USA > Indiana > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions > Part 65
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On June II, 1882, Hyatt L. Frost was united in marriage to Dora A. Berkheiser, who was born in Waterloo township, this county, September 14. 1860, daughter of George A. and Miriam (Skinner) Berkheiser, early set- tlers of Fayette county, the former of whom died in November, 1894, at the age of fifty-six years, and the latter of whom is still living. George A. Berkheiser and wife were the parents of two children, Mrs. Frost having a
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brother, William Berkheiser. Both the Berkheisers and the Skinners are old families in Fayette and Wayne counties, Mrs. Frost's grandparents on both sides having come here in an early day, and numerous representatives of these two families are found in this part of the state. George A. Berkheiser was the son of George and Elizabeth Berkheiser, who were well known among the old settlers of Fayette county and who reared a considerable family. Mr. and Mrs. Frost have one child, a daughter, Jessie M., who married Charles F. Murphy, of Connersville, and has a son, William F. Mrs. Frost is a member of the Episcopal church and Mr. Frost is a member of Warren Lodge No. 15, Free and Accepted Masons, at Connersville, in the affairs of which lodge he takes a warm interest.
J. H. FEARIS.
J. H. Fearis, veteran insurance agent at Connersville and former post- master of that city, was born in Connersville and has lived there all his life with the exception of a brief period during the eighties when he was engaged in business at Minneapolis. He was born on January 1, 1848, son and only child of George L. and Margaret N. ( Huston) Fearis, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Pennsylvania, who were for years accounted among the leading residents of Connersville.
George L. Fearis was born in Lewis county, Kentucky, in 1807, and there grew to manhood. He early learned the saddle-making trade and when twenty-one years of age came up into Indiana and located at Conners- ville, where he engaged in the saddlery business and where he was thus engaged for a period of forty-two years. Upon his arrival at Connersville, he having come up the valley on horsehack, he began working as a saddler in the employ of his uncle, Joseph Nelson, and presently engaged in business for himself, in partnership with a Mr. Hull. under the firm name of Fearis & Hull. After awhile he bought his partner's interest in the business and conducted the same alone until his retirement from business in 1871, his saddlery establishment having been located at the corner of Fourth street and Central avenue.
It was after coming to this county that George L. Fearis married Mar- garet N. Huston, who was born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, in 1810, of Revolutionary stock, her grandfather, Capt. William Huston, having been the commander of the Second Battalion, Cumberland County Associators,
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September, 1776; captain, July 31, 1777, of the Sixth Company, Sixth Bat- talion, Cumberland County Militia, in actual service; captain of the Sixth Battalion, January, 1778, and captain of the Fifth Company, ., Fourth Battalion, August, 1780. Captain Huston was born in 1755 and died in 1823. George L .. Fearis and his wife were active in all good works in and about Connersville during their generation. They were members of the Presbyterian church and he for years served as a member of the session of that congregation. His wife died in 1876 and he survived for more than twenty years, his death occurring in 1898, he then having reached the age of more than eighty years.
Reared at Connersville, J. H. Fearis received his elementary schooling in the schools of that city, later attending Hanover College and after a course in that institution entering Miami University, completing his college course in 1866, after which he for some time was engaged as a clerk in mercantile establishments at Connersville. In 1876 he engaged in the fire-insurance business in a partnership, under the firm name of Fearis & Barrows, and after eleven years of such connection sold his interests at Connersville to Mount & Roots, of the First National Bank, and moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he engaged in the insurance business. On account of his wife's health, Mr. Fearis presently returned to Connersville and during the administration of President Harrison was appointed postmaster of that city, a position in which he served for about five years, during which incumbency, December 1, 1890, free mail delivery was established at Connersville. In the meantime Mr. Fearis had been making considerable real-estate invest- ments and upon retiring from the postoffice gave his attention to his land interests and also resumed his general insurance business, in which line he ever since has continued and in which he has been quite successful. Early in the days of the development of the telephone business Mr. Fearis estab- lished a telephone system in Connersville, the plant which he organized hav- ing been the one hundred and eighth such plant started in the United States, and got it going in fine shape, when, two years later, the Central Union Telephone Company began picking up small local telephone plants and Mr. Fearis sold his plant to that company. In other ways Mr. Fearis has ever had the interests of his home town at heart and has for years been recognized as one of the active factors in the development of the city along general lines. He is a Republican, but has not been a seeker after local office, his service as postmaster having been the only official public service he has rendered.
On November 1, 1870, J. H. Fearis was united in marriage to Jose- phine Du Bois, daughter of A. W. Du Bois, and to this union one child has
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been born, a son, Huston Du Bois Fearis, who married Alice Graham. Mr. and Mrs. Fearis are members of the Presbyterian church and for years Mr. Fearis was a member of the board of trustees of the local congregation. Fraternally, he is affiliated with the local lodge of the Knights of Pythias.
MICHAEL C. BUCKLEY.
The late Michael C. Buckley, for many years one of Connersville's most energetic and enterprising citizens, for years actively connected with the grocery trade in that city and then for years the proprietor of the Buckley House, formerly one of the best-known hostelries in eastern Indiana, was a native of the Emerald Isle, but had been a resident of this country since the days of his boyhood. He was born in County Cork, Ireland, March 20, 1840, son of Dennis and Elizabeth ( Dorgan) Buckley, also natives of Ire- land, who came to the United States with their family in the spring of 1852 and located in Hamilton county, Ohio.
Michael C. Buckley was about twelve years of age when he came to America with his parents and his youth was spent in Hamilton county, Ohio, where he completed his schooling and where he grew to manhood, remain- ing there until he was past twenty-one years of age, when, in the spring of 1862, he came to Indiana and located at Connersville, where he spent the remainder of his life. Not long after his arrival at Connersville Mr. Buck- ley secured employment as a clerk in the Groff grocery store and was thus engaged for six years, or until a year after his marriage, when, in 1868, he engaged in the grocery business in that city on his own account. A year later he formed a partnership with J. W. Ross, the firm continuing in the grocery business for two years, at the end of which time Mr. Buckley bought his partner's interest in the concern and continued it alone until 1883. when he retired from that line and in August of that year assumed the manage- ment of the Buckley House, a hostelry famous in its day, which he owned and which he continued to conduct with much success until his retirement from business in 1900, renting the house at that time to others. The old Buckley House was maintained as a hotel, under various managements, for some years afterward and was then converted into an apartment house, which purpose it is still serving, standing at the northeast corner of Fifth street and Eastern avenue. For years also Mr. Buckley had been extensively inter- ested in real-estate transactions in and about Connersville and when he
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retired was accounted one of the well-to-do men of that city. He also gave his close attention to local civic affairs and for some years served as a mem- ber of the city council and for two or three terms as a member of the city school board. Michael C. Buckley died at his home in Connersville on September 8, 1915, and his widow is still living in that city, having a very pleasant home at 509 Eastern avenue, where she is quite comfortably situated.
It was on May 23, 1867, at Connersville, that Michael C. Buckley was united in marriage to Susan Mullikin, who was born in that city, a daughter of Josiah and Ellen ( Morrison) Mullikin, natives of Maryland, whose last days were spent in Connersville, useful and influential residents of that city. Josiah Mullikin was born in the village of Trappe, Talbot county, Maryland, September 27, 1807, and when a boy moved with his parents to Baltimore, where he learned the trade of shoemaker and where he grew to manhood. On May 6, 1830, in that city, he married Ellen Morrison and in the next year came to Indiana, locating in Fayette county. He and his wife's mother both entered land on Orange township, paying for the same one dollar and twenty-five cents an acre, and there the family lived for ten years, pioneers in a new country. Josiah Mullikin then left the farm and moved to Con- nersville, where he resumed his trade as a shoemaker, but later became one of the builders of the old foundry on Eastern avenue, near the tracks of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton railroad, and in other ways became actively identified with the growth and development of the city. Mr. Mullikin was an energetic, straightforward citizen and exerted a large influence for good in the town in an earlier day, serving Connersville when it was a village and later when it was incorporated as a city in various public capacities, among these being assessor, a member of the school board, street commissioner, member of the village board of trustees, chief of the fire department and as a member of the city council. When the river began eating away the grave- yard at the east end of Third street Mr. Mullikin tried earnestly but vainly to interest the town board in a movement toward erecting a protecting wall for the purpose of saving the graves of the forefathers of the village from destruction. Josiah Mullikin died on November 14. 1884, and his widow survived him more than ten years, her death occurring in 1895.
To Michael C. and Susan ( Mullikin) Buckley, four children were born, namely .: Mabel. E., wife of Dr. H. M. Zehrung, a dentist, of Connersville; Frank Buckley, assistant secretary and treasurer of the Ansted Spring and Axle Company and also interested in various other business and industrial enterprises in Connersville, for the past twenty years connected with the Ansted Company, attended DePauw University for three years and in 1906
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married Grace Forte, of Fortville, this state: Stella Marie, who married Samuel Davis and has one child, a son, Robert Buckley, and Jessie, born on September 21, 1876, who died on June 19, 1877. Mr. and Mrs. Davis make their home with the latter's mother on Eastern avenue.
FREDERICK SCHOENHOLTZ.
The late Frederick Schoenholtz, for years a well-known baker at Con- nersville and who also served that city as a member of the common council, was a native of Germany, but had been a resident of this country since the days of his young manhood. He was born on November 14, 1848, and received his schooling in his native land. As a young man he left Germany and came to the United States, locating at Cincinnati, where he became engaged as a baker, a short time afterward coming on up into Indiana and locating at Connersville, where for a number of years he worked in a local bakery and then bought a bakery and was engaged in that business the rest of his life, his popular establishment having been located where now the Mettles bakery is doing business.
Frederick Schoenholtz was a good citizen and a substantial business man and at his death on November 21, 1897, was mourned by many friends. Mr. Schoenholtz was a stanch Republican and ever took a good citizen's interest in local civic affairs, having for some years represented his ward in the city council, in which capacity he ever exerted his influence in behalf of the city's best interests. He was an earnest member of the German Presby- terian church and for some years served as a member of the board of trustees of the local congregation. Fraternally, he was affiliated with the local lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Knights of Pythias and took a warm interest in the affairs of those popular organizations.
Mr. Schoenholtz was twice married. His first wife, Josephine Fridgen, died, leaving three daughters, Mrs. Charles Glore, Mrs. A. J. Henry and Mayme Schoenholtz, and he then married Catherine Billau, a daughter of Valentine and Henrietta (Ellers) Billau, and to that union two children were born, sons both, Carl and Frank Schoenholtz. Mrs. Catherine Schoenholtz was born at Connersville and has lived there all her life. Her parents, who were natives of Germany, came to this country in the days of their youth with their respective parents, both the Billau and the Ellers families locating at Cincinnati, where Valentine Billau and Henrietta Ellers were married.
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Valentine Billau was a brewer, a business he followed at Cincinnati for some time, later moving to Connersville, where he followed the same business for a number of years. He and his wife were the parents of ten children, of whom five are still living, those besides Mrs. Schoenholtz being Mrs. H. Pfafflin, Mrs. Elsie Schweikle, Mrs. Emma Ready and Otto Billau. Mrs. Schoenholtz is a member of the German Presbyterian church and has ever taken a warm interest in the various beneficences of the same, as well as in all local good works.
GLEN ZELL.
Glen Zell, auditor of Fayette county and one of the most popular officials in the court house, was for nearly twenty years superintendent of the plant of the Connersville Buggy Company and in that capacity was long one of the best-known figures in the industrial life of Connersville. He was born on a farm in Huntington county, this state, September 14, 1875, a son of John Zell and wife, the former of whom was a blacksmith, who followed that vocation most of his life, for many years a resident of Milton, over the line in Wayne county, but in his latter years moving to Huntington county, where he spent his last days.
Upon completing the course in the district schools Glen Zell entered the normal school at Marion, this state, and was graduated from that institution. He then took a supplementary course in the Indiana State Normal School at Terre Haute and was thereafter engaged in the grocery business for two or three years, at the end of which time, in 1897. he located at Connersville, where he became employed in the factory of the Connersville Buggy Com- pany and presently was advanced to the position of superintendent of the plant, a position he occupied until he resigned to take up the duties of auditor of Fayette county. Mr. Zell is an ardent Republican and in November, 1914, as the nominee of that party, was elected county auditor. He entered upon the duties of his official position on January 1, 1916, and is now serv- ing the public in that important capacity.
On November 25, 1903, Glen Zell was united in marriage to Tina McCready, daughter of Miller McCready and wife, and to this union two children have been born, Robert and Russell. Mr. Zell is a member of the Masonic fraternity and has also given his active attention to a number of other fraternal societies. He is past noble grand of the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, past chief patriarch of the encampment
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of that order and was for two years district deputy of the order, while both he and his wife are members of the local lodge of the Daughters of Rebekah. Mr. Zell also is a past chancellor of the local lodge of the Knights of Pythias, is a director of the local lodge of the Loyal Order of Moose, a trustee of the local lodge of the Fraternal Order of Eagles and a member of the local tribe of the Improved Order of Red Men. in the affairs of all of which organiza- tions he takes a warm interest.
WILLIAM J. CAIN.
William J. Cain, recorder of Fayette county and a resident of the city of Connersville for the past thirty-six years, was born at Brookville, in the neighboring county of Franklin, July 9, 1847, a son of Jonathan and Sarah ( Weinens) Cain, the former of whom was born in the state of Delaware and the latter in Ohio.
Jonathan Cain was born near the city of Dover, Delaware, and was but a child when his parents came to Indiana, the family driving through and locating in Franklin county. There he grew to manhood and was married to Sarahı Weinens, who was born at Piqua, Ohio. Jonathan Cain was trained as a paper maker and continued thus engaged in the paper mill at Brookville until about the year 1873, when he moved up into Fayette county and was here engaged in farming until 1883, when he moved to Tipton county and was there engaged in farming until about 1803, when he retired and spent the rest of his life in the homes of his children in this county.
Reared at Brookville, William J. Cain received his early schooling in the schools of that city and supplemented the same by a course in the old Brookville College. He early learned the tinner's trade and followed that trade at Brookville until 1881. in which year he moved to Connersville and established a tin shop of his own in that city, soon having a thriving business in that line. Mr. Cain continued engaged in business at Connersville until his election, in 1910, to the office of recorder of Fayette county, when he sold his business. Mr. Cain entered upon the duties of his office in 1912 and so satisfactorily did he conduct the same that he was re-elected to the office of county recorder in 1914 and is now serving his second term in that important office. Mr. Cain is a Republican and has for years been regarded as one of the leaders of that party in this county.
In 1871 William J. Cain was united in marriage to Elizabeth Lindsay,
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a daughter of William Lindsay, and to this union three children have been born, George, Lindsay and Thomas, the latter of whom died in 1880. Mr. and Mrs. Cain are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Cain is a charter member of the Connersville lodge of the Improved Order of Red Men and takes a warm interest in the affairs of that organization.
CAPT. THOMAS DOWNS.
In the memorial annals of Fayette county there are few names held in better memory than that of the late Capt. Thomas Downs, an honored veteran of the Civil War, former assistant quartermaster, United States Army, and for some years prior to his death in 1911 connected with the interior department of the United States government as special Indian agent and later as Indian commissioner, in which latter service he incurred the illness which resulted in his death. Captain Downs was a native Hoosier, a fact of which he ever was proud. He was born at Lawrenceburg, this state, March 31, 1845, and with the exception of the time spent in the government service remained a resident of this state all his life. His parents, Hezekiah and Ruth Ann ( Chase) Downs, were natives, respectivly, of Kentucky and of Ohio and he was one of nine children born to that parentage. Hezekiah Downs was born in Fleming county, Kentucky, March 6, 1819, and died at his home in Connersville on April 12, 1883. His widow, who was born at Marietta, Ohio, April 3, 1813, survived him a little less than two years, her death occurring on March 15, 1885.
Thomas Downs was but a boy when his parents moved from Lawrence- burg to Madison county, this state. Though his opportunities for schooling in the latter environment were very limited, by diligent effort he acquired a fair education and the mold in which he was cast and the training of a pious mother influenced him toward right living, honesty and integrity of purpose. Though he was but sixteen years of age when the sable cloud of the Civil War overcast the homes of this beautiful land, Thomas Downs answered his country's call and joined the "boys in blue," enlisting as a private in Company K, Fifty-fourth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, with which he went to the front and was later transferred to Company K, Sixteenth Indiana. While serving with that command his health became greatly broken and he was furloughed home on sick leave, returning to Con- nersville, to which place his parents meantime had removed, and there he
Thomas Downs
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suffered a long and severe illness of typhoid fever. Before he had entirely recovered from this illness this plucky soldier boy returned to his regiment and presently was transferred to Company K, Thirteenth Indiana Cavalry, and with that command served until the close of the war, being mustered out with the rank of corporal on October 22, 1865. During this service Captain Downs participated in many important engagements and battles, including the siege and taking of Vicksburg, Arkansas Post and the Red River expedition.
Upon the completion of his military service, Captain Downs returned to Connersville and there entered upon the pursuits of peace as a carpenter. In the fall of the next year he married and settled down in Connersville, which he ever afterward regarded as his home, although in the later years of his life he was much absent on government business. Captain Downs' business career was an active one and in it, as well as in his social life, the fine character of the man stood out, exhibiting a singular sincerity, prompt- ness, directness and firmness. From 1870 until 1898 he was connected with various firms engaged in general contracting and building and in 1884 he became the senior partner in the firm of Downs, Ready & Company, R. G. Waite, his former partner and life friend, being the other member of the firm. The reputation of this company became state-wide through its con- nection with the construction of important buildings in various parts of the state, as well as at Connersville, the seat of its operations. Among these buildings may be mentioned the McFarlan building, the Catholic church, the Methodist church, the Fifth street school building, the Eighth street school building, the National Bank building and the remodeling of the court house as it now stands, besides a number of fine residences at Connersville; the erection of a Catholic church at Rushville, a Catholic church at Greensburg, a business block for F. T. Roots at Muncie, additions to Oxford College buildings and the new building for the National Soldiers' Home at Marion.
From 1887 to 1889 Captain Downs served as a member of the Con- nersville city council and was a member of the city school board from 1890 to 1899. He was a director in the Fayette Savings and Loan Association and a stockholder in the Fayette National Bank. He was a member of the First Methodist Episcopal church, an active member of the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic, a Royal Arch Mason and a member of Otonka Tribe No. 94, Improved Order of Red Men, in the affairs of all of which organizations he took a warm interest. Captain Downs was an ardent Republican and ever took an active interest in political affairs, both at home
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and throughout the state, and was long regarded as one of the prominent figures in his party in this section. His public service met with high approval and commendation, his acts in his various official capacities ever being animated by a high sense of duty and loyalty. The interest . which Captain Downs manifested in the various lines of work in which he was engaged, and which characterized his whole life, was a great source of power and perhaps in later years led him to efforts far beyond his strength.
In July, 1898, during the progress of the Spanish-American War, Cap- tain Downs received a commission from the federal government to act as assistant quartermaster, with rank of captain, and for a year he was stationed at Jefferson Barracks, near St Louis, where he chiefly was engaged in fitting out regiments en route for the Philippines and Cuba. He later was stationed at Cincinnati for a time and then spent two years at Ft. Stevens, Oregon, where he superintended the erection of an army barracks. On February 4, 1903, Captain Downs accepted another federal commission and for nearly seven years thereafter served as a special Indian agent. This latter service called the Captain to nearly every state west of the Mississippi, his duties having to do with the establishment of Indian schools, the settlement of difficulties among the Indians and the enumeration and enrollment of the various tribes. Captain Downs served in this capacity until in September, 1909, when, as a reward for efficient service, he received the appointment as Indian commissioner, the duty assigned with that appointment being that of enrolling the Winnebago tribe of Indians, which service he completed in about three months. The roll of the Winnebagos carried nearly fifteen hun- dred names and Captain Downs reported with the same at Washington, D. C., January 6, 1910. On January 20 of that same year he was ordered to Muskogee, Oklahoma, to inspect the schools of the Five Civilized Tribes, and was ready to take charge of the schools at Anadarko, when he was attacked by a serious disorder of the liver, which was destined to end his busy career. Captain Downs, upon being thus stricken, returned to his home at Connersville and after a year of illness passed away there on Friday morning, January 20, 1911.
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