History of Whitley County, Indiana, Part 67

Author: Kaler, Samuel P. 1n; Maring, R. H. (Richard H.), 1859-, jt. auth
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: [Indianapolis, Ind.] : B. F. Bowen & Co.
Number of Pages: 940

USA > Indiana > Whitley County > History of Whitley County, Indiana > Part 67

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Indiana, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Our subject was the father of two children, Mabel M. and Russell F., both of whom are attending school. During twelve years of his early manhood he was an engineer and piledriver on the railroad. He also has the distinction of running the first traction engine in Ohio, some twenty- six years ago, and the first traction engine in Indiana as well. He now owns the old home farm, on which his father settled in 1845, consisting of one hundred and forty acres, nearly all of which is under a high state of cultivation. The farm is well fenced, thoroughly drained and stocked with Duroc hogs crossed with Poland China, fine graded cattle and fifty elegant Shropshire sheep. The elegant bank barn, forty by eighty feet, stands as a monument to his energy, fru- gality and good judgment.

He has never held office, but favors the principles of the Republican party. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge, No. 116, Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Pres- byterian church has the benefit of the fam- ily membership and financial support. In all his labors and success he gives full credit to his wife, whose counsel and advice, he claims, governs his final determination and action.

JAMES COMPTON ..

James Compton was born in New Jer- sey in 1815 and when a boy he moved to Muskingum county, Ohio. In 1842 he re- moved to Richland township. Whitley county, Indiana. After eight years he re- moved to Columbia township, where he died February 16, 1866.

He was married to Orpha Mossman, who died April 15, 1850. They had five children, two of whom survive. Mr. Comp- ton afterward married Mrs. C. M. Ormsby (nee) Hamilton, who since has died, and to this union three children were born, now all dead.

Nearly all the mature years of his life Mr. Compton lived a consistent Christian. At the time of his death he was a member of the Church of God, at the place now known as Oak Grove Bethel, in which he held the office of elder for a number of years. In politics he was a stanch Republican and a firm advocate of the abolition of slavery. The northern states had no man that was more loyal to his country during the rebel- lion. His health would not permit him to enter the service, but to the young men who went to the front from his neighborhood, on bidding them goodbye he would say, "If you are unfortunate and return crippled, while I live you have a home."

By hard work, keen foresight and fru- gality he was enabled to amass a comfort- able fortune, he having at his death about eight hundred acres of valuable land, well improved and stocked.

He died thirty years ago, but on account of his integrity, sterling worth, kindness and Christian benevolence, he yet lives in the memory of those with whom he lived.

SYLVESTER WILKINSON.

Coming from the east at an early day, Thomas Wilkinson located in Shelby county. Ohio, where his life was passed as a prac- tical farmer. Among his children was Elias

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C. Wilkinson, who married Lavina De- Weese, who bore him two sons, John and Sylvester, the former a resident of Pierce- ton, Indiana. Elias died shortly after the birth of Sylvester and his widow married Barton Marrs, with whom she came to In- diana about 1857. By their union there were three children : Leonidas, a resident of Muncie : Barton, deceased, and Thurza, who lives at Mishawaka. The second husband dying, Mrs. Marrs contracted a third mar- riage with Walter Laidlow. but both died within a few years thereafter.

Sylvester Wilkinson was born October 27, 1850, in Shelby county, Ohio, and was seven years old when the family removed to Whitley county. By casual attendance at such schools as existed he learned the rudi- ments of "readin', ritin', and rithmetic." Scanty v as it was. this knowledge proved a valuable basis for a more extended later education. He remained with his mother and stepfather until his majority, meantime devoting him- self exclusively to farm work. In 1871 his grandfather, Thomas Wilkinson, gave him eighty acres of woodland in Etna township. the improvements consisting simply of a pole cabin and a path to reach it. Young Wilkinson, however, took hold resolutely and after many weary weeks and months of hard work succeeded in converting this wild inheritance into a tolerably respectable farm. He purchased twenty additional acres and now owns a well improved and productive farm, well cleared, well tilled and well stocked. He has erected a thirteen- room, up-to-date residence, a large barn and all the necessary outbuildings. Besides the cereal crops and other features of general farming, Mr. Wilkinson has for some years

paid considerable attention to the breeding of fine cattle, his specialty being the Dur- hams.

In 1871 he was married to Amanda, daughter of Levi and Rebecca Belch, early settlers in Troy township. By this union there were three children: Edwin S., who married Emma Pearl Buck, has two chil- dren and lives in Noble county ; Nettie, wife of Marion Rider, of Etna township; Amelia. wife of Theodore Clingman, a resident of Noble county. Mr. Wilkinson lost his com- panion in 1879 and August 3, 1883, occurred his marriage to Caroline, daughter of John and Mary Hindbaugh, pioneers of Noble county, now deceased. The eight children resulting from this second union are Merrel, Alvernis, Arbie, Ernest, Mary, Otho, Jo- seph and William. The parents are mem- bers of the Church of God at Wilmot, No- ble county, and in politics Mr. Wilkinson affiliates with the Prohibition party, as he has always been much opposed to the traffic that steals away men's brains and makes beasts of that which was made in God's own image.

WASHINGTON LONG.

Prominent among the successful farm- ers and stock raisers of Whitley county is Washington Long, who was born February 22, 1846, on the farm in Washington town- ship. which he now owns and on which his entire life thus far has been spent. He is the seventh of the eight children of Reuben and Elizabeth (Olinger) Long, received his education in the country schools and assist- ed his father on the farm until the latter's death, since which time he has been engaged

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in agricultural pursuits on his own responsi- bility, meeting with encouraging success the meanwhile. The farm which Mr. Long owns consists of one hundred and sixty acres of fertile land, all but forty in culti- vation and well improved with excellent buildings, good fences and ample drainage, being one of the finest and most productive farms, not only in Washington township, but in the county of Whitley as well. In addi- tion to agriculture Mr. Long is extensively engaged in the raising of live stock, feeding nearly all the products of the farm to his cattle and hogs, which he disposes of in large numbers. He makes a specialty of Shorthorn cattle and Chester White hogs, in the raising of which he has earned a wide reputation, and his efforts in the matter of fine stock have induced many of his neigh- bors to imitate his example and improve their breeds of domestic animals.

Mr. Long is a Democrat in politics and has filled various local offices. He is a mem- ber of the United Brethren church, but pos- sesses a liberal and broad spirit, which en- ables him to perceive good in all religious bodies, and to the extent of his ability he encourages the different denominations by his financial support.

Mr. Long was married in 1871 to Miss Mary J. Baker, who departed this life in 1880, and later he chose a second wife in the person of Mrs. Albina Heath, widow of the late Franklin Heath and a daughter of Mathew and Eliza Gleason, natives of New York but for many years residents of Van Wert county, Ohio, where their respective deathis occurred. Mr. Long is the father of five children : Franklin, deceased; Calvin, who married Lizzie Huffman and is engaged in farming in Cleveland township; and Ann,

wife of Kellis Hoard, a farmer residing in the township of Washington. Two died in in fancy.

The subject's parents, Reuben Long and Elizabeth Olinger, were natives of Virginia and Pennsylvania respectively, the former born in 1801, the latter in 1803. They were married in Ohio, to which state the fatlier was taken when a child, and after residing there until 1835 came to Whitley county, Indiana, settling in Washington township on the place which is still in possession of their son Washington, being among the very first pioneers in this part of the state. The Indians were still roaming the country when the family arrived. All kinds of wild game were plentiful and easily procured and it is needless to state that the elder Long experi- enced in full measure all the vicissitudes and hardships which fell to the lot of those w 0 paved the way of civilization to the fert'le lands and dense forests of northern Indiana. He cleared a good farm, lived a useful life and died in 1861 lamented by all who knew him, his wife surviving him ten years, de- parting this life in 1870. They were die parents of eight children: Jacob, Eliza, Catherine, Lizzie A., Sarah, Lewis, Wash- ington and Elijah. The subject of this sketch is the only surviving member of this large family.

DAVID B. CLUGSON.

The Clugston family boasts no royal nor ancient lineage. They go back in written rec- ord only to the year preceding the Declara- tion of Independence to a sturdy Scotch- Irish Presbyterian who made his declaration of independence when he left Ireland and

N.B. Glugston

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settled in America. So far as known none ever achieved any great distinction nor at- tained great wealth and on the other hand so far as known all have lived sober, indus- trious lives and have been honest and God- fearing men and women. The first member of the family in America bore the name of James, who was born in Scotland. His wife was born in Ireland and they came from the north of Ireland and settled in Hunter- don county, New Jersey, in 1775.

The subject of this sketch is a great- grandson of this new Adam, being the son of Asher, who was the son of James the second, who was the son of James the first. On his mother's side he was of good old Dutch stock, the Rittenhouse family tracing its way back through the earliest settlers of Germantown, Pennsylvania, to the burghers of Holland. David Benjamin Clugston is the oldest of seven children and was born March 7, 1832, on a farm near Flemington, Hunt- erdon county, New Jersey. When two years of age his parents moved to Delaware and settled on a farm near New Castle. He at- tended the country schools until thirteen years of age, spent a few years as clerk and subsequently returned to the farm and remained there until the spring of 1857, when he was caught up by the tide of emi- gration then sweeping westward, and land- ed at Huntsville, now Larwill, Indiana, on Easter Sunday. His visit was one of inves- tigation and extended as far as Minnesota. He must have been impressed with the out- look, for he returned to Delaware and made a sale of his stock and farming tools and in December of the same year came again to Huntsville and began working in a sawmill.

On May 20, 1858, he married Margaret 35

Ann McLallen, and shortly thereafter formed a partnership with E. L. McLallen, under the firm name of McLallen & Clug- ston, and purchased the general store then owned by Henry McLallen, Sr., and em- barked in business. In 1873 Mr. McLallen retired from the firm to enter the banking business at Columbia City and Asher R. Clugston purchased an interest, and the firm name became D. B. Clugston & Brother. They continued business under this title until 1877, when Thomas Stradley became a part- ner. In 1878 the firm as it then existed and John Adams opened a branch store. under the name of Clugston, Adams & Company, in the old frame building on the southwest cor- ner of VanBuren and Chauncey streets in Columbia City, and Asher R. Clugston moved to Columbia City and assumed charge. In 1883 David B. and Asher R. Clugston be- came sole owners of the Columbia City store and David B. of the original establishment at Larwill. In the meantime he also or- ganized the firm of Clugston, Collins & Company, at South Whitley, which later be- came Clugston, Miller & Company. In 1891 the business at Larwill passed into the hands of D. B. Clugston, Jr., who conducted thie business at the same location for thirty years. Mr. Clugston shortly thereafter re- moved to Columbia City and has since been identified with several manufacturing and financial interests, but has practically retired from all active business connections and spends his declining years in looking after his financial interests and managing his farms. Mr. Clugston is president of the Provident Trust Company and vice president of the Harper Buggy Company and senior member of the dry goods firm of Clugston

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Brothers & Company. Mr. and Mrs. Clug- of courage, patience and endurance neces- ston are the parents of six children, all but one of whom survive, and all are residents of the county: Mrs. George F. Miller, P. H. Clugston, D. B. Clugston, Jr., Mrs. Glen A. Mason, Hubert B. Clugston and Mrs. Mary E. Roberts. Mr. Clugston has always been identified with the Democratic party, but has never been either an office seeker or an office holder. He united with the Ma- sonic order in early manhood and advanced from rank to rank until he has reached the thirty-second degree. He is a member of the Baptist church and is active in the work. His success of life has been due not to any stroke of fortune, nor to any special genius, but to the fact that he has always done busi- ness on strict business principles. Un- wearied industry and an infinite patience for details have been his rule. He has not limited his enterprise to one direction and some of the best buildings in Columbia City stand as monuments to his public spirit.

THOMAS T. PENTECOST.

When Union county was a veritable wil- derness, with scarcely a score of settlers within its limits, a young man came in from the east who went by the name of James Pentecost. He had little capital besides his sturdy frame and willingness to work, but he "pitched in," as the pioneers used to say, and proved a valuable accession to the in- creasing band who were trying to wrest a living from the inhospitable solitudes. Be- fore coming, young Pentecost had married Nancy De Bolt, who had all those qualities

sary to fit a woman to be the wife of a pio- neer. They "lay to" with a will and not only managed to live, which was a good deal in those days, but provided for their family after the rough manner of the times and ac- cumulated a little property before their deaths, which occurred many years ago, both reaching advanced years. Among their children was John, who married Mary J. McComas, also a native of Union county, and who died in 1858. He then married Eliza Gard and in 1860 removed with his family to Whitley county, where he lived on a farm in Etna township, later removing to Troy township, where he died in 1893. By his first marriage he had four children, only two reaching maturity, William H., who died in Troy township September 16, 1906, and Thomas T. By his second mar- riage he had three children: Philip, a resi- dent of Alexandria, Indiana ; Emma Jane, now Mrs. Alfred Funk, of Montana, and Lorenzo, a life insurance agent at Elwood.

Thomas T. Pentecost was born in Union county, June 17, 1851, and was seven years old when deprived of his mother by death. He grew up on the farm and has spent his entire life in agricultural pursuits. In 1901 he purchased the farm of eighty acres in Etna township, two and one-half miles west of Etna, on which he now resides, but he also owns another farm of equal area in an- other part of the township, one-half mile distant, which makes his entire holdings one hundred and sixty acres. His home place is regarded as one of the best improved and most productive farms in the county. This farm was formerly the Blain estate and later known as the Jim Miller farm. He resides

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in a large brick house, which is modernly constructed and possessed of all the conve- niences for comfortable living and every- thing about the place is in keeping with the needs of a progressive farmer. He rents out a portion of his land and devotes the rest to general farming, which he thoroughly un- derstands as the result of long experience, and has made the business profitable. March 26. 1874, Mr. Pentecost married Caroline, daughter of Benjamin and Annie (Ramer) Boyer, botlı natives of Berks county, Penn- sylvania. In 1849 they came to Whitley county and settled on a farm in Etna town- ship, where they spent the remainder of their lives, he dying September 19, 1900, having survived his wife eleven years. They were members of the Lutheran church and had seven children : George, deceased ; Lavina: Jacob, deceased : Isabella, deceased; Saralı and Benjamin, deceased, and Caroline, now Mrs. Pentecost. Mr. and Mrs. Pentecost have had two children, Bertie and Lawrence Leroy, both of whom died in infancy. At a later period they adopted Maud B. Pente- cost, taken as an infant at her mother's death, daughter of his brother, W. H., who is now the wife of Clyde O. Miller, of Etna township. Mr. and Mrs. Pentecost are members of the Christian church and 110 family in the neihgborhood is more highly esteemed.

WILLIAM SNODGRASS.

"Times were hard and money was scarce" in northern Indiana, as set forth in the above quotation from a song of that day. when the settlers were pouring into the

counties of Elkhart, Kosciusko and Noble during the thirties and forties. It was not a pleasant prospect, therefore, that greeted John Snodgrass and his wife, formerly Ann Cowan, when they left their Ohio home to travel to Indiana in 1834. They first de- cided on Elkhart county as a home, but after trying to "catch on" there and later in Kos- ciusko county, they eventually found satis- factory anchorage in the county of Whitley. It was in 1837 that they reached Troy town- ship, where a tract of wild land was pur- chased and the hard work of improving it entered upon under all the discouragements that ever beset the first settlers. John Snod- grass was a man of unusual energy and much perseverance, of excellent judgment and a good manager, so the little farm be- came in due time a good home for himself and his growing family. Evidence of his popularity, as well as his business ability, is found in the fact that he served as trustee of the township and was called, by the vote of the people, to fill the important office of county commissioner. His father and name- sake was a Kentuckian, who emigrated to Ohio in early manhood and farmed there until his death, and the son probably inher- ited his politics from him, as during his whole life he was an ardent Democrat. He lost his wife by death in 1860, but survived her many years and answered the final sum- mons himself on his old homestead in 1888. They had nine children : Samuel, deceased : Thomas, who died at Little Rock while a soldier ; Jane, widow of Wilson Gray, now a resident of Pierceton. Indiana: John. who died at Indianapolis after enlistment: Wil- liam: Joseph, who was a soldier and now lives at Garrett : Mary Ann, wife of Samuel

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White, of Troy township, she owning part of the old homestead ; James M., a resident of Kosciusko county; and Wilson C., who died at about the age of thirty.

William Snodgrass, fifth of the family. was born in Troy township, on the old farm. September 1, 1844. He remained at the pa- rental home until of age and afterward did work of various kinds, mostly on farms, un- til 1875, when he purchased a farm of eighty acres in Etna township, on which he has since resided and which was then but the beginning of a farm. He has improved it in many ways and now has a very val- uable piece of property, as well as a comfortable home, which is equipped with modern buildings and all the conve- niences. November 21, 1869, he was mar- ried to Frances, daughter of Ami L. and Sa- mantha (Palmer) Trumbull, who lived in what is now Etna township, but which at the time of Mrs. Snodgrass' birth, August 31, 1848, was a part of Washington town- ship, Noble county. Mr. and Mrs. Snod- 61-Bowen Regular

grass had six children : Milo, the eldest, married Nancy Boyer, by whom he had three children, Arba, Merl and Orvill C., de- ceased; he was married a second time to Laura Helfrich and lives on a farm in Etna township; Lottie Violet, wife of Willis El- len Earnhart, lives on a farm in Noble coun- ty; Raymond, married Maud Long and farms in Troy township,and with his brother Milo owns part of the old Snodgrass home- stead; Samantha Ann, wife of Earl Wise. of Etna township, has one child, Wilma ; De- lia and Minnie remain at home. Mr. Snod- grass is a Democrat in politics, though not an aspirant for office, and his wife is a mem- ber of the Baptist church.

I. L. MERRIMAN.

This thriving farmer and progressive citi- zen is a native of the state in which he re- sides and by a life of honor and usefulness. reflects credit upon the community where he was born and reared. His father. James E. Merriman, a native of Wayne county, Ohio. moved to Whitley county, Indiana, in 1852 and settled in Washington township, where he purchased land, cleared a farm and in due time became one of the substantial citizens of the neighborhood in which he was first to locate. Like many early comers to northern Indiana, he was a man of sound judgment and intelligence, a zealous politician and for many years enjoyed prestige as a leader of the local democracy of his township, having been prominent in the councils of his party and an influential factor in the winning of not a few victories at the polls. The maiden name of Mrs. Merriman was Susan Ingram. a native of County Antrim, Ireland. Their children, four in number, were Emarilla S .. wife of James F. Johnston: I. L .: Jennie. now Mrs. John Wilson ; and Manuela, de- ceased. The subject's paternal grandfather was Elisha Merriman. He accompanied his son James to this county and lived with the latter until his death, which occurred a num- ber of years ago.

I. L. Merriman was born December 27. 1858, in Washington township, grew to manhood on the family homestead and en- joyed the advantages of the common schools. In early life he became a farmer and to this honorable vocation his time and energies have been since devoted with the result that he is now one of the large owners of land in Washington township and a representa- tive agriculturist of the most advanced type ..

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His farm, containing two hundred and four acres of fertile and valuable land, is highly improved and in a successful state of culti- vation. One hundred and sixty acres are tillable and its productiveness has been greatly enhanced by much tile drainage. Mr. Merriman has not been sparing of his means in the erection of buildings, having a beautiful and commodious residence, well supplied with all modern conveniences, a large barn and outbuildings, all substantially constructed and in excellent repair.

Miss Ollie Howenstine, who became the wife of Mr. Merriman in 1887, is the daughter of William and Lydia (Kimmell) Howenstine, who came from Ohio to Whit- ley county in an early day and settled in the township of Jefferson, where their respective deaths occurred. To Mr. and Mrs. Merri- man three children have been born : Hugh. Solon and Errett, all living and to their best ability endeavoring to realize the hopes, which the parents indulge, for their future welfare. Mr. Merriman is a member of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to the lodge in Columbia City. He is also identi- fied with the Modern Woodmen at the same place and for a number of years has been an influential worker in the grange, having been honored with important official posi- tions in these orders. In religion he sub- scribes to the plain simple teachings of the Bible as presented by the Christian church and in politics has been a lifelong Democrat, and to no small extent a leader of his party in the township of his residence.

In business affairs Mr. Merriman has achieved success that has been well merited, being in independent circumstances finan- cially and amply provided for a comfortable

and happy old age. He is in the true sense of the term a self-made man and the archi- tect of his own fortune, and too much credit cannot be awarded him for the indomitable courage and strict moral rectitude which have characterized his career from the be- ginning to the present time. He is a man of sterling worth and high social standing, has always had well designed purposes in life and "standing four-square to every wind that blows" enjoys the confidence of the community and by a course of conduct above reproach demonstrates to the world that the universal esteem in which he is held has been fairly and honorably earned.

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History of Whitley County, Indiana, Part 67

Author: Kaler, Samuel P. 1n; Maring, R. H. (Richard H.), 1859-, jt. auth Publication date: 1907 Publisher: [Indianapolis, Ind.] : B. F. Bowen & Co. Number of Pages: 940

Author: Kaler, Samuel P. 1n; Maring, R. H. (Richard H.), 1859-, jt. auth
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: [Indianapolis, Ind.] : B. F. Bowen & Co.
Number of Pages: 940