USA > Indiana > Howard County > History of Howard County, Indiana, Vol II > Part 20
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fifty thousand dollars and being managed by men of recognized ability and high standing in the business world.
In addition to the enterprises enumerated Mr. Kingston has various other business interests besides being the owner of valuable property including several desirable houses and lots in the city. to say nothing of his ample private means, all of which has been ac- cumulated since locating in Kokomo, which place he reached with scarcely a dollar in his possession.
He has won a large and permanent place in the business circles and in the specific lines of effort to which his energies have been de- voted, have given him much more than a local reputation and today his name is a familiar sound throughout the manufacturing world. As a citizen he is public-spirited and energetic, fully in sympathy with the progressive ideas of the age and ready at all times to lend his aid and influences to whatever promises to be for the best inter- ests of the community. Few men of his age have accomplished as much and as a leader in the lines of endeavor in which he is now engaged he is destined to make greater advancement in the future and win a still larger place in the public eye.
In a fraternal way he is a Mason of high standing, in which Brotherhood he has risen to the thirty-second degree. and is also connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Be- nevolent and Protective Order of Elks. In matters political he maintains an independent stand, obeying the behests of no party or leader but supporting the policies he deems for the greatest good to the greatest number. and voting for the candidate who, in his judg- ment. is best qualified for the position to which he aspires. He has been signally blessed in his domestic life, having a wife and a child to whom he is devoted, and a home which to him is the dearest and most attractive spot in the world. Mrs. Kingston was formerly Mina Vincent, at Ovid, Michigan, at which place her marriage was
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solemnized. Ralph, the only pledge of this union, is a bright and interesting young American citizen, whose birth occurred on De- cember 25. 1905.
JOHN McLEAN MOULDER, M. D.
It is not always easy to discover and define the hidden forces that move a life of ceaseless activity and large professional success : little more can be done than to note their manifestation in the career of the individual under consideration. In view of this fact the life of the distinguished physician and public-spirited man of affairs whose name appears above affords a striking example of well de- fined purpose with the ability to make that purpose subserve not only his own ends but the good of his fellow men as well. He has long held distinctive prestige in a calling which requires for its basis sound mentality and intellectual discipline of a high order, supple- mented by the rigid professional training and thorough mastery of technical knowledge with the skill to apply the same, without which one cannot hope to rise above mediocrity in ministering to human ills. In his chosen field of endeavor Dr. Moulder has achieved suc- cess such as few attain and his present eminent standing among the leading medical men of Indiana is duly recognized and appreciated not only in his own city and county but also throughout the state. . In addition to his long and creditable career in one of the most use- ful and exacting of professions he has also proven an honorable member of the body politic : rising in the confidence and esteem of the public he has filled worthily high and important trusts and in every relation of life has never fallen below the dignity of true manhood nor in any way resorted to methods and wiles that invite criticism or censure. He is essentially a man among men, moving
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as one who commands respect by innate force as well as by acquired leadership. As a citizen he easily ranks with the most influential of his county in the arena of politics where he has long been a power. His course has ever been above suspicion and those favored with an intimate acquaintance with him are profuse in their praise of his manly virtues and upright character.
Dr. John McLean Moulder is one of Indiana's native sons and it has always been to him a matter of pride to claim Howard county as his place of birth. His father, Thomas M. Moulder, also a native of the Hoosier state, was born in Parke county, but when a young man accompanied his parents in 1845 to Howard county, with the subsequent growth and development of which the remainder of his life was very closely identified. His father, John Moulder, was one of the early pioneers of Howard county and a man of considerable local prominence and influence. He was a member of the commis- sion appointed by the governor to locate the seat of justice and select and lay out a suitable site for a court house, which duty he discharged to the satisfaction of all concerned besides being other- wise interested in the public affairs of the newly organized county. Thomas Moulder taught school for a number of years in various parts of the county, but later studied medicine and in due time be- came a successful physician and surgeon. Locating at Russiaville, he built up an extensive and lucrative practice, which he continued until his death in the year 1889. Eliza J. Williams, who became the wife of Thomas M. Moulder, was born in Virginia, but in the year 1844 accompanied her parents. James and Elizabeth Williams, to Howard county, Indiana, the family settling in Honey Creek town- ship when the few pioneer clearing's were but niches in the dense primeval forests. Mr. Williams was among the sturdy, honest yeo- manry to whom the West is so largely indebted for its growth and prosperity, bore an active part in the development of the township
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in which he located and became one of its enterprising and praise- worthy citizens. Mrs. Moulder survived her husband several years and departed this life on the 11th day of July, 1899. Thomas W. and Eliza Moulder were the parents of five children, namely : Louisa, who married Mack P. Jeter, a merchant of Russiaville; Ella, de- ceased ; James is engaged in the mercantile business at Frankfort ; Anna, wife of A. W. Fry, of Swayzee, and John McLean, of this review.
Dr. Moulder was born February 4, 1850, in Honey Creek town- ship and spent his early life in the town of Russiaville, where his father was a resident physician and one of the representative citi- zens. His first educational experience was in the country district schools and the schools of his town, the training thus received being afterwards supplemented by a high school course in Kokomo and one year in the National Normal school at Lebanon, Ohio. A close and diligent student, he advanced so rapidly in his studies that at the early age of twenty he was given a position in the Kokomo pub- lic schools and during the ensuing four years he was practically at the head of the educational system of the city. He earned an hon- orable record as an efficient and popular teacher but not finding ed- ucational work entirely to his taste he yielded in 1873 to a desire of long standing by taking up the study of medicine which he de- cided to make his life work. After spending the greater part of the year in the office of Dr. Amstrong, of Kokomo, he entered the In- diana Medical College at Indianapolis where he prosecuted his studies and researches until becoming well grounded in the principles of his profession, later becoming a student of the Ohio Medical Col- lege at Cincinnati, from which he was graduated with a creditable record in the year 1875.
Immediately after obtaining his degree Dr. Moulder formed a partnership with Dr. Armstrong, his former preceptor, the firm thus
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constituted lasting twelve years, during which time the subject rose to a high standing in his profession and achieved more than local repute as a successful physician and skillful surgeon. he and his associate commanding the largest practice in the county and among the most extensive and lucrative in the northern part of the state. He continued the general practice with eminent professional suc- cess and financial emolument until 1895, when he began making a specialty of the eye, ear, nose and throat, and it was not long until his reputation as a skilled specialist attracted to him a large number of patients from all parts of the country, this growing and exceed- ingly lucrative patronage continuing unabated to the present time.
Dr. Moulder has spared neither pains nor expense in fitting himself for the special line of practice to which he devotes his time and attention, having taken several post-graduate courses in Chi- cago, where, under the direction of some of the most noted special- ists of the age, he acquired great efficiency and skill and in due time became not only eminently successful in his office work, but also a recognized authority upon those parts of human anatomy which have been the objects of his critical study and painstaking research. In the year 1905 he formed a partnership with his son-in-law, Dr. C. J. Adams, a graduate of the Indiana State School of Medicine. also of the Chicago Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Institute and one of the rising specialists in this part of Indiana. The firm is well equipped with all the latest improvements and appliances used in the treatment of those special parts, having elegant and commodious office rooms and everything in the way of modern research that scientific ingenuity has thus far invented.
Dr. Moulder has always been a close student and having availed himself of every opportunity to widen the area of his pro- fessional knowledge and make him efficient in the practice, it is not at all surprising that his advancement has been rapid and satisfac- 18
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tory and that he now hokls such a high and honorable place among the leading physicians and surgeons in a field long noted for the high order of its medical talent. He is widely and favorably known as a general practitioner and specialist, having met in the course of his career all of the eminent men of his profession in Indiana and many of national and international repute, being on familiar terms with not a few of the distinguished leaders of medical thought and participating in their deliberations. He is a member of the Amer- ican Medical Association, the Indiana State Medical Society and the Howard County Medical Society, having been honored with im- portant official positions in the last two, besides serving very ac- ceptably for a number of years as county health officer and filling other minor posts in the line of his calling. He was appointed on the State Board of Health in 1889, and in 1891 was made assistant surgeon general of Indiana on the staff of Governor Chase, in both of which capacities he acquitted himself with credit that added to his already well established reputation as a medical man.
Dr. Moulder has not only kept in close touch with the trend of current medical thought but is also a close student of all social, po- litical and scientific subjects, being broad-minded. full of spirit and a leader in those matters relating to the advancement of the com- munity and welfare of his fellow men. He is a man of decided convictions on all public questions, maintains his stand with resolute firmness and has made his usefulness felt in formulating and direct- ing political policies, as well as in various official trusts with which he has from time to time been honored. He is a Republican, not in the narrow partisan sense, but from a sense of right. believ- ing the principles of the party to be for the best interests of the peo- ple, and having faith in the great mission which it is still destined to fulfill in American affairs. In 1885 he was elected mayor of Kokomo and held the position with credit to himself and to the satis- faction of the public for a period of four years. during which time
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the city made greater advancement than in any other period of its history as the number and magnitude of public improvements and large private enterprises that were inaugurated and carried to suc- cessful issue, abundantly indicate. It was during his incumbency that the water works were built and the electric light plant estab- lished. these with the discovery of natural gas in the Howard county field and the great influx of capital seeking investment in factories and manufacturing enterprises of various kinds, marking an era of unparalleled industrial growth and prosperity and transforming Kokomo from an ordinary inland town into one of the most flourish- ing and prosperous cities and great business centers of the West. As an individual and in his official capacity the doctor became a leading factor in advertising the advantages of the city abroad and inducing manufacturers to locate their plants within this highly favored section of the country, not a few enterprises attributing to his activity and influence, the success they have achieved. He has always manifested a deep interest in schools and other means for ad- vancement and diffusion of knowledge and for a number of years served with ability and conscientious fidelity on the local board of education. The doctor is a Scottish Rite Mason and has long been an active and enthusiastic worker in this ancient and honorable fraternity, besides holding various official positions in the different branches with which identified. He also belongs to the Knights of Pythias and the Order of Elks, while the Methodist Episcopal church of which he has been a faithful and consistent member for many years represents his religious creed.
On the 31st day of August, 1876, Dr. Moulder was united in the bonds of wedlock to Lucy O'Brien, of Hamilton county, Indiana. the accomplished and popular daughter of Hon. James and Char- lotte (Lindsay) O'Brien, who were pioneers of the county of Hamilton and who became residents of Kokomo in the year 1873. James O'Brien was for many years a prominent lawyer and jurist,
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having practiced in the courts of Hamilton and Howard counties and served as judge of the circuit court and state senator. Dr. and Mrs. Moulder enjoy great popularity in the social circles of Kokomo and are widely and favorably known outside the city of their resi- dence. They hold membership with the Grace Methodist Episcopal church, in which for thirty-five years the doctor has acted as usher and for a period of twenty years has held the office of trustee in the same organization.
Few residents of Kokomo have occupied as large a place in the public eye as Dr. Moulder and no one has more worthily discharged his manifold duties or shown himself more worthy of the high es- teem in which he is held than he. His life has been filled with activ- ity and usefulness while his untiring energy and eminent ability have gained for him a conspicuous and honorable place among the dis- tinguished medical men of the day and generation. In every sphere of endeavor in which he has taken a part. socially, politically or professionally his unpretending bearing and strict integrity have elevated him in the confidence of his fellow citizens and his in- fluence, always powerful and salutary, is destined to continue a po- tential factor for substantial good long after he ceases from his labors and retires from the busy scenes in which he has so long been a prominent and effective actor.
GEORGE W. SMITH.
Conspicuous among the representative business men and pub- lic-spirited citizens of Howard county is the well known gentleman whose name forms the caption of this article. He has made his in- fluence felt for good in his community in Liberty township, being a
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man of sterling worth, whose life has been closely interwoven with the history of the community in which he resides and whose efforts have always been for the material advancement of the same, as well as for the social and moral welfare of his fellow men, and the well regulated life he has led, thereby gaining the respect and ad- miration of all his fellow citizens, entitle him to representation in a biographical work of the scope intended in the present work.
George W. Smith was born in Clay township. Howard county, Indiana. April 15, 1857, the son of Henry W. and Permelia ( May) Smith. The Smith family came from Virginia to Kentucky and later to Indiana. Henry Smith came to Howard county in 1840. settling in Clay township, where he died after becoming owner of a large tract of land there. He was a devoted member of the Chris- tian church.
George W. Smith, our subject, was reared on the farm and at- tended the country schools, but being ambitious and desirous of becoming well educated he later attended the State University, also took a course in Butler College and later entered Moore's Hill Col- lege, making a brilliant record for scholarship in each. Deciding to enter the medical profession, he went to Columbus, Ohio, attend- ing the medical college there, but lacked one year of finishing at this place. After finishing school he purchased a drug store at Burling- ton, Carroll county. Indiana, and later converted this into a general store. conducting the same for ten years with marked success. He then went into business at Rossville as agent. While he was there his first wife was called to her rest. After this he conducted his father's farm until 1898, in which year he bought a stock of goods at Plevna, where he still maintains a fine and well equipped general store, which is well patronized by people from that neighborhood and remote localities. He owns the store building and a modern and nicely furnished residence at this place, all of which he has made by
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his own thrift and industry. He carries as large a stock of goods as one may find in a country store, and his customers do not only receive full value for their money in purchasing his carefully se- lected goods, but they receive the most courteous treatment, which accounts for the fact that his trade has constantly increased. Mr. Smith is a stockholder in the Winslow Voting Machine Company of Michigan.
Mr. Smith has married a second time, his last wife having been known in the maidenhood as Belle Winslow, who came from Kan- sas City, Missouri, although she was born in Indiana. Her father was a well known dentist in Kokomo and her uncle, Ki Winslow, was at one time clerk of the Howard county court.
Two children have been born to the subject by his second wife. Their names are John W. and Raymond. The first named is seven years old in 1908 and he gives promise of a bright future. The second child died at the age of three years.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith are members of the Christian church, and the former is an active member of the Prohibition party. He has a host of friends in Howard county as a result of his industry, up- rightness and pleasing address, and few men are more highly respected.
SAMUEL A. BOCK.
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 Howard county, mention must not be omitted of Samuel A. Bock. of Ervin township, where he has long maintained his home and where he has exerted a strong influence for good to the entire com-
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munity, being a man of upright principles and desirous to see the advancement of the community along moral, educational and mate- rial lines, at present holding an important county office.
Samuel A. Bock was born on a farm near Dayton, Ohio, March 4, 1858. His father was Daniel Bock, who was a farmer by occu- pation and a man of great influence in his community. The mother of the subject was Susanna ( Erbaugh) Bock, natives of Pennsyl- vania and Ohio, respectively. They came to Howard county, In- diana, in 1874, settling in Ervin township, where they lived and prospered until about 1898, when they retired, moving to Kokomo. where they now reside. They were the parents of seven children, of whom our subject was the second in order of birth. He came to Howard county with his parents when he was sixteen years old. He received a good education in the common schools.
The subject was married May 9, 1880, to Eliza A. Eikenberry. who was born in Clinton county, Indiana, the daughter of Isaac and Arbella Eikenberry, people of influence and high character. Five children have been born to the subject and wife, as follows: Ber- tha May, the wife of O. S. Flora ; Grace M., the wife of C. C. Price ; Clarence L., Daniel L., Blanche J .. all children of much promise for successful and happy futures.
After the subject was married he lived on his father's farm until 1893, when he settled on the farm where he has since resided. He is the owner of one hundred and twenty acres of well improved land, being well drained and under a fine system of fencing. He has skillfully rotated his crops so as to preserve the strength of the soil, and his land is as productive as any in the locality where he resides, and no farm in the county is looked after with any greater care.
Mr. Bock has long taken an active interest in public affairs and for five years was trustee of Ervin township, which official po-
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sition he has filled with much credit and to the satisfaction of all concerned. He was elected county commissioner in the fall of 1900 on the Republican ticket and has faithfully performed the duties of the same, using the same sound judgment and advocating the same economic and good business principles that he has exercised in the management of his own business affairs.
Owing to his loyalty to his county, his scrupulously honest dealings with his fellow men and his kind and cheerful disposition Mr. Bock has won the undivided respect and esteem of all who know him, and he is regarded by every one as being among the best and most influential citizens of Ervin township, and no more patriotic or worthy character could be found in Howard county or within the borders of the Hoosier state.
GEORGE W. SMITH.
This sterling citizen and popular business man is one of the most progressive and highly honored residents of Jackson township. Howard county, Indiana, where he maintains an excellent, modern and elegant home, the owner of one of the best. most valuable and well-nigh model farms in the locality, being influential in local af- fairs and his character stands unblemished, without the shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil, so that to him is accorded the fullest mea- sure of popular confidence and esteem. Owing to these commendable personal traits and the fact that he is one of the brave sons of the North who offered their services and lives, if need be, in defense of the Union when its integrity was threatened. he is eminently entitled to representation in this work, which aims to give all worthy citizens of Howard county due credit for their praiseworthy lives and commendable deeds, for such men as our subject are not fre- quently met with, as we shall see by a study of his life.
OF HOWARD COUNTY.
George W. Smith was born in Vermilion county, Indiana, De- cember 9. 1838, the son of James W. and Eliza ( Pugh) Smith. The Smith family was from Ohio and the father came to Warren county. Indiana, in 1835, settling on a farm near West Lebanon. Later he went to Vermilion county. He was married when he was eight- een years oldl and became one of the successful farmers of the early days, being honest and sturdy. He was a great student of the Bible and a devoted member of the Church of God, in which faith he died. George Pugh, the maternal grandfather, was reared in Tennessee and Kentucky. He went from there to Illinois in an early day, and about the year 1828 came to Warren county, Indiana.
George W. Smith, our subject, was the oldest of eight chil- dren, of whom four are living in 1908. all boys. Our subject re- mained a member of the family circle until he was twenty-one years old, assisting in the farm work, having attended the country schools in the meantime, but his education was somewhat limited. How- ever, he has since become a well informed man by home reading and coming in contact with the world. His father not being especially prosperous, our subject was compelled to work most of his youthful years in helping support the family. In the fall of 1859 he began to work for a farmer at the rate of fifteen dollars per month, work- ing for one year and saving money which he invested in farm im- plements with which to begin farming. He commenced farming on his own account in the spring of 1861. After harvesting his crop. being of a patriotic nature and believing that it was his duty to sever home ties and defend the flag. he enlisted in Company K. of the Thirty-third Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in September, 1861, hav- ing joined this regiment at Lexington, Kentucky. His captain was Levin T. Miller and the first battle in which this company was en- gaged was at Hoosier Knob, the first battle in Kentucky. The sub- ject, while on a foraging expedition, took part in the battle of Rich- mond. Kentucky, in which he was wounded in his right hand and as
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