With perhaps a few exceptions,
Bolivar Robb, of West Lebanon, Warren county, is the oldest pioneer of
this county, in years of residence here. He has lived in this portion
of Indiana for seventy two years, and in Warren county since 1830, and
distinctly remembers the experiences of the pioneers during the '30s
and '40s, and the primitive condition of everything here,
and the inevitable hardships which had to be
endured. He even recalls the Black Hawk war of 1832,
and incidents of that notable strife with the red men, one of the last
stands of that race against the oncoming tide of civilization east of
the Mississippi.
Early
in the
eighteenth century three
brothers, James, William and John Robb, emigrated from the northern
part of Ireland (where they were known as (Scotch Irish) to America,
and made a settlement at Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It is supposed that
from them are descended all persons bearing the surname of Robb in this
country, but from which one of the brothers our subject traces his
lineage is not definitely known. The great-grandfather of the
subject was one John Robb, and the grandfather was Thomas Robb, both
natives of the Keystone state. The latter, born in 1767, married
Elizabeth Robb, a second cousin, and in 1800, when their son William
(father of our subject) was about two years old, they removed to Erie
county, Pennsylvania. Eight years later they went to Washington county,
Kentucky, and in 1818 they took up their abode in Brown county, Ohio,
settling near Ripley, the county seat. In 1830 Mr., Robb became a
resident of Washington township, in the vicinity of Williamsport,
Warren county, Indiana, but three years later he continued his journey
westward, and died in DeKalb county, Illinois, September 4, 1850. From
principle he was strongly opposed to slavery, and the unswerving traits
of integrity, justice and honor which had descended to him from his
Scotch Irish ancestors were among his most noteworthy
characteristics. He left the stern old "blue" Presbyterianism in which
he and his forefathers had been reared, and until his death rejoiced in
the liberty and light of the Disciples or Christian church, with
which he early identified himself. While he was never an aspirant to
official distinction, he occupied various local positions and was a
justice of the peace for years, here and further east. His first wife,'
Elizabeth, died in Ohio, and Mr. Robb subsequently married Mrs.
Sarah Friel, who survived him a short time. She had one son by her
first marriage. Thomas and Elizabeth Robb were the parents of James and
John (twins), William, Thomas, Robert, Mary, Anna and Elizabeth, all of
whom have passed away. James served in the regular army of the United
States for five years, and in the war of 1812 fought under the
leadership of General Andrew Jackson, and later took part in the
Seminole war. John also was in the war of 1812, fighting under General
William H. Harrison. With the exception of Thomas, who died in youth,
all of these brothers and sisters married and had families, and all
except James and Thomas became residents of Indiana, the former
settling in Illinois and the latter dying in Ohio.
William Robb,
father of Bolivar Robb,
was born in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, November
10, 1798. He accompanied his parents to Brown county, Ohio, and
there he married Abi Higginbotham, a native of that county, born April
14, 1806. In the spring of 1827, William Robb, in company with his
brothers-in-law, Joseph S. and Joseph P. Robb, built a small flat-boat
and floated down the Ohio river to the mouth of the Wabash, and thence
went up this river to Covington, in what is now Fountain county. Having
selected and bought a tract of land near Vederburg, William Robb
returned home on foot, and in the following autumn he brought his
family to the new home in the wilderness, in a one-horse wagon. The
family continued to reside on this homestead until March, 1830,
when they removed to Warren county. Mr. Robb entered land about
three fourths of a mile west of the present court-house in
Williamsport, and here he continued to dwell until his death, June 10,
1885. His venerable wife died January 5, 1899, in her ninety third
year. Politically, he was a Democrat, and three times did he fill the
office of sheriff, twice being elected and once being appointed to that
position. Once he was appointed to fill out the unexpired term of
county clerk, and for many years he was a school director, township
trustee, etc. Of his seven children, Bolivar, William W. and Howard are
residents of Warren county, and Alfred lives in Tennessee. Those who
have entered the silent land are Frank; Eliza Jane, who was the wife of
G. W. Armstrong; and Sarah E., who married James Jones, and had a son
and daughter, both now deceased.
Bolivar Robb was
born April 29, 1826,
in Brown county, Ohio, and was but four years old when he came to this
county. Here he managed to gain a fair education in the primitive
subscription schools of that period, but his advantages were meager in
the extreme. When he was eighteen, his father, who had been unfortunate
in business, informed him that he could give him only a team of horses
with which to make a start in independent life. The young man requested
and received the equivalent of the horses in money, and with this he
paid his way, as far as possible, in Wabash College. He then taught for
six successive winters. Schools were still carried on largely by
subscription, at the rate of about two dollars a pupil, for a term, and
the last winter that the young pedagogue taught he received fifty
dollars for his services, and paid one dollar a week for his board and
that of his horse. For thirty years he was engaged in contracting and
building, and then he purchased the old homestead, which he
managed for years and only recently sold. During Cleveland's last
administration he was postmaster of West Lebanon, where he has a
pleasant home, and is living practically retired. He has always been
prominent in the councils of the Democratic party of this locality. In
June, 1843, he joined the Christian church of this village, and from
that time to the present he has been one of the most active
members, and was the first superintendent of the Sunday school
here.
On the
25th of
July, 1850, Mr. Robb
married Sarah A. Acus, a native of Iroquois county, Illinois. She
died April 8, 1853, and left an infant daughter who lived to the
age of nine years. December 7, 1856, Mr. Robb wedded Margaret S.
Crawford, and their only child, Clara Jane, married E. S. Walker, who
has been commander-in-chief of the Sons of Veterans of Indiana.
Mrs. Walker, a lovely, well educated lady, died when in her thirtieth
year, and left an infant. Her loss has been deeply felt by her many
sincere friends and particularly by her devoted parents, who are
thus left childless in their declining years.
JUDGE JOSEPH M. RABB.
Among her native sons Indiana
has
reason to be proud of Judge Joseph M. Rabb, who for six years served on
the bench of the twenty first judicial circuit of this state, and
acquitted himself in a manner which gave thorough satisfaction to the
public. As a judge his decisions were marked by calm, well balanced
reasoning, founded upon intimate knowledge of the law and love of
justice, tempered with mercy. He is one of the boys who " wore the
blue" and fought for the preservation of the Union during the dread
civil war, and at all times he has nobly discharged the duties which
fell to him as a citizen of this great republic.
The Rabb family is an old and
honored
one in the central states of this country. In the last century the
great-great-grandfather of the Judge came here from Ireland and took up
his abode near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In the line of descent then
followed his son Andrew, grandson Johnston, and great grandson Smith,
the latter being the father of our subject. Andrew Rabb removed from
Pennsylvania, his native state, to Warren county, Ohio, in 1801, and
there purchased a large tract of land, and spent his last days. His son
Johnston, born in the Keystone state, accompanied the family to Warren
county, and in 1828 became a resident of Fountain county, same state.
He had a large family, and many of his children became citizens of
Indiana.
Smith Rabb, father of the
Judge, was
born in 1822, and has passed most of his life in this state. He is
still making his home in Perryville, Vermillion county, where he
embarked in the mercantile business about 1847, and was for many years
very successful in that line. His wife Mary, a native of Liberty, Union
county, Indiana, died in 1885. Her father, James Carwile, was born in
South Carolina in 1775, and being opposed to slavery he removed to the
north in 1800, with his father-in-law, William Brown, and both became
leading men in Liberty, Indiana. Three sisters and a brother of the
Judge are still living, namely: Oral S. Rabb, of this county; Ella,
wife of William Switzer; Amelia who married, and resides in Detroit,
Michigan; Mrs. Isabel Davidson, of Perryville, and Mrs. Hattie I.
Parks, also of Perryville.
Judge J. M. Rabb was born in
Fountain
county, Indiana, February 14, 1846, and received a common school
education in Perryville. After teaching for one term
he commenced the study of law in the office of Joseph H. Brown, of
Williamsport, and at the end of two years went into partnership with
him. This business relationship continued up to the death of Mr. Brown,
in 1873, subsequent to which Mr. Rabb was associated with Alvin High,
and later with Charles B. McAdams, of this place. In 1882 he was
elected on the Republican ticket to the bench of the twenty first
judicial circuit, which includes Fountain and Warren counties, and was
re-elected in 1888, and again in 1894.
When but sixteen years of age,
Judge
Rabb enlisted under the stars and stripes, and served valiantly in many
a hard fought battle, winning the commendation of his superior
officers on numerous occasions. It was in July, 1862, that he was
enrolled as a private of Company K, Seventy first Indiana Regiment,
which later became the Sixth Indiana Cavalry. He went through severe
campaigns in Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia, and was actively engaged
at Richmond, where his regiment lost heavily, about two hundred, being
killed and wounded, and the remainder being taken prisoners. Among
those captured was our young hero, who was soon paroled and exchanged.
He then joined General Burnside in eastern Tennessee, and aided in the
siege of Knoxville, after which he went with Sherman in the Atlanta
campaign, and was with Thomas at the battle of Nashville. In June,
1865, Mr. Rabb received an honorable discharge and returned home, and
for years he has been identified with the Grand Army of the Republic,
as a member of Bryant Post, No. 53.
June 11, 1872, the Judge
married Miss
Lottie Morris, who died in May, 1882, leaving three children: Clara,
now Mrs. Guy C. Winks; George M., who inherited his father's patriotism
and volunteered in the Spanish-American war, becoming a member of
the First Illinois Infantry, which saw service in the trenches at
Santiago, Cuba; and Fred C., who is at home. November 11, 1884,
Judge Rabb married Ida Elwell, and they have one child, Mary
Louise
REV. JAMES HARVEY
McBROOM
A worthy representative of one
of the
sterling pioneer families of northwestern Indiana is the Rev. J.
H. McBroom, of West Lebanon, Warren county. At the age of seventeen
years he united with the Christian church and since i860 has been an
earnest and faithful minister of the gospel. In the temperance cause,
and in every movement calculated to benefit and uplift the people,
he has been aggressive and interested, heart and soul,
contributing his quota of influence wherever it has been useful.
Nor is his influence small in the community which has been his abiding
place for so many years, no one having more thoroughly the esteem and
high regard of the citizens.
The
birth of Rev.
J. H. McBroom
occurred in Fountain county, Indiana, October 13, 1824, his parents
being: John and Martha (Snodgrass) McBroom. Both parents were natives
of Virginia, their birthplaces having been not far from the famous "
natural bridge." John McBroom was a son of Henry McBroom, who, though a
native of Ireland, was of Scotch parentage. The family traditions state
that during the war of the Revolution in America three brothers by the
name of McBroom emigrated from the Emerald Isle to the United States,
and, casting in their fortunes with the struggling colonies, helped to
wrest the power from the mother country. It is related, moreover, that
one of the brothers was wounded at the battle of Camden, where the
brave Baron DeKalb was killed. It is believed that all who bear the
name of McBroom on this continent are descended from one of the three
brothers mentioned. On his mother's side, also, our subject comes from
good old Revolutionary stock, as his grandfather Snodgrass, an Irish
emigrant, was a volunteer in the war for independence, and strove to
place the land of his adoption on a safe and reputable foundation in
the eyes of the world. John McBroom spent some time in his early
manhood in North Carolina and Tennessee, and was married in Preble
county, Ohio. He and his family later became residents of Wayne county,
Indiana, and in March, 1824, they settled in Fountain county, this
state. There the father entered land, and on this tract, which he had
in the meantime converted into a finely improved farm, he died, in
September, 1857. The wife and mother departed this life in March, 1846.
They were consistent members of the Christian church, and were beloved
by all who knew them. Mr. McBroom was a stanch Whig and was a great
admirer of General W. H. Harrison. Twice he volunteered to serve under
that sturdy officer, but was rejected, owing to a temporary
disability. Of the four sons and one daughter born to Mr. McBroom
and wife only two now survive, James H. and his brother, Ithamar W. The
others, who have entered into the silent land, are Mrs. Harriet Cade,
Elam S. and John Milton.
Rev.
J. H. McBroom
grew to man's
estate upon his father's farm in Fountain county, and he managed
to acquire what was considered an excellent education for those
days. He was especially gifted as a
mathematician, and was very successful, and he embarked in
teaching. One of the most important steps which he
took in life was when he married Miss Elizabeth Dyer, in September,
1849. Mrs. McBroom is a native of New Jersey, and her
parents, William and Sarah (Conover) Dyer, were born in Virginia and
New Jersey, respectively. In
1832, when she was two years
old, Mrs. McBroom was brought to Fountain county by her parents, who
continued to reside there until claimed by death.
In
1865 Rev. Mr.
McBroom removed to
Pike township, Warren county, and still owns a fine farm here. In
March, 1884, he located in the village of West Lebanon, where he has
been active in the advocacy of all kinds of local
improvements. For seven years he was a trustee of
Pike township, and in 1884 he was honored by being nominated and
elected to the state legislature. He received a flattering majority and
his career in the house was such as to justify the confidence which had
been reposed in his judgment and ability. Formerly a Whig, he allied
himself with the Republican party upon its organization. His first vote
was cast for Zachary Taylor. The children of our subject and wife are
Mary C, Francis and Mrs. Sarah M. Murray.
CHARLES O. BLIND
This well known farmer, a trustee of Adams township,
Warren county, was
born on the farm where he now lives March, 1861. He is a son of John
and Frances Mary (Gwin) Blind, natives of Ohio, the former of whom came
to Indiana with his father at an early day. The sketch of this family
will be found in that of Michael Blind on another page of this work.
The father of our subject was twice married, his first wife being
Harriet Goodfred, by whom he had one child, Marcelius. His second wife
was Frances Mary Gwin, born in Medina township, December 15, 1832, and
her father was one of the early settlers of that township. Of this
marriage four children were born, namely: George N., a farmer in Adams
township; Frank B., also a farmer and stock raiser in the same
township; Anna M., wife of C. E. Russell; and Charles O.
The father of our subject came to Warren county
about 1826 and located
in Medina township, thence removing to Adams township and locating on
the farm now occupied by his son Frank, where he remained until i860,
and then removed to the farm where our subject now lives, and where his
death took place September 13, 1889, in his sixty seventh year. He was
an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church and a most estimable
man. His widow is still living and resides in Pine
Village.
The boyhood of our subject was spent as is that of
farmer lads
generally in work upon the farm id summer and in attendance at the
district schools during the winter seasons. He took charge of the home
farm in 1884, and since that time has been employed in farming and
stock raising, and is associated with his brother Frank in buying and
selling cattle. He owns one hundred and ten acres of land, situated on
section 9, two miles east of Pine Village, which is under good
cultivation.
Mr. Blind was married January 25, 1886, to Miss Emma
J. McCord, and
they have had four children, Anna Frances, Lucy (deceased), Ellen
(deceased), and Charline. '
In the fall of 1894 Mr. Blind was elected trustee of Adams township,
and took charge of the office in August, 1895. He is a Republican in
politics and a member of Lodge No. 200, Knights of Pythias, at Pine
Village, and holds a membership in the order of American Woodmen. He is
an efficient officer, a useful citizen, and is highly respected by all
who know him. The family is connected with the
Methodist church
MRS. RACHEL TALBOTT
There is so much of romance in the history of Mr.
and Mrs. Daniel
Talbott, of Oxford, that the biographer has thought best to give a
separate sketch to each.
The subject of this sketch was born near Independence, Warren county,
Indiana, on the 13th of September, 1837. She is
a daughter of Frederick and Mary Waymire, natives of Ohio. Her mother's
maiden name was likewise Waymire, though she was not related to her
husband. They had ten children, seven of whom have crossed to the
"other shore." They were named as follows: David, who died at the age
of forty years; Solomon, who died in 1898; Isaac, Elizabeth and John
are deceased; Huldah is the widow of John Steadman, and resides in
Boswell, Benton county; Daniel, who lives in Warren county, Indiana;
Rachel, of this sketch; Sarah, the wife of Jacob B. Lebo, died at Lebo
Springs, in the fall of 1898, the family owning the famous magnetic
springs; and Frederick also is deceased. The mother of our subject died
in 1843, at the age of thirty years, and subsequently the father was
united in marriage with Mrs. Nancy Draper, a native of Delaware. By
this union there were no children, and finally both father and
stepmother died, within a few days of each other, the mother's death
occurring on the 7th and the father's on the 18th of January, 1868, the
father at the age of seventy six years and the mother seventy three.
Rachel Waymire grew to womanhood in her native
county. Her
opportunities for education were somewhat limited, since her early
years were necessarily devoted to hard work; yet in later years, when
the goddess of fortune smiled upon her, she devoted herself to careful
study and thus became very well informed.
At the age of eighteen years she yielded her heart
and hand to Joseph
Atkinson, on the 1st of March, 1856, and together they traveled life's
journey for many years. Both being industrious and frugal, their united
efforts yielded a handsome recompense, and they became very well-to-do.
Their union was a happy one, since their dispositions were amiable, and
no word of reproach or censure ever passed between them during those
happy years of wedded felicity. The time was when their possessions
aggregated the snug fortune of two hundred thousand dollars. But
finally the demon of intemperance entered the happy home and the
accumulations of years of hard toil seemed to take wings. This
continued for several years and was the only source of discord; yet
that was a sufficient one. In time this led to personal estrangement,
and the happiness of the home was destroyed. The tears and prayers of a
loving and devoted wife were unavailing, the entreaties of grown-up
children were not effective, the home was broken up and the happiness
of years was dissipated by a legal separation of the husband and wife.
Mrs. Atkinson received her share of the depleted estate, and with
blighted hopes for the comforts and happiness promised in earlier
years, retired from the home which had sheltered her as a happy girl
wife. She came to Oxford and invested a portion of her means in a
handsome home, which she built and where she now resides.
On the 27th of November, 1892, she wedded Daniel
Talbott, a school
companion and neighbor's son of her girlhood years. When children they
played together in youthful innocence, yet no thought of linking
together their fortunes for life had ever entered their minds until
both were left alone, as the "sear and yellow leaf" of old age came
creeping on. (See sketch of Daniel Talbott.)
By the first marriage there were four children,
viz.: Sarah, who was
born October 24, 1857, on the farm near Oxford, is the wife of B. F.
Gephart, a prosperous farmer in Warren county; Eva, born June 25, i860,
died December 7, 1863; Frank, whose birth occurred June 29, 1863, is
located on the old home farm south of Oxford: this place is better
known to the old -settlers as the Justus farm; Elmer was born December
14, 1865, and died May 6, 1867.
Mrs. Talbott has in her own right a farm of one
hundred and forty acres
adjoining the town of Oxford; also a residence in town and other
personal property. She has been a member of the Methodist church for
thirty years, and is a zealous Christian worker. She has also been a
member of the Daughters of Rebekah for twenty five years, and has held
all of the official stations connected therewith. For the benefit of
her children, a brief history of the Atkinson family is given below.
Joseph Atkinson was born February 13, 1832, in Ohio,
a son of Thomas
and Frances Atkinson, also natives of the Buckeye state, and their
deaths occurred so near the same time that they were buried in one
grave. Joseph came to Indiana in young manhood and readily showed
marked success as a money-maker. Whatever he turned his hand to
produced flattering results. His only fault, as seen through the
critical eyes of his divorced wife, is his uncontrollable appetite for
intoxicating liquors.
DANIEL TALBOTT.
It is not often that the biographer finds it
necessary to separate a
man from his wife in writing a family sketch; but, since the separation
is only incidental and the interests of each best subserved by this
course, we trust that we may be pardoned for the breach of etiquette.
Daniel Talbott was born April 19, 1837, in Warren county, Indiana, the
parental home being in the township of Warren. He is a son of Joseph
and Maria (Sever) Talbott, both natives of Ohio. The father accompanied
his parents to Warren county, this state, and died there in 1842, at
the age of forty years. He was a blacksmith by trade, though a farmer
after coming to Indiana. The mother of our subject died in 1839, on the
home farm in Warren county ; she was the father's second wife. Her
family came from New Jersey to Ohio, in which state her parents were
married.
Our subject is the elder of two sons born by his
father's first
marriage, the brother being Isaac, who was born in 1839, and is now a
retired business man in Wamego, Kansas. One son was born to the
father's first marriage ; the maiden name of his first wife was Troth.
This brother, whose name is Georgie, is an engineer in a sawmill at
Marengo, Iowa. The father's third wife was Mrs. Mary Ann Stunce, and
they had two daughters : Avis, the wife of James Ridenour, of Warren
county ; and Eliza, widow of John Clark, in the same county.
Our subject attended a subscription school until eleven years of age,
when he entered the public schools of Warren county, where he pursued
his studies until eighteen years old. By reason of the death of his
parents, he lived with his aunt after his sixth year, but went to work
by the month at the age of ten. At the age of twenty one he was married
and started on his career as a farmer, on a rented farm. His first real
estate was a forty acre farm in Warren county ; but this he afterward
exchanged in part payment for an eighty acre tract, and in due time
added to this until he had a fine farm of one hundred and fifty one
acres, upon which he lived for twenty nine years, and he still owns the
same.
He was married December 29, 1858, in Warren county,
to Miss Prudence
Moor, a daughter of John and Prudence (Doty) Moor, natives of Ohio. She
was born February 14, 1836, and died December 5, 1878. Seven children
were born to bless this union: Rosilla, born November 8, 1859, died
November 22, following; Oliver, who was born December 1, 1860, is a
farmer in Warren county; Willard, born November 2, 1863, resides in
Whitman county, Washington, where he is a silversmith; Lillis was born
October 25, 1865, and married William Cottingham, a painter in
Williamsport, Indiana; Avis was born October 18, 1867, and died July
25, 1868; Eva was born August 16,. 1869, and is a teacher in the public
schools of Warren county; Sylvia, born October 3, 1871, became the wife
of William Slager, a farmer in Pickaway county, Ohio.
After the death of his wife, Mr. Talbott kept his
family together,
performing as nearly as possible the obligations of both father and
mother. When his children were able to provide for themselves and all
were married except the fourth daughter, he felt that he had discharged
a sacred duty. In 1892 he removed to Oxford, and November 27 of that
year he was united in marriage with Mrs. Rachel (Waymire) Atkinson,
whose sketch appears in this work. These elderly people are comfortably
situated and liberally provided with means to carry them through to the
sunset of life. Their remaining years promise a season of happy repose
from the harrowing cares of life.
Mr. Talbott, like his estimable wife, is a member of
the Methodist
Episcopal church, and he has been an Odd Fellow for eighteen years,
having now passed the official chairs and is the present vice grand of
his lodge. His political affiliations have always been with the
Democratic party, though he has never been aggressive in political
affairs; he has never sought political office, being more interested in
his own personal affairs and the various official positions coming to
him through his interest in church and school affairs.
Mr. Talbott is an upright, honorable citizen,
sustaining a just and
well earned reputation for strict integrity and uprightness of
character.
JOHN M. MAVITY
John M. Mavity is the popular owner and editor of
the West Lebanon
Gazette, which was established November 23, 1883, by F. J. Pasteur,
well known as " Toney " Pasteur; and, while he owned it, for one year
it was in charge of W. H. Soden, who at the end of that time purchased
the paper and after two years took in as a partner A. R. Caldwallader.
A year later Mr. Caldwallader became sole owner, though the paper was
conducted under the name of Caldwallader Brothers, A. R. being the
editor and H. A. the general manager. Mr. Mavity took possession of the
plant on the 1st of January, 1889. From July 1, 1890, to July 1, 1891,
Charles Caldwallader owned an interest, but since the last named date
Mr. Mavity has been sole owner. From 1868 to 1883, when the Gazette was
established, a dozen or more efforts had been made to conduct the
publication of a paper at West Lebanon, all of which were
failures. The Gazette was a fair success from the
beginning, inasmuch as it succeeded in keeping alive. That Mr. Mavity
has proved himself a successful newspaper man is universally admitted.
On April 1, 1896, the paper was increased to its present size, a seven
column, four page paper. There is no patent work about it, but all is
home print. Eight hundred copies are printed weekly, and it is safe to
state that no town in Indiana not larger than West Lebanon has a paper
of larger circulation.
Mr. Mavity was born in Decatur county, Indiana, May
14, 1862, the son
of John A. Mavity, who was a native of Madison county, Indiana, born
May 14, 1833. John A. Mavity in his youth learned the trade of
blacksmith, an occupation he followed until the opening of the war of
the Rebellion. He married Susan Z. Wise, a cousin of the late Governor
Wise, of Virginia, of John Brown fame. Her father was a pioneer of
Indiana and a member of the first legislature that met at Indianapolis.
When civil war was inaugurated Mr. Mavity entered the Union army as a
member of Company B, Sixth Regiment of Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and
was in active service until he was wounded at the battle of Resaca.
After that, being unable to serve in the ranks, he made himself
valuable in hospital service. After the war he was for many years a
minister of the Christian church, preaching in Indiana, Michigan and
Illinois. He is now practically retired and with his estimable wife
resides in West Lebanon. They were the parents of three sons, Jesse H.,
of Atlanta, Indiana; John M., the subject of this sketch; and Thomas
Wise. The last named died at West Lebanon in June, 1898, at the age of
thirty two years, leaving two daughters. His wife's death occurred two
years before his.
John M. Mavity received a good education and was for
ten years a
successful teacher, six years of his experience as teacher being in
Warren county. For two years he was principal of the West Lebanon
schools. He was married July 7, 1886, to Miss Laura F. Hendricks, and
they have a daughter, May, born June 4, 1889, and a son, J. Earl, born
April 2, 1899.
Mr. Mavity possesses much energy and ability and includes in his makeup
the necessary qualities which insure success in any calling. He is a
member of the Knights of Pythias, Order of Modern Woodmen and Sons of
Veterans, and both he and his family are identified with the Christian
church
JAMES
H. KEYS
The purposes of life have been
well
served if the record is that of honor in business and fidelity to the
duties of private life. Such is the history of James Harvey Keys, who
for half a century was prominently identified with the development and
progress of Warren county. For many years he was known and honored for
his sterling qualities, his fearless loyalty to his convictions
and his advocacy of all moral, educational and material interests
tending to promote the welfare of the county. He won the unqualified
confidence and regard of his fellow men, and the entire community
mourned his loss when he reached the termination of life's journey.
Mr.
Keys was a
native of Franklin
county, Ohio, born January 9, 1823, his parents being Samuel and Mary
(Champ) Keys. He spent the first sixteen years of his life in the
Buckeye state, and then came to Indiana, locating near what is now
known as Green Hill, Warren county, then known as Poolesville. For
almost a half century he resided upon his farm in Pine township, and
was accounted one of the substantial agriculturists of the state.
Farming and stock dealing formed his principal occupation in life, but
his ability and energy were by no means confined to one line of
endeavor. He became the owner of a very valuable tract of land, which
he transformed into rich and fertile fields. He also made fine
improvements upon his place, added all the accessories and conveniences
of the model farm and followed the most progressive methods in
agricultural pursuits. He was also one of the organizers and the
president of the roller mill company of Keys, Porch & Company, and
was also financially interested in the elevators owned by R. W.
Claypool & Company. About 1888, in company with others, he
organized the Warren County Bank, at Williamsport, becoming one of
its principal stockholders, and from its formation up to the time of
his death he served as its vice president. Its success was largely due
to his wise counsel, able management and business sagacity, while his
well known reliability gave the institution a reputation for solidity
that it could hardly have gained otherwise. He possessed untiring
energy, was quick in perception, formed his plans readily and was
determined in their execution, while his close application to
business and his excellent management brought to him a degree of
prosperity which made him one of the wealthy men of the state. In
addition to his commercial interests he was the owner of about
three thousand acres of valuable land in Warren and Benton counties,
and possessed a larger amount of tangible personal property than any
other resident of his adopted county, in addition to various valuable
corporate stocks.
He was
a most
public spirited and
progressive citizen and no man in the county did more for the public
welfare in many directions than did Mr. Keys. He was the author of the
splendid system of graveled roads. In his brain originated the plan for
so improving the roads, and his capital largely made their construction
possible. In recognition thereof and in his honor, the board of
commissioners called this the Keys gravel road. It is an improvement
that has been of great practical benefit to the county, for good
thoroughfares are an important factor in promoting commercial activity.
It was also greatly through the influence of James H. Keys that the
courthouse was removed from the old town to its present location, and
after its removal he began to have faith in the town and became a firm
believer in the future growth and success of Williamsport, for which he
had done more than any other country resident of the county.
In
politics Mr.
Keys was an earnest
and zealous Republican, using his aid and influence for the advancement
of the party's interests. He was very charitable and benevolent, gave
of his means to the needy, and contributed his share to the support of
churches and other institutions calculated to benefit humanity.
With him friendship was inviolable, and he not only had the happy
faculty of winning friends, but of drawing them closer to him as the
years went by.
His
home relations
were most
pleasant. In his early manhood, on the 1st of June, 1843, he was united
in marriage to Miss Letitia D. Stone, and they began their domestic
life near the present site of Templeton, Benton county, Indiana, where
they remained until the spring of 1849, when they located on Pine
creek, Pine township, Warren county, where Mr. Keys continued to
make his home until his death. Eight children were born of this
marriage, four of whom are living, namely: Mrs. Isalemah Mullen, wife
of Lafayette Mullen, and Mrs. AnYia Coffelt, both of Walnut Grove,
Indiana; Margaret E., wife of Fernandes E. Pearce, of Boswell; and
Belle, wife of George W. Day, of Talbot. A daughter, Sarah, wife of
Henry Canutt, formerly of Williamsport, died leaving three
children, Grace, James H. and Mary, who now reside in Rosedale,
Kansas. Another daughter, Mary, died at the age of eighteen years, and
James and Emmaretta died in infancy. Mrs. Keys died May 22, 1863. She
was a daughter of Thomas Stone, who in the fall of 1837 emigrated with
his wife and children from Kentucky to Indiana, locating in Pine
township, Benton county. Soon afterward the family removed to Green
Hill, Warren county, where the parents spent their remaining days. They
had three sons and four daughters, Mrs. Keys being the third daughter.
Mr. and Mrs. Keys started out in life in limited circumstances, but by
her faithful assistance and careful management she greatly aided her
husband in making a start in business life. She was a most estimable
lady, a kind and affectionate wife and mother and a devoted Christian,
holding membership in the United Brethren church. Her children, though
all young when she passed away, have ever held her in loving
remembrance.
On the 23d of October,
1864, Mr. Keys
was united in marriage to Miss Mary M. Crosley, a native of Warren
county, Ohio, and a daughter of Joseph and Fantima (Eulass) Crosley,
who remained in the Buckeye state until death. Mrs. Keys came to Warren
county, Indiana, in 1862, and is a most estimable lady, highly
esteemed by many friends. By her marriage she became the mother of five
children, two of whom are now living: Alice, wife of Levi Van Reed, of
Williamsport, and Charles, the only son. He was born
February 2, 1876, attended the public schools and was graduated in
Lafayette Business College. He is with his mother and aids her in the
management of the estate. A daughter, Jennie, died when about sixteen
years of age; the other two in infancy.
The
life history
of James Harvey Keys
indicates what may be accomplished by a man of resolute spirit and
of unwavering integrity. He entered upon his business career
empty handed, but steadily worked his way upward to success, overcoming
the obstacles and difficulties in his path by perseverance and
enterprise. His methods were honorable, his word as good as his bond,
and over his life records there falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion
of evil. He left to his family not only the honest accumulations of
years of toil but the priceless heritage of an untarnished name. He
passed away November 3, 1898, but many years will have come and
gone before his beneficent influence will cease to be felt.
JAMES C.
HALL
In 1896 James C. Hall, of Steuben township, Warren
county, was elected
county commissioner of this county. This honor, bestowed upon him by
the old acquaintances and friends of a life-time, is a slight
indication, of the high place which he occupies in their regard. He has
been a zealous Republican since he cast his first presidential vote,
for Abraham Lincoln, in i860, but has never sought or desired public
office for himself.
James C. Hall is a son of one of the typical pioneer
characters of
Warren county, Dr. Daniel D. Hall, physician, minister and farmer. His
life was useful, busy and devoted to mankind, and none knew him but to
admire and love him. A son of Josiah and Phoebe (Dutton) Hall, born in
Canada in 1802, he came to this county in 1828, and took up a large
tract of land in Pike township, about two miles south of old Lebanon.
His parents were natives of Connecticut, and the blood of a long line
of sturdy Puritan ancestors was in his veins. Soon after the birth of
the Doctor, Josiah and Phoebe Hall removed to New York state, and a
little later they went to Butler county, Ohio, where the mother died in
1821, and the father passed away about seven years afterward. Daniel D.
was a lad of some twelve years when the family settled in Butler
county, and there he attended the pioneer schools. The instruction
obtained there was entirely inadequate for his ambitious mind, and
every leisure hour was spent by him in study and reading. At length he
decided to enter the medical profession, and entered Miami University,
at Oxford, Ohio, where he pursued a course of lectures on medicine. At
the age of twenty six years he came to Warren county, as. previously
mentioned, and thenceforth devoted his life to the good of his.
fellows. Through the storms and floods of winter and spring, over a
wild and trackless country, he went to the bedside of the sick and
suffering, never considering his own comfort or health, and always
carrying strength and courage with him. Doubtless his
fidelity to his duty, throughout his professional career, tended to
shorten his earthly life, for death put an end to his labors in
September, 1852, when he was but fifty years of age. But it was not
alone as a skillful physician and nurse that he won the love and
gratitude of the people. He possessed a highly religious nature, and
soon after coming to this county he was instrumental in organizing the
Christian church at West Lebanon, the first church of that denomination
established in the county. He officiated as a preacher in this church,
and his ministrations were attended by a great spiritual awakening
among the people of that locality. In addition to all of his other
qualities, which elevated him above the ordinary, he possessed not a
little musical talent. Warm-hearted and generous, few men were more
highly esteemed or more deeply missed when their places became vacant
in the community. He was a brother of the well known Methodist minister
of this section, Rev. Colbraith Hall.
Before coming to Indiana, Dr. Hall was married, in
Ohio, to Jane J.
Buell, a native of the Buckeye state. They became the parents of ten
children, seven of whom grew to maturity. Those who are now living
include: Buell, of the state of Washington; Isaiah, of Kansas, and
Frances, wife of Alfred Cade, of the state of Washington. Harvey
enlisted in a Missouri regiment in the war of the Rebellion, was
wounded and taken prisoner at the battle of Springfield, Missouri, and
was released on parole. Later, re-entering the service of the Union, he
took part in the famous battle of Shiloh, and was again wounded. When
he had sufficiently recovered to take his place in the ranks he was
sent to Arkansas, and the last ever heard about him was that he died
fighting for the country he loved and had suffered so much for. He had
been sent with a small body of picked men on a foraging expedition for
the troops, when they were attacked by a superior force of
Confederates. Isaac, another son, died when about fifty two years old.
Cecelia grew to womanhood and then died, and several other children
died when young. After the death of his first wife, Doctor Hall
remarried, and had one daughter, who died in infancy.
James C. Hall was born on the old homestead in Pike
township, June 4th
1837, and there he continued to dwell until 1859, when he succumbed to
the gold fever and joined the throng of western bound emigrants, whose
watch-word was Pike's Peak. He was gone from home about a year, and
then returned, well satisfied with his native county. On New Year's
day, 1861, Mr. Hall married Miss Elizabeth James, daughter of Hughey
James, an honored pioneer of Warren county. Six children came to bless
the hearts and home of our subject and wife, but three of the number
have been called to the better land. Those who survive are Frank E.,
Harvey H. and Isaac L. The finely improved homestead, which has been
brought to its present thrifty condition by many years of industrious
effort on the part of our subject, is now under the management of his
eldest son, Frank E., an enterprising young farmer. The year after his
marriage Mr. Hall became a member of the Christian church, and his good
wife is likewise identified with the same. They are worthy,
unostentatious people, hospitable to all and kind and benevolent to the
poor.
JOHN W. BROWN
John W. Brown, deceased, one of the early settlers
and much respected
citizens of Pine township, Warren county, Indiana, was born in Ross
county, Ohio, January 28, 1812, a son of Benjamin and Julia (Westfall)
Brown, and was reared in his native county. He
married Miss Margaret Peppers, who was born in the state of Maryland,
June 13, 1813, and they continued their residence in Ohio until
October, 1838, when they came to Indiana and selected Warren county as
a place of settlement. During that winter they stopped at the home of
Jacob Harmon, a well known pioneer, and in March they took up their
abode where Mrs. Brown now resides with her son and daughter in Pine
township. Their farm was then all heavily timbered and their neighbors
were few and far apart. Here Mr. Brown diligently set about the work of
clearing and improving, in time accomplished his purpose and enjoyed
the fruits of his labors, and on this farm passed the rest of his life.
He died at his home May 20, 1880. He was a most exemplary man, quiet
and unassuming, true to his friends and to every trust that was ever
placed in him. In his political views he was a Democrat, and at one
time filled the office of township trustee.
Mr. and Mrs. Brown became the parents of eleven
children, seven of whom
are still living, namely: John P., of Liberty township, Warren county,
Indiana; Mrs. Mary Grames, Pine township; William, Liberty township;
Jacob, a merchant of Rainsville, Indiana; Debby, at home; James F., of
Boswell, Bent on county, Indiana; and Benjamin, at the homestead. Those
deceased were Martha J.; Mrs. Julia A. Grames; the eldest, an infant,
died before the family left Ohio; and the youngest, Margaret A., died
at the age of eighteen months.
Thus have we briefly sketched the history of one of Warren county's
early families. Mrs. Brown, eighty six years of age on June 19, 1899,
is passing the evening of life at the old home where she has lived for
nearly sixty years, and is kindly cared for by her daughter Debby and
her son Benjamin.
BENJAMIN F. CROW.
A veteran of the civil war and an esteemed citizen
of Jordan township.
Warren county, is the subject of this review, B, F. Crow. He is a son
of the well known pioneer, William Crow, and was born on the parental
homestead in Liberty township, this county, January 7, 1846. The
lessons in good citizenship and devotion to country which he and his
brothers learned at their father's knee found early fruition, for all
three of them were true to the noble principles which had been
instilled into their youthful minds, and when the nation was threatened
with disruption, they promptly responded with the offer of their
services and lives, should the final sacrifice be required. William H.
paid with his life the penalty of his devotion to his native land, his
death occurring while he was with his regiment in Louisville, Kentucky.
The other brother, Walter, as a result of his army life, lost his
eyesight. (For further family history see sketch of William Crow, which
is printed on another page of this work.)
Benjamin F. Crow was reared upon his father's farm
and early became
familiar with the various departments of agriculture. He received an
ordinary public school education and, having made the best of his
advantages and given considerable time to private study, he obtained a
certificate to teach, and for several terms conducted local schools
with ability and success. His chief occupation in life, however, has
been that of farming, in which line he has been prospered to a
gratifying extent. He owns a thrifty, well kept farm in Jordan
township, and resides in a comfortable home, supplied with many of the
luxuries and all of the necessaries of modern ways of living.
When a young man of eighteen years Benjamin F. Crow
enlisted in the
Union army. He became a member of Company K, One Hundred and Thirty
fifth Regiment of Indiana Volunteer Infantry, on April 30, 1864, his
regiment being under the command of Colonel William Wilson. His
immediate officers were Captain William P. Rhodes, Lieutenant Peter W.
Fleming and Second Lieutenant John H. Messner, all of Company K.
The regiment was sent to Tennessee for services in the campaigns being
waged in that locality. After about four months of arduous duty and
exposure to the fierce southern summer the health of Mr. Crow became
broken down, and he was obliged to be mustered out of the service, the
date of his discharge being September 21, 1864. He resumed the
accustomed duties of the farm as soon as he had sufficiently regained
his health, and from that time to the present be has given his time and
attention to the management of his homestead. In politics he is a
Republican, and fraternally he is an esteemed member of W. B. Fleming
Post, No. 316, G. A. R.
The marriage of Benjamin F. Crow and Miss Armilda Lee, a daughter of
Peter Lee, was celebrated May 10, 1866. They have one daughter, Mary
J., who is now the wife of M. W. Leming, of. Denver, Colorado. Mr. and
Mrs. Crow are held in high respect and honor by all who know them, and
their friends are seemingly legion.
WILLIAM CROW
The pioneers of Warren county are rapidly passing
off the stage of
action, only a few of the early settlers remaining, and one of the most
widely known and thoroughly esteemed of these is William Crow, of
Liberty township. He is considered an authority on the early history of
this section of the state, and has witnessed almost its entire
development, coming here, as he did, in 1830, more than two thirds of a
century ago.
The paternal great grandfather of our subject, one
Joel Crow
(originally spelled Crowe), a native of England, was the founder of the
family in the United States, long prior to the war of the Revolution,
their home being on the James river, in Virginia, for some generations.
Benjamin Crow, the father of our subject, was born on Christmas day,
1790, in Frankfort, Ken- tucky. He married Susanna Sullivan, a native
of Virginia, and it is related that she, when an infant, was placed in
a basket and thus carried by her parents in their journey on horseback
through the almost trackless forests, when they emigrated to Kentucky.
Her ancestors came to this country from Wales, and one of her
grandfathers, a man by the name of Buckner, with his son, served under
Washington in the Revolutionary war.
Born in Lincoln county, Kentucky, January 12, 1816,
William Crow the
third in order of birth of fourteen children, is now the only survivor
of this once large and happy family. He was but four years of age when
the family removed to Bartholomew county, Indiana, and on February 4,
1830, they arrived in Warren county. The father bought land in what is
now Liberty township, and cleared and improved a good farm. The wife
and mother died in 1845, and subsequently the father returned to
Kentucky, the home of his childhood, with the intention of passing the
remainder of his life there. When the war of the Rebellion came on, he
was so openly pronounced in his views on the subject and so strongly
opposed to secession, that his son William, fearing that the venerable
man's life was jeopardized, went to see him, and finally persuaded him
to return to Indiana, and here he continued to dwell until his death,
in 1872. His eldest son, John, died in Polk county, Iowa, at the age of
seventy five years; Mary Ann, one of the six daughters, lived to be
four-score; James died at fifty two; Jane died when about thirty, and
the others, save our subject, departed this life in early childhood.
As he was a youth of fourteen summers when the
family located in Warren
county, William Crow remembers the appearance of this region well as it
was nearly seventy years ago. Once, while sitting on
the porch of his father's cabin, in the spring of 1832, he counted
forty six deer as the herd leisurely passed into the edge of the forest
near by. He was not a hunter, and took no pleasure in
the idea of depriving of their life and liberty these beautiful
denizens of the forest. December 13, 1834, was the
date of the marriage of William Crow to Martha Young, whose birth had
taken place February 14, 1818. Her parents were
Matthew and Sarah Young. Her stepfather,
William Warbritton, and her mother were also pioneers of this county,
they having come here from Spencer county, Indiana, in
1830. Mrs. Crow was summoned to the home beyond on
March 14, 1866. Five of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Crow are living,
namely: Walter H.; Clarissa Jane, wife of John Swisber; Benjamin
Franklin;
Winfield Scott and Horace Greeley. Several of the
number are residents of this immediate locality, and Winfield Scott is
a distinguished minister in the Universalist church, of New York city.
Three of the sons of Mr. Crow fought for their country in the Union
army during the war of the Rebellion, Walter H., William Harrison and
Benjamin F. William H., a member of the Eighty sixth Indiana Volunteer
Infantry, died at Louisville, Kentucky, while in the service, in June,
1863. The war record of the other sons is to be found elsewhere in this
work. Three sons died in infancy, and Mary, Matilda and Abraham Lincoln
are likewise deceased.
When they began housekeeping the personal effects of
Mr. and Mrs. Crow
did not amount to more than one hundred dollars' worth of goods, but by
industry and economy they amassed a comfortable fortune and reared
their children well. Many years ago Mr. Crow was numbered among the
well-to-do farmers of this county, and is still classed as such, as he
owns over thirteen hundred acres of valuable and finely improved land,
and other property.
In his political faith Mr. Crow was a Republican for
many years, but is
now independent, exercising his franchise as he deems best under
prevailing conditions at the time of elections. He has attained the
thirty second degree in Masonry, holding that exalted rank for a number
of years past. Religiously, he is a Universalist. For a number of years
Mr. Crow has served as one of the commissioners of this county, and as
an appraiser of real estate, etc. A pleasant experience in Mr. Crow's
life, in late years, was an extended trip through the west, which he
made in company with five old friends and neighbors, dubbed the
"Pilgrims," by common consent. This memorable journey was made in the
autumn of 1891, and the route was as follows: To Chicago, thence to
Saint Paul, and over the Northern Pacific Railroad to the National
park, thence to Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, and back on the Southern
Pacific Railway. The trip consumed seventy three days, and frequent
stops were made at points of interest along the lines of their route.
Every one of. the little party, all of whom were pioneers of Warren
county (with the exception of Isaiah Houpt), thoroughly enjoyed the
excursion, and according to agreement they were to continue to meet on
the anniversary of the day on which they started out from home for the
west, as long as any two of them were living. W. F. Evans and Mr. Houpt
have both since passed away, each meeting a violent death, and now
those who commemorate the pleasant pilgrimage of seven years ago
are John Pugh, Rufus Prible, George Crawford and Mr. Crow. The years
will not be many ere all shall have started forth on a journey to a "
better country," where they hope to meet again in renewed friendship.
As an interesting matter of early American history,
it is worthy of
record here that the old Indian trail from Detroit, Michigan, to
Vincennes, Indiana, which was traveled so often by the bloodthirsty
savages under Pontiac, the celebrated Indian leader, ran through the
present home farm of Mr. Crow, passing about twenty rods west of his
residence and along the edge of the beautiful grove for so many years
bearing the name of "Crow's grove." It was along this Pontiac
trail that General Harrison marched his army in that eventful campaign
against the Indians which culminated in the battle of Tippecanoe. The
oldest child of William Crow's grandfather, John Crow, also named John,
was one of the gallant band that accompanied General Harrison in this
momentous enterprise. Traces of this old trail are yet to be seen.
WALTER H. CROW
To many a man the loss of his sight would be
esteemed a calamity more
unendurable than death; and it is in the same reverential spirit that
one feels when reading the line, "He gave his life for his country,"
that the patriot says of Walter H. Crow, "He sacrificed his eyes for
his country." Notwithstanding the fact that for thirty two years and
more he has been totally blind, from the effects of his army service,
Mr. Crow's life has been, on the -whole, a successful and happy one,
and his genial, hospitable manner, and broad mind and generous
disposition have won him the respect and genuine -esteem of a large
circle of friends and acquaintances.
A son of the well known pioneer, William Crow (whose
sketch appears
elsewhere in this work), our subject was born in Liberty township,
Warren county, December 27, 1835, and grew to manhood on the old home
place. April 20, 1861, he enlisted in Company B, Tenth Regiment of
Indiana Volunteer Infantry, one of the first to spring to arms after
the first shot had been fired signifying secession and rebellion. He
served more than the three months of his enlistment, and in September
of the same year was ready to offer himself for three years more.
Enlisting in Company K, Thirty third Indiana Infantry, he was sent to
Kentucky and took part in the battles of Wild Cat and Richmond; then
assisted in the capture of Cumberland Gap, and was active in nearly all
the important military operations in Kentucky. Next be participated in
the battles of Springfield, Tennessee, Resaca, Dallas Woods, New Hope
Church, Cassville, Kenesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, and capture of
Atlanta. Though he was eighty five successive days under fire in this
campaign, and passed through many other battles and encounters with the
enemy, he was never severely wounded, but was struck with bullets
several times and had numerous narrow escapes. In November, 1861, at
London, Kentucky, Mr. Crow had an attack of the measles, and while he
recovered sufficiently to stand at his post of duty until the
termination of his enlistment, he never entirely regained his health,
and his eyes were seriously affected. For two or three years he could
see, more or less imperfectly, and in November, 1866, the light of day
was for ever blotted from his sight. He was honorably discharged from
the service September 30, 1864, when he bad completed his full term of
enlistment. He returned to his native county, and has passed his life
here. He was a student in the common schools in his boyhood, and taught
for three winter terms prior to his army service. He possesses more
than ordinary ability and mental attainments, and is well informed on
all subjects of general interest. In politics he is a "true blue"
Republican, and fraternally he is a member of W. B. Fleming Post, No.
316, Grand Army of the Republic.
In March, 1873, Mr. Crow married Miss Martha K.
Long, daughter of John
Long, of Williamsport, Indiana. Six children were born to them:
Benjamin, who died when about a year old; Lulu, who is the wife of
Orlanda Spellman, of Danville, Illinois; Thaddeus S.; Walter Scott;
William T. and Russell L. Thaddeus and Walter S. enlisted in the late
Spanish American war, in Company G, One Hundred Fifty eighth Regiment
of Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and were in the service for about six
months. Orlando Spellman, the son-in-law, above mentioned, also offered
his services in this war for humanity, and, as a member of Battery A,
of Illinois, went to Porto Rico and took part in that memorable
campaign. The devoted wife and mother, Mrs. Martha Crow, was summoned
to her final rest August 24, 1892. Her loss is deeply felt in the
bereaved household of our subject and and in the community as well.
SAMUEL
C. HANSON
Samuel C. Hanson, city
superintendent
of the public schools of Williamsport, Warren county, Indiana, and the
author of a series of popular school music books, was born at Pana,
Illinois, January 12, 1850. His parents were John and Alcinda
(Cox) Hanson. In 1857 the family removed to Decatur,
Texas, and engaged in farming and stock raising. It was soon after this
that the feeling of hatred that existed on the part of the people of
the slave holding states for men from the north culminated in war. Mr.
Hanson, being one who freely expressed his sentiments, which were, of
course, on the side of the Union, was compelled for the safety of
himself and family to leave the country, and he returned to his former
home in Illinois, where his death occurred April 14, 1898. The wife and
mother passed away thirty seven hours before the death of her husband,
and the remains of husband and wife, father and mother, were consigned
to the same tomb.
Professor Hanson is one of a
family
of six members, all of whom are living. He received his primary
education in the public schools, and graduated at the Westfield
College in 1874, and later was for some time a student of the Miami
Conservatory of Music, where he made a specialty of vocal culture and
harmony. He has since had a wide experience as teacher and has won an
enviable reputation in educational circles. He taught for some time at
Green Hill Seminary in Warren county, and was for four years
principal of Edwards Academy, at Greenville, Greene county,
Tennessee. He has been connected with the schools of Williamsport as
superintendent since 1885. He organized the first regular high school
at this place, the course being one of three years. This high school
was recognized by the state board in 1888, and that year graduated its
first class, which numbered four members. The number of graduates to
date is fifty three. In 1898 there were no graduates, as a year had
been added to the course of instruction, making it four years in
length. About one half of the graduates of the high school have entered
a college or university and a number have graduated there. The schools
of the city are conducted in one large central building and employ
eight teachers. Under the superintendency of Professor Hanson the
schools of Williamsport have reached a high degree of efficiency and
are numbered with the best in the state.
Professor Hanson is the
author of a
number of school music books, which have attained a wide popularity..
Among them may be mentioned "Merry Melodies," "Silvery Notes," "Merry
Songs," "Primary and Calisthenics Songs," "Golden Glees," and "Living
Gems" for Sunday schools. For a number of years the Professor has been
employed by county superintendents in different parts of the country,
during his summer vacations, to give vocal instruction at teachers
institutes. This has given him a wide reputation as an instructor in
vocal music, and his books on this subject are everywhere esteemed for
their excellence. In educational and musical fields Professor Hanson
has accomplished and is doing a great work. He is thoroughly absorbed
in his labors, is a gentleman of attractive appearance, courtly
manners and winning personal magnetism. His culture and sensitiveness
to high artistic influences have caused him to become a power in an
extended circle of the best minds of the state.
In 1876 Professor Hanson
married Miss
Nannie E. Edmondson, a native of Indiana, and five sons and a daughter
have been born to them, viz.: A. Wayne, Whittier L., Lillian G., Robert
E., John C. and Samuel C
BENJAMIN
FRANKLIN GREGORY
Benjamin Franklin Gregory, deceased,
for many years an esteemed resident of Williamsport, Indiana, was
born in Lawrence county, Indiana, in 1816, the third son of James and
Elizabeth Gregory. He was educated at Wabash College, studied law and
was admitted to the bar in 1836, two years after which he became a
resident of Williamsport. Here he soon took high rank both as a lawyer
and citizen and he figured prominently in public affairs, his influence
reaching far beyond the bounds of his own town and county. An earnest
and devoted Christian and at one time an exhorted in the Methodist
Episcopal church, he taught both by example and precept. He was elected
treasurer of Warren county in 1852 and two years later was re-elected.
In 1862 he was honored with a seat in the lower branch of the state
legislature, was in 1864 elected to succeed himself; and during the
four years he represented his constituency in the legislative halls he
performed his duty with fidelity and to the entire satisfaction of all
concerned. In 1872 he was chosen presidential elector for his
congressional district and to him was delegated the honor of carrying
the vote of his state to Washington.
Mr.
Gregory was
married March 31,
1839, to Miss Hannah E. Heffley, who bore him three sons, the eldest of
whom died in infancy. The youngest, Benjamin R. Gregory, born in
1848, died in 1896. Benjamin F. Gregory, the father, died at his
residence in Williamsport, March 7, 1874, after an illness of three
months. His widow, now advanced in years, resides with her son in
Williamsport.
John
Gregory, the
second of the sons
and the only survivor, was born at Williamsport, January 19, 1844. He
read law with his father and was admitted to the bar, after which he
was associated with his father in practice for a number of
years. At the general election in 1880 he was elected
to the general assembly as joint representative for the counties of
Benton and Warren, and served one term. In February, 1870, he engaged
in the newspaper business, purchasing the Warren Republican, which be
still owns and publishes.
Mr. Gregory's wife was
formerly Lila
Florence Chandler. Her father, Robert A. Chandler, was a pioneer of
Warren county, who came here from New Jersey, and died in 1861. She was
born in Williamsport, October 3, 1844. They have had eight children,
seven of whom, two sons and five daughters, are living.
HON. JAMES McCABE
Whether considered
officially,
politically or socially, Judge James McCabe, of Williamsport, Warren
county, is a strong personality, a man who would command attention and
respect wherever he went and in any company, however distinguished. As
a member of the supreme court bench in Indiana he won the highest
esteem of his associates and peers and made a record which has been
rarely surpassed, and his name will long be honored as that of one who
assisted materially in elevating the bench and bar of the state to its
present exalted standard.
Armstrong McCabe, the paternal grandfather of our
subject, was one of
the first settlers of Vigo county, Indiana, and lived there until his
death. His son, James B., father of the Judge, was born in that county,
but removed to Darke county, Ohio, in his early manhood, living there
but a few years, however. He then returned to this state, and, after
passing some years in Kosciusko county, came to Warren county, about
1848. Later he went to Kansas, where he died in 1894. The wife and
mother, whose maiden name was Jane Lee, died many years previously. Of
her five sons one died in boyhood and the others are still living.
The birth of Judge McCabe occurred in Darke county,
Ohio, in 1844, but
he was still an infant when his parents resumed their residence in
Indiana, and with its welfare he has always been associated. After he
had completed his public school education he took up the study of law
with his accustomed energy and application, and after he was admitted
to the bar, in 1862, entered at once upon a practice which has grown
steadily in importance and volume. The records of the supreme court
show that up to the time of his election to the supreme bench of
Indiana he had been interested in more cases which had been pleaded
before that august tribunal than any other supreme judge of this state.
He is particularly well versed in all constitutional and statutory
questions, and his opinion is deferred to in disputed points, where the
meaning of the law is susceptible of more than one construction.
In the ranks of the Democratic party Judge McCabe has long been an
important factor, and his counsels are often officially asked for, and
when received are accorded that respect which they deserve, for unusual
sagacity, foresight and judgment are certain to be embodied in the
opinions of this gentleman. That he is a valued member of the
Democratic party in his home state was manifested clearly in 1896, when
he was appointed as a delegate from the state at large to the national
convention in Chicago. There he was Indiana's representative on the
committee on resolutions which framed the declaration of principles
upon which Bryan made his memorable campaign. Thoroughly posted, as he
is, upon the past and present history of the party, and being an easy,
forceful speaker, the Judge often gives addresses in this line to
audiences who are carried by storm and follow his arguments with
wonderful enthusiasm.
In 1864 the Judge married Serena Van Cleve, of
Crawfordsville, Indiana,
and to them were born two sons and a daughter. The sons, Edwin F. and
Charles H., are energetic and successful young lawyers, and the
daughter is Mrs. "Ella N. Givin, of Indianapolis.
ABNER GOODWINE
The
annals of
Warren county would be incomplete were the name and record of Abner
Goodwine omitted, for any reason, as he has resided within the county
boundaries for the long period of seventy years, and few citizens of
Gordon township are better known or more sincerely esteemed. He has
witnessed almost its whole development from an unbroken wilderness to a
well cultivated farming area, dotted with happy, prosperous homes and
thriving villages. Forty years ago he cast his first presidential
ballot, Zachary Taylor being his choice, and from that time to the
present he has voted at every presidential election. Espousing the
Republican party principles, when his old Whig party was supplanted, he
has voted for every candidate from Fremont to McKinley.
Abner Goodwine, the only child of the respected old
pioneer, James Goodwine (whose history is printed on another page of
this work) and his second wife, Mrs. Sarah (Shumaker) Logan Goodwine,
was born in Bartholomew county, Indiana, July 10, 1826. Mrs.
Goodwine was a native of Virginia and thence removed to Kentucky with
her parents. When she arrived at womanhood she married William Logan
and they became residents of Jackson county, Indiana, the husband dying
there a few years afterward.
When he was about eighteen months old Abner Good
wine was brought to Warren county by his parents and here he has since
remained. Since 1850 he has been a land-owner and resident of Jordan
township. Commencing with but small means, he gradually accumulated
property and a bank account, and at one time he owned thirty eight
hundred acres of land in this county. He has been very liberal with his
children, and still has in his possession about eighteen hundred acres
of fine farm land. His home is a very attractive one, the building is
of brick, and there are few better farm residences in the county.
The marriage of Abner Goodwine and Barbara J.,
daughter of George Pence, a pioneer of this county, was celebrated
October 30, 1851. They have ten living children, namely: Mrs. Mary C.
Hemmelright, Newton C, Sarah E., Olive, Frank S., Clara Virginia, Nora
and Cora (twins), Leola and Harry M., and two children, George and
Belle, are deceased.
Indiana was still a "territory " when the Goodwine
family came to dwell within its borders, in 1815, their former home
having been in Kentucky; and during the long years that have intervened
they have been ably represented, in every generation, in the upbuilding
and development of the state. After some years spent in Jackson, then
Bartholomew, county, they became residents of Warren county, in 1828,
and on account of the active part which was taken by them in the early
establishment of the laws, good government, churches, schools and other
institutions which benefit a community, they are justly entitled to
representation in the annals of the county.
A son of James Goodwine, whose biography appears
upon another page of this work, William H. Goodwine, of West Lebanon,
Warren county, was born in a log cabin, containing but a single room,
May 5, 1838. This humble yet happy abode was situated on the homestead
owned by his father, in Pike township, Warren county, and here the lad
grew to manhood. April 21, 1861, he enlisted for three months' service
in the Tenth Regiment of Indiana Volunteers, was sent to West Virginia
and took part in some of the important campaigns of the first year of
the civil war, including the battle of Rich mountain. Two brothers of
the young man also M donned the blue " and went to the defense of the
old flag. John Q. enlisted in the Thirty third Indiana Infantry soon
after William H. returned home, and Frank became a member of the same
company and regiment a little later. At the expiration of their terms
of enlistment they both re-enlisted and both had the misfortune to be
captured and sent to Libby prison. John Q., after participating in
Sherman's march to the sea, to Savannah, Georgia, accidentally cut his
knee, from which his death soon occurred.
The marriage of W. H. Goodwine and Miss M. E.
Johnston was solemnized in 1863. Mrs. Goodwine died February 26, 1881,
and left one son, Frank, who is now a hardware merchant at West
Lebanon, a member of the firm of Goodwine & Miller. The present
wife of our subject was formerly Miss Dora B. Johnston, she being a
cousin of the first Mrs. Goodwine. By this marriage there is also one
son, William H., Jr.
For many years William H. Goodwine has occupied and
managed the old homestead, his birthplace, in Pike township, which
property he still owns and oversees, while for several years he has
made his home in West Lebanon, where he has important business
interests. One of the large stockholders in the Farmers' Bank of West
Lebanon, an active advocate of all public enterprises and improvements;
a Mason of the thirty second degree; a liberal supporter of the
Presbyterian church and of other religious and benevolent institutions,
it may be seen that the position he holds in the community is one of
importance and esteem. Although he has never been a politician in the
ordinary sense, and has never sought official preferment, he has ever
been zealous and interested in the welfare of the Republican party, and
in 1888 was honored by being the choice of his friends as their
representative in the Indiana state legislature. He served in that
distinguished body with credit to himself and constituency.
ELISHA RODGERS
The pride and strength of any country, its mainstay
and support, is the farmer, whose toil produces food for the masses and
without whose labors poverty and ruin would soon come to the nation.
The hardy frontiersman of America had much greater tasks before him
than the mere tilling of the soil; he had forests to raze, rivers to
bridge, roads to make, privations and hardships innumerable to endure,
trials and dangers at which the bravest heart might well quail; yet
rarely did he falter in the grand and noble work, —none the less noble
because self imposed, the work which meant civilization, progress and
prosperity in regions hitherto uninhabited save by the red men and wild
beasts. In the mighty work of rendering the great state of Indiana a
fitting place for mankind Elisha Rodgers has certainly done his share,
and no one is more deserving of praise.
This pioneer of Warren county was born at East Haddam, Connecticut,
April 14, 1812, his parents being Allen and Sarah A. (Warner) Rodgers,
the latter of Irish ancestry. When our subject was a child his parents
removed to New Hampshire, thence went to Hamilton county, Ohio, and in
1825 settled in Vermilion county. Indiana. Many years later, the father
went to Benton county, Iowa, and finally died at his home near Newton.
The mother returned to Indiana, and made her home with her son Elisha
until her death. He was the eldest of seven children, five sons and two
daughters, and is now the only survivor.
From 1825 until 1836 Elisha Rodgers remained in
Vermilion county, but for the past sixty three years he has made his
home in Mound township. Warren county. His present farm is partly
situated on the site of the old town of Baltimore, where for about six
years he was a merchant and postmaster. This is one of the '¦
deserted villages " so common in some parts of this country, but rarely
seen in the thrifty western or central states. Years ago he was a man
of recognized ability and influence in the public affairs of this
community, and held various township offices. He was commissioner of
Warren county for six years and was a justice of the peace for a long
period. While serving in the latter capacity he married many a couple
well known in the history of this section, among others, Aaron Y.
Taylor and wife, the former of whom was about his own age. At his own
expense Mr. Rodgers built a school-house in the early days, and
afterward taught two terms in the structure. Eight times he took
flat-boats down the rivers to New Orleans, where a good market for
northern farm products was always to be found. His first and last vote
for a Democrat was cast in favor of General Jackson, for the
presidency, and since the organization of the Republican party he has
been one of its staunchest supporters on national issues.
Though now well along in years, he is in the
complete possession of his faculties, and recalls vividly many a scene
and stirring occurrence of the youthful days of Indiana.
The first marriage of Mr. Rodgers took place September 3, 1840, the
lady of his choice being Miss Julia Evans, who died June 8, 1849. She
left one daughter, Melissa, now the wife of Hugh S. Ritchey, of
Covington. September 1, 1850, Mr. Rodgers married Mary Ann, daughter of
Peter and Elizabeth (Hering) Moudy. She was born in Butler county,
Ohio, and accompanied her parents to Vermilion county when she was
about six years old. To our estimable subject and wife eleven children
were born, of whom six are now living, namely: Sarah Jane, wife of
David Talbot, of Vermilion county; Emily, widow of Mark V. Kenney, and
now living with her parents; Martha Washington, wife of Frank M. Riley,
a prominent citizen of Oklahoma; Abraham Lincoln, a resident of
Covington; Rose Ann, wife of Jacob Rouse; and Peter M., who lives in
Mound township. George Washington and John C. Fremont were the sons who
died, and twin girls died in infancy. Without exception the children of
our subject have enjoyed the respect and esteem of all with whom their
lot has been cast, and in all their dealings their course has been
marked with the same justice, uprightness and fairness which have ever
characterized his actions.
PHILIP GEMMER
Major Philip Gemmer, of Williamsport, Indiana,
manager for the Warren County Lumber Company, ex-treasurer of Warren
county, and a veteran Union soldier in the war of the Rebellion, was
born in Nassau, Germany, near Frankfort-on-the-Rhine, November 8, 1832.
His father was Justus Gemmer and his mother's maiden name was Elizabeth
Beck. The latter died when her son Philip was a child, and subsequently
the father married Gratia Kincel. In 1849 the family emigrated to
America and settled in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, and later took up their
abode in Wabash county, Indiana, where the parents resided the rest of
their lives. Philip was the first of the four sons born of the first
marriage. The second, Peter, is a resident of Marion, Indiana.
Frederick served in the Union army in the war of the Rebellion as a
member of a Missouri regiment, and is now deceased. Henry, the youngest
of the four brothers, is a resident of Wabash county There were also
four children by the second wife.
Philip Gemmer learned the trade of carpenter, and
was engaged in that occupation previous to the war of the Rebellion, in
Wabash county; also in Lafayette and West Lebanon. From the last named
place he went to Marshfield, Indiana. This was just on the eve of the
civil war. He resolved to enter the army in defense of his adopted
country. Accordingly, in April, 1861, he enlisted in Company B, Tenth
Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in response to President
Lincoln's call for " three hundred thousand more." He was a participant
in some of the most important events of the early part of the war,
including the well known battle of Rich mountain. Soon after the
expiration of his term of enlistment, three months, on August 4, 1862,
he again entered the service of his country, this time for three years
or during the war. He now entered the Eighty sixth Regiment, Indiana
Volunteer Infantry, and on the organization of Company E was made its
first lieutenant. He was soon after promoted to the captaincy of his
company, and just before the army entered on the famous Atlanta
campaign he was made major of his regiment.
Major Gemmer participated in some of the most important campaigns
and battles of the war. Among the famous battles in which he took part,
as a member of the Army of the Cumberland, were Stone river,
Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and all of those connected with the
campaign and siege of Atlanta. When General Sherman set out on his
famous " march to the sea," the command to which Major Gemmer belonged
remained to re-enforce General Thomas, and participated in the battle
of Nashville and in the pursuit and destruction of Bragg's army. Though
Major Gemmer took part in so large a number of severe battles and had
many narrow escapes, he was never hit by the bullets of the enemy.
After his return from the army, Major Gemmer was for
two years engaged in the grocery trade at Marsh field. In 1867 he came
to Williamsport. Near this city, in Washington township, he purchased a
farm which he operated for many years. In 1878 he was elected treasurer
of Warren county, and re-elected two years later, serving four years.
His first wife was Miss Maggie Moore, who bore him one son, Fred L.
Gemmer, who is the present manager of the Boston dry goods store at
Williamsport. His second wife was Miss Lydia E. Smith, who bore him a
son and a daughter. The former, William H. Gemmer, is a graduate of
Purdue University and is the present surveyor of Warren county. The
daughter, Lydia E., is a graduate of the Indiana State Normal School at
Terre Haute, and is a successful teacher in the public schools of
Williamsport. Major Gemmer's present wife was formerly Miss Minerva E.
Flemming. A son, George A., has blessed this union. He is now a student
at Purdue University, being a member of the class of 1899.
Major Gemmer belongs to the Masonic fraternity and
to the Union Veterans' Union, an order to which only those who have
seen actual military service are entitled to membership. He has been
the competent manager of the Warren County Lumber Company since the
spring of 1891. Major Gemmer is a gentleman who is held in high esteem
by all who have the pleasure of his acquaintance. He was a gallant and
faithful soldier in the war for the preservation of the Union and has
ever been a most loyal and respected citizen. In his
political affiliations he is an ardent Republican.
J. H. LETCHER
J. H. Letcher, of Williamsport, Warren county,
Indiana, is the editor and publisher of the Warren Review, which was
established on January I, 1890, by Thomas A. Clifton and Charles H.
Morrison. In August, 1892, it passed into the full control of Mr.
Clifton, and in April, 1897, it was purchased by its present owner.
Mr. Letcher is a native of Cuyahoga county, Ohio, where he was born in
1850. He removed when a child to Lenawee county, Michigan, where he was
reared on a farm. Returning to Ohio, he served an apprenticeship to the
trade of printer in the office of the Bryan (Ohio) Press, after which
he went west and for five years was engaged in the publication of
newspapers in Minnesota and South Dakota. Following his western
experience, he went back to Bryan, Ohio, and purchased a half interest
in the Press, with which he was connected seven years. At the end of
this time he sold his interest in that paper and bought a job printing
office in Lafayette, Indiana, and from that place came, in the spring
of 1897, to Williamsport.
Mr. Letcher is a practical, wide awake newspaper
man, and, while the Review was an eminent success under its former
management, he has largely increased its circulation and influence. He
believes in making the best news paper possible and takes a commendable
pride in the success of his efforts. The large circulation of the
Review in Warren and adjoining counties, and the liberal advertising
patronage that the paper receives, prove that his efforts are
appreciated. The Review is and always has been Republican in politics.
Jesse Tomlinson
Jesse Tomlinson. One of the first pioneers of Warren
County was Jesse Tomlinson, a son of Joseph and Mary Tomlinson. He
settled here in 1826, and bravely encountered all the difficulties,
dangers and privations common to frontier life, and after more than a
quarter of a century's struggle with his environments closed his eyes
in death March 31, 1853. He was one of the forerunners of civilization,
one of those hardy, courageous souls who were among the founders of
this commonwealth, and to whose labors and confidence in the final
outcome of the county and state is due much of the credit of their
later prosperity.
A native of Cumberland County, Maryland, born August
9, 1795, Jesse Tomlinson did not remember his father, who died when the
lad was a young child. His mother afterward became the wife of a Mr.
Dean, and one son, Francis D., was born to that union. Jesse Tomlinson
had one own brother, William, who died in Ohio, about 1824, leaving a
widow and two children. When Jesse was six years old he and his brother
William were taken to Chillicothe, Ohio, and were reared in the home of
a maternal aunt. The half brother, Francis Dean, died many years ago
and left a family to mourn his loss.
In his early manhood our subject learned the trade
of brick mason, and worked at that calling, at intervals, for several
years. December 24, 1818, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary
McFarland, who was born May 5, 1799, in Chillicothe, Ohio. The year
following his marriage Mr. Tomlinson built the poor-house in the
vicinity of Chillicothe, and was busily employed on public and private
buildings in that section of the state until he removed to Indiana. As
previously stated, it was in 1826 that he came to Warren County, and
here he entered a quarter section of land in Steuben Township, also
buying an eighty acre tract from a Mr. Sisson. This was his home for
life and here he established the family cemetery, which is beautifully
situated near the old orchard. He willed this cemetery plat to himself
as a family burying ground, and here were tenderly laid to rest not
only himself but also the other deceased members of the family. He made
the journey hither on horseback, and was accompanied in his trip by
Thomas Johnson and Messrs. Woolverton, Boyer and Ridenour. The
following spring a considerable party came to take possession of
frontier homes here, among them being Mr. Tomlinson and his immediate
family, his mother-in-law, two brothers-in-law, two unmarried
sisters-in-law, John McFarland and William Slater. Our subject settled
on the land which he had previously entered, and with characteristic
energy he proceeded to clear and develop a farm. His nearest neighbor
for some time was five miles away, and when, after much difficulty, he
had managed to raise a crop, he was obliged to transport the grain to
Chicago in wagons, and there trade it for necessary provisions and
supplies, the journey being one of about a week's duration, as there
were as yet no roads and only irregular Indian trails. In 1839 he took
what pork and farm products he had to sell on a raft to New Orleans,
and there did such trading as he desired. In 1845 and 1846 he entered
some eighteen hundred acres of land in Vermilion County, and by that
time already possessed fifteen hundred acres of land in Steuben and
Kent Townships, Warren County. He certainly was an excellent
businessman and financier, and in all his enterprises he had the
earnest cooperation of his devoted wife. United in all their aims and
endeavors, death did not long separate this estimable couple, as Mrs.
Tomlinson died January 11, 1853, and in less than three months the
husband was placed to rest at her side in the quiet cemetery, both
dying of typhoid fever. At that time all but one of their eleven
children were left to mourn the loss of their loved parents. Only three
now survive, namely: Frances, who is unmarried; Mrs. Juliett Miller;
and Francis D., of Rossville, Illinois. The deceased children are John,
Mrs. Mary Jane Watkins, William, Mrs. Hester Kent, Zeruiah (who never
married), Jonathan, Mrs. Nancy Summers and Jesse, Jr.
Considering the fact that he never had more than
three months' schooling in his life, Jesse Tomlinson was a remarkably
well informed man. A great reader of such books as came into his
possession, he stored his mind with facts and fancies, and was
especially well versed in the Scriptures. Though a birth-right member
of the Society of Friends, he and his wife were consistent Methodists,
and were deeply interested in religious and educational affairs. Twice
did he contribute liberally to build Crawfordsville Seminary --- once
on its first erection, and again after it was burned. They were loved
and admired by all who knew them, and their noble lives left a lasting
impress for good upon the community in which they dwelt.
Bibliography of Jesse Tomlinson, Marshfield, Stuebon Township, Warren
County, Indiana.
Published in 1899 by Lewis Publishing Company
HODGIN, Mrs. Emily Caroline Chandler
HODGIN, Mrs. Emily
Caroline Chandler, temperance reformer, born in Williamsport, Ind.,
12th April, 1838. Her father, Hon. Robert A. Chandler, who was of
German descent, emigrated from New York to western Indiana while it was
yet a wilderness. Mr. Chandler was a self-made man, a scholarly lawyer.
He accumulated a competence and reared a large family. The mother was a
member of the Dodd family, of Orange, N. J., and was a cultured
Christian lady. Mrs. Hodgin had the advantage of the best schools of
Willlamsport and her father's large library. Accepting her father's
doctrine that every one should learn to be self-supporting, she early
taught school, and paid her own way through the Illinois Normal
University, graduating in 1867, making a record as a strong student,
especially in mathematics. After graduating she became the wife of her
classmate, Cyrus W. Hodgin, and settled in Richmond, Ind. There two
years later, a daughter, her only child, was born. In 1872 she removed
to Terre Haute, where for many years her husband was a teacher in the
State Normal School. It was there Mrs. Hodgin entered the field of work
that has since chiefly occupied her time and best thought . She was one
of the leaders in the temperance crusade in the city, and was a
delegate to the convention in Cleveland, Ohio, where the crusading
spirit was crystallized by the organization of the Woman's Christian
Temperance Union. After that she began the work of organizing the
forces in neighboring parts of the State. In 1878 the strain upon her
strength induced nervous exhaustion, from which she found relief by a
six-months retirement in the sanitarium in Dansville, N. Y. In 1883 she
returned to Richmond, and has since been devoting much of her time to
furthering the work of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. She is
president of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union in her own county,
is secretary of the State Suffrage Association, and is one of the
trustees of the Hadley Industrial Home for the education of poor girls.
In addition to these lines of work, she received in 1886 the Chautauqua
diploma for a four-years course of study, and recently completed a
course of biblical and theological study in Earlham College. She is a
member of the Society of Friends and avails herself of the freedom
accorded to the women of that church to "speak in meeting."
(Source: American Women,
by Frances Elizabeth Willard, Mary Ashton Rice Livermore, Vol 1, 1897.
Transcribed by Marla Snow)
