USA > Indiana > Whitley County > History of Whitley County, Indiana > Part 96
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June 2, 1900, Mr. Williamson was mar- ried in Springfield, Illinois, to Miss Laura D. Kinsley, a native of Columbia City, an alumnus of the high school and a young lady of varied culture, who has long been a popu- lar favorite in the social circles in which she moves. She belongs to one of the old and prominent families of this part of Indiana, her grandfather. Hon. Richard Kinsley, hav- ing been one of the first probate judges of Whitley county, while her father, Willian H. Kinsley, served four years in the revenue department of the government under Presi- dent Harrison and until two years ago was associated in the lumber business at Denver, Rochester and Chili with S. J. Peabody.
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Mr. Williamson is identified with the Ma- sonic fraternity and stands high among the brethren of the mystic tie. In additional to his editorial experience in Indiana he spent about two years in newspaper work at Mem- phis. Tennessee, St. Louis, Missouri, and Denver, Colorado, during which time he came in close touch with the leading papers of those cities and made many warm friends among his associates. Mr. Williamson is an active and uncompromising Republican. firmly believing the principles and policies advocated in the platforms of the party to be conducive to the best interests of the government and the welfare of the people. He is public spirited and progressive, deeply interested in the prosperity of his city and county and in all that contributes to their educational, moral and material advance- ment. His business enterprises have been crowned with a large measure of success and he occupies a conspicuous place in the esteem and regard of a large circle of friends and of the public in general.
WALLING MILLER.
We have here a sample of the genuine pioneer, one that recalls the trying but inter- esting times of the long ago. If you are visiting this hospitable home, Mrs. Miller will show you an old-fashioned spinning- wheel, which she has preserved from her girlhood and cherishes as a souvenir of the days that tried men's souls, as well as their pocket-hooks. Mr. Miller will show you some small coins brought from the east. which he has preserved as talismans for
over half a century, resisting every tempta- tion to let them go when hard-up because, as he says, he did not want it said that he was ever entirely out of money. The les- son taught by this worthy couple is valuable, as it shows how much may be done in this world of struggle and hardship provided we never lose hope, live moral lives and are not afraid of work. The emigrant ancestor of this family on the paternal side was Benja- min Miller, who came from Holland during the later years of the eighteenth century and located in New Jersey. His son Samuel, who was born in the last mentioned state, migrated to Stark county, Ohio, as early as 1812, bought government land and lived by farming during the remainder of his career. He married Polly Bauman, a native of Berks county, Pennsylvania, where her fa- ther Jacob was one of the early settlers. There were three children of this union, Mary Ann. Hannah and Walling, the latter being the only survivor.
Walling Miller was born in Stark coun- ty. Ohio. February 8, 1828, but when eleven months old was deprived of what means much to a child by the death of his mother. His father married again and he remained at home until fifteen years old, when he en- tered the household of an uncle and spent six years under his roof. Meantime he had learned the wagon-maker's trade, but not liking the business did not follow it in after life. In 1851, with all the strength and hope of young manhood. he decided to cast his fortunes with the growing state of Indiana and. after making the trip by canal boat, ar- rived in the wild woods which constituted the principal scenery of the section. For one hundred and twenty dollars he was able
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to buy forty acres of unimproved land, but after working this for three years he sold his little place and removed to Iowa. He purchased one hundred and sixty acres of prairie land, in the cultivation of which he spent the next four years, but becoming dis- satisfied he disposed of his holdings and af- ter a short interval returned to Indiana. Mr. Miller likes to tell that when he reached Huntington on his return trip he had only one hundred and eighteen dollars and all but eighteen of this was used as first payment on the first forty acres of land bought in Washington township. Whitley county. This was in 1862 and at that time there were only two log houses in the township. After working many weary days to improve his wild land Mr. Miller sold it in 1884 and bought the eighty acres on which he has since resided. At present he owns two hun- dred acres in different pieces, a very credit- able showing when we think of the eighteen dollars which was all he had to begin build- ing and housekeeping with, some forty-four years ago.
In 1851 Mr. Miller married Harriet Guest, a native of Carroll county, Ohio, but reared near Canton in that state. She was the daughter of Jesse and Margaret (Rich- ard) Guest, the former born in New Jersey in 1808 and the latter in Pennsylvania in 1810. Mrs. Miller's father died when she was nine years old. Her parents had six children : Charlotte, Harriet, Emaline, Car- oline. Angeline and Elizabeth C. All of these have long since passed away, except Angeline and Mrs. Miller. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have had twelve children: Trabulia Margaret died when three months old and her grave was the first in the Baptist ceme-
tery, then a mere woods ; Biantha, deceased ; Bervilas, of Washington township; Sa- mantha, deceased; Arvilas, a resident of Missouri : Dema, wife of Philip Churchell, of South Whitley; Albert, a resident of Thorncreek township; Wilbert Wallen, of Columbia City; Ida, wife of Lewis Trum- bull, of Troy township; Ada, deceased ; Em- met Alfred, of Thorncreek township: David Milton, deceased. Mrs. Miller is a member of the Dunkard church; her husband, though not a church member, is a man of , high morals and exemplary conduct, having never used tobacco or liquor or given away to any of the ordinary vices of men.
CHESTER LOTSPIECH CONE.
The family of this name traces its ge- nealogy to the time when John Winthrop was governor of Connecticut colony. Daniel Cone, the original ancestor, obtained with others an allotment of land by treaty with the Indians, lying near Haddam, in Hartford county. His descendants lived there for four generations but in 1770 an emigration was made to Middlesex county, where the second Daniel of the family lived until 1808. He was born at Haddam, March 28, 1768, and had numerous chil- dren, most of whom were born in Middle- town Connecticut. In 1808, the family moved to Lewis county, New York, then to Sus- quehanna county, Pennsylvania, in 1813, and finally to Union county, Ohio, in 1817. Daniel Cone lived here until 1838, when he removed to Whitley county where he died December 11, 1847. His wife, whose
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maiden name was Ruth Rich, also died in this county, May 26, 1848. Edwin Cone, one of their sons, was born at Middletown, Middlesex county, Connecticut, April 30, 1805. and came to Whitley county about the time of the completion of his twenty-first year. He settled in Richland township and taught several terms of school in this and Kosciusko county. He was also a licensed minister of the Methodist church and offi- ciated in this capacity at most of the weddings and funerals of the neigh- borhood. He was present at the organi- zation meeting of the township. Octo- ber 15. 1837. and gave it the name of Richland. He was elected first justice of the peace at a special election a few days later and about seven years afterward served an- other term in this office. He was one of the school examiners when the board consisted of three members and was once a candidate for county commissioner but was defeated. He was a Henry Clay Whig of pronounced type, opposed to slavery and foreign immi- gration and otherwise national in his views. He died February 12. 1854. and now rests in the Lakeview cemetery at Larwill. May 14, 1832, he was married at Sharonville, Ohio, to Salima Wilson, who was born at the town which witnessed her nuptials No- vember 7. 1808. She, too, rests in the Lake- view cemetery at Larwill, having died April 21, 1870. Her parents were natives of Vir- ginia but migrated to Kentucky and thence to Ohio about the beginning of the last cen- tury. Her father, Thomas Wilson, was a Methodist preacher and a hunter and ad- venturer, one of his achievements being the shooting of a panther. Once he made a trip to New Orleans on a flatboat ladened
with corn and after selling his produce walked all the way back. He had a son named Daniel, who inherited his venture- some spirit and wandered through the west to Oregon as far back as 1846. He became an Indian fighter and later one of the gold- seekers in California, where he spent the year 1849 with considerable financial suc- cess and eventually died at Portland. Ore- gon. Nearly all the male descendants of Thomas Wilson served as soldiers of the Union army during the Civil war. Edwin and Salima (Wilson) Cone had seven chil- dren, two of whom died in infancy but the others reached maturity. Margaret. the eldest of these, was born July 1. 1834, and married Orin C. Adams: Orella, the first white child native of Richland township. was born January 30, 1837, and became the wife of Frank Inlow. All these are now dead. having passed away a number of years ago. Appleton W .. the oldest son, was born March 14, 1839, enlisted in the army several times during the Civil war, but married later and is now a resident of Dayton, Ohio. Gilbert J. was born March 24. 1849, and is now a resident of Kansas City. Missouri.
Chester Lotspiech Cone, second young- est of the family, was born in Richland township. Whitley county, Indiana. August 12, 1846. His boyhood was spent on the farm, assisting during the summer and at- tending school a few months each winter. He was of a mathematical turn of mind and while despising grammar, showed a natural taste for arithmetic which he "went through," as it was called, when thirteen years old. In 1862, he became an apprentice to the stonemason's trade, working for three dollars a month and board. His first job
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was building a wall for the "Tadpole school- house" in 1864, Judge Adair working as a carpenter at the same time. For many years he worked in this line, off and on building hundreds of flues. He was the con- tractor in the building of the Boonville schoolhouse, a brick structure put up in 1882. After reaching his majority, Mr. Cone attended the Springfield academy at South Whitley for two terms and in De- cember, 1868, began teaching school. Dur- ing the next nine years he taught winter terms of from two to four months each, and did masonry work during the summers. He was a regular attendant at the institutes, paid close attention to his work and always stood well in the profession.
February 12, 1874, Mr. Cone married Miranda Bayman, who was born January 19, 1849. in Wells county, Indiana. Her parents, James and Hannah (Hole) Bay- man, came to Whitley county in 1853 and settled in section 18, of Richland township. The father died there in January. 1897, and his wife in January, 1889. After marrying Mr. Cone bought a small piece of land in section 19, where he lived until 1886, after which he rented additional land and farmed on a large scale. At present he lives on forty acres of land in section 18 which he has owned since 1898. Mr. and Mrs. Cone have had six children: Alice Maud, born No- vember 26, 1874: Dora A., born October 6. 1876; Lily F., born August 24, 1878, died November 13, 1878; Fanny F., born Feb- ruary 24, 1880; Fred L., born May 30, 1882, and Grace L., born March 23, 1885. All remain at home, but each has a trade or profession and is self-supporting. Mr. 'Cone is a Republican and was elected justice
of the peace in 1876, serving four years. The family are members of the Christian church and most of them in the choir, Mr. Cone having held all the church offices and now being clerk. He is a man of unusual intelligence and possesses much curious in- formation that makes him an instructive companion.
BENJAMIN H. DOMER.
The Domer family came to this state from Ohio many years ago and settled in Noble county, where George and Lydia (Hoover) Domer spent the remainder of their lives as honest and enterprising tillers of the soil. The father was born in Tus- carawas county, Ohio, in 1809. the mother being a native of Stark county. and their influence for good is still felt in the com- munity which they helped to establish. Georgia and Lydia Domer reared a family of seven children, Mary. Julia, Malissa. John, William, Benjamin H. and Simon P .. the majority of whom grew to mature years and became respected members of society in their different places of residence.
Benjamin H. Domer was born March 18, 1858, in Noble county, Indiana, and spent his childhood and youth on his fa- ther's farm, his early life being marked by no event of especial note. He attended dis- trict school during his minority. later re- ceived a normal training and for several years taught in the public schools, earning the reputation of a successful and painstak- ing instructor. Mr. Domer became a resi- dent of Whitley county in 1878, since which
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time he has been engaged in agricultural pur- suits in Cleveland township, owning a val- uable farm of one hundred and forty acres, of which one hundred and ten are under cul- tivation and otherwise improved. In con- nection with general agriculture lie raises considerable live stock and is also exten- sively interested in the manufacture of ma- ple syrup, having a fine sugar orchard con- taining five hundred well developed trees, which add very materially to his yearly earnings. Mr. Domer owns a beautiful and comfortable home, has accumulated a liberal share of this world's goods and his qualities as an obliging neighbor and enterprising cit- izen have won for him a conspicuous place in public esteem. His relations with his fel- lowmen have always been characterized by a high sense of honor in every walk of life. The rectitude of his intentions have been above criticism and to the extent of his abil- ity he has encouraged and assisted all meas- ures and movements having for their object the material development of the community and the moral welfare of the people.
In 1880 Mr. Domer was united in mar- riage with Miss Alice, daughter of Chris- tian and Catherine (Abbott) Myers, the fa- ther being among the first settlers of Whit- ley county, locating in Cleveland township as early as 1834, when the country was an unbroken wilderness. He was a well-to-do farmer, a respected citizen and with his good wife wielded a wholesome moral influence among their friends and neighbors. Mr. and Mrs. Domer have two children: Merle S., bookkeeper and stockholder in the Farmers' State Bank of South Whitley ; and George. assisting in the management of the farm. Mr. Domer is a Republican, a member of the
Odd Fellows fraternity and with his wife- belongs to the Christian church. His life has been successful, having made all he pos- sessed by persevering labor and judicious. management, and his career forcibly illus- trates what can be accomplished by a young man of intelligence and sound judgment, whose course of conduct has been directed and controlled by principles of rectitude.
DAVID SCHANNEP.
The above named is one of the oldest res -- idents of Cleveland township, and his stand- ing is second to none. He was born in Greene county, Ohio, March 13, 1828, be- ing the second in a family of five children whose parents, Joseph and Susannah (Frost) Schannep, moved to Ohio from Pennsylva- nia. In 1846 the elder Schannep came to Whitley county and settled in Cleveland township, where he became a successful farmer and large owner of real estate, his holdings at one time amounting to five hun- dred acres of fine land, much of which was cleared and improved under his direction. He was a man of mark in the community. a leading Democrat of his township and an influential member of the Lutheran church. He was accidentally killed in 1848 by the falling of a tree, his death being deeply la- mented by all who knew him. Joseph and Susannah Schannep had five children : Mary, David, Rosanna, Susannah and Isaac, all but the oldest living. David Schannep grew to manhood in his native state, received his early training on a farm and in 1846 changed his residence to Whitley county, Indiana ..
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settling in Cleveland township, with the sub- sequent growth and development of which his life has been closely associated. He ex- perienced many of the vicissitudes and hard- ships of pioneer life, worked early and late cutting timber and clearing land and bore his full share in bringing about results. He has always been a tiller of the soil and at this time owns a fine farm in Cleveland town- ship which is well improved, containing comfortable and commodious buildings and bearing all the other evidences which char- acterize the homes of enterprising agricul- turists of the times.
In 1851, Mr. Schannep was married to Mary, daughter of George and Sarah (Wil- liams) Moore, natives of South Carolina, who came to this county in the early 'for- ties and located in Cleveland township, where the father purchased land and cleared a farm. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Schannep: Edgar, a farmer of Cleveland township; Joseph, a resident of Hoagland: Elwood, who died in childhood ; Ida, deceased; Eva, wife of Arthur Knoop. who assists in running the home place ; and Nettie, wife of Arthur Hayden, a business man of Kosciusko county, whose death oc- curred a few years ago.
At one time Mr. Schannep owned two hundred and sixteen acres of valuable land in Whitley county, but he has since divided the greater part among his children, retain- ing only the family homestead, consisting of eighty acres. He now lives a quiet, peace- able life, consecrated to his family and to his fellowmen. His wife died January 6, 1892, but he lives in hopes of a future re- union where tears shall be wiped away and farewells known no more. Mr. Schannep has
long been a faithful member of the Church of God, his Christian character being with- out spot or blemish. He is a Republican in politics and has filled various local offices, but has never entertained an ambition for public place.
LEWIS HUFFMAN.
Lewis Huffman, farmer and stock raiser of Cleveland township, is a native of Ohio, born in Stark county September 6, 1846. His parents were Michael and Mary Huff- man, both natives of Ohio, and the former a farmer by occupation, moved in 1844 to Whitley county and settled in Columbia, subsequently changing to Cleveland ·town- ship, in whose development they took a con- spicuous part. Their nine children were : Jacob, Katie, Louise, Lewis, Mary, Alvin, Anna, Sophia and Maggie, all dead but the third and fourth.
Lewis Huffman, only surviving son, was born in Stark county, Ohio, September 6, 1846, and was about two years old when his parents came to their new home. He grew up on the farm with proper conceptions of life and its responsibilities and with the de- termination to make the most of his oppor- tunities. He obtained a fair English educa- tion in the common schools, has always been a man of observation and is recognized as well informed in all matters pertaining to agriculture. This has been his life work and since beginning for himself his progress has been satisfactory, as he is now one of the enterprising farmers and stock raisers of Cleveland township and well situated to en- joy the fruits of his toil. Mr. Huffman's
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farm, which lies about two miles east of South Whitley, is well improved with a nice, comfortable residence,' a commodious barn and other buildings and by judicious care, skillful cultivation and excellent manage- ment, he has made it yield abundantly, as the ample competency in his possession at- tests. In connection with general agricul- ture he raises superior breeds of cattle, hogs and sheep and from the sale of live stock adds very materially to his annual income.
In 1899, Mr. Huffman married Miss Sarah Todd, whose parents moved to this county a number of years ago from Ohio, settling in Cleveland township, where the father died in 1905. at the age of eighty- eight years. Mr. and Mrs. Huffman have had four children, of whom only Oda, the youngest, is living. She married Harry Beard and has three children, Vernon. Lewis and Eugene. Mr. Beard resides on the Huffman farm, manages the same, and is one of the rising young men of the town- ship. Mr. and Mrs. Huffman's other chil- dren were: Dora. deceased: Raughly, who was killed in 1897 in his twenty-first year by a falling tree, while helping his father cut timber : the third child died unnamed. Mr. Huffman's fraternal relations are with Lodge 222, Knights of Pythias, at South Whitley. and in religion he subscribes to the United Brethren creed, of which church his wife is also a member. He stands well with the people of his community, manifests an abid- ing interest in all worthy enterprises and as a citizen is progressive and public spirited, holding broad and liberal views on the issues of the day and clinging firmly to his convic- tions of right, as he sees and understands the right.
HARVEY KREIDER.
David, son of Jacob Kreider, was born February 24, 1841, in Darke county, Ohio, and in 1855 accompanied his parents to Whitley county, where he became a large landowner and prominent farmer, in addi- tion to which he has for years been a minis- ter of the German Baptist church. At one period his real estate in Cleveland township amounted to three hundred acres of choice land, but he disposed of this from time to time until his holdings now represent but one hundred and four acres, this constitut- ing the home farm on which he at present resides. David Kreider has been a man of wide influence in his community and through the medium of his ministerial calling his use- fulness has been extended throughout Whit- ley and other counties of northern Indiana, being a preacher of considerable note, and held in high repute, not only by his friends and neighbors but by all with whom he is brought into contact. He married Nancy Grist and they had nine children: Cindia, Emma. Jacob, Tobias, John, Noah. Harvey, Estie and Malinda. (For ancestral history see sketch of John Kreider elsewhere in these pages.)
Harvey Kreider, one of the younger sons, was born in Cleveland township. Whit- ley county, August 23. 1880. received a good education in the public schools and was trained in youth to agricultural pursuits. His early discipline amid the rugged duties of the farm had no little influence in develop- ing a strong well rounded character and he grew to manhood with a proper conception of the responsibilities that rested upon him as a member of society and an active agent
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in furthering the various interests of those with whom he was accustomed to associate. Having decided to make agriculture his life work, Mr. Kreider early bent his energies toward making the calling as successful as circumstances would admit and that he has fully met, if not exceeded, his anticipations. is attested by the high standing which he has attained as a farmer and stock raiser and the prestige he enjoys as an enterprising, trustworthy citizen. He owns a fine farm of one hundred and ten acres, all but twenty under cultivation and otherwise well im- proved, his home being beautiful and attrac- tive as a place of residence and in all the es- sentials of a first-class estate compares favor- ably with any other in the township.
In 1903, Mr. Krieder was married to Miss Grace, daughter of Jacob and Clara (Bow- man) Snell. who came from Ohio to this part of Indiana in an early day and settled in Cleveland township, where the father's death occurred in 1900. Mr. and Mrs. Kreider have had one child, Curtis LeRoy. In politics Mr. Kreider is a Democrat, ir religion he is a consistent member of the German Baptist church, his wife belonging to this communion also.
JOHN HUFFMAN.
John Huffman, one of the oldest resi- dents of Cleveland township, as well as one of its leading farmers, is entitled to a place in the history of Whitley county and a few biographical details concerning him will be welcome to many. John Huffman was born in Darke county, Ohio, March II, 1831,
and is a son of Moses and Rachel ( Tillman) Huffman, whose seven children were Simeon, Delilah, Levi, Enos, Daniel, Phoebe and John.
The father moved his family to Whitley county in 1841. and settled in Cleveland township, where he purchased land, de- veloped a farm and became one of the in- fluential citizens of the community. He and his wife were widely known and greatly respected and the name of Huffman has long been synonymous with all that is enterpris- ing and upright.
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