USA > Indiana > Miami County > History of Miami County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume II > Part 48
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JOHN L. DEWALD. One of the men who has seen Miami county come up from its loghouse cabin period to the twentieth-century era of achievement and civilization is John L. DeWald of Union town- ship, where he has resided for many years, and where the family located in 1845. Mr. DeWald is a prosperous farmer, a man of sub- stantial means, and of very effective influence in his community.
John L. DeWald was born in Union township of Miami county, June 10, 1846. He was a son of William and a grandson of John De- Wald. His mother's maiden name was Judey Lutz. The father arrived in Miami county on June 10, 1845, having come from Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania. He located at that time in Union township, and was a man of note in that section during the remainder of his life. He had married in Pennsylvania, and on arriving in this county bought a farm just southeast of Deedsville. He dug out the undergrowth and stumps from a portion of this land, and in this clearing planted and harvested his first crops. He continued the strenuous labor of clearing the tim- ber from his land until he had made a first-class farm. On the estate he erected a hewed-log house, a structure which still stands for the in- spection and admiration of the present generation, who through such a building can obtain a clearer idea of the hardships which the first
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settlers endured. Even when it was in prime condition the cracks be- tween the logs were such that the fingers of a man's hand might pass through and it was in that house that John L. DeWald was born and reared. The school house which he attended was also of logs, and was a union school maintained by botlı Richland and Union townships. The term of school lasted for about two months in the year, and during all the rest of the twelve months he spent at home assisting in the farm labor. Mr. DeWald recalls that when a boy the principal article of food consumed in the De Wald household was made of cornmeal and easily took the form of corn fritters. On the old homestead the father continued to live until his death on August 19,. 1891. His wife passed away in October, 1889.
John L. DeWald was married in 1870 to Malinda Stoller, a daugh- ter of Jeremiah and Sophia (Richard) Stoller. The four children born to their marriage are mentioned as follows: Viola J. De Wald; Martha Adelia, who married John S. Waymire; Verna Alvesta, who married W. F. Robison, and has two children, Varyl Victoria and Martha Nola; and Charles H., who died at the age of six months. Mrs. DeWald is a native of Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, born August 5, 1852, the second of thirteen children born to her parents. Both her father and mother are dead. She was almost fourteen years of age when she came with her parents to Miami county and this has been her home ever since.
After his marriage Mr. DeWald bought the farm in Union town- ship where he now resides, and he and his wife industriously took to work to make themselves a home and provide for their children. His first purchase was eighty acres of land, to which he added as he prospered until at the present time he has one hundred and seventeen acres, representing as good values as probably any similar farm in the county. When he bought a log house and a log barn were the chief improvements. He tore these down as inconsistent with the era in which they stood, and has since erected excellent farm buildings, in- cluding a comfortable residence for himself and family. He has cleared ten acres from timber, and has excellent grain fields, and raises some fine crops. His father was a member of the Lutheran church, and Mr. and Mrs. DeWald follow in the same faith. At one time he was af- filiated with the Knights of Pythias, and in civic affairs has served as township supervisor. The pretty homestead of Mr. and Mrs. DeWald is known as "Oak Grove Stock Farm."
JAMES E. HATTERY. A well known agriculturist of Union township, whose success has been marked by progressive advancement from a farm where he was a renter, until he is now owner of one of the excel- lent farms near Deedsville, Mr. Hattery is a native of Indiana, and has spent a great part of his life in Miami county.
He was born in Fulton county, Indiana, December 24, 1854, a son of Andrew and Sarah Ann (Shelton) Hattery. His mother was daughter of Thomas Shelton. Mr. Hattery was reared and educated in this state, having the advantages of the common schools, and in Miami county, on February 22, Washington's birthday, 1880, he mar- ried Miss Ualla M. Briggs, a daughter of Robert Briggs. The six chil- dren born to their marriage are as follows: Indiana Josephine, Ora Olive, Albert Roy, Robert Ralph, Clarence E. (who graduated in class of 1913), and William E. The first three children are married.
After his marriage Mr. Hattery and wife remained one year in Allen township, and then moved out to the state of Kansas. Returning from that state in the fall of 1892, he has since been a permanent resident of Miami county. He located again in Allen township, and from there
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came to Union township, renting a place near Deedsville. For three years he farmed that place, after which he moved into Fulton county, his native county, and spent three years there. After his experience as a Fulton county farmer, he again took up his residence in Allen town- ship, which was his home for four years, and where he farmed as a renter. From that place he came to his present farm in Union town- ship, and here bought one hundred and sixteen acres of land. He has done much to improve his place and make it more productive and com- fortable in every way. He has added to the house, and has recently put up a commodious barn. Altogether he has expended about fifteen hundred dollars in improvements, and by his additional labor has in- creased the value of the farm much more than that above what he paid for it. Mr. Hattery is a public-spirited citizen, and has served his com- munity as road supervisor. He and his family attend the Christian church. The pretty estate of Mr. and Mrs. Hattery is known as the "O. K. Stock Farm."
WILLIAM C. LUTZ. For some years a farmer in Jackson township, Cass county, William C. Lutz was driven by circumstances out of the industry to which he had long been devoted, and he has since given his attention to the elevator business in Bunker Hill, in which he, as a member of the firm of J. M. Concher Company, is realizing a pleasing success. He was at one time the sole owner of the business, but re- cently admitted to partnership the man whose name indicates the com- pany.
Mr. Lutz was born in Cass county, on June 30, 1867, and is the son of Joseph and Eliza Lutz. The paternal grandfather was Ruben Lutz, and he, too, was a farming man in Cass county. William Lutz received a smattering of education in Jackson township, attending a few months yearly for eight years. Beyond that his training did not extend. When he first launched out for himself he identified himself inconspicuously with the elevator business, but the great part of his energy was given to his farming activities, in which he continued suc- cessfully until 1905. In that year he met with an accident that altered the whole course of his life. He was driving across the railroad tracks when an on-coming train, dashing swiftly about a curve, struck the rig, killing his wife outright, and injuring him permanently. This fa- tality occurred at Galveston, Indiana. Mr. Lutz was compelled there- after to relinquish his farming activities and has since devoted himself to the elevator business. In those days, he was already operating an elevator at Bunker Hill, but he later sold a half interest to J. M. Coucher, since which time the business has been operating under the name of the J. M. Coucher Company.
Mr. Lutz's marriage occurred in 1891, when Ida Armstrong, the daughter of William and Susan Armstrong, became his wife. They be- came the parents of two children-Oliver and Almena, both of whom share the paternal home. But for his children, Mr. Lutz would be with- out near relatives, and practically alone, for his parents died in 1903, when they were seventy-six and seventy-five years old.
The fraternal associations of Mr. Lutz are with Bunker Hill Lodge No. 683, A. F. & A. M., Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Galves- ton, and the Knights of Pythias at Bunker Hill. Mr. Lutz has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church for some time in Bunker Hill, although he was for fifteen years a member of the United Brethren church at Galveston. He is prominent and popular with his fellow men in Bunker Hill and wherever he is known, and is reckoned among the solid men of the community.
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ALBERT M. WAISNER. One of the attractive and valuable farms of Deer Creek township is the Albert M. Waisner place. Its proprietor, Albert Waisner, bought the land when it was almost entirely a land- scape of stumps, had partial building improvement, and needed a capa- ble executive manager to develop its productive resources. Mr. Wais- ner had grown up in Miami county, was familiar with farming industry in all its details, and brought a full experience and ability to the im- provement of his new place according to his standards of what he wanted this farm to be. It is therefore a farm which has been largely shaped out by his own labors and plans, and represents both a com- fortable home and a gratifying success. The Waisner place comprises one hundred and fifteen acres, and has substantial buildings and well cutlivated fields, every feature marking the thrift and progressiveness of its proprietor.
Albert Waisner was born in Miami county, March 9, 1864, and rep- resents a substantial old family name in this section. His parents were Solomon and Margaret (Breasher) Waisner. He was reared on his father's farm, and remained a member of the home circle until he reached his majority and was married. Then occurred his removal to Howard county in Indiana, where he and his wife started life by rent- ing a farm of fifty acres. However, at that time, Mr. Waisner owned forty acres of land in Howard county. Nine years were spent in How- ard county, and during that time a substantial foundation was laid for his present prosperity. Returning then to Miami county, this locality has since been his home. At the time he bought his present farm, a portion of it was clear, and there were a barn and a poor dwelling, but the place has been practically made as the result of the industry and management of Mr. and Mrs. Waisner. In 1885 Albert Waisner and Miss Amanda J. Weaver, a daughter of George Wcaver, were united in the bonds of matrimony, and their companionship as man and wife has now continued for nearly thirty years. To their marriage have been born three children, mentioned as follows: Mamie, born November 30, 1887; Frank, born August 10, 1892; and Hazel, born January 15, 1895. Hazel is the wife of Nile Maggart, and their home is in North Dakota. Politically Mr. Waisner is a Republican. His religious faith is that set forth in the creed of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he and his wife are attendants. The pretty home of Mr. and Mrs. Waisner is known as "The Glendale Forest Homestead."
GEORGE B. PHELPS. In many of the present day residents of Miami county are to be found men who reflect the activities of two and threc generations of those men who literally wrested the community from the grasp of the Indian and began the process of cultivation and build- ing that has brought the country to its present status. To those who have taken up the work where sire and grandsire laid it down, is due quite as much of the credit for present conditions as to those earlier builders, for in them is discernible the same spirit that characterized their ancestry, though perhaps directed along different channels, from the very nature of the developments that have come about. George B. Phelps, of. Deer Creek township, in Miami county, is one of the third generation of a family that has been identified with the agricul- tural interests of this county since first the homcseeker chose Indiana as a possible place for the maintenance of a family.
When Bissell Phelps, the grandfather of George B. Phelps, came from his native state, New York, and settled in Miami county, this part of the country was densely covered with timber, and to exist in the wilderness entailed upon him and his family the most arduous labors.
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His original settlement was in Clay township, and this township was his home till his death. The old Phelps homestead is located about three-quarters of a mile from the present home of George B. Phelps.
Here on the farm of his father, on September 17, 1871, was born George B. Phelps, the son of Andrew J. and Caroline C. (Wyrick) Phelps. Andrew J. Phelps had come to Indiana in 1853, from New York state, where he was born, and in Miami county he passed the re- mainder of his life, death claiming him in 1897. His widow still sur- vives, as do also their five sons. Mrs. Phelps is the daughter of Jacob Wyrick, one of the very earliest pioneers of De Kalb county.
On September 27, 1905, George B. Phelps married Miss Angelina Kendall, and to them was born one child, Dale K., on July 21, 1909. The father of Mrs. Phelps, John Kendall, was twice married, and was the father of twelve children. His first wife was known in her maiden days as Dina Shrock, and his second wife was Alice Aldrich. Mrs. Phelps is a child of the first union.
Fraternally he is identified with numerous organizations, including the Knights of Pythias, Castle Hall Lodge No. 364, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, No. 664, the I. O. R. M., No. 267, and the A. F. & A. M. He became a Mason in 1902, and his membership is in Cres- cent Lodge No. 280. He is a Past Sachem of the Red Men order re- ferred to above, and is prominent in all his fraternal affiliations. Mr. Phelps has never been active in politics nor has he ever held any politi- cal office.
ABSALOM HERRELL. Representing one of the oldest families of southern Miami county, Absalom Herrell himself spent nearly seventy years in this county, and was one of the oldest citizens of Deer Creek township, the development of which he witnessed and in which he bore an important part through practically all the years from the time this entire country was covered with the forest and was unbroken by the achievements of men, until his recent death.
Absalom Herrell was born in Ripley county, March 16, 1836, a son of William and Elizabeth (Hensley) Herrell. The family on both sides is of Holland origin. The Herrell family moved to Miami county from Ripley county in 1844, locating in Deer Creek township. Their first home was a large log house, very pretentious and comfortable for the times, and that was the home for seven years. The father then moved to an- other place in this township, and there erected a new and somewhat more modern style of residence. The father died in this county in 1868, and was survived by his widow for many years.
Absalom Herrell remained at home until the outbreak of the war, at which time he enlisted in Company A of the Thirty-ninth Indiana Infantry, and gave faithful and continuous service for four years. In one of the many battles in which he participated, he was shot in the side, the bullet passing entirely through his body, and he was for a long time incapacitated by this wound. After the war he took up railroad work and was engaged in that for about twenty-five years, but afterward lived retired. The home which he occupied he bought about thirty years ago, and the house was constructed by a man named Blake, who had been a lieutenant in the regiment with which Mr. Herrell served as a soldier. Mr. Herrell was supervisor of highways in Deer Creek township, and was one of the old and honored members of this community. He was a communicant of the Mission church.
Mr. Herrell was married April 24, 1864, to Miss Sarah La Rue, of French descent, and to them were born five children. Ida, born October 4, 1871, wedded John Knox and they have five children : Forest,
-
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Gerald, Silas, Mabel and Margaret. Mr. and Mrs. Knox are members of the Friends church and reside in Converse, Indiana, and he is trustee of the township and proprietor of the Converse Mills. Charles E., born December 26, 1873, wedded Carrie Wininger and . they have four children: Estelle, Orpha, Opal and Helen. Zenna re- ceived her diploma from the public school and then was a student four years in the Miami high school; she taught school in Tipton county one year and two years in Miami county and resides with her mother. Leslie E. is a resident of Miami, Indiana. Ressie married Leslie Davidson, an agent of Deer Creek township and also one of the teachers in the Miami schools. They have one little son, John Herrell. Mrs. Herrell is a native of Delaware county, born June 12, 1847. There were six children born to her parents, Britton and Mary (Willever) La Rue and four are living at present; two are residents of Indiana and the other two reside in other states. John H. La Rue is a resident of Birmingham, Alabama, and is married; Charles H. is a resident of Omaha, Nebraska, and is an agriculturist. Mrs. Herrell traces her lineage to the French. Her family were among the early settlers in Delaware county of Indi- ana, subsequently moving into Grant county in 1855, and in 1860 her father came to Miami county where he made his home up to the time of his death. Mrs. Herrell was four years of age when her parents came to Grant county, Indiana. She was educated in the public schools and is a member of the Wesleyan Methodist church at Miami, Indiana. Mr. Herrell passed from this life July 7, 1913, and his remains are interred in the Miami cemetery. He was a man of high integrity of character, and universally respected.
JOHN C. WALTZ. It is a substantial tribute to a family when it can be said that what one generation has secured and won from the dominion of the wilderness, the next following has continued to improve and has increased in value many fold. That is real progress and without its manifestation a community must stand still. Progress has been the keynote of the career of John Waltz, one of the leading residents of Deer Creek township.
Born in Miami county, October 7, 1856, John Waltz is a son of Michael Waltz, one of the pioneers of this county. It was in 1848 that Michael Waltz landed in this part of Indiana, his settlement being made in Washington township. There he was the first man to enter land and pay one dollar and a quarter per acre for it. In that way he ac- quired title to eighty acres, forty acres of which he subsequently sold, thinking he had too much. In this county he married Mary Hanks, and he and his young bride went to housekeeping in a log building which he had erected on his claim. In this house all their children were born, and it served as the family home for many years. Recently it was torn down, and thus disappeared one of the early landmarks of Miami county. At the age of nineteen years, John Waltz left home and found employment as a wage worker on farms in the neighborhood. His work in the employ of others continued for several years until he purchased a little land of his own and started its development. After his marriage he lived on a twenty-five acre farm, adjoining the one he now owns and occupies. In 1900 he bought twenty-eight and a half acres of this land, and five years later, by the purchase of another twenty-eight acres, combined the two tracts into a nice little farm, all of which represents his hardy industry and good management and the loyal co-operation of himself and his noble wife. In addition to the land already cleared and under cultivation, he himself cleared five acres, and has done a great deal to make his property more valuable since it came into his
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possession. In his youth he had meagre educational advantages, barely learning to read and write, but he learned how to manage and to save his earnings, and his success as a farmer is well attested in his section of the county.
On the fourteenth of October, 1883, John Waltz and Miss Barbara Anna Mast were united in marriage. Her parents, Andrew J. and Catherine (Cook) Mast, came to Indiana from near Dayton, Ohio. Her father died January 1, 1901, and her mother passed away in 1907. To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Waltz have been born four children, whose names with dates of birth are as follows: William Andrew, born Sep- tember 14, 1888, married Flossie Glasborn ; Catherine L., born July 26, 1891; Flora E., born October 30, 1893, died at the age of four years ; and Benjamin B., born March 23, 1897. Mr. Waltz and his family attend the Methodist Episcopal Church.
WM. EDWARD DAVIS. About twenty-five years ago Mr. Davis was graduated from a farm, and the common schools, and made his "com- mencement" in the practical work of the world as a merchant at Bennett Switch. A sturdy, hopeful, earnest man, he has prospered himself, and is one of those who have developed their community along cleanly, help- ful, worthy ways. At the present time Mr. Davis owns and occupies an excellent farm in Deer Creek township.
A native of Miami county, he was born April 30, 1867, a son of John R. and Martha R. (Powell) Davis, the former a native of Vermont and the latter of Ohio. John R. Davis left his native state in early life, went to Ohio, and there met and married Miss Powell. About 1866, they moved into Indiana, and took up their residence in Miami county, at first in Pipe Creek township, and later in Deer Creek town- ship, where the parents lived useful and respected lives until death came to them at a good old age.
W. E. Davis remained a member of the home circle until he was twenty-one years of age, and then started out to make his own way in . the world. His first venture was in the general merchandise business at Bennett Switch. There he had his home for a period of twenty-three years, and sixteen of that were in the service of postmaster of the town, keeping the mail in his store. Since leaving merchandising Mr. Davis has devoted all his attention and energy to the farming of a tract of forty acres, which he owns and which he has improved with good buildings, and his place measures up to the high standard set by rural life in this part of Miami county. In his youth Mr. Davis had no other educational advantages than those supplied by thic common schools.
While his material prosperity has been gratifying, Mr. Davis has special reason to be proud of his family, and to his loyal wife he owes much of his success. On August 27, 1886, W. E. Davis and Miss Mary Lucas were united in marriage. The Lucas family moved from Wash- ington county, Indiana, to Miami county, when Mrs. Davis was a child of three years. Her parents were William L. and Emeline (Waisner) Lucas, well known residents of Miami county. Mr. and Mrs. Davis are the parents of five children, as follows : Martha Leah, born July 4, 1888, the wife of John W. Aaron; Millie Zoe, born July 28, 1889, and married A. O. Mckinley ; Frank E., born May 25, 1891; Joseph E., born August 15, 1893; and Clarence L., born February 26, 1895-the last three living at home. Mr. Davis and his family attend the Methodist Episcopal church.
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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY
LEONARD G. STITT. The modern merchant is found in nearly every section of Miami county. The man who knows what the people want and how far their wants can be safely stimulated ; who keeps a large and well selected stock, but never so long that it is shelf-worn and out of date, and who acts on that solid principle that real success 'is only the return for an adequate commercial service; these are the qualities of the most prosperous men in merchandising, and one such merchant in Miami county is Mr. L. G. Stitt, whose large general store is at North Grove. Mr. Stitt is one of the representatives of his locality where he was born and reared, and where he has spent the whole of his life with the excep- tion of six years, during which he was in the drug business at Indian- apolis.
L. G. Stitt was born on his father's farm in Harrison townhsip, Miami county, November 5, 1873, a son of David and Harriet (Lee) Stitt. His paternal grandfather was David Stitt, and the grandfather on the mother's side was Jesse Lee. David Stitt was one of the early settlers of Miami county. It was in 1845 that he took up his residence here, and engaged in agricultural pursuits, and here he is still living at a good ripe old age, respected by all who know him. His career has been one of industry, he provided to the limit of his resources for his family, and not only acquired a substantial share of the world's goods, but reaped the esteem of his fellow men.
L. G. Stitt was reared in Miami county, is a product of the local schools, and when ready to start on an independent career his first venture was in North Grove as a grain merchant. This business he subsequently sold, and later established a general store. His residence in the capital city as above mentioned, terminated in 1911, when he sold out and returned to North Grove. His present store was formerly without a drug department, which he has added and he now carries a complete line of all kinds of general merchandise.
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