USA > Indiana > Lake County > Encyclopedia of genealogy and biography of Lake County, Indiana, with a compendium of history 1834-1904 > Part 23
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This leading young business man and public official of Ross township was born in the township and county of his present residence, on May 25. 1873. He was educated in the public schools and the Northern Indiana Normal School at Valparaiso, after which he taught school for two years, from which experience his later work for the schools has received the greater stamp of practicality and effective direction. He was also appointed to the office of postmaster of Merrillville for a term of four years, and at the present time is successfully engaged in the coal business at this town.
Politically Mr. Pierce follows his father in adhering stanchily to Demo- cratic principles. He was elected to the office of trustee of Ross township in 1900, and still holds that important office. During his term he has had the oversight of the construction of three schoolhouses and has otherwise been a leader in local affairs. He was directly concerned with the erection of the beautiful high school building at Merrillville, which is an honor to the town, the township and county, and shows how thoroughly this section of northwestern Indiana is living up to the reputation for high educational ideals established for the entire state of Indiana. The high school is seventy- four feet front and thirty-six feet wide, has two stories and a seven-foot basement, is built of stone and pressed brick, is heated by two furnaces, con- tains four large rooms, and is finished throughout after the most modern style of school architecture and educational equipments. The total cost of
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this permanent and model structure was seven thousand dollars, and its dura- bility and thoroughness of construction are its chief points of economy, and it is altogether a credit to the taxpayers of the community. The rooms are seated with desks of the most approved and hygienic pattern, there are genuine slate blackboards, speaking tribes, and many other points of equip- ment which would astonish the old-time educator of half a century ago. In 1903 the Merrillville high school held an exhibition of the work done by the pupils of the manual training department, and the products of their youthful skill and handiwork were of such high grade that the photos of the different articles have been sent to St. Louis and are now on exhibition there at the World's Fair. Prior to the erection of the high school building the school contained only eight grades, but since Mr. Pierce's administration the full twelve grades have been instituted and now afford the children of Ross township unequalled opportunities for public school education. Another act of his administration has been the discontinuing of three small rural schools and their consolidation with the central school, the pupils being transported at the public expense to the school daily, and this has been done with de- creased expenditure for maintenance and with much increased efficiency in the character of work accomplished.
Mr. Pierce has fraternal affiliations with the Masonic lodge No. 551 and with Hobart Tent No. 65 of the Knights of the Maccabees. He was married. February 16. 1895. to Miss Lillie M. Niksch, and they have three children. Vida, Myra and the baby. Vida is now in the second grade of her school work. Mrs. Pierce was born January 25. 1876, and was reared in this county and educated in the common schools. Her father passed away March 2. 1903. at the age of seventy-seven, but her mother is still living at the age of seventy-two.
JOSEPH PATTON.
Joseph Patton, who for some years has been living retired from active life at Crown Point, is a pioneer farmer and settler of Lake county, with over fifty years of continuous residence to his credit. During most of this long period he has made farming his vocation, and still retains the farm on which he laid the basis of his prosperity. He has also given time and energy to the
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promotion of the general welfare of his community, and now at the age of three score and ten ranks among the men of influence and ability and excel- lent personal character and reputation in this part of Lake county.
Mr. Patton was born in Trumbull county. Ohio, October 17. 1834. His father. John H. Patton, was born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, and came to Lake county in 1852 from Trumbull county, Ohio, locating and improving a farm in Winfield township, where he died in 1865 at the age of sixty-five years. He married Eliza Jane Dixon, who was born in Ireland and came to America when about fourteen years old, and who died at the age of sixty- seven years. They were the parents of sixteen children, and all of these grew up and married (except the oldest, who never married ) and lived to be past thirty-five years of age. Some of them still live, being from seventy to eighty years old.
Mr. Joseph Patton, the seventh son and twelfth child, was reared in Trumbull county, Ohio, up to his eighteenth year, receiving most of his education in the old-time log schoolhouse, and in 1852 he accompanied his parents to Lake county. That was an early year in the history of Lake county. and there were but three stores in Crown Point at the time. In 1855. after he had married, he located on land of his own in Winfield township, where he cleared and improved a good farmstead of one hundred and sixty acres. building the houses and barns and completing the last of the important im- provements in 1882. This is one of the model places of the township, and he still owns it and finds it a steady source of reventie, although in 1882 he retired from its active and personal management and moved into Crown Point, where he also has a fine property. He deserves the comforts of retired life, and as one of the old settlers has reaped his share of the profits accruing to those who place themselves in the van of progress and help develop a new country for the uses of civilization.
He has also been identified with the public life of Lake county, and is one of the life-long and influential Republicans of the county. During the Civil war he enlisted and served as a member of Company E. One Hundred and Fifty-first Indiana Infantry, his record to the end of the war having been. most creditable. He is now a member of the John Wheeler Post, G. A. R., at Crown Point. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church for forty-five years, and has filled all the offices and is devoted to its work.
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He was trustee for about twenty years and is now class leader and also treas- urer. He has handled all the money for the erection of the church at Crown Point, and has contributed much of his own to the various departments of church work.
Mr. Patton married, in 1854, Miss Phebe Folsom, who was born in Trumbull county, Ohio, and who became the mother of two daughters : Olive, the wife of William Pardington, of Chicago; and Ida May, the widow of Lincoln S. Blakman. In 1867 Mr. Patton married his present wife, Mrs. Eliza (Foster) Patton, who also had two daughters : Hattie, who died at the age of one and a half years; and Jennie, the wife of Edward Muzzall, and they have four children.
REUBEN HIPSLEY.
Reuben Hipsley, retired farmer and ex-county commissioner, residing at Palmer, Winfield township, has lived in Lake county for over fifty years, and most of that time has been spent in farming He retired a few years ago and moved into Palmer, but still supervises his farming operations and takes active part in business affairs. His career throughout has been one of integrity and upright dealings, and besides being successful in his life work he has found time to devote to public affairs and has been honored with the most important county office.
Mr. Hipsley was born in Knox county, Ohio, August 22, 1846. His grandfather, Joshua Hipsley, was born in Maryland, of German descent, followed for a life occupation farming, and was one of the pioneers of Knox county, Ohio. Jonathan Lewis Hipsley, the father of Reuben, was born twenty miles from Baltimore, Maryland, March 4, 1820, and died January 2, 1895. At the age of fourteen he accompanied his parents to Knox county, Ohio, and was reared and lived there until 1853, when he located in Lake county, Indiana, and bought and improved a farm of one hundred acres in Winfield township, on which he was living at the time of his death. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, was a stanch Whig during the existence of that party, and afterward became an equally ardent Repub- lican. He married Eliza Phillips, who was born in Jefferson county. Ohio, was reared in. Knox county of the same state, and now makes her home at Mt. Vernon, Ohio. She is eighty years old, having been born August I, 1824. Her father was Reuben Phillips, probably born in Pennsylvania.
Mrs. Reuben Hipsley
Renben Hipsley
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Jonathan Hipsley and his wife had five children: John, deceased ; Reuben : Charles, of Broken Bow. Nebraska : Sarah, wife of J. J. Stoffer, of Knox county, Ohio: and Phebe, deceased.
Mr. Reuben Hipsley was about six years old when he moved with the family from Knox county, Ohio, to Lake county, so that his schooling was received in this county. He remained at home and assisted his father until his marriage, in 1870, and he then located in Winfield township on a farm that he still owns. He was engaged in farming there until 1900, when he built a residence in Palmer and moved to town. He has one of the nicest residences in this part of the county. He owns about three hundred acres of land, and still does farming on one hundred acres comprising the home place.
Mr. Hipsley has been a life-long Republican and voted for Grant, and lias done much local work for the party. He was elected to the office of county commissioner in 1894 and was re-elected in 1898, so that he was in office for six years altogether. All the gravel roads of the county, costing in the aggregate six hundred thousand dollars, were constructed during his administration. He is a stockholder in the Commercial Bank of Crown Point. He affiliates with the Masonic Lodge No. 502 at Hebron.
Mr. Hipsley married. December 18, 1870, Miss Marilda Dittrick, who was born in Lapeer county, Michigan, October 12, 1849, a daughter of Walton and Sarah (Wells) Dittrick. Six children have been born to them : Carrie D., deceased; Alice A., deceased: Sherman J .. deceased : Ida F .. at home; and Lucile M. and Rillia Blanche. Ida was educated in the Con- servatory of Music at Valparaiso. Lucile is in the eighth grade, Blanche in the sixth. Mrs. Hipsley was four years of age when she came with her parents to Marshall county, Indiana, and was reared and educated in that county. Her parents are both deceased, and she is the only survivor. Mr. and Mrs. Hipsley have in their possession an old parchment deed dated August 1. 1844. and executed under the hand of President John Tyler. This is the eleventh deed of the kind found in the county of Lake.
CHARLES KEILMANN.
Charles Keilmann of St. John township is one of the oldest living mem- bers of a family which has been prominently identified with the agricultural
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and business affairs of Lake county since pioneer times. He has himself always followed farming, and is still residing on and operating a farm which he located upon after his marriage, over a half century ago. He has been a man of industry and good business habits, has now, at the age of seventy-five, a successful career behind him and much to show for his past efforts, and at all times and in all circumstances has enjoyed the respect and high esteem of his friends and neighbors.
Mr. Keilmann was born in Hesse-Darmstadt. Germany. August 29, 1829. being the fourth child of Henry and Elizabeth Keilmann, who in 1845 left their native fatherland and came to Lake county, Indiana, becoming early settlers in this portion of northern Indiana. Charles was about sixteen years old when he came to this county. He was reared to farm work, and re- mained at home and assisted his father until several years after he was grown. He was married in 1852, and in the same year located on his present farm. He now owns one hundred and twenty acres, and has had a long and continued record of success in his operations at farming. He is well known throughout the county, and is a truly representative citizen. He is a Demo- crat in politics, and served as road commissioner for three terms. He and his family are members of the Catholic church in St. John.
In 1852 Mr. Keilmann married Miss Anna Mary Orr, who was born in Germany and was a young girl when she came to Lake county. She died in 1884. having been the mother of twelve children, ten of whom are living : George, deceased: Susanna, wife of Adam Bohling: Frank, of Chicago Heights, Illinois ; Phillip, of Nebraska ; Henry, of Lowell. Indiana : Leonard, of Hammond; Michael, who lives at home and married May Dahlkamp; Charles, of Dyer. Lake county: John, who died aged five years : Mary, wife of Jacob Spanier, of St. John: Peter, of Hammond: and Jacob, of Chicago Heights. All these children were born and reared in St. John township.
LEONARD KEILMAN.
Leonard Keilman, agriculturist, merchant and general business man of Dyer. St. John township, is the foremost man of affairs in this town, and has been identified with its commercial prosperity and general development for over forty-five years. He belongs to the family which is perhaps the most prominent in the industrial and commercial history of St. John town-
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ship, and its members have played their various parts in Lake county for the past sixty years, from the primitive pioneer times to the progressive present. Mr. Keilman has numerous interests, from those purely agricult- ural to financiering and banking, and throughout his career he has been to a high degree successful and at the same time has used his influence and efforts for the advancement of the community along lines of material, social and intellectual good.
As were the rest of the family, he was born in Hesse-Darmstadt. Ger- many, on May 4, 1833, being the youngest of the seven children of Henry and Elizabeth Keilman, further mention of which worthy pioneer couple will be found in the sketches of the various other members of the family appearing in this work. When Leonard was seven years old the family came to America, and for a little more than four years lived in Portage county, Ohio, coming to Lake county in 1844. He was between eleven and twelve years of age when he arrived in this county, and for several years more attended the early schools of the county. He remained at home with his parents until twenty years of age, and then started out for himself by engaging in farming. In 1854 he was married, and then at once located on the farm where he has ever since made his home, and where he continued his farm operations exclusively for several years. In 1858 he branched out into the mercantile enterprises which have since occupied so much of his attention. He established a store in Dyer and at the same time added a lumber yard. About 1860 he began the buying and shipping of hay and grain, and later took up the milling business at Lowell, where he still owns the mill and also the lumber and grain yards and elevators. In 1903 he was one of the organizers of the First National Bank at Dyer, and is one of its stockholders. His son Henry is its president and a director, and John L. Keilman is also a director. Henry Batterman is a director and vice-presi- dent. William F. Keilman and John A. Kimmet are the other directors, and Augustus Stumel is cashier. The capital stock is twenty-five thousand dollars, and it is already one of the important financial institutions of this part of the county. Besides all the enterprises just mentioned, Mr. Keilman owns about seven hundred acres of Lake county land. He has taken a good citizen's part in the public affairs of his community, and in national affairs has always voted the Democratic ticket. He and his family are members of the Catholic church.
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HISTORY OF LAKE COUNTY.
In 1854 Mr. Keilman married Miss Lena Austgen, who was born in Germany and came to America when about twelve years old. locating with her family in Lake county during the same year. Mr. and Mrs. Keilman are the parents of eight children: Henry, who is a farmer and also men- tioned in connection with the bank; Margaret, wife of J. A. Kimmet, of Lowell: Catherine, Mary, both single: Frank, a farmer: Ellen, a sister in St. Joseph's order: John L., a merchant and in partnership with his father ; and Lizzie, single. All the children were born in Dyer.
HAROLD H. WHEELER.
Prominent among the energetic and capable young men of Lake county is numbered Harold H. Wheeler, who is now clerk of the circuit court and a resident of Crown Point. This is his native city, his birth having occurred on the 28th of December, 1871. He is the great-grandson of Solon Rob- inson, who was the first county clerk of Lake county and was the founder of Crown Point. He became one of the very earliest settlers of this portion of the state, locating here when much of the land was still in its primitive con- dition, when the forests were uncut. the prairies uncultivated.
John J. Wheeler, the father of our subject, is represented elsewhere in this work. In his family were four children, of whom Harold H. Wheeler is the eldest son. The latter was educated in the high school of Crown Point and immediately after leaving school he accepted the position of deputy clerk under George I. Maillet, under whom lie served for three years. He was then deputy clerk for George M. Eder for eight years and at the end of that time was nominated without opposition at the Republican primaries for the position of clerk of the circuit court, in 1900. His election followed and he discharged the duties so acceptably that in 1902 he was re-nominated, and he now has five years to serve. His second term began in January, 1904. His connection with the office has been of loug duration, so that he is thor- oughly familiar with the business transactions therein and he has instituted many reforms and improvements, which have been of value in the system of conducting the work of the office of the clerk of the circuit court.
Mr. Wheeler is identified with several fraternal organizations. He belongs to the Independent Order of Foresters, the Benevolent and Protect- ive Order of Elks. the Knights of Pythias fraternity and is a prominent
Starold Wheeler
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Mason, always true and loyal to the teachings of the craft. He belongs to the blue lodge, chapter, council and commandery, also to the lodge of Perfection of the Rose Croix and has attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite. He is likewise identified with the Mystic Shrine, and is very active in the work of the fraternity, while in his life he exemplifies the beneficent spirit of the craft.
In 1891 he was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Ward, a daughter of Henry R. Ward, and they have one son, John Ward Wheeler. Mr. Wheeler has a very wide acquaintance throughout the county in which his entire life has been passed, and his election to office was a tribute to his per- sonal worth as well as to his business ability.
WILLIAM H. VANSCIVER.
William H. Vansciver, a retired farmer residing in Crown Point, was horn at Beverly, New Jersey, December 25, 1852, and is of Holland lineage. His paternal grandfather was William Vansciver, his father. Barnet Van- sciver. The latter was a native of New Jersey, acquired his education in the schools of that state and was married there to Miss Anna Horner, who was born and reared in Pennsylvania. Their only child, William H. Vansciver, was a year old when in 1853 they came to Lake county, Indiana, settling on a farm in Winfield township, where the father carried on agricultural pursuits until sixty-eight years of age, when his life's labors were ended in death.
Upon the old family homestead William H. Vansciver spent the day's of his boyhood and youth, and his education was acquired in the common schools. As soon as old enough he assisted in the work of field and meadow. and later he took charge of the home farm. continuing its cultivation and management for many years. In fact. throughout his entire business career he has carried on agricultural pursuits, and he is now the owner of two hun- dred and twenty-eight acres of valuable land in Winfield township, which he rents, this bringing to him a good income. He is now practically living retired from active business life, although occasionally hie assists in selling agricultural implements.
Mr. Vansciver was united in marriage to Miss Kate Patton, who was born in Ohio and was a daughter of James Patton. She was reared in Lake county, Indiana, and by this marriage there were four children, but two
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died in early life. The others are Della and Dana. Both Mr. and Mrs. Van- sciver are well known in this county and have a large circle of warm friends. He exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Republican party, has taken an active interest in political work in his locality and keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day. He served as township trustee of Winfield township for nine years, and he has always been interested in public progress and improvement. He is identified with the Masonic lodge and with the Foresters at Crown Point, and he con- tributes generously to different churches, although he is not identified with any denomination through membership relations. His life has been quietly passed, yet it contains many elements that are well worthy of emulation, for he has always been active and honorable in business, loyal in citizenship and faithful in friendship.
DAVID A. FISHER.
David A. Fisher, of Section 29. Eagle Creek township, has been among the leading farmers of this part of Lake county for the past twenty years, and carries on his operations on an umusually extensive scale. He is a native son of the county and township, and most of the years of a very busy and suc- cessful business career have been spent here. Besides farming. he has at various times branched out into commercial lines, where he has likewise been prosperous, and in citizenship and matters of community interest he performs his part in a public-spirited and generous manner.
Mr. Fisher was born in Eagle Creek township, Lake county, March 13, 1855, and was reared and educated in the county. From the public schools he went to Valparaiso and took a course in the Northern Indiana Normal School. For two years he was engaged in the hardware and implement busi- ness at Hebron, during 1882-83. In 1884 he returned to the farm, where he has found his pleasantest and most profitable scene of work. He has done general farming and stock-raising. and has the management of five hundred and ninety-five acres, with four men in his employ. During 1902 and 1903 he was once more in the implement business, selling binders, mowers and other farm machinery manufactured by the Plano Company. For some months in 1879-80 he was in Colorado for his health, and during the winter was engaged in freighting from Colorado Springs and Leadville, and he also
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spent a part of the same winter in New Mexico. Mr. Fisher is one of the influential Republicans in local affairs, and served his township as trustee from 1886 to 1890. He affiliates with the Masonic lodge No. 502 at Hebron and the Independent Order of Foresters at Hebron.
In 1876 Mr. Fisher married Miss Elizabeth Bliss, and for their wedding journey they attended the Centennial at Philadelphia. Mrs. Fisher was born in New York state and was reared in Pulaski county, Indiana. They are the parents of two sons: Kenneth William and Winford B. Kenneth has re- ceived his diploma from the public schools in the class of 1902 and will take an extended course in schools of higher instruction. Winford married, June II, 1903, Miss Lilly B. Volkee, of Eagle Creek township.
AUGUST KOEHLE.
August Koehle, proprietor of the Spring Hill resort at St. John, was born in Germany on the 3d of October. 1853, and came to America in 1871. being at that time eighteen years of age. He settled first in Chicago, where he was employed by a brewing company, remaining in that city for about five years or until 1876, when he went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There he visited the Centennial Exposition and later returned to Chicago, but the same year came to Lake county, settling first at Crown Point. There he worked for the Crown Point Brewing Company and was made foreman of the plant, for his previous experience and comprehensive knowledge of the business well qualified him for this position, which he filled in an acceptable manner for about four years. On the expiration of that period, with the money which he had saved from his earnings, he established a saloon in Crown Point, conducting it for six months. On the expiration of that period he came to St. John, where he erected a building and carried on a saloon for some time. Later, however, he sold out and established his present resort called the Spring Hill Grove. This is a summer resort, con- tains fine buildings and all modern equipments to promote the pleasure of the general public. Everything is in first-class condition and the place was built at a great expense. He has good bowling alleys here and has a resort which is well patronized and brings to him a good financial return upon his investment.
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