Progressive men and women of Kosciusko County, Indiana : to which is appended a comprehensive compendium of national biography, Part 49

Author:
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Logansport, Ind. : B. F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1350

USA > Indiana > Kosciusko County > Progressive men and women of Kosciusko County, Indiana : to which is appended a comprehensive compendium of national biography > Part 49

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George Michaels was born October 7. 1837. in Carroll county, Ohio, and was reared on a farm in that state, from an early age becoming accustomed to hard work. He received a meager education, but enough is enable him to transact the ordinary duties . ; life. In 1861 he was united in marriage with Miss Anna Whitmer, a native of Ohio. who presented him with one child. David 11 .. born in 1864. The latter married and re- sides in Jackson township, his wife being

RESIDENCE OF GEORGE MICHAELS

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deceased. Mr. Michaels took for his see- games and methods of hunting. The family ond wife Miss Lavina Speglemyer and one came here in the year 1835, and it is said were the first white people to locate per- manently in Franklin township. When they first came they had nothing but the wild tract of land, and at first were obliged to live in a small Indian hnt. This answered the purpose until a substantial log cabin could be built. It was typical of the times. built of round logs, with a huge fireplace in one end, with puncheon floors and clapboard roof, set down in the midst of a little clear- ing in the dense woods. With this rude be- ginning in this county and with these wild and primitive surroundings, the Blues be- came Hoosiers in the correct meaning of the term and their cabin was a veritable "Hoos- ier's Nest." child was born to this marriage, Deha M., who died when nine months old. On April 17. 1870, Mr. Michaels married his third wife, Mrs. Martha J. ( Wells) Keesey, the widow of Benjamin F. Keesey. No issue resulted from this marriage. Mrs. Mich- aels had by her first husband five children : Florence J., Harriet, Mary A., deceased. William .A .. deceased, and Effie J. On Jan- uary 13, 1889, Mr. Michaels moved on his present place, which was known as the old Wells farm, and since coming here has built a house, barn, outbuildings, and has cleared twenty acres. In his early life he worked very hard, but the last few years he has taken life easier. He is engaged in raising fine stock, particularly horses, besides the general operations of the farm. He is a Republican and has been supervisor for thir- teen years and also served as constable of Jackson township. He has represented the township in county conventions many times, and is a leading politician. He and his wife are members of the United Brethren church, of which he has been stew- ard and trustee.

JAMES H. BLUE.

This gentleman is a representative of another of the families that came here when this part of the country was a howling wil- derness filled with wild animals and with roving bands of Indians. The subject of this memoir, when he was a boy, played with the little Indians many times, and before their removal became familiar with their

James 11. Blue was born in Fayette coun- y. Ohio, November 16, 1830, and is the child of Benjamin and Margaret ( Riley) Blue. The Blues were originally from Set- land, thence went to Holland owing to re- ligious persecution, and finally to America, as the only country where they could con- duet their affairs as they desired. Peter Blue. grandfather of subject, was born in Vir- ginia, and upon attaining manhood married Miss Susan Kelch and emigrated to Jefferson county, Ohio, where the latter owned a farm of over two hundred acres and followal farming as well as coopering, the latter be- ing his trade. To him and wife eleven chil- dren were born, eight sons and three daugh- ters. Benjamin, the ninth child and the ft- ther of subject, was born in December, 1802. While he was yet a lad his father moved to Fayette county, of that state, and there Benjamin was reared to man's estate. lie attended the rude subscription schools of his neighborhood and managed to secure a fair

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education in the primary branches, the three gan pioneer life in earnest. Mr. Blue was R's being the leading studies of that time. His summers were spent at hard work on the farm. Peter Blue at the time of his death was possessed of a considerable es- tate, consisting mostly of land. This af- forded some assistance to his family in get- ting a start in life. Benjamin, upon attain- ing manhood, sought the hand of Miss Mar- garet Riley in marriage and in 1823 their wedding occurred in Fayette county. Sub- ject was unable at this time to buy land, and accordingly for twelve years he rented tracts and farmed same and managed to get a little ahead. But it was uphill business at best, and he thereupon determined to go farther west where land was cheaper and where his small savings would go as far as possible toward buying a farm. He made the trip to Indiana in 1834, traveling on horseback the most of the distance out and back, and while there learned that he could greatly better his condition. In the fall of 1835 he placed his family in covered wagons and came through as fast as possible to Kosci- usko county, landing near Cunette, in Prai- rie township, where he and family spent the first winter. During this time he entered from the government a half-section of the best land he could find in what is now Frank- lin and Harrison townships, the entry being made February 16, 1836. This was during President Jackson's administration, though the deed was signed by Van Buren. He moved his family on this land and occupied the Indian hut, as before narrated. He was probably the first permanent settler in what is now Franklin township. A few scatter- ing families were in the surrounding town- ships, but all else was wholly wild, unset- tled and largely unexplored. They here be- i men would start in, cut down the trees of

a man of great force of character and pro- digious energy, and he and his family went to work in dead earnest to carve a home from the wilds. Wild and savage animals were often seen in the surrounding woods, and deer occasionally came into the clear- ings to steal the roasting cars. There was plenty to do for all members of the family. There was at all times the big trees to tell, heap and burn, the brush to get rid of the stumps to dig out or burn out, the crops to sow and reap among the stumps and brush which came up again and again to annoy the settler. The boys were not permitted to be- come lonesome for want of work. And when they did occasionally have a frolic. such as a shooting contest, or a husking match, or a hunt of the neighborhood, --- one of the circular sort, where a great many men would surround a large section of the forest and then slowly approach a common center, shooting all the animals that triel to break through the line, -they did not fail to enjoy themselves as well as some of the youths of the present day do. The old set- tlers declare to a man that they had better times than do the youth of today. From the sportsman's standpoint they certainly did. but perhaps not from the standpoint of the dress party. Ere long the family moved into a better and more commodious cabin than the old Indian hut. Every house was a log cabin in those days, and when a settler got able to build a double hewed-log house he was regarded as having made a mar- velous advance. It was customary for the settlers, whenever a new one appeared, to gather in from many miles around and as- sist him in raising his log cabin. All the

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about the proper size, cut them into suitable lengths, roll or haul them with oxen to the site of the proposed structure, where ax-men would notch them, whip off the bark and another gang would then hoist them to their places on the walls. Subject's father, and even himself, often participated in these "raisings." The father became familiar with all the best tracts of land in this vi- cinity by showing new settlers the desirable tracts as they came on for purposes of in- vestigation. To Benjamin and wife the fol- lowing children were born : Two that died in infancy: William, who married Miss Temperance Meredith ; Sarah, who wedded John VanTreese: Peter, who married Miss Minerva Milburn, and has been married once since : James HI.

James 11. Blue was educated in the old , nor representative citizen.

ing schoolhouse, with its greased paper win- dows and its puncheon floor. He applied ivanseif diligently to his studies and was ed- ucated better than the average boy of that ; criod. He remained hard at work on his father's farm until he attained his majority. In October, 1852, he went to Ohio where he found employment on a farm in tilling the soil, chopping wood and splitting rails. While thus engaged he became acquainted with Miss Phoebe, daughter of Elijah and Nancy Bloomer, and on July 19. 1855. they were married. The following January they

came to this county and rented land of his - general covering of heavy timber, but here father, and a little later bought eighty acres. This was in the woods, but he went to work to clear off the timber, and kept adding to his farm until at one time he owned three hundred and twenty acres. To himself and wife ten children were born: Elijah .1 .. born May 26, 1856; John, born July 14. 1858: Charles, born September 13. 1860;

Margaret, born January 20, 1863: William J., born October 15, 1864; Benjamin F., born October 15, 1866: Marion E .. born in November, 1868, and died January 30, 1877.

James Il. Blue, like his father, is a mem- ber of the Democratic party. The father served this county in the state legislature about the year 1851 and was a man of un- usual natural ability. The son has all of the father's good and strong qualities. He nas served as supervisor and in other ways huis made himself useful to the people of this vicinity. His name is above reproach and his life is blameless. He is one of the lead- ers of this portion of the county in all mat- ters that tend to the upbuilding of the com- munity. The county has no better farmer

PETER B. BLUE.

Among those who first Wave the wild- of Kosciusko county, when the Indians were still here and the wild animals were every- day sights in the dense woods, is the subject of this sketch. He was born August 29. 1829, and was brought here by his father in 1835. At that time all of northern Indiana was an almost unbroken wilderness, with a and there interspersed with small open tracts or prairies. When they arrived here the Pottawattamie Indians were as thick as birds nests, their wigwams dotting the banks of every little stream in the county. They fished and hunted and always brought in many skins of the game they killed. From them the subject learned to talk their

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language so well that he had no trouble in this time and he began to do for himself. making himself understood. He ran races Hle went back to Ohio and worked there for "one year in farming and cutting wood, and then returned to this county. He joined with his brother James and together they farmed their father's place for two years. Ile then made some changes, but remained with his father until he was twenty-six years with the little redskins and wrestled with them. They were generally friendly. but were ready at any suitable moment to take up the hatchet and strike terror into the homes of the pioneers. He learned from them their methods of hunting, and soon in all things was as expert as they were. He Told. On August 6, 1855. he was united in marriage with Miss Minerva Milburn. a sister of Austin Millarn. One child was born to this union, Elizabeth M .. who be- came the wife of William Mollenhour, and died January 19. 1899. Mr. Blue's first wife died May 20, 1857, and after a time he wedded Elizabeth Grubbs, who Love him seven children, as follows: William F .. born September 23. 1860. died in 1873: Austin born in February. 1863. married Miss Sarber and lives in Franklin township: Monzo, born in May, 1865, wedded Mis Ollie Mollenhour and resides in Franklin township: Benjamin, born 1868, married Miss Amanda Whetstone and lives in Franklin township: James H. married Miss Ida Brewer and lives in Harrison township: John, who married Miss Peari Rouch, lives with his father: Etta became the wife of Edward Halterman and lives in Athens. Fulton county. The subject's last wife died September 20. 1893. since which time he has resided with his son John. When the subject was first married he owned one hundred and twenty acres, all in the Woods, and of this he cleared before he was married about twenty acres. He added to this farm from time to time until he at one time owned a total of four hundred and twenty acres. He has been a hard worker. and is so yet, despite his age. He is a Demo- erat and has filled several local positions took part in the neighboring hunts when at- tempts were made on a large scale to kill of the wolves that infested the dense forest. His father. Benjamin Blue, was the first settler in this section of the county. Their land was wholly in the deep woods and the trees and brush had to be cleared off before a crop could be raised. He was set to work at an early age and soon learned from prac- tical experience to know what was the mean- ing of the words "hard work." But there were many pleasures in the woods for all that. There were the shooting matches, where the young men would try their skill, and the racing, the hunting, the fishing, the reaping and the harvesting, the meetings un- der the big trees, where the old-fashioned circuit riders sang their wonderful sermons for hours at a time, the subscription schools and the three Rs and the master with his rod about ten feet or more in length ( which they believed in, as did their parents). With them it was "spare the rod and spoil the child," and as they did not wish to do the latter, they administered allopathic doses of the rod, and the youngsters thrived under their administrations. Subject passed through all of this, but it seems almost in- creditable that such sweeping changes have been made in the comparatively short space of two or three generations. When subject was twenty years old his father gave him

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mich to his own credit and to the satisfac- tion of his neighbors. He is widely known and has the respect and confidence of a large circle of friends. His long and busy life is rapidly drawing to a close. but when he finally passes over the river it will be with the knowledge that his life has been well and honorably spent.

G. W. WORLEY.

George W. Worley, county superintend- ent of schools of Kosciusko county, Indi- ana, and now residing in the city of War- North Indiana Normal Institute at Val- saw, is a native of the Buckeye state and was . paraiso and resumed teaching when the born in Ashland county, December 19, 1855. summer season had passed. With the exception of six years when engaged in the manufacture of brick and tile at Silver Lake, Mr. Worley has taught school con- tinuously. For three years he was principa: of the school at Brookston. White county, but the remainder of the time has been de- voted to the schools of Kosciusko county. six years of this time as principal at Silver Lake. He has always taken much interest in the educational work of the county and attends all teachers' meetings and society gatherings. but has lived in Kosciusko county, Indiana, since his tenth year, his parents, Elisha R. and Mary J. Worley, having come to the county in 1865. The father for six years was engaged in the drug business at Silver Lake and then settled on a farm in Lake township, where his wife died in 1884. and where he still lives, at the age of seventy- five years. He is a Republican in politics and a Lutheran in religion and aided in founding the First Lutheran society at Sil- ver Lake and financially in erecting the church edifice. The children born to Elisha R. and Mary J. Worley are two in number, namely: Dora, wife of Benjamin F. Van Camp, of Warsaw, and G. W., whose name opens this biographical memoir.

George W. Worley was educated funda- mentally in the common schools at Silver Lake, but was so well instructed that he was able at the youthful age of sixteen years to enter upon the vocation of teacher. His first school was known as No. 2, of Seward all, five being township high schools at Os-

township, and his pupils were nearly all older than himself. But he proved to be fully adequate for the position, and his great success led him to decide upon teaching as his future pursuit in life. Many of his carlier pupils have also become teachers of members of other professions, some of them being quite prominent in their various call- ings. Mr. Worley's plan as an instructor was to mingle freely with his pupils and thus become familiar with their individual dis- , positions and win their confidence, a plan that proved to be fraught with satisfactory results and which he still adheres to. Dur- ing vacations Mr. Worley attended the

In December, 1895. Mr. Worley was elected county superintendent of schools and assumed the duties of the position at once. succeeding Prof. E. J. Me. Mpine, who died in office. Since entering upon his official duties Mr. Worley has been an enthusiastic friend of high schools and within the past .seven years has encouraged their organiza- tion, six of which have been organized uni- der his instrumentality, making fourteen in

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MRS. ALLIE JONES.

wego, Sidney, Beaver Dam, Claypool and Burket, all others being joint schools, or mixed high and common. Any county It is a fact that the women of the farm- ing community are hardly ever given any credit for the sacrifice, and labors incident to their lives. Though very often they are + material benefit to their husbands of ever. sarpass them in industry and saving. the are generally overlooked when the ore. are entered on the daily ledger of the con- munity. . As a matter of fact, it is true that the most of men ascribe to their wives the greatest share in accumulating a home and in rearing a family. Most people forget that "the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world." Every great man pupil may now secure a high-school train- ing and be fully prepared to enter college. The attendance at the high schools has in- creased one hundred per cent. There are one hundred and sixty-six country schools in the county, in which are two hundred and twelve teachers, of whom about twenty-five per cent. have had normal training. An in- stitute held each fall is counted as a part of the school year, and a teachers' association holds a session of two days at each Thanks- giving vacation. About ninety-five per cent. of the teachers attend both. The abandon- ment of small schools and better work in has a great mother. No man should over- central schools, with closer grading, or bet- I look the part taken in his success by the wife ter preparation for high school, is now the , of his young manhood. She struggled with prevailing idea.

Prof. G. W. Worley was united in mar- the world and should be the sharer of his riage in 1886 at West Middletown, Wash- ington county, Pennsylvania, to Miss Anna Liggett, who had been one of his pupils in Kosciusko county and had finished her edu- cation in the Washington ( Pennsylvania ) Female Seminary. Of the three children born to this marriage Beryl is now nine years old, Lucy is seven, and one child died in infancy.

Fraternally Prof. Worley is a member of the Masonic brotherhood, is an Odd Fellow. a Knight of Pythias. a Red Man and a men- her of the Tribe of Ben Hur. He has passed all the chairs in the Odd Fellows subordinate lodge, has sat in the grand lodge and is a member of the grand encampment. In poli- tics he is active as a Republican and has served as a delegate to various conventions of his party, while socially he and his wife stand deservedly as favorites.

him through the trials of getting started in triumphs as well as his sorrells. But some men arrogate to themselves the lion's share of the glory and attempt to belittle the part borne by woman in our civilization. Hlou- ever, these men are few and far between. and should be. Give your wives the proper credit and let the sunshine into their lives and you will be repaid a thousand fold.

Mrs. Allie Jones is the daughter of Will- iam and Saloma ( Winters ) Gochenoter. I and was born in Harrison township. Kos- ciusko county, Indiana. April 17. 1807. The Gochenouer family are descended from an old Virginia family and are of Germanic de- scent. The father was born in Virginia and was twice married. Mrs. Jones being & chili of the second marriage. Her father was a pioneer of Harrison township, this county. and his second marriage occurred her. Seven children were born to the second mar- 1

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riage, as follows: Benjamin, who married Miss Alice Hartman and is a veterinary sur- geon at Warsaw: George and John, twins, of whom George married Jennie Haines and lives in Seward township and John mar- ried Junia Longfellow and resides on the old farm in Harrison township: Eliza and Elza, etc. He was highly respected for his many excellent qualities. Mr. Jones was a soldier during the Civil war, having enlisted June 4. 1802. in the Eighty-nith Regiment Ohio . Volunteer Infantry, and after a faithful ser- vice received an honorable discharge at Camp Chase. Mrs. Jones' half brother, :wins, of whom the former married Minor : Henry Baughman, who now lives on the aplace with subject, was also a private in the Federal army during the Rebellion and - served three years in an Indiana regiment. To her second marriage one child was born to Mrs. Jones,-Ruth, born May 16, 1896. Mrs. Jones is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Burket. She is highly respected by a large circle of friends for her estimable qualities of mind and heart.

Lynn and lives in Wayne township, and the latter is deceased: Dora, who became the wife of Hiram Sarber, is now a widow and resides in Warsaw: Allie, subject. The lat- ter was reared on her father's farm and taught the duties of the household. She at- tended the country schools and advanced far enough in her studies to secure a certificate for teaching, and accordingly taught four terms in Harrison, Wayne and Seward townships. On August 22, 1885, she wel- del Hollis I. Doran, the son of Nelson and . Elizabeth ( Blue ) Doran. Her lisband had graduated in 1885 from the Danville Busi- nes College, and taught bookkeeping and algebra in two of the county normals. Later be owned a dry goods store and a hardware store in Silver Lake, and was thus engaged at the time of his death, in 1900. One child was born to this union. Roy, born in Febru- ory. 1887, who is well educated and lives with his mother. In 1895 subject married Samuel Jones, who was born in Knox coun- ty, Ohio. November 21, 1841. Mr. Jones came here when a boy and worked by the month, and was first married to Elizabeth. daughter of Thomas Warren. His first wife diea in November, 1894. Mr. Jones was a prosperous farmer and accumulated con- siderable property before his death. He wis a member of the United Brethren church, in which faith he died, and was an active mem- ber, being at times steward and chorister.

SMITH HIGGINS.

One of the families which came from Kentucky in the early settlement of this state, to find a home where slavery was nes recognized, was that represented by the sub- ject of this memoir. The grandfather i subject was a prominent slave holder of the Blue Grass state, and there the father of subject was partly reared. When he was a. boy his father gave up slavery and came into the woods of Indiana to find a free home, in order that his growing children" should not be raised under the bliginting ef- fects of that southern institution, slavery. They entered land where subject now re- sides, a tract of one hundred and twenty acres. which was partially covered with dense timber. In all this vicinity at that time there were splendid tracts awaiting the farmer at the usual government price and

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the settlers soon afterward came in very fast. The family came through in wagons, sought their land, camped in the wagon and under the trees while a rude log house was built, and began to clear off the heavy growth that covered the land as with a huge blanket. The father cleared off in his lifetime about fifty acres. He had few opportunities for securing an education, but managed to se- cure a fair schooling at the old log sub- scription schools. He was an intelligent and thrifty husbandman and took much pride in his farm and in his stock. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and an active worker in church cir- cles and was a liberal supporter of all worthy enterprises and movements.

The subject of this sketch, Smith Hig- gins, is the son of Joseph G. and Sarah B. (Smith ) Higgins, and was born in Sew- ard township, this county, January 7. 1855. He is one of four children born to his par- ents, as follows: Smith, subject : Thomas, who wedded and lives in Seward township: Myrtie, deceased : Mercy, who died when a young girl. The subject of this memoir was reared on his father's place and was given a good education in the common branches and passed the examination and was given a certificate to teach school in this county. He finished his education in the Indiana Normal School at Valparaiso, attending that excellent institution for one year. He then began to teach and taught in all nine months, giving excellent satis- faction, as his methods were excellent and modern. In early manhood he was joined in marriage with Miss Henrietta E. Me- Millen, who was a native of Lima, Ohio, her father being a resident of Valparaiso, Indi- ana, where the young couple met and when

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Progressive men and women of Kosciusko County, Indiana : to which is appended a comprehensive compendium of national biography, Part 49

Author: Publication date: 1902 Publisher: Logansport, Ind. : B. F. Bowen Number of Pages: 1350

Author:
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Logansport, Ind. : B. F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1350