months in Wisconsin, till 1879. He now lives in Columbia, and still does some farming, owning about 315 acres of land. He married during his residence in Ohio, Elizabeth Bosler, January 14, 1838. She died in October, 1860, leaving six children-Mary A., Milton D., Laura, John P. (deceased), Julia and Elizabeth ; all married except the youngest. In September, 1861, he married Rachel Beeson, and to this union were born seven children, three of whom still survive-Jesse Tobias, Sadie B. and Heber B.

JOHN WOLFE was born in Stark County, Ohio, May 1, 1834, and is one of a family of ten children born to Daniel and Catharine Wolfe, five of whom are still living. Mr. Wolfe has a good common-school education. He came to Whitley County in 1858, and settled in this township, where he is engaged in stock-raising as well as farming his tract of 308 acres. Previous to coming to this township, he had worked at his trade of carpenter. August 11, 1858, he was married to Catharine Eberhart, also of Stark County, Ohio, but at the time of her marriage a resident of Whitley. To their union have been born a family of seven children, named as follows : Andrew J., Catharine A., Henry, John, Eli, Benjamin F. and Elizabeth. Mr. Wolfe and wife are con- sistent members of the Reformed Church.

J. W. WYNKOOP was born in Clark County, Ohio, February 23, 1826,

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and was the second of a family of five children born to Garrett and Elizabeth (Ryerson) Wynkoop. His father by trade was a cabinet-maker, at which business our subject has worked also and has, besides, learned painting. He received a good common-school education, and worked at home with his father, at painting, till he was twenty-six years of age, when, in 1861, he was married to Nancy A. Prichard, of Stark County, Ohio, but at the time of her marriage a resident of Whitley County, Ind. He came to this township in 1852, and settled on his present farm. Here his wife died in 1862. His farm consists of eighty acres, which he still continues to work. He joined the Masonic order just after reaching his majority, and is still a member in good standing. He has an only son, named Cassius E.

CLEVELAND TOWNSHIP.

ARNOLD FAMILY .- This well known family is of English descent, and settled in North Carolina during the last century, but some time later moved to South Carolina and, early in the present century, to Ohio. The head of the family was Moses Arnold, who located in Warren County, Ohio. His family was large, one of the sons being William, who, in the course of his life, had a family of thirteen children, twelve of whom reached maturity. William, at the close of the war of 1812, and while yet a young, though married, man, settled near Greenville, Darke Co., Ohio. Here he followed farming and stock- raising, and by industry made himself a good home. George, John, William, Jesse, Henry H., Isaac N. and a sister, Maria (Arnold) Hopkins, were children of William. George came to this county in 1842, settling four miles east of South Whitley. Four years later, John came and settled near his brother George. Jesse came in 1852, and the other members of the family followed him, arriving at intervals. James lives in Blackford County, and is a prom- inent citizen there. John and William are dead. George lives at Bluffton, Ind., is a capitalist and is Postmaster of that town. Isaac and Henry H. live at Huntington, Ind., and are prominent citizens. Jesse lives in North Man- chester, Wabash Co., Ind., as does also his sister Maria, whose husband, S. V. Hopkins, is editor of the North Manchester Journal.

JOHN ARNOLD was born near Greenville, Ohio, in November, 1820, and was a school-teacher in early life, but soon after reaching his majority was given $500 in land in Cleveland Township by his father. He lived for some time on this farm, but then removed to South Whitley. His first wife, Ann- janette Folger, bore him three children-Augusta, John and Wilson. His second wife, Mrs. Elmira Thomson, to whom he was married in 1857, bore him four children-Eva, James, William and Ruskin. In 1851, a subscription was started to obtain means to induce some one to build a flouring-mill at South Whitley. The Arnold brothers took the matter in hand, built the saw-mill in

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1852 and the grist-mill in 1853 ; and, about the same time, John and several of his brothers began merchandising in South Whitley. Their various inter- ests there became so extensive that it was found necessary eventually to com- mence a banking business, which was done in 1871 by John and Jesse, who founded the bank at North Manchester, and in 1878 the one at South Whit- ley. John was thus engaged at the time of his death in 1880. But few men who ever lived in the county deserve greater merit for actual worth than John Arnold. He was uniformly kind-hearted and charitable, and his excellent busi- ness qualifications were impressed upon all his associates. Men who were in his employ think of him as their benefactor, and hundreds mourn his loss. He united with the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1840, and was, during the remainder of his life, a consistent member. Save the little given him by his father, all his property (quite a fortune) was accumulated by his own industry and management. At the time of the death of John Arnold, James, his son, who was attending college at Asbury University, came home to assist in settling his father's estate, since which time he has not returned to school. He is in business at South Whitley, and in all his associations with the world shows those sterling qualifications which have characterized the Arnold family. He is cashier of the bank, buys large quantities of grain for the grist-mill, and, with other members of the family, has general oversight of the extensive business interests left by his father.

JESSE ARNOLD was born in Darke County, Ohio, October 24, 1831. His youth was spent on his father's farm, and, in early manhood, he received an academic education. After coming to Whitley County, in 1852, he joined his " brothers in milling, merchandising, and, finally, in banking pursuits. The large grist-mill is yet owned by the Arnold family. Jesse engaged in banking at North Manchester in 1872, and thus continues at present. His wife, Sarah (Thomson) Arnold, to whom he was married in 1858, was born in Rutland County, Vt., and has borne her husband three children-Thomson, Fanny and Narcissa. She is a graduate of Fort Wayne College, delivered the valedictory of her class at the commencement exercises, and graduated at the head of her class. She is a lady of fine mind and culture. Her son, Thomson, graduated at Asbury University in 1882. He was one of the brightest students in the University, and in the school election in 1881, for speaker to represent the University in the State oratorical contest, he came within a fraction of one vote of securing the position. This is all the stronger from the fact that the successful candidate not only gained the prize at the State oratorical contest, but also at the Inter-State oratorical contest. Jesse Arnold was elected to the Lower House of the State Legislature in 1878, and was the author of several important bills, which are now the laws of the State. At the time of his elec- tion, unknown to him, his brother James, of Blackford County, was also elected to the same session in the same House. Each did not know of the other's election until a short time after the honor had been secured. All the Arnolds

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have been of unusual natural ability. This, combined with their unfaltering honor, freely-offered charity and excellent management, has made them invalu- able servants to the society in which they have moved.

ABRAHAM COLLETT was born in Baltimore County, Md., October 3, 1815, the son of Aaron and Elizabeth (Dorsey) Collett, natives of the same State. The mother died in 1833, and the father, for a second wife, married Chloe Miller. To the first marriage there were born eight children, and to the second there was one. In 1835, the father and family moved to Montgomery County, Ohio, and four years later to Wabash County, Ind., where the father died in 1873 and the mother in 1879. The father had served in the war of 1812, and he and family were highly respected. Our subject was reared on the home farm till twenty-two, when he went to work for himself, by the day, month or job, carefully saving his earnings. Septem- ber 17, 1840, he married Miss Catherine Ramsey, who was born in Washing- ton County, Md., February 10, 1819, and to this union were born three chil- dren-James, Aaron and Angeline. James, the only one now living, was born in Wabash County, Ind., November 12, 1841, and, December 25, 1865, mar- ried Miss Susan Moore, who was born in this county November 16, 1843, and to this couple five children have been born, viz .: Lizzie B., Ada C. and Lulu, living ; and Charley and an infant, deceased. James Collett enlisted in the fall of 1861 in Company E, Forty-fourth Indiana Volunteer Infantry ; served till the close of the war, and saw much active service; he now resides on a farm in the township, an honored and respected citizen. In 1842, our subject settled on Section 18, this township, and engaged in farming and stock-raising till 1865, when he removed just over the county line into Jackson Township, Kosciusko County, where he still resides. At the time of his marriage he had saved enough of his earnings to purchase 160 acres unimproved land, which he has increased to 300 acres, and, besides this, has given his son a good farm. He is a self-made man, but has been ably assisted by his good wife, who is a woman of ability and good sense. He has always followed farming, with the exception of eight years passed in Collamer in mercantile pursuits. He is a Republican in politics, and he and wife are members of the Christian Church.

REGINALD H. COLLINS was born February 28, 1853, in this county, the son of Judge James S. Collins, of Columbia City, a prominent lawyer and citizen. Our subject received his earlier education in the schools at Columbia City, then attended school at Ann Arbor, Mich., three years, and then began reading law with his father. He was duly admitted to the bar, but his practice has been chiefly confined to office work, of which he has done a great deal. He at last formed a partnership with Clugston & McLallen in mercantile busi- ness at South Whitley, where he now resides and has charge of the business, and runs a complete line of dry goods, boots, shoes, hats, caps, groceries, carpets, and all goods sold in a general store. They have a large and steadily increas- ing trade, brought about chiefly by the shrewd and careful business talent of

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Mr. Collins. He married Miss Josephine H. Fleming, April 15, 1878. She was born near Wilmington, Del., September 6, 1853. To this union have been born three children, viz .: James W., Samuel and Helen. He is a stanch Republican, is a member of the Masonic order, and is recognized in the township as a business man of sound integrity.

CYRUS S. COTTON was born in Holmes County, Ohio, August 10, 1826, the son of James and Rachel (Gooden) Cotton, both natives of Beaver County, Penn., where they were married, and whence they moved in an early day to Holmes County, Ohio. The father was a soldier in the war of 1812, and died when our subject was six years of age. In 1844, the mother and family moved to this township; they were poor, but the mother was a good manager and hard-working woman, and reared her family with credit, one of her sons, John S., being twice elected to the Legislature as well as holding other public positions of trust. Our subject helped in caring for the family up to the time of his marriage, in 1851, to Miss Sarah Wantz, who was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, May 13, 1836, and who has borne her husband twelve children, viz. : Clarinda, Franklin P., Frederick, Wellington, Barton, Augusta, John, Mary C., and four others that died in infancy. Mrs. Cotton died April 22, 1874, and September 3, 1874, our subject married Christina Schultz, a native of Huntington County, Ind., and born September 1, 1851. To this union there have been born three children, viz. : Charles, James and George. Mr. Cotton is self-made ; the eighty acres of well-improved land he now owns came from his own hard work and thrifty habits. In politics he is a Democrat, and is a useful citizen of the county.

ELI L. EBERHARD, M. D., was born in Columbia Township, this county, June 23, 1857, and is the son of George and Barbara (Neible) Eberhard, respectively natives of Stark County, Ohio, and Wurtemberg, Germany. They were married in this county, to which they both came at an early day, and to them were born a family of five sons and seven daughters. They now reside in Columbia Township and rank among the county's best citizens. Our sub- ject was reared on a farm, but received a good academic education and began the study of medicine with Dr. Lawrence, of Columbia City, when about nine- teen, remaining with him and attending lectures till he graduated from the Medical College of Ohio, in the spring of 1880. He then located in South Whitley, and has built up a practice second to none. February 21, 1882, he married Miss Mollie C. Casner, of Wooster, Ohio. The Doctor is a well-in- formed gentleman, is well posted in his profession, and is a good citizen. He owns a very pretty home, and his prospects in life are indeed bright.

MILTON B. EMERSON was born in Wayne County, Ohio, June 23, 1830, the son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Merriman) Emerson, natives of Virginia and Pennsylvania respectively. They were married in Wayne County, Ohio, to which the parents of the mother had come in a early day, and the father when a young man. They were both leading members of the M. E. Church,

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and to them were born eight children. Our subject was reared on a farm and received a fair education. In the fall of 1851, he came to Whitley County, taught school that winter, returned to Ohio in the spring and harvested his wheat, and soon after came back to this county, and for some time worked at carpentering and shingle-making. February 27, 1854, he married Miss Eliza- beth Scott, who was born in Wayne County, Ohio, October 3, 1835. In 1855, he located on a farm in Washington Township, and engaged in saw-milling, stock- raising and farming till 1877, when he purchased his present farm in this town- ship. He held the office of County Commissioner six years, and during his incumbency the new jail was built and other county improvements were made. He also held the office of Justice of the Peace four years, to the satisfaction of all parties. He is a member of the M. E. Church, and in politics is liberal, voting for principles and not party. Heis owner of 205 acres of well-improved land, and is the father of the following family : Robert J., Franklin P., Noah W., William E., Leander F., Celesta E. and Sarah E., to all of whom he has given good educations.

GEORGE. H. FOSLER was born in Wayne County, Ind., June 29, 1842, the son of George and Catharine (Heagy) Fosler, natives of Cumberland County, and there married in 1835. In 1838, they moved to Dayton, Ohio, and three years later removed to Wayne County, and in 1863 came to this township. The father is a farmer and miller, and built and operated, in connec- tion with his sons, one of the first steam saw-mills in the township. Our sub- ject was reared on the farm and in the saw-mill, and at the age of twenty-three assumed charge of his father's farm, and later he and a brother ran the saw- mill about four years. December 25, 1868, he married Miss Sarah A. Dun- lap, who was born in Lancaster County, Penn., June 20, 1844, and died March 25, 1880, and to this union were born two children-Euda M. and Clemie D. February 5, 1882, he married Miss Emma Meyers, who was born in this township July 3, 1860. In connection with his father-in-law, W. P. Dunlap, he built the " Franklin House," the first hotel of any consequence in South Whitley, and also a large livery stable, which he still operates. He has always been a great lover of horses, and has done much to improve the quality of the stock in the county. He has usually twenty or twenty-five head on hand, and buys and ships a number of car loads each season. He is a Republican in pol- itics, and has the reputation of being a thorough business man.

JOHN GLASSLEY was born in Lancaster County, Penn., July 1, 1830, one of nine children born to John and Elizabeth (Motter) Glassley, natives of same place. He began life for himself at the age of eighteen, learning fancy weaving, such as coverlets, counterpanes, etc. ; worked at the trade some years, and then engaged in brick-making. In 1862, he came to South Whitley, and entered the store of Arnold Bros., as clerk, remained with them several years, then returned to his native State, where, for three years, he had charge of a woolen-mill. He then returned to South Whitley and erected a coverlet and

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Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana : historical and biographical, Part 30

Author: Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Blanchard, Charles, fl. 1882-1900 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: 428, 502 p. : ill., ports. ; Number of Pages: 962

Author: Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Blanchard, Charles, fl. 1882-1900
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: 428, 502 p. : ill., ports. ;
Number of Pages: 962