USA > Indiana > Pike County > History of Pike and Dubois counties, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present, with biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc. : together with an extended history of the Northwest, the Indiana Territory, and the state of Indiana > Part 66
USA > Indiana > Dubois County > History of Pike and Dubois counties, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present, with biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc. : together with an extended history of the Northwest, the Indiana Territory, and the state of Indiana > Part 66
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vation. and the rest is in timber land. December 25, 1878, he married Maggie A. Wheeler, of Perry County, Ind., the result of this union being one child-a son-Lunsford E. Mr. Cox is a Democrat and a Mason. He is a minister in the Christian Church, and has been such for fourteen years.
CHARLES (. CUMMINGS was born March 3. 1826, in Tennessee. He is a son of Andrew and Sarah ( Johnson) Cum- mings. who were the parents of nine children, our subject being the youngest and the only one now living; the rest died of con- sumption. The parents were natives of Tennessee, where the mother died. The father moved to Dubois County, Ind., near Huntingburgh, and died very suddenly on his way home from that place. He left a wife and three daughters, our subject be- ing his only son. Charles C. was raised by Berry T. Goodman, who married his sister. He was an excellent man and a first- class citizen. Charles was married. at the age of twenty, to Nancy Hobbs, a daughter of Hiram Hobbs, one of the very first settlers of Dubois County. They have seven children, all now grown. After marriage Mr. Cummings worked until he had ac- cumulated $25. He then borrowed $25 more from his brother, and entered forty acres of land. By industry and attention to business he now owns 1,080 acres of splendid farming land. He has given each of his seven children eighty acres of land, and yet has 520 acres, well stocked, and under good cultivation. His children's names are Thomas, Hiram, Woodson, Nancy Jane, Andrew. John and Maze. He is a Democrat in politics, all his sons being the same. He and wife are members of the Christian Church.
JOHN CUMMINGS, fifth son of Charles Cummings, was born February 6, 1857. in Dubois County, Ind. He was raised at home on his father's farm, and received a common school edu- cation. At the age of twenty-two years he began working for himself. February 26, 1879, he was married, and began his wedded life on a farm, which was presented him by his father. He has continued farming since that time, and now owns eighty acres of good land. He married Mrs. Alice ( Brown ) White, of Newton Stewart, Orange Co., Ind .. the result of this union being two children: Benton D. and Dessie May. Mrs. Cummings' par- ents were natives of Maryland and Indiana. Her relatives now live in Orange County. Mr. Cummmings and wife are members of the Christian Church. He is a Democrat, and his brothers and father are the same. He was elected trustee in the spring of 1884, and now holds that office.
MARTIN ECKERT was born September 25, 1844, in Prus- sia, Germany, and is the eldest of six children born to George and Catharine (Volkman) Eckert, who were natives of the same
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province and came to the United States in 1854, landing at New Orleans and settling in Cincinnati, Ohio, where they lived for about eighteen months. From there they came to Dubois County, Ind. The father was a plasterer by trade and died in 1859. The mother is still living. Our subject hved on a farm till the war broke out, when he enlisted in Company K, Thirty-eighth Indiana Volunteers, and served three years and eleven months. He was in the battles of Perryville, Stone River, Chickamauga, Jonesboro, and with Sherman on his march to the sea; after coming home he worked for some time on a farm. November 11, 1866. he married Alice Howard, who has borne him nine children. Mr. Eckert is a well to do farmer and now owns 364 acres of good land. He is a Republican in politics and a member of the Masonic lodge and G. A. R.
HENRY W. FARVER, a prominent druggist of Birdseye, Ind., was born March 15, 1845, in Westmoreland County, Penn. His parents were George W. and Eliza (Cazier) Farver. His father moved from Pennsylvania to Michigan in 1864 and bought a fine farm on which he yet resides. His mother died in August, 1883. His educational advantages were quite limited. He en- tered the army at the age of eighteen, enlisting in 1864, and re- mained till the close of the war. After coming home he began the study of medicine which he pursued at intervals for fifteen years. At this time he was in Indiana, from thence he went to the West Indies and began shipping red cedar timber to Ger- many. England and France. He left the West Indies and came to Indiana in 1880: he lived in various counties in this State and finally settled in Birdseye, where he has since been selling drugs. He now owns two drug stores, one in Birdseye and the other in Riceville, this State. He has an excellent stock and his business is comparatively large, He has led quite an adventurous life, being twice shipwrecked on account of storms, once having to swim two miles to reach the shore. His father was a Democrat in politics but at the opening of the war our subject became a Republican and is a prominent member of that party. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., of Birdseye.
JOSEPH F. FAULKNER. M. D .. of Birdseye. Ind., was born in Green County, Ky., March 2, 1834. He was one of eleven children born to William and Anna ( Harned) Faulkner. His father was born and raised in Kentucky and his mother in Virginia. They were married in Indiana, whither she had gone to live; soon after they removed to Kentucky and began farm life. where they remained till 1841, when they purchased a farm in Orange County, Ind., and moved there. Here his father died in 1858. The mother remained on the farm till 1880, when she moved to Paoli and died in 1883. Our subject lived with his
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HISTORY OF DUBOIS COUNTY.
parents until of age, at which time he began teaching school. His educational opportunities were very limited, he only getting the benefit of schooling for about one year, owing to the fact that there were no schools near his home. When about grown he procured some books and by his own exertions acquired sufficient education to teach school. He began teaching when about twenty- one years old and continued in that work for about twelve years. As a teacher he was appreciated as one of the most successful of his day. During intervals between terms of school he worked on a farm until 1864, when, owing to a wound received in the army, he was compelled to quit teaching and chose medicine as a pro- fession. He began practicing in 1872, at Schnellville, Ind., and has since been successfully engaged in that profession, practicing over ten years in Schnellville. He then removed to Birdseye, where he has since made his home and built up a good practice. In December, of 1861, he enlisted in Company F. Forty-ninth Illinois Volunteers, and was in the battles of Fort Donelson and Shiloh; in the latter battle he was severely wounded in the foot, which has caused him much trouble ever since. He was honor- ably discharged in August, 1862. Our subject was married, October 20, 1863, to Sarah C. Long, the result of this union being seven children, six of whom are living: Emma, Charles, John, William, Anna and Marion Marcus. The Doctor is a Republican, and is recognized as one of the leading men in this section of the county. He is a Freemason and a member of the G. A. R. He and wife are members of the Baptist Church.
FREDERICK GOBBEL, M. D., of Birdseye, Ind., was born October 18, 1831, in Orange County, Ind. He is the eldest of seven children born to Absalom and Julia Anne (Davis) Gob- bel. Absalom was a farmer by occupation and a native of Orange County, N. C. The mother was born in Kentucky and was mar- ried to Mr. Gobbel in Orange County, Ind., where they made their home. Our subject remained at home receiving an ordin- ary education at the district schools. When twenty years of age he married Hannah Hammond, of Orange County, December 1, 1850, who bore him five children. The eldest, Frederick R., is now practicing medicine in Grantsburg; the youngest Francis O. has now begun the study of medicine. Soon after marriage our subject began keeping a dry goods store. At the end of eight years he closed out, moved to Orange County and began studying medicine; moved back to Unionville and began practicing, graduating at Indianapolis Medical College in 1873. He prac- ticed at Unionville until 1875 and then moved to Grantsburg and remained till 1879. He then gave up his profession and invested abont $4,000 in a saw and grist-mill. In this he was not very successful, so began practicing medicine again, this time in Birds-
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eye. Dr. Gobbel lived with his wife till 1878. He married Maggie Nelson of Louisville, Ky., September 17, 1884. He is a Democrat in politics and is a man of influence, has been a dele- gate to Congressional and State conventions divers times. He is a member of the Christian Church and his wife is a Presby- terian.
ISAAC L. HOBBS was born in Perry County, Ind., July 6, 1841. His parents were Hiram and Sabra (Hifield) Hobbs, who were natives of Virginia and Indiana. At the age of eighteen Hiram left Virginia, came West, and finally settled in Perry County, Ind., where he entered land at $1.25 per acre. At that time the country was a wilderness inhabited by Indians and wild animals. The father and his family wore clothing made from the hides of deer, and were entirely dependent on their own exer- tions for a living. Our subject remained with his father until twenty-six years of age, when he married and began farming in Dubois County, Ind. He married Nancy Bradshaw, December 29, 1865. To them were born eight children: Sarah M., Joseph S., Sabra B., Maude, Marietta, Charles, Emma and Rosa. Mr. Hobbs has been a successful farmer. He began life very poor but now owns 300 acres of good land, well stocked and conven- iently arranged, of which 200 acres are under cultivation. This he has made by his own exertions. He is a Democrat in politics and takes great interest in political affairs. He had three sons who took an active part in the late war, one serving the entire time, another two years and the other about eighteen months.
AMERICUS J. HUBBARD, a prominent man of Birdseye, Ind., was born November 10, 1845. He is a brother of Charles J. (elsewhere written), and the eldest of the family. His father and mother were natives of Vermont. The father's death occurred in 1877, preceded by his wife in 1870. Our subject remained at home, where he attended the graded schools until the breaking out of the war, when he enlisted in his country's service in Com- pany K, One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Volunteers, and mustered out at the close of the war. After coming home he attended two terms of school at Berea. He then remained at home until his marriage with Elvira Hestong, July 26, 1869. He was given the position of foreman in the Bedford Rolling-mill Company where he remained about three years. He went to the old home and staid there until after his father's death, and then came to Dubois County and worked at making staves until 1884, where he engaged in general merchandising, still continuing the store busi- ness. He is a Freemason and I. O. O. F., and a stanch Repub- lican in politics. He was well acquainted with James A. Gar- field, being raised near the martyred President's old home.
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CHARLES J. HUBBARD, of the firm of Hubbard Bros., of Birdseye, Ind., was born February 15, 1856, in Bedford, Ohio. He is the youngest of three children born to Hine and Thankful (Francis) Hubbard. He received the advantages of a high school education at Bedford, and afterward attended Oberlin College two terms, receiving a literary and commercial education; he was a teacher both before and after attending college, and was very successful; at the age of twenty he went to California, teaching there for about four and a half years; he returned to Shoals, Ind., and began keeping books for MeGregor & Hubbard, a stave firm of that place; he came to Birdseye about a year later; in the spring of 1882, he engaged in the grocery business for himself, remaining thus engaged for about one year, and then began a general merchandise business in which he was joined by his brother A. J. They have a thriving trade. Charles was married October 4, 1881, to Anna I. Dillon, of Columbus, Ind. They have one child, a son, Charles Hine. In politics Mr. Hub- bard is a Republican and a member of the A. F. & A. M. and I. O. O. F.
JAMES M. INGLE, of Dubois County, Ind., was born De- cember 11, 1837. in Harrison County, Ind. His parents, Samuel and Margaret (Crowder) Ingle, had two children, our subject being the younger. The father was born and raised in Tennes- see, and came to Indiana in 1832, being among the first settlers of Harrison County ; he endured many of the hardships of frontier life, and died in 1853, preceded by the wife's death in 1839. For some time after his father's death our subject worked about among the farmers of the neighborhood and earned his living as best he could; he worked for seven years as teamster about a large mill: he then came to Dubois County, and after remaining a year, bought 120 acres of land, mostly wooded. At the break- ing out of the war he enlisted in Company K, Ninety-third Indi- ana Infantry, and served three years and three months; he was at the siege of Vicksburg, in the main battle of Mobile, at Holly Springs, Nashville, Tenn., and many others of note; he was dis- charged November, 1865, and went to his farm in Dubois Coun- ty, and was married in 1867 to Martha Underhill, of Crawford County, this State, the result of this union being eleven children. who are all at home. Mr. Ingle is a Democrat, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His wife is a member of the Christian Church.
ENOCH E. INMANN, of Birdseye, Ind., was born February 20, 1843, in Schuyler County, Ill. He is one of thirteen chil- dren born to Pamenius and Martha E. (Pascal) Inman, who were natives of Tennessee, and came to Indiana during Dubois County's early settlement. After a time they moved to Illinois,
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where our subject was born. The father died in 1844, of scarlet Tover. After his death the mother moved to Dubois County, where she died in 1876. Our subjeet was raised on a farm, and entered the army at the age of eighteen; he enlisted in Company I. Twenty-fourth Indiana Volunteers, and was discharged De- rember 31. 1563: he re-enlisted in the same company in 1865, when he was mustered out: he was in the Missouri campaign. and at Shiloh. Corinth. Grand Prairie. Port Gibson, Champion Hill. siege and surrender of Vicksburg. Fort Blakely. Mobile, and was on garrison duty at Galveston. Coming from the army he bagan farming. In 1866 he sold his farm and moved to Martin County, Ind., and bought another farm: he remained here about twelve years, and then came to Birdseve; he was married October 22. 1866. to Clarissa Hawhe, of Orange County, Ind .. to whom were born six children, three now living: Lillie L .. Pamenius E. and Alvin H. This wife died June 11, 1878. He was married to Martha J. Jacobs, of Birdseye, July 5, 1879. He is a reliable Republican, and a member of the G. A. R. He and wife are members of the Methodist Church.
JEREMIAH W. JACOBS. was born October 10, 1845, in Dubois County. Ind. He is a son of David M., and Elizabeth ( Kellams ) Jacobs. both natives of Dubois County, and who after- ward moved to Orange County near Paoli. The father was born August 25. 1824, and died November 6, 1857. The mother was horn July 8. 1528, and died July 14, 1876. Our subject's educa- tion is limited owing to the undeveloped system of schools at that time. When the war broke out he enlisted in the Thirteenth In- diana Cavalry. He was at Franklin. Tenn .. Murfreesboro oppos- ing Hood's invasion from Atlanta. Was at Mobile, Ala., and in several cavalry skirmishes and six regular engagements. He re- ceived his discharge in November 1865, with the rest of the reg- iment. On coming home from the army he engaged in black- smithing in Orange County, Ind .. continuing in the shop two years, at the end of which he went to Newton Stewart, Ind., and began a shop of his own. In 1869 he became clerk in Pritchard & Hadle's dry goods store in the above place, remain- ing one year. He then engaged in drugs at the same place with Capt. William Swift. In 1872 he began the peddling business, continuing in it three years. In 1876 he came to Birdseye, Ind., and resumed his business, and now owns several lots in Birdseye. August 12, 1869, he married Lucinda Brown, who has borne him six children: Alicia. Viola. John E .. Sarah E., Hattie F., Ervin O. and Ethel. Mr. Jacobs is a Mason and a member of the I. O. O. F., Lodge 694, and G. A. R., and a Republican, and has been elected to two township offices but declined to serve. He wis elected justice of the peace at Birdseye, and is a member of the
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HISTORY OF DUBOIS COUNTY.
Reformed Methodist Church. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church proper.
GEORGE W. KING, son of Isaac and Catharine (Borden) King, natives of Kentucky, was born June 4, 1830, in Harbison County, Ind. The parents were married in Indiana and lived successively in this State and Kentucky, and finally settled near Birdseye, Ind., where the father died in 1881. The mother still lives with a daughter on the old homestead, and is seventy-seven years of age. George, the subject of this sketch, received a com- mon school education in the country schools of his county, and in early life followed farming for his father with whom he re- mained till 1857, when he married Mary Anne Kendall, March 12, 1857. The result of this union was fourteen children, eight now living: Isabel (Potter), Jane (Grant), Elijah M., Emily ( Montgomery ), Amanda E., Phoebe M., Theodore and Alvin R. After marriage Mr. King began farming on some vacant land' near Mentor, Ind. He soon after bought forty acres of land, on which part of Birdseye now stands. In 1854 he bought eighty acres more. In 1885 he traded this farm for one of ninety-four acres near Schnellville where he now lives. He is a Republican, and did a great deal for the North during war times, although he did not enter the army owing to his large helpless family, who needed his support at home. He and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
AUGUST H. KOERNER of Birdseye, Ind., was born Septem- ber 4, 1846, in Prussia, Germany, he is a son of John and Louisa (Pipper) Koerner. both natives of Germany. John Koerner was a railroad contractor in the old country, but on coming to the United States in 1851, engaged in general merchandise business in Franklin County, Ind., which is now carried on by one of his sons. The mother died in 1874. August our subject, received a good education in English and German, and at the age of fif- teen attended a commercial college in Cincinnati, Ohio, for about five months. Leaving this school, he was given a clerkship in a fancy grocery store in Cincinnati, and soon became traveling agent for the firm and remained with them about ten years. He then went into the stave business with his brother Louis in eastern Kentucky, where he remained two or three years. They then removed to near Cincinnati, where they remained about three years and then came to Birdseye, and entered into partnership with another brother. Louis then left the firm and his brother William took his place. They have been very successful in their business affairs and now own two portable factories near the town which brings them in an annual income of over $30,000. Besides this they own 2,800 acres of good timber land in Dubois County, 120 in Pike, 160 in Crawford, 160 in Perry and prop-
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erty to the amount of $2,500 in Birdseye. They represent the Standard Oil Company, and are supplying staves to them. Their business in 1884 amounted to about $52,000. August was mar- ried in Cincinnati, July 28, 1874, to Antonia Arand, the result of the union being three children: Louis, August and Norma. He is a Democrat, and a leading man of his party. He is a Free- mason, and he and family are members of the Lutheran Church.
HERMAN T. KOERNER, a brother of A. H. Koerner, and a partner with him in the stave business in Birdseye, Ind., was born March 23, 1853, in Franklin County, Ind. He received a good common school education, and at the age of thirteen at- tended a commercial college in Dayton, Ohio, for one year. Soon after he received a position as clerk in a wholesale and retail hardware store in Cincinnati, Ohio. This position he held for four years. About this time he went to Lake County, Ill., and engaged in the general merchandise business with Frank Zim- mer, where he remained eight years. He then returned to his father in Franklin County, Ind., and remained two years. In 1880 he came to Birdseye and entered into the stave business with his brother August. He was married, August 29, 1876, to Carrie Sandman, a native of Lake County, Ill. To them were born two children-one boy (infant) and one girl, Louisa. He belongs to the Democratic party and to the fraternity of Masons. He and family are members of the Lutheran Church.
WILLIAM N. KOERNER was born July 20, 1861, in Franklin County, Ind. His parents were John and Louisa (Pep- per ) Koerner. The father is now a merchant in Franklin County, Ind. The mother's death occurred in 1874. Our sub- ject received a good common school education, and when about sixteen years of age went to Illinois and learned the tinner's trade, working four years. He then plied his trade in Pepper- town, Ind., till 1883, when he came to Birdseye, Ind., and entered into partnership with his brothers, Herman and August, who sold general merchandise. In 1884 Frank Zimmer, of Illinois, bought the interest of the two older brothers, and the firm became known as Koerner & Zimmer. They carry a very large stock, including dry goods, boots, hats, caps, queensware, glass- ware, groceries and clothing, also a line of farming imple- ments. Their building is the finest in the township, and is worth about $3,000. Mr. Koerner is a member of the Lutheran Church and a Democrat in politics, and has held the office of town trustee two terms.
JOSEPH MAIN, who is a son of Johnson C. and Sarah (Wilson) Main, was born June 28, 1829, in Dubois County, Ind., and is the eldest of ten children. The parents were natives of Pennsylvania and Kentucky, and came to Indiana when quite
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HISTORY OF DUBOIS COUNTY.
young. They married and lived near Huntingburgh, where the father, who was a United Brethren minister, died in 1842. The mother's death occurred December 22. 1884, aged seventy-six years. Our subject passed his boyhood on a farm and received but little schooling. He has been married three times. His first wife, Abigail Hamilton, bearing one son. George Samuel (de- ceased ), died in 1852; his second. Sarah Shoulders, bore four children, three now living: Mary E .. Rachael J. and Sarah C. This wife died in 1859. He then married Mrs. Elizabeth ( Black ) Sullivan. the result of this union being nine children, eight now living: Martha Anne ( deceased ), Precious, William T .. Jeremiah, Simon P., Joseph M., John H. L., Nancy L. and Samuel W. This wife died in 1880. Joseph, our subject, started in life a poor boy, but by industry he now owns 126 acres of good land. He is a Mason and a Democrat. His grandfather came to this State in very early times, and he and family were obliged to pro- tect themselves from the Indians by means of a fort.
CATESBY J. MAYFIELD was born January 7, 1837. in Shelby County, Ky .. and is a son of Southerland and Amelia Mayfield. the former a native of Kentucky, the latter of Ontario, Canada. They made Kentucky their home, and in that State the father died in August, 1862. The mother still resides with a daughter in Kentucky. Our subject passed his boyhood on a farm and received a common school education, the advantages at that time being very limited. At the age of fourteen, he went to Louisville, Ky., and engaged as a clerk in a grocery establish- ment, and six years later, removed to central Indiana, and became mechanical engineer on a railroad. In August, 1861, he went to Bowling Green and enlisted in the First Regiment Kentucky Cav- alry, remaining in the service nearly four years. October 26, 1861, he was wounded in the leg in a skirmish: April, 1862, he went with Bragg into Kentucky, and November 19, was mustered out to recruit. He re-enlisted for three years, was chosen first lieutenant of Company B, First Kentucky Cavalry. March, 1863, he was appointed assistant quartermaster, and Novem- ber 1, was commissioned captain and quartermaster of the regiment. He was in the battles of Chickamauga, Rocky Face Gap, Resaca, Dallas, Kenesaw Mountain, and many of the battles of North and South Carolina and Georgia. May 25, 1865, he was discharged, and came home and engaged in the lumber business for firms in Ken- tucky, and came to Birdseye, Ind., August 28, 1882, and entered in the drug business in which he has been very successful. At the age of forty-seven, he married Helen Thornton, of Ontario, Canada, June 11, 1885. In politics he is a Democrat, and a member of the F. & A. M.
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