USA > Indiana > Howard County > History of Howard County, Indiana, Vol II > Part 28
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Joseph Hinkle was born in Delaware county, Indiana. Decem- ber 4. 1845. the son of Ziba and Abigail ( Barrett ) Hinkle. The Hinkle family originally lived in Ohio, who emigrated to Dela- ware county, Indiana, later coming to Howard county in October, 1856. The father of the subject is still living in 1908, and is known as a man of much sterling ability and honorable character.
Joseph Hinkle was eleven years old when he came with his parents to Howard county. He worked on the farm during the summer months and attended the country schools during the rest of the year until he received a fairly good education. He learned the plasterer's trade, which he has always followed in connection with farming. He has also long operated a threshing machine and saw mill. In whatever he has undertaken he has carried it through to success, having always made a comfortable living and laid by a competency which will insure his old age free from worry or in- convenience.
Desiring to take part in the great struggle between the states. doing what he could in defense of the flag. Mr. Hinkle enlisted in Company H. One Hundred and Fifty-third Indiana Volunteer In- fantry in the spring of 1865. His regiment was in Kentucky most of the time, where it rendered good service. At the close of the war our subject returned home. For his services he receives twelve dollars per month.
Mr. Hinkle was united in marriage on December 31. 1878. to
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Sarah I. Kilgore, and to this union nine children were born, eight of them are still living at the time of this writing. Mrs. Hinkle was called from her earthly labors in March, 1900, and our subject has never remarried.
Fraternally Mr. Hinkle is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the lodge at Greentown, and he has passed the chairs both in the subordinate and the encampment, and has rep- resented both in the Grand Lodge. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, Willets Post, No. 424, at Greentown. In politics he is.a Socialist, but was raised a Democrat.
Mr. Hinkle is a man of few words, but he makes friends easily owing to his upright life and kindness, and he is one of the most highly respected citizens of Howard county, where he has spent the major portion of his life.
JOHN HOLLIDAY.
In writing a work of so great a magnitude as is here intended. it is but fair to note the life and character of a man who has been brought up without a mother's care, having been compelled to hew his own way through trials and difficulties and obstacles of various kinds, which the subject has done admirably well, as we shall see, for he has demonstrated beyond a doubt what one can do who has a well defined purpose, energy, persistency and who does not admit the word fail to his category.
John Holliday first saw the light of this world in the adjoining county of Grant, the date of his birth occurring on July 25. 1860. On the day of his birth his mother died and he was given to Jesse Ware, who took him as his own to rear, he coming to Howard
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county in 1842 and entered a piece of timbered land in Union town- ship, where he erected a cabin and began to clear the land which he converted into a productive farm. flere it was that John Holliday was reared and when he became of sufficient age looked to his duties on the farm during the summer months and in the winter attended the district schools until he had received a fairly good common school education. When he arrived at the age of twenty-one Mr. Ware gave him forty acres of land.
The domestic life of Mr. Holliday dates from 1881, when he was united in marriage with Josie Willits, a native of Howard county, and a daughter of a highly respected and influential family. Our subject and wife moved upon the farm and for five years Mr. Holliday gave his entire attention to farming. making a decided suc- cess of this work. When natural gas was obtained in the vicinity of Greentown he left his farm and moved there, believing that greater opportunities awaited him in another field. He entered the hardware business which was the first store of its kind in that town. He followed this line of business with much success until 1893. when he disposed of his stock and accepted a position as salesman for the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company. While thus engaged his political friends nominated him for trustee of Liberty township and in the following November he was elected, filling this office of trust with entire satisfaction to his constituents and every one concerned for a period of six years. He then retired from the office and was a private citizen until he was elected a member of the county council, which position he now holds in 1908, exercising great influence as a result of his position. When Mr. Holliday re- signed his position with the McCormick company he entered the buggy business in which he remained with the usual success attend- ing his efforts until 1808, at which time he entered the grain busi- ness in which he is still engaged. In 1008 he rebuilt a substantial
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and mammoth plant in the eastern part of Greentown, where he is conducting a large business. This furnishes a home market to all that the neighboring farmers produce.
Three children have been born to the subject and wife, one son, Glen, who is twenty-five years old, is married and has one daugh- ter. He is a partner in the elevator business with his father and is a young man of much business ability. Besides this business our subject has a fine farm of eighty acres in Liberty township which he manages and keeps well improved.
Fraternally Mr. Holliday is allied with the Masonic order. the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the Improved Order of Red Men and the Eagles. He has passed the chairs of the Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Mr. Holliday has a wide acquaintance and hosts of friends as a result of his jovial disposition, his kindness, honesty and upright- ness and his unquestioned business ability, being one of the most highly respected citizens of Howard county where he has spent the major portion of his useful and busy life.
MRS. MINNIE COLESCOTT McKNETT.
The name of this estimable lady is a familiar sound to the peo- ple of Howard county, Indiana, and the brief record of her life out- lined in the following paragraphs will doubtless be read with in- terest by the many friends and acquaintances who have learned to prize her for her beautiful character and useful life, which has been as an open book in which there are no pages marred or soiled by conduct unbecoming true womanhood, and whose influence has al-
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ways made for the good of the large circle of friends with whom she associates.
Mrs. McKnett is a native of Liberty township, this county, where she was born May 6, 1873, on the farm where she now re- sides. She is the daughter of John and Celia ( Wooters) Coles- cott, who were natives of Caroline county, Maryland, the former having been born there September 10, 1821, and the latter on De- cember 8, 1829. She still survives at the age of seventy-nine years in 1908, and is making her home on the old home farm in Liberty township, section 30, with her daughter, our subject, who delights in caring for the estimable old lady whose influence has always been wholesome and uplifting, being known to all as a woman of sterling qualities and loved by all her neighbors.
John W. Colescott was married to Celia Wooters January 12. 1847. Prior to this marriage he had lived in Fayette county, In- diana, and came to Howard county about 1842, later returning to Maryland, and after his marriage he came with his wife to Fayette county, Indiana, where he established a store which he maintained successfully until 1850 when he moved to Howard county where he purchased timbered land and soon set about improving it. Being an industrious man he soon had the land transformed into a good farm, and later he purchased the farm of one hundred and seventy- three acres where his daughter, our subject. now resides. He im- proved this land by ditching until the farm now has more than six miles of tile ditch on it and he improved it in many ways until it was equal to any farm in the community in point of improvements and richness of soil and the soil has since been kept up to its original high state of productiveness.
Our subject was reared upon this farm and helped with the household duties in her girlhood days, attending school during the winter months, later attending the schools in Greentown until she
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had a fairly good common school education, for she applied herself diligently to her books and always made excellent grades.
In 1905 Minnie Colescott was united in marriage with W. R. MeKnett, a man of pleasing personality and considerable influence in his community. To this union one daughter was born January 22, 1906, who is a winsome and promising child.
John W. Colescott served as justice of the peace for many years and was regarded by all who knew him as a man of many good qualities. He was called from his earthly labors on January 7, 1894.
Mrs. McKnett is a woman of unusual tact and soundness of judgment, this coupled with her industry and gracious personality renders her popular in her neighborhood and has won and retained hosts of friends throughout Liberty and adjoining townships.
CHARLES F. CRANOR.
Practical industry, wisely and vigorously applied, never fails of success. It carries a man onward and upward, brings out his individual character 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 ordinary qualities of common sense and perseverance. The everyday 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 improvement. This fact having been recognized early in life by the subject of this sketch he has seized the small opportunities that he encountered on the rugged hill that leads to life's lofty summit where lies the ultimate goal of success. never attained by the weak, ambitionless and inactive. Mr. Cranor
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is carrying on the various departments of his enterprise in Howard county, Indiana, with that discretion and energy which are sure to find their natural sequence in definite success, and in such a man there is particular satisfaction in offering in their life histories jus- tification for the compilation of works of this character-not neces- sarily that the careers of men of Mr. Cranor's type have been such as to gain them wide reputation or the admiring plaudits of men, but that they have been true to the trusts reposed in them, have shown such attributes of character as entitled them to the regard of all and have been useful in their respective sphere of action, while at the same time he has won and retained the esteem of all with whom he has come in contact as a result of his industrious and tip- right career.
Charles F. Cranor was born in Wayne county, Indiana. Au- gust 21, 1856, the son of Moses and Mary ( Cate) Cranor, a well known and influential family of that locality. The great grand- father of the subject was a native of Ireland, who came to America in an early day, settling in North Carolina, where the grandfather of the subject was born. The grandfather emigrated to Wayne county, Indiana, and the father of the subject came on to Howard county in 1860, locating in Jackson township, where he purchased land in section 25. owning as much as four hundred acres at first. He was a thrifty, hard-working man and conservative in his busi- ness dealings, but was eminently successful and was of considerable influence in his community. He was an active worker in the Dem- ocratic party and was at one time assessor of Jackson township. Mr. and Mrs. Moses Cranor were the parents of eight children, four sons and two daughters of whom are living in 1908.
Charles F. Cranor, our subject, was four years old when he was brought to Jackson township by his parents and he has been living here continuously ever since. preferring to remain on his
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native heath rather than seek uncertain success in other fields of en- deavor. He assisted with the farm work on the home place and attended school during the winter months. He made an excellent record in the country schools and secured education enough to en- able him to successfully teach school in Howard county, teaching one term in Jackson township. He soon won popularity as a teacher, being liked by the pupils in general, knowing well how best to manage them so as to get the best results and at the same time re- tain their confidence and good will.
Mr. Cranor remained a member of the family circle until he reached maturity, and in 1884 turned his attention to farming. He was also in the mercantile business, which he made a success. He was also in the tile manufacturing business for awhile. He built the elevator at Sycamore and has been actively engaged in the grain business up to the present time, furnishing a good market to the farmers in this section for their products. In whatever line of business the subject has been engaged he has shown rare soundness of judgment and a thorough knowledge of business affairs, making every venture a success and winning the confidence of his patrons by his scrupulously honest methods and courteous treatment.
In politics Mr. Cranor is a stanch advocate of the principles and policies of the Democratic party, with which he has been affili- ated from the time of attaining his majority, and having been ani- inated with the laudable ambition for official preferment his party nominated him for commissioner of the third district in 1908 and the fact that he became the Democratic nominee of the same re- sulted in much gratification to members of both parties for his nomi- nation was regarded as a most fortunate one. He has ever lent what aid he could in furthering the party cause, and is well forti- fied in his political convictions, while he is essentially public-spirited and progressive.
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OF HOWARD COUNTY.
The happy and harmonious domestic life of Mr. Cranor dates from November 4, 1877, when he was united in marriage with Mary .A. Henry, a native of Rush county, Indiana, and the representative of a highly respected and influential family. Mrs. Cranor is a woman of many attractive traits and admirable attributes and she presides over the comfortable, modern, well furnished and cozy home of this cheerful family with modest grace and dignity. Three bright and interesting children have been born to the subject and wife, one boy and two girls, all still members of the family circle. Their names are Howard, Geneva and Mazey.
Mr. Cranor is a quiet, unassuming man, and useless to add that he is highly respected by all who know him, not only in Jack- son township, but throughout Howard and adjoining counties, among whom he has spent nearly his entire active and useful life, in all the relations of which he has been found faithful to every trust confided in him and because of his sterling worth, uncom- promising integrity, courteous manners and pleasant disposition he has won and retains the warm regard of all with whom he associ- ates, the latter including the best people of this locality.
J. HARVEY CRAGUN.
The office of biography is not to give voice of a man's modest estimate of himself and his accomplishments, but rather to leave upon the record the verdict establishing his character by the con- sensus of opinion on the part of his neighbors and fellow citizens. The life of the honorable subject of this review has been such as to elicit just praise from those who know him best, owing to the fact that he has always been loyal to trusts imposed upon him and has
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been upright in his dealing with his fellow men, at the same time lending his support to the advancement of any cause looking to the welfare of the community at large.
J. Harvey Cragun has preferred to devote his life labors to the land of his birth rather than seek uncertain fortune in other fields for his life has been spent in Howard county, Indiana, where he was born July 2, 1856, the son of John R. and Ellen I. ( Slider ) Cragun. The Slider family came to Howard county in 1847 and the Cragun family about three years later. They located in Ko- komo. The father started in business as a wagon maker, the firm being known as Todd & Cragun, it being one of the first business of this nature in Howard county. Later Mr. Cragun bought his partner's share and conducted the business alone. It was located on Sycamore street, opposite the Sipes theater. He purchased a resi- dence in 1852 and his children were born there. It is located on East Mulberry street, which is now owned by Peter E. Hoss. Mr. Cragun later disposed of his shop and was engaged in various lines of business. He spent the remainder of his life in Howard county, dying at the home of his daughter, Mrs. George Murphy, in Union township, with whom he had lived three years prior to his death which occurred November 14, 1907, his wife having preceded him to the silent land in September. 1904. They were married Septem- ber 20, 1855. Mrs. Cragun was born in Clark county, Indiana. February 15. 1834, and the date of his birth is recorded as Decem- ber 10, 1829. at Franklin. Indiana. He always took an active part in politics and served as assessor of Center township for several terms. Three sons and one daughter were born to this union, name- ly: J. Harvey, our subject : John A., of Kingman, Kansas; Elmer E .. of Cunningham. Kansas; Emma J., wife of George Murphy, of Union township.
Our subject was reared in Kokomo where he attended school
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and assisted his father who was a street contractor, also built side- walks, later our subject contracted along the same line with his father who later bought a stock of groceries in the management of which his son assisted. Our subject then went to Kansas, where he took up one hundred and sixty acres of land in Kingman county. the personal tax of the subject at that time was only sixty-four cents. Later the subject returned to Indiana.
Mr. Cragun was united in marriage November 11, 1880. to Sarah J. Matchette, a native of Grant county, Indiana, where she was born May 12, 1853. and was reared on a farm, assisting with the household work when a girl, attending the country schools in the winter months, receiving a fairly good education. Her parents came to Grant county in an early day and remained there on the same farm until the father of Mrs. Cragun died. To Mr. and Mrs. Matchette eight children were born, an equal number of boys and girls, all living in 1908. They bear the following names: Louis, Mary .A., Sarah J., Elisha M., Caroline, Elizabeth E., John E. and Walter D.
Mr. and Mrs. Cragun have never had any children. They raised Dan Matchette, who is a nephew of Mrs. Cragun. He was given a good education and reared as if he had been their own child. He married the daughter of Jacob Moss and they have three daugh- ters, namely: Sarah Ellen, born January 26, 1903: Olive, born March 6. 1904: Florence L., born October 7, 1905.
Mrs. Cragun is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Sycamore. In politics the subject is a loyal Republican, but has never been active in his party. However, he was the nominee of his party for county commissioner for the third district in 1908 and his nomination was regarded by all to be a most fortunate one.
Mr. and Mrs. Cragun began their married life with practically nothing. but they have always been industrious and thrifty and they
25
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now own one of the most productive and highly improved farms in Jackson township, consisting of one hundred and twenty acres, on which stand a modern and well furnished dwelling and con- venient out buildings. The place is well fenced and well drained and otherwise up to the standard of Howard county's best farms. On July 12, 1908, misfortune came to Mr. Cragun by the destruc- tion of his barn by fire. He recently completed a new modern building fifty-six by sixty feet, with four foot cement walls.
Mr. Cragun is regarded as one of the leading men of his com- munity in every respect, being public-spirited, honest and upright in all his dealings with the world and of pleasing address, winning friends wherever he goes and always retaining their esteem. Mrs. Cragun is also much admired by those who know her for her con- geniality and high womanly traits.
WILLIAM WOOTERS.
Not alone are those worthy of biographic honors who have moved along the loftier planes of action, but to an equal extent are those deserving who are of the rank and file of the world's workers. for they are not less the conservators of public prosperity and ma- terial advancement. Through all the graduations of life recogni- tion should be had of the true values, and then should full apprecia- tion be manifested, for there can be no impropriety in scanning the acts of, if it be done justly, any man as they effect his public, social and business relations. In the collection of material for the bio- graphical department of this publication there has been a constant aim to use a wise discrimmination in regard to the selection of sub- jects and to exclude none worthy of representation in its pages.
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OF HOWARD COUNTY.
Here will be found mention of worthy citizens of all vocations, and at this juncture we are permitted to offer a resume of the career of one of the substantial and highly esteemed representatives of the agricultural interests of Howard county, where he has maintained his home for the past thirty years at the time of this writing, 1908, and where he has not only attained a high degree of success in his chosen field of labor and enterprise, but also established an imper- ishable reputation for uprightness in all the relations of life.
William Wooters was born in Caroline county, Maryland, February 6, 1834, the son of Smith and Nancy ( Griffin) Wooters. The subject was only a small boy when his father died, and he was but seven years old when his mother passed away. The subject was bound out to his grandfather and went to live with an uncle. Mathew Wootres, and in 1845 he came with John W. Colescott to Conners- ville, Indiana, where he worked ten months on the canal at seven dollars per month. He then worked for John W. Colescott, driving a huxter wagon. He remained in Fayette county for a number of years, and he was married in that county to Nancy Stockdale, a na- tive of Fayette county. She was born May 27. 1834. and she died in Howard county March 5, 1905. They moved from Fayette county to Tipton county in 1858. They lived on a farm of forty acres in the latter county and later bought forty acres more, where he success- fully farmed until 1878, when he came to Liberty township. Howard county, buying sixty acres of good land in section 32, and he has been living here ever since, gradually improving his farm until it is now in a high state of productiveness and shows that a man of good judgment and thrift has managed it. A good dwelling house is on the place, also several comfortable and substantial outbuildings. Mr. Wooters always took a delight in keeping good stock.
Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wooters as follows: William .1., whose date of birth was in 1855. and Charles A .. who
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was born in 1858. The latter is a member of the Methodist Epis- copal church and fraternally is a Mason, also a member of the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows and the Improved Order of Red Men.
William Wooters, our subject, is a member of the Masonic Fraternity and also the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Both he and his son, Charles A., have passed the chairs in the last named lodge.
Mr. Wooters, our subject, and his son Charles A. are both loyal Democrats, neither have been active, preferring to spend their lives quietly on the farm.
Our subject is a man of scrupulously honest principles and he has gained and held many loyal friends by his well regulated life.
LEWIS JENKINS.
Among the thriving farmers and stock raisers of Howard county, Indiana, the gentleman whose name introduces this article is especially conspicuous. Few men of his experience have achieved such marked results, none occupy a more prominent place in the con- fidence and esteem of his fellow men, and it is safe to presume that his example and influence have done as much, if not more, than any other agency in the vicinity of Greentown where he maintains his home, to promote the interests of agriculture ; that he has honored the township of his residence by his life of industry and successful endeavor is freely conceded by all who know him.
Lewis Jenkins was born in the twenty-ninth ward of the city of Pittsburg. Pennsylvania. February 25, 1860. the son of Lewis and Rosanna (Tress) Jenkins. The former was born in Landde- wey, Wales. The grandmother's maiden name was Mary Lewis.
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