USA > Indiana > Fountain County > Past and present of Fountain and Warren Counties, Indiana, Volume 2 > Part 16
USA > Indiana > Warren County > Past and present of Fountain and Warren Counties, Indiana, Volume 2 > Part 16
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
David Livengood was reared on the home farm and was educated in the common schools, then followed farming until he moved to. Hillsboro, in 1909, where he is now living retired. He was very successful in his life work and accumulated a competency. He owned one hundred and sixteen acres, and is still owner of eighty acres in Jackson township, all well improved.
Mr. Livengood is a self-made man, and he made a large part of his competency by handling horses, mules, hogs and cattle, specializing on Duroc- Jersey hogs.
Mr. Livengood was married in 1862 to Helen Marsh. daughter of James and Margaret (Follick) Marsh, who came here in an early day from Ohio. The subject's wife was born and reared in Fountain county. Five children were born to the subject and his first wife, namely: Elzetta married Mr. Burke and they lived in Jackson township; Ida May married Perry Beaver, of Jackson township, and she is now a widow; Rosa Olive married a Mr. Keller, of Jackson township; Benjamin E. lives at Stone Bluff, Van Buren township; Minta died when one year old.
David Livengood was married again, on March 1, 1873, to Belle-Zora Walker, daughter of James and Adeline (Ainsworth) Walker, of Ohio. Her father was from Wayne county, Indiana, and he came to Fountain county in an early day .. Two children were born to the subject and his second
.
485
FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA.
wife: Charles R., who lives at Hillsboro, and Lesta, who married William Allen, of Jackson township, and they live on the home farm. Charles R. Livengood married Isa Miller, who was a teacher in the Hillsboro schools for a period of sixteen years, and she was also a Sunday school worker for many years and much interested in church affairs.
The subject is a member of the Christian Disciple church, and for two years was elder in the same. He was also an elder in the Lutheran church for thirty years prior to moving to Ilillsboro.
JOSEPH F. REED.
It is a pleasure to revert to the life of a good man, a man whose example is worthy of emulation by others, one who has left behind him the imprint of his personality in such a manner as always to be remembered, as did the late Joseph F. Reed, for many years one of the leading farmers and stock men of Richland township, Fountain county, Indiana, a man in whom there was a combination of characteristics that seldom fail of ultimate success in the battle of life, and he was so honest, kind and genial that he was ever held in the highest esteem by those who knew him best. He was a power for good in his community and the past history of this locality is indisso- lubly linked with his career, consequently his name should not be omitted from this work.
Mr. Reed was born in Van Buren township, Fountain county, Indiana, in 1832, and was thus a pioneer child, growing up under primitive environ- ments and was of a sterling pioneer family, Stephen and Elizabeth Reed. The father of the subject came from Kentucky and the mother from Virginia in a very early day and they established the permanent home of the family in Van Buren township, Fountain county, Indiana, where they carved out a good home from the wilderness and here spent the balance of their lives, engaged in general farming. Stephen Reed was a Democrat, but he held no office, being a quiet man who spent his time on his farm. He was a mem- ber of the Baptist church.
Joseph F. Reed was reared on the home farm and he received a good education in the common schools, at least as good as the schools of that early period afforded. In 1858 or 1859 he was first married to Caroline Dagger, who died in May, 1866. He next married Mary Ann Young and had one son, Dan C. Reed, of Attica (see sketch). In 1875 he was united in
-
486
FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA.
marriage with Emma L. McElwee, nee Coggins, daughter of Jonathan and Louisa (Marquand) Coggins. Her father was from Chester county, Penn- sylvania, while her mother came from Guernsey county, Ohio. They moved to Claysville, Ohio, the father having come to that state in 1832 and was married there. Mr. and Mrs. Coggins had a harmonious married life that extended over a period of sixty-five years, and they became the parents of six children, namely: Emma L., who married Joseph F. Reed, subject of this memoir; Harriet, Hortense, Florence, Charles M., who is a physician ; and Belle. The only two living are the widow of the subject and Dr. Charles M. Coggins. The death of the father of the above named children occurred at the advanced age of ninety-six years and two months, and the mother passed away when eighty-six years and three months old. They were indeed a grand old couple and highly respected by all who knew them.
One child, Carrie Louise, was born to Joseph F. Reed and wife. She married Herman W. Briggs. Her death occurred on January 16, 1912, at the age of thirty-three years.
The late Joseph F. Reed was the owner of a fine farm of two hundred and eighty acres which he kept under a high state of improvement and culti- vation, and he carried on general farming and stock raising on an extensive scale, and was regarded as one of the leading farmers in his part of the county .. He left a splendid home and a competency at his death, which occurred on March 7, 1890. He was active in politics and influential in the affairs of the Democratic party. Religiously, he was a Baptist and was liberal in his support of the local church of this denomination. The reader is directed to the sketches of Worth and Sampson Reed for a fuller history of this well known old family.
OBEDIAH LEE YOUNT.
Although Obediah Lee Yount is a Southerner in blood and hails from the old Tar state, he has spent practically all of his long, industrions and useful life in the North, or, more specifically speaking, right here in Foun- tain county where he has acquired a valuable landed estate through his industry and his perseverance; and, too, he has always been a Northerner in sentiment, loyal to the federal government, as was evinced by his gallant service for the Union during the great war between the states. However, he seems to have inherited some of the commendable personal traits of the
487
FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA.
people of the South, being courteous and a kind and genial neighbor, so that he has always had a host of friends and stood high in the community.
Mr. Yount was born in North Carolina, October 4, 1837, and when two years old, in 1839, he accompanied his parents to Fountain county, Indiana, making the long overland journey in wagons, the trip requiring some time. He is the son of William and Rebecca ( Saures) Yount. The family settled about three miles west of Wallace, and there the father devoted his atten- tion to general farming until he was elected county recorder, which office he filled with such eminent satisfaction that he was re-elected, thus serving two terms. After his official career he lived retired in Covington until his death. His family consisted of fourteen children, named as follows: Methias, de- ceased : William F. and Andrew J. are also deceased; Obediah Lee, subject of this sketch, was the fourth in order of birth; Katherine, Mary Ann and George are all three deceased; Frifina Almeda married Washington Boyd, and lives in Covington; Rebecca also lives in Covington; Flosina lives in Yeddo; Francis Marion lives in Kansas; Joseph, Charlotte and Mercia are deceased.
Mr. Yount was reared on the farm and received his education in the common schools of Fountain county, and when a young man took up farmi- ing for a livelihood, but his career was interrupted by the breaking out of the Civil war. He gladly left the plow in the furrow and carried a rifle for three years on many a bloody field of conflict, having enlisted in Company H, Sixty-third Indiana Volunteer Infantry, on August II, 1862, and was soon at the front with the Army of the Cumberland. He was with Sherman in his campaign against Atlanta, participating in the many engagements of the same, and later he was with General Thomas in his operations in Tennessee, fighting in the battle of Franklin. He was a very faithful soldier and never shirked his duty, however dangerous or arduous. He was mustered out at Greensboro, North Carolina, June 23, 1863, and was honorably discharged at Indianapolis, July 3d, same year. He came on home and resumed farm- ing, which he continued with uninterrupted success until 1906, when he retired and moved to Sterling, this county, and is now spending his declining years in quiet, surrounded by plenty as a result of his earlier years of close application to general agricultural pursuits. He owned a fine farm in Cain township, which he sold some time ago.
Mr. Young was married in 1866 to Susan Jane Songer, whose family came to this county in an early day. On December 4, 1884, Mr. Yount was again married, his second wife being Mariah Cook, daughter of Perry and Miranda (Lightfoot) Cook, natives of Kentucky, who also came to Fountain
488
FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA.
county among the earlier settlers, locating in Cain township, where they spent the balance of their lives on a farm.
Five children were born to Mr. Yount and his second wife, namely : Orval Lee is a telegraph operator in Chicago; Ordell is a carpenter and lives in the town of Attica; Alba married Harvey Larrew, and they live in Vecd- ersburg, this county ; Clarence, who died young.
Mr. Yount is a faithful member of the Lutheran church. He has never cared for public office, having led a quiet home life.
SAMUEL THOMAS OGLE.
The subject of this sketch, a retired farmer living in Newtown, is a native of Fountain county, Indiana, and an honored representative of one of its old and highly esteemed pioneer families. His parents, David and Hannah (Knisley) Ogle, were born in Highland county, Ohio. Thomas Ogle, father of David, moved to Fountain county, Indiana, in 1824, and settled in the vicinity of Newtown, when there was but one cabin in this part of the country, and departed this life many years ago, respected by a large circle of neighbors and friends. David Ogle accompanied his parents to Fountain county in the year indicated and spent the remainder of his life as a farmer in Richland township, dying in 1892; his wife preceded him to the grave in the year 1852, after becoming the mother of five children. Subsequently Mr. Ogle married Margaret Kiff, nee Kerr, who bore him three children.
Samuel Thomas Ogle, who is an offspring of his father's first marriage, was born November 11, 1848, and spent his early life on the family home- stead in Richland township. While still young he matured plans for his future course of action, and with a determination to make his life a credit to himself and of benefit to the world, he addressed himself manfully to his chosen vocation of agriculture and in due time forged to the front among the most enterprising and successful farmers of his part of the county. Finan- cially his success has been commensurate with the energy and ability he has ever displayed in the management of his agricultural interests and business affairs, and he is today classed with the solid men of his township and county, besides standing high as an intelligent, broad-minded citizen. He owns a beautiful farm of one hundred and sixty acres, which includes a portion of the family homestead, and his improvements in the way of buildings, fencing, etc., compare favorably with the best in the community. After living on this
SAMUEL T. OGLE.
489
FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA.
place until 1906, he rented the farm and took up his residence in Newtown, where he owns a beautiful modern home in which he is living a life of quiet and content, enjoying the fruits of his many years of labor and successful management.
Mr. Ogle manifests a lively interest in all that concerns the welfare of Newtown, and is identified with a number of public enterprises, being a stock- holder in the local bank, the telephone company and various other utilities. He is an influential member of the Masonic brotherhood, Newtown Lodge No. 205, and the Pythian order, and, with his wife, belongs to the Eastern Star. The Presbyterian church represents his religious creed and since moving to Newtown both himself and wife have been active workers in the congregation worshiping in this place. His domestic history dates from the year 1873, at which time he contracted a matrimonial alliance with Henrietta .McClure, daughter of James and Phoebe (Dagger) McClure, a union blessed with six children, whose names are as follows: Esther L. lives in Oregon ; Everett, a farmer of Richland township; Phoebe, widow of the late John Clark, of Clinton county, Indiana; Muriel Joy, wife of John Simpson, and two that died in infancy. Some time after the death of the mother of these children, Mr. Ogle married his present wife, who bore the maiden name of Mable Gray, the ceremony being solemnized in the year 1909.
COURTNEY W. DICE.
The subject of this sketch is a leading member of the Fountain county bar and occupies a conspicuous place in the legal circles of the city of Cov- ington, where he has resided since engaging in the practice of his profession. On the paternal side Mr. Dice is of English lineage, his great-grandfather hav- ing immigrated to the United States from England in an early day. He settled originally in Pennsylvania, but removed thence after a brief residence to Rockbridge county, Virginia, where the family remained until 1827. In that year they moved to Fountain county, Indiana, and located in Van Buren township, where George Dice, paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, entered what has since been known as the old Dice homestead, one of the earliest settlements in the township indicated. After his death, which oc- curred a few years later, the farm fell to his two sons, who still hold it in partnership, as they do the various other interests, including a large amount of valuable real estate, bank stock, bonds and other property, being at this time
490
FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA.
among the wealthiest men and largest money loaners in the county. These brothers have always lived near each other and maintained a common in- terest, in all their affairs having no financial accounts between themselves. all their business being transacted in the name of both and their checks, no- tices and other legal papers signed jointly by the two.
William Dice, the subject's father, was born August 18, 1837, in Foun- tain county. He was reared to agricultural pursuits and in due time became, as already indicated, one of the largest farmers and real estate owners of Fountain county. His wife, who prior to her mariage was Kate Jones, was born in 1844, in Kentucky, and bore lier husband three children, namely : Hortense, deceased; Courtney W., of this review, and Maurice, whose death occurred in 1885, when one year of age. Mrs. Dice is a woman of fine mind and much more than ordinary culture. She received the principal part of her education in the old seminary at Covington, and under the direction of sev- eral special instructors, and for some years was a teacher in the public schools of both city and country, being thus engaged at the time of her marriage in 1870.
Courtney W. Dice was born April 21. 1872, and spent his childhood and youth on the family homestead in Van Buren township, where he early learned by practical experience the real significance of honest toil. In the district school near his home he obtained his preliminary educational training, later attended the graded schools of Veedersburg until completing the pre- scribed course, when he entered the Indiana Normal School at Covington, from which he was in due time graduated. Actuated by a laudable desire to devote his life to the law, he subsequently became a student of the University of Michigan, where he pursued his legal studies until 1896, when he finished the course and received his degree. The same year in which he was grad- uated Mr. Dice opened an office in Covington, where he has since built up a large and lucrative practice, his clientele including the leading men of the city and county, to say nothing of the extensive patronage he has acquired in other parts of the state. While well versed in all phases of the law, he makes a specialty of civil business, in which his practice has steadily grown until he now stands at the head of the local bar in that department of his profession. A safe and judicious counsellor, unremitting in behalf of his client's inter- ests and sound in the basie principles of jurisprudence, he is eagerly sought by those who have large and important matters to adjudicate, and his record as an honorable practitioner has ever been above the suspicion of reproach. Financially, his success has been commensurate with the ability and industry displayed in his chosen calling and he is today numbered among the solid
491
FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA.
and enterprising men of Covington, owning the large two-story brick build- ing in which he has his office, besides other valuable city property and various holdings in and throughout the county.
Though primarily a lawyer and making every other consideration sub- ordinate to his profession, Mr. Dice is public spirited in all the term implies and since locating in Covington he has been interested in the city's advance- ment and the general welfare of the populace. He is a Democrat in politics, though by no means a partisan, and despite the claims of his large and grow- ing professional interests, he finds time to devote to his party and has con- tributed greatly to its success both in local and general campaigns. Frater- nally, he holds membership with the Masonic order in Covington, the Benevo- lent and Protective Order of Elks lodge in Crawfordsville, and in religious belief belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church, being a member of the offi- cial board of the local congregation in Covington.
Mr. Dice was married on November 11, 1903, to Helen Allen, who was born November 17, 1876, the daughter of Col. J. L. Allen, for many years a prominent citizen and leading politician of Fountain county. The Allen fam- ily came originally from Pennsylvania and were among the earliest settlers of Covington. Mrs. Dice's grandfather established the first harness shop in the town, which business has been in the Allen name ever since, the present owner being R. C. Allen, a grandson of the original proprietor. Mr. and Mrs. Dice have two interesting children, Catherine L., six years old, and William Allen, whose birth occurred October 2, 1908.
WILLIAM B. COFFING.
Among the men to whose activity and influence Fountain county is in- debted for its material prosperity and honorable reputation in all that con- cerns the moral standing of its citizenship, the gentleman whose name intro- duces the sketch occupies a deservedly conspicuous place. William B. Cof- fing is a native of Fountain county and the descendant of an old Pennsylvania family that came to this part of the state in an early day and took an active part in the development of the locality in which they settled. The head of the family at the time indicated was Andrew Coffing, the subject's grand- father. He entered land in Shawnee township and at intervals purchased other tracts until at the time of his death he was the owner of two thousand
.
.492
FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA.
acres, a goodly portion of which is still in possession of the descendants. Smith S. Coffing, son of Andrew and father of William B., was born in 1839 in Fountain county and spent all his life in Shawnee township, where his death occurred in the year 1905. He was a farmer and achieved marked success at his calling and as a citizen, active in the interests of his fellow men, he stood high in the esteem and confidence of all with whom he mingled. Louisa Brown, who became the wife of Smith S. Coffing, survived her husband and is living at this time at Stone Bluff, Van Buren township, this county. Seven children were born to the estimable couple, namely : Mahlon, William B. of this review, Ophelia, Leona, Thomas, Smith Allen, and Caroline, all living except Mahlon, the youngest being still with the mother.
William B. Coffing was born January 2, 1863, and spent his early life on the family homestead in Shawnee township, attending in the meantime the district school. He grew up with a practical knowledge of honest toil and early learned the lesson of industry and economy which served so well as a foundation for his subsequent career as an enterprising and successful man of affairs. Having decided to devote his life to the pursuit of agriculture, he turned his attentions in' that direction when a young man and in due time he rose to an influential position among the leading farmers of Fountain county. which position he still retains, as is indicated by his present splendid estate of eight hundred and eighty acres in Troy township. Mr. Coffing has been un- sparing of time and expense in the improvement of his land, all of which is in a high state of cultivation and its natural fertility greatly enhanced by. judicious fertilization and a fine system of artificial drainage, the latter con- sisting of nearly thirty miles of ditching, to complete which sixty-three car loads of tiling were required. He cultivates the soil by the most approved methods, uses the latest modern implements and machinery and, keeping fully abreast of the times in all that pertains to agricultural science, never failing to realize abundant returns from his farm. Formerly he gave a great deal of attention to live stock, in which he met with encouraging success, but for the past few years he has been exclusively a raiser of grain, for which his land is - especially adaptable and which has yielded him abundant profits.
After remaining on his farm until 1899, Mr. Coffing purchased his pres- ent fine modern home in Covington, formerly owned by his father, where he has since resided. He helped in the building of his house, having assisted his father in cutting the timber for the same, getting it sawed and hauling it to town, besides contributing of his labor in other ways toward the erection and completion of the edifice. He is well situated to enjoy the many material blessings with which he has been favored, being one of the financially solid
+
493
FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA.
men of his city and county and as a citizen ranking among the most enterpris- ing and progressive in his part of the state. A Democrat in politics and an ardent supporter of his party, he has never been an office seeker or aspirant for leadership.
Fraternally, he belongs to the Pythian order of Covington and religious- ly holds membership with the Methodist church. On November 15, 1887, he was happily married to Emma McMannomy, daughter of Col. James Mc- Mannomy, whose sketch follows this review, the union being blessed with four children, viz : Louise, wife of Henry Knapper Bilsand; McMahannoney, Mary H. and George L .; all except the oldest are still members of the home circle. Mrs. Coffing, whose birth occurred November 8, 1867, comes of sturdy old colonial stock and traces her family history to the Revolutionary period, one of her ancestors having taken part in the war for independence.' She has been deeply interested in the history of that renowned struggle and recently through her efforts a chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, was established in Covington, in which she is a leading spirit and of which her daughters are also members.
Col. James McMannomy, father of Mrs. Coffing, was born March 5, 1824, in Ross county, Ohio, and when a lad of twelve years came on horse- back to Fountain county, Indiana, where in due time he purchased land and became a successful farmer. His father was Patrick McMannomy, who im- migrated to the United States from Ireland, when eleven years old, and after spending some time in New York City went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, re- moving thence to Ross county, Ohio, where he spent the remainder of his days. By trade he was a shoemaker and he is remembered as a man of keen intelligence, great industry and sterling integrity.
When the war with Mexico broke out James McMannomy enlisted in the First Regiment Indiana Volunteers, with which he saw one year of active service, rising the meanwhile to the position of lieutenant-colonel in his regi- ment. In 1849 he joined the tide of emigrants to the California gold diggings, going with a wagon train until across the Missouri river; thence, with a party of young men as daring as himself, he turned southward to the gulf of Mexico and, crossing the isthmus of Panama, took passage on a vessel for San Fran- cisco harbor, where he arrived in due time. Proceeding to the gold field, he engaged in mining and met with gratifying success, being fortunate in locat- ing a claim in an exceedingly rich mineral region. Having accumulated a hand- some fortune, he returned in 1850 to Fountain county and invested his means in a large tract of land a part of which he improved and all of which subse- quently became quite valuable, making him a comparatively wealthy man.
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.