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 73
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 73
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Charles J. Jones' carly recollections are of the old farm in Van Wert County, where he grew up and received his education in the lo- cal schools. In 1900 he married Miss Ethel Siler, who was born in Mer- cer County, Ohio, and was also educated in the common schools. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Jones lived in Parker City, Indiana, for a short time, then spent a year in Mercer County, Ohio. where he was Vol. 11-32
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a railroad man, and coming thence to Blue Creek Township of Adams County occupied their farm of 175 acres, which has been rendered both productive and a highly attractive home through the excellent man- agement of Mr. Jones.
Three children were born to them, two still living. Orville is a graduate of the common schools and is now in the second year of high school at Berne. The daughter is Esther Nettie.
JOHN W. MCCRAY. One important phase of the history of Adams and Wells County is the development of its oil resources. While the oil fields in these counties have not been phenomenal producers they have in the aggregrate contributed an immense volume to the flow of crude petroleum and have added no inconsiderable sum to the total of the nation's resources. One of the pioneer figures in the old fields around Geneva is Mr. John W. McCray, who came here many years ago and has become identified with other lines of business, being now president of the Farmers and Merchants State Bank at Geneva.
Mr. McCray was born in Western Pennsylvania. the district which has probably produced more oil men than any other in the United States. His birth occurred at Corry in Erie County, that state, May 3, 1871, son of Wilson C. and Cynthia ( Lilley) McCray. He grew up on a farm in that richly historic and rugged section of Northwestern Pennsylvania, was educated in district schools, and at the age of fifteen left the farm and started out to make his own way in the world. For a couple of years he worked in the vineyards of his grand- father in New York State. He did various other things, and finally came west to Lima, Ohio, and went to work in the oil fields as a pumper and tool dresser. Before he was twenty-one he was drilling and was in the ranks of the independent producers. He remained around Lima for about two and one-half years, then came to the Indiana fields, locat- ing near Geneva. Since then his interests have been continuously mani- fested in the Adams and Wells counties oil district, and he still has some producing wells in this vicinity.
A successful business man, his interests have naturally taken on a considerable breadth of scope and importance. He is financially iden- tified with a factory at Hicksville. Ohio, for the manufacture of farm tool handles. He is also interested in coal mines in Southeastern Ohio under the name McCray Brothers. Mr. MeCray was one of the chief organizers of the Farmers and Merchants State Bank of Geneva, and is the second president that institution has had. He has given a very efficient administration and has made the bank one of the strongest in these two counties.
Mr. MeCray married Jennette M. Guist. They have two daugh- ters, Lois and Mildred, both attending school at Geneva. Mr. McCray is affiliated with Geneva Lodge of the Knights of Pythias and is a re- publican in politics.
CLEMENT LEE WALTERS is a member of the firm Graham & Walters, abstracts, loans, real estate and insurance at Decatur. Mr. Walters is a lawyer by profession, but his chief business for many years has been as an examiner of titles and an expert in the department of placing loans on real estate.
He was one of the organizers and a director of the People's Loan and Trust Company of Decatur, one of the live financial institutions of the city. The president of this company is Mr. Mathias Kirsch. While a very busy and prosperous citizen Mr. Walters finds nothing in his career in which he can take greater satisfaction than his leadership
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among the moral forees of his community. The good eitizens of Deea- tur have many times congratulated themselves upon the splendid work Mr. Walters did in ridding the community of the rum traffic. A number of years ago he was made chairman of the County Protective Home League. From that date he took his eoat off and entered deter- minedly on a campaign to put the saloon out of business. There were years of hard fighting, involved in the education of the people and the overcoming of opposition until Decatur was lined up with those towns that had put an effectual ban upon liquor traffie. Thus Decatur was one of the units in a gathering movement by which liquor was finally banished from the state altogether. No one ever made a harder and more determined fight in this cause than Mr. Walters, and it is char- acteristic of him that he gives a generous measure of credit to the earnest helpers who were enlisted with him in the work. Decatur was the only eity of its size in the state that became an absolutely saloon free community.
Clement Lee Walters was born in Adams County January 10, 1869. Ile is a son of William and Martha A. (Drummond) Walters, long time residents of Adams County. William Walters was born in Pennsyl- vania, and was brought to Adams County by his parents when thir- teen years of age. He was educated in the common schools, and so wisely utilized his advantages that when a mere boy he began teach- ing. He acquired great popularity in educational affairs, and when a comparatively young man was elected county superintendent of schools, serving from 1875 to 1879. In the latter year he moved to Clay County, Nebraska, resuming his work in the school, and was soon elected eounty treasurer of that county. Later he moved to Thomas County, Ne- braska, and there again became actively identified with polities as a demoerat. He was elected probate judge and filled that office with efficiency for two terms. Ife then retired from aetive life. Ilis wife, Martha A. Drummond, was born in Ohio, a daughter of Robert Drum- mond, also a native of that state. The Drummond family came to Indiana and were pioneer settlers in Adams County, in Root Town- ship. Robert Drummond cleared up a large farm there and died at his home in 1875. Mrs. William Walters died in Ohio. She was sur- vived by her son Clement L. and also by her daughter Alice. Alice is the wife of William Tuohy and they now live in Gladwin County, Michigan.
Clement Lee Walters and Mr. Graham have been associated in husi- ness for the past five years. They have their business headquarters on Second Street, and a new home is being made ready for them at 123 Second Street, just opposite the courthouse, where they will have spe- cially appointed offices for their business. Before becoming connected with Mr. Graham Mr. Walters was for many years an insurance man in Decatur, combining the work of insurance and abstracting with his law practice. He was admitted to the bar over twenty years ago, and took up the study of law in the firm of Peterson & Lutz. Before his admission to the bar he had a thorough training as an examiner of titles and has long been a recognized expert in that field. He has examined titles for many insurance and loan companies and is well known in that line of work throughout Northeastern Indiana. While much of the business is in placing loans for local capitalists, the firm also have a growing elientage in representing outside investors. Mr. Walters has spent most of his life in Adams County, Indiana, and for a time he was in the real estate business in Michigan. At the age of seventeen he secured his first license as a teacher under County Super- intendent J. F. Snow. ITis first school was taught in the Schnepp dis-
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triet, and altogether he taught six years in country schools and two years in the city high school at Decatur.
Mr. Walters is active in local politics as a republican, and has been prominent in the minority party in Adams County, serving for a number of years as a member of the County Committee and is now its chairman. For a time he was deputy internal revenue collector dur- ing the MeKinley administration. Mr. Walters is an active member of the lodge and royal arch chapter of Masonry at Decatur and is affiliated with the commandery and the Scottish Rite bodies of Fort Wayne. He has been active in Scottish Rite work for the past thir- teen years. He is also past chancellor of the Knights of Pythias, and was a member of the building committee which erected the hand- some new home of that order.
In 1896 Mr. Walters married Miss Grace E. McConnehey. She was reared and given a good education in this county, and is the mother of three children, Robert K., Helen and Dorothy, all of whom are being carefully trained in the public schools. Mr. and Mrs. Walters are active working members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. They are always looking after the betterment of their city in every way possible, and Mr. Walters has for many years been a trustee of his church and superintendent of the Sunday school, and now teaching the Bible class.
PETER F. GRABER is another member of the Graber family whose part as agriculturists and good citizens has been so conspicuous in Adams County. Mr. Peter F. Graber is managing one of the good farms of Monroe Township, and has had his home there and has se- cured a proper share of prosperity and has done his part as a worker and well wisher of the community for many years.
Some of the facts concerning his family history will be found on other pages of this publication. Mr. Peter Graber was born in Allen County, Indiana, December 1, 1874, son of Peter and Katie (Delarange) Graber, the former deceased and the latter now living on a farm in Michigan. Peter Graber was educated in the common schools, and the first important event of his life, and that which brought him the re- sponsibilities which he has so faithfully borne, was his marriage on December 20, 1896. to Miss Rosa Mazelin, daughter of James and Eliza- beth (Schwartz) Mazelin. Mrs. Graber represents an old and promi- nent family of Adams County. Her father was born in Monroe Town- ship of this county April 11, 1847, and both his parents came from Switzerland and were pioneers in Monroe Township. James Mazelin died April 10, 1910, while Mrs. Graber's mother passed away Febru- ary 5, 1874. James Mazelin by his first marriage, to Elizabeth Schwartz, had three children, Rosa, Anna and Elizabeth. He after- ward married Barbara Miller, and by that wife had two children. Da- vid and Lydia.
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Graber have five children: Henry, born Jan- mary 10. 1898; Leah, born October 13, 1899; Edna, born November 23. 1902: Amanda, born September 28, 1904; and Lucy born Febru- ary 2, 1912.
Mr. Graber brought his family to his present farm in Monroe Town- ship on March 1, 1903. He has eighty acres and it is now up to the highest standard of improvement and cultivation. When he took pos- session there were very few improvements, the principal one being a log cabin home. He has erected good substantial buildings. has kept up the fertility of the soil and has introduced a number of facilities which constitute a good farm.
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Mr. and Mrs. Graber are both members of the Amish Christian Church, and that was the church of their ancestors. Mrs. Graber's father had the following brothers and sisters: Amelia, who married Joseph Schwartz; Rosina, deceased; Frank, who married Barbara Schwartz; Virginia, who married John P. Nessbaum; and Peter, who first married Albertine Kipper and for his second wife Fannie Lieehty.
JOHN B. WILSON. One of the oldest and best known families of Jefferson Township in Wells County are the Wilsons, whose homes and worthy activities have been centered here for more than sixty-five years. It is as representative of the third generation of the family that John B. Wilson appears in this record. He is one of the staunch and enterprising farmers of Jefferson Township.
The family was established here in 1851 by Gibson Wilson, great- grandfather of John B. Wilson. Gibson Wilson was a native of Washington County, Pennsylvania, and a son of James and Alice Wil- son. After going to Ohio he married Nancy A. Harris, and in 1851 they came to Jefferson Township of Wells County and bought 240 acres in section 16. This was a heavily timbered tract, and their first home was a log cabin. The nearest town and the nearest neighbors were at Ossian. Gibson Wilson served as one of the first road supervisors of Jefferson Township and helped lay out the first roads from Ossian. He and his wife were members of the first Presbyterian Church built in the township, and they reared their children in that faith. Gibson Wilson died in 1862, survived for many years by his widow. Their children were Elizabeth, Cyrus, James, Nancy, John L., Margaret and Emma.
Cyrus Wilson, grandfather of John B. Wilson, was born in Trum- bull County, Ohio, and died January 11, 1901. He grew up in Wells County and in August, 1862, enlisted in Company K of the Seventy- fifth Indiana Infantry. He served three years as corporal and was color guard in the battles of Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Resaca, Atlanta and in the march to the sea. He also carried the colors of his regiment in the military parade at Washington at the close of the war. For ten years after coming out of the army he was engaged in farming in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.
Mr. John B. Wilson was born at Youngstown, Ohio, August 19, 1888, a son of John A. and Bethilda (Bushee) Wilson. His father was a native of Trumbull County, Ohio, and his mother of Union Township, Wells County. Jacob Bushee, father of Bethilda, was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, November 22, 1888, and came to Union Township of Wells County in 1850. Twelve years later he bought land in Jefferson Township, and lived in this eounty for many years, being prominent as a farmer and also quite active in local politics. Mr. John A. and Bethilda Wilson are well known citizens of Wells County and are now residents of Zanesville in this county. They had two children, John B. and Cecil M. The latter married Jasper J. Davis on September 2, 1911, and they live in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
John B. Wilson was reared and educated in this county and for a number of years has carried on a successful business as a farmer on fifty-five aeres of land in Jefferson Township. He has done much to improve this farm and for a man of his years is substantially situated and has bright prospects for the future. In polities he is a demoerat.
Mr. Wilson married December 4, 1906, Ethel C. Woods, daughter of Francis and Edith (Wilcoxson) Woods, of Sheldon, Allen County, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have three children : Genevieve and Gladys, twins, born March 24, 1908, and John F., born November 12,
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1909. Mrs. Wilson's brothers and sisters are: Jesse A., who married Celia Denney of Frankfort, Indiana; Otto M., who married Helen Barker, of Fort Wayne; Vernie E., wife of Homer Cranter, of Shel- don, Indiana; Edna G., wife of John Archibald, of Ossian, Indiana; and Anna Ronald, Alton, Helen, Glenna and Arthur, all of whom are still unmarried.
FRED W. STUDLER is one of the men who upholds and contributes to the business activities of Linn Grove, where he has been located for a number of years, since leaving his farm,
Mr. Studler is a native of Adams County, born in Hartford Town- ship September 16, 1885, son of Fred L. Studler and Frances (Ha- hegger) Studler, the former a native of Switzerland and the latter of this country. After their marriage his parents settled on a farm in Hartford Township. Adams County, where the father, Fred L. Stud- ler, died March 30, 1918. The mother is still living. Eight of their children survive, named David, Albert, Fred W., Luey, Daniel, Wil- liam, Charles and Pearl.
Fred W. Studler grew up on his father's farm in Hartford Town- ship and attended school at Linn Grove. His early life was bounded by these experiences until he married on January 5, 1905, Miss Catherine Ellenberger, daughter of Henry Ellenberger.
After his marriage Mr. Fred W. Studler went to farming on his own account and continued that vocation for six years. He has from the time he reached his majority been active in democratic politics in Adams County, and at the age of twenty-two was elected township assessor, an office he filled for seven years in addition to his farm duties. Also since the age of twenty-two he has been precinet commit- teeman of his party with the exception of two years.
From the farm Mr. Studler moved to Linn Grove, where for six years he was a general merchant and also conducted a meat market, but he retired from this in 1917, and for eight months was the propri- etor of a confectionery and lunch business, and on March 1, 1918, again went into the general merchandise business. In the spring of 1918 Mr. Studler entered the race for county treasurer and was nominated by a large majority over his four opponents at the primary May 7, 1918. Mr. Studler is a man of substantial position in the community, and is an active member and has held different offices in the Evangeli- cal Church at Lim Grove. Mr. and Mrs. Studler are the parents of five children, named Freda, Mabel, Herbert, Flossie and Georgie.
JACOB WECHTER. For many years actively and prosperously en- gaged in farming in Blue Creek Township, Adams County, Jacob Wechter has accomplished a satisfactory work in his chosen occupa- tion, and having acquired a competency is now living retired from business cares, making his home with his eldest son, William Wechter. He was born September 18, 1831. in Rochester, New York, where his parents George and Frances Wechter settled on coming to America from their native land, Alsace-Lorraine, France, although later they moved to Washington County, Ohio, and there spent the remainder of their lives.
Growing to manhood in Washington County, Ohio, Jacob Wechter gained an excellent knowledge of agriculture when young, and having accumulated some money came to Indiana to invest it in land. Set- tling in Adams County in April, 1872. he bought eighty acres of land in Blue Creek Township, and in the log house which constituted one of its improvements moved with his family. With the true pioneer
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spirit he cleared a large part of his property, and constantly added to the improvements previously inaugurated, placing the rich and fer- tile soil largely under cultivation, and replacing the log cabin and barns with a substantial frame house and other buildings necessary for carrying on his work. During the Civil war, while yet a resident of Ohio, he enlisted in Company G, One Hundred and Ninety-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served until after the close of the con- fliet, being honorably discharged from the service in February, 1866. Mr. Wechter is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and belongs to the Methodist Church, which he has served in various offi- cial positions. A democrat in politics, he was for ten years and three months a trustee of Blue Creek Township.
On November 8, 1854, Mr. Wechter was united in marriage with Mary Clancy. She was born in Limerick, Ireland, and as a girl of six years came with her parents, Patrick and Birdelia Clancy, to Saint Louis, Missouri, where she was married. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wechter, namely: William, born September 18, 1856; Frank C., born December 1, 1860, married Della Foster, of Van Wert, Ohio, and they have one child, Jacob Eugene; Annie M., born Sep- tember 20, 1865, is the wife of O. U. Tyndall, of Adams County, and has one daughter, Francis; and John E., who was born April 2, 1871, and now owns and occupies the parental homestead, married Rosa Larimer, of Van Wert, Ohio, and they have three children, Mary L., who married Glen Workinger, of Adams County, and has two children, Fern E. and Flo E .; and Jennie M. and Delmore O.
William Wechter, with whom Mr. Wechter makes his home, mar- ried Martha Fairchild, a native of Van Wert County, Ohio. Her par- ents were born in Ohio, and there her father spent his entire life, dying in 1875. Her mother, Mrs. Fairchild, survived him, and is now living in Willshire, Ohio. Her only brother, Charles E. Fairchild, resides in Logan, Ohio. William Wechter and his wife have one child, Charles E. Wechter.
A. Q. DURBIN. Situated in Monroe Township is the well improved and prosperous rural home of A. Q. Durbin, who has made an excel- lent account of his time and energies as an Adams County farmer. His farm reflects his prosperity, and as is true of most other men this prosperity has been the result of long years of ungrudging toil, per- severing effort, and an inspiration derived from the discontent which the hope of better things arouses.
Mr. Durbin is a native of Adams County, born here June 15, 1862, a son of Uri and Martha (Smith) Durbin. His parents likewise were natives of Adams County. The Durbin family was established here in pioneer times by Grandfather Harry Durbin, who came to Indiana from one of the Eastern states. The late Uri Durbin deserves the special memory and admiration of his descendants. Like his son, he began with limited means and his first homestead was only forty acres. Years of effort enabled him to clear and improve this, and he was al- ways known as a hard working, industrious man. Many years ago he erected a log house which was the admiration of the entire district, since in many ways it was superior to most of the homes in that viein- ity. It was as sturdy in construction as the man who built it. The boards for the floor were hewn by hand, there was an old fashioned hroad fireplace, and unlike many of the houses of that time there were windows on all sides. It was in this substantial log house that eight children were born, namely : George W., deceased; Robert E., deceased ;
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John T .; A. Q .; Margaret A., deceased; Alexander M .; Joel E .; and Mary Anne, deceased.
A. Q. Durbin grew up on his father's farm and his early advan- tages were confined to the common schools. When he married and took np individual responsibilities it was on a rented farm, and for twenty-nine years he continued as a renter, though in the meantime he had made land purchases of his own and had begun the improve- ment of his present farm. The successive purchases he made in ac- quiring his present homestead are interesting as indicating the range of prices within the present century. The original forty acres of his home he bought in 1901 for $650. In 1905 he bought twenty acres for $1,100, and in 1912 he rounded out his eighty acre farm with an- other twenty acres costing $2,850. Every acre of his farm is suscept- ible to cultivation and he has a group of valuable buildings. having recently completed a model country home.
On June 15, 1887. Mr. Durbin married Annie E. Herron, daughter of Jonathan and Catherine ( Matchett) Herron. Her parents were both natives of Ohio. Mrs. Durbins' brothers and sisters are: Wil- liam L., Clara B., Rachael E., Sarah L.
Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Durbin: Ona May, born February 16, 1888; Oca Pearl, born March 8, 1891; Ora Blanch, born November 26, 1893; Orva Henry, born February 6, 1901; Ivy Ger- trude, born September 6, 1903; and Omer Sylvester, born January 30, 1908, and died March 15, 1908. The daughter, Ona May, is the wife of Henry M. Cook, of Adams County, and they have three chil- dren, Glen E., born November 2, 1910; Gale H., born July 13, 1913; and Esther, born March 13, 1916. The only other child married is Oca Pearl, who is the wife of Grant Springer of Adams County.
The Durbin family are members of the Dunkard Church. Mr. Durbin is a prohibitionist in his political affiliations, and is a member of Monroe Camp No. 6840 of the Modern Woodmen of America.
HARRY DEAM. A man of excellent business capacity, far-seeing and progressive, the late Harry Deam was for many years closely identi- fied with the advancement of the industrial and mercantile interests of Bluffton, Wells County, contributing his full share toward the prosperity of the community in which he lived. He was born in Bluffton, Indiana, in the early '50s, the son of an early pioneer of Wells County, Wilson Deam.
Wilson Deam came to Indiana in pioneer days, settling in Wells County, where he spent the remainder of his life, for a number of years having run a livery business in Bluffton. He married for his sec- ond wife Mrs. Mary Kiskadden, who was an aunt of that popular actress whose stage name is Maude Adams. Four children were born of their union, namely : Belle, widow of Rev. Mr. Wallace, residing in Dayton, Indiana, has one daughter, Mrs. Harry Collins, and two granddangh- ters; Harry, the special subject of this sketch; Harriet, a twin sister of Harry, married Isaac Moulton, and died a few years later, leaving one son ; and Ida, wife of Rev. G. G. Copeland, a retired Presbyterian minis- ter living in Bluffton has two sons and one daughter, all of whom are married. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson Deam are buried in Elm Grove Cemetery in Bluffton, where his death occurred, her body having been taken there when she died and placed beside his.
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