History of Franklin County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions, Part 57

Author: Reifel, August J
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1648

USA > Indiana > Franklin County > History of Franklin County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions > Part 57

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The maternal grandparents of James Dare were John and Hannah (Hay-

MR. AND MRS. JAMES DARE.

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word) Cassidy, of New Jersey, who located on Templeton's creek in Fair- field township, Franklin county, at a very early date and engaged in farming. They, too, shared the common hardships of those days and their trip over- land was accomplished only after many difficulties. The mother of James Dare at that time was a mere babe in arms and was carried a great part of the way on horseback by her mother. The Cassidys cleared the land upon which they erected the rude buildings of that day and where they remained until Mr. Cassidy's death, whereupon Mrs. Cassidy moved to St. Joseph county, where she lived with her daughter until the day of her death.

John Jennings Dare, father of James Dare, was a man of industry and thrift, and was one of the best known men in Franklin county, where the whole of his life was spent. His brother, Clement, was surveyor and super- intendent of construction of the canal through Brookville, which remains an excellent bit of engineering to this day. John J. Dare was a large stock raiser and early took the lead among the farmers in his community, the prod- ucts of his stock farm being considered among the best of their kind at that day. He first started farming on the forty acres now known as the Breese Homestead. This gradually increased until he had accumulated two hundred and eighty acres upon which he erected the substantial buildings which are still standing. To do this he razed the old log building that had stood on the farm from the time of the earliest settlers. He spent the remainder of his life here, his death occurring in July, 1870. He was survived by his wife only two years. The children of this union were James, the subject of this sketch; Clement, Lewis, Edmond, Samuel, John W., Franklin and Mary.

James Dare was born in Bath township, Franklin county, October 14, 1837, and received his education in the subscription schools of his day, being trained by his father at the same time in the principles of farming. In 1861 he was married to Ruth Ann Dubois, of Brookville township, Franklin county, Indiana, the daughter of Solomon and Rhoda (Vanmeter) Dubois, both of whom were born in Salem county, New Jersey. Mrs. Dare's paternal grand- parents were Solomon and Lydia (Hewward) Dubois, of Salem county, New Jersey, in which county the whole of their lives were passed. Her maternal grandparents were William and Mary (Nicholas) Vanmeter, of Salem county, New Jersey, where they also passed their entire lives. Mrs. Dare's parents were married in New Jersey and came to Brookville township at a very early date. Here they took up a quarter section of land which they improved and on which they spent the remainder of their days. This original quarter sec- tion of land, the old Vanmeter home, is now known as the Logan property. The children by this union were Lydia, Mary Ann, Emiline, Rebecca, Oliver, Sarah, Sewart, Ruth Ann, John, Sylvester and Margaret. It may be noted

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in passing that large families were much more common at that time than now. Mr. Dare has followed numerous lines of activity and in his chosen line, that of agriculture, has gained no small distinction in the locality in which he resides. He has given much attention to the raising of Poland China hogs and has taken many stock prizes, being more than merely locally noted for the superiority of the breeds of general-purpose horses, cattle and hogs raised on his place. From his very earliest manhood Mr. Dare has taken an active part in the affairs of the community and has always been a loyal citi- zen. At the time of the Civil War he joined the army and got as far as Law- renceburg, where he was intercepted by his father, who, on account of the lad's extreme youth, secured a substitute and obtained his release from duty. He has taken a leading part in the good-roads movement now so general in Indiana and for which every progressive farmer has fought for years. Mr. Dare also has been very active in school affairs, always having been an apostle of good schools and many of them. He invariably is found in the forefront of those fostering movements for the betterment of his community and has the distinction of never having lost in a movement to which he has lent the weight of his influence. For a good many years the Dare family had been loyal members of the United Brethren church, but Mr. Dare, while furthering all Christian movements, never has identified himself with any particular sect and is quite broad and tolerant in his religious views. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and is actively identified with all of its works. The history of the Dare family from the very earliest time is one that reflects credit upon the members thereof in every community in which they have lived.

The children of James and Ruth Ann (Dubois) Dare are William An- drew, Anna May, Mary Eleanor, Arta, Omer and Lota, the latter of whom married William Ketner, who rents part of the home farm and lives in part of the house occupied by the Dare family.

JOSEPH HANDLE.

Thousands of German citizens came to Indiana during the period of its early settlement and there was another heavy influx of immigrants from that country in the early seventies and it is very gratifying to note that all of the German citizens who came to Indiana at any time in its history have proved worthy citizens of the body politic. A large number of these offered their

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services in behalf of the Union during the trying days of the Civil War and war department records show that no foreign nation contributed so many of its sons to the Union army as did Germany. Franklin county attracted many settlers from Germany in its earlier history and few years have elapsed since then when there were not a few immigrants from that country. Jos- eph Handle is one of the many citizens of Franklin county who was born in Germany. He came to this county early in the seventies and has since devoted himself to general farming and stock raising with excellent results.

Joseph Handle, the son of John Aloysius and Theresa (Frall) Handle, was born in Germany, October 4, 1848. His parents were born, reared and married in Germany and his mother died in that country. His father later came to America and located in Ohio, dying in Cincinnati. John A. Handle and wife were the parents of five children, Joseph, Eliza, Anna, Caroline and Gretchen.

Joseph Handle was reared in Germany and resided there until he reached his majority. In 1869 he came to this country and first settled in' Cincinnati, but shortly afterwards removed to Franklin county, Indiana. He now owns one hundred and twenty-one acres of good land in Brookville township and here he carries on general farming and stock raising in such a manner as to entitle him to inclusion among the most progressive men of his county. He has placed many improvements upon his farm and every- thing about the place indicates that he is a man of thrift, energy and good management.

Mr. Handle was married in 1887 to Lizzie Biltz and to this union have been born one daughter, Mary, who married Peter Wilminson and has five children, George, Elmer, Helena, Anna and John.

Mrs. Handle was born in 1854 in Butler township, Franklin county, Indiana, a daughter of George and Mary Biltz, natives of Germany and early settlers of Franklin county. Her father died in 1912, her mother having passed away about 1856. George Biltz and wife were the parents of six children, John, Adam, William, Julia, Theresa and Lizzie.

The Democratic party has always received the support of Mr. Handle since he came to this country. He has never been a candidate for public office, preferring to devote all of his time to his agricultural interests. He and his family are members of the Catholic church of Brookville and render it their loyal support at all times, being devoted to all movements which have as their object the advancement of the community's best interests.

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JOHN C. MORIN.

A valued citizen of Brookville, Indiana, is John C. Morin, who has been a resident of the county seat since 1904. He has served two terms as assessor of Franklin county, and, since 1906, has been interested in the Brookville Telephone Company. Since the first of 1915 he has devoted all of his time and attention to the telephone company. While assessor of the county he made a record which it is safe to say has never been surpassed by any other assessor of that county.

John C. Morin, the son of Edward H. Morin, was born in Newport, Kentucky, December 16, 1867. His father's interesting history is given elsewhere in this volume and the reader is referred to it for further informa- tion concerning the Morin family.

When he was eleven years of age, John C. Morin moved with his par- ents to Franklin county, Indiana. He completed his education in the schools of this county, and, as he was the oldest son of his father's family, he early began to work on the farm. He worked with his father on the home farm until he was married, and continued to operate the paternal estate until 1904, when he moved to Brookville.

In 1906 Mr. Morin became the treasurer of the Brookville Telephone Company, and in 1913 was elected secretary and general manager and given complete charge of the company's business. During the last eight years he has put the company on a paying basis, a fact which indicates his executive ability, as the company had paid no dividends for ten years previous to that time. He has doubled its subscription list and, since leaving the office of county assessor, has devoted all of his attention to the management of the telephone company.

Mr. Morin has been an active worker in Democratic politics for many years. He was assessor of Springfield township from 1902 until 1906. In the latter year he was elected assessor of Franklin county, and for the next eight years continued in this office, being re-elected in 1910. During all of those years there was no change made in his assessments by the state board of tax commissioners, a fact which speaks well for the administration of the duties connected with his office.

Mr. Morin was married in June, 1893, to Ida M. Cornelius. She was born in Butler county, Ohio, and is the daughter of John and Mary Cor- nelius. Her father is a veteran of the Civil War and is still living, at the advanced age of seventy-eight years. Mr. and Mrs. Morin are the parents

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of five children : John E., Clara, Howard, Lloyd and Robert. The oldest son, John E., is the wire chief of the telephone company in Brookville.

Mr. Morin is a member of the Improved Order of Red Men and has filled all of the chairs in the local lodge of this order. He was chief of records for five years. The family are all members of the Methodist Episco- pal church, and are interested in its welfare. Mr. Morin comes from a highly respected family in this county, and his career has been such as to reflect credit upon a distinguished family name.

DR. CALVIN CARTER.

A well remembered man of a past generation in Brookville is Dr. Calvin Carter, who lived in Brookville from 1893 until his death, fifteen years later. Doctor Carter was a man of unusual energy and ability. He taught school for several years in his younger manhood and served as county surveyor. Later he was graduated from a medical college, and for fifteen years was engaged in the successful practice of medicine in Brookville. Part of this time he operated a drug store in addition to attending to his practice, al- though, after his marriage, his wife took active charge of the drug store. Since his death his widow has remained in charge of the store, which is now the finest drug store in the city.

The late Dr. Calvin Carter was born in Ripley county, Indiana, near Osgood, April 29, 1857, and died at his home in Brookville, July 13, 1908. He was a son of Mr. and Mrs. John Carter, both of whom were residents of Ripley county, Indiana. John Carter and his wife were the parents of four sons and one daughter: Doctor Calvin; Isaac, who is now a successful attorney at law in Shelbyville, Indiana; Edgar, a druggist in Indianapolis; Charles, a farmer, and Laura, a practicing physician of Shelby, Indiana.

Dr. Calvin Carter was reared on his father's farm in Ripley county. He received a good common and high school education and, when still a mere youth, began to teach in the public schools of his county. Later he took the complete course in Mooreshill College, graduating from the civil engineering department. Upon his return to his home county, after leaving college, he was elected surveyor and served in this capacity for two years. However, he was not satisfied in this profession, and decided to take up the study of medicine. With this idea in view, he became a student in the Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati, and was graduated from that excellent insti-

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tution in the spring of 1893. In the same year he located for the practice of his profession in Brookville, and successfully continued to administer to the ills of mankind until his death. In 1895 he established a drug store in Brookville, in the Samoniel building. In 1896 he located his store on the southwest corner of Fifth and Main streets, where it is still in operation under the name of the Citizens Drug Store. After his marriage, in 1897, the wife of Doctor Carter took charge of the drug store, while the Doctor de- voted all of his time and attention to his practice.

Doctor Carter was married January 7, 1897, to Margaret Busald, who was born in Brookville, and is the daughter of George and Mary (Knacht) Busald, both of whom were born in Highland township, in this county. Her father was born February 24, 1842, and her mother October 26, 1849. Her parents reared a family of five children : Frank, Margaret, Lena, Anna and Ophelia. Frank, who died December, 6, 1912, in Louisville, Kentucky, was foreman in a corrugated box factory; Lena is the wife of Philip Biere, of Brookville; Anna is the wife of Fred Eisenhart, of Indianapolis; Othelia is the wife of Charles Dare, a credit man for the Mooney-Mueller Drug Com- pany, of Indianapolis.

George Busald, the father of Mrs. Carter, learned the carpenter trade as a young man, and after his marriage moved to Brookville, where he is now living. He was a carpenter and contractor during all his active career. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Carter were born in Alsace-Lorraine, and were early settlers of Highland township, in this county. The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Carter were Mr. and Mrs. Francis Knacht, natives of Germany, and early settlers of Highland township. Francis Knacht was a justice of the peace for over thirty years in Highland township, and was the legal counsellor for the whole community. He was known as the "marry- ing squire," and hundreds of couples were pronounced man and wife by him during the time he served as justice of the peace. Mrs. Carter's ancestors, on both sides, were all members of the Catholic church.

Doctor Carter was a Democrat in politics until 1896, at which time he allied himself with the Republican party. He was a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, and was always interested in church work. Frater- nally, he was a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, of Brookville. He was for some time president of the Franklin County Medical Society.

Since Doctor Carter's death, Mrs. Carter has very successfully carried on the drug business which was established by her husband. The building has been remodeled and a third story added. In addition she has purchased the adjacent store building on the south. The store has recently been fitted

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up with new fixtures, including a handsome tiled floor. The stock of the store is complete and up-to-date, and everything about it is kept immacu- lately clean. It would be expected that a woman should keep a drug store in a tidy manner, and it is probably safe to say that no drug store in the country presents a neater or more attractive appearance than that presided over by Mrs. Carter. She is a woman of unusual business ability and is highly es- teemed by all who know her. Doctor and Mrs. Carter had no children.

DR. JOHN W. LUCAS.

One of the youngest physicians of Brookville, Indiana, is Dr. John W. Lucas, who has been located in the county seat since the fall of 1914. All of his education, common school, high school, college and medical, has been received in Indiana, and, consequently, he is a Hoosier from every aspect. Having been graduated from Indiana Medical College in 1907, he has been engaged in the active practice of his profession since that time, and has already demonstrated that he has those qualities which are de- manded by the successful physician of today. Although he has been a resi- dent of Brookville but a comparatively short time, he has already won a place in this community by reason of his skill and kindly manner.

Dr. John W. Lucas, the son of John W. and Susan (Sanders) Lucas, was born at Brownstown, Jackson county, Indiana, October 22, 1881. His father was born in the same county in 1840, and died there in 1908. John W. Lucas, Sr., was a veteran of the Civil war, and a lifetime farmer of Jackson county. His wife, Susan Sanders, was also a native of the same county, having been born in 1852.

Doctor Lucas received his common and high school education in the public schools of Brownstown, and then spent two years in the State Uni- versity at Bloomington. He then entered the Indiana Medical College at Indianapolis, and was graduated in the spring of 1907 with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Immediately after his graduation he located at Mount Carmel, Franklin county, Indiana, and practiced there until 1914. On September I of that year he located in Brookville, where he has already built up a very satisfactory practice.

On the 20th day of June, 1907, Doctor Lucas was married to Mabel Seal, and to this union has been born one daughter, Helen, whose birth occurred in 1910. Mrs. Lucas was born in · Whitcomb, Indiana, and is a daughter of Dr. Frank E. and Dora (Quick) Seal. Doctor Seal and

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wife are the parents of two children, Mabel, the wife of Doctor Lucas, and Lloyd, a farmer of Franklin county, who married Laura Appleton. An ac- count of Doctor Seal's history is given elsewhere in this volume.

Politically, Doctor Lucas is a Democrat, but, so far, has devoted his entire time and attention to his profession, not taking an active part in political matters.

WILLIAM NOBLE GORDON.

A prosperous business man of Metamora for many years, and now a banker of that place, is William Noble Gordon, who has spent practically his whole career in the town of Metamora. The Gordon family is one of the oldest families in Franklin county, and the father of William N. Gordon was born in the year Indiana was admitted to the Union. The family has taken a very active part in everything that pertained to the development of the county, and in all respects has measured up to the highest standard of American citizenship.

William Noble Gordon, the son of Milton B. and Sophia (Tracy) Gor- don, was born in Metamora, Indiana, January 27, 1858. His father was born in Metamora township, January 10, 1816, and died March 3, 1892. His mother, Sophia Tracy, was born in Shelby county, Indiana, near Morris- town, February 1, 1828, and died in June, 1907. His parents reared a family of seven children: David Tracy, who died at the age of five; Flora, who died in 1884; Lettie, the wife of Henry R. Lennard, cashier of the Meta- mora Bank; William Noble, with whom this narrative deals; Harry L., an attorney of Cincinnati, Ohio, former lieutenant-governor of Ohio, and vice- mayor of Cincinnati; Edith, who died in October, 1889, in Belleville, Kan- sas, the wife of Joseph Shackelford; and Howard M., who died in 1905.

Milton B. Gordon, the father of William N., was reared on the old paternal homestead in Metamora township. While still a young man he became interested in the flour mill industry and operated two mills along the Whitewater canal, one at Metamora and the other below that village. He managed these mills for several years and eventually started a dry goods store in Metamora with his brother, Mahlon C., as a partner. Later his brother, Mahlon, dropped out of the firm and Mr. Gordon took his son, William Noble, in partnership with him. The business became very success- ful and Milton B. was directly connected with it from 1857 until his death, in 1892. Milton B. Gordon was a Republican in politics, a Methodist in re-

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ligious faith, and an active worker in the church. He was a very successful business man in every respect and, at the time of his death, not only owned a considerable amount of property in Metamora, but also over two thousand acres of land in Franklin county. If he had one fault it was that of being too generous. He was very kind-hearted and lost several fortunes by not forcing collections. Although he handled large sums of money, he very seldom resorted to the courts to force a collection. During the Civil War, the widows of the soldiers who were killed in the war always knew that Milton B. Gordon would give them whatever they wanted. Later, when many of the old veterans who were incapacitated for work traded at his store, Mr. Gordon always told them that they could pay whenever they got the money. He was recognized as one of the best authorities on business affairs in this part of the county, and few days passed that people did not call upon him for advice upon some kind of business affairs. It was freely given and was invariably found to be sound.

The paternal grandparents of William N. Gordon were William and Elizabeth (Kelly) Gordon. They were married in Lexington, Kentucky, and later settled in Franklin county. William Gordon was born in Scotland. He was the only son, although he had five sisters. William Gordon's father was killed in the Revolutionary War, two months before Grandfather Gor- don was born. At that time the family was living in Gordonville, Virginia, where they had been located for a generation. Several years after the close of the Revolutionary War, Great-grandfather Gordon's widow moved with her family to Lexington, Kentucky, Grandfather Gordon being about six- teen years of age at that time. Immediately after marriage, in 1811, Will- iam and Elizabeth Gordon left Kentucky and moved to the Miami bottoms in Ohio, where they stopped for a time at the home of Mr. Ewing. They remained there one summer until they had gathered one crop and then moved over into Franklin county, Indiana, and took up a tract of seven acres in Metamora township. Grandfather Gordon built a log cabin about three- fourths of a mile north of where the village of Metamora is now located, and in the next year, 1812, he brought his wife and family there to live. He had thirteen children, seven sons and six daughters, among whom were the fol- lowing: Orville, William, Leonidas, Milton, Mahlon, Melvin and Taylor. Grandfather Gordon was a tall man in stature and heavily built.

The maternal grandparents of William Noble Gordon were David and Arletta (Cole) Tracy, natives of Vermont, and both of whom had been previously married. Grandmother Tracy had first married a Mr. Benjamin, and to this union two sons had been born; one, Judson Benjamin, a graduate

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of West Point, was killed in the Mexican War at the taking of the City of Mexico. He was a contemporary and warm personal friend of General Grant. General Grant, in his memoirs, speaks of spending the evening in Mr. Benjamin's tent the night previous to Mr. Benjamin's death. The other son, Calvin Benjamin, was a missionary to Burmah, Asia, and died in that country. Grandfather Tracy had three children by his first marriage. He was a practicing physician and upon coming to Indiana, located in Shelby county, where he died. The full sister and brother of the mother of William Noble Gordon were Sophronia, the wife of George Hughes; and Isaac B., deceased, a former resident of Metamora.

William Noble Gordon was reared in Metamora and, when still a mere youth, began to work in his father's store. Later he became his father's partner, and they continued together until his father's death, in 1892. Will- iam N. continued the business in company with his mother until her death, after which he conducted it alone until 1909, when he closed out the store on account of the confinement being injurious to his health. On July 20, 1910, he and his brother-in-law, Henry R. Lennard, established the Farmers Bank in Metamora, Mr. Gordon becoming president and Mr. Lennard, cashier, and the two have occupied these respective positions since that time. In addition to his banking business, Mr. Gordon gives his personal supervision to his two large farms of nine hundred acres in Franklin county.

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History of Franklin County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions, Part 57

Author: Reifel, August J Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen Number of Pages: 1648

Author: Reifel, August J
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1648