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 45
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school of practical business, and have served to make him well in the financial field in Indiana.
On November 15, 188S, Mr. Phillips was married to Miss Etta nah, who was born at Alexandria, Indiana, daughter of Robert i Caroline (Seott) Hannah, natives of Indiana and for many year dents of Alexandria. Mrs. Hannah died in 1896, aged sixty-six while her husband is still living, at the age of eighty-three year. was for a long period a merchant, later managed a farm before ing from active labor, and is still vice-president of the Alexandria which he helped to organize, and takes a decided interest in a affects the welfare of the community. He served one term as el Madison county some years ago. There were four children in the of Mr. and Mrs. Hannah : Mrs. Minnie S. Malone, residing in andria; William S., who is a business man of Kansas City, Mis Mrs. Viva J. Clark, of Indianapolis; and Mrs. Etta Phillips. Phillips is a grandaughter of Abraham Hannah and William Scot early settlers of the Hoosier State.
Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Phillips : Beach and William Thomas. Mrs. Phillips is a member of the dist Episcopal Church. Her husband belongs to Alexandria Lod 235, F. & A. M., Alexandria Chapter No. 99, R. A. M., and Alex Council No. 85, R. & S. M .; to Alexandria Lodge No. 335, Knig Pythias; and to Necessity Lodge No. 222, Independent Order o Fellows. A Republican in his political views, he has served c as a member of the council and of the school board. His intere: wide and varied, and of an extensive nature, and he is one of the ing heads of the Imbler Fence and Manufacturing Company, member of the firm of Hughes & Phillips, manufacturers of the I Patent Road Scraper and Grader. Since 1887 he has been a mer the Indianapolis Board of Trade, and he still holds membership Commercial Travelers' Association, which he joined as a young ness man.
JOHN L. GRIDER. In the industrial and mercantile enterprise city of Alexandria, John L. Grider has had a very important for twenty years, and is now not only one of the merchants in the trade, but is head of one of the manufacturing establishments whic prestige to Alexandria as an industrial center, being president and ager of the Imbler Fence & Manufacturing Company.
John I. Grider is a native Indianian, having been born at Fir in Putnam county, September 30, 1860. His parents were Jorda Mary (Leaton) Grider. The paternal grandfather was Thomas ( who married Elizabeth Burton. They were both natives of Ken and were pioneer settlers in Putnam county, Indiana, where they away when in old age. There were four sons and three daughters family whose names were Henton, Jordan, Zacharias, Barton, Re Emma and Elizabeth. .
Jordan Grider, the father, was born in Putnam county, was there and followed farming all his life. He bought a place of on dred and sixty acres in Putnam county, cleared off the timber and brush, brought it into a high state of cultivation and upon the and fruitage of its aeres provided well for his family. His occurred at Roachdale on March 17, 1913, when eighty-one year six months old. He was three times married, and altogether w
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father of eight children. The only child of his first marriage was Thomas L. Grider. By his marriage to Mary Leaton there were two children, John L. of Alexandria, and Emma, wife of Dudley Burk, of Morton, Indiana. Mary Leaton, the mother of these two children died in 1863 at the age of twenty-seven years. She was born in Putnam county and reared there, a daughter of John and Cassandra Leaton, both of whom were from Kentucky. The six children in the Leaton family were Brinton, Catherine, Eliza, Emma, Mary, and Maria, the last named dying in infancy. Mr. Jordan Grider married for his third wife Mrs. Catherine (Ratcliffe) Allison, and their five children were as follows: Effie, wife of George Swisher of Crawfordsville, Indiana; Nanny, wife of William Whithead, of Morton, Indiana; James of Roachdale; Frank, of Morehouse, Missouri; and Lon of Roachdale. Mr. Jolin L. Grider was reared on his father's farm in Putnam county. As a boy he attended the district school, and finished his education in the Ladoga Normal School. Up to the time he was grown he continued to live on his father's estate and then began life as a renter, farining on his own account in Putnam county, until he was twenty-eight years of age. His next venture was working at railroad bridge carpentering, an occupation which he followed for two years. He then spent two years with an Indianapolis Wholesale Grocery House, and there acquired a thorough knowledge of the grocery trade. With that experience he came to Alexandria in 1892, and opened a stock of groceries. He has made a thorough study of retail trade, has used excellent methods of presenting his goods to the public, and has always enjoyed a large patronage. He now has a first-class store at 102 South Harrison street. During the past five years Mr. Grider has interested himself in manu- facturing with the Imbler Fence & Manufacturing Company, and as president and general manager has had most to do with making this company a success. The company manufacture woven wire fencing, and its goods are shipped to all parts of the country. In the factory are employed eight workmen, the plant is well equipped with the necessary machinery, and the business is expanding rapidly. Mr. Grider resides at 204 E. Garfield street.
On the 12th of August, 1893, he married Miss Lizzie Greiner, a daughter of Pembroke and Alvira (Cleveland) Greiner. Mrs. Grider was born in New York State, where she lived until eighteen years of age, then coming to Indiana with her parents who settled in Alexandria, where she remained until her marriage. Her parents are still living in this city, and of their two children, the other is a son named Charles Greiner.
Mr. and Mrs. Grider have two children, Genevieve and Gertrude. Mr. and Mrs. Grider are members of the Methodist church in which he is one of the trustees. Fraternally he is affiliated with Alexandria Lodge No. 235 A. F. & A. M., Alexandria Chapter No. 99 R. A. M. and Ander- son Commandery No. 32, Knights Templar. He also belongs to the Improved Order of Red Men, the Knights of the Maccabees, and in poli- tics is a loyal Republican.
CHARLES F. MEYER. Senior member of the firm of C. F. Meyer & . Brother, editors and publishers of the weekly and semi-weekly Press at Alexandria, Mr. Meyer has been identified with newspaper management in Madison county for more than twenty years and his experience in practical printing and newspaper work goes back for nearly forty
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years. It has been his vocation since boyhood in fact, and he has always done well in his chosen vocation.
Charles F. Meyer was born in Rockford, Ohio, on March 5, 1859. a son of Frederick and Maria (Kellar) Meyer. The paternal grandfather was Jacob Meyer, who died when past ninety-two years of age, the father of four children. On the mother's side the grandfather was Joseph Kellar, who was killed in middle life by a falling tree. He was the father of thirteen children, and Mr. Meyer's mother was the youngest in that large family.
Frederick Meyer, the father, was born in Switzerland, while his wife was a native of Baden, Germany. They were the parents of nine children, seven of whom reached maturity, namely: John W., of Find- lay, Ohio; Mary, deceased, the wife of Eli Stoffer; Charles F., of Alex- andria ; Ida, widow of Rolla Merrill, of Celina, Ohio; George, deceased ; - Joseph, of Celina ; Christian, the junior member of the finn of C. F. Meyer & Brother; and two who died in infancy. The father of this family was reared in his native land of Switzerland, and came to America in 1854. His first settlement was in Cleveland where he was married. Subsequently he moved to Van Wert, Ohio, thence to Mercer, Mercer county, where he followed kis trade and worked at farming, sub- sequently going to Shanesville, now Rockford, Ohio, and in 1868 trans- ferred his business to Celina, Ohio, bringing his family to that place a year later. He remained at Celina until his death on May 20, 1874, when he was forty-seven, three months and seventeen days of age. His wife survived him many years and passed away in January, 1904, when nearly seventy-six years old. Both were members of the Catholic faith. The father was a veteran of the Union army during the Civil war, having enlisted and served in Company F' of the Ninety-ninth Ohio Infantry. He was discharged on account of disability and sent home. He was a man who thoroughly enjoyed and deserved the confidence of his com- munity, and in the carly years of his residence in Ohio, he often kept in his shop sums of money entrusted to him for safe keeping by his neighbors.
Mr. Charles F. Meyer spent the first ten years of his life in Rock- ford, Ohio, began his schooling and continued his education at Celina from 1869. In 1876, when about sixteen years of age. he began learning .the printer's trade, and in a short time had acquired the rudiments of the art preservative, and has never known nor had ambition for any other line of business since then. In 1892 Mr. Meyer came to Alexau- dria, and in the fall of that year established the Alexandria Sun. Soon afterwards he began the publication of a daily which he called The. What Is It. This paper under its novel title subsequently developed into the Record, which he sold in 1893. In August, 1893, Mr. Meyer issued the first number of the Alexandria Press, which will soon complete the 22nd year of its existence as one of the influential and prosperous newspapers of Madison county. Christian H. Meyer, his brother, has been a pari- ner in the firm from its beginning. The Press is issued both weekly and semi-weekly, is a Democratie paper, and a first-class general job-print- ing business is also conducted. The office of the paper is in the rear of . 111 East Washington street.
In 1881 Mr. Meyer married Miss Temperance Snider. a daughter of David and Elizabeth (Easter) Snider. Their seven children are toen- tioned as follows: Pearl, wife of John Rosenberger. and the mother of one child Lyla; Gertrude, who married Charles Oshorn, and they are
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asidents of Toledo, Ohio; Carl, who is a linotype operator at Menasha, Wisconsin, and married Etta MeKay, and has one daughter Crystal Christine; Anna, married Herschel Watson, and they reside in Granite City, Illinois; Florence, the wife of Clinton Hupp, of Toledo, Ohio, is the mother of one child now living, Dorothy; Ernest, is a printer in his Other's employ; and Mabel is a school girl. Mr. Charles F. Meyer is utiliated with the Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks; the Modern Woodmen of America, the Royal Neighbors of America, the German Inde- pendent Aid Society of Celina, Ohio, and in politics is a Democrat. He bas given four years service as a member of the Alexandria City Coun- il. Christian H. Meyer, younger brother of Mr. Charles F. was born at Celina, Ohio, December 22, 1869, and married on November 21, 1894, Miss Catherine Walter, daughter of Henry and Barbara (Pfoff) Wal- ter. They are the parents of five children whose names are: Walter, Helen, Edwin, Richard and Robert.
PHILIP G. DECKER. For many years Philip G. Decker was a well known promoter of oil ventures and a driller of oil wells in Ohio and Indiana, in both of which states he operated extensively and gained a wide reputation in the oil circles in the two states. His later years, how- "ver, have been devoted to the business of farming, and he is the owner of one of the finest farms in the county, a tract of two hundred and seventy acres lying five miles northeast of Anderson.
A native of the state of Ohio, Philip G. Decker was born in Washing- ton county on November 7, 1858, a son of William E. and Martha Brooks Green) Decker. The father, a son of Abraham and Betsey (Fay) Decker, was a pioneer of Washington county, Ohio, and was well known all his life in that section of the state. He was born in Ohio in 182S, and was a farmer and a driller of oil wells. He drilled one of the first wells in Washington county, Ohio, and later drilled a number of others there, many of which were self flowing and one of them produced five hundred barrels a day, while another regularly flowed one hundred and forty barrels a day and many of his wells continued to produce abundantly for years. In 1890 he came to Indiana, where he engaged in drilling wells in Madison county, oil having been discovered in quantities, and he rontinued actively in the business as a promoter and a driller until his death, which occurred in Anderson in 1903. His wife, nee Martha Brooks Green, as noted above, was a daughter of Philip Green. Her death "curred in 1898. She became the mother of five sons and two daughters, and two of the sons are residents of Indiana,-George N., a prominent farmer, and Philip G.
Philip Green Decker passed his early boyhood on the farm in Ohio, where he attended the country schools in the winter and occupied him- elf in various other ways in the summer seasons. He assisted his father in his work in the oil fields until 1888, when he left home and came to Anderson, for a time thereafter being associated with the Indianapolis Gas Business, and was one of the first to drill a gas well in Indiana. While thus engaged oil was discovered, and during the ensuing oil excitement he drilled a number of productive wells and became one of the principal gas and oil promoters in Anderson. He continued actively in the gas and oil business until the wells began to diminish in their How, when he disposed of his interests and purchased a good farm in Madison county, being now engaged in farming and stock raising. His estate, which is one of the finest ones of this section, is improved with Vol. II-21
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splendid buildings and is one of the productive places of the county. It is located five miles northeast of Anderson and comprises two hundred and seventy acres of choice land, well stocked with hogs, cattle and horses.
In 1880 Mr. Decker was married to Miss Phoebe C. Rapp, of Wash- ington county, Ohio, a daughter of John and Dorothy (Schoff) Rapp. The five children born of this union are as follows: Martha, the first born, is the wife of John P. Holton aud resides at Hartford City, Indiana. Howard and Fred are members of the Decker Brothers Book Store, and Elnora and Ruth are both at home. Howard graduated from the Anderson high school, and afterward completed a course in the University of Valparaiso, Indiana, while Fred graduated from the Ken- tucky University. The daughter Elnora is a graduate of the Indian- apolis Conservatory of Music. Mr. Decker is a member of the Benevo- lent and Protective Order of Elks, and with his family holds member- ship in the Methodist Episcopal church. The Decker residence is main- tained at 329 West Sixth street, one of the fine and substantial dwellings of the city.
EDGAR C. SMITH. Now head of the grocery house of E. C. Smith & Son at 212 North Harrison street in Alexandria, Mr. Smith has been a resident of this city for more than twenty years, and is a man whose work has proved itself, so that he is now one of the prosperous mer- chants and a citizen whose name and influence are regarded with esteem in his community.
Edgar C. Smith was born in Spiceland, Indiana, August 14, 1870. His paternal grandfather was Adam Smith, whose wife was Sarah ( Hut- ton) Smith, natives of Pennsylvania. Adam Smith was an early settler in Wayne county, Indiana, and died at South Wabash, this state when well advanced in years. He and his wife were the parents of three children, Nora, Henry and Thomas. The maternal grandfather of the Alexandria merchant was Benjamin Cosand, whose wife was Jane ( Nich- olson) Cosand. They were born in North Carolina, became early set. tlers in Henry county, Indiana, where they died at a good old age. Their four children were Elizabeth F .; Eliza Jane; Laban E., and Elnora.
The parents of Edgar C. Smith were Thomas and Elizabeth F. (Cosand) Smith, both born in Indiana. They were the parents of six children, four of whom reached maturity, namely : Edgar C .; Aaron T., of Newcastle, Indiana; Indiana, wife of Clem Elliott, of Newcastle ; Omer, at Decatur, Illinois; and Everett and Evan, both of whom died as chil- dren. Thomas Smith, the father, was a carpenter by trade and spent his early life in Wayne and Henry counties, dying in Newcastle in 1889 when forty-one years, three months and a few days old. His widow now resides in Newcastle, and she is a member of the Christian church.
Edgar C. Smith spent his boyhood days in Newcastle, where he at- tended the public schools. His first regular employment was in a box factory at Marion, Indiana, and in Alexandria he learned the glass cut- ters trade. That was his regular occupation for about ten years, but since then he has been in the grocery trade. He came to Alexandria November 9, 1890, and was a clerk in the Boston Store of this city, until October 10, 1912. At that date he bought his present establi-li- ment and has since enjoyed a profitable and increasing business.
On the sixteenth of December, 1891, he married Miss Sallie How- ard, daughter of Samuel and Mary (Bailey) Howard. They have Que
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son, Thomas Samuel, now associated with his father in the firm. Mrs. Smith is a member of the Methodist church. Their residence is at 109 Park Avenue, where Mr. Smith built a comfortable home in 1899. Mrs. Smith is a native of her home city, where her parents, who came from North Carolina, were among the early settlers and are still residents here. Her father was a soldier in the Civil war. The children in the Howard family were Leander M., Nancy, Indiana, Catherine, Elsie, and Sallie. - Mr. Smith has always supported the Republican party, and wherever possible has given his influence to promote good govern- ment and the moral and civic welfare of his community.
DEE R. JONES. The roster of representative men of Madison county would be incomplete did it not include the name of Dee R. Jones, whose high attainments at the Alexandria bar warrant more than passing mention. A Hoosier by birth and training, he has spent his entire life within the limits of the state, and his connection with a number of important cases of legislation has given him a widespread reputation. Mr. Jones was born near Florida, in Madison county, Indiana, November 30, 1871, and is a son of Jolm L. and Sarah A. (Andes) Jones.
William Jones, the paternal grandfather of Dee R. Jones, was a native of Virginia, as was his wife, who was a Miss Elizabeth Crow. They became early settlers of Henry county, Indiana, and were farming people there, subsequently moving to Madison county, where Mrs. Jones died at the age of sixty-eight years, her husband surviving her for some time and passing away when seventy-six years of age. They had a family of six children : Fauntleroy, John L., William, Mary Ann, Har- riet and Elizabeth. John L. Jones was born in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, was there reared and educated, and until nineteen years of age was what was known as a "slave driver," being the overscer of a gang of negro slaves on Virginia plantations. In 1849 he left his native state on horse-back, joining the great gold rush to California that occurred that year, and continued to engage in mining in the Golden State until 1858, when he made a trip to China. Returning to Vir- ginia in 1859, he found that his father and mother had moved to Henry county, Indiana, during his absence, and accordingly, in the latter part of the same year, came West to pay them a visit. Mr. Jones became greatly impressed with the opportunities presented in this part of the country, and this favorable impression caused him to purchase a tract of eighty acres of land in Madison county, near Florida, to which he sub- sequently added, by purchase, until he had in the neighborhood of 700 acres, all of which he placed in a high state of cultivation. While he was successful in his operations, he had to work under the handicap of a severe injury which he had received during the days when he worked as a "forty-niner," and later he received a broken hip, from the effects of which he died October 8, 1909, at the age of eighty-six years. He became one of the prominent and influential men of his locality, and was called upon by his fellow-citizens to fill places of trust and respon- sibility, acting efficiently as county commissioner for one term and as township trustee of Lafayette township for seventeen years.
John L. Jones was twice married, his first union being with Sarah A. . Andes, who was born in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, and she died December 4, 1874, aged thirty-six years, in the faith of the Dunkard Church. Her father was Jonathan C. Andes and her mother Aunie (Rodecap) Andes, natives of the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, who
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came to Henry county, Indiana, during the early days, and later moved to Holt county, Missouri, where the father died at the age of eighty- one years, and the mother when seventy-nine years of age. They were the parents of eight children : Susan Miller, William C., John, Elizabeth, Nichols, Amanda Norman, Martha Norman, Mary Paxon and Sarah. John L. and Sarah A. (Andes) Jones became the parents of five children, as follows: Harrison L., who makes his home near Linwood, Indiana; Harriet F., who became the wife of Elmer Hughel, of near Florida, Indiana; John W., who resides at Florida; Dee R., of this review; and Walter A., who makes his home near Williams, Lawrence county, Indiana. The second marriage of John L. Jones was to Sarah C. Lowman, who still survives him, and they became the parents of four children, namely : Minnie F., who became the wife of John Ragan, of Cleveland, Ohio; Bertha, who died at the age of eleven years, two days; Homer B., who resides on the old home place near Florida, Indiana; and Dale C., also living on the homestead. The father of these children was a Hard Shell Baptist in his religious faith.
Dee R. Jones was reared to the occupation of agriculturist, and re- ceived his early education in the district schools of his native vicinity during the winter terms, while spending the summer months in the work of the home farm. Subsequently, having decided upon a career other than that of a farmer, he became a student in the Danville Normal school, from which he was graduated in the teaching and civil engi- neering courses. After spending a term or so at the State University, he began teaching school, and after three years, in 1898, entered the Indiana Law school, at Indianapolis, where he was graduated in 1900. In June of that year he was admitted to the bar, and at once entered upon the practice of his profession at Summitville, Indiana. While there he served acceptably as city attorney for five years, and was suc- cessful in building up a lucrative practice, but in January, 190S, desir- ing a wider field for his activities, came to Alexandria, where he has since continued. Mr. Jones is recognized as one of the leading members of his profession in this city, and as a man whose support has been given to every movement making for progress and development. A Democrat in his political affiliations, he has acted in the capacity of city attor- ney of Alexandria for three years, giving his fellow-citizens clean and conscientious service. Both in and out of the profession he has many friends here, and he is considered a worthy representative of one of Indiana's old and honored families.
On October 17, 1903, Mr. Jones was united in marriage with Miss Susan D. Trice, who was born in Van Buren township, Madison county, Indiana, daughter of Tillman H. and Fannie Trice, natives of Maryland, the latter of whom died on the Trice homestead farm in Van Buren township, while the former is still living in advanced years. Mr. and Mrs. Trice were the parents of two daughters: Lenore D. and Susan D. Mr. and Mrs. Jones have had a son and a daughter: Alton L. and Vivian L. Mrs. Jones is a member of the Christian Church, which her hus- band supports. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Improved Order of Red Men, but while he appreciates the privileges of membership, has never cared for official position.
ISAAC S. KELLY. A native son and life-long resident of Alexandria, and a member of one of Madison county's old and honored families,
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Isaac S. Kelly, cashier of the Alexandria Bank, is known as one of his city's leading citizens and a man of influence in matters pertaining to the financial welfare of his community. His career has been marked by steady advancement, due to well-applied energy, perseverance and native ability, and he is justly accounted a worthy representative of a name that has ever stood for public-spirited citizenship and honorable business dealing. Isaac S. Kelly was born December 1, 1873, in Alexandria, Indiana, and is a son of Marquis D. and Jeannette (Nicholson) Kelly.
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