USA > Indiana > Johnson County > History of Johnston 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 57
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(Flint) Epperson, who were both natives of Rockbridge County, Va., and came to Indiana during the forties, and remained there some time, dying in Aurora, this state. with cholera, about the year 1845, both dying in one week. To this union a daugh- ter - Opal, was born November 12, 1877. In the death of Riley, the only son, our subject suffered an irreparable loss, as he was a young man of rare intellectual attainments and worth. He was an apt student, and graduated from the Franklin high school, and but for his failing health would have entered. col- lege. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and for some time before his death turned his thoughts on religious subjects, and the hereafter. After leaving school he studied dentistry, and for several years practiced that profession. He was a young man universally respected, and beloved by all who knew him, and his death was regretted by all. Mr. and Mrs. Aten and the three older daughters are members of the Methodist Church, of which he has served on the official board. He is a strong advocate of prohibition, and in politics, is a republican.
DAVID D. BANTA, LL. D., was born in Union Township, Johnson County, May 23, 1833, the son of Jacob and Sarah (Demaree) Banta. The Bantas were a Dutch family, who came from Holland and settled in New Jersey, just when is not definitely known, but it is known that they were there in 1686. On the Demaree side, the Judge is of French descent; the Demarees fled from Picardy, France, into Ilolland, during the Huguenot persecutions, and, in 1676, David Demarias (now Demarest in the east, but softened into Demaree in the west) came to America and settled on the Jersey side of the Hackensack River. Branches of both families moved to Caughnewauga, Penn., near Gettysburg, before or about the commencement of the Revolutionary War, remaining there until the winter of 1779-So, when they moved to the vicinity of Harrod's Station, Ky. Near the close of the century, branches of these fam- ilies moved into Shelby and Henry counties, Ky. Jacob Banta, son of Peter Banta and father of Judge D. D. Banta, was born in Henry County, Ky., August 14, 1811. In December, IS31, he married, in Henry County, Sarah, daughter of David Demaree, who was judge of the circuit court in his circuit; she was born in Henry County, January 14, 1815. In the fall of IS32, they moved to Johnson Co., Ind., and settled in Union Township, in the woods. Jacob was a large man, full six feet in his stockings, well formed, and possessed of great physical strength, and had been chosen cap- tain of a militia company in Kentucky, for the same reason that Saul was chosen King of Israel. His labors in John County were of short duration, for, in the latter part of August, IS35, he was
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stricken down with fever, and died on the 4th of September, be- ing less than a month over twenty-four years of age. The subject of this sketch was at that time but a few days over twenty-seven months of age, but the sickness and death of his father made a vivid impression on his mind, and he can now recall his father lying upon his sick bed. After the funeral, his mother and he went to live with her brother, in the Hopewell neighborhood, where they remained till the spring of 1837, when she returned to her home. In the fall of IS39, D. D. attended his first school, and, though only six years of age, walked two miles through a blazed path in the woods. At seven years, he often went to mill astride his grist of corn, return- ing sometimes after nightfall. In the spring of IS41, his mother was married to Jesse Young, and, from about IS41, he attended the district school every winter, working summers on the farm. This he kept up till he was fifteen years of age, when he attended one year at the Hopewell school, which was superior to the other schools in that vicinity, and was kept by a Yankee schoolma'am. In the spring and summer of IS51, he taught a three-months' school in White River Township, making many friends and ac- quaintances. Early in the spring of 1852, he set out with his cousin, David N. Demaree, for a jaunt into Iowa. They went down the Ohio and up the Mississippi to Keokuk, then walked up to Burling- ton, and thence to Fairfield, cut cord-wood and worked in a saw- mill alternately for two months, after which they footed it over southern Iowa to look at the country. They came home via Chi- cago, walking half way across Illinois, as there was no railroad across then; also walked from La Porte, to Noblesville, Ind., where they struck a railroad, and returned home during the summer. That fall, Mr. Young, his step-father, sold out and moved to Iowa, taking his family. David went along with the others, and hired out chopping cord-wood at thirty-five cents a cord, finding it hard work to make seventy cents a day; after a day or two of this work, a severe snow-storm set in and forced him to seek home; as he had to walk nine miles, he became weary before reaching home, and in crossing a stream, fell and hurt himself severely. All this tended to make him disgusted with his occupation, and he resolved that he would never follow such a life. His mind had heretofore been wavering in regard to his future occupation, but these few circumstances made him come to a quick conclusion to study law, and, the next morning after arriving home, he astonished his mother by informing her of this resolution. In pursuance of this determi- nation, he immediately made arrangements to study law with Clinton & Baldwin, attorneys, of Fairfield, and went to work at once on Blackstone, never leaving his studies long enough to return
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for his ax, which he had left in the woods, and never collecting the money for what wood-chopping he had done. He read industri- ously till the next spring, 1853, when he returned to Johnson County and entered Franklin College. In the fall of 1853, he and his friend John C. Miller, went to the Indiana University at Bloom- ington, where he graduated, in 1855, in the scientific department; he remained at the institution, however, studying the Latin and Greek languages and English literature until the law school opened, in the early part of the winter, when he entered it under Judge James Hughes, keeping up his linguistic studies meanwhile, and until the next June, but attending particularly to the law, which he continued to do until he graduated from that department, in Feb- ruary, 1857. In the meantime, June 11, 1856, he was married to Mrs. Melissa E. Perrin, daughter of James Riddle, of Coving- ton, Ky. She was born in Hamilton County, Ohio, March 27, IS34. The fall following his marriage, and while still in the law school, he was elected principal of the Monroe County Female Academy-the former principal having resigned-and had the charge of about seventy-five girls of all ages; he took charge of this institution for about three months, pursuing his law studies as best he could. After graduating from the law school, in February, he went to Covington, Ky., and remained until the following Octo- ber, studying. He then moved to Franklin: was admitted to the bar by Judge Hardin, then on the bench, and opened a law office. He found many discouraging things to contend with: the bar was full, and it was very difficult for a young man to obtain much busi- ness; fortunately, however, he had an abundance of perseverance, and all these discouragements only served to bring out all the more effort on his part. Time brought the reward, and business came. In the spring of 1859, he went into partnership with Judge Finch, but the election of Finch to the bench the next fall terminated their partnership; the same fall, Banta was elected district prose- cutor, and served two years. About this time, he became editor of the Herald, a newspaper just started in Franklin; his con- nection with this paper lasted for a year or two. In IS62, he was again elected district prosecutor. In 1864, he moved his law office into the recorder's office, and took an appointment under Willett Tyler as deputy recorder; this office he held for a year or more, when the pressure of legal business caused him to leave the record- er's office and give his whole attention to his chosen profession, which, with various official duties, has since occupied his time, ex- cept as he again tried his hand at editing the Johnson County Press, a paper published for some time in 1865, by John Farley, up to some time in 1868; this paper Banta edited for a pastime. Some
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time previous to this, he was was in partnership, for a short time, with G. F. McNutt, now of Terre Haute. In 1865, he was appointed by the county commissioners to the office of school examiner, holding the office three years. In 1866, he was appointed United States division assessor, which office he held for about two years. In 1867, he was appointed school trustee of the city of Franklin, and held this office two years, and was a member of the board when the fine school building of Franklin was erected. In 1867, he formed a law partnership with Cass Byfield, now of Indianapolis, which continued up to 1869, when, under an appointment by Judge Woollen, who was unable to attend to his duties, by reason of sick- ness in his family, he served for some six months of that year. In the spring of 1870, he was nominated for judge of his cir- cuit, and elected; served six years, covering a period of the most active litigation that has ever been known in the history of the state. In 1872, he was attacked with a spell of fever, which left him with a broken, nervous system; for a year and more, he had a hard fight for life, but, after spending a good deal of money in looking for health in various quarters, at last found it in the pine woods of Michigan, where the pure air and rough fare of the wilderness completely restored his lost powers. On leaving the bench, he was defeated for a nomination for a second term, and went back to practice, forming a partnership with Judge T. W. Woollen, since attorney general of Indiana. The partnership still exists. In his family, the Judge has been fortunate, and has been blessed with a good wife, who has borne him three children, all of whom are living; George, the eldest, was born in Covington, Ky., July 16, 1857; Charles, born October 16, 1859, in Franklin, and Mabel, born November 19, 1864, also in Franklin. He gives his children the excellent advantages of an education at the Indiana University. George graduated in the class of 1876; Charles in that of the year, 1881, and Mabel a few years later. This institution has always had a firm friend and supporter in Judge Banta, and he has been a trustee since 1877; is now serving his second term, and is president of the board. In all local matters, he has taken a deep interest, and has ever given his strength of mind and body to the furtherance of what might be considered for his country's good. A member of the Presbyterian Church for many years, and in politics a democrat, both of which faiths he inherited, and has always lived up to. It is unnecessary to say anything in regard to the standing of Judge Banta. as the various offices of trust he has held, and the large business he does as a legal adviser, are stronger proofs than any words we could write, of the esteem in which he is held by the people of Johnson County, and we may say that his reputation is
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JOHNSON COUNTY.
not confined to this county alone, but extends throughout the state to a very considerable degree. While on the bench, he gave gen- eral satisfaction to the members of the bar, rendering his decisions with ability and conscientiousness; and if Judge Banta has one quality which we could wish to mention more than another, it would be his entire honesty of purpose, and the whole-souled and heart-felt manner with which he does what he undertakes. As a writer, the Judge has had considerable experience, and has a pleas- ing way; especially is he adapted to narrative, and enjoys nothing better than to dig down into the moldy past and bring up facts and figures to form into an interesting sketch of by-gone days. He is quite a book-worm, and buys a great many books, having a law library of some 1,200 volumes, besides a literary library of 1,000 more; also takes a deal of pleasure in hunting and fishing, and is a first-class companion on any such excursion, enlivening the boys with his stories, and ever ready to give or take a joke. Judge Banta holds a high place in the affections of the people of the county, and in recognition of his merits the authorities of Franklin College have lately conferred upon him the degree of LL. D.
GEORGE C. BANTA was born near where he now resides, July S, 1850, son of Peter J. and Mary (Brewer) Banta, and is the third in a family of five children. He was raised on a farm, and first attended the Hopewell Academy, and afterward spent some time in a commercial school at Poughkeepsie, N. Y. In 1876 Mr. Banta removed to Franklin and engaged in the drug business, which he continued more than four years, when, on account of failing health, he was obliged to quit the merchandise business, and , in ISSI removed to his present farm, in the western part of Frank- lin Township. The same contains 180 acres, of which 137 acres were entered by his grandfather Banta, in IS26. The marriage of Mr. Banta occurred October 17, 1878, to Miss Irene E. Vawter, a native of Martinsville, Ind., born September 24, 1857. To this union are these two children: Clara, born September 15, ISSI, and Frank C., born December 8, 1883. In politics, he is an ardent democrat, and he and wife are members of the Franklin Presbyterian Church.
JOHN E. BANTA, son of Peter J. and Mary A. (Brewer) Banta, was born on the farm where he now lives, March 29, IS45. He was reared on the farm, and had the advantages of attending the common schools and Hopewell Academy. By occupation, Mr. Banta is a farmer, and at twenty-one years of age settled on a farm one mile west of Hopewell. In 1879 he removed to what is known as the Ellis Farm, and in ISST settled where he now resides, and where his paternal grandfather settled in 1828. The marriage of
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Mr . Banta was solemnized in 1870, to Miss Margaret J. Lagrange, daughter of Daniel and Catherine Lagrange, who was born November 26, 1848. To this union is. one daughter, Minnie, born November 16, 1874. A staunch democrat in politics, he manifests an active interest in the welfare and public prosperity of his township, county and state. Mr. and Mrs. Banta are mem- bers of the Hopewell Methodist Church, and are well known and highly respected.
PETER J. BANTA, one of the old settlers of Johnson County, is a native of Henry County, Ky., born October 3, 1821, son of John P. and Catherine (List) Banta, and is of German descent. His father was born in Henry County, Ky., in 1802, and died in John- son County, Ind., in 1873, and his mother was born in ISO2, and died in Franklin, Ind., in ISSI. In 1826, his father came to this county, and entered 275 acres of land, and then returned to Ken- tucky. In 1827, he returned to this county, and built a hewed log- house in the extreme western part of Franklin Township; he then returned to Kentucky, and in 1828, removed his family to the new house, and upon which our subject now resides. In 1850, the parents of our subject removed to Franklin, and there resided until their death. Mr. Banta is the eldest of seven children, three of whom are now living. He was raised on the farm, and attended school at Hopewell. In early life, he learned the tanner's trade with his father, and afterward engaged in this business for himself, and continued it until 1843, when he located where he now resides. Mrs. Banta owns a fine farm of 275 acres, well improved and nicely located. The marriage of Mr. Banta occurred in November, IS43, to Miss Mary A. Brewer, born in Mercer County, Ky., April 19, ISI9, and who came to this county in IS31. To the above union were born five children, viz .: John E., born in IS45; David B., born in 1847; George C., born in 1850; David W., born in 1853, and Mary, born in 1857. In politics, he is a true democrat, and is one of the leading and prominent citizens of Franklin Township. Mr. and Mrs. Banta are members of the Hopewell Presbyterian Church.
SAMUEL BANTA is a native of Henry County, Ky., born May 16, IS31; he is the son of Peter and Vroucha (Van Nuys) Banta. His parents were also natives of Kentucky, and both died in Frank- lin Township, Johnson County, Ind., in 1851. When about five years of age, our subject came with his parents to this county, where he grew to manhood on the farm. Ile received a limited education, and for a short time worked as a farm hand by the month. In IS53, he settled where he resides, owning an excellent farm of 160 acres. Mr. Banta was married November 27, 1862,
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to Miss Elzora, daughter of Simon and Salina Hedden, natives of Kentucky, and who came to this county in 1840. Mrs. Banta was born in Franklin, November 20, 1840. A staunch repub- lican in politics, he manifests an active interest in the welfare and public prosperity of his township, county and state. Mr. and Mrs. Banta are members of the Hopewell Presbyterian Church, he having joined the same at the age of twenty-three, and she at the age of sixteen years.
HENRY C. BARNETT .- Henry C. Barnett, junior member of the law firm of Miller & Barnett, of Franklin, Johnson County, Ind., was born in Blue River Township, near Edinburg, Johnson County, on December 12, IS48, and is the son of Ambrose D. and Sophronia (Riggs) Barnett. The father was born in Nicholas County, Ky., on July 24, ISog, and was the son of John P. Barnett, a native of Culpepper County, Va. Ile removed to Indiana in about IS21, and located in Johnson County. IIe followed farm- ing in this county until the spring of 1853, and then removed to Hamilton County, Ind., where he resided until March 6, 1864, and then returned to Johnson County, and located on a farm near Nin- eveh. In the year 1867, he removed to Williamsburg, Johnson County, and in 1877, he removed to Tipton, Tipton Co., Ind., where he remained for about four months, and then returned to his farm near Williamsburg. He next removed to Williamsburg, where he died May 20, 1885. He was justice of the peace of Blue River and Nineveh townships for quite a number of years. He also fol- lowed milling in connection with his farm. The mother was born in Genessee County, N. Y., on January 23, 1817, and is the daughter of Ransom Riggs, Sr., deceased, who was a native of Connecticut; removed thence to New York State, and thence Decatur County, Ind., and thence to Johnson County. She is now living at the old home in Williamsburg. To the parents nine children were born, of whom our subject is the sixth. Of the children, seven are now living. Our subject was reared on a farm, and early attended dis- trict schools, and then attended Nineveh high school, and then Franklin College for a short time. He taught school for about six years, in Bartholomew, Johnson, and Hamilton counties. He be- gan studying law in November, 1874, in Judge Woollen's office, in Franklin, and was admitted to the bar in February, 1875. He next began practicing law in Franklin, and on November 23, IS75, formed a partnership with Robert M. Miller, which firm continues up to the present. lIe has served several years on the city school board. In politics, is an independent, and in IS78, was a candidate against regular democratic nominee for representative of Johnson County, and defeated by only twenty-seven votes, where
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regular democratic majority is from 400 to 500. Married on April 25, 1872, to Miss Kate Tucker, who was born in Johnson County, on May 20, 1853, and is a daughter of John T. Tucker, deceased. To this union five children were born. They are members of the Christian Church.
WILLIAM H. BARNETT .- Among the oldest (in point of resi- dence) citizens of Johnson County, Ind., may be classed Wm. H. Barnett, recorder of the county. Hle was born in Millersburg, Bourbon County, Ky., on October 10, 1820, and is the son of Thomas and Sarah (Jackson) Barnett. The father was born in Bourbon County, Ky., on March 23, 1798. He was the son of John P. Barnett, a native of Orange County, Va., who was a soldier of the Revolutionary War, and as such, drew a pension up to his death. In 1828 (September S), a few years after the close of the above war, he married Elizabeth L. Self, and in 1786 immi- grated to Kentucky, landing at Limestone (now Maysville), where he entered land. At that time Kentucky was a wilderness, and the Indians were numerous and very troublesome. He went from Limestone back in the interior of the state, what is now Bourbon County, where he cleared land and located his home. His father was a native of Scotland. Thomas, our subject's father, immi- grated to Indiana in 1821, and located in Franklin County, where he remained for about a year. In the meantime, he and two brothers came to what is now Johnson County, and erected cabins in the woods, and in October, 1822, settled in the county permanently. At that time there were but very few white settlers in the neighborhood, and the Indians were in abundance. They, the Barnetts, were among the earliest of the pioneers. He followed farming as an avocation, and died July 10, 1880, in his eighty-third year. The mother was also born in Bourbon County, Ky., in May, 1796, and was the daughter of William Jackson, a native of Maryland, who immigrated to Kentucky at a very early date (about 1786 or 1787). She died December 9, IS51. To the parents two sons were born: William H., and John, the latter born September 11, 1823, and died April 22, 1882. Our subject was reared on the farm, and secured a limited education, the schools at that day and date being of such a character that an education was all but an impossibility. After reaching his twentieth year, he attended school for about a year, and added greatly to his education. Ile remained on the farm until January 5. 1852, and then came to Franklin and took a deputyship in the clerk's office, in which capacity he served until October, 1855, when he was elected circuit clerk of Johnson County, and in 1859, was re-elected, serving altogether for eight years. In 1863 he was elected auditor
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of Johnson County, and re-elected in 1867, serving eight years. He remained out of office until 1880, when he was elected to the Indi- ana legislature, and served one year, beginning January, ISSI. He then engaged in the collection and pension business. and continued until November 20, IS86. He was nominated on March IS, ISS6, by the democratic county convention. for the office of recorder, and the following November was elected by a majority of about 150 votes. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and of the Christian Church. He was married April 20, 1843, to Susan San- ders, who was born in Bartholomew County, Ind., on November S, I823. and died April 15, 1886. She was the daughter of John S. and Elizabeth Sanders. To the union of our subject and wife three children were born, as follows: Mary, born February 4, 1844; John S., February 5, IS49, and died February 9, 1879, and George T., born December 24, 1851.
ABRAHAM BERGEN, an old and highly respected citizen of Franklin, Johnson County, Ind., was born in Henry County, Ky., September 7, 1818, and is the son of Garrett C. and Mary (Banta) Bergen. When a boy of thirteen years he came with his parents to Johnson County, and helped clear away the forest on the old homestead near Franklin. He hauled the first load of cord-wood that was sold on the market, for which he received 50. cents. He learned the tanner's trade with his father, and then pur- chased the tannery, and when twenty-six years of age he and his brother, George, left the old yard and removed to Brown County, Ind., and ran a large tannery there, at the same time carrying on a currying shop in Franklin. When thirty-one years of age he dis- solved partnership with his brother, and bought 500 acres of land on Beenblossom Creek, in Brown County, where he resided for eleven years. Ile next took charge of his father's farm near Franklin for three years. At the end of that period, and when forty-five years of age, he formed a partnership with W. C. Wheat,
ยท in the tanning business, at Franklin. Four years later, his son, Alonzo N. Bergen, bought Mr. Wheat's interest, and father and son ran the business for a number of years. Mr. Bergen joined the Presbyterian Church at Franklin when nineteen years of age, and at the age of twenty-two was made a deacon, and served as such until his removal to Brown County. At the age of thirty years the subject of this sketch was ordained a ruling elder in the Georgetown (Brown County) Church, in which capacity he served until his return to Franklin. For ten years he was su- perintendent of the Georgetown Sunday schools, and later con- ducted a successful Missionary Sunday school at Franklin. He was married March 15, 1842, to Sarah A. E. Henderson, who was
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