History of Hamilton County Indiana, her people, industries and institutions, Part 67

Author: John F. Haines
Publication date: 1915
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1051

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Carl T. Brock, a member of the mercantile firm of Clarke, Brock and Company, was born on a farm near Noblesville, Hamilton county, Indiana, November 26, 1874. His parents are David M. and Mary F. (Quick) Brock. David M. Brock was born in Central City, Kentucky and in 1854 came with his parents, Elijah and Francis (Greening) Brock, to Hamilton county and settled on a farm, where Carl T. was born, and where his parents are still residing. Elijah Brock was one of the prosperous and substantial farmers of his day and owned six hundred acres of land in Noblesville town- ship. David M. Brock has followed the occupation of farming for most of

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his life. In 1883 David M. Brock and family moved to Noblesville where he was engaged in the grocery business for five years and was then identified with other business interests in the city until 1910, when he returned to his farm in Noblesville township where he resumed farming. He has been especially interested in the raising of fine thoroughbred Jersey cattle and has made a pronounced success of his venture. In politics he is a stanch Repub- lican and has always been interested in the civic welfare of his city and county. While living in Noblesville, he served four years as a member of the city council and was always actively interested in the advancement and improvement of his city. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, and he and his family are members of the Christian church. David M. Brock and wife are the parents of three sons: Carl T., whose history is herewith re- corded; Albert J., a business man of Brazil, Indiana, and Harry R., a travel- ing salesman.

Carl T. Brock was nine years of age when the parents moved to Nobles- ville and all the rest of his life has been spent in that city. He attended the public schools and was graduated from the high school in Noblesville in 1894. He then became a clerk in the drygoods store of C. F. Johnson, where he remained for ten years, at the end of which time he became a clerk in the store of Little. Kahn & Company for five years. The firm then being re- organized and succeeded by Little. Clark & Company, Mr. Brock remained with the new firm as a clerk until February, 1910, when he purchased Mr. Little's interest in the store, the new firm being known as Clark, Brock & Company. This store has its share of the patronage of Noblesville and the surrounding community and by its courteous treatment of its customers and the high class of the goods which it carries has built up a large and prosper- ous trade in the county. In addition to his interests in this mercantile estab- lishment, Mr. Brock is a stockholder in the American National Bank and has valuable real estate holdings in Noblesville.

Mr. Brock was married September 21, 1901, to Maude Messick, daugh- ter of Joseph and Emily (Ross) Messick, of Noblesville. The father of Mrs. Brock died some years ago and her mother is now residing with Mr. and Mrs. Brock. Recently Mr. Brock has erected a fine modern home upon the same lot where his wife was born. Mr. and Mrs. Brock have no children.

The Republican party has always claimed the support of Mr. Brock. Although he has never been an aspirant for any public office he has always been intelligently interested in public matters. He keeps well informed on the current issues of the day and is always able to give an intelligent opinion upon public questions. Fraternally, he is a member of the Free and Ac-

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cepted Masons and the Knights of Pythias, while he and his wife are both earnest members of the Christian church and have been active in church and Sunday school work. Throughout his career of forty years in Hamilton county, Mr. Brock has so conducted himself and his affairs that he has been regarded as one of its sterling citizens who has the welfare of his community at heart. Every enterprise which has had for its purpose the furthering of the moral, intellectual and social life of his community has found in him a ready and sympathetic supporter at all times and accordingly he has won the commendation and esteem of everyone with whom he is associated.

WILLIAM H. WHITE.

The rude log cabin within the woods of Rush county, Indiana, stands in striking contrast to the palatial home of William H. White, one of Hamil- ton's county's most progressive and substantial farmers of today. Mr. White is a fine type of the present generation of the pioneer families of the state, who, when a lad conned evening lessons by the light of the fireplace in the cabin of his father. The youth of today knows very little of the disad- vantages which surrounded the pioneer farmers of this state. No longer is the farmer compelled to rise early in the morning and continue his labors far into the night, his condition having changed in a most remarkable man- ner. In no respect has there been a greater change in the life of the people than in the occupation of farming. The rural mail service leaves the daily paper on the farmer's doorstep each morning, while the telephone keeps him in constant communication with his neighbors. Interurban cars and the automobile enable him to participate in all the features of city life without having to suffer the disadvantages of the city. Mr. White has lived through the whole period during which these changes have taken place, and is there- fore able to appreciate conditions as they are today.

William H. White, one of the largest land owners of Hamilton county, Indiana, and the son of Joseph and Mary (Jackson) White, was born De- cember 5, 1848. in a rude log cabin in the woods of Rush county, Indiana. His father was a native of Ohio and his mother was born in Rush county, Indiana, the two families being among the earliest pioneers of Rush county. In 1850 the White family moved to Wayne township, this county, and settled in the woods. They began clearing the land and selling the timber in the markets. In fact. it was the rare foresight of Joseph White which led him

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into the lumber business, where he made a very comfortable fortune. He was a man of excellent business ability and within a short time after moving to this county had a farm of four hundred acres. In 1861 the family moved to Indianapolis, where Joseph White engaged in the lumber business for about five years. Then in order to get a larger market and increase his business, he moved to Chicago, where he engaged in the same business until his death in April, 1888, his wife passing away in October, 1887. Joseph White and wife were the parents of three children, William H., whose history is here delineated; Harvinia and Nellie, the wife of Harry Ingerman, of Chicago.

William H. White was two years of age when his parents moved from Rush county, this state, to Hamilton county, thirteen years of age when they moved to Indianapolis and still of school age when they moved to Chicago, consequently his education was received in the schools of Hamilton county, Indianapolis and Chicago, and in this way he was given more than an ordin- arily good commonschool education. His father being a man of superior business attainments, it was natural that his son should follow in his foot- steps. He remained in Chicago associated with his father until his marriage in 1870, when he returned to Wayne township, this county, .where he fol- lowed agriculture for about four years. However, his father's increasing business in Chicago made it necessary for him to have assistance, so William H. returned to that city and assisted in the lumber business conducted by his father. In addition to their lumber yards in Chicago, they had large land and timber interests in western Tennessee, and still later they bought large tracts of timber lands in Arkansas and handled lumber in that state from 1890 to 1895. In the latter year Mr. White disposed of his numerous lum- ber yards and other interests connected with the lumber business and returned to Hamilton county, where he has since resided and has made his home at No. 27 South Tenth street, in Noblesville for the past nineteen years. Mr. White has always retained his farming interests in Hamilton county, and now has seven hundred and four acres, all of which is in Wayne township except eighty acres in Madison county, Indiana. In addition to his farming interests he has valuable business and residence properties in Noblesville. He is also a stockholder in the American National Bank, the Citizens State Bank and the Wainwright Trust Company, three of the strongest financial institu- tions of Noblesville. He is a director in the Citizens State Bank, as well as one of its largest stockholders.

Mr. White was married February 10, 1870, to Sarah I. Stewart, the daughter of David and Elizabeth (Penwell) Stewart, of Hamilton county.

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and to this union has been born one son, Marcus L., who married Minnie Kreag, the daughter of John Kreag, of Cicero, this county, and they have one son, Joe K. Marcus White is engaged in the seed business in Noblesville, and also has a large cotton plantation in Sunflower county, Mississippi, which occupies a considerable amount of his attention. He is also a director in the American National Bank, of Noblesville.

Mr. White has been a life-long Republican, but has never been an aspir- ant for any public office. Fraternally, he is a member of the Knights of Pythias, while he and his family are earnest and loyal members of the Chris- tian church, in which denomination he is an elder. Mr. White is a successful business man of the strictest integrity and honesty and has always given his support to every movement which he felt would benefit the community in any way and consequently ever has enjoyed the highest reputation in the com- munity honored by his citizenship.

ELWOOD HENLEY.

The Henley family trace their ancestry back to the time when the first member of the family of that name came from Ireland to this country and settled in Virginia. He was a well-to-do man and his will is yet in existence among the historic collections in Philadelphia. In it he gives two slaves their freedom and to a man who owes him, he forgives the full amount of his in- debtedness. He was a substantial farmer of Virginia and a member of the Friends church. The Henley family scattered from Virginia to the various colonies on the Atlantic seaboard and one member of the family, John, was born in Nantucket Island, a small island south of Rhode Island. This John Henley became the progenitor of the Henleys who came to Hamilton county, Indiana. John Henley and his wife went from Nantucket to North Carolina. where Joseph Henley, the grandfather of Elwood. whose history is here presented, was born about 1760. Joseph Henley was a farmer in Randolph county. that state, and married Penina Morgan, to which union were born the following children, all of whom are deceased: Susannah, who married Jonathan Phelps; Sarah, wife of Thomas Thornburg; Thomas, the father of Elwood; Henry ; Mary, the wife of William Benford; Lucretia, wife of H. B. Hill: Micajah: Charles : Nancy, the wife of Wyatt Stanley; Jesse and Robert. Joseph Henley spent the latter years of his life in Rush county, Indiana, where his death occurred.

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ELWOOD HENLEY

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Thomas Henley was born in Randolph county, North Carolina, in 1803. When he was eighteen years of age he came to Indiana, purchased one hun- dred and sixty acres of land in Rush county and being an industrious young man managed to get a good education. He saved his money while working in this state and worked his way through a two years' course in the schools of Richmond, Indiana. He was a shoemaker by trade and since there was plenty of work to do in his chosen occupation, he had no difficulty in saving enough not only to pay his tuition in school, but to purchase the one hundred and sixty acres of land where he subsequently moved. In 1827 Thomas Henley went back to North Carolnia and married Abigail Starbuck, the daughter of Thomas Starbuck and wife. She was born in Guilford county, North Caro- lina, in 1804. Her mother died when she was quite small and her father remarried. The Starbucks trace their family history back to Benjamin Franklin. Thomas Starbuck and his first wife were the parents of three children : Thomas; Abigail, the wife of Thomas Henley, and Eunice. By his second marriage were born three children, Elwood, Milton and Bezaleel, of whom Milton died in Carolina and the other two came to Rush county. Indiana.

Immediately after his marriage, Mr. Henley brought his young bride to his new home in Rush county, Indiana, making the trip overland in a two- horse wagon and clearing the roads as they went. They were able to clear but five acres of land the first year, and this he naturally planted in corn. In later years he often said that this was the best crop of corn he ever raised in the county. A peculiar thing about Thomas Henley is the fact that he never fired a gun. This is considered unusual, since the pioneers of that. day practically depended upon the wild animals for their fresh meat. He was an earnest member of the Friends church, a generous, noble-hearted man and gave freely to all worthy enterprises. He added to his farm from time to time until he was the owner of four hundred and eighty-eight acres of fine farming land in Indiana and also six hundred and forty acres in Iowa. Some years after Thomas Henley and wife came from North Carolina, his parents, Joseph and Penina (Morgan) Henley, moved to this state and bought land near that of their son, Thomas, in Rush county. Thomas Hen- ley and wife were the parents of eight children, Henry W., Elwood, Milton H., Ann, Jane, Eliza, Jason and Owen. Only two of these children are now living, Elwood and Owen.

Elwood Henley lived at home until he was married. He received such education as was afforded by the schools of his day, and upon his marriage

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his father gave him eighty acres of land near Carthage, in the northwestern part of Rush county. Here Elwood Henley lived until 1866, then, owing to the destruction of his home by fire, he sold his farm and came to Hamilton county. Upon coming to this county he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land about four miles northwest of Carmel, where he lived until 1908, when he purchased property in Carmel, where he has since continued to live. Mr. Henley has been a life-long farmer and has lived a life which has brought to him the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens. In addition to his one hundred and sixty acres in Hamilton county, he owns eighty acres of fine farming land in Marion county, this state, as well as his property in Carmel. He was drafted twice for service in the Civil War, but owing to his inherent aversion to war of any kind, he paid a substitute to go in his place.

In 1856 Mr. Henley was married to Phoebe Newby, the daughter of Henry and Sarah (Thornburg) Newby, whose birth occurred September 20, 1831, in Rush county, Indiana. Her parents were natives of North Carolina and came to this state early in its history. They did not enter land, as did most of the early settlers, but bought a farm which was already partly im- proved. Phoebe Newby was one of ten children born to her parents and lived with them until her marriage, with the exception of one year, which she spent in Richmond learning the bonnet-maker's trade. She died January I, 1868, leaving her husband with five children, Penelope, John, Abigail, Barclay and Caroline. Penelope died at the age of twenty-one years; John married Martha Dickey, and lives in Indianapolis, and has two children, Margaret and Louise, twins; Abigail married Alfred V. Payle, and lived only eleven days after her marriage; Barclay, who died December 18, 1911, mar- ried Elda Conrad; Caroline, who died July 26, 1902, married Samuel C. White, and they had one son, Dale.

The second marriage of Mr. Henley occurred April 20, 1871, when he was married to Lydia Manlove, daughter of John and Margaret (Symonds) Manlove, who was born in Fayette county, Indiana, April 21, 1844. Her parents were natives of Ohio and North Carolina, respectively. John Man- love was the son of George Manlove, a native of North Carolina. In 1808 John Manlove went to Ohio and in 1811 to Fayette county, Indiana. George Manlove died of the cholera, which he had contracted in Cincinnati. He had gone to market a load of produce, at that time practically all of the produce of Indiana being hauled overland to towns on the Ohio river. The reader is referred to the sketch of George Manlove elsewhere in this volume for additional data on the Manlove family. The second wife of Mr. Henley died

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on April 25, 1911. To this second marriage were born five children, Rollin, Phoebe, Margaret, Homer and Olive. Rollin married Ella Jeffries and lives in Indianapolis, and they have two children, Russell and Mabel; Phoebe mar- ried Irvin Newlin and lives in Carmel, but at present Mr. Newlin is working in Florida; Mr. and Mrs. Newlin have seven children, Roy, Theda, Percy, Doris, Herman, Jason and Malcolm: Margaret married William A. Bonifield and lives on her father's farm, and has one son, Wilbur; Homer married Mrs. Dora (Venable) Owen, widow of Samuel Owen, and lives in In- dianapolis, where he is connected with the L. S. Ayres Company; Olive, who is a graduate of the Carmel high school, lives at home and keeps house for her father.

Mr. Henley has been a life-long Republican, but has never been an as- pirant for any public office. The only office which he has ever held was that of road supervisor many years ago. He has been a member of a number of fraternal organizations, but at the present time is not active in any of them. He has been a member of the Friends church all his life, and during his younger days was active in church work. Mr. Henley is the oldest member of the family now living, yet in his eighty-fourth year he is hale and hearty and takes an active interest in the affairs of his community. He has always been earnest in the performance of every duty of life, as a parent, husband, friend and neighbor, and today there is no more highly esteemed man in Hamilton county than he. In the declining years of his life he can look back over a long career which has been well spent in the service of his fellow men.

WILLIAM E. LOWTHER.

One of the influential citizens of Noblesville is the gentleman to whose career the attention of the reader is now directed, a man who is properly ranked with the city's leading merchants and representative citizens. A man of excellent endowments and upright character, he has been a valued factor in local affairs and has ever commanded unequivocal confidence ond esteem, being loyal to all movements having to do with the upbuilding of his com- munity and ever vigilant in his efforts to further the interests of his city along material, moral and civic lines.

William E. Lowther, the son of William and Anna E. (O'Brien) Low- ther, was born January 26, 1853, in Wilmington, Delaware. His father was a native of the same city, while his mother was born in New York city. The

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senior Lowther was a shoemaker by trade and came with his family to Noblesville, Indiana, in 1859, where he followed his trade until his death in May, 1896, his widow dying in August of the same year. William Low- ther, senior, was an influential man in the city of Noblesville. For more than twelve years he served as a justice of the peace, and always took a prom- inent part in the Republican politics of his city and county. He was a mem- ber of the Free and Accepted Masons and of the Improved Order of Red Men. He and his wife were the parents of four sons: William E., whose history is here recorded; James W., of Los Angeles, California, for many years a clerk in the railway mail service; George H., of Noblesville; and Frank A., of Los Angeles, California.

William E. Lowther was six years of age when his parents moved from Wilmington, Delaware, to Noblesville, Indiana, consequently his education was received in the schools of this city. On leaving school, he became a clerk in the corner drug store conducted by William & Graham. He re- mained with this firm for three years and then became a dry goods sales- man in the store of Leonard Wild, serving in that capacity for fourteen years. Wild at that time retiring from the business, Mr. Lowther purchased the clothing department and formed a partnership with Samuel A. Tescher. This partnership continued for eight years, when, Mr. Tescher retiring from the firm, Mr. Lowther became associated with the Heinzmann Brothers in the same business. The firm did a flourishing trade during its career from 1893 to 1901. Mr. Lowther then retired from the firm and in February, 1902, bought the shoe business of John C. Craig on the east side of the public square, where he has since maintained the same business. He carries a full line of men's, women's and children's shoes. By his fair dealing and the high quality of his stock he has built up a large trade in Noblesville and the community. He is a man of good business ability and has so conducted his affairs as to win a reputation for square dealing.

Mr. Lowther was married April 23, 1886, to Alice Heady, the daughter of Thomas and America M. (Tillyer) Heady, of Fisher, Hamilton county. To this union were born two daughters, Maude and Bernice. The Lowther family are active in the church and Sunday school work of the Methodist Episcopal denomination, and contribute generously of their means to its support.

In politics. Mr. Lowther has identified himself with the Republican party, and in 1913 he was elected a member of the city council, assuming his office January 5. 1914, for the four-year term. Fraternally, he is a charter member of Bernice Lodge No. 120. Knights of Pythias, and has

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always taken a deep interest in the work of this fraternal organization. Mr. Lowther is especially a self-made man, and his success has been commensur- ate with the energy, resourcefulness and tact which he has always displayed in his business dealings. He is a man of strong will and force of character and these elements have made it possible for him to attain the success which he so justly enjoys today. His children have been educated with the object of preparing them for useful and honorable lives, which results will be very gratifying to their parents. .

EDMUND P. WHISMAN, JR.

The farmer of today is receiving more attention at the hands of the United States government than ever before, but it is a lamentable fact that very few farmers realize what the government is trying to do for them. The Department of Agriculture retains a large number of experts who have written pamphlets covering every phase of farming and these pamphlets now numbering more than five hundred will be sent to any farmer in the United States upon request. There are more than twenty pamphlets alone covering the raising of corn and every phase of corn culture. In the same way all other crops are treated and the information which is contained in these pamphlets is the latest and best obtainable and thoroughly trustworthy. Should the farmer of today wish to build a silo, a pig-pen, a corn crib or anything for use upon his farm, the United States government will furnish him information on the subject, information which is put in such a way that it is easily understood. Not only is the United States government taking an interest in the farmer throughout the country, but in our own state we have at Purdue University an agricultural course which is the equivalent of any in the world. During the past two years thousands of farmers and their sons have taken the short courses which this excellent institution gives. The agricultural extension department at Purdue has pamphlets covering the various phases of farming in Indiana which can be secured free of cost. These pamphlets, like those distributed by the United States government, are invaluable aids to the farmer and Hamilton county is one of the leading agricultural counties of the state. The Boys' Corn Clubs of the county have awakened an interest in the cultivation of that product which has meant an increase in the cultivation of that cereal worth thousands of dollars to the county. Farmers everywhere are beginning to realize that there is some-

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thing more than the mere scratching of the land in order to get the best re- sults. This county has many excellent farmers, and among these Edmund P. Whisman, Jr., occupies a prominent place. He is taking advantage of all of the latest movements in scientific farming, and firmly believes that the county agent, which was provided by an Act of the state Legislature of 1913, will be the means of putting farming in this state on a new and higher basis.

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History of Hamilton County Indiana, her people, industries and institutions, Part 67

Author: John F. Haines Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1051

Author: John F. Haines
Publication date: 1915
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1051