Greene County, Indiana
Biographies
HON. JACOB P. McINTOSH.
The subject of this biographical
review, a representative of
one of the early pioneer families of Greene county, was born in Marion county,
Indiana, November 17, 1835,
and he is a son of William J. and Sarah (Negley) Mclntosh. (The sketch of his father
appears more fully on another
page of this work.) Jacob
Mclntosh became a resident of Greene county at the age of two years, when he was
brought here by the removal
of his parents from Marion county. Being reared on a farm, his early life was
devoted to agricultural pursuits
and in attending the pioneer schools of his day. Like other youths of the early times,
his educational opportunities
were limited, principally to the most elementary branches of learning, and this
at considerable sacrifice.
His means being limited, he was unable to avail himself of the advantages of higher
education until later in
life, though he was always a student, and read everything calculated to broaden the
sphere of his intellect. He
has been twice married, first in 1857 to Nancy Kelley, who died March 20, 1872. She was
the mother of six children,
three of whom survive; three died in infancy or early childhood. The living members of
this family are Martin F.,
Mary Hannah and Nathaniel Greene.
Mr. Mclntosh was married the second time on the 26th day of June, 1873. His present
wife was Nancy Ann Crawford,
daughter of William B. and Elizabeth (Brooks) Crawford, natives of Ohio. Her
father was a soldier during
the Civil war and served as a member of Company I of the One Hundred and
Forty-sixth Indiana Infantry,
Volunteers. He died in 1900. His widow is a resident of Greene county. There are ten
living children of this
union, of whom Daisy, wife of Walter G. Hudson, a printer at Bloomfield, is the eldest.
Miss Nora is a popular and
successful teacher, having been engaged in that laudable work for a number of years.
William resides upon and
operates the parental farm near Worthington. He is married and has one child. Bessie M.
is the wife of S. O. Gallup,
of Indianapolis. O. G. is at home. Daniel C. is a graduate of the Worthington high
school and is also a graduate
in pharmacy. He is a student in third year's work in the State University. Lalla
R. and Frances Maude, both
graduates of the Worthington high school, are still under the parental roof,
though the last named is now
a student at the State Normal School. Lyman T. and Moore C. complete the family
circle. They are students in
the Worthington high school. The two sons and daughter mentioned as the issue
of the subject's first
marriage are prominent in business and social -relations, the sons being merchants and the daughter,
now Mrs. A. J. Peck, resides
in Topeka, Kansas. Early in life
the subject of this sketch chose the medical profession as his life work, and after attending the
Eclectic College of Medicine
at Cincinnati he began, practice, and continued that profession for about twenty
years, then for ten years
only part of the time in connection with superintending his large and varied
farming interests throughout
his active business years. He owned and operated a farm of six hundred and
twenty-five acres, upon which
his family lived until 1900, and gave special prominence to the growing and marketing of
domestic stock. Since the
date above written he has retired to a less pretentious farm of
fifty-nine acres adjoining Worthington,
but has relaxed none of his interest in general farming and stock growing.
Dr. Mclntosh recites with much
interest and enthusiasm' the
story of pioneer life in the wilderness of Greene county when he was a boy. He says that his
mother, whose memory he
reveres, was, in combination with all womanly virtues of her day, an expert at
the wheel and loom, and that
for many years she spun the flax and wool- yarn, and wove the cloth with which to
clothe the family, taking the
former from the matured stalk and the latter from the sheep's back. Nothing was then
known of the wonderful
machinery which has revolutionized manufacturing in all lines of human industry. The
application of steam power
was then in the experimental stage, while electricity as a motive power was then not
dreamed of by the most
advanced scientists. The
ancestral history of Dr. Mclntosh is traceable in this section of Indiana, and mostly in
Greene county, to the year
1821, when the founders of the family came from Kentucky. But as this feature of the
family life is brought out
more fully in the sketch of his father, William Jefferson Mclntosh, the interested reader
is referred to that article
for further information. Dr.
J. P. Mclntosh has been pre-eminently a busy and useful man. His life has been spent in
an effort to render good to
his fellow men, and in whatever sphere his labors were directed, he has
discharged his duties conscientiously and well. He has been an ardent supporter of the principles of Democracy, and has
been zealous in the
furtherance of party interests, whether as a standard- bearer seeking support for political
honors or as a private citizen seeking the general welfare of his
chosen party. In political
affairs he has always been prominent and influential. In 1874 and again in 1876
he was the nominee of his
party for legislative honors, going down with the defeat of his party. In 1880,
however, he was more
successful and was elected as joint representative from the counties of Greene, Knox and
Sullivan. His administration
of the affairs pertaining to this exalted position no doubt led to his selection as
state senator in 1882 for
Daviess and Greene counties, though Greene county was then considered almost
hopelessly Republican. But
the personal popularity and careful, systematic work of Dr. Mclntosh carried it for the
Democratic candidate by the
narrow margin of eleven votes, and for the district one hundred and seventy-one. While in the
legislature Mr. Mclntosh was
the author of a number of wholesome and popular laws which remain on the
statute books as a monument
to his memory, and as a convincing proof of his sterling good judgment. In the affairs of private life the doctor
has been successful beyond
the average attainments of men. He was a partner in a profitable mercantile
business for many years, and
his professional life was proverbially a success, especially in the correct diagnosis and
treatment of disease. He was
a justice of the peace for four years, and has always taken an active interest in
local affairs of whatever
nature. He is an affable and agreeable gentleman, universally esteemed, and favorably known
to almost every family in
Greene county. The record of such
a life is a stimulus to the rising generation, whose desires and ambitions are largely
influenced by the achievements
of others.
A. F. WILSON.
Prominent among the active business
men of Greene county is the
name of A. F. Wilson, who was born at Ladoga, November 28, 1861. His parents, P.
H. and Arthuria (Dixon)
Wilson, were both natives of Indiana. Mr. Wilson's paternal grandfather was a
Virginia farmer, and on
leaving that state came to Kentucky, from whence he removed to Indiana, where
he lived out the remainder of
his days. Grandfather Dixon was a merchant tailor by trade. His three sons
were all soldiers of the
Civil war.
Our subject's father was reared in
Indiana, receiving his early
education in her public schools. He later graduated from the Louisville Medical
College, and practiced medicine
at Ladoga for several years. He then removed to Worthington and took up dentistry,
continuing in that profession
until his death, March 4. 1890. The family consisted of six children,
enumerated here in order of
birth: India, now deceased; A. F., our subject ; Frank, now a successful business man of
Salt Lake City ; Ida, wife of
W. E. Mason, now of Mississippi ; Martha, unmarried ; Charles, carpenter at
Danville, Illinois.
Our subject has had a wide business
experience. He was educated
in the Worthington public schools, and after reaching maturity began railroading,
following this for seven
years. He then became deputy postmaster, following this by engaging in the livery and grocery
business. He then served one
term as postmaster, after which
he engaged in managing a meat market. Next he assumed the control of the Commercial
Hotel, later handling patent rights, after which he dealt largely in
live stock. Following this he
purchased the Williams House, which
he still owns, but whose management is leased to other parties. He is at present engaged in
handling a patent wire
stretcher, patented May 22, 1906. Mr. Wilson was married on January 25.
1890, to Lille Griffith, who
was born at Worthington, being the daughter of George and Jane Griffith, both
highly respected residents of
the town. Two children have graced this union, viz. : Lee, born in 1895, and
Guy, born in 1897. Mrs.
Wilson is a member of the Christian church and is an admirable mother and companion. Mr. Wilson has been equally alive to his
social obligations and has
taken an active interest in many of the fraternal organizations of the community.
He gives his hearty support
to the Elks, Red Men, Knights of Pythias and Modern Woodmen.
Politically he is a Democrat, but has
demonstrated that public
service can be easily coupled with straight- forward business methods, having, as
mentioned before, served as
postmaster for one term, and also for three years as sheriff of Greene county.
FRED ROSCOE CROMWELL
One often hears nowadays the remark
that this is the age of young
men, and it would seem to the most casual observer that a great portion of
the world's work requiring
prompt decision and quick judgment combined with the energy and staying qualities
necessary to insure a place
in the following record of the young man whose success, is carried on by those young in
years, consequently, we are
not surprised at the splendid showing name appears above ; for although Fred R.
Cromwell has scarcely passed
the quarter century mark, he has shown by his vigilant energy and untiring zeal
that he possesses a nature
that will undoubtedly crown his age with splendid achievement. Relying entirely on his own
resources, this young man has
so well performed every task that has been assigned him that he now holds the
responsible position of chief
of the fire department at Linton, Indiana, a position that is usually tendered to the
experienced veteran. However,
that city, feels that it can safely trust its property to the protection of this
young man. Mr. Cromwell was
born in Clay county, Indiana, June
13, 1882, the son of Albert and Emma (Fields) Cromwell, the former a native of Clay
county, while the mother was
born and reared in Ohio. The latter was called from her earthly labors in
Colorado, whither she had
gone in an effort to recover her failing health. The subject's father is a successful farmer in
Clay county. He has a family
of five living sons. Fred R., the subject of this sketch, is the eldest ; Charles is
a farmer in Clay county;
Albert, Jr., is employed in a hotel at Terre Haute; George is a tanner in Clay county;
Rue has remained at home
working on the parental place ; Guy and Fay died in childhood. The habits of
industry which the father
instilled in his home from early life have remained as dominating factors and they are all
known as men of thrift and
energy.
Fred R. Cromwell was raised on his
father's farm and there
learned much of the management of agricultural land, while not in
school, which he attended during the winter months until 1900, when he came to
Linton and was employed in
connection with the racing stock of Dr. Sherwood and others, having learned to
successfully handle horses
while on the old homestead. He was then in the employ of the Terre Haute Brewing
Company for more than a year.
In 1907 he was elected driver in the fire department, and appointed chief of
the department in this city
April 1, 1908. Three men are embraced in the payrolls of this department, which is
made up from volunteers,
picked up as occasion demands. These are entitled to pay for their services,
although claims are seldom
filed, the fire fighters being willing to contribute their services to their city when it is in
need of them. The equipment
of this department embraces a hose wagon and two chemical tanks, an abundance of
hose, ladders, etc. This
department has attained great efficiency in the matter of getting out when an alarm is
given. The employs can take
the horses from the stalls, hitch them to the apparatus and be on the street in
twenty seconds. The subject
was married January 24, 1908, to Ora Robison, daughter of James and Fanny
Robison, of Linton. Mr.
Cromwell is a member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Politically Mr.
Cromwell is a Republican, but
does not take a great deal of interest in politics.
ELI STALCUP.
This subject, who is one of the most
industrious farmers and stock
raisers in the vicinity of Worthington, Greene county, Indiana, never
had the roaming disposition that
characterized so many of the young men with whom he was reared, and he has preferred
to test the advantages of his
home county rather than risk his fortune elsewhere, having been born at Bloomfield,
January 4, 1829, and he is
now living one mile north of Worthington on a fine farm. Mr. Stalcup's father was Stephen Stalcup
and his mother's maiden name
was Mary Underwood. Grandfather Eli Stalcup, a native of Tennessee, came
to Indiana long before our
subject was born, settling in Greene
county on a farm, where he spent the remainder of his life. Stephen Stalcup was brought to
Indiana when a young man,
where he soon began farming and trading, having received his early education in
Tennessee. Purchasing a good
farm in Greene county he remained here during the rest of his life, rearing ten
children, all grown to
maturity, the subject of this sketch being the third in the order of birth. He attended
subscription schools during a
part of several years, but his father was in close circumstances and it was necessary for his
son to help on the place when
there was work to be done. The country
school houses in those days were of the most primitive sort, being built of logs with
puncheon seats and greased
paper for window panes.
Eli was always called upon to take
the lead in all kinds of
heavy work about the place owing to his unusual physical strength, so he did the major part of the
work in clearing the heavily
timbered land where his father settled and with whom he remained until maturity,
then he went to work as a
farm hand, for which he received only seven dollars per month, but
which he continued working at
for a period of five years, during a part of which time he was employed on a shingle
machine, being associated
with his brother, Wesley. Then he bought a house and lot in Worthington, where he
lived for several years,
renting land and tilling it, in that neighborhood. In about three years he traded his town
property in part payment on a
farm, on which he has since lived. This farm at first consisted of eighty acres in
the forest, upon which was a
small log cabin, in which the subject lived for a short time, then building a log
house, in which he lived for
ten years, which he regards as the happiest days of his life. He cleared most of the land
himself, hiring a few hands
to assist. He has added to his original piece of ground until he now owns over four
hundred acres, seventy-six
acres of which are in the Eel River bottoms, which is fertilized by overflow, but the
overflows are not of a nature
to be of serious injury to the land or the crops on it, for it produces immense crops
of corn. He raises corn crops
on his upland fields, usually follows them by crops of oats and clover, but he
uses no commercial fertilizers,
being able to keep his land in good productive condition by other methods. Mr. Stalcup feeds nearly all the corn the
place produces to hogs and
cattle, which he turns on the pastures in summer. He handles Poland China hogs
exclusively, and he has the
largest drove of sheep in the vicinity of Worthington. His farm is fenced mostly
with woven and barbed wire.
His house is commodious, convenient and in good repair, and his outbuildings
are well kept.
Eli Stalcup was married the first
time in 1853 to Margaret J. Brookbank, of Sullivan county, Indiana, and
six children were born to
this union, all of whom died young, except Sarah Ellen, who is the wife of
Levi Swango, now living on a
farm in Greene county. They have seven children, six of whom are living.
Mr. Stalcup's first wife died
August 18, 1868, and lie was again married May 1 6. 1869, to Clara Terhune, a native
of Ohio, but who was reared
in Greene county, Indiana. Four children were born to this union, namely :
Nettie, the wife of Grant
Fulk, living in Greene county, to whom four children have been born; Harry E.,
who is married and has two
children, lives on the home place, working with his father; Lena May is single and
lives at home; Elza B., is
living1 at home working with his brother on the farm.
The subject of this sketch enlisted
in Company A, One Hundred and
Fifteenth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in 1863, and served eight months, having
been in Rosecrans' army. He
enlisted for six months, but served two months over time, having been at
Cumberland Gap when his time
expired. His two cousins, Stephen and Calvin Stalcup, were also soldiers. Eli Stalcup's wife has been twice married,
first to James E. Terhune,
who was a soldier in the Thirty-first Indiana Volunteer Infantry, having served
with this regiment for four
years, being in all the battles in which the regiment was engaged. He died one year
after his marriage from a
disease contracted in the line of duty as a soldier.
Both the subject and his wife were
members of the Protestant
Methodist church.Mr. Stalcup
is a loyal Republican, but he always desires the best men in any public office,
not caring to support
"political rings" of questionable standing. He was constable for two terms and has been
supervisor, but was never a
candidate for important public offices. The subject is a plain, honest citizen,
who has won his success by
hard work and habits of industry in whatever he undertook, and the record of his family
is one that cannot be
questioned.
DR. GEORGE B. GRAY.
The subject of this sketch has not
yet entered the realm of the
aged, but his experiences are ripening to a full development, and he is now at the
zenith of his powers. Dr.
George B. Gray was born July 16, 1863, at Solsberry, Greene county. He is the son of
William and Anna (Henderson)
Gray, the former a native of Crawford county, Pennsylvania, and the latter a
native of Morgan county,
Ohio.
William Gray was educated in his
native state in the best
schools that the country afforded at that time. He came to Ohio when fifteen years old and
settled in Morgan county,
where he remained until 1864, where he engaged in fanning and stock raising,
which pursuit he continued
through life. He married when nineteen years old. Mr. Gray moved to Greene
county, near Solsberry, in 1864, buying a farm which he continued to
conduct until 1880, when he
moved to Worthington. where he remained ten years, then moving to
Bloomington, where he is
still living. He has been retired for some time. His wife died in 1873, having given
birth to eleven children, of
whom the subject of this sketch is the youngest.
Dr. Gray was educated in the public
schools in his native
community and in the State University at Bloomington, Indiana. He worked on his father's farm
until he entered the
university. He commenced reading medicine under the direction of his brother, Dr. O.
F. Gray, of Spencer, Indiana,
which he continued for one year, when he entered the Medical College of
Indiana at Indianapolis, from
which he graduated in 1884, receiving the degree of Doctor of Medicine. He began
practicing medicine at
Paragon, Indiana, where he remained for one year; he then came to Worthington,
in which city he has been
engaged in the practice of his profession and in the drug business for a period of
twenty-two years. Dr. Gray
also graduated at Bellevue in 1889, taking the degree of Doctor of Medicine,
and he took a post-graduate
course in Chicago in 1907. Dr.
Gray was married December 26, 1890, to Myrtle Young, of Worthington, Indiana. She is the
daughter of Joseph and Ella
Moses. There has been no issue from
this union. The subject has an adopted daughter, Beulah, who is eight years old (1908). The subject is a Republican. He was
coroner of Greene county for
two terms, or four years, and he has been secretary of the board of health in
Worthington
during the greater part of his
residence in that city. He is
a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and also of the Red Men.
BENJAMIN BACH.
The subject of this biographical
review is a native of
Frauenburg, Kurland, Russia, born on the I2th of October, 1876. He remained in his native
country until twenty years
old, being educated in Russia and at Berlin, Germany. In 1896 he embarked for the "new world," and located in Louisville,
Kentucky, during the first
five years of his sojourn in America. The succeeding two years were spent in Chicago, in both
cases being engaged in the
mercantile business. Others of the family followed until there are four of his
brothers conducting a large
mercantile house in Chicago, and three of his sisters reside in that city. The parents, Meyer
and Zesne (Zesner) Bach, are
also residents of Chicago. The father is a retired merchant. These members of
the family came to this
country from Berlin, Germany, in 1905. The eldest brother and eldest sister are
residents of Berlin, while
the parents and eight sons and daughters are in America.
Ben Bach came to Linton, Indiana, in 1903, and here established one of the leading
clothing stores in the city.
He has a large and carefully selected stock of clothing, gents' furnishing goods, shoes,
trunks, suitcases, etc.,
combined with jewelry appropriate to men's wear. Though a comparatively recent
acquisition to the business
circles of Linton, the house is well and favorably known throughout a large area of country.
Ben's motto has been "A
square deal to all," and this policy has given him a prestige in business second to none
in the city. Conspicuous in
the affairs of this popular house is Charles B. Bach, a younger
brother, who is manager of the business, and a most pleasant and accommodating
young man. He was born in the
same province as the elder brother,
received a good education in his native land, and in the Business University in Chicago.
Previous to leaving the
continent of Europe he traveled extensively, thus familiarizing himself with the
conditions and customs of
that land, and finally went on a prospecting tour into South Africa. He came to Linton,
in his present capacity, in
1904. He is a Royal Arch Mason, an Odd Fellow and a member of the Encampment
of the last named fraternity.
Benjamin Bach, the subject of this article, was married in Louisville, Kentucky, May 29, 1898, the
lady of his choice being
Pauline Lurie, a native of Schaulen, Russia. Her parents lived and died in their native
land. Three children have
been torn to this union, the eldest of whom is Helen T., a little miss of six
years ; Ephraim Leo is three
years old and Cecilia, an infant of one year in 1908.
Mr. Bach is prominently identified with a number of fraternal lodges and societies, the
most important of which are:
Linton Lodge, No. 560, Free and Accepted Masons; Linton Chapter, No. 132, Royal
Arch Masons; Unity Lodge, No.
637, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Encampment connected therewith ;
Linton Camp, No. 100, Woodmen
of the World, and the Knights of
Pythias fraternity. The brothers are Republicans in political views, though not aggressive in
politics. They adhere to the
religious faith of their ancestors, being believers in the doctrines and active members of the
Jewish church.
JAMES JEFFERSON
LANGTON.
Greene county is characterized by her
full share of the honored and
faithful element who have done so much for the development and upbuilding of
Indiana and the establishment
of the institutions of civilization in this fertile and well favored section. In this
work are comprised many
biographical sketches of this class of citizens, and it is not too early to record in print
the principal items in the
lives, of these honest people, giving honor to whom honor is due. Among these
honored and sturdy pioneers
the subject of this review is properly installed, his life having been worthy of
commendation and admiration,
as a host of people in this county who knew him well can testify.
Mr. Langton was born in Wooster,
Ohio, April 30, 1837, but
spent most of his life in Indiana. He is the son of David and Mary (Black) Langton,
natives of Pennsylvania, who
moved to Wooster. Wayne county, Ohio, early in life. Later moving to the
Hoosier state, David Langton
enlisted his services in the defense of the Union at Logansport, but before he could
see active service at the
front fell sick and was discharged for disability, thus being deprived of his desire to
render service to his
country. He and his wife were the parents of three children, namely: James J., the
subject of this sketch ;
Martha, the wife of James Denney, of Scotland, Indiana; Bruce, who gave his life for his
country, having been killed
in battle during the Civil war. David Langton passed away at his home in
Logansport in December. 1865.
Mrs. Langton's death occurred in her native community — Wooster, Wayne county,
Ohio.James Jefferson Langton
received what education he could
from the rural schools. He was left motherless when a small boy and later lived with his
aunt. Jane Russell, with whom
he remained until the feeling that his country needed his services in her dark
days of trial, consequently
he enlisted in Company K. One Hundred and Seventeenth Indiana Volunteer
Infantry, on August 1, 1863,
and efficiently served as a teamster until he was honorably discharged February 27, 1864,
not having taken part in any
battle, somewhat to his regret, but he felt that his work was just as essential
as that of the man behind the
gun, and, indeed, he should receive the same honor. After the war Mr. Langton settled
on a farm near Scotland,
Greene county, Indiana, later buying forty acres of land in Daviess county, this
state, and while he never
fanned on an extensive scale, he did in a most praiseworthy manner what tasks he found to
do and was reasonably
successful throughout his life. On February 14, 1866, he was united in marriage with
Rachel M. Garrett, daughter
of Andrew and Jane (Walker) Garrett,
natives of Pennsylvania, who came to Ohio with their parents, marrying in the last named
state, and where, in Athens
county, the wife of our subject was born. Mr. Garrett was a cooper by trade,
which he plied in Marion
county, Ohio, until the spring of 1864, when he moved with his family to Taylor
township, Greene county,
Indiana, where lie continued his trade. He was a stanch Republican, and both Mr. and Mrs.
Garrett were members of the
United Presbyterian church. They raised the following children : Nancy, who
married Andrew Brown, both deceased; Margaret, who married James Wallace, both deceased ; Mary Ann,
who became the wife of
William Baird, is dead, as is also her husband ; Rachel M. is the wife of the subject ;
John W., who makes his home
with Mrs. Langton, and has been engaged as a farmer and nurseryman, married Martha
Hand, of Ohio, after which
they came to Greene county, Indiana,
where she died. He was a gallant soldier in the Federal ranks in the sixties, after
which he made his home in
Martin county and in Scotland, this state. John W. has the following children : Mary
A., William, Frank, Calvin,
Minnie and Allie. Jemima Garrett was first married to Barney Rienhart. Her
second husband was William
Jackson and her third marriage was to F. Hall. She is now living in Boulder,
Colorado. Mr. Garrett passed
away in Martin county, Indiana, in 1868. Mrs. Garrett was called to her reward from
Ohio. After 1866 James J.
Langton and wife lived three miles
west of Scotland, Indiana, for a period of seven years, and then moved to Scotland in 1873,
where he engaged in the broom
making business until his death, which occurred January 27, 1907, after
having made a comfortable
home for his family and gained the honor that all such well ordered lives should
receive. Mrs. Langton lives
at Scotland.
Mr. and Mrs. Langton' had but one
child, Bruce F., now a well
known merchant in Bloomfield, this county, being a dealer in dry goods and gents'
furnishings. He was born
November 6, 1871, and educated in the common schools, also took two courses in normal
work, and taught music for
seven years with marked success. He subsequently engaged in business in
Scotland, and later lived in
Indianapolis for eighteen months, where he clerked for William H. Block &
Company, and where he increased
his knowledge of this line of business. In 1903 he purchased an interest in the business
of F. R. Van Meter, and under
the firm style of Van Meter & Langton conducted a successful business for two
years, when the junior
member of the firm retired, but only for a month, when he opened up with an entirely new
stock, and has since
conducted a thriving business entirely on his own account, showing that he has pronounced
innate business traits that
make for success in the business world. In 1894 he chose a life partner, Anna B.
Ingles, and one bright and
interesting child, Marian Lillian, has blessed their home as a result of this union.
Bruce Langton is a loyal
Republican and he and his estimable wife are members of the United Presbyterian church.
CHRISTIAN DANIELSON.
The present efficient superintendent
of schools in Greene county
was born in Denmark, November 16, 1853, the son of Johan and Anna (Lillianskjosld)
Danielson. The father of our
subject was attorney general of Schlewig and died in 1873. His wife, mother of
our subject, died in 1859.
They were both earnest, consecrated Christians, members of the Lutheran church. Two
children were born to them,
Christian, the subject of this sketch, and Secelia, wife of a Mr. Lever, now
living in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Our subject graduated with honors from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1873. Though
only twenty years of age when
he graduated, yet, as is the custom
in Denmark, he had devoted himself closely to his student life, resulting in an education of
the highest type. He
immigrated to America in 1874, landing first in New York, but afterwards settling in
Baltimore, Maryland. Here he
labored at anything he could get to do, and business was at a low tide on account
of the severe panic of 1873.
He remained here about two years, when he went to Lynchburg, Virginia. Being full
of energy and grit, he
willingly turned his attention to anything that would give him honest employment, so
he engaged as a farm hand,
other kinds of labor being scarce. In this capacity he labored for about seven
years before a change came.
Besides the hard times, he encountered the difficulty, of learning a new
language, which to one whose
mother tongue is not English is no easy task. Continuing his labors on the farm, he came
to Indiana in 1878. and to
Greene county in 1881, working on a farm in Highland township for two years. His
first and only change was to
teaching, and in this, like every other work to which he applied his head and
hand, success came to him in
an eminent degree. For four years he taught in Marco, and Bloomfield, seeing
his ability and success in
this rising young man, sought his service in their public schools. He was made
principal of their high
school, in which capacity he continued for seven years. He then went to Chiensburg, having
been elected to the
superintendency, which he held for three years ; thence to Switz City, where he served in
the same capacity for seven years. In June, 1907, he was elected to the
office of county
superintendent, which office he now holds, and is praised by all for his efficiency
and energy in trying to raise
still higher the already high standard of Greene county schools.
While in Bloomfield he was married to Susan Fuller, daughter of David and Elizabeth Fuller.
She was born in Smith
township and her parents are now both dead. Her father was an early settler of
the county and at the time of
his death owned a large farm. To
Mr. and Mrs. Danielson were born three children — Olaf Hogarth, born at Bloomfield, July 30,
1890; Rolf Segurd, born at
Owensburg, June 13, 1896, and Harrold
Fuller, born at Solsberry, June 16, 1898. The family seems to be true to their early
training. Mr. Danielson is a
member of the Lutheran church, while his wife continues true to .the Baptist
faith. He is a member of the
Masonic order, and a Republican in politics. His first vote was for Hayes and Wheeler.
The success attained by our subject
is a lesson to all — an
illustration of what can be done when determination and grit get behind a purpose in life to
push it along. Other honors
are yet in store for him. He has won for himself the confidence and high
esteem of the people of the
entire county.
WILLIAM L. HERRINGTON.
William L. Herrington is among the
few who find their native
community good enough to spend their lives so lie has remained in
Richland township, Greene county,
since his birth, November 7, 1860. After receiving a common school education and living- at
home until he was twenty-two
years old, he located two and one- half miles northwest of Bloomfield,
Indiana, where he farmed for
seventeen years. In 1901 he was appointed superintendent of the Greene county poor
asylum, and is now serving
his fourth term. He is generally popular in his native county, being an active
worker in the Democratic party,
a Presbyterian and a member of the Order of Red Men, Lodge No. 230, of Bloomfield.
It is said by many that no
other man has filled the office he now holds so well as he.
The subject was married on March 18,
1844. to Camma Workman, of
Highland township. They have no
children. His wife is the daughter of Henry and Sarah (Buckner) Workman, of Highland township.
Greene county. Mr. Workman
married the second time, choosing for a wife Mahela Buckner. who is still
living in Bloomfield. He was
a tanner. Both he and his first wife are now deceased. Lewis Herrington, father of the subject,
lived in Monroe county,
Indiana, and married Caroline Miller, of near Dayton, Ohio. He had little chance to
go to school and at the age
of fourteen years went to live with George Bradford, where he remained for nine
years, after which he took up
fanning in Richland township. Greene county. Later he went to Illinois, but returned to
his old community in Greene
county, Indiana, where he continued farming. He was a Democrat and a
Presbyterian. He died about
1887 and his wife died in 1895. They are survived by four children — the subject of
this sketch, Samuel H., a
farmer in Fountain county, Indiana, who married Martha Bailes; Thomas N., now in
Los Angeles, California,
formerly of Colorado and Kansas. He is an express messenger and married Prudence
Thompson. Pearl is the wife
of Harry Doyle, of Richland township, Greene county.
James Herring-ton was the subject's
grandfather. He was a native
of Kentucky and married Sarah Underwood, of Lawrence county, Indiana. He came to
the latter state and settled
in Greene county, where he managed a farm for many years. He married a second
wife, Elizabeth Scott, and
they moved to Clark county, Illinois, where they both died. James Herrington had
six children, three by each
wife. They are Lewis, John, Perry,
George, James and Mary. John
Miller was the subject's maternal grandfather, a native of Philadelphia. He married
Elnora Imboden and they went
to Ohio, settling near Dayton. Later they came to Richland township, Greene county.
Indiana, and secured two
hundred and forty acres of land, where they lived for eleven years. He was a tanner
and blacksmith. He retired in
1890 and moved to Bloomfield, Indiana, where he died in 1902. His second wife was
Elizabeth Barton, of South
Carolina. She died in 1904 in Worthington.
He had nine children, all by his first wife. They were: Mariah, living near Tulip,
Indiana; Catherine, living in
Highland township; Elizabeth, living in Bloomfield ; Leah lives in Bloomington ;
Caroline, mother of the
subject ; Mary lives in Bloomfield ; Henry lives near Tulip ; John, deceased ; David.
WILLIAM L. SLINKARD.
Men of general excellence in every
station of life men of
industry, of integrity, of high principle, of sterling honesty of purpose — deserve and command
the spontaneous homage of
their fellow men.
Notably conspicuous among the learned
and distinguished men of
Greene county is William L. Slinkard, of Bloomfield, a lawyer of repute, whose
brilliant success has given
him a state reputation. Gifted with talents beyond the measure of that given to the average
individual, he has acquitted
himself with exceptional honor as an advocate before judge and jury, and in those other
spheres of duty and
usefulness which the highest citizenship entails he has gained for himself the confidence and
esteem of all who know him.
Possessing a strong individuality, unimpaired vigor, discreet judgment and generous
impulses, qualities that lead
to positions of honor and trust — he has discharged the important public and private trusts
that have come to him with
marked devotion and absolute fidelity.
Coming from a long line of honorable
ancestry, whose early
training inculcated a strict devotion to life's plain and simple virtues, he has struggled
from humble surroundings to a
commanding place in the world of affairs, and by his own achievements has gained a
competency before reaching
the meridian of life.
William L. Slinkard is a native of
Cass township, Greene county.
Indiana, where he was born February 19, 1864. He is a son of Nathan V. and Sarah
E. Slinkard. an appropriate
sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this volume. He was reared and worked on the
farm, spending his boyhood amid the environments of rural life. He attended the village schools, completing
the entire course, and later
attended the normal school at Bloomfield. after which he taught school for several years.
He then took up the study of
law, reading with Rose & Short, of Bloomfield, and attended law school at the
University of Virginia.
When twenty-one years old he was
admitted to the Bloomfield
bar, and has ever since been one of its leading members. He was appointed deputy
prosecuting attorney for the
fourteenth judicial circuit in 1886 and his diligence in prosecuting offenders gained
for him his party's
nomination for prosecuting attorney in 1890. He was duly elected and re-elected in 1892.
His administration of this
office and his zealous regard for the public morals gained for him a wide reputation as
an able and fearless lawyer,
and when he retired from office he easily secured a clientele second to none in the
county. Mr. Slinkard is a
Democrat of the progressive type, and served as presidential elector in 1896. He was
his party's nominee in 1906
for joint state senator from Monroe, Owen and Greene counties, and reduced the
Republican majority from
twelve hundred to seven hundred. William L. Slinkard was married on June 2,
1897. to Pearl Cravens,
daughter of Dr. Samuel C. and Mary L. Cravens. She was born and raised in
Bloomfield. is a graduate of
the Bloomfield high school, and is a social favorite in the best circles of society.
Born to this union are three
daughters, Esther. Ruth and Naomi, all living, and one son dead, William Cravens
Slinkard. Fraternally Mr.
Slinkard is a member of the Masons, Knights of Pythias, Odd Fellows, Red Men
and Encampment, and Elks,
having been through all the chairs except those of the Masons and Elks. He is a
member of the Lutheran and
his wife of the Presbyterian church.
EMERY F. HAXTON
Emery F. Haxton was born in Owen
county, Indiana, in 1859. and
was educated in the public schools of that county, working on his father's farm
until 1892. when he came to
Worthington. Indiana, and entered the hardware business, which he worked at for
over two years. He was then
in the drug- business and later a traveling salesman. He later entered the hotel
business and has been
proprietor of the Williams House in Worthington since April 9, 1907. lie was married in
January, 1882, to Mary
McClarren. a native of Greene county, and the daughter of John F. and Elizabeth
(Williams) McClarren.
They have one child, Estill R., who is a merchant in Jasonville, Indiana. E. F. Haxton is a
Republican and was township
trustee for six years. He is an Odd Fellow, having filled all the chairs in
the local lodge, and is a
member of the grand lodge and grand encampment. Mrs. Haxton is a member of the
Presbyterian church. Alexander
C. Haxton was the father of the subject, a native of Ohio, who married Mary
Harstine. a native of
Pennsylvania. They had four children, namely: E. F., subject of this sketch; Laura, wife of
Albert Daller, of
Indianapolis: Harvey D., now a real estate and insurance dealer in Worthington, Indiana ;
Catherine, wife of Merton C.
Bentley, of Chicago. A. C. Haxton was a soldier in the Civil war, having
enlisted in 1861 in Company
F, Ninety-seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He was in many of the hardest-fought
engagements of the war,
Gettysburg, Shiloh, Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain. He was badly wounded at the last
named battle and was never
again able to go to the front, but was on detached duty at Indianapolis. He
was mustered out in March,
1865, and is now living in Indianapolis, an invalid, being absolutely helpless from
the effects of his wounds.
However, he does not regret his service to his country.
The grandfather of the subject, Richard G. Haxton, was of Irish descent. He came to Ohio and
later to Owen county,
Indiana. In 1842 he entered land there, where he farmed the remainder of his life,
and died in 1890. The
subject's grandfather Harstine was a native of Pennsylvania, who moved to Owen county,
Indiana, about 1840, where he
spent his life and died in 1877. The subject has always been regarded as an
honest, upright and
industrious citizen.
WILLIAM ALEXANDER
TERRY.
Some very interesting historical
facts are brought to light by
taking a glimpse into the
ancestral records of William
A. Terry, one of Worthington's representative citizens. He was born in Muhlenberg
county, Kentucky, being the
son of George W. and Nancy A. (She!ton) Terry. His father was born in
Virginia, having come to
Kentucky with his parents when fourteen years of age.
William's great-grandfather, Miles
Terry, was practically one of
the colonial settlers, locating first in Connecticut, coming later to Virginia, and there ended
his days. His nephew, Eli
Terry, and his son were the old original clock makers of the time. He took
part in the Revolutionary
war, and was with Washington at the surrender at Yorktown, where he was wounded, from
the effects of which he
afterwards died. The following alludes to George Terry, grandfather of the subject.
It was at his home church
that the association of the Baptist church met when that denomination became divided,
and it was there that
Alexander Campbell withdrew from the association. In his home were drawn up the resolutions
denouncing the church
doctrine of Alexander Campbell. William's grandfather, Thomas Terry, born
in 1791, was a soldier in the
War of 1812. Out of a family of nine children, four are still living, in 1908,
the oldest of whom is Rev.
George W. Terry, father of our subject. Another, one of the four, Azel M., was a soldier in
the Civil war, and was a
member of the Eleventh Kentucky Infantry. His home is still in that state. Thomas
G., another of the family,
was also a member of the Kentucky regiment of mounted infantry, and here contracted a
disease from which he died.
The Rev. George W. Terry has had a
most commendable career as a
minister, being ordained in 1857, and is a graduate of the old Baptist
University at Chicago.
In July. 1907. he preached his
fiftieth anniversary sermon, and is still filling his pulpit, at the
age of eighty- three. He too,
was a soldier in the Civil war, having enlisted in 1862, in the ninety-seventh Indiana
Infantry and later became
regimental chaplain. He participated in the battles of Missionary Ridge, Jackson,
Mississippi ; Resaca,
Chickasaw Mountain, Atlanta, Savannah, Bentonville and others. He was mustered out in
July, 1865. He has preached
over eleven thousand sermons and has baptized about fourteen hundred persons. In his
younger days he practiced
law, having been licensed as an attorney while in Kentucky, in 1854.
On the maternal side we find also
some interesting records.
Grandfather John Shelton came from North Carolina and settled finally in Kentucky.
He followed farming and owned
some slaves. He gained a wide reputation
as a hunter, and took active part in many Indian wars. While at Point Commerce, he was sent
with his command to
re-inforce General Harrison at Tippecanoe.
William, our subject, was educated in
the public schools of Monroe
county, and remained upon the home farm until twenty-four years of age. He
then rented a farm for
himself,continuing thereon for ten years, after which he purchased a farm of eighty acres,
operating it in connection
with a sawmill. In 1894 he disposed of these and removed to Worthington. He then bought
some coal land and for three
years gave this his attention. Upon disposing of this, he went into the marble
business, and was joined
later by his brother. The firm is now enjoying a very satisfactory volume of business.
On March 4, 1877, Mr. Terry was
united in matrimony with Mary Teague, who was born in Morgan county, Indiana, and is the daughter of Solomon
and Melinda (Duckworth)
Teague. At the time of her marriage to Mr. Teague, the latter was the widow of
John Dittemon. Our subject
and wife have the following children : Estella, wife of Scott Dodson; Mamie, born
in 1884 and wife of Marion
Mast. Miner, twin brother to Mamie, died in infancy; Lennie, born in 1887, is
the wife of Henry Goens. and
is the mother of two children. Mr.
and Mrs. Terry are members of the Baptist church, of which Mr. Terry is both deacon
and trustee.
He has also been a teacher and
superintendent of the Sunday
school for many years. He is an active worker in the orders of Knights of Pythias and the
Modern Woodmen, in both of
which he has held important offices. He is a Republican, and Mr. Terry has
demonstrated his patriotism by
an upright career and loyalty to the principles of brotherhood in his daily contact with
men.
Biographical Memoirs of Greene
County, Ind By B.F. Bowen & Co, B. F. Bowen & Co
