Allen County, Indiana - The whole text, 1905 (part 4 of 12)

Jessese. Wiletamns

The subject of this sketch was one of the strong and notable men of his day and generation, having been for many years closely identified with a number of the principal public works in Indiana and Ohio and was in a large measure instrumental in advancing to completion several of the largest railroads in the country. Mr. Williams was born in Stokes county, North Carolina, on May 6, 1807, and was the son of Jesse and Sarah T. Williams, who were members of the society of Friends. About the year 1814 he accompanied his parents on their removal to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he obtained such an education as was possible. Financial losses sustained by the father prevented the son from obtaining such an education as he had desired. However, he was able to attend the Lancasterian Seminary in Cincinnati and afterwards attended school as he could at other places of residence. He early decided to take up the profession of civil engineering and every effort was bent to the end that he might become proficient in this profession, he studiously investigating every branch of knowledge which seemed to have a relation to that line. He was thus largely self-educated, but his mastery of his subjects was complete and at the age of seventeen years he became a member of a corps of engineers who were detailed to make the first survey of the Miami and Erie Canal from Cincinnati to the Maumee bay. Mr. Williams continued to serve in the final location and construction of this canal and had charge, as assistant, of the heavy and difficult division near Cincinnati. On account of the sickness of the principal engineer during the latter half of 1827, Mr. Williams was compelled to temporarily take charge of the whole work between Cincinnati and Dayton. In 1828 he was appointed to take charge of the final location of the canal from Licking Summit to Chillicothe, including the Columbus side-cut, and afterward supervised the con- struction of the division between Circleville and a point south of Chillicothe, this work including the dam and aqueduct across the Scioto river. When twenty-three years old Mr. Williams was appointed on the board of engineers to decide upon the method of supplying with water the summit level of the canal, their decision being in favor of reservoirs. Early in 1832 Mr. Williams took charge, as chief engineer, of the location and construction of the Wabash and Erie Canal, and in 1834 he was appointed to survey the White Water valley for the purpose of determining the practicability of constructing a canal through that valley to Lawrenceburg, on the Ohio. The several surveys of new canals in Indiana, ordered by the legislature in 1835, were placed under his general supervision, and throughout that year his duties were exceedingly laborious. In 1836, on the passage of the law authorizing a general system of internal improvement, Mr. Williams was appointed chief engineer of all the canals in the state, including the Wabash and Erie Canal, and thus at this period he had under his personal charge canal routes amounting to about eight hundred miles, and in 1837 he was also given charge of railroads and turnpikes. Afterwards, when the appointing power was changed, he was elected by the legislature to the same positions, continuing therein until 1841, when the prosecution of public works, except the Wabash and Erie Canal, was entirely suspended. After March, 1840, Mr. Williams, in addition to his duties as state engineer, became, by appointment of the legislature, ex officio a member of the board of internal improvement and acting commissioner of the Indiana division of the Wabash and Erie Canal, in which capacities he served about two years, having charge also of the selections, management and sales of the canal lands. The financial revulsion of 1840 prostrated the state credit and checked the progress of public works, and from 1842 to 1847 Mr. Williams was occupied in mercantile and manufacturing pursuits in Fort Wayne, the place of his residence. He was offered the presidency of the Madison & Indianapolis Railroad, then about to be completed, the offices of president and chief engineer being united in one. In 1847 the Wabash and Erie Canal, with its lands, passed into the hands of a board of trustees, the law creating this trust also providing for the appointment of "a chief engineer of known and established char- acter for experience and integrity,' to which responsible position the subject was appointed in June of that year, holding the position for many years and performing the duties with signal ability and sound judgment. In February, 1854, Mr. Williams was appointed chief engineer of the Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad, which position he held up to the time of the consolidation with the Ohio & Pennsylvania Railroad and the Ohio & Indiana Railroad in 1856, and from that time forward he was a director of the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad. In July, 1864, Mr. Williams was appointed by President Lincoln a director of the Union Pacific Railroad on the part of the government, and was reappointed each succeeding year until the work was completed in 1869, receiving commissions from three successive Presidents. As a member of the standing committee on location and construction, the important engineering questions connected with this work came within his sphere of duty and called into exercise the professional experience which forty years of public service enabled him to wield. On the 13th of June, 1868, Mr. Williams was instructed by the secretary of the interior "to examine and report specifically as to the condition of the Union Pacific Railroad, where it has been constructed or surveyed." From his report to the secretary, August 15, 1868, it will be seen that this duty was performed, and it is worthy of note that the secretary of the interior, in his annual report to the President of the United States, of November 30, 1868, referring to this specific examination, said: "Mr. Williams is an experienced civil engineer and performed the duty committed to him in a very satisfactory manner. His report presented such statements that I deem it my imperative duty to invite your attention to the leading facts he communicated." Subsequently, as a result of this report the President appointed a second commission, consisting of three experienced engineers, one of which was Mr. Williams. The latter fully appreciated the high honor of this appointment, but was nevertheless constrained by other duties to decline. The remaining two engineers, however, confirmed in every respect his former report. On the 19th of January, 1869, Mr. Williams was appointed receiver of the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad by the United States court, which ordered him to borrow money by pledge of the railroad land and to build the road as required by law. In addition to the duties belonging to a financial trust like this, he had also professional charge as directing engineer of the work. These several duties were found to be so exacting that, in October, 1869, he resigned his position as government director of the Union Pacific Railroad. During the remaining years of his life, Mr. Williams maintained his active interest in everything that tended to the development and progress of his country, especially the section in which he lived. His absolute integrity, under all circumstances, was never questioned, while his natural and acquired ability was recognized by every one competent to judge. A thorough gentleman of the old school, courteous to every one who addressed him, and an excellent conversationalist, he enjoyed a very extensive acquaintance, and made friends of all who came into contact with him.

Walpole G. Colerick

An enumeration of those men of the present generation in Allen , county who have won honor and public recognition for themselves and at the same time have honored the state to which they belong, must needs include Hon. Walpole G. Colerick, of Fort Wayne, eminent as a lawyer and citizen, and one who ably represented his district in the halls of the national congress. He has been and is distinctively a man of affairs and one who has wielded marked influence in his profession and in the broad domain of public life, while his technical and academic scholarship is of high order and his dignity of purpose and his personal integrity such as to have ever commended him to the esteem and good will of his fellow men.

It seems to the writer that consistent recourse may be made at this point to an appreciative estimate of the life history and antecedents of Mr. Colerick written by Judge Allen Zollars, of Fort Wayne, one of his distinguished professional confreres at the present time, since this estimate comes with the full force of intimate personal acquaintanceship and significant and analytic appreciation. In making excerpt from this previously published sketch we shall take the liberty of making slight changes in phraseology, in order that the subject-matter may be brought up to the date of present writing:

"Hon. Walpole G. Colerick was born in the city of Fort Wayne, on the Ist of August, 1845, and belongs to honorable and distinguished families in the lines of both his father and mother. He is a son of the late Hon. David H. Colerick, and the maiden name of his mother was Elizabeth Gillespie Walpole. He also belongs to families of lawyers. John G. Walpole was a practitioner in Fort Wayne, where he died many years ago, and Robert L. and Thomas D. Walpole were distinguished lawyers at Indianapolis. His five brothers all adopted the legal profession, and became successful practitioners, and of the number two are engaged in practice at the present time. His older brother, the Hon. John Colerick, one of the most promising and brilliant of the younger men of the state, died in March, 1872, which year also witnessed the death of another older brother, David Colerick, a lawyer of ability and promise. Each of these brothers had, in early life, been trusted and honored by the people, not only in their controlling a large professional business, but also in the bestowal upon them of public office. Still later Thomas W. Colerick, a younger brother of the subject, died when a young man and just when he was entering upon what promised to be a successful and brilliant career as a lawyer. He was not only a young man of fine ability and character, but he also had the industry and methods of study which always bring their reward by way of success in the learned professions. Messrs. Henry and Philemon B. Colerick, younger brothers, are both practicing and successful lawyers in Fort Wayne, while the former served for many years as city attorney, and the latter as prosecuting attorney of the county.

"The subject of this sketch received his early educational discipline in the city schools of Fort Wayne, the course of study in which is equal to that of many colleges. He, however, did not depend, nor has at any time, upon what may be learned in pursuing the ordinary courses of study provided by institutions of learning, but he has carried forward with great discrimination and exactitude such reading and study as are best fitted to fit one for the learned profession which he has so signally honored with his labors and services. He had many advantages which not many may enjoy in preparing for and entering upon the duties of a profession. He not only had the benefit of his honored and distinguished father's learning, experience, example, advice and encouragement, but also the help, advice and encouragement of a mother of fine ability and culture. He had gone through a course of study in the law, been admitted to the bar, and become a partner of his father before he was twenty-one years of age. From that time until the present he has been one of the leading and most successful practitioners of the Allen county bar. He is able and patient in the preparation of his cases for trial, and in the trial of them he is skillful and successful. In the preparation of a case and presenting the same to the court and jury he has few equals in discovering in advance the controlling points and in so marshaling the testimony and handling it in the argument as to produce the conviction that the cause of his client is just and ought to prevail. He is a good judge of human nature, and is remarkably conversant with the modes of thought on the part of jurors. With these qualifications and his natural facilities as a public speaker he is forceful and successful as an advocate in jury cases. Added to his other elements of success is that of sincerity, which has no little weight with both the court and jury."

Farther it may be said that Mr. Colerick has maintained a strong hold on the confidence and esteem of the people of his native county, and that significant evidence of his popularity was that given in 1878, when, as candidate on the Democratic ticket, he was elected to represent the twelfth district of Indiana in congress, making an excellent record and being chosen as his own successor in 1880. Fidelity and diligence characterized his congressional career, and he labored earnestly and effectively in advancing the interests of the people of his district and those of the entire nation. After the expiration of his second term in congress, Mr. Colerick resumed his professional work in Fort Wayne, and continued actively engaged therein until 1883, when he was tendered, without personal solicitation, the office of supreme court commissioner, accepting the office and entering upon the discharge of his duties in November of the year mentioned. At the expiration of his term, in 1885, he again resumed his professional practice in Fort Wayne, and the ever-increasing demands of the same now engross his time and attention. In politics Mr. Colerick is a stanch advocate of the principles of the Democratic party.

The medical profession has an able and worthy representative in. the city of Fort Wayne in the person of Dr. Morse Harrod, whose office and residence are located at 634 East Washington street. As a physician and surgeon he has won prestige through his devotion to the great profession for which he has so fully qualified himself, and as a citizen he commands the same high degree of confidence and esteem as denotes his professional status.

Dr. Morse Harrod is a native son of Allen county, and a member of one of its representative families. He was born on the homestead farm, in Marion township, on the 6th of April, 1866, and is a son of Morgan and Belinda (Bean) Harrod, both of whom were born in Ohio, while they now both reside in Fort Wayne. The Doctor was reared to the study and invigorating discipline of the home farm, while his educational privileges in his youth were those afforded in the public schools of his native township. He made good use of the opportunities thus afforded and in the meanwhile continued to assist in the work of the homestead farm, in the management of which he was associated with his father until he had attained his legal majority. In the meanwhile he had formulated definite plans for his future career, having determined to adopt the profession of medicine as his vocation in life. With this desideratum in view, he began his technical reading under the preceptorship of Dr. Joseph L. Smith, of Hoagland, this county, continuing his studies under these conditions for one year, at the expiration of which he was matriculated in the Eclectic Medical Institute in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, where he completed the prescribed course, one of notable thoroughness, and was graduated as a member of the class of 1891, while he simultaneously received his coveted degree of Doctor of Medicine. He was graduated in January, and in the following June he established himself in practice in Fort Wayne, where he has labored zealously and effectively and gained success and precedence as a physician and surgeon. He is a member of the Indiana Eclectic Medical Society, is also president of Indiana Eclectic Medical Association, and is a member of Summit City Lodge, No. 32, Free and Accepted Masons, and Phoenix Lodge, No. 101, Knights of Pythias. In politics the Doctor is a stanch adherent of the Democratic party, and he has served two terms as coroner of Allen county, having been first elected to this office in November, 1892, and having been chosen as his own successor two years later, so that he served four consecutive years. Both he and his wife are members of the First Baptist church.

On the 31st of May, 1888, was solemnized the marriage of Dr. Morse Harrod to Miss Jennie L. Lipes, who was likewise born and reared in Allen county, being a daughter of David D. and Mary J. Lipes, of Marion township. Dr. and Mrs. Harrod have three children, Camilla, Wayne A. and Velma J.

Joshua Ruch

Another of the native sons of Allen county who has here been reared to the great fundamental art of agriculture and who has continued his allegiance to the same in his independent career, is Mr. Ruch, who is one of the progressive farmers and popular citizens of Jackson township, and who has resided in this county from the time of his birth.

Mr. Ruch was born in Aboit township, this county, on the 17th of May, 1861, and is a son of George and Mary (Lopshire) Ruch, the former of whom was born in Germany, in 1826, while the latter was born in Pennsylvania, in 1829, both representing fine German ancestry. The father was a child of six years at the time of his parents' immigration to America, and the family settled in Mercer county, Ohio, whence they came to Allen county a few years later. Here he was reared to manhood and here he received a good common-school education. He grew up on the farm and continued to be concerned in the operation of farming in Wayne township until he initiated his independent career in the same line of industry. He was married in 1848, and both he and his wife now reside on a well improved farm in Jackson township, being numbered among the honored pioneers of the county. They have had fourteen children, of whom six are living, the subject of this sketch having been the seventh in order of birth. In politics the father was a stanch Republican, having originally been affliated with the Whig party.

Joshua Ruch, the immediate subject of this sketch, was afforded the advantages of the public schools of Allen county, and from his boyhood up contributed his quota to the work of the homestead farm, in whose operation and management he was associated until he had attained the age of twenty-six years. He has been consecutively engaged in farming in his native county, and purchased his present farm in 1897, the same comprising eighty acres. The place was entirely unimproved at the time he acquired the same, and he has already reclaimed fifty acres to cultivation, while he has erected a good residence and barn, besides other buildings demanded for the accommodation of stock, machinery, produce, etc. He has personally attended to the clearing of his land, and his energy and good management are indicated in the marked air of thrift which pervades his fine little farm. In his political proclivities Mr. Ruch is a stalwart adherent of the Republican party, and both he and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church.

On the 12th of July, 1888, Mr. Ruch was united in marriage to Miss Della E. Culver, who was born in Portage county, Ohio, on the 23d of March, 1866, being a daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Meads) Culver, of English descent, who came to Allen county in 1867, settling in Jackson township, where she was reared to maturity. Her father has been dead some years, and her mother now lives in Fort Wayne. Concerning the children of Mr. and Mrs. Ruch, we enter the following brief record, in conclusion of this sketch: Hazel M. was born September 8, 1889; Bruce K. was born August 21, 1891; Glenn J. was born October 9, 1893, and died on the 18th of July, 1900.

James Barnett

In the study of so eminently a practical and useful life as that of the honored pioneer to whom this memoir is dedicated, we find an opulence of incentive and are irresistibly moved to the according of respect, admiration and veneration. The history of the life of Mr. Barnett was closely interwoven with the early annals of Fort Wayne, and his name is writ high on the roll of the sterling pioneers of this section of the state.

James Barnett was born in the state of Pennsylvania, on the 15th of March, 1785, and he died in the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana, on the 7th of June, 1851. He was a son of John and Elizabeth (Flynn) Barnett, who removed from the old Keystone state to Kentucky shortly after the close of the war of the Revolution. John Barnett had rendered valiant service as a private in the Continental line during the great struggle for independence, and upon his discharge had received land warrants purporting to entitle him to certain property in Kentucky. It was with the intention of taking up this land that he removed thither, but upon his arrival he found it impossible to locate the claim, owing to the defective description in the land warrants, and after several years passed in the fruitless attempt he removed to Montgomery county, Ohio, securing land near the present city of Dayton and there reclaiming a farm in the midst of the sylvan wilds. Of his children four daughters and two sons lived to attain maturity. The daughters all married, and their names after marriage were as follows: Elizabeth Harris. Mary Houston, Susan Bruen and Rachel Watton. The elder son, Abraham, became a pioneer member of the bar of Dayton, Ohio. John Barnett died in 1797, leaving his widow and her six young children in somewhat straitened circumstances.

At the time of his father's death James Barnett was twelve years of age, and as his elder brother was his senior by only a few years the burden of caring for the family rested in a large part upon the shoulders of the two boys, whose solicitude for their widowed mother was unabating during the remaining years of her life. For a number of years the two brothers worked on the homestead farm, managing to provide for their mother and sisters only by the most strenuous exertion and careful management. During this crucial period, however, they succeeded in giving to their sisters such educational advantages as were afforded in the schools of the locality and period, and at a later period James assumed the entire charge and care of the farm and family, in order to allow his brother the opportunity of studying law. James thus acquired his own educational discipline principally through the aid of his brother and sisters, who imparted to him each evening the knowledge which they had acquired during the day at school.

As James grew to manhood and the cares of the farm and family became somewhat less exacting, he engaged in fur trading with the Indians, making long journeys into the west and south, by way of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Several times he journeyed as far as the city of New Orleans, then the principal market for the entire district of the middle states, and while thus engaged in business he became well acquainted with the location and latent advantages of Fort Wayne, which was at that time little more than is indicated in the name itself. His first visit to the fort had been made much earlier, as he had accompanied his father on a trip to this point in 1797. In 1812 he again visited the fort, as the captain of a company of volunteers from the vicinity of Dayton, his company being a portion of the command which advanced to the relief of the fort under General William Henry Harrison. It was during this visit that Mr. Barnett canvassed the situation and determined to make Fort Wayne his home. This design, however, he did not carry out until a number of years later, and though it is impossible to determine with absolute certainty the date of his making a permanent location here, all evidence indicates that it must have been in the year 1818. In the interval he had made several trips in transporting goods from the east to the traders in Fort Wayne. These trips were made in

Upon making permanent location in Fort Wayne Mr. Barnett opened a general store. In 1819 he was joined by Samuel Hanna, another of the honored pioneers of the county and one of whom individual mention is made on other pages of this work, and they formed a partnership under the firm name of Barnett & Hanna. The business of this firm was that of selling at wholesale to the traders throughout the country hereabouts, and the headquarters of the firm was a log structure situated at the northwest corner of what are now Barr and Columbia streets. Goods were brought from the east by way of Toledo and thence up the Maumee river in pirogues or dug-outs, and from Fort Wayne the distribution was made to the various traders. About 1830 Mr. Barnett retired from active participation in this flourishing business enterprise, though he still continued to retain his interest in the same. About the same time Allen Hamilton was admitted as an active member of the firm, which continued the business under the title of Samuel Hanna & Company.

Among the other enterprises which gained the support and cooperation of Mr. Barnett at this time was that of milling. In 1824 he associated himself with Anthony Davis in the erection of a mill on the St. Mary's river, near the site of the present Orphans' Home of Allen county, this mill being later known as Beaver's mill and having been one of the first in this section of the state. Like many others of the early settlers, Mr. Barnett made large investments in real-estate, and among other properties he owned a farm which embraced the block included between Calhoun and Harrison and Berry and Wayne streets, in the center of the city of Fort Wayne today.

In 1824 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Barnett to Miss Nancy Welch Hanna, of Troy, Ohio, a sister of Samuel Hanna, who came to Fort Wayne a few years later and become a partner with Mr. Barnett in business. For their first home Mr. Barnett erected what was then considered a very palatial residence, on East Columbia street, this being the first brick structure built in the town. It is interesting to note that this old landmark is still standing, being now utilized as a bakery, by John H. Schweiter. After residing in this house for a number of years Mr. and Mrs. Barnett built for themselves another residence, on West Berry street, on the site now occupied by the establishment of the Wolf & Dessauer Dry Goods Company, and in this home he continued to reside until his death, June 7, 1851, while his wife survived him by a number of years, being summoned into eternal rest on August 10, 1857. Both were devoted members of the Presbyterian church, and Mr. Barnett was one of the founders and most influential members of the First Presbyterian church of Fort Wayne, and he was the second man buried in Fort Wayne under Masonic auspices.

James and Nancy W. (Hanna) Barnett became the parents of eight children, of whom only four lived to adult age. Concerning them we incorporate brief record. John Houston Barnett died in 1872, a bachelor. Mary was married, in 1849, to Watson Wall, of Fort Wayne, and she now resides in St. Louis, Missouri, as do also her four children, - Charles W., James, Mrs. Maitland Dyer and Mrs. Susan Beard. Abraham G. Barnett was married, in 1859, to Miss Elizabeth Angell, and of their children four are living, Byron H., Mrs. Katherine Beamer, James and Susan. Susan R. Barnett, the next in order of birth of the four children who attained maturity, ` was married, in 1870, to John A. Shoaff, and they became the parents of three children, of whom two are living: Mary, who is the wife of Albert J. Mitchell of St. Louis, Missouri; and Fred B., who is individually mentioned on other pages of this work. Mrs. Shoaff still resides in Fort Wayne, where she was born and reared and where she has ever made her home. To her kindly offices we are indebted for the data from which this memoir of her honored father is prepared.

All who remember James Barnett seem to unite in appraising him as a man of many sterling qualities. He is described as exceedingly simple and frugal in his personal habits, yet generous to an unusual degree toward others; as fiery-tempered, yet of strong self-control ; honest and just, and of great physical strength and courage. It is said that he was known far and wide among the Indians for his great strength and his swiftness as a runner. Owing to the hardships and exposures of his early life, which were too great for even his naturally robust constitution to withstand, he lost his health at a comparatively early age, and, after a lingering illness of about twelve years' duration, he passed to his reward.

As to the estimation in which James Barnett was held by his contemporaries, the following editorial, which appeared in the Fort Wayne Weekly Times of June 19, 1851, speaks for itself :

"We last week performed the melancholy duty of announcing the decease of this venerable and highly respected citizen, and we had reason to believe that some of his numerous friends who are acquainted with his early history and subsequent career would, in time for today's paper, prepare a suitable obituary. In this expectation we have been disappointed, but we can not let the occasion pass without testifying, however briefly and imperfectly, our respect for his memory. Strange as it may seem, we have been unable to ascertain with certainty his precise age or the place of his nativity, but from the imperfect items we have been able to gather we believe his age to have been about sixty-five years, and that he was born in Kentucky. He was a hardy, efficient frontiersman of remarkable prowess and brave as Caesar. Ata very early age he was employed with his father in packing provisions from the 'settlements,' as Cincinnati and Dayton were then called, to the army in this region, and we have been informed that when a very small boy, as early as Wayne's campaign, he was at this place with his father. His peculiar personal qualifications, his great sagacity and his experience rendered him a most valuable assistant as messenger and bearer of dispatches between difficult and almost inaccessible posts and places during the war of 1812. Wherever there were difficulties to overcome or dangers to be encountered in that line, on all this western frontier, there was James Barnett.

"He settled permanently at this place, as nearly as we can learn, about 1818, since which time he has constantly resided here and been intimately identified with the interests of the place, in its progress from a mere trading post, when the country for hundreds of miles in every direction was an unbroken wilderness, to its present prosperous and flourishing condition. He erected the first brick building that went up in this town, - the two-story house yet standing on the north side of Columbia street and first door east of the Times building. He served for many years as justice of the peace. We have been told, and that no doubt, that he brought more money here than any other of the old class of settlers, and it is believed that but few of the new ones brought as much, and with his abundant means at that day, if he had been avaricious and grasping, he might have amassed an immense fortune. But he was nothing of the kind, - his hand was always 'open as the day' to the needy and suffering. His capital was always employed, but more frequently for the benefit of others than himself. It was a 'placer' from which the foundation of several splendid fortunes were dug. He was emphatically the poor man's friend, and we doubt if ever a person approached him needing assistance and was turned away empty. Honest and confiding to an eminent degree himself, he was wont to confide too much in others, and frequently suffered by becoming involved in their liabilities. Still, it is supposed he has left a handsome competency for those near and dear to him whom he has left behind."

Such was James Barneti, - a noble, honorable, generous, openhearted man, and, as was said at his funeral, "the noblest work of God, an honest man.' Owing to early hardships and exposures his constitution had been shattered, and for the last three or four years of his life he was quite feeble, being finally called from his earthly habitation to dwell in the home "not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." His funeral was attended by a large concourse of citizens and by the Masonic fraternity in full regalia. His loss was felt as a personal bereavement by the citizens in general, and in these later years, seeing his life in strong perspective, we can well understand the high regard in which he was held in the community which was so long his home and the scene of his earnest and effective labors.

Frederick C. W. Klaehn

At this point we enter brief record concerning one of the leading farmers and most progressive and public-spirited citizens of Aboit township, where he has resided from his boyhood days, while the esteem in which he is held in the community is indicated in the fact that he is at the present time incumbent of the responsible office of township trustee.

Mr. Klaehn was born in Prussia, Germany, on the 22d of May, 1860, and is a son of Frederick and Maria Klaehn, who emigrated thence to the United States in 1869, coming to Fort Wayne soon after their arrival in the new world. The father first secured employment here in picking apples for Charles McCullough, but this work was interrupted by an extraordinary snowfall in October, the trees being broken down by the combined weight of fruit and snow. During the first winter he was employed in connection with the grading of the line of the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad northward from Fort Wayne, and in the spring of 1870 he located on the old Bash farm, in Aboit township. Nine years later he effected the purchase of the present homestead farm, which is located in the same township, on the Illinois road, and five and one-half miles west of the city of Fort Wayne. He originally purchased eighty acres, for a consideration of three thousand dollars, the place having been comparatively well improved. Later he added an adjoining tract of one hundred and twenty acres, and here he developed one of the fine farms of the county, being a man of industry, integrity and good business ability, so that he was very successful in his efforts and also held as his own the confidence and esteem of those who knew him. He died on the 3d of January, 1898, at the age of sixty-two years. His widow still resides on the old homestead, in which she takes a lively interest, being still alert and ambitious and keeping house for herself in a portion of the com- modious residence, while she also finds much satisfaction in keeping her own cows, chickens, etc. Her friends are in number as her acquaintances, and she is finding the evening of her life one of gracious and pleasing order. The subject is the only child.

Frederick C. W. Klaehn was about nine years of age at the time of his parents' immigration to America, and he had received his elementary education in the excellent schools of his native land, while he later duly availed himself of the advantages of the public schools of Allen county, and for two winters attended a good business college. He early began to render effective aid in the work and management of the home farm, of which he has had entire charge since the death of his father, being the only heir of his parents. He had previously purchased a good farm in the vicinity of the old homestead, and he has since added until his landed estate comprises three hundred and forty acres of as fine land as can be found in this favored section of the state. He has made excellent improvements on the farm, having rebuilt the house, which is modern and attractive in design and equipment, while he has also erected a fine bank barn and kept all other buildings in the best of repair, so that thrift and prosperity are to be noted by innumerable evidences. He is progressive in his ideas and utilized the means and methods which will bring the maximum returns, but he is not a follower of fads or one who wastes his time and energy in fruitless experimentation. He is a type of the sturdy and broad-minded yeomanry who constitute the bulwarks of our government and our prosperity.

In his political allegiance Mr. Klaehn is arrayed Afi the Republican party, and he takes a lively interest in public affairs of a local nature, while this interest is manifested in tangible aid and cooperation when worthy objects are to be promoted. In November, 1904, he was elected trustee of Aboit township, assuming the duties of his office in January following. He is specially concerned in the educational matters in his jurisdiction. Aboit township has eight school houses and an equal number of teachers, while the enrollment of pupils at the time of this writing is three hundred and sixteen. The township has no high school, but sends each year a due quota to the Fort Wayne high school. It is the wish of Mr. Klaehn that all teachers employed be residents of the township in case qualifications are the same, as he feels that this preference is but due, and that local interest will be the greater. He is making an earnest effort to compass the desired result. The school buildings are all substantial brick structures, comparing more than favorably with the best in the county, and the accessories and equipments are of modern standard. The employment of duly qualified home teachers is the one desideratum which most challenges the efforts of our subject. Mr. Klaehn is one of the leaders of his party in Aboit township, and has frequently served as delegate to county and congressional conventions, while he has also been township assessor. Religiously, he belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran church.

On the 30th of December, 1886, Mr. Klaehn was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth E. Kauder, who was born in Germany, and who was five years of age at the time of her parents' immigration to America. She is a daughter of Valentine and Elizabeth Kauder, well known pioneers of Lake township. Mr. and Mrs. Klaehn have six children, namely: Elizabeth E. M., William F., Carl L. W., Elma M. D., Bertha S. C. and Flora A. E.

Allen Counivyandian H. F. William Berning

The subject of this sketch is the present able and popular incumbent of the office of trustee of Madison township, Allen county, and he has the further distinction in the connection of having been the first Republican to be elected to this position in the township within a period of forty years. He has been a resident of Allen county since 1901, and is one of the progressive farmers and representative citizens of the township mentioned. He is the owner of a well improved lot of a half acre, in section 19, and he has gained a strong hold upon the confidence and regard of the community, as is evident from the official preferment which has come to him.

Mr. Berning is a native of the old Hoosier commonwealth, and a representative of one of its honored pioneer families. He was born on a farm in Adams county, Indiana, on the 7th of November, 1865, and is a son of Henry and Louisa (Ahrens) Berning, of whose eight children all are living. Both parents were born in Germany, but came to America with their respective families when young, and the father of our subject settled in Adams county, Indiana, in an early day, and became one of the prosperous farmers and substantial and honored citizens of that section. Both he and his wife are now living in Adams county. The subject of this review was reared to the sturdy discipline of the, farm, and his early educational advantages were those afforded in the excellent public schools of his native county. He continued to be associated in the work and management of the home farm until 1885, when he initiated his independent career by engaging in farming and tilemaking in said county, where he continued operations up to the time of his removal to Allen county, in 1901. He is one of the stalwart Republicans of Madison township, and takes an active part in the party work here, while in 1904 he was made the candidate of his party for the office of trustee, to which he was elected by a gratifying majority, for a term of four years. He is proving the right man in the right place, and his services can not fail to redound to the good of the township which he thus represents. Both he and his wife are valued members of the German Lutheran church.

On the 7th of November, 1889, Mr. Berning was united in marriage to Miss Caroline Wistfeldt, who was born and reared in Adams county, this state, being a daughter of Frederick and Louisa (Netcher) Wistfeldt, who were born in Germany, the father becoming one of the substantial farmers of Adams county. Mrs. Berning was summoned into eternal rest on the oth of December, 1897, and is survived by one child, Caroline. On the 13th of May, 1894, Mr. Berning wedded Miss Louisa Witte, who was born in Adams county, being a daughter of William and Dora T. Witte, natives of Germany. Four children have been born of this union, Rudolph, Edwin, Oscar and Albert.

Herman L. Lomont

The subject of this review is a native of Allen county and has here maintained his home from the time of his birth to the present, while he is one of the popular young business men of Monroeville, where he is senior member of the firm of Lomont & Reynolds, dealers in fine wines, liquors and cigars. He has been identified with business affairs in this part of the country for several years past, and by his reliability and honorable methods has gained popular confidence.

Herman L. Lomont was born on the homestead farm, in Jefferson township, Allen county, Indiana, on the 15th of February, 1872, 'and is a son of Francis and Cecilia (Peters) Lomont, both of whom were born and reared in France, while both came to America in 1850, while their marriage was solemnized in the following year. Soon afterward they located on a farm in Allen county, and here the father became a prosperous and highly respected citizen, continuing to be identified with agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred in September, 1891, while his devoted wife survived him by several years, being summoned to the life eternal in December, 1902. They became the parents of ten children, of whom five are living, and the subject of this sketch was the ninth in order of birth. Herman L. Lomont passd his boyhood days on the home farm, and he early became familiar with the duties involved in its cultivation, while his educational discipline was secured in the public schools of his native township. After leaving school he continued to assist in the work and management of the home farm until he had attained to the age of nineteen years, when he entered upon an apprenticeship at the carpenter's trade, becoming a skilled artisan in the line and continuing to devote his attention to the trade for a period of thirteen years. He then purchased a half interest in the business in which he is now engaged, and he and his partner conduct a well regulated establishment and secure the best class of trade in their line of enterprise. Mr. Lomont takes a loyal interest in local affairs of a public nature, and while he has never been an aspirant for official preferment, he has accorded a stanch allegiance to the Democratic party, in whose cause he has been an active worker.

On the 3d of February, 1891, Mr. Lomont was united in marriage to Miss Sarah A. Rose, who was born in Jefferson township, this county, on the 4th of March, 1872, being a daughter of Morris and Elizabeth (Snyder) Rose, well known and honored residents of this part of the county, where her father has long been engaged in farming. Mr. and Mrs. Lomont have three children, Lottie Pearl, Harry M. and Morris L.

Frank J. Eick

America is essentially a cosmopolitan nation, having drawn from the four corners of the earth in making up her social fabric, while to her hospitable shores have come men of sterling character and determined spirit, who have worked their own way to positions of independence, becoming valuable citizens and standing loyal to the institutions of the great republic. Such an one is the subject of this review, who is one of the prosperous farmers and honored citizens of Jackson township.

Frank Joseph Eick was born in the picturesque old city of Utrecht, Holland, on the 16th of November, 1828, and is a son of Frederick and Wilhelmina (Kohne) Eick, both of whom were born and reared in Reklinhausen, Westphalia, Germany, said province at that time having been an integral portion of Prussia. After their marriage they removed to Utrecht, Holland, in which city the father of our subject was employed as foreman in a cabinet shop, having been a skilled artisan in his line. Shortly after locating there, however, war broke out between Holland and Belgium, and the Holland government gave orders to foreigners to either take up arms in defense of the country or else leave said country. The mother of our subject urged that the family return to Germany, and this course was followed, Frank J. being at the time but two years old. The little family had hardly crossed the line between Holland and Germany before peace was declared, and it was a source of frequent regret to Frederick Eick that he did not remain in Holland and cast in his lot there. He returned to his old home in Westphalia, where seven sons and two daughters were added to the family circle, our subject having been the eldest of the children and the only one born in Holland. Three of the children died in Germany. Frank J. came to America in 1851, and the parents, in company with their four other sons and one daughter, joined him here in 1855. The parents passed the remainder of their lives in the state of Ohio, and of the children three, two boys and one girl, are living at the present time.

The subject of this review secured his early educational training in the excellent schools of his native land, and at the age of fifteen years he began an apprenticeship at the cabinet maker's trade in his father's shop. After completing' his apprenticeship he traveled about as a journeyman at his trade, and at the age of nineteen years he became 4 member of the Seventh Pioneer Corps, a well known military organization. In 1851, at the age of twenty-three years, Mr. Eick came to the United States, believing that better opportunities were here afforded for the attaining of independence through personal effort. He settled in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, where he secured employment in 'the line of his trade. In 1855 he was there married to Mrs. (Huntelmus) Kuhne, and they became the parents of four children, of whom Frederick, the eldest, died at the age of two years and five months; Frank is a resident of Fort Wayne and has served for the past eight years as head deputy sheriff of his county. The two other children were girls, who died in early childhood, while the wife and mother passed to the life eternal in 1864. In January, 1865, Mr. Eick married Mrs. , whose maiden name was Winkler, and of this union have been born nine children, two sons and seven daughters. Only two of the children are living, Sophia, who is the wife of Barney Papenbrock, and Alvina, who is the wife of Peter Rosswurm.

Mr. Eick removed from Cincinnati to Allen county, Indiana, in April, 1881, and purchased his present fine farm, in Jackson township, the same comprising forty acres. The land was practically unreclaimed from the forest when he purchased the same, and he has developed it into one of the fertile and profitable farms of the township, while he has made good improvements in the way of buildings. He and his devoted wife have a pleasant home and are enjoying the due rewards of their former labors. Both are communicants of the Catholic church, and in politics Mr. Eick is a stalwart Democrat of the Jacksonian type. He came to this country at the time when the Knownothing party was in power to a considerable degree, and at that time he was led to espouse the cause of the Democracy, of whose prin-

ALLEN COUNTY, INDIANA. IQI ciples and policies he has ever since remained an advocate, while his loyalty to the country of his adoption is of the most appreciative and insistent type. His political affiliation was determined when, on April 4, 1854, at Louisville, Kentucky, he viewed the riots, in which a large three-story tenement house was destroyed, he being stationed at a fine vantage point in the cathedral. He is a man of fine mental gifts, and his life has been one of rectitude and honor, so that he has held the esteem of his fellow men in all places and under all conditions. He is one of the valued citizens of Jackson township, and is well entitled to representation in the pages of this work.

William A. Hamilton

More than seventy years have elapsed since the parents of the subject of this review took up their abode in the midst of the virgin forests of Aboit township, where he has passed his entire life, and where he now has a finely improved farm, in section 17. He is to be thus considered as one of the pioneer citizens of the county and a representative of one of its old and honored families, so that the propriety of according him a place of due distinction in this compilation is manifest.

Mr. Hamilton was born on the pioneer farmstead in Aboit township, this county, on the 1st of December, 1835, and there is no doubt that in the diminutive but cheerful little log cabin home his advent caused rejoicing that chill winter day. He is a son of William and Joannah (VanHoozen) Hamilton, both of whom were born and reared in the vicinity of the city of Syracuse, New York, while both represented families long identified with the annals of American history, the ancestry in the paternal line being traced to the Scotch derivation, and that in the maternal line to the sturdy Holland Dutch stock. The parents of our subject set out for what was then considered the far west, the state of Indiana, in the year 1834, making the trip by way of the Erie canal and Lake Erie to Toledo and coming up the Maumee river in a pirogue, or dugout canoe, propelled by poles. Mr. Hamilton had previously filed entry on a tract of government land in section 17, Aboit township, adjoining the present farm of his son William, subject of this sketch, and he came to his destination by driving through the woods to his new farm, which was covered with a heavy growth of timber, while no roads had as yet been constructed. He erected a log cabin of the type common to the locality and period, the same having a clapboard and pole roof and puncheon floor, all the fittings of the home being made by hand. Indians and wild animals still roamed through the dim forest aisles and in the vicinity of the new home of the sturdy pioneers were to be found but two neighbors, each residing a number of miles distant. Mr. Hamilton set to himself the task of reclaiming his land, burning fine timber that would have been of great market value today, and looking upon the same as an incubus rather than a benefit. He effected the clearing of one hundred acres and developed a good farm, while he added to his holdings in the township until he had four hundred acres. He continued to occupy a log cabin for twenty years, and then, about 1852, erected a frame house. The building is still standing, and is on the farm now owned by George Brinsley, of Fort Wayne. William Hamilton continued to reside on his homestead during the remainder of his life, doing his part in forwarding the development and progress of the country and having the unalloyed respect and confidence of those who knew him. He was summoned to his reward in 1875, at the age of sixty-three years, while his loved and devoted wife, who had been his companion and helpmeet for forty-two years, preceded him into eternal rest by only one week, so that "in death they were not divided." He was a Whig in politics until the organization of the Republican party, when he identified himself with the latter, whose cause he ever afterward supported. He served as township trustee several years, and was also called upon to serve in other local offices. Of the six children three attained to maturity, namely: Mary, who is the wife of A. M. Darolins, of Morocco, Newton county, this state ; Jane Agnes, who is the wife of A. M. Daro, of Montpelier, this state, and William A., who is the immediate subject of this sketch.

William A. Hamilton was reared on the old homestead farm and early became inured to the work connected with its development and cultivation. At the age of twenty-one years he was married, and thereafter continued to be associated with his father for seven years. His father then gave him eighty acres of land, nearly all of which was unreclaimed, and he still retains this place, while he has added to his estate until it now comprises two hundred acres of as fine land as is to be found in this part of the county. He cleared eighty acres of his own land and also assisted in the reclamation of much of his father's land. His original residence was a log house, the logs being hewed, and his present commodious frame residence was erected about twenty-two years ago, while eight years since he built a fine barn, forty by one hundred feet in dimensions. The barn which had previously stood on the same site was destroyed by fire, entailing a loss of fifteen hundred dollars, aside from insurance, as the building was well filled with grain, machinery, implements, etc. Mr. Hamilton is recognized as one of the substantial farmers and loyal citizens of his native county, where it is his just desert and good fortune to command the uniform esteem of the community. Though never active in political affairs, he is a stanch supporter of the principles of the Democratic party.

In the year 1856 Mr. Hamilton was united in marriage to Miss Barbara Scott, daughter of John and Nancy (Kite) Scott, early settlers of Aboit township. Detailed mention is made of these sterling pioneers in the sketch of the life of their son William, appearing on other pages of this work, so that it is not necessary to re-enter the data at this point. We enter the following brief record concerning the ten children born to Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton: John Archibald, of Fort Wayne; Anna is the wife of Charles Crawford, of Hutchinson, Kansas; George is engaged in farming near Pratt, Kansas; Alice is the wife of John Kelsey, a farmer of Oklahoma; Frank and Wilson remain at the parental home; Lillian is the wife of Lewis Shannon, of Hutchinson, Kansas; Henry maintains his home in Fort Wayne, and is a locomotive engineer in the employ of the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad; Hugh died December 7, 1900, at the age of twenty-three years, having met his death as the result of an accident, shooting himself while participating in a rifle contest; James died at the age of twenty-three years, on the 31st of December, 1903, of consumption. He served two years in the Philippines, having been a member of one of the early regiments sent there; Hugh also enlisted for service at the time of the Spanish-American war, and was in camp with his command, but was never called into active service.

William Scott

The honored father of this representative farmer of Aboit township was one of the early settlers of said township, where he lived up to the full tension of pioneer life and contributed his quota to the founding and upbuilding of the substantial civic and industrial prosperity which now indicates this favored section of the old Hoosier state. The subject of this review resides on a portion of the old homestead farm, and this has been his home from the time of his birth to the present, while he is one of the successful and influential farmers and citizens of his township.

Mr. Scott was born on the farm on a portion of which he now lives, on the 31st of July, 1846, the old homestead lying seven miles west of the court house, in the city of Fort Wayne. He is a son of John and Nancy (Kite) Scott, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania, and the latter in Virgina, while their marriage was solemnized near Newark, Ohio, whither the respective families removed when Mr. and Mrs. Scott were children. The mother of John Scott died when he was a child, and he and his sister were thereafter reared in the home of a relative, on whose farm he continued to be employed until he had attained to the age of thirty-one years - this being three years after his marriage. In 1839 he came with his wife from Ohio to Allen county, Indiana, driving through to Logansport with team and wagon and remaining there for a time before coming to Allen county, in the same year. Here he continued his residence nearly five years before buying land. He was accompanied to the county by his brother-in-law, Archibald Kite, who was then a bachelor, and the last twenty-five years of Mr. Kite's life were passed in the home of Mr. Scott, with whom he had been so closely associated in the pioneer days. Mr. Kite lived to attain the patriarchal age of ninety-three years, and was undoubtedly the oldest man in Allen county at the time of his death, in May, 1903. Upon coming to this county Messrs. Scott and Kite rented a little log cabin near the old canal, said structure having been erected as a horse stable, and having no floor, while the door was screened only by a quilt, which was slight protection against prowling Indians or wolves or other wild animals. Mr. Scott secured employment cutting wood, while he also worked for the Rockhill brothers, on their farm, while he found a source of revenue in hunting wild game, including deer, bear, turkeys, etc., while he often exchanged saddles of venison for needed groceries. Five years after his arrival in the county Mr. Scott purchased eighty acres of canal land, in Aboit township, the entire tract being covered with a heavy growth of native timber. He paid one dollar and a quarter an acre for the land, and his was the first clearing made in the neighborhood, save for that previously made by James M. Cartright, a bachelor, who had made a small clearing and erected a little cabin on an adjoining piece of land. In 1844 Mr. Scott began the work of reclaiming his farm to cultivation, and on the place he erected a substantial cabin of hewed logs, the domicile having only one room and being twenty by twenty-four feet in dimensions. The building was equipped with a clapboard roof, a sawed ash floor and a brick chimney, and was thus one of the best houses in the locality, its superiority being due to the fact that Mr. Scott had no little facility in the use of tools and could thus supplement the attractions of his necessarily primitive home. Within the period of the Civil war he made an addition to the house, and in 1871 another addition was made, making the residence one of spacious order. In this old homestead he continued to reside during the remainder of his life, and in the same his two maiden daughters, Amelia and Nancy, now have their home. Mr. Scott was prospered in his efforts and soon added an adjoining eighty acres to his farm, while later he purchased the eighty acres now owned and 'occupied by his son William, subject of this sketch, the consideration being thirty-five hundred dollars. He continued to add to his landed estate until he had four hundred and twenty acres, all in one body, save for one tract of eighty acres. He cleared about eighty-five acres and made a valuable farm, making improvements of substantial order, including the erection of the present barns, about 1858. Mr.

Kite, in the meanwhile, returned to Ohio, where he remained until well advanced in years, when he came again to Allen county, where he passed the remainder of his life, as has already been intimated. Mr. Scott was successful in his farming operations, and also devoted no little attention to the raising of live stock. His integrity was a dominating characteristic of his nature, and his word was as good as any bond that was ever executed. He held the high esteem of all who knew him, and was a prominent figure in local affairs, having held various offices of trust, including that of township trustee. He was a Democrat in his political proclivities. He died in September, 1894, in his eighty-fifth year, and his wife was of the same age at the time of her death, two years previously, having been his senior by two years. Of the nine children, eight attained years of maturity and survived the parents, while since that time one son, George A., a bachelor, has passed away, being fifty-seven years of age at the time of his death. Of the seven surviving children we record that Barbara is the wife of Williain A. Hamilton, of Aboit township, who is individually mentioned in this work; Susanna is the wife of David Grove, a farmer of the same township; Sarah is the wife of Hamilton Moffatt, of the same township; Matilda is the wife of Harry Snyder, of this township; William is the immediate subject of this sketch, and Amelia and Nancy reside in the old homestead. The father continued to hold his property in his own name until death, when he made a proper division by will.

William Scott was reared on the old home farm and received a good common-school education, while he continued to reside in the parental home until the time of his marriage, on the 14th of November, 1872, to Miss Sarah E. Stouder, who was born in Fairfeld county, Ohio, in 1850, being a daughter of Simeon W. and Ann (Gilmore) Stouder, who came to Allen county in 1854 and settled in Aboit township, where Mr. Stouder secured one hundred and twenty acres of canal land, which he reclaimed and otherwise improved. He died in his seventy-first year, and his first wife died at the age of forty-seven. He later married Matilda Todd, who survived him by several years. Mr. Scott is a Democrat in politics.

Jonathan Hart

When it is stated in a preliminary way that the subject of this review has been a resident of Allen county for more than half a century and that he came here with his parents when a lad of twelve years, it becomes evident that we have to treat incidentally with a representative of one of the pioneer families of this favored section of the Hoosier state, while in an individual sense we may refer to Mr. Hart as being one of the prominent farmers and influential citizens of Monroe township, where he is the owner of one of the finest rural estates in this section of the county.

Mr. Hart claims the old Buckeye state as the place of his nativity, having been born in Ashland county, Ohio, on the 17th of April, 1837, and being a son of George and Sarah Hart, both of whom were natives of the state of Pennsylvania and of German lineage, the respective families having been founded in the Keystone commonwealth in the colonial epoch of our national history. The parents became pioneers of Ashland county, Ohio, where they remained until 1849, in April of which year they arrived in Allen county, Indiana, where they passed the remainder of their lives. The father secured a considerable tract of heavily timbered land in Monroe township, reclaiming much of the same to cultivation and becoming one of the well known and highly honored citizens of this part of the county, where he lived and labored to goodly ends until he was summoned from the scene of life's endeavors. He was a stanch Democrat in his political proclivities, and both he and his wife were zealous and consistent members of the Lutheran church. They became the parents of ten children, of whom five are living at the time of this writing, in 1905.

neer days, and he early began to contribute his quota to the reclaiming and cultivating of the homestead farm, waxing strong in mind and body under the sturdy discipline involved, while he attended the common schools of the locality as opportunity afforded, his rudimentary education having been secured in Ohio, where he was reared to the age of twelve years, as previously intimated in this context. He has never wavered in his allegiance to the noble art of husbandry, and has been one of those whose efforts have demonstrated that agricultural operations constitute a most desirable field of endeavor when directed with energy and the same care and discrimination demanded in other lines of business. He has been successful and has developed one of the finest farm properties in Monroe township, having reclaimed much of the land from the forest and having made the best of permanent improvements. His fine estate is located in section 16 and comprises eighty acres, the greater portion being maintained under a high state of cultivation, while the owner also devotes no little attention to the raising of high grade live stock. In all the relations of life he has ever been sincere, straightforward and honorable, and the result in a concomitant way has been his retention of the unequivocal confidence and esteem of his fellow men, while he has not hedged himself in with his individual affairs, but has been progressive and public spirited in his attitude as a citizen, taking deep interest in all that pertains to the progress and material and civic prosperity of his home township and county, and being one of the highly esteemed pioneer citizens of this section. In politics Mr. Hart has ever rendered a stalwart allegiance to the Democratic party, in whose cause he has been an active worker in a loyai way, though never a seeker of official preferment. He was reared in the faith of the Lutheran church, with whose doctrines his views are in harmony, while in a fraternal way we find him identified with the Junior Order of United American Mechanics.

On the 21st of February, 1861, Mr. Hart was united in marriage to Miss Sarah W. Hines, whose parents, D. H. and Sarah Hines, were born in Loudoun county, Virginia, while they were numbered among the sterling pioneers of Adams county, Indiana, where the closing years of their lives were passed. Concerning the children of Jonathan and Sarah W. Hart, we record that

Oliver T. was born January 20, 1862; Wayne M., March 28, 1864; Jennety, November 15, 1866, and William C., May 15, 1870. All are living except the last mentioned, who died on the 5th of December, 1870, aged about seven months. The devoted wife and mother was summoned into eternal rest on the 8th of December, 1897, at the age of sixty years, ten months and seven days. On the 7th of March, r901, the subject consummated a second marriage, being then united to Mrs. Virginia E. Yerian, who was born in Adams county, Indiana, on the 1oth of August, 1844, being a sister of Mr. Hart's first wife. The attractive family home is a center of gracious hospitality, and the members of the family are prominent in the social life of the community.

Morris F. Rose

Allen country contributed to the federal armies many a brave and valiant soldier during the war of the Rebellion, and among the surviving veterans of that great conflict which determined the integrity of the Union, stands the subject of this review, who was loyal to his country in her hour of peril and extremity, and who has ever ` since been her stanch supporter in the "piping times of peace." The ranks of that noble organization are fast being decimated by the one invincible foe, death, and it is fitting that in every publication of this nature special tribute be paid to those men who served with all of fidelity in defense of the Union during the greatest civil war known in the annals of history. Mr. Rose was born in a far distant land, but has resided in the United States from his childhood days, while the family was established in Allen county more than a half century ago, so that he may well be mentioned as a representative of pioneer stock in this favored section of the old Hoosier state. He was long numbered among the progressive farmers and influential citizens of Jefferson township, where he has passed the major portion of his life, and he is now living practically retired in the village of Monroeville, where he has an attractive residence, and where he is held in the highest confidence and esteem by all who know him.

Morris F. Rose was born in one of the French-speaking provinces of the fair little republic of Switzerland, on the 22d of March, 1842, and is a son of Morris and Anna (Lynn) Rose, both native of the same section of Switzerland, and both of whom spoke the French language as their vernacular. The father was engaged in farming in his native land until 1850, when he sold his holdings there and emigrated with his family to America. In that year he made location in Stark county, Ohio, where many of French birth or extraction had colonized, and there he purchased land and engaged in farming, but in 1852 he sold his property and came to Allen county, Indiana, where he passed the remainder of his long and useful life. He became the owner of a good farm in Jefferson township, reclaiming much of the land from the virgin forest, and being one of the honored and substantial pioneers of this section at the time of his death, which occurred on the 25th of August, 1888, while his cherished and devoted wife soon joined him in the "land of the leal," her death having occurred on the 25th of the following November. They became the parents of five children, of whom two are living at the time of this writing. The parents were zealous and consistent members of the Catholic church, and in his political proclivities the father was a stanch Republican, having identified himself with the "grand old party" at the time of its organization. ie was a man of broad mental ken and marked individuality, was loyal and public spirited as a citizen and commanded unqualified confidence and regard in the community which was so long his home and the scene of his well directed endeavors.

Morris F. Rose, the immediate subject of this sketch, was a lad of about ten years at the time of the family's removal from Ohio to Allen county, and in the years immediately following his portion was one of much work and close application, in connection with the development and cultivation of the home farm, while his educational advantages were of limited order, owing to the exigencies of time and place. He stated to the writer that he secured his early educational training in the Sunday school which he attended after coming to Allen county, learning to read under the discipline there secured, while he never attended the common schools to any appreciable extent. He learned to write after entering the army, receiving instructions from kind-hearted comrades, who thus aided him in communicating with his home folk. His alert mentality has enabled him to make good the handicap of his youth, and he has profited fully by the valuable lessons gained in the school of experience, being a man of wide information and one who has kept in touch with the questions and issues of the day, while he soon developed that marked business acumen which has conserved his success in connection with the practical affairs of life.

On the roth of August, 1862, at New Haven, this county, Mr. Rose enlisted as a private in Company D, Eighty-eighth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, with which he proceeded to the front, his command being assigned to the First Brigade, First Division of the Fourteenth Army Corps. He participated in a number of the important engagements of the great internecine conflict, and was ever found at the post of duty as a faithful and loyal soldier of the republic whose unity he thus aided in preserving. Among the more notable battles in which he took part may be mentioned the following: Perryville, Kentucky; Stone River, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Tennessee; Buzzard Roost, Georgia, and the ever memorable Atlanta campaign, under General Sherman, and the battle of Bentonville, North Carolina, following hard upon the celebrated "march to the sea." At Tullahoma, Tennessee, Mr. Rose was promoted to the office of sergeant of his company, and he served as such until the close of the war. In December, 1863, after the battle of Chickamauga, he received a furlough of ninety days, which he passed at home, and he rejoined his command at Chickamauga, on the 30th of January, 1864, and thereafter remained in active service until victory had crowned the Union arms. He was with Sherman's forces on the march through the Carolinas to Richmond, and thence to the national capital, where he took part in the Grand Review, and he received his honorable discharge in June, 1865, being twenty-three years of age at the time.

After the close of his military career Mr. Rose returned to Allen county, where he has resided ever since, and where he has been actively identified with agricultural pursuits during the major portion of the intervening period. He became the owner of a fine farm of eighty acres, in section 27, Jefferson township, making the best of improvements on the place and conducting his operations with distinctive energy and discrimination, so that he gained a position among the substantial members of the farming community, and wielded no little influence in public affairs of a local nature, while to him has ever been accorded the implicit confidence and regard of the people of the county in which he has made his home for more than half a century. On the 25th of January, 1904, Mr. Rose purchased a nice residence property in the attractive village of Monroe- ville, where he now resides essentially retired, though he still maintains a general supervision of his farming interests. In politics our subject is found arrayed as an uncompromising advocate of the principles and policies of the Republican party, having cast his first presidential vote for the martyred Lincoln, and in a fraternal way he is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and with William H. Link Post, No. 301, Grand Army of the Republic, in Monroeville, being one of the popular comrades of his post, of which he is commander at the time of this writing. His religious affiliation is with the Methodist church.

Mr. Rose has been twice married. On the roth of August, 1865, he wedded Miss Elizabeth Snyder, who was born in Stark county, Ohio, on the rs5th of July, 1845, being a daughter of James and Susan (Lynn) Snyder, who were of Pennsylvania German stock and who were early settlers in Allen county, where they passed the closing years of their lives. Mr. and Mrs. Rose became the parents of ten children, namely: Lucy, Ada, James, Sarah A., Susan M., William M., Maud A., Amy, Grace B. and Maggie. Mrs. Rose was summoned into eternal rest on the 17th of November, 1900, at the age of fifty-six years, four months and two days. She was a devoted wife and mother, and her gracious womanhood gained to her the affectionate regard of all with whom she came in contact. On the 16th of June, 1902, Mr. Rose was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Chapman, who was born in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, on the 27th of November, 1852, being a daughter of William and Margaret (Broyles) Chapman, both of whom are now deceased.

Ernst F. W. Branning

The subject of this memoir was a worthy representative of that valued type of men whom the German fatherland has given to America, and through whose efforts the march of progress has been distinctively accelerated. He was one of the pioneers of Wayne township, where he settled more than half a century ago, on the farm now owned and occupied by his son Henry E. Industry and good management were the outward exemplification of his energies, and truth, honor, integrity and loyalty represented the intrinsic elements of his character, so that he naturally filled a place of usefulness and commanded unbounded esteem in the community in which he so long made his home, and in which he accomplished so much in a temporal way.

The fine farmstead which remains as a monument to the labors of our subject was a tract of wild and heavily timbered land at the time he came into possession of the property, whose purchase he effected in April, 1850, for what seenis now the almost impossible consideration of five hundred dollars. Fertile fields, modern buildings, and all the marks of an advanced civilization now are found patent on the land where he settled in the virgin forest in the years long past, while to him has been due the greater portion of the work of transformation.

Ernst Frederick William Branning was born in Buchholz Kreis Minden, Prussia, on the 25th of June, 1820, and he was reared and educated in his native land, whence he immigrated to America in 1844, in company with several other families and individuals from the same locality, all coming to Adams county, and virtually founding a sturdy little colony. Our subject remained for a time in that county, and then came to Ailen county to aid in the support of his widowed sister, Mrs. Minnie Kammeier, whose husband had recently died, and who was at the time residing in Wayne township. Mr. Branning was a carpenter by trade, and in the pioneer community he found ample demand for his services in this line, having erected many of the first houses and barns in this locality. In 1850 he purchased his farm, as has been noted, and here he took up his residence in a log cabin of the primitive type, and set himself vigorously to the task of reclaiming his land to cultivation. This old cabin long withstood the ravages of time, continuing in use until 1904, though numerous improvements had been made on the same. It was then razed to make way for the present attractive modern residence, which was erected by the present owner of the farm. On this homestead Mr. Branning continued to be actively engaged in general farming and stock growing during the remainder of his active career, and he made the forty-acre farm one of the best in the township. He was summoned into eternal rest on the 2d of May, 1901, in the eighty-first year of his life, while his name is held in lasting honor in the community where he lived and labored to such goodly ends. He was a stanch Democrat in his political proclivities, and both he and his wife were prominent and valued members of the Lutheran church, having been members of the parish of old St. Paul's church, in Fort Wayne, while he assisted materially in the building of all three of the Lutheran edifices, while his funeral was the first to be held from the beautiful Emmanuel church, on Broadway, interment being made in Concordia cemetery.

In St. Paul's Lutheran church, Fort Wayne, on the 24th of December, 1850, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Branning to Miss Fredericka Wilhelmina Buchmann, who was born in Prussia, on the 8th of November, 1830, and who accompanied her parents to America when a girl, the family locating in Allen county. Her death occurred about two years before that of her husband. Concerning the three children of this union we record that Wilhelmina, the wife of William Dammeyer, died on the 21st of February, 1883, at the age of thirty-one years; Sophia became the wife of Henry Miller, and after his death wedded Richard Franke, and they reside in Wayne township, and Henry E. remains on the old home place.

had been rebuilt and modernized, the house in which he was born still remains an integral portion of the same, so that this has practically been his home throughout his life thus far. He duly availed himself of the advantages of the public schools of the county, and in his youth learned the carpenter's trade, which he has followed to a greater or less extent, in the city of Fort Wayne. Since his father's death he has given his attention almost entirely to the home farm, which adjoins the city limits on the south, and he has made the enterprise a most successful one, since he has had ample experience, having been identified with the operation of the farm from his youth up, while he is known and honored as one of the representative citizens of his township. In politics he holds to the faith in which he was reared, and gives a stanch allegiance to the Democracy. In the fall of 1904 he was the candidate of his party for the office of township trustee, but met defeat with the party ticket in general, this being the great landslide in which President Roosevelt was victorious by such phenomenal majorities. He and his wife are members of the Lutheran church.

On the 20th of December, 1888, Henry E. Branning was united in marriage to Miss Emma Bahde, daughter of Ernst and Augusta Bahde, who were early settlers in Allen county, the father having been a carpenter by trade, and having been employed in the railroad shops in Fort Wayne until 1870, when he removed with his family to Fayette county, Illinois. Her mother died June 9, 1895, and her father died January 31, 1901. Mr. and Mrs. Branning have ten children: Henry, Anna, Ernest, Clara, Martha, William, Alma Martin, Emma and Luella.

Hon. William Fleming

Few men of Allen county were as widely and favorably known as the late William Fleming. He was one of the strong and influential citizens whose lives have become an essential part of the history of this section of the state and for years his name was synonymous for all that constituted honorable and upright manhood.

William Fleming was a native of county Wicklow, Ireland, having been born not far south of the capital city of Dublin, on the r7th of June, 1828, and he was the son of Luke and Sarah (Holt) Fleming. Until the age of fourteen years he attended the national school in his native county, and was then sent to Dublin to continue his studies. In 1846 the family set sail for America, arriving safely at Quebec, Canada, but while lying in quarantine in that harbor, the father and four of the children died. The bereaved mother, with the three surviving children, all boys, then came to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where she passed her remaining days.

The subject of this sketch, after his arrival in Fort Wayne, first engaged in teaching school, being also employed at other lines of work, including stonecutting. He possessed a warm, genial nature and soon made friends of all his acquaintances. His first official position was that of deputy sheriff under Sheriff McMullen, and, at the death of that officer, he succeeded to the office, and was later, as a Democrat, twice elected to fill this responsible position. For eight years following the expiration of his last term as sheriff he served as city clerk, and in 1878 was elected state treasurer. In 1880 he was again a candidate for this office, but, with the balance of the ticket, was defeated. He was a prominent factor in the councils of his party and during his active political life was invariably a delegate to the Democratic national conventions.

As a business man Mr. Fleming had few equals in Fort Wayne and no superiors, being industrious, enterprising, and successful in all he undertook. He was one of the originators of the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad and was a director of that road until it was sold to the Vanderbilt interests. He was for a long time editor and proprietor of the Fort Wayne Sentinel, was treasurer of the Indiana School Book Company, president of the Salimonie Mining and Gas Company, vice-president and acting president of the First National Bank of Fort Wayne, president of the Hartford City Paper Company, and a stockholder and director in many other business enterprises, being actively engaged in these matters until death, on January 13, 1890, at which time he was one of the wealthy men of the state. Mr. Fleming was twice married. In January, 1850, he married Miss Ann McLaughlin, who passed away August 18, 1854, leaving two children, Luke M. and Mary E., the latter becoming the wife of Dr. L. J. Willien, of Terre Haute, Indiana. The second marriage of Mr. Fleming took place on July 7, 1859, when he wedded Miss Helen F. Mayer, a daughter of George and Catherine (Hiller) Mayer, of Germany. To the latter union were born the following children: Catherine S., wife of Dr. Dinnen; Helen G., wife of A. B. Trentman; Georgie F., wife of William McKinnie; M. Celeste; Stephen B.; Sister Mary Helen, of St. Mary's of the Woods; William; Sadie Marie. Mr. Fleming was a true and faithful member of the Roman Catholic church and rendered that church not only faithful service, but substantial financial support. He possessed many estimable qualities of character and left his impress on the city and county of his adoption.

Among the younger members of the medical profession in Allen county Dr. Smith holds a representative position, being a practitioner of the eclectic school and being amply fortified for the responsible and exacting work of his chosen vocation. He is engaged in practice in the village of Hoagland, where he is senior member of the firm of Smith & Morris, his coadjutor, Dr. Elmer E. Morris, being both a physician and a dental surgeon.

Dr. Smith is a scion of one of the well known and representative families of this county, and he was born in Hoagland on the 2oth of December, 1878, being a son of Dr. J. L. and Allie Smith, the former being now auditor of Allen county, and having devoted the major portion of his active and independent career to the practice of medicine. Of the family of ten children, six are living, the Doctor having been the second in order of birth. Dr. Smith secured his preliminary educational discipline in the public schools of his native town, where he completed a high-school course, being graduated as a member of the class of 1892. He then entered the normal school at Marion, this state, where he remained as a student until 1897, having in the meanwhile been successfully engaged in teaching school for several terms and having also made a choice of vocation, deciding to prepare himself for the medical profession and taking up a preliminary course of reading in a private way. In 1897 he was matriculated in the Eclectic Medical College in the city of Cincinnati, where he completed the prescribed technical course, and was graduated as a member of the class of 1901 with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. During intervals while attending the college he was engaged in teaching in the schools of his native county. Immediately after his graduation Dr. Smith opened an office in his native town, where he has met with gratifying success in his work, prov- ing the inapplicability of the aphorism that a "prophet is not without honor save in his own country." He is a close student, and is known as a physician and surgeon of high attainments and distinctive practical ability. He has been associated with Dr. Morris since 1902, and they control a representative practice in Hoagland and its vicinage.

In politics Dr. Smith gives his allegiance to the Democratic party, and professionally he is a member of the Indiana Eclectic Medical Association and the Alumnal Association of the Eclectic Medical Institute.

George W. Louttit

The true western spirit of progress and enterprise is strikingly exemplified in the lives of such men as Mr. Louttit, men whose energetic nature and laudable ambition have enabled them to conquer many adverse circumstances and advance steadily to leading positions in professional and business life. The subject is a worthy representative of this class, and is now a prominent figure in the legal circles of Allen county, having been successfully engaged in the practice of his profession in the city of Fort Wayne since 1890.

George W. Louttit is a native of the old Buckeye state, having first seen the light of this world at Dayton, Ohio, on the 30th day of June, 1868. He is the son of James J. and Katharine Louttit, the former a native of South Ronaldshay, Orkney islands, and the mother of Germany. Early in life the subject accompanied his parents on their removal to Fort Wayne, and here was given the benefit of attendance in the public schools. This training was supplemented by attendance at the University of Michigan, where he took a course in the law department. He was admitted to practice in the courts of Allen county, and in 1890 commenced the active practice of his profession in Fort Wayne, where he has since continued, having from the first enjoyed a liberal share of the business in his line. His abilities were soon recognized by his fellow citizens, who honored him by election as judge of the municipal court of the city of Fort Wayne, he being the first incumbent of this position, and filling the position to the entire satisfaction of the citizens of this city. In 1889 and 1901 he represented this county in the lower house of the state legislature, and there performed much efficient and valuable service in the interest of his constituents, gaining a well earned reputation as a hard-working and conscientious legislator. In matters political he has always been found aligned with the Democratic party, and

ALLEN COUNTY, INDIANA. 213 has at all times taken a deep interest in the welfare of the party in his home county. Every movement looking to the moral, social, educational or material advancement of Fort Wayne and Allen county receives his hearty endorsement and earnest support.

Although a busy man in his professional lines, Mr. Louttit has found time to devote to literary pursuits, and has won a well founded reputation as a writer. Among the productions of his pen in the line of fiction may be mentioned "A Maid of the Wildwood," "The Gentleman from Jay," "A Prince of the Church," and several other volumes which have met with a pleasing reception on the part of the public and favorable criticism from those best qualified to judge in such matters.

On the 26th of December, 1888, George W. Louttit was united in marriage with Miss Gertrude Leila Britton, who was born at Marion, Ohio, on February 16, 1870, the daughter of Nealand B. and Anna (Severance) Britton. This union has been a most happy and felicitous one, and has been blessed in the birth of the following children: James Evans, Beatrice L., Marian G. and Katharine. Clearness of vision to see, alertness of action to seize and tenacity of purpose to hold onto and make the most of opportunity, have been the elements which have largely contributed to his success, and among his professional colleagues the subject is held in high esteem because of his many estimable personal qualities.

Samuel Wolf

It is not an easy task to describe adequately a man who has led an eminently active and busy life, and who has attained a position of relative distinction in the community with which his interests are allied. But biography finds its most perfect justification, nevertheless, in the tracing and recording of such a life history. It is, then, with a feeling of satisfaction that the writer essays the task of touching briefly upon such a record as has been that of the honored subject whose life now comes under this review, Mr. Samuel Wolf, of Fort Wayne, Indiana.