USA > Indiana > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions > Part 93
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PALMER TENNYSON BILBY.
Palmer Tennyson Bilby, a well-known and progressive farmer of Fair- view township, was born in that township and has lived there all his life, with the exception of a period of less than two years spent in the city of Denver. He was born on a farm in the southeast part of Fairview township, not far from his present home, June 18, 1870, son of the late Francis M. and Dorcas (Atherton) Bilby, the former also a native of this county and the latter a native of Hamilton county, Ohio, further and fitting reference to whom is made in a biographical sketch relating to Morton L. Bilby, elder brother of the subject of this sketch, presented elsewhere in this volume.
Reared on the paternal farm, Palmer T. Bilby remained at home, a valued aid in the labors of improving and developing the home place, until his marriage in 1897, when he moved to a farm nearby, his present well-kept and well-improved place in the southeastern corner of Fairview township. In addition to that farm he also owns land adjoining the same, on the north- ern edge of Orange township. Mr. Bilby is an excellent farmer and is con- ducting his operations along the lines approved by modern scientific research as applied to agriculture, the general well-kept appearance of his farm plant bespeaking the progressive character of his methods. In December, 1912, Mr. and Mrs. Bilby went to Denver, Colorado, where they remained eighteen
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months. During their absence their farm house was destroyed by fire. In the spring of 1914 their present handsome residence was erected. This house is 'of the bungalow type, with floors and interior finish of hardwood, was planned in accordance with the most recent ideas in architecture and is fur- nished in the best of taste. The house has a furnace, bath, built-in book cases, a modern fireplace and other appointments designed to give to its occu- pants the greatest measure of comfort and convenience.
On December 16, 1897, Palmer T. Bilby was united in marriage to Sid- ney Simpson, who was born on a farm just east of Lyonsville in the north- east part of Jennings township, this county, daughter of Henry C. and Narsis (Monger) Simpson, also natives of this county, representatives of pioneer families in the northeastern part of the county. Henry C. Simpson was born in the southeastern part of Waterloo township on Simpson creek, April 30, 1846, a son of William and Ada Simpson, the former of whom was born in Tennessee, a son of Thomas and Sarah (Mabry) Simpson, natives, respectively, of Maryland and North Carolina, who located in Tennessee and who moved thence, in 1805 or 1806, to Ohio, whence, in 1809, they came over into Indiana and settled in what afterward came to be organized as Fayette county, on a tract of land entered from the government on a line between Jennings and Waterloo township, where they established their home, among the very first settlers in this part of the state. On that pioneer farm Thomas and Sarah Simpson- spent the remainder of their lives, his death occurring in 1848, he then being seventy-five years of age. She survived him about seventeen years, her death occurring in 1865, she then being nearly ninety-two years of age. Thomas Simpson and his wife were earnest mem- bers of the Baptist church and took an active part in the development of the religious life of that community during the formative days of the settlement. They were the parents of ten children.
William Simpson was but a child when his parents came to this county and he spent the rest of his life here, living to the age of eighty-one years, his death occurring in 1883. When he came to the county, Indians and wild game still were plentiful hereabout and the great primeval forests were hardly touched by the white man, there being only here and there throughout this section of the then Territory of Indiana a cabin of some hardy settler who had penetrated into the forest wilderness, and he lived to see the county develop in all ways and in that development did well his own part. His grandson, Henry C. Simpson, grew up near Lyonsville and farmed there the most of his life. On November 20, 1867, he married Narsis Monger, who was born in a log house on the old Monger homestead east of Lyonsville, the
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place now owned by Frank Montgomery. She was a daughter of Lewis and Maryan A. (Reeder) Monger, Virginians, the former born on August 17, 1803, and the latter, March 3, 1805, who became early settlers in Waterloo township this county. Lewis Monger was a son of George and Frances Monger, who followed their son out here from Virginia and settled in this county in 1833. It was in 1827 that Lewis Monger and his wife came to Indiana and located in this county, settling on a farm in Waterloo township, where they spent the remainder of their lives, useful and influential pioneers of that region. For nearly sixty years they were members of the Christian church and did well their part in the encouragement of all local good works.
Some years after his marriage Henry C. Simpson moved to Conners- ville and there his wife died on August 17, 1887. He later moved to Lyons- ville, where his last days were spent, his death occurring on May 28, 1896. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Bilby one child has been born, a son, Francis M., born on October 8, 1898. Mr. and Mrs. Bilby have a very pleasant home and have ever taken an earnest interest in the general social activities of the community in which they live, helpful in promoting all movements having to do with the advancement of the common welfare.
Mrs. Bilby traces her descent from Nicholas Monger, born in 1623, the first of the Monger family to come to America; then through John Monger, born in 1660; Jonathan Monger, 1697; Lewis Monger. 1729; David Monger, 1756; George Monger, 1778; Lewis Monger, 1803; Narcis Julia Frances Monger, 1847. The name of Lewis Monger (1729) appears on the muster roll of Capt. Archibald McNeal's company in the French and Indian War, also in the Revolution with Capt. Andrew Martin's company of minute men.
CLARENCE E. EDWARDS.
Clarence E. Edwards, one of Jackson township's well-known and pro- gressive farmers and the proprietor of a fine farm of one hundred and fifty- four acres in that township, was born on a farm east of Connersville, about midway between that city and Alquina, in Jennings township, December 12, 1876. He is the son and only child of Charles M. and Phoebe (Sparks) Edwards, both natives of this county, members of pioneer families, the former of whom, now deceased, was born on that same farm and the latter of whom is still living in this county.
Charles M. Edwards, who was a son of Lewis and Sarah (Ward)
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Edwards, pioneers of Jennings township, remained on the home farm until he was about twenty-three years of age, when he moved to Howard county, this state, moving thence, four years later, to Kansas. There he remained four years, at the end of which time he returned to Indiana and again located in Howard county, resuming his farming there. He remained there until 1901, when he returned to Fayette county and located on a farm in the west- ern part of Jackson township, a tract that had been entered from the govern- ment by his cousin, Daniel Greene, in 1812, and which has ever since been in possession of the family, a period of more than one hundred years. On that pioneer farm Charles M. Edwards spent his last days, his death occurring there in September, 1909, and his widow is still making her home there. She was born, Phoebe Sparks, on the old Sparks homestead two miles south of East Connersville. a daughter of the Rev. William Sparks and his wife, Elizabeth. The Rev. William Sparks was a minister in the regular Baptist church and his father, also named William and born about 1770, also was a minister of that faith. Through the Greenes the subject of this sketch traces his descent to Gen. Nathaniel Greene, of Revolutionary fame.
Clarence E. Edwards was reared on the farm in Howard county and was graduated from the high school at New London, that county. From the days of his boyhood he was a valued assistant to his father in the labors of the farm and upon the family's return to this country he accompanied his parents and has since been farming in Jackson township, though he taught school before coming to his present place. He is the owner of an excellent farm of one hundred and fifty-four acres, on which he is engaged in gen- eral farming and where he is doing very well. He has a well-built new house and he and his family are comfortably situated there.
On December 31, 1899, a little more than a year before his return to this county, Clarence E. Edwards was united in marriage to Lillie Kenworthy, who was born in Cass county, this state, a daughter of Marion and Laura Kenworthy. She, too, attended the high school at New London and was later graduated from the course in stenography in a business college. To Mr. and Mrs. Edwards one child has been born, a son, Carl K., who was born on February 15, 1901. They are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in the various beneficences of which they take a proper interest, and also give proper attention to the general social activities of the community in which they live. Mr. Edwards is a member of the Masonic fraternity and both he and his wife are members of the local chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star.
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FRANKLIN Z. LAKE.
Franklin Z. Lake, a well-known and progressive young farmer of Jack- son township, was born on the farm on which he is still living, the old Lake homestead on Bear creek, in the southwestern part of Jackson township, and, with the exception of the period of his life spent away at school, has lived there all his life. He was born on September 6, 1891, a son of Zachariah and Susan Belle (Veatch) Lake, both members of pioneer families in this county, who are now living retired at Everton.
Zachariah Lake was born on the old Lake homestead on Bear creek, March 28, 1859, a son of Willis and Elizabeth (Ray) Lake, who were among the early settlers in that part of Fayette county. Willis Lake was born on a pioneer farm in Dearborn county, this state, just across the river from Har- rison, about the year 1820, a son of William Lake and wife, who later came up the river and settled in Jackson township, this county, where they estab- lished their home and became prominently identified with the early interests of that pioneer community. Elsewhere in this volume there is set out at con- siderable length something of the history of the family of William Lake, the pioneer, and there the reader will find much of interest that will fit in well in connection with this present narrative. Willis Lake was little more than a boy when he came to Fayette county with his parents and here he spent the remainder of his life, prominently identified with the developing interests of the Everton neighborhood. He was chiefly engaged in farming, but for some time he and his brother, Phenas Lake, further reference to whom is made elsewhere in this volume, operated a saw-mill at Everton. Willis Lake estab- lished himself on a farm in the southern part of Jackson township and there he spent his last days, his death occurring on November 10, 1903, he then being at the age of eighty-three years. His widow survived him something more than three years, her death occurring on April 14, 1907. She was born, Elizabeth Ray, on a pioneer farm over the line in Franklin county, a daughter of Lewis and Elizabeth Ray, further reference to whom is made elsewhere in this volume. Willis Lake and his wife were earnest members of the Methodist Episcopal church and their children were reared in that faith. There were nine of these children, of whom four are still living, Mrs. Louisa Adams, Lewis, Willis and Zachariah Lake.
Reared on the home farm, Zachariah Lake grew to the life of the farm and after his marriage remained on the home farm for many years, farming there until in March, 1914, when he retired from the active labors of the
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farm and moved to Everton, where he and liis wife are now living. He is the owner of a fine farm of one hundred and ninety-five acres and in addi- tion to his general farming ever gave considerable attention to the raising of high-grade live stock, being quite successful in his farming operations.
In 1882 Zachariah Lake was united in marriage to Susan Belle Veatch, who was born in Jennings township, this county, a daughter of Clay and Charlotte (Scott) Veatch, both natives of this county and members of old families here. Clay Veatch was born in Jennings township, a son of James and Mary Veatch, early settlers in that part of Fayette county. Clay Veatch farmed all his life in this county, remaining in Jennings township until about 1883, when he moved to Everton, where he spent the rest of his life, his death occurring there in 1900. His wife, whose maiden name was Charlotte Scott, had preceded him to the grave about nine years, her death having occurred in February, 1891. She was born in Jackson township, a daughter of Win- field and Susan Scott, who came from Kentucky and settled in the southern part of Jackson township in pioneer days, as told in the biographical sketch of J. W. Scott, presented elsewhere in this volume. Clay Veatch and wife were the parents of nine children, of whom six are still living, those besides Mrs. Lake being Winfield, James, Mrs. Mary Duckworth, Edward and . Grundy.
To Zachariah and Susan Belle ( Veatch) Lake five children have been born, those besides the subject of this sketch, the fourth in order of birth, being as follow: Leroy, now living in Franklin county, who married Edna Wilson and has three children, Wilbur Clarence, Charlotte Josephine and Frances Isabel; Willis Roland, living in Jackson township, east of Everton, who married Mina Wilson; Melvin Ray, now living in East Connersville, who married Inez Post and has two children, Maynard Ray and Ruth Eliza- beth, and Edith Veatch, who is at home with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Zachariah Lake are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and their children were reared in that faith. Mr. Lake is a member of the local lodge of the Knights of Pythias and of the Improved Order of Red Men, in the affairs of these organizations takes a warm interest.
Franklin Z. Lake was reared on the home farm, early being trained in the ways of modern agriculture, and upon completing the course in the high school at Everton took a supplementary course at the Central Normal School at Danville, this state, after which he returned to the farm and has ever since resided there, having established his home there after his marriage in 1912, and since the retirement of his father from the farm in 1914 has been prac- tically in charge of the place. Mr. Lake is a progressive young farmer, pur-
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suing his -vocation in accordance with up-do-date methods, and is doing very well in his operations.
In 1912 Franklin Z. Lake was united in marriage to Cleo Grist, who also was born in Jackson township, this county, daughter and only child of Samuel Riley and Hattie ( Hudson) Grist, both of whom were born in this part of the state, members of pioneer families, and who are still living on the old Grist homestead in the Bentley neighborhood. Samuel Riley Grist was born and reared in the Bentley neighborhood, where he now lives, a life- long farmer. He is a son of Samuel and Matilda (Pritchard) Grist, the former of whom, a son of James Grist, grew up in the Bentley neighborhood and spent his entire life there on the old Grist homestead. His wife, Matilda Pritchard, was born near Liberty, in Union county and lived there until her marriage. S. R. Grist's wife, Hattie Hudson, was born at Fairfield, in the neighboring county of Franklin, and was but a girl when her parents, James and Hannah (Loper) Hudson, moved up into Fayette county and located at Connersville. James Hudson was a carpenter and contractor and his last days were spent in Connersville. His wife, Hannah Loper, was born and reared in Franklin county, a member of one of the old families there. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Z. Lake have two children, Virgil Theodore and James Grist. They have a very pleasant home and take a proper part in the general social activities of the community in which they live, helpful in promoting all agencies having to do with the advancement of the common welfare there- about.
JAMES WILLIAM SCOTT.
James William Scott, a well-known and substantial farmer of Jackson township, was born on the farm on which he is now living, two miles south of Everton, and has lived there all his life, excepting twenty-one years when he lived in Rush county. He was born on October 31, 1863, son of Francis Marion and Mary Jane (Veach) Scott, both natives of Fayette county, and the latter of whom is still living.
Francis Marion Scott also was born in the southern part of Jackson township, October 1, 1833, son of Wilson and Susan (Backhouse) Scott, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Pennsylvania, well known among the old settlers of this county. Wilson Scott was born in Mont- gomery county, Virginia, and there grew to manhood and was married. His wife died there, leaving three children, and about 1830 he came out here into
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the "wilds" of Indiana, settling northwest of Everton, in this county, where he presently married Mrs. Susan (Backhouse) Dunlap, widow of Oliver Dunlap and the mother of one child, a daughter. Susan Backhouse was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, and was but a child when her parents, James and Charlotte ( Breckenridge) Backhouse, started West and for a time lived near Harrison, Ohio, coming thence over into Indiana and settling near Brookville, Franklin county, and later coming to Fayette county and settling on a farm now owned by Mrs. Capitola Mace, on the southern edge of Con- nersville township, on the road from Connersville to Everton. There James Backhouse bought land and established his home, building from bricks burned on his own farm a substantial brick house which is still serving as a home for one of the families of his descendants. Before coming to this county, James Backhouse had owned and operated a grist-mill and tanyard near Brookville, in Franklin county, and used to deal with the Indians there. His estab- lishment there was destroyed by fire and he then came up into Fayette county, as above noted. Wilson Scott was an expert driver of stage horses and was accustomed to drive a six-horse team from here to Cincinnati, it being related of him that he could turn a six horse team in a narrower space than most men could turn a two-horse team in. At his death he left a widow and six children, four sons and two daughters. His widow presently returned to Fayette county and located on a farm in the southern part of Jackson town- ship, where two of her sons, Hugh H. and Francis Marion, farmed and worked together from youth to old age and became quite well-to-do. They started with one acre of land and worked and saved and managed until they eventually became the owners of four hundred acres of excellent land. While thuis struggling for a start in life, they took a contract for grading and gravel- ing one mile of the Connersville pike north of Everton, receiving one thou- sand dollars for completing the contract. With this sum they made a pay- ment on a seventy-acre farm and it was not long, with their general farming, dealing in live stock and other forms of trade, until they began to see their way clear to success. Hugh H. Scott remained with his mother in one house on the farm and Francis M. Scott married and lived in a house near by, and it is related of the two families that they lived in the most agreeable and amicable relation, holding their family stores in common, and this beautiful community of interest continued as long as Francis M. Scott lived. The Widow Scott died about 1886 .. On May 20, 1909, Hugh H. Scott married Mrs. Ella DeWees, who died on January 3, 1914. Hugh H. Scott is still living, now in the seventy-seventh year of his age, and is a well-preserved
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man, vigorous and alert, a typical representative of the pioneer breed now almost vanished from the well-settled communities of Hoosierdom.
On March 19, 1861, Francis Marion Scott was united in marriage to Mary Jane Veatch, who was born in this county on January 18, 1838, a daughter of Jeremiah and Sarah (Sharon) Veatch, the former of whom also was born in this county, a member of one of the pioneer families, and the latter in the state of Pennsylvania. Jeremiah Veatch was born on a pioneer farm in the vicinity of Everton, son of James and Mary Veatch, early set- tlers in that neighborhood. The land on which James Veatch settled when he came to this county, in the southwestern part of Jennings township, is now owned by George Lake. There James Veatch erected a house that was somewhat more pretentious than those of his pioneer neighbors and the people of that vicinity used to gather in that house for religious services in the days before a church was built in that neighborhood. He gave the ground for the establishment of the pioneer graveyard, now known as Mt. Garrison cemetery, and one of his children was the first person buried in that burying ground. It was on that pioneer farm that Jeremiah Veatch grew to man- hood. He married Sarah Sharon, who was born in Pennsylvania, and who had come to Indiana with her parents in pioneer days, and some years later moved to Delaware county, this state, where he died not many years after- ward. His widow remained in Delaware county until her daughter married Mr. Scott and thereafter made her home with the Scotts, spending the remainder of her days in that household. Francis M. Scott continued farm- ing, in conjunction with his brother, Hugh H. Scott, and was thus engaged until the time of his death, November 17, 1911. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, as is his widow, and their children were reared in that faith. There were seven of these children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the second in order of birth, the others being as follow : Joseph B., who died at the age of thirty-eight years, leaving a widow and two children; George Wilson, of Everton, a mail carrier, who married Ger- trude Hubbell; Mary Frances, who married Peter Lake, of Everton, and has one child, a daughter, Opal; Walter, who married Lizzie Hall and is now living at Connersville; Susan Olive, who married Ernest Handley, of Con- nersville, and has two sons, Everett and Ivan, and Gertrude, who married Arthur Clark, of Everton.
James W. Scott was reared on the home farm south of Everton, where he now lives, receiving his schooling in the neighborhood schools, and remained at home, a valued assistant to his father in the work of developing and improving the home place, until his marriage in 1889, when he moved
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over into Rush county and began farming for himself on a farm near Char- lottesville, which he eventually bought from his mother, and where he made his home for twenty-one years, at the end of which time, in 1910, he moved back to the old home farm to take charge of the same for his father and has lived there since. He now owns a total of three hundred and fifty acres, part of which lies in this county and the remainder in Rush county, and is thus accounted one of the substantial citizens of the Everton neighborhood. He is a member of Empire Lodge, Knights of Pythias, at Everton, and takes a warm interest in the affairs of that organization.
In 1889 James W. Scott was united in marriage to Martha Ann Wells, who was born at Everton, a daughter of William and Sarah (Moore) Wells, the latter of whom died when her daughter, Martha, was a child of two or three years. After the death of her mother, Martha Wells was taken care of by Willis Lake and wife and was reared in their household, remaining there, the Lake farm being situated next to the Scott farm, until her marriage to Mr. Scott. Her father married a second time and spent the rest of his life at Everton. Mr. and Mrs. Scott have seven children, namely : Lawrence Mitchell, who is at home; Perry Walton, who is living with his father's uncle, Hugh H. Scott, married Pearl Myers and has one child, a son, Floyd Marion, and Mary Ethel, Frank Herschel, Leonard, Leo and Charles, all at home. The Scotts have a very pleasant home and take an earnest interest in the general social activities of the community in which they live, helpful in promoting all proper agencies for the advancement of the common wel- fare thereabout.
ELLIS ROUNSEVAL LAKE.
Ellis R. Lake, one of Fayette county's best-known citizens and land- owners, proprietor of a cement-vault factory at Connersville and an exten- sive dealer in fertilizer at Everton, in which village he makes his home, was born in the house in which he is now living at Everton and has lived there practically all his life. He was the first person born in that house, which is still standing, as good as any house in Everton.
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