USA > Indiana > Rush County > History of Rush County, Indiana, from the earliest time to the present, with biographical sketches, notes, etc., together with a short history of the Northwest, the Indiana territory, and the State of Indiana > Part 72
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JOHN W. LOONEY was born in Union Township, June 15, 1836, and was the son of John W. and Matilda (Ward) Looney, natives of Kentucky, but were married in Rush County, August 5, 1830. John W. Looney, Sr., first came to Rush County in the fall of IS21. His death occurred in 1868; his wife survived him until 1883, when she was called away; they were members of the Christian Church. For a number of years he held the position of Postmaster at Farm- ington. He was the son of David Looney, a native of South Car- olina, who was a soldier during the Revolutionary War. Our subject was reared on the farm, and farming has been his life occu- pation. On September 12, 1858, he was united in marriage in Tazewell County, Ills., to Miss Mary F. Hammonds, daughter of Peter and Nancy (Thomas) Hammonds, who were natives of Ken- tucky. Mrs. Looney was born in Fleming County, Ky., January 10, 1833. This union was blessed with nine children, of whom Isa- lina, George Alfred, Matilda, John A. and Mary A., are living. Mr. and Mrs. Looney are members of the Christian Church. Polit- cally, Mr. Looney is a staunch Republican, and was at one time Trustee of Union Township, and also Assessor.
WILLIAM H. MAUZY was born in Noble Township, Rush County, Ind., March 10, 1848. His parents were William and Caroline Mauzy, the former of Bourbon County, Ky., and the lat- ter of Pennsylvania. The former was among the early settlers of Noble Township, and at present is a resident of Rushville. Our subject was raised on the farm, and at the age of twenty he began for himself. In June, 1871, he was married to Luella J. Spivey, daughter of John and Rhoda (Lang) Spivey, residents of Fayette County. They are members of the Christian Church. He is a member of Glenwood Lodge 569, I. O. O. F. He moved on the farm in 1873, where he now resides. Politically, he is a Republican.
JOHN T. MCMILLIN stands foremost among the prominent and industrious farmers and stock-raisers of Union Township, and re- sides in the northeast quarter of Section 12. He was born near where he now lives August 30, 1831, and has spent his entire life in this township. We can trace his lineage back to about 1780, when we have an account of Thomas and Mary (Young) Mc- Millen, who were his grandparents, emigrating from Ireland to America, locating in Washington County, Pa., and of six chil- dren being born to them; they were: Matthew, John, James, Eben- ezer, Samuel, and Anna; also that their parents died in Washington County, Pa. John, the second son, and the father of the sub-
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ject of this biography, was born in 1793. In 1815, he removed to Brown County, Ohio, and engaged as a farm laborer. While there, he made three trips on a flat-boat to New Orleans, returning on foot each time to Brown County. There, on June 10, 1824, he was married to Susannah McConnell, a native of Brown County, Ohio, born April 30, 1800, and the daughter of Thomas and Mary (Downing) McConnell, the former a native of Pennsylvania, and the son of Arthur and Elizabeth ( Wilson ) McConnell, both of whom were natives of Ireland, but emigrated to America prior to the Revolutionary War, and settled in western Pennsylvania. Thomas McConnell, their youngest of nine children, and the grand- father of our subject on his mother's side, was born in Washington County, Pa., November 4, 1772. About the time of his maturity he went to Mason County, Ky., where he married Mary Downing, a native of Pennsylvania, born October 7, 1799. She was the daughter of John and Susan (Ellis) Downing. Soon after this marriage, Thomas McConnell removed to Brown County, Ohio, where he entered land and continued to reside the remainder of his life, his death occurring April 26, 1865; his wife having passed away No- vember 5, 1832. He was a Captain during the War of 1812, and was with Gen. Hull when he surrendered at Detroit. We will now return to John McMillin, who, soon after his marriage, located on a tract of land which he had previously emered in Section 13, Union Township. He came here and settled down in the forest empty- handed, having but a few cents on his arrival. He erected a rude cabin, into which he moved his family, and with his axe started to clear up a home. His wife willingly assisted him by burning brush and such work as she could do, and by the next spring he had suc- ceeded in preparing ten acres for corn. Success attended his la- bors from this time on, and ere his death, which occurred May 29, 1850, he found himself the possessor of over 600 acres of choice farming land. He and wife were true Christians, and the honored principles taught their children in youth, are now evidenced by hon- est, upright men and women. The mother survived her companion until January 23, 1885, when she, too, crossed the dark river. Thus we glean a little knowledge of the lives of the sturdy pioneers who came here when all was woods, and by hard and earnest toil suc- ceeded in developing homes which will stand as monuments to their honored names while memory lasts. They are gone, but not forgotten, for sons and daughters survive them who have inherited the homes which they toiled so incessantly to make, and who will keep their memories green, and pass down from generation to gen- eration the history of the trials and hardships of their illustrious antecedents. As stated, John T. McMillin was born and reared in
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Union Township. His birth having occurred in 1831, he has had an opportunity to witness almost the entire growth of the county. His moral and intellectual training in youth was good, and he had the advantage of a common school education. Being raised on the farm, he adopted farming as a life occupation, in which he has been eminently successful. On November 25, 1852, he was united in marriage with Sarah Buzan, daughter of Wills and Maria ( Kendall) Buzan, at that time residents of Union Township, but now deceased, and who were among the first settlers of the county. To this union were born three children, namely: Clara A., Laura B. (who died in infancy), and Sarah Bell. The wife and mother died Jan- uary 27, 1857, and on the 24th of the following November, Mr. McMillin was married to Nancy B. Pentecost, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Bishop) Pentecost, the former the son of John and Jemima Pentecost, and born in Union County, Ind., December 15, 1805, and died in Henry County, Ind. The latter was born Octo- ber 4, ISOS, and died in Union Township. She was the daughter of William and Elizabeth (Freel) Bishop, the former a native of Maryland, and the son of Robert and Rachel Bishop, natives of Maryland. He died in Preble County, Ohio, and was a soldier during the War of 1812. His wife, Nancy Freel, was the daugh- ter of John and Elizabeth (Wood) Freel. By this union Mr. and Mrs. McMillin have had born to them six children: Emma J., John A., Ora M., William H., and Lida O., of whom Emma Josephine is deceased, dying the wife of John L. Shauck. Mr. McMillin now resides on a fine improved farm of 260 acres in Section 12, across the southeast corner of which the J., M. & I. R. R. crosses, and on which "McMillin's Station" is lo- cated. He also owns two other farms in the county. Besides giving his attention to farming, he has of late devoted considerable time and money in developing the heavy draft horse industry of the county, and was one of the first owners of imported Norman horses, and he now owns two fine imported Norman mares, "Mar- guerite," foaled in France in 1883, also "Marquise," foaled in the same country in 1885. He also owns an interest in the noted im- ported draft horses, "Favory" and "Coco," the former taking the world's premium at Paris in 1878, also at St. Louis, Mo., in 1880. He has taken premiums everwhere he has been exhibited, and is one of the finest Norman draft horses in America to-day. Space compels us to end this sketch of an illustrious family, whose name is familiar throughout the county, and we will close by adding that John T. McMillin, with a few other leading citizens of the county, in 1857, organized the Rush County Agricultural Society, and established a yearly fair at Rushville, which for its success,
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has become known beyond the borders of Indiana. For a number of years he served as a Director of the association, then as its President, and at present is a member of the Executive Board. He earnestly works to prosecute the interests of the agriculturists and breeders, of Rush County; hence the appreciation of his success. He and wife are members of the "Church of Christ," or Christian denomination. Politically, he is a staunch Republican, and firmly believes in the principles of that party. Mr. McMillin's portrait appears in this volume as one of the representative citizens of the county.
THOMAS W. MOFFITT, a worthy resident of Union Township, was born in Fayette County, December 29, 1837, and was the eldest son of William and Mary ( Wiles) Moffitt, the farmer a na- tive of Pennsylvania, and the latter of Ohio. Our subject was raised on a farm, and received a fair education in his youth. On July 25, 1861, he enlisted in Company F, Third Indiana Cavalry, and was placed in the Department of the Potomac. Mr. Moffitt continued in active service until August, 1864, when he received an honorable discharge, and returned home with a shattered constitu- tion. In 1867, he was married to Miss Lydia Jones, of Cincinnati, Ohio, who was called away in 1869, since which time Mr. Moffitt has made his home where he now resides. He receives a liberal pension from the Government, but would give the wealth of the Government, if he had it, to once more enjoy good health. He is now fifty years of age, and a quiet, genial man, of easy manners, and a good conversationalist. He makes his home with father and mother, who are still living.
WILLIAM MORRIS, the subject of this biography, is a prominent resident of Union Township. Bourbon County, Ky., was the place of his birth, March 13, 1820. Morris and Mary (Cummings) Mor- ris are his parents. In 1834, or at the age of fourteen years, he accompanied his parents to Rush County, locating southeast of Rushville, where William spent the remainder of his youth on the farm. In 1847, he was married to Nancy Matlock, who died in 1849, leaving one child, Isabella, who is now the wife of George O. Pumphrey, and residents of Newton County, Ind. In 1855, Mr. Morris was again married, this time to Miss Mary I. Smith, daugh- ter of Louis and Rachel (Looney) Smith, the former a native of Virginia, born May 15, 1791, and the latter a native of Kentucky, born February 9, 1795; they were both pioneers of Rush County. To this union of Mr. and Mrs. Morris, were born six children, viz .: Noah, Emma N., Jesse L., Thomas M., William and Mary E., of whom Noah and Thomas M. are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Morris are members of the Christian Church. In politics, he is a Demo-
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crat. He had a limited start in life, but has by hard and earnest toil provided himself with a comfortable home in his declining years. For nine years he was a resident of Hancock County, Ind., but in 1866, returned to Rush County, and has made this his home ever since. In 1872, he moved upon the farm that he now owns near Griffin's Station.
JESSE MURPHY, SR., was born in Butler County, Ohio, August 6, IS04. He was the son of James and Eunice Murphy, the former a native of Kentucky, and the latter a native of New Jersey. The former was the son of Peter Murphy, a native of Ireland, and emi- grated to Kentucky when he was a boy. James Murphy was born and reared in Kentucky. Jesse was reared on a farm in Ohio, and farming is his occupation. In 1825, he was married to Charlotte Woodruff, daughter of Samuel Woodruff, a native of New Jersey. Charlotte was born in New Jersey in 1806, and was thirteen years old when she came to Ohio. To this union have been born four children, of whom Jesse is living. In 1835, he came to this coun- try, and settled near Glenwood. This was then a wilderness, and has developed wonderfully since then. He had but a few dollars when he began life on his own responsibility, but by hard toil he has elevated himself from a renter to one of the largest farmers and land owners in the county. He owns about 300 acres of fine, tillable land in the county, and has a comfortable home. He as- sisted his three sons to fine homes, and has been very liberal with his children. In 1885, his life companion who had stood by his side through the trials and hardships of this life over sixty years, was called to rest. Thus ended the life of a noble wife and mother, and one respected by all who knew her. Honest and upright in all the affairs of life, Mr. Murphy is now one of the honored pioneers of the county. His portrait appears in this volume.
JOHN REES is a native of Fayette County, Ind., where he was born January 14, 1826. His parents were John and Nancy (Jarrett) Rees, natives of Pennsylvania of German descent. They were married in Pennsylvania, and were among the first settlers of Fay- ette County, where they continued to reside until their deaths. Our' subject was reared on a farm and adopted farming as his life occupa- tion, in which he has been successful. He began life in poor cir- cumstances and now owns 247 acres of fine, tillable land in Sec- tion IS, and is provided with a comfortable home. In IS50, he was united in marriage with Miss Nancy A. Gray, daughter of James and Mary (Nickel) Gray, who were pioneers of Rush County and are now deceased. Mrs. Rees was born in Union Township, and resided here until her death, which occurred in February, IS68. This union was blessed with eight children, viz .: John H., Mary D.,
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Theodore, Nancy, Margaret, James, Myrtie and George H., of whom John H. is deceased. In April, 1869, Mr. Rees was mar- ried to Miss Alice Hazzard, daughter of H. W. Hazzard, a resi- dent of Fayette County, Ind. Mrs. Rees was born in St. Mary's, Ohio, but was principally brought up in Fayette County. They have three children living, Berten, Oscar and Justice. Mr. and Mrs. Rees are members of the Christian Church. Politically, Mr. Rees is a Republican, and firmly believes in the tenets of that party.
GARRETT WIKOFF, deceased, was born in Monmouth County, N. J., February 3, 1799. Ilis parents were Arthur W. and Eleanor (Conover) Wikoff, natives of New Jersey. The Wikoffs are of German descent. When Garrett was seventeen years old, he accompanied his father to Butler County, Ohio, where they lo- cated on a farm near Middletown. There he grew to manhood, and in 1820 was married to Nancy McClelan. Soon after this marriage Mr. Wikoff removed to Rush County, and settled on the farm where Mrs. Wikoff now resides. In 1843, his wife was called away. To their union were born six children: Sarah J., Adaline, James M., Arthur W., Samuel C., and Benjamin S., of whom Sarah J., Adaline and Benjamin S. are deceased. On February 18, 1845, he was united in marriage with Miss Nancy Graves, daughter of Dunovan and Sarah ( Hicks) Graves, natives of Kentucky, where Nancy was born, April 9, 1820, and in August, 1822, her parents located in Union Township, and here she has resided ever since. Her parents have long since passed away, and Mrs. Wikoff is now the oldest pioneer of Union Township, having resided here sixty-six years, and is in fair health for one of her age. This union was blessed with four children: Nancy A., Eleanor G., Garrett D., and Mary E., all of whom are living. Mr. Wikoff passed away November 24, 1886. He was one of the pioneers of Rush County, and a member of the Christian Church, and politically, a Democrat. He began life a poor boy, and by industry and perseverance was very successful in his chosen pursuit. He was a lover of fine stock, and for some years was the owner of a fine herd of Short Horn cattle. His widow survives him, and resides on the old home- stead, which is a comfortable home. Many changes have taken place since she can first remember, and those that were her neigh- bors fifty years ago have passed away. She is a member of the Christian Church, with which she has been united for almost fifty years.
GARRETT D. WIKOFF, a prominent young farmer and stock- raiser of Union Township, and the son of Garrett and Nancy Wik- off, whose biography appears in this volume, was born heree-a cember 15, 1850. His entire life has been spent on the farm, qIu
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farming and stock-raising has been his occupation. His early education was fair. For some years he has been engaged in breed- ing Poland China hogs, and fine horses, and probably has the best stock in the county. On September 18, 1877, he was united in marriage with Miss Julia A. Parrish, daughter of John S. and Emmeline (Bates) Parrish, and at present residents of Falmouth, Union Township. Mrs. Wikoff, was born in Fayette County, February 9, 1859. Mr. Wikoff is a member of the Snow Lodge No. 305, F. &. A. M., also of Rushville Chapter. In politics, he is a Democrat, but believes in local politics. He owns a fine im- proved farm and is one of the prominent young farmers of Rush County.
JONATHAN S. WHITE is a native of Fayette County, Ind., where he was born in 1830. In 1848, he located on an eighty- acre tract of land in Noble Township, Rush County, Ind. He chose for his wife Miss Sarah J. Looney, daughter of Peter and Jane Looney. Sarah was born in Rush County. To this union was born one child, a daughter, who married Thomas D. Ruff, of Ohio, and is now deceased. To the daughter have been born four children, namely: Earl W., Blanche, Rob Roy, and Maggie, all of whom are living at this date. To illustrate the poverty of Mr. White at the time of his marriage, we are authorized to say that he was compelled to borrow $3 in order to procure a marriage certificate. He went to work with a will, and by close application to his profession has succeeded in accumulating considerable wealth. He now owns over 500 acres of as fine farming lands as the county affords, and is the possessor of valuable horses and cattle. His wealth he has made honestly and by hard work. In politics, he is a Republican, but has never sought for political honors.
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CHAPTER IX.
BY JOHN L. SHAUCK.
SCHOOLS - DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES -- INDIANA SCHOOL SYSTEM - PIONEER SCHOOL HOUSES - LOCAL DETAILS IN WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP - CENTER - RIPLEY - POSEY -JACKSON -- UNION -- NOBLE - WALKER- ORANGE -- ANDERSON - RICHLAND - RUSHVILLE - COUNTY SCHOOL OFFICERS, ETC.
ERE I called upon to-day to point to that in my own State of which I am most proud, I would not point to any of the flaming lines of her military record, to the heroic men and the brilliant officers she gave to the great contest; I would not point to any of her leading men of the past or the present; but I would point to her common schools ; I would point to the honorable fact, that in the great struggle through which we have just passed, she has expended $12,000,000 for the support of her public schools. I would point to the fact, that fifty-two per cent. of the taxation of Ohio, for the last five years, aside from the war tax and the tax for the payment of her public debt, has been for the support of her public schools. I would point to the 13,000 school houses, and the 700,000 pupils in the schools. I would point to the $3,000,000 she has paid for schools during the last year alone. This, in my judg- ment, is the proper guage by which to measure the progress and glory of States .*
The growth and development of the idea of general and universal education of the youth, has been remarkable in its results, and only in free America has the effects been natural. Neither caste nor nobility has been able to dictate the career upon which a boy may enter, and only the limits of his own powers are his bounda -. ries. We are enabled, in tracing thecareer of some of our greatest statesmen, to reveal a condition of things that the old world knows nothing of. In the earliest ages the entire education and culture of the people, was in the hands of priests, who were the first found- ers of institutions, the first statesmen, judges, physicians, astronom- ers and architects; and science has been separated from religion and
* James A. Garfield, in the Congress of the United States, June 8, 1866.
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teaching has been a distinct profession only in the most highly civ- ilized communities. Historians usually account the inhabitants of India the most highly educated of the ancient nations of the east. The early culture of the Egyptians was such that the Greeks de- rived from them their first lessons in science and philosophy. In Egypt the Israelites obtained the knowledge which enabled them to measure and " divide the land." The most celebrated of the early rabbinical schools was that under the direction of Gamalie 1, at whose feet sat St. Paul. For girls there were neither schools nor teachers.
It was in obedience to the code of Solon that Athens became the center and mother of culture. Every citizen under a severe penalty, was required to teach his son to read and to swim. Intel- lectual and æsthetic culture was always prominent in Athenian ed- ucation. The ancient title of the schoolmaster was master of the games. Athens had an academy with ten professors and was much frequented by the young Romans. The seventh century, says Hallam, was the nadir of the human mind in Europe. In the eighth century King Alfred revived letters and schools in England which had been almost extinguished by the Danish invasion. In the tenth century the Arabs had flourishing schools of learning from Bagdad to Cordova, and this was the darkest period of Christian literature. The university at Cordova had a library of 600,000 volumes. From the twelfth and thirteenth centuries date twenty universities including Paris, Oxford and Cambridge. The next few hundred years marked a wonderful revival in learning and the prin- ciples of education have received a vast deal of the public attention. The Swiss Pestalozzi is now recognized as having wielded a most potent influence on the science of education. According to the prin- ciples developed by him in various writings and teachings, education must begin early, under the discipline of home and the direction of parental wisdom and power. It must proceed according to the laws of nature slowly and uninterruptedly. Individuality must be encouraged. Form, number and language are the elements of knowledge, the principles by which the mind must be developed. The system of Pestalozzi has been adopted in the Prussian Schools and has exerted a greater influence than any other on teachers in England, America and the North of Europe. Frobel, the founder of the Kindergarden, deserves high honor for his reform in the principles of education. Thus when Europe was yet in ignorance of the New World, education was popular with the ruler and sub- ject. Columbus attended the university of Pavia, where he studied astronomy and navigation. Learned discussions between Italy, Germany and France were engaged in when the revelation of
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another continent was heralded throughout civilized Europe. It took several hundred years for America to gain a position among the nations, as she must draw for her population from all the coun- tries of Europe. The English Puritan, the adventurer, the soldier, the Dutch navigator, for innumerable reasons flocked to the New World, and with them came their prejudices and peculiarities. For- tunate indeed for us the Mayflower landed its occupants as far north as Plymouth Rock, and whence the influences and the tide of fearless patriots was felt all over the continent. To the Puritan settlers of New England, belongs the honor of establishing the first genuine public free schools of America. Free grammar schools had been established in England as early as the reign of Edward VI., these were endowed partially by the liberality of wealthy pub- lic spirited gentlemen and partly by the revenue derived from the lately confiscated monasteries and church estates. No sooner had the Puritans provided places of shelter for themselves in the New World than they began to consider the means and methods by which their children might all be educated.
Twenty-two years after the Pilgrims had landed on the " bleak and rock-bound coast " of Massachusetts, the general court of the colony passed an ordinance for the better education of the children, and while they made education in a manner compulsory, they or- dered still further that every township " after the Lord hath in- creased them to the number of fifty householders, shall then forthwith appoint one within the town to teach all such children as shall resort to him, to read and write." Further than this, every township containing a hundred families, was required to set up a grammar school, " whose master shall be able to instruct youth so far as they may be fitted for the university." Thus, in that early day was foreshadowed the comprehensive school system of instruc- tion in America, a system including within its scope, grades of edu- cation from the primary department up through the grammar school and high school, finishing with the university. And this was done as the Puritans said, " that learning may not be buried in the graves of our fathers," and that they might baffle "that old deluder, Satan," whose favorite project was " to keep men from the knowl- edge of the Scriptures, by persuading them from the use of tongues." The Dutch sent to Holland for a Latin schoolmaster in 1659. In Virginia, in answer to queries sent out by commissioners in regard to the condition of the schools, the Governor of Virginia responded: "I thank God there are no free schools nor printing, and I hope we shall not have them these hundred years; for learn- ing has brought disobedience and heresies and sects in the world, and printing has divulged them and libels against the best govern-
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