USA > Indiana > Carroll County > History of Carroll County Indiana, its people, industries and institutions > Part 46
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After Mr. and Mrs. Ayres were married, they removed to a farm three miles east of Cutler, on the Burlington and Cutler pike. This farm consists of one hundred and fifty-eight acres and is situated in Democrat township.
Mr. and Mrs. Ayres had ten children, seven of whom are now living, as follow : Flavius J., who is a farmer by occupation and married, is the father of three daughters and one son ; Ora R. lives at Flora, is married and is the father of two sons and one daughter; Loretta, who is the wife of
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Charles Maggart, of Southport, is the mother of one son; Daisy D., the wife of U. B. Thompson, of Burlington, is the mother of one daughter and one son; Mildred M., who is the wife of E. R. Whitledge, of Flora, took a business course at the Central Normal College; John G., who lives at Russia- ville, Indiana, and who is married, is the father of three children, two sons and one daughter; Clayton F., who was married to Grace B. Stuart, on October 7, 1915. The deceased children are: Luella, who died at the age of two years; Martha E., who died at the age of two years, and June B., who died at the age of twelve years.
The late John W. Ayres was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic post at Flora, Indiana. He was a Democrat in politics and served two consecutive terms as trustee of Democrat township. Mrs. Ayres is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and her husband was a trustee in the church for a good many years before his death.
HENRY MILBURN.
On the broad, fertile prairies of Indiana today we find few of the old landmarks. The log cabin and barns, the wooden fences of various designs, the cumbersome plows, harrows, hand scythes and general farming imple- ments of half a century ago, have gradually been replaced with modern homes and commodious barns, the rich fields are enclosed with wire fences and the old farm implements, once so necessary, have been supplanted with the modern farm machinery of today, with its many uses and rapid execu- tion, and the lowlands and swamps of fifty years ago have been reclaimed and tiled. Transportation with oxen and horses has given place to railroad and interurban lines, which intersect Indiana in every direction.
Henry Milburn was born on September 19, 1857, in Burlington town- ship, on his father's farm, and is the son of James and Nancy (Crites) Milburn. James Milburn was born on March 3, 1811, in Summers county, West Virginia. In 1837, when twenty-one years of age, he removed to Car- roll county, Indiana, where he purchased two hundred acres of land, for which he paid one thousand and fifty dollars. On this property where the buildings now stand. James Milburn cleared what the pioneers called the "deadening," on Wild Cat bluffs, then covered with fallen timber and stumps. After purchasing this property and making some improvements. he returned to West Virginia, remaining in the old home state for some
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time. While there James Milburn was united in marriage to Sarah Gwinn, and it was here that their two eldest children, Martha and Andrew, were born. Deciding to return to his farm in Carroll county, Indiana, the entire trip was made in a wagon. Further improvements on the farm were now necessary, and a log cabin was at once erected. Three children, Isaac, Elizabeth and Agnes, came to bless the home in Carroll county. In 1851 this happy home was visited by the grim reaper, and Sarah (Gwinn) Mil- burn was called to her reward. and James Milburn lost a devoted wife.
In 1855 James Milburn was united in marriage to Nancy Crites, who was born in Clinton county. Indiana, on the section where the city of Frank- fort now stands. Three children were born of this union: Henry, living in Burlington township. Indiana; Marguerite. wife of William Lowman, and A. Lincoln, located in Burlington township, Indiana. Until 1866 James Milburn continued to live and farm on the place in Carroll county, Indiana, which he had purchased in 1837, returning to Virginia, where he was taken ill with typhoid fever and passed away. After the death of James Milburn, his widow. Nancy (Crites) Milburn, was joined in wedlock to Joseph Pritch- . ard, and to this union three children were born : Vincent Franklin, in 1870, and who now resides in Oklahoma: Minnie May, in 1873, living in Cali- fornia, and Arthur Elbert, in 1875, and now living in Oklahoma. Politi- cally. Joseph Pritchard was affiliated with the Democratic party.
Living at home, on his father's farm, until twenty-two years of age, Henry Milburn began to accumulate for himself and worked the farm of Rich Lowman on shares for two years, and on November 19, 1882, was united in marriage to Addie Lowman, the daughter of Isaac and Jane Low- man, of Democrat township, Indiana. Henry Milburn is a thrifty man of careful judgment and well-directed efforts. As an agriculturist and stock raiser, he has become prominent and is a man of advanced ideas and mod- ern application. On January 1. 1883, he moved to the farm, which he had previously inherited, consisting of seventy acres of valuable land, located three and one-half miles from Burlington, Indiana, where he is now engaged in farming and stock raising; afterward purchasing one hundred acres more land.
To Henry Milburn and Addie I. (Lowman) Milburn six children were born: James Fletcher, who lives at Burlington. Indiana; Ethel Maud, wife of Charles H. Colton; Basil Ray, who resides on a farm in Carrollton town- ship, Carroll county; Tarrance Bruce, living at home; Curtis, deceased, and Martha J., who died in infancy. Politically, Henry Milburn is a Prohibi- tionist, and in his fraternal connections, is a member of Wild Cat Lodge
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No. 311, Free and Accepted Masons, located at Cutler, Indiana. Relig- iously, he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Personally, Henry Milburn is a most affable, courteous gentleman, of the highest moral standing, and in civil life a stanch supporter of his own convictions, as evidenced in his unmistakable attitude on the liquor traffic and in his active connection with the Prohibition party.
VAN C. BLUE.
Carroll county enjoys enviable distinction in the commercial history of its citizenship. The gentleman whose name is mentioned above is descended from a fine old pioneer family possessing the qualities of thrift and indus- try. With such an inheritance a young man starting in life possesses riches of far greater value than mere dollars and cents alone.
Van C. Blue, farmer, Flora, Indiana, was born September 19, 1863, on the old Michael Blue homestead, which he now owns, and which is located four miles east of Flora. in Carrollton township, Carroll county. He is a son of Michael and Susan ( Mabbitt ) Blue. He grew to manhood where he now lives, and was educated at the public schools.
At the age of twenty-one years, Mr. Blue began farming on his own responsibility on a tract of land rented from his father, and afterward bought one hundred and eighty acres adjoining, and in the course of time bought his father's farm outright. This consisted of one hundred acres, and gave him a splendid property of two hundred and eighty acres; he also has one hundred and twenty acres in Jackson township. He stocked his place with a fine grade of hogs and cattle, and soon became one of the most prosperous men of the township. Politically, Mr. Blue has always been a stanch supporter of Democratic principles, and has taken an active interest in local. county and state politics, being sent as a delegate to the state and county conventions. Fraternally, he is a member of Flora Lodge No. 605, Free and Accepted Masons; Delphi Chapter. Delphi Commandery and Logansport Council: the Scottish Rite Consistory of the Valley of India- napolis, Indiana, and Murat Temple of the Mystic Shrine, at Indianapolis. Mr. Blue has ever been progressively active in his' community, and was one of the organizers of the Bright National Bank and the telephone com- pany.
Michael Blue was a son of Uriah and Fanny (Scott) Blue. He was
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reared on a farm, and had but little opportunity to obtain an education, as he was obliged to assist his father in clearing the timber from the land and afterward helped with the farm work, remaining at home all during his youth. When the Civil War broke out, he was drafted, but hired a sub- stitute to take his place. To Michael and Susan (Mabbitt) Blue were born eight children, of whom we have the following names: E. F. Blue, of Cam- den, a stock buyer and farmer; John A. Blue, a retired farmer of Flora. Indiana; U. W. Blue, an ex-sheriff of Carroll county and a resident of Flora; Lizzie J., who became the wife of Walter Brown, who lives in Mon- roe township, near Flora, Indiana: Malinda C., the wife of Uriah Jordan, a resident of Flora, and Van C. Blue.
Uriah and Fannie (Scott) Blue, the paternal grandparents, were both natives of Virginia, and were married there, after which they came to Indiana and settled in Carroll county. They entered land in Carrollton township and cleared a spot on which they built a log cabin, where. they spent the remainder of their lives. Politically, Mr. Blue was an active member of the Democratic party, and served as a member of the board of county commissioners of Carroll county for a number of years, and was a prominent man in the county. Religiously, he was an active worker in the Baptist church. To Uriah and Fannie (Scott) Blue were born four sons and five daughters, all of whom are deceased.
Mr. Blue has gained a wealth of knowledge through his extended travels, having visited Canada, Mexico, Europe, Panama and California, and is a gentleman well informed on the topics of the day.
JAMES N. A. ROSS.
One of the pioneer farmers and landowners of Monroe township, Car- roll county, Indiana, who lives one-half mile from Bringhurst and a mile from Flora, where he owns two hundred and sixteen acres of land, is James N. A. Ross, a native of Gwinnett county, Georgia, born about sixteen miles northwest of Atlanta, January 16, 1835.
Mr. Ross is the son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Williams) Ross, the former of whom was born near Knoxville, Tennessee, and who, before his marriage, immigrated to Georgia, where he taught singing school. He was married in Georgia and, for a number of years thereafter, lived on a plan- tation, where he was an overseer. In 1828 he came to Indiana where he
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MR. AND MRS. JAMES N. A. ROSS.
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remained two years and he then returned to Tennessee and from there he went to Georgia and purchased sixty acres of land and farmed there until 1839, when he immigrated from Georgia to Indiana, and settled where he had entered eighty acres of land in Carroll county in 1828. At the time he selected the land he was compelled to make his entry at Crawfordsville. Mr. Ross lived on this farm for one year. He then rented the old Susan Wise farm for two years and then farmed one year for Charles Bowman.
Subsequently, Mr. Ross farmed his father's farm for two years and then purchased eighty acres, where his son, James N. A. Ross, now lives. With the exception of eighteen months thereafter, he spent his life on the farm but died in Bringhurst at the age of eighty-two. By the marriage of Thomas Ross to Elizabeth Williams there were born four children, of whom James N. A. was the eldest. The others were Samuel, who died in the service of his country at Louisville; one who died in infancy; and Cath- erine, who is the widow of John Haines, to whom she was married in 1865.
On February 16, 1860, James N. A. Ross was married to Mahelia Elizabeth Hill, the daughter of Wilson and Barbara (Lowman) Hill, both of whom came to Indiana from Maryland and settled on the prairie near Lafayette. They were the parents of seven children, of whom Mahelia was the eldest. The others were Sarah Jane, who married David Shirk, and is now deceased; William J., who lives near Ockley, in Carroll county; Wilson, who died in Illinois; Frank, who is a farmer in North Dakota; George, who lives on Wild Cat creek. this county; and Charles, who lives at Moran, Indiana.
After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Ross settled in Carroll county and here they have lived for more than fifty-five years. For about a year they lived on the Duff farm near Delphi, Indiana.
Mr. and Mrs. Ross have been the parents of twelve children, of whom four, Phoebe Jane, Emma Louisa, Frank and Charles, are deceased. The living children are, Mort B., who lives in Illinois; Amanda Elizabeth, who is the widow of David Dern; Ora Catherine, who is the wife of J. Wilson Eikenberry. of Monroe township; Jessie, the wife of Robert Johnson, of Wild Cat creek, Carroll county; Carrie, the wife of Otto Papke, of Chicago; Thomas, who resides in Logansport; Blanche, the wife of Garfield Evans; and Luther, who lives on the home place.
Mr. and Mrs. James N. A. Ross are members of the Methodist Epis- copal church at Bringhurst. in which Mr. Ross has served as a trustee for more than thirty years. He has always been identified with the Republican
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party, and served three or four terms as supervisor in Monroe township. At the present time, Mr. and Mrs. Ross have just finished building a modern country home, which is equipped with all modern conveniences. They are highly respected citizens of Monroe township and enjoy the good will and admiration of all their neighbors. Mr. and Mrs. Ross celebrated their golden wedding on February 16, 1910, and all the family and friends gath- ered at their home, over one hundred in number, and enjoyed a pretty golden wedding.
DANIEL S. FORLOW.
An enumeration of those citizens who have been highly successful in agriculture and who at the same time have honored the locality where they reside would be incomplete were the life and work of Daniel S. Forlow, a successful farmer of Burlington township, omitted. Qualities which have made Mr. Forlow one of the successful and prominent citizens of Carroll county have also won for him the esteem of his fellow men. His career has been one of well-directed energy, strong determination and honorable meth- ods. He owns one hundred and sixty acres of land in Burlington township, comprising the southeast quarter of section 8, township 23, north range. The farm is located two and one-quarter miles south and two and one-quar- ter miles west of Burlington, Indiana, on route I out of Sedalia, Indiana.
Daniel S. Forlow was born on June 28, 1857, in Butler county, Ohio, and is the son of William and Margaret (McCloskey) Forlow, natives of Pennsylvania and of Butler county, Ohio, respectively. William Forlow came with his father from Pennsylvania to Butler county and there he grew up and was married to Margaret McCloskey. Afterward they emigrated to Indiana, and during the Civil War located in Burlington township. where both lived until their death. They had three children, two sons and one daughter. Mary J., the daughter, died at the age of eleven years; John M. married Hannah M. James and they live in Burlington township; Daniel S. is the subject of this sketch.
Only seven years old when the Forlow family emigrated to Burlington township, Daniel S. attended the public schools of the township during the winter time and in the summer worked on his father's farm. Having remained at home until he had reached his majority, Mr. Forlow rented a farm for one year and when he was twenty-two years old was married, June 6, 1879, to Florence R. James, a native of Burlington township, born
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on October 15, 1859. Mrs. Forlow was the daughter of James C. and Mar- cella (Wickard) James. Mrs. Forlow's grandfather, James James, was born in Wales. Her father, James C. James, was married in Butler county, Ohio, and after his marriage emigrated to Carroll county, where he spent the remainder of his life. At the time of their marriage, Mrs. Forlow had a good common-school education, having attended the country schools of Burlington township.
Of the two children born to Mr. and Mrs. Forlow, one died in infancy. William W., the other child, who was born on April 29, 1881, graduated from the common schools and married Anna Little. They have two chil- dren : Montes B., born on March 1, 1903, and Fred D., born on December 9, 1906. Mr. and Mrs. William W. Forlow live in Burlington township.
While Daniel S. Forlow votes the Democratic ticket, he has never taken any particular part in politics. He is prominent in fraternal circles in Bur- lington, being a member of Burlington Lodge No. 111, Free and Accepted Masons, and of Burlington Lodge No. 129, Knights of Pythias. Mrs. For- low is a member of the Christian church at Burlington.
TONY BECKNER.
Tony Beckner, a well-known young man of Flora, Indiana, who is a stockholder and a bookkeeper for the Flora Saw-mill Company, is a native of Carroll county, Indiana, born on October 1, 1878.
Mr. Beckner is the son of Martin V. and Viola (See) Beckner, the former of whom was reared on the old homestead farm in Jackson town- ship, where his son. Tony, was later born. Martin V. Beckner was born on June 12, 1837, and was the son of John and Nancy (Allen) Beckner, the former of whom was an early settler in Carroll county and a prosperous farmer. Both John and Nancy ( Allen) Beckner died in this county. They had several children.
Reared on a farm in Jackson township, Martin V. Beckner received a common-school education. He was a successful farmer and owned one hundred and twenty acres of land in Jackson township. A member of the Methodist Episcopal church, he was an enthusiastic and liberal supporter of religious enterprises. He was a member of the Masonic lodge and affiliated with the Democratic party. Shortly before his death, in 1905, he was a Democratic nominee and was elected to the office of county commissioner,
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but died before the begining of his term of office. His widow is now living in Jackson township, on the old homestead farm. They had five children, two of whom, Frank and Tony, are living. Frank is a farmer in Jackson township. Tony is the subject of this sketch. Effie died in September, 1915.
Tony Beckner was also reared on the Jackson township farm. He graduated from the Flora high school, with the class of 1898, and after- wards took a business course at Indianapolis. For the next three years after leaving the business college he was engaged in farming, but in 1901 associated himself with the Flora Saw-mill Company, where he has ever since been situated.
Mr. Beckner was married in 1901 to May Voorhees, the daughter of John and Josephine (Towers) Voorhees, both of whom are living in Mon- roe township. Mr. and Mrs. Beckner were married on November 19, 1901, and, as the fruit of their marriage, have had two children, namely: Ken- neth, born on August 5, 1907; and Mary J., born on July 25, 1913.
Mr. and Mrs. Beckner are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Flora, Indiana. He is a member of the official board and has served as superintendent of the Sunday school for five years. Mr. and Mrs. Beckner are active workers in both the Sunday school and the church. A Democrat in politics, like his father before him, he has always been active in local and political .affairs, and is prominent in the councils of his party in this town- ship. He is an upright and honorable citizen and well known in the county where he was born and where he has spent all his life.
JOHN DELAPLANE.
The subject of this sketch, John Delaplane, has conducted his farming and his occupational pursuits along original lines. Such men, in their per- sonality and achievement, are inspirations to those who follow, for they always set a high standard of excellence. John Delaplane, prominent farmer and stock raiser, lives on rural route No. 2, Camden, Indiana, on his farm consisting of upwards of one hundred and six and a half acres of land in Washington township, on what is called the "Plain Dell Farm." He was born in Butler county, Ohio, on November 17, 1858.
His parents are William and Sarah (Zinn) Delaplane. His father's family originally came from Maryland and its representatives have lived in
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this country many years. William, who was born in Butler county, Ohio, was the son of James Delaplane, who migrated from Maryland to Ohio when the latter state was young in its history. He bought a farm from the government and lived and died there; frequently compelled to defend him- self and his property from attacks by the Indians. William grew up on his father's farm and was married to Sarah Zinn, also a resident of Butler county. She was a daughter of John Zinn, who was an early settler in Indiana from Ohio. William and Sarah continued to live in Ohio for some time before they moved to the Hoosier state. They first lived in Darke county, then in Cass county, east of Logansport. Here Mr. Delaplane, the father of John, bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in 1873. He increased this to two hundred and forty-five acres and here spent the remain- der of his life, dying on August 20, 1892. His wife died on May 12, 1911.
Their eight children lived to honor the memory of parents who lived honest, upright lives. Seven of these children grew to maturity. Mary, the first born, is the deceased wife of Emanuel Yeiver, of Cass county; John, the subject of this sketch is the third born. Margaret is the wife of Dougal F. Coons, of Cass county, in which county her brother William died. Anna, who never married, is also deceased; Bertha is Mrs. William Cook, of Cass county; Ollie May died while young. Mrs. Delaplane's father and mother were born in New Carlisle, Clark county, Ohio, and were married in Peru, Indiana. He was a carpenter and having followed his trade for several years in Peru, moved his family to a farm on Eel river, Cass county. He lived there until 1901, when he retired and moved to Logansport, where he died on April 16, 1911. His wife lives with her daughter, Mrs. John Dela- plane, the subject of this brief biography. The other children born to them were: Hattie, who died in October, 1913; and Charles, who was a railroad engineer at Logansport, and died on March 27, 1911.
John Delaplane lived at home until his marriage, receiving the usual common-school education. On February 19, 1885, he and India Gallahan were married, she being the daughter of George W. and Sarah (Cockley) Gallahan, of Cass county. Following their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Dela- plane took up farm life for several years on a rented farm, where Mr. Dela- plane became successful enough to enable him to become the possessor of the farm on which he now lives. They have two children. Grace, the eldest child, became the wife of Roy Mckinney, who lives west of his father-in- law's farm in Washington township. Mrs. McKinney graduated from the Deer Creek high school and subsequently took the classical course at Val-
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paraiso College. Lionel, the son, remained at home to help his father on the farm.
Mr. and Mrs. Delaplane occupy a prominent place in the community. They are members of the Presbyterian church at Deer Creek, where he has been a trustee of the church for several years. Both are actively interested in Sunday school work. Mr. Delaplane belongs to the Tribe of Ben-Hur at Logansport. He has always voted the Republican ticket.
The world is in need of such men as he whose career has only been touched upon here. In all the relations of life, Mr. Delaplane has exhibited those traits of character best described by the word, stalwart. Strong in mind and body, he has been true to the ideals inculcated in a home of pious parentage, and has become a type of man worthy of emulation and esteem.
SAMUEL W. STERRETT.
The gentleman whose name appears above is one of the prominent citizens of Rock Creek township and is the father of a large and well-known family.
Samuel W. Sterrett, farmer, Rockfield, Indiana, was born on February 12, 1849, on the old Wilson farm on the banks of the Wabash river, in Rock Creek township, and is a son of James and Elizabeth (Wilson) Sterrett. He was reared on the home farm and attended the public schools at Logans- port, Indiana. Mr. Sterrett has always been a prosperous and well-to-do agriculturist, and is the present proprietor of the famous "Water Melon Farm," consisting of one hundred and sixty acres, situated three and a half miles north of Rockfield, on route No. I. He is an earnest Republican, but has never taken any part in politics. Fraternally, he is a member of Mt. Zion Lodge No. 211, Free and Accepted Masons, and is a large stockholder in the telephone company and the elevators at Rockfield.
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