Arlington, Indiana

Thomas G. Alexander, a prosperous farmer of Posey Township, was born in Walker Township, December 30, 1S43. His parents, William and Lavina Alexander, were both natives of Fleming County, Ky. They came Avith their respective parents to Rush County in an early day, and here spent the rest of their lives. Our subject spent his early life doing farm work in summer and attending district school in winter. His father died when he was but si.xteen years of age, after which he continued AA'ith his mother upon the farm until the time of his marriage, which occurred November 5, 1S71. His wife, whose maiden name was Miss Ilda J. Woods, was born m Posey Township, May 10, 1S46, being the daughter of John and Lucy Woods, who were natives of Fleming County, Ky. For eighteen months after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Alexander resided in the village of Arlington. Thev then settled upon a farm three miles southeast of that place, which they have occupied as their home ever since. The life occupation of Mr. Alexander has been that of a farmer, and as such his efforts have been liberally rewarded. He owns a farm of eight3'-two acres nearly all of which is in cultivation. It contains a handsome little residence and is, in other respects, well improved. He and wife are the parents of two children: Lucy M. and George W., both of are living. The political affiliations of Mr. Alexander have always been with the Democratic party. He, however, is not a strong partisan, and instead of engaging in political strife he has preferred the (juietude of domestic life.

Passage source: History of Rush County, Indiana, from the Earliest Time to the Present : with Biographical Sketches, Notes, Etc., Together with a Short History of the Northwest, the Indiana Territory, and the State of Indiana, published 1888.

Henry W. Beckner, a prominent farmer and stock-raiser of Posey Township, was born in that township, September 3, 1S37, being the son of Jacob and Polly M. (McDuffee) Beckner, who where among the early settlers of this county. He spent his boyhood and youth upon his father's farm, and at the age of nineteen, or February 26, 1857, he was married to Sarah J. Mahan, who was born in Westmoreland County, Pa., September 25, 1837, just twentj'-two days after the birth of our subject. She was the daughter of James and Mary (Donald) Mahan, the former a native of Ireland, who came to America with his parents when he was two years old. Soon afterward he was left an orphan child, his father and mother both having died the same night with an attack of 3^ellow fever, in the cit}- of Philadelphia. James was married to Mary Donaldin Westmoreland County, Pa., and in 1843, when Mrs. Beckner was but six years old they came to Rush County, and located upon the farm now owned and occupied by O. C. Hackleman, one mile west of Rushville, which place Mr. Mahan had entered from the government. In 1853, they removed to the cit}' of Indianapolis. Two years later they located upon a farm four miles northeast of that cit}?-, where both spent the rest of their lives, their deaths occurring in the same 3'ear, namety 1871. Mrs. Beckner was nineteen 3'ears of age at the time of her marriage. She and her husband thus joined in the holy bonds of matrimony at about the same age; they settled upon the old Beckner homestead, in Posey Township. In 1859, they removed to the city of Indianapolis. A year later they located upon a farm northeast of that city, about four miles, but in February, 1862, they returned to this countv, and located in the village of Arlington, where Mr. Beckner engaged in mercantile pursuits. In December, 1S64, they settled upon the farm they now occupy, two miles west of that place. Since then the entire attention of Mr. Beckner has been given to farming and the raising of stock, in which pursuits he has been fairly successful. He and wife are the parents of four child- ren, as follows: John H., Nannie IVI., JMary E. and Wilna F., all of whom are living except Mary E., who died in the sixteenth 3'ear of her age. Mr. and INIrs. Beckner and three children are members of the Christian Church. In politics, the former is a staunch Democrat. He owns a splendid farm of 140 acres, nearly all of which is in a high state of cultivation. Besides this Mrs. Beckner . owns fifty acres of splendid land in Marion County.

Passage source: History of Rush County, Indiana, from the Earliest Time to the Present : with Biographical Sketches, Notes, Etc., Together with a Short History of the Northwest, the Indiana Territory, and the State of Indiana, published 1888.

Rev. Jacob B. Blouxt, than whom probably no man in Rush County, is more prominently or favorabU' known, \vas born in Tipton County, Ind., November 7) 1842. He was the son of Dr. Silas and Barbara ( Miller j Blount, the former a native of Ross Count}', Ohio, of English and German descent, and the latter a native of Pennsvlvania, of German descent. His parents were married near Hillsborough, Highland County, Ohio, September 17, 1827. In the spring of 1S41, they came to this State and located upon a farm six miles southeast of Tipton, Tipton County, where both still continue to reside. The former has now reached the advanced age of eighty-seven, having been born October 10, 1800. His wife was born September 9, 1809, and is therefore in the seventy-ninth year of her age. Though aged as they are and though more than sixt}' vears of their married life have passed, both are enjo^-ing good health and both are in full possession of their mental faculties and bid fair to live for manj' j-ears to come. The bovhood and youth of our subject were spent in his native county working upon a farm in summer and attending the district school in winter. He received his iirst lesson in an old log school house, having to sit upon the smoothed side of a slab with his feet swinging probably six inches from the floor. While the surroundings and conditions were very unfavorable, he, like many another lad, made the best use of his time, and by the time he had reached his nineteenth year, he had a good knowledge of the common branches and algebra. In September, i860, he entered the North Western Christian University, of Indianapolis, now Butler University, of Irvington, in which institution he completed a full classical course, graduating in June, 1866, as a Bachelor of Arts. Three vears afterward he had conferred upon him bj' his alma mater the degree of A. M. In the fall of 1866, he took charge of the public schools of Tipton, of which he had control four years; after which, owing to the impared state of his health he retired temporarily, from school-room work and entered the ministry of the Christian Church. His Iirst sermon was preached in Tipton. After preaching for a time in his native county, he was engaged as an evangelist for four 3-ears in Western Indiana and Eastern Illinois. In the meantime he had taken the pastoral work of two churches in this count}- which he performed in connection with his work as an evangelist. In 1875, he moved his family to this county, and located in Arlington where for two 3'ears he had charge of the public schools. In April, 1876, he moved to his present home, one-half mile west of Arlington, where he has ever since resided. In the spring of 1877, he was elected Superintendent of the schools of Rush County, which position he tilled in an able and creditable manner for two terms. He has always been greatly interested in work of an educational nature and to the end of promoting the educational interests of Rush County, he has for the past eight years, conducted an educational column in The yacksoniau., which is the source of much interest and profit to all friends of education. Since retiring from the Superintendency, his attention has been given to his pastoral duties and to the management of his farm. He has also in connection with these, been engaged more or less as agent for insurance companies. His marriage occurred August 24, 1865, when Miss Josephine L. Martindale, became his wife. She was born in Wayne County, Ind., January 14, 1845, and was the daughter of Samuel P. and Armilda ((jldaker) Martindale, respectively natives of Henry and Wayne Counties, Ind., the former of Scotch-Irish descent," and the latter of Scotch-English descent. Mrs. Blount was a granddaughter of Elder Elijah Martindale, who was one of the pioneer preachers of Indiana. Theii" marriage resulted in the birth of eight children, as follows: Maud B., Elsie F., Zula M., Roland T.,"Ralph D., Raymond L., Wildene L. and Glen A., all of whom are living except Wildene L., who died in childhood. Elder Blount is a member of the Phi Delta Theta Greek Fraternity and of the Odd Fellow's Lodge. His political afiiliations have always been with the Democratic party. On the 2d day of June, 1886, he was bereaved of a loving wife and his children of an affectionate mother.

Passage source: History of Rush County, Indiana, from the Earliest Time to the Present : with Biographical Sketches, Notes, Etc., Together with a Short History of the Northwest, the Indiana Territory, and the State of Indiana, published 1888.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Posey Township - it names this place 15 more 15 times.