USA > Indiana > Steuben County > History of Steuben County, Indiana, together withbiographies of representative citizens > Part 59
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643
HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY.
John Wesley Jones, son of Ziba and Flora A. (Everett) Jones, was born in Licking County, Ohio, Jan. 21, 1840, and was in the ninth year of his age when his parents moved to Scott Township. He remained with his parents till his marriage, March 9, 1862, to Mary J. Lamoreux. She was born in Yates County, N. Y., Aug. 20, 1839, a daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Lamoreux. In 1844 her parents settled on section 9, Scott Township, where her father died Dec. 25, 1855, aged forty-six years. He left a family of seven children-Henry, now of Battle Creek, Mich .; Mrs. Han- nah Rhodes died in 1865, aged twenty-eight years; Mrs. Eliza Metz- ger died in 1878, aged thirty-four years; Isaac, of Allegan County, Mich. ; Mrs. Frances Zabst, of Pleasant Township, and Mrs. Elva Bodley, of Angola. The mother is living with her youngest daughter, Mrs. Bodley. Mr. and Mrs. Jones have had three chil- dren-Harvey, Lillie (died in 1873, aged two years), and Flora L. Their home on section 9 contains ninety acres of valuable land, all well cultivated. They have been members of the Methodist Episcopal church twenty-three years ..
Ziba Jones was born in the State of New Hampshire in 1793. When a young man he left his native State and became one of the first settlers of Licking County, Ohio, and was there married to Flora A. Everett, a native of Connecticut, born May 9, 1796, and in 1808 moved with her parents to Licking County. In 1848 they moved to Steuben County, Ind., and settled on section 8, Scott Township. He had lost considerable money in Ohio, in the culture of silk-worms, and was in limited circumstances when he came to Steuben County. He bought seventy acres of land, which he cleared of the timber and made a comfortable home, which he lived to enjoy. His children all settled near him and his last days were his best days. He died Nov. 13, 1880. He was for over seventy years a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and lived a life filled with usefulness and charitable deeds. His wife preceded him to the better life, her death occurring March 15, 1872. She had been a member of the Methodist church from her childhood. Their family of eight children were all born in Licking County-Mrs. Sarah Metzger, of Angola; Samuel E. died Feb. 11, 1871, aged forty-seven years; Mrs. Phœbe Hutchins; Mrs. Matilda Jeggers; Mrs. Selma McClue; Mrs. Flora Green, all of Steuben County; Mrs. Martha Lamoreux, of Battle Creek, Mich .; John Wesley, of this township, and Antha, died in infancy.
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HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY.
John Sharitt, son of Joseph L. and Rebecca Sharitt, was born Sept. 21, 1833, in Coshocton County, Ohio. In 1838 his parents separated, his father going to Louisiana where he became a planter and slave-holder. He died in that State in 1869. In 1844 the mother and her five children moved to Richland County, Ohio. There her children grew to manhood, but three subsequently met with accidental deaths, viz .: William was killed on the railroad at Mt. Vernon, Ohio, in 1851; James A. was drowned in the Coshocton River in 1858; and Joseph L. was killed in Louisiana in 1869, while building a house. Those living are our subject, and George D., now in San Francisco, Cal. In 1858 the mother ac- companied her son John to Steuben County and died at his house in Scott Township, Jan. 19, 1873, aged seventy-two years. John Sharitt lived in Richland County, Ohio, from 1844 till 1858 and then came to this township and located on the land which is now his fine farm of 160 acres, on section 21. At that time it was covered with a dense forest and it took many years of toil and hardship to bring it to its present state of cultivation. In addi- tion to this farm Mr. Sharritt owns acres of land a short dis- tance from his home. He was married Aug. 2, 1853, to Margaret Kline, who was born in Crawford County, Ohio, April 15, 1833. To them have been born ten children, eight of whom are living- Mrs. Delilah Mann, of Richland County, Ohio; John C. and Joseph L., of Jefferson County, Neb .; Charles O. was killed on the rail- road in September, 1883; Libbie died June, 1875, in the fourteenth year of her age; U. S. Grant is at home; Mrs. Calista Ridnour, of Wyandot County, Ohio; Frank O., Armintha and Jay A., are at home. Mr. and Mrs. Sharitt and all save one of their children are members of the Disciple's church. In politics he is a Re- publican.
Charles A. Segur was born in Scott Township, this county, Jau. 13, 1850, a son of James and Clara (Hill) Segur. He was reared to a farmer's life, and his education was received in the dis- tricts of Scott and Otsego townships-up to the age of seventeen years. He then attended the High School at Angola five terms. At the age of eighteen years he taught one term in District 2, Otsego Township, and several terms following in this and York townships, attending in the meantime, the spring and fall termns of 1870-'71 and '72; Hillsdale College, the winters of '72-'3; and '73-'74 he taught in Vermillion County, Ill. He was employed the eight years following in the saw-mill and handle factory, at
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HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY.
Scott Center, and in Decatur, Adams County, this State. In the fall of 1882 he was employed at Pleasant railroad station as agent and operator. In the fall of 1883 he was employed at Pleasant Lake as teacher and Assistant Superintendent, and in the spring of 1884 had charge of the Fremont schools, and later was at Hudson three months. In the fall of 1884 he took charge of the Hamilton schools, which position he now holds. He was married April 23, 1877, to Stella Rummel, a daughter of George and Cynthia Rum -. mel, of this township. She was born April 30, 1857. Mr. Segur, when a lad of ten years, met with an accident, a cut on his right knee, which has practically exempted him from hard manual labor. This changed naturally his life, causing him to become a student, and fit himself for a professional life. He is a Republican and member of the Christian church as is also his wife. Mr. Segur is a gentleman of culture, and well qualified for the responsible posi- tion he holds; is as a citizen much respected by all.
Thomas Tasker was born in Liverpool, England, in 1814, a son of John and Elizabeth Tasker. He was married Ang. 8, 1836, to Elizabeth Vose, also a native of England. Mr. Tasker became early in life much interested in the United States. Being a great reader every source of information obtainable was studied, and in 1850 he left his family in their native country and, accompanied by his brother William, came to this country. They came as far west as Angola when they were obliged to stop on account of scarcity of money, having but 50 cents left. Mr. Tasker found employ- ment and went to work and at the end of two years he had enough to pay for thirty acres of land and send for his family, who joined him in his new home that year. Mr. Tasker resides on section 8, Scott Township. His finely improved farm contains eighty-three acres and his residence is commodions and comfortable. He is now in the enjoyment of well earned prosperity. While he has a love for his native land he thinks that no other country affords the same opportunities as America for a poor man to gain a home and affin- ence. He is one of the best informed men in the county on statistical history, not only of this country but of the civilized world, being a great reader of works of a standard character. His wife and helpmeet died March 6, 1875; his brother William died in this township, March 18, 1876. Their children were-Mary Ann, died Oct. 12, 1847; Richard, who was killed in Virginia while a soldier in the war for the Union; William, of this township, also a soldier in the civil war; Elizabeth, widow of James Pew;
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HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY.
Sarah, Thomas, Rosetta and Charley, in this township; James died at the age of eighteen months, soon after the family came to this country. Mr. Tasker has great respect for honesty and morality, but none for creeds and dogmas. He hates the very sight of a scoundrel, especially one that is always prating about another world. He thinks that if the churches were made into school-houses and the preachers into teachers, with one-half the expenses that it takes to run the churches we could have a paradise in this world that was never dreamed of in another. He thinks we neglect this world for the sake of another, and that other a very doubtful one; or, in other words, he believes one world at a time is all we can attend to.
CHAPTER XVIII.
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PLEASANT TOWNSHIP.
GEOGRAPHY .- DESCRIPTION .- FIRST LAND ENTRIES AND FIRST SET- TLERS .- CUTTING A ROAD TO FREMONT .- OTHER EARLY SETTLERS. -FIRST RELIGIOUS SERVICES AND SCHOOLS .- FIRST MARRIAGE AND BIRTH .- LIST OF LIVING PIONEERS .- POPULATION .- PROPERTY AND VALUATION .- AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS. - POLITICS. - PRESI- DENTIAL VOTE SINCE 1840 .- DETAILED VOTE IN 1884 .- LIST OF TOWNSHIP OFFICALS SINCE 1850 .- ANGOLA .- SURVEY .- BECOMES THE COUNTY SEAT .- FIRST HOUSES .- POSTOFFICE. - FIRST LAW- TERS AND PHYSICIANS .- BANKS .- ANGOLA INCORPORATED .- AD- DITIONS TO TOWN PLAT .- BUSINESS REVIVAL OF 1870 .- PRESENT BUSINESS DIRECTORY .- BANKS .-- TOWN OFFICIALS .- PROFESSIONAL MEN .- CHURCHES .- SOCIETIES. - BIOGRAPHICAL.
The township of Pleasant, most appropriately named, is the cen- tral one of the county, and is bounded as follows: On the north by Jamestown, on the east by Scott, on the south by Steuben, and on the west by Jackson. It is numbered congressional township 37 north, range 13 east. It is six miles north and south by nearly that distance east and west. It contains therefore thirty-five square miles, or 22,000 acres, of which 3,000 are covered by water. In the northern part, covering parts of sections 4 and 10, and most of section 3, lies a portion of Lake James, the largest body of water in the county. Crooked Lake, another large one, lies on sections 9, 17, 8, 16, 7 and 6. Silver Lake lies on parts of sections 29, 30, 31 and 32. Fox Lake, near Angola, is on 27, 33 and 34; Cheese- boro Lake is on 19, on the township line; Loon Lake is on 20, touching 21; Center Lake on 22; and there are several other small lakes. The township is crossed in the eastern part by the Fort Wayne & Jackson branch of the Lake Shore & Michigan Railroad, having but one station within the township-Angola.
John Stealy, a Free-Will Baptist minister, made the first entry of land in the township in August, 1835, it being the southwest quarter of section 34, township 37, range 13. On the 17th of Feb- (647)
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HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY.
rnary, 1836, himself and family arrived in the township, having come from Marion County, Ohio. Samuel Pierson and family were the next settlers, they coming in May of the same year, from Ypsilanti, Mich. In April, 1836, Thomas Gale and Cornelius Gilmore came and entered the land upon which Angola is now built. In August, 1836, Daniel and David Phenicie arrived, and settled about three miles northeast of Angola. They opened the road from a point about one mile south of Fremont to section 12 of this township. There, by a previous arrangement, they were met by Cornelius Gilmore and John Whelan, who had cut the road to that point. On the following day Daniel Phenicie drove the first team into Angola from the direction of what was then Brockville, now Fremont.
Previous to 1840 the following named persons entered land and settled in the township, in addition to those already mentioned : Reuben B. Phelps. Fremont Case, Francis Sowle, Abel Sowle, Andrew Torkey, Joseph Sowle, Amos Carpenter, Alexander Ward, Thomas Mugg, J. Pierce, James Smith, Stephen Cary, William M. Cary, Michael Alcott, Daniel Higbee, Isaac Miller, Alonzo Strong, Daniel Gale, James H. Johnson, William B. Sherwood, A. S. Sherwood, Mr. Vanwormer, King Ireland, Peter Bowman, Robert L. Douglass, Dr. M. F. Morse, Joel Weber, William Chay- ter, Julius Spencer, Jesse M. Gale, Adolphus Gale, Lyman G. Covell, Dr. James McConnell, George W. McConnell, John Gale, William McConnell, George W. Balding, G. Mugg, George C. Latson, Mr. Howell, E. Sleer, D. E. Palmer, E. Crain and James Lockwood.
The first religions meeting held in the township was at the resi- dence of Elder Stealy, in 1837. The first school was kept in one of the rooms of Mr. Stealy's house in 1838, Hortense Miner being the teacher. A select school was taught at Angola in 1839, in the hotel erected by Darius Orton, and another school was taught fur- ther west, on Maumee street. The first school-house was erected in 1840, near where the Methodist church now is.
Elder Stealy performed the first marriage ceremony in the town- ship, William Cummings and Elmira Clark being the parties uni- ted. The first white child born in the township was Lydia Stealy, afterward the wife of Chester Adams. Her birth occurred on the 5th of April, 1836.
Among the first settlers of Pleasant Township who are still liv- ing are: Mrs. Permelia Case, widow of Freeman Case, A. W.
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HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY.
Hendry and wife, Francis Sowle, L. G. Covell, Daniel Gale, Dr. M. F. Morse, Jesse M. Gale, George W. 'McConnell, George W. Bald- ing, Gilbert Mugg, D. E. Palmer, Lewis and Jacob Stealy (sons of John Stealy).
James Barr (deceased) was born near Bellefonte, Center Co., Pa., Nov. 1, 1793. A few years later his parents moved to Fairfield County, Ohio, where in 1824 he married Miss Elizabeth Thompson. In 1830 they removed to Richland County, Ohio, whither his par- ents and brother had preceded him some twelve years, settling in Troy Township, about nine miles southwest of Mansfield. Having concluded to move farther west he pulled up stakes in the Buck- eye State in 1846, and on the 14th day of October arrived in An- gola, putting up for a short time with the family of George W. Balding, near the village, until the log school-house in that vicinity could be finished. This school-house they occupied until they could build for themselves a log-cabin and finish it off. George W. Po- land, who subsequently married Mr. Barr's eldest daughter, came here with them from Ohio, and cut and hewed the logs for their first house. He also got out the flooring with his broad-ax. Puncheon floors were not unusual in those days in this new coun- try. The house was built on the farm where Urial Carpenter now lives. In 1865, having sold his farm, Mr. Barr removed to An- gola, near the grist-mill. Here his wife died May 9, 1866, aged sixty-nine years seven months and twenty-seven days. Oct. 20, 1869, he was married again, to Mrs. Frederica Freygang, widow of C. J. Freygang. This wife survived his death. Mr. Barr had two brothers and two sisters, all of whom preceded him across the dark river, the last one having died about 1868. He was the father of eight children-five sons and three daughters. Five of the eight, all that were living, were present at his funeral. His death occurred at Angola, April 16, 1881, at the age of eighty-seven years five months and fifteen days. He had been a member of the Asso- 'ciated Reformed church from early in life until his removal to this county, in 1846, after which time he remained disconnected with any church.
Emanuel Bigler (deceased) was born at Harrisburg, Pa., Oct. 7, 1805, at which place he lived until he reached the age of four- teen, when he emigrated to Wayne County, Ohio, with his unele, Richard Murray. In the year 1828 he was married to Anna Ew- ing, of Wayne County, Ohio, who died in February, 1882. In September, 1848, Mr. Bigler and family came to this State and
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HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY.
county, settling in Pleasant Township on the farm now owned by his son, Levi Bigler. The country was then quite new and they suffered the many privations incident to pioneer life. Mr. Bigler died at Angola, June 3, 1882, at the age of seventy-six years, five months and twenty-six days, being survived by eight of his ten children. All were present at his funeral except James Bigler, of Oakland, Cal .; David Bigler, of Carson City, Nev., and Mrs. Maria Cary, of San Jose, Cal. Mr. Bigler united with the Lutheran church when about thirty years old, was a constant member the remainder of his life, and died hoping to be crowned with immortality.
John Conklin Bodley (deceased) was born in Plymouth, Rich - land Co., Ohio, in 1821, and was the oldest of thirteen children. When he was about eighteen years of age he united with the Pres- byterian church at that place, and his after life was always consist- ent with the professions he then made. He was married Dec. 25, 1844, in Richland County, to Nancy O. Conger. Seven children blessed their union, only three of whom survived their father. In 1846 Mr. Bodley and wife removed from Ohio to Indiana, settling in Salem Township, this county, where they lived until 1869, when they came to Angola. Here Mr. Bodley resided the remainder of his life, engaged in buying wheat, and as a dealer in agricultural implements. He died Monday, Aug. 25, 1879, in consequence of injuries received in being thrown from a buggy a week previous. He was a man who was well known throughout this and adjoining counties, and was universally respected. He was a kind-hearted neighbor and always stood in readiness to do for those in need, visiting the widows and the fatherless and comforting those in affliction. Anything that added to the prosperity of his town or county in general always received his hearty aid and support, and the place he left vacant was one not easily filled.
Peter Bowman (deceased), long an exemplary citizen of Angola, came to this county from Ohio about 1839, and was always counted as one of the pioneers, although he was hardly more than a boy at the time. He was a house carpenter and joiner by trade, and was a very steady, quiet and industrious man and an excellent citizen. He was elected Sheriff of the county in 1857, and filled that respon- sible position acceptably for four years. He was married in Feb- ruary, 1858. For a number of years he was a victim of the dread disease, consumption, to which he finally yielded. His demise occurred Dec. 23, 1877. He left four sons and three daughters besides his widow.
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HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY.
Ezekiel Crain (deceased) was born in Orange County, Vt., and in 1824 was married to Rebecca, his life companion, who was born in Lower Canada, May 4, 1804. They emigrated to Wash- tenaw County, Mich., in 1835, and came to Steuben County in 1838, settling on the farm where they both died, Mr. Crain dying in 1863, and his wife surviving until Feb. 25, 1879. Eight children were born to them, one of whom died at birth, the others, six sons and one daughter, surviving both their parents. In an early day Mr. and Mrs. C. united with the Free-Will Baptist church, and they remained faithful members of the same until the church or- ganization here was broken up, after which time they did not unite with any other church.
Thomas Gale (deceased) was one of the founders of the town of Angola and one of its most prominent citizens for thirty years. Thomas Gale and Sarah Goldsmith were united in marriage in Orange County, N. Y., Sept. 12, 1820. From this union came three children, all girls. Elizabeth, the eldest, married Dr. M. F. Morse; Eugenia L., married Thomas Moore, and the youngest, Lonisa, married A. W. Hendry. Mrs. Gale died Feb. 15, 1830. Being mindful of the fact that it is not good to be alone, Mr. Gale, on Nov. 16 of the same year, was married at Bucyrus, Ohio, to Martha Cary, who was for more than a third of a century there- after his faithful companion, sharing his toils and enjoying with him the fruits of his achievements. Miss Cary was born in Morris County, N. J., May 24, 1793, and emigrated to Ohio in 1826. Closely following her marriage to Judge Gale they turned their faces toward the setting sun, when, arriving in Indiana, they set- tled on Mangoguinoug Prairie, Lagrange Co. Judge Gale has the credit of being one of the founders of the county seat of Steuben County, for he and Cornelius Gilmore laid out the original plat of Angola; and through the indefatigable efforts of the Judge, the county seat was here located soon after the organization of the county, which occurred in June, 1837. Judge Gale died Jan. 23, 1865, but his widow lived to see Angola in its present prosperity. She died Jan. 11, 1881, aged eighty-seven years seven months and seventeen days. During the latter part of her life she made her home with her son-in-law, A. W. Hendry. She was reared under Quaker influences, but joined the Presbyterian church soon after her arrival in this State. Thence they removed three years later to Lima, the county seat of Lagrange County, which then also comprised what are now De Kalb and Steuben counties. During
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HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY.
their residence in Lagrange County the memorable Black Hawk war occurred, during which the Indians killed the unfortunate in- mates and burned the house of a near neighbor of Mr. and Mrs. Gale. Great excitement prevailed throughout all the country, this section being then and for many years thereafter peopled ex- tensively by the Pottawatomie Indians. In the fall of 1836 Judge Gale and wife removed to where Angola now is, but which was then a wilderness. Mr. Gale served in the Legislature of In- diana in the years 1836 and 1837. Following this he was elected Associate Judge in 1838, serving one term.
Walter Ingersoll (deceased) came from Ohio to this county in 1837, and settled on a farm in Pleasant Township, in what was called the Sowle settlement. While in Ohio he was married to Rachel Sowle. She was born in Montgomery County, N. Y., April 25, 1816, moved with her parents to Oneida County in 1825, and from there to Ohio in 1833. Mr. Ingersoll died in April, 1856. and in the same year she was married again to Alexander Britton, who died in 1864. In 1876 Mrs. Britton broke up housekeeping and made her home with her daughter, Mrs. J. A. Myrtle, until within two weeks of her death. She died at the residence of her son, O. F. Ingersoll, April 18, 1883. She left two other children by her first husband, Mrs. Joseph Pifer and Abel S. Ingersoll.
John H. Kahnkamp (deceased) was born in Germany, Dec. 23, 1796, and emigrated thence in May, 1844, soon finding himself without means at Wooster, Ohio. Going industriously at work he soon saved a nucleus, and in September of the following year came to Steuben County and purchased forty-four acres of land north of Angola, making a small payment thereon. Here he com menced life anew with a large family, and by industry and fru- gality succeeded in opening and improving one of the good farms of the county, and placing his family in comfortable circumstances. He was the father of seventeen children by one wife, and eight of them survived his death, which occurred Aug. 25, 1880, when he was at the ripe age of eighty-three.
Adam Metzger (deceased) was born in Lewisburg, Pa., April 26, 1806, and died Ang. 31, 1881, at the age of seventy-five years, four months and five days.' In 1840 he came to this county and settled on a farm near Hamilton, where he resided two years, but finding himself not adapted to farming removed to Angola, where he resided up to the time of his death. Here he worked at his trade, that of a mason and house plasterer, until the last summer
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HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY.
of his life, when he was stricken with paralysis. He was the father of four children, two sons and two daughters-Jacob and John, Mrs. Ambrose Snyder and Mrs. Jesse M. Gale. Mr. Metz- ger's first wife, the mother of his children, died about 1862, after which he married Mrs. Sarah Jagger.
James Lockwood (deceased) was born in Niagara County, N. Y., in December, 1803, and was married in the same county July 6, 1828, to Miss Ann Berry. He moved from there to Steuben County in the spring of 1837, and settled on the farm now owned by Charles McClue. He went further West, to Cass County, Ohio, in 1855, where he lost his wife by death Oct. 21, 1876. Returning to this county he made his home with his daughter, Mrs. M. L. Freligh, until his death, April 24, 1881, at the age of seventy- seven years and four months. He was the father of five children, four daughters and one son, of whom two daughters survived him, Mrs. Freligh, and Mrs. Robert Kirk, of Omaha, Neb. Mr. Lock- wood united with the M. E. church when quite young, and was a consistent member through life.
Almeron Sylvester Sherwood (deceased) was born in Yates County, N. Y., Jan. 4, 1829, and came to this State and county in 1838, when but nine years old, being therefore one of the early settlers and pioneers of this connty. In 1850 he was married to Miss Mary Hasting, by whom he had five children, three of whom preceded Mr. Sherwood to the future world. Mr. Sherwood's father settled upon the farm which afterward became Almeron's home, and where the latter lived up to the day of his death, with the exception of a few years passed upon another farm a few miles west.
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