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 53
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Mr. Smith and his family are members of the Church of Christ, and he is an elder and one of the trustees in the church. In his earlier life he served as superintendent of the Sunday school for some years, and has since been a leader in the social meetings of the church, his activities having embraced practically every branch of church work. His first political affiliations were with the republican party, and he cast his first
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ballot for James G. Blaine for president. Sinee that time he has earnestly supported the principles of the prohibition party.
On December 25, 1885, Mr. Smith married Ella A. Wedeman, who was born in Kato, Wiseonsin, October 17, 1859. She was edueated in the sehools of Green Bay, Wisconsin, spent two years in the State Normal Sehool at Oshkosh, Wiseonsin, and subsequently taught in the sehools of Wiseonsin, North Dakota and Indiana. It was while attending sehool as a student at Valparaiso in 1882 that she met Mr. Smith. After at- tending this sehool for a year she returned to Wiseonsin, taught a term there, and then taught in North Dakota and Wiseonsin for three years before her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have three living ehildren: Owen. K. was the first and only graduate from the Rock Creek high school for the year 1907, he is now located in the Province of Alberta, Canada. Flora L. was graduated from the Rock Creek high school with the elass of 1913, receiving the highest honors of the elass, and has sinee spent a term at Angola and one at the Muncie Normal sehool, and is now taking a course in the Indiana University, where she hopes to graduate. Dur- ing the winters she teaches in the schools of Roek Creek township. Esther M. is a student in the loeal high school and is a bright and promising girl.
FRED H. BLOOMER. Within the pages of this work will be found speeifie mention of many of the representative agriculturists and stoek- growers of Huntington eounty, and to sueh reeognition Mr. Bloomer is fully entitled, as he is one of the prosperous and progressive farmers of Wayne township and has a host of friends in this part of the state, which has been his home all his life.
In the adjacent eounty of Wabash Fred H. Bloomer was born August 12, 1883. The old family homestead was in Liberty township. His parents were Ellis and Julia (Stewart) Bloomer, and it is interesting to record that father and son were both born on the same farm, and that Robert Stewart, the maternal grandfather, was among the honored pioneers of Liberty township of Wabash eounty. Ellis Bloomer served as assessor of Liberty township and is now the efficient and honored in- eumbent of the office of county elerk of Wabash county, his eleetion to this position having necessitated his removal from his farm to the eity of Wabash, where he and his wife have an attractive home in which they delight to extend weleome and hospitality to their many friends. Of the ehildren five are living: Dr. Joseph R., a representative physician at Roekville in Parke county, Indiana; John W., a farmer in Wabash county ; Miss Bessie, who is her father's assistant in the office of the eounty elerk of Wabash eounty; Ellen, a student in the Wabash high sehool ; and Fred H.
The publie schools of his native eounty afforded Fred H. Bloomer his early educational advantages, and after his graduation from the high sehool in the village of La Fontaine he completed a course in a eorre- spondenee sehool. Soon afterward eame an appointment to the position of railway mail elerk, after passing the required eivil serviee examina- Vol. II-27
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tion, and he was assigned to duty on the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, best known as the Big Four route. After a short service in this capacity, on the run between Benton Harbor, Michigan, and Louisville, Kentucky, he married and settled down to the regular business of his career.
September 16, 1903, Mr. Bloomer married Miss Frennie A. Hedrick, who was born March 21, 1885, on the farm where Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer now reside. She was educated in the public schools. Mr. Bloomer and wife are popular members of the Christian church at Banquo. She is a. daughter of George W. and Mary (Harrell) Hedrick. Her father is a native of Wabash county and represents one of the sterling pioneer fam- ilies of that county. He honored his native state by gallant service as a. soldier in the Civil war as a member of Company C, Twelfth Indiana In- fantry. On the 22d of July, 1864, at the battle of Atlanta, Georgia, he was shot in the left arm, and that injury disqualified him for further active service in the field. As a man who offered his life as a sacrifice to the cause of the Union, he is well entitled to the pension he now re- ceives from the general government, and is also a well known member of the Grand Army of the Republic. Mr. and Mrs. Hedrick were resi- dents of Wayne township in Huntington county until thirteen years ago, when they built a most attractive home on their farm in Wabash county, and have since lived there. Mrs. Bloomer has one half-sister, Mrs. Ella. (Hedrick) Garrison, of North Manchester. Mr. and Mrs. Bloomer have three children : Marie, born October 18, 1904; Delores, born August 21, 1907; and Georgia, born April 2, 1910. Their well improved farm of one hundred acres is most attractively situated one mile west of the vil- lage of Banquo, Huntington county, and not far from La Fontaine in Wabash county, La Fontaine being their postoffice. Mr. Bloomer gives: his attention to diversified agriculture, his progressive policies and good management having been shown in all details of his farm enterprise and giving him place as one of its permanent representatives of the younger generation in Huntington county. In politics he is a stanch supporter of the republican party, but has had no desire for the honors or emolu- ments of public office.
FRANK S. COOK. The train dispatcher of the Erie Railroad Company at Huntington is by no means an old man, but is a veteran in the railway service, and has been in the employ of the Erie Railroad for twenty- four years, being one of the oldest men in the service of that company.
Frank S. Cook was born at Kenton, Hardin county, Ohio, April 29,. 1870, the oldest son of Isaac and Louisa (Mentzer) Cook, both natives of Ohio. Both the Cook and Mentzer families came from Pennsylvania. and were among the early settlers at Kenton. Isaac Cook was a carriage- trimmer and wagon maker, and also a harness maker, and followed those lines of trade during the best years of his life. He was noted for his: superior workmanship, and every article produced by his hands or that went out of his shop was as good as careful construction and good ma- terial could produce. His death occurred in 1892, and his wife is still. living.
Edwine B Ayres.
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In the grade and high schools of Kenton Mr. Cook received his early education. When he left school in 1888, at the age of eighteen, he entered the service of the Erie Railroad Company, and learned telegraphy. Mr. Cook is a practical railroad man, having grown up in the business, and at an early age was entrusted with major responsibilities. From Kenton he was sent to Huntington as dispatcher and from there to Chicago for ten years and returned to Huntington in 1901 and continuing there since. During this service he has always been a careful and efficient and vigiliant worker, and his record is practically without a blemish.
Mr. Cook in 1896 married Miss Ethel Lauterbach of Chicago, a daughter of John Lauterbach, who was a manufacturer of carpets and rugs. Mrs. Cook was educated in the schools of Fairbury, Nebraska, which city was her home until seventeen years of age when the family moved to Chicago. They are the parents of four children : Frank A., a student in the Huntington high school; Arthur J., Warner R., and Gordon E., the youngest children being all in school. Mr. Cook has membership in the Train Dispatchers' Association of America, he and his wife are members of the Central Christian church, in which Mr. Cook is a deacon, and also secretary of the Sunday school. At 1531 Grant street Mr. Cook owns a substantial residence, situated on a large lot compris- ing one and a half acres.
HUNTINGTON COUNTY BANK. As a financial institution the Hunt- ington County Bank has a record which deserves incorporation in a history of the county. Its progress has been typical of the development of the community, and for twenty-five years its policy has been built up on the idea of efficient personal service and the highest standards of banking. This bank offers splendid facilities to business, and many of the best known citizens of Huntington county have at different times been among its stockholders and directors.
The Huntington County Bank was organized in October, 1887, with J. W. Ford, president; W. K. Windle, vice president; H. E. Emley, cashier. The first stockholders were W. K. Windle, John Gibler, Jacob Boos, J. W. Ford, Henry Arnold, I. N. Arnold, W. W. Hawley, David Hawley, W. T. Whitelock, T. G. Smith, C. E. Briant and E. B. Ayres. At the present time the capital stock of this institution is one hundred thousand dollars, and it has eighty thousand dollars of undivided surplus. The present officers are: E. B. Ayres, president; H. L. Emley, vice president and cashier, and E. P. Ayres, assistant cashier.
EDWIN BUCK AYRES, now president of the Huntington County Bank, and who was one of the original stockholders, was made vice president in January, 1892, and since 1909 has held the chief executive position. Mr. Ayres, both through his record as a business man and through his family, has many intimate relations with Huntington County history. He was born in the city of Huntington, then a small village, August 28, 1845, the oldest son of Porter and Catherine (Kenower) Ayres. His father, who died at Huntington, November 11, 1889, after a long
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and successful career, was born at Ganges, Richmond County, Ohio, November 4, 1816, a son of Daniel and Parmelia (Buck) Ayres, the former a native of New York and the latter of Pennsylvania. Porter Ayres grew up on a farm, and while getting his education and perform- ing the chores about the place, also mastered the trade of carpenter. From Ohio he moved west and became one of the pioneers in Northern Indiana, and during the greater part of his active life was identified with Huntington County. His work as carpenter was the basis for his prosperity. In the fall of 1838, following his marriage on March 4, in that ycar, to Mary Newcomer, he moved out to Missouri, but after the death of his wife in January, 1843, he again came east and in November of that year located in Huntington County. Here he continued his residence until March, 1850, when he joined in the great moving tide of fortune seekers who were going west, and spent eight years on the Pacific coast engaged in mining. After that he was a permanent resident in Huntington County. Aside from his business activities, he was often called to performance of civic responsibilities, and in 1878 was elected recorder of Huntington County and re-elected in 1882. He was a strong democrat in politics. Porter Ayres by his marriage to Mary Newcomer had two children. Of these, Elizabeth became the wife of Milton Taylor and lived in Huntington. In October, 1844, occurred the marriage of Porter Ayres and Catherine Kenower, a daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Wise) Kenower, an old and prominent family in this section of Indiana. The only living child of this second marriage is the Huntington banker.
Though for many years Mr. Ayres has been regarded as one of the most successful men in Huntington County, he began his career humbly enough, and he passed a great many competitors on the road to success. As a boy he attended the common schools of Huntington, until he was sixteen years old, and was then apprenticed to learn the cabinet-maker's trade with John Kenower. The Civil war was then in progress, and after two years, having reached the age of eighteen, he left his bench and went to the front in Company F of the Forty-seventh Indiana Infantry. The most important engagement in which he participated was the siege of Mobile, and he was mustered out of service at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in October, 1865. The first four or five months following his return were spent in work as a journeyman at his trade, and in the spring of 1866 he entered the employ of Mr. John Kenower, and continued as book- keeper and lumber inspector with that business man until January, 1876. He then became identified with the firm of Thorne, Slack and Company, in the lumber trade, and in the operation of a planing mill. This firm underwent several changes, S. T. Bagley retiring, and five years later C. L. Thorne leaving, and after that the enterprise was carried on under the name of Slack & Ayres, until January, 1888, when Mr. Ayres retired and devoted his attention to other lines. For twenty-five years he has been closely identified with the success of the Huntington County Bank.
On April 23, 1868, Edwin B. Ayres and Miss Emma Belle Leonard were united in marriage. She was born in Wayne county,
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Indiana, January 16, 1850. To their marriage were born five children: Eva Belle, Luella, Kate, Horace Leonard and Edwin Porter. The son, Horace L., died when three and a half years of age. The three children now living are: Eva Belle, the wife of W. B. Piatt, a postoffice in- spector ; Kate, the wife of Theodore J. Finley, of Huntington, and Edwin P., assistant cashier of the Huntington County Bank.
Mr. Ayres, among his other interests, owns a fine farm of one hundred and sixty-eight acres in Huntington county. He has always been a stanch republican in politics and has membership in the James R. Slack Post No. 37, G. A. R., of which he was one of the organizers, and with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he is a trustee. His home is a modern substantial brick residence at 336 Matilda street.
CHARLES W. MCCLURG. Included among the progressive and enter- prising business men of Huntington county is found Charles W. Mc- Clurg, proprietor of the Plumtree Breeding Barn, the owner of a hand- some farming property in Salamonie township. Starting out on his career with a capital that was composed principally of ambition and willingness to work, he has steadily forced his way upward and forward, until now he is at the head of a prosperous business and holds a place in the esteem and confidence of the people of his community. Mr. Mc- Clurg is a native of Huntington county, having been born on a farm in Rock Creek township, February 22, 1868, a son of John and Elinore (Randol) McClurg. His father was a Pennsylvanian and his mother was born in Ohio, and they were early settlers of Rock Creek township, where they assisted in paving the way for those who came later. Mr. Mc- Clurg devoted his activities to agricultural pursuits, was known as a reliable and industrious citizen, and contributed his full share to the development of the community. He and his wife were the parents of the following children : Eliza J., who is the wife of Nelson Sharp ; James W., who is a resident of Rock Creek township; Mary A., the wife of Isaac L. Dungan; George W., engaged in farming in Salamonie town- ship, and Charles W.
Charles W. McClurg was reared on the home farm and received his educational training in the district schools, which he attended during the winter months. He remained at home until he was twenty-one years of age, and at that time embarked upon a career of his own as a farmer in Rock Creek township. On October 11, 1910, he came to Salamonie township, and settled on a farm of 140 acres in section 3, lying three and one-half miles north and one mile east of Warren, Indiana, which he still cultivates. He carries on general farming, and has been successful therein because of his industry, well-applied effort and good manage- ment, and his property is known as one of the valuable ones of the town- ship. Mr. McClurg has always been interested in stock breeding, and not long after coming to this township he established the Plumtree Breed- ing Barn, where he makes a specialty of Belgian and Percheron horses, of the imported breed. This venture has also proved a successful one, and he is in the enjoyment of a trade attracted from a wide radius. Most
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of Mr. McClurg's life has been spent in handling horses, and no man in the community is a better judge of horseflesh than he. In his trans- actions he has never been known to take a mean advantage, so that his business standing is high. Mr. McClurg is a member of Barbers Mills Lodge of the Improved Order of Red Men, in which he is past sachem. A democrat in politics, he has never cared for public office, being con- tent to busy himself with his numerous private interests. With his family, he attends the Christian church at Plum Tree.
On February 7, 1892, Mr. McClurg was married to Miss Jennie Rittenhouse, who was born in Wabash county, Indiana, September 18, 1869, and came with her parents in 1881 to Huntington county, where she completed her education in the public schools. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. McClurg, namely : Irene J., born July 19, 1902; and Donald J., born October 30, 1905.
EMANUEL WILDERMUTH. One of the primary objects of this his- torical compilation is to leave perpetual record concerning those citizens who are worthily representing the best industrial, business and civic interests of Huntington county, and it is especially gratifying to be able to give definite consideration to those who are prominent and progressive exponents of the great basic industries of agriculture and stock raising. One well worthy of such recognition is Mr. Wildermuth, who is the owner of "Golddust Farm," which comprises two hundred and forty acres and is considered to be one of the model places of this section of the state. This admirably improved and well managed landed estate is situated ten miles north of Marion, the judicial center of Grant county, and fifteen miles southwest of Huntington, the county seat of Huntington county. It is in section 24 of Wayne township, and finer land is not to be found in the state of Indiana, so that the owner may well be satisfied with the conditions and environments that compass him and lend to his prestige as one of the influential and honored citizens of Huntington county.
Mr. Wildermuth traces his ancestry to sterling German origin, and the family was early founded in America. He was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, on the 25th of June, 1859, a son of John and Sarah (Bouer) Wildermuth, the former of whom was likewise born in Fairfield county, and a member of one of its pioneer families, and the latter of whom was born in Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania. John Wildermuth continued to be engaged in farming in his native state until 1880, in April of which year he came with his family to Huntington county, Indiana, and located on a farm in section 25, Wayne township. He became one of the representative agriculturists of the county, commanded the un- qualified esteem of all who knew him, and both he and his wife remained on their homestead until death, he having passed away in 1909, and his devoted wife having been summoned to eternal rest in 1911. Of their six children Emanuel was the last born, and three others of the number are now living. Emma J., the wife of William H. Smith, of Wayne township; Isaiah, who wedded Miss Samantha Daugherty, and they like-
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wise reside in Wayne township ; and Phietta is the wife of Henry Diffen- baugh, of Ringgold, Iowa.
Emanuel Wildermuth was reared to maturity in his native county, and his entire active career has been one of close and effective identifica- tion with farming. He was afforded the advantages of the public schools of Fairfield county, Ohio, and there, immediately after he had attained to his legal majority, in June, 1881, was solemnized his marriage to Miss Isabelle Groff, who was likewise born and reared in that county, a daughter of George W. and Mary (Young) Groff. Her mother con- tracted a second marriage after the death of Mr. Groff and is now the wife of John Ruggles.
In the year of their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Wildermuth came to Indiana and settled on their present fine farm. In 1893 Mr. Wildermuth erected his present modern residence, his large and well arranged barn having been built by him in 1886. Other excellent improvements have been made by him, and he is to be credited with the development of one of the splendid farm properties of Huntington county, his youthful ambition and energy having failed to wane with the passing years, so that he is to-day one of the most progressive and substantial farmers of the county.
In politics Mr. Wildermuth is found aligned as a stalwart supporter of the cause of the republican party, but he has been essentially a busy man and has had no inclination to enter the arena of so-called practical politics. He is, however, most liberal and public-spirited and ever ready to lend his aid in the promotion of enterprises advanced for the general good of the community. It should be specially noted that on his farm he has for the past eighteen years made a successful enterprise of raising the Golddust wheat, which gives title to his place, and his product in this line yields from twenty-one to forty bushels to the acre. He also raises live stock of the best grades, and he maintains a close supervision of all details of his farm enterprise, a fact that im- plies that much of his success has come from this source. He and his wife are zealous members of the United Brethren church at Mount Gilead, and he is affiliated with the lodge of Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Marion. He and his wife have taken great satisfaction in extending in their attractive home hospitable and cordial welcome to their many friends, and it is a center of much of the social activity in the com- munity. Mr. and Mrs. Wildermuth have but one child, Ina S., who was born November 10, 1883, was graduated from the high school of Marion and is now the wife of Clay L. Evison, a popular and progressive young agriculturist of Wayne township. Mr. and Mrs. Evison have the fol- lowing children : Adonis, Louise, Mary, Elsie and Isabelle.
HENRY MEYER. Few citizens of Huntington county have done more to promote the growth, welfare and progress of their community than has Henry Meyer, one of the representative farmers of Lancaster township. A man of enterprise and original ideas, he was one of the promoters of the project to drain Loon Creek, this being followed by similar enterprises
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which have resulted in the reclamation of a vast tract of good, tillable soil which had previously been of little use. Mr. Meyer was born in Tipton county, Indiana, February 9, 1859, and is a son of Charles F. and Margaret (Wygant) Meyer, natives of Germany.
Charles F. Meyer left the Fatherland as a youth of nineteen years, when he had decided that in the world across the seas he could better his condition, and first settled in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, but subsequently moved to Wayne county, Indiana, and thence to Tipton county. He was first a farmer's hand and later became the owner of a property of his own. continuing to be engaged in agriculture throughout the entire period of his active career. He was married in Indiana to Miss Margaret ยท Wygant, who was born in Germany and came to the United States at the age of twelve years, and they became the parents of six children, as follows: Henry; John, a resident of Tipton, Indiana; Matilda, who is the wife of Joseph Glass, of Elwood, Indiana; Charles W., the owner of a good farm in this county; Emma, the wife of William Wymer; and William, of Tipton county.
Henry Meyer received his education in the public schools of his native locality, and early decided upon farming as his life work. He thoroughly applied himself to his every task, learning every detail pertaining to the successful management of a farming property, and by the time he had attained his majority was well versed in those things which make for prosperity in the field of agriculture. Mr. Meyer remained under the parental roof, assisting his father, until he was twenty-seven years of age, at which time, June 28, 1886, he was united in marriage with Miss Amanda Stillwagen, who was born and reared in Tipton county, Indiana. To this union there have been born four children, as follows : Emma, the wife of Fred Went, of Huntington county ; Phillabina, the wife of John Hoenstine, of Huntington township; Margaret, single, at home, and one child who died in infancy, Thomas Wilmer the youngest.
After his marriage Mr. Meyer commenced operations on his own ac- count, and has continued to accumulate property until he now has a valuable farm of 171 acres, located three miles south of Huntington, on the Salamonie gravel road. He is engaged in general farming, in addi- tion to which he has been quite successful in stockraising, making a specialty of Berkshire hogs. He is known as an expert judge of cattle. Mr. Meyer has ever been foremost in movements making for progress, and when it was proposed that the Loon Creek district be drained he at once recognized the practicability of the idea. Accordingly, he became one of the promoters of this venture, and although it met with a great deal of opposition at first from those who were a little backward in accepting anything new, it has proven one of the best things that could have been done to aid the townships of Lancaster, Rock Creek and Huntington. This has opened the way for numerous other drains in Huntington county, and in this way many acres of valuable land have been added to the county's resources. Mr. Meyer is a democrat in his political views, but has cared little for public affairs, outside of the man- ner in which they affect his community. He is a member of the Hunt-
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