USA > Indiana > DeKalb County > History of DeKalb County, Indiana : together with sketches of its cities, villages and towns and biographies of representative citizens : Also a condensed history of Indiana > Part 83
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State University, Ann Arbor, and Della. All are graduates of the Waterloo High School, and the eldest, Jennie, is a superior musician, both vocal and instrumental, and graduated from the Musical Conservatory at Fort Wayne, Ind., in 1879.
Abram McEntaffer is one of the earliest settlers of De Kalb County, and has seen this country grow from a wild tract of heavily timbered land to its present state of advanced civiliza- tion. He has been an energetic, progressive citizen, and has assisted liberally in both time and money all projects that promise advancement to his adopted county. He came to the county with his parents, John and Catherine McEntaffer, and located in Smithfield Township. At that time there were but four or five white families in the township. Indians and wild animals were the principal inhabitants, and Mr. McEntaffer often visited the Indians and attended their dances in the early days. Our subject was born in Stark County, Ohio, April 20, 1821, and was, therefore, eighteen years of age when he came to Indiana. His education was received in his native county, and after coming to De Kalb County his time was devoted to clearing his farm. He was married July 4, 1842, to Margaret Crawford, a native of Stark County, Ohio. To them were born four children-Susan, wife of Samuel Rodenbaugh ; Da- vid, now of Ohio; Hannah, wife of Lafayette Miser; Louisa, wife of Oliver Wharton, of Waterloo. Mrs. McEntaffer died in June, 1882. She was a devoted mother, a faithful wife, a kind neighbor and a consistent Christian, a member of the old Luth- eran church.
William H. McQuiston, dealer in dry goods, groceries and queensware, Auburn, Ind., is a native of Indiana, born in Allen County, June 28, 1840, a son of John and Eliza (Rodgers) Mc- Quiston, his father a native of Pennsylvania and his mother of West Virginia. His parents moved to Allen County in 1837, and are still residents of Washington Township. He received a good education, completing it at the Francisco Commercial College, Fort Wayne. He was employed as bookkeeper for C. Orff & Co. six years, and in 1871 located in Auburn and began business on his own account. In 1875 he became associated with I. N. Cool in the grocery business, carrying on dry goods and clothing by himself in a separate room. At the end of a year Mr. Cool purchased his interest in grocery stock. In 1878 he formed a partnership with G. C. Ralston, under the firm
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name of McQuiston & Ralston. In 1882 Mr. Long bought Mr. Ralston's interest and the firm was changed to McQuiston & Long. Mr. McQuiston bought Mr. Long's interest in April, 1885, and he carries a complete stock of everything in his line, and has one of the best stores in Auburn. Mr. McQuiston was married in 1870 to Malvina R. Mahurin, daughter of Isaac Ma- hurin, of Fort Wayne. He is a member of De Kalb Lodge, No. 214, F. & A. M. He has been a member of the City Coun- cil since 1882.
Christian Monroe Merica, Superintendent of Schools of DeKalb County, is a native of Ohio, born in Champaign County, Feb. 10, 1853. He was the next youngest of fourteen children of Henry and Diana (Bodey) Merica, natives of Rockingham County, Va., of German descent. His father died in 1859, and in the fall of 1864 his mother married David Houser, of this county, and moved here with her family. Young Merica lived with his parents till fourteen years of age, when he hired to his brother William, with whom he remained four years, working upon the farm in the summer and attending the district school in the winter. He then attended the Auburn High School two terms, and in the winter of 1872-'3 he taught his first term of school in District No. 6 (now No. I) of Butler Township. He subsequently attended school at Avburn two more terms and then taught in the winter, and attended the Northern Indiana Normal School at Valparaiso in the summer until the spring of 1876, preparing himself for teaching. From this time until the fall of 1879 he taught school in the winter, and in the summer worked upon the farm and went with a threshing- machine. He was married March 2, 1876, to Minerva Wiant, daughter of J. P. Wiant, Esq., of Butler Township. They have one daughter, Estella, born Dec. 12, 1876. In the fall of 1879 Mr. Merica taught a successful ten-week nor- mal school at Cedar Creek, and again in 1880. At the close of the latter he moved with his family to Valparaiso, and attended the Normal until the following June. He then returned to this county and accepted the Superintendency of the Garrett public schools, which position he held until elected County Superin- tendent in 1883. As Superintendent, he labored earnestly to establish more uniform and systematic work, to grade the schools, and to elevate the standard of both school and teacher, his work being attended with marked success. In the summer
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of 1884, assisted by Mrs. Lida Leasure, he conducted an eight- week normal at Auburn, enrolling eighty students. He has made a specialty of the science and theory of teaching, and is conversant with all the new and approved normal methods. In June, 1885, he was again unanimously elected Superintendent, which position he still holds.
Peter Miser, the third son of Samuel and Catherine (Barkey) Miser, is a native of Coshocton County, Ohio, born Jan. 16, 1836. His father was born in Jefferson County, Ohio, May 6, 1809, and died Oct. 30, 1883. His mother was born in Penn- sylvania Feb. 9, 1814. She was a schoolmate of Joseph Gard- ner, of this township. In 1848 they came to De Kalb County, Ind., where he bought 160 acres of timber-land for which he paid $650. He built a log house into which he moved his family, which consisted at that time of six children. They were members of the German Reformed church, and he was one of the elders for over thirty years, and a friend and associate of Rev. J. G. Kissell, the first preacher of the denomination in this part of the State. The mother is still living, aged seventy-two years. She is the mother of ten children, eight of whom are living-John, Peter, Christian, Susannah, wife of Christian Rohm; Mary, wife of Josiah McTiffer; Catherine, wife of John Treach; Anna, wife of Albert Fickes; Elizabeth A., wife of George Bowser. Mrs. Miser has forty-six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Peter Miser was fourteen years of age when his parents came to this county. He received a good education in the common schools, remaining with his parents till maturity. He was married in 1857 to Elizabeth Kissell, a native of Ohio, daughter of J. G. and Susannah, na- tives of Pennsylvania. To them have been born nine children, eight of whom are living-Mary E., wife of Joseph Cochran; Sylvester A., John G., Samuel A., Causa A., Henry W., Will- iam O. and Susannah C. Edward is deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Miser are members of the German Reformed church.
Hon. Egbert Benson Mott was born on his father's farm of Tuckett Hill, Dutchess County, N. Y., July 23, 1795, being the third son of his parents. He was of English descent on both sides but of families who came to America in early colonial days. His father, James Mott, an officer in the New York militia dur- ing the Revolutionary war, was fourth in direct descent, bearing the same Christian name, from Captain James Mott, of Mama-
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ronek, Westchester Co., N. Y., who was born in Braintree, County of Essex, England, where the family was an ancient and honorable one. He came to America in 1865-'6 and chose the newly acquired province of New York for a residence, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits. Each one of E. B. Mott's ancestors followed the same pursuit, he being the first to deviate from their course. Mr. Mott's mother was Mary, daughter of James Denton, of Newburg, N. Y., a Revolution- ary soldier throughout the war, having begun his eight years of service under the Continental Congress, Aug. 22, 1775, as a First Lieutenant in a company of foot. He was fourth in de- scent from the Rev. Richard Denton, a puritan divine of Hali- fax, Yorkshire, England, who came to America in 1630 in the ship Arbella with Governor Winthrop and the company who founded Boston. When E. B. Mott was about twelve years old his father died, leaving a family of five sons and three daughters to the care of their mother. After a few years' resi- dence in Saragota County, N. Y., the whole family removed to Lehman, Luzerne Co., Pa., about the year 1824. Mr. Mott was married Dec. 30, 1830, in Abingdon, Luzerne Co., Pa., to Mary, daughter of John Winterbotham, of Ashton, Lancashire, Eng- land. She was born Feb. 4, 1806. Her father emigrated to America in the summer of 1811 with his wife and three young daughters, Mary, Sarah and Ann, all of whom are yet living. Mrs. Mott is a sister of Hon. J. H. Winterbotham, of Michigan City, Ind. In 1836 Mr. Mott removed with his wife and two sons from Pennsylvania to Fredericktown, Knox Co., Ohio, where Mrs. Mott's family then resided. After living several years in Knox and Richland counties, Mr. Mott removed in May, 1843, to Kalida, Putnam County. At the tavern in that swamp-environed village he made the acquaintance of Judge Morris, then a young lawyer, who, with his wife and child, had arrived in Kalida the evening before. The acquaintance thus begun grew into a friendship between the two families very strong and as enduring as life. Not finding Kalida a promising place for the practice of their profession, Mr. Mott and Mr. Morris came during the summer in search of a location in Indiana. Mr. Mott removed to Auburn the same autumn, ar- riving here Oct. 16, but Mr. Morris remained in Kalida until the ensuing year. Mr. Mott was the first lawyer who settled in Auburn. His first property was the place now owned by
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A. J. Ralston, which he sold in 1846 to Miles Waterman. In 1849 he built a house on Cedar street, which was the family residence while he lived. In 1856 he was elected Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for the district comprising the coun- ties of De Kalb and Steuben. In politics Judge Mott was first Federalist, then Whig and finally Republican. He had a re- markable memory, excellent judgment, and the utmost firmness of principle. His opinions were formed by varied reading and after mature consideration. Once adopted, however, he held them with tenacity, and could defend them warmly if necessary, although, as his nature was not aggressive, he never attacked the opinions of another. Through his whole life he was a faith- ful servant of God, exemplifying his faith by a life of practical righteousness. No man was ever more inclined by nature and grace to exercise charity in word and thought and deed. He died Sept. 30, 1865, after an acute illness of three weeks. Two sons died before him-Reginald Heber, an infant, and Sheridan Edward, who, wounded at Chickamauga, Sept. 20, 1873, died in the hospital at Nashville, May 15, 1864. Judge Mott's wife and three children survived him. Of these, E. B. Mott, Jr., a man of unusual ability and remarkable social qualities, died in Sacramento, California, April 4, 1882, deeply lamented by all who knew him. He left a widow and five children. John Grenville lives in Michigan City, Indiana. He married a daughter of Hon. J. H. Winterbotham, and is one of the firm of J. H. Winterbotham & Sons. He has two children. Julia, the only daughter of E. B. Mott, is the wife of Chester P. Hodge. They have three children, and live a mile north of Auburn on Greenhurst farm, a place which gave Judge Mott pleasant occupation during many hours of his later life. Mrs. Mott is still living, having entered her eightieth year, Feb. 4, 1885. She is in full possession of all her mental faculties.
Mrs. Mary (Winterbottom) Mott, one of the oldest residents of the county seat, as well as one of the oldest inhabitants in point of years, is the subject of our next sketch-Mrs. Mary (or Mally) Winterbottom Mott, widow of the late Judge E. B. Mott. Mrs. Mott is now in her eightieth year and in full pos- session of all her faculties, although her physical strength does not admit of her often leaving her house. Her memory is un- impaired, and she relates with evident interest and enjoyment many entertaining reminiscences of her earlier life. A bio-
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graphical notice of one whose interests have for over forty years been identified with Auburn, cannot find a more appro- priate place than in these pages. Mrs. Mott was born in the vil- lage of Mossley, Lancashire, England, Feb. 4, 1806, the eldest of three sisters, children of John Winterbottom, a woolen manufact- urer of that place, and his wife, Anne (Wrigley). Her father was a man of unblemished reputation, one of those whose word is as good as his bond; reserved and quick-tempered, a strict dis- ciplinarian with his family and employes; an affectionate hus- band and kind father, but not an indulgent one. In referring to her father, Mrs. Mott remarked that she believed "there were no indulgent fathers in those days. As a firm hand had guided them in youth, so they expected unquestioning obedi- ence from their children when their turn came to govern." Mr. Winterbottom having read of the advantages of Kentucky as a permanent home, determined early in the present century to sell his property in England and remove thither. He ac- cordingly made his arrangements and took passage in the sum- mer of 1811 with his wife and three children and his wife's sister, Miss Rachel Wrigley, on board the ship " Herald," of New Bedford, Captain Price commander, from Liverpool for New York. The voyage lasted eight weeks, as was frequently the case in those times before the use of steam had made the mariner almost independent of winds and waves. At one time during the passage, as Mrs. Mott well remembers, they were stopped by an English man-of-war and their vessel searched for deserters from the army or navy; there happened to be a de- serter from the army on board, a certain Jack Buckley from Mr. Winterbottom's native town, but he was so well concealed that his presence was not discovered, and the war-ship sailed away after purchasing some supplies of which the crew were much in need, and getting the latest news from England, hav- ing heard nothing for three months. It was this claim of a right to search vessels sailing under the American flag, which soon afterward led to the war of 1812. After arriving at New . York Mr. Winterbottom was induced to forego his plan of set- tling in Kentucky, and instead decided to enter into partner- ship with Colonel David Humphreys, Judge John Humphreys and his younger brother, William, for the manufacturing of fine woolen goods, broadcloths, etc., at what is now the village of Seymour, Conn., then called Humphreysville. This was the
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first successful attempt to manufacture that class of goods in the United States. Shortly after locating at their new home Mrs. Mott's mother died, and the following year her father married his sister-in-law.
By this marriage Mr. Winterbottom had several children, of whom the eldest is Hon. John H. Winterbotham, of Michigan City, Ind., for eight years State Senator from La Porte County. [As will be noticed, the spelling of the surname has been changed since the family came to America]. The Senator and his two sons have been for many years contractors of convict labor at the Northern Indiana State Prison at Michigan City, and also at the Illinois State Prison at Joliet ; at both of which places large numbers of convicts are employed. Mr. J. Gren- ville Mott, Mrs. Mott's youngest son, is also a partner in the business at both places. He married the Senator's youngest daughter, thus connecting the families by a double tie. During her earlier years Mrs. Mott had many advantages, in a literary and social point of view, from her father's business associations with the Humphreys. Colonel Humphreys, the senior mem- ber of the firm, had been one of Washington's aides-de-camp during the Revolutionary war, and subsequently the United States Minister to Portugal and Spain, from which latter coun- try he brought the first Merino sheep to America. He was a cultured gentleman of the old school, fond of literature, and the possessor of a considerable collection of books by the best authors, which were at all times at the disposal of Mr. Winter- bottom or any of his family. At an early age Mrs. Mott was placed at a school in Derby, near Humphreysville, with her home in the family of Mrs. Edward Blakeslee, the widow of an Episcopal minister of that place, where her schooling was care- fully attended to and her social training particularly watched. Under the circumstances it is needless to say her associations were of the very best ; her closest friend for several years was Miss Jeanette, daughter of Judge Humphreys, an intimacy only terminated by what seemed such a breaking down in Mrs. Mott's health as prevented her attending school for a long time, but not until she had acquired a thoroughly good English edu- cation. In the meantime the family had removed to South Brittain, and here she passed the years until she was twenty. At this time the condition of her health suggested a protracted visit to an uncle, Mr. Abram Wrigley, of Luzerne County, Pa.,
L
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where she rapidly improved, and not long after began teaching school. At Providence, a few miles from her uncle's residence, while teaching, she first became acquainted with her future hus- band, to whom she was united in marriage Dec. 30, 1830. A similarity of taste and mental bias made the marriage eminently suitable ; Mr. Mott found in his wife one who could sympathize with him in his preference for substantial literature, history, biography, science, etc., as well as in a wholesome liking for such works of standard fiction as had been given to the world fifty or sixty years ago. That was not the age of newspapers, and those who cared for reading made their pursuits a mental discipline as well as a pastime. Three or four years after their marriage Mr. Mott became involved in business troubles, and determined to make a new start. An opportunity offered of going to Cuba to enter the service of a new railway company as surveyor and civil engineer, a position for which he was well qualified, but not deeming the climate desirable for wife and children, he determined to go to Ohio instead.
From there the family, now numbering parents and four chil- dren, the second child, Reginald Heber, having died in infancy, removed to Auburn, arriving Oct. 16, 1843. The road from the east into town then came in by Sixth street, where the only bridge crossing Cedar Creek at that time stood. A short dis- tance east of town the teams nearly mired, and Mr. Mott, carrying his youngest in his arms, brought his family on foot to a point whence he could direct them to Mr. Parson's tavern, while he went back to assist in getting the horses out of the mire. To the tavern on the northeast corner of Fourth and Cedar streets the family betook themselves, crossing by a cow- path the corner where Mrs. Mott now lives, and the lot just above on which stands the old residence of the Mott family, built in 1849 and now (1885) occupied as a boarding and lodg- ing house by Mrs. Roether. At that time Auburn was not much of a place, and Mrs. Mott has little difficulty in recalling its main features. Wesley Park lived where Charles Rant now does ; John Butt just across the street west. Thomas Freeman had opened a tavern where the Auburn House, which he built, now stands. Mr. Launcelot Ingman lived on the site of Dr. Swartz's residence ; Mr. Hague lived in a house which looked old even then, probably from never having been painted. It stood on the corner occupied by John Baxter's residence, and
G
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was built by J. O. P. Sherlock. Samuel Ralston lived on the site of the Swineford house; Mr. Poffenberger across the main street from him, and a little south, in a log cabin, Nelson Payne's house was on the corner where James Culbertson's residence now stands, and Mr. John Garver lived in a little house on Edward Eldridge's lot. Mr. Houghton had a log house on the lot where his widow still lives. Mr. Hall lived farther down the street. The old jail was on Jackson street, west of the public square. In 1842 the court-house was built. It stood for twenty-three years, and was given by Daniel Alten- burg, Sr., to be burned as a bonfire on the night of April 4, 1865, in celebration of the surrender of Richmond. Mr. Mott bought of James Cosper a log cabin and the lots on which now live A. J. Ralston and James Barclay. The next spring he walked one blustering day to the farm of Robert Worh, eight miles south of town, and back again for currant-slips. Auburn has been greatly indebted both for fruit and flowers to the efforts of Mr. and Mrs. Mott. The black Morello cherries and fragrant flowering currants now so common everywhere in the village sprang from those which they planted thirty-five or more years ago. In 1847 Mr. Mott sold his property to Miles Waterman, intending to go back to Ohio for the benefit of Mrs. Mott's health, but before their arrangements were completed, she began to improve, and he finally bought vacant lots on Sixth and Cedar streets.
After living for two years, on the corner west of James Brink- erhoof's property, in what was afterward known as the Tinney House, until its destruction by fire in April, 1865, Mr. Mott removed in November, 1849, to his own house, the first one built in the county by Wallace & Kline, where the family con- tinued to reside for many years, which witnessed only the nat- ural gradual changes which time brings to all. The oldest son Egbert, " always a good boy," as his father said, with dying lips, having spent some years in the store of Baldwin & Pride at Tiffin, Ohio, went to California in 1852. Meanwhile the flowers blossomed, the fruits ripened, the trees grew umbrageous year by year, the old house filled itself with fragrant memories, and changes came. Hence went Sheridan, now a young lawyer, in August, 1862, to battle for his country. April 14, 1863, friends gathered here for the marriage of the only daughter Julia. In July, 1863, the youngest son Grenville, who had been out dur-
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ing a three months' term of service in an Ohio regiment, bade a final adieu to his childhood's home before sailing for Cali- fornia. Hither came Sheridan home from war, no longer alert, eager, hopeful, but with sealed eyes, mute lips and folded hands. Hence he was borne, May 27, 1864, to be laid to rest, as the sun was setting within sound of the familiar home voices. Here on the evening of April 4, 1865, while the bells were ring- ing over the capture of Richmond, the first grandchild began her brief life. July 20, 1865, Egbert, the oldest son, married Eleanor, daughter of A. C. Baldwin, of Tiffin, Ohio, and hither he brought his bride, Sept. 23d, summoned home from happy journeying, to soothe his father's last hours, and lighten his mother's heavy burden. Here Judge Mott died Sept. 30, and hence, also, a week later went his grandchild, little Mary, the oldest and the youngest, united again in some one of the Fath- er's many mansions. Here or in the newer house adjacent where she now resides, Mrs. Mott has lived during most of the years intervening since the death of Judge Mott, and for the greater part of the time no other member of the family has resided in the county, but two or three years ago her daughter and son-in-law, Professor C. P. Hodge, with their family, re- moved to this place from Lagrange, and are now living upon the farm just north of town, which Judge Mott bought in 1854 and named "Greenhurst." Mrs. Mott was never a strong woman, physically, and as her years have increased, it is not to be wondered at that her life has become a secluded one. It is very noticeable, however, that she retains her interest in the affairs of the world quite as much as those who are thirty or forty years younger.
A very little conversation with her, especially if the political affairs of foreign countries are referred to, is sufficient to disclose the fact that the land of her birth, the little island across the sea which is the cradle of the Anglo-Saxon race throughout the world, has a larger share in her affections than any other. The Soudan and Afghanistan have at this time more interest for her than anything on this side of the Atlantic Ocean, for at each of those remote points England is face to face with her enemies, and that is enough to dwarf other matters for the present. To quote nearly her own language: "I can hardly find words to express the love and admiration I feel for the land of my birth. My high opinion of her excellence has been formed upon good
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