Offutt Covered Bridge

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.

William English, a pioneer of Rush County, and an old and respected citizen of Arhngton, was born in Harrison County, K3'., on tlie 25th day of December, 1S16. He was the son of Robert and Patsy (Kenning) English, both natives of Harrison Count}', K}^, the former of Scotch, and the latter of Irish descent. In 1S23, when William was but seven years old, his parents came to this count}' and settled .upon a tract of woods land about two miles southeast of the present site of Rushville. There our subject spent his early life assisting to clear and cultivate the farm. He continued upon the old homestead until in the year 1S70, when he removed to the village of Arlington. Since then his attention has been given to the management of his farm one mile and a half east of Arlington. He was married February 28, 1852, to Christiana J. Laughlin, who was born in Beaver Count}', Pa., November 19, 1S21, and was the daughter of Wilson and Elizabeth (McCloud) Laughlin, the former a native of Beaver County, Pa., of Irish descent, and the latter a native of Virginia, of Scotch descent. She came with her father and mother to Rush Countj^ when she was but four years old, and she has even since been a resident of the count}'. She is a niece of Dr. "William B. Laughlin, one of the earliest settlers of Rushville, and is a cousin to Harmony Laughlin, now an old and honored resident of Rushville. Mr. and Mrs. English are the parents of one daughter: Laura E., who was born February 14, 1S60, and who \vas married x\pril 20, 1887, to Oscar M. Marshall, a native of this county, born July 9, 1S59, and son of Benjamin Marshall. Our subject, his wife and daughter, are all members of the Presbvterian Church. In politics, Mr. English is a Democrat. Besides his comfortable residence property he now occupies, he owns a farm of eighty acres.

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 - 12,680 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.