USA > Indiana > Carroll County > History of Carroll County Indiana, its people, industries and institutions > Part 28
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Specific mention is made in this volume of many enterprising business men of Carroll county, and of these men who have been successful in the pursuit of business, Alfred H. Brewer, a well-known shoe merchant of Delphi, Indiana, deserves a high rank. He has passed his entire life of more than half a century within the borders of Carroll county, and in his business, though aggressive, has nevertheless been conservative at all times, and has combined mature judgment with everyday common sense. Mr. Brewer well merits the respect and esteem accorded to him, not only by the patrons of his business, but by the citizens of Carroll county generally.
Born in Adams township, Carroll county, Indiana, November 12, 1860, Alfred H. Brewer is a son of Jesse and Elizabeth (Briney) Brewer, who were natives of the Hoosier and Buckeye states, respectively. Jesse Brewer was reared principally at Lagro, Wabash county, Indiana. He came to Car- roll county when a young man and engaged in farming, owning a farm first in Adams township. . He afterwards owned land in Jefferson township, and finally in Tippecanoe township. He died on the old home farm in Tippecanoe township, at, the age of sixty-nine years; his widow survived him about two years. being seventy-four years old at the time of her death. Both were earnest and faithful members of the Christian church, of which he was an elder and prominent in all its affairs. He served as county com- missioner at one time, discharging his duties in a very capable and efficient manner. His first wife was Miss Holloway, and to this union were born four children, Isaac, Aaron, John and Mahala. By his second marriage, to Elizabeth Briney, there were three children born: Alfred H., with whom this narrative deals: George W., of Rochester, Indiana, and Francis M., of Tippecanoe township.
The paternal grandfather of Alfred H. Brewer was Israel Brewer, who
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was a soldier in the War of 1812. He was a pioneer in Miami county, Indi- ana, and died there comparatively early in life. Among his children were, Martha, Cynthia and Jesse. His maternal grandfather was Henry Briney, who married Sarah Harless, both natives of Darke county, Ohio, who, sometime after their marriage, removed to Adams township, Carroll county, Indiana, where they entered land and established a pioneer home in the wilderness. Here they lived the remainder of their lives, the grandfather dying at the age of sixty-six, and the grandmother some years later. Among their children were, Elizabeth, Perry, Aaron, Washington, Alfred, Louisa, Henry, Jeremiah and Thomas.
Alfred H. Brewer was reared on his father's farm and lived at home with his parents until he had reached his majority, in the meantime attend- ing the district schools and the high school at Delphi. After leaving school, in 1880, Mr. Brewer began clerking in the shoe store which he now owns, and worked continuously in this store until March, 1911, when he purchased the store. He carries a large and up-to-date stock of boots and shoes, and enjoys a large and lucrative patronage in Delphi and vicinity.
On the Ist day of June, 1886, Mr. Brewer was married to Katie Sonnen- feldt, now spelled Sonfield, the daughter of John and Catherine ( Assion) Sonnenfeldt, and to this union has been born one son, Harry S., who is clerking in his father's store. Harry S. Brewer married Laura M. Thomp- son, of Monticello, Indiana, and they have one son, Harold H. Mrs. Alfred H. Brewer is a native of Delphi, having been born on the same lot where she is now living. Her parents were natives of Germany, her father having come from Saxony and her mother from Alsace-Lorraine. Her father died in 1889, but her mother is still living, at the age of eighty-two years. They were the parents of five children, Adeline, John H., Louise, Catherine and Emma.
It is doubtful if there is any citizen now living in Carroll county who is more prominent in Masonic circles than Alfred H. Brewer. He is a member of Olive Lodge No. 48, Free and Accepted Masons; of Delphi Chapter No. 21, Royal Arch Masons; Delphi Commandery No. 40, Knights Templar, and of Murat Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at Indianapolis. Mr. Brewer is also prominent in the Knights of Pythias order, being a mem- ber of Delphi Lodge No. 80 and of the Uniform Rank. He is a past chancellor and represented the Delphi lodge in the grand lodge. Harry S. Brewer was deputy grand chancellor for a time, but resigned. Mr. and Mrs. Brewer are members of the Presbyterian church. Politically, Mr.
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Brewer is a Democrat, and for some years served on the Delphi school board.
Aside from the shoe store of which Alfred H. Brewer is proprietor, he is a stockholder and director in the Great Western Canning Company, of Delphi, and is a director in the local building and loan association.
DAVID LILLY.
To make a success of agriculture, it is necessary to be something more than a hard worker. A farmer may labor from dawn to twilight every day . in the year and fail to accomplish much. There must be sound judgment and discretion exercised at the same time, a knowledge of soils, grains, live stock and, in fact, general business. The man who accomplishes much as a farmer in these days is accorded a place alongside of the men who suc- ceed in the learned professions and the skilled trades, and this is quite natural, since it requires more ingenuity, intelligence and management to succeed in farming than perhaps any other vocation. David Lilly, an enterprising farmer of Jefferson township, who occupies a beautiful home, with every convenience available to those who live in the country, has succeeded in farming because he has not depended upon hard labor alone.
Mr. Lilly is a native of Huntington county, Indiana, born on September 7, 1851, and is a son of James and Margaret ( Leakey) Lilly. James Lilly was born in Nicholas county, West Virginia, and came to Henry county, Indiana, with his parents when twelve years old. His parents were farmers and he worked out for a time, but later purchased eighty acres of land in Huntington county, which he farmed for six years. He then sold out and moved to Jasper county, where he purchased one hundred and twenty acres and where his first wife died. He was married again in Jasper county and then sold out and moved to Carroll county, settling in Jefferson township, where he owned one hundred and sixty acres of land and where he lived for fifty-six years. He passed away on February 5, 1905. He was a Republican in politics and, in the days before the Civil War, an ardent abolitionist. For a number of years before his death, he was in the active ministry of the gospel and a devout and earnest member of the Christian church. His wife. Margaret Leakey, was a native of Henry county and was one of thirteen children born to her parents, who were large landowners and farmers by occupation. James and Margaret (Leakey) Lilly were
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JAMES LILLY.
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married on July 25, 1844. To them were born four children, Joseph and Sallie, both of whom died on November 1, 1849; Martha, who lives in Logansport and is the wife of Rev. J. G. Tedford; and David, the subject of this sketch.
David Lilly remained at home until thirty-two years old, farming with his father until he purchased eighty acres of land. In the early years, he raised thoroughbred stock. He inherited forty acres of land from his father, and also farms forty acres belonging to his daughter and forty acres belonging to his sister. The land is located in section II, of Jefferson township. Aside from his own farm, the farm belonging to his daughter and sister, which he cultivates, he has also put some fifty acres of land, belonging to Mrs. Lilly, into cultivation. He has made a conscientious effort to perform well all of the duties of life and, if the verdict of his neigh- bors is accepted, it must be admitted that he has succeeded well in this purpose.
On March 21, 1883, Mr. Lilly was married to Anna Rothrock, the daughter of William and Elizabeth (Cochell) Rothrock, of White county. but natives of Pennsylvania. The father immigrated to White county on April 27, 1833, with his parents, and the mother, with her parents, a few years later. Mr. and Mrs. Lilly have been the parents of three children, James William, who died in infancy; Margaret, the wife of David H. Roth, of Jefferson township; and Guy A., who lives on the home farm and assists his father. He owns eighty acres of land. Mrs. Lilly died on September 23, 1913.
EDWARD E. PRUITT.
Edward E. Pruitt, a well-known attorney of Delphi, Indiana, former prosecuting attorney of the thirty-ninth judicial circuit, one-time member of the Indiana Legislature, and city attorney of Delphi since 1907, is a native of Carroll county, born on September 17, 1866, in Burlington town- ship.
He is a son of William A. and Maria A. (Timmons) Pruitt, who were natives of Indiana. They had seven children: Drilla, deceased, was the wife of Dr. Henry Carter, of Bringhurst; Ella is the wife of Dr. Lewis Shirrar, of Flora, Indiana; Edward E. is the subject of this sketch; Eliza- beth is the wife of Fred O'Haver, a telegraph operator of Garrett, Indiana; Lola is the wife of William Brackney, of Newcastle, Indiana; Charles W.
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is deceased, and Grace is the wife of James Evilsizer, of Wellsboro, Indiana. William A. Pruitt, father of these children, was reared in Carroll county and for forty years has been an auctioneer and has practiced law. He resides in Flora, Indiana, where his first wife died on March 1, 1895, at the age of fifty-five years. She was a devout member of the Disciples church. William A. Pruitt is a veteran of the Civil War, having served in the Twenty-fourth Indiana Battery for a little more than three years. At times he has served as justice of the peace. After the death of his first wife, he was married to Rosa Jones.
Mr. Pruitt's paternal grandfather was Pleasant Pruitt, who was a native of Pennsylvania and a pioneer in Carroll county. He and his wife, also a native of Pennsylvania, spent much of their time, however, in Howard county, being farmers by occupation. The grandfather died in Flora, Indi- ana, at the age of seventy-two years; his wife died early in life. William A. was the only child born to this marriage. After the death of his first wife, Pleasant Pruitt married again and by the second marriage had three sons, Sampson, Harry and Joseph. Mr. Pruitt's maternal grandparents were natives of Ohio and pioneers in Burlington township, Carroll county, Indiana. Their children included, Elizabeth J. Leeka, of Fairmount, Illi- nois; Sarah Aylsworth, William R. Timmons, Ezekiel John, Maria A. Pruitt and Cyrus Timmons.
Born on the little farm of forty acres owned by his father near the town of Darwin, Edward E. Pruitt moved with his parents into the town of Darwin, where the father ran a small store for a time. Later, the father took up auctioneering. Edward E. Pruitt grew to manhood in Darwin, attending the country schools and the public schools at Burlington. He taught school for seven years and, during the last four years in the school room, studied law preparatory to attending law school. Subsequently, he was a student of law in the office of Odell & Ryan and graduated from the law department of Indiana University in 1893, but was admitted to the bar one year previously, in 1892. From 1893 to 1895 he practiced his profes- sion at Flora, but in February, 1895, he removed to Delphi and has prac- ticed here ever since.
Mr. Pruitt served two terms as prosecuting attorney in the thirty-ninth judicial district and was a member of the Indiana Legislature during the session of 1905. Two years later he was elected as city attorney of Delphi. an office which he still holds. During the past three years, he has also been attorney for the town of Camden.
Politically, Mr. Pruitt is identified with the Republican party and has
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been prominent in the councils of his party for many years. He is a mem- ber of Mount Olive Lodge No. 48, Free and Accepted Masons, Delphi Lodge No. 80, Knights of Pythias, and of the uniform rank, of the latter order. When Fountain City Lodge, Knights of Pythias, was organized at Flora, Mr. Pruitt was a charter member, but, after removing to Delphi, dimitted his membership to the county-seat lodge. Mr. Pruitt is well known in Car- roll county, enjoys a good reputation as a lawyer and ranks high as a citizen and man.
HOWARD T. LANDIS.
From the time of Tubal Cain, the artificer in iron has been one of the important factors in civilization. He it was who forged the first imple- ments for the field and the weapons of war. The iron worker made pos- sible the mail-clad knight of the Middle ages and, later, the cannon which changed the whole course of civilization. In all of the communities of Indiana, the blacksmith of the pioneer epoch made all of the tools the farmer used, the axes, the saws, the hoes and the horseshoes. Even to this day, no community can dispense with the blacksmith and the craft is an honored and respected one. Among the general blacksmiths of Delphi, is Howard T. Landis, who is also a dealer in buggies and wagons.
Mr. Landis is a native of the Shenandoah valley, of Virginia, born at Pleasant Valley, January 21, 1876. He is the son of George and Margaret (Messerly) Landis, natives of the Old Dominion state. George Landis was reared near Peach Grove, Rockingham county, Virginia, and was a black- smith by trade until he came to Indiana about 1895. Upon coming to the Hoosier state, he located at Rensselaer, where he bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres. He moved from Rensselaer to Deer Creek town- ship, Carroll county, and six years later moved to near Monticello, his pres- ent home, where he and his wife live on a highly productive farm of one . hundred and ninety-six acres. They are members of the Christian church. George Landis served for three years in the Civil War and, during this time, was in charge of a commissary wagon. He and his wife have been the parents of six children : Cora, the wife of Floyd Robinson, of Rensselaer; Gurney, the wife of Frank Woods, of Monroe township, Carroll county; Howard T., the subject of this sketch; Ollie, the wife of Harry Boothroyd, of Monticello, Indiana; Nora, the wife of Mell Abbott, of Rensselaer, and Arthur, of Monticello.
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Both the paternal and maternal grandparents of Mr. Landis were natives of Virginia. The paternal grandfather was a farmer and the maternal grandfather, a carpenter.
Howard T. Landis lived in Virginia with his parents until thirteen years old, when the family came west, and he grew to manhood at Onarga, Iroquois county, Illinois, where he attended the public schools. Afterward he worked on his father's farm for several years and was then married and farmed for one year. He then learned the blacksmith trade and has fol- lowed this trade for the past eighteen years in Delphi, where he has built a splendid block and residence. Mr. Landis enjoys a large patronage and has a prosperous business.
On January 22, 1896, Howard T. Landis was married to Ala Potts, the daughter of Haines Potts. She was one of six children born to her parents, the others being Blanche. Pearl, Richard, Laura and Frank. Mrs. Landis died in 1900, at the age of twenty-four years. leaving one daughter, Verna, who is a student in the Tipton high school. In 1902 Mr. Landis married Nellie Foster, a native of one of the Southern states. She was one of six children, Susan, Cora, Samuel, William, Nellie and one who died in infancy.
WILLIAM M. BATES.
Few citizens now living in Madison township, Carroll county, Indiana, have had a larger part in the political and civic life of Carroll county than William M. Bates, assessor of Madison township for nine years, assessor of Carroll county for four years and township trustee for four years. These many honors not only indicate the high regard in which Mr. Bates is held by the people of Carroll county, but they also indicate somewhat the conscien- tious service he has performed in positions of public trust and responsi- bility. He owns the old Billy Maxwell farm, comprising one hundred and twenty-five acres of fine land in section No. 22, which he has repaired and put into modern conditions. His home is an elegant brick house, standing back from the road and somewhat hidden by a number of large trees. It is a beautiful country place and here the Bates family have lived for many years.
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William M. Bates was born on March 18, 1848, in Butler county, Ohio. He is the son of Ozro and Mary ( Hartman) Bates, the former of whom was born in Vermont and who came with his parents to Cincinnati, where
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his father and mother died of the cholera. Ozro Bates had three brothers and two sisters: Nathaniel was at one time mayor of Council Bluffs, Iowa; Peter was killed at Pueblo in the Mexican War; the others were, Smith. Sarah and Ann. After the death of his father and mother, Ozro Bates was bound out until twenty-one years old, or until the time of his marriage, after which he came to Marion county, Indiana, and cleared one hundred and sixty acres of land north of Indianapolis. He lost this land as a conse- quence of having gone on another man's bond. He served as justice of the peace in Marion county for eight years and in 1872 came to Carroll county, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land west of Ockley, in Madison township. There he lived the remainder of his life. He was a Democrat in politics and a member of the Methodist church. By his mar- riage to Mary Hartman, in 1840, during the Harrison and Tyler campaign, there were born eight children, as follow: One died in infancy; Nathaniel. who is living at Rensselaer, served in the Civil War under Generals Thomas and Grant, and was postmaster of Rensselaer; David lives in Clay county, Texas; William M. was the fourth born; Dr. S. L. lives near Kansas City, Missouri; Dr. Joseph W. is deceased; Suzanna B. married J. H. Brown and died on May 20, 1915, in Terre Haute, Indiana; Mary, deceased, was the wife of George Rovabough. The mother of these children was a native of Pennsylvania, who came to Ohio with her parents. They settled in Preble county, Ohio, where she was married to Ozro Bates.
William M. Bates received a good common-school education and, after finishing his education, went to Texas with his brother and entered land in that state. Upon selling out their holdings in Texas, they came back to Madison township. Mr. Bates farmed for his father until the latter's death and then purchased the land which his parents had owned. He farmed this for a short time, and then sold out and purchased the one-hundred- and-twenty-five-acre farm where he now lives.
On November 23, 1887, William M. Bates was married to Alice Miller, a native of Madison township and the daughter of George and Mary (Aber- napth) Miller, who were natives of Carroll county, Indiana. George Miller was a soldier in the Civil War, having enlisted voluntarily at a time when men were being drafted in this county. Mr. and Mrs. Bates have had two children, Eva and Ren, who are both single and live at home.
Mr. and Mrs. Bates participate in the services of the Methodist Epis- copal and United Brethern churches. Mr. Bates has always been identified with the Democratic party and has been prominent in the councils of his
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party in Carroll county. He is a successful farmer, a good citizen and an upright man, one whom the people of Madison township have been pleased to honor.
LEBOVICS MARTON.
Lebovics Marton, a well-known citizen of Carroll county, and a pros- perous dealer in junk, poultry and produce, is a successful business man. Coming to Delphi in 1905, he has, by enterprise, good management and industry, built up a large and constantly-growing business, from a very humble beginning. Mr. Marton is prominent in the fraternal circles of . Delphi just as he is successful in business.
Lebovics Marton is a native of Hungary, born at Kiralyhaza, July 25, 1873. He is the son of Lebi and Julia (Moses) Lebovics, the latter of whom died about 1883 and the former is still living in Kiralyhaza, Hungary. The family belongs to the Hebrew faith, the father having been a butcher by trade and having operated a meat market in Kiralyhaza. Lebi Lebovics' father was Lebovics Marton and his wife was Hermine Lebovics. They were farmers by occupation, the grandfather dying in the prime of life, but the grandmother lived to an advanced age. They were the parents of several children, among whom were Lebi, Gussie, of Sofalva, Hungary, and Goldie, who died at the age of sixty. The maternal grandparents of Mr. Marton were Abraham Moses and Rosa (Neiman) Moses, who died in Hungary. They had a family of three children, Franz Joseph, Jonas Benja- min and Julia.
Lebovics Marton was reared in Hungary and educated the:2. He served two years and thirty-three days in the Seventh Company, Eleventh Infantry, and was then promoted to corporal and mustered out as such. In 1900 Mr. Marton came to America and, after locating in Chicago, worked for the American Hide & Leather Company for two or three years. He then became a janitor in an apartment building and, later, the engineer in the apartment. In 1905 he moved to Delphi, where he established a junk business in a small way. This business has gradually enlarged until Mr. Marton now does a large business and is compelled to employ a number of . people. Not very long ago, he added poultry, butter and eggs to his busi- ness and has a large trade with the farmers of Carroll county.
On January 17, 1898, Lebovics Marton was married to Linka Kalla, the daughter of Ignatz and Sarah (Spitz) Kalla, who was born in Fanchika,
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Hungary. Mrs. Marton's parents were natives of Hungary, her mother having died when she was a small child. Her father died in January, 1915. They were the parents of seven children, two of whom died early in life. Those who lived to maturity were Ganandel, Rosa, Ragina, Bertha and Linka.
Mr. and Mrs. Lebovics Marton are the parents of one daughter, Julia Sarina, who is attending high school and who plays the violin and the piano with considerable skill.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Lebovics Marton belong to the Hebrew faith. Mr. Marton is a member of Mount Olive Lodge No. 48, Free and Accepted Masons, of Delphi Chapter No. 21, Royal Arch Masons, and of the Monti- cello Council, Royal and Select Masters. He was made a Mason in Palace Lodge No. 765, of Pullman, Chicago. He is also a member of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, including the subordinate lodge, the encamp- ment, and the Rebekahs. He belongs to Delphi Lodge No. 80, Knights of Pythias, to Tippecanoe Tribe No. 505, Improved Order of Red Men, and to the Haymakers.
SAMUEL W. IRELAND.
The venerable Samuel W. Ireland, a prosperous farmer of . Adams township, was born in Greene county, Ohio, February 19, 1832, and emi- grated with his parents, Thomas and Mary (Gates) Ireland, from Ohio to Indiana. Thomas Ireland and wife were natives of Pennsylvania and were married in that state. They first emigrated to Kentucky and later to Ohio. After coming to Indiana, Thomas Ireland followed the blacksmith trade in Adams township for about four years, when he retired. Thomas Ireland and wife were the parents of eight children, of whom all are deceased except Samuel W., the subject of this review, who was the youngest mem- ber of the family.
Mr. Ireland received the rudiments of an education in the pioneer schools of Adams township, and at the age of twenty-seven started in life for himself. Previously he had worked for his father on the farm, saving some money in the meantime, with which he purchased forty acres of land from his father. Since that time Mr. Ireland has accumulated sufficient land to make in all one hundred and seventeen acres, having sold three acres to his son. He has cleared this land and erected most of the buildings which now stand on the farm, and, taken altogether, Mr. Ireland has one of
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the most attractive places in the township, one which well deserves to rank among the pretty spots of Carroll county.
Mr. Ireland's wife, before her marriage, was Elizabeth Herman, the daughter of John and Mary (Burket) Herman, and who was born in Ohio on October 9, 1836. To this union were born five children: Lennie, the wife of Adams Hanna; Myron, who is teaching in the high school at Iona, Indiana; Beswick, a resident of Cass county, Indiana; Thaddeus, living in White county, Indiana, and Bert, living on a farm adjoining that of his father. The mother of these children died on April 23, 1910.
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