History of Madison County, Indiana ; a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I, Part 101

Author: Forkner, John La Rue, 1844-1926
Publication date: 1970
Publisher: Evansville Ind. : Unigraphic, Inc.
Number of Pages: 918

USA > Indiana > Madison County > History of Madison County, Indiana ; a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 101

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LORANA (WISE) COY. One of the remarkable pioneer women of Madison county, is Mrs. Coy, now living at her home in Jackson town- ship, surrounded by children and grandchildren, and through the mist of recollections surveying a vast retrospect of scenes which have been enacted in Madison county since her girlhood. Her birth occurred in this county at a time when its settlement had hardly well begun, and no name in the annals of Madison county has older associations than that of Wise.

In the old commonwealth of Virginia, the Wises have been promi- nent and aristocratie since the colonial era, and it was from one of the earlier branches of the same stock, that the Madison county people of that name sprung. Mrs. Coy was born on the old Wise home- stead in Jackson township, January 22, 1832. Her father was Daniel Wise, Sr., who was born on the south branch of the Potomac River in Virginia. Grandfather John Wise was a native of the same locality and spent most of his active career in Virginia, though late in life he moved to Indiana, and passed his last years in Madison county. His remains are buried in the Perkinsville- cemetery.

Daniel Wise, Sr., grew up in old Virginia, and from there moved to Ohio, and after a short time made his way across the wilderness of forest and prairie into eastern Indiana. The journey was typical of many such which occurred during the twenties and thirties and which brought most of the settlers to Madison county. Ox teams and wagons transported the goods and carried the women and children overland through the trails made through the woods, and Daniel Wise arrived ' in Madison county in the year 1825. To him belongs the distinction of having entered the first government land in Jackson township. That land was in sections two and three, township nineteen, range six east, now called Jackson township. Others may have preceded him to this locality, but it is a justifiable conclusion that he was the first perma- nent settler. Arriving at his location, his first work was to cut down a few trees and clear off the underbrush to make space for the log cabin home. With the help perhaps of some distant neighbors, he put together and erected his house of logs, and the family occupied that residence for several years. It was in such a rude shelter that Mrs. Coy was born.

It may serve better to indicate how early the Wise family settled in Madison county, when it is recalled that a quarter of a century elapsed before the first railroad train went across the boundaries of the county. Madison county was not organized for several years afterward. Only a short time before had the. capital of the state been moved from Cory- don to Indianapolis. Indiana had been a state less than ten years when

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the Wises made their settlement. In the woods and on the prairies all about their lonely home was abundance of wild deer, turkeys, and Indians often stalked through these old hunting grounds. A number of years passed before what was known as the Indiana Canal era began, and in the early years of the Wise settlement all the people in this community took their surplus products to Cincinnati, over a long road, and laid in their annual supplies at that city.

The mother of Mrs. Coy was a fine type of the old pioneer house- wife. She carded, spun and wove the wool and flax with which she dressed all members of her family in homespun, and all the cooking was done by the old-fashioned fireplace. After a few years residence in the log home, Daniel Wise, Sr., built a substantial brick house, one of the first in that section of the county. This home which has since been badly damaged by cyclones on two different occasions, but each time repaired, is still in good condition, and a landmark in its vicinity. In that home, Daniel Wise lived until his death at the age of fifty-three years.

He married Mary Miller, who was born in Virginia, and who died at the age of seventy-two. She reared seven of her nine children.

Mrs. Coy has herself experienced and witnessed practically all phases of pioneer life. She attended school taught in a log cabin. She well remembers its earth and stick chimney, its large fire-place, the seats made of split logs, with wooden pins for legs, the absence of desks in the modern sense, and the broad boards slanting about the walls used as a writing desk for the larger scholars. In the work of the house- hold she assisted her mother, in the carding, spinning and weaving of cloth, and has done her share of cooking by the fire-place.

In her nineteenth year she married Matthew Coy, he was born in Hamilton county, Indiana, a son of Benjamin and Jennie (Conner) Coy, pioneer settlers of that county. After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Coy moved to the northside of White River, where they bought a tract of land in the southeast quarter of section thirty-five, range six, Jackson township, Madison county. There they began their housekeep- ing in a hewed log house of four rooms. For twelve years that con- tinued to be their home and then they traded for land in sections one and two of the same township. Mr. Coy was a very successful farmer and business man. Industrious, he cleared a large farm, erected good buildings, and the homestead in its improvement might compare favor- ably with any in the township. There he lived until the close of his life on April 14, 1904.

Mrs. Coy has since occupied the homestead, her household also com- prising the family of her youngest daughter. She reared eleven chil- dren, whose names were: Benjamin, Henry A., John W., George W., Mary J., Daniel W., Martin Luther, Seth Thomas, Sanford, Lillie, and Perry.

There are a large number of grandchildren, and the marriages of the different children are noted as follows: Benjamin married Emma Johnson. Henry A. married Alice MeClintock, and their four children are Minnie, Walter, Ivy and Grace. George married Sarah Williams. John W. married Cynthia Lee, and their two children are Eva and Alvah. Mary, married Allen Wise. Daniel married Lou Lutz. Martin Luther married Ida Anderson and has two children, June and Reba. Seth married Pearl Shaul, and their one son is Harris. Sanford mar- ried Gertrude De Witt, and their four children are Hallie, Leah, Mary

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and Loel. Lillie became the wife of William Busby and their children are Matthew and Lorana. Perry married Dora Morris, and their two children are Fern and Lois.

NOAH RYAN. Jackson township in Madison county probably has no older native son than Noah Ryan, who has lived here since his birth, nearly seventy years ago. Through his father and mother he repre- sents some of the oldest families to be established in this section of Madison county, and the name has always been associated with honest worth and excellent citizenship. Mr. Ryan is himself numbered among the prosperous agriculturists of Madison county, and for many years he has followed the quiet vocation of tilling the soil and at the same time has borne his share in local civic and social affairs.

Noah Ryan was born in Jackson township, October 24, 1845. He is a son of John Ryan, a grandson of Davis Ryan, a great-grandson of George Ryan. The last named was a native of Scotland, coming to America and settling in Pennsylvania. A millwright by trade he fol- lowed that occupation in Pennsylvania until his death. Grandfather David Ryan learned the same trade, and from Pennsylvania moved to Ohio, becoming an early settler in Ross county. Davis Ryan was a native of near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In Ross county, Ohio, he con- tinued to work at his mechanical occupation until about 1837, when he moved to Indiana, and found a home near Strawtown, where he remained until his death at the age of seventy-six. Davis Ryan married Mary Peck. Born in Virginia and of German ancestry, she came to Indiana with her parents, who became pioneers in Hamilton county, leaving many descendants of that name in that section. Her death occurred at the age of seventy-five and the five children in her family were: John, Cyrus, Julia A., George and William.

John Ryan, father of Noah, was born in Ross county, Ohio, March 11, 1822, and was about fifteen years old when the family was trans- planted to Indiana soil. Growing to manhood he bought a tract of timbered land in section three of Township County, range six east and had to clear a space among the woods in order to make room for a log cabin home. This first shelter of the family was a substantial house for its time, twenty by twenty-four feet, and in that rude structure his children were born. In time he had cleared away most of the forest, and continued in the worthy occupation of agriculture, until his death at the age of fifty-five. John Ryan married Lovina Wise of the pioneer Wise family, which has been so conspicuous in the settlement and devel- opment of Jackson township. She was born in Madison county, a daughter of Daniel and Mary (Miller) Wise. Daniel Wise entered the first tract of government land in Jackson township. Further details concerning this old family will be found under the names of Wise and Coy elsewhere in this volume. Lovina Wise died at the age of fifty-six having reared seven children namely : Noah, David, Mary, John, Martha, Grant and William.

Noah Ryan who was born in the old log house previously mentioned grew up largely amid pioneer surroundings, and his education was supplied by the schools existing in this county during the decade of the fifties. Later he was sent to Westfield Academy, and qualified as a teacher, a vocation which he followed for four years. Outside of that he has been engaged in farming throughout his active lifetime. In 1879 he settled on the farm he now occupies, in section one of town- Vol. II-27

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ship twenty, range six east, and has employed his energies in general farming with exceptional success. On the second of December, 1869, Mr. Ryan married Samantha Wise, who was born in Jackson township, a daughter of John and Harriet (McClintock) Wise. Mr. and Mrs. Ryan have four children: Clara, Emma, Lucretia, and John. Emma married Frank Anderson, and their seven children are Lena, Wilbur, Paul, Robert, Clare, Ralph and Harriet. In politics Mr. Ryan casts his first vote for General Grant, and has been a consistent supporter of the Republican party and principles ever since. He and his wife are members of the Methodist church.

THOMAS M. NORTON. The industrial history of Anderson and Madi- son county records the name of Thomas M. Norton, who for many years was one of their leading business factors, a pioneer in the truest sense of the word and one who maintained a high standard of citizen- ship. He was a native son of Ireland, born in 1835, and was but a babe of two years when brought to this country by his parents, the family locating near Dayton, Ohio. There the lad received his educational tra ing in the public schools and there he also learned the trade of a carpenter, gradually drifting into contracting. During the early years of e 'sixties he went to Union City, Indiana, where he became asso- ciated with Louis Williams in the ale brewing business, and from there in 1866 he came to Anderson and formed a partnership with Patrick Sullivan, they establishing the first ale brewery in northern Indiana, while some time later Michael Cromley became identified with the firm.

In 1882 Mr. Norton began the brewing of beer on his own account, and from that time until his life's labors were ended in death he con- tinued to devote his time and energy to the development of a business which grew extensively throughout this section of the state. He at all times gave his closest attention to the business which he had established and cast aside whatever aspirations he may have had for public life, although he was never indifferent to the duties of good citizenship. He was a member of the first board of Worker's Trustees in Anderson and served thereon for ten. years, the other members being L. J. Burr and Henry Bronnenberg, while later Harrison Quick also became a member.

Mr. Norton made but one trip to his native land, in 1896, and he spent the year touring the continent, then returning to Anderson, the city which he had helped to build, but at this time he turned over his busi- ness to his sons and spent the remainder of his days in quiet retirement. During his residence here he had formed many lasting friendships. In his business relations Thomas M. Norton was cordial, pleasant and honest; to the needy he was generous and liberal; and many families who were beneficiaries of his benevolences sadly mourned his death. In the home circle he was devoted to his family, liberal and indulgent to their every want. It had been the custom to make an annual trip to the south for the winters, and the plans had been completed for the trip when Mr. Norton was suddenly stricken ill, and after several weeks passed away as the result of apoplexy.

In 1861, in Piqua, Ohio, Mr. Norton was married to Miss Katherine McCarthy, who survives her husband, as do also their four children : Mrs. J. C. Kreuch, Mrs. M. J. Crowley and Martin C. and William J. Norton, all of whom reside in Anderson. Mr. Norton also left a brother and sister, M. Norton, of Piqua, and Mrs. Mary Hoban, of Dayton, Ohio. Mr. Norton maintained fraternal relations with the Ancient

THOMAS M. NORTON

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Order of Hibernians and his religious connection was with St. Mary's church, in the support of which he was ever liberal. Father Mulcahy, of that church, officiated at the funeral, and this loved, honored and revered pioneer was laid to rest in St. Mary's cemetery.

WILLIAM J. NORTON, one of the sons of Thomas M. Norton, has also gained and maintained a high standard of citizenship, and is well known in the business circles of Anderson as the secretary and treasurer of the T. M. Norton Brewing Company. He is one of the city's native sons, born on the 9th of April, 1869, and he received his education in its public and high, schools. After leaving school he entered the office of his father's brewery, and there he remained until the elder man's death, thoroughly familiarizing himself with all the details of the large business. Since the death of Thomas M. Norton the business has been con- tinued under the name of the T. M. Norton Brewing Company, with Mar- tin C. Norton as president and William J. Norton as secretary and treas- urer. Although essentially a business man, with no aspirations for public office, Mr. Norton is proud of the achievements of his native city, and when matters of public moment have come up for settlement with other earnest citizens he has guided his actions by a sincere devotion to the public welfare. His fraternal connections are with the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

On June 14, 1893, Mr. Norton was married to Miss Josephine Elters, of Anderson, and they have three children: Charles T., Kathleen and Harold S. The Norton residence is located at 122 Seventh street, and Mr. Norton is also the owner of other valuable city realty.

JOHN G. MCILWRAITH. In tracing the lives and characters of those who have won eminence in the professions and in business, it is found that among the most successful are men who have been content to start at the bottom of the ladder and to force their way steadily upward to their rightful place among their fellow-citizens. In this class stands John G. Mellwraith, secretary and treasurer of the Indiana Box Com- pany, of Elwood. Mr. Mellwraith's residence is at Anderson, but he has taken a lively interest in the affairs of Elwood, where his influence, always for good, is felt in public matters. He is a Canadian by birth, his home being the city of Hamilton, and his birth date December 31, 1865. Mr. MeIlwraith is a son of Thomas and Mary (Park) McIlwraith, and on both sides of the family is descended from natives of Scotland.

Thomas Mellwraith was born at Ayr, Scotland, and was there reared and educated. Shortly after his marriage, he emigrated -to America, locating at Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, where he became manager of the gas works, a position which he held for many years. He subse- quently became a brick manufacturer, but about the year 1870 bought out a forwarding business, owning the locks over which goods were shipped to the West. He also dealt extensively in coal and ice and had other profitable investments. As a young man, Mr. McIlwraith became interested in the study of ornithology and taxidermy, and this he made his hobby throughout life. He became president of the American Orni- thological Society, and wrote a number of works in regard to his art, one of which, "The Birds of Ontario," attracted nation-wide attention. His prominence in that line led him to exchange bird specimens with taxidermists all over the world, his collection was one of the most valuable to be found in Ontario, and he was a recognized authority on all matters pertaining to this interesting study. Mr. McIlwraith

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died in Hamilton, in 1903, aged about eighty-five years, and the flag on the Government building was hung at half-mast. He was promi- nent in the business life of the city, and took a decided interest in its welfare and development. His religious belief was that of the Presby- terian Church, as was also that of his wife, who died in 1901, when about eighty-three years of age. They were the parents of seven chil- dren, as follows: Thomas F., who is a coal merchant at Hamilton, Canada; Mary, deceased, who was the wife of R. J. Service, of Detroit, Michigan; Jane, single, a book reviewer for the firm of Doubleday, Page & Company, Garden City, New York; Helen, who became the wife of' John H. Holl, of Quebec, Canada; Hugh, who is engaged in the manufacture of boxes at Newcastle, Pennsylvania; John G., of this review, and Dr. Kennedy, a practicing physician of Toronto, Canada.

John G. Mellwraith was reared to manhood in Hamilton, Canada, receiving his education in the public schools of his native land, and in 1884 came to the United States, where he secured employment as a clerk in a Detroit wholesale hardware store. Six months later he became freight clerk for the Detroit & Cleveland Steam Navigation Company, continuing with that line during 1884 and 1885, and in 1886 went to Muskegon, Michigan, where he acted in the capacity of manager for the Munroe Manufacturing Company until 1891. In that year, with two Muskegon lumbermen, he organized the Indiana Box Com- pany, at Anderson, Indiana, to which city he removed the same year, locating permanently. In 1899 the Indiana Box Company purchased the plant of the Elwood Box Company, and until 1903 operated both plants. The Anderson plant being destroyed in that year, the business was concentrated at Elwood, where about seventy-five persons are employed in the manufacture of wooden boxes for packing purposes, especially for glass and tin-plate. The business of the concern increased so rapidly that the proprietors soon purchased the plant of the Munroe Manufacturing Company, at Muskegon, Michigan, which is operated as a branch, although hiring more people, there being about 150 employes in that factory. Although his business is located at Elwood, Mr. McIlwraith continues to make his home at Indiana, where he has a modern residence at No. 1121 Central avenue. He has interested him- self in the progress and development of both places, and is known as one of the substantial men of good judgment who can be relied upon to support beneficial measures.

On April 21, 1897, Mr. Mellwraith was married to Miss Martha Chit- tenden, who was born at Anderson, Indiana, daughter of Dr. G. F. and Amanda Chittenden. Dr. Chittenden was long prominent with Madison county's history, especially during the Civil War, after which he was engaged in the practice of medicine. He still resides in Ander- son, although now somewhat retired, while his wife has passed away. They had three children: Carrie, Edgar and Martha. To Mr. and Mrs. McIlwraith there have come three children: Mary Park, Helen Adair and Worden. Mr. and Mrs. McIlwraith are members of the Presbyterian Church. He was a Democrat until the national campaign of 1896, when he transferred his allegiance to the Republican party, which has since received his support.

OLIVER H. BURDETT. The owner of a fine country estate of one hundred and eighty acres in section nineteen in Fall Creek township. Mr. Burdett was born in the township of his present residence and near the

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farm which he now occupies and cultivates. He represents one of the old families of Madison county, and in his generation has given a faith- ful account of his life as a stewart in the administration of an inherit- ance which the pioneer members of the family established, and created. Oliver H. Burdett was born on a farm near his present residence in Fall Creek township on August 18, 1850, and was a son of Christopher and Mary (Shaul) Burdett. Christopher Burdett was born in Green- brier county, West Virginia, in 1813, and died March 22, 1855. His wife was born in Ohio and came to Madison county with her parents among the very first pioneers of this section of Indiana. Her parents located on section thirty in Fall Creek township, entering the land from the Government and established their first home in the environ- ment of Green Woods. Isolated from other settlers and with practically no communication with the outside world except by the blazed trails through the woods. Christopher Burdett was also an early settler of this county, and became a large land owner and a prosperous and influential citizen. Mr. Burdett's mother died many years ago and she was the mother of six children, three of whom are living iu 1913. Eliza is the wife of Stephen Ward, and a resident at Thorntown, Indiana; Alexander Burdett is the other son now living. Two of the sons, John and Leonidas, were soldiers of the Union army during the Civil war. Oliver H. Burdett was reared on the old farm, and as soon as old enough was sent to the district schools, which he attended during the winter seasons, alternating his schooling with work on the home place. When he was about eighteen years of age he took up farm work in earnest, but remained at home helping cultivate the acres of the old estate until he was twenty-three years of age. He and his brother Alexander now own the old homestead which is a splendid estate and shows the thrift and excellent management of two generations of farm- ers since it was first cleared up from the native wilderness. Mr. Bur- dett was married November 13, 1873, to Miss Margaret Alfont, who was born in Green township, Madison county, April 10, 1851. She received her education in the public schools of her native township, and was a daughter of Robert Alfont. Seven children have been born into the Burdett home, and five are living in the present year, 1913, namely : Edward C., who graduated from the common schools and spent two years in the high school and during the last American war was a mem- ber of Company E in the Thirty-first Indiana Regiment during the Philippine war, spending about two years altogether in those islands. Mintie, a graduate of the common schools and the wife of James'Tar- man of Ohio; Howard D., a graduate of the common schools and a prac- tical farmer; Eva, who was also a student in the local schools, and is the wife of Albert Russell of Lapel, this county; Raymond who com- pleted his education in the Pendleton high schools. The family are members of the Christian church at Pendleton, and Mr. Burdett is affiliated with the Improved Order of Red Men at the same place. In politics he is a Progressive. As a general farmer and stock raiser he has prospered beyond the ordinary and the superficial appearance of his estate indicates thrift and good management in every detail. He enjoys the thorough respect and esteem of his entire community, and has taken considerable interest in local politics, having served on the county central committee.

JAMES A. FOWLER. Creditable to both the community and the indi- vidual is the career of a man who began life without advantages, with-

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out influences, with nothing but the resources of his hand and the judgment of his mind, and who against heavy odds acquired position and a satisfying degree of material prosperity. Probably few men in the Madison county citizenship of today are better examples of such a self-made career than Mr. James A. Fowler, of Fall Creek township. When he came to Madison county, Indiana, he had nothing but the few clothes on his back. He was willing to work, and so well did he use his physical energy and with such faithfulness to his employers that it has always remained a matter of pride that he could have stayed as long as he wished in any position which he ever held. He has reared an interesting family, and is a man of high standing, and is thoroughly posted on the. affairs of the state and nation, He is at the present time the efficient town assessor of Fall Creek township, and enjoys every- where the esteem and admiration paid to a man of such achievements.

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History of Madison County, Indiana ; a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I, Part 101

Author: Forkner, John La Rue, 1844-1926 Publication date: 1970 Publisher: Evansville Ind. : Unigraphic, Inc. Number of Pages: 918

Author: Forkner, John La Rue, 1844-1926
Publication date: 1970
Publisher: Evansville Ind. : Unigraphic, Inc.
Number of Pages: 918