USA > Indiana > Whitley County > History of Whitley County, Indiana > Part 88
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106
Franklin Shilts was a lad of fifteen years when he removed with his parents to Indi- ana. He received his education in the Ger- man schools of Pennsylvania and his life was passed with his parents. In 1862 he mar- ried Catherine, daughter of Sebastian Mun- ger, who died May 8, 1901, after thirty-nine years' companionship. To this union were born ten children : John H., of whom a sep- arate mention is made in this volume ; Mary Ann, who is her father's housekeeper : Frank, a farmer of Thorncreek township: Joseph, who operates the home farm; Rosa, who died in young womanhood; Charles, a superin- tendent for the National Concrete Company,
of Cleveland; Edward B., a local gardener and celery grower; Anna, died at fifteen; Jerome, who died an infant, and Clara, at home. No people of the county stand high- er in the estimation of their neighbors than do the members of this family. Mr. Shilts is public spirited in all the term implies and gives support to every enterprise and pro- gressive measure for the material advance- ment of the people. He has served efficiently as trustee of Thorncreek township and in politics is a Democrat. Mr. Shilts has been diligent, ever placing duty before pleasure and stands a fine representative of the indus- trious and progressive citizen. Reared in the mother church, Mr. Shilts has ever re- tained active membership, his family being among the substantial ones of St. Paul's. He is one of three remaining of those who were the builders of the present church edifice. The Shilts' home, built in 1853 by William Roley, is one of the oldest frame residences of the county and is in excellent state of preservation.
WILLIAM MARSH BOWER.
The late William M. Bower, who passed from earth December 8, 1899, was born in Pennsylvania. September 20, 1847. His parents were George and Margaret (Ala- baugh) Bower, also natives of the Keystone state. In 1851 they came from Perry coun- ty, Ohio, settling on the farm in Thorncreek township, four miles north of Columbia City. Their efforts thenceforth were devoted to the making of a farin from the two hundred acres of wooded land, he dying in 1889, fol-
710
WHITLEY COUNTY, INDIANA.
lowed by his companion four years later. Their ten children were William, Jacob, Sa- mantha. Anna, David, Charles, Alice, Sam- uel, Elmer and an infant.
William's life from the age of four was passed in Thorncreek township and he ac- quired the homestead after his mother's death. This is a fine tract of land, well im- proved, with open and tile drainage, first- class house and other buildings and in all respects a country home of which any family might well be proud.
At the age of twenty-six, William M. was married to Emma E. Hart, daughter of Jacob and Mary (Hannah) Hart, and who was born in DeKalb county, Indiana, 01 which her parents were pioneers, she being one of sixteen children. Of six children born to Mr. Bower and wife three. George, Samuel and Hazel, died in childhood, the survivors being Nellie, a professional nurse ; Boss and Zula, wife of Every J. Sulli- van, who operates the farm. Mr. Bower was a Republican, though never an aspirant for political preferment.
JAMES M. SMITH.
This enterprising farmer and stock raiser enjoys prestige among the men of his calling in Washington township and is widely and favorably known throughout the county. Mr. Smith is a native of Whitley county and a creditable representative of one of its old and eminently respectable families. His grand- father, Moses Smith, was born in Pennsyl- vania, but early moved to Wayne county. Ohio, where his death occurred a number of
years ago. Elias Smith, his son, was born: in Ohio in 1825, grew to manhood in Wayne county and in 1848 moved to Whit- ley county, Indiana, settling in Washington township, where he engaged in farming and became a man of no small influence in the community. His wife, Nancy Merriman, also a native of Wayne county, Ohio, bore- him eight children, their names being as fol- lows: Francis M .; Mary, the wife of Stephen Haley : James M .; Bazzle C .; Elisha T .: William A .; Mrs. Harriet Raber and Sherman. all living and doing well in their respective places of residence. The father of these children departed this life in 1878, the mother in 1906.
James M. Smith was born October 5. 1852. in Washington township, received his early training on the home farm and ob- tained a common school education which, supplemented by reading and intelligent ob- servation, made him in due time one of the well informed men of his community. On attaining his majority Mr. Smith turned his attention to agriculture, which vocation he still continues, now owning three hundred and forty acres of fine land in the township of Washington, of which two hundred and fifty have been reduced to culivation and im- proved with splendid buildings, good fences and a successful system of tile drainage, the farm being exceeded by no other in his part of the county in all that constitutes a beauti- ful and attractive home and a reliable source of revenue. He is a breeder and raiser of live stock, his cattle and hogs being of good breeds.
In 1880 Mr. Smith married Sabina E., daughter of Adam and Lucinda (Hanes) Lehman, the parents coming to this county
7II
WHITLEY COUNTY, INDIANA.
from Ohio in the fifties and settling in Wash- ington township, where the father bought land and became a successful tiller of the soil. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have had nine children : Roley, Myrtle, May, Bazzle, Claud, Russell, Harley, Rasho and Darl. Mr. Smith is a Democrat and, with his wife, holds membership in the Baptist church.' He is en- ergetic and progressive and no man in the county enjoys a higher degree of respect or has shown himself more worthy of the es- teem in which he is held.
HENRY HUFFMAN.
.
Henry and Margaret (Shonk) Huffman were natives of Lancaster county, Pennsyl- vania, where the father was born in 1822. About 1841 he moved his family to Ohio, where he made his home for a period of eight years and then came to Whitley county, where he intended to make his permanent home, but the year following he was acci- dentally killed while digging a well. His family consisted of three children : Elizabeth, first married a Mr. Lesley, and after his death became the wife of George Richard ; Henry and Fannie, who married Thomas Emery, of this county, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in these pages.
Henry Huffman, the only son, was born September 10, 1840, in Darke county, Ohio, and at the age of nine years was brought by his parents to Indiana, since which time he has lived in the county of Whitley and taken an active part in the development of its re- sources. His academic education was con- fined to the public schools and his adult life
has been devoted to agricultural pursuits. He had no assistance when he started out to make his own way, but by energy, persever- ing industry and the exercise of sound judg- ment, he finally succeeded in getting a start, since which time his progress has been steady and substantial and he now occupies a con- spicuous place among the successful agri- culturists and representative citizens of Washington township, where he has long re- sided.
Mr. Huffman's farm of one hundred and fifty-six acres is highly improved, one hun- dred and thirty acres being in cultivation, the remainder consisting of timber and pas- ture land. He has a fine modern brick resi- dence, amply furnished with comforts and conveniences, a large commodious barn and other good buildings, all of which with the land itself are the result of his own labor and management. Mr. Huffman has earned wide repute as a stock raiser as well as a farmer, having of recent years devoted much atten- tion of fine shorthorn cattle and superior breeds of hogs. In his political views he is a pronounced Democrat and well versed in the principles of his party.
In 1868 Mr. Huffman married Mary Emery, who has since presented him with six children : Ida M., wife of Richard Gard- ner, of Huntington county : Maggie, now Mrs. George Lehman, of Washington town- ship; Thomas, who married Ollie Slatters, and is engaged in farming in this county ; Alma, Lizzie and Warren O., all married and doing for themselves. Mrs. Huffman is an esteemed member of the United Breth- ren church. Although not identified with any ecclesiastical organizations himself, Mr. Huffman believes in religion and has pro-
712
WHITLEY COUNTY, INDIANA.
found regard for the church to which his wife belongs, contributing freely of his means to its support.
JOHN A. SNYDER.
John A. Snyder was born February 18, 1836, in Mulberry township, Stark county. Ohio, being the fourth of five children in the family of Adam and Elizabeth Snyder, na- tives of Germany and Ohio respectively. He was reared to maturity near the place of his birth, attended at intervals during his youth such schools as were common in Stark coun- ty in those days and grew to manhood as a farmer, which calling he has since followed. In 1843, Mr. Snyder became a resident of Whitley county, Indiana, since which time he has been largely identified with the mater- ial growth and developments of Washington township, where at intervals he has had ex- tensive property interests, owning at one time four hundred and forty acres of valu- able land, much of which he cleared and oth- erwise improved. Later he divided the greater part of this land among his children. his holdings at the present time consisting of a quarter section, which, under his ef- fective labor, has been brought to a condi- tion second to no other estate in the town- ship and equalled by few in the county. For twelve years his dwelling was a log cabin indifferently equipped with the most ordi- nary conveniences. This has been replaced by a commodious and comfortable frame edifice, the indifferent log stable has given way to the large barn, the former stumps have disappeared and the smooth fields are
closed with fine wire fences. The produc- tive area has been greatly increased by sys- tematic tile drainage, every feature of the premises bearing evidence of modern meth- ods and a familiarity with agricultural sci- ence such as farmers of the most advanced ideas alone possess.
Mr. Snyder is a man of high character, a kind neighbor, and public spirited citizen and his influence has always been on the side of civic righteousness and a strict enforce- ment of the laws of the land. He is a Demo- crat, served one term as trustee of his town- ship, has ever been a friend of education and an advocate of all enterprises having for , their object the advancement of the commu- nity and the welfare of the people. At the age of nineteen he was converted and re- ceived into the Evangelical Reformed Luth- eran church. . March 4. 1860, he was mar- ried to Elizabeth, daughter of George W. and Maria (Eberhart) Cox, born in Shef- field township, Portage county, Ohio, Sep- tember 14, 1839, and came to Whitley coun- ty, Indiana, in October, 1850. She was a member of the Church of God, living a con- sistent Christian life, which closed July 27. 1887. the interment being in Eberhart ceme- tery. Mr. Snyder has done well by his chil- dren. not only providing them with the best educational advantages the country afforded. but giving to each of the married ones a good farm, besides looking after their inter- est in many other ways. Adam Snyder, his father, was born near New Byron, Germany. April 10, 1801, and in 1825 married Eliza- beth Knopp, who was born January 4. 1795. in Wurtumberg, Germany. In November, 1831, they sailed from Havre, France, in fifty-two days landed in New York city and
713
WHITLEY COUNTY, INDIANA.
"spent the winter in Buffalo. In March, 1832, they came to Canton, Ohio, where they remained until April, 1842, when they took a steamer for Toledo, Ohio, and thence by the Wabash and Erie Canal to Huntington, Indiana. Locating in Whitley county, in November, 1843, he engaged in farming, though formerly a blacksmith, which trade he learned in the land of his birth. He was an intelligent and useful citizen, a Democrat in politics, a consistent member of the Luth- eran church, and his death, which occurred April 10, 1866, was greatly regretted by all who knew him. Eight children were born to them: Christian, 1826; Elizabeth, 1828; Pheba, 1830; Mary, 1832; Julia Anie, 1834; Jolın A., 1836; Catherine, 1838; and Lydia. 18_10.
WILLIAM ADAM SNYDER.
William Adam Snyder was born in Un- ion township, Whitley county, Indiana, Au- gust 22, 1861, and at this time is a resident of Washington township. (See sketch of his father). He was united in marriage January 14, 1886, to Sarah Anie Goble, who was borii in Washington township, Whitley county, Indiana, June 2, 1862. To them was born one child, Alpha Allen, who died April 7. 1904, aged fourteen years and four- teen days. He was an intelligent, Christian youth, and his death was not only a shock to the family, but cast a gloom over a large cir- cle of friends, who had become greatly at- tached to him on account of his manly ways and lovely disposition. The parents are members of the United Brethren church, to which they are greatly devoted and render
zealous and liberal support. They enjoy a comfortable home and are highly respected by a large circle of friends and acquaintances. The paternal mother's great-grandfather, Mr. Hager, was the founder of Hagerstown, Maryland, a city of thirteen thousand six hundred population.
LEWIS HALTERMAN.
This successful farmer and influential citizen comes from Revolutionary ancestry and is worthy of special notice among the leading men of Whitley county. Charles Halterman, the grandfather, was a native of Hesse and was sent here as a soldier of the Revolutionary war by the British. At the close of the struggle, he settled in Vir- ginia, where he reared a family and died many years ago. George Halterman, his son, was born in Virginia in 1788 and about 1817 moved to Champaign county, Ohio. where he spent the remainder of his life, dy- ing in 1866. He was married in Virginia to Elizabeth Rickroads and had eight chil- dren : Ellen, Samuel, Sarah, Jane, Isaac, Margaret. Lewis and Elizabeth, four being deceased. Lewis Halterman was born in Champaign county, Ohio, in 1833. He spent his early life at the place of his birth and while still a youth left home to make his own way in the world, earning his first mon- ey as a farm hand at small wages. In 1851 he purchased eighty acres of wild land in Washington township, Whitley' county, and by industry and economy succeeded in pay- ing for the same at the rate of $3.25 per acre, continuing to reside in Ohio during
1 -
714
WHITLEY COUNTY, INDIANA.
the time. Later he transferred his residence to Whitley county, investing his means in real estate in Washington township, where in due time he added to his holdings and be- came one of the leading farmers of the com- munity in which he lived.
At the present time Mr. Halterman owns a first-class farm of one hundred and twen- ty-three and a half acres, ninety of which were cleared by his own hands and other- wise improved. The buildings are substan- tial and up-to-date. the fences good, the soil well drained and all things considered the proprietor is as well situated to enjoy life as any of his neighbors.
Mr. Halterman came to Washington township in 1861 and during the early per- iod of his residence could see no road from the little log cabin, which served his family for a dwelling. He took the initiative in the matter of public highways in his part of Washington township, wrote and circulat- ed the first petition for the road that leads to South Whitley and by untiring effort se- cured favorable action on the same by the board of county commissioners. He has al- ways been an advocate of public improve- ments and a friend to all enterprises that make for the general welfare of the town- ship and county. Politically he is independ- ent, giving his support to the candidates and policies which, in his judgment, subserve the best interests of the people. He keeps well informed on the questions of the day so as to cast his ballot intelligently and dis- charge faithfully the duties of citizenship. He holds membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Land. In 1856. Mr, Halterman was married to Ellen Valen- tine, of St. Joseph county. Indiana, and has five children : Mary J., Margaret A .. Clara,
Emma, and Winnie, all living. His second marriage was solemnized in 1880 with Eliza- beth, daughter of Emanuel and Susanna (Dull) Heller, the parents being natives of Pennsylvania, but for a number of years res- idents of Wayne county, Ohio, where their respective deaths occurred.
R. B. BOLINGER.
A prosperous and steadily thriving farm- er and for thirty years a worthy resident of Whitley county, R. B. Bolinger has made his presence felt among his contemporaries and merits notice in a work devoted to the lives of representative citizens of northeast- ern Indiana. Daniel Bolinger. his father, was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1810, but in early manhood changed his abode to Stark county, Ohio, where he lived for a number of years, subsequently remov- ing to Indiana and settling in the county of Lagrange, where his death occurred in 1892. His wife, whose maiden name was' Elizabeth Brown, bore him eight children : Gideon and Benjamin, deceased; R. B., Daniel, Mary, Mollie (deccased), Lizzie and one that died in infancy.
R. B. Bolinger was born in Stark county, Ohio, January 1, 1840, and there grew to man's estate. After a residence of thirty-six years in his native common- wealth, Mr. Bolinger sought a new home in northeastern Indiana, moving in 1876 to Whitley county and settling in Washington township, where he engaged in agriculture. which he has since followed with gratifying results, as his present fine farm and the com- fortable competency which he possesses
715
WHITLEY COUNTY, INDIANA.
abundantly attest. His estate, which con- sists of two hundred and six acres of valu- able land, lies in one of the most fertile agri- cultural districts of the township, and is well improved, being thoroughly drained and con- taining commodious buildings, good fences, all but fifty acres being tillable. Mr. Boling- er is a progressive farmer, votes the Inde- pendent ticket, manifests keen interest in public and political affairs and being a wide reader and intelligent observer, keeps in close touch with current events and the trend of modern thought. In early life he united with the German Baptist church, later be- came a minister of the same and for over a quarter of a century has discharged the du- ties of his pastorate in an able and conscien- tious manner. He is a forceful and logical speaker, whose public labors have been pro- ductive of great good, many through his efforts having been induced to forsake their sins and live the better life.
Mr. Bolinger married his first wife, So- phia Mohler, in 1864. She departed this life in 1892 and in 1894 he chose a companion and helpmate in the person of Sarah, daugh- ter of Henry and Mary Ann (Pressler) Kitch, the two marriages resulting in the birth of eight children: Clara, Emma, Orilla, Isaac, Ella, Noalı, Lemuel and Mary, the two last by the second marriage.
Mr. Bolinger has taken great interest and a father's pardonable pride in his chil- dren and in return they duly appreciate his loving care and kindness and in their lives reflect the superior training received during the formative period of their characters. Six of them are married and doing for them- selves and all are much esteemed in their re- spective places of residence.
GOTTLIEB KUNBERGER.
Among the enterprising foreign born citi- zens of Indiana, whose efforts have contrib- tited to the material prosperity of the com- munities in which they reside and whose in- fluence has been on the side of law and gov- ernment, Gottlieb Kunberger affords a worthy example. He was born April 14, 1849, near Stuttgart, in the Province of Wittenberg. Germany, being the son of Ja- cob Fredrick and and Barbara Kunberger, the father a farmer and gardener in connec- tion with which vocation he also followed for a number of years the trade of wine- making. Jacob Fredrick Kunberger died in his native land and his widow, whose maid- en name was Barbara Schwartz, came to the United States in 1876. departing this life in Whitley county in 1889. Gottlieb Kun- berger spent his childhood and youth in Ger- many, received his education in the schools of his native country and at the age of twen- ty came to the United States, landing in New York in 1869. Proceeding without de- lay to Whitley county, he settled, October 9th, in Columbia township, where he turned his attention to farming, which he followed until he removed in 1871 to Washington township. Four years later he pur- chased land, which in due time he cleared and converted into a good farm, residing on the same until 1902, when he sold it and bought the beautiful and attractive farm of eighty acres on which he now lives and which he has brought to a high state of tillage, all but twelve acres be- ing under cultivation. It is improved with excellent buildings, good fences and ample drainage, Mr. Kunberger having already put
716
WHITLEY COUNTY, INDIANA.
down several hundred rods of tiling, which amount he proposes to increase until the en- tire place is underlaid and properly inter- sected by a system of ditching as thorough and complete as that of any in the township.
Mr. Kunberger is a progressive agricul- turist, growing large crops of grain. princi- pally corn, all of which is fed to live stock, in the raising of which he has a reputation second to none of his neighbors. his breeds of shorthorn cattle and high grade hogs be- ing among the best in this part of the state. In public matters he maintains an abiding in- terest in all that concerns the advancement of his township, being an advocate of public improvement and a friend to every enter- prise or measure that makes for the general welfare of his fellowmen. He gives his sup- port to Democratic principles and in recogni- tion of valuable services rendered the party he was nominated in 1906 for county com- missioner, but was defeated.
In 1876 Mr. Kunberger was united in marriage with Miss Lizzie, daughter of Ul- rich and Maggie (Schwartfager) Lahr. na- tives of Germany, who emigrated to America i11 1841 and settled on a farm in Huntington county, Indiana, where the mother's death occurred, the father dying in 1906. at the age of eighty-eight. Mr. and Mrs. Kunber- ger have four children: John F., a resident of Columbia City; Henry E., a farmer of Washington township: Lulu F., wife of Henry Lucky, a farmer and stock raiser ; and Maggie, assistant in the management of the home. Subject and wife are greatly es- teemed in the community of their residence and as members of the Lutheran church, their lives afford examples of the wholesome in- fluence of practical religious faith. The dif-
ferent members of the family likewise enjoy the esteem and confidence of the communities in which they reside and wherever known they stand for correct conduct and sterling moral worth.
DANIEL FISHER.
Daniel Fisher is a prosperous farmer liv- ing in section 9. Thorncreek township, about five and one-half miles north of Columbia City, was born in the township Septem- ber 15. 1868, and is the son of Jacob and Elizabeth Ann (Hively) Fisher. both natives of Ohio. The father came to Indiana with his father, whose name was also Jacob, and settled in Thorncreek township, where the latter remained until the close of his life. The life of the father was also spent in this township, of which he was at one time trus- tee. His death occurred February 29. 1896, when sixty years old. The mother was the daughter of Daniel Hively and was also born in Ohio. They were both members of the Christian church, faithful and liberal in its support. Four children were born to them: Noah, deceased in middle life : David. a farmer in Thorncreek township: Callie, de- ceased at ten years of age : and Daniel. The second marriage of the mother was in 1899 to Leonard Hire and they now reside in Co- lumbia City. Daniel Fisher grew to man- hood at home. being trained to agriculture and receiving a common school education in the meantime. In 1889 he was married to Della May, daughter of Richard and Jane (Lemaster) Herron, born in Noble county. Indiana, in 1867. Five children were born
717
WHITLEY COUNTY, INDIANA.
to Mr. and Mrs. Fisher : Jacob, Lester, Ira youngest man ever named for a county of- Kenneth, Wilmer Guy and Crystal May.
In 1890 Mr. Fisher and his wife pur- chased sixty acres of their present farm, to which they have since added, making a quar- ter section. The farm is well improved with good fences, tile ditches, substantial and convenient buildings and is a desirable and pleasant residence. In politics he is a Demo- crat, while both enjoy membership in the Christian church, to which they are devoted and give faithful and liberal support.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.