USA > Indiana > Fountain County > Portrait and biographical record of Montgomery, Parke and Fountain counties, Indiana : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens : together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States > Part 26
USA > Indiana > Montgomery County > Portrait and biographical record of Montgomery, Parke and Fountain counties, Indiana : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens : together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States > Part 26
USA > Indiana > Parke County > Portrait and biographical record of Montgomery, Parke and Fountain counties, Indiana : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens : together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States > Part 26
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W ILLIAM CARMICHAEL, a prominent farmer and old settler residing on section 7, has the finest large house in the coun- ty outside of Rockville. He was active in building the court house, being one of the county officials at the time. Our subject was born in Adams Township, Parke County, March 15, 1833, and is therefore a life-long resident of this locality. His father, Jonathan C., was born and reared in Orange County, Ind., where his father, William C., of English descent, was a very early settler. Our subject's mother, Elizabeth IIatfield, was a native of Hamilton County, Ohio, and came with her parents to this county when about sixteen years of age. Her father was of German descent. About
the year 1832 our subject's parents were married in Union Township and at once located in Adams Township, where the former entered two hundred acres of land. No improvements whatever bad been made on the place, and in order to have a home he cut logs for a cabin. He was a hard- working man, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In February, 1844, while still in the prime of life, being only thirty-three years of age, he was called to his final rest. Some time afterward Mrs. Carmichael married a second time, becoming the wife of James Stranghan. She was the mother of nine children, all but one of whom grew to maturity. Seven were the children of her first marriage, and of these our subject was the eldest child, his birth having occurred in the little log house his father had built. His first school was one of the primitive log kind, two miles from home, he having to walk the distance through thick woods, and crossing the streams on logs.
Our subject remained with his parents until shortly before his marriage, in May, 1860, to Miss Margaret Thomas,a native of Fayette County, Ind., where she grew to womanhood. Of this marriage has been born a daughter, Carrie, who died at the age of eighteen years. Her mother was called from this life in 1882. Mr. Carmichael was wedded October 17, 1883 with Sarah E. Clark, widow of Dr. W. P. Paxton, by whom she had a daughter, who died at the age of seven years. After his first marriage, our subject located on the old homestead in Adams Township, where he remained until 1873, thence removing to the farm lie now operates. For about seven years he worked at the carpenter trade in connection with his farm work and stock- raising. In 1888 he erected his present fine resi- dence at a cost of $4,000, it consisting of fourteen rooms, well arranged in regard to convenience in all respects. The farm is fertile and well improved, being located on the Rockville and Bellmore gravel road. The place comprises three hundred and thirty-seven acres, which are under good cultiva- tion.
For many years our subject has been a Repub- lican, but is now inclined somewhat toward the Prohibition party. From 1880 to 1883 he served
as
County Commissioner, having always taken
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great interest in the progress of this locality. He is a member of the Baptist Church, in good stand- ing, and is much respected in this locality for his worthy qualities as a friend, neighbor and citizen. Mrs. Carmichael is a member of the Christian Church.
C APT. STEPHEN A. STILWELL, one of the pleasant and sociable business men of Craw- fordsville, bearing modestly the honors of a wounded veteran of the late war, carries on a flourishing real-estate, pension and loan business in this city, and has a beautiful residence at No. 700 South Walnut Street.
The subject of this sketch was born seven miles south of Crawfordsville, March 22, 1838. He was the son of Jeremiah and Didama (Holloway) Stil- well, the mother a sister of Judge Washington Hol- loway. The parents were natives of Kentucky, and came from Shelby County, in that State, and set- tled in this place in 1826, although Mr. Stilwell had prospected through here in 1824. At that time the town of Crawfordsville consisted of one house, and they were among the earliest settlers of the county. At that farm Mr. Stilwell lived until 1878, his death occurring in 1881, when he passed away at the age of eighty-five years. The mother of our subject was born in 1800, and her death took place in 1870. She had been the mother of seven sons and three daughters.
Our subject was educated in the public schools, and at the age of twenty he began to teach school, and was so successful that he continued in this oc- cupation until he answered the call for soldiers to preserve the Union. Ilis first enlistment was in November, 1861, when he entered as a private of Company C, Fortieth Indiana Infantry, and when his time expired he again enlisted. February 15, 1864, in the same regiment, and was promoted from the ranks onward until in July, 1864, Gov. Morton commissioned him Captain. He had com- mand of the company at. Blain's Cross Roads,
Tenn., in November, 1863, as the Captain had resigned and the Lieutenant was on detached duty, and he held the position until the close of the war.
Capt. Stilwell did not come out of the great struggle without a memento of the terrors of war. He was wounded in the leg at Lost Mountain, Ga., June 18, 1864, but he was one of the plucky kind of soldiers and insisted upon keeping up with the command, although he had to be carried along six months before he could take his place at the head of the column. His position at the time of the accident was at the head of the ranks, where he was bravely leading the column, and he was about the first man to fall before the enemy's fire, al- though that was a bloody day for the Fortieth, as ont of the three hundred and fifty men, thirty- three marched to battle no more. During that fight the regiment shot sixty thousand rounds of ammunition. Through the Atlanta campaign Capt. Stilwell was often in danger, at one time for forty-eight days being within reach every minute of a rebel mime-ball.
After the fall of Atlanta, Capt. Stilwell's com- mand went on the return campaign after Hood, and took part in all of the actions, ending at Nashville. After this he was sent to New Orleans, in June, 1865, and here he resigned, having taken part and risked his life in seventy-nine engagements. The regiment was in Texas until 1866. At the bat- tle of Franklin, Capt. Stilwell's company opened the hostilities, doing skirmish-line fighting for three hours before the regular action began.
After the return to peace, Capt. Stilwell re- turned to the quiet home his valor had helped to preserve, and took up his old occupation of teach- ing. In a few months, May 15, 1866, he was mar- ried to Miss Martha A. Hardee, of the same vicin- ity, and a daughter of Joseph Hardee, who was a pioneer of this section. After marriage, Capt. Stilwell went into Crawfordsville and engaged with Boots & Canie in the planing-mill and re- mained there for four years. Later he went into a grocery, but received the appointment as Deputy County Treasurer and remained in that position for six years under three separate officials. In 1879 he opened a pension office, and carried on
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the business with his brother Thomas. He has handled loans and much real estate, and has done a flourishing business.
The Captain has served his party on the Cen- tral Committee, and keeps up an active interest in politics. He is socially inclined, and is a val- ued member of Rebecca Lodge, I. O. O. F., has passed all of the chairs, and is a member of the Grand Lodge; he is also a member of the Knights of Pythias, as well as of the Uniformed Rank of the Knights of Pythias, and naturally is an active and highly regarded member of the Grand Army of the Republic. Few men have a clearer record of brav- ery than has Capt. Stilwell, and he received recog- nition of it in his speedy promotions. The esteem in which he is held in Crawfordsville is very gen- uine, and the pleasant manner of our subject wins him friends among the strangers with whom busi- ness throws him in contact.
P HLEMING D. JOHNSON, who was born in Shelby County, Ky., December 30, 1822, now makes his home on the southwest quar- ter of section 32, Greene Township, Parke County. He is a stalwart Republican, and was Justice of the Peace for several years, having not quite filled out his term when he was elected Trus- tee, serving in that capacity for some six years. For two years he was Township Assessor, and has been administrator of no less than eight estates. lle assisted in assessing land to build eighteen gravel roads, helping to lay out a number of them, and has been very active in securing the good gravel roads for which this county is so justly famous.
David Johnson, our subject's father, was born in Shelby County, Ky., October 27, 1796. Ile was the son of James Johnson, a native of Pennsyl- vania, and an early settler in Shelby County. His wife was formerly Margaret Dixon, a native of Ireland, from which country she removed to Penn-
sylvania, where her marriage was celebrated, after which the young couple removed to Kentucky. Of their six children, David was the fourth in order of birth. He received a fair education for those days and remained at home until lus mar- riage with Sarah, daughter of William Collings, who was an old settler of Shelby County. For seventeen years succeeding his marriage, David Johnson remained on the old home place, and in 1835, coming to Indiana, he settled on section 4, Union Township, where he bought a farm, partly improved, and there continued to live until he was cut down by the hand of Death in February, 1877. His wife, who had died the year previous, was the mother of ten children, all but one of whom lived to mature years. Those living are Elizabeth, wife of llarvey Connelly, of Union Township; James M., of Greene Township; Frances, wife of Beuja- min Carver, of Putnam County; William J., a res- ident of Randolph County, Mo .; John 11., who lives in Union Township, on the old homestead; and our subject. Martha married T. H. Anderson, of Rockville. She died March 9, 1893. Mary Jane, deceased, was the wife of Morgan McLain; George W. died with typhoid fever, while in the army; and Sarah E.'s death occurred at the old home. David Johnson was a generous man, and gave liberally to his children both in money and land. He was a Democrat, and served his fellow- citizens as Justice of the Peace for about one year.
P. D. Johnson was a lad of thirteen years when he came to Parke County. He received a good education and taught school for thirteen terms in this county. In 1842 he was united in marriage with Mary A. Dooley, whose father, John, emi- grated from Shelby County, Ky., where Mrs. John- son was born in the year 1821. Mr. Johnson com- menced farming on Sugar Creek, where he became the owner of two hundred and sixty acres of land, on which he continued to live for about fourteen years. In 1856 he sold out and moved to Minne- sota, where he pre-empted a homestead in Scott County; there he lived for about nine years, mak- ing a fair success of the enterprise. In 1865, however, he determined to return to Indiana, and then made a permanent settlement on the farm which is still his home, His farm has within its
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boundaries one hundred and twenty aeres, while his wife owns in her own right forty-seven aeres additional. The property is well improved, and the owner formerly made a specialty of raising Shorthorn eattle.
Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were the parents of eight children, six of whom are living: William, a fruit- grower in California; Lucinda J., wife of John A. Payton, who lives in Greene Township; Mary D., whose husband, T. W. Mater, is Postmaster at Bellmore; John M., who is a prosperous farmer in Kansas; David II .. a commercial traveler engaged in selling farming implements, having his head- quarters in Bloomington, Ill .; and Charles W., who is in the poultry business in Effingham, Ill. James M. died at the age of three years, and Elizabeth F. when two years of age. Mr. Johnson's first wife died in 1862, and the same year he wedded Mary A. Collings, daughter of William Collings, who was a pioneer farmer of Union Township. Mrs. John- son was born in Shelby County, Ky., and came to Indiana about 1836. Both she and ber husband are members of the Baptist Church, the latter being a Deaeon, and an active worker in the church and Sunday-school. During the late war Mr. Johnson furnished a substitute, as he was not able to go. His son William was a member of Company I, Eighth Minnesota Infantry.
R EV. MATHIAS MOUNT VAN CLEAVE, the subject of this sketeh, is one of the old settlers of this section and has had a life full of adventure and experience. He was born nine miles from Shelbyville, on Bull Creek, Ky., March 26, 1810. At this place Ben- jamin Van Cleave and Daniel Boone had made a settlement in early days and were closely con- nected in their hunting and trapping experiences, and the history of that day mentions Grandfather Van Cleave in connection with the famous Ken- tucky pioneer. The son of this Benjamin Van
Cleave was the father of our subject, and his mo- ther was Mary Mount, the daughter of Mathias Mount.
In the fall of 1824, Benjamin Van Cleave came to Montgomery County and settled eight miles south of Crawfordsville, where he seeured seven hundred acres of land, and here his death occurred about the year 1852, his widow surviving him un- til 1872. Our subject was the eldest of a family of nine children, of whom five are yet living. These are well known over the State and have kept the good old pioneer name up to the standard.
Our subjeet started out in life for himself upon eighty acres of land given him by his father, and then lie was married. The name of his wife was Nancy Nicholson and he was united to her in 1830. Her parents were Henry and Nancy Nich- olson, who live two and one-half miles north of Crawfordsville. Mrs. Van Cleave had a twin sis- ter who resembled hier very closely. After one year upon the farm, Mr. Van Cleave came out upon the prairie and entered two hundred acres of land near Linden, and then bought out the heirs of his father-in-law and moved upon that farm, where he continued for five years.
At this time our subject laid out the village of Brown's Valley, in Brown Township, upon land that he had bought of his father. At that time John Milligan had laid out the town of Waveland, and it was decided to have a meeting to de- cide which was the most desirable spot upon which to locate a town. Still another man named Helminson had laid out a town, but when the vote was taken it was decided that the location of Mr. Van Cleave's land was the best for the town eenter. This was in 1836, and that year our subject traded the old homestead for a stock of goods at Delphi, and there he continued for one year. At that time a canal was being built there, and he seeured the right to make a water-power upon the creek north of Crawfordsville. llere he erected a fron- tier mill, including a carding-mill and a hominy machine, and in 1838 he secured a traet of land here and made this his home. At this place he had a fine spring, and this made it a desirable place of residence.
Here our subject continued for twenty-two
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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
years, engaged in the furniture business, which he carried on with success, and he still owns the land where his son now lives. The mill-power which contributed so much to his success in life was for a twenty-foot over-shot wheel and he se- cured the first engine that was ever erected in Crawfordsville. For six years our subject lived upon a farm near Fredericksburg, but in 1865 he returned to this city and has lived here ever since. In 1832 he was licensed to preach and filled the Union Church at Waveland, Swentsburg, Indian Creek and Crawfordsville, and was ordained in 1850 as a minister in the Baptist Church. His ministrations were always welcome, as he was a good and able expounder, and he never asked a cent of pay.
In his political opinions, our subject was for- merly a Whig, but now votes with the Democratic party. The death of his wife in 1853 left him with a family as follows: Lovina and Benjamin, who died in early life; Serena, the wife of James McCabe, an attorney and politician of Williams- port; William N., who for ten years was a sales- man for MeNiel & Higgins, in Chicago, and now lives in Crawfordsville; Samuel M., who is a sales- man in Kansas City, Mo .; Dorcas Ann, Mrs. John Hunt, of this city; and Joel L., who died in 1873, at the age of thirty years. William N. married on the 10th of March, 1861, Miss Louisa J. Summers, of Parke County, and has the following family: Mrs. Frank Gillespie, of Normal, Ill .; Laura M., who is an expert milliner in Chicago; Rosa A., John M., Walter and Maud. William has engaged in the grocery business in New Ross and also in the sewing-machine business in Chicago.
Mr. Van Cleave was married a second time, on the 4th of October, 1853, this union being with Miss Charity Hunter, of Whitesville, who only lived a few years, and at her death left four daughters, as follows: Jane, who is Mrs. R. M. McCoy, of Lebanon, Ind .; Adeline, who is Mrs. W. W. May, of Minneapolis, Minn .; Martha, who was Mrs. Saul Kepler, of this place, where she died; and Mary M., who was Mrs. Mart Heaton, and died here. Our subject was married a third time, Oc- tober 26, 1865, this time to Mrs. Mary E. Walker, the widow of Archibald Walker, of New Ross.
Her maiden name was Harris. She was the daugh- ter of Hon. Thomas E. Ilarris, of Virginia, who came to Montgomery County in 1836 and served a term in the State Legislature in 1850. Mrs. Van Cleave had one daughter, Elizabeth Walker, who married Joseph Fisher and died one year later.
The first couple married by Elder Van Cleave was in 1847, when he united Thomas Doyle and Mary Davis. He has performed about eight hundred marriage services, many more than any one else in the county and probably in the State.
P ETER HARPER, an intelligent farmer and respected citizen, was born in Decatur County, Ind., February 17, 1842. Ilis fa- ther, James Harper, was a native of Virginia, but in his youth was taken by his paternal grand- mother to Kentucky, where he was reared and married. By trade he was a gunsmith, going to Decatur County, Ind., about 1830, where he re- sided until 1845, at which time he settled in Reserve Township, this county. Here he remained until his death in 1852. He was a steadfast Democrat in his politics, and was twice married, first to a Miss Huffman, who bore him the following children: Nancy, Rebecca, Mary, Lydia, Cynthia and James. His second wife was the mother of these children: Jackson, George, Gibson, Peter, and Esther. who was a widow and died about 1860 in Warren County, Ohio.
Our subject was reared in Indiana, receiving a common district-school education, and at the age of five years went to live with a brother-in-law. Benjamin Davis, with whom he remained until reaching his majority. At this period he be- gan working on a salary of $100 per year, with board and clothing included, which occupation he followed for five years, when he married, and began farming in Parke County, where he now lives. In 1835 his brother-in-law, Benjamin
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Davis, also came to Parke County, from Kentucky, his native State, and bought eighty acres of timber land on section 19, to which he added and cleared one hundred and sixty-eight acres, which finally passed into the hands of our subject. For many years Mr. Ilarper has been throwing the weight of his influence in favor of the Democratic party, of which he has been a devoted adherent.
Our subject has been greatly aided and encour- aged in his work and in the making of a cozy home for himself and his family. His first marriage oc- curred April 22, 1869, to Miss Catherine Manley, of Parke County, to whom were born six children, namely: Emma E., James B., Minnie C., Harriet N., John P. and Arastus. This devoted mother died February 7, 1888, a valued worker in the United Brethren Church. Some years after he was married a second time, taking as his wife Rachael, a half-sister of his former companion, who in her brief married life contributed largely to the happi- ness of her husband. She quietly passed away Oc- tober 15, 1890, having lived a consistent Christian life and having been for many years connected with the Christian Church of this place.
Mr. Harper has always been engaged in farming, is well versed in the principles of agriculture, employs the best modern methods of tilling the soil, and derives a comfortable income from his harvests. He is a sensible, well-informed man, kind and considerate in his dealings and intercourse with others, which traits place him high in the re- gard of his fellow-citizens.
AMES A. ALLEN makes his home on sec- tion 35, Adams Township, Parke County, where he has a well-cultivated farm of two hundred and ninety-seven acres. In addi- tion to this he owns two hundred and forty acres in Walnut Township, thus making his landed es- tates amount to five hundred and thirty-seven acres in all. lle is engaged in general farming and stock-raising, making, however, a specialty of
breeding English Shire draft horses. Our subject was born in Washington Township of this county, April 7, 1833, and was the son of James Allen, one of the earliest settlers of Parke County. The latter was born in Virgima October 15, 1803. His father was killed in a battle with the Indians at Horseshoe Bend. When a lad James Allen, Sr., removed to North Carolina with his parents, his father dying when he was a child. He went to live with a Mr. Barnes until he was eighteen years of age, when he ran away from home, and in 1821 arrived in White River, Ind., where he stopped for a month, and then came to this county. Ile settled on a place about three and one-half miles north of Rockville, in what is now Washington Township, where he entered land of the Govern- ment, built a little log cabin, where he lived alone for some time, and then wedded Miss Mary Car- others, whose father was one of the earliest settlers of this county, to which he came from Ohio. Mrs. Allen was born in Ohio, December 1, 1810, and after her marriage she commenced housekeeping in the rude log cabin erected by her husband. Ilowever, at the end of the year, he purchased another piece of property in the same township which he held for some time, then sold and pur- chased another farm, finally removing to Adams Township, on the Little Raccoon River, where he reared his family. His wife died November 9, 1877. She was the mother of ten children, of whom nine grew to manhood and womanhood, and of this number our subject is the only sur- vivor. The father departed this life March 8, 1876. He helped to fight the Indians in the early days, was a Whig, and later a Republican. Ile accumulated considerable real estate, and was noted for his strict integrity and sense of honor, as he never made a contract which he did not carry out to the letter.
The gentleman of whom this is a brief life rec- ord was reared in Adams Township on the banks of the Little Raccoon River. His school privi- leges were largely those of the district, but he also attended the Bloomingdale Academy. When a little past his majority he located on the place where he now lives, going into partnership with William I., his brother. April 25, 1858, was cele-
Thomas Causey
Linda Causey
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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
brated the marriage of our subject and Miss Mary, daughter of John Ott, who was one of the earliest settlers of this county. Mrs. Allen was born in Augusta County, Va., May 26, 1836, and was only an infant when she was brought to this county. She was educated in the Rockville schools, and by her marriage has become the mother of five chil- dren, three of whom are living: James Edgar, who has an adjoining farm; Frank C., a dentist at Frankfort, Ind., in which line he is doing well; and Homer O., a student at Wabash College.
At the time of his marriage, Mr. Allen dissolved partnership with his brother and settled on his present farm, where he has lived uninterruptedly, with the exception of nine months spent in Cali- fornia. In regard to politics, our subject is a strong Republican, and has held the office of County Commissioner, serving for three years, from 1883 until 1886, during which time many important improvements were made. It is largely to his work at that time that the credit of the good gravel roads in this locality is due. Frater- nally, he is a Mason, has been President of the Parke County Agricultural Society, and has also been a member of the State Board of Agriculture. The County Fair has received his earnest support, he having been one of the principal promoters of the organization. , Mr. Allen is a member of the Presbyterian Church, to which organization his wife also belongs.
HOMAS CAUSEY, one of the native sons of Reserve Township, Parke County, is a gen- tleman who, by his diligence, constant application to his work, and sagacity in conducting his affairs, has met with due reward, and is to-day the owner of one of the most desirable farms to be found throughout the length and breadth of this township.
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