USA > Indiana > Hancock County > History of Hancock county, Indiana; its people, industries and institutions > Part 106
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To Mr. and Mrs. Harmening have been born the following children : Carl Frederick, born on November 11. 1903: Irma Ida Christena, born on June I. 1905 ; Earl Jacob Samuel, born on September 13, 1907, and Margaret Mary, born on November 30, 1911. Mr. and Mrs. Harmening are members of the German Lutheran church, being active in the church work. They have been highly respected citizens of the township and county for nearly thirty years.
JUDGE EDWARD WEBSTER FELT.
The Hon. Edward Webster Felt, judge of the Indiana appellate court. foriner judge of the Hancock circuit court and for years one of Greenfield's leading attorneys, is a Virginian, having been born in Alleghany county, in the Old Dominion state. November 7. 1859, son of Sylvester W. and Rebecca Jane (Latshaw) Felt, the former a native of New Hampshire and the latter of Pennsylvania.
Sylvester W. Felt was born in the town of Keene, New Hampshire. In his early manhood he was engaged in railroad contracting and while thus engaged was stationed for a time in Virginia, "where he married Rebecca J. Latshaw, who was born in Pennsylvania, but who had been reared from girl-
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hood in Alleghany county, Virginia. In 1860 Sylvester W. Felt and his fam- ily moved from Virginia to Indiana, settling in Wayne county, where for about five years Mr. Felt was engaged in farming. He then moved with his family over into Hancock county, locating on a farm in Center township. where he remained until 1887, in which year he retired from the farm and moved to Greenfield, where his last days were spent. his death occurring on September 11. 1893. His widow is still living in that city and is hale and hearty despite the fact that she is now eighty-five years of age. Sylvester W. Felt was a man of wide information and ever kept abreast of the times. He was a Democrat and during his residence in this county took an active part in political affairs. For some years he served as assessor of Center town- ship and in other ways did his part in the public service. He and his wife were earnest members of the Missionary Baptist church and ever took an interest in local good works. They were the parents of six children, namely : Mary H., widow of James S. Clift, a farmer of Brandywine township. this county : Edward W. the subject of this biographical sketch; Frank V., of Greenfield, a well-known farmer of this county; Cora V., wife of Joseph M. Fisk, a Center township farmer; John H., an architect, of Kansas City, Mis- souri, and Minnie, who died when eight years old.
Edward W. Felt was but a babe in arms when his parents came to Indiana from Virginia and he was about six years old when they came to Hancock county and settled on a farm in Center township. He thus was reared in this county and has taken an active part in its affairs since the days of his early manhood. He received his elementary education in the district school in the neighborhood of his home and early began teaching school. He later entered the Central Normal School at Danville, this state, from which he was grad- uated in 1884. Another member of that class was Samuel MI. Ralston, who also engaged in the practice of the law and between whom and Judge Felt there has existed the firmest friendship ever since their school days. When Samuel M. Ralston was inaugurated governor of Indiana in 1913 it was his old classmate. Judge Felt, of the appellate court, who administered to him his oath of office. Following his graduation from the normal school Mr. Felt was engaged as a teacher in the city schools. The next year he married and in pursuance of a design entertained since his boyhood, entered seriously upon the study of law in the office of James A. New at Greenfield. Two years later, in 1887. he was admitted to practice and at the same time was admitted to partnership with Mr. New. In January. 1889. Mr. Felt opened an office of his own at the corner of State and Main streets, later moving to the Dudding & Moore block and thence to the L. C. Thayer buikling. For six
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years from the latter part of 1880 he was in partnership in the practice of civil law with the late llon. U. S. Jackson. In 1800 he was elected prosecuting attorney for the eighteenth judicial circuit and was re-elected in 1892, serving four years in that office. In 1896 he was appointed county attorney and served in that office for three years. In the campaign of 1900 he was made the nominee of the Democrats of Hancock county for the office of judge of the circuit court and was elected to that office, in which he served for six years, thereafter declining a renomination. Without having made a canvass for the nomination. Judge Felt was nominated by the Indiana Democratic state convention in 1906 for the office of judge of the appellate court from his district. The Democrats were unsuccessful that year, and in 1910 Judge Felt again received the unanimous nomination of his party for the same office and was elected. In 1914 he was elected to the appellate bench and entered upon his second term of four years on January 1, 1915.
On April 17. 1885. Edward W. Felt was united in marriage to Martha L. Thomas, who was born near Willow Branch, this county, daughter of Alfred and Mary J. ( Earl) Thomas, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Ohio, but both early settlers of this county, and to this union five children have been born, three of whom survive, Mable M., a graduate of Butler College ; Elsie R., now a student at Butler, and Truman T., a student in the Indianapolis high school. Judge and Mrs. Felt are members of the Meth- odist Episcopal church and are earnestly concerned in the various beneficences of the same. For ten years, from 1899 to 1909, Judge Felt was president of the Hancock County Sunday School Association and from 1902 to 1910 was president of the Indiana State Sunday School Association. Since taking up his residence in Indianapolis, Judge Felt has continued to manifest his warm interest in church and Sunday school work and is now the president of the Methodist Union, an organization representing all the Methodist churches in Indianapolis, the design of which is to secure greater efficiency in the local work of Methodism in that city. Judge Felt is a thirty-second degree Mason and takes much interest in Masonic affairs. He was worshipful master of Hancock Lodge No. 101, and is now a member of Irvington Lodge No. 666. Free and Accepted Masons; high priest of Greenfield Chapter, Royal Arch Masons : worthy patron of the Order of the Eastern Star at that place ; a mem- ber of the Greenfield Commandery. Knights Templar; a member of the Indianapolis Consistory. Accepted Scottish Rite, and a noble of Murat Temple. Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. at Indianapolis. He also is a member of the Greenfield lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, past chancellor of the lodge of the Knights of Pythias at that place.
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and a member of the lodge of the Improved Order of Red Men at the same place. Judge Felt for years has occupied a high position in the councils of the Democratic party in Indiana and his voice has been heard on the hustings in every campaign since 1886. In the years 1894-98 he was chairman of the Hancock county Democratic central committee and has ever been a whole- hearted exponent of the historic principles of his party.
LEVI D. OLVEY.
One of the earlier families of Hancock county, noted for their public spirit and splendid achievement, is the Olvey family. The late Levi D. Olvey, who was so conspicuously identified with the best interests of Han- cock county, was a member of this family. The history of this county would! be incomplete if mention were not made of the life of Levi D. Olvey, whose life was a succession of splendid endeavor and notable achievement. Levi D. Olvey was a native of Hancock county, born in Green township. August 20. 1840, the son of Enoch and Martha (Denny) Olvey, both of whom were natives of North Carolina.
Enoch Olvey came to Hancock county at a very early day and located in the same section, part of which forms the home of the late Levi D. Olvey. Enoch Olvey was a self-made made. In spite of the lack of brilliant education. he forged ahead with an indomitable spirit and made a splendid success. He was a devout and charitable man. Enoch Olvey was assisted by a splendid helpmate, he having married Martha Denny, daughter of James and Fannie Denny, before coming to Hancock county. On his arrival in Hancock county he first entered land in Vernon township, which he later sold and bought the farm which his father-in-law had entered in Green township. This farm is now part of the farm owned by Mrs. Levi D. Olvey. Enoch Olvey improved his place in many ways. He built a substantial house and erected other buildings as they became necessary. He was known as a substantial citizen in all respects. A child born to Mr. and Mrs. Enoch Olvey was the first person to be buried in the cemetery on the farm, which has since become a public burial ground. Enoch Olvey and wife were members of the "Hard- shell" Baptist church during their lifetime, in which they took much interest. To them were born the following children. Diana. Jane, Elizabeth, Ransome. who served in the Civil War: Noah, Nancy, Sarah Ann, Levi D., Lavinna. Jasper and four others who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Enoch Olvey
LEVI D. OLVEY
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passed the remainder of their lives in Hancock county, and they established a name for good citizenship, and were of the best type of pioneers.
Levi D. Olvey was a man of tireless energy who lived constantly with a purpose. His early training was that of the average farmer's son. Ile re- ceived his education in the schools of his day and made the most of his limited schooling. After leaving school he applied himself to the duties of the farm. About the time of reaching his manhood, the Civil War had engulfed the nation and young Levi Olvey enlisted for service in Company B. Twelfth Regi- ment. Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and gave two years to the defense of his country. At the end of his military service he returned home somewhat broken in health. Ile went West about the time the Union Pacific railroad was being started and was present when the goklen spike was driven that celebrated the building of the first transcontinental railroad. He secured a contract to furnish cross-ties for this railroad and helped materially in its construction. While in the West he suffered many hardships, at one time being almost frozen to death. Hle pitched his camp on the plains in the dead of winter and the coldl was so terrific his feet were frozen. His condition was so bad the doctors wanted to amputate his legs, but he refused and event- ually recovered. He finally returned to Indiana, first buying a farm in Boone county, and later returning to Hancock county, where he applied himself to farming, gradually increasing his acreage until he had more than five hun- dred and twenty acres. He was a good manager and made a success of his business of farming.
On November 24, 1872, Levi D. Olvey was married to Elizabeth Cauld- well, who was born in Vernon township, January 8. 1844, a daughter of William and Sarah ( Crim) Cauldwell, who were natives of Virginia. The Cauldwells were of good sturdy old Virginia stock. David and Hannah (Henton) Cauldwell, the grandparents, were among the earliest settlers in Vernon township, coming from Virginia during the early settlement of this state. The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Levi D. Olvey were John and Elizabeth ( Copp) Crim, who were also from Virginia, coming to Wayne county, where they engaged in farming, and where they lived until their death. William Cauldwell and wife lived in Vernon township, where he had entered one hundred and sixty acres of land on coming from Virginia. He made his home in Vernon township until his death. He and his wife were devout and earnest members of the Episcopal church.
The late Levi D. Olvey was noted for his great fund of human sympathy and his great charity. Thirty-one years before his death he became a member of the Friends church. He gave the ground on which the church was built
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and donated money for the erection of the building. He took pride in this church and in the cemetery, which he also donated. He devoted his own time and money to make them attractive and in the cemetery many of his friends were buried. It was his constant care to see that their last resting place was kept beautiful. In politics, he was a life-long Democrat. Mr. Olvey was called away to his eternal rest on the 22nd of November. 1913, survived by his faithful and loving wife and a daughter, Mrs. Fannie L. Andis. Hancock county has had many noble sons, of none of whom she should be more proud than the late Levi D. Olvey.
Fannie L. Olvey was born on November 13. 1878, and was married on Angust 31. 1899. to George M. Andis. George M. Andis was born in John- son county, Indiana, June 9. 1871, the son of Isaac and Mary (Myers) Andis. Mr. and Mrs. Andis live with Mrs. Olvey and Mr. Andis is manager of the farm.
SAMUEL ALFORD.
Samuel Alford was born within half a mile of the place where he now lives, in Green township. Hancock county. Indiana, January 6. 1837. He is a son of John L. and Eliza ( Brawley) Alford, his father a native of West Virginia and his mother of Darke county, Ohio. The paternal grandfather was a farmer and lived and died in West Virginia. The maternal grandfather was John Brawley, he and his wife both lived and died in Darke county, Ohio.
John L. Alford was educated in West Virginia, where he spent the years of early manhood. About 1830, before his marriage, he came to Indiana and located in Green township, Hancock county, where he entered a tract of one hundred and sixty acres of government land. all of which was timber land with no cabin or house of any kind, and without any improvements. He built a small log cabin in which he and his young wife began housekeeping. He then began the arduous work of clearing his land and putting it in shape for cultivation, adding to his cultivated fields from year to year until he had a large acreage yielding bountiful crops. In the meantime he built a comfort- able house for a residence and erected other necessary farm buildings. He also added other acres to his land possessions from time to time until he had accumulated a farm of more than three hundred acres. Here he remained until his death : the death of his wife occurred about twenty years prior to his own.
John L. Alford was the first justice of the peace in Green township.
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Politically, he was an ardent advocate of the principles of the old Whig party in the days when that party was a militant organization in national politics. When the Whig party was dissolved he became identified with the Republi- can party, and voted for all the candidates of that party for President, from John C. Fremont, until the time of his death. He was the father of eleven children. He and his family were members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Samuel Alford received his education in the schools of Green township. and spent his boyhood years working on his father's farm. On attaining his majority he engaged in farming for himself, starting life in a log cabin. He has at present ninety-four acres on which he built a home, farm buildings, and made all the other improvements. Mr. Alford was married in September. 1855. to Mary M. Fuqua, who was born in Kentucky and came to Indiana with her parents, Perry and America ( Taylor) Fuqua. They first located in Putnam county, Indiana, and afterward came to Hancock county. Mrs. Alford died in July, 1891, leaving the following living children : Marion B .. Sheldon A., Cora B. and Cordelia: her other children, Lafayette. John L., William P., Thomas M. and Eliza, are deceased.
Samuel Alford's second wife was Sarah A. Jackson, to whom he was married on March 30, 1893. She was born in Madison county, Indiana, the daughter of Andrew and Kechura ( Bolden ) Jackson, he a native of Indiana, she of North Carolina. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Sarah .A. ( Jack- son) Alford were Levi and Elizabeth ( Harden) Jackson, of Kentucky, who were among the pioneer settlers of Madison county. Indiana. Iler maternal grandparents came from North Carolina and located in Hancock county in the early times. Mrs. Alford's children by a former marriage were : Jennie. Leonard, Cora and Agnes. Mr. and Mrs. Alford are members of the Meth- ist Episcopal church.
CHARLES TITUS, M. D.
Dr. Charles Titus, of Wilkinson, one of the best-known and most success- ful physicians in Hancock county, is a native Hoosier, born in Madison county, this state, February 14. 1870, youngest of the fourteen children born 10 Samuel and Eliza ( Seward) Titus, the former a native of the state of New Jersey and the latter of Ohio, who settled in Indiana in the early forties and spent the rest of their lives in this state.
Samuel Titus was born in the town of Salem, New Jersey, in 1816 and when fifteen years oldl went to Cincinnati, where he was engaged in the manu-
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facture of brick until his marriage, when about twenty-five years old, after which. in 1841. he and his wife came to Indiana and established their home on a farm near Markleville, in Madison county, becoming substantial and influ- ential residents of the community in which they settled. Mrs. Titus, who was born in Mt. Pleasant, a suburb of Cincinnati, in 1820. died in January, 1871, and Samuel Titus survived her more than fifteen years, his death occur- ring on June 9. 1886. They were earnest members of the Baptist church and their children were reared in that faith. Samuel Titus was a progressive and energetic farmer and left an estate valued, at the time of his death, at about sixty thousand dollars, which today is worth three times that amount.
Charles Titus was but an infant when his mother died and was sixteen years old when his father died. He was reared on the home farm and his elementary schooling was obtained in the schools of Markleville. He then entered Spiceland Academy, from which he was graduated in 1891, after which he began the study of medicine in the office of Dr. R. D. Hanna at Warrington. this county. Thus equipped by preparatory study he entered Bellevue Medical College at New York City and was graduated from that institution in 1894. Upon receiving his degree Doctor Titus returned home and in that same year was admitted to partnership with Doctor Hanna, his old preceptor. at Warrington. This mutually agreeable partnership continued until the death of Doctor Hanna two years later, in 1896, after which Doctor Titus continued practice alone in Warrington until 1914. a period of about twenty-two years, after which he moved to the neighboring village of Wilkin- son, in order to enjoy the better facilities of waterworks and electric lights. and has been practicing there ever since. Doctor Titus keeps fully abreast of the latest advances in his profession and in 1902 took a post-graduate course at the Post-Graduate Medical College at Chicago. Doctor Titus is a Demo- crat, but has never taken an active part in political affairs. He and his wife are members of the Baptist church and take a warm interest in local good works.
Mrs. Titus, who is a most competent and valuable helpmate for the Doc- tor, was Matilda Trees before her marriage and was born in the village of Warrington. this county, July 28, 1877, daughter of William and Margaret ( McMahan) Trees, the former of whom was born in this county and the latter in the state of New York and both of whom are still living. Mrs. Titus received her schooling in Warrington and early evinced an unusual aptitude for music. She was given a musical education in one of the leading conserva- tories of music at Chicago and upon her return to Warrington began teaching music and was thus engaged at the time of her marriage to Doctor Titus in
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1914. Doctor Titus is a thirty-second-degree Mason, a member of the Indian- apolis Consistory, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, and a Knight Templar, a member of the commandery at Greenfield and Murat Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Odd Fellows and in the affairs of all these organizations takes a warm interest.
GEORGE SPENCER WILSON.
George Spencer Wilson, superintendent of the Indiana state institute for the education of the blind at Indianapolis, was born at Greenfield, this county, September 10, 1858, son of John and Martha (Milton) Wilson, the former a native of Ireland, of Scottish descent, and the latter of Indiana, of Virginia colonial descent, for many years prominent and well-known residents of Greenfield.
John Wilson was born in Moneymore, County Londonderry, in the north of Ireland, April 11, 1811, and attended school in the city of Londonderry for a number of years. His parents were well-to-do residents of that city. He was educated at Oxford University with a view to entering holy orders, his great ambition having been to become a minister of the Church of England, with missionary powers in behalf of the masses of British India. After his ordination he was detailed to a mission in India, but his voice failing at that time he was compelled to abandon his great ideal. In 1843 he came to the United States and presently came to Indiana, locating in Greenfield, where he spent the remainder of his life, one of the most highly esteemed residents of that city. He became a naturalized citizen in 1860.
Not long after coming to this state John Wilson married Martha Milton, who was born in, Kentucky, July 26, 1825, and migrated to Rush county. Indiana, with her parents. She died at Greenfickl in the fall of 1895. Mr. Wilson survived his wife less than one year, his death occurring on April 8. 1896. He was accompanied to the United States by one of his brothers, whose son, George B. Wilson, is now owner of the old homestead of President Buchanan at Wheatland, Pennsylvania, the same furnishings that were used there during the President's life time still being retained by the present occupant.
George S. Wilson was reared in Greenfield, the city of his birth, and received his elementary education in the public schools of that city. He then
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took a special course at Indiana University, after which he entered the ranks of Hancock county's public school teachers. After teaching in district schools for several terms he was appointed principal of the schools of Cleveland, this county, and a year later was appointed principal of the schools at Charlottes- ville. Two years later he was appointed principal of the schools at Fortville and a year later became principal of the Greenfield high school, a position he held for six years, at the end of which time he was appointed superintendent of the Greenfield public schools, continuing in that responsible position for seven years, or until his appointment in 1898 to the position of superintendent of the state school for the blind at Indianapolis, which highly important posi- tion he ever since has held, during which time he has become one of the best- known educators of the blind in the United States.
In association with Thomas S. McAloney, superintendent of the Western Pennsylvania institution for the blind, and H. Randolph Latimer, executive secretary and head teacher of the Maryland school for the blind at Baltimore. Superintendent Wilson is now engaged on the great and important task of preparing a uniform system of type for the use of the blind, a new raised- letter system that will affect every blind person who reads punctographic type. This commission on uniform type for the blind was appointed in the summer of 1915 at a joint meeting of the American Association of Workers for the Blind and the American Association of Instructors of the Blind. The work of the commission consists of going over investigations and recommendations already made by a committee of ten blind persons, who, after several years of painstaking labor, originated a tentative uniform system of writing and printing. Just how long the commission of three will be at work on the project is not known. It will probably be a matter of years. But it is expected in the end to be one of the greatest benefits possible for blind people all over the world.
On February 11, 1893. George S. Wilson was united in marriage to Daisy D. Steele, who was born in this county, daughter of Hans and Eliza .A. ( Jack- son) Steele, the former of whom died in 1876. and the latter of whom, one of the old residents of Hancock county, is still living at Greenfield, and to this union four children have been born, namely : Miriam, a senior at Butler Col- lege ; Ione, also a student at Butler: George, a student of the Indianapolis grade schools, and Helen Louise, also in school. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Wilson is a Republican and a member of the Columbia Club at Indianapolis. He retains his membership in the Temple Club at Greenfield and is a Mason and a member of the Knights of Pythias, in the affairs of which organizations he takes a warm interest.
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