M.B. BAIRD was born January 24, 1813, in Allegany County, N.Y.; son of Charles and Hannah (Dimick) Baird, natives of New York, and of English and German descent; they went to Wayne County, Ohio, in 1817, subsequently moving to Wood County, Ohio, where they died. The subject in the spring of 1838, went to Monroe County, Mich.; then in a few years went to Wood County, Ohio, where he cleared up a farm; he was the first to run a separator in that county. He came to this township in 1852, and located on his farm of 120 acres, which he has much improved. He was married to Lydia Bruce, December 22, 1836; she was the daughter of Stephen and Lena (Pugh) Bruce, natives of Virginia and Pennsylvania, and was born October 23, 1816. They had ten children - Stephen B., Josepheus E., Charles, Rachel, Rebecca A., Mary J., Milton, Samuel, Josephine and Edwin P. Stephen B. enlisted in 1862, and served during the war with Gen. Sherman; Charles enlisted in the Forty-fourth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served until the war closed. Mr. Baird is an able horse-farrier, and has a large practice; he was among the active Regulators, and has served as Pathmaster a number of terms. He is a Republican, as are also his sons. Source: "1882 History LaGrange County, Indiana" by F.A.Battey & Co., - Milford Township


J.A. BARTLETT, one of the early pioneers of this township, was born in Oneida County, N.Y., January 21, 1815, and is the son of John C. and Betsey (Arnold) Bartlett, who were parents of eight children, viz.: Ann M., Samuel A., Addline M., John A., Henry D., Edward D., George R. and Charles C. At the age of twenty, the subject began an apprenticeship at the carpenter and joiner's trade, and worked at that until 1838, when he came to Milford Township and located, where he has since remained engaged in the practice of farming. In the fall of 1840, Mr. Bartlett was united in marriage with Salina L. Andrews, daughter of Luman and Chloe (Adams) Andrews. They have three children living - Celia M., Addie A. and Ida M., and one deceased, George A. Mr. Bartlett, in common with all early settlers, is familiar witht the hardships and labor of the early days in this forest land, and he has always worked for the advancement of the country. At one time he held the office of Township Trustee, and served satisfactorily. He is a stanch Democrat, and cast his first vote for Van Buren.

Source: "1882 History LaGrange County, Indiana" by F.A.Battey & Co., - Milford Township



J.C. BASSETT, among the leading citizens of the township, was born in Oswego County, N.Y., November 17, 1825. His parents, James and Rachael Bassett, natives of Vermont and New York respectively, moved from Oswego County to Steuben County, N.Y., where they died. Subject is one of ten children, and learned blacksmithing when seventeen years old, and made that his leading pursuit until about 1860. For three years he followed molding in New York, and harness-making one year; he came to this county in 1851, and located at Applemanburg, and came to this township in 1855, where he has lived since, with the exception of the summer of 1865, during which time he was at Kendallville, running a brick-yard. He has served twelve years as Pathmaster, is a strong Republican, and serves the people in various ways as Director of Agricultural Society, etc. March 12, 1852, he was married to Matilda Spears; she is a native of this county, born April 26, 1837, and daughter of Tunis and Mary Spears, who were of English descent, and came to this county in 1836. Tunis Spears was born in New Jersey and his wife in Connecticut.

Source: "1882 History LaGrange County, Indiana" by F.A.Battey & Co., - Milford Township



LUCAS BASSETT was born September 1, 1840, to George W. and Samantha Bassett, in York State. Parents are natives of Vermont; his father was born in 1805, August 6, and his mother September 16, 1806. They were married September 28, 1826, and moved to Brockport, N.Y., in the fall of 1833; themcame to this county with the family, settling four miles east of La Grange; thence to this township, and located on the present farm. The father and his son, Lucas, purchased eighty acres, which they have clearedand improved with two good houses, bank barn, and other buildings. Lucas started out poor, and now has property worth over $7,000. He was married to Christena Wycuff, who was born in Pennsylvania, July 22, 1850. She bore him the following children: Orlando, Cora Adell, Franklin, Emma J., George and Christena C. Mrs. Bassett was the daughter of Jesse and Kathane Wycuff, and of German descent. He parents moved to Ashland County, Ohio, where they resided until the father's death, in 1862. Themother then came to Noble County, where she died in 1869. Mr. Bassett has served as Pathmaster two terms. His is a Democrat, and cast his first vote for Buchanan.

Source: "1882 History LaGrange County, Indiana" by F.A.Battey & Co., - Milford Township



ALANSON BLACKMUN is the only one living of ten children in the family of Allen and Aseneth (Corbin) Blackmu, and was born in Huron County, Ohio, February 18, 1823. Allen Blackmun, a native of New York, in his early years was engaged in the manufacture of pearl-ash. After his marriage, he moved to Huron County, Ohio; lived there until the spring of 1839, when he came to this township, and settled on the place now owned by his son. The latter, Alanson Blackmun, first came here in March, 1843, but returned to Ohio, and in the fall of the same year, came back and located permanently. His father and mother both died here, the former in 1865, the latter, who was a native of Connecticut, in 1873; they were hard-working people, of Methodist Episcopal faith, and among the first comers to the county. The subject was reared a farmer, is of limited education, and was married, March 25, 1849, to Mariah Baker, whose parents came from Ohio to Steuben County, Ind., in about 1836. With the exception of one year in Michigan, Mr. and Mrs. Blackmun have resided on their farm. They have had four children - Albert E., Mary J., Charles A. and Weltha R. Both daughters are dead; Albert married Annie Miller, and resideds in California; Charles married Lilliam Gunn, and lives in this township. Mr. Blackmun is a Republican, as was his father, and a member of the Masonic Order of Wolcottville. He was appointed to the office of County Comissioner, in 1874, in the place of A. Dickenson, deceased, and after serving out his term was elected to another, again re-elected, and is yet serving.

Source: "1882 History LaGrange County, Indiana" by F.A.Battey & Co., - Milford Township



ALBERT BRAINERD is the son of Willard and Pattie (Aikins) Brainerd, and at an early age was thrown upon his own resources by the death of his parents. They were natives of Connecticut. Albert Brainerd was born in Cleveland, Ohio, February 15, 1824, and at the age of nineteen was married to Minerva Himes, when they came to this township with the intention of locating, but, after a short visit with Mrs. Brainerd's parents, returned to Cayuga County, Ohio, coming again to Indiana the following year, however, and settling on forth acres of land in this township. Since then he has purchased and cleared the eighty-acre farm where he resides. Mr. Brainerd, although not an aspirant for office, has in several instances benn called to serve the people, and has done so satisfactorily. Mrs. Brainerd's father, Joseph Himes, of Vermont, was a resident of Cayuga County, Ohio, before coming to this township, in about 1845, where he spent the remainder of his life. Jennie C., Harriet M., Frank P. and Fred E. are the children of Mr. and Mrs. Brainerd.

Source: "1882 History LaGrange County, Indiana" by F.A.Battey & Co., - Milford Township



A.P. CASE is living in the first frame house built in the township and upon the farm enter by him in 1836. In company with his uncle, David Randall, he left Astabula County, Ohio, in the spring of 1833, and traveled across the country on foot to St. Joseph County, Mich., west of Sturgis, where they soon earned enough to enter the eighty acres of land, in 1836, on Sections 7 and 18, where, in the spring of 1837, subject, with his mother, Anna (Randall) Case, and brother, Zopher, located, and for many years endured the hardships of pioneer life. Zopher Case, father of the subject, who ranked as Major in the war of 1812, came from Connecticut at an early day, and settled in Ashtabula County, Ohio, where he died in 1822, leaving a wife and four small children, among whom was our subject, who was born in Ashtabula County, Ohio, October 6, 1812. After coming to this county, his mother kept house for him until he was married, December 4, 1841, to Miss Elsie Hill, daughter of Aaron and Permelia (Winston) Hill, natives of New Jersey. They are parents of ten children - Zopher P., Randall P., Daniel A. (deceased), Elizabeth C., Daniel A., Jr., Billings B., Elsie A., Perry A., Mary E. and Isa A.

Source: "1882 History LaGrange County, Indiana" by F.A.Battey & Co., - Milford Township



C.M. CASE is a native of this county, where he was born in Johnson Township, October 8, 1850. His parents were Zopher and Nancy (Highbargin) Case, natives of Ohio. Zopher Case, with his brother, A.P. Case, and mother, came to this township in 1837, but subsequently located in Johnson Township, where he is yet living. The subject, when twenty years of age, commenced teaching school, and for three years alternated that with farm labotr, during their respective seasons. In 1873, he bought forty acres of land in Section 17, and his father gave him eighty acres adjoining. Of this, he sold eighty acres of $3,000 and purchased his present farm, that ranks among the best in the township in improvements and appearance. It consists of one hundred acres, twenty of which were presented to his wife by her father. For the remaining eighty acres he paid $5,000. The proceeds of this farm for the year 1879 were $2,500; 1880, $2,800; and 1881, $2,000. Mr. Case also raises some of the best blooded stock in the county. Although quite a young man, he is on the road to prosperity and belongs to a representative family. He was married to Miss Mary A. Newman March 17, 1874. She was born in this township October 17, 1855, and is the daughter of Nicholas B. and Nancy (Cochran) Newman. They were among the early settlers here, coming in 1835, and lived here until within the last year, when they moved to Kendallville.

Source: "1882 History LaGrange County, Indiana" by F.A.Battey & Co., - Milford Township



CHARLES COCHRAN, born December 23, 1821, in Ross County, Ohio; son of Col. William and Nancy (McKelvey) Cochran, the former a native of Ireland and the latter of Kentucky. They were early settlers of Ross County, Ohio, moving from there to Marion County in 1822, and in 1836 located in this township, where he had previously entered about seven or eight hundred acres of land, and forty acres upon which was a water-power saw-mill. Upon arrival, May 18, they moved into a hewed log house. In the springof 1837, after bringing from Detroit, with an ox team, the machinery, the mill was run on custom work until his death, in August, 1844, aged fifty- six years. His wife died June 9, 1861, aged seventy-four years. The subject, when twenty-one years old, started out, March 19, on foot, and with less than $4, for Iowa; was joined by a companion in Illinois, and they proceeded on their journey. On the North Fork of the Skunk River, they stopped and established a claim, upon which they built a log-house, cleared an acre of land, which they planted to potatoes, and traded off the crop for a yoke of steers. Next proceeded down the Skunk River to near Burlington, then to Galena; made a short stop at St. Louis, then went on to Arkansas, where for two months he was engaged in cutting wood. He next went to New Orleans, and thence to Horse Shoe Bend, and about April 1, 1844, at Galena, he traded for a good horse, and made the journey home in seven days. At his father's death, he inherited eighty acres of land, in the meantime having traded for forty acres, where he is now living in the first brick house built in the township. He owns 460 acres of land, estimated, with other property, at $40,000. He is an active political worker and is a Freemason. He was married, January 29, 2849, to Ann E. Henry, a native of Pennsylvania and daughter of William Henry, who came to this township in 1846. They have had seve children - Mary Jane (deceased), George W., Edith H., Charles A. (deceased), Alice A., Allen M. (deceased) and Frank H. Mr. and Mrs. Cochran are Spiritualists, and he is owner of an old horse, quite smart and active, that was born May 10, 1852.

Source: "1882 History LaGrange County, Indiana" by F.A.Battey & Co., - Milford Township



G.W. COPLIN, son of William and Bethiah (Palmer) Coplin, was born in Saratoga County, N.Y., January 19, 1811. His mother was of English descent, and his father of German. The latter, when but fourteen years of age, enlisted in the army of the Revolutionary war, and shortly after, while on duty at Fort Stanwix cutting timber for repairs, the whole force was ambushed and taken prisoners by the Indians, and he taken to Montreal, Canada, where he, after gaining their confidence, made his escape down the St. Lawrence River in a bark canoe to New York, where he resided until his death in 1814. There were thirteen children in William Coplin's family, only one, the subject, now living. He practiced farming in New York until 1850, when he came West in September to located his home, selecting land in this township. At that time, when he was clearing his farm of 80 acres, game was plenty, and hunting a pastime. He was married in Cayuga, N.Y., to Miss Rebecca Vanvranken, daughter of Adam I.G. Vanvranken. They have had six children, John V., William P., Theodore, Orcelia G., George and Spencer E. - three living, John, William and Spencer. Mr. and Mrs. Coplin are members of the Christian Church, and he is always interested in the progress of all public enterprises of a beneficent character. His first vote was anti- Masonry, and he has since been an advocate of the Republican party.

Source: "1882 History LaGrange County, Indiana" by F.A.Battey & Co., - Milford Township



THEODORE COPLIN, son of G.W. Coplin, during the late war enlisted in the Seventy-fourth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served until sickness called him away. He died at Gallatin, Tenn., February 6, 1863, aged twenty-three years seven months and six days. His last words to friends were recorded February 1 as follows: "I'll see you no more on this earth; meet me in heaven. Father, mother and brothers, if you see me no more here, mourn not; for my faith is good, and I trust that heaven is my home."

Source: "1882 History LaGrange County, Indiana" by F.A.Battey & Co., - Milford Township



PETER ENGLERT, one of the leading farmers of the township, is a German by birth, and came to this country with his parents, Peter and Katharine Englert, in 1838, and located in Seneca County, Ohio, removing to this township in 1852, where his parents have since died. The subject was born December 24, 1830, and at the age of twenty-two started in life with $200, and was married November 12, 1853, to Mrs. Katharine Englert, widow of George Englert. She was a daughter of Abraham Rinebold, native of Pennsylvania, of German descent, and was born April 14, 1833, in Seneca County, Ohio. When Mr. Englert first located on him farm it numbered 80 acres of uncleared land; it is now twice that size, and log cabin and trees have disappeared, giving way to the modern improvements, and a fine brick residence; entire property valued at about $10,000. He is impartial in politics, always upholding the best man. He and wife are parents of six children - George W., Abraham, Lovina and Jacob F., deceased, and Barbara A. and John P., living. They are members of the Evangelical Church, and have always been hard-working and industrious people.

Source: "1882 History LaGrange County, Indiana" by F.A.Battey & Co., - Milford Township



WELTON FRANCIS is a son of Samuel and Sarah A. Francis, and was born in this county, April 25, 1843. His parents, natives of New York, came West in 1840, and in 1853 to this township, where they lived until 1874, when they moved to Kendallville, where Mr. Francis is still living; Mrs. Francis died October 17, 1877. Welton Francis went in the army as a substitute for John Reed, who was drafted in the fall of 1862, from whom he received $200. Substitutes of that draft had the privilege of serving the nine months' call, or enlisting for three years, with $100 bounty. Our subject chose the latter, and October 25, 1862, enlisted in the Twenty-first Indiana Volunteer Infantry, under Col. Roy, but was transferred in May to the First Indiana Heavy Artillery, and was immediately called into service at the battle of Port Hudson. He participated in six other active engagements: Sabine Pass, Pleasant Hill, Cane River, Marksville, Schapalier and Franklin. He was wounded twice, on the 27th of May, 1862, but not seriously. He saved $1,000 of his army funds, receiving $360 back pay at the time of his discharge, and upon returning to La Grange, in 1865, received from A. Ellison, with whom he had left his $200, a ded for 80 acres in Section 14; this land he afterward disposed of for $600. In 1866, he purchased a farm of 120 acres, in this township. Mr. Francis was married in March, 1868, to Mary J. Ackley, daughter of Lyman Ackley, of Whitley County, Ind. They have had three children - Ada M., Franklin, deceased, and Mary E. In 1878, he began the sale of farming implements, at Kendallville, and in the spring of 1881 moved from his farm to South Milford. He has served the people in various ways, though never seeking offical prominence.

Source: "1882 History LaGrange County, Indiana" by F.A.Battey & Co., - Milford Township



DAVID FIANDT, one of the enterprising, self-made men for which this county is noted, was born in Ohio December 19, 1835. In 1833, his father, Martin Fiandt, began farming in Ohio, which occupation he followed in Wayne and Seneca Counties, moving to Wood County in 1868, where he died in 1877; his widow is now living with her second son, the subject, at the advanced age of ninety-one years. David Fiandt, one of four children, began learning the trade of a carpenter at the age of twenty, and made that his business until about ten years ago, when he began the practice of farming. He came here with his family in 1869, and has accumulated property worth $5,000; his farm of seventy-five acres is in a flourishing condition. In the fall of 1862, he was drafted in the army, and paid $300 to be exempted. Mr. Fiandt at one time was School Director and Pathmaster, and has been a member of the I.O.O.F. Lodge. He is a Republican. September 9, 1858, he was married to Susanna Longnecker, daughter of Michael Longnecker, of German descent; they have had seven children - Ephraim, Harvey and Viola, deceased; Lando, Eliza E., Heward and Hattie.

Source: "1882 History LaGrange County, Indiana" by F.A.Battey & Co., - Milford Township



VALENTINE FREY, the youngest son of Adam H. and Anna C. (Fleck) Frey, was born in Rhine Province, Provelia. He came to America in 1839, and was followed by his parents in 1840. The subject was apprenticed three years at the shoemaker's trade in New York, and worked two years over that time, then went to Cleveland; thence to Wooster on foot, and engaged to work for his brother-in-law, the following year, for $75. Valentine Frey, in 1847, entered eighty acres ofland where he is living, and now has 280 acres valued at $14,000. His time has been principally spent in clearing and grubbing land. Mr. Frey was drafted for the nine months' service, but after nine days in camp at Indianapolis, he hired a substitute and returned home. Mr. Frey was married, January 17, 1855, to Isabel Cravatt, a native of Ohio, of German parentage; she died in August, 1865, and the following December Mr. Frey married Maria A. Vesey, who was born in Vermont, of English ancestry. By his first wife, Mr. Frey had seven children, three of whom are living - Franklin H., Mary A. and Marshall. Mr. Frey has served a number of terms as Pathmaster.

Source: "1882 History LaGrange County, Indiana" by F.A.Battey & Co., - Milford Township



A. GETTINGS, a reliable farmer of Milford Township, is a native of Cumberland County, Penn., born Octoer 10, 1823; his parents were natives of Ireland; his father, Thomas Gettings, was a farmer, and was killed in Pennsylvania by a falling limb, after which event the mother, Sarah Gettings, moved to Richland County, Ohio, with the family, to a place her husband had purchased previously. She lived there until her death, and was the mother of seven children, among them our subject, who, at the age of seventeen, began an apprenticeship at the shoemaker's trade, which he followed about five years, then purchased a farm of 120 acres in Lucas County, Ohio; began farming in 1845, and, February 10, 1847, was married to Sarah Pricket, of New Jersey, by whom he had three children - Thomas J. (deceased), Ella, and William W. (deceased). His wife died September23, 1857, and within a year afterward he married Lovina Repine, born June 25, 1825, daughter of John Repine, a native of Scotland. They have three children - Franklin V., born January 17, 1859; James D., born June 2, 1860 and Alma, born July 20, 1868. Mr. Gettings came to Wayne Township, Noble County, in 1848, and for some time was engaged in the grocery trade at Kendallville while still farming, but traded his stock for the Air-Line Hotel; then sold his farm and went into the livery business; continued about four years; sold out in 1869, and purchased the farm of 160 acres where he is now living. It is excellently improved and ably managed. When in Wayne Township, Mr. Gettings served as Trustee, and was a member of the I.O.O.F. at Kendallville.

Source: "1882 History LaGrange County, Indiana" by F.A.Battey & Co., - Milford Township



M. GOODSELL is the only son of Capt. Stiles and Lucinda (Bostwick) Goodsell, of English-Scotch descent, who changed from their native State, Connecticut, to Pennsylvania, April, 1833, and is the second oldest settler in this township, locating here in October, 1835. The subject was born in Litchfield, Conn., May 29, 1818, and came here with his parents, reaching Lima onthe 26th of October; they lived in a log house for some time, and found sufficient wild game for meat, and went to Toledo, Ohio, with an ox team, to procure groceries, a twenty-one day trip, until the canal was completed, when supplies were received from Fort Wayne. Stiles Goodsell died February 22, 1850, aged eighty-three years, and his wife February 28, 1858, aged seventy-six. The subject took charge of his father's farm when they first arrived here, and was married March 3, 1840, to Ellen Dier, daughter of Norman Dier, who came to this county in 1836. They had seven children - Marshall, Josephine, Mills, Eugene, Ida, Augusta and Frederick. Marshall and Eugene are living. His wife died August 24, 1856, and November 22, 1857, Mr. Goodsell was married to Nancy Johnson, who was born in Ohio February 15, 1840, daughter of John and Eliza Johnson. They have five children - Jennie, Ella, George, Imogene and Theodore M. Mr. Goodsell owns 450 acres of excellent land, and is worth aobut $30,000. He is a temperance man and served his township sixteen years as Trustee and Justice of the Peace. His first experience in clearing was in 1836, and he chopped ten acres in twenty-six days.

Source: "1882 History LaGrange County, Indiana" by F.A.Battey & Co., - Milford Township



ELI GUNN, son of Ralzamond and Bets (Osband) Gunn, was born in Tompkins County, N.Y., July 23, 1827. His father, a natie of Connecticut, was a farmer, and came to Seneca County, Ohio, and located on the Indian Reserve; then, in the spring of 1856, came to this township, where for a number of years he ran the Milford hotel, but is now living in retirement, at the age of eighty-one. His mother was born in New York, and both parents were of English descent. The subject, when seven years of age, hired out by the month, and his school advantages were limited. He located in this township in October, 1854; after making some improvements on his farm, sold it and bought the place where he now lives. For two years he was engaged in running the hotel in Milford; then returned to his farm, and lived three years in an old log house, but has since built a fine frame residence. He is a Republican, and has served as Pathmaster and School Director several terms each. He was an active worker among the Regulators, and at one tie was away from home four weeks. He was married, August 4, 1850, to Mary J. Dawsen, who was born in Ross County, Ohio, May 29, 1827. Her parents, John and Lydia (Huddle) Dawsen, natives respectively of Pennsylvania and Ohio, and of Irish and German descent, came to this township in 1853, where they lived until within a few years of John's death, which occurred August 27, 1871; his widow is now living in Kendallville, at the advanced age of seventy-seven. Mr. Dawsen, at the age of sixty-six, enlisted in the army of the rebellion in October, 1861, but was honorably discharged in February, 1862. Mrs. Gunn is an active member of the Methodist Church.

Source: "1882 History LaGrange County, Indiana" by F.A.Battey & Co., - Milford Township



GEORGE E. GUNN, son of Ralzamond and Betsy (Osband) Gunn, was born March 1, 1837, in Huron County, Ohio. Having learned the carpenter trade, he came to this township in 1858, but did not permanently locate until about two years later, having returned to his home in Ohio in the meantime. Before buying his present farm of eighty acres, in Section 35, he purchased land in Section 29, which he afterward sold. The year of 1864 Mr. Gunn spent in California, and was in Huron County, Ohio, in 1871 and 1872; since has worked at his trade in connection with farming. Mr. Gunn and Katharine A. Ridley were married on the 8th of February, 1866. She was born September 6, 1841; her parents, Jacob and Elizabeth Ridley, were natives of Pennsylvania, from where they went to Ohio, and are yet residing in Sandusky County. Mr. Gunn is a Republican. There are two children in Mr. Gunn's family - Emma A., born June 19, 1876, and Anna A., born February 8, 1867.

Source: "1882 History LaGrange County, Indiana" by F.A.Battey & Co., - Milford Township



Deb Murray