USA > Indiana > Allen County > History of Allen County, Indiana, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 58
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He was admitted to the bar in 1865, and for thirteen years was a success- ful practitioner.
He was married, June 11, 1857, to Miss Semantha M. Brenton, daughter of Hon. Samuel Brenton, former Congressman from the Twelfth Indiana District. Mr. Brenton, prior to his election to Congress, was Presiding Elder of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, for the Fort Wayne District, and was so popular that he was serving his third term in Congress when death closed his lahors on the 29th of March, 1857.
Their family consists of four children. May B., born May 1, 1868; Mar- garet. J., born October 4, 1871; Ellen, born August 10, 1874, and Frank W., born January 24, 1878. Both he and his wife are active members of the Metli- odist Episcopal Church.
In polities, Mr. Spencer is a Democrat, and in 1878 he was nominated hy the Democratic Convention for County Clerk, and was elected at the ensuing elec tion, soon afterward entering upon the duties of his office, which he satisfactorily fills. His experienee as a lawyer has shown him the way to necessary reforms in the management of the office, and the manner of keeping its records, which he is
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HISTORY OF ALLEN COUNTY, INDIANA.
rapidly adopting, thus lesseuing the labors of those whose business compel them to examine the files and records.
He is a member of Fort Wayne Lodge, No. 14, I. O. O. F., and of Summit City Encampment, No. 16, I. O. O. F., having received his degrees in St. Mary's Lodge, at Decatur, Ind.
MARTIN E. ARGO. BY COL. R. 8. ROBERTSON.
Martin E. Argo, present Auditor of Allen County, Ind., was born at West Middleburg, Logan Co., Ohio, on the 16th day of February, 1837, and is the son of John and Sarah (McDonald) Argo. The latter died at Monroeville, Allen Co., Ind., in 1862, and the former in 1863.
The subject of this memoir came to Monroeville, in this county, on the 13th of October, 1855, and engaged in the lumber business, in which he continued until 1864, at which time he engaged with J. M. Hemphill in the manufacture of staves for oil barrels, and continued in that business eleven years.
In October, 1878, Mr. Argor was elected Auditor of Alleu County, and soon after entered upon the discharge of the duties of his office. He was mar- ried, November 28, 1861, to Miss Amanda E. Tidball, daugliter of Hon. Joseph B. Tidball, of Carroll County, Ohio, by whom he had one daughter, Adella, since deceased. Mrs. Argo died November 22, 1865.
He was again married April 16, 1868, to Miss Marietta MeLain, daughter of Hon. Nelson McLain, of this county. The latter was born in Muskingum County, Ohio, and removed to this county in 1836. He assisted in organizing Marion Township, and was a member of the Election Board at the first election held in that township. Only nine votes were polled at that election. He fol- lowed surveying for some time, and was Postmaster at Middletown for seven years. In 1840, he was elected Justice of the Peace, and, in 1845, was appointed County Commissioner. On the resignation of George Johnston, he was, by the Governor, appointed Probate Judge, and, in 1850, was elected to the same office. In 1855, he was appointed Swamp Land Commissioner, and, in 1858, was elected to the Lower House of the State Legislature.
Mr. Argo, by his second marriage, has had two daughters, Zuella and Mari- etta Luella. He resided in Monroeville, this county, from 1855 to 1865, when he removed to a farm near by, in Madison Township, where he resided till December 16, 1878, when he removed to Fort Wayne to enter upon the duties of his offiee.
In politics, he is a Democrat. in religion, he is a member of the Christian Church, to which he has belonged for twenty-five years, taking an active part in all matters connected with the Church and Sunday school.
He has held the position of Trustee for Monroe Township for several years. Was the first Master Mason in the Township ; is a Royal Areh Mason and Knight Templar; served as Worshipful Master of Monroeville Lodge, No. 293, A., F. & A. M .; is now a member of the Royal Areh Chapter of Fort Wayne, and of the Commandery of Knights Templar of the same place.
He is a strong, energetic man, earnest in all his duties, and, by a strict adherence to principle, has built up a reputation for honesty and integrity which gives him the respeet and confidenee of the people, without regard to party affiliation.
Without regard to the official position he holds, he is everywhere recognized as one of the substantial men whose industry and energy have done much to improve and benefit our county.
JOHN M. TAYLOR, COUNTY TREASURER. BY COL. R. S. ROBERTSON.
John M. Taylor, the present Treasurer of Allen County, was born January 17, 1831, near Cleveland, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio.
His parents were Abram Taylor and Roxy A. Lane. His father was an Englishman, who was the eleventh son; and, under the laws of primogeniture in Great Britain, the eldest son succeeded to the family estate; and Ahram emi- grated to America, during the war of 1812, locating near Cleveland, where he was married to Roxy A. Lane, who was a native of New York.
In 1836, he removed with his family to Indiana, locating on a farm near Wesley Chapel, in Eel River Township, this county, where the subject of this sketch has ever sinee resided. In early life, Mr. Taylor had no other educational advantages than those common to farmer boys in a new country. Sometimes school was open for from three to six months in a year, and he attended when the school was open, and he could be spared from the work of the farm. Outside of that, his education was self-acquired; but he has improved his tique and kept well informed on the current topics of the times, and has always been regarded by his neighbors as a safe counselor in their business affairs, and ss a man of excellent judgment.
During the forty-three years he has resided in Eel River Township, besides being an industrious and successful farmer, he has held every publie township office in the gift of the people, except that of Justice of the Peace, and was Trustee for that township for about twelve years.
In the fall of 1878, he was elected Treasurer of Allen County by the Demo- cratie party, and entered upon the duties of his office September 5, 1879.
He was married, December 17, 1853, to Mary J. Bennett, of Eel River Township.
It is enough to say of him, that, in all the positions of trust he has held, he has filled them to the entire satisfaction of the publie, and that he is respected for the honest qualities of mind and heart that have made him a useful, working member of society.
MICHAEL F. SCHMETZER, LATE COUNTY TREASURER.
BY COL. R. S. ROBERTSON.
M. F. Schmetzer, late Treasurer of Allen County, was born December 7, 1828, at Rothenburg, in the Kingdom of Bavaria. His father was Christian Frederik Schmetzer, a physician, engaged in the active practice of his profession at that place, who married Maria Catharine Schaffert.
The son had a primary education in the branches generally taught in Ger- man schools, and was afterward sent to a primary college for education in Greek, Latin, French and the sciences, with a view to preparing for the study of medi- cine, but his eyesight failing, he was compelled to leave school and seek other occupations.
He then learned the confectionery business and followed it for eleven years. He then emigrated to America in 1850, at the age of twenty-one. He landed in Baltimore, went from there to Philadelphia, and thence to New York, where he worked at his trade one year and in other business about three years. lic then removed to Noblesville, Hamilton Co., Ind., where he engaged in the grocery and provision business nine years.
While residing there, he was married to Clarissa Cottingham, of Noblesville, wbo died at that place in 1859. In 1860, he was agaiu married to Mrs. Sophia Zelt, nee Matsch, his present esteemed wife, by whom he had eleven children, of whoiu only eight are now living.
They removed to Fort Wayne in 1860, where Mr. Schmetzer entered the employment of J. G. Thieme & Bro., merchant tailors, as salesman, and con- tinued with them for ten years He then entered the employment of M. E. Woodward, in the same capacity, and remained there three years, besides three years engaged in dry-goods, hardware and warehouse business.
In 1869, he was elected to the Common Council of Fort Wayne, to repre- sent the Fifth Ward, and served one year. In 1874, he was nominated by the Democratic party for County Treasurer, and elected. He was re-elected to the same office in 1876, and has just turned over the office to his successor, J. M. Taylor, with whom he remains as Deputy. His management of the office for the four years was satisfactory to all, and no charge has ever been made against him, in any enpacity. He is by birth and education a German Lutheran, and is an active member of that church, and is universally respected.
JOSEPH MOMMER, JR.
UY COL. R. , ROBERTSON.
Joseph Mommer. Jr., the present Reeorder of Allen County, Ind., was born at Pittsburgh, Peon., on the 13th day of September, 1832, where he resided until he was two years old. His father, Joseph Mommer, Sr., emigrated from Alsace, France, in 1827, and was married in 1830 to Catharine Furner, at Pitts- burgh, Penn., and resided there a short time after his marriage when they removed to Canton, Stark Co., Ohio, and, in the fall of 1851, removed to Perry Township, in this eounty, where he still resides with Catharine Goshe, his second wife, full of years and lionors.
The educational advantages enjoyed by Mr. Mommer, Jr., were quite limited, being such only as the schools of Canton afforded himn until the age of eleven, when he went into the employ of John Perrong, groceries and bakery business. until the age of sixteen, when he was apprenticed to Mr. Joseph Hartman, of Canton, Ohio, to learn the tailor's trade, which avocation he followed for three years. When he eame to Fort Wayne with his parents, in 1851, he engaged in the nursery business with F. H. Tyler, but was subsequently tendered a better position in his employer's saleratus factory. He remained with Mr. Tyler two years, discharging every duty and trust to the entire satisfaction of his employer. He next entered the employ of Gottlieb Agxter, in the grocery business, remain- ing in his employment about one year, and, in 1854, he accepted a position with the late well-known Barney Phillips, where for twenty-one years his genial face and gentlemanly demeanor won for him hosts of friends, and, during all that time, he held a high place in the estimation of his employer. Iu 1874, he was nominated and eleeted to the office of Recorder of Allen County, to succeed John M. Koch, but, as the term of the latter did not expire for nearly two years after the election, Mr. Mommer accepted, in 1875, the position of Bailiff of the Criminal Court, under J. D. Hance, then Sheriff, and filled the position to the satisfaction of all, until he entered upon the duties of the office to which he had been elected. In 1878, be was re-elected to the same offiee, his present terwi expiring, June, 1880, and his second term.in 1884.
Mr. Mommer was married, February 1, 1857, to Miss Mary Ann Fry, daughter of John Fry, Esq., of Fort Wayne. Five children are the fruit of this union-Mary C., born November 20, 1857 ; Joseph F., February 7, 1859 ; John "W., September 23, 1860; Benjamin H., January 28, 1862, and Emma E., June 13, 1869 ; all are residing with their parents at Fort Wayne.
In religion, Mr. Mommer is a Roman Catholic ; in politics, a Demoerat. Socially and officially, he is a genial, accommodating gentleman, and enjoys the confidence and respect of his fellow-men.
JAMES B. WHITE, MERCHANT.
Capt. James B. White was born in the town of Denney, Stirlingshire, twenty miles east of Glasgow, Scotland, on the 26th day of June, 1835. His parents were highly respectable, his father heing at the time manager of a large ealico printing establishment, which gave employment for over 500 hands, and which position he occupied for fifteen years. His mother, who is still living, was a woman of strong intelleet, striet in her religious ideas, and was exceedingly
Joseph, Menma fr. COUNTY RECORDER
MRSpincer CIRCUIT CLERK
COUNTY AUDITOR
Chart Munson SHERIFF .
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EX. COUNTY TREASURER
John Hu Day (or) COUNTY TREASURER
CAPT. W. C. HOLLOPETER. CEDAR CREEK TP.
Alum Hall MILAN TP.
JOHN RING. EX, CO. TREASURER, ADAMS TP.
Cits Civil Engineer FT WAYNE
WM D. BAKER. MONROE TP.
ALLEN DEVILBISS. M.D. HOAGLAND, STATION.
REUBEN J. DAWSON.
HON. R. J. DAWSON, DECEASED. BY COL. R. S. ROBERTSON.
Reuben Jackson Dawson was horn March 13, 1811, at a now-forgotten village called Cambridge, six miles west of Lawrenceburg, and one mile from the present village of Guilford, a station on the Indianapolis & Cincinnati Railroad, Dearhorn County, Ind. In his early history there was nothing signal, except that among the young men of his age and place, he was pre-eminent for his good sense and philo- sophio mind. His facilities for an ordinary English education were limited, and the means of purchasing a good educatiou were much more limited. His daily avocation was farming and clearing land, and, toward hia manhood, he taught a common school for one term, hut never repeated his experience. Having a fine mathematical mind, he improved it as hest he could, and, about 1831, learned the profession of plain sur- veying with Samuel Morrison, at. his county seat, and took a course of law reading in the office of the Hon. George H. Dunn, since decensed. In May, 1832, his brother- in-law, Col. John C. Spencer, having been appointed Receiver of Public Moneys, nt Fort Wayne, he came to this place ahout the 13th of that month and accepted a posi- tion as olerk in the Receiver's office, filling the position in A business manner, and with the entire confidence of his principal. During this time, he was appointed Sur- veyor of Allen County, and, ahout 1833, was awarded the contract, hy the United States Government, for suhdividing and platting a large hody of wild lands, now
oonetituting a part of the counties of Elkhart, Kosciusko and Noble, which he oom- pleted early in 1834. After that, having thus earned means on which to operate, he spent several years speculating in real estate. 1n 1887, he resumed his law reading in the office of another brother-in-law, Thomas Johnson, Esq., one of the purest men of Fort Wayne, a polished gentleman and finished lawyer. In the spring of 1838, he was admitted to the har in this city, and, entering into a partnership with hie precep- tor, Mr. Johnson, at once wook a high rank among the hest practitionera. Ahout February 1, 1840, the office of County Judge having hecome vacant hy the resigna- tion of Hon. Lucian P. Ferry, Mr. Dawson was appointed by the Governor to that position and held it until his successor was elected and qualified, in the following November. In 1840, he hegan to spend a part of his time in a portion of De Kalh County, where he had a large estate, a saw and griat mill, and a dry-goods store, and, in 1841, conoluded to reside there, which he did, and platted the town of Spencer- ville, where he resided until his death, identifying himself with the interests of De Kalh County. Until January, 1846, he devoted himself almost entirely to the improv- ing of his property, hut occasionally praotioed law in the county of De Kalh when not attending to hie bueiness interests, which were extensive and luorative. In Jan- uary, 1846, ho was married to Miss Minerva Catlin, of Spencerville, a lady of refine- ment and education, who eurvives him, with three aona, and ia now the wife of 8. Cary Evans, formerly a banker of Fort Wayne, hut now one of the proprietora of Riverside, Cal. In 1849, he was elected to represent the counties of De Kalh and Steuben in the Legialaturo, and, in 1850, was elected Senator for the district oom- posed of the counties of De Kulh, Noble and Steuben, hoth of which positions he filled to the aatiefaotion of hia constituents, and with oredit to himself.
In Janunry, 1852, Judge Dawson was placed on the Demoorntio tioket as Eleotor for Franklin Pierce. Soon after, ho was Prosecuting Attorney for the county, hut soon reeigned that poeition.
In January, 1858, on the resignation of Hon. J. L. Worden as Cirouit Judge, Gov. Willard tendered that position to Judge Dawson. He accepted the position and held his first term of court at Bluffton, Wella Co., commencing ahout the 1st of Feh- ruary and heing the first of the spring circuits, which ended in June of that year, with but one week's rest. During this time, a crisis arose which tested his nerve and judicial skill. Northern Indiana had long heen infested hy a hand of horse-thieves, counterfeiters, eto., and the public mind was aroused to a degree unparalleled in the history of the State, and a determination to put down lawleseness at all hazards was plainly shown. When the La Grange Circuit Court opened, many were in oustody, charged with these orimes, and many citizens were present, determined to see law and order prevail, or elae take the enforcement of the laws into their own hands, as the courts had hefore seemed powerless in the handa of this hand and its ahettors. They soon found they had a Judge who could not he intimidated from doing his duty, and hy his prompt and fearless rulinga on the side of law and order, all danger of lynch law was nverted. Again, in Noble County, when court opened at Alhion, & few weeks later, an intense feeling was manifested. One MoDougall had heen hung hy the " Regulators " a short time before and n number were awaiting trial for crimes of that kind, and had employed the heat legal talent in Northeastern Indiana to defend them. Their plan was to challenge the array of grand and petit jurora, und by other dilatory motions and pleas, so embarrass the Judge that there would result errora in the record ; hut Judge Dawson proved equal to the emergency, and the excited people aoon found that law and order was the hest course and remained satisfied. There seems to he no doubt that, hy his just and fearless conduct at this trying period, this section of Indi- ana was spared the disgrace of a tumult, wherein lynch law would have run riot, and bloody scenes have occurred which would have heen hlots upon our civilization. His whole judicial career was marked with good results, and had he wished he could have had nearly an unanimous re-election, hut he voluntarily retired from the hench in November, 1858.
In August of that year, the Demooratio party of the Tenth Distriot nominated him for Congress, hut he fell in the oonteat, the victim of a disease affecting the kid- neys and liver with which he was first attacked while holding court at Fort Wayne in the preceding spring. He died May 14, 1859, at his residence in Spencerville. On the sunouncement of his death in court, a committee, consisting of David H. Col- erick, Charles Case, John Morris and William M. Crane, was appointed to draft reso- lutione of respeot, and the court adjourned. That committee so epitomized his character that we can do no hetter than to quote from their report, which was ordered entered of record. They say : "He, as a lawyer, was faithful, oonaoieutious and energetio; as a legislator, honest, diainterested and patriotio; as a Judge, pure, impartial and efficient-hia rulings and decisions inspiring unbounded confidence ; as a oitizen, upright and enterprising; as a neighbor, kind, benevolent und conde- acending-the peer of the heat, the equal of the heat of his peers ; as a friend, con- fiding and generous ; as a companion, cheerful and entertaining; as a man of husinesa, sagacious and prudent; as a reasoner, philosophic ; as a huahand, moet constant, most affectionate and moat devoted ; as a parent, moat kind and indulgent ; and finally, as a partiean, ' he never gave up to party, what was meant for mankind.' " Twenty years have elapsed ainoe this verdiot was written, and it has now passed into final judgment, as the eetimnte of his character hy cotemporaries, who knew him heat, and hest knew hia worth
PETER KISER
135
WAYNE TOWNSHIP.
exacting and careful in the education and training of her four sons and three daughters.
James B., the subject of our sketch, at the age of twelve, went to learn the trade of tailoring, at which he worked for two years, but not liking it, he aban- doned it, and commenced to learn the trade of calico printing, which he followed until nineteen years of age. At that time, the idea of emigration was prevalent throughout Scotland, and like many of his countrymen, he was desirous of emi- grating, either to Australia or America, and, leaving Glasgow in a sailing vessel, rather than by steamship, where the cost of passage would have been too much for his lituited means, after a voyage of thirty-four days, he landed in New York, in the summer of 1854. On landing, he found few chances for employment at his trade of calico printing, but learned of an establishment where printing was done at Marinaroneck, in Westchester County, N. Y., where he went and succeeded in finding employment. Unfortunately it was not to last long, for in Novomber of the same year the establishtuent closed, with no prospect of opening again during the winter. Matters looked unfavorably enough for our young emigrant and his fortunes, and so dicouraged was lie, that he would probably have left our shores in disgust, had lie been able to pay for his passage home. In his emergency, be remembered an uncle, named John Bains, who had, some ten years before, removed to and settled near Fort Wayne, Ind., on a farm, and resolved to go there. At that time, Indiana was considered a frontier State, and in the Far West, and the undertaking was a more serious one then than it would be now to cross the continent. Reaching Buffalo by rail, and proceeding to Toledo by steamer, he he had then to come up to Fort Wayne by packet on the Wabash & Erie Canal, arriving here in the latter part of November, 1854. The packet office was at the old Comparet basin in the east end of town, and here our traveler was obliged to leave his trunk as security for the sum of $3, he being short that much, and unable to pay in full for his fare from Toledo to Fort Wayne. He walked six miles out of town to his uncle's on the Winchester road, and obtained the money to redeem his trunk the next day.
Business was dull in Fort Wayne, that winter, but he succeeded in getting temporary work with Wade C. Shoaff, who was then engaged in the tailoring busi- ness, until New Year, when work failed for the winter. He then obtained employment with Mr. Buchanan, who bad a machine shop at the corner of Barr and Water streets, near the present gas works. This job only lasted a month, but he had earned enough to pay his board until February, when he went to work with Johu Brown, who owned a stone- yard north of the canal, near the Calhoun street bridge, and worked there three months for his board, and $3 per week, which was considered good wages at that time, and was thankfully received by Mr. White. In May following, lie resumed tailoring with Mr. Shoaff, working there during the summer, and in the winter with Messrs. Nirdlinger & Oppenheimer, in the tailoring department connected with their clothing house on Columbia street.
The next surumer, he opened a tailor-shop on his own account, up-stairs, in the building now occupied by Mayer & Graffe, jewelers. Not succeeding to his satisfaction, he determined on looking elsewhere for business, and, that fall, went to Cincinnati, and theu to St. Louis, Mo., where he found employment in a commission house as shipping clerk, remaining there a few months. He next obtained employment in a wholesale dry-goods house on Main street, at the munificent salary of $6 per week, but finding he could hardly make both ends meet on this salary, he again had recourse to his trade of tailoring, at which be made better wages, and acquired a better insight into the business.
The next year, he returned to Fort Wayne, and again opened a tailor-shop over S. C. Evans' dry-goods store, corner of Main and Calhoun streets.
It was during this winter of 1857 that he married his present wife, Miss Maria Brown, a half-sister of John Brown, Esq., with whom he had worked soon after his first arrival. She is an exemplary lady, and a kind and indulgent mother of eight children, four sons and three daughters now living, an infant son having died in 1873.
After conducting the tailoring business about a year, and not succeeding as well as he expected, he gave it up and accepted a situation iu the clothing and merchant tailoring establishment of Messrs. Becker & Frank, at Warsaw, Ind., and worked for them two years, and again opened a shop on his own account, this time succeeding so well as to own a little house and lot of his own, valued at about $300, and to bave quite a prosperous trade.
Then the war of the rebellion broke out, and his love of adventure and patriotisw led him to join the Union army. In August, 1861, he sold out bis little stock of goods at fifty cents on the dollar, and assisted in recruiting a com- pany for the war.
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