USA > Indiana > Wabash County > History of Wabash County, Indiana, Volume 2 > Part 36
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ALONZO MCDONALD. The record of the career of Alonzo McDonald is that of a man who has by his own unaided efforts worked his way
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JAMES WALKER AND FAMILY
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ANDREW ENGLISH. Many of the successful agriculturists of Wabash county are today carrying on operations on the farms upon which they were born, and on which they have spent their entire lives. Made familiar with the conditions and possibilities of the soil and climate, and profiting by later years of experience, they have been able to extract a full measure of profit from their fields and to place themselves in positions of promi- nence among the substantial men of their communities. In this class is found Andrew English, of Waltz township, a successful farmer and stockraiser, who is also known as one of his locality's useful and public- spirited citizens. He was born on the farm on which he now lives, Febru- ary 25, 1862, and is a son of Andrew K. and Mary Ann (Hilligoss) English.
Andrew K. English was born in Bath county, Kentucky, and as a young man accompanied his parents to Rush county, Indiana, where he established himself on a farm and engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was married to Nancy Brown, and they became the parents of two chil- dren : John A., who is now deceased; and Daniel Francis, who married Jemima Slife. After the death of his first wife Mr. English was married (second) to Mary Ann Hilligoss, who was born in Fleming county, Kentucky, and they became the parents of seven children, as follows: James H., deceased, born in Rusk county ; Joseph William, deceased, born in Rusk county, married Mary G. Stevens, of Pennsylvania; Johanna, born in Rusk county, died when about two years old ; Elizabeth, deceased, born in Rusk county ; and Mary Ellen, Rhoda and Andrew, all born in Wabash county. In October, 1849, Andrew K. English came to Wabash county, and upon his arrival purchased the farm in Waltz township which is now the home of his son, and which had been entered from the Govern- ment by William Hancock. His first purchase was a property of eighty acres, at that time covered with a heavy growth of timber. The first fam- ily home was a log cabin, in addition to which there was a small log stable, but as the years passed and Mr. English prospered these rude structures were replaced by more modern and comfortable buildings. He added to his property until he had 120 acres, and at the time of his death was considered one of the substantial men of his community. He was indus- trious, thrifty and energetic, honorable in his business dealings and loyal in his friendships, and won and held the respect and esteem of those with whom he came into contact. In politics he was a democrat, although he preferred to devote his time to his farming interests rather than to mix actively in public affairs. He passed away in December, 1896, and the mother followed him to the grave two years later on January 9, 1899.
Andrew English was given ordinary educational advantages in the district schools of Waltz township, and grew up on the farm, which he has never left. He assisted his father in clearing and cultivating the land and in erecting the buildings, and has continued the work where his father left off. Like his father, he is a democrat, but public life has held out no attractions to him, he preferring to remain just what he is, an energetic and progressive tiller of the soil. His sisters, Mary Ellen and Rhoda, also live at the old homestead, which they have never left.
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All are held in high esteem in this community, where they have numerous appreciative friends.
BENTON RIDENOUR. Benton Ridenour is undeniably one of the most progressive and capable farming men in Noble township, where he has lived practically all his days, and where he takes a prominent place among the well-to-do farming men of the community. He has ably demonstrated his capacity for progressive farming and enjoys today the fruits of his early labors. He was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, on November 19, 1847, and is a son of John and Lydia N. (Elwood) Ridenour, who were Pennsylvania people of Dutch ancestry. The father was a black- smith by trade, and he followed that business for a good many years. Some years after his marriage he settled in Wabash county, the event taking place in 1853, and their first home was in Noble township on the Hoover road. The farm he settled on was a veritable forest, and unim- proved in any manner whatever. He built a log cabin and stable, and here the family lived for years. John Ridenour had practically no means with which to develop his new farm, and was wholly reliant upon the strength of his hands and upon the energies of his four sons, who were reared to manhood on that place. They were Mark, Benton, Elwood and Philip, and all were sturdy youths, ambitious and full of the energy of young life. They worked faithfully on the farm as they reached early manhood, and each of them, from his boyhood to manhood, had his own work cut out for him under the supervision of his father.
John Ridenour and his faithful wife ended their days on this place, and it should be said that when they departed from the scenes where they had long been familiar actors, the wilderness farm they had elected to improve presented a vastly different aspect to that of their early resi- dence.
Benton Ridenour remained on the home farm until he was twenty- seven years of age. He then married Sarah A. Niccum, the daughter of Michael Niccum, and they established their home on a farm that the young huband bought in Noble township. Though he was one who was lacking in education to a great extent, he proved himself a good business man, and before he quitted his father's farm to establish a home of his own he had saved $2,000, and he used this to apply on his purchase of a 120-acre farm. The remaining $2,000 he borrowed from his father, and while many who knew of the transaction declared he would never be able to pay the debt on the farm, it is a fact that he had saved the amount from his earnings on the place and paid it before the note fell due.
In 1904 Mr. Ridenour moved from the farm to near the city of Wabash, in Linlawn, and here he has since resided. He has a com- fortable residence on the place, which he has remodeled since he took possession. Twenty-one acres comprise the acreage of this place, and that is quite enough to occupy Mr. Ridenour's time.
On May 16, 1913, Mrs. Ridenour died at the home of the family, leav- ing a family of five sons and three daughters. John, the eldest, is unmar- ried. Homer married Alta Eltzroth. Henry L. married Harriet
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Stauffer. Leonard Guy and Eldo are unmarried. Blanche, Lola and Edith, the daughters, are also unmarried.
Mrs. Ridenour was long a member of the Christian church, and Mr. Ridenour attended there also, though he was reared in the Lutheran faith by his parents. The family are highly esteemed in the community and have a wide circle of friends hereabouts.
GENERAL WILLIAM CALDWELL, HEZEKIAH CALDWELL, H. O. CALDWELL. Among Wabash county families whose achievements and social and busi- ness prominence have been conspicuous over a long period of years, the Caldwells are noteworthy not only for their residence in this county of more than seventy years, but also for the attainments of the individual representatives of the name in military affairs, in public office, and as business men. Representatives of three successive generations have been named above, and it is appropriate that some brief mention should be made of each.
General William Caldwell, who was the founder of the family in Wabash county, was a son of Train Caldwell, and was born in the state of North Carolina, December 17, 1799. When eleven years of age he went with his parents to Ohio, and about five years later the family moved to Indiana territory, locating in what was then Wayne county, but is now Harrison township of Fayette county. That country was of course at that time practically a wilderness and the Caldwells by their work in clearing a farm as well as by their influence in the community helped to advance the standards of living and increase the area devoted to civilization in this state. While the family lived in Ohio, the Indian war and the second war with Great Britain were in progress. The people were often called upon to take up arms, and protect their homes, and practically all able-bodied citizens were subject to militia duties. Train Caldwell was one of those thus called upon and at one time owing to sickness or some other cause was unable to respond to the summons for military service. William Caldwell was then a boy of about fifteen years, yet big and courageous for his years, and he gladly accepted the opportunity to substitute for his father, and serve out his unexpired time. That taste of military experience was followed up by a close study and practice in military tactics, and the manual of arms, and he later became one of the leading military men of his day. General Caldwell, though prominent in affairs of a civic nature and in the state military, was essentially a farmer by vocation, and in the early days raised hogs for the Cincinnati market. In October, 1841, he moved his family to Wabash county, and in August, 1845, was elected sheriff. After about eighteen months of service he died while still in office at the age of forty-seven years. On April 12, 1820, when less than twenty- one years of age, General William Caldwell married Elizabeth Alexander, a daughter of Captain James Alexander.
Hezekiah Caldwell, a son of General William and Elizabeth Caldwell, was born in Fayette county, Indiana, January 13, 1823, and died at Wabash March 15, 1892. His wife passed away about three years previ-
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MR. AND MRS. HEZEKIAH CALDWELL AND THE OLD HOME, WABASH, INDIANA
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present time is engaged in the cultivation and management of a fine farm of 186 acres in Lagro township near Speickerville. His boyhood was spent in the city of Wabash, and the grammar and high schools there afforded him his chief educational opportunities. Several years of his youth were spent in employment in his father's brick yard and that gave him an acquaintance with an industry which he utilized in different localities at a later time. In 1876 he entered the United States Railway Mail Service, and for several years his run was on the Big Four Lines, and for eight years on the Wabash Railway. In 1888, Mr. Caldwell moved to Chicago, and for two years was engaged with the D. B. Puring- ton Press Brick Company, and from there went to Duluth, Minnesota, and spent a similar period with the A. G. Reiser Brick Company. Re- turning to Wabash county he took charge of his father's farm, and later bought the place from the other heirs. Hezekiah Caldwell had bought that land in the first place for the timber growing upon it, which he used in the manufacture of brick.
On September 23, 1884, H. O. Caldwell married Rose Eleanor Bishop, a daughter of William Bishop, now deceased. Mrs. Caldwell died April 13, 1914. Like his father before him Mr. Caldwell has always been a republican, but in recent years has not favored the "Stand-pat" tendency and rather leans toward the progressive principles.
JOHN B. UNGER has spent his life thus far within the borders of Wabash county, where he was born on March 8, 1847, and he has been a useful and valuable citizen since he reached man's estate, as many will attest. He devoted himself to farming activities until 1907, when he came to town and built himself a comfortable cement house, in which he and his family reside. He also conducts a grocery store, known as the Linlawn Grocery.
Mr. Unger is a son of Samuel and Barbara (Ridenour) Unger. The maternal grandfather of the subject, David Ridenour, came to this county in an early day, and some of the younger brothers and sisters of Mr. Unger's mother were born here. David Ridenour entered land in the Indian Reservation and there applied himself straightway to the business of taming a wilderness tract and evolving a productive farm. The paternal grandfather of the subject also came to Wabash county at about the same time. He was Jacob Unger, and he, too, entered land in the wilds of Wabash county. He was born in Pennsylvania, and so also was his son, Samuel, the father of the subject. Samuel was reared in Pennsylvania and was as yet unmarried when he migrated into Wabash county, Indiana. He had but a limited education, schools being few and not too well conducted in that early day, and his father felt that he needed him with the work at home. When Samuel Unger secured for himself a farm in Noble township, he shared much the fate of his father in that land he entered was wild and as yet unreclaimed from its pristine state. Later, however, he bought some cleared land, as he did not wish to spend all his young life in getting a farm into condition. The first buildings on his place were a tiny log cabin of two rooms, and
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a barn that in comparison to the size of his house was tremendous. He lived in the small cottage or cabin for some little time; then, when he purchased the partly cleared farm adjoining his first place, he moved to the larger house that stood there, and for a good many years that was the home of the family. In later years Mr. Unger built a more pre- tentious and commodious house on the property, and there he died in 1879. The old home still stands just as he left it.
John B. Unger was one of the eight children of his parents. The others are here named as follows: Esther, who married Peter C. Smith and died in March, 1913; David, who married Mary Netcher; Sarah, the wife of Samuel DuBois; Benton, who married Mary Burkholder; Samuel, who was twice married, his first wife being Hattie James, and he later married Ida Brown; Isaac, deceased, was the first husband of Ida Brown and after his death she married Samuel Unger; and Wil- liam, now deceased.
After the death of Samuel Unger, in 1879, John B. settled on a part of his father's farm, which comprised six hundred acres in all, though it has been noted already that he began life with nothing of his own beyond his native thrift and sterling character. John B. Unger con- tinued to reside there up to the year 1907, and, as is stated in a pre- vious paragraph, he built himself a comfortable and modern town house and is there residing with his family at the present time. He still owns two farms aggregating eighty acres.
Mr. Unger married Mary James, a daughter of Amos James, in 1880, and she died in 1907, leaving one child, Earl Unger, who married Ethel McKinney, daughter of Charles Mckinney of Wabash county, and is without issue.
Mr. Unger, being unusued to idleness, found time hanging heavily upon his hands when he retired from the farm, and as a means of having something to occupy his mind and his hands he stocked a small store, and devotes himself to the care of the place in Wabash since he settled here. He is a member of the Wesleyan Methodist church, and is a prohibitionist in politics, though in recent years he was a stanch democrat. He is one of the steady and dependable citizens of the community, and enjoys the friendship of a wide circle of old acquaintances in and about the community that so long represented his home.
ENOCH SHAMBAUGH. For more than sixty years Enoch Shambaugh has been a resident of Wabash county, and during this time he has wit- nessed the development of this section from a timbered wilderness into one of the richest agricultural regions of the state. He has played no small part in the activities that have brought about this progress and advancement, for he has developed several fine farms, and at this time is regarded as one of the substantial men of his community. He was born in Richland county, Ohio, November 4, 1845, and is a son of Jacob and Phoebe (Himes) Shambaugh, natives of Pennsylvania, who were mar- ried in Ohio.
In 1851 Jacob Shambaugh came to Wabash county, his journey by
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horse and wagon consuming two weeks. He had purchased a farm of 160 acres two miles east of Wabash for $850, but was not satisfied with this land and soon moved to a property in Noble township. On this latter land was a small log cabin and log barn, to reach which it was necessary to travel through the woods, over devious paths, roads being at that time unheard of. Small game was to be found in abundance, and the family larder was added to daily through the rifle skill of the father or sons. Subsequently Mr. Shambaugh gave a new settler a lease upon that property until 1871, and in this way entered into the business of buying, leasing and selling farms, in which he was engaged for many years. In the meantime, while his sons worked his various properties, he was engaged at the trade of brick laying and plastering, his chief occu- pation being to replace the primitive stick chimneys with modern brick ones. It is told that on one occasion he was called upon by an Indian to build a chimney for him, which he accordingly constructed of stone, and subsequently had much difficulty in making the red man believe in its durability, as the latter had never seen anything of the kind before. An earnest, industrious and energetic man, Mr. Shambaugh con- tinued to trade in land and to work at his vocation until death called him, both he and his wife passing away in Wabash county. They were the parents of the following children: Lewis, Julia Ann, Amelia, Enoch, Marguerite, Mark, Zeno and Ellen Mary, of whom six survive.
Enoch Shambaugh passed his boyhood in much the same manner as other pioneers' sons in Wabash county. He early learned the meaning of hard work, and even his education entailed some labor in its securing, for he had to walk a mile through the woods to reach the little log school- house, which he attended two months during each winter. One of his principal occupations in his boyhood was laying ditches, in those days made of timber, as tile was unheard of then, and of this he put in 200 rods. His first farm was a property of 148 acres, to which he subse- quently added eighty acres, and later erected a good house and barn, continuing to reside there until 1871, in March of which year he came to his present farm of 180 acres. Here had been cleared twenty acres, and this had been fenced, the only other improvement being an old log cabin. The remainder of the land has all been put under cultivation by Mr. Shambaugh, who has it all well fenced, and a fine residence, sub- stantial barns and good outbuildings have been erected. This is now one of the most valuable farms in Waltz township, and Mr. Shambaugh de- serves much credit for what he has accomplished in its development. In his community he is known as a skilled farmer and stock raiser, prac- tical in all these things, yet always ready to give a trial to new ideas and methods. His large crops and fine fat stock give evidence of his good management, and his honorable dealings have given him an excel- lent reputation for integrity. Public confidence has been placed in him, as is shown by his service as appraiser and township guardian, and he has also served as administrator of his father's large estate. In polit- ical matters he is a republican, as was his father before him. A pillar
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hold science. He received the nomination of the republican party to the office of County Clerk, the election to be held in the fall of 1914. Progress is the keynote to all his activities, either of a public or a private nature, and his connection with affairs relating to the com- munity life can only result in good to all concerned.
Mr. Singer was married to Mrs. Emma Spacy, a widow, and the daughter of Scott Rice. They have one son,-Victor Hugo.
Mr. Singer is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Royal Order of Moose and he and his wife have membership in the Methodist Episcopal church.
DANIEL G. KAUFMAN. Practical experience has frequently shown that it is the energetic and progressive individual who produces the most powerful effect upon himself and others, who illustrates and en- forces the lesson that a man is perfected more by labor than by reading; that it is life rather than literature, action rather than study, character rather than learning, which tend to make a man prosperous and a benefit to humanity. The instances of men who by dint of persevering applica- tion and energy have raised themselves from poverty to positions of use- fulness, wealth and influence are indeed so numerous that they have long since ceased to be regarded as exceptional. It might be said that early encounter with difficulties and adverse circumstances is one of the necessary conditions of success. Wabash county has numerous examples of self-made manhood, and among them may be numbered D. G. Kauf- man, a pioneer of Waltz township, who has resided on his present farm for nearly a half century and is the architect of his own fortunes in a marked degree.
Mr. Kaufman was born in Trumble county, Ohio, near Warren, De- cember 10, 1840, and is a son of Michael and Catherine (Misner) Kauf- man.
The family came to Wabash county in 1846, traveling by way of Trumble county to Cleveland by wagon, then on to Toledo, and thence by canal to Wabash county, the father settling on the southeast corner of section 8, Waltz township. This farm had been entered from the Gov- ernment by Michael Kaufman, and D. G. Kaufman is still in possession of the old sheepskin deed, dated March 18, 1847, showing that it was entered from the Government and recorded and proved up at Fort Wayne. This farm is now occupied by C. O. Peters. At the time of the Kaufmans' arrival the land was all in timber, although there were sev- eral small log buildings which had been erected by a man named Ben- nett, and the rough log cabin had no sides on it. Mr. Kaufman rebuilt the buildings, which have since been replaced by more modern structures. D. G. Kaufman remembers that he enjoyed life during the pioneer days as much as he does now, and a large part of his time was passed in assisting neighbors to plow, often without remuneration of any kind. His education was secured in the primitive schools of his day, which lasted only three months during each winter, and to which he had to make his way on foot two miles. The greater part of his education was
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secured after he had reached his twenty-first year, although he was of a more retentive nature and accordingly learned much more quickly than many who had greater advantages. When he was not in school or work- ing on the farm he spent a great deal of time in the woods. When the Civil war broke out he offered his services to his country as a member of Company A, Eighty-ninth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, but did not pass the examination, and was therefore never sent to the front, although his brother Jacob was a soldier of Company A, Eighty-ninth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, Capt. Elias Stone, and served throughout the entire struggle.
On February 18, 1864, Mr. Kaufman was married to Miss Elvira Jackson, daughter of John H. and Sarah (Barnhard) Jackson. Sarah Barnhard was reared in South Carolina and married in Henry county, Indiana, where John H. Jackson was born and raised. She has one sister and three brothers living: Malinda, Joel, Elza and David, and Emma and an infant, deceased. The Jackson family came to Indiana in 1859. Seven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Kaufman, namely : Madison, who married Hulda Rood and is a resident of Ore- gon; Della, who is the wife of William Howell; Ida, who married John Printy of Michigan; Arvilla, who married George Wright; Clinton, who married Susan Pearson ; Walter, who married Lena Schautz, and Homer. All were born on the present farm in Wabash county and all were edu- cated in the schools of Waltz township, being given a training fitting them for the positions in life which they might be called upon to fill.
The year following his marriage Mr. Kaufman moved to his present farm. At that time he was the owner of a horse and a cow, and with these as a nucleus began the building up of a good farm. On his land there had been erected a log house, which continued to be the family home until Mr. Kaufman was able to do the clearing of his land from the heavy timber, and the draining of the swamp land. At this time he has ninety-five acres, all in a high state of cultivation, and the once worthless, non-productive soil is now made to yield abundant crops of golden grain, which amply repay Mr. Kaufman for the labor he has expended upon it. Mr. Kaufman's success is chiefly the result of his own effort, industry and integrity being its cornerstones. On this foundation he has reared a structure of which he may well be proud, its pinnacle being the unswerving confidence of his fellow-men. A man of liberal views in all things, he believes in free speech, and is inclined toward socialism in his politics. Mr. Kaufman was reared in the faith of the Lutheran church, while his estimable wife, who, like her husband, has many friends, is identified with the Christian church.
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