John A. Mires was born in Clay township, Decatur county, Indiana, in 1867, the son of Thomas J. and Sarilda (King) Mires, both natives of Decatur county, the former of whom was the son of Anderson and Euphemia (Braden) Mires, Euphemia Braden having been one of the daughters of Jackson Braden, a prominent pioneer of this county. Thomas J. Mires early in life purchased the Abe Ewing farm near the Ewington post office on the Columbus & Greensburg pike, and there spent the rest of his life, his death occurring when he was about fifty-eight years of age. He was a successful farmer and had a host of friends. About 1865 Thomas J. Mires was married to Sarilda King, and to this union six children were born of whom John A., the subject of this sketch, was the eldest.

After living at home until he had reached his majority John A. Mires was married, in 1888, to Fannie Pavy, daughter of Ralph P. and Nancy (Davis) Pavy, the former of whom was the son of John and Mary (Stewart) Pavy. John Pavy was born near Vevay, in Switzerland county, this state, and was a brother of Jefferson Pavy, the father of the Pavy sisters, further reference to whom is made elsewhere in this volume. Born in Vevay, Indiana, on July 25, 1824, Ralph P. Pavy came to Decatur county in 1837 and settled in Clay township on the farm where he spent the rest of his life, his father also dying there. Ralph P. Pavy was a man of literary talent, though handicapped by meager educational advantages. He had a wonderful mind, the influence of which was felt in Decatur and surrounding counties. A teacher by profession, he taught his first school in Clay township in 1844, when twenty-five years old, and was intimately acquainted with Edward Eggleston. He was deeply interested in civic affairs and served as county assessor of Decatur county. His father, John Pavy, was a skillful carpenter, who built the house which is still standing on the farm owned by John A. Mires, the farm still being known as the old Pavy farm. This house was built in 1839 and is one of the oldest houses standing in Decatur county. John Pavy also was a Baptist preacher and was said to have been the most highly educated minister of his day in this section. Though farming was his occupation, he preached on Sundays at Greensburg; a pure labor of love, for he received no pay for his services.

In 1846 Ralph P. Pavy was married to Nancy Davis, who was born in Kentucky in 1827 and who died in March, r195, at the age of eighty-eight years. She was a daughter of James and Martha (Smothers) Davis. James Davis was a prominent farmer of Frankfort county, Kentucky, a member of the Baptist church and a man of strong religious convictions, who went to Jennings county, Indiana, and settled on a farm where he spent the rest of his life, rearing a family of eleven children, of whom all are now dead save Mrs. Elizabeth Brett, widow of Thomas Brett, of Bartsville, Bartholomew county, this state. To Ralph P. and Nancy (Davis) Pavy were born the following children: Jane, who married John Burney; W. S., who married Eliza McCintic; Lucy, who married John Umpshire; Mary, who married Commodore James, and Fannie, who married John A. Mires.

Always interested in politics, the late Ralph P. Pavy cast his first vote for General Scott, the Whig candidate for President, in 1848. In 1856 he became a Republican and was a patriotic supporter of the Union army during the Civil War. He was a member of the Christian church at Milford and when he died his funeral was the largest ever witnessed in Decatur county up to that time.

Mrs. John A. Mires was born on November 11, 1866, in Clay township and was educated in the common schools of that township and at Hartsville College, where she studied music. After her graduation, she taught music in Decatur county for five years or until her marriage in 1889 to Mr. Mires. Mr. and Mrs. Mires have had one son, Ralph, who was born on September 15, 1892. He married Alpha Hancock and the young couple live with Mr. and Mrs. Mires. After their marriage, John A. Mires and wife started life on the old Pavy farm, which they still own and where they still live. From 1903 until her death, Mrs. Mires's mother lived with them.

At the close of Cleveland's last administration, Mr. Mires purchased his farm, going in debt for the entire tract, and it is now clear of all encumbrances. John A. Mires is a man of pleasing manners and well respected by all who know him. He is a progressive farmer and has a fertile and highly productive farm, which he is operating with much success, specializing in the raising of hogs and mules. He is a Republican, but more a patriot than a partisan. A man of strong convictions, his party must be right to win his support. Mr. and Mrs. Mires are members of the Christian church at Milford and are held in the highest esteem throughout that section of the county in which their influence has been for years so strongly exerted in behalf of all goods things.

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

Cyrus Alley was born in Virginia in 1792, the son of Samuel Alley, whose wife, a Hollander, was one of a shipload of Dutch girls sent over from Holland, whose passage was paid for by their prospective husbands, one hundred pounds of tobacco being the fare for such passenger. Samuel Alley was a native of England, a member of an aristocratic family and one of the early settlers of Virginia. Cyrus Alley migrated with his family from Virginia to the spot where Cincinnati, Ohio, is now situated and after remaining there for a short time pushed on to Franklin county, this state. Later he came to Decatur county, bringing with him his family, and his father, Samuel, who received the first deed in Clay township. Cyrus Alley arrived in Decatur county about 1828 and entered land in Clay township, where his descendants live to this day. He was a prosperous farmer and a broadminded man and reared a large family of children, of whom Samuel B. was one of the youngest.

When Samuel B. Alley was about twenty-two years old he was married to Nancy Selby, who was the daughter of Joshua and Lydia (Townsend) Selby, the latter of w hom was born in 1824 in Harrison county, Kentucky. Joshua Selby was a native of England, who came to America when a young man, settled in Virginia and later migrated to Kentucky, where he married and reared his family. He was a minister in the New Light church and a large slave-holder, who, after going over to the Christian church, became convinced that slavery was not consistent with religion, and one Sunday morning after holding a meeting of prayer, freed his slaves. This action was so strongly condemned by the people of his community that he left Kentucky and came with his family to Decatur county, where he became a strong factor in the life of the newer community. He and his wife reared a large family, Nancy, the mother of J. L. Alley, being one of the youngest of these children. She was married to Samuel B. Alley in Decatur county. They settled on a farm in Clay township and became prosperous. Samuel B. Alley was a member of the Christian church and a man of resolute and fearless character as well as of generous disposition and was widely known in this county, his home being famous for its hospitality, a popular stopping place for stock buyers and travelers. He died in September, 1892, his wife having preceded him to the grave about eight years before, her death having occurred in February, 1884.

To Samuel B. and Nancy (Selby) Alley were born seven children, as follow: Mary E., who married Newton Hanks, now deceased; Mrs. Charity Henderson, who lives in Oklahoma; Hiram O., of Oklahoma City; Joshua S., of Shelby county, Indiana; Mrs. Elizabeth Wasson, of Burney, this county; Mrs. Ida M. Howard, wife of James Howard, who lives on a part of the old Samuel B. Alley homestead, and Jonathan L., the subject of this sketch.

Born on the old Alley homestead on September 27, 1865, Jonathan L. Alley grew to manhood on the Clay township farm and was educated in the common schools of that neighborhood. When he was twenty-two years old he was married to Lucy Ewing, a daughter of Joshua Ewing, one of the triplets born to Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Ewing, pioneers of this section, whose family history is to be found elsewhere in this volume, and to this union four children have been born, namely: Samuel B., Jr., who died on July 12, 1889; Alice E., who died on February 6, 1893; Hester Allie, wife of Dr. E. A. Porter, of Burney, and Gail S., at home.

After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Alley settled on a farm near the Noroo school and accumulated considerable property. But a chain of unfortunate circumstances befell them and with fires, droughts and the panic of 1893 they suffered considerable financial loss. In connection with his general farming, Mr. Alley engages extensively in stock raising, in which he has had much success, making a specialty of Duroc-Jersey hogs, also maintaining quite a herd of dairy cattle.

Like his ancestors, J. L. Alley is a Democrat in politics. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, the Masonic fraternity and the Knights of Pythias, and was master of the Milford lodge for three years. His father also a Mason. While Mr. Alley does not own land, he is what might be called a large farmer, and is one of those men who may be depended upon to regain his fortune. He is well known and well liked in the community in which he resides and is held in high esteem.

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

Lawrence O. Blackmore was born in Kentucky in 1818, and in 1840 was married to Elizabeth Finley, who died in 1842. In 1834 he married, secondly, Nancy Jane Houston, to which union was born one son, James Blackmore. Mr. Blackmore's second wife died in 1846, and in 1848 he married Frances W. Wallace, a daughter of John and Jane (Quigley) Wallace, the former of whom was a native of Maryland, the scion of an old and wealthy family of that state, who came to this county with his family from Rockridge county, Virginia, in 1837. To this third marriage seven children were born, namely: Mrs. Eliza Jane Smiley, the widow of George W. Smiley; Lawrence O., of Clay township, this county: Sarah H.; Samuel Edgar, of Shelby county; Elisha W., deceased; Lenora Anne, who died in infancy, and Mrs. Frances Olive Crawford, the wife of Doctor Crawford, of Milford. Of these children Miss Sarah H. Blackmore owns ninety-six acres of gently undulating farm land and lives in the old ancestral home of the Blackmores, called "The Pines." She was born on August 20, 1852.

Lawrence O. Blackmore was one of the substantial citizens of Decatur county and was highly respected. One of his strong characteristics was his generosity. He reared a large family, but was always helping others who were less fortunate than himself. He was a Republican in politics and a member of the Methodist church. He was a man of strong convictions and of great culture and wide information, possessing a great love for his family. He died on September 18, 1893, and his passing was widely and sincerely mourned. He was a man who always saw the higher side of life and his daughter, Sarah Blackmore, accounts for his sturdy traits of character as having been inherited from his father's family, and for his refinement and culture as having been inherited from his mother's family.

Of Owen W. Blackmore, it may be said that he was born in Maryland or Virginia in 1793. His father's Christian name is not known, but his mother's maiden name was Mary Wilson. She was a daughter of John Wilson, a native of Maryland, of English origin, members of a wealthy and distinguished family that owned a great deal of land where Washington, D. C., now stands. John Wilson was a Federalist in politics and a man of large mold, both mentally and physically. He was one of the patriots of his time, strong in his convictions and a natural leader of men. He owned a palatial home and a vast estate in Maryland. It is said that he owned so many slaves that he did not know all of them. He was the father of a large family, of whom Mary Wilson, the grandmother of Miss Blackmore was one.

About 1816 Owen W. Blackmore was married in Kentucky to Eliza Fulton, daughter of David and Nancy (Rankin) Fulton, who was born in 1798 and died in 1847, at the age of forty-eight. Her father, David Fulton, was born in 1771. The Fultons were an old and aristocratic southern family, distinguished in many lines of endeavor in which they engaged. Nancy (Rankin) Fulton, the great-grandfather of Miss Sarah Blackmore, was born in 1776, the year made historic by the declaration of American Independence. Her grave and that of her husband are enclosed by a stone wall in a field on the old Fulton farm in Shelby county, Kentucky, the only graves on the farm, the substantial old wall being a monument to the noble character of the deceased as well as a mark of the love of their descendants, who have too much reverence for the graves of their venerated ancestors to erect a more pretentious monument.

When Owen W. Blackmore was a mere lad his father died and his mother married a second time, which act so enraged her father and her brothers-in-law, that they kidnapped the lad and took him to Kentucky, where he grew to manhood.

On the old Blackmore farm in Clay township, Decatur county, now owned by Miss Sarah Blackmore, is a spot made historic by the "Hoosier School Master." Before the robbery recounted in that story, the robbers met at a place on Miss Blackmore's farm and she has seen the poplar fence rail which the robbers whittled while they were waiting. Miss Blackmore's mother relates an interesting incident of Revolutionary days, a tradition handed down by her father. During the Revolution, John Wallace, then a little boy, was sent by his mother to town to buy a teakettle and to pay for this kettle he was given five hundred dollars in Continental money. John Wallace, the grandfather of Miss Blackmore, was a soldier in the War of 1812, and Owen Mr. Blackmore, her grandfather, was also a soldier in this war.

The Blackmores, the Fultons and the Wallaces, ancestors of Miss Sarah Blackmore, have been prominent in the life of this country and have added distinction and honor to Decatur county, in which many of the members of this family and of their descendants have figured so conspicuously.

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

Estill A. Gibson was born in Grant county, Kentucky, on September 16, 1885, the son of William and Mary (Dunn) Gibson, natives of Grant county, Kentucky, the former of whom was born there about 1857, and who came to Decatur county in 1905, purchasing a farm near Burney, where he now lives in a pleasant, modern home. William Gibson is the son of William Gibson, Sr., a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, who in his early life removed to Kentucky and became an intimate companion of Davy Crockett, with whom he experienced many thrilling adventures in different parts of the country. William Gibson, Sr., accompanied Davy Crockett on his famous western trip and made many exploring expeditions with him. He was a Democrat in politics and a man of great natural ability, being especially well informed on Biblical literature and kindred topics. Although a great reader he had had few educational advantages. Born in 1810, he died in 1896, leaving five children, of whom William Gibson is the eldest. The latter was born in Kenton county, Kentucky, in 1857 and, like his father, endured the hardships of pioneer life. He had not the advantages of a liberal education, but was a natural lover of reading and educated himself largely by home study, possessing today a wide knowledge of historical literature, having read a great deal of "Ridpath's History of the World." As was his father, William Gibson is a Democrat and has always been interested in politics. He is a member of the Baptist church, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and active both in the church and the lodge. In 1884 he was married to Mary Dunn, who was born in 1859, the daughter of James Harry and Caroline (Barker) Dunn, natives of Kentucky, members of old and well-established families in Harrison county, that state, the Barkers being a very prosperous family, in whose veins flowed a strong strain of the blue blood for which the state of Kentucky is famous, and to this union five children have been born, namely: Estill H.. the subject of this sketch; Ernest, who lives in Minnesota; Caroline, the wife of Clyde Layton, of Decatur county; Cora, who died in 1897, and Floyd, who is at home.

Beginning life for himself at a very early age, Estill A. Gibson has attained a practical and broad education by dint of hard work and in the face of many discouragements. He received the rudiments of an education in the common schools of Grant county, Kentucky, later attended the Williamstown high school and, since coming to Indiana, the Marion Normal School. He began teaching in 1903 in Kentucky and after his first term attended the University of Kentucky at Lexington. After teaching another year in Kentucky he came to Decatur county with his parents in 1906, and began teaching in Decatur county in the winter, attending normal schools in the summer.

After teaching for nine consecutive years he abandoned the profession and entered the mercantile business at Burney. After being thus engaged for a short time, he sold his store at Burney and moved to Horace, where he is now engaged in business and is doing very well.

In 1908 Estill A. Gibson was married to Stella E. Porter, the daughter of Mathias R. and Mary S. (Sturgis) Porter. Mathias R. Porter was born in Decatur county in 1848. At the beginning of the Civil War he enlisted in the Seventieth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in which he served for three years, being a participant in numerous sever engagements. He finally was severely wounded and was brought home. Mrs. Gibson was one of several children born to her parents. Her sister, Georgia, married Orlando Robinson, of Horace. She herself was born on July 16, 1884, in Clay township and was educated in the common schools of Decatur county and at the State Normal School at Terre Haute. When seventeen years old she, too, began teaching, and taught for nine terms. To Mr. and Mrs. Gibson one child has been born, a son, Rupert Porter Gibson, who was born in 1912.

Like his father, E. A. Gibson has always been interested in politics and is one of the leaders in the councils of the Democratic party in this county. He has a good business in the town of Horace, where he lives, and is highly spoken of by the people of that community.

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

William Davis, the son of George T. and Mary (Case) Davis, was born in Sand Creek township, Decatur county, in 1848, and lived on the old home farm until twenty-one years of age. George T. Davis was a native of Franklin county, born in 1818, who died on January 17, 1909, at the age of ninety-one years. He came to Decatur county when a young man, after his marriage, and settled on a farm in Sand Creek township, where he spent the rest of his life. He was a successful farmer and accumulated considerable land, being the owner of one hundred and eighty acres at the time of his death. George T. Davis was the son of Robert Davis, who came to Decatur county in pioneer times and entered three eighty-acre tracts, which, later in life, he gave to his children. At the time this land was given to George T. Davis by his father he set out some locust trees that are still standing. A member of the Whig party until 1856, George T. Davis became a Republican upon the formation of the latter party. He was a member of the Masonic lodge at Westport and of the Baptist church at Letts. He and his wife were the parents of eleven children, of whom seven are still living, namely: William, the subject of this sketch; Isane, of Iowa; Thomas C., of Tennessee; Martha, of Vernon, Indiana; John, of Letts Corner, this county; Lavina, who married John Jerris of Marion township, this county, and Mrs. Hannah Brown, of Connersville, Indiana.

In 1870 William Davis was married to Harriet Hunter, the daughter of Lewis and Mirah (Martin) Hunter, both natives of Dearborn county, this state, the former of whom was born in 1806 and died in 1859, and the latter of whom was born in 1814 and died in 1848. Lewis Hunter moved from Dearborn county to Jennings county in an early day and spent the rest of his life in that county. After the marriage of Mr. Davis, in 1870, he and his wife worked on a farm, and he worked by the month. After a few years of hard and diligent labor he rented a farm and finally purchased two hundred and ninety-nine acres, paying seven or eight thousand dollars for the property. He paid this debt off in seven years and then purchased two hundred and thirteen acres more, having come to own, within seven years, five hundred and thirteen acres. At that early period he received no financial assistance and was not benefited by any legacies. He has made his money from the live-stock business, buying, feeding and selling cattle and hogs. For years he was a large dealer in live stock and some weeks shipped between five and ten thousand head of hogs, mostly to Louisville.

To William and Harriet (Hunter) Davis two children have been born, James G., who farms the home place, married Mrs. Dora Stout, widow of Albert Stout, and daughter of Herman Myer, and has three children, George W., Mary and Denzel D., and Nora, who married Ralph McGee, of Greensburg, a farmer, and has one child, a daughter, Orpha. Mr. and Mrs. Davis are members of the Baptist church and are regarded as among the leaders in the good works of their community.

Mr. Davis is a Republican and is a strong believer in the Republican principles. He was beaten by only one vote for trustee in Sand Creek township, at a time when the normal majority of the opposition was one hundred. Fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Greensburg. First and last a stockman, Mr. Davis feeds about fifty head of cattle every year and has two silos. The land is gently rolling and originally grew sugar trees and walnut, as well as yellow poplar. Broad-minded in his views and charitable in his attitude towards others, Mr. Davis is always ready to help the unfortunate and is a good, strong, substantial citizen.

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

L. O. Blackmore, son of Lawrence O. and Frances (Wallace) Blackmore, was born in 1850 on the old Blackmore homestead in this county. The late Lawrence O. Blackmore was the son of Owen W. and Eliza (Fulton) Blackmore, the former of whom was born in Maryland or Virginia in 1793, his mother, a daughter of John Wilson, a native of Maryland, of English origin, member of a wealthy and distinguished family that owned a large amount of land where Washington, D. C. now stands. Eliza Fulton was the daughter of David and Nancy (Rankin) Fulton, of an old and aristocratic southern family, distinguished in many lines of endeavor. On another page of this volume there is presented in detail, in a memorial sketch relating to the late L. O. Blackmore, father of the subject of this sketch, a history of these interesting families, to which the reader is respectfully referred in this connection.

The late Lawrence O. Blackmore was the eldest of a family of six children. He married Frances W. Wallace, daughter of John and Jane (Quigley) Wallace, the former of whom was a native of Maryland, who came to this county with his family from Rockridge county, Virginia, in 1837, and to this union were born seven children, as follow: Mrs. Eliza Jane Smiley, widow of George W. Smiley; Lawrence O., the subject of this sketch; Sarah H.; Samuel Edgar, of Shelby county; Elisha W., deceased; Lenora Ann, who died in infancy, and Frances Olive, the wife of Doctor Crawford, of Milford.

L. O. Blackmore was educated in the common schools of Decatur county and spent one year at Holbrook Normal School at Lebanon, Ohio. He was about ten years old when the Civil War broke out and, near the close of that struggle, tried to enlist, but his father, finding out his intentions, promptly put him to work hoeing corn, which soon dissipated his desire for warfare. When about twenty-five years old, Mr. Blackmore began life for himself. He rented land for six years and during that time accumulated some two thousand dollars, which sum he paid on the farm of one hundred and twenty acres. As a matter of fact, he spent one thousand dollars in improvements and thus had only a one-thousand-dollar equity in the farm, which cost him six thousand dollars. Mr. Blackmore has added to this original tract until he now owns three hundred acres, having paid from fifty to one hundred and ten dollars an acre for his land. His money has been made from corn, hogs and cattle, and he now has an admirably improved farm. A partner whom he took into the farming business eight years ago is now worth at least ten thousand dollars, a distinct evidence that agriculture on the Blackmore farm is being made to pay.

In 1877 L. O. Blackmore was married to Fannie C. O'Byrne, the daughter of Henry O'Byrne, a native of Ireland, who came to America and settled in Franklin county. Mrs. Blackmore's mother, who was a Barbour, was a native of that county. Henry O'Byrne was a successful business man and farmer and died at the age of about fifty years, being the owner of about twelve hundred acres of land. Mrs. Blackmore spent five years in the Oxford Female College at Oxford, Ohio, and was graduated in 1875. Upon her graduation she went to Indianapolis and spent two years there, at the end of which time she and Mr. Blackmore were married. She is a cultured and refined woman and a prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Milford, to which church Mr. Blackmore also is attached, they being regarded as among the leaders in all good works thereabout. Mr. Blackmore is a Republican and takes an intelligent interest in the political affairs of the county. He is a stockholder in the Third National Bank at Greensburg and prominent, not only in agricultural circles, but in the financial circles of this county. There are no more highly respected citizens living in Decatur county than Mr. and Mrs. L. O. Blackmore, and they are held in the highest esteem in their large circle of friends.

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

James Howard was born in Noble township, Shelby county, Indiana, in 1861, the son of John and Mary (Pullen) Howard, the former of whom was a native of Butler county, Ohio, the son of Aaron Howard, a native of Ohio. John Howard came to Decatur county when he was eight years old with his father, Aaron, who settled on a farm in Washington township, west of Greensburg, known as the Ralston farm. Aaron Howard was a prosperous farmer and a well-known citizen of this county. For twelve years he served as county assessor and, being an ardent Democrat, he was prominent in the councils of his party. He and his wife were the parents of five children, of whom John Howard, the father of James, was the second child. He was born in Ohio and grew to manhood on his father's farm in this county.

When about twenty-five years old, he was married to Mary Pullen, a native of Virginia, born in 1831, the daughter of William and Martha (Hogue) Pullen, both natives of that state. William Pullen, a farmer by occupation, came of a good old Virginia family, all of whom were Democrats of the old school.

To John and Mary (Pullen) Howard were born seven children, namely: Dennis, who is a resident of Shelbyville, this state; James, who is the subject of this sketch; Sarah Jane, who is the wife of John Moore, of Johnson county, Indiana: Jessie, who lives in Michigan; Mattie, who is the wife of William R. Braden, of Shelby county, Indiana; Othor, also a farmer of the same county, and Oscar, who also lives in that county.

After being reared to manhood on his father's farm, James Howard was married in 1882 to Ida Alley, a daughter of Samuel and Nancy (Selby) Alley. A history of the Alley family is presented elsewhere in this volume in the biographical sketch relating to J. L. Alley. After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Howard began life on a farm in Shelby county, where they lived until about 1885, when they moved to the farm upon which they now live. To them four children have been born, two of whom are living and two deceased, namely: Opal, who married Conda Steward, of Bartholomew county, this state, and has one son, Howard Donald, who was born on October 12, 1914; Alley, who died at the age of four years; a child who died in infancy, and Oscar, who lives at home with his parents. Mr. Howard is very proud of his only grandchild and especially proud because Howard Donald is a very lively little youngster.

James Howard is a Democrat, stanch and true to the mandates of his party organization and the principles for which his party stands. He has always a deep interest in politics and is one of the leaders of his party in Clay township. Mr. and Mrs. Howard and family are members of the Christian church at Milford. Fraternally, he is a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge at Geneva, in Shelby county. Progressive, public-spirited, liberal and broad-minded, he has contributed in a rather large measure to the material advancement of this county and no man is more popular in the neighborhood where he lives than he.

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

John W. Corya was born in Jefferson county, Indiana, in September, 1858, the son of Francis M. and Lucinda (Phillips) Corya, the former of whom was a native of that same county, the son of Philip and Isabella (Boicourt) Corya. Philip Corya was a native of Pennsylvania, of German origin, who was brought when a mere lad to Jefferson county, Indiana, by his parents, who were well-respected German farmers. Isabella Boicourt was a native of Decatur county and the Boicourt family is of French extraction. Although Lucinda Phillips's mother, who was a Wilson, was a native of this county, her father was a native of Ireland, reared as a Protestant.

John W. Corya left home when about six years old to live with an uncle in Jefferson county, Indiana, where he remained until thirteen years of age, at which time he began life for himself by working in a store in Jennings county. After working in this store as a clerk for seven years and learning the principles of good business, he spent a short time in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the produce commission business. He then went to Colorado, where he was employed in gold and silver mines, running a pack-train of burros, carrying ore and supplies to and from the mines.

The Marshall Pass Basin of Colorado every winter fills with snow and until late in the spring is impassable. While engaged in running the packtrain, in the spring of 1883, John W. Corya, then a young man of twenty-five, went through this pass with his train of burros earlier in the season than anyone before him had ever been able to make the trip. After spending five years in the mines, he returned to Indiana and settled in Jennings county, where he was married to Flora Galloway, the daughter of William and Elizabeth (Parker) Galloway, the former of whom was a native of Indiana, whose father came from Kentucky, and the latter of whom was the daughter of Enoch Parker, a native of Jennings county, Indiana, a member of an old and established family of that county.

After his marriage, in 1887, John W. Corya located at North Vernon, this state, where he engaged in the produce business. One year later he and his wife went to West Virginia and after staying there but a very short time, came back to Indiana and settled in Decatur county. One year later they moved to the northwestern part of Missouri, where Mr. Corya rented a farm, on which they lived for three years. There he was fairly successful but eventually he returned to Jennings county, Indiana, and for ten years was engaged in the mercantile business. Upon selling out this business, in December, 1902, he came to Decatur county and purchased a farm of two hundred and eighty acres in Clay township from Joseph Burney. The buildings on the farm were dilapidated and hardly fit for human habitation. There were scarcely any fences and the farm was very much run down in every particular.

That was twelve years ago and today John W. Corya owns four hundred and seventeen acres of land and has erected on the farm a splendid home of nine rooms, modern in every respect and costing five thousand dollars.

He has two large and substantial barns, one sixty by one hundred and twelve and the other fifty by sixty-four feet. Besides the home farm in Clay township, Mr. Corya owns a farm of one hundred and thirty-seven acres of well-improved land in Bartholomew county.

When John Corya started on the farm in Clay township, he had twelve thousand dollars and today he could "cash out" any time for more than fifty thousand dollars, success having crowned his efforts in these short twelve years. It may be said in passing that neither Mr. Corya nor his wife has inherited to exceed five hundred dollars, their large success being the result of their own hard work and prudent management. Mr. Corya has specialized in breeding Western lambs and usually feeds about one thousand head of sheep. He is preparing to extend his operations so that he may feed fifteen hundred or more. There are two silos on one of his farms, a great help in feeding.

To John W. and Flora (Galloway) Corya four children have been born, namely: Delta, who was born in North Vernon in 1888 and who lives at home; Horace, who was born in Jennings county in 1893 and who is also at home; Russell, born in Jennings county in 1889, and Erma, who was born in 1906, died in 1907.

There are no more stanch or true Republicans living in Decatur county than John Corya, who is steadfast to the principles of the party of Abraham Lincoln and who believes that party is eminently capable of administering the affairs of this government. He is regarded as one of the leaders in the councils of the Republican party in Decatur county. Formerly, Mr. Corya was a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge at North Vernon. Russell Corya, the youngest son of Mr. Corya, who is now a student of the agricultural course at Purdue University, won a prize for the best acre of corn raised in Clay township in 1914.

John Corya is a man of more than ordinary ability. He has a liking for and an aptitude for politics. Being a pronounced optimist in his views, he is naturally popular with his neighbors and fellow citizens. With all of his public interests he is, nevertheless, a man of strong domestic temperaments and devoted to the interests of his family, all of whom are held in high esteem throughout the section of the county in which they reside.

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

James A. Pumphrey was born on the old Pumphrey homestead in Clay township in 1863. He grew to manhood on that farm and was educated in the district schools of Clay township, after which he began the business of life for himself.

On February 7, 1884, James A. Pumphrey was married to Mary E. Mandlove, a daughter of William A. and Nancy J. (Edwards) Mandlove, the former of whom was the son of James and Sarah (Bean) Mandlove. James Mandlove, a native of Kentucky, was born in 1816 and died in 1862. His wife was born in England in 1820, the daughter of William and Sarah Bean. William Bean was a minister in the Methodist Episcopal church in England, who immigrated to America late in life, when Sarah, the grandmother of Mrs. Pumphrey, was only two years old. The voyage required nine weeks and one of Sarah's sisters died and was buried at sea. James and Sarah Mandlove began life in Decatur county on a farm, after having settled in Clay township on the site of the present town of Burney. In that day Clay township was a dense wilderness, the few inhabitants marking the trails through the dense forests by "blazing" the ways, gashing the trees to mark the little-traveled routes. The grinding for the household was done at the Critser mill on Clifty creek, which mill is still standing and still in operation. James Mandlove was one of the prominent citizens of Decatur county during his day, at one time being rated as the wealthiest man in the county. He died in 1862, at which time he owned a large tract of land and a store at Milford which in that day was a thriving town. He was a Democrat and a member of the Methodist church.

After his marriage, Mr. Pumphrey and his wife moved to a farm owned by his father, which he rented. There they lived for about one year, when they moved to Burney, where he was engaged in the mercantile business for six years, at the end of which time he sold the store and purchased "Spring Dale Farm." The original tract comprised only fifty-five acres and was bought in 1891, since which date Mr. Pumphrey has added to the farm until it now comprises one hundred and ninety-five acres.

To James A. and Mary E. (Mandlove) Pumphrey have been born two sons, Eagar Ray and William Falonzo. Edgar Ray Pumphrey was born on October 31, 1888, and was educated in the common and high schools of Decatur county. After graduating from high school in 1907, he entered Purdue University and was graduated from the electrical engineering department with the class of 1911. He now holds a responsible position with the Fairbanks-Morse Electric Company, of Indianapolis. He is a popular young man and familiarly known in this community as Ray. William F. Pumphrey, who was born on May 1, 1892, was educated in the common and high schools of Decatur county and later attended the Winona Technical Institute at Indianapolis. He is an automobile expert, engaged in his calling at Hope, Indiana.

James A. Pumphrey is a stanch and true Democrat and is a member of the Masonic lodge at Milford and of the Knights of Pythias lodge at Burney. Mr. Pumphrey is a stockholder in the Burney State Bank and is regarded as one of the most substantial residents of that community, he and his family enjoying the highest esteem of all who know them.

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

Edward Pumphrey was born on the old Pumphrey homestead in Clay township, this county, in 1869, the son of William and Loduska (Jewell) Pumphrey, the former of whom was a native of Kentucky, the son of Andrew Pumphrey, whose family, of English origin, emigrated to Kentucky in pioneer times. Andrew Pumphrey emigrated to Decatur county at an early day in the settlement of this section and located in Clay township, west of where Burney is now situated. He was a well-known and successful farmer, a Democrat in politics, and well respected. He and his wife were the parents of seven children, of whom William, the father of Edward, was the fourth in order of birth. William Pumphrey grew to manhood on his father's farm and began life for himself at the time of his marriage to Loduska Jewell. They settled on a farm which William Pumphrey owned and gradually added to this tract, until at the time of his death, when eighty years of age, William Pumphrey owned thirteen hundred acres of land, all in Clay township. He was a very successful farmer and business man, a Democrat in politics and a member of the Methodist church. A man of decided convictions and moral courage, he was more than the ordinary type of citizen. Generous in his impulses, he had a host of friends in this county, where he was favorably known. He and his wife were the parents of ten children, namely: James A., Francis M. and Edward P., residents of this county; William P., a resident of Shelby county, this state; Doad P., deceased; a child who died in infancy; Elizabeth, who married Frank Alexander; Mrs. Fannie Miner, of Decatur county; May, who married Clyde Elliott, and Josephine, who married Earl Littell and lives in Indianapolis.

Educated in the common schools of Clay township, Edward Pumphrey began life for himself after his marriage in 1890 to Jennie Johnson, the daughter of William and Lucretia Johnson, the former of whom was a prosperous farmer of Jackson township, a native of Ohio, and well known and highly respected by the citizens of this county.

Mr. and Mrs. Pumphrey have a lovely little home and enjoy life. He is a progressive broad-minded citizen, well known and highly respected. A stanch Democrat, he has always taken a prominent part in the campaigns of his party, especially in Clay township. Between 1905 and 1909 he was trustee of Clay township and was very successful in the management of the township's business, having retired from office with the respect and confidence of all the people. Mr. Pumphrey is a stockholder in the Third National Bank at Greensburg, and a member of the Masonic lodge at Milford. Mr. and Mrs. Pumphrey are members of the Baptist church at Burney. He and his good wife believe that there are other things in life besides the accumulation of money. They believe in the enjoyment of life and they have enjoyed it so far as it has been possible to do so.

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

Mr. Spears was born on March 23, 1847, in Switzerland county, Indiana. His father and mother were also natives of this county, the former, Abraham L. Spears, having been born in 1828 and died in 1896, and the latter, who before her marriage was Martha Jane Day, having been born in 1829 and died at the age of forty-two years in 1872. Subject's father was a blacksmith and merchant and was well known in the southeastern part of Indiana, having followed his trade for many years and also having conducted general stores at New Marion, Zenas, Hartsville and Holton, the last named in Ripley county, where he died. John Spears, who was the father of Abraham L. and the founder of the family in America, settled in Indiana after having immigrated to this country from England. He was a well-known farmer during his life.

Six children were born to Abraham L. and Martha Jane Spears, of whom three are now deceased: John Wesley, who was the eldest; Tillman Webster, who was born on March 1, 1849; Phoebe Elizabeth, who died in 1854, at the age of two years; Stephen D., who died in 1912; Abraham, who is a farmer near Alert; and Mrs. Lucinda Jane LaRue, who is the wife of Oliver LaRue, of Holton, Indiana, and William Aaron, who died at the age of twenty-six years.

During the boyhood of John W. Spears, the Hartsville Academy was perhaps the leading institution in this section of the state. After he had completed the course in the common schools near Zenas, where his family lived at the time, he attended Hartsville Academy for a time. During vacations, he assisted his father in the store and here learned the mercantile business. When he was twenty-two years old, he engaged in business with his father at Alert. This partnership continued for six years or until 1875, when the son purchased the interest of the father and operated it alone until 1908, at which time he retired from the active management of the store. In the meantime, he had erected a large brick building, in which the store is housed, to replace a frame building which burned in January, 1906. Not very long ago, he erected a new house in Alert, one of the most comfortable homes in this section. Mr. Spears has eighty acres of land in Jackson township, in Decatur county, and one hundred and fifty-nine acres in Bartholomew county. Although he himself has never been actively engaged as a farmer, his farm has proved a very profitable investment under the direct operation of tenants.

In 1888 at a barn raising in this community, Mr. Spears suffered a very painful and dangerous injury. While the barn was being raised, the plate breaking loose, fell to the ground, striking him on the back and breaking his thigh. Nevertheless he recovered from the injury, a very marvelous circumstance probably due to his wonderful vitality. Today he is still active and strong, although now about sixty-eight years old.

In 1914 Mr. Spears took a leading part in the organization of the Alert State Bank, which is capitalized at twenty-five thousand dollars and, when the directors were elected, Mr. Spears was chosen as one; later, when officers were elected, he was selected president of the institution. Although a very young institution, the bank is already doing a most satisfactory business. The vice-president of the institution is Dr. Thomas J. Norton and the cashier is Roy Campbell, formerly of Jennings county, Indiana. The directors include, besides Mr. Spears, Dr. Norton, James D. Anderson, John H. Dennison, Samuel Kelly, William James Carson, of Jennings county, and George Beasley.

In 1914 fire of the leading business men of Jackson township also organized the Alert Telephone Company with a capital of twenty-five hundred dollars and sixty subscribers. Mr. Spears became president of this company. The board of directors include Dr. Ray Bannister of Alert; Rev. Nicholson, Dr. Clarence L. Hill, a minister and farmer, who lives one mile north of Alert; J. W. Spears, and D. H. Pike.

On September 5, 1869, John W. Spears was married at Zenas to Mary L. Galloway, a native of Jennings county and the daughter of William Galloway. They have no children.

Religiously, Mr. and Mrs. Spears are members of the Christian Union. Fraternally, Mr. Spears is a member of Alert Lodge, No. 395, Free and Accepted Masons. A Democrat in politics, he served eight years as a justice of the peace in Jackson township and in 1897 was elected a member of the board of county commissioners, on which he served for three years, giving the very highest measure of satisfaction.

It is a matter of interesting speculation to dwell on what men with the same ability as John W. Spears accomplish where the opportunities are wider. It is a matter of interest to consider what he might have accomplished had he by chance been reared in the city, where the opportunities for commercial and financial success are perhaps greater than they are in rural communities. Here, at least, Mr. Spears is a recognized leader in almost every form of enterprise, and there is good reason to believe that he might have become an equally successful leader in larger forms of enterprises in a larger community. He is first and foremost a man of character, and, as is usually the case, character is the determining factor in the life of an individual. There is no occasion for surprise that John W. Spears has enjoyed a large measure of success.

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