USA > Indiana > Marion County > Indianapolis > Pictorial and biographical memoirs of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana, together with biographies of many prominent men of other portions of the state, both living and dead > Part 67
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PHILLIP J. ROLLER. In giving a history of the prominent citizens of the Western States the biographical department of this work would be incomplete without mentioning the gen- tleman whose name heads this sketch, for he is deservedly ranked among its prominent farmers and stock men. He first saw the light of day April 20, 1838, in Coshocton County, Ohio, and his parents, Andrew and Barbara (Sandels) Roller, were natives of Germany, coming to this country abont 1835. This worthy couple were the parents of ten children -eight sons and two daughters-four of the sons dying in childhood. The remainder of the children grew to mature years and were named as follows: Caspar, married Mrs. Elizabeth Ermans; Phillip J., subject; William H., married Miss Margaret Gashbaugh; George, married Miss Anna Roof; Elizabeth, became the wife of John Roof, and Mary Ann, single, died at the age of twenty-two. Our subject grew to mature years in his native county, secured a fair education and when grown was united in marriage to Miss Emily Richcreek, danghter of George W. and Eliza (Mansfield) Richcreek. Their nuptials were celebrated November 27, 1861, and to this happy union seven children were born-all sons, none of whom are married and all now at home or at school except the second, Decatur, who died in infancy. They were named as follows: William J., born November 7, 1862; Er- nest, born June 10, 1867; Andrew, born February 11, 1869; George, born April 10, 1872; Benjamin F., born July 1, 1876, and Manford, born December 13, 1879. The old adage that " in unity is strength " is not better illustrated than in this family. The parents started in life with limited means and have reared this family of boys, five of whom have reached man's estate and are over six feet in height and weigh about 200 pounds each. They are all strong temperance men, are Democrats in politics and in church mat- ters have a leaning toward the Methodists. These brothers have clung together and have become the owners of 922 acres of land, each acre of which is worth $100. Besides this they have a good bank account and are classed among the substantial men of the country. The Richcreek family, of which Mrs. Roller is a member, came originally from England and settled in America at a very early date. The first branch of this family to take root in American soil was David Richcreek, who crossed the ocean from England and settled near Philadelphia, Penn., about 1760. David married Miss Mary Penn, a direct descendant of William Penn, and three children were the fruits of this union: Thomas, David and Phil- lip. David settled near Philadelphia, Phillip made his home in the Old Dominion and Thomas came to Ohio. The latter reared a family of three sons and five daughters. The sons were named James, David, George W. (father of Mrs. Roller), and the daughters were Nancy, Maria, Susan, Casander and Leanor. George W. Richcreek married Miss Eliza Mansfield and eight sons and three daughters were born to them, as follows: Absalom (deceased); Mahala, married J. Chamberlin and now resides in Joplin, Mo .; Emily, married our subject; Jared C., married Miss Minnie Kountz and makes his home in Montana, Kan .; Edward A., married Miss Frances Baker and resides in Labette County, Kan., where he is now probate judge; Benjamin F., married Mary J. Wilkinson and resides in Remington, Ind. ; Jesse, married Miss Payne and lives in Great Bend, Kan .; Anna L., married William R. Moore and resided in McCune, Kan., until her death, in January, 1892. The next two children were twins-Hiram and Howard. The former is married and resides at Decatur,
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Ill., and the latter married Miss Effie Crabtree and resides near Paris, Ill. The mother of these children died in February, 1882.
WILLIAM HAEBERLE. Few among the many excellent meat markets and groceries that attract the eye in Indianapolis, have secured a more enduring hold on public favor and confi- dence than the establishment conducted by William Haeberle. It is one of the best equipped stores of its kind in the city, where patrons can always rely upon getting a very superior article, satisfactory treatment and prompt attention. Mr. Haeberle was born in Germany in February, 1863, is a young man of pleasing manners, and combines push, enterprise and excellent business qualities, and has before him a promising future. His parents, Gotlieb and Frederika Haeberle, were natives of the old country, but crossed the ocean to America in 1881 and settled in Indianapolis. They were the parents of ten children of which seven are living, as follows: Gotlieb, married Miss Mary Branchle and is now living in Indianapolis; Frederika, married Adolph Lentz and is also a resident of this city; Christian, married Caro- line Off and is a resident of this city; Christiana, married Carl Meiser and makes her home in Germany; Carrie, married John Beyer of this city; Fredrick, married Miss Amelia Kiefer and lives in Indianapolis; and William, the subject of this sketch. The latter was about eighteen years of age when he came with his parents to Indianapolis. He was married in February, 1885, to Miss Anna Kiefer, daughter of Jacob and Frederika Kiefer, both natives of Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Kiefer came to America when single and were married in Indi- anapolis. Three children have been born to our subject and wife: Frederika, born August 15, 1886; Alma, born December 21, 1888; and Lula, born May 21, 1889. Our subject learned the butcher's trade and for some time has been engaged in that business. For seven years he has been in business for himself and has a fine grocery store and meat market on Brookside Avenue and Jupiter Street, this city. In recognition of the class of people he caters to Mr. Haeberle has made it his aim to keep only the superior meats and the freshest and best groceries. His parents are living but his wife's father and mother are both deceased. To the latter couple were born five children, as follows: William, single and residing in Kansas; Annie, wife of our subject; Jacob, single, residing in Indianapolis; Louis, single and lives in this city; and Amelia, married Fredrick Haeberle, brother of our subject, and lives in Indianapolis.
FRED W. PAPE, blacksmith and wagon-maker at 83 Prospect Street, Indianapolis, is a mechanic skilled and experienced in his line of business. His career has been distinguished for enterprise and uprightness and he is well liked in the community. Possessed of more than the average skill in his business, the fickle goddess of fortune seems to smile benignly on him and his aspirations, and he has gained a large and permanent patronage. Born in Germany, March 7, 1866, he is a son of William and Christina (Hahne) Pape, natives also of the Old Country, where they were reared and married. Six children were born to this estimable couple, as follows: William, married Miss Helena Hündling and resides in Indian- apolis; Christina, married William Bodenberg and makes her home in this city: Fred W. our subject; Henry, deceased; Charles, single and resides in this city, and Henry, now de- ceased. The father of these children was a soldier in the German army and participated in the French War in 1870 and 1871. He went through without being wounded but lost his health and died soon after the war closed. After his death, or in 1885, the mother came to America and here her death occurred one year later. The subject of this sketch passed his boyhood and youth in his native country and was there educated. He learned the black- smith trade in Germany, and for six years has followed that in connection with wagon-mak- ing in Indianapolis. Success has crowned his efforts. In the year 1887 he was married in Indianapolis to Miss Minnie Holtz, daughter of August Holtz, of this city, and two children have blessed this union: Walter, born in 1889, and Alfred, born in 1892. Both are living and are bright, intelligent little fellows. Mr. and Mrs. Pape are members of the German Lutheran Church.
ELI HEINY. This gentleman was born in Stumptown (now New Danville), Lancaster County, Penn., July 8, 1822, and abont 1827 was taken by his parents to Maytown, Penn., about seven or eight miles from his birthplace. Two years later they removed to Carroll County, Ohio, where the father purchased forty acres of green timber land and on this place they lived for some three or four years. They continued to reside in this county until Eli was
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about fourteen years of age then moved to Wayne County, Ohio, and purchased 120 acres of land on which they lived two years then sold out and returned to Carroll County where the parents again purchased eighty acres of green timber land and the father with the assistance of his five sons started to clear it. They sold out on the day that William Henry Harrison was elected President, loaded their goods on a wagon and started for Indiana, but on their way out of the county, passed the polls and although he and his eldest sons were Democrats and an attempt was made to prevent them from casting their ballot they were determined to exercise their right of franchise and succeeded in casting their vote for the Democratic candidate. They then proceeded on their way and at the end of three weeks reached their destination which was Hamilton County. There the father purchased 120 acres of land, for which he paid $600, and set about the arduous labor of clearing his land, his iron constitution standing him in good stead amid the hardships and privations of pio- neer life. Until a log house could be erected the family lived in a rented log house in the vicinity, then moved into their own house in the spring of 1841, which at that time was con- sidered a substantial and convenient residence. The house was built of hewed logs, with clapboard roof, puncheon floor, etc., and here Eli made his home until his marriage in the spring of 1848, although from the time he attained his majority he labored for himself among the various farmers of the neighborhood, receiving for his services about $7 per month. He chopped cordwood for 25 cents a cord, averaging about two and a half cords a day, and considered that he was doing well to earn that much. He also drove hogs from Noblesville, Ind., to Peru, and from Noblesville to Cincinnati, for 37} cents a day in trade, being compelled to return home on foot. He was allowed $2 for expenses on the trip to Cincinnati, a journey that lasted ten days, and on one trip saved $1 of that money. The Wabash River had to be forded, as there was no bridge, and many times he had to wade the river in December when the water was almost at freezing point. This was in 1844 and Mr. Heiny used to cheer himself up with singing the campaign songs that were so popular in that day. In March, 1848, he was united in wedlock to Catherine, daughter of Henry Brenneman, a native of Pennsylvania, in which State she was also born and in the same little village in which Mr. Heiny first saw the light of day. Immediately after his marriage he rented 103 acres of land of his father-in-law in Perry Township, Marion County, having become acquainted with Mr. Brenneman while selling clocks in Marion and adjoining counties, a business he had carried on for about six months, prior to the death of his father, at which he earned about $12 a month and expenses. He continued to rent land for about ten years, at the end of which time Mr. Brenneman deeded the farm to him and his wife. There was an old one-story brick house on the place and a round log stable, but eight years later, in 1856, his father-in-law put up for him a big two-story frame house in which he and his family have lived ever since, although excellent additions of brick have been made. At the time he located on the farm only about twenty-three acres were cleared but he has since cleared about forty acres, twelve of which were quite heavily cov- ered with sugar maples and black walnut trees. The former trees he cut into cordwood which he sold for $1.50 a cord and the walnut trees he split into rails and the refuse he burned. In 1850 he purchased eighty acres of land in Hamilton County for $700 and three or four years later he sold this land for $1,500. In 1856 he bought 300 acres in Center Township, Marion County, for $7,000, borrowing $1,000 to pay down and giving a mortgage for the rest. As the payments came due he met them and six years later he sold the land for $17,000, half of which went to his brother-in-law, who purchased the place with him. In 1865 he bought 167 acres in Perry Township, paying therefor $14,100, and he is also the owner of some valuable property in Indianapolis on South Meridian Street and State Street. He has always been a Democrat politically and in 1876 was nominated by that party to the important office of county treasurer, but he was defeated, as was the balance of the ticket, and for the same position he was again defeated, with his ticket, in 1882, although on both occasions his friends declared him elected. In 1888 he was made the nominee for State representative, without solicitation on his part, and with his ticket was triumphantly elected. He gave his hearty support to all Democratic measures and the good of his section was always his first thought, in fact, he made an able and influential legislator. Seven children have been born to himself and wife, two of whom (twin boys) died in infancy. The five
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who grew up are as follows: Benjamin F .; Isaac M., who married Mary, daughter of John Anderson, has two children-Charles and Mabel; Henry H .; Levi Clinton, and Charles W. Mr. Heiny's father, Jacob, was born in Pennsylvania in 1795 and for some time kept tavern in Lancaster and Maytown. He was a cooper by trade but did not follow it a great deal. He died in Hamilton County, Ind., in 1847, aged fifty-two years, having been married in Pennsylvania in 1818 to Catherine Gall, to whom were born eight children, of whom Isaac died in infancy. The following grew to maturity: Henry, who died April 15, 1863, aged forty-four years two months and nine days, married Annette Stichter, of Noblesville, Ind. ; Eliza (Forre) lives in Clarksville, Ind .; Eli (the subject of this sketch); Christian, of Hamil- ton County, Ind., married Barbara Heiny, a distant relative; George is a resident of Indian- ola, Iowa, and is married; Jacob died May 29, 1873, aged forty-seven years and twenty days, unmarried; Maria married Isaac M. Caylor, of Clarksville, Ind. Elizabeth Heiny, grand- mother of subject, whose maiden name was Stern, was born in Lancaster County, Penn., June 6, 1776, and died February 8, 1856, aged seventy-nine years seven months and twenty- three days. The grandfather John Heiny was born in Lancaster County, Penn.
MARTIN SEERLEY. He whose name heads this sketch is a native of Frederick County, Md., where he was born November 15, 1818, being taken by his parents to Lancaster County, Penn., in 1824, which place continued to be his home until the fall of 1836, when he came to Marion County, Ind., soon after which his father entered forty acres of land in Hancock County, but never lived on it. He was a sicklesmith by trade, but had lost his eyesight before leaving Pennsylvania, therefore never afterward working at this occupation. After the arrival of the family in this section Martin and his brother rented eighty acres of land on Fall Creek which they tilled two years, then rented eighty acres on White River in Wash- ington Township, which they farmed eight years, after which they rented a 160-acre tract in Center Township for eight years. In 1855 Martin purchased eighty acres of Jesse Grace in Decatur Township, about one-half of which was cleared and in which they moved, set- tling in a little log house which had been erected thereon. In 1870 he purchased fifty-two acres more, and in 1872 made an additional purchase of sixty acres, and in 1877 of forty acres. Of this land thirty acres are in timber, twenty-five or thirty acres are cleared, and 200 acres are under cultivation, averaging about eighteen bushels of wheat to the acre. Mr. Seerley has always been a Republican in his political views, and his first vote was cast for James K. Polk, notwithstanding the fact that his father was a Democrat. He belongs to the English Lutheran Church, in which he is an elder, and at various times has held township offices. October 31, 1844, he was married to Elcinda, daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth Bower, by whom he became the father of eight children, Martin L., who married Mary B., daughter of John M. Chamberlain, by whom he has seven children: Sarah F., Elizabeth, John M., Thomas W., Nellie B., Indiana and Victoria; Silas, who married Rhoda B., daughter of Thomas F. Armstrong, has two children: Mary M. and William E. ; Julia A., who married Jonathan Foltz, has four children, Gertrude, Bertha F., Mary B. and Sarah; Joseph D. married Ruth E., daughter of John Scott, and has two children: Jessie and Ruth Etta: Mary, who married Elijah S. Miller, and has three children, Albert N., Harry and Lulu P .; and Sarah C., who married Perry F. Hurd, by whom she has a dangh- ter, Mary E. Two children born to Mr. and Mrs. Seerley died in infancy. Joseph Seerley, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Pennsylvania in 1782, and was brought up in the State of his birth. He was married in 1817 to Elizabeth, daughter of George P. Brown, and died in Indiana in 1842, having been an active participant in the War of 1812. His family consisted of six children, five of whom lived to grow up: Martin; Thomas, who married Eliza A. Smith, by whom he became the father of three children: Homer H., John J, and Frank N. ; William, who married Mary Messersmith, became the father of ten chil- dren: Marcellus, Bayard, Horace, Frank, Elwood D., Charles T., William, Flora, Grace and Ida; Elizabeth, widow of Peter Blue, has nine children: Indiana (who married Nelson Chamberlain), Rometa, Rachel, Charles, (who married a Miss Lewis), Albert, Cortez and Kate (twins), George and Blanche. The grandmother of these children died in 1869 at the age of seventy nine years and ten months. The grandfather, Joseph Seerley, was born about 1760. Daniel Bower, the father of Mrs. Martin Seerley, was born in Frederick County, Md., Feb- ruary 4, 1800, and was married there in 1824 to Elizabeth, daughter of Jacob Ringer,
24
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and in 1828 they came to Indiana, and after one year's residence in New Harmony came to Marion County, Ind., where they lived until their respective deaths, October 21, 1852, and December 23, 1872. Mr. Bower was a farmer, and had long been a member of the Lutheran Church. To himself and wife eight children were given, the following of whom lived to maturity : Elcinda (Mrs. Seerley); Louisa; Mahala C .; Luther, who married Rebecca Smith, and is now dead; Ann E., married Samuel Harper; Emeline, who became the wife of Jacob Van Valkenburg, and is now no more. The maternal grandfather of Mrs. Seerley was Jacob Ringer, who emigrated to America in his early manhood. He was born about 1775, was married about 1796, and became the father of four children: Barbara (deceased), who mar- ried Conrad Ringer; Katharine (deceased), who married Henry Werstler; Daniel, who married Elizabeth Ringer; and Jacob (deceased), who married Maria Snay. Mr. Bower died about the year 1843.
ADAM SCOTT. 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. This truth is doubly true when such a man has established for himself and his children a reputation for integrity, character and ability. Adam Scott was born in Jedborough, Scotland, March 31, 1825, and was one of the oldest and best known contractors and builders of Indianapolis. His death, which oc- curred June 16, 1893, was the result of an acute attack of pneumonia, coupled with heart complications. In 1850, when this city was comparatively a village, Mr. Scott settled in Indianapolis, and since that time, until his death, he constantly resided here. For many years he was of the firm of Scott & Nicholson, and carried on au immense business on Ken- tucky Avenue, where the plans for some of the best buildings in the State were prepared. Of late years he was with Charles Pierce, one of the most extensive public contractors in the
United States. The first work done in Indianapolis by Mr. Scott was the building of the stone work utilized in the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, and he afterward constructed the Marion County Court House, the Bates House and other of the most substantial buildings in the city. His fame as a builder was not confined to his home, and the magnificent custom houses at Atlanta, Ga., and Birmingham, Ala., were constructed under his supervision. In 1883 he retired from business, but was not content to spend the remainder of his days in idle- ness and, as above stated, he formed a partnership with Charles Pierce & Co., with which company he was prominent in the erection of the court-house at Muncie, Anderson and Evansville. After the completion of the Evansville edifice, Mr. Scott, again retired from business pursuits and lived a quiet life with his family until his death. In character bis true old Scotch blood was always apparent and his honest, straightforward principles were the pride of his life. There was no pretense or humbug about him. He was what he ap- peared to be, an honest man, whose sympathies were always with the people. He was a stanch Republican in politics, but took no man to task on account of an opposite political belief. The Masonic Advocate in speaking of him says: "It was our privilege to know him for many years, and for the last few years to enjoy an intimate friendship that often brought us together. We have never known a more candid, consistent, upright man, nor one who followed the golden rule more closely in all his intercourse with others." He was a charter member of Pentalpha Lodge, No. 564, A. F. & A. M., and also a thirty-second member of the Scottish Rite. For many years he was a member of the English Lutheran church, and a deacon in the same for some time. He was twice married.
HARRY M. MAYHEW. To follow out the lines of trade centering in a provision store would call for considerable experience of one's mental powers. The dealer in the necessi- ties of life must needs be a man of great discrimination and superior judgment and these essential qualities are possessed in an eminent degree by Harry M. Mayhew, who has a well located, well supplied and admirably conducted establishment in North Indianapolis, which was established three years ago on a limited scale, but which at once leaped into popular favor and is now one of the well-patronized business bouses of that portion of the city. He was born at Shelbyville, Shelby County, Ind., December 22, 1858, his father, Frank Mayhew, having been born in Cincinnati, in which city he learned the trade of a carriage painter. He afterward moved to Shelbyville and still later to Waldron, Ind., where he died at the untimely age of thirty-five years, at which time his son, Harry M., was a small
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child. He was a member of an Indiana regiment during the Civil War and was a man of much public spirit and enterprise. Harry M. Mayhew was educated in the public schools of Shelbyville and while growing up learned the trade which his father had followed-that of carriage painting. He also has two brothers that followed in their father's footsteps and all are substantial residents of North Indianapolis. After becoming proficient in his trade he followed the calling of a carriage painter for eight years, starting in business with no capital, but his success was assured from the start for he possessed the necessary energy, push and intelligence, and was not slow to grasp at any opportunity that came in his way. He has always been keenly alive to his own interests, but he has never taken advantage of others' necessity, and as a natural consequence he has numerous warm friends and his estab- lishment is well patronized. He has been a resident of North Indianapolis for the past eleven years, having located in this section when there was no town whatever. He has seen the place grow and develop into a town of 2,000 or more inhabitants and to become one of the most desirable suburbs of the city of Indianapolis. Mr. Mayhew is married to Miss Linnie Fouts, of Indianapolis, by whom he has one bright and promising little son- Russell.
DR. SHADRACH L. FERREE. One of the old and honored medicine men and citizens of Indianapolis is Dr. Shadrach L. Ferree. This gentleman was born in Clermont County, Ohio, July 14, 1830, and is a son of Moses and Kezialı (Medearis) Ferree. His father was a native of Kentucky and was one of the early settlers of Rush County, Ind., having located there as early as 1835, and made his home there during the balance of his life, which ter- minated May 5, 1863. He was a careful and successful farmer and a good business manager and man of affairs, as is evidenced by the fact that when he located in Rush County he pos- sessed himself of 160 acres of unimproved but favorably situated land, which he improved and built on until it was one of the finest farms in the county, besides rearing and helping his children in various ways, and otherwise accumulated a fine property. His wife, who was a native of Ohio, survived him until April 25, 1885, and died at Greensburg, Ind., aged eighty-three years. Of the twelve children of this worthy couple, two of their sons, Rich- ard C. and Charles M. Ferree, twins, served the Union cause in the Civil War and the former was killed at Resaca, the latter afterward becoming a well-known citizen and cap- italist of Kansas City, Mo. When his parents removed to Rush county Dr. Ferree was five years old. He was reared in the old pioneer way npon his father's primitive farm and gained his early education in the common schools, by three or four months' attendance dur- ing the winter seasons, his services being required by his father during the balance of the year, for those were days when help was scarce and ready money was not plenty, and about every member of every family, from the youngest to the eldest, was obliged to assume some part of the burden of providing for the sustenance and welfare of the family. At the age of twenty, being dissatisfied with the education he had been enabled to obtain, he so mall- aged to study a year in the academy at Knightstown, and later was enabled to be a student for two years thereafter at Asbury University at Greencastle, Ind. After leaving the last mentioned institution, he was for two years engaged successfully in the drug business at Columbus, Ind., and during that time took up and pursued the study of medicine to the point when he was obliged to dispose of his drug store in order to return home and com-
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