USA > Indiana > Elkhart County > History of Elkhart County, Indiana; together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history: portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 57
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Jacob McNutt, farmer, sec. 12; P. O. Ligonier; was born in Ohio, 1814, and is the son of Alexander and Elizabeth (Tillman) McNutt, natives of Tennessee, father of Irish and mother of German de- scent; educated in the log school-house of pioneer times, in Preble county, O .; in 1833 he married Sarah Price, and they have 2 sons and 1 daughter. Mr. McNutt came to Noble county, Ind., settling near where he now resides in 1834, and 11 years ago he moved to sec. 12, his present residence, where he owns 157 acres of land. He remembers when this part of Indiana was little more than an unbroken wilderness, and when he saw sometimes as many as 50 deer in one herd. Politically he is a Democrat. Mrs. McNutt is a member of the Christian Church.
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HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.
Michael F. Myers, farmer, was born in Montgomery county. O., Nov. 16, 1839, the son of Michael and Elizabeth (Frantz) Myers, of German descent, father a native of Maryland, mother of Virginia; educated in the common schools of Ohio. June 26, 1870, he mar- ried Cynthia Blake, and they have 2 daughters, Lilly M. and Matilda. Mr. Mvers owns 160 acres of land, and has been a suc- cessful farmer. Politically he is a Republican.
Samuel Ott, one of the oldest citizens of Benton tp., was born in Preble county, O., Dec. 5, 1809, son of Frederick and Katie (Beard) Ott, natives of Virginia, and of German descent; educated in the frontier school-house; in 1831 he moved to this county and com- menced to improve a quarter section of land, where he has ever since resided. He has seen the country about him grow from a wilderness, with but here and there a settler, blossom into fruitful fields and support a dense, civilized community. In 1832 he mar- ried Miss Anna Rookstool, and they had 8 children, 6 of whom are now living. Mrs. Ott died in 1866, a member of the Evangelical Church, of which denomination Mr. Ott is also a member. In po- litical matters he is a Republican, and is a man highly esteemed in his community.
Thomas Prickett was born in this county in 1833, and is the son of Jacob and Thirza (Pindell) Prickett, natives of Virginia, and of English ancestry; educated in the common school; in 1864 he mar- ried Martha M. Darr, and they have had 5 children, all of whom are living. Mr. P's. occupation has been farming, but he has run a saw-mill for the last 12 years. In politics he is a Republican; is Tp. Trustee. Mr. Prickett enlisted in Co. E, 29th Inf., in July, 1861; was transferred to the 9th Inf. before he was mustered in; Dec. 12, 1861, he was elected Orderly Sergeant March 3, 1863, 2d Lientenant; and Sept. 20, 1863, was promoted 1st Lieutenant, which position he resigned the next year on account of business at home.
Daniel Rex was born in Cincinnati, O., in 1815, the son of John and Nancy (Whistler) Rex, natives of Pennsylvania, and of German descent; was educated in the common schools of Ohio, and was married comparatively early in life to Delilah Vittle, and of the 11 children subsequently born to them 7 are living, 2 sons and 5 danghters, the eldest of whom, Sarah Jane, is the wife of Mr. Jonas Frantz, of Goshen. Mr. R. is not a member of any religious de-
nomination; politically he is a Democrat. He owns a farm of 160 acres of land, and in his business has been financially successful.
Anthony Rink, farmer. sec. 11; P. O., Millersburg; was born in Clinton tp., this county, Oct. 21, 1841, the son of George Jacob and Catherine (Cline) Rink, natives of Germany, who came to this tp. in 1840, where they still reside. Anthony is the eldest son in a family of 11 children, 7 of whom are living, all in this county, and 5 are married. The subject of this notice received his education mostly in the common-schools of this tp. In 1866 he married Margaret Lesh, and they have had "half a dozen" boys, as he
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HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.
expressed it. In 1861 Mr. Rink enlisted in the 74th Ind. Vol. Inf., and was discharged at the close of the war; was in all the battles in which his regiment was engaged, including that of Missionary Ridge, and was wounded at the battle of Jonesboro, Ga. He owns 83 acres of land valued at $60 an acre. He and his wife are members of the Catholic Church, and he is a Democrat, believing in the union of States and a government of the people, for the people and by the people.
Joseph Rippey, farmer; P. O., Syracuse; was born in Jackson tp., this county, Oct. 30, 1831, and is the son of Matthew and Jane T. (Montgomery) Rippey, natives of Ohio, father of English and mother of Irish descent. His father was an early settler in this county, and is a wealthy and enterprising farmer living in Jackson tp .; has represented his county in the State Legislature. The sub- ject of this sketch received his education mostly in Jackson tp., this county, and partly in the high school at Goshen; he has been remarkably successful as a farmer and stock-raiser; he makes the short-horn Durham a specialty, and usually receives the first pre- mium on the cattle he takes to the fair. Besides fine cattle, lie keeps a stock of horses and hogs. He has one calf for which he paid $175 when it was six months old. He has 320 acres of land, most of which is under good cultivation; has also a neat and sub- stantial residence, barn, out-buildings, etc. Jau. 29, 1857, Mr. Rippey married Sarah B. Snyder, and they have 2 sons and 2 daughters; Mrs. R. is a daughter of Jacob Snyder, who was a native of Pennsylvania, and of German ancestry; she was born in Ohio. Mr. R. is a Democrat, and was Constable for the year 1859.
A portrait of Mr. Rippey appears in this work.
James Roach, farmer, sec. 15; was born in Warren county, O., in 1838, the son of James and Maria (IIampton) Roach, natives of Virginia, father of Welsh and mother of English descent; educated in the common-schools of Indiana and Hillsdale (Mich.) College. Sept. 16, 1861, he enlisted in the 30th Ind. Vol. Inf., and was dis- charged Oct. 1, 1864; he was at the siege of Corinth and several other battles; was a non-commissioned officer a part of the time. In 1871 he married Paulina Baker, and they have 1 daughter and 1 son, Carrie Dell and Albert D. Mrs. R. is a member of the "Church of God." Mr. R.'s mother is still living with him, 71 years old, and has lived in this county ever since the subject of this sketch was two and a half years old. In early day all kinds of timber were burned in heaps to get them out of the way, but now a tree is frequently worth $100, and Mr. Roach has one for which he has been offered $115.
Thomas W. Roach, farmer and stock-raiser, sec. 15; was born in Warren county, O., in 1836, brother of the preceding; educated in the common schools in this county; married in 1863 to Huldah Harper, and they have 3 sons and a danghter. Mr. R. is an "old settler" in this county as he was but five years old when he was brought here by his parents, who settled on sec. 15 on the day that
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HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.
Gen. Harrison took his seat as President of the United States. This tp. was then a wilderness, the woods alive with squirrels, wild turkey and deer. £ Mr. Roach, the subject of this sketch, has traveled some in the West; taught sehool awhile in Illinois. Here he owns 120 aeres of land. a residence costing about $3,000, splen- didly finished, and as a farmer he has been very successful. Is a Republican and has served several terms as School Director.
John Rookstool, farmer, sec. 5, is a pioneer of this county; was born in Virginia in 1818, son of George and Catharine (Honse) Rookstool, natives of Virginia and of German deseent; educated in the Ohio common school; by occupation he was a farmer, but has also followed threshing for the last 30 years. In early life worked at many kinds of business, ineluding that of the still-house; but he has been a temperate man, and thinks he has never drank as much as a quart of whisky in his whole life. He owns 120 aeres of land, and has made most of his property by his own exertions. When he first eanie to this county he made his home with Jacob Ott, an unele of Samnel Ott; for several years his increase in this world's goods was very slow, but by industry and economy he has made himself comfortably circumstanced. His first marriage was to Mary Ott, who lived but a year afterward, and May 11, 1851, he married Catherine Kitson, and they have had 12 children, 11 of whom are living, 3 sons and S daughters. Mr. R. is a Demoerat, and has been Supervisor two or three terms.
George Simpson, farmer, sec. 1; P. O., Millersburg; was born in Tennessee Out. 7, 1819, the son of Roadham and Mary (Thomas) Simpson, natives of Virginia, and of English deseent; attended school but a few days in his life, but is successful as a farmer. June 19. 1843, he married Margaret Justis, and 10 of their 13 children are living, 4 boys and 6 girls. Mr. S. emigrated to this county in 1848, settling the next spring on see. 1, where he is still living. He and his wife say that they were never so happy as when they got the timber eut away far enongh from the house so that they felt secure in time of a storm.
Mrs. Margaret Simpson was born in Baden, Germany, in 1836, and was a daughter of Michael and Catharine (Desson) Barton, who emigrated to this country when the subject of this sketch was a young child, and resided for some years in Pennsylvania; in 1860 they moved to this State, where they still reside. In 1862 Miss Barton was married to John Simpson, a native of Tennessee, born in 1812; in 1830 he came to Indiana and settled on sec. 2, this tp. He was a successful farmer, in politics a Demoerat, was Tp. Super- visor one or more terins, and finally died Aug. 14, 1875. The children are: Estella, born Dec. 23, 1864; Henry. Jan. 6, 1867; Frederick, May 28, 1869; John, Oct. 5, 1872; and Mary Catharine, Dee. 5, 1874.
Noah Stark, farmer, sec. 12; P. O., Millersburg; was born in Pennsylvania in 1833, the son of Philo and Permelia (Haden) Stark, father a native of Rhode Island, and of English descent, and
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HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.
mother a native of Pennsylvania, and of German descent. Mr. Stark was educated in the common schools of this county, and has been all his life a farmer. In 1857 he married Eliza Jane, daugli- ter of William Simpson, the first settler on Elkhart Prairie (1828). Mr. and Mrs. Stark have 3 sons and 4 danghters. Mr. S. is a Demo- crat, and has been School Director three terms and Supervisor. He owns 80 acres of good land.
Hiram Stetler, farmer, sec. 27: P. O., Benton; was born in Ohio July 12, 1830, the son of John and Catherine (Shoup) Stetler, na- tives of Pennsylvania, and of German ancestry; educated in the common schools of this county; learned the cooper's trade, at which he worked about 18 years, when he was 36 years of age. since which time he has followed farming; started poor but has accumulated a handsome property by his own exertion, now owning 200 acres of land. worth $50 an acre, a brick house costing $2,000, a barn $2,500, etc., etc. In 1860 he married Martha D. Vail, and they have 2 sons and 2 daughters living. She is a member of the M. E. Church, and he is a Republican : has been Justice of the Peace four years. He settled in this tp. in 1838, and in 1865 he moved to sec. 27, where he now lives. His parents are still living in Benton. His father is a Democrat, but his 4 sons are all Republicans.
J. J. Stillwell, deceased, was born in 1818 in Ohio, of English and Irish ancestry; came to this county in a very early day, and died in 1870. His widow. nee Mary M. Richards, a native of the same State and of German ancestry, is still living on the home farm, which is superintended by Benjamin, the youngest son and unmarried. He was born Nov. 8. 1852, educated in the common school of this county, and in politics is a Democrat.
John F. Stillwell. farmer, sec. 19. was born in Ohio, Feb. 3, 1843, son of the preceding, and the oldest of a family of 6 children; while a lad at home he was noted for his honesty and frankness in the confession of wrong; was educated in the common schools of this State. In 1862 he married Mary A., daughter of Samuel Ott, and they have 4 daughters. Mrs. S. is a member of the Evangeli- cal Church. Mr. S. is a Democrat and has often been desired by his friends to run for office, but this tp. is strongly Republican. He is one of the substantial men of this community.
John J. Stiver. farmer. sec. 5; P. O., Millersburg; was born in Preble county, O., in 1823, and is the son of Valentine and Marga- ret (Cook) Stiver, natives of Lancaster county, Pa., and of German descent; they were among the early settlers of this community, settling in 1844 one mile south of where John J. now lives, and are perhaps the oldest couple living in the county, being 81 years of age and still keeping house. John J., the subject of this sketch, received his education in the common schools; in addition to farm- ing he has run a threshing-machine for 25 years, doing a profitable business; he owns 153 acres of land. He was married in 1850 to Elizabeth Ann Shewey, and 5 of their 6 children are living; John
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HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.
H. died in 1875. Mr. and Mrs. S. are members of the Lutheran Church, and he is a Republican.
Jesse D. Vail, the most widely known resident of Benton tp., settled here in 1837; he was born in Fayette county, Pa .. in 1814; his parents were Samuel and Agnes (Griswell) Vail, father a native of New Jersey, of Welsh descent, and mother of Pennsylvania. of English descent; received his education in the pioneer log school- house; his occupation has nsnally been farming; was in the mer- cantile business four years, which was just long enough to break him np completely, but has always paid 100 cents on the dollar. His first marriage was to Elma Cope in 1838, and 2 of their 5 children are living; one son is studying law in Goshen. His second wife died without any children; by his present wife he has had 2 chil- dren, one of whom is deceased.
Mr. Vail has seen both sides of life. His pioneer experience was not always smooth, for in 1840 he found himself in debt $1,000, and nothing to pay it with; but in 1849 he was again above his debts, and was worth nearly $500; since that time he has attended to farming and stock-raising, and is at present the owner of 215 acres of land, well stocked and improved. During the war he was a member of the militia board and spent most of his time in his duties as such; he was the enrolling officer of this tp. He is an out-and-ont Republican, has held several minor offices, as School Director, Trustee, etc. He was raised a Quaker, is friendly to Churches, but does not belong to any partienlar denomination him- self. His wife belongs to the M. E. Church.
Eli Vernon, farmer and stock-raiser, sec. 15; P. O., Millersburg; was born in Ohio in 1829, the son of Allen and Elizabeth Hage) Vernon, natives of Virginia, and of English descent; educated in the common school in Ohio; in 1853 he married Frances Butler, whose parents were among the early settlers of this county, and their 6 children are all living; their eldest son is teaching penman- ship in Ligonier College; 2 others are attending the same institution. Mrs. V. is a member of the M. E. Church. Politically Mr. V. is a Republican, and has been Assessor five years. He came to this country in 1852, cleared over 100 acres of heavily timbered land, has done a great deal of hard work, is a successful farmer, now owning 140 acres of land.
William Wehrly, farmer, sec. 19; P. O., Benton; was born in Ohio in 1823, the son of George and Margaret (Fix) Wehrly, natives of Virginia, and of German ancestry; obtained most of his education after night by a firelight made of hickory bark gathered for that purpose; attended the subscription school a short time at the old-fashion log school-house; has taught school in this State 15 years, most of this time winter terms only. Feb. 5, 1851, he mar- ried Susannah Conrad, and they had 2 sons and 1 daughter; she died Aug. 9, 1859, and Mr. W. in 1860 married Charlotte Dates, and their children are 2 daughters and 1 son, the latter now a babe, who " must and shall be a congressman." Mr. W. is a Republican, has
Joseph Rippey
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HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.
been Supervisor, Town Clerk, Trustee, etc .; owns 370 acres of land and is a very prosperous farmer. He often contrasts his present financial condition with what it was in 1849, when he first came to this county, and when all his earthly possessions consisted of $1.50, which he says was good money,-all in silver. He worked out by the day and month, and taught school at $10 per month, to get a start in the world. He helped to build the first school-house in his district, and taught the first school.
Daniel D. Whitmer, farmer, sec. 27; P. O., Ligonier; was born in Stark county, O., in 1825, and is the son of Benjamin Whitiner. Both his parents were " Pennsylvania Dutch." Mr. W. was edu- cated in the common schools of his native county, and May 21, 1862, he was married, and 5 of his 6 children are living. She died Sept. 28, 1876, a member of the Lutheran Church, to which Church he also belongs. Politically he is a Democrat. He owns 130 acres of land. He recently built a large barn 70x40 feet, with a wing 30x40.
Henry Wilkinson was born in this State in 1859, and is a son of Austin and Margaret (Hellser) Wilkinson, natives of Ohio, of English and German ancestry; was educated principally in the common schools of his native State, and attended high school two terms in Michigan. In 1875 he married Mary Grisamer, a native of this county, and their only child, Iona, was born in 1876. Mrs. W. is a member of the Christian Church. Mr. W., politically, is a Democrat; has taught school several terms, follows farming, and financially has been successful.
L. W. Witmer, proprietor of the Millersburg Steam Planing and Saw-mill, was born in Niagara county, N. Y., Feb. 1. 1832; his parents were John and Mary (Herr) Witmer, natives of Pennsylva- nia, and of German ancestry. At an early age, with his parents, he removed to and settled in Benton tp., this county, where he received such education as the common schools of that time afforded, and assisted his father upon the farm until about the age of 16, when he learned the carpenter's trade, at which he continued to work till 1858; then he made a trip to Colorado, being among the first to settle in that territory, and assisted in erecting the first shingle-roof building in Denver. There he remained some two and a half years, a portion of the time employed as foreman for a prom- inent building firm, and at intervals was engaged in mining, and met with a fair share of success. He returned to Indiana and was united in marriage in 1862 with Mary Ann, daughter of Abel and Catharine (MeClellan) Lyons, the daughter of old residents of Noble county, Ind. They have had 4 children, 2 of whom are liv- ing, viz .: D. S. Witmer, now in his 18th year, and Lettie V., in her 13th year, both of whom are pupils in the Millersburg high school. Mr. Witmer is the proprietor of the extensive manufacturing estab- lishment known as the Millersburg Steam Sawing and Planing Mill, which, under his management, has developed from a compar- atively small business to one of much magnitude and importance.
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HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.
He has been a member of the Board of Education, and Inspector of Elections for the tp. of Benton. Himself and wife are members of the Christian denomination. Mr. W. is an active Republican, having cast his first vote for John C. Fremont, in 1856. He owns 40 acres of fine land in this tp., and 160 acres in Kansas. Mr. W. is wholly self-made, and is highly esteemed as a successful business man and worthy citizen.
A portrait of Mr. Witmer appears in this work.
Swegler Young, blacksmith, was born in Ohio in 1824, the son of George and Margaret (Swegler) Young, natives of Maryland, father of Irish and mother of German descent; educated in the common schools of his native State; learned the trade of black- smith, which he has followed ever since he was 16 years of age; settled in Benton in 1845; Jan. 2, 1848, he married Lucinda Eahart, and they had 3 danghters and 1 son. Mrs. Young died April 19, 1880. Their son James was married in May, 1879, to Etta Sloan. Mr. Young is, as was his wife, a member of the United Brethren Church; is a Republican, and has been Tp. Trustee 6 years, and is the owner of 80 acres of land, worth $75 an acre, besides shop, etc. Mr. Y. is a man of great endurance and constitutional vigor, as he has not been sick more than three days in his lite.
·
CLEVELAND TOWNSHIP.
The true history of this township, even from the most authentic sources available, is difficult to obtain, and cannot in all particulars be insured as accurate, from the fact that much connected with its settlement remains couched in remarkable obscurity.
This township was formerly a portion of Concord; but in the year 1835 a division was made, and that portion lying between the Michigan line on the north and the St. Joseph river on the south, St. Josephi county on the west and Washington township on the east, was organized as an independent township; and from the " Forest City " in Ohio, it was duly baptized and sprang into active life with the name of " Cleveland." In the winter of 1837-'38 a petition was circulated suggesting that this territory should be again divided. Tlie requisite number of signatures was received, the division accordingly mnade, and the eastern division, by proper organization, was made the township of Osolo.
The first settlement in Cleveland township was made about the year 1830, when Francis Rork, John and Frank Bashford and Mr. Bogart came and located by pre-emption on Cobert's creek on the western side of the township. Mr. Rork kept a public house for a time, liis honse being about the first erected in the township. In 1834 this company was reinforced by the arrival of Mr. Dibble, Mr. Smith, D. J. and R. B. Clark, Mr. Jackson, Silas T. Mattox and possibly a few others. In the following fall, in 1835, came John and T. H. Evans, Walter Strong, Joseph Call, Samuel Hongh- land and Mr. Ormsby; also, soon afterward, J. D. Carlton and Mr. Burgitt. F. Bashford sold his pre-empted claim to Mr. Shiphard. T. H. Evans yet resides upon land of his first entry and upon which he first settled.
The first school was taught in 1835, which was held in a cabin belonging to Mr. Rork. The second term was taught by Miss Wealthy Evans, who was at that time but 14 years of age. The school room was soon found to be not sufficiently large to accommo- date the school youth, who at one time, with accessions from the set- tlement at the south, numbered about 100, when a building of greater capacity was erected and schools were an acknowledged reality.
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686
HISTORY OF ELKHART COUNTY.
A settlement was begun in the southern part of the township by Mr. Wagner, the Piersons and a number of others, who came in 1837. Several gentlemen by the name of' Redfield came from the State of New York, in 1835, and purchased a large tract of land lying in this township and in the State of Michigan, adjoining. Mr. George Redfield yet lives on a part of this purchase, being one of the wealthiest gentlemen in the township. Also the Ervin brothers are mentioned as coming in an early day and purchasing a large tract of land in the western part of the township, on which they made considerable improvement. George Ervin, one of the original owners, has since sold 1,440 acres of this land to the Notre Dame University, a large Catholic institution situated in St. Josephi county, on which this property bordered.
The first religious meetings were held in the school-houses, and the first preachers were Mr. Selcraig, an Episcopal, and Mr. Avery. a Universalist minister. The first church was built by the Metho- dist denomination, and stands on the township and county line. on the west. Jan. 12. 1878 a meeting was called to perfect an organi- zation looking to the erection of a church in the northern part of the township, in the locality now known as " Yankeetown." It then numbered about 25 members, among whom were Hiram Kantz. Andrew Kantz, Mr. and Mrs. Shinn, David and Susan Coleman, Joseph Dasher. Sarah Dasher, Hannah and Henry Dasher, Jacob Coleman, Amos Shinn, Lucinda Coleman, Sarah C. Shinn, Emeline Coleman. Agnes Kantz, Jonathan Bronse, Ester Bronse, C. Walter and Susan Walter. Mary Shafer. now deceased, and John E. Arbo- gest,-who immediately engaged zealously in the work, and as the result of that earnest determination, and the unselfish labors of all, they saw a house for worship erected within that year, being dedicated to that service Dec. 15. 1878. The building, in size. is 30x45 feet, and 18 feet high in the main. The building and the grounds which the society purchased cost $1.800. Sunday-schools are continued throughout the year. During winter the attendance is about 60, and through the summer season the average is about 100. In 1878 the Methodists erected a fine and commodious church building, in a beautiful grove of oaks on section 2, in the southern part of the township.
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