USA > Indiana > Montgomery County > History of Montgomery County, together with historic notes on the Wabash Valley; gleaned from early authors, old maps and manuscripts, private and official correspondence, and other authentic sources > Part 43
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both in Virginia. They were members of the Methodist church, and he was a merchant, also was sheriff for a time. Mr. and Mrs. Galey have one child, Scott. Both are Methodists, and he is a member of the fraternity of Knights of Pythias and was at one time an Odd-Fellow.
William Mount, retired, Crawfordsville, was born in Kentucky, March 12, 1798, and settled in Montgomery county in 1823. Then the country was almost an unbroken, wild, woody wilderness. Accord- ing to his recollection there were but two houses in Crawfordsville when he came here. He has always been a farmer. Ile moved to his present residence, in the eastern suburbs of the city, in 1849, since which time he has farmed but little. He was married, the first time in 1826, and the second time, in 1878, to Mrs. S. C. Cooper. She is a member of the First Presbyterian church. Mr. Mount cast his first vote for Andrew Jackson. He votes with the democrats for president and is independent in county politics.
Thomas J. Beard, farmer, Crawfordsville, was born in Wayne county, Indiana, February 19, 1822. He attended Wabash College three years, and in his youth worked in a store. When young he worked some in the state engineering service, and helped run the first railroad to La Fayette. Since his majority he has farmed most of the time. He en- listed, in 1862, in Co. K, 86th Ind. Vols., for three years, and served about one year, being discharged on account of disability. After the war he served three years in Washington on the Capitol police force. He was also a printer for some six years, working for awhile on the old "State Journal " at Indianapolis. He is a Mason, a member of the Methodist church, and a republican. His last and third marriage was in July 1855, to Miss Susan Tiffany. She is a member of the Methodist church. They have two children : George F. and Mary, the latter graduating at the public high school of this city. Mr. Beard's father, John Beard, was born January 4, 1795, and settled in Wayne county in an early day, and in 1823 moved to Montgomery county, near Craw- fordsville, where he lived till his death, September 29, 1874. John Beard lived a very active and useful life. He was justice of the peace for a number of years, and was appointed receiver of public moneys at the land office at Crawfordsville, by Gen. Harrison, and held the · office until VanBuren became president. He was a member of both houses of the state legislature for about twenty-five years, distinguish- ing himself as a legislator. In fact he is the father of our glorious public school system in Indiana. Many other bills for the public good received his earnest and efficient support. He was a member of the State Blind Asylum for about six years, holding that position when he died. He was married to Maria Borroughs in 1816. His widow
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still survives him, at the advanced age of eighty-three. John Beard was a member of the convention that organized the republican party.
Maxwell Mccullough, farmer, Crawfordsville, was born in Jefferson county, Indiana, April 6, 1818, and is the son of James B. and Mar- garet Mccullough. His father was born in North Carolina, his mother in Kentucky. . His father was in the war of 1812, a member of the Christian church, and first a republican and then a whig. He was a lover of education, determined, very charitable and benevolent. When the subject of not using whisky in the fields by the hands when at work was first agitated, James B. Mccullough was the first to set the example, and the other neighbors followed his wise course. When he settled in this county, in the fall of 1823, it was wild, and inhabited by Indians, wolves, panthers, wild-cats and deer. The subject of this sketch spent his boyhood in the midst of this primitive wilderness. He had a good common school education, and lived at home until he was twenty-eight years old, and then began farming for himself, in limited circumstances. He now has 240 acres of good land, on which he has a nice home, three miles east of Crawfordsville, on the Nobles- ville gravel-road. He has also 240 acres in Benton county. Mr. Mccullough was married in September 1846, to Miss Jenetta E. Side- ner. She died in 1856, and was a member of the Christian church. By this marriage they had four children, three of whom are living: Mar- tha E., married to C. E. Gay, and lives in Benton county ; William J., is a teacher and farmer, and lives in Benton county ; Alvan R., is a teacher ; James M., deceased. Mr. Mccullough was married the sec- ond time, in 1857, to Margaret Campbell. Their children are: Eliza- beth A., married to Thomas A. Sheriden ; Samuel M., John C. and Henry A. Mrs. McCullough and three of the children are members of the United Brethren church. Mr. Mccullough was a whig till the birth of the republican party, then became one of its followers ; belongs to the detective association, and with several of his sons belongs to the Good Templars, and hates whiskey and tobacco. Mr. Mccullough has traveled considerable in the United States, has been a hard work- ing man, has extensive information, is a great reader, a member of the Christian church, and an honored and respected citizen.
John J. Elmore, farmer, Crawfordsville, was born in Dearborn county, Kentucky, September 18, 1818. About 1823 he came with his parents to Montgomery county, with an ox-team hitched to a two- wheeled cart, and also with a wagon and a team of horses. They settled in the forest, cleared off the land, erected a log cabin, and en- dured all the trials and hardships incident to pioneer life. They first traded and went to mill in Terre Haute. His father and mother were
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both Baptists. His father was an old-line whig, and afterward repub- lican, and died in 1865. Mr. Elmore began farming for himself at the age of twenty-two. He now has a nice home just east of Crawfordsville. He was married the first time, in 1840, to Ann Huffman. She died in 1878, and was a member of the Methodist church. He was married the second time, March 24, 1880, to Mattie McClaskey, daughter of James and Nancy MeClaskey. Her parents were members of the Methodist church, came from Kentucky, and settled in this county in 1830. Mr. Elmore is a republican, and was formerly a whig, voting first for Gen. Harrison, in 1840. Mr. and Mrs. Elmore are both men- bers of the Methodist church.
E. A. Wilhite, tailor, Crawfordsville, who has spent nearly all his years in Montgomery county, was born Jannary 1, 1820, in Jefferson county, Kentucky. He is a son of Simeon and Mary (Funk) Wilhite, who came to Crawfordsville in 1824, and shortly after settled south of the then "log city " of a few houses, where, in 1829, Simeon de- parted this life, and was followed by his wife in 1833. E. A. Wilhite received the training and schooling of a pioneer's boy, and can well re- member the log school-house with its slab seats and window of greased paper for light, the absence of desks, and especially the primitive "master." At the age of ten years he began to use the needle, and has followed tailoring ever since, being now one of the most thoroughly experienced workmen in the city. For over thirty years he has worked in his present shop. By economy and industry and fair dealing he has accumulated a little fortune of $15,000 or $20,000. Mr. Wilhite has a peculiar passion for music, having been connected with the Craw- fordsville band ever since 1840, and still loves the recreation. In 1840 he played at the Tippecanoe battle-ground celebration, and again in 1876. Mr. Wilhite was a whig during the time of that party, and with the advent of republicanism he adopted its principles. He has been twice married ; first to Ada J. Blankenship, of Crawfordsville, who died leaving one son, James Q. W., to survive her; and second, to Dr. Mary H. Holloway, of the same city. The fruits of the last marriage have been seven children : three deceased, Edgar, Ella N. and Fred ; and four living, Edwin L., Mary E., Stanton L. and Bertha J. Mrs. Wilhite is a daughter of Washington and Elizabeth (King) Holloway, the former of whom is now living in Crawfordsville at the age of eighty years. Mrs. Wilhite attended school sufficient to fit herself for teach- ing, which she followed four years. In 1854 she entered Penn Medical University, from which she graduated in 1856. She was edu -. cated here at the expense of J. Edgar Thomson, one of the members of the original board of incorporation of that college, and a wealthy
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gentleman of Philadelphia. Mrs. Wilhite was the first lady from Indiana to graduate in a medical school. Leaving her Alma Mater June 2, she nailed her sign where it is still to be seen, on the 22nd of that same month, 1856. She emphatically asserts she has solved the problem that a woman can be a " wife, mother, and physician." During her practice she has given instruction to two students: Mrs. Wood, who afterward graduated at Penn Medical University, and was then engaged as lady physician in foreign lands by the Home and For- eign Mission, and Mrs. Wilson, who now holds three diplomas and is doing an extensive practice in Terre Haute, Indiana. Mrs. Wilhite is also an ardent supporter in woman's rights, and fully expects to see the day when woman may vote for those who make laws to govern her, and when doctors will counsel one another without distinction in regard to sex.
David H. Remley, farmer, Crawfordsville, Indiana, was born De- cember 21, 1844, on the farm upon which he now lives. His father, John Remley, was born May 21, 1800. At the age of twelve his father died, and at the age of fifteen he was apprenticed to Richard Skinner, of Lebanon, Ohio, to learn the tanner's trade. Here he remained five years, at the expiration of which time he worked by the month until the spring of 1824, when he walked from Ohio to Indiana, and purchased eighty acres of land of Mr. Stitt, west. of Crawfordsville, and after planting three acres of corn returned to Ohio on foot. The family have in their possession a cane Mr. Remley used in walking to this county, with the date of his walk upon it. After his return to Ohio he worked about a month, and was married March 3, 1825, to Sarah McCain, near Lebanon, Ohio. Her father, James McCain, was a native of New Jersey, but finally moved to Ohio, and died there in 1824. Her mother, Ann (Dill) McCain, was a native of Kentucky, and died in 1845. They became the parents of eleven children, seven of whom are living. Elizabeth A. is living with her mother on the home farm, and was born November 23, 1826, and has been a consistent member of the Presbyterian church for thirty years. Mr. Remley joined the Presbyterian church in February, 1841, and was one of its elders for more than twenty years. Mrs. Remley has also been a member since 1841. He was a whig, and at the founding of the republican party joined that organization. Mrs. Remley, accompanied by her uncle, William McCain, and two consins, came to Indiana. There were but two horses in the company, and these were rode by Mrs. Remley and her uncle, the journey taking eight days. Mr. Remley loaded his goods upon a flat-boat at Hamilton, Ohio, on the Miami river, and shipped them to Terre Hante. He then walked to this city, engaged
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a teant of oxen, hauled them to the present homestead, and arranged them in a 10×12 log cabin with the door swinging out, previously erected by Mr. Stitt near the south line of the farm. Mr. Remley being a tanner by trade, located upon this tract of land on account of the springs. He soon built a cabin and established a tan-yard, where he continued to do a splended business until 1858. Three or four years after settling on his place Mr. Remley erected a hewed-log cabin, but just as it was completed it caught fire and burned to the ground. He soon commenced the building of two rooms of the present brick house, which the family occupied as soon as finished. In 1840 he made some additions, as he did also in 1855, and here resided until his death, January 2, 1879, at which time he owned over 2,000 acres of land. Having commenced life as a poor boy, he gained his fortune through economy and industry. His was an honest, active, and christian life, and when death separated him from this world he left to monrn his de- parture a family who loved him dearly, and numerous friends and neigh- bors who ever held him in the highest esteem. David H. attended the district school until his twentieth year, and lived with his parents until his marriage, March 10, 1870, to Elizabeth A. Busenbark. They have one child, James Edgar, born September 29, 1871. Mr. Remley is now farming the old homestead. He and his wife have been members of the Presbyterian church since February 24, 1878. He is now one of the deacons of that society, and a staunch republican, casting his first presidential vote for Gen. Grant.
James E. Dunn, farmer and stock raiser, Crawfordsville, was born May 7, 1817, in Madison county, Kentucky, on a farm ten miles south of Richmond. His father, Nathaniel A., was born near Danville, Ken- tucky, February 27, 1790. At the age of seventeen he learned the tanner's trade with Alexander Logan, in Lexington, Kentucky, where he remained four years. He then volunteered as a ranger in the war of 1812, under his brother, Capt. Williamson Dunn. After his re- turn he married, September 6, 1814, Sophia W. Irvine, who was born January 25, 1794, in Madison county. Her father, Benjamin Irvine, was a native of Virginia, and emigrated to Kentucky in 1800. They were the parents of nine children, seven of whom are living. He was a member of the First Presbyterian church of Crawfordsville, and at the time of his death was one of its elders. His wife was also a mem- ber of the same denomination. He was formerly a whig, but joined the republican party at its birth. After his marriage he settled upon a farm, and in connection with it run a tan-yard for eight years, and October 17, 1825, reached Montgomery county, intending to effect a permanent settlement, having visited this section of country three
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times before. He located on what is now known as the west end of Main street, where he purchased twenty-seven acres and soon erected a tan-yard, being among the first in the county. Here he lived until his death, July 22, 1875. His wife died June 25, 1870. James E. lived with his parents until his twenty-first year, when he began life for himself as clerk for Beasley & Odell, at which place he remained four years. He was then engaged in various enterprises for some years. In the fall of 1844 he was employed by Newton Darlington to assist in his dry-goods store for over two years. His next step was that of a civil engineer, in which capacity he assisted in surveying the La Fayette and Indianapolis railroad. At the completion of this work he was engaged as a clerk in La Fayette about six months, when he re- turned to Crawfordsville, and was again employed on the engineer corps of the Crawfordsville & La Fayette railroad. November 22, 1849, he was married to Matilda Bur Bridge, daughter of Judge William Bur Bridge, who emigrated from Kentucky to Montgomery county in 1823. They are the parents of six children : Emma E., who is mar- ried to Charles Gerrard ; William A., at present in California ; Samuel L., Fannie M., Walter G. and George G. After his marriage he was engaged as clerk two years in Sperry's mill, and after another year in the city commenced farming one and a half miles south of Crawfords- ville. He moved upon his farm in 1855, and in the fall of 1858 sold it and returned to the city, where he busied himself clerking in a hardware store for about two years, and for Campbell & Harter one year. In 1863 he moved to Thorntown, where he clerked in the hardware store of R. M. Lafollette one and a half years, at the expiration of which time he moved to Crawfordsville, and there kept house until the death of his father. November 15, 1877, he moved to his present home of eighty-three acres, a fine farm and well im- proved, with a two-story frame dwelling 30×34 and an 24×42. He was a participant in the chase after Morgan in 1863, and is a firm be- liever in the doctrine as advocated and sustained by the republican party, casting his first presidential vote for Gen. Harrison in 1840.
William McLaughlin, farmer, Whitesville, was born April 6, 1829, on Sec. 22, and in the following June moved with his parents upon the farm he now resides on and owns. His father, James McLaughlin, was born March 11, 1798, and is a native of Pennsylvania. He had, however, when a boy, emigrated with his parents to Hamilton county, Ohio, and settled upon a farm. Here he was constantly and busily en- gaged until he commenced learning the trade of a blacksmith, which, owing to poor health, he followed only a short time, when he began work as a farm hand, to which his entire attention was turned until
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his emigration to the Hoosier State in 1826. Mr. Mclaughlin had previously visited Montgomery county and "spied out the land," on foot. He returned to Ohio and soon made a permanent location, first entering the eighty acres now owned by David H. Davidson and oc- cupied by Tillman Howard. After coming to this county he was em- ployed by William Bur Bridge for some months, and also by Thomas Lamson. He, however, entered land in the S.& Sec. 23, upon which his son William now lives. This tract of land he cleared, and in 1829 built the 19×21 house still standing and occupied, and in 1843 erected the second, where he died June 13, 1878, and was buried at Finley chapel, a universally respected and esteemed citizen. June 19, 1828, he was marred in Union township to Jane Brenton, daughter of Samuel and Margaret Brenton. She died September 9, 1848, and was buried at the same place as her husband. They were the parents of but one child, William, who has during the whole of his life lived upon the homestead, working in partnership with his father until his death, at which time he obtained complete control of the property. He now is in possession of a farm of 280 acres of well improved and good tillable land. Mr. MeLaughlin received such an education at the district school as a diligent student might acquire in those pioneer days. This has been supplemented by extensive reading, both in history, biography and general reading matter. He is a democrat, casting his first presidential vote for Franklin Pierce in 1852.
Henry Liter, farmer and stock raiser, Crawfordsville, was born in Bourbon county, Kentucky, on a farm near Paris, March 19, 1805. His father, Henry Liter, was born on a farm in Pennsylvania, and em- igrated to Kentucky in the early days and located in Bourbon county, where he purchased a farm of sixty acres, which, to his great surprise, was claimed by a person holding an earlier title, and such were the con- ditions that he was compelled to buy the property a second time in order to retain it. Here he lived until his death in January 1864. In Bourbon county he was married to Katie Boyers, and became the father of five children, only one of whom is living : Nancy, Mary, Cath- erine, Joseph, and Henry. After the death of his first wife Mr. Liter married Mary Ament, of Bourbon county, and became the father of seven other children, six of whom are living: Mathias, Ament, Adam, Elizabeth, Eliza, Lucinda, and Matilda. He was a Presbyterian and a strong whig, being an ardent supporter of Kentucky's great orator, Henry Clay. His son, Henry, remained at home until past twenty-one, and April 19, 1826, he was married to Celina Sidener, in Fayette county, Kentucky, daughter of Jacob and Mary Sidener. She died August 15, 1829, leaving two children, Kittie Ann, who died in Iowa,
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and Celina, who was married to Joseph S. Swindler. After his mar- riage he cropped one season with his father, after which time he re- moved to Fayette county, where he was engaged in farming four years. After the death of his first wife, in 1832, he came to this county with his uncle and married Mary Ruffner, daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Sidener) Ruffner, who was born May 1, 1809, in Bourbon county, Ken- tucky. They are the parents of nine children: Martha J., Norris, Martin Henry, Elizabeth Noggle, Mathias A., Harriet Weykle, Ro- sanna Watson, William, Mary Brown, and Joseph. The latter two are dead. Martin H. was in the late war and was a good soldier. Octo- ber 5, 1834, Mr. Liter arrived at his father-in-law's house in this county, and October 6, upon eighty acres of his present farm of 404 acres, well improved, in a 14×16 cabin, that was situated just east of the corner of his present dwelling. Here he lived, after making some additions, four years, when it caught fire and burned to the ground, destroying all the furniture and burning Mr. Liter's feet in an awful manner. In nine days, however, by the assistance of kind neighbors, they were liv- ing in an 18x23 story-and-a-half frame house, only partly completed, and here lived until the summer of 1855, when he moved into his 20 48 with an L 28×32, including porch, brick house which at the time of its completion was said to be the best finished two-story residence in the country. He is a member of the Christian church, as is also his wife. He assisted in laying the sills under the Crawfordsville church, and contributed largely to its support. He is a firm believer in the doctrines of the republican party and cast his first presidential vote for the silver-tongued Clay.
Thomas J. Hole, superintendent of Poor farm, Crawfordsville. This large-hearted social gentleman is the eldest of eleven children, and was born on a farm in Montgomery county, Ohio, April 14, 1839. His father, John Hole, was a native of Montgomery county, Ohio, where he died August 1871. At the age of eighteen he learned the cooper's trade, near Woodburn, of Elisha Hopkins, following the same for six or seven years, then began farming and engaged in running a saw-mill situated upon his place, until his decease. His education was of a limited character. He married Eliza J. Benson, in Delaware county, Indiana. She is still living on the home farm surrounded by three of her children. She is a member of the Baptist church, as was also her husband, who was formerly a whig, finally associating himself with the republicans when they championed the negro's cause. Thomas J. lived with his parents until he reached his twenty-third year, when he tried the fortunes of the world for himself. March 27, 1862, he was married to Elizabeth Lightcap, in Dayton, Ohio, by the Rev. David Winters,
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and they are now the parents of seven children, six of whom are living ; Cynthia J., John Henry, Eliza Ann, Charles D., William F., Walter, and Ida. Soloman Lighteap died near Miamisburg, Ohio, in the fall of 1862. His wife, Catharine (Smith) Lightcap, is still living near Germantown, a member of the German Reform church. After his marriage Thomas J. engaged in farming in Montgomery county, Ohio, and after three years of fair success moved to Montgomery county, Indiana, and settled upon John Townsley's place as a renter. At the expiration of one year's time he purchased twenty acres and moved upon it and here remained, farming this and other rented property until in March, 1874, when he was appointed by the commissioners as superin- tendent of the Poor farm, and as such officer has filled the position with honor to himself and credit to the county. They now have on hand, through his careful and economical management, 1,000 bushels of wheat, 125 head of hogs, 300 bushels of potatoes, 10 tons of hay, and 1,800 bushels of corn. He is a member of the Missionary Baptist church, as is also his wife. April, 1864, he enlisted at Columbus, Ohio, for 100 days, as a member of Co. I, 131st Ohio Vol. Inf., and was mustered out at the same place August 27, 1864. He is a republican, casting his first presidential vote for the heroic and martyred Lincoln.
James Lee & Brother, grocers, Crawfordsville, began business in 1863 in the building now occupied by Peter Somerville. In 1864 they built the store-room No. 3, 20x80, in which they carried on the grocery trade till 1878, when they erected their present building, 22×65. Beginning, they carried bnt a light stock, but now transact a business of about $25,000 per year. For some time they engaged in the wholesale trade, but the years of the panic compelled them to diminish their stock on account of the failures among their debtors. Their father, in an early day, went from Kentucky to Ohio and mar- ried, then in 1822 moved to Montgomery county, bringing his wife and two children. The family settled about two and a half miles northeast of Crawfordsville, on 360 acres of land. Mr. Lee became very popu- lar in the democratic party. He was associate judge for seven years, being on the bench at the same time as Judges Stitt and Naylor, and also represented the county in the legislature. He was a man with but little " book-learning," yet practical and successful in his business. He was a member of the Regular Baptist church, and was the chief among the organizers of the first church in Montgomery county. He died in 1855, at the age of sixty-five. His wife, Priscilla (Long) Lee, was a native of Butler county, Ohio. They had eight children, six of whom are living. James, the senior partner, was born August 8, 1825, on the old Lee farm in Montgomery county, experiencing a
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