John W right was an influential man and a most exemplary citizen. Industrious and economical, he acquired an ample competence and for many years was classed with the most successful farmers of Kosciusko county. He was a leading member of the Baptist church and as such was instrumental in planting several local societies of that denomination among the sparse settlements of Kosciusko county. Nine children were born to John and Mary Wright, namely: Newell, Oliver, John, Thomas J., Cynthia, Sarah, Hannah, Nancy A., Mahala and GeorgeW. The childhood and youthful years of Thomas J. Wright were spent on the home place in the woods of Van Buren township and by reason of the absence of schools he grew up without the educational facilities which the majority of boys enjoy. As soon as old enough he was put to work with the ax, an implement which he learned to wield with great dexterity, and while a boy in his early teens he worked alongside of men and did the same amount of labor which they performed. Living remote from neighbors, he had few associates and so sadly were his educational privileges neglected that at the time of his marriage he could not write. Later in life he made up for this deficiency by diligent private study under the direction of his wife, who had been a successful school teacher; he not only became well acquainted with the ordinary branches, but obtained a wide and varied knowledge of history and general literature and became well informed upon current events. He was especially apt in orthography and it was almost impossible to find a word in the English language that he could not spell correctly and that, too, upon the impulse of the moment. In years gone by the old-fashioned spelling school was a popular institution socially as wel1 as educationally, and to it is traceable the knowledge of orthography which the majority of young men and women of the early times possessed. Mr. Wright was accustomed to attend these popular gatherings and invariably carried off the honors as the champion speller, being always the first one chosen and the last to take his seat in the final contest of the evening.

When a young man he married Miss Rebekkah Fuller, daughter of Miner and Mary (Mayor) Fuller, the father born in Pennsylvania, the mother a native of England. The Fullers were descendants of General Ethan Allen, the hero of Ticonderoga, and the Major family came from England in an early day and settled in that part of Pennsylvania where the former had resided since before the Revolutionary struggle. Mr. and Mrs. Fuller moved to Kosciusko county, Indiana, and settled at Milford, at which place and elsewhere in Van Buren township Mrs. Wright taught school for several years before her marriage.

After his marriage Mr. Wright began farming as a renter on his father's farm and subsequently moved to Prairie township, where he also cultivated the soil on land leased for the purpose. He began life in very limited circumstances, but by energy and perseverance gradually surmounted the many obstacles by which he was beset and in due time found himself the possessor of sufficient means to make a payment on an eighty-acre tract of wild land to which he at once moved and which has since been his home. His experience in felling the forests and developing his farm was similar in al1 respects to the hard work which the early settlers in all new countries were obliged to perform, and need not be described in detail in this connection. Hard and long-continued toil was his lot, and, cheered and encouraged by his faithful helpmate, he gradually extended the area of his cultivable land until he had one of the best improved farms and most valuable in the township of Prairie. He has added to his possessions at different times and today is classed with the most enterprising and successful farmers and stock raisers in the community, owning property conservatively estimated to be worth over ten thousand dollars, every cent of which has been earned by his own efforts.

Mr. Wright has been a hardworking man and he attributes his success to consecutive industry and careful management. As a tiller of the soil he ranks with the most progressive of his fellow citizens and in the matter of live stock, especially the breeding and raising of fine Berkshire hogs, his success has long been assured. He keeps himself well posted in everything relating to agricultural science and puts his knowledge to practical use in the cultivation of his crops, being-considered one of the most successful corn raisers in the county of Kosciusko.

In his political affiliations Mr. Wright is a pronounced Republican, and since attaining his majority has never failed to cast a ballot in behalf of his party at any election. He has frequently represented his township and county in conventions. During his incumbency he took great interest in educational matters, especially in beautifying school property; he erected several fine buildings and added to the attractiveness of all schoolhouses within his jurisdiction. On account of his own limited intellectual advantages in youth, he has always taken a lively interest in educational matters and uses his influence to advance the standard of professional excellence among the teachers of the township in which he lives. Mr. Wright has a beautiful and attractive home, every feature of which indicates the presence of contentment and thrift. He believes in using the good things of this world and has lived so as to get from life the greatest amount of pleasure and profit possible. Among his neighbors he is highly regarded as a citizen and discharges every duty incumbent upon him with the object in view of promoting the general welfare of the community, materially and morally. Mrs. Wright was a zealous member of the United Brethren church. While not connected with any church organization Mr. VV right has profound respect for religion and is liberal in the support of the congregation with which his wife is identified. He exerts a wholesome influence in behalf of all moral reforms arid movements which promise to benefit humanity and speaks with no uncertain meaning when the good of the community is under consideration.

The home of Mr. and Mrs. Wright has been brightened by the presence of seven children, all of whom have left the family fireside and started in the world upon their own responsibility. Ella, the first born, married Eli Klinger, a well-known farmer of Harrison township; Lewis F. married Emma Orcut and lives in Colorado; Thomas K., of Rochester. Indiana, married Ada Yager, of this county; Albert married Mattie Burt and is a liveryman at Etna Green; Myrtle is the wife of William Crayton and lives on a farm in the township of Harrison; Harry lives in Tippecanoe township, this state, and is also married, his wife being formerly Miss Elsie V. McCruen; Charles, the youngest of the family, is deceased.

Progressive Men and Women of Kosciusko County, Indiana
B. F. Bowen, Publisher
Logansport, Indiana
1902

DAVID S. WELCH.
David S. Welch, grain buyer and local agent of the Pennsylvania railroad at Atwood, is a gentleman of marked business ability, qualified in every way for the important position he occupies and it is but just that specific recognition be accorded him in the pages of this volume. Back to stanch old Irish and German stock does he trace his lineage and that in his character abide the sterling qualities that have ever marked the true types of those nationalities is manifest when the more salient points of his life's history are considered. Consecutive industry, invincible spirit and unwavering honor are among his prominent characteristics, and these, with many other admirable traits, have naturally secured him a position in the respect and esteem of his fellow men and won for him a commendable standing in the business world.

At what time in the past the ancestors of the American branch of the Welch family came to America is not known, but it is supposed to have been at a period antedating the colonial struggle fur independence. They settled in Virginia, as did also the Groves family, from which the subject is maternally descended. The Welches were planters and some of them appear to have been large slave-holders and firm believers in the right of man to use his fellow man as a menial and an article of traffic. Among the descendants of the original ancestors was one Joseph Welch, who took issue with his relatives upon the matter of involuntary servitude. He early manifested a profound antagonism to slave-holding and when arriving at the years of manhood determined to no longer live in a state cursed with the presence of this, to him, most nefarious institution. Accordingly he left the familiar scenes of his native place and migrated to the free soil of Ohio, where for a number of years he worked at cabinetmaking, which he had formerly learned in Virginia. He continued to follow his trade in the Buckeye state until his removal, in an early day, to Lagrange county, Indiana, where he entered a quarter-section of land in what is now the township of Bloomfield. On coming to this state Joseph Welch turned his attention to agricultural pursuits and followed the same with good results until his retirement from active life, after which he took up his abode in the town of Lagrange, where he spent the remainder of his days, dying there in 1863. During the time spent on his farm he cleared and brought to a high state of tillage one hundred acres of fine land and was considered one of the model agriculturists of the community in which he lived. As a citizen he ranked with the best men of his township and county and his influence was invariably exerted upon the right side of every moral question. Politically he was one of the leading Republicans of his neighborhood, and as a member of the Methodist Episcopal church he led a quiet, consistent church life. The maiden name of Mrs. Joseph Welch was Elizabeth Groves. She also was pronounced in her allegiance to the Methodist church, lived consistently with her religious profession and died trusting in the merits of a Saviour whom she had so long and faithfully served. Joseph and Elizabeth Welch were the parents of seven children, whose names are as follows: John W., Thomas C, Cessna E., Jacob, R. S., Mary and Lucy.

D. S. Welch, the direct subject of this review, was born in Madison county, Ohio, August 7, 1834. The advantages which come from a life in close touch with nature in all of its varied phases were his and until fifteen years old he spent his time in the fields, performing such duties as usually fall to the lot of lads reared amid the peaceful pursuits of the farm. Meanwhile he spent three winter seasons in such schools as the country afforded and at the above age took up carpentery, which he followed until attaining his majority. When a little past twenty-one he engaged in the mercantile business at Lagrange in partnership with an older brother, going in debt for their stock of goods and trusting to the future to make good the amount they assumed. The business proved successful from the start and the firm continued for a period of sixteen years, during which time the store became one of the leading establishments of the kind in Lagrange. At the expiration of this period the subject severed his connection with the business and with a capital of about five thousand dollars came to Kosciusko county, locating at Atwood, where he invested a portion of his means in a large stock of miscellaneous merchandise and again announced himself a candidate for a share of public patronage. He opened his store at Atwood in 1866 and continued to sell goods until 1882, meantime purchasing a beautiful farm of seventy-five acres in Harrison township, besides making other fortunate investments. In connection with merchandising he began, some time prior to 1882, to buy and ship grain and ultimately disposed of his stock and devoted his attention to the latter business, which he has since carried on with flattering success.

Mr. Welch's well-known abilities in his various lines of trade were early recognized by the management of the Pennsylvania raiload, who offered him the position of local agent. This he accepted and proved in every respect a most competent and popular agent, his relations with the company and with the public as well being of the most satisfactory character. He has discharged the duties of the position to the present time and no doubt can remain with the company as long as he sees fit to retain the place.

Mr. Welch has built up an extensive and lucrative grain business, the amount of his yearly shipments comparing favorably with those of the largest buyers in this section of the state. Kind and obliging in all of his dealings and possessing the faculty of winning friends, he has attracted the major part of the trade of a large area of territory surrounding Atwood and numbers among his customers the best people of the country. By discriminating judgment, careful management and judicious tact he has amassed an ample competence and enjoys the reputation of being one of the strong financial men of the county of Kosciusko.

Mr. Welch has a fine modern home in the town of Atwood, which was presided over for some years by his estimable wife, whose maiden name was Sarah J. Hill. She was the daughter of E. and Hannah Hill, natives of New York, and bore her husband five children, namely: Maggie E., wife of Oscar Wallace, of Warsaw; Cora B., wife of Sherman A. Pyle, of Lagrange; Fred C., who married Grace Phillips and lives in Michigan; and Frank E., who entered into to the marriage relation with Miss BlancheBlue and at the present time is his father's associate in the grain business.

The mother of these children was a lady of many excellent traits and for a number of years a pious and consistent member of the United Brethren church. After a happy and contented married life she was called to the other world, her death occurring on the 6th day of January, 1902. Mr. Welch is not identified with any church, although he is a man of deep feeling and has pronounced views relative to religious matters. He is a liberal supporter of the congregation to which his wife belonged, but his benefactions are by no means confined to that society alone, as he gives with a free hand to all enterprises by means of which the moral and religious condition of the community may be benefited. He was made a Mason when twenty-one years of age, and since that time has been an active worker in the fraternity, belonging at present to the lodge at Warsaw. He has filled all the principal official positions in the lodge, from master down, and is also a leading member of the chapter meeting in the above city.

Mr. Welch believes that all good citizens should take an active interest in politics, as the government of our country depends upon the elective franchise. His reading and investigation, as well as his natural inclinations, early led him to espouse the principles of the Republican party and from the age of twenty-one to the present time he has been an ardent supporter of the party to which he belongs. During campaigns he is an active worker and not infrequently has his advice been sought and his suggestion followed in some of the most stirring elections in the history of the county. He has never been an office seeker, but in 1880, at the suggestion of many friends, his name was permitted to go before the convention for nomination as county treasurer. Other competitors with strong following being in the field, he failed to receive the honor, but this in no wise lessened his ardor in behalf of the successful candidate in the ensuing campaign.

Few citizens of Kosciusko county are more widely known or more highly esteemed than the honored subject of this sketch. He has been successful in business, respected in social life and as a neighbor has discharged his duty in a manner becoming a liberal-minded, intelligent citizen of the state where the essential qualities of manhood are duly recognized and prized at their true value. He has figured prominently in the public affairs of his township and county and the position he today occupies as a potential factor in the community has been well and nobly earned.

Progressive Men and Women of Kosciusko County, Indiana
B. F. Bowen, Publisher
Logansport, Indiana
1902

JAMES E. SMITH.
For a number of years the subject or this review enjoyed much more than local repute as an educator, but since 1898 he has devoted his entire time and attention to mercantile pursuits. He is one of the widely known young men of Kosciusko county, of which he is a native, and ever since early manhood has contributed much to the material development and intellectual growth of the different communities in which his lot was cast. The branch of the Smith family of which the subject is an honorable representative was known from very early times in Pennsylvania, in which state his grandfather was born and reared. This ancestor later moved to Fulton county, Ohio, where the family lived until about the year 1855, at which time they came to Kosciusko county and settled in the township of Harrison.

Henry T. Smith, father of James E., was a young man when his parents moved to this county. He grew to maturity on the home farm in Harrison township and in 1862 was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Ames, whose parents were among the earliest settlers of Kosciusko county, their arrival antedating the year 1836. Mr. Ames became a large land owner and influential citizen and to him as much as to any one man was Harrison township indebted for much of its earlier growth and prosperity. Some years after his death his widow married Mr. Smith, the subject's grandfather, and she is still living at an advanced age.

Some time after his marriage Henry T. Smith took up his residence in the town of Bourbon, Marshall county, where he engaged in the manufacture of lumber. He was an honest, hard-working man and he continued to reside in the above town until the death of his wife, which occurred November 1, 1878. She bore him four children: Mary J., wife of Frank Day, a business man of Chicago; James E., of this review; Cora E., who married Elias Hart, a farmer of North Dakota; and Minnie L., wife of Prof. L. D. Vaughn, a teacher of Prairie township, living in Atwood.

James E. Smith was born in Harrison township, Kosciusko county, on the 21st day of August, 1865. Until his fourteenth year he lived with his parents in the town of Bourbon and at the proper age entered the public schools, which he attended at that place until the death of his mother. Deprived of the love and tender solicitude which only a mother knows, and that, too, at an age when a boy most needs her wisdom and guidance, young Smith was thrown upon his own resources and compelled to carve out, unaided, his destiny in a cold and uncharitable world.

The year following the breaking up of his home ties he worked for his board and clothing and such was the efficient service he rendered that the year following he was hired by a farmer at seven dollars per month. While thus engaged, he attended of winter seasons the public schools and realizing the value of education, not only as a means of intellectual development but also as a potent factor in aiding its possessor to surmount unfavorable environments and make his way through life successfully, he prosecuted his studies with zealous earnestness and soon outstripped the majority of his classmates.

While attending the district schools he did chores for his board and by carefully husbanding his earnings the rest of the year laid by in due time sufficient means to enable him to attend a term at the Northern Indiana Normal College at Valparaiso. Mr. Smith entered that well known and popular institution in the fall of 1883 and by diligent application made such headway in his various studies that the following year he successfully passed an examination and obtained a teacher's license. He taught his first term in district No. 9, Prairie township, in the winter of 1884-5, and the following fall was graduated from the commercial department of the Valparaiso Normal College with a creditable record. Mr. Smith brought to his school work a mind well disciplined by close and critical study and from the beginning of his career as an educator his success was assured. While a student in college he paid especial attention to the art of imparting instruction and his methods of teaching, as well as his tact in governing, at once made him popular with pupils and patrons. His second term was also taught in the township of Prairie, and he continued educational work in that part of the county until 1898, with the exception of the winter of 1885 and 1886, when he taught a term in Etna township.

In October, 1886, Mr. Smith and Miss Della Hillery were made husband and wife; the latter was born in Prairie township. This union was severed by the death of Mrs. Smith, who answered the summons to the other life on the 30th day of May, 1888, leaving one child, Merlin O., whose birth occurred September 6, 1887. He is an exceedingly bright and affable lad, devoted to his studies and gives promise of future usefulness. He was graduated from the common schools in 1901 and is now a student of the Atwood high school, where he has already made an honorable record both in his studies and general deportment. Mr. Smith's second marriage was solemnized with Miss Elizabeth Huffer, daughter of Daniel Huffer, a native of Pennsylvania and one of the enterprising farmers of Kosciusko county; this union has been blessed with three children, one of whom is deceased; the other two are Rex Edwin, born December 28, 1898, and Ruby B., whose birth occurred August 18, 1901.

In the summer of 1893 Mr. Smith bought a half interest in a hardware store at Atwood and during the five years following sold goods in connection with teaching, devoting the winter seasons to the latter occupation and the other months to merchandising. In 1898 he purchased his partner's interest in the business and has since been sole proprietor, being now in the enjoyment of a large and lucrative trade which is continually increasing in volume. His success in the mercantile line has more than met his expectations. He has a large and carefully selected stock and by always keeping on hand every article in the hardware line, and carefully attending to the wants of his customers, he has established his business on a solid basis and the future outlook is in every way bright and encouraging.

When Mr. Smith was first married his prospects were any thing but brilliant. He had no means worth mentioning and it required all of his salary as a teacher to maintain his humble domestic establishment and keep hunger from the door. By the closest kind of economy he succeeded in laying aside a small amount, sufficient to make a payment on the hardware interest which he purchased, and from that time on a better era began to dawn. Since obtaining entire control of the business he has forged rapidly to the front until he is now worth in excess of five thousand dollars, all of which has come to him within the last three or four years. Not the least of the factors which have contributed to his success are his genial manners and desire to please. Kind and affable to all, he possesses the tact to win friends and his place of business is well known to the farming community adjacent to the town, his customers being among the best and most reliable men of the village and surrounding country.

Not only as a teacher and business man has Mr. Smith won a respectable standing in the community, but as a public-spirited citizen, interested in general improvements and matters political, he has also become widely and favorably known. As a Republican he has wielded a, potential influence in his township, which he now represents on the county central committee, and in the management of campaigns his services have contributed much to the success of his party at the polls. He is a charter member of Lodge No. 326, K. of P., of which he was the first chancellor commander, and was honored by being chosen its first representative to the grand lodge.

Much of the success which has recently crowned Mr. Smith's efforts is due to his estimable wife, who has proven herself not only a companion but a helpmate in the widest sense of the term. She is a well educated lady, deeply interested in religious and charitable work, and as a zealous member of the United Brethren church of Atwood has endeared herself to the community by her beautiful Christian benevolence, as well as her activity in the cause of religion. After completing the common school course she took full courses in business and stenography and for several years enjoyed the distinction of being one of the most successful teachers in the Kosciusko county public schools. Mr. Smith is also identified with the United Brethren denomination and for several years past has been zealous in the Sunday school work, serving as superintendent, and at the present time is teacher of one of the largest and most intelligent classes of any Bible school in the town.

Briefly and as succinctly as possible have been recorded in the foregoing lines the leading facts in the life of a very active and successful man, and it remains for a future writer to prepare a more complete and appropriate biography.

Progressive Men and Women of Kosciusko County, Indiana
B. F. Bowen, Publisher
Logansport, Indiana
1902

WILLIAM W. McKINLEY.
In a quiet cemetery near the thriving city of South Bend, Indiana, may be seen an old grave of an unusually large size, at the head of which stands a modest stone containing a simple epitaph to the memory of James and Mary McKinley. These were the grandparents on the paternal side of the subject of this sketch, also of the late William McKinley, one of America's most distinguished statesmen and the beloved president of the United States, whose recent tragic death at the hand of a cowardly assassin caused sorrow in every loyal American home and awakened the profound sympathy of the civilized world. The name McKinley is destined to occupy an honored place in American history as long as time endures. It will remain forever a monument of the grand possibilities which may be realized under the benign influence of our free institutions and will continue in the future, as it has been in the past, a stimulus to nobler deeds and greater activities on the part of a young man of intelligence and energy upon whom fortune casts no benignant smiles.

Paternally the McKinley family is descended from sturdy Scotch-Irish ancestry, the antecedents of the American branch coming to this country in an early day from the Emerald Isle. In a quiet rural burying ground in that beautiful, romantic and historic sea-girt land, sleeping the sleep that knows no waking on the side of the valley of shadows, lie the bodies of many of the McKinley family, some of whose graves are marked by appropriate epitaphs, while others rest beneath unknown sod which time for untold years has clothed with recurring vestures of living green.

Mr. James McKinley, above referred to, was born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, September 19, 1783, married Mary Rose on the 20th day of August, 1804, and in an early day moved to eastern Ohio. Subsequently he came to Indiana and located near South Bend, where he spent the remainder of his life. A remarkable coincidence in connection with the death of this sturdy couple is the fad that both were called away on the forty-third anniversary of their marriage, August 20, 1847, and their bodies were buried in the same grave. At the time of his death James McKinley was aged sixty-three years, eleven months and one day, and his wife's age was fifty-eight years, nine months and five days when she exchanged the earthly life for immortality. Among the children of James and Mary McKinley was a son by the name of John, whose birth occurred either in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, or in eastern Ohio. He married in the latter state Miss E1iza J. Boyle and became the father of eleven children, whose names are as follows: James, Benjamin H., Alexander H., Mary, John W., Lucius B., William W., Sarah E., Ira and Henry M., seven of whom are living at the present time.

John McKinley remained in eastern Ohio until 1855, at which time he disposed of his interests there and came to Indiana, locating on a farm near Muncie, Delaware county, where for a few years he followed agricultural pursuits. When a young man he prepared himself for the Methodist ministry and some time after coming to Indiana he entered upon the active duties of the holy office by taking charge of a circuit containing several churches in Delaware and other counties in the west central part of the state. He continued as an itinerant a number of years and at one time served as presiding elder of his district. His reputation as an earnest, eloquent preacher of the gospel became widely known and the various churches over which he exercised pastoral contro1 grew in numbers and influence, thus causing his services to be in great demand at the meeting of the conference when circuits and charges were apportioned among the various ministers. In the higher and most responsible position of presiding elder he was equally energetic and displayed fine executive abilities in the management of the district in his charge. John McKinley lived a useful life unselfishly devoted to the service of God in saving men, and in the church triumphant he no doubt wears many jewels in his crown of rejoicing by reason of the large number of souls brought into the Kingdom through his earnest efforts as an able minister of the Word. He departed this life at Muncie in 1896; his wife preceded him to the other world by five years, dying in the year 1891.

William W. McKinley, whose name appears at the head of this article, is the seventh child of John and Eliza McKinley and was born in the town of Niles, Trumbull county, Ohio, August 20, 1850. He was five years old when brought to Indiana, from which time until nineteen he remained with his parents and assisted with the varied duties of the farm in Delaware county. In his twentieth year he left the home fireside and went to Missouri, in which state he worked at any honorable employment he could find until 1873, when he returned home and made arrangements to improve his education, which unfortunately had been greatly neglected during his childhood and youthful years. With the exception of a few broken terms in the district schools he had received little intellectual training, and, realizing the need of greater knowledge than he then possessed and appreciating the advantages which education would bring to him, he determined to subordinate every other consideration to the one great end of becoming a scholar.

Having perfected his plans, Mr. McKinley in 1881 entered the Northern Indiana Normal University at Valparaiso, taking a select course of studying with the two-fold object in view of enlarging his intellectual horizon and preparing himself for the profession of teaching. Applying himself assiduously to his studies, he labored zealously until completing the prescribed course, after which he received a high-grade license, enabling him to teach in the public schools of Kosciusko county. He taught his first term at the town of Oswego and there demonstrated much more than average ability an instructor and disciplinarian. Meeting with success and encouragement in his first attempt, he was encouraged to continue the work and for a period of ten consecutive years he taught at various places in the county and earned an enviable reputation as a scholarly and skillful educator.

While engaged in educationa1 work Mr. McKinley always carried first-class licenses and never permitted himself to fall behind in any matters of progressive pedagogy. By diligent application, he kept himself fully abreast the age both in scholarship and method, was an active participant in the deliberations of institutes and teachers' associations, in which he exercised a decided influence upon the public-school system of Kosciusko county. For several years he taught common district schools, but as his name and reputation became more widely recognized he was chosen principal of a number of graded schools, notably among which were those in the towns of Burket and Atwood. He also had charge of three normal institutions at Atwood and Warsaw respectively, and as an instructor of teachers fully sustained the reputation he had formerly won in the subordinate positions.

Unfortunately for Mr. McKinley, he be came afflicted with rheumatism and that too, in such an aggravated form as seriously to interfere with his efficiency in the school room. This dreaded ailment continued to increase in violence until at length, from the age of twenty years, he was compelled to use crutches to aid his locomotion, and, although partially recovered, he still suffers greatly at times and is now in a sadly crippled condition. By reason of this infirmity, together with the demands of his private business affairs, he retired permanently from school work in 1890 and has since devoted his attention to merchandising.

On the 4th day of November, 1886, was solemnized the marriage of William W. McKinley and Miss Lauretta Hayhurst, daughter of Bazeleel Hayhurst. Mrs. McKinley's parents were natives of Pennsylvania and of Irish-English lineage. They came to Kosciusko county in pioneer times and settled in Harrison township, where the father entered land and afterwards became a successful farmer. He was also a well-known citizen and after a long and useful life died on the place which he originally purchased from the government.

Mr. and Mrs. McKinley's happy married life has been blessed with one child, Trella Z., who was born April 28, 1888. She is a bright miss of fourteen in whom her parents have centered many fond hopes, and at this time is pursuing her studies in the schools of Atwood. Mr. and Mrs. McKinley began housekeeping in the above town, which they have since made their home. While teaching in 1890, the subject bought an interest in a small mercantile business in Atwood and at the expiration of his term that year purchased the entire stock and became the sole proprietor. He soon added to the stock and the business, under his efficient management, has continued to increase until he now has one of the best arranged and most extensively patronized stores of the kind in the town. By carefully studying the tastes of his customers and catering to the demands of the trade his business grew to such proportions as to render necessary a room of greatly enlarged capacity.

Accordingly, in 1895, he erected his present building, a neat and substantial structure which answers well the purpose for which intended; he also built a residence four years later and is now well situated, both from business and domestic points of view.

As is well known by all who have given the matter serious attention, the teacher is the hardest worked and poorest paid of any of our public servants; it is also a fact patent to all that more is required of him than from the individual in any other of the learned professions. Few educators are noted for material wealth and if perchance a teacher now and then be found well situated it may be taken for granted that his means have not been earned in the school room. After spending ten of the best years of his life in this noble and elevating work, Mr. McKinley found himself the possessor of means barely sufficient to meet current expenses. To better his condition financially was one of the prime reasons that induced him to retire from the profession and turn his attention to a vocation which promised more liberal returns and less consecutive toil. Since engaging solely in merchandising he has met with encouraging success and is now the possessor of a handsome property and a competence running well up into the thousands, every dollar of which has come to him as the result of carefully laid plans, mature judgment and skillful management.

It is not too much to claim for Mr. McKinley intellectual culture and general information far in excess of the average man. With a mind well disciplined by scholastic and professional training and many years of contact with the young as a teacher, he has become widely informed on many subjects. He is a careful reader of the world's best literature, a close student of current events, and his knowledge gives him prestige among his fellow citizens as one of the most scholarly and best posted men in the community. Such a man would naturally take much more than a passing interest in political, economic and kindred subjects and this the subject has done for a number of years. Well acquainted with the history of parties, his inclinations and reading early led him to look upon the Democratic party as the party of the people and as embodying his ideals of representative government. When old enough to exercise the right of election franchise he gave his allegiance to that party and has been one of its ardent supporters ever since. At one time his name headed the ticket as candidate for representative to the general assembly, but the county being strongly Republican he went down in the general defeat, although running far ahead of the other candidates of his party.

Mr. McKinley is a man of independent mind, strong in his convictions, and gives free expression to his opinions when called out in discussion. He has never tried to gain any prestige by reason of his close relationship to our late distinguished President, believing the motto, "What I am, not what my relations are," to contain the true philosophy of life; while proud of his ancestry and of the prominence which the word McKinley has gained in history, his firm convictions are that every man should rely upon his own efforts and carve out his own fortune and destiny.

Mr. McKinley is prominent in Odd Fellowship, having passed all the chairs in Lodge No. 493, of which he is a member, besides representing it in the grand lodge upon two occasions. He has a profound and reverent regard for sacred things and believes the visible church to be the most potent factor for revolutionizing the world for good and winning man to the highest life. His membership with the United Brethren denomination dates back many years, and since becoming a resident of Atwood he has been one of the leaders of the local congregation. For several years he served as class leader and as a Sunday school worker and official, and has done effective service in advancing the moral and religious status of the community. Mrs. McKinley is also an active church member, alive to all the good work of the congregation and its various societies, and with her husband is highly esteemed by all with whom she is acquainted. Thus briefly and perhaps imperfectly have been set forth the salient facts and prominent characteristics in the life and character of one of Kosciusko county's intelligent men and public benefactors. Honored by all who know him for his useful and blameless life, highly regarded as a citizen, it is eminently fitting in closing this sketch to compliment him by saying that the community in which he lives has never known a better type of intelligent, scholarly, courteous, Christian gentleman.

Mr. and Mrs. McKinley have in their possession a couple of interesting and valuable relics. One is an old parchment deed, bearing the date of June 25, 1841, and signed by President John Tyler, and which bears title to one hundred and sixty acres of land. The other relic is an emery ball, which is covered with an embroidery of knit cloth, in which is worked the date of its making, 1783.

Progressive Men and Women of Kosciusko County, Indiana
B. F. Bowen, Publisher
Logansport, Indiana
1902

JOHN W. ANGLIN.
Few indeed are the residents of Kosciusko county whose identification therewith dates from 1837. For sixty-seven years John W. Anglin has made his home in Prairie township, one of the honored citizens and substantial men of the community. He was born in Barbour county, Virginia, September 12, 1835, and is the son of James and Matilda (Hall) Anglin, both parents natives of that state and of Scotch-Irish origin. James Anglin was a farmer by occupation. In 1837 he sold his place in Virginia and came to Kosciusko county, Indiana, entering a large tract of land in Prairie township and also purchasing considerable real estate in the county of Marshall. His place in Prairie township was unimproved at the time he took possession and he erected thereon a little log cabin of the conventional type and began life in a true pioneer style. In due time he cleared a number of acres, which were broken by oxen, as he did not own horses until some years after his arrival. He became a very successful farmer and acquired ample means, the greater part of his fortune consisting of real estate, which increased rapidly in value with the growth and development of the country. He was one of the leading and influential men of his neighborhood, took an active part in advancing the material interests of his township and county and departed this life in 1874, highly esteemed by a large circle of friends who had learned to prize him for his sterling qualities and exemplary Christian character. Mrs. Matilda Anglin preceded her husband to the grave in 1857 and subsequently he married another lady, Mary Scott, who is stil1 living. Mr. Anglin's first marriage resulted in nine children, namely: David H., Harvey M., John M., Mary, James F., Samuel D., Elizabeth, Adison and Hiram. Of these four were born in Virginia and five in Kosciusko county, Indiana. The second marriage was blessed with five children, nearly all of whom grew to years of maturity.

When three years old John W. Anglin was brought by his parents to Kosciusko county and his early experiences were characteristic of the pioneer period in which he grew to manhood. For several years his only playfellows aside from his brothers were the Indian children that lived near by, between whom and their white companions warm and friendly feelings soon sprang up. They roamed the woods together, took part in mimic hunts, tested their marksmanship with bows and arrows and in many other ways passed the time very pleasantly as long as the red man remained in the country. Young Anglin early became proficient in the use of the ax, and when a lad of fifteen made a hand at any kind of work with that implement. He became one of the most skillful choppers in his neighborhood and seemed never to tire while cutting cord wood, making rails, clearing land or doing any kind of work requiring strength of muscle and earnestness of purpose.

Mr. Anglin's only educational privileges were such as the subscription school, taught in a little round-log cabin, afforded; he seems to have distanced his classmates in his studies, however, for as early as 1853 he was selected to teach a term near his father's place and from what can now be learned his school was a success, measured by the standard of excellence as then recognized. He continued to live at home, assisting with the farm work, until about twenty years of age, when he turned his attention to carpentering, in which he early displayed unusual efficiency and which he followed with success and profit until 1882.

Meanwhile Mr. Anglin became interested in farming and some time in the early 'sixties came into possession of a place in Prairie township which he has since made his home. He purchased additional land from time to time until his place comprised two hundred and eighty-three acres, its present area, and at a very conservative estimate it now represents a value of at least fifteen thousand dollars.

Mr. Anglin was married March 29, 1865, to Miss Mary E. Cook, whose birth occurred on the 18th day of December, 1844. Her parents, George W. and Mercy S. (Redrow) Cook, were natives of New Jersey, but early came to Indiana and settled in Randolph county, thence later moved to the county of Kosciusko, where they were living when the marriage of their daughter took place. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Anglin moved to their present place of abode in Prairie township and now have a beautiful home, every appearance of which bespeaks a spirit of thrift, happiness and content. They have the fallowing children: Laura B., born September 4, 1867; Arthur J., born January 1, 1872, married Emma W. Crabbe and is also a resident of Prairie; George W., born October 7, 1874, is now a student in the medical department of the Chicago University; Blanche B., born August 15, 1877, married Harvey E. Crabbe and died at Buffalo, New York, June 13, 1901; Homer E., who was born June 12, 1879, is a single man and lives on the home farm, which he manages.

In his political affiliations Mr. Anglin is a Democrat, but he has never been a very active participant in party affairs. In matters of business he has always been characterized by sound judgment and the ample means which are now his are the result of the exercise of those correct principles which when properly directed invariably win success. As a citizen he has discharged every duty in a most exemplary and praiseworthy manner and as a neighbor and friend none stand higher in the confidence and esteem of the community. Religiously he is a Methodist, and his wife also belongs to that church, both being very active in the good work of their congregation, especially in the Sunday school, where their services have long been of great value.

Since the year 1882 Mr. Anglin has devoted his attention principally to looking after his agricultural interests and selling farm machinery, his success in the latter being very gratifying. He has been a member af the State Horse Thief Association for about thirty years, during which time he has been instrumental in bringing in large number of law breakers to justice and securing for several of them long sentences in the state prison. Mr. and Mrs. Anglin are among the oldest and most highly esteemed people of Prairie township and by reason of long residence their names have become widely known through out the county. All who know them speak in high praise of their many estimable qualities and the general wish is that they maybe spared many years to the community in which they have lived so long and so well.

As being of interest to the readers of this volume, the following newspaper extract referring to the subject's daughter. Blanche B., is here reprinted: Blanche Bernice Crabbe, daughter of John W. and Mary E. Anglin, was born at Clunette, Kosciusko county, Indiana, August 15, 1877, and died at her home in Buffalo, New York, June 13, 1901. On the 22nd of September, 1897, she was united in marriage to Harvey E. Crabbe, also of Clunette, and who had been her friend and ardent admirer from earliest childhood. This union proved to be a peculiarly happy one, and while of a short duration was characterized by extraordinary devotion and felicity, the attachment being beautifully reciprocal.

Sister Crabbe united with the Methodist Episcopal church in Clunette when about sixteen years of age, and retained her membership in the home church till after her marriage and removal to Buffalo in 1897, at which time she identified herself with the Linwood Avenue Methodist Episcopal church of that city, of which church she remained a faithful member til1 the day of her death and translation to "the church of the first-born above." She was the recipient of a very marked religious experience during a revival meeting , conducted by the Evangelist C. W. Ruth in the winter of 1896, and the influence of that meeting remained with her to the end. Her Bible was her constant companion and her trusted guide. The prayer-meeting was her delight, and her earnest prayers and inspiring testimonies will long be remembered by her fellow-worshipers. Her pleasant smile, her kind words and her winsome ways made her a great favorite, attracting all and repelling none. She had remarkable social powers, and made her life a blessing to the sick, the aged, the poor and the stranger. Her life was one of unusual gentleness and sweetness. She suffered much for several years, and her last illness was prolonged and painful, yet no murmur escaped her lips. Like her Master, she suffered in silence, one of her favorite passages being: "He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth." Another: "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us." She has passed through suffering to glory, and will be found among that white-robed throng "which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes. and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

The funeral was attended from the home in Buffalo, also from her former home and birthplace, and little church in Clunette where she gave her heart to Christ, and which she had loved from her childhood days. The services in both places were conducted by her pastor, Rev. Frank H. VanKeuren, of Buffalo, New York, assisted at Clunette by the pastor, Rev. Mr. Fetro, also by Rev. Mr. Farmer, pastor of the United Brethren church in the same place. The interment was at Leesburg, Indiana, four miles distant. She is survived by a husband, father, mother, sister and three brothers, all of whom feel very keenly the great loss which they have sustained.

Progressive Men and Women of Kosciusko County, Indiana
B. F. Bowen, Publisher
Logansport, Indiana
1902