West Township

West Township

Prominent among the representative citizens of Marshall county is John W. Baugher, who, as the name indicates, is of German ancestry. The name originally was Von Bacher, and in the annals of the old country, it appears in connection with the history of the Napoleonic wars, and it is a family tradition that some of the ancestors of the subject fought under the great emperor. Mr. Baugher was born in Prussia in 1845, and when two years of age was brought by his parents, John and Magdalene Baugher, to the United States. The family first settled in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, and after a residence there of twelve years, moved to Kosciusko county, Ind., where the parents were living at the breaking out of the late war. Whether the subject had inherited a taste for military life from his Prussian forefathers or not, the writer can not say, but certain it is, that his inclinations led him to enter the service of his adopted country, and he served as a gallant soldier throughout the war. He was connected, at various times, with the One Hundred and Eighteenth, One Hundred and Thirty-eighth and One Hundred and Fifty-fifth Indiana volunteers, and his military career was similar to that of the thousands of brave and patriotic men who risked their lives in defense of the National Union. At the close of the war Mr. Baugher went to northern Michigan, where for four years he was engaged in the manufacture of lumber. While there he attained proficiency as a sawyer, for which business he appears by nature to have been adapted. He returned to Indiana in 1869, and settled in Marshall county, where he has since resided, and of which he is in every respect a worth}' and popular citizen. He began the lumber business for himself about the year 1870, and the mill which he operated was located a few miles northwest of Plymouth. This mill, in 1879, was completely destroyed by fire, but Mr. Baugher, with that energy which has characterized his life, at once began to rebuild, and soon had a larger and much more complete mill in successful operation. This mill requires the labor of about twelve men, most of whom have been with Mr. Baugher for a term of years, and has a caoacity of 12,000 feet of lumber per day. It is supplied with the latest improved machinery, much of which is of Mr. Baugher's own invention. As a machinist, he is quite skilful, and has no superior in Marshall county, and but few anywhere. He has made the subject of mechanical appliances a specialty, and his judgment upon machinery is sound and founded upon scientific knowledge, instead of mere conjecture. Mr. Baugher has been a great reader, both of English and German authors, and though of limited early education, has managed to acquire a practical knowledge of affairs at large, and is well versed in general literature. Socially, "he is a hale fellow well met," and he numbers his friends by the score in all parts of the county. He is fond of traveling, and, including his army experience, he has visited nearly every state in the Union. He is a member of the K. of P., Odd Fellows, and stands high in the Masonic fraternity, having taken the degree of Sir Knight. Politically he is a democrat, and is looked upon as one of his party's leaders in this county. Mr. Baugher and Sarah Conklin, a native of Marshall county, were united in marriage in 1873, and to their union have been born two children, Frank and Norah.

Robert J. Evans claims to be the oldest settler of West township, and has literally seen the county grow out of the woods. He was born in Kentucky, April 24, 1825. His father, Joseph, was a native of Butler county, Penn., and his mother, Bidiah (Turner) Evans, was born in North Carolina. Grandparents were born in America, the father being of Irish, and the mother of Scotch, origin. At the early age of three years, the subject of this sketch was brought to Indiana by his parents, who settled in Franklin county in 1826, and remained there until 1835, when they removed to Marshall county, settling in West township, on what is known as the Sherland place. The countr}' was then entirely new, the nearest neighbor of the Evans family' beingThomas Singleton, who lived up on the La Porte road, that and the Michigan pike being the only roads in the county at that time. Plymouth then contained from four to six houses. Between the Evanses and the alleged town, a man named Murphy lived on what is known as the Wallace farm. The newly arrived family began farming at once, getting in five acres the first year (1836) . Mr. Evans says there were plenty of Indians (Pottawatamies) when his family came there. They were hunters by profession, lived in villages, the women doing what little work there was done. They were a lazy lot, true to their friends and never molested any one. Their relations with the settlers were of the friendliest character. Mr. Evans had little chance to get an education. There were no schools to attend until he was able to work, and when that time arrived he had to put in all his time helping to dig a living out of the wilderness. Hard work was of more importance in those days than education. At the age of twenty, Robert J. Evans was married to Lydia Thomas, whose parents lived near what is now Tyner City. They went to work on their own account at farming and kept it up until 1850, when Mr. Evans started to California, leaving his wife and family on the farm. When he arrived in northwest Missouri he was taken with fever and lay there fifty days. Owing to this sickness was obliged to return home. After farming there a few years more, he removed to the Wallace farm. Mr. Evans has occupied his present residence for fifteen years Of the thirteen children born to this devoted couple, eight are living, viz.: Larkin L., who married Frances Rogers, Marshall county; Josephine, wife of Wallace Pitcher, Missouri; Martha Alice, wife of Walter Rogers, St. Joe county; Mary E., wife of John F. Tindall, Hancock county; Viola, wife of Harry B. Joseph, Albuquerque, New Mexico; Robert L., who is unmarried, lives at home, also Albertus and Littie. In religious belief Mr. Evans is a spiritualist. He never had many educational advantages, but keeps posted by reading the papers. In politics he is independent, believing very earnestly that every man should hold himself in position to vote for the best interests of the community, which he certainly cannot always do if he keeps tied, without chance of change, to one particular party. He has never held any office except that of assessor, which has been conferred on him for eleven successive years. But this is his last year in that capacity. Mr. Evans has seen many of the ups and downs of life, many of its hardships and sorrows, he has also enjoyed many of its blessings and innocent pleasures. Mr. Evans was present at the organization of the county, and remembers that the meeting was held one and a half miles south of Plymouth, at Austehout's house. There were not over six people present.

Peter Holem was born in Crawford county, Ohio, in 1825. He is a brother of Jacob Holem, whose sketch appears elsewhere. His father's name was John Holem, and his mother's name, Margaret (Warner) Holem. His father died when Peter was two years old. Left with eight children, Mrs. Hoiem was taken with her family to Stark county, by her father Adam Warner, and after a time they removed to Summit county, where Peter grew to the age of twenty years. At this time he determined to move to Indiana. Having previously visited the country, he finally concluded to move to Marshall county, which he did in 1848. In the meantime he married Rebecca W^eyrick, of Summit county, Ohio, whose brothers and sisters afterward settled in Indiana. When Mr. Holem came to Marshall county, his possessions were all packed in a one horse wagon, and the trip occupied eighteen days, from Akron, Ohio, to Marshall county. Mr. Holem located in the woods, and experienced hardships of so discouraging a nature that even his determination wavered, and, had the means been at hand, he would doubtless have returned to Ohio. His struggle for a start was long, five or six years being consumed working by the day, clearing at home when not employed by his neighbors, and depending on the woods for meat, in the shape of venison and turkeys. But success finally came, and to-day Mr. Holem ranks among the first of Marshall county farmers. His family consists of ten living children, and one who died in infancy. Of the living, Benjamin, whose biography is attached, is the eldest; Amelia A. is the wife of Samuel Swigart, of Plymouth; Caroline, wife of John Pontious, of Elkhart; Jonathan, lives in Plymouth; Amanda, wife of Louis Friend, of Mishawaka; Harmon, lives in Kansas; Alice, wife of George A. Miller, of South Dakota; Rebecca, wife of John Crawford, of West township, Marshall county, and George C, who lives with his father. Mr. and Mrs. Holem are members of the German Baptist church. Mr. Holem is a democrat. In 1874 he was elected trustee, and succeeded himself in 1S76. Elected commissioner of the county in 18S2, he served two terms, and in both cases gave entire satisfaction to the people of both parties. He has since been called upon by his party to enter the political arena, but declares himself entirely out of politics. Mr. Holem certainly deserves the title of a " self-made man." His early struggles against poverty and sickness were of a nature that might have appalled even the most courageous. All honor to the men who have made their way, by their own efforts, to comfort and plenty.

Adam Holem, eldest son of Jacob and Sarah Holem, was born in Summit county, Ohio, in the year 1841. He came to Indiana in childhood, and has been in West township ever since. He followed the business of farming till a recent date. In 1868 he married Eliza Kreighbaum, also of this county. They have eight children, three boys and five girls, all living. The subject of this sketch sold his farm in 1889 and went into the mercantile business at Twin Lakes, where he is building up a lucrative trade. He has always been a firm believer in the principles of democracy.

Jacob Holem was born in Stark county, Ohio, in 1816. He is the oldest of a family of eight, five of whom are still living. His parents came from Maryland, being of an old family of that state. Jacob's grandfather on the mother's side, Adam Warner, took part in the revolutionary war, as is evident by family traditions still preserved. When Jacob was twenty-four years old he came to. ^Tarshall county, where he has since resided. He has been twice married, and has six children, all of whom are living, four in Marshall county, viz.: Adam, Moses, John and Jeremiah. When Mr. Holem came to West township (1844), he bought the land which he now occupies, the original cost being less than $2 per acre. To-day it ranks among the best farms in West town- 28 - B.

ship. This improvement is the result of hard work and good management. Mr. Holem tried his fortunes in the California gold fields in 1S52; but soon grew tired of the life and came back. Mr. Holem has been a life long democrat. He is a member of the German Reformed church.

Benjamin Holem was born in Summit county, Ohio, in 1847. He is the oldest son of Peter Holem, and was only nine months old when his parents came to Marshall county. He was raised a farmer, received a common school education, and at the age of twenty-eight he married Mary E. Stein, whose parents resided at that time in Summit county, Ohio. Mr. Holem's family consists of one son, Forrest F., a bright boy of four years. Mr. Holem's farm lies in the Yellow river valley, is well improved, and is one among the best of West township. Although democratic in politics, Mr. Holem is satisfied to leave the heat of conflict to those more ambitious in that line, he preferring to pay strict attention to his business of farming.

William Holland was born in Staffordshire, England, in 1840, March 11. His father's name was James Holland, and his mother's maiden name was Ann Lindop. His ancestors were pure Anglo-Saxon, and his father was engaged in the pottery business for which Staffordshire is so justly celebrated. He began at the bottom of the ladder, having commenced as packing bov, and reached partnership in the business. William is the youngest of eleven children. His brother, James Holland, who is a citizen of South Bend, is the only other member of the family in America. When his parents died William was about twelve years old, and soon afterward (1856) he came to America, his brother having come some time before. He came to Elkhart where he remained a short time, when he was induced to go to Des Moines, Iowa, which was at that time the western terminus of railroad travel. Thence to Florence, where he clerked in a store for about one year, when he got a job with a surveying party, with which he stayed about seven months. He was hired for a flagman, but soon rose to a better position, having had a special education for such work before he left England. Satisfied with the wild life in the west, he returned to Elkhart, thence to Adrian, Mich., where he remained until the war broke out, when he enlisted as first drummer boy in Company B, Fifteenth Indiana volunteers. His life as a drummer was short, as he had no taste for drumming, but had a burning desire to be a bearer of the musket. He soon became proficient in the manual of arms, and assumed his place in the ranks. After remaining in barracks at Lafayette about six weeks, he re-enlisted in the same regiment for three years. He Avent through the West Virginia campaign and was discharged on account of sunstroke. He re-enlisted in the Fifty-seventh Indiana, with which he served nine months, at the end of which time he became a member of the One Hundred and Forty-second Indiana for twelve months. He was promoted to orderly sergeant, then to second lieutenant, and was discharged at the close of the war, at Nashville. He participated in the battles of Rich Mountain, Kerrick's Ford, Stone River, Nashville and many others, in all of which he acted the part of a brave and gallant soldier. After the war Mr. Holland returned to the west, but soon came to Indiana, and, in 1867, became a resident of Marshall county, where he worked as foreman in the old Plymouth nursery. Having mastered the details of the nursery business, Mr. Holland, in 1S71, started in business for himself. The business began in a very small way, but its success can be estimated from the fact that the present " Pretty Lake Nurseries" are the largest in Indiana. Mr. Holland has a wide circle of business connections, his trade extending to all parts of the country. The Pretty Lake Nurseries are one of the leading industries of Marshall county. The yearly business of the Pretty Lake Nurseries amounts to $6,000 to $10,000. All kinds of fruit trees, small fruits, evergreens and ornamental shrubbery are kept in stock. A branch nursery at Mishawaka has recently been started to supply the ever increasing demands of the business. Their proprietor might well feel proud of his success, and the reputation he bears for business integrity. He is a member of the Kilwilling lodge, F. & A. M., belongs to the G. A. R., and is a republican in politics. In 1864 he married Eunice Drake, who died a few years later. He afterward married Annie E. Nickleson, who has borne him two children: Kittie, wife of James Wickizer, and Archer, who lives with his parents.

John E. Hoover, a well-known young man, is a native of West township, born in 1862. His father, John Hoover, was a preacher in the German Baptist church, but, like most of the ministers of that denomination, followed the occupation of farming. He was of German descent, but was a native of Altoona, Ontario, where his birth occurred in 1822. In 1859 he came to West township, where he bought land of the Pa. R. R. Co. and became a well-known farmer. His wife, Hettie Miller, was a native of Ohio, born about 1831. Their family consisted of four children, three of whom are living. Noah V. is a prominent merchant of Plymouth. Margaret is the wife of W. G. Cook; they live in South Dakota; Daniel (deceased), and J. E., the subject of this sketch. The latter was raised on the farm, received a good education in the public schools of Plymouth, and finished at Valparaiso. His education fitted him for the profession of teaching, which he began in 1S79, and followed for seven years. He was considered a successful instructor, being engaged four successive terms in the only graded school in West township. In 1886 Mr. Hoover engaged in mercantile business at Donaldson, where he soon became popular on account of his fair dealing, and earnest efforts to please his patrons. Since he became a citizen of Donaldson he has bren a very useful one, having erected several substantial buildings and otherwise aided in the improvement of the town. In 1888 he was put in nomination by the republican party, of which he is a member, for the office of township trustee, and, notwithstanding a strong democratic sentiment, his popularity was sufiicientto gain him a handsome majority. Mr. Hoover is one of the young men who are, as a class, bringing Marshall county into prominence as one of the leading counties of the state.

Among the younger citizens of Donaldson, but one of its leading business men, is Silas H. Joseph, a native of the state of Delaware, as were also his parents, who trace their ancestry back to the first settlers of that state. His early life was passed in Delaware, near the town of Smyrna, where he first saw the light of day. He received his education in the common schools of that state, and his first work was upon his father's farm. In 1878 the entire family came to Marshall county, where they still reside, having become well-known and substantial citizens. Three years after becoming a Hoosier by adoption, Mr. Joseph was married to Anna P. Hudson, also a native of Delaware, but a resident of Marshall county at the time of marriage. The young couple lived on a farm two years, when they removed to Donaldson, where Mr. Joseph purchas^^d a small general store. The business prospered, and the stock of goods increased in proportion to the demand of trade, so that in 1S87, Mr. Joseph erected a fine store room, the one now occupied by the Burgener Bros. He also built a large grain and ware house near the Pennsylvania railroad, and a substantial residence. In 1S8S he sold his store to the Burgener Bros., and purchased the one on the southeast corner, which he now occupies. Mr. Joseph has been a valuable addition to the population of Donaldson, always alive to the interests of the place. Politically he represents the young democracy, and is ever ready to use honorable means to promote his party's welfare. That his efforts are appreciated is evinced by the fact that, in the spring of 1S90, he was nominated for township trustee, and triumphantly elected. Mr. Joseph is a member of the United Brethren church, and lends his energy to church affairs, as he does to all that he undertakes. Personally, Mr. Joseph is quiet and earnest in his intercourse with his fellow citizens, and his business methods have been such as to gain the confidence and respect of the community in which he lives.

Geo. W. Knoblock is a son of Fred. Knoblock, who carne from Germany about 1827, and first settled in Canton, Ohio, where he followed the business of weaving. In 1840 he came to Marshall county, settling in German township, and began farm- ing. As an evidence of the sparse population at that time, we notice, as a matter of history, that Fred. Knoblock was one of six who voted at the first election held in German township. Mr. Knoblock was twice married. His firsc wife died in Germany, leaving two children, Fred, and Caroline, both of whom reside in Marshall county. Mrs. Knoblock had also been previously married and had one daughter, who is now Mrs. Fred. Landaman, of Bremen. By his second wife, Mr. Knoblock had six sons: John, William, George W., Theodore, Augustus, and Jefferson. The last two are dead, all the others live in St. Joseph county, except George VV., who is one of the solid farmers of West township. He was born in 1834, and has always followed the business of agriculture. In youth he attended subscription school about three miles north of Bremen, where he secured an education, which, though limited, was all that the conditions of the time afforded, and which has been considerably increased by judicious reading. Mr. Knoblock has always been, and is to-day, a friend of liberal education, and tries at all times to keep himself posted on current events. In 1856 he was married to Rebecca Hughes, daughter of William and Mary Hughes, who were among the very first settlers of Marshall county. It is said that Mr. Hughes organized the first Sabbath school and established the first grave-yard in German township; also that he attended the first election in Marshall county. After marriage, Mr. Knoblock continued the peaceful occupatian of farming till 1864, when he entered the service of his country as a soldier. He enlisted in the Forty-second Indiana, Company F, which was attached to the fourteenth army corps, known as the Army of the Cumberland, and was honorably discharged at the close of the war. Mr. Knoblock is a democrat, but does not take a very active part in political matters. His family consists of two sons and five daughters. Two children died in youth: of the survivors, two daughters live in Louisville, Ky.; one son is seeking his fortune in the west, and Frederick and Bessie attend school at home. Mr. Knoblock has made a success of farming, bears a splendid reputation among his neighbors, and is in all respects a representative man among the farmers of his county.

G. W. Morelock, a native of Germany, was born in the year 1820, and came to America at the age of twenty-seven, and for two years thereafter lived on Long Island, N. Y. He subsequently moved to Rochester, that state, near which city he followed farming for three and one-half years, thence moved to Ohio, where he was married to Elizabeth Morelock. In 1854 he came to Marshall county, where he has since resided, and since 1875 in West township. Mr. and Mrs. Morelock have a family of seven children, five boys and two girls, all of whom, with one exception, reside in Marshall county. The members of the family are in comfortable circumstances and it is a fact worthy of note, that not one of his children has ever touched intoxicating liquors or used tobacco in any form. The history of Mr. Morelock's early life is one of hard work and small remuneration, while industry and frugality tell the story of his success. He is a member of the German Baptist church, joining while quite young, and in politics believes in the principles of the democratic party of which he has been for years a zealous supporter. His limited knowledge of the English language has prevented him from aspiring to office which his education would otherwise justify him In seeking, as he is well-informed in his native tongue, having received a professional training in civil engineering. The secret of Mr. Morelock's success in life to use his own language is " not in trading, not in swindling, but in the honest sweat of my own brow." John A. Morelock, eldest son of the above described, was born in 1854, in Marshall county, where he has since resided. He was married, October, 1879, to Dora Cramton, whose father. Smith Crampton, was one of the pioneers of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Morelock have two interesting children, and are among the popular and well-to-do people of the community. He is a democrat in politics, always alive to the interests of his county, and a prime mover in all enterprises that tend to its welfare. E. R. Morelock, brother of the preceding, and fourth child of G. W. Morelock, was born in Union township in the year 1858. His early life was uneventful and his education was obtained in the common schools of the country. In 1S83 he was married and the same year began farming for himself in West township, about one-fourth of a mile south of the central part. His wife, whose maiden name was Fannie Crawford, is the daughter of Elijah Crawford, also of West township. They have one child, Cora M. Mr. Morelock is in principle a democrat, and takes an active part in the political affairs of the county.

James Thompson, now deceased, was for many years one of the most widely and favorably known citizens of Marshall county. His ancestry as far as there is any accurate knowledge, is purely American. His father, Larkin Tompson, was a Virginian by birth, and his mother was also a native of the old Dominion state. The father was a tanner by trade, to which trade the subject of this sketch was also trained, but he never followed it after arriving at his majority. Mr. Thompson was born in Virginia, February g, 1808, and here grew to manhood. He removed from his native state to Clark county, Ohio, where he lived several years, and during his residence in the latter state, was joined in marriage to Elender Fuller, whose parents were also Virginians. After a few years' residence in Ohio, Mr. Thompson came to Indiana and settled in La Porte county, and later moved to Marshall county, locating first in the southwest part of what is now

Center township, being among the original pioneers of that locality. After partly clearing a farm there, he moved to the northeast corner of West township, where he made valuable improvemnts, and where he and his descendants became owners of a large and valuable tract of real estate amounting in all to about 640 acres, which presents the results of earnest persistent labor. Mr. Thompson's early education was of necessity quite limited, but in the course of a long and active life he acquired a degree of knowledge that was in many respects almost phenomenal. He was a man of remarkably accurate judgment, and though he never read a law book in his life he was for many years an acknowledged authority among his neighbors on all points of common law. In his investigations he based his opinions, not so much upon his knowledge of what was law, but what his shrewd common sense taught him it should be. He made a specialty of mathematics, and was to an extent an expert in figures, being able to solve mentally, problems that would necessitate long and intricate calculations by ordinary processes. Politically, Mr. Thompson was a life long and representative democrat of the Jacksonian type, but in the decline of life, abandoned active political life. He was a representative citizen, a faithful friend and a kind and loving father, and in his death, which occurred in 1890, there ended a long and useful life. By his marriage he became the progenitor of several offspring, of which two died in infancy, and one, Milton, departed this life later. The following are the names of the survivors: James M., Jerome B. and W. Clark, are prominent farmers of West township: Frances is the wife of Adam Vinnedge, of Plymouth; Sarah E., wife of Ezra Black, lives in the far west. The youngest, Harriet, is the wife of Scott Marks, a resident farmer near the county seat.

Jerome B. Thompson, the second son of James Thompson, whose sketch appears above, was born in the year 1837, while his parents resided in La Porte county. He grew to manhood on the farm, with the rugged duties of which he early became familiar, and remained under the parental roof until the age of twentytwo, at which time he was united in marriage to Miss Christina Miller. He engaged in the pursuit of agriculture after his marriage, and was thus employed about two years, when becoming attracted by the glittering promises of the far off country of California, he made a trip to that state, where he remained, variously employed, about three years. Returning to Marshall county, he resumed farming, which he has since followed, and in which he has met with much more than ordinary success. Mr. Thompson's wife died in 1876, leaving three children, whose names are as follows: Ida, wife of James Ligett; Eleanor, and James L., both of whom still reside with their father. In 1878 Mr. Thompson married Louisa Garner, who bore him two children: Florence and Howard. In i8S6, Mr. Thomspon was again called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who was called to her reward that year. While still in the prime of life the subject of this sketch has attained a fair share of this world's goods, and ranks among the first of Marshall county's successful farmers. Personally, he is very popular in the community where he resides, and is also widely and favorably known throughout the county. His political convictions are strongly democratic, but he has never been a partisan in the sense of seeking official position at the hands of his fellow-citizens.

William W. Warnes, the subject of this sketch, is one of the prosperous farmers of West township, who, by intelligent application, has made rapid progress and improvement in a comparatively short time. Mr. Warnes was born in Coshocton countj-, Ohio, in 1S42. Of his ancestry, family records and tradition show that his forefathers were among the early American colonists, being of Scotch and Irish descent. Our subject came to Indiana in 1S48, at which time there were no railroads, the family moving by wagon first to Wabash county, afterward to Miami, and finally to Kosciusko county. Here Mr. Warnes, who was a tanner by trade, concluded that farming was the better business in this country, consequently began operations in that capacity, and became a well-known citizen of Kosciusko county. His family consisted of eight children. William W. was a young man when the war broke out, but he hastened to enlist in his country's service. He was mustered in 1862 in the Seventy-fourth Indiana, Company F, and his career in the army was of one year's duration, during which time he saw active service at Perryville, and some minor engagements. At the end of the year he was discharged on account of sickness. After returning from the army he attended school a year, an advantage he had never before enjoyed, and so well did he improve his time, that he was fitted for teaching, and followed that calling successfully for several terms. In 1866 Mr. Warnes took for a life partner, Helen M. Jones, whose parents were natives of New York, and, like the Warnes, descendants of the early American settlers. The young people moved at once to Marshall county, and took up their abode on the farm which they still occupy in West township. Mr. Warnes is one of those farmers who might be described as " practical and scientific." His plan is first to test all proposed operations by careful experiment, and base them on results deduced therefrom, and his success may be judged from the fact that his farm has doubled in value within the last ten years. Among the many improvements in which Mr. Warnes takes pride are the two splendid artesian wells and a fine fish pond well stocked with German carp. Our subject's family consists of nine children; of these, the two eldest sons, Harry T.

and J. C. are successful teachers; the others are still in youth and childhood. Mr. and Mrs. Warnes are both members of the United Brethren congregation, of Donaldson. Mr. Warnes is a republican, and is well known, politically, as an honest and faithful party leader in his township.

Stephen White was born in Pennsylvania, near the city of Philadelphia, in 1816. When quite young his parents moved to Champaign county, Ohio, where they lived until Stephen was eighteen years of age, at which time the family moved to Marshall county, Ind,, and settled in what is now West township. Here his father died at the age of ninety. He was a descendant of one of the old German families of New Jersey, and served with distinction in the war of 1812. His wife, the mother of Stephen, died in Missouri, at the advanced age of ninety-seven years. Stephen White was reared amid the active scenes of pioneer life, and at the age of twenty years acquired title to the land he now owns, in West township. Upon this land he erected the conventional log cabin, 15 b}' 16 feet in size, with a sevenfoot ceiling, the only tools used in its construction being one hand-saw, one augur, and three axes. He was assisted in its erection by three white men, the only settlers in the vicinity, and thirteen Indians, the latter of whom lived in the village on the banks of Twin Lake, not far away. In 1S42, he married Isabel Cordner, of Dayton, Ohio. During the interval between his twentieth and twenty-sixth year, Mr. White worked at the carriage maker's trade, and later engaged in farming, which has since been his principal occupation. Mr. White states that in 1835 he made a trip to Chicago, then an insignificant town of less than 1,200 inhabitants, and while there, became acquainted with the entire population of the west side, which consisted of one lone hunter. In 1838, Mr. White returned to his place and began earnestly to clear and develop his farm, which in a few years he brought under a successful state of cultivation. His farm is now one of the best in the county, and his buildings and other improvements are second to none in West township. As a repul)lican, Mr. White has always taken an active interest in political affairs, working faithfully for the interest of his party, but has never been a candidate for any office. His family, besides himself and wife, consist of nine children, viz.: Joseph, who lives near the home place, and is a farmer by occupation; Thomas, who resides in South Bend; Amanda J., wife of Eber Burch, of Polk township; Bell, wife of William York; Granville, who lives in Plymouth; Tabitha, wife of John York, of Akron, Ohio; William, a farmer of West township; Clara, wife of Rev. Stahl, of Wayne county, Ohio; Lozetta, wife of Henry Zekel, of Marshall county. Mr. White is a member of the Odd F"ellows order, belonging to Plymouth lodge, and of the German Reformed church.