USA > Indiana > Tipton County > History of Tipton County Indiana > Part 59
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OSCAR C. MANLOVE.
Although yet a young man, having merely reached the age when most people are becoming only fairly well launched on their chosen life work, Oscar C. Manlove has accomplished much as an agriculturist, stock man and public spirited citizen, being the well-known proprietor of Sugar Grove Duroc farm, having shown what may be accomplished by correct habits and rightly applied principles when they are backed by an ambition to do something worth while. Mr. Manlove has carried forward the work of his father and has been equally successful in his efforts. He keeps a fine herd of Duroc hogs and has been very successful in his breeding operations, obtaining splendid financial returns in this business, while his reputation as an authority on this breed extends far beyond the limits of the immediate community.
Oscar C. Manlove was born March 20, 1882, on the farm adjoining the one he now owns, the son of William and Louisa ( Farley) Manlove. Will- iam Manlove was also born on this same farm and was one of the most prominent farmers and stock raisers of his day, making a specialty of the Duroc breed, and it was from him that the subject gained much of his knowledge of the business of feeding and marketing hogs. The immediate subject of this review was the only child born to his parents and it devolved upon him to act as an assistant to his father in the operation of the home place, in which capacity he proved of great value, the experience also giving him a practical understanding of the many problems of agriculture and stock raising that stood him in good stead in later life. In his boyhood days he attended the common schools, remaining on the home place with his parents until he reached his legal majority, at which time he secured forty acres of land and commenced farming on his own account. This tract of land has been added to until now the subject is the owner of seventy-three acres of as good land as can be found in the county. Adapting the most improved and scientific methods in his work, Mr. Manlove has been prosperous in propor-
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tion to the efforts he has put forth. There is ever a ready and remunerative market for the swine which is raised at the splendid Sugar Grove Duroc farm, the strictly honest business dealings of the subject having won for him a wide reputation as a responsible dealer. No man can ever truthfully say that his purchases of the subject were misrepresented or that he was not treated in a fair and above-board manner.
In 1893 Mr. Manlove was united in the holy bonds of matrimony to Olive Mccullough, and their home life is as near ideal as it is possible to find. Mrs. Manlove is a lady of culture and refinement and presides over their comfortable home with a grace and dignity that has made it the center of an admiring group of friends and acquaintances. In religious matters Mr. Manlove and his wife are loyal members of the United Presbyterian church, giving a liberal moral and financial support to the activities of the same. Politically, the subject casts his ballot for the men and principles of the Republican party, although he has never found time to seek public office at the hands of his fellow citizens.
JOHN S. BARR.
It was remarked by a celebrated moralist and biographer that "there has scarcely passed a life of which a judicious and faithful narative would not have been useful." Believing in the truth of this opinion, expressed by one of the greatest and best men, the writer of this review takes pleasure in presenting a few facts in the career of a gentleman who, by industry, perseverance and integrity, has worked himself from an humble station to a successful place in life and won an honorable position among the well- known and highly esteemed men of the locality in which he resides.
John S. Barr is a native of the old Hoosier state, born in Decatur county on August 2, 1848, the son of Ranson P. and Mary C. ( McElwain) Barr, the former of whom was born in Decatur county, and the latter was a native of Kentucky. In 1858 his father left Decatur county and came to Tipton county, locating in Prairie township on eighty acres of land which he entered. He remained on this farm the remaining years of his life, ex- cept a period of three years which he passed in Tipton, returning later to the farm, where his death occurred on October 6, 1906. To him and his wife were born eleven children, among them being John S., the immediate
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subject of this sketch. The others are: Martha, Mrs. John Foster; Sarah, who is the wife of Richard Foster; Mollie, who married Sam Watson; Henry, whose first wife was Sarah Wheeler and upon her death he married Dessie McShane; Lucy married Calvin Holman; Ranson took as his wife Laura Newlon; William married Lora Duncan; Elmer's first wife was Flora Cue, and after her death he married Belle Pearcy; Edwin, the re- maining child, died when small.
John S. Barr grew up in Tipton county, attending the district schools of Prairie township, and when quite a young boy he began assisting his father in the operation of the home farm. He remained under the parental roof until his marriage, when he engaged in agricultural work on his own account. For one year he rented a farm and then made arrangements to purchase the farm of eighty acres where he is living today. He has always engaged in general farming and kindred lines.
On August 28, 1873, Mr. Barr was united in marriage with Martha Ann Thorpe, a daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Thorpe, and to this union were born nine children, namely: Maggie, Marshall, Admiral, Howard, Manson. Charles, Effie, and two who died in infancy. Mrs. Barr died on November 30, 1898. Of Mr. Barr's family, three are married, being Maggie, who is Mrs. Elmer Foster, and the mother of one child, Beulah; Effie, Mrs. Jewell Wallace, has one child, Neva, and Marshall took as his wife Allie Sewell and they have one child, Ganice. The rest of his family remain at home. Mr. Barr took as his second wife Indiana Samuels, daughter of Thompson and Susannah (Howell) Samuels, and this union is without issue.
Politically, Mr. Barr gives his support to the Republican party, in the success of which he has taken a commendable interest, though in no sense a seeker after public offices for himself. His religious affiliations are with the Methodist Episcopal church at Hopewell, in the prosperity of which he is interested. On his farm of eighty acres he is enjoying life, realiz- ing, as the public at large are realizing more than ever, that the farmer of today is to be envied rather than his condition deplored, as was at one time the case. Mr. Barr's life has been one of unceasing industry and perse- verance and the methods he has followed have won for him the confidence and regard of all who know him. He has worked his way from an humble beginning to his present station, which fact renders him more worthy of the esteem accorded him by his fellow men. In the fall of 1909 Mr. Barr retired from farming and moved to Tipton, where he resided until March 4, 1913, when he returned to his farm.
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JACOB B. RATCLIFF.
Among the younger farmers of Prairie township, Tipton county, Indiana, is Jacob B. Ratcliff, and the enterprising and progressive spirit of the age is exemplified in his work and indicated by the fine appearance of his farm of ninety-one acres. His career thus far has been one in which enterprise and industry have been strongly manifested and these qualities have been the means of gaining him the success which is so worthily his.
Jacob B. Ratcliff, the son of Edom and Catherine (Smith) Ratcliff, was born in Clinton county, Indiana, November 12, 1879, his father being a native of Howard county and his mother of Tipton county, this state. When Edom Ratcliff was a small boy his parents moved from Howard county to Clinton county, Indiana, where they lived the remainder of their days. Edom Ratcliff enlisted in Company C, One Hundred and First Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served for three years during the Civil war. His death occurred February 24, 1911. His wife, the mother of Jacob B. Ratcliff, was Catherine Smith, and to Mr. and Mrs. Edom Rat- cliff were born six children: Denton, who married Ettie Connor, lives in Wells county, Indiana; Emma, the wife of Robert Miller, of Clinton county, this state; Annie, wife of Samuel Crail, also lives in Clinton county ; Ella died on February 24, 1911; Thomas, who married Orpha Coe, and Jacob, who is the subject of this review.
Jacob B. Ratcliff received his education in the schools of Clinton county and it was limited to the privileges afforded by the district schools. He spent his time which could be spared from his short school term of each year on the farm, learning all the multitudinous details of farming life. He continued to work with his father on the home place until September 24, 1902, when, upon being married, he and his wife moved to Tipton county, where he purchased the farm which he now owns.
Jacob B. Ratcliff was married to Maggie Tyner, the daughter of Charles and Clara (Alexander) Tyner, and their union has been blessed with two children, Owen Leon and Velma Geneva. His wife was an only child. Her father, Charles Tyner, was born in Decatur county, Indiana, while her mother was a native of Tipton county. Mr. Tyner came to Tipton county about 1857 with his parents and located in Prairie township on a farm of eighty acres. This was improved and increased by careful management and close industry to three hundred acres. Charles Tyner remained with his parents until he was about twenty-four years of age when he was married
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to Clara Alexander, who died on November 22, 1893. His death oc- curred on February 5, 1914. Mrs. Ratcliff's grandmother is still living and the death of her husband occurred on July 4, 1900. She still enjoys good health, although she is now in her ninetieth year.
Mr. Ratcliff has always voted with the Republican party and keeps well informed on the issues of the day, but has never sought or desired public office. He has felt that his duties on the farm demand his time and attention, and for this reason he has never been a seeker for political preferment of any kind. He holds his membership in the Baptist church and takes a pardonable pride in being one of the leaders in his church, being at the present time its official treasurer. The story of the life of Mr. Ratcliff contains no exciting chapters, but, on the contrary, consists of a series of ordinary events, in which well defined purposes, noble aims and high ideals have been especially prominent. He gives generous support to the enterprises which have for their object the social or moral welfare of his community, and for this reason he has a wide circle of friends and ac- quaintances in the community.
WILLIAM W. SHIELDS.
The history of any county is the chronicle of the people, of the men and women who live in the county. The value of any one man to a community is determined by two things, by what he does for himself and what he does for the community at large. There are, unfortunately, some men who do a great deal for themselves, but who are very remiss when it comes to doing anything for the locality in which they live. On the other hand there are a few men who neglect their own individual welfare for the welfare of the rest of their immediate neighborhood. The most valuable man to a particular community is he who neglects neither his own welfare nor that of his community. It is said that no man lives unto himself, and this phrase was never truer than at the present time. With our pioneers in this state, there was not the division of labor which marks our civilization of today. Our good forefather was not only a farmer, but he was his own doctor, his own blacksmith, his own carpenter, his own shoemaker, and, frequently. his own lawyer. But his son of today calls upon a score of men trained in their respective professions in order to do the work which his father did himself. The rail-fence age is gone forever and while we are now in the wire-fence age, there is much evidence
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to prove that we are approaching a period when there will be a fenceless age altogether. A few of our good old rail-fence pioneers are still living, but many of their wire-fence sons are now living a life of luxury and ease com- pared to what their forefathers endured. Among the younger generation of farmers in Tipton county. the name of William W. Shields occupies a promi- nent place.
William W. Shields, the son of James and Eliza Ann (Grishaw ) Shields, was born in Liberty township, Tipton county, Indiana, February 22, 1879. His father was born January 11, 1853, in Ripley county, this state, and has lived in Tipton county since 1862, when he came here with his parents at the age of nine years. He was a very successful farmer in the county and is the owner at the present time of one hundred and sixty acres of land, which he has brought to a high state of cultivation. On February 19, 1879, he was mar- ried to Eliza Ann Grishaw, the daughter of John W. Grishaw, and they were the parents of six children. William, the immediate subject of this review ; Bertha, wife of R. C. Thomas, a farmer of Liberty township, is the mother of three children, Dallas, Harold and Robert; Louie, who is now studying to become a minister, and is in school at Princeton University, New Jersey; Jesse, who married Mary Graff, daughter of Joseph and Sarah Graff, has one child, Gretchen; Delcie, unmarried, is a missionary in mountains of Kentucky, and Leona, who is in the high school at Kokomo, Indiana.
William W. Shields received his elementary education in the district schools of his home township and finished his common school course in the high school at Sharpsville, Indiana. He then returned to his father's farm and worked for him for about one year, after which he married at the age of nineteen and rented the old homestead farm. He managed his father's farm for four years and then purchased the forty acres upon which he is now living. He still has general charge of his father's farm, making two hundred and sixty-five acres of land which he controls altogether. He is actively en- gaged in tilling the soil and raising live stock, and has been very successful in both these lines of agriculture. He has been an indefatigable worker and his labors have been rewarded with success commensurate with his efforts.
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On October 9, 1898, William W. Shields was united in marriage to Anna Bell Henderson; the daughter of William and Susan Henderson. She was one of nine children born to her parents, namely: Maggie, Elizabeth, Frank, Jasper, Tunis, Fred, Della, Anna and one who died in infancy. To Mr. and Mrs. William W. Shields have been born four children, Ruth, Mary, Cora and James. Mr. and Mrs. Shields are giving their children the best educational
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advantages to be obtained and are rearing them to lives of useful manhood and womanhood.
Mr. Shields has given his attention to a close study of the issues of the day, with the result that he now votes with the Prohibition party, believing the temperance question to be the one of most importance before the public today and one that most affects the welfare of the nation. He has always been a stanch advocate of temperance and has done everything in his power for the abolition of the liquor traffic. Upright and honorable, there is noth- ing to be said against his career and much in his favor, and as one of the worthy citizens of his county he is well worthy of mention in this volume. His religious affiliations are with the Presbyterian church and for many years he has been an elder in that denomination. His whole life has been of such an upright nature, his actions so sincere, and the sterling traits of his character so pronounced that he has won the good will of all of those who have known him best. The study of such a character should be an inspiration to the future generation who are growing up in this county.
THEODORE O. MORRIS, M. D.
The man who devotes his talents and energies to the noble work of min- istering to the ills and alleviating the suffering of humanity is pursuing a call- ing which in dignity, importance and beneficial results is second to no other. If true to his profession and earnest in his efforts to enlarge his sphere of use- fulness, he is indeed a benefactor of his kind, for to him more than to any other man are entrusted the safety, the comfort and, in many instances, the lives of those who place themselves under his care and profit by his services. It is gratifying to note that in the series of personal sketches appearing in this work there remain identified with the professional, public and civic affairs of Tipton county many who are native sons of the county and who are ably maintaining the prestige of honored names. Of this number, Dr. Theodore O. Morris, who is prominent among the physicians and surgeons and who is practicing his profession at Hobbs, Tipton county, Indiana. is one of the representative men of the county. Although comparatively a young man, he has gained wide professional notoriety and established a sound reputation for uprightness of character in all the relations of life.
Theodore O. Morris was born August 8, 1878, in Cicero township, this county, the son of John H. and Rachael (Warren) Morris. John H. Morris,
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the subject's father, first saw the light of day near Xenia, Ohio, March 5, 1850, being the son of John Henry and Eliza (Sites) Morris. He came to this community at an early date and was quite a prominent man, serving as postmaster at Hobbs for a number of years and having wide fraternal affilia- tions, belonging to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he filled all the chairs, also being a member of the Improved Order of Red Men, his wife holding membership in the Degree of Pocahontas and the Daughters of Rebekah. They were the parents of four children, namely: Lena married a Mr. Negus, who is chief clerk in the Indiana Boys' School at Plainfield, and they have seven children, Carroll, Thelma, Oral, Laurie, Lowell, Rachael and Annette; Thomas married Blanca Manwaring; Ollie married Royal Batz- ner; T. O., the subject of the present review.
Doctor Morris completed the common school branches at Hobbs and then took a course in the normal school at Danville, Indiana, after which he taught for two terms at No. I school and at Prairie Grove one year. At this point in his career the subject decided to make the practice of medicine his life work and entered the Central College of Physicians and Surgeons at Indian- apolis, from which he graduated in 1904. On completing his course in medi- cine the Doctor first located at Atlanta, remaining there but a short time, how- ever, coming to Hobbs within a year and having remained here since.
On Christmas day, in the year 1900, Doctor Morris was united in mar- riage to Nora Cottingham, the daughter of Robert H. and Rachael (Hobbs) Cottingham. The father of Mrs. Morris was born in Hamilton county, In- diana, in 1858 and. was the son of Pernell and Elizabeth Cottingham. He was educated in the schools of Hamilton county and subsequently studied law at Valparaiso for three years. He was a brilliant man, with a most promising future, but died right on the threshold of a splendid career. He was a Re- publican in his political belief and was a faithful member of the Christian church.
Dr. T. O. Morris is an appreciative member of the county, state and national medical associations and is a wide reader and a well informed man. He endeavors to keep posted in all the best researches of medicine and sur- gery, believing that a medical man's education is not completed on his gradua- tion from college. Although he has never sought public office for himself, the Doctor displays a deep interest in public affairs, his ballot being cast in support of the principles of the Democratic party. His fraternal relations are with the Modern Woodmen of America, while in religious affairs he is a loyal and consistent member of the Christian church, to which he gives liber- ally of his means.
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CARL TENWELL.
One of the best known and most enterprising of the younger agricul- turists of Tipton county is the gentleman whose name appears above, now in the very prime of life and usefulness and his influence as an honorable, up- right citizen is productive of much good upon all with whom he comes in contact. His past success gives assurance of something yet to come, and he is evidently destined to continue a potent factor for substantial good for many years to come. He is the owner of one hundred acres of fine farming land in Wildcat township, Tipton county, Indiana, which he conducts in a manner that stamps him as fully abreast of the times.
Carl Tenwell, a prosperous farmer, living on his place, about three and one-half miles northeast of Windfall, was born April 18, 1883, in Howard county, Indiana, near West Liberty, the son of Millard and Mary ( Hancock ) Tenwell. Millard Tenwell was a prominent farmer in Howard county and came to that section of the Hoosier state from Wisconsin with his parents. Irvin and Mary (Zentmyer) Tenwell, Irvin having preceded the family to that locality in 1853 and settling on a farm in the wilderness, where he cleared land and built a home. Here the subject's father was reared and married. be- coming the father of six children, namely: Arley H .; Carl; John Frank : William I .: Ophia married Ira Hanna : Oscar. Millard Tenwell has been a farmer all his life and is still engaged in agriculture in Howard county.
Carl Tenwell secured his education in the schools at West Liberty and later at Phlox, Indiana, being engaged at agricultural labor during his boy- hood and early youth. Although his opportunities for study were rather limited, he has, by close observation and wide reading, largely supplemented his early schooling, and is recognized as a man of intelligence and good sound ideas, thoroughly up-to-date in his methods and well informed on the topics of the day. When he reached the age of sixteen years, the subject of this re- view took employment with the Indiana Gas Company and continued with that concern for six years. By a course of careful economy and industry he was enabled at the end of that period to purchase a small tract of land and, through the application of his thorough knowledge of the art of tilling the soil, acquired in youth, he has made a splendid success of his life work, adding to his holdings until at the present time his one-hundred-acre farm is one of the best in the community and yields him a good competency. He has been essentially a scientific agriculturist, never being content with old methods of farming when a newer and better method was brought to his notice. A care-
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ful conservation of the soil replenishing its vitality with the best of fertiliz- ers, has been one of the main reasons for his success. Substantial improve- ments in the way of buildings have been erected and the best of farming ma- chinery installed. In addition to general farming, Mr. Tenwell has devoted considerable attention to the raising of live stock and on account of his superior knowledge of the operations of selecting and breeding he has made this department of his work very lucrative.
In 1902 Mr. Tenwell was united in marriage to Bessie L. Overman, the daughter of Elwood C. and Hulda (Shawhan) Overman, and this union has been blessed by the birth of one child, Afton Bernice. In his political belief, Mr. Tenwell is a Democrat and takes an intelligent and earnest interest in the success of that party. In every movement for the advancement of the inter- ests of his fellow citizens or the prosperity of the community the subject is always in the forefront, lending his support to all worthy objects or public enterprises.
LEWIS VAN BRIGGLE.
There are many qualities that enter into a successful career. It is not enough to be merely energetic and industrious, but it is also necessary that one have a thorough understanding of the business in which he engages and realization of the best methods to be pursued. Not every man can become a farmer who has the land; not every man can become a lawyer who has a good . library ; not every man can become a merchant who has a store; not every man can run a saw mill who has the necessary outfit. Many men are misfits in their occupations, sometimes from mere chance and sometimes because they do not have the necessary energy to find the work for which they are the best adapted. The subject of this particular sketch has been eminently successful, both as a farmer and as the operator of a saw-mill, two very widely differing occupations.
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