History of Dearborn County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions, Part 106

Author: Archibald Shaw
Publication date: 1915
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1123

USA > Indiana > Dearborn County > History of Dearborn County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions > Part 106

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To John Bidner and his first wife were born five children, namely : John, Peter, Michael, and two who died in infancy. Barbara (Wise) Bidner, the third wife, was a native of Germany, where she was reared and married,

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coming to the United States after the death of her first husband, by whom she had two children, Elizabeth and Sophia.

Peter Bidner was married in May, 1858, to Dorothy Fillenworth,. daughter of Jacob Fillenworth, a pioneer settler in this locality. They were the parents of six children, John, Anna, Mary, Elizabeth, Caroline, who died at the age of four, and Emma. John and his wife, Sophia (Wullner) Bidner, reside in Manchester township, with their family of seven children: Clara, Elmer, Reuben, Clemens, Julius, Erma and Leona. Anna Bidner is the wife of William Russe, who is also a prosperous farmer in Manchester township. To this couple have been born nine children, one of whom died at the age of two years: Emma, Mary (deceased), Ida, Alma (twins), Herman, Edwin. Dora, Minnie and Augusta. Mary Bidner became the wife of Harry Becker, an engineer on the Big Four railroad, who was killed in a wreck at Lawrence- burg, Indiana, leaving a widow and two children, Wilbur and Eleanora, both of whom died young. Mrs. Becker was married, secondly, to Dr. William Duncan, a prosperous physician of Manchester. Mr. and Mrs. Duncan have had two children, Stanley and Ruby. Elizabeth Bidner is the wife of John Colligan. They reside in Cincinnati, and have had two children, Bessie and Arthur. Emma Bidner was united in marriage with John Rush, an enter- prising citizen of the township. They live at the old Bidner homestead, and have two children, Everett and Dorothy, the former of whom was married to Mary Amm on April 11, 1915. These young people have already started up a cozy housekeeping establishment of their own on an eighty-two acre farm in Manchester township.

John Bidner, Jr., brother of the subject of this sketch, was born in Ger- many and came to the United States on the same vessel with his parents and his brother, Peter. He grew to young manhood and remained in the home of his parents up to the time of his marriage with Elizabeth Wise, his step-sister, daughter of his father's third wife. They commenced housekeep- ing on an eighty-acre farm, which they soon increased to one hundred and sixty acres, on which they lived until death called them. Two children sur- vived them, Mary, who became Mrs. Billman, and Peter J.

Mary (Bidner) Billman, daughter of John and Elizabeth Bidner, became the wife of John Billman, a prosperous business man of Shelbyville, Indiana, who is now living a retired life in that city. To this couple were born two children, Peter and Henry. Peter J. Bidner was married to Caroline Stein- metz, and is a successful farmer in Manchester township. They have had two children, Arthur and Delta.

Michael Bidner, brother of Peter Bidner, was married, first, to a Miss

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Riedel, by whom he had six children, Dora, Anna, Peter, Fred, Louise and Carrie; and by his second wife, Mary, he had three children, George, Walter and Mamie.

Peter Bidner is a gentleman of wonderful constitution. He is eighty- one years old, and is still strong and in perfect health. He keeps in touch with the news of the day and enjoys everything that goes on about him.

AUGUST D. COOK.

It is inevitable that some interest should be felt in the parents of promi- nent men in order to learn of the influences under which their lives began. For this reason a brief mention of Frederick W. Cook, the father of the sub- ject of this sketch, should not be out of place at the start.

Frederick W. Cook was born at Bremen, Germany, April 30, 1816. His parents, Frederick William and Margaret Cook, were highly respected in the old country. He learned the tinner's trade and followed the same there until 1851 when he immigrated to the United States, landing at New Orleans, where he resided not quite one year, working at his trade for a Frenchman, who defrauded him of most of his earnings. He then went into business for himself at Carleton, Louisiana, but about one year later sold out and moved to Manchester, Indiana, and lived about one year, whereupon he moved to Lawrenceburg.

He conducted a successful hardware and tinware business up to 1877, when he turned the management over to his sons, A. D. and H. F. Mr. Cook was married in his native country to Anna Böttier (Batcher), by whom he had six children, Margaret, John F., August D., Henry F:, Anna A. and William F. At this writing but two of the family survive, August D. Cook, whose biography appears below, and W. F. Cook. who is the proprietor of a business engaged in the sale and installation of Cook deep well products, in Louisville, Kentucky.

August D. Cook was born in Kirchweich, near Bremen, Hanover, Ger- many, November 18, 1847. He inherited his father's vocation as a tinner and in addition to working at his trade, with the same capacity which he later showed for manufacturing a large line of products for sale in the United States and many other countries, he added a coal business, pipe-fitting busi- ness, etc., which in connection with his hardware business, brought him a demand for pumps and their installation. At that time he was working ten to fifteen men. In order to be able to do machine work in connection with

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his business he installed a drill press and lathe in the Miami stove works, in order that he might obtain power for running his machines.

One of the foundation stones upon which Mr. Cook built and maintained. his success, was not to allow anything but the best of machines and products to remain in his control and so he was not long in realizing the necessity of originating some improved method of making wells in the water bearing sands underlying Lawrenceburg and of inventing some more dependable type of pump for delivering the water to the citizens. As a result the crude well strainers of that day were replaced with the seamless brass strainer and the pumps with the hand pump which was adopted by some of the largest cities and may be seen today in service at Louisville, Indianapolis and Washington, D. C., notwithstanding the fine municipal waterworks in these cities.

Realizing the necessity of enlarging his facilities Mr. Cook built the Cook block, on Walnut street, in 1881, and to this day it remains one of the city's most substantial buildings. In it he worked continually to improve his well strainers. At this time his brother, H. F. Cook, took the strainer into the South and brought the greatest necessity and blessing of all mankind- pure water-to many towns and cities wrestling with unsanitary and death- dealing public water supplies. It is not saying too much to say that the suc- cess and growth of many municipalities in the South dated from the sinking of Cook deep wells. One of the most noted examples of this was Memphis, Tennessee, which first secured pure artesian water through the combined efforts of A. D. and H. F. Cook.

While H. F. Cook was engaged in installing strainers and drilling wells in every state in the union. A. D. Cook continued to improve his strainer, securing additional patents upon each improvement. It was through especial devotion to this strainer that Mr. Cook has been able to keep ahead of all imitators and competitors until it is today recognized the standard by rail- roads, consulting engineers, well drillers and municipalities.

With the drilling of wells and equipping them successfully with strainers came the necessity of supplying adequate pumps for elevating the water from the depth at which it was found. Steam being the leading form of power, Mr. Cook set to perfecting a steam pump suitable for the rugged work of raising water from great depths. The Cook steam pump, with Mr. Cook's patented valve movement. was the result, and it early took rank as the standard pump for railroads, factories, etc .. which it still maintains today.

With the advent of electric motors and gas engines came the demand for a power pump and Mr. Cook has kept pace with this demand by placing upon the market the most efficient pumps of this style. With the thoroughness

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which has always been his characteristic, Mr. Cook planned to manufacture every part that went into the pump and this caused him to move successively into larger quarters. From Walnut street he moved into the old woolen- mill opposite the court house, and after about four years moved into the old Miami stove works, which served until it and all of its contents were destroyed by fire, November 2, 1901. Mr. Cook met this disaster by building a new and better factory in Greendale, which today is a model in respect to working room, light and sanitary conditions which contribute so much to the health and happiness of the workmen. It is the largest factory in the world devoted exclusively to the manufacture of deep well pumps of the plunger type and accessories. Among its departments are steel, brass and iron foundries, ma- chine and forge shops and saw-mill.

While devoted to his manufacturing interests to a degree that can only be measured by his success, he has been interested in the growth of the town of Greendale to the extent of installing an electric light plant and waterworks, not with pecuniary success of these ventures as his first consideration, but that the citizens might enjoy these conveniences and that others might be attracted to take up their homes here with the assurance of good light and water service.

Recognition of his sound judgment has caused him to be much sought as a director of Lawrenceburg's institutions, chief of these being, the Peoples National Bank, of which he is vice-president; Lawrenceburg Water Com- pany, and the Fair Association. He has always taken the front rank in com- bating Lawrenceburg's greatest foe, the floods; no fear of the exposures to health so common to flood times ever having caused him to hesitate in what he felt his duty to the best interests of the city.

In politics Mr. Cook always has been a Republican. He is a member of the Lutheran church. It is generally known that notwithstanding Mr. Cook's great strength of will and his large capacity for work which have brought him his marked success from his obscure beginning, that he is always willing to give his sympathy and of his means to the weaker and less for- tunate.

This sketch would be incomplete if it failed to make mention of Mrs. Cook. who deserves her just share of the credit of her husband's success. In their early married life when the practice of thrift was essential, Mrs. Cook measured up to all the demands and through her careful management of the home and domestic affairs, left Mr. Cook free to devote undivided attention to his business. Mrs. Cook was Anna Mary, daughter of Anthony C. and Mary Hassmer. Like Mr. Cook's parents, they both immigrated to the

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United States from Germany and settled in Adams township, Ripley county, Indiana, later moving to Versailles, the county seat. Mrs. Cook was the eldest of eight children, the following of whom survive with her : Anthony J .; John O., of Lawrenceburg; Antionette, Joseph A. and Charles W., of Chicago.

Mrs. Cook has always been a devout member of the Catholic church. She is noted for her charity both within and without her church. She has shown marked executive ability and has been very willing of late years to devote her talents to the interests of Lawrenceburg's quasi-public institutions. She is a great lover of music and it is largely through her efforts that the St. Cecelia Musical Society has reached its present high position in musical cir- cles. She has been a member of the Lawrenceburg library board since its organization and served as its vice-president during the building of the new public library, dedicated on October 9, 1915.

The married life of Mr. and Mrs. Cook has been ideal. They maintain their beautiful home in the best of taste. The good fortune which is theirs did not come by chance. It came through their own efforts; that it was hon- estly obtained has never been questioned, and all concede that it is deserved.

Mr. and Mrs. Cook were married on November 1, 1883, and have one daughter, Anna Belle (now Mrs. Cornelius O'Brien), and through her now have two granddaughters, Anna Belle and Mary.

JOSEPH G. PARKS.

On the list of well-known and prosperous business men of Dearborn county stands the name of Joseph G. Parks, a gentleman who deserves the success that has come to him, chiefly through his determination to rise to the top of his chosen vocation. Mr. Parks is at present the owner of a fine dairy herd of pedigreed Jersey cattle, and takes a deep interest in offering to the public nothing but the best that a good grade of stock and careful handling can produce.

Joseph G. Parks, dairyman, Center township, Aurora, Indiana, was born on June 29, 1860, in Hogan township, Dearborn county, and is a son of Lytle W. and Mary ( Bruce) Parks. He was reared and educated in Hogan township at the public schools, going later to normal school at Ladoga, Indiana. teaching for a short time thereafter, after which he returned to his father's farm. remaining there until his marriage. He then entered the dairy business in Hogan township. and with the exception of two years spent in

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the grocery business about ten years ago, has continued in the same line. In 1905, Mr. Parks bought his present beautiful home place of eighty acres, one mile west of Aurora, where he has a large, commodious house surrounded by beautiful and neatly kept grounds. He now has forty-four head of fine cattle, principally Jerseys. He owns a fine registered bull, and raises a good grade of stock. Mr. Parks belongs to the Royal Arcanum.

Lytle W. Parks, father of the subject of this sketch, was born on Jan- uary 6, 1824, at Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and was a son of John and Mar- garet (Kitchell) Parks. His education was received at Wilmington Sem- inary, after which he returned to his father's farm in Hogan township. After his marriage, Lytle W. Parks engaged in farming along North Hogan creek, near Plum Point school, where he remained all his life, with the exception of three years spent in southern Illinois, during which time he made some twen- ty-five flatboat trips to New Orleans, as a produce dealer. He served in the Mexican War from 1847 to 1848, participating in several battles under Gen. Winfield S. Scott and Gen. Joseph Lane, and took part in a number of light skirmishes. He was captain of the Hogan township militia during the War of the Rebellion, and with his well-drilled little force prevented Kirby Smith from invading the township.

Lytle W. Parks taught school a few years in Hogan township, and was always a strong believer in education. He served for a time as township trustee, and was an earnest member of the Methodist church. His death occurred on January 26, 1909, aged eighty-four years. His wife, Mary J. Bruce, to whom he was married on April 9, 1854, was born on August 21, 1824, in Hogan township, and died about 1888. Their five children were: James, who died in infancy; Laura, who became the wife of Lewis Bailey, of Aurora : Myra, now Mrs. Joseph Todd, and lives between Manchester and Moores Hill; Joseph, dairyman, near Aurora; and Lewis, of Hogan township.

The paternal grandfather, John Parks, was born in Virginia. His wife was Margaret (Kitchell) Parks. They came down the Ohio river at a very early day, landing at Lawrenceburg, where Mr. Parks followed the carpen- ter's trade. About 1830 he moved his family to Hogan township, on the Moores Hill pike, about two miles east of Wilmington, and from there they went to another farm on the North Hogan pike. About 1862 John Parks moved to Duquoin. Illinois, where he and his wife died. They were faith- ful members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Joseph G. Parks was united in marriage on April 22, 1888. with Julia Ross, daughter of David and Louisa (Jaques) Ross. She was born at Law- renceburg and grew to young womanhood at Moores Hill. This union was

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blessed with two children, Raymond and Jovert. Raymond is at present an instructor in chemistry in the Pennsylvania State College. Jovert has taken a two-year course in agriculture at Purdue, and is now at home.

David Ross, father of Mrs. Joseph G. Parks, moved his family from Lawrenceburg to Moores Hill, Indiana, and followed the tailor's trade all hig life.

By industrious effort and good management, Joseph G. Parks has estab- lished a remunerative business. He and his wife have many warm friends among the citizens of Center township.

EDWARD HAYES.

Edward Hayes is descended from one of three brothers who floated down the Ohio river from Pennsylvania to the mouth of the Big Miami and there made large investments in land. Capt. Joseph Hayes, the father of these three brothers, was a Revolutionary patriot who gave his purse and his per- son to the cause of independence and who fought valiantly in the continental army. Nine members of this family fought in that war. Edward Hayes, a prominent real-estate dealer and insurance agent, of Lawrenceburg, this county, is a worthy descendant of his stern and determined grandfather, Jacob Hayes, and his patriotic great-grandfather, Capt. Joseph Hayes. He owns seven hundred acres of land and other property in Dearborn county and is rated as one of its foremost business men and citizens.

Edward Hayes was born in Lawrenceburg township, Dearborn county, Indiana, on August 28, 1864, the son of Edward L. and Jane (Neal) Hayes, the latter of whom was born in Posey county. Of the four children born to this union, three died in infancy, the subject of this sketch alone reaching maturity. Edward L. Hayes was reared as a farmer near Homestead, in Lawrenceburg township, this county. Upon reaching manhood he purchased the William Schleter farm of sixty acres and there operated a saw-mill for a number of years, using the mill as a means of clearing his land of heavy timber. He gradually added to his holdings until he had accumulated alto- gether about seven hundred acres of land. Most of his life was spent on the old Jacob Hayes homestead, which he had inherited from his father, and where he died on August 11, 1902, at the age of sixty-five. His wife, who was the daughter of James and Hannah (Whitehead) Neal, natives of Eng- land and pioneers of Posey county, died in 1886, at the age of forty-six years ..

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She was one of three children born to her parents, the other two being James and Hannah. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hayes were prominent members of the Bellevue Methodist church, of Lawrenceburg. After the death of Mrs. Hayes, Edward L. Hayes married, secondly, Ellen Hill, a native of Indiana, who bore him two sons, Silas and Joseph, and who is still living.

Of the three Hayes brothers who came from Pennsylvania on a flatboat to the mouth of the Big Miami river in pioneer times, the subject of this sketch is a direct descendant of Jacob. The other two brothers were Joseph and Walter. When they landed in Dearborn county they had seven hundred dollars in gold, with which they bought large tracts of land and eventually became quite wealthy. Both lived to ripe old ages. Jacob Hayes, who was married three times, was married first to his cousin, Leah Hayes; the second time to a second cousin, and the third time to a third cousin. He was the father of the following children : Mrs. Mary Jane Guard, George, Mrs. Anna B. Hunter, Edward, Mrs. America McKee and Omer T. Capt. Joseph Hayes, who was the father of Jacob, fitted out a company during the Revolutionary War and personally paid all of the expenses of its equipment.

Edward Hayes was reared on his father's farm in Lawrenceburg town- ship, receiving his elementary education in the schools of this township, sup- plementing the same by attendance at the Lawrenceburg high school and Nelson's Business College, at Cincinnati. Upon completing his studies he located at Lawrenceburg, this county, where he engaged in the real estate business. Shortly afterward he entered the Young Men's Christian Associa- tion school, at Cincinnati, where he further schooled himself in the study of law as a practical aid to the proper conduct of his real estate business. Mr. Hayes owns about seven hundred acres of land in Dearborn county.

Edward Hayes was married to Flossie Heustis on January 10, 1885, daughter of Zephaniah and Elizabeth (Steele) Heustis, to which union were born three children, namely: Janet E., who married Charles W. Evans, of Hamilton, Ohio, and has two children, Janet Pauline and Marie Elizabeth : Edward L., a graduate of the Lawrenceburg high school, later a student at Purdue University, was graduated from the law department of the University of Cincinnati in 1910 and was admitted to the Lawrenceburg bar, now being a member of the law firm of Cornet & Hayes; and Zephaniah, who died in infancy. The mother of these children died in 1890, at the age of twenty- four years. She was one of the six children born to her parents, now deceased. the others being Vina, Ella, Elizabeth, Emma and Zephaniah. She was reared in Lawrenceburg and was a devout member of the Methodist church. Her maternal grandparents were early settlers in Dearborn county and lived

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to ripe old ages. They were the parents of three children: Oliver, Warren and Elizabeth. Her paternal grandparents were Oliver and Elizabeth ( Plum- mer) Heustis, who came from Massachusetts to Dearborn county, settling in Manchester township, where they conducted the old Heustis tavern and where they lived the remainder of their days. Their children were William and Zephaniah.

Edward Hayes was married, secondly, September 21, 1900, to Mrs. Emma C. Mueller, widow of Charles Mueller and daughter of Leopold Kupf- erschmidt, to which union one son has been born, Leyman K. Mrs. Hayes had a daughter, Pauline E., by her former marriage. She is a native of Law- renceburg and one of two children, the other being Yetta, wife of Henry Ginter. Her father was a native of Germany and her mother of Dearborn county. They are both deceased.

JOHN W. OBERTING.

The gentleman about whom this sketch is written has had a varied and extended business experience, all of which has been very valuable, and con- tributes largely to his present success in the automobile business. It may all be very well to "do one thing at a time, and do that one thing well," but the writer believes in being fitted for more than one thing, for, in the event of failure, one has something else to fall back on. Thus, should the auto- mobile business prove unprofitable to our subject, which is not likely to be the case, he would very quickly find an open door in another direction.

John W. Oberting, automobile dealer at Lawrenceburg, Indiana, was born in that city on August 28, 1877. He is a son of Nicholas and Rebecca (Jackson) Oberting. He was reared in Lawrenceburg, where he attended both public and private schools. After he grew to manhood he began rail- roading as a brakeman, which vocation he followed for three years, after which he became chief electrician in charge of the new electric signal system of the Big Four Railroad Company, which position he filled for five years. He was then elected township assessor of Lawrenceburg township, and served four years, dating from 1905, and was then elected township trustee and served six years, and for the past six years has been engaged in the automo- bile business. He was the organizer of the Hoosier Auto Company, of which he is president and general manager. Mr. Oberting is a stanch Democrat, and belongs to two of the very old families in the county.

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Nicholas Oberting, father of the subject, is a native of the Alsace-Lor- raine country, Germany, and his wife is a native of Indiana. They were the parents of eight children: John W., Charles, Florentine V., Amos P., Rob- ert, Leona, wife of John Cornelius; Margaret, single, and a daughter who died in early childhood. Mr. Oberting came to America with his parents when ten years old. They settled in Dearborn county, and he grew to man- hood on a 'farm. He then came to Lawrenceburg and became engaged in the coal business for a short time, later serving as city marshal for several years. In politics, he is a Democrat, and in religion, a Catholic. His wife is a member of the Methodist church.

The paternal grandfather. of our subject was John Oberting, who was a soldier in the Napoleonic war. He and his wife settled in Dearborn county at an early date, when he became a farmer. They both died in this county at a ripe old age. The following children were born to them: George, Nich- olas, John, Martin, Victor, Peter and Lena.

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History of Dearborn County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions, Part 106

Author: Archibald Shaw Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1123

Author: Archibald Shaw
Publication date: 1915
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1123