Hendricks County, Indiana - Biographical sketches, 1914 (part 16 of 19)

Francis H. Hall received his education in three different states, Ohio, Iowa and Indiana, and. being a youth of observing mind, he acquired no inconsiderable education from the extensive journeys made by his parents back and forth across the Mississippi valley. At the opening of the Civil war in 1861 he enlisted in Company H. Forty-seventh Regiment Indiana \'olunteer Infantry, and served three years and nineteen days with the Union army. He was with General Grant at Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Shiloh, luka and was in the terrific siege of Vicksburg in 1863. He was a participant in the battle of Champion's Hill, Mississippi, which history has recorded as the bloodiest battle of the whole struggle. He was with General Banks on his campaign in Arkansas and Oklahoma, being in the ordnance department at that time. He pro\"ed a x'aliant and courageous soldier and ser\ed faithfully in all the engagements in which his regiment was a participant. After the close of the war he returned to Putnam county. Indiana, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits, and began to make a specialty of fine cattle to feed for the markets. He claims to be the oldest cattle feeder in Hendricks county, having fed a bunch of cattle each year for the market for the past forty-three vears without missing a single year. In 1897 he came to Dan\-ille to spend the remainder of his days, but he still keeps in close touch with his farm in Putnam county, on which his son is now residing. In addition to his farming and stock raising interests, Mr. Hall is president of the Danville State Bank, and is now serving his second term in that capacity.

Mr. Hall was married in 1866 to Rebecca Keith, and to this union has been born one son. Owen Hall, who manages his father's farm in Putnam county and also has a farm of his own adjoining his father's. Mr. and Mrs. Hall had one son. Homer S.. who died at the age of thirty-four in Monrovia. California. He was a brilliant and promising young man. a graduate of De- Pauw and Leland Stanford Universities, and was building up a fine reputation as a civil engineer.

Mr. and Mrs. Hall are devoted and consistent members, he of the Presbyterian and she of the Methodist church at Danville and contribute generously of their means to these societies. Mr. Hall has been voting the Republican ticket for more than fifty years and, although he has been active in the councils of his party, he has never been a candidate for public office. Mr. Hall has always been a man of high civic ideals and a warm and sympathetic supporter of all measures and enterprises tending to advance the general welfare of the community. He was truly the architect of his own fortune, and upon his entire career there rests no blemish, for he has always been true to the highest ideals and principles in business, moral and social life and has been one of the world's noble army of workers, having lived and labored to worthy ends.

Joseph Fleece Clay

One of the most distinguished families which has come to the United States from Scotland is the Clay family. Their descendants are now found scattered throughout the L'nited States. Among the most distinguished members of this family may be mentioned Henry and Cassius M. Clay, of Kentucky, men who were leaders in national life when they were in the height of their career. One of the members of this family who was born in Hendricks county, Indiana, and has brought honor on the county of his birth is Joseph Eleece Clay, who was formerly a sherifY of Marion county, but now a resident of Putnam county, Indiana.

Joseph F. Clay, the son of James Henry and Susan (Fleece) Clay, was born in Hendricks county September i, 1865. His father was born in Bourbon county, Kentucky, January 20, 1819, the son of Littleberry and Arabella (McCoun) Clay. James H. Clay and Susan Fleece were married July 29, 1841, their marriage taking place shortly after his parents arrived in this county. Littleberry Clay and his family came to this county in 1840 and purchased a section of land in Eel River township. After living in this county a few years Littleberry Clay and part of his family went to Missouri, but James H. remained in this county the remainder of his days. Susan Fleece was born in Boyle county, Kentucky, near Danville, and came to Hamilton county with her parents, Charles Fleece and wife, in the early history of the county. Her parents entered land west of North Salem, near Eel river.

James H. Clay followed the vocation of a farmer all his life. During the forty years of his residence in this county he was one of the prominent and influential citizens. At one time he owned nearly a section of land, but before his death he divided it among his children, nine of whom grew to maturity: Mrs. Arabella Waters; Mrs. Mary Catherine Rose; Samuel C. ; Mrs. Sallie Rogers, of Amo; James A., of Indianapolis: J. C, whose history is found elsewhere in this volume: Xicholas, deceased: Arthur E., of Indianapolis; Joseph F., whose history is here recorded, and one daughter, Lillie, who died in infancy.

Joseph F. Clay was educated in the common schools of Eel Ri\-er township and later attended the graded school at North Salem. Early in life he decided to follow the vocation which had brought such pronounced success to his father. After his marriage he began to farm and at the same time devote a great deal of attention to the raising of stock. In fact, he soon found that there was more money in the raising of stock than in the raising of grain, and within a few years left the farm and moved to Indianapolis, where he engaged in the live stock business in connection with Messrs. Stockton & Gillespie, the firm being known as Stockton, Gillespie, Clay & Company. He was connected with this company for the next thirteen years, and left it to take the office of sheriff of Marion county, to which he was elected in the fall of igo6. He served one term and then returned to his farm in Jackson township, Putnam county, where he is the owner of four hundred and seventy acres of fine farming land. He is now engaged in farming and stock breeding, paying most of his attention to stock.

;\Ir. Clay was married February 15, 1888, to Olix'e Thomas, daughter of John H. and Mary (Davidson) Thomas. John H. Thomas was a life-long farmer of Putnam county, this state, dying in that county at the age of seventy-three in 1903. To Mr. and Mrs. Clay has been born one daughter, Eula, the wife of Armin Krutzsh, who is now living on the farm of Mr. Clay. Mrs. Clay died March 11, iqii.

Mr. Clay has been an acti\-e Republican in politics and has been influential in the councils of his party. His worth as a citizen and his aljflity as a man is shown by the fact that he was nominated by the Republicans of Marion county for the responsible position of county sheriff and subseciuently elected to that important position. In the discharge of his duties he was fearless and honest and won the esteem of all with whom he was associated while in the n-ianagement of his ofiice. He is a member of the Third Christian church at Indianapolis. Fraternally, he is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, belonging to Oriental Lodge at Indianapolis. He is also a member of Raper Commandery, Knights Templar, Keystone Chapter of Royal .\rch Masons and the Alystic Shrine at Indianapolis. He also holds his memberyi6 HENDRICKS COUNTY, INDIANA.

ship in the Columbia C\\\h and 3.1arign Clul), two of the most iniluential clubs of the capital city. Mr. Clay has been remarkably successful in life, and in everything he has done he has commanded the respect and confidence of all those with whom he has been brought into contact. His life amply demonstrates what may be accomplished by a man of energy and ambition who is not afraid to work, his success being the result of his well directed efforts, his capable management of his business interests and his sound judgment.

A business man of Hazelwood, Indiana, who has made a pronounced success in life is Ethor V. Milhon, who, by the exercise of keen business ability and honest dealings, has built up a trade in a small town which is little short of marvelous. There are some men who are naturally gifted with the business instinct and this fortunate characteristic is the secret of the success of Mr. Milhon. Starting with a very small store, he has gradually worked up to a position where he has a business which is out of all proportion to the size of the town where he is located. In addition to his business interests, he has not failed to take a prominent part in the bod}' politic, and every worthy enterprise which is for the good of the public has found in him a sympathetic and ready helper. His life has squared with right ideals, and for this reason he is highly esteemed by a large circle of friends and acquaintances.

The postmaster, merchant and banker of Hazelwood was born in Liberty township, near Hazelwood, Hendricks county, Indiana, on November 26, 1870, the son of George W. and Susan Catherine (Richardson) Milhon, who were among the most highly esteemed residents of this township. George W. Milhon was born January 3, 1843, in Belmont county, Ohio, the son of George and Mary Ann (Hatbringer) Milhon. George Milhon, Sr., was a native of Virginia, and was born near Winchester, in that state. October 16, 1812.' His wife was born in the same state August 12, 1812, and after their marriage George Milhon and wife left A'irginia and settled in Belmont county, Ohio, where they farmed for several years and then came to Indiana, settling in Nashville, Brown county. In i860 they came to Hendricks county and settled in Liberty township. Here George Milhon, Sr., followed farming, but after two years returned to Nashville in Brown county, this state, where his death occurred December 30, 1879, while his wife died on the first day of the year 1880. He and his wife were loyal members of the Methodist Episcopal church and they reared a family of eleven children: Sarah Elizabeth, deceased: Mrs. Rebecca Jane Doan ; John Henry, deceased; Mrs. Rachel Anna ^larshall: George W., the father of the subject of this review; Martha Ann, deceased; Norris; Jane; James; Mrs. Mary Catherine Purcell and Mrs. Lucinda Davis. George W'. Milhon was married January 20, 1870, to Susan Catherine Richardson, daughter of William B. and Mary E. (Hurd) Richardson. William Richardson was a nati\e of North Carolina and came to Hendricks county, Indiana, with his parents, Daniel and Dorcas Richardson, in the early history of the county. The Richardsons entered one hundred and sixty acres of go\-ernment land in the county and on this farm \\Mlliam Richardson grew to manhood. lie was born Decemlier g, 1S31, and died in No\'ember, 1881, in this county. His wife was born near Frankfort, Kentucky, October 30, 183 1, and is still living. 'Sir. and Airs. William B. Richardson were married November 24, 1850, and to their union were born seven children; Mrs. Milhon; Mrs. Martha Jane Oliphant ; Mrs. Elizabeth D. Barnes; Joshua Newton: William Alfred, deceased; ]\Irs. Mary Elizabeth Hiatt, deceased, and Mrs. Emma Burzite. Mrs. Richardson has twenty-nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Mr. and Mrs. George William Milhon are the parents of seven children, five living and two deceased; Ethor V., whose history is here presented; Mrs. Effie May Cooper, deceased: Everett Newton; Mrs. Mary E. Stout: Alaude A., deceased: Mrs. Hattie B. Patterson and James W. E\-erett Newton Milhon married Hattie Wrightman and lives in Mooresville, Indiana, where he is chief engineer and superintendent of the telephone company of that place, and has two children, Irvin and Roy; Mary E. Milhon married Calvin Stout, of Hazelwood, a farmer and the president of the Hazelwood Bank, and has one child, Lenore ; Hattie D. Milhon married Mark Patterson, a farmer living east of Hazelwood, and they have two sons, Ralph and Maurice ; James W. Milhon married Maude Johnson and they live on a farm of this township, and have one child, Sylvan J.

George William Milhon enlisted in June, 1862, in Company H, Fiftyfourth Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, for the three-months service in the Union army in Kentucky and served four months before he was discharged. He then returned to Hendricks county and has lived the life of a farmer since. He is the owner of a fine farm of one hundred and seventy acres, most of which lies in Hendricks county. He and his wife are zealous members of the Regular Baptist church of Center Valley, and have rendered generous assistance to the" church in every way. Air. Milhon came to this county without a cent and has achieved success solely through his own de- termination and square business dealings. He has bought and sold much stock and has shipped hundreds of car loads from this county. He is a man well liked by every one and is still in good health and enjoying life.

Ethor V. Milhon spent his bo3'hood days on the home farm and received a practical education in the schools of Liberty township. After finishing the common school course he graduated from a business college at Indianapolis, and the business education which he there recei\-ed has been of incalculable benefit to him in his later career. Early in his life he started in the grocery business at Hazelwood with a small stock of about three hundred dollars worth of goods and went into debt for this. His store was only a small box of a place, but by hard work and square dealings he has met with wonderful success. He gradually built up his store, increased his stock, secured better buildings and, later on, took in C. E. Shields as a partner. The firm of JNIilhon & Shields continued for about four years and then Mr. Milhon bought out his partner's interest and continued to conduct the business alone. In 1898 Mr. Milhon erected a modern two-story brick building, one hundred by thirtv feet in size, and mo\'ed his stock of goods into this. The second floor is used by the Improved Order of Red Men.

In addition to his mercantile interests, Mr. Milhon is interested in the banking business in Hazelwood. He was elected cashier of the Hazelwood Bank in 1905, an institution which had been organized previous to that year under the name of the E. Milhon Bank. It had been organized in 1898 by Mr. Milhon and continued as a private bank until 1905, when it was reorganized as the Farmers Bank of Hazelwood. The new bank occupies part of the new building which was erected by Mr. Milhon and has commodious quarters where it transacts a rapidly-increasing business. In addition to his mercantile and financial interests, Mr. Milhon has also been the postmaster of Hazelwood for the past twenty years and still occupies that responsible position. Mr. Milhon enjoys an immense trade from Hazelwood and the surrounding community. The farmers from as far as ten miles come to Hazelwood to do their trading. He is a clever advertiser and appreciates the value of scientific advertising. In fact, such is the excellence of his work along this line that he has received numerous comments from dry goods magazines throughout the country on the excellence of his advertising.

Mr. Milhon was married July 4, 1893, to Ida Hazlewood, daughter of Benjamin P. and Eunice A. (Thomas) Hazlewood, and to this marriage there have been born two children. Sylvan, who died in infancy, and Emery J. Fraternallv, Mr. :Milhon is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons at

Monrovia, Indiana, the Knights of Pythias at Alooresville, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Monrovia and the Improved Order of Red Men at Hazelwood. Mrs. Milhon is a loyal and faithful member of the Missionary Baptist church, and also belongs to Order of the Eastern Star and the Daughters of Pocahontas. Their son Emery is affiliated with the Red Men. Politically, Mr. Milhon has always espoused the cause of the Democratic party, but the business cares which have demanded all of his attention have pre\ented him from taking any active part in politics. Enough has been said of the life history of Mr. Milhon to show that he has been a man of keen business judgment, combined with that tact and personality which render him a successful man of the world. Ne^-ertheless, in spite of the fact that he has been busy with his many interests, he has not neglected to take an active part in the life of the community about him, but has contributed his share to all worthy enterprises in his localit)-. He has been in the milling business for the past twenty years at Hazlewood, his trade extending twenty miles out.

It is both pleasant and profitable to study the life record of such a worthy gentleman as he whose name forms the caption of this review, for in it we find evidence of traits of character that can not help making for success in the life of one who directs his efforts, as Mr. Stevenson has done, along proper paths with persistency and untiring zeal, toward worthy ends. Having had as his close companion through life, upright principles, these worthy traits of character have resulted, as we shall see, in blessing to himself, his familv and those with whom he has come into contact.

William H. Stevenson, the son of Morgan and Rhoda E. (West) Stevenson, was born February 2, 1862, in Marion township, about four miles west of Danville. Morgan Stevenson was a native of Kentucky and came with his parents, Payton and Sarah Stevenson, to this county when a small boy. He became a farmer and continued to follow that occupation until his death, February 14, 1888. His wife died October 24, 1896. Mr. and Mrs. Morgan Stevenson were the parents of ten children: Mrs. Sarah E. Thompson; Harriet, deceased; Mrs. Lottie Tinder; Evaline, deceased; William H., whose biography is herein delineated; Mary Etta, deceased; Flora (Mrs. Hiram Gooch) is deceased; Edgar, Isaac and Charles.

son remained on the home farm until his marriage and for the first eight years after his marriage he lived on a rented farm. He was thrifty and, with tlie assistance of his wife, was able to lay aside some money each year. In 1895 they purchased sixty-seven acres from the old Stevenson homestead, but four years later sold this and bought the one hundred and fiftyfour acres in Union township, three miles south of Lizton, where they now live. While following general farming he has always raised some stock each year and from the sale of this he has added not a little to his annual income. He has improved his farm in many ways, until it now presents a very attractive appearance.

Mr. Stevenson was married December 11, 1887, to Mary C. Flynn, the daughter of John D. and Virginia W. (Harris) Flynn. John D. Flynn was a native of this county, his father having come to this county from Kentucky. He died January 24, 1888. His wife also was a native of this state, and died April 12, 1899. Mr. and Mrs. Flynn were the parents of four children: James, deceased; Mary C, the wife of Mr. Stevenson; Nicodemus, deceased, and Mrs. Virginia Ann Christey. Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson have one son living, Ray. He married Beulah Harbison, and has one son, Loyd.

Mr. Stevenson has been a life-long Democrat and, while he is interested in the local candidates of his party, he has never taken an active interest in the general campaigns of his party. He and the members of his family are adherents of the Missionary Baptist church and contribute generously of their means to its support. Mr. Stevenson is a very pleasant man to meet and he is in every sense of the word one of the sterling representatives of the twentieth-century man of affairs of Hendricks county.

Harry E. Sanders

It is always pleasant and profitable to contemplate the career of a man who has won a definite goal in life, whose career has been such as to commend him to the honor and respect of his fellow citizens. Such, in brief, is the record of the well-known agriculturist whose name appears at the head of this brief review, than whom a more whole-souled or popular man it would be difficult to find within the limits of Hendricks county, where he has long maintained his home and where he has labored not only for his own individual interests and that of his immediate family, but also for the improve-

Harry E. Sanders, the son of Henry and JuHa A. (Gossett) Sanders, was born in Plainfield, Indiana, October lo, 1870. His father was a native of Fayette county. Ohio, his birth occurring there in July, 1826, while his mother was born in North Carolina in January, 1828. Henry Sanders came to Indiana in 1836 with his parents, settling in Washington township, this county, and here Henry Sanders was reared, grew to manhood and, in October, 1847, was married to Julia A. Gossett, and to this union were born seven children: Alva W., of Galveston, Texas, who is connected with the shipping industry of that city: Mrs. Mary A. Zeller, who was born in 1850, was twice married, both of her husbands being now deceased, and she has three children living; Mrs. Emma E. McGrew, whose husband is deceased, has one child and is a resident of Indianapolis ; Albert P., deceased, and who was married to Emma Inskip, had one child ; William E., of Chicago, who is a real estate dealer, married Ida Cofifee : Dr. Frank E., who is a practicing physician of Culver, Indiana, is married and has one son. Henry Sanders died in 1896, and was survived by his widow several years, her death occurring in 1905.

Harry E. Sanders, whose history is here briefly reviewed, was reared on the farm in Washington township, alid attended the public school of his home neighborhood, receiving a good, practical education, and early in life decided that he wanted to follow the agricultural profession, and with this end in view applied himself to the acquisition of all the information which would assist him in making a success of this calling.

Mr. Sanders was married October 17, 1905, to Emma L. Saunders, whose father was a merchant of Zanesville, Ohio. Mrs. Sanders is a woman of retinement and culture and adds grace and charm to their elegant home. Mr. Sanders has, in addition to his regular farming duties, taken an active interest in civic affairs and as a member of the county board of commissioners has been one of the prominent factors in the building of the new twohundred-and-seventy-five-thousand-dollar court house at Danville. This building embodies all of the latest and most modern ideas in court house architecture, and when completed will be one of the finest of its kind in Indiana. He has also been on the advisory board of his township, and in both capacities he has shown a capability and adaptability for public work which renders him an efficient servant of his fellow citizens. Fraternally, he is a member of (46)

Mr. Sanders is now in the prime of life and usefulness and has many years of active service before him and the work which he has done in the past speaks well for the future. His native ability, business success, high character and sterling integrity have won for him the esteem and confidence of all who know him.

Wilson D. Barnes

It is with pleasure the biographer presents the following sketch, that of a plain honest man of affairs, who by correct methods and a strict regard for the interests of his patrons has made his influence felt in Hazelwood and won for himself distinctive prestige in the business circles of that community. Of sterling German ancestry, Mr. Barnes is a man whose integrity and strength of character commands the respect of his contemporaries and who leaves the impress of his individuality upon the community honored by his residence.

Wilson D. Barnes was born in 1852 near Stilesville, Hendricks county, Indiana, the son of Stephen A. Barnes and Lydia Ann Long, his wife. Stephen A. was born in Pennsylvania in 1805, a son of William Barnes, who with his wife emigrated to America about the year 1800. He located in Pennsylvania and there passed the remainder of his life, his death occurring while his son Stephen A. was still a youth. Later on, Stephen A. Barnes and his mother came westward into Indiana and located in Miami county. They remained there a short time, when both came into Hendricks county, where ne secured a tract of government land about one mile south of Stilesville and there he lived the balance of his life, farming the tract of land he had secured in a wild state, but which he had v^'ith much labor converted into a wellcultivated farm. In the early days he was a bricklayer and helped build the first brick flues which were erected in the then growmg town of Indianapolis. The first chimneys had been simply primitive affairs of mud and sticks. Lydia Ann ( Long) Barnes, mother of the immediate subject of this sketch, was born in Ohio probably about 1810 and came to Indiana with her parents while she was still a girl, the family locating near Stilesville. Her death occurred when the subject of this sketch was but seven years old, in August. 1859. Stephen A., the subject's father, lived for many years thereafter, his deat.li occurring August 27, 1883. After the death of his first wife,

\MIson D, Barne,'- grew up on the homestead near Stil>"s\-ille, and remained with his lather until eighteen years old, when for a few years he worked out as a farm hand. On January 1 1, 1877, he was united in marriage with Elizabeth D, Richardson, who was l)orn near Hazelwood, this county, a daughter of William B. and i\'Iary (Hurd) Richardson, the former of whom was a native of Xorth Carolina and a son of Daniel and Dorcas Hurd. \\^hen William B. was a 3'oung man, he came to Indiana with his parents. They made the long journey in a wagon, William B, walking about half the distance. They settled near Hazelwood at an early date. Mary Hurd, mother of Mrs. Barnes, was born in Kentucky, a daughter of Joshua Hurd, who came to Indiana, settling in Montgomery county, when she was but a small child. William B. Richardson and wife passed the remainder of their lives on the farm near Hazehv(iod. where he carried on general farming and in addition did considerable trading and selling of li\-e stock. He was one of the influential men of the communit}- and a good citizen in e\'er}' respect, ha\'ing served three years in the Union cause during the dark days of the sixties. He was a man highly esteemed and respected and because of the unbounded confidence which friends and neighbors reposed in him. he was often ai> pointed guardian for minors and acted as administrator in settling up the business of many an estate.

For two years after his marriage, subject carried on farming near Hazelwood, and then, in the spring of 1880. he engaged in the mercantile business at Hazelwood. In this business he continued for about ten years, when he disposed of his interest and purchased a farm south of Hazelwood. This farm contains sevent} -five acres, which he still owns. After about nine years spent on the farm, he again engaged in business in Hazelwood and since that time, with the exception of two years, he has been so engaged.

To Mr. and Mrs. Barnes have been born five children, two of whom have passed awa\'. These are Arthur D., who died when about twenty months old, and Lillie D.. who lived to be eighteen years old, her death occurring in 1904. Those living are Minnie, who is the wife of R. D. Stone, the proprietor of the telephone system at Clayton. Myrtle E. remains at home and Conrad W., who was born in 1887, married Emma Turner, of Indianapolis, and is in partnership with his father in the store at Hazelwood. Both Mr. and Mrs. Barnes are members of the Missionary Baptist church, being devoted and consistent members of the same. For most of the last twenty years Mr. Barnes has ser\-ed tlie society as church treasurer. The success attained bv Mr. Barnes in liis business affairs has been greatly owing to his steady jDersistence. stern integrity and excellent judgment, qualities which have also won for him the confidence and esteem of the public to a marked degree. Personally, he is a man of quiet and unassuming disposition, though genial and friendly in his relations with rithers, and he has for many years enjoyed a wide acquaintance and large prestige throughout Hendricks county.

Charles E. Shields

Hendricks comity, Indiana, is known as one of the best counties of the state and, as the reputation of a locality is but a reflection of the quality of its citizenship, it goes without saying that this county numbers among its citizens many men who in one way or another have given of their time or ability to further such enterprises as make for the advancement of any community in its moral, educational or material life. Such a citizen is Charles E. Shields, who by reason of unusual ability and enterprise has taken his place among the foremost citizens of the county, and while primarily considering the interest:, of himself and those dearest to him, has at the same time accomplished much for the public good.

Charles E. Shields, present trustee of Liberty township, Hendricks county, was born on July 28, 1872, near Lake Valley, Morgan county, this state, the son of David and Frances (Pruitt) Shields, both of whom also were born in the same county. David shields was a son of David Shields, Sr., who was born and raised in North Carolina, coming to this state some time after hi,' marriage, bringing with them two or three children. They accomplished the journey from their native state in the early days, coming overland in a wagon, passing through the state of Kentucky. They located in Morgan county, where they passed the remainder of their lives on the farm which they had secured.

David Shields, Jr., grew up in Morgan county, receiving what education the early schools of the day afiforded and employing his time in agricultural labors. He was a veteran of the Civil War and died in 1881, when the subject of this sketch was but nine years old, his wife having died three years previous. After the death of his father, the subject was taken into the home of his uncle, Harrison Shields, near Eminence, Morgan county, and there remained until he was fifteen years of age. At that time he came to friends in Liberty township, this county, and attended Central Normal College at Danville, while also engaged in farm work. However, this was not the chosen vocation of his life, and about 1898 he formed a partnership with E. V. Million and together they engaged in the mercantile business at Hazlewood, which partnership remained in force about three and one-half years. Prior to the dissolution of that partnership, these two gentlemen had organized and constructed what is known as the Hazelwood Telephone System, and in 1902 Mr. Shields disposed of his interest m tne mercantile business to Mr. Milhon and purchased Mr. Milhon's interest in the telephone company. Also, in connection with their mercantile business, the two partners had operated a private bank, and at their dissolution Mr. Shields' interests in this went to Mr. Milhon, the subject desiring to de\-ote his entire time to the operation of the telephone business. This business he retained until January i, 19 12, by which time it had assumed considerable proportions and had proven of untold value to the community.

Mr. Shields has always been a strong adherent of the Republican party and always took an active interest in local affairs pertaining to same. In 1908 he was elected township trustee and by reason of the legislative change made in the length of term of office of township trustees, he holds his seat until January i, 1915. Mr. Shields' fraternal affiliations are with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Improved Order of Red Men, and in the workings of these orders he takes a commendable interest.

On July 9, 1899, Mr. Shields was united in marriage with Sylvia Burch, who was born near Bloomington, Monroe county, this state, a daughter of William H. and Susie (Sparks) Burch, both of whom were born and reared in the same county and were throughout their lives very active in promoting the interests of the Baptist church. Mr. Burch's vocation was that of farming, as was also that of his father, Charles Burch, who with his wife, Jane, came from their native state of North Carolina and settled in Monroe county in the early thirties and there he passed the remainder of his life, his death occurring December 23, 1905. His widow still resides in Bloomington, at an advanced age. Susie Sparks Burch, mother of ]\lrs. Shields, was a daughter of William and Nancy Sparks, who also came from North Carolina, making the long journey overland in a wagon. They arrived in Monroe county about 1835, where they spent their remaining days. Mrs. Shields received her elementary education in the district schools of Monroe county, later attending high school in Bloomington and the Central

Normal College at Danville, from which latter institution she obtained her certificate qualifying her to teach school and for six years she followed this profession, teaching four years in Monroe county and two in Hendricks county. To Mr. and Mrs. Shields have been born three children, the eldest being Joy June, who was born in June, 1900, and died in December, 1906. The two remaining are Myrth and Jewel.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Shields are active members of the Church of Christ and have been largely instrumental in bringing about the excellent conditions existing in the local body at Hazelwood. Mr. Shields and two other members purchased and donated the site for the new church building, which was completed and dedicated to its high calling on October 30, 1910. The church society was organized in March, 1909, and since the time of its organization Mr. Shields has served as trustee and elder, being active in bringing about the speedy erection of the church edifice, which is a handsome structure, costing between nine and ten thousand dollars. Prior to the completion of this structure, the society held its meetings in Red Men's hall. Mrs. Shields is not behind her husband in good works, for since the organization of the Ladies' Aid Society, in connection with the church, she has been very active in the work falling within its scope, and was the first president of the local organization, which has the reputation of being one of the most proficient and finely organized societies in the state. She is deeply interested in the National Mother Congress. Mr. and Mrs. Shields are among the very best people of the community, both being full of interest in the lives of others and sincerely desirous of accomplishing all the good possible for their community. In view of Mr. Shields' public activities, it is especially fitting that a biographical sketch of his career be incorporated in a work of the scope intended in the present volume.

Francis M. Harrison

It was once remarked by a celebrated moralist and biographer that "there has scarcely passed a life of which a judicious and faithful narrali\e would not have been useful ' Believing in the truth of this opinion, expressed by one of the greatest and best of men, the writer of this review takes pleasure in presenting a few facts in the career of a gentleman who, by industry, perseverance, temperance and integrity, has worked himself from an humble station to a successful place in life and won an honorable position among the well known and highly esteemed men of the locality in which he resides.

Francis Marion Harrison, the son of Benjamin and Rachael (Hendricks) Harrison, was born in Eel River township, Hendricks county, March ii, 1873. Benjamin Harrison was a native of Boone county and reared to manhood and ma'-ried in that county. His father was a cooper at Lafayette and followed that trade until his death. Benjamin Harrison came to Hendricks county about jS/ct and operated a saw-mill northeast of North Salem for a number of }-ears. He sold his mill and then ran one in Boone county for a number of years. He then returned to Hendricks county. Union township, and operated a saw-mill at Montclair until his death at that place in 1S81. The wife of Benjamin Harrison was also a native of Boone county and is still living at Brownsburg. After the death of her husband in 1881, she married Joshua Tharp, a farmer and banker at Brownsburg. Benjamin Harrison and wife were the parents if eight children : George, deceased ; Frank, deceased ; John, deceased ; Ora ; Vv'illiam ; Oliver, deceased ; Francis Marion and Edgar.

Francis M. Harrison was reared to manhood in Hendricks county and has lived north of Danville since he was fifteen years of age. He began operating his present farm in 1910, having formerly operated a farm of eightythree acres in Marion township for ten years. He sold his Marion township farm and bought his present farm of ninety acres in Center township. He carries on general farming and also raises considerable live stock for the market. He is a man with excellent ideas concerning agriculture and takes an interest in farming institutes and all other organizations that are of benefit to the farmer.

Mr. Harrison was married in August, 1895, to Hattie May Thomas, the daughter of Lewis and Louisa ( Talbott ) Thomas. Lewis Thomas was a nati\'e of Fayette county, Indiana, and came with his parents to this county when he was ten years uf age. His father, Erasmus Thomas, was born in Fayette county November 13, 1821, and moved to Hendricks county in 1864. Erasmus Thomas was the first auditor of Tipton county, Indiana, and helped to lay out the present town of Tipton. He held the office of auditor for one year, then refused to hold it any longer because of the meager salary which was attached to the office. He never held any offices in Hendricks county, but farmed and served as a regular Baptist preacher for over forty years, preaching in the Danville church for a long time. He died in 1897 on the homestead farm. His son, Lewis, the father of Mrs. Harrison, was reared to manhood in this county and qualified for the Regular Baptist ministry. He is Still active as a Baptist minister at Ashley, Ohio, where he has been for the past thirty years. Mrs. Lewis Thomas is a native of Center township, this county, and died February 7. 1877, on the old homestead farm, four and onehalf miles north of Danville. Mr. and Mrs. Harrison are the parents of four children, all of whom are still imder the parental roof, Benjamin, ^Mildred, Aria and Alary.

Mr. Harrison is a member of the Republican party, but has never taken any further part in politics than to cast his vote for his candidate at the regular election. Howe\er, he takes a deep interest in the main questions of the day and keeps himself well informed as to the progress of events of the nation by reading the newspapers and magazines. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias at Danville. He and his wife are faithful members of the Regular Baptist church. Mr. Harrison is a man who has always been interested in the \arious public-spirited enterprises of his community and only lends his assistance to such as he deemed worthy. He is congenial by nature and has a personality which attracts friends, whom he easily retains because of his fine qualities of character.

William W. Quinn

William W. Ouinn, of Cartersburg, Hendricks county, now living in comfortable retirement after many years of unceasing activity in connection with agricultural pursuits, is one of the best known citizens of the county. His well directed efforts in the practical affairs of life, his capable management of his business interests and his sound judgment have brought to him prosperity and his life demonstrates what may be accomplished by any man of energy and ambition who is not afraid to work and has the perseverance to continue his labors in the face of any disaster or discouragement that may arise. In all the relations of life Mr. Quinn has commanded the confidence and respect of those with whom he has been brought mto contact and a biographical history of this locality would not be complete without a record of his career.

William W. Quinn was born on April i, 1837, in Union county, Indiana, the son of John and Sarah (Bright) Quinn, both of whom were born and reared in Fleming county, Kentucky. They were married there prior to coming to this state about 1820. They located in Union county immediately upon coming to Indiana, and there passed the remainder of their lives. John Quinn was a life-long farmer and when he first took up his residence in Union county it was then not much more than a wilderness. One man tilled all the county offices. John Ouinn's death occurred when the subject of this sketch was a lad of but fourteen years. He left a family of thirteen children, the youngest being the subject, who is now the only surviving member of the family.

The subject passed his boyhood on the home farm in Union county, obtaining such education as the early subscription schools of the time afforded and receiving early instruction in the secrets of successful farming from his father, who was quite skilled in his chosen vocation. Mr. Ouinn has been twice married. On March 8, 1877, Mr. Quinn for the second time stood before the alter of Hymen, his bride being Nancy L. Clevenger, of ^^'ay^e county, this state, a daughter of Samuel and Ruth (Sparh) Clevenger, the former a well-known farmer of Abbington township, Wayne county, where he resided for many years. Immediately after marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Ouinn established their home in Jackson township, Decatur county, this state, where he engaged in farming for ten years. Then in 1887 they came to this county, arriving at Cartersburg on March 3d of that year. In this county Mr. Ouinn purchased a fine farm of two hundred and sixteen acres a short distance northwest of Cartersburg and there he resided until March 12, 1902, when he moved into Cartersburg, and on December 2, 1902, he moved into his present home, which he had erected. Mr. Quinn also owns two hundred and ten acres of farm lands in Marion county, this state; in all, his holdings now amount to considerably over four hundred acres. In addition to general farming, Mr. Quinn pays particular attention to the raising and selling of live stock, and in this branch of his business especially he has made an unqualified success. All this has been brought about through his untiring energy and ambition, coupled with unusual executive ability and the fact that he has ever sought to keep abreast of the times in his chosen work.

To Mr. and Mrs. Ouinn was born one son, Harlan Everett, who first saw the light of day on September 29, 1888. He married Maude Holderman and is the father of two sons, William Lee and James Harry. Everett now has charge of affairs on the farm which the subject left upon taking U]) his residence in Cartersburg.

Mr. Quinn's fraternal affiliation is with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being a member of the local lodge at Danville. Politicallv, he is independent. Mrs. Quinn is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Quinn is a man of positive temperament, strong in his convictions, and when once having thought out a course of action, he is determined in its execution. With these stronger characteristics, he is genial and friendly and is highly esteemed by friends and neighbors who know him for his sterling worth and unvarying uprightness of character.

Albert Johnson

Hendricks county, Indiana, enjoys an enviable reputation because of the high order of her citizenship and none of her citizens occupy a more favorable position in the estimation of his fellows than the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this sketch. The son of an unusually strong and progressive man, to whom the early development of this county is highly indebted, Albert Johnson is himself numbered among the leading citizens of his native county. His continued residence here has but strengthened his hold on the hearts of the people with whom he has been associated and no one today enjoys a larger circle of friends and acquaintances, who esteem him because of his sterling qualities of character and his business ability. He is, therefore, eminently entitled to representation in a work of this character.

Albert Johnson was born on September 19, 1843, about one and onehalf miles northwest of Bridgeport and near the eastern line of Hendricks county, being the son of Jeremiah and Susanna (Johnson) Johnson. Jeremiah Johnson was a son of Aholiab and Hannah Johnson, and was born at Killingly, Windham county, Connecticut, on August it,. 1792, and when three or four years old removed with his parents to Stafford, in Tolland county, Connecticut. With the exception of about three years passed at the home of his mother's father, Jeremiah Bacon, at Middletown, Connecticut, he continued to live with his father and work at farming and getting such education as the opportunities of that day afforded him. He taught several schools in the winter time before he was twenty-one years of age. In 1813, during the war with Great Britain, he served as a volunteer in the state militia of Connecticut for about seventy days, being placed on duty to guard the fort at New London and vicinity, for which service he, long afterwards, obtained a bounty of land from the government. After the close of his military service, he went as far south as Washington, D. C, seeking his fortune, and for a short time was employed in the reconstruction of the capitol building, it having been burned by the British. However, he soon tired of this class of labor and, believing there was in store for him an easier way of gaining a livelihood, he journeyed to Baltimore, where he shipped on a private armed sloop bound for a cruise. He took an immediate dislike to that sort of life and was discharged at one of the West Indian islands called Virgin Gorda, from whence he returned to his father's home in Stafford. There for one term he taught the district school, numbering not less than one hundred pupils, and early in the spring of 1815 he started with a small trunk, containing a few articles of wearing apparel and about fifty dollars in money, leaving the balance of his savings placed on interest. He was bound for the great new West and travelled by stage to Philadelphia. There he placed his trunk on one of the large wagons constantly passing between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and betook himself on foot to the latter place. There he fell in company with another Eastern man of like ambition as himself, and the two constructed a flat boat which they loaded with coal and floated down the Ohio river to Cincinnati, where boat and cargo were both sold for whatever they would bring. From Cincinnati he soon went to a German village about twenty miles northwest of that city and there he was soon engaged in teaching the Germans the English language and such other rudiments of education as circumstances permitted. There he continued until such time as the authorities of the new state of Indiana fixed the place for the site of the new state capitol, the present Indianapolis. He soon learned of the fact and, seeing for himself an opportunity in connection with that circumstance, he hired a couple of men, each having a four-horse team, and loaded them with provisions and such other articles as were necessary in a new settlement. Leaving his German friends, he started through the then unbroken forest for the future city, fording streams and cutting the way through the woods, guided only by a small compass. After much time and endeavor and enduring many hardships, he at length reached the place of his destination. Here he detained the two teamsters until they, together with such assistance as those already there could afford, had built for him a log cabin, being the third house in the new capitol of Indiana. His first dining table was the head of a flour barrel, his first plate a clean maple chip and his first bedstead was framed into the corner of his cabin. He at once opened up and began disposing of his stock of provisions, powder, lead, etc., and became one of the earliest promoters of the place. When the first brick court house was built ("which was also used as a state house for several years) he took the contract for the brick work and, in company with John Johnson (one of whose daughters afterward became his wife).

made the brick and completed the contract to the satisfaction of the authorities. At that time money was a very scarce article and the state obligations with which he was paid for his work were heavily discounted and had it not been for the money which was due him in Cincinnati, which was collected by friends and sent him as fast as possible, he would probably ha\-e become bankrupt. However, he remained in the growing village of Indianapolis for a number of years, doing all within his power to foster its dignity and growth. He was generally reasonably successful in business, though sometimes he suffered heavy losses, as once when bringing a boat load of salt up the Wabash river, the boat suddenly sank and boat, cargo and wearing apparel of himself and associates was lost. They were thankful to escape with their lives and had to beg and walk their way home, a distance of over one hundred miles. He invested his savings in land at government prices, which of course advanced in value as the county became settled. When the National road was built west from Indianapolis, he laid out the village of Bridgeport on land which he owned, and built a hotel, steam mill and a store. When the plank road was built he took an active interest in it and gave right of way through all his land. He later gave ground for a depot at Bridgeport and did much otherwise to encourage the building of the railroad. He was active and energetic in business and did much to promote the cause of education and scientific agriculture in the state. On his own farm he kept abreast of his times and did much to improve the breed of cattle throughout his community by importing improved breeds from other states.

Jeremiah Johnson came from pure English ancestry and, according to family tradition, some of them left England and settled in Massachusetts on the restoration of Charles II, finding it expedient to do this on account of their participation in the Civil War as soldiers and partisans of Cromwell. Jeremiah Johnson reared a family of nine children, seven sons and two daughters. He survived his wife and both daughters several years and departed this life at Clayton, this county, on March 20, 1876, having passed a life of unusual activity and usefulness. His influence over the moral life alone of this section of the state can not be estimated and his generous contributions to the material advancement of the community certainly can be surpassed by none. Such men as he are the heart and bone and sinew of a new community.

Iil'.Xijuicks County, Ixdiaxa

miles east of Bridgeport, near where Ben Davis now is, and resided there until 1855 and then moved to Liberty township, this county, when the immediate subject of this sketch was about twelve years old. Here he grew to manhood on his father's farm, attending the early schools of the district and later attending the academy at Danville in the winter of 1859-1860. He returned home after one year spent in Danville, in a very poor state of health and for four years was almost an invalid. In 1876 he left the farm and removed to Clayton, but continued to operate the farm until in 1880, when he engaged in the mercantile business at Clayton in partnership with his brother and Edwin Johnson, L. D. Johnson also being a partner, under the firm name of Johnson Brothers & Company. In connection with that business, he and his brother did a little private banking business. In 1886 the lirother died, but the mercantile business was continued under the same name, the banking business, however, having the name changed from Johnson Brothers to Albert Johnson & Company, the widow having retained her interest in the firm and the business being conducted along the lines of a private bank. In 1896 the mercantile business was disposed of and the banking business continued as before. In 1905 the banking business was reorganized under the private banking law, retaining the same firm name. On January 28, 1907, Lorenzo D. Johnson, former partner with Johnson Brothers in the mercantile business, became a member of the banking firm in company with the subject, his daughter and brother's widow, the bank at that time being capitalized at twenty thousand dollars. They continued under the old firm name until May i, 1912, when they reorganized under the state banking law and converted the institution into a state bank with a capital stock of twenty-five thousand dollars, fully paid up, and with a surplus of twelve hundred and fifty dollars. They were officered as follows : Albert Johnson, president: J. C. Walker, vice-president, and L. D. Johnson, cashier, with those three also acting as directors. The present directors are Eugene Edmundson, Milton A. West, L. D. Johnson and Albert John.-on. Mr. Walker has recently died.

On October 20, 1867, Mr. Johnson was united in marriage with Mary E. Snoddy, daughter of George W. and Nancy (Fitzgerald) Snoddy, of Morgan county, this state. Mr. Snoddy was a farmer and stock raiser and was also a minister ordained in the Christian church. To Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have been born four children. One daughter, Annie, died when ten years old. Their daughter Gertrude is the wife of O. W. Greene and lives in Kansas City, Missouri. She is the mother of two children, Marian and Emily. Emma C. is the wife of B. yi. Davis and resides at Oxford, Ohio. Mr. Davis being a professor in Miami University. Arthur A. is a civil engineer located in Indianapolis. His wife was May Brayton, daughter of Dr. A. W. Brayton, of Indianapolis.

In 1890 Mr. Johnson moved to Indianapolis, taking up his residence in Irvington, so as to be near Butler College, where he wished to educate his children. He, however, retains his interests in Clayton and considers this his permanent home. Mr. Johnson is a man of sound and practical intelligence, keenly alert to everything relating to his interests, and, in fact, with all that concerns the advancement and prosperity of his community. Because of his splendid personal characteristics and his genuine worth, he enjoys the confidence and esteem of all who know him and he has an unusually wide and varied acquaintance.

Lorenzo D. Johnson

In past ages the history of a country was comprised chiefly in the record of its wars and conquests. Today history is largely a record of commercial activity, and those who are foremost in the annals of the nation are those who have become leaders in business circles. The conquests now made are those of mind over matter, and the victor is he who can most successfully establish, control and operate business interests. Mr. Johnson is unquestionably one of the strongest and most influential of the men whose lives have been an essential part of the history of Hendricks county. Tireless energy, keen perception, honesty of purpose, genius for devising and executing the right thing in the right place and time are the chief characteristics of the man. These, combined with everyday common sense and guided by strong will power, are concomitants which will insure success in any undertaking.

Lorenzo D. Johnson, cashier of the State Bank of Clayton, is a Hoosier by birth, having first seen the light of day in Morgan county on May 14, 185 1, the son of Hezekiah K. and Eliza (Greene) Johnson. Hezekiah K. Johnson was born in North Carolina in 1809 and married Miss Greene there before he came to Indiana, where they located in Morgan county. In 1865 he removed to Clayton and at that time he gave up the vocation of farming, which he had followed all his life, and engaged in the general merchandise business. He opened up his business in 1868 on the spot where the traction station now stands. He continued in this business until his death, in 1870. His widow followed him into the great beyond one year later. In addition to his business as an agriculturist and merchant, he was also a minister of the Gospel and an earnest and sincere man in all the relations of life.

Lorenzo D. Johnson received a good schooling in his youth and after completing his studies he went into his father's store and at the time of his father's death took charge of it and operated it until 1873. At that time he disposed of it to Howland & Spotts, of Danville, but continued with them until they sold it to Mr. Field, of the old publishing firm of Merrill, Field & Company of Indianapolis. After Mr. Field purchased the store, Mr. Johnson continued in his employ with full charge of the store and did not see the new proprietor until six weeks after the purchase was made, the former owners having simply turned keys, books, etc., over to Mr. Johnson. .\fter leaving Mr. Field, Mr. Johnson took a position with Clark & Harris and was with them until 1880, when he became a partner with Albert and Edwin Johnson in their mercantile business, under the firm name of Johnson Brothers & Company. He was with them until 1896, and was then employed in the private bank of Albert Johnson & Company and in the year 1907 became a partner in that bank with the position of cashier. In this capacity he continued with the bank through its reorganization into the State Bank of Clayton in 1912 under the state banking laws. He was elected cashier of the new organization and continues in that capacit}- at the present time.

On June 18, 1873, Mr. Johnson was united in marriage with Frances V. Garrison, daughter of John and Sarah (Nichols) Garrison, the former being the son of Josiah Garrison, an early settler here who came from New Jersey. John Garrison was engaged in farming here throughout his life. To Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have been born two children, Mary and Dee. Mary is the wife of J. Mark Black, of Indianapolis. She is the mother of three children, Dorothy, Frances and Robert L. Their daughter Dee is the wife of Dr. B. R. Quinn, of Indianapolis. She is the mother of two children, Maxine and Russell.

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are both members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Clayton and contribute liberally of time and means to further the cause of that society. They are considered among the very best people of the town and in their comfortable and commodious home there is ever found a cordial welcome for friend and stranger. Mr. Johnson is a man of quiet mannei , unassuming in every particular and a man who wins and holds a large number of friends through his innate kindliness and obliging manner. He is a busy man, but he finds time and opportunity to take in matters pertaining to the progress and growth of his community and county, keeping abreast of the times on all questions of vital interest and being regarded as a leading citizen in the locality long honored by his residence.

Tames Thomas Leak

'!"he valualjle man to any community is the man who does things; and, with this criterion, it is safe to say that James T. Leak is one of the most important men in Union township, this county. He is a splendid example of the progressive, self-made man who believes in doing well whatever is worth doing at all. He is a man of discernment and sound judgment, broad-minded and at the same time a follower of the principles embodied in the Golden Rule in all his relations with his fellow men. Daily contact with our fellow citizens so familiarizes us with their many virtues that we ordinarily overlook them, and commonly underestimate their possessor. Nevertheless, though the man may pass away, his deeds of virtue live on, and will, in time, do him the justice which he failed to receive during his life time. However, the many good qualities of Mr. Leak are fully recognized and appreciated by his fellow citizens, who long ago placed their stamp of approval upon his lite.

James Thomas Leak, a prosperous farmer and banker of Lizton, this county, was born February 14, 1857, in Union township. His parents were George W. and Sarah G. (Leach) Leak. George W. Leak was born October 17, 1828, in Bracken county. Kentucky, and came with his parents. William and Eliza ( Kitch) Leak, to this county when he was about eight years of age. William Leak settled in Union township on a farm adjoining the present town of Lizton and farmed there until his death, September 11, 1845. George W. Leak grew to manhood in this county and was first married January 10, 1850. to Sarah Leach, who died February 30, 1868. To this first marriage were born six children : Matilda Jane, deceased ; Mrs. Lucinda M. Hickman ; James Thomas, whose career is portrayed in this connection ; Elizabeth Ann, deceased: William E., deceased, and Enos Alonzo. After the death of his first wife, George W. Leak was married to Ann Burnett and to this second marriage were born five children: Mary E.. deceased: Mrs. Hattie M. Dowden : ]\Irs. Georgia Lillian McHenrv : Mvrtle, deceased, and Bertha O.

James T. Leak

James T. Leak received his education in the schools of Union township and remained at home until his marriage, at the age of twenty-one, when he went to farming for himself. He devoted his attention to this vocation until 1902, when he retired from active farming and moved to Lizton. As an agriculturist he carried on general farming, raised all the crops common to this locality and gave a considerable share of his attention to the breeding and raising of live stock. His farm is well improved, he has a comfortable and attractive residence, well arranged barns and other features which show him to be a man of wise discrimination and good judgment. In 1900 Mr. Leak became interested in banking and when the Citizens Bank at Jamestown was organized in that year he became a stockholder and director in the same and has been officially connected with that financial institution since its organization. In 1902 he moved to Lizton and became the cashier of the Lizton Bank upon its organization December i, 1910. and is still filling that responsible position to the entire satisfaction of the board of directors of the bank.

Mr. Leak was married October 17, 1878, to Susan D. Young, the daughter of Melton and Susan (Parrish) Young. Melton Young was born in Kentucky, his wife in South Carolina and they were married in Putnam county, Indiana. Upon their marriage they moved to Montgomery county, near Ladoga, and later to New Ross, in the same county. Some years before his death Mr. and Mrs. Young moved to Lebanon in Boone county, where Mrs. Young died August 9, 1890, and Mr. Young June 20, 1896. Mr. and Mrs. Young were the parents of fifteen children: Mrs. Lucretia Dale, deceased; Thomas F. ; Reuben E., deceased; James D. : Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Scott; Mrs. Rachel C. Bailey; Susan D., the wife of Mr. Leak; John; George; Mrs. Lucinda Apple, deceased ; Ora E. ; Mrs. Emma Frame ; Mrs. Estella Scott ; Mrs. Ella Myer, and Mrs. Sarah Ann Harrison, deceased.

^Ir. and Mrs. Leak are the parents of two children, Sarah Essie, the wife of Ira O. Dale, a farmer of Middle township in this county. Mr. and Mrs. Dale have one daughter, Susan Fern. The other child of Mr. and Mrs. Leak is Milton Edward, a farmer in Union township, this county. He married Edna Wright and has two daughters, Mary Blanche and Susan Helen. Mr. Leak is a charter member of the Knights of Pythias at Lizton, having had his membership transferred from the Danville lodge to the lodge at Lizton upon its organization at the latter place. He has been a life-long Republican, but has never taken an active interest in politics. Mr. Leak is a plain-spoken man in his manner and \t\. with that honestv of speech and (47)

Straightforwardness which indicates the man of solid worth; is quick to grasp the situation, alert to carry it out and persistent in following it to his final conclusion. He is a man who has won a host of friends because of his clean, open life and the interest which he has always taken in all good movements in the community.

Henry Hunt

The United States has drawn its people from every corner of the globe and, while we have citizens in Indiana representing scores of different countries, it is nevertheless true that the bulk of our citizenship are of English descent. We always refer to England as our mother country, and it is true that she has furnished the great majority of our citizens of today. The Hunt family of Hendricks county are fortunate in having traced their family history through past generations, and in the history of Henry Hunt, who is here presented, his ancestry can be traced back to the middle of the eighteenth century directly. To state in biblical fashion, the first descendant whose history is accurately recorded is Eleazer, whose son was Asher, whose son was Ithamar, whose son was Henry, whose son was Olsen. The Hunt family trace their ancestry back to England, where they were an honorable and distinguished family in the colonial period. Eleazer Hunt was a farmer of North Carolina in the latter part of the eighteenth century and died in that state at the age of eighty. His son Asher was born in Guilford county, that state, and was reared a Quaker, marrying Jane Hunt, the daughter of Abner and Mary (Starley) Hunt, who was a very distant relative. Asher Hunt came to Sullivan county, Indiana, from North Carolina and entered two hundred acres of land on which he lived for the next sixteen years. He then came to Hendricks county where he bought a farm in the eastern part of Marion township, dying there in his eighty-fourth year. He and his wife, as well as the children, were Quakers.

Asher Hunt was twice married; his first wife died and he then married Abigail Foster. He was a man of unimpeachable character, industrious, honorable and one who was universally respected by all who knew him. Ithamar Hunt, the son of Asher, was born in Sullivan county, Indiana, March 17, 1822, and came with his parents to Hendricks county when he was fourteen years of age. At the age of twenty-five he married Frances J. Bush, the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Norton) Bush. John Bush was a native of Kentuckv, who came to Hendricks county and was one of the early pioneers of the county, dying at the age of fifty-three. Ithamar Hunt was a farmer all of his life and at his death, on May 14, 1903, in New Winchester, he had over six hundred acres of fine farming land in the county. He was a birthright member of the Friends church for twenty-one years and then joined the Baptist church. He was a consistent and faithful member and a liberal contributor, not only to his own church, but to others and to all benevolent enterprises. He was a good man in every sense of the word, an honest man with himself and with others. He was a devoted husband, a loving and kind father, an accommodating and genial neighbor. a manly and devoted Christian, one without ostentation or hypocrisy. He was a man of peace, quiet and unobtrusive. He never swore, never used liquor, was never sued, never paid a cent of interest - all in all, he was one of nature's noblemen.

Henry Hunt is a worthy son of a worthy father. He received his education in the schools of his neighborhood and remained under the parental roof imtil he was married at the age of twenty-five, although he had been farming for himself since he was twenty-one. After his marriage, he lived for the first year on the Rockville road and then built his present home in 1878 and has resided there continuously since that time. He is a farmer exclusively and no one in the county raises better crops than does he. He has always taken an active interest in public afifairs and, as a Republican, was elected trustee of Marion township in 1894, rendering faithful and efficient service to his fellow citizens for nearly five years in that capacity. His farm of two hundred and sixty acres, together with his wife's farm of one hundred and sixty, is a fine example of an up-to-date farm in everv respect. He takes a great deal of pride in keeping everything in good repair and his buildings are always neat and attractive in appearance.

Mr. Hunt was married April i, 1877, to Cassandra R. Higgins, the daughter of Michael and Elizabeth (Plaster") Higgins. She was born in ]\Iarion township and has lived most of her life there, spending four vears at Ladoga before her marriage. They have one son, Olsen. who was born March 6, 1881. He married Jesse Underwood, the daughter of Obed Underwood, and has one daughter. Marvel. He lives on a farm in Marion township. Mr. and Mrs. Hunt are both devout members of the Christian church of New Winchester, and subscribe liberally to its support. Mr. Hunt is one of the best known men in his township, a man of excellent character, a good neighbor and one who has always stood for the best welfare of his community.

Alexander Ramsey

The importance that attaches to the Hves, character and work of ihe early settlers of Hendricks county and the influence they have exerted upon the cause of humanity and civilization is one of the most absorbing themes that can possibly attract the attention of the local chronicler. The late Alexander Ramsey was a man whose great influence upon the early history of this county was an important factor in developing the part of the county in which he settled.

Alexander Ramsey was born in Clark county, Kentucky, June 21. 1821, and died in Marion township, Hendricks county, Indiana, January 21, 1891. He was the son of Andrew and Jennie (Browning) Ramsey. Fate seems to play an important part in the Haxs of some people and in the cause of Alexander Ramsey it was the cause of his remaining in this county. When a young man he came to this county to visit his two sisters who were living in the county and while here he met a pretty little maid by the name, of Martha Jane Flynn. It was a case of love at first sight and he who came merely to visit remained to marry and settle in this county. His wife was born October 14, 1838, in Marion township and on December 18, 1856, they were married, she being only eighteen years of age at the time of her marriage. This youthful bride of fifty-eight years ago is still living and enjoying good health. She is the daughter of James and Lucy (Miller) Flynn, her father being born in Clark county, Kentucky, in 1807. He was first married to Lucy Rigney and, after her death, to Lucy Miller in 1833. His second wife was born in Clark county, Kentucky, in 1816, the daughter of Michael and Mary Miller, who had come from Virginia to Kentucky. James Flynn lived in Kentucky until 1840 and then came to Marion township, this county. He and his wife made the trip overland on horseback, passing through the little village of Indianapolis and over the swamp which is now occupied by Danville. He became one of the earliest settlers and was one of the most prominent farmers of the county, having over five hundred acres of land at the time of his death, August 11, 1885. He paid one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre and the same land today could not be bought for one hundred and twenty-five dollars per acre.. ]\Ir. Flynn was a progressive farmer and owned the first threshing machine in this section of the state.

two years. They then returned to Hendricks county and bought a farm of one hundred and thirty acres near New Winchester for twenty-seven dollars per acre, and later they purchased seventy acres more, making a total of two hundred acres which is still owned by the family. Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey reared a family of six children : Mary Catherine, who married William J. Underwood; Samuel A., born February 27, 1859, who has never married, but has spent his whole life on the home farm. He and his motner have lived together on the old homestead since his father's death; John Allen, who lives in Danville. Indiana; Obie L., who lives at New Winchester, where he operates a saw-mill and runs a threshing machine in the summer; Anna May died March 2, 1881, at the age of ten as the result of an injury she received at school.

Mr. Ramsey was a member of the Mis.-ionary Baptist church and was a faithful attendant upon all the services of the church. He was a man who was always very considerate of the rights of others and absolutely honest and straightforward in all of his dealings. He was held in high respect and esteem Ijy everyone with whom he was associated and his life in every particular was above reproach. He was essentially a man of domestic tastes and lived for those who were nearest and dearest to him.

John S. Ragan. M. D.

It is not always easy to disco\-er and defiiie the hidden forces that ha\e moved a life of ceaseless activity and large professional success; little more can be done than to note their manifestation in the career of the individual under consideration. In view of this fact, the life of the physician and public-spirited man of affairs whose name appears above affords a striking example of well defined purpose, with the ability to make that purpose subserve not only his own ends but the good of his fellow men as well. Doctor Ragan has long held prestige in a calling which requires for its basis sound mentality and intellectual discipline of a high order, supplemented by rigid professional training and thorough mastery of technical knowledge with the skill to apply the same. In his chosen field Doctor Ragan has achieved a notable success, which has been duly recognized and appreciated throughout the section of the state where he lives.

Dr. John S. Ragan, one of the oldest practicing physicians in Hendricks county, was born July 5, 1849, in Marion township, Hendricks county, Indi- ana. His parents, James M. and Lucy A. (Smith) Ragan, were both natives of Kentucky and came to this county early in their Hves with their parents. Abner Ragan, the father of James AL, came from Kentucky first and settled in Putnam county, but soon moved over into Hendricks county, where he lived until his death in 1864. Abner Ragan was twice married, his first wife, Mary, and the mother of James, being of the MacCoun family. Zachariah Smith, the maternal grandfather of Doctor Ragan, was a native of Kentucky and came to Hendricks county early in its history, settling in Marion township. He married Agnes Dicken and they reared a family of seven children. James M. Ragan was a farmer and stock raiser all his life and he and his wife died in the faith of the Christian church. They Ixjth passed away in 1872, having reared a family of eight children : Mary, deceased ; John S. ; Abner, deceased ; Zachariah, of North Salem, Indiana; Reuben Samuel, deceased: James, of Colorado; William H., of Plainfield. and Milton B., deceased.

Doctor Ragan spent his boyhood days on the farm and attended the district schools of the neighborhood. .-Vfter spending two years in the Ladoga Academy he began teaching and taught school for the next nine years, the last two years being principal of the North Salem schools. While still teaching he JDegan the study of medicine and in 1887 took his first course of lectures in the Cincinnati Medical School. As was customary in those days, he began to practice before he had finished his medical course. He started to practice at A\-on in Hendricks county and after his graduation in the spring of 1879 from the Indiana Medical College at Indianapolis he returned to Avon and continued to practice there for the next se\'enteen years. After practicing a year at Denver, Colorado, where he had gone for his wife's health, he returned to Avon and remained two years. In 1895 he went to Plainfield and in 1904 became the physician at the Boys' School, having complete charge of all the medical work for the next four years, after which he devoted most of his time to his general practice in Plainfield and vicinity until 1913, when he was again given full charge as physician at the Boys' School, having given up his practice entirely. Doctor Ragan has always taken an active interest in the various medical organizations with which he has been connected and has been president of the Hendricks County Medical Society. He also belongs to the Seventh District and Indiana medical societies.

Doctor Ragan has been married twice, his first wife being Jennie L. Vickery, to whom he was married January i, 1880. She was born in Hendricks county and was the daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Vickery. To this marriage there were born two children. Dr. Charles E. Ragan, of Clinton, and

Mrs. Ralph Ely, of Plainfield. Doctor Ragan's first wife died June 21, 1892, and on February 14, 1894, he was married to Mary E. (Huron) Cooper, the daughter of Abbott and Katherine Huron, of Hendricks county. There are no children by the second marriage, but his wife has one daughter by her former marriage, Katherine V. Cooper, who is a teacher in the public schools of Clearwater, Florida.

In politics, Doctor Ragan has affiliated with the new Progressive party, but the nature of his profession precludes him from taking a ^'ery active part in politics. He is a lo^al member of the Christian church and has been an elder for the past twenty years. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Doctor Ragan has a large number of friends throughout the county who esteem him for his many sterling qualities. He takes an intelligent interest in the civic life of the community and his influence can always be found on the right side for the welfare of the community honored by his residence.

Benjamin W. Anderson

It is not an easy task to describe adequate!}' a man who has led an eminently active and busy life, and who has attained a place of relati\'e distinction in the community with which his interests are identified. But biography finds its most perfect justification, nevertheless, in the tracing and recording of such a histor)'. It is, then, with a full appreciation of all that is demanded and of the painstaking scrutiny that must be accorded each statement, and yet with a feeling of satisfaction, that the writer essays the task of touching briefly upon the details of the record of Benjamin W. Anderson, one of the most substantial farmers and business men of Plainfield.

Benjamin W. Anderson, president of the First National Bank of Plainfield, was born in Washington township, Hendricks county, Indiana, on August 29. 1862. He is the son of Thomas T. and Anna (White) Anderson, his father being a native of Ohio and his mother of Wa\'ne county, Indiana. Thomas Anderson was a farmer and brick mason and came to this county before the war, settling in Washington township, where he bought a quarter section of land. After living on it three years, he removed to Six Points, in the same county, where he farmed for the next nine years. He then moved to Iroquois county, Illinois, where he died in 1873. His widow died September 24, 1898. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Anderson were the parents of four children, two of whom are living, Benjamin W. and Eli H., both of whom have lived all their lives in the countv of their nativitv.

Benjamin ^^^ .Anderson, the immediate subject of this sketch, was born in a log- cabin in the clearing on his father's farm and received the limited education which the district schools of his time afforded. He then completed his schooling by attending the Central Academy at Plainfield. His whole life has been spent upon the farm and he is recognized as one of the most progressi\'e farmers of the community. In addition to his crops of grain, he has always handled considerable live stock and no small part of his success has come from that side of his business. That he has been successful is shown by the fact that he was one of the principal organizers and stockholders in the First National Bank of Plainfield. He became president of the institution on December 24, 1903, and has held that important place up to the present time. In politics he has always taken an important part in the success of the Republican party and in the fall of 1908 was elected to the office of township trustee, an office which he is still holding. This is accounted for by the fact that the last Legislature extended the term of office to six years.

Mr. Anderson was married on July 16, 1912, to Mrs. Minnie (Mills) Hadley, the daughter of Aaron and Hannah Mills, and to this uunion there has been born one son, Benjamin Eli. Mr. Anderson has been a lifelong member of the Friends church and is now one of the board of trustees of the Western "Yearly Meeting. He is an elder in the church and is superintendent of the Sabbath school at Plainfield at the present time. He is one of the trustees of Central Academy and is very actively interested in all matters pertaining to education. He is a charter member of Plainfield Lodge No. 653. Free and Accepted Masons. In addition to his farming, stock-raising and banking interests, Mr. Anderson is interested in the mill and grain business with Hubert Brown, the firm name being the Plainfield Milling Company. Mr. Anderson has been one of the valued citizens of his community and has been a hearty supporter of all enterprises which seek to ameliorate the condition of his fellow citizens or better the conditions of the county where he has spent such a busy life.

Joseph Lane Wilson

Among the farmers of Hendricks county whose careers extend over a period of more than three score years is Joseph Lane Wilson, who comes from one of the oldest pioneer families of the state. Such people are welcomed in any community, for they are the empire builders and as such have pushed the frontier of civilization ever westward and onward, leaving the

Joseph Lane Wilson, the son of Peter and Delilia (Case) Wilson, was born March 31, 1848, in Putnam county, Indiana. Plis father, who was born in Monroe county, Indiana, February 17, 1821, was the son of John C. and Frances (Wilson) Wilson, both natives of Kentucky who came to Putnam county in the early history of Indiana and settled near Greencastle. John C. Wilson, who was born in Kentucky September 2, 1795, and who natives of Tennessee, but came to Kentucky, where they lived most of their lives. Frances Wilson also was a native of Kentucky, born July 29, 1797. John Wilson, the grandfather of Joseph Lane, entered land near where the town of Bainbridge stands and here Peter grew to manhood. In 1838, after Peter was grown, his father entered another tract in Putnam county about three miles southwest of New Winchester, and on this farm Peter made his home after marriage, which occurred on December 10, 1840, and reared his family. His wife, Delilia Case, was born April 8, 1820, the daughter of John and Julia (Finney) Case, and died March 11, 1887. Peter Wilson died on July 14, 1893. John Case was born May 15, 1795, and his wife Julia was born May 30, 1802.

Joseph Lane \^'ilson grew up on the farm entered b}' his grandfather, and received his meager schooling in the subscription schools of the period. He remained on the home farm until his marriage, which occurred in 1874. His wife was Mary J. Higgins, the daughter of Michael and Elizabeth (Plaster) Higgins, a sketch of whose family is given elsewhere in this volume. To thi.s marriage there was born one son, Edgar, who now lives on the farm where his, father was reared. Edgar was married in 1898 to Letha Thomas, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Page Thomas. Edgar and wife have two children, Mary and Nellie.

The Case family, Mr. Wilson's mother's people, were among the earliest settlers of Putnam county, their ancestors having come from Connecticut in an early day and thence to Indiana. Two of the family, Leonard and Zachariah Case, recently died at Cleveland, Ohio, leaving a large estate

Mr. Wilson has lived more than forty years in Marion township and in that time has always been interested in the welfare of the commnuity He is a public-spirited citizen who has never refused to assist in any movement which promised to benefit his locality in any way and for this reason is justly looked upon as one of the representative men of the county.

Toliver Worrell

The gentleman whose name heads this sketch is widely known in Hendricks county. Indiana, and is one of the honored citizens of Danville, where he is living after a strenuous life of activity in connection with agricultural pursuits. His well directed efforts in the practical affairs of life, his capable management of his business interests and his sound judgment have brought him prosperity, and his life demonstrates what may be accomplished by any man of energy and ambition who is not afraid to work and has the perseverance to continue his labors in the face of any disaster or discouragement that may arise. In all the relations of life Mr. Worrell has commanded the confidence and respect of those with whom he has been brought into contact and a biographical history of this locality would not be complete without a record of his career.

Tolix'cr \\''orrell. the son of James and Elizabeth (Kenny) Worrell, was born in Carroll county, Virginia, on February 22, 1848. Both his parents were natives of Virginia and lived and died in that state. His father was a farmer and for many years was a justice of the peace in Carroll county. In Virginia at that time each county had three justices and these composed the county court. James Worrell was the presiding justice of this court for several vears in his home county. Mr. and ]\Irs. James Worrell were the parents of eleven children, Toliver being the youngest. Four of these children are still living, William K.. of Indianapolis: Robert L., of Tilden, this countv ; Airs. Ellen H. Cook, of Indianapolis, and Toliver Worrell, the immediate subject of this sketch.

Toliver Worrell was reared on his father's farm in Virginia and received a good common school education in his home schools. At the age of twenty-one he came to Indiana, locating near Avon, Hendricks county. He rented a farm and continued to manage it for about two years, after which he moved to ^Middle township, near Pittsboro, this county, where he remained only one year, removing to Lincoln township at the end of that time, where he farmed for the next five years. He then settled permanently in Middle township, near Pittsboro, and remained there until 1902, when he removed to Danville, where he has continued to reside. Shortly after moving back to Aliddle township the last time he bought a farm there and has added to it from time to time. He still owns this tract and has now general supervision of the management of the farm.

Toli\'er Worrell was married to Julia O. Parker, of Middle township, Hendricks county, in 1875. Two children by this marriage are living in this county, N.'E. and J. O. Worrell. His first wife died January 5. 1881. in 1900 Mr. Worrell married for his second wife Katherine Miller, the daughter of John and Ann (Bartley) Miller, of Washington township.

Mr. Worrell has been a Republican since reaching his majority and has always taken more or less of an acti\-e part in politics. For the past fifteen years he has been a member of the county council of Hendricks county, and has taken an active interest in the afifairs of his home county. In private life he is bread-minded and liberal, keeping abreast of the times and in touch with current thought. He stands high in the esteem of those with whom he mingles and has many warm friends who esteem him for his many worthy (jualities. Quiet and unostentatious, and seekin.g the sequestered ways of life rather than its tumult and strife, he has ever attended strictly to his own affairs and made better all who came within the range of his influence.

Nicodemis Harris

The sixty years which Nicodemis Harris has spent in this county have brought him in close touch with a large number of people and the reputation which he holds for square dealing and upright conduct in all things stamps him as a man who has lived a life above reproach. It is a well-established fact that a man can not live unto himself, but must be a part of the society which makes up his particular community. Mr. Harris has always taken a conspicuous part in the various movements which have had to do w ith the welfare of his locality and is rightly regarded as one of the representative men of Hendricks county.

has spent his whole life in the county of his nativity. His father was burn September 29, 1810, in Mercer county, Kentucky, and his mother was also born in the same county, January 12, 1814. His parents were married in Kentucky and came to Hendricks county shortly after their marriage, arriving in Marion township in 1833. The grandparents of Nicodemis, Jr., were Frederick and Nancy (Higgins) Harris, who came from their native state of Virginia to Kentucky by way of the Ohio river. They first settled at Fort Harrod and later entered land in the vicinity of the fort.

Nicodemis Harris, Sr., applied for government land in 1833 and in 1834 he received a deed written on genuine sheep skin and signed by President Andrew Jackson. This deed is now a very highly prized document in the hands of Nicodemis, Jr. His deed called for one hundred and thirtyfour acres in Marion township. Later he entered eighty acres in Putnam county, just across the township line to the west. He lived the life of a plain farmer all his life, and died in his seventy-ninth year, in 1889. His wife passed away in January, 1896. She was an ardent member of the Missionary Baptist church at New Winchester and a woman of exceptionally strong character. Mr. and Mrs. Nicodemis Harris, Sr., were the parents of eight children : Frederick, Joseph, Thomas, Mary, John, Mrs. Virginia Flynn, Nicodemis, Jr., and William. All of the children are deceased except the last two,. Nicodemis and William.

Nicodemis Harris has spent all his life on the farm, doing all the work which falls to the lot of the average farmer. He received a good practical education in the district schools and has supplemented it by wide reading since leaving school. He lived with his parents until they both passed away and was very solicitous in his care of them. He and his brother William have always lived together and are very much attached to one another.

Mr. Flarris was married in 1893 to Rosa Edwards, the daughter of Joshua and Mary (Casey) Edwards. Joshua was a native of North Carolina, being born in that state in 1820. He came to Indiana with his parents when he was a lad of ten. His father, John Edwards, entered government land near Coatesville, this county, and on this farm Joshua was reared to manhood. His wife was a native of Ireland and came to this county with her parents when a small child. Mr. Edwards died January 18, 1905, and his widow passed away on July 18, 1909.

Mr. and Mrs. Edwards reared a family of fourteen children, only four of whom are living: Mrs. Nora Pickett; Rosa, the wife of Mr. Harris: Eliza and Isaac. Mr. and Mrs. Harris have two sons who are still under the parental roof, Hilden and Frederick.

Mr. Harris is a stanch Democrat, but confines his political activities to the casting of his vote upon election days. He is a congenial man to meet and is well known in his county as an excellent judge of good stock. He and his family have many warm friends in the community in which they live who esteem them for their good qualities of head and heart.