USA > Indiana > Hendricks County > History of Hendricks County, Indiana, her people, industries and institutions > Part 56
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In the fall of 1900 Mr. Beaman bought the farm where he has since resided, in the east edge of Middle township, near the Boone county line.
Mr. Beaman was married October 20, 1895, to Ona Kennedy, and to this union have been born three children, Byron Page, Edith Evangeline and Ernest Clifford. Mr. Beaman is a member of the Improved Order of Red Men at Fayette, Indiana, and in politics has always adhered to the principles of the Democratic party. While he has been active in the councils of his party, yet he has never been an aspirant for any office, but willing to serve in the ranks as a private. Mr. Beaman is a keen, business farmer, frank and plain spoken and is able to converse intelligently upon any topic of current interest. He is one of the clean-cut type of modern farmers who are the backbone of our nation today and help to make us the greatest nation on the face of the earth.
JOHN L. GUNN.
Practical industry, wisely and vigorously applied, never fails of suc- cess.
It carries a man onward and upward, brings out his individual char- acter and acts as a powerful stimulus to the efforts of others. The greatest results in life are often attained by simple means and the exercise of the or- dinary qualities of common sense and perseverance. The every-day life, with its cares, necessities and duties, affords ample opportunities for acquiring experience of the best kind and its most beaten paths provide a true worker with abundant scope for effort and self-improvement. The life history of John L. Gunn exemplifies what may be accomplished by a man who sets a high ideal in life and then has the courage to follow it all through his career. His life has additional interest because of his gallant service in the Civil War, in which he fought three years.
John L. Gunn, the president of the Citizens' State Bank of Plainfield, was born March 16, 1837, on a farm in Rush county, Indiana. His parents were Dr. John L. and Lydia ( Hornaday) Gunn, his father being a native of Virginia and his mother of North Carolina. Doctor Gunn came west when a young man and first settled in Kentucky. He then moved into Indiana, but
John Le grun
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died shortly after coming into this state, in fact, dying a few months before John L., the subject of this sketch, was born. Doctor and Mrs. Gunn had one other child, Mrs. John Weir, who died in 1911. The widow of Doctor Gunn later married John V. Hadley and moved to Hendricks county when John L. was two years of age.
John L. Gunn was reared as a farmer's lad, attended the rude district schools of the ante-bellum days and then entered Northwestern Christian University, now Butler College, where he completed his education. While in the University he was a classmate of Judge John V. Hadley, of Danville, and the late Col. Eli Ritter, of Indianapolis. Shortly after leaving college the Civil War opened and when the President's call was issued he enlisted in Company I, Sixty-third Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He was in the service for nearly three years and was mustered out as a duty sergeant. He participated in all of the battles of the Atlanta campaign, being in the battles of Buzzard Roost, Resaca, Peach Tree Creek, Marietta, Ringgold and many others. In the engagement at Hickory, Georgia, he was injured by the bursting of a shell near him.
Mr. Gunn was first married in 1858 to Caroline Cox, of Hendricks county, and to this marriage were born two daughters, Mrs. Lillie D. Belle, of Indianapolis, and Mrs. Laura L. Pike, of Plainfield. Some years after the death of his first wife Mr. Gunn married Mrs. Mityline Tomlinson Bryant, of Hendricks county. There have been no children by the second marriage.
Until twenty years ago Mr. Gunn was actively engaged in agricultural pursuits and his success was entirely commensurate with his efforts. He was recognized as one of the best farmers of Guilford township and when he re- tired from the active management of his place he had one of the most up-to- date farms in the township. He still retains his farming interests and also has valuable property adjoining the town of Plainfield. After moving to Plainfield he became one of its most progressive citizens and has been an en- thusiastic advocate of local improvements, and during his service of six years on the town board of Plainfield he started the agitation for sidewalks and electric lights. For the past six years he has been president of the Citi- zens' State Bank of Plainfield and in that capacity has proved to be an able administrator of the various financial problems which come before the bank.
Mr. Gunn has always been a Republican until the organization of the Progressive party, but has never held any office except that of town council- man of Plainfield. He is a man who has always kept his mind open to new ideas and keeps abreast of the best thought. In the course of his long life in the county he has won a wide circle of friends and acquaintances.
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WILLIAM DAVIS LEWIS.
Among the sturdy pioneers of Hendricks county, those who have made it their abiding place since its early days; who have seen it grow and develop from a sparsely settled country district to its present condition of prosperity. none is better known than the subject of our present sketch. A resident of the county for home than seventy years, he has proven himself loyal to the place of his birth, giving largely of his time, his thought and his influence to promote the growth and development of the commonwealth.
William Davis Lewis, the son of Stephen Taylor and Nancy ( Hornaday) Lewis, was born October 10, 1843, in Union township, this county, north of the town of Lizton. Here he spent his boyhood, learning the rudiments of his life's vocation, that of husbandry; laying the foundation of the sagacity and strength of physique which make for success in that calling. Here, also, in the township schools he received his schooling, attending the common schools, when he could, until the war broke out, and after the war, with char- acteristic ambition, going to Danville for a further term of study in the Danville Academy.
On October 7, 1861, in response to his country's call for volunteers to come to her defense, he left the peaceful, protected life of the farm and enlisted in the Army of the Cumberland, becoming a member of Company C, Fifty-first Indiana Volunteer Infantry. For three years he remained with his regiment, engaging with great bravery in all its battles, enduring all the hardships and deprivations of the campaigns, having several very narrow escapes, and when his term of service expired he re-enlisted for another term of three years, and served until the close of the war. He was mustered out of service on the 13th day of December, 1865, but after peace was declared. he was sent to San Antonio, Texas, returning to Indianapolis on January 13, 1866. He was taken prisoner with his regiment near Rome, Georgia, and narrowly escaped the horrors of Libby prison, finally, however, receiving his parole. At the close of the service he was mustered out as a lieutenant. After leaving the service he came back to Hendricks county, followed farming and attended Danville Academy.
On February 3, 1870, he was married to Mary Evaline Parker, the daughter of William G. and Martha (Wells) Parker. Like their forefathers, the young people clung to the peaceful life of the farm, building for them- selves a homestead on a twenty-eight-acre tract of land, most of which is now within the limits of Pittsboro, where they still reside, enjoying the fruits
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of their industry and thrift. During their long-continued residence in the county, William Davis Lewis and his wife have stood for all that is best and noblest in the life of the community. Devoted members of the Christian church, that body has shown its appreciation of his sterling qualities and deep spirituality by electing him a deacon of the church for twenty-five con- secutive years, and also making him one of the trustees of the church prop- erty. One daughter has blessed their union, now Mrs. Ella G. Todd. She is the mother of two sons, William Lewis and Clifford Parker, and resides in Worcester, Massachusetts.
The ancestors of Mr. Lewis, for generations, have engaged in the pursuit of agriculture. His paternal grandfather, Stephen Lewis, was a native of Rush county, spending his days until death called him on the homestead farm, north of Rushville. Here his son, Stephen Taylor Lewis, the father of the subject of this article, was born and reared. In 1837 Stephen left the home to his father and came to Hendricks county. Here he entered from the government forty acres of land north of Lizton, in Union township. This he later sold and purchased eighty acres east of Lizton, which became his perma- nent home until his death, December 13, 1855. He was the father of five children, Stephen, Hannah Jane, John H .. William Davis and Thomas D., of whom the subject is the only survivor. While yet a resident of Rush county, Stephen Taylor Lewis was married to Nancy Hornaday, and through- out his life she remained his faithful companion, rearing their family and remaining on the homestead farm until her death, six years after the demise of her husband. Death came to her on April 3. 1859.
The wife of William Davis Lewis was also the daughter of a farmer, William G. Parker, a native of Kentucky. He, however, spent much of his time trading in live stock, and for a number of years was a merchant. He was the father of nine children, as follows: Mary Evaline (now Mrs. Lewis), Oliver Wilson, Sarah Jane (deceased), Robert Ellsworth, William M., Ruth A. (deceased), and two little ones who died in infancy. Mr. Par- ker passed away in the year 1877. His wife was a native of North Carolina, and still survives, an honored member of the household of her daughter, Mrs. Lewis.
In manner, Mr. Lewis is quiet, unassuming and sincere, having a per- sonality which invites the confidence of all with whom he comes in contact. He served as commander of Thomas Ashby Post, Grand Army of the Re- public, two or three terms. For forty-three years he has been a member of the Masonic order, and bears the honor of being the oldest member of this organization in Hendricks county. He was initiated October 19, 1869, at
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Brownsburg. Although a stanch Republican in politics and progressive in his ideas, he has never aspired to hold office, preferring to devote his energies to the social and religious life of the community ; and his wholesome, godly example has not been without great influence for good, which is evidenced by the high regard in which he is held by a host of friends and neighbors.
WILLIAM EDGAR BEAMAN.
A farmer of Hendricks county, Indiana, who has a true love for his occupation is William E. Beaman, who has not been content to farm exactly in the same manner as his ancestors, but has moved from the beaten path and tried to keep pace with all the modern scientific methods of agriculture. For this reason he has been more than ordinarily successful and can attribute his measure of success to the fact that he has combined brains with brawn, a combination which is sure to yield a gratifying result when properly pursued.
William Edgar Beaman, the son of Adam and Rebecca A. (McDaniel) Beaman, was born February 14, 1876, in Brown township, Hendricks county, Indiana. His father was native of Boone county, this state, and came to Hendricks county after his marriage, settling in Brown township on an eighty-acre farm and here he lived the life of a farmer, dying on March 15, 1909. He was a man who loved a simple, plain and unostentatious life and was capable of an enormous amount of hard work. When he was a young man he had a great reputation as an athlete. In the days when wrestling was in vogue, there was not a young man in the neighborhood who could lay him flat on his back. His wife was a native of this county, and was born near Brownsburg, in April, 1844, and she is still living at Pittsboro, this county. To Mr. and Mrs. Adam Beaman were born seven children: Charles S., Willard E., Otis (deceased), Albert Wesley (whose history is given else- where in this volume), William Edgar, Ada V. (who died in infancy), and George B. (deceased).
William Edgar Beaman received a good, practical education in his town- ship school and almost completed high school. He remained at home until his marriage, assisting his father on the home farm, taking part in clearing land and learning by experience. He then began farming north of Pittsboro, where he remained nine years. In 1907 he bought his present farm of eighty acres, on which he conducts a general system of farming.
Mr. Beaman was married October 9, 1898, to Julia Hufford, the daugh-
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ter of Gideon Franklin and Mary Jane (Stout) Hufford. Gideon Hufford was a native of Hendricks county, his birth having occurred in Washington township, and he spent his life in the pursuit of agriculture, and died in 1903 at Tilden, Indiana. Mrs. Hufford was a native of Marion county, this state, and is still living in this county, near Tilden, on the old homestead farm. Mr. and Mrs. Hufford were the parents of nine children: George F., de- ceased; Delilah, who died when young; Mrs. Carrie Garner; Theodore New- ton, deceased; Joel V .; Mrs. Ella Garner; Julia, the wife of Mr. Beaman; Edgar and John T. Mr. and Mrs. Beaman have four children, Doris M., Wilford Lawrence, Frances Isabel and Edgar.
Fraternally, Mr. Beaman is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Pittsboro, and, politically, holds his affiliation with the Demo- cratic party. He is a liberal and broad-minded farmer, who makes a deep study of farming as a practical profession, is of a decided mechanical turn of mind, and believes in the strict honesty of all men and is quick to resent any unfairness to himself or to any of his fellow citizens. He is strictly hon- est himself and believes in the Golden Rule in every-day life.
THOMAS JACOB SANDUSKY.
Hendricks county is fortunate in that she numbers among her prominent families many who are not only natives of the place themselves, but whose ancestors as well found here an abiding place of peculiar attraction. Many of our early settlers came to this locality from other states, some even from abroad; but, after long and ofttimes perilous journeys, they appear to have found here what they sought, comfortable homes and the means of maintain- ing the same. Here their children and grandchildren were born and bred, some of them going out into various professions, and some loyally following in the footsteps of their fathers, tilling the soil, cultivating and improving not only their farms, but building roads and draining swamp lands, paving the way for the greater affluence of the present generation.
Among these early settlers, the father of the subject of this article should be mentioned. James Sandusky was born in the year 1821 in Bourbon county, Kentucky, but came to Brown township, Hendricks county, in the year 1864. At that time this locality was uncultivated and swampy, a verit- able wilderness of undergrowth. But Mr. Sandusky was alive to the possi- bilities of the place and did not hesitate at the hard work involved in clearing
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and draining a tract of land in order that it might become a suitable location for human habitation; and the development of the place has proved the sound- ness of his judgment.
On the 5th day of November, 1846, Mr. Sandusky was married to Agnes Sandusky, of Vermillion county, Illinois; but five years later they were separated by the death of his wife. she passing away September 5, 1851. He was later married to Elizabeth Susan Morgan, also of Vermillion county, Illinois, who became the mother of two of his children, Thomas Jacob (the subject of this sketch ) and Mary Agnes (Gibbs). She was born May 29, 1826, and was called to her final home May 11, 1862. For the third time he sought and found a companion in Josephine Knaus, of Marion county, In- diana, she being a native of Sigmaringen, Germany. To this union were born four children, Elizabeth (Strawmyer), Antoinette (Beard), Josephine (Arbuckle), and Hannah (Coffman), deceased.
Mr. Sandusky followed the pursuit of agriculture throughout his life, and when death called him, in 1893, he went from his own homestead to his final resting place. He was a member of the Masonic order and affiliated with the Democratic party.
Thomas J. Sandusky, the immediate subject of this article, was born May 14, 1856, in Decatur county, Indiana, coming to Hendricks county with his father in 1864. On the 3d day of August, 1882, he was married to Susan E. Gibbs, a native of Marion county, this state. Her parents, William and Elizabeth ( Burden) Gibbs, were both born natives of England, but emigrated to this country not long after their marriage. He found his high- est efficiency in the wholesome, natural life of the farm, and here he brought his wife. Eleven children were born to them, as follows: Thomas, born in England; Mary; Anna, deceased; William; Daniel; Homer, deceased; Theo- dore, deceased; Susan, now Mrs. Sandusky; Merritt; John and Everitt. Death claimed the wife and mother in 1903, and six years later the father was called. To Mr. and Mrs. Sandusky were born two children, Ida M. (now Mrs. Everett) and Grover T.
After his marriage, Thomas Sandusky continued the work taught him by his father, clinging to the life of the farmer, and very successfully he has proven. His farm shows the results of the labor and care expended upon it, being in a high state of cultivation, well kept and showing the careful man- agement which has characterized his labors. He is particularly interested in his live stock, taking great pride in his sheep, of which he raises a goodly number.
In manner, Mr. Sandusky is quiet and unassuming, but sociable withal; a
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progressive man and an excellent neighbor. He is a firm believer in Demo- cratic principles as promulgated by Jefferson; is affiliated with the order of Knights of Pythias at Brownsburg, and both he and Mrs. Sandusky are well known members of the Methodist Protestant church, he being a trustee of this organization and she a charter member. He is also a trustee of the par- sonage at Lebanon, Indiana. That he is well and favorably known through- out the surrounding country is evidenced by the fact that he has served as justice of the peace of Brown township for ten years, from 1878 to 1888; and later was elected township trustee, serving in that capacity from 1895 to 1900. In both offices he was known as a conscientious, honorable officer, exercising his powers with discretion and sound judgment. Altogether his life has been a thoroughly successful one, a splendid example to the com- munity at large, and by the coming generation his name will be remembered with high regard.
CLARKSON B. THOMAS.
Devoted to the noble work which his profession implies, the gentleman whose career we essay to briefly outline in the following paragraphs has been faithful and indefatigable in his endeavors and has not only earned the due rewards of his efforts in a temporal way but has also proved himself eminently worthy to exercise the important functions of his calling, by reason of his ability, his abiding sympathy and his earnest zeal in behalf of his fellow men. His understanding of the science of medicine is regarded by those who know him as being broad and comprehensive, and the profession and the public ac- cord him a distinguished place among the men of his class in Indiana. His has been a life of earnest and persistent endeavor, such as always brings a true appreciation of the real value of human existence-a condition that must be prolific of good results in all the relations of life.
Clarkson B. Thomas, the son of David and Lydia (Brantinghan) Thomas, was born in Harrison county, Ohio, March 14, 1877. Both his par- ents were natives of Ohio and his father is now a prosperous farmer living in Plainfield, where the family removed in 1889. The family are devoted and consistent members of the Friends church and are liberal supporters of that denomination. Mr. and Mrs. David Thomas are the parents of five children : Mrs. Eva T. Carter, of Plainfield; Dr. Clarkson B .; Anna L., deceased; Rachel Emma, of Plainfield, and Mrs. Sina Althea Thomason, of Springville, Iowa.
Doctor Thomas received his elementary education at the Friends School
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at Sugar Grove, Hendricks county, and later attended the Friends Boarding School at Barnesville, Ohio, where he completed his high school training. In 1898 he entered the Physio-Medical College at Indianapolis and graduated with the class of 1902. He at once began the active practice of medicine at Plainfield and has been uniformly successful since he started in this work. He is a member of the Hendricks County, Indiana and American medical societies.
Doctor Thomas was married on June 3, 1903, to Alice E. Hayworth, the daughter of Isaiah M. and Mary Hayworth, of Wilmington, Ohio. Doctor and Mrs. Thomas have one adopted daughter, Phyllis. Both he and his wife are loyal members of the Friends church and are interested in all the activities of their chosen denomination. Doctor Thomas is devoted to his life work and feels that in this there is a chance for doing a great amount of good for suffering humanity. He is a great reader and close observer and keeps well informed upon all the latest methods of treating disease. His affable and genial manner readily win friends and he and his good wife are admired by all with whom they are associated.
JOEL JESSUP.
To attain a worthy citizenship by a life that is always honored and re- spected even from childhood deserves more than mere mention. One may take his place in public life through some vigorous stroke of public policy, and even remain in the hearts of friends and neighbors, but to take the same position by dint of the practice of an upright life, and without a craving for exaltation and popularity, is worthy of the highest praise and commendation. The late Joel Jessup, one of the successful farmers and public-spirited citi- zens of Hendricks county, who was well known throughout this community, was a man respected and honored, not because of the vigorous training of his special talents, but because of his daily life, each day having been one that was above criticism and passed upon in the light of real, true manhood. Strong and forceful in his relations with his fellow men, he not only made his presence felt, but also gained the good will and commendation of both his associates and the general public, ever retaining his reputation among men for integrity and character, no matter how trying the circumstances, and never losing that dignity which is the birthright of a gentleman. Conse- quently his influence for good in the general life of his community was most
MRS. MARIA JESSUP, M. D.
JOEL JESSUP
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potent, and he will long be sadly missed from the various circles in which he moved and over which his influence was like sunshine on a field of ripened wheat.
The late Joel Jessup was born in Guilford township, this county, April 6, 1832, and died on the old homestead farm, October 4, 1908. He was one of five children born to Joseph and Rachel (Jackson) Jessup, the other four children being Mary, Jackson L., Lethy and Mahalia Jane. Joseph Jessup and his wife were both natives of North Carolina, coming to this county shortly after their marriage in 1820 and entered one hundred and sixty acres of land. The deed for this land, signed by President John Quincy Adams, is still in the family and is a treasured relic, which is very much cherished. Joseph Jessup died at the age of seventy and his wife at the age of seventy- eight, both having been born in the latter part of the eighteenth century.
Joel Jessup was given a very meager education, since the schools of his day were open but two or three months in the winter time and then offered very limited advantages. While Mr. Jessup was in the school room but a very short time, yet he laid the foundation for a desire for knowledge and, being a great reader all his life, he was, for a man of his age, well informed on most all subjects of the day. During all his life he lived on the farm and as a farmer was sufficiently progressive in keeping abreast of the times. As a boy he had to labor without any of the modern inventions, and as the modern agricultural implements came into use he added them one by one to his equipment until at the end of his life he was as well equipped for agri- culture as any farmer in the county. He is remembered not so much for his success on the farm, as for his work in the community at large, work which was directed along moral and civic lines.
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