USA > Indiana > Montgomery County > History of Montgomery county, Indiana; with personal sketches of representative citizens, Volume II > Part 33
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Mr. Servies was born in Shelby county, Kentucky, March 4, 1831. He was a son of William Anderson Servies and Eliza ( Pilcher) Servies. The family remained in Kentucky until the fall of 1831 when they removed to Montgomery county, Indiana, making the trip in wagons. They entered government land in Brown township, probably one hundred and sixty acres where William A. Servies spent the rest of his life. Settlers were few when they arrived and, like the rest of the new-comers the ekler Servies worked
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hard clearing his land and establishing the permanent home of the family, but he died when a young man, thirty-six years of age. His first wife pre- ceded him to the grave, leaving five children a number of years before, and he had remarried, and his second wife survived him. The five children re- ferred to were part of a large family, for four children were born of the sec- ond union, making nine children in all. Those by the first marriage were Mary, William, John, Julia, Elizabeth and Nancy. Those by the second union were James, Martha, Martin and Ellen.
William T. Servies was about sixteen years of age when his father died. He began working out at eight dollars per month and did a great deal of hard work, such as clearing the new land of its great woods, splitting rails and doing similar work for whoever would hire him in this part of the county. He was economical, persistent and uncomplaining, and so he soon had a start. On January 3, 1853, he married Nancy Jones, daughter of John and Phoebe (Foster) Jones. She was born where she still resides in the north- west one-fourth of section 17, Scott township, Montgomery county. Her father was born in Shelby county, Kentucky, where he lived until 1828, when he came to this county and was thus among the early settlers here. He entered from the government the quarter section where Mrs. Servies was born. Soon afterwards he and Phoebe Foster were married. Their first abode was a miserable shack, he not having time to build a house until he had cleared some land and got his crop for the season out and cultivated; in fact, their first dwelling was a rail pen with a temporary cover and their table was a goods-box. They started with practically nothing, but worked hard, were economical and in due course of time had a good home and a fine farm. Their cabin was still standing when William T. Servies and wife were married and in it the young couple went to keeping house, this being more than twenty-three years after their parents had begun their house- keeping there. Mrs. Servies was one of five children who grew up, and having an older sister who did the work about the house, Nancy helped in the fields and was very fond of the outdoors. She was much in the company of her father, and remembers seeing him kill a hoop-snake while it was rolling along on the ground like a barrel hoop. After the marriage of the subject of this memoir he began farming on his father's place, Mr. Jones having been at that time in failing health. Mrs. Servies was only fifteen years old when she was married, but notwithstanding her youth she proved an excellent helpmeet, sharing the inconveniences of pioneer life with its hardships and hard work without a murmur, knowing that time would bring
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everything out right. They worked together, consulted each other on all matters of importance and prospered with advancing years, finally becom- ing owners of six hundred acres of valuable land and for a number of years Mr. Servies ranked as one of the leading general farmers and stock raisers in the southern part of the county. Later in life he devoted a great deal of time to buying and shipping livestock. He became one of the most widely known stock buyers in this locality and everybody liked him for his honest, straightforward methods in dealing with his fellow men. He had a large, comfortable home and his land was well improved.
Seven children were born to William T. Servies, named as follows: John, who is engaged in the insurance business in Portland, Oregon, mar- ried Mary Peters, and they have twelve children living, one son having died when a young man ; Henry D., the present recorder of Montgomery county, is represented in an individual sketch elsewhere in this volume; Mary is the widow of William Martin, deceased, and she lives in the northern part of Scott township; she has five children living, three having died; all the living are married and her youngest son, Claud, lives with her; America E. White, fourth child of our subject, is the widow of John White, deceased. She lives in New Market, this county, with her only child, a daughter, Kath- erine, and she owns a farm in Scott township. Charles Servies died in the fall of 1911 : he had married Mrs. Emma (Allen) Smith, widow of F. A. Smith, deceased, who now lives on his farm of one hundred and sixteen acres north of Lapland. Maggie Servies married Albert Seaman; they live just north of the old Servies homestead in Scott township, and have had seven children, one of whom is deceased. Harney, who married Grace Landis, lives in the northern part of Scott township, and they have four children, three sons and a daughter.
Politically, William T. Servies was a Democrat, and was active in the ranks ; however, he was never an office seeker.
Mrs. Servies is still living on the farm on which she was born nearly seventy-seven years ago. Here she grew to womanhood and she has lived to see many great changes take place here during the three-quarters of a cen- tury of her useful and praiseworthy life. She has always been known as a good neighbor, kind, charitable and forbearing. Mr. Servies is also re- membered as a generous, kind-hearted, upright gentleman, who was well thought of by all. Although not a member of any church, he attended and supported the Primitive Baptist church, and his honesty and morality were so pronounced that others looked upon him as a worthy example to be fol-
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lowed. It is said that some tried to be like him, but after all there was only one William T. Servies. During their younger days he was like a father to his brothers and sisters and always looked well to the comforts and gen- eral welfare of his own family. He was called to his eternal rest on October 22, 1885.
SAMUEL HICKS.
Deeds are thoughts crystallized, and according to their brilliancy do we judge the worth of a man to the country which produced him, and in his works we expect to find the true index to his character. The study of the life of the representative American never fails to offer much of pleasing inter- est and valuable instruction, developing a mastering of expedients which has brought about most wonderful results. The subject of this review is a worthy representative of that type of American character and of that progressive spirit which promotes public good in advancing individual prosperity and con- . serving popular interests. Members of the Hicks family have long been prominently identified with the affairs of Montgomery county, and while their endeavors along material lines have brought them success they have also advanced the general welfare by accelerating industrial activity.
Samuel Hicks, one of the prosperous and modern agriculturists and stock men of Clark township, was born in this township and county on December 5, 1856. He is a son of Preston and Martha A. Hicks, a complete sketch of whom, containing the early history of the family, is to be found on other pages of this work, hence will not be necessary to repeat here.
Samuel Hicks grew to manhood on the old homestead in Clark township and there assisted with the general work when a young man during the crop seasons, attending the common schools in the wintertime, not leaving the parental roof until he was twenty-four years of age. On January 2, 1881 he married Elizabeth Payne, daughter of John F. and Mary Ellen (Dinsmore) Payne. She was born in Boone county, Indiana. Her father was born and reared near Paris, Kentucky, and he was a son of John and Cassandra (Hughes) Payne. His boyhood was spent in Kentucky and he came to Indi- ana when young, locating in Boone county. Mary Ellen Dinsmore was a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Dinsmore. She was born in Boone county, this state, where her parents were early settlers. Mrs. Hicks lived in Hen- dricks county until she was sixteen years old. Her mother died when the girl was five years old. When she was sixteen years old her father brought
SAMUEL HICKS
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her to Clark township. Montgomery county and here she grew to womanhood and was educated and married. Her father moved to Virginia, later Tennessee, and spent the last ten years of his life in the South. His death occurred in Tennessee on December 10, 1912. He was a soldier in the Civil war in the Tenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, with which he saw considerable hard service. He was wounded at Atlanta, Georgia.
After his marriage Samuel Hicks went to farming on one of his father's farms. He had already been farming on the shares. He inherited some land from his father and bought more and now owns one hundred and fifty- nine acres, having sold forty acres recently. He has brought his land up to a high state of cultivation and improvement and has been very successful as a general farmer and stock raiser. In the fall of 1899 he completed a hand- some residence on his farm in Section 35 and Section 36.
Mr. and Mrs. Hicks are members of the Christian church. They are the parents of eight children, namely: Letha, Ernest, Maude, Agnes, Merle, Lida, Hazel and Brewer. Letha married Fred Chadd and they live in Hen- dricks county, just across the Montgomery county line, east of Ladoga, and they have one daughter, Gail. Ernest Hicks married Bertha Henry and they live in Hendricks county, also, a mile northeast of his sister, Mrs. Chadd, and he and his wife are the parents of two children, Norman and Lois. Maude Hicks married Lee Huckstep and they live northeast of their parents about a mile, on part of the old Hicks homestead; they have one child, a son, Hubert. The other five children of our subject and wife are all at home with their parents.
JAMES M. CARTER.
Scott township, Montgomery county, can boast of no better farmer than James M. Carter, widely known and highly respected as one of the most energetic. self-reliant and enterprising citizens of the eastern part of the county. He has for many years been intimately associated with the best interests and upward progress of his neighborhood, and to his personal in- fluence and efforts are due many of valuable and permanent improvements of the locality. One of the older settlers, he has not only been an eye witness of part of the wonderful growth and development of his adopted county but has actively participated in the changing scenes and has accumulated a valu- able store of historical reminiscence.
Mr. Carter was born in Putnam county, Indiana, on September 14,
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1840. He is a son of Othias and Artimessia (Grimes) Carter. The father was born in Mason county, Kentucky, February 8, 1804, and his death oc- curred in Montgomery county, Indiana, on February 15, 1870. The mother of our subject was born in Bath county, Kentucky, February 2, 1806. They grew up in the Blue Grass state, received such educational advantages as the early schools of the county afforded and there they were married, removing the same year to Monroe county, Indiana, making the trip in a two-wheeled cart drawn by a yoke of oxen. They bought a farm in Monroe county and lived there until 1839, when they moved to Russell township, Putnam county, where they bought the farm on which James M. Carter was born. Only a small portion of the place had been cleared, and after our subject was large enough to work he helped clear the rest of the land, but he spent a part of the winter months in the neighboring schools. The family remained there until 1862, then sold out and moved into the southwest part of Scott town- ship, one-half mile west of Parkersburg, and here the parents spent the rest of their lives. Ten children were born to them, an equal number of sons and daughters, namely: Nancy married Enoch Railsback, and lived most of her life in Scott township: Elizabeth, who remained unmarried, died when nearly eighty years old, in the winter of 1911-12; William Simpson died in Missouri when about seventy years old, leaving a wife and three sons; Daniel Thomas lived in Scott township until his death, in May, 1906, leaving a widow, who is now living in Russellville, Indiana: Lucinda, widow of John Railsback, deceased, and she now lives in New Mexico; Parmelia married William Everman, and they are both now deceased: John Edward lived in Putnam county, and later in life near Parkersburg, this county, and he is survived by one grandson, Otto Fowler, of Waveland; James M., subject of this sketch; Lucretia, who married Abraham Fink, lives on the old Carter homestead, a half mile west of Parkersburg; Eli, the youngest child, lives in Putnam county, near Bainbridge.
James M. Carter grew to manhood on the old home place in Putnamı county, and lived there until 1862, when he removed with his parents to Montgomery county, the family locating near Parkersburg. He was married on November 16, 1863, to Sarah Frances Warbritton, daughter of Peter and Phoebe (Nelson) Warbritton. She was born in the center part of Scott township, where the Warbritton brothers now live. Her father was born in Virginia, but went to Kentucky when quite young, and they came to Montgomery county, Indiana, from Bath county, Kentucky, in pioneer times. They entered land from the government as least as early as 1829, when the
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county was just being settled, and he took his part in the log-rollings and other pioneer events, and Mr. Warbritton worked as hard as ever man did in clearing and developing his land. He later told frequently of the various wild animals he saw here and how the wolves disturbed his nightly slumber. Mrs. Carter, who was born in 1840, recalls that even in her day a bear was killed not far from their home.
Phoebe Nelson was born in Kentucky, and was a daughter of Samuel and Anna Nelson, also pioneers of Scott township. Peter Warbritton and wife lived the rest of their lives on the farm they entered from the govern- ment. Thirteen children were born to them, all of whom grew to maturity, and all but four are still living. They were named as follows: Martha Jane, deceased, was the wife of George E. Grimes, also deceased; Samuel Warbritton, of New Market, this county; John lives in Garnett, Kansas; Reuben lives in Sedalia, Missouri; Charles lives near Moody, Arkansas; Henry lives at Raccoon in Putnam county, Indiana; Sarah Frances, wife of James M. Carter, our subject; Andrew lives on the old home place in the central part of Scott township; Anna, deceased, was the wife of Joseph Lenover, of Danville, Illinois; Cynthis Ann, deceased, remained unmarried, lived on the old home place and died when about thirty-four years old; Daniel lives on the old homestead, his wife, Nancy L., dying some time ago, leaving one daughter, Iola Worthington; Mahala died soon after her marriage to George Taylor ; George Warbritton, who married Lyda Tattock, lives on the old home place.
Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Carter, namely: Robert Sherman Carter, who died on October 11, 1876, at the age of eleven years ; and another son that died in infancy, unnamed.
After James M. Carter married he rented part of his father's farm and farmed there about ten years, getting a good start. He then moved to Mis- souri and engaged in farming in that state for one year. He then returned to this county in 1870 and purchased eighty acres, Section 20, this farm being located near Lapland. The land was timbered, but he cleared it in due course of time, after a great deal of very hard work. But being a man of courage he never gave over the task until he had developed a good farm and established a comfortable home in which he has now been residing for forty years.
Mr. and Mrs. Carter both belong to the Primitive Baptist church, hold- ing their membership in the Indian Creek church. They are regarded as excellent people by their neighbors, being liked and trusted by all who know them.
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MARTIN HICKS.
To such gentlemen as Martin Hicks, well known agriculturist and stock raiser of Ladoga, Montgomery county, is the locality of which this volume treats indebted for its high rank as a farming section, its prestige and high standing as a rich and fine developed community. Mr. Hicks is an adept at farming, and has one of the best managed and most orderly farms in his township. He is known to his neighbors as a man of sensible views and sound convictions on all subjects with which he is conversant, and, taking a great interest in the general development of his community while he is labor- ing for his individual advancement, he has won and retained the respect and good will of all who know him.
Mr. Hicks was born in Clark township, this county, on August 29, 1862, and is a son of Preston and Martha A. (Utterback) Hicks. The father was born two miles east of Russellville, Indiana, on June 28, 1830, and was a son of Thomas Jefferson Hicks and Lucinda (Ragsdale) Hicks. These parents came to the state of Indiana from Kentucky in pioneer times, prior to the year 1830. Probably about 1828 they entered government land in section 25, Clark township, Montgomery county, and on this they set to work to estab- lish the family home and develop a farm, but the elder Hicks' work was in- terrupted by death, which overtook him a few years later. His widow sur- vived him just fifty years, having spent all that half century on the home farm. Three children were born to them, namely: Eliza,, who married Gabriel Davidson; Preston and Samuel S.
Preston Hicks grew up on the home farm. His first start for himself was on forty acres of land which he bought from Silas Davidson in the west side of section 25, Clark township. He went in debt for the same, but work- ing hard and managing well, he succeeded in paying it out in due time, and purchased additional land from time to time until he became the owner of fifteen hundred acres and was one of the most extensive farmers and sub- stantial citizens of his township. He followed general farming and stock raising all his life. He was very successful from a financial standpoint, and was a stockholder in the Bank of Ladoga and also in the Ladoga Electric Light plant. Politically, he was a Democrat all his life and was a loyal supporter of the party. Religiously, he belonged to the Christian church. He was an excellent financier, prudent and thrifty, far-sighted, bought land when it was cheap and improved it well, assisted by a large family of children. He was a public-spirited man, progressive in his ideas and took a great interest in the
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MARTIN HICKS
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good of the community for which he did much in various ways, being always ready to assist in any movement for the good of those concerned.
He married Martha A. Utterback, a daughter of Martin and Elizabeth (McDowell) Utterback.
Martin Utterback was a native of Virginia, born in the Old Dominion in December, 1798, and was a son of Henry and Tabitha ( McDowell) Utter- back. When Martin was young the family moved to Henry county, Ken- tucky, where his parents spent the rest of their lives, dying when their children were young and they were all bound out, Martin having been bound out to learn the carpenter's trade. There he grew to manhood and married Eliza- beth McDowell. It was in 1830 that they removed to Montgomery county, Indiana, locating in the southeastern part of Clark township, near the south corner of the county. In 1831 Mr. Utterback entered one hundred and sixty acres from the government in that locality and in 1832 moved thereon. It was totally unimproved, wild and presenting a discouraging prospect, but he was a man of true pioneer courage and grit, and he went to work with a will, soon having part of it cleared and improved. In connection with farming he worked some as a carpenter, and reared his family here. He worked at his trade before there were any saw mills in this locality. Such lumber .as there was, being riveted out. He was an elder in the Christian church, of which his wife was also a member.
Preston Hicks and wife became the parents of twelve children of whom two died in infancy; Jesse, died when about fourteen years old: Mary Etta, died when nineteen years old; Melissa, married Harrison Britton and lived near her old home and died early in December, 1885, leaving one child, Grace A., now the wife of Walter Harris, of Ladoga; the seven living children are William, who lives in Boone county, five miles north of Pittsboro; Samuel, lives near the old home in Clark township, this county; Martin, subject of this sketch ; Henry A., lives in Denver, Colorado; Thomas J., resides near the old homestead in Clark township, also Robert F. and Charles also.
The father of the above named children died February 27, 1895. when nearly sixty-five years old, his widow surviving him seventeen years, passing away on October 9, 1912 when past seventy-seven years of age. She had been a member of the Christian church since she was sixteen years of age. She was greatly interested in church work, and she lived her religion every day, was good to her family, sparing no pains to rear her children in the proper way.
Martin Hicks, of this sketch, grew up on the home farm and he received
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a common school education. In 1884 when twenty-two years old he married Arnetta Peck, daughter of Samuel C. and America (Logan) Peck, and a grand daughter of Jacob and Maria (Lane) Peck, who came from near Lexington, Kentucky, and located in the southeastern part of Clark township, Montgomery county, near the Putnam county line, and there entered land from the government. America Logan was a daughter of James and Jemima (Vorhees) Logan. The grandmother was related to the great criminal law- yer and United States senator, Daniel Vorhees. The Logan family came from near Logansport, Indiana, to Hendricks county, locating near the Mont- gomery county line, just across from Clark township, before the Civil war. It was in that county that Mrs. Hicks grew to womanhood and received a com- mon school education.
Martin Hicks has devoted his life to general farming and stock raising. He has been very successful and is now owner of a finely improved and valu- able farm of two hundred and ninety-six acres in the home place and also other good farms in Clark township. He has a pleasant and attractive home and everything about his place denotes good management, thrift and prosperity. After his marriage he spent one year in Boone county, then removed to the farm where his wife was born in Hendricks county and lived there about twelve years, or until 1897, when he moved to his present farm a mile and a half south of Ladoga. He is a progressive and scientific farmer, keeps all kinds of improved farming implements and an excellent grade of live stock is always to be seen in his fields, and large barns.
Our subject and wife are members of the church of Christ. They are the parents of four children, namely Otis C. who married Viva Goslin, lives in Scott township near his father, and he and his wife have one child, Geneva Florence : Jesse H. married Julia Edith Osborne, a native of Peterson, Iowa, and they have one daughter, Ethel Arnetta. Jesse lives on part of his father's farm. Forest L., third child of Martin Hicks and wife, is at home with his parents, as is also the youngest child, Ewell.Vernon Hicks.
THOMAS E. HUSTON.
One of the molders of public opinion in Montgomery county and one of the most public-spirited and influential as well as representative citizens of the same is Thomas E. Huston, the able and popular editor and publisher of the Waveland Independent, and he has shown himself to be a man of fine mentality and enterprise and at the same time is a straightforward and unas-
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suming gentleman whom to know is to esteem and accord every respect. He has shown himself at all times to be in hearty sympathy with the development of this locality and willing to do all in his power to encourage the same.
Mr. Huston was born on February 12, 1863, at Lafonte, Madison county, Indiana, and he is a son of Thomas Scott Huston and Olive L. (Gibson ) Huston, both natives of Indiana. The father was a carpenter by trade, which he followed successfully all his life. He was a soldier for the Union during the Civil war. serving in Company K. Twelfth Indiana Volun- teer Infantry, Army of the Cumberland. His death occurred at Grand Junc- tion, Tennessee. His family consisted of two children, namely: Ora L., who is deceased ; and Thomas E., of this sketch.
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