USA > Indiana > Hancock County > History of Hancock county, Indiana; its people, industries and institutions > Part 110
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CHARLES PRESCHER.
Charles Prescher was born at Neudorf, by Borkendorf, near Neisse. Silesia, Germany, April 22, 1854. He is a son of Charles and Zosepha ( Knofel) Prescher, who were both natives of that same place in Germany. The former died in Germany in 1864 and the latter came to America in 1883 and spent her last years with her son, Paul, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she died in 1911, at the advanced age of ninety years. She was born in 1821.
Charles Prescher, Sr., was a blacksmith by trade. He was but forty- seven years old when he died. He was born in 1817. He was the father of ten children, four boys and six girls : Anna, Frank, Matilda, Zosepha, Mary, Charles, who was the subject of this sketch; Francesca, Martha, Andrew and Paul. Of the above named, Frank, Matilda and Zosepha remained in Ger- many and Matilda is now deceased. The others came to America at different times. Charles, who is the subject of this sketch, was the first to come and the others followed. All are living except Mary.
Charles Prescher spent his childhood and youth in Germany. There he received his common school education and there he worked as a little boy in his father's blacksmith shop. He later learned the trade of a pump-maker. lle remained in Germany until he was twenty-six years of age and in May, 1880. he came to America on the steamer "Egypt." landing in New York on May 23, of that year. For about nine weeks he worked as a gardener in New York City. He then came west to Indianapolis, where he worked for
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Charles Mayer & Company for nine months. AAbout this time he was mar- ried to Theresa Gruner, who was born at Kaindorf, near his birthplace in Germany. December 29. 1857. She was the daughter of Ignatz Gruner and wife. She came to America in 1883 and located in Indianapolis. After their marriage Mr. Prescher worked for AAndrew Schildmeier for the next three years.
In August, 1886, Mr. Prescher bought a fifty-acre tract of land of Thomas Eaton, two miles southwest of New Palestine. For this land he paid thirty-two dollars an acre. At that time there were no improvements on the land and it was nearly all covered with timber. Mr. Prescher built a two- room frame house and a log stable and then proceeded to clear the land and till it, and to gradually improve it. In 1908 he bought another tract of forty acres adjoining his home place on the west. For this he paid a hundred dollars an acre. He now has ninety acres in all. In 1907 he remodeled and enlarged his house, making a beautiful eight-room residence. His other im- provements consisted of a barn and other smaller buildings in keeping with the surroundings. He cultivates about fifty acres of corn and about twenty acres of small grain. He usually feeds about thirty head of hogs. Ile at- tributes his profits to corn and hogs and dairy and poultry products. He is the father of the following children : Henry, who married Cordia Vest and who has two children ; Charlie, who married Anna Richman and who resides near Indianapolis: Valeska, Minnie and Anna, who are single. Mr. and Mrs. Prescher both belong to the Evangelical Zion church of New Palestine. Mr. Prescher is a Democrat in politics. On November 24. 1915. Mr. Prescher and family moved to 344 South Emerson avenue, Indianapolis, where he has built a modern, seven-room residence. He now rents his farm.
ORLEN F. THOMAS.
Orlen F. Thomas was born on April 25, 1882, a son of Andrew C. and Caroline ( Reese ) Thomas. Andrew C. Thomas was born on September 27, 1846 and died on July 4. 1900. He was the son of Iliram T. and Elizabeth Thomas. Hiram Thomas came to this county and entered land from the government. He walked from Hancock county to Indianapolis and entered his tract of land. The land was covered with timber and was not well drained. On this he built a log cabin and barn and cleared a part of it. Caroline Reese, the daughter of Elisha and Eliza Reese, was born on June 28. 1850,
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and came to Hancock county in 1860 when she was ten years old. She came with her grandmother, Rebecca Hibben, and lived for a while with an uncle. John Thompson, in Brandywine township. She was married to Andrew C. Thomas in 1873 and to this union were born three children: Clarence, George and Orlen.
Andrew C. Thomas received his early education at the Thomas school house. He worked and made money enough to purchase a tract of land and he cleared most of this land and drained it and put it in a high state of cultivation. He built a house and barn and other buildings. At the time of his death he was one of the most successful farmers in this part of the county. He was a member of the Christian church and so was his wife. He was one of the best supporters of the church. He was a Democrat in politics.
Orlen F. Thomas was married on October 16, 1907, to Ethel Gertrude Boring, who was born in Shelby county on October 1, 1885, and who was the daughter of Franklin Pierce and Elizabeth Ann Noe Boring. He was born in Shelby county on September 12, 1852, and she was born in Rush county, July 22, 1854. He was a farmer and had a hundred and forty acres of land, well improved. On this he had a good barn and house. He had a well planted orchard. He died on July 30, 1914, at the age of sixty-one years. He was a Democrat in politics and both he and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He belonged to the Knights of Pythias and the Red Men's lodge. His active life was spent in Shelby county, but his last years he spent in Hancock county. His wife is still living. They were the parents of the following children : Vernie C .. Mrs. Alma E. Karr, Elmer, Leslie, Ethel G., who is the wife of the subject of this sketch, and Earl E.
Orlen F. Thomas received his early education in Brandywine township in the common schools. He lived with his father until his father's deatlı and then afterward lived on the old homestead of sixty-three acres. He has improved the place and has built new buildings. He is a progressive farmer. He is the father of the following children : Frances Laverne, born on January 26. 1909, and Earl Cleo, who was born on May 21, 1913.
Orlen F. Thomas is a member of the Christian church and his wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and Red Men's lodge. He is a Democrat in politics and has al- ways taken an active interest in the success of his party. At present, he is township trustee, having been elected at the last election. He is one of Han- cock county's best citizens and a young man whose honesty and integrity is beyond question.
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George B. Thomas, who is the eldest brother of the subject of this sketch, was born on May 31. 1879. He lives in Hazeldell, Illinois. He is a practicing physician. He received his early education in the common schools of Brandywine township and later went to the State Normal at Terre Haute and the University of Valparaiso, at Valparaiso. He taught school in Brandywine township and at New Palestine for a number of years and afterward spent two years in the government service, working among the Indians in Oklahoma and in North and South Dakota. He was general over- seer of the different reservations of which he had charge. Ile was in this service two years and after his time was up he went to Bennett Medical College in Chicago for four years. . After his graduation he received an in- ternship in St. John's Hospital and after this he went to Illinois and has been engaged in the practice of his profession. He graduated from medical school in 1914 and located in Hazeldell in January, 1915. For a young man without friends he has built up a large practice. It is his intention to come to Indiana later and begin practice if he does not enter the Indian service.
JOHNSTON HENRY FRANK.
The subject of this sketch was born in Mercer county, Ohio, March II. 1866, a son of Matthew L. and Matilda ( Johnston) Frank. Matthew L. Frank was born in the same county in Ohio, and his biographical sketch will be found in another place in this volume. Matilda Johnston, who became his wife, was a native of Ireland. The paternal grandparents were Matthew S. and Nancy (Loy) Frank.
Johnston H. Frank was only four years old when he came with his par- ents to Green township, Hancock county. His boyhood days were spent on the farm and his education was received by attending the public schools of his neighborhood. When he reached manhood's estate he settled on the farm adjoining the home place where he has continued to reside. He is now the owner of two hundred and eighty acres of fine land, eighty acres of which he cleared of timber. He is engaged in general farming and stock raising, and his farm is provided with excellent barns and farm buildings which he erected, and all the appointments necessary for modern, up-to-date farming and stock- raising.
On December 6, 1888, Johnston H. Frank was married to Nora .A. Moore. daughter of Sidney and Nancy Moore, of Green township. The chikiren born
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to this union are : Nancy M., Raymond T., Matthew S., Naoma, Ruth, Ralph, Charlotte and Earl. Mr. and Mrs. Frank are members of the Eden Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Frank is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
FRANCIS G. BANKER.
Francis G. Banker, formerly a well-known capitalist of Greenfield and for years one of this city's most active and progressive business men, is a native son of Indiana. having been born at Brazil, this state. November 15, 1862, son of Amos and Francis N. (Eubanks) Banker, both natives of Darke county, Ohio, where they were married.
Amos Banker was a merchant in Ohio, later coming to Indiana. After a sometime residence at Brazil, he moved to Winchester, this state, where he died in 1864, leaving two small sons. Kansas, now living at Knightstown, Indiana, and Francis G., the subject of this sketch. Mrs. Banker married Stephen W. Deibert, of Shelby county, this state, and to that union five chil- dren were born, of whom two survive, Erie, of Butte, Montana, and Wallace, of Greenfield. Mrs. Deibert died at Morristown, in Shelby county, in 1901. at the age of sixty-seven years.
Francis G. Banker was reared at Morristown and there under the direc- tion of his stepfather learned the trade of brick-maker. In 1882 he and Mr. Deibert formed a partnership in the brick-making business and began operating a plant at Morristown. In 1884 they moved the plant to Green- field and the next year Mr. Banker became the sole owner of the same. His business continued to grow from the very start and in 1890 he moved his plant to a site in West Tague street, where he had more room for expansion. Five years later he was compelled to seek an even larger field for expansion and moved to an eligible site in West Greenfield, where he operated one of the largest and best-equipped brick manufacturing plants in central Indiana, and during which time he not only supplied the larger part of the local demand, but made heavy shipments to all parts of Indiana, Ohio and Illinois. Mr. Banker's business interests were not confined wholly to his brick factory. He became heavily interested in the gas business and was a stockholder in the old Indianapolis & Eastern Railway Company, having been one of the promoters of that road and president of the company which constructed it in 1800-1891. In 1907 he organized the Brooklyn Brick Company, at Brooklyn, this state. and erected one of the most complete brick factories in the state at that place.
FRANCIS G. BANKER
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the product of which, on account of the superior quality of the clay hereabout, immediately met a large demand, which is increasing each year. To the management of this plant he now devotes the major part of his time. Mr. Banker is a Republican and for four years, 1892-96, served as councilman from the second ward in the Greenfield city council. He also for some time served as a member of the city school board.
On September 22, 1882, at Shelbyville, this state, Franeis G. Banker was united in marriage to Laura Griffey, who was born in that city, and to that union five children were born, of whom but one now survives, Harry C. Banker, of Greenfield. Mr. Banker married, secondly, at Indianapolis, July 15, 1907, Anna C. Clyman, who was born in Kentucky and who came to Indiana in 1904. Mr. and Mrs. Banker are members of the Methodist church. They now reside at No. 4711 East Washington street, Indianapolis.
SCOTT BRANDENBURGH.
Winfield Scott . Brandenburgh was born in Moral township. Shelby county. September 18, 1880. He is the son of James Henry and Fidelia ( Rawlings) Brandenburgh. James Henry Brandenburgh was born on the old Brandenburgh homestead, one and one-half miles southeast of New Palestine, in 1852, and died in February, 1884. He was the son of James Oliver and Marie (Snodgrass) Brandenburgh, and further details of the life of the former are set out in the biographical sketch of Elwood O. Bran- denburg, presented on another page of this volume.
Fidelia Rawlings was born in Sugar Creek township. May 17, 1856. She was the daughter of Stephen and Sarah .\. (Cones ) Rawlings, who were of the oldest pioneer families in Sugar Creek township. Hancock county, and Moral township. Shelby county. Stephen Rawlings was the son of Samuel Rawlings and wife, who entered one hundred and sixty acres of land in Moral township. Shelby county, four and one-half miles south of New Palestine. Winfield Scott Brandenburgh moved with his parents from Shelby county when he was two years old to a farm one and one-fourth miles southeast of New Palestine. It was there his father died, after which his mother and two children returned to her father's home. A few months later she took charge of a toll house on the okl Brookville road, just west of New Palestine. In 1885 she was married to Fred Schilling, of Sugar Creek township, who was a native of Germany. After her marriage they took up their residence on a farm two miles east of New Palestine and one year
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later moved to a farm two and one-fourth miles northeast of New Palestine. Two years later they moved to Van Buren township. Shelby county, where they resided four years and then returned to Hancock county, and settled on a farm about three and one-half miles northeast of New Palestine. Three years later they moved back to the old place, two miles east of New Palestine. where they resided for the next eighteen years and finally settled again on the old home place, two and one-fourth miles northeast of New Palestine.
Winfield Scott Brandenburgh spent his early childhood and youth in Sugar Creek township, Hancock county, and Van Buren township, Shelby county. He attended the old No. 6 school house and his first teacher was John Garver. After finishing the common schools he started to learn the milling trade, but received an injury to his back, which necessitated his giving up the work. After his milling experience he engaged in farming for the next four years. Then with Jesse Armiger he engaged in the bakery and confectionery business at New Palestine. A year or two later he sold out to his brother, who in the meantime had taken the place of Mr. Armiger. He then went to Indianapolis, where he took a position with the Indianapolis Street Railway Company. A short time later he was taken ill. A few months later he was associated with Mr. Garver in the bakery business and he then took a position as clerk with Kitley & Geisel. For the next few months he worked for an Indianapolis grocery company and shortly after this he was again incapacitated by ill health. This lasted for about two years. After his recovery he engaged in the tailoring, pressing and cleaning business at New Palestine, which he has conducted since the spring of 1909. He also served as deputy postmaster at New Palestine.
On October 5. 1910. Winfield Scott Brandenburgh was married to Nannie Blaine Ingram, who was born in Pendleton county. Kentucky, Octo- ber 30. 1886, the daughter of Perry J. and Maria ( Browning) Ingram. They came to Connersville when Nannie was fifteen years of age, where she re- sided, with the exception of a short time, until their death. Mr. Branden- burgh is the father of two children: Electra, born on April 9. 1904. and Iona Mae, born April 14. 1911. Mr. Brandenburgh is a member and trustee of the Christian church and his wife is also a member of this church. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, London Lodge No. 166. He is a Dem- ocrat in politics and was elected in November. 1914. to the office of trustee of Sugar Creek township after a very spirited campaign. He enjoys the re- spect of his fellow citizens. He is not only one of the chief officers of the township, but as a man and citizen his character and reputation are above question.
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JOHN H. BINFORD.
In the memorial annals of Hancock county few names stand out with greater distinctness than that of the late John H. Binford, educator, lawyer. historian and financier, who for years occupied a position of prominence and influence in the social, cultural and commercial circles of this community. . \ native of this county, he spent the most of his life here and was ever devoted to the promotion of the best interests of the community to which he was so fondly attached. In 1882 Mr. Binford compiled and published a history of Hancock county, which still stands an enduring monument to his memory- an invaluable contribution to local letters. Into that notable labor of love Mr. Binford poured the ripest fruits of his rich and varied experience and in thus preserving the results of his long and painstaking research into the musty records of the past performed a most notable service in behalf of the people of this county. Covering the period from the first settlement of Hancock county in 1818 to the year 1882, Mr. Binford's history was a com- plete, accurate and concise record of the chief events which had marked the progress of civilization hereabout from wilderness days and it stands today as an authoritative work along that line. It was a large undertaking success- fully carried out and those books today are cherished and highly prized by all who are fortunate enough to have a copy of the same in their libraries.
John H. Binford was born on a pioneer farm in Blue River township. this county, April 13, 1844, son of Robert and Martha (Ilill) Binford, the former a native of North Carolina and the latter of Indiana. Robert Binford was born in Northampton county. North Carolina. July 2, 1813. and was thirteen years old when he came with his parents to Indiana, the family settling in Blue River township, this county, and there he grew to manhood. doing well his part in the work of developing the pioneer home farm. Ile married Martha Hill, who lived over in the neighboring county of Rush, where she was born, daughter of John Hill, a pioneer citizen of that county. and where she lived until her marriage. After his marriage Robert Binford established his home on a farm in Blue River township. this county, and there he spent the rest of his life, his death occurring on February 2, 1884. he then being seventy-one years of age. His wife also was past seventy years of age at the time of her death.
Reared on the home farm in Blue River township. John H. Binford received his elementary education in the carly district schools of that neigh- borhood. supplementing the same by a course of one year in Earlham College. at Richmond, which he entered in 1862, at the age of eighteen. lle then
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began his long and useful career as a teacher, his first school being the Hope- well school, in his home township, receiving seventy-five dollars for the three- months' term. He continued teaching and attending school for a few years and then entered the National Normal School at Lebanon. Ohio, from which he presently was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Science. His health becoming impaired about that time, Mr. Binford sought relief in the South and there was engaged as principal of the graded schools of Little Rock. Arkansas. During his service there Mr. Binford did much toward the eleva- tion of educational standards in that state and was chiefly instrumental in the organization of the first county teachers' association in that state and in founding the Arkansas State Teachers' Association. He also was twice elected delegate to the conventions of the National Education Association, the meetings of which on those occasions were held at Trenton, New Jersey, and Ithaca, New York. Upon his return to Indiana Mr. Binford was given charge of the schools at Newport and soon thereafter was appointed super- intendent of schools for Hancock county. During that incumbency of two years he was appointed, in 1874, assistant attorney-general in and for Han- cock county. It was during that time that he organized and conducted Han- cock county's first normal school. In 1875 he was appointed deputy county treasurer for the townships of Blue River. Brandywine, Center and the city of Greenfield and in that same year was elected principal of the Greenfield public schools, a position he held for two years, during which time he insti- tuted many valuable reforms in the local school system and gave an impetus to the work of the schools which is felt to this day.
In the meantime Mr. Binford's natural inclinations had long been turn- ing him in the direction of the law and he had been sedulously reading law in his home. In 1877 he quit the school room and gave himself up to the pursuit of the law as a profession. Entering the law office of New & Barrett at Greenfield he made rapid advancement under that able preceptorship and was soon admitted to the bar. Not long thereafter he was appointed head of the law department of the Montgomery County Normal College and was there engaged in teaching law for one year, at the end of which time he re- turned to Greenfield and opened an office for the practice of his profession and thus continued in active practice the rest of his life. In addition to his legal practice Mr. Binford also became extensively engaged in the brokerage and banking business and was very successful in that line, becoming one of the wealthiest and most influential financiers in this county. For years Mr. Binford had been interested in historical research work along local lines and had been painstakingly compiling the data on which was based his notable
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"History of Hancock County," published in 1882. In many other ways Mr. Binford made his presence felt in good ways hereabout and there was a general feeling of real loss in this community when he died on April 20, 1912.
John H. Binford was twice married, his first marriage taking place in Wayne county, this state, on June 26, 1873, when he married Lucy Cogges- hall, who was born in that county on May 2, 1852, and who died in Sep- tember. 1889. To that union six children were born, namely: Gertrude. born on April 9. 1874. now deceased : Edgar .V., November 26, 1875. deceased : Robert J .. March 31, 1879. a lieutenant of infantry in the United States army: Paul F., December 31. 1880, a well-known lawyer of Greenfiekl : Frank L., May 11. 1886, of Indianapolis, and Florence. January 4. 1880, who married David C. MeCutcheon and is living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
On March 25, 1891, John I1. Binford married, secondly, at Fort Wayne. Indiana, Florence Clark, who was born in that city on December 29, 1854, daughter of John H. and Marian (Shippy)' Clark. To John H. and Florence (Clark) Binford two children were born, John Clark and Morton C.
WOOD L. WALKER.
Wood L. Walker, general manager of the department store of the J. Ward Walker Company, at Greenfield, this county, and for years recognized as one of the leading business men of that city, is a native son of Greenfield and has lived in that city all his life. He was born in July, 1864, son of J. Ward and Mary J. (Todd) Walker, long prominent residents of Greenfield, the former for years and until the time of his death, early in 1915. having been regarded as a leader in the commercial life of Hancock county.
J. Ward Walker was born in the town of Pendleton, Madison county. Indiana, March 11, 1836, son of John Wood Walker and wife, the former a merchant of that place. John Wood Walker was a Virginian who came to Indiana in 1833 and settled in Madison county, where for a time he engaged in farming. From 1846 to 1852 he operated a blacksmith shop and in 1853 opened a general store at Pendleton, remaining in business there until 1858. in which year he moved his stock to Greenfield, and was thus engaged in busi- ness there the rest of his life, his death occurring in 1883 : and thus was founded the present prosperous business conducted by the J. Ward Walker Company. Up to 1864 the store was conducted under the firm name of G. H. and J. Ward Walker : from 1864 to 1868 it was J. Ward Walker & Company, and from the
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