Ira C. Carman was born in 1859 in Ripley county, Indiana, and two years after his birth was brought to Decatur county by his parents, Reuben and Rebecca Jane (Jones) Carman, natives of Ohio, who settled on a farm near Milford. The father was a successful farmer and a well-respected man in the community, one of the local leaders of the Republican party. In 1866 the family moved to Missouri, where a little later Reuben Carman died, leaving a wife and six small children. The mother remained about two years in Missouri and then came back to Decatur county, settling near Milford, where she reared her family. On the trip to Missouri the Carmans had been accompanied by Thomas Fowler and family, Ira Sathmarsh and Watson Bostic, a young man.

To Reuben and Rebecca Jane (Jones) Carman were born six children, two of whom, William Reuben and Elmer E., are deceased. The living children are Mrs. Lodicy Elliott, the widow of James Elliott; Mrs. Elizabeth Pumpher, the widow of Lon Pumpher; Ira C., the subject of this sketch; and Mrs. Mary B. Raymond, the widow of William Raymond. Frank Carman is a half brother of Ira C. The mother of these children died in 1884. She was a woman of rare business ability and reared her family to honorable and useful lives.

Ira C. Carman began life for himself at the age of eleven years and by the time he was twenty-five years old had begun to accumulate a little property. In 1880 he was united in marriage to Emma Peddicord, the daughter of Levi and Hulda (Benshaw) Peddicord, and to this union two children have been born. Edward, born in 1882, married Mattie Thompson and lives on the home place, and Maude, the wife of J. J. Boyle, principal of the high school at Columbus, Indiana.

Mr. Carman has been a very successful farmer and business man. About seventeen years ago he purchased ninety acres of land and began to raise hogs and cattle. Previous to that time he had worked for three years by the day and finally got together a "plug" horse and one cow. Subsequently, he had an opportunity to farm on the shares for Frank Butler. This was his start in life. He saved about four hundred dollars, which he paid on his first ninety-acre tract of land. He then began farming on a large scale and at different times has cultivated as much as five hundred or six hundred acres of land and at the present time is farming about five hundred acres and raising about one hundred and eighty acres of corn each year. Two years after he purchased his first tract of land, he bought another tract of one hundred and seventy-eight acres, being compelled to borrow the money to make the first payment. He paid for this farm in ten or twelve years, an exceptional record for money making, there having been numerous predictions at the time that he would fail. Many years ago he began breeding and dealing in mules and is today one of the best-known mule breeders in the state of Indiana. The mule business has been one of the great sources of his revenue, but by no means the greatest. Mr. Carman attributes his success more to hogs, corn and clover. He buys and matches mules, fattens them and sends them to market. His farm is one of the most highly improved farms, all things considered, to be found in Decatur county, particularly when external improvements are considered. It is well-drained, has splendid outbuildings and a three-story hank barn, equal to any to be found in the county. A lover of good horses, Mr. Carman also has had considerable success with raising them. He has a large silo on the farm made of vitrified tile. His land is gently undulating and formerly grew sugar trees and black walnut.

A Republican in politics, Mr. Carman has always been an active political worker and is a firm believer in the principles of the party of Abraham Lincoln. He is a member of the Masonic lodge at Milford and of the Knights of Pythias at Burney, being one of the trustees of the latter lodge. Mr. and Mrs. Carman are members of the Methodist church at Milford and liberal supporters of the same and are held in the highest regard throughout that whole section of the county.

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

Edward A. Jackson was born in Decatur county in 1857, the son of William T. and Margaret T. (Myers) Jackson, the former of whom was a native of Ohio, who came to Decatur county, settling in Clay township with his parents when a mere lad. He was born in Cincinnati about 1829, and died in 1889 at the age of sixty years. William T. Jackson was the son of William D. Jackson, who was born near the mouth of the Chickahominy river in Charles City county, Virginia, on October 13, 1797. The family originally lived in York county, a few miles east of the Chickahominy river in a very uphealthful region. The parents of William D. Jackson were stricken with malarial fever and died leaving a large family of destitute children. The boys of the family were bound out to farmers of the neighborhood to lives of bitter toil, while the girls mere sent to a public institution. William D. Jackson was one of these boys and was compelled to work in the fields with the negro slaves under the direction of a cruel overseer. The Jackson family is of Irish origin, and William D., being of a fiery Celtic nature, could not endure such a life. One day he crossed the James river and left the country. After walking for many miles he reached Petersburg, and there learned the tailor's trade. At the same time, however, he had a strong inclination for the sea. His brother, Henry, did become a sailor and another brother, John, also went to sea and was shipwrecked and lost. William D. Jackson was accustomed to ride the river boats on the James river in following his trade as a tailor and on one of these trips got off the boat at a small town, called Crocks Ferry, on the Nanticoke river, and there met his future wife, Amelia Hillman, a daughter of Samuel Hillman, a merchant who kept the store at Crocks Landing. They were married in 1823, and, after living in Maryland until 1831, crossed the Alleghany mountains in a covered wagon and proceeded down the Ohio river by boat to Cincinnati, and there found work. At Cincinnati William D. Jackson met the elder Nicholas Longworth and with his assistance engaged in the real estate business and accumulated a snug fortune, which he invested in a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Fugit township, this county, in 1840. In 1844 he moved to this farm, and afterward owned various farms in this county, and here spent the remainder of his life. By his marriage to Amelia Hillman, William D. Jackson had a large family of children, of whom William T. was one. William T. Jackson was about eighteen years old when he came to Decatur county with his parents. His wife, who before her marriage was Margaret Myers, was the daughter of Thomas Myers, one of the early settlers of Decatur county, and one of the wealthiest and most prominent men in pioneer times. After the Civil War William T. Jackson removed to Hendricks county, where he engaged in the dry goods and general mercantile business, and then moved to Milford, this county, where he owned a store, and kept the postoffice, also owning a large farm, now a part of the M. F. Miers land. Late in life William T. Jackson and wife removed from their farm in Clay township to Greensburg and there died. His remains are buried in the historic old cemetery at Milford. Of the children born to William T. and Margaret T. (Myers) Jackson, four are deceased and four are living, the latter being Annie, Edward A., Harry and William E. William E. lives in Washington township, this county, and Harry lives in Idaho. The deceased children were James, Benjamin, Adelaide and Jessie.

On April 14, 1880, Edward A. Jackson was married to Mary T. Burney, the daughter of S. M. and Sarah (Pumphry) Burney, old citizens of this county. S. M. Burney was born about 1814 in North Carolina and came to Decatur county with his parents in pioneer times, when Clay township was nothing but a wilderness. The family settled on a farm, which Edward A. Jackson now owns, and which is known as the old Burney farm. The parents of S. M. Burney spent the remainder of their lives in Milford, the mother having died in the home of her son, S. M. Burney, who was a very successful farmer and owned several hundred acres of land in this county. He gave five hundred dollars to the town of Burney when it was founded and purchased stock in the railroad when the latter was constructed through that section. Burney was named for him. He was a progressive, broad-minded man, whose word was as good as his bond. A public-spirited citizen, he donated several hundred dollars to the building of the Methodist churches at Milford and at Burney. He was a stanch Democrat and true to his party. While he never asked for office, he always held at heart the welfare of his party and his country. He left the impress of his character and his influence upon the life of this community, and died full of honors, as only a private citizen who has done well his duty, can die, passing away in 1901 at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Edward A. Jackson.

Mrs. Jackson was born in Clay township on the old Burney homestead, where she still lives, in 1860, one of nine children, born to her parents, six of whom are living and three of whom are deceased, James B., Lawrence and John B., deceased, and Mrs. Melinda Michael, Joseph, Mrs. Anne Littell, Edgar, Mrs. Ina Lewis and Mrs. Jackson, living.

About 1900 Edward 14. Jackson sold the farm which he had owned previously and purchased at seventy dollars an acre two hundred acres of land, later buying the Dovey farm of ninety acres. This is the farm in Clay township, which Mr. Jackson owns, and is now almost invaluable. It lies at the edge of a growing and hustling town, where live as good people as are to be found anywhere on earth. Mr. Jackson has been a successful farmer, his chief products being hogs and corn. He feeds two or more carloads of hogs every year. His land is especially adapted for raising corn. Originally wet and marshy, drainage has transformed the land into a fertile garden producing abundantly almost anything that may be sown or planted.

Mr. and Mrs. Jackson have a beautiful home. The live in a massive brick house built by Mrs. Jackson's father, the late S. M. Burney, a half century ago. It is a monument, strong and substantial, to the memory of a man who did things well. The brick was burned on the farm and practically all of the timber and all of the material used in the house were taken from the farm.

To Edward A. and Mary T. (Burney) Jackson two children have been born, Harry and Burney. Harry Jackson, who was born in 1888, married Verna Jewell, the daughter of William and Leona Jewell, who live near the Decatur and Bartholomew county line, and to this union two children have been born, Freda and William Edwin, the latter named after his grandfather Jewell. Burney Jackson, who is a well-known young farmer of this county, married Zelpha Galbraith, daughter of Andrew and Lena Galbraith.

Edward A. Jackson is a Democrat and while not especially active as a political worker, has the interest of his party at heart. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and he is a charter member of the Knights of Pythias lodge at Burney. He is a stockholder in the Third National Bank at Greensburg, and also a stockholder in the Hope State Bank at Hope. Mr. Jackson has been a valuable citizen in this community, whose life and career are thoroughly appreciated by his neighbors, all of whom hold him in the highest esteem.

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

Born in Clay township, Decatur county, Indiana, in 1877, Samuel B. Hanks is a son of Newton and Mary (Alley) Hanks, the latter of whom was the daughter of Samuel B. and Nancy (Selby) Alley, and the former of whom was born May 14, 1837, in Bradford county, Kentucky, the son of Sidnor D. Hanks, a pioneer citizen in that state. To Newton and Mary (Alley) Hanks were born four children, Nannie and Hattie, deceased; Samuel R., the subject of this sketch, and Mrs. Amelia Royce. Newton Hanks, who now lives in Covington, Kentucky, was a soldier in the Civil War, having enlisted three times and having served until the close of the war. His wife died in 1893. Newton Hanks has always been an ardent Democrat and is a member of the Baptist church.

Samuel B. Hanks was educated in the common schools of this county and at the Central Normal College at Danville, Indiana, as well as at Franklin College, receiving a liberal classical education, admirable preparation for the duties of life. On September 10, 1907, he was married to Della Davis, the daughter of James B. and Martha (Ewing) Davis, pioneer citizens of this county, to which union, has been born one child, a daughter, Mary Caroline, who was born on December 25, 1902. Mr. and Mrs. Hanks are members of the Baptist church and are active in all good works in their neighborhood, being held in the very highest regard by all in that community. Mr. Hanks is a Democrat and takes a warm interest in the political affairs of the county, being an ardent advocate of the principles of good government. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge at Burney and is popular with all the members of that lodge, as well as in the community at large.

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

James G. Davis was born on March 28, 1876, on the Davis homestead, where he now lives. His parents, James and Sarah E. (Braden) Davis were natives of Mayo, Ireland, and Decatur county, Indiana, respectively. The former was born April 26, 1829, and died May 5, 1904, and the latter was born January 10, 1837, in Clay township, Decatur county, and died June 12, 1911. After attending school near his home, James G. Davis lived with his father until the latter's death in 1904, and at his death received the old family homestead as a part of his inheritance. During these early years of his life he was engaged in farming, and was very successful, learning from his father the rudiments of agriculture. On his Adams township farm he now has an annual output of more than two hundred head of hogs. In 1913 he erected at a cost of eight thousand dollars, a splendid modern home of twelve rooms, which is equipped with every modern convenience available to residents of the countryside. Not only is there a large barn on the farm, but there are also many other substantial buildings.

On December 24, 1907, three years after the death of his father, Mr. Davis was married at the age of thirty-one to Flora M. Champ, of near Burney, the daughter of F. Marion and Jennie Virginia (Boyce) Champ. The father is still living two miles west of Burney. The mother died on January 21, 1909. To Mr. and Mrs. Davis have been born two children, Sarah Virginia, born on November 15, 1909, and Francis Marion, on July 5, 1910; the former of whom is six years old and the latter is four.

Although Mr. Davis is an ardent Democrat, the pressure of his own personal business has been too great to permit him to participate actively in political affairs, leaving such matters to others. Fraternally, he is a member of Milford lodge, Free and Accepted Masons. Mr. Davis and family are all active workers in Union Chapel United Brethren church. Not only is Mr. Davis a large contributor to the church, but he takes a commendable interest in the various activities of Union Chapel, and is a man of strong religious instincts and impulses. So far as he is able, Mr. Davis is bent on carrying forward the ambitions and ideals of his worthy father. It is not too much to say that he has taken his place in the foremost ranks of the citizens of Adams township, and is today regarded as a wise and capable leader in all worthy enterprises which reflect the interest of the public as a whole.

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

Theodore Elliott was born in Clay township, near Clifty creek in 1850, the son of John P. and Margaret (Heron) Elliott. The latter was born at Woodburn, Ohio, the daughter of Samuel Heron, a native of Ohio, who moved to Iowa, when Margaret was a small child and settled on the Des Moines river. He was the first white settler in that section of the Hawkeye state and one of the first in Iowa, the Indians at that time holding practically undisputed possession of the country. Samuel Heron became the first mail carrier of the state; in fact, he laid out the first established mail route in Iowa. His first home was within speaking distance of an Indian village. His wife, Nancy Heron, the grandmother of Theodore Elliott, herded cattle on the prairies amid the dangerous attacks by the Indians. For the most part, however, the Indians were peaceful at that time. Samuel Heron and his wife spent their last days in the state of Iowa. There were several children born to them, of whom Margaret, the mother of Mr. Elliott, was the second. It was while on a visit to Iowa that John P. Elliott was married to Margaret Heron.

After their marriage, John P. Elliott and his wife returned to Decatur county and settled in Clay township, where the former engaged in the sawmill business on Clifty creek. He combined farming and the milling business until the outbreak of the Civil War, at which time he enlisted at the first call of President Lincoln for volunteers. He became a member of the Seventh Indiana Regiment Volunteer Infantry and, as color bearer of the regiment, served two years, being discharged for disability. At the time he was somewhat past the prime of life. He was a brave and capable soldier and intensely patriotic. He came from a family of soldiers, his grandfather, McClure Elliott, having been a soldier in the War of 1812. John P. Elliott served in some of the bloodiest and fiercest battles of the Civil War, among which was the battle of Antietam and the Wilderness campaign. He was a stanch Republican and true to the principles of the great Lincoln. After the war, he came back to Decatur county and died here about 1900, the last years of his life being spent in Greensburg. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. A successful farmer and business man, he owned at the time of his death, eight or nine hundred acres of fine land.

Of his five children, Harry, Mary, Martha, Theodore and James, all are living save the last named. Harry lives at Westport , Mary at Greensburg, Martha at Greensburg and Theodore is the subject of this sketch.

After living at home on the farm with his parents until he had reached his majority, Theodore Elliott was married to Ida Barger, daughter of William and Mary Ellen (Lowry) Barger, the latter of whom is a descendant of Captain Lowry, one of the oldest and most prominent of Decatur county settlers, having come here from Kentucky. To this union one child was born, Glenn, who lives on the old farm near Burney. Mrs. Ida Elliott died on December 4, 1886. Fifteen years later Mr. Elliott married, secondly, Sarah Steelman, daughter of James S. and Anna (Peggs) Steelman, prominent residents of Clay township, this county, both now dead, the former of whom was born in Union county, Indiana, and the latter in Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Elliott are members of the Methodist church at Burney, active in all neighborhood good works, and are held in the highest esteem throughout the community in which they live.

Mr. Elliott, who now is living retired from the active work of the farm, is a progressive citizen, liberal and broad-minded in his views. He is a Republican and intensely loyal to the party of his father and the party of Abraham Lincoln. Having enjoyed during his youth more than the ordinary advantages for obtaining an education, having attended Hartsville College, he is well informed and up-to-date, one of the most substantial citizens in that section of Decatur county.

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

Born in Franklin county, Indiana, in 1837, the late James L. Powner came to Decatur county when a young man and here he lived until the outbreak of the Civil War, when he enlisted in the Seventh Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, commanded by Colonel Welsh. He served two years in this regiment and was then discharged on account of disability. After recuperating at home for six months, he re-enlisted in the One Hundred and Thirty-seventh Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served until the end of the war, being mustered out as a sergeant, with a record of brave and efficient soldier. James L. Powner had an intense love for his country and his flag and fought in some of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, among which were the battles of the Wilderness and Antietam. Intensely interested in the politics of his country, Mr. Powner later was always on the firing line of the Republican party, to which he was attached throughout his life.

On September 12, 1865, James L. Powner was married to Abigail Gibson, a daughter of Stewart and Mary (Bell) Gibson, natives of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Powner, who was born in 1845, in Lawrence county, Pennsylvania, fifty miles from Philadelphia, now lives on a beautiful farm of one hundred and seventy-six acres in this county, three miles southeast of Burney, on the Liberty church road, and two miles west of Liberty church.

Mrs. Powner's father, Steward Gibson, was the son of James David Gibson, a native of Ireland, who came to America some time during the American Revolution and settled in Pennsylvania, where he spent the remainder of his life. He was a prosperous farmer and at his death left his children a comfortable fortune. Of the five children born to James David Gibson and wife, Steward Gibson, the father of Mrs. Powner, was the eldest. He was married in Pennsylvania to Mary Bell, who was the daughter of Jeremiah Bell, a colonel in the Revolutionary army. The Bells were of English descent and an intensely patriotic family. Col. Jeremiah Bell was a man of more than average ability. Until his buildings were burned by the British and his property confiscated by the king's army, he was the richest man in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. On the vast estate in Pennsylvania still stands the old colonial mansion, in good repair, kept just as it was during the War for Independence. Col. Jeremiah Bell served throughout the war and after its close, returned to his home and family, spending the rest of his life in Lancaster county. He married a Miss McCullough, a member of one of the old and prominent families of Pennsylvania, to which union there were born but two children, of whom Mary, the mother of Mrs. Powner was the younger. Steward Gibson and Mary Bell were married about 1835 and lived in Pennsylvania until about 1850, when they came to Decatur county, Indiana. Their five children were born in Pennsylvania, and when Mrs. Powner was five years old the family came to this county. Upon their arrival in Decatur county they settled in Clay township, where their descendants now form a numerous connection. For his time, Steward Gibson was fairly prosperous and was a farmer and stock buyer, widely and favorably known throughout this county. In later life he moved to Oregon and lived with his eldest daughter, his death occurring in that state in 1900.

The five children born to Steward and Mary (Bell) Gibson are as follow: Mrs. Jane Courtney, of Spokane, Washington; James David, of California; John Stewart, deceased, who lived in Kansas; Abigail, the widow of Mr. Powner, of this county, and Reuben, of Iowa.

To James L. and Abigail (Gibson) Powner was born but one son, Elmer Margin, born on August 28, 1866, a bachelor, who lives with his mother on the home farm. Elmer M. Powner is a Republican, as was his father before him, and is a substantial citizen. Although a broad-minded and progressive citizen like his father, he is a man of quiet and unassuming manners, a great student of the literature of the day and a progressive and keen thinker. Mrs. Powner is a woman of far more than average ability. When she was left a widow, the farm which she now owns was heavily mortgaged and she was without experience in the world of business. Most seriously handicapped for the want of experience, she grappled bravely with the problems of life as they confronted her and by virtue of her keen intelligence, she mastered these problems. She is today known as one of the substantial business women of Decatur county. Aside from her business ability, she is a woman of striking personality, loved and respected by a legion of friends in Clay township. Mrs. Powner is now contemplating a trip to Pennsylvania to visit the old colonial homestead of her grandfather, Col. Jeremiah Bell, of Revolutionary fame.

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

Benjamin Corey Shaw was born near Oxford, Ohio, February 3, 1830, the son of James and Sarah (Stearns) Shaw, the former of whom was a native of England, who came to America when a mere lad. The latter was born in the old fort which stood on the site of the present city of Cincinnati, at that time no more than a trading post on the outpost of civilization. Sarah Stearns was probably the first white child born in Cincinnati, her mother having taken refuge in the fort after her husband had been murdered by the Indians. After his marriage, James Shaw settled on a farm near Oxford, Ohio, and there he reared his family of eight children, of whom Benjamin Corey was probably the fifth. The father died when this son was about fifteen or sixteen years old and the widowed mother, after bringing the family to Decatur county, married Isaac Wolverton, a prominent resident of this county.

When about eighteen years old Benjamin C. Shaw left his mother's home and went to Greensburg, where he learned the carriage builder's trade, in which he was engaged until the breaking out of the Civil War. At the first call for troops he joined the Seventh Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and was presently sent back home with a commission to organize another regiment. In obedience to this commission he organized the Sixty-eighth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, of which he was colonel commanding until the battle of Winchester, in which engagement he was so severely wounded that it was necessary to send him home on account of disabilities. He later returned to the front, but his injuries had been too severe to permit further service, and he presently resigned his command.

After the war Colonel Shaw returned to Greensburg and resumed work at his trade, but remained in business there only a short time, in 1866 removing to Indianapolis, where he engaged in carriage and wagon building and created an extensive industry there. Eventually, he drifted into politics and in 1876 was elected treasurer of the state of Indiana, being re-elected in 1878. He was always in the thick of the political fight and for years was one of the foremost counselors of the Democratic party in Indiana, for several terms serving as a member of the Democratic state central committee. He was a member of the Masonic order and a Knight Templar and also was adjutant-general of the Loyal Legion and a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.

About 1882 Col. Benjamin C. Shaw moved to Toledo, Ohio, where he was engaged as superintendent for the Milburn wagon works. Later he took a position at Racine, Wisconsin, as manager of the plant at that place and became finally superintendent of the great Studebaker plant at South Bend. Upon leaving South Bend he returned to Indianapolis and shortly afterward was appointed chief of the registry department of the postoffice there, a position he held for eight years, or until his death, which occurred on April 10, 1901, at his home in Indianapolis.

On March 24, 1850, Benjamin Corey Shaw was married to Elizabeth A. Coy, the daughter of William and Sarah (Robinson) Coy, the former of whom was a native of Kentucky, who came to this section of Indiana very early in the settlement of the same and made a home in the wilderness, clearing the dense timber for that purpose. To this union were born eleven children, of which remarkable family only two, Miss Fannie and Mrs. Edna Shaw Byers, the wife of George W. Byers, are now living. The deceased children were Sarah Jane, Henry Clay, Mrs. Molly Shaw (Weller) Shaffer, of Indianapolis, Martha, Emma, Oliver Perry Morton, Ida, Etta and Eddie.

Miss Fannie Shaw, one of the living children born to Colonel Shaw and wife, was born in Greensburg in 1861, and when only four years old was taken by her parents to Indianapolis, to which place they removed at that time. She was educated in St. John's Academy and after her graduation returned home and remained with and cared for her father and mother as long as they lived. She is now living with her sister, Mrs. George Byers, to whom she has always been closely attached by the keenest ties of sisterly affection. Mrs. Byers was born on October 17, 1873.

This remarkable family has brought honor and distinction to Decatur county and to the state of Indiana; in fact, honors which the two living descendants appreciate highly. Colonel Shaw was more than a distinguished citizen; he was a kind and loving father and his memory is cherished with the utmost devotion by his daughters.

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

James M. Byers was born in Rush county, this state, in 1845, the son of James R. and Sarah (Carr) Byers, both natives of Kentucky, who came to Indiana about 1840, settling on a farm in Rush county, where they became prosperous citizens and well respected in the community. In 1857 they moved to Decatur county, locating on the farm now owned by their son, J. M. Byers, the subject of this sketch. James R. Byers was the son of John Byers, of Scotch-Irish descent, who came with a number of sturdy families to America and became an influential pioneer citizen of Kentucky. James R. Byers accumulated a great deal of valuable land in this county. His wife, Sarah Carr, who was born in Kentucky in 1817, was the daughter of George Carr, also an early settler in this county.

James M. Byers lived at home with his parents as long as they lived and has never married. At their death, he succeeded to the home farm, which he has operated ever since. Though an ardent Republican, he has never tried for political office, but has always been active in the campaigns of his party, and his influence is always counted on the right side of every public question.

Friends are lavish in their praise of his character, his industry and his wise and prudent management. He has a fertile farm and is comfortable and happy, enjoying the confidence and esteem of many friends. Any community or any county may well be proud of such a man as J. M. Byers.

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

William A. Lawson was born in Virginia in the year 1837, the son of James and Jane (Jones) Lawson, natives of that state, who came to Decatur county over a half century ago, and settled on what is now known as the Harrison Davis farm. They were prosperous citizens in their day and generation and accumulated considerable property. There on that farm William A. Lawson grew to manhood and received the rudiments of an education.

In 1857, at the age of twenty years, William A. Lawson was married to Permelia Braden, the daughter of Jackson P. and Nancy (LeMasters) Braden, the former a native of Kentucky, of Irish descent, who came to Decatur county about 1823, settling in Clay township, where he rented land, now owned by his descendants. At the time of his death, in 1857, Jackson Braden was the owner of fourteen hundred and eighty acres of land in Clay township. He was a prominent Democrat in his day and generation and a member of the Methodist church, assisting materially in the work of erecting the church at Milford. Mrs. Lawson, who was born on the old Braden homestead in 1839, is a splendid type of the hearty womanhood of pioneer times in Indiana.

To Jackson P. and Nancy (LeMasters) Braden were born the following children: Euphemia, now deceased, who married Anderson Miers; Elizabeth, deceased, who was the wife of Evan Miers; Jane, deceased, who was the wife of Dr. J. L. Wooden, also deceased; Rebecca, deceased, who was the wife of John L. Miers; William, deceased; Marietta, the wife of Judge Roberts, of Colorado; Seth, deceased; James L., deceased; Sarah E., now deceased, who married James Davis; Permelia, the widow of Mr. Lawson; Mahala, who married Samuel H. Ewing; Seth, deceased, and a daughter who died in infancy.

After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Lawson settled on a farm near the old Lawson homestead, near where Mrs. Lawson's father also had entered land, and in a region known as the Braden neighborhood, and there they made their home. To their union eleven children were born, namely: Seth, a farmer, who lives in Swinton, Missouri; Mrs. Jennie L. Gallentin, of Elreno, Oklahoma; Cora, who died in infancy; Mrs. Sarah Henderson, who died on February 11, 1895; Josephine, who lives with her mother; Mary, who married Carl Johnson of Clay township; Samuel, a farmer of Clay township, this county; Herschel, a farmer, of Swinton, Missouri; Cloe, who married Clarence Johnson, of Clay township, Decatur county, and two others who died in infancy.

The late William A. Lawson was a prominent man during his day and generation. He and his wife did much to help lift the standard of citizenship in this county and to make this section the prosperous and successful agricultural community that it is today. William A. Lawson was a Democrat, a stanch believer in the principles of his party and an ardent worker in behalf of the party's success. Mrs. Lawson is a member of the Christian church at Milford, as was her late husband, and is a good Christian woman, a decided influence for good in the community where she has lived so long, and enjoys the respect and esteem of all who know her.

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

Allen Jewell was born in this county on February 25, 1844, the son of Horace and Elizabeth (Buchanan) Jewell, the former of whom was born in Kentucky in 1808, a son of Allen Jewell, a native of Kentucky, and one of the pioneers in that state. In 1832 Horace Jewell came to Indiana from Kentucky, locating in this county, and here spent the rest of his life. He was a strong factor in the early development of this county, having been a leader in many of the movements which resulted in extensive public improvements. Throughout his life he was identified with the Whig party and was a member of the United Brethren church. He was an honest and well-respected citizen and an ancestor of whom his descendants may he justly proud. He died in 1873. Elizabeth Buchanan, to whom he was married in 1838, bore him eight children, as follow: Eliza Jane, who married Thomas Townsend; Luduska, who married William Pumphry, of Decatur county; Melconia, who married James Lawson; Allen, the subject of this sketch; James C., who lives in Bartholomew county; Elijah J., who lives in Arkansas; Mary Emily, who married Cyrus Pumphrey, of Bartholomew county, and Noah, deceased.

Allen Jewel1 was a lad of seventeen years when the Civil War broke out and he joined the Seventh Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, commanded by Colonel Welsh. On the first day of the battle of the Wilderness, May 5, 1864, he was taken prisoner and was confined in the Confederate prison pen at Andersonville for ten months. Upon being exchanged he was discharged on March 25, 1865. The war terminating shortly thereafter, he returned to Decatur county. During his services as a Union soldier he participated in the battles of Winchester, Virginia, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Antietam, Gettysburg, Greensborough and South Mountain, his active service terminating at the battle of the Wilderness, where he was captured.

In 1867 Allen Jewell was united in marriage to Fannie Pumphrey, daughter of Eli and Elizabeth (Knight) Pumphrey, prominent residents of this county, and to this union one son was born, J. E. Jewell, born in 1869, a bachelor, who has always remained on the home farm with his father, the two being in partnership in operating the farm. Mrs. Jewell died in 1898.

Mr. Jewell and his son, J. E., are both ardent Republicans, always having been stanch and true to the party of Lincoln, and Allen Jewell is a member of the Baptist church. J. E. Jewell is a member of the Masonic lodge at Milford. While intensely patriotic and loyal in his political affiliations and beliefs, Allen Jewell has never sought office. He and his son have a comfortable, happy home, when old-fashioned hospitality may be found in abundance. Their present fine home, one mile east of the pleasant village of Burney, was erected in 1898, the commodious barn, forty by forty-four feet, having been built in the same year, the other improvements on the farm being in keeping with the substantial character of the two central buildings. The house is a comfortable and convenient nine-room dwelling, of modern construction, with hot-water heating plant, one of the pleasantest homes thereabout.

Allen Jewell started without a dollar, but he and his wife, by good management and industry, accumulated the snug fortune of which they were possessed at the time of Mrs. Jewell's death, and which Mr. Jewell still prudently conserves, a fortune honorably won, the fruit of honest toil. Allen Jewell is one of the best citizens of Decatur county; broad-minded, liberal and a clear thinker. Patriotic in his devotion to his country and a Christian man in every respect, he is held in the highest regard throughout the whole county.

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

John T. Wright was born on the Myers homestead, in Clay township, this county, in 1851, the son of William H. and Elizabeth (Annis) Myers, the former of whom was born in Kentucky, a son of George Myers, also a native of that state, who came to Decatur county in pioneer times. Frank Myers, the father of George Myers, was a soldier in the Revolutionary army, who moved to Kentucky at an early day in the settlement of that state.

William H. Myers, who died in 1906, was a successful farmer and owned about three hundred acres of land in this county. He was a Democrat in politics, a member of the Liberty Baptist church, and was highly respected in his community. Of the nine children born to William H. and Elizabeth Myers, four, William M., Mrs. Alice Sanders, Mrs. Elsie Sharp and Monroe M., are deceased. The living children are James A., George M., John T., Mrs. Ida May Johnson, of Indianapolis and Merritt Elwood, of Oklahoma.

Reared on a farm in this county, John T. Myers was married in 1875 to Minnie Wright, daughter of Richard and Luvicia (Stark) Wright, the former of whom was a native of Rockbridge county, Virginia, who came to this county in pioneer times. He settled in Clay township on a farm that his father had entered from the government, the same being the one now owned by John T. Myers. A successful farmer, he spent the rest of his days in Clay township and his word was known to be as good as his bond. He was a member of the Democratic party and was elected trustee of Clay township.

Religiously, he was identified with the Baptist church, having been one of the founders of the church at Liberty; in fact, having given the ground upon which the church was built, and was also one of the trustees of that church and a deacon. His wife was a daughter of Caleb S. and Anne (Boone) Stark, the latter of whom was one of the characteristic women of her generation, of a strong and fearless character, a cousin of Col. Daniel Boone, of Kentucky. Luvicia Wright was a woman widely known for her charitable disposition, who was always ready to lend a helping hand to the needy. She also was a member of the pioneer Baptist church.

Of the children born to Richard and Luvicia (Stark) Wright, four are deceased. The living children are Sarah L., who married Theodore McGee, of Iowa; Caleb S., of Decatur county; R. T. W., of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Minnie A., who married Mr. Myers, and Loda W., of Westport. The deceased children were Frances Catherine, Charles W., William W. and Ruth A.

Following his marriage Mr. Myers settled on a farm near Horace and has succeeded very well as a farmer; but, better than his success in business, is the honor and respect which he enjoys in the community in which he lives. Although a stanch Democrat, politically, he has always been an independent thinker and to some extent votes independently.

To John T. and Minnie (Wright) Myers have been born four children, one of whom, Lula M., died in infancy. The living children are Charles, born in 1876, who lives in Connersville, Indiana; Frank, 1878, who lives in Clay township, this county, and Forrest M., 1889, who lives at home with his parents.

Mr. and Mrs. Myers are members of the Liberty Baptist church and their children have been reared in that faith, the family being eminently respected in that community.

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

The late John Hunter was born on May 2, 1842, the son of Lewis and Maria (Martin) Hunter, natives of Indiana. When a young man he came to this county and became a successful farmer.

During the early period of the Civil War, when the Thirty-seventh Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry was being recruited, John Hunter joined Company H, of that regiment, and served altogether three years and forty days. He was a brave and efficient soldier and returned home with honors for his valiant service. In the severe engagement at Dug Gap, Georgia, he was wounded and was laid up three months.

At the close of the war, Mr. Hunter came Back to Decatur county and was married on August 16, 1866, to Mahala Davis, a daughter of Mathias and Elizabeth (Miers) Davis, natives of Decatur county and members of old and prominent families. To this union were born eight children, namely: Mrs. Annie Hunter, deceased; Lewis M., of Montana; George W., deceased; Mathias D., who lives on a farm five miles east of Greensburg, in this county; John F., of Colorado; William R., deceased; Albert E. E., of Clay township, this county, and Everett R., also of Clay township, this county. On July 27, 1908, Everett R. Hunter was united in marriage to Minnie Ramer, of Shelby county, this state, daughter of Joseph and Etna (Risk) Ramer, the former a native of Ripley county, Indiana, and the latter a native of Decatur county, who are now living on a farm in Clay township, this county, and to this union has been born one child, a son, John L. B., born on September 8, 1909.

Mrs. Mahala Hunter died on December 8, 1891, and on May 2, 1893, Mr. Hunter married, secondly, Kittie Miers, a daughter of T. J. and Oliva (King) Miers, the latter of whom was the daughter of John G. and Sarah (Ewing) King, well known in this county. John G. King was a prosperous farmer and, at one time in his life owned several hundred acres of land. His family were early settlers in Decatur county and became permanently established in the agricultural life of this section and in the affections of the people. To this second marriage there were born four children, as follow: Mary J., born on March 28, 1894; Joseph Dewey, May 25, 1898; Roberta E., November 8, 1899, and Edith Irene, July 12, 1901. The Hunter family is considered one of the well-to-do and prominent families in this county. The Hunter farm is one of the richest in Decatur county and is composed mostly of level black soil of great fertility.

Mrs. Hunter was educated in the common schools of Decatur county and in the teachers' training school at St. Paul, Indiana, which was in charge of L. D. Braden at that period. After finishing her education, Mrs. Hunter taught school for one year before she was married. She is a woman of most genial presence, kind and loving, broad-minded and liberal in her views; a typical woman of this century.

The late John Hunter was always a Republican, taking a great interest in the welfare of his party, yet he was somewhat independent in his voting, more of a patriot than a partisan. He was a charter member of the Knights of Pythias lodge at Burney and a member of the Grand Army of the Republic at Greensburg. He passed away on September 25, 1910, at the age of sixty-eight years, full of honors in the community where his life had been spent.

John Hunter was a progressive citizen in the broader sense of the word and his loss was keenly felt and widely mourned by the people of the township in which his influence had so long been exerted for good.

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