History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II, Part 15

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 15
USA > Indiana > Noble County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 15
USA > Indiana > DeKalb County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 15
USA > Indiana > Steuben County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 15

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).

In 1867, in Scotland, he married Miss Armanella Hazlett. Mr. Ramsay was divorced from his first wife and in 1903 married Elizabeth Wolfe, of Angola. His first wife died in 1916. The present

HISTORY OF NORTHEAST INDIANA

Mrs. Ramsay is a member of the Methodist Episco- pal Church. Mr. Ramsay by his first marriage had eight children. Robert and Sarah Jane were twins and Robert is a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason and Shriner and a farmer in Steuben County. Francis James, the second son, died in 1896. An- drew John, a farmer in Pleasant Township, is a member of the Masonic Order. Samuel W. is also a Mason and lives in Colorado. Calvin, a well- known attorney at Angola, has attained the thirty- second degree of the Scottish Rite Masonry and is also grand high priest. Lillie lives in Pleasant Township. David V. joined the Engineering Corps of the National army in October, 1917, was sent overseas about Christmas of that year and saw a great deal of active service for nearly seventeen months, participating in some of the chief cam- paigns, and while in the front lines was gassed and wounded. He returned home on March 10, 1919, and is still suffering from the effects of the gas.

ALBERT D. SAWYER. The Sawyer family have been residents of Noble County more than eighty years. It is appropriate that a representative of this pioneer family should now hold the office of sheriff, Albert D. Sawyer having been elected and re-elected to that important office. Mr. Sawyer has spent most of his life as a practical farmer.

He was born on the old Sawyer homestead in Wayne Township of this county, January 28, 1859, son of Jackson and Margaret (Lavering) Sawyer. Jackson Sawyer was born in Ohio, son of John and Charlotte (Pearl) Sawyer. Charlotte Pearl Saw- yer lived to the advanced age of ninety-two. John Sawyer brought his family to Indiana in 1836 and entered a tract of Government land in Wayne Township, this old homestead being now owned by his grandson Albert. John Sawyer died in the fall of 1837, having had little opportunity to improve his land. His widow proved herself a noble pioneer woman, rearing her family of ten children, and re- maining faithful to the memory of her first husband all the rest of her life. All her ten children are now deceased.

The old homestead eventually became the property of Jackson Sawyer, who lived there and prospered as a farmer. He was the father of seven children, four of whom are still living: Mervin D., of Ken- dallville, Indiana; Agnes, wife of Arthur Scott, of Defiance, Ohio; Harvey, of Wolcottville, Indiana; and Albert D.

Albert D. Sawyer grew up on the old farm, at- tended the common schools there, and in 1882 mar- ried Miss Charlotte Ream. They have a family of four sons and one daughter. Orrie and Ottie are twins, both graduates of the common school. Orrie is now deputy sheriff of the county under his father and is married and has one child. Ottie is a farmer east of Kendallville and has three children. Guy is farming his father's place. Another son, Harold, is now with the United States army. The daughter, Bertha, married Chester Bowser and has one dangh- ter.

Mr. Sawyer is a member of the Loyal Americans. He was elected sheriff the first time by 125 majority, and the second time by 180 votes. He is a democrat in politics. His farm, now operated by his son, comprises 216 acres in Wayne Township, and he still retains an interest in the livestock.

JOHN H. OBERLIN. The Oberlins are a family that have been rather numerous and prominent in DeKalb County for over seventy years. Mr. John H. Oberlin, who was born in DeKalb County, has spent the greater part of his active career in Steuben

County, and beginning life as a renter followed farming successively and aggressively for many years and is now enjoying a well earned retirement at Hamilton.

He was born in Franklin Township of DeKalb County May 1, 1854, son of John and Rachel (Duck) Oberlin. His father settled in DeKalb County in pioneer times, developing a tract of wild land, and later moved to Butler, where he exercised his trade as a tanner by establishing a tannery. He died in 1863. In religion he was a Methodist. He was the father of a large family of children, named William, Fred, Philip, Hiram, Elijah, Benjamin, Joseph, Daniel, Orlando, Mary, Lucinda, Sarah, Hannah and John H.

John H. Oberlin, who was only nine years old when his father died, attended public school in Otsego Township, also a school at Butler, and as he inherited nothing except good character and a tendency to industry, he started out as a young man to make his own way in the world. He worked as a farm hand, and on January 23, 1881, when still possessed of little capital, he married Minerva J. Wilson, daughter of Alexander and Mary J. Wilson. They established their first home on a rented farm in Otsego Township, lived there three years, then in Richland Township four years, and in 1888 Mr. Oberlin took possession of the County Farm and lived there three years. In 1891, having in ten years acquired some capital, he bought eighty acres in Otsego Township and followed an uninterrupted career of industry and productive labor on that farm for twenty-five years. In the spring of 1916 he left the farm and has since lived in Hamilton.

Mr. and Mrs. Oberlin became the parents of four children: Edgar, who married Grace Hunt; Edna May, wife of Benjamin Taylor; Hiram W., who married Hertha Weaver; and Ethel, wife of Fred Haines. The mother of these children died Nov- ember 20, 1913. In February, 1916, he married Rhoda (Martin) Houlton, daughter of Henry and Catherine (Davis) Martin. Her father was a sol- dier in the Civil war. Rhoda Martin was first mar- ried to Lewis Houlton, of Franklin Township, DeKalb County. The family are conspicuous as being the very first family to settle in DeKalb County, locating there in 1831. A number of refer- ences are found to them in the pages of this pub- lication. Mrs. Oberlin has in her possession the first deed given for land in DeKalb County. It was written on parchment and is signed by Andrew Jackson, President of the United States. Mrs. Oberlin by her marriage to Lewis Houlton had three children: Vern, who married Rosa Mills; Firm; and Leland, who married Jessie Hathaway. Mrs. Oberlin is a member of the Christian Church and her husband is a Methodist. He is affiliated with the Masonic Lodge and Knights of Pythias. From 1908 to 1918 he served as assessor of Otsego Township.

HARRY W. SIMMONS is one of the practical and enterprising younger men of the farming com- munity of Perry Township who have gone in for the more progressive phases in agriculture and stock husbandry, including registered horses and cattle, and the results of his enterprise are thor- oughly apparent, since he has more than a local reputation not only for his success but for his en- viable qualifications of citizenship.

He was born in Perry Township August 28, 1877, a son of Adam and Elizabeth (Klick) Simmons, of a well known family in Noble County. His father was born in Pennsylvania in 1829. Harry W. Sim- mons left school at the age of fourteen, and since then has been practically dependent on his own

HISTORY OF NORTHEAST INDIANA

efforts to promote him to success in affairs. For several years he worked at wages of eight dollars a month. In fact he labored and gave his abilities to others until he was about thirty-two years of age. In that way he got his start, in the shape of a modest capital, which he used to establish himself on an independent footing.

In 1902 he married Ethel M. Bowser, who was born in York Township, Noble County, a daughter of O. L. and Isabel (Calbeck) Bowser, who are now living in Ligonier. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Simmons moved to a farm in Perry Town- ship, and have lived in that locality ever since. The farm where he now lives comprises 168 acres, and he owns a half interest in all the livestock on the farm. He also owns a half interest in another place of 110 acres in Perry Township, and has re- cently purchased a tract of 160 acres which joins the farm on which he resides. He is a breeder of Shorthorn cattle, and his herd is headed by one of the best males of the type in Noble County, named "Filigree Lad." He also has four registered cows of the same type. He has several registered Percheron horses and other good graded live stock. Mr. Simmons is a stockholder in the Farmers Co- operative Elevator Company at Ligonier.

He and his wife are the parents of three sons: Harold, a graduate of the common schools; Kermit, who was born in 1910; and Thad, born in 1917. The family are members of the Christian Church at Ligonier, and Mr. Simmons affiliates with the democratic party.

WILLIAM HENRY KEYES, a resident of Steuben County for over seventy years, has had a career dis- tinguished by many notable services and experiences. He was a brave and gallant soldier of the Union during the Civil war, served two terms as sheriff, and was one of the most efficient officers Steuben County ever had, and has been variously identified with farming, business, religious and social matters. He is now living retired in the village of Hamilton.

Mr. Keyes was born in Knox County, Ohio, De- cember 12, 1841, a son of Tolman and Mary (Rich- ards) Keyes. His father was a native of Vermont and his mother of Connecticut, and they were mar- ried in Vermont shortly afterward moving to Ohio. Tolman Keyes served as a soldier in the War of 1812. In 1844 this family came to Steuben County and settled in Richland Township, where they bought eighty acres of land from Mr. Gordon, who had acquired it direct from the government. Mary Keyes died at Alvarado in the spring of 1863, at the age of sixty-three, while the father lived to the age of eighty-four, dying at Orland in Steuben County. He was a republican and he and his wife were active in the Methodist Church. Their chil- dren were David, Hiram, Augustus, Charles, Wil- liam H., Harvey H., Elizabeth, Phoebe and Salinda. The only survivor now is William H. Keyes.

The latter was about three years old when his par- ents came to Steuben County, and he grew up on the homestead farm in Richland Township and attended the local schools. In August, 1861, he enlisted in Company A of the Twenty-Ninth Indiana Infantry, under Col. John F. Miller, who later became United States senator from California. His first battle was that of Pittsburg Landing. Soon afterward he was sent home on a furlough, but rejoined his regiment in time to participate in the battles of Liberty Gap and Chickamauga. The regiment was then assigned to post duty at Chattanooga and Mr. Keyes for a time was in General Stanley's headquarters, and then detailed to the postal department. He had charge of the mail sent to Sherman after the cap-

ture of Atlanta, and continued on duty until his discharge early in November, 1864. Early in 1865 he again enlisted as a recruit, and was with Company B of the Fifty-Sixth Pennsylvania Infantry until the close of the war. Altogether he served three years and five months. Mr. Keyes saw much of the country while a soldier and his travels have since taken him over most of the United States. He has been in twenty-nine states, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from St. Cloud, Minnesota, to Atlanta, Georgia.

From his savings as a soldier Mr. Keyes bought forty acres of land in Richland Township, and was one of the hard working farmers in that locality until 1878, when he was elected sheriff. He then sold his farm. Prior to his election as sheriff he had been identified with the organization known as the Regulators at Metz, and his work in behalf of law and order had attracted attention to his exceptional qualifications for a peace officer, and went far to- ward getting him the more important position of sheriff. He was re-elected in 1880, and distinguished himself not only in the routine duties of sheriff but also as a detective officer, effecting the capture of several well-known criminals.

After retiring from the office Mr. Keyes invested his capital of $5,000 in a farm of 100 acres in sec- tion 23 of Otsego Township, and he still owns that place. He was successful as a farmer when he operated his own land and has been equally suc- cessful in the choice of his renters. William Lewis has been running the Keyes farm now for twelve years. In 1900 Mr. Keyes moved to the village of Hamilton, and has since lived largely retired.

In matters of politics he has supported the repub- lican party since voting for Lincoln the second time. He was trustee of Richland Township in 1876. Since he was seventeen years old he has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and for a number of years has been a local minister.

January 10, 1865, Mr. Keyes married Melvina Cary. She was born in Knox County, Ohio, Janu- ary 18, 1843, a daughter of William and Melissa Cary. Mr. and Mrs. Keyes were playmates in child- hood and were rocked in the same cradle. The Cary family were also pioneers of Steuben County. Mr. and Mrs. Keyes had no children of their own, but they reared from the age of eighteen months an adopted daughter known as Cora Keyes, who is now the wife of Elza Dewire, of Eaton, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Dewire have two living children, a son and a daughter. Mrs. Keyes died in 1901 and in 1902 Mr. Keyes married Mrs. Eva Riblett, widow of Samuel Riblett. Her son, Victor Riblett, whose home is in Detroit, was in the great war, serving in the army at Fort Benjamin Harrison and Fort Shelby, was made a corporal at Fort Shelby and later at Camp Taylor was promoted to second lieutenant. Mr. and Mrs. Keyes had four children: Ella Odessa, aged fifteen, a high school student; William Howard, aged thirteen; Iola, aged eleven; and Ruth May, who died in infancy.

In many ways Mr. Keyes has exerted his personal influence for the good and upbuilding of his county. He had much to do with getting the Wabash Rail- road located through the village of Hamilton, mak- ing a visit to Detroit for a personal interview with the directors of the road. During his residence on the farm he also sold agricultural implements, espe- cially the Champion Binder and Harvester, and dis- tributed many of those machines throughout Steuben County. Mr. Keyes was elected president of the Steuben Sunday School Association and held that office six years. During that time he made Steuben one of the banner Sunday school counties of

HISTORY OF NORTHEAST INDIANA

the state. He was also a Sunday school field worker for a number of years and attended the conventions regularly.

CASPER A. DEARDORFF is a well known farmer of Noble County and since his marriage has worked his way to independence, beginning as a renter and finally purchasing the farm which he owns today, located a mile east of Cromwell in Sparta Township.

He was born in Whitley County, Indiana, Decem- ber 17, 1862, a son of Abraham and Susan (Kendell) Deardorff. His father was born in Stark County, Ohio, October 17, 1817, and died July 18, 1864, when Casper was only two years old. The mother was horn in 1828 and died in 1888. Of their family of children only three are still living: Ozro, a farmer near Fort Wayne; Ellen, wife of Solomon Fleck; and Casper A.

Casper A. Deardorff spent his boyhood days in Whitley County near Chernbusco, attending the dis- trict schools there during the winter sessions. Every summer as soon as his strength permitted he did his share of work on the home farm, and helped his mother to provide the necessities of her household. He lived with his mother to the age of twenty-one.

In August, 1884, he married Miss Arie J. Gaff. She was born in Greene Township of Noble County, June 4, 1865, daughter of Joseph and Susan (Hawk) Gaff. Joseph D. Gaff was born in Stark County, Ohio, August 11, 1833, and his wife was born in Wayne County, Ohio, October 15, 1837, and is still living. The living children in the Gaff family are Mary, Henry, Arie J., Warren, Nora, Minnie, Cora, Lena and Oliver P. There are also forty grand- children.

After their marriage Casper A. Deardorff and wife began housekeeping near Cherubusco as renters, sub- sequently moved to Elkhart County and farmed there fourteen years as renters, and by careful econ- omy and thrifty management secured the modest capital which enabled them in 1903 to buy their pres- ent farm of forty-seven acres. Mr. and Mrs. Dear- dorff have three children and twelve grandchildren. Etta, the oldest child, is a graduate of the common schools and the wife of Harry Bunger; Albert L. is a graduate of the common schools and married Leda Cress; Edna M. is the wife of Harrison Lemon. Mr. Deardorff is affiliated with the Knights of the Maccabees and is a republican in politics.

WARREN K. ROSENBURY, a former commissioner of Noble County, is proprietor of the Pleasant Hill Farm, three and a half miles north of Kendallville. Mr. Rosenbury is a native of Noble County and has spent most of his active career there as a practical and progressive farmer. He was born at a place three miles northeast of where he now lives May 17, 1851. The Rosenbury family has been in Noble County for over seventy years. His parents were Andrew and Justine (Metlin) Rosenbury. His father was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, No- vember 25, 1811, and his mother in Summit County of the same state, December 5, 1811. They were married in Ohio and in 1848 came to Indiana and settled in Noble County. Their first settlement was six miles northeast of Kendallville. Seven years later they sold that farm, after improving it from the wilderness, and bought 280 acres where Warren K. Rosenbury now lives. The parents spent the rest of their days in that locality. Both were members of the Methodist Protestant Church. Of their nine children only two are now living. The daughter, Jane M., lives in Kansas, the widow of Benjamin Devoe.

Warren K. Rosenbury grew up on the farm where he now lives, attended the public schools, and was with his parents to the age of twenty-four. On February 15, 1877, he married Lorana Evans. She was born in Licking County, Ohio, March 23, 1855, was educated there, and became a teacher. She taught in Ohio and came to Indiana to teach.

After his marriage Mr. Rosenbury lived in Ohio three years, and then returned to Noble County and settled in Allen Township. He sold his first farm and in 1892 bought 200 acres of the old homestead. He has made this a very productive place, devoted to general crops and stock, and has everything in a well ordered prosperity.

Mr. Rosenbury lost his first wife by death Feb- ruary 15, 1899. They were the parents of three children: Joseph A., a graduate of the common schools and now living in Montana; Lizzie L., a graduate of high school and wife of C. R. Nicewan- der, of South Bend, Indiana; and Sarah T., wife of Floyd Dehal. On August 12, 1900, Mr. Rosen- bury married for his present wife Carrie Cothran. She was born in New York State.

Mr. Rosenbury and family are members of the Presbyterian Church at Kendallville. He is affil- iated with the Knights of Pythias and in politics is a republican. He was elected on that ticket to the office of commissioner from the northern district, and served three years from January 1, 1905.

MAHUE A. BRACKNEY is a general farmer and stockman, with a well ordered farm in Noble Town- ship two miles north of Miriam. He was born in Jefferson Township of Noble County, July 14, 1873, son of George W. and Lucinda J. (Zimmerman) Brackney, both of whom are natives of Ohio. After their marriage they came to Indiana and settled in Jefferson Township and later moved to a farm in Green Township, where the father died after many years of industrious labor. The mother subsequent- ly removed to Albion, where she is still living. There were five children: Minnie, wife of Charles Sealey; Mahue A .; George J., of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Edna, wife of Albert Johnson; Lulu, a kindergarten teacher.

Mr. M. A. Brackney was fourteen years old when his parents removed to Green Township, and all his early education was acquired in the schools of Jef- ferson and Green. Living at home to the age of twenty-one, he acquired a practical knowledge of farming under the direction of his father, and since his marriage and the establishment of a home of his own he has been making sturdy progress to- wards independence, and now has a good farm of eighty acres.

He married Miss Nellie Ott, who was born in Noble Township, March 24, 1878, daughter of Cor- nelius Ott. To their union were born four children : Marie, a graduate of the common schools; Harry, at home; Elsie, who also finished the common school course; and Hubert, who is still a school boy. Mrs. Brackney is a member of the Burr Oak Baptist Church. Politically Mr. Brackney affiliates with the democratic party.

JOHN WILLIAM MERTZ. The wonderful changes that have been brought about by science and the ingenuity of man, even within the ordinary life- time of an individual, seem so marvelous that in- telligent and thoughtful earth dwellers of today hesitate about placing a limit to future achievement. In these changes agricultural industries have had place, and a modern American farm, in method of cultivation and its machinery equipments, illustrates

CASPER A. DEARDORFF AND FAMILY

HISTORY OF NORTHEAST INDIANA

unbelievable progress. Such a farm is the prop- erty of John William Mertz, a highly respected and substantial citizen of DeKalb County, Indiana, who is proprietor of the Lone Pine Farm in Fairfield Township. He was born in Indiana, as were his parents, Benjamin and Johanna (Auman) Mertz.

The founder of the Indiana branch of the Mertz family was John G. Mertz, who came to the United States before the Civil war. His wife, Mary Anna (Sauer) Mertz, was also of German birth. They lived at first in Ohio but before the birth of their son, Benjamin, came to DeKalb County, Indiana. The latter was a farmer like his father, and when he grew to manhood was married to Johanna Auman, who was one of a family of six children born to William and Miss (Bruns) Auman. To Benjamin and Johanna Mertz ten children were born, as follows: John W., Otto E., Walter B., Edward J., Henry A., Theodore A., Daniel B., Metha M., and two who died of diphtheria in early life. The father of this family died June 6, 1898, and the mother died on the 25th of July, 1919, at Kendallville, Indiana.

The pioneer Mertz family were charter members of Zion Evangelical Church located in Fairfield Township, near their farm, as early as 1852. There is a parochial school in connection with Zion Church, and it was in that school that John W. Mertz secured his first educational training. Later he was graduated from the Kendallville High School and for three years pursued a literary course of study in the University of Michigan, and in more recent years has attended short courses on special subjects at Purdue University. Since reaching man- hood he has been a farmer in Fairfield Township, DeKalb County, and has taken great interest in his work and through his progressive policy has brought the Lone Pine Farm into great prominence. As indicative of the approval of his methods by his fellow agriculturists, it may be mentioned that he is president of the DeKalb County Better Farming Association, which is county wide in its scope, and is also president of the DeKalb County Breeders & Feeders Association, and of the county branch of the Indiana Federation of Farmers. He is a mem- ber also of the Indiana Commercial Growers Asso- ciation.

On February 25, 1906, John W. Mertz was united in marriage to Emma M. Krehl, who died January II, 1914. She was a daughter of William and Anna (Carl) Krehl, a well known DeKalb County family. She was the mother of three children, namely : Selma Anna, Margaret Ethel and Arthur Benjamin. On January 16, 1917, Mr. Mertz was married a sec- ond time, Mrs. Louise (Schneider) Bluhm becoming his wife. Mrs. Mertz has one son born to her for- mer marriage, Erich Bluhm. Mr. Mertz has sent his children to the same parochial school in which he began his education many years ago.

In politics Mr. Mertz, like the older members of his family, has always supported the democratic party from principle and in other ways is worthy of ancestors who during long and useful lives were deserving of the general esteem in which they were held. As a man of progressive thought Mr. Mertz studies agricultural questions intelligently and is ready, in the light of the past, to believe still more wonderful developments in the future. He keeps abreast of the times in farm equipment, carries on a general farming line and specializes in registered livestock. He can remember the day of the ox- team and the gradual development of horse trans- portation, the coming of the automobile and the farm tractor, and on occasion as he is working in his fields an unusual noise above him tells him that the aerial aeroplane is speeding as a bird with mail

and messages from one frontier of his country to the other. He is proud of his country's achieve- ments and is proud of the part his own family has taken in the development of DeKalb County.

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History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II, Part 15

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