USA > Indiana > Hancock County > History of Hancock county, Indiana; its people, industries and institutions > Part 92
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112
JOHN F. SHELBY.
John F. Shelby, a life-long resident of Hancock county, Indiana, and a descendant of one of the earliest pioneer families, first saw the light of day within the confines of Buck Creek township on June 29. 1858. a son of Joshua W. and Nancy ( Dunn) Shelby. Joshua W. Shelby was born in Union county, this state, on June 16, 1815, a son of Joseph Shelby and wife. Joseph Shelby was a native of Kentucky and later a resident of Union county. Indiana, and in 1833 he and his family came to Hancock county, making the trip here in a covered wagon. Joseph entered a tract of one hundred and twenty acres of land in Center township, about two miles northeast of Phila- delphia, for which he paid the standard price of one dollar and a quarter per acre. This section of Hancock county was at that time all covered with virgin forest and the summer before the family moved here, Joshua W .. father of the subject of this sketch, then a young man of eighteen, came on alone and proceeded to make ready for the balance of the family. lle cleared a small space in which he erected a cabin and barn of logs. Through the years which followed. the Shelby family went through the usual experiences of the pioneers of this section and through much privation and hard labor. managed to get their land partly cleared and drained before the death of the
949
BIOGRAPHICAL.
head of the family. Joseph Shelby's wife survived him a number of years, spending the latter part of her life with her youngest son, Brown, on the old homestead. Joseph Shelby and wife were the parents of six children, namely : Joshua W., John. Lydia, Becky Jane, Benjamin Franklin and Brown, all of whom are deceased.
Joshua W. Shelby remained with his parents, assisting them in making a home on their newly acquired land, until the time of his marriage at the age of twenty-four. On December 26, 1839. he was joined in wedlock with Nancy Dunn, born in South Carolina, October . 1813. The Dunn family were also early pioneers of Buck Creek township, their old family homestead being about three-fourths of a mile southwest of Mt. Comfort. Nancy Dunn was one of the elder of a large family of children and remembered the trip from their North Carolina home in a covered wagon to the new location in Indiana. Directly after marriage, Joshua W. Shelby built a log cabin on a part of the Dunn farm, but remained there but a few months when he entered from the government one hundred and twenty acres in section 21. of Buck Creek township, and proceeded to make a home for himself as had other hardy pioneers of this section. His land was marshy, necessitating consid- crable drainage, as well as the cutting of timber. He made great headway in getting his land all under cultivation and in later years built a substantial house of six rooms with double log barn and other buildings. His death occurred on January 5, 1889, and his widow survived him but a short time. passing away on May 11, of that same year.
Joshua W. Shelby and wife were the parents of seven chikIren, as fol- low: Calvin F .. born on March 5, 1841, died on April 11, 1914 ; Samuel \ .. September 1, 1843: Sarah J., March 20, 1848; Lydia .A., September 21, 1850. died on March 21. 1915: Elvira H., June 27, 1854, died on June 5. 1877 : John F., June 29. 1858.
John F. Shelby passed his boyhood and youth on the old homestead, where he still resides, and received his education at the old No. 7. district school, his first teacher being Miss Welling, who taught him at the old "Pop- lar Log" school. John F. Shelby assisted with the home work until the time of his marriage, at the age of twenty-five, on November 23, 1883, to Sarah M. Eastes, born in Buck Creek township on September 8. 1859. She is a daughter of John N. and Sarah ( Casey) Fastes, both of whom came to this county in the early days. Sarah Eastes was one of a family of seven chil- dren and had also six half-brothers and sisters.
After marriage, John F. Shelby settled on twenty-eight acres which he had bought before his marriage, adjoining the okl homestead on the north-
950
HANCOCK COUNTY, INDIANA.
west. For this land he paid fifty-three and one-half dollars per acre and it had on it a three-room log house and a small frame barn, twenty-four by twenty. He also farmed his father's place, continuing in this fashion up to the time of his father's death in 1880. when he received a portion of the homestead as his share and purchased the balance from the other heirs, all except fourteen acres belonging to a sister. This gave John F. Shelby one hundred and thirty-four acres and in addition to this, he has purchased eighty acres in section 24, making him two hundred and fourteen acres in all. Mr. Shelby has erected on his farm a comfortable seven-room house, also a good barn. fifty by fifty, corn-crib and granary and other buildings. He is re- garded as one of the successful farmers of his section, giving his attention to diversified farming and the raising of live stock.
There are five children in John F. Shelby's family: Claude, single and at home: Carl, married Lena King and has one child. John .Anthony : Grace. wife of Fred Elliott. has one child. Lois Hazel: Hazel, wife of Herbert Fink. and Homer, at home. Both Mr. and Mrs. Shelby are members of the United Brethren church, which society he also serves as trustee, and he holds his fraternal affiliation with the Free and Accepted Masons through Lodge No. 140. at Oaklandon. Politically, he is a Democrat and served Buck Creek township as trustee from 1909 to 1913. discharging his duties in a manner satisfactory to all. Mr. Shelby is one of the stalwart citizens of this county. who have always stood for all that is highest and best in community life, and has added his quota to the general development of the community in which he has always lived.
ROBERT HURLEY.
Robert Hurley, generally conceded to be one of Buck Creek township. Hancock county's, most successful farmers and for many many years a teacher in the public schools of the county, has a personal history differing consid- erably from that of his fellow citizens. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, on July 6. 1855. he was the ellest son of the family of three children of Dennis and Mary Hurley. Dennis Hurley was born in Ireland, while Mary, his wife. was born in England about 1831 and died in 1861 when but thirty years of age. Dennis came to America when a youth and was here married. He re- sided in Baltimore and was engaged in the oyster business. Shortly after the death of his young wife and at the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted and went to the front, never being heard from again. It is presumed that he was
951
BIOGRAPHICAL.
killed, but no record of his death was ever known. Patrick, the brother next to Robert, died when a small child, and John, the baby, was taken into the home of two maiden sisters of Dennis, residing in Baltimore. Robert was taken into the family of his father's ellest sister. Mary, wife of a Mr. Hurley. who resided at Factoryville, Staten Island, the family later moving to New Brighton. Robert was about six years of age when taken into his aunt's family and received his early education at the parochial schools near his home. When twelve years of age he obtained a position in the office of the old stock brokerage firm of B. Robinson & Company, of 22 Broad street. New York City, this being his entry into the business world. So satisfac- torily did he perform his duties that instead of receiving the twenty dollars per month for which he had hired, he was given thirty dollars from the first. His work in the heart of New York's financial district in the busy days fol- lowing the close of the Civil War, has left an impression on the mind of Mr. Hurley which nothing can ever erase. Itis duties led him to the offices of the great financial men of that day, among them being Jay Gould, Jim Fiske and other well-known figures. However, B. Robinson & Company went to the wall, after which young Hurley secured employment with a firm of gold brokers, his duty being to keep his employers informed of the fluctuations of the gold market. He was with that firm for a few months and later was employed by the Western Union Telegraph Company at their office at 145 Broadway and it was shortly afterward, while lounging at the Newsboys" Home, that he heard of a party of orphan children to be taken to Indiana. which then still seemed a part of the far West. He investigated the project and joined the party, arriving at Greenfield on January 28, 1868. He was taken into the home of Moses Turk. two miles northwest of Greenfield, where he remained until he was twenty-one years of age. During the winter season he attended school, assisting with the farm work in the summer and after finishing, his studies, worked constantly on the farm for two years. In sum- mer he attended the normal institute at Greenfield and in the fall of 1878 taught his first term of school. To further fit himself for his chosen work he later attended the State Normal at Terre Haute and for the following twenty-seven years ( twenty-nine terms) he taught school in Buck Creek town- ship, with the exception of three terms in Center township. In 1905 he did his last teaching and has since been devoting himself to his farming interests. Hle first engaged in farming on his own account in 1882 when he rented a farm from Mary Bell and the following year he purchased eighty acres, being the south half of the northwest quarter of section 21. Shortly afterward he added twelve acres in the same section and later twenty acres, making a total
952
HANCOCK COUNTY, INDIANA.
of one hundred and twelve acres in all. During the years of his ownership he has cleared all but twenty acres of the land, and has thoroughly tiled and fenced it. He has erected a splendid residence of ten rooms, beautifully situated, a large barn, forty by fifty-two feet, and also other buildings in keep- ing with the general character of the place. Mr. Hurley divides his time be- tween general farming and the raising of live stock, in all of which he is uni- formly successful.
When twenty-seven years of age. Robert Hurley was united in marriage. on May 3. 1882, with Lou A. Dillman, born in Buck Creek township, on March 4. 1861. a daughter of James F. and Mary Jane ( Wright ) Dillman, both of whom were early pioneers of Marion and Hancock counties. James FF. Dillman was born in Ohio and was a son of Daniel and Margaret Dillman. who settled in Marion county when James F. was a small child. There James F. grew to manhood and married Mary Jane Wright, born in Buck Creek township on August 22. 1836, a daughter of William and Margaret ( McCoy) Wright, both of whom were born in Wayne county, this state. William and Margaret Wright had six children, of whom but two now survive: Morgan and Mary Jane, mother of Mrs. Hurley. Morgan Wright is a prominent citizen of Tipton county, this state, having served as sheriff and county com- missioner. James F. Dillman, father of Mrs. Hurley, enlisted for service in the Civil War about 1862 or 1863. as a private in the Seventy-ninth Regi- ment. Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served for eighteen months, when he met his death at the battle of Lookout Mountain. James F. Dillman was the father of four children, namely: William Thomas, Margaret F .. Lou .1. ( Mrs. Hurley) and Mary C., deceased. After the death of James F. Dill- man his widow married John N. Eastes, who died in 1882, and by him he- came the mother of five children: Minie, who died in infancy: Ivy Belle, Charles N .. Laura A. and Daisy M. To Robert Hurley and wife have been horn four children, as follow: Stanton .A., married Lena Buchfink and re- sides at Indianapolis, and they have four children, John, Robert, Mary Eliza- beth and Mice; Chester B. married Hazel Snodgrass and lives in Henry county, and they have two children, Claude and Mildred: Roscoe G. and Flossie Ethel are single and remain at home with the parents.
Mr. Hurley was a faithful member of the United Brethren church, while his wife belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church. He gives his political support to the Democratic party, and is a member of Hancock Lodge No. 101. Free and Accepted Masons, at Greenfield. Robert Hurley is well worthy of the high esteem in which he is held by his large circle of friends and ac- quaintances.
953
BIOGRAPHICAL.
JOSEPH LEE ALLEN, M. D.
Dr. Joseph Lee Allen, prominent and well-known physician and surgeon of Greenfield, this county, is a native son of Hancock county, having been born on a farm in Brandywine township, this county, October 25. 1874, son of John and Eliza ( Dunwoody) . Allen, the former of whom also was born in this county and the latter in Ohio.
John Allen was born in Brandywine township, this county, October 6. 1848. son of Jesse and Jane ( Snodgrass) Allen, the former of whom was a native of North Carolina, of English parentage, who came to Indiana and settled in Hancock county, taking a claim in Sugar Creek township, which he developed, and later moved to Brandywine township, where he established his permanent home, and it was there that John Allen was born and there he grew to manhood. Jesse Allen and wife reared a family of twelve children, six sons and six daughters, all living to be married. For some years after his marriage. John Allen farmed in Brandywine township and then moved to Greenfield, where for two years he conducted a hotel. He then moved to Shelby county and again to Brandywine township, this county. He later moved to Henry county, this state, where he bought and operated a farm. He later conducted a small store in the village of Ogden, where he died at the age of sixty-five years. He was a Democrat and a member of the Primitive Baptist church. His widow, who still survives him, was born in Butler county, Ohio, not far from the city of Hamilton, one of a family of seven daughters born to her parents, Joseph and Hannah (Keene) Dunwoody, and all of whom lived to advanced ages. She is a member of an old New England family, of Scotch descent, the Dunwoodys of her line in this country dating back to early colonial days. To John Allen and wife were born six children, of whom the subject of this sketch is the eldest. the others being as follow : Jesse P .. Harry B., John Ralph, Grace Ethel, who married Walter E. Per- kins, of Newcastle, this state, and Nellie Alice, who died in infancy. Doctor Allen's brothers are all married and are well-to-do farmers living near Knightstown, this state.
Joseph Lee Allen was reared on the paternal farm in Brandywine town- ship and received his elementary education in the district school in the neigh- borhood of his home, which he supplemented by a course in the normal school at Acton and a year in the Carthage high school, after which he taught for a couple of years in the district schools of Rush county. He then attended the normal school at Rushville and took a year of the academic course in the Spiceland Academy, after which he was engaged for four years as a teacher
95-
HANCOCK COUNTY, INDIANA.
in the graded schools at Perkinsville, in Madison county, this state, occupying his vacations by attending the Indiana State Normal at Terre Haute. In the meantime he had decided upon a medical career and had done much prelimi- nary reading in preparation for such a career, reading for a time with Dr. O. E. Holloway, of Knightstown. Thus equipped he entered the Indiana Medical College and after a four-years course in that excellent institution was grad- uated with the class of 1904, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Thus admirably equipped for the practice of his noble profession, Doctor .Allen opened an office at Charlottesville, this county, and was thus engaged in that pleasant village until 1911, in which year he took a post-graduate course in the Post-Graduate Medical College at New York and in March of that same vear moved to Greenfield, where he opened an office and where he ever since has been engaged in the practice of his profession, long having been regarded as one of the leading practitioners in the county. For four years Doctor Allen served as coroner of Hancock county and is at present county health commissioner, secretary of the Greenfield city board of health, secretary of the Hancock county pension examining board, president of the Hancock County Anti-Tuberculosis Society and secretary of the Hancock County Med- ical Society, to the duties of all of which several important engagements he gives his most thoughtful and intelligent attention. For some years past Doctor Allen has found a very agreeable diversion in the raising of high- grade Single Comb White Orpington chickens and has become known far and wide over the state as a fancier of fine discrimination. He is the president of the Ilancock County Poultry Association and his string of more than fifty prizes taken at chicken shows indicates the care which he has bestowed upon the cultivation of this very interesting and remunerative and useful "hobby."
On August 2, 1903. Dr. Joseph L. Allen was united in marriage to Lillie Alexander, who was born in Madison county, this state, youngest of the five children born to Lewis and Elizabeth (St. Clair) Alexander, prom- inent residents of that county, and to this union three children have been born, Phebe Clair, born in 1904: Paul Alexander. 1906, and Charles Wilham, 1912. Mrs. Allen is a woman of wide culture, having received her schooling at Ox- ford ( Ohio) College. the Indiana State Normal and Miss Blaker's Training School for primary teachers at Indianapolis, and is an admirable helpmeet for the doctor in his professional career. Doctor and Mrs. Allen are active members of the Bradley Methodist Episcopal church at Greenfield, of which the doctor is one of the trustees. They take a proper part in the social and cultural life of the community and are held in high esteem by their many friends hereabout. Dr. Allen is a member of the local lodge of the Odd Fel-
955
BIOGRAPHICAL.
lows, of which he is a past noble grand; a member of the Masonic order, of the Modern Woodmen and of the Loyal Order of Moose, in the affairs of all of which popular organizations he takes a warm interest.
GEORGE BOTSFORD.
.A life-long resident of Sugar Creek township, Hancock county, Indiana. and one of the best known and successful citizens, is George Botsford, born on the farm where he now resides on March 25, 1859. a son of Elisha Shel- don Botsford and Lorinda Wright, his wife.
Elisha S. Botsford was born in Connecticut in 1827, a son of George Botsford, and when he was about eleven years of age, his parents came to Indiana, locating in Johnson county, where the father engaged in farming and passed the remainder of his life. George Botsford was married in Con- necticut to Clara Parmerlee, and to this union were born two chiklren, Elisha Sheldon and Amos. Mrs. Clara (Parmerlee) Botsford died when Elisha was a small child, and George Botsford was married, secondly, to Louise Parmerlee, cousin of his first wife, and to this union were born the following children : Mrs. Eliza Pudney, Mrs. Clara Ilibbs, Mrs. Johanna Ralston and George.
Elisha S. Botsford was reared on the Johnson county homestead, re- ceiving such education as the schools of that section at that time afforded and when he arrived at young manhood he was united in marriage with Lorinda Wright, born about 1828, a daughter of William and Rachael (Baker) Wright. The Wrights moved from Kentucky to Johnson county in the early days and there reared a large family, but one of whom Mrs. Rachael Walker, still survives. After marriage Elisha Botsford engaged in farming near his boyhood home in Johnson county and in the early fifties his father gave him a land warrant to locate in Jasper county. Indiana, and he drove overland to that county with several other men going for the same purpose However, he did not like his location in Jasper county, and therefore negotiated a trade with a Mr. Musselman to exchange his Jasper county land for one hundred and sixty acres of land in Hancock county. This tract was located in the north part of section 15. of Sugar Creek town- ship. and has since been the Botsford homestead. The land at the time of the purchase was all covered with heavy timber, and after erecting a small log cabin and barn, Elisha S. returned to Johnson county for
956
HANCOCK COUNTY, INDIAN.1.
his family, consisting at that time of his wife and two children, and estab- lished them in their wilderness home. Elisha S. Botsford died when forty- nine years of age, in 1876, and at that time had under the plow ninety acres of his farm. Politically, he was a Democrat and took an active interest in township affairs, serving for several years both as assessor and justice of the peace. His wife had died about one year previous to his death, passing away on January 28, 1875.
George Botsford was one of a family of eight children, namely: Clara L., Rachael, Ella. William Beaumont, George, Elizabeth, .Allen S. and Lottie May, all still living with the exceptions of Clara. Rachael and Elizabeth. George Botsford received his education at the okl Morford school near his home, his first teacher being Joseph M. Lowe, and after school days were over. he continued assisting his father with the work of the farm. On May 4, 1852. when twenty-three years of age, he was united in marriage with Della E. Nelson, born in Posey township, Rush county, this state. January 13. 1861, a daughter of Thomas J. and Mary Ann ( Hittle) Nelson, the latter born in Union township. Rush county, in 1837, and who died on September 24. 1876. Thomas J. Nelson was born in Bath county, Kentucky. July 7. 1835. a son of Solomon and Eliza Nelson, who came to Indiana in 1839 and located in Indianapolis, living in a house located on the land where the union station now stands. The Nelsons later went to Rush county, where Eliza died, but Solomon passed away in Hancock county. In Sugar Creek township. of this county. Thomas J. Nelson still resides. To Thomas J. and Mary Ann Nelson were born eight children, as follow: John, Marshall, Della E., George E., Sarah \lice, Ezra T .. William .\. and Eddie M. Thomas J. Nelson mar- ried. secondly. Mrs. Harriet A. ( Hawkins) Riley, born in Brandywine town- ship. Hancock county, July 27, 1842, a daughter of Joseph and Mary ( Gray) Hawkins. The second Mrs. Nelson was the mother of two children by her first husband and to her union with Thomas J. Nelson, on child. Fannic, was born.
After marriage. George Botsford rented a portion of the old home place for several years. To his share of his father's estate he added the interests of other heirs, which he purchased, thus making sixty acres of the old homestead his property. He now owns one hundred and four acres, sixty of this being of the old home and the other twenty-four acres, located a short distance away. being a part of the Joseph Gray farm. Mr. and Mrs. Botsford went to house- keeping in a small four-room frame house, in which they lived for about thirty years, when their present modein home of nine rooms, bath, etc. was erected, with farm buildlings to conform. Mr. Botsford is one of the success-
957
BIOGRAPHICAL.
ful farmers of Sugar Creek township, and attributes his success to the raising of corn and hogs. Of the latter he favors the "Big Type" Poland China, feeding an average of forty for the market per annum. Ile keeps five or six cows and four good farm horses. Mr. Botsford has been especially successful in winning prize money on his corn, to which he has given especial attention for the past fifteen years. In 1914 he won first prize of fifteen dollars for the best ten ears of corn, offered by the Citizens' Bank of Greenfield during the exhibit of January 26 to 30 ; also fifth premium for exhibit of ten ears, and in the exhibit of February 23 to 27, he won the frist prize offered by the Citi- zens' Bank for the best single ear as well as fifth premium for ten cars. Besides the special prizes, he has been a winner at other exhibits in Marion and Han- cock counties in the past few years.
Mr. and Mrs. Botsford are the parents of four children. Crystal A .. born on March 3. 1883. is the wife of John W. Wilson, of Brandywine town- ship, and the mother of one child, Florence. Lelia E., born on December 21, 1884. died on August 11, 1900. George Ray, born on April 24, 1890, mar- ried Goldie G. Huffman, has two children, Dorothy E. and Sheldon B., and resides in Greenfield. Mary L., the youngest of the family, was born on May 24. 1899. Mrs. Botsford is a member of the Christian church at Little Sugar creek.
George Botsford is regarded as one of the leading agriculturalists of his community and as a man worthy of the high esteem in which he is held by all. He has passed his entire life on the one farm and being in every respect a worthy citizen of Hancock county, is, therefore, eminently entitled to repre- sentation in a work of the character of the one in hand.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.