History of Randolph County, Indiana with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers : to which are appended maps of its several townships, Part 159

Author: Tucker, Ebenezer
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : A.L. Klingman
Number of Pages: 664

USA > Indiana > Randolph County > History of Randolph County, Indiana with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers : to which are appended maps of its several townships > Part 159

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INDIANAPOLIS, BLOOMINGTON & WESTERN RAILROAD.

A railroad is in process of construction through the southern part of the county, making Lynn, Losantville and possibly other places to be points in its route. Work is progressing upon the track, and the present prospect seems fair for its completion.

Still the history of a thousand and one railroad enterprises in this land of ours forcibly reminds us that "Many a slip is between cup and lip," and teaches the disheartening fact that millions of expenditure lie useless and waste in half-built rail- road tracks and routes eut through the woods; and that, many a poor unfortunate town site has found itself stranded high on the barren shore of the land of failure.

If the two roads, the one from Bluffton to Union City and this one through the southern townships should both prove to be ac- complished facts, every township in the county except Green and Stony Creek will be crossed by railroads, and furnished with convenient and accessible points of communication with the great outside world. Green also is not very far from several roads, but the prospect for a track over its soil or for a railroad town upon its surface is at the present time not encouraging

[July, 1882-The road herein spoken of has its track laid. and regular trains have commenced to make their runs. With its eastern and western connections, the Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western is expected to take its place at once among the great throughfares between the mighty East and the magnificent West. ]

H. Wiggim, stave and heading factory. Union City, Ohio.

formerly Wiggim & Son, but the son, Amos Wiggim, died in the fall of 1879. The factory is not now in operation, but it is expected to start again soon. When in full work the establish- ment will employ twenty-five to thirty hands. The timber is pur- chased principally from the region, brought in wagons. Their market is Dayton, Springfield, Xenia, Richmond, etc. The manufacturing process is quite curious. The wood is taken in large blocks and put into steam boxes, of which there are six, holding each three cords. The timber is cut into staves by a suitable machine and then the staves are piled in open sheds to dry. The drying requires three months. Heading is cut by an- other machine, which will turn out 10,000 pieces per day. The stave machine will cut from eighteen to twenty thonsand staves per day.

Their machines are: For staves, equalizing saw and cutter ; and stave jointer; for heading, saw, planer and jointer and heading rounder.

STOVE STORES.

There are three of these establishments. The oldest is that of J. M. Shank, which has been in existence for some twenty- four years, having been begun in 1858. The next is that of William Kerr, opened in 1867. and the last belongs to the Shu- gars Brothers, who commenced their business in this line in the fall of 1881. All three of these establishments are thriving and prosperous. and the demand for goods and work of the sort fur- nished and performed by their proprietors appears to be con- stantly and largely on the increase.

TELEPHONE COMPANY.

The Citizens' Bell Telephone Company of Union City, Ind .. was formed October 21, 1880, with a capital stock of $3,000. di- vided into thirty shares of $100 each. The officers are: W. K. Smith, President; William Harris. Vice President: George W. Wiggs, Secretary; E. M. Tansey, Auditor and Treasurer; Pierre Gray, General Manager. The above gentlemen with Charles W. Pierce form the Board of Directors.

The company went into operation with forty-nine subscribers, March 14, 1881, at $3 per month for one year. July 12, 1881, there were fifty-seven subscribers. The work of the company is in satisfactory condition, the subscribers being highly pleased with the convenience afforded by the telephone instrument.

TILE FACTORY.

See biography of J. H. Snooks, Union City, Ohio.

TUB AND PAIL FACTORY.

The establishment is owned and operated by the Hook Brothers. They originally set up their business in Cardington, Ohio, in 1869, and removed to Union City in 1877. At first the location of their works was on the Indiana side, near the Smith Bros. machine shop, in the west part of town. After two years the lo- cation of the business was changed to the Ohio side. Their in- vesiment in 1880 was about $10,000, and they employ twenty- five to thirty hands, buying their Inmber in bolts, and making 10,000 tubs and pails a year. They conduct also a branch es- tablishment at Versailles, Darke Co., Ohio, at which they manu- facture rough lumber into staves and heading. They ship their tubs and pails extensively to Minnesota, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Iowa and elsewhere. The firm are intending soon to put in new machinery and thus to double their capacity for production. The business is prosperous, and promises well for the time to come.

TURNING FACTORY. See biography of S. L. Carter, Union City.

J. T. HARTZELL, WAGON WORKS.

In 1879, Mr. Hartzell set up wagon works, and is doing con- siderable work in that branch of industry. He also carries on an extensive manufacturing at Greenville, Ohio, established in the winter of 1880-81. [Sce J. T. Hartzell, given elsewhere. ]

WATER WORKS.

Some mention has already been made of the water works con- structed by the authorities of Union City, Ind., at very great la-

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WAYNE TOWNSHIP.

bor and expense. We give at this time some further informa- tion concerning them.

The well is twenty-five feet wide and twenty-three feet deep. The bottom of the well is at tho gravel, the thickness of which is fifteen feet. Below this is six or eight feet of hardpan; then comes fifteen feet of quicksand,'below that three feet gravel, still deeper about ten feet clay of a very fine quality, and below the clay quicksand again. How deep the quicksand is has not been determined. During 1881, efforts were made to obtain a greater supply of water. Two pipes have been inserted about eleven feet below the surface of the upper gravel, and the Superintendent is now (July, 1881), sinking a four inch pipe, having bored to the lower quicksand mentioned above.

The capacity of the well at the present time is about one hundred and eighty thousand gallons in twenty-four hours, and that amount has been taken a portion of the time during the present summer. The range of the operation of the works has been from 3,800 strokes of the pump to 9,400, at twenty gallons per stroke. Since January 1, 1882, to the afternoon of July 26, 1881, the number of strokes has been 517.423, averaging 2,500 strokes per day. The engine is self-regulating, standing at forty pounds pressure, which can, however, be increased if needful to eighty pounds. Nine thousand strokes a day are equal to 7,500 gallons an hour, or 125 gallons or about three barrels every min- ute, making 4,500 barrels per day. It is evident that two things must be done-the supply of water must be increased and the wasteful use must be prevented. At one time during the hot sea- son in the month of July, 1881, if a fire had occurred a supply of water could have been maintained not over fifteen minutes, which is a state of affairs sufficiently alarming. The annual ex- penses of the works are about as follows:

The income from rent for the use of water for 1880 was about $2,700. The number of connections was about one hundred and seventy. The Bee-Line roundhouse used an immense quantity, paying $975 a year, which seems perhaps a small sum for so large a use as they make; yet the bargain is, nevertheless, not an unprofitable one for the city. since they use chiefly surplus water. i. e., after it has passed through the general system of pipes. In the fall and early winter of 1881, the water supply was extended far north along Howard and far west along Pearl street.

One would think that meters should be employed, so that each may pay in proportion to the quantity used, which is now far from being the case. The action of the steam works sustaining a continual head of water sufficient to fill all the pipes of the city is maintained withont intermission. And in case of increased demand, such as the occurrence of a fire, a heavier pressure is at once produced by creating a greater head of steam. Thus far the strength of the engine has been abundantly equal to every need.

SAW-MILL,

Mr. Fisher, of the firm of Woolley & Fisher, has erected a saw- mill near the electric light and motor works, and has purchased during the winter of 1880-81 a large quantity of hickory tim- ber, amounting to many thousand feet, which the mill is now working up into tongues, neck-yokes and similar things, ac- cording to the nature and capacity of the material. Mr. Fisher is already largely engaged in this branch of business, owning one saw-inill at Xenia, Ind., and renting two others in different places. He contemplates erecting a turning establishment to enable him to complete the working up of the material which passes through his saw-mill.

In 1879, Lambert Bros., wood-workers, established a spoke and hub factory in Union City, Ohio, and are doing a large bus- iness in that line. [See other account of Lambert & Son. ]

BIOGRAPHIES.

We give below, biographical sketches of present or former residents of Union City. Some have already been furnished under the heads of attorneys, physicians, clergymen, church members, the "press," military history, etc.

W. L. ALEXANDER was born in Wayne County, Ind., in 1838. - Hie father, William Alexander, came to Wayne County, Ind., from Burke County, N. C., in 1810, six years before Indiana became a State. He was the father

of seventeen children, twelve of whom lived to be grown and were married, and seven are living now. He died in Wayne County July, 1856, aged eighty years three months and twenty days. In early days he was & Democrat, and a supporter of Jaokson, but afterward became a Whig, voting for Gen. Harri- sou, and still later was s Free-Soiler. In religion, he was a Presbyterian of the strictest sort. In business, he was a farmer in easy circumstances, a quiet, peaceable, industrions, thriving, prosperous citizen. The son, William L., grew up on the farm, and at the age of twenty-three he enlisted in the military volunteer service, joining the Twenty-eighth Indiana Regiment, Company C, in September, 1861. Ho was chiefly on detached duty at headquarters, at Indi- anapolis, remaining in the service about eighteen months. He lind married a wife before the war. His first wife was Caroline Baker; married January, 1859. They had two children, and she died in 1864. He married again in 1878, his second wife being Elcinde Keister. They have had three children. His second wife died in the spring of 1881, and his children being all dead but one, he was left thus well-nigh " alone in the world." After the war and the death of his first wife, he spent several years in traveling, being engaged in business in various ways. After that he engaged in farming near Union City till 1878, in which year he entered the grain business with John Price, and in 1881, in connection with Mr. Worth, purchased the establishment of C. W. Pierce, s dealer of high reputation and long standing in Union City. Mr. Alexander is a member of the United Brethren Churoh, and in political faith is & Republican. In the winter of 1881-82, he took his third wife, in the person of Mrs. Lucinda Wright, & widow lady of Union City, Ohio. He sold out his grain establishment in the spring of 1882, but is still a resident of the town, and has re-entered active business, this time as a livery keeper, having pur- chased the interest of Butterfield in the stable next north of the Worthington Corner.

EDMUND L. ANDERSON, dry goods merchant (son of Harrison Anderson), WAS born in Greensfork Township in 1844. He married Lydia P. Paxson June, 1865, and moved to Union City in 1873. He enlisted in the Seventh Indiana Cavalry, July, 1863, and was discharged January, 1865. They have had four children. He was for three years & farmer, five years he eold goods at Spar- tansburg, in the firm of Anderson & Hill, for three years, in the boot and shoe business at Union City, under the firm of Paxson & Anderson, and has been four years doing business alone in dry goods, olothing, hats and caps, boots and shocs, carpets, etc. Mr. Anderson was for fourteen years a Deacon in the Disciple Church, but some time ago, for reasons of his own, resigned the posi- tion. He has been an active temperance worker, and was & zealous church mem- ber. In 1879, he purchased Oak Grove, N. Howard, upon which he built an ele- gant residence. There are now standing upon the premises about three hun- ured trees of various kinds, from fifteen to twenty-five feet high, forming al- ready a grateful shade, and promising in future a high degree of beauty and comfort. Mr. Anderson is still & young man (thirty-elx years), but he has already achieved a flattering success, and may hope, through the Divine blessing, for many years of activity and usefulness. In the summer of 1880, he sold out his stock of goods, and spent some time in traveling through Nebraska, Dakota, Texas, etc. In February, 1881, Mr. Anderson purchase l of Mr. G. Fowler his stock of groceries, and resumed business, this time as a grocer. In March, 1882, Mr. Anderson sold out his establishment to Stephen Ladd, long a resident of Union City, and later removed his business to Bloomington, III. He is at present spending time upon his farm in the vicinity of Spartansburg, having built and furnished there a fine residence.

WILLIAM ANDERSON, blacksmith, was born in New Jersey in 1827 ; came to Randolph County in 1841 ; learned the blacksmith trade in Greenville, Ohio, in 1845-48, and settled at Union City in 1852 (August), and carries on the same shop still. He married Esther Ann House in 1861. They have had seven children, all living. His establishmeat is the only one (80 far as known), that has stood during the whole life of the town (1852-82). He began his shop in August, 1852, some five months before the first rail was laid to the town, and his faithful hammer has been going " rap rap" on the resounding anvil ever since, and tbe familiar, cheerful sound greets us still. He does little work now, his sons following the business in his stead. Mr. Anderson has ham- mered out a comfortable competence, and is reckoned one among the substan- tial citizens of the town.

WILLIAM H. ANDERSON, lumber dealer, was born near Bethel, Wayne Co., Ind .; was brought up a farmer, and became & clerk at Richmond, Ind .; after three years. coming to Union City. Ile began business as a grocer, with W. H. Swain, contiuning for several years, then becoming a dealer in dry goods, still afterward being engaged in the Citizens' Bank, and now in the lumber and hardware business (under the style of Witham, Anderson & Co., which see). Their business is quite large and increasingly successful. Mr. Anderson has been for many years an active member of the Disciple Church of Union City, as also his worthy and exemplary wife, and he is Trustee and Elder in that society. Mr. Anderson is an upright and public-spirited citizen, and interested to promote the general welfare. In political connection, he is Repub- lican. He enjoys a high and well deserved reputation for business talent and integrity, and reliability in general. He has erected for his residence a tasteful and commodious mansion on North Howard street, which for architectural beauty and chaste elegance cannot easily be surpassed. Mr. Anderson pre- aents another instance among the class so common in our county, and through- out the entire land, of a youth born and reared upon a farm, trained to indus- try, economy and thrift.

CHARLES AVERY, late of Union City, came with his parents to Deerfield in an early day. He was & young man and boarded with Edward Edger. He mar- ried first a Miss Deem, and afterward her sister. He sold goods at Deerfield, then at Winchester, and afterward at Union City. From Union City he re- moved to Marion, Grant Co., Ind., and afterward to Lower California, where he now resides, so far as known. Mr. Anderson was an sotivebusiness man, being for a considerable time in partnership with W. B. Pierce, under the firm name of Pierce & Avery, carrying on a general produce business, including butter,

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HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY.

eggy and poultry. In Winchester, Mr. Avery was connected with Ernestus Putman, formerly of thet town.

ADOLPHUS BARNES was born In North Carolina in 1828, and came to Wayne County, Ind., in 1829; to Randelph County in 1830 and to Spartans. burg in 1835. That tewn was then very new. He resided there till 1878 (forty-three years), and then moved to Union City, at which he now resides. He married, in 1844, Eliza J. Bates, daughter of John Bates, near Tampico, Ohio. Mr. Bates was killed by the falling of a tree in his clearing a year or two before his daughter's marriage. They have had seven children, six now living. Two are at home and four are married-two in Union City, one nt Spar ansburg and ene at Winchester. Their names are Margaret (Custer Du- bois), three children; John A. Barnes, olerk, Kirschbaum, two children ; Eliza- beth (Campbell), Spartansburg, three children; Mary M., (Leavell), Winchester, two children. Richard A. Leuvell wns Clerk of the Circuit Court for Randolph County one term. Mr. Barnes nud his wife and some of his children are wor- thy members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. lle has been & hotel-keeper and n merchant for twenty to twenty-five years. In Union City, he has been Clerk, Deputy Assessor, Delinquent Tax Collector, etc.

A. J. S. BOWERS, merchant, was born in 1841, in Philadelphia, of Ger- mao parents. At the age of seventeen, he went to Pontotec, Miss. ( 1858), ns clerk for three years; returned to Philadelphia, and, in 1862 (at twenty-one years), he came to Union City, setting up as a clothing dealer and merchant tailor. The firm was at first Meyer & Bowers ; then A. J. S. Bowers (till 1880) ; now Bowers & Bro. Mr. Bowers was married, in 1870, to Abigail Lewissen, of Philadelphia, and they have three children. Mr. Bowers' firm now conduct a general business-dry goods, clothing, hats, carpeta, etc., etc. They have perhaps the finest and mest splendid business bleck in the city, and claim they do a business second to none iu the county. They have indeed a wonderfully prosperous establishment. Over the entrance of the cashier's in- alesure is the metto, " No mortal can command success, but our purpose is to deserve it," and they do. By activity, energy, unfailing courtesy, low and uniform prices, a skillful adaptation in stock to the multiplied and ever varying wants of their numerous and ever increasing bost of customers, coupled of course with n high degree of business shrewdness, Mr. Bowers has succeeded, not alone in "deserving," but also in "commanding" a triumphant mer- cantile success. For many years the firm occupied a building northeast cor- ner Columbia and Pearl, but in 1876 he erected his present superb business block, corner Columbia and Oak, at which palatial quarters the firm receive their delighted patrons. Employment is furnished by them to ubout thirty-five banda, and their sales for 1879 were about $100.000, which amount they very largely exceeded in 1882. Messrs. Bowers & Kirschbaum are both of them of Jewish parentage und profession, but, by their honorable dealing. they have established a high reputation for integrity, and have done much to soften dawn and even to remove the prejudice which used so largely te prevail ngainst that worthy and useful portion of our citizens. The Jews nre, in fact, as a class, nctive, thriving, energetic, economical and, in many respects, especially valu- able members of the body politic. And it is a pleasant spectacle to witness the . dying.out of "race animosities," and the gentle, harmonious blending of all cinsses of our people into one vast, grand, triumphant American nation. Mr. Bowers, on Account of failing health, sold out to Coons Bros., of Philadelphia, December, 1882, and is himself about to remove thither.

JOHN BUTCHER wny boro in Gallia County, Ohio, in 1810, being one of seven children. His father moved to Jny County, Ind., in 1851, and, after living there about thirteen years, returned to Gallia County, Ohio, in 1864. J. B. married, in 1859, Susanna Constable, in Jackson Township, Randolph County, ou the Mississinewa River. lle attended school in boyhood at $Lantz's Schoolhouse, a log building " all of the olden time," having the privileges also, a rare one for those times, of a select school nt North Salem, taught by Jonas Chaudler, an excellent teachor of that day, who emigrated to Minnesota, and was drowned by accident in that country. Mr. Butcher came to Randolph County in 1865, spending one year as a grocer. Ile moved then to Missouri, teaching four years, keeping hotel one year and being a grocer four years. Re- turning to Union City in 1875, he became traveling salesman for Ilommowun & Meredith's tobacco factory one year ; kept grocery two years, nad hay heen life Insurance agent three years, being now general manager of the Pioneer Mutual Life Insurance Association, formed nt Union City in 1880. Mr. Butcher has had three children, one of whom is deadl, and one of whom is the wito . of George W. Patchel, of the Times, Mr. Butcher has been for twenty-one yeary a church member, joining at first the Christians (New Lights), and six years ngn the Methodist Episcopal Church nt Union City. Ile has been Steward for three years. In polities, he is a Republican. He belongs to A., F. & A. M., both the blue lodge and the chapter. Mr. Butcher is n gentleman of character and standing, respected by his fellow-citizens, and a substantial member of the community.

NATHAN CADWALLADER, BANKER.

Nathan Cadwallaler, banker, was born in Warren County, Ohio, in 1826. llis father moved to Greensfork, Randolph Co., Ind., in 1833. He was an active, thriving man, but he died in 1840. Nathan was the only hoy, and but fourteen years old. By the "turn of times" and the worthlessnesy ot " sale notes" the family became somewhat poor. Nathan's boyish management way none of the best. They and one old bay mare, and no way to get any more or to get much clec. He " gouged along" after a " fashion," borrowel a horse some. times, etc. lle did most of the work that way done, though his sisters helped what they could in loading, cleaning grain, etc. They cleaned grain by " tlap- ping " it on n sheet, and had to haul everything on n sled. A wagon was a luxury not to be thought of. Two brothers, Thomas and Abnor (his father). came together, and settled west of Arba. Unclo Thomas is living yet, eighty- five years old, and his wife is over eighty. [He died a few months ago. ]

A. C. married Mary Thomas in nhont the year 1825. She died in 1868. They hud five children-Nathan, Vashti ( Williams), Janet Gray Heitzman (widow), Sarepta (Chenoweth), Rachel (Bowen)-all living. N. C. attended

school at Winchester Seminary, under Prof. Cole, twelve weeks. To show the primitive simplicity of those times, it may not be amiss to state that when Prof. Cole advised his aspiring country lads to invest in a box of blacking and a brush and to try their qualities, Nathan obedicatly procured the articles, but was utterly at a non plus, because he lind no knowledge of the modus operandi, never having seen an application of the stuff. He probably has learned how by this time. He tanght school four terms ; was clerk for Needham, Mauzy & Co. ; bought nut Mauzy and sold goods at Spartansburg ; bonght out Needham and sold at Newport three or four years; was partner with Rniford Wiggs nt Union City ; went to Cincinnati, in the firm of Gray, Cadwallader & Wiggs, as wholesale grocers ; returned to Union City, and, with Col. I. P. Gray, estab- lished the Citizens' Bank in 1865. This was re-organized (same name), under Indiann law, in 1873, nod he was made President. Mr. C. was State Senator in 1876 and in 1880. He has been twice married, first to Elizabeth Celinda Manzy, then to Sarah Griffis (1854). IIe has three children. His present wife is a daughter of James Griffis, se leng proprietor of the Griffis farm, on the Greenville State road. Mr. C., though poer when i bey, has, through his well-directed efforts, nided by a succession of fortunate circum- stances, acquired a handsome fortune, and it will ever be a consolation to his filial heart that he had the unspeakable happiness to minister to the wants of his aged mother, and to smooth by the utmost kindness in his power her pathway to the tomb. She was a gentle, affectionate, pious Quaker, eminently religieus and n beautiful nud shining example of the loveliness of the Christian graces in their power over human life. It niny be well to say that in bis religious feelings and opinions, Mr. C. inclines to those of his revered und sainted mether. She bad been for many years an invalid, and her husband, kind, gentle, loving ns he was during his life, would help his wife in every way possible, as hy doing out the washing while his horses were eating their din- ner, etc. She lived to be agel, and died not very long ago, in the fullness of years and ripe for the golden harvest of eternal life.

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History of Randolph County, Indiana with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers : to which are appended maps of its several townships, Part 159

Author: Tucker, Ebenezer Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago : A.L. Klingman Number of Pages: 664

Author: Tucker, Ebenezer
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago : A.L. Klingman
Number of Pages: 664