USA > Indiana > Huntington County > History of Huntington County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests, Volume II > Part 16
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After a residenee of fourteen months in Huntington, Mr. Kenower was married on March 18, 1842, to Miss Lucy H. Montgomery, a daughter of Hugh and Sally (Betts) Montgomery. Mrs. Kenower died on November 18, following her marriage. On April 14, 1847, Mr. Kenower married Miss Florence M., a daughter of John Binager. She died fifteen months later, leaving a young child, who died a few weeks later. On April 15, 1850, the third marriage of Mr. Kenower brought him as a wife Sarah Purvianee, daughter of James L. and Elizabeth (Sprowl) Purvianee. They became the parents of four children: Clara Isabella, William W., Elizabeth J., and John P.
The business career of Mr. Kenower was most successfully identified with the lumber trade. In 1850 he first established himself in that line and for many years took the leading part in the development of the industry in Huntington county. During his first year as a lumber- man he manufactured more than one hundred and fifty thousand feet, and during the first ten years his output, made and sold, amounted to over two million feet. Most of the raw material was obtained in Huntington county, which at that time was well wooded, but it soon became necessary to extend the enterprise to the timberlands of other counties. Much of the lumber supply was then manufactured from black walnut timber, a native produet which was early stripped from the lands of Indiana, and which was one of its most valuable early resources. Mr. Kenower shipped his walnut lumber to markets at Toledo, Cineinnati, New York, Philadelphia and Chieago. No other enterprise ever established in Huntington county had more to do with the rapid setting up of the community than that of which Mr. Kenower was the founder. In 1865 he erected a saw-mill, which in later years, through lack of supply of native timber, was remodeled into a planing
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mill. Along with his exceptional business enterprise, Mr. Kenower pos- sessed a character of the strictest integrity, and while advancing to material success, he also kept and increased his esteem among all with whom he had dealings.
Mr. Kenower during his long career has held different official posi- tions. He was county commissioner when the court house was built, and was a member of the town council when Huntington was first in- corporated. He held a place in the council for a number of years and did much officially for the benefit of the public. In 1869 he built a schoolhouse known as the Rural Home, one of the famous old-time insti- tutions of Huntington. In later years he took a leading part in the development of the gravel roads of the county, and was president and director of the Mount Etna Gravel Road Company, and also a director in the Maple Grove Gravel Road. Both the material and moral welfare of the community have always been an object of his care and atten- tion. For many years he has been a worker and loyal member of the Baptist church, and from his personal means contributed much to the erection of the first house of worship, and also the later and more modern church edifice. For a period of nearly forty years he was superintendent of the Sunday school. Such a career, prolonged through many years, marks John Kenower as one of the most eminent men of Huntington county, and he fully deserves the tribute of respect and honor implied in this article.
HON. JACOB G. LAMONT. By the clection of Mr. Lamont to the State Senate from the district of Huntington and Whitley counties, in 1910, the honors of public position and politics fell upon an excep- tionally worthy citizen and efficient business man. Mr. Lamont whose home has been in Huntington county for more than forty years, has long been identified with the building and contracting business and also with the lumber trade in this and other sections of Eastern Indi- ana. His business record has been without a blemish, his dealings have always been straightforward and marked by scrupulous integrity, and he is one of the best known men of this county.
Jacob G. Lamont is a native of Canada, born at Welland, Ontario, April 30, 1857. His father, John Lamont was a native of Ireland, and his mother, Elizabeth (Gibson) Lamont, was born at Washington, Penn- sylvania. The father combined the occupations of farming, contract- ing and building for many years, and in 1870 brought his family to Huntington county, Indiana, locating on a farm in Warren township, where he was known as a general farmer and stock raiser until his death in 1881. His widow still survives, and lives in Huntington.
The early education of Jacob G. Lamont, was obtained in the public schools of Welland, Ontario, and was continued after the family came to Huntington county, by attendance at the high school in Huntington. On leaving school his experience was on the farm, assisting his father in caring for the stock and cultivating the fields, until he was twenty- onc. In the meantime he had learned the carpenter's trade, worked
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as a journeyman for some years, and finally located in Huntington as a contractor and builder. In the course of his long experience his services have been employed in the erection of many of the fine resi- dences and in the construction of schools, churches, and other buildings, and he was one of the builders of St. Mary's school at Huntington. In 1897 began his active interests in the lumber trade. In partnership with C. P. Kentz, the firm of. Kentz & Lamont was established and for three years was conducted under the name of The Cash Lumber Com- pany. During the next three years Mr. Lamont was associated with Mr. N. P. Salling of Muncie, in the same line, after which Abner Grif- fith of Muncie became his partner. In 1905, Mr. Lamont organized the Huntington Lumber Company, and was one of its active principals until 1911.
In 1910, as a Democrat, Mr. Lamont was elected State Senator from the district composed of Huntington and Whitley counties. His service has been through the sessions of 1911 and 1913, and his term expires in November, 1914. As a legislator he has shown a broad knowledge of the requirements of both his district and the state at large, and has done good work on several important committees. He has long been a factor in Democratic politics in Huntington county, and fraternally his associations are with the Knights of Pythias, the Modern Wood- men of America, and the Knights of the Maccabees. About two miles from Huntington Mr. Lamont owns a little farm of twenty acres, ex- cellently improved and much of it in fruit, this affording a comfortable home, and also a means of diversion. In the city of Huntington he also owns considerable real estate.
In 1882 Senator Lamont married Miss Jennie McClelland a daugh- ter of Samuel and Elzie (Patterson) McClelland. Their union has been blessed with five children: Margaret, Gertrude, Mayme, Edith, and Herbert Donald.
DR. ORVILLE G. WHITESTINE. The oldest veterinary surgeon of Huntington, where he has practiced for the last twenty-five years, Dr. Whitestine represents an old family of Huntington county, and in his professional career has long enjoyed the confidence and the patronage of the best people in this part of Indiana.
He was born in the city of Huntington, Indiana, April, 1868. Dr. Whitestine is the youngest son of James F. and Lucinda (Campbell) Whitestine, both of whom were born in Seneca county, Ohio. In 1850 the family moved from Ohio, and first settled in Union township of Huntington county and later moved to the city of Huntington, where the father continued his active career until his death in 1881. The mother died in 1882.
Orville G. Whitestine was well educated in the grammar and high schools at Huntington, and studied medicine under Dr. O'Leary, M. D., at Huntington. For some time he lived on a farm near Huntington, and gradually his practice as a veterinary absorbed all his time and energy. He became associated in partnership with Dr. F. A. Bolser,
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under the firm name of Bolser & Whitestine, and they opened an office in Newcastle, Indiana, where he practiced four years, since which time he has been in practice at Huntington. After returning to Hunting- ton, Dr. Whitestine formed a partnership with Dr. L. Bower of Muncic, and their relationship lasted five years. Dr. Whitestine has been con- tinuously identified with the active work of his profession at Hunting- ton since 1885. He has splendid equipment, comprising a large brick barn, fifty-five by sixty-five feet, well arranged with box stalls and other facilities for the care of horses on short notice. He has office equipment in his barn, and a complete stock of medicine and instruments neces- sary for his work. He treats all kinds of domestic animals from a dog to a horse, and his service as a veterinary has been sought both night and day in the city and over a large surrounding territory of the country.
Dr. Whitestine married Miss Minnie I. Fisher, of Huntington, a daughter of Jacob Fisher, one of the old residents of Huntington county. The doctor and wife who have no children live at 238 Wash- ington Street.
PROF. GARL W. VICKERY. From the rank of a district school teacher, Prof. Garl W. Vickery has risen in the brief span of nine years to his present post as principal of the Bippus High School, a rise that is most praiseworthy and which reflects the qualities of energy and ambition that have been dominant forces in the life of their possessor. Prof. Vickery's success has been a pleasing one to contemplate, and he stands high among the educators of the county as one of the progressive and talented men among his profession.
Professor Vickery was born in the vicinity of Treaty Station, in Wa- bash county, Indiana, on September 15, 1883. He is a son of Martin L. Vickery and his wife, Ellen M. (Heavenridge) Vickery. The father was born in Henry county, Indiana, and came to Wabash county in early life, later locating in Huntington county, Warren township, and being still a resident of that place. He served as assessor of Warren township for four years and has long been among the foremost citizens of" his community.
Eight children were born to Martin and Ellen Vickery, of which number Garl W., of this review; Ethel, who is the wife of Frank Gleasner of Swayzee, Indiana; Frank, a graduate of the International Business College of Fort Wayne, and now manager of the O'Gondy Co. Elevator at Bippus; Clara, the wife of Jesse Tyner ; Lola, a graduate of the International Business College of Fort Wayne, and now with the Barker-Brown Shoe Company at Huntington, Indiana; Albert, a stu- dent of the Bippus high school, as is also Ivan; and Aaron, now attend- ing the grade schools of the township.
Garl W. Vickery had his early upbringing on the home farm in Warren township, and he was accorded his early educational training in the district schools and in the Warren township high school, from the latter of which he was graduated in the class of 1904. Later, he spent
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a year in the State Normal School at Terre Haute, Indiana, and this constituted his only college training. His first teaching activities were carried on as teacher in a district school in the fall of 1904, first in District No. 2 of Warren township. He spent three years teaching in the grade schools after his three years of district school teaching, and in 1910 he was appointed principal of the Clear Creek high school, a position he held for two consecutive years, of 1910-11 and 1911-12. In the latter part of 1912, he became principal of the Bippus high school, and is now serving as superintendent of that school, a position in which he has acquitted himself most creditably and satisfactorily. His progress has been a praiseworthy one, and has come as the result of his close and careful attention to his duties, so that he has earned every pro- motion that has been accorded to him.
In 1907 Mr. Vickery married Miss Fern Hornaday, the marriage being celebrated on the 26th day of April. She was born and reared in Chester township, Wabash county, Indiana, and is a graduate of the North Manchester High School. Mrs. Vickery was for three years engaged as a teacher in the district schools of Chester township, prior to her marriage, and was an educator of no little promise and success.
Professor Vickery has a place today among the leading and most influential citizens of Bippus, and is prominent in various circles. He is a member of West Point Lodge, No. 688, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is a Past Grand and a member of the Grand Lodge of the order. Politically he is a Democrat, but he has never gone into politics to any extent, his interest in affairs of that nature not extending beyond the demand of good citizenship. He is a man of excellent char- acter and wields a worthy influence in the community, as is eminentlv fitting, and more especially so in a man of his calling and position.
CHARLES E. KNEE. In the essentially and useful career of Charles E. Knee there is to be found a lesson for the youth of any land, especially those who are struggling with unfavorable circumstances in their desire for position and fortune. Left fatherless by the Civil war when still ยท a child, he has known adversity and from boyhood has learned self- reliance, and through indomitable energy and tireless industry has made a place for himself among the substantial men of his community. Mr. Knee, who is Rural Free Delivery Carrier of Route No. 2, Andrews, makes his home in this city. He is an Indianaian by birth, having first seen the light of day, May 26, 1857, at Litchfield, Montgomery county, and is a son of Valentine and Rachel (Yaughgar) Knee.
Valentine Knee was born in Indiana and was a man of sturdy and industrious habits, in modest circumstances, but with a comfortable home, a good wife, and a family of bright, intelligent children. There were many excuses he could have given for not going to the front dur- ing the dark days of the Civil War, but when he saw his country's honor threatened by Secession, he bravely shouldered his musket and marched away from home as a member of the Seventy-fifth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He never returned to his home or his loved ones,
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as on the bloody field of Chickamanga he met a soldier's death. There were five children in his family, of whom three are still living at this time: Charles E., of this review; J. J., who is in the employ of the Wabash Railroad; and S. M., who is chief clerk of the offices of the Wabash Railroad at Danville, Illinois. Mrs. Knec still survives her hus- band and is living at her home in Andrews.
Charles E. Knee was a babe of one year when he was brought by his parents to Huntington county, and was but six years old when his father was killed. The brave mother managed to keep her little family together, and gave the children the best educational advantages she could afford, rearing them to habits of industry and honesty. Mr. Knce attended the public schools of Andrews to some extent, but the greater part of his education came from the schools of hard work and experience, and one of his earliest lessons learned was the value of a dollar. He made the most of his opportunities, accepted whatever honorable em- ployment came his way, and wisely invested his earnings in valuable real estate, so that today he is a large landholder. In 1883 he was married to Miss Mary Downs, and to this union there have come two children : Mabel, who became the wife of Frank Brown, of Andrews; and Lawrence E., a graduate of the Andrews High school. Mrs. Knee died in June, 1894, and Mr. Knec was married (second) to Miss Anna Gretzinger, who was born in Dallas township, Huntington county, In- diana, and educated in the public schools. Mr. and Mrs. Knee have one daughter: Florence, born February 11, 1909. Mrs. Knee is a devoted member of the Christian church, and has been active in its work at various times. Fraternally, Mr. Knee is connected with Antioch Lodge No. 410, F. & A. M., Andrews Chapter No. 110, R. A. M., Andrews Coun- cil No. 64, R. & S. M., of which he is high priest and thrice illustrious master; and Golden Rule Lodge of the Knights of Pythias, at Andrews. A republican in his political views, he served as deputy assessor of Dallas township for a long period and as truant officer of Huntington county for five years. He passed the Civil Service examination and was appointed mail carrier on Rural Free Delivery Route No. 2.
Mr. Knee has always been a very popular and influential citizen of his community, and his course in life has been ever such as to com- mend him to the confidence and regard of those with whom he comes into contact, whether in business or social circles.
WILLIAM O. TAYLOR, president, manager and one of the owners of the Lagro-Andrews Telephone Company, is one of the best known business men of this part of the state. A man of broad and varied interests he has ever carried on his activities in a manner calculated to advance the welfare of his community, with the prosperity of which he has in turn prospered. His business life has been one of constant advancement from his young manhood, and his success has been due to his own unflagging zeal and honorable manner of fulfilling his every engagement. Mr. Taylor, like many other successful business men of his locality, is a product of the farm. He was born on the family home-
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stead in Wilson county, Kansas, February 1, 1872, and is a son of E. S. and Peminah (Downing) Taylor, both of whom are now deceased. Mr. Taylor's parents were both natives of Crawford county, Ohio, where they were married, but in 1868 left the Buckeye state to travel further west, and in Kansas they were engaged in agricultural pursuits. Mrs. Taylor died when William O. was ten, and Mr. Taylor died when the son was thirteen years old.
The boyhood and youth of William O. Taylor were passed much as other farmers' sons of his day in Kansas. The short winter terms found him attending the district school in the neighborhood of his home; in the remainder of the year he was accustomed to be employed in the thousand and one duties which fall to the lot of the tiller of the soil. Thus he grew to sturdy manhood, strong of body and alert of mind. When he reached the age of nineteen years he went back to his parents' old home in Crawford county, Ohio, and there was engaged in various lines of activity until the year 1905. At that time he started a telephone exchange at Lagro, Indiana, and on December 15th of that year became the owner of the exchange at Andrews. Thus was organized the Lagro- Andrews Telephone Company, an incorporated firm which has since built the exchange at Mount Etna and is continuing to enjoy a healthy and continued growth in volume of business. The present officers are : William O. Taylor, president and business manager; and D. A. Taylor, secretary and treasurer. Through Mr. Taylor's able management this company is now giving its patrons excellent service and it has become recognized as one of the important factors in the business life of Andrews, Lagro and Mount Etna. Mr. Taylor has large interests of a business character in all of these cities, and makes his home in Andrews, he having here a one-third interest in the John G. Gretzinger & Company dry goods store. A quiet, unassuming man, he has sought no political office, but is considered a stalwart Democrat. He takes a pride in the city of his adoption and is always foremost in assisting measures for its welfare.
In July 25, 1901, Mr. Taylor was united in marriage with Miss Han- nah Reiff, of Crawford county, Ohio, the daughter of Christian Reiff, who came to the United States from Germany and settled at an early date in Crawford county, Ohio. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, namely: William E., born in 1903; Ralph E., born in 1905; and Mary P., the baby, born in May, 1909. Mr. Taylor is popu- lar among his acquaintances, and especially in fraternal circles. He is a valued member of Antioch Lodge No. 410, F. & A. M., Andrews Chapter No. 110, R. A. M., Andrews Council No. 64, R. & S. M., Fort Wayne Consistory, and Mizpah Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., having attained to the thirty-second degree in Masonry. He also is a member of Golden Rule Lodge No. 308, Knights of Pythias, in which he is chancel- lor commander. He owns his own home in Andrews and other property, having evidenced his faith in the future prosperity of his community by thus investing his money and supporting its interests.
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JOHN M. EADS. Farming, considered a mere manual occupation, has of recent years reached the dignity of a business, and some men now operate their land in a manner that raises it almost to a science. Such methods pay well, for the soil gives large returns to those who cultivate it correctly, and nowhere does this apply in greater degree than in the fertile fields of Huntington county. One of the prosperous agri- culturists of the county who has gained a substantial position through modern methods of soil culture is John M. Eads, of Polk township, who has devoted his entire life to farming. He was born on a farm in Lagro township, Wabash county, Indiana, October 28, 1872, and is a son of William B. and Rachael (Wamsley) Eads.
The paternal grandparents of Mr. Eads, Burkett and Elzie (Collins) Eads, were born in Virginia, where they were married, and subse- quently moved to Harrison county, Kentucky. After a residence there of some years they came to Indiana, and here spent the remaining years of their lives. Burkett Eads was a prominent public figure of his day, was an influential Democrat, and became sheriff of Madison county, an office in which he was serving at the time of his death. William B. Eads was born in Harrison county, Kentucky, March 30, 1828, and was a child when brought by his parents to Indiana. He grew up in Madison county, where he attended the public schools, but his education was somewhat limited owing to the fact that he started to make his own way in the world at the age of fourteen years. He was sturdy, ener- getic and faithful, and was thus able to earn from ten to twelve dollars per month, and by thriftily saving his earnings was able to lay aside quite an amount. By the time he reached his majority he had some little capital, and was married and established a home of his own. He came to Huntington county in 1875, and here he has since made his home in Polk township, where he is now living quietly, having retired from active pursuits some years ago. He is widely known and highly respected in this section, where his name has ever been known as a synonym for honorable and upright dealings with his fellow men. Mrs. Eads died at the age of fifty-nine years, having been the mother of ten children, of whom four daughters and three sons are living, as follows: Elzellen, who is the wife of William N. Williams; Elmira, who is the wife of William Tudor; Sarah, who is the wife of Orange Mahoney : Martha, who is the wife of W. H. Southwood; Jasper A., a resident of Wabash county; Isaac, of Jefferson township, Huntington county; and John M.
John M. Eads was three years of age when he was brought by his parents to Huntington county, and here he was reared to agricultural pursuits on the home farm, in the meantime securing his educational training in the public schools. He has always followed farming as a vocation and the admirable results which he has attained speak well for his training. Progressive and modern in his character, he gladly adopts all measures and improvements which will assist him in his work, and keeps himself fully abreast of the latest discoveries in his field of endeavor. On December 1, 1892, Mr. Eads was married to Miss Clara Vol. II-9
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Dawson, of Wabash county, Indiana, a native of Illinois, who was reared in the Hoosier state and is a graduate of the common schools. Mr. and Mrs. Eads have one daughter, Hazel, born August 27, 1893, a graduate of the common schools and the Monument City High school, class of 1913, and now the wife of Herman Rudical, whom she married December 31, 1913. Mrs. Eads and her daughter are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Eads is fraternally connected with Golden Rule Lodge No. 308, Knights of Pythias, in which he has numerous friends. Politically he was always a republican until the election of 1912, since which time he has been a stalwart supporter of the principles of the new progressive party.
WILLIAM A. THOMPSON is a successful farmer, a citizen in whom the people have manifested their confidence by electing him to the posi- tion of trustee of Polk township. He is now discharging the duties of that office with marked promptness and fidelity, and with such men at the head of public affairs a community may feel assured that its inter- ests will be safeguarded and administered with the strictest honesty and after the most approved business methods. In his long and suc- cessful career, Mr. Thompson has been engaged in a variety of lines of endeavor, farming, teaching and merchandising, and in each has shown his ability.
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