USA > Indiana > Memorial record of northeastern Indiana > Part 58
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99
Mr. Randall was married September 7, 1876, to Miss Julia P. Fay, daughter of Judge James A. Fay, of Fort Wayne. They have one son, Fay P. Randall, and two daughters, Anna B. and Carrie L. Randall. It is scarcely necessary to add that the career here outlined is one of the sort which we delight to describe as " typically American." It is the logical outgrowth of a good consti- tution, an active brain, an iron will, unre- mitting industry, steadiness of purpose, tem- perate habits and honorable conduct bearing fruit under the benign influences of free in-
553
NORTHEASTERN INDIANA.
stitutions. It is not for this reason any the less creditable to Mr. Randall, but is for that reason the more stimulating and encourag- ing to the young man who is just getting ready to make his own biography and to the lover of his country and his kind.
LIAS MONTGOMERY RINEAR. -The subject of this review has been a resident of the State of In- diana for nearly half a century and of Wells county since his boyhood days. His ancestral history has been one of long identification with American interests and one which bespeaks honest men and women, sturdy loyalty and marked intelligence. He himself has attained a position of promi- nence and influence in the county and is one of the most progressive and valued citizens and business men of Liberty Center. A specific type of the self-made man, Mr. Rinear has attained a signal success in the affairs of life, has devoted himself assiduous- ly to the work which has come to his hand, and his every act has been characterized by that integrity and honor which never fail to call forth the respect and confidence of men. He has served his country with true patriotism as a soldier in the late war, and is such a man as most particularly merits representation in a work of this nature.
Reverting to the ancestral history of our subject we discover that the Rinear family is unmistakably of pure French origin, though it has been long represented in American history. The great-grandfather in the agnatic line was Joseph Rinear, who lived and died in Burlington county, New Jersey, no definite record of dates and events concerning him being obtainable at this time. It is supposed that he resided in the
vicinity of Mount Holly, and that the family had been established in New Jersey at least one generation preceding him. He was a farmer and stock-raiser, and it is interesting to note in the connection that succeeding generations have clung tenaciously to the noble art of husbandry in some form. Joseph Rinear became the father of six sons and three daughters, concerning whom we are enabled to offer brief record as follows : James, whose descendants remain in Burl- ington county, New Jersey; Edmund, who removed to Ohio, and who has descendants in the northern part of Wells county, In- diana (among these it may be noted that Louis Cotton, Jackson Cotton and Ran- som Allen are grandsons of Edmund Rinear and are honored residents of the county); Warden, whose descendants are located in the vicinity of Cleveland, Ohio; John, the grandfather of the immediate subject of this review; William, Herton, Jane, Ann and Rebecca.
John Rinear was born in Burlington county, New Jersey, April 23, 1782, and his death occurred in Cuyahoga county, Ohio, about the year 1853. He was twice mar- ried, and the children of the first union were six in number and of the second two: Seth died in Jennings county, Indiana, in the year 1864, and in the county named his two sons, Thomas and Sylvester, and his daughter, Sarah, still reside; Mary mar- ried Clement Sheets and retains her resi- dence in Cleveland, Ohio; Wesley died about 1842; Charles, father of our subject; Rebecca, who married Cravan Thrailkill, and whose death occurred in Wells county, Indiana, October 8, 1885; Joseph, who re- sides in Antioch, Lake county, Illinois; Au- gustus, of Bedford, Ohio; and Albert, of Macedonia, same State, -- the last two men-
554
MEMORIAL RECORD OF
tioned being the children of the second marriage.
Charles Rinear, father of our subject, was born in Burlington, New Jersey, July 7, 1816, and in 1820 removed with his parents to Columbiana county, Ohio, where the family remained until 1835, when they removed to Cuyahoga county, the same State. There, on Christmas Eve, 1840, Charles Rinear was united in marriage to Miss Jane Sophia Parker, and in May, 1847, he removed to Huntington county, Indiana, where he purchased a tract of land and de- voted his attention to its cultivation and improvement until 1854, when he disposed of the property and effected the purchase of another tract of land, in Liberty town- ship, Wells county. He was a man of spotless integrity and became influential in the township and county, devoting himself to farming and stock-raising and directing his efforts very successfully. In politics he was a stalwart Republican, and religiously he held closely to the faith of the Baptist Church, with which organization he iden- tified himself in early youth, and of which he served as a Deacon for nearly fifty years. Some few years prior to his demise he re- tired from the farm and took up his abode in Liberty Center, in order that he might enjoy the privileges of his church and yet remain in close touch with his friends and old neighbors, who had known him so long and who had a strong hold upon his affection, as he likewise did on theirs. His death occurred December 26, 1887. and the community mourned the loss of a true and noble man, whose life had been signally consecrated to kindly acts and been replete with noble sentiments. His wife, Jane Sophia Parker, was born in Genesee county, New York, on the
17th of May, 1820, being the daughter of Silas and Esther (Montgomery) Parker, the former of whom was a native of Connecticut and the latter of Oneida county, New York. Our subject's maternal grandmother, Esther Montgomery, was the daughter of Elias Montgomery, whose name Mr. Rinear bears. Elias Montgomery was a relative of General Richard Montgomery, who fell at the siege of Quebec, in 1775. The mother of our subject, Jane Sophia Rinear, died April 6, 1894.
Charles and Jane Sophia Rinear became the parents of six children, and as touching briefly in record we offer the following data: John W., a resident of Liberty township, Wells county, is engaged in agricultural pur- suits, and is representing his district in the State Senate; Elias M., the immediate sub- ject of this sketch; Emma Sophia, the wife of Eli Smith, a substantial farmer of Liberty township; Charles Augustus, who died in this county, August 20, 1878; George Franklin, a land-owner and farmer in Lib- erty township; and Mary Jane, the wife of Henry J. Johnson, who is a land-owner of the county, and is associated with our sub- ject in the grocery business at Liberty Center, and who holds preferment as Post- master in this place.
Having now traced the lineage and an- cestral history of our subject as fully as is consistent with the limitations of this article, we will now direct attention to the more salient points in his personal career. Elias Montgomery Rinear was born in Cuyahoga county, Ohio, on the 9th of March, 1844, and accompanied his parents upon their re- moval to Huntington county, Indiana, in May, 1847, and subsequently to Liberty township, Wells county, where they took up their abode in the fall of the year 1854.
P
555
NORTHEASTERN INDIANA.
Our subject was then a lad of ten years, and his boyhood days were passed in assisting in the work of the old homestead and in attend- ing the district schools through the winter months. The advantages thus afforded were all the specifically educational privileges which came to the portion of our subject, but his practical association with the affairs of life, his alert mentality, and his careful reading and study have most effectively sup- plemented the somewhat meager advantages of his youth, and he stands as a man of broad general information and mature judg- ment.
He had not yet attained the age of eight- een years at the time when the nation called upon its loyal sons to aid in suppressing armed rebellion, but Mr. Rinear was too patriotic by nature and hereditary domina- tion to sit with folded hands when he could render service to the cause. Accordingly, on August 20, 1862, he enlisted as a musi- cian in Company G, One Hundred and First Regiment of Indiana Volunteer Infantry, his term of enlistment being " for three years, or during the war." His company was in command of Captain David Truesdales. The regiment proceeded immediately to the . front and Mr. Rinear was actively engaged in the field until the summer of 1863, when impaired health compelled him to leave his regiment, at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and he was then sent to the field hospital on the banks of the Stone river, where he remained a few weeks and was then transferred to Hospital No. 19, at Nashville, Tennessee, and was there confined until the late fall, and being still incapacitated for field service, was transferred to the Fifteenth Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps; and did garrison duty at Columbus, Ohio, and Chicago, Illi- nois, during the remainder of his term of
service. He received the appointment as Fife Major of his regiment July 22, 1864, and he was honorably discharged from the service at Springfield, Illinois, July 8, 1865.
Mr. Rinear then returned to the parental home in Liberty township, and here re- mained for a time. Finally, on the 28th of September, of the same year, he assumed the responsibilities of connubial life, by uniting his destinies with those of Miss Mary Jane Hupp. Being without financial re- sources, Mr. Rinear rented a farm and there he and his faithful wife took up their abode and prepared to attain the fullest possible measure of success. That their efforts were not without avail is shown in the fact that, at the end of three years, our subject was enabled to purchase a small farm, and this was the veritable nucleus of the large realty holding which he now has in Wells county, for he has been a land-owner from that time.
In October, 1875, Mr. Rinear com- menced his mercantile career by taking charge of the drug and book store of his brother-in-law, Dr. S. Hupp, at Warren, Indiana, and he continued in this capacity until the fall of 1877, when he entered into partnership with his brother, John W. Ri- near, under the firm name of Rinear Broth- ers, for the operating of a general mercan- tile business at Liberty Center. This en- terprise proved a financial success, as cor- rect and progressive methods were brought to bear and as the honor of the firm was known to be impregnable. The partnership association continued until June, 1881, when it was dissolved by mutual consent. Our subject then erected at Liberty Center a suitable building, and placed therein a stock of drugs, books, stationery, etc., and con- tinued in this line of enterprise very success-
556
MEMORIAL RECORD OF
fully until 1886, when he sold the business to the firm of Garrett & Funk. Mr. Rinear then remained out of active business for one year, but on the 19th of July, 1887, he pur- chased a half interest in a large drug and book store at Warren, Indiana, securing the same from Dr. Hupp, previously mentioned. Our subject then entered into partnership with A. H. Coles, under the firm name of E. M. Rinear & Company, and continued until 1889, when he sold his interests to his part- ner and returned to Liberty Center, where he had considerable property which de- manded his attention. Here he has ever since retained his residence, being concerned in farming and stock-raising, and being a member of the grocery firm of H. J. John- son & Company, which conducts an exten- sive business here.
Mr. Rinear is a stanch advocate of the principles of the Democratic party, and he has rendered the county exceptionally ex- cellent service in the office of Commissioner, and is entitled to much credit for his able efforts in this connection. September I, 1890, there occurred a vacancy in the office of Commissioner for the second district of Wells county, and Mr. Rinear was appoint- ed to serve until the election in the following November. This he did so effectively that he was placed in nomination by his party for the office, and was elected to fill the un- expired term of G. H. King, deceased. In the fall of 1892 Mr. Rinear was elected as his own successor in this office, and his term expires on the Ist of December of the pres- ent year (1895). His efforts in forwarding the interests of the county have been in- defatigable and well directed, and in the con- nection it may be noted that within his term of service as County Commissioner the fol- lowing improvements have been made in
Wells county: Twenty-six free gravel roads, aggregating 105 miles; the completion of the Rock creek drainage ditch, at a cost of $60- 000, besides many minor ditches; the build- ing of numerous iron bridges; and other im- provements which are to be greatly ap- preciated by the public. The new court- house was under construction at the time Mr. Rinear took his position on the board, but was completed and accepted during his term of office, having been erected at a cost of $140,000 and being an honor and an or- nament to the county.
Mary Jane (Hupp) Rinear, the estimable wife of our subject, was born September 26, 1845, in Wells county, her father, John Hupp, having been one of the substantial pioneer farmers of the county, known as a man of strict integrity. He entered 160 acres of land in Liberty township, in 1837, and three years later settled on the tract and there reared his family. He was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, Febru- ary 10, 1816, and died at Liberty Center, December 2, 1893. His wife's maiden name was Zipporah Coles.
Mr. and Mrs. Rinear became the par- ents of two children, one son and one daugh- ter. Edwin was born June 24, 1866, is a graduate of the Ohio Medical College, at Cincinnati, and is engaged in the practice of medicine at Liberty Center, being a young man of fine abilities and enterprising spirit. August 6, 1889, he was united in marriage to Mabel Q. Webb; Nettie, the only daugh- ter , was born September 27, 1870, received her educational discipline at Greencastle and Terre Haute, and was for some time a popular and successful teacher in the city schools of Huntington, this State; August 6, 1891, she was united in marriage to Har- mon M. Sprinkle, her untimely demise oc-
557
NORTHEASTERN INDIANA.
curring scarcely two months later,-Oc- tober 3d, -being an irreparable loss to her devoted parents, her husband and to all who had known and appreciated the beauty of her pure and noble life and the deep and self-abnegating spirit which characterized her.
Mr. Rinear is identified in a fraternal way with the Masonic order, being Master Mason in King Lodge, No. 246, at Warren, Indiana. His position in the esteem and friendship of the community is assured, and he does honor to the county where the greater portion of his life has been passed.
ON. JOHN W. RINEAR .- The past two decades constitute the period of most rapid growth and development in the Middle West, and the most careless observer can not fail to note that the influence most potent in shaping and controlling the affairs of any particular community are wielded by men who have busied themselves with the prac- tical affairs of life. The subject of this re- view, who is the representative of the dis- trict comprising Huntington and Wells coun- ties in the State Senate of Indiana, has been conspicuously identified with the great basic industry of agriculture, and is a man whose progressive tendencies and broad intellectual powers have brought to him deserved recog- nition in official preferment through public suffrage.
A native of Cuyahoga county, Ohio, Mr. Rinear was born on the 4th of March, 1842, being the son of Charles Rinear, who was born in Burlington county, New Jersey, July 7, 1816. The father of the latter was John Rinear, who also was a native of Burlington county, New Jersey, tracing his lineage to
pure French origin. John Rinear became one of the early pioneers of the Buckeye State, having emigrated to Columbiana coun- ty in the year 1821, and having brought his family hither to establish a home on the frontier. He passed the residue of his days in the county noted and became an influen- tial and honored citizen of the community.
Charles Rinear, the father of our sub- ject, remained on the old homestead until the time when he assumed connubial re- sponsibilities, his marriage to Miss Jane S. Parker having been consummated on Christ- mas Eve, 1840. She was born in Genesee county, New York, on the 17th of May, 1820, being the daughter of Silas and Esther (Montgomery) Parker, who were natives of the Empire State and of English extraction. After his marriage Mr. Rinear remained in Cuyahoga county, Ohio, until 1847, when he removed to Huntington county, Indiana, where he continued his residence until 1854, when he took up his abode in Liberty town- ship, Wells county, locating on a farm on section 21, where he remained until 1886, when he rented his farm and removed to Liberty Center, where his death occurred, one year later. He was a man of distinctive intelligence and unimpeachable integrity and retained the respect and confidence of his fellow men. He was a zealous member of the Baptist Church, and for nearly a half century held preferment as Deacon in the same, exemplifying in his daily walk the faith which he professed. His wife, the mother of our subject, died April 6, 1894. She was a devoted member of the same re- ligious body. Of their family of six children five are yet living, namely: John W., the immediate subject of this review; Elias M., Emma S., George F. and Mary J. Charles died at the age of twenty-four.
558
MEMORIAL RECORD OF
John W. Rinear was but five years of age at the time of his parents' removal to Huntington county, Indiana, and had at- tained the age of twelve when they finally took up their abode in Wells county. His preliminary educational discipline was re- ceived in the common schools of the coun- ties mentioned and he continued to abide under the parental rooftree until there came to him a realization of the duty which came to his portion as a loyal son of the republic.
This duty he had no inclination to put aside, but rather threw the force and vigor of his young manhood into the cause, and valiantly went forth in the service of the Union when it thus essayed the task of perpetuating its identity and overthrowing an impious rebellion. September 25, 1861, he enlisted as a member of Company A, Forty-seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry. and soon afterward proceeded South with his regiment. While at the mouth of the White river, in Arkansas, he received a quite severe wound, from the result of which he was for some time confined in the hospital. Here he contracted chronic di- arrhoea, which incapacitated for further active service, for which reason he reluc- tantly retired from the ranks, receiving his honorable discharge October 7, 1862, and forthwith returning to his home.
On the 2d of April, 1863, Mr. Rinear led to the hymeneal altar Miss Sarah C. First, who was born February 23, 1843, in Liberty township, Wells county, Indiana, the daughter of Jacob First, a native of Fayette county, Pennsylvania, where he was born March 5, 1811, the son of John and Catherine (Smith) First, the former of whom was a native of the old Keystone State, of German parentage, and the latter a na- tive of Virginia. In 1819 the family re-
moved to Wayne county, Ohio, and there Jacob First was reared on a farm and re- mained until he had attained man's estate. September 8, 1831, he wedded Miss Han- nah Stonebrook, a native of Pennsylvania and the daughter of Frederick Stonebrook, who was also born in that State, being of German ancestry. After his marriage Mr. First settled on a farm in Wayne county, Ohio, where he remained until 1841, when he came to Wells county, Indiana, and en- tered 160 acres of land on section 29, Lib- erty township. He still owns this same land, and is still hale and hearty. Mr. and Mrs. Rinear are the parents of one child: Hannah S., who is the wife of John B. Funk, a druggist at Liberty Center. She was the first white child born in the village. Mr. and Mrs. Funk have three children: John A. J., born May 22, 1886; Sarah A. M., born December 13, 1888; and Charles Rinear, born February 2, 1892.
After his marriage our subject engaged in agricultural pursuits, in which line of oc- cupation he continued until 1878, when he laid out the town of Liberty Center, where he was for six years engaged in the mercan- tile business, and thereafter reverted to farming, along which line he has since con- tinned his operations, which have been at- tended by a due quota of success under his intelligent and effective direction. He owns and manages a farm of 310 acres of land in Liberty township, and he also deals largely in live stock, of which he raises a large number.
Mr. Rinear is one of the wheel-horses of the Democratic party in his section of the State, and has been an active worker in the cause. His efforts and his ability and honor secured to him public recognition and he has served in positions of distinctive trust
561
NORTHEASTERN INDIANA.
and responsibility, ever proving himself a faithful and efficient official and showing himself worthy of the confidence bestowed. In 1872 he was elected Justice of the Peace, and served in this capacity for the period of twelve years. In 1877 he was appointed Postmaster of Liberty Center, and was the incumbent in that office until January 1, 1880. The crowning honor conferred upon our subject was accorded at the election of 1894, when he was elected as the represent- ative of his district in the State Senate, for a term of four years. He has already shown his eligibility for that distinguished position, and his efforts have been to conserve wise and effective legislation and to further pub- lic interests in every legitimate way. He is now serving on the following-named Senate committees: corporations, public health, natural gas, and roads.
In his fraternal relations Mr. Rinear is identified with Bluffton Lodge, No. 114, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Bluffton; and with Lew Daily Post, No. 33, Grand Army of the Republic, in the same city. He is a member and one of the Trus- tees of the Baptist Church in Liberty Cen- ter, and he contributes liberally to the sup- port of the church. He enjoys a wide acquaintanceship throughout the county, and his popularity is the direct result of his sterling character and his genial personality.
J OHN N. RUNYAN .- The loyalty and patriotismn of the subject of this sketch were fully tested from 1861 until 1865. Born on the 26th of April, 1846, he had not reached his fifteenth birthday when the rebel batteries were opened on Fort Sumter and the call to arms was made by President Lincoln for volun-
teers to suppress the rebellion. The history of the world does not show patriotism more sublime than that exhibited by the people of this country at that time. Ministers of the gospel, -men whose mission it was to preach peace on earth,-lawyers, doctors, mer- chants, clerks, farmers, mechanics, men of every conceivable calling, freely offered their services in response to the call. Gray- haired men felt their youth renewed, and, like Caleb of old, boasted of their strength, which was as great as forty years ago. Lads who but yesterday were engaged in boyish sports upon the streets suddenly felt them- selves transformed into men and were eager for the fray. Among the latter class was John N. Runyan, " little Johnnie," known and loved by every man, woman and child in the village where he resided. Knowing the temptations that would beset one so young, his parents would not consent to his enlistment, but with or without their con- sent he was bound to go, and had it not been for the watchful eye of his father he would have been among the first to enlist. Time and again he attempted to enter the service but was restrained by parental authority.
Finally, however, the consent of his father was obtained and he proudly enrolled his name as a private of Company E, Twelfth Indiana Volunteer Infantry; but here an obstacle was encountered that he had not considered: his height was not the required standard. He felt that he was " Little Johnnie" indeed, but his name was enrolled and go he must. Securing a pair of high-heeled shoes and putting several layers of paper inside, the desired height was obtained and he found now the dream of his life realized. He was a soldier of Uncle Sam and he determined that his rela-
562
MEMORIAL RECORD OF
tives should not be disgraced by any act of his. He would discharge every duty faith- fully and well and reflect whatever honor he could upon the family name.
Our subject was mustered into the serv- ice at Indianapolis, Indiana, in September, 1861, when less than fifteen years and six months old. In December he was sent with a number of recruits to join his regi- ment at Hagerstown, Maryland, where, much to his sorrow, he was transferred to Company H of the Twelfth Regiment and thus thrown among strangers; but he did not repine, and cheerfully marched away with his company. He soon became a favorite, not alone of the men but of commissioned officers as well. General George B. McClellan was then in command of the army, and although there was not much active field service, the soldiers were by his orders put through a drill and military dis- cipline that enhanced the value of their services in the future under more active commanders. With this regiment our young soldier was mustered out in May, 1862.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.