Delaware County, Indiana - The whole text, 1908 (part 7 of 15)

During the days of his boyhood William C. Hoffman worked on the home farm, attending the district schools during the winter seasons. When the tocsin of war rang throughout the land he was a beardless youth, but his patriotic blood was aroused, and on October 22, 1861, he enlisted for three years in Company F, Seventy-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. On July 25, 1864, he was honorably discharged with his comrades from service, and at once re-enlisted in the same company, becoming a veteran of the regiment in which he first enlisted. On February 8, 1865, he was made corporal of his company, and in that capacity served until receiving his final discharge, July 10, 1865. With the gallant heroes of the Seventyfourth Regiment Mr. HoflFman participated in some of the more important battles and skirmishes of the war, taking part in nwre than twenty engagements, including among others the following named : Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Stone River, Buzzards Roost, Resaca, Dallas, Jonesboro and Atlanta. Returning to his Ohio home at the close of the war Mr. Hoffman resumed farming, remaining there about two years.

In 1867, following the trail established by the pioneers of old, Mr. HoflFman came to Delaware county, locating first as a farmer in Salem township and afterwards removing to Mount Pleasant township, where he was similarly employed for a number of years. Coming to Washington township in 1899, he purchased the farm which he now owns and occupies, and began its improvement by the erection of the substantial farm house, of modern structure, in which he is now living. He is not at the present time actively engaged in tilling the soil, but rents the land, deriving a good annual income from the rentals.

Mr. HoflFman married, November 30, 1871, Mary Lambert, who was born in JeflFerson county, Indiana, January 10, 1854, a daughter of John N. Lambert and a granddaughter of Noah and Elizabeth Lambert, who were among the earliest settlers of Ohio county, Indiana. John N. Lambert was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, December 26, 1830, and died June I, 1907, in Delaware county, Indiana. Coming with his parents to Indiana when a child, he was brought up in Ohio county, living there until 1854. Locating then in Delaware county, he bought fifty-six acres of land on which the timber was still standing, and ere long the steady swing of his land, and in course of time added to the area of his farm by the purchase of forty acres of adjoining land, and replaced the log cabin with a substantial frame house, in which he spent the remainder of his days, dying honored and esteemed by all. He became a man of influence in the county, and was an important factor in developing its resources. He was a Whig in politics, a member of the United Brethren church, and belonged to Delaware Lodge, L O. O. F. Mr. Lambert married, in Switzerland county, Indiana, Nancy J. Graham, who was born in that county July 12, 1831, and died in Delaware county February 16, 1879. She bore him nine children, of whom eight are living, as follows: Mary, wife of Mr. Hoffman; Joseph O. married Emma Cromer; John W. married Effie Rader; David H. married Anna Meeker ; Charles E. married Sarah Smith ;> Oliver P. married Sadie Bateman; Oscar C. married Agnes Hupp; and Josie B., wife of Charles Walker.

Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman six children have been born, namely : Vertie M., who died at the age of twenty-four years ; Milton B. married Ethel Oxley ; Bessie A., wife of Oscar O. Boxell, of whom a brief sketch appears on another page of this work; George A. married Gertrude Robbins; Harry E. married Fannie Smith; and Hattie L., wife of John Carmon. Politically Mr. Hoffman is a stanch supporter of the Republican party. Fraternally he belongs to Lookout Mountain Post No. 140, G. A. R. Religiously he and his wife are conscientious members of the Methodist Protestant church.

Jacob E. Sharp. As a life-long resident of Delaware county and an important factor in the development of its mercantile, agricultural and industrial prosperity, the late Jacob E. Sharp is specially deserving of honorable mention in this biographical and historical work. As a successful business man, a trustworthy citizen, and a man of strict integrity and high moral principles, he had the sincere respect and esteem of his neighbors and friends. He was bom in Washington township, this county, November 2, 1854, and died near Gaston August 30, 1901, while yet in manhood's prime. He was of honored pioneer descent, being a son of Thompson and Christena (Bower) Sharp, of whom a brief account may be found on another page of this volume.

Beginning life for himself as a merchant, Jacob E. Sharp had a general store in New Corner, now Gaston, for two years, carrying on quite an extensive business. Closing out then, he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, for which he had a natural aptitude and liking. Locating in Harrison township, he made substantial improvements on the farm which he purchased, including among other things the erection of a gxxxl frame house. He continued his occupation of a farmer until 1895, when he removed to a pleasant home in Gaston, where he resided until called to the better life. Although a stanch Republican in politics, Mr. Sharp never

T90 History Of Delaware County

On December 25, 1875, ^^- Sharp married Florence A. Brady, who was bom in Harrison township, this county, April 3, 1855, and into the home thus established four children were bom, namely: Elmer Vernon, who died in infancy, Avery L., Lula May and Dora Hazel. Mrs. Sharp's father, the late Aaron W. Brady, was born in Ohio September 25, 1822, and died in Delaware county, Indiana, September 13, 1879. When a child he came with his parents to Indiana, his father taking up a government claim in the wilderness, and from it reclaiming a homestead. In the days o^ his boyhood the wild beasts of the forest had not fled before the advkiicing steps of civilization, but with the dusky savage habited the vast wilderness. While assisting his father in clearing a homestead he acquired a practical knowledge that was of much use to him in after years, and when ready to commence his career as an independent farmer he took up a tract of timbered land and began the improvement of a farm. He was very successful in his undertaking, becoming the possessor of one of the most attractive and valuable homesteads in this part of the county. The humble Ic^ cabin which he reared in the forest was replaced by a comfortably built frame house, in which he spent his last years in comfort and pleasure. He was a Whig in politics until the formation of the Republican party, when he became one of its most ardent supporters, and belonged to the Methodist Episcopal church. He was buried with Masonic honors by the New Canaan Lodge No. 425, A. F. & A. M., of which he was a prominent member Mr. Brady married, in Indiana, Hannah Marshall, who was born in Clinton county, Ohio, January 13, 1821, and died January 13, 1875. She bore him eight children, of whom three survive, namely : Margaret, wife of Thomas Duncan; William, who married Eliza Hannan; and Mrs. Florence A. (Brady) Sharp.

John W. Kirklin, one of the prominent and leading business men of Washington township, was bom in Henry county, Indiana, June 25, 1859. His father, John R. Kirklin, was a native son of North Carolina, from whence he removed to Illinois and later to Henry county, Indiana, where he followed his trade of coopering and farming until 1887, since which time he has lived a retired life, making his home in Perry tow/iship, Delawarcicounty. He has reached the eightieth milestone on the journey of life, and is loved and honored in the community in which he has so long made his home. He is a member of the German Baptist church, in which he has served as a minister during the past forty years, and his political affiliations have been with the Whig and Republican parties. During his residence in Illinois Mr. Kirklin married Louisa Bmer, who was born in 1829, and died in 1861. Of the six children bom of this union four are now living: Martha, William T., Jacob and John W. The father was a second time married, Mrs. Elizabeth Richardson, nee Holler, then be-

During three years of his early business career John W. Kirklin was engaged in general merchandising in Gaston, after which he turned his attention to farming on twelve acres of lanri in Washington township. With the passing years he extended the boundaries of this little farm until he became the owner of two hundred and tlflrty-five acres, all fertile and well improved land, and here he is engaged in general farming and stock raising. In addition to his extensive agricultural interests he is also engaged in the undertaking business in Gaston in partnership with Bert Powers, he having been engaged in this vocation since 1892. He is a member of the order of Red Men, Sioux Tribe No. 123, at Gaston, Indiana, and his political affiliations are with the Republican party.

On the 29th of September, 1887. Mr. Kirklin married Sarah L. Mc- Creery, who was bom in Harrison township, Delaware county. May 23, 1866. Her father, Thomas McCreery, was one of the prominent and successful farmers of Harrison township, being held in the highest esteem by all who knew him. He was born in Carroll county, Ohio, October 7, 1826, and died on the i6th of March, 1906. He came from Ohio at an early date with his parents, with whom he lived until twenty-four years of age, when he was married. After becoming of age he worked with his father until his marriage, the latter then giving him a contract to clear eighty acres of land, while in addition he worked his father's farm on the shares. He was the son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Maynard) McCreery. The former, born in Virginia July 9, 1801, emigrated to Carroll county, Ohio, when a young man and bought one hundred acres of land, *on which he farmed and made his home until 1838, in that year coming to Delaware county and entering three hundred and sixty acres of land in the wilderness. His wife died on the 2d of February, 1889, but he survived until the 23d of November, 1893, passing away at the advanced age of ninety-three years. He was a member of the Methodist church, and was identified with the Whig party.

Thomas McCreery added to the homestead farm at different times until he at one time owned four hundred and seventeen acres, while in addition he also owned a half interest in a large store room in New Comer, now Gaston, and other property in that city. Mr. McCreery married, October 25, 1849, Miss Catherine Brown, a daughter of Samuel and Phebe Brown, natives of Qinton county, Ohio, but they became residents of the western part of Delaware county, Indiana, where the husband and father was engaged in farming. He was also a cooper by trade. Mrs. McCreery was bom April 7, 1828, and died April 15, 1886, her remains now resting in the Cumberland cemetery, where a beautiful monument stands sacred to her memory. She was a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and enjoyed the esteem of all who knew her. By this marriage the following children were bom : Samuel J., whose biography also appears in this work; Hannah E., the wife of William Janney; Rebecca, deceased; James W. ; Nathan A. ; John W. ; Sarah L., the wife of John W. Kirklin ; and Mary M., the wife of Barney Hannan. Mr. McCreery married September i8, 1888, for his second wife, Mrs. Margaret Ellen Anderson, the widow of O. Anderson and a native of Clermont county, Ohio. Mr. McCreery was a Republican in his political affiliations, and was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Five children have been bom to Mr. and Mrs. Kirklin, namely: Byrel R., born September 22, 1888; Floyd R., born June 2, 1891 ; Twily T., born December 23, 1893; Wayne L., born August 9, 1896; and Oren L., bom April 29, 1903.

Joseph A. Broyles was born in Washington township, Delaware county, Indiana, August 5, 1852, a son of Anderson H. and Harritt (Wilson) Broyles. The father was born in Greenbrier county, Virginia, August 19, 181 2, but in 1834, when twenty-two years of age, he came to Rush county, Indiana, where he worked on a farm for about two years. Not being satisfied with that location, however, he concluded to remove to another part of the state where he could procure a home of his own. It was in 1837 that he came with his father's family to Washington township, Delaware county, which was then but a dense wilderness. He built him a little log cabin and started in life in very humble circumstances, but by energj', industry and excellent business ability he became numbered among the largest real estate owners in Washington township, as well as one of its leading citizens. He was a member of the Methodist . Episcopal church for nearly fifty-five years, and when his good and useful life was ended in death, on the' 29th of December, 1879, his funeral services were held in Zion Chapel on the 31st, conducted by Rev. J. D. Croan. He gave his political support to the Whig party. On the 20th of February, 1835, during his residence in Rush county, Indiana, he was there married to Harritt Wilson, who was born in Kentucky April 9, 1812, and died in Washington township, Delaware county, Indiana, March 23, 1895. Of the eight children born of this union, four are now living: John W., William H., Lewis H. and Joseph A.

Joseph A. Broyles remained at home with his parents until his marriage, in the meantime assisting his father in the work of the farm and pursuing his education in the district schools and in the high school of Muncie. Soon after his marriage he began farming for himself on forty acres of land, later on building him a log house which served as the family home until 1902, in that year erecting the modern frame dwelling which adds so much to the value and attractive appearance of the homestead. He has improved his farm of one hundred and thirty-nine and a half acres from its primitive state to its present high degree of cultivation, having been assisted in the wca-k by his sons but in the spring of 1907 Mr. Broyles laid aside the active work of the farm and has since lived a retired life, his sons conducting the work of the homestead.

The marriage of Mr. Broyles was celebrated on the 12th of August, 1876, Eliza C. Reeder becoming his wife. She was born in Grant county, Indiana, December 25, 1850, the daughter of William H. H. and Elizabeth (Daily) Reeder. Mr. Reeder, who was bom in Ohio, took up his abode in Grant county, Indiana, during the early '40s, entering government land, and on his farm he erected the hewed log house which now serves as the home of his son, William H. H., Jr. At one time he was the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of land, most of which, he cleared himself, and his name is enrolled among the honored early pioneers of Grant county. He served as a justice of the peace for a number of years, during which time he settled a number of estates, and during an extended period he was also a member of the teacher's profession. He was reared in the faith of the Presbyterian church, and his political support was given to the Whig party. The marriage of Mr. Reeder occurred in Decatur county, Indiana, whither his wife, who was a native daughter of Kentucky, had been brought by her parents when but six years of age. During her young womanhood she united with the United Brethren in Christ church, and lived a beautiful Christian life during the remainder of her days. Mr. Reeder attained to the age of seventy-one years, dying in 1882. Five of their seven children are now living : Margaret, Eliza C, William H. H., Flora M. and Robert B. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Broyles have been born four children: Catherine R. is the wife of M. M. Schlenker, and they have three sons. William, bom October 2, 1879, ''^ts taught school every winter since he was eighteen years of age, having received an excellent training in the State Normal College at Angola, Indiana, in which he graduated August 10, 1895, and he graduated with the class of 1908 in the State University. He is now attending the Blooming^n, Indiana, University. Robert B., bom January 19, 1882, attended the Indianapolis Business College. He married Maggie Rector. Charles M., born May 14, 1884, attended the Angola Normal College. He married Leora M. Fergus. The family are members of the Methodist church, and Mr. Broyles is a Republican politically.

Randolph Beuoy, Gaston, Indiana, was born in Washing^n township, Delaware county, Indiana, August 14, 1834, and is the oldest living native of that township. He is a son of Thomas and Mary (Heart) Beuoy.

Thomas Beuoy was bom in West Virginia, June 3, 1786, and devoted the major portion of his life to agricultural pursuits. He earned his first money by hunting and trapping in Ohio, having entered Ohio before it had become a state. He had the distinction of being one of those who saw the first steamboat which came down the Ohio river. When fifteen years of age he helped to build the court house at Waynesburg, West Virginia. He later removed to Wheeling, Virginia, when there were but three shops in the town. He suffered from a severe attack of fever when but a young man, and hope for his recovery was given up, but thanks to previous sound health and careful nursing he recovered. He purchased his first land, an eighty acre timber tract, in Guernsey county, Ohio, with money which he had made by hunting and trapping. Later he added an additional eighty acres to this tract, and built upon the property a double hewed log house. He made a trip, with his pony and dog, to Fort Wayne, Indiana, then down the Wabash river, and up the Mississinewa to the point where the city of Marion now stands. At tWs point he encountered a young man and his wife engaged in building themselves a log cabin. These were the first white people he had met on his trip. From this point he continued to Wheeling and then returned to Ohio, and in the spring of 1832, removed with his wife and children to Washington township, Delaware county, Indiana. He entered two hundred acres of timber land at the land office in Fort Wayne, and upon this holding erected the first frame house in Washington township, and before he died he presented to each of his sons tracts of land varying from eighty to one hundred acres. He belonged to the primitive Baptist church; was originally a Democrat, next a Whig and finally a Republican. His death occurred August 27, 1865. The mother of our subject was born in Virginia in May, 1785, and is now deceased. She was the mother of twelve children, two of whom are living, Randolph, our subject, and Benoni.

Randolph Beuoy as a boy worked upon his father's farm helping to clear the land and put it into condition for cultivation, and managed to get a couple of months' schooling in the winter months. When he reached the age of seventeen his father turned the farm over to him and he managed the same until his father's death, when he and his brother Benoni farmed the land in partnership. In the fall of 1877 Mr. Beuoy built the attractive house in which he now resides. He has retired from active work and rents the farm but still maintains his residence on the place. He and his wife are among the organizers of their local primitive Baptist church. In politics he is a Republican and has voted for every Republican nominee for the presidency since the days of John C. Fremont,

On January 14, 1858, Mr. Beuoy was united in marriage to Miss Eliza McVicker, who was bom in Blackford county, Indiana, January 9, 1837. She is the daughter of Aaron and Elizabeth (Brunner) McVicker. The father was bom in Guernsey county, Ohio, in September, 1810, and died March 18, i860, and the mother was born in Hampshire county, Virginia, May 4, 181 1, and died in September, 1875. Of a family of thirteen children but four are living: Eliza, wife of our subject, James, Harriet, and Eli. Mr. McVicker located in Blackford county in 1834. He was a member and a deacon of Primitive Baptist church, and a great Bible student. In politics he was a Jeflferson Democrat children : William B. Jones, who lived with them until he was twenty-two years of age, Lizzie Leard, and Lulu Beuoy. There are eight grandchildren in the family.

Monroe Dorton^ a prominent and well known business man of Washington township, is a native son of the Hoosier state, bom in its county of Union March 30, 1852, and there his parents, Henry and Phebe (Rose) Dorton, also had their nativity, the father bom on the loth of September, 1826, and the mother November 8, 1829. They were married on the 28th of November, 1849, ^" Union county, and the mother is now living in Mathews, having long survived her husband, who died on the 4th of July,

The boyhood days of Monroe Dorton were spent at work on his father's farm, attending the district schools during the winter months, and soon after his marriage he purchased a livery business at Jonesboro, Grant county, Indiana. After about one year there he sold his business and removed to Dunkirk, this state, where he erected a bam and continued the livery business about two years. Again selling, he came to Washington township, Delaware county, and bought forty acres of land of David HoUis in section 16, which he farmed, and later purchased fifty acres where he now lives. In 1892 he erected on this homestead a fine farm residence, while in 1902 was built his modern and commodious bam. During his business career Mr. Dorton has been connected with various lines of trade, having spent nine years with the Deering Harvester Company in selling their machines through Indiana and Ohio, while during one year he was also associated with the Intemational Harvester Company at Richmond and two years at Fort Wayne. During the years of 1875-6 he was engaged in the constmction of gravel roads throughout Washington township.

Mr. Dorton married Samantha Dunn December 14, 1873. She is a native daughter of Washington township, born on the 31st of May, 1851, her parents being Thomas and Sarah (Reasoner) Dunn, natives respectively of Virginia and Ohio, the father bom on the 25th of July, 181 2, and the mother on the 26th of February, 181 5. They were married in Blackford county, Indiana, July 19, 1838, and became the parents of nine children, the. four now living being John C, who married Sarah Horner, deceased; Mary.H., the wife of Esla Stephenson; Sarah Jane, the wife of Richard A. Watson ; and Samantha, Mrs. Dorton.

Mr. Dunn came from Ohio to Indiana with his parents in 1826, when but eleven years of age. He was the son of John and Catherine (Knight) Dunn, early and honored pioneers of the Hoosier state. Soon after his marriage the son built him a log house in section 16, Washington township, where he had entered one hundred and sixty acres of timber land at the government office at Fort Wayne, while later on he entered forty acres more. During the early years of his business career Mr. Dunn worked at the carpenter's trade, and in 1864 he purchased of Mr. James Kisner a saw and flouring mill at New Cumberland, Indiana, which he conducted up to the time of his death, although he was not himself a miller. He served as the township trustee for twelve years, and in 1865 he sold his farm to remove to New Cumberland, and there his busy and useful life was ended in death on the 15th of October, 1881, his wife surviving him just ten years, and dying on the 19th of July, 1891. He was a worthy and acceptable member of the Presbyterian church, in which he served as a deacon during the long period of about thirty-five years. His political affiliations were with the Whigs until the dissolution of that party and the formation of the Republican in 1856, when he joined the ranks of the latter party. One son has blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Dorton, Charles C, who is engaged in farming in Douglas county, Missouri. He married Qara Richardson, and they have three daughters, Clara I., Mary A. and Beatrice. Mr. Dorton was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church from the age of sixteen years until 1896, but since that time he has held membership relations with the Presbyterian church.

James Wesley McCarty. Throughout his entire business life James Wesley McCarty has been connected with journalistic work, and now as the editor and proprietor of the New Gas Light he holds an enviable positi(Mi in journalistic circles throughout the county. The paper was named from the first gas well discovered in Indiana, located at Eaton, and was purchased by Mr. McCarty on the loth of February, 1902. The journal has a large circulation and a splendid advertising patronage, and since coming under the supervision of Mr. McCarty it has more than doubled its patronage.

James W. McCarty was bom in Boxley, Hamilton coimty, Indiana, May ^2^ 1871, but his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson McCarty, farming people, were bom and reared in Brown county, Ohio. During his boyhood days their son attended the public schools of Boxley and graduated with the class of June, 1888. As soon as his education was completed he went to Sheridan, Indiana, and began work at the printer's trade, working as a journalist throughout the entire "gas belt," and, as above stated, he purchased the New Gas Light in 1902, and has since continued as its editor and proprietor. In June, 1907, he was elected the secretary of the Eighth District Editorial Association of Indiana, and he is also a member of the fratemal orders of Knights of Pythias and the Red Men. He takes an active part in the work of the order of Red Men, and is the past sachem of his lodge.

In Tipton, Indiana, September 10, 1892, Mr. McCarty married Miss Marinda Lawson, a daughter of Nathaniel Lawson, of near Gaston, Indiana. A daughter. Miss Myrtle Ruby, was born to them in Muncie on the 25th of June, 1894, and she is their only child. Mrs. McCarty was bom near Kokomo, in Howard county, Indiana. The family are members of the Christian church.

mounted obstacles and who has gained recognition for intrinsic worth of character is Taylor G. Gibson, one of the leading agriculturists of Delaware county. He was born in its township of Monroe December 5, 1859, 2tnd is a representative of one of the county's earliest pioneer families. His grandfather, Robert Gibson, a native of the Carolinas, established his home in Monroe township, Delaware county, in a very early day, when this section of the state was a comparative wilderness. He built him a little cabin home, and there his son Taylor, the father of our subject, was born on the i6th of October, 1834, and there he spent his boyhood days. When he had reached the age of twenty-one years he engaged in farming for himself, following that occupation until his busy and useful life was ended in death, October 13, 1866. During the period of the Civil war he oflFered his services to his country and became a member of Company B, One Hundred and Sixty-ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, enlisting at Muncie, and he was made the captain of his company. He was a prominent and worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he also served as a minister of the gospel, being an efficient worker in the cause of Christianity. In the early days he supported the principles of the Whig party, and after the formation of the Republican party he joined its ranks.

In Monroe township, Delaware county, on the nth of September, 1852, Mr. Gibson married Miss Amanda Tuttle, who was born in Warren county, Ohio, April 18, 1835, and of their six children five are now living: Amelia E., who married Robert Williams and resides in Dayton, Ohio ; Robert R., who married Jane Perry and lives in Muncie ; Taylor G., whose name introduces this review; John W., who married Christena McFail and lives in Muncie; Thomas P., who is married and lives in Indianapolis. After the death of the husband and father Mrs. Gibson married James A. Stafford, who was bom in Giles county, Virginia, October 28, 1846, and they became the parents of three children : Emery W., who married Jessie Hoover, and their home is in Hammond, Indiana ; Samuel H., a resident of Dunkirk, this state; and Jennie P., the wife of William Rawson, of Shideler, Delaware county.

During his boyhood days Taylor G. Gibson, of this review, attended the public schools of Monroe township. His father died when he was a little lad of seven years, and for one year thereafter he made his home with Mr. George W. Himes, and from that time until he was twenty-two years of age his home was with William Tuttle. Prom the early age of sixteen years he worked as a farm hand, and there are few men who can more justly claim the proud American title of a self-made man than Taylor G. Gibson. In his twenty-second year he engaged in agricultural pursuits for himself, and farming has continued as his life work, and he has won success in the calling. In 1893 ^^ erected a pleasant and commodious residence on his valuable estate, which is under an excellent state of cultivation, and in addition to his general agricultural pursuits he is also engaged in stock raising, feeding about one hundred head of hogs and about one carload of cattle each year.

The Republican party receives his active support and cooperaticMi, and as its representative he has served in many local positions, including that of township trustee, of which he was the incumbent from the 6th of November, 1900, until the ist of January, 1905, and in the following year was elected a member of the county council, in which he is now serving.

On the 22d of February, 1882, Mr. Gibson was united in marriage to Miss Rosetta Gumpp, who was bom in Union township, Delaware county, July 4, 1859, a daughter of David and Susan (Younce) Gumpp, the former of whom was bom in Miami county, Ohio, December 25, 1833. The mother, who is now deceased, was a daughter of Andrew Younce, and of her four children two are now living - Rosetta, who became the wife of Mr. Gibson, and Sarah, the wife of Samuel Bassinger, of Union township. For his second wife Mr. Gumpp married Mrs. M. Younce, nee Shaffer, November 28, 1902. In the fall of 1835 Mr. Gumpp came with his parents to Delaware county, Indiana, where the father, Jacob Gumpp, entered government land in Union township, having been one of its earliest pioneers. His son David grew to years of maturity in this then frontier settlement, and he was identified with ag^cultural pursuits until in 1902, when he laid aside the active cares of a business life and removed to Eaton. During the long period of sixteen years he served as a supervisor, representing the Republican party, and he is a member of the German Baptist church. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Gibson has been blessed with eight children, namely: Leora, bora February 12, 1883, married Earl Horn, and they reside in Union township; Robert H., bom July 9, 1885; Leroy C., bom January 28, 1886; Edith L., born September 15, 1887, died September 8, 1888; Bertha M., bom April 24, 1889; Warren R., September 5, 1893 ; Sarah I., August 8, 1896; and Martha A., July 20, 1899. Mr. and Mrs. Gibson are members of the Christian church, in which he has served as a tmstee and deacon, and in the advancement of whatever is for the best interest of the community his influence can be safely relied upon.

John W. Long. One of the families which have been prominent in the history of Delaware county from its early days is that now worthily represented by the subject of this review, Mr. John W. Long, one of the leading business men of Eaton. For many years they have occupied a distinctive place in the affairs of city and county, and in the glorious labor of transforming the county from a wildemess to its present high state of prosperity they have been active and zealous. Mr. Long was born on the old homestead, which now forms a part of the town of Eaton, April 19, 1846, a son of William Austin and Anna (McLaughlin) Long, who were married on the 28th of October, 1841, in Delaware county, Indiana. They were respectively of Scotch and Irish descent, and the father was bom in Clinton county, Ohio, November 16, 1815, and died in Delaware county in 1883, while the mother was born in Logan county, Ohio, in 1823, and died at the age of forty-one years, in 1864. Seven children were bom of this union, of whom five are now living: Lucetta, who married Joseph Hinton and resides in Washington township, Delaware county ; America D., the wife of William Cox, of Delaware county ; Martha J., who became the wife of John Morris and resides in Eaton, Indiana; Mary L., the wife of John Picksely, also of Eaton ; and John W., whose name introduces this review.

It was in April, 1837, that Mr. William A. Long became a citizen of Delaware county, Indiana, making the journey hither with ox teams and in ccMnpany with his father, they establishing their home in the then wilderness of Union township. The land was covered with a dense growth of timber, it having been necessary to clear a space sufficient to erect their little log cabin, and in 1844 the elder Mr. Long built a frame barn, fortysix by fifty-two feet in dimensions, hewing the lumber from the logs, and this building yet stands in good repair. Some of the girders in this barn are twelve by sixteen inches. Mr. William A. Long purchased one of the first McCormick reapers brought into Delaware county, and he was always among the first to adopt the new improvements and further the movements and measures which placed this county on a par with those of the older east. His path was marked by good deeds, by honest purpose, by commendable industry and worthy motives, and his name is recorded with the honored and revered pioneers of Delaware county. During his later life he became identified with the mercantile interests of Eaton, forming a partnership with his nephew, Lemon Long, in the hardware and g^rocery trade, but he closed out the business in June, 1880, after the death of his partner. During the long period of forty-three years he was a worthy member of the Christian church, and in the early days he gave his political support to the Whig party, voting for William Henry Harrison in 1840. He was a prominent anti-slavery man and a supporter of the underground railroad. During many years he was numbered among the leading citizens of Union township, a social, genial gentleman, with whom it was a pleasure to meet and converse.

When twenty-one years of age Mr. John W. Long engaged in agricultural pursuits for himself, having previously assisted his father in clearing the timber from the old homestead and placing the fields under cultivation. He carried the chain used in the laying out of the town of Eaton, he being then a little lad of twelve years, and a part of this town was located on his father's first land purchase. In the spring of 1868 he made the journey by stage and rail to Omaha, thence up the Missouri river twenty-three hundred miles to Fort Benton, and from there drove a six-ox team to Helena, Montana. The country at that time was a wild and unbroken wilderness, and during the trip he saw many buffaloes and Indians, but no white men. During the summer of 1868 he worked in the gold mines of Helena, and at the close of the period made the return journey with ox teams to Fort Benton. While journeying down the river to Omaha he saw a drove of many hundreds of buffalo, which they shot for meat and left the hides. In this long and perilous journey Mr. Long passed through about twenty states and territories, and witnessed much of the western life in the early days. He now owns a farm of two hundred and seven acres of land near Eaton, while his home place consists of twenty-five acres of the old homestead and located in the town of Eaton. His pleasant and commodious residence was built in 1886. He was one of the organizers of the Eaton Oil Company, and also of the Farmers State Bank, which opened its doors for business on the 26th of December, 1894. From the time of its organization until the 7th of January, 1898, he served as the first vice president of the institution, but since that time has been its president. He was elected a member of the Advisory Board of Delaware county in 1900, serving in that position for two terms.

The marriage of Mr. Long was celebrated on the 13th of March, 1876, when Miss Rufina Smith became his wife. She was born in Iowa on the 20th of April, 1854, a daughter of Stephen A. and Susan (Martin) Smith, both natives of Ohio, and both died in Indiana when forty-five years of age. They were the parents of fourteen children, ten of whom are now living: John, Rufina, Mary A., Clark, Stephen, Martha, Louis, Lillie, William and Walter. The father, who was a life-long agriculturist, came to Delaware county during his early manhood and was married in Muncie. He afterward moved to Iowa and lived there for some years, returning thence to Delaware county, where he spent the remainder of his life. He was a Republican in his political affiliations, a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity, and was a worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Three sons have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Long. The eldest, Austin, died at the age of eighteen years. Harry, born July 26, 1882, married Clara Davis, and they reside in Muncie, where he is a prominent and well-known attorney. The third son, Robert W., bom October 28, 1884, attended the agricultural college of Perdue University at Lafayette, and is now conducting the farm. Mr. Long is a stalwart supporter of Republican principles, and is a member of the Christian church.

James M. Atkinson, M. D. Delaware county, Indiana, has its full quota of skilled physicians and surgeons, and among them may be noted the subject of this review, Dr. James M. Atkinson. He was born in Warren, Trumbull county, Ohio, June 18, 1863, and traces his descent to the mother country of England, from whence his paternal great-grandfather emigrated to the United States to seek freedom and liberty, but for two years was held a prisoner in the New York bay on shipboard by the English government. He emigrated to this country prior to the Revolutionary war. His son and the grandfather of the Doctor, John Atkinson, was born in Virginia August 11, 1785, and died in Ohio on the 24th of June, 1865. It was in 1832 that he became a resident of the Buckeye state, establishing his home in Trumbull county, where he built a log cabin and cleared his land. He afterward removed to Henry county, that state, where a second time he cleared and improved a farm, the patent for this land having been signed by President William Henry Harrison and is still retained by the Atkinson family. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, participating under General Harrison in the battle of Monroe or Fort Meigs, and in that engagement his brother lost his life.

James Atkinson, the father of the Doctor, was bom in Virginia April 16, 1825, and when seven years of age accompanied his father on his removal to Ohio. The remainder of his life was spent in Trumbull county, from whence he passed to his reward on the i8th of March, 1877. His business career was devoted to agricultural pursuits, and for a number of years he served as superintendent of the Trumbull County Infirmary. He was a great Bible student and became a local minister in his church, laboring faithfully and earnestly in the cause of Christianity. In Warren, Ohio, on the 14th of March, 1861, he married Lucy A. Fox, who was born in that state on the nth of February, 1836, and is now living in Youngstown, Ohio, with her daughter, Mrs. Mildred W. Baldwin, her time being divided with her daughter and two sons. She is a daughter of George Fox, who was bom in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but in an early day removed with his parents to Washington county, Pennsylvania, where he married Miss Mary Defenbaugh, whose father was one of the first merchants in that county. Shortly after their marriage the young couple took up their abode in Trumbull county, Ohio, locating on the banks of the Mahoning river, where the country was then new and wild, Indians and game of all kinds being plentiful, but there were few white people in the community at that time. The subject of this review can well remember of his grandmother telling him of her life there, and of one story in particular when on a winter's day their big dog was barking on the ice on the river, and going to see why he was barking found he was guarding a large deer. Taking a butcher knife she went on the ice and killed the deer, which furnished the family with meat for some time. The last Indian which she saw in that section of the country was across the river, sitting on the bank lonely and sad, and she being alone in the cabin at the time had some fear for her safety, but he finally disappeared in the woods. She lived to the good old age of eighty-four years, and spent her last days on the old homestead. Of the six children born to Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson three are now living: James M., whose name introduces this review ; Mildred W., who was born June 20, 1869, married Clayton L. Baldwin, and is living at Youngstown, Ohio, where he is serving as constable; and Terry Smith, born December 7, 1874, is agent for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company at Girard, CMiio.

Dr. James M. Atkinson pursued the literary course in the Grand River Institute at Austinburg, Ohio, and graduated on the 4th of June, 1885, and he later entered the medical department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he completed the course with the class of 1893. On the 14th of September of the same year he came to Eaton, Indiana, and engaged in the practice of medicine. Here he has gained an eminent place among the medical practitioners, and has been accorded a large and representative patronage. On the ist of February, 1894, the Doctor was united in marriage to Indiaola Cross, who was born in Winslow, New Jersey, April 16, 1864, the daughter of Samuel R. and Annie M. (Kichenbauer) Cross. Her great-grandmother, Rebecca Lee, was a cousin of the celebrated General Robert E. Lee. Samuel R. Cross was born in Hammonton, New Jersey, December 2, 1839, ^ind his death occurred in Muncie, Indiana, May 12, 1901, while the mother was bom at Bates Mills, New Jersey, January II, 1844, 2ind is now living with her daughter, Mrs. R. P. Allaman, in Dayton, Ohio. They were married on the 14th of July, 1863, and became the parents of six children, of whom four are' now living: Indiaola, the wife of Dr. Atkinson; Ardana, the wife of F. C. Runyon, of Glendive, Montana; Decla, the wife of R. P. Allaman, of Dayton, Ohio; and Herbert, who married Jaknia Racer and lives ill Utica, Ohio. Mr. Cross, the father, remained on the farm with his parents until the time of his marriage, when he learned the glass cutter's trade and followed that occupation until four years of the time of his death. He was one of the village fathers of the borough of Cleveland, New York, where he lived for many years. In 1892 he came to Blackford county, Indiana, and in 1895 took up his abode in Muncie. His fraternal relations were with the Odd Fellows and the Masonic orders. He affiliated with Cleveland Lodge, No. 613, A. F. & A. M., but after his removal to Muncie he demitted from that lodge and became a member of Delaware Lodge, A. F. & A. M., receiving the honors of a Masonic burial at the time of his death. He was a stanch Republican in his political affiliations. Two children have been born to Dr. and Mrs. Atkinson, Indiaola, bom April 24, 1895, and James M., Jr., bom August

Dr. Atkirtson has membership relations with the following medical societies : the County, District, State and National, and he is also a charter member of Eaton Lodge, No. 606, A. F. & A. M. He joined the order at Hartford City and was demitted to the Eaton Lodge. He was one of the organizers of the Modem Woodmen of America in this city, of which he served as medical examiner, was also surgeon for the Indiana Union Traction lines, and has been medical examiner for a number of insurance companies. The Doctor is a prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and is a valued factor in church, fraternal, professional and business circles, while his upright life and genial temperament have gained him many friends.

Ephraim and Rebecca Leaird, having come from Ohio to Indiana at an early period of its statehood and here spent their remaining years, the grandmother dying February 9, 1855, in the fifty-fifth year of her age, and the grandfather on February 15, 1862, at the age of sixty-three years and five months.

William H. Leaird was bom March 5, 1836, in Ohio, and died August 7, 1877, in Union township, this county, on the farm which he had cleared from the wilderness. A small boy when brought by his parents to Indiana, while growing to man's estate he was well trained in habits of industry, economy and thrift. Starting out in life for himself as an agriculturist, he bought one hundred and twenty acres of wild land lying in Union township and began its improvement. Bears, deer, wolves and other beasts of the forest roamed unmolested at the time he began the arduous task of constructing a home for himself and family. Ambitious, persevering and hard-working, he succeeded in his efforts, and was here employed in profitably tilling the soil until his death. He 'was a highly respected man, a Whig in politics, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He married, in Washington township, this county, Louisa M. Beuoy, who was born in the place August 19, 1836, and died on the home farm April 4, 1877. Of the five children bom to them but two are living: Mattie, wife of Albert Dorton, and Thomas, of whom we write.

Being left fatherless when but six years old Thomas Leaird was taken into the home of Benoni Beuoy, with whom he remained until twenty-one years old. Taking affairs then into his own hands, he went to Wyoming, where he spent eighteen months on a cattle ranch. Returning to Washington township, this county, he lived there a few months, and then made another trip to the West, going to Colorado, where he lived eight months with his sister Lizzie. During the following year Mr. Leaird, who married on his return from Colorado, remained in Washington township. Taking possession then of the homestead farm on which he was bom, he has since resided here, carrying on farming and stock raising after the most approved modem methods. His farm contains seventy acres of as good and productive land as can be found in the neighborhood, and under his wise care and management yields harvests of the grains and fruits common to this region. He is constantly adding to the value of his estate by improvements of a high character, in 1897 having put up a substantially built and comfortable house, this, with the other buildings, giving an air of thrift and prosperity of which any farmer might well be proud.

Mr. Leaird has been twice married. He married first, March 27, 1893, Mrs. Minnie Heath, nee Shaffer, who was born in Hamilton township, this county, in 1862, a daughter of Amos Shaffer. She died in early womanhood, January 15, 1897, leaving two children, Wave and Mattie. On May 30, 1898, Mr. Leaird married for his second wife Mary Cox, who was bom in Howard county, Indiana, September 11, 1866, a daughter of Zimri and Comelia (Jackson) Cox. A life-long resident of Indiana, Mr. Cox was born August lo, 1818, in Hamilton county, and died August 23, 1869, in Howard county. He followed the trade of a blacksmith in his native county during his earlier life, but subsequently established a smithy in Howard county, and there spent his remaining days. He was a member of the Friends church, and was a Whig in politics until 1856, when he cast his presidential vote for the Republican candidate, John C. Fremont. Mr. Cox married, in Wayne county, Indiana, Cornelia Cox, who was bom in Guilford county, North Carolina, August 16, 1828, and died in Delaware county, Indiana, May 6, 1895. She bore him five children, as follows: Laurinda, wife of L. Study; Ellen M., wife of Joseph M. Stafford, of whom a brief sketch appears elsewhere in this work ; Charles ; William B., deceased, married Belle Miller; and Mary, wife of Mr. Leaird. Mr. and Mrs. Leaird have a family of six bright and interesting children, namely: Esther, Margaret, William T., Helen, Dorothea N. and Maxine. Politically Mr. Leaird uniformly supports the principles of the Republican party, and religiously both he and Mrs. Leaird are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

David Brandt. Although the town of Eaton, Indiana, is but a small part of the county of Delaware, it has more than its portion of successful business men, and among these the gentleman for whom this sketch is written was well and favorably known. He was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, July 3, 1815, a son of David and Martha (Hamilton) Brandt, the former bom in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, October 22, 1776, and the latter near Shippensburg, of the same state, July 27, 1775. The mother was called to the home beyond on the 17th of July, 1847, her husband surviving her about two years, and they became the parents of thirteen children: Adam, Barbara, Eve, Francis, Mary, John, George, David, Ruth, Samuel, Jacob, Martin and Isaac. During the early years of his life Mr. Brandt, the father, was connected with educational interests as a teacher, while at the same time he was engaged in the making of saddles and in farming, his interests being many and varied, and his name became well known in the professional and business circles of the community in which he made his home. When seventy-eight years of age he moved to DeKalb county, Indiana, and took charge of the postoffice there, continuing to attend to his official duties until within two weeks of the time of his death. He was a German Baptist in his religious belief and was very devout in his Christian duties. His declaration to his sons that he would leave them a leeacv of an unblemished life was carried out, and his memory

David Brandt, Jr., was reared to manhood's estate in his native county of Fairfield, Ohio, and there he also learned and followed the shoemaker's trade until 1840. On the 17th of February of that year he left the Buckeye state and journeyed to Cass county, Indiana, where he was engaged in the manufacture of shoes until the 15th of May, 1842, coming thence to Delaware county and resuming his trade in Union township.. In 1851 he took up his abode in the town of Eaton, with the commercial interests of which he was ever after prominently identified, and became one of its most prominent business men, owning a dry goods store and also dealing in boots and shoes. Mr. Brandt witnessed the growth of this section of the country from a wilderness to its present advanced state of civilization. At the time of his arrival here it was an almost unbroken forest, the site of his late place of business being then covered with brambles, and he would relate in a most interesting manner tales of those early times when all settlers stood upon the same social plane and good feeling and hospitality were universal. During his long residence here he witnessed many changes, some for the better, but others not so much so. He at one time owned four hundred acres of land, but sold all but eighty acres, which lies in Union township.

On the 22d of October, 1842, Mr. Brandt was married to Miss Jane Long, bom in Qinton county, Ohio, a daughter of Robert and Jane (Woodruff) Long, natives of Kentucky and of Irish ancestry. The following children were born of this union : John, who enlisted in the Sixtyfourth Indiana Volunteer Infantry September 20, 1863, for service in the Civil war, and died January 12," 1864, i^ Chattanooga Hospital No. 4; Robert, whose sketch will be found elsewhere in this work; Martha, the wife of Daniel Endee, of Eaton ; Alice, the widow of Mitchell Neff Wayman; Elmira, who married James Long and resides in Nebraska. Mrs. Brandt died April 15, 1861, and she was a worthy member of the Disciple church. On the 17th of April, 1862, Mr. Brandt married Mrs. Susan Sabin, who was born near Germantown, Montgomery county, Ohio, August 27, 1827, a daughter of Beniah and Sarah (Shafer) Eshenfelder, of German descent. Five children blessed their union: Louise, Willie, Viola, Chloe and Gertrude. For more than forty years Mr. and Mrs. Brandt were members of the Christian church, and he at last was the only one now left of the original organizers of the church in this locality and a member for sixty years. A Republican in his political affiliations, he voted for William Henry Harrison in 1836, and in 1892 for Benjamin Harrison. Fraternally he had memt)ership relations with the Masonic order, and exemplified its beneficent principles in his every day life.

who established their home in the wilds of Delaware county in an early day. The father was born in the western part of Pennsylvania January i, 1816, and in an early day located in Ohio, while later he came to Delaware county, Indiana, and established his home in section 19, Union township. In the dense wilderness he erected him a Uttle log cabin, and with the passing years he performed his full share in transforming this region from a wild and frontier district to a fertile land of farms and villages, and to him also belongs the credit of assisting to cut the roads through the dense forests. He became the owner of four hundred and seventy acres of fine farming land, and during many years was numbered among the leading business men of the county, as well as one of its honored pioneers. His political aflSliations were with the Whig party. In Union township Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to one of Delaware county's native daughters, Ruth Ag^ew, her birth occurring on the 17th of February, 1824, and they became the parents of the following children: Andrew and John, twins, bom July 10, 1843, but the latter died in infancy, and Andrew died February 17, 1906; Caleb, born October 17, 1844, died March 29, 1905 ; Maria Jane, born March 20, 1846, married George Hedgland, and both are now deceased; and Mrs. McMahan. The wife and mother died in 1874, and Mr. Johnson afterward married Susan Miller, who is now living in Eaton, and they had one son, Charles L. Mr. Johnson was called to his final rest on the 14th of October, 1880, and thus ended the life of one of Delaware county's most honored pioneers and business men.

Mrs. McMahan was first married to Benton Thompson, September 19, 1875. He was bom in Ohio in 1851, and after a life devoted to agricultural pursuits passed away in death on the 4th of March, 1884, a worthy member of the German Baptist church. On the 20th of September, 1888, she was united in marriage to Winfield W. McMahan, one of the county's prominent agriculturists and business men. He was bom in Madison county, Indiana, June 23, 1853, a son of Joel McMahan, who for a number of years was a farmer and toll collector near Alexandria, Indiana. He gave to his son Winfield an excellent educational training and in time the latter became one of Delaware county's most prominent business men, while for four years he also served in the office of township assessor. He held fratemal relations with New Comer Lodge, No. 425, I. O. O. F., at Gaston, Indiana, and gave a stanch and unfaltering support to the principles of the Republican party. During a number of years he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in its faith he passed away in death on the 19th of December, 1903. '^Throughout the period of his residence in this community he was ever true to the trusts reposed in him, whether of a public or private nature, and his reputation in business circles was unassailable. He commanded the respect of all by his upright life and engraved his name indelibly on the pages of Delaware county's history. To Mr. and Mrs. McMahan was born one son, Harry J., whose birth occurred on the 15th of March, 1894.

Harrison Strong. Among the leading citizens of Union township, Delaware county, is numbered Harrison Strong, a representative agriculturist. He was bom in Greene county, Ohio, November i8, 1840, a son of George W. and Nancy (Hummer) Strong, respectively of Irish and German descent. When five years of age the father was taken from Vermont to Greene county, Ohio, where he grew to years of maturity and was married. During the long period of forty-four years he resided near Jamestown and at the close of that period, during the winter of 1844, he sold his farm and came to Blackford county, Indiana, where he purchased land and resided for twelve years. At the time of his arrival there the county was a comparative wilderness, and building him a little log cabin he began the arduous task of clearing his land from its dense growth of timber, having nearly succeeded in his task when he sold the farm and came to Union township, Delaware county, here purchasing one hundred and twenty acres of land, which had been nearly cleared, and the old log barn which he built is still standing in a god state of preservation, the board shingles which he split out of blocks still covering it. On this farm he sepnt the remainder of his life and died on the 27th of April, 1863, when he had reached the seventy-second milestone on life's journey. Mrs. Nancy Strong, his wife, died on the 6th of September, 1864, at the age of sixty-one years, and they now lie buried in the Ashenfeller cemetery, where a beautiful monument stands sacred to their memory. He had a sister, Elizabeth, the wife of William Galbraith, living in Grant county.

Mr. George W. Strong was first married to Sarah Mindenhall and they became the parents of eight children: Martin, deceased; Theophilas, now deceased, was a farmer in Iowa ; Moses, who was living in Ohio ; Jefferson, who was a farmer in Iowa; Prudence, deceased; Susanna, the widow of Osbom Lamar and a resident of Madison county, Indiana; Martha, the widow of David Glass and a resident of Greene county, Ohio; and Benjamin, deceased. The wife and mother, who was bom in Greene county, Ohio, died in the fall of 1835, and for his second wife Mr. Strong chose Nancy Hummer, by whom he had three children, two sons and a daughter: Elizabeth, deceased; Harrison, whose name introduces this review; and George W., also deceased. Mr. Strong, the father, was a worthy member of the Baptist church, and in early life gave his political support to the Whigs, but later became identified with the Democratic party.

Harrison Strong spent his boyhood days with his parents, attending school during the winter months and assisting his father with the work of the farm until his marriage, when he settled upon the old homestead of one hundred and twenty acres of partially cleared land. By hard work and rigid economy he succeeded in making it one of the valuable estates of Delaware county, adorned with a pleasant and commodious residence and many outbuildings, and everything about the place shows Mr. Strong to be an excellent farmer. He is also extensively engaged in the raising of stock, his specialty being Shorthorn cattle and high grade horses and hogs. He was one of the organizers and is a stockholder in the Farmers' State Bank at Eaton, being also one of the directors in that institution. He has sunk four gas wells on his farm, which were in a prosperous condition, and in addition to his many other interests he is interested in gold mining in Colorado.

On the 25th of August, 1863, Mr. Strong was united in marriage to Naomi, a daughter of Samuel and Jane (Haight) Ervin, who moved from Maryland to Pennsylvania, and after a short residence in the latter state, to Ohio. For a number of years that commonwealth continued as their home, and they then came to Union township, Delaware county, Indiana, where for about eight years they lived on one hundred and sixty acres of land. At the close of that period they removed to Blackford county, Indiana, there purchasing a farm of two hundred and eighty acres, and there they spent the remainder of their lives, the father passing to his final rest on the nth of October, 1878, and the mother on the 14th of July, 1849. This honored old couple now sleep in Mt. Zion cemetery. They had four children, three sons and a daughter: Naomi, who became the wife of Mr. Strong; William L., a farmer of Blackford county, Indiana; Robert, deceased; and John B., also deceased. Six children have been bom to Mr. and Mrs. Strong, namely : Mary A., the wife of William Michael, of Union township; Samuel W., who died at the age of twenty-seven years; William A., who married Stella Smith and resides in Union township; Nancy J., who died in 1872, aged three years; Emma E., who died at fourteen years of age in 1885 ; and Lizzie May, at home. Mr. Strong is a Prohibitionist in his political affiliations and he has served in many of the principal offices of his township, including those of deputy assessor for two terms, supervisor of roads, and as school director for a number of years. Mrs. Strong is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and although not a member, he is liberal in its support. They are estimable people who enjoy the warm regard of a large circle of friends and acquaintances.

Alexander Dunn. During many years Mr. Alexander Dunn was an honored and esteemed citizen of Delaware county. He was long and prominently identified with its agricultural interests and he commanded the respect of all by his upright life. He was bom near Somerville, Somerset county, New Jersey, July 6, 1823, a son of Simeon and Margaret (Dunn) Dunn, in whose family were six children, four sons and two daughters. The father was a farmer and stock buyer in New Jersey.

then erected was burned, and in its place he erected a fine two-story dwelling of modern style and architecture, and there he spent the remainder of his life and died on the 13th of July, 1904, being laid to rest in the Union cemetery, Rev. G. W. Martin officiating. He became one of the most prominent farmers of Union township, and was also extensively engaged in stock raising. His political affiliations were with the Democratic party.

On the 19th of September, 1866, Mr. Dunn was united in marriage to Sabrina Williamson, who was bom in Ohio July 30, 1831, a daughter of Peter and Rosanna (Shaffer) Williamson, the former a native of Scioto county, Ohio, and the latter of Germany. They became the parents of eleven children, five sons and six daughters, of whom five are now living: James, Adam, Sabrina, Stephen and Joseph. It was in 1835 that Mr. Williamson came to Indiana, locating three miles north of Muncie, the country at that time being on the borders of civilization. He erected a little log cabin home, which in time gave place to a hewed log house, and in after years he erected the large, and pleasant residence in which the remainder of his life was spent, passing to his final reward when he had reached the age of sixty-eight years, while his wife was seventy-seven when called to the home beyond. Mr. Williamson was numbered among the early pioneers of Delaware county, and his name is honored and revered by all who knew him. He was a Jackson Democrat in his political affiliations. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Dunn. The eldest, Delia, died when five years of age. Peter W., born April 19, 1868, married first Miss Mary E. Langdon, a native of Blackford county, Indiana, and afterward Mrs. S. Ray, nee Ervin, and they have one daughter and reside on a part of the old Dunn homestead. James was the third child in order of birth, while Francis S., the fourth and youngest child, was born January 26, 1875. He married Miss Ethel Horn, born December 23, 1881, and their two children are Mary and Marjory. Mr. Francis Dunn is farming the old homestead and his mother resides with him. He is a Democrat in his political affiliations. Mr. Dunn, the father, gave his two sons each a farm before his death. He was at all times a public-spirited and progressive citizen, who took a deep interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of the community, and in his death Delaware county lost one of its most valued citizens.

Robert L. Brandt. One of the leading citizens and influential business men of Eaton, Mr. Robert L. Brandt is now a member of the well known firm of Brandt & Armstrong, dealers in dry goods, groceries, notions, etc. He was bom on his father's farm near Eaton, November 16, 1846, and in the community where he has so long lived and labored he is highly esteemed. He is a son of David and Jane (Long) Brandt, the former of whom was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, July 3, 181 5, and his death occurred on the 28th of December, 1904, and a more complete review of his life will be found elsewhere in this work. Of the seven children born to Mr. and Mrs. David Long only three are now living: Robert L., Martha J. and Mary Alice.

Mr. Robert L. Brandt received his educational training in the public schools of the community and in 1868 he went to Helena, Montana, while in the following spring he continued the journey to Hamilton, Nevada, traveling overland and remaining there about six months. At the close of the period he went to Treasury City, that state, which was then a wild mining camp, and he followed the varying fortunes of a miner both there and in Hamilton, witnessing the strange and varying scenes of the camp life, and during his mining experience he has seen lumber sell as high as five hundred dollars a thousand feet. In 1870 he returned to his old home in Eaton and began work for his father at a dollar a day, thus continuing until in January, 1876, when he purchased the business and became a member of the firm of Brandt, Carter & Company. In 1902 Mr. Armstrong purchased Mr. Carter's interest in the business, since which time transactions have been conducted under the firm name of Brandt & Armstrong, this being one of the leading dry goods houses in the city. In addition to this large commercial interest Mr. Brandt is also prominently connected and is the treasurer of the Eaton Mining & Gas Company. During a long period he has been accounted one of the leading citizens of Eaton, and in all this time has g^ven his aid and influence to measures which have promoted th^ public good.

In January, 1882, Mr. Brandt married Miss Emma Van Buskirk, whose death occurred six years later, in 1888. On the 6th of July, 1904, he was united in marriage to Miss Chalista Simonton. Mr. Brandt gives his political support to the Republican party, while fraternally he is a member of the Independent Order of Red Men, and his religious associations are with the Christian church. He commands the respect of his fellow citizens by his sterling worth, and Eaton numbers him among her honored sons.

Henry Hyer. Among the citizens of Eaton to whom is vouchsafed an honorable retirement from labor as the reward of a long, active and useful business career is Mr. Henry Hyer, who through an extended period was prominently connected with the agricultural interests of Delaware county. He traces his descent to the fatherland of Germany, from whence in 1786 three brothers, Jacob, Rufus and Abraham Hyer, emigrated to the United county, Indiana, where he spent the remainder of his life and died at the age of seventy-two years. His business career was devoted to agricultural pursuits, and he also bought and shipped stock. He was a Jacksonian Democrat in his political affiliations, but voted for Lincoln and took an active part in the public affairs of his community, at one time serving as township supervisor and as school director. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In his early manhood he married Elizabeth Straley, also a native of Ohio, and who died at the age of forty-six years. They became the parents of eight children, four sons and four daughters, of whom six are now living, - Henry, Mary, Susan, Martha, Harvey and John.

Henry Hyer, whose name introduces this review, was born in Ross county, Ohio, November lo, 1837, ^"^ ^^ remained at home until in April, 1861; when he enlisted at Chillicothe, Ohio, in Company C, Twenty-second Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for three months' service. In going from that city to western Virginia he was in a wreck on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, receiving injuries which detained him in the hospital for some time, and he thereafter did detached duty until the expiration of his term of enlistment. After his discharge from the army he returned home, and after his marriage embarked in the lumber business in Highland county, Ohio, but in 1865 he removed from there to Missouri and engaged in farming near Warrensburg in Johnson county. After the death of his wife he came to Delaware county, purchasing one hundred and six acres of low land in Washington township, which was covered with a heavy growth of timber and one-half of the land was under water. At the time of his arrival in this county Mr. Hyer's cash capital consisted of but fifty cents. This was in the year of 1873, ^"^ after building his frame residence he began the arduous task of clearing his land and placing it under cultivation. With the passing years it became a valuable and well improved tract, and he sold the farm for a hundred and three dollars an acre. He owns other land at the present time, but in 1903 he removed to Eaton and laid aside the active cares of a business life, enjoying the rest which he has so truly earned.

On the 19th of August, 1862, Mr. Hyer married Elizabeth K Winegar, who was born in Highland county, Ohio, August 2^, 1839, and her death occurred on the 8th of December, 1872. She was a daughter of Richard and Elizabeth (Johnson) Winegar, both natives of North Carolina. During his boyhood days the father removed with his parents to Virginia, but a few years afterward they took up their abode in Highland county, Ohio. In 1866 Mr. Winegar removed with his wife to Marion county, Iowa, and after farming there for ten years he located on a farm in Nebraska, and his death occurred there just a few days after his arrival. Of the five children bom to Mr. and Mrs. Hyer three are living: Lizzie, who married J. S. McWilliams, and is a resident of Johnson county, Wyoming ; Charles H., who also makes his home in the same locality ; and Maud E., the wife of George Hoover, of Eaton. In iSSi Mr. Hyer wedded Mrs. Mary E. Harding, who was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, November 8, 1850, the daughter of Jesse and Mary (Perron) Moore, who also claimed Muskingum county as the place of their nativity. The mother died when her daughter Mary was but a babe, and her father was called to the home beyond in 1889, after many years devoted to agricultural pursuits. Two children were bom of this union, Harvey C. and Pearl, the daughter the wife of Roy Morris, of Eaton. Mr. Hyer has two children living in Wyoming, whom he visits every two or three years, and he also has ten grandchildren. He has membership relations with the Grand Army of the Republic of Gaston, with Lodge No. 606, A. P. & A. M., in Eaton, and with Wheeland Lodge, No. 325, I. O. O. P. He is unwavering in the support of Republican principles, and in all the walks of life he is found true to duty and the trusts reposed in him.

Abraham C. Young was born in Darke county, Ohio, July 17, 1854. and received his educational training in the public schools of Darke and Miami counties of his native state. He is a son of David and Mary (Minnich) Young, the former of whom was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, and died in August, 1906, at the age of seventy-eight years, and the latter was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and died in 1862. They were married in Darke county, Ohio, and became the parents of six children, of whom four are now living: Abraham C, Nancy, Isaac M. and Henry M. Mr. Young, the father, learned the shoemaker's trade, but he was principally engaged as a stone mason and farmer. Coming to Union township, Delaware county, Indiana, he engaged in farming and also in the manufacture of sorghum molasses for about fifteen years, while for a number of years he was also identified with the poultry business, buying and selling. He was a worthy member of the German Baptist church, and in politics was a Republican, but took no active part in public affairs. He was at all times highly esteemed for his true nobility of character.

Abraham C. Young lived at home only until eight years of age, when he went to the home of his uncle. Christian Landis, with whom he remained for seven years. At that early age he engaged in farming by the month in Ohio, continuing to work for others until 1877, when he engaged in agricultural pursuits for himself in Darke county, Ohio. He maintained his home in that county until 1893, and in 1887 he bought a farm near Lightsville, which he continued to own and cultivate until his removal to Union township, Delaware county, Indiana, in 1893. At that time he sold his land and bought a farm here, but this he also later sold and purchased his present homestead in section 26, Union township. During about seven years he also conducted a threshing machine and saw mill in Indiana.

both of whom were born in Pennsylvania. The father, who followed agricultural pursuits as a life occupation, moved to Montgomery county, Ohio, and there spent his remaining days. Mr. Young married secondly Mrs. William Pulley, nee Melissa C. Frank, who was born in Wabash county, Indiana, May 9, 1858, the daughter of Daniel R. and Sophia (Emerick) Frank, the father born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, November 6, 1820, and died November 13, 1899, in Wabash county, Indiana, and the mother bom in Darke county, Ohio, June 20, 1830, and died October 20, 1898. Thirteen children were bom to this couple, all of whom grew to years of maturity, and eight are now living, four sons and four daughters: Sarah A., Eliza J., Lovina C, Melissa, George M., John F., Norah W. and William S. Mr. Frank, a farmer, came to Indiana, in October, 1853, and located in Wabash county, where he spent the remainder of his life. In addition to his agricultural pursuits, he also taught school during the winter months in Ohio and Indiana. He was a member of the German Baptist church, in which he was elected to the ministry in Indiana. His political support was given to the Republican party. Mrs. Young was first married to William L. Pulley, August 9, 1883. He was bom in Grant county, Indiana, and was identified with agricultural pursuits, while for many years he also served as a minister of the German Baptist church. He voted with the Prohibition party. Mr. and Mrs. Pulley were the parents of three children: Walter A., Cora E. and Harry. The first-born, Walter A., died at the age of twelve years and five months, in Darke county, Ohio, and there the husband and father also passed away in death, January 4, 1897.

In 1884 Mr. Young was made a deacon in the German Baptist church, and four years later, in 1888, he was called to its ministry, having ever since continued as a faithful servant in that high and noble calling. In 1901 he was advanced to the office of elder,, and during the past years has served as a bishop, in charge of the Mississinewa congregation. He has been a delegate to many national church conferences, and attended the conference held in Los Angeles, California, in May, 1907. At that time he and his wife made an extended tour, being absent from home two months, and visited among other places San Francisco; parts of Arizona; Portland, Oregon; Seattle and Spokane, Washington; Berthold, Carring^on, North Dakota; and Grundy Center, Iowa. Mr. Young voted with the Republicans until he transferred his political relations to the Prohibition party, being an active worker in its ranks.

William Henry Props. The history of northern Delaware county, throughout the Mississinewa valley, can be thoroughly told in the lives of a few pioneer families whose several generations have lived there since the days of first settlement. The annals of the Props family, one of whose prominent representatives at this time is John Cooper Props, of Eaton, involve many well-known names and important historical facts in the history of

John Props, the founder of the family in E>elaware county, belongs to the group of Virginia settlers mentioned elsewhere in this history. Bom May 13, 1808, in Rockbridge county, near the Natural Bridge, of German descent, he became a blacksmith, and during his young manhood was employed in the arsenal at Harper's Ferry. On coming to Indiana he did work for the contractors who were building the Wabash canal. At Pendleton, Madison county, marriage linked him with another pioneer family, when he took as wife Eliza Janes, on June 12, 1838. She was bom in Logan county, Ohio, October 26, 1820, and died on her birthday in 1846. Her father, Zachariah Janes, was a soldier of the war of 1812, and a pioneer of Madison county, Indiana, settling near Pendleton while the Indians were there and building a log cabin with a dirt floor, he lived there until the latter fifties, when he moved to near Lexington, Missouri, and died there in 1867. By his wife, Nancy (George), who was born in Logan county, Ohio, in 1796, and died in Madison county in 1834, he had the following children: Mrs. John Props, Mrs. Nancy Davis, Mrs. Mary Ann Hardman, Sarah Cravens, Mrs. Lucinda Maull and Mrs. Susanna Miller. Mr. and Mrs. John Props had the following children: John A., William Henry, James Madison and Lemuel Theodore. All these sons were soldiers in the Civil war, and John A. died in the service. John Props, it is said, built the first blacksmith shop at Marion, in Grant county. He died in 1859.

William Henry Props, late of Delaware county, son of John Props, was born at Marion, June 18, 1841, and losing his mother at the age of five, he was first cared for in the home of Burtney Ruley, and when seven years old went to live with Joel W. Long, who cared for him as his own child until he had grown to manhood.

This is a proper place to mention the career of the family represented by Joel W. Long, so intimately related to William H. Props by ties of affection, if not by blood. Robert Long, the founder of the family in Delaware county, and father of Joel W. Long, was born in Clinton county, Ohio, of Scotch descent. In 1836 he brought his family to Delaware county and settled a short distance east of Eaton, where he bought one hundred and sixty acres entered by William Shearon several years before. A roundlog house was their first home, later a two-story hewed-log house, and in 1852 a brick house took the place of the pioneer dwellings, this last house having been occupied by William H. Props and family at the time of his death. When Robert Long: settled on Easley creek, which flows by the helped organize the Christian church at Eaton. It was organized in his residence in 1839. His son Joel W. accompanied the family to Delaware county, and later lived in Grant county, returning to the old homestead in 1850. It is said that Joel W. Long possessed the best virtues of the typical pioneer citizen, mingling hospitality and kindness with a certain ruggedness and determination that caused undeviating pursuit of a line of action undertaken for sake of principle. Thus he was an ardent abolitionist, and the old homestead has added historical interest as having been a station on the "underground railroad," where he often sheltered slaves bound for Canada and freedom. Robert and William A. Long and Aaron Mote were for some time the only free-soil voters in Union township. Joel W. Long married Rachel Wilson, thus introducing another well-known pioneer name in Delaware county history. Her father, Amos Wilson, was a Revolutionary soldier, and is said to have been the first white settler on the site of Marion, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Joel W. Long, having no children of their own, bestowed parental care and affection on several orphaned children, and were repaid by the love and reverence since shown them by those who were thus benefited.

In the home of Joel W. Long, William H. Props grew to manhood, attending a log cabin school on the comer of the home farm, and later was a pupil in a school located where the town of Eaton now stands. August 5, 1862, when a little past his majority, he enlisted at Muncie in Company B, Sixty-ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, for three years' service. He participated in his first battle at Richmond, Kentucky, August 30, the same year, and was shot through the right lung. He was reported as dead by his captain and comrades, but had in fact been carried off the field by the nephews of James Yates, a slaveholder of the neighborhood, who disappeared on the approach of the Union army, and some negroes, and was carefully cared for in a negro cabin near by until he was able to return home, where he came as a joyful surprise to his friends, who had mourned him as dead, and were even then arranging a memorial service. He was honorably discharged from the army on account of disability, November 25, 1862.

He soon resumed the activities of civil life, and for many years was engaged in farming and stock raising. He was a successful man in business, and deserves recognition as one of the intelligent farmers who were leaders in the agricultural development of this county. His fine farm of one hundred' and eighty-three acres near Eaton is still considered one of the most valuable properties in Union township. In politics he was an early Republican, and his early interest in politics recalls the incident that when he was only fifteen he and two other boy companions, John and Robert L. Brandt, cut, hauled and assisted in raising the first Republican flagpole in Union township, this being in the first Republican campaign, when Fremont was candidate for president. He supported Lincoln and Grant by his early votes, then turned Greenbacker, voting for Peter Cooper and

Weaver, became identified with the later organization of the People's party, and finally became a firm supporter of William J. Bryan. He was also active in G. A. R. matters, being a charter member of John Brandt Post at Eaton, which was named to commemorate the services of his old comrade John Brandt, who died from the results of wounds received at Chickamauga. Mr. Props had three brothers who also served in the war.

William H. Props married, September 7, 1865, Sarah Lewis, who was born May 26, 1845, ^" Niles township, a daughter of John and Mary (Babb) Lewis, her father being a pioneer of that township and one of those who entered land there. Mr. and Mrs. Props had the following children: Mrs. Mary McFee, deceased; Rachel Louella, who married, first, Reuben Estep, and second, George Pickerill; Joel W., who died June 21, 1905, aged thirty-six, leaving one son, Emil W., a bright and promising student; George Robert, who died at the age of nineteen; John Cooper (see below) ; Nettie B., who married George Silers. William H. Props, after a life of well-spent activity, honorable in business, respected and esteemed by family and friends, passed away in death June 8, 1907. Mr. and Mrs. Props were both members of the Eaton Christian church, and lived a daily Christian life. They were charitable to a fault and many were the poor who were made happy by their gifts and acts of kindness. Mrs. Props died July 3, 1902.

J. Cooper Props, a son of this honored Delaware county resident, was born in Union township, March 20, 1877, and received an excellent education in the schools of Eaton and in the National Normal University at Lebanon, Ohio, after which he taught in the schools of Union township for five years. For a time he was also identified with newspaper work as a member of the staff of the Star Publishing Company, publishers of the Mtincie Star, but in 1904 became interested in the real estate and insurance business at Eaton, where he has become one of the progressive business men.

Mr. Props married, April 9, 1902, Miss Beatrice McKeever, bom in Grant county, Indiana, February 14, 1876, a daughter of Albert and Elmyra (Dunn) McKeever, the former a resident of Jonesboro, this state, where he is a carpenter, while the mother died some years ago, leaving two children, Zelmar R. and Beatrice. Beatrice was reared and tenderly cared for by her uncle, Oliver P. Dunn. Mr. and Mrs. Props have one child, Isabelle, bom September 15, 1903.

William Freeman. A gentleman of courteous and agreeable manners, of good intelligence and memory, William Freeman is a highly esteemed and respected citizen of Eaton, this county, and for many years was actively identified with its public affairs. A native of this county, he was born in

Delaware county, Indiana, January 5, 1864. In 1835, accompanied by his little family, he started for Indiana, then considered the emigrant's Eldorado, a large part of the way following the trail marked by blazed trees. He located on Jake's creek, Delaware county, entered one hundred and ninety-four acres of government land, and ere long the ringing blows of his axe were heard as he felled the mighty giants of the hitherto unbroken forest to make a space on which he might erect the humble log cabin of the pioneer. He succeeded well in his efforts, and on the homestead which he cleared spent the remainder of his laborious life in general farming. He was a Jacksonian Democrat in politics, and a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church. On December 26, 1822, near Portsmouth, Scioto county, Ohio, Mr. Isaac Freeman married Jemima Moore, who was born on Blue creek, Adams county, Ohio, February 21, 1801, and di^d in Selma, in this county, February 15, 1871. Eight children were bom to them, four of whom survive, namely : John ; Mary Jane, wife of Andrew Hoover; Elizabeth H., wife of Dennie Lewis, of Iowa; and William, the subject of this sketch, who was the seventh child in succession of birth, and the second son.

William Freeman received excellent educational advantages for his times, and on the completion of his school life taught in the Gerard school, in Hamilton township, for a while. He subsequently learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed for a number of years, being actively identified with the building interests of this part of the county. He took a leading part in public matters, and for nine years was assessor of Union township. In 1887 Mr. Freeman was commissioned as postmaster at Eaton, and in 1892 was again appointed to the same office, serving four and one-half years longer. He also served as township trustee part of one term, in each capacity performing the duties of his office with ability and fidelity. He is a strong Prohibitionist in politics, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

On September 26, i860, Mr. Freeman was married, by Rev. Benjamin Smith, to Nancy Catherine Munsey, who was born in Shelby county, Ohio, July 8, 1837, a daughter of Skidmore Munsey. A native of Virginia, Mr. Munsey was bom January 9, 1802, and died, in Hamilton township, this county, August 14, 1887. Reared in humble circumstances in his Virginian home, he early sought to improve his finances in a newer country, and when a j'oung man migrated to Ohio, where he was employed in tilling the soil a number of years. In 185 1, desffous of still further broadening his opportunities, Mr. Munsey came to Indiana, took up land in Hamilton township, cleared a farm from the wilderness, but sold his land and died in Jay county, Indiana. He was quite prominent in the management of local affairs, being a Jacksonian Democrat, and served as justice of the peace several terms, and also as postmaster at Parker. He was a consistent Christian and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Munsey married, first, Maria Williams, who was bom and bred in Virginia. She died in Ohio, when but thirty-three years old, in 1839. She bore him six children, four of whom are living, namely : Jane, wife of David H. Jesse ; Jeremiah; Margaret, wife of William Collins; and Nancy Catherine, wife of Mr. Freeman. With a love for Virginia maidens strong in his heart, Mr. Munsey returned to his native state some time after the death of his first wife, and there married for his second wife Rebecca Ewing, by whom he had six children, three of whom survive, namely : Samuel, David O. and Emma. Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Freeman three children have been born, namely: Laura Bell, born August 24, 1862, died August 19, 1865; Charles S., born October 21, 1868, resides in Eaton; and Dottie Dell, bom July 19, 1873, is the wife of Cyrus O. Mitchell, who was born in Frankfort, Indiana, and is now engaged in teaching school.

Alfred Leslie Murray^ M. D. Conspicuous among the successful professional men of the town of Eaton, Delaware county, Indiana, was Dr. A. L. Murray, and in his death the community lost one of its most prominent and useful citizens. He was born in Henry county, Indiana, February 25, 1845, a son of James and Catherine (Taylor) Murray, the former born in Pennsylvania July 19, 1813, and the latter in Indiana on the 31st of March, 1817. James and Catherine Murray were married in Wayne county, Indiana, November 19, 1835, and immediately thereafter located in Henry county and engaged in farming. During the winter seasons Mr. Murray was also engaged in school teaching, continuing the profession for several years after his marriage. In 1880 he sold his farm and built a home in Blountsville, Henry county, Indiana, there residing until his busy and useful life was ended in death in September, 1895, but his widow still resides there with her son, F. W. Murray. Mr. and Mrs. Murray were numbered among the early pioneers of that county, he having bought his first forty acres of land in 1838, and during his farming life he accumulated some two hundred acres, becoming a very prosperous and successful business man. In 1855 he was stricken with paralysis and from that time until his death was not able to do much in any active line. In early life he was a Whig, but later joined the Republican party, and public affairs, particularly temperance and educational matters, interested him greatly, and he was always regarded as a man of intelligence and high moral character. Mr. and Mrs. Murray reared the following children: F. W., who is engaged in farming in Henry county; S. T., a physician of Greentown, Howard county, Indiana; Mary A., deceased; Alfred L., the subject of this review ; Helen, Viretta and Alice, deceased ; and Laura, the wife of R. H. Johnson, of Hamilton township, Delaware county, Indiana.