Randolph County, Indiana - Biographical sketches (2 of 2 so headed), 1914 (part 8 of 20)

Seth D. Coats

In placing the name of Seth D. Coats, for more than twenty-four years president of the Randolph County Bank, in the front rank of Winchester's business men, simple justice is done to a biographical fact, universally rec- ©gnized throughout the section of Indiana of which this history treats by those at all familiar with his history, for he is not only one of our most influential financiers but is a potent factor in public affairs. A man of rare soundness of judgment, wise discretion and business ability of a high order, he has managed with tactful success important enterprises and has so impressed his individuality upon the community as to gain recognition among the leading citizens and public-spirited men of affairs. What of the man and what of his work? This is the dual query which represents the interrogation at least nominally entertained whenever that discriminating factor, the pubfic, would pronoimce on the true worth of the individual. The career of Seth D. Coats indicates the clear-cut, sane and distinct character, and in reviewing the same from an unbiased and unprejudiced standpoint, interpretation follows fact in a straight line of derivation. In this publication it is consistent that such a reView be entered, and that without the adulation of ornate phrases. The city of Winchester naturally takes pride in the work performed by Mr. Coats, who has stamped the mark of definite accomplishment on the highest plane of industrial activity, and consistently demands that he be given due relative precedence in a work which has to do with those who have lived and labored to good purpose in the county of Randolph, and thence permeated the great industrial and civic life of the commonwealth of Indiana, in which he stands well to the forefront in representative citizenship. His history and that of the later day progress of Winchester and vicinity is so indissolubly interwoven that they are pretty much one and the same, for he has taken a leading part in the general upbuilding of the locality for the past two decades, and no man stands higher in jDublic esteem.

Mr. Coats was born in White River township, Randolph county, February 20, 1847. Hejs a son of William and Mary (Moflfet) Coats. This is one of the sterling pioneer families of Randolph county and has been well and favorably known here for several generations. They are of Scotch descent and possess the characteristic thrift, integrity and perseverance of that noble race of people. Three brothers, Robert, James and William, belonging to the "House of Coats" and the family of the thread-makers of Paisley, Scotland, emigrated to North Carolina in the old Colonial period, prior to the Revolutionary war. These three brothers established homes in North Carolina and there spent the rest of their lives. John Coats, the first of the name in Randolph county, was the son of William Coats, one of the three brothers who came from Scotland. William Coats was the son of Philip Coats, of Scotland, and a sister of William Coats was the mother of Rev. John Coats, of Coatsville. Of the large family born to William Coats and wife it is known definitely that seven of them left their native state in the far southland and came to the northwest; they were John, William, Joseph, Mrs. Hepsy Wright, Mrs. Rhoda Wrench, Mrs. Hattie Harrison, and Mrs. Beanblossom. John Coats was born in North Carolina, January 20, 1788, and his death occurred September 19, 1878, at the advanced age of ninety years; he married Sally Wright in 1807; she was born September 20, 1789, and died July 11, 1875, also at an advanced age. She was a daughter of Thomas Wright. John Coats and wife came to Ohio soon after their marriage, and in 1819 moved, to Randolph county, Indiana, locating on White river, and were thus among the earliest settlers here, the county still being a wilderness, with settlers few and far between. John Coats and Thomas Wright, his father-in-law, lived for a while near Covington, Ohio, upon what was later destined to be famous stone quarries.

William Coats, father of Seth D., of this sketch, was a son of John and Sarah (Wright) Coats, and his birth occurred near Covington, Ohio, May 28, 1817. He devoted his hfe successfully to general farming and stock raising and was a substantial citizen, well liked throughout his community, and he did much for the early-day progress of White River township.

Seth D. Coats grew up on the horiie farm in his native township, and there he assisted with the general work until he was nineteen years of age, and he received his early education in the common schools of his neighborhood, which has been greatly supplemented in later life by contact with the business world and by extensive home reading and study. He proved his courage and patriotism when but seventeen years of age by enlisting for service in the Federal army during the war between the states. He became a member of Company F, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Indiana Volunteer Infantry on May 11, 1864, and was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland, in which he proved to be a faithful and brave soldier, and he was honorably discharged and mustered out in Indianapolis the following September, having enlisted in the one-hundred-day service. After leaving the farm, in 1866, he engaged in section work on the Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad, also worked in this capacity on other roads for four years. He was then elected trustee of his native township, in which oilice he served four years in a most faithful and creditable manner, and during this time was also in the boot and shoe business. He built up a good trade with the surrounding country and had by this time gotten a good start. Then he turned his attention to banking, which has remained his chief vocation to the present time. He secured employment in the Randolph County Bank of Winchester, as assistant cashier. On March 5, 1891, he was elected president of this institution, which position he has held to the present time, discharging the responsible duties of the same in a manner that has reflected much credit upon himself and to the eminent satisfaction of the stockholders and patrons of the bank; in fact, his personal popularity, his able management and wise foresight have been responsible for the steady and substantial growth of this strong and solid institution. Before his election to the presidency he had served some time as cashier, and in all his positions his connection with the bank covers a period of thirty-four years.

Mr. Coats has manifested an abiding interest in the public affairs of his town and county.' In the autumn of 1902 he was elected to the state senate from the joint district of Randolph and Jay counties, and during the sessions of the legislature of 1903 and 1905 he made his influence felt for the gen- eral good of his locality and the entire state, winning the hearty commendation of his constituents. He served on many of the most- important committees, and was chairman of banks, trusts and savings associations during both sessions. He has been a member of the county council board since 1908, and is president of the board. He is a Republican in politics and has been loyal in his support of the party. He belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic, and, fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Tribe of Ben-Hur and the Knights of the Golden Eagle. He holds membership with the Randolph Club. He was reared in the Friends faith, and his wife and family belong to the Presbyterian church.

Mr. Coats was married in Winchester, November 4, 1865, to Lucinda Skiver, who was born in Randolph county February 18, 1850, and here she grew to womanhood and received her education. She is a daughter of Adam and Margaret (Shaw) Skiver, natives of Virginia and Ohio, respectively. The father was born in 1805 and the mother in 181 2, near the city of Bellefontaine. Mrs. Coats is a lady of many estimable characteristic* which have won and retained for her hosts of warm personal friends.

To Mr. and Mrs. Coats have been born three children, named as follows: Oren married Dora Heaston, who died in 1908, leaving two children; he died in Winchester in August, 1913; William Oscar, the second son of our subject, is engaged in farming in White River township ; the daughter, Lydia Leona, married Charles E. Reed, a druggist of Winchester. These children were all given excellent educational advantages and are all well located in life and highly respected throughout their native county.

Mr. Coats is deserving of a great deal of credit for what he has accomplished, for he started out at the bottom of the ladder, which he has mounted unaided and has through entirely honorable methods become one of the leading business men of this section of the state and at the same time enjoys- the confidence and respect of all classes.

Ernst E. Chexoweth

One of the best known and most successful of the younger members of the Randolph county bar is Ernst E. Chenoweth, of Winchester, formerly one of the most prominent educators. He has always been an assiduous student and is therefore a man of scholarly attainments and gifted by nature for a professional career, so we do not hesitate to predict for him a future replete with large success and usefulness.

Mr. Chenoweth was born November 12, 1874, at Hollandsburg, Darke county, Ohio. He is a son of John M. and Lydia A. (Bowen) Chenoweth. The father was born in Maryland and the mother in Randolph county, Indiana, and here she grew to womanhood and received her education. Her parents were well-known in the early history of the county. John M. Chenoweth grew to manhood in his native state and was educated in the public schools. He came to Randolph county, Indiana, in 1862, remaining about two years, then returned to the East for a short time, but came back to Randolph county. In 1863 he enlisted in Company H, Sixty-ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in which he served faithfully until the close of the war, pai'ticipating in the many battles- of the regiment, but was never wounded or taken prisoner. After being honorably discharged from the service he returned to Indiana, and he and Lydia Bowen were married on January 14, 1867, and began housekeeping on eighty acres of land lying in the very southeastern corner of Randolph county. Soon afterwards they removed to Richmond, Indiana, and remained there two years, moving from Richmond to Hollandsburg in 1873, and in 1877 returned to the farm in Randolph county, where they continued to reside until 1909, in which year they went back to Hollandsburg, Ohio, where they still reside. The father was a tinner by trade, which he followed while a resident of Richmond and Hollandsburg, but after returning to the farm, in 1877, he engaged exclusively in general agricultural pursuits until 1909, when he retired from active life and moved to town.

To John M. Chenoweth and wife five sons and two daughters were born, namely: Cora V. is the wife of Alvin I. Hiatt, of Lynn, Indiana; Everett M. lives at home; Sarah E., who married Lewis Mikesell, is deceased; John B. resides at Lynn; Ernst E., of this sketch; Chester C. lives in Wayne county, Indiana; Squire G. is operating the old homestead. The father of these children has always been a loyal Republican, and actively interested in public matters. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic post at Spartanburg. He and his wife belong to the Christian church. Ernst E. Chenoweth was reared on the home farm, where he did his share of the general work during the crop seasons, and during the winter attended the public schools in his neighborhood. He was graduated from the Hollandsburg high school in 1894, after which he attended Lebanon University, at Lebanon, Ohio, for a year, then was a student at the Normal School at Danville, Indiana, completing the scientific course and was graduated from that institution with the class of 1896. He then attended the

Indiana State Normal at Terre Haute for one year. Thus exceptionally well equipped for the serious work of life he began teaching in 1896; however, this was before entering the State Normal, and after leaving that institution he continued teaching for a period of seven years in the district schools of Randolph county, during which his services were in great demand. But finally tiring of the school room and believing that his true bent was in another direction, he began studying law in the summer of 1900 in the ofifice of S. A. Canada, of Winchester, and taught in the winter, completing his law course, and was admitted to the bar in the summer of 1903. He was admitted to practice by the supreme court in 1906. He gave up teaching permanently in the spring of 1905, and engaged in the practice of law with S. A. Canada, under the firm name of Canada & Chenoweth, and they still continue, being successful from the first, and this is now recognized as one of the etrongest law firms in Randolph county and one of the busiest.

Mr. Chenoweth is a member of the county and state bar associations. In the fall of 1910 he was elected prosecuting attorney of Randolph county, serving one term in a manner that reflected much credit upon himself and to the eminent satisfaction of his constituents, doing as much in those two years for the enforcement of law and order as had any other man. He was elected justice of the peace in 1905, and served a term of five years, giving satisfaction to all concerned, his decisions being noted for their uniform fairness and clear insight into the basic laws of jurisprudence and the statutes of the state of Indiana, and his decisions were never revoked at the hands of a higher tribunal. Politically, he is a staunch Republican, and acti\e and influential in local public affairs. He has been a member of the Republican County Central Committee.

Mr. Chenoweth was married August 2, 1902, to Cora B. Stapelton, a daughter of Samuel J. Stapelton, of Darke county, Ohio. To this union two children have been born, Cecil E., whose birth occurred May 22, 1903 ; and Dale M., born June 22, 191 1.

Mr. Chenoweth is a member of the Masonic Order, including the Chapter and Council. He also belongs to the Knights of Pythias ; the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, including the Encampment; the Improved Order of Red Men, including the Haymakers ; he also belongs to the Modern Woodmen, and the Sons of Veterans. He and his wife are members of the Christian church and are active in church and Sunday school work. His office is in the Red Men's Building, and his home on East Franklin street.

Among the prominent and successful medical men of Randolph county who are deserving of conspicuous mention in a work of the province assigned to the one in hand is Dr. Forest A. Chenoweth, of Winchester, for his career has been in every way an honorable one and though strenuous there is nothing in it savoring in the slightest degree of disrepute, his relations with his fellowmen having ever been above reproach. Although bis father was a physician of note and he was reared in a comfortable environment our subject is entitled to the proud American title of self-made man, being for the most part the architect of his own fortunes, for he realized at the outset that he could not win on the reputation of 'his father or the assistance of anyone, but must work diligently and persistently in order to advance himself; so he may feel a sense of pride in his achievements and the honorable position which he has attained among the enterprising and successful citizens of the locality in which the busy years oi his active life have been spent. He comes of a distinguished old family.

Doctor Chenoweth was born February 26, 1858, in Darke county, Ohio. He is a son of John T. and Hannah V (Miller) Chenoweth, both natives of Darke county, Ohio, where they grew to maturity, were educated and married, where they resided until i860, when they moved to Huntsville, Randolph county, Indiana, moving on in 1863, to Williamsburg, Wayne county, this state, and in 1875 located in W^inchester, where they made their home until in April, 1903, when the father died. The mother still survives. The Chenoweths are an old family, the first of the name having emigrated to America in 1716 and settled in Maryland, near what is now the great city of Baltimore. There were three of them, John and his two sons, Arthur and Richard. The subject of this sketch is descended direct from the son, Arthur. From Baltimore this branch of the family settled in Virginia, Thomas, son of Arthur, having located in Berkley county, that state, and in the year 1750 he braved the wilds across the Blue Ridge mountains, locating at Maysville, Kentucky, moving on with his family in 1788 to what is now Franklin county, Ohio. John, son of Thomas, married Betsy Foster, September 6, 1807, and they settled in Darke county, Ohio, in 1818. They reared a family of twelve children, and their descendants located in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Kansas. The family is of French origin and some were among the Huguenot refugees who fled to England and thence to Switzerland, from which country they crossed the great Atlantic to the new world about 1716. Doctor Chenoweth, of this review, is a descendant of John and Betsy Cheno- weth, who located in Darke county, Ohio, in 1818. Many of the male members of the family have been well known as successful lawyers, physicians, educators and ministers, as well as bankers and commercial men.

John T. Chenoweth, father of our subject, was a physician of more than ordinary ability. He practiced his profession from i860 until his death, and ht had a record of having lost but two diptheria patients during all those years, one case after he had practiced twenty years and another after an 'experience of forty years, a record probably never experienced by any other physician, especially in those early days when anti-toxine and the modern methods of treating that dreaded disease were unknown. He was a man of strong character and pronounced convictions, a leader of his professional brethren and an influential man in the community.

Dr. Forest A. Chenoweth lived in Williamsburg, Wayne county, until fte was twelve years of age. He attended the public schools, and after coming to Winchester he took the high school course. He began life for himself as a teacher, following that profession in Washington township during the winter of 1876-7 and taught in the winter of 1881-2 in the Round Top district in White River township, reading medicine under his father the meanwhile. In the winter of 1880-1 he attended the Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati, and also the winter of 1882-3. He located at Deerfiield, Randolph county in 1883 for the practice of his profession, but remained there only a short time, for we find him in Winchester in August of that year, where he practiced until August, 1884, when he went to a cattle ranch in Kansas, roughing it for a year, then returned to Winchester, but soon took up his studies again in the Ohio Medical ' College at Cincinnati, from which institution he was graduated in 1886. Thus well equipped for his chosen vocation he located in Winchester, where he has since been successfully engaged in the general practice of his profession, taking his place in the front rank of the medical .men of this section of the Hoosier state, building up a large and lucrative practice. He has remained a close student of all that pertains to his work and has kept well abreast of the times. He took a post-graduate course in the Post-Graduate Hospital in New York in 1898. During the early part of his career he specialized in diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat, but in recent years he has done a general practice.

Doctor Chenoweth was married June 8, 1887, to Anna Railsback, a daughter of Edward and Mary (Adams) Railsback, a prominent family of Oxford. The mother is a descendant of the famous Adams family of Massachusetts. The union of the Doctor and wife has been without issue.

city, the Indiana State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. He has been president of the first named. Politically, he is a Republican, and is actively interested in local public affairs. He has been health officer of both Winchester and Randolph county. Fraternally, he is a member of the Masonic Order, and has taken the degrees up to the thirty-second. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias. His wife belongs to the Presbyterian church. They are prominent in the best social circles of Winchester.

Henry D. Good

By words and by actions the personality reveals its quality, its force, its direction of purpose. The invisible spirit embodies itself in signs of service and in language. Words also are deeds, and actions are symbols of the inner being which we cannot see, nor touch, nor weigh. Hence the value of a biography, which writes out a life by telling a story of what one has said and done. But since speech is forgotten and actions fade away in the clouds of a distant past, we hasten to record the happenings in the lives of men who do things well and set forth the observations on the momentous transformations from the old to the new by present-day witnesses. With such values of biography in mind, we here write briefly the salient features in the career of Henry D. Good, formerly a well-known educator and later a progressive business man who is now the able and popular treasurer of Randolph county.

yir. Good was born in Wayne county, Indiana, December 22, 1853. He is a son of Rudolph and Sarah (Moore) Good. The father was bom January 21, 1825, in York county, Pennsylvania, and the mother was born September 11, 1828, in Perry county, Pennsylvania. Rudolph Good was left an orphan in early life. He grew to manhood in his native state and came west in 1848, locating in \\'^ayne county, Indiana. The Aloore family located in that county in the year 1848. In that county the parents of our subject were married in 1850, and to them nine children were born, namely: John 'SI. is a millwright and resides at Parker, Randolph county: Elizabeth is the Avife of Joseph Ellis, of Albany, Delaware county, Indiana; Henry D.. of this sketch; Mariah is the wife of Thomas L. Painter, a retired farmer of Farmland; Jacob ^^^ is deceased; Alice is deceased; Milton is deceased; Charles A. is a contractor and lives in Arkansas ; Edith ^lay married Josiah Mills and they live at Maxville, Indiana.

he moved to Macon county, Illinois, where he remained about eighteen months, then returned to Randolph county and engaged in farming near Parker, later moving to the village of Maxville, this county, where he bought a mill, which he operated from 1873 to i8go, doing a large business with the surrounding country. He then retired from that line of endeavor and now he is making his home with his son, Henry D. His wife died December 25, 1900. In early life Rudolph Good was a Whig, then a Republican after that party was organized, in the middle of the fifties. He and his family are members of the Methodist church. He is now advanced in years and is an interesting talker on the pioneer times.

Henry D. Good lived with the home folks in the various localities to which they moved, and he received his education in the public schools. His parents gave their children the best advantages in schooling possible. Henry D. attended high school at Farmland for a while and was a diligent student at home. He began life for himself by teaching school in 1874, in the district, schools of Randolph county, which he continued until 1888, when he was chosen principal of the Farmland high school, a position he filled with much credit for a period of four years. Later he taught four years in the Windsor graded schools, teaching in all twenty-two years, during which time his services were in great demand and he was regarded as one of the most thorough and progressive educators of the county. In 1895 he became deputy county treasurer under Joseph C. DeVoss, serving two years and four months. He then began in the grocery business in Farmland, which he continued for two years, retiring from the same in 1902, after building up a large and remunerative business. He then organized the First National Bank of Farmland and became its cashier, in which capacity he served until January i, 1913, with eminent satisfaction to the directors and stockholders, when he resigned to become county treasurer, to which office he had been elected in the fall of 1912. However, he still retains his banking interests.

Mr. Good was married August 18, 1881, to Ida B. Branson, a daughter of Joseph B. and Catherine (Miller) Branson, of Randolph county. The father was born in North Carolina and the mother was a native of Penn- .sylvania. The union of our subject and wife has been without issue.

Politically, Mr. Good has been a Republican ever since he reached his majority, having been active and influential in the ranks. He was trustee of the Farmland town schools for a period of tweh'e years following his career as a teacher. He has served as a member of the Republican County Central Committee at various times and has been a frequent delegate to count^', dis- trict and state conventions. He served as a member of the Farmland town council and was clerk of that body for six years. He has filled all positions of trust with rare fidelity and satisfaction, giving his best attention to the public interests. Fraternally, he belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Encampment and Rebekahs, is also a member of the Knights of Pythias. He and his wife belong to the Methodist church, and have always been active in church and Sunday school work. Mr. Good still retains his home in Farmland.

J. Vining Taylor

A man of naturally sound judgment and shrewd perception, gallant and thoughtful in his relations with those with whom he comes in contact, characteristics of the typical and well-bred Southerner, is J. Vining Taylor, well known official of The National Hay Association of Winchester, Randolph county. He has so ordered his career as to be eminently eligible to representation in a work of the province of the one in hand. He has risen through his exemplary personal habits, his fidelity to duty, his industry, his desire to deal fairly and promptly with his fellow men, and his name stands high in business circles with which he has come into relationship. His domestic and social relationships have ever been of the most pleasant character, and the fact that his surroundings are such as to make life enjoyable is due solely to his individual merits, his affable and courteous treatment of others and his strict adherence to justice in all his dealings.

Mr. Taylor was born in Richmond, Virginia, July i8, 1877. He is a son of Theodore F. and Florence I. (Goddin) Taylor. The father was a native of Lockport, New York. The mother was a daughter of John M. Goddin, a Southern planter, of Henrico county, Virginia. These parents are now making their home in Washington, D. C. Theodore F. Taylor was one of the substantial and influential citizens in Henrico county, Virginia, and for many years was treasurer of that county. For some time he was engaged in the wholesale commission business in the city of Richmond. He is now a public accountant and auditor for W D. Moses & Company, of Washington City.

J. Vining Taylor was reared in Richmond and educated in the public schools. But he left school when twelve years of age and went to work for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Company as messenger boy in his native city. He remained there with that company for a period of ten years, during which period he worlied up "to the position of chief clerk of the local freight department, ihe road changed presidents, G. W. Stevens being elected president in 1898, at which time the main offices of the company were moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, and Mr. Taylor was transferred to the latter city as chief clerk in the freight claim department, in which he remained eighteen months, giving his usual high grade service. His eyes failing, he obtained leave of absence for six months and came to Winchester, Indiana. Here his health improved and he was induced to remain, and he became connected with the Goodrich Brothers Hay & Grain Company, with whom he remained for a period of nine years in the capacity of book-keeper and cashier. He also found time to perform the duties of assistant secretary of The National Hay Association, of which he was elected secretary and treasurer on July 29, 1909. Soon afterward he severed his connection with the Goodrich Brothers and devoted his time to his new duties with the National Hay Association, which responsible position he still holds in a manner that reflects much credit upon himself and to the satisfaction of his employers. It is the largest association of its kind in the world, becoming international by including Canada in its operations. The association is composed of nearly one thousand members, representing the hay, straw and grain interests in nearly every state in the Union and Canada.

On July I, 1912, Mr. Taylor engaged in business with his brother-inlaw, John C. Bates, in the gents' furnishing business in Winchester. He is also a stockholder in the Goodrich Brothers Hay & Grain Company, also has other business interests there.

Mr. Taylor was married in Winchester on August 10, 1899, to Elizabeth A. Johnson, daughter of Thomas H. and Viola E. (Jobes) Johnson, a prominent and influential family of Winchester, where Mrs. Taylor grew to womanhood and was educated. To our subject and wife one daughter has been born, Maurine Viola Taylor.

Fraternally, Mr. Taylor is a member of the Masonic Order and the Knights of Pvthias and Sons of Veterans; he also belongs to the Illinois Commercial Men's Association, Travelers' Protective Association, the Winchester Business Men's Association and the Randolph Club, having been secretary of the last named for about four years. He and his wife belong to the Presbyterian church, in which he is a deacon, and they are both active in church and Sunday school work, and prominent in the social life of the city. Politically, he is a Republican and is well informed on current issues.

When one farms with the care and discretion, the persistence and the application which has characterized Wert McAllister, one of the leading, farmers and stockmen of White River township, Randolph county, one is bound to succeed in any community much less in that of our own, which has been so signally favored by mother Nature; for he is a man who has used his mind as well as his muscle, ever keeping up with the advance of the science of husbandry. At the same time he has tried to be a good citizen in the broadest sense of the term, always advocating measures that were calculated to make for the general uplift of the county whose interests he has ever had so much at heart.

Mr. McAllister was born June 7, 1867, in Perry township, Delaware county, Indiana. He is a son of Joseph and Sarah A. (Hiatt) McAllister. The father was also a native of Delaware county, Indiana, and spent his boyhood in the same township in which our subject was reared. The mother was a native of Montgomery county, Ohio, her birth having occurred near the city of Dayton. Her parents came to Delaware county when she was but six years of age, and the parents of our subject were married in Delaware county, and there they spent the active years of their lives on a farm, on which the father died on November 3, 1890. The mother is still living, at an advanced age, making her home in the town of Windsor.

Twelve children, all of whom grew to maturity, and married, were born to Joseph McAllister and wife, namely: Emily A., now the wife of John Hawk, of Stoney Creek township, Randolph county; Marcus A., of West River township; Francis and Franklin, twins; the former lives in Delaware county, this state, and the latter in Union township, this county; Ella is the wife of Lynn Thornburg, of Stoney Creek township; Henry is deceased; Wert, of this review; Lillie Belle, now deceased, was the wife of Sumner Swingley; Cora, deceased, was the wife of Thomas Reese; Nora is the wife of Edward Gable, of White River township; Edward lives in Liberty township, Delaware county; Alma is the wife of George Dill, also of Liberty township, Delaware county.

In 1877 Joseph McAllister and wife moved from Perry township, Delaware county, to Stoney Creek township, Randolph county, where the family home has since remained. The father was a Democrat politically, but was never an office seeker.

growing to manhood. He received his education in the district schools of his community remaining at home until his marriage, which took place on June 4, 1892, when he espoused Eva McGuire, a daughter of John H. and Sarah A. (Pursley) McGuire. The death of the mother occurred on October 4, 1900, but the father is living, making his home in the town of Farmland, Randolph county. He was formerly an extensive farmer and stock man. Politically he is a Republican, and at one time was elected county commissioner. He is also a veteran of the Civil war.

To our subject and wife have been born one son and one daughter, Chase, born November 3, 1894; and Letha May, born July 5, 1899. The son was graduated from the Lincoln high school in 19 10, and the daughter is at present a student in the high school, and when she entered the high school from the eighth grade she had the highest grades of any pupil in the county. Mrs. McAllister received a good education herself and taught school for one year.

After his marriage Mr. McAllister first settled in Perry township, Delaware county, Indiana, where he farmed two years, then moved to Maxville, Randolph county, and was superintendent of the cemetery for three years. He then moved to a farm of his father-in-law in Monroe township where he farmed for two years. He then moved to the farm of John Clayton, in White River township, and operated that for four years, then moved to a two hundred acre farm, also belonging to John Clayton, in White River township where he farmed four years. He then purchased eighty-eight acres in Monroe township, which he continued to own and manage for four years, then he rented his farm and moved to another of John Clayton's farms in White River township, of two hundred acres, and expanded his farming operations. He sold his own farm in 19 12 and purchased his present farm of one hundred and ten acres in White River township, four miles west of Winchester on the Muncie road, known as the old Sample farm. He is bringing his place up to an excellent state of improvement and cultivation and he raises an excellent grade of live stock and is one of the most successful general farmers in the township.

Politically Mr. McAllister is a Democrat, but he has never been an office seeker. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Farmland. His wife belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church, of which the family are regular attendants and liberal supporters.

Theodore Shockney

The biography of such a man as Theodore Shockney, attorney and politician of state-wide reputation, may well serve for an example and inspiration to the youth who seriously meditates life, yet hesitates to lay the foundation for the stern realities of life which await him. He began his career under somewhat discouraging conditions, but with a persistence as rare as il was admirable, adhered to his purpose and in due time achieved notable success. The crude, inhospitable environment of his youth, however, was not without its compensation. The usual and persistent effort required to obtain liberal qualifications for professional results, in spite of adverse surroundings, develops and strengthens the mind as labor hardens and renders flexible the muscles. Not satisfied with existing conditions he determined to rise above them, and to this end he lost sight of every other consideration or made it subordinate to the object in view. Every step in his progress has been due to matured plans and well-defined purposes. By his courage and energy, he has climbed steadily and persistently and stood firmly upon each round of the ladder of success. When beginning the study of law, he determined, regardless of obstacles, to master the principles and rise above mediocrity, instead of being satisfied with a mere superficial knowledge, such as so many professional men tmder similar circumstances are content to acquire. So whatever success he has achieved in his notable and useful career has been the result of careful preparation as much as to innate ability, a high sense of justice, candor as a counselor, religious regard for the truth and courteous demeanor and gentlemanly conduct in all relations with his fellow men. As a practitioner or public official no charge of suspicion of any wrong doing ever tarnished his name or marred his record, his personal honor having never been compromised and his private life wholesome and exemplary, indeed his sterling worth has made him a power for good among all with whom he has come into contact, and he deserves to rank among the notable men of his generation in this section of Indiana.

Theodore Shockney, one of the best-known and most influential citizens of Union City, was born September 16, 1852, in Wayne township, Randolph county. He is a son of William P. and Jane C. (Frazier) Shockney. The father was born in Maryland, October 4, 1823, and there he spent his boyhood days and attended the common schools. When thirteen years old he came west with his father, in 1836, the family locating on a farm within four miles of Union City, Indiana. He studied medicine and practiced here and ill Tijilon county, ranking among the successful physicians of the old school in the pioneer days of this locality. He removed to Tipton in 1856, and there contintied practice until his death, September 23, 1863. His wife was born in North Carolina, April 23, 1826, and there spent her childhood, moving with her parents, James and Nancy (Dillon) Frazier, to Randolph county, Indiana, about the same time that the Shockneys came here. Her death occurred October i, 1862. She had received a good education for those early days, and Dr. William P Shockney was exceptionally well educated, having taken courses in literature and mathematics, and graduated in medicine from a medical college in Baltimore, Maryland. In his younger days he taught school for some time. To these parents five children were born, namely : John A. a well-known attorney, who many years ago formed a partnership with our subject in Union City; Theodore of this sketch was the second in order of birth; James N. became state agent for the Mutual Life Insurance Company, and located at Marshalltown, Iowa; Charles H. studied law and began practicing his profession at Dunkirk, Indiana; Mary J., who married Levi Cox, a farmer of Wayne county, Indiana, is now deceased. The paternal grandfather of the above named children was John Shockney, a native of Maryland, who fought in the war of 1812. Patrick Shockney, the great-grandfather, was a native of Ireland, from which country he emigrated to the United States in colonial days, and he was subsec[uently a soldier in the Revolutionary War.

Theodore Shockney spent his boyhood on the farm. At ten years of age he was left an orphan, and he remained on the farm until he was sixteen years of age, working for his board and clothes. He attended district school for a brief time each winter, but, being ambitious to acquire an education he studied assiduously at home, as a result he was enabled to begin teaching when but sixteen years old, and secured a district school, and he continued teaching for a period of nine years, giving eminent satisfaction despite his youth. During vacations he attended school at Winchester and Union City and spent three years in the old college at Ridgeville. He early decided upon a legal career, and with that end in view the last six years of his teaching were spent in reading law, during spare moments, under Governor Isaac P. Gray. In 1877 he entered the law office of Stanton J. Peelle at Indianapolis, remaining a year and completing his course, his preceptor being at that time a member of Congress. Mr. Shockney was admitted to the bar in 1878, upon recommendation of Judge L. J. Monks, and soon began active practice in (74)

Union City, remaining here ever since. He was successful from the first and has enjoyed a large and lucrative practice. He soon took his position m the front ranks of his professional brethren and long since has become one of the noted legal lights of Indiana. He has long been in partnership with his brother John A., under the firm name of Shockney Brothers. He has remained a close student of everything that pertains to his profession and has kept fully abreast of the times. He is an alert, painstaking, earnest and learned advocate and is a forceful and earnest pleader before a jury, his candor, logic, courtesy and eloquence equally impressing the bench.

Mr. Shockney has always taken an abiding interest in public affairs and has long been an influential leader in Randolph county. He was elected mayor of Union City in 1880, and before his term expired he was the nominee of the Republican p&rty for representative to the state legislature, and was duly elected. In 1888 he was nominated and elected joint senator of the counties of Delaware and Randolph, and made an enviable record in the state senate, in the face of an overwhelmingly Democratic majority. The Republicans of Indiana nominated him in 1892 for lieutenant-governor, and although he made a brilliant race, went down in his first defeat with the rest of the ticket. He has been a member of nearly every state convention since he was twenty-one years of age, and was a member of the state executive committee until nominated, and without his solicitation. He has also been usually a participant in each campaign in Randolph county, making stirring speeches in almost every neighborhood. During the Ohio campaign in 1893, Mr. Shockney was extended a pressing invitation from the state committee to assist in that state, but important business affairs kept him at home. His canvass of Indiana in 1892, while a candidate for lieutenant-governor, widened an already extensive acquaintance with the foremost men of the state, and acquaintance with him means friendship, and this has continued to the present time until today he is an intimate friend of most of the leading politicians and attorneys of Indiana. As a public servant, his record was highly commendable in every respect, and his interest in behalf of this locality, while in the legislature, both as representative and senator, met the hearty approval of his constituents.

Mr. Shockney was married September 23, 1876, to a lady of culture and refinement, Emma Alice Keever, who was born in Illinois, July 19, 1858. She was a daughter of John and Abigail (Kramer) Keever, the progenitors of both having been Hollanders, from which country they emigrated to America and located in Warren county, Ohio, in an early day. Mrs. Shockney was six years old when her parents brought her to Randolph county.

The union of Mr. and Mrs. Shockney was blessed by the birth of four children, two of whom are deceased, namely: Blanche, born May i6, 1878, was graduated from the local high school, later taking a two years' course in the University of Ohio at Delaware, then was graduated from Miami Commercial College at Dayton, Ohio; she was also graduated from the State Normal at Terre Haute, Indiana; owing to failing health she made an extensive trip to Europe in hopes of recuperating the same, but she was called to her eternal rest on April 19, 1912; she was a young lady of brilliant mind and of much promise. Don P., our subject's second child, was born March 28, 1880, was graduated from the Union City high school, later was graduated from Miami Commercial College at Dayton, Ohio, then spent two years in the University of Indiana at Bloomington; he is now manager of West Dale plantation in Louisiana, and is regarded as a young man of much business ability. Ava Marie, the third of Mr. Shockney's children, was born July 16, 1885, was in the graduating class of the Union City high school, where she was making an excellent record, when summoned from her studies by death on September 19, 1905 ; Mary Lucille, born September 29, 1895, was graduated from the local high school with a fine record, and is at this writing at home with her father. The Shockney residence is one of the modernly appointed and attractive homes in this part of the county, and has long been known as a place of hospitality to the many friends of the family. But death invaded the same, casting over it a dark pall which even time cannot dispel, the wife and mother being called to her reward in the silent land on March 26, 1913. She was a great home woman, an ideal mother and wife, and the wholesome atmosphere in which she reared her children, is clearly reflected in all their lives. She was a wuman of beautiful attributes of head and heart, kind, neighborly, genial and of uniform pleasing presence, and, also possessing rare intelligence. She did much toward the large success of her husband, encouraging, counseling and sympathizing with him, which induced him to put forth his best efforts. She was greatly beloved by a wide circle of friends who will long lament her untimely departure. She was a devout member of the Christian church, in, which Mr. Shockney also holds membership. Politically, he is now inclined to the progresssive movement. Personally he is a gentleman whom it is a pleasure to know, companionable, high-minded, plain and unassuming, who eminently deserves the confidence and esteem that is universallv accorded him.

Cliff G. Bales

Randolph county was especially fortunate in the character of licr pioneers, who, save in rare instances, possessed the pluck, fortitude and courage of the true Anglo-Saxon - that race which appears to delight in difficulties, because thereby opportunities are afforded to conquer them. The founders of this country were brave, strong-armed, far-seeing, God-fearing, lawabiding citizens, patriotic and true to their native or adopted land, and conscientious in the discharge of their every duty toward their fellow men. From such a people sprang Cliff G. Bales, a successful young real estate, loan and insurance man of the town of Farmland, Randolph county ; for we note the fact that his great grandfather braved the wilds in this locality in pioneer days and established the family home in the face of obstacles that would no doubt have appalled us of the present generation, and he and the rest of the Baleses have ever shown themselves to be public-spirited, honorable minded, helpful people in all relations of life.

Mr. Bales was bom on his grandfather's old farm in Washington township, Randolph county, October 25, 1880. He is a son of Henry S. and Louie C. (Stout) Bales, whose family consisted of three children, namely: Clifif G., of this sketch; Mabel, born February 7, 1891, resides with her parents in -Traverse City; Charlotte, born December 16, 1895, is also a member of the home circle. Henry S. Bales, the father, was also born on the old Bales homestead in Washington township, this county, this having been also the birthplace of our subject's grandfather. The founder of the Bales family in this county emigrated from England with the famous historical character, William Penn. ^Ir. Bales first settled in Xorth Carolina, later came to Ohio, and from there to Indiana, locating in Randolph county when white settlers were indeed few and the wilderness was the home of Indians and wild beasts. This family has done much for the general upbuilding of the county in many ways. They ha^-e, most of them, followed general farming for a livelihood, and have been known for their thrift, honesty and neighborliness. The mother of the subject of this sketch came from Ohio where she was born. The father spent his life engaged in farming in his native county.

Cliff G. Bales grew up on the home farm, and he had the advantages of a good education, having attended the local public schools, later graduating from the \\'inchester high school and the Indianapolis Business College.

On June 3, 1895 he married Colona Owens, daughter of William X. Owens, a successful farmer in Randolph county. !Mrs. Bales is one of four children, and she grew to womanhood in her native community and received a good education in the public schools. She is the eldest of the family, the other children being named Pearl, wife of Ernest Fetters, a farmer of Randolph county, and they have two children ; Robert, a mechanical engineer, was graduated from Purdue University, and now a member of the faculty of that college; he married Edith Hormell; Anna, the youngest child, was born February 17, 1893.

Mr. Bales after leaving school was for some time assistant cashier of the Farmland State Bank, in fact held that responsible position for a period of nine years, discharging his duties in a manner that reflected much credit upon himself and to the eminent satisfaction of the stockholders and patrons. Since severing his connection with the above named institution he has been engaged in the real estate, loan and insurance business in which he was successful from the start and now has a large, lucrative and rapidly growing business.

Politically, he is a Progressive. Fraternally, he belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and he attends the Christian church. Owing to his natural ability, his honesty, and courtesy, he has an especially bright future as a business man.

Jesse L. Hoppes

The office of biography is not to give voice to a man's modest estimate of himself and his accomplishments, but rather to leave upon the record the \erdict establishing his character by the consensus of opinion on the part of his neighbors and fellow citizens. The life of Jesse L. Hoppes, who, although yet young in years, is one of the leading business men of Farmland, Randolph county, where he owns and conducts a well appointed and modern drug store, has been such as to elicit just praise from those who know him best, owing to the fact he has always been loyal to the trusts reposed in him and has been upright in his dealings with his fellow-men, at the same time lending his support to the advancement of any cause looking to the welfare of the community at large.

Mr. Hoppes was born in Jay county, Indiana, January 22, 1881. He is a son of Sylvester and Emaline (Daugherty) Hoppes, whose family consisted of five children, namely : James P., a farmer near Redkey, Indiana, married Molly Jenkins, of the same neighborhood, and they have one child, Mabel; Johp O., of Traverse City, Michigan, is employed at the asylum there ; he married Ida Cates, of Wayne City ; Anna Belle, who lives near Redkey, married Neil Carter, a farmer, and they have one child, Lucy Belle; William O.,

Sylvester Hoppes is a native of Ohio, and when a youth he moved with the family from Fayette county, that state to near Redkey, Jay county, Indiana, where our subject's Grandfather Hoppes settled in pioneer days, and there his son Sylvester grew to manhood and took up farming which he always followed. The Hoppes family is of German descent. The parents of the mother of our subject moved from Ohio to the vicinity of Redkey when she was a child, and there established their permanent home. It was in that vicinity that the parents of our subject were married and began housekeeping; they are both still living.

Jesse L. Hoppes grew to manhood on the home farm and he received excellent educational advantages, having passed through the public schools at Redkey, then the Marion Normal and subsequently Purdue University at Lafayette, Indiana, where he made an excellent record and from which he was graduated with the class of 1908. He took a course in pharmacy and received his degree in the same.

Mr. Hoppes was married September 20, 1905 to Florence Bell Swhier, a daughter of G. W. Swhier, a retired farmer, whose family consists of eight children, all surviving at this writing. To our subject and wife one child has been born, Marjorie May, whose birth occurred on October 22, 1909. ^Mrs. Hoppes is also well educated, having been graduated from the Purdue University.

I\Ir. Hoppes went to Marion, Indiana, as a drug clerk, and he later came to Farmland where he clerked a year in a drug store, then bought a fourth interest in the Bly Botkin Drug Company, whereupon he assumed management of the same. A year later he purchased the entire business, which he has conducted to the present time with great success, enjoying one of the largest trades of any drug store in the county, and carrying an extensive and carefully selected stock of drugs and drug sundries. His store is neat and well kept, one of the best in every way in this locality, in fact, would be a credit to a city much larger than Farmland. Mr. Hoppes understands every phase of the business and honesty, carefulness and promptness as well as unfailing courtesy are his watchwords.

Politically, he is a Democrat, and fraternally, is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Masonic order. He attends the Christian church. . His maternal grandfather Daugherty was a minister in the Methodist church.

Carl W. Watson

The prestige which attaches to Carl W. Watson of Farmland is that which comes of a line of succession in business. Mr. Watson is the leading baker and grocer of Farmland, and the enterprise with which he is associated extends back to the days of the Civil war. He is one of those men who come into the possession of an established business with genius sufficient to sustain and develop its reputation. In this way many of the largest enterprises of the nation have been built up. The Watson bakery was started in an unpretentious way in 1868, and by close attention to detail and grasp of conditions the business has been brought up through three generations to its present ample proportions. Mr. Watson is one of the leading and influential citizens of Randolph county and his bakery and grocery trade are of the largest and most flourishing in the state. It is to such thoughtful and energetic men as he that Farmland and Randolph county owe their reputation for wealth and progress.

Farmland is Mr. Watson's native town. He was born there April 11, 1887, and is the son of George B. and Abigail (Miller) Watson. He had one brother and three sisters. One of the latter, Dolly, lives in Hartford City and is the wife of J. P. Cronin, cashier of the Citizens Bank. The father of Carl W. Watson was born near Pic]ua, O., January 25, 1838. His grandfather moved to Indiana, near Ft. Wayne when his father was an infant, and a few years later went to Randolph City. From there he moved to Farmland and was postmaster of that town thirteen years. At the expiration of that time he went into the bakery business, and the name of Watson has been over the door ever since.

July 12, 1901, the subject of this review, Carl W. Watson, was married to Bertha Smithson, a daughter of Michael Smithson, a prominent and prosperous farmer near Ridgeville. They have one child, Marjorie, who was born October 26, 1907, and is being educated in the local schools. At the age of fifteen Mr. Watson entered upon the business career that he has since pursued so successfully. For two years he did work in a restaurant preliminary to taking partnership with his father, and in 1893 they bought the place where the bakery and grocery is now established. The entrance of the son into the firm infused new life into it, and from that time the trade has grown with astonishing rapidity. The firm has all modern appliances and its trade extends throughout the surrounding country. Few bakeries in the state, and none in the county, carry a larger and fresher stock. Mr. Watson is a member of the Friends Church and is a hearty participant in all its undertakings.

Ii 72 Randolph County, Indiana

Miller, the father of Mr. Watson's mother, was the first dry goods merchant of the town. He conducted the store he started for thirty years and was later in the drug business ten years. So both branches of the family have been closely identified with the mercantile interests of the town from their incipiency. Mr. Miller lived to be sixty-eight years of age and was one of ten children. The father of Mr. Watson, it may be noticed, was the first city marshal of Farmland and was for a number of years a member of the town council. He served through the Civil war in Company A, One Hundred and Forty-seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He has been a Mason since 1866.

Farmland is one of the enterprising and socially distinguished towns of the state, and among its leaders in social, religious and business circles is Carl W. Watson. Farmland is the better by his residence there, and will ever bear the marks of his enterprise, energy and devotion. Its interests are his interests, and in the unfolding of his powers the town has been the greatest beneficiary. In the fullest sense Mr. Watson is a public-spirited citizen, and his influence is felt wherever he is known.

Thomas H. Clark

It has always been the fruitful soil from which have sprung the moral bone and sinew of the country, and the majority of our nation's leading men, great warriors, renowned statesmen and distinguished men of letters were born on the farm and were indebted largely to its early influence for the distinction which they attained ; indeed, it seems that the best citizens of all our states, whether noted in any special line of endeavor or not, were tillers of the soil, and the same rule holds good today as in the past. From the farm eame the Clarks, one of the honored and representative families of Randolph county.

Thomas H. Clark, substantial farmer, public servant and man of affairs, was born August 26, 1846, on a farm in Warren county, Ohio, and he is a son of Thomas and Susannah (Cox) Clark, and was one of nine children, he being the only son, and was fourth in order of birth. His sisters are, Ann Eliza, married B. V. M. Brouse, a farmer of Ward township, and died at the age of fifty-one years, leaving seven children: Mary Jane is the widow of William Valentine, who was a farmer near Springfield, Ohio, and she has seven children; Emmeline married Cyrus Sackett, now deceased; she lives near Winchester and has five children, two having died in early life; Sarah Elizabeth is the widow of Thomas Seagraves, who was a farmer, and she had five children; Arabella, deceased, married Henry Hobbick, a farmer in Kansas, and three sons were born to them; Martha, of Muncie, Indiana, is the widow of Colvin JVlann, who was a farmer, and five children were born to them; Margaret, widow of Robert Reynolds, lives at Winchester, by whom she had four children; she later married Daniel Keys and to them four children were born : Hannah, deceased, was the wife of Robert McCracken, also deceased ; he was a farmer and merchant of Green township, and to them three children were born.

Thomas Clark, father of our subject, was reared on a farm in Warren county, Ohio. About 1840 he came to Indiana and took up a homestead, then returned to Ohio, where he remained seven years, then came back to Indiana and established his future home, and here his death occurred in 1888 at the age of seventy-one years. His farm has remained in the family, our subject now occupying the same. He was a successful farmer and a good and useful man. The paternal grandfather of our subject was Jacob Clark, a native of Pennsylvania, and he came to Indiana about 1844 and took up a farm in Ward township, Randolph county. He was a blacksmith by trade, which he followed in connection with farming. His death occurred in Ohio about 1880 at the advanced age of eighty-four years. The father of our subject had a premonition of his death six months before the final summons came, and m.ade his arrangements accordingly. Our subject's maternal grandmother, Mary Cox, was a native of New Jersey and grandfather Cox was a soldier in the Mexican war. The Clarks originally came from Ireland, where the remote ancestors, of whom but little is known, made their homes for a number of generations. Some of the family emigrated to America in the old Colonial days and settled in Pennsylvania, where we first hear of Thomas Clark, father of Jacob Clark, mentioned above. Jacob Clark first moved to Maryland from his native state, thence to Ohio, where he remained some time before coming on to Indiana. His wife, Patience Snyder, whom he married in Pennsylvania, died within a few years after the family arrived in Randolph county, and a short time afterwards Mr. Clark returned to his old home in Warren county, Ohio, and there spent the rest of his life.

Thomas H. Clark, of this review, grew to manhood on the old home farm in Ward township, this county, and there worked when a boy during crop seasons, and he received a good practical education in the local schools. He was a mere boy when the war between the states began, but he proved his courage by enlisting in Company G, One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, December 25, 1863, and he proved to be a faithful and gallant soldier, serving until honorably discharged August jt, 1865. He was with the Army of the Ohio most of the time and took part in a number of engagements, including the many battles and skirmishes of the memorable Atlanta campaign under General Sherman, fought at Franklin and Nashville under General Thomas, also in numerous minor engagements, passing through all without receiving any_serious injury. In the battle of Atlanta he was struck between the shoulders by a spent ball, and, at another time, a bullet struck his cartridge box, saving his life thereby. After the war he returned home and purchased a farm in White River township, Randolph county, where he resided two years, and in 1868 purchased a part of a valuable farm in section 30, Ward township, later adding to the same until he owned two hundred and fifty-three acres of very productive land, his finely improved and well kept farm lying about five miles from Winchester. On it stands a commodious dwelling and substantial outbuildings and here he carries on general farming and stock raising on an extensive scale, ranking with the leading agriculturists of the county. Through his thrift and industry he has accumulated a handsome competency and is a stockholder and director in the State Bank at Ridgeville. He has alwa3'^s been a lover of good livestock and has devoted considerable attention to raising the same. He formerly also owned an interest in an establishment for the manufacture of drain tile. He is one of our worthiest and most conspicuous examples of a self-made man. Politically, he is a Republican and has long been active and influential in local party affairs. He was one of the commissioners of Randolph county for six years, filling the ofifice in a manner entirely creditable to himself and to all concerned. He is president of the Orphans' Home Board, and has done much for the promotion of this commendable work. Fraternally he is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He belongs to and liberally supports the Christian church. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.

Mr. Clark has been three times married, first, to Barbara Hobbick, in 1866. She was a native of Pennsylvania, but came with her family to Randolph county, locating in Ward township, when but a child. Her death occurred March 25, 1873, leaving two children, Ida A., born August 15, 1867, married Edward Mickey, who died July, 1913, at Saratoga, and to them two children were born, Ivan and Paul; Elmer E., born October 12, 1872, married Gertrude Thomas, and is a farmer of Randolph county; to them seven children have been born. Mr. Clark's second marriage occurred in 1875, when he espoused Mrs. Jane Reitenour, daughter of James Hale of Randolph county, and to this union two children were born, Clarissa S., who married Ora Collins, a farmer of Ward township, and to them seven children have been born; and James T., who married Estey Michael, is farming in Ward township. The second wife of our subject died in 1898. By her previous marriage she had one child, William H. Reitenour. On December 24, 1898, our subject married his last wife, Emma Keener, daughter of a farmer of White River township. Her parents were both deceased at the time of her marriage.

Mr. Clark is a gentleman in whom the utmost confidence is reposed by all who know him owing to his long life of honest dealings with the people of Randolph county, and he is liked by all classes.

George P. Kennedy

We should indeed be proud of the fact that there is no limit in this country to which natural ability, industry and honesty may not aspire. One born in the most unpromising surroundings and reared in the most adverse environments may nevertheless break from his fetters and rise to the highest station in the land, and the qualities do not have to be of transcendent character to enable him to accomplish this result. It is more the way he does it and his skill in grasping the opportunities presented than to any remarkable qualities presented by him. Accordingly it is found that very often in this country the chief executive of the nation or state and other high public officials possess no greater ability than thousands of others. They have simply taken better advantage of their opportunities than their fellows. And this truth runs through every occupation. The business man rises above his competitors merely by taking advantage of conditions which others overlook or fail to grasp. One of the thrifty and successful business men of Randolph county is George P. Kennedy, well-known hardware dealer of Union City.

Mr. Kennedy was born January 4, 1868, in the above named city and county and here he has been content to spend his life. He is a son of Patrick G. and Catherine (Wiese) Kennedy. The father was born in Ireland in 1838 and there grew to manhood and was educated, remaining in the Emerald Isle until 1855, when he emigrated to the United States. He located in Randolph county, Indiana, and here spent the rest of his life, successfully engaged in the grocery business in Union City, where his death occurred in 1875. His wife was born in Ohio in 1841, and her death occurred in 1877. She grew to womanhood in her native state and received a good education, and she came to Randolph county when young, where she met and married Mr. Kennedy, who was at that time engaged as a book-keeper, but later en - tered the mercantile field.

Four children were born to Patrick G. Kennedy and wife, namely : Airs. Alary AI. Connelly, Mrs. Gertrude R. Coulter, George P., and Mrs A'largaret M. Blootmah.

George P. Kennedy received his education in the parochial schools of Union City, then learned telegraplfy, and when only sixteen years of age he commenced work as telegrapher for the old "B" line, with which he remained twelve years, the last seven of which were spent as train dispatcher on the same railroad. Pie ga\'e the company eminent satisfaction, being regarded as one of their most efficient and trustworthy employees. The road is now known as the Big Four. Finally, tiring of the exacting work of dispatcher, he left the seisdce of the road and began in the hardware business in Union City, in partnership with P. J. Wiese, under the firm name of J. P. ^^'iese & Company, which partnership continued satisfactorily until the death of Air. Wiese, in 1901, after which his widow, Mrs. Angle Wiese, continued the business until 1913, when she sold out to Mr. Kennedy, but the firm is still known as the Wiese Hardware Company. This is one of the largest and best known stores of its kind in Randolph county, and a complete stock of general hardware, stoves, paints, oils, pumps; in fact, everything used in a thriving farming community like this. Mr. Kennedy has been very successful as a hardware man, building up an extensive and ever-growing trade, which now extends over a vast territory.

Mr. Kennedy was married October 22, 1889, to Catherine Alaloney, who was born in Shelby county, Ohio, December 10, 1869. She is a daughter of John and Margaret (Enright) Alaloney, natives of Ireland, from which country they emigrated to the United States when young and established their home in Shelby county, Ohio. Mrs. Kennedy received a good education in the common schools.

Four children have been born to Air. and Mrs. Kennedy, namely : Andrew Jerome, born July 30, 1890, died May 5, 1894; Charles B., born July 31, 1895, graduated from the Union City high school and is now attending St. Alary's College at Dayton, Ohio; Marcella, born September 11, 1898, is attending high school; Catherine, born January 12, 1901, is attending grade school.

Politically, Mr. Kennedy is a Democrat; fraternally, he belongs to the Knights of Columbus in Union City, and to the Benevolent and Protective

Uandoj.C'Ii County, Indiana. -1 J 77

Order of Elks at Greenville. He belongs to St. Mary's Catholic church in Union City. He is secretary of the local school board and is a member of the library board. He is one of the influential men of the town and has done much for the general good of the same.

Henry C. Hull

The able and popular superintendent of the Randolph County Lifirmary, Henry C. Hull, has been distinctively the architect of his own fortunes, has been true and loyal in all the relations of life and stands as a type of that sterling manhood which ever commands respect and honor. He is a man who would have won his way in any locality fate might have placed him, for he has sound judgment, coupled with great energy and business tact, together with upright principles, all of which make for success wherever they are rightly and persistently applied. By reason of these principles he has won and retained a wide circle of friends throughout this, his native county.

Mr. Hall was born on November i6, 1857, in White River township, Randolph county, and here he has spent his life. He is a son of Joseph and Lucy (Haynes) Hull. The father was born in New Jersey and the mother in the state of New York, and both, came to Randolph county as children with their parents, who came as early pioneers, making the long journey from the East in wagons across the rugged Alleghanies. All was woods here and game was abundant. Grandfather Johile Hull settled on land about two miles south of Winchester and there built his log cabin home in the heav}' timber, and began clearing and developing his land. Grandfather Stephen Haynes settled with his family near wb.at is now Huntsville in West River township, and there cleared and developed a farm. They were both carpenters and worked considerably at their trade. They became large land owners and were prominent men in the early affairs of the county.

Joseph Hull also engaged successfully in farming in this vicinity. He was also a brick maker and a builder. Many of the substantial brick houses over the country were built by him and still stand as monuments of his skill and honesty as a builder. Many of them are in Winchester. His family consisted of four sons and four daughters, all now deceased but three, namely: Laura, wife of George Mace of Hancock county; James F., who is farming in W'hite River township; and Henry C, of this review. The death of Joseph Hull occurred on June i, 1905, his wife having preceded him to

Henry C. Hull was reared on the home farm where he worked hard when a boy. He received his education in the common schools, however his education was limited to about three months each winter for only a few years. But he has read extensively in later years and is a well informed man.

Mr, Hull was married August 27, 1885, to Minnie Lock, a daughter of William F. and Mary (Robbins) Lock, of Randolph county. The father was born in New Jersey and the mother was a native of Kentucky. They came to Randolph county as young people. Our subject and wife have one daughter, Mabel C. Hull, who has been well educated in the Winchester schools.

After his marriage Mr. Hull located on a farm, two and one-half miles northwest of Winchester where he farmed for two years. He then moved to his father's old home farm two miles south of Winchester, where he remained three years, then moved to a farm near Mt. Zion, where he spent three years, and from there movect to his own small farm one mile south of Winchester, adjoining the home farm. Here he lived twelve years. On September i, 1905, he moved to the County Infirmary home and took charge of the farm and property as superintendent. This fine farm of over three hundred acres he has managed in a most commendable manner, keeping it well-improved and under a high state of cultivation, and all interested, agree that he is one of the most skilful and conscientious men who has ever been in charge of the county farm. He carries on general farming and keeps large herds of cattle and hogs, feeding large numbers of a good grade of livestock annually. The soil was formerly thin, but is now rich and productive. Nearly everything that is consumed at the institute is raised on the farm. He has made this one of the model farms of the county. He not only conducts the farm here most successfully and satisfactorily, but he and his estimable wife iook well to the comfort and welfare of more than fifty inmates of the institution. All buildings are kept in perfect order, sanitary, neat and comfortable.

Politically Mr. Hull has always been a Republican, and has long been active in local party affairs, however, he has never been an office seeker and never held office. Fraternally he is a member of the Masonic Order and seems to carry its sublime precepts into his every-day relations with his fellow-men.

Albert R. Abshire

There could be no more comprehensive history written of a city or county or even of a state and its people than that which deals with the life work of those who, by their own endeavor and indomitable energy, have placed themselves where they well deserve the title of "prominent and progressive." In this sketch will be found the name of a gentleman who has outstripped the less active and ambitious plodders on the highway of life, one who has been consistent in his life work and never permitted the "grass to grow under his feet," one who, while advancing his own interests has not neglected his full duties to the general public, at the same time upholding an honored family name.

Albert R. Abshire, of Winchester, Randolph county, was born in Washington township, this. county, March 12, 1850, seven miles south of W'inchester, where he lived for a period of fifty-five years, and which valuable farm he yet owns, this place having been in the Abshire family about ninety years, and from the early pioneer days to the present this family has been one of the best known in this locality, its various members having done much toward the general development of the same. He is a son of Isaac and Sarah (Ballard) Abshire, who spent their lives successfully engaged in general agricultural pursuits and who were well-known and highly respected in their community. The death of the father occurred on June 12, 1900, having been preceded to the grave over a quarter of a century by his wife, her death occurring on January 18, 1874. They are both buried in Liberty Cemetery, Washington township.

Albert R. Abshire was reared on the home farm where he worked when a boy. He received his education in the district schools, also went to school two years in Winchester. He began life for himself as a teacher, which profession he followed for a period of fourteen years with much success, his services being in great demand. In 1882 he was elected trustee of Washington township, which office he held for two years, then turned his attention to farming on the old home place in Washington township where he continued general farming and stock raising with gratifying results until the spring of IQ05, when he moved with his family to Winchester and here he still resides. He owns a highly improved and productive farm of one hundred and eighty-five acres. He is a heavy stockholder in the Citizens Banking Company, of Lynn, Indiana, and was for many years a director in the same.

porter and always greatly interested in public matters and active in all matters having as their object the general upbuilding of his city and county.

Mr. Abshire was married on February 6, 1889, to Alberta Arnold, daughter of C. A. M. and Susan (Carlton) Arnold, of Meigs county, Ohio. To this union four daughters and one son have been born, namely : Arnold T., born May 23, 1905, died in infancy; Edith B., born June 15, 1890, was graduated from the Winchester high school, is proficient in music and is teaching that art in her commranity, is also teaching one of the district schools; Elma Susan, born September 10, 1892, also a graduate of the high school in Winchester, is a student of art and the violin, and she also is gifted with the artistic temperament; Esther Lucile, bcrn October 3, 1894, was graduated from the Winchester high school, is also a teacher and musician of marked ability; Helen Ruth, born August 31, 1899, is a student in the public schools, and is also a gifted musician. They are all young ladies of culture, refinement and much promise. The family attends the Methodist church and Sunday school, and they are prominent in the best social life of the city.

Jesse F. Bird

In looking over the list of eligibles for this history and studying the data for the same the biographer finds that many of our enterprismg citizens have come from the Carolinas. Those old states, while yet able to sustain a vast population are pretty well worn, the soil not having been properly managed and has therefore become thin, so many of the thriftier of the citizens of that section of Dixie land have desired newer countries where the soil was richer and therefore opportunities greater, so large numbers have been coming to Randolph and other counties in the Hoosier state since the close of the Civil war. Among them was the Bird family.

Jesse F. Bird, farmer and stock raiser of Washington township, was born in Randolph county, North Carolina, January 28, 185 1, the scion of an old Southern family, many of whose praiseworthy traits of head and heart he seems to have inherited. He is a son of James and Caroline (Macon) Bird. James Bird was born September 30, 1811, in the same county and state as was our subject and there he grew to manhood, received a meager education in the common schools, married Caroline Macon, who was born October 7, 1815, and there established the family home, where he remained until the fall of 1867, when he made the long overland journey with his family to Randolph county, Indiana, locating in Washington township, walking from Richtn mond, this state. After li\'ing here three years he went back to North Caro- Hna. Politically, he was a Republican, and in religions matters was a member of the Christian church. His death occurred on May 20, 1888, and his wife died February 28, 1895. He and his wife were the parents of eleven children, five of whom are deceased; those living are Hartwell, Mrs. Rebecca Brown and Zimri, all residents of North Carolina; Gideon lives in Winchester, Indiana; Eli li\'es near Castleton, and Jesse F.. of this sketch.

Jesse F. Bird received practically no schooling, for he was a boy when the war between the states was in progress and schools as well as most everything else was neglected in his section of the country. He was sixteen years old when he came with his parents to Indiana, and soon afterward began working out by the day on various farms. At the age of seventeen he went' to Missouri and stayed a year. After working as a farm hand for seven years he rented seventy-five acres which he farmed nearly five years, then purchased eighty acres, which is now a part of his home farm. He worked hard, managed well and therefore prospered with the advancing years. His original purchase had no buildings, but he improved it properly and added to it until he now owns one of the choice farms of Washington township, consisting of two hundred and thirty-four acres, all well tiled and well drained. He has a large up-to-date home, good barns, fences of the latest model, steel and concrete posts. He raises a general breed of livestock and feeds large numbers of hogs for the market.

Politically, Mr. Bird is a Progressive. He belongs to the Christian church in which he is an elder and trustee and was superintendent of the Sunday school for a great many years, in fact, is one of the pillars in the local church. For many years he was president of the Washington Township Sunday School Union and was one of its organizers. He is a trustee of New Liberty cemetery. He has served as road supervisor and was elected a member of the advisory board, but refused to serve.

During the war a Confederate camp was located a mile or two from the home of James Bird. A brother of our subject refused to enlist and in retaliation, the Confederates held our subject's parents in their camp as prisoners for sevetal weeks, leaving six children at home alone.

Mr. Bird was married February 15, 1877 to Aletha J. Willis, who was born in Washington township, this county, September 22, 1853, and here she grew to womanhood and received her education. She is a daughter of Joseph and Sarah (York) Willis. Her father was born in 1825 in this county, his parents having been among the earliest settlers here. Joseph

Willis was an invalid from his twenty-first year. His death occurred September 14, 1866. Sarah York was born in Guilford county, North Carolina, July 7, 1823, and came to this county in early life where her death occurred April 24, 1898.

To Mr. and Mrs. Bird two children were born, namely: Walter F., born May 30, 1881, died October 17, 1886; Clara May, born September 20, 1887, married Walter A. Johnson, and they live on the old home farm. They are the parents of one child, Aletha Jane, born November 5, 1913, in Detroit, Michigan.

The name Markle has been a household word to the people of Randolph county for the past forty years, and during that period no name in the list of medical men in this section of the Hoosier state has stood out any more prominentl)^ for Dr. Grant C. Markle, of this review, and his worthy father before him, Dr. John E. Markle,. have been prominent physicians and surgeons of the county during that period, the former during the latter part and the latter during the first part of the period designated. They have brought health, and therefore happiness to the people of this locality and have won the lasting gratitude of all. The elder Markle has passed on to a higher plane of endeavor, but his mantle seems to have fallen on his son who is carrying on the commendable work of bringing surcease for the multiform ills to which humanity is heir, and he is in every respect proving himself to be a worthy son of a worthy sire.

Dr. Grant C. Markle, of Winchester, was born in Portland, Indiana, October 31, 1868, and is a son of Dr. John E. and Emily V. (Johnson) Markle. Owing to the prominence of the father his biography will be given at some length before proceeding with the life history of the son.

Dr. John E. Markle was born at Ithaca, New York, December 2, 1838, his father, Jacob Markle, having been a merchant at that place, and who subsequently moved with his family to Candor, Tioga county, New York, in 1841, where he lived until 1853, in which year he came to Madison county, Indiana, locating at a village which was later named Markleville. He was engaged in mercantile pursuits at this point until his death in 1864. His son, John E., received an excellent education in the Academy at Candor, New York and the University at Meadville, Pennsylvania. In 1859 he began the study of medicine, and a year later found him pursuing his studies at the Ohio Medical College, Cincinnati, Ohio. In the spring of

1861 he began practicing at Fishersburg, Indiana. But his practice was interrupted by the breaking out of the Civil war, and on August 4th of that year he enhsted in Company E. Thirty-fourth Indiana Volunteer Infantry. While in camp at Anderson he was detailed for duty in the hospital department, and he did not return to his company until in November, 1862, at Helena, Arkansas. On January 4, 1863, he was appointed second lieutenant and was detailed as commander of a squad to assist in carrying out one of Gen'eral Grant's plans in the Mississippi campaign. For valuable service he was made first lieutenant April 4, 1863. He had charge of his company at the battle of Magnoha Hills, Mississippi and for bravery displayed in the capture of a rebel battery, he was given a captain's commission. As captain of Company K, he participated in thirty-two engagements, winning an enviable record for bravery and daring courage. He was in the battle of Palo Alto, Texas, one of the last of the war. Here he performed one of his most courageous feats by rescuing the regimental colors from the enemy into whose hands they had fallen. On October 15, 1865, he was commissioned assistant surgeon of his regiment, serving in that capacity until February 19, 1866, when he was honorably discharged and mustered out of the service. At the close of the war he was the only one among forty applicants who passed a successful examination for admission into the regular army. He was never wounded or taken prisoner.

After his mihtary career had ended, Dr. John E. Markle located at Portland, Jay county, Indiana, in March, 1866, and there began the practice of his profession. He later attended a course of lectures in the Ohio Medical College from which he was graduated in the spring of 1868. He continued to practice at Portland until 1873 when he removed to Hagerstown, Indiana, and on November 2, 1874, located at Winchester, where he remained successfully engaged in the practice of his profession until his death which occurred on March 20, 1903. He was secretary of the Jay County Medical Association and in 1866 was president of the same. In 1876 he suggested a similar organization for Randolph county and was the principal organizer of the same, was president for one year. In the winter of 1878-9 he -attended the Bellevue Hospital Medical College, of New York City, from which he was graduated in the spring of 1879. Later in that year he assisted in organizing the Delaware District Medical Society, and was elected vice-president, and president in 1880. Fie was a member of the Indiana State Medical Society and the American Medical Association, and he contributed numerous valuable papers to the medical journals of the country. At the organization of the Randolph County Board of Health he was elected secretary, and \vas by virtue of the same, health officer of the county. He was apixsinted United States pension examiner July i, 1882, serving four years, and was later re-appointed. He was a Republican and a member of the Masonic Order and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He was noble grand of the latter lodge, and reached the master's degree in the former, being a Scottish Rite, a Knights Templar and a member of the Chapter. He was also past grand of the Odd Fellows and was representative to the grand lodge of Indiana in 1870. He was a great physician of the old school and enjoyed a very large and lucrative practice and was one of the best known doctors of his day in northern Indiana. He was elected clerk of his county in 1896, serving four years.

Dr. John E. Markle was married September 19, 1866 to Emily V Johnson, daughter of Jephtha Johnson, of Wayne county, this state, and she is still living, making her home with her son. Dr. Grant C. Markle. The only other child of these parents was Minnie, who died in infancy.

Dr. Grant C. Markle was reared in the atmosphere of a physician's home and attended the public schools, graduating from the Winchester high school in 1886. He then entered Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Indiana, from which he was graduated in 1890 with the degree of Bachelor of Science. Deciding to follow in the footsteps of his father in a professional way he began studying medicine under him at his office in \Vinchester, subsequently entering the medical department of the University of Louisville, from which he was graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1892. He at once began practice with his father in Winchester and has remained in the general practice to the present time. He was not long in rising to distinction in his profession. He has always kept well abreast of the progress of the science, is an enthusiast in his practice, and tireless in his performance of duty. During the past 5'ear he has been compelled to give up much of his practice in view of the fact that on January 29, 1913, he was struck by a locomotive at a street crossing in Winchester and seriously injured, while making a professional call. Fie remained in partnership with his father for five years, then practiced by himself. He is a member of the coimty, state and national medical societies. Fraternally he belongs to the ^lasonic Order and the Knights of Pythias. Politically he is a staunch Republican and has been active in public matters since attaining his majority. Pie was county health commissioner for several years, and is a progressive citizen in every respect. He has also been city health officer.

ter OT Dr. W. G. and Julia (Lucas) Smith, a prominent ^^'inchester family. Here Mrs. Markle grew to womanhood and was educated. She is a lady of culture and pleasant address. The union of the Doctor and wife has been without issue.

Simon Ramsey

The most elaborate history is perforce a merciless abridgement, the historian being obliged to select his facts and materials from manifold details and to marshal them in concise and logical order. This applies to specific as well as generic history, and in the former catagory is included the interesting and important department of biography. In every life of honor and usefulness there is no dearth of interesting situations and incidents, and yet ii] summing up the career of men like Simon Ramsey, a venerable and highly respected citizen living just south of the city of Winchester the writer must touch only on the more salient facts, giving the keynote of the character and eliminating all that is superfluous to the continuity of tlie nar- I'ative. The gentleman whose name appears above has led an active and useful life, devoid of the spectacular or exciting, and the more prominent features have been so identified with the useful and practical that it is to them almost entirely that the writer refers in the following paragraphs.

Mr. Ramsey was born February 22, 1834 in Lebanon, Warren county, Ohio. He is a son of Benjamin and Jennette (Moore) Ramsey. The father was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania and the mother was born in Scotland. When the Moore family first emigrated to America they settled in New York, later crossing the Alleghany mountains to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, then took flat boats in which they descended the Ohio river, first settling in woods of what is now Lawrenceburg. The Ramseys came west in the early years of the nineteenth century and settled in Cincinnati, Ohio. The parents of our subject were married in 1827 and later established their home in Warren county, Ohio. The grandparents, Arthur and Agnes (Fleming) Moore located in the vicinity of the above named city and Mr. Moore engaged in the foundry business in Cincinnati, also the machine business. After their marriage the parents of our subject m.oved to Lebanon, Warren county, where the father engaged at the shoemaker's trade, later he moved to Cincinnati, and in 185 1 the family moved to Spartanburg, Randolph county, where the father continued working at his trade and also engaged some in farming, purchasing some land. Benjamin Ramsey was born

April I, 1805, and his death occurred in 1866 in Fletcher, Miami county, Ohio where he had lived for several years. He had married a second time. Jennette Moore, mother of our subject, was born in Scotland in 1799, and her death occurred in October, 1858.