Pictorial and biographical memoirs of Elkhart and St. Joseph counties, Indiana, together with biographies of many prominent men of northern Indiana and of the whole state, both living and dead, Part 77

Author:
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago, Goodspeed Brothers
Number of Pages: 786

USA > Indiana > Elkhart County > Pictorial and biographical memoirs of Elkhart and St. Joseph counties, Indiana, together with biographies of many prominent men of northern Indiana and of the whole state, both living and dead > Part 77
USA > Indiana > St Joseph County > Pictorial and biographical memoirs of Elkhart and St. Joseph counties, Indiana, together with biographies of many prominent men of northern Indiana and of the whole state, both living and dead > Part 77

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).

511

MEMOIRS OF INDIANA.

and the parish of New Orleans. Two years later he went to Chicago and seven years were there devoted to the carpenter's trade, bnt from there he went to War- ren Center, St. Joseph Co., Ind., in 1877, and on a farm of 200 acres, located seven miles west of Sonth Bend, he has since made his home. He is a Knight Templar in the Masonic fraternity, which order he joined in Winona, Minn., in 1867. He is also a member of Auten Post, South Bend, Ind., G. A. R. He is an honest and up- right citizen, believes in the commandment to "Do uoto others as you would that they should do unto you." although not a member of any church. His wife is a member of the Baptist Church. He cast his first presidential vote for Franklin Pierce and ever since the Civil war has affiliated with the Republican party, but was previously a Democrat. He takes pride in assisting in all public enterprises and is public-spirited, liberal and high-minded. His entire career has been honorable and upright, and although living in the West when it was invested by lawless and desper- ate men, he everconducted himself in an upright manner, and is in every way worthy the respect in which he is held. He is the father of three children who are living: Ella E., wife of C. F. Brenan, a printer of Chicago; Lillie, at home, and Cora, wife of George Witter, Jr., a farmer. They have one child deceased. Capt. Ross' grandmother, Jerusha Cook, was from Rhode Island.

CALVIN C. LANDON. Among the sons of Vermont who brought with them to this western land the sturdy habits of independence, integrity and industry which have ever marked the "Green Mountain boys," we are gratified to be able to name Mr. Landon, whose fine farm of 210 acres is among the best of Elkhart county, Ind. He possesses those advanced ideas and progressive principles regarding agricultural life, which seem to be among the chief characteristics of the average native Ver- monter, and in every walk of life he has conducted himself in an honorable and up- right manner. Mr. Landon was born in Rutland county, Vt., July 27, 1824, and is a son of Calvin and Abigail (Smith) Landon, the former a native of Rutland county, Vt., and the latter of Hampshire county, Mass. When but a small lad Cal- vin C. Landon was taken by his parents to the State of New York and there he was left without the tender and watchful care of a mother when only five years of age. After her death his father married again, his second marriage being to Miss Mary E. Marsh. On account of failing health the father went to the seashore in 1837 with the hope of deriving some benefit from the salt breeze, and there he received his final summons. After the death of his father our subject went to Massachusetts to live with relatives, who afterward removed to New York where young Landon lived until 1854. Led by the promises of the prairies of the West he turned his face toward the setting sun and made no settlement until reaching the State of Indiana. He located in Elkhart county, where he purchased land, and there he has made his home ever since. The most notable event in the life of the young man was his marriage in Elkhart county, July 22, 1855, with Miss Margaret Brown, who was born October 6, 1833. She was-the daughter of Solomon M. and Sarah (Ketcham) Brown. The following children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Landon, viz .: Clematus V., born May 17, 1856, married William F. Wahl, and Oliver J., born May 14, 1861. Mrs. Landon died December 26, 1891. She was a lady of much culture aud refinement. and was highly esteemed by all. Mr. Landon has been a hard-working man, and what he has accumulated has been the fruits of his indus- try and good management. About 1875 he noticed his eyesight beginning to fail, and for ten or twelve years he has been unable to read or drive about. At present he is almost totally blind. Although he has met with this great misfortune Mr. Landon bears it with a great deal of fortitude, but it is a great blow nevertheless. His son Oliver has entire charge of the farm of 210 acres, twenty acres of which are in timber, and is a wide awake, industrious young man. He was married December 25, 1884, to Miss Grace M. Shreiner, who was born December 14, 1867. They have three children as follows: George C., born February 11, 1886; Archie B., born February 14, 1888; Clarence C., born October 1, 1890; Alvin Landon, born Novem-

512

PICTORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL

ber 8, 1892. Like his father Oliver voices the platform and declarations of the Democratic party, and in general matters he is in favor of anything which will im- prove the condition of the county and elevate social life.

HON. ISAAC BLACKFORD has made a greater impression upon the Supreme Court of Indiana than any man who ever sat upon the beoch. Coming to the bench Septem- ber 10, 1817, he continued until January 3, 1853-a period covering the entire existence of the old court, with the exception of the first few months after ita crea- tion. He succeeded Judge Johnson. He sat longer on the bench than any other man, and during that time made his name by his untiring accuracy and exact learn- ing, familiar on two continents. Blackford was born at Round Brook, N. J., Novem- ber 6, 1786. His father was a native of England, and died when Issac was in his teens. At sixteen he entered Princeton College in a class of thirty-four, and among his classmates were three who became governors of States, three United States sen- ators, and four judges of supreme courts. Blackford excelled in Latin and Greek, delighted in books, was proficient in astronomy and the higher mathematics, and in his senior year read Blackstone. He read law at Morristown with Gabriel Ford, walked to the Allegheny River because of a lack of means to pay stage fare, and in 1811 came to Indiana, resuming his legal studies at Brookville. He later served as cashier of the Vevay branch of the Territorial Bank, and not long afterward edited a paper in Vincennes, Ind. In 1813 he became the first clerk and recorder of Washington connty, and in December of the same year was elected clerk of the House of Representatives. He was re-elected the following August, but resigned on being appointed presiding judge of the First Circuit, a position he held until Jan- nary, 1861. On his thirty-first birthday he was elected representative from Knox county, and oo the organization of the first State Legislature was chosen speaker without opposition. "His great fairness and unyielding integrity and natural fit- ness," said Senstor James Noble, "won the respect and hearty good-will of us all, and we couldn't find it in our hearts to oppose him." Ten months later he was appointed judge of the Supreme Court. While s man of no great breadth of mind, of superior mental calibre, his bump of caution was so abnormally developed that he would never do any guessing; bat, on the contrary, never passed an opinion unless he absolutely knew that he was right. He was emphatically a book-judge. In 1824 he was an elector on the Adams ticket; in 1832 he voted for Clay; in 1836 he cast his ballot for Van Buren and was ever afterwards a Democrat. In 1825 he was de- fested by James Ray for governor, the respective votes being 10,418 to 13,040. The winter of 1825-6 he was defested for the United States senatorship by William Hendricks, who had but one vote the majority. In 1855, under the appointment of President Pierce, he was appointed judge of the United States Court of Claims, a position he retained until his death, December 31, 1859. This sketch was compiled from a biography published in the Green Bag of May, 1892.

EDWARD W. WALKER is justly deserving the recognition of being the most exten- eive manufacturer of Goshen, as well as one of its best known citizens. Born Sep- tember 2, 1831, at Logan, Hocking Co., Ohio, he was brought to Elkhart county, Ind., in 1835, by his parents, who engaged in farming in Middlebury township for several years, and later removed across the line to Eden township, La Grange Co. Both the father and grandfather of Edward W. Walker bore the name of Thomas, and were natives of Yorkshire, England. Thomas Walker, Sr., and his four sons were horseshoers, a trade usually confounded with blacksmithing and vet entirely different. In 1819 the family immigrated to the United States. being influ- enced to do so by a brother of the elder Walker, and by the father of the subject of this sketch, who had preceded them. They located at Athens, where the father and youngest aon engaged in blacksmithing; the other sons locating at other points where they deemed they could do best. It was at Athens that the elder Walker died. Thomas Walker. Jr., father of Edward W., settled in Hocking county, Ohio, where be carried on farming and blacksmithing conjointly. He married Elizabeth

513

MEMOIRS OF INDIANA.

Harman, & native of Yorkshire, England, whose parents settled at McConnellsville, Ohio, in 1818, and in the year 1835 immigrated westward for the purpose of improving their condition. The father died at his home, not many miles from Middlebury, in La Grange county, in 1848, followed by his widow in 1876. They were the parents of ten children, eight of whom are yet living. Edward W. was the fifth born in this family. His early years were passed upon the home farm, assisting his parents in the work of backwoods life, and attending the pioneer subscription schools. He Ister attended the LaGrange Collegiate Institute, an educational institution at On- tario, La Grange Co., well remembered by the old settlers, which has long since gone the way of all earthly things, as well as the town in which it was located. When nineteen years old he began learning the millwright's trade, but later worked at the carpenter's trade. When twenty-two he opened a stock of merchandise with his brother-in-law, C. Stutz, at Middlebury and sold goods there eight years, then, until 1870, handled stock-mostly sheep-and dealt in real estate. He moved to Goshen in 1866, and laid the foundation of his present business in 1870. He first began manufacturing agricultural implement wheels, which then began to come in vogne, but later branched out into making wheelbarrows, wood pumps, etc. At no particular time has his business been affected with what is called "booms." It has simply reflected what ite management has been. The idea of Mr. Walker has all along been to do a conservative business, to do what he did do honestly and in first-class order. The result has been a substantial and steady increase from its very inception. Besides this he is head of the company comprising himself and nephew, Edward E. Stutz, in the manufacture of carriages. He is also president of the Goshen Folding Bed Co., being its largest stockholder, and was one of the founders of the City National bank of Goshen, established in 1872, and has contin- uously been one of its directors since its organization. In his various interests Mr. Walker gives employment to from 175 to 200 men, and his average annual sales now amount to $250,000. While an ardent Republican in politics, Mr. Walker aspires to no political preferment. January 19, 1859, he was united in marriage with Miss Hannah M. Brown, daughter of Benjamin and Hannah (Fields) Brown. No children have ever been born to this union, but the Christian charity of Mr. and Mrs. Walker has been exemplified in their adoption of & child, Laura Dayton. This child was received by them an infant, and being deprived of children of their own, they lavished on this child all the love and care which their generous hearts could bestow. When life seemed brightest, when upon the threshold of womanhood, lack- ing three months of being seventeen years old, their hearts were crushed by the shad- owy hand of death, and their daughter, by adoption, was called to a home in the In- finite. Both Mr. and Mrs. Walker are members of the Presbyterian Church.

JOHN S. SMITH (deceased). It is with true interest that the biographer takes up his pen to speak of those worthy citizens whose active lives have ceased on earth but whose influence extends still and will continue to extend among all who knew them. Mr. John S. Smith was born in Alsace, France, now Prussia, Ger- many, in the latter part of December, 1800, and was a son of George Smith. Our subject crossed the ocean to America in the spring of 1828, and was eix weeks on the trip to New York City. After reaching that city he went up the Hudson to Albany and then via Erie Canal came to Buffalo, from Buffalo by schooner to Cleve- land, from there by wagon to Canton, Stark county, Ohio, when there were but three houses in the town. His son, George A., has a saw that was used in the erection of the first house in Canton. After residing a year in town John S. Smith moved nine miles north, purchased thirteen acres of land and two years later purchased thirteen acres more. In 1837 he crossed to Elkhart county, Ind., by ox tenm, was three weeks on the road and was one week in getting through Maumee Swamp, a distance of thirty miles, this being considered fast traveling for those days. He located on the northwest half of northwest quarter of Section 27, Cleveland township, and erected & log cabin in the wilderness. Although the land was wild upon which he

514

PICTORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL

settled, and the implements he used rude and unhandy, the soil was rich, and as the work of clearing progressed and the crops were put in, it yielded a good return. He had eighty acres to start with and he afterward purchased addi- tional land at different periods. He was married in France in 1828 to Miss Anna Hessig and the following children were born to this union: John H., resides in Mahaska county, Iowa, where he settled in 1850; Margaret, resides in Cass county, Mich., and is the wife of Michael Hoover; Catherine (deceased); Christian, and Anna (deceased). Mr. Smith was among the first settlers of this township, and here he labored on the farm until his death, on October 29, 1879. His wife sur- vived him until May 29, 1892. making ber home with her son, George A., after the death of her husband. She was an invalid during the last four years of her life. A brother of our subject, George, who was twenty years his senior, was in the army under Napoleon, but being wounded when about to start to Moscow, was released. He came to America with his brother, John S., and settled in Stark county; in 1835 he came to Elkhart county, where he died in January, 1864, when seventy-five years of age. George A., son of John S. and Anna (Hessig) Smith, was born in Stark county, Ohio, October 5, 1832. When nearly five years of age he came with his parents to Elkhart county, Cleveland township, which was an nubroken forest at that time. He distinctly remembers the privations and hardships of those pioneer days, and at an early age became thoroughly familiar with hard labor. He received his education in the common schools of the county and later entered a seminary at New Berlin, Penn., where he remained for two years. He was married December 4, 1863, to Miss Susan Eyer, a native of Pennsylvania, and the daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth Eyer, natives of Lancaster, Penn., where they both died at an advanced age. To Mr. and Mrs. Smith have been born four children: Albert H., Wesley E., Anna B. and Clara E. Mrs. Smith's death occurred September, 1, 1883, after a lingering sickness of nearly a year. Mr. Smith's sec- ond marriage occurred September 14, 1884, to Miss Mary Kelley, a native of Elk- hart county, Ind., born April 22, 1858, and the daughter of Urs Kelley, a native of Switzerland. One child, Clifton C., has been born to this union. Mr. Smith has 284 acres of land, forty five acres of which are timber land, and has a very tine brick residence, excellent ont-buildings, etc. He is a member of the Farmer's Association and he and Mrs. Smith are members of the Evangelical Church. He is a strong Prohibitionist in politics.

BUNCH & RENSBEROER. The name of this firm is a passport to popular favor and has become prominent in the general mercantile trade, during the three years that it has been in existence. It was established in February, 1889, by H. W. Bunch and C. S. Rensberger, who bought out W. S. Clark, who had for about thir- teen years prior to that time successfully conducted a general mercantile business. The young blood that has been infused into the enterprise has been the means of making it one of the most anccessful mercantile houses of the county, and the amount of business now being done annually reaches the $25,000 mark. The stock is exceptionally large and well selected, and will compare favorably with that of any similar establishment in the southern part of the county. Mr. Rensberger was born in Liberty township, this county, December 30, 1863, the eldest of six children born to Moses and Anna (Deetz) Rensberger, the former of whom was born in Holmes county, Ohio, in 1848, a son of Jacob Rensberger, who was a Pennsylvanian and an early pioneer of Ohio, who, about 1860, took up his residence on a farm in Liberty township, St. Joseph county, Ind., where he died about 1872. His wife also died in this county. All the members of their family, consisting of nine children, are still living. Moses Rensberger was a young man when he came to this section, was married here, and is still residing on his farm in Liberty township. He is a Repub- lican in politics and has ever been very public-spirited. Their children are as follows: Clarence S., a member of the above-mentioned firm; Lester, who is clerking for his brother; Alice, who is the wife of Charles Fruitz; Eli; Lloyd and Ezra. The

515

MEMOIRS OF INDIANA.

mother was born ia Holmes county, Ohio, the daughter of Jacob Deetz, who were Pennsylvanians by birth, and early Ohio pioneers. Mrs. Rensberger became a resi- dent of Indiana in 1855, and in this State is still living. Clarence S. Rensberger was educated in the district schools, and at the same time assisted his father on the farm until about twenty years of age, when he went West to see the country and while there clerked for some time in a store. In February, 1889, he engaged in his pres- ent business and the success which has attended his efforts thus far in his mercan -. tile career speaks in an eloquent manaer as to his excellent business qualifications. He has always been actively interested in politics and is a stanch Republican. H. W. Bunch is a product of St. Joseph county, Ind., his birth having occurred in Union township, May 28, 1860, a son of Americas Bunch, who was born in North Carolina in 1829. He is one of two surviving members of a family of eleven children, of which be was the eldest but one. Hie early life was spent on a woodland farm, aad from his thrifty and industrious parents he learned habits of industry and honesty that have been his stepping-stones to success. He attended school in the district near his home, and when he became old enough took up various duties on the farm. At the age of aineteen he began working in the store in which he is now interested, but after a few years gave up this line of work to take a trip West, during which time be saw considerable of the country. In 1880 he entered college at Valparaiso, Ind., after leaving which he became s "Hoosier school master," and was a successful educator of Marshall county for six months. Following this be clerked in the store for W. S. Clark for some time, then be and Mr. Rensberger became the proprietors of their present establishment and have built ap a paying trade. He is s public-spirited man and politically is a Democrat. December 1, 1888, he was married to Miss Emma Kern, daughter of Adam and Catherine (Winklesprek) Kern. She was bora ou the old Kern homestead, in Union town- ship, this county, December 1, 1865, and has borne her husband the following children: Glenn, born February 9, 1890, and Alice M., born February 11, 1892. Mr. and Mrs. Bunch are among the highly honored residents of the section in which they reside.

MRS. SARAH WATKINS. The widow of John C. Watkins is a wide-awake lady of much intelligence, and she is now residing on the farm which she assisted ber hus- band in locating and clearing upon their first arrival ia the Hoosier State. John C. Watkins was born in Richmond, Va., February 22, 1811, and was a son of Reisler Watkins, who inherited good old Dutch blood of his ancestors. At the age of five years John C. Watkins was taken to Ohio and in that State resided with his parents until he attained his twenty-first year. He then determined to "try his wings" and in a blacksmith's shop of the neighborhood, he thoroughly learned the details of that calling. He was shortly after naited in marriage with Miss Sarah Kolars, a German by descent, and for nineteen years thereafter he supported bis family by means of the hammer and anvil. In 1851 he came with his family to the territory of Indiana and for some time resided on 156 acres of woodland in St. Joseph county, which he endeavored to improve, but also gave much of his attention to bis trade. Later be abandoned his trade and up to the day of his death his attention was given solely to tilling the soil, which occupation was congenial to his tastes sad proved a profitable source of revenge, after the first few years of bard work, in which he was gaining a start, were over. While a resident of Tuscarawas county, Ohio, he was superintendent of the County Poor Farm for some time. From the time he was fif- teen years of age he kept the faith in the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he was a devout member when he paid the last debt of nature on November 13, 1879. His widow resides on the home farm, which she conducts in an admirable manner through renters. She is proving herself a good business woman, and as a friend and neighbor is considered generous, kind and accommodating, She bore her has- band fourteen children; Hezekiah, who died while serving bis country in the Union army; Louisa; Adam; Rosetta; George W .; Hiram L .; Hester; De-, who

516

PICTORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL

died in infancy; Ezra; Emeline, who died in infancy; Henson M .; Catherine L .; Sarah and Mary A. Mrs. Watkins and her husband took a baby boy to raise when he was only eight days old, and cared for him until he attained manhood. He sub- eequently died in the army. Her children are now living in Iowa, Kansas and Indi- sns and are an honor to the mother who bore them.

JONATHAN W. NICKELS is a prosperous general merchant of Lakeville, Ind., who keeps a well-stocked establishment and by energy and fair dealing has built up a prosperous business. He was born in Marion county, Obio, January 19, 1851, being the youngest in a family of eight children born to Jonathan and Martha (Shney) Nickels, the former of whom was born in Wheeling, W. Va., in 1803, and died at the age of fifty-two years in Marion county, Ohio. He was among the first pioneers of that State and made himself and family a comfortable home in the woods where he spent a useful, honorable and upright life. In addition to clearing his farm and tilling his land he followed the callings of a carpenter and architect, at which he was an adept, his ability receiving public recognition when it fell to him to draw up the plans for the new State House at Columbus, in 1849. He made his home at Marion, Ohio, for a number of years, during which time he devoted himself exclusively to contracting and drawing up plans and specifications for different buildings. In politics he was an old line Whig, was very public spirited, had a wide acquaintance in the section in which he lived and wherever known was highly respected. He was married in Ohio to Miss Shuey, who was born in Harrisburg, Penn., in 1810, a daughter of John and Margaret Shuey, who were old-time Penn- sylvanians of German stock. The grandfather, John Shney, lived to the patriarchal age of one hundred and four years and died near Logansport, Ind., in 1864. When he was one hundred years of age he walked four miles to the polls to vote for Abraham Lincoln for the presidency. He was a strong Republican and & man who possessed many noble qualities. The grandmother lived to be quite aged also and died in Indians, on the farm which the grandfather entered on coming to this State in early times. Mrs. Nickels, the mother of the subject of this sketch, died in 1859 in Fulton county, at which time she was a member of the Baptist Church. She became the mother of eight children, all of whom lived to reach maturity, only one being now deceased. The eldest was Caroline who married Samuel Smith and died leaving four children; Edwin, the next, married Elizabeth Smith and is living in Fulton county, Ind .; Mariam (Mrs. Tucker) is living at Logansport, Ind., and bas three children; William W. lives at Kewanna, ie a prosperous farmer and has five children; George W. is also in Fulton county, was one of the first to enlist in the service of his country during the Civil war, becoming a member of Company B, Sixty- fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was wounded in battle, losing his right arm st Chickamanga in the last volley fired (he was a participant in seventeen hard-fought battles, among which may be mentioned Stone River, Missionary Ridge, Bull Run, Shi- loh, Corinth, Inka, and the Wilderness; he held the rank of sergeant; he is now a farmer of Fulton county, is married to Sarah Buntsin and is the father of six children); Mariah is the wife of John Buntsin, resides in Logansport, Ind., and is the mother of four children; Jonathan W. ; Martha is the wife of Louis Mullins, has five children, of Fulton county. Jonathan W. Nickels was a boy of five years when the family came to Indiana, and at the age of eight years he was left an orphan, his father and mother both having died, and for some time thereafter he made his home with friends. However, at an early day he started to make his own way in the world, and by his own exertions not only supplied himself with the necessaries of life but also managed to attend the district schools a sufficient length of time each year to acquire s good practical business education, up to the time he was sixteen years of age. He then worked at ditching for several years, after which he took up the car- penter's trade, at which he worked six years. In 1870 he came to Lakeville, where he has since made his home. In 1886 he opened & general mercantile establishment and received the appointment of postmaster under President Cleveland, which he

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.

Pictorial and biographical memoirs of Elkhart and St. Joseph counties, Indiana, together with biographies of many prominent men of northern Indiana and of the whole state, both living and dead, Part 77

Author: Publication date: 1893 Publisher: Chicago, Goodspeed Brothers Number of Pages: 786

Author:
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago, Goodspeed Brothers
Number of Pages: 786