USA > Indiana > DeKalb County > History of Dekalb County, Indiana, with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of old families > Part 32
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est, dying at the age of three years. The three living at the time this volume is printed are Col. Aubrey L. Kuhlman, William O. and George W., all of Auburn, Indiana.
Aubrey L. Kuhlman was reared under the parental roof in Auburn and secured his education in the public schools here, graduating from the high school with the class of 1887. Upon completing his studies he took em- ployment with Kuhlman Brothers, a lumber company at Auburn, with whom he spent a little over three years, transferring thence to the lumber firm of A. Lewis & Company, with whom he remained two years. He then joined the Auburn Manufacturing Company in the capacity of lumber inspector, and in January, 1894, became office manager for that concern. Soon after- wards he was elected secretary of the company, and a year or two later he was also made treasurer of the company, holding both offices, and for several years carried the additional responsibilities of general manager. Several years later he was made a director of the company and, excepting six months, when he was in active military service during the Spanish-American war, he was continuously identified with this concern until February 10, 1906. On that date Colonel Kuhlman received his commission as postmaster of Auburn, and served four years in that capacity, or until May 1, 1910. His adminis- tration of the postoffice was characterized by the same careful attention to details and to the wants of the patrons of the office that has characterized him in all his business affairs and his relations with his fellows, and his official record was such as to win for him the approval of the department and the commendation of the community. After the expiration of his term as post- master, Colonel Kuhlman accepted a position in the office of the Zimmerman Manufacturing Company, having less than a day's vacation between engage- ments, and he remained with the Zimmerman Company until the spring of 1912. He then enjoyed a vacation of several months, after which he took a position as manager of the Angola factory of the Auburn Automobile Com- pany, and served in that capacity until August 1, 1913, when he was trans- ferred to the main office in Auburn, where he holds a responsible position, being one of the most valued and appreciated members of the splendid force which is making this concern one of the most successful manufacturing enter- prises of the state. Possessing executive and administrative ability of a high order, Colonel Kuhlman is also a man of tact and sound judgment and his relations both with his employers and the men under him have been mutually pleasant and agreeable.
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For many years the subject of this sketch has been deeply interested in military affairs and more than a score of years ago he organized at Auburn a company of the National Guard, of which he was elected captain on the date of its muster into service, January 12, 1892. On March 25, 1897, he was commissioned a major, and on the outbreak of the Spanish-American war he reported at Indianapolis for duty with his regiment on April 26th and was, on May 10, 1898, commissioned as major and had command of a battalion of four hundred and thirty-five officers and men, his command being a part of the One Hundred Fifty-seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry, for the United States volunteer service, serving as such until inustered out of that service on November 1, 1898. His regiment was mobilized at Chickamauga, Georgia, leaving Indianapolis on May 15th and arriving at Chickamauga on the 17th, under the command of General Brooks, moving on June Ist to Tampa, Florida, and on July 29th were transferred to Fernandina, on the Atlantic coast of Florida. The regiment left Fernandina on August 30th, arriving at Indianapolis September 2nd, remaining there until mustered out, excepting a furlough period for the entire regiment from September 10th until October 10th. The battalion under Major Kuhlman's command com- prised the companies from Angola, Waterloo, Auburn and Ligonier. After the war the Indiana National Guard was re-organized and, on April 27, 1900, the subject of this sketch was again commissioned as major. He was pro- moted to lieutenant-colonel on December 11, 1909, and on February 1, 1913, was commissioned colonel of the Third Regiment, made up of the twelve companies whose home stations are at Ft. Wayne, Auburn, Angola, Columbia City, Monticello, South Bend, Plymouth, Rensselaer, Albion, Warsaw, Goshen and Elkhart and the band at Peru. His entire military service has been characterized by duty promptly and intelligently performed and he is held in high esteem among his brother officers of the Guard. As a company commander, he took part in Governor Matthews' campaign against prize fighting at the Roby arena in September, 1893, when a lot of toughs and sporting men from Chicago threatened to override the laws of Indiana. In 1894, during the great strike of the American Railway Union, he had com- mand of the detached military post at Whiting, Indiana, which was gar- risoned by the two companies from Auburn and Fort Wayne. On January 4, 1908, the National Guard was called to Muncie to assist in suppressing the rioting during a strike on the street and interurban lines, twelve companies of infantry and one battery of artillery being called into service, and during
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the latter half of the service Colonel Kuhlman had command of the entire force. On November 6, 1913, the entire National Guard of Indiana was called to Indianapolis to protect life and property in connection with the strike of the street railway employees, and during this period of duty Colonel Kuhlman had command of a force consisting of fifteen companies, eleven companies of his own regiment, three companies of the Second Regiment and one company of the First Regiment.
Colonel Kuhlman's war horse, "Harry," a product of DeKalb county, who carried him through the Spanish-American war and in army maneuvers during fifteen years following the war, died January 5, 1914, at the age of twenty years.
On December 25, 1895, Aubrey L. Kuhlman was married to Josie B. Shull, who was born and reared in this county, northwest of Auburn, the daughter of Eli W. and Adaline (Olinger) Shull, who now reside on a farm about a mile from the place where Mrs. Kuhlman was born. Immediately after the completion of her education, Mrs. Kuhlman became a teacher in the schools, but at the time of her marriage was engaged in the millinery busi- ness in Auburn. Mrs. Kuhlman is prominent in church, club and social circles. Mr. Shull is a prosperous farmer and public-spirited citizen, owning more than three hundred acres of good land. He has been a life-long resi- dent of this locality and was a veteran of the Civil war. To Colonel and Mrs. Kuhlman has been born a daughter, Helen, a beautiful, talented and affectionate girl, beloved by all who know her.
Fraternally, Colonel Kuhlman is an appreciative member of the Knights of Pythias, while he is also a member of the Spanish-American War Vet- erans, his comrades insisting upon naming the Auburn camp of Spanish War Veterans Kuhlman Camp, in his honor. In local civic affairs he has long been a prominent figure and has been an active member of the Auburn Com- mercial Club, which he served as president two years and for three years as a member of the board of directors. When the Agricultural Exhibit at Auburn was originated, Colonel Kuhlman proposed the idea, drew up the plans of organization and had a leading part in the development and consum- mation of the affair, a plan for the exhibition of agricultural products so different from the time-honored county fair, and so successful in its results that it has been copied in many states of the Union and the very first year of its operation it produced such a splendid display of agricultural products from DeKalb county alone that at least a half dozen state fairs in the Central
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states were outclassed by the quantity and quality of the products displayed by DeKalb county, this statement being the voluntary testimony of visitors who had seen the state fairs and it is generally conceded that the Agricultural Exhibit which Colonel Kuhlman originally proposed and planned has, by means of the attention which it has attracted to this county, increased the value of every acre of land in DeKalb county at least fifty per cent.
In 1902 Colonel Kuhlman published a book which brought to its author the very highest encomiums from some of the most distinguished men in America, statesmen. anthors, evangelists, generals, clergymen and publishers. and almost from the day of his graduation his versatile pen has been called upon from every direction. In this connection we are tempted to include in this sketch several of the comments, taken at random from the many similar ones:
"Unusually beautiful-I have read it with pleasure."-Gen. Lew Wallace.
"I am delighted with it. It will do great good to all who read it and is worthy of a place in every American home."-Ira D. Sankey.
"An invaluable help to young people. It contains 'nuggets' of very great value."-Governor W. T. Durbin.
"Major Kuhlman's booklet, 'Nuggets of Gold.' will be wonderfully help- ful to any life. There is no question as to its value."-Chaplain Medbury.
"The volume is beautifully gotten up and the exterior does homage to the nobility of sentiment between the covers."-Col. George M. Studebaker.
"The selection of paragraphs has been exceptionally happy and it is certainly such a volume as might be presented to anyone and through any medium, with pride and satisfaction."-Youth's Companion.
Roosevelt, Taft, Hitchcock, Marshall. Hanly and many other dis- tinguished men have commended the book. but, although Colonel Kuhlman's book received such commendation as very few books ever receive, it has never been placed upon the market or offered for sale.
A man of many sterling characteristics of head and heart, among his contemporaries it would be difficult to find a record as replete with toilsome duty faithfully performed in all the walks of life as Colonel Kuhlman's, while his career in the humble sphere of private citizenship has been such as to com- mend him to the favorable consideration of the city and county where he has long maintained his residence.
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DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
ALFRED KELLEY.
It is with a great degree of satisfaction to us when we advert to the life of one who has made the rough path of life smooth by untiring perseverance, attaining success in any vocation requiring definiteness of purpose and deter- mined action. Such a life, whether it be one of calm, consecutive endeavor, or of sudden meteoric accomplishments, must abound both in lesson and incen- tive and prove a guide to the young men whose fortunes are still matters for the future to determine. For a number of years the late Alfred Kelley di- rected his efforts towards the goal of success in Waterloo, Indiana, and by patient continuance won pronounced prestige. But it is by no means an easy task to describe within the limits of this review a man who led an active and eminently useful life and by his own exertions reached a position of honor in the lines of business with which he was interested. But biography and memorial history find justification, nevertheless, in tracing and recording such a life history, as the public claims a certain property interest in the career of every individual and the time invariably arrives when it becomes advisable to give the right publicity. It is, then, with a certain degree of sat- isfaction the chronicler essays the task of touching briefly upon such a record as was that of the honored subject of this memoir, for many years one of the leading business men of Waterloo and who deserved in every respect the large success he attained and the high esteem in which he was universally held.
Alfred Kelley, who during his lifetime was familiarly known among his friends as "Ab," was born at Wooster, Wayne county, Ohio, on May 16, 1852, and died at the home of his son, Eugene Kelley, in Waterloo, Indiana, on June 5, 1911, in the sixtieth year of his age. He was a son of Joshua and Martha (McCrillis) Kelley, whose children, six in number, were as follows: Charles, who died in Waterloo, in 1912; Mrs. Florinda Marvin, who now resides in Iowa; Mrs. Samantha Beard, of Waterloo; Alfred, the immediate subject of this memoir; Cyrus and Mrs. Emma J. Fee, both of whom died several years ago. Joshua Kelley was a native of Pennsylvania and the son of Thomas Kelley. After his removal to Ohio he married a Miss Durst, who died, leaving a daughter, Elizabeth. The latter married and spent her entire life in Ohio, being now deceased. Eventually Joshua Kelley married Mrs. Martha (McCrillis) Ward, the widow of Joneth Ward .. She was born in Ireland and accompanied her parents on their emigration to the United States. Her mother, who died in Wayne county, Ohio, lived to the remark -
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able age of one hundred and three years. By her first marriage Mrs. Ward became the mother of a daughter, Elizabeth.
About 1850 Joshua Kelley came to DeKalb county and entered probably about four hundred acres of land in Smithfield township. He was here sev- eral times afterwards, looking after the land, and about 1855 he moved his family here. The land was new and to the clearing, cultivation and improve- ment of this farm he devoted himself closely. His place was far from schools and largely because of that fact he bought the Porterfield farm, near Taylor's Corners, in Franklin township, where the land was improved, including an orchard, and situated near schools. There he established his permanent home and remained until his death, which occurred in 1862, by which time he had become quite well-to-do. He had inherited one hundred and sixty acres of land from his father, who had come here before his son Joshua and bought a farm near Hamilton. Joshua had also bought other land, becoming the owner of about seven hundred acres of land in DeKalb county and other lands in Ohio. He was survived many years by his widow, who passed away in March, 1898.
Alfred Kelley accompanied his parents on their removal to Smithfield township, this county, in 1855, being at that time but three years old, and he was but eleven years of age when his father died. He remained on the home farm until about 1873, when, reaching his majority and inheriting one hundred and sixty acres of land and some ready money from his father's estate, he moved to Waterloo and for several years carried on a brokerage business, though at the same time he gave attention to the clearing and im- provement of his land. About 1895 Mr. Kelley bought the Locke Hotel, at Waterloo, from his father-in-law, Simon J. Locke, and continued its operation with marked success and financial profit until 1910, when, on account of failing health and the heavy demands of his other business interests, he re- tired from the hotel business. During his management the well-established reputation of the house was ably maintained and it continued to be a favorite stopping place for the traveling public for many years. About 1899 Mr. Kelley established the Waterloo telephone exchange, under the Bell system, installing the first switch-board in his hotel, with thirty subscribers. How- ever, giving to the telephone business the same careful attention and sound business management that characterized him in everything to which he ad- dressed himself, the new business became popular and soon grew to such an extent that it was necessary to secure more room for it than could be secured in the hotel. In 1910 Mr. Kelley erected the present exchange building, where
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there is ample room for switchboards and other necessary appliances. This modern brick building, completed early in 1911, stands as a monument to his progressive spirit and faith in the community where he lived.
Politically, Mr. Kelley was an active supporter of the Democratic party, in whose councils he was a frequent figure, being chairman of the county central committee for a time. As a partial reward for his fidelity to his party and his earnest labors in its behalf he was appointed postmaster of Waterloo under President Cleveland, discharging the duties of the position with credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of the department and the patrons of the office. He also served in an offical capacity in the municipality for several terms. Fraternally, Mr. Kelley was an appreciative member of the Knights of Pythias, and in his religious views he was always in accord with the creed of the Presbyterian church, of which he became a member before his death.
On January 1, 1877, Alfred Kelley was united in marriage with Ada Locke, who was born in Toledo, Ohio, the eldest daughter of Simon J. and Wattie (McCormick) Locke. In May, 1866, her family removed to Water- loo, where her father engaged in the restaurant business, which he continued here for nearly twenty years, and during that period he enjoyed a large pat- ronage, especially during the earlier years, when all the trains on the Lake Shore railroad stopped at Waterloo, many of Mr. Locke's patrons being rail- road men. When the restaurant was first opened, Mrs. Kelley, then a girl of fourteen years, waited on the tables-and her uniform courtesy, cheerful dispo- sition and constant efforts to please the patrons of the restaurant made a last- ing impression on the railroad men, who gave substantial evidence of their regard for her and their appreciation of her courtesies by presenting her with a beautiful gold watch and chain, valued at one hundred and seventy-five dol- lars. Inside the case were engraved the words, "Presented to Miss Ada Locke by the Employes of the Air-Line Division of L. S. & M. S. R. R. June 20, 1872." After Mr. Locke had run this restaurant for about twenty years, he bought the Lent Hotel, renamed it the Locke Hotel, and ran it until 1895, when he sold it to Alfred Kelley. He moved to Bryan, Ohio, where he en- gaged in the hotel business, but about six months later, while back in Water- loo on a visit to Mrs. Kelley, he was taken suddenly ill and died. His wife retained her residence at Bryan until her death, which occurred in December, 1906, and the hotel business there is now continued by her daughter, Miss Cora B. Locke. Besides Mrs. Kelley and Cora B., there were five other chil- dren, as follows: Adelbert, familiarly known as "Del," runs the Bliss Hotel
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at Bluffton, Indiana; Hattie is the wife of W. P. Nolton, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ; Rev. Richard Earl Locke is pastor of the Presbyterian church at Rutherford, New Jersey ; Effie is the wife of O. E. Siegfried, of Toledo; Gracie died about 1874, at the age of two years. To Alfred and Ada Kelley were born three children, namely: Blanche E., the wife of Andrew Maselle, who is engaged in the automobile business in San Francisco; Eugene, who is represented by a personal sketch elsewhere in this work; Bessie is the wife of R. J. Nisbet, manager of a surgical instrument house in Chicago, and they have two children, Richard Kelley Nisbet and Ada Blanche Nisbet. Mrs. Kelley still resides in the old home in Waterloo. She is an earnest member of the Presbyterian church, taking a deep interest in its various activities, and is also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and the Pythian Sisters. She is a lady of many gracious qualities of head and heart, moves in the best social circles of the community, and is well liked by all who know her.
Personally, Mr. Kelley was a man of more than ordinary caliber and during the period of his residence in Waterloo he was a prominent factor in the growth and development of the community. He was a progressive man in the broadest sense of the term ; realizing the wants of the people, he tried to supply the demands of the vicinity honored by his citizenship. He was a consistent man in all he ever undertook, and his career in all the relations of life was utterly without pretense. In business matters he was alert and sagacious and during his later years his real estate transactions reached large proportions. Of strong domestic tastes, he was very generous in his treat- ment of his family, to the members of which he made many substantial gifts, one gift being the Telephone Exchange building to his wife as a Christmas present, while at Christmas time his usual gift to each of his children was one hundred dollars or something equally substantial. When Mr. Kelley realized that his end was approaching he made a verbal statement as to the manner in which he desired his property to be distributed among his wife and children. He was a good husband and father, faithful and loving; a good citizen and friend, constant and reliable; a man in the fullest sense of the word. Genial and companionable, he was fond of a joke, and in his home he was uniformly kind and cheerful, the brightness of his own life driving away all clouds from the home. Physically, a large man, with strong and pleasing features, he possessed to a notable degree those qualities which beget friendships, and there was probably not another man in the community who was held in higher esteem by all, regardless of politics or professions.
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JAMES GEORGE LAWHEAD.
Among the men of high personal attainment and exalted character who have reflected honor on DeKalb county, and at the same time attained to a commendable position among their fellow men, was the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this review, a man who in every walk in life performed his full part and gave his unreserved support to every movement for the public welfare and who in his daily life so lived as to earn the con- fidence and good will of his fellow citizens.
James G. Lawhead was born in Jackson township, DeKalb county, In- diana, on October 1, 1844, and was a son of Benjamin and Mary Jane (Essig) Lawhead. Of the subject's ancestral history it may be stated that his paternal grandparents, James and Martha Lawhead, came to DeKalb county, Indiana, from Wayne county, Ohio, in 1839, and here the father died in 1854, and the mother in March, 1880. They were the parents of nine children. Of these, Benjamin, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, on April 1, 1820, accompanied his parents on their removal to Ohio in 1834 and to DeKalb county, Indiana, in 1839. The family were among the earliest settlers in the southern part of DeKalb county, and were numbered among the progressive and influential citizens of that locality. In 1843 Benjamin Lawhead married Mary Jane Essig, who was born in Stark county, Ohio, in 1821, and in 1851 Mr. Law- head bought the homestead in section 17. They were the parents of two children, James G., the immediate subject of this sketch, and Caroline, who become the wife of Charles L. Cool, of Auburn.
James G. Lawhead was reared on the paternal farmstead near the center of Jackson township, where he resided until his marriage, on April 17, 1870, to Wealthy B. Nelson, whose death occurred on April 27, 1877, leav- ing two children, William B. and Queen Victoria, the latter subsequently becoming the wife of Eli Amstutz, of Allen county, this state, and she is the mother of four children, two sons and two daughters. William Benjamin Lawhead married Sarah McKinley and is the father of three children, and lives in the east end of Butler township, this county. After Mr. Lawhead's first wife died he resided with his parents until September 1, 1879, when he was united in marriage with Eliza Walter, who was born one mile north of Jackson Center in Jackson township, November 27, 1851, the daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Nixon) Walter. Her father was a native of Wayne county, Ohio, near Orville, the son of Christian and Margaret (Keester)
JAMES G LAWHEAD
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Walter, while her mother was a native of Westmoreland county, Pennsyl- vania. Joseph Walter, after his marriage in Wayne county, Ohio, came to DeKalb county, Indiana, about 1836, being numbered among the first settlers here and entered a section of government land, the journey from Ohio to this state being made in the typical pioneer wagon. Here he and his wife es- tablished their frontier home and lived here during the remainder of their lives. Mr. Walter gave his attention to farming, in which he was eminently successful, owning at the time of his death four hundred acres of land. They became the parents of fourteen children, of whoni thirteen grew to maturity. After Mr. Lawhead's second marriage he and his wife lived a year with his parents, at the end of which time he hought eighty acres of land, the nucleus of the farm on which Mrs. Lawhead now lives. They lived near that place for two years and then moved back to his father's farm in order to care for his parents until his mother's death. In the spring of 1887 they moved to the present homestead, where they have lived until the present time. Mr. Lawhead's father lived with them, remaining there until his death, nine years later. In 1888 Mr. Lawhead, the subject of this sketch, built the present residence and made many other substantial and permanent improvements on the farm, which made it one of the best in the locality. He owned at the time of his death three hundred and five acres of land and was counted among the substantial and representative agriculturists of the county. In his younger days Mr. Lawhead had been engaged to some extent in teach- ing school, but farming was his main vocation throughout his life, and in this vocation he attained an enviable success. Politically, he gave his support to the Republican party, but was too busy a man to indulge much in political affairs. To James G. and Eliza Lawhead were born five children, namely : Walter, who died at the age of three years; Gertrude, the wife of Jesse Het- rick, who lives on the home farm and is the mother of two sons, Buster and Schuyler ; Frank, who lives in Detroit, studied law at the State University at Bloomington and has traveled extensively; Kirby married Cecil Townley, and lives one mile south of the old home farm; he is the father of two chil- dren, Virginia and Violet; Nixon is a student at the State University at Bloomington, Indiana.
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