USA > Indiana > DeKalb County > History of Dekalb County, Indiana, with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of old families > Part 85
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100
851
DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
1849 and which was the first frame house in Smithfield township. It was eighteen by thirty feet in size, with thirteen-foot posts. During the first six years Mr. Hamman cleared sixty acres of heavily timbered land and chopped the timber from one hundred and forty acres. In 1864 he built a barn . eighty-five by forty-two feet in size, which for a long time was the best in the township. The buildings were of unusually substantial and permanent char- acter, and he was recognized in all departments of his work as above the average in excellence. In 1850 he married Elizabeth Shuyler, who was a native of York county, Pennsylvania, and who came with her stepfather, Adam Hood, to DeKalb county in early days. He was the father of nine children, John, Henry, Caroline, Thomas, Simon, Samuel, Eliza and two who died in infancy. Mr. Hamman became a member of the Lutheran church when twenty years of age, and maintained his interest in religious matters throughout his mature life. He was a noble man in his motives and actions, and through his persistence, industry and wise management of his affairs he was enabled to accumulate a fine property. He was a faithful hus- band, a kind father, accommodating neighbor and enjoyed the confidence and respect of all who knew him. His wife was born in York county, Pennsyl- vania. in 1823, and died at the old home farm in this county on April 4. 1901. at the age of seventy-eight years. She moved to DeKalb county in 1842, and here was a consistent member of the Reformed church, to which she gave stanch and faithful allegiance throughout her life.
Thomas Hamman was reared on the old farmstead, securing his educa- tion in the common schools of the locality, and from an early age devoted his labors to the farm. In the spring of 1887 he left home and lived on a farm one-half mile south of the home place and which was owned by his father. Two years later this tract was deeded to him by his father, and he remained there seven years longer. at the end of which time he sold the place to Joseph Hohl, and then bought eighty acres south of the home place, where he lived one and one-half years. He placed this tract in good condition by draining and tiling the soil and building good fences, and eventually traded this tract for one hundred and sixty acres of land about one and one-half miles west of the home place where he now lives, and on to which he moved in 1806. At that time it was in a very rough and uninviting condition, the buildings being poor and in other ways run down. In 1889 Mr. Hamman built a splendid residence and in 1903 a large and well arranged barn, the old barn being re- modeled into a sheep barn, and the old residence that was on the place was turned into a hog barn. The farm is now generally recognized as one of the
852
DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA,
best in the township, its present condition being secured by the subject's hard work and careful attention to every detail of its management. It has been very extensively tiled, one field having over three thousand tiles.
On October 14, 1886, Thomas Hamman was married to Mary Charlotte Erwin, the daughter of Edward and Eliza ( McEntarffer ) Erwin, who are mentioned elsewhere in this work. To this union have been born two chil- dren. Chloe, who is the wife of Cleveland Getts, of LaGrange county. In- diana, and Dessie, the wife of Gaulbert Geaty, of Smithfield township, this county. and they have one child. lola.
Politically. Mr. Hamman is an cornest supporter of the Democratic party, though he has been too busy in his private affairs to mingle much in polities. He is well liked throughout the community, and, though a quiet and unassuming man, he is progressive in his methods and has earned the confi- dence which is generally bestowed in him.
K. A. TRIPLETT.
The history of him whose name heads this sketch is closely identified with the history of DeKalb county, Indiana, which has long been his home. He began his career in this locality and throughout the subsequent years he has been closely allied with it- interests and upbuilding. His life has been one of untiring activity and has been crowned with a degree of success commen- surate with his efforts. He is of the highest type of progressive citizen and none more than he deserves a fitting recognition among those whose enter- prise and ability have achieved results that have awakened the admiration of those who know them. The cause of humanity never had a truer friend than Mr. Triplett, and in all the relations of life -- family, church, state and society -he has displayed that consistent Christian spirit, that natural worth, that has endeared him to all classes. His integrity and fidelity have been manifested in every relation of life, an example which has been an inspiration to others, and his influence has been felt in the community honored by his citizenship.
E. A. Triplett, one of the best known citizens of Richland township, is a native of the county in which he now lives, and was horn on July 25. 1867. He is a son of Charles H. and Sarah (Owens) Triplett, both of whom were natives of Ohio. Charles H. Triplett was one of the first settlers of DeKalb county, having come here in 1849 in childhood. his birth having occurred on
853
DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
February 14. 1844. He remained in DeKalb county engaged in farming until October 24. 1862, when he went to Indianapolis at the age of eighteen years and enlisted as a private in the Twenty-third Battery, which was. as- signed to the Second Brigade. Third Division, and in the fall of 1863 he was confined for several weeks in the hospital at Indianapolis. He was, when able, assigned to forage duty, but on account of disability he was given an. honorable discharge on July 2, 1865. While in the field he took part in some of the most hotly contested battles in which the armies of the South were engaged. being in the battles of Buzzard Roost. Resaca, Dallas, Altoona. Kenesaw Mountain, Neucer Creek, siege of Atlanta, Columbia, Franklin, Nashville and numerous minor engagements and skirmishes. He came from sturdy parentage, his parents being Abraham and Eliza (Judd) Triplett. both of whom are now deceased.
On February 3. 1856, Mr. Triplett was married to Sarah Owens, who was born on July 24. 184 .. at Bleomdale, Seneca county, Ohio, the daughter of Edmond and Lucy ( Beagel) Owen. To this union were born three children, Ellsworth A., James W. and Myron D. A brother of the subject's father, Joshua Triplett, was a veteran of the Civil war, serving as a private in the Twelfth Michigan Cavalry, while the subject's grandfather was a captain in the Mexican war, and a great-uncle. Charles Triplett, served in the war of 1812, having been wounded at the battle of Yorktown, from the effect of which his death occurred. The subject's military ancestral history is still further noteworthy from the fact that his great-grandfather. William Triplett, served in the Revolutionary war, while on the maternal side his wife's brother, John, was a member of the One Hundred and Forty-Seecond Regiment of Indiana Volunteer Infantry, while her grandfathers on both maternal and paternal sides were veterans of the war of 1812. Charles H. Triplett's death occurred on April 5. 1905. in the sixty-second year of his age. His widow, who was born on July 24. 1842, in Stark county, Ohio. is also deceased. For many years this worthy couple had lived just east of Cedar lake in Smithfield township. DeKalb county, retiring from active farm labor only when compelled to do so by defective eyesight. They were a kind and generous couple, who enjoyed at all times the respect of all who knew them.
E. A. Triplett received his education in the common schools of DeKalb county, and during his earlier years followed farming, and at that time became settled in his conviction that the basic art of agriculture afforded not only a sure income, but an independence which could not be found in any
854
DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
other vocation. Therefore, he wisely concluded to make this his life work and has been eminently successful in this pursuit. He is now residing on his fine farm of one hundred and ten acres in Richland township, where he carries on general farming and some stock raising, and where he has a pleasant and attractive residence, substantial and well arranged barns and out- buildings, and where he enjoys life as only a successful farmer can and to a degree which the city resident cannot fully appreciate.
On July 25, 1889, Mr. Triplett married Annie E., the daughter of John Rinehart and Margaret ( Hart) Rinehart. Her father was born in Germany on March 31, 1832, and died on May 4, 1888, while his wife, who also was born in Germany on June 23, 1829, died on March 9,1907. To Mr. and Mrs. Triplett have been born three children : Orville, born September 13, 1891, died on August 19, 1897; Hugh L., born April 29, 1893, and Orlena, born February 20, 1895.
Politically, Mr. Triplett gives his earnest support to the Democratic party, while, religiously, he is affiliated with the United Brethren church. of which he has been a consistent and active member for many years. Mr. Trip- lett has been successful financially, and is today numbered among the well-to- do men and representative citizens of the community in which he resides. He is enterprising in all the term implies and public-spirited, lending his aid and influence to further all measures for the general welfare, no worthy project ever appealing to him in vain. He is a close observer of current public events, and has intelligent, well-defined views relative to all matters of interest before the people. A gentleman of strict integrity, he is held in high esteem by all who know him, and the confidence which he commands has been fairly and honorably earned.
ROBERT WILLIAM LOCKHART.
The visitor to the highly improved farm of this gentleman, in Smithfield township, finds it difficult to realize its former state and the many hard strokes necessary to bring it to its present condition. There is little in the commodious residence, fine barns and outbuildings, cultivated fields and lowing herds to suggest the pioneer period, but this beautiful place represents a link in that remarkable evolution which, in the lifetime of men still living, has converted Indiana from a wilderness to a smiling garden.
Robert William Lockhart was born on November 28, 1872, in the beauti-
855
DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
ful city of Crawfordsville. Montgomery county, Indiana, and is the son of William C. and Mary Elizabeth ( Hickox) Lockhart. William M. Lockhart was born on May 27, 1834, at Troy, Richland county, Ohio, a son of James and Jane Lockhart. James Lockhart was a native of county Tyrone, Ireland, and was a son of William and Mary Ann ( McLaren) Lockhart. James was left an orphan in infancy and learned the trade of a linen weaver. . At the age of twenty-five he emigrated to America, locating in Pennsylvania, where he worked for several years and then learned the trade of a distiller. He was intensely loyal to his adopted country in her hour of need, being a strong sup- porter of the Union and the Constitution. In 1856 James and Jane ( Mc- Bride ) Lockhart came to Smithfield township. DeKalb county, bringing with them their son, William C. The latter had from early childhood until his majority lived in Lexington, Ohio, where his father, through the dishonesty of a partner, became bankrupt. William C. and his brother nobly determined to pay the father's debts and this they did, though it meant tremendous exer- tion and untold hardships. The financial condition of the family interfered with the education of the boys, who received very little schooling. William C. Lockhart was a soldier for the Union during the Civil war, where he was severely wounded and was discharged from the service because of physical disability after about fifteen months' service. In 1864 he married Elizabeth Spencer at Salesville, Ohio, her death occurring in October, 1867. On May 5, 1869, Mr. Lockhart married Mary Elizabeth Hickox, and to them was born, on November 28, 1872, a son, the immediate subject of this sketch. On February 6, 1884, Mary E. ( Hickox) Lockhart died, and on October 17. 1887, Mr. Lockhart married Julia P. (Hickox) Osborn, a sister of his former wife. Her death occurred at Waterloo, Indiana, on December 16, 1891, and on January 4, 1894, he married Elizabeth Ames Ansley. . After re- covering from his army wounds, Mr. Lockhart resumed the lumber business, in which he had been engaged before the war and was quite heavily interested in this business for a number of years. In December. 1869, he moved to Crawfordsville. Indiana, where he was engaged in the sawmill business, and in which he was very prosperous, so that just prior to the panic of 1873 an invoice showed the business to be worth ninety thousand dollars, with many good contracts on hand. Along with the panic came serious losses by fire, the mill in Parke county and the dry kiln in Crawfordsville being burned, and many creditors failed to pay them what they owed. They had hard work stemming the tide, but, extending their business to Iowa, they began to recover financially, when the flood washed out a big jam of logs, the loss amounting
856
DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
to more than twenty thousand dollars. In January, 1885, Mr. Lockhart went out of business and returned to Crawfordsville and in the spring of the fol- lowing year he moved to Waterloo, where he lived until his last marriage, ther located in Fairfield township. where he died on February 25, 1910, at the age of seventy-five years. \ good business man and indefatigable worker. he enjoyed the universal respect of all who knew him. He was a Mason and Odd Fellow and a regular attendant of the Baptist church, being an enthusi- astic worker in the cause of temperance.
Robert W. Lockhart received a good common school education at Water- 100, Crawfordsville and Des Moines, Iowa, and was then employed at differ- ent vocations and in different places until the fall prior to his marriage, and after that event he located, in 1804. on the farm in Fairfield township. which he operated for nine years. He fell heir to forty-five and one-half acres of land from his father, which he sold and then bought eighty acres of good land in Fairfiekl township. Eventually he sold this tract and bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in section 17, Smithfield township, which is the present homestead, and to this be has devoted his undivided attention, so that today there are few farms in this favored section of DeKalb county which are its equal. It is known as the okl Jeel E. Thompson homestead. Not only has the fertility of the soil been maintained, but the permanent improvements on the farm made by Mr. Lockhart have been noteworthy. The large, up-to- date. roomy and well arranged barns and other substantial outbuildings, the house of modern and attractive appearance, the well-kept fences and all other incidental accessories of an up-to-date farm attract the attention of the passer- by, and add to the value and desirability of the place. Mr. Lockhart has been intensely progressive in everything he has done and the barn erected by Joel E. Thompson was the first one built along modern ideas in this township. He has now lived on this farm for five years and has already achieved a splendid reputation among his fellow agriculturists.
On February 25, 1894. Robert W. Lockhart married Mary Catherine Hartman, the daughter of Joel E. and Sarah ( Gushwa) Hartman, who are referred to elsewhere in this work. To this union have been born six children, namely : Carl W., Ralph Russell, Mary Dorothy, Eda Grace. Wilma, de- ceased. and Robert Spencer, the latter being the eighth generation of Roberts on the McBride side of the family. Politically. Mr. Lockhart was formerly a Republican, but is inclined to the support of the Progressive party, believing that the principles as advocated by Theodore Roosevelt and other distinguished advocates of Progressive principles to be the most conducive to the welfare of
857
DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
the American people. Mr. Lockhart was appointed township committeeman of the Republican party, but in 1898, because of pressing duties of his private business affairs he resigned the position after one year of effective ser- vice. Fraternally, he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America at Ashley, while, religiously, though not a member of any church, his sympathies are with the Baptist faith. Mr. Lockhart has no special fads or specialties, but contents himself with general farming operations, not neglecting stock rais- ing on a moderate scale, and altogether enjoys the reputation of being a painstaking and prudent husbandman. Because of his business success and his high personal qualities, he is held in high esteem by his fellow citizens of Smithfield township and is entitled to rank among the representative men of his profession in DeKalb county.
EDWARD CAMPBELL.
To indulge in prolix encomium of a life which is one of distinctive modesty and unpretentiousness would be most incongruous, and vet in re- viewing the career of the subject of this sketch, who is one of the sterling agriculturets of Smithfield township, Dekalb county, and who holds a posi- tion of unequivocal confidence and esteem in the community in which he has long lived and labored to so goodly ends, feelings of admiration are prompted.
Edward Campbell was born on August 14. 1841, in Summit county. Ohio, and is the son of Abel and Jane ( Taylor ) Campbell. Abel Campbell was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, on October 26, 1857, and when a boy moved with his parents to Stark county, Ohio, where he was reared and married on June 16, 1831, to Jane Taylor, also a native of Wash- ington county, Pennsylvania, born on May 25, 1812. In 1836 they moved to Summit county, Ohio, and thence to DeKalb county, making the journey by team, taking two weeks to make the trip, and locating on the southwest quarter of section 28, Smithfield township, on the 12th of May, 1847. This farm had been entered in 1836 by John Taylor, father of Mrs. Campbell, who sold it to Andrew Houhn, from whom Mr. Campbell bought it. Six- teen acres were cleared and there was a small, round-log house on the land into which the family moved. Mr. Campbell cleared about seventy-five acres and erected good buildings, making it his home until his death, which oc- curred on November 9, 1860. They had a family of eight children. \bel Campbell was one of the most prominent men of his community and in
858
DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
politics was first a Whig, but later a strong supporter of the Republican party. His death occurred on the day following the election of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency. His wife lived to a ripe old age, her death oc- curring on the old homestead farm on May 20, 1903. when she lacked but twenty days of being ninety-one years old. Abel Campbell followed active farming pursuits up to the time of his death and served one term as trustee of Smithfield township.
Edward Campbell was reared to the life of a farmer and was successful in his pursuit. He remained with his mother after his father's death and was drafted for military service during the Civil war. His mother being a widow with three children to care for, the subject felt it his duty to remain at home and help her, and he therefore purchased his release, obtaining a substitute at Waterloo, to whom he paid three hundred dollars. This money he was compelled to borrow and thus when he returned home he was three hundred dollars in debt. However, he went to work in earnest on the home- stead farm and eventually rented one hundred and sixty acres known as the old Campbell farm, to which he kept adding by buying the interests of the other heirs. This farm he still retains and has maintained it through the years at the highest possible standard of excellence, so that it has been long considered one of the noted farms of Smithfield township. The place is kept well improved in every respect. the old buildings being commodious and con- venient, the soil's fertility being conserved, and in every respect Mr. Camp- bell has shown his ability as a progressive and enterprising farmer.
On May 4. 1865, Mr. Campbell married Marin Childs, daughter of B. E. and Jane .\. ( Wood ) Childs. Mr. Childs, who was a native of New York state, was a farmer and also worked at the carpenter trade, although agriculture commanded the greater part of his attention. He came to DeKalb county, Indiana. in September, 1847, buying forty acres of land in Fairfield township, which he traded five years later for one hundred and eleven acres in Smithfield township, to the operation of which he gave his attention until his death, which occurred in 1878. He was an active Republican in politics, but held no public offices. He was well liked. thoroughly posted in all the branches of agriculture and was successful in his operations. He was a faithful member of the Methodist church. His wife, on coming west, came as near as she could to DeKalb county by canal boat in 1847, and prior to her marriage was a seamstress and also taught school. To Mr. and Mrs. Childs were born eight children: Theodocia, Marvin, Marium, Frances, Martha J .. Sarah A., Henry and Anson A. Theodocia became the wife of Henry Will-
859
DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
ing, and she now lives at Los Angeles, California. Her husband was a success- ful merchant in Iowa and died there, after which she moved west. She had two children, Arminta and William; Henry Charles is a railroad carpenter and lives in Hudson, Steuben county, Indiana; Sarah Childs became the wife of William Hefty, of Hicksville, Ohio, and they have four children, three boys and a girl; Martha J. is the wife of Andrew Cole, and they live in lowa ; they have four children ; Henry Childs, who operated the home farm for a year, is still following agricultural pursuits. To Mr. and Mrs. Campbell have been born five children, Frank, Elnora, Albertus, Clark and Thomas S. Elnora is the wife of Oliver Hinman, a carpenter at Waterloo. and they have one child, Mary W.
Politically, Mr. Campbell is an ardent Republican and has been in- fluential in advancing the interests of that party in this locality. Fraternally, he has for a half century been an enthusiastic member of the Masonic order. being the only survivor of the charter members of the lodge at Waterloo. On the 25th of August, 1913, a party of thirty members of this lodge came to Mr. Campbell's home and presented him with a jeweled gold Masonic em- blem bar pin, which he prizes very highly. In every phase of life's activities in which he has engaged Mr. Campbell has performed his full part and, be- cause of his genuine worth, his business success and his interest in the welfare of the community, he is deserving of the high place he holds in public estcem.
JOHN HOFFELDER.
Among the substantial men whose labor and influence gave impetus to the agricultural interests and general material improvements of DeKalb county in years gone by and who today occupies a high place in the esteem of the community in which he lives is the worthy gentleman whose name introduces this article. Connected as he was for a period of years with one of the most important official positions in the county and prominently identi- fied with the material growth of his locality, he has been a forceful factor in agricultural circles and a leading citizen in all that concerns the public good.
John Hoffelder was born in 1843 in south Bavaria, Germany, and is the son of Francis Charles Hoffelder and wife. The subject was reared in his native land and received a good, practical education in the schools of that locality, remaining at home until 1870. In the meantime he had followed
860
DEKALB COUNTY, INDIANA.
the vocation of a farmer and also learned the trade of a weaver, raising Hax and hemp in summer and spinning and weaving it into cloth in the winter. This was all done by hand, somewhat after the fashion of the early pioneers in this country, excepting that it was done by organized shop work. In the summer of 1870 Mr. Hoffelder concluded to emigrate to America, the land of golden opportunities, and he reached Castle Garden in New York harbor on August 7, 1870. In November of that year he came to Smithfield township. DeKalb county. Indiana, coming directly to the German settlement, which was located in the midst of a dense tract of tim- ber. The following spring Mr. Hoffekler went to near Cleveland, Ohio, where for a season he was employed in farm work, but in November, 1871. he returned to DeKalb county and he and his brother-in-law rented a little place near where they now live. In October. 1878. Mr. Hoffelder had about determined to go further west, but his landlord requested him to stay, offer- ing to sell him the place on which he had been working. Mr. Hoffelder had performed an enormous amount of hard work, interest rates were ten per cent. on an average and only part of his land was cleared. He had worked hard on this land nearly seven years, and had had a struggle to make both ends meet. The low part of the land had not been drained and altogether conditions were not very promising for the near future. However, after much. bargaining. in which Mr. Hoffelder showed good business judgment and sagacity, he closed the deal and secured the land. It was a regular' wil- derness, but to its improvement he at once applied himself with a zeal and energy that soon showed definite results. Much drainage and ditching was required, but some of the land which before had been the most worthless eventually became of the greatest valne. Mr. Hoffelder's purchase com- prised one hundred and twenty acres and to this he has during the subse- quent years applied his energies with a soundness of judgment that has been productive of very gratifying results until today few farmers in his locality are held in higher esteem than he. He has erected a comfortable and attract- ive residence, a commodious and well arranged barn, while the big yard sur- rounding the home has been set out with beautiful shade trees and shrubbery which adds greatly to the attractiveness and value of the place. In the spring of 1912 Mr. Hoffelder planted six thousand nursery forest trees of various kinds. The following summer was extremely dry and many of these trees were lost. However, two thousand more were planted and fourteen hundred more will be planted in the spring of 1914, altogether covering about six acres of land.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.