Alfred M. Armstrong, who was born on November 17, 1851, in Sand Creek township, one and three-fourths miles north of his present home, is the son of Robert and Rebecca Jane (Hamilton) Armstrong, the former of whom was a well-known citizen of this county. Robert Armstrong, a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1817, was brought by his parents to Decatur county when three years old, the family settling in Sand Creek township east of Westport. His father having died shortly after their arrival in Decatur county, Robert was reared in a pioneer log cabin and experienced both the hardships and the joys of pioneer life. Early in life he was married to Rebecca Jane Hamilton, who was born in 1818 and who was the daughter of James Hamilton, a relative of the Hamiltons of Fugit township. He came to Decatur county early in its history and here spent the remainder of his life, his wife living to the ripe old age of ninety-seven. After his marriage, Robert Armstrong settled on a farm near Letts and later moved to near Westport, having, by the time the Civil War began, accumulated three hundred acres of land. He early manifested an interest in civic affairs and politics and served many years as justice of the peace and two terms as township trustee. He was a charter member of the Free and Accepted Masons at Westport and a prominent man during his day and generation. He died in 1878, while his brother James had died one year previously, and his other brothers and sisters, William, Mrs. Sallie Barnes, Mrs. Jane Singleton, Mrs. Mary Falkenberg and Mrs. Rebecca Boicourt, are all now deceased.

Robert and Rebecca Jane Armstrong had several children, James W., deceased, lived in Sand Creek township; John H., lives in Marion township, south of Greensburg; Oliver P., who is a resident of Fayette county, Illinois; George W., who is a well-known farmer; Albert M., the subject of this sketch, and Francis D., who is president of the First National Bank at Westport. After the death of his first wife, Robert Armstrong was united in marriage to Eliza Jane McDonald and had three children by this second marriage, Robert F., of Letts; Mrs. Mary Jane Harding, of Westport, and Mrs. Louisa Helen Updike, also of Westport.

Alfred M. Armstrong, who was educated in the district schools of Decatur county, spent his boyhood as most boys of his neighborhood, in grubbing, planting, sowing and reaping. He assisted his father on the farm until the latter's death in 1878, and, after his death, he and his brother James operated a farm near Letts for two years. Alfred M. then purchased eighty acres, south of Letts, and to this original purchase he has added from time to time until he now owns four hundred and thirty acres. Some years ago he erected a barn, forty by sixty feet, and for more than ten years has gotten his light and fuel from a gas well which flows on his own farm. In front of the Armstrong residence, an attractive country farm house, is a large stone monument erected by the Chicago Herald in commemoration of the spot being chosen as the center of population in 1890.

On July 4, 1886, Mr. Armstrong was married to Hettie M. Dixon, born on July 23, 1862, in Lewis county, Kentucky, the daughter of Levi and Mary (Toler) Dixon, natives of Kentucky, who came to Jennings county in 1865 and four years later to Decatur county. Farmers by occupation, they owned a large tract of land in Sand Creek township south of Westport. Alfred Armstrong was a stockholder in the First National Bank of Westport, Indiana and carries on general farming and stock raising. The father died in 1878 and the mother, who was born in September, 1837, died on May 30, 1915, at the age of eighty-seven years. Mrs. Armstrong, who was a teacher in the public schools of this county, attended Hope and Butlerville academies. Mrs. Armstrong also taught school in Jennings county, having begun as a school teacher at Sherwood. She taught five years in all, the last year at the home school.

Mr. and Mrs. Alfred M. Armstrong have been the parents of ten children, one of whom, Roxina, the second born, is deceased. The other children are, Dewitt Talmage, born on April 17, 1887; Cassius Dixon, January 30, 1890; Forrest Eugene, December 12, 1891; Glant Leland, June 20, 1893; Oakleigh, February 14, 1895; Lotus Lowell, June 30, 1898; Winifred, March 28, 1899; Mary Elma, and Martha Elva, twins, July 15, 1903. Of this family, Glant Leland is a student at Purdue University and one of the well-known leaders in college life at that institution.

Like his father before him, Alfred M. Armstrong is a loyal and faithful adherent of the Democratic party. Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong and family are members of the Baptist church. As a farmer, Alfred M. Armstrong is not excelled anywhere in the township where he lives. As a citizen he has always taken a commendable interest in public affairs and, at all times, has given loyal and valuable support to worthy public enterprises. The Armstrong family is well known throughout Sand Creek township and are popular with all classes of people.

"History of Decatur County, Indiana"
Lewis A. Harding
B. F. Bowen & Co.
Indianapolis, Indiana
published in 1915.

The late John Logan lived at home with his parents until his marriage, January 24, 1856, to Eliza E. Hungate, after which he and his wife settled on a farm in Clay township, five miles west of Greensburg. This farm, which was improved and where he and his wife lived until September, 1886, is now occupied by his son. In the meantime, they had prospered and accumulated seven hundred and forty acres of land. Having first begun with a small competence, he had at first purchased two hundred and fifty-seven acres on credit and, after paying for this, by hard work and careful management, he continued buying land, purchasing subsequently four large farms.

Eliza E. Hungate, to whom Mr. Logan was married in 1856, was born in Jefferson county, Kentucky, on June 27, 1838, and was the daughter of John and Eliza (Gregory) Hungate, natives of Kentucky, who immigrated to Shelby county in 1840 and later settled in Noble township, Shelby county, Indiana, where they died. He was born in 1798 and died on September 21, 1891, his wife having died previously, at the age of seventy-seven years. Their children were as follow: Andrew Jackson, deceased; George Washington, deceased; Mrs. Cynthia Jones, deceased; John, who lives on the old homestead in Shelby county; Mrs. Eliza Logan, and Catherine, the wife of Thomas Vaughn, deceased.

To Mr. and Mrs. John Logan were born three children, Orange H., George Andrew and Eliza E. Orange owns the old home farm and is a prosperous farmer. He was born June 10, 1857, and married Emma Gregory, a native of Kentucky. They have three children, Earl C., Clem and Nellie. George Andrew, born on March 7, 1862, who is a farmer in Clay township, married Artemus Hayman and has one son, Harry. Mrs. Eliza E. Covert, born on February 23, 1870, resides with her mother. She owns a farm of two hundred acres in Washington township.

A Democrat in politics, the late John Logan took an active part in the councils of his party and was known as one of the leaders in this section of the state. Nevertheless, he was a man of strong domestic temperament and loved his home and friends. One of the largest stock raisers and dealers in Decatur county, Mr. Logan in his lifetime dealt in mules, cattle, horses and sheep. He was accustomed to buying them through the country, then fatten them on his farm and ship them to distant markets.

Mrs. Eliza E. Covert and her mother are active workers in the Christian church, of which both are members. Mrs. Covert is a member of the Department Club of Decatur county and is prominent in this organization. Mrs. Logan has one great-granddaughter, Lela Emma, the daughter of Clem and Freda (Simmons) Logan. Clem is the son of Orange and Emma (Gregory) Logan. On January 24, 1906, Mr. and Mrs. John Logan celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. It was more than six years after this that Mr. Logan passed away.

As a man well known in the community, the late John Logan will be remembered as of modest and unassuming manners and a man, who during his long and useful life, was interested in the welfare of his neighbors and devoted to the cause of a wholesome and healthful community spirit. His beloved widow is a woman of most pleasing manners, intelligent, cultured and refined, whose life reflects the high order of womanhood in this county.

"History of Decatur County, Indiana"
Lewis A. Harding
B. F. Bowen & Co.
Indianapolis, Indiana
published in 1915.

George W. Metz was born on May 18, 1862, on a farm near Springhill in Fugit township, Decatur county, Indiana, son of John Henry Metz, who, a poor German lad of twenty-two, came to this county in 1854 and, after living two years in Ohio, settled in Decatur county, Indiana, where, four years later he was married to Louise Huber, a native of Franklin county, this state, who was born on July 16, 1836, and who died on July 10, 1895, the daughter of Gottfried and Margaret (Ziegler) Huber, natives of Germany. From twenty-five cents, which was all the money that John Henry Metz had on his arrival in America after a tedious voyage across the Atlantic, his fortune has grown from year to year until he now, at the age of eighty-three, owns six hundred acres of land in Fugit and Salt Creek townships, this county, and is regarded as one of the wealthiest men in this section of the state. Although George W. Metz was one of a family of eight children, he, nevertheless, remained at home until his marriage at the age of twenty-eight and assisted his father on the farm. In the early part of 1890 he left the farm and moved to Newpoint, where he engaged in business. On Thanksgiving Day, 1890, Mr. Metz was married to Katie Rabenstein, of Cincinnati, Ohio, the daughter of George Rabenstein, for many years recorder of Hamilton county, Ohio, a position he held at the time of the celebrated court house riot, and a very prominent citizen not only of Cincinnati, but a man who was well known throughout the state of Ohio. He was holding the office of county recorder at the time of his daughter's marriage to Mr. Metz. To this union nine children have been born, all of whom are living: Amanda, the wife of McClelland Wolfe, of North Berne, Ohio, who has two children, Neola and Oren; Elma, the wife of Howard Starks, who resides on the F. B. Kitchin farm in Fugit township, this county, and has two daughters, Bessie and Audrey, both of whom are graduates of the Greensburg high school; Christine, who is at home and works in her father's store; McKinley, who is a student in the Greensburg high school, and Louise, Marguerite, Cora May, George Henry and Katherine, who are at home and attending school.

George W. Metz has always been an ardent believer in Republican principles and a warm supporter of Republican candidates. Appointed postmaster at Newpoint in 1896, during President McKinley's administration, he served eighteen years in that office, or until 1914, two years after the inauguration of President Wilson. He is proud of the various commissions he holds from President McKinley, President Roosevelt, President Taft and President Wilson. All of the members of the Metz family attend the Presbyterian church.

Many of Mr. Metz's most sterling traits, the traits of character which have made him one of the leaders in the business life of Salt Creek township, he, no doubt, has inherited from his worthy father. Careful in his business methods, honorable in his relations with his patrons, he has enjoyed their unqualified confidence and support since his business was first established at Newpoint. No one has ever been disposed to question the intellectual sincerity or personal honor of Mr. Metz. While he has been prominent in the life of the community, he is, nevertheless, a man of domestic temperament, who is devoted primarily to the interests of his home and his family. He deserves credit in a large measure for what he has accomplished and especially for the worthy example he has set for his children.

"History of Decatur County, Indiana"
Lewis A. Harding
B. F. Bowen & Co.
Indianapolis, Indiana
published in 1915.

The story of Isaac Shera's rise to fortune is a most interesting chapter in the history of Decatur county. He began his farming operations when a young man of twenty-one years, and in 1880, shortly after his marriage, purchased one hundred and twenty acres, which tract is now looked on as the family homestead. From time to time he has added to this land from the fruits of his industry, his toil and his good management. In 1890 he bought fifty-two acres across the road from the original one-hundred-and-twenty acre tract and the next year bought twenty-eight acres, the remainder of the eighty-acre tract. The next year he purchased one hundred and sixty acres one mile east of the homestead in what is known as the Big Horn neighborhood, and adjoining the Big Horn high school. In 1904 he bought eighty acres adjacent to the Big Horn high school, and a few years later one hundred and twenty acres one mile south of Sardinia. A little later he added forty acres to the Sardinia tract, making one hundred and sixty acres, and in the meantime purchased eighty acres one mile west of the homestead. In a way, there is no complex chapter in his rise to success, except that he has fed all the grain he raises to live stock and has always striven to do the right thing at the right time and in the proper way. Although his farms are all rented they are kept in first-class condition, Mr. Shera devoting his time to looking after repairs and keeping up the land. In 1914, for instance, he had eight barns painted.

Isaac Shera was born on August 25, 1851, near Sardinia, in Decatur county, Indiana, the son of Caleb and Elizabeth (Shaffer) Shera, the former of whom was born in 1815 and died in 1883, and the latter of whom died in 1868. Caleb Shera was a native of Ireland, who at the age of twenty-five came to America and settled in Bartholomew county, this state, moving westward to Decatur county after his marriage in Franklin county. Elizabeth Shera was reared in Franklin county, the daughter of John and Catherine Shaffer, of Pennsylvania-German stock. Of the eleven children born to Caleb and Elizabeth (Shaffer) Shera, six are living and five are deceased. The deceased children are Mary Elizabeth; Isabelle, who died at the age of fifteen; John Wesley; William, who died in the service of the Union army in a hospital at Nashville, Tennessee; and Thomas M., who was a farmer. The living children are Catherine, of Lebanon, Indiana; James, of Lebanon; Isaac, the subject of this sketch; Wilson M., a farmer of Jackson township; Sylvester C., who lives in Kansas; and Mrs. Martha A. Watkins, a widow who resides at Wellington, Kansas. The late Caleb Shera was a Republican, but had never aspired to office.

On November 28, 1878, Isaac Shera was married to Mary A. Updike, who was born on October 23, 1852, the daughter of Elijah and Matilda (Gilbert) Updike, the former of whom was born on August 4, 1818, and died on May 10, 1893. Peter Updike, the lather of Elijah and grandfather of Mrs. Shera, was a native of Pennsylvania, who packed up his household goods in wagons and brought his family to the rough timber lands of Indiana, looking into the uncertain and dangerous future with faith in himself and in the God of his fathers. Nor was this pioneer's faith misplaced, as the after years have proved. It was in Franklin county that Elijah Updike began life and when he had reached manhood he married and made his home on a farm two miles north of Westport, in this county. His wife, whose maiden name was Matilda Gilbert, was twice married, being at the time of her marriage to Elijah Updike, the widow of a Mr. Luse, who had a daughter, Nancy J. Luse. Matilda Updike was a daughter of James Gilbert, whose enterprising spirit and ambition brought him from bonnie Scotland to this country in the days of his young manhood. He had a reputation in all the country around for his honesty and integrity, and his good business ability. His daughter, Matilda, was born in 1834 and passed away on July 1, 1889. On the farm on which Elijah Updike and wife settled in 1861 they spent the rest of their lives. They were the parents of four children, namely: William G., former commissioner of Decatur county; Mary Ann, who is the wife of Mr. Shera; Frank M., of Butler county, Ohio, and John Riley, who died in Franklin county when two years of age.

To Isaac and Mary A. (Updike) Shera have been born two children, the youngest of whom, Elmer Ray, was born on November 4, 1887, and died on April 22, 1889. Earl Leroy, the eldest, was born on November 2, 1885, and is a farmer in Jackson township. He married Mamie Clark and they have two children, Glen G. and Lucile.

Isaac Shera has one of the most beautiful country homes in Decatur county. His residence sets back fifty feet from the road, and is reached through an avenue of shade trees and shrubbery by a graveled driveway, the lawn being surrounded by a beautiful iron fence. Flowers are to be found everywhere, and everything is kept in the very neatest condition. There are two gas wells on the Shera farms. Isaac Shera erected all the buildings on his farm and is proud of his place and achievements, as he has a right to be. He has improved and remodeled more farms in Jackson township than any other resident thereof.

Mr. and Mrs. Shera are members of the Baptist church, Mr. Shera having joined that church at Westport on February 10, 1913. He is treasurer of the congregation and a trustee of the church. He gave land valued at sixteen hundred dollars on which the new church is to be erected, and also presented the congregation with a house and lot for a parsonage. In addition he also donated the cash for the erection of the church and in this community he is known as one of its most liberal citizens. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge at Letts, and he is a Republican, although he has never aspired to office.

A man who believes in public improvements and who believes not only in public improvements, but in private improvements; who is industrious, frugal and business-like in habits; who is honorable and upright in his dealings with his fellows, Mr. Shera is entitled to the profoundest respect of the public. Isaac Shera has been all of these things and today he not only is one of the more well-to-do citizens of the county, but he has also, in his race for fame and fortune, attained what is even more valuable, the good will of the people with whom he has come into contact.
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"History of Decatur County, Indiana"
Lewis A. Harding
B. F. Bowen & Co.
Indianapolis, Indiana
published in 1915.

The late Judge Samuel Alexander Bonner was born on a plantation in Wilcox county, Alabama, on December 5, 1826, the son of James and Mary (Foster) Bonner. His parents were both of Scotch-Irish ancestry and descended from families who first settled in South Carolina. About 1830 the serious agitation against slavery was beginning in this country, started by men and women, first called fanatics, it was carried forward during a period of thirty years, culminating in the most serious civil crisis in the history of the world. James Bonner was bitterly opposed to the institution of slavery, and, finding that he could accomplish nothing against it in the state of his residence, he left the Southland in 1836 and came to the North, where slavery was an illegal institution. There were six children, four sons and two daughters, who came North with the parents, when they located in 1836 near Springhill in Fugit township in the old United Presbyterian settlement. Of these four sons, James Foster died in 1913 at the age of ninety-two, in the city of Greensburg; Rev. John Irwin settled in Due West, South Carolina, and died in 1881, in the midst of eminent usefulness in ecclesiastical, editorial and educational service, as leader from 1847, in every department of church activity, and, for many years, editor of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian, and president of the Due West Female College; William Harvey died in 1874; Samuel A., is the subject of this sketch; two daughters, Margaret E. and Mary J. died in 1858 and 1861, respectively, while visiting a brother in South Carolina. The father, James Bonner, passed away in 1844.

Any student of history will know that the educational advantages in pioneer settlements of the Hoosier state during the forties, were exceedingly limited. Fortunately, Samuel A. Bonner was not compelled to rely upon the pioneer schools for his education. He was able to attend the Richland Academy in Rush county, and, subsequently, Miami University, at Oxford, Ohio. Still later he was a student at Central College at Danville, Kentucky, and was graduated there in 1849. These two institutions, Miami University and Center College, at this period, offered perhaps the widest educational advantages west of the Alleghany mountains and it would be difficult to estimate what they did for the pioneer educational life of Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. Samuel A. Bonner was only one of the young men of this early period who came under their protecting aegis.

After studying law in the office of Judge Andrew Davison, in Greensburg, he was graduated from the law department of Indiana University in 1852. He then began the practice of his profession in Greensburg with Barton W. Wilson. Two years later he was elected a member of the Indiana General Assembly and was re-elected for a second term. About this time he was elected judge of the common pleas court of Rush and Decatur counties and served four years. In 1860 he became a law partner of the late Will Cumback, which partnership continued until Mr. Cumback retired from practice. In 1877 Judge Bonner was elected to the circuit bench and served twelve years, when, upon his retirement from the bench, he became the senior partner of the law firm of Bonner, Tackett & Bennett, which firm continued for several years, with a few changes in the partnership meanwhile. It is noteworthy and shows the estimation in which he was held as a learned and impartial jurist that he was unopposed for his second term by both parties, and that no decision of his was ever reversed by a superior court. Judge Bonner loved the bench and cared little for the active practice of law, either as a counselor or as a solicitor. In fact, he rarely went into the court room after retiring from the bench. For nine years Judge Bonner was a member of the board of trustees of the Indiana School for the Deaf.

Having been elected a ruling elder in the Greensburg Presbyterian church in 1862, he served in this capacity until his death on April 5, 1904. He was always prominent in church work and six times was commissioner to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian church, an exceptionally high holler for any layman and a fitting testimonial to his service in the church.

Judge Samuel A. Bonner was twice married, the first time in 1852 to Ella M. Carter, a niece of John I. Morrison, who was prominent in the pioneer educational affairs of the state. She died on October 27, 1861, leaving two daughters, Mrs. Lizzie C. Wampler, and Mrs. Minnie E. Dechant, a widow, both of Richmond, Indiana. The latter has one son, Frederick Bonner Dechant, a student at Kenyon College, at Gambier, Ohio. The former also has one son, John Bonner Wampler, a graduate of Purdue University, a civil engineer by profession, who is employed by the Chicago Lift Bridge Company. He was married in June, 1913, to Hester Light, of Chicago.

Judge Bonner was again married on August 22, 1867, the second time to Abbie A. Snell, who was born at East Randolph, now Holbrook, Massachusetts, the daughter of Alvan and Anna (Holbrook) Snell. Both the Holblook and Snell families mere pioneers in the Old Bay state. Mrs. Bonner is descended from eight persons who came over to this country on the "Mayflower," among them being Miles Standish, John Alden, Priscilla Mullins and Governor Bradford. On the Snell side of the family, several members fought in the Revolutionary War. Mrs. Bonner is a direct descendant of both Joseph and Sarah Alden, children of John and Priscilla Alden. One child born to Judge and Mrs. Bonner, Anna Bingly, died in infancy.

Mrs. Abbie Bonner lives in her home in Greensburg, where the family located in 1869. She has traveled extensively during her lifetime. Educated in Maplewood institute at Pittsfield, Massachusetts, she began teaching in 1859 in Holly Springs, Mississippi, leaving there in June, after war was declared. After teaching in Massachusetts until 1865, she came to Greensburg and was employed for two years as a teacher in the public schools. For six years after her marriage, she taught a private school in Greensburg at the solicitation of a number of residents. For thirty-five years she has been officially identified with the women's missionary work of the Presbyterian church in both Presbytery and Synod, being president for seven years in the latter and thirty-five years in the former.

Judge Samuel A. Bonner will be remembered in this county, not only as an eminent jurist and lawyer, but as one of the organizers of the Third National Bank at Greensburg, one of the leading financial institutions in the city. He was a director of this institution at the time of his death. Legislator, lawyer, jurist and banker, Judge Bonner was more than all of these, since he was an eminent, trustworthy and honorable citizen, a man who had a part in the best interests of the great county and state in which he lived. His life's career reflects high credit upon the personnel of the Decatur citizens during the last century, in which most of Judge Bonner's work was done. Whether he ruled over rich or poor, he administered justice conscientiously and impartially.
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"History of Decatur County, Indiana"
Lewis A. Harding
B. F. Bowen & Co.
Indianapolis, Indiana
published in 1915.

Wilson M. Shafer was the son of Rev. John Shafer, whose father was of Dutch ancestry born and reared in Pennsylvania, but who afterward removed to Butler county, Ohio, where, on Christmas day, 1813, John Shafer was born.

Rev. John Shafer, after spending his boyhood days in Butler county, moved to near Hamilton, Ohio, and after some years residence there, moved to Springfield, Indiana, in Franklin county, where he met and later married Ada McCaw, which union proved a most helpful and happy one, lasting until Mrs. Shafer's death on November 18, 1876.

There is a prevalent notion that the average minister is so engrossed with the affairs of his congregation that he is apt to neglect his own household, but this never could have been said of John Shafer, for while he was at all times faithful to his ministerial obligations, he was also equally faithful to his parental duties. John Shafer was a regularly ordained Methodist minister and was subject to all of the hardships to which the "circuit rider" of his day was accustomed, yet this did not prevent him from accumulating, through the persistent efforts of himself and his faithful wife, the means wherewith to rear a large family.

John Shafer came from Ohio about 1835 and settled in Decatur county, Indiana, where he bought, at a very low price, a tract of timber land and, during the intervals between his ministerial and other duties, cleared this farm and soon had it under cultivation. He prospered, and soon another tract was entered and cleared, and thus his land investments increased until he at one time owned five hundred acres of good farming land. His thought was always of his home and of his children, of which the following were born into his family: Catherine, James and John, who, after they were almost fully grown, were stricken with typhoid fever, during an epidemic of that disease, and died; Asbury and Elizabeth, who died in infancy; Isaiah, who died in 1887, was a Union soldier who enlisted with the Seventh Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and was wounded in battle at Port Republic, Virginia; Mary Jane, wife of John Shaw, of Greensburg, died in 1909; Amaretta (McComb), who died in 1874; Wilson M., the subject of this sketch; Josephine (Rice), whose husband was a minister, died in Iowa; Richard William, now a resident of Greencastle, and Ada, who died at the age of eight.

Wilson M. Shafer, the ninth child of this notable family, was educated in the common schools of Indiana, but, like many of the sturdy settlers of the earlier days, secured his real education in the pioneer school of "Hard Knocks." He also attended Moores Hill College for one year. On August 15, 1877, he married Emma Clendenning, of Franklin county, and to them three children were born, J. Carl, of Anderson, Indiana, who married Ethel Ping, born in Virginia and a daughter of Senator Henry Ping, of Virginia. She is a fine musician. Ada Delse, who died at the age of two years, and Earl L., also of Anderson, Indiana, with the Union Traction Company.

Emma Clendenning was born in Franklin county on May 16, 1856, and was the daughter of John and Hannah (Creager) Clendenning, natives of Ohio and of Franklin county, respectively. They were of Scotch ancestry and both died in Franklin county. John Clendenning was a son of John Clendenning, who emigrated from Scotland to this country and married a Miss Elliott, whose brother, John Elliott, was the first editor of the Western Christian Advocate.

Mr. and Mrs. Wilson M. Shafer, at the time of their marriage, secured a tract of eighty acres of partly cultivated land, cleared, ditched and otherwise so improved it that today it is said to be the best tract of land to be found anywhere in Jackson township. In 1882 they sold this farm at a highly profitable figure and purchased a one-hundred-and-sixty-acre tract, a part of the old home place, known as the Petree farm, located two miles west of Westport. Here the same process of improvement was pursued until this farm was brought up to standard in the way of soil requirements and modern buildings. A beautiful home was built and here Mr. and Mrs. Shafer lived and labored until in December, 1911.

Wilson M. Shafer, by his honesty and persistency, had won not only the admiration and respect of his neighbors, but of the whole county. He was a stanch Republican, and during the summer of 1911 was placed in nomination for county commissioner and elected to that office for a term of three years. After his election he decided to leave the farm and bought a beautiful residence in Westport and in December of 1911 established his residence as a citizen of that town.

Jt is almost useless to state that Mr. Shafer filled the office of county commissioner in a creditable and honorable manner, because one should know that character so well-grounded through years of service in knowledge of community needs would not sit idle when the moment and opportunity for action arrived. The three years of service which Mr. Shafer rendered his community in this office, showed many needed and constructive activities in which his ability and influence was in no manner negative.

Throughout their married life, Mr. and Mrs. Shafer have been active church workers and, while their activities have been not wholly sectarian, they are members of the Methodist church. Nor have they in any manner neglected their social and humanitarian obligations. Mr. Shafer is a member of the Westport Knights of Pythias, while Mrs. Shafer is a very ardent and active member of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, of the Woman's Relief Corps and of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society.

During the winter of 1914-15, Mr. and Mrs. Shafer spent a period of time visiting in Florida and the Southern states. They visited many points of historical as well as of educational interest, and returned to Westport with renewed interest in life. Though they have announced to their friends that they have retired from active life, it is generally thought that the habits of an active life are so deep in the dye that Wilson and Emma Shafer will yet be busy with their Master's work.

"History of Decatur County, Indiana"
Lewis A. Harding
B. F. Bowen & Co.
Indianapolis, Indiana
published in 1915.

Ancestry plays such an important part in our lives that it seems that it is the silent, forceful background of every picture, and in the present instance, it is especially worthy of record. The honored citizen whose name forms the caption of this article, was born on March 15, 1847, in a place called "Jericho" in Sand Creek, but his father, Robert Armstrong, was a native of Pennsylvania. The latter was born in 1817, and when three years of age came with his parents to Decatur county, where they settled in Sand Creek township, east of Westport. Robert's father died soon after coming to this state, and the boy was reared in a rude pioneer cabin, surrounded by the love of his mother and brothers and sisters. In early manhood, Robert married Rebecca Jane Hamilton who later became the mother of nine children of whom Francis D. Armstrong was third in chronological order. Rebecca Hamilton was born in 1818, and was the daughter of James Hamilton. a relative of the Hamiltons of Fugit township. James Hamilton came here at an early date, and in passing, it is interesting to note that his wife, Judy, lived to the ripe age of ninety-nine years. The mother of Francis Armstrong died in 1856. His father settled on a farm east of Letts, first clearing the land in true pioneer fashion. It was in 1857 that he moved near Westport, and so proficient was he in the management of his agricultural interests, that by the time of the Civil War, he had become a large and influential landowner, having come into possession of three hundred acres of well-improved land. He was also a speculator. It was one of his ambitions to be able to give each of his sons a farm, believing that with this much to start with, they should be able to succeed in life. The esteem in which he was held, is evidenced by the fact that for many years Robert Armstrong served as justice of the peace, and for several terms as township trustee. His interest in public affairs made him a political leader in the Democratic party, and he was equally forceful as a church member. He was always a close student of the Bible, a supporter of the church and charities, and altogether, a public-spirited citizen in his sphere of influence in all civic and social matters, using the word social in its broad sense. His genial, whole-souled nature found pleasure in organization, so it is not surprising to learn that he was a charter member of the Free and Accepted Masons of Westport. It is said that he never missed a meeting of his favorite lodge. The life history of this interesting personality might be said to close with his death in 1878, but his influence still lives in the hearts and lives of those who knew him, and of the town in he made his home.

Returning for a moment to his immediate family, it is necessary to record that he had a number of brothers and sisters whose names were as follow: James, who died in 1877, William, also deceased; Sallie Barnes; Jane Singleton; Mary Falkenberg; Rebecca Boicourt, and Elizabeth Longnecker, all of whom have passed away.

With this significant ancestral setting in mind, we can approach the life history of Francis D. Armstrong, which we are permitted only to sketch briefly, with added interest and undertaking. With parents such as he had, it is not surprising that Francis Armstrong has come to occupy the place he does in the locality of his home and in the hearts of his fellow citizens. Of Mr. Armstrong's two elder brothers, James W., died in 1909, and John lives four miles south of Greensburg in Marion township. Of his younger brothers, Oliver P., lives in Fayette county, Illinois; George W. is deceased and Albert M., the latter, is a resident of Sand Creek township. Robert Armstrong married, secondly, Eliza June McDonald, who died in 1910. They were the parents of Robert It., of Letts, Sand Creek township; Mary Jane (Harding) of Westport, and Louisa Helen (Updike), also of Westport.

Francis D. Armstrong was educated in the country schools of his boyhood home, and was early accustomed to hard work, for he and his brothers helped their father on the farm. Francis lived with his father until the latter's death which occurred when he was sixty-one years of age. His business ability was shown even in his young manhood, for after his father's death he rented a farm, and from the very first made it a financial success. This property he occupied for four years, combining the raising and selling of stock with his agricultural pursuits. Then he purchased a farm, shipped live stock in carload lots and managed the work until 1905, when he retired from his farm to his home in Westport where he and his family have lived since September, 1912.

On February 10, 1887, Mr. Armstrong was united in marriage to Martha Ellen Morgan who was born in 1866 in Sand Creek township. She was the daughter of Robert P. and Nancy Ann Morgan natives of Kentucky. Mrs. Armstrong lived until 1900, when she passed away, leaving her husband and three children to mourn her loss. The children are Leo; Frances Shirley, wife of Barney Williams, and Howard Ward who was born in 1897, and who lives at home. Mrs. Shirley was only recently married.

Beside the splendid residence in which he lives, Mr. Armstrong has one hundred and thirty acres of valuable land near Westport. He now devotes the greater part of his time to the banking business, having become president of the First National Bank in 1908, this institution succeeding a private bank.

Outside of their domestic relations, the two most important characterizations concerning men's affiliations are in relation to their politics and religion, and they never seem quite classified until these two facts are known. Mr. Armstrong adheres to the principles of the Democratic party, and is a member of the Baptist denomination. Like his father, he has been a loyal member of Lodge No. 52, Free and Accepted Masons, of Westport.

Having outlived the chief events in the life of Mr. Armstrong, the reader can understand why he is considered one of the alert, progressive business men who have advanced the economic and social interests of Decatur county, and whose lives have been a distinctive impetus to the commercial success of the locality in which they have lived and labored. The prestige and respect accorded Mr. Armstrong may best be measured by the scope and importance of the business institution which he directs.

"History of Decatur County, Indiana"
Lewis A. Harding
B. F. Bowen & Co.
Indianapolis, Indiana
published in 1915.

Will W. Logan was born on a farm on the northwest edge of the corporate limits of the city of Greensburg, Decatur county, Indiana, January 16, 1850, the son of Samuel H. and Millie (Hice) Logan, both natives of Pennsylvania. Samuel H. Logan, who was born in Indiana county, Pennsylvania, February 1, 1819, was the son of John and Isabel (Graham) Logan, whose parents came to America from Ireland late in the eighteenth century and located in Indiana county, Pennsylvania, where they spent the remainder of their lives. John and Isabel Logan were the parents of the following children: Samuel H., the father of the immediate subject of this biographical sketch; Mrs. Hanna Hice, born on June 17, 1822; Mrs. Margaret Elliot, February 20, 1825, and Mrs. Ann Baker, July 12, 1827, who lives four miles from Greensburg, in this county.

On November 26, 1840, Samuel H. Logan was united in marriage to Millie Hice, who was born in Pennsylvania on October 20, 1818, a daughter of Henry Hice, who was a native of Germany. Shortly after marriage Samuel H. Logan and his wife came to Decatur county, his father having bought government land in Washington township. Mr. Logan was a very clear-headed man, enterprising and public spirited and an excellent farmer. He prospered and presently began to enlarge his land holdings, shortly becoming one of the large land owners in this county. He took a deep interest in public affairs and was rankef among the leading men of the county. He served the people very acceptably as county commissioner for some time and his sound judgment and fine executive ability gave to this service a real value to the public. As his children grew to manhood and womanhood he gave to each a fine farm out of his extensive estate, the old homestead place being given to Will W., the subject of this sketch. Samuel H. Logan was honored and respected in this county and at his death there was general and sincere mourning throughout the whole country. He died on October 19, 1904. His wife had long preceded him to the grave, her death having occurred on October 15, 1879.

To Samuel H. and Millie (Hice) Logan were born ten children, namely: Henry H., born on September 17, 1841, a well-known farmer of this county, who lives two miles west of Greensburg on the Milford road; Isabella G., September 22, 1843, widow of Samuel Applegate, resides in Greensburg; Mary S., November 26, 1845, widow of Will Murray, resides in Nevada, Missouri; John B., October 8, 1837, a well-known traveling salesman, resides at Indianapolis; Will W., the subject of this sketch; Sarah, October 19, 1852, married Joseph Ketchum and lives at Cincinnati; Marine R., March 6, 1855, died on May 22, 1885; Samuel, September 16, 1857, died on April 18, 1893; Emma J., August 20, 1860, died on August 16, 1865, and George M., September 13, 1862, who is the general agent of the International Harvester Company at Richmond, Indiana.

Will W. Logan received his youthful education in the Tarkington school house, which was situated on a corner of what is now his home farm, which then was the home of the Rev. Joseph Tarkington, supplementing this early schooling with a course in the Greensburg schools under the instruction of Mrs. Samuel Bonner, a noted teacher of that period. Upon reaching manhood's estate he entered seriously on the business of farming, a vocation in which he had received his father's best instructions, and, having inherited a large measure of his father's sagacity; has prospered, his place of one hundred and sixty acres, located on the very outskirts of the county seat, being recognized as one of the finest farms in the county. Mr. Logan is alert and enterprising in his methods of farming and keeps fully abreast of all the latest developments in the science of agriculture. The old brick homestead house, which his father erected, has been remodeled along modern lines and is regarded as one of the pleasantest and most comfortable homes in the county, a place where hospitality and good cheer ever prevail.

When natural gas was discovered in Decatur county, many years ago, Samuel H. Logan organized a company and drilled a number of gas wells. The well on the home farm proved to be a valuable producer and at his death, Mr. Logan left it to his children, in trust, Will W. Logan being named as trustee, which trust still is faithfully being executed. The Logan wells have been yielding gas in paying quantities since the fall of 1887 and have been a source of considerable profit to the Logan family.

On June 1, 1887, Will W. Logan was united in marriage to Katie M. Forkert, who was born on September 13, 1860, in the village of Adams, Decatur county, Indiana, daughter of Ernest and Catherine Forkert, natives of Germany, who came to America, locating in this county, early becoming regarded as among the best-known people of the Smyrna neighborhood. Ernest Forkert has been dead for some years, but his widow is still living in Salt Creek township, this county, highly esteemed by all who know her.

To Will W. and Katie (Forkert) Logan two children have been born, Stella May, born on July 29, 1889, who married Clyde L. Jones and lives in the city of Indianapolis; to that union one child has been born, a son, William Logan; and Frederick W., June, 1892, who married Merle Wiley and is now managing the home farm for his father.

Mr. Logan is a member of the Presbyterian church and Mrs. Logan is a member of the Presbyterian church at Greensburg. Mr. Logan is a life-long Democrat, his father also having been one of the leaders of that party in this county, and for years has given close attention to political affairs in this county. In the fall of 1912 he was elected to the important and responsible office of county commissioner from his district and is now filling very ably and very acceptably the exacting duties of that office, the only office, by the way, for which he ever permitted his candidacy to be announced. Recognizing the opportunities for useful public service this office offers, Mr. Logan is giving the very best of himself to this service and his painstaking efforts on behalf of the county's best interests have been noted with satisfaction by the people. Mr. Logan is a member of the Greensburg lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Older of Elks, in the affairs of which he takes much interest. He is a genial, whole-souled gentleman and is very popular among the members of that order as well as among all who know him, and that includes pretty much everyone in the county, for there are few men in Decatur county better known than he.

"History of Decatur County, Indiana"
Lewis A. Harding
B. F. Bowen & Co.
Indianapolis, Indiana
published in 1915.