USA > Indiana > Vermillion County > History of Parke and Vermillion Counties, Indiana : with historical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families > Part 74
USA > Indiana > Parke County > History of Parke and Vermillion Counties, Indiana : with historical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families > Part 74
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On April 27, 1907, Mr. Pierce was united in marriage with Harriet H. Ristine, of Crawfordsville, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. W. H. Ristine. Their union has been blessed with two children, Warren Harvey and Martha Ristine.
JOHN D. BROWN.
Among the sterling and highly respected citizens of Vermillion town- ship, Vermillion county, Indiana, stands John D. Brown, a man who has, in every sphere of activity in which he has engaged, performed his duty to the best of his ability, thereby earning a well merited reputation for integrity, industry and thoroughness. As a soldier for the Union during the dark days of the Southern rebellion he was a faithful and courageous defender of the national honor; as a shoemaker he has during a long course of years been
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considered one of the best in the state, and as a citizen he has always stood for a high standard of living, so that his community is the richer for his hav- ing lived in it.
John D. Brown was born in the township in which he now lives, on Octo- ber 16, 1838, his family having been a well-known one here from the days of the early settlers. His father, Thomas Brown, came from the East to Ver- million county in a very early day and here established the permanent home of the family. He was a shoemaker by trade and followed that occupation with considerable success. To him and his wife were born the following children : Jeff. Henry, and John D., the subject of this sketch. all of whom live in Newport: David, Sarah and Susan are deceased, and Armina, of Burton, Kansas, who is living.
John D. Brown learned the trade of shoemaker under the directions of his father and, as stated above, he has for many years been considered one of the best shoemakers in the state, having enjoyed a large patronage among the representative people of the community. On the 28th of August, 1862, Mr. Brown enlisted for service as a member of the Fourteenth Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and gave to his country his best service until discharged because of physical disability, incurred in the line of duty. He was a loyal defender of the Stars and Stripes and, to the full extent of his ability, con- tributed to the success of the national arms. Since his return to private life he has devoted himself to the vocation of shoemaker, making his home at Newport.
On March 24. 1864. Mr. Brown was united in marriage to Eliza Smith, and to them have been born the following children: Richard. deceased ; Minnie, the wife of Joseph Donovan, of Terre Haute, and William Sherman. The mother of these children was called to her rest on February 7, 1911. at the age of sixty-six years.
Politically, John D. Brown gives his support to the Democratic party, while. fraternally, he is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. His excellent personal qualities of character have commended him to the good will of the people with whom he has mingled for so many years, and he is generally considered one of the sterling citizens of Newport.
William S. Brown, oldest child of John D. and Eliza Brown, was born in Vermillion township on March 8. 1866. He grew to manhood in his native community and attended school here. Early in life he took up farm- ing as a renter, following the same for some time. In 1908 Mr. Brown was elected trustee of Vermillion township and has performed the duties of this office in such a manner as to win the commendation of his fellow citizens.
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He is a man of good habits and upright character and stands high in the es- teem of those who know him.
On March 14, 1889, Wiliam S. Brown married Etta Wise, daughter of Daniel Wise, of Newport, and to this union five children have been born, namely : Aden, at home : Hazel, deceased; Arden, Gladys and Martha, all at home.
Politically, Mr. Brown is a Democrat, while his fraternal affiliations are with the Court of Honor and the Knights of Pythias.
SYLVESTER MANION.
Many of the characteristic traits of the sterling Celtic race are to be noted in the character of Sylvester Manion, successful farmer and honored citizen of Vermillion county, for he is thrifty, progressive and honorable in all the relations .of life and has never permitted hardships to appall him or obstacles to divert him from his coveted goal, and, having lived honestly dur- ing his residence here, he has ever had the esteem of his neighbors and friends.
Mr. Manion was born on February 25. 1856, in Parke county, Indiana, and he is a son of Patrick and Rose Manion, who were born in Ireland. There the father spent the first half of his life, coming to Parke county, Indiana, when a middle aged man and here he began to work on one of the street rail- ways, later worked on the canal. His death occurred when his son, Sylvester, was eighteen months old, having lived but three years after he came here. His family consisted of three children, namely : Mary is deceased; Bridget married J. N. Davis, he being now deceased, but she lives in Newport, Indi- ana ; and Sylvester, of this sketch.
Sylvester Manion received his education in the public schools, and early in life turned his attention to farming, which he has always followed with success, and he is now the owner of a finely improved and productive farm of one hundred and eighty acres in Vermillion township, where he is carry- ing on general farming and stock raising. He is making a specialty of rais- ing Red and Duroc Jersey hogs, which, owing to their superior quality, he always finds a very ready market for. He also raised graded Jersey cattle, and, while he does not carry on a dairy business, sells considerable butter. Every- thing about his place denotes thrift. good management and excellent taste in farming and stock raising according to twentieth-century methods.
Mr. Manion was married in 1886 to Icie L. Johnston, daughter of John
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R. and Elizabeth (Southerd) Johnston, her father having been one of the old settlers of Helt township, this county. He worked in the timber for some time, and when the Civil war came on he was a soldier in the Union army. Five children have been born to the subject and wife, namely: Elsie, Hosie, Iva and Harry, all at home; Thomas, the third in order of birth, was born August 10, 1891, and died September 20, 1895.
Mr. Manion has made all the improvements on his place and he has a nice home, three and three-fourths miles from Newport. Politically, he is a Republican, but is inclined to be progressive in his views and he votes inde- pendently locally. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and the Court of Honor, both at Newport. He takes an interest in whatever tends to the betterment of his locality in any way.
H. B. LEAVITT, M. D.
The dread scourge of tuberculosis has gained such headway in the United States, over one-half the deaths throughout the Union annually being due to it, that a large number of the best general practitioners in the land have specialized on this disease, many learned medical treatises have been prepared from time to time, dealing with this subject, and numerous hospitals. for the exclusive treatment of the same have been established in every state. The nation-wide war goes on, making progress, slowly but surely, and from present indications great strides are about to be made in this specific branch of materia medica. One of the eminent physicians of Indiana who gave the subject his careful attention and was regarded as one of our most reliable experts on tuberculosis was Dr. H. B. Leavitt, the late efficient and popular superintendent of the Indiana State Tuberculosis Hospital. He was born in Elmira, New York, July 5, 1865, and was a son of A. H. and Sarah (Bald- win) Leavitt, both of whom are now deceased.
Dr. Leavitt grew to manhood in his native state and was educated in the schools of Elmira, taking an academic course. Having decided on a medical career early in life, he went to St. Louis and entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons, where he made a splendid record and from which institution he was graduated with the class of 1896. He furthered his knowl- edge of medicine at the National Hospital in St. Louis, where he was an interne for some time. He began the practice of his profession in the city of St. Louis, where he remained one year, then came to Worthington, In- diana, in 1897, where he soon had a large practice. About 1900 he took a
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post-graduate course in New York. While at Worthington, Indiana, he re- ceived an appointment as a member of the board of trustees of the Indiana State Tuberculosis Hospital, in February, 1900, and he remained connected with this institution as superintendent, giving eminent satisfaction to all con- cerned, to the time of his death, which occurred in 1912.
Dr. Leavitt was married on August 9, 1896, to Mary Straight, a lady of culture and the representative of an excellent family. This union has been blessed by the birth of the following children: Marion, Louise and Eugenie.
GEORGE WASHINGTON HATFIELD.
The man who can meet every crisis in his own affairs, or those of his home or country, with clear judgment and prompt action, is the man whose efforts are crowned with success. George W. Hatfield, of Adams township, Parke county, Indiana, is a man of this type. When the call for volunteers came he was ready to go and fight for his country, and when the war was over he met the conditions which faced him in his native state and set to work to conquer them by industry.
The subject's father was George Hatfield and his mother Nancy (Glass) Hatfield. His grandfather Glass was a native of Ohio, who came to this state when there were very few people here, and cleared his farm. He engaged in agriculture all of his life. He had ten children, eight of whom are still living. George Washington Hatfield, Jr., was born on May 20, 1845, in Parke county, Indiana. He spent his youth as did most of the farmer lads of the state, attending the common schools when he could be spared from manual labor at home, and indulging in all those hardy out-of-door games which built a physique that stood even the strain of the Civil war.
Mr. Hatfield was married on February 5, 1908, to Nellie White, the daughter of William White, who also was a native of Indiana. They have no children. Mr. Hatfield has been very successful. He now owns two hun- dred and twenty-three acres of land in Adams township, all of which, with the exception of about forty acres, is tillable. This land belonged first to his grandfather and then to his father. He has brought his land to a high state of cultivation, by constant and intelligent care, and now produces some of the largest and finest crops that are to be found in that part of the county. He also has one of the best equipped places in Parke county, having built most of the improvements himself, including a beautiful home.
In 1864 Mr. Hatfield enlisted for service in the Civil war, and during
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his army life was in the One Hundred and Fifteenth Regiment of Indiana troops, under Captain Hawn. He served his country in war, and then re- turned home to serve just as faithfully in peace, and, with all the care he has bestowed on his farm, he has taken an active interest in all of the larger questions that have come to the citizens of his county and state to be an- swered. His sound judgment and foresight are much respected by his friends and neighbors, and as he has become, through his own efforts, one of the richest men in his county, his opinion in matters of business carries great weight with all with whom he is identified. He has always been a Democrat in politics. The men who have put their energies into the soil are in reality the men upon whom this country depends for its food, and though our fac- tories and our mercantile businesses are indispensable, it is the man on the farm who really holds the key to our prosperity.
E. H. CALVIN ROHM.
To attain a worthy citizenship by a life that is always honored and re- spected, even from childhood, deserves more than mere mention. It is no easy task to resist the many temptations of youth and early manhood and form a character that will remain an unstained figure for all time. One may take his place in public life through some vigorous stroke of public policy, and even remain in the hearts of friends and neighbors, but to take the same position by dint of the practice of an upright life and without a craving for exaltation and popularity is worthy the highest praise and commendation. One of the most representative business men and public-spirited citizens of Parke county is E. H. Calvin Rohm, widely known mill man of Rockville. Strong and forceful in his relations with his fellow men, he has not only made his influence felt, but has also gained the good will and commendation of both his associates in the practical affairs of life and the general public, ever re- taining his reputation among men for integrity and high character, no mat- ter how trying the circumstances, and never losing that dignity which is the birthright of a gentleman. Consequently his influence for good in the general upbuilding of the city of Rockville and Parke county has been. most potent and still continues. He is a plain, straightforward and unassuming gentle- man, friendly, genial and obliging in his nature and he is popular with a wide acquaintance.
Mr. Rolun, of the firm of Rohm Brothers, well known dealers in flour, feed, hay and grain at Rockville, and one of the best known representatives
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of an old family of millers, was born at Gapsville, Bedford county, Pennsyl- vania, in 1860. He is a son of Jacob and Mary ( Hixson) Rohm, both of whom were also natives of Pennsylvania and there they grew to maturity, were educated and married, later moving to the middle West, locating at Mansfield in 1875. The Rohm family originally came from Germany, emi- grating to the United States in the eighteenth century, in the colonial days, and from that period to the present time the various members of the family have been leaders in the affairs of the localities where they have lived, and since the latter part of the eighteenth century they have been prominent in the milling business in various states, the subject of this sketch being the fourth successive generation of this name to engage in this line of endeavor in America, and he seems to have inherited much of the enterprise and technical knowledge of his forebears.
E. H. Calvin Rohm received a common school education in the schools of Illinois, Iowa and Indiana, having removed from the old Keystone state with his family when he was a boy. He literally grew up in the milling busi- ness, learning the same in his father's mill, beginning at the age of fifteen years, since which time he has been continuously identified with the business with ever-increasing success, having mastered the various phases of the same when young in years. In the early eighties he received several years' ex- perience as journeyman millwright, assisting in or superintending the con- struction of mills in various parts of the United States, from Virginia to California, giving eminent satisfaction and becoming known as a very skilled workman. In 1885 he formed a partnership with his father at Mansfield, Indiana, and installed the first roller process flour mill in Parke county: By the admission into the firm of his brother, George W. Rohm, whose personal history appears elsewhere, the firm of Jacob Rohm & Sons was formed. With the retirement of the father in 1893 the firm of Rohm Brothers was formed. and the mill at Rockville was built the same year. In addition to this large mill, the firm of Rohm Brothers control and operate the Mansfield Roller Mills, the Mecca Elevator, the West Union Elevator, the Montezuma Mills and Elevator, and Walton's Warehouse. In 1895 the firm of Rohm Broth- ers & Company was formed, by the admission of H. H. Heller and C. O. Seybold, this firm taking over the Mansfield mill property. The firm does a large and varied business, the principal lines being flour milling and grain business and the manufacture of hard wood lumber. The Mansfield mill is the only mill in the county occupying the site of a pioneer mill, there having been a mill at this point since the year 1820. Its water-power site is unex- celled and equaled by few in the state. The firms manufacture the famous
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brands of "Big Domino Flour" and "Victory Flour," which are very popu- lar throughout the middle West, and they are extensive and successful deal- ers in flour, feed, hay and grain. These brothers are among the financially strong men of Parke county and are known as progressive in all that the term implies.
The subject of this sketch was married in 1902 to Alice A. Hunt, a lady of many commendable characteristics and a daughter of John F. D. and Mary (Kemper) Hunt, a highly esteemed family of Rockville, where Mrs. Rohm grew to womanhood and was educated.
Fraternally, Mr. Rohm belongs to Parke Lodge No. 8, Free and Ac- cepted Masons, and kindred Masonic societies at Rockville; also the Clinton Commandery, Knights Templar; the Indiana Consistory, Scottish Rite, and Murat Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at In- dianapolis; he also belongs to Rockville Camp No. 3245, Modern Woodmen of America.
WILLIAM J. WHITE.
Under a popular form of government, like that of the United States, where the democratic idea of equality is as fully developed as the present imperfect condition of mankind will permit, we expect as its legitimate result the triumph of individual worth and energy over all the competition that wealth and class may array against them. Here the avenues of wealth and distinction are fully opened to all, which fact enhances rather than detracts from the merits of those whose energy and integrity have triumphed over all obstacles intervening between an humble position and the attainment of those laudable ends. Obscurity and labor, at no time dishonorable, never assume more attractive features than when the former appears as the nurse of those virtues which the latter, by years of honest and persevering effort, transplants to a higher and richer soil; hence, the biography of those men of sterling worth whose active enterprise has won for them the distinction, pre-eminence and commanding influence in the society in which they move must be replete with facts which should encourage and instruct the young. Such is William J. White, vice-president of the Parke State Bank, of Rockville, who for many years has held marked prestige in business and civic circles of the local- ity of which this volume treats, and who by the exercise of those talents and qualities which were cultivated from his youth, has reached an honorable position in the public mind and earned the respect and high esteem of his
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fellow citizens. He is a man of tireless energy and indomitable courage, and takes an optimistic view of things.
Mr. White was born in Rockville, Indiana, July 29, 1850, and is a scion of an excellent old family, the Whites having been prominent in the affairs of this locality since the pioneer epoch. His parents were Johnson S. and Hannah (Jones) White.
The subject grew to manhood in his native county and here received a good education in the common schools, and at an early age he was initiated into the mysteries and miseries of saw-mill life at White's saw-mill, three miles from Rockville. Before he was of age he was appointed deputy re- corder of Parke county, on February 13, 1871, and he served with satisfac- tion to all concerned in that capacity until November 20, 1874. In 1874 he was elected to the office of county recorder, serving in that connection for two terms, or until 1882, in a manner that reflected much credit upon him- self and to the praise of his constituents. He was singularly well fitted for the discharge of the duties of this office, being by nature careful, accurate, a fine penman, and possessing a remarkable memory, so excellent, in fact, that in most instances he was enabled to inform the inquirer as to the volume and page of his deed or mortgage without making an examination.
Mr. White became associated with the Parke State Bank at Rockville, as vice-president, in May, 1901, and this responsible position he has con- tinued to fill to the present time to the eminent satisfaction of the stockhold- ers and patrons.
Prominent in fraternal affairs, Mr. White takes an active interest in the Masonic order, Knights of Pythias and the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows. He is justly regarded as one of the most reliable, intelligent and capa- ble of local business men and personally he is a man of unfailing courtesy. Religiously, he belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church, being a trustee in the local congregation, and for many years has had charge of the choir; in fact, he is regarded as one of the most important pillars in this church and is a liberal supporter of the same.
Mr. White was married on November 12, 1874, to Martha J. Miller, a lady of refinement and education the daughter of James N. Miller and wife, an excellent family of Parke county. Three children graced this union, all of whom are living, namely: Mabel, who is the wife of W. B. Thomson, of Rockville; Herbert Snow, of Coffeyville, Kansas, and Robert J., of Rock- ville. Mr. White is noted for his charitable impulses, his sunny disposition and optimistic view of life in general, so that he is a pleasant man to meet.
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GEORGE W. ROHM.
The financial and commercial history of Rockville, Indiana, would be incomplete and unsatisfactory without a personal mention of those whose lives are interwoven so closely with the industrial and financial development of this portion of the state. When a man, or a number of men, set in motion the machinery of business and thus contribute to the commercial prosperity of the community with which they are allied, they place themselves among the leaders of that community, and deserve specific mention among those who have contributed to the progress and prosperity of their locality. Among the representative citizens of Parke county is the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this sketch and who has for many years been closely identified with one of the leading industries of Rockville.
George W. Rohm was born in Fulton county, Pennsylvania, in 1864, and is the son of Jacob and Mary ( Hixson) Rohm, both of whom also were natives of the Keystone state. The subject received a good education, hav- ing attended the common school at the various places of the family resi- dence in Illinois, lowa and Indiana. He was also a student for a short time in the State Normal School at Terre Haute, the Central Normal School at Danville, Indiana, and the Terre Haute Business College, graduating from the last-named institution. He then took up the vocation of teaching, being thus engaged in the common schools of Parke county for three years, and meeting with splendid success. In 1886 he left the school room to engage in business in partnership with his father and brother at Mansfield, Indiana, having learned the miller's trade in his boyhood under the direction of his father. The name of Rohm has been continuously connected with the milling and grain business of Parke county since 1875, when Jacob Rohm, father of the subject, bought the mill at Mansfield. The firm of Jacob Rohm & Son was formed in 1885, the name being changed with the admission of the subject into the firm, to Jacob Rohm & Sons. The father retired from the firm in 1893 and the firm of Rohm Brothers was formed, the subject and his brother, E. H. Calvin Rohm, continuing the business at Mansfield. At that time they began the erection of the Rockville Roller Mills. Their business has constantly grown and extended, so that they now own and operate the Rockville Roller. Mills, the Mecca Elevator, and also have a controlling in- terest in the Mansfield Roller Mills, the West Union Elevator, the Montezuma Mill and Elevator Company and Walton's Warehouse. They are shrewd and sagacious business men, conducting their affairs along right methods,
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and are numbered among the leading business men and citizens of their com- munity.
In 1887 George W. Rohm was married to Alice J. Vinzant, the daughter of Henry W. and Mary ( Hamilton) Vinzant, of Parke county, and they have become the parents of five sons, Guy, Arthur, Lawrence, Homer and Harold, and three daughters, Cora, Clara and Mary, all of whom are living, except Lawrence, who died in early childhood.
Religiously, Mr. Rohm united with the Methodist Episcopal church in early manhood and has been actively connected with the society ever since. For twenty-three years he has served as Sunday school superintendent and is now serving his sixteenth consecutive year as superintendent of the Sunday school of the Rockville Methodist Episcopal church. Fraternally, Mr. Rohm is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, belonging to Parke Lodge No. 8; Parke Chapter No. 37, Royal Arch Masons; Parke Chapter No. 177, Order of the Eastern Star, and Rockville Camp No. 3245. Modern Woodmen of America.
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