USA > Indiana > DeKalb County > History of Dekalb County, Indiana, with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of old families > Part 68
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DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
county, where he spent the remainder of his days. He was not only actively and successfully engaged in farming, but was also successful in gaining and retaining the respect and confidence of his fellow citizens to a notable degree. He was twice married and to the first union were born five children : Emblem B., Mary E., Allie, Katherine and Laura, while to his second union was born one child, the subject of this sketch. The subject's mother is still living and makes her home in Butler, this county.
Frank W. Nimmons received his education in the public schools of Wil- mington township and in the Butler high school, after which he took up the vocation of a school teacher, which he followed with splendid success for six years, at the end of which time he returned to the pursuit of agriculture, to which vocation he had been reared in boyhood, and he has shown the wisdom of his decision through the splendid success which has attended his efforts. He is the owner of one hundred and ten acres of fine land in Wilmington township, practically all of which is under cultivation and well fenced, while the pleasant and attractive residence, the commodious and well-arranged barns and the up-to-date farming machinery employed testify to the progres- sive spirit, good judgment and excellent discrimination of the owner. Mr. Nimmons carries on a diversified system of farming, raising all the crops common to this locality and also giving some attention to the raising of live stock, in which he has met with pronounced success.
Mr. Nimmons was married on November 4, 1884, to Elnora Yarlott, the daughter of David and Sarah ( Whitcomb) Yarlott, who were natives of Defiance county. Ohio, but who early became located in Wilmington town- ship, this county, where the father became a successful farmer. To Mr. and Mrs. Nimmons have been born three children, Carl W., George R. and Ethel.
In his political views Mr. Nimmons has always been in thorough har- mony with the platforms of the Republican party and has contributed to the extent of his ability to the success of this ticket .. He is at present serving ef- ficiently and satisfactorily as trustee of Wilmington township, having been. elected to his second term in this office, and because of his able administration of the affairs of the township and his upright personal life he commands the fullest measure of public confidence and esteem. Religiously, he is an earnest and faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church, in the activities of which he is deeply. interested. Personally, Mr. Nimmons is known to all as. an honest; upright, industrious man and is a highly respected citizen of the county where he has always resided and where he has been eminently suc-
-- cessful.
687
DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
N. O. GRIFFIN.
It is the progressive, wide-awake man of affairs that makes the real his- tory of a community, and his influence as a potential factor in the body politic is difficult to estimate. The examples of such men strongly illustrate what is in the power of each to accomplish, and there is always a full measure of satisfaction in adverting, even in a casual way, to their achievements in ad- vancing their own interests and those of their fellow men and giving strength and solidity to the institutions which make for the prosperity of the com -. munity. Such a man is N. O. Griffin, the subject of this brief review, and it is eminently proper that a sketch of his interesting career be accorded a place in a work of this character.
N. O. Griffin, the youngest of a family of ten children, was born July 25, 1856, the son of Eli B. and Eliza ( Bundy) Griffin. Eli B. Griffin was born in the northeastern part of the state of New York on April 21, 1802, and on August 4, 1829, was united in marriage with Eliza Bundy, they both being of pure English stock. The wedding took place in Steuben county, New York, and some time afterward they moved to Erie county, Pennsyl- vania, and after living in the Keystone state for a few years they came on farther west, this time locating in Licking county, Ohio, arriving there in the year 1836. Here they remained for twelve years, and in 1848 again took up their journey toward the then great West, stopping in DeKalb county, Indi- ana, settling on land south of Auburn.
To Eli and Eliza Griffin were born ten children, who grew to manhood and womanhood, namely: Thomas, born June 25, 1830, died February 23. 1857: Susan, born September 15, 1831, died May 16, 1854: Charles, born January 12, 1834, died January 25, 1904; George, born February 27, 1839, died May 30, 1860; Polly, born February 6, 1841, died April 8, 1860; Will- iam, born January 20, 1845, died November 2, 1871 ; Edward, born February 16, 1847, lives in Iowa and is a minister of the gospel; Mariah, born Decem- ber 19, 1848, died April 6, 1874; Nathaniel, born July 15, 1852, lives in Steuben county, Indiana ; N. O., born July 25, 1856. The father of these children died on August 24, 1899, and the mother has since made her home with her son, the subject of this review.
N. O. Griffin first saw the light of day on the old homestead south of Auburn, DeKalb county, and moved with his parent's to Wilmington in 1865, having resided on the same farm since then: 'On May 24, 1883, he was mar- ried to Clarrissa A" Keller, and this union has been blessed with two children."
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Charles O., who is living on the home farm with his parents, and Zona A., who, with her husband, lives on the south farm known as the Shilling place.
Highly successful in the pursuit of agriculture, N. O. Griffin has found time in his busy life to take an active and earnest part in the community and church life of his county, and his well-rounded life is a striking example of intelligently applied energy. He has purchased the interests of the other heirs to his father's estate and has added more land to it, until he now possesses one hundred and sixty acres, all being cultivated by strictly modern methods. A comfortable home and good farm buildings embellish his hold- ings. A unique feature of Mr. Griffin's land is that it lies in four sections, in a square body, with the road on the east side.
. FRED L. FEICK.
Indiana has been especially honored in the character and career of her active men of public service and the professions. In every section have been found men born to leadership in the various vocations, men who have domi- nated because of their superior intelligence, natural endowment and force of character. It is always profitable to study such lives, weigh their motives and hold up their achievements as incentives to greater activity and higher excellence on the part of others. These reflections are suggested by the . career of one who has forged his way to the front ranks and who, by a strong inherent force and superior ability, controlled by intelligence and judgment of a high order, stands today as one of the leading men of his state. No citizen in northern Indiana has achieved more honorable mention or occupies a more conspicuous place in the public eye than Fred L. Feick, of Garrett, who, though just at the threshold of the prime of life, has already an enviable reputation as a lawyer in a community noted for the high order of its legal talent. Success is methodical and consecutive, and Mr. Fieck's success has been attained by normal methods and means-the determined application of mental and physical resources along a rightly defined line. A self-made man in the truest sense of the term, Mr. Feick is eminently deserv- ing of representation in the annals of DeKalb county.
Fred L. Feick was born on March 8, 1878, at Chicago Junction, Ohio, and is a son of Jacob and Catharine (Zuelch) Feick, natives respectively of Ohio and Germany. Jacob Feick was the son of Adam and Catherine Feick, who, were natives of Germany. Jacob Feick became a successful architect,
FRED L. FEICK
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DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
contractor and builder, becoming very prominent in his profession. He and his brothers built the capitol building at Cheyenne, Wyoming, and have erected large and costly structures in all parts of the country. He is now living at Crestline, Ohio, at the age of seventy-one years, his wife being sixty- nine years of age. Mrs. Feick, who was well educated, and who engaged in teaching school in Germany before coming to this country, landed here when twenty-three years of age, joining relatives in Sandusky, Ohio, where she met Mr. Feick. Her parents were Frederick and Christina Zuelch. To Jacob and Catharine Feick were born eleven children, namely : Mrs. Libby Perman, deceased; Katy, deceased; Catherine, deceased; George, who was employed as trainman on the Akron division of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, was killed in 1911; John, employed as trainman, was killed on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad at Defiance, Ohio, in 1907; Mrs. John Berk, of Chicago Junction, Ohio; Philip is a professional baseball player and a mem- ber of the Memphis club of the Southern Leagne; Jacob, of Crestline, Ohio: Frank, of Crestline, and Anna and Tillie, who reside with their parents.
Fred L. Feick received his elementary education in the common schools- of Chicago Junction, taught by Miss Stella Gregory. He left school at the age of twelve years and became call boy for the Baltimore & Ohio railroad in the transportation department, under J. P. Fitzgerald, brother to General Manager Thomas Fitzgerald, later president of the Baltimore & Ohio. Nine- teen months later he was transferred to the machinery department, where he learned the machinist's trade under William Taylor, son-in-law of the superintendent of motive power under General Harrison, where he served an apprenticeship of four years. In September, 1896, he came to Garrett, entered the service of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad as a brakeman, and two years later was promoted to train conductor, being at that time the youngest conductor on the Baltimore & Ohio system. In June, 1901, Mr. Feick was injured in a collision at Gravelton, Indiana, where several persons were killed, his legs being broken and he being otherwise badly crippled. The railroad company sent him to various hospitals for treatment, and, while trying to recuperate, and at that time having a wife and family to support. he realized that he had to turn his attention to another method of gaining a livelihood. He decided to study law and economic and public questions. In September, 1905, while still on crutches, he was elected to represent the C. N. Bell Lodge of Railroad Trainmen as local delegate to the state con- vention at Indianapolis, and at that election he was elected vice-chairman of
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DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
the state association. During 1905 he wrote a book entitled "The Life of a Railway Trainman," which was copyrighted, and many thousands were sold in America and Europe, it proving a very popular book and giving him a sub- stantial start. In 1907 Mr. Feick was re-elected as a delegate and was eventually elected president of the Railroad Trainmen at the state conven- tion in 1907. In that same year he wrote and had introduced into the Leg- islature the "full freight crew law" and the "full passenger crew law," which bills were passed by that Legislature, and which were the first laws of the kind in America. He also succeeded in having passed the bills entitled "six- teen hours of service law," the "trainmen's caboose law" and the "medical case law," the latter providing for the carrying of medical cases on pas- senger trains. In 1908 Mr. Feick spoke at the Jefferson banquet at Lafayette, where he received the personal compliments of William Jennings Bryan, and was asked by Mr. Bryan to stump the country for him in the event of - his nomination. During that campaign Mr. Feick inade three hundred and eighty-seven effective speeches, traveling with John W. Kern, William Jen- nings Bryan and other prominent men, and also made a three-day tour with Samuel Gompers over the state of Indiana. In 1907 Mr. Feick was a Democratic candidate for congressman in the twelfth district. In 1909 he was re-elected president of the State Association of Railroad Trainmen, and during the legislative session of that year he secured the passage of the "safety appliance law." the "full switching crew law for yards," the "anti- loan shark bill," and various other measures of vital interest to laboring men. Mr. Feick had no personal interest in advancing these laws which he had introduced, but worked for them solely through his interest in humanity and to advance the welfare of his fellow laboring men, whose dangers and difficulties he fully understood, for he had risen through the ranks, pass- ing through every gradation of labor from boy to man, and was thus able to speak and write with authority on those subjects which he discussed. In 1909 Mr. Feick was admitted to the practice of law in the circuit court, and two years later was admitted to the supreme court. He assisted the attorneys who had charge of all the railway litigation in the Indiana courts and the United States supreme court. In 1911 Mr. Feick was again re- elected unanimously as president of the State Association of Railway Train- men, and during the session of the Legislature in that year had several other beneficent labor laws enacted. In 1912 he took an active part as speaker in the campaign, and was later nominated for joint senator from DeKalb county, which nomination he declined in order that he might serve the
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DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
national Democratic committee and his fellow railway men to the best advantage. Mr. Feick was a delegate to the national Democratic convention at Baltimore and took a very active part in the insertion of the labor plank in the national platform. He was also a delegate to the Democratic state convention, where he had a plank placed in the platform providing for semi-monthly pay-days. During the last national campaign he was attached to the western headquarters of the Democratic party at Chicago, and to him was assigned the task of writing the railroad campaign literature, giving the records of Wilson and Marshall in relation to railroads and laboring men. He also delivered three hundred speeches. During that same year he was prominently mentioned for the nomination of lieutenant-governor of Indiana, and could have probably secured the nomination had he not emphatically declined. In 1913 Mr. Feick was again elected president of the Railroad Trainmen's Association and secured the enactment of the semi-monthly pay- day bill and other bills of a like nature. He has been frequently called into consultation with national leaders at Washington, and his advice sought on labor legislation and other vital questions of the day. He is now closely applying himself to his law practice, which has assumed large proportions, and is giving his attention practically entirely to personal injury cases, having taken over eighty thousand dollars' worth of claims during the past two years. Keenly alive to the great issues of the day, and especially those per- taining to capital and labor, and the laws of the country and state relating to the protection and welfare of the laboring classes, Mr. Feick has gained a place in the hearts of the common people which could not have been attained had he not possessed those qualities which merited the confidence bestowed in him. Mr. Feick is a well-read man on general subjects, especially those pertaining to national questions of politics and economics, and is a fluent and forceful speaker at all times.
In 1899 Mr. Feick was married to Lena Stoner, daughter of George F. and Rosa Stoner, her father being a successful druggist at Angola, Indiana. They have a son, Dale Frederick, born on April 22, 1900.
Politically, Mr. Feick is an ardent supporter of the Democratic party, of which his father and grandfather were adherents, while on the maternal side his ancestors were all Republicans. Religiously, he and his wife are earnest and faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal church, to which he gives an earnest support. Fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Tribe of Ben-Hur and the Brotherhood of Rail- way Trainmen.
692
DEKALB . COUNTY, INDIANA.
GEORGE DEEMS.
The name of George Deems will be one of the best remembered in the history of DeKalb county of the present generation, for it was long very closely associated with her agricultural interests, and although he is today numbered among the silent inhabitants of "God's acre," the good he did, his many little acts of kindness and the influence of his wholesome life still live and are potent in the lives of many who were associated with him.
George Deems was born on June 7, 1840, in DeKalb county, Indiana, and was a son of George and Hannah (Dudgeon) Deems, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania and descended from some of the sturdy stock of that old commonwealth. They were the parents of five children, John, Eli, Mrs. Eliza Kepler, the subject of this sketch, all of whom are deceased, and William, who now lives on a farm in DeKalb county.
George Deems received his education in the common schools, and his- early life was devoted to assisting in the work of improving and cultivating their pioneer farm, for they were numbered among the early settlers of this locality. He grew to strong and sturdy manhood and became one of the substantial and influential citizens of DeKalb county, enjoying a wide ac- quaintance and being held in high esteem by all who knew him. He was an eye-witness of the wonderful transformation which took place here from the days when the land was largely covered with a dense growth of timber and wild animals infested the forests, adding anxiety to the other hardships of the pioneers. He never forsook the basic art of agriculture, to which he was reared and eventually became the owner of a good farm of ninety acres in Franklin township, to the management of which he devoted himself until the time of his death, which occurred on June 8, 1897. Such had been his- life in the community that his death was considered a distinct loss by all who knew him. Although his life was a busy one, his everyday affairs making large demands upon his time, he never shrank from his duties as a citizen and his obligations to his church, his neighbors and his friends. He was re- membered as a man of great energy and rare judgment, which he carried into all affairs in which he was interested. He was indeed a manly man and the honor and esteem in which he was held by all who came into contact with him was but a just tribute to his worth.
On August 5, 1866, Mr. Deems was united in marriage to Louisa Rude, the daughter of Ariel and Sophia (Stoddard) Rude, the father a na- tive of Massachusetts and the mother of New York state. To this union
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DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
were born eight children, namely : Mrs. Dora Richard, of Butler, this county; Oran, who lives with his mother; Mrs. Minnie Thomas, who also lives with her mother; Mrs. Hannah Hunting, of this county; Mrs. Clara Allwood, of DeKalb county; Mrs. Ida Moughler, also of this county: William A., a farmer in DeKalb county, and Emma, who died at the age of seven years. The mother of these children, who was born on April 11, 1847, is still re- siding on the old home farm and enjoys the respect and esteem of all who know her. George Deems was not only successful in his own private affairs and a good neighbor and loyal to his own family, but in the time of his coun- try's distress gave practical evidence of his patriotism by enlisting as a pri- vate in Company H, Eighty-eighth Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry. with which he valiantly served three years, giving his country faithful and earnest service in the suppression of the rebellion.
PHINEAS D. CHILDS.
It is a well authenticated fact that success comes as the result of legiti- mate and well applied energy, unflagging determination and perseverance in a course of action when once decided upon. She is never known to smile upon the idler or dreamer, and only the men who have diligently sought her favor are crowned with her blessings. In tracing the history of the influential farmer and representative citizen of Fairfield township, DeKalb county, Indiana, whose name formis the caption of this review, it is plainly seen that the prosperity which he enjoys has been won by commendable qualities and it is also his personal worth that has gained for him the high esteem of those who know him.
Phineas D. Childs, who was born on January 3, 1849, is the son of Williard and Cornelia (Steves) Childs. Williard Childs was born near Utica, New York, on February 15, 1811, was the son of Phineas and Theo- dosia (Phillips) Childs, the former a native of New Haven, Connecticut, and of English descent, and the latter also a native of Connecticut, but of Welsh descent. In 1813 these parents moved to Jefferson county, New York, and in 1826 to Onondaga county, that state. When he was fifteen years of age. Williard Childs began to work by the month for farmers. In 1837 he came to DeKalb county, Indiana, and bought one hundred and twenty acres of land, and after paying for it had but seventy-three cents left. He then went to
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DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
Fort Wayne, where he earned money with which to return to New York. In 1846 he moved his family to DeKalb county, landing in Fairfield town- ship on August 24th, moving into a log cabin and a short time afterward bought the land on which it stood. There were but fourteen families in this township when he settled there, the land being heavily covered by timber. Eventually he became the owner of two hundred and eighty-six acres of land, comprising one of the best farms in the township. In New York state he married Cornelia Steves, by whom were born two children, Emma and Phineas D. His first wife died in 1856, and he afterwards married Amanda Buchanan, a native of Holmes county, Ohio, and a daughter of Alexander Buchanan. She was a school teacher and after coming to DeKalb county made her home with relatives and engaged in teaching school here until her marriage. To this union were born two children, Jason B. and Mary E., the latter being the wife of Wilbur Haller, of Kendallville, Indiana. Williard Childs died in 1890 and his wife in 1892. They were hoth members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Phineas D. Childs was educated in the common schools of DeKalb county and in the high schools at Auburn and Waterloo. After completing his public school education he took up the vocation of teaching in Ray county, Missouri, where he was engaged for one and one-half years, then returned to DeKalb county and engaged in farming on the old home place, where he now resides, he now owning the land which his father originally entered here. Up-to-date in his methods and persevering in his industry, he has been enabled to reap gratifying returns as reward for his labor and is regarded as among the representative farmers in his locality.
In 1873 Mr. Childs married Rosa G. Bowman, the daughter of Cyrus and Rachel. (Waterman) Bowman, and to this union have been born five chil- dren, namely: Reuben C., Frank K., Emma R., Theron A. and Edward L. Politically, Mr. Childs has given his earnest support to the Republican party, and has taken an active interest in local affairs, being the present supervisor. He is a man of sound judgment and good business ability and is performing his official duties to the entire satisfaction of his fellow citizens. Fraternally, he is a member of the subordinate lodge of Knights of Pythias at Corunna. Mr. Childs and his family stand high in the social circles of the community, being ready at all times to countenance and encourage every enterprise for the advancement of those with whom they mingle, and they enjoy the favor of their acquaintances who speak in high terms of them and their sterling worth.
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DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
J. HARVEY KNAUER.
The subject of this brief sketch has been largely dependent upon his own resources from his boyhood, and as one of the leading business men of the thriving village of Corunna, he exemplifies what is possible of accomplish- ment on the part of one who establishes a definite aim in life and is willing to apply his energies and abilities toward the gaining of the same. He now has one of the leading general stores in the town, and by energy and good management has gained a position of marked prosperity in temporal affairs, while he has so ordered his course in the various relations of life as to gain and retain the confidence and esteem of those with whom he has come in contact.
J. Harvey Knauer was born in Greentown, Stark county, Ohio, and is- a son of Euramel and Mary G. (Kreighbaum) Knauer, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Ohio. Euramel Knauer left his native state and moved to Ohio, settling in Stark county, where he was married, and in 1863 came to DeKalb county, Indiana, settling in Richland township. He clerked in a store until 1865, when he went to Eddyville, Iowa, and engaged in the mercantile business for two years, at the end of which period he re- turned to Corunna and was similarly engaged for a like period. He then lo- cated in Kendallville, Indiana, where for seven years he clerked in a mercan- tile establishment, but in 1874 again returned to Corunna, and engaged in the mercantile business under the firm name of J. W. Helmer & Company. and later engaged in business for himself, and here he remained until his death, which occurred on January 15, 1902. After selling out to Mr. Helmer. he had bought a stock of goods at Fairfield Center, which was conducted by his son Harvey for two years. This stock was destroyed by fire and in 1886 he established the present business, which later became the firm of E. Knauer & Son. Since his death the business has been continued under the name of J. Harvey Knauer. Euramel Knauer was a man of good business qualities and was eminently respected in the various communities where he lived. His wife also is deceased, her death occurring in January, 1887. To them were born the following children : Hattie, Katy, George, Jennie, J. Harvey. Mil- lie and Frankie, of whom the first two and last two are deceased.
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