USA > Indiana > Marshall County > History of Indiana : containing a history of Indiana and biographical sketches of governors and other leading men. Also a statement of the growth and prosperity of Marshall County, together with a personal and family histry of many of its citizens, Vol. II > Part 17
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year, and then began farming in Center township, which he after- ward abandoned and opened a restaurant in Bourbon. He again took up the pursuit of agriculture, but after following it a short time, moved to Plymouth, where he again engaged in the restaurant business, which he continued until 1889, when he established his present livery business in partnership with Mr. Goudy, whose in- terest he purchased in 1890, and became sole proprietor. He was married in 1880 to Samantha J., daughter of Gideon Wolf, the fruit of which union is four children: Ethel, Edwin, Bessie and Ida. Mr. Brenner is a democrat in politics, and has held the of- fice of assessor of Center township.
Ed. S. Brooke was born in Plymouth, Ind., June 23, 1858. He was reared and educated in his native town, receiving a liberal English education in the city schools. In 1871, he became an ap- prentice to learn the printer's trade under Van Valkenburgh & McDonald, editors of the Plymouth Democrat. In 1874 he be- came a journeyman at his trade, and since 1878 he has been iden- tified with the Plymouth Republican, and since 1879, he has been identified with the Republican as one of its proprietors and edit- ors, being associated with J. W. Siders from April, 1879, to July 1890. In July, 1890, William G. Hendricks purchased Mr. Siders' interest, and now the publishers are Brooke & Hendricks, the former having charge of the editorial, the latter of the typo- graphical department. Mr. Brooke is recognized as an able editor, and together with his energy and practical education and ability, he has achieved perhaps more than an ordinary success in the newspaper field. He is a decided republican in politics, having cast his first national, or presidential, vote with the re- publican party, of whose political principles he is an ardent advo- cate. In 1881 he was united in marriage with Miss Lillian O. Outcalt, a native of Plymouth, Ind., and three children have been born unto the marriage. Mr. Brooke and wife hold a member- ship in the Presbyterian church of Plymouth. He became self- supporting at the age of fourteen years when he began his ap- prenticeship, and is in every respect a self-made man. He is a highly respected, trusted and representative citizen of Marshall county.
Jerred E. Brooke, retired physician and prominent citizen of Plymouth, was born in Chester county, Penn., nine miles west of Valley Forge, in a small hamlet known as Lawrenceville, August 9th, 1820, being the third son of Mark and Mary (Koons) Brooke. The parents were both natives of Pennsylvania, the father born in 1791, and the mother in 1794, and were descended from Eng- lish and German ancestors respectively. Mark Brooke was a gunsmith by trade and during the war of 1812 manufactured fire-arms for the American army, receiving $16 for each musket bearing his brand. Later in life he followed blacksmithing, and
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in 1843 moved from Chester to Schuylkill county, where he died in 1849. Mrs. Brooke afterward came west with her son Jerred, and daughters, Mrs. Halsey and Patterson, and died in Plymouth, in 1871, aged seventy-seven years. The immediate subject of this sketch grew to manhood in Chester county, Penn., where, after receiving a good education he began the study of medicine, which he continued as his health would permit. At the age of twenty-three he came to Indiana, locating in St. Joseph county, where he accepted a situation as clerk with his brother, James K. Brooke, who carried on business at Mishawaka. He continued in this capacity one year, and then accepted a clerkship with the Mishawaka Furnace company, with which he continued identi- fied about three years, when in 1847 he purchased the Mishawaka Linseed Oil mill, which he operated successfully for some time. During the years that he was engaged in business he still kept up his professional reading and the better to prepare himself for practice attended two courses of lectures at La Porte and sub- sequently entered the Indiana Central college at Indianapolis, from which he graduated in 1851. After the destruction of his oil mills by fire he turned his entire attention to his profession, and began the practice of the same in Illinois, where he remained until 1854, at which time he located in Plymouth. He had a lucrative practice here until 1862, when he entered the United States service as assistant surgeon, and was assigned to Memphis, Tenn., and subsequently was transferred to the Benton barracks general hospital. He afterward returned to Memphis, thence to Louisville, and later was assigned to duty in the prison hos- pital at Rock Island, where he remained for a period of sixteen months. From that time until the close of the war he was simi- larly engaged in the Louisville and Jeffersonville hospitals, and in June, 1865, left the service and returned to his home in Plymouth, where he resumed the practice of his profession. He continued in active practice until within a few years when he re- tired, but still gives attention to his office practice. He has been one of Marshall county's successful physicians and surgeons and ranks among the leading medical men of northern Indiana. September 30th, 1847, he was married to Miss Mary R. Williams, of La Porte, who was born July 27th, 1827, in Shelby county, Ind., the daughter of Judge Azariah and Mary (Eddy) Williams, natives respectively of Massachusetts and New York. Judge Williams and wife were married in New York, in 1816, and came west in 1820, locating in Decatur county, Ind., moving thence in the fall of 1822 to Shelby county, settling upon the present site of Shelbyville. He died in 1869. Dr. Brooke's marriage has been blessed with the birth of eight children, two of whom died in infancy and six of whom grew to maturity, viz .: Estella, widow of Ezra Helm; Howard M., Clifford M., Ed. S., editor of
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the Plymouth Republican; Chester V. and Harry R. Mrs. Brooke is a member of the Episcopal church, and during her school days was a class mate of the late Vice President Hendricks. Dr. Brooke is a staunch democrat in politics, and has worked earnestly for the success of his party in Marshall county.
Stacy Burdon was born in Clinton county, Ohio, May 8, 1820. His parents, Edward and Hannah (Kelly) Burdon, were both natives of New Jersey, which state they left at an early day, and emigrating to Ohio, settled in Stark county, where Mr. Burdon engaged in agricultural pursuits. Here the mother died, and later the father married Miss Lavina Mason, and about 1850, came to Marshall county, Ind., and settled upon a part of the farm now owned by the subject, where he died in 1852. The children of his first marriage were two in number, viz .: Mary Ann, wife of Jesse Coleman, and Stacy. The second marriage resulted in the birth of five children: Rebecca, wife of John Carter; Shadrach, Leonard, Margaret, wife of George G. - -, and Martha Ann. The subject of this biography resided in Clinton county, Ohio, until his sixteenth year, at which time he came to La Porte county, Ind., where he found employment by the day's work at different occupations. Two years later, he moved to Kosciusco county, thence to Wayne county, where he also remained two years, working during that time as a farm laborer at $10 per month. He returned to Kosciusco county in 1843, and four years later came to Marshall county and located upon his present farm, which he has since cleared and brought under a high state of cultivation. Mr. Burdon was thrown upon his own resources in early life, and with little capital, save a de- termined will, has succeeded in placing himself in very comfort- able circumstances. By his first wife, Elizabeth Hutchings, whom he married in 1843, and who died in 1852, he had five children, only one of whom is living, Mrs. Agatha Ellen Horton, of Center township. In 1854 Mr. Burdon was again married to Sophia Showaker, who has borne him a family of six children, of whom the following are living, viz .: Amos, Jesse, Mrs. Re- becca Carpenter, and Stacy.
Gilson Strong Cleaveland, among its present residents, was the first man in Plymouth. He was born in Ontario county, N. Y., about seven miles from Canandaigua, the county seat, November 12, 1812, the son of Willard and Sally (Strong) Cleaveland, the father a native of Massachusetts, and the mother of Connecticut. Mr. Cleaveland was reared on the farm until sev- enteen years of age, at which time he entered the employ of Oliver Rose, the proprietor of a hotel called the "Temperance House," in Canandaigua, where he remained for a period of two years, when he succeeded Mr. Rose in the hotel business. Mr. Rose came to Indiana in 1834, and settled in Marshall county, upon II-B.
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the present site of Plymouth, in which town he opened the first mercantile establishment shortly after his arrival. He soon re- turned to New York for his family, and it was with them that Mr. Cleaveland came to Marshall county, in 1835, at which time there were but three buildings on the present site of Plymouth, all of which were used for hotel purposes by one Grove Pomeroy, who was among the first settlers of the county seat. Shortly after his arrival Mr. Cleaveland engaged in farming, teaming and working in Mr. Rose's store. In 1839 he entered the general store of Amasa L. Wheeler, one of the early mer- chants of Plymouth, in whose employ he continued about three years. Severing his connection with Mr. Wheeler, he afterward became local salesman for a Michigan City firm by the name of Carter & Carter, who brought a stock of goods to Plymouth about the year 1842. He was connected with this firm in the capacity of clerk for about three years, and then became a part- ner in the establishment, which under the firm name of Carter & Cleaveland, continued about eight years. Mr. Cleaveland then spent several years in settling up the business affairs of the firm, at the same time holding the office of recorder. In 1854 he re- moved with his family to Madison, Wis., where he remained until the spring of 1855, when he returned to Plymouth, and again engaged in general merchandising. He continued the goods business by himself and with others until 1871, at which time he removed to Chicago and engaged in the hat and cap trade with a man by the name of Johnson, under the firm-name of Cleaveland & Johnson, where he remained one year, return- ing to his home in Plymouth at the end of that time. Since leaving Chicago Mr. Cleaveland has not been engaged in busi- ness, having practically retired from active life. He owns 320 acres of fine farm land in West township, three miles west of Plymouth, besides owning other valuable property in the city and the country. In 1866 he erected his present comfortable resi- dence on the corner of Center and Gano streets, where he is now passing his closing years in the enjoyment of that peace and con- tentment which only those who have battled successfully with life for over three-quarters of a century know how to appreciate. In his early life Mr. Cleaveland was a member of the Odd Fellows order and Sons of Temperance, but at this time does not affiliate with any secret society. He is an active member of the Episco- pal church, and as such has been a liberal patron of the congre- gation in Plymouth. Mr. Cleaveland was first married at South Bend, Ind., November 15, 1838, to Caroline A. Rose, daughter of Oliver Rose, his old employer in New York state. She was born July 28, 1817, and died March 30, 1868, the mother of three children, two of whom are living, viz .: James O., born May 28, 1845, and Caroline L. (wife of W. W. Culver), born August 26,
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1847. The oldest daughter, Mary Ellen, who died June 10, 1845 was born October 4, 1842. Mr. Cleaveland's second marriage was solemnized in Plymouth, September 23, 1869, with Jane N. Thompson, a native of Connecticut, and daughter of Isaac and Mary (Holbrook) Thompson. Mrs. Cleaveland was born July 24, 1832, and is the mother of two children, viz .: Holbrook Gilson, born August 13, 1870, graduated from the Plymouth public schools, later graduated from the Smith academy of St. Louis, and is now in his first year of a four years' course at Ann Arbor, Mich. Victoria C. was born December 12, 1872, is also a gradu- ate of the Plymouth high school, and is now a student at St. Mary's female school in Knoxville, Ill. Mrs. Cleaveland's family left Goshen, Conn., and moved to Ionia county, Mich., where her mother died, about 1837, and her father in the year 1865. Mrs. Cleaveland graduated at Albion, Mich., in 1854, and afterward spent several years in teaching school, and for three years before her marriage was a teacher in the Plymouth public schools.
C. F. Chaney, agent of the American Express company, at Plymouth, was born in Guernsey county, Ohio, January 14, 1846, son of Findley and Jemima (Reed) Chaney, both parents natives of the same county and state. Findley Chaney was a shoe- maker by trade, and died in the year 1840. His widow subse- quently married John M. Smith and moved to Iowa in 1853, in which state the family lived until their removal to Illinois in 1859, afterward emigrating to Adams county, Ind. Mr. Smith was killed in the late war and his widow afterward lived in Adams county, Ind., and moved to Kansas where she is now liv- ing. To her first marriage were born three children, all of whom are living, viz .: George R., of Nebraska; Sarah Ann, wife of S. A. Daggert, and the subject of this sketch. The sec- ond marriage resulted in the birth of five children, three of whom are living, Jacob A., Benjamin F. and J. L. Smith, all of whom reside in Kansas. C. F. Chaney was educated in the common schools, and early engaged in farming, which he fol- lowed until 1874, when he came to Plymouth and engaged with the Adams and United States express companies. He is also en- gaged in the ice trade, being the only retail ice dealer in the city. July 17, 1887, he became agent for the American Express company, and has since held that position. He was married April 9, 1876, to Rebecca, daughter of Thomas Johnson, of Adams county, Ind., to which union seven children have been born, of whom only four survive, viz .: Thomas, of Nebraska; Frank, Effie and Elmer, the last three residing at home.
Among the successful educators in Indiana, the name of Prof. Roscoe A. Chase, principal of the Plymouth high school, is widely and favorably known. Prof. Chase is a native of Con- necticut, born in the town of Killingly, that state, December 20th,
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1847, the son of Albert A. and Minerva A. (Smith) Chase, na- tives respectively of Connecticut and Rhode Island. Albert H. Chase was a distinguished clergyman of the Free Baptist church, a man prominent in religious and educational work, having had charge of the schools among the freed men of the south during the late war. He died in Ohio in the year 1883. His widow still survives, residing at this time in Hillsdale, Mich. Beside the subject of this sketch, Mr. and Mrs. Chase had one child, Mary E., formerly preceptress of an educational institution in northern Ohio, and for three years assistant teacher of the high school at Elkhart, Ind. In addition to her educational work, she has given considerable attention to literature, being a con- tributor to a number of magazines and well known periodicals. She is now a resident of Hillsdale, Mich. When eight years of age, Prof. Chase was taken by his parents to Ashtabula county, Ohio, and later attended the Orwell academy, in which he made substantial progress in his studies, especially mathematics, hav- ing completed the usual course in algebra before his tenth year. He also received instruction in a select school, taught by Miss Ellen Smith and Mrs. J. F. Johnson, the latter for many years preceptress in Oberlin college, and the former professor of lan- guage in the university of Nebraska. Prof. Chase completed the common branches and some of the higher studies, including algebra, and began Latin and Greek at the early age of ten years. He afterward became a student of Hillsdale college, Mich., in which he took the full classical course, graduating in 1869. On completing his education he taught in the preparatory department of the college for two years, and for one year was principal of the schools of Bristol, Ind. In September, 1890, he took charge of the Plymouth high school, and in addition to his duties in this capacity he was superintendent of all the schools of the city, which have greatly increased in efficiency and thorough work under his successful management. Prof. Chase possesses many of the elements of a successful instructor, is enthu- siastic in his chosen calling, and as a disciplinarian is perhaps without a superior among the educators of the state.
Augustin Carabin, junior member of the mercantile firm of Ball & Carabin, was born in Huron county, Ohio, and is the son of Augustin and Catherine (Hetel) Carabin, both natives of Germany, the father born in Alsace, and the mother in Baden. They both cameto the United States when quite young and were married near the town of Norwalk, Ohio, on the place where Mrs. Carabin still resides. The family were among the early settlers of Huron county, locating there when there were but few white people in that part of the state. Mr. Carabin was a farmer and blacksmith by occupation, and died March 2, 188o, in the seventy-second year of his age. His widow still survives -
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having reached the ripe old age of eighty-four years. They were both members of the Catholic church, and their three sons and five daughters, are all living. The subject of this sketch was born February 15, 1843, and grew to manhood on a farm, receiving his educational training in such schools as the country afforded, which he attended during the winter seasons while living with his parents. He left home at the age of twenty- two, and went to Fort Wayne, Ind., in which city he remained one and a half years, going at the end of that time to Plymouth, where he remained about one year. He went from Plymouth to Columbia City, and there engaged in merchant tailoring in part- nership with his brother-in-law, and present partner, Philip J. Ball, of whom a sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. The business was moved to Plymouth in 1875, since which time the firm has built up a large trade in merchant tailoring, dry goods, clothing, oil cloths, carpets and gents' furnishing goods, their house being the largest of the kind in the city. Mr. Carabin was married in Plymouth, May, 1883, to Miss Anna Day, a union blessed with the birth of four children: John A., Mary L., Rosa, Irene and Francis A. Mr. and Mrs. Carabin are members of the Catholic church.
John C. Cummings, engineer of the Plymouth water-works, and son of Edward and Margaret Cummings, was born in county Tipperary, Ireland, May 15, 1839. The mother died in that country, and the father came to America about 1855, and for some time thereafter resided in Canada, moving thence to Iowa, where his death occurred. John C. Cummings came to this coun- try with his father, and after living for some time in Canada, en- gaged in the dredging business which he followed at different places in Michigan and Illinois, his last work of the kind being on the Illinois and Michigan canal. He came to Plymouth in 1871 and engaged with the Plymouth, Kankakee & Pacific rail- road company, with which he worked for some time, and for sev- eral years was engaged in running a steam stationary engine for this company at different points. November 1, 18-, he ac- cepted his present position as engineer of the Plymouth water- works, having previously operated the engine for the electric light plant. He married in 1871, Miss Katie O'Brien, of Ply- mouth, who died in 1878, leaving one child, E. J. He was again married in 1881, to Miss Catherine Fitzgerald, who has borne him three children, viz .: Florence M., William L. and Mary Teresa. Politically he is a democrat and in religion a Catholic.
D. G. Denman was born in Orange county, N. Y., April 1, 1822, and is the son of Andrew and Eleanor (Stillwell) Den- man, both natives of the same county and state. They came to Marshall county in 1856, and settled in Bourbon township, mov- ing here from Marion county, Ohio, where they located in 1837.
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They both died in this county. Three sons and one daughter are still living, viz .: Isaac, Mrs. Elizabeth Taylor, John, and the subject of this sketch. The last named is the oldest living mem- ber of the family. Daniel G. Denman moved with his parents, to Ohio in 1837, where he grew to manhood and where he re- sided until coming to Marshall county, in 1853. He purchased his present farm in Center township that year, and from an al- most unbroken forest, has cleared and developed one of the best cultivated places in Center. He was united in marriage in 1848, to Miss Tabitha Rupp, of Cumberland county, Penn., and daugh- ter of George Rupp. The following are the names of the chil- dren born to Mr. and Mrs. Denman: Mary E., wife of Thomas J. Hindel, Emma Amanda, wife of Richard Brough, George D. and Ella Minerva, wife of Elias Shearer. Mr. Denman and wife are earnest and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in politics he is an active supporter of the democratic party.
Peter Disher, a well known citizen of Plymouth, and proprie- tor of the Eureka flouring mill, is a native of Kentucky and dates his birth from September 3, 1849. His father, Jeptha Disher, one of Marshall county's old and well known farmers, was born in southern Indiana, but moved to Kentucky when a young man and was there married to his cousin, Nancy J. Disher, who bore him seven children, five of whom survive, viz .: John, Peter, Alice, William and Owen, all of whom with the exception of Alice, now Mrs. Iden, who lives in Nebraska, reside in Marshall county. Jeptha Disher moved to Indiana in 1854, locating in Bourbon township, Marshall county, and later moved to Tippecanoe town- ship where he still resides. The subject of this sketch was reared on the farm, received a common school education, and on attain ing his majority engaged in the mercantile business at Bourbon, where he carried on a successful trade for nine years. He closed out his business in 1879, from which time until 1886, he . resided upon a farm near the village of Donaldson, during which time he carried on agriculture in connection with the lumber business. In the latter year he moved to Plymouth and engaged in the manufacture of flour, purchasing the Eureka mill which he thor- oughly remodeled in 1889, supplying new engines and boilers and the latest improved machinery for the manufacture of flour by the roller process. His plant is a very valuable one, contains four double and one single set of rollers, and has a daily capacity of seventy-five barrels, besides manufacturing large quantities of crushed feed for which there is a constantly increasing demand. The well-known " Disher Boquet " brand of flour is noted for its excellence, and has much more than local reputation. Mr. Disher is a member of the Royal Arcanum and Maccabees fraternities, and as a citizen, commands the respect of all who know him.
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Martha J. Senior, daughter of Zachariah Senior, became his wife, November 12, 1871, the result of which marriage is the following children, viz .: Flora, Nellie, Charles, Blanche and Rubie.
Anthony Flarchentrager was born in Bavaria, Germany, July 18, 1824, and is the son of John and Catherine Flarchentra- ger. He was reared and educated in his native country and early learned the trade of gardener, which he followed in Ger- many, until immigrating to the United States in 1852. He fol- lowed gardening in New York city for some time, afterward went to the town of Haverstraw, where he was similarly employed for about six months, and then went to St. Louis, Mo., where he fol- lowed his calling one year, when he was obliged to abandon it on account of sickness in his family. From St. Louis he returned to New York, where for some time he was engaged in the butcher business and gardening, and afterward followed pork packing for several years. The war interfering with this business, he retired from the same, and later came to Jasper county, Ind., where he engaged in gardening, and also farming, having purchased a farm there soon after his arrival. He afterward sold the farm, and again returned to New York, where, for about five years, he was steward of a large garden on Long Island. In 1876 he came to Plymouth, Ind., and purchased land in the city upon which he started a large garden, one of the first of the kind in Marshall county. He has added many valuable improvements to his place and is now in the enjoyment of a very successful business. He was married in New York city in 1852 to Miss Josephine Hoetner, a native of Germany, who has one child living, Taradora, wife of George Nagle. Mr. Flarchentrager is a democrat in politics, and with his family belongs to the Catholic church.
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