USA > Indiana > Decatur County > History of Decatur County, Indiana: its people, industries and institutions > Part 69
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GEORGE MENZIE.
Probably there is no man in Decatur county who has a wider acquaint- ance in the county than the gentleman whose name the reader notes above. One of the most extensive buyers and shippers of live stock in this section of Indiana, he is known to every farmer hereabout and is popular with them all. There is hardly a day in the year that George Menzie does not ship from his yards in Greensburg from one to four cars of cattle, his business aggregating more than five hundred cars annually. In the operation of this extensive business he distributes thousands of dollars throughout the county and is recognized as one of the most active and energetic men in this part of the state. No review of the activities of this county would be complete without a proper reference to Mr. Menzie's part therein, hence it is very fitting that the following biography be set out here.
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George Menzie was born in the city of Greensburg, Indiana, on Janu- ary 6, 1871, the son of John and Mary (Luther) Menzie, the former of whom was a native of Switzerland and the latter of whom was born in Greensburg, this county, both of whom are still living, enjoying their latter days in quiet retirement at their pleasant home in the county seat.
John Menzie was born in Switzerland on December 12, 1837, the son of Jacob and Verina (Snaille) Menzie, the former of whom was a shoemaker. During his early boyhood, John Menzie worked for his uncle in a saw-mill and at the age of sixteen years decided to seek his fortunes in the land of opportunities across the sea. Coming to America, he proceeded to Law- renceburg, Indiana, at which place his brother, Jacob, had located some years previously. Shortly after his arrival at Lawrenceburg he and his brother went to Chicago, with a view to possible permanent location there, but not finding things just to their liking, returned to Indiana. John went to Greens- burg, where for a short time he worked for Charles Zoller in a meat market, later taking occupation as a farm hand in the Springhill neighborhood, in this county. After two years of this form of experience, he returned to Greensburg and entered the butcher business, working for Harvey Ander- son and George Menzie, presently becoming the sole owner of this business, in which he became quite prosperous, gradually enlarging the scope of the same to include general dealing in cattle and hogs, becoming an extensive shipper. His shop was located on the corner, which he then owned, but is now occupied by the I. O. O. F. building. In 1905 he turned the business over to his sons, John and George, since which time he has been retired from active business cares.
At the outbreak of the Civil War John Menzie sold out his butcher shop and enlisted in Company F, Seventh Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry. After three months of service, however, he was seized with a serious illness, which so incapacitated him that he was discharged. Returning to Greens- burg he found his invalidism did not properly respond to local treatment and took a trip to Europe, finding his health greatly improved thereby. Upon recovering his wonted health, Mr. Menzie returned to Greensburg and resumed the butcher business, success attending him from the very start.
On September 29, 1861, John Menzie was united in marriage to Mary Luther, who was born in Greensburg on October 8, 1844, the daughter of Caleb and Elizabeth (Nice) Luther, natives, respectively, of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Caleb Luther was a contractor and builder who located in Greensburg in the early days and was an active builder there for years.
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In 1856 he bought a small farm near the city and there spent the rest of his life. His wife, Elizabeth Nice, was the first teacher in the old seminary in Greensburg, a woman who exerted a very wholesome influence upon the youth of that day in and about the county seat and whose memory still is kept green in this county. Mr. and Mrs. Luther were the parents of four children, Mrs. Abbie Whipple, who died in Iowa; Mrs. Frances Gilchrist, who also died in Iowa; Edward, who died in Leavenworth, Kansas, and Mrs. Menzie. To Mr. and Mrs. Menzie were born two sons, John and George, both of whom live at Greensburg. Two daughters died in infancy.
Mr. and Mrs. John Menzie are members of the Presbyterian church and are held in the highest esteem in the city in which they live. Mr. Menzie is a Democrat and formerly took much interest in political affairs. He is a member of Pap Thomas Post No. 5, Grand Army of the Republic, and a member of the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Knights and Ladies of Honor lodges in Greensburg, in all of which he is very popular.
George Menzie was educated in the local schools at Greensburg and at the age of fifteen went to Cincinnati where he remained for three years, learning the butcher business. ' At the end of this time he returned to Greens- burg and for one year worked for Charles Zoller, after which he and his brother, John, engaged in the butcher business for themselves, continuing this association for ten years, at the end of which time, in 1912, John sold his interest to his brother, George, having conducted the business alone since that time, being the exclusive buyer and shipper of live stock in the city of Greensburg, his shipments amounting to as much as five hundred carloads of cattle and hogs annually.
On December 25, 1892, George Menzie was united in marriage to Mollie Rader, daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth Rader, of Greensburg, and to this union one child has been born, a daughter, Elizabeth, on July 12, 1894, who is bookkeeper and stenographer for the Sal-Tone Company, of Greens- burg.
Mr. Menzie is a Democrat and is particularly active in the lodge circles of the city in which he lives. He entered the Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias lodges when he was twenty-one years of age: has passed through all the chairs in the encampment of the former order and is past chancellor commander of the local lodge of the latter order. He also is an active mem- ber of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and is a prime favorite in all these lodges. Mr. Menzie is a busy, energetic man, public-spirited and progressive and is regarded as one of the leaders in the busy life of his home city.
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JAMES B. LATHROP.
James B. Lathrop, the president of the Citizens National Bank at Greensburg. Indiana, who is still active in business at the age of ninety years, has had a most interesting career as a pioneer citizen of Indiana. Born of patriotic stock, he represents the second generation of a family which has lived in Decatur county practically ever since the town of Greens- burg was laid out in 1822. For thirty-one years a minister of the Metho- dist Episcopal church, he perhaps served as pastor of more cities in Indiana than any other living man. Fcw men, living or dead, have had more to do with Indiana Methodisin than he, having served as pastor in fifteen or twenty Indiana cities, and having in less than twenty years after he began his career as a minister of the Gospel, became a presiding elder in the Methi- odist church. For many years, however, he has been retired from the min- istry, and has been engaged in business in the city of Greensburg.
The Lathrop family had its original home during the fourteenth cen- tury in northeastern Yorkshire, England, in what was known at that time as Lothroppe College Rectory, a church and school. The founder of the family in America was the Rev. John Lathrop, a Congregational preacher, whose church in the city of London was raided under the Archbishop of the English church and all of the congregation, including the minister and sixty-six men, thrown into prison. The Rev. John Lathrop was released after having been kept in prison for five years, and took the first vessel for America, landing at Plymouth Rock, where he was greeted by forty of his old congregation. For four years he served as pastor of the church at Scituate in what is now Plymouth county, and was then appointed chaplain to the governor at Boston, where he spent the remainder of his life. He was accustomed to write the annual Thanksgiving proclamation for the governor of Massachusetts.
The next member of the Lathrop family in line of descent from Rev. John Lathrop was Erastus Lathrop, a native of Connecticut, who moved to Canada, and whose property was confiscated by the crown during the War of 1812. He returned to this country and settled in Vermont, where he owned a fine farm on the St. Lawrence river. A brother of Erastus, Ezra by name, served during the War of 1812. Erastus himself was a captain in the home guards, a company which was called out at the battle of Lake Champlain. He was a well-known Baptist minister in his day and genera- tion. On his father's farm, located near the St. Lawrence river in Canada, Ezra Lathrop, the father of James B., was born in 1803. Ezra was a native
REV. JAMES B. LATHROP.
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of Canada and was reared in that country. During the year of 1812 the family refused to take the oath of allegiance to the British crown. About 1822, the year in which the town of Greensburg was laid out, Ezra Lathrop came west to Decatur county, Indiana, with his father. They selected one hundred and sixty acres of land adjoining the site of the county seat, and also another one hundred and sixty acres north of the present site of Greens- burg. Erastus, having returned home to bring back the family, died of typhoid fever. Ezra, the brother, came to Dearborn county, Indiana, in 1817, and grew to manhood, the hired man having, in the meantime, made a camp out of the bark of a poplar tree. During the winter of 1812 they lived on the site of Webb Woodfill's present residence. They cleared ten acres of land and in the spring returned for the mother and her other children.
Ezra Lathrop married Abi Potter, a member of the pioneer family of Huguenot descent, who fled from France. and who settled first in South Carolina, and later migrated to North Carolina. Nathaniel Potter, the father of Abi Potter, lived near where the battle of Cowpens was fought, and he had four brothers who were soldiers in the American Revolution. Subsequently he moved into Kentucky and from there moved to Decatur county, where he purchased several tracts of land. He gave each of his eight children eighty acres, and retained for his own use one hundred and sixty acres east of town. He was an important man in his day and genera- tion and was considered extremely wealthy. Ezra Lathrop inherited con- siderable land from his father. During the first few years of his residence in Decatur county he did odd jobs, and during the second year he got a contract with another man for the building of the brick school house in Fugit township. The partner, however, absconded with all the profits, and Ezra got nothing. Eventually, however, he became a successful contractor and a manufacturer of brick, building many houses in Greensburg. He served as justice of the peace, having jurisdiction over the entire county, and held this office for a period of twenty years. A dry goods merchant, he also loaned money. The old home farm, adjacent to the town of Greens- burg, two miles north, and upon which a part of the present city of Greens- burg is built, he sold for two hundred and fifty dollars per acre. After having reared a family of two children to maturity, Ezra Lathrop died in 1894. Six children, however, were born to himself and wife, four of them dying in infancy. Levi, one of the sons who grew to maturity, died in 1884, and the other son is James B., the subject of this sketch, who was born on November 24, 1825, in a one-story brick house, which stood in the
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second square from the court house on East Washington street, and which Ezra Lathrop had built probably in 1823.
The venerable James B. Lathrop received an extraordinary education for his day and generation, having been instructed in the pioneer schools of Greensburg, and at Indiana University. Immediately after leaving col- lege he entered the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal church. Beginning in 1847, at the age of twenty-two, he served almost continuously as pastor of some church for thirty-one years. He was first called upon to fill a vacancy on the Martinsville circuit. Later he was transferred to Greenville, having in the meantime eighteen appointments in school houses, homes and churches. At Vincennes, Indiana, he had a very hard field, but was able to establish two new churches. From Vincennes he was transferred to Point Commerce on the Wabash river. From Point Commerce he went to Franklin, Indiana, a very poor church, which had only fifty members as late as 1851. Among other charges he was pastor of the church at Conners- ville, Vevay, Madison, Brookville, Columbus, Rushville, Aurora and Adams. When he went to Adams, there were only sixteen members, and within two years during his pastorate the church had increased to one hundred mem- bers and a new building had been dedicated. The Greensburg church had the best village Sunday school in Decatur county.
After a brief absence from the ministry, during which he was engaged in business with his brother at Greensburg, he returned to Connersville in the fall of 1864, and became presiding elder, a position which he held for two years, having jurisdiction over the Indianapolis district, and completing the balance of the six-year term on Moores Hill district, as the result of hav- ing traded districts with Elder Holliday. of Moores Hill. He was presiding elder of the Lawrenceburg and Moores Hill districts for six years each.
At one time Reverend Lathrop was in charge of the Grace Methodist Episcopal church in Indianapolis, but on account of the death of his brother and the aged parents, he returned home and served as pastor within the Milroy circuit for four years.
On the death of his brother in 1884. Mr. Lathrop became guardian for his children, and had charge of his deceased brother's estate. Subse- quently, he became guardian for two girls left fatherless, and served in this capacity for five years. The father having been a mill owner, Mr. Lathrop operated the mill for the children for one year, selling the mill to a com- pany. He operated the mill for the company for five years. He has been connected with the Citizens National Bank of Greensburg for many years, and on his father's death became manager of his estate, assisted by Lewis
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E. Lathrop, which position he held until 1884, when he turned the estate, amounting to a hundred thousand dollars, over to his children.
In this connection it may be said that Mr. Lathrop's career as a minis- ter ended with a final period of four years during which he was a junior preacher on the Milroy circuit.
On November 28, 1848, James B. Lathrop was married to Mary C. Butler, who was born in Bloomington, Indiana, and who was the daughter of F. T. Butler. Mrs. Lathrop was born in 1830 and died in 1897. She was the mother of six children, two of whom died early in life. Levi died at the age of twelve years, and William died at the age of two years. The other children are Mrs. Ella Gavin, wife of Judge Gavin, of Indianapolis; Lizzie, who lives with her father; Harry, the secretary of the Business Men's Association of Greensburg, and Mrs. Margaret Shannon, wife of John Shannon, who lives one and one-half miles northwest of Greensburg.
James B. Lathrop has been a life-long Republican. Fraternally, he is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, and is a Knight Templar, being a member of the Baldwin Commandery at Shelbyville, Indiana.
Possessed with a genius for public service, the influence of James B. Lathrop will live when he is gone. As his career is nearing a close he may enjoy the satisfaction of looking back on a life which has been spent in his Master's vineyard. Having carried the Christian Gospel to the people of this state at a time when it involved a greater sacrifice than at present, and having been a true servant, it is not too much to believe that his work will be approved by the One he has served in these well-known words,
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
Mr. Lathrop became a stockholder of the Citizens Bank at Greens- burg, Indiana, in 1873. He has served as president of the bank for sev- eral years.
ANTHONY HABIG.
Among the thriving businesses in Decatur county, Indiana, is that of the Habig Real Estate Agency, established in 1897 by Anthony Habig. This firm not only deals in farms and city properties in Indiana and Ohio, but also has a large loan business and deals in lands in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Canada and Oklahoma. The company has handled a considerable acreage of land during its existence, Mr. Habig buying and selling thousands of acres principally upon the commission basis.
Although Anthony Habig is not a native of this county, he has resided
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here now for twenty-five years and is naturally well known. He was born in Cincinnati on December 5, 1870, the son of Joseph and Theresa Habig, natives of Cincinnati, who moved to Indiana in 1880 and located on a farm one mile east of Shelbyville. They later resided in Greensburg and he was engaged in the milling business until 1897, when they moved to Indianapolis, where they died in 1905.
Mr. Habig has resided in Greensburg since 1890. From 1890 to 1897, he was employed in the office of the mill operated by his father. In the latter year he engaged in the real estate business and has been continuously engaged since that time.
In 1891 Mr. Habig was married to Ethel Fromer, of Greensburg and to them have been born two children, Marguerite and Velma.
' A Democrat in politics, Mr. Habig has never taken a special part in the councils of his party. He has never held office nor has he ever aspired to office, devoting his time almost exclusively to his own private business. Fraternally, Mr. Habig is a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Knights of St. John and is prominent in both organizations. The Habig family are all members of the Catholic church and are liberal contributors to its support.
Anthony Habig is a man, who, in his dealings with the public, has established an enviable reputation for honorable and square dealings. In his business especially this is an important asset and it is responsible largely for the splendid clientage which he today enjoys. IIe also handles old line fire insurance, Hanover Fire Insurance Company, New York City; Aachen and Munich, New York City; also has a rent-collecting depart- ment.
BERNARD H. BLANKMAN.
In the history of our country, the schoolroom has led directly to many positions of trust and responsibility, and many of our celebrated statesmen today are men who began their active careers in life as teachers in the pub- lic schools. Bernard H. Blankman, the present surveyor of Decatur county, Indiana, who began teaching at the age of eighteen, was engaged continu- ously in this profession for fourteen years. He is a man who is well known to the people of Decatur county, and who, having given a satisfactory meas- ure of service during his first term as county surveyor, was triumphantly re-elected in the fall of 1914 to serve a second term.
MR. AND MRS. BERNARD H. BLANK MAN.
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Bernard H. Blankman, the county surveyor of Decatur county, was born on October 28, 1877, at Millliousen, Indiana, where he now resides. He is the son of Henry and Mary (Goldschmidt) Blankman, the former of whom was born on December 6, 1849, in Cincinnati, and the latter of whom was born in 1857 in the same city. Nine children were born to Henry and Mary Blankman: Bernard, the subject of this sketch; Edward, Frank, August, William and Mrs. Clara Vaske, all of whom reside at Bigelow, Minnesota ; Mrs. Josephine Ruhl, who lives in Millhousen; John and Theo- dore, who still live at home.
Henry Blankman was the son of Bernard H. and Angela (Lueken) Blankman, both of whom were born in Germany, although not in the same state. They came to America when still young people, met and were mar- ried in Cincinnati, Ohio. They moved to Millhousen, Decatur county, when their son, Henry, was six year old. Mr. Blankman's maternal grandparents were John Bernard and Elizabeth ( Brinkers) Goldschmidt, who were also born in Germany. They moved to Millhousen, Decatur county, when Mr. Blankman's mother was eleven years old. Henry Blankman and Mary Goldschmidt were married in Millhousen.
Bernard H. Blankman attended the parochial school at Millhousen until fourteen years of age, and was then a student in the district school, No. 6, in Marion township, being graduated from the district school at the age of seventeen. Subsequently, he attended the Central Normal College at Danville, Indiana, during the summer of 1895, preparatory to teaching. He has learned surveying by home study and by practical work. Mr. Blank- man taught school for fourteen years, having begun at the age of eighteen. He taught until 1913. when he assumed the duties of surveyor, having been elected to the office in November, 1912. This office was wholly unsought, as Mr. Blankman is in no sense of the word a politician. He gave such excellent service that he was re-elected in 1914. During the three years that he has held the office he has had no trouble and during this period lias had charge of all land surveys, the building of macadamized roads and all bridges in Decatur county. Mr. Blankman has one hundred acres of land- well improved farm-which he rents out. He, however, still lives on his farm.
On June 7, 1905, Mr. Blankman was married in Millhousen to Clara M. Hardebeck, who was born at Millhousen on December 4, 1885, and who is the daugliter of Henry and Rebecca ( Funke) Hardebeck, the former of whom was born near Marion, Indiana, on January 27, 1840, and who died on October 10, 1913. The latter was born in Germany on February 2.
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1845. They were the parents of the following children: Mrs. Josephine Steltenpohl; Mrs. Mary Butz; Mrs. Cecelia Ronnebaum; Frances, at home ; Theodore, a farmer of Marion township; Louis and Henry, also at home.
Mr. and Mrs. Blankman have had five children: Cyril, who was born on December 14, 1907; Paul, August 20, 1909; Alvin, May 17, 1911 ; Laura, October 21, 1913, and Orval Theo, June 20, 1915.
Fraternally, Mr. Blankman is a member of the Knights of St. John. He and his wife and family are members of the Catholic church and he is identified with the Democratic party. He owes his nomination and election as county surveyor to this party.
HARRY EMMERT.
An enterprise of which the people of Greensburg are very proud, and one which finally passed under the control of local capitalists, is the Greens- burg Water Company, which supplies water to the citizens of Greensburg fromi thirty driven wells by the latest compressed air system. The Greens- burg Water Company, of which Harry Emmert is vice-president and gen- eral manager, has one of the finest plants in Indiana, and one which is en- tirely adequate for a much larger city. The new system, which was installed in 1915 after two years' work at a cost of forty thousand dollars, makes it possible to pump water to a radius of one and one-half miles. Although this company was organized in 1888 by Samuel R. Bullock, a few years later it was owned by the Prudential Water Company, of Rochester, New York, and in 1901 passed to the control of residents of this city. For almost twenty years Harry Emmert has been the general manager of this plant, and its splendid success is so closely intertwined with his career as a business man, that it seems fitting here to emphasize its importance to the comfort and convenience of the city of Greensburg. The present president of the company is David A. Myers. Mr. Emmert is vice-president and gen- eral manager. James B. Kitchen is secretary and treasurer. These officers with W. W. Woodfill and W. H. Robbins comprise the board of directors. The company, which is capitalized at one hundred thousand dollars, employs ten people.
Harry Emmert, who has been general manager of the Greensburg Water Company since 1896, was born on October 6. 1868. in Greensburg. but is the son of native-born German parents, John and Catherine (Seitz)
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Emmert. The former, who was born in Mannheim, Germany, came to this country a poor boy, and attended night school after coming here to obtain an education. Coming to Greensburg, Indiana, in 1866, he built the Gar- land mills, and operated these mills until his death. Before coming to Greensburg he had lived in Lawrenceburg, to which place he came in 1853. He not only was engaged in the milling business, but he was a miller by trade, as was his father before him, and no doubt his technical knowledge of the business was, in a large measure, responsible for his great success. During his life John Emmert was an influential man in Decatur county. A Democrat in politics, he served as councilman of Greensburg for a number of years, and was public-spirited, progressive, industrious and became very wealthy. A member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows for many years, he was prominent in that organization. There were three eventful years in the career of John Emmert. In 1845. when he came to America with his parents and located at Trenton, New Jersey; in 1853, when he located at Lawrenceburg, where he was married to Catherine Seitz, and in 1866, when he came to Greensburg, Indiana, where the most of his for- tune was acquired. His wife, who before her marriage was Catherine Seitz, was born in Alsace-Lorraine, and was brought to America with her parents when four years old, in 1838. They first located in Hamilton, Ohio, but her father, Christopher Seitz, later removed to Dearborn county, where he became a farmer. John Emmert died in 1882, while his wife survived him many years, dying in 1909.
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