USA > Indiana > Huntington County > History of Huntington County, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present, with biographical sketches, notes, etc., together with a short history of the Northwest, the Indiana Territory, and the State of Indiana > Part 80
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DR. JOHN S. SPROWL, of Warren, was born April 14, 1850. During his boyhood and youth he acquired an education sufficient to enable him to teach successfully in the schools of the county. At the age of seventeen he began to read medicine, and for two years, diligently prepared himself to enter college. In 1869, he entered the medical department of the University of Michigan, and graduated from that institution, March 27, 1872. He immediately returned to Warren and offered his professional services to his friends and associates. His success was remark- able, and his practice grew to such an extent that in 1875 he was obliged to associate with him Dr. J. Good, who retired from active practice in 1880, but his son, Dr. Charles H. Good, soon after graduated from the Rush Medical College, of Chicago, and took his place. The firm of Sprowl & Good is known far and near, and not only have they an extensive practice in this county, but also in Grant, Wells, and Blackford Counties. In 1880, Dr. Sprowl attended lectures at the " Bellevue Hospital Medical College," of New York, to better acquaint himself with some of the more technical points of the profession. He is to-day a close student in medical literature, and provides himself with the latest thoughts on medical jurisprudence. He holds an honorary degree from the " Fort Wayne Medical College," which he received for reporting the greatest number of cases of obstetrics for one of his age in the profession. In 1866 he associated himself with his
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father, in the drug business, but disposed of his interest to his brother, George M. Sprowl, in 1883. He chose for his life com- panion, Miss Mary L. Good, the charming and accomplished daughter of Dr. J. and M. A. Good, of Warren. The home circle is blessed with one child, Fred, a bright little boy of two years. The Doctor is a self-made man, and from a poor boy, he has risen step by step, until to-day he is probably worth $40,000. He has always been liberal in the support of measures designed for the public benefit of the town or community, and is one of its public spirited citizens, and one whose upright character and genial disposition, have gained for him the confidence and esteem of all his acquaintances. He is a member of the F. & A. M., and of Huntington Chapter. He is also a member of the I. O. O. F., and of the Encampment. He belongs to the American Medical Association. Politically a Democrat, but has never been an aspirant for political honors, and has never served in any public capacity.
JOHN W. SURRAN, proprietor of the Warren Weekly News, is a native of Carroll County, Ind., where he was born February 19, 1849. John and Elizabeth (Haney) Surran, were his parents. The former was a prominent minister in the United Brethren Church, and assisted in organizing the St. Joseph Conference, and is the only member now living who was present at the time of the organization of the conference. He now resides in Mar- ion County, Michigan, where he has lived since 1856. John was seven years of age when his parents removed to Michigan, and spent his boyhood and youth in that State. He was a close stu- dent and acquired a good education in the common schools of Michigan. In 1868, he entered the Western College of Iowa, and completed the scientific course, graduating from that institution in 1873. He then returned to Michigan and was engaged for a while in teaching. In the fall of 1874, he resolved to take a law course in the University of Michigan, and remained in that col- lege until the spring of 1875, when he was selected as a teacher in the "Roanoke Seminary" of Roanoke, this county. After the close of this term of school he entered the law office of Sayler & Kenner, of Huntington, and remained with this firm until April, 1877, dur- ing the last year of which time he served as local editor on the Huntington Democrat. In the fall of 1877, he began to read law under Judge Everett, of Elkhart, Ind., where he remained until August of 1878. While in Elkhart, he and Edward Curtis estab- lished Elkhart Daily News, but soon disposed of his interest. On September 16, 1878, he came to Warren and established the Warren Weekly News, a neat four page seven column folio in- dependent paper. The first issue was December 5, 1878. The News has been under his management ever since, and has proven a successful enterprise. The circulation is increasing rapidly and compares favorably with any weekly paper published in Huntington County. On December 19, 1881, the News office was
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destroyed by fire, causing what might be termed a total loss, but in six weeks the subscribers were again receiving the News, which has been a welcome visitor every week since. The office is provided with an improved Taylor power press, and a Peerless job press, and is prepared to do any kind of job work furnished in any well regulated office. On September 4, 1886, Mr. Surran married Miss Sarah A. Irwin, a native of this County. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. order and a self-made man.
AMOS R. SUTTON, of the firm of Sutton & Sutton, proprie- tors of a leading grocery store at Warren, Ind., was born in Wayne County, Ind., December 19, 1843. When four years of age he went to live with his grandfather, Amos R. Sutton, who resided in Wabash County. There he resided until he was eigh- teen years old. In 1863 he went to Illinois, and from that State he enlisted on January 7, 1864, in Company K, Twenty-Sixth Regiment, Illinois Volunteers, under command of Capt. Ira J. Bloomfield; he was placed in the Army of the Tennessee, under the command at that time of Gen. W. T. Sherman, and partici- pated in the following noted battles: Ressaca, New Hope Church, Kenesaw Mountain, Marietta, Decatur, Georgia, Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta, Ezra's Chapel, Jonesboro, Savannah, Col- umbia, S. C., and Bentonville, N. C. He was with Sherman in his entire march to the sea, and his record shows that he was in some of the hottest battles of the war, through all of which he passed without a scratch. He received an honorable discharge June 3, 1865, and returned to Wabash County, Ind., thence he went to Illinois, but soon returned to Wabash. County and in 1879 came to Warren and has resided here ever since. On Sep- tember 1, 1870, he was married to Salista Harlan, and is blessed with one child, Rosa M. Mrs. Sutton died January 10, 1875, a member of the Baptist Church. About nine years after the death of Mrs. Sutton, Mr. Sutton on April 27, 1884, was united in marriage with Louisa T. Crandle, daughter of Michael and Sarah Crandle, old and respected residents of this county. She was a native of Fayette County, this State, where she was born Decem- ber 21, 1846. Mr. and Mrs. Sutton are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and Mon- roe Laymon Post, No. 211, G. A. R. He began life a poor boy and has had to always depend upon his own exertions for his support. What he owns to day he has made honestly and by hard work. The " Empire Restaurant" under the management of Sutton & Sutton, is doing a thriving business. Mr. Sutton is a Republican in politics and firmly upholds the principles of his party. John and Sophrona (Groves) Sutton were his parents.
REV. SAMUEL H. SWAIM, a time honored pioneer of War- ren, was born in Randolph County, North Carolina, October 25, 1820. His parents were Simeon W. and Nancy (Irwin) Swaim. The former a native of Randolph County, North Caro-
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lina, where he was born March 18, 1799, and died in Huntington County, Ind., in May, 1847. Christopher C. Swaim, Simeon's father, was also born in Randolph County, North Carolina, but under Colonial Government, December 24, 1774, and died in
Huntington County, Ind., in 1851. John Swaim, Chris- topher's father, a native of Randolph County, North Carolina, traced his lineage to the colony of Swedes and Finns who set- tled Delaware and New Jersey in 1638, the name " Swaim " being of Swedish origin. John Swaim married Elizabeth Vicory who died in 1833, at an advanced age. Christopher's wife, Simeon's mother's maiden name, was Sally Hines. The wife of Simeon Swaim and the mother of Samuel H. Swaim, was Nancy Irwin, born in Guilford County, North Carolina, Feburary 27, 1799, and united in marriage to Simeon Swaim, December 21, 1819, died in Huntington County Ind., September, 1865, in her seventy- sixth year. Her father was Samuel Irwin, a native of Guilford County. North Carolina. His mother, whose maiden name was Mary Means, was a native of Ireland, born in 1726, and out- lived her son. She died in Guilford County, North Carolina, in 1829, aged one-hundred and three years, when her great grand- son S. H. Swaim was nine years of age. The mother of Nancy Swaim, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Worthington, was born in Randolph County, North Carolina, in 1760, and died in Huntington County, Ind., in 1848, aged eighty-eight years. Her parents, John Worthington and wife, were of English extraction. Simeon W. Swaim emigrated to Preble County, Ohio, in 1833, when S. H. Swaim was thirteen years old, and thence to Sala- monie Township, Huntington County, Ind., in 1836. On the
26th of April, 1836, James Morrison showed the "new comer" land in Sections 27 and 28. In due time Mr. Swaim entered an "eighty and a forty" and received the patents for the same, dated May 30, 1837, by " Martin Van Buren". These parchments now a half a century old are still in the hands of the Swaims, as well as the old farm made by the father and son two miles east of Warren and known as the Swaim "homestead. " Samuel's parents did all in their power to educate their children, Samuel H., Mary A., Elizabeth, Christopher C., Cyntha A. and Ruth C. But opportunities in a state cursed with slavery were not good. Samuel, however, mastered Webster's " easy stand- ard of pronunciation, " The " Introduction, " "English Reader," " Columbian Orator, "" Pikes Arithmetic, " and some lessons in the "New Testament" during his childhood days. Only a few months' tuition were afforded him after his thirteenth year. Dur- ing the winter of 1840 and '41, he enjoyed the instruction of Judge Nimrod Johnson and Prof. S. K. Hoshour of Cambridge Seminary, Wayne County, Ind. He was married to Miss Eliza- beth P. Back, daughter of Aaron and Margaret E. L. Back. The former was born in Madison County, Virginia, June 18, 1785, and was a soldier during the war of 1812. He fell from his chair in instant death December 13, 1868, aged eighty three years, five
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months and twenty-five days. The latter was born in Rock- bridge County, Virginia, December 16, 1788, (her maiden name was Hammer). She died January 12, 1851, aged sixty-three years and twenty-seven days. They both sleep side by side in the "Good " Cemetery near Warren. Elizabeth, their daugh- ter, and the wife of S. H. Swaim was born in Preble County,
Ohio, November 28, 1821. The demand for a teacher placed S. H. Swaim in the school house in District No. 8, in 1814, and he taught not less than twenty terms of sixty to seventy days each, closing his last term in 1866, when the standard of license and the number of branches taught shut him off, and the children he had taught outranked him in the school room. The old man rejoices in the advancement made, and says the standard of requirements of to-day, needs further advancement to secure the greatest success. In 1840, when in his twentieth year, he united with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and has ever since ad- hered to the same, with an undeviating steadfastness, at the same time he abandoned forever alcohol in all its forms, and has been an uncompromising opponent of the liquor traffic for forty six years. He has taken and maintained such advanced grounds on the question of prohibition, as to receive some stric- tures from his fellow citizens. He served one term as surveyor of Huntington County. He always took an active interest in township affairs, and assisted in locating the school houses of the
same. In May, 1847, his church saw proper to confer on him a license as local preacher, and "Deacon's order," in September, 1855, and " Elder's order " in September, 1859, and while engaged in the business of his farm for the last forty years, the has been no idler in the church. He taxed himself day and night to read up his church literature, and as a supply filled the position as pastor in the church three terms and was always ready, when called upon to officiate at funerals and marriages. He has also given close attention to political and national questions as they were pre- sented on the passing page of history during the last half cen- tury. He and his loving wife have reared a family of seven children, two of them, one son and one daughter, have gone to rest, the other five, two sons and three daughters, are living to comfort their parents in the decline of life. Their names were: William F., Mahala M., Harriet A., Simeon A., Mary A., Eliza- beth A., and David S., of whom, Mahala M. and Simeon A. are deceased. The former was married to Lemuel Colbert and when called across the dark river left two children, Mary E. and Sam- uel E., of whom Mary E. is married to Byron Thompson and blessed with three children, including these great grand- children, Jesse E., Jennie M. and Julia Thompson, Mr. Swaim has lived to see his relatives in seven different generations, which is remarkable. He looks back upon his past life with pleasure, and can call to mind many incidents of note con- nected with it. We will mention one: When one of the little girls who attended his school had grown to womanhood and
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her hand was sought in marriage, Mr. Swaim officiated, and in after years solemnized the marriage of her son and daughter. He began life on his own responsibility in limited circum- stances, and after the death of his father it required consider- able tact and labor on his part, to hold the old homestead and to assist his mother in paying a few small debts left by the father. He and his wife are enjoying a retired life in their comfortable home in Warren where they expect to re- side until they are called to that final resting place of all human- ity.
JOHN H. THOMPSON, SR. - Prominent among those who have aided in developing this township, is John H. Thompson, Sr. He is now enjoying his eighty ·fourth year and has been a resident of Salamonie Township forty-seven years. He was born in Bracken County, Ky., November 12, 1802. His parents Ebenezer and Elizabeth (Howard) Thompson were natives of Virginia. Our subject was reared amid the hardships of farm life. In August, 1821, he was united in marriage with Miss Dorcas Elliott; to this union were born four sons, namely: Ebenezer, Elijah George and Howard, all of whom are now living. Mrs. Thomp' son, the loving wife and mother, was called away in 1831 Mr. Thompson was again married in 1832, to Mary Thompson, by" whom he was blessed with eight children. Margaret, Susan, Mary, Ann, Robert, William E., James and Alfred, of whom William E., Alfred and James, are deceased. Mrs. Thompson, the mother of these children was also called away in 1878, since which time Mr. Thompson and his daughter Margaret, have resided together in Warren. Ebenezer Thompson, the father of our subject, settled in Salamonie Township in 1839. During the next year, or in September, 1840, John disposed of the most of his property in Kentucky, at public auction, loaded a four horse wagon with a few personal effects, and with his wife and seven children started over land for this county. He had to pass through some very broken county and was some weeks in making the trip. But he never lost his courage, and about the 1st of Octo- ber, 1840, he unloaded his wagon on the northwest quarter of Section 13, Salamonie Township. There was not a stick amiss on his land. The Miami Indians had chosen a desirable spot on this tract for a camp, and had erected a large wigwam, which Mr. Thompson tore down and put up a log cabin instead. Into this, he moved his family, and set out to hew a home out of the forest. And many is the night he and his sons spent in burning brush and log-heaps after a hard day's work in the clearing. Thus by degrees he cleared up his farm and provided himself and family with a comfortable home. He started in life a poor, but honest man, and the first twenty years of his married life he passed in Kentucky, merely supporting his family, and it was some years after he emigrated to this county before he began to realize the fruits of his labors. By honest toil, and fair dealing he accumu -
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lated considerable of wealth, which he has generously divided between his children. The pioneers are fast fading away, and the time is almost here when all who were identified with the development of this county will have passed away. Our vener- able subject who is now over eighty-four years of age, who came here when all was in the woods and has lived to witness the great change brought about by the settling up of the wilderness of fifty years ago, will ere long be called home. But he has made his mark in the world. He has led an honorable Christian life, and set an example to his sons and daughters. He united with the Campbellite Church in 1840, and has followed the path of a Christian ever since. He has always been ready and willing to assist any enterprise of a Christian or benevolent character. He expects to end his days in his comfortable home in Warren.
JOHN H. THOMPSON, son of John H. Thompson, Sr., whose biography is found above, was born in Bracken County, Ky., February 23, 1830. At the age of ten he accompanied his parents to this county; they arrived here in the fall of 1840. He re- mained with his parents until the age of sixteen, when he began life on his own responsibility by engaging at work as a laborer, and was willing to engage in any honorable work at which he could make an honest dollar. He was industrious and frugal, and saved his earnings, but the laborer of that day did not receive the wages to enable him to acquire wealth as rapidly as to-day. The fall of '53 found our subject financially prepared to purchase an eighty-acre tract of wild land in Section 14. During that year or on January 2, 1853, he was united in marriage with Lucretia Prible, daughter of Enoch and Lydia (York) Prible, natives of Ohio. Lucretia was born in Preble County, Ohio, May 22, 1831. In the fall of 1836 her parents moved to Jefferson Township, this county, where her young life was spent. This union was blessed with eight children: Sarah, Elijah P., Lydia E., Marietta, George G. and John G., who were twins, Ebenezer and Emma A., of whom Sarah, Lydia, George G., John G., Marietta and Eben- ezer are deceased; Elijah and Emma A. are the only survivors of this large family, and both residing in this township. Polit- ically Mr. Thompson is a Republican, and began with the old Whig party. As stated he began life a poor boy, and started from home out into the world to hew his way through by dint of industry and perseverance; he has been eminently successful in a financial sense. He first began here with the wild tract of land in Section 14; he worked almost day and night in his clearing and about his home, and the fruits of those days of hard and honest toil, are seen to-day by a visit to the pleasant home of Mr. Thompson. He owned at one time over 800 acres of fine land, but has disposed of a part of it, and to-day owns over 500 acres, divided into three farms. He resides in Section 13, and his farm is provided with substantial improvements. With the exception of the time elapsing between the spring of '47 and the fall of
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'53, he has , continued to reside in this township. The country here has developed wonderfully since the boyhood days of Mr. Thompson, and what was then a wilderness has been trans- formed into fine, beautiful farms. The old by-roads have been changed into fine, beautiful highways. Civilization has come to stay, and but few of the pioneers are left to tell the story of life in the woods fifty years ago. Our subject has been honest and upright in life, and holds the respect of the community.
JOHN H. THOMPSON, JR., a prominent farmer, and at present Trustee of Salamonie Township, was born here January 28, 1846, He is the son of Ebenezer and Pemelia (Blair) Thomp- son, the former a native of Kentucky, and the latter of Ohio. John was reared among the hardships of farm life, and received a fair education in his youth. At maturity he engaged in farm- ing for himself, and on August 29, 1869, he was married to Miss Emily Shafer, daughter of George E., and Margaret Shafer, both of whom emigrated to this county from Butler County, Ohio, in 1865. This union was blessed with two children: Alvin and Mvra, of whom Myra is deceased. The; wife and mother was also called away July 7, 1875, and on March 19, 1876, Mr. Thomp- son was again married, his choice being Miss Elvira Jones, daughter of Silas and Eliza Jones, whose biographies appear in this history. Elvira was born August 2, 1849, and has spent her entire life in this township. This marriage is blessed with two children: Sylvia and Silas E., both of whom are living. Mr. Thompson is a member of the F. & A. M. order, and a Republican in politics. In April, 1884, he was elected Trustee of Salamonie Township, and re-elected in April, 1886.' Being reared on a farm he adopted farming as a life profession, and has always been very successful. He owns a fine farm in Section 21, besides a valuable residence property in East Warren. He is one of the promising young men of Warren, and calculated to succeed in any business in which he engages.
DANIEL ZENT was born in Richland County, Ohio, March 16, 1819. His parents were Jacob and Sarah (Coon) Zent, natives of Pennsylvania, of German descent. Daniel spent his young life on his father's farm in Ohio. In 1837, he came with his parents to Salamonie Township. They located near Warren. He soon began farming for himself, and on December 6, 1838, he was married to Mary A. Back, daughter of Aaron and Elizabeth (Hammer) Back. Mary was born in Warren County, Ohio, No- vember 5, 1817, but spent the most of her young life in Preble County, Ohio. They began life together in poverty; $25 would have covered their entire wealth, but Mr. Zent went to work with a will, and has succeeded in providing himself with a fine farm of 200 acres in Sections 33 and 34. He did the greater part of the clearing up of this large farm. The country has developed wonderfully since his arrival. He remembers when there was
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but one cabin between Warren and Huntington. But few of .his old pioneer neighbors are left. He has always upheld the prin- ciples of the Democratic party. His antecedents are of remark- able longevity. His grandfather, John Zent, lived to the ad- vanced age of one hundred and seven years. His father, Jacob Zent was ninety-four years of age when called away.
CHAPTER XVI.
UNION TOWNSHIP - SURFACE FEATURES - FIRST SETTLERS - EARLY LAND BUYERS - MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS - EARLY MIL- LING ENTERPRISES - RELIGION - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
U NION TOWNSHIP embraces a superficial area of thirty-six square miles in the eastern part of the county, being Town- ship 28 north, Range 10 east, of the Congressional survey. It is bounded as follows: Jackson Township on the north, Wells County on the east, Rock Creek on the south, and the Township of Huntington on the west. It is watered and drained by the Wabash and Little Wabash Rivers, the former flowing through the southwest and the latter through the northwest corners of the township, both receiving a number of small tributaries not designated by any particular names. With the exception of small areas of broken land adjacent to these streams, the sur- face of the township may be described as comparatively level and characterized by a deep, black soil, which for general agri- cultural purposes is not excelled by that of any other division of the county. The southern portion was originally quite wet, a considerable area in the southwest corner being a low, swampy prairie, a fact which led the early settlers to locate on the higher lands in the northern part. These wet lands have been re- claimed by a successful system of artificial drainage and that which was formerly considered almost worthless is now among the most fertile and best developed farming districts of the township. Like other portions of Huntington County, Union Township was originally covered with a dense forest growth and many of the first settlers derived a considerable remuneration from the sale of timber which was cut and floated to the saw- mills formerly in operation at various points on the Wabash and Little Rivers. The early settlement of the country necessarily implied the destruction of much fine timber which, if standing to-day, would represent a greater value than the land upon which it grew.
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