USA > Indiana > DeKalb County > History of Dekalb County, Indiana, with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of old families > Part 84
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Politically, Mr. Provines is affiliated with the Republican party, and was appointed a member of the township advisory board and was also appointed to fill a vacancy in the county council. holding the latter position when ap- propriations were made for the present magnificent new court house at Au -. burn. Though Mr. Provines is not affiliated with any church, he has always taken active part in Sunday school work and has the greatest respect for religious societies and appreciation of the work which they have accomplished.
On November 7, 1871, Mr. Provines married Rhoda S. Knight, a native of Elkhart, Indiana, and the daughter of Michael and Sarah (Johnson) Knight, who formerly resided in Concord township, this county. To this union have been born the following children: Harris G., of Welch, Okla- homa ; Effie, the wife of Samuel F. Morr, of Fairfield township, this county ; Lola, the wife of Wesley Carper, of Columbus, Kansas; May, the wife of Claude C. Moore, of Washington ; Roy, who is operating his father's farm in Jackson township; Dorcas, the wife of Otto D. Sherer, of Auburn: Emma, who died on November 20, 1912: Edna, who is unmarried and is at present teaching school at Bedford, Indiana. Mrs. Provines died on October 3. 1912. Mr. Provines is a splendid example of the virile, progressive, self- made man who believes in doing well whatever is worth doing at all, a man of keen discernment and sound judgment, broad-minded and at the same time a follower of the principles embodied in the Golden Rule in all his relations with his fellow men and, therefore, enjoys their confidence and good will.
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FRANK YARDE.
In nearly every community are individuals who by innate ability and sheer force of character rise above their fellows and win for themselves con- spicuous places in public esteem. While Frank Yarde, a progressive farmer of Keyser township, DeKalb county, does not court such a distinction, yet it is evident that he has won a larger amount of success than the average farmer and that this has been done by his own unaided efforts, since it has never been his nature to depend on anyone. During the long period of his resi- dence in this vicinity his life has been closely interwoven with its material growth and development, while his career as a man of affairs has been synonymous with all that is upright and honorable in citizenship.
Frank Yarde was born on January 11, 1861, in Richland township, DeKalb county, Indiana, and is the son of John and Lydia Ann ( Houser) Yarde. The family is descended from good old English stock, the subject's paternal grandfather, John Yarde, having been born in Devonshire, England, on March 12, 1812. His parents died when he was a child, and he was reared by his mother's sister and given a collegiate education. When seventeen years of age he began teaching school and followed that vocation for thirty-five years. He married Mary Symonds, also a native of Devonshire, and to them were born twelve children, eleven daughters and a son. In August, 1852, Mr. Yarde brought his family to the United States, locating first in Summit county, Ohio, where they remained a month, and then came to DeKalb county and here bought fifty acres of unimproved land, where he purposed making his permanent home. After paying for this land he had about seventy-five dollars left, and, having use of but one hand, the burden of the work of clear- ing and improving this land fell to his son, John, junior, then a lad of about sixteen years. The latter was born in Devonshire, England, on November 17, 1836, and received a good education in the public schools, making rapid advancement so that before he was sixteen years of age he had taught school for thirteen months. He accompanied his parents and assisted materially in the improvement of the DeKalb county farm. On October 10, 1858. John Yarde, junior, was married to Lydia Ann Houser, who was born in Wayne county, Ohio, on July 12, 1840, a daughter of David and Rebecca Houser, and to this union were born six children : Martha, Frank, David. Nettie, Henry and Bertha. Martha became the wife of William Imler and lives in Butler township, where he is a successful farmer. They are the parents of three children. Frank, the immediate subject of this sketch, is next in order of
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birth. David is represented in a personal sketch elsewhere in this book. Nettie married George Kelham, a farmer near Swan, DeKalb county, In- cliana, and they have three children. Henry is also represented individually elsewhere in this volume. Bertha became the wife of Ira Grogg, a farmer living in Butler township, this county, and they are the parents of three chil- dren living and one deceased.
Frank Yarde was reared under the paternal roof, and received his edu- cational training in the schools of the locality. As early as possible he gave a hand to the operation of the home farm, assisting his father until his mar- riage, when, in the spring of 1887, he moved to his present location, which he rented from his father until the latter's death in 1900, when the subject purchased the farm and has since given his undivided attention to it. The tract contains one hundred and sixty acres of land, and added to which Mr. Yarde, in 1893, had bought an eighty-acre tract adjoining on the east. This, however, he sold in 1910 and bought the eighty-acre tract known as the old Leeson farm. He has added to this until he is now the owner of four hun- dred and sixty acres of as good land as could be found in the township. It is well drained, fenced, and the residence, barn and other outbuildings are all of a substantial character, so that the place presents a pleasing aspect to the passer-by. He is owner of three hundred and sixty acres of land in the homestead place lying close to Garrett; the other hundred acres lying west of Garrett. About twenty-five acres of his land is timber and is considered a very valuable tract. Progressive and enterprising in his methods, Mr. Yarde has, by dint of the most persistent industry and careful attention to details. achieved a noteworthy success in his vocation, and today is numbered among the leading agriculturalists of Keyser township.
On September 23, 1886, Mr. Yarde was married to Alice Smith, daugh- ter of James L. and Amanda ( Sherrick) Smith, the former a native of Penn- sylvania and the latter of Clark county, Ohio. James L. Smith was born on July 13, 1837, the son of Joseph and Annie ( Guist) Smith, also a native girl of the Keystone state, the father of English and the mother of Scotch descent. his paternal ancestors coming to America with William Penn. In 1839 the parents moved to Columbiana county, Ohio. and when sixteen years of age he went to Stark county, that state, serving three years as apprentice at the car- penter's trade. At this trade he was employed as a journeyman until attaining his majority, when he engaged in business for himself, and in 1865 he moved to DeKalb county, Indiana, buying one hundred acres of land in Keyser township, a part of which is now the town site of Garrett. He rented his
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farm and worked at his trade until 1875, when he sold out and bought the farm, one hundred acres of which is in that township, where he afterwards resided. He married on October 4, 1858, Amanda, the daughter of Samuel and Leah (Baker) Shirk, and to them were born nine children: Samuel, Isaiah J., Elmer, Harrison H., Alice E., Reuben, Ida W., Ella and Minnie. The father's death occurred in 1901 on the home place in that township. His first wife died in 1877, and in 1878 he was married to Priscilla Wyant, who was born in Champaign county, Ohio, in 1847. and to them were born six children : Arta May, Cora, James M., Francis, Effie and Jennie. To Mr. and Mrs. Yarde have been born four children: Jay, Roy, John and Ida, the last two being twins.
Politically, Mr. Yarde has given his support to the Republican party, be- lieving that the past record of this political organization entitled it to the support of all thinking men. Religiously, he is a member of the Methodist Protestant church of Altona, a suburb of Garrett, being one of the trustees of that society and taking a strong interest in the welfare of the organization. In everything pertaining to the upbuilding of the community Mr. Yarde has been found loyal in his support and no worthy cause has appealed to him in vain. Genial and unassuming in his manner, he has earned and retains to a marked degree the respect and friendship of all whom know him.
JOEL E. HARTMAN.
The prosperity and substantial welfare of a community depend very largely upon the character and enterprise of its leading citizens. It is the pro- gressive, wide-awake men of affairs that make the real history of a county or state and upon them also rests the responsibility of giving moral tone to the body politic, of directing thought and shaping opinion, and of taking the lead in all progressive measures for the public good. To this class of strong, virile men belongs the well known and enterprising citizen whose name ap- pears at the head of this review, an individual of sterling character and sturdy worth, whose influence has always been on the right side of every moral issue and whose name stands for what is best and noblest in manhood.
Joel E. Hartman was born on October 3, 1843, in Lehigh county, Penn- sylvania, the son of Abram and Catherine ( Russell) Hartman. Abram Hart- man, who was a native of Pennsylvania. migrated in young manhood to
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Ohio, and from that state came to DeKalb county in 1847. On arriving here he bought eighty acres of land in Union township, to which he devoted his at- tention and also gave some of his time to church work, being a local preacher in the Methodist church. He was active up till the time of his death, which occurred in August, 1873, on his farm three miles west of Auburn. He was the father of seven children. The eldest. Elvina, was a child by a former mar- riage and lives in Ashley, Indiana. The other children born by his union with Catherine Russell were as follows: Aaron, who is married and has four children, lives on a farm close to Sedan, Indiana: John, who is night watch- man at the Eckhart Auto Manufacturing Company, Auburn, Indiana, is mar- ried and has six daughters; the other children, besides the subject of this sketch, are all deceased, namely: Wesley, Priscilla and Calvin.
Joel E. Hartman was reared on the paternal farmstead and secured his education in the district schools. In 1864 he was drafted at Kendallville. Indiana, and was assigned to the Fifty-third Regiment. Indiana Volunteer Infantry, under Captain Kingston, the command being assigned to General Sherman's army. Mr. Hartman took part in many of the most important campaigns of the war, being in thirteen different states, spent two weeks in doing garrison duty on the Atlantic coast, was transported from Charleston, Virginia, to Moorehead City. South Carolina, mecting General Sherman at the coast. His command fought at Kingston, Moorehead City and Raleigh, North Carolina, and also took part in the several engagements against Gen- eral Johnson. His military record was an excellent one in every respect and he was honorably mustered out at Washington, D. C., in June, 1865. After his discharge from military service Mr. Hartman returned to DeKalb county and settled on his present homestead farm of one hundred and sixty acres în Smithfield township, which he has improved in many respects until now it is one of the best farms in the township. The buildings are all substantial in character, the large, roomy, modern barn, erected in 1892, being one of its features. He takes great pride in his farm and live stock and has achieved a splendid success in his vocation. The residence, which is attractive and con- veniently arranged. is provided with many modern accessories and, taken as a whole, the farm is a credit to Smithfield township. In 1911 Mr. Hartman purchased eighty acres of land across the road from his present homestead, on which his daughter, Mertie, now lives.
On October 5. 1863. Mr. Hartman was married at Auburn, Indiana, to Sarah Gushwa, the daughter of Philip and Mary ( Moore) Gushwa. Mr. Gushwa, who was a native of Ohio, moved to DeKalb county in 1835, locat-
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.
ing on a farm two miles north of Corunna, Indiana, where he acquired the ownership of one hundred and sixty acres of land. This land, which was bought at a cheap price, was densely covered with timber, most of which Mr. Gushwa cleared from the land and put the soil in excellent condition for culti- vation. In 1873 he sold forty acres off the side of the farm to his wife's eldest brother, Jacob. He gave his active years to the cultivation of this farm and died there in the fall of 1888. His wife, who also was a native of Ohio, accompanied her husband on their long, tiresome journey by wagon and ox- team to their new home and here she proved a true helpmeet to her husband, assisting him in his work and encouraging him by her counsel, and by her life in the community she became beloved by all who knew her. Her death occurred on the old homestead in the fall of 1892. To them were born ten children, all of whom were born in Ohio, with the exception of the youngest. One of these children died in infancy and of the others, six are now deceased, Jacob, Elizabeth. John, Susan, Philip and Benjamin. The three living are Jonathan, who is an old soldier and lives at Corunna, and who is married and has two children, Charles and Edward: Mary Ann, the wife of David Liby. a farmer at Wakarusa, Indiana, and who was a soldier in the Civil war, having served three years. They have five children, three sons and two daughters. All of Mrs. Hartman's brothers were veterans of the Civil war.
To Mr. and Mrs. Hartman have been born eight children : Orpheus : Della, deceased : William, Ezra, Mary Catherine, Mertie. Emery and Vesta. Of these. Orpheus, who is married and is operating a farm'at Maurice, Michigan, is the father of seven children, four sons and three daughters; William, who also is married, lives on a farm in Fairfield township, DeKalb county, and has four sons ; Ezra, who remains unmarried, lives at home with his parents ; Mary Catherine is the wife of Robert Lockhart, who is represented elsewhere in this work, and they have five children, three sons and two daughters; Mertie is the wife of Sherman Porter, a farmer, and they live on a farm ad- joining her father's homestead ; Emery is a Methodist minister at Evanston, Illinois. He is married, but has no children: Vesta is the wife of Earl Hughes, a farmer in Steuben county, this state, and they have one child, a son.
Politically, Mr. Hartman is a Republican in his views, but he has been too busy a man to devote to public affairs, although at all times giving his support to every movement which promises to benefit the community in any way. Religiously, he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. to the support of which he contributes liberally of his means. Oniet and unassum- ing in his attitude, he has earned by his earnest and consistent life the warm
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regard of all who know him. Methodical in business, strict in his convictions as to right and wrong, genial and companionable, he has earned the high standing which he enjoys and is right fully numbered among the representative men of this section of the county.
EDWIN ERWIN.
Edwin Erwin, one of the substantial farmers and progressive citizens of Smithfield township, DeKalb county, Indiana, was born on November 8, 1838. in Stark county, Ohio. Later he moved to Henry county, that state, and from thence came to DeKalb county, Indiana, in 1853, in company with his parents, who bought eighty acres of land near Waterloo, this county. Not an inch of this land had been cleared, the only improvements being a log house and barn, and here they lived about three years, when the father traded the farm for a store in Uniontown, Indiana. He operated this store success- fully for three years and then traded it for a farm of sixty acres north of Waterloo. Edwin Erwin worked on different farms in this county, and event- ually bought the farm of sixty acres from his father, William Erwin, and kept the same for two years, finally selling it to Jacob Shuman. He then bought forty-seven acres of land in section 16, Smithfield township, to which he some time later added forty acres more. The original forty-seven acres was largely covered with timber, which he cleared from the land and then erected a number of good, permanent farm buildings. He moved on to this farm in 1883, and about three years later moved to the forty acres adjoining, on which he now lives and which he has successfully cultivated, it being now considered one of the choice farms of Smithfield township.
In 1868 Mr. Erwin married Elizabeth McEntarffer, who was born on October 30, 1844. in DeKalb county, the daughter of Michael and Anna Mary (Hamman) McEntarffer, who emigrated from Stark county. Ohio. She has spent her life on the farm, assisting in the improvements and 11p- building of the same. They have become the parents of seven children : Lottie; Allison, deceased: Arthur, Mina, Maude, Thomas and Byrd. Of these. Lottie is married: Arthur is married and farms the home place, which the subject has rented to him: he is the father of two children, Charles and Minnie ; Allison died at the age of nine years : Mina became the wife of Ira Bachtel, a farmer near Waterloo, and is the mother of two children .. Rhea and Mildred : Mande became the wife of Lewis Ritter, a farmer in Steuben
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county, this state, and they have two children, Marcelus and Irene; Thomas lives at home with his parents and is unmarried; Bertie became the wife of Garry Ritter, of Montpelier, Ohio, and they have two children, Gerald and Velma.
Politically the subject of this sketch has during the major part of his life been an adherent of the Republican party, but it now independent in politics, especially in local affairs. He served as a member of the advisory board of the township for eight years, and is still influential in local affairs. Religiously, he is not now a member of any church, though he gives his sup- port to every moral question before the people, Socially, he is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic post at Waterloo, this membership being particularly consonant from the fact that in September, 1861, he enlisted as a member of the Second Regiment Indiana Cavalry at old Camp Morton, In- dianapolis, Indiana, under Colonel Bridgeland. His regiment went out as an independent command, furnishing its own horses and guns, but later an order was issued that no independent regiments were allowed by the government, and the horse and guns were sold to the government and the men went out as a volunteer regiment. Mr. Erwin served over three years, and was mustered out in October, 1864, at Indianapolis. He saw much active service. taking part in a number of the most important battles of that war, and attained to a high place in the esteem of his fellow comrades because of his faithfulness and courage in battle. Quiet and unassuming in his disposition, Mr. Erwin is well liked by his neighbors and exerts a beneficent influence on everything with which he is connected.
CHARLES S. ARFORD.
It is proper to judge of the success and the status of a man's life by the estimation in which he is held by his fellow citizens. They see him at his work, in his family circle, at his devotions, observe the outcome of his code of morals, witness how he conducts himself in all the relations of society and civilization, and thus become competent to judge of his merits and demerits. The gentleman whose name forms the caption of this brief biography has spent many long years of toil and association with the people of this com- munity, and on account of his worth of character, his earnest work for the uplift of his fellow men and his broad sympathy and generosity, nothing but good report is heard of him.
CHARLES S. ARFORD AND FAMILY
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Charles S. Arford was born July 9. 1859, in Stafford township. DeKalb county, Indiana, the son of Robert and Margaret ( Wymer ) Arford. The father was born in Pennsylvania on March 27. 1828, and died on January 20. 1906, while his wife, who was born in Ohio on April 15. 1827, died on March . 27. 1890. They were the parents of the following children: Cyrus S., born September 18. 1851. died September 18, 1854: Mary E., born July 7. 1853. who married Gideon P. Macklin and lives in Florida . Mabel ( .. born March 2. 1850, married Adam H. Tinstman and resides at Hamilton, Indiana : Winfield W. born February 0, 1858, died February 7. 1858: Charles S. the subject of this sketch; Cyrene A., born November 22, 1861, died April 22. 1871 ; Elmer S., born September 29, 1807, died May 24, 1871.
The early education of the subject was gained in the common schools of DeKalb county, in Stafford and Troy townships, this being supplemented by two years' study in the Butler high school. After completing his school work he took up agriculture and was a valuable assistant to his father on the home place until he reached the age of twenty-five.
On February 19, 1883. Charles S. Afford was married to Susan 1. Shade, the daughter of Samuel and Ann ( Steckley ) Shade. Her father, who was born in New York state on August 23. 1820, died on March 8, 1886. Her mother was born in Ontario, Canada, on March 31. 1832. and died on May 10, 1898. They moved from Ohio to DeKalb county in 1865, settling in Richland township. To the subject and wife has been born one child, Mil- dred F., the date of whose birth was May 25. 1902.
For seven years after the subject's marriage he rented his father's farm and very successfully cultivated the home place, after which time he bought the splendid land on which he now resides, consisting of one hundred and thirty-two acres. Here he has a comfortable home and good outbuildings. his up-to-date and progressive methods of tilling the soil having brought him a good competency.
The Republican party has received the subject's suffrage and active support, and he has been honored by his fellow citizens by election to several responsible offices in the county. In 1900 he was selected as assessor for his township, his term of office extending over the period of four years. Again. in 1910, he was elected a member of the county council. which position he still holds. Mr. Arford has for a number of years been an active member of the United Brethren in Christ church, having been elected a delegate to the gen- eral conference of that religious organization which was held at Canton.
(54)
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Ohio, in May, 1909, and having been a trustee of the Big Run church con- tinuously since twenty-one years ago. He has served as superintendent of Big Run Sunday school for eight years.
Starting in life with a good education, Mr. Arford has been a close ob- server of men and methods, and his extensive travels, from coast to coast,. embracing three-fourths of the states and Canada, have given him a view- point in the affairs of life which could not be gathered from mere book study. The mere fact that, after seeing so much of this country, he should be content to settle down and spend the remainder of his days here, speaks well for the county of DeKalb. He is a member of Wilmington Grange No. 2178. Patrons of Husbandry.
THOMAS HAMMAN.
The occupation of farming, to which the major part of the business life of Thomas Hamman, one of the well known and popular citizens of DeKalo county, has been devoted, is the oldest pursuit for a livelihood of mankind and the one in which he will ever be the most independent. His name has long been inseparably connected with the general growth of DeKalb county. of which he is a native and where, in fact, he has spent most of his life. While primarily attending to his own varied interests, his life has been largely devoted to his fellow man, having been untiring in his efforts to inspire a proper respect for law and order and ready at all times to uplift humanity along civic and social lines.
Thomas Hamman, a public-spirited citizen and a progressive and suc- cessful farmer of Smithfield township. DeKalb county, was born on July 25. 1866, on the old home place in this township, and is the son of Thomas and Elizabeth ( Schuler ) Hamman. The subject's father was born in Osnaburg township, Stark county, Ohio. on April 11, 1823, and his death occurred on August 8, 1897, at the age of seventy-four years. In the fall of 1847 he came to section 16, Smithfield township, DeKalb county, Indiana, where he became a successful farmer and stock raiser. At the time he entered upon this land it was heavily timbered, and the following year he began clearing the same, the succeeding years being characterized by toil of the most strenu- ous character, but eventually the fruits of his labors were apparent and the farm became recognized as one of the best in the locality. The year he en- tered upon the land he began the erection of a dwelling, which he finished in
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