LaPorte County, Indiana - Chapter 36: Religion, 1904 (part 16 of 23)

ily, most of whose members lived in those prov¬ inces bordering on the Baltic which during the last century were annexed to Prussia and now form a part of the German empire. Mr. William¬ son's grandfather died in Denmark at an old age, and his only son was John H. Williamson, who was also born in Denmark, but came to Barthol¬ omew county, Indiana, in 1864, where he en¬ gaged in farming, and where he died in 1895 at the age of eighty-three. His wife was Wilhelmina Sueverkrop, whose father was a soldier in the regular Danish army, held the public office of forester, and died at the advanced age of eightyfour years, having been the father of a good-sized family. Mrs. Wilhelmina Williamson died in 1893, aged eighty-one years, and she and her hus¬ band were both members of the Lutheran church. They had nine children, six sons and three daugh¬ ters, and the four now living are Henry C., Wil¬ liam, Charles, of Bartholemew county, Indiana, and George, of Columbus.

Henry C. Williamson was bom in the city of Kiel, on the Baltic Sea, now the principal harbor of the German empire, on July 12, 1836. He iived in Denmark until he was fifteen years old attending the common schools, and at that age came to America and settled in Cincinnati, where he both worked at the machinist's trade and also went to school. In 1868 he came to Michigan City, Indiana, and for the following two or three years was in the employ of the Michigan Cen¬ tral Railroad Company. He then began work for the Haskell & Barker Car Company and has practically been with them ever since, for thirtyfive years.

September 18, 1862, Mr. Williamson married Miss Sybilla Treon, who became the mother of four children. John, the first bom, died in in¬ fancy. Minnie married John M. Dunlap, and they have two children living, Alice and Elmer. William is a molder in the car factory, and mar¬ ried Augusta Helms, who has become the mother of three children, Claude, Ethel and Russell. Frederick is a civil engineer, and married Jean¬ nette Powell.

Mrs. Williamson comes of an old American family, of French descent. Her grandfather, John Treon, was a native of Pennsylvania, whence he moved to Miamisburg, Ohio, where he died at advanced age, and was the father of eleven children. Andrew Treon, the father of Mrs. Williamson, was also bom in Pennsylvania, and was a physician. He moved to Miamisburg, Ohio, and from there came as one of the early settlers of Shelby county, Indiana. He married

Sarah Kaufman, whose father was of German de¬ scent and was a native of Pennsylvania ; he mar¬ ried Catharine Wymar, who was nearly ninety years old at her death, and they had eleven chil¬ dren. Andrew Treon died in 1865 at the age of sixty-two, and his wife in 1849, anc* of their twelve children five are now living, as follows: Sarah, wife of John Heck, of Bartholomew coun¬ ty, Indiana ; Samuel, of Mattoon, Illinois ; Sybilla, wife of H. C. Williamson ; Jackson, of Washing¬ ton, Indiana ; and Charlotte, wife of William Col¬ lins, of Bartholomew county. Andrew Treon married for his second wife Lydia Steinbarger, and they had five children, the three now living being Rebecca, wife of Ed Gabbard, of Blooming¬ ton, Illinois; Fred Treon, of South Dakota; and Lizzie, wife of Robert Lytle, of Michigan City, Indiana.

Mr. and Mrs. Williamson are members of the Presbyterian church, and he affiliates with Acme Lodge No. 83, F. A. & A. M., Michigan City Chapter No. 25, R. A. M., and Michigan City Commandery No. 30, K. T. He follows an in¬ dependent course in political matters. He served one term on the city council, and in every way his qualities as a man and a citizen entitle him to the esteem in which he is everywhere held by his fellow men.

ADAM SPENCE. From an early period in the development of LaPorte county Adam Spence has been one of its residents, and he follows farm¬ ing on section 31, Lincoln township. He was born in county Antrim, Ireland, in 1825, and lived in his native land until twenty-five years of age, being there engaged in farming. He was yet a single man when he came to America, landing in New York in 1850. He afterward made his way to Ohio, and in 1856 reached LaPorte coun¬ ty, Indiana. In 1859 he crossed the plains to Vir¬ ginia City, Nevada, where he remained for seven years, being engaged in mining there. In his work he prospered, and about 1863 he sold his mining interests to good advantage and returned to LaPorte county, where he began farming. He first established his home in Johnson township, where he still owns a tract of land of eighty-five acres. Removing to Lincoln township, however, he secured two hundred acres, upon which he now resides. He has been a successful farmer, and his long experience in this direction has made his efforts effective and enabled him to acquire a handsome competence. His fields are well tilled and productive, and return to him each year good harvests as a reward for his labors.

Mr. Spence was united in marriage to Miss Ann Daily, and they have one son, William, who is married and works upon the home farm. Mr. Spence has practically lived retired from active work for a number of years, his son having the management of the farm. He is one of the representative citizens of LaPorte county, having been identified with the work of development and progress here for many years. He is a Democrat in political faith and is a member of the St Pat¬ rick's Catholic church, of LaPorte, Indiana, hav¬ ing been reared in that faith.

ORVILLE TRYON. Among the old and honored citizens of Noble township none stand higher in public esteem than the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch. For sixty-seven years he has been a resident of LaPorte county, and has therefore witnessed almost its entire de¬ velopment and upbuilding. In the work of pro¬ gress and improvement he has ever borne his part, and deserves to be numbered among the prominent pioneers and valued citizens of his adopted county.

A native of Vermont, Mr. Try on was born in Pawlet, Rutland county, February 22, 1821, and is a son of David and Minerva (Castle) Tryon, the former also a native of Rutland county, Ver¬ mont, and the latter of Canada. Leaving his old home in the Green Mountain state, the father brought his family to the west in 1835, and, after spending one year in Chicago, located in Michi¬ gan City, LaPorte county, Indiana. Here he con¬ tinued to reside until the Mexican war broke out, when he entered the service and never returned. By trade he was a blacksmith. His wife died at the home of Mr. Tryon in this county. They were the parents of five children, namely: Caroline, who was bom in 1817, and became the wife of Dr. Joseph Chamberlain, of Elkhart, Indiana; Catherine, who was bom in 1819 and married Harvey Truesdale, of Michigan City; Orville; Rolland, born in 1825 ; and Charles, bora in 1828.

Orville Tryon spent the first fourteen years of his life in the state of his nativity, and then ac¬ companied his parents on their removal to the west, coming with them to Michigan City in 1830. He began his business career by working in a general store, where he was employed for eight years, and during that time gained an excellent knowledge of business methods which was of much pracitcal value to him in later years. Later he was engaged in the grocery business with W. F. Miller until 1857, when he sold out and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of his present farm near Union Mills. He prospered in his farmings operations, and as the years passed added to his property until he now has three hun¬ dred and seventy acres of rich and arable land under a high state of cultivation.

Mr. Tryon has been twice married, his first wife being Miss Lucy Beesmer, who was born in 1827 and died in 1854. In 1857 he married Miss Ellen Gunson Bragg, who was born in England in 1828. Three children blessed this union: Carrie Castle ; Mary Gebraun, who married Ed¬ ward Hixon; and Nellie Bragg, who married Walter W. Wise.

Mr. Tryon is a member of the Episcopal church, having been reared in that faith. His mother helped to organize the first Episcopal church in Chicago in 1835, and always took an active interest in church work. He has now passed the eighty-second milestone on life's jour¬ ney and can look back into the past with satis¬ faction. In business affairs he has prospered, and his career has ever been such as to win him the confidence and respect of all with whom he has been brought in contact. On the rolls of LaPorte county's most honored pioneers his name should be among the foremost.

JACOB S. HECKMAN, who resides on sec¬ tion 20, Galena township, was bom in Preble county, Ohio, March 25, 1829. His father, Jacob Heckman, was a native of Botetourt county, Virginia, bom on the 8th of April, 1794, and after arriving at years of maturity was married there on the 8th of April, 1819, to Miss Eliza¬ beth Dodd, who was born in Franklin county, Virginia, on the 17th of May, 1800. She was a daughter of William and Rebecca (Griffith) Dodd, both of whom were of English descent.

In the fall of 1828 Jacob and Elizabeth Heck¬ man removed from Virginia to Preble coun¬ ty, Ohio, and in the spring of 1830 they made their way to Berrien county, Michigan, locating at Berrien Springs. Mr. Heckman assisted large¬ ly in laying out the town, and also in naming it. He remained there until 1835, when he removed to Galena township, LaPorte county, Indiana, where he continued to reside until the death of his wife, which occurred on the 24th of April, 1864, when she was in her sixty-fifth year. Mr. Heckman was one of the honored pioneer set¬ tlers of Galena township. There were no more than three or four families in the entire township when he took up his abode there. He entered a number of quarter sections of land. He gave to each of his children - nine in number - a quar¬ ter section, and in addition to this he owned other realty in Weesaw township, Berrien county, Michigan. He retained for his own use one hun¬ dred and sixty acres, and he also bought an eighty-acre tract covered with timber in addition to all the other farming land which he possessed. He was a very useful, active and influential citi¬ zen, and was a leading factor in the upbuilding of LaPorte county. As a prominent member of the German Baptist church he took an ac¬ tive interest in its work and contributed generously to its support. In politics he was a stanch Republican, and he left Vir¬ ginia on account of the slavery question, believ¬ ing the system of holding slaves in the south to be wrong. He also took a deep interest in edu¬ cational work and served as a member of the school board. All that tended to promote public progress and improvement received his endorse¬ ment, and his efforts in behalf of the general good were far-reaching and beneficial. He died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Charlotte Am¬ mons, near South Bend, Indiana, on the 5th of March, 1886, in the ninety-second year of his age, and was laid to rest by the side of his wife in the Heckman cemetery in Galena township. To Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Heckman were born twelve chil¬ dren, nine of whom reached years of maturity. Sixty years elapsed between the death of the first child of the family and the last death in that generation.

Jacob S. Heckman was the fifth child in his father's family, and was but an infant when the parents removed to Berrien county, Michigan. When a little lad of six summers he accompanied them on their removal to Galena township, La¬ Porte county, and here he was reared, pursuing his education in a log schoolhouse, which was built upon his father's farm. As his age and strength increased he more and more largely aided in developing the fields and clearing the wild land, continuing to assist his father until his marriage, which occurred on the 28th of February, 1850. He wedded Laura K. Marshall, who was born in Onondaga county, New York, April 6, 1833, a daughter of Noah and Ruth (Paddock) Mar¬ shall, who removed to Illinois from New York and afterward returned to LaPorte county, In¬ diana. Mrs. Heckman was the youngest of their seven children, six daughters and one son. She died August 4, 1894, leaving one son and one daughter, both of whom have since passed away. The eldest son, Albert P. Heckman, was a prac¬ ticing physician at Reed City, Michigan, and died December 21, 1897, at the age of forty- four years.

Mrs. Francis J. Fargher died June 3, 1898, in her forty-second year, and left three sons, Dr. James H. Fargher, Albert T. and George F. Her hus¬ band, James A. Fargher, died November 11, 1898.

For his second wife Mr. Heckman chose Elizabeth A. Ammons, and they were married February 16, 1898. She was a daughter of James and Anna (Calvert) Ammons, who were pioneer settlers of St. Joseph county, Indiana. Mrs. Heckman was bom near South Bend on the 25th of September, 1862, the youngest in a family of four children, the others being Mrs. Isabella Heckman; Alwilda A. Zimmerman; and Albert Ammons. Mrs. Elizabeth Heckman pursued her education in the schools of South Bend, and is a lady of culture and refinement, well known in the community in which she resides and held in high regard by many friends.

At the time of his first marriage Mr. Heck¬ man located on an unimproved farm situated a half mile north of the farm upon which he now resides. There he cleared and cultivated one hun¬ dred and sixty acres of land, doing most of the work himself. The valuable property which he now owns is the evidence of his life of thrift and industry. He rents the portion of his farm de¬ voted to the cultivation of crops and is therefore enabled to enjoy a measure of rest in quiet retire¬ ment from active business cares.

Since casting his first presidential vote for Fremont in 1856 he has been a stanch Republican. He gave his support to Abraham Lincoln in i860 and again in 1864, and his last vote was cast for William McKinley in 1900. In 1896 his was the first ballot deposited in his township. A promi¬ nent Mason, he belongs to Rolling Prairie Lodge, and enjoys the high esteem of his brethren of the craft. He has always been true to its teachings and its principles, and his worth as a citizen is widely acknowledged. Long a resident of the county, he is familiar with its history from pio¬ neer times down to the present, and has watched its development from an unimproved region to its present advanced stage of civilization and pros¬ perity.

JAMES ANDREW, who died at LaPorte in 1895, was one of the founders of the city and was a witness to every phase of its development from the days when waving stretches of prairie grass surrounding the dark green groves pre¬ sented a verdant picture of loveliness to the first comers, until a city of brick and wood, teeming with industries and commerce and with intellect¬ ual life, stood in this favored location and offered its unsurpassed attractions to the world. IV bear the relation of a father to a city like La¬ Porte is an honor such as few men may enjoy, buz the analogy of this relationship was carried further than birth, for Mr. Andrew was not simply the passive spectator of the drama trans¬ piring about him, but was a great part therein, and worked, lent his influence and was en¬ thusiastic for every advance which the city made during the sixty-four years that he spent here.

James Andrew belonged to a remarkable fam¬ ily, much of whose history will be found on other pages of this work. His grandfather, Dr. John Andrew, was born in New Jersey and served as a surgeon in the New Jersey Revolutionary Line from 1776 to 1783, and was with his regiment at the surrender of Cornwallis, which ended the war. After the war he moved to Center countv, Pennsylvania, and in 1810 followed his son James to Hamilton county, Ohio. This son Janies, who was the father of our LaPorte pioneer, was a native of New Jersey, and while living in Penn¬ sylvania married Catherine Piatt, of French Huguenot descent. In the autumn of 1796 with his brother-in-law he rode on horse back to Fort Washington (afterward Cincinnati), to lo¬ cate a home for his wife and the family of her mother, the widow of Captain Abraham Piatt. These made the journey down the Alleghany and Ohio rivers to Fort Washington, arriving March 4, 1797- On his farm in Hamilton county James Andrew reared a large family, all sons but one, and who with one exception reached a venerable age. The eldest son died when he was twentytwo years old, then came James, Abram P., now deceased, Jacob P., deceased, Lewis Chamberlain, deceased, William and Mrs. S. Van Pelt. From various parts of the country they all came to La¬ Porte at an early day, and lived here together many years, until the removal of Dr. J. P. An¬ drew to the west.

James Andrew was the oldest man in LaPorte at the time of his death. His mortal existence had touched that of every president of the United States, having begun early in the administration of John Adams and nine months prior to the death of the father of the country. He was a small boy in school when Jefferson was president, was nearly sixteen years of age when Jackson fought the battle of New Orleans. Such a life commands reverence, and teaches that the govern¬ ment of the United States is still only in its youth, covering the span of but little more than a single human life.

Mr. Andrew was bom March 31, 1799, in Hamilton county, Ohio. He lived on his father's farm, about twelve miles from Cincinnati, work¬ ing in the summer, attending school in the winter, and later teaching school, until he was twenty-six years old. He then left the old homestead, and moved to Hartford, Indiana, near Rising Sun, where he was employed in merchandising for five years. With his brother, Captain A. P. Andrew, he took a contract to build the first fifteen miles (from Madison north) of the old Michigan road, in 1829. The brothers took land scrip for pay, and when the work was done they came to La Porte to sell the scrip, and to look at the wild lands, just offered for exchange for the scrip, but with no intention of locating permanently. They were accompanied by General Wilson, two Barchalves, Dr. Todd and John Walker. This was in October, 1831, and the party passed their first night at the future city of LaPorte in the one log cabin in the vicinity, standing where the An¬ derson House is now located, on State street. The Pottawottomies then occupied the country, with Chief Aub-be-naub-bee at their head, and Chief Shaderny or Chaudonia lived near Door Village. The tribe claimed all these lands, but by a treaty relinquished their title, and the lands were brought into market at the land office at Logansport.

The Andrews were so delighted with the country that instead of selling their scrip they de¬ cided to locate it, and attended the land sales at Logansport for the purpose, purchasing the land, or a part of it, whereon the city now stands ; they afterwards made some purchases of private parties. Early in 1832 they brought their families here, and in October, 1832, they succeeded in getting the county of LaPorte organized from a part of St. Joseph county, and soon afterward surveyed and laid out the town of LaPorte, in company with Walter Wilson, Hiram Todd and John Walker.

The Andrew brothers had brought with them the machinery of a steam sawmill, hauling it on ox wagons. In crossing the Wabash they made the boilers, to the inexpressible astonishment of the Indians, assist in floating the wagons across. When the mill arrived it was set up on the bank of the little lake near Camp Colfax. At that time there was not a sawn plank in the county. The brothers erected a little cabin for the winter, with¬ out a window, with a floor of basswood bark, and their table made of the boxes in which they had transported their goods. The demand for lumber was so great that they could not keep any for their own use until the next spring, when they put a plank floor in the- cabin and two windowpanes for light. In the following fall James Andrew built the house south of town where his son William formerly lived, and then went to* work breaking up the prairie and fencing the rich lands of his purchase. The brothers afterward sold their sawmill, and it was removed to another part of the county.

In 1823 James Andrew married Abigail Lane, near Cincinnati, who died in 1842 in the home which she and her husband had established near LaPorte. Three children were born to them, Catherine, now the wife of Dr. George L. An¬ drew ; James, who died at the age of three and a half years; and William L. Andrew. In 1846 Mr. Andrew married Miss Sarah Ross, near Cin¬ cinnati, who died a few years before her hus¬ band.

Mr. Andrew was never a man of robust health, although he reached such an advanced age. An attack q{ typhoid fever when he was twenty years old affected him all the rest of his life, and only his careful and simple mode of living extended the span of his life to its unusual length. In politics he was first a Whig, then a Republican, and he gave his influence and financial support without stint to the cause of the Union during the dark days of the Civil war. In religious faith he ad¬ hered to the doctrines of the New Church, where he had long been an attendant. But whether in religion, politics, citizenship or manhood an en¬ lightened conscience was his guide. He lived a quiet, peaceful and happy life, and traversed the past with few if any regrets, and looked into the future with serene contidence and inspiring hope.

HENRY L. CUMMINGS. With the agricul¬ tural interests of Noble township Henry L. Cum¬ mings has been actively identified since old enough to be of any assistance on the home farm, and to¬ day he is successfully operating the place on his own account. It is a foie farm of one hundred and fifty acres, under a high state of cultivation and well improved, and is pleasantly located within forty rods of the postoffice at Union Mills.

Upon that farm Mr. Cummings was born on the 16th of January, 1862, his parents being Al¬ len and Eliza (Stephenson) Cummings, who were married January 1, 1843. His father was born in Genesee county, New York, October 14, 1819, and died in Union Mills, Indiana, on the 25th of May, 1897. His mother was born in Bucyrus, Ohio, May 13, 1826, and died at Union Mills, on the 6th of January, 1901. In their family were only two children, but the older, Charles Lewis,

Henry L. Cummings, the younger son, has ;spent his entire life upon the old homestead and is indebted to the public schools of Union Mills for the educational privileges he enjoyed during his boyhood and youth. He is a good business man as well as a wide-awake, energetic farmer, and be¬ lieves in keeping abreast with the times in meth¬ ods of agriculture.

January 1, 1881, Mr. Cummings married Miss Ophalina Henton, who was born in Westville, Indiana, November 5, 1863, and is a daughter of E. R. and Charlotte (Temple) Henton. She is the second in order of birth in a family of four children, the others being Samantha Bell, Alta Jane and U. S. Grant. In politics Mr. Henton is a Republican and Bell Henton served as county recorder of Sac county, Iowa, for two terms. Mrs. Cummings was educated in Westville, Indiana, and was reared in LaPorte county. She is a member of the Rebekah Lodge No. 359, and was delegate to the General Assembly at Indian¬ apolis. Mr. and Mrs. Cummings have three chil¬ dren: Bessie Bell, born June 23, 1883; Harry Allen, December 28, 1885; and Willard Glenn, October 30, 1887.

In his political affiliations Mr. Cummings is a stanch Republican, and he takes a deep interest in public affairs, giving his support to all meas¬ ures which he believes will prove of public bene¬ fit. In his social relations he is a member of the Odd Fellows society, Noble Lodge No. 573, Un¬ ion Mills, and as a genial, pleasant gentleman he makes many friends.

JAMES A. DAVIDSON is one of the in¬ fluential and progressive farmers of Hudson township, living on section 9. He was born in Trumbull county, Ohio, November 5, 1824, a son of Richard and Selma (Norton) Davidson, the former a native of Vermont and the latter of Waterbury, Connecticut. Richard Davidson was reared in the Green Mountain state and became one of the pioneer settlers of Trumbull county, Ohio. His wife lost her parents during her early girlhood and was therefore reared by strangers. She was twice married and became the mother of ten children, eight born of the first union, and two of the second marriage. Many years ago Mrs. Richard Davidson passed away.

James A. Davidson was the only son of his mother's escond marriage. He is also the last survivor of the family. His youth was largely passed in Portage county, Ohio, where he accom¬ panied his parents on the removal when seven years of age. He continued there until 1865, and while living in Ohio was first married, the lady of his choice being Miss Rosina Schifferle, who was bom in Germany. Three children graced this marriage : Julia C., who is now the wife of Charles Elded, of Fort Worth, Texas ; Mary, who is a stenographer and typewriter in the office of the Featherbone Company at Three Oaks, Michi¬ gan; and Selina, the wife of Benjamin Burton, deceased, of Arapahoe, Nebraska. For his second wife Mr. Davidson chose Beulah (Deuel) Adams, the widow of Henry Adams, and two children Tiave been bom of this marriage: Ida M., now the wife of M. F. White, of Hudson township, LaPorte county; and Nellie, the wife of S. S. Hinman, of Bertram township, Berrien county, Michigan.

Mr. Davidson came to LaPorte county in 1865 and established his home upon the farm where he now resides in April of that year. Here he has lived continuously since with the exception of a period of three years spent in the city of La¬ Porte in order that his daughters might enjoy the educational advantages afforded by the schools there. He owns a farm of one hundred and sixty acres which is well improved, and, now renting the place, he receives a good income without fur¬ ther labor on his part. He was called upon to mourn the loss of his second wife on the 21st of April, 1889, aged fifty-nine years, and since that time he has made his home with a man who rents his farm.

He belongs to the Maple Grove Methodist Episcopal church, is very active in its work and is serving as one of its trustees. A life-long Re¬ publican, he cast his vote for the first candidate of the party, John C. Fremont, in 1856, voted for Lincoln in i860 and 1864, and his last presi¬ dential ballot was cast for William McKinley in 1900* At one time he served as a trustee of Hudson township, and has taken an active part in public affairs, introducing measures for the general good and supporting all movements that are calculated to enhance the public welfare. In his business career he has ever been straightfor¬ ward and honest, and he has made for himself a creditable record.

DR. GEORGE L. ANDREW. The Andrew family of LaPorte county, the story of whose prominent identification with the county's early settlement and development has been told at some length on other pages of this work in the general history, and much of whose genealogical and per- sonal history is detailed in the biographies, has some important members living in Chicago, notably in the persons of Dr. George L. Andrew and his wife, who reside at 6123 Kimbark avenue.

Dr. Andrew, who is now retired, having had a long and successful career as a medical prac¬ titioner during the Civil war and for many years in LaPorte, was bom in Hamilton, Ohio, July 18, 1822. His paternal grandfather, Dr. John An¬ drew, was in the Revolutionary war. His father, Abraham P. Andrew, came to Hamilton, Ohio, from Pennsylvania, removed from there to La¬ Porte in 1848, residing on his farm three miles west of the city several years, then to his resi¬ dence on the comer of A and First streets, where he died, aged eighty years, in 1872. He was a farmer and for more than fifty years an elder in the Presbyterian church.

Dr. Andrew received a university education, studied medicine in Hamilton, and was graduated in 1845, from the Medical College of Ohio, in Cincinnati. He continued his studies in New York city, and was appointed a physician in Belle¬ vue Hospital. During the Civil war he received an appointment as chief inspector on the Sanitary Commission for the Army of the Potomac, and in this connection did much philanthropic work. He was transferred after a year to the Army of the West, in which he performed the duties of chief inspector with headquarters at Louisville, Kentucky, where he was also editor of the Sani¬ tary Reporter. Dr. Andrew has the distinction of being the only surviving prominent official of the Sanitary Commission. Dr. Andrew came to LaPorte in 1845, and almost from the first his time was occupied with professional duties, and he was regarded as one of the most skilful and re¬ liable physicians in the county. In 1885 he re¬ tired from active practice, and in 1893, after his children had all grown up and left the parental home, he and his wife came to Chicago, where they are now spending their days in pleasant re¬ tirement.

Dr. Andrew was married in LaPorte in 1845 to Miss Catharine Piatt, only daughter of James Andrew. Two of their children are still living, Mrs. Carlton Shafer, an author of prominence in Baltimore, and Mrs. Victor Heinze, of Chicago. Their son, Frederick George Andrew, was a busi¬ ness man of LaPorte and died in 1901. Mrs. An¬ drew is a distant relative of her husband, belong¬ ing to the main branch of the Andrew family which settled at LaPorte at the beginning of that city's history, and ancestral and personal details will be found in the life of her father, James An¬ drew, in another part of this work. Dr. Andrew is a member of the Sons of the American Revolu¬ tion, while Mrs. Andrew is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, both de¬ riving their title to membership through the same ancestor. He is also a member of tne societies of the Alumni of Miami University, of the Ohio Medical College and of the Bellevue Hospital; also a member of the American Medical Associa¬ tion, of the American Academy of Medicine, of the American Public nealth Association, and of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity. He has been a memoer of the Presbyterian church since 1838.

ARTHUR J. HOLMAN, who follows farm¬ ing on section 8, Hudson township, was born in Munroe county, New York, June 13, 1840. His father, Thomas Holman, was a native of Essex county, England, and there spent the days of his boyhood and youth, acquiring his education in the public schools of that country. He was also mar¬ ried there, and his first wife died in England. He afterward came to America, bringing his only daughter with him and locating at Pittsford, Monroe county, New York. There he was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Brown, and subse¬ quently removed to Genesee county, New York, where he remained for a short time, returning then to Monroe county. In 1851 he decided to establish his home in the west, hoping that he might enjoy better business opportunities, and came to LaPorte county, locating in Springfield township. There he purchased a small farm, on which he lived for some time, but both he and his wife died at the home of their son Arthur. They were the parents of eight children, of whom two died in early childhood.

Arthur J. Holman, the fourth child of the family, was a lad of only ten summers when he came to LaPorte county, Indiana. He was reared in Springfield township and attended the district schools near his home. The work of the farm early became familiar to him, for he assisted in the work from early spring planting until after crops were harvested in the late autumn. On attaining his majority, however, he began to learn the miller's trade, and for twelve years followed that pur¬ suit, operating a mill in Galena township, at La¬ Porte and in other places. He then began farm¬ ing and purchased his present tract of land of one hundred and twenty acres, to which he has added until he now owns two hundred acres, con¬ stituting a very valuable property. Everything about his place is neat and thrifty in appearance, indicating his careful supervision, and the farm is supplied with all modern equipments and ac¬ cessories. Five years of his life were devoted to the fire insurance business as a representative of various companies, during which time he wrote many policies in Laporte, Jasper and Porter coun¬ ties of Indiana and in Berrien county, Michigan.

Mr. Holman has been twice married. He first wedded Miss Sarah Francis, and to them were born two children: Frederick, who resides in Montana; and Catherine, now the wife of Philip Teeter, who is principal of the high school at Rolling Prairie. For his second wife Mr. Hol¬ man chose Miss Ellen M. Knight, a native of Michigan, and of this union four children have been bom : Edith, now the wife of Albert Goodenough, of Berrien county, Michigan; Jessie and Claude, at home, in the eighth grade of school; and Irene, who is now attending school at New Carlisle, being a member of the New. Carlisle high school of the class of 1904.

Mr. Holman is a very prominent Mason, holding membership in the order at LaPorte. He has attained the Knight Templar degree of the York Rite, and he assisted in building the lodge building at Hatchis Mill. He is also prominent in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he has taken high rank. In politics he is a stanch Republican, and has served as trustee of Hudson township. In all of life's relations he is honorable, and is recognized as a man of strong character and sterling worth, and through laudable endeavor has won the success which now crowns his efforts.

EDWARD DOLMAN, known everywhere in and about Wanatah as the senior miller of the firm of Dolman & Mitzner, and one of the wideexperienced and capable business men of the town, was bom in the city of Derby, Derbyshire, England, April 4, 1842. In 1848 he came to America with his parents, who located in Bureau county, Illinois, near Princeton, for two years, and were then in Iowa two years. In 1854 his father bought the old Rough and Ready mill in Cool Spring township, LaPorte county, and dur¬ ing his father's many years' ownership and opera¬ tion of that mill Edward Dolman thoroughly learned the business in all its details. He worked in the mill during the hours he was not in school, and after his education was finished he devoted all his time to it, remaining with his father until he was twenty-one years old.

plant was burned down in 1878. He had invented several improvements on mill machinery, and for several years pushed the sale of these on the road. In 1885 he took up his permanent residence in Wanatah, and in partnership with Groth, Fudenski & Coriitz built a mill which he operated for the company until 1897, when it was burned. Mr. Dolman and Conitz then built the present fine mill plant, and since then the firm has become Dolman & Mitzner. The capacity of the mill is one hundred barrels a day, and it has a reputa¬ tion as turning out as good brands of feedstuff's as any mill in the county, its choice grades or flour finding a ready market in this and neighbor¬ ing counties. Mr. Dolman having been reared tothe business, is a practical miller, with not only the business capacity for enlarging the patronage of his mill, but with the theoretical knowledge of mill machinery which enables him to suggest many improvements and increase the operating power of his plant.

Mr. Dolman was married in 1867 to Miss Mary J. Knowlton, a native of New York state and a daughter of Henry J. Knowlton. Five chil¬ dren were born to them. Mabel is the wife of Jacob Eaton, a grocer of Wanatah ; Ethel is the wife of Frank Wilson; Pearl died at the age of twenty-two ; and two others died in infancy. Mr. Dolman has always held to the Democratic views on the tariff question, and has usually voted with that party. He is a member of the Royal Ar¬ canum and of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he is a trustee. He has enjoyed a gratifying prosperity in his business ventures, and is reliable and upright in all his dealings. Like¬ wise he has done his part as a citizen of his county and township, and in domestic and social relations is kind and popular. It is evident that Mr. Dolman is the oldest miller in northwestern Indiana at the present time of writing.

EDGAR W. HICKMAN. This well known and successful farmer residing in Kankakee township, is a worthy representative of an old and honored pioneer family of LaPorte countyv which has taken an active part in the develop¬ ment and permanent improvement of this sec¬ tion of the state. He was bom in the township where he still lives, February 5, 1841, and is the seventh in order of birth in a family of ten chil¬ dren, whose parents were Jacob V. and Rachel (Copland) Hickman. He was reared and edu¬ cated in his native township, attending the early schools.

father's farm until his marriage, which was cele¬ brated on the 8th of January, 1865, the lady of his choice being Miss Sarah J. Downing, also a native of Kankakee township and a daughter of Samuel and Eliza (Wagner) Downing, who were among the first settlers of La Porte county. To Mr. and Mrs. Hickman were born three chil¬ dren, namely: David D., now a prominent far¬ mer of Kankakee township; Cora E., wife of Frank J. King, of Center township, this county; and Mamie Eliza, at home with her parents. All were born on the farm now occupied by their father.

Mr. Hickman took his bride to this farm right after their marriage, and to its improvement and cultivation he has since devoted his energies, making it one of the most desirable farms of its size in the county. It comprises two hundred and eightv-seven acres of fertile and productive land.

Politically, Mr. Hickman has been a life-long Democrat, unswerving in his fidelity to the party and its principles, and religiously, he is an earnest member of the Rolling Prairie Christian church. During the sixty-three years of his residence in this county he has watched with interest its de¬ velopment and upbuilding, and as a public-spir¬ ited and progressive citizen he has materially aided in its advancement, doing all in his power to promote the welfare of the community. His name is a synonym for honorable business deal¬ ings, and on the roll of honored pioneers his name should be among the foremost.

CHARLES WESLEY McCARTY has been vouchsafed rest from labor. He was for many years identified with active agricultural interests, and through his careful management and unfal¬ tering diligence accumulated a competence that now enables him to live retired, his home being at Rolling Prairie. He was born in Muncy, Penn¬ sylvania, August 24, 1830, a son of Charles and Mary (Haller) McCarty, both of whom were natives *of the Keystone state. In the year 1847 they sought a home in the west, and with their family came to LaPorte county, locating in Kan¬ kakee township. The site of Rolling Prairie was then unmarked save by a log cabin, while the town of Byron was the principal trading place, having four stores at that time. The father of Mr. McCarty purchased a small tract of land of fifty acres, the greater part of which was cov¬ ered with timber. This he cleared away and im¬ proved the fields, but later he took up his abode in Rolling Prairie, where he followed the trades of a stonemason, bricklayer and plasterer. He built some of the first houses in LaPorte county, and was identified in many ways with the early devel¬ opment and progress of this portion of the state, being widely recognized as a citizen of worth, whose efforts were of value in developing the new west. He died in Rolling Prairie when about seventy-five years of age, and his wife passed away at the age of seventy-six years. In their family were three sons and a daughter who reached adult age, and three are still living: Frank, a resident of LaPorte city ; Mary Ann, the wife of Samuel Burhams, of Rolling Prairie : and Charles Wesley, who is the third child and sec¬ ond son.

In the state of his nativity Charles Wesley McCarty spent the first fifteen years of his life, and then came to LaPorte county, settling in Kankakee township, where he assisted in the work of the home farm and also attended school. After attaining his majority he was married, in 1852, to Miss Catherine George, and thus com¬ pleted arrangements for having a home of his own. She was bom in Lehigh county, Pennsyl¬ vania, a daughter of Solomon George, who was one of the early pioneer residents of LaPorte county. Mrs. McCarty passed away in 1881. By that marriage there were eight children: Flor¬ ence, now the widow of John Norris, of this county ; Ella, now Mrs. Stevens, of Rolling Prai¬ rie ; William Edgar, a prominent farmer of Kan¬ kakee township ; Jennie, now deceased ; Tolman : Monroe : and two that died in infancy. All were born in this country.

At the time of his marriage Mr. McCarty located on a farm in Kankakee township, and subsequently he removed to Wills township, where he was extensively engaged in general agricultural pursuits and stock-raising. He after¬ ward rented land to a considerable extent, hand¬ ling about three hundred acres. At a later date he purchased a farm in Kankakee township, com¬ prising two hundred acres, its former owner hav¬ ing been Samuel Harvey. Taking up his abode upon the new place, he continued to engage in stock-raising as well as in the tilling of the soil until his retirement from active business life about twenty-five years ago. He still owns the farm of two hundred acres, and has other landed passessions, altogether aggregating four hundred acres in Kankakee township. His two sons now have charge of his farming interests. Mr. Mc¬ Carty owns a fine home in Rolling Prairie and other property in the town, and all of his pos¬ sessions have been acquired through his own ef- forts and are a monument to his life of thrift and industry. For many years he has been a Mason, and has been a life-long Republican. For two terms he served as trustee of his township, and although there was no money in the treasury of the township when he was elected trustee he turned over to John Noble, his successor, the sum of forty-nine hundred dollars at the end of his four years' term. No trust reposed in him has ever been betrayed in the slightest degree, and his fellow citizens know him to be an honor¬ able man, unfaltering in the performance of duty, loyal in citizenship and reliable in friendship.

WILLIAM WALKINSHAW, M. D., who is engaged in the practice of medicine in Stillwell, where he has gained prominence because of his capability, was born in Northumberland county, Ontario, Canada, on the 18th of September, 1866. His father, George Walkinshaw, was a native of Scotland and there spent the first ten years of his life, after which he crossed the Atlantic to Amer¬ ica, locating in Canada, where he followed the occupation of farming, retaining his residence there up to the time of his death, which occurred when he was seventy-seven years of age. His religious faith was that of the Presbyterian church, and he took an active part in its work, progress and development. In early manhood he wedded Eleanor Hall, who was born in New¬ castle, England, and when about four years of age was taken by her parents across the Atlantic to the new world. She was then reared and educated in Canada, and is still living there, maintaining her home in Northumberland county. This worthy couple were the parents of eight chil¬ dren, five sons and three daughters, and all are now living, being residents of Canada with the exception of Dr. Walkinshaw.

In the place of his nativity Dr. Walkinshaw was reared and educated. His early literary studies were supplemented by a course in Queen's University at Kingston, Canada, where he was graduated on the completion of a classical course in 1890, winning the degree of Bachelor of Arts, while in 1893, having completed a course in the medical department, he won the degree of M. D. His theoretical knowledge was supplemented by practical experience of one year in the hospital there. In 1893 he came to Stillwell, and has since been a member of the profession in LaPorte county. Here his broad learning and marked skill soon gained recognition, and his patronage has steadily increased so that a handsome competence has rewarded his efforts.

It was also in the year of his graduation and of his removal to the United States that Dr. Walkinshaw was married, the lady of his choice being Miss Anna Maude Copley, a native of New York, born August 25, 1864, and a daugh¬ ter of William and Catharine (May) Copley. Two children have been born to this union, Beatrice Helen and Eunice Catherine. Mrs. Walkinshaw is a member of the Episcopal church, the established church of England. Her parents are both deceased. Dr. Walkinshaw is an ex¬ aminer of the New York Life Insurance Company. The Doctor is a stanch Democrat in his political views, but has no time or opportunity to seek public office even of he so desired, because of the demands made upon his attention by his pro¬ fession. He is a surgeon for the Grand Trunk Railroad, and he is well known as a physician, continually broadening his knowledge through reading and investigation and promoting his ef¬ ficiency through the valuable lessons which he gains in the daily round of his duties. As a citi¬ zen, however, he is interested in public progress and improvement, and endorses all measures for the welfare of his community.

WILBUR W. FULLER is a retired farmer living in Rolling Prairie, and is one of the old settlers of the county. He was born in Chau¬ tauqua county, New York, December 10, 1830. His father, Joseph Fuller, was a native of Che¬ nango county, New York, bom in 1806. There he remained until about eighteen years of age, w'hen he removed to Chautauqua county with his brother Orin, and in that locality he engaged in the operation of a sawmill. He was married there to Miss Isabel Wilson, and in 1833 they came to Indiana, making the trip on horseback. He established his home in Elkhart county, where he engaged in the operation of the sawmill until 1834. The following spring he was joined by his family, who came by wray of the lakes and Detroit, continuing their journey from the latter point with a two-horse wragon. Eventually they reached Goshen, Indiana, where they joined the husband and father, and in the fall of 1834 the latter took his wife and children to Galena town¬ ship, LaPorte county, Indiana, where he en¬ tered a claim of government land, and engaged again in the manufacture of lumber. He there died in the forty-eighth year of his age, while his wife passed away when about sixty years of age. They were the parents of four children, but only two are now living: Wilbur W., who is the only son and the older child ; and his sister.

Wilbur W. Fuller was only about four years of age at the time of the removal of the family to LaPorte county, and upon the home farm in Galena township the days of his childhood and youth were passed. He pursued his education in a log school house, for in those pioneer times the present splendid educational system of La¬ Porte county had not been adopted. Farm work, as well as the duties of the schoolroom, occupied his attention during his youth, and he remained with his parents until twenty-three years of age, assisting largely in the operation of the home farm and in the milling business.

As a companion and helpmate for life's jour¬ ney he chose Miss Mary A. Heckman, the wed¬ ding being celebrated in 1853. She was born in Berrien county, Michigan, April 10, 1835, a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Dodd) Heck¬ man. She is the seventh of nine children, and was brought to LaPorte county when only a year old by her parents, who settled in Galena town¬ ship. She was a student in the school conducted by Dr. W. B. Wilson, one of the pioneer physi¬ cians of LaPorte county, and subsequently she engaged in teaching school for several terms in this county.

At the time of his marriage Mr. Fuller located on a farm in Galena township, where he remained for a year, and in 1854 he removed to Hills Cor¬ ners in Berrien county, Michigan, where he was engaged in clearing the land of the heavy growth of timber in order to carry on general agricul¬ tural pusuits. As his fields were cultivated he harvested good crops and prospered in his un¬ dertakings during the seven years of his residence there. On the expiration of that period tlie Civil war broke out, and Mr. Fuller with patriotic spirit offered his services to the government, en¬ listing in Company C, Twelfth Michigan Volun¬ teer Infantry, as a private. He joined the army on the 1st of November, 1861, and was mustered out on the 6th of March, 1866, being in the ser¬ vice for four years and four months. He had been promoted to the rank of sergeant, and was serving in that capacity at the time he received his discharge. The first battle in which he par¬ ticipated was at Shiloh, but his regiment formed a part of the Western Army and went to Arkan¬ sas, remaining in that section of the country during the greater part of the war. Mr. Fuller, however, was also in the siege of Vicksburg, and though often under fire he never received a wound throughout his long connection with the army. His military record is most creditable, for throughout the years he never faltered in the performance of any duty that would aid in the preservation of the Union.

Hostilities having ceased Mr. Fuller returned to LaPorte county. His wife had in the mean¬ time purchased a farm in Galena township, and he now took up the work of tilling the soil, which he followed during the summer months, while in the winter season he taught school in Galena township for ten terms. For many years he con¬ tinued as an active agriculturist and placed his land under a high state of cultivation, develop¬ ing one of _the model farms of the community. On the 28th of April, 1892, he retired from active farming life and removed to Rolling Prairie, where he still resides.

To Mr. and Mrs. Fuller have been born three children: Mary V., the wife of Wesley Mayes, a teamster of LaPorte ; Dr. C. D. Fuller, now a leading physician of Bourbon, Indiana, and who married Florence McCarty and has one son, John; and Schuyler C., who died in 1862.

Wilbur W. Fuller has been in continuous residence in LaPorte county since 1866, and has been in touch with the community and its best interests since 1834. His life record has been most commendable. In politics, he has always given a loyal support to the Republican party and its candidates, and for eight years he served as justice of the peace while living in Galena township. He was also notary public for six¬ teen years, county assessor for four years, and is now filling the position of justice of the peace in a most capable manner, his decisions being strictly fair and impartial. Since 1869 he has held membership with the Christian church, and has taken an active part in church and Sunday-school work, having served often as superintendent of the latter. His efforts in behalf of the church have been far-reaching and effective, and his life has at all times been in consistent harmony with his professions. Socially he is connected with Hathaway Post, G. A. R., and is also a member of the Masonic fraternity. In the former he has filled all of the positions, including that of com¬ mander. He assisted in the organization of the Masonic lodge in Galena township, and has ever been deeply interested in its promotion and growth. A self-made man, he is deserving of great credit for what he has accomplished, for it has been due to his force of character, his per¬ sistent and earnest purpose and his laudable am-

THEODORE ARMITAGE is one of the veterans of the Mexican war. There are few survivors of that struggle in this country, and all honor is due to the venerable men who were de¬ fenders of the American cause in that struggle. Mr. Armitage certainly deserves mention in this volume not alone because he is the survivor of the Mexican war, but also because of the active and helpful part which he has taken in the develop¬ ment and upbuilding of LaPorte county. He is a native of Athens county, Ohio, born October 29, 1827, and is the fifth in the family of twelve children, ten sons and two daughters, who were born to John A. and Elizabeth (Herrold) Armi¬ tage.

His father was a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1798, and his death occurred in August, 1844. He was a very active man in business life, in the early days engaged in teaming, using a four-horse team and a large wagon in order to transport goods from place to place - this being at a period antedating the introduction of railroads. He fre¬ quently hauled stone and coal from the Hocking valley, and also hay. Although his educational privileges were limited, he was a man of good practical ideas, and displayed marked common sense in his business affairs and in other relations of life. For eighteen years he served as justice of the peace, and he married more couples than any minister of his locality. He belonged to the Wesleyan Methodist church, served as one of its class-leaders and lived in harmony with his pro¬ fessions. In early days he operated a flatboat on the Hocking river, making trips to the Ohio and thence down the Mississippi to New Orleans. He possessed marked mechanical ingenuity, and could make something from almost nothing. In early times he served as a member of the Home Militia, and was an active factor in many de¬ partments of life bearing upon the general wel¬ fare and progress of his community. His wife was born in Pennsylvania in 1802, and died in 1873 at the age of seventy-one years. Both were interred in Wolf Plain cemetery in Athens coun¬ ty, Ohio, where a monument was erected to mark their last resting place. Of their children four are yet living, Theodore being the eldest. The others are Hiram, who is a retired farmer resid¬ ing in Athens, Ohio ; Henry, who also followed agricultural pursuits and is now living retired in Earlville, Iowa; and Granville M., who is inter¬ ested in the oil industry under John D. Rocke¬ feller, making his home in Topeka, Kansas. All of the brothers have prospered in their under¬ takings, becoming well-to-do business men.

Theodore Armitage was reared in the usual manner of farmer lads of his age and locality, and when but a youth worked in the fields, eariv becoming familiar with the arduous task of de¬ velopment and cultivating new land. When eighteen years of age he was apprenticed to learn the shoemaker's trade, but the following year he put aside business and personal considerations and offered his services to the government as a volunteer in the Mexican war, enlist¬ ing in Company E, Second Ohio Regi¬ ment, under Captain McLean. With his company he went to camp at Cincinnati, and afterward went down the Mississippi river to New Orleans and crossed the Gulf of Mexico to La Brazos, Texas. He thence proceeded up the Rio Grande and crossed the river into Mexico under General Taylor, who was afterward termed old "Rough and Ready." Mr. Armitage partici¬ pated in the battle of Buena Vista, where one hundred and fifty American soldiers were sur¬ rounded by fifteen hundred Mexicans, but re¬ enforcements came to their aid and the enemy was defeated. Mr. Armitage served for thirty-six days longer than his term of enlistment, and then received an honorable discharge at New Orleans on the 6th of July, 1847.

Returning to his home in Athens, Ohio, he there remained until the fall of the same year, when he came to LaPorte count y, Indiana, with his brother, and began working at the shoemaker's trade, following this pursuit until his marriage to Miss Araminta M. Clyboum, the wedding being celebrated on the 2d of August, 1849. ^rs- Armitage was born March 22, 1832, in Xew Durham township, being a daughter of the hon¬ ored pioneer settler, Henley Clyboum, who is men¬ tioned on another page of this work. Both Mr. and Mrs. Armitage were students in the old-time log schoolhouses such as were common in the western section of the country at an early day. He attended school at an early time in an old shoe shop, on another occasion in an abandoned house, and at one time school was held even in a bam, in which the farmer was putting in hay and grain. He studied from Smiley's arithmetic and the New Testament. Mrs. Armitage obtained her education in the school not unlike the school de¬ scribed. There were greased paper windows, and the writing desk was formed bv a long board laid upon pins driven into the walls. The benches were made of slabs placed upon wooden logs, and they were made so high that the children's feet could not touch the floor. The buildings were heated by an immense fireplace in one end of the room, and the chimney was made of mud and sticks. Everything was very primitive, and the methods of instruction were very inferior as com¬ pared to those of the present day. The teacher taught little save reading, writing and arithmetic, and the school was conducted on the subscription plan.

Mrs. Armitage has spent almost her entire life in LaPorte county and has seen its marvelous de¬ velopment from early pioneer times, watching its wonderful progress as it has kept pace with the national improvement. She can remember when there were no telegraph or telephone lines and when there was no railroad in the county, when the homes of the settlers were widely scattered, when the now thriving towns and cities were but mere villages or perhaps had not been founded. She has seen many Pottawottomie Indians, the red men frequently visiting at her father's home. Her uncle, Joseph H. Benedict, made the first coffin in which an Indian was buried in this part of the country. The Wabash Railroad now crosses the old cemetery of pioneer times. She has seen deer, bears and wolves in the county, and there was much wild game including prairie chickens and turkeys. Many a time has Mrs. Armitage ridden to church behind an old ox team - Buck and Bright - in the early dav. Her maternal grandmother was Mrs. Miriam Waldron Benedict, and it was she who named New Durham township, calling it after the village of Durham in Greene county, New York, in which she had previously lived. Mrs. Armitage is now seventytwo years of age, and is the oldest living native daughter of the county. She has a remarkable memory concerning early events in LaPorte county. She can relate many interesting incidents in pioneer life and tell accurately the way in which progress was accomplished here and most of the events which have formed the history of the county.

Mr. and Mrs. Armitage began their domestic life, at the time of their marriage, in Westville, which town had been founded by her father, and there they resided until 1855, when they went to Clinton county, Iowa, where Mr. Armitage en¬ gaged in agricultural pursuits until 1863. He then returned to Westville, where he and his worthy wife have since resided. His political support in early life was given to the Whig party, and he voted for General Zachary Taylor. He cast his first Republican vote for John C. Fre¬ mont, the pioneer candidate of the party, and voted for Lincoln, Garfield, Blaine, McKinley and the other candidates of the national organization. He has been a delegate to the county and state conventions, but has never sought office, pre¬ ferring to devote his attention to business affairs. His wife is a member of the Baptist church in LaPorte, and to the support of the church Mr. Armitage contributes. Both he and his wife en¬ joy the unqualified respect of all who know them. For fifty-four years they have traveled life's journey together, sharing with each other the joys and sorrows, the adversity and prosperity which come to all. They have ever lived so as to win the confidence and good will of their fellow men, and their life record furnishes many examples well worthy of emulation. Their minds bear the impress of the historic annals of the county, and few people are better informed concerning pioneer times in this section of the state than are Mr. and Mrs. Armitage.

FRANK C. FOLANT, who is a well known contractor of LaPorte, was born at Kingston, New York, in 1855. His father, Egbert J. Folant, was a native of Kingston and was a son of Phillip Folant, whose birth occurred on the 18th of December, 1778, and who was of Holland Dutch parentage, being a direct descendant of Anneke Jans, a native of Holland, who was one of the first settlers of New Amsterdam and once owned the site on which Trinity church now stands. Egbert J. Folant became a carpenter, learning the trade in early life, and believing that he might have better business opportunities in the west he made his way to Wisconsin in 1856, lo¬ cating in Beloit. There he was engaged in con¬ tracting and building, being identified with the building interests of that city up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1875. In the Civil war he belonged to the Pioneer Corps, and was a master mechanic, serving throughout the strug¬ gle to preserve the Union. In early manhood he wedded Nancy Eaton, who was born in Kings¬ ton, New York, and since her husband's death she has made her home with her children.

Frank C. Folant learned the carpenter's trade under the direction of his father, having obtained a good education in the public schools of Beloit and in Beloit College. His liberal intellectual training well fitted him for the responsible duties of a business career. He worked with his father at the carpenter's trade until the latter's death, and then, in 1875, came to LaPorte, where he has now resided for more than a quarter of a century. He continued to follow carpentering in the em¬ ploy of others until 1888, when he became a gen¬ eral building contractor, and as such has con¬ structed a large number of buildings in LaPorte, prominent among which are the residences of E. E. Weir, Joseph Schnewind, E. C. Howe, James Long, Louis Overich, Judge Richter, Wil¬ liam P. Allen, George D. Lay and Rev. E. D. Daniels. He also built the LaPorte high school, the Episcopal church, the plant of the LaPorte Carriage Company and rebuilt the Niles & Scott wheel factory. A number of the good store Build¬ ings of the city likewise stand as monuments to his skill and handiwork in this direction, and many residences and cottages have been built by him. Some of the construction work which he has done outside of the city of LaPorte include the peristyle in the park on the lake front at Michigan City, a beautiful piece of architectural work. He also built the residence of Charles Porter in Michigan City at a cost of eighteen thousand dollars, and other leading buildings there. He took up and executed the contracts for a number of buildings in Lacrosse, LaPorte county, being engaged in building operations there for nearly two years. He also erected a fine building at Hanna, and installed fire-proofing for fire protection in the large plant of the LaPorte Carriage Company, including automatic fire doors and a complete fire protection system. In 1903 he built the addition of three stories, one hun¬ dred by one hundred and forty feet, to the La¬ Porte woolen mills.

Mr. Folant was married in LaPorte in 1881 to Miss Ella O. Willard, and they now have one daughter, Bessie. Mr. Folant is president of the local lodge of Samaritans, having several times been re-elected to this position. His wife and daughter hold membership in the Presbyterian church, and all are well known in this city, having gained friendship and favor among their large circle of acquaintances.

ALFRED W. LEEDS, deceased, was born in Tuckerton, New Jersey, January 7, 1824. It is said that the Leeds family was founded in the United States by two brothers who crossed tRe Atlantic from the city of Leeds, England, and settled in New Jersey. They owned a great deal of land at Atlantic City and in that locality. It was to Thomas Leeds, one of these brothers, that Alfred W. Leeds traces his ancestry. This Thomas Leeds was of English birth and estab¬ lished his home in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, probably in the year 1677. He was bom about 1620 and died in the year 1686. He was twice married, ere he left England, and afterward in Burlington, New Jersey, on the 6th of August. 1678, his second union being with Margaret Col¬ lier, of Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania. His widow died in Philadelphia in 1705, and her will bears date June 18, 1703. In his will, which was dated September 13, 1686, Thomas Leeds bequeathed "all of his houses" and lands in Shrewsbury to his loving wife Margaret during her life, and after her death to his son Daniel.

This Daniel Leeds was the paternal grand¬ father of Alfred W. Leeds. Offley Leeds the son of Daniel, was born in New Jersey and be¬ came a dealer in real estate and a capitalist. In the year 1835 he emigrated westward to Indiana, and established his home in Michigan City when it was but a small town and when the state was yet regarded as a frontier district. He bought considerable land in this locality, and as prices advanced because of the growth of the state he became quite wealthy. He wedded Miss Char¬ lotte Ridgeway, also a native of New Jersey, and a daughter of Jeremiah and Judith Ridgeway, who were born in that state of English lineage, and who became early settlers of LaPorte county, establishing their home near the city of LaPorte. where they spent their remaining days, passing away when well advanced in years. The home of Offley and Charlotte (Ridgeway) Leeds was blessed with three children : Alfred W. ; Caro¬ line C., the deceased wife of A. T. Vreeland : and Walter O., who has also passed away and who is represented on another page of this work. The parents have also departed this life. Both were members of the Friends' church, and exercised a strong influence in the moral development of the community as well as upon the material pro¬ gress of this portion of the state.

Alfred W. Leeds was a lad of only about eleven summers when he came with his parents to LaPorte county, Indiana, and he was reared to manhood in Michigan City, where he attended the common schools. He followed in his father's footsteps as a real estate dealer and land agent, and to that business devoted his energies through¬ out his entire life. His business capability, his executive force, his keen foresight and his hon¬ orable dealings were factors in his success, and while advancing his individual interests he also promoted the general prosperity through his real estate operations.

Lell. Her parents were natives of Stuttgart, Germany, and in the year 1854 the father came to America with his family, locating in LaPorte, Indiana, where he died soon afterward. His wife survived him until 1875, passing away at the age of sixty-five years. They were members of the Lutheran church. In their family were thir¬ teen children, ten sons and three daughters, of whom three are now living: William, of Ne¬ braska; Minnie, the widow of Alfred W. Leeds ; and Henrietta, the widow of George Smith, of Michigan City.

Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Leeds : Eva, the wife of Dr. E. Z. Cole, of Bal¬ timore, Maryland, by 'whom she has one son, Howard Leeds; Alfred, who married Catherine Dfonnelly, and, with his wife and two children, Donnelly and Mary Alice, resides in Michigan City : Julia A., the wife of Samuel James Taylor, of Michigan City, by whom she has two daugh¬ ters, Margery and Julia; Arthur L., who is a practicing physician ; William, who died at the age of fourteen years; Frank R., a physician of Chicago, who married Florence Clark, of Chazy, New York ; and Alice Mae, who resides at home.

Alfred W. Leeds passed away November 23, 1883. He was a Republican in his political views, and was widely and favorably known throughout the community. His life was honorable, his ac¬ tions manly and sincere and his worth well mer¬ ited the high regard which was uniformly given him. His widow, who still survives him, is a member of the Presbyterian church, and has many warm friends in this community.

C. H. HARRIS is the owner of a farm on section 25, Wills township, comprising one hun¬ dred and thirty-six acres, and in addition to this he owns one hundred and ninety-six acres at Sauktown and ten acres of timber land. His pos¬ sessions have been well earned through continu¬ ous labor guided by sound business judgment. He was born in Center township, LaPorte county, October 10, 1849, and a son °f David and Ro¬ sanna (Curran) Harris, the former a native of Canada and the latter of Ireland, whence she was brought across the Atlantic when but six weeks old, her parents landing in New York. They afterward went to Michigan as pioneers of that state, and Mrs. Harris was reared there. David Harris remained in Canada until his removal to LaPorte county, Indiana, in 1837. He found here a pioneer region in which the early settlers had just begun the work of improvement and progress that resulted in the development of the splendid county which we find to-day. Mr. Har¬ ris located in the city and conducted a cooper shop for a time. He later traded his house and lot for forty acres of land about three miles north of LaPorte, where is now situated the Home brick yard. Mr. Harris was the first manufac¬ turer of brick in LaPorte county. He ground his clay with a yoke of oxen, and he had but one man to assist him in the conduct of his new en¬ terprise. For fifteen years he remained there, and then sold his business to Thomas Mills for eight thousand dollars. His trade had continu¬ ally increased and he had enlarged his facilities to meet the growing demands of his business. On selling his brick yard he took up his abode at Rolling Prairie and puchased a farm upon which he continued to make his home until his death, which occurred when he was sixty-three years of age. In politics he was a Whig until the organization of the Republican party, when he became one of its stanch advocates. He took an active part in all the rallies which were held dur¬ ing thUwar, and he contributed generously of lfis means to the prosecution of hostilities which were eventually to save the Union. His wife died when sixty-six years of age. David Harris was twice married his first union having been with Julia Russ, by whom he had two children, one of whom died in infancy. The other, Mrs. Martha Stoner, is now a resident of Wills township. C. H. Har¬ ris is the second child in a family of four sons and one daughter that were born of the father's second marriage.

When but ten years of age he became a resi¬ dent of Wills township, where he has since con¬ tinued to reside. He obtained his education in the common schools and lived at home until he reached adult age. When fourteen years of age, however, he purchased a threshing machine, which he operated in connection with the clover huller for about eight years. He thus early dis¬ played excellent business ability, and his energy and perseverance combined with a recognition of opportunity have made him a prosperous and leading farmer of his community. He now owns one hundred and thirty-six acres on his home farm together with more than two hundred acres elsewhere, and it has been as his labors have brought to him a good financial return that he was enabled to buy property.

December 24, 1872, Mr. Harris was united in marriage to Miss Henrietta Ingram, a native of Wills township, born November 6, 1850, and a daughter of William and Sarah (Wagner) Ing¬ ram. They at once began their domestic life upon a farm, and after living at various places took up their abode in 1875 on section 25, in Wills township, where Mr. Harris purchased his pres¬ ent homestead. He has since occupied it. Three living children graced this union, and they have also lost four. Those who still survive are Bonita, who was given the name of the first Indian girl born in California ; Russell P. and Harold. Mr. Harris holds membership with LaPorte Lodge No. 36, I. O. O. F., and since age conferred upon him the right of franchise he has voted the Re¬ publican ticket.

JOSHUA WATSON, whose home is near LaPorte, is the possessor of a handsome property which has been acquired by his own well directed efforts. The record of his life is that of an active, enterprising, methodical and sagacious business man, who has bent his energies to the honorable acquirement of a comfortable competence for him¬ self and family. He came to America at the age of eighteen, and with no capital started out in a strange land to overcome the difficulties and ob¬ stacles in the path to prosperity. His youthful dreams have been more than realized, and in their happy fulfillment he sees the fitting reward of his earnest toil.

John and Mary (Hewson) Watson, his pa¬ rents, were bom in Lincolnshire, England, July 15, l79°y a°d in 1789, respectively, and both died at the home of their son Joshua, in LaPorte coun¬ ty, in 1875 and October 27, 1876, respectively. They came to America and LaPorte county in 1845. They had five children : Mary, born Janu¬ ary 10, 1818, died in infancy; Charlotte, born May 1, 1819, is deceased; William, born January 1, 1820, died in 1855; Mary, born May 13, 1824, is deceased; and Joshua.

Joshua, the youngest and only, surviving child of his parents, was born in Lincolnshire, England, July 29, 1827, and his education and early train¬ ing were acquired in his native land. On coming to LaPorte county in 1845 he began farming on rented land, about a half a mile from his present place, and his start was made with his foot on the lowermost round of the ladder of success. Five or six years later he had progressed so far as to, be able to buy two hundred and twenty acres of his present farm, and since then he has success¬ fully carried on his operations as farmer and stock-raiser. His property has increased till he is now the owner of thirteen hundred acres of as good land as Scipio township possesses, and it is all managed in the most thoroughly scientific and profitable manner.

Mr. Watson first married Miss Mary Hannah O'Brien, a native of Yorkshire, England, and who died in LaPorte county. Of the five children of this union, William, Alary Ella, and William Henry diecf in infancy, Edwin, bom December 14, 1859, died April 21, 1867, and the only one now living is Millie, who was born Alarch 27, 1862, and who makes her home in Chicago.

January 1, 1873, Mr. Watson was united in marriage to Miss Jane Fildes, who was bom in Media, Delaware county, Pennsylvania, June 4, 1843, the daughter of John and Ann (Powell) Fildes, the former of the Fildes & King woolen mills of LaPorte. John Fildes was born in Lan¬ cashire, England, April 17, 1802, and died May 12, 1890. He was a poor boy, his education was self-acquired, and when he came to Pennsylvania at the age of twenty-eight he had the misfortune to lose all his savings of the previous years. He was an industrious and honorable man, and be¬ came successful. In 1864 he brought his family to LaPorte county, and continued here in the man- # ufacturing business till his death. He was a stanch Republican and a member of the Estab¬ lished Church of England, and also a member of the English Society of St. George. His wife was a native of Pennsylvania, of Quaker stock, but was devoted to the religion of the Church of England. There were twelve children in the Fildes family, and of the seven now living, Ann is the 'widow of William Crawford, who was a prominent citizen of LaPorte county, and she re¬ sides in New York city; George is married and lives in Mansfield, Ohio; Joseph is a traveling salesman, and is married ; Samuel has a lucrative position as traveling machinist.

Mrs. Watson was reared and educated in Pennsylvania, and after coming to LaPorte county took a course in a select school in LaPorte. By her marriage she became the mother of five chil¬ dren, as follows: Joshua and Jane, twins, were born in 1873, and the former died in infancy and the latter in 1876 ; Albert Edward, bom December 20, 1875, married Lillie AIcCormick and lives on a farm within a mile and a half of his fathers place; Ralph Buckley, born Alarch 31, 1878. graduated in the class of 1896 from the LaPorte high school, from the mechanical engineering de¬ partment of Purdue University in 1900, and is now stationed at Elkhart, Indiana, as special in¬ spector of the Lake Shore and Alichigan Southern Railroad; and Grace, bom August 30. 1881. is a graduate of the LaPorte high school in the class of 1899.

was formerly called the J. B. Schandoney farm, and on it was located a log cabin in which Mr. Schandoney conducted a store, from which he sold goods to the Indians, who were still numer¬ ous in the vicinity. The house is built after the Virginia style, and it is also graced by the cordial and open hospitality of the south, so that it is an attractive center for many friends. Mr. and Mrs. Watson have traveled a great deal, he having crossed the Atlantic seven times and she four times. They were at the Paris exposition, have been on the Pacific slope, and in many pleasant ways have enjoyed the wealth which their wise and careful management in other years accumu¬ lated. They were also at the Centennial exposi¬ tion at Philadelphia in 1876. Among the large amount of bric-a-brac and souvenirs of their ex¬ tensive travels which adorn their home, a keep¬ sake which they especially esteem is a paper holder made of black walnut, which is one hundred and one years old, and was a present to Mrs. Watson's father at his baptism in England.

Mr. Watson-was formerly a Democrat in poli¬ tics, but now supports the Republican party. He and his wife are earnest and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church in Door Vill¬ age, and he is a trustee. They well merit the respect and esteem in which they are held by their friends and neighbors, and it can be said of Mr. Watson that he has always been upright and hon¬ orable in his dealings with men, and no trust re¬ posed in him was ever misplaced.

GEORGE TAPPAN is a native son of La- Porte county, his birth having occurred in Ga¬ lena township, April 12, 1845. He resides on section 28 of the same township and is a well known representative of agricultural interests. His paternal grandfather, Stephen Tappan, was bom in Connecticut and served his country as a soldier in the war of 1812. His death occurred in Onondaga county, New York, when he was about sixty-seven years of age.

Julia. C. Tappan, the father of George Tappan, was born in Onondaga county and there spent the days of his boyhood and youth. As a com¬ panion and helpmate for life's journey he chose Miss Philura Marshall, a native of the same coun¬ ty and a daughter of Noah Marshall, whose birth likewise occurred there. Her father came to La- Porte county in pioneer times, and at his death was buried in one of the cemeteries in this por¬ tion of the state. It was in the year 1836 that the parents of our subject emigrated westward and cast in their lot with the pioneer residents of

LaPorte county. There were few settlers here, and the work of civilization and improvement seemed scarcely begun, for the land was wild, the streams unbridged, the forests uncut. There had been few roads made, and there was little opportunity for communication with the outside world. Mr. Tappan secured his land from the government at the usual price of a dollar and a quarter per acre, selecting a tract in Galena town¬ ship. He built a log cabin and improved his farm of one hundred acres, clearing away the trees and planting his crops, which in course of time brought forth good harvests. For four years he was a soldier of the Civil war, serving in the Forty-eighth Indiana Infantry under the com¬ mand of General Sherman. He was made a ser¬ geant of his company, and in many a hotly con¬ tested battle displayed his loyalty to the govern¬ ment. Becoming a Republican on the organiza¬ tion of the party, he continued to give it his sup¬ port until his death, and in an early day served as trustee of his township. He held membership with the New Light or Christian church, and lived an earnest Christian life worthy the esteem so uniformly given him. His wife died at the age of seventv-three years. In their family were six sons and four daughters, one of whom died at the age of a year, another at the age of seven¬ teen, while the others reached years of maturity.

George Tappan, who is the fourth child and third son, was reared in his native township and pursued a common school education. He re¬ mained at home through the period of his minor¬ ity and assisted in the operation of the old home farm. He then started out in life on his own ac¬ count, working by the month for about six years. In 1871 he went across the plains with a herd of cattle, spending a year in that section of the country, after which he returned to Galena township.

In 1877 Mr. Tappan was married to Miss Persis Keefer, a native of Huron county, Ohio, where she was reared. Her parents were John and Mary (Starr) Keefer. The young couple at once located on the farm known as the Joe Francis property, and there they have lived fot twenty-seven years. They are the parents of three sons and a daughter: Frank S., Willis K., Frederick A. and Mary F. All were born on the farm where they still reside, and where Mr. Tappan is now engaged in general agricultural pursuits. Year after year be plows his land, plants his fields and in the autumn harvests good* crops, winning the sure reward of earnest, per¬ sistent and honorable labor. He is a stanch Re- publican, and his fellow townsmen, recognizing his worth and ability, have called him to public office. For six years he filled the position of justice of the peace. He has always lived in Galena township, has taken an active part in the public affairs and is held in high esteem because there has been naught in his life record deserving a strong condemnation.

WILLIAM SCOTT FISHER, D. D. S. Dentistry can be said to be almost unique among the professions in that it demands three qualifi¬ cations, first, a thorough understanding of the principles of the science, second, particular me¬ chanical skill, and, third, a financial ability en¬ abling one to so direct his efforts that success will attend them. In all these peculiarities Dr. Fisher is well qualified, and he stands to-day as one of the successful representatives of his chosen call¬ ing in LaPorte.

He was born in Kewanee, Illinois, in 1867, and is a son of Jacob and Margaret (Scott) Fisher. His father was born in Germany and was reared and educated in that country, but when a young man crossed the Atlantic to the new world and located in Kewanee, Illinois. There he engaged in the milling business and prospered in his undertakings so that at his death, which occurred in 1878, he left his family in very comfortable financial circumstances. His wife was a native of Dublin, Ireland, and was of Scotch lineage. Her death also occurred in Ke¬ wanee.

At the usual age Dr. Fisher entered the pub¬ lic schools and pursued his studies in his native town for some time. As a boy he manifested great liking for mechanics, and in early youth desired to become a machinist. To this end he partially learned the trade in the works of the Western Tube Company at Kewanee, and sub¬ sequently entered the office of that concern, hold¬ ing a lucrative position there for some time. As the years advanced, however, his ideas concern¬ ing a life vocation changed, and he decided to take up the study of dentistry, receiving his train¬ ing for the profession in the Chicago College of Dental Surgery. He first practiced in La¬ Porte in 1886, and has since remained ient, has a comprehensive knowledge of his science and is most skilled in the use of the deli¬ cate instruments with which dental work is per¬ formed. He has also won success from a finan¬

In LaPorte, in 1890, was celebrated the mar¬ riage of Dr. Fisher and Miss Lilly Way, a daugh¬ ter of James and Anna Helen (Brown) Way. Her father was a prominent old-time resident of this city, her grandfather, Seth Way, having come to LaPorte in 1834. He was therefore one of the pioneer settlers of this locality, and through his well conducted business affairs became a wealthy man. The Doctor is especially well known in Masonic circles, having taken all of the degrees of the York Rite, while in the Scot¬ tish Rite he has attained to the thirty-second de¬ gree, becoming a member of the consistory. He is likewise connected with the Mystic Shrine, and in his life exemplifies the teachings of the fra¬ ternity concerning mutual helpfulness and broth¬ erly kindness. LaPorte's welfare is dear to him, and in the city where he has now long made his home he has put forth effective effort for public improvement and progress. He belongs to the Northern Indiana Dental Society, and is con¬ nected with a number of local insurance orders and with the Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks.

JOHN H. SHAFOR, proprietor of the Weeland Hotel at Michigan City, is conducting a hostelry which is a credit to the city. He was born in Butler county, Ohio, November 10, 1839, his parents being Abraham and Maria (Long) Shafor, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Ohio. At an early period the family was established in the east and Jacob Shafor. the grandfather of John H. Shafor, was a native of New Jersey, whence he removed to Kentucky, making the journey by wagon after the primitive manner of travel of that day. He afterward re¬ moved to Ohio, taking up his abode in Butler county, where he spent his remaining days, dying there when well advanced in years. He always followed agricultural pursuits, and thus provided for his family, numbering his wife and nine chil¬ dren, five sons and four daughters. The family name was originally spelled Sheafor.

Abraham Shafor was a lad when his parents removed from Kentucky to Ohio. He berame a carpenter, and for some time was identified with building operations, but later turned his attention to farming, securing a tract of land in Butler county about three miles from Middletown. There he carried on agricultural pursuits throughout his remaining days. During the early settlement of the state he served for a short time as a soldier.

He had wedded Miss Maria Long, who was bom in Ohio and was a daughter of Gideon Long, who was also bom in that state. Gideon Long likewise carried on the tilling of the soil, and he had reached old age when called to his final rest. His family numbered four sons and four daugh¬ ters. There were five children born to Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Shafor, namely: David, who is living in Arkansas; Alfred and William, both deceased ; John H. ; and Ellen, the wife of Daniel Helwig, of Middletown, Ohio. The father at¬ tended the old-school Baptist church, of which his wife was a member. He voted with the Democracy and was interested in the growth and success of his party. His death resulted from the kick of a horse when he was about sixty-five years of age. in 1855. and his wife passed away when about the same age, dying in 1875.

John H. Shafor was reared to manhood upon his father's farm in Butler county, Ohio, where he worked in field and meadow until he had be¬ come familiar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. His education was obtained in the district schools, and he re¬ mained at home until his father's death, after which he worked in the store owned by his brother David in the village of Amanda, there spending three years. On the expiration of that period he returned to the farm, and the brothers worked together in the operation of the place for two years. The farm was then sold to his brother-in-law, in whose employ he continued for about two years, when on account of impaired health he went to Minnesota, hoping that he might be benefited thereby. For a year and a, half he continued in that state, and then returned to Ohio, where he was employed in a grocery store in Middletown for two years. He next engaged in clerking in a hotel, which was his first experience along the line of business to which he now devotes his energies. Going from Ohio to California and afterward to Arizona, he served in the latter state as local agent for the California & Arizona Stage Company for a short time. Following his return to Middletown, Ohio, he was engaged in the grocery business for a while, subsequently embarked in the wholesale notion business, which he continued from 1867 until 1870. He. then again engaged in clerking at a hotel, and his next step was taken as a miner in Colorado, where he remained for three years. In 1893 Mr. Shafor engaged in thq hotel busi¬ ness in Sterling, Illinois, as proprietor of the Gault House, conducting it successfully until 1901. On the 1st of April, 1903, he took charge

In April, 1891, Mr. Shafor was married to Miss Ella F. Dugan, a daughter of Patrick Du¬ gan. She is a member of the Presbyterian church, and is an estimable lady who has gained many friends during her residence in Michigan City. Mr. Shafor belongs to Jefferson Lodge, No. 90, F. & A. M., of Middletown, Ohio, also to Middletown Chapter, R. A. M., and formerly to Reed Commandery, K. T., of Dayton, Ohio, but is now affiliated with Sterling Commandery of Sterling, Illinois. Where questions of na¬ tional interests are involved he votes with the Democratic party, but at local elections where there is no political issue before the people he gives his support to the men whom he thinks best qualified for office, regardless of party affili¬ ations.