History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II, Part 115

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 115
USA > Indiana > Noble County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 115
USA > Indiana > DeKalb County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 115
USA > Indiana > Steuben County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 115

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

John S. Merritt, Sr., after coming to LaGrange County acquired a large farm in Greenfield Town- ship, and was called from that to the office of sheriff in 1866, serving one term. After leaving office he bought another farm adjoining LaGrange, and built a fine brick residence, where he made his home until his death in 1804. He was a republican in politics. His second wife and the mother of the children above noted died January 12, 1884, and he afterward married Mrs. Harriet Gilbert, who is now living at Bellingham, Washington.

John Spaulding Merritt spent his early life at LaGrange, attended the high school there and then took a business course at Indianapolis. For several years he gave all his attention to farming. He in- herited a part of the homestead, bought the Sexaner farm of 113 acres one mile west of Howe, and later the Walker farm of 166 acres at Howe. He has been secretary and manager of the Lima Creamery Company at Howe since January, 1915.

He is a republican in politics, and is a charter member of Howe Lodge No. 698, of Masons, mem- ber of the Royal Arch Chapter at LaGrange and the Scottish Rite Consistory at Fort Wayne. He is also affiliated with Lodge No. 142 of the Knights of Pythias at Howe.

December 8, 1897, he married Bertha M. Schaeffer, daughter of James Schaeffer, of LaGrange County. Mr. and Mrs. Merritt had two children, James Schaeffer Merritt and Margaret Marian Merritt, the latter born December 7, 1917. James Schaeffer Mer- ritt was born June 29, 1899, graduated from the Howe Military School and on August 16, 1918, en- tered the officers training camp at Fort Sheridan, Chicago. September 20, 1918, at the special request of Doctor Mckenzie, head of the Howe Military School, he was recalled to his alma mater and be- came instructor in military practice.

LOVZINSKI MCGUIRE. A substantial and prosper- ous farmer, a high minded citizen and a man well entitled to all the respect he enjoys, Lovzinski Mc- Guire owns one of the well improved farms of Green Township in Noble County. The farm com- prises the west half of the northwest quarter of section 2.

He has lived in Noble County most of his life but was born in Ashland County, Ohio, August 5, 1852, son of Benjamin and Rachel (Gladden) McGuire. His father was born in Washington, Pennsylvania, April 15, 1824, and died December 30, 1898. The mother was born November 2, 1826, and died Octo- ber 26, 1897. Benjamin McGuire went to Ashland County in 1835, and he and his wife were married there March 20, 1845. They were parents of ten children, the following of whom are still living: Wilson McGuire, of Denver, Colorado; O. M. Mc- Guire, of Green Township; Elizabeth, wife of J. C. Andrew, of Ohio; Lovzinski; Alva, of York Towu- ship, Noble County; and Hugh, who lives in Ash- land County, Ohio.

Lovzinski McGuire grew up in Ashland County, Ohio, attended the common schools and was at home until the age of twenty-one. On December 24, 1874, he married Malinda Budd. She was born in Ash- land County, Ohio, February 23, 1855, daughter of Thomas and Clarissa (Edwards) Budd, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Ohio. Her parents were married in Ohio and spent their last years in Ashland County. Mrs. McGuire was one of ten children, and was reared and educated in Ohio.

For some sixteen or eighteen years after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. McGuire lived in Ashland County and the greater part of this time he rented his father's farm. In the fall of 1890 he bought

a new home in Noble County, Indiana, and moved to it in the spring of 1891. . Here he has sur- rounded himself with most comfortable circum- stances, having a farm of eighty-three acres in the home place and twenty acres in Jefferson township. All of it represents his good, honest toil and earnest efforts to win a competency.

Mr. and Mrs. McGuire had three daughters. Ida is the wife of Marshall J. Engle, of Green Town- ship. Grace is the wife of Dr. O. P. Franks, of Churubusco. She is a high school graduate and was a teacher until her marriage. Bertha is the wife of Norman Bowman, and they live in Detroit, Mich- igan. The McGuire family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Summit. Mr. Mc- Guire is affiliated with Albion Lodge No. 97, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and is a democrat in politics. He has been much interested in local affairs and has served as justice of the peace of Green Township.

ALBERTUS CAMPBELL. For over seventy years the Campbell family has been prominent in Smithfield Township of DeKalb County. Albertus Campbell, a grandson of the original settler here, has followed farming for many years, owns a farm of generous proportions in Smithfield Township, and is also the honored representative of the north district of the county on the Board of County Commissioners.

He was born in Smithfield Township, April 13, 1871, a son of Edward and Mariun E. (Childs) Campbell.

His grandfather was Abel Campbell, who was born . in Washington County, Pennsylvania, October 26, 1807, and when a boy went with his parents to Stark County, Ohio. In that county on June 16, 1831, he married Jane Taylor, who was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, May 25, 1812. In 1836 they moved to Summit County, Ohio, and in May, 1847, located in section 28 of Smithfield Township, De- Kalb County. The family were two weeks in mak- ing the journey to DeKalh County by wagons and teams. The land on which he settled had been en- tered in 1836 by John Taylor, his wife's father. Abel Campbell took his family into a small log house, and his labor cleared up about seventy-five acres and otherwise improved the farm before his death in November, 1860. He was active in whig politics, becoming a republican upon the organization of that party, and he died the day after Lincoln was elected president.

Edward H. Campbell was born in Summit County, Ohio, in 1841, and was a small boy when brought to DeKalb County. Later he worked in the fields and in clearing up more land, and he became a prosper- ons farmer, owning 200 acres when he died. He was a member of the Masonic Order for fifty years. His wife Mariun E. Childs, was the daughter of Brickard Childs, who settled in DeKalb County in 1847. Edward H. Campbell and wife had five chil- dren: Frank, of Fairfield Township; Albertus; Elnora, deceased; Clark, who lives northeast of Waterloo; and Thomas S., of Waterloo.

Albertus Campbell grew up on the home farm and attended public schools, living with his parents until he was twenty-five. On June 7, 1896, he married Laura Walker, whin was born in Smithfield Town- ship, March 25, 1874, daughter of Eli and Susanna Walker. Her father for one term was a county commissioner of DeKalb County, being elected on the democratic ticket. Eli Walker died in February, 1918. He was an active member of the United Brethren Church and was affiliated with the Masons and Knights of Pythias.

After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Camphell moved into a log house on his father's farm, but a

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HISTORY OF NORTHEAST INDIANA

year later he bought forty acres and built a home of his own. He finally sold that place and bought his present farm of 112.88 acres, and is now exten- sively engaged in farming and stock raising.

He and his wife had two sons, Edward F., born September 6, 1897, still at home, and Jeremiah E., born February 7, 1908. Mr. Campbell is affiliated with Waterloo Lodge No. 307, Free and Accepted Masons, of which he is a past master, and with the Knights of Pythias.

Politically he is a republican, but his record in politics would indicate that his personality is strong- er than his party. . DeKalb County is democratic normally by 500. In 1916 he was the nominee of his party for commissioner and the only republican elected, and was re-elected November 5, 1918. He had a majority of 191 in 1916 and had many votes to spare in the second election. He also served four years as township assessor. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell are members of Waterloo Chapter No. 142 of the Eastern Star, of which he is a past worthy patron.

JOSEPH STEAD was a factor in the agricultural community of LaGrange County for over fifty years. Though he did his work in a time when prices for agricultural products were prevailingly low, he man- aged to prosper, and developed a farm which has long been recognized as one of the best in the county, and it is now the home of his daughter, Mrs. Carrie S. Gay, in Greenfield Township.

Joseph Stead was born in Yorkshire, England, December 21, 1830. In 1833, before he was able to remember the journey, his parents, William and Hannah Stead, brought him to America and settled at White Pigeon, Michigan, and subsequently re- moved to Greenfield Township, LaGrange County, where they spent the rest of their days. Joseph Stead had little opportunity to attend school, but made the best of his advantages and was employed on the home farm until his marriage. On December 23, 1852, he married Miss Lydia Alcott. He then located on a rented farm and six years later moved to the land which he cultivated for nearly half a century and where he died July 28, 1909. His wife passed away October 21, 1908. She was a daughter of Samuel and Nancy Alcott, of Marion County, Ohio, who came to Indiana in 1836, locating in Jackson Township of Steuben County. Samuel Alcott died in Springfield Township, LaGrange County, and his wife in Greenfield Township.

Joseph Stead and wife had three children, Annie E., George M. and Caroline B. The two older are now deceased. Caroline B. was born in Green- field Township, at the old homestead, received good advantages in the local schools, the LaGrange High School and the Tri-State College, and taught when she was only seventeen years old. In 1898 she became the wife of Dennis Gay.

Dennis Gay was born in Crawford County, Ohio, December 2, 1871, a son of Benjamin F. and Letitia ( McDougal) Gay, the former a native of Seneca County, Ohio, and the latter born near Wooster, Ohio. They were married in that state, and in 1883 moved to LaGrange County, settling in Clay Township on a farm. For about fifteen years Beniamin Gay lived there and made his enterprise notable in the breeding of standard bred road horses. On leaving Clay Township he bought a place near Coldwater, Michigan, and is now living retired at Sturgis. Michigan. He is a republican and member of the United Brethren Church. In the Gay family were four children : Dennis, Alice, Lulu and Jesse. Dennis Gay was educated in the public schools of Ohio, graduated from the LaGrange High School in 1890 and for thirteen years was a successful and popular teacher. During that time he was

principal of the schools of Mongo and of Brighton. While teaching he also engaged in farming, and some years ago he bought 140 acres in Greenfield Township, though he and his wife always lived on the Stead farm. After the death of Joseph Stead Mr. Gay and wife improved the farm by the erec- tion of a large barn 40 by 96 feet. Mr. Gay was a breeder of full blood Jersey cattle. He was a practical farmer and stock man, businesslike in all his dealings, and his death on June 27, 1917, was accounted a heavy loss to the community. Since his death Mrs. Gay has continued the farm and live- stock business. Mr. Gay was a republican and was affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows at LaGrange.

Mrs. Gay has one son, Paul Stead Gay, who was born March 5, 1900. He completed the work of the common schools, spent three years in the Mongo High School and graduated from the Angola High School in 1918. He is a student of the chemical engineering course in the Tri-State College.

ELVIE R. GREENAWALT, a son of Samuel Greena- walt, is a well known farmer in Springfield Town- ship, LaGrange County, and was born on the old Mallon homestead there October 15, 1888.

In addition to the advantages of the common schools he is a graduate of the Springfield Township High School and spent two years in the LaGrange High School. When the Home Grain Company started a branch elevator at Berlin he was manager for two years, but for the past four years has rented the Greenawalt homestead of 190 acres, and is now doing a prosperous business as a general farmer and stock raiser. He is a republican and he and his wife are both active in church.

September 9, 1914, he married Miss Irda Harp. She was born in Ohio, December 29, 1888, a daughter of John and Caroline Harp.

CHARLES BOWERMAN, one of the oldest men in Steuben County, an octogenarian, for forty years has been a resident of that county and has a record as a successful farmer and a man whose intelli- gence and public spirit have made him a valuable member of the community.

Mr. Bowerman was born in Seneca County, Ohio, March 24, 1836, a son of Jacob and Mary (Ritter) Bowerman. His parents were both natives of Penn- sylvania. Jacob Bowerman was born in 1795 and after his marriage lived in Seneca County, New York, moved from there about 1827 to Seneca County, Ohio, and died in that state in 1876, while his wife passed away in 1877. Jacob Bowerman and wife had a large family of children, named Samuel, Michael, Catherine, John, Elizabeth, Henry, Snsan- nah, Jacob, Charles, Mary Jane, Isaac and Joshua.

Charles Bowerman grew up in Seneca County, Ohio, and had a public school education at a time when public schools were of the pioneer type. At the age of twenty-one he bought eighty acres in Jackson Township of Steuben County, which is still included in his possessions. However, he did not come to the county to live until 1877. He then located on eighty acres south of his present home, and afterward bought the eighty acres in his home place, giving him 160 acres. . He has made many valuable improvements, and part of the house was built by his brother Henry abont seventy years ago.

In 1862 Mr. Bowerman married Caroline Reiter. She was born in Pennsylvania, March 28, 1835, and died December 25, 1885. Her parents were Michael and Sarah Reiter, the former dying at Napoleon, Ohio, and the latter in Seneca County.

Mr. and Mrs. Bowerman had four children, Wil- liam Henry, Alice, Clara Dell and Arthur. Alice is

Joseph Stead

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HISTORY OF NORTHEAST INDIANA

the wife of George A. Baker; Clara Dell keeps house for her father and brother; Arthur married Dora Neikirk and has two children, Violet and Charles John.

William Henry Bowerman was born in Ohio June 21, 1863, and was fourteen years of age when his parents moved to Steuben County. He acquired most of his education in his native county, though also attending school in Jackson Township. He has never married and has given the best service of his life to handling the home farm, and still operates the 160 acres, and owns twenty-five acres just across the road from the Bowerman homestead.

CHARLES F. SPERO is one of the progressive men in the agricultural district of Springfield Township, LaGrange County. His home is on rural route No. I out of Stroh. Among other features that indicate his enterprise his farm contains probably the longest barn in LaGrange County. He is a stockman as well as a general farmer.

He was born on the old Spero homestead in Springfield Township, May 31, 1861. His father, Samuel Spero, was prominent in his day as a farmer in Springfield Township. The grandfather was James Spero, who married Susanna Stoner, and some other members of the Spero family are men- tioned elsewhere in this publication. Samuel Spero was born in Stark County, Ohio, October 14, 1832, and at the age of twenty-four left home and rented a farm in Van Buren Township of LaGrange County for one year. He then returned to Springfield and bought eighty acres and kept his possessions in- creasing until he had 240 acres. For some time he and his family lived in a log house and later he erected two dwelling houses on his farm and also a good bank barn. He was a republican in politics. An instance of his good citizenship was his donating $150 to assist in clearing the township draft during the Civil war. Samuel Spero married Frances Deal, daughter of Conrad and Elizabeth Deal, who came from Marion County, Ohio, to LaGrange. County in 1834. Samuel Spero died in 1905, and his widow is still living at the age of eighty-three. They had eleven children and the six to reach mature years are all living, namely: Charles F .; Fred, of the State of Washington; Joseph, a LaGrange County farmer; Agnes E., of Washington; and Ned and Maggie B., also living in Washington.

Charles F. Spero attended public schools as a boy, and in 1883, at the age of twenty-two, he bought forty acres of land in Steuben County. Twenty years later, in 1903, he bought the Wol- heater farm of eighty-six acres in Springfield Town- ship. This is the farm which he owns today and where he has placed some notable improvements. The barn mentioned above is 36 feet wide and 134 feet long. It was erected in 1914. Mr. Spero is a republican, and he and his wife are active in the Methodist Episcopal Church. He has traveled ex- tensively, has made two trips to California, where his family spent one summer, and the winter of 1918- 19 he spent in Washington. For two years he lived at Mongo, where he engaged in selling stock food and disposed of a total product of 47,000 pounds.

December 21, 1882, Mr. Spero married Miss Belle Hamilton. She was born in Springfield Township, on the farm now owned by Henry Wade, on October 6. 1862, a daughter of Frank and Abigail (Carr) Hamilton. Her father was born in Talbot County, Maryland, in 1825, and her mother in New York State in 1827. Frank Hamilton came to LaGrange County in 1846, and owned the farm whose present proprietor is Tasso Smith, and later had the farm now owned by Henry Wade. In 1864 Frank Hamil- ton moved to Jackson Township in Steuben County

and bought 117 acres. When he sold that property he bought forty acres near Crooked Lake, and lived there until his death in 1896, his wife dying the next year. He was a republican, and he and his wife were active in the Methodist Church. In the Hamilton family were six children: Martha, deceased wife of Henry Kaler; Melinda, wife of Edgar Burdick, living in California; William Alexander, of La- Grange County, who married Belle Poppinno, and their son Fred married Bertha Garmier, and the Garmiers have one child, Ruth; Carr died in in- fancy; Belle is the wife of Charles F. Spero; and Homer is deceased.

Mr. and Mrs. Spero had two children. Gladys, the older, was born October 15, 1885, had a good education in local schools, is a graduate of the An- gola High School and a graduate in music from the Tri-State College. She is the wife of Adolph Seibel, of Delta, Ohio, also a graduate of the Tri-State College and a post-graduate of Columbia University. Mr. Seibel was principal of the Hamilton and Pleas- ant Lake schools and for about three years superin- tendent of the Angola High School. Mr. and Mrs. Seibel are now fruit ranchers in the State of Wash- ington and have a daughter, Joan Elizabeth, born January 3, 1914.

Guy Spero, the only son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Spero, was born April 13, 1891, on the old James Spero farm, is a graduate of the Springfield Town- ship High School and is now an independent young farmer owning a place of forty acres. He married Lola Smith, and their one child is Franz Hamilton, born April 4, 1918.

JOSEPH HORNER, member of one of the prominent families of Greenfield Township, LaGrange County, was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, August 17, 1850, a son of Eli and Catherine ( Mohler) Horner. His parents were both natives of Pennsylvania. In October, 1866, they came to La- Grange County and settled on a farm formerly known as the William Hall farm. Eli Horner be- came the owner of more than 600 acres of land and lived in LaGrange County until his death in 1898, at the age of seventy-six. His wife died in 1892, at the age of sixty-four. Their children were: Wil- liam, who died in infancy: Anna; Elias; Joseph ; Catherine and Isaiah, both deceased; Emanuel; Al- phens; Milton; Irvin; Myrton; and Charles.

Joseph Horner when two and a half years old went with his parents to Ashland County, Ohio, where he grew up and attended public school. He was sixteen years of age when he came to Indiana, and had some further advantages in the public schools of LaGrange County. In 1880 he bought forty acres, later added another forty, and has ex- tensively remodeled the buildings and does a busi- ness as a farmer and stock raiser. He was a sheep feeder for a number of years. Politically he is a republican, and he and his wife are members of the Progressive Brethren Church.

July 4. 1880, Mr. Horner married Lorinda Hall, a native of Springfield Township, where she was born November 1, 1858, daughter of George W. and Mar- garet (Pickles) Hall. Her father was born in Ohio, March 23, 1833. a son of William and Lucinda (Hull) Hall. Her mother was born in England, October 1, 1833, daughter of Richard and Jane (Sayer) Pickles. Richard Pickles brought his fam- ily to LaGrange County in 1835, settling in Green- field Township. As a stone mason and marble worker he found active employment and helped build the State Prison at Jackson, Michigan, where he was living when he died. The Sayer family were also early identified with LaGrange County, coming here in 1834 and settling in Greenfield Township.

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The children of Richard Pickles and wife were Mar- garet, Jane, Sarah, Joseph.

George W. Hall, father of Mrs. Horner, came to LaGrange County with his parents, was married in Greenfield Township, where he bought and owned several farms, and later went to Noble County, own- ing a farm north of Kendallville and finally returned to Springfield Township, LaGrange County, and lived on a farm east of Mongo until the death of his wife in 1880. He then returned to Noble County, and lived there until his death in 1906. Mrs. Horner was one of seven children, the others being Mc- Kinnon, Martin, Henry, Tena, Hattie and William.

Mr. and Mrs. Horner had three children: Adella married James M. Gibbons, who died June 16, 1919, and has two children, Margaret and James. Flor- ence is the wife of William Wolfe and has a daugh- ter, Rachel Maxine. The youngest is Cecil Othello, at home with his parents.

WILLIS J. HALL, owner of a fine farm in Salem Township of Steuben County, is a member of a family that has been especially well known in La- Grange County since pioneer days.

His father, the late Charles Hall, came to La- Grange County when all the country was wild and new and bought land in Springfield Township. He sold that and moved to Milford Township in the same county, acquiring 120 acres and increasing it by the purchase of an additional 180 acres, where he spent a life of toil and good management and left a splendid farm at the time of his death in 1916, at the age of eighty-seven. He married Sophronia Case, who died in 1876, the mother of eight children, named Ida, Florence, Ella, Emma, Orcy, Frank, Almond and Willis J. Charles Hall married for his second wife Celia Case, first cousin of his first wife, and daughter of Perry Case. To this marriage were born Mabel, Nina, Leona, Harry and Leon. Charles Hall's first wife was a daughter of Randolph Case, a pioneer of LaGrange County.

Willis J. Hall, who was born in Milford Town- ship of LaGrange County February 3, 1876, grew up there and acquired a public school education. In early manhood he went to the territory of Oklahoma and acquired eighty acres, which he developed largely from its primeval state and condition. He sold out and returned to Steuben County in 1901, and since 1908 has owned his present farm of 105 acres in Salem Township. He has remodelled the buildings and the general arrangement of the farm and has given it greatly increased value and pro- ductiveness.

Mr. Hall is a republican in politics. In 1902 he married May Courtright, daughter of Jonathan M. Courtright of Salem Township. They have three children, Josephine, Burdette and Roscoe.

YOST C. MILLER, for many years a prominent farmer of LaGrange County, represents a line of sturdy ancestors of the Mennonite faith for several generations residents in Pennsylvania, and Mr. Miller himself has been a leader among the Menno- nites of Newbury Township for many years, being minister of the Shore Mennonite Church.

He was born in Newbury Township, April 28, 1855. His grandfather, Daniel Miller, was born April 10, 1794, in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, spent his life there as a farmer and died April 3, 1835. He married Mary Mast, who was born in the same county in March, 1796. After the death of Daniel Miller his widow married Frederick Swartzendruber, and she spent the last two years of her life in La- Grange County.

Samuel D. Miller, father of-Yost C., was born in Somerset County, November 3, 1820. In the

same county on December 21, 1839, he married Veronica Baumgardner. She was born in Somer- set County, July 25, 1813, a daughter of Peter and Esther (Yoder) Baumgardner. Peter Baumgardner was a native of Switzerland, and coming to America when a young man located in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and subsequently lived in LaGrange County, Indiana.

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History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II, Part 115

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