It is not an easy task to describe adequately a man who has led an eminently active and useful life and who has attained to a position of relative distinction in the community with which his interests are allied. But biography finds its most perfect justification, nevertheless, in the tracing and recording of such a. life history. It is, then, with a full appreciation of all that is demanded and of the painstaking scrutiny that must be accorded each statement, and yet with a feeling of satisfaction that the writer essays the task of touching briefly upon the details of such a record as has been that of the honored subject whose life now comes under review. William H. Macy was born in Guilford County, North Carolina, January 27, 1834 but at the early age of ten years was brought to Henry County, Indiana. His parents were Lorenzo Dow and Rachael (Rogers) Macy. His father was a millwright and carpenter and helped to erect mills at Greensboro, this county, where he settled and there followed his trade. In 1865, for the purpose of benefiting his wife's health, he went to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and remained there for five years. His death occurred in Rush County, this state, at the age of eighty years; his wife had died six months previously at the age of eighty-three years. William. H. Macy grew to maturity in Henry County. When old enough to start in life for himself he learned the trade of painting and followed this occupation until the outbreak of the Civil war. When he fell that his country needed his services he enlisted in Company D, Thirty-sixth Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, under the command of General Grose. He held the rank of sergeant and served faithfully with his regiment until it was mustered out. He was never wounded, but endured much hard service and many privations. Upon his return to civil life he learned the trade of stonemason and followed that occupation at Greensboro from 1866 until 1887, when he went into the business of contracting. He did much work about Knightstown and throughout Rush county and much of the work which he then did is still in good condition and stands a splendid witness to the thoroughness with which he performed his work. He also built many county bridges and in all his business dealings prospered, the inevitable result of his honest and straightforward method of doing business. In 1886 he was elected to the office of sheriff of Henry County. At the primary he was chosen from among ten candidates and at the election he was the recipient of a hand-some majority. At the close of his first term, so eminently satisfactory was his performance of the duties of the office that he was renominated and elected to the office with absolutely no opposition whatever, there being no similar instance in the political history of the county. He had during his tenure of office conducted thirty-eight persons to prison and had performed his official duties for four years in a manner that earned him the earnest commendation of all citizens, regardless of party. Upon his retirement from the office he purchased a farm about three miles west of New Castle, in Henry Township, and made his home there for seven years. At the end of that time he returned to New Castle and has here since resided. He rents his farm, though still retaining some interest in livestock. On the 19th of July 1857, Mr. Macy was united in marriage with Miss Irene Howren, the daughter of John and Abigail Howren. Her parents were both born in North Carolina, but removed to Henry County, Indiana, where they both died, the mother at the age of eighty years. To the union of the subject and wife were born the following children: Milton E. lives at New Castle; Viola, deceased, was the wife of Darwin Level. Religiously Mrs. Macy is a member of the Wesleyan Methodist church to which Mr. Macy is a liberal contributor. Fraternally Mr. Macy is affiliated with the Masonic order and has advanced to the Knight Templar degree. He is a public spirited and progressive citizen, deeply interested in the welfare of the community and all that contributes to its intellectual and moral advancement. His business efforts have been crowned with a degree of success richly merited and now he is resting in the enjoyment of the fruits of his former toil. In politics he is a Republican and takes an active interest in the success of his party.

Submitted by: Lora
Compendium of Biography Of Henry County, Indiana B. F. Bowen 1920

Ruth Ada Harvey was born in Henry County, Indiana January 9, 1885 to Samuel Downs Harvey and Elizabeth Beavers Harvey. During Ruth's early years her mother suffered from a digestive disorder which was alleviated by camping vacations in Michigan. Due to the near impossibility of making a living in the wilds of Michigan, Samuel and Elizabeth Harvey decided that he should seek a location for his family in the fast growing Alaskan Territory to which gold seekers were flocking, and seemed to offer excellent possibilities for her improved health. Mr. Harvey first operated a ferry on the approach to the Chilcoot Pass, the main, but very dangerous route to the Klondike. He built a stout cabin and had it well stocked with furs in preparation for his wife and children when he received word by the slow mail that she had died many months previously and that his children were scattered. Ruth went to California with her aunt Leonora Beavers Armstrong, but was homesick, and after about a year during which she completed 7th grade work, she returned to Indiana. Soon she was invited to make her home with William and Virginia Cory where her brother had preceded her. The Corys, long friends of the Harvey family, had no children of their own but were benevolent teachers of young people and helped sixteen young men and Ruth, to all receive a college education. In the delightful home atmosphere of learning and uplift which the Corys provided, Ruth spent four years at the Spiceland Academy, and then four more at Earlham College majoring in English which she later taught. On January 23, 1927 Ruth and Chester Lindstrom were married and lived briefly in Coral Gables, Florida. They then returned to Indiana and in a few years moved to Stockton, California, where Chester opened a typewriter and business machines agency which is still operative. Chester joined the Elks Lodge and Ruth, the Iris Club, the Women's Auxillary Club. Several years ago she was elected president of this organization, and for some time has been the oldest and a highly honored member. She has a wide circle of devoted friends in Stockton. Chester Lindstrom died a week before Christmas in 1947 after a brief illness. Ruth continued to live at their home in Stockton, across the street from beautiful Victory Park until January, 1976 when, after a fall and a short hospitalization, she came to Whittier, California to live with her niece Elizabeth, Mrs. Maurice W. Brainard. During the next year, Ruth made steady improvement and greatly enjoyed living in the hillside home for the remainder of her life. She died August 27, 1978 after a couple of falls and a series of small strokes. Ruth loved people and in return was loved by many. She was interested in nature, enjoyed art and painted some pictures. She especially liked poetry and "rhyming" as she called it, was a favorite pastime. Following are a few recent samples:

Jan. 1977  CITY LIGHTS
  When city lights come on at night
  They are indeed a lovely sight.
  I like to watch them all out there
  While sitting in my rocking chair.
  
  (MANY TIMES)
  There are so very many times
  I enjoy making easy rhymes
  When I see a lovely deep blue sky
  With white fluffy clouds floating by;
  And branches of evergreen trees
  Gently swaying in the evening breeze
  At once I want my pen in hand
  Whether I wish to sit or stand,
  To write about the beauties I see
  Which seem so wonderful to me.
 

Submitted by: J.P. Smith

Samuel was involved in the Alaskan Gold Rush, and wrote several letters home to Henry County, IN:

SITKA ALASKA TUESDAY MAY 12, (18)96

My Dear Bro Eli:

Your most welcome letter of April 17th came to hand yesterday. I met it here on its way to Yakutat. I am glad to know that you are well and in good spirits and that everybody seems to be enjoying better health. I have two letter from home-the first word I have had since I left but I did not expect to hear from you often, but hope that you have time to write occasionally. I was grossly misinformed about the climate about Yakutat-for this season-and not much either-2 years since they had no snow atall. Last year only 10 inches. This year it was 10 feet deep on the beach and 7 ft when we arrived. We could do nothing but eat our grub-I sold my Tools and remaining grub borrowed $2.50 of my partner and landed here May 5th broke. I would have went directly to Cook's inlet but did not have money enough by $20, to get there. The placer field at the Inlet is a large one. Just discovered last season and just the right kind for a good one. The gold is coarse and rough, indicating that it has not been moved much from it's original home. I have seen nuggets the size of a hickory nut down to the size of wheat and there is some very very rich quartz near by that kind of nuggets. But!: it's worth a man's life to go and get it. The mosquitoes would eat a horse bodily in a day. One must keep the head and face covered with netting-day and night wear gloves to keep them off-they lodge so thickly on the netting that you must rake them off to see to work-they are a species that seem to hatch out of the snow. Soon as it, the weather, begins to turn warm-if you will consult your map and follow from the lower end of the (Unalaska) Aleution Islands-up through the Inlet, The Coffin river-to the Yukon with it's tributaries You can scan, probably, the richest mineral belt in the world and surely the hardest one known to prospect. Many men have come out with fortunes, others disappointed, and still others do no good at any thing, wherever you put them. Many things strange to me here and many things that I did not expect to see and some things I did expect are not what I pictured. Alaska is in some respects an old, old, country, as shown by the marks of past generations of Indians & Rusians. Old block houses, forts, cannon, wrecked vessels-old iron tt (crosses?). Yet Alaska is new, a regular frontier, guarded by what seems to me, an unnecessary number of Uncle Sam's Navy & Soldiers, I have seen no less than a dozen men of war & Large revenue ships-besides the regulars on guard duty at the Forts. The Indians are a source of wonder and amusement. Their attempts at civilization are ludicrous-yet many of them make a good stagger and talk fair English. I had the pleasure of getting into 40 or 50 of their houses last week. A N.Y. man on his way home from Kodiac-was buying curio-to take east and sell-moccosons-bead work- tomhawks-knives-baskets-fur garments-bone-ivory-wood-copper-silver-gold-trinkets useful and ornamental. They dug up old Chief and Doctor Toggery and outfits valued at four to six hundred dollars which was inspected and one M.d. outfit priced at $250 was purchased for $8.00. He kept on trying to buy a squaw untill finally one was offered Him and He had to back out. We are camped in a comfortable cabin close to the bay. Back of us is a narrow cedar swamp and a grave yard-then a mountain, straight up. The sun rises from behind it-It is dawn at 2 ocl good daylight at three. I saw a man walking along reading a newspaper at 9 ocl eve-The stores seem to close in the middle of the afternoon-and open awfully late in the morning-by and bye we will have no night-only twilight-The sun will rise and set nearly North. The northern lights have already appeared and will grow as the Season advances. A british man of War has droped anchor over there in the bay. Govenor Blakely has boarded her and they are firing a Salute of tn guns-Sunday 18th. Took a stroll up Indian river-jumped up a deer, and how it did run and show its cotton. Heard a dutch sailor sing "climbing up the ladder" which tickled me clear through-Heard some Indians sing "sweet by and bye" in Siwash.

(A note at the top of Samuel Harvey's letter stated: "Do not advise any friends to come to Alaska this year.")

Letters from the Harvey collection at The Henry County Museum and Research Library in New Castle, IN.

Submitted by: J.P. Smith

For additional information on Samuel Harvey go here and follow the links to Mining History.

Lucinda Depboye, Middletown, Ind., is a native of Ohio, born near Hillsboro, Dec 1, 1821, a daughter of Lewis and Diana (Marsh) Sommers, who were among the earliest settlers of Henry County. Her parents were married in Ohio, and in 1829 moved to Henry County and settled on a farm in Fall Creek Township, near the present site of Middletown, were the mother died Feb. 8, 1850. The father died at the residence of Mrs. Depboye, July 23, 1879. They had two children- Lucinda and Elizabeth M., the latter born Aug. 24, 1827. The family experienced all the hardships of pioneer life, the inconveniences of having few church and school priviledges. Their children received only a common-school education, their attendence being limited to the winter months. Lucinda Sommers was married Sept. 17, 1840, to Joseph Depboye, a native of New Market, Rockingham Co., VA., born Oct. 30, 1816. His parents were Abraham and Rosanna (Goodyear) Depboye. He was reared a farmer and always followed that vocation. To Mr. and Mrs. Depboye were born five children- Emma E., born Aug. 16, 1841, Married Robert Carter, Feb. 15, 1858; Margaret G., born Sept. 23, 1843, died March 10, 1853; Arbena R., born Sept. 28, 1845, married Abraham Hopper, Jan. 1, 1865; Lewis S., born Oct. 28, 1849, died in infancy; Annie, born June 16, 1851, married James H. Welsh, March 16, 1871. May 3, 1864, they moved to Middletown where Mr. Depboye died Aug. 17, 1868. Mrs. Depboye is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Depboye was a member of no religious organization, but always gave his influence to the side of morality and business integrity. Before the war he was a Know-nothing, but since the war affiliated with the Democratic party.

Submitted by: J.P. Smith
From the "History of Henry County, Indiana," Chicago: Inter-state Publishing Co., 1884.

Absalom Harvey was born in Randolph county, North Carolina, June 13, 1791, where he lived until he was about thirteen years of age. His father then moved to the Territory of Indiana, where he resided about thirty-four years. He lived on a farm and used to buy hogs and drive them to Cincinnati, Ohio, to market, following the business about fifteen years. He served in the War of 1812, under General Harrison. At the close of the war he married Miss Eleanor Julian, October 5, 1813, and settled on a farm in Wayne county, Indiana, where he lived until 1820. then moved to Blue River, Henry county, same State, and lived there twenty years. In the fall of 1842 he moved to Grundy county, Missouri, where he settled on the farm now owned by his son in Edinburg. He was a noted hunter and used to indulge in the sport a great deal, and kept several hounds; he used to take his dogs and go up the country and start up a deer in the woods on the spot which is now Main Street, Edinburg. The deer went through the place snorting, and when the town was started it was originally called "Bucksnort," owing to this snorting as soon as they got into the town, and was so called for a long time, when the people became possessed of the idea that it was not a nice name, and it was changed. They wanted to call it Harveyville, but Mr. Harvey would not have it that way, so an old Scotchman, named McFarland, had the naming of it, and he called it Edinburg after the classical city in Scotland where he came from. Mr. Harvey very frequently went with the Indians on their hunting excursions, as they had to have a white man with them to keep from being molested on those hunting tours. His death occurred September 17, 1872. He was a kind husband and father, beloved by all who knew him. He was grandfather to thirty-four children, and great-grandfather to sixteen children. His wife still survives. She was born in Randolph county, North Carolina, October 9, 1796. She lived with her parents, Isaac and Sarah Julian, until she was married. She has been a pioneer all of her life and helped to settle up two new Territories before coming to this county. Their family consisted of eight children;named, respectively, Jennie, Isaac J., Sarah L. Evans, William C., Elizabeth E., Sophronia J. and a babe not named. She is grandmother to thirty-seven children, great-grandmother to twenty-nine children, and great-great-grandmother to three children. She is a woman of many sterling qualities. Her eldest son came from California to visit her in 1874, and she accompanied him back, as she wanted to see those of her grandchildren she had never seen;she remained about three months. She was reared a Quaker, but not liking that creed, felt as though she ought to join some church, and so united with the Baptist Church, and still remains an active member.

From "The History of Grundy County, Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri," page 585, Birdsall & Dean, 1881.

PRAIRIE TOWNSHIP - HENRY COUNTY, INDIANA - formed June, 1822 one of the first 4 townships of Henry Co. was originally - 20 miles long and 8 miles wide. Election for Justice of Peace of said township was to be held at the home of Abraham Harvey on the 6th of July, 1822 and that William Harvey be inspector. At this election, William Harvey and Abijah Cain were chosen Overseers of the Poor; and Abraham Harvey, James Massey and Robert Gordon, Fence Viewers. The place of election was changed in 1826 to Samson Smith's; afterward to Enoch Dent's, then to E. Hickman's, and then to James Harvey. The township derives its name from the low and level meadows which constitute a considerable portion of its land. In 1870 population was 1,622; in 1880 - 1,708.

The Harvey neighborhood was among the first settlements in the county. William, Benjamin, James and Absalom Harvey settled in 1819. Absalom Harvey owned land about New Castle and donated to the county 28 acres including that on which the court-house now stands. Benjamin Harvey settled in the Spring of 1819 and the others in the Autumn. The family were originally from No. Carolina, but had moved to Indiana while it was a Territory. They came to this county from Wayne. Other early settlers were John Reed.

School house built on land of Nathan Harvey in 1826.

First principal of the Mount Summit district was Newton Williams.

Submitted by: J.P. Smith
From the "History of Henry County, Indiana," Chicago: Inter-state Publishing Co., 1884.

Grave side services were held for Dr. Beverley E. Holaday, a summertime resident of Long Eddy, at the Riverside Cemetery in Long Eddy on Sunday, April 2, 1979 (1989?). He had died Monday, March 27, at his home in Tuscaloosa, Ala., at the age of 79. Dr. Beverley Holaday was born in Newcastle, Indiana, on February4, 1910, the son of the late John F. and Carrie T. Holaday. At age 14, he enrolled in Erlham College in Richman, Indiana, and graduated in 1929 from Wittenberg University, Springfield, OH, with an AB degree. His first Ph.D. was awarded in experimental psychology from the University of Vienna, Austria, in 1933. During these germinal years when psychology matured into a science, Dr. Holaday was taught by Drs. Buhler, Jung, Adler and many other founders of psychology. In the summer of 1938, he studied Rorschach (ink block) testing under S.J. Beck at Michael Reese Hospital. During the same summer he studied Semantics under Count Alfred Korzybski, following earning a second doctorate in education psychology from Ohio State University in 1937. He joined the faculty Fredonia State College, Fredonia, NY, as an Associate Professor of Psychology where he met his wife, an English instructor at Fredonia.

In 1942 Dr. Holaday initiated 19 years of active duty and reserve service with the U,S. Army as personnel consultant to the 2nd Service Command. Ultimately achieving the rank of Lieutentant Colonel, he was in the Adjutant General Corps where he served as one of none personnel consultants in the Army during World War II.

Dr. Holaday was appointed as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 1947. Named as Fullbright Professor of Psychology at Phillips University, Marburg, Germany, the Holaday family lived in Germany during 1955-56.

In 1958, Dr. Holaday began 20 years of distinguished service to the University of Alabama, initially as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Educational Psychology. After a sabbatical studying the external degree program of New York state, Dr. Holaday returned to the Capstone to help initiate a similar program at New College in 1970. He was honored by Wittenburg University as a distinguished alumni in 1971. He retired in 1976 from his position with New College and as a Professor of Educational Psychology. Dr. Holaday served as a Consultant to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools from 1968-76; U.S. representative to the UNESCO Conference on School Reform, Hamburg, Germany, 1956; and as guest faculty member of the U.S. Air Force Air University, Maxwell Field, in 1963. He was active in state and national organizations, including scientific honorary Sigma Xi. At various times he held membership and was active in Kiwanis, American Psychological Association, state and regional psychological organizations, Psi Chi, Pi Mu Delta, and state and regional education association, as well as Kappa Phi Kappa and Phi Delta Kappa.

Former skier and mountain climber, Dr. Holaday recently received his 50 year membership certificate for continued association with the Oesterreichischer Alpenverein, and Austria association devoted to environmental issues and mountaineering.

Dr. Holaday was named as Professor Emeritus in the College of Education at the University of Alabama upon retirement in 1976. During almost 50 years of service as an educator, Holaday directly supervised over 100 doctoral students. He was internationally known for his contributions in the field of educational psychology and in recognition of his influence as an educator, was listed in "Who's Who in America".

He is survived by his wife Alta W. Holaday, of Tuscaloosa, Ala; son Dr. John W. Holaday of Silver Springs, MD; a daughter, Delaney H. Brandhorst, Greenville, SC; and his grandchildren, Julie P. Hixon and James F. Brandhorst III, also of Greenville SC. A daughter, Julie Peake Holaday, predeceased him. Services were held at Christ Episcopal Church in Tuscaloosa, Ala on Thursday, March 30, with the Rev. David Bargetzi officiating. Memorial contributions may be sent to the Julie Peake Holaday Memorial Fund Attn: Dr. Miriam Locke, c/o Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity, 1715 4th Street, Tuscaloosa, Ala, 35401. The fund was initiated in 1969 in the memory of Julie to assist talented students of the Arts. She was an accomplished artist and held B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Alabama.

Submitted by: J.P. Smith

Eleazer Allis was born in Henry County, Ind., Aug. 14, 1822, a son of Moses and Ruth (Whitney) Allis. When twelve years of age he began to work at the tanner's trade, a business he followed the greater part of the time till 1881 when he bought the farm of eighty acres on section 2, Harrison Township, where he has since resided. He was married in 1841 to Ann E. Rhodes, who was born in 1824 and died in 1850. They had three children - Zerilda, wife of Job Ginn; Ruth M., wife of David Osborn; Mary A., wife of Wm. M. Gardner. In 1853 Mr. Allis married Maria Ginn, who was born in 1832 and died in 1874. Their children are - Sophronia; Letha, wife of H. Reicherd, and Tabor. In 1874 Mr. Allis married Nancy J. Ginn, who was born in 1836. They have one child - Newton. Politically Mr. Allis is a Democrat. He is a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity. Mrs. Allis is a member of the Christian church. Mr. Allis's father, Moses Allis, was born in New York in 1794, and went to Massachusetts when a young man, where he married Ruth Whitney, who was born in 1795. A few years after their marriage they moved to Connersville, Ind., and two years later, in 1821, to Henry County. He took up eighty acres of land in Henry Township, where they lived ten years, when the land was entered by another party and he was compelled to find another home. He then entered forty acres north of New Castle, where he lived till his death in 1849. His wife died in 1828, leaving four children; only two are living - Phidelia, wife of Nathan Comar, of Howard County, Ind., and Eleazer, the eldest and youngest. Whitney and George W. are deceased. He married the second time, Nancy Slagle, who was born about 1805, and died in 1862. They were the parents of six children; but one is living - Oliver. The deceased are - Hiram, who died in Nashville while a soldier in the Rebellion; Austin, Electa, Josephine and Joseph. Politically he was a Jacksonian Democrat. He was a member of the Protestant Methodist church.

From the History of Henry County, Indiana. Chicago: Inter-State Publishing Co. 1884.
Harrison Township.
Page 649.
Submitted by: Jeanie

Christopher Bennett, son of Thomas and Elizabeth Bennett, was born in Ohio, June 25, 1817. When he was quite young his parents moved to Wayne County, Ind., and there he was reared and educated. He was married Nov. 5, 1838, to Rachel, daughter of Levi and Sarah Beauchamp. She was born Jan. 24, 1816, and died Jan. 16, 1879. They had a family of nine children - Levi, resides in Missouri; Noah, enlisted in Company F, Fifty-seventh Indiana Infantry, and died at Louisville, Ky., Jan. 17, 1862; Sarah Ann, John and Hannah are deceased; Vashti, wife of Gresham Gard, of Oregon; Evaline, wife of Columbus Elliott; Cynthia, deceased; Philander, married Maud, daughter of D. O. and Lydia Ann Pickering, and has one child - William E. October 25, 1879, Mr. Bennett married Esther Sanders, a native of Boone County, Ind., born April 26, 1832. Mr. Bennett moved to Henry County in the winter of 1843, and located in Harrison Township. In 1851 he bought the farm where he has since resided, two miles west of Cadiz. He owns 100 acres of choice land, all well improved. Politically he is a Republican. He is a member of the New Light church. His first wife was a member of the United Brethren church. His present wife is a member of the Reformed Christian church.

From the History of Henry County, Indiana. Chicago: Inter-State Publishing Co. 1884.
Harrison Township.
Page 655.
Submitted by: Jeanie