History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II, Part 110

Author: Ford, Ira, 1848- ed
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 618

USA > Indiana > LaGrange County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 110
USA > Indiana > Noble County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 110
USA > Indiana > DeKalb County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 110
USA > Indiana > Steuben County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 110

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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HISTORY OF NORTHEAST INDIANA

piled from the recollections of Mr. and Mrs. Avery by their son Seth S. Avery, who put them in definite form while his parents were still in possession of their faculties, during 1905.

Growing up in a Christian household under the tender and wise guardianship of his parents, Amro Avery attended the district schools of Otsego Town- ship, and later the Angola High School. For several years after attaining his majority he was engaged in farming in Otsego Township, and then went into Steuben Township and carried on the same calling for two years. Moving to York, Ohio, he was engaged in a mercantile business at that place, and then returned to agriculture, which he followed in Steuben Township on rented land. In 1916 he bought sixty-five acres of land in Steuben and Otsego townships, which is well improved, his res- idence being in the former township, but the greater part of the land is across the township line in Otsego Township.

In 1890 Mr. Avery was united in marriage with Clara McMillan, a daughter of John McMillan, and she died October 13, 1917, leaving him one daughter, Hazel M., who was born February 23, 1894. Another daughter, Neva May, died in infancy. Mr. Avery has inherited in addition to his love of farming other desirable qualities from his admirable parents, and has so lived his life as to be a credit to them and their training. He is held in respect in his neigh- borhood as a man of integrity and high principles, and he deserves the prosperity to which he has attained. Through her ancestor Maj. Benjamin Whitcomb, Miss Hazel M. Avery is eligible to the Daughters of the American Revolution, and she can proudly trace back to Mrs. Polly (Whitcomb) Sappington and Mrs. Stephen Kent, daughters of Major Whitcomb and sisters of Mrs. Maria (Whit- comb) Avery, her paternal great-grandmother.

CHARLES H. KEPLINGER has been a resident of La- grange County over half a century, and more than thirty years ago he became an independent land owner and farmer and has ever since been pro- gressively identified with the community of Green- field Township.

Mr. Keplinger was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, July 12, 1857, a son of Elias and Emily (Hoverstock) Keplinger. His father was born in Virginia in October, 1815. The Keplinger family moved to Lima, LaGrange County, in the fall of 1865 and Elias Keplinger bought fifty acres in that township. Later he bought seven acres more and had a complete small farm of fifty-seven acres, where he lived out his productive years and died in 1899. He was a republican in politics. His first wife died soon after coming to LaGrange County, the mother of Catherine, Mary, Charles, and Etta. Elias Keplinger married for his second wife Lydia Middaugh, but had no children by that union.

Charles H. Keplinger was eight years old when brought to LaGrange County, and he grew up and acquired his education in Lima Township. He had little capital to start with, but subsequently he bought fifty-six acres in Greenfield Township and has since increased his holdings to seventy-six acres, representing one of the good general farms in that locality. He has remodeled the house and added to the barn and has a complete equipment for all his needs. Mr. Keplinger is a republican in politics.

In 1886 he married Miss Clara B. Swihart, who was born in Greenfield Township May 3, 1860, a daughter of Daniel and Sarah (Summers) Swihart. This is one of the old and prominent families of LaGrange County. Mr. and Mrs. Keplinger have one son, Raymond C., who was born June 13, 1897.

He attended public school at Brighton, and mar- ried Anna Brown and has one daughter, Freda Juanita.

ORLEY BARROWS, a son of the veteran Union soldier and retired farmer, John Barrows, whose career is sketched on other pages, is one of the successful younger farmers of Steuben and La- Grange counties. His farm lies along the line be- tween these two counties, his residence heing in Greenfield Township of LaGrange County.

He was born in the same locality May 24, 1884, and acquired his education in Greenfield Town- ship and also in Millgrove Township. He learned farming under his father and in 1906 took up an independent career, renting the old homestead. He now has the responsibility of a large place of 270 acres, and does a successful business as a general farmer and stock raiser.

In 1904 he married Ella Fair, a daughter of Christopher and Amanda Fair. . Their children are Weir, Omar, Emril, Archie, Axson and Ronald.

JUDGE EMMET A. BRATTON, whose long services as a lawyer and judge make him a conspicuous figure in the history of Steuben County, was born in Williams County, Ohio, July 16, 1855, a son of Ira and Deborah W. (Thomas) Bratton.

His parents were both natives of Pennsylvania, his father, born March 12, 1829, and his mother December 23, 1831. Ira Bratton was a son of James and Isabella Bratton, his mother dying in Pennsylvania. James and Hannah Bratton, the lat- ter his second wife, moved to Northwestern Ohio in early days and entered Government land in Wil- liams County. He located there in 1842, and lived on his land until his death in 1860." By his first marriage he had four children, George W., who lived until about ninety years of age, died in Ne- braska; Keziah, Caroline and Ira. James Bratton was an anti-slavery democrat and a Presbyterian.

The maternal grandparents of Judge Bratton were Moses and Prudence (Worthington) Thomas, who on moving from Pennsylvania first located in Craw- ford County, Ohio, and in 1842 also established homes in Williams County, where they lived until the death of Moses in 1848 and the death of his wife in 1878. The latter was a Quaker, while Moses was a Methodist.

Ira Bratton acquired his early education in the public schools of Pennsylvania and Ohio, was a farmer by occupation and died on the old Williams County farm of his father July 18, 1882. His widow afterward came to Angola. They were members of the Presbyterian Church but in Angola she became affiliated with the Congregational Church. Their children were: Alcinus, an attorney at Hastings, Nebraska, and for twenty-five years city clerk; Judge Emmet A .; Clara T., wife of M. M. Gawood, of Angola; Jennie, deceased, wife of F. L. Hoverstock; Elvada, wife of D. C. Kimmel, of Flint, Michigan; Dellah M., wife of George M. Ryder, of Oklahoma ; Alma L., wife of F. L. Pow- ers, of St. Paul, Minnesota.

Emmet A. Bratton grew up on his father's farm in Ohio, attended one term of high school in Angola, became a teacher and through his own efforts paid his way for two years in Hillsdale College. He then returned to Angola and studied law in private offices and in 1880 entered the University of Mich- igan, graduating from the law department in March, 1881. He then formed a partnership with Stephen A. Powers under the name Powers & Bratton. After 1884 he was associated with D. R. Best under the name of Best & Bratton. In the early years of his practice he served as deputy prosecuting attor-

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HISTORY OF NORTHEAST INDIANA

ney and then for two terms was elected prosecuting attorney, also served as city clerk and treasurer, and in other local positions of trust. In 1893 Charles A. Yotter became a member of the firm, and as Best, Bratton and Yotter it continued until 1904. In that year Mr. Bratton was elected circuit judge, and gave an efficient administration of his duties on the bench until 1910. In January, 19II, he re- sumed practice in partnership with William E. Heckenlively, under the name Bratton & Hecken- lively, which still continues.

Judge Bratton is affiliated with the lodge, chap- ter and council of York Rite Masons, is a member of both branches of Odd Fellowship, a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Christian Church.

February 14, 1883, he married Miss Della Rice, a native of Steuben County and daughter of a prominent physician, Dr. Cornelius D. Rice. Mrs. Bratton died January 27, 1914. On August 23, 1917, Judge Bratton married Jennie M. Golden.

Judge Bratton has three children. Arla, who fin- ished her education in the Tri-State Normal Col- lege at Angola, was formerly a teacher and is now the wife of Ben L. Averill, of Painesville, Ohio, and the mother of two daughters, Virginia B. and Mary Lou. Lulu Bratton, who graduated in music at the Tri-State College, taught school and is now the wife of Paul G. Preston and has two sons, Wendell Arthur and Robert Asher. Rev. Mr. Pres- ton has served as chaplain at the Marine Barracks at Paris Island, South Carolina. The son of Judge Bratton is Cornelius Rice. He is a graduate of high school and the Tri-State College and served a year and a half in the Medical Corps with the army.

PETER R. DIRRIM. Dirrim is one of the names that occur most frequently in the annals both early and modern of DeKalb County and also of parts of Steuben County. Peter R. Dirrim, a native of De- Kalb County, has spent the greater part of his life as a practical farmer on the old Dirrim home- stead' in Otsego Township of Steuben County.

He was born in Franklin Township of the former county October 12, 1851. He is a son of Isaac and Eleanor (Wycoff) Dirrim, and a grandson of Richard Dirrim. Various members of the Dirrim family are referred to elsewhere in this publica- tion. Isaac Dirrim was born in Stark County, Ohio, and his wife was a native of that state, a daughter of Peter Wycoff. Isaac Dirrim came to DeKalb County and located in Franklin Township, in the same community where his brother William H. Dirrim lived. He cleared a farm, put up buildings, and in 1858 moved to the place now occupied by his son Peter in Otsego Township of Steuben Coun- ty, where he acquired about 200 acres. He was a successful farmer and stock raiser and a man of good influence in his community. He was a member of the United Brethren Church. He and his wife had a large family of eleven children: Elizabeth, who died unmarried; Sarah, deceased wife of Joseph Oberlin; Liza Ann, who was married to Alfred Kepler; Hannah, deceased wife of David W. Ober- lin; Eveline, who married George H. Casper; Wil- liam Cyrus, who spent his life in Kansas; Lovina, wife of Hiram Enzor; Peter R .; Martha, deceased wife of Benjamin Myers; Mary E., who first mar- ried James Hagerty and later E. A. Prawl; Ida Frances, deceased wife of Frank Albright.

Peter R. Dirrim received his education in the public schools of Otsego Township. He began as- sisting his father on his present farm in section 35 when a youth, and during his individual manage- ment and ownership has erected all the substantial buildings on the land. He owns 130 acres, twenty-

two of which are in Franklin Township of De- Kalb County.

February 24, 1872, Mr. Dirrim married Hannah Myers, daughter of James and Sarah (Slentz) Myers. Her father was also one of the early set- tlers of Franklin Township. Mr. and Mrs. Dirrim have three children: Cyrus B., Frank Eugene and Birt. Frank Eugene married Mabel Henselman and has five children, named Carrol, Alice, Clarence, Donald and Harold. Birt is one of the progressive young farmers of this part of Indiana, owns sixty acres of land in section I of Franklin Township, and also handles his father's farm. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias. Birt Dirrim married Audra V. Dirrim and has one child, Cecil.

EDWARD T. HARDING, member of one of the ear- liest families to locate in LaGrange County, was born in Lima Township September 7, 1852, son of Micajah and Lydia (Kellehan) Harding.

His father was born in New York State Novem- ber 20, 1812, a son of Micajah and Betsey Harding, who were very early settlers of Lima Township. Micajah Harding, Jr., arrived in LaGrange County September 7, .1832, and settled on a farm in Lima Township, on Lima Prairie, where he lived until his death in 1854. He married Lydia Kellehan, who was born in Greene County, Ohio, November 7, 1814, and her parents settled in Van Buren Township of LaGrange County. She died in 1880. They had eight children, named Stephen, John, who died in infancy, Wesley, who died at the age of seventeen, Sylvester, Louisa, Lucy, Edward and Rebecca.

Edward T. Harding grew up in Lima Township, had a public school education, and for three years owned a farm of forty acres in Springfield Town- ship, after which he returned to Lima Township and worked the old homestead and in 1886 moved to his present place, where he has since farmed. For twenty years he has made a practice of putting up a large supply of ice. He also owns four cot- tages on Twin Lakes, these cottages being on his farm. Mr. Harding is a republican in politics.

In 1874 he married Miss Ella Schultz, a daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth (Ruhl) Schultz, who came to LaGrange County in 1868 from Erie County, Pennsylvania. Her father was a carpenter by trade, and while living on a farm in Lima Township put up many houses around Lima. He died in 1893, at the age of eighty-one, and his wife in 1908, aged eighty-six. Mr. and Mrs. Harding had four chil- dren: Clyde, who is married and has a daughter, Gladys May; Leroy, who died when two and a half years old; Jesse, who has three daughters, named Gwendolin, Erma and Greta; and Robert, unmarried.

OTIS L. BALLOU is one of the oldest members of the LaGrange County bar and has enjoyed many of the best dignities and honors of his profession.

He was born in Saratoga County, New York, August 31, 1849, a son of Pardon D. and Cath- erine (Bonesteel) Ballou. The family is of French origin, and all the Ballous in this country trace their origin to two brothers who came to the Amer- ican colonies many generations ago. Otis L. Bal- lou was reared from early boyhood in the home of his parents in Ashtabula County, Ohio. He grad- uated from the Kingsville Academy in 1868. On February 28, 1869, he married Julia M. Curtis. Only recently, in 1919, they quietly celebrated the golden wedding anniversary marking fifty years of marriage companionship.

The year of his marriage Mr. Ballou, accom-

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panied by his wife and his parents, moved to La- Grange County. Here for several years he com- bined farming and teaching school. He was also diligently studying law, having access to the library of Andrew Ellison. He was admitted to the bar in 1872 but did not begin actual practice until June, 1875. In 1878 he formed a partnership with George A. Cutting. He has now rounded out more than forty years of work as a lawyer, and his carcer has been marked with many successes both as an advocate and as a counsel.

Mr. Ballou has always been a democrat in his political affiliations. He has lived in a republican county, yet as a young man he served as county commissioner, and for nine years as a member of the School Board, the longest consecutive term en- joyed by any citizen of LaGrange. When Judge J. D. Ferrell died court was in session, and ac- cording to the law the county clerk, county re- corder and county treasurer had the duty of select- ing and appointing a judge to fill the immediate vacancy. Otis L. Ballou was the recipient of that honor, and as the appointment came from republi- can county officials he regards this as the greatest honor he has ever received. He held the office until the governor filled it by appointment of Fran- cis Dewitt Merritt. Judge Ballou was presidential elector of Indiana in 1802 and in the electoral college the vote was cast for Cleveland and Stev- enson. He was also a member of the State Senate in 1913 and 1915 and has served one term on the Board of Town Trustees. He owns a good farm in LaGrange County and valuable business and resi- dence property in LaGrange. He spends a con- siderable part of his time in the country, super- vising his farm interests, yet he is still actively en- gaged in the practice of the law.

Judge and Mrs. Ballou had three children, Par- don D., Katie M. and William C.

LORENZO BURCH. A successful career makes its impress upon the manner and character of the man himself, and the stranger on meeting Lorenzo Burch would soon have revealed to him some knowl- edge of the fact that Mr. Burch has earned his right to live and enjoy all the prosperity that surrounds him at his good and thriftily managed farm in Ot- sego Township.

Mr. Burch was born in the same township April 9, 1867, and represents a family of pioneers in Steuben County. His grandfather, Chester Burch, was born in Vermont March 22, 1810, a son of Oliver and Anna Burch. He grew up in New York and in 1831, in Ohio, married Polly Davis, who was born in Washington County, Ohio, April 4, 1812. Chester Burch came to Steuben County, Indiana, in 1837, and joined the few other early settlers in Otsego Township. He acquired eighty acres in sec- tion 10, and lived there until his death on January 26, 1879. He was a very active member of the Dis- ciples Church.

One of his seven children was Halbert C. Burch, who was reared in Otsego Township, served over three years as a Union soldier in the Civil war, and was killed in November, 1872, by being thrown from a wagon. He married Mary Rhinehart, who lived to the age of seventy-two.

Lorenzo Burch was a son of Halbert and Mary Burch, and was only five years old when his father died. He attended public school in Otsego and York townships, and at the age of sixteen began his career of independent farming. At the age of twenty-one, having inherited twenty-three acres in section II of Otsego Township, he took possession and started in to build up his modest fortune. How

well he has done his work is seen in his present farm of over 202 acres, nearly all of which he has bought from time to time out of the proceeds of his labors. He has improved his land with excel- lent buildings and carried on a diversified farming and stockraising business. His home is in section 12 of Otsego Township.

In 1888 Mr. Burch married Mina May Corey, daughter of George and Elizabeth (Teagarden) Corey. Mr. Burch has thirce daughters and several grandchildren. Ethel, his oldest daughter, married Alva Myers, and her children are Howard, Merl, Raymond and Donald. Edna is the wife of Glenn Rozell, and she has two children, Charles and Mil- dred. Fern married Etta Sewell and has a son, Kenneth Earl. The mother of these daughters died December 28, 1916. Mr. Burch married for his present wife Mrs. Mary Everitt, daughter of Calvin Fee. Mr. Burch is a member of the Christian Church at Metz and is fraternally identified with the Knights of Pythias, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Rebekahs and Pythian Sisters.

GEORGE W. GILBERT, now living retired in Pleasant Lake after many years of steady industry as a farmer, represents one of the oldest and most honored families of Steuben Township in Steuben County.

His grandparents, Samuel and Fanny (Crawford) Gilbert, came from Ohio to Steuben County, Indiana, arriving March 19, 1842, only a few years after the first settlers had located in the wilderness here, and Samuel Gilbert bought 320 acres of wild land in section 20 of Steuben Township. He was born in Genesee County, New York, in 1799 and his wife was a native of Vermont. From New York they removed to Lorain County, Ohio, and from there to Indiana. Samuel Gilbert was in advanced years when the Civil War came on, but in 1862 he made arrangements to enter the Union army, had enlisted, but before being mustered in died suddenly of heart disease. He. and his wife had children named Chauncy ; John; David S .; Lester; Samuel, Jr .; Cornelius; and Lucy. The last named mar- ried Calvin Powers.

John Gilbert father of George W., was born in New York State and married Ortensia George, a native of Ohio. John Gilbert came to Steuben County about 1845 and located on a farm adjoining the Village of Pleasant Lake, on the bank of Long Lake. He lived there the rest of his life and died more than thirty years ago. He was the owner of 120 acres. He and his wife had four children, James, George, Vina and Sherley.

George W. Gilbert, who was born in Pleasant Lake August 10, 1852, grew up on his father's farm, at- tended school in Pleasant Lake and Angola and after his education was completed he lost no time in taking up his vocation as an agriculturist. He followed farming steadily until 1912 and since then has lived retired in Pleasant Lake. Mr. Gilbert became owner of 235 acres of rich and fertile soil in Steuben Township. In addition to the responsi- bilities of his farm he served five years as trustee of the township. He is a member of the Baptist Church and is a Mason in fraternal affiliations.

In 1877 he married Sarah Gaylord, a daughter of David W. and Jane (Serle) Gaylord. Five children were born to their marriage: Gertrude; Charles, who married Gertrude Ransburg and has three children, named Roger, Elizabeth and Lawrence; Donald, who is a first lieutenant in the American army and in the spring of 1919 was still with the Expeditionary Forces in France; Gaylord, who is also a first lieutenant and who served as chief of

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the Military Police at Louisville, Kentucky; and Gerald, who is a member of the United States Marines.

HENRY C. ELSNER was one of the prominent mer- chants, business men and public-spirited citizens of LaGrange for many years, and when he died in 1918 he had a worthy successor in his son, Fred H. Elsner, who is now the responsible manager of the large Elsner store, one of the landmarks in the business district.

The late Mr. Elsner was born in Holstein, Ger- many, October 15, 1866, and was in his fifty-second year when he died. His parents were Joachim and Dora Elsner, and he was one of a number of chil- dren. Two of his brothers are still business men at Sweet Springs, Missouri, and he also was sur- . vived by a sister and brother at Kiel, Germany.

He had a splendid preparation for a business career, attending the common schools and also a German university. He came to the United States in 1882 and joined his brothers Frederick and Christian in a general merchandise business in Mis- souri. He was a resident of Sweet Springs in that state for a number of years, but in 1902 came to LaGrange, Indiana. His first location was a room now occupied by N. A. Balch, but about twelve years before his death he became owner of the Rose white brick block on South Detroit Street, and equipped his store with a splendid stock of dry goods, clothing and shoes. He sold the clothing and shoe departments six or seven years before his death, and the H. C. Elsner store is now an exclu- sive dry goods business.

He was baptized a Lutheran, but after coming to America became a member of the Christian church. He was a Knight Templar Mason at Ken- dallville, and he and his wife were active in the Eastern Star at LaGrange.

Besides his wife and son Fred H., he was sur- vived by two daughters, Erna and Adell, both pub- lic school teachers. His son Ralph died in Cali- fornia several years ago.

The appreciation in which this sterling citizen was held is concisely told in the columns of a LaGrange newspaper issued after his death. From this arti- cle the following well deserved tributes are taken:

"Mr. Elsner was a strong man intellectually, with the polish of education and travel. He had trav- eled in every civilized country in the world and was a student and a reader, the classics being his favor- ites, and he was modest in his manner and conserva- tive in his statements. He never intruded his friend- ship, but those who came within the circle of his lik- ing found him a most interesting and entertaining companion and a loyal comrade.

"He was intensely interested in public affairs, helpfully partisan in most things, and in politics a republican. He was a member of the LaGrange Board of Education one term of three years, and filled the place with credit to himself and benefit to the community. He was one of the organizers of Corn School Week. He was its vice president from the beginning until elected secretary, holding the latter position until illness compelled his retirement. In this office he was succeeded by his son Fred.

"He was successful in business, progressive in spirit, always a willing contributor in time and money to the interests of his town and county. He was gifted in extemporaneous speaking. LaGrange has lost many strong men in the last four or five years, but no one will be missed more than this man. He was constructive in all that he said and did, charitable in his judgment, a willing worker in com- munity enterprises, tender and- true in his family

relations, loyal in his friendships and unfaltering in his quiet but assured religious faith."

Fred H. Elsner was born in Sweet Springs, Mis- souri, July 4, 1892, and was about nine years old when his father came to LaGrange. He finished his education in the local public schools, and had the benefit of thorough training and wide experi- ence to equip him for his present responsibilities as manager of the H. C. Elsner store. He spent four years with Marshall Field & Company of Chicago, later for two years was with a large retail store at Muskogee, Oklahoma, the Graham-Sykes Company, and was also connected with Walker Brothers, a large retail store at Salt Lake City. A year or so before his father's death he returned to LaGrange to take active charge of the business, and is its general manager.

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History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II, Part 110

Author: Ford, Ira, 1848- ed Publication date: 1920 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 618

Author: Ford, Ira, 1848- ed
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 618