History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II, Part 126

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 126
USA > Indiana > Noble County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 126
USA > Indiana > DeKalb County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 126
USA > Indiana > Steuben County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 126

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).

EDMUND BARNES, a well remembered citizen of LaGrange County, was born in Bloomfield Township February 28, 1853, a son of Edmund and Susan (Beardsley) Barnes. His parents came from Ohio to LaGrange County at a very early day, and ac- quired the land where their son Edmund was born, and in the midst of a clearing in the woods built their log cabin home. They lived there the rest of their days. Their family consisted of ten children: Matilda Maria, Jehile, Harriet, John, Elizabeth, Jane, Ephraim, William, Alice and Edmund. Of these Jehile was killed while a Union soldier. Only two are now living, Matilda and Harriet.

Edmund Barnes after his father's death remained on the homestead with his widowed mother, and when she died he went out to Kansas and spent two years. In 1881 he bought forty acres one mile north and one-quarter east of Plato, and his family have lived there since 1882. Later he added thirty-five acres and improved the land with good buildings be- fore his death, which occurred in 1896.

On March 1, 1882, he married Charlotte Campbell. She was born in Ingham County, Michigan, a daughter of Marshall and Maria (Boyer) Campbell, who came from Pennsylvania and were early settlers in the woods of Ingham County. They had twelve children, Boyer, Catherine, Sarah, Daniel, Mathew, William, Homer H., Angeline, Mrs. Charlotte Barnes, Joseph, Marshall, Jr., and Maria. Of the twelve children Boyer, Daniel, William, Charlotte and Marshall are still living.

Mrs. Barnes, who with her son Walter and family live on the old homestead, had two children, Jennie M., born May 1, 1884, and Walter E., born December 24, 1885. Jennie is the wife of Claud C. Smith, a Mongo merchant and business man. Walter E. was born on the old home farm, and owing to the death of his father he has had the practical responsibilities of running the farm since he was fifteen years old. On May 6, 1908, he married Miss Cordelia Horner, a daughter of Elias M. Horner. They have two children : Ralph D., born September 20, 1910, and Mildred Arlene, born July 23, 1914.

CLAUD C. SMITH. A great deal of the business history of the old Village of Mongo centers around members of the Smith family. Claud C. Smith has been a business man there for fifteen years or more, formerly a hardware merchant, and now a partner in the grain elevator.

His father, the late well remembered and stanch old character of Mongo, George Smith, helped make business and community history in this part of La- Grange County. George Smith was born in Spring- field Township, on his father's farm, in 1843, a son ot George W. and Jane (Gray) Smith, the former a native of New York State and the latter of Con-

necticut. George W. Smith came at a very early date to Indiana and located at Mongo, where he con- ducted what was probably the first real hotel in the village. That hotel stood on the site now occupied by the Dan Garlets residence. This was in stage coach days, and the stage between Fort Wayne and Sturgis made regular stops at the Smith Inn or hotel. George W. Smith was in the hotel business only about a year and then moved to the farm where his son George lived so long. George W. Smith acquired 500 acres of land in Indiana and cleared up much of it and made the first improvements. Later he and his wife retired from the farm and spent their last days in Mongo. Their children were three, George, Sophia, wife of Emory Rodgers, and Charles.

George Smith received his education in the old Ontario Seminary and attended school there one year after his marriage. As a young man he was a farmer and teacher, but later went back to his father's old farm and had 200 acres which received his particular attention. He put up good buildings, but in 1906 he built a home in Mongo and lived re- tired there until his death December 12, 1912. He was a township trustee many years and active in all local matters. He was also affiliated with the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows as a charter member of the Lodge at LaGrange, and as a Knight of Pythias helped build the Knights of Pythias Hall at Mongo. He married, March 12, 1871, Miss Mary Adaline Colwell. She was born at Mongo, a daughter of John and Margaret (Wilson) Colwell, both na- tives of Ohio. The Colwell family also had a part in the early activities of Mongo. John Colwell on coming to Indiana established a blacksmith shop on the site now occupied by the home of Alice Garlets. He was the village blacksmith for many years. He and his wife lived in the home now occupied by Doctor Grubb, and died there. In the Colwell family were five children: Wesley, Catherine, Charles, Mary Adaline and Hugh, Mrs. George Smith being the only survivor. She became the mother of three children : Harriett, Claud C. and Opal, and of these Claud C. alone remains.

Claud C. Smith was born at Mongo November 19, 1879, attended the Mongo High School and the Tri-State Normal at Angola, where he graduated in 1899 with the Bachelor of Science degree. While a student at Angola he enlisted June 21, 1898, in Company H of the One Hundred and Fifty-seventli Volunteer Infantry. Like most of the volunteers of the Spanish-American war, he spent his time in a training camp, being sent to Fort Tampa and also to Ferninda. On the first of October he was returned to Indianapolis, where he was mustered out. Mr. Smith taught one year in Steuben County and for five years was principal of the high school at Mongo. Another two years he farmed his father's place and then engaged in the hardware business, establishing the first exclusive hardware stock in the village. His stock was first housed in an old frame building on the west side of Main Street. When this building burned it was replaced by Mr. Smith by a sub- stantial brick block which still stands as a monument to his enterprise. He individually built and owned the block, but for five years his business partner as a merchant was L. Haskins. He sold out his mer- cantile interests in 1915. Besides handling hardware the firm also did an extensive business in the buying and selling of live stock. For the past four years Mr. Smith has been a partner with Mr. Wingard in the grain elevator at Mongo, which they bought from William Hawk.

Mr. Smith is affiliated with the LaGrange Lodge of Masons, with the Knights of Pythias at Mongo. and with the Elks Lodge at Kendallville. He mar-

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ried April 19, 1905, Jennie M. Barnes, of LaGrange County, daughter of Edmund Barnes. They have one son, Hubert B., born September 25, 1906.

DR. C. A. GARDNER. Among the professional men of Kendallville, Indiana, is Dr. Cyrus Alvin Gard- ner, who has been in the practice of medicine and surgery in that place for the past fifteen years.

Doctor Gardner was born in Fairfield Township, DeKalb County, Indiana, January 10, 1875, a son of Henry and Sarah (Miller) Gardner. His father was a native of Pennsylvania and his mother of Ohio. His father, at the age of six years, moved with his parents to Holmes County, Ohio, where he grew to manhood. In 1845 he located on a farm in DeKalb County, Indiana, being one of the early pioneers of the county. He remained on the same farm until 1899, when he moved to Kendallville. where he lived until his death.

Doctor Gardner was born and reared on a farm. He received his preliminary education in the dis- trict school, graduating from the grades in 1893. In September of the same year he entered the academic department of Wittenberg College at Springfield, Ohio, graduating from that department in the spring of 1895. In the fall of the same year he entered Wittenberg College, completing the course in the spring of 1899 with the degree of A. B. He was prominent in student affairs in college. He was president of his senior class and was also espe- cially active in athletics. He was a member of the college track team and of the varsity football team, being captain of the college team when Wittenberg gained the Ohio championship. He is a member of the Greek letter fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta.

In the fall of 1899 Doctor Gardner entered Rush Medical College at Chicago and completed his course there June 18, 1902, receiving the degree of M. D. The same year he received from Wittenberg College the degree of A. M. Immediately after graduating from Rush Medical College Doctor Gardner located in Kendallville, Indiana, where he has gained a high reputation in medical circles. He is secretary of the Board of Health and Charities of Kendallville, is surgeon for the Ft. Wayne and Northwestern Railroad, and was acting surgeon for the New York Central Lines in 1918. He is an active member of the Noble County Medical Society, the Indiana State Medical Society and of the American Medical Association.

Doctor Gardner was married in Chicago Novem- ber 12, 1901, to Etta Mae Barringer of Springfield, Ohio. They are members of the Presbyterian Church and he is a Knight Templar Mason.

WILLIAM H. DUFF, who has been a resident of LaGrange County for half a century, and has heen prominent as a farmer, teacher and public official, was born at Rochester, New York, December 26, 1852, son of William and Eliza (Burns) Duff. William Duff was born at Ballina, County Mayo. Ireland, and was married in that country and ahout 1849 crossed the ocean to Montreal, Canada, and the following year came to the United States. He and his family located in Indiana in 1869. The parents of Eliza Burns were Edward and Mary (Wilson) Burns, natives of Ireland, who came to the United States about 1859.

William H. Duff was seventeen years old when he came to Indiana. He had attended common schools and finished his education in the Collegiate Insti- tute at Ontario. For fourteen years in the town of Lima he farmed and taught school. He has also served as justice of the peace, was clerk of the circuit court from 1893 to 1901, was prosecuting attorney two years, and served as juvenile judge

in vacation. A prominent republican, he served as county chairman of his party in 1894-96.

Mr. Duff is a charter member of Lima Lodge of the Knights of Pythias and a member of the Methodist Church.

March 30, 1876, at Ontario, Indiana, he married Harriet M. Keith, daughter of James M. and Catherine A. (Brown) Keith. She was born at Lima, Indiana, in 1853. Her father, James M. Keith, was born at Nelson in Madison County. New York, February 25, 1811, son of Simeon and Hannah (Taft) Keith. Catherine Abigail Brown was born in Columbia County, New York, Decem- ber 8, 1817. She and James M. Keith were married at Lima in LaGrange County, December 17, 1837, and they and their family constituted pioneers in Northeast Indiana.

Judge Duff and wife have four children : William Burns Duff, a native of Lima, who married Jane E. White of LaGrange; James K. Duff, who mar- ried Bess L. Gilbert; Enid E. Duff, who is the wife of Edwin C. Brant of LaGrange; and Mildred C. Dickinson.

G. A. BRILLHART. For over thirty years G. A. Brillhart was identified with the business affairs and civic life of Kendallville. He was a very able merchant, but is also remembered because of his substantial qualities as a citizen, the liberal efforts he expended in behalf of church and other local in- stitutions, and he well earned the esteem which followed his memory.

Mr. Brillhart, who died at his home in Kendall- ville, February 8, 1899, was born in Summit County, Ohio, November 28, 1835. He acquired a common school education and for a number of years was a successful teacher. While teaching he also worked as a bookkeeper for the merchants, doing this to pay his board. He finally left off teaching and be- came a bookkeeper for a firm at Liberty, Ohio. In that town in 1855, he married Miss Amanda Spangler.

A year after his marriage he again resumed teaching, and lived for several years at Edgerton, Ohio. In 1866 he came to Kendallville and here for thirty years was a leading implement and hard- ware merchant. He built up a large business and he also profited by his keen foresight, and his ex- tensive knowledge of business and affairs. He was always kind and sympathetic, and gave liberally of his means for charitable work, especially under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he was an active member. He was also a member and past noble grand of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and in politics was a re- publican.

He was survived by Mrs. Brillhart, who died July 12, 1918. She was one of the noble women of Ken- dallville. a sincere worker in the Methodist Epis- copal Church, and beloved by all who knew her, especially by the children, who had what amounted to a veneration for this good and kindly woman.

Mr. and Mrs. Brillhart had three children, but the only one now living is Ida L. Brillhart. Ida was reared and educated at Kendallville, and had a high school course. She married Jehu Miller, who was born and educated in Ohio. Mrs. Miller has one daughter, Gertrude, who was educated in the Indianapolis High School and attended college at Washington.

For the past nineteen years Mrs. Ida L. Miller has been a very successful business woman and has an office through which many important transac- tions in real estate and loans have been made. She is a member and liberal supporter of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

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GEORGE M. WHITE. One of the prominent mer- chants of LaGrange, George M. White is a son of that old time and honored physician of the county, the late Dr. Edward G. White.

George M. White was born at LaGrange, Sep- tember 28, 1865. His birthplace was the house he lives in today. He was educated in grammar and high schools and on April 1, 1887, engaged in the grocery business with his brother, Ira. They were associated for ten years, at the end of which period George bought out his brother and has conducted an individual business now for over twenty years In politics he is a republican and is serving as a mem- ber of the Town Board.

In 1901 he married Mary Horning, a native of Lima Township.

Dr. Edward G. White, father of George M. White, was born in Wayne County, New York, March 22, 1830, son of Ira and Jane G. (Bennie) White, the former a native of Vermont and the latter of New York City. Doctor White was an infant when his mother died and in 1836 accon- panied his father to Maumee City, Ohio. His father died there when Doctor White was twelve years of age and about a year later he returned to the State of New York. In 1845 he again made his home at Maumee City, and began learning the trade of printer. In 1847 he went to Columbus, Ohio, and for about four years worked in the offices of the State Journal and the Ohio Statesman. In the sum- mer of 1850 he again visited his native state and the following winter took up the study of medicine in the Sterling Medical College at Columbus, Ohio, and had some of the most eminent physicians and surgeons of the .time among his instructors. He graduated in February, 1854, practiced a few years in Licking County, Ohio, and in July, 1857, came to LaGrange, Indiana. Except for the period of the Civil War he was steadily engaged in practice and his services were appreciated over a wide ex- tent of territory in and around LaGrange for more than forty years until his death in October, 1901.

Immediately after the battle of Stone River in 1863, Doctor White received a telegram from Gov- ernor Morton to gather as many surgeons as pos- sible and report for special duty at Nashville and Murfreesboro. Having carried out this instruction with his characteristic promptness, Doctor White contracted as an acting assistant surgeon in the Union Army and remained engaged in those dutics until the close of the war. In later years he was examining surgeon for applicants for pensions and was also examiner for the Knights of Honor and a number of other insurance companies. He also at one time held the office of trustee of Bloomfield Township.

In 1856 Doctor White married Agnes R. Murch, of Licking County, Ohio. She died in 1909. Their two sons to reach manhood are Ira R. and George M. . Ira R. White was born at LaGrange, in June, 1861, graduating from the LaGrange High School in 1878, with the first class that had a formal com- mencement. He was in the drug business with Charles Allen, later with Seth McDonald, and finally sold out his interest in that partnership and bought a local grocery business and for ten years he and his brother George were partners. About 1897 Ira White moved to South Bend, Indiana, where for over twenty years he has been in the drug business. He married Kittie Brown and has a daughter, Jean, now the wife of William B. Duff, Jr., of LaGrange.

ROBERT WILLIAM McCLASKEY was born at La- Grange, Indiana, on July 4, 1886. He is the son of John Edgar and Alta Ione (Crampton) McClaskey.

The McClaskey family originated in Scotland. The traditional ancestor married one of the daughters of the famous Robert Bruce, King of Scotland. The McClaskey clan were loyal supporters of the House of Stewart, which for years was the ruling dynasty of Scotland. A large majority of the male members of the family lost their lives at the battle of Flodden Field, where they vainly died in the cause of "Bonnie Prince Charlie" Stewart. The family were strict Presbyterians, and to gain greater freedom, most of the McClaskey family name moved to counties Antrim and Down, in Ire- land.

In the eighteenth century several of this family immigrated from Ireland to America and settled in New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia, and records show that those of this name participated on the side of the colonists in the American Revolution.

Jacob McClaskey, paternal great-grandfather of Robert William, was born on the Juniata River, in Perry County, Pennsylvania. He was the only child of his parents. His father died, the mother re- marrying a Mr. Dean and having two children, Samuel and a girl who married John Straus. Jacob McClaskey grew up along the Juniata River in Pennsylvania and moved to Beaver County, Penn- sylvania, where he married Margaret Lowry. Mar- garet (Lowry) McClaskey was the daughter of Robert Lowry, who had nine children: John, Frank. Robert (father of the late Judge Robert Lowry of Fort Wayne, Indiana), James, Alexander, one other son, Jane, who married a Beatty; Mary, who died unmarried; and Margaret, who married great- grandfather Jacob McClaskey.

In 1819 Jacob McClaskey moved to near Mans- field, Ohio, and then moved to Leesville, Crawford County, Ohio, where he was elder in the Presby- terian Church and a strict abolitionist. He here conducted a station on the "Underground Rail- road," freeing runaway slaves. In his old age he lived with children in Steuben County, Indiana. He died January 6, 1871, aged eighty years, two months, ten days. His wife, Margaret (Lowry) McClaskey, died January 2, 1861, aged sixty-nine years, five months, twenty-five days.

Jacob McClaskey's children were: Jane, who married John Clements; Robert (paternal grand- father) ; Rebecca, who married Dr. John McKean; Lydia, who married Peter West; Mary Ann, who married Abram Hemery; Nancy, who married Thomas Parsons; and Julia Ann, who married Joseph Thomas.

The paternal grandfather, Robert McClaskey, was born January 15, 1815, in a log house which stood on what was then the spot where three counties in Pennsylvania joined, namely: Beaver, Butler and Mercer counties. When he was four years old his parents moved to near Mansfield, Ohio, and later to Leesburg, in Crawford County. There, in 1836. he married Hannah Dwinnell. In 1844 he traded his farm in Ohio for roo acres adjoining LaGrange, in LaGrange County, Indiana. He and his family, with their goods, came with teams and wagons to La- Grange, Indiana, in October, 1844, passing through the Black Swamp, near Van Wert, Ohio. The first court to be assembled in LaGrange was in session in the frame courthouse when they arrived. Robert McClaskey's house was located where Hotel Ruick now stands. He had a shoe shop where the Platts Marble Works is now located. There he employed several men and made most of the boots and shoes for the town. He gradually added to his farm until he had 200 acres adjoining the town on the east. He bought and laid out several subdivisions in the town. He was not forward in disposition but was a leader, very erect in bearing, being 6

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feet I inch tall. He with Doctor Butler, Joe Wade, Zoph Scidmore and a few others started the first organization of the republican party in LaGrange County in 1856. In later life he built a large house on his farm on the hill to the east of LaGrange and resided there until his death, October 18, 1900. Robert McClaskey's first wife died at LaGrange and he was married in 1851 to Hannah (Humiston) Durand, the widow of Amasi Durand, a farmer who owned land adjoining LaGrange. The widow had two sons, George and Ira Durand, who lived with the McClaskey's after their mother's second marriage. Robert McClaskey's second wife died in 1885.

Robert McClaskey's children by his first wife were: Rachel, deceased, aged sixteen, in 1854; Julia, unmarried, now living in LaGrange; Margaret, who married Charles R. Moon and is living in St. Joseph, Michigan, a widow; Rebecca, who mar- ried Norman Sessions, both living at Hawks Park, Florida ; Nancy Adeline, who married E. G. Machan, both living in Elkhart, Indiana. Bv his second wife Robert McClaskev had two sons: Miles Robert. who died in 1898, aged forty-six; he was a lawyer in LaGrange, Indiana; John Edgar, the youngest of the family and father of our subject.

John Edgar McClaskey was born at LaGrange October 23, 1854, and died there April 25, 1905. He grew up at LaGrange, taught school at Shipshe- wana one year, then attended Indiana University at Bloomington, and was graduated there in 1879. He belonged to the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. After graduation he returned to LaGrange and studied law in the office of - Glascoe, was admitted to the bar and in 1884 opened a law office for him- self; 1886-1888 he served as prosecuting attorney of LaGrange and Elkhart counties. He was elected a member of the LaGrange school board and served eight years. He always took an active part in re- publican politics, starting when he was a boy as captain of the "Grant Sprouts," a local campaign organization of note. For several years he served as republican county chairman, and was a factor in district and state politics. As a young man he sang in a local campaign organization called the "Hungry Six." He was a lawyer of unusual ability, a ready speaker before a jury, and an exacting and pro- found reasoner. In 1900 he formed a law partner- ship with Frank J. Dunten under the firm name of McClaskey and Dunten.

Mr. McClaskey was married March 24,- 1885, to Alta Ione Crampton. She still resides in LaGrange, Indiana. She was born on the home farm of her parents, in Van Buren Township, LaGrange County, ter of William and Emily (Cook) Crampton. The former served as county commissioner of LaGrange County and was a leading farmer. Extended men- tion of the Crampton family is given elsewhere in this history under heading of G. E. Crampton. The children of John Edgar and Alta I. (Crampton) McClaskey were: Robert William, Lura Emily, who resides with her mother in LaGrange; and Charles Edgar, who is engaged in the life insur- ance business at LaGrange, Indiana.

. Robert William McClaskey grew up in LaGrange and was graduated from LaGrange High School in 1904. While in high school he took an active part in debating and public speaking and was editor of the high school magazine. He taught school sev- eral years in the county, at Mongo, Plato, Wood- ruff, and as an instructor in LaGrange High School. In the summers he worked for different concerns engaged in the publication of county histories and at one time is very proud to say that he worked for the Lewis Publishing Company, who are publishing this edition. Thus he saved enough money to put

himself through college. He was graduated from Indiana University Law School in June, 1913, one of the honor men of his class. While in college lie belonged to the Delta Tau Delta fraternity and also to the honorary law fraternity, Phi Delta Phi. On January 18, 19II, he was admitted to the bar at Bloomington, Indiana, and practiced law one year there as a partner of Elmer Williams under the firm name of Williams and McClaskey. Subsequently he was admitted to practice in the Indiana Supreme Court and the United States District Court.

Robert William McClaskey naturally developed an interest in republican politics. In 1914 he was elected as representative from the LaGrange- Steuben district to the 1915 session of the Indiana State Legislature, and served on the Judiciary Com- mittee which drafted the Indiana Workmen's Com- pensation Law. In 1916 he was re-elected to the 1917 session of the Legislature, where he served as chairman of the Insurance Committee and the "Plunder" Committee and acted as republican "whip" on the majority side of the house. He then engaged in the investment security business in In- dianapolis and promoted, among other concerns, the Indiana Motor Company, of which he is president. This concern is one of the largest state distributors of automobiles and trucks in Indiana. In 1919 he became a member of the legal staff of the Indian- apolis branch of the Travelers' Insurance Company.

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History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II, Part 126

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