History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II, Part 52

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 52
USA > Indiana > Noble County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 52
USA > Indiana > DeKalb County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 52
USA > Indiana > Steuben County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 52

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).

Mr. and Mrs. Ditmars had five children. Four are still living: Silas G. owns part of the old Simon farm in DeKalb County; Sidney also lives in De- Kalb County; Treat S. is a farmer at home; and James T. farms in DeKalb County. Mr. Ditmars is a member of the United Brethren Church and a republican in politics.

FRED HUTCHINS. Some of the best farms and some of the best farmers in Steuben County are found in Otsego Township. One of them is Fred Hutchins, a renter of a place of 300 acres where he does an extensive business in producing crops and livestock. He is well qualified for the re- sponsibilities he enjoys, his experience since early youth having been identified with practical agricul- ture.

He was born in Scott Township of Steuben County December 15. 1873. He is a son of John R. and Wadie Ann (Sowles) Hutchins, and member of the well-known Hutchins family that came to Steuben County over three-quarters of a century ago. Further reference to this family will be found on other pages. John R. Hutchins followed farm- ing in Scott Township until his death in 1888. He and his wife had five children: Joseph, John, Jane, Cora and Fred. Joseph died in early child- hood.

Fred Hutchins attended public school in his native township, and was only a youth when he began cultivating crops on his own responsibility. In

1912 he moved to his present place in Otsego Town- ship. Mr. Hutchins married, September 4, 1898, Melinda Ann Zimmerman, daughter of John and Netta (Stevens) Zimmerman. They have a family of five children: Frances, Paul, Leon, Lawrence and Lewis. Frances is a graduate of the Hamilton High School and is now a teacher in Otsego Town- ship. Mrs. Hutchins is a member of the Methodist Church and he is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Masons.

JAMES L. MACHAN. One of the families well and favorably known in agricultural circles in La- Grange County is that of Machan, represented by James L. Machan, who after a number of years of work at a mechanical trade retired to a farm in Johnson Township, and is enjoying both the com- forts and the profits of rural life.

He was born in Bloomfield Township of the same county, December 15, 1869, a son of Samuel and Nancy ( Preston) Machan. His father was a native of Tuscarawus County, Ohio, and his mother of the same state. Their respective families came to Indiana in early days and located in LaGrange County, where Samuel and Nancy were married. Samuel died in 1909 and his widow is still living in Clay Township. Both were active members of the Presbyterian Church at LaGrange. There were four children : Harry, who lives in Bloomfield Town- ship and married Viola Alwatter; Lawrence S., deceased; Garfield A., a Bloomfield Township farmer; and James L.

James L. Machan grew up on his father's farm in Bloomfield Township, and received his public school education in LaGrange. For a time he was employed in a LaGrange grocery store, and then learned the trade of carriage ironing. That trade furnished him his regular occupation for a period of twenty-one years, and for eight years he was foreman of the shop.

May 4, 1892, in Johnson Township, he married Catherine M. Hallett. She was born on the farm where she now resides and is a graduate of the LaGrange High School. Mr. and Mrs. Machan retired to their farm in 1907. They have 147 acres and it is devoted to general farming and stock raising. They have one daughter, Wilma J., now a student in the public schools of LaGrange. Mr. and Mrs. Machan are members of the Presbyterian Church at LaGrange and both are very active in the Rebekah Lodge, Mrs. Machan being a past grand. He is a past grand and past chief patriarch of the Lodge and Encampment of Odd Fellowship and has sat in the grand lodge. Politically he is a republican, and on November 4, 1918, was elected a member of the LaGrange County Council.

CURTIS SHONTZ is one of the fortunate young men whose experience and mature powers were de- veloped in time to share in the generous prosperity now accorded the agricultural class in America. Mr. Shontz began his career as a farm hand, and today owns one of the high class farms in Steuben Town- ship in the county of that name.

He is a native of Northeast Indiana, having been born at Sedan in DeKalb County, October 23, 1880, a son of Ferdinand and Rachel (Lidge) Shontz. His mother was a native of Ohio, daughter of Adam and Elizabeth Lidge. Adam Lidge was a pioneer in Fairfield Township of DeKalb County, going there when all the country was wild, clear- ing a farm and rearing a family of five children. Ferdinand Shontz was a young man when he ar- rived in DeKalb County. He was an expert black- smith, conducted a shop at Fanselers Mills on the Ashley and Auburn road, later was a blacksmith at

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HISTORY OF NORTHEAST INDIANA

Sedan, and finally ran a shop at Steubenville and continued the work until his death in 1890. His widow is still living at Ashley. Their five children are named Henry, Mary, Elizabeth, Sarah Jane and Curtis.

Curtis Shontz received most of his education in the California School House of Steuben Township. Then followed a period when he was carning his own living and getting valnable experience as a farm hand at monthly wages, and on May 13, 1908, he married Martha M. Dahuff, a daughter of Simon Dahuff. In 1909, the year following his marriage, he bought a farm of ninety-five acres in section 19 of Steuben Township. His industry brought him a comfortable living on the farm from 1909 to 1916. In March of the latter year he bought the farm which he occupies today, comprising 126 acres, known as the old Mountz place. His home im- provements and eighty acres are in section 19, while forty-six acres lie across the road in section 30. For a time Mr. Shontz farmed both places, but in 1918 sold his first farm of ninety-five acres and with his home place is doing a successful business in general farming and stock raising. Mr. Shontz is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias Lodge No. 257 at Hudson.

NOAH M. BONTRAGER besides being one of the prosperous agriculturists of Eden Township in La- Grange County is prominent in the Amish Mennonite Church as bishop and supervising head of that con- gregation in this section of the county.

Mr. Bontrager was born October 27, 1881, on the farm where he now lives in section 4 of Eden Town- ship, four miles north and four miles west of Topeka. He is the son of Manassas and Lydia (Yoder) Bon- trager, of a prominent family in Indiana, his earliest American ancestor having come from Germany to this country in 1767. Manassas Bontrager was a native of Pennsylvania, his wife of Holmes County, Ohio, and he was brought to Indiana when five months old, while his wife came here when a girl. After his marriage he settled in section 4 of Eden Town- ship. Manassas Bontrager and wife had twelve chil- dren, eleven of whom are still living, Noah being the eighth in order of birth.

The latter grew up on the home farm and attended the district schools in winter sessions, working for his father in the summer. On February 1, 1906, he married Katie Glick, who was born in Eden Town- ship February 18, 1887, and was educated in the common schools. Since their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Bontrager have always lived on the Bontrager homestead. They have three children: Mahlon, born December 21, 1906; Rosa, born November 26, IQII; and Enos, born October 10, 1917.

Mr. Bontrager owns 160 acres in his home farm and has forty acres more in another part of the township. As bishop of the Amish Mennonite Church he has the supervision of the two churches known as the East Side and West Side churches in the Honeyville district. He is the man responsible for making the rules of the church, and, as is cus- tomary in that denomination, he gives all his services without remuneration, depending on his farm for his material prosperity.

EBER J. WILLIAMSON. For over fifty years the Williamson family has been identified with Steuben County, chiefly as farmers, and always as good citi- zens and people who neglect none of their responsi- bilities to their community.

Representing the third generation in this county is Eber J. Williamson, owner of one of the fine farms in York Township. He was born in York

Township Jannary 12, 1860, and is a son of Peter and Hannah (Gamble) Williamson, both natives of New York State, his mother being a daughter of Solomon Gamble. The grandparents, Cornelius and Elizabeth (Singer) Williamson, the former a native of New York State, came to Steuben County some years prior to the Civil war and spent the rest of their days in York Township. They reared a family of children named Jacob, John, George, Arthur, Cornelius, James, Peter, Mary and Annett.

Peter Williamson was an arrival in York Town- ship about 1857, coming direct from New York State. He had a farm and was busily engaged in its cultivation until late in the Civil war. About 1865 he went into the army and died while still in service, on September 2, 1865. His widow remained on the farm, reared her children, and died July 17, 1894. She was the mother of three, Debbie, Eber J. and Izora.

Eber J. Williamson hardly remembers his father at all. He grew up in the home of his mother, en- joyed such advantages as could be obtained from the local schools in the intervals of his own em- ployment, and has always worked the home place since reaching manhood. Mr. Williamson owns a good farm of ninety-seven acres and is engaged in general cropping and stock raising. He is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows and the Knights of Pythias lodges at Metz.

In October, 1883, he married Emma Betzer, a daughter of Jacob and Anna Betzer. They have two children. Lottie is the wife of Arthur Morison and has three children, named Sidney. Wilbur and Inie. Vertie married Sylvia Kentigh.

JOHN F. HOLSINGER. For many years the name Holsinger in LaGrange and Noble counties has been synonymous with extensive holdings of land. The Holsingers are farmers and business men, and their practical energy has enabled several of the family to overcome the handicaps of initial poverty and achieve such material success as few men can equal. The same has been true of John F. Holsinger, as it was of his father. The son is an extensive land owner and farmer in Noble County, and is one of the directors of the State Bank of Wolcottville and identified with other business organizations there.

He was born in Orange Township of Noble County, October 16, 1850, a son of John and Sarah (Stroman) Holsinger. His father was born in Stark County, Ohio, in 1817, and his mother was a native of Summit County, Ohio. After their mar- riage they moved from Ohio to LaGrange County, Indiana, settling on a farm, and from there moved to Orange Township of Nohle County. John Hol- singer spent his last years in Kendallville, but his wife died on the farm. They were members of the Evangelical Church and the father was a republican. John Holsinger came to Northeast Indiana with practically all his goods and possessions in a wagon, and by hard work and constant exercise of good judgment achieved a striking success. He owned at one time 733 acres of land. He was a popular member of the Masonic Lodge. Of eleven chil- dren by three marriages the following are still liv- ing: Dora, who lives in Los Angeles, California; Frank, of Wolcottville; Walter, of Indianapolis; John F .; Ida, wife of Martin Fanning, of Angola; and Adrin, of LaGrange.

John F. Holsinger grew up on his father's farm, had a district school education, and lived at home until nearly the age of twenty-two. He worked for his brother William for one year, rented his father's farm four years, managing it in association with his brother, and later farmed by himself. After his experience justified it, he adventured upon farm

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HISTORY OF NORTHEAST INDIANA

owning independently and made his first purchase of 122 acres. He went in debt for a considerable part of it, but paid out, then bought another 100 acres, then 60 acres, then 40 acres, later 222 acres, and 46 acres, these various purchases giving him a splendid body of land 622 acres in extent, all in the northwest part of Orange Township.

March 30, 1879, Mr. Holsinger married Sarah Raber. She was born in Orange Township July 28, 1854, a daughter of David and Susanna (Dice) Raber, the former a native of Stark and the latter of Trumbull County, Ohio. Her parents after their marriage in Ohio came to Indiana in 1853 and lo- cated in Orange Township of Noble County, where they spent the rest of their days. Of the ten chil- dren in the Raber family four are still living : David; Elias, whose home is in the State of Wash- ington; John, of Elkhart, Indiana; and Mrs. Sarah Holsinger. Mrs. Holsinger had a good common school education. She is the mother of three chil- dren. Olive M. graduated from the common schools and is the wife of Garfield Eschelman, living at Wolcottville. Clark graduated from high school, has his home in Orange Township and married Bessie Rowe. Ellis is a high school graduate and married Marie Eschelman, of Orange Township.

Mrs. Holsinger is a member of the Evangelical Church. Mr. Holsinger was one of the first di- rectors of the State Bank of Wolcottville. He and his family have had a town home in Wolcottville since the fall of 1912, but they still retain their rural residence in Orange Township of Noble County. Mr. Holsinger is a director in the Cement Products Factory. He has been a stock buyer for about fourteen years, and does an extensive business in that line, buying and feeding cattle by the car- load lots.

JAMES SKELLY is the fortunate owner of a good farm in Salem Township of Steuben County. His farm contains a group of handsome buildings and in every way is adapted for comfort and for maxi- mum efficiency in every department of its manage- ment. Mr. Skelly started life on a modest scale, beginning with a very small amount of land under his ownership, and has made steady strides during the different years to the possession of what he enjoys today.

A resident of Steuben County for many years, he was born in Millersburg, Ohio, October 1, 1855, a son of William and Sarah (Steele) Skelly, the former a native of Cumberland County, Pennsyl- vania, and the latter of Holmes County, Ohio, where her father, James Steele, was a farmer. James Skelly is a grandson of James Skelly, who spent his active life as a farmer in Holmes County, Ohio. William Skelly acquired his early knowledge of agriculture in the same county, but about 1875 came to Salem Township of Steuben County, ac- quiring a farm near Hudson. That was the scene of his activities until the last year of his life, when he moved to DeKalb County. He and Sarah Steele Skelly had four children, named Martha, wife of John Calhoun, James, David and Leander. When the mother of these died the father married Mrs. Ellen (Baughman) Buckmaster. By that union there were also four children: Mary, wife of Hiram Towns: Elizabeth, who married Amos Myers; Robert; and Olive, wife of George Putt. James Skelly was about twenty years of age when his father came to Steuben County. He began farming about the same time on his own account and about 1879 was able to buy thirty-four acres three-quarters of a mile west of Hudson. He made good as a farmer there, remained about nine years. and in 1888 traded for his present farm in section

19 of Salem Township. Here, with his wife, he owns 175 acres besides fifty acres across the road in Milford Township of LaGrange County. The building improvements all represent his own plan- ning, labor and investment.

In 1879 Mr. Skelly married Flora A. Gonser, daughter of Moses and Louisa (Wright) Gonser. Her father, an old time resident of Northeast In- diana, was born in Coshocton County, Ohio, Jan- uary 14, 1829, a son of David and Catherine (Miller ) Gonser. He came with his parents to DeKalb County in 1848 and in 1869 moved to Steuben County. He acquired a large property of 250 acres in sections 35 and 36 of Salem Township and across the line in Fairfield Township of DeKalb County built a fine two-story brick home in 1880 and owned much other property, all of which represented his thrifty and industrious career from early youth to mature years. He filled several offices in his com- munities and at one time was a county commissioner of Steuben County. He cast his first vote for the whig candidate of 1852, and became an original republican. He and his wife had six children, Amanda, Albert, Flora A., Marietta, Robert M. and Martha L.

To Mr. and Mrs. Skelly were born four children : Grace, Elsie Maude, Willis R. and Esther.

Grace is the wife of Clyde Perkins, and has four children : Dorothy, Mildred, Ralph and Donald. Maude married Dr. C. C. Wright and has one child, Louise, and Esther is the wife of Professor Charles G. Hornaday.

Willis R. Skelly is an expert agriculturist and is giving much energy to the management of the home farm, he and his father being associated in the business. He was graduated in 1911 with the Bache- lor of Science degree in the Tri-State Normal Col- lege at Angola, in 1914 received his degree Bachelor of Science in agriculture from Purdue University, and in 1916 was awarded the Master's degree by the same institution. For three years he had the valuable experience of working in connection with the Purdue University Agricultural Department as instructor in farm crops. Willis Roy married Ar- villa Hornaday, of Lafayette, and they have one daughter, Virginia Mae.

HENDERSON M. RICHEY is a young man whose abilities and services have been much appreciated by the City of Auburn. He is the present city treasurer, having been appointed by the City Council on May I, 1919, as successor to E. E. Shilling, who resigned.

Mr. Richey, who served the Government during the period of the war, is by profession a newspaper man. He was born at Angola, Indiana, September 20, 1894, a son of David H. and Luella A. (Moore) Richey. When he was a year and a half old his parents moved to Auburn, where his father was a buggy manufacturer and where he spent the rest of his life with the exception of several years in the newspaper business in Monroe, Michigan, and Fostoria, Ohio. Henderson Richey's mother is still living.

He was educated in the common schools of Auburn, graduating from the senior class of high school in 1915. He had already made considerable progress in a business way, having worked in news- paper offices carrying papers before and after school. On leaving high school he was given a regular place as reporter with the Evening Star at Auburn, and is the present city editor of that well known journal of DeKalb County.

February 5, 1918, Mr. Richey enlisted in the Spruce Production Division of the Air Service, and for thirteen months was employed in that work in

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the states of Washington and Oregon. He was dis- charged with the rank of master electrician in the Air Service, the highest non-commissioned rank in that branch. He returned home March 16, 1919, and has found an abundance of civil and business duties to employ him.

Mr. Richey, who is unmarried, is a member of the Phi Delta Kappa Fraternity, is treasurer of the Men's Class of the Presbyterian Church, and is a member of the Red Cross Committee of DeKalb County.

WILLIAM METZ. For thirty consecutive years William Metz has planted and cultivated crops on his farm in Otsego Township of Steuben County, and he has properly earned and deserves all the generous prosperity he now enjoys.

Mr. Metz was born in Morrow County, Ohio, March 13, 1858, a son of Christopher and Eva Cath- erine (Gretchman) Metz. His parents were both natives of Baden, Germany, and came with their family to America in 1854. They had a long and tedious ocean journey of over 100 days, and one of their daughters, was buried at sea. About 1860 the Metz family came to Otsego Township, and Christopher Metz spent the rest of his days there.

William Metz was only an infant when brought to Steuben County and as a boy he attended the district schools of Otsego Township. He left home in order to make his own way in the world and for about twelve years was a farm hand whose steadiness and industry commended him to all his employers.

On March 14, 1888, he married Lucetta Davis, and they at once began farming independently in section 14 of Otsego Township. Mr. and Mrs. Metz own eighty acres of land, and the buildings have heen placed under their ownership. Mr. Metz does general farming and stock raising, keeps good grades of all live stock and takes splendid care of it. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias.

EMMET FULGHUM was born and reared in Wayne County, Indiana, in one of the fine old Quaker communities of that section of the state, and be- came identified with Northeast Indiana as a station clerk with the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad. He finally resigned that position to become cashier of the State Bank of Wolcottville, duties in which he is engaged at the present time.

Mr. Fulghum was born in Wayne County, In- diana, August 23. 1886, a son of Calvin and Mar- garet (Woodruf) Fulghum. His father, also a native of Wayne County, was a farmer and for many years was active in public affairs, being one of the leaders of the republican party in his county. He served two terms as trustee of New Garden Township, and also served as county assessor of Wayne County. He died in 1905 and his wife in 1007. They were prominent members of the Friends Church at New Garden and the father was a Ma- son and Knight of Pythias. Of their family of six children three are now living: Florence received a liberal education in high school and Earlham Col- lege, and was a teacher before her marriage to Harry Wooters. George B. is a high school gradu- ate and a train dispatcher .at Fort Wayne for the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad.

Emmet Fulghum grew up on his father's farm and finished his education in the high school at Fountain City. He then returned to the farm and worked a year, learned telegraphy, and was given his first position with the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad, and served that company faithfully at

Wolcottville and LaGrange. Since August 1, 1917. he has been cashier of the State Bank of Wolcott- ville.

He married Miss Lottie Taylor, daughter of S. P. Taylor, of Wolcottville. She was educated in the grammar and high schools. They have one son, Ralph. Mr. and Mrs. Fulghum are members of the Methodist Church and in politics he is a republican.

GEORGE K. WISEL. One of the names most fre- quently met with in Salem Township of Steuben County is that of Wisel. As a family they were among the earliest settlers, and the second child born in the township was Daniel R. Wisel, whose birth occurred March 9, 1837.

The late George K. Wisel was a son of Otis Wisel. The Wisel family for many generations lived at Providence, Rhode Island. Otis Wisel was a son of David Wisel, who was born in 1777 and was the seventh son in the seventh generation of seven sons. The name of each of this particular number in each generation was David, and all of them prior to the David that came to Steuben County operated a foundry in Rhode Island. David Wisel with his family, consisted of his wife and three youngest children and his two oldest sons and their families, settled in Salem Township, October 25, 1836. He entered the southwest quarter of section 10 from the Government, erected a log house and improved twenty acres, and lived there until his death in 1844. The five children to come with him to Indiana were David, Otis, Ira, Phoebe and Laura, while his other five children subsequently came from New York and joined him in that county.

Otis Wisel was born at Watertown, New York, in 1810, and was twenty-six years of age when he came to Indiana. He bought fifty acres from his father, and improved that and lived on it until the spring of 1853, when he bought a quarter section in section 22. He improved a large amount of land and was one of the leading farmers of his locality for many years. He married Betsey Van Pelt, who was born in Montgomery County, New York, in 1811. Their children were: Otis, Jr., Daniel R., mentioned above, Elizabeth and George K.

George Wisel was born in Salem Township, March 23, 1850. He acquired his education in the district schools and as a young man began farming in section 22 and remained on the same farm for more than fifty-five years. He was a man of fine qualities, successful in his affairs, was a charter member of Lodge No. 376 of the Knights of Pythias at Salem Center, and in many ways played a useful part in his community. He died May 17, 1908.

On February 10, 1873. he married Annie Coombs. She was born in Livingston County, New York, March 22, 1853. a daughter of William and Mary (Wheeler) Coombs. both natives of England. George K. Wisel and wife had five children. Elsie is a well know educator, has taught exclusively for over twenty years in Salem Township and is now a teacher in the grammar grades at Salem Center ; Tellie was also a successful teacher for ten years and is the wife of Amos Grady; the third child is George O. Wisel, now proprietor of the old home- stead; Anna was a teacher for one year, married Charles Twitchell, and for the past thirteen years has been a nurse; Sabrina spent four years as a teacher in the primary grades at Helmer and is the wife of Ray Teeters and lives on a farm east of Pleasant Lake.

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History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II, Part 52

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