History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II, Part 92

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 92
USA > Indiana > Noble County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 92
USA > Indiana > DeKalb County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 92
USA > Indiana > Steuben County > History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II > Part 92

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).

Their parents were Arthur M. and Emily (Weir) Price. Arthur M. Price was born in Preble County,

Ohio, in 1839, son of Francis M. Price. Francis Price came from Ohio about 1844 and entered land north of LaGrange, eventually acquiring about five hundred acres. He and his wife lived in this county until their death. Arthur M. Price was a small child when brought to LaGrange County, grew up and received his education in the common schools and in the LaGrange County Institute at Ontario, and for several years farmed the old homestead. In 1867 he went out to Missouri and bought a sec- tion of prairie land, which he broke and cultivated for nearly ten years. In 1876 he went to Michigan and rented a farm for one year, and then returned to LaGrange County, where he continued as a renter until 1882. In 1892 he bought the farm of John G. Wade, consisting of eighty acres, and be- fore his death two years later had about two hun- dred acres under his ownership. His widow sur- vived him until 1906. He was a republican in poli- tics.

Harry W. and Fred E. Price were the only chil- dren of their parents. Harry W. was born in Mor- gan County, Missouri, November 6, 1869, began his education in the public schools in that state and in 1876 went to Michigan with his parents and since 1877 has lived in LaGrange County. He and his brother Fred inherited the old homestead of two hundred acres and their operations have justi- fied increased purchases until they now have in joint ownership eight hundred forty-six acres. Since 1894 they have been sheep feeders, and their operations in that line are conducted on a large scale. Mr. Harry Price is a republican and for two years was a county drainage commissioner. In 1896 he married Miss Grace Case, who was born in Milford Township, a daughter of Billings B. and Eliza (Myers) Case. Mrs. Price died in 1904, the mother of three children, Arthur, Henry M. and Grace, the last two twins.

Fred Price, junior member of the firm, was born in Morgan County, Missouri, July 20, 1871, and is a graduate of the LaGrange High School. For two years he taught school and since then has been in business with his brother. He is a repub- lican and is a director of the LaGrange State Bank and a member of the Masonic Lodge at LaGrange.

HAMILTON GARLETS. The Garlets family has fig- ured conspicuously in the history of several localities in Northeast Indiana. One of the family, Hamilton Garlets, is a successful farmer and land owner in Springfield Township of LaGrange County.

He has lived in this county for over forty years. He" was born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, November 21, 1857, a son of Jacob and Sarah (Miller) Garlets, also natives of Somerset County. Hamilton's mother died when he was about three years of age. Her parents were Peter D. and Maria (Harding) Miller, and her grandfather was David Miller, all of whom were Somerset County farmers.

Jacob Garlets came to LaGrange County about 1868 and located on the farm where Charles Garlets now lives in Greenfield Township. After moving to this county he married for his second wife Miss Lucy Bennett, of Springfield, Ohio. She died in 1905, and while he owned farm lands he spent most of his career as a carpenter. He had three children by his first wife, Jesse, Hamilton and Ananias, and one by his second marriage, Bessie Elizabeth.

Hamilton Garlets remained in Pennsylvania until he was about nineteen years of age, receiving his education in Somerset County. He came to LaGrange County in 1876, and has since been busily engaged in farming. He has lived on his present place of forty acres in Springfield Township a num-

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ber of years, and also owns forty acres of timber lands in another locality and eight and a half acres near Mongo.

Mr. Garlets had two sons and two sons-in-law who were American soldiers during the World war. He married Miss Emma Fair, a daughter of Noah Fair, on April 8, 1881. Six children were born to them. Clayton, at home; Dessie, wife of Frank M. Engle; Clyde; Harry; Herbert A .; and Eva, wife of Alvin Weiss. The son Harry was with the Forty-Seventh Infantry in the Fourth Division, and took part in three major offensives in France, the Enmar, Soisson and Meuse-Argonne drives. He was wounded in the first drive. After the signing of the armistice he became a student in the great American army university at Beaume, France. The son Clyde also saw overseas service with the Seventieth Coast Artillery. Mr. Garlets' son-in-law, Frank Engle, was with the Field Artillery Replace- ment Band, detached from the Second Division.

CHARLES E. BAKER. One of the prosperous farm- ers of Steuben County, Indiana, was born on the farm he now owns and occupies in Otsego Town- ship, May 6, 1865. His parents, John and Catherine (Sanxter) Baker, were early settlers of Steuben County. John Baker was born in Loudoun County, Virginia, January 21, 1831, his wife was born in England, March 3, 1844. In 1850 John Baker came to Steuben County with his parents, Samuel and Sarah (Shriver) Baker, who bought 160 acres of land in section 25, Otsego Township. Later they added to their holdings until they had 640 acres, which they divided among their seven children prior to their death. Samuel Baker passed away April 11, 1884, aged eighty-three years, having been born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, June 11, 1801, and his wife died in 1887.

John Baker lived in Pennsylvania and Wayne County, Ohio, prior to coming to Steuben County, Indiana, and there he attended school. In early life he was a teacher in Otsego and Richland townships, but later on settled on the eighty acres of land given him by his father, adding to it forty acres of section 23 of that township. He built a house on the north forty acres in 1887, and on December 25th of that year moved into it, and there he died March 4, 1905, his widow surviving him until April 23, 1907. In politics he was a democrat. He and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he was recording steward for many years and also a member of the Official Board of the church, taking an active part in all of its good work. He and his wife had the following children: Charles E., Mary P. and Cora Rebecca. Prior to his mar- riage with Catherine Sanxter, John Baker was mar- ried, March 4, 1855, to Salinda E. Keyes, a sister of William H. Keyes, mentioned elsewhere in this work, and by his first marriage he had the follow- ing children: Samuel E., who died in infancy; Sarah E., who married G. W. Goudy, and is de- ceased; and W. H., who died in infancy. The first Mrs. Baker died June 11, 1863.

Charles E. Baker grew up in a happy home, and was early taught the dignity of labor and the use- fulness of the life of a farmer. He went to the rural schools and took a three years' course at the Angola High School, and then for the subsequent four years followed in his father's footsteps and was an educator. He then assumed charge of the homestead, replacing the old residence in 1910 with the present modern and convenient one, and is now engaged in general farming and stock raising, hav- ing had a very gratifying success in his work. In politics .a democrat, he has been very active in local

affairs. When he was twenty-one years old he was made a member of the Odd Fellows at Metz, In- diana, that being in 1886, and later he connected himself with Hamilton Lodge No. 648, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he is now the only living charter member, serving it for the past six years as financial secretary. He also belongs to Otsego Lodge No. 701, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of Hamilton, and Hamilton Lodge No. 228, Knights of Pythias.

On April 11, 1888, Mr. Baker was united in mar- riage with Emma A. Chard, born in Otsego Town- ship, September 8, 1864, a daughter of Charles and Anna (Dotts) Chard, he born in Otsego Township, March 26, 1838, and she in Hancock County, Ohio, March 16, 1842. Charles Chard was a son of Levi and Lydia (Harriman) Chard, farming people of Otsego Township, he born May 7, 1814, a son of W. and Susan Chard, natives of England. W. Chard died at Sandusky, Ohio, in 1823, and his wife passed away in Steuben County, Indiana, at the residence of Mrs. Betsy Shaeffer, at a later date. Levi Chard was reared in Ohio, where he was married, and in the fall of 1837 came to Jackson Township, Steuben County, Indiana, living on land now occupied by J. Croy, but later bought forty acres of land in Otsego Township. Still later he went to Illinois, but returned to Otsego Township, and he died at the home of his son, Enoch Chard, of Angola, who now lives in Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. Baker became the parents of two children : Virgil C. and Ora L. Virgil C. Baker was born August 2, 1891, and attended the public schools of Otsego Township. He was married to Artie Beard, a daughter of Henry and Ida (Norigan) Beard, of DeKalb County, Indiana, and they have three chil- dren, Mildred, Keith and Ruth. Ora L. Baker was born October 11, 1897, and attended the public schools of Otsego Township, the Hamilton High School, from which he was graduated, and the Tri-State Normal School of Angola, and is now engaged in . farming. He married Aldah Fee, a daughter of Frank and Setta (Gilbert) Fee, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. Mr. and Mrs. O. L. Baker have one child, Florabel. Virgil C. and Ora L. Baker are members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows of Hamilton.

JOHN F. MUSSER, who is now living in comfort- able retirement on his village farm at Metz, has well earned the material position he enjoys and also the homage and respect of his country and com- munity. He was member of a family that con- tributed in a remarkable manner to the Union cause during the Civil war. He and three of his brothers were soldiers and two of them gave up their lives in the struggle.

Mr. Musser was born in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, November 9, 1840, a son of Henry and Mary (Lepord) Musser. His parents moved to Steuben County in 1853, and settled on eighty acres of land in Richland Township. Their first home was a log cabin, and Henry Musser had made some progress with clearing up the land and mak- ing a farm before he died in 1860. He lost his wife in 1858. Of their five sons all but the youngest, David, who is still living in York Township, served as Union soldiers. The oldest was William, who enlisted in Company H of the One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Indiana Infantry in 1863, and was in service until the close. The second in the family is John F. Edwin enlisted in 1861 in Company A of the Forty-Fourth Indiana Infantry, and died at Henderson, Kentucky, in 1862. Samuel enlisted in Company A of the One Hundred and Twenty-

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Ninth Indiana in 1863, and died a few weeks later at Chattanooga. The father of these children was a vigorous republican and member of the Lutheran Church.

John F. Musser was thirteen years old when his parents came to Steuben County, and he finished his education in the public schools of Richland Township. He was the second of the four brothers to get into active service during the war. Novem- ber 15, 1862, he enlisted in Company B of the One Hundredth Indiana Infantry, and was with the Union armies until after the close of the war. The last important event in the service was the Grand Review at Washington on May 22, 1865. Alto- gether he was in twenty-seven battles, including Vicksburg, Jackson, Chattanooga, Missionary Ridge, the continuous fighting of 100 days in the advance from Chattanooga to Atlanta constituting the At- lanta campaign, and afterward in Sherman's march to the sea and through the Carolinas. He was wounded at Missionary Ridge. After his discharge in June, 1865, Mr. Musser returned to Steuben County and took up the trade of mason, which he followed actively for thirty-five years. He has lived on his place at Metz since 1870. He has seven- teen acres adjoining the village, improved with a good home, and there is enough land to afford him a comfortable living.

Mr. Musser has always been a stalwart repub- lican and is a liberal in religious views. For twenty- one years he was affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is still a member of the , LaGrange County respect him for his ability, his Knights of Pythias Lodge at Metz and the Grand Army of the Republic. He and his wife are mem- bers of the Pythian Sisters. In 1880 he was elected a justice of the peace, and filled that office four years, and for four years was township assessor of York Township.

On September 28, 1869, Mr. Musser married Miss Harriet Snyder. She was born in Stark County, Ohio, September 2, 1845, a daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Snyder) Snyder. Her parents were natives of Schuylkill, Pennsylvania, and came to Steuben County about 1858, settling in Richland Township. In the fall of that year her father broke the ground and put in a crop of wheat, and the family lived in a log house until a better dwelling could be provided. Henry Snyder died in 1867, at the age of fifty-two, and his widow survived until 1899, to the age of eighty-two. In the Snyder family were the following children: Joel, who was a Civil war veteran and is now deceased; Louisa; Henry, also a Union soldier; Harriet; Emanuel; Mary; Sarah, deceased; John; George Washington, de- ceased ; and Abraham Lincoln.

Mr. and Mrs. Musser are the parents of three children, Cora Ellen, Lee Henry, mentioned on other pages, and Ray Hubert. The daughter, born Sep- tember 2, 1871, is the wife of John Tyson, a railroad engineer living at Detroit. Ray Hubert, who was born June 17, 1883, married Lola Fireoved, who was born in Williams County, Ohio, September 3, 1885, a daughter of William and Louisa (Rerish) Fire- oved. Ray H. Musser and wife had one child, Carl, who died in infancy.

FRED MILLER owns and looks after a good farm in Jackson Township of DeKalb County. Farming is an occupation of his later years. He always had a fondness for country life, but during the greater part of his active career followed a mechanical trade. His home is in section 36 of Jackson Town- ship.

Mr. Miller was born at Kendallville, Indiana, November 7, 1866, a son of John and Minnie ( Keihl) Miller. His parents were natives of Germany, were

married in that country, and on coming to the United States made their first destination Chicago. Not long afterward they left that city and walked all the way to Kendallville. They lived there the rest of their days. The father was a drayman for many years.

Fred Miller was seven years old when his father died and after that he lived with his mother and had little opportunity to attend school. At the age of sixteen he began learning the boilermaker's trade, and for many years was in the railroad shops at Garrett, and worked steadily at his trade for thirty years. In 1912 he invested his savings and earnings in his farm in Jackson Township, and has lived there and enjoyed a contented life and con- siderable prosperity since the fall of 1912. He is a democrat in politics and he and his wife are mem- bers of the Reformed Church.

May 24, 1888, Mr. Miller married Ella Steffen. She was born in Keyser Township, near Garrett, June 5, 1867, and her parents were also natives of Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have six living chil- dren : Louis, who was in the army with the Ex- peditionary Forces in France; John, a boilermaker living in Garrett; Charles, who also was in the army; Frank; Fred E. and Elzena.

PLINY E. HUDSON owns one of the fine farms in Lima Township, LaGrange County, and is a citi- zen who has made the interests of his community his own, and his neighbors and friends all over good judgment and his thorough public spirit.

His family connections have proved themselves examples of the very best American traditions, not only in peace but in war. Mr. Hudson was born at East Palmyra, New York, January 31, 1852, a son of Isaac and Sarah Ann (Alling) Hudson, who were also natives of New York State. His pater- nal great-grandfather was John Hudson. John Hudson and a brother-in-law were Continental sol- diers in the struggle for independence, spent the winter of desolation and hardship at Valley Forge, and were afterward made prisoners by the village. After they were liberated John Hudson died while on his way home. The paternal grandparents of Pliny E. Hudson were Colonel Samuel and Mary (Emmons) Hudson, also natives of New York State. Colonel Samuel Hudson served with that rank and title as a soldier in the War of 1812. He was also at one time sheriff of Columbia County, New York. His wife's grandfather was Woodruff Emmons, whose father came to America about 1718. A member of the Emmons family was Caro- las Emmons, who served in the Revolutionary army with the rank of major general.

Isaac Hudson, father of Pliny, was appointed quartermaster lieutenant in the 39th Regiment of New York Militia. His brother Pliny E., for whom the LaGrange County citizen was named, had held the office of quartermaster lieutenant in the same regiment in 1840, his brother Isaac being then quartermaster sergeant. Pliny E. Hudson, the elder, received his commission from William H. Seward, then governor of New York and after- ward secretary of war under Lincoln. Mr. Hud- son of LaGrange County has the original commis- sions granted to his uncle and his father.

Another uncle of Mr. Hudson, Samuel Hudson, came to LaGrange County about 1845 and acquired and developed a fine farm of two hundred forty acres in Lima Township. He sold that property in 1876. From 1852 to 1858 he was county commis- sioner and served one term as a member of the State Legislature, being elected in 1860.

Isaac Hudson arrived in LaGrange County and

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settled on the farm a little east of Howe in Lima Township, where his son Pliny now lives, on May 15, 1853. He bought this land from Mr. West, paying twenty dollars an acre, the price including both stock and tools. He bought two hundred acres, but did not long enjoy or use the property, since death overtook him nine months later, on March 4, 1854. His widow survived him over sixty years, passing away November 15, 1915. She was the mother of three children, the youngest, Isaac, dying at the age of seventeen. Pliny E. was the second, and his sister, Sarah J., became the wife of Joseph Scott, who at one time was county treas- urer of LaGrange County.

Pliny E. Hudson was only an infant when brought to LaGrange County. He has always lived on the old homestead and he finished his education in the Collegiate Institute at Ontario. He now owns two hundred eighty acres, has remodeled the buildings, and in every sense has kept up with the march of improvements in agriculture. He helped organize the Home Elevator Company and has since been a member of its board of directors. He was also one of the founders of the local cemetery association and is a life director. A fact of local history that should be mentioned is that the com- mittee which organized the LaGrange Collegiate Institute at Ontario met on the farm, now owned by Pliny E. Hudson. Mr. Hudson served seven years and seven months as township trustee of Lima, and for six years was a member of the Board of County Commissioners. He was one of the founders and a member of the building com- mittee of the Lima Creamery, and was one of its directors for several years.

December 26, 1884, he married Miss Gertrude Walker, who was born in Eden Township of La- Grange County, but she and her husband were reared on adjoining farms in Lima Township. She . is a daughter of William H. Walker. They have two children, Anna A. and William W. Anna is the wife of Frank Rice and has a son, William K. William W. Hudson served with the rank of cap- tain in the 309th Ammunition Train with the 84th Division in France, and is now working for the American Agricultural Chemical Company.

William H. Walker, father of Mrs. Hudson, was born at Logan in Hocking County, Ohio, August 2, 1827, son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Harman) Walker, both natives of Yorkshire, England. They were married after coming to Ohio, and moved from Ohio to Elkhart County, Indiana, in 1835 and four years later settled in Eden Township of La- Grange County, where they made their home until moving to Lima Township in 1862. Thomas Walker was a blacksmith before coming to Indiana. William H. Walker was one of a family of nine children. After his father's death he took charge of the home farm, but in 1862 moved to Lima Town- ship. He married Miss Sarah S. Coldren on June 1, 1851. Sarah Coldren is an historic personage in LaGrange County, being distinguished as the first white girl born there. Her birth occurred in Lima Township May 4, 1832. Her parents were Nehemiah and Sibel (Newton) Coldren. Her father was a native of Pennsylvania, grew up in Delaware County, Ohio, and came to LaGrange County as early as 1828, when all that country was a wilderness. In 1830, at White Pigeon, Michigan, he was married, and after that he made his home in Lima Township until 1833, when he moved to Eden Township. Nehemiah Coldren is.remembered as the first sheriff of LaGrange County, and he held the office of county commissioner six years. William H. Walker owned and developed a farm of two hundred ten acres. He was a republican in

politics. He and his wife had seven children, named Augusta S., Gertrude L., Charles J., William C., Edward, Florence and Willie.

HARVEY C. PLANK. The early practical experience and training of Mr. Plank as a farmer undoubtedly helped his qualifications for dealing in agricultural implements. He is also a general merchant at Brighton in Greenfield Township, LaGrange County, a community in which he has spent practically all his life. He has helped forward many local enter- prises, and the confidence he enjoys from his fellow citizens is well indicated by the fact that he is the present township trustee.

He was born in Greenfield Township May 30, 1874, a son of Christian J. and Fannie ( Morrell) Plank, both natives of Wayne County, Ohio. His paternal grandparents were Christian and Elizabeth (Kurtz) Plank, who were born in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, and in 1872 came to Indiana and spent their last days in Greenfield Township. Christian J. Plank was born September 13, 1833, and on Janu- ary 3, 1856, married for his first wife in Adams County, Indiana, Miss Catherine Musser. She was born in Wayne County, Ohio, daughter of Abraham and Catherine Musser, natives of Germany, who spent their last days in Adams County, Indiana. Christian J. Plank moved to Greenfield Township in November, 1859, later spent one year in Michigan, and for four years was a farmer and operator of a threshing outfit in Elkhart County, Indiana. He finally returned to Greenfield Township, and owned and developed a farm of 155 acres on Pretty Prairie. He and his first wife had nine children, Amos F., Catherine A., Rebecca E., Susan, Mary A., Daniel, Samuel, Lydia A. and Elizabeth. Christian J. Plank married Fannie Morrell in Noble County, Indiana, February 2, 1873. She was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, and her parents, David and Catherine Morrell, were natives of Pennsylvania, and her father died in Noble County, Indiana.

Harvey C. Plank was the only child of his father's second marriage. He had a public school education, attended Normal School at Smithville, Ohio, and in early manhood spent four years operating his father's farm in Greenfield Township. About 1900 he engaged in the farm implement husiness at Brighton, and gave his entire attention to this enter- prise until November 1, 1918. At that date he bought out the general store of Grubaugh & Gilham at Brighton, and since then has managed hoth enterprises with a high degree of profit and genuine service to his patronage.

Mr. Plank also helped organize in 1900 the Pretty Prairie Telephone Company, was for a number of years its president and secretary, and is still a director. He served as township assessor four years, and has been in the office of township trustee since January 1, 1919. He has interested himself in political affairs, was identified with the progressive movement in the republican party and is now a regular republican. He is affiliated with the Brethren Church, the Knights of Pythias at Howe and the ·Gleaners at Brighton.

In 1897 Mr. Plank married Miss Clara Hogmire, of Bloomfield in LaGrange County, daughter of Samuel Hogmire. They have one daughter, Fannie Belle.

ISAAC LUCE. One of the best farms in York Township in Steuben County has been continuously under the ownership and management of one family for half a century. Its present proprietor, Isaac Luce, was brought to that environment when a boy, and has achieved his success and dignity in life in that one locality. He was born in Columbiana

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County, Ohio, June 6, 1858, a son of Isaac and Liza Ann (Fasdic) Luce. His father was born in Canada in 1800, lived in Ohio for some years and in 1868 came to sections 12 and 13 of York Township. He took the land largely in a primitive condition, cleared away the timber and brush, and made his home there until his death in 1866.

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History of Northeast Indiana : LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Volume II, Part 92

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