History of Jackson County, Indiana, Part 51

Author: Brant & Fuller
Publication date: 1886
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 759

USA > Indiana > Jackson County > History of Jackson County, Indiana > Part 51

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

STEPHEN HENDERSON was born November 24, 1815, in Wythe County, Virginia, and is the sixth child of a family of eight, born to John and Elizabeth (Tarten) Henderson. At the age of twenty he left the farm where he had been raised and learned the trade of brick-mason, which he followed until 1845. when he went to Wisconsin and worked in the lead mines about one year. In 1846 he went to Memphis and lived about six

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months, working at the trade .of brick-making, and then went to New Orleans and entered the United States service in the Mexi- can war as teamster, but was discharged in a short time on account of sickness and returned to Virginia. In 1850 he moved to Galatin, Mo., where he lived two years, then moved to Jasper County, Mo., and worked in the lead mines one year, returning to Virginia in 1853. He lived in Virginia until 1854 and then went to California, where he followed mining about three years. In 1858 he went back to Wisconsin and lived there until 1860, when he returned to Jasper County, Mo., and thence to Texas in 1861, and lived there until 1863. In the same year he returned to Wis- consin and joined the Federal army as teamster, and went with Sherman on his "march to the sea." In 1865 he came to Tunnelton, Lawrence Co., Ind., and later to this county. November 3, 1873, he was married to Sorada A. Jackson, daughter of Mathias Jackson. They have no children. Mr. Henderson is a Democrat in politics. He has been an active man. and has seen much of his country.

ROBERT M. HENDERSON is a successful farmer and lead- ing citizen of Jackson County. He is one of the county com- missioners, and is on his second term, and is ex officio president of the board of health in Jackson County. He is a native of Jackson County, having been born in Carr Township in 1833. He is the eighth child born to William and Jemima (Newkirk) Henderson, who are of German and Irish descent; they came to this State from Kentucky, having previously come to Kentucky from Virginia. William Henderson was born in 1794, and died in 1862, and his wife died in 1860. Robert was born and raised on a farm; he has always been engaged in farming and stock raising. He now owns 650 acres of valuable land. In 1852 he was married to Martha M. Poole, daughter of John Poole, and was sister to the late Col. Poole, of the Ninety-third Regiment. To this union have been born six children: John W., Benjamin F., James M., Jr., Francis M., Eliza and Carrie (deceased). He is now in his fifty-third year. He has held various minor offices in his township, and in all its trusts he has proved himself a safe and efficient officer. He takes a deep interest in his county affairs and the community generally. Take him all in all he is a typical Indianian. He is a Democrat in politics, and is a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the Missionary Baptist Church.

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JOEL B. HENDERSON takes his place among our leading educators, having specially educated himself for that calling, and although a young man, he is considered by those who have been associated with him in the educational work of the county as being progressive and standing at the head of his profession. He is from the farm-where our real energy and vigor in the professions come from. He was born March 22, 1857, in Carr Township, and is the sixth child born to James M. Henderson and Elizabeth C. (Poole) Henderson. He attended the common schools, that is the graded schools, until 1874, when he began an academical course, at Clearspring Academy, of one and a half years. In 1876 he began teaching at Courtland, in the primary grade, about one year or term. He continued to teach three years in his county, and in 1880 he entered the Central Normal at Danville, Ind., sixteen weeks. In 1882 he entered the Pen Art College at Delaware, Ohio, and graduated; and in 1883 he entered the State Normal at Terre Haute, Ind., where he attended five terms. Since then he has been teaching, and is now at the head of the Vallonia schools. He has been identified every year since he has been teaching with some of the best schools in his county, which covers a period of about ten years. He thinks the schools should be taught by men who are teachers in fact. He is a member of the Christian Church, and is cultured and of fine ability and social qualities.

JAMES M. HENDERSON stands among the leading citi- zens in Jackson County, and is of one of the early and leading families, they having come here from Kentucky, and formerly from Virginia. They were William and Jemima (Newkirk) Hen -. derson, to whom were born nine children, the second of whom was James M., who was born November 20, 1820. He was reared on a farm and is now the owner of 522 acres of land in Carr and Owen Townships. In 1842 he was married to Miss Elizabeth C. Poole, daughter of John Poole, of Owen Township, and lived there about nine years and then moved to Carr, where he has lived ever since. To them have been born eight children: Elvira, William, John P., Adline, Susana, Joel B., Florence, Elizabeth. Mr. Henderson is a member of the Christian Church, of which he has been a member a number of years. He is a Democrat in

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politics, which he believes in as a principle and not as a personal end. He has not been in public office, preferring the life of a quiet farmer. He takes a deep interest in the education of his family and the improvement of society, the bias of which is always measured by the sum total of individual concession and effort.

THOMSON J. PLUMMER, SR., was born in Jefferson County, Ky., about twelve miles from Louisville, in 1808. He is the third child of John and Altha (Bandfield) Plummer. His father was of French descent and his mother of English descent. They were both born and raised in the State of Maryland, near Fredericktown, in Frederick County. About 1806 they moved to Jefferson County, Ky., where Thomson was born. In 1820 he and his father moved to Clarke County, Ind. (his mother having died previously), where he lived until 1837, when he moved to.Carr Township, Jackson Co., Ind., where he now lives. He was trustee of his township nine years, but has, as a rule, kept out of public office from choice as much as anything else. He has always been a leading farmer and has been interested in the fruit grow- ing business, having had a nursery on his farm several years. He now owns 256 acres of land, and has within recent years sold off a good deal. He was married, January 17, 1828, to Mary Martin, of Clarke County, who was born in Jefferson County, Ky., in 1804. She was a daughter of Alexander and Hester (Ram- sey) Martin. To this union there were born thirteen children: Mary A., Sarah A., John A., Angeline, Margarett A., William J., Hester A., Susan E., Alexander C., Mordecai C., Martha E., Thomson J. and Walter S. The children take pride in saying, "We never saw our father drunk." In August, 1852, Mrs. Plum- mer died, and October 25, 1853, Mr. Plummer married Mrs. Susan E. Butler, whose maiden name was Pineston, and was born September 18, 1810, at Nashville, Tenn., and is a grand-niece of Gen. Andrew Jackson. Mr. Plummer is a member of the Chris- tian Church, and is a Republican in politics. He is now at the end of a well-spent life in his seventy-eighth year.

COL. JOHN W. POOLE, deceased, was born in Washington County, Ind., Aug. 18, 1827, and when but a few years old his par- ents moved to Jackson County and located near what was then

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known as Weddleville, where our subject was reared. He re- mained with his parents till the breaking out of the war with Mexico, and then at the age of nineteen entered the army of the United States as a private in the Second Indiana Infantry. He served about one year, after which he returned to Medora and devoted himself to the study of medicine. He soon began the practice of his profession, at which he was engaged at the break- ing out of the civil war in 1861. Aroused by the spirit of patriotism, he for the second time went forward to defend his country. He entered the Twenty-fifth Indiana as captain of Company G, in which capacity he served for more than one year, when he was promoted to the rank of major of the Ninety-third, and was soon after promoted to the lieutenant-colonelcy of the same regiment, and while in command of the regiment was wounded in several places and fell into the hands of the enemy. He was heard from once or twice after his capture, and is believed to have died a prisoner at Macon, Ga., about February, 1865. Col. Poole was in the battles of Fort Donelson and Shiloh while captain of the Twenty-fifth, and in both of those engagements was slightly wounded. He was in the siege of Vicksburgh, and all the engagements participated in by the Ninety-third until the time of his capture. It is claimed by his comrades that a braver. soldier never entered the Federal army, and all mourned the loss of the worthy citizen and patriotic soldier. He was united in mar- riage February 6, 1847, to Miss Matilda Weddle, who is still living, and at present resides in Medora with her son, Mr. E. M. Alter. Col. Poole was one of the most gallant soldiers of Indi- ana, and so great was the loss that Gov. Morton spoke of it as being irreparable.

JOSIAH SHEWMAKER was born in 1803, in Knox County, Ky., and came with his parents, Leonard and Unis (Richie) Shewmaker, to Jackson County in 1814, and first settled near Brownstown. He is a remarkable man. He has been most all of his life a tiller of the soil, and is one of the best informed men now living in the county. He is especially conversant with history, both ancient and modern. To him more than any other one man the people of Jackson are indebted for the preserva- tion of the earliest history of their county, both by reason of

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his age and his vast information of and interest in his early county history. The Shewmakers lived near Brownstown about nine years, and moved to what is called "The Forks," between the Muscatatuck and White Rivers. They lived there ten years, and then moved near Medora, in Carr Township, where they lived about twenty years, then in 1845 Josiah moved to where he now lives, about three miles west of Medora. He was trustee of his township a number of years, and with that exception he has never been in public life, although he was three times tendered the nomination for representative by the Whig party, which he de- clined in each case. He preferred private life. He has been a successful farmer, and now owns about 335 acres of land, be- sides having given his grandchildren 240 acres. In 1824 he was married to Miss Lucretia Crumb, who was born in Kentucky, but moved to Indiana in an early day. They lived happily together until she died, in 1878. To them were born three chil- dren, only one of whom is living, Mrs. Nancy Huffington. Mr. Shewmaker has been a member of the Christian Church since 1840. He is a Republican in politics, and was a Whig in the days of the Whig party. He has truly found his glories at the fireside in private life, spent in the service of his Master.

COLUMBUS SICKELS was born November 21, 1830, in Scott County, Ind., and lived there and in Washington County until 1848, when he settled in Scott County, and lived there until 1860, when he moved to Little York, in Washington County, and engaged in the mercantile business until 1863. He then moved to Scott County again, and engaged in farming and the huckster- ing business until about 1874, when he moved to Tampico, Jack- son County, and there engaged in merchandising until 1882. In the latter year he moved to Seymour, and from there to Barthol- omew County, living a short time at each place, and in 1883 he moved to Carr Township, where he now lives. He is engaged in farming and the lumber trade, where he owns 160 acres of well- improved land and a splendid saw-mill. He is engaged in what is known as the manufacture of "oil barrel heading." Mr. Sickels is the third of a family of eight children born to Henry H. and Hannah (Rude) Sickels, the former being of German descent, from Pennsylvania, and the latter from Ohio. ' He was

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married April 30, 1850, to Nancy M. Sutton, who was born in Scott County in 1828, and is the daughter of Zackias and Susan Sutton. To them have been born nine children: George E. (de- ceased), Susan H., Missouri A., Barbara J., Sarah A. (deceased), John H. and one other (deceased), Nancy R. and Ora A. Mr. Sickels was a Democrat until 1860, when he became a Republican. He is a man of intelligence and public spirit.

MARSHAL V. WILSON is one of the men met with in our Western country who is apparently the product of his own energy and resources, who, more than any other kind of men, fills the era of his life and the sphere of his action full of his own indi- viduality. He is a physician which he made out of himself just to the extent he aimed, and just to the extent wanted by his peo- ple around him. His father before him, Dr. Creed T. Wilson, was one of the leading men of his day in his profession. Dr. Marshal V. was the oldest child born to Creed T., and was born in Lawrence County, Ind., March 9, 1835. His mother was Ann E. Marshall, born in Cynthiana, Ky. He was educated in the schools of his time. He adopted the profession of his father, and read in the office of Dr. William H. Smith, of Leesville, three years. He entered the Ohio Medical College of Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1858, and attended through the year 1859 and part of 1860. After finishing his term there he located at Leesville, his old homestead, then afterward moved to Sparksville, where he lived twelve months, and afterward to Heltonville, Lawrence County, where he lived one year, and then returned to Leesville and lived there about one year, then located in 1864 at Medora, Jackson County, where he has lived ever since. He is a success and every one knows it. He is progressive and the people like him for it. In one year his practice is at least $2,000. In 1861 he was married to Miss Carrie Reed, of Law- rence County, Ind., who died in 1869. To them were born three children, two of whom are living: Anna and John T. April 14, 1872, he was again married to Mrs. N. C. Robinson (Murphy), who was the widow of the late Dr. Thomas Robinson. To them was born one child: Goldie, born February 8, 1879.

WEST LEE WRIGHT, one of the old settlers of Carr Township, and the founder of the town of Medora, was a son of

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William Wright, a native of North Carolina, and was born in Wayne County, Ky., February 14, 1803, and came with his par- ents to Washington County, Ind., in 1809,and was married in Mon- roe County, Ind., in 1825, to Nancy Wright, who was the daugh- ter of James Wright, and who lived to the extreme age of one hundred and two years. West Lee and wife moved to Carr Township, this county, in 1832, locating about one mile south of where Medora now stands. In 1839 he moved to Pea Ridge, some two miles west of Medora, where he remained until 1856, when he returned to Medora, where he remained until his death. His principal pursuit in life was farming and stock raising, in which he at times engaged extensively and successfully. He made many trips on horseback to the land-office at Jeffersonville, where he entered a great many tracts of land. It is represented (no doubt correctly) that he has owned more land in the township than any other one person. At the time the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad was lo- cated through the county, he owned a mile square of land, on the southeast corner of which the town of Medora now stands. At the same time he owned other bottom land, and probably 400 acres of ridge land in the township, and at the same time, or soon after, owned various other tracts in different parts of the county. He was always friendly to the poor, often sold land and other property to poor men on long credit, and without security, many of whom took advantage of his confidence and never paid him. In this way he lost a great deal. While naturally of a mirthful disposition, he always abhorred lawlessness and rowdy- ism of every sort, and his sympathies were easily enlisted in be- half of the down-trodden and oppressed of every race, " whatever their station might be, whether of high or low degree." Took great delight in writing poetry and rhyme, in which he gained considerable notoriety. Being a strong friend to the cause of the Union and of temperance, wrote a great deal on those sub- jects. He at one time belonged to the order of Freemasons, but during the last few years of his life was very much de- voted to the order of Odd Fellows, of which he was a member at the time of his death, and in the honors of which he was buried in September, 1876, by the lodge then existing at Medora, there being a great many members of the order from Seymour and

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Brownstown in attendance, who came on a train run especially for the occasion. During his lifetime he wrote several odes for use in the lodges. His widow, Nancy, is now living at Medora, and is seventy-six years old. Of their descendants the following are known to the writer, to-wit: fifteen children, born in the fol- lowing order: Elizabeth, Selah, David, James P., Wriley, Sarah, Isaac J., Mary A., Nancy, Levi C., Franklin, Phebe E., Reason A., Newton, West Lee Worran; forty-one grandchildren, forty- seven great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild- total, 104, of whom all, except six children, seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren are now living.

LEVI C. WRIGHT belongs to one of the earliest families in Jackson County. His father was West Lee Wright, a man of marked character, and his mother was Nancy Wright, to whom were born fifteen children. They settled where the town of Medora is in Carr Township, of which he was founder, and here Levi C. was born August 30, 1844, and here he lived until 1861, when he entered the United States service in that historic organization, the Twenty-fifth Indiana Volun- teer Infantry in Company G, under Capt. John W. Poole. He was in the service until 1865, and took part in many of the hard fought battles of that organization. He was in the bat- tle of Fort Donelson, where he was wounded in the left leg and afterward was wounded in the left thigh, on account of which he was furloughed home about three months. He again joined his regiment and remained until the close of the war. After the close of the war he attended school and followed farm- ing until 1867, when he began the study of law, and in 1871 was admitted to the bar, since which time he has been a regular practicing attorney in the courts. He is now and has been several years deputy prosecuting attorney. In 1883 he began the publication of the Medora Eagle a Republi- can newspaper, which he edited about one year and eight months. December 27, 1868, he was married to Miss Lucy A. Day, daugh- ter of James S. Day, of Hamilton Township, and to them have been born three children: Ida, Thomas J. and Anna. Mr. W. is also a farmer. He is one among the many respected defenders of his country to whom honor is due. .

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HENRY ZOLLMAN was born in 1821, in Owen Township, Jackson Co., Ind. His parents, Adam and Mary (Miller) Zoll- man, came to Indiana from Rockbridge County, Va., and are of German and Irish nationality. They were characteristic pioneers, coming to a new country full of courage and enterprise. Adam Zollman was a soldier in the war of 1812, and Mary Zollman's grandfather was in the Revolutionary war. Henry Z. is the third child born to them, and for sternness of character and fixed- ness of purpose is much like his father. He was born and raised on a farm, and from choice has always followed that, to- gether with stock raising, as a livelihood. How successfully he has followed this, his chosen calling, may be inferred from the fact that he began life a poor man (although he inherited what might be called a start, but not until in after life when he was over early struggles), and is now the heaviest tax payer in Jackson County, and is the owner of about 2,200 acres of valuable land, all in Jackson County, except about eighty acres, and his annual yield of corn from his bottom lands is about 20,000 bushels, to say nothing of the stock raising interest, which is extensive. He lives two and one-half miles from Medora, on what is known as "the Ridge," in a splendid country home. He has never been in official life, preferring the quiet life of a farmer. In 1843 he was married to Miss Nancy Hobson, daughter of Milbern Hobson of Jackson County. She died in 1845. To them one child (now deceased) was born. In 1849 he was again married to Miss Eliza- beth Dodds, daughter of Andrew Dodds, of Jackson County. To this union there have been born ten children: Cynthia (Holland), Phobe (Hughs), Sophia (deceased), Samuel T., George W., Thomas F., Florence, Alice, Henry J. and Elizabeth. He has three daughters at home and one son in the State University at Bloom- ington. Mr. Z. is a member of the Masonic fraternity and is a Dem- ocrat in politics. He made most of his money by dealing in stock.

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DRIFTWOOD TOWNSHIP.

PHILLIP D. APPLEGATE, was born January 17, 1809, in Clarke County, Ind. His father, Hezekiah Applegate, was born in Pennsylvania, but came to Clarke County in 1790, and afterward moved to Jackson County, which was about 1819. Phillip D. is the fourth child in a family of nine. and spent all his earlier and best days on the farm. He spent five years in the bee culture and for eleven years has been in the drug trade in Vallonia. He was justice of the peace some years but otherwise has not been in public or official life. He is a member of the Masonic fra- ternity and is a Republican in politics. In 1828 he was married to Miss Elizabeth Burge, daughter of Isaac Burge of Clarke County. To them were born seven children: Margaret, Ellen, Hezekiah, Charlotte, John, Mary A. and Elizabeth. Decem- ber 13, 1871, he was again married to Mary Coffin, who was the widow of Reuben Ramey, of Gallatin County, Ky. Mr. Apple- gate is one of nature's noblemen.

HARRISON DURHAM was born in 1813, in Mercer County, Ky. His father, Jesse B. Durham, and his mother, came to In- diana in 1811, during the existence of frontier troubles with the Indians, and Jesse B. was commander of the fort at Vallonia. Harrison, however, was born in Kentucky by reason of his mother going back to that place on account of possible danger from the Indians, but as soon as her infant was old enough to travel she returned to the fort, traveling on horseback and carrying the babe, her husband walking. His parents lived many years in the fort and after peace was declared continued to live in that vicin- ity where Harrison was raised. He spent his life mainly in farm- ing pursuits and that of blacksmithing. He was justice of the peace for four years in the township in which he was raised. In 1838 he was married to Miss Lucinda Owen, of Brownstown, who died in 1842. To them were born three children: George, Sarah and Lucinda. In the latter part of 1842 he was again married to Maloma Rose, who died in 1856. To them were born

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five children: Elvira, Lucy, Kate, Samuel and Jesse B. In 1857, he was married the third time, taking Miss Elizabeth Cockram as his companion. To this union were born five chil- dren: Savilla, Effie, Lilly, Franklin and Charles. Mr. Durham is a member of the Masonic fraternity and the Methodist Epis- copal Church. He is a Democrat in politics.

WILLIAM EMPSON, one of the leading men in all that pertains to the welfare of the public, lives in Vallonia but was born in Grassy Fork Township, December 28, 1837. His par- ents were Azariah and Martha (Holmes) Empson. The Empsons are of Scotch descent and came to Indiana in an early day from Kentucky. The Holmeses are of Irish nationality and came here from North Carolina. William is the fifth of a family of ten children. Until he was twenty-one years of age he worked on a farm and in the meantime qualified himself for teaching, which he began then and followed until he went into the army in 1864. He was in the One Hundred and Thirty-seventh Regiment-the 100 day service-then in October, 1864, he enlisted in the One Hundred and Fortieth Regiment (Company K), Indiana Volunteer Infantry, where he served until the close of the war, in 1865. After his discharge he moved to Missouri where he lived six years, then, in 1871, returned to Vallonia, where he has lived ever since. He has for many years been in the business of stock dealer buying and shipping exclusively. In October, 1867, he was married to Elizabeth Stutsman, daughter of John B. Stutsman, of Chariton County, Mo. To them was born one child: Viola. Mrs. Empson died in October, 1871. In October, 1875, he again married Mary J. Copeland, daughter of David Copeland, of Vallonia. To them have been born six children: Eva M., Aza- riah (deceased), Willie, Blanche, Ethel and an infant. Mr. Emp- son is a member of the Christian Church, having been a member since he was seventeen years old. He is a Republican in politics and is indeed a man of high moral worth and character.

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History of Jackson County, Indiana, Part 51

Author: Brant & Fuller Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Number of Pages: 759

Author: Brant & Fuller
Publication date: 1886
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 759