USA > Indiana > Knox County > Vincennes > History of Old Vincennes and Knox County, Indiana, Volume II > Part 36
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37
354
HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY
Medical Asssociation, and has served as secretary of the board of health of the county.
Dr. McCoy has an interesting military record, having in 1900 joined the Indiana National Guard as a member of the First Regiment, in which he became battalion adjutant, while later he was elected a captain of Com- pany A, First Infantry, and subsequently was made quartermaster of the regiment. In March 1910, as senior captain of the state, he was promoted to the rank of major and assigned to the Second Regiment, commanding the Third Battalion. He is an expert rifleman and is deeply interested in the military organization of the state, doing everything in his power to promote its efficiency. The troops under his control are thoroughly dis- ciplined and their training has brought them to a high degree of efficiency.
On the 20th of April, 1898, Dr. McCoy was married to Mamie Johnston, a native of Knox county and a daughter of William G. Johnston, who came from Virginia. They now have one child, Mildred Lucille, born August 25, 1899. Dr. McCoy is a Mason, belonging to Vincennes Lodge, No. I, A. F. & A. M., of which he is senior warden and to Vincennes Chapter, No. 7, R. A. M. He is descended in both paternal and maternal lines from two of the oldest and most honored families of Knox county. The names of McCoy and Adams have been inseparably associated with the substantial development of this part of the state through four generations and the history of Dr. McCoy is in accord with that of an honorable ancestry.
JOHN BICKNELL.
Among the native sons of Knox county who come of worthy parentage and have creditably upheld the good reputation of the family may be named John Bicknell. He was born in Bicknell, Vigo township, January 9, 1853, and has here passed his entire life. His parents were John and Liza Anne (Chancelor) Bicknell. The father was also a native of Knox county and spent his life here. He was prominent among the pioneers and owned two hundred acres of land where old Bicknell now stands, the town receiving its name in his honor. He was born May 23, 1828, and died in March, 1907. The mother, also a native of this county, died in Labette county, Kansas, October 25, 1910. In the family were nine children: Mumford, a miner of Bicknell, who served in Company G, Fifty-first Indiana Regiment, at the time of the Civil war; Mary J., the wdow of Andrew Goff, of Labette county, Kansas ; Nancie, of Labette, Kansas ; Carrie, deceased ; Ellen, the wife of Ellis Chambers, a mail carrier of Bicknell; Florence, now Mrs. William Robinson, of Eureka Springs, Arkansas; John, our subject; William, of Kansas City, Missouri ; and Lincoln, deceased.
The subject of this review grew up under the friendly protection of the parental roof and was educated in the district school, where he received the
355
HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY
rudiments of mental training, which have since been greatly developed by reading and observation. He early became acquainted with the details of farm work and before reaching manhood had acquired a knowledge suffi- cient to enable him to begin for himself with every expectation of abundant success. For thirty years he was closely identified with the farming in- terests of Washington township and gained a reputation as one of the sub- stantial men of the region-one who attended closely to his duties and could always be relied upon to accomplish anything he undertook. Four years ago he retired from the farm, moving to Bicknell, where he has since made his home.
In March, 1881, Mr. Bicknell was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Richey, and five children came to bless the union. Ralph and Denver are both deceased. O. J. is a successful dentist of Bicknell. Ottie is the wife of Vivian Weaver, of Bicknell. Flossie May is living at home.
Mr. Bicknell as the result of his study and investigation of political affairs accepted many years ago the principles of the republican party as those best adapted to promote the interests of the country, and he is a stanch advocate of his party. Socially he is identified with the Masonic fraternity, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Court of Honor, all of Bick- nell. He is a firm believer in the authority of the Bible and is a member and liberal supporter of the Baptist church. He has made many friends by his fine social characteristics and is recognized as a splendid type of American citizenship. He has all his life been connected with the interests of Knox county and is an advocate of the value of persistence and patience as virtues that should be cultivated by every aspiring young man. His aim is to work along lines of public improvement and permanent progress and thus he belongs to the class of men most needed by the country in the promotion of its welfare.
HARRY SAITER.
Vincennes has attracted many men of business talent and capability from other localities in Indiana and also from other states but it is noticeable that many of her successful business men were born in this city, grew up here and are now heads of large and successful enterprises. Among this num- ber may be named Harry Saiter, one of the organizers and senior member of the Saiter-Morgan Company. Although comparatively a young man, he has shown an ability that is regarded with pride by his early friends and associates and through his energy and perseverance has added materially to the prestige of this city s a business center.
Mr. Saiter was born December 17, 1873, a son of Frank Z. and Eleanor (Bowman) Saiter. His father is a native of Pennsylvania, born September
356
HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY
5, 1849, and came to Vincennes in 1871, where he has engaged in carriage- making. The mother of the subject of this review was born in England and came to America in her early childhood. Six children were the result of the marriage of Frank Z. and Eleanor Saiter: Harry, whose name appears at the head of this sketch; Jennie, now Mrs. George Turner, of Indianapolis; Arthur, now of Pennsylvania, who enlisted in the Spanish-American war, spent two years in the Philippine Islands and lost a leg in the service; and Charles, Alice and Elmer, all of Vincennes.
Educated in the public schools of Vincennes, Mr. Saiter laid aside his school books to enter business life as a clerk in the employ of the Cohen Clothing Company. After a fair initiation into business methods, he went to Chicago and for three years was connected with one of the hardware stores of that city. There he gained a good working knowledge of the hard- ware trade that he has since applied practically. Returning to his native town, he went into the carriage shop with his father and continued with him for twelve years. He was successful as a carriage manufacturer, but in the course of his work came to the conclusion that Vincennes presented a field for other lines, among them that of paints, glass and hardware. One of the distinctive characteristics of the American business man is his ability to take the initiative .. He is not afraid to venture in new paths and even through grave difficulties may present themselves he often overcomes all obstacles and permanently establishes a new enterprise that is of marked importance in strengthening and developing the community. Fortune smiled on the Saiter-Morgan Company and today its headquarters at Seventh and Hickman streets occupy two large store rooms and the business, wholesale and retail, is a monument to the enterprise and energy of its founders. The rooms are stocked with well selected lines in the various departments and offices of the firm are maintained on the second floor of the building. The firm manufactures quite a number of the products used in the paint business and has a well directed force of traveling men in the field.
In 1897 Mr. Saiter was united in marriage to Miss Emma Frederick, a native of Germany, who came to America with her parents when she was in her girlhood. Four children have been born to them: Helen, born May 1, 1898; Alice, born in September, 1900; Maurice, born in November, 1902; and Mary Frances, born June, 1906.
Mr. Saiter is affiliated with the democratic party but has not devoted much time to politics, the demands of a growing business requiring his prin- cipal attention. He is a member of the Episcopal church and in fraternal circles is identified with the Royal Arcanum, the Knights of Pythias and the Travelers Protective Association. He is a man of genial social qualities and, judging by what he has accomplished, would have made a success of anything that might have attracted his attention. It is evident that he be- longs to the type of men who are endowed with good judgment and who, as the years pass, gather additional energies and knowledge which they are
357
HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY
able to apply to practical use. It is men of this character who are at the foundation of the great business revolution which is to be witnessed in all the leading countries of the world and who may truly be designated as the modern evangels of peace and prosperity.
JAMES J. KELSO.
James J. Kelso occupies a beautiful home at the corporation limits of Vincennes on Fairgrand avenue. He is a retired farmer, having for a long period been closely and successfully connected with general agricultural pur- suits. Throughout Knox county he has an extensive acquaintance and the leading traits of his character have been such as to gain for him the con- fidence, good will and high regard of all who know him.
He was born September 15, 1832, in the old house which was built by his father, William Kelso, who in early life was a resident of West Virginia, his home being in the vicinity of Kingsbury. The tide of emigration was steadily flowing westward and when nineteen years of age William Kelso determined to sever home ties and benefit by the opportunities offered in a new country, the resources of which were great, although its improve- ments were few. Accordingly he made his way westward to Knox county, then largely an undeveloped region, and purchased the land upon which his son James now resides. It was a wild tract upon which not a furrow had been turned or an improvement made, but with characteristic energy he began the development of the fields and in time converted the farm into a very productive tract of land, from which substantial harvests were an- nually gathered. He was the first settler upon this place and the creek which flows near the old home bears his name. He continued a resident of Knox county until his death and was recognized throughout the community as a man of the highest respectability.
James J. Kelso was reared amid the scenes and environments of pioneer life, for this district was still a frontier region at the time of his birth. His natal year was the one in which the Black Hawk war occurred and the In- dians were thereby driven from this section of the country. At the usual age he entered the district schools. The course of instruction was then limited, but he made good use of his opportunities and in the school of ex- perience has learned many valuable and practical lessons. His training at farm labor was not meager and he not only ssisted in the work of the fields but also aided his father in the conduct of a brickyard. He continued in those lines of business until 1861, when he began farming on his own account, purchasing about one hundred and twenty acres of land. His time and energies were thereafter devoted to tilling the place until he retired, al- though in the meantime he had bought and sold other lands. His time was given to cultivation of cereals best adapted to soil and climate and the practi-
358
HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY
cal methods which he followed made his labor a source of substantial success. His sound judgment told him when to plant his fields and he practiced the rotation of crops, so that he always kept his land in good condition. At length when he retired he sold his farm and now lives upon a part of the old family homestead at the corporation limits of Vincennes.
Mr. Kelso was united in marriage to Miss Dorcas Armstrong and they had four children : Alice, the wife of Lyle Simpson, of Vincennes, by whom she has three children-Clinton, Martha and James; Mary L., the wife of H. Healy, of New York city; Lucy; and William. After losing his first wife Mr. Kelso wedded Mary B. Badolet and they have one child, Frances, at home.
Aside from politics Mr. Kelso takes a deep interest in all that pertains to the welfare and progress of his native county. His religious faith is that of the Presbyterian denomination and he is serving as an elder of the church in Vincennes in which he has his membership. He has not only been prominently identified with agricultural interests but for many years has labored with all the strength of a great nature and all the earnestness of a true heart for the betterment of the world about him and his reward is found in the love and respect of the community in which his entire life has been passed.
WESLEY CLEVELAND.
Wesley Cleveland, who has the honor of being connected with the same line of ancestry as Grover Cleveland, twice president of the United States, was born in Sullivan county, Indiana, September 17, 1850, and has for a number of years been a resident of Knox county. He is a son of Benjamin and Anne (McCamman) Cleveland. The father, who was born in New Jersey in 1813, emigrated to Sullivan county, Indiana, in 1834, when he was twenty-one years of age, and lived on the same farm in that county until his death, which occurred in October, 1892, just before the election of Grover Cleveland for the second time as president. He was a successful farmer, a man of genial characteristics and a patriotic citizen, who always attempted to perform his duty according to the dictates of an enlightened conscience. Politically he was in sympathy with the democratic party, but he never sought official preferment. The mother was a native of the Em- erald isle. She came to this country with her parents at three years of age and here she lived until 1852, when she was called to her reward. She was a woman of kind heart, generous disposition and many noble qualities, which endeared her to her family and friends. She was the mother of nine children : Mary J., William, John, Andrew, Thomas and George, all de- ceased ; Wesley, our subject ; Benjamin, now engaged in farming near Car- lisle, Sullivan county ; and James, a farmer of Greene county, this state.
359
HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY
The subject of this review was educated in the common schools, receiv- ing such an education as is often of great importance in shaping the char- acter for usefulness and unselfishness and it had a marked effect in his case. He remained upon the home farm until he was twenty-one years of age and then became identified with the railroad business. Later he removed to Bicknell, where he teamed for several years, but gave up that business in 1908 to become assessor of the town and township, which position he still fills, having shown an ability that has met the hearty approval of the taxpayers. He also pays some attention to gardening. He owns the home in which he lives, with two lots and an acre of ground in the town and has an established reputation as one of the responsible and progressive citizens of Knox county.
In 1876 Mr. Cleveland was united in marriage to Miss Mary J. Phillippe, who died April 2, 1901. There were eight children born to them: William; Anna Rose, the wife of M. B. Fox, of Bicknell; M. M., the wife of William Scomp, of Bicknell; Lewis; Thurman; Rebecca, deceased; Pearl; and Ray. Five of the children are now living at home and assist in making it one of the happy gathering places of Bicknell.
Mr. Cleveland, as was his father, is an adherent of the democratic party. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and encampment at Bicknell. In his life he has been controlled by a desire to assist in ad- vancing the permanent welfare of those with whom he has been associated and his ambition has been largely realized. As a useful and enterprising citizen he has done his part toward promoting the best interests of the com- munity and no man is more sincerely respected by those who know him than the subject of this review.
RALPH L. MILLER.
Among the representative citizens of Knox county is Ralph L. Miller, the owner of a valuable farm of four hundred and fifty acres in Washing- ton township, which he has cleared and improved during the last eight years. He was born in Brownstown, Jackson county, Indiana, August 29, 1872, and is a son of William and Ida (Smith) Miller, both of whom were natives of this state. The father began farming upon rented land in Jackson county and in 1881 fell heir to eighty acres. Six years later he came into possession of five hundred and sixty acres more and in 1889 purchased one hundred and thirty-five acres, becoming one of the extensive farmers of the county. He was called away in 1895 but the beloved mother is still living and makes her home at Seymour, Indiana.
Ralph L. Miller received his preliminary education in the district schools and grew up upon the home farm. Feeling the necessity of a liberal educa- tion in order to compete successfully in the business affairs of modern life,
360
HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY
he became a student at Purdue University and there continued for two years, in the course of which he learned a great deal that has assisted him very materially in the accomplishment of worthy objects. After the death of his father he took charge of the home place, continuing there until 1902, when he purchased four hundred and fifty acres of G. W. Elliott, in Wash- ington township, this county. He has since made his home in Knox county and is the owner of one of its most valuable farms, displaying an energy and judgment in its management which have produced highly satisfactory returns.
On the 17th day of August, 1898, Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Nettie W. Holmes, a daughter of John W. and Emma Holmes both of whom were born in Indiana. She is a most estimable lady and a member of the Christian church. Mr. Miller is in hearty sympathy with the principles and candidates of the democratic party, contributing liberally toward its sup- port. He was born under favorable financial conditions and has always had an abundance of this world's goods. The high character he possesses is not the result of struggle with adversity. It was, with him, a natural en- dowment and has easily made him a leader in the community. The pos- sessor of a pleasing address, an intelligent and cultivated mind and the genial qualities that attract friends, he justly occupies a high place in the estimation of a large circle of friends and acquaintances.
WILLIAM H. BREVOORT.
William H. Brevoort is one of the most widely known citizens of Knox county and the most prominent representative of its agricultural interests. His life has been one of untiring activity, of business enterprise and sound judgment, as evidenced in the splendid success which has rewarded his labors. He now makes his home at No. 522 Busseron street in Vincennes and has reached the seventy-second milestone on life's journey. His birth occurred in Ohio, in 1838, his parents being Jason F. and Sarah (Sefton) Brevoort. The father was a practicing physician who removed to Indian- apolis, where he actively and successfully followed his profession until his life's labors were ended in death. His wife also passed away in that city.
William H. Brevoort spent the first twelve years of his life in Ohio and then accompanied his parents on their removal to Indianapolis, where he continued his education in the public schools and later entered Butler Col- lege, from which in due course of time he was graduated. He removed to Knox county in 1865 and began farming, having at first but a small tract of land. He applied himself with unceasing diligence to the cultivation of his fields and at length secured good crops, for which he found a ready sale. The proceeds of his labors he invested in further improvements upon his place and also in extending the boundaries of his farm. Success con-
361
HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY
tinued to attend him and from time to time he added to his property until his holdings aggregate sixty-seven hundred acres, all of which is cultivable and valuable land, making him the largest landowner in Knox county.
In 1869 Mr. Brevoort was united in marriage to Miss Harriet Mental, a daughter of Dr. John M. Mental, a prominent physician. This marriage was blessed with four children: Dorothy, William E., Margaret J. and James Scott. For his second wife Mr. Brevoort chose Amelia Shattuck, whom he wedded in 1876. He is a member of the Christian church and contributes generously to its support. As a citizen he has at all times the good of the community at heart and in many ways his ability has been exerted to make his adopted county rank with the brightest and best of those composing this great commonwealth. He stands as a splendid example of the self-made man, his life history proving what may be accomplished by close application, unfaltering purpose, judicious investment and honorable dealing.
HAMILTON LIKE.
Many of the leading citizens of Knox county can claim descent from pioneers coming from the south and not a few of the men and women of this county and the state of Indiana are the direct descendants of settlers who came to this region from North Carolina when Indiana was a wilder- ness. The forests have been cleared away, the swamps drained and the prairies plowed and today almost the entire state is under a high degree of cultivation. It is largely by the early settlers and their children and grandchildren that this great work has been accomplished. Hamilton Like, whose name introduces this review, is of worthy North Carolina and Teu- tonic ancestry and represents the third generation of his family in Indiana.
He was born on the farm where he now resides June 16, 1862, and is a son of Elias and Sarah (Shouse) Like. The father was also a native of Knox county and the grandfather of North Carolina, the latter coming to this region with a colony which settled in Harrison township. Elias Like entered the land upon which he located and which has ever since re- mained in possession of the family. Money was scarce in those early days and he hunted raccoons and quails, which were quite numerous at the time, in order to secure the necessary funds to pay for the land. That he was a man of ability is evident from the fact that he acquired about four hundred acres of land, but he sold a portion of it and at the time of his death, June II, 1893, was the owner of two hundred acres, which passed into the pos- session of his heirs. The mother of our subject was a native of Knox county, her parents coming from Kentucky. Here she was married and in this county she died, February 16, 1898. Three of the children of the family died in infancy; Elizabeth is the widow of James King, living near
362
HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY
Monroe City; Lige and Adam are deceased; Richard is represented else- where in this work; Eliza Jane and Clark are deceased; Nancy A. is the wife of William Scott, a farmer of Harrison township; the next died in infancy ; Hamilton is our subject; Sarah is the wife of William Beaman, a farmer of Harrison township; and Jasper and Curtis are deceased.
The subject of this review received his education in the common schools, where he showed a proficiency in mathematics much beyond the ordinary and had he desired to continue his studies in that direction, it is probable that he could have acquired quite a reputation as a mathematician. In many ways, however, he has found this faculty to be of great service to him in his business affairs. He remained at home with his parents after leaving school and upon the death of his father took charge of the farm, which he purchased when he was twenty-five years of age. He has been highly successful as a farmer and from time to time, as his resources in- creased, he purchased more land until he is now the owner of two farms in Harrison township, aggregating six hundred and sixty-five acres. He is an extensive cattle and hog feeder and usually succeeds in getting high prices for stock. His attention has not been devoted entirely to farm- ing, as he was one of the organizers of the Monroe City Bank and is one of its stockholders and a member of its board of directors.
The father and mother of Mr. Like were members of the Missionary Baptist church, but he has never identified himself with any religious organi- zation, although he is a friend to all of them. Politically he is in sympathy with the democratic party and accepts its principles as those best adapted to conserve the permanent interests of the people. As a business man Mr. Like stands very high and is regarded by those who know him best as a man of rare judgment and good executive ability. He is wide-awake, pro- gressive and broad-minded and may justly be named as a representative of the best class of citizens whose influence is always for prosperity.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.