Washington Township (part 16 of 16)

the 15th day of July, 1858, and when nearly three years of age suffered the irreparable less of his mother. He was reared by fpster parents, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel B. Ridgeway, who watched over his tender years and of¬ fered him every advantage within their power to bestow. After obtaining a pre¬ liminary education in the common school he entered Oberlin College, Ohio, where he took a course in telegraphy, graduating therein December, 1872. Shortly after re¬ ceiving his diploma Mr. Jay entered the em¬ ploy of the Lake Erie & Western Railroad Company, taking charge of the station at Redkey, Indiana, and discharged his duties in an eminently sate factory manner until the year 1889.

In the latter year he resigned his posi¬ tion for the purpose of engaging in the mer¬ cantile business, which he carried on but one year, disposing of his stock at the end of that time, and resuming railroading by taking charge of the Lake Erie & West¬ ern station at Hartford City. In this ca¬ pacity he continued until January, 1895, when he resigned and accepted a cler¬ ical position with the Hartford City Glass Company. Lie remained their accountant until the company passed into the hands of the American Window Glass Company, since which time he has had general charge of the office, a place of great responsibility, and he is now one of the most trusted employes of the concern.

Mr. Jay is public spirited and has always taken an active interest in promoting the welfare of the communities in which he has resided. While a resident of Redkey he served as president of the first town council and was also, postmaster at that place for four years, during President Cleveland's sec¬ ond term. At this time he is serving as president of the Hartford City council, to which position he was elected in 1897, and he also served on the hoard of education dur¬ ing the year 1894.

- Mr. Jay became an Odd Fellow at Redkey in 1883, and still holds his membership with Lodge No. 335, of that place; he and wife were charter members of the Century Degree Lodge, Daughters of Rebekah, at Hartford City, since 1890, and he is identi¬ fied with the order of Maccabees. In July, j8S6, be was made a Mason in Halfway Lodge, No. 298, at Redkey, and in 1893 moved his membership to Hartford City, where he is now serving his second year as master of Blackford Lodge, No. 106. He also served one year as worthy patron of Purity Chapter, No. 126, O. E. S., and has otherwise been quite active in behalf of the interests of the fraternity to which much of his me and attention are given. In 1898 he represented Purity Chapter in the grand lodge, and in the years 1899 anc^ W00 was similarly honored by Blackford Lodge, F. & A. M. - '

Mr. Jay was married July 20, i88r, to Miss Josephine Robertson, who was born June 28, 1854, and \\ a daughter of Flem¬ ing W. and Catharine (Adkinson) Robert¬ son, the latter a distant relative of ex Gov¬ ernor Adkinson, of Virginia, and his home is brightened by the presence of two chil¬ dren, Jay Gould, born April 20, 1885, and Russell R., who first saw the light of day on the 20th of March, 1890.

Mrs. lay is of Scotch descent, and comes from an old and aristocratic Virginia fam¬ ily. She was born in that state and there resided until eleven years old, when, upon the death of her parents, she with her sisters came to Indiana and settled near Richmond, Wayne county. Later she accompanied her

Mr. Jay is a Democrat in his political be¬ lief and in religion is a communicant the Christian church, bolding at this time he position of trustee in the local congreg: bon with which he and his family worship. Me owns a beautiful home at No. 119 East V ashington street, which is a popular resort for the best social circles of the city.

The story of a very active and useful life has been briefly told in the foregoing hues, and it will doubtless serve as an incent¬ ive to more than one young man whose fortune and destiny are yet to be achieved. From early youth Mr. Jay has been called to fill positions of honor and trust, in all of which he has acquitted himself creditably and given complete satisfaction to his em¬ ployers. The high character he has won in life is sufficiently attested by the nature of duty performed- while his standing as a citi¬ zen may be attributed to his unselfish devo¬ tion to the interests of the public, wherever his lot has been cast. Few men have ac¬ complished as much in a longer life, and taking his past career as a criterion his friends predict for him a future of still greater prosperity and usefulness.

John W. Peterson

John W. Peterson, prominently known throughout Blackford county as one of its most progressive agriculturists, has since 1896 resided at Millgrove. where he owns anti operates a larg\ and extensive livery stable.

Henry county, Indiana, where his boyhood days were spent and where he also received his education in the common schools of that county. At twenty years of age Mr. Peter¬ son and his brother engaged in farming for themselves, renting the old homestead, which they farmed for five years, when our subject purchased his brother's interest and contin¬ ued to operate the same until 1870.

In the same year Mr. Peterson engaged in handling stock for one season, lie then 'bought one hundred and sixty acres just east of the Lake Erie depot at Hartford City, Indiana, on the Newton pike; this was in July, 1870. there' being hut six acres under cultivation. Mr. Peterson had purchased this farm once before, in March, 1861. pay¬ ing for it sixteen hundred dollars, but six years later traded it for one hundred acres of the old homestead, though he moved back to Blackford county, July 30, 1870. and that day had field corn roasting ears and out of thirty-one consecutive crops failed but four times having roasting ears on that date. His first crop was planted April 25, 1871, and it was stated by the old residents that this was the earliest known in that district, though it proved a success, and Mr. Peter¬ son ever afterward followed that plan, get¬ ting as much of his corn planted in April as possible. lie still owns the farm and con¬ tinued to operate it himself until his house was destroyed in 1896, when he moved to Millgrove and erected the large livery barn in which he is now doing a very lucrative business. He also erected a handsome resi¬ dence, which is located on one of the most desirable streets of the village of Millgrove, and since then has given his attention en¬ tirely to the livery and breeding of horses of the Clyde, Norman and Hambletonian breeds, also Shorthorn and Galloway cattle

Mr. Peterson was married, on his twen j tv-fifth birthday, to Miss Rachel Downs, of Henry county, Indiana, and this union has been blessed with the birth of four children, who are named in order of birth: Ross I l)., who operates the old home farm; Eliza¬ beth, who died at the age of thirty-six., was the wife of David Justice: Fay A., operating the farm of Henry Shroyer, of Licking township; Mary, wife of John Stroble, of Jackson township, this county.

Mr. Peterson was made a Mason w hen twenty-one years of age, at Muncie, Indi¬ ana, in Delaware Lodge, No. 46, and still retains his membership there; also Muncie Chapter, R. A. M., at Muncie, Indiana. Though he had kept his dues paid and was always in good standing Mr. Peterson had not visited his home lodge for thirty years until June, 1899. at which time there was not a member present with whom he was acquainted, he having during this time at¬ tended the lodge at Hartford City, with which he still affiliates.

Politically Mr. Peterson is a Republican, though not an aspirant for official honors, always casting his vote for the right as he sees the right, asking nothing in return. Mrs. Peterson is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Millgrove and active in all its work. Living an upright life, pos¬ sessing hosts of warm personal friends and being in every sense of the word a man among men, it is a pleasure indeed to make mention of one who so worthily deserves the confidence of all.