USA > Indiana > Boone County > History of Boone County, Indiana : With biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of old families, Volume II > Part 5
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Mr. Campbell was married May 14, 1873, to Alice Catherine Paige, who was born May 22, 1847, in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, and she spent her earlier life in the city of LaFayette where she received an excellent education in the Catholic schools, later attended school in Frankfort, Indiana, and for a few years she engaged in teaching in Clinton county. She is a lady of cul- ture and refinement and has long been popular with the best circles in Lebanon. She is a daughter of Franklin K. and Martha (Barr) Paige, the father a native of Vermont and the mother was born in Pennsylvania. They were married November 13, 1842. Mr. Paige devoted part of his earlier life to teaching, also farmed for awhile. He was regarded as one of the most progressive and capable educators of his time. His family consisted of two children. Albert Rush, who is now deceased: and Mrs. Alice C. Campbell, widow of our subject.
The union of Mr. and Mrs. Campbell was blessed by the birth of three children, namely: Ethel, born July 15, 1874, was educated in the Lebanon high school and DePauw University, and married Benjamin F. Coons, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this volume: Ivan, born April 6, 1878. died July 8th of the same year : Myrtle, born September 4. 1879. was edu- cated in the high school in Lebanon, also received a musical education, and is now the wife of Lester F. Jones.
Politically, Mr. Campbell was a strong Republican, and was for some time active in public affairs. He at one time made the race for mayor of Lebanon, but was defeated by a small majority. Religiously he was a faith- ful member of the First Presbyterian church, of Lebanon, in which he was an elder. He was prominent in fraternal circles, being a member of the follow- ing orders: Lodge No. 45. Knights of Pythias, the Tribe of Ben Hur; Boone Lodge, No. 9, Free and Accepted Masons; Lebanon Chapter No. 39,
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Royal Arch Masons; Lebanon Commandery, No. 43, Knights Templars, of which he had been treasurer during the last ten years of his life; he also be- longed to the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine at Indi- anapolis. He attained the thirty-second degree in Masonry.
The death of Mr. Campbell occurred suddenly on April 22, 1913, and his demise was regarded as a distinct loss to the city and county so long hon- ored by his residence. The Lebanon Patriot spoke of him, in part, as fol- lows: "Mr. Campbell was one of the most highly respected citizens of Lebanon, and his relationship with the people was that of a true man. He was of the highest type of citizenship. His unostentatious manner won him many friends, and it is a common expression that Lebanon is a better town because he lived in it. Lebanon, perhaps, never had a citizen whose death was more universally mourned."
The Lebanon Daily Reporter had this to say, among other things: "A really good man has passed to the great beyond-one whom we were proud to call by the sacred name of friend, has passed to his eternal reward. He will be truly missed-not only in his home where he was so dearly beloved- but outside where too, he had many friends. It was recently said of him by one who knew him well, that never had he heard Mr. Campbell speak an evil word of any one, nor use an ill word in his conversation. It was his happy disposition to not only think well of every one but to speak well of them. He has filled a large place in the community, but it has been unostentatiously and quietly."
JOHN W. MAISH.
It is a pleasure to any one, whether farmer or not, to look over a well- improved and finely-kept landed estate like that of John WV. Maish, of Center township, Boone county, for he is a man who believes in keeping fully abreast of the times, in adopting, so far as practicable, the most approved twentieth century methods in general farming and stock raising. As a result of his careful system of husbandry he has about solved the question of scientific farming as we all know and understand it today. He was formerly engaged in merchandising, in which he was equally successful, for he has always stood for progressiveness, not only in material things, but in political, educa-
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tional and religious matters, and he has always been an advocate of right living and honesty in public life as well as business, and while laboring for his individual advancement he has never been found neglectful of his duties to his neighbors and the general public.
Mr. Maish was born May 5, 1859, in Clinton county, Indiana. He is a son of Joseph and Mary E. (Looney) Maish. The father was born in Clinton county and the mother was a native of Rush county, Indiana. Joseph Maish spent all his life in his native county and was a successful farmer and large land owner, also owned considerable valuable property in Frankfort. He was born November 21, 1827, and his death occurred January 10, 1867. His wife was born September 29, 1832, and died November 29, 1897. These parents had two sons who lived to maturity, namely: John W., of this re- view, and David L., who died when twenty-one years of age, April 19, 1881 ; Anna, Matilda J. and Joseph, Jr., all died in infancy. The mother married a second time, her last husband being William C. Heaton, and to this union one child was born, Martha E., now the wife of William B. Kramer, Jr., of Frankfort.
John W. Maish was reared on the home farm, where he worked during the summer months when he became of proper age and he received his edu- cation in the district schools and the high school in Frankfort, from which he was graduated, and later he attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. After leaving college he began life for himself in the mercantile business at Frankfort, running a general department store, continuing for a period of ten years, during which he built an extensive and lucrative trade, always carrying a large and carefully selected stock and, dealing with uni- form honesty and courtesy with his hundreds of customers, he secured their confidence and good will. In the fall of 1890 he traded his stock of goods and his two-story brick store building which he had built about 1887 to ac- commodate his business for the farm he now owns in Center township, Boone county, consisting of four hundred and twenty-two acres, and known as the J. B. Holmes farm, to which he moved on Thanksgiving day of that year and here he has been successfully engaged in general farming and stock raising on an extensive scale, adding improvements from time to time until he now has one of the finest, most productive and most desirable farms in the county, which cost him but sixty dollars per acre but for which he is now
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refusing two hundred dollars per acre. It is under a high state of cultivation, raising large crops of corn and other grains annually, which he feeds to large herds of cattle, hogs, sheep and other live stock, all good grades. He is an excellent judge of stock, and no small part of his income is derived from this source. He has an attractive residence and large and substantial out- buildings, everything about his place denoting thrift, good management and prosperity. This splendid farm is located on the Big Four Railway and the direct township line to Indianapolis, the station of Holmes being only a step from Mr. Maish's door. He has been very successful in a business way and he is a stockholder in the First National Bank of Lebanon and has various other business interests.
Mr. Maish was married January 25, 1886, to Mary E. Blinn, a daughter of Adam and Catherine (Derrick) Blinn, for many years one of the lead- ing families of Frankfort, the father having died July 23, 1901, but the mother survives, having attained her eighty-fourth birthday October 21, 1913. Mrs. Maish grew up in her native county and received a good educa- tion.
To Mr. and Mrs. Maish the following children have been born, namely : Lela, born April 13, 1887, is at home ; June, born June 1, 1889, was next in order, now Mrs. C. O. McMains, lives in Harrison township and has two children, Mary Lavina, born November 27, 1911, and Chester Orvil, born April 15, 1913; Catherine, born February 4, 1891, is at home; Lucinda Ruth, born June 3, 1893, married Charles Bradley of Lebanon ; Mabel, born August 24, 1899, is at home ; Emalyne, born September 12, 1903, is at home; Blinn H., born March 10, 1905; Arthur E., born January 6, 1907, and Dorothy, February 16, 1912, are the youngest of the living children ; John W., Jr., born May, 1897, died November 12, 1900, of diphtheria, and A. Blinn died in infancy.
Politically, Mr. Maish is a Republican and while always interested in public matters has never been an office seeker, preferring to give his atten- tion to his large business interests and to his family of which he is very fond, being happiest when by his own cheerful fireside. He has a good library and is well posted on current questions as well as the world's best literature. He has given his children every advantage, and there is an atmos- phere of refinement about his home.
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IRA M. SHARP.
One of the worthy native sons of Boone county who has stamped the impress of his strong personality upon the minds of the people of the locality of which this history treats in a manner as to render him one of the con- spicuous characters of the county is Ira M. Sharp, an attorney at law of the first rank at the local bar. Faithfulness to duty and a strict adherence to a fixed purpose, which always do more to advance a man's interests than wealth or advantageous circumstances, have been dominating factors in his life, which has been replete with honor and success worthily attained, and he has become an important factor in the affairs of his county and stands in the foremost rank of the professional men of this section of the Hoosier commonwealth. Few citizens of Boone county are better known, none oc- cupy a more conspicuous place in the confidence of the public, and it is a com- pliment worthily bestowed to class him with the representative men of this generation in the county of his residence, having done much for the general development of the same.
Mr. Sharp was born in a log cabin between Lebanon and Thorntown, January 6, 1868, and he is a splendid example of a self-made man, having by his own efforts fought his way to the front from a discouraging environ- ment. He is a son of Solomon and Mary E. (Miller) Sharp, both natives of Decatur county, Indiana, where they were reared and married, and where they made their homes until 1866, when they removed to Boone county. The father was a blacksmith by trade, also engaged in the sawmill business for many years. His death occurred August 2, 1891, but his widow survives, now making her home in Clarksburg, Decatur county. She was born Octo- ber 25, 1836, and is therefore now well advanced in years. The date of her husband's birth was February 29, 1832.
Ira M. Sharp was about five years old when the family moved to Thorntown, where he was reared and received his early education, complet- ing the course of studies, except Latin, in the high school. He finished school there at the age of sixteen. He had a disagreement with his teacher and took his books home, and his father, without reproof, put the lad to work in his blacksmith shop and he did all kinds of work, proving a willing helper, continuing until the beginning of the next school year, when his father gave him an opportunity to choose between continuing the trade of
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blacksmith or going back to school. After several days' deliberation he decided to pursue his studies and thus his whole career was changed. The superintendent of the school permitted him to re-enter his class and also gave him an opportunity to make up the time he lost the previous year. He worked hard and made the two years' work in one, with a grade at the head of his class. In 1881 his father met with an accident, being disabled to such an extent that he could not continue his trade. Our subject, being the eldest of six children, had to assist in the support of the family, so the last two years he was in school he worked nights, mornings and Saturdays in a hard- ware store to help support the family. After leaving school he clerked in the hardware store in Thorntown, but deciding that teaching school was more to his liking he secured a certificate and taught three years. Although he made a success in this field of endeavor he decided that his true bent was in another direction, so began reading law December 15, 1887, with P. H. Dutch, of Thorntown, and was admitted to practice June 26, 1889.
Mr. Sharp was married August 20, 1891, to Elizabeth E. Cheek, a daughter of Newton and Jane (Wooding) Cheek, both natives of North Carolina; in fact, Mrs. Sharp was born at Saxapahaw, that state. The Cheek family emigrated to Boone county, Indiana, soon after the close of the Civil war. They were Quakers and were a peaceable people, but found it difficult during the great war between the states in keeping out of the con- flict. Mr. Cheek is now deceased, but his widow survives.
The union of our subject and wife has been blessed by the birth of one daughter, Jennie Marie Sharp, now a student in DePauw University, where she is making a brilliant record.
Mr. Sharp taught one year after his marriage, and all of his teaching was after he was admitted to the bar. He began the practice of his pro- fession in Greensburg, Decatur county, in April, 1892, and remained there until November, 1893, when he came to Thorntown, Boone county, where he resided and practiced with ever-increasing success until January 1, 1912, when he moved his office to Lebanon, but still maintains his home in Thorn- town. He enjoys a large clientele and ranks with the leading members of the Boone county bar, being known as a cautious, industrious and safe coun- sellor and a strong pleader. He practices in all the state and federal courts in Boone and adjoining counties.
Politically, Mr. Sharpe is a Republican and he has long been more or
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less active in public matters and is one of the leaders in his party in this section of the state; however, he has never been an office-seeker, preferring to devote his attention exclusively to his profession. Fraternally, he belongs to the Knights of Pythias, and he and his family are members of the Meth- odist Episcopal church.
WILLIAM F. COBB.
Another of the gallant veterans who went out to fight in defense of "the flag that has never touched the ground" in the days of its direst peril, the early sixties, is William F. Cobb. What a splendid sight it is to see the remnants of a once gigantic army, in their blue uniforms, marching past on special occasions ; but they will all be beyond the Great Divide in a few more years, and nothing will be left but a memory. That memory should be some- thing more than a sound. Their deeds should be perpetuated in song and story, in monument and perpetual commemoration, so that future generations may draw inspiration from their patriotism and valor. Mr. Cobb, who has devoted his life to carpentering and agricultural pursuits, is living quietly in his pleasant home in Marion township, Boone county, the interests of which he has long had at heart, and, according to those who know him well, has proven to be a good citizen in every respect, and his friends are many throughout the county.
Mr. Cobb was born in Harrison county, Ohio, December 8, 1838. He is a son of William and Mary (Copeland) Cobb, both natives also of the Buckeye state. The paternal grandparents, William Cobb, Sr., and his wife were natives of England, from which country they emigrated to the United States and were early settlers in Ohio. The maternal grandparents, Thomas and Mary Copeland, were Pennsylvania Dutch in blood. William Cobb, Jr., father of our subject, was born February 6, 1809. The mother was born October 10, 1816. These parents were married March 24, 1836, in Harrison county, Ohio. The father was a carpenter by trade, and in the fall of 1854 he brought his family overland to Boone county, Indiana, the trip requiring fifteen days. They located at the village of Northfield where they remained one year, renting a farm, the following spring removing to Marion township, on two hundred and forty acres of timbered land, which they purchased.
WILLIAM F. COBB
LINDA VISTA
RESIDENCE OF WILLIAM F. COBB
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The elder Cobb soon cleared a place for his house and built a rough log cabin. With the help of his son, our subject, many acres of the place were cleared and put under cultivation, and in due course of time they became very comfortably situated. There the death of the mother occurred on November 17, 1872, after which the father came to reside with our subject until his death, which occurred October 1, 1877, at the age of sixty-eight years seven months and twenty-five days. He had been justice of the peace for many years which office he held at time of death. His family consisted of the following children: Capt. Thomas A., of Marion township, this county, born January 21, 1837; William F., of this sketch; Jacob S., of Leb- anon, Indiana, born August 25, 1841; Nancy, born August II, 1843 is the widow of Thomas Evans, and is living in Lebanon; John, born October 6, 1845, was killed in Indianapolis by a railway train, left two children; Henry, born April 25, 1852, was killed in Lebanon by a fall, left widow and one child; James, born October 6, 1845, lives in Lebanon; Christina, born March 13, 1850, is the wife of Anthony Kincaid, of Lebanon; Mary L .. , born January 13, 1855, died December 29, 1862; Dorothy, born March 2, 1861, is the wife of Alfred Kincaid.
William F. Cobb, of this review, grew up on the home farm and attended the rural schools. When eighteen years of age he started to learn the trade of gunsmith with John Kincaid, in Boone county, and he continued until completing the same. becoming a skilled workman, then came to Marion township and started a gunsmith shop on his father's farm, and conducted the same successfully until the commencement of the Civil war, when, in the spring of 1861 he enlisted in Company A, Tenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in which he served three years. He then was transferred to Company A, Fifty-eighth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, as one of the principal musicians, and as such he marched with Sherman to the sea. He was honorably dis- charged and mustered out at Goldsboro, North Carolina, March 28, 1865, after seeing considerable hard service, having always performed his duties as a soldier faithfully and uncomplainingly.
After the war Mr. Cobb returned home and resumed work in his shop, which he continued about six months, then began carpentering which he has made his principal life work ever since, being known as one of the most ex- pert workmen in the county.
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Mr. Cobb married, July 15, 1866, Amy G. Hileman, who was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, March 6, 1847. She is a daughter of Joseph and Hannah ( Wilson) Hileman, an old family of the above named county. After his marriage Mr. Cobb farmed his father's farm two years, then moved to two and one-half acres which his father-in-law gave him, in section 21, Marion township. After continuing the carpenter's trade about five years he bought a sawmill, which he operated nine years, doing a good business, then sold out and resumed carpenter work. He has added to his place until he now owns forty-three and three-fourths acres of good land, which he has improved in an up-to-date manner, including an attractive residence and outbuildings. No more beautiful lawn is to be found in the county. It is covered with stately shade trees, shrubbery, flower beds, urns, and other features, indicating that Mr. Cobb is something of a landscape gardner. His place is known as "Linda Vista" ( French, meaning beautiful view.)
On April 19. 1885, Mr. Cobb was appointed chief of all mechanical lines, also of the fire department, in fact, had absolute charge of all repairing of the Indiana Central Hospital for the Insane at Indianapolis. He discharged his duties in an able and highly acceptable manner, until October 1, 1912, when he resigned and returned to his beautiful home in Boone county where he now lives, spending his declining years in quiet and surrounded by all the comforts of life, living with his son-in-law, John M. Kiser, who has con- ducted the place since Mr. Cobb first went to Indianapolis, twenty-nine years ago.
The following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Cobb: Orilla May, born April 15, 1867, wife of John M. Kiser, have two children, Vesta, born May 8, 1892 and Vern, born May 13, 1896; Mary Ellen, born March 12, 1871, wife of Peter Christian, of Rosston, Boone county; they have one child, Ethel G .. born February 3, 1897. The wife and mother was called to her eternal rest on March 7. 1899, on her fifty-second birthday. On Septem- ber 30. 1912, Mr. Cobb married Kate McCabe, who was born in Thrym, County Meath, Ireland, and she is a daughter of John and Mary (Clark) McCabe, who emigrated to American when Mrs. Cobb was young and settled in Crawfordsville, Indiana, where Mr. McCabe died in 1861. Mrs. Cobb was the widow of James Cassidy, by whom she had one son, Charles Cassidy, who is engaged in the garage business at Greencastle, Indiana. Mrs. Cobb was chief cook in the Indiana Central Hospital for the Insane at Indianapolis from 1889 until she married our subject.
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Politically, Mr. Cobb has always been a Democrat. He served as trustee of Marion township, also as assessor of the same, one term each, a number of years ago, giving satisfaction to his constituents. Fraternally, he is a member of the Masonic Order, Lodge No. 526 at Rosston, Indiana, and the Chapter at Lebanon ; he belongs to Lodge No. 644, Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Indianapolis, and has passed all the chairs in the same. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He and his wife are in- telligent, experienced, hospitable and charming people to meet.
WILLIAM J. WOOD.
One of the leading lawyers of the younger generation in the section of Indiana of which this history treats is William J. Wood, formerly prose- cuting attorney of Boone county and who is enjoying an extensive practice in Lebanon, who, since retiring from office has built up an extensive clientele, being frequently retained in important cases in courts remote from his place of residence. No one knows better than he the necessity of thorough prep- aration for the trial of cases, and no one more industriously applies him- self to meet the issues than he, though, being a true son of old Virginia, he is naturally of an ardent temperament, yet is always master of himself in the trial of cases and is rarely not at his best, being uniformly courteous and deferential to the court, and kind and forbearing to his adversaries. As a speaker he is direct, logical and forcible, and not infrequently truly eloquent. Owing to the pronounced success he has achieved in his chosen vocation so early in life, we predict for him a future replete with greater and higher honors than he yet has known.
William J. Wood was born November 10, 1882, in Scott county, Vir- ginia. He is a scion of a fine old Southern family, and a son of Henry K. and Mary E. (Sutton) Wood, who spent their earlier years in Scott county, Virginia, from which they removed to Boone county, Indiana, in April, 1900, locating on a farm in Center township, east of Lebanon, and there be- came very comfortably established, but the elder Wood was destined not to long enjoy his new home, for he met his death in the Lincoln hotel fire in Chicago in December, 1902. The mother of our subject is now making her home in Lebanon.
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William J. Wood was reared on the farm. He received his early edu- cation at Collingwood Academy, Fugate's Hill, Virginia, and also in the high school at Lebanon, Indiana, from which he was graduated in 1902, after which he attended Purdue University, LaFayette, Indiana, for two years. He then entered the law department of the University of Virginia, where he made an excellent record and from which institution he was grad- uated with the class of 1910. He had been admitted to the Boone county bar in June, 1909. He at once made an impression on the people of this county and before he received his diploma from the law school he was nominated by the Democrats for prosecuting attorney of Boone county, and was accordingly elected in November, 1910. He served a term of two years, until January 1, 1913, in a manner that reflected much credit upon himself and to the eminent satisfaction of his constituents, discharging his every duty with a fidelity, courage and tact which stamped him as a youth of no mean calibre and fortitude. He was the first prosecutor to occupy the magnificent new court-house. He had charge of the first grand jury, con- ducted the first case before the court and the first case before a jury in the new building, and when he was elected enjoyed the distinction of being the youngest prosecuting attorney in the state of Indiana, but he managed its affairs like a veteran of the bar and enforced law and order in the county without prejudice or bias. Since retiring from office he has continued in the practice of his profession alone, with offices near the court-house, over Mor- gan's shoe store. He is building up a rapidly growing business, and has been admitted to practice in all the state and federal courts, and is a member of the county bar association. Fraternally, he belongs to Boone Lodge, No. 9. Masonic Order, the Royal Arch Masons, Lebanon Commandery Knights Templar and the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, Murat Temple, Indianapolis. He also belongs to Lebanon Lodge No. 635, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and is esteemed lecturing knight. and has been secretary of the lodge. He is prominent and active in fraternal circles.
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