USA > Indiana > Cass County > History of Cass County, Indiana : From the earliest time to the present > Part 63
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HENRY KRAMER, dealer in general merchandise, Royal Centre, Ind., is a native of Fairfield County, Ohio, where he was born August 1, 1837. His father, Lewis Kramer, is also a native of Fairfield County, Ohio, and was born February 4, 1817. His parents, Lewis and Margaret Kramer, were both natives of Lancas- ter County, Penn., where the father was born in December, 1779, and the mother in December, 1776. They were married in Lancaster County, Penn., and from thence moved to Fairfield County, Ohio, where they afterward resided until their deaths. They were the parents of eight children, viz. : Jacob, George, Sarah, Polly, Adam, Margaret, Christina and Lewis, the father of our subject. He was married in Fairfield County, Ohio, October 5, 1837, to Miss
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.
Elizabeth, daughter of George and Hannah (Myers) Benadum. She was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, August 16, 1820. In the fall of 1865 Mr. Lewis Kramer and family moved to Cass County, Ind., settling upon the same farm on which he at present resides, in Section 23, Boone Township, where he has lived since. He has had born to him fourteen children, viz .: Almina, Aaron, Emma, Hannah M., Eliza, Martha E., Joshua, William, Adeline, Mary, Minerva, Elizabeth, Clement L. V. and Henry, our subject, the eld- est member of the family. He was married in Fairfield County, Ohio, January 10, 1857, to Sarah, daughter of Henry and Margaret (Bumbarger) Heller. She was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, July 29, 1837. In 1865, Mr. Henry Kramer, in company with his parents, moved to Cass County. Ind., and settled at Royal Centre, and engaged in grocery business for about two years, after which he rented what is known as the Laselle tract of land in White County, where he moved and engaged in farming and stock-raising until 1871, in which year he moved to Logansport, Ind., and engaged in butchering business. His wife died April 3, 1872, and on Febru- ary 23, 1873, he wedded Anna Mclaughlin, and in July of that year he moved to Boone Township, where he purchased a farm in Section 14, upon which he resided until 1883, in which year he moved to Royal Centre, and in the following year began the mer- cantile business again, which he has since continued. He has had born to him nine children, viz .: William J., Sylvester (deceased), Douglass, Elizabeth R., Minerva (deceased ), an infant son (de- ceased). Clara, Daisy D. and Lewis.
JOHN W. LAYNE, one of Cass County's extensive farmers and wide-awake and enterprising men, was born in Campbell County, Va .. October 12, 1836. His parents, Orrison V. and Mary (Organ) Layne, were also both natives of Campbell County, Va., where they were married and resided until death. They were the parents of eleven children, viz .: Louisa M., William H., David O., Robert F., John W., Edward D., Richard L., Alice, Ida and two that died in in infancy and not named. John W., our subject, in 1853, came to Laporte, Ind., where he clerked in a store three years, after which he returned to Campbell County, Va., and remained until the spring of 1857, when he again returned to Laporte, Ind., purchased a stock of goods, and engaged in mercantile business until 1860. He was united in marriage, at Logansport, Ind., May 10, 1864, to Elizabeth J., daughter of Dr. George M. and Margaret ( Weakley ) Jerolaman; she was born at Logansport, Ind., September 14, 1842. In 1872 Mr. Layne settled on the farm where he now resides, in Boone Township, known as the old Jerolaman tract of land, which consists of 860 acres of fine and well improved prairie land, which his wife became heiress to upon her father's death. She also owns a half interest in a large cotton plantation in Louisiana. Mr. and Mrs.
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Layne are the parents of four children, viz .: George W., born May 29, 1865; Walter E., born January 9, 1867, and died September 5, 1877; Guy M., born September 18, 1868, and died December 11, 1869; and Grace I., born December 8, 1869.
CURTIS LONG is a native of Sussex County, Del., where he was born January 6, 1825. His parents, John and Sarah (Tingle) Long, were also natives of Sussex County, Del., where they were married, and from thence, in 1827, moved to Preble County, Ohio, where the mother died, and the father, in 1833, moved to Cass County, Ind., where he married a Miss Mary E. Sizor and resided until death. He was the father of eight children, viz .: Peter, Will- iam, Mary, Edward, Curtis, Ann and Eliza, by first wife, and John by second wife. Curtis, our subject, came with his father to Cass County in 1833, and when seventeen years of age he went to Logans- port, where he learned the carpenter's trade, which he afterward en- gaged in for twelve years. He was united in marriage, in Clay Township, this county, September 2, 1847, to Catherine, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Copenhauer) Etmier. She was born in Huntingdon County, Penn., December 7, 1821. After Mr. Curtis Long's marriage, he first settled in Clay Township, where he resid- ed until 1849, when he moved to Logansport and resided there un- til the spring of 1855, at which time he moved to Boone Township and settled upon the same farm on which he now lives, in Section 1, which he had purchased in the fall previous. He owns at pres- ent 200 acres of fine and well improved land, 160 acres of which lies in Boone Township, and 40 acres in Pulaski County. He had born to him five children, viz .: William, born July 8, 1848; Claris- sa, born February 15, 1850; Margaret, born October 6, 1852; John, born March 4, 1855; Arabella, born March 20, 1858. Mr. Long and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
HON. JAMES THOMAS, M. D., is a native of Baltimore, Md., where he was born December 4, 1828. His parents, John and Mary M. (Burtouline) Thomas, were natives of Maryland and France. The former, John Thomas, was born in Baltimore, Md., April 6, 1783. His parents, John and Eleanor Thomas, were natives of Wales and Scotland, and immigrated to the United States in an early day, settling at Baltimore, Md., where he engaged in the banking business and afterward resided until death. They were the parents of six children, of whom John, the father of our subject, was the eldest. He was educated at Baltimore, Md., and for a num- ber of years engaged in book-keeping there, but subsequently went to New Orleans, La., where he engaged in the mercantile business, and was there united in marriage, September 26, 1806, to the above Mary M. Burtouline, who was born in France October 29, 1790, and was a daughter of Joseph and Eve Burtouline. After Mr. John Thomas was united in marriage, he subsequently moved to Balti-
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more, Md., where he resided until 1832, in which year he moved to Fayette County, Ind., where he purchased land and engaged in farming, and resided until 1840, when he moved to Wabash County, Ind., where he died December 3, 1864. His widow afterward made her home with her children until death, which occurred August 22, 1875. They were the parents of twelve children, viz .: Joseph B .. John, Eleanor, Oliver W., Felix B., Rosetta, Elizabeth, James, Alexander, and three who died in infancy and not named. James, our subject, moved with his parents to Fayette County, Ind., and until his sixteenth year remained upon the farm with them, dur- ing which time he attended the district schools of the vicinity. He then attended the high schools of Connersville, and in 1847 began reading medicine at Laurel, Franklin Co., Ind., under the instruc- tion of Dr. William Kitchen, with whom he remained about two and a half years as a student. He then formed a partnership with Dr. Kitchen and engaged in the practice of medicine with him at that place about six months. He then went to Wabash County, Ind .. where he opened up a practice, which he continued at that place about nine months. He then went to Winamac, Ind., and formed a partnership with his brother. Dr. F. B. Thomas, and engaged in the practice of medicine at that place about four years. He was mar- ried near Royal Centre, Ind., May 24, 1857. to Rachel A., daughter of Moses L. and Rachel Washburn. In February, 1858, Dr. Thomas moved to Royal Centre and resumed the practice of medicine, which he has since continued at that place. He lost his wife by death May 30, 1858, and he was again married, May 14, 1859. to Mary A. Kistler, by whom he had one child born to him, James, deceased. This wife died February 12, 1860. He then married his present wife, Elizabeth Lytle, on February 9, 1861, having born to him, by her, seven children, viz .: Mary (deceased), William, Laura, Ernest, James, and two who died in infancy and not named. Dr. Thomas is an intelligent, wide-a-wake and enterprising citizen, as well as a thorough medical scholar and a successful and eminent physician and surgeon. He is a member of the Cass County Medical Society. and also a member of the Grant County Medical Society. He was elected to the Legislature in 1882.
WILLIAM A. THOMPSON was born in Sussex County, Del., June 13, 1827. His parents, James S. and Nancy (Short) Thomp- son, were also both natives of Sussex County, Del., and were born as follows: The father Jannary 12, 1779, and the mother January 26, 1796. They were married in Sussex County, Del., and from thence, in 1840, moved to Cass County, Ind., where they afterward resided until death, which occurred as follows: The father died May 6, 1844, and the mother December 10, 1870. They were the parents of nine children. viz .: Paynter S., Mary, Isaac W., James H., William A., Nancy E., Nevina W., James H., and Winget C.
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William A., our subject, was married in Boone Township, this county, August 24, 1856, to Sarah J., daughter of Truett and Lupinkster (Marvel) Thompson, and afterward settled upon the same farm on which he now resides, a part of which he had pur- chased previously. He lost his wife by death March 13, 1873, having born to him, by her, ten children, viz .: Nancy E., William P., Sarah A., Utica L., Ida A., Mary, Joseph, John, Earnest and a son who died in infancy and not named. On June 27, 1874, Mr. Thompson married Alice B. Gardner (wife of James Gardner, de- ceased) and daughter of Solomon and Sarah Berkshire, by whom he has had born to him three children, viz .: Anson L., Guy E. and Gracie E. Mr. Thompson owns 120 acres of fine and well im- proved land, He and wife are members of the Dunkard Church.
NELSON TOUSLEY, dealer in general merchandise and grain, Royal Centre, Ind., is a native of Putnam County, Ohio. His par- ents, Royal and Armina (Hubbard) Tousley, were natives of Ver- mont and Canada, where they were born as follows: The father was born in Addison County, June 8, 1804, and the mother August 25, 1808. They were married in Ohio, December 24, 1833, after which they settled in Putnam County, where they resided until 1872, in which year they moved to California, where the father died February 12, 1874. The mother subsequently came to Royal Centre, Ind., where she died April 19, 1882. They were the par- ents of nine children, viz .: Polly, born December 28, 1834; Hannah, born September 30, 1836; Lewis, born January 13, 1839; Ann, born February 1, 1841; Thomas, born June 23, 1843; Martha, born July 29, 1846; James, born July 9, 1848; Harriet, born February 8, 1851, and Nelson, our subject, born January 4, 1854. In 1881 he came to Royal Centre, Ind., and began mercantile business, which he has continued, and since 1883 has dealt extensively in grain. He was married at Royal Centre, Ind., April 18, 1883, to Rachel C., daughter of Hiram and Maria (Carter) Harvey. She was born in Carroll County, Ind., April 14, 1864. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Tousley, viz .: Nellie, May 8, 1884; William L., November 21, 1885. Mr. Tousley is an enterpris- ing and highly esteemed citizen, a wide-a-wake and accommodat- ing business man.
DANIEL WEYAND, one of the old and highly esteemed pio- neers of Cass County, Ind., is a native of Lebanon County, Penn., where he was born May 11, 1807. His parents, Henry and Eliza- beth (Wiser) Weyand, were also both natives of Pennsylvania, where they were born as follows: The father in Berks County February 28, 1764, and the mother in Burks County September 6, 1767. They were married in Bucks County, and afterward settled in Lebanon County, where they resided until 1812, in which year they removed to Northumberland County, Penn., where they after-
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ward resided until their deaths. The father died November 20, 1822, and the mother died February 10, 1826. They were the par- ents of six children, viz .: John, Mary, Elizabeth, Peter, Jonathan and Daniel, our subject, the youngest member of the family, and the only one who now survives. He moved with his parents to Nor- thumberland County, Penn., where he resided until his twenty-sec- ond year, when he went to Marion County, Ohio, where he entered land, and was there married, June 29, 1830, to Eliza, daughter of John and Martha (Sweeney) Beckley. She was born in Dauphin County, Penn., May 19, 1810. After Mr. Weyand's marriage he settled upon his land in Marion County, Ohio, where he resided until the spring of 1836, at which time he moved to Cass County, Ind., and settled upon a part of the same farm on which he now re- sides. He was among the early settlers of Cass County, and well understands the hardships and inconveniences of a pioneer life. He has had born to him eight children, viz .: Isaiah, born June 18, 1831; Israel, born November 13, 1832, and died September 8, 1881; Enoch B., born September 11, 1834; John H., born September 28, 1836; Simon P., born May 9, 1839; Isaac S., born March 21, 1841: George W., born January 31, 1844; Lucy, born June 20, 1847, and died August 2, 1847. Mr. Weyand is an enterprising citizen, well respected by all who know him. Has held many offices of trust, was for nine years trustee of Boone Township, was the first post- master in Boone Township, held the office during the administra- tions of Harrison and Taylor, both for four years.
GEORGE W. WEYAND, trustee of Boone Township, was born in Boone Township, Cass Co., Ind., January 31, 1844, and is a son of Daniel and Eliza (Beckley) Weyand. He enlisted in the service of his country November 23, 1863, in Company F, Twentieth Indi- ana Volunteers, and served until July 12, 1865, when he was dis- charged and returned home. He was married in Boone Township, this county, December 30, 1867, to Mina, daughter of Lewis and Elizabeth (Benadum) Kramer, and soon settled upon the same farm on which he at present resides. He owns 108 acres of fine and highly improved land. Mr. Weyand has had born to him five children, viz .: Delina A., born June 20, 1869, and died March 9. 1874; Lizzie M., born August 25, 1870, and died March 18, 1874; Morris A., born December 20, 1872; Addie B., born February 23, 1874, and Aaron H., born July 31, 1875. Mr. Weyand was elected trustee of Boone Township in 1884, and re-elected in 1886.
HENRY WIRWAHN, is a native of Prussia, Germany, and was born April 3, 1812. His parents, Henry and Catherine (Dornsef) Wirwahn, were also both natives of Prussia, Germany, and were born as follows: The father in the year 1784, and the mother in 1774. They were married in the same kingdom, in the year 1801, and resided there until their deaths, which occurred as follows: The
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mother died in the year 1840, and the father in 1855. They were the parents of seven children, viz. : John, Catherine, Henry, Andrew, Frederick, William and Conrad. Henry, our subject, was married in Germany in June, 1840, to Elizabeth Shaffer, who was born March 12, 1814. In 1842, Mr. Wirwahn, our subject, immigrated to the United States, landing at New York City on August 7 of that year, having started from Germany June 7 previous. Soon after his arri- val at New York he went to Buffalo, where he engaged in shoe- making, having learned the trade in Germany, which he followed for a number of years. In June, 1844, he immigrated to Cass County, Ind., and settled in Boone Township, where he has resided since. He landed in Cass County, with a wife and two children, with the small sum of $2.50, and with well directed industry and energy he managed to support his family, and accumulate little by little until, in 1846, he purchased forty acres of land in Section 9, Boone Town- ship, for which he paid $103. He erected on it a small log cabin, to which he moved and began to subdue and improve his wild land, which was then a dense forest of heavy timber and underbrush. He subse- quently entered forty acres more of land adjoining it, which he also improved, and in all made one of the finest farms in Boone Town- ship, upon which he resided until 1875, when he moved to Royal Centre, Ind., where he has since lived. His wife died October 17, 1877, having borne to him seven children, viz .: John, Susan (deceased), Henry, Andrew, Amos (deceased), Pauline and Chris- topher. Mr. Wirwahn is a highly esteemed citizen. He is a mem- ber of the German Lutheran Church.
AMOS WISELEY, an old and highly esteemed pioneer of Cass County, is a native of Fairfield County, Ohio, where he was born September 30, 1813. His parents, Edward and Leah (Tomlinson) Wiseley, were both natives of Pennsylvania, and from thence immi- grated to Fairfield County, Ohio, in the year 1800, where they were united in marriage and afterward resided until their deaths. They were the parents of fifteen children, viz .: William, Jesse, Rachel, Mary, Amos, Phebe, Henry, Sarah, Elizabeth, Malinda, Leah, Rhoda, Harriet, Neoma and Isaac N. Amos, our subject, was united in marriage, in Fairfield County, Ohio, August 28, 1846, to Elizabeth, daughter of Abraham and Elizabeth (Muck) Eversole. She was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, July 15, 1824. In Sep- tember, 1846, Mr. Amos Wiseley immigrated to Cass County, Ind., and settled first upon land in Section 5, Boone Township, which was then owned by Henry Wiseley. He resided here until he erected a house, which consisted of hewed logs, on his own land, in Section 4, Boone Township, which he had entered previously; here he then settled and has resided since. He has had born to him five children, viz. : Leah L. M., born October 3, 1847, and died February 13, 1853; Isaac N., born June 15, 1849, and died October 28, 1866; Elizabeth,
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born December 15, 1850, and died November 29, 1866; Henry, born July 22, 1855, and died November 3, 1866; William E., born Sep- tember 23, 1862.
CHAPTER XI.
CLAY TOWNSHIP-DRAINAGE-SETTLEMENT-LAND ENTRIES-MILLS AND OTHER INDUSTRIES-CHURCHES-OLD TOWN-ADAMSBORO-SPRINGDALE ETC .- BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHIES.
C (LAY TOWNSHIP, named in honor of Kentucky's great states- man, Henry Clay, embraces a scope of territory, lying north- east of Logansport, and forms part of Congressional Township 27 north, Range 2 east. It is bounded on the north by Bethlehem Township, on the east by Adams, on the south by Eel River and the city of Logansport, and on the west by the township of Noble. The surface of the country is pleasantly diversified, being com- paratively level in the northern and western parts, and gently undulating in the central and southern portions. There is some hilly land in the eastern part, along Spring Creek, but none too broken for cultivation. The township is well watered and drained by a number of streams which traverse it in various directions, chief among which are Lick and Spring Creeks. The former flows in a southerly direction through the central part of the township, and empties into Eel River from Section 21. The latter flows a south- easterly course through the eastern part, and empties into Eel River . at the village of Adamsboro. These are both streams of consider- able importance and furnished water-power for many of the early industries of the township. Clay is a rich agricultural district and in point of material prosperity will compare very favorably with any other division of the county.
Settlement .- Clay Township, bordering as it does on the city of Logansport, was settled in a very early day, and the first comer of which there is any definite knowledge was Elder John Scott, who made a tour of the country in 1827, and selected a site for a home on which is now the Conden farm in Section 20.
After locating his claim, Mr. Scott returned to Delaware Coun- ty, and the following year moved his family to their new home in
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the unbroken wilderness of the new country. This, from the most reliable information, appears to have been the first settlement in Cass County north of Eel River. Mr. Scott made a few improve- ments and raised one crop, after which he was compelled to aban- don his home on account of the validity of a previous claim to the land. He moved a short distance east, settling in Section 16, and subsequently (1835) located the farm now owned and occupied by his son, Nelson Scott, in the northeast corner of the township. Elder Scott was a native of Kentucky, and a man of more than ordinary intelligence. He was one of the first ministers of the Christian Church in Cass County, and died September, 1836. Alex- ander Scott, brother of the preceding, came to the township the same year, and made a temporary settlement on the Conden farm. He subsequently moved to Noble Township, and his name will be found in connection with the history of that division of the county. Before the close of 1828 three other settlers and their families were living in the township. These were Samuel Ward, Daniel Fuller and George Richardson, all of whom located in Section 16. In November, 1829, Joshua Shields made a settlement on what is now the county farm, and the same year improvements were made in various parts of the township by "Jack" Smith, Henry Miller, Reuben Covert and Joseph Sellers. In 1830 the population was increased by several additions, among whom were Joseph Douglass, who settled the farm where he is still living; William Fallis, on the farm in possession of his heirs; Peter Miller, on the Orwin farm; John Hamilton, on the Flory farm; James Tucker, in Section 23; Leonard Sutherland, near Adamsboro, where George Coons now lives; George Smith, near the central part of the township; Solo- mon Kelley, on the Thomas farm; Zera Sutherland, on the place now owned by John Morris in Section 15; Gillis McBean, on the Skelton place; Charles Demoss, on the farm owned at the present time by Alden Cook; and others whose names were not learned. As early as 1831-32 there were living in the township, additional to those mentioned, the following settlers: William Demoss, on the Horn farm; George Julian, in Section 16; Moses Barnett, in Sec- tion 23; Noah Vandeveer, in Section 20; James McClung, in Sec- tion 8; Archibald McGrue, in Section 22; John Shields, on a part of the county farm; John Murphy, on the Simpson place; William Murphy, on the LaRose farm; John Sutton, where Benjamin
27
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.
Campbell now lives, and W. Buzan, on the Flory place. Among others who became residents as early as 1833-34 were William Ackright, John Hornady, James Heddens, John Plummer, Jacob Hall, Joseph Hall, William Sutherland, John L. Smith, Walter Wilson, John Hill, William Rogers, Nathan Julian, Jonathan Wash- ington, Philip LaRose, Maj. Bell, Samuel Swigart, Henry Rush, Elihu Plummer and others. Soon after 1834 many changes began to occur, and it will be impossible to give a list of all the early set- tlers in the order of their arrival. The following, however, may be appropriately mentioned as early residents, to wit: Daniel Cox, Benjamin Enyart, Ephraim Dukes, Alexander Wilson, Jesse Julian, Edward Johnson, N. Castle, Jacob Julian, James Rush, Conrad Martin, Solomon Kelly, Jacob Bowman, John Close, James Burnett, William Scott, Jesse Buzan, John Simpson, William Nelson, Josiah Butler, David Miller, John Rennick, Thomas Youngblood, Samuel Hunter and John Ward.
Land Entries .- The first entries of land in Clay Township were made in 1830 by Jacob R. Hall in Section 5; Peter Miller, Section 3; James Rush, Section 11; Benjamin Coffman and David Miller, in Section 13, Nancy Barnett and' John Barr, in Section 22, and John Tipton, Section 8. The entries of 1831 and 1832 were made by Benjamin Enyart, Section 6; John Hill, Section 6; Alexander Wil- son, Section 6; William Fallis, Section 6; Jacob Bowman, Section 14; Jordan Vigus, Section 16, and William Scott, Section 22.
Between the years 1832 and 1836 the following persons pur- chased land from the Government, viz .: Josiah Butler, John Scott, John Simpson, W. E. Wright, Jonathan Washington, Nathan Julian, Philip J. LaRose, Samuel Ward, Joseph Sellers, G. W. Miller, Burrows & Westlake, Ephraim Dukes, Eli Jackson, Noah Van- deveer, James Heddens, John Ward, David Dillman, Edsall & Pritchard, Samuel Dillman, Henry S. Miller, James H. Bird, Zara Sutherland, John Rennick, John Close, George Julian, James Bur- nett, Job Eldridge and Joseph Douglass.
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