USA > Indiana > DeKalb County > History of Dekalb County, Indiana, with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of old families > Part 46
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JOHN LEONARD DAVIS
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honored man, and briefly sum up his life by saying that he was a good man- such a man that the world was better for his having lived in it. He was a good husband and father, faithful and loving ; a good citizen and friend, con- stant and reliable; a man in the fullest sense of the word, wide, comprehensive and far-reaching in life's affairs.
John Leonard Davis was born on November 3, 1834, at Black Rock, now a part of the city of Buffalo, New York, and was a son of William and Deborah W. (Dutcher) Davis. He was reared at Black Rock, and in the spring of 1853 he went to Wabash, Indiana, where his brothers, William Kirby and Lewis B. Davis, were engaged in the hardware business, and in their establishment he learned the trade of a tinner. In the fall of 1854 he returned to his old home in New York, and there, on December 1, 1856, he was married to Louisa Hauenstein, of Buffalo, New York, where she had been born and reared. After his marriage, Mr. Davis followed farming at Aurora, New York, where he remained for six years. He then came to Auburn, Indiana, arriving here on October 16, 1862. His brother, Joseph D. Davis, was then in business here as owner of the Pioneer Hardware Store and, being in failing health, he had requested the subject to come and take charge of the business for him. On the death of Joseph D. Davis, which occurred in April, 1865, the subject of this sketch became his successor in the hardware business and for thirty-five years his ability and his genial and affable manner ever increased the popularity of his store. After he had been in business two or three years, his store was burned down and in 1868 he built on the same location, at the corner of Main and Eighth streets, what has since been known as the Davis building, a substantial building that has been in continuous use for forty-five years, and is still in splendid condition. Its fire-resisting qualities were put to a severe test in February, 1913, when the large buildings extending from the Davis building to Jackson street were de- stroyed in a fire. Although separated from the fire only by an alley, this building escaped with less damage than some of the buildings on the opposite side of the street. By careful attention to the wants of his patrons, carrying a carefully selected stock and exercising sound judgment and good business methods in the conduct of his affairs, Mr. Davis enjoyed a large and profitable business here through the years and became known as one of the most sub- stantial business men of his community.
In 1873 or 1874 Mr. Davis took an active part in the efforts to advance the city's interests, giving freely of his time and money in the construction of the Detroit. Eel River & Illinois and the Baltimore & Ohio railroads. The
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transformation of the former stage-coach town of six hundred souls into a thriving city with excellent transportation facilities was due in a large part to his initiative and personal efforts, and in many other ways he showed his public spirit. He assisted in the bringing of natural gas to Auburn and, although it lasted only about two years, it was a matter of public spirit that justified the investment of his capital even when the outcome could not be fore- seen. Another enterprise to which he contributed liberally of his time and money was the attempt, about 1890, to establish a county fair at Auburn. He also contributed liberally to the starting of several factories and other enter- prises looking to the upbuilding of his home city, and he ever stood ready with willing hands and open purse, to do what he could for the general wel- fare. During the decade that followed 1875 Mr. Davis became interested in Garrett. buying real estate there and building two commodious business rooms, one of which he occupied with a hardware store and a bank, at the same time conducting a hardware store and bank at Auburn. In 1886 Mr. Davis was elected to the office of county treasurer, filling the position with rare ability for three and a half years. After leaving public office, Mr. Davis again gave his undivided attention to his business interests, in banks and stores, until the panic of 1893 to1896, when he, in common with many other business men, suffered reverses in business. He was not discouraged, however, and courageously applying himself to his affairs with greater energy than ever, he re-established his hardware business and put it on a firm financial basis. In December, 1899, Mr. Davis became ill and from that time until his death, which occurred on August 14, 1900, he was not able to give his attention to business affairs. Thus passed a man whom his fellows de- lighted to honor, for through the long years of his residence in the community he was ever true to the trusts reposed in him, whether of a public or a private nature, and his reputation in a business way was unassailable. His actions were ever the result of careful and conscientious thought, and when once con- vinced that he was right, no suggestion of policy or personal profit could swerve him from the course he had decided upon. His career was complete and rounded in its beautiful simplicity ; he did his full duty in all the relations of life, and he died beloved by those near to him, and respected and esteemed by all his fellow citizens.
Politically, Mr. Davis was a life-long Republican, his first presidental vote having been cast in 1856 for John C. Fremont, "The Pathfinder," while his last vote was for him whom he considered "The Prosperity Finder," Will- iam Mckinley. Fraternally, he belonged to the Masonic order, in which he had
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attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite, and he also was a Noble of the Mystic Shrine. He was kind and sympathetic, ever ready to help those whose discouragements weighed them down. A trait of character that en- deared him to his large circle of friends was his congenial nature. Age did not diminish it, for its glow was as ardent at sixty as at twenty. Another trait which bound him with links of love o a large circle of friends was his un- swerving fealty to friendship.
To Mr. and Mrs. Davis were born four children, namely: Lewis Albert, who died on October 20, 1875, in his nineteenth year; Fred, who was born July 19, 1859, and died October 18, 1892, aged thirty-three years, served as deputy county treasurer under his father's administration, and at the time of his death was book-keeper in his father's store at Garrett : Claudia died in 1866, in her third year; Edna Alene, the only living child, resides at Auburn with her mother, and is prominent in the social life of the community, being a member of the Ladies' Literary Club. president of the Woman's League, and a member of the Auburn Evening Musicale. Mrs. Davis and her daugh- ter are earnest members of the Presbyterian church and are active in its work. Mrs. Davis is a member of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and has had an efficient and appreciated part in its work. She is a lady of many gracious qualities of head and heart and is well liked by all who know her.
LAFAYETTE J. MILLER.
The true measure of individual success is determined by what one has accomplished. An enumeration of those men of a past generation who suc- ceeded in their special vocations in DeKalb county, Indiana, and at the same time left the lasting imprint of their strong personalities upon the com- munity, men who won honor and public recognition for themselves, and at the same time conferred honor on the locality in which they resided, would be incomplete were there failure to make a prominent reference to the gentle- man whose name initiates this paragraph, for although Lafayette J. Miller has long been sleeping the sleep of the just, his influence still pervades the lives of many who knew him and his memory will long be cherished here, for his name is deeply engraved on the pages of DeKalb county's history, for through many years he was an important factor in the material and civic history of the same. The splendid success which came to him was the direct result of the salient points in his character. With a mind capable of laying
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judicious plans and a will strong enough to bring them into execution at the proper moment, his great energy, keen foresight and indomitable persever- ance resulted in the accumulation of a comfortable competency. He carried forward to successful completion whatever he undertook, and his business methods were ever in strict conformity with the standard ethics of com- mercial life. His is the record of a well balanced mental and moral constitu- tion, strongly influenced by those traits of character which are ever of especial value in a progressive state of society.
Lafayette J. Miller was born in Seneca county, Ohio, on August 25, 1835, and his death occurred at his home in Auburn, Indiana, on August 17, 1902, at the age of sixty-six years and eleven months. He was a son of John Wesley and Hulda (Jones) Miller, the former probably of German descent and the latter it is thought of Welsh ancestry. John W. Miller was a Lutheran minister, although he had been reared in the Methodist faith. When the subject of this sketch was about ten years of age his parents located first in Allen county, where the subject was reared to manhood. About the time he was reaching the age of maturity the family moved to DeKalb county, their residence being for a number of years unsettled owing to the father's work in the ministry.
Lafayette J. Miller received his education in the schools of the various places where the family lived, and at the age of about nineteen years, he he- gan teaching school, which vocation he followed in different places a number of years with splendid success. He finally gave up teaching and bought a small farm near Corunna, becoming agent of the Lake Shore railroad at that place. He maintained his residence on the farm a greater part of the time, but devoted his entire attention to his railroad work, having been the representative of the railroad company at Corunna when it was an important grain shipping point, sometimes having a number of men under his direction. He served as agent of the Lake Shore railroad eighteen or more years, and in 1882 was elected treasurer of DeKalb county, serving two terms with credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of his fellow citizens. Upon the expiration of his term of office Mr. Miller engaged in the grain business at Auburn near the Lake Shore depot and followed this business with con- siderable success up to the time of his death. Of sound business ability and strict integrity, he not only was able to accumulate a fair amount of this world's goods, but he gained what is of far greater value, the confidence and good will of all with whom he had dealings. He possessed an optimistic spirit, carrying the gospel of good cheer wherever he went, and possessed
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to a marked degree those characteristics which win and retain friendship. He performed many acts of kindness known only to himself and the re- cipient. He was a faithful husband, a kind and loving father and a public- spirited citizen.
In November, 1858, Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Elizabeth Ellen McNabb, the daughter of Robert and Prudence (Pearson) McNabb, her father having been born in Ireland and coming to the United States with his parents when but ten years old, while his wife was of Yankee parentage, having been born in the state of New Jersey. Mrs. Miller, who was born in Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, on February 25, 1841, was a child of but eight years when her parents moved to Illinois, where she lived until young womanhood, when the family moved to Haysville, Ohio, and when she was fifteen or sixteen years old, the family located in Allen county, this state, where she was residing at the time of her marriage, her parents remaining in Allen county to an advanced age. To Mr. and Mrs. Miller were born two children, Orlan, who died on October 16, 1898, and Ida, who became the wife of Frank A. Borst, now a resident of Auburn, Indiana. Mr. Borst was born at Wadsworth, Ohio, in 1854, a son of Joseph A. and Mary Etta (Beach) Borst. Joseph Borst was a native of Schoharie county, New York, and became the owner of the Western View fruit farm near Wadsworth, Ohio, one of the best known fruit farms in that section of the state. He also owned at one time the largest celery farm in the world under one manage- ment, and in the business life of his section he was a prominent and influential figure, having assisted in the promotion of a railroad in that locality. Frank A. Borst came to Corunna, Indiana, in the early seventies, being in the employ of the Lake Shore railroad there, and was afterwards elected auditor of DeKalb county, performing his duties in an efficient manner, and upon the death of Mr. Miller, he succeeded to the latter's grain business at Auburn, in which he is still engaged, and in which he has continued the splendid success so auspiciously inaugurated by Mr. Miller. He has also been very successful in the manufacture of concrete-making machinery. To Mr. and Mrs. Borst were born four children, namely: Charles O., born September 10, 1880, is a graduate of Oberlin College and the law department of the University of Michigan, and is engaged in the practice of law and the abstracting of titles in Auburn, where he enjoys a splendid business and is numbered among the city's successful business men. He married Georgia E. Zimmerman, the daughter of Franklin T. Zimmerman, deceased, and is the father of four children, Marion, Josephine, Richard and Mary Elizabeth; Ruth Borst be-
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came the wife of Earl Cline, and they have a daughter, Genevieve; George remains at home with his father, and Lafayette J. died in infancy. Mrs. Ida Miller Borst died at South Bend, Indiana, on January 13, 1908, and is buried at Auburn. She was a lady of many splendid qualities of head and heart, who had endeared herself to all who know her and in her death the com- munity sustained a distinct loss. Mrs. Miller, the widow of the immediate subject of this sketch, now makes her home with her son-in-law, Mr, Borst, in Auburn, and though quiet and unassuming in her disposition she has by her kindly manner and worthy life endeared herself to all who are acquainted with her.
Lafayette J. Miller was a man who, in every respect, merited the high esteem in which he was universally held, for he was a man of public spirit, intellectual attainment and exemplary character. In dealing with mankind, his word was his bond; deceit never entered into any transaction he had with his fellow men. One glance of his frank eye, one word spoken with sincerity, carried conviction. His plain, rugged honesty, his open-hearted manner, undisguised and unaffected, impressed itself upon those with whom he had dealings, and the example of his life was an inspiration to others.
ELI YARNELL WILLIAMSON.
From the pioneer period through many decades the late Eli Yarnell Williamson was conspicuously identified with the business and material in- terests of Waterloo and DeKalb county, Indiana, and he won for himself an honorable position in the circles in which he moved and was a distinct type of the successful, self-made man. Not a pretentious or exalted life was his, but one that was true to itself and to which the biographer may revert with feelings of respect and admiration. He was identified in a prominent way with the various activities of the county and, having attained prestige by successive steps from a modest beginning, it is eminently fitting that a sketch of his life work, together with an enumeration of his leading characteristics, be given in this connection. He was recognized as a man of strong and alert mentality, deeply interested in everything pertaining to the advancement of the community along material, civic and moral lines, and for years he was recognized as one of the progressive and representative men of his city and county. Having started in a lowly capacity he gradually forced his way to the front and, by faithful service and prompt discharge of every duty de-
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volving upon him, finally acquired a comfortable competency and at the same time won and retained the good will and high regard of all who knew him.
Eli Y. Williamson was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, on May 23, 1828, and died in Waterloo, Indiana, on March 25, 1911. He was a son of William and Matilda (Yarnell) Williamson, which family moved from Pennsylvania to Stark county, Ohio, when the subject was but eight years of age, and from that time onward he practically took care of himself. start- ing out in life on his own account at a period when most boys are just be- ginning their education. In 1854 Eli Williamson left Canton, Ohio, as a passenger on the first passenger train from Canton to Fort Wayne on what is now known as the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago railroad. He came to Fort Wayne, Indiana, thence made his way on foot through the then un- broken forests to the Brandeberry farm north of Waterloo, DeKalb county. In 1859 he engaged in the manufacture of fanning mills, which he continued for thirty years with splendid success, the mill which went by the trade name of the Taylor & Williamson Fanning Mill acquiring a wide reputation and large sale throughout this section of the country. Mr. Williamson was one of the founders of Waterloo, and was one of the three men who met in council and named the town. From that time forward he was closely allied with its progress and development and was identified with its building inter- ests, having erected a number of the earlier buildings, some of them still remaining as landmarks of the pioneer period. In 1856 he hewed the timber and built the first house in Waterloo, now known as the Klotz property on Maple street, and in the spring of the following year he built the dwelling now known as the D. L. Leas property, in which, on November 23, 1857, he established his home, having just married Susan Rohrbaugh. She was a daughter of Daniel, Jr., and Elizabeth (Beck) Rohrbaugh. Her parents, who were natives of Union county, Pennsylvania, had moved from their na- tive state to Stark county, Ohio, and thence in 1850 to DeKalb county, buying one hundred and five acres of land in the northern part of what is now Waterloo at a time when there were only two houses in that town. The family name had been originally Rohback, but in one community where the family had lived the people had confused their name with that of some former residents by the name of Rorebaugh and eventually this family changed its name to accord with public usage. Daniel Rohrbaugh was a cabinet maker and coffin maker, and was a well known pioneer of Waterloo, being a prominent figure in its early affairs. Mrs. Williamson died in Janu- ary, 1893, leaving the following children: Elmore Williamson and Mrs.
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William S. Sewell, of Waterloo, Mrs. Howard B. McCord, of Auburn, and Ernest B., of South Bend, Indiana. Mr. Williamson was not only keenly alive to the advancement of his own interests, in which he was eminently suc- cessful, but he took an active and effectual interest in the civic life of the community in the early days, serving at different times on the board of trus- tees for the town of Waterloo and being often consulted on public affairs in which the town had an interest. In private he assisted many of his neighbors who were less fortunate than he, his liberality being sometimes taken ad- vantage of to his financial loss and his sympathy not always being rewarded with the gratitude which it deserved. His protracted residence in this section of the state made his name widely and familiarly known and his life and the history of this locality for a period of over a half century was pretty much one and the same thing. He lived to see and take a prominent part in the growth of the community and was one of its wisest counsellors and hardest workers. His was a long life of honor and trust and no higher eulogy can be passed upon him than to state the simple truth that his name was never coupled with anything disreputable and that there never was a shadow of a stain upon his reputation for integrity and unwavering honesty.
CHRISTIAN NEWCOMER, JR.
The gentleman whose name forms the caption of this biographical re- view has long enjoyed distinctive precedence as one of DeKalb county's most enterprising and successful agriculturists and business men, and besides en- joying the reputation of one of the county's representative men of affairs, he has at the same time won a reputation for honesty and square dealing in all the relations of life.
Christian Newcomer, Jr., was born on June 8, 1847, in Columbiana county, Ohio, and is the son of Christian, Sr., and Mary (Wolfe) Newcomer, the father having been a native of Pennsylvania. To these parents were born nine children, four sons and five daughters, of which the subject of this sketch was the last born. In the spring of 1849 the family came to DeKalb county, Indiana, locating on a tract of land in Franklin township, on which not a stick had been cut, and where it was necessary to clear a spot on which to build a small cabin. Here Christian Newcomer, Sr., acquired eighty acres of land and on this tract the family made a permanent home, the parents re- siding there until their death, which occurred, the father in 1870, when
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seventy-seven years old, and the mother on August 6, 1892, in her eighty- fifth year. The subject of this sketch spent his youthful years under the parental roof assisting his father in the work of the farm, and in young man- hood he and his brother Joseph rented a farm which they operated together about three years, at the end of which time the subject left home and for a while worked out. Eventually Mr. Newcomer bought a tract of forty acres of land in the southwestern part of the township, for which he paid thirty- one dollars and a quarter per acre. He was wisely economical in his earlier days and saved sufficient money with which to make a first payment on this land, going into debt for the balance. By energetic effort and wise judgment he was prospered in his operation of this land and was able to add to it from time to time until he is now the owner of ninety-six acres of as good land as can be found in the township. To the management of this farm he devoted his attention until November 6, 1908, when he moved to Waterloo and bought the interest of his father-in-law, Robert W. Crooks, in a furniture store, his partner being the subject's son, D. E. Newcomer. He is devoting his entire attention to this enterprise and is enjoying a large and profitable patronage throughout the community. The store is well stocked with a large and complete line of furniture and is numbered among the substantial con- cerns of the kind in this section of the county.
In April, 1874, Christian Newcomer was married to Martha Crooks, the daughter of Robert W. and Mary Ann (Burdick) Crooks, and to this union have been born four children, two boys and two girls, namely: Wilbur R., born January 17, 1875, received a good common and high school educa- tion and then entered the Tri-State Normal School at Angola, Indiana, after- wards attending the Indiana Dental College, and is now engaged in the prac- tice of dentistry at Waterloo. He served eight years as town clerk of Water- loo, making a splendid record in that office. He married Pearl Branden- berry, the daughter of Cyrus and Dora ( Hall) Brandenberry, and they have a daughter, Virginia; Delbert Eugene Newcomer, born in 1876, is his- father's partner in the furniture business. He married Annie Leger, and they have one daughter, Iliff; Nellie, the wife of Daniel Kimmel, a farmer one mile west of Waterloo, and they have a son, Wilbur J .; Vera, who re- mains at home with her parents, is attending the Waterloo high school. Mr. Newcomer possesses business ability of a high order and the continued growth in public favor of the business with which he is identified is largely due to his keen interest and correct business methods. He is careful and
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methodical, somewhat conservative in his views and not inclined to be carried away by visionary schemes. In addition to his business interests, which he makes paramount to every other consideration, Mr. Newcomer has always exerted his influence in the promotion of the material prosperity of his com- munity and endeavored to discharge his duties as a citizen with the good of his fellow men at heart. Personally, he possesses to an eminent degree those qualities which win friendship and he enjoys a wide acquaintance and marked popularity in this community.
REV. STEPHEN BROWN WARD.
The importance that attaches to the lives, character and work of the pioneer ministers of the gospel in any community, and the influence they have exerted on the cause of humanity and civilization is one of the most absorbing themes that can possibly attract the attention of the local historian. If great and beneficent results-results that endure and bless mankind-are the proper measure of the good men do, then who is there in the world's history that may take their places above those sturdy, self-sacrificing, God- fearing and consecrated men who, without thought of personal comfort or the promotion of their own interests, have devoted their lives to the uplifting of their fellow men and the building up of their Master's kingdom on earth. In the history of DeKalb county of a past generation no figure stands out with more prominence, because of faithful service and beneficent results, than that of Stephen B. Ward, who gave the best years of his life to the service of God and his fellow men and who, though long since passed to the higher life, is still remembered with grateful appreciation by many who knew hini and sat under his blessed ministrations.
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