History of Fayette County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions, Part 64

Author: Barrows, Frederic Irving, 1873-1949
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1326

USA > Indiana > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions > Part 64

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bers of the Presbyterian church, in the various beneficences of which they take a warm interest, Mr. McKee having been an elder in that church almost continuously since 1875. He also has served as president of the Fayette county branch of the American Bible Society and has ever given his most intelligent and thoughtful attention to local good works, helpful in promot- ing all movements having to do with the advancement of the common wel- fare hereabout.

A. J. FLETCHER, M. D.

Dr. A. J. Fletcher, one of Connersville's well-known physicians, was born at Fostoria, Ohio, September 2, 1878, and was reared in that city, receiving his elementary education in the schools of his home town. Upon completing the course in the high school at Fostoria he spent a year at Ohio Wesleyan College and then entered Barnes University at St. Louis, taking there the literary and medical course. After two years spent at that institu- tion he entered Northwestern University at Chicago and two years later, in 1909, received from that institution the degree of Doctor of Medicine.

Upon receiving his diploma, Doctor Fletcher was appointed an interne at St. Elizabeth Hospital at Danville, Illinois, and after a year of valuable practice in that institution opened an office for the practice of his profession at Homer, Illinois, where he remained successfully engaged in practice for five years, at the end of which time he was appointed to the staff of the Wesley Memorial Hospital at Chicago. After serving there for a year Doctor Fletcher resumed his regular practice. in 1915 locating at Conners- ville, where he ever since has been engaged in practice and where he has done very well, having built up an extensive practice in the city and surround- ing country. Doctor Fletcher keeps fully abreast of modern advances in his profession and is a member of the Fayette County Medical Society and of the Indiana State Medical Association, in the deliberations of both of which bodies he takes a warm interest. During his college days Doctor Fletcher was an active member of the fraternities Alpha Tau Omega, Omega Upsilon Phi and Tau Alpha Phi and continues to take an earnest interest in the affairs of those oragnizations.

In June, 1910, Dr. A. J. Fletcher was united in marriage to Rosa Craw- ford and to this union three children have been born, Arthur J., Philip Voris and Julia Rose.

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EDWARD W. ANSTED.

In the wonderful industrial development that has marked the city of Connersville during the past quarter of a century and more there has been no more potent or influential factor than Edward W. Ansted, for many years one of the leading manufacturers and bankers of that city. So widely recog- nized is this simple statement of fact that in the late Elbert Hubbard's "Little Journey to Connersville," published just shortly before that gentle philosopher started on his ill-fated journey to Europe on the "Lusitania," which was torpedoed and sunk en route, Mr. Ansted was referred to as "the man who keyed Connersville" and Connersville is referred to as "the lengthened shadow of E. W. Ansted."

Edward W. Ansted was born at Clayton, in Jefferson county, New York. His father was the village blacksmith and the boy was brought up to keep busy. The father's folks were "Mohawk Dutch," with all the virtues that Holland supplies-industry, economy, intelligence and thrift, with a love of the handicrafts. His mother was of Irish descent : thus he is a combination of the solid substance of the Dutch and the humorous wisdom of the Hibernian, as the Hubbard "little journey" so aptly put it. When eighteen years of age, E. W. Ansted began helping to manufacture wagon springs in Gananoque, Canada. Thence he presently moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan, and from there, about 1882, to Racine. Wisconsin, where he became foreman in the plant of the Racine Springs Works, continuing that connection until that firm failed, when he and Michacl Higgins, in 1884, bought the machinery and started a small factory at Racine, which they operated until 1889, when they were induced to open a new factory at Indianapolis to supply springs for the Parry Manufacturing Company, the biggest concern of its kind in the United States at that time. Three years later Mr. Ansted moved his spring- making plant to Connersville and has ever since made that city his place of residence. In this new location Mr. Ansted's business interests gradually became extended until he was the controlling factor in several of the leading industries in that city, including the Lexington-Howard Company, manu- facturers of automobiles ; the Ansted Spring and Axle Company, the Central Manufacturing Company, manufacturers of automobile bodies; the Indiana Lamp Company, manufacturers of automobile lamps ; the Connersville Wheel Company, the Rex Buggy Company and the Hoosier Castings Company. He also owns a half interest in the Ansted & Burk Milling Company, of Springfield, Ohio, and is president of the Farmers and Merchants Trust

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Company of Connersville, a member of the board of directors of the Fayette National Bank and president of the Glenwood State Bank at Glenwood. As Elbert Hubbard commented after enumerating the various concerns with which Mr. Ansted is connected: "When you want things done, call on a busy man-the other kind has no time."

Edward W. Ansted's parents, Ames and Ellen Ansted, spent their last days in Connersville. As above noted, Ames Ansted was a blacksmith and general mechanic, wheelwright and village manufacturer. In their later years he and his wife came to Indiana and after a sometime residence in Indianapolis moved to Connersville, where they spent the remainder of their lives. They were members of the Catholic church and their children were reared in that faith. There were seven of these children, Edward W., Amos A., Mary, William B., Emma, Margaret and Charles. It was during the time of his residence in Kalamazoo, Michigan, that Edward W. Ansted was united in marriage to Catherine Burk, who was born in the province of Ontario, of Irish parentage, and to this union five children have been born, George W., Arthur A., Frank B., Nellie, who married Emory Huston, of Connersville, and Edward W., Jr., deceased.

REV. THEODORE S. MESKER.

The Rev. Theodore S. Mesker, pastor of St. Gabriel's Catholic church at Connersville, is a native Hoosier and has lived in this state all his life. He was born at Evansville, this state, March 20, 1862, and his early school- ing was obtained in the parochial school of St. Mary's parish in that city, under the pastorate of the Rev. Ferdinand Viefhaus. In April, 1874, he then being twelve years of age, he entered St. Meinrad's Seminary, con- ducted by the Benedictine Fathers at St. Meinrad, this state, and there spent two years pursuing the commercial course. He then took up the study of the classics and completed that course in the seminary of St. Francis Sale- sianum at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, after which he re-entered St. Meinrad's and there completed the full course in philosophy and theology, being admitted to minor orders on May 19, 1883; ordained as sub-deacon on June 3, 1884; as deacon on June 7, 1884, and as priest on May 30, 1885, the ordination vows being administered by Bishop Chatard at St. Meinrad's.

Father Mesker celebrated his first mass at his old home church, St. (43)

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Mary's at Evansville, June 7, 1885, and his first ministerial charge was as assistant pastor of St. Mary's parish at Indianapolis. He presently was transferred from there to the pastorate of St. Bernard's parish at Rockport, this state, but while journeying to missions connected with that parish con- tracted a severe illness, which necessitated a sojourn of some months in the South. Restored to his wonted state of health by this change of climate, Father Mesker returned North and almost immediately after his arrival in Indiana was appointed to take charge of the parish of the Guardian angel at Cedar Grove in Franklin county and he entered upon his parochial duties there on August 15, 1888. He found the parish somewhat in debt, but by assiduous toil and the exercise of his energies as a financier he not only suc- ceeded in paying off this debt in a few years, but in erecting there one of the most beautiful houses of worship in the diocese of Indianapolis.

On August 1, 1906, Father Mesker was transferred from Cedar Grove to Connersville to take charge of the parish of St. Gabriel in the latter place, and he ever since has been in charge there. St. Gabriel's had a fine church, erected in 1883, and a substantial school building and the Sisters' house was being erected when Father Mesker arrived in charge. He completed the work and has since brought about numerous other substantial improvements in the parish property. The church and other buildings are surrounded by beautiful grounds that are kept with much care and which provide a hand- some park fronting the priest's residence, a very comfortable and substan- tial house. During his pastorate of more than ten years at Connersville, Father Mesker has done a good work in behalf of his parish, which has now grown to include about three hundred and fifty families, with about two hun- dred children in the parochial school, and all departments of the parish work are reported to be in flourishing condition.

In this connection a brief history of St. Gabriel's parish at Connersville will be fitting. The first priest to visit Connersville is said to have been the Rev. John Ryan, who was in charge of the Catholic parish at Richmond, in the neighboring county of Wayne, from August, 1846, to June, 1848, but no record of the exact date of his visit to the few Catholics who then were settled in and about Connersville has been kept. The Rev. William Doyle, in charge at Richmond from May, 1849, to August, 1853, next had charge of the little mission at Connersville. Father Doyle boarded with the family of A. Apert and celebrated mass in their home. In 1851 he bought the ground and built a small church and the same was dedicated to the worship of God as the St. Gabriel's Catholic church of Connersville, and there the parish worshiped

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for more than thirty years. The first resident pastor of St. Gabriel's was the Rev. Henry Peters, who arrived in 1853. He completed and somewhat improved the church and built a comfortable priest's house, the latter of brick. He fitted up the basement of the church as a school room and there the children of the parish received instructions until a proper school house could be provided. Father Peters was in charge at Connersville for more than twenty years and in addition to his service as pastor of St. Gabriel's performed service as a missionary over a wide territory in this part of the state, his missions including parishes at Liberty, in Union county ; at Laurel, in Franklin county; at Rushville, in Rush county; at Cambridge City, in Wayne county ; at Newcastle, in Henry county, and at several other points. On account of the proximity of the railroads to the original site of St. Gabriel's church, Father Peters bought a couple of lots in another section of the city in 1871 and on that site erected a school house of brick, in which the Sisters of Providence are still conducting the parish school. The labors of Father Peters in the northeastern portion of the diocese of Vincennes would afford a most interesting narrative: but the facts and the dates have been buried with him. He died at Connersville on January 31, 1874. and his remains were transferred, in charge of the Rev. M. Fleischmann, to North Madison, where he now rests, awaiting the general resurrection.

Father Peters was succeeded at St. Gabriel's by the Rev. Peter Bischof, who remained until 1876, succeeding admirably in restoring order and in reducing the indebtedness on the school house. He was appointed to Madi- son in 1881 and was succeeded at St. Gabriel's by the Rev. F. J. Rudolf, who paid the balance of the parish debt during the first year of his pastorate and at once made preparations for the erection of a new church. He bought five additional lots and the corner stone for the new house of worship was laid by Bishop Chatard on June 11, 1882. The church was completed in 1883 and is a beautiful Gothic edifice, one hundred and fifty-four by fifty-four feet in general dimensions, with a transept seventy-four by twenty-eight feet. The church was dedicated on June 15, 1884, by the Rt. Rev. Bishop F. S. Chatard and the occasion was made one of much rejoicing on the part of the parish. Excursion trains were run from Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Harrison and Newcastle, and there were societies present from Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Brookville, Oldenburg and Rushville, and a company of Knights of St. John from Cincinnati, with Peter Meyer as captain. It was a beautiful summer day and the day and the occasion will never be forgotten by the participants in the dedicatory ceremonies.

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GEORGE WASHINGTON GOBLE.

George Washington Goble, a well-known young lawyer of Connersville and a member of the law firm of Himelick, Frost & Goble, of that city, is a native of the Sunflower state, born of Hoosier parents, but has been a resi- dent of Indiana since his early childhood. He was born on a farm on the plains of Elk county, Kansas, December 21, 1887, eldest son of Samuel Harper and Nannie (Fisher) Goble, natives of Indiana, who are now living on a farm in Preble county, Ohio.

Samuel Harper Goble was born on a pioneer farm in Union county, this state, June 26, 1856, son of Henry Washington and Susanna ( Harper) Goble, pioneers of that part of the state, the former of whom was born in that county on November 18, 1823, and died at his home, in a house erected about fifty yards from the spot where he was born, November 12, 1910, he then lacking six days of being eighty-seven years of age. He always lived on that farm. Henry Washington Goble was twice married. His first wife, Susanna Harper, was the mother of three children, Samuel H., Mrs. Lydia Ann Hand and one who died in infancy. The second wife, Susan Gray, was the mother of seven children, Henry D., Mrs. Mary Whiteman, Mrs. Mattie Clark, Mrs. Kate Whiteman, Lida, Lawrence and Mrs. Florence Burris. Henry Washington Goble's father, Abner Goble, the founder of the family in Indiana, was a native of New Jersey, born on October 3, 1783. There he married Lydia Johnson, who was born in the year 1788, and he and his bride drove through to the then wilds of Indiana, coming in a cov- ered wagon by way of the Cumberland Pass, in company with Benoni Goble, a brother of Abner, the brothers having married sisters, and both families established homes in Union county. Abner Goble and his wife pre-empted a tract of land in that county and there spent the rest of their lives, rearing a family of six children, Mrs. Nancy Staten, Mrs. Leathe White, Mrs. Sarah Krom, Mrs. Mary White, Amy Ann and Henry Washington. Abner Goble was killed by a falling tree while working in the timber, he then being well advanced in years. His wife lived to the ripe old age of ninety-two. Another of Abner Goble's brothers settled near Knightstown, Indiana, and another lies buried under the court house at Hamilton, Ohio.

Susanna (Harper) Goble, the mother of Samuel H. Goble, was born in Union county, this state, January 24, 1835, and died at the youthful age of . twenty-seven years. Her father was Thomas Harper, an Irishman, born in 1803. Her mother was Eliza McCammon, a Virginian, born on August 14,

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1814. Susanna Goble had one brother, Samuel Harper, a man of most unusual depth of intellect, and two half-brothers and a half-sister, John Cap- per, Dan Capper and Elizabeth (Capper) Elliot.

It was on that pioneer farm of his father's that Samuel Harper Goble grew to manhood. When twenty-one years of age he decided to go to Kan- sas, which then seemed to be offering special inducements to settlers. He settled on the plains of Lane county, built a dug-out and for three years lived in that humble abode, his chief occupation during that period being the gathering of buffalo bones which strewed the plains-one of the chief "natural products" of Kansas during pioneer days-and hauling them to market, seventy-five miles distant, by ox-team. During the winters he varied this occupation by teaching school in Cass county, Missouri. While living there he married Nannie Fisher, who was born in Shelby county, Indiana, May 4, 1868, daughter of George Washington and Mary Ann ( McLean) Fisher, the former of whom was born in Shelby county, Indiana, June 6, 1826, and the latter in the state of Tennessee, June 10, 1828. George W. Fisher and wife reared their family in Indiana and then moved to Kansas, settling in Elk county, where the former spent his last days, passing to the Great Beyond, February 6, 1887. His widow returned to Indiana and spent her last days at the home of her son, Tilman Fisher, in Tipton county, dying at the age of seventy-one. George Washington Fisher's father was Michael Fisher, a German, born on October 9. 1800. His mother was Mahala Webb. He had six brothers and sisters, Martin, Calvin, William, Mrs. Nancy Fisher, Mrs. Pink Bass and Thomas. Mary Ann ( McLean) Fisher's father was Daniel McLean and her mother Nancy Farnsworth. She had ten brothers and sisters, Mrs. Lizz Thomas, Mrs. Ellen Fisher, Mrs. Sallie Webh-Runkle, Mrs. Rachel Runkel, Mrs. Nancy Law, Jess, Howard, Henry, John and Jane. George W. Fisher and wife were the parents of eight children, those besides Mrs. Coble having been Tilman, Thomas, Mrs. Adelaide Rose, Mrs. Icy Small, Mrs. Rebecca Mayn, Mrs. Malinda Snyder and Mrs. Mahala Magee.

After his marriage Samuel H. Goble settled on a farm in Elk county, Kansas, and there made his home for seven years. In 1893 he returned to Indiana with his family and settled in Franklin county, where he lived for two years, during which time he was engaged in carrying the mail from Brookville to Oxford. Ohio. He then moved to Connersville and was there engaged in the livery business for ten years, at the end of which time he moved to a farm four miles south of College Corner. in Union county, where he made his home four years. He then bought a quarter of a section of land in Wayne county, this state, where he resided for nine years and on March

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1, 1917, he located on his present farm of two hundred and forty-five acres near New Paris, Ohio. While living in Kansas, Samuel H. Goble .took an active part in the organization of the Populist party, which for years was so strong in that state, and made many effective speeches in behalf of the prin- ciples of that party. He and his wife are the parents of four sons, the sub- ject of this sketch having three brothers, Harry T., Edward E. and Loren E., who are on the home farm in Preble county, Ohio.

George W. Goble was five or six years of age when his parents returned to Indiana from Kansas and he grew to manhood in this state. He was graduated from the high school at College Corner, Ohio, in 1908 and shortly afterward entered Indiana University and after a course of two years there began teaching school and was engaged as principal of the high school at Alton, Crawford county, this state, for two years. He then resumed his studies at the university and was graduated from the literary department of the same in 1913. He then married and for a year thereafter was engaged as principal of the high school at Cleveland, Oklahoma, in the meantime keeping in view his ambition to become a lawyer and pursuing his studies to that end. He then entered the law department of Yale University, a pupil of W. H. Taft, former President of the United States; a professor in that department, and was graduated from the same in 1915. Mr. Goble was a member of the Indiana-DePauw debating team in 1913, and at Yale, he won the first Munson debating prize in a field of twelve contestants. On August 1, 1915, he located at Connersville and has since then been engaged in the practice of his profession in that city. Upon locating at Connersville Mr. Goble formed a partnership with E. R. Himelick and the firm has since been enlarged by the acquisition of H. L. Frost, the firm now doing business under the style of Himelick, Frost & Goble. Mr. Goble is a Democrat and gives his thoughtful attention to political affairs.

It was on August 20, 1913, that George W. Goble was united in mar- riage to Roberta Lee Sonner, who was born in Harrison county, this state, December 11, 1894. daughter of Walter and Catherine ( Fleischmann ) Son- ner, natives of that same county, the former of whom is still living, and who were the parents of three children, Thomas, Maude and . Roberta. Mrs. Goble's mother died when she was three years of age and she was reared in the family of Abraham N. Peckinpaugh, at Alton, this state, and was gradu- ated from the high school there. Both the Sonners and the Fleischmanns are old families in Indiana, Mrs. Goble's grandparents on both sides having been born in this state. Walter Sonner's father was Amos Sonner, his grandfather, Joseph Sonner, and his great-grandfather. Philip P. Sonner;

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who came to Harrison county from Strasburg, Virginia, in 1817, and who died in 1845. Walter Sonner's mother was Eliza Deene, who was the daugh- ter of Lincoln Deene, a reputed relative of Abraham Lincoln, and Evaline M. ( Simpson ) Deene, who was a descendant of Sir Thomas Wyatt, an early colonial governor of Virginia. Walter Sonner's brothers and sister are Thomas Bayard, at present secretary-treasurer of the German American Trust Company of New Albany. Indiana, Joseph, Edwin and Zetta. Cath- erine ( Fleischmann ) Sonner was the daughter of John Philip Fleischmann and Annie Hardsaw. To Mr. and Mrs. Goble two children have been born, both daughters, Elizabeth Fisher, born on December 8, 1914, and June Harper, December 3. 1916. Mr. and Mrs. Goble are members of the Methodist church and Mr. Goble is a member of the Masonic lodge at Connersville.

HYATT L. FROST.

Hyatt L. Frost, former mayor of Connersville, for years one of the leaders of the bar in that city, a present member of the law firm of Hime- lick. Frost & Goble and an extensive landowner in Fayette county, is a native son of this county and has lived here all his life. He was born in the village of Harrisburg on June 28, 1860, son of Eli and Melsena ( Kerschner ) Frost, the former a native of the state of New York and the latter of Ohio.

Eli Frost was born in Dutchess county, New York, sixth in order of birth of the seven children born to his parents, the others having been Charles. Mrs. Caroline Dale, Mrs. Lydia Robinson, Mrs. Sarah Wells, Hyatt and George. His father met his death as the result of an accident at his home in New York and his mother, who before her marriage was Sophia Kelly, came with her children to Indiana and settled on a farm in the immedi- ate vicinity of Harrisburg, in Harrison township, this county, Eli Frost then having been but seven or eight years of age. On that farm Eli Frost grew to manhood, later engaging in wagon-making in Harrisburg, following that vocation until he was thirty-five years of age, when he returned to farming in Harrison and on the farm reared his family. His mother spent her last days at Harrisburg, she being about sixty-five years of age at the time of her death. Eli Frost married Melsena Kerschner, who was born in Ohio. daughter of Daniel and Anna M. ( Emerick ) Kerschner, natives of Pennsyl- vania, who came to Indiana from Ohio about 1840 and settled on a farm in Harrison township, this county, where Daniel Kerschner died not many

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years afterward, at the age of thirty-five years, and where his widow spent the rest of her life, she living to a ripe old age. They were the parents of seven children, those besides Mrs. Frost, the first-born, having been Amanda, Anna M., Matilda, Sarah, Daniel and William. Mrs. Frost died on July 26, 1889, aged about fifty-six years, and her husband survived her until October 15, 1916. They were the parents of six children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the first-born, the others being as follow: Rose A., wife of Rev. Ellsworth Cole, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Laura T., who married Harry Clifford and is now deceased; Emerick K., of Twin City, Idaho; Homer F ... of Cleveland, Ohio, and Della W., wife of Carey E. Clifford, of Glenwood, this county.

Hyatt L. Frost was reared on the paternal farm in Harrison township and received his schooling in the local schools, meantime being a valuable aid to his father in the labors of developing and improving the home farm. For four years he taught school and then began to read law in the office of Florea & Florea at Connersville. After a thorough course of reading under that able preceptorship he was admitted to the bar in October, 1881, and has ever since been engaged in the practice of his profession at Connersville. Mr. Frost is a Republican and for years has been regarded as one of the leaders of that party in this county. For four years, from September, 1894. to September, 1898, he served as mayor of the city of Connersville and in other ways has given of his services in the public behalf. Mr. Frost is an extensive landowner, owning a farm of two hundred and fifty acres at the north edge of Connersville, in Harrison township; a farm of one hundred and ninety-four acres, known as the Reese farm, west of the city, and one of one hundred and ten acres in the black lands of Fairview township. He also has charge of several farms for other people. For years Mr. Frost has been a student of the subject of good roads and is one of the most earnest advocates of the good-roads movement in Indiana. He believes in taking care of the rural districts by a system of good roads all over the country and has for years advocated the subject that is close to his heart and will continue to do so until the objects of the widespread good-roads movement in this country have been accomplished.

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History of Fayette County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions, Part 64

Author: Barrows, Frederic Irving, 1873-1949 Publication date: 1917 Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen Number of Pages: 1326

Author: Barrows, Frederic Irving, 1873-1949
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1326