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 52
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prepare himself for the legal profession. With this end in view, and with characteristic energy and ambition, he began reading law under the preceptorship of the well known firm of Bailey & Cole, of Peru, and he continued his technical studies under such auspices from 1901 to the spring of 1903, having in the meanwhile continued to devote his atten- tion to teaching in the public schools at intervals.
In the spring of 1903 Mr. Berger assumed the position of deputy county clerk, under William H. Augur, and he retained this incum- bency for nearly eight years, within which he gained a thorough knowl- edge of all details of the service of the county clerk's office, so that he was distinctively eligible for the nomination given to him in 1910 for the office of clerk. In November of that year he was elected to this office, in which he has since served with distinctive ability and to the satisfaction of the people of the county, his administration having fully justified the popular choice which placed him in office. He is unwaver- ing in his allegiance to the Democratic party and has given effective service in behalf of its cause. Mr. Berger is affiliated with Peru, Miami Lodge, No. 67, Free & Accepted Masons, and Peru Chapter, No. 62, Royal Arch Masons, as well as with the local organizations of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows and the Loyal Order of Moose. He at- tends and supports the Baptist church in Peru, of which his wife is a zealous member, the while both are popular factors in the representa- tive social activities of their home city.
On the 11th of December, 1907, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Berger to Miss Zona May Moon, who was born and reared in Miami county, and who is a daughter of Rev. F. C. Moon, a representative citi- zen of Fulton county, Indiana. The two children of this union are fine little twin sons,-Merrill Bertwin and Herrell Bryan.
JOSEPH H. WAITE. This veteran citizen of Perry township has a record which deserves this brief memorial in a history of Miami county. He was a pioneer schoolmaster, was a soldier of the Civil war, for many years a merchant at Gilead, and for nearly a quarter of a century has been in charge of the postoffice at that place.
Joseph H. Waite was born a child of Sullivan and Margaret A. Waite in Union, now Allen township, Miami county, March 6, 1839, on a farm where he grew to manhood. In the winters of 1859 to 1861 he taught school at College Corner, two miles west of the present village of Gilead. On July 2, 1861, he enlisted as a soldier in Captain Milton Miner's Company, which afterwards became Company A of the Twenty- Sixth Regiment of Indiana .Infantry Volunteers, commanded by Col. William M. Wheatley. He saw service in Missouri, Arkansas, Missis- sippi, Louisiana, Texas, Alabama and Tennessee, participated in many minor engagements, was in the siege of Vicksburg and Mobile, and on December 18, 1864, was commissioned first lieutenant of his company. He was mustered out at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on January 15, 1866, and finally discharged at Indianapolis, January 25, of the same year. During the war and his military career two other events occurred which deserve mention. In April, 1862, he was made a master Mason at Rochester, Indiana, in Fulton Lodge, No. 79, A. F. & A. M. About two years later, while at home on a veteran furlough, he was married on May 2, 1864, to Mariette H. Wright. To their union were born four sons and seven daughters, all of whom are living and prosperous. The mother was suddenly stricken while in vigorous health by congestive fever, and after four days' illness passed away November 29, 1881.
Joseph H. Waite served as trustee of Perry township, Miami county, from 1867 to 1870. He has served as postmaster at Gilead more than
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twenty-four years and is still the honored incumbent of that office. On December 19, 1882, he opened a general store in his home town, with Jonas Luckenbill as a partner, until 1886, in which year Mr. Lucken- bill retired, and Mr. Waite continued as sole proprietor until April 24, 1912. Mr. Waite has recently been appointed notary public, and has taken up at Gilead the real estate business and its kindred lines. On March 13, 1893, he married for his second wife, Susan Rhodes, who passed away August 9, 1909.
Mr. White was born in Methodist Episcopal Church and is still a member. He helped in a small way to organize the Republican party, and has ever remained an earnest advocate of its principles and believes its great work and usefulness is not finished.
Sullivan Waite, his father, was born near Genessee Falls, New York, of Highland Scotch parents in 1802. His grandfather Waite met death while a soldier on the American side in the war of 1812.
His mother subsequently married Joseph Stearnes, and they all moved to Clark county, Ohio, near Springfield, where Sullivan Waite grew to manhood as a farmer. In January, 1838, he married Margaret A. Woods of Champaign county, Ohio. In October, 1838, they emi- grated to Indiana, and settled on the farm in Miami county where Joseph H. Waite was born. The parents were people of practical educa- tion, were thorough Americans in spirit, were ardent Methodists, al- though with no hint of sectarianism, strongly in favor of temperance and were free-soil advocates. Sullivan Waite died from an injury sus- tained by a kick from his favorite horse on April 29, 1850. His devoted wife remained faithful to his memory, never married again and reared her family of four boys and two girls, except one daughter who passed away in 1852. The boys joined the army. One was captured at Winchester, Virginia, and died in Salisbury Prison in North Carolina, January 5, 1865. Joseph Waite has two brothers and one sister still living.
FLORENCE SULLIVAN. In the retired citizen, Florence Sullivan, Peru possesses one of its most interesting men, of a personality modified and refined by such a variety of experience and activity as seldom are the lot of any one individual. It is a long lifetime, now prolonged to nearly ninety years upon which Mr. Sullivan has retrospect. A resident of Peru for about a quarter of a century, this period of his life has really been the resting portion of his many years. He was a pioneer railroad man. He began building railway lands years before a single road had been constructed across Miami county, and before the east and the middle west had been linked together by railway ties. His career which deserves a longer account, is briefly sketched as follows : Florence Sullivan who was named after his father's brother, who was cap- tain of a whaling vessel which was lost on the banks of New Foundland, was born in County Cork, near Glengariff, one of the prettiest spots in all the world, on August 4, 1826. His parents, Timothy and Johanna (Harrington) Sullivan, immigrated from Ireland to America about the year 1832, and for two years were residents in New York State. Sub- sequently they came west and located in Washtenaw county, Michigan. Washtenaw county at that time was on the outer fringe of settlement, which had progressed only a few miles west of Detroit. In this primitive region, the parents established a home and remained in the quiet activ- ities of Michigan rural life until their death.
It was in Washtenaw county on the old farm that Florence grew to manhood. His boyhood days were spent largely in helping to clear, to grub the land of its primitive forest growth, and in all the usages
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and practices of agriculture and the work usually required of the sons of pioneers. Such schools as existed in Michigan at that time were of the most primitive type, and were supported by private subscriptions and then only for a few weeks each year, and as a result Florence Sulli- van obtained only about twelve months schooling altogether throughout his early years. When a young man he began his career as an employe in the construction of a part of the Michigan Central Railway, which was then slowly being built across the state of Michigan. After some six or seven months he was promoted to superintendent of a construc- tion gang and in this position succeeded Lyman J. Gage, who afterwards rose to fame in finance and public affairs as president of the First National Bank of Chicago, and secretary of the United States Treasury.
In April 1852, while still connected with the construction enterprise on the old Michigan Central, Mr. Sullivan took up his residence in Michi- gan City, Indiana. On July 1, of the same year, he rode into Chicago over the route which he had helped to construct and which was the first railroad to enter Chicago. On the completion of that road he was given charge of a section of road, and while in that employment met with a serious accident, which nearly caused his death. Recovering after a protracted illness, he then obtained employment on the Illinois Central Railroad, and subsequent to that was with the old New Albany and Salem Railway, this line subsquently having become the Monon Rail- way. In that work he continued until March 1, 1854, at which time he was promoted to assistant roadmaster.
On November 20, 1854, Mr. Sullivan married Miss Anna Quirk, a daughter of Michael Quirk, and for twenty-five years after their mar- riage made their home in Michigan City. For financial reasons Mr. Sullivan left the service of the New Albany & Salem Railway and for about nine months had charge of two sections on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway. He then became acting roadmaster for the Monon line, and continued as such until the recovery of the regular roadmaster, after which he was for two years conductor of a freight train on the Monon. From freight conductor he was promoted to passenger conductor, and then for fourteen years up to 1871 was roadmaster of the Monon Road. On leaving the Monon, he became road master on the old I. P. & C. R. R. from Michigan City to Peru. In 1883, when this road was leased by the Wabash, his territory extended to Indianap- olis and from Logansport to Detroit. When the Lake Erie & Western secured this line as a branch of its larger system, he remained as road master. In November, 1898, he resigned but his resignation was not accepted until the following year.
During his service as Roadmaster of the I. P. & C. R. R. Mr. Sullivan performed some of the most difficult constructing of railroads through the streets of cities. This work was always difficult and owing to the opposition of citizens it could seldom be done without much rioting. On nine occcasions he laid tracks through Michigan City and three times through Kokomo. On one occasion at Michigan City Mr. Sullivan undertook the construction of some tracks after Messrs. Thomas and Roy Culvert, government contractors, had failed to do the work. It was thought that the work would have to be given up as the citizens defeated all attempts of the sheriff to maintain order. Mr. Sullivan undertook the work. His workmen had been carefully trained and dis- ciplined by him and marshalling them in proper order he set about and completed the work. That evening, after the work was over, the masterly skill displayed by Mr. Sullivan and the solicitude his men had shown for women and children were warmly praised by Messrs. Cul- vert, who had failed in the work and also by Mr. Hall, the Presbyterian Vol. II-23
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minister, who was unstinted in his praise of the care of women and children shown by Mr. Sullivan's men during the riot. This was, prob- ably his most daring piece of work and was witnessed by seven thou- sand people.
While with the L. E. & W. Ry. he also had an experience with the Pennsylvania Ry. which showed his resourcefulness. The Penn- sylvania Ry. desired to put in a crossing at Kokomo across the main tracks of the L. E. and W., but they refused to sign a contract to main- tain it. Mr. Sullivan received a telegram asking him to use every effort to delay the construction until the contract had been signed. He went to the place of the proposed crossing and chained a locomotive right on the tracks where the crossing was to be made. The Pennsylvania tried every effort to induce him to allow them to make the crossing. He would not move the engine unless for regular Passenger trains to cross. A fast freight was waiting for the crossing but he refused to release it. The Pennsylvania people went to the judge to have Sullivan arrested, but as they could give no instance of his breaking the law they were unable to get the warrant. They wired to their headquarters and Mr. J. J. Turner, Vice President of the Pennsylvania Ry. came to Kokomo, but Sullivan was obdurate until the contract had been signed. As the fast freight train had been delayed for sixteen hours and as no effort had any effect on Mr. Sullivan, the Pennsylvania Ry. Co., signed the contract and Mr. Sullivan received instructions to permit them to put in the crossing.
In April 1885 Mr. Sullivan moved to Peru, and since the year 1889 has been practically retired from all the active cares of life. In politics he is a Republican, and during his residence at Michigan City served in the city council. The eight children born to Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan are as follows : John H., Mary Ellen, the widow of Joseph Hoban, Caroline F., the wife of Hugh McCaffrey; Florence E., Edward F., Anna, Margaret A., and Flora, the last five being deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan are members of the Catholic church, and have reared their children in this faith.
LORENZO HOFFMAN. For twenty years a contractor and builder in Peru, Mr. Hoffman has attained to rank as one of the leading business men of the county seat, and is representative of one of the oldest fam- ilies of Miami county. For nearly seventy years the name Hoffman has been identified with this county. Throughout this time it has always been associated with honorable efforts, industrious achievements, has always been the fruit of the Hoffman enterprise, and much quiet public service has come from the different members of the family during all these years.
Lorenzo Hoffman was born in Perry township, of this county, Octo- ber 10, 1858. He was one of a large family of thirteen children, eight of whom are now living. The parents were John and Sussannah (Seid- ner), both of whom were born in the state of Pennsylvania. John Hoff- man was sixteen years of age when the family came west and located in 1846 in Perry township of Miami county. At that time the greater parts of this county was still under the domain of nature. Bears and wolves and other wild animals abounded and even the Indians had not all departed. Much pioneer work awaited the coming of every settler at that time, and John Hoffman had his full share in the caring and grubbing of the forest growth and planting of virgin fields to grain and all the industry connected with the development of the home from the wilderness. His life was one of hard work and he always attended strictly to his own business, though as a neighbor he was known for the
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kindness of his heart and the generous disposition of his means and per- sonal services for the benefit of his fellow men. While his name did not become identified with the conspicuous rules, there can hardly be a doubt that it is due to the quiet conscientious efforts of such a citizen that the work, the important work of the world gets itself accomplished. He died a member of the Church of God, October 23, 1884. His widow survived him until February 1902.
Lorenzo Hoffman was reared on his father's farm in Perry township and attained such education as was offered in the neighborhood district schools. His career had been one of self advancement and self achieve- ments, and practically all that he has gained, and his success has been a generous one, has been the result of his own well-directed effort. At the age of twenty three he left home and became a farm laborer at 75c a day. When he was twenty-six years of age he began a two year appren- ticeship at the carpenter's trade. Having become a skillful workman in this line he began carpenter and contractor business on his own account, and has been one of the leaders in this line of enterprise for nearly thirty years
On December 1, 1883, Mr. Lorenzo Hoffman married Miss Elmina Kesling, a daughter of Titus Kesling. In January 1892, Mr. Hoffman moved to Peru, which city has since been his home. He has devoted all his attention to contracting, and enjoys a large business in this line. In politics a Democrat Mr. Hoffman is now serving his second term as a member of the Peru school board, of which he has been treasurer since he took membership in the body. As one of the officials of the school board, he helped design and build the splendid new Peru high school building, a structure which is a credit to the city. Mr. Hoffman has also served in Democratie county conventions and was a member of the state convention that nominated Hon. John W. Kern for the office of governor and also was a member of the convention that nominated Hon. Thomas R. Marshall for the same office. Fraternally Mr. Hoffman is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Loyal Order of Moose, the Independent Order of Foresters, and the Modern Wood- men of America. For thirty years he and his wife have enjoyed a happy married companionship, and in this time three sons and one daughter have been born to their union. Irven M .. Walter C., Ruth M., and Mer- rill J. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman are members of the Methodist church.
EDD B. WETHEROW. Admirable executive ability and clear concep- tion of the demands of effective public school work have made Mr. Wetherow an influential and valued factor in educational affairs in Indiana and he is giving a most resourceful and successful administra- tion in the office of superintendent of schools for Miami county, of which position he has been the energetic, progressive and popular incumbent since 1907. His regime has ben marked by distinctive elevation of the school standards in his jurisdiction, as he has gained the earnest coopera- tion of an exceptionably able corps of teachers, and also that of the people of the county. He has been indefatigable in his work and in promoting a general appreciation of the inestimable value of the public schools when ordered according to the best modern pedagogic principles. His reelection to office at the expiration of his first term affords the most significant voucher for the popular estimate placed upon the man and his services, and his character and labors well entitle him to specific recog- nition in this history of Miami county.
Mr. Wetherow claims the old Buckeye State as the place of his nativ- ity and while he makes no claims for individual precedence, even in his
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chosen field of endeavor, he can appreciate the humor of a metaphrase of a popular quotation made by Hon. Chauncey M. Depew, famed as a raconteur and post-prandial speaker. Senator Depew thus summed up the situation : "Some men are born great; some achieve greatness, and some are born in the State of Ohio." Under the last element of the category Mr. Wetherow fully qualifies and he is not unappreciative of the honors thus granted. He was born on a farm in Dixon town- ship, Preble county, Ohio, May 8, 1878, and is the only child of Harve and Sarah Ann (Harvey) Wetherow, the former a native of Grant county and the latter of Howard county, Indiana. The father gave his atten- tion to agricultural pursuits during his independent business career and was a young man at the time of his death, which occurred on his homestead place in Preble county, Ohio, in 1887, at which time he was but thirty-five years of age. Soon afterward his widow came with her only child to Indiana and established her home in Union county. Three years later she removed to Howard county, to live with her parents, and there was solemnized her marriage to George H. Pormen. She and ยท her husband now reside in Delaware county, Indiana, where Mr. Por- men is a prosperous farmer, and they have one son, Russell.
Edd B. Wetherow was a lad of about nine years of age at the time of his father's death, and his rudimentary education had been gained in the district schools of his native country. He accompanied his mother to Indiana and was reared to maturity under the conditions and influ- ences of the farm, while he continued his studies in the district school until he became eligible for admission to the high school at Converse, Miami county, in which he was graduated as a member of the class of 1899. His education was made possible largely by the hard work and sacrifice of his mother to keep him in school. He attributes much of his success in the pedagogic field to the counsel and encouragement of Pro- fessor S. L. Heeter, at that time superintendent of the public schools of Converse, who manifested a special interest in Mr. Wetherow, encourag- ing him in his laudable ambitions and aiding him in every possible way to advance himself in the domain of liberal education.
In the year which marked his graduation in the high school Mr. Wetherow initiated his active pedagogic career as a teacher in a district school in Union township, Miami county. He continued his labors in that township for three years, after which he was for five years a suc- cessful teacher in the public schools of the town of Converse, Miami county for four years of that period was principal of the high school. In June, 1907, came the popular recognition of his sterling character, his ability and his earnest and effective work as an educator, having been at that time elected superintendent of the public schools of Miami county. Of this office he has since continued the efficient and valued in- cumbent, through reelection in June, 1911, for a second term of four years. He maintains his home in Peru and is always zealous in the dis- charge of his official duties by keeping in the closest touch with the work of all the schools in the county. He has brought to bear the most approved policies and methods and at the same time lias labored to secure the best possible facilities in the district schools, as well as in those of the various towns and villages of the county. Genial and con- siderate, full of enthusiasm, fully alive to the great necessity of giving adequate educational advantages to the youth of the county, he permits no cessation of his efforts and is giving an administration that is in every sense commendable and effective. Mr. Wetherow is actively interested in the improvement of the county institutes of Indiana and is at present the secretary of the county institute section of the Indiana State Teach- ers' Association. As a member of a standing committee of three on
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county institute rescarch work, of which the State Superintendent of Public Instruction is a member, he represents the county superintend- ents of Indiana.
Loyal and public-spirited as a citizen, Mr. Wetherow takes a keen interest in all that tends to advance the civic and material prosperity of the community and his political allegiance is given to the Republican party. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge at Converse and both he and his wife hold membership in the Christian church.
On June 30, 1909, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Wetherow to Miss Ercell Agness, who was born and reared in Miami county, and who is a daughter of Sylvester Agness, a representative citizen of Con- verse. Mrs. Wetherow is a woman of excellent education and most gracious personality and in the position of deputy county superintend- ent of schools she is proving a most effective coadjutor to her husband. They have no children.
OTHO R. LYNCH, M. D. A representative of the medical profes- sion in Miami county who has risen to a position of prominence by rea- son of his superior ability and high professional attainments is Dr. Otho Lynch, who, during the six years in which he has prosecuted his labors in this city, has won the unqualified confidence of a wide prac- tice and has also been prominently identified with social and political affairs. Like many successful professional men of the county, he is a product of the farm, and it was not until he had attained manhood that he decided upon a career as a physician. His subsequent success has left no doubt as to his foresight in the choice of a vocation, and among his professional brethren as well as among laymen he is recognized as one who will go high in the calling for which he has so thoroughly trained himself.
Dr. Lynch is a native of the Hoosier State, having been born at Walton, Cass county, March 30, 1880, and is the only survivor of a family of four children born to the marriage of Alfred and Ann Eliza (Rees) Lynch. His father, who was for many years engaged in agricul- tural pursuits in Cass county, is now living retired in Peru, while his mother passed away December 8, 1912. Dr. Lynch spent his boyhood days on the homestead farm and received his primary education in the public schools, this being supplemented by a course at Marion Normal College. For four years after his graduation, for the greater part, he was employed as a traveling salesman for the Inland Chemical Com- pany, of Indianapolis, of which Edward H. Schmidt, present United States Marshal, was the proprietor. It was during this time, that Dr. Lynch decided to take up the study of medicine, and as opportunity permitted he prosecuted his studies assiduously, finally matriculating, in 1902, at the Indiana Medical College, where, after four years, he was graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine, in the spring of 1906. During the last three months of his school work, and the three months that followed his graduation, he served as externe in the In- dianapolis City Dispensary. He then came to Peru, opened offices, and engaged in the practice of his profession. He was not long in securing recognition of his abilities, and a large clientage has been built up by him since his advent here. A close and careful student, he keeps fully abreast of the times in his profession by attendance at lectures, sub- scription to the leading medical periodicals of his day, and membership in the State and County Medical Societies and the American Medical Association. He has taken some interest in fraternal work, being a member of the Masons, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Tribe of Ben Hur, and is examining physician of each of the local lodges of
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