USA > Indiana > Memorial record of northeastern Indiana > Part 55
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Never in its history has the church been prospered in its affairs to so magnificent a degree as during the present pastorate. On the 5th of May, 1894, was celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of its organization, and the reception which was held on the evening previous was spoken of by the press as one of the most notable and representative social gatherings ever held in this city. The inter- esting function was participated in by the pastors of the Jewish, Baptist, Episcopalian, Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian, United Brethren, Reformed and Christian churches of the city, and the occasion was one which brought into strong relief the fact that notable progress is being made in the line of church unity, and showed the kindly fellowship that maintains among those who
are working for the same exalted cause in the city of Fort Wayne.
As a speaker Rev. Leeper is forceful and eloquent, and his every utterance rings with sincerity and honest conviction. A master of rhetoric, he is enabled to present his views in such a way as to entertain as well as instruct his hearers, and his earnest and impassioned words reveal the deep fervor with which he is imbued in presenting the divine truths, which are thus made to ap- peal more strongly to those whom he ad- dresses. His mind, carefully disciplined, analytical and of broad ken, his keen per- ception and quick and lively sympathy, make him a power in his field of labor. It is sel- dom that one so young has attained so great prominence in the ministry, but the abilities of our subject are widely recognized, and his genuine worth has placed him among the foremost of those who devote their lives to their fellow-men. Mr. Leeper has made his Sunday-evening services additionally attract- ive and instructive through the effective utilization of a superior stereopticon. He is a practical photographer and makes many of his own slides with which he thus appeals to the eyes as well as the ears of his congrega- tion by placing before them a delineation of the scene or incident which he describes. He has lectured extensively. especially at summer Chautauqua assemblies, both on his- torical subjects and travel.
In August, 1882, Mr. Leeper was united in marriage to Miss Jennie D. McLaren, a young lady of culture and gentle refinement. She completed her education in the young ladies' seminary at Steubenville, Ohio, se- curing upon graduation the highest honors of her class. They have one child, James L., Jr., who is now (January, 1896) eleven years of age. Mrs. Leeper has proved to
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her husband a true helpmeet in his holy call- ing, and her sympathetic and generous na- ture has won her the love and confidence of all who have come within the sphere of her gracious influence and personality.
S AMUEL JORDAN WINSTON ELLIOTT, a farmer and stock- raiser, of Troy township, Whitley county, is a native of the neighbor- ing State of Ohio. He was born in Blendin township, Franklin county, August 25, 1822, and is a son of Archibald and Phœbe (Jemi- son) Elliott. The Elliotts were of Scotch- Irish lineage. The grandfather of our sub- ject, William Elliott, was born in Virginia, and during the Revolutionary war aided the Colonies in their struggle for independence. He spent his entire life in the State of his nativity, and reared a family which num- bered the following: William; Robert, who went to Tennessee; John, who died in Jack- son county, Ohio; and Ann, wife of Robert Kincaid, also a resident of the same county.
The father of our subject, Archibald Elliott, was born in Rockbridge county, Vir- ginia, November 27, 1771, and was there married to Phœbe Jemison, who was born in the same county, February 27, 1782. Her father, Robert Jemison, was a native of the Old Dominion, where he spent his entire life and was numbered among the heroes of the Revolution. Archibald Elliott took his family to Franklin county, Ohio, in order to escape from the pernicious influences of slavery. Subsequently he went to Delaware county, in the same State, where he lived until his life's labors were ended by death, on the 4th of May, 1843. His wife subse- quently came to Indiana and made her home
with our subject until called to her final rest, May 14, 1857. They were the parents of the following children: Rachel Jemison, who was born May 13, 1804, and died on the 3d of May, 1833; James Clark, born December 17, 1806, died in 1878; he mar- ried Kansas Strong, and after her death wedded Lydia Cunningham, by whom he had two sons and three daughters; William Jemison, born October 14, 1809, died in 1875; he married Cynthia Breck, and they had two children, both now deceased; Mar- garet Ann, born January 19, 1813, is still living in Ashley, Ohio; she became the wife of Noah Whipple, and the mother of three sons and two daughters; John Preston, born August 10, 1815, married Clarissa Cleve- land, by whom he had two children and died in 1864; Robert Jamison, born Febru- ary 12, 1818, married Catherine Jones, by whom he had three sons and two daughters, and died in December, 1892; Thomas Arm- strong, born August 6, 1820, is engaged in farming in Whitley county. Our subject completes the family.
When Mr. Elliott of this sketch was only six years of age he accompanied his parents to Delaware county, Ohio, where he was reared. He first came to Whitley county, Indiana, in 1844, to bring a load of goods for his brother Robert, and being pleased with the country he located where his brother's widow is now living. He then returned to his native State, and on the 25th of April, 1855, again started for Indiana, making the journey by team and reaching his destination after three weeks of travel. He purchased of George Fessler a quarter section of land on section 16, Troy town- ship, on which stood a log cabin and log barn, while twenty-five acres of the land had been cleared. For this property he
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gave $3.500, specie, and at once began its further development and improvement. In 1860 he built a very large barn and the fol- lowing year erected his present residence. As his financial resources increased he also extended the boundaries of his farm until it comprised 600 acres, and to-day he owns 300 acres of valuable land, which he oper- ates in connection with his son-in-law, Frederick Kaiser.
On the 6th of April, 1848, Mr. Elliott was united in marriage with Miss Nancy Finley, daughter of William and Margaret (Walker) Finley. She was born July 23, 1828, in Delaware county, Ohio, and died on the old home farm in Whitley county, Febru- ary 19, 1889, leaving many warm friends to mourn her loss. The children of the family are here mentioned: Mary Caroline, born February 14, 1851, is the wife of Homer King, a resident of Whitley county; Lydia Helen, born September 7, 1852, is the wife of Leander Lower, an agriculturist of Troy township, and their children are Sylvia, Jessie, Irvine, Alton, Anton and James; Phobe Margaret, born May 29, 1857, died August 19, 1883, was the wife of Thomas Cunningham, a farmer of Whitley county, and their only child, Chloe Mabel, who was born October 30, 1879, makes her home with her grandfather, Mr. Elliott; Flora Alice, born June 8, 1860, is the wife of Homer Bailey, by whom she has two children, - Horace and Ralph; Albert Franklin, born July 21, 1862, is living in Whitley county; Ida Belle, born September 7, 1866, is the wife of Frederick Kaiser, their marriage being celebrated August 17, 1889; he was born October 3, 1865, and is a son of Adam and Catherine (Lindler) Kaiser. He operates the farm which is owned by cur subject, and is now serving as Township
Trustee, to which position he was elected on the Republican ticket.
Like his father, Mr. Elliott was a Whig and is a Republican. He has led a busy and useful life, devoting the greater part of his time and energies to farming, and in the community where he has so long made his home, he has the confidence and esteem of all with whom he has been brought in con- tact.
Q HARLES H. HENDERSON, su- perintendent of the Canton Glass Company, Marion, Indiana .- The large, prosperous and well appointed glass works of Marion, of which Mr. Hen- derson is superintendent, is undoubtedly one of the best equipped plants of its kind in the West. The mammoth concern covers four acres of ground, and represents an invest- ment of $72,000.
Its officers are Henry W. Harter, presi- dent, residence Canton, Ohio; Charles J. Bockins, secretary and treasurer, Marion; Charles H. Henderson, superintendent, Ma- rion; and David Barker, designer, Marion. The original organization of the company was effected under the State laws of Ohio, in March, 1883, with a paid up capital stock of $50,000. At that time the works were located at Canton, and were successfully op- erated until destroyed by fire March 23, 1890.
A change of location was then decided upon and Marion, Indiana, was elected as the most advantageous location for future operations; and work was immediately be- gun in the construction of suitable buildings. August 9th, following, everything was in readiness, and an auspicious opening was made with a fifteen-pot furnace. In the meantime the company had been operating
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a plant at Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, which was closed in June of the same year, and all the property of the company at that place and at Canton was removed to Marion. The capacity of the works very soon became over- taxed, and in order to meet the demands of a constantly increasing trade it became nec- essary, in 1892, to double the capacity. As it stands to-day, it is one of the most extensive manufactories of the kind in the United States; and it is probable that in the near future it will have to be still further enlarged to keep up with its orders.
The product consists of bar goods, drug sundries, tableware and novelties, the com- pany controlling many of the most valuable patents in their line, being patentees and sole manufacturers of the world-renowned ribbed filtering funnel. They give special attention to the making and working of pri- vate molds, and are the largest manufactur- ers in this country of pressed vault, sidewalk and skylight glass. The reputation of their goods is unrivaled and they are already marketed in distant parts of the world. Two hundred and fifty skilled artisans are employed.
The gentlemanly and efficient superin- tendent is a native of Wheeling, West Vir- ginia, born July 17, 1850, and from his boy- hood up he has worked in the glass busi- ness. In his native town he was reared to man's estate, acquiring a practical education in the common schools. The trade of glass- blowing he learned in Wheeling and Pitts- burg; subsequently in all the principal cities of the country. In 1876 he was given charge of the Crystal Glass Company's works, at that time the largest and most important in Pittsburg. In 1880 he organ- ized the Brilliant Glass Company in Jeffer- son county, Ohio. His father, John Hen-
derson, a native of Pittsburg, was a pioneer in the manufacture of glass at Wheeling, and was Superintendent of the Crystal Glass Works at Pittsburg, which, in 1876, he re- signed in favor of his son.
Mr. Henderson has spent the years of an average life in glass-making and has ac- quired a practical and technical knowledge of the art that is surpassed by few, if any. In his social and business relations he is courteous and frank. There is, as well, a positive side to his nature which, when ex- erted, unmistakably gives point and direc- tion to his purposes.
Mr. Henderson was married, in 1870, to Miss Agnes Conway, a native of Pittsburg, who has borne him four children: Mary, wife of Clay Mullin; Agnes, Edna, and Earl Benjamin Harrison. Politically he is a Re- publican, and religiously a Methodist. In the former, while living in Ohio, he had considerable local prominence, having served two years in the City Council, and was honored with the candidacy to the shrievalty of Stark county, which he de- clined to accept. During the last days of the war, he served in the West Virginia militia.
p ATRICK S. O'ROURKE .- Not all men order their lives to their lik- ing; nor yet are all men true to themselves in living as nearly to their ideals as possible and in attaining to such heights as their opportunities and tal- ents render accessible. We now turn to one who has won for himself an honorable position in connection with the activities of the world, one who is a distinctive type of the self-made man. Not a pretentious or exalted life has been his, but one that has
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been true to itself and its possibilities, and one to which the biographist may revert with a feeling of respect and satisfaction. Identified in a most prominent way with an industry which represents one of the most magnificent and beneficent lines of enter- prise in our national commonwealth, that of railroading, and having attained to such prestige by successive steps from the most lowly offices, well may attention be accorded in this connection to him whose naine initi- ates this paragraph, while there are other incidental causes which demand for him consideration, for he is recognized as a man of alert mentality and as one of the progres- sive and representative citizens of Fort Wayne. Mr. O'Rourke is widely and favor- ably known in railroad circles, having started out in the most humble capacity and having advanced, through faithful service and prompt and active discharge of the duties devolving upon him, until he now holds the responsible preferment as superintendent of the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad.
Patrick S. O'Rourke is a native of New- ark. New Jersey, where he was born on the 25th of September, 1830, the son of Chris- topher and Ellen Flanagan) O'Rourke, both of whom were natives of county Kil- dare, Ireland, and people of intelligence and sturdy integrity. They were married in the land of their birth, about the year 1823, and two years later severed the ties which bound them to the home hallowed by youth- ful associations, and emigrated to America, taking up their abode in New Jersey. In 1838 they removed to Ohio, whence they subsequently removed to Indiana and located in Fort Wayne, where they passed the resi- due of their lives. They were people of sterling worth, were devout adherents of the Roman Catholic Church, and their many
exemplary attributes of character won them the confidence and respect of a large circle of friends. Further reference to the an- cestry of our subject may be found in the sketch of the life of his brother, Judge E. O'Rourke, appearing elsewhere in this volume.
During his youth Patrick S. O'Rourke accompanied his parents on their various removals until they at last found a perma- nent home in Fort Wayne. They were in limited circumstances, and on this account the educational advantages which were re- ceived by our subject were only such as were afforded by the common schools of Carroll county, Ohio. His was an individ- uality, however, that could not fail to assert itself, and he has gained in the practical affairs of life a deeper and more discriminat- ing knowledge than could possibly be afforded by mere text-book lore. In his early youth he began to depend upon his own exertions for a livelihood, securing employment as a farm laborer and devoting his attention to that line of occupation until there came to him the idea that greater opportunities for advancement were to be found in railroad work. He had the strong courage of his convictions, and was not afraid to begin at the foot of the ladder. He secured a position on a construction train as a common laborer, but his fidelity, ability and sturdy integrity soon gained him recognition and ere long insured his promo- tion. In the year 1856 he was made a conductor on a construction train, the next year was advanced to the position of freight conductor, and so ably and faithfully dis- charged his duties in these capacities that when three years had elapsed he was again promoted, being made conductor on a pas- senger train, an exacting and responsible
جيد
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position in which he gave evidence of the same executive and practical ability which had secured to him the successive promo- tions. In 1866 he became master of trans- portation on the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad, serving in that capacity for the period of five years. In 1871 he was tendered the position as assistant superintendent of the Michigan & Lake Shore Railroad and within the following year was advanced to the important position as superintendent. He was with the Mich- igan & Lake Shore Railroad from 1871 until 1876, when he was made superintendent of the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad. These changes of position, however, in- volved no change of employment. He has worked under the same system for over forty-one years.
Working his way upward in this manner he has become thoroughly familiar with every detail of the complicated system of railroading, and this discriminating knowl- edge renders him especially eligible for the management which his present position in- volves. He is to-day recognized as one of the most efficient practical railroad men of the West, and this reputation is thoroughly merited. He is as punctilious in his dis- charge of duties now as he was when he held an almost menial position, and retains the confidence and high regard of the other officials of the company by which he is employed.
In his religious adherency Mr. O'Rourke clings to the faith of his fathers, and is prominently connected with the Catholic Church, of which the other members of his family are also communicants. He has in this connection gained no little distinction as the organizer of the Saint Joseph's Society in the city of Fort Wayne,
and for two consecutive years he was su- preme vice-president of this order. He also organized the Catholic secret society known as the American Sons of Columbus, an as- sociation of comparatively recent inception, but one that has had a phenomenal growth. Only Catholics are eligible for membership in this order, whose aims are altogether commendable, and this is also true in con- nection with the auxiliary composed of wo- men and known as the Daughters of Isabella. He organized the first branch of the Catholic Knights of America in Fort Wayne and was Supreme Trustee one term, Supreme Vice- President two terms, and, except when at- tending the Supreme Councils as supreme officer, he was a Supreme Delegate from the State of Indiana.
Mr. O'Rourke keeps himself well in- formed on the political questions and issues of the day and maintains an abiding inter- est in political affairs, being a stalwart sup- porter of the Democratic party and its prin- ciples, while in the councils of his party his advice and opinions are held in high estima- tion. He has given special study and re- search in regard to the matter of tariff re- form, ably advocating its expediency, both on the platform and through the medium of the public press. He is devoted to what- ever he believes to be right, and all who know him accord him esteem for his strict integrity and genuine worth. Also he is in favor of honest money.
ICK TOWNSEND .- In Fort Wayne there is no man more widely or more favorably known than the genial and popular proprietor of the Randall Hotel. He has made the estab- lishment of which he is at the head a first-class
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one in every particular, and it is a favorite resort with the traveling public and particular- ly with that large class whose opportunities aptly qualify them to be judges of what con- stitutes a good hotel in all its appointments and equipments, -- the commercial travelers.
Mr. Townsend is numbered among the native sons of Indiana, his birth having oc- curred in Adams county, on the 6th of No- vember, 1859. He is also a worthy repre- sentative of one of the pioneer families of the State, his parents having located here at an early day. He is the only son of Eli and Leocadia S. (Burt) Townsend, both of whom were natives of the Empire State. The latter was the daughter of Chester Burt, who emigrated from Chemung county, New York, to Indiana early in the development of this section of the country. The father of our subject died when Dick was a lad of only six summers. He then went to make his home with his maternal grandfather, spending his boyhood days midst play and work and in attendance at the public schools, where he acquired a fair education. His grandfather was proprietor of a hotel in Decatur, Indiana, and thus from boyhood he has been familiar with hotel life. Possess- ing a retentive memory and an observing eye, in the recesses of his mind he stored away many valuable ideas concerning hotel- keeping. When but nineteen years of age, he assumed the management of the Burt Hotel in Decatur, which he successfully conducted for a period of eleven years, from 18So until 1891. Although probably the youngest, he became one of the most popu - lar hotel-men in the State, for his genial manner and his courteous treatment won him the good will and confidence of all with whom he was brought in contact.
Coming to Fort Wayne in 1891 Mr.
Townsend entered into partnership with P. A. Randall, as proprietor of the Randall House, and is to-day conducting the best two-dollar-a-day hotel in the State. It is a handsome and well appointed building, complete in all particulars. It contains 100 rooms, well arranged and nicely lighted and ventilated. Mr. Townsend endeavors ear- nestly to please his patrons and make their stay with him pleasant. He wins friends wherever he goes, and his patrons always remember with pleasure their visits to the Randall House. He still retains the owner- ship of the Burt House in Decatur, and in 1892 erected the pleasant, commodions ho- tel building, containing fifty-two rooms.
Socially Mr. Townsend is a valued and honored member of the Masonic fraternity, in which he has taken the Knight Templar and Mystic-Shrine degrees. He also be- longs to the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, and to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His business ably managed has proved a profitable one, and as a result of his energetic efforts he is to-day the pos- sessor of a comfortable competence.
ALVIN COWGILL, the enterpris- ing president of the Wabash Na- tural Gas Company, of Wabash, Indiana, belongs to that class of progressive and energetic men to whom the wonderful development of the West is due. His excellent business ability, keen discrimi- nation and sound judgment have brought to him a handsome competence and demon- strated the fact that success is not a matter of genius but the result of earnest and well directed labor.
Mr. Cowgill was born in Clinton county, Ohio, January 7, 1819, and is a son of Amos
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and Edith (Mendenhall) Cowgill, the former a native of Frederick county, Virginia, and the latter of Guilford county, North Caro- lina. The grandfather, John Cowgill, was also born in the Old Dominion, and was of Eng- lish lineage. He had two brothers who served in the Colony army during the Revo- lutionary war, and he had a large family of children. By occupation he was a farmer and followed that pursuit throughout his business career, dying at the age of seventy- three years. The maternal grandfather, Nathan Mendenhall, was born in North Carolina, of Scotch parentage, and was a millwright and farmer. He was a man of powerful physique and a great athlete, but in disposition was kindly and generous. Both families were connected with the So- ciety of Friends.
children, eight of whom survive, as follows: Calvin; Lydia, widow of Thomas Wallace; Olive Ann, widow of Dr. John A. Marine; Abi, wife of Isaac Thorn; Nathan; Cathe- rine, wife of Jacob Harter; Rowena, wife of Joseph B. Harter; and Ellen, widow of George Rhodes.
Calvin Cowgill was reared in Clinton county, Ohio, until eighteen years of age, when he came to Randolph county, Indiana, with his parents. His early education was obtained in the old-fashioned subscription school, and subsequently he attended a semi- nary. On leaving home he entered the office of Moorman Way, of Winchester, Indiana, where he studied law. He was admitted to the bar in the winter of 1842-3, but did not attempt to practice to any great extent until 1852. He came to Wabash in 1846, which has now been his home for al- most half a century. Here he continued in active practice until 1891, being connected with some of the most important legal cases in the courts. His superior ability as an attorney made him a power before a judge and jury, and he did an extensive law busi- ness.
The father of our subject also gave his attention to agricultural pursuits, and on April 1, 1836, emigrated to Indiana, locat- ing upon a farm in Randolph county, which he operated for ten years. From 1846 un- til the spring of 1849 he resided in Kalama- zoo county, Michigan, and then came to Wabash county, Indiana, living in North Manchester until called to his final rest in Though living in the city, Mr. Cowgill has almost continuously carried on some farming operations, and is now the owner of about 600 acres of land, including a farm of 345 acres situated less than a mile from the northern corporation limits of Wabash, while the remainder is about ten miles from the town. He also has considerable real estate in the city, including his beautiful home near the court-house. the fall of 1856, when sixty-two years of age. His wife survived him until Decem- ber, 1891, reaching the advanced age of ninety-one years. She was in many respects a remarkable woman, and her intellect re- mained unimpaired up to the time of her death. Both were consistent members of the Quaker society, and were charitable and benevolent people whose many acts of kind- ness won the love of all. Mr. Cowgill left He is a man of broad capability, and his efforts have by no means been confined to one line of endeavor. He was the first president of the Cincinnati, Wabash & Virginia because he believed slavery to be wrong, and nothing which his conscience did not approve as right would he tolerate in the least degree. In the family were fifteen | Michigan Railroad, now the Michigan di-
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