Cowan, Indiana

Mr. Fleming has been engaged in business for a number of years at the town of Oakville and has met with a reasonable degree of success. He suffered a serious loss by the cyclone of 1884, in which all the town, except three houses, was destroyed. Mr. Fleming was badly injured and his store and goods were completely destroyed, so that he was rendered well nigh penniless by the disaster. He recommenced business, however, in a box car, and has since succeeded very well, being at this time in the enjoyment of a lucrative trade, which is constantly increasing. Mr. Fleming is a republican in politics and enjoys the esteem and confidence of the people of the town in which he resides. Maria Fleming, sister of Charles A. Fleming, was born December i, 1844, in P'airmont, W. Va., and came to Delaware county, Ind., in the year 1885. She resided first at Cowan, then at Oakville, where she has since resided, making her home with her brother.

Passage source: A Portrait and Biographical Record of Delaware County, Indiana :, published 1894.

John Wesley Houck was reared to manhood in Henry county, and early in life learned those lessons of industry which have redounded to his success in subsequent years. He labored hard on the farm during his minority, attended the indifferent schools of the country, in which he obtained a limited education, and at the age of twenty-one began life for himself as a farm laborer, receiving for his services first $16 per month, and afterward the sums of $20 and $25 per month. He was thus engaged for a period of six years, when he married and began farming for himself on rented land, continuing to receive a share of the proceeds of the soil tilled for about eight years. At the end of that time he purchased an improved farm of eighty acres, which he now owns, and upon which he resided until 1890, when he discontinued agricultural pursuits, and engaged in the manufacture of coil hoops at the town of Cowan. He is associated in this interest with Messrs. Davis & Perdiue, under the firm name of the Cowan Coil Hoop company, and is doing a very successful business. In addition to his manufacturing interests, he is also proprietor of a hotel at Cowan, which is a well known and favorite stopping place for the traveling public.

Passage source: A Portrait and Biographical Record of Delaware County, Indiana :, published 1894.

Mrs. Houck is a daughter of Marshall and Susan (Fadley) Conner, and is one of the family of eight children, only one of whom, beside herself, is living at this time, to wit, Mrs. Susan Clevenger. To Mr. and Mrs. Houck have been born three children, namel}^: Charles F. , principal of the New Corner school and one of the efficient instructors of , Delaware county; Laura Bell, also a well known teacher, and Dora Lee, at present a student of the Cowan schools. Politically Mr. Houck is, and always has been, a supporter of the democratic party and he is also a wide awake and progressive citizen. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. lodge. No. 561, of Cowan, in which he holds the positions of trustee and treasurer. Of the family of ten children, of which he is a member, only two beside himself are now living, namely, Michael and Maria.

Passage source: A Portrait and Biographical Record of Delaware County, Indiana :, published 1894.

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 Monroe Township - it names this place 8 more 8 times.