Genealogy Trails - Parke Co., IN Biographies

Marvin H. CASE, one of Parke County's wealthiest farmers and most respected citizens was born on a farm in Florida Twp where his father first settled and where his whole life has been spent July 10, 1835. He is a son of Seba H. and Mary Stilson Case. The former parent was born in Ontario Co. NY on Oct 18, 1794. His father was an Englishman by ancestry if not by birth and was a farmer in NY State where he died. When Seba was 14 he served in the War of 1812 and in early life learned the shoemaker's trade which he followed many years. He went from NY State to Ohio where he resided two years and in 1820 removed to Terre Haute, Indiana where he worked at his trade for a time. About a year later, he, in company with Chauncey Rose, who at that time was also a poor boy, located a sawmill at what is now known as Roseville or Coxville, which was named after Mr. Rose. They operated this mill two years, during which time Mr. Case purchased a small tract of land which is now a part of the large farm of our subject and went there to live. Working at this trade as shoemaker and clearing up the farm, he managed to earn a living. While at Terre Haute he married Mary Stilson, who was born in NY City Aug 15, 1804. Mr. and Mrs. Case became the parents of 4 children of these William Horace, born May 7, 1832 died July 31, 1865 leaving his wife Mary and two children, Eva and Maude. Fred Case of Raccoon Twp., is now the proprietor of the Bridgeton Stock Barn. Eliza A, deceased wife of James King was formerly married to George T. Covington. Lavina N. who was born Aug 28, 1845 died July 28, 1853. Thus we see that our subject is the only one of the family now living. His mother died Sept 28, 1858 and father passed away Jan 22, 1879. Coming to Indiana as he did a poor man, the father of our subject died one of the very wealthiest men of the county. Politically, he was at first a Whig and later a supporter of the Republican party. He was for a number of years Justice of the Peace in Florida Twp and socially, a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, loved by all who knew him. Our subject grew up on his father's farm, where he received a fair education but, wishing to pursue his studies father, he took a course at Bloomingdale Academy and when 22 he taught school for several terms in his own township. Becoming tired of his solitary life, he chose as a life companion Miss Sarah A. HARTMAN, the marriage ceremony taking place March 26, 1863. Mrs. Case was born in Raccoon Twp, July 6, 1840 and was a daughter of John Hartman one of the very first settlers in the county. Five children came to bless the hearthstone of Mr. and Mrs. Case's home: Joseph Wallace, born June 13, 1868 died November 16, 1868. E. Bert, born June 1, 1870 is living with his father; Seba H., born April 19, 1873 is now being educated at Rockville. Cora E., born July 31, 1875 is receiving her education with her brother Seba. The other child died in infancy and the mother died in 1888. Mr. Case is one of the most successful farmers and stock dealers in the county, owning more than 1,700 acres of land. Some two years ago he purchased one of the fruit farms on the Big Raccoon within one mile of the town of Bridgeton. This farm comprises nearly 800 acres of arable land on which is located many fine building and for which he paid something over $30,000 in cash. Politically, our subject has always been a Democrat and served as Twp. Trustee for one term, but positively refused to accept again, although urged to do so. - Portrait & Biographical Record of Montgomery, Parke & Fountain Counties, Indiana. Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1893, Page 600

William P. Collings earned his first success as a livestock dealer in Parke County, where he was born and reared, and from there about twenty years ago moved into the field where he had to meet the keenest competition in the Chicago stockyards district. There he is today one of the leading livestock commission men. Mr. Collings was born on a farm in Parke County in 1863, son of John D. and Amanda J. (Moore) Collings. His parents were also natives of the same county, and their respective families were identified with that section from pioneer days. William P. Collings grew up on a farm and he gained experience in livestock husbandry and in dealing when only a boy. He was a well known stock trader in Western Indiana long before he moved to Chicago in 1896. In that year he established his headquarters at the Union stockyards, associated with the Standard Livestock Commission Company. Later he was connected with and vice president of the Bowles Livestock Commission Company. In 1917 he established his present business under the name W. P. Collings & Son, livestock commission merchants. His son Frank J. Collings is a member of the firm. For a number of years Mr. Collings has specialized in the handling of sheep. The Chicago market recognizes him as an authority in this branch of livestock, and as a salesman he probably has as large a volume of business to his individual credit as any other of his competitors. Mr. Collings is a democrat in politics. He married Miss Mary S. Siler, who was born and reared in Parke County, Indiana. They have three sons, Frank J., a member of the firm with his father, and George Cole and Walter Lee Collings, both of whom are now in the United States Army in France. George Cole Collings is a private in an auto truck organization. Walter Lee is a lieutenant in the regular infantry. He enlisted as a private in Chicago, and has been promoted to his present rank through sheer force of merit and ability. - Indiana and Indianans, Jacob Piatt Dunn, Volume V, The American Historical Society, 1919

CRABB

Edward R. Crabb a son of James, was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, July 21, 1815, but in 1824 emigrated with a horse team to Indiana and located in Parke county, where he grew to manhood's estate and received a tract of eighty acres of wild timber land which his father had bought from the government. In time he became the owner of a fine estate of three hundred acres. He had to cut twenty-seven trees in order to clear a space sufficient to erect his first little log cabin, but he later built him a double house of hewed logs, in which his son Edward was born, while later this gave place to a frame residence, in which he spent the remainder of his life. He was one of the most prominent of the early residents of Parke county and for many years worshiped in the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1860 he transferred his political allegiance from the Democratic to the Republican party. He died August 27, 1890. His first wife bore the maiden name of Liona Williams and was born in Hardin county, Kentucky, October 14, 1813, and died July 31, 1855. They were married in Bridgeton, Parke county, Indiana, April 7, 1835, and became the parents of eight children, but only five are now- living : Lucinda, the widow of J. T. Jefferes ; Nancy, the widow of Daniel Webster ; James H., Peter B. and Edward R. Mark Williams, the father of Mrs. Crabb, built the first dam on Raccoon creek, in Parke county, and also the first mill at Bridgeton. For his second wife Mr. Crabb married Amanda (Williams) Tyler, February 28, 1856, and their only child is Louisa E., the wife of Reuben Cox, of Parke county. Mrs. Crabb died May 12, 1857, and he wedded Mrs. Nancy Harding, March 23, 1858. She died in September, 1892. Edward R. Crabb was born in Raccoon township, Parke county, Indiana, August 18, 1849, and in addition to his public school education he also attended for a time the Sullivan County Seminary. It was in 1887 that he came to Vigo county, locating near Burnett, in Otter Creek township, where, in 1891, he purchased a farm, but later sold his land there and bought the farm on which he lived until the 1st of September, 1907, when he again sold and removed to Edwards. He is an excellent business man, and formerly he was engaged in the raising of full-blood Jersey cattle. He sold three full-blood cows when he disposed of his last farm. For eight years he served as deputy township assessor and then served four years, by appointment, as assessor. He is well known in the public life of his community and votes with the Republican party. On the 2nd of March, 1892, Mr. Crabb married Miss Josephine Briggs, who was born in Otter Creek township, Vigo county, February 19, 1863, a daughter of Robert Briggs. He was born in England, and coming to the -United States located in Vigo county, Indiana, where he spent the remainder of his life as a farmer. Two sons, Edward F. and Robert Watson, were born to Mr. and Mrs. Crabb, but the wife and mother is deceased, dying September 19, 1902. On the 14th of December, 1904, Mr. Crabb married Emma Youmans. She was born in Pike county, Indiana, November 6, 1852, a daughter of Isaac and Harriett (Scilqott) Youmans, the former of whom was born in New Jersey, June 6, 1814, and died April 6, 1869, aged fifty-four years and ten months, and the latter, born in Brown county, Ohio, March 7, 1828, died June 13, 1892. They were married in Parke county, of this state, and became the parents of seven children: Elizabeth, Emma, Margaret, Lewis E., Rachel, Robert O., Ulysses G. Mr. Youmans, the father, came when a mere child with his widowed mother and brother to Ohio. The mother later became the wife of John Burson, and they removed to Parke county, Indiana, where the son was reared to years of maturity and became a farmer. He in early life voted with the Whig party and was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. During many years Mr. Crabb has been a leading member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and has served as president of its board of trustees, as a class leader, steward and district steward and as a Sunday school superintendent. - Greater Terre Haute & Vigo County, Closing The First Century’s History of the City and County, By C. C. Oakey, Volume II, The Lewis Publishing Co., 1908, Page 695 - 697