Martin, Indiana

Immediately following the occupation of Armstrong township by civilized men few were more prominent than David Brumfield. Far above the average in intelligence, he was recommended to the governor for appointment as justice of the peace, by the iirst court held in Warrick county in 1813, and afterward when Vanderburgh county was organized, he was chosen by the electors as one of the first county commissioners. He maintained an honorable prominence throughout his entire career. The early elections were held at the house of Zadok McNew, which stood in section 32, township 4 south, range 11 west, was a small double log house, one and one-half stories high, and remained well preserved for manyyears. Zadok McNew was an early settler, not particularly able or prominent, but at one time a justice of the peace. He became a well-known citizen and raised a respected and honorable family. One of his daughters was married in early times to James Patton, who secured a tolerably fair education and taught school in various parts of the county. Patrick Calvert was distinguished among the old-time folks as a shrewd trader. He came into the township in 1816 and accumulated considerable property by trading in live-stock. He was wellknown in all the county as the leading stock dealer in that section, and his judgment was considered remarkably good. He and his descendants have built for their family name an honorable place in the history of the township.

Passage source: History of Vanderburgh County, Indiana, from Earliest Times to the Present; with Biographical Sketches, Reminiscences, Etc, published 1889.

In and about St.Wendell's, a village on the line between Vanderburgh and Posey counties, reside a great number of Roman Catholics, whose house of worship is in Posey county. As early as 1841 a log church was erected there. Rev. Roman Weinzopfel regularly visited the church up to May, 1842. Rev. Conrad Schneiderjans became the first resident pastor in October, 1842. Afterward, in 1845 and 1846, Rev. Charles Opperman and Rev. Martin Stable now and then visited the church and in April, 1846, Father Weinzopfel returned and accomplished much good by his labors, remaining until August, 1S58. The old church soon became too small for the rapidly increasing congregation. April 17, 1853, Bishop de St. Palais laid the corner-stone for a handsome new edifice, and blessed the new church October 22, 1854, assisted by the pastor, Rev. E. J. Durbin, Rev. A. Deydier, Rev. J. B. Chasse, and the Rev. Benedictine Fathers, Bede O'Connor and Ulrich Christen. The edifice cost, e.'^clusive of much labor and material contributed, $5,600. The congregation is in a flourishing condition. Its pastors have been: Revs. Paul Wagner, J. Kauffman, J. H. Deistel, J. B. Merl, Fr. M. Andres, C. Exel, N. Galweiler, Aloysius Daennhoffer, Joseph Schuck, John Stoltz and M. Heck.

Passage source: History of Vanderburgh County, Indiana, from Earliest Times to the Present; with Biographical Sketches, Reminiscences, Etc, published 1889.

George Hoefling, sr., was born in the village of Stettin, Germany, December 26, 1S29, and came to this county with his parents when he was eleven years of age. He was the third of nine children of Antony and Theresa (Lamprecht) Hoefling. The father was born April i, 1803, at Stettin, and the mother. May S, 1805, in the same country. They were married in Germany, and emigrated to America in 1840, coming direct to Evansville. They lived one year in German township, and then came to Armstrong, near St. Joseph, where they have resided ever since. The mother died in 1877, at the age of seventy-two, but Antony Hoefling was still living, April, 1888, the oldest man in his township. George Hoefling, sr., until he was sixteen, worked on his father's farm, then for ten months was engaged in the Hvery stable of E. Garnett, at New Orleans, after which he followed steamboaling for about seven years. Then he returned to his father's farm, and remained until he was twenty-three when he was married to Christine Behm, September 27, 1853. She was a native of Westphalia. To them were born six children: Mary F., Anna W., George A., Fred A., Catherine C. and Mary A. Mrs. Hoefling died in 1S75, ^^ the age of forty-one, and October 12, 1876, he was married to Barbara Drunk, who was born in Bavaria, September 15, 1846. The children of this union were Joseph A., John L., Louisa J., and John W. and Mary T., twins. He was elected township trustee in 1878, but soon after resigned. From 1878 to 1880, he held the important position of president of the Mutual Fire Insurance company. He is a member of St. Joseph congregation of the Catholic church, and has held many prominent positions in that organization, and is at present on the committee for the construction of a new church at St. Joseph.

Passage source: History of Vanderburgh County, Indiana, from Earliest Times to the Present; with Biographical Sketches, Reminiscences, Etc, published 1889.

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 Armstrong Township - it names this place 5 more 5 times.