Wabash County, Indiana - The whole text, 1914 (part 6 of 16)

Mr. Hettmansperger is of German nativity, born in Baden, December 20, 1847, a son of Christian and Catherina Hettmansperger. He was seven years of age when he accompanied his honest and hard-working parents to the United States, the family first settling on a farm in the vicinity of Buffalo, New York, and later on a property which the father purchased about forty miles east of that city. There they remained for but a short time, when the land wras sold and the family returned to the Fatherland. The attraction of American life, ways and methods, how¬ ever, proved too strong and soon the Hettmanspergers returned to this country, this time coming to the agricultural district of Wabash county, Indiana, of which region they had received glowing reports. For several years the father rented land, but when he had become fully satisfied as to the productiveness of the soil he purchased a property in Paw Paw township, northwest of Urbana. In later years he turned his attention to commercial affairs in that city, and there both he and his wife passed away. A more comprehensive review7 of this sturdy old couple wrill be found in the sketch of Christian Hettmansperger, a brother of our pres¬ ent subject, who is engaged in farming in Lagro township, appearing on another page of this work.

Charles Frederick Hettmansperger, wrho is better known, perhaps, as Fred, was given few advantages in his youth. He attended the public schools of Germany for short periods, but the greater part of his educa¬ tion was given him in the school of hard work, for his father was in modest circumstances and the lad's assistance wras needed in working the home farm. He was a sturdy youth of thirteen years when the fam¬ ily came to Wabash county, and although he wras never able to attend school here he was keen and observant, made the most of every oppor¬ tunity, and thus gained a good, practical knowledge, which has made him more shrewd in business matters than many who have been given far greater opportunities for schooling. He continued to assist his father, and remained under the parental roof until he was twenty-one years of age, at which time he started out to face the world on his own account. As may be supposed he had some difficulty in gaining a foothold, as he was without capital save that represented by his willing heart and strong hands, but he persisted confidently, did whatever task he was assigned to well, and soon found himself on the highway to success.

After working for two years on the farm of Christian Eby, Mr. Hett¬ mansperger went south of the city of Wabash, and there accepted a contract to build a fence for Mr. Connor, a piece of work, it may be said, that was well and capably done. At that time he accepted em¬ ployment on the farm of his future father-in-law, Almon Riddle, of Paw Paw township, and at his home, in September, 1871, was married to his daughter, Almoriah Malinda Riddle, who had been born in an old log house, on the old Reed farm, located on the border of Miami county, but on the Wabash county side. She was thirteen years of age when she came to the Paw Paw township farm, and this has continued to be her home to the present time. Mrs. Hettmansperger 's parents, Almon and Carolina Octavia (Nash) Riddle, were born not fifty miles apart, in Massachusetts, but did not know of each other until they were young people. Mr. Riddle 's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Riddle, moved from Massachusetts to Ohio, where the father passed away after some years spent in farming, while Caroline Nash left the Bay state in young womanhood and went with a cousin to Ohio, where she met Almon Riddle. They returned to Massachusetts, where they were married, then came back to Ohio, and finally came to Wabash county, Indiana, where Mr. Riddle bought a farm west of Paw Paw, partly in Wabash and partly in Miami county. He later disposed of thi$ property and bought a farm in the woods of Paw Paw township, on which he put up a log house and stable, these later being replaced by good substantial buildings. Mr. Riddle was a carpenter by trade and also followed school teaching for some years, but was not a success as a farmer. He continued to reside on this property, however, until his death at the age of seventy-seven years, while the mother followed him to the grave when she was seventynine years old. They were the parents of three children, namely : Frank, who enlisted for service in the Third Battery, Indiana Volunteers, at the outbreak of the Civil war, and after the expiration of his threemonths 7 service, reenlisted for the entire period of the war, following the close of which he went to Arizona and there passed away; Almoriah Malinda, who is the wife of Fred Hettmansperger; and Darius, who served as a soldier during the Civil war and died while on his way home after the close of that struggle.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Hettmansperger settled on their present farm, he working for his father-in-law until the latter's death, when the farm was bequeathed to Mrs. Hettmansperger. He has cleared a great deal of this land, which is now in a high state of cultivation, and is engaged in successful general farming operations. A friend of modern methods, he keeps abreast of the times, and the general appearance of his tract denotes his knowledge of his business and the able manner in which he is directing it.

Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hettmansperger, namely : Francis Orlando, who is managing the operations on his father's farm, married Flora Jay, and has six children, - Louisa, William, Mary, Paul, Ruth and Catherine ; Lilly, who died at the age of two years, three months; and one child who died in infancy.

In politics Mr. Hettmansperger is a democrat in national matters, but in local affairs is liable to give his support to the man he deems best fitted for the office, irrespective of party lines. He is alive to all of the real questions of the day, and takes a keen interest in all matters that affect the welfare of his community and its people. He has been a member of the Methodist church since boyhood.

Adam Cook. In considering the business men of a community, it is not difficult to discover why some are frankly prosperous while others advance but little year after year. Persistent industry is a very neces¬ sary factor in achieving success, and those who possess this quality in the greatest degree are the ones who make their undertakings prosper. More than a quarter of a century has passed since Adam Cook first established himself in business in Urbana, this making him the pioneer merchant of the place. At that time this was little more than a hamlet, with but one other store and no brick buildings or sidewalks. Not long after his advent in business he suffered a serious loss which nearly wiped out his small capital, yet he constantly persevered, and as the town has grown in population and prosperity, so has his trade grown and pros¬ pered, and today he is numbered among the substantial men of this part of Wabash county.

Mr. Cook was born in Allen county, Ohio, June 30, 1866, and is a son of Adam and Hannah (Long) Creek. For the following facts regarding the Cook family, we are indebted to an aunt of the subject of this review, Mrs. Martha Welsch of Urbana. Adam Cook, the father, or Adam Koch, as the name was formerly spelled, was born in May; 1838, in Germany, and was a son of John Adam and Gertrude (Strube) Koch, both of that country. The grandfather was the owner of a nice little property in the Fatherland, but after the death of his wife decided to cast his fortunes with the people of America, and accordingly, in 1852, left the land of his birth with his seven children. They took passage on the sailing vessel Martha , which after a voyage of seven weeks made port in the harbor of New York, July 3rd, although they were not permitted to land until the following day. From New York the family went by rail to Buffalo, and thence by way of Lake Erie to Cleveland, Ohio, and from that point through the canal to Port Washington, where the grandfather purchased forty acres of land. Of this he disposed shortly thereafter and went to Allen county, Ohio, there settling on forty acres of wild land. At this time that section was still in the midst of a wilderness, and Mr. Koch was constantly able to keep the family larder well supplied with game. He began clearing and breaking his land for the cultivation of a farm, but did not live long to see his efforts bear fruit, as in 1854 he passed away, aged fifty-four years. A sturdy, courageous, self-reliant man, true to all things which he considered right, he belonged to that class to which America owes so much for the pioneer element that contributed in such great degree to the develop¬ ment of the country. He was the father of six children, namely: Catherine, who is now deceased; Gertrude, deceased, who became the wife of Conrad Baker; Elizabeth, deceased, who was the wife of Fred Roush; Martha, the only child living, who is the wife of William Welsch, and a resident of Urbana ; Adam, and Mary, wrho are both deceased.

Adam Koch was born in Germany in 1838, and there secured his education in the public schools, where he was confirmed. He was about fourteen years of age when he accompanied his father and sisters to the United States, and here he and a younger sister received instruction in an English school for a short time. Reared a farmer, he assisted his father in breaking the wilderness farm until the elder man's death, and then accepted employment as a farm hand. He was thus engaged at the time of the outbreak of the Civil War, and he soon enlisted from Spencerville, Ohio, in the Ninety-ninth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, giving the recruiting officers the name of Adam Cook. This style has been retained by the family ever since. Mr. Cook's service was one of the utmost activity, and was at all times characterized by faithfulness and bravery. In all he was in twenty-two severe battles, in addition to a number of skirmishes and the long, hard marches that tried men's souls. Although he was never wounded, he once suffered a sunstroke, from which he never fully recovered, and it is probable that this was the direct cause of his early death. On numerous occasions he narrowly escaped capture by the enemy, particularly one time when, hard pressed by the enemy, he fell exhausted by the side of a dead comrade, and so cleverly shammed death that one of the Confederate soldiers kicked him and remarked carelessly: "Here is another dead Yank." When he had fully completed his services to his adopted country and had been granted his honorable discharge, he returned to his Ohio home and was married to Miss Hannah Long, to whom he had been engaged prior to the war. She was born in the Buckeye state, and was a daughter of John Long, who had come to this country with his wife from Wurttemberg, Germany, shortly after their marriage. Mrs. Long died many years ago, while John Long passed away recently, being almost ninety years of age. He was the owner of a fine farm in Allen county, and was a man of substantiality and worth and a citizen of sterling character. After his marriage, Mr. Cook purchased a farm and began clearing it, but, like his father, did not live to realize his ambitions, death coming about two weeks before the birth of his son Adam. Here was another of the strong characters of his time, a man public-spirited and patriotic and true to every trust. A faithful member of the German Methodist church, he was a class leader for many years, and had thought seriously of entering the ministry. After his death, his widow was married a second time, being united with Jacob Ritzhaupt, a union which resulted in the birth of four children : Anna, who became Mrs. Seipert; George, who died at the age of ten years; and Louis and William, both of whom died in infancy, the mother following them to the grave not long thereafter.

Adam Cook was the only child born to Adam and Hannah (Long) Cook. His father had passed away before his birth, and he was still a child when his mother died, so that he was reared by his maternal grand¬ parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Long. The latter died one year after the death of Mr. Cook's mother, but Adam remained wTith his grandfather until the age of eighteen years, dividing his attention between the work of the farm and attendance at the district school. In 1885 Mr. Cook came to Wabash county, Indiana, and joined his uncle, Fred Roush, Sr., a pioneer shoemaker here. For six weeks he worked in the restaurant and bakery of Alber Brothers, but this work did not prove congenial, and at the end of that time he went to the farm of his uncle, William Welsch, in Lagro township. He was reliable, industrious and energetic, and accepted whatever honorable occupation presented itself, in addition to farming carrying on carpentering for one season. He also worked for a short time on the farm of D. L. Speicher, but in June, 1887, purchased a small shoe stock at Urbana, from Mr. Gottlieb Amacher, with the little money which he had received from his father's estate. In March, 1888, he was so encouraged by the success that had attended his first effort that he bought the general store from Peter S. Speicher. Business was prospering and Mr. Cook was making satisfactory progress, when, in the following May, the old C. W. & M. freight depot was consumed by fire, the flames eommunicated themselves to Mr. Cook's place of business, and his building was destroyed, although he was able to save the greater part of his stock. At this time there was but one other store in Urbana, that conducted by Charles Miller. No brick buildings had as yet been erected, and the town was devoid of sidewalks. In spite of his misfortune and the somewhat doubtful outlook of the community, Mr. Cook courag¬ eously re-established himself in business, and with sincere faith in the future of Urbana again bid for the trade of the section. His persistence, his industry, his honorable dealing and his unfailing courtesy won him a full share of the people's patronage, and as time went on and his finances increased he gradually enlarged the scope of his operations, keeping fully abreast of the development both of Urbana and of other business enter¬ prises. At this time he is justly accounted one of the substantial men of this section, and his success may be laid at the door of his own diligence and well-applied effort. He has given the greater part of his attention to the development of this business, but has also entered other 'fields of endeavor, where his ripe judgment and wise counsel are sought and appreciated by his associates. He was one of the organizers of the Farmers State Bank, of Urbana, in which he is still a stockholder. With his family, he belongs to the Evangelical Association. A prohibitionist in his political views, he has been an active and energetic worker in behalf of his party, which he has represented on several occasions on the Wabash county ticket.

On April 30, 1890, Mr. Cook was married to Miss Sarah E. Speicher, daughter of Fred and Elizabeth (Schultz) Speicher, one of the oldest and most highly honored families of Lagro township, mention of which is made elsewhere in this volume. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Cook, namely : Howard F., who is attending Northwestern College at Napersville, Indiana; Myra E., and Pauline May.

John W. G. Stewart, M. D. A career of useful and honorable activity, largely devoted to the service of his fellow men has been that of Dr. John W. G. Stewart, for many years actively identified with the growth and development of this locality. Dr. Stewart is now one of the older physicians in point of years of practice in Wabash, and is one of the best examples of the physician who labors unselfishly and with all the resources at his command for the benefit of his clients.

Dr. Stewart is one of the comparatively few men now in active affairs, who were born in log cabins back in the periods between the era of pioneer settlement and that of later growth and development. He was born in a log cabin on a farm in Liberty township, Wabash county, October 22, 1861, a son of Robert and Elizabeth Stewart, and a grandson of James Stewart who was born in Scotland and who founded this branch of the Stewarts in America. James Stewart on coming to America located in Eaton, Ohio, not far from Wheeling, West Virginia, and there on July 4, 1824, was born his son Robert. Robert Stewart inherited the industry, thrift and proverbial shrewdness of his Scottish forebears. In 1835, when he was eleven years old his parents moved to Coshocton county, Ohio, and there he lived until after he was grown and married.

In 1853, Robert Stewart transferred his household to Wabash county, Indiana, and located on a tract of land that wTas unimproved in Liberty township. His labors contributed one item to the general improvement of Wabash county lands, from the domain of the wilderness, and he and his wife during the first years of their residence here experienced many of the adversities and hardships which were the common lot of pioneers. Robert Stewart was a man of wide general information, thorough-going in his habits, strictly honest and upright, and a man whose character and deeds were above reproach. In the later years of his life he moved to LaFontaine, and there passed the remainder of his days retired from the strenuous duties which have been his during the first part of his residence in this county.

Dr. Stewart grew up on a farm, attended district school, spent two years in the LaFontaine high school and completed his literary education with two years in the Northern Indiana Normal school at Valparaiso. At the age of twenty he taught his first term of school, and with the proceeds of those earnings went west and preempted a tract of land in South Dakota. That homestead he has owned ever since and it is not only a valuable farm, but a memorial to his early enterprise. It was largely from his work as school teacher that he derived the funds which enabled him to pursue his studies in medicine. His first studies were carried on under the direction of Dr. W. A. Dunn of Wabash. Sub¬ sequently in 1886 he entered the Hahnemann Medical College of Chicago where he was graduated in 1889, with his degree of doctor of medicine. For a few months in the same year he remained in Chicago, pursuing post-graduate studies in the Chicago Homeopathic College, but before the close of 1889 had established his office in Wabash, and has since enjoyed a large general practice in the city and vicinity. He has membership in the -Indiana Institute of Homeopathy and the American Institute of Homeopathy.

Dr. Stewart is a council degree Mason and a Knight of Pythias. In politics a republican, he was the unsuccessful nominee of his party in 1912 for congress. On February 27, 1889, occurred his marriage to Miss Nora Gillen, youngest daughter of Dr. Henry H. Gillen, of Wabash.

John Groshon. Paw Paw township is the home of this honored old soldier and resident of Wabash county for seventy years. John Groshon came into the serious responsibilities of life without capital, with little education, but with capable hands and an ambitious spirit, and from working at wages as a farm hand went on from one advantage to another, provided liberally for his family, and now has a well ordered and sub¬ stantial prosperity. His homestead comprises sixty acres of land, and that has been his place of residence since 1876. Among his children he has divided a large amount of land in Michigan.

John Groshon, who is one of the oldest living native sons of Wabash county, was born December 12, 1844, near Lafontaine, this county, the son of Ferdinand and Mary (Wentling) Groshon. His father was a native of Switzerland, was reared a farmer, and when twenty years of age accompanied his parents to the United States. The father of Ferdi¬ nand Groshon died in Ohio, where he located, and Ferdinand then mar¬ ried Mary Wentling. She was born in Pennsylvania, went with her parents to Ohio, and they afterwards moved to Wabash county and died there. Soon after their marriage Ferdinand Groshon and wife came to Wabash county, and took up their home on a rented place near Lafontaine, taking the contract to clear the land for such crops as they could raise. In the meantime Mrs. Groshon 's father had bought land half a mile south of the place where John Groshon now lives, and gave his daughter eighty acres, and Ferdinand Groshon subsequently bought another eighty acres from Mr. Wentling and paid for it by labor. That gave him one hundred and sixty acres, and he subse¬ quently sold sixty acres to his brother-in-law, Abe Flora. Mr. Flora came out from Ohio after the death of Mrs. Ferdinand Groshon and Mrs. Flora looked after the family of Ferdinand in addition to the duties of her own household. Ferdinand Groshon died on the old farm at the age of fifty. His first wife had died when her son John was four years of age. The second wife was Eliza Groshon, and though of the same name they were not related. She died about three years before her husband. Ferdinand Groshon was a typical pioneer, hard working, thrifty, and though he came to Wabash county poor, had cleared up be¬ fore his death about half of his estate, and was in substantial circum¬ stances for his day. John Groshon has a half-brother, Florian, who now lives in Los Angeles, California.

It was on the place near Lafontaine, then called Ashland, where his father and mother first made settlement, that John Groshon was born. When he was a year and a half old they moved to Paw Paw township, and his earliest recollections were of the old log house, which was the family abode. When his father died John Groshon was fifteen years old, and at that early age had to begin to look out for himself. Most of his schooling was attendance at a log schoolhouse, but the abundance of work at home kept him from his books so that he seldom had many days of continuous schooling in all his life. After the death of his father he worked out for wages among different farmers in the county, and at his last place, George Beck's near Wabash, remained two years and was paid ten dollars a month. Though his wages were meager, his thrift enabled him to save up about seventy-five dollars before he went to the war.

In July, 1862, Mr. Groshon responded to the call of his country, and enlisted in Company A of the Seventy-fifth Indiana Infantry. His serv¬ ice was largely in the western armies through the campaigns in Tennessee, Georgia and the Carolinas, and among many engagements he was present at Chickamauga, was with Sherman on his march to the sea, and con¬ tinued until the close of the great struggle between the North and South. His honorable discharge was received at Indianapolis in June, 1865. Returning to Wabash county, Mr. Groshon continued to work out for different farmers until his marriage.

On January 16, 1868, John Groshon and Margaret Rudy were united in marriage. Mrs. Groshon died in 1904. She was the mother of four children. Charles, who lives on a farm in Michigan, married Laura Richardson, and their children are Virrel, Eugene, Roy, Vaine, Arthur, Laura, Dessie and Lilly, twins. Emma is unmarried and is a stenog¬ rapher in Chicago. Minnie is now Mrs. Lewis Gokey of Michigan, and her first husband was John Kittsmiller, now deceased, and her two chil¬ dren are Ruth and Mabel Kittsmiller. Earl, who also lives in Michigan, married Chloe Clevenger, and their three children are Meredith, Paul and Robert.

In November, 1910, Mr. Groshon married Emma Long, widow of Samuel Long and daughter of Eli and Hannah (Applegate) Swank. Both her parents are living, both more than eighty years of age, and their home is at Speicherville in Wabash county. Mrs. Groshon was born in Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, and came out to Indiana after the death of her first husband, Henry Derr, who was killed in a coal mine. Her two children by Mr. Derr are: Alec Derr, who lived with Mr. John Groshon; and William Derr, who is connected with the Wabash Plaindealer , and by his marriage to Edna Miller, has one child, Harold. After his first marriage, Mr. Groshon, in the absence of capital sufficient to buy a place of his own, worked as a renter for eight years, and then bought his present farm, paying sixteen dollars an acre for it. Its original owner was Amos Gipe. All the land was then in the woods, there were no buildings, and confronted with the heavy task of making a home Mr. Groshon set himself manfully to the work and his record has been one of steadily increasing prosperity for forty years. The Groshon farm has improvements which class it well to the front among similar estates in Paw Paw township, and Mr. Groshon has made all these by his own labor and good management. His home is a large eight-room frame house. With the fruits of his prosperity some years ago Mr. Groshon bought four hundred and forty acres in Benzie county, Michigan, and his children now occupy and manage that farm. Mr. Groshon is one of the esteemed surviving members of the Grand Army of the Republic, with affiliation at Roann. A democrat in politics, he is independent fre¬ quently, and votes for the best man. He is one of the active members of the Christian church of Half Acre in Paw Paw township, and is treasurer of the organization.

Warren Mason. For many years the agricultural interests of Wabash county were worthily represented in Lagro township by the late Warren Mason. Mr. Mason 's career contained no thrilling or dramatic experiences, yet his life was a useful and helpful one, for he lived through the period of Wabash county's development from a prac¬ tical wilderness to a center of agricultural, commercial and industrial activity, and did his full share in promoting the progress and advance¬ ment of his section. Mr. Mason was a native of Fayette county, Indiana, born April 11, 1823, a son of Horatio and Amelia (Perrin) Mason, who were born in Herkimer county, New York, and Berkshire county, Massa¬ chusetts, respectively. The family is descended from Sampson Mason, a Baptist, who was a dragoon in the army of Oliver Cromwell, and who founded the family in America during Colonial days. He came to this country in 1650 and settled at Rehoboth, Massachusetts, there married Mary Butterworth, and had thirteen children, and their descendants became prominent in various avenues of activity, and in the making of American history.

Alonzo Mason, a son of Horatio Mason, came to Wabash county in 1851. He married Elizabeth Green, and they became the parents of five children, all being now deceased. Some of the grandchildren of Alonzo Mason are now living in Wabash county. Alonzo Mason was a member of the Christian church, and was a well-known republican of his day, serving the county as commissioner and in other wTays becoming influen¬ tial in his community. Warren Mason, son of Horatio Mason, and brother of Alonzo Mason, was a man grown when he came to Wabash county, in 1853, and had married September 11, 1845, Mary Handley. They located in Lagro township, on an adjoining tract of land to that of Alonzo. Warren Mason and his wife here experienced much of the hard work and many of the privations incident to those pioneer days. Both worked hard and were among the substantial people of their locality in after years as the result of their industry and good manage¬ ment. As has been said before, there was nothing remarkable in the life of Warren Mason. He became known as an industrious man, a free supporter of all that looked to the good and advancement of the com¬ munity, he contributed liberally to the support of all laudable public enterprises, and was an advanced farmer along stock, buildings and scientific farming lines. He became conspicuous as a breeder and ex¬ hibitor of Short Horn cattle, and was usually successful with his stock in prize contests. Perhaps his most marked characteristics were his rugged honesty, his straightforward actions and the general high esteem with which he was regarded by his neighbors and associates. He served as president of the New Holland Turnpike Company and as president of the Wabash County Agricultural Society from 1881 to 1882. Mr.

Mason's death occurred August 29, 1893, and his widow passed away August 18, 1900. They were the parents of seven children, of whom but two grew to maturity : Oliver H., who is a resident of La Fontaine ; and Oren W.

Oren W. Mason, who is now living a somewhat retired life at South Wabash, after many years passed in agricultural pursuits, was born on the old homestead place in Lagro township, Wabash county, Indiana, September 26, 1865, and as a boy attended the neighboring district schools. He assisted his father in working the farm during all of his school period, adopted agricultural pursuits as his field of labor on attaining his majority, and is still the owner of the family property, a tract of 160 acres. It was here that he made his home until 1900, when by reason of failing health he moved to South Wabash, which has since been his home. He has been successful in his business affairs because of good management and foresight, and is numbered among the substantial citizens of his community, where he bears an excellent reputation for honesty and reliability. On March 21, 1894, Mr. Mason wras married to Miss Nellie Pyle, daughter of Burr B. and Elizabeth (McNamee) Pyle, who wTere among the early settlers of Wabash county. To this union there have been born two children: Walter G., born January 14, 1895; and Mary E., born March 10, 1899. Mr. Mason is a republican in his political views, and both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Henry I. Bowman. In a community like Wabash county it is pos¬ sible to obtain a fair estimate of a man's accomplishments from the appearance and condition of the property which has been developed under his proprietorship. Measured by this standard, Henry I. Bowman is easily in the front rank of the county 's agricultural citizens, and to the traveler along the Minich Pike in Paw Paw township the Bowman farm stands out impressively as one of more than ordinary importance and value. Mr. Bowman owns altogether one hundred and ninety-six and a half acres in that township. It is divided into two adjoining tracts. His home place has one hundred fifty-five and a half acres, and to the south is a smaller farm of forty acres. All this land lies on the west side of the road, and about ten miles northwest of Wabash and three miles east of Roann.

Henry I. Bowman was born on his father's farm adjoining his pres¬ ent place on December 14, 1860. Isaac and Hannah (Neff) Bow'man, his father and mother, were both natives of Franklin county, Virginia, w7ere married there, and had one child born in that state. In 1852 they accomplished the long journey from the east side of the mountains to Indiana. The father had been a farmer and tobacco planter in Virginia, and on coming to Wabash county confronted the pioneer conditions and settled in the midst of the woods in Paw Paw township. He was here only a few years after the Indians had disappeared, and was one of .the men wdiose labors contributed to the substantial development of this section. His first home was a log house, and by hard work he extended his fields and gained a good home. His first purchase was of eighty acres, he afterwards added forty more, and eventually the old log buildings were replaced with modern houses and barns and other equipment. His first house was burned. On that farm the mother passed away in March, 1900, and the father spent the next seven years at his own place and with his son Henry, and died at the latter's home. The seven children of the family were : Benjamin, of Roann ; Mary, deceased, who was the wife of John Foultz; George W. of Logansport; Henry I.; John M., deceased; Charles, deceased; Jesse, of Oklahoma.

It was on the old homestead that Henry I. Bowrman spent the years of his childhood and early youth, and while his muscles were being sharp¬ ened by application to the plow -and the axe and other implements of farm husbandry, his mind was developed by attendance at the district schools. He lived at home until after he was grown, and for several years was engaged in the buggy and wagon and implement business at Roann, and later conducted a livery stable there. Finally returning to his father's place, he managed it for the elder Bowman, and in 1900 bought his present farm from the Benjamin Neff estate. Mr. Bowman has resided here since 1903, and has effected many important improve¬ ments. Among these are noticeable the large nine-room frame house, with all the comforts of a city home, a barn, and practically all the older buildings have been replaced by new since he came. Mr. Bowman plants a large acreage in staple crops each year, and feeds practically all his grain to his own stock.

On November 11, 1891, Mr. Bowman married Laura Carver, daughter of Amos and Hester (Rosewalt) Carver. The mother died when Mrs. Bowman was a girl and her father now lives in California. The Carver children were three in number, as follows: Emanuel, of California; Mrs. Laura Bowman and Wilmer, who lives in British Columbia. Mr. Bowman and wife have four children: Hubert, Vera, Beulah and Millard.

In his political attitude Mr. Bowman stands for the prohibition prin¬ ciples, but usually tries to vote for the best man for the office. He is a deacon in the Brethren church at Roann. His successful career is the result of his own industry and ambition, since he made his own way and got his start in life without any help, and received nothing by inheritance until after the death of his father, when his share of the estate was sixteen hundred dollars.

George Poston Miller. One of the honored veterans of the Civil war and a retired farmer, residing in his fine large frame house a mile and a half north of Wabash on the Laketon road in Noble township, and also the owner of two hundred and one acres in Lagro township, George Poston Miller is a product of the old-fashioned log school house, and of the environment which were familiar in the days of the stage coach, and the hoop-skirt. In spite of the deficiencies of his early education, George P. Miller turned out to be an industrious, hard-working, and public spirited citizen, of the type which has proved the back-bone and mainstay of the country, and has long been regarded as one of the most substantial men of his community.

George P. Miller has lived in Wabash county since 1857. He was born in Rush county, Indiana, September 21, 1843, so that he has already passed the psalmist's span of life, three score and ten. He is a son of Christian and Elizabeth (Whitehill) Miller. Christian Miller was born in Virginia, a son of John Miller, who came from Germany, was a planter and slave holder in old Virginia, later moved to Ohio, and finally to Rush County, Indiana, where he died. Christian Miller grew up in Virginia, and inherited a few slaves, which he set free when he left the state. He w?as married in Ohio, and Elizabeth Whitehill represented an old and prominent family of that state. From Ohio they moved to Rush county, and later to Wabash county, locating two and a half miles west of LaFontaine in Liberty township. At one time Christian Miller owned four hundred and forty acres in one piece. What he acquired was the product of his own labors, and he was a worthy citizen and kind father. All his property was divided among his children, and both he and his wife died in Wabash county. He had cleared up many acres of his land, and the early home in which George P. Miller spent some of his youthful years was a log house. In the latter's expressive phrase, "one could throw a dog through the cracks between the logs." It had a mud and stick chimney, and very little iron entered into its construction and all the furnishings were of that primitive simplicity which is described in the pages of this history devoted to early pioneer times. Christian Miller and wife had eight children, as follows: Joseph, of Wabash; William H. of Waltz township; Tobias H., of LaFontaine; George P. ; Laura, the widow of E. Howard ; Philip, of Liberty township ; James A., who died at the age of twrenty-five ; and John, wTho died when twenty-four years of age. The sons, George P. and Tobias H., wrere both soldiers in the Civil wrar, the former a member of the Eighth Indiana Volunteer Infantry. The first two children were born in the Buckeye State, and the others in Indiana.

George P. Miller was fourteen years old when the family left Rush county, and he attended school in that locality, going to what was known as the old Joe Winship log schoolhouse. He remembers how plentiful game was in the country in which his boyhood wras passed. After he came to Wabash county, he attended a school conducted in the old Baptist church, which wTas a log building. He participated in many of the pranks wThich wrere characteristic of the old-time school life. One time he and his brothers and several other pupils, owing to the fact that the teacher refused to treat the scholars, secured a rail from a neighboring fence, put the teacher astride, and railroaded him to a pond, where they cut a hole in the ice, and wrere on the point of ducking the schoolmaster in the water, but the latter finally agreed to sign a paper stating that he would stand treat, and they accordingly let him off. During the first winter in Wabash county, Mr. Miller attended a school in wThich there were eighteen boys older than himself, and as he and his brother made little progress in their studies and apparently attended school more for the fun than for their mental good, their father took them out and put them to the heavy work of clearing land, which soon cured them of their truancy, and in one week's time they were glad to return to school more submissive and tractable. Another incident of early school times is related by Mr. Miller. One day his brother William directed "Coon" Sailor to open the school door, and when that was done, William rode his old sorrel mare directly into the school room, much to the consternation of the younger pupils, and after remaining a few minutes rode the horse out¬ doors. In such diversions his early years were spent, and he lived on the farm and assisted in its work until he was twenty-one years of age. However, in the meantime he had made a record as a soldier, of which his descendants will always be proud. On December 25, Christmas Day of 1863, he enlisted in the one hundred and twenty-sixth regiment of Indiana, and was out for two years. He was in the great campaigns, which closed the war in the middle west, participating at Franklin and Knoxville, Tennessee, and during the entire campaign of thirty-two days never changed his clothes. Outside of that campaign most of his service was in fort garrison duty, and in guarding railroads and other points.

After his return home, Mr. Miller was married in 1867 to Henrietta Howard, whose father William Howard was an early settler of Wabash county, coming from Rush county. Mrs. Miller died, leaving three chil¬ dren as follows: Della, now Mrs. John LaSelle; Anna, Mrs. William Mower; and Elizabeth, wife of Warren Hammond.

Thirty-seven years ago, Mr. Miller married Sarah Gochenour, daugh¬ ter of Abe and Rebecca (Caldwell) Gochenour. Her father was a sawmill man and came to this state from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Miller was one of nine children, as follows: John, deceased; William; Mary Jane, deceased; Joseph, deceased; Martha; Margaret, deceased; Mrs. Miller; Laura; and Charles - all of wThom wTere born in Indiana. Mr. Miller by his second marriage had ten children, namely: Rose, Mrs. Pratt; Ross, who added to the military record of the family by serving in Company D of the One Hundred and Sixtieth Indiana Regiment, during the Spanish-American War; Mayme, wTho died at the age of twenty years; Minden ; Daisy, a trained nurse ; Benjamin H. ; Lawrence ; Landis ; Eldora; and one that died in infancy.

Mr. Miller early in his independent career bought forty acres of land near LaFontaine, and was also engaged with his brother William in the operation of a tile factory. After selling that forty acres, he moved to Noble township, and his father-in-law, William Howard, having given the three daughters of his first marriage forty acres each, Mr. Miller bought that land, and later added another forty, all of which he subsequently sold for the price of one hundred dollars an acre. It was the first land under his ownership which reached so high a valuation, but that same land is now worth two hundred dollars an acre. Mr. Miller subsequently bought one hundred and eighty acres at Speicher, where he remained about six years. In the meantime he had bought the land already men¬ tioned in Lagro township, but upon which he never has lived, his son

Minden residing on that farm. Mr. Miller moved to his present fine residence in 1906. It is located on a two and a half acre track of land about one and one-half miles north of Wabash, on the Laketon Pike, in Noble township. Mr. Miller is an honored member of the Grand Army Post, and is a member of the Wabash County Detective Association, a republican in politics, and a communicant of the Evangelical church.

Charles D. Reed. When the first settlers came to Wabash county they found none of the present-day developments which seem so essen¬ tial a part of modern civilization. All the land was wild, some in prairie, other parts covered with timber, and a portion under water. It was a mighty task to turn the virgin sod, fell the mighty forest trees, and drain the swamps which were not only useless but bred various diseases, and yet these old-time pioneers proved equal to overcoming the obstacles which lay in their paths. While all did not live to see their hopes materialize, they laid a sound foundation upon which the present remarkable struc¬ ture of civilization has been built, and to them is due a great credit and honor which should be paid by all subsequent generations. It is to one of the oldest pioneer families of Wabash county that Charles D. Reed belongs. Mr. Reed himself when a boy wras old enough to realize the primitive environment of pioneer times, and has himself played with the red men who at one time were the sole proprietors of Wabash county. Mr. Reed is moreover a man who has made his own fortune in the world, and, while now one of the most prominent men of Lagro township, can look back to a time when he had nothing except the industry of his hands and the intelligence of his mind to direct him and supply the necessi¬ ties of life. Mr. Reed owns a fine estate of one hundred and forty-six acres in two different farms in Lagro township near Urbana. He is also a director of the Farmers State Bank at Urbana.

His parents were Wiley and Eliza (McVicker) Reed. Eliza Mc- Vicker was born in Wabash county, her parents having come from Fay¬ ette county, among the first settlers, and she lived here the greater part of her life and died June 4, 1889. Wiley Reed was born February 4, 1833, in Huntington county. That date indicates an early time in the history of his section of Indiana. The Indians were still all along the Wabash river, and only here and there had the sturdy settlers cleared a space in the wilderness and effected a beginning of the improvements wrhich were to transform the entire landscape into a checkerboard of farms and towns and cities. John Reed, father of Wiley, was a splendid type of the old pioneer, and lived to a very ripe age, passing away at Bloomington, Illinois, in 1899. When he came to this section of the Wabash valley, he found only here and there a settlement and a lonely cabin in the midst of the green woods. Two other families came with him, and they all located near Hopewell. John Reed had only five dol¬ lars in cash when he arrived, and the journey hither was made with a wagon and a twro-horse team. Some of the incidents of their early settle¬ ment are still preserved in family traditions. It is said that when the family reached their destination their goods were unloaded under a beech tree, whose foliage furnished them their first shelter. The three families cooperated after the fashion of most of the early settlers, and each week by their united labors a log house was constructed, until each family had a home of its own. These were some of the first families to locate in a large section of country, and almost the only people they saw for some months were friendly Indians, who often called at the cabin door, usually begging something to eat, and the relations between the red men arid the whites were never strained. Some time later other families moved in and gradually the area of settlement was extended and various improvements introduced. During the first years the woods and fields supplied wild game for provisions, and while there were few luxuries the people lived in a style of substantial comfort that left many happy memories for later days.

Wiley Reed grew up under such circumstances and during the pio¬ neer times of northern Indiana. He was married in Wabash county, and soon afterwards took his little family west, living in Missouri and in Iowa. He bought a small farm, in the latter state, and was living there at the time of the Civil war. Soon after the beginning of the war, the authorities caused the erection of some breastworks within half a mile of his little home, and the prospects were for fighting in that very vicinity, possibly on his own land. Under those circumstances he con¬ sidered it best to send his family east, and in the following spring he him¬ self returned to Indiana. Arriving in Wabash county, he rented a farm in Lagro township, and continued as a renter until about 1883, when he bought some land. He is still living on his farm near Lincolnville in Lagro township, and although well advanced in years is still hale and hearty and to quote his own wTords "is still good for his forty bushels of corn a day." Wiley Reed and wife were the parents of eight children, two of whom died in infancy, and the others are : Florence, the widow of Richard Hill; Charles Daniel; Mary, Mrs. Jacob Howard; Joseph; John; Della, widow of William Gillespie.

Charles D. Reed was born in Harrison county, Iowa, December 26, 1858. His earliest recollections group themselves about the Iowa farm, where he was born, but he was still very young when the family returned to Indiana. He remembers how fine the soldiers looked in their blue uniforms and brass buttons, and can also recall how his father brought his little household to the river and accompanied them in a canoe built of a log, to the other side of the stream. That incident was during the family migration from Iowa to Indiana. While growing up in Wabash county, he attended the district schools, and as the oldest son had to help his father with his work, and accordingly had his opportunities cut to the barest fundamentals of education. In the early days, his father used to cut the hay with a scythe, while the son Charles had a stick pointed at each end, and with that turned the hay for drying, and it was with such crude implements that much of the early farming was done in Wabash and other sections of Indiana. The practical part of his education was never neglected, since he learned how to shoot wild art of shooting fish in the water with a bow and arrow. In later years by close observation, by reading of books and current literature, and by association with men, Mr. Reed has more than made up for such knowl¬ edge as was neglected in his early training.

In February, 1886, Charles D. Reed married Addie Jeffery, a daugh¬ ter of William and Tabitha (Jackson) Jeffery. To their happy marriage has been born eight children as follows : Clinton, who lives in Montana, and by his marriage to Lydia Ennis has one child, Dessa ; Carrie ; Harry, a machinist at Detroit ; Jesse ; Inez ; Ray ; Hovey ; and Robert.

For many years Mr. Reed rented land, having to depend upon his own energy, and without the fortune of inheritance, so that all he has represents the capable endeavors and management of himself and wife. He and his father spent eighteen years altogether on the old Ed. Busick farm west of Lincolnville, his father having lived there eleven years and the son seven years. After leaving that farm Mr. Reed rented the Joseph Busick place northwest of Wabash for about five years. In the meantime he had pursued a thrifty and economical course, and on leaving the Joseph Busick farm bought one hundred acres in Huntington county, paying for it three thousand dollars cash. Although he had a nice farm there he and his wife yearned for their old friends in Wabash county, and three years later he sold out and bought his present farm in Decem¬ ber, 1901. This comprises one hundred and forty-six acres, two acres having been sold for the right of way for the proposed interurban line. He owns some other land in the same township. Mr. Reed and his sons follow general farming. Each one of his boys remained with him for a number of years, and was given a practical education in the schools, and also a good training for independent careers, each having the ability to ride a horse and to perform some small duties when only six years of age.

Mr. Reed has been very successful as a business man, and it may be said that he has been in business ever since a small boy. One day he was coming home with one of his father's stray calves, and was met by a man who offered him eight dollars for the young animal. The boy dick¬ ered with the purchaser until he was paid twelve dollars, and on reaching home, concluded an agreement with his father by which he paid the lat¬ ter ten dollars and retained the other two dollars as profit for himself. Thereafter he represented his father as agent in many similar trans¬ actions. With the two dollars just mentioned he bought some little pigs, which were in turn traded to his father for a colt, and by a gradual evolution he in time acquired a little capital of his own. However, he occasionally made a mistake, and sold property from the home farm for less than the value placed upon it by his father, and in such cases always had to make up the deficiency.

Mr. Reed is affiliated with the Masonic Order at Lagro, the Modern Woodmen of America at Wabash, and belongs to the Wabash County Detective Association. A republican, he votes usually for the best man. He is one of the official members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

The Haupert Family

tion of Indiana. Tabitha Jackson, her mother, was two years old when her family left the Carolinas, and established themselves north of the Ohio river. Her father William Jeffery came to Indiana from Wayne county, Ohio, his father having given him eighty acres located in the green and unbroken woods of Grant county. Gfant county was at that time a wilderness with its original Indian inhabitants still roaming the woods, and the little Jeffery family had to make a home in a country where practically all conveniences were absent, and where it required constant vigilance and industry to keep the wolf from the door, both literally and figuratively speaking. When the Jefferys reached Grant county their worldly possessions comprised a wagon and two horses, a barrel of flour, a barrel of meal, their personal clothing, with guns and ammunition and a few crude tools. The first home which sheltered them was an old log house that had been constructed for a meeting house. It had no door and to keep out the wind and rain they hung a blanket over the opening. Some old benches were found in the building, and these were pushed together in order to make a bed. Soon afterwards they built a house of hewed logs, and as they had come from compara¬ tive comfbrt and prosperity in their former home, they employed their energies in making the cabin as attractive as possible. Thus, while the wolves howled without, they lived simply but happily within, and had plenty to eat and their circumstances were not altogether unattractive, though offering plenty of hardships. There was usually hanging from a rafter in their home a ham of venison, and their table fare, though with¬ out luxuries, provided an ample nourishment for all who sat about their board. The mother of the family in such conditions had to make her own baking soda, wove the linen from flax grown on the farm, made flan¬ nels, and jeans for clothing, and there was hardly a phase of pioneer life described in the general historical accounts of this region which were not a feature of the Jeffery existence during the early days. The original Jeffery farm was subsequently traded to Mr. Leadbetter for eighty acres, six and a half miles south of Lagro in Wabash county, situated on the Lagro pike. There they established their home when Mrs. Reed was a child of two years, and both her parents died there, her mother at the age of seventy-seven, and her father when about eighty years of age. The Jeffery children were as follows: Louis, deceased; Harrison; Thomas; Albert ; Leander and Emma, twins, the latter being deceased ; Osro ; and Addie, Mrs. Charles D. Reed.

George Haupert. Lying about two miles west of Urbana, in Paw Paw township, is found the farm of George Haupert. This property is an excellent illustration of what may be attained through intelligent effort, and is a good example of the type of farm in Wabash county that has been cultivated by one man throughout the period of his agricultural activities. Mr. Haupert has spent his entire life on this property and it is due to his progressive spirit and well-directed enterprise that this is accounted one of the best farms in the township. A member of a family that has been known and respected in this section for many years, he has

Mr. Haupert was born on the farm on which he now resides, February 8, 1862, and is a son of Frederick and Barbara (Nunemacher) Haupert. The history of this family is an interesting one, for it has had a direct bearing upon the development of a prosperous county in a great common¬ wealth, and should prove interesting to those who have spent their lives here. Frederick Haupert, the father of George Haupert, was born in Germany, where the grandfather passed away. The grandmother brought the children to the United States when Frederick Haupert was a lad of sixteen years, and she died in Ohio, the original settlement of the family being made in Tuscarawas county, that state. Frederick Haupert had received a good education in the public schools of his native country, but received no instruction in the English language until he had passed his majority, and then earned the means with which to put himself through school. He grew to sturdy manhood in Tuscarawas county, and prior to the advent of railroads in this section came overland to Wabash county. Here he met and married Barbara Nunemacher, and at this time went into debt for $300 with which to purchase eighty acres of land in the woods of Paw Paw township. The young couple began their married life in a one-room log house, located in the midst of heavy poplar and walnut timber, which was then ruthlessly cut down and burned, although in later years it was to become of great value. The woods was filled with game of all kinds, and the family larder was often replenished by the father, who with his gun could kill plenty of game for the family within the shadow of his cabin. In the first year the squirrels were so numerous that his corn crop was completely destroyed by these little animals and numerous devices were necessary to drive them away. The first tract of eighty acres grew as the years passed and Mr. Haupert 's finances in¬ creased, and from time to time he added to his acreage until he had five fine farms, of eighty acres each, although at the time of his demise he had but three farms, as he had disposed of one of 170 acres in Lagro town¬ ship and another of forty acres in Paw Paw township. Mr. Haupert represented the highest type of self-made manhood. He was a constant reader, both in the German and the English, was looked up to by his neighbors, and was frequently called upon to settle their disputes and to clear up estates. For years he was a faithful member of the German Lutheran church, and religious movements in Wabash county found no greater friend, for he assisted to build all three churches at Urbana and constantly contributed to the support of worthy movements. Politically he preferred to be independent, exercising his own good judgment in choosing the candidates whom he believed worthy of office, and his judg¬ ment was rarely wrong. After his first log house, he erected a second one, which is now occupied by his widow, who has enlarged, weatherboarded and plastered it, making it one of the most substantial residences in the community. Mr. Haupert was within three months of being eightyfive years of age at the time of his demise, July 18, 1911, and when he

Mrs. Haupert, who survives her husband, has resided in Wabash county for upwards of sixty years, and there are few who retain in greater degree the esteem and respect of people here. Born November 26, 1832, in Wittenberg, Germany, she is a daughter of Christofer and Mary (Singlinger) Nunemacher, the former of whom was engaged as a stone mason in Germany, where he built wells and foundations for houses and barns, in addition to cultivating a few small fields. In 1847 Mr. Nune¬ macher decided to try his fortune in the United States, and together with his little party boarded a sailing vessel. It was found at this time that one of the women among the emigrants had lost her money which she had tied in a handkerchief and left in a store, and Mr. Nunemacher loaned her the means to make the journey to the United States, with the understanding that the amount should be repaid by the woman 's brothers, who lived in Pennsylvania. After a journey of some seventy-five days, in a sailing vessel, the party landed at New York City, from whence they went to Erie, Pennsylvania. Here they remained three weeks, while Mr. Nunemacher vainly tried to recover the money he had advanced, but, finding his quest useless, moved on to Tuscarawas county, Ohio. This was the family home for a little more than a year, and from this point one of the sons, George, enlisted for service in the United States army during the war with Mexico. In that struggle he lost his life, and Mr. Nune¬ macher was given seventy-five dollars and 160 acres of land by the United States Government, as a pension. Having some German friends in Wabash county, Indiana, he packed up his belongings, gathered his family about him, and traveled overland into the new region. Upon his arrival, however, he was given only eighty acres, this now being the farm in Lagro township which adjoins that belonging to George Haupert. The outlook here was not prepossessing, for the land was covered with a heavy growth of timber so dense it seemed almost impenetrable, but when it had been cleared and cultivated it proved to be an excellent and productive property. Quantities of wild game frequented this timber, and on numerous occasions the family arose in the morning to find tracks where the deer had made their beds during the night only a few steps from the little log cabin door. It was no unusual thing for the children of the family to become lost while going to and from school, or while in rounding up the family's cattle. Christofer Nunemacher and his esti¬ mable wife labored hard and earnestly, worshipped their Maker, and brought up a family of children well trained to honest and useful pur¬ suits, and when they died they were wddely mourned. Of their eleven children, three grew to maturity : George, who is now deceased ; Barbara, who became the wife of Frederick Haupert ; and Martha, who is the widow of Peter Grimmer, and lives at Marion, Indiana.

Mrs. Frederick Haupert received a good education in the schools of Germany, where the educational institutions were at that time far in advance of any in the United States, and was a bright intelligent girl of fifteen years of age when the family emigrated to the United States. She still remembered the ocean trip as well as the journey to Ohio, overland, and has a distinct recollection of her homesickness when they entered the bleak and unpromising wilderness of the woodland of Wabash county. It was not long, however, before she grew to love her new surroundings and to work cheerfully among her new acquaintances in this section. After coming to the United States she was given no further educational advantages, but by personal observation, study and reading managed to acquire a broad knowledge of the English language, as well as customs and manners. On first coming to Wabash county she began working out among the families here, being first with a Jewish family named Hariff, residing at Wabash, by whom she was very kindly treated, later with Dunkard families of Largo township, named Blocker and Rennicker, and finally with Phil Albers, now deceased, who wras a w'ell-known resi¬ dent of Wabash. She had started to work at a wage of seventy-five cents per week, but later had showm herself so capable and willing that she was advanced to $1.00 a week, and while with Mr. Albers was treated exactly as a member of the family. She still remembers how, with the other women, she worked in the field, with the old-fashioned scythe and other hand tools, and how she always sent her wages home to her parents. It was while she was living at the home of Mr. Albers, when she lacked one day of being nineteen years of age, that she was united in marriage to Frederick Haupert by a justice of the peace. The young couple at once started housekeeping in the little log house in the woods of Paw Paw township, and, like other pioneers of their day and locality, had to be satisfied with but few comforts, aside from the absolute necessities of life. The comfortable spring wagon and buggy of today were at that time represented by a rumbling, creaking cart (when there was a con¬ veyance of any kind) and other luxuries were also conspicuous by their absence. Mrs. Haupert, however, has lived to see these luxuries become hers and to share in the good things which invention has brought. An interesting memento of the old days is an old hand-made flatiron, which is now owned by Mrs. Haupert, and which at one time belonged to. and was used by her mother. She was strong, able and willing, and was of great assistance to her husband, both in the home and in matters of busi¬ ness. They reared a family which has since proved itself a credit to the community and to the parents, and a number of grandchildren are grow¬ ing up to perpetuate the name. Mrs. Haupert is eighty-two years of age, but is alert in mind, active in body, and thoroughly alive to all matters of interest that are occurring. She has been granted a long and full life, and she has made it a useful one, and now may look back, contented, over the years which she has shared in assisting to develop one of Indiana's most flourishing communities. She and her husband became the parents of the following children : Jacob, who is deceased ; Mary, wife of Valen¬ tine Keefaber ; Philamina, who is deceased ; Fred ; Elizabeth ; George, of this review ; Peter ; Philip, who is deceased; Joseph, a farmer of Paw Paw township ; Charles H. and Rose. Mrs. Haupert still resides on a part of the old homestead, which was recently divided, her son George having

George Haupert, to whom we are indebted for the above interesting facts, has never married. He was educated in the Half-acre district school, in the vicinity of his birthplace, and has always lived with and looked after his mother. He cultivates her land, as well as his own, and has been successful in his operations, especially in the line of hogs and cattle. A man of progressive and enterprising spirit, he has never been afraid to grasp opportunities as they have presented themselves, and has had the ability to make the most of them. He secures excellent prices for his stock, and has the reputation of being a business man of integrity and ability. Like his father, he believes in voting for the man who is best fitted to serve the people, and his friends are to be found among men of all political creeds. He is proud of his family's record and of its members, and one of his most highly prized possessions is an old leather purse which belonged to his grandfather.

John Heinnickel. The spring of 1870 marked the advent of the Heinnickel family into the United States, so that they may not be re¬ garded as pioneers in any sense, but it is not unreasonable that they should be regarded as among the best citizenship of the community in which they have made their home for some years, for they have con¬ tributed of their time, their energies and their enthusiasm in promoting the development of their township. It has been said on numerous occa¬ sions that Germany has contributed, perhaps sometimes unwillingly, to the best citizenship of this nation, and to Germany must be given the credit for the acquisition of these worthy and progressive people.

John Heinnickel, the immediate subject of this review, was born in Bavaria, Germany, on January 26, 1864, and is a son of George and Catherine (Awet) Heinnickel, both natives of that place. At the time of their removal to America, in 1870, war between France and Germany was imminent, and the family was particularly averse to further partici¬ pations in hostilities, in view of the fact that three uncles of George Hein¬ nickel 's father had lost their lives in a combat with the forces of Napoleon on his march through France to Russia in 1815. The outbreak of war meant that the Heinnickel men must participate and when one of the brothers came to George and suggested that they dispose of their pos¬ sessions and make haste to America, where they might live in some degree of peace, the plan was no sooner broached than the family took action and in a brief time they had sold their farm and all their goods with the exception of clothing and bedding, a Jew of the community striking an excellent bargain because of the desire of his neighbors to sail for America. Two brothers and a half brother of George Heinnickel accom¬ panied him and his father on their journey, and when they reached these shores Mr. Heinnickel took his little family and came to Hamilton, Ohio, and his first work was done in the harvest fields of the Buckeye state in the year 1870. Mrs. Heinnickel had relatives who resided in the Level Lands south of Logansport, in Cass county, who urged them to go there and settle, and though they did move to Indiana, they located in Miami county, there buying sixty acres, ten miles south of Peru, paying there¬ for a purchase price of $10 per acre. To his small acreage, Mr. Heinnickel kept on adding from year to year, until he had one hundred and forty acres of land in that vicinity. He devoted a good deal of his time to the work of clearing it up, and getting it in first class shape for crop¬ ping, and today the land he bought for $10 an acre or thereabouts, is worth not a penny less than $200 per acre.

Mr. Heinnickel farmed successfully there for a good many years, and gained a reputation among his neighbors for steadfastness and all around stability of character that gave him a prominent place in the com¬ munity to the end of his days. He met an untimely death on August 27, 1909, being killed by a switch engine just east of Bunker Hill, In¬ diana, when returning from a visit to his son, John Heinnickel of this review. Though he was seventy-two years of age at the time, his death was regarded as untimely by all, for he was in excellent health and in full possession of his every faculty, still holding his place in the com¬ munity by virtue of those facts. His widow survives him, and lives on the home place, aged seventy-eight years.

Three children were born to George Hennickel and his wife. John, of this review, is the eldest. Frederick is a resident of Loree, Miami county; and Sophia married Charles Schroeder, and lives on the old home place with the mother.

John Heinnickel was six years of age when the family emigrated to these shores. Child as he twas, he remembers the voyage in many of its details, and he relates that they were sixteen days on shipboard, two days of the time being spent at South Hampton, England, where the vessel took on her cargo, and fourteen days being consumed in the actual passage. After the settlement of the family in Miami county, he began attendance at the log school of their community, and this school, despite the lateness of the period, was but little advanced over those that the boys of the previous generation attended, in the matter of modern ap¬ pointments though it should be said in justice to all, that the general proficiency of the instructors had advanced very materially. At that time, regardless of the distance the boy or girl lived from the school he must attend, he walked to and fro. No wagons called morning and night to collect the youngsters and deliver them at home or school, as in these days, and Mr. Heinnickel is inclined to the opinion that the indulgence to the present generation is of less benefit to them than was the exercise he had in ploughing through the snowdrifts in winter w'hen he attended school as a boy.

Mr. Heinnickel did not continue long at his books, for he had an ambition to strike out for Limself, and his thrifty German parents saw no detriment to their son in his desire to quit school, and did not stay his plan to become independent. Since that time Mr. Heinnickel has made his own way in the world, and it will hardly be denied that he has enjoyed more of a success that many a man of better education has ex¬ perienced. This fact, while it is no argument in favor of scanty educa- tion for the country youth, is set forth as an illustration of the homely truth that a man will succeed if he has courage and determination, and applies himself with diligence to whatever task he lays his hand to. What Mr. Heinnickel owns to day he secured as a result of his saving habits and his industry. When he set out to work for himself, he borrowed $13.50 to buy suitable clothing, and it has ever since been characteristic of the man that he took no rest until his debt was paid. In those first months of his independence he often worked for fifty cents a day, and when he married and took upon himself the burden of a family, he was earning only seventy-five cents daily. This fact is highly indicative of the spirit that dominated the man, for he early realized that he would the sooner gain independence and a competency as the head of a family than as a bachelor.

After he permanently left the home farm he went to Urbana and for six years operated the S. S. Speicher farm. It was about then that he had an opportunity to go west. He had always cherished a strong desire to see that country, and when a ticket to Grand Forks, North Dakota, was offered to him for the nominal sum of nine dollars, he ac¬ cepted the offer and went to that city. He worked through the harvest and threshing season in the Dakotas for thirty-two days, and he found the experience one of great benefit to him in his farming operations later on. Returning to Indiana after the harvest, he went to Wabash and there worked on the Century School building while it was in course of construction, and it was while engaged in this work that he was married on August 7, 1900, to Margaret G. Bohnstedt.

Mr. Heinnickel, having rented his farm to a tenant whose lease did not expire until the following March, spent the months of the interim in various places and occupations, and on March 1, 1901, he took his bride to their own farm home, which he had purchased a little more than a year before from Jennie Odim. Mr. Heinnickel looks back to the day of the purchase as the red-letter day of his life, for on that evening he first called on Miss Bohnstedt, who became his wife some six months later.

The buildings were in first class shape on the farm when he bought it, so that Mr. Heinnickel has put no great expense into that phase of his work, but he has spared no expense in the matter of ditching, tiling and draining. General farming is the field in which he is most active, and poultry, hogs, cattle and horses are bred in greater or less quantities on the place. Mr. Heinnickel was an apt pupil of his father, and he has shown himself to be a farmer of no inconsiderable ability, and he is regarded generally as being one of the representative farming men of the community. His place is an eighty acre farm in Lagro township and is about a mile north and three-quarters of a mile east of Speicher.

Mr. Heinnickel is a voter of the prohibition ticket, and he has never entered politics as a seeker after office, though he has been appointed superintendent of the road that runs past his place. He is a member of the Evangelical church, as is also his wife.

came to the United States in early manhood. He was a stanch advocate of prohibition all his life, and never since he came to this country missed an opportunity at the polls to strike a blow for- the cause. He married Elizabeth Swallon, a native of the state of Pennsylvania, and passed his active life in farming, though he retired from the industry some years ago and took up his residence in Urbana, where he died at the age of sixty-four. Mrs. Bohnstedt lives with her daughter, Mrs. Charles Leaf, near North Manchester, this county. Like her husband, she was always proud to wear the white ribbon badge of temperance, and reared her children in the same adherence to a great cause. They were the parents of seven children. Samantha, the eldest, married Sam C. Speicher, of this county. Alfred and Albert are twins. Lydia is the wife of Charles Leaf, above mentioned. Isaac lives in Illinois. Margaret G. married Mr. Heinnickel, of this sketch. Florence is Mrs. William Walter, resident of this county.

Mrs. Heinnickel is a mother of the older school, if one may use that term in speaking of a woman who adheres to certain old-fashioned meth¬ ods in the matter of rearing children. She has endeavored to instill into the minds of her offspring the homely virtues that make for the best citizenship and the most effective parenthood, and while she is a firm believer in education, she clings to the substantial things of that phase of the child's existence, laying more stress on the thorough implanting of a knowledge of the Three R's than of the less useful subjects that are taking their place in the early training of the child of today. In other words, she regrets the crowding out of the substantial things of education in favor of the lesser topics, and in this her opinion con¬ curs with that of a good many thinking people of the land.

The Heinnickel family enjoys a splendid standing in their community,, and they have a host of good friends in and about the township who know them for their many sterling qualities and value them accordingly.

Noah Mutchelknaus. Lagro township has no more sterling citizen and prosperous farmer than Noah Mutchelknaus, the owner of one hun¬ dred and fifty-nine acres about seven miles east of Urbana. He bears a name indicative of his German origin, but as it is quite long and some¬ what difficult for the English tongue to pronounce, there are a great many friends who would hardly recognize the above name, since they have for years called him Noah Mitchell, and that name is current in township speech, though the German form is still his official signature to all papers.

Noah Mutchelknaus was born in Vienna county, Indiana, October 5, 1851, on a farm located about six miles north of Peru. His parents Jacob and Mary (Notter) Mutchelknaus were early residents of Miami county, were born in Germany, both came to the United States when twelve years of age, making the voyage in a sailing vessel which was many weeks between the port of departure and the port- of arrival, and they finally settled and were married in Tuscarawas county, Ohio. The father in that county combined the occupations of farming and shoemaking, but finally sold out his place and moved to Indiana, buying a small farm in Miami county. During the summer seasons he cultivated his fields, and in the winter and on rainy days and as custom demanded he sat on his cobbler's stool, and made shoes and boots for all the community. His old shoemaker's knee strap often came in handy in preserving order among the children, since one whack over their backs from that instru¬ ment usually showed them the error of their ways. Corporal punish¬ ment was much more common then than now, but the heart and inten¬ tion of this old shoemaker were nevertheless kindly. Both parents died in Miami county, the father first. Their children were: Lydia, who died at the age of twelve; Solomon, deceased; Carolina, the widow of Isaac Frantz; Catherine, deceased, wife of George Cunningham; Miss Maria; Mrs. Rosie English, wife of William English; and Noah.

Noah, the youngest child, is the only Hoosier born, all the others hav¬ ing their birth in the Buckeye State. His boyhood was spent on the little farm in Miami county, and one of his experiences as a boy was to attend an old-fashioned subscription school, taught in a log building, the teacher being paid not only by taxes, but also by voluntary contribution from the different families who had children in school. All the children walked back and forth to school, and there was no dependence upon a township wagon to transport them in comfort every night and morn¬ ing. Between going to school, making himself useful on the farm, and keeping out of reach of his father's knee strap, Noah Mutehelknaus man¬ aged to keep pretty busy during his youthful years. When he was about ten years of age, his father died, and three years later, at the age of thirteen he left the home threshold, and became one of the world's inde¬ pendent workers. During the following eighteen years, he had varied experience, and by hard work and thrifty management, finally accumu¬ lated enough to start him on his present substantial career. He worked on different farms, among strangers by the day, by the month or by the year. His first wages were six dollars a month, and during the last seven years of the eighteen he was employed as a farm manager for Mrs. Catherine Trick, who subsequently became his mother-in-law.

Mr. Mutehelknaus was hardly in his teens when the Civil war broke out, and at Lincoln's last call for volunteers though still under fifteen years of age, he ran away to enlist, making the attempt twice, and each time was foiled in his plans and brought back. The second time he got many miles from home, had passed the examination, and in half an hour would have been enrolled and ready to march to the front. His brother-in-law appeared on the scene and spoiled his intention. Mr. Mutehelknaus has ever since regretted his inability to take part in the great war.

On September 12, 1878, Noah Mutehelknaus married Miss Charlotte R. Trick. As already stated he had managed her mother's farm for a number of years, and continued to direct its cultivation up to 1893, when he bought the place. The buildings which now stand were all built when he took possession, but otherwise he has improved the farm in many ways, by tiling where necessary, by bringing new land into cultivation and conserving the fertility of the soil in every way possible. The house is one of the old landmarks in this part of the county, and the barn was built in 1885. The neighbors had long been in the habit of calling him by the name "Mitchell," and as that question seemed to be fixed in the community, and as Mr. Mutchelknaus, apparently had little to say against it, when the barn was painted he had his name put under the eaves as Noah Mitchell, and by that name he is now known most generally.

Mr. Mutchelknaus has never asked for any office, and has voted for principle rather than party. If more men would vote that way, politics would soon become much cleaner. He and his wife worship in the Chris¬ tian church, in which he is a deacon and trustee. Their farm is regarded as one of the best in Lagro township, not only in improvement, but in the natural fertility of the soil. Mrs. Mutchelknaus was born near their present residence, a daughter of Jacob F. Trick, who was born in Wuertenberg, Germany. He came to the United States with his parents when he was ten years old, first locating in Ohio, and later moving to Wabash county. His mother was left a widow and Jacob was then bound out to a miller until he was twenty-one years of age. He married Catherine Rupley, who was born near Cumberland, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Henry and Barbara Rupley, who emigrated from Pennsylvania in wagons as far as Ohio, and later to Indiana, locating on a farm adjoining the present Mutchelknaus place. Both the Rupleys died there, and their daughter Catherine, mother of Mrs. Mutchelknaus, married Jacob F. Trick, and lived on the present Mutchelknaus farm. Mr. Trick was sur¬ vived by his widow who managed the homestead with the aid of Mr. Mutchelknaus for a number of years and finally died there. The four children were: Mrs. Mutchelknaus; Eva, who resides at Wabash; Mary Elizabeth, wife of William Banks of Wabash; and Jacob F., who with his little daughter was killed at the railroad crossing in Urbana.

Mr. Mutchelknaus and wife have only one child, Brief M. This son married Bernie Kitt. He is now his father's active assistant on the farm, and is gradually taking the entire management of the place. It is a question of only a few years until Mr. Mutchelknaus will retire from active farm work, and with his good wife enjoy the fruits of many years of substantial labor and accomplishment.

Charles Wasem. Wabash county is essentially a farming com¬ munity, and nowhere in the state are there to be found more progressive or thoroughly competent agriculturists than here. A knowledge of soil and climatic conditions has given many of these farmers an advantage, for among them are to be found men who have passed all or the greater part of their lives here, have made a keen and comprehensive study of the practical side of their vocation as combined with theories and methods, and thus are gaining a full measure of success from the natural advantages offered by their community. A residence of a half a century has given Charles Wasem the opportunity to become one of the substantial men of Paw Paw township, where he is the owner of 165 acres of fine land, secured through a life of industry and welldirected effort. His property is all located about two miles southwest of Urbana, and its fine appearance and evident prosperity give eloquent evidence of the presence of good management and thrift. Mr. Wasem. was born on his father's farm in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, November 3, 1855, and is a son of Fred and Catherine (Conrad) Wasem, natives of the Fatherland.

Both the paternal and maternal grandparents of Charles Wasem were born in Germany, and emigrated to the United States, settling in Ohio, where all passed away. The parents of Mr. Wasem were young people when they came to this country, here grew to maturity, and were married. In September, 1864, they came with their family to Wabash county, Indiana, and here located on the farm which is now the home of their son Charles. At that time the property was principally in the heavy woods, and the buildings on the place were constructed of logs, and here the family settled down to establish a home. The land was cleared and put under cultivation, various improvements were made, and during the early 'seventies the present set of buildings was erected. The father was a good mechanic as well as a farmer, having learned the mason trade in his youth, and by industry and energy accumulated a good property before his death, in October, 1881, when he was fifty-six years of age. The mother passed away in February, 1880, being also fiftysix years old. They were the parents of six children, as follows : Cath¬ erine, deceased, who was the wife of William Roudenkrantz ; Elizabeth, who married George Bishop; Julia, who became the wife of Val M. Mattem ; Charles, of this review ; Fred, who is now deceased ; and Caro¬ line, deceased, who was the wife of Fred Holstein.

Charles Wasem began his educational training in the public schools of his native state, and was a lad of nine years when he accompanied his parents to Indiana. In his new locality he was given few school advantages, as his assistance was needed in the clearing and cultivation of the homestead, and thus he grew to manhood, the greater part of his education being secured in the schools of hard work and experience. As a young man he and his brother Fred took charge of the home place, and at the time of their father's death they came into possession of tho farm, each receiving eighty acres, to which Charles has since added until he now has 165 acres. He has made improvements from time to time as his finances have permitted, and his land is now well tiled, drained and fenced, and is proving very productive under his skilful modern methods. He takes a pride in keeping fully abreast of the times in his calling, and is ever ready to give a trial to innovations, although the practical strain in his nature causes him to rely on the established methods. He has been successful in his ventures because he has kept persistently at whatever he has started out to accomplish, and in his dealings with his fellow men has at all times displayed a high regard for honorable commercial ethics. He is a stockholder in the Farmers State Bank at Urbana, in which Mrs. Wasem and their sons are also interested. In politics, a democrat, he has preferred to devote himself to his farm, and has taken only a good citizen's interest in political matters. He belongs to the German Evangelical church, and is an officer therein. His fraternal connection is with the Knights of the Maccabees, at TTrbana.

In February, 1880, Mr. Wasem was married to Miss Caroline Aulenbaugh, who died in 1887, leaving one child: Herman F., who married Selma Fisher and lives on a part of his father's farm. The second marriage of Mr. Wasem occurred August 3, 1890, when he was united with Miss Caroline Rickert, daughter of Fred and Catherine (Engle) Rickert, natives of Germany who were married in Tuscarawas county, Ohio. They moved to Wabash county, Indiana, shortly thereafter and settled in the woods of Chester township, and there they passed the remainder of their lives in clearing and cultivating a farm. The mother passed away May 4, 1907, at the age of seventy-four years, while Mr. Rickert died December 10, 1912, having reached the advanced age of eighty-seven years. They were the parents of nine children, as follows : George ; Louisa, deceased, who was the wife of J. C. Schmalezried ; Fred ; Caroline, the wife of Mr. Wasem; Frank; Mary; Charles; Emma, de¬ ceased, who was the wife of Fred Roudenkrantz ; and Lydia. Mr. and Mrs. Wasem have had one son : Carl E., who graduated from the Urbana high school in April, 1913, and is now a student at the University of Indiana, Bloomington. Both Mr. and Mrs. Wasem are highly , esteemed throughout the community in which they have resided for so many years, and their friends are as numerous as their acquaintances.

John L. Hull. Some men seem destined by nature to succeed; no matter what obstacles appear in their paths they are able to overcome them if for no other reason than that of a persistent determination. Per¬ haps no better example of a successful fight against heavy odds can be found in Wabash county citizenship than in the case of John L. Hull, the owner of "Beulah Farm," of sixty acres on the east side of the Mail Trace Road, about three and a half miles north of Lagro, in Lagro town¬ ship. Mr. Hull is a self-made business man. He began with nothing, was for many years one of the hardest working ax-men in the woods along the Wabash river, finally working up to a point wThere he could just see success. Then came the panic of 1873, which wiped out all his visible possessions, and left him thousands of dollars in debt. Un¬ daunted by misfortune, he started in to build up from the bottom, and after seventeen years of hard wrork, was just about where he had started years before. Since then, however, he has gradually come to the front, and is one of the men admired and esteemed not only for their present accomplishments, but also for the strict integrity, which has character¬ ized their entire business career. Besides his home place Mr. Hull is the owmer of thirty-three acres, nearby in the same township.

John L. Hull is a son of Edward and Hannah (Trout) Hull, old residents of Licking county, Ohio. His mother was born, reared and died there, and his father also died in Ohio, but had visited in Indiana.

Edward Hull by two wives was the father of nineteen children, and eight of the children by his first wife grew to maturity, namely: Useeva, deceased, Henry, Sarah, David, Lavina, John Lynn, Martha, and one other. Several of the children by the second wife also reached mature years.