USA > Indiana > Fountain County > Past and present of Fountain and Warren Counties, Indiana, Volume 2 > Part 37
USA > Indiana > Warren County > Past and present of Fountain and Warren Counties, Indiana, Volume 2 > Part 37
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BERT E. PAGE.
The old-fashioned notion that hard work, patient industry and far-sight- edness make for success in the various avenues of life does not seem to be accepted so unreservedly in our day. The spread of pessimism engendered by many phases of our complex civilization is in a great measure responsible for the lack of faith in the old idea. However, if we observe conditions closely we will find that the intelligent individual, who leads a practical and industrious life, will reach a point of success commensurate with his efforts. The life of the subject of this sketch will afford us an instance of this.
Bert E. Page, well known and successful grain dealer of the village of Mellott, Fountain county, Indiana, was born in Wayne county, this state, June 8, 1865. He is the son of N. H. and Lucy (Clark) Page, natives of North Carolina, each coming from an old Southern family, and they grew up and were married in the old Tar state, emigrating from there to Wayne county, Indiana, in 1856, later moving to Hamilton county, this state, where the father lived until his death. The mother died in Wayne county in 1871. N. H. Page was a wagon-maker by trade and was very skillful in the same, his services being in great demand, but later in life he devoted his energies almost exclusively to general farming and was engaged in that at the time of his death. Politically, he was a Democrat, and he and wife belonged to the United Brethren church. They became the parents of five children, named as follows: Sarah is deceased; Rachael lives in Cicero, Indiana ; James died in 1876; Alice died in 1906; Bert E., subject of this sketch, who was the young- est of the children.
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Bert E. Page grew to manhood on the home farm and there, when of proper age, he assisted with the general work, and in the winter time at- tended the common schools in his neighborhood in Hamilton county. When a young man he began life as a farmer, which he followed for three years, then took up the grain business, which he has followed with ever-increasing success to the present time, having become widely known in this fieldl of en- deavor and being regarded as one of the best informed mien on grain topics in this section of Indiana. He first located at New Richmond, Indiana, where he had a large trade from the start, but observing a larger field at Mellott, Fountain county, he has continued the grain business here for the past three years, building up a large and ever-widening trade with the surrounding country. He is in partnership with J. W. McCardle, and they operate under the firm name of McCardle & Page. They handle both grain and coal, and are very successful in both lines.
Mr. Page was married on September 20, 1891, to .Anna Long, daughter of John and Rosetta ( Matson) Long, who came from Mercer county, Ohio, and settled in Linden, Indiana, Mr. Long having devoted his life to farming. His death occurred in Montgomery county, this state. The family, late in life, moved from Linden to New Richmond, the father and mother both dying at the latter place.
Mr. Long was a Democrat politically, and he and his wife were Christ- ian Disciples. They became the parents of eight children, namely: George and William H. live at New Richmond; Alonzo lives in Windsor, Johnson county, Missouri ; Benjamin lives at Champaign, Illinois; Anna, who married Mr. Page, of this review; Arthur lives in Isabella, North Dakota; Jessie May died when two years old; John A. lives in Lafayette, Indiana.
Mr. Page is a Republican in his political faith, and religiously he belongs to the Christian Disciples church. He is a member of the Knights of Py- thias Lodge No. 433, at Newtown, Fountain county ; also belongs to the Im- proved Order of Red Men, Tribe No. 114, at Mellott, this county.
WILLIAM DICE.
This gentleman is another representative of the families that came to Fountain county when this part of the country was a howling wilderness filled with wild animals and with roving bands of Indians. William Dice, one of our well known farmers and stock men, grew up with other pioneer (44)
gr. . and development af the native local
J.r. Dies was born in Fountain county. Juliova. August r. 18
the inthey worn in 1793 and the mother in 100. The gre rep in the (I) Dominion and married there, and when young people in 1824. they made the somewhat perilous journey overland to Fountain county. Indiana, being one pelled to cut their road part of the way from Crawfordsville. Four of the Dice brothers made the trip. Here they established themselves in log cabins in the great wood: and here they became owners of large tracts of wild land which they cleared and developed into go a farmis. F.Itlers were few and tradi ig posts remote, ar ! they were com; ou to go to Chicago for much of their provisions, household supplies and implements. They sold flour there to pay for the things they needed, the trips requiring a week's time; they always went in a four-horse wagon.
George Dice, father of the subject, devoted bis hi to farming in Van Buren township, where he entered land from the government, his deed being signed by President Andrew Jackson, and since that early dav only two transfers have been made, from father to son, the land remaining in the family all the while. His family consisted of ten children, all of whom grew to maturity, but only three are living at this writing, naniely: John, Jacob. Henry, Eliza, Mar;, Bloomer and Eli are all deceased: William, of this sketch. and George, the youngest son, hoth live on the old homestead: Clar- inda, who married Joseph Hushaw lives near Rob Roy on Big Shawnee creek.
George Dice. the father, was a Democrat. but he never held office : how- ever, he served on many grand juries, and he became well known among the early settlers and was liked by everyone, being an honest and industrious man, friendly and hospit. ble.
William Dice. of this sketch. grew to manhood on the home farm and he received his early education in the public schools of his neighborhood. such as they were in those early times. He has devoted his life to farming on the old home place which he conducts in partnership with his brother George. The place consists of six hundred and ten acres, mostly under culti
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vation and all well improved. They have kept it well tilled so that it has retained its original fertility and they have kept the buildings remodeled and have been very successful as general farmers.
William Dice was married in i869 to Catherine Jones, daughter of Lawson and Maria (Burkett) Jones, natives of Kentucky, from which state they came to Fountain county. Indiana, where they spent the latter part of their lives, and died here. Mr. Jones was a tailor by trade. Three children were born to William Dice and wife: Hortense, who died when five years old; Cort W. is an attorney at Covington ; Morris died in infancy.
Politically, Mr. Dice is a Democrat and has held minor.offices. He met with a misfortune in 1900, being kicked by a horse, and has since been badly crippled in the hip, though he gets around fairly well and helps manage the work on the place.
Mr. Dice has made all the latter-day improvements on the place, and has built a fine home two and one-half miles south of Veedersburg in Van Buren township. He has added some acreage to the old place, and has dealt some in real estate, buying and selling some farms. In religious matters he belongs to the Presbyterian church, in which his father was long active. In his earlier years the former attended church with the latter in school houses. log cabins, barns and brush arbors. The family have always been liberal sup- porters of the church and all good movements.
MONROE HAAS.
It is in such countries as the United States that full swing can be given to the energies of the individual. A man may choose any business or pro- fession he desires, and he is limited only by competition. He must meet the skill of others and give as good service as they or he will not find himself progressing very rapidly. Such adaptation to any work or business is well shown in the career of Monroe Haas, successful young business man of the village of Newtown, Richland township, Fountain county. He has turned his hand to various things and proved that farming was not the only occupa- tion which he could make successful.
Mr. Haas was born in this township and county, on February 22, 1877. and is the son of James and Lydia (Hummings) Haas. The paternal grand- father, Jacob Haas, was one of the earliest settlers in Richland township. He was a mason by trade and became well known to the early pioneers through-
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FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA.
out the county, doing much work for theni. Later in life he conducted a har- ness shop, finally removing to California, where he now resides.
Five children were born to James Haas and wife, three of whom are living at this writing, namely : Minnie, who married J. R. Davis, lives in Salt Lake City, Utah; Lena, who married Bert Hushaw, lives in Newtown, this county ; Mary and Mattie, twins, are deceased; Monroe, of this sketch, was the youngest.
Monroe Haas grew to manhood in his native community and he re- ceived his education in the common schools, also the high school at Welling- ton, Kansas, and the Valparaiso Business College, at Valparaiso, Indiana, thus receiving an excellent text-book training. He went to Kansas in his boyhood days and remained there some time, finally returning to his native township, where he took up farming, first beginning working out as a hired hand. He followed barbering four years at Wingate, Veedersburg and other places. Later he established a grocery store and restaurant in Newtown, which he still conducts, enjoying a large and rapidly growing trade. He carries a well selected line of staple and fancy groceries, serves soft drinks, and his restaurant is popular with the general public.
Mr. Haas was married on December 12, 1901, to Della Rodgers, daugh- ter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Shute) Rodgers, who live on a farm in Ver- million county, where they have resided for some time and are well and favorably known.
Mr. Haas has built a neat, cozy home at Newtown and he has become very comfortably established through his individual efforts. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
CHARLES E. ARCHER.
Among the best farmers of Fountain county, Indiana, are the Archers. This statement will appear as possessing the highest element of truth by those at all familiar with the various members of this old family, for a glance at the fine farm, owned and operated by Charles E. Archer, of Richland township, shows that it has been so skillfully manipulated and so carefully looked after during the seventy-five years that has elapsed since grandfather Archer took possession of it, that it has lost none of its original fertility and strength of soil, for its owners (it has never been out of the Archer family) seem to have been natural-born husbandmen, with a proper knowledge of soils, grains,
MR. AND MRS. CHARLES E. ARCHER.
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FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA.
climatic conditions, the rotation of crops, etc., so as to get the largest results from their work as husbandmen. This is one of the very oldest families in the county, and the locality in which they have lived has been greatly benefited by their work and their influence, they having ever been men of public spirit and neighborly impulses, willing to do their full share in the general up- building of the county.
Charles E. Archer was born in Richland township, Fountain county, Indiana, December 13, 1857. He is the son of James and Harriet (Ray) Archer. The father was born in this county, February 9, 1827, being the first white child born in Richland township, and here he grew to manliood amid pioneer conditions and worked hard when a boy in assisting in the de- veloping of the home farm from the wilderness, and here lie received such education in the log school houses of his neighborhood. Here he and Martha Rivers were married, upon reaching maturity. She bore him two children who died in infancy, and she herself passed away in 1854. He then married Harriett Ray, by whom one child was born, Charles E. Archer, subject of this sketch. For a fuller history of the Rivers family the reader is directed to the sketch of John J. Rivers, which appears on another page of this volume. James Archer devoted his life to general farming in his native county and was successful in his life work, and his death occurred . n his farm here in 1906 at the advanced age of seventy-nine years, six months and nine days. He had been preceded to the grave by his wife, mother of the subject, in January, 1904, she having been seventy-five years old. Samuel Archer, pa- ternal grandfather of the subject, who was in the early days sheriff of Mont- gomery county, Ohio, removed to Richland township, Fountain county, in October, 1826, and entered land from the government, where his grandson, Charles E. Archer, the subject, now resides. He began life in typical pioneer fashion, in the woods, when neighbors were few and privations and hard- ships the rule. He was a justice of the peace, also a county commissioner at the time of his death.
Charles E. Archer grew to manhood on the home farm and there made himself generally useful in his boyhood, attending the public schools what time he was not at work on the home place. He has always been a farmer and is still actively and successfully engaged. He has made a specialty of stock raising, being well known as a cattle and hog feeder, and no small part of his annual income has been derived from his judicious handling of live stock. He is the owner of a fine and well improved farm of two hundred and forty-one acres, on which stand a pleasant home and large convenient outbuildings.
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FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA.
Mr. Archer was married on January 1, 1880, to Laura Alice Short, daughter of James and Mandy ( Kemp) Short, the father a native of Wash- ington county, Indiana, and the mother was born in Fountain county. She passed away in 1892, at the age of sixty years. James Short, a highly respected citizen, is still living. Two children have been born to the subject and wife, James, who married Teda Waller, daughter of John Waller, of Kentucky, and they live at Melott, thi county. Fannie E. Archer married Thomas Wiggans, and they live in Richiand township, this county.
Politically, Mr. Archer is a Republican, and he belongs to the Christian Disciples church. He has filled the office of township supervisor for the past five years in a very satisfactory manner. He is a member of the Improved Order of Red Men and of the Anti-Horse Thief Association.
DENNIS WILLSON.
Eighty-three years have come and gone since the venerable and honored subject of this sketch first opened his eyes to the light of day, and they have been years well spent by him, for he was reared by good sterling pioneer par- ents, and had good training and he has not departed from his raising. He has spent nearly all his days in this locality, having been brought here when an infant and he has lived to see and take a conspicuous part in the develop- ment of the same. He recalls many interesting reminiscences of the early days and he has enjoyed the friendship of all who have come into contact with him, for he has tried to live by the Golden Rule, and while laboring for his own good has not neglected his duties as a citizen.
Dennis Willson was born in Warren county, Ohio, February 26, 1829. He is the son of Asa and Elizabeth (Slaughter) Willson, who spent their earlier lives in Ohio, coming to Fountain county, Indiana, in February, 1830, when the subject was one year old. The father was a native of New Jersey and the mother was born in New York. They were married in Cincinnati, and lived there for some time prior to coming to Indiana. They settled at the town of Rob Roy, where they remained six years, then moved to Scott's Prairie, in 1836, which is today but a few hours' drive, but at that time the journey required two days, made with an ox team. They camped at Coal creek beside a burning log heap. The family became very comfortably lo- cated on the prairie mentioned above, and there a good farm was developed, on which the father of the subject spent the rest of his life.
FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA. 695
Dennis Willson grew to manhood on the home farm and helped with the work of clearing the same and getting it under cultivation, so became ac- quainted with hard work when he was but a boy. He received a meager ed- ucation in the old-time schools taught in the country, and early in life he learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed in connection with farming, and he has made a success of his life work, having made a very comfortable living.
Dennis Willson is the fourth in order of birth in a family of twelve chil- dren, the others being named as follows: Amos died at the advanced age of eighty-five years; Martha J. died July 29, 1909; David died young; Mary, deceased ; William, deceased; Asa, deceased; two died in infancy.
Dennis Willson married, on January 9, 1856, Martha Shell, daughter of Strother and Elizabeth (Moudy) Shell. Her father was born in Virginia, but reared in Tennessee, and her mother was a native of Ohio, from which state she came to Fountain county, Indiana, when the country was new, set- tling two and one-half miles southeast of Veedersburg, and there her parents remained until their deaths.
Three children were born to the subject and wife, namely : Albert died when three months old; Losadie died when two years old; Freeman S. died at the age of twenty years.
Mr. Willson took up farming at Steam Corner, then removed to Cain township in 1870, later taking up his residence at Hillsboro, where he lived until the death of his wife, on July 3, 1910, when he moved to Kingman where he now lives with his sister.
Mr. Willson is one of the honored veterans of the Civil war, having en- listed on September 26, 1864, in Company I, Fortieth Indiana Volunteer In- fantry, and he served very creditably in the Army of the Cumberland, under Captain Dunn, General George M. Thomas' division. He was mustered out at New Orleans, July 15, 1865.
Politically, Mr. Willson was originally a Whig, and when the Repub- lican party was formed in 1856 he cast his lot with them and voted for Abra- ham Lincoln in 1860. He has since been a loyal supporter of this party. He was for some time a justice of the peace, filling the office with credit to him- self and to the satisfaction of the people. He was formerly a member of the Grange. Religiously, he has been a most worthy member of the Christian Disciple church for years.
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FRANK ZELRO HELMS.
One of the foremost citizens and most prominent men along many lines in Shawnee township, Fountain county, Indiana, is Frank Z. Helnis, son of Allen W. Helms, whose life and achievements may be found set down in this history. He has not only been a successful farmer, but has taken an active interest in a number of business enterprises that have reflected much good to his community. His is the ideal American life-that of an active business inan, living in the country, having all the facilities of city life, as well as the enjoyment of living where the air is pure and where things grow.
Frank Zelro Helms was born January 29, 1862, in Warren county, near State Line. He was educated in the common schools at Griffith, and after- wards attended Merom College at Merom, Sullivan county, Indiana, for two years. Wishing to become well versed in business methods and modes of attainment, Mr. Helms then attended the Bryant & Stratton Business College at Chicago, Illinois, for about six months. He was then prepared to take up the work on his farm scientifically, and has proved that the farmer, as well as the business man, has more reason to work mentally than physically, and that mixing brains with the soil brings threefold results.
On November 17, 1886, Mr. Helms married Minnie Palin, daughter of Jesse Palin, of Newtown, Indiana. They have had five children: Flossie May married Frederick Rice, and they are farming near Newtown, Indiana; Cary Fern married Ed S. Brown, a banker at Wingate, Indiana; Zealtea, Zone Allen and Doan Jessie are all at home.
Mr. Helms is. a member of the. New Light Christian church, which his . father helped to build, and he has been active in church work since his youth, having been clerk since he was eighteen years of age. He is a Republican and has been a leader of the people along political lines.
Mr. Helms has a farm of three hundred and forty-five acres, most of which is in a high state of cultivation, as he has practiced what he has learned in theory, and his land is very productive. He is progressive and has a number of modern improvements on his place, all of which he has made himself. He has not limited his efforts to his farm, however, and when the question of the organization of a telephone company was raised in the com- munity, Mr. Helms was one of the first to declare for it and was active in its organization and promotion. He is also interested in financial affairs, and is one of the directors of the Central National Bank at Attica, Indiana, and has held a prominent position on the board for about ten years.
Having such wide and varied interests Mr. Helms has that broader
FRANK Z. HELMS.
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FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA.
viewpoint which enables him to be a fair judge of human affairs and a capa- ble advisor for his neighbors in financial matters. He puts a great deal of himself in all that he is interested in and does his best to make all that he touches successful. He need not fear if the test is made of his life by the rule, "by their works ye shall judge them," for his works better than any words will make his influence live and immortalize him.
FRANK A. NAVE.
There is no arbitrary rule for winning success, yet in the career of every man who has attained standing and influence among his fellow men, there are lessons which may be studied to advantage. The individual who gains property and wins for himself a name is the one who sees and utilizes the opportunities that come his way. The essential conditions of human life are ever pretty much the same, the surroundings of men differing more in imagination than in reality. When one individual passes another on the highway of life to reach the goal of prosperity, it is largely because he pos- sesses the power to use advantages which in all probability encompass the whole civilized race. In the life of the enterprising man, whose life biog- raphy is herewith presented is found the ability to utilize every advantage that tends to promote his interests, also a power to create rather than to wait . for those opportunities deemed essential to success in the noble calling to which his energy, well-balanced judgment and rare foresight have been devoted.
Among Fountain county's distinguished citizens and leading men of affairs the name of Frank A. Nave has been very prominent. As proprietor and manager of the largest and best improved individual farm in_Indiana, he has achieved a reputation in agricultural circles throughout the state second to that of none of his contemporaries, while in the matter of successful farm- ing and the breeding and raising of fine live stock, he has been a forceful factor among his neighbors and fellow citizens and a recognized authority on all matters relating to his vocation.
Mr. Nave is one of Fountain county's native sons, and was born in Logan township on October 26, 1868. He belongs to one of the old and esteemed families of this part of the state, his grandfather, John Nave, hav- ing moved from Ohio to Fountain county as early as the year 1828 and located in Logan township on a portion of the farm now owned by the subject,
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FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES, INDIANA.
in addition to which he also purchased a tract of government land near Attica. He at once began improving what afterwards became the family homestead, but did not live long enough to enjoy much of the results of his toil, as his death occurred in 1831, three years after his arrival. Henry Nave, son of John and father of Frank A., was born in Ohio and removed with his parents to Fountain county when a young man and in due time became one of the leading agriculturists and influential citizens of Logan township. Dur- ing the first few years he threshed his wheat with the aid of the time-honored flail and marketed it at New Orleans by means of flat boat, returning by stage to Evansville, from which place to his home he not infrequently made his way on foot. He was a public-spirited citizen, who always took an active part in the development and growth of his section of country and did more perhaps for the material advancement of his immediate community than any other man. He was a local leader of the Democratic party during the early history of the county, manifested a timely interest in public matters and was long esteemned one of the leaders of thought and molders of opinion among his neighbors and fellow citizens. He died on the home farm near Attica on August 29, 1890, and left to each of his children a valuable farm and, what is better, the priceless heritage of an honorable family name.
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