History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II, Part 13

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 13
USA > Indiana > Noble County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 13
USA > Indiana > DeKalb County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 13
USA > Indiana > Steuben County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 13

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).

Luke Barr, father of Mrs. Wilson, was born at Elyria, Ohio, September 22, 1830. He was an enter- prising citizen and well-to-do farmer, and for many years was widely known as a competent teacher of vocal music. In 1864 Mr. Barr married Mary Wil- liams, who was born at Manlius, New York, May 15, 1840, and died at Reid City, Michigan, June 3, 1902. When eighteen years old she was graduated from Phipps Female Seminary, Albion, New York, and afterward taught school for twenty-five terms, for a while being principal of a school at Newville, Ohio. To Luke and Mary Barr the following chil- dren were born: Lena, Myrtie, Lillie, Charles and Guy. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have had children as follows : Erma, Alma B., Newell H., Lloyd, Loyal B. and Caroll. The eldest, Erma Wilson, was born April 1, 1889, attended the public schools and com- pleted the high school course, subsequently pursuing the study of music in the Chicago Conservatory of Music, since when she has been teaching her art. Alma B. Wilson was born May 18, 1890, was gradu- ated from the Flint High School, after which she studied dramatic art, expression and music with noted instructors in Chicago. Newell H. Wilson was born February 2, 1892, and died in March, 1898. Lloyd Wilson, who was born July 18, 1894, was graduated from the Angola High School, after which he spent several years at Purdue University. He is a successful breeder of Hereford cattle. He was subject to draft during the great war, was called May 21, 1918, was transferred from Colum- bus, Ohio, to Fort Snelling, Minnesota, then to Camp Taylor, Kentucky, and was taking officer's training when the armistice with Germany was signed, and he was discharged December 1, 1918, when he re- turned home and resumed the pursuits of civil life. Loyal B. Wilson was born March 8, 1900, and was graduated from the Jefferson High School, Lafay- ette, Indiana, in 1919. Carroll Wilson, who was born July 15, 1902, at present is a student in the Jefferson High School of Lafayette. Mr. Wilson is one of Steuben County's representative men.

CHARLES A. GATWOOD is one of the pleasant spoken citizens of Albion, a man of long experience in mer- cantile affairs, and is honored as the present trustee of Albion Township.

He was born in that township of Noble County, December 9, 1873, son of Joseph and Mary (Rine- hart) Gatwood. His father was a native of Ohio and his mother of Pennsylvania. Both the Rine- hart and Gatwood families came to Indiana in early

HISTORY OF NORTHEAST INDIANA

days, the Rineharts settling near Ossian and the Gatwoods in Wells County, near Zanesville. After Joseph Gatwood was married he moved to LaGrange County, near Howe, worked at his trade as a car- penter there, and on moving to Albion continued business as a contractor and builder and was also in the bakery and grocery business for a time. Then for twenty-three years he was foreman of a gang of railway bridge carpenters. He and his wife are still living at Albion. For a brief time he was a soldier in the Civil war and is a member of the Grand Army Post. He is active in the United Brethren Church. There were eight children: Sarah, wife of J. N. Busz; John F., of Albion; Emma R., wife of A. B. Pinchon; Charles A .; George W., of Arcola, Indiana; Clyde D., deceased ; Ted L., of Albion; and Donald M., of Albion.

Charles A. Gatwood grew up in Albion Township and attended the public schools of the village. After leaving school he worked as a clerk for ten years, then followed the barber trade in Mishawaka, In- diana, four years, and in the same city was em- ployed as a rubber boot maker four years. On re- turning to Albion he engaged in the grocery busi- ness with J. N. Busz, and after about four years bought out his partner and has been sole proprietor of one of the leading establishments of its kind in Noble County for the past eight or nine years.

Mr. Gatwood married for his first wife Elizabeth Meiser, of Auburn, Indiana. She died of smallpox, leaving one son, Joseph L., who is now a student in high school. Mr. Gatwood married for his present wife Nettie M. Stewart, of Avilla. They have two daughters: Hilda Mae, born in 1906, and Lora L., born in 1910, now students in the public schools. Mr. Gatwood and family are members of the United Brethren Church. He is affiliated with Albion Lodge No. 223, Knights of Pythias, of which he is a past chancellor, and is also a member of the Maccabees and the Brotherhood of American Yeo- men. In politics he has been quite active as a re- publican, and his fellow citizens have been proud of the record he has made as trustee of the township.

CARY M. SNOWBERGER, representative of an old and well known family name in Steuben County, adopted as his profession dental surgery, and has made a conspicuous success of its practice at Hudson.

Doctor Snowberger was born in Steuben County, May 15, 1875, a son of Robert and Marie (Lacey) Snowberger. The family history will be found on other pages. He acquired his early education in the district schools, spent a year and a half in the Angola Tri-State College, and in October, 1897, en- tered the Ohio College of Dental Surgery, where he was graduated in May, 1900. He at once located at Hudson and has been the leading dentist of that village for nearly twenty years and a man of un- usually fine qualifications professionally and as a citizen.

While in college Doctor Snowberger became a charter member of Rho Chapter of the Psi Omega dental fraternity. He is a member in good standing of the DeKalb County, Northern Indiana, Fort Wayne District, Indiana State and American Dental associations and the Isaac Knapp Dental Coterie. In Masonry he is affiliated with the Lodge at Hudson, the Chapter at Ashley and the Council at Angola. Doctor Snowberger married Reba B. Brown, a daughter of Jacob Brown, on March 27, 1901.

SOLOMON SEXAUER is widely known as the cattle king of Northern Indiana, and while now practically retired his operations as a farmer, land owner and

stockman have covered a wide field in addition to the home farm where he has lived for more than half a century and which was developed from the stumps by the labors of himself and his father.

Mr. Sexaner was born in Erie County, Pennsyl- vania, May 28, 1842, a son of Andrew and Mary (Frey) Sexauer, both natives of Germany. His father was born in Baden, Germany, December 15, 1804, and came to America in 1823. For a time he worked for a governor of New York State at Albany, and married while there. He then moved to Erie County, Pennsylvania, and in 1862 came to LaGrange County and settled on the farm where his son Solomon now resides. He owned 250 acres and spent his last days with his son Tobias in Lima Township, where he died March 19, 1891. His wife had passed away July 27, 1890. They had a family of seven children, Solomon being the youngest.

Solomon Sexaner on coming to LaGrange County at once set to work to clear up the forest on his father's land, and has lived in that locality ever since. To the old homestead he added until at present he owns more than 1,200 acres of land, all joining. His home farm is improved with splendid buildings, and here and elsewhere he has carried on extensive operations in feeding and raising cat- tle, also feeding sheep. He is a republican in poli- tics.

On January 2, 1882, Mr. Sexauer married Miss Christina Kielkopf, who was born in Sturgis, Mich- igan, December 13, 1864, a daughter of Frederick and Christina Kielkopf, who came from Germany and lived in New York and Sturgis, Michigan, and later settled on a farm in Lima Township of La- Grange County, where her father died in 1909. Her mother is now living in Howe. To Mr. and Mrs. Sexauer were born four children: An infant daugh- ter that died soon after birth; Edward, who married and has a daughter, Margaret; Carrie and Albert, both at home with their parents.

WILLIAM T. BOWLES, a resident of Angola, has had an active career as a farmer, contractor, lumber and coal merchant and in various official capacities in Steuben County.

He was born at Mishawaka, Indiana, March 25, 1864. His father, William Bowles, was twelve years old when he came with his father from England to New York, and soon afterward the family came West to Indiana. William Bowles after settling in Steuben County owned a small tract of land near Metz, where he lived until his death on March 8, 1913. He served several years as road supervisor. He was member of the United Brethren Church. His wife, Elnora Reed, was born in 1847 and died February 2, 1915. They had a family of seven chil- dren, Charles, Mary, William T., Archie, Calvin, Gracie and George. The son Archie died in infancy.

William T. Bowles acquired his education in the common schools of Steuben County, attended the Tri-State Normal College, and at the age of twenty- two began his practical career as a farmer. He farmed four years and then for six years did con- tracting work at Ashley. Going back on the farm, he later bought eighty acres of land and was busily engaged in producing crops and livestock until 1912. In that year he sold out and engaged in the lumber and coal business at Berlin. He continued his busi- ness career there until the Valley Line was dis- continued. He supervised the construction of all the buildings at Berlin. After leaving that community he moved to Angola, where he resides today. Mr. Bowles has served for years on the Advisory Board and in politics is a republican.

March 25, 1886, he married Eveline Wisner,

HISTORY OF NORTHEAST INDIANA

daughter of Stephen and Martha Wisner. She was born in Steuben County, June 6, 1866. They have a family of six children, named: Essie, wife of Dr. J. N. Blackman; Ford, who died at the age of thirteen; Ralph, who married Hazel Tuttle; Ethel, wife of Curtis Steller; Ruth, wife of Paul Will- oby; and Clark, a schoolboy fifteen years old.

EDWARD C. MOORE is a well-known agriculturist in Orange Township of Noble County, and after a considerable diversity of experience has settled down to farming the place where his mother was born and where he also first saw the light of day. This farm, comprising a valuable tract of land and well cultivated, is a mile and a quarter west of Rome City.

Mr. Moore was born July 13, 1876, son of Wil- liam H. and Ursula J. (Hitchcock) Moore. His father was born in Elkhart Township of Noble County and his mother, as above stated, on the farm where Edward C. Moore now lives. The father is deceased and the mother is living in Rome City. Of their five children one died at the age of five years and the four still living are: Fred, a graduate of the Rome City High School, who served as coun- ty surveyor of Noble County fourteen years and is now well known in the abstract business; D. W. Moore, connected with the great Atkins Saw Manu- facturing Company at Indianapolis; Frank H., a farmer in Orange Township; and Edward C.

Edward C. Moore grew up on the home farm and lived at home to the age of seventeen. He is a graduate of the Rome City grade schools. On leav- ing school he went to Indianapolis and spent several years in that city, following different lines of em- ployment. At the age of twenty he returned home, and on October 20, 1897, married Miss Nora M. Miller. Mrs. Moore was born at Turkey Creek in Steuben County, Indiana, and was educated in the district and high schools.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Moore lived a year at Wolcottville, and then moved to the old farm. Six children were born to their marriage, five still living. Harold is a graduate of the Rome City High School. Gertrude is also a graduate of high school. Karl and Louise are both in the first year of the high school, and Mildred, the youngest, is in the fourth grade of the public schools. Mrs. Moore and the four oldest children are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Moore is quite active in fraternal affairs and is present master of Rome City Lodge No. 451, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and is also worthy patron of the Eastern Star Chapter. In politics he is a republican.

ORA W. FOSTER, whose people came to Steuben County about 1855, has made his efforts count to the building up of a good farm and a commendable degree of prosperity as a farmer in York Township, where he was born and where he has spent most of his life.

Mr. Foster was born November 9, 1863, a son of James and Margaret A. (Hemry) Foster and a grandson of William Foster. William Foster was born in Ireland, June 10, 1811, and was a boy when he came to the United States. August 24, 1836. while living in Richland County, Ohio, he married Margaret J. Bell, who was born in New York State. June 25, 1818. About 1855 they came from Ohio and settled in York Township, locating on a farm. About 1865 William Foster returned to Edgerton, Ohio, remained there about eight years and then came to York Township again and lived until his death on February 11, 1890. His death was the result of an accident. He found it convenient to

cross a railroad trestle. He knew that the fast train was due but was informed that it had passed, and he started across and was overtaken and killed. His wife had died April 18, 1889. Their children were: Emily Ann, born September 19, 1838; James, born May 10, 1841; Elizabeth, born March 14, 1844; William, born June 17, 1847; Mary H., born Nov- ember 22, 1849; Margaret, born May 26, 1852; Frank, born April 22, 1855; and Olive May, born August 16, 1860.

James Foster, who was born at West Unity, Ohio, May 10, 1841, was about fourteen years old when his parents moved from Ohio to York Township. When a young man he was poisoned by sumac, and the infection resulted in a permanent injury to his right leg, so that he has lived physically handi- capped. He and his wife still live in York Town- ship. His wife, Maragret A. Hemry, was a daugh- ter of Abraham Hemry. They had six children: Ora W., George W., Eva M., wife of Frank Brooks, Ida M., wife of Fred Covell, Emily A., wife of Her- man Trowbridge, and Lilly B., wife of George Court.

Ora W. Foster acquired his early education in the district schools of York Township and early took up the responsibilities of life and became self supporting. He worked as a farm hand for about fifteen years. On November 10, 1893, he married Zoe J. Smith, daughter of Joseph and Rebecca (Troxell) Smith. The spring after his marriage Mr. Foster began farming for himself on a rented place in York Township. Slowly his experience and industry brought him the necessary capital with which to buy land of his own. He made the pur- chase of his present farm in 1902. His first pur- chase was seventy-nine and a half acres, and since then he has bought twenty acres more. He has added to the buildings and has done more than make a good living out of his land. Mr. Foster is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows at Fremont, and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

His first wife died December 2, 1915, the mother of two children: Teresa D., wife of Witz Mason, and Thetis M., wife of Hershel J. Reichardt. Nov- ember 30, 1918, Mr. Foster married Mrs. Ida B. Barnes, widow of Albert Barnes.

WILLLIAM E. MURRAY. Though a native of Elk- hart County, William E. Murray has spent most of his life in LaGrange County, in his earlier years worked at the carpenter's trade, and gradually ac- quired and improved a fine farm, which he still owns and occupies in Van Buren Township.

Mr. Murray was born in Elkhart County July 25, 1861, a son of James C. and Mary Ann (Smith) Murray. His parents came to Indiana from San- dusky, Ohio, settled in Elkhart County, and two weeks after the birth of their son William moved to Newbury Township of LaGrange County. They lived on the farm now occupied by their son Frank and owned 130 acres. The father died there De- cember 4, 1892, at the age of seventy-seven, while the mother passed away in 1889, at the age of sixty- seven. James Murray was a democrat in politics and his wife was affiliated with the Methodist Church. They had eleven children, three of whom died young, the others being named Jane, Amanda, Silas, Martha, David, Frank, William E. and Emma.

William E. Murray grew up in Newbury Town- ship, was educated in the common schools and at the age of twenty-three began working at the car- penter's trade and for two years rented a house from Moses Miller. He made his living as a car- penter for eight years. He then bought twenty acres in the woods, where he now lives, put up some

HISTORY OF NORTHEAST INDIANA

good buildings, and after clearing the land has gone steadily ahead as a farmer and today owns a good property of eighty acres. He is a democrat but has never aspired to public office. He and his wife are Methodists.

December 24, 1884, Mr. Murray married Miss Lydia Neff. She was born in Newbury Township August 18, 1864, a daughter of Abram and Fannie (Plank) Neff. Her parents came to LaGrange County from Holmes County, Ohio, also lived for several years in Elkhart County, but in 1866 moved to Van Buren Township, where they spent the rest of their years. Mrs. Murray's father died in 1909, at the age of eighty, and her mother in 1904, aged seventy-two. In the Neff family were nine chil- dren, named John, Peter, Joseph, Barbara, Amos (deceased), Lydia, Emma, Mary and Amanda (de- ceased).

Mr. and Mrs. Murray had five children. Carrie E. is the wife of Clifford Sixbuy; Edward married Blanche Hayes and has a son, Raymond; Willard married Ocie Davis, a daughter of Eugene Davis, of LaGrange County, and their family consists of Vera, Roscoe and Rachel. The two younger chil- dren, both at home, are Harold E. and Hulda E., twins.

CHARLES L. CRANDALL. One of the families ear- liest to settle in Steuben County and carry on the work of development 'on Jackson Prairie was that of Crandall. Charles L. Crandall was an infant when his parents located there, and he has spent over seventy years in this county. He went from here to join the Union army as a boy soldier in the Civil war. Since then for half a century he has given his time and attention to farming, and is now living practically retired and in comfort.

Mr. Crandall was born in Seneca County, New York, November 2, 1845, a son of Albert and Sarah (Beebe) Crandall, both natives of New York State, where they grew up and married. They came to Steuben County in 1846 and acquired forty acres of government land on Jackson Prairie. They lived there until after the war, when they sold and bought the eighty acres now owned by their son Charles in Pleasant Township. Albert Crandall died on this homestead in 1876, at the age of sixty-one. He was a republican and a Mason, and with his wife was active in the Methodist Episcopal Church. He had the following children: Charles L., Lamott, Loren, Randolph, Lavitis and Adella, the last four now deceased.

Charles L. Crandall was educated in the Jackson Township schools, and lived at home on the farm until he was about eighteen years of age. On Janu- ary 1, 1864, he enlisted in Company E of the One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Indiana Infantry. He saw some of the very hard fighting in the center of the Confederacy during the last year and a half of the war, was in the Atlanta campaign, the battle of Wise's Forks and the great struggle at Franklin and Nashville. He was mustered out at Charlotte, North Carolina, August 29, 1865. After the war he re- turned home and following his father's death, bought the old homestead and has lived there ever since. He has made modern improvements, has raised great numbers of livestock, and a feature of his livestock business and general farming is a silo. Mr. Crandall is a republican, a member of the Masonic Order and the Grand Army of the Re- public.

February 6, 1870, he married Miss Mary Stroh. She was born at Bucyrus, Ohio, and came to Steuben County with her parents, Hugh and Cath- erine (Fike) Stroh. Her father was a Dunkard

preacher and spent his last years at Quincy, Michi- gan. Mr. and Mrs. Crandall had one son, Roscoe H. He was born June 20, 1876, was cducated in the district schools and the Angola High School, taught two terms and was a farmer until his death. He married Maud N. Holder on April 6, 1899, and she became the mother of three children: R. Clair, born March 30, 1900, who was educated in the public schools; H. Wayne, born February 9, 1902, a stu- dent in the Angola High School; and Richard Dale, born April 20, 1906, who died in infancy. Mrs. Roscoe Crandall was married September 10, 1918, to Benjamin S. Farris, who is a mechanical engineer now in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mr. Crandall and his daughter-in-law are members of the Latter Day Saints Church, while Mrs. Crandall is affiliated with the Christian denomination.

JOHN J. FORKER. There is no better known citi- zen of Noble County than John J. Forker. He has lived a long life of three score years and ten, and from youth to the present time he has been active in varied affairs, is a man of diverse interests, and the diligent and successful prosecution of his own business has been accompanied by a worthy public spirit and participation in many affairs that affect the entire neighborhood. Mr. Forker has a large and prosperously conducted farm in Orange Town- ship, in section 36.

He is one of the oldest living native citizens of Noble County, having been born in Wayne Town- ship, a half mile east of where he now lives, April 30, 1848. His parents were Oliver and Elizabeth (Dingman) Forker. His father was born in New York State, June 24, 1825, son of John A. and Sybil (Bruer) Forker. From New York State the family moved to Ohio and later to Noble County, Indiana. The Forkers arrived in Noble County as early as 1834 and the Dingmans in 1833. Oliver Forker and wife were married in Noble County and then located on a farm in Wayne Township, where they lived until his death in 1880. The mother passed away in 1803. Oliver Forker was an active member of the Free Will Baptist Church and a democrat in politics. There were ten children in the family, two of whom died young, and five are still living. The oldest is John J. Edmund lives at Redford, Michigan. Ellen is the wife of Curtis M. Evans, of Lincoln, Ne- braska. George O. was a farmer in Steuben County and is now deceased. Perry is a farmer in Wayne Township. James is fireman at the Waterworks plant in Kendallville.

John J. Forker grew up on the home farm and at- tended the district schools. On August 18, 1878, he married Miss Emma Strater, who was born in Orange Township, member of one of the old and well known families of Noble County. After his marriage Mr. Forker lived on his father's farm until 1883, and then bought eighty acres included in his present farm. He had to earn his own modest capi- tal and has made his way by dependence upon his own energies and good judgment. He is now owner of a fine farm of 280 acres, and for many years has been one of the breeders of high grade livestock of all kinds. Mr. Forker was for twenty-five years well known among the farmers of Noble County as proprietor of a threshing outfit, and is one of the veterans in that industry. He is a director in the Lisbon Canning Factory at Lisbon, Indiana, and is adjuster for the Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company in Wayne, Orange, York, Elkhart and Perry townships.

In politics Mr. Forker is a democrat. When he was chosen treasurer of Noble County in November, 1906, it was by a majority of 100, and that was a

HISTORY OF NORTHEAST INDIANA

high testimony to his effiicency and popularity since the county was normally republican by at least 400. He entered upon the duties of his office January I, 1908, and served four full years. In 1883 Mr. Forker was one of the organizers of the Eastern Indiana Fair Association, and he has long been one of its directors and is superintendent of its horse depart- ment. Mr. Forker is an authority on many matters of local history. For many years he has kept a diary, and besides noting his own private affairs he has kept various other interests, including the daily temperature, and that is one of the few records of the kind to be found outside the regular Govern- ment weather stations.

Mr. and Mrs. Forker have four children: John, a farmer in Jefferson Township, who married Edith Glosser ; Laloh, a graduate of the common schools and wife of Ernest Layman, of Allen Township; Merle, who runs the home farm and married Rosa Pankop; and Fred, who is a farmer in Jefferson Township and married Mary Butler.

C. A. HICKMAN, proprietor of the Locust Stock Farm near Wilmot in Washington Township of Noble County, has achieved success and a reputation as a farmer and breeder of horses and cattle after a youth and early manhood of comparative struggle and hard work. He obtained his start by working for others at the usually accepted wages of the time, and has gone steadily ahead year after year, solving the problems as they came up, and letting every ex- perience count to his good in the long run.

Mr. Hickman was born in Thorn Creek Township of Whitley County, Indiana, August 7, 1858, son of Lewis J. and Martha (Jones) Hickman. His father was born in Hawkins County, Tennessee, and his mother in Shelby County, Ohio. They met and mar- ried in Whitley County, Indiana, and then settled on a farm in Thorn Creek Township, and from there moved to Greene Township of Noble County, In- diana, locating near Charter Oak Church, where they spent the rest of their days. They were very devout members and worshipers in the United Bretliren Church. The father was a democrat. Of their nine children five are still living: C. A .; Ann, wife of John Garland; Ellen, wife of Arthur Rose; Almira, wife of Donald Grabill; and Sarena, wife of John Benhamer.

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History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II, Part 13

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