USA > Indiana > Cass County > History of Cass County Indiana : From its earliest settlement to the present time with biographical sketches and reference to biographies previously compiled, Volume II > Part 51
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the old homestead, which he manages; he married Mary Smith, and has one son : Bruce. The latter married Elizabeth Emrick, and has two children, Emerson and Esther.
H. B. SEAWARD. One of the leading industries of Cass county is that pertaining to the handling of grain, and the town of Galveston, situated in the midst of a great agricultural community, and possessed of admir- able transportation facilities, is an important point in the activities being carried on in this line. Here is situated the Galveston Grain Com- pany, an enterprise which has shown a steady and continuous growth during the past several years, the general manager of which, H. B. Seaward, is numbered among the energetic and progressive young busi- ness men of his part of the county. Mr. Seaward has risen to his present position of prestige through the medium of his own ability and per- severing effort, as he started his career at the bottom of the ladder without influential friends or capital, and has gained success by steady application along well-directed lines.
H. B. Seaward was born March 6, 1882, in Howard county, Indiana, and is a son of C. F. and Dora A. (Hansell) Seaward. His father, an agriculturist by vocation, carried on operations for many years in Howard county, where he attained a fair measure of success. He had five children : H. B., E. B., R. P., Madella and Mildred. H. B. Sea- ward was educated in the district schools of his native vicinity, and dur- ing the summer months in his boyhood assisted his father in the various duties of the homestead, it being his parents' intention that he should follow in the footsteps of his father and take up agricultural work. The young man had different ideas, however, believing that he could better make use of his abilities in other lines than tilling the soil, and when he was nineteen years of age he left the parental roof and secured a position with the Kokomo, Marion & Western Street Car and Electric Light Company. In this capacity, however, he remained only a short time, subsequently turning his attention to the grain business. He has had no reason to regret his choice, for within a few short years he has risen to the management of a flourishing enterprise, which carries on a trade that covers a wide contiguous territory in Cass county, and the business of which is steadily increasing under his efficient direction. He is able, alert, shrewd and possessed of much acumen, but his transac- tions have been carried on in such a manner that his integrity has been unquestioned, and among his associates he has gained wide confidence and respect. He has been too busy with the management of his personal affairs to think of entering the political arena as a seeker after public preferment, but has not been indifferent to the duties of citizenship, and has at all times shown an active interest in all matters that pertain to the welfare of his adopted community, and has endeavored to assist in forwarding good government and good citizenship. His fraternal con- nection is with the local lodge of Masons, in which he numbers numerous friends. With his wife, Mr. Seaward attends the Methodist Episcopal church.
On March 21, 1901, Mr. Seaward was united in marriage with Miss Minnie R. Morris, daughter of Thomas and Sarah Morris, and to this union there has been born one child: Esther.
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FRANK H. THOMAS. As proprietor of the largest general merchandise store in Galveston, Mr. Thomas has a place of recognized leadership in this section of Cass county, and by his own career has maintained and increased the high prestige belonging to the Thomas family in Cass county since the earliest time. He is representative of the third genera- tion of the Thomases in that part of the state.
Mr. Frank H. Thomas was born in the city of Logansport, April 15, 1853. He is a son of Meredith H. and Harriet A. (Knowlton) Thomas. The history of the Thomas family in Indiana begins with Minor Thomas, who was a native of Connecticut, and of Welsh origin. In 1819, with his wife, he migrated to Indiana and settled in Fayette county, where he was especially well known as a Baptist minister, though he also owned a farm. It was on this pioneer homestead in Fayette county, that his son Hewitt L. Thomas, grandfather of the Galveston merchant, was reared. Hewitt L. Thomas was born in New York state April 27, 1805. During his youth he managed to get some college training and followed teaching and farming for a number of years. In 1836 he came from Fayette county to Clinton township in Cass county, where he made his home until 1853, at which time he moved to Noble township in this county. From 1855 to 1865 he was engaged in the lumber business and as a merchant in the state of Minnesota, and then returned to Cass county and was a resident of Galveston for many years. He was in the insurance business during most of the time and was prominent in local affairs. He married in 1826 Charlotte Helm, who was born in Kentucky August 26, 1808, and was of Scotch and English descent. Her father had been a soldier under General Harrison during the war of 1812, and had been one of the early settlers of Kentucky who had to contend against the difficulties of nature and against the hostilities of the Indian tribes. Hewitt L. Thomas, who with his wife, was a devoted member of the Baptist church, was one of the organizers of that church at Galveston and served as its sexton for twenty-two years. A Repub- lican in politics, he served as justice of the peace, and for ten years was associate judge, was a township trustee, and during his residence in Minnesota was state senator. He was president of the first agricultural society organized in Cass county, and had numerous places of trust and responsibility thrust upon him during his long and influential career. His death occurred October 23, 1895. His wife survived until July 3,. 1898, passing away at the age of ninety years. They were the parents of three sons, Meredith H., Minor T., and William H. The second son became a distinguished officer of the Civil war, joining the Union army in Minnesota, being chosen second lieutenant, and then advanced to first lieutenant, serving on the frontier during the Indian troubles in the Northwest; and after his troops were transferred to the main scene of conflict, he was promoted to colonel of the Eighth Minnesota. In
the latter part of the war he commanded an expedition into the far Northwest among the Indians of the upper Missouri, but returned south in time to accompany General Sherman on his march through the Caro- linas. At the close of the war he was commissioned a brigadier-general. The other son, William H. Thomas, was also a captain in the Union army, and subsequently for many years a prominent physician in Indianapolis.
Meredith H. Thomas, father of the Galveston business man, was born
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in Fayette county, Indiana, November 20, 1826, and was reared in Cass county. He began his career in 1845 in a general store at Logansport, but in 1855 accompanied the family to Minnesota, where he became identified with lumbering and merchandising. In 1865, on his return to Cass county, he located at Galveston, where he had a general mer- chandise store up to the time of his death. On January 14, 1896, he also established the Galveston Bank, an institution which has an impor- tant part in the commercial history of this town. A large grain elevator was erected by him in 1879. His career was of the kind which is not only successful from a private point of view, but adds to the general prosperity of the community. During the Civil war he had offered his services, but on account of physical disability they were rejected. In politics he was a Whig, then a Republican, and for some years prior to his death was a Prohibitionist. He was also one of the organizers of the Baptist church of Galveston, and from the beginning had served as deacon. His death occurred at his home in Galveston, July 24, 1898. He was married October 16, 1851, to Harriet A. Knowlton. Their five children were as follows: Frank H .; Charles F. and Daniel W., twins, born February 28, 1856; Claudia B., born May 13, 1866; and Mary B., born September 10, 1869.
Mr. Frank H. Thomas was about two years old when the family moved to Minnesota, and he was brought up on the Northwest frontier, where he attained his early education in the public schools. After the return of the family to Cass county he continued his education in the Logansport high school, and in 1874 was taken into partnership by his father. The other sons were subsequently admitted to the firm and the firm of M. H. Thomas & Son continued until July, 1882, at which time the partnership was dissolved and Frank H. and Charles F. remained as proprietors of the general store. In 1898 Mr. Frank H. Thomas bought out his brother's interest, and has since been sole proprietor. He has three floors devoted to a general merchandise stock, which com- prises every commodity used by the people of this vicinity. He has employed first-class methods of merchandising, and has always been known, as have other members of this family, for a sterling integrity and reliability which has enabled them to command a large business year after year. After his father's death, Mr. Thomas served as president of the Galveston Bank, up to the time it was sold to the First State Bank. an institution of which Dr. Z. U. Loop is president, and H. Z. Carey, cashier.
Mr. Thomas was married September 8, 1875, to Miss Virginia Forrest, who was born in Logansport, December 11, 1855, a daughter of John M. and Rebecca (Longstreth) Forrest. Her father came to Cass county in 1849 by way of canal, and was for many years head miller in the old Wilson mill at Logansport. Mr. Thomas and wife are the parents of one child, Elsie M., who was born September 3, 1878, and who is the wife of H. H. Miller, M. D. Dr. Miller and wife have one son, Forrest Thomas Miller. Mr. Thomas is one of the charter members of the Knights of Pythias lodge in Galveston, and he and his wife are active members of the Baptist church. He has served as township trus- tee, has been president of school board of Galveston since the incorpora- Vol. II-25
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tion of the town, and is one of the most public-spirited and influential citizens of this county.
HENDERSON FICKLE. One of the oldest families in southeastern Cass county is represented by Mr. Henderson Fickle, who is himself a native son of the county and has for many years been well known as a sub- stantial farmer and as a public-spirited citizen, who has given his service in the office of county commissioner and has assisted in every movement for the general improvement and upbuilding of this community.
Mr. Fickle is now retired from the active life of agriculture, but owns a farm of eighty acres in Jackson township. He was born in Jack- son township, Cass county June 3, 1849, and was a son of David T. and Rebecca (Engler) Fickle. David Fickle came from Marion county, Ohio, when a young man, and in company with his father, Daniel Fickle. Daniel Fickle, the grandfather, was the founder of the Fickle settlement in Jackson township of Cass county. David Fickle was the father of nine children, whose names are as follows: Amanda, Mannington, Jane, Emeline, Wilson, Henderson, David, Arminta, and Nora.
Mr. Henderson Fickle was a scholar in the first public school at Galveston and he finished his education in the new academy of that town. During his early youth he worked on the farm and farming has been his occupation throughout his career. At the age of twenty- seven he began his independent career as a renter and finally accumu- lated enough, as a result of his industry and good management, to buy a small tract of land in this township. From that time he has progressed in prosperity and has always enjoyed a secure position in this com- munity. The confidence of his fellow citizens was well shown when they elected him to the office of County Commissioner, and he has held several other minor positions indicative of their trust in his ability.
In 1876 Mr. Fickle married Mary A. Kelly. The six children born to their marriage are as follows: Jesse, now deceased; Fannie, who married Charles Haynes, now deceased, and has one child Margaret; Charles, who resides on his father's farm; Elizabeth, who married David Davis, and has one child Helen; Lola, the wife of Walter King, and the mother of two children Harry and Bernard; and Marie, who is single. Mr. Fickle and family are members of the Catholic church, and he is affiliated with the Knights of Columbus.
HARRY GRAY. Another of the young men of Galveston, Indiana, who have made good in the farming industry in this section is Harry Gray, whose fine place of something like two hundred acres is known as the Joseph Gray home farm. It is situated in the northeast quarter of sec- tion twenty-five, in range two east, and is known for one of the finest places of the township. Mr. Gray was born on May 2, 1878, on his present farm, and is the son of Joseph and Mary A. (Neely) Gray, the father a native of Butler county, Ohio, and the mother a native of Juniata county, Pennsylvania.
Joseph Gray was born in Butler county, Ohio, on December 20, 1830, and came with his parents to Carroll county, Indiana, in 1831. His parents were James and Ruth (Merritt) Gray, and James Gray's
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father, James, was the first of the name to leave Ireland and come to America.
Harry Gray attended the common schools of his native community, later entering Indiana university, and he was graduated from that insti- tution in 1902, in the literary department. Thereafter he taught school and for one year was principal at Lucerne, Indiana.
He was married on December 30, 1903, to Miss Cora Herd, the daughter of William and Martha (Callahan) Herd. William Herd was an Englishman, and was occupied in farming in Harrison township. Mrs. Gray was educated in Logansport, Indiana, high school and Marion (Ind.) Normal, finishing in Indiana University. After the death of his father, Mr. Gray made his home on the old home farm for a time, but has since given up the place, renting it, since the death of his wife, which occurred August 12, 1912, she being struck by lightning. Mr. and Mrs. Gray have two children : Jeanette and Virginia.
Mr. Gray is recognized as one of the most valuable citizens of Gal- veston, and a man who has considerable pride in his community, being public spirited in a high degree, and always willing to aid in any cause promoted in the public welfare.
W. E. LYBROOK, M. D. Few citizens of Young America, Indiana, can lay claim to greater prestige either in length of residence, or posi- tion attained in professional, business or social lines, than Dr. W. E. Lybrook, who for thirty-five years has been numbered among the lead- ing medical practitioners of Cass county. His high attainments and acknowledged ability have brought him before the public in various positions of responsibility and trust, in all of which he has given evi- dence of a profound respect for the duties of citizenship, while his per- sonal character is such that he has gained a wide popularity. Dr. Lybrook is a native of the Hoosier state, born in Union county, Feb- ruary 16, 1850, a son of Daniel and Magdalene Lybrook, natives of Ohio, of German lineage. In 1854 they removed to Cass county, locating on a farm, where Dr. Lybrook spent his boyhood days, frequently assist- ing in the cultivation of the fields and in other labor connected with the planting and harvesting of crops. His early education, acquired in the common schools, was supplemented by a course in the National Normal School, at Lebanon, Ohio, which he attended two years, succeed- ing which he began teaching school in Cass and adjoining counties in Indiana. After following that profession with a large measure of success for some time, Dr. Lybrook entered upon the study of his chosen profession, that of medicine, which from early manhood he had decided upon as his life work. Accordingly, in 1874, he entered the office of Dr. J. W. Powell, of Rockfield, who became his preceptor, and under whose direction he studied for two years. On the expiration of that period he matriculated in the Kentucky School of Medicine, at Louisville, where he was graduated in 1879, with the salutatory honors of the class, and his oration was such a masterly effort that the class ren- dered him a vote of thanks therefor.
On his return to Young America, Dr. Lybrook began the practice of his profession in the vicinity of his old home, and his success in a number of complicated cases soon won the young physician recognition
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and professional business, and as the years have passed his practice has enjoyed a steady increase, until he is now rated among the leading physicians of his part of the county. He subscribes to the leading medi- cal journals of the day, keeping fully abreast of the various advance- ments and discoveries of his profession, and also takes a keen and intelli- gent interest in the work of the various medical organizations. A Dem- ocrat in his political views, he has taken a prominent part in public life. In August, 1883, he was appointed township trustee by the county commissioners to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Thomas Henry, and at the close of that term was elected to the office, the duties of which he discharged with signal ability and promptness. He took particular interest in the improvement of the public highways in his township, and was instrumental in extending the length of the school term from four and one-half to eight months. He was elected to the trustee's office again in 1886, and served for four years. Dr. Lybrook has been interested in fraternal work to some extent, and is a member of Young America Lodge No. 534, A. F. & A. M., and Logans- port Chapter, R. A. M.
On March 19, 1878, Dr. Lybrook was united in marriage with Addie F. Hewitt, who was born in Carroll county, Indiana, September 15, 1861, daughter of Elias and Elizabeth A. Hewitt, and to this union there were born seven children : Ross E., Mary E., Bessie M., Rolland V., Daniel E., Bird and John C.
It is not every son of an industrious father who may gain success in the same field of endeavor which the elder man graces, but it would appear that such has been the case with Dr. Daniel E. Lybrook, son of Dr. W. E. Lybrook. Born December 25, 1884, in Young America, Indiana, he here received his early instruction in the common schools, subsequently attending the high school, where he was graduated. In 1908, he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts from the Indiana University, following which he entered upon a medical course in the Indiana School of Medicine, at Indianapolis, where he received his degree in 1910. Since that time he has been engaged in a successful prac- tice at Young America with his father, and is making rapid strides in his chosen profession.
Dr. Lybrook was married September 27, 1910, to Miss Matilda Brown, of Marion, Indiana, daughter of William and Matilda (Peterson) Brown, and to this union there has been born one child: Elizabeth. Like his father, Dr. Lybrook is a member of the Masonic fraternity, where he has numerous friends. He is respected by his professional brethren, is popular in social circles and highly regarded as a public-spirited citizen who takes a great interest in the welfare of his community and its people.
ROBERT H. Ross, M. D., of Galveston, Indiana, was born in Rocking- ham county, Virginia, and is the son of David and Eliza ( Whitsell) Ross, the former of whom was born in Virginia and was of Scotch-Irish ancestry. He was a United Brethren minister and moved to Indiana in 1861, continning in the ministry up to the time of his death. He was a presiding elder in the church and was a trustee of Westfield College in Illinois, his declining years being passed in Westfield, where
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he died on July 3, 1879. His faithful wife died in Edgar county, Illi- nois, some time previous. These worthy people were the parents of eleven children, of whom the following brief mention is made: Rev. Samuel II., a minister of the United Brethren church, now deceased ; Dr. John H., a prominent physician of Kokomo, Indiana; William H., who also became a physician and is now deceased; Elizabeth, the wife of William Devore; David H., graduate of Westfield College, one time teacher and now in the commercial business at Terre Haute, Indiana ; George H .; Sally, who married John Woods of Westfield, now deceased ; Dr. Robert H., of this review, and Peter. After the death of the mother of these children, Mr. Ross married again, and two daughters were born to him, Ella and Ida, both married.
Robert H. Ross passed his boyhood days upon the home farm and in attendance at the schools of his native community. When he was seventeen years old he attended Westfield College in Illinois, whither the family had removed in recent years. He then commenced the study of medicine, in which his brother John had already engaged in the practice of, and under the tutelage of Dr. John Ross the subject received excellent training in his chosen work. In 1877 he matriculated in the Indiana Medical College at Indianapolis, which in the following year became the medical department of Butler University, and two years after, in 1879, he was graduated and settled at Bennett's Switch, where he engaged in practice. He was located at that point for six years, during which time he played an important part in the varied life of the community. He was identified with the only drug business in the community and filled the office of notary public at the same time, so that his services were in demand from many angles of life's activities. In 1887 he went to Clinton county, remaining two years and then locating in Cassville, where he continued until 1908, with the exception of a three-year period when he was engaged at Kokomo as surgeon with the Plate Glass Company at that place. Since 1908 Galveston has been the headquarters of Dr. Ross, and he is accorded the highest regard in his professional capacity and as a citizen in this community.
Dr. Ross is a member of the County, State and American Medical societies, and maintains a number of memberships in fraternal societies as well. In addition to his professional interests, Dr. Ross is the owner of a fine farm in the county, which has claimed a goodly share of his attention in recent years, and marked him as a man of some versatility.
In 1879 Dr. Ross married Miss Josie I. Shafer, the daughter of an old and honored family of Indiana. Her father, who was John A. Shafer, a native of Indiana, was for many years a prominent merchant of Cassville, filling the office of postmaster for years, as well as other positions of public trust. Mrs. Ross was one of the five chil- dren of her parents.
Three children were born to Dr. and Mrs. Ross, one of whom died in infancy. The others are Dottie and Lulu.
In 1908 Dr. Ross was married a second time, when Mary Campbell, . the daughter of John and Rebecca ( Spencer) Campbell became his wife. No children were born of this latter union. Dr. and Mrs. Ross are mem- bers of the United Brethren church.
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EDWIN A. RUTENBER has achieved distinction in the designing and manufacturing of the first four-cylinder gasoline engine produced in America, and the "Rutenber" motor has a world-wide reputation. Born at Sadorus, Illinois, on August 10, 1876, Mr. Rutenber is remotely descended from German ancestry. He is the youngest of five children born to Darwin and Zelia A. Rutenber, all of whom are living. The father was a carriage maker by trade.
In boyhood Edwin A. Rutenber of this review attended the public schools and college.
He learned carpentering from his grandfather and carriage making from his father, and it is beyond question that he inherited a taste for mechanics from both. He made a study of mechanics, learning the machinist trade thoroughly, and in 1892 or thereabouts, invented a single cylinder motor. This but fathered an ambition within him to- devise a four cylinder motor of commercial value, and for a number of years he worked with that object in view. In 1898 he produced his first four cylinder gasoline motor, also the first to be manufactured in the United States, and the fame of the design spread to foreign parts as well as throughout his native land.
In June, 1902, the Rutenber Manufacturing Company was moved from Chicago to Logansport, and from that time Mr. Rutenber has been a resident of the latter city. The name of his company was later changed to the Western Motor Company, but since July, 1912, it has been the Rutenber Motor Company. At the last mentioned date, Mr. Rutenber disposed of his holdings in the corporation, since which time he has devoted his energies to the manufacture of electric appliances in connection with his other activities.
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