USA > Indiana > Hendricks County > History of Hendricks County, Indiana, her people, industries and institutions > Part 80
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Mr. and Mrs. Page are the parents of two living children, Estal, born February 18, 1903, and Dorothy May, born November 22, 1911, while Nina Esther and an infant are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Page are both members of the Christian church and give it earnest support. Mr. Page is a man who is respected by everyone because of his quaint and wholesome life. He and his wife number their friends everywhere throughout the community.
WILLIAM H. ROBBINS.
There are certain characteristics which are always prominent in successful men, and among these perseverance and sterling worth are always to be found. William H. Robbins affords a fine example of the successful. self-made man, who has the necessary talents and forcefulness which have made him suc- cessful as a man of the world. His career shows that he has a versatility which is not possessed by every one. During the course of a long and busy career he has been a farmer, a carpenter, a stone mason, a merchant and an undertaker, and, what is more remarkable, he has made a success at each call- ing. However, his career has been pre-eminently that of a farmer, and in this vocation he has made his greatest success. He is a man of strong fiber and vigorous mentality and has earned high words of commendation from
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those competent to form a correct estimate of the man and his accomplish- ments.
William H. Robbins, the son of Lamech and Emily ( Blanton ) Robbins, was born December 5, 1849, in Eel River township, this county. His father was born in North Carolina in 1820, the son of Jacob Robbins. Jacob Rob- bins, with his family, came to this county when Lamech was a small boy, settling on a farm in the southern part of Eel River township. Here Jacob Robbins purchased a farm and here he continued to reside the rest of his life, and here his son, Lamech, grew to manhood. Upon reaching his majority he married Emily Blanton, who was born near Crab Orchard, Kentucky, and came to this county with her parents when a small girl. After his marriage, Lamech Robbins bought forty acres of land east of Montclair, this state, and following that lived four years in Iowa. Upon his return to this county he bought a farm three miles east of North Salem, but later sold this tract and. in 1894, bought one hundred and sixty acres two miles west of North Salem. His first wife died during the latter part of the eighties, and some time later he married Delilah Blanton, the widow of John Blanton, who was a brother of his first wife, and after his second marriage he moved one-half mile east of North Salem, where he lived until three years before his death. He was compelled to retire from the farm on account of a severe stroke of paralysis and spent his remaining days in North Salem. Mr. and Mrs. Lamech Robbins were the parents of eleven children, eight of whom grew to maturity, although there are only four of them now living: Frances, the wife of David Henry, of Jamestown; William H .; James, of Roachdale, Indiana, and Jacob, a farmer of this township.
William H. Robbins lived on the home farm until his marriage, and in 1873 married Mary Page, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah Page, whose family history appears elsewhere in this volume. She was born in Jackson township, Putnam county, Indiana. and her parents are still living in this township. After his marriage Mr. Robbins began farming on a place adjoin- ing his father's farm, his father having given him twenty acres upon his mar- riage and from time to time has added to this until he is now the owner of eighty-three acres. While he has been a farmer the most of his life, he has also, as the opportunity presented itself, been a carpenter and stone mason. Since 1903 he has lived in North Salem, where he has been engaged in mercan- tile pursuits.
Mr. and Mrs. Robbins are the parents of four children: Lillie, who died in childhood; Oliver, who married Clara Barnard, and lives one mile west of Maysville, where he owns a farm of one hundred acres; Frank is married to
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Iva Dodds and lives three and one-half miles northwest of North Salem, where he owns a farm of one hundred and ten acres ; they have four children, Verle, Nina, Ruby and Irene ; Myrtle is the wife of Samuel Kent, a grocer of North Salem, and has one daughter, Inez.
Mr. Robbins was a Republican until the fall of 1912, when he cast his political lot with the Progressive party. He and his wife are members of the Christian church and give to it their earnest support. Mr. Robbins has a wide acquaintance throughout the county and is popular with all classes of people. He is friendly and congenial by nature and frank in his manner and has a personality which easily wins and retains friends. He is a man of sterling qualities of character and commendable habits, and his influence for good has been the most prominent characteristic of his life in this community. He has always believed in assisting others while working for his own advance- ment and is sympathetically in favor of all worthy public enterprises.
OLIVER W. TROTTER.
The best history of a state or county is the one that deals most with the lives and activities of its people, especially of those who, by their own endeav- ors and indomitable energy, have forged to the front and placed themselves where they deserve the title of progressive men. In this brief review will be found the record of one who has outstripped the less active plodders on the highway of life and among his contemporaries has achieved marked success in the business world. the name of Oliver W. Trotter being honored by all owing to his upright life and habits of thrift and industry.
Oliver W. Trotter, of the firm of Trotter Brothers, of North Salem, was born in Eel River township. this county, in 1865, the son of William W. and Nancy E. (Keith) Trotter, who are represented elsewhere in this work.
Oliver W. Trotter was given a good, common-school education and lived on the home farm until 1898. He then began working in the dry goods store of Moore & Fleece, of North Salem, where he was employed for some years. He then entered the employ of J. W. Sparks, remaining with him until 1907, when he and his brother, Silas B., bought the store of Bymaster & Company, which they have continued to operate since that time.
Mr. Trotter was married in 1903 to Mamie Conover, the daughter of John D. and Ellen (Weible) Conover. Mrs. Trotter's mother was born in Cape May county, New Jersey, in 1831, the daughter of Thomas and Mary
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Ann ( Heritage) Weible. In 1840 her parents moved to New Albany, in this state, where they lived until 1870. Her father was a boat-builder in the ship yards there. In 1853 Mrs. Trotter's mother was married to Samuel Conover. the son of J. D. and Soffronia Conover. Samuel Conover was engaged in clerical and commercial work at New Albany, and his death occurred there in 1861, leaving his widow with three small children, William, Walter and Lydia. William lives in Indianapolis; Walter died in his seventeenth year and Mrs. Lydia Walker lives in North Salem. Some years after her husband's death, Mrs. Conover married John Conover, of Ohio, a steamboat man on the river. In 1870 they established their home at North Salem, in this county, and Mr. Conover continued to work on the river as captain of a steamboat until several years later, when he retired from active work and permanently settled at North Salem, where he lived until his death in 1882. To the second marriage of Mrs. Conover there was one daughter born, Mamie E., now the wife of Oliver Trotter. In 1887 Mrs. Conover married John W. Clements, a native of Kentucky and long a resident of North Salem. He was a soldier in the Civil War in Company C. Seventh Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served three full years in the war, after which he lived the life of a farmer in this county until his death, which occurred in North Salem, March 24, 1905. Since her husband's death, Mrs. Clements has continued to reside in North Salem, and now enjoys good health, despite her advanced age of eighty-two years.
Mr. Trotter has made his way in life by force of his own merit and in- dustry from a small beginning to a place of comparative success. He is a man of absolute honesty, always on the advance and has managed his share of business with a skill and prudence which comes of a practical knowledge of the various branches of the business.
THOMAS C. DAVIS.
Judging from the success that has attended the efforts of Thomas C. Davis, one of Hendricks county's leading farmers, he got a proper start in life and, although he has made some mistakes, yet he is today one of the splendid examples of our modern farmers. Much, if not all, depends upon the start in the battle of life, just as in the beginning of a race. The horse that gets the best start, all other things being equal, will almost invariably win. Realizing at the outset of his career that it took indomitable courage,
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unfaltering integrity and unfailing industry to achieve the best results, Mr. Davis began shaping his course gauged by proper ideals and is today emi- nently deserving of the reward that has so lavishly attended his efforts.
Thomas C. Davis, the son of Walter and Mary (Scott) Davis, was born June 15. 1871, about two miles east of North Salem, in this county. The history of the Davis family is fully portrayed in the sketch of Quincy A. Davis, which will be found elsewhere in this work.
Thomas C. Davis grew to manhood on the farm where he was born and received his education in the schools of his home township. He was married on February 28, 1892, to Ella C. Leach, the daughter of James M. and Eliza- beth ( Hamilton) Leach. James M. Leach was born in Hendricks county, February 9, 1834, the son of Enos and Elizabeth Leach, who were both natives of Kentucky. Enos Leach and his wife came to Indiana from Ken- tucky in 1831 and entered two hundred acres of government land in Union township, this county. James M. was one of seven children born to his par- ents, and grew to manhood in this county. He married Elizabeth Hamilton, March 17, 1859. She was the daughter of Abraham Hamilton, of this county. James M. Leach is one of the leading farmers of the county. He and his wife are loyal members of the Christian church and Mr. Leach has served as an elder in that denomination for many years.
After Mr. Davis was married he engaged in farming for himself on eighty acres which he had bought south of Montclair, in Union township. In 1893 he moved to his present home, two miles east of North Salem, where he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land. He has within the past twenty years made extensive improvements on his farm in the way of rebuilding his house, erecting a new barn, outbuildings and fencing of various kinds. Suc- cess has come to him as a reward of his efforts and from time to time has been able to add to his holdings until he is now the owner of two hundred and seventy-seven and one-half acres in this township.
Mr. and Mrs. Davis are the parents of two children, Jewel, born April 28, 1893, who died when she was about six months of age, and Mamie L., who was born February 27, 1895. who is still at home with her parents. All the family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church of North Salem and earnest in their support of that denomination. Mr. Davis is a Republican and takes an intelligent interest in the affairs of his party. He has served several years on the advisory board of his township, a place of honor and trust which carries with it a salary of only five dollars per year. This posi- tion was a tribute to him as a public-spirited ccitizen, since it came to him un- sought and shows the confidence which his fellow citizens had in his ability
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and integrity. He has one of the finest sugar camps in the township. He carries on general mixed farming, giving attention to both live stock and grain.
MICHAEL FELIX HESSION.
It is not an easy task to describe adequately a man who has led an eminently active and busy life and who has attained a position of relative dis- tinction in the community with which his interests are allied. But biography finds its most perfect justification, nevertheless, in the tracing and recording of such a career. It is, then, with a full appreciation of all that is demanded and of the painstaking scrutiny that must be accorded each statement, and yet with a feeling of satisfaction, that the writer essays the task of touching briefly upon the details of such a record as has been that of the respected subject whose life now comes under review.
Michael Felix Hession, who in many respects is one of the most promi- nent citizens of Brown township, Hendricks county, Indiana, was born on a farm in Boone county. this state, on September 15, 1868, the son of Michael and Catherine ( Hogan) Hession, both of whom came from county Galway, Ireland. Both remained on the "old sod" until grown, when each came to this country and direct to Indianapolis, where they were married. Soon after their marriage they came to this county and purchased a farm in the eastern part of Brown township, where they lived for four or five years, when they traded that tract of land for eighty acres in Boone county, where they passed the remainder of their lives. Michael Hession died January 1, 1903, his wife having preceded him in June, 1891. They reared a family of eight children, among them being the subject of this sketch.
Michael F. Hession remained under the parental roof until the time of his marriage in 1894 to Sarah Mullin, daughter of Patrick and Mary (Tarpy) Mullin, both of whom emigrated from county Galway, Ireland. Mary Tarpy was left an orphan when but ten or twelve years old and soon thereafter took the long journey to this country alone. She made her home with various families until the time of her marriage to Patrick Mullin. After their mar- riage, they purchased a tract of forty acres in the eastern part of Brown township, this county, where they made their home for some fifteen or twenty years, and here it was that their daughter Sarah, wife of the subject of this sketch, was born. In 1879, Mr. Mullin bought eighty acres of land in Middle township, on the Hendricks-Boone county line, retaining the original forty
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acres, and the following year he moved to his new farm and resided there at the time of his death in 1891. Mrs. Mullin passed away in 1888. They had a family of eight or nine children, of whom but three are living. The daughter, Sarah, continued to reside at home until the time of her marriage to the subject, and they afterwards lived for seven years on this same farm. After disposing of it, they purchased their present farm of one hundred and twenty-seven acres, three miles north of Brownsburg. In addition to this, Mr. Hession also owns a farm of forty acres in Boone county. being land which his father gave him at the time of his marriage. Mr. Hession carries on general farming and other lines incident thereto and is thorough and up- to-date in his methods. Mr. and Mrs. Hession have an interesting family of five children, namely: Mary Catherine, Theresa Marguerite, Thomas Leo, Esther Helena and Elizabeth Winifred. There is also one child dead.
Politically, Mr. Hession has always been identified with the Democratic party and, while not taking an active part in its affairs, has ever had a quiet interest in same. The family are communicants of the Roman Catholic church and are highly esteemed in their community. In the public life of the locality, Mr. Hession takes a commendable interest, always being in the ranks of those desiring the betterment of the moral and material life of the community. His straightforward manner of living has won him an enviable place in the regard of those with whom he comes in contact.
OSCAR H. WISEHEART, M. D.
Among those men of sterling attributes of character who have impressed their personality upon the community of their residence and have borne their full share in the upbuilding and development of Hendricks county, mention must not be omitted of Dr. Oscar H. Wiseheart, of North Salem, where he has long maintained his home and where he has exerted a strong influence for good on the entire community, being a man of upright principles and desirous to see the advancement of the community along moral, educational and material lines. Professionally. he is a man of recognized ability, who has in his chosen sphere of effort met with a large degree of success, winning the commendation and the confidence of all who have knowledge of the great value of the competent physician to any community.
Dr. Oscar H. Wiseheart, of North Salem, the son of John Douglas and Eliza (Clemmons) Wiseheart, was born at Groveland, Putnam county, In-
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diana, September 24, 1874. His father, John D. Wiseheart, of North Salem, was born in 1840 in Putnam county, the son of John D., Sr., and Mary E. (Ryner) Wiseheart. John D. Wiseheart, Sr., was born in Nelson county, Kentucky, and in childhood came with his parents, Jacob and Mary Elizabeth Wiseheart, to Putnam county, this state, where they entered government land near Groveland in the early history of that county and lived and died there. Mary E. Ryner was a native of Ohio, the daughter of Adam and Martha Ryner, and came with her parents to Putnam county, Indiana, where they also entered land from the government and lived there the remainder of their lives. John D. Wiseheart, Sr., grew to manhood in Putnam county, and in 1861 married Eliza Jane Clemmons, the daughter of Joseph N. and Caroline (Garrett) Clemmons. Joseph Clemmons was born in Maryland, near Hagers- town, and after the death of his parents in that state he came to Center town- ship and followed the occupation of a farmer for the rest of his life. Caro- line Garrett was born in Randolph county. North Carolina, the daughter of Caleb and Mary Garrett. Caleb Garrett was a physician who came to Salem, Indiana, and moved from there to Danville, in this county, where his death occurred. His daughter, Caroline, lived in Danville until her marriage to Joseph Clemmons.
After his marriage John D. Wiseheart, Jr., lived for a short time on his father's farm and in 1862 volunteered as a soldier, but was refused because of physical disability. A year later he again volunteered and because there was a dearthi of men he was accepted as a member of Company H. Eleventh Regi- ment Indiana Volunteer Infantry: The company was sent to Baltimore, where they were stationed in the forts surrounding that city. Here he served one year and then mustered out, immediately after which he returned to Indiana, and he and his wife moved to Iowa, where they lived for a year and a half. They then sold their farm and returned to Indiana, purchasing a farm four and one- half miles from North Salem, and on this farm of one hundred and fifty acres they lived until the fall of 1904, when they moved into North Salem and retired from active life. Mr. and Mrs. Wiseheart are both active mem- bers of the Presbyterian church in New Winchester. They have reared a family of five children: William H., a physician of Colfax, Indiana, who married Lillian Crose, and has one daughter. Nina : Effie, who died on reach- ing womanhood : Dr. Oscar H., whose history follows; Letitia is the wife of L. A. Whitenack, of Portland, Oregon, and she has one son. Clifford, and Victor H., who died in 1911, at the age of twenty-six. His wife, Catherine Cameron, died four months after their marriage.
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Dr. Oscar H. Wiseheart grew up on his father's farm in Marion town- ship, and after completing the course in the common schools he entered the Central Normal College at Danville, and later the Kentucky School of Medi- cine at Louisville, Kentucky, graduating in 1898. Immediately after his graduation, he began the active practice of his profession at North Salem and has continued in the practice there for the past sixteen years. Doctor Wise- heart has built up a very lucrative and satisfactory practice in his town and vicinity and has been very successful as a general practitioner.
Doctor Wiseheart was married in 1899 to Eva Morton Hadley, the daughter of Gillam and Harriett ( Kissler) Hadley, of Eel River township, this county, and to this union have been born two children, Harriett Louise and Robert Hadley. Doctor Wiseheart and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church and he is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons in North Salem. He is the oldest physician in years of practice at North Salem and has succeeded in building up an enviable reputation as a physician who keeps fully abreast of the times in every particular. Doctor Wiseheart is a man whose heart is in his profession and never fails to respond to the call of the sick and suffering. He is a man of character, of stern honesty and one who inspires that confidence which is as necessary to the patient as are the medi- cines which are given by the physician. His personality is pleasing and the deep sympathy which he feels for his patients endears him to them and thus renders him the more efficient in his services. He and his wife move in the best social circles of the town and vicinity and are deservedly popular among all classes.
CALVIN STOUT.
The Stout family have been in Hendricks county for the past threescore and seven years. Samuel Stout, the grandfather of Calvin Stout, whose history is portrayed in this sketch, was born in North Carolina in the year 1800, the same year in which Indiana territory was carved out of the North- west territory. Samuel Stout married in North Carolina and came to this county in 1837, with his family, consisting of his wife and two sons, William H., the father of Calvin and Luther. William H. was born September 15, 1849, in this county and died in 1896, his father, Samuel, the grandfather of Calvin, dying on October 4, 1875. in this county. William H. Stout was mar- ried on March 21, 1872, to Martha M. Curtis, who was born March 28, 1853,
(52)
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in Morgan county. Indiana. She was the daughter of Calvin and Rosa (York) Curtis. Martha, the wife of William H. Stout, died June 8, 1910, on the old home farm.
Calvin Stout was born February 13, 1873, and spent his boyhood days on his father's farm. In 1896 he moved to his present farm where he is now operating one hundred and forty-six acres. He follows a general system of farming. He has a nice country home and has his farm improved with good outbuildings.
Mr. Stout was married August 30, 1895, to Mary Edna Milhon, who was born on May 17, 1877, the daughter of George W. and Susan Catherine (Richardson) Milhon. The history of George W. Milhon, which is found elsewhere in this volume, gives the ancestry of this family. Mr. and Mrs. Stout have one daughter, Lenore Magdalene, who was born on July 22, 1902.
JAMES S. DODDS.
Although the biography of the substantial citizen which is here presented is only the plain story of a farmer, yet it contains many incidents which will be interesting to the general public and especially to the many descendants of the honored subject. While James S. Dodds has been a resident of Hend- ricks county only a very short time, nevertheless his interests have been closely identified with this county and with the town of North Salem, where he has been doing much of his business for a long time.
James S. Dodds was born in Garrett county, Kentucky, on January 17. 1845, and is now living a retired life in North Salem, Hendricks county, Indiana, having moved there in the fall of 1913. He is the son of Samuel and Margaret E. (Ramsey) Dodds, both of whom were natives of Kentucky and who came to Putnam county, Indiana, when he was a child of five years, and located in Jackson township, where his father bought a farm and spent the remainder of his life.
James S. Dodds grew to manhood on his father's farm and when he was eighteen years of age he enlisted, in July, 1863, in Company I, One Hun- dred Fifteenth Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, for service in the Union army. His company was attached to the Army of the Cumberland, under General Wilcox, and performed guard duty along the Cumberland river in Tennessee during all his service. Upon his discharge in February, 1864, he returned to his father's farm in Putnam county, where he remained
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until his marriage, which occurred in 1867, when he was united to Lizzie Case, a native of Putnam county and the daughter of Joseph and Louisa A. (Perkins) Case. She died in 1875, leaving one daughter, Ida G., who mar- ried John Wilson and whose death occurred in September, 1903. In March. 1880, Mr. Dodds married Sarah E. Rust, a native of Kentucky and the daughter of Matthew and Eliza Ann (Troutman) Rust. She came with her parents to Jackson township, Putnam county, Indiana, when she was six years of age and lived there until her marriage. To this second marriage were born three children, Iva C., the wife of Frank Robhins, a farmer of Montgomery county, and they have four children, Verlie, Nina, Marie Ruby and Irene; Eliza E. is the wife of Lona Page, a farmer of Putnam county, who has one daughter, Lottie: Vela V., the wife of Elza Page, who is a brother of Eliza's hushand and a farmer of Putnam county, and he and his wife are the parents of two children living, James J. and Hazel, one of their children dying in infancy.
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