USA > Indiana > Clinton County > History of Clinton County, Indiana : With historical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families, Volume II > Part 31
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CLINTON COUNTY, INDIANA.
receiving a good education in the Frankfort high school and Franklin Col- lege ; Mary, born September 28, 1878, died in 1882; MeDade, born December 15, 1881, died in 1882.
Bertrand D. Ogle, the husband of Marthia Merrick, was born September 3, 1872, in Elizabethtown, Indiana, and was the son of John and Rachael H. (Lough) Ogle. John S. Ogle was born October 9, 1844, in Williamstown, Kentucky, and was the son of John and Amanda Ogle. He died February 5, 1913. In his early life he came with his parents to Westport, Bartholo- mew county, Indiana, from which place he moved to Clinton county in 1873. In 1893 he entered the mercantile business at Forest, which he continued for a period of fifteen years, after which he retired to his farm. On August Io, 1865, he was united in marriage with Rachael Lough, and to this union were born : Bertrand D., Mrs. Lee Kelly, of Talbot and Earl C., of Moran. Mrs. Ogle died on July 12, 1905 ; she was born November 3, 1846.
Bertram Ogle received a common school education in the schools of Forest township, and then was in the general merchandise business at Forest for fifteen years, and was very successful in this undertaking. For the last four years, however, Mr. Ogle has farmed, owning one hundred and twenty . acres of tillable and fertile land. All is well improved, tiled, etc., with the exception of eight acres. Mr. Ogle belongs to the Masonic Order at Forest, and takes an active part in the fraternal life of the town. Religiously, he is a Baptist and politically he is a Democrat, serving on the advisory board at the present time in Forest township.
On April 29, 1903, Mr. Ogle was married to Martha L. Merrick, the daughter of John Merrick of this sketch. No children have been born to this union.
IRA H. BEARD.
One of the best known and most representative agriculturists of War- ren township, Clinton county, is Ira H. Beard, a man who has worked hard and managed well at the same time has so ordered his ways that he has avoided offense to those with whom he has had dealings or come into con- taet with in any way, being a man with proper conceptions regarding right and wrong and one who believes in following the precepts of the Golden Rule in the every-day affairs as near as possible, consequently he has ever enjoyed the confidence of his neighbors and acquaintances. Mr. Beard has turned his attention to his farming interests, but he has more than once
MR. AND MRS. IRA H. BEARD.
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CLINTON COUNTY, INDIAN.1.
proved that he has the capacity for most any kind of business to which he cares to direct his attention.
Ira H. Beard was born on April 14, 1865, in Warren township, this county, in the old Beard homestead, and was the son of Adam and Mary (Sheets) Beard. Adam Beard was born October 15, 1828 in the state of Virginia, in Washington county, and he was six years old when he left the Old Dominion with his honored parents, crossed the Wabash river in wagons, and settled in Clinton county. He undertook the usual occupation of the pioneer-farming, and he made a success from the start, although he was compelled to work hard and redeem his farm from the wilderness. The mother of our subject was born December 24, 1831, in Virginia also, and she died April 11, 1904. Mr. Beard passed from this life October 18, 1904. Eight children were born of this union: Sarah, married Baltzer Gordon; Louisa A., Margaret C., Phillip M., Mary J., Rebecca, Ira H., and James A.
Ira H. Beard attended the common schools, and later the high school at Frankfort, so that the advantages of a fairly good education were his. Naturally, he took up farming immediately after his departure from school, and in the agricultural profession he has continued ever since, also has confined his endeavors within the limits of Warren township. He owns fifty-three and one-half acres in this township, all of which is tillable but four or five acres. Mr. Beard farms a total of two hundred and eighty acres, all of which is well improved in every respect. He raises an excellent grade of live stock-Jersey cows, Poland-China and Duroc hogs, Hamiltonian driving horses, and general purpose animals. Fraternally, Mr. Beard is a member of the Woodmen of the World lodge at Frankfort, and is a Mason at Middlefork. He has been very prominent in the affairs of the Methodist Protestant church, having held office in that institution. In politics, Mr. Beard is a Democrat, and in 1908 was elected trustee of Warren township, Clinton county, and in this capacity he is now serving with much satisfaction to his constituents.
On October 3, 1886, Mr. Beard was married to Mary L. Kreisher, who was born in Clinton county on September 13, 1866, the daughter of Selby and Margaret (Thompson) Kreisher, natives of Indiana. Mrs. Beard's father was a farmer all of his life, and in politics, a Democrat. To this felicitous union there has been born seven children, namely: Asa L., married Neva Walter, live in Terre Haute, attending State Normal School; Lola G., Veln. G., Pansy T., Paul R., and Mary R. Melvin Ottis, the eldest, died at the age of eighteen years.
In 1887, Mr. Beard moved to a farm near Moscow, Idaho, where the family remained six years, and then returned to Clinton county.
'666
CUARTOYN COUNTY, INDIANA.
DOUGLAS S. KEEVER.
Success has come to Zuglas S. Keever farmer and find raiser of Johnson township. Clinton wo mex, because he has sought it along legitimate lines and has not loitered about waiting for fate to bring him a fortune on a golden platter, as it seems any of the ambitionless are doing. He was taught early in life that all labai alle and that little is to be expected in this wrold without effort, conunnous and rightly directed, so he has never had any particular qualms of conscience when he has bad a task to perform. whether trivial or important Not only has he been taught to work when work was to be done, but to do well, his very best, whatever was worthy the attention. Thus it is not to be wondered at that he has succeeded admirably at his chosen vocation-rhat ol agriculture-the noblest and most important of all vocations.
Douglas S. Keever was horn December 30, 1860, in Warren, Ohio, and was the son of Henry and Elizabeth (Strickland) Keever. Henry Keever was born in 1824, in Bufler county, Ohio, and in 1882 he came with his family to Johnson township. Clinton county, and died here on August 3. 1895. In the early days Mr. Keever followed the profession of school teach- ing, but later gave that up in favor of farming, at which he was very success- ful. Our subject's mother was born in Warren county, Ohio, in 1831, and died January 15, 1910. She and Mr. Keever were married on September 10, 1848, and were the parents of eleven children : John W., born February II, 1849 ,died October 19, 1849: Emily A., born October 22, 1850: Hannah J., born March 18, 1853. William H., born August 4, 1855, died in 1869; Frederick W., born September II, 1858; Douglas S. Matilda, born Septem- ber 17, 1863; Clement I born March 28, 1866; Harry L., born June 17 1869: Edward, born October 23. 1873: and Walter, born April 5. 1876, died August 5, 1876.
Douglas S. Keever received a good common school education in his boyhood in Warren county, Ohio, and then entered the profession of farm- ing, wherein he has remained until the present day. His place in Clinton county comprises one hundred acres of excellent land, every foot of which is plow land, well tiled, and covered with commodious farm buildings. Mr. Keever built his own home, which is an excellent piece of architecture. In connection with his cultivation of crops, Mr. Keever raises Jersey and short- horn cattle, Duroc hogs, Shire and Belgian horses and Plymouth Rock .chickens. Mr. Keever is a strong Democrat, and from 1904 to 1908 was
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667
CLINTON COUNTY, INDIANA.
assessor of Johnson township, the duties of which office he fulfilled most ac- ceptably to the people. He holds membership with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Scircleville.
Mr. Keever has been twice married. He was wedded to Rosa Hobbs on December 17, 1887, who was born in this county on December 24, 1867. the daughter of William and Susan ( McDaniels) Hobbs, natives of In- diana. Mrs. Keever was called by death on March 26, 1893, after a life of usefulness and devotion to family and home. She was the mother of one child, Emmazette, born September 14, 1888, now married to Charles B Marshall, of Pittsburg, Kansas. Mr. Kcever later married Addie M. Moore. on March 26, 1904. She was born in Bracken county, Kentucky, the daugh- ยท Iter of William and Louanna (Smith) Moore. Her father was born on Christmas day, 1852, and died in 1903 : her mother was born on December 14, 1856, and is still living. To Mr. and Mrs. Keever have been born two children : Gerald, born July 18, 1909, and William H., born July 17, 1911.
WILLIAM C. BETTS.
One of the most conspicuous figures in the present-day history of Clinton county, in the agricultural and commercial circles, is William C. Betts, of Forest township. Equally noted as a citizen whose useful career has conferred credit upon the community and whose marked abilities and pro- gressive qualities have won for him much more than local repute, he holds today distinctive precedence as one of the most successful men that ever inaugurated and carried to successful termination large and important un- dertakings. Strong mental endowment, invincible courage and a determined will, coupled with an honesty of purpose that hesitates at no opposition, have so entered into his composition as to render him a dominant factor in the financial and business world and a leader of men in important enterprises. He is essentially a man of affairs, sound of judgment and far-seeing in what he undertakes; and every enterprise to which he has addressed himself has resulted in liberal financial returns, while at the same time he has won and retained the confidence and good will of all classes, and is eminently entitled to conspicuous mention in a volume the scope of the one in hand.
William C. Betts was born August 7, 1848, in Forest township, Clinton county, and was the son of John and Matilda (Boggs) Betts. John Betts'
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668 .
CLINTON COUNTY, INDIANA.
life history has been mentioned before in this volume in the sketch of our subject's brother, Albert E. Betts, but it is well that we again sketch the important events in his interesting life. John Betts was born June 21, 1825. in Union county, Indiana, and came to Clinton county in the year 1836. He entered eighty acres of land in Forest township from the government in 1848, cleared this tract, and in 1859 sold it: then bought one hundred and eighty-five acres north of his original holding. Afterward he added to this estate, and at the time of his death, on May 4, 1899. was the owner of con- siderable property. In 1883, he moved to Galveston. Indiana, where he lived the rest of his days in retirement, although he served as justice of the peace for several years. Politically. Mr. Betts was a Whig, and later a Republi- can, and all of his life was noted for his great church work. Our subject's mother was born on September 12, 1829, at Munroe, Ohio, and moved to Middlefork, this county, with her parents when she was four years of age. She died December 29. 1878. Four children were horn to Mr. and Mrs. Betts: William C .; Rachael and Henry, twins (deceased), and Albert E., of whom a sketch is given in this volume.
Our subject's grandfather was Isaac Betts, and he was a native of Tennessee, moving from that state to Union county, Indiana. His wife was Nancy Creek, a native of Union county. Our subject's grandfather on his maternal side was Elicum Boggs, who was born March 21, 1800, in Ohio, and his wife was Rachael Shipley, also born in Ohio, on April 5, 1800; they were married in the Buckeye state; he died January 1, 1877, and she de- parted from this life March 2, 1875. Our subject's great-grandfather was William Betts, and his great-grandmother was Jane Davis Betts. This couple lived in Tennessee and held slaves in Virginia in the early days be- fore the Civil war.
William C. Betts received a common schools education in the county of his birth, and later attended Franklin College for a period of two years. Mr. Betts utilized the education he obtained by entering the profession of teaching in the common schools of Clinton county. For ten years he fol- lowed this occupation very successfully. He also was active in the timber business for a time. During the remainder of the time Mr. Betts was occu- pied with farming. He owns three hundred acres of excellent farm land in this county with his wife, and eighty acres here, where he has lived for the past thirty-nine years. Mr. Betts also has one hundred and thirty-nine acres in Union county, Indiana, which ranks as among the best farms of the locality. Mr. Betts has now retired from the active work of the farm, and
CLINTON COUNTY, INDIANA. 669
leaves the management of his acres in the hands of his children. They raise a fine grade of Duroc hogs, Poll Angus cattle and general purpose horses. Mr. Betts belongs to the Maso ne lodge at Middlefork, and has been a strong supporter of the order. He claims membership with the Baptist church and has held the same for over fifty years. Politically, he is a Republican.
On November 12, 1873. William C. Retts was united in marriage with Addie Buchanan, who was born in Monroe county, Indiana, October 22, 1849, and was the daughter of John H. and Matilda ( Sanders) Buchanan. John H. Buchanan was born in Somerset. Kentucky, February 25. 1821. and died July 12 1890. Mr. Buchanan was a farmer by trade, and was among the most prosperous of his state. He was a Republican, and during the Civil war fought stoutly for the Union cause. He enlisted in 1864 and served from then on to the close of hostilities. Her grandfather on the paternal side was Cyrus Buchanan, of Kentucky, who came to Indiana in the early days and settled in Monroe county, Indiana, where he raised a large family. He afterward moved to the state of Iowa, and there lie died. Mrs. Betts' grandmother Buchanan was formerly Jane Knox; born in Kentucky, the daughter of Colonel John Knox, who was an officer in the Revo- lutionary war. She had six sons, all of whom fought in the Civil war, a truly great contribution to the country's cause. Mrs. Betts' mother was Matilda Sanders, the daughter of John Sanders, who was born September 3, 1792, in South Carolina, and married Nancy Brisco, who was born Janu- ary 2, 1796, in Hawkins county, Tennessee; these two were married in, Ken- tucky on May 9, 1811, and then they moved to Monroe county, Indiana. Mrs. Betts' great-grandfather was Henry Sanders, and he was born in Per- quimans county, North Carolina, on October 26, 1751, and died February 13, 1834, after a gallant record, including service in the Colonial army in the Revolutionary, war. Mrs Betts' great-grandmother was Dica Blake, the daughter of John and Morning Blake, and was born May 15, 1761, and de- parted from this life on July 5, 1841.
Mrs. Betts received a good common school education in her youth, and attended Franklin College, where she got acquainted with William C. Betts -a typical college romance. Mrs. Betts was the mother of seven children, and was always devoted to their welfare and upbringing. The children were: Mrs. Lincoln, Stevens, Mrs. Willard Johnson, John and Clarence (de- ceased), Frank, Judson and Mrs. Claude Cochran. Mrs. Betts was called to her death October 28, 1912. For over fifty years she had been a loyal, men- ber of the Baptist church, and was one of the most active supporters of the
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CLINTON COUNTY, INDLIN.A.
same. "In the community her life was always above reproach. In her as- sociations with her friends and neighbors her conduct was characterized by truthfulness, kindness, charity, and love. She had many friends because she proved herself a friend in all that the term implies." She left a husband the children mentioned, seven grandchildren. one brother, William Bu- chanan, of Frankfort, one half brother, Judson Buchanan, and one half sister, Mrs. Mary Revington, both of Chattanooga, Tennessee; also one step brother and cousin, Hon. Newel Sanders, United States senator from Ten- nessec.
JOSEPH THOMAS EARL.
Kentucky has contributed to Indiana many prominent families of the class of pioneers who followed Boone -- the greatest of them all-into the Blue Grass region, and were especially suited to the needs of the new country north of the Ohio river. Many of the men who crossed that picturesque streani to found new homes for themselves were determined largely by the absence here of that curse to any country-slavery. However, the practice of that institution in the "dark and bloody ground country" was not by any means the only reason that the Earl family left there at the beginning of the nineteenth century and established their homes in the primeval forests of Clinton county. for here, by hard work and persistent effort, they became well established and the name of Earl has been a familiar sound throughout this section of the Wabash country, which they have done so much to develop.
Joseph Thomas Earl was born on February 4. 1837 on Coffee Creek, between Paris and Vernon, in Jennings county, Ind. He was the son of Thomas and Nancy (Bush) Earl. Thomas Earl was born in Kentucky in 1803. and was raised in the mountains of that state. He came to Indiana with his parents, James and Hannah Earl, in 1808, and they first settled on Coffee Creek, where the subject of this sketch was born. Here Thomas Earl followed and learned the trade of the farmer, also became a very proficient tailor and shoemaker. In politics, he was a Whig, and served once as trustee of Richgrove township, Pulaski county, Ind., to which county he had moved in 1851. He later moved to Tippecanoe county and it was here that he died in the early '90's. His father, our subject's grandfather, was an American soldier during the war of 1812. Joseph T. Earl's mother was a native of Jennings county and died in the year of 1839.
671
CLINTON COUNTY, INDLINA.
Our subject was raised on a farm, receiving at the same time an educa- tion in the common schools, which were very limited in those days. He remained on his father's farm until he was sixteen years old, when he left, in order to work out for others. On February 2, 1851 he went to Pulaski county, this state, and a little later to Tippecanoe county. He came to Clin- tout county in the early 'go's, and he has stayed in this section of the Hoosier state ever since, building for himself a lasting reputation as a man of integrity and fair dealing in his cooperation with his fellow citizens.
In 1861 when the first shadow of that great four years' conflict known as the Civil war began to be seen in the country, Mr. Earl enlisted in Com- pany H, Fifty-seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served the whole four years in the army of the Cumberland. He participated in all of the bat - tles fought by that division, fighting under Colonels MeMullen, Leonard, Hines. Blanch and McGraw. Mr. Earl was singularly fortunate never to lose a drop of blood, although his clothing and hat was repeatedly punctured by the Confederate bullets. At the close of the war he was mustered out in Texas.
In 1871 Mr. Earl took up proprietary medicine and immediately made a success of this undertaking and he has followed the same for forty years. He manufactures his own remedy and has a large sale in every part of the country. In the last few years, however, Mr. Earl has been systematically retiring from active business, in order to enjoy the last years of his life in comfort and leisure. His recollections of his long career are interesting and unusual. Among his memories are those of the time when, at the age of six years, he cut wood for the old wood-burning locomotive on the J. M. & I. railroad between Indianapolis and Madison. Mr. Earl was constable of Pulaski county at one time, also supervisor of the same county for two terms. Politically, Mr. Earl was a Republican. but when the new Progressive party was formed in 1912 he joined their ranks. Religiously he is a member of the Missionary Baptist church. He owns his own commodious residence on West Armstrong street, where his wife and himself are taking life easy.
In 1858 Mr. Earl was united in marriage with Hester Mary Shigley. daughter of William and Sarah Shigley, of Pulaski county, Ind. She was the mother of two.children : Lizzie Augustine, living at Francisville, Pulaski county ; and Columbus Freeman, who is deceased. In 1894, Mr. Earl was married the second time, to Lavica Alice Cook, of Hamilton county, Ind. She has been the mother of two children : Clara Violet, born May 20, 1895,
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CLARK VAN AUKEN
MRS. CLARK VAN AUKEN
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CLINTON COUNTY, INDLIN.A.
married September 7, 1912, to J. E. Powell, of Frankfort; and Carrie Pansy, born May 11, 1898, married August 4, 1913, Thomas D. Smith, an electrician of Lafayette.
CLARK R. VAN AUKEN.
Clark R. Van Anken one of the leading farmers and stock men of Forest township, Clinton county, is one of those men of whom it is a pleas- ure to write. He is modest in the opinion of himself, not claiming the worth and importance that others are ready and anxious to ascribe to him. He is quiet and unassuming in manner, as such characters always are, and holds the high place that has been given him in the public favor of what he is, and not of what he claims. It is a grateful task to write of such a one, and the only danger is that sufficient merit will not be ascribed; yet the hearts of his friends, and they are very many, will supply any lack of words on the part of the writer, or any failure to express happily the true thought.
Clark R. Van Auken was born February 10, 1867, in Knox county, Illinois, and was the son of Calvin and Euphannas (Armstrong) Van Auken. The father was born in the state of New York on November 8, 1832, and died October 24, 1899. The mother was born February 27, 1841, in England, and came to the United States with her parents when but a girl, and is still living, and enjoying the happiness of a healthly old age. Both parents had the limited education afforded by the schools of their day, and they followed agriculture as a life work, and were very prosperous in the vocation. Mr. Van Auken was a Democrat politically, but was never a seeker of public office or emolument.
Clark R. Van Auken has been a farmer all of his life, following in the footsteps of his worthy father who taught him the fundamentals of the agricultural science. He moved here to Clinton county from Illinois in the year 1905, and owns two hundred and nine acres of excellent land, beside twenty acres which is owned by his wife. The land has all the modern improvements, and is all tillable with the bare exception of twenty acres. Mr. 'Van Auken takes great pride in the grade of his live stock ; he raises Shorthorn cattle, Chester White hogs, and general purpose horses. He at- tends the Christian church, and both he and his wife are active workers in that institution. Politically, he belongs to the new party organized in 1912 -the Progressive, and is one of the hardest fighters for their cause in Clinton county.
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CLINTON COUNTY, INDIANA.
On May 24, 1904, Mr. Van Auken was married to Della Prosser, who was born in Douglas county, Illinois, on October 1, 1879, the daughter of Joseph and Letitia (Millsap) Prosser. IIer father was born on March 5, 1834, in Ohio, and died in 1909. Her mother was born in Jackson county, Indiana, February 7, 1837, and she is still living in Illinois. Mrs. Van Auken received a common school education in her youth, and has always been known as a cultured, refined woman, and the possessor of many friends. No children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Van Auken.
GEORGE W. DUNN.
Few residents of Clinton county were so well and favorably known as the enterprising farmer and representative citizen who now rests in the sleep of eternity, but whose life is briefly told in the lines of this sketch. None stood higher than he in the esteem and confidence of the community in which he resided and for the material advancement of which he devoted much of his time and influence. Mr. Dunn was an advocate of good living and, during his active years, took prominent part in social and moral de- velopment, in which his efforts were rewarded with due meed of success, and the retrospective view of his life was pleasant and satisfying. Much of the present prosperity of the county is due to the efforts of such as he, and, although he was not a native of the county, his name will emblazon the pages of her history as a good citizen and loyal.
George W. Dunn was born in Lawrence county, Ohio, on October 9, 1857, and was of Irish extraction, but with a goodly mixture of Americans in his line for several generations. His grandfather, Arnistrong Dunn, was a farmer of Lawrence county, Ohio, for many years, but had previously been a musician on board of one of the steamers plying the Ohio river. The latter part of his life, however, was passed in Hamilton county, Indiana, as a minister in the Baptist church. His son, Joseph Dunn, was also born in Lawrence county, Ohio, in 1833, and married Amanda Murphy, daughter of Archie and Elizabeth Murphy, the union resulting in the birth of the fol- lowing children: Jennie, Isaac E., George W., Robert, Burton E. Louisa, Katy, Joseph H., Eva and Bertha. By trade Joseph Dunn was a carpenter, and, on moving to New Britain, Hamilton county, Indiana, became a con-
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