USA > Indiana > Whitley County > History of Whitley County, Indiana > Part 61
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from the office at the expiration of his term of service in 1888, he was made deputy clerk of the fourth district of New Mexico under President Cleveland's first administration, with his office at Los Vegas, in which capac- ity he displayed ability of a high order until the end of the time for which appointed, when he returned to Columbia City, where since 1891 he has been interested in mer- cantile pursuits, besides taking an active and meritorious part in promoting all laudable enterprises for the public good. In 1902 Mr. Harrison was elected mayor of Colum- bia City and has held the position by suc- cessive re-elections ever since, his present term expiring January 1, 1910. The hon- orable distinction acquired in the various lines of endeavor to which he had previously directed attention, has been heightened by the creditable record earned as the city's chief executive. an office requiring the ex- ercise of strong mentality, sound and dis- cret judgment, in view of the fact that the prosperity of the municipality and the gen- eral good of the people depend very largely upon judicious counsel and firm leadership. Faithful to the trust confided to him and loyal to the best interests of the people. he makes every other consideration· sub- ordinate to duty and directs his conduct so as to retain the warm place he occupies in the esteem and confidence of his fellowmen. A Democrat of the Jeffersonian school and loyal to the principles of the same, he re- sorts to none of the wiles and practices of the professional partisan, conducting his can- vasses in an open, honorable manner that not only carries the strength of his own party, but wins a considerable following from the opposition. He served two terms as member of the local school board, elected
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both times by a Republican council, and while holding this important position he was untiring in his efforts to promote the city's educational interests and to him, as much perhaps as any other man, is due the high standard of excellence which the schools of Columbia City have attained. In 1906 Mr. Harrison was one of the most prominent candidates of his party for congress before the convention, but withdrew his name for personal reasons, when his nomination was almost assured. He has long been a power in political circles, his counsel being eagerly sought and his co-operation earnestly solic- ited in every campaign in which important principles are involved, his advice and in- fluence having much weight in selecting can- didates and formulating policies. At the breaking out of the Spanish-American war Mr. Harrison was one of the first men in Whitley county to tender his services to the government. In May, 1895, he organized Company G, Fourth Indiana Infantry, and May 15, 1898, was mustered into service as captain of Company G. One Hundred Six- tieth Indiana Volunteers, which command he accompanied to Cuba, where he shared with his comrades the fortunes and vicissitudes incident to active warfare under conditions by no means the most favorable. Returning home at the cessation of hostilities, he re- sumed the quiet pursuits of civil life, yet retained his interest in military affairs, re- organizing in 1899, Company G, in the In- diana National Guard, and holding at the present time the position of major in the Third Infantry. He is well versed in mil- itary science, keeps in close touch with the history and movements of the armies of the world and holds membership with the
United States Military Association and the Military Order of Foreign Wars. Mr. Har- rison is a Scottish Rite Mason, in addition to which he has been active in the various other branches of the fraternity to which he belongs. He is also a member of the Pythian order, the Modern Woodmen of America, the Knights of the Maccabees, in all of which he has attained standing, besides being honored with important official positions.
The domestic chapter in the life of Mr. Harrison dates from February 10, 1881, at which time he was united in marriage with Miss Jennie E. Stough, of Whitley county, whose birth occurred in Columbia City on October 28, 1860. Mrs. Harrison, who was the daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel George W. Stough and Eleanor M. Stough, bore her husband four children: George R., a student at the West Point Military Acad- emy. will graduate in 1907; Hazel E., at- tending college at Roanoke, Virginia : Ray P. and Ruth M., the last two pursuing their studies in the public schools of Columbia City.
Mrs. Harrison died June 7, 1905, and was buried at Columbia City in the Masonic cemetery. Mr. Harrison has been presiding officer of all the branches of Masonry ex- cept the Scottish Rite.
REV. ANTHONY M. ELLERING.
Pastor of St. Paul's church, Columbia City, was born in the province of Westphalia. Prussia. March 18, 1854, the first of a fam- ily of seven children born to Gerhard and Mary Ann ( Esseling) Ellering.
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Gerhard Ellering attended the parochial school of his native village of Epe until he attained the age of fifteen aand was then employed in farming. He was married in Epe, in 1852, by Father Bernard Lammers, and this union was blessed with seven chil- dren, who were named in order of birth as follows: Anthony M., Henry, Bernard, Catharina, George, Joseph and Clement, all living in Minnesota, with the exception of the Rev. Anthony M. and the sister who re- mains in the Fatherland. August 22, 1868. the family landed in New York city, whence they went directly to Meire's Grove, Stearns county, Minnesota, where the father pur- chased a farm, which he cultivated until his death in 1884, his wife having died the pre- vious year.
Anthony M. was primarily educated in a parochial school of his native village of Epe, Westphalia; then, after his first holy communion, he attended for two years a private Latin school, leaving at the age of fourteen to accompany the family to Amer- ica. From 1874 until 1878 he attended the university at Collegeville, Minn., from which he was graduated after finishing his classical studies. From 1878 until 1880 he attended Calvary College, Fond du Lac coun- ty, Wisconsin, from which he graduated in philosophy, and from 1880 until 1884 at- tended St. Francis Seminary at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he finished his theological course. He was then invested with minor orders-sub-deacon and deacon-in the seminary chapel by the late Most Rev. Arch- bishop Heiss, and was ordained priest at the Fort Wayne (Ind.) cathedral by the late Right Rev. Bishop Dwenger, June 11, 1884. He then returned to the home of his parents
in Minnesota, and said his first mass on St. John's day, June 24, 1884. He was ap- pointed assistant pastor at Michigan City, Indiana, the same year and later in charge of the missions at Warsaw, Pierceton and Bourbon, with his residence at Fort Wayne, and May 1, 1886, was appointed to the pas- torate of St. Paul's, Columbia City, still hav- ing charge of the Warsaw mission. Since he has had charge of St. Paul's parish he has erected a new school-house, made other improvements and paid debts all amount- ing to about $15,000.
Father Ellering takes deep interest in all movements for the general advancement of the community and in his association with the citizens has made many warm friends who may not always agree with him on the- ological questions but who recognize in him a genial, courteous gentleman whose every act makes for more exalted citizenship, purer morals and cleaner living.
HENRY McLALLEN.
Holding distinctive prestige among the representative business men of northern In- diana, and for a number of years an influ- ential force in moulding and directing the financial interests of Whitley county, Henry McLallen, president of the First National Bank of Columbia City, is entitled to specific mention as one of the notable men of his day and generation in the state honored by his citizenship. Although a native of New York and inheriting to a marked degree the sterling qualities of a long line of sturdy Scotch ancestors that early became identi-
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fied with the Empire state, he is in the tru- est sense of the term a western man, coming to Indiana in his childhood. from which time to the present his life has been very closely interwoven with the development and progress of his adopted commonwealth. The McLallen family history is traceable to a very early period in Scotland and in the mediaval annals of that country the name is identical with Mclellan, or "Clan Mac," which appears to have originated in Ayr- shire. the birthplace of the poet Burns, and which under the leadership of the Campbells achieved distinction for bravery during the long and troublous period in the Highlands where heads of various clans were arraigned against each other in bloody and almost con- tinuous struggle. The branch of the fam- ily to which the subject belongs traces its descent from one of two brothers who came to America from the city of Ayr early in the seventeenth century and settled in Con- necticut, with the history of which colony the name became closely associated. Later the leading representative of the family lo- cated at West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, from which place his descendants emigrated in about 1776, to East Menden. Monroe county, New York, and thence spread over various parts of the central western and southern states, in certain localities of which the name is still familiar and in the main distinguished for sterling integrity. perse- vering industry and business ability of a high order. That this numerous and hardy branch of the "Clan Mac" is by no means to be classed among the "race suicides" is attested by the fact that Henry McLallen. the subject's father, reared a family of twelve children, while his grandfather and
great-grandfather were the parents of thir- teen children each, thus literally carrying out the scriptural injunction "to multiply and replenish the earth." Following the course of empire westward, the scions of this old and highly esteemned family are now repre- sented in nearly every state and territory of the Union, and, as indicated above, they have ever pursued the straightforward course and added new luster to a reputation which from a remote period in the dim past has been synonymous with personal dar- ing, unimpeachable rectitude. courageous achievement and a high standard of moral excellence in various fields of endeavor. Henry McLallen, Sr., father of the subject. was born in Trumansburg, New York, on August 3, 1808, and there grew to maturity and began his business career shortly after attaining his majority. He was married in his native place, August 31, 1831, to Miss Frances Lyman, of Northfield, Massachu- setts, a descendant of one of the English families of the old Bay state and a lady of many estimable traits of character, not a few of which have been reproduced in the lives of her numerous descendants. Mr. Mc- Lallen met with reasonable success in his business enterprise until the great panic of 1843 when, in common with so many in every line of trade, he encountered serious financial embarrassment by reason of his in- ability to collect from his debtors, the ma- jority of whom, like himself, went down in the general catastrophe. With no hope of re-establishing himself without waiting a long period of years and being attracted by the advantages of the great west, which had been given wide publicity. he finally decided to cut loose from his moorings and try his
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fortune in this country of alluring promise and boundless opportunity. All who are fa- miliar with the history and development of the western states will easily recall the won- derful impetus given emigration to Ohio, Michigan and Indiana by the construction of various great avenues of travel, notably the National road, the Ohio canal and the Wabash and Erie canal, which to a greater extent perhaps than any other means of com- munication contributed to the settlement and improvement of those states and .to the proud positions they subsequently assumed among their sister commonwealths of the Union, while in process of building, however these and other schemes for the internal im- provement of the country were greatly hin- dered and some of them effectually checked by the revulsion resulting from the over- throw of the National Bank by President Jackson, and the stringency in financial cir- cles which followed caused widespread em- barrassment and ruin to the business inter- ests of the people in general. It was under the inspiration of high expectations as to the rapid development of the west that Mr. McLallen, with many others, came to In- diana in 1844, and, accompanied by his brother, DeWitt McLallen, and Harper Mack, he settled in the spring of that year in Richland township, Whitley county, where he cleared about an acre of ground and erected a log cabin for the reception of his family, by whom he was joined in this home the following September. Mr. Mc- Lallen located on section 3, adjoining the village of Larwill, and at once addressed himself to the formidable task of removing the dense forest growth and reducing the soil to cultivation, a kind of labor for which
he was by no means fitted, being of slight physique, while his previous experience had been almost entirely in the line of sedentary occupation. With the courage and self-sac- rifice worthy of a martyr, however, he at- tacked the huge forest monarchs, which one by one fell before the blows of his deftly wielded ax. and by long and tremendous exertion, which continued through a num- ber of years, his efforts were finally crowned with well merited success and he enjoyed the satisfaction of seeing his family well sheltered in a comfortable home and amply provided for from the productions of the farm, which he, practically unaided, carved from the primitive wilderness. Unlike the majority of pioneers, Mr. McLallen was a man of refined tastes and scholarly attain- ments, a great reader of the world's best lit- erature, but his experience as a woodsman and frontier farmer in an isolated commu- nity, far removed from the influences of cul- tured society, proved sadly detrimental to intellectual effort and made his situation somewhat difficult to endure. Courageous and cheerful, however, he and his family res- olutely encountered the many difficulties by which they were beset : with an abiding faith in their ability to overcome an unfavorable environment they faced the future with hope and by keeping the fire of domestic happi- ness brightly burning, established a home which, as years came and went with their accompaniments of sickness and other dis- couragements, never lost its ideal charac- ter nor parted with those charms which in many respects made it a model of its kind and the center from which radiated so many refined and elevating influences. Possessing the happy faculty of adapting himself to his
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surroundings, Mr. McLallen was not long in winning many warm friends and but for his retiring disposition and distaste for pub- licity he might easily have had any official position within the gift of the people of the county. He lived where he originally set- tled until 1858, when he disposed of the homestead and from that time to his death, on October 30, 1875, spent his days quietly among his children, finding his chief delight in his garden and orchard, to which he had always been devoted, and among the books with which his library was plentifully stored. He was a man of fine mind, large sympathies, and he stamped the impress of his individuality upon the community which he assisted to establish and in which for so many years he exercised a strong influence for all that made for the social advancement and moral good of his fellow citizens.
Henry McLallen, Jr., like his father, hails from the state of New York and dates his birth from August 2, 1841, having first seen the light of day in the town of Trumans- burg, where the family had long resided. When three years old he was brought to Indiana by his parents, since which time his life has been closely identified with the material progress of Whitley county, and the welfare of its populace, and it may with propriety be said that for nearly a half cen- tury the story of his career and the history of the city in which he resides have been
in due time a widely read and deeply in- formed young man, not only in general lit- erature, but his acquaintance with the lead- ing public questions and political issues of the day, as well as with other lines of thought no less important, was also varied and profound. Having decided upon a busi- ness career as best suited to his tastes and inclinations, Mr. McLallen began preparing for the same by entering the Eastman Busi- ness College, at Indianapolis, Indiana, where he prosecuted his studies until completing the prescribed course, following which he became an employe of the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad, spending the interval between 1860 and 1870 in the line of service at the town of Larwill. In the latter year he was elected treasurer of Whit- ley county and so faithfully and efficiently did he discharge his duties as custodian of one of the people's most important trusts. that at the expiration of his term he was tri- umphantly re-elected, holding the office for a period of four years, during which time he earned an honorable reputation as a capable. painstaking and courteous public servant. In 1874 Mr. McLallen turned his attention to the business with which he has since been identified and in which his name has become widely and favorably known in financial circles, not only in his own county, but throughout the entire state of Indiana and elsewhere. In that year he became a Company, in the organization of the Farm- ers' Bank of Columbia City, one of the most substantial and popular institutions of the kind in northern Indiana, as its history and success abundantly attest. After doing business under the original name until 1904.
pretty much one and the same thing. Dur- ' member of the firm of E. L. McLallen & ing the years of his childhood and youth he attended the schools of the neighborhood. later received a thorough mental training under the direction of private instructors and by gratifying a strong natural desire for the acquisition of knowledge, he became
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it was changed to that of the First National Bank of Columbia City and as such it has continued to grow in public favor, being ably managed by men of large financial ex- perience, whose conservative, though pro- gressive methods have inspired confidence and gained a wide and liberal patron- age second in volume to that of no other banking firm in this part of the state.
The domestic chapter in the history of Mr. McLallen's life dates from 1864. on June 7th of which year he was united in marriage with Miss Lavinia Catherine Clug- ston, a native of New Castle, Delaware, who bore him four children : Elisha L., Walter F., Henry Dewitt and Marshall C., the last named deceased, the three living sons being identified with their father in the banking business and holding important official po- sitions in the same. The mother of these children departed this life on April 14. 1880. and subsequently, December 29. 1883, Mr. McLallen was married a second time, choos- ing for his wife and helpmeet Miss Cather- ine Dee, of Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. McLal- len, was initiated into the mysteries of the Masonic fraternity in 1863 at Larwill, this county, joining Guard Lodge No. 278. though in 1872 he brought his membership to Columbia City Lodge No. 189. and since that time has been an esteemed member of the order, manifesting an abiding interest in its prosperity and exemplifying by his daily life the beautiful and sublime principles upon which the brotherhood is founded. He is also a member of Chapter No. 54, Royal Arch Masons; Council No. 55. Royal and Select Masons, and Cyrene Commandery No. 34. Knights Templar. In religion the Lutheran church holds his creed, neverthe-
less he is by no means narrow in his theo- logical views, but possesses a broad, liberal spirit that perceives good in all churches and recognizes in every person, however lowly, a divine origin and an immortal des- tiny. For a number of years himself and family have belonged to Grace church of Columbia City, to the material support of which he has been a liberal contributor, be- sides being chosen to official position by the congregation from time to time, holding at this time the office of trustee. He is not only deeply interested in church and gen- eral religious work, but all lines of laudable endeavor, social, charitable, moral and edu- cational receive his cordial co-operation and support. Mr. McLallen is public-spirited in all the term implies and for many years has used his influence and efforts to the up- building of his city and county and to the advertising of their advantages abroad. Naturally a leader of men and to no small degree a moulder of opinion, he is perhaps as widely known as any man in northern In- diana, and in Whitley county no other pub- lic character has impressed his personality so strongly upon the minds and hearts of his fellow citizens. As a financier and busi- ness man he ranks among the foremost in the state and as an executive head of the institution, which has been such a powerful agency in promoting the business interests of both city and country, he discharges his duties and responsibilities with an industry and ability such as few of his compeers have attained. The universal love, admiration and esteem in which Mr. McLallen is held by the people of the community and wher- ever he is known, evince their high appre- ciation of the public and private worth and
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excellence of his character. and when his work has been accomplished and his mission ended this will doubtless prove the most en- during monument by which his name and virtues are to be perpetuated.
JESSE A. GLASSLEY.
Prominent in the public affairs of Whit- ley county and enjoying distinction in busi- ness circles. Jesse A. Glassley stands out a conspicuous figure among the successful self- made men in the county and state, honored by his citizenship. Characterized by a strong individuality, his career represents the re- sult of fit utilization of innate talent in di- recting effort. He has been actively identi- fied with this part of Indiana all his life, contributing to its material progress and prosperity, at the same time lending his in- fluence and means to the generous support of all enterprises having for their object the social and moral advancement of his city and county and the general welfare of the public. His is the record of an honorable and essentially busy and useful life, con- sistent with itself and its possibilities and abounding in much to encourage the youth whose destiny is still a matter of the future.
The Glassley family came to this country either from Ireland or Scotland and settled in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. John Glassley, grandfather of Jesse, was about six years old when brought to the new world. He grew to manhood. married, and spent the residue of his days in Pennsylvania, dying on the family homestead at the ripe age of eighty-four, his wife, Elizabeth, reaching the
same age. John Glassley, Jr .. is the eldest of a family of eight children, and was born in 1830, in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. He early learned the weaver's trade, which he followed in Pennsylvania until 1862. when he came to Indiana and clerked in a store in South Whitley. After about seven years he returned to Pennsylvania and be- came foreman in a large weaving factory in the city of Lancaster, but three years later resigned and came back to South Whitley and, erecting a shop, became a manufacturer of coverlids, counterpanes and carpets. In connection with his factory he also opened a grocery, to which he later devoted his entire attention, turning his other business over to his eldest son, who was also a practical weaver and under whose management the establishment became quite important. Mr. Glassley purchased property which, increas- ing in value with the growth of the town, in due time made him independent. Since 1903 he has been living in retirement at the old home in South Whitley, having reached the age of seventy-six years. He was trus- tee of Cleveland township for over five years, represented his ward in the city coun- cil from time to time and in various other capacities proved himself a capable official and public-spirited man. Fraternally he is identified with the brotherhood of Odd Fel- lows, religiously subscribes to the Methodist creed and for many years has been a zealous supporter of the Republican party. Mrs. Glassley, at the age of sixty-eight, is one of the higlily esteemed and popular old ladies of the community. The children born to John and Sarah ( Winters ) Glassley are : William W .. assistant postmaster of South Whitley: Elias, deceased : David, deceased : Jesse A. :
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