USA > Indiana > Madison County > History of Madison County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume II > Part 12
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Oliver E. McClintock was reared on his father's farm and after a district school education and a term at high school, secured a teacher's license. He continued to farm, however, and remained on his father's property until he was twenty-one years of age. at which time he embarked in operations on his own account. Mr. Mcclintock was married Novem- ber 28, 1886, to Miss Leora Wise, who was reared in Jackson township and educated in the common schools, and to this union there were born five children: Hershel G .. a graduate of the Lapel High school, who was a publie school teacher for one year and is now a Rural Free Dc- livery mail carrier out of Lapel; Daniel, also a graduate of the Lapel High school, and now a teacher in the public schools of that place; Walter, a high school graduate, who is assisting his father in the opera- tion of his farms; Cecil, who graduated from the high school, and like his brother is engaged as an educator; and Myrtle, who is still a student at Lapel. The family has long been connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which Mr. McClintock serves as steward. His fra- ternal connection is with Lapel Lodge No. 386, Knights of Pythias, and the local lodges of the Improved Order of Red Men and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Politically a Republican, he was elected a mem- ber of the board of trustees of Stony Creek township, and is now serving his fifth year as incumbent of that office, where he has given the utmost satisfaction.
In 1903 Mr. MeClintock transferred his home from the country to Lapel, in order that his children might receive better educational oppor- tunities. He is the owner of 500 acres of land, of which 200 acres are located in Stony Creek township and 300 in Jackson township, and all are under a high state of cultivation. General farming has occupied Vol. 11-6
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the greater part of his attention, but he has also met with a gratifying success in the breeding of standard Short Horn cattle and Arabian horses, and few men of the county are more widely known as stock buyers and dealers. Mr. McClintock has been interested in other business vel- tures, and is at present a stockholder in the Lapel State Bank. In the conduct of his commercial interests and in the discharge of his official duties his reputation is unassailable and among the citizens of Lapel he is held in the highest regard.
JOHN B. CRAGEN. Every branch of commercial and industrial activ. ity is represented at Lapel, for this locality is not only a flourishing community, but furnishes a large contiguous territory that looks to it as a base of supply. For this reason many progressive men who seek the best locality for the prosecution of their lines of endeavor have settled here, confident in the future of the place and in their ability to make their mark upon its advancement. The men who succeed here, as elsewhere, in forging their way to the front ranks have to possess more than the average ability, as well as sound judgment and unswerving integrity of purpose. One of the men who has brought himself to an enviable position in his line of work, and at the same time secured and maintained a reputation for good citizenship among his associates, is John B. Cragen, notary public and dealer in real estate, loans and insur- ance, who has been resident of Lapel since 1900. He was born in Lou- don county, Virginia, March 15, 1834, and is a son of Samuel and Harriet (Trundle) Cragen.
Mr. Cragen received his early education in a little log schoolhouse in his native state, and was a lad of fifteen years when he accompanied his parents to Illinois, there attending school for four months. In 1855 he went to Iowa, where he entered 160 acres of land which, after culti- vating, he sold at a good figure and returned to the Prairie State. There he embarked in the threshing machine business, and while so engaged was injured in the fall of 1861, this accident incapacitating him for ser- vice during the Civil war. His next venture was as an educator and for four years he taught school in Dewitt county, Illinois, at the end of that period going to St. Louis, Missouri, where he was engaged in the insurance business for twelve years, and while there he was married to Mrs. Dubois, who lived but a short time. In 1879 Mr. Cragen came to Fishersburg. Indiana, and for several years was in the timber business. and was there married in 1883 to Mrs. Charlotte Fisher. His adyent in Lapel occurred in 1900, when he embarked in the insurance and real estate business, and in this line he has continued to the present time. steadily building up a large and remunerative trade and firmly establish- ing himself in public confidence and esteem.
Mr. Cragen is a Democrat in his political views, but takes but little interest in public affairs outside those that affect his immediate com- munity and its people. He may always be depended upon, however, to assist in forwarding movements calculated to secure good government, and belongs to that class of citizens who believe that they can best for- ward their own interests by advancing those of their section. Although he belongs to no particular religious denomination, he has been liberal in his support of religious work, and is known as a man who having suc- ceeded himself is every ready to assist others to succeed. Mr. Cragen is one of the venerable citizens of Stony Creek township, being the last survivor of those who lived here when he first came to Fishersburg, but,
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although in his seventy-ninth year, still walks the streets with firm tread in the daily discharge of the duties of his business, a striking example of the virile and energetic old age that follows a life of sobriety and probity.
HON. CHARLES W. BIDDLE. Elected in 1910 and now representing Madison county in the state legislature, Hon. Charles W. Biddle is one of the ablest members of the agricultural community of this county and state. He was born and reared in the township where he makes his home, has been steadily progressive both in business and in his civic ideas, and has the complete confidence of his fellow citizens, in any public capacity ..
Mr. Biddle resides in Adams township, in a very attractive and valuable farm homestead on section eighteen. six miles southeast of Anderson on the Columbus Pike. He was born in Adams township, November 23, 1862, and his entire life has been spent within the limits of Madison county. His parents were James M. and Esther (Slaughter) Biddle. The paternal grandfather, Caleb Biddle, a native of North Carolina. brought his family from that state to Madison county in 1829, when James Biddle was about twelve years old. By reference to the general history of this'county, published in this work, it will be seen that the year 1829 was one of the pioneer years in the settlement and development of Madison county.
The Biddle family have therefore been factors and useful citizens in the history of this county from its earliest years to the present time, and each generation has produced useful and honored citizens. James M. Biddle, the father, who was born in North Carolina in 1817, received part of his early education in North Carolina, and also attended country schools in Adams township of Madison county, from the age of twelve years. He lived on the old Biddle homestead, which his father had entered from the government until his marriage. His wife, Esther Slaughter, was born in Pennsylvania in 1829, and her family also were among the early settlers of Madison county. After their marriage they lived on the Biddle farm in Adams township of one hundred acres, and James Biddle added to the original estate until he was the owner of two hundred and forty acres. His life time was chiefly devoted to the im- provement and productive cultivation of this place, and he erected good buildings, fenced the farm. and made it a very valuable property. He lived there until his death in 1892. his wife dying about five years later in 1897. She was the mother of the following children: George M., living in Wayne county ; Mary Alice, wife of Charles Mitchel; Margaret, wife of Harvey MI. Davis; Jerusha. wife of S. R. Manzy; John, a farmer of Adams township ; Charles W .. the subject of this sketch; and Ida, wife of Miles Elsbury, who resides on the old Biddle homestead. All the children except George reside in Adams township.
Charles W. Biddle was reared on a farm, when a boy attended the district schools, knows and is known by practically all the old genera- tions of the county; and continued working on the home farm until he was twenty-one years of age. He then began as an independent agri- culturist, but continued to live and work a part of the homestead until he was twenty-seven years old. At that date he married Miss Nellie M. Gray, a daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Gray, both of whom were well . known in Madison county. Mrs. Biddle was a talented young woman and had taught school in Adams township two terms previous to her
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marriage. After his marriage he continued on the old place for a time, and in 1898 bought his present place in Adams township, ninety-eight acres of choice land. There he erected a modern dwelling, a new barn and outbuildings, and under his supervision the fields have been well fenced, and all the place supplied with modern machinery. He raises first-class stock, hogs, cattle and horses, and is one of the rural residents of Madison county, who have made farming pay by application to the same business principles which bring success in other vocations of life.
Mr. and Mrs. Biddle are the parents of the following children: Ward G., a graduate of the Pendleton high school, and now engaged in teaching at Pendleton ; Howard J., and Jesse S., who are both in Pendle- ton high school.
For a number of years Mr. Biddle has been one of the factors in Democratic politics in Madison county and Adams township. After serving in some of the minor responsibilities of civic affairs, he was elected representative of Madison county in 1910, and again in 1912, and has served to the present time. Among the important committees of which he has been member were the Roads Committee, the Railroad Committee, and the Public and Municipal Corporation Committee. Dur- ing the session of 1913 Mr. Biddle was chairman of the Roads Commit- tee, before which was brought many important bills. At this time he introduced a road bill which was passed, and is known today as the Biddle Road Law. It changed the township road system. Its great value is that it requires all road tax above twenty dollars to be paid in cash. This broke up the practice of railroads and other large corporations letting out their road tax work for the entire state to contractors who in the past have made thousands of dollars a year in working them out at a loss to the townships and roads.
Fraternally he is well known in Masonic circles, being a member of Ovid Lodge, No. 164, A. F. & A. M., at Columbus, and is also affiliated with Tahoe Lodge No. 232 of the Improved Order of Red Men. His residence, situated on Columbus Pike is attractively located and in front of the house stands a massive native white oak, a tree that when in full foliage is an admirable feature of the entire farm, and is often commented upon by those who pass by. Charles W. Biddle is known as a successful business man, an influential factor in politics, and also for his genial social character.
WILSON T. TRUEBLOOD. Now living virtually retired in the attractive village of Chesterfield, Mr. Trueblood was for many years one of the representative merchants of his native county and is a scion of one of the sterling and honored pioneer families of this section of the fine old Hoosier state. His career has been marked by earnest and effective endeavor and he has at all times maintained secure place in the confi- dence and esteem of his fellow men, so that he is specially entitled to specific recognition in this publication.
On the old homestead farm of his parents, in Adams township, Madi- son county, Indiana, Mr. Trueblood was born on the 1Sth of December, 1841, and is a son of Wilson and Melissa ( Overman) Trueblood, both of whom were natives of North Carolina and representatives of old and honored families of that commonwealth. Wilson Trueblood was reared and educated in his native state and was about thirty-five years of age at the time when he came to Indiana and numbered himself among the pioneers of Madison county. He purchased eighty acres of wild land.
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in Adams township, and there reclaimed a productive farm, to the affairs of which he continued to devote his attention until his death. Of the ten children the subject of this review was the youngest and he is now the only surviving, all of the other children having been born prior to the family immigration to Indiana.
Wilson T. Trueblood was only two years of age at the time of his father's death and his mother subsequently contracted a second mar- riage and having continued to maintain her home in Madison county until she too was summoned to the life eternal. He whose name initiates this sketch gained his rudimentary education in the pioneer schools of Henry county and thereafter continued his studies in the village of New Columbus. At the age of twelve years he assumed a clerical position in a general store at New Columbus and he learned the business in all its details, with the result that he eventually proved himself well fortified for individual activities along the same line of enterprise. In 1868 he established himself in the mercantile business in the village of Chester- field, and here he built up a large and prosperous trade, based upon fair and honorable dealings and upon his personal popularity in the com- munity that has long represented his home and been the stage of his productive activities. He retired from active business in 1911 and has since lived virtually retired, in the enjoyment of the rewards of former years of earnest endeavor. He is the owner of valuable real estate in his home village, including both business and residence property, and is one of the well known and highily esteemed citizens of Madison county.
In polities Mr. Trueblood has long been a zealous supporter of the basic principles of the Republican party and as a citizen he has been liberal and public-spirited. He is affiliated with the local organization of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and his family hold member- ship in the Christian church.
In the year 1871 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Trueblood to Miss Sarah E. Snyder and they have two children, Dr. Charles True- blood, the elder of the two, is one of the representative physicians and surgeons of Colorado, and is engaged in the practice of his profession at Monte Vista, that state. He wedded Miss Lulu Free and they have no children; Ferdinand Trueblood, the youngest son, is in business in Ches- terfield, where he is engaged in a general store. He married Miss Inez Smith and they have three children-Ronald, Harry and Charles.
WALTER ISANOGEL. Special interest attaches to the career of this well known and highly esteemed citizen of Chesterfield, for he is a native of Madison county, a representative of one of its sterling pioneer families and has been prominently concerned with civic and business activities in the county which has ever been his home.
Mr. Isanogel was born on a farm in Union township, Madison county, Indiana, on the 3rd of January, 1863, and is a son of Jacob and Mary (Goheen) Isanogel, whose names are prominently identified with the annals of Madison county, where they took up their abode in the pioneer epoch of the county's history. They became the parents of eleven chil- dren-John T., Solomon, William, and Isaac, who are deceased; Samuel E., who is a resident of Union township; Walter, who is the immediate subject of this review; Otto D .. and Sarah, who are deceased, the latter having been the wife of John Coburn; Caroline, who is the wife of Stephen Fosnot, deceased; Estaline, deceased; and Mary B., who main- tains her home at Chesterfield. Jacob Isanogel, who accompanied his
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parents on their removal from Preble county, Ohio, to Madison county, Indiana, in the pioneer days, was a son of Solomon and Elizabeth (Su- man) Isanogel. His father, who was of stanch German lineage, was born in Frederick county, Maryland, and came to Madison county, Indiana, in the '50s. Under the administration of President Van Buren he here entered claim to eighty acres of government land, in Union town- ship, and he reclaimed the same to effective cultivation. He became one of the substantial pioneer farmers of this favored section of the state and his old homestead is still owned by representatives of the imme- diate family, whose name has been most worthily linked with the civic and industrial development and upbuilding of the county. Jacob Isanogel was long numbered among the representative agriculturists and stock growers of Madison county, commanded inviolable place in popular confidence and esteem, and made his life count for good in its every relation. Both he and his wife continued to reside on the old homestead farm, one and one-half miles northeast of Chesterfield, until they were summoned to eternal rest.
He whose names initiates this review was reared to the sturdy disci- pline of the home farm and gained his preliminary education in the dis- triet schools. Later he availed himself of the advantages of the publie schools of Chesterfield, and his ambition was further shown by his becoming a student in the University of Indiana, at Bloomfield, and where he admirably fortified himself for the pedagogie profession, of which he was an able and popular representative for a number of years, as a successful teacher in the schools of his native county. He was prin- cipal of the Green Branch school and later of the school on Seventh street in the village of Chesterfield, where he held also the position of principal for a period of ten years. In Chesterfield he served as assistant post- master under the regime of Mr. Krettenbarger, and thereafter he had charge of the public schools of this village, his assumption of this im- portant position having been made in 1897. Thereafter he served for some time as deputy in the office of the county treasurer. after which he was again employed as an effective teacher in the district schools of the county. He engaged in the general merchandise business at Chester- field, where his personal popularity and the effective service given brought to him a large and representative patronage. He retired from this line of enterprise in 1910 and has since given his attention princi- pally to the management of his real estate and other property interests.
Mr. Isanogel is a man of broad and well fortified views concerning matters of public polity and has shown a lively interest in all that con- cerns the welfare of his native county and state. Liberal and progres- sive in his civic attitude, he has been a stalwart supporter of the cause of the Democratic party, and both he and his wife are zealous members of the Christian church in their home village, where he is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and its 'adjunct organization, the Daughters of Rebekah, as well as with the Improved Order of Red Men and the Modern Woodmen of America.
On the 4th of July, 1889, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Isanogel to Miss Minnie Bronnenberg, daughter of Ransom Bronnenberg, con- cerning whom specific mention is made on other pages of this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Isanogel have four children-Velma. Helen, Robert E., and Olga E. Velma married Edgar Click of Anderson township, a farmer; Helen is teaching at Ingalls, she attended the University of
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Indiana. The two younger children are attending the public schools of their home village.
SENECA CHAMBERS. Madison county is essentially an agricultural community, and is noted no less for the excellence of its farms than for the public spirit and enterprise of the agriculturists who till them. One of these successful farmers, a resident of the county for more than half a century, and still engaged in active pursuits, is Seneca Chambers, the owner of sixty-three aeres of excellent land located on the Alexandria pike, in Richland township. Mr. Chambers was born on the farm which he now occupies, February 24, 1861, and is a son of John H. and Julia A. (Drybread) Chambers. The family is an old and honored one of this section, having been founded in Madison county by the grandfather of Mr. Chambers. There were five children in the family of Mr. Chamber's parents : William, who is deceased; Sarah, who is the wife of Mr. Eshel- man; Joseph, deceased; Seneca, and Clarissa, who is deceased. Both Mr. and Mrs. Chambers were members of the Christian church.
The childhood home of Seneca Chambers was a little log house, which had been erected by his father some years prior to his birth, and he was reared amid pioneer surroundings. As was expected of all Indiana farmers' sons of his day, he began to assist his father and brothers in clearing the home place as soon as he was able to do his share, his educa- tional advantages being secured in the short winter terms in the district schools of Richland township and College Corners. Reared thus to agri- cultural pursuits, it was but natural that he should adopt farming as a vocation upon reaching years of maturity, and his subsequent success in his calling is ample evidence that he made no mistake in his choice. His operations, commenced in a modest manner, have assumed large propor- tions, and he now occupies a substantial and firmly-established place among the agriculturists of his community, where he is known as a skilled and intelligent farmer and excellent judge of cattle. Mr. Chambers has used modern methods exclusively, taking advantage of the various dis- coveries and inventions which have made farming assume a position on a par with the professions, and showing good business judgment in dis- posing of his products and cattle, which have always brought top-notch prices in the markets. His comfortable home, situated on Anderson Route No. 1, is surrounded by buildings of handsome architectural design and substantial character, and the whole appearance of the property denotes the presence of prosperity, thrift and able management.
Mr. Chambers was married to Miss Callie Burke, now deceased, who was a daughter of George and Elizabeth (Mahoney) Burke, old and prominent settlers of Madison county who are now deceased. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Chambers, namely: Clara, who is deceased; Ward, who married Millie Scott and resides in Richland township; and Earl, who married Ethel Scott, and has two children- Mildred and Calvin.
Mr. Chambers attained distinction as a member of the famous Federal jury chosen on the noted Los Angeles Times dynamite case, which opened October 1, 1912, before Federal Judge A. B. Anderson, in Indianapolis, when forty-six inen, most of them union labor officials and agents, were placed on trial on the charge of complicity in more than 100 dynamite explosions, including that which destroyed the Los Angeles Times build- ing. Of these two pleaded guilty, the charges against three were dis- missed at the opening of the trial, and thirty-eight were given various
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sentences in the Federal prison, although some of the latter have since been released on bail. This has been Mr. Chambers' only public service, as he has not sought preferment in public or political life, preferring to devote his whole attention to his home and his farm. He has been a life-long member of the Christian church, and has been liberal in his support of its movements.
CURRAN ("JACK") BEALL. Modern agriculture holds out many in- ducements to the industrious, progressive worker, especially when he has been trained to farming from boyhood. It is natural for such a man to capably perform the duties pertaining to this class of work, and, hav- ing had wide experience, he is able to recognize and appreciate the various advantages offered by new methods. Again, having passed through instructive experiences, he is not to be easily deceived with relation to the true value of proposed innovations, nor is he apt to decline advantageous propositions. The demands of his neighborhood are known to him, and failure one season is not a discouraging factor, for the experienced agriculturist is aware than one lean year generally is followed by two prosperous ones, and that in the time of small crops is granted the opportunity to prepare for banner productions. For these and numerous other reasons, the lifetime farmer enjoys a marked ad- vantage in the race for agricultural supremacy. Experienced in farming operations since his boyhood, Curran ("Jaek") Beall has become one of the leading agriculturists of Richland township, where he is the owner of 160 acres of excellent land, in addition to a valuable property in North Anderson. He was born on the farm which he now occupies, March 21, 1860, and is a son of Curran and Jennie (Gunder) Beall.
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