USA > Indiana > Wayne County > Richmond > Memoirs of Wayne County and the city of Richmond, Indiana; from the earliest historical times down to the present, including a genealogical and biographical record of representative families in Wayne County, Volume II Pt II > Part 24
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year, 1911, "Maya," a lyrical drama, was issued by the same Press, being a dramatization of Mr. Foulke's romance of the same title. He has also delivered numerous addresses on political and sociological subjects in various parts of the country. In 1911 he was re-elected President of the National Municipal League. In politics he is a progressive Republican. He has been, since June, 1909, one of the editors, as well as the principal proprietor, of the "Evening Item," an independent newspaper, published in Rich- mond. At an earlier period, in 1883, he was for a short time one of the editors of the "Palladium," another Richmond paper.
John and Elizabeth (Platt) Erwin .- The simple life was the universal type of life in Richmond 100 years ago, and it seems fit- ting to pay tribute to the generous helpfulness and rugged in- tegrity of the early settlers, who left their far-away homes in the East and braved the hardships of the overland journey which brought them to the new country waiting to- be occupied and made to blossom and yield its treasures to the diligent and in- telligent laborers. The strength of every government-munici- pal, State or National-lies in the great body of men and women whose struggles, failures, and successes never come to the notice of the general public. Without their staunch loyalty great lead- ers would be powerless. John and Elizabeth Erwin belonged to that body of men and women who agree with Whittier in the belief that "Love of God and neighbor should be an equal-handed labor," and their quiet lives were so lived that they lay down to their final rest "like one who wraps the drapery of his couch about him and lies down to rest, undisturbed by thoughts of wrongs." They came with their eight children-except the eldest daughter, Mary Ann Frazer,-from Newport, Del., to Richmond, Ind., in 1828. One child, Maria, died at the age of nine years and was buried at the old home, and one son, William, was born in the West. Some incidents of the journey will illustrate the changes that have taken place in the means of transportation, from a wagon for the baggage and a "Dearborn" for the accom- modation of the family, to the baggage cars and Pullman sleep- ers of to-day. They left Newport at an early hour, June 15, 1828, and dined at Rock Meeting House, where they bade farewell to the relatives who had accompanied them thus far-a sadder part- ing than we of to-day can realize when the distance can be com- fortably covered in less than twenty-four hours. They usually traveled from 5 or 6 o'clock in the morning until 7 or 8 o'clock in the evening, with stops for meals, repairs to the wagon, the purchase of supplies, rest for horses, etc. They struck the turn- pike twenty-three and one-half miles from Baltimore, at a small village called Bush. Before reaching Baltimore they paid $1.75 for crossing a bridge at Fort Deposit, and fifty cents, sixty-two and one-half cents, and thirty-one and one-fourth cents at the three toll gates. The land was well cultivated to St. Petersburg, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where they stopped for the night, passing the villages of Cookstown, Lisbon, Poplar Springs, Ridgeville, New Market, and Frederick, the last three
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boasting the possessions of postoffices. Beyond the first summit lay an elegant valley and the village of Middletown. When they reached the summit of the second ridge repairs to the wheels became necessary. Four miles beyond Boonsville the faithful dogs were missed and the eldest son returned for them, at the cost of an extra walk of more than sixteen miles before he rejoined Thomas Boys and a black boy, "Jacob," who waited for him while the rest of the company went on to Hagerstown, seventy miles from Baltimore. Thomas Boys was a cobbler who accompanied the family and made shoes for the early residents of Richmond at their homes. The black boy, "Jake," as he was familiarly known, was a slave in Delaware and had importuned Mr. Erwin to buy him and bring him west with him. Mr. Erwin was op- posed to slavery, and could not have held him in servitude in Indiana in any event, but finally paid the price of his freedom, in return for which "Jake" rendered faithful and willing service, later becoming a useful citizen as a barber. The attention of the oldest son, John W. Erwin, was attracted by the many bridges, of two, three, or four arches, in some instances. It is interesting to note that on his arrival at Richmond he diligently applied himself to the study of astronomy, navigation, surveying, and kindred subjects, and became very proficient in surveying, a call- ing in which in after years he gained much prominence and was largely instrumental in developing the resources and industries of the western country. He was employed in constructing the first turnpike west of the mountains, and with his brother-in-law, John Frazer, who came west later, assisted in building all the old covered bridges on the National Road. Their names, with others, were to be seen on the abutment of the old Main Street bridge, crossing Whitewater. John W. Erwin was interested throughout his long life in all works of a public character, and this interest, no doubt, was aroused by the experiences of this long journey, which terminated July 12, Saturday, at 2 o'clock, p. m., at Richmond, Ind., where the family stopped at Mr. Suther- land's hotel, remaining until Tuesday, when they rented a house of Patrick Justice at $4 per month, putting the horses to pasture the next day, July 16. One of these horses would never work double again. Most of the stops for the night had been at way- side inns and the expense ranged from twenty-five cents to $1.871/2, totalling about $28. Supplies had been difficult to procure at times, particularly in the "plentiful State" of Ohio, where they "nearly starved," says the diary of one of the boys. Bread by the loaf had varied from five cents to twelve and one-half cents ; sugar, ten to fourteen cents per pound ; butter, six and one-fourth to ten cents ; beef, hard to get at two and one-half to four cents per pound; ham, eight cents a pound; one-half pound of tea, sixty-two and one-half cents. The total expenditures for sup- plies was about $25. Nineteen toll-gates were passed at rates varying from thirty-one and one-fourth cents to sixty-two and one-half cents, totalling $7.37'2. Toll bridges, varying from' . twenty-five cents to $1.75 each, cost them $3.74, and ferries,
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$2.0614. They began the ascent of the Allegheny range of moun- tains, June 24, making only fifteen miles that day on account of constantly ascending or descending. They reached the foot of the last mountain, Laurel Hill, June 27, when they encountered the first rain and the first necessity for heavy repairs to the wagon wheels- - new spokes and tires. The growth of Norwich, Ohio, seemed phenomenal to them as they passed, July 4, 1828, its forty buildings, including four or five taverns, having been built since Aug. 13, 1827, with seven or eight brick houses to be erected that summer. Circleville, with its circular streets and interesting mounds, was described. Xenia and Dayton were "considerable villages," the latter "well laid out" and having an elegant saw mill near and three large canal boats in process of construction. The woods on the mountains abounded with panthers, bears, wolves, deer, etc. The inhabitants, principally Dutch and Irish, lived in poorly constructed log cabins. Just before reaching Wheeling they passed the monument erected by Moses and Lydia Shepherd to Henry Clay, in 1820. At Morristown they stopped at Nathan Shepherd's inn, with the sign of "equestrian statue of Gen. Andrew Jackson." The turnpike was finished only to Zanesville and they had to travel the "old route." It was ex- pected that 100 miles of the National Pike to Cincinnati would be completed that year, which the writer said would be "superb." It was in this way that the early settlers came west, where mu- tual helpfulness-the spirit of brotherly kindness-was the watch- word, and log-rollings, barn-raisings, quiltings, apple-pearings, and corn-huskings were the natural expressions of it, born of com- mon needs. John Erwin was a farmer and spent the remainder of his life in this vicinity, dying in 1849. His wife died in 1846. Ilis second son, George W., was associated in later life with his brother, John, in a paper mill at Middletown, Ohio. Samuel, Ed- win, and William for many years lived on farms southeast of Richmond, the first named residing there until his death. Ed- win and William later in life moved to Missouri. Elizabeth Erwin married Aaron Shute and lived on a farm on the State line. Lydia married Alexander Stokes and lived in and near Richmond to an advanced age, having been a widow many years. Alice P. married Dr. William B. Smith, for many years a successful phys- ician in Richmond. His wife survived him, spending her last years in Indianapolis, Ind. Susan B. Erwin married Francis W. Robinson, who established the Robinson Machine Works, pass- ing away in 1895, her husband surviving her two years. Maria died in youth before they left Delaware. The survivors of this family are as follows: Frank Erwin Brandt, grandson of John WV. Erwin, and two children reside in Aurora, Ill. Elizabeth Strobridge, daughter of George W. Erwin, and one daughter, formerly of Cincinnati, are now in North Carolina with several other children and great-grandchildren. Three grandchildren- Mrs. Judge Martin of Bedford, Ind., Mrs. Ella -- , and Charles Dougherty, an attorney of Kansas City, Mo .- survive Mary Ann Frazer. 'Three grandchildren of Elizabeth (Erwin) Shute-
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Elizabeth ( Webster) Dalbey, Gertrude Chute, and Thez Hodgin - survive; as do also two great grandchildren. One daughter- Mrs. Margaret D. Williams and seven grandchildren Harry D. Williams of Daytona, Fla., Paul, of Columbus, Ohio, Charles, living in West Virginia, Eleanor Smith, of Indianapolis, William ( hapt, at fada spelt. Band & hapt, of I'll ! l'a, and Mary Ketlin, of Indianapolis and several great udsen Alice P. Smith. Two daughters Many Schule and Batali Salud en -one grandchild --- Mrs. Myra Needham and daughter survive. Lydia E. Stokes. The living descendants of Susan B. Robin- son: Children-Emily Platt Yeo, Elizabeth E. Barnes, Eleonora H. and Frances M. Robinson, and Mrs. S. E. Swayne; grand- children-II. M. Yeo, Willard F. Yeo, Frank B., William Platte, and H. R. Robinson, Mrs. Daisy T. Vanghan, Mrs. Grace Gen- nett, E. Yarrington Barnes, and Juliet R. Swayne; and there are fifteen great-grandchildren. Of William P. Erwin one son, Ed- win P. Erwin and family, are the only descendants.
Edward W. Craighead, a leading business man of the city of Richmond and ex-president of the Electrical Contractors' Asso- ciation of the State of Indiana, was born in Wooster, Wayne county, Ohio, May 1, 1863. Ilis parents were William Johnston and Mary Ann ( McClure) Craighead, the former born in Penn- sylvania, March 7, 1833, and died Aug. 19, 1864, and the latter in Wooster, Ohio, and died in the same place in 1900. They were married Oct. 17, 1855. The father represented the sixth genera- tion of the Craighead family in this. country. The first of the family name to come to America was Rev. Thomas Craighead, a son of Rev. Robert Craighead, who was a native of Scotland and who removed to Ireland, where he was settled as pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Donoughmore, in 1657-58, in which place he labored thirty years. Ile was subsequently a minister at Londonderry, at the time the gates of that city were closed against the Papal forces of James II, whose purpose it was to massacre the Protestants. Reverend Craighead made his escape the second day of the siege that followed and made his way to Glasgow, Scotland; but afterward returned to Ireland and died in Londonderry, in 1711. His son Thomas was educated in Scot- land as a physician and married the daughter of a Scotch laird. After practicing medicine for a time he abandoned that profes- sion, studied theology, and was a pastor several years in Ireland, principally at Donegal. In consequence, however, of the oppres- sions endured by the Presbyterians of that country and inflicted by the government and the established church, and past experi- ence giving them little hope of any permanent relief, large num- bers of the people determined to emigrate to America. Among these emigrants was Thomas Craighead, who came to New Eng- land in 1715, accompanied by Rev. William Holmes, who was married to Reverend Craighead's sister, Catherine. Reverend Holmes settled at Martha's Vineyard and is buried with his wife at Chilmark. Their eldest son, Robert, was a sea captain, resided, in Boston, and married Mary, a sister of Benjamin Franklin. The
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first public mention made of Thomas Craighead in this country is by Cotton Mather, who speaks of him as preaching at Free- town, which was about forty miles south of Boston, and urges the people to do all in their power to have him settle among them. The efforts made for his settlement in Freetown were un- successful, for we find a notice in President Stiles' papers of liis coming "to the Jerseys" in the spring of 1723. On Jan. 28, 1724, he became a member of New Castle Presbytery, which at that period included portions of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Dela- ware. He received a call from White Clay Creek, Del., in Feb- ruary of the same year, and accepted it. Ile was installed Sept. 22, 1724, and was there seven years. He removed to Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1733, and on Sept. 3 of the same year united with Donegal Presbytery, at which time a call was placed in his hands from the church at Pequea. This he accepted and was installed as pastor, Oct. 31, Rev. Mr. Anderson presiding. He died while pastor of the church at Newville, in April, 1739. The great-grandson of Rev. Thomas Craighead was James Gil- son Craighead, who married Margaret Patterson and became the father of John Craighead, the grandfather of Edward W. John Craighead was born May 6, 1802, in Pennsylvania, and on Feb. IO, 1831, was married to Alesanna Johnston, of Cumberland county, that State. His wife died Nov. 2, 1856, and he passed away March 10, 1864. They were the parents of William John- ston Craighead, the father of Edward W. William J. Craig- head spent the early years of his life on a farm with his parents near Mansfield, Ohio. Then for a time he conducted a tin and coppersmith shop in Wooster, Ohio, and finally purchased 640 acres of land which had been used by a slave-holder in Missouri, near St. Louis. He went there to prepare the place for cultiva- tion, and while thus engaged was stricken with illness and died, his remains being brought to Wooster, Ohio, for burial. The land in Missouri was afterwards sold. Of the union of William J. Craighead and wife were born three children: Alice, the wife of E. S. Kuhn, of East End, Pittsburg, Pa. ; Lee Durbin, of Wil- kinsburg, also a suburb of Pittsburg; and Edward W. The latter received his education in the public schools of Wooster, Ohio. After the completion of his schooling he learned the tinner's trade with an uncle, working at that business about three years. He then learned the plumbing and heating trade in Wooster, after which he worked at that occupation in Cleveland and Chicago un- til twenty-one years of age. In 1884 he engaged in the plumbing business at Wooster, in partnership with another uncle, the firm being known as McClure & Craighead, and this association con- tinued about six years. Mr. Craighead then disposed of his in- terest in the business to his partner and moved to Piqua, Ohio, where he worked for a Mr. Lenox one year, having charge of the latter's plumbing work in that place. In 1892 he came to Rich- mond and accepted the position of foreman for F. W. Curtis, hav- ing charge of the plumbing and heating for that gentleman six years. In 1899 Mr. Craighead and James S. Zoller purchased the
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business of Mr. Curtis and organized the firm of Zoller & Craig- head. For seven years the place of business was located at 1127 Main street, and then it was moved to 910 Main street, where it is now located. In February, 1907, Mr. Craighead purchased the interest of Mr. Zoller in the business and organized a stock company, with a capital stock of $15,000, under the name of Craighead Plumbing & Electric Company, wholesale and retail dealers in plumbing, heating and electrical goods, manufacturers of chandeliers, and contractors for plumbing, hot water and steam heating and all kinds of electrical construction. This company put the heating plants in the Wayne county court house, the Hit- tle Block, and the Reid Memorial Hospital, and also did the plumbing, heating and wiring in the last named building. It also did the plumbing and heating in the Wernle Orphans' Home, and the heating and wiring in the new Second National Bank build- ing, recently constructed. Among other work recently completed is the remodeling of the plumbing, heating and wiring of the Westcott Hotel, and the wiring of the new high school building and putting in the electrical fixtures, call bells, and antomatic clock system. Other works that may be mentioned are the heat- ing plants of the Jones Hardware Company ; Pogue, Miller & Co .; the George HI. Knollenberg Company, and the Wayne Flats; also the plumbing, heating and wiring in the new residences of Mrs. Helen M. Gaar and Howard Campbell; the plumbing in the new Richmond Underwear Company building on North Tenth street ; the wiring and plumbing in the residence of James M. Carr; the plumbing and heating in the residence of Henry Gennett ; the plumbing in the office of Gaar, Scott & Co .; plumbing, heating and wiring in the New Murray Theatre; the plumbing in the new resi- dence of Dr. Dougan ; the plumbing and heating in the Elks' Club House ; the wiring of the Y. M. C. A. building; and the plumbing, heating and wiring of the two new flat buildings erected by Jonas Gaar at North Fifteenth and A streets. The company has also done a great deal of work outside of Richmond, chang- ing and remodeling the heating plant in the Greensburg High School building; putting in new heating plants in the I'nion county court house and jail ; wiring and heating the Elks' build- ing at Greensburg, Ind .; installing the plumbing equipment in the new high school building at Wichita, Kan .; and many other con- tracts that might be mentioned. Mr. Craighead has succeeded in developing a large business by his careful attention and honest dealings with his patrons, the quality of his work being his best advertisement. He served as a director of the Commercial Club in Richmond five years, was a director of the Merchants' Asso- ciation a number of years, and served as president of the Electri- cal Contractors' Association of the State of Indiana during the year 1908. Ile is a member of the Commercial Club, the Young Men's Business Club, the National Plumbers' Association, and the Electrical Contractors' Association. Fraternally he has mem- bership in Webb Masonic Lodge; Iola Lodge, Knights of Pythias, and the Elks. On June 10, 1884, he was united in mar-
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riage with Miss Margaret Jeffries, at Piqua, Ohio. She is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George W. Jeffries, of Piqua, where she was born and educated. Mr. and Mrs. Craighead have been blessed by the birth of three sons: George Walter has charge of the manufacturing of chandeliers and is assistant manager of his father's business; Norman Jeffries has charge of the electrical work in the employ of the company ; and Louis Ohliger is stock- man, having charge of all incoming and outgoing materials.
James C. Taylor, a prominent farmer and citizen of Dalton township, is a native of Wayne county, born in Dalton township, Feb. 18, 1867. His parents-Henry and Emma ( Pierce) Taylor, were born in Indiana, the father in Henry county. Henry Tay- lor is a son of James Taylor, born in Guilford county, North Carolina, and brought to Indiana when about fourteen years old by his parents. Emma ( Pierce) Taylor died in 1869, and of her marriage with Henry Taylor was born a son, James C. James C. Taylor was thus orphaned by the death of his mother when eighteen months old and was reared by his grandfather, James Taylor, a prominent farmer of Henry county. Ile received his early education in the schools of that county and remained with his grandfather until his majority. Ile then began farming for himself and followed that occupation eight years, at the end of which time he engaged in the general mercantile business at Dalton, following that line of endeavor twelve years, and in 1908 came to the farm where he resides, located in the southwest quar- ter of section 28, about one and one-half miles from the village of Dalton. In politics Mr. Taylor is a Republican and he held the office of postmaster at Dalton two years and until the office was discontinued on account of the rural free delivery. In 1909 he was elected township trustee. Ile was married in Dalton township, Jan. 23. 1889, to Miss Mary L. Beeson, daughter of Benjamin and Olinda ( Lamb) Beeson, natives of Dalton township, where the father became one of the largest land-owners in Wayne county, having owned as many as 1, 100 acres at one time. Mrs. Taylor was born in Dalton township, Jan. 23, 1867, and received her early education in the district schools. To Mr. and Mrs. Tay- lor have been born six children: Benjamin W. married Sylvia Dennis and is a farmer in Dalton township; Ruth graduated at the Mooreland High School with the class of 19H and resides at the parental home; and the others are Howard, Harriet, Richard, and Olinda. Mrs. Taylor is the second in order of birth of the children of her parents, the others being Isaac F., of Randolph county, who married Catherine Huffman and they have four child- ren-Grace, Benjamin P., Marguerite, and Donald-and Edward O. and Frederick L., twins, residing in Randolph county ; the former married Lena Waltz and they have two children-George and Mary L .; and the latter married Laura Davis and they have seven children-Herbert, Bernard, Charles, Harold, Lowell, Robert, and James. Mr. Taylor is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Dalton Lodge, No. 529, and his religious faith is ex- pressed in the Friends' church. He is an earnest believer in
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education and has devoted a great deal of time in this line to the best interest of the children of Dalton. He also takes a great deal of interest in stock-raising and agriculture.
Joseph Clevenger, who is one of the successful farmers and stock-raisers of Washington township, where he owns a well im- proved homestead of about 300 acres, but is living retired in Mil- ton, was born in Abington township, Wayne county, Indiana, Jan. 14, 1847, a son of Samuel and Ruth (Spahr) Clevenger, the former born in Darke county, Ohio, March 10, 1810, and the latter in Virginia, Jan. 5, 1812. The paternal grandfather was Daniel Clevenger, who came from Ohio to Wayne county in 1816 and located in Abington township and purchased land, which he cleared and upon which he resided until his death. He became the father of seven children, all of whom are deceased-Samuel, Polly, Cynthia, Susan, Lucinda, Sarah, and Maria. Samuel Clev- enger was a boy at the time of his parents' immigration to Wayne county, and as before stated the family took up its abode in Abington township, where he was reared to maturity and received a common-school education. He remained with his father until married, when he inherited a farm of 160 acres, which he cleared and farmed until his death, April 28, 1881. He was a Democrat in his political proclivities and both he and his wife were com- municants of the Methodist Episcopal church. They were married abont 1833 and became the parents of ten children: Rebecca, Susan, and Daniel are deceased; Sabra is the wife of Emanuel Leib, of Liberty, Ind .; Mary is the widow of David Reigel and resides at Brownsville, Ind .; Samuel resides in Abington town- ship; Joseph is the next in order of birth; Nancy is the wife of William Quinn, of Cartersburg, Ind .; Thomas resides at Center- ville, Ind .; and Francis is a resident of Abington township. Joseph Clevenger was reared in Wayne county and his early educational privileges were those afforded by the district schools of Abing- ton township. He continued to assist his father in his farming operations until the age of twenty-one years, after which he rented a farm three years. He then purchased eighty acres in Washington township, afterward adding to it until he had about 300 acres, and he was most successful in his operations as a gen- eral agriculturist and as a breeder of horses, cattle, etc. In 1904 he retired from the active management of his farm and, in 1906, removed to Milton, where he has since resided, and he is a stock- holder in the Bank of Milton. His political allegiance is given to the Democratic party and he and his wife hold membership in Doddridge Chapel of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which faith he was reared. On Dec. 28, 1870, Mr. Clevenger was united in marriage to Miss Mary J. Jones, daughter of Levi M. and Ma- tilda T. (Brown ) Jones, of Centerville, Ind., where she was reared and educated. Mr. Jones was born in Centerville, Ind., April 4, 1823, and his wife in Delaware county, Indiana, Sept. 25, 1829. The father was a brick-molder at Centerville several years and then followed farming in Washington township until his death, May 13, 1876. He and his good wife were married June 15, 1851,
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