USA > Indiana > Adams County > Standard history of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana : An authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and country, Volume II > Part 12
USA > Indiana > Wells County > Standard history of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana : An authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and country, Volume II > Part 12
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JAMES A. BROTHERTON. Widely known and highly respected, not only as a representative agriculturist of Wells County, but as a veteran of the Civil war, James A. Brotherton, of Liberty Township, owns and occupies an attractive and well-enltivated farm lying one mile south and one mile east of Liberty Center. A son of John Brotherton, he was born in Chester Township, Wells County, Indiana, October 23, 1842.
John Brotherton, a native of North Carolina, was taken by his parents to Ohio when young, and there grew up and was educated. Soon after his marriage he bought land in Darke County, that state, and for several seasons was employed as a tiller of the soil. Disposing of his Ohio property, he came to Indiana and bought 180 acres of land in Chester Township, Wells County, where he lived for fifteen years. Selling out then, he went to Wisconsin on a prospecting trip, and on the way home died, his death occurring at Fort Wayne, Indiana. He married, in Ohio, Mary West, who was born in Kentucky. She accompanied him to Wis- consin, and after his death she returned to Wells County and spent her last years in this locality.
In early manhood, James A. Brotherton, inspired by patriotic ardor, enlisted in Company I, Thirty-fourth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in which he served bravely for four years, five months and twenty days. Taking part in many battles, he was twice slightly wounded, first at Port Gibson and later at Champion Hill. On February 3, 1866, at Browns- ville, Texas, he was mustered out of service. Returning home, Mr. Brother- ton began his career as an agriculturist, and is now the owner of a well- tilled and productive farm of ninety-nine acres, well located in Liberty Township, as previously mentioned.
On December 27, 1868, Mr. Brotherton married Elizabeth Penrod, a native of Wells County, Indiana, and of the three children born of
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their union, none is now living. Politically Mr. Brothertousis a repub- liean, and socially he is a member of Lew Daily Post No. 33, Grand Army of the Republic, an organization in which he is much interested.
SAMUEL J. JACKSON. This is the name of one of the oldest residents of Liberty Township, Wells County. The Jackson family have been here fully eighty years. It would be a difficult matter to estimate and appreciate all the substantial work accomplished by a single family of such industrious people as the Jacksons in four-score years. Many acres of land were cleared of timber and brush. Lowlands were drained, the soil was made to produce the crops which sustained mankind, homes have been built, and innumerable other services have gone into the composite activities which make Wells County what it is today.
The old home of Samuel J. Jackson is a mile north of Liberty Center. He was born three miles east of Muncie in Delaware County, Indiana, January 4, 1834, a son of James and Elizabeth (Hooker) Jackson. James Jackson was born in Stokes County, North Carolina, a son of Samuel and Hannah (Gibson) Jackson, both of whom spent their lives in Stokes County. That interesting section of western North Carolina furnished a large migration to the northwest and particularly to Indiana in the early part of the last century. From his home on the eastern side of the Alleghenies James Jackson came first to Ohio, married near Dayton, and from there moved into Delaware County, and in January, 1837, arrived in Wells County, locating in Liberty Township. Here in the wilderness he entered a half section of land, built a log cabin and undertook all the work and the experiences which were part of pioneer life in this county. James Jackson died in Wells County December 8, 1853, and his wife in 1865. They had nine children, six sons and three daughters, of whom Samuel J. is the only one now living, and he has long since passed the age of four-score. He was just three years of age when the family moved to Wells County, and his first recollections are of this region when few people were living here and when it was a strictly pioneer country. Doubtless his recollections extend back over a longer period than any other living resident. There was no trans- portation except by road through the woods for years after he came, and he was a mature man when the first railroad was built through this county. As a boy his advantages were only those of the subscription schools. In 1856 he made an interesting trip to what was then the far west, to the territory of Nebraska, which then occupied a large place in the public mind because of the struggle over the Kansas-Nebraska bill which was soon to precipitate civil war. He remained in the west only about nine months, and then returned to Wells County and on October 29, 1857, married Miss Sarah Foust. She is a sister of Adam Foust of Warren, Indiana. Mrs. Jackson was born in Highland County, Ohio, April 9, 1834, a daughter of Jonathan and Anna Foust.
In November, 1857, after his marriage, Mr. Jackson settled on a farm in Liberty Township, and then followed many industrious years of toil and enterprise as a farmer and also as a merchant and man of affairs in and around Liberty Center. In 1862 he responded to the needs of his country and enlisted in Company E of the Seventy-fifth Indiana Infantry. He remained in service practically three years until the close of the war, and was mustered out at Washington in June, 1865. He and his good wife became the parents of nine children, and five are still living, James N., Amos L., Charles W., Rachel R. and Ida. The family are all members of the Christian Church at Warren, and Samuel J. Jackson has steadily supported republican candidates and principles since the formation of the party back in 1856.
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James U. Jacksou, his son, is a prominent business man of Liberty Center and for many years has been the leading lumberman of that locality. He was born in Liberty Township October 13, 1858, grew up on a farm until he was past fourteen years of age, at which date his father bought a store at Liberty Center. Mr. Jackson worked in the store while attending school. He finished his education in the Bluffton Normal, and for two terms was a teacher in Liberty Township. For a long period of years he has been a lumber dealer at Liberty Center, but has many other interests. He has a farm of eighty acres, and is one of the directors of the Liberty Center Deposit Bank.
On January 16, 1892, Mr. Jackson married Sabina W. Smith. They have five children: Ceeil W., who is married and lives in Liberty Center; Paul C., unmarried, and now attending an aviation school at Austin, Texas; Ethel, at home; Charles W., in the United States army service at Camp Grant, Illinois, and Ruth, at home. The family are members of the Baptist Church and Mr. Jackson is one of its trustees. Politically he has always supported the principles and policies of the republican party.
WILLIAM H. THOMPSON. Actively and industriously engaged in the prosecution of a calling upon which not only our own country, but nations abroad are largely dependent, William H. Thompson is success- fully engaged in agricultural pursuits in Wells County, having a well improved and well managed farm in Liberty Township. A native of Indiana, he was born in Henry County, December 14, 1853, coming of old Virginia stoek on both sides of the house.
His father, Nathan Thompson, was born and reared in Virginia. Following the march of civilization westward, he came with his young wife to Indiana soon after his marriage, and after living a while in Henry County located in Wells County, where he remained until the close of the Civil war, in which he served for a year, belonging to an Indiana regiment. He then spent a short time in Henry County, but returned to Wells County and engaged in general farming. He died at the Soldiers' Home, in Marion, Indiana. He married Amanda Sho- walter, a native of Virginia, and to them eight children were born, as follows : William H .. of this brief sketch; Bathena Ellen, wife of Thomas McCormack; J. Henry, living in Michigan: Effie Jane, wife of Edward Smith, of Warren, Indiana ; Charles Franklin, of Illinois, and three children that have passed to the life beyond.
Brought up in Wells County, William H. Thompson obtained his early education in the district schools, and early in life engaged in farming. He began farming for himself in Harrison Township. Wells County, but subsequently bought forty acres of land in Liberty Town- ship, where he has since been pleasantly and profitably engaged in agri- cultural pursuits, making a specialty of truck farming in which he is an expert.
Mr. Thompson married, February 15, 1874, Mary B. Sark. She was born in Pickaway County, Ohio, October 3, 1855, a daughter of Jacob Sark who came with his family to Wells County, this state, in 1864, settling in Nottingham Township. Nine children have been born of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, namely: Cora Alice, wife of William Timmons; Bruce A., of St. Louis, Missouri ; William Edward, living in Kansas: Fred A., of Fort Wayne, Indiana; Verna M., living at Fort Wayne: Elvie E., also of Fort Wayne: Bessie B., wife of Ray- mond Kiser, of Michigan; Arlie C., deceased, and Della, who died in childhood. Politically Mr. Thompson is identified with the republican party. Religiously both he and his wife are members of the German
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Reformed Church at Bluffton. Fraternally he belongs to Bluffton Lodge, Improved Order of Red Men.
GEORGE W. GOODSPEED has handled his affairs as a farmer and busi- ness man with good judgment and in the course of many years has developed a fine farm and made himself a citizen of substance and influence in Wells County. His present farm of 193 acres is three miles southwest of Bluffton on Rural Route No. 7. Mr. Goodspeed grows all the staple erops of this region and has also made it a point to keep good grades of live stock, which supply the chief revenue from his business.
He was born in Athens County, Ohio, January 12, 1861, a son of Ira B. and Harriet ( Armitage) Goodspeed.
Ira B. Goodspeed, one of the prominent old time citizens of Wells County, was born in Athens County, Ohio, April 13, 1827, a son of Nathan and Thankful ( Holwey) Goodspeed, both natives of Massachu- setts. Nathan Goodspeed was born June 9, 1795, and was the pioneer settler in southern Ohio. About the close of the Civil war Nathan Good- speed came to Wells County, and died there January 7, 1866. His wife passed away August 19, 1874. Ira B. Goodspeed grew up on a farm in Ohio, and on March 25, 1860, married Miss Harriet N. Armitage, a native of Athens County and a daughter of George and Maria ( Ward) Armitage, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Wash- ington County, Ohio. Ira Goodspeed continued farming in his native county after his marriage until the fall of 1865, when he followed his parents to Wells County and bought eighty aeres of the land now occupied by his son George W. After about two years he moved to Nathan Goodspeed's old farm and took care of his widowed mother. Later he bought the 120 acres of the old farm from the other heirs and developed that into a high class farm. This old home was in section 18 of Harrison Township. Ira B. Goodspeed and wife had three sons and one daughter: Thankful O., who died February 14, 1873, at the age of twenty-three; George W .; Francis M., a farmer in Liberty Town- ship, who married Hannah Bell Markley, and Daniel, of Bluffton.
George W. Goodspeed has lived in Wells County since he was abont four years of age, and his entire active career has been spent either on his father's old farm or in the home where he can now be found. He attended the Travisville School, but at the age of eighteen went to farm- ing. Mr. Goodspeed married, October 15, 1891, Gertrude Johnstone. She was educated largely at Warsaw, Indiana, and came to Bluffton when a young woman. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Goodspeed rented the 120 acre farm of his father for twelve years and afterward purchased a place three miles from Bluffton. Mrs. Goodspeed is an active member of the Prairie Methodist Episcopal Church, and in polities Mr. Goodspeed is a republican. They have three children. Hazel is a graduate of the common schools and attended Bluffton High School, and is now the wife of Ross Lockwood of Chester Township. Beryl also completed the course of the common schools and is the wife of Jesse Johnston of Swayzee, Indiana. Paul, the youngest of the family, attended the Bluffton High School.
JOSEPH P. LOCKWOOD. Of the agriculturists of Wells County who lay claim to the title of being self-made, few have better right to this distinction than has Joseph P. Lockwood. When he started upon his career it was as a worker in the oil fields, but his energies and ambitions would not allow him to remain a wage-earner, and he gradually devel- oped into a landholder and eventually into one of the substantial agri- culturists of his community. He is now the owner of 310 acres of well Vol. II-6
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cultivated land in Nottingham Township, practically all of which has come to him as a result of his own efforts.
Mr. Lockwood was born on a farm in Nottingham Township, Wells County, Indiana, three-quarters of a mile from where he now resides, February 1, 1868, and is a son of James E. and Frances A. (Block) Lockwood. His parents, who still live in this township, are farming people, and Joseph P. Lockwood was reared to the pursuits of farming, his education being secured in the district schools. When still a young man he secured employment in the oil fields as a driller, a vocation at which he worked during a period of four years, but after his marriage bought twenty acres of land. a part of his father's farm, and began mar- ried life in an old log house. In the meantime he continued to work in the oil fields, in various capacities, even being a producer for a short period, but finally found that his agricultural interests had grown to such an extent that they needed his entire attention and he accordingly gave up other matters for them. His original twenty acres he sold for another property of a like acreage, on which he made his home until 1902, when he bought forty aeres in Harrison Township. This he later sold and returned to Nottingham Township, where he has since enjoyed the best of prosperity, and now is the owner of 310 acres of land. He has a splendid set of farm buildings, machinery and equipment of the most modern character, and other improvements that are valuable, and his entire prosperity evidences the good management and ability of the owner. As a citizen he stands high in his community, and has always been a supporter of good enterprises and beneficial movements. Mr. Lockwood is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and is serving on the board of trustees.
On November 25, 1888, Mr. Lockwood was married to Hepsey A. Stevens, who was born in Ohio and brought as a child by her parents to Wells county, where she was educated in the public schools. They became the parents of ten children, as follows: Ross, Bertha, Virgil, Edwin, Harry, Cecil, Grace, Stella. Ralph and Lawrence. Cecil Lock- wood, a graduate of the Petroleum High School, is now cashier of the State Farmers Bank of Keystone, Indiana.
ORIN D. GARRETT. Who he is, what he does and some measure of his influence hardly requires a statement in Wells County when the name of O. D. Garrett is mentioned. However, for the benefit of the few who are not personally acquainted with his achievements it may be said that he is a farmer and stock buyer owning one of the best country homes near Liberty Center.
It was in April, 1862, when O. D. Garrett was six months old and a little too young to be conscious of his environment, that the Garrett family journeyed out of Ashland County, Ohio, into Wells County, Indiana, and made settlement in Liberty Township. Orin D. Garrett was born in the Ohio county named on October 22, 1861, being the youngest child of Joseph and Elizabeth (Ciphers) Garrett, the former a native of Maryland and the latter of Pennsylvania. Joseph Garrett was born in 1814 and died in 1887, and his wife was born in 1824 and died in 1896. Both were of German ancestry. They married in Ohio and when they removed to Wells County their oldest child, Frank W., now Dr. Frank W. of Liberty Center, was six years old, and the second in the family was Amanda, three years old. She is now the wife of Dr. Isaac A. Smith of Huntington County, Indiana.
Joseph Garrett and wife located on a farm a mile south of Liberty Center known as the Garrett Homestead. Both parents were devoted members of the Baptist Church. In this part of the country O. D. Gar-
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rett received his education and grew to manhood assisting his father on the farm until he was twenty-one. His early education was acquired in the liberty Center public schools. About the time he reached his majority his parents removed to Liberty Center, and the complete management of the farm devolved upon him. That was no small responsibility for a man of his years, and while sacrificing his long cherished plans to secure an advanced education, his faithfulness to duty kept him constant, and there was no question in his own mind or of members of the family that he would ever fail. His progressive ideas, fidelity, coupled with a cheerful disposition and kind consideration for "the other fellow," were rapidly bringing him the practical knowledge that is always a credit to the self-made business man.
In February, 1883, Mr. Garrett married Miss Hattie Noe, daughter of David and Harriet Noe of Chester Township, Wells County. Before her marriage she was one of the county's successful school teachers. In 1904 the home of the husband and two daughters was broken by the mother's death resulting from creeping paralysis.
While Mr. Garrett has always placed farming first and owns 345 aeres in Wells and Huntington counties, yet for thirty years he has been an active live stock shipper and is still engaged in the business with the firm of Garrett & Gordon of Liberty Center. Among other business interests he has been a road contractor, building extensively in Wells and Huntington counties. He is one of the directors of the Studa- baker Grain & Seed Company of Bluffton, is president of the Garrett- Turpin Lumber Company of Mississippi, a company that manufactures lumber from its own tract of eighteen hundred acres of timber in the Yazoo Valley.
The capable handling of public affairs and offices also comes natural to Mr. Garrett. From 1886 to 1891 he was township assessor and in 1910 served as county chairman for the republican party. In 1906 he was elected county auditor, and thus far in the political history of Wells County has the unique distinction of being the only republican elected to this office.
On January 1, 1908, he took his office and the following June he married Miss Marguerite Arthelda Bixler, daughter of Rev. and Mrs. William Bixler of Akron, Ohio. Mrs. Garrett, with her two sisters, Eva, wife of Warren Jenks of North Manchester, Indiana, and Betty, wife of O. G. Schrop of Akron, Ohio, received her public school and early musical education in Stark County, Ohio, where all the daughters were born. Gifted in music, Mrs. Garrett was accorded special training in voice building from such teachers as the Italian master Ridge, and concert coaching from Hill. During their school days the sisters appeared in nearly 300 musical programs. After high school Mar- guerite entered Mount Morris College in Illinois, taking a course in elocution and physical culture, also graduating from the Art and Bible Department. At this institution she was a member of the college faculty for three years, and later for two years at North Manchester College in Wabash County, Indiana. These positions were both resigned for that of evangelistie song and musical institute work among the churches. In the interest of this department of Christian activity, sixteen states were visited and nearly a thousand special programs of sacred song and story given. Mrs. Garrett also went abroad as song evangelist for the School of Travel and Research, touring Europe, Asia and Africa. Some of her best known gospel songs were written while visiting the Holy Land. "Galilee" was composed while sailing across the Sea of Galilee, and "Dreams" shortly after a visit to Mount Tabor, overlook- ing the Plain of Esdraelon, "the great battlefield of nations." Since
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residing in Wells County Mrs. Garrett has continued her interest and devoted much of her time to Christian and musical activities.
At the expiration of the auditor's official term of four years, Mr. and Mrs. Garrett moved from Bluffton to their country home one mile north of Liberty Center, situated on the banks of Lake Garrett, one of the largest artificial lakes in Indiana, and it is known as one of the most complete, artistic, picturesque and thoroughly adequate and self-sufficing country homes in the Hoosier State. For both Mr. and Mrs. Garrett no vacation or relaxation from home and business care is quite correct that does not include a big game hunt. Trophies from various hunting fields are found in their private collection,
"For, they listen to the pleading, And they answer to the call Of the whisper from the woodland When the leaves of Autumn fall."
EARL HIGGINS, V. S. One of the successful young professional men of Harrison Township, Wells County. is Dr. Earl Higgins, a graduate veterinarian, and a popular young man of this section. Doctor Hig- gins was the eldest of his parents' family and was born December 16, 1887, a son of Chads and Ida (Cobburn) Higgins. He spent his boy- hood days on the home farm and attended the public schools. For some years he engaged in farming, and in handling cattle and stock discov- ered that he was so much interested in dumb creatures that he concluded to make a study of their medical and surgical needs. In recent years his profession has been advanced to one of equal dignity and necessity and a long course of study and training was involved before he was most creditably graduated in April, 1917, from the Indiana Veterinary College, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Doctor Iliggins was married to Miss Pearl Ditzler, who is a daugh- ter of John R. and Catherine ( Brickley) Ditzler, and they have had three children: Hermennia, who is eight years old; Catherine, who is six years ; and Lucile, who died in 1917. In politics, Doctor Higgins is a democrat.
John R. Ditzler, father of Mrs. Higgins, was born at Galion, Ohio, Oetcher 9, 1853. His parents were George and Elizabeth (Sarbaugh) Ditzler, the former of whom was born at Reading, Pennsylvania. George Ditzler learned the carpenter's trade and worked at the same before moving to Crawford County. Ohio, where he combined it with farming. In Pennsylvania he had also operated a grist mill. In 1863 he came to Wells County, Indiana, and located in Rock Creek Township, where he acquired 160 acres of fine land and became well-known and respected as an industrious and progressive farmer. His death occurred May 6, 1892. He was married to Elizabeth Sarbaugh in Pennsylvania, and the following children were born to them: George, who is a resi- dent of Markle. Indiana ; Frank, who is in business at Warren, Indiana ; John R. : and Susan, Mary, Sarah, Belinda, Elizabeth and Alice.
John R. Ditzler was reared on his father's farm and attended the country schools and continued on the farm after his marriage to Cath- erine Brickley until he was appointed superintendent of the Bluffton- IIuntington gravel road, which position he held for a term of twelve vears. When the new law went into effect that divided the county into districts, he was appointed overseer of one of the districts, and he con- tinued in that office for eighteen months. His work in the supervision of gravel roads proved so satisfactory to all concerned that in 1898 he was appointed superintendent of the Wells County Infirmary, for the
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publie had confidence in his integrity and knew that he would dis- charge his publie duties with as much care and efficiency as if they were his private interests. His death occurred May 2, 1911.
John R. Ditzler was married to Malinda Brickley, who was a daugh- ter of Alfred Brickley, one of the substantial farmers and a former trustee of Rock Creek Township. To this marriage the following chil- dren were born : Etta, who is the wife of John A. Miller; John C., who married Mary Haughton, and both are deceased; Pearl, who is the wife of Dr. Earl Iliggins; and Nora, who married Chauncey J. Myers. Mr. Ditzler and wife were members of the Lutheran Church, in which he was one of the elders. In polities he was a demoerat and he was ever loyal to its principles.
JOSEPH C. G. MADDOX. Fully three-quarters of a century have passed since the Maddox family invaded the wilderness of Chester Township in Wells County, and through the collective energies and re- sources of this one family many acres of wild land have been cleared, the fruits of the field have been gathered season after season, good homes have been established, families reared, and the name is identified with everything good and useful in the county. The life of Joseph C. G. Maddox has been in keeping with the record set by the family as a whole, and for a number of years he gave his services as an educator and for over thirty years has lived on the farm where he was born in Chester township. His home is on Rural Route No. 2 out of Keystone.
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