Monroe County - F - Biographies


 

 


FARIS

J. S. FARIS, third son and eighth child of James and Margaret (McDill) Faris, natives of South Carolina, was born February 11, 1826,. in Preble County, Ohio. His parents moved to Ohio in 1806, where they resided until 1838, when they came to Indiana, locating on a farm in Monroe County, near Bloomington. The father died June 17, 1852; the mother, November 8, 1838. The subject of this sketch was reared and educated in Monroe County; entered the State University when eighteen years of age; remained for a year and a half, and then, on account of ill health, retired from study for awhile. He went again in 1849 and 1850; afterward took charge of the old home farm for some time, and then came to Bloomington. He formed a partnership with Mr. Mason in the drug business, continued for one year, and then was in business for himself until 1862. He was then prescription clerk in Bloomington for four years, and was in partnership with J. W. Shoemaker for a number of years; finally, in September, 1883, he opened a drug store under the firm name of Faris & Co., which he is now running with great success. On October 6, 1853, he was married to Eliza J. Hartin, daughter of Patrick and Nancy Hartin, respected residents of Gibson County, Ind. By this union there were nine children, eight of whom are living, Lottie E., Lillian, Albert V., Eugene M., Ida L., Minnie A., Melville and Elmer. Mr. Faris is a Republican, and he and wife are members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church. - Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, Indiana Historical and Biographical, By Charles Blanchard, Published by F. A. Battey & Co, 1884, Page 562

 

JAMES B. FARIS, farmer, was born in Monroe County, Ind., on June 5, 1828. He has been a resident of the county all his life, occupying the farm on which his father settled in 1827. He has been twice married. His first wife was Sarah Irvin, to whom he was married on September 11, 1855. She was a daughter of Charles and Sarah (Smith) Irvin, was born on February 8, 1834, and died on July 9, 1875. Three children were born to them, viz.: James E., Charles C. and Edward C. On December 13, 1877, he married Mary C. McCaughan, daughter of Charles and Nancy (Faris) McCaughan. She was born on October 16, 1847. They have one child living, Earnest. Mr. Faris is one of the substantial citizens of Monroe County, contributes liberally to charitable movements, and is a member of the Reformed Presbyterian Church. Rev. James Faris, first pastor of the Bethesda Reformed Presbyterian Church of Bloomington, and father of our subject, was born in South Carolina in May, 1791, receiving his early education at Columbia (S. C.) College. At the age of sixteen he joined the church, and began teaching school; also commenced to prepare for the ministry. Having accumulated $2,000 within a few years, he came to Bloomington, Ind., and purchased 160 acres of unimproved land, which he eventually improved. In 1827, he was ordained in an old frame church, the first church of the Cov­enanters in Illinois, he having gone there on horseback, accompanied by his wife. From the installation at Bloomington dates the beginning of his pastoral work After a long and useful life, he died on May 20,1855. On April 29,1823, he married Nancy Smith, born in South Carolina November 2, 1800. She died August 20, 1881. To them were born ten children, eight of whom are now living, four of them being ministers of the Gospel, located in different States. - Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, Indiana Historical and Biographical, By Charles Blanchard, Published by F. A. Battey & Co, 1884, Pages 562 - 563

 

FEE

E. H. FEE was born in Bloomington Township, Monroe County. Ind., June 18, 1832, and is the youngest of the children of William and Elizabeth (Orr) Fee. The former was born in Ireland March 3, 1785, and was a son of Rebert Fee, whose family came to South Carolina in 1790, and in 1830 to this county. Robert died in 1841, aged ninety-one years. William was married, January 2, 1810, to Elizabeth F. Orr, born March 19, 1790; she died October 24, 1881, and her husband January 24, 1876. They were both in the communion of the Presbyterian Church, and highly esteemed. When the Fee family came to Monroe County, they settled on the Graham farm, which was entered in 1817 by Mr. Graham, and which is timbered and well watered. E. H. Fee, our subject, has lived in the house in which he was born all his life. His brother, James P., who was born March 12, 1829, is now residing with him on the old home farm. During the years from 1854 to 1876, he was mining in California. The second steam sawmill, built in 1835 on the Fee farm, was erected by a Mr. Sleeper, and owned by William Fee and William Millen. In 1843, they added a grist mill to the saw mill, and operated it until 1851. Mr. Fee is a Republican, and a member of the Presbyterian Church. - Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, Indiana Historical and Biographical, By Charles Blanchard, Published by F. A. Battey & Co, 1884, Page 563

 

FELTUS

HENRY J. FELTUS was born August 13, 1845, in New York City. He is the youngest of four sons born to Lambert and Sarah (Colton) Feltus, and was reared in New York until about nine years of age, when he was sent to his father, who was then in Cincinnati, Ohio, where in the public and high schools he was educated. In January, 1864, he enlisted in Company C, Thirteenth Indiana Cavalry, under Capt. Strieker. He served for three years, and took part in the engagements at Mobile, Nash­ville and Franklin, Tenn., and also in the "Grierson raid'' through the South, being eighty, two days in the saddle, and in the capture of Montgomery, Ala., during the most of which time he acted as Sergeant Major. After the battle at Montgomery, he was commissioned Adjutant, and on November 18, 1865, he received an honorable discharge. He went to Madison, Ind., purchased a drug store, and remained there for three years, removing thence to Terre Haute. After a short time he went to Greencastle, where he started a weekly newspaper, the Greencastle Star, which he conducted successfully until in 1875, when he sold out and. came to Bloomington, where, in October, he started the Bloomington Courier, which at present is the only Democratic paper in Monroe County, and is in a nourishing condition. In 1880, Mr. Feltus was elected Councilman of the Third Ward, and was the first Democrat ever elected to the Council in Bloomington. He is, and has been for three terms, a member of the Monroe County Democratic Central Committee. In 1879, he was commissioned, by the Governor, as Captain of the '' Monroe Guards," Indiana State Militia. On February 14, 1873, he was united in marriage to Miss Ella Baird, daughter of A. A. Baird, a citizen of Terre Haute, Ind. By this union there are four children. Mr. Feltus is Sachem of the I. O. B,. M., Adjutant of the G. A. R. and is an active member of the Episcopal Church. He takes an active though unselfish interest in all political affairs, laboring earnestly for the success of his party, and has the confidence and esteem of all with whom he has been associated. - Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, Indiana Historical and Biographical, By Charles Blanchard, Published by F. A. Battey & Co, 1884, Pages 563 - 564

 

FOSTER

ROBERT C. FOSTER was born August 8, 1831, in Philadelphia, Penn. He is the eldest in a family of five children born to Nathaniel O. and Sarah C. (Cavanaugh) Foster, natives of New Jersey. Robert was reared by his uncle, in Monroe County. He had received a common English education in the public schools of Philadelphia, and on coming to Indiana, entered the State University at Bloomington, Monroe County, in 1844, where he graduated six years later. In the fall of 1850, he went to Philadelphia, and studied law for two years; then returned to Indiana, where he was at once elected Deputy Auditor under William Tarkington, and served until October, 1855, when he was elected Auditor of Monroe County; in 1859, he was re-elected. In 1863, he went into the dry goods business, remaining for three years, and was then elected County Clerk. After serving for four years, he practiced law for some time. He was elected Cashier of Bloomington First National Bank shortly after its organization, and served until the spring of 1880, since which time he has continued in the practice of his profession. In April, 1883, he was appointed Deputy Auditor and is at present in the discharge of his duties. He served as Secretary of the Indiana State University for twenty-five years. In 1876, he was elected to the Legislature from Monroe County, and served for one year. He was City School Trustee for about eight years. Mr. Foster, is highly respected as a citizen. He is an eminent practitioner, and efficient as an officer a man of true worth and merit. He was married, in 1855, to Agnes E. McCalia, daughter of Samuel McCalla, a pioneer of Monroe County. He and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, and politically he is a Republican. - Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, Indiana Historical and Biographical, By Charles Blanchard, Published by F. A. Battey & Co, 1884, Page 564

 

FRIEDLEY

HARMON H. FRIEDLEY is the second son and fourth child in a family of twelve children born to Jacob and Lydia A. (Evans) Friedley. He was born September 18, 1850, in Harrison County, Ind., and was reared and educated there. When eighteen years of age, he began teaching school in Floyd County, continuing for seven years in various places in Indiana.    In 1869, he entered the Central Academy at Muncie, Ind., remaining for two years, and in 1872 he entered the State University at Bloomington, Ind., continuing for three years. He then purchased the Lawrence Gazette at Bedford, which he ran more than a year, increasing its circulation from 250 to 1,000 subscribers. In Bedford he also entered the law office of the Hon. George W. Friedley, as a student. In March, 1879, he came back to Bloomington and became junior partner in the law firm of Friedley, Pearson & Friedley. He is at present in regular practice and is very successful. He has been Local Attorney for the L., N. A. & C. R. R. since his return to Bloomington, and in May, 1881, was elected City Attorney, and re-elected in 1883. He is attorney of the Building Association, also for the Citizens' Loan Fund & Saving Association of Bloomington. He was married, June 22, 1881, to Sibyl Hinds, daughter of Jesse and Joanna Hinds, prominent citizens of Bloomington. Mr. Friedley is a member of the L O. O. F., and member of Chapter and Council of the A., F. & A. M. He is an active member of the Methodist Church, and is politically a Republican.  - Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, Indiana Historical and Biographical, By Charles Blanchard, Published by F. A. Battey & Co, 1884, Pages 564 - 565

 

FULK

RICHARD A. FULK, fourth son and sixth child of Adam and Elizabeth (Carmichael) Fulk, natives of North Carolina, was born August 11, 1831, in Indian Creek Township, Monroe County, Ind. His parents were married in 18.19, and lived in North Carolina until 1828. They then came to Indian Creek Township, remaining until 1832. They then went to Greene County and settled on a farm in Center Township, where the mother died in 1834. The father then remained there until 1847, and afterward removed to Jasper County, Mo., locating on a farm, where he died in September, 1851. The subject of this sketch was reared in Greene and Monroe Counties until 1847, when he went with his father to Missouri. By his own persistent efforts and a little assistance in the subscription schools, he obtained the rudiments of a good English education. In 1850, he returned to Monroe County and farmed in Indian Creek Township for two years. He then began learning the carpenter's trade in Harrodsburg, and followed it until 1870, when he was elected Sheriff of Monroe County and served for two years. At the expiration of his term of office, he entered the Law Department of the State University at Bloomington, whence he graduated in March, 1873, and at once entered the regular practice of his profession. In 1879, he went into office as Auditor of Monroe County, and served for four years. He then re-entered the regular practice of law, and is at present so engaged. In 1868. he was elected Real Estate Appraiser, and served for two years. He also served as Justice of the Peace for some time. On January 23, 3855, he was married to Mary Helton, a daughter of John Helton, a pioneer of Lawrence County, Ind. They had six children, three of whom are living, Homer L., Lulie B. and William L. Mr. Fulk is a member of the I..O. O. F., Cecelia Lodge, No. 166, and of the K. of H. He is also a member of the Christian Church. Politically, he is a Democrat and a prominent member, of that party.  - Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, Indiana Historical and Biographical, By Charles Blanchard, Published by F. A. Battey & Co, 1884, Page 565

 

 

 


                                                                               

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