USA > Indiana > Hancock County > History of Hancock county, Indiana; its people, industries and institutions > Part 88
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In 1893 John A. Turk was united in marriage to Nora E. Alfrey, who was born in Marion county, this state, July 7, 1876, and who came to this county with her parents when she was a young girl, and to this union one child has been born, a son, Donivan AArthur Eugene. Mr. and Mrs. Turk are mem- bers of the Methodist Protestant church, Mr. Turk being one of the office bearers in that church. Mr. Turk is a Mason, an Odd Fellow and a Red Man and he and his wife are both members of the Pocahontas degree of the latter order.
ALLEN F. COOPER.
Allen F. Cooper, county treasurer of Hancock county, who is now serving his second term in that important and responsible office, is a native son of Hancock county, having been born on a farm in Center township, November 10, 1862, son of Harrison L. and Mary A. (Johnson ) Cooper, the former of whom also was a native of this county and the latter a native of the state of Kentucky.
Harrison L. Cooper was born in Green township, this county. February 27. 1839. son of Elijah Cooper and wife, pioneers of that township, who had come to this part of Indiana from Boone county, Kentucky, the Coopers having entered Kentucky by way of Virginia in the preceding generation. Elijah Cooper, who was born in 1799, was a man of large influence in an earlier day in this county and both he and his wife did much in the way of bringing about proper conditions of social and economic life in the neigh- borhood in which they settled. Elijah Cooper was a farmer and became a large landowner. Hle possessed much political influence and for some time served as treasurer of the county, the position which his grandson now holds. His death occurred in 1865, he then being sixty-six years of age. Harrison L. Cooper was reared on the pioneer farm and was a farmer all his life, be- coming the owner of a good piece of property in Center township. He was a Democrat and took an active part in political affairs. He was a member of
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the Odd Fellows lodge and in the affairs of that organization took a warm interest. About the year 1860 he married Mary A. Johnson, of Boone county, Kentucky, and to this union four children were born, namely: Listina, who died at the age of sixteen years; Allen F .. the subject of this biographical sketch: Charles E .. who is manager of the telephone company at Norfolk. Nebraska, and Berilla, who died in 1899. Harrison L. Cooper died in 1881, he then being forty-two years of age.
Allen F. Cooper was reared on the paternal farm in this county and was educated in the schools at Greenfieldl. He then went to Boone county, Ken- tricky, where he worked on a farm for five years, at the end of which time he returned to Greenfield and learned the blacksmith trade under Lumbach & Barr. In 1890 he and Wallace Everson formed a partnership and were en- gaged together in the blacksmith business until 1896, in which year the part- nership was dissolved and in January. 1897. Mr. Cooper entered into a part- nership with Taylor Morford. under the firm name of Morford & Cooper. which continued quite successfully until Mr. Cooper retired from business at the close of the year 1912 in order to take up his duties of the office of county treasurer, to which responsible and important office he had been elected in the preceding election. Mr. Cooper is an ardent Democrat and for years has taken an active part in the political affairs of his home county. In 1902-03 he served as a member of the Greenfield city council and in the election of 1(12 was elected county treasurer by a big majority. So satisfactory was his service in behalf of the public in this connection that he was re-elected in 1914 and is now serving his second term in the county treasurer's office. Mr. Cooper is president of the local club of the "Dixie Highway" association, or- ganized for the purpose of promoting a great trunk highway from Chicago to Cincinnati, and for seven years he was one of the most active members of the Greenfield volunteer fire department. In other ways Mr. Cooper has dis- played his interest in general affairs hereabout and long has been looked upon as one of the most progressive and public-spirited citizens of Greenfield.
On June 27. 1893. Allen F. Cooper was united in marriage at Columbus, Indiana, to Elizabeth .1. Con, who was born in Ripley county, this state. . \u- gust 6, 1867. daughter of Joshua and Jane ( Johnson) Conn. natives of In- diana and both of whom are still living. Joshua Conn was a farmer and building contractor until the time of his retirement from active labor. He is a veteran of the Civil War. having served for four years in an Indiana regiment during the struggle between the states in the sixties. Ilis daughter, Elizabeth, was educated in the Columbus schools and after her graduation from the high school in that city was engaged as a teacher
BIOGRAPHICAL.
in the city schools and taught there for five years, having been thus engaged up to the time of her marriage to Mr. Cooper. Mr. and Mrs. Cooper are earnest members of the Christian church at Greenfield. Mr. Cooper being the present secretary of the board of deacons of that congregation. For years he has been active in the business of the church and has held practically every office in the church save that of elder, having been one of the trustees of the church for more than ten years. He and his wife have a very pleasant home at 233 East North street, which is the scene of much genial hospitality, and they are held in the highest esteem by their many friends hereabout. Mr. Cooper is a Mason and a member of the local commandery of the Knights Templar. He also is an active member of the local lodge of the Knights of Pythias and is past chancellor of the lodge.
ARTHUR C. VAN DUYN.
Arthur C. Van Duyn. well-known attorney-at-law, of Greenfield, this county, and former prosecuting attorney for this judicial district, is a native son of Hancock county, having been born on a farm in Brown township on October 20, 1870, son of George W. and Sarah AA. (Tague ) Van Duyn, the former a native of Henry county, this state, and the latter of this county, who are now living pleasantly retired at Shirley, this county.
George W. Van Duyn was reared to the life of the farm in Henry county and lived there until his marriage, after which he moved to Brown township. this county, where he became a substantial farmer and where he and his wife made their home until their retirement from the farm in 1910, since which time they have resided in Shirley, where they are very comfortably situated. To them seven children have been born, of whom the subject of this bio- graphical sketch is the eldest, and all of whom are still living, the others being as follow : Claud, a Hancock county farmer; Emma, who married William Burns, a farmer, who works in Shirley. Indiana; Obe, who is a farmer and school teacher ; Alice, who married Floyd Kitterman, a Henry county farmer ; Nellie, who married Thomas Brookshire, a painting contractor, of Henry county, and Charles, a farmer.
Upon completing the course in the district schools of his home township. Arthur C. Van Duyn taught school for a couple of terms in Brown township and then attended the Central Normal College at Danville for three terms. after which he resumed teaching and was thus engaged for about ten years.
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teaching eight years in Brown township, one year in Blue River township and one year in Vernon township, during which time he also was conducting a general store at Shirley. In 1893 he was appointed postmaster at Shirley and held that commission for four years. During all these years Mr. Van Duyn had been a close student of the law and had devoted much of his leisure to the careful reading of the law, becoming thoroughly grounded in the rudi- ments of the profession, and on July 5. 1898, sold his store at Shirley and moved to Greenfield, where he took a further course in reading under a com- petent preceptor and was admitted to the bar on examination that same year. Ile opened an office for the practice of his profession in that city, his first location having been in the Masonic Temple, and has been practicing in Green- field ever since, his present office being in the Thayer building. In 1900, two years after taking up the practice of the law, Mr. Van Duyn was elected prosecuting attorney for this judicial district, on the Democratic ticket, and in 1902 was re-elected to the same office, serving in that important public capacity for four years. He later was appointed county attorney and served in that office for two years. Mr. Van Duyn has been successful in his prac- tice and has other interests outside the legal profession, being the owner of a fine tract of farm land in Montana.
In 1802 Arthur C. Van Duyn was united in marriage to Perilee Eakin. who was born in this county in 1873. daughter of James and Hester ( Bales) Eakin, both natives of this county and well-to-do farmers, and to this union two children have been born, Raymond C. and Eva Pearl. The Van Duyns have many friends in and about Greenfield and are held in high esteem by all. Mr. Van Duyn is a Mason and a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Improved Order of Red Men and takes a warm interest in the affairs of these organizations.
THOMAS B. LEARY.
Thomas B. Leary was born on March 12, 1865. in Center township. the son of Thomas J. and Marjorie ( Johnson ) Leary. Thomas J. Leary was born in Bourbon county, Kentucky, and was married twice. His first wife was Rebecca Price, who was born in Maryland and who was the daughter of Willis R. Price, who later moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. The children by this wife were John. Parry, Willis and Jane. The second wife was Marjorie Johnson. of Wayne county, Indiana, who was a daughter of Peter Johnson, who was born in South Carolina. The children by his second wife were Sarah, Thomas
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B., the subject of this sketch; James and Louisa D., who is deceased. John Leary, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in Maryland and after his marriage moved to Franklin county, Indiana, where he purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Blooming Grove township. Thomas J. Leary, the father of the subject of this sketch, was a man who took great inter- est in politics. He made many trips to Cincinnati after he located near Green- field, Indiana, and drove large herds of stock to market. He died on March 5. 1889, and his second wife, who was the mother of the subject of this sketch, died on September 17, 1907.
Thomas B. Leary was educated in the common schools of Hancock county. He was married on March 12, 1890, to Maggie Irlton, who was born on Sep- tember 30, 1873, and who was the daughter of Robert and Catherine ( Devitt ) Irlton, who settled on a farm of eighty acres, near Fortville, Indiana. They were the parents of the following children : James, Sarah, Hannah, Lizzie, who is deceased; Robert and Maggie, who is the wife of the subject of this sketch.
Thomas B. Leary is the father of the following children : Thomas, who married Elsie Kimberley and who lives at Mohawk, Indiana ; Olive, who lives in Center township and who married Thomas Price: Dewey, Everett, Loren, Carroll, Pauline, Garnet and Violet. Mr. and Mrs. Leary are members of the Nazarene church of Mohawk, Indiana, and he contributed financially to the building of the church. They are great Sunday school workers. Mr. Leary owns a farm of one hundred and thirty acres and does general farming and contracting for gravel road building. He built a home in 1913, a beautiful residence of twelve rooms, modern, surrounded by an iron fence and a well- kept, spacious lawn.
Mr. Leary is making a success as a contractor and now has a contract for the construction of a twelve-thousand-dollar gravel road two miles north of Mt. Comfort. He is preparing to have a private railroad switch built to his gravel pit.
BENJAMIN S. BINFORD. D. D. S.
Dr. Benjamin S. Binford, well-known dentist, of Greenfield, this county. is a native son of Hancock county, having been born on a farm here, October 20. 1874, son of the Rev. Joseph O. and Huldah ( Moore ) Binford, for years prominent and influential residents of this county, the former of whom also was a native of Hancock county and the latter of North Carolina.
The Rev. Joseph O. Binford, who for years was one of the best-known (58)
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ministers of the Friends church in the central states, died at his home in Knightstown, this state. . August 18, 1910, at the age of sixty-seven, he having been born on January 21, 1843. He was reared to the life of the farm in this county and upon completing the course in the common schools here entered Earlham College at Richmond, where he was prepared for the min- istry of the Friends meeting, in which he continued an active force for a good many years thereafter. He owned a good farm in this county, which he operated quite profitably and where he maintained his established home until his retirement from the same in 1891. During his long ministry, Mr. Bin- ford traveled extensively over the United States in connection with his work in the church until the state of his health in his later years prechided his traveling. He then was stationed at Knightstown, pastor of the Friends at that place, and while there was appointed superintendent of the Indiana yearly meeting of the Friends, which appointment he maintained until about four years before his death in 1910. His widow, who was born in North Carolina on March 10, 1840, is still living at Knightstown. She came with her parents to Indiana in 1860, the family settling in Hancock county, where she married Mr. Binford. To this union seven children were born, namely: Horace L .. a well-known farmer of Center township, this county; Elmer J., an attorney, of Tampa, Florida: Mary, wife of Joseph Jay, a merchant of Greensboro. Henry county. this state : Anna J., who lives at Knightstown : Benjamin S .. the subject of this biographical sketch; Arthur O., a wholesale merchant at Louisville, Kentucky, and Ada, who married Nevil Phelps and is now living at Montrose, Colorado.
Benjamin S. Binford was reared on the home farm in Blue River town- ship, receiving his elementary education in the district school in that neigh- borhood, later entering the high school at Knightstown, from which he was graduated in 1896. In the fall of that year he entered the Indiana Dental College at Indianapolis and was graduated from that institution in 1899. with the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery. Thus equipped for the prac- tice of his profession, Doctor Binford located at Greenfield, where he opened a dental office in the Dudding-Moore block and continued in practice there for ten years, at the end of which time he moved his office to the New build- mig, where he is still located and where he enjoys an extensive practice. Doctor Binford occupies a high position in the regard of his associates in the practice of dentistry throughout this section of the state and is ex-presi- dent of the Eastern Indiana Dental Association, a member of the Indiana State Dental Society, the Indianapolis Dental Society, and the National Dental Association, in the deliberations of all of which several associations
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
he takes an active interest. The doctor has given active oversight to his mother's farm in this county and is the owner of a valuable fruit farm in the state of Washington.
On June 6, 1900. Dr. Benjamin S. Binford was united in marriage to Anna May Walker, who was born at Greenfield on September 2, 1882, elder of the two children born to Sidney L. and Emma ( Hughes ) Walker, well- known residents of Greenfield. where the former is a piano salesman, she having a brother, Ilughes Walker, and to this union three children have been born, Marjorie Bovier, Catherine Irene and Rosemary Hclen. Doctor and Mrs. Binford are members of the Presbyterian church, the doctor being an elder in that communion, and take a proper part in all good works hereabout. being held in high esteem by their many friends. Doctor Binford is a Repub- lican and gives a good citizen's attention to local political affairs, but is not included in the office-seeking class. He is a Mason and is past eminent com- mander of the Greenfield commandery of the Knights Templar, having for vears taken a warm interest in Masonic affairs.
WILLIAM I. GARRIOTT.
William I. Garriott, former auditor of Hancock county and one of the best-known insurance agents in this part of the state, district agent for two well-known companies, with offices at Greenfield, was born at Warrington. this state, October 22, 1865, and has lived in Hancock county. Indiana, all his life. He is a son of Henry C. and Eliza A. (Newman) Garriott, the former born in Brown township, this county, July 1, 1842, and the latter in Virginia. February 22. 1844, both of whom are still living, having for years made their home in Wilkinson.
Henry C. Garriott was reared on a farm in Brown township and became a farmer. When the Civil War broke out he enlisted for service on behalf of the Union cause in Company A, Fifty-seventh Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served for more than four years, during which time he received but one serious wound, which, however, did not permanently incapacitate him. Upon the completion of his military service he returned to the farm and was engaged as a farmer, also working at times as a carpenter, until 1874. in which year he traded his farm for a store at Warrington, which he con- ducted until 1889. He also built a store room at Wilkinson in 1880 and there engaged in the mercantile business until his retirement from active business
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life about 1906, since which time he and his wife have continued to make their home in that village. Mr. Garriott is an active member of the Grand Army of the Republic: a Royal Arch Mason and a Knight Templar. a member of the blue lodge and the chapter at Shirley, and of the commandery at Knights- town, and is also a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He and his wife are earnest members of the Chris- tian church and their children were reared in that faith. There were thirteen of these children, four of whom are now deceased, leaving nine sons. of whom the subject of this sketch is the eldest, the others being as follow: Charles O .. of Knightstown, this state; Frank E., of Muncie: Henry .\ .. of Indian- apolis : Korac C., of Wilkinson : Oliver N., of Greenfield : Homer C .. of Ken- nard : John W .. of Wilkinson, and Herbert L., of Columbus, Ohio.
William I. Garriott was reared at Warrington, receiving his education in the schools of that village, and when fourteen years of age took his place in his father's store, where he was well grounded in the principles of the mer- cantile business. When his father moved to Wilkinson in 1880 he became practical manager of the store in the latter place, and in 1889 bought the store at Warrington. There he remained in business umtil 1901. in which year he sold the store and moved to Greenfield, where he entered the 11. B. Thayer "Spot Cash" department store, with which concern he remained until his nomination by the Democratic party as the candidate for county auditor in the campaign of 1902. He was elected in the fall of that year and took office in 1904. serving a full term of four years. Upon retiring from office Mr. Garriott opened an insurance office in Greenfield and has ever since been very successfully engaged in that business. In February, 1913. he bought a one-half interest in the district agency for the Fidelity Phenix Fire Insurance Company, and in November, 1914. bought the remaining interest, since which time he has been district agent for that company for the territory comprising fourteen counties, with supervision over ten agents. He also is district agent for the Standard Live Stock Insurance Company of Indianapolis, and agent for the Mutual Life Insurance Company, of New York, and is doing a flourishing business in his chosen line.
On June 19. 1886. William I. Garriott was married to Fannie Belle Arm- strong, who was born in Franklin county, this state, July 27. 1868. daughter of William V. and Sarah ( Lockwood ) Armstrong, both natives of that same county, prominent farming people there, and to this union two children have been born, Ethel Fay, who married Panl H. New. of Greenfield, and Law- rence E., who married Beulah G. Mcek, and also lives in Greenfield. Mr. and Mrs. Garriott are members of the Christian church and take an active and
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
earnest interest in local good works. Mr. Garriott is a Royal Arch Mason, a member of the blue lodge and the chapter at Greenfield, is a charter member and past chancellor of Wilkinson Lodge No. 136, of the Knights of Pythias, and is now a member of Eureka Lodge, No. 20, at Greenfield; a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and a member of the Greenfield lodge of Improved Order of Red Men, in the affairs of all of which organizations he takes a warm interest.
CARL WILLIAMSON MEGAUGHEY, M. D.
Dr. Carl Williamson MeGanghey, a well-known and progressive young physician of Greenfield, this county, is a native Hoosier, having been born on a farm in Marion county, this state, nine miles southeast of the city of Indianapolis, near New Bethel, July 29. 1880, son of the Hon. John E. and Mary B. ( Lowes) McGaughey, the former a native of Indiana and the latter of Kentucky.
John E. MeGaughey was born on a farm near Brookville, in Franklin county, this state. July 1. 18448, and when a boy moved with his parents to Marion county, where he spent the remainder of his life. Ile grew up on a farm in the New Bethel neighborhood and there married Mary B. Lowes, of Indianapolis, who was born in Covington, Kentucky, in April. 1856, daughter of a Cincinnati dry-goods merchant, who was killed by being run down on the street by a fire engine. following which his widow and her children moved to Indianapolis. John E. MeGaughey was the youngest of twelve children born to his parents, there having been six sons and six daughters in the family. and he remained on the farm after his marriage until 1896, in which year he and his wife retired and moved to Irvington, a pleasant suburb of Indianapolis. where he died in 1908. Mr. MeGaughey was a Republican and for years was one of the leaders of that party in Marion county. In 18,8 he represented his district in the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly and was county commissioner of Marion county for two terms, from 1904 to 1908. In other ways he took an active part in public affairs and was ever regarded as an influential and useful citizen. Ile was a Mason and a member of several other secret societies, including the Knights of Pythias, and took a warm interest in the affairs of those organizations, Ile and his wife were members of the Presbyterian church and their children were reared in that faith. There are tour of these children, all still living. as follow: Clara, who married Frank
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Williamson, a well-to-do farmer of Darke county, Ohio: Carl W., the imme- diate subject of this biographical sketch: John E., Jr., a civil engineer and superintendent of construction of the plant of the Eli Lilly plant at Indian- apolis, and Robert M., who is prominently connected with the moving-picture business in New York City.
Carl W. McGaughey was reared on the home farm in Marion county, where he spent his youth, receiving his elementary education in school district No. 8. and was about sixteen years old when his parents moved to Irvington. the seat of Butler College. He entered the preparatory department of that excellent old institution and later matriculated at the college, from which he was graduated in 1901, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. lle then en- tered the Indiana University School of Medicine at Indianapolis and was graduated from that institution in 1904, with the degree of Doctor of Medi- cine. Upon receiving his diploma. Doctor McGaughey was appointed an in- terne in the Eastern Indiana hospital for the insane at Fairhaven, Richmond. and spent a year there. He then was appointed surgeon to the Indiana state soldiers' home at Lafayette, in which capacity he served for one year. at the end of which time, in 1907. he returned to Indianapolis and served as county health officer there for two years. In the spring of 1909 Doctor MeGaughey moved to Greenfield. this county, where he opened an office for the practice of medicine in the New block and has ever since been thus engaged. having built up a fine practice and created for himself a high place in the esteem of his associates in the profession throughout this part of the state. Doctor MeGanghey is a Republican and has served as secretary of the Greenfield city board of health, of which board he still is a member, and in all proper ways gives his thoughtful and intelligent attention to the political affairs of the county, taking a warm interest in all movements having to do with the advancement of the general welfare hereabout.
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