Grant County, Indiana - The whole text, 1914 (part 17 of 32)

Mr. Johnson's early ancestors in America are thought to have been of Scotch origin, but they had lived in Pennsylvania since before the Revolution, and little is known concerning the founders of the name in that state. His grandfather was John Johnson, a native of Penn¬ sylvania, who died there when an old man. He was a farmer by occu- pation, and among his children was John Jr. John Johnson Jr. grew up in Pennsylvania, was married there and with his bride set out to become a pioneer in Ohio. They located in what was then Guernsey county, but on land now included in Noble county. He was like many of the pioneers skilled in the use of his rifle, and with that he killed a great many deer, and by selling the skins and the hindquarters accu¬ mulated enough money to buy his first forty acres of wild land, paying* cash for it. In that way may he be said to have laid the foundation of the large Johnson fortune as land holders. In Ohio he worked out his destiny as an early settler, and one of the shrewdest business men of his time. His hardship and experiences would make a fascinating story, if told in detail, and he was one of the strong men of his generation. He planned and planted one of the first orchards in Noble county, and that orchard was famous for miles around during his lifetime. In the meantime his children had been growing up about him, and as popula¬ tion was getting close in that part of Ohio he looked westward in plan¬ ning homes for the younger members of the family. With this in view, in 1835, he came to Grant county, and entered half a section of land in Jefferson township, it being his intention that this should be a place for his sons to test the quality of their characters as home builders in much the same manner as had been done some years before in Ohio. He also secured some government land in Delaware county, and as the years followed, he gradually sent one son after the other to Indiana, affording each one an opportunity to prosper. In securing large tracts of land in Indiana he was actuated not by desire for speculation, and he was never a speculator in the sense in which many were in those times, his sole ambition being to provide an outlet for the energies of his growing family. After getting land in this section of Indiana, he re¬ turned to Ohio, and he and his wife continued to live and labor in that state until they died in Noble county. Both were then at a good old age, and they lie buried side by side in Noble county. His wife's maiden name was Mary Burns, of Scotch-Irish ancestry. Of their eleven chil¬ dren, some died young, but most of them came to Grant or Delaware county, Indiana. Of these James Johnson, a brother of Jesse, became one of the largest land holders in Grant county, owning about three thousand acres here. He is now deceased, and more complete infor¬ mation regarding him will be found in the sketch of his son Noah John¬ son, elsewhere in this volume.

Mr. Jesse Johnson was born in Noble county, Ohio, August 8, 1824. He grew up there, had a common school education, and when a young man came to Grant county, where he has applied his efforts so success¬ fully as to accumulate a splendid estate. Mr. Johnson has not confined his investments all in one locality, and is the owner of property in sev¬ eral states. His home farm comprises one hundred and forty acres in section twenty-five of Mill township. In the state of Missouri, he has two hundred and eighty acres, in one tract near Carrollton, and a place of one hundred and forty-six acres near Norburn, both in Carroll county. He owns one hundred and seventy-five acres on the Mississinewa River, in Jefferson township, and its improvements include a splendid barn and a good house. Another farm on which he pays taxes, embraces three hundred and ninety-six acres, all well improved and valuable property, in Monroe township of Grant county. Near Fox station in this county he has three hundred and forty acres, and owns one hundred and sixty acres near North Judson, in Pulaski county. While he was attending the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893, he acquired by purchase, seventythree acres in DuPage county, Illinois, and still owns that tract. Mr. Johnson has never invested in land haphazard, but always judiciously, and has selected only the most productive soil, and his chief industry has been the raising of the cereal crops and live stock, especially sheep. There are few men in the middle west who have made a more complete success as farmers and stockmen than Jesse Johnson and his name is well known among men in many localities. What he has accomplished represents a fine natural ability and a long continued application of the industry and judgment which may be said to be native in the family stock.

Mr. Johnson has never married, and is spending his last years at the home place above mentioned, in the household of Mr. John Ludlow and wife. Mr. Ludlow operates this farm, and has been in charge for the last four years, having come here from Madison county, Indiana, where he was born and reared. He was married in Madison county to Miss Alta Worley, of the same county. They are the parents of four children: Eva, Edna, Wilbur and Howard.

Clarkson Willcuts, whose death, on the 27th of January, 1912, deprived his home city and county of one of their best beloved and noblest citizens, was a life-long resident of Grant county, Indiana. A man of prominence in every phase of the life of the community, his wisdom and the experience of years made him a leader in business, religious and civic affairs. He lived what might be called a quiet life, and it was only after his death that people realized how greatly they had depended on his judgment and firm strength of character. On the occasion of his funeral the text of the sermon was "Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel/ ' This expressed most truly the feeling of his fellow citizens.

The son of Clark and Eunice (Hall) Willcuts, Clarkson Willcuts was born near the old Isaac Jay homestead, southeast of the city of Marion, on the 2d of August, 1840. His parents were early settlers in this county, and the lad grew up on his father's farm. He received his education in Grant county, and upon its completion he entered upon his life as a farmer. All of his years were spent in farming and stock rais¬ ing and in a number of business pursuits, he being at one time engaged in the lumber and grain business.

Mr. Willcuts married Hannah Druckemiller on the 2d of September, 1860. She was born in Carroll county, Ohio, October 6, 1842, a daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Cutshall) Druckemiller. In about 1850 or 1851 the Druckemiller family made the journey in wagons from Carroll county, Ohio, to Grant county, Indiana, settling on a farm in Franklin township, two and a half miles west of Marion, where the head of the family purchased a farm. He continued to increase his acreage until the boundaries of his farm included about eight hundred acres, and he then gave a farm to each of his seven children, retaining for himself only the forty acres on which his death occurred on the 2d of January, 1888. His wife survived him until the 2d of April, 1894. Mrs. Willcuts was about ten years of age when she came with her parents to Grant county. She now resides at 1702 South Washington street, Marion, and living with her is her sister, Mrs. Margaret Ann Mills. Mrs. Mills was bom in Carroll county, Ohio, April 11, 1834, and was a young lady at the time of the removal of the family to Grant county. She married Jona¬ than Mills, also a native of Ohio, who came to Wayne county, Indiana, when a boy, and as a young man located in Grant county. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Mills resided for many years in Franklin town¬ ship, Grant county, later moving to West Marion, where Mr. Mills died on the 1st of September, 1899. Of the five children which were given to their marriage four are now living. Four children were bom to

Mr. and Mrs. Willcuts, all of whom are living in Grant county : W. B. Willcuts, Mrs. Flora B. Fenstemaker, Mrs. Lucy D. Modlin and Calvin Willcuts. There are three grandchildren: Mrs. Fern Morrison, Lois G. Modlin and Walter W. Modlin; also two foster grandchildren, the foster son and daughter of W. E. Willcuts, Frank Loring, formerly an instructor in the University of Illinois, but now residing in Marion, and Miss Mabel Willcuts, also of Marion.

Clarkson Willcuts was a strong and active man up to the day of his death, the 27th of January, 1912, when he met his end at the hand of an assassin, one of the most unaccountable crimes ever committed, for Clarkson Willcuts was a man without enemies. Perhaps the best way to give some idea of the worth of this man would be to quote from the address made on the occasion of his funeral, January 30, 1912. The services were held at the Friends church and conducted by the Rev. Mr. Hiatt and the Rev. Mr. Sweet, both of whom were personal friends of Mr. Willcuts.

The Rev. Mr. Hiatt said: 4 'Clarkson Willcuts was a man of sterling worth, both in matters pertaining to his individual pursuits and also in those things which have to do with the best interests of the community in which he lived. He never was in haste to express a conviction upon questions relating to the public welfare, whether political, educational er religious, but when he had settled in his own mind what seemed to him the part of wisdom he was firm and strong in his advocacy of the right. This rare precaution and care made him a safe counselor and guide to those less experienced in the affairs of life.

"As stated by one who knew him most intimately and who had profited largely by his wise counsel, his advice was always based upon actual experience or the most careful investigation of the question involved.

4 4 The deceased was a life-long member of the Friends church, and in his taking away the church loses one of its safest counselors and most liberal and willing supporters. As he grew older he seemed to feel more and more the care of the church and to desire more deeply her truest success.

4 4 1 want to say some things in reference to the greatness of this man, and as I say them you will understand me to speak not out of a sense of superficial sentiment, but to speak out of a heart that feels deeply the facts which I shall in some measure attempt to express. I want to sug¬ gest to you at the outset as we think of him that he was a great man in his home. A man who is great at his own hearthstone, a man who is great in the midst of the family circle, a man who is great in the sacred precincts of the home is very likely to be great anywhere. Numbers of you have known the wide open hospitality and charity of that house, its love and comforts, and the encouragement and friendship, if needed, of a warm Christian heart.

4,4 May I not suggest to you, for I am speaking to the church member, the man of business interests in this city and county, may I not suggest to you the fact of his greatness in the world of business f In the world of business a man of practical experience, ripened out of years of actual contact with men moving in the midst of business affairs. Some of you have known him better than I have known him. You have lived beside him, and how you have leaned upon him for counsel. How you have gone to him for advice. And you have never been disappointed. You have never been disappointed because if he were not certain that he could advise you along a safe and sane line, he was frank enough to tell you so. But if he knew that thing for sure which would be to your best interest, no one was more ready and free to give forth that counsel which might help a fellow business man to a higher degree of successful busi¬ ness life than was he. I am sure that the truth of this situation was expressed to me by one of his friends and neighbors. He said he never went out on a mere peradventure ; if he didn't know by reason of the painstaking study and examination of the things which were put before him he would not venture into it himself or send any one out along the line experimenting in his behalf. He was frank and honorable in all these things. So in the business affairs of life here was a man whose greatness was certainly unquestioned. A man whose business integrity and fairness and honor is unquestioned, and you who know him best and dealt with him more largely will sustain this sentiment most heartily."

The speaker then goes on to mention his love for the church. He says, "He was not a man of many words in the public assembly or con¬ gregation, but his interest in the church was unfailing, unflagging. It was manifested every day and week of the year. His face was an inspira¬ tion to any preacher of religion who, looking into that open countenance, would see the light of welcome to the message the minister might bring. The church was on his heart and mind, and just before coming here this word was spoken to me with respect to moving from the farm to the city, that he had made the expression like this: 'I have moved to the church.' What a mark of greatness. Out here on a splendid old farm with every needful comfort and every needful sustenance, he was going to move to the city, but not to the city only, not to the city chiefly, but 'to the church.' "

And so passed one of those men who have made America the great nation that she is, not a great statesman or public man, but a man of strong and noble character who molded and influenced the lives of all with whom he came in contact.

Alvin J. Thomas. It will not be necessary in a volume pertaining to Grant county's representative men to expatiate in cant phraseology upon the well known reputation of Quakers for honesty, integrity and reliability; we maj' be justified in stating, however, that the mental and moral constitution of the gentleman w'hose name heads this review is such as to account for his success in the vrorld of agriculture and business and for his high reputation in the confidence of the people of his community. Mr. Thomas comes from an old family of North Car¬ olina, of Welsh descent, his grandfather, Jesse Thomas, being a native of the Old North state. He came very early to Wayne county, Indiana, and while living there, Eli Thomas, the father of Alvin J., was born August 31, 1825. Jesse Thomas married Mary Cox, a native of North Carolina, and they were probably married just before coming to Wayne county or soon afterwards, as all of their children were born in the Hoosier state. Jeremiah and Enoch were the eldest children, became well educated, and the former was widely known as a penman, keeping the accounts for some years of the old Quaker church, to which all the old stock of this family belong. He died in middle life, while Enoch attained the age of eighty-eight years. The next child in order of birth was Hulda, who died in early life, although she married and left chil¬ dren as did her elder brothers. Eli, the fourth in order of birth, is still living, and is one of the alert and intelligent old men of Marion, he now being eighty-eight years of age. Mary M. Thomas married, left a fam¬ ily, and died when seventy-eight or seventy-nine years of age. John Thomas located in Kansas late in life and died there, leaving a widow and family. Robert, who died in 1880, at the age of fifty years, left a family, and three sons are still living. Hannah Thomas married Sam¬ uel Satterthwaite, and lives in Huntington county, being the mother of two sons and two daughters. Noah Thomas, the youngest of his par¬ ents' children, is a married man of Tennessee and has a family.

Eli Thomas, father of Alvin J. Thomas, was four years of age when the family came to Grant county in 1829, this being before the incor¬ poration of the county and before the tiiyie that the city of Marion was laid out. Here Jesse Thomas entered land in what is now North Marion, and all of his land is within the limits of the city at this time. About two years later he sold. out and moved to what is now South Marion, and continued to follow agricultural pursuits throughout the remainder of his life, dying in 1861 or 1862, when past sixty years of age, while his wife died in 1868, she being about sixty-eight years old. They were birthright Quakers and were connected with the first meeting house of that faith here, the Mississinewa Quarterly Meeting.

Eli Thomas was reared at Marion, received a good education, adopted farming as his field of endeavor, and now resides at No. 2012 South Washington street. He married at Marion, Miss Millie Willcutts, daughter of Clarkson Willcutts, who came as an early pioneer to what is now Marion, Indiana, and owned land which is now located as north of Fourteenth street and east of Adams street in this city. He lived to be past middle age, and died in the faith of the Friends church. Mrs. Millie Thomas died in 1876, at her home in Marion, aged fifty-one years. She and Mr. Thomas were the parents of the following children : Jesse, a farmer of South Marion, who is married and has two children ; Alvin J., of this review; Lucy, the wife of J. L. Massena, an assistant teacher in the Marion high school, who has two children. By a former marriage, with Anna Schoolie, Eli Thomas had these children: Sylvanus of Marion, who died November 25, 1913. He married, but has no children living. Marcus, a farmer of Franklin township, is married and has two children. By a third marriage, with Minerva Thomas, Mr. Thomas has had no children.

Alvin J. Thomas was born in the city of Marion, Indiana, October 9, 1864. He was reared in that city and secured excellent educational advantages, attending the public schools and the old Mississinewa graded school, and then spending two years in the agricultural department of Purdue University. Thus prepared, he entered upon his career 'as a tiller of the soil, and continued to work on the homestead farm until 1892, in that year coming to Mill township and buying 200 acres of land in section 25, which he operates successfully as a general farmer and breeder of stock. He makes a specialty of Guernsey cattle, and at the head of his herd has a registered individual of that breed. His home is located on a beautiful part of file property and is fitted with modern comforts and conveniences; his barn, painted red and white, is commo¬ dious and substantial, and his other buildings for the shelter of his grain and utensils are well built and in good repair. Altogether it is apparent that good management is present and that the owner is a prac¬ tical man of affairs. About 150 of the 200 acres are under cultivation, and yield handsome crops in response to the intelligent efforts of Mr. Thomas.

At Amboy, Indiana, in 1890, Mr. Thomas was married to Miss Elva Moorman, who was born, reared and educated there. Her family, of Welsh descent, lived for many years in North Carolina, were all Friends, and came at an early date to Indiana, settling in Wayne county. Mrs. Thomas' great-grandfather was John Smith, the founder of Richmond, Indiana. Her parents, John and Lucia (Simons) Moorman, were na¬ tives of Wayne county, but moved early in life to Miami county, where

Mr. Moorman entered land which is still the property of the family. He died in 1877, aged sixty-three years, while the mother, who still makes her home at Amboy, was ninety years of age June 21, 1913, and is still alert in mind and body. She was formerly a member of the Quaker church, but was turned out of that faith under the former stringent rules. Mrs. Thomas has one uncle living, Jesse Moorman, who is now in the Soldiers 1 National Home, at Marion, and ninety-five years of age. He served in the Union army throughout the Civil War. The brothers and sisters of Mrs. Thomas are: Emma and Etta, who are unmarried and live with their aged mother at Amboy ; Benjamin, living on the old Miami county homestead, who is married and has a family ; and Flora, deceased, who was the wife of Samuel Heston, formerly of Amboy and now a resident of Canada.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas have three children : Eli, born in 1892, edu¬ cated in the public schools and now residing on the home place ; Flora, born in 1896, a member of the graduating class of 1914, at the Gas City high school ; and Lillian, born in 1908, the baby. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas are devout members of the Quaker church. His political faith is that of the Republican party.

John T. Barnett, M. D. Among the most successful physicians and surgeons of the medical fraternity of Grant county, is John T. Barnett, M. D., of Jonesboro. Although his residence in this community covers a period of scarcely three years, he has already won a truly enviable reputation for skill and general ability, and has succeeded in gaining a large and representative practice and a firm place in the confidence of the people. He stands high also in the estimation of his professional brethren, and his opinion has great weight in their councils. Doctor Barnett's success has come as a result of his own efforts, for he worked his own way through college, and from early manhood his life has been one of the greatest activity.

Doctor Barnett was born at Hardensburg, Indiana, December 29, 1857. He was given an ordinary education in the public schools of that place, following which he paid his own way through Marengo Academy and adopted the profession of teacher. Having decided upon a pro¬ fessional career, he devoted what time could be spared from his school¬ room 'duties to the study of medicine, and eventually entered the Ken¬ tucky School of Medicine, where he was graduated with his degree in 1882. He at once entered upon the practice of his profession at Har¬ densburg, and his reputation as a skillful surgeon grew so rapidly that his services were in constant demand over four counties. His complete and self-sacrificing devotion to his work, however, endangered his health, and accordingly, in 1909, he came to Jonesboro to recuperate, as well as to give his daughter the benefit of better educational advantages. Always a great student, and determined not to retrograde, he has kept fully abreast of all modern discoveries in science pertaining to his pro¬ fession, especially along the lines of surgery, which comprises his fa¬ vorite branch of practice, and in which he has been remarkably success¬ ful. He is a member of the Mississippi Valley Medical Association, the Grant County Medical Society, the Indiana State Medical Society and the American Medical Association, and has been the representative and examining physician for a number of insurance companies. For a long period he has served in the capacity of member of the board of health, and in numerous ways has contributed to the welfare of his community. His offices are maintained in his pleasant residence at the end of Eleventh street, overlooking the river, and he likewise has a wellequipped suite in the Citizens Bank building. Doctor Barnett is a Re- publican in political matters and has been more or less active in local matters, although not to the neglect of his practice. His fraternal con¬ nections include membership in the subordinate lodges of the Masons and Odd Fellows, belonging to Solomon Lodge No. 71, A. F. & A. M., of Hardensburg, Encampment No. 206, I. 0. 0. F., and Lodge No. 501, of the latter, and in this latter connection has passed through all the chairs and represented his lodge in the Grand Lodge of the state.

Doctor Barnett was married in Ohio to Miss Lida Osborn, who was bom in Clinton county, Ohio, in 1856, and was for ten years a school¬ teacher before her marriage. Two daughters have been born to this union : Ethel M., a graduate of Hardensburg High school and Marion College, where she took a classical and scientific course and graduated in 1912, and now a teacher in the public schools of Grant county; and *

Margaret, who received the same advantages and graduated from Ma¬ rion College in the class of 1914. Doctor Barnett is a Methodist, while his wife is a member of the Society of Friends.

Henry Keller Willman. For many years Henry Keller Willman, of Jonesboro, has been numbered among Grant county's progres¬ sive business men. The success which he has achieved in life is the re¬ sult of well applied energy, industry and strict attention to business in all its details. He owes his high standing in the commercial and social wrorld to himself alone, for he started out to make his own liveli¬ hood when but a lad, and, undaunted by the many obstacles which he encountered, steadily pressed forward to the goal which he had set be¬ fore him.

Mr. Willman comes of good old German stock, his grandfather, Wil¬ liam Willman, and his father, Louis Willman, being natives of Longstad, Hesse-Darmstadt, where the former was born about 1780 and the mother in 1805. William Willman was married in Germany, and his wife died there, leaving two sons : Peter, born in 1803, who passed his life in farming in the Fatherland and there reared a large family ; and Louis. Louis Willman grew up to sturdy manhood, and as a large and well-built man was called upon for military service. He retained too keen a remembrance of the appearance of Napoleon's army on its re¬ turn from the disastrous Russian invasion in 1815, however, to desire the life of a soldier, and managed to secure a substitute, subsequently returning to his home to resume the trade of wagon-maker, which he - had learned as an apprentice. He was there married to Miss Christina Keller, and in Germany they became the parents of two children : Eliza¬ beth and Peter. In 1830, deciding to try his fortunes in the United States, Mr. Willman, with his father, his wife and his two children, embarked at Hamburg on a sailing vessel bound for this country. A voyage of six months followed, during which the ship encountered ter¬ rific storms, and at one time was reported lost, but after the passengers and crew had nearly died of starvation the vessel finally made port at Baltimore, Maryland. Shortly thereafter the little party of emigrants went to Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, where Louis Willman secured employment on a railroad, but his refusal to vote the Whig ticket caused him to become unpopular among his fellow-employes and he accordingly removed with his family to Germantown, Wayne county, Indiana, where for a few years he worked at his trade. In 1840 he came to Blackford county, and located in Washington township, near the center of the county, where he secured a small farm, on which the grandfather, William Willman, passed away about 1842 when about seventy years of age. He died in the faith of the Evangelical Lutheran church, of which all the family were members. About 1846, Louis Willman moved with his family to Hartford City, Indiana, where he resumed the wagon¬ making business, for a time, and then again took up farming on a prop¬ erty east of that city. This continued to be his home during the re¬ mainder of his life, his death occurring thereon in January, 1875. Mrs. Willman had died in Hartford City in 1849, when about forty years of age. The children were brought up in the faith of the Evan¬ gelical Lutheran church and were confirmed therein. Louis Willman was a Democrat in his political views, although he never entered actively into public affairs save as a good citizen with the interest of his com¬ munity at heart. The children born in America to Louis and Christina (Keller) Willman were as follows: Christina, wife of James E. Ervin, who left a family at her death ; Catherine, also deceased ; Anna, who is the wife of George Gable and resides at Hartford City ; Louis, who at his death left three sons and one daughter; Henry Keller, of this review; Margaret, who was married and the mother of one son and three daugh¬ ters at the time of her death ; and Mary Ann, deceased, who was married and had two daughters. By a second marriage Louis Willman had one son, Albert, who died at the age of six months.

Henry Keller Willman was born in Blackford county, Indiana, Oc¬ tober 7, 1841. He received only an ordinary education in the public schools, but since his youth has done much reading, and through study and observation has become a very well-informed man on numerous sub¬ jects. Although not a strong lad, he received a good start in life, and as a youth learned the trade of custom shoemaker, serving an appren¬ ticeship of three years, during the first year receiving a salary of twen¬ ty-five dollars, in the second year forty dollars and in the third year seventy-five dollars. During the next quarter of a century he was ac¬ tively identified with the shoe business, both as a manufacturer and a dealer. He came to Jonesboro in March, 1868, and a few years later formed a partnership with Calvin Evans, but soon disposed of his in¬ terest to Mr. Evans and embarked in a separate enterprise of his own, successfully conducting his business until 1891. In that year he sold out to a Mr. Ruley, and in 1892 accepted the appointment to the post¬ mastership of Jonesboro, during President Cleveland's administration. He was the first third-class postmaster of the place, on a salary, and continued to efficiently perform the duties of his office for four years and six months. When his term of office expired he resumed operations in the shoe business, and continued therein until 1908, since which time he has been living a quiet, retired life in his handsome residence at Sixth and Main streets, a modern eight-room home which he erected in 1908. Mr. Willman is a Democrat in politics, but has been honored by the Republican party by election to the city council, on which he served eight years. For a long period he has been prominent in promoting the educational interests of Jonesboro as a member of the school board. He was four years Chairman of the Council.

Mr. Willman was married in Jonesboro to Miss Hannah Margaret Ruley, who was born in Grant county, Indiana, in 1840, was here reared, and was educated in the public schools of Marion. Her father, Burton W. Ruley, was an early settler and prominent farmer of this county, and served as county assessor for several terms and as county treasurer for nine years. He died in 1874, at the age of sixty-eight years. Mr. Ruley was a native of Virginia, and was married in Miami county, In¬ diana, to Miss Mahala Jones, who was born in Kentucky, and who died at the age of eighty-six years in Grant county. They came to this county as pioneers and settled on wild land in Mill township, where their four children were born, namely : Joseph J. ; Mrs. Hannah Margaret Willman ; Maria E. ; and Mary S., who is now the widow of Nathan Weddington and

MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM E. WILLCUTS, MR. WILLCUTS' FOSTER CHILDREN, MISS MABEL WILLCUTS AND FRANK CARLTON LORING AND MR. WILLCUTS' STEP-DAUGHTER, MISS LOLA MOSURE

Mr. Willman is a member of the Presbyterian church, while his wife belongs to the Methodist Episcopal faith, and both have been active in church work. They have numerous friends in Jonesboro, who esteem them for their sterling qualities of mind and heart and for the honor¬ able and upright lives which they have led. Mr. Willman is a valued and popular member of the Masonic Blue Lodge, No. 109, of Jonesboro, of which he is treasurer ; and of Subordinate Lodge, No. 82, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of this place, which has been in existence for sixtyfour years and of which he is secretary.

William Edgar Willcuts. For many years the name of Willcuts has been associated with the history of Grant county, and the head of the house to-day, William Edgar Willcuts, is ably upholding the repu¬ tation built by his father and grandfather for honesty, integrity and true worth. William E. Willcuts has been engaged in farming for many years, and he is also a well known contractor of Marion, having done some of the best work in that line which has ever been performed in Grant county.

William Edgar Willcuts was born in Franklin township, Grant county, Indiana, on the 4th of January, 1862. He is a son of the late Clarkson Willcuts and Hannah (Druckemiller) Willcuts. Clarkson Willcuts was born on the 2d of August, 1840, in Grant county, Indiana, the son of Clark and Eunice (Hall) Willcuts. Clark Willcuts was a native of the state of North Carolina, and he was one of the first settlers of Grant county when he migrated to this state in 1834. He settled one mile south of Marion, where he lived until 1843, when he removed to Franklin township. He was born in 1792, and died November 27, 1862.

He was the first man to build a fence in Grant county, and at one time he built*five miles of fence. He owned at one time nearly all of the land from Tenth street in Marion to the top of the hill, and most of the abstracts in the county records show his name. He was a strong char¬ acter, a staunch anti-slavery man and aided in the operation of the underground railroad. The Willcuts family were all Quakers, and Clark Willcuts was a charter member of the first Quaker meeting which was held in Grant county. He was three times married, and Clarkson Willcuts and a sister were the only children by his marriage to Eunice Hall.

Clarkson Willcuts, who is given more extended mention elsewhere in this volume, was a farmer and a stockraiser, as well as being interested in the grain and lumber business. He spent his entire life in Grant county, and was one of the most beloved men this entire section. His sudden death on January 27, 1912, was a great loss to the community, deeply felt by everyone. His wife, who was born in Carroll county, »

Ohio, October 8, 1862, is still living. Clarkson Willcuts took an active part in the affairs of the church and in the civic life of the community.

He was one of the first two students who received diplomas from the Grant county schools. After leaving high school he attended Earlham College at Richmond, Indiana, and then became a student at Purdue University at Lafayette, Indiana. After leaving the university he became engaged in farming, and has been interested in that vocation more or less since that time. For the past twenty-five years, however, he has been actively interested in the contracting business, and has done much work in the line of bridge and sewer construction and in concrete work. He has built many bridges in Grant and adjoining counties, and he and the various men with whom he has been associated from time to time have filled a number of contracts in Georgia, Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. He has built up a reputation for thorough and careful work - work that will last - and his services are in great demand. He was also engaged in the coal business for a time. He owns one farm in Franklin township, consisting of about two hundred acres, and has a half section of land in Van Buren township, he overseeing their management.

Mr. Willcuts was married on the 24th of September, 1885, to Margaret M. Johnson of Sims township. She died on the 18th of March, 1911, after nearly twenty-six years of an ideally happy married life. Mr. and Mrs. Willcuts were inseparable, traveling together a good deal. They had visited practically every part of the western hemisphere, and had also traveled abroad. They had no children, but adopted' and reared with loving care a boy and a girl, who have been an honor to them.

Frank Carlton Loring was a babe of four years when he came to the home of Mr. and Mrs. WTillcuts, and he is now a brilliant and successful electrical engineer. He attended the grammar schools of Grant county, and was later graduated from the Marion high school. He then entered Purdue University, from which he was graduated in 1904, having taken the course in electrical engineering. He next spent eighteen months in the east, from June, 1904, until September, 1906, v in telephone work in Rochester and New7 York City, New York. In' the fall of 1906 he entered Columbia University in New York, and during that year completed the work of his Master's degree. He then accepted a position as instructor in Cornell University, spending one year there. In 1909 he entered the employ of the Metropolitan Street Railway Company of New York City, remaining with them until January, 1912. After nine months spent at home resting he wrent back to University wprk once more, and has been an instructor in electrical engineering at the Univer¬ sity of Illinois since September, 1912.

The daughter of the family, Miss Mabel Willcuts, was taken from the orphans' home at the age of six years. She received her early educa¬ tion in the grammar and high schools of Grant county, being a graduate of the Marion high school. She then entered the Mechanics Institute in Rochester, New York, from which she was graduated from the domestic science course in 1910. She has spent two years of the time since leaving school as a demonstrator in the New England states. In that capacity she is in great demand by large corporations engaged in the manufacture of domestic utilities, especially gas.

On the 12th of June, 1913, William E. Willcuts was married to Mrs. Luella Hier Mosure. Mrs. Willcuts has a daughter, Lola Mosure, by her former marriage. Mr. Willcuts' household consists of himself and wife, his two foster children, Frank C. Loring and Miss Mabel Willcuts, and his stepdaughter, Miss Lola Mosure.

Bennett B. Coleman. In early life accustomed to the hard work which sharpens the mind and develops the body, Bennett B. Coleman grew up in an agricultural neighborhood, and when he came to the time to make a decision regarding his life work, finally selected that of till¬ ing the soil. In the years that followed he had no reason to regret of his choice, for he arose to a substantial position among the farmers of Grant county, and now', in the evening of life, is able to enjoy the com¬ forts of a handsome home and congenial surroundings, content in the knowledge of a wrell-spent and useful life.

Bennett B. Coleman was born in Wayne county, North Carolina, December 11, 1827, and is a son of Elias and Sallie (Peelle) Coleman, natives of that state, who came as pioneers to Indiana. The grandpar¬ ents on both sides were bom in the Old North state, were of English descent and Quakers, a faith to which the family has always belonged. Elias Coleman was bora November 25, 1798, and was a youth of eighteen years when with another young man he came on a single horse, the lads taking turns in riding and walking, and thus covering the dis¬ tance from North Carolina to the Arley Quaker settlement, the newly opened region of the wilds of Randolph county. There he remained for some time, looking over the land 'and preparing for his future, and when he had his arrangements complete returned to North Carolina and was married under the rules and discipline of the Quaker church to Sallie, the daughter of Willis and Betsey Peelle, who had been bom in 1791. They were married in the Contentnea meeting house and con¬ tinued to reside in North Carolina until after the birth of four chil¬ dren: Edith, who died in North Carolina; Harriet, Nathan and Ben¬ nett B. In the summer of 1828 the little family started out for In¬ diana, Mr. Coleman hiring a man with a horse and wagon to take the family effects over the mountains northwest to Randolph county, to be paid for by the pound which the expressage weighed. There were three other men in the party beside the senior Mr. Coleman, and in ad¬ dition Mrs. Coleman carried her seven-months old baby, Bennett B., in her arms and over all the mountains save one. This journey con¬ sumed some weeks, and when the little party arrived, Mr. Coleman found that when he had paid for the trip at the rate of one dollar per pound, he would have about ten dollars left with which to make a start in the new community. He was a blacksmith by trade, but at once com¬ menced to engage in agricultural pursuits and his energy, thrift and indomitable perseverance enabled him to succeed in his undertakings. He resided in Randolph county, Indiana, until 1833, at which time he moved to Newport, now Fountain City, in Wayne county, Indiana, and, in partnership with Joel Parker was engaged in the manufacture of wagons for a time. Later he became interested in merchandising in Wayne county, and in 1848 came to Grant county, located at Jones¬ boro, and became a merchant. This place was then but a small ham¬ let, boasting of a tannery, a carding mill, a sawmill and a flouring mill, with a scattering of small houses. Mr. Coleman, with excellent ability, soon built up a handsome trade, assisted by his stalwart son, Bennett B., then a man of twenty-one years. Here Elias Coleman was known as one of the town's substantial men for many years. His first wife died in the old cabin home now located next to the home of Bennett B. Coleman, in 1864, at the age of seventy years, and Mr. Coleman then married Mrs. Susan (Ellis) Coffin, who survived for some years. Both passed away in Marion, Mr. Coleman in October, 1890, and she several years later, when seventy years of age. They were all members of the Friends Society, but, although bitterly opposed to war, were strong anti-Slavery people and expressed their opinion on the subject when¬ ever opportunity offered. After coming to Indiana there were two chil¬ dren born to Elias Coleman and his first wife: Jesse, who died young; and Mary, who married Enoch P. Small, and died advanced in years in Wabash county, this state.

Of the children born to Elias Coleman, Bennett B. is the only sur¬ vivor. He grew up largely in Wayne county, where he was given the educational advantages to be secured in the primitive schools, and was about twenty-one years of age when he came to Jonesboro. For some time he was associated with his father in conducting the general store, but subsequently adopted agricultural work in Franklin township, a section which at that time was still practically in its virgin state. There both he and his father killed numerous deer, especially on what was known as Deer Creek. Mr. Coleman inherited much of his father's industry and energetic nature, and set about to make a home for him¬ self in the wilderness. His good management and persistent labor brought its reward, and when he disposed of his land in 1861 he was able to realize a handsome profit. In the fall of that year he returned to Jonesboro, and here purchased sixty acres of land, the greater part of which is now included within the corporation limits of the city, and to this he added from time to time until he had over 100 acres. When the Indiana Rubber and Insulated Wire Company decided to place its plant here, Mr. Coleman's land was found to be included in the prop¬ erty selected, and he accordingly disposed of ninety-five acres, in 1893, although he still retains several choice lots and has a handsome home. Mr. Coleman is now passing his declining years in peaceful rest. In spite of the fact that he has passed his eighty-sixth birthday, he is still active in body and alert in mind, in full possession of his faculties and able to read without glasses. Although retired from active pursuits, he takes a keen interest in the events that go to make history, and to matters that directly affect the welfare of his community or its people. Mr. Coleman has had the privilege of seeing great changes take place and a great development effected in Grant county; and has played no small part in this growth and advancement himself. He has been a life-long Republican, casting his first vote for Hale and his next two votes for Lincoln. He was formerly a Quaker, a member of the Anti- Slavery branch of that denomination, but for many years he has been a Presbyterian.

Mr. Coleman was married first to Sarah Shugart, who was born in Wayne county, Indiana, in 1829, married in 1849, and died Septem¬ ber 4, 1861, in the faith of the Friends church. She was the mother of four children : Emma C., who married E. M. Whitson, M. D., who died at Jonesboro, November 7, 1905, was a soldier for three years in the Civil War as a private of the 101st Regiment, Indiana Volunteer In¬ fantry, later studied and practiced medicine until his death, had two children by his first marriage, one of whom is a prominent educator, and is survived by his second wife, who is a resident of Jonesboro; William H., a sketch of whose career will be found on another page of this work ; Isadora, who died at the age of six years ; and Lillian, who died single as a young lady of twenty-two years. Mr. Coleman's sec¬ ond marriage was to Miss Anna Wilson of Ohio, who met an accidental death in 1880 when attacked by a maddened bull. She left one daugh¬ ter, Ida, the wife of William Weddington, now living in New Mexico, and the mother of seven children, of whom six are living. Mr. Cole¬ man was married (third) at Crayton, Indiana, in August, 1883, to Mrs. Anna Martin, nee Hartsock, who was born in Indiana, February 16, 1843. She had two children by her former marriage to James Martin, deceased, Josephine and Lew Wallace, both of whom died young. Mr. Coleman is now a member of the Presbyterian church and Mrs. Cole¬ man is a member of the Universalist church at Anderson, Indiana.

William H. Coleman. The only male representative of the family of Bennett B. and Sarah (Shugart) Coleman, William H. Coleman has for sixty years lived in Grant county, and during the greater part of his life has been a prosperous farmer of Mill township.

William H. Coleman was born on the old Deer Creek farm in Mill township, Grant county, on May 4, 1854, and has never permanently resided outside of his native community. Reared in the country, and in the wholesome moral atmosphere of old Mill, he has been engaged in farming since he reached the years of maturity, and has applied to his work the same principles and industry which would have enabled him to succeed had he chosen a business in the city or a profession. In 1877 he acquired his present home on Section 32 of Mill township, and has lived there and developed a good estate through a period of more than thirty-five years. His is one of the excellent farms of that township, and from the products of his labors he has kept himself and family in comfort and enjoyed a fair degree of success.

In Mill township on November 29, 1877, Mr. Coleman married Miss Rachel Compton, who was born in Warren county, Ohio, on November 11, 1852, and was reared and educated in her native county. Her parents were Stephen and Susan L. (Carter) Compton. Her mother was bom at Mill Grove, Warren county, Ohio, in 1817, and her father in Culpeper county, Virginia, on August 22, 1801. They were married in 1844 in Warren county, Ohio, and spent the rest of their lives in that vicinity, where Stephen Compton, who was a shoemaker by trade, died in 188(>, and she passed away on April 2, 1868. The Comptons were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and Stephen Comp¬ ton voted the Democratic ticket.

Mr. and Mrs. Coleman have the following children: Sarah M., a graduate from the Jonesboro high school with the class of 1899, lives at home and has been a constant helper and companion to her parents; Bennett B., the second child, while living at home is employed in a factory in Marion; Lawrence E. is also at home and unmarried; Lillian Bell is the wife of Professor G. A. Roush, who is an instructor in the Lehigh University of South Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where they reside, and is also assistant secretary of the Electro Chemical Society; Howard is a graduate of the Jonesboro high school and still remains at home. Mr. and Mrs. Coleman are members of the Presbyterian church of Jonesboro, and their sons and daughters worship in the same faith. Mr. Coleman and his sons are stanch Republicans, and all are active members of the Knights of Pythias order, all three sons being past Chancellors in the Jonesboro Lodge. Father and sons add a quartet of excellent citizens to Mill township, and are among the most highly esteemed men of the community.

Harry T. Connelly. Cashier of the Upland State Bank, Mr. Con¬ nelly is one of the most successful farmers and stockmen of the county, and since 1909 has divided his time and attention between the business of agriculture and banking. The Upland State Bank was incorporated November 22, 1909, with a capital stock of twenty-five thousand dollars and at the present time its surplus is four thousand dollars. The total resources amount to one hundred and forty thousand dollars, and the deposits of one hundred and fifteen thousand dollars indicate better than any other item the complete confidence placed by the community in this institution. Since it opened its doors for business, the bank has made a most remarkable growth, and its position is due both to its suc¬ cessful management and to the fact that all its officials and directors are well known residents of Grant county. The officers are: John Smith, president; Herman Fisherbuck, vice president; Hairy T. Con¬ nelly, cashier; R. 0. Smith, assistant cashier; and the directors are John Smith, H. Fisherbuck, R. J. Spencer, Edward Block, N. E. Duckwall, Daniel Marine, A. L. Horner, Charles W. Reed, and A. N. Kizer. All except Mr. Kizer were on the original board, and he has been con¬ nected with the institution since its second year. The Upland State Bank has correspondents in Chicago and Pittsburgh, and carries an

Harry T. Connelly was born on a farm near Upland on February 10, 1874, a son of John W. and Rebecca j. (Clevenger) Connelly. He comes of old Scotch-Irish ancestry. His grandfather, Rev. John Con¬ nelly, who was born in Virginia, was a prominent Methodist minister of his time. In 1808 he was made presiding elder over a district com¬ prising portions of Virginia, Maryland and western Pennsylvania, and his last appointment to that office was made in 1821. He died in Wayne county, Indina, when past eighty years of age in 1846. Rev. Connelly married Elizabeth Fell, a Virginia girl, and of an old family in that commonwealth. Her ancestors came from England to Balti¬ more during the seventeenth century, and played active parts in their respective communities, both in that state and in Virginia. Elizabeth (Fell) Connelly, died in Wayne county, Indiana, about 1830, being under forty years of age at the time. She became the mother of three children, namely: Joseph, who was one of the pioneer settlers of Kan¬ sas, a farmer there, and died leaving a family of six children; one daughter died early in life, and John W. Connelly.

John W. Connelly, father of the Upland banker, was born in Wil¬ liamsburg, Virginia, May 11, 1825, and was a very small child when his parents moved out to Wayne county, Indiana, where they were among the pioneers and took an active part in the establishment of Methodism in that section.

Reared and educated in Wayne county, John W. Connelly gave perhaps the greater part of his productive years to the cause of educa¬ tion. He taught school in Wayne county, and in 1856 came to Grant county, where he bought land in Jefferson township, now a part of the Millerton Farm. He combined the occupations of teaching and farm¬ ing, and his record as a teacher aggregated about thirty years. In 1871 he bought one hundred and ten acres in Monroe township, later increased his holdings, and lived there in prosperous circumstances until his death on October 27, 1893. In politics he was a Republican after the war. His first vote was cast for Franklin Pierce, and after voting for Douglas in I860' he transferred his allegiance to the Republican candi¬ dates, and voted in 1892 for Harrison. John W. Connelly was married in Wayne county to Miss Rebecca Clevenger, who was born in that county, September 6, 1834, and who died in Monroe township of Grant county, December 28, 1909. Early in her life she joined the Methodist church and she and her husband had membership in the Doddridge church in Wayne county, one of the oldest societies of that denomina¬ tion in Indiana. Later they were among the leading members of the Upland church in this county. Rebecca Clevenger was a daughter of Samuel and Ruth (Spahr) Clevenger, who were both natives of Vir¬ ginia, but were married in Wayne county, Indiana. Samuel Clevenger was born in 1808, and his wife in 1812. He died in 1881 and she in 1884. They were pioneers, upright and worthy people, both as neigh¬ bors and citizens, and active members of the Doddridge church in Wayne county. Mrs. John W. Connelly was the oldest in a family* of eight children, and all of them lived in Indiana. Her sister Sabra died at the age of seventy-six. John W. Connelly and wife had eight chil¬ dren, named as follows: John, who lives at home and is unmarried; Belle, who died after her marriage to Noah Johnson, leaving three children, Alva, Elva, and Bertha; Samuel, now postmaster of Upland; Mary, who died in infancy; Joseph, who is an oil man in Oklahoma, and is married but has no children ; Dora, wife of ,J. P. Richard, a resident of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and their children are Hugo and Homer; Flora, who died at the age of twenty-two years, and Harry T., the youngest.

Harry T. Connelly was educated in the schools and at the Fairmount 'Academy, and in the Marion Normal College. From 1893 until 1902 he was one of the successful teachers, most of his work being done in Jefferson and Monroe township. While a man of extended activities in business, Mr. Connelly's life is also distinguished for much public service, and his record as a teacher might be well included under that head. From 1905 until January 1, 1909, he gave four years of capable administration in the office of township trustee of Monroe township. He was elected on the Republican ticket, and was the second Repub¬ lican ever elected to that office in the 'township. His majority of sixtyfour votes was a noteworthy showing in a Democratic community. In the fall of 1908 Mr. Connelly was elected to the state legislature and served during the sessions of 1909-10 and in 1911. During the first session he was on the committee of education and roads, and in 1911 was on the committee of counties and townships and also on the com¬ mittee of banks and trusts companies.

In 1899 Mr. Connelly came into the possession of the old home place by buying out the other heirs, and soon after settled down to farm life. The farm, located in section thirty-four of Monroe town¬ ship, comprises one hundred and eighty acres of land, all under the plow, with the exception of a timber lot of thirty-five acres. In 1912, his crops were represented by the following figures: Eight hundred bushels of corn, nine hundred bushels of oats, and one hundred and sixty bushels of rye. He sold about one hundred head of hogs during that year, and he averages from one hundred to one hundred and twenty-five hogs a year. He has a herd of twenty-three short horn cattle on the place, twenty-five sheep and four horses. These figures, without further comment, are sufficient to show that Mr. Connelly is in the farming business for something besides recreation, and he is righfly entitled to his reputation as one of the most progressive and successful farming men in the county.

On June 23, 1904, at Upland, was solemnized the marriage of Harry T. Connelly, with Miss Edith Kline. Mrs. Connelly was born in Mill Grove, Blackford county, Indiana, August 5, 1874, and is a woman of splendid education and thorough culture. Her schooling was in Hartford City, and in the well known private school kept by Mrs. Bleaker. For eleven years Mrs. Connelly was a successful teacher in Hartford City, and in Upland. Her father is Henry J. Kline, who for the past twenty years has had his home in Upland, and in early years made a record as one of the* popular teachers in this part of the state.

Mr. and Mrs. Connelly have five children : D. Gretchen, who is now in school at Upland; Barbara H., also in school; Marjorie E., Phillip, and Roger Thomas. Mr. and Mrs. Connelly are members of the Upland Methodist church, and he has fraternal associations with the Masonic Order at Upland, and the Royal Chapter at Hartford City.

Edgar Thornburg. One of the prospering farmers of Grant county, Edgar Thornburg is one whose success has been won entirely as the result of his own well directed efforts. He had no fortune given to him by families, and early in life had the courage to marry and estab¬ lish a home for himself, and since that time has steadily prospered, until he is reckoned as one of the substantial men of Monroe township. In that township he purchased a home place of seventy-four acres of land, and in 1912, as an indication of his progressive farming efforts, he harvested one thousand bushels of corn, seven hundred bushels of oats, cut seven tons of hay and shipped to market about fifty hogs. His farm is not only a profitable business, but is an attractive home place, where he and his family enjoy life. His large brick house is located on a hill, with land sloping down from it, and among other im¬ provements are some good barns, while all the farm is kept in good condition. Edgar Thornburg was born May 9, 1863, in Henry county, Indiana, a son of Alfred M. and Emeline (Wallace) Thornburg. His father was bom in North Carolind, and the mother in Fayette county, Indiana. Her parents were natives of New Hampshire, and she died in 1872 in Marion. Grandfather Benjamin Thornburg emigrated from North Carolina to Henry county, among the pioneers. Alfred M. Thornburg, the father, was a carpenter by trade, and moved to Marion in 1871. He lived there until February, 1886, when he went west to Los Angeles, California. The five children were Edgar; George of Los Angeles; Elmer of Marion; Mrs. Aletha L. Beck, who died in De¬ cember, 1911; and Mrs. Ida Belle Fruchey of Marion.

After the death of the mother, several of the children were placed in the homes of friends to be cared for and reared. In this way Edgar Thornburg entered the home of Samuel R. Thompson of Monroe town¬ ship, where he was reared to manhood. When he was twenty-two years old he married and moved to the Holloway farm, where he spent fifteen years. Shortly after moving to the Holloway place in 1886 he bought sixty acres of land, and after selling that in 1901 bought his present homestead.

Mr. Thornburg was married in 1886 to Martha A. Ilodson, a daugh¬ ter of Jonathan Ilodson. Their two children are Mrs. Alma N. Boiler, of Center township, wife of Lee Boiler, and they have one daughter, Helen Louise : and Hazel, who was married November 12, 1913, to Ollie Thurman. Mr. and Mrs. Thornburg ai'e also rearing an orphan ctiild, Oscar Wickum. In politics Mr. Thornburg allies himself with the Pro¬ hibitionists and he and his family worship with the Methodist church.

Nixon Winslow. Many lives have entered into the foundation of Grant county, and none of them more worthy to be considered in a history of pioneer personalities than the late Nixon Winslow, who for many years was prominent as a business man, farmer and banker and public spirited citizen in Fairmount township and city.

Like many other of the early Grant county pioneers, Nixon Winslow was born in Randolph county, North Carolina, June 28, 1831. He died at his home in Fairmount City, May 25, 1910. His parents were Thomas and Martha (Bogue) Winslow. His father was born in Randolph county, July 14, 1795, and his wife in the same state on August 3, 1802. She was a daughter of John and Lydia (White) Bogue, who were married in 1797. John Bogue was a son of Marmaduke and Sarah (Robinson) Bogue, who were natives of England, and who died at a good old age in Randolph county, North Carolina. They were what is known as Fox Quakers. John Bogue and wife Lydia died in Randolph county, North Carolina, when in the prime of life, leaving four daughters, all young. These daughters came north, were married, had large families, and were all identified with Grant county. The oldest of the daughters of John Bogue was Mary, better known as Polly, who married Phineas

Henly, and lived and died in Grant county. Thomas and Martha Wins¬ low came to Grant county in 1836, entering land and living there until their death in Fairmount township. They were both Charter members of the Old Northern Quarterly Quaker Meeting in that township. Thomas Winslow and wife were married in North Carolina about 1829, she being his second wife. His first wife who died in North Carolina was Millicent Gazan, who left four children at her death.

The late Nixon Winslow, who was the oldest child of his mother, Martha Bogue, was five years old when the family moved to Grant county, and here he grew up on his father's farm in Fairmount township. His education was obtained in the local schools, and from the time he started out on his own account, he steadily prospered. He bought some land of his own two miles east of Fairmount city, and some years later bought one hundred and sixty acres just outside the city limits on the east, and on that land spent his final years. As already stated, he was one of the most successful farmers and able business men in the county. He was one of the organizers and for many years was president of the Citizens Exchange Bank of Fairmount, having sold his interest and retired from the office only a short time before his death. Among other public things to which he contributed his efforts and means was the Fairmount Academy, and also the Quakers church in the city. He served as trustee and elder of the church, holding the latter office at the time of his death. Though no politician in any sense he was a regu¬ lar supporter and voter for the Prohibition interests.

In Jonesboro, in the Friends church and according to the strict forms of the Quaker ceremonies, the orthodox faith, Nixon Winslow was married October 25, 1854, to Miss Cynthia Ann Jay. Her marriage introduces another interesting family into this biographical sketch. She was born in Miami county, Indiana, May 5, 1832, and when seventeen years old came to Mill township in Grant county. Her parents were Denny and Mary (Jones) Jay, her father a native of North Carolina, and her mother of Ohio. Her mother was a daughter of Elisha and Susanna (Hollingsworth) Jones, natives of Georgia, and early settlers in Ohio, where they located government land near Troy in Miami county. There Susanna Jones was killed by a stroke of lightning, while in the prime of her life. Her husband married the second time and continued to live in Miami county until his death at a good old age. Denny Jay and wife on coming to Grant county located on the Mississinewa River, north of Jonesboro, where they had their home until their lives came to a peaceful close, his at the age of sixty-one and hers when sixty-three years old. They were active members, and both were elders in the Jones¬ boro Quaker Meeting. In the Jay family were four sons and five daugh¬ ters, three of them being: Jesse and Lambert B., and Mrs. Winslow. Jesse Jay is a farmer on the old Mill township homestead, is married and has a family, while his younger brother lives in Grant county, and is a genial bachelor, being a farmer 1 jy occupation.

To the marriage of Nixon Winslow and wife were born seven chil¬ dren, one of whom, Marcus Alden, died at the age of two and a half years. The living children who grew up are mentioned as follows : Le¬ vina, wife of John Kelsie, a prosperous farmer, and a former county commissioner living in Fairmount township, has a family of children. Webster J. is retired and lives in Fairmount, his first wife having been Mary Jean who died leaving children, of whom two are living; his sec¬ ond marriage was to Ora Winslow, daughter of J. P. Winslow, and there were no children by the second union. Ella, maiden lady, resides with her mother in Fairmount, and between the mother and daughter there exists a strong affection and many mutual sympathies, which render the declining days of Mrs. Winslow specially pleasant. Thomas D. is a farmer in Liberty township, and has twice married, his first wife being Eva Pearson, who left three children, of whom two are living, and his second wife is Anna Ellis, by whom there is one daughter. The next two children of the family are Ancil and Clinton, both of whom are given more specific mention elsewhere in these pages.

Ancil Winslow, the youngest but one of the children of Nixon and Cynthia Winslow, was born in Fairmount township, December 29, 1864. He is deservedly regarded as one of the most enterprising and success¬ ful farmers and business men of Grant county. With the precedent of several generations of solid family success behind him, he has not failed to meet the expectations of family and friends, and among his asso¬ ciates is called a hustler, which very accurately described his character as a business man.

During his youth he was reared and trained in a good Christian home, and was taught the lessons of industry and honor. He was also a student in the local schools, and completed his education at Fairmount Academy. In 1889 Mr. Winslow bought one hundred and eighty acres of fine farm land on section seventeen of Fairmount township. There he later constructed in 1904, probably one of the handsomest and most comfortable rural residences to be found anywhere in Grant county. It is a thoroughly modern structure, and while built to harmonize with its surroundings and on the basis of utility, its is really as luxurious as many of the best city homes. The farm establishments contain all the improvements that would be expected of the best Grant county home¬ steads, excellent barns, equipment of outbuildings and machinery of every kind, and the farm is well stocked with high grade cattle, hogs and horses. Mr. Winslow grows a great deal of alfalfa and feeds prac¬ tically every pound of the crops produced on the land to his stock. He uses a silo with a capacity of eighty tons. His success has lain especially along the line of stock raising and on his place he grows many varieties of fruit also.

At Marion, Mr. Winslow married Ida Elliott, a daughter of Isaac and Mary (Small) Elliott. Her parents still live in Fairmount, and her father was born on the site now occupied by the Soldiers' Home of Grant county, the land having been entered by his father, direct from the government. Isaac Elliott and wife are hale and hearty old people, and both have been members of the Quaker faith since birth. Mrs. Ida Winslow is the only daughter and child of her parents. She graduated from the Marion high school and the Fairmount Academy, and is a woman of cultured tastes and an excellent homemaker. She is the mother of two children. Isaac R. was born June 7, 1893, graduated from Fairmount Academy, and is now a student in Earlham College. Marcus R. was born December 17, 1901, and is now attending the grade schools. Both Mr. and Mrs. Winslow were born to membership in the Quaker church. #

Benjamin Franklin Van Vactor. A well known resident of Center township, Benjamin Franklin Van Vactor has been an important factor in agricultural circles of Grant county, and his popularity is well de¬ served, as in him are embraced the characteristics of an unbending in¬ tegrity, unabated energy, and an industry that never flags. While he has been an exceedingly busy man, with large personal interests, he has ever been public spirited, and is thoroughly interested in whatever tends to promote the moral, intellectual and material welfare of the community where he has resided all of his life. He was born on a farm about one mile west of his present home, March 12, 1857, and is a son of Joseph and Margaret Burkel Van Vactor.

Thomas J. Brookshire Mrs. Thomas J. Brookshire

Joseph Van Vactor was born in Holland, and on emigrating to the United States, settled in Ohio, where his first wife, a native of Prussia, died. After his second marriage he came to Center township, Grant county Indiana, and took up a tract of eighty acres across from the Soldiera Home to the east, there continuing to reside until his death Sep¬ tember 10, 1867, at which time lie was the owner of five hundred and eighty acres of land. Mr. Joseph Van Vactor was a faithful member of the Methodist church, and took an active interest in its work, liberally supporting its various movements. He was the father of four chil¬ dren, all of whom are living at this time: Joseph, who is is engaged in farming in Monroe township ; Benjamin F., of this review ; C. E., who was for twenty years cashier of the First National Bank of Marion, and is now superintendent of the United States Glove Factory in that city ; and Mary E., who married Roland Ratliff, principal of public schools of Danville, Illinois.

Benjamin Franklin Van Vactor was educated in the public schools of Center township, and was about eighteen years of age when he com¬ pleted his education and turned his entire attention to farming, in which he had been formerly engaged only during the summer months. Some six years later he was married and took up his residence about one-half mile east of his present home, and since that time has continued to add to his property, until he now owns two hundred and twenty-five acres. In addition he has a one-sixth interest in nine hundred and sixty acres of land in North Dakota. He is a skilled farmer, employing mod¬ em methods in his work, and securing excellent returns for the work he expends upon his property. His fellow citizens have recognized his general worth and the confidence and esteem in which he is held is evi¬ dence of the confidence he has inspired in those who know him.

In 1881 Mr. Van Vactor was married to Miss Jennie Caldwell, who was born and reared in Center township, where she secured her educa¬ tion in the public schools. Mrs. Van Vactor is a daughter of Nicholas and Anna (Nelson) Caldwell. Nicholas Caldwell was a native of Vir¬ ginia, near Harpers Ferry, while his wife was bom in Grant county, Indiana. Three children have been bora to Mr. Van Vactor and wife : Grace L., a graduate of the common schools, is now the wife of Burr Wolff, formerly of Center township, but now residing in Montana on a tract of three hundred and twenty acres of land, and they have five chil¬ dren - Faye Anna, Francis W., Ivan, Wayen W., and Lavon C. Lea A., formerly a teacher of music, is now the wife of Claude J. Stout, living near Ambrose, North Dakota, and they have one child, Lena Audra. Leo C., a bright lad of ten years, is living at home and a student in the public schools. Mr. and Mrs. Van Vactor are consistent members of the Griffin Chapel of the Methodist church. » He is a Democrat in his political views, although not active, and his fraternal connection is with the F. M. B. A.

Thomas J. Brookshire. No more estimable citizen may be found in Liberty township, nor no more capable and prospering farmer than Thomas J. Brookshire, who has been a resident of the state all his life and of Grant county since 1867. A veteran of the Civil war, his record is one of the highest honor and integrity, and he enjoys the unqualified esteem of the best people of his township, and wherever he is known. He was bom in Henry county, Indiana, on November 26, 1844, the son of, Emsley and Elizabeth (Shelley) Brookshire. The father was a native of North Carolina, and the mother of Tennessee, both of whom came to Indiana in the early days of their lives. The father entered land iii Henry county, and in addition to his farming activities, was widely known as an itinerant preacher of the Wesleyan faith. He lived and died on the land he obtained from the government, there rearing a family of ten children, of whom two are yet living at this writing. Besid4 the subject, the only other survivor is Sarah A., who married Joshua Nuby of the state of California, and there resides. Three of their sons, among which was Thomas J. of this review, served in the Civil war.

Thomas J. Brookshire was reared on the Henry county farm of his parents, and attended the district schools of his community. He was still very young when he enlisted in Company E of the Ninth Indiana Cavalry from Henry county, of which he was made first corporal, and be rendered a service approximating almost three years during the course of the war, the same being characterized by the most valiant action throughout. He was discharged in 1865, when the last gun had been fired, and the period of his service embraced some of the most exciting campaigns of the long civil conflict. He participated in the Vicksburg campaign and the Atlanta Campaign ; and fought in many of the most hotly contested battles of the war. Following his discharge he returned to the Henry county farm, devoting himself quietly to farm life.

In 1866 he married Clementine Akers, of Rush county, Indiana, and to them were born ten children, six of whom are living at this writing. They are Leroy; Anna, the wife of John Dare; Jesse, living in Missouri; Cornelius, living near Hackelman ; Nixon H., of Liberty township ; and Nettie, the wife of Leroy Saders. Sixteen grandchildren have been added to the progeny of the family, and one great-grandchild, James Frederick Smith.

The year 1867 marked the removal of the family from Henry county to Grant county, and here he has a fine farm of two hundred and eighty acres in Liberty township. In the years that passed he has acquired title to a goodly bit of land in the county, at one time owning as high as five hundred acres. His present holdings, however, are sufficient for his demands, and here he is busy in the breeding of Percheron and Bel¬ gian horses, while the finest grade of shorthorn cattle may be found on his place. He has prospered all his days in his farming enterprise, and his neighbors know him for a successful man, as well as one of the most trustworthy men in the township, where he has a wide circle of stanch friends, as have the other members of his worthy family. He helped organize the Citizens Bank of Fairmount, was a director of the institution for several years and now a heavy stockholder and a director of the Fairmount State Bank.

Mr. Brookshire is a member of the G. A. R., and has served the local post as commander at times. He and his family are members of the Wesleyan church at Backcreek, taking an active part in the varied enter¬ prises of that body, and in his politics Mr. Brookshire is a Progressive Republican. He is a man who ever manifests a good citizen's interest in political affairs relative to his own community at least, and is now serv¬ ing on the Advisory Board of his township, where he has performed a valuable service for the town. He is known to be one of the progressive men of the county, not content to live in the past, but up and doing with the most advanced men of his community in both thought and action.

George D. Lindsay. Although George D. Lindsay has lived in Marion, Indiana, for comparatively a few years only, he has come to be an important factor in the business life of the city and has taken a prominent part in its civic and political affairs. Mr. Lindsay is a law¬ yer by profession and in his position as part owner and manager of the Marion Chronicle , he has had much to do towards influencing the minds of the people. He is a man of splendid education and fine mental abil-

George D. Lindsay was bom at McKeesport, Pennsylvania, on the 30th of March, 1862. He is the son of David G. and Janet (Nichol) Lindsay, both of whom were bora in Scotland. They came to America in 1860 and settled at McKeesport, Pennsylvania, but some time after¬ wards settled on a farm in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, where they now reside.

George D. Lindsay attended the public schools of McKeesport and then took a business course in a Pittsburg business college. He later attended Washington- Jefferson College, at Washington, Pennsylvania, where he majored in history. He next became a student in Wooster College, at Wooster, Ohio, and upon leaving college he began life as a teacher. He was principal of the Belmont Academy at Belmont, Penn¬ sylvania, for some time and was superintendent of public instruction at Latrobe, Pennsylvania, for a year. He next read law in the office of Judge John S. Robb at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.

In 1889 Mr. Lindsay graduated from the McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, Illinois, and entered the ministry of the Presby¬ terian church. He held the pastorates in Ionia, Michigan, Galena, Illi¬ nois, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and served as summer supply in many of the largest churches in the country, three times representing his presbytery as Commissioner to the General As¬ sembly. While in the ministry Mr. Lindsay frequently occupied the lecture platform, speaking in lecture courses, at school commencements and on special occasions such as Memorial Day, Fourth of July, etc.

It was in 1907 that Mr. Lindsay came to Marion. He here opened a law office and has been engaged in the practice of his profession ever since. In 1912 Mr. Lindsay bought an interest in the Marion Chron¬ icle and assumed the business management of it. He has not only made the paper a financial success, but he has also made it a power to Marion and Gyant county. In addition to these interests Mr. Lindsay is general manager, secretary and treasurer of the Commercial Printing Company of Marion, Marion's largest job printing concern.

He has been active in all matters pertaining to the civic improve¬ ment of Marion and in the enforcement of the law, being one of the fac¬ tors in the fight for a clean city. He has been one of the leading men in the fight for local option, and in every movement that has the progress of the city as its aim he is found on the firing line.

In 1889, on the 11th of July, Mr. Lindsay was married to Emma Breed, a daughter of Richard E. Breed, of Chicago. Five children were born to this union, Katharine, David, Jeannette, Sarah and Richard. Mr. Lindsay is a member of the Country and Golf Clubs of Marion. In politics he is a member of the Republican party.

Eleazar Newby. The Newby family, today one of the prominent and well thought of families of Grant county, has been identified with the county since 1830, in which year Thomas Newby, the father of Eleazar Newby, whose name introduces this review, came as a lad of six years to make his home with an uncle, who reared the orphaned child. The family has had a large and worthy part in the development and growth of the county and the communities that have represented the homes of the various members of the family in the passing years have benefited generously from the influences and activities of these men.

sturdy English stock, the first of the name having located on these shores prior to the earliest struggles of the American colonies in their, quest for independence, and men of the name have borne arms in the defence of whatever cause the country has taken up from then down to the present time. A branch of the family in the eighteenth century set¬ tled in North Carolina, and from that branch have come the Newbys who have lent their powers to the upbuilding of Grant county. The first of the name who will be mentioned specifically in these columns is Eleazar Newby, grandsire of the subject, who bears the same name. He was born in North Carolina, and passed his life in that state. He died while yet in the prime of his manhood, being survived by his widow, who in her maiden days was Mary Winslow, of a fine old Carolina fam¬ ily. She bore him one son, Thomas W., who became the father of the subject, and after the death of her husband she married Daniel Thomas. They took up their residence in Fairmount township, where they passed their remaining years, and left one son, William Thomas.

Thomas W. Newby was born in Randolph county, North Carolina, in 1824, and he was two years of age when his father died. He was taken into the home of his uncle, Cajie Newby, and in 1830 came with them to Grant county, Indiana. He was reared in his uncled home and was brought up in the faith of the Quakers, his uncle being a stanch ad¬ herent of the faith and a powerful example to his fellow men all his days. Thomas W. Newby had in him those qualities that ever make for signal success and prosperity in the life of the man who possesses them. He devoted his life to agricultural activities, and was one of the few men of his day who amassed in the neighborhood of a million dol¬ lars. He gave to each of his six children an eighty-acre farm, well de¬ veloped and rich in improvement, as well as giving to each a large sum of money in cash. He was recognized as one of the foremost men of the county, as well as one of the richest of his time. He died at his old home in Fairmount township on December 7, 1903, when he was seventy-nine years of age. Mr. Newby was a Whig in early life, and later became a Republican. He was a man of the most estimable qualities, and his ster¬ ling character made him an influence in his community that was farreaching and beneficent at all times. In his citizenship he was a man among men, and his opinion in matters of civic duty and political ques¬ tions of all manner was one that was eagerly sought by his contempora¬ ries. When he died he was truly mourned and his loss is still felt in those places where he was best known.

In Fairmount township, Mr. Newby married Sarah Hill, who was born in Randolph county, North Carolina, on December 7, 1824, and who was a daughter of Aaron and Nancy (Winslow) Hill. They came as pioneers to Grant county and entered land in the vicinity of Back Creek church, where they passed the remainder of their lives. They were Quakers, and were stanch and sturdy folk, who won, and retained the esteem of their fellow townspeople as long as they lived. They were among the founders of the Back Creek church of Friends, and were among the influential people of their community. Six children were born to Thomas and Sarah Newby, and they lived to see their off¬ spring filling worthy places in the town and county. Mrs. Newby died when she was eighty-six years and three months of age, and she too had been prominent in the church of the Friends.

Eleazar Newby was the eldest of the six children born to Thomas and Sarah Newby, and of that number three are now deceased. He was born on the family homestead on June 15, 1851. He was educated in the public schools and early began to devote himself to the business of farming. In 1875 he took up his residence on his present fine farm of eighty acres in Section 7, Mill township, and that place has been brought to a state of efficiency that is second to none in the county today. In 1888 he built his present commodious house on the place, having pre¬ viously, in 1883, reared ample barns for the needs of the farm. He is undeniably one of the most successful farming men in the county. His place is known as Forest Home, a name especially fitted to the actuali¬ ties, for a magnificent grove of native forest trees adorns the grounds about the house.

Mr. Newby was married in 1881 in Jefferson township to Miss Celia Mitchener, who was born in this county and here has spent her life thus far. She is a daughter of Albert and Elizabeth Mitchener, natives of the state of Pennsylvania. They came to Grant county soon after their marriage and settled in Jefferson township, where they died in their old age.

To Mr. and Mrs. Newby have been bom six children concerning whom brief mention is here made as follows : Mary E. married Charles Pitt, and they live in North Jonesboro. They are the parents of Geneva, Lucile and James Pitt. Elsie is the wife of Edgar Neal, of Grant county, and their children are named Hildreth, Harold and Donald. Gertha M. and Adelphia I. are both unmarried and make their home with their parents; while Jessie is the wife of Vergil Craig, and they also reside with the home folks. The youngest child, Clessie L., attends the public school.

Mr. and Mrs. Newby were both reared in the Quaker religion, and ha^e imparted to their children the sterling characters that have been their most marked qualities. They are members of the New Reformed Friends Church, somewhat recently brought into being through a reor¬ ganization, and Mr. Newby is a stanch Prohibitionist, and the power of his example has been one of the most potent influences for good that his community has felt in its citizenship.

Garn Jett. One of the younger generation of farming men of Mill township is Gam Jett, who has, since locating in Grant county, devoted his entire time to general farming. Thus far he has enjoyed a reason¬ able measure of success, and he is ranked among the more solid and stable agricultural men of his township. Mr. Jett, however, is no mere tyro at the business of agriculture for he comes of an old Virginia fam¬ ily that for generations back have devoted themselves to the soil. His widowed ipother even now' maintains her residence on the fine family plantation of some four hundred acres, and members of the Jett family have in many instances proven themselves masters of the business.

The Jett family is one that has for many years been established in Scott county, Virginia, and the first of the name who shall enter into this recital was John Jett, the paternal grandfather of Garn Jett of this review. All of John Jett's life was spent in Scott county and was devoted to farming. He came of one of the finest of Virginia families, and his life was one of singular completeness in his community. A slave holder and a man of considerable wealth, he busied himself chiefly with the care of his magnificent plantation of 2,000 acres, and in the ante-bellum days he was indeed a power to be reckoned with in the * agricultural activities of Scott county. He was born in 1802, and died in 1877, after having suffered heavy losses as a result of the Civil war, from which he never really recovered.

John Jett married Irena Wolff, who was also born and reared in Scott county, and she survived her honored husband by some years, death claiming her on February 15, 1895, when she was just turned eighty years of age. She and her husband were both members of the Meth¬ odist church, South, and he was an ardent Democrat.

Three sons were born to John and Irena Jett, - William, Stephen and John Jr. The two last named served in the Confederate army dur¬ ing the Civil war, and Stephen lost an arm while a Confederate soldier. He is now a resident of Boone county, Indiana, and has two sons. John Jett Jr. died in Scott county, leaving a widow and one daughter.

William Jett was born in Scott county on the old home plantation in 1852, and he died on January 14, 1910, when he was but fifty-eight years of age. He spent his entire life on the old home place, and in his native community was married, in early manhood, to Miss Susan Smith, a sister of Pascal Smith, a sketch of whose life appears elsewhere in this review. She, too, was a Scott county native, and all her life was passed within its confines. She was born in 1853, and is still living on the old homestead of 400 acres. Since the passing of the father, Wil¬ liam H. Jett, in 1910, Mrs. Jett, with two younger sons, has had the care of the plantation and they have done justice to the task in hand.

Seven children were born to William and Susan Jett, and of that number Garn Jett of this review is the eldest born. He was reared and educated in the home community, and when he was married in 1898 he was then just twenty-three years of age, his birth having having oc¬ curred on March 5, 1875. He married Miss Catherine Smith, who was bora on October 30, 1887, a daughter of John S. and Eliza (Pope) Smith, both now residents of Scott county, Virginia, where they have long made their home. They have devoted themselves to farming activities all their days, and are among the prominent people of their community.

Soon after his marriage, Mr. Jett came to Grant county, and in 1909 he purchased in Mill township a small place of seventy-eight acres, all of which is under cultivation, and which is in a high state of productiveness. Small grains and a quantity of clover comprise his crops, and the farm is well stocked and in every way reflects the enter¬ prise and ambition of its proprietor.

Two daughters have been born to Mr.- and Mrs. Jett, - Margaret born February 14, 1896, a freshman student in Fairmount Academy, and Irene, bora on May 25, 1898, and a student in the local public schools.

Considering that Mr. Jett has only spent fifteen years in the county, he has gained a place of no little prominence therein, and is reckoned among the progressive and influential men of the town and county. He is a Democrat, and possesses qualities that make for a high degree of efficiency in citizenship, so that his influence in and about the com¬ munity is one of the finest order. He and his family have a host of good friends in their new home, and are well content with the results of their migration to the north.