History of Hancock county, Indiana; its people, industries and institutions, Part 94

Author: Richman, George J
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Indianapolis, Federal publishing co., inc.
Number of Pages: 1272

USA > Indiana > Hancock County > History of Hancock county, Indiana; its people, industries and institutions > Part 94

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Pleasant F. Parish was born on the old homestead of his father, south of New Palestine. He spent his childhood there and his youth and attended the common schools at New Palestine. After finishing his school career he helped his father on the farm until he was twenty-seven years old. When he was twenty-two years old he moved, with his family, to the farm north of New Palestine, where he was married at the age of twenty-seven to Elva J. Fritts, on October 5. 1887. She was born on August 14, 1863. in Moral township. Shelby county. She was the daughter of John and Eliza (An- drews) Fritts, the former a native of North Carolina, and the latter of Shelby county. Indiana. Their parents were from Maryland. John and Eliza Fritts were the parents of the following children: Elva, who is the wife of the subject of this sketch; Leonard. Nora Joseph and Mollie.

After his marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Parish took up their residence on the old home place south of New Palestine, where they have resided ever since. For the first eleven years Mr. Parish rented this old home place, or until his mother's death in 1904, at which time he bought out the other heirs. In addition to this one hundred and twenty acres of the old home place, Mr. · Parish has purchased a tract of forty acres adjoining this on the southwest. He now owns a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres. He has on this a splendid modern six-room residence and other modern improvements.

Mr. Parish usually has in cultivation about seventy acres of corn and about the same acreage in smaller grain. He attributes his success mostly to his corn and hog raising. He feeds and markets over a hundred head of hogs every year. He usually has on hand about a dozen head of cattle and at least that many horses. All of his stock is well bred.

Mr. and Mrs. Parish are the parents of the following children: Lyman E., who married Maude Branson and who resides in New Palestine: Goldie. who married Frederick Schildmeier, a farmer of Marion county : Claude, Ruby and Dale Woodrow, who are at home.

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Both Mr. and Mrs. Parish are members of the Christian church. Mr. Parish is a member of the following lodges: Free and Accepted Masons, Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias, and he and his wife are members of the auxiliary orders of the Masons and of the Knights of Pythias. Mr. Parish is a Democrat in politics and he has been a member of the township advisory board for ten years.

JOHN R. ANDIS.

John R. Andis was born on October 18, 1837. in Brandywine township, Hancock county, son of Alexander Andis, who was born in Virginia and who came here in the early pioneer days and entered a tract of land from the government. Ile cleared it, built a log house and barn and this house burned down. He then built a brick house in which he lived for a number of years, but finally tore this down and built a two-story frame. He was a Democrat in politics. The mother of John R. Andis was Isabella ( Smith ). who was born in Virginia. Her family came here from Virginia, and the county was then a wilderness. Alexander and Isabella Andhis were the par- ents of the following children: John R., who is the subject of this sketch; Morgan, Samuel, Margaret, who married Alexander Osborn; and Mary. who married Uriah Lowe.

John R. Andis was married in 1861 to Parmelia Kiger, who was a daughter of John and Sarah Kiger, of Brandywine township, and who had spent her life there. To this union the following children were born : Sallie. Jessie. Clinton, Jackson P., Robert P. and Harlan, who died when eleven years old.

John R. Andis received his early education in the common schools on the old bench seats split out of trees and most of his school days were spent in a log house with open fire-place. John Thomas and William Rose- berry were two of his teachers, and Robert Andis, one of his cousins, was his last teacher in the Scott school house. John R. Andis stayed at home and helped his father until he was married. He bought sixty-two acres east of here at thirty dollars an acre and in trade, later on, he made fifty dollars an acre on this, but he had cleared most of the land, and ditched it and put it in cultivation. He built a frame and log house and barn and split the rails with which it was fenced. He helped run a threshing machine for four or five years, one of the old style machines run by horse power. He and his wife

MR. AND MRS. JOHN R. ANDIS

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used the old spinning wheel and wove their own cloth from which their clothes were made. To get his mail he had to go to Greenfield, twenty miles.

Mr. Andis now owns two hundred and forty acres and he has given to each of his five children a forty-acre tract. He has earned all this by hard labor and in addition to this he paid his way out of the army, besides having to pay security debts. He has cleared and drained all his land and put it in a high state of cultivation, well ditched and well fenced. He has built three houses and one barn. All of his farms have barns and all these he has repaired. His house on his present place is a two-story one. His present house is a cottage of seven rooms which he built this year and is a snug, neat home for him and his wife. He has a fine orchard and raises hogs, horses and cattle. He is a Democrat in politics, has been road supervisor and is now a member of the county council, having served one term and two years on his second term. He and his wife are both members of the Christian Union church. He is one of Hancock county's most progressive farmers. He helped to build the Brandywine pike and also helped prepare the roadbed for its construction.

VAN B. CONNES.

Van B. Cones, a native of Sugar Creek township, was born on May 4. 1844, the son of Washington and Elizabeth ( Murnan ) Cones. Washington Cones was born in Kentucky in 1812 and died on the old homestead in Sugar Creek township on December 31, 1846. He was the son of John and Rachael Comes, both of whom were of Scotch-Irish descent. The family moved to Greensburg about 1812. Washington Cones spent much of his early life in Decatur county, where he worked at the carpenter trade. He later returned to Sugar Creek township, where he was married in 1838. Elizabeth Muri'm was born near Flat Rock, Indiana, in 1820, and was the daughter of Jacob and Sallie ( Weston ) Murnan, who were among the first settlers in this part of the country. The territory was one vast wilderness and many Indians were present at that time. Sailie was one of a family of thirteen children and the only one now living. Of the large family, ten lived to maturity.

After marriage, Washington Cones engaged in farming for him-elf. having bought eighty acres of his father-in-law. Jacob Murnan. The land was heavily timbered and here Mr. Cones built a rude one-room log cabin. Ile later built a one-room frame house and it was here that the son, Van B. Cones, was born. Just at the time when Washington Cones had succeeded

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in paying for his farm he died, leaving his wife and the following five chil- dren : Amanda, the widow of James Barnard, who died in 1863 ; Sallie, de- ceased, was the wife of Stephens Rollins ; Rachel, deceased, was the wife of Joseph Fritts; Van B. and Washington, the latter of whom is a resident of Burlington, Kansas.

AAfter the death of Washington Cones his wife by heroic efforts manage !! to keep the little family together. This was a most difficult task in those days. She spun flax and wool and weaved the same into cloth, which enabled her to make a living. She died at the age of seventy-two years in 1892.

Van B. Cones was born on the old homestead of his father and on the land that his grandfather had entered from the government and here it was that his father died at the age of thirty-two. He attended school in the old log school house that stood just east of John Huber's blacksmith shop. After finishing the common schools he continued to assist on the farm until the time of his marriage to Margaret Hart on September 3, 1874. Margaret Hart was born at Dayton, Ohio, on November 20, 1855, being the daughter of Phillip and Elizabeth ( Hockheimer) Hart, both of whom were natives of Germany. The parents, after coming to the United States, settled in Ohio. near Dayton, and later came to Hancock county, where the father died in 1857. After the death of the father the mother returned to Ohio, where she was married to George Kasparie. They later located in Sugar Creek town- ship.

After the marriage of Van B. Cones he continued to live on the home farm until some time the next year, when he removed to an eighty-acre farm southwest of New Palestine, which he had purchased. Only half of the farm had been cleared at the time, yet there was a good frame house and a log barn. Mr. Cones at once began to clear the remainder of the place and to drain and improve it. He now owns thirty-one acres of the old home place and one hundred and five acres north of New Palestine, making in all two hundred and twenty acres.

Mr. Cones does general farming and attributes much of his success to the raising of hay and wheat. He has also made a success of the raising of hogs.

Mr. and Mrs. Cones are the parents of seven children, three of whom are deceased, having died in infancy. Those living are: Amelia, Clara, Benjamin and Everett. Amelia is the wife of Benjamin Fralich and resides in Cumberland. They are the parents of three children, Curtis, Lorin and Letha. Clara is the wife of Walter Fant, of New Palestine. Benjamin is a resident of Indianapolis and Everett is a resident of Sugar Creek township and he and his wife are the parents of one child, Jeanette.

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Politically. Mr. Cones is a Democrat and served as trustee of his town- ship from 1900 to 1904. He is prominent and influential in the affairs of the county, being a man in whom all have the greatest confidence.

HENRY BREIER.

Henry Breier, who is well and favorably known throughout Sugar Creek township, where he has been a life-long resident, was born on June 11. 1873. on the Breier homestead in this county and is the son of William F. and Christine ( Rosener) Breier, both natives of Frilee, Germany. William F. Breier was born in February, 1834, and was the son of William and Christina (Deerburg) Breier, both natives of Frilec. Germany, who immigrated to America some years subsequent to their marriage and located in this county. where they operated a farm until death. William Breier was born about 1806 and died in 1888, in Sugar Creek township, of this county, on the home- stead which he established and which is still in the possession of the family.

Henry Breier was reared on the Breier homestead and educated under the instruction of Mr. Wagner in the German school. He also received in- struction in his studies of Mr. Counzilman and his last year as a student was in the old No. 3 school. Upon the completion of his student days he continued to assist his father with the work on the home farm until he was twenty-four years of age. On February 21. 1897, Henry Breier and Sophia Eickman. daughter of Henry W. and Matilda (Krentler) Eickman, were united in marriage and since that time have resided on the present farm with the ex- ception of seven years which were spent on the Breier homestead. This place is well improved and is a part of the old homestead. a portion of it having been received as his inheritance and the balance purchased from the other heirs. The fifty-six acres lie in Sugar Creek township, the entire property being devoted to the raising of diversified crops and hogs. Thirty head of hogs are fed out while three head of draft horses and four head of milch cows are kept. Henry Breir is a Democrat in his political views and active in politics. In his religious affiliations, he is a member of the German Luth- eran church, as is also his wife, in which denomination he serves as assistant treasurer.

Sophia (Eickman) Breier was born on June 15, 1876, on the Eickman homestead, which is located two and one-half miles to the northwest of New Palestine, Indiana. Henry W. Eickman, her father, was born on January

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13, 1841. on the same farm. His wife was a native of Germany, having been born in that country in 1848. Her death occurred on February 24, 1895. They were the parents of these children: Mary. Carrie, Charles, who died when a child; Harry. Sophia. Nanie, Amelia. Ella and Benjamin, who died in infancy.

ZACHARY TAYLOR ADKINS.

Zachary Taylor Adkins, the son of William and Rebecca ( Grubb) .Ad- kins, was born in Virginia on April 4. 1851. His parents were natives of Virginia, where they lived and died. the mother at the age of eighty-seven years. William and Rebecca Adkins were the parents of the following chil- dren who grew to maturity: Julian, Zachary Taylor, William Edward. Leonard Thomas, Filmore. Frank. Alfred Hughs, Mary and George Woodard.

Zachary Taylor Adkins was reared in Virginia and never had the op- portunity to attend school, hence his lack of not being able to write. The fall, after the close of the Civil War, he being then sixteen years of age, Mr. Adkins came to Henry county. Indiana. There were five other families that came at that time to their new homes in the West. as Indiana was then known. After remaining here for one year, during which time he worked on a farm. he went to Kansas, where he remained for five years, after which he came to Hancock county and rented for a time. In 1878 he bought the farm where he now resides. The original farm consisted of forty acres. but Mr. Adkins owns one hundred and twenty acres adjoining, making the home place a tract of one hundred and sixty acres. Here Mr. Adkins does general farming and stock raising. Most excellent buildings have been erected and the farm is one of the best in the community.

On August 4, 1877. Mr. Adkins was married to Anna Bell Keller, who lived just across the road from where the present home is situated. She is the daughter of Enos and Elizabeth (Loy) Keller, the father being born in West Virginia and the mother in Ohio. The parents of Enos Keller. David and Cynthia ( Ellis) Keller, were both natives of Virginia and came to Han- cock county at a very early day, locating in Lick Creek about 1835. After living here for a time they moved to the place where Henry Keller, a cousin. now lives. Here David Keller bought one hundred and sixty acres of land. making the first clearing and erecting the first buildings. After a life of usefulness he died at the age of sixty years, Mrs. Keller surviving him some twenty years.

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John and Elizabeth ( Heartwritter) Loy, the maternal grandparents of Mrs. Adkins, were born in Ohio and West Virginia, respectively, and were of German descent. They came to Indiana and John Loy bought land in Mad- ison county, about one-half mile north of the Hancock county line: here he lived and died.

Enos Keller received his education in the carly schools of the county and began farming early in life. His father gave him eighty acres of land, where Mrs. Keller was born, and here he moved when he was married. This place he made his home until his death. Elizabeth Keller, the widow, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Adkins, in September, 1905. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Enos Keller are Willard S., who died at the age of seven years. and Mrs. Adkins.

Z. T. Adkins and wife are the parents of the following children: Oscar .. Rosa .A., Nellie M., deceased : Florence, Willard E. and Charles C. Mr. AAdkins and his family are members of the United Brethren church. Mr. Adkins enlisted in the army while in Kansas, and served under Custer, fighting the Indians.

LEVI A. JACKSON.

Levi A. Jackson, a native of Wayne county, was born on September 21. 1857, and is the son of John and Martha ( Pretchard) Jackson, the former of whom was born in Wayne county, en route to Madison county from North Carolina, and the latter was born in Madison county. Levi and Elizabeth Jackson, the parents of John Jackson, came from North Carolina to Madison county in an early day and settled near where Levi A. Jackson now lives. This they made their home until their death.

The maternal grandparents of John Jackson were pioneers of Madison county and here they made their home and here they died. John Jackson received his education in the schools of Green township. He later engaged in farming and owned two hundred and sixty acres of land in Hancock and Madison counties. He and Mrs. Jackson were the parents of ten children.

Levi .A. Jackson received his education in Madison county. He has always been a farmer and now owns seventy-nine acres of land in Hancock county. The farm is well improved and Mrs. Jackson has created all the present modern and convenient buildings.

In 1884 Mr. Jackson was married to Louisa Eckhardt, the daughter of Christian and Elizabeth ( Baker) Eckhardt, both of whom were born in Ger-

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many. After coming to America they settled in Montgomery county, Ohio, where they were later married, after which they came to Hancock county. In 1865 they purchased fifty-two acres of land, on which they lived until their death. They were the parents of three children : Mary Polly. Elizabeth .Alba and Louisa.

To John and Martha Jackson were born the following children : Frank. Ellen, Levi .A., Elizabeth, George. Nellie, Etta, William, Martha and Walter. There were three sets of twins in the family, as follow: Levi .A. and Eliza- beth ; George and Nellie : William and Martha.

Levi .A. Jackson and wife, having no children of their own, have reared Helen Walker, the seventeen-year-old daughter of Mr. Jackson's sister. Helen has been a member of the family since she was four years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Jackson are active members of the United Brethren church.

LOUIS HENRY MERLAU.

Louis Henry Merlau, one of the well-known and substantial citizens of Sugar Creek township, Hancock county, Indiana, is a native of Hancocck county, born in Buck Creek township, October 11, 1871, a son of George and Caroline ( Meier) Merlau. George Merlau was born in Sugar Creek town- ship on the old family homestead in 1850 and died on September 4. 1876. when but twenty-eight years of age, leaving his wife and two children, Louis Ilenry, the subject of this sketch, and Lisette, now the wife of Harry Vahle. of Sugar Creek township.

George Merlau was a son of Henry A. Merlau and for complete informa- tion regarding the Merlau family, kindly refer to the sketch of Henry Merlan. found elsewhere within the pages of this book. George Merlau spent his boyhood on the old homestead, receiving his early education at the old Ger- man school house. He married on January 22. 1871, when about twenty-one years of age, his bride being Caroline Meier, who was born in Hancock county on the old Meier homestead, just east of the town of New Palestine, in Sugar Creek township. on December 31. 1848. After marriage. George Merlau located in Indianapolis, where he had been living for some time. fol- lowing his trade of carpenter. He remained there but a year or two after marriage and then returned to Hancock county, locating in Buck Creek town- ship, where he farmed for two or three years, or until the time of his death. He was a devout member of the German Lutheran church and a Democrat in

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politics. On December 10. 1885, his widow was married to Charles F. Rich- man, who still survives her, she having departed this life on October 20, 1913, when sixty-four years of age. Mrs. Richman had no children by her second marriage, but two step-children are living : George Richman and Mrs. Helen Richman Beckman.

Lonis Henry Merlan was born on the old Conrad Merlau farm in Buck Creek township and with his mother was living on the Meier farm at the time of his father's death. After being widowed, subject's mother took her two children and returned to her father's house, where she remained until the time of her second marriage. Louis Henry Merlan spent a considerable portion of his boyhood with his Grandfather Merlau and attended the public schools of New Palestine and later the German school. After completing his studies at the German school, he again entered public schools, remaining at his books until eighteen years of age. He has practically made his own way since a boy of twelve years and when eighteen years of age engaged in the threshing ma- chine business, to which he gave his attention until 1962. During those years he was also engaged in farming and prospered well in his enterprises.

On September 10, 1893. he was umted in marriage with Anna J. Miller. born on July 26. 1872. in Sugar Creek township, a daughter of Fred and Christina ( Roesner) Miller. Fred Miller was born in Germany and was brought to this country when a boy, his father being one of the early pioneers of Hancock county. Mrs. Merlau was born on the old Rosener homestead in Sugar Creek township, and also came of early German pioneer stock. The next fall after marriage. Louis Henry Merlan purchased seventy-eight acres of the Parish farm, located one and one-half miles north of New Palestine. There were about fifty-three acres of this tract cleared, but no improvements were made, but he made his home on the east portion of the Parish farm. which he also rented for about five years, and by that time had erected a beautiful eight-room residence on his own land. This house is unusually well located in attractive grounds and there is also a good barn, forty-eight by fifty-eight feet, which is of special construction. There are also other build- ings in keeping with the surroundings. Mr. Merlau usually puts about twenty-five acres to corn, his average yield being fifty bushels to the acre, and he has about the same amount of ground in small grains. He feeds about twenty-five to thirty hogs per year and has six head of cattle and the same number of horses, which are used in the work of the farm.

Mr. Merlan and his wife have two children living: Ezra, born June 26. 1895. and Esther, born on September 10. 1900. There were three other chil- dren. all of whom died in infancy. Mr. Merlau and his family are members

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of the German Lutheran church, of which he is treasurer and a trustee. In politics he is a Democrat, although never devoting any particular time to political affairs. He is one of Hancock county's substantial and respected citizens and as such is eminently entitled to representation in a work such as the one in hand.

AUGUSTUS E. SMITH.

Augustus E. Smith, a well-known and progressive farmer of Buck Creek township. this county, is a native son of Hancock county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a farm in Buck Creek township. not far from the site of his present farm. October 14. 1878, son of William and Olive ( Thomas ) Smith, the former a native of Marion county. this state, and the latter of Hancock county.

William Smith was born on January 17. 1845, sixth in order of birth of the fourteen children born to his father. John Smith, a well-to-do farmer of Marion county, who was born in Clermont county, Ohio, in 1809. and who. as a young man, came to Indiana and settled in Marion county, where he became a substantial farmer, the owner of about three hundred acres of ex- cellent land. John Smith was twice married. His first wife, who. before her marriage, was Harriet Thompson, born on July 7. 1813, bore him ten children. His second wife. Rebecca, bore him four. these children, besides William, mentioned above, being in the order of their births. Cyrus, born in 1832: Samuel. 1834: David, 1837: Marion, 1839: Mary E., 1841; Henry. 1847: Cynthia. 1851: Worth. 1853: Edward. 1858: Olive. 1862: Lycurgus. 1863: Clara, 1866, and Everett, 1869.

William Smith grew to manhood on the paternal farm in Marion county. receiving his education in the common schools of that county, and as a young man engaged in the business of timber buying. He married Olive Thomas, who was born in Buck Creek township. this county. April 26. 1852. daughter of Ephraim and Elizabeth ( Ferree) Thomas, the former born in 1816 and the latter in 1820. A few years later William Smith bought an eighty-acre farm in Buck Creek township, this county, and farmed there the rest of his life becoming a very successful farmer and stock raiser. To his original farm of eighty acres he gradually added by purchase until he became the owner of four hundred acres. lle was a Republican and took an active part in the political affairs of his home community. He died on May 30. 1909. and his widow still survives. They were the parents of three children, those besides

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the subject of this sketch being Daisy D., born on December 8, 1869, who died in infancy, and Alta P., February 15. 1876, who also died in infancy.

Augustus E. Smith, the only son of his parents, was reared on the home farm in Buck Creek township, receiving his elementary education in the dis- trict school in the neighborhood of his home. For three years then he attended the McCordsville high school and later entered the Greenfield high school, from which he was graduated. He remained at home, assisting his father in the work of the farm until his marriage in the fall of 1900, after which he moved to his present farm in the neighborhood of his old home, where he now owns two hundred acres of fine land, his farm being one of the best- improved and most profitably cultivated places thereabout. Mr. Smith has a fine farm residence and his substantial barn and other farm buildings are in keeping with the same, the place generally exhibiting evidences of the pro- gressive methods of its proprietor. In addition to his general farming. Mr. Smith also is quite extensively engaged in stock raising and has done well in that line. He is a Republican and gives thoughtful attention to political affairs, but has never been included in the office-seeking class, preferring rather to devote his whole attention to his growing agricultural operations.

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History of Hancock county, Indiana; its people, industries and institutions, Part 94

Author: Richman, George J Publication date: 1916 Publisher: Indianapolis, Federal publishing co., inc. Number of Pages: 1272

Author: Richman, George J
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Indianapolis, Federal publishing co., inc.
Number of Pages: 1272