USA > Indiana > Allen County > History of the Maumee River basin, Allen County, Indiana > Part 24
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Mr. Bowers is a native of the old Buckeye state, while in tracing
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the genealogy of the family we must turn back to the Old Dominion, where was cradled so much of our national history. He was born in Champaign county, Ohio, on the 15th of April, 1836, and is a son of John Y. and Mary A. (Warham) Bowers, both of whom were born in the state of Virginia, where the respective families were founded in an early day, the paternal ancestry tracing back to Ger- man origin and the maternal to French and Scotch. The father of the subject was engaged in farming in Ohio until the autumn of 1852, when he came with his family to Indiana, arriving in Allen county on the 2d of October and soon afterward locating on a tract of wild land, in Jefferson township, where he cleared and improved a good farm, with the assistance of his sons. Here both he and his wife passed the remainder of their lives, honored by all who knew them.
Adam M. Bowers was reared to the sturdy discipline of the great fundamental art of agriculture, and he has never severed his allegiance to the same, while through its beneficence he has pushed forward to a position of independence and marked prosperity, the rewards of his efforts having been grateful and unstinted. He se- cured his rudimentary educational training in the common schools of his native county, and was about sixteen years of age at the time of the family removal to Allen county, Indiana, where he continued to attend school during the winter terms for a few years, making the best use of the advantages afforded and being appreciative of the value of education, though his facilities for attaining the same were those of the pioneer era. He was unabating in his labors on the home farm, which he assisted in reclaiming, while in the spring of 1860 he purchased his present farm, erecting on the same a small house, in October of that year, and forthwith settling himself vigorously to the work of clearing the land and making it available for cultivation. His prior experience amply fitted him for the labors thus essayed, and soon the results of his efforts became patent, while his prosperity increased from year to year, with the broadening of his scope of operations in the cultivation of the willing soil. On this farm- stead he has continued to reside continuously save for the interval passed as a soldier in the Union army. He has cleared one hundred and three acres of land from the primeval forests of Allen county,
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and his finely improved farm of fifty-one acres, in section 2, Madison township, stands as a permanent voucher for the labors by him performed and for the discriminating methods which he has brought to bear.
On the 22d of July, 1862, Mr. Bowers gave distinctive evidence of his patriotism by enlisting as a member of Company D, Eighty- eighth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, while he was mustered into service, in the city of Indianapolis, on the 29th of the following month. His regiment was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland, and at once set forth for the front, while it was given its baptism of fire in the battle of Perryville, Kentucky, on the 8th of October, that year. From this point his regiment was in pursuit of the enemy ยท to Crab Orchard, Kentucky, where an engagement occurred, and thence it proceeded to Tennessee and took part in the battle of Stone River, waged from the 3Ist of December to the 3d of January, inclusive. Thereafter the regiment participated in the following engagements : Duck River, Tennessee, June 28-9, 1863 ; Tullahoma, Tennessee; Elk River, that state, July 3d; Dug Gap, Georgia, Sep- tember IIth; thence to the ever memorable battle of Chickamauga, September 19-21; the battle on the southern slope of Lookout Mountain, November 24th; the grand charge at Missionary Ridge, November 25th; then in the expedition to Ringgold, Georgia, in pursuit of the enemy, on the 26th of November, while on the fol- lowing day was made the attack at White Oak Ridge; while the command next participated in the fight at Tunnel Hill, Georgia, February 22-27, 1864. They then fell back to Chattanooga and thence started forward on the great Atlanta campaign, taking part in the battle of Resaca, May 13-15, and being thereafter engaged in almost continuous fighting until the 2d of September, within which interval the more important engagements were the battles of Kenesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, Utoy Creek and Jonesboro. The regiment then took part in the pursuing of General Hood to Galesville, Alabama, and thence proceeded with Sherman on the great and historic "march to the sea,"-November 14th to Decem- ber IIth,-while the capture of Savannah was effected on the 22d of December. The forces then proceeded on the march through the Carolinas,-January 20 to March 23, 1865,-having a spirited
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skirmish at Averysboro, North Carolina, on the 16th of March, and one, at Bentonville, on the 19th of that month; while on the 13th of April the city of Raleigh capitulated. The victorious army then moved onward to Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy, and thence to the federal capital, the city of Washington, where the subject took part in the grand review, on the 24th of May, while he was mustered out of the service on the 7th of June, 1865, the regiment disbanding at Indianapolis, Indiana, on the 20th of the month. There Mr. Bowers received his honorable discharge. He assumed command of his company at the battle of Bentonville, North Carolina, on the 19th of March, 1865, and remained at the head thereafter until his discharge, with the rank of first lieutenant. He retains a lively interest in his old comrades and manifests the same by his affiliation with Link Post, No. 301, Grand Army of the Republic, at Monroeville. After the close of his long and valiant service as a soldier of the republic Mr. Bowers returned to his farm in Allen county, where he has ever since lived and where he com- mands the unqualified esteem of all who know him. In politics he is a stanch adherent of the Democratic party, and he has held various local offices in his township, while his religious faith is that of the Lutheran church, of which his wife likewise is a devoted member.
On the 7th of September, 1865, Mr. Bowers was united in mar- riage to Miss Mary C. Shannon, who was born in Clark county, Ohio, on the 29th of November, 1846, being a daughter of Isaac and Margaret (Hullinger) Shannon. Concerning the children of this union we enter brief data, giving the respective dates of birth : Edson L., February 4, 1867, now deceased; Margaret E., August 29, 1868, is also dead; John W., April 2, 1870; Alvenia D., July 27, 1872; Mary J., April 14, 1874, now deceased; Charles T., October 22, 1876; Albert C., March 14, 1878, and Cora, December 23, 1880. On the 29th of May, 1900, Mr. Bowers consummated a second marriage, being then united to Mrs. Matilda H. Wheatcraft, widow of Henry Wheatcraft. She was born in Ashland county, Ohio, and is a daughter of Jacob and Matilda (Dick) Kinney, who were of the sturdy Pennsylvania German stock.
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IVILLIAM DICKERSON.
This venerable and honored pioneer citizen of Allen county well merits definite recognition in a work of the province assigned to the one at hand. He resides in the attractive village of Monroeville, and his friends in the community are equal in number to his ac- quaintances, for to him is accorded unqualified confidence and regard in the locality which has so long figured as his home.
William Dickerson claims the old Keystone state of the Union as the place of his nativity and he is a scion of pioneer stock in that fine old commonwealth. He was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, on the 27th of November, 1825, being a son of Gideon Dickerson, who was likewise born and reared in Washington county. The paternal grandfather of the subject was a native of England and his wife was born in Scotland. Gideon Dickerson was a farmer by vocation during the greater portion of his active career, and in early life he removed with his family to Ohio, becoming one of the pioneers of Richland county, where both he and his wife passed the remainder of their lives, honored by all who knew them. They became the parents of eight children, of whom two are living at the time of this writing. The subject of this sketch secured his early educational discipline in the common schools of Richland county, Ohio, where he was reared to manhood, while he early began to lend his aid in the clearing and cultivating of the homestead farm, which comprised one hundred and sixty acres. He continued his residence in Ohio until the time of the war of the Rebellion, when his patriotic ardor was roused to responsive action, and he enlisted as a private in the Twenty-third Battery, Indiana Volunteer Artillery, being mustered in at Indianapolis and continuing in service for a period of nine months, at the expiration of which he received his honorable discharge. He receives a pension of twelve dollars a month in
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recognition of his services and the disabilities resulting therefrom, while he manifests his abiding interest in his old comrades in arms by retaining membership in that noble organization, the Grand Army of the Republic. In politics he has ever accorded a stanch allegiance to the Democratic party, taking a lively interest in the questions and issues of the hour, and both he and his wife are valued and con- sistent members of the Christian church. For the past twenty-eight years Mr. Dickerson has been identified with the Masonic fraternity, being affiliated with the lodge in Monroeville. He has been a resident of Allen county since the year 1861 and has been closely identified with the industrial and civic interests of his section, while at the present time he is devoting his attention to the real-estate business, with which line of enterprise he has been identified for the past eight years.
On the 20th of May, 1846, Mr. Dickerson was united in mar- riage to Miss Susanna Nail, daughter of James Nail, at that time a resident of Ohio. Six children were born of this union, namely : Amanda, David G., Addison, Josephine, Ada B. and John F. All the children except Addison and Amanda are living and are well established in life.
In this sketch we find it our privilege to incorporate reminiscent paragraphs of most interesting order, the same having been con- tributed by Mr. Dickerson and having to do more particularly with events of the early days in Pennsylvania, where he was born: "About the time the war of 1812 was in its height many exciting scenes and events were to be noted in Washington county, Pennsyl- vania, where my parents were living at the time, as the section was then practically the frontier settlement of the white people of Penn- sylvania, the Ohio river constituting the practical dividing line be- tween the white settlement on the east and the Indians on the west. The red men held essential dominion in all the great district to the west of the Ohio river. It was a frequent occurrence for the hostile Indians to cross the river by night, at Wheeling, and for their bands to ferociously invade the settlements on the frontier, murder- ing the unprotected families and taking the scalps of their helpless victims. At that time, owing to the conflict of the war of 1812, the Indian chief of the locality had given orders to his followers to
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take no prisoners, and this implied the murdering of all who came within their pathway, while these frequent raids and massacres were the result of this order. In fear of being thus murdered by night, many of the white families would desert their homes at nightfall and penetrate into the deep recesses of the unbroken forest, often going miles from their homes, and remaining thus secluded during the night in order to secure protection from attack on the part of the marauding Indians. The tales of these trying days have often been related to me by my father in my youthful days, while the family circle was gathered around the old-fashioned fireplace.
"I feel that it is my duty to make a perpetual record concerning an exciting event and the almost miraculous escape of my grand- father Dickerson, in Washington county, Pennsylvania, during the progress of the war of 1812. This was at the time when the conflict was raging most furiously, when no prisoners were taken and when the scalps of white men were at a premium. My father stated that the event narrated occurred when he was an infant in his mother's arms. His father had served two years as a soldier in the war and had been discharged from the service after proving a loyal and faithful soldier. While the war was still raging he had occasion to make a business trip through the forest to a point about four miles distant from his home, while he was accompanied by another settler, who was his intimate friend. They made the trip on horseback, one following the trail directly back of the other. Their object in going forth was to make a business and friendly call at the little home of a poor, lone widow who had a large family of children and who had been engaged in making clothing for the Dickerson family. The two sojourners arrived safely at the cabin of the widow, where they were cordially received and entertained. In the course of their conversation the widow asked them if they were not fearful of attack on the part of the Indians that day, and they replied in the negative. She then said that she had been much alarmed all day, fearing that the Indians were prowling about in the vicinity, and she warned her guests to exercise much caution, giving the words of admonition that 'There never was a pitcher that went to the well so often but that it might yet be broken.' After finishing their business and thanking the widow for her hospitality,
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the two men gave her a small present and after a hearty grasp of the hands and the tendering of words of consolation and encouragement, the two companions started forth on their return trip. In the depths of the forest they were suddenly confronted by a band of ten war- like savages, who sprung into the road from their place of con- cealment, being only ten paces distant from the two white men when they thus came into view. In an instant the two riders decided that their only chance of escape was to apply spurs and whips and dash through the line of the red men who thus menaced them. This recourse they took, the Indians stepping aside to avoid danger, but as soon as the two men passed the savages again leaped back into the road and began firing at the fleeing riders. They raised the Indian war cry and started in hot pursuit of their prey. The in- trepid riders bent as low as possible over their horses, in order to avoid the bullets of the red skins, but after running about one hun- dred yards the horse upon which Grandfather Dickerson was rid- ing fell to the ground, mortally wounded. His companion dashed onward and escaped in safety. When Grandfather Dickerson ex- tricated himself from his fallen steed he looked back and found himself almost face to face with a big Indian, while the remainder of the band were not more than fifteen paces in the rear. He felt for his side arms, but found they were missing, his intention having been to kill the foremost Indian, but he now saw that his only chance for escape lay in flight. He stood not on the order of his going, but took nimbly to his heels, and being fleet of foot and actuated by an undeniable fright, he scurried onward through the dim forest aisles and finally succeeded in reaching his home in safety, the Indians abandoning the pursuit as they approached the settlement."
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ROBERT B. McKEEMAN, M. D.
Among the native sons of Allen county who have here attained gratifying recognition and success in the medical profession is the subject of this review, who is one of the representative physicians and surgeons of the younger generation in the city of Fort Wayne, where he has his office at 1608 Calhoun street, and his residence at 2020 Broadway.
Dr. McKeeman was born in the village of Hoagland, Madison township, this county, on the 27th of February, 1874, and is a son of David C. and Margaret A. (McConnaha) McKeeman, both of whom were born in Ireland, whence they came to America with their respective parents when children. The father followed the vocation of farmer until the time of his death, in 1876. His widow survived him by many years, her death occurring in 1894. They became the parents of twelve children, of whom eight are living.
Dr. McKeeman secured his preliminary educational discipline in the public schools of Madison township, after which he availed him- self of the advantages afforded in Taylor University, in Fort Wayne, and the Indiana State Normal School at Marion, after leaving which latter institution he devoted his attention to teaching in the schools of his native county for a period of two years, meeting with marked success in his pedagogic labors but utilizing this profession simply as a means to an end, as he had decided to adopt the calling to which he is now devoted. In 1894 he was matriculated in the Fort Wayne College of Medicine, in which well equipped institution he completed the prescribed courses in medicine and surgery, being graduated as a member of the class of 1897 and receiving his degree of Doctor of Medicine. In view of his standing in his profession it is pleas-
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ing to revert to the fact that he is not only a native of Allen county but also that he received his technical training in a local institution. Immediately after his graduation the Doctor opened an office in Monroe, Adams county, and while he was necessarily called upon to serve the customary novitiate in his profession it was not unduly prolonged, and his success and prestige have been cumulative in character, so that he stands well to the front among the able, popular and successful young physicians of his native county, giving his attention to general practice. He remained in practice in Monroe until 1900, when he located in Fort Wayne, where he has since followed the work of his profession. He is a close and appreciative student, being duly conservative in his attitude but ever standing ready to avail himself of those agencies and advanced methods which meet the approval of his judgment. He is an affiliate of the American Medical Association, the Indiana State Medical Society, the Fort Wayne Medical Society and the Fort Wayne Academy of Medicine, and he finds time and opportunity to avail himself of the advantages of each. Though never active in the realm of practical politics, the Doctor is a stalwart supporter of the cause of the Republican party and he is essentially progressive and public-spirited as a citizen.
On the 5th of October, 1897, Dr. McKeeman was united in marriage to Miss Susie May Hocker, of Monroeville, and they have three children, Leland Stanford, Lillian Theodosia and Donald Harry Cook.
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JOHN W. MEEKS.
There is no positive rule for achieving success, and yet in the life of the successful man there are always lessons which might well be followed. The essential conditions of human life are ever the same, the surroundings of individuals differing but slightly; and when one man passes another on the highway of life it is because he has the power to use advantages which probably encompassed also his less successful contestant. Today among the successful and enterprising farmers and business men of Monroe township, Allen county, Indiana, stands John W. Meeks. The qualities of keen discrimination, sound judgment and consecutive and persistent in- dustry enter very largely into his make-up and have been contribut- ing elements to the success which has come to him.
John W. Meeks enjoys the distinction of having been the first white child born in Monroe township, Allen county, Indiana, his birth having occurred on the 13th day of January, 1843. His par- ents, Thomas and Nancy Meeks, were natives of West Virginia and were of Scotch-Irish and German ancestry respectively. They were of sturdy mould, such as peculiarly fitted them for their early pioneer experiences, and were among the earliest settlers of Monroe township, coming here in 1840. At that time the locality was in its original wild condition and the family were compelled to endure many hardships and privations during their early years here. Farm- ing implements were crude and not plentiful, and the land had to be cleared of the timber before seeding and planting could be under- taken, entailing a vast amount of labor of the most strenuous kind. The clothes worn by the family were entirely home-made, even the flax from which they were made being raised on the farm, after which it was worked through the several processes necessary before it could be spun and woven into the coarse cloth from which the
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clothing was made. It was probably not a very stylish piece of goods, but it was warm and serviceable and was popular in those days in the frontier homes. The subject's parents had ten children,. five of whom, Malinda, William R., Samuel B., Thomas and James F., were born before the family located in this county, while five others, John W., Rebecca A., Elijah W., Elizabeth V. and Mary M., were born here. To these children their parents gave every advantage possible, especially in the way of sound advice and godly counsel, though unable to give them liberal educations or endow them with much property.
The subject of this sketch enjoyed but meagre educational ad- vantages in his youth, three months being the longest period at any one time in which he attended school. He eagerly took ad- vantage of such opportunities as were possible, and supplementary to this was a three-years service in the army as quartermaster sergeant, which, Mr. Meeks says, was the best education he received at any time, as in that position he was compelled to do things just right. Upon attaining the proper age he was put to work assisting to cultivate the farm, and under the able guidance of his father soon learned the secrets of successful agriculture. He later took up the stock business, buying and shipping stock to other markets. Eventually he took up the butchering business and for some time was engaged in conducting a meat market. At present he is con- ducting one of the best farms in Monroe township, being considered one of the progressive and successful farmers of this portion of the county.
When the dark clouds of civil war hung over our land, Mr. Meeks evinced his patriotism by enlisting, on September 24, 1861, in Company D. Thirtieth Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, serv- ing with that command three years, and receiving an honorable discharge on September 29, 1864, at Indianapolis, Indiana. He served in the commissary department and, though he did not partici- pate in any of the great battles of the war, nonetheless he faithfully contributed his share to the general success of the cause.
On May 5, 1864, Mr. Meeks was united in marriage to Miss Mary C. Dobbs, who was born in Allen county, Kentucky, the daughter of John Mason and Silvia Dobbs. To them was born one :
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child, Mary Idella, who was born February 25, 1871, and who died on April 1, 1881. Politically Mr. Meeks has been a life-long Republican, having cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln. He expresses great pride in the record of his party, especially during the darkest days of the country's history, but, being a stanch prohibition- ist in principle, he does not approve the present indifference of his party, on that great and vital question. Fraternally he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Junior Order of United American Mechanics and the Grand Army of the Re- public. In religion the subject follows in the footsteps of his ancestors as far back as there is record, all having been firm ad- herents of the Methodist Episcopal church.
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JAMES E. McHUGH, M. D.
Within the pages of this work will consistently be found repre- sented many of the leading members of the medical profession in Allen county, and among the number is Dr. McHugh, who is established in an excellent practice in the city of Fort Wayne.
Dr. McHugh is a native of the Badger state, having been born in Reedsburg, Sauk county, Wisconsin, on the 19th of April, 1867, and being a son of James and Margaret E. (McDonald) McHugh, the former of whom was born in the north of Ireland, of Scotch- Irish ancestry, while the latter was born in the state of New Jersey. The father of the subject came to the United States in 1830 and he was numbered among the sterling pioneers of Wis- consin, where he continued to reside until the time of his death, which occurred in 1890. The major portion of his active career was in connection with agriculture. His wife passed away in 1886, and of their six children all are living.
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