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 5
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 5
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
June 12, 1887, he married Miss Ida A. Sturgeon. She was born in Jefferson Township of Wells County, the only child of S. H. and Har- riett (Caston) Sturgeon. Mrs. Snyder lived on the old farm with her parents until she was ten years of age. She was liberally educated, attending both the grammar and high schools at Ossian, and she also graduated in the scientific eourse at Valparaiso University with the degree Bachelor of Science. She took up teaching, being employed in Noble County, Indiana, and two years in the schools of Ossian. Both Mr. and Mrs. Snyder are active members of the Baptist Church and Mrs. Snyder teaches the woman's class in the Sunday school. Mr. Sny- der is affiliated with Bluffton Lodge No. 114, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and with the Knights of Pythias. He and his wife have owned several good properties in Bluffton and their prosperity is a source of satisfaction not only to themselves but to their many friends. Mr. Sny- der has always been a leader in temperance work. and some of the early meetings to promote temperance were held in his store. Hle and his wife had two children: Raymond O., born September 12, 1890, was educated in the grammar and high schools of Bluffton and married Miss Pearl Shardelow, of Dayton, Ohio. Ruephell, the daughter. was born November 16, 1892, was educated in the local schools and in a business college, and is now the wife of Thomas E. Miller.
481
ADAMS AND WELLS COUNTIES
JOHN W. SMITH, an active business man at Bluffton for over thirty- five years, has had a very strenuous career. At the age of seven he left home, was bound out, never had opportunities to acquire an education, and has known a life of hard work and many vicissitudes of experience. He is an old soldier of the Civil war, having gone into the army when little more than a boy and was still under age when he came out.
Mr. Smith was born in Holmes County, Ohio, July 18, 1847, a son of Elas and Catherine ( Williams) Smith. His father was a native of Holmes County, Ohio, where he married, and lived there until the latter part of 1847, when he moved to Van Wert County, in that state. In 1850 he came to Allen County, Indiana, settling near Monroeville. There he bought a tract of wild land, cleared away the woods and in the course of time had a good property. He hegan life poor and only by the hard- est work and much sacrifice was he able to obtain a modest degree of prosperity. Both he and his wife died on the old farm. Elias Smith was a stanch democrat and quite active in politics. He was also inter- ested in religious matters and was well informed on the Bible. The parents had eleven children, all of whom reached maturity except one and four are still living, namely : John W .; Jesse Smith, a business man of Fort Wayne, Indiana; Sarah J., wife of Abe Whitwright, of Decatur, Indiana ; and Charles Smith, in the livery business at Columbus City, Indiana.
John W. Smith left home at the age of seven and attended school not more than three months all his life. He was bound out to an uncle and remained with his unele until 1863, working hard for his board and clothes.
October 12, 1863, at the age of sixteen, Mr. Smith enlisted from Adams County in Company ( of the Eleventh Indiana Cavalry. He was with the Fourteenth Army Corps and under the command of that gallant General Thomas fought at the battles of Franklin and Nashville and in many other engagements. He was in the army until September, 1865, when he was granted his honorable discharge at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Though constantly on duty, often exposed to danger, he escaped all wounds.
After leaving the army Mr. Smith returned to his uncle's home at Decatur, and subsequently moved to a farm in Allen County, where he cleared most of the land. He then married Nancy E. Martin. She was born and reared in Hardin County, Ohio, but came to Adams County, Indiana, where she met and married her husband. For two years after his marriage Mr. Smith farmed and then went to Decatur, where he used his team in helping grade the line of the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railway. Then for two years he was with the Shockley & Wheel Com- pany at Decatur, and later was employed in cleaning up the Adams County courthouse. He cleaned it from basement to roof, making a thorough job of the entire brick work. He remained in the county seat of Adams County and was in the draying business for five or six years. He also acquired property there, but sold out and removed to Bluffton, where he engaged in hauling logs and general teaming until 1881, when he went into the dray business which he has built up to large proportions. He now has a large business, employing a number of horses and vehicles, and well merits all the prosperity and success that have come to him.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith became the parents of nine children, five of whom are still living, namely: Harry E .. of Battle Creek. Michigan ; Lewis W., of Battle Creek; Homer, who lives with his father and is employed at Bluffton; Clara A., wife of Harry Graddick, of Muncie, Indiana ; and Mary, who is married and lives in Bluffton.
The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
1204201
.
482
ADAMS AND WELLS COUNTIES
Mr. Smith is a charter member of Bluffton Lodge No. 92, Knights of Pythias, and is a member of Bluffton Lodge No. 114, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In politics a republican, he has been quite active in local affairs, has used his influence effectively to support all worthy movements, but has never sought official preferment for himself.
ERIC D. WALSER. An enterprising and progressive citizen of Wells County is Eric D. Walser, who maintains his home and business head- quarters at Bluffton, where he is proprietor of the West End Meat Market, in addition to which he is the owner of considerable real estate in this city.
Mr. Walser was born on a farm in Nottingham Township, Wells County, Indiana, October 26, 1865. His parents, Reynold and Cynthia Ann (Anderson) Walser, are both deceased. The mother died in 1884, and he passed away June 7, 1913. To them were born nine children, six of whom are living in 1917. The baby of the family, Eric D. Walser, grew to a sturdy manhood and as a boy he attended the distriet schools of Nottingham Township. At the age of seventeen years he procured a teacher's license and he was engaged in pedagogy for the ensuing ten years, teaching in the winter time and attending sessions of the county normal school at Bluffton in the summers. In 1893 he and his brother, Dr. J. A. Walser, purchased a general store at Lynn Grove, Indiana, conducting the same with indifferent success for a period of three years, at the end of which Mr. Walser came to Bluffton: Here he entered a meat market and learned the trade of butcher. He worked in one shop for fourteen years, and June 4, 1905, he opened his present market, which has been conducted in a strictly high-class manner ever since. He owns his up-to-date meat market.
August 11, 1889, Mr. Walser married Miss Elizabeth Bauman, who was born in Wayne County, Ohio, and who came to Wells County, Indiana, when she was but two years of age. She was educated in the common schools of this county and has resided here nearly all her life. To Mr. and Mrs. Walser were born three children : Zella was graduated in the Bluffton High School and is the wife of Ralph Staver, of Bluff- ton ; Ralph A., a graduate of the Bluffton High School, was killed in the Kingsland wreck, September 21, 1910; and Howard C., a member of the graduating class of 1917 in the Bluffton High School, is now a student in Heidelberg College at Tiffin, Ohio. The entire family are devoted members of the First Reformed church, in which Mr. Walser has been an elder since January 1, 1917.
Mr. Walser is a member of Bluffton Lodge No. 114, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he is past grand master, and he is a charter member of the Ben Hur Lodge. In politics, while he does not seek or desire office of any description, he is a stalwart democrat and is well known as a loyal and patriotic citizen. His success in life is due entirely to his own well applied efforts. He is progressive in every sense of the word and is a citizen of whom any community can well be proud.
C. H. MEAD, M. D. A physician and surgeon of thorough ability and high attainments now practicing at Bluffton, where he has had his home for nearly ten years, Dr. Mead is a graduate of the University of Michigan both in the literary and medical courses, and is not only a hard worker but one of the cultured citizens of the community.
Dr. Mead was born on a farm in Michigan January 11, 1882, a son of C. H. and Elizabeth (Osborne) Mead. His parents are substantial farmers and still living on their old homestead in Michigan. Dr. Mead
483
ADAMS AND WELLS COUNTIES
grew up in the country districts, attended the district schools, and from them entered the Mount Pleasant High School, where he was graduated and also took the regular course of the Central Michigan Normal School at Mount Pleasant. It was through the avenne of teaching that he largely paid his way through medical college. For two years he was principal of the Shepherd High School. Entering the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, he was in both the academie and medical departments until he graduated with the degrees of A. B. and M. D. in June, 1908. In July of the same year he came to Bluffton, and his work has brought him a steadily growing practice. He has served as health offieer of the city and is an active member of the County and State Medical Societies and the American Medical Association.
Dr. Mead married Jeannette Shephard, of Marshall, Michigan. She was a graduate of the Marshall Iligh School and the Central Michi- gan Normal, and taught school for several years before her marriage. They have two children: Clarence S., born August 27, 1910, and Eliza- beth Eileen, born January 2, 1916. Dr. and Mrs. Mead are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Fraternally he is affiliated with Bluffton Lodge No. 145, A. F. & A. M .; Bluffton Chapter No. 95, R. A. M .; Bluffton Council No. 63. R. & S. M., and Bluffton Com- mandery No. 36, K. T. In politics he is a republican.
ADOLPH LEIMGRUBER. Education and financial assistance are very important factors in achieving success in the business world of today, where every faculty must be brought into play, but they are not the main elements. Persisteney and determination figure much more prom- inently, and a man possessed of these qualities is bound to win a fair amount of success. Adolph Leimgruber, whose name forms the caption for this article, is self-educated and during the latter years of his life he has climbed to a high place on the ladder of achievement. For the past two years he has been a resident of Bluffton, where he is engaged most profitably in the manufacture and distribution of ice, his plant being known as the Bluffton Pure Iee Company.
Adolph Leimgruber was born in Perry County, Indiana, December 30 1864, and he is a son of Sebastiau and Julia Ann Leimgruber, both natives of Switzerland. As a boy Mr. Leimgruber attended the public schools of Tell City and he resided in that place until his marriage in 1889, when he located at Greensburg, Indiana, where he was success- fully engaged in the ice business for a period of nineteen years. In 1908 he moved to Attiea, Indiana, there erecting an ice plant, which he disposed of four years later. He then settled in London, Ohio, whence he came to Bluffton in November, 1915. Here he purchased the site of the old washing-machine factory from the Mike Long estate and on the same erected a substantial and up-to-date building for the manufacture of ice. The company, of which he is head, is known as the Bluffton Pure Ice Company and it is more than a local enterprise, as ice is shipped to many of the towns and cities adjacent to Bluffton. The plant runs day and night and has an output of twenty-five tons in twenty-four hours. During the short time he has been a resident of Bluffton Mr. Leim- gruber has gained a reputation for square and straightforward business methods and his enterprise is a welcome adjunct to the other industries of this section.
In 1889, in Tell City. Indiana. was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Leimgruber to Miss Anna Fromer, who was born in Ripley County, Indiana, and educated in the local parochial schools. Seven children were born of this union, one of whom, a son, is deceased. Following are Vol. II-3
484
ADAMS AND WELLS COUNTIES
the names of the other children: Herman, Lillian, August, Lawrence, Christena and Geraldine.
Mr. Leimgruber believes in the principles set forth by the republican party, but in voting maintains an independent attitude, preferring to give his support to the man rather than to the party. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Catholic Knights of America and the Greensburg Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. He and his wife are devout communieants of the Catholic Church, in which faith they have reared their children. Mr. Leimgruber is a man of marked enterprise and his success in life is due to his own well directed endeavors. He is warm hearted and generous in disposition, is fond of home life and is held in high esteem by all who know him.
ASA W. BROWN, M. D. Sinee he entered upon his professional prae- tice at Bluffton eleven years ago Dr. Brown has not only applied his time and energies to the work of building up a large private clientage, but has also made his profession a source of benefit and service to the community and has done much in the way of preventive medicine and in safeguarding the general health and sanitary condition of his city and county.
Dr. Brown was born on a farm in Rock Creek Township of Wells County September 18, 1877, a son of Asa S. and Christina (Decker) Brown. His father was born February 27, 1848, in Clinton County, Ohio, and when a boy accompanied his parents to Indiana. They made the journey in the old fashioned way of wagon and team, traveling over rough roads and through many miles of unbroken forest. The Brown family settled in Rock Creek Township of Huntington County, and in that district Asa S. Brown was reared and acquired his education in the common schools. He made the best of his opportunities to obtain an education and subsequently taught school very successfully for about ten years in Wells, Huntington and Grant counties. After his marriage he settled on a farm in Rock Creek Township of Wells County and continued prosperously engaged in this calling until he retired and removed to Bluffton where he became interested in the oil industry. He died at Bluffton April 19, 1908. He was a very active member of the Baptist Church. Politically he was a republican, and though Wells County is largely democratie he was once elected to the office of county commissioner, serving three years. He was the father of twelve chil- dren, and seven are still living: Dr. Asa W .; Thurlow W., who lives near Fort Benton in Montana ; Agoma P., wife of J. A. Johnston, present sheriff of Wells County; Arthur W., of Montana; Victor E., who is engaged in the glove manufacturing business at Battle Creek, Michigan; Nellie, who is unmarried, and Everett, who married Mamie Anderson, of Bluffton.
Dr. Asa W. Brown had the old farm as his early environment and the district schools of Rock Creek Township afforded him his early training. Ile afterwards attended normal schools and for a year and a half was a teacher. From the teaching vocation he entered the Medical College of Indianapolis, where he spent four years and graduated M. D. In June, 1906, Dr. Brown came to Bluffton and has since practiced medicine all over this part of the county. IIe has served as president and secretary of the Wells County Medical Society and is a member of the State and American Associations. For the past seven years Dr. Brown has been county health officer, and prior to that was city health offieer.
In 1904 he married Miss Eva D. Shepherd, who was born in Notting- ham Township of Wells County, but was reared and received her eduea-
485
ADAMS AND WELLS COUNTIES
tion in the schools of Harrison Township. Dr. and Mrs. Brown have two children: Asa G., born April 8, 1907, and Robert S., born March 17, 1910. Mrs. Brown is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, while the doctor affiliates with the Christian denomination. lle is identified with Bluffton Lodge No. 114, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is medical examiner, of the Modern Woodmen of America. Politically he is a republican and a few years ago he came within seven- teen votes of being elected county coroner.
WILLIAM S. SMITH is a native of Bluffton, a son of former Senator J. H. C. Smith of Wells County, and has been steadily making his mark in business affairs for the past thirty years. He is now proprietor of the MeFarren Clothing Company of Bluffton, in addition to various other interests.
Mr. Smith was born at Bluffton January 31, 1868. His mother, Arlie L. (Wisner) Smith, was a native of Wells County, and his father, J. H. C. Smith, was born in Rock Creek Township of this county August 9, 1842. 1Ic has long been one of the prominent members of the Wells County bar. Hle represented Huntington and Wells counties in the State Senate four years during the latter '80s. Senator and Mrs. Smith have two sons living, William S. and Merl W., the latter of Hartford City, Indiana.
William S. Smith was reared in Bluffton, educated in the common schools and is a graduate of the rather noted class of 1886 from the high school. That class contained thirty-four members, nineteen girls and fifteen boys, and all are still living except Frank Cummings. After graduating from high school Mr. Smith went to work in the local drug stores, was there one year, was with J. HI. Heintz two years, and then entered the Root & Company store, the leading dry goods house of northern Indiana, at Fort Wayne. He was with them for four years and returning to Bluffton entered the employ of Mr. G. F. McFarren. He learned all the details of the business and somewhat later he bought out the Tribolet Clothing and Men's Furnishing Store and, associated with W. R. Barr, they conducted this establishment five years. It was then sold to the S. Bender Dry Goods Company. For a time Mr. Smith was with the Leader Company and then returned to G. F. MeFarren and is now proprietor of the clothing department of that handsome and widely known mercantile house of Bluffton. Mr. Smith also owns stock in the Wells County Bank and is a stockholder in the Abbott Corpora- tion Company, automobile manufacturers of Cleveland.
June 13, 1893, he married Miss Winnie MeFarren, who graduated from the same high school class as her husband. They have three sons : George H. Smith, who graduated from the Bluffton High School in 1912 and in the electrical engineering course from Purdue University with the class of 1916. He is now connected with the National Division of the General Electric Company of Cleveland. The second son, Wendell S. Smith, is a graduate of the Bluffton High School, while the youngest, Hubert, is still a high school student. The family are members of the Baptist Church, in which Mr. Smith is a deacon. IIe is a Knight Templar and thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason and Shriner, and in politics is a democrat.
WILLIAM R. BARR. Bluffton has been a center of trade and business for over three quarters of a century, and among those connected with the business, eivie, social and religious life of the community William R. Barr is prominently numbered. The Leader Company, of which he is vice president and manager, is now and for some years past has been sup-
486
ADAMS AND WELLS COUNTIES
plying a large part of the reliable merchandise distributed not only in Bluffton but throughout Wells County. That, however, is only one of Mr. Barr's active interests in the city.
By nativity he belongs to the city of Fort Wayne, where he was born April 27, 1874, a son of Robert and Lettie (Bennett) Barr. His mother was a daughter of Robert C. and Harriet ( Deam) Bennett. Robert Barr, the father, was born in 1848, at Paisley, Scotland, where the famous shawls come from. When a small child he accompanied his mother to America, the first location being at Halifax and later moving to Roch- ester, New York, where Robert was reared and where he had a common school education. He learned his trade in machine shops in Rochester and from there came to Fort Wayne, Indiana, working in the Pennsyl- vania Railway shops and in 1880 came to Bluffton, where he entered the service of George W. Grimes in the latter's foundry and machine shop on the south side of Washington Street near the railroad. He was con- nected with that industry until the latter part of 1915 and was active in building up the industry as a manufactory of boilers, engines, mill machinery, architectural iron work and other products. He was a mem- her of Bluffton Lodge No. 114, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, which he served as noble grand, and in polities was a republican and filled the office of councilman one term. He is now living with his son William R. Barr. There were four children in the family, and the three now living are: William R .; Fred H., who is manager of a chain of 5 and 10-cent stores in which his brother William is also interested, his home being at Celina, Ohio; and Alice, a graduate of the Bluffton High School and the wife of James H. Lepper, who lives at Owensboro, Ken- tucky, where he is now active in the 5 and 10-eent business.
William R. Barr was six years of age when the family moved to Bluffton. Here he attended the publie and high schools. At the age of seventeen he went to Rochester, New York, spending a year and a half employed with a party of civil engineers and at the same time continued his education by attending night school. Returning to Bluffton, Mr. Barr entered the service of G. F. McFarren, one of the oldest and best known merchants of Bluffton. He was with him until 1898, then, with William S. Smith, he bought the John W. Tribolet clothing store. At the end of five years Mr. Barr bought the interests of Mr. Smith, and then merged the store with the firm of Bender, Walmer & Barr. Five years later Mr. Walmer retired, turning over his interest to the other two partners.
The Leader Company was incorporated in 1908. Its present officers are: Samuel Bender, president ; William R. Barr, vice president ; IIer- bert H. Bender, secretary and treasurer, and the board of directors are Samnel Bender, Mr. Barr and Herbert H. Bender.
Mr. Barr is also one of the directors of the W. B. Brown Company and is a member of the executive committee and director of the M. & R. Traction Company. IIe is also one of the directors of the Elm Grove Cemeterv.
Mr. Barr is a York and Scottish Rite Mason, past master of his Masonic lodge and past eminent commander of the Knights Templar and also belongs to the Mystic Shrine. He is affiliated with the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. the Knights of Pythias and the Benevo- lent and Protective Order of Elks and in politics is a republican.
Mr. Barr married Margaret Walling, of one of the old and well known families of Muncie, Indiana. She is a graduate of the Muncie High School. Her parents were Mark and Mary E. (Gilbert) Walling. Mr. and Mrs. Barr have an adopted daughter, Lois Barr, born August 17, 1904. Mrs. Barr was well educated in literature and music, and for
487
ADAMS AND WELLS COUNTIES
several years taught music in the Bluffton public schools and has had active charge of the music of the Baptist Church for a number of years. Both are active members of this church and Mr. Barr is a teacher of a class enrolling about 250 members in the Sunday school.
LOUIS SEVERIN, M. D. For over fifteen years Doctor Severin has practiced medicine and surgery at Bluffton. His professional standards are high, his work has met with increasing appreciation, and he has made for himself an honored place in the community and has rendered a service that cannot be estimated in any material rewards.
Dr. Severin was born at Aurora in Dearborn County, Indiana, Sep- tember 19, 1870, a son of Julius and Catherine (Horn) Severin. His parents were both natives of Germany, where they were reared, and they came to America when young people, both about 1847. The mother first located at Charleston, South Carolina, later lived at Norfolk, Virginia, and they became acquainted and married in Ohio. After their marriage they lived in Galion, Ohio, and finally established their home at Aurora in the southern part of the state. The father was a coppersmith by trade, and for a number of years was a structural ironworker. In their family were eight children, six of whom are still living.
Dr. Severin spent his boyhood days in Anrora, attending the gram- mar and high school there, and graduating in the high school course in 1887. For several years he followed mechanical lines of employment, but quite early in life determined that his real career should be in the medical profession. In 1895 he began the study of medicine, entering the Miami Medical College at Cincinnati, from which he graduated with the well earned degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1899. During his junior year he was elected interne in the German Hospital of Cincinnati, and that gave him a splendid opportunity to apply the theories of text books and lectures by actual service. He was an interne fourteen months.
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.