USA > Indiana > Kosciusko County > Progressive men and women of Kosciusko County, Indiana : to which is appended a comprehensive compendium of national biography > Part 62
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81
As a business man Mr. Troup possesses good judgment and clear insight, and can generally anticipate with accuracy the end of a transaction. His relations, business or otherwise, with his fellow men have always been characterized by the utmost candor and his integrity is of that kind which wins confidence and is never questioned. There are no better citizens than Mr. Troup, is he always manifests a lively interest in the country and its welfare and is public spirited to the extent of using all legitimate means within his power to promote enterprises whereby the people of his township and county may be benefited. In religion he
30
492
COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHIY.
subscribes to the doctrines of the Progres- sive branch of the German Baptist (or Dun- kard) church, being one of the leading members of that large and influential body in the township of Van Buren, his wife also belonging to the same society. Politically Mr. Tromp is a Democrat, but has never as- pired to public office.
Mir. and Mrs. Troup have had six chil- dren, two of whom are deceased; Irwin J., born August 31. 1881, married Mrs. Alma Oster and is a farmer of Van Buren town- ship: James P. was born on the 29th of April, 1882: Lillie M., November 12, 1883; Kittie V., whose birth occurred May 30; 1889, died on the toth day of April, 1902; Zola M. and Zora F. were twins, but the former is deceased.
Mrs. Troup's parents were natives of Ohio, but by reason of their dying when she was quite young her knowledge of the family is considerably limited. The names of her brothers and sisters, as she remem- bers them, are as follows: Alice, George, Effie, William, Dareuse and Peter. AAt the age of six years Mrs. Troup was left an orphan and from that time until her mar- riage she lived in the family of her hus- band's uncle. In return for his kindness in raising her and ministering to her wants when an orphan, she took her benefactor to her own home in his latter days and tenderly cared for him until his death, which oc- curred Angust 13, 1900.
JAMES PLUMMER.
The gentleman whose name heads this sketch has long enjoyed prestige as a lead- ing citizen of the community in which he
resides, and as an official against whose rec- ord no word of suspicion was ever uttere.l he was for many years an important factor in the history of Kosciusko county. Reared amidst the wild scenes of pioncer life and knowing full well what it was to have a home far removed from the advantages of civilization in a dense forest, through which the wolves prowled and deer roamed, he early became inured to hard work and knows how to appreciate honest toil at its true value. His prominence in the com- mumity is the legitimate result of genuine merit and ability, and in every relation whether in the humble sphere of private citizenship or as a trusted official with great responsibilities resting upon him, his many excellencies of character and the able and impartial manner in which he discharged his every duty won for him an enviable rep- utation as an enterprising and representative self-made man. In Mr. Plummer's veins Rows the blood of a long line of sterling English and German ancestors. Early in the colonial period the Plummers were liv- ing in North Carolina, in which state many years later John Plummer, the subject's fa- ther, was born. When a young man he went to Preble county, Ohio, when that part of the country was but sparsely settled, and then purchased land and engaged in agri- cultural pursuits. Ilis father also was an early settler of Preble county and spent the remainder of his days there as a successful cultivator of the soil.
Some time in the 'twenties John Plun- mer changed his residence to Union county. Indiana, where he entered about eighty acres of government land, from which in due time he cleared and developed a good farm. The old Hannah Creek church, one
.
493
COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY.
of the first organizations of the Christians vor Disciples ) in eastern Indiana, was built on this land and the society is still kept up, being at this time a strong and healthy or- ganization.
Among the carly settlers of Union coun- ty were the Harveys, located not far from the place where Mr. Plummer originally built his home. In this family was a daugh- ter, Ibbie, who in due time became the wife of John Plummer and the union resulted in the birth of seven sons and one daughter, namely: Mary, Henderson, Daniel, John, Frederick, Eli, Samuel and James.
In early life John Plummer united with the Christian church and some years later was chosen an elder of the congregation to which he belonged. Subsequently he en- tered the ministry and for a period of twen- ty-five years preached acceptably for many churches in various parts of Indiana and be- came widely known for his ability as a pub- lic proclaimer of the gospel and for its ex- emplary Christian character. He did much to introduce the doctrines peculiar to the Disciples among the sparse settlements of Union, Kosciusko and other counties and is remembered for his zeal as a pioneer preacher at a time when it required great fearlessness and independence to combat and overcome the prejudice which long pre- vailed against the faith he represented.
Early in the 'thirties John Plummer dis- posed of his interests in Union county and entered nine hundred and sixty acres of land in what is now Prairie township in the county of Kosciusko. Later he purchased second-handed an additional two hundred acres, partly woodland and partly prairie, and became one of the largest real estate owners in Prairie township. There were
living in the township at the time of his ar- rival the Summey, Harlan, Hughes, Bish- op, Powell and one or two other families, these being the first permanent residents of the territory now included in the town- ship of Prairie. Mr. Plummer cleared a great deal of land, but continued to exer- cise the duties of his holy office as a minis- ter of the gospel as long as he lived. work- ing in the woods and fields of week days and frequently riding from ten to twenty miles to fill his appointments upon Lord's days. He bore a prominent part in public affairs, served as justice of the peace for a number of years and, as an old-line Whig, was a local politician of considerable re- pute. His influence was always potent for good and his death, which occurred about the year 1856 or '57, was greatly deplored in the community. Mrs. Plummer survived her husband some years, departing this life in 1866.
James Plummer, of this review, was born in Union county, Indiana, August 9, 1826. When a lad of nine years he was brought by his parents to Prairie township, Kosciusko county, and as soon as old enough to be of any practical service was put to work in the woods where, by yielding the ax for many years he developed strength of muscle and of general bodily powers that enabled him to make a full hand at an age when most boys are barely out of their childhood. In such schools as the country then afforded he obtained a rudimentary education ; his first teacher was a Mr. Moore, who seemed to think the easiest way to reach a boy's intellect was by means of a tough hickory rod vigorously applied. This pedagogue did make the boys "smart," if he did not succeed in awakening their men-
494
COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY.
tal faculties, as he meted out condign pun- ishment for what would now be considered the most trifling and insignificant infrac- tions of school discipline.
Mr. Plummer's second teacher was a gentleman by the name of John F. Parks. who organized a little subscription school in a small log cabin on the Plummer home- stead. While in every way superior to the former, except perhaps in his ability to wield the birch. Mr. Parker possessed only mediocre ability and beyond reading. writ- ing. and arithmetic to the "double rule of three." his professional attainments did not go. Subsequently, when education in north- ern Indiana received an impetus by reason of a more liberal expenditure of public money, better qualified teachers were em- ployed, and when a young man Mr. Plum- mer. under the direction of such, made sub- stantial progress in his studies and became unusually well informed for that day.
After the death of his father the subject and his brother Eli purchased of the other heirs their respective shares in the home farm and they continued to run the place jointly until the latter's death in 1894. Since then James Plummer has owned the estate and is now one of the largest and most successful agriculturists and stock- raisers in the township, also one of its most enterprising and intelligent men of affairs. In his business dealings, he has been uni- formly successful, owning a large and valu- able amount of real estate, and ranks with the financially strong and reliable men of his township and county.
Mr. Phummer has read much . and thought much and his mind is well stored with a large fund of valuable knowledge. derived not only from books and papers,
but from contact with the world in various business and official capacities. A student of political history, particularly that relat- ing to the origin and development of par- ties, his reading and investigation early led him to become a Whig and later a Repub- lican. Many years ago he became a potent factor in local politics and a recognized leader of his party in the township in which he lived. The first official position to which . he was elected was that of township clerk, the duties of which office he discharged in - an able and satisfactory manner for a per- riod of eleven years. Subsequently. in 1864. he was elected a member of the board of county commissioners to represent the northern district and he filled the place until 1870, having been chosen his own successor in 1863. During his incumbency as commissioner much im- portant business was transacted. among which was the sale of the old county farm and the purchase of the present one, the erection of the buildings and other improve- ments, and the levy for the new court house, which was built in 1872. Numerous pub- lic improvements were made in different parts of the county, in all of which Mr. Plummer took the lead, although he proved a safe and conservative custodian of the people's interests and never inaugurated any measure or undertook any enterprise unless fully satisfied of its necessity and that in so doing he would be heartily supported by intelligent public opinion. Mr. Phimmer retired from the board with a clean record and the people of the county, irrespective of political ties, speak in the highest terms of his efficiency and faithfulness as a pains- taking public servant. He still takes an active interest in local and general politics.
495
COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPITY.
as well as in county affairs, using his in- futence to promulgate principles which he deems best for the country and expressing his opinions freely upon all matters.
Mr. Plummer has been a member of the Masonic brotherhood for nearly forty years ; he belongs to Leesburg Lodge No. 181, in which he has held official positions from worshipful master down. He is an enthusi- astic Mason and endeavors to exemplify the noble precepts and teachings of the order in his relations with his brethren and with the world at large. He was blessed with godly parents and in childhood and youth received instruction in religion and morality which has had a controlling intlu- ence upon his life and character. When young he united with the Christian church and so has continued to the present, rarely absenting himself from public worship un- less by reason of sickness of some exceed- ingly important cause. He is a close stil- dent of the sacred scriptures and considers them a sufficient rule of faith and practice without the aid of any human creed or man- made articles of faith. Mr. Plummer is a liberal supporter of the congregation at Leesburg, in addition to which he also free- ly contributes to all benevolent and chari- table enterprises whereby the needy and un- fortunate may be benefited. All movements having for their object the material ad- vancement of the community have his sup- port, as he has always stood for progress and improvetiem in all those terms imply.
Mr. Plummer has never married. He has devoted his time and energies to so- ciety and to the world and his life has been fraught with great good to his fellow men. Few men in Kosciusko county are as widely known and none stand higher than he in the
esteem and confidence of the public. He has lived according to his highest concep- tion of manhood and citizenship and his life may be studied with much profit by the young men of the rising generation.
ISAAC M. POWELL.
This worthy old pioneer is one of the few remaining links in the chain that con- nects the present age to a period long buried in the mists of the past. He enjoys the dis- tinction of being the oldest living settler of Prairie township, and has been a witness of Kosciusko's development from the virgin forest and prairie to its present prosperous condition as one of Indiana's most advanced and enlightened counties. Homes and vil- lages have sprung up on every hand since he first saw the county in its primitive wild- ness and beauty: forests have disappeared before the ax wielded by the strong arm of the woodman: farms, with fertile. well- tilled fields, fine orchards, comfortable build- ings and all the adjuncts of civilization, have taken the place of the tangled wilder- ness which sheltered numerous beasts of prey and, at no very remote period. the painted savage. The music of traffic, min- gled with the notes of ceaseless industry, make melody where once the solitudes were broken at intervals by the scream of the ferocious wild animal or disturbed by the symphony of the breeze, the dirge of the winter storm, or the first blasts of the ter- rible tornado.
The Powell family, to which the subject belongs, is of German descent and was first represented in this county by certain an-
496
COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY.
cestors who came to the shores of the new world at a very remote period in the past and settled in Virginia. In an early day Mr. Powell's paternal grandfather mi- grated to Ohio, when that state was on the outskirts of civilization, and there John Powell, the subject's father, was born and reared. Among the pioneer families of Ohio who located near the Powell settle- ment were the Morrises, also natives of Vir- ginia. A daughter, Dorothy Morris, grew to young womanhood in the neighborhood and between her and John Powell an inti- macy sprang up which eventually resulted in marriage.
Mr. Powell and his wife began house- keeping on rented land and he continued to till the soil in that way until 1832, in the spring of which year he came to Elkhart county, Indiana, before the land was opened for settlement, and selected a site for his future home. Clearing a number of acres, he put out a small crop and after tending it that summer returned to Ohio, and late the following fall removed his family to the wilderness of what is now one of the fairest and most prosperous counties of northern Indiana. After spending the greater part of one winter there and experiencing many vicissitudes and hardships, he went the fol- lowing February to that part of Kosciusko county known as Prairie township and se- lected a claim in section IT, upon which he erected a small log cabin, after which he re- turned to Elkhart county for his family. During his absence a number of friendly Indians, who had a small village a short distance south of his claim, tore down the cabin, cut new logs and rebuilt it from the ground up, chinking the cracks, putting on a good roof and making of the little edifice
a tolerably comfortable habitation for those times. Mr. Powells' surprise upon his re- turn with his family may be better imagined than described. From that time on, as long as the Indians remained in the country. their relations with the pioneer's family were of the most pleasant and agreeable na- ture and many acts of kindness were shown by both parties while they continued as neighbors.
With the exception of the Powell fam- ily, there were no permanent settlers in Prairie until the spring of 1834, at which time one Hiram Summey moved to the township and a little later the same year James Bishop and family located a claim and became residents. Privation and hard- ship appear to have been the common lot of these three families, as they were far re- moved from any settlement and were ob- liged to go a distance of thirty-two miles to reach the nearest mill, and in cases of sick- ness, which were by no means infrequent. the sufferers had to rely upon simple home treatment or await the arrival of a physician who lived twenty-two miles away.
Isaac M. Powell was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, December 29, 1830, and was but three years old when the family located in the wilderness of northern Indiana. Hle grew up during the pioneer period and ex- perienced in full all the trials, privations and suffering's which fell to the lot of those whose early lives were surrounded by such conditions. For several years after the Powells moved to Kosciusko county the few settlers lived too far apart to maintain a school, consequently the children were obliged to get along without educational privileges, or else received at home such little instruction as their parents were able
497
COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY.
to impart. The subject's first teacher was one John Young, who taught a small sub- scription school sometime in the 'thirties. Ile is remembered as a man of comparative- ly no intellectual attainments and appears . to have used the rod as his chief means of imparting knowledge. The next pedagogue to wield the scepter of authority over the young in the neighborhood was a deaf man by the name of Moore, who made up for loss of hearing by the strength of muscle with which he applied the birch to the backs and legs of the pupils that attended his school. Under the direction of these and other equally incompetent teachers young Isaac's early intellectual growth was retard- ed rather than developed, and the wonder is that he made the progress that he did in the few elementary branches which at that time constituted the curriculum of the backwoods schools. Subsequently, when a young man, he applied himself very diligently under more competent instructors and, realizing the value of an education, pored over his books of evenings and of spare times until he was pronounced sufficiently qualified to teach the children and young men and young women of the neighborhood.
Mr. Powell taught one term in Prairie township in 1853. and while his school would hardly come up to the high standard by which schools of the present day are measured, he was far in advance of the ma- jority of teachers at that time and made a great reputation as a popular and efficient instructor. From the time he was able to be of any assistance on the farm his days were spent in a ceaseless round of toil and he contributed his full share towards clear- ing the land and cultivating the soil. On attaining his majority he took charge of the '
home place and farmed the same until his marriage, which was solemnized October 23. 1854. with Miss Angeline Summey, daughter of Frederick and Adeline ( Trum- bull ) Summey. Mrs. Powell's parents were among the early settlers of Kosciusko coun- ty, moving here in the spring of 1833 and entering land in Prairie township. After his marriage Mr. Powell located in Clu- nette, where he lived until the fall of 1856. when he purchased a farm in Prairie town- ship, which he made his home till 1874. In that year he disposed of his place at a good round figure and purchased the old home- stead, consisting of three hundred and fifty acres of fine land, which with improvements since added and the high state of cultivation to which it has been brought, is now con- servatively estimated to be worth twenty thousand dollars. This is one of the larg- est and best-cultivated farms in a township long noted for its advancement in agricu !- ture and general development, also ranking with the finest and most valuable places in the country.
Mr. Powell has been a progressive farmer and his financial success has been commensurate with his efforts as an intelli- gent husbandman and the interest he has al- ways taken as a student of agricultural science. By carefully studying the nature of soils and paying particular attention to the proper rotation of crops he has never failed to reap bountiful harvests from his well-tilled fields, while his success as a raiser of fine live stock has added much to the ample means which are now his.
After accumulating a comfortable for- tune. Mr. Powell wisely concluded to retire from the active work of the farm, and in a life of honorable retirement enjoy some of
498
COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHIY.
the fruits of his many years of toil. Ac- cordingly he turned his agricultural inter- ests over to others and of late has been liv- ing in quiet and content, doing little besides looking after his private affairs and giv- ing to those who manage his place the bene- fit of his ripe experience.
To Mr. and Mrs. Powell have been born six children, whose names and dates of birth are as follows: Nelson W., July 29, 1855. married Ella Anglin and lives in Prairie township: Warren J., September 25. 1857, married Jerusha Webster and also lives in the township of Prairie; Mary A., born November 14. 1859, is the wife of Charles L. Wray, a farmer and stock raiser of the same part of the county: John R .. January 5, 1863, died of smallpox in the spring of 1864; Dorotha K., born October 28, 1867, died December 15th of the same year : the youngest of the family, Fred S .. was born October 23. 1869, and died in October, 1896.
Mr. Powell has always taken pains to keep himself well informed upon current events and political affairs, having been quite a reader, as well as a close and in- telligent observer. In national, state and district affairs he gives his allegiance to the Democratic party, but in matters purely local he votes for the man regardless of po- litical ties. In 1878 he was elected assessor of Prairie township, serving eight years, and in 1900 he was again elected to the office, the duties of which he is now dis- charging, having three years yet to serve be- fore the expiration of his last term. His judgment upon all matters coming within the range of his office is sound and he has proved himself in every respect worthy the confidence reposed in him by his fellow citi-
zens. His popularity with the people as well as his eminent fitness for the office 'ie holds are demonstrated by the fact of his having been elected assessor by forty ma- jority in a township which has always been reliably Republican by from thirty-five to sixty votes. In the year 1882 Mr. Powell was his party's candidate for county treas- urer. Running ahead of his ticket by al- most five hundred votes, the overwhelming strength of the opposition could not be overcome; he was defeated by a small ma- jority after a very gallant fight, the race more than ever attesting the high esteem in which he is held by Republicans and Demo- crats alike. Fraternally Mr. Powell is a Mason, belonging to Lodge No. 181 at Leesburg. He has filled various offices in the lodge, and, believing in the great prin- ciples upon which the fraternity is based, has been largely controlled by them in his daily life.
In the widest sense of the term Mr. Powell is a Christian, sincere in his belief, active in reducing the precepts of Holy Writ to practice, and untiring in his efforts to spread the gospel at home and in lands beyond the seas. He and wife hold mem- bership in the Christian (or Disciples) church and are among the most zealous workers in the congregation with which they are identified.
Mr. Powell's protracted residence in the county of Kosciusko has made his name widely and familiarly known throughout all of its parts. His life and the history of Prairie township have been pretty much the same thing. He has seen the community grow from an insignificant backwoods set- tlement into one of the most prosperous of the commonwealth. His coming here and
499
COMPENDIUM OF BIOGRAPHY.
the existence of the township were coeval events, for much of its growth and pros- perity are indebted to him. He has been one of its humblest laborers and wisest coun- sellors, He has been a western man in the broadest sense of the term: realizing the wants of the people, he has supplied the de- mands generously and unsparingly .. His has been a long life of honor and trust and no higher eulogy can be passed upon him than to state the simple truth that his name has never been coupled with anything dis- reputable and that there has never been the shadow of a stain upon his reputation for integrity and unflinching honesty. Mr. Powell has been a consistent man in all he has ever undertaken and his career in pri- vate life and as an official has been utterly without pretense. He is respected by all who know him and the county of Kos- ciusko can boast of no better man or more enterprising citizen.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.