Memorial record of northeastern Indiana, Part 60

Author:
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 932

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A native of the State of Kentucky, Mr. Hale was born in Mason county, on the 4th of July, 1801, being the son of John Hale, who was a native of Maryland. The latter's father was James Hale, who was of English nativity, and who emigrated to America in an early day, locating in Mary- land, where he continued to reside for a number of years and then removed with his family to Kentucky. He was the owner of a number of slaves, and these he took with him to Kentucky, and, after they had assisted him in the clearing of his farm, he liberated them, being thereafter strong in his oppo- sition to the institution of human slavery. He passed the residue of his days on the Kentucky farm, and in 1802 his widow ac- companied her son upon his removal to Greene county, Ohio, and later accom- panied him to Randolph county, Indiana, where she died about six years later.

John Hale, the father of our subject, was married, in Kentucky, to Sarah Bowen, who was born in the old Keystone State, being of Welsh extraction. Her death oc- curred on the 2d of January, 1813, and she left three sons: James, who was born about the year 1799, died at his home in Randolph county, Indiana, in 1882; Bowen is the im-

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mediate subject of this review; and Silas, born in 1803, died at the old homestead in Greene county, Ohio, in 1889. In the year 1802 John Hale removed to Greene county, Ohio, and there cleared and improved a farm, devoting his attention to its cultiva- tion and to the tanning business until 1837, when he identified himself with the pioneer history of Indiana by removing to Whitley county, securing from the Government a tract of 1,120 acres of land, located in Whitley and Kosciusko counties, and erect- ing the first saw and grist mill in that sec- tion of the State. He was a man of marked ability and unswerving integrity, and be- came a valued and influential citizen. At the time of the war of 1812 he enlisted for service in a rifle company, as a volunteer, and served in northern Ohio for one year. He lived to attain the venerable age of seventy-three years, his death occurring on his old homestead in Whitley county.

Bowen Hale, the immediate subject of this memoir, was only one year of age at the time of his parents' removal to Greene county, Ohio, and there he passed his boy- hood days upon the parental homestead, which was located in the vicinity of the old town of Bellbrook, and he lent his quota to the work of the farm and tannery, his edu- cational discipline being secured in the primitive log schoolhouse in the neighbor- hood of his home. That he duly profited by the opportunities afforded him is shown in the fact that he advanced sufficiently far in scholastic attainments to enable him to officiate for several months as teacher of the little pioneer school, acting as proxy of the regular incumbent, who was ill. His mother had died while he was still a mere boy, but he remained with his father until he had attained his majority, when he sev-

ered home ties and learned the trade of chair-making, to which he devoted his atten- tion for several years, having found em- ployment in turn at Dayton, Xenia and Cincinnati. Within this period he also made a sojourn through the South, proceed- ing by packet boat down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.

Having thus satisfied his nomadic ambi- tions he returned to Bellbrook, Ohio, where he was engaged in the mercantile business, continuing operations in that line until 1834. when he disposed of his interests, and, acting upon the advice of his physician, who had pronounced it imperative that he should seek less sedentary employment, he came to Wells county, Indiana, in the same year, 1834, with the determination of hewing out for himself a home in the virgin forest. He came down the Wabash river and was much impressed with the manifest fertility of the lands along that stream, and stopping near the town of Murray he decided to make his permanent location in this vicinity. Three years later his father settled on the higher and more broken lands in Whitley county.

Our subject entered forty acres of land, hired a man to build him a cabin, and then started for Cincinnati for a stock of goods, having determined to establish here a trad- ing post where he might deal with the In- dians and the few white settlers in the coun- ty, -the entire contingent of the latter in Wells county being at that time represented by only about twelve families. On his re- turn, in the spring of 1835, he found that his cabin had not been built, but, nothing daunted, he secured the assistance of Henry Miller and others and soon erected a com- fortable log building which was made avail- able for both dwelling and store. His cus- tomers were principally Indians, who were

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peaceable save when under the pernicious influence of " fire-water," but who had the dishonest and treacherous characteristics of their race, much skill being demanded in dealing with them. Mr. Hale's stock of goods comprised dry goods, brass rings and jewelry, whisky and such articles of cloth- ing as the Indians were accustomed to wear, and in his business but little money changed hands, as he secured furs and pelts in ex- change for the simple commodities which he had displayed in his little establishment. These pelts were conveyed by wagon to Day- ton or Cincinnati, where they were sold, the journey usually being three or four weeks in duration. In the connection it is interest- ing to recall the fact that Mr. Hale was obliged on each occasion to leave nothing behind in his cabin, as the Indians were promptly on hand to appropriate whatever articles they could find. The records of the early pioneer days read almost like a ro- mance, and even the tales of the vicissitudes and privations which were so sturdily and courageously endured by these noble men and women have been softened by the gentle touch of time, until we can only recognize but not appreciate what the life on the frontier must have been. Although our honored subject had many adventures and many narrow escapes from the treacherous red men and from the wild beasts of the forest, yet he was distinctively a man of peace, even refraining from hunting. In later years he recalled with evident pride and satisfaction that he had never killed but one deer in his life. This animal was qui- etly grazing almost in front of his door, and, taking a gun from the hands of a friendly Indian who was about to fire, he felled the deer,-and even in this case he was not compelled to hunt for his game.

Mr. Hale was twice married, his first union having been consummated in the year 1837, when he was united to Miss Sarah James, a native of Virginia, who died two years and three months later, leaving no child. In the year 1840 Mr. Hale was united in marriage to Miss Mary Ann Deam, of Mont- gomery county, Ohio. Her father, Adam Deam, was probably a native of Virginia, and he removed from Ohio to Wells county, Indi- ana, settling near Murray and erecting the first gristmill at that point. He had four sons and four daughters, namely: Abram, William, John, James P., Rachel, Mary Ann, Harriet and Ann. William and James P. each served as Treasurer of Wells county. Mrs. Hale entered into eternal rest in the year 1872, having been the mother of eight children, seven of whom survive: John D., of Decatur, Indiana; Hon. Silas W., of Geneva, Adams county, and James P., of Bluffton, to both of whom individual refer- ence is made on other pages of this volume; Lewis B., Wilshire, Ohio; Emerillas, wife of A. R. Vanemon, of Wells county; Jane, the wife of Daniel Markley, of Wells county; and Mary, who remains at the old home- stead.

Upon the organization of Wells county, in 1837, Bowen Hale was elected to the combined offices of Auditor, Clerk and Re- corder. The offices were kept near Murray, and in the spring of 1838, when removed to Bluffton, Mr. Hale continued as the incum- bent of the three until 1841, when an auditor was elected and he was relieved of the duties of that office. Ten years later Wilson M. Bul- ger was elected Recorder, leaving Mr. Hale the office of Clerk, which he continued to retain until 1855, - his tenure of that office thus extending over the period of twenty years and expiring only by constitutional

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limitation, and although he was urged to again accept the office he declined to do so. His was the distinction also of having been the first Postmaster in the county, a prefer- ment which he retained only a short time. In the year 1858 he was elected Magistrate and served in that capacity for three years. Still further recognition of his ability and honor was accorded him by the people of the county in the year 1865, when, against his expressed wishes, he was elected to the office of County Commissioner, being indis- posed at the time and not being aware that he was a candidate until the very day of the election. Thus it is that any history of Wells county must show the record of the life of Bowen Hale, for the two are indis- solubly linked, and the one grants a tribute of honor to the other. Coming into public life before the organization of the county, for more than a quarter of a century he served the people of Wells county in official capacities, and her interests were his. To say that he did his work well is almost tau- tological: the people of this county have said as much and more by their ballots. Never were the affairs of any county better or more honestly administered than were those of Wells county in so far as they pertained to the services rendered by the subject of this review. His records are scrupulously neat, legible, perfectly formed, accurate, com- plete,-showing that he had a wonderful comprehension of and ability for the con- ducting of affairs implying manifold details and strong business acumen. When he re- moved from his farm to Bluffton he brought his stock of dry goods with him, and he con- tinued in that line of enterprise for a short time, his store being a log cabin, located on what is now Market street, the town then being a mere hamlet in the woods, with thick

underbrush and heavy timber in all the streets. Hon. John Studabaker became his rival in business, his establishment being on the same street, and they cleared the brush from the future thoroughfare in order that they might be able to see from their board- ing house-not more than a block distant- to their respective places of business. An amusing incident in connection with the pioneer days was often recalled by Mr. Hale, and the same is worthy of perpetuation in this connection. A young lawyer arrived in Bluff- ton with the avowed intention of there prac- ticing his profession. Mr. Hale was County Clerk at the time, and he consented to allow the briefless barrister to use his office as headquarters for a short time. The young man decided that it was expedient for him to advertise his business, and accordingly he prepared his own "shingle" by writing his business card on a sheet of paper. This he posted on a tree at the crossing of Main and Market streets, and when Mr. Hale passed by he was greatly amused to find the in- scription following the lawyer's name to be written as follows: "Eterney at Law." Our subject informed the young man of his mis- take, and the latter forthwith tore down his advertisement and left town. He located in an adjoining county and now bears the hon- orable title of Judge. Thus by a mistake in spelling Bluffton lost a lawyer, a judge and a citizen.

Mr. Hale was a life-long adherent of the Democratic party, his first presidential vote having been cast for Andrew Jackson. He took an active interest in public and polit- ical matters, but was not a politician in the ordinary acceptation of the term. He never consented to do electioneering on his own behalf, though it is related that on one oc- casion he started out for that purpose, but

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found the work so distasteful that after pro- ceeding a few miles into the country he turned his horse homeward, and ever after rested his cause in the hands of the people without resorting to personal solicitation of support.

At the outbreak of the war of the Rebel- lion Mr. Hale's sons went forward in defense of the Union, and at the battle of Mission Ridge John D. was shot through the body, and lay in the hospital at Chattanooga. The devoted father, who was even then an old man, proceeded at once to Chattanooga and brought his son home, where he was care- fully ministered to until he had regained his health.

In 1858 Mr. Hale retired with his family to his farm in Harrison township, and there he passed the remainder of his days, his death occurring July 28, 1888, at the patri- archal age of eighty-seven years and four- teen days. His was a strong and noble character, and such was his prominence in public affairs that he was known and es- teemed throughout the entire county. His death, though the consistent ending of a long and useful life, was deeply mourned by a large circle of loving and admiring friends, and no one of the pioneers of Wells county had maintained a stronger hold on public confidence and esteem than had Bowen Hale. Such a life has elements of exalta- tion, and a record concerning it cannot but offer inspiration, lesson and incentive. Mr. Hale's economy and consecutive application enabled him to acquire sufficient property to maintain himself in comfort in his declining years, while his temperate habits gave him an enduring strength of mind and body, en- abling him to endure the early privations and hardships of pioneer life, to retain a virility of physical force, and the full posses

sion of his mental faculties until the final summons came, and he was gathered to his fathers in the fullness of years and of honors. In his earlier life Mr. Hale became a mem- ber of the Universalist Church, and for many years he was a Trustee of the church at Bluffton. He was liberal and tolerant in his views, and charitable in his judgment of his fellow men. He was fraternally identi- fied with the Masonic order, retaining a membership for many years in Bluffton Lodge, No. 145, and taking much interest in the work of the fraternity. High upon the scroll where are inscribed the names of the honored pioneers and most worthy citi- zens of Wells county, must place ever be ac- corded to that of Bowen Hale.

J OHN T. GLASS, a retired farmer, a respected and honored pioneer, who is now spending the evening of his well spent life in Ossian, is deserv- ing of more than a passing notice on the commemorative pages of this work. To analyze his life means the scanning of eighty-one well spent years of life, the early part of which was in a period that witnessed the work of transformation wrought by the brave pioneers who formed the advance guard that led in the onslaught. To contemplate it now, mighty seems the task. There were forests that had to be subdued and cleared away before the earth could be made to yield her fruit. Until then the rifle largely supplied the family larder and clothed the household. But to enumerate these things in detail is not the purpose of this sketch; a nobler better pur- pose is at hand, the purpose of rescuing from oblivion the name of one, and record the

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principal works of a career, that is justly worthy of perpetuation.

John T. Glass belongs to a type and class of men now almost extinct. A few years more and the last one will have been gathered and numbered with the silent majority. It seems a type requires a type; men of ordinary mold and composition were out of place in a pioneering procession. They hindered rather than aided.

In order to more personally consider the life of Mr. Glass it is to be noted that he was born in Wayne county, Ohio, February 16, 1815, the son of John and Ann Glass. The former was born in Maryland at or about the close of the Revolutionary war, his parents coming from Ireland and set- tling in Maryland a short time previous to his birth. A complete history of the family is not obtainable, but it is known that our subject's grandfather had a brother, George, who came to this country and became a physician, locating somewhere in the South.

There was a large family born to John and Ann Glass, of whom it is known that Hannah married Thomas Strain and settled near Parkersburg, West Virginia; Nancy married Thomas Hamilton, who for many years was a successful landlord at Steuben- ville, Ohio, where he died without issue. The other sister, Rebecca, married a gentle- man named Parker, who was the original proprietor of Parkersburg, West Virginia, in whose honor the place was named. There was also another child, named Esther, who married Mr. Smith and had children. There were six or more children of this family, but all trace of them has vanished. About the year 1790 John Glass, Sr., settled in Pennsylvania, having been one of the earliest boatmen on the Ohio river between Pittsburg and Memphis. He married Ann

Johnston, in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, in 1795. Their children were Esther, James, Mary Ann, Rebecca, Sarah and Nancy. They were ever a true pioneer family, keep- ing well on the borders of settlement. In 1809 they removed to Wayne county, Ohio, where they had pre-empted 160 acres of land, being among the first settlers in that county. Ten years later they returned to their farm home in Pennsylvania. During the sojourn of the family in Wayne county four children were born, John T., William J., Andrew and Lucinda. The mother died in Beaver county, the year of their return, in which the father also died, at the ad- vanced age of seventy-eight.

Four of their children came to Wells county, and were among the earliest settlers of Jefferson township. Esther married Jo- seph Garrell, Esq .; Lucinda married James Barclay in Pennsylvania, who, with his two brothers, James and John, became residents of this county. Barclay and his family now reside in Buchanan, Iowa. At the present time only four of the original Glass family are living: William married Miss Fidelia Ste- phens, of Indianola, Texas, and has nine chil- dren, -John, William, Hodge, Glendora, Mary, Kate, Clover, Barney J. and Maggie. William Glass is a well-to-do Texan, possess- ing valuable real estate in the "Lone Star" State. Ann married Andrew McGaffe, of Beaver county, Pennsylvania, and has three daughters, -Maggie, Rebecca and Mary J. Maggie married Samuel Smith; Rebecca be- came the wife of James Laughlin, and Mary J. became the wife of John McMillan, a grandson of Major John McMillan, one of the very first settlers of western Pennsyl- vania. Sarah married John Johnston and had four daughters: Mary A., who mar- ried William Slantz; Louisa, who became

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the wife of Thornton B. Hunter, of Wells county; Nancy J., unmarried; and Melissa, who married Silas Gailey.

Nancy married Joseph Lawrence, and she has two daughters : Louisa married Scott Groscross, and Martha married Wilson Mc- Millan. The numbers bearing the family patronymic are becoming greatly diminished and ere long unless revived must become extinct. The ancestral home in Pennsyl- vania is yet in possession of the heirs. In 1840 our subject and his brother James made a selection of land in Wells county, and each purchased a half section. At that time no settlement had been made and the brothers had no intention of ever coming to the wilds of Indiana. Five years later, in 1845, James Barclay accompanied John T., who came to assist Mr. Barclay in getting settled, having no idea of remaining himself. At that time there were no settlers living in the vicinity of their land. Near the south line of what is now Jefferson township lived the Hatfields (see sketch on another page of this volume), and there the strangers were made welcome, housed and fed.

During the next year several families moved into the neighborhood, among whom were Jonathan Ady, Amos Schoonover and Mrs. Mary Wallace, with their families. Mr. Glass had erected a log cabin on his land. It was 22x 18 feet and two stories high. When it was completed ready for occupancy, except the floor, its cost was $16. It was built by Abram and John Fulton. It was indeed a palatial bachelor home, being the best cabin in the township, having three aristocratic glass windows and a good clap- board roof. This log cabin stood, as did the milk-house, until it was destroyed by fire in 1893. Mr. Glass had no means of a money character, and being of a somewhat

speculative turn he began to purchase stock, paying for the same at the rate of one-half to three-quarters of a cent a pound gross, guessing the weights at those figures. He and his brother put in the first scales in the northern part of the county in 1856. He carried on his business at first by trade and barter, "swapping " anything he had for stock except his land. He did quite a busi- ness with Fort Wayne butchers and made a little money. He furnished the money that paid for the first car-load of stock ever shipped over the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad from Fort Wayne. Prices were then remarkably low, dressed pork selling at one and a half cents, purchased from John Studabaker (see sketch) at Bluff- ton. Sheep were scarce and ranged at one dollar per head. Good steers brought $10; horses from $30 to $40. Wheat was worth from 40 to 50 cents and corn 16 and 17 cents per bushel. Money was so scarce that even at these figures produce and stock were of slow sale, consumers being as scarce as dollars.

After living in his cabin home alone for something like a year he began to realize that it was not good for a man to live alone, and on the 24th day of December, 1846, he was united in marriage with Miss Margaret Hatfield, Rev. Wright, a United Presby- terian, performing the ceremony. His was the second marriage in Jefferson township, and among the early ones of the county. They at once began housekeeping in the $16 cabin, and the happiness of those early married days has never departed from their lives. Mr. Glass was never a man of pro- digious strength and iron-like endurance, and the heavy work of clearing he left to others better adapted to that sort of thing while he looked after the stock trade. Eight

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children were born of Mr. Glass' union with Miss Hatfield: John A., who married Bath- sheba Isodene Todd; James became the husband of Ida Ryan; Andrew J. married Florence Roberts; Maggie J. is now Mrs. Nathaniel Weaver; and George G. married Capitola Gorrell; Martha A., Milton and William died in infancy; the others all reside in Wells county.

The gathering years brought greater prosperity. Cash transactions took the place of "dicker " and exchange, and the broad acres of giant oaks gave way to beautiful, well-tilled and productive fields. The old cabin, in which so many happy days were spent and around which yet linger many a pleasant memory, was vacated for the man- sion, and the log barns were superseded by more commodious ones to give shelter to the blooded herds. Mr. Glass' life has been an active one. His business as stock dealer has taken him to every part of the counties adjoining Wells, and he has had business transactions with nearly every farmer in these counties. He retains a remarkable degree of buoyancy and elasticity, being able after he had passed man's alotted time to ride horseback and look after his busi- ness affairs. The increasing weight of years have lately told on his once vigorous con- stitution, and like the oak he is bending to the gathering tempest. His mind is yet unimpaired and he graphically recites the scenes and events of the long ago with the clearness of youth. Few men are better known in northeastern Indiana than he, and wherever known the name of John T. Glass is the synonym for all that is good, true and noble in manhood

His hospitality is pro- verbial, the latch string of cabin and man- sion alike always hanging on the outside. His good wife is the same genial house-

keeper that in earlier days greeted the new- comer to her cabin home. During the first year of her married life Mrs. Glass spun the flax and wove over 100 yards, of linen, and this with the butter and other products defrayed the household expenses. On horse- back she often rode to Zanesville across country and through swamps to do her trading. All honor to this brave and noble old couple who have trod for so long to- gether life's pathway. Up the hill of life they toiled together, gathering substance from life as they went along, and at the turn on the summit of life's career, from which the descent begins, they still go on happily together, enjoying the fruits of their labor and rejoicing in being called blessed by all; and their children, and children's chil- dren until the latest generation can be justifiably proud of the noble lives of these their ancestors.

F. BARZE, cashier of the First National Bank of Gas City, In- diana, is a gentleman of marked business ability, and one in every way fitted for the important and responsible position which he occupies; and it is but just that specific recognition be accorded him on the pages of this volume.

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Memorial record of northeastern Indiana, Part 60

Author: Publication date: 1896 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 932

Author:
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 932