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 60
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 60
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 60
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Dr. Straughan is connected with the Free and Accepted Masons, and also with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows of Waveland. Both Dr. and Mrs. Stranghan are identified with the Baptist Missionary Church, in which body they are recog- nized as earnest Christian workers and supporters. Three bright interesting children have blessed
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their union, and give promise of the ability and intellect to be expected from those of distinguished ancestry.
Dr. Straughan has devoted his life to his pro- fession, and, though young in years, has met with remarkable success and been rewarded by the accumulation of a large amount of this world's goods, all of which is the result of his own indus- try. He has always worked earnestly for the advancement of Waveland in material prosperity and intellectual and moral growth. Both he and his wife are leading members of society, where their intelligence and refinement make them ever welcome and give them a standing merited by people of their character and ability.
AMES O. McCORMICK. Among the lead- ing men of Waveland none occupies a better position in business and social circles than Mr. McCormick, whose name we introduce in this sketch. By a course of prudence and indus- try he has become well-to-do and is the owner of one of the most attractive homes in the township. Presiding over his domestic affairs is an intelligent and capable lady who is in all respects the equal of her husband, and enjoys with him the confi- dence and esteem of the community.
John McCormick, the grandfather of our sub- ject, was a native of Virginia and a scion of the old Scotch family who migrated to America in the early part of the last century. Our subject's father was born in Shelby County, Ky., in the year 1808, and moved with his parents to Indiana in the year 1827. The mother of our subject was Miss Mary A. Brush, who was also a native of Kentucky, but met her husband and became united to him after residing a number of years in the county of Montgomery, Ind. Upon arriving in this state Grandmother McCormick obtained land from the Government, npon which she built a home and turned her attention to agriculture, the grandfa- ther having previously died in Kentucky. The farm on which he expended his first savings is still in the McCormick family, but is only a part
of the possessions they have obtained by industry, thrift and perseverance. The elder McCormick's family consisted of five children, all of whom at- tained years of maturity and one of whom, Andrew McCormick, is still a resident of Montgomery County.
James O. McCormick was born about two miles north of the village of Waveland in the year 1845. He was the third in a family of ten children, born to Preston and Mary A. (Brush) McCormick. When twenty-seven years old Mr. McCormick mar- ried Miss Mary J., a daughter of Jacob Moore, of Kentucky. Mr. Moore died near Lexington, Ky., in the year 1871, and after his death Mr. McCor- mick and his wife remained on the farm for nearly two years. In the year 1874 Mr. McCormick en- gaged in the drug business, in which line he remained for thirteen years, after which time he sold a half interest and entered into a partnership with George Seybold, the hardware merchant. In 1889 he disposed of his share in the hardware business and engaged in the manufacture of flour and feed, in which business he has since remained.
Mrs. McCormick deserves mention as one of the best business women in this part of the state. Her specialty is the adornment of her own sex, at which she is an artist and appreciated as such by the many patrons to whom she has catered as a mil- liner since 1886. Mrs. McCormick has borne her husband three children: Milford M., Perley D. and Vera E. Both she and her husband are active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Waveland, and are recognized among the best ele- ments of citizenship in the community.
Although thoroughly devoted to his business, contributing to its success time, energy and the attention to detail, which engenders success, Mr. McCormick has many times represented his party in political offices. He has been a member of the school board since 1886, and has served in the ca- pacity of Secretary to that body for many years. He is a stanch Republican, and is recognized in the community as a man eminently fitied to fill any office bestowed on him by his party. Socially he is a Mason and a prominent member of the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows.
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Y
Robert Mitchell
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R OBERT MITCHELL, one of the most prominent farmers of Raccoon Township, Parke County, was born four miles south- west of where he now resides, May 8, 1833. He is the older of two sons and the ninth in order of birth of a family of children born to Robert and Elizabeth (Bell) Mitchell. The former parent was born in Pittsylvania County, Va., Sep- tember 3, 1793, and was about eighteen years of age when the family left Virginia for Kentucky, settling in Mercer County.
When but nineteen years of age, Robert Mitch- ell, the elder, married Miss Margaret Adams, and in 1817 came to Parke County, locating on a tract of land in Raccoon Township, southwest of the present town of Bridgeton. By this marriage four children were born: William D., who is liv- ing on the Big Raccoon in Union Township; Peggy Ann, who married Lewis Miller and moved to Iowa where her husband died in Albia, leaving her and ten children (Louisa, Daniel M., Thomas Burton, Margretta, Samuel L., James, Ann, Charles, Clara, and Laura, of whom but five are living); Virginia, who died at the age of twenty years; Samuel Findley, who now lives in Jackson Township, this county. The mother of these four children died, and the father again married December 7, 1826.
The lady of Mr. Mitchell's second choice was Elizabeth (Bell) Miller, a widow lady and a daugh- ter of Col. Jacob Bell, who was a soldier in the War of 1812. He was born in Butler County, Ohio, and married Miss Sarah Blue, a native of Pennsylvania and of Dutch ancestry. Mrs. Bell had three sisters and a brother (John), who came to Parke County and died. Her sister, Mary Blue, married Mr. Abel Ball and died in this county; Elizabeth married a man by the name of A. M. Fergeson, and passed away at her home in Indianapolis; Nancy Blue married Mr. James Crooks, the grandfather of the present Dr. James Crooks, of Bridgeton. Col. Bell came to Parke County in 1817 and located within two and a half miles of the town of Bridgeton, and on what in later years was known as the Daniel Bell Farm. There he lived until his death in about the year 1825.
Elizabeth Miller was a native of Butler County, Ohio, being born August 15, 1798. She came to Parke County with her father, Col. Bell, in 1817, where she married Mr. Jacob Miller, and became the mother of two sons, John B. and Jacob, now of Bridgeton, and one daughter, Sarah, deceased. By her second marriage she had born to her four children: Belvina, the wife of Sam- uel Webster, who had a number of children (Mary Elizabeth, wife of Judge B. Loy, of Bridgeton; Robert M., Samuel Findley, and Albert, who died when a child. The parents of these children are dead); Elizabeth, wife of Isaac N. Bell, who be- came the parents of eleven children (Alinore, Amanda Jane, Emily C., John M., James Daw- son, Arthur, George W., Annie, Oliver, Mary and Charles, of whom all except Arthur are living with their mother in Raccoon Township); Robert, who is the subject of this sketch; and Col. Abel Mitchell, the youngest, of whom a biography is also given.
Robert Mitchell, the father of these children, was a man of more than ordinary ability and with a fair education, and he accumulated a fortune. By occupation he was a farmer and served as a Justice of the Court for several years. At the time of his death, March 12, 1838, he was one of the Associate Judges of Parke County, and two years prior to the time of his death he moved his family to the farm on the banks of the Big Raccoon, a little less than a mile from Bridgeton, where Abel Mitchell now lives.
James Mitchell, the youngest brother of Robert, Sr., married Nancy O. Burton in Floyd County, Ind., and moved to Vigo County, thence to within a few miles of Rockville, where he lived for eight. years. In 1833 he went to Woodford County, Ill., where he served several years as Justice. He was the father of the following named children: Will- iam, Josephus, Elizabeth, Frederick, John O., Charles, James P., Mary Ann, Eliza Jane and Amanda. The head of this family died in 1873 at the age of seventy-four years, and his wife in 1876 at seventy-six years of age. William, the oldest child of the above, is a farmer in Woodford County, Ill., and in 1837 married Susan Lary, who bore him four children: Nancy J., Henrietta, Elizabeth
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and Amanda H. William, the father of these children, has been a member of the Christian Church for a number of years.
The subject of this sketch grew up as did the other boys of the pioneer settlers, receiving but a limited education; but by his diligence he acquired a good store of general knowledge. After the death of his father he remained at home and took care of his widowed mother until he attained the age of twenty nine years. At this period he was united in marriage with Miss Margaret Blake, a daughter of Charles Blake, who was one of the early settlers at New Discovery. . Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell have had born to them four children, three boys and one girl. The first born, Charles, died when about six years of age; Ruth died when about the same age; a third died in infancy; Meritt, the only one living, married Mande Rogers. She bore him one child, Robert by name, who is living on the farm not far from his father, in the same township.
Mrs. Mitchell died in 1872 and Mr. Mitchell married Lydia A. Hansel, December 18, 1877. This lady's father, George Hansel, was one of the pioneers of the county. The former was a native of Ohio, the mother of New Jersey.
Mr. Mitchell is like all the rest of the name, a Democrat in politics; he has served his township as Trustee one term, but of late years has taken but little active part in local politics. He is at present one of the successful farmers and extensive land owners on the Big Raccoon, his present home being a part of the estate on which he was reared. He is also a strong temperance man and an honor- able genileman.
OEL G. DEER. The Deer family are num- bered among the early seitlers of Montgom- ery County and their names are enrolled on the list of pioneers of the state. The grand- parents of our subject came to this country from Germany, arriving here about the close of the lust century; they settled in Virginia and became iden- tified with the best interests of the community in which they resided.
The father of our subject was born in Virginia, in the year 1789, and at the age of twenty-two years enlisted in the army for the War of 1812, being in active service during the famous opening year of that conflict. Our subject's mother was a member of the old Garnet family, of Virginia, and was a lady of most estimable and lovely character. After his marriage Joel Deer, the elder, moved to Boone County, Ky., where our subject was born in the year 1828. Joel G. Deer was only a few months old when his parents migrated from Ken- tucky to Montgomery County, Ind., and located near where our subject now resides. They entered a Government section of timber land, whereon our subject's father soon erected a log cabin.
Joel Deer, Sr., was a man of more than ordinary ability and enterprise for even pioneer days, and after making his family comfortable in their cabin, his foresight and business ability suggested the necessity of a grist and sawmill in his immediate neighborhood. Not many months elapse after his arrival in the Hoosier State before we find him the possessor of an excellent milling plant and the progenitor of a business which has since grown to immense proportions. His family consisted of five children, the youngest of whom is Joel G. Deer, whose life we here sketch.
Joel Deer received his education in the common schools of Brown Township and when twenty-one years of age married Miss Mary E. McGregg. At the time of his marriage, he received from his father a present of $1,000 with which to start in life, which som he invested in land on the shores of Sugar Creek. Some years after his marriage he joined his brother in a partnership and together they purchased their father's extensive milling in- terests. The Deer Mills are known as the oldest enterprises of their kind in the state of Indiana, it being sixty-two years since the father started this enterprise in the crude building fashioned by himself in the early pioneer days.
The wife of Joel Deer has borne him nine chil- dren and the living members of his family form a more than ordinarily interesting group. One son, William E , gives promise of becoming a prosper- ous business man. He is possessed of much of the ability which characterized the success of his
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grandfather and is at present associated with his father in the milling business.
The history of the Deer mills shows that their proprietors have not enjoyed uninterrupted pros- perity, for in the year 1877 the whole plant was destroyed by fire, at a loss of $20,000, there being only $4,000 insurance on same. The same pluck which characterized the pioneer grandfather was fully displayed by his son, who quickly rebuilt and by patient industry brought the enterprise up to its old standard. In addition to his milling inter- ests, Joel Deer owns five hundred acres of land, located near Sugar Creek. In the year 1888 he was elected County Commissioner on the Repub- lican ticket and held the office one term. He has not been a very active politician, preferring to attend strictly to business, but he adheres to the tenets of the Republican party and can always be counted on to assist in its campaigns.
Socially, Mr. Deer is a Mason, in good standing, and enjoys the confidence of his fellow-citizens as a man of upright principles and more than ordi- nary business ability.
B ENJAMIN KESSLER, an excellent citizen, honest, industrious and upright in all his dealings with his fellowmen, and at one time a prominent agriculturist of Mont- gomery County, Ind., passed to his rest, leaving be- hind him a large circle of relatives and friends to mourn his loss. By the death of our estimable sub- ject, the county was deprived of a firm supporter of its local interests, and an earnest advocate of truth and justice. Training up his family to habits of industry, and guiding them into paths of self-re- liance and independence gained by manly toil, Mr. Kessler has given to the western country as repre- sentative tillers of the soil, a race of sturdy sons and capable daughters well versed in agricultural duties.
Benjamin Kessler was a native of the sunny South, and was born in Botetourt County, Va., in 1802. His German ancestors left their father land in the early days of emigration to America, and found a home and honest livelihood among the
sturdy colonists even then laying the broad foun- dation of our great republic. In the War of the Revolution the Kesslers fought bravely and well. Later, in 1812, they promptly came to the aid of the United States and engaged in the final conflict with Great Britian. The parents of Benjamin Kessler were undoubtedly natives of Pennsylvania and located early in Virginia, where they reared a family of ten children, an only daughter and nine stalwart sons.
The father and mother of these children, Jacob and Elizabeth (Shearer) Kessler, were of strong constitution and fine personal appearance, and from them their daughter and sons received that inheritance of vigorous health and robust physique for which the whole family were noted. Through the various vicissitudes of childhood they each passed successfully, all living to a good old age, and, marrying in early life, raised up numerous de- scendants and worthy citizens. The son, Ben- jamin, attaining to years of maturity, married Miss Maria Mangus, who was also a resident of Bote- tourt County.
Mr. Benjamin Kessler and wife made their home in their native state, and there became the parents of two children, John M. and Elizabeth, who was united in marriage with Daniel Keeney, and re- sides in Warren County, Iowa. The mother of these children did not long survive their birth, and died in her native state, leaving to her husband's care the little ones. Mr. Kessler again married, his second wife being Miss Elizabeth Graybill. By this union a family of eight children came into the home circle, all of whom are still living, and all engaged in agricultural pursuits.
These children in the order of their birth are Catherine, now the widow of Jacob Hines; Solo- mon, of Bates County, Mo .; Nathan G., residing in Montgomery County; Samuel P., a citizen of Scott Township; Susan, wife of Samuel C. Thomp- son, of Boone County; Mary; Nan, the wife of William Mangus; Jacob, now living in Clark Town- ship. In 1847 Mr. Kessler and his family removed from Virginia to Indiana, and settled in Mout- gomery County.
Nathan G. Kessler, a prosperous farmer and progressive resident of Montgomery County, who
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held the official position of Town Trustee six years, was also Supervisor, and has occupied other pub- lic offices of trust with honor and ability. He has been a constant dweller in the county since he journeyed hither with his father about forty-five long years ago. Born in the Old Dominion, in 1838, he was but a little boy of nine years when he arrived in Indiana, and in the public schools of his neighborhood received his education. Sur- rounded by his brothers and sisters he grew to manhood, and in 1866 was married to Miss Mary E. Harshbarger, a lady of intelligence and ability. Mr. and Mrs. Nathan G. Kessler have a family of seven interesting young people. One died in in- fancy, and the others have arrived at early man- hood and womanhood. Their names are Louie L., Samuel Benjamin, William Harry, Sadie A., John Milton and Salome E.
The homestead is pleasantly located and finely improved. Mr. Kessler has three hundred and sixty acres of valuable land all in the townships of Union and Scott. This gentleman, a worthy son and descendant of his father, the subject of this sketch, votes, as did his father before him, the Democratic ticket, and, in the various positions of official trust connected with the town, has ever ex- hibited the sterling traits of character which dis- tinguished his father's entire life.
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H ENRY L. CONNERLEY is at present City Marshal and agent for the Adams Ex- press Company of Rosedale, Parke County. He was born in Judson, this county, March 31, 1854, and reared on his father's farm, in the meantime receiving a good public-school educa- tion. At the age of nineteen years he commenced learning the carpeuter and building trade, working for fifty cents per day. At this he served his time and was different from many young men in that he never thought that he had completed his trade un- til he knew he was master of the situation.
After learning the carpenter's trade Mr. Con- nerley went to Philo, Ill., and opened up a con- tractor's and builder's trade. Here he met with grand success, erecting many fine residences and
public buildings, and subsequently opening up a furniture and undertaking establishment. He also found this a very lucrative business and proved his success by selling out, after which he came back to Rosedale and opened up an establishment for the same purpose, a portion of which he used as a hotel.
Mr. Connerley was elected City Marshal, serving one year and then made the race for Justice of the Peace against the Rev. Mr. Webster, and was elected with a majority of over three hundred votes. In this capacity he served two and one half terms, resigning before the third term of office ex- pired. His resignation was accepted and he was then appointed Notary Public, serving in this capacity for two years, at the end of which time he vacated this office in order to accept the position he now holds with general satisfaction to all.
In 1879 Mr. Connerley was united in marriage to the lady of his choice in the person of Miss Annie S. Adams, the daughter of Elias and Sarah Adams, of Parke County. Three children have been born to them, the eldest being a pair of twins, who both died. The other one is Harmon L. (born March 1, 1880, in Philo, Ill.), who is one of the most efficient members of his class in the pub- lic school.
Mr. Connerley owns some fine residence property in Rosedale, and recently sold his hotel building to Mr. George Patterson for the snug sum of $3,000. He is one of those energetic young men, well calculated to make a financial success in the world. Politically Mr. Connerley is a Repub- lican, and uses all his influence in the support of its platform. Since the above was written onr subject has been re-elected for City Marshal. He received more votes than the Democratic and Prohi- bition candidates combined.
C HARLES CROOKS, senior member of the firm of Crooks & Cahill, general merchants at Bridgeton, was born January 7, 1864, in Raccoon Township, about one and one-half miles north of the village of Bridgeton. Ho is the eldest of eight children included in the family of
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William and Mary A. (Martin) Crooks. His father, William, was born in "New Discovery," Parke County, Ind., August 17, 1833, and was the son of James N. and Annie (Nevins) Crooks. The great-grandfather of our subject, Samuel Crooks, was one of the pioneers of Parke County, and set- tled in New Discovery, where he died many years ago. Grandfather Crooks died in the same place when his son, William, was a young man. Will- iam Nevius, the maternal great-grandfather of our subject, was one of the early settlers of Parke County, but we have been unable to glean any in- formation concerning the ancestry of this family.
William Crooks, the father of our subject, was the third in a family of ten children: Margaret, who married John N. Gailey and lives in Union Township; Mary Jane, Mrs. Alexander Nevins, who died leaving four children; William, who in 1857 married Mary Ann Martin, a native of Maus- field, Parke County ; Samuel, now residing on the old homestead in Union Township; James, also a resident of the home place; Martha, who married James N. Jerome and lives in Oklahoma Terri- tory; Sarah, who died in her girlhood; John, who makes his home in Missouri; Louisa, Mrs. Henry Wimmer, residing on a portion of the homestead in Union Township, and Franklin, better known as "Doc," also a resident of Union Township. We are unable to give an extended history of the Crooks family from the limited facts furnished; suffice it to say that their name is well known in the annals of our country; their fidelity to duty, courage, honesty and patriotism is universally ad- mitted, and as pioneers they have contributed to the development of this part of Indiana.
Our subject is the eldest in a family of eight children, his brothers and sisters being: Rose B., Robert T., John, Margaret, Alonzo, Clara Lucy and Claude, all of whom are living. The mother of these children passed away February 14, 1890, mourned not only by her immediate relatives, but by all hier associates and friends. Charles Crooks received a fair education in the common schools of his locality, and in 1884 entered the State Normal School at Terre Haute, where he remained for two years. For a time after completing his education, he was unable to find a position in the mercantile
business, for which he had a liking, and for a short time he worked at the carpenter's trade with an uncle. However, he had no intention of following that trade permanently, but he was of an active, enterprising disposition, and preferred any kind of work to idleness.
For six months Mr. Crooks worked on the farm belonging to his uncle, I. J. Glass, in Christian County, Ill., after which he returned to Bridgeton. Being a good musician, he joined the Bridgeton band and played with it during the campaign of 1888. Through the influence of his uncle Glass, he secured a position as clerk in a store operated by J. B. Fenner, in Sharpsburg, Ill., and was soon promoted to the position of bookkeeper in the house, having entire charge of this branch of the business. There he remained for more than three years, when, in June, 1891, through the recommendation of this firm, he secured a position with the wholesale and retail mercantile establish- ment of Osborn, Sharp & Company, of Montrose, Colo., where he remained for some time. Upon leaving their employ he received a very high recommendation as a faithful and capable business man.
Returning to his native city, Mr. Crooks found employment in the store of Pence & Holmes. In June of 1892, having saved from his salary suffi- cient to warrant him in embarking in business, he formed a partnership with E. H. Cahill and opened a mercantile establishment. . Their push and enterprise, coupled with square dealings and courteous manners, have aided them in building up an extensive and profitable business. The firm has gained success from its own capital, for while the partners could have commanded money and backing from others, they have steadily refused to do so, determined to make their fortune by diligent work, unaided by others. Mr. Crooks socially, is prominent in the Masonic fraternity, with which he united in the winter of 1892 and is an office- holder in the Bridgeton Lodge. In his political affiliations, he believes that the platform of the Republican party will best subserve the interests of the people, and accordingly gives his ballot and influence in support of its candidates and princi- ples.
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