The Gaymans were of German stock, the original spelling of the name being Ghaman. Tradition says the great-grandfather of Samuel emigrated from Germany in an early day, and his son Daniel, grandfather of Samuel, was an energetic and far-seeing pioneer farmer in Washington county, Pa. Daniel Gayman had cleared up a fine farm, and was regarded as a substantial citizen. Besides his homestead in Pennsylvania, he entered land for two of his children in Pickaway county, Ohio — this tract consisting of 300 acres. He himself remained in Pennsylvania, but the two children, Jacob and Nancy (who married Henry Harsh), went there, Nancy and her family later removing to Illinois.

Jacob Gayman, son of Daniel, was born Jan. 8, 1791, in Washington county, Pa., and as reared to manhood on his father’s farm, early becoming conversant with the best known methods of agriculture. In his young manhood he went to Pickaway county, Ohio, and settled on the land entered by his father, and there cleared up a fine farm. In that county he married Mary Van Buskirk, who was born there, a daughter of a prominent pioneer who had cleared up and owned a large farm near the Gaymans at the junction of Deer creek and Buskirk’s run. The Van Buskirks were remarkable for their stature, some of the men attaining to six feet and four inches in height. The children born to Jacob and Mary (Van Buskirk) Gayman were as follows: Sarah Ann, Daniel, Eleazer, Mary J., Isaiah, Samuel, Abigail and John — all born in Pickaway county. Jacob Gayman entered some 380 acres of land in Delaware county, Ind., and 100 acres in Blackford county, that State. In about 1848 he moved his family to his farm in Delaware county, where only about twenty acres had been cleared, and there he engaged in farming. He was a practical farmer, and full of the endurance and energy that characterized the pioneer settler. He died there in May, 1873. His widow survived him until April, 1894, when she passed away, aged ninety-three years. They were both members of the Christian Church. Mrs. Gayman was tall like the members. of her family, and several of her children, including Samuel, inherited her fine physique.

Samuel Gayman was reared on a farm, and received the advantages of the district schools during the winter months until he was about twenty-one years of age. He was only eight years old when his parents settled in Delaware county, and made their home in a little log cabin. He early became inured to the hardships of pioneer life, and has very distinct recollections of those early days, when after a long day spent in arduous clearing of the forests, night would be made hideous with the howling of the wolves in the timber near the home cabin. Game, too, was plentiful, especially deer, the latter having a crossing over the home farm.

When the hour of the nation’s necessity was at hand, and the call for volunteers made in April, 1861, the sturdy pioneer youth rallied in answer. Samuel Gayman enlisted at Muncie Aug. 5, 1862, as a private in Company B, 69th Ind. V. I. for three years or during the war. He left Muncie for Richmond, Ind., August 9th, and a few days later went to Louisville, Ky., and on August 3oth he was engaged in battle at Richmond, Ky. They retreated six miles from the original battlefield, making three stands. At the last stand, since known as Green Pike fight, the Captain of the Company called for volunteers to advance on the enemy who were in sheltered position out of sight. Mr. Gayman was one of the volunteers, and on advancing with his comrades from a slight elevation about sixty yards from the company, he was shot by a minie ball fired by a Confederate sharpshooter. The ball passed through the left shin bone, causing a very painful wound. Mr. Gayman was, captured with many of his regiment, and was placed in the College Hospital at Richmond, Ky., where his wound was treated by a Union surgeon. He remained about four weeks in the College Hospital, and then was transferred to a hospital in Lexington, where he spent five weeks. His leg had been amputated above the knee while in Richmond, and the wound was very slow in healing. He was honorably discharged April 29, 1863, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

After his return from the war, Mr. Gayman began teaching school, a profession he followed for some time. In the winter of 1863-64 he taught the Mount Pleasant school in Mount Pleasant township, and then came to Muncie, and entered the high school as a student. The next fall he taught the Brady school in Harrison township, again returning to Muncie to attend school. He taught the Sugar Grove school four consecutive terms, and attended school in Muncie in the meantime, in every instance giving good satisfaction for thorough and efficient work. Mr. Gayman had, however, been brought up on a farm, and his tastes led him to an agricultural life. While teaching he had bought a small farm in Mount Pleasant township, and rented it, but when his father died he bought out the other heirs to the homestead, which consisted of 200 acres. He has greatly improved the place with good drainage, and substantial buildings, everything about the place betokening the successful and progressive and scientific farmer. He has done much speculating in real estate, buying and selling a great deal of property, and conducting his affairs in a safe and profitable manner.

Mr. Gayman has always been a stanch Republican, and he believes it the part of every good citizen to take an interest in public af-fairs if good government is to be had. In November, 1870, he was elected recorder of Delaware county, and was re-elected for a second term, serving in all eight years. His administration was marked for his careful, systemic work, and he proved an ideal public official. Mr. Gayman erected, in 1873, a beautiful and comfortable modern home at No. 311 West Adams street.

On Aug. 5, 1873, Mr. Gayman was united in marriage with Martha J. Clyne, who was born July 6, 1846, daughter of Thomas Clyne. Her father and mother both came from Troy, Ohio, and were of German stock; they settled in Perry township, Delaware county, in an early day, the father clearing up a good farm of 160 acres. Thomas Clyne was the father of Mary, Henry, Martha J., David, Nancy, Addie, Bryant, Hattie and Abbie. Of these children; Henry and David both served in an Indiana regiment in the Civil war, David dying in the service, while Henry participated in many battles and has a most honorable record. Thomas Clyne died age sixty-five years. To Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Gayman have been born the following children: (1) Grace C., born June 5, 1875, married W. M. Wood, chief engineer of the Decatur Bridge Company, Decatur, Ill., and they have three children, Margaret, Robert Julian and William M., Jr. (2) Clyde C., born Dec. 15, 1882, is a draughtsman in the office of the Decatur Bridge Company. Both the son and the daughter were educated in the Muncie high school.

DR. WILLIAM BRADEN GRAHAM, one of the oldest physicians and surgeons of Noblesville, Ind., where he settled in 1865, and who gave his professional services to his country during the great Civil war, was born in North Hope, Butler county, Pa., Oct. 22, 1835, son of William M. and Amanda H. (Kerr) Graham.

The Grahams were of Scotch descent, but Edward Graham, the great-grandfather of Dr. William B. came from the North of Ireland to Pennsylvania, where he married Mary Sloan.

William Graham, son of Edward and Mary, settled on a farm in Butler county, Pa., which farm is still in the possession of the family. He was a soldier in the war of 1812. His wife, Jane McIlvain, also of Scotch stock, bore him the following children: Thomas, born in 1810, became a Methodist preacher at Pittsburg, Pa., married Nancy Jack, and died at the age of seventy-five years; Mary, born in 1812, married Robert Smith, a farmer of Butler county, and they moved to Iowa, where she died; William M., born in 1810, Robert, born in 1816, became a lawyer and died at Lake Providence, La., about 1853; and Edward, born in 1818 was first a tailor, later an attorney, finally becoming, in 1860, judge of the Circuit Court, and died from the effects of an accident in DeWitt, Clinton county, Iowa.

William M. Graham was born in North Hope on the farm, which was cleared from the woods by his father. He received a common school education, and remained on the home farm, which consisted of 120 acres, throughout his active life. Some time before his death he retired and lived in North Hope until called away in 1888, in his seventy-fourth year. He was a member of the Methodist Church, a class leader, and for thirty years led the singing, and he was greatly respected by all who knew him. He was a justice of the peace for thirty years, and a member of the State Legislature for two terms, at the time of the beginning of the Civil war, and at an extra session called about that time by Governor Curtin. At the age of twenty, Mr. Graham married, in Butler county, Amanda Hubbard Kerr, born in 1815, in that county, daughter of Joseph Kerr, a farmer who died in middle life, and whose wife was a Hubbard. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Kerr were: James, John, Zachariah, Parks, Joseph, Harvey, Eliza, Lucy and Amanda H. To Mr. and Mrs. Graham were born the following children: William Braden; Jane; Ann Eliza; Mary; Erastus, who died aged three years; Joseph K., who died aged forty years; and Robert, an attorney at Cripple Creek, Colo. Mr. Graham was married a second time, but there were no children by the last marriage.

Dr. William Braden Graham received his education by attendance at the district schools and, for two terms, at the high school at West Sunbury, Butler county (1855-56). In the fall of 1856 he located in Marion county, Ind., near Bridgeport, and there studied medicine with Dr. Joseph Kerr for four months, later locating in Broad Ripple, where he studied with his uncle, Dr. Harvey Kerr, during vacations, for four years. The winter of 1857-58 he studied in the Medical Department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and then entered Rush Medical College, Chicago, whence he was graduated in 1861. Going to Clarksville, Hamilton county, Ind., he at once began the practice of his profession, remaining one and one-half years, when he was commissioned assistant surgeon of the 101st Ind. V. I., Feb. 18, 1863. He was promoted to and commissioned surgeon with the rank of major, of the same regiment, Jan. 1, 1864, and he served until the close of the war, when he was honorably discharged at Indianapolis June 24, 1865. He served in the field hospital, and in every battle and skirmish in which his regiment took part, until captured at Chickamauga, among the battles being Resaca, Jonesboro, Atlanta and Kingston. He was captured at Chickamauga with other physicians and 10,000 wounded, in the general hospital for the entire army, located at Crawfish Springs, Ga. The following is a copy of Dr. Graham’s parole, his capture following a chance to escape which he refused to take as he knew the wounded would need his care: “Sept. 22, 1863. I, W. B. Graham, assistant surgeon of the United States army, captured at the battle of Chickamauga, Sept. 20, 1863, solemnly swear: I will not bear arms against or give any information detrimental to the government of the Confederate States in any service whatever, until exchanged as a prisoner of war, and as I am only paroled to attend the sick and wounded prisoners, from the United States army, as soon as I am relieved from that duty, I will report to the commandant of the post at Atlanta, Ga., this to cease and be void when the cartel of exchange is observed toward Confederate surgeons. Subscribed and sworn to before me, at Crawfish Springs, Sept. 26, 1863. Signed: Alex McKinstry, Col. and Prov. Mar. Gen. of Georgia, and W. B. Graham, assistant surgeon 101st Regiment Indiana Volunteers.”

Dr. Graham’s parole was given him with permission to care for Union wounded. He reported at the expiration of twelve days at Ringgold, Ga., to Confederate forces, and was taken to Atlanta, thence to Richmond, as a prisoner of war, and was incarcerated in Libby prison until Nov. 24, 1863, when he was taken to Fortress Monroe and sent to Annapolis, Md., being given twenty days to report to his regiment. Libby prison, at that time, contained 1,000 Union officers. It was divided into nine rooms, 40 X 100 feet, and each had no accommodations whatever. The meager rations, served once a day, were mouldy and worm infested, and consisted of corn bread, rice soup, and once in a while a piece of beef or pork. The Doctor having a strong constitution kept his health well, but many a poor fellow died.

After the war Dr. Graham returned to Indiana and settled in Noblesville in 1865, where he began the practice of medicine, a calling he has since carried on successfully. On July 25, 1865, in Noblesville, he married Clara P. Darrow, who was born Dec. 17, 1842, in Noblesville, daughter of James and Elizabeth (Passwater) Darrow. To this union have been born the following children, all of whom are well educated: Alice, who married Charles J. Smith, a shoe salesman at Noblesville, and has a son, Graham Braden; Edith, who is studying music in Berlin, Germany; William Darrow, D. D. S.; Robert K., who married Minnie Banchert, and is with the Noblesville Milling Company; Mary, at home; and Donald, attending the University of Illinois.

Doctor and Mrs. Graham are members of the Methodist Church, in which he is steward and a trustee. He is a member of the Royal Arch Masons and of the I. 0. 0. F., in which latter he has passed all of the chairs, including Noble Grand. In politics he is a Republican, and his first vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln in 1864, but while he has been active in politics, he has never aspired for office. He is one of the few surgeons who participated in the Civil war who are still practicing, and he is pension examiner for the United States Government. He has achieved success in his profession, and is well and favorably known among the medical men of Indiana.

JAMES Darrow, father of Mrs. Graham, was born in Kentucky, son of William and Peggie (Sadler) Darrow, who were married in Delaware, and who moved to Indiana, and settled in Hamilton county in the woods about five miles east of Noblesville. He cleared up a farm there, and died leaving children: James, Jane, William, Isaac and John. James Darrow was but a boy when he came with his parents to Indiana, where he received a pioneer education. In Hamilton county, Ind., at the age of twenty, he married Elizabeth Passwater, daughter of Robert and Rachel (Webb) Passwater, the former of whom was one of the pioneers who bought land direct from the Indians. Mr. Darrow settled for a time in the home neighborhood and then became keeper of the Hamilton County Farm, a position he held at the time of his death the result of typhoid fever. Both Mr. and Mrs. Darrow were active in the Methodist Church, and he was the choir leader at the time of his death. Their children were: Clara P., Amanda Melvina, Allen Marsee (who died in his fiftieth year) and Elizabeth Ann.

HENRY C. GRESH, who is a general merchant and a very popular postmaster at Broad Ripple, Marion Co., Ind., was born in Cambridge City, Wayne Co., Ind., Feb. 26, 1846, son of Levi and Mary Ann (Pritchard) Gresh.

John Gresh, the paternal grandfather of Henry C. Gresh, was born in Pennsylvania; and came of German descent. By trade he was a brick-layer, but in later life he became a farmer, and for many years he had his home in Marion county, Ind, living in Center township, three miles east of Indianapolis. He died at the age of eighty-four years. In his family were many children.

Levi Gresh was born in Pennsylvania, and was brought to Wayne county, Ind, by his parents when only eight years of age. There he was reared to manhood, and there he was married to Mary Ann Pritchard, a native of Maryland. In his early career Mr. Gresh was a renter, and he later bought a farm in Washington township, Marion county, where he has lived for over fifty years. He is now ninety years old. Mrs. Mary Ann Gresh passed to her rest in 1850 dying in the faith of the Methodist Church, of which Mr. Gresh has also been a member for more than half a century. They were the parents of three daughters and one son, namely: Henry C.; Emeline C., the widow of Mr. Van Herrin; Caroline, the wife of Peter Davis; and Almira, deceased, who married George Herrin. Levi Gresh married for his second wife Mrs. Judea Herrin, the widow of Benjamin Herrin, and daughter of John Apple. To this union were born three daughters, one of whom survives, Mrs. Ida M. Griffey.

The maternal grandfather of Henry C. Gresh was Phineas Pritchard, who was born in Maryland, and came into Wayne county, Ind., at a very early day, residing there a number of years. His family consisted of two children. He died in Marion county when over eighty years of age.

Henry C. Gresh was about eight years old when his parents found a home in Washington township, Marion county, and he has never since lived outside of the county. When a boy he attended the district school and he was reared to farming, which occupation be followed until 1895. He began for himself by renting land, and in i88o he bought eighty acres in Washington township, which he sold in 1895, moving into Broad Ripple, where he opened a general store. Two years later it was wrecked by an explosion, in which his son was killed. Mr. Gresh opened his present place of business in 1899. He acted as assistant postmaster until June, 1901, when he was appointed postmaster, in which position he still serves his community in a most acceptable manner.

Mr. Gresh was married Dec. 15, 1867, to Miss Sarah A., daughter of William and Sarah (Roberts) Bradley, and to this union were born children as follows: Mary B. is the wife of James Overby; they live three miles north of Millersville, and among their children are Bernice, Imo and Ruth. Minnie 0. is the widow of Burton Foley. Nellie J. married F. H. Purcell, a merchant of Broad Ripple, and is the mother of Harold and Eugene. Pius F. was clerking for his father and was accidentally killed by an explosion when he was eighteen years of age. Fannie is a graduate of the Broad Ripple high school. Mr. and Mrs. Gresh and their family belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Mr. Gresh is a Mason, and belongs to Broad Ripple Lodge, No. 643, A. F. & A. M., and he is treasurer of Broad Ripple Lodge, No. 548, I. 0. 0. F. In politics he is a Republican. He was supervisor of Washington township two years, for four years was a justice of the peace, and at present is a member of the Broad Ripple town board, serving his fourth term. In addition to his business Mr. Gresh owns a good home in Broad Ripple.

The parents of Mrs. Gresh, now deceased, were early settlers of Marion county. William Bradley, her father, was born in the “Blue Grass” region in Kentucky, and came with his parents to Hamilton county, Ind., when a child, the family settling on a farm near Noblesville. His father was John Bradley.

LEVI GRESH, whose neat and well appointed home on Section 4, Washington township, Marion Co., Ind., attests thrift and prosperity to a marked degree was born in Berks county, Pa., Nov. 8, 1817, son of John and Sarah (Feary) Gresh, natives of Berks county, Pennsylvania.

John Gresh, grandfather of Levi, was a native of Pennsylvania and of German descent. Farming was his lifelong pursuit, and when he was seventy years old he passed away. He became the father of four children. The maternal grandfather of Levi Gresh was a farmer and distiller. He was born in Germany, and coming to this country after the war of the Revolution, settled in Berks county, Pa., where he died at an advanced age. In his family were one son and two daughters, Henry, Sarah and Beverly.

John Gresh, father of Levi, was a farmer, and was an early settler in Wayne county, Ind., where he did brick laying together with his farming. In 1847 he moved to Marion county, where he bought a farm a mile north of Irvington. There he lived a number of years, and also had his home both in Indianapolis and in North Indianapolis. His death occurred in Indianapolis in 1870, when he was aged eighty-seven years, and his remains were interred in Crown Hill cemetery. His wife passed to her rest in 1857. In their religious faith both were Lutherans. They were the parents of five sons and five daughters, and four of their children are now living: Levi; Samuel, of near Eagle Village, Ind.; John, of Indianapolis; and Catherine, who married Isaiah Porter, of Assumption, Ill. Charles, deceased, was of North Indianapolis.

Levi Gresh was about fourteen years old when he left Pennsylvania and came to Indiana with his parents. Here he attained manhood, and in 1847 came to Marion county to settle on the farm where he is found today. His first purchase was of eighty acres, to which he added from time to time, until in 1894 he owned 256 acres. Since that time he has given forty acres to five of his children, and given to his son Henry $2,300 in money. He has retained for his own home fifty-six acres of the old homestead.

Mr. Gresh was married in September, 1841, to Mary Ann, daughter of Phineas and Katie Pritchard. Four children came to bless this union: (1) Henry, who married Sarah Bradley, has four children living — Bell, Minnie, Nellie and Fannie. (2) Emma, who married (first) David Sutton, became the mother of two children by that union, Phila and one deceased; she married (second) Van Heron, by whom she has one child Eva. (3) Caroline married John Neiman, and they are the parents of five children, Mary, Charlie, Emma, Johnnie and Katie. (4) Myra, twin to Caroline, married George Heron, and both are now deceased. Mrs. Mary Ann (Pritchard) Gresh died in 1848 at the age of twenty—seven and in 1850 Mr. Gresh married (second) Mrs. Juda Heron, widow of Benjamin Heron, and daughter of John Apple. To this marriage were born five girls, of whom two died in infancy. Jane, deceased, married (first) Allen Griffey, and became the mother of three children — Fred, George and Myra; she married (second) Marcellus Davis, and to them were born two children — Harrison and one F. Lizzie, deceased, married Frank Davis, and became the mother of six children — Edward, Bertha, Clinton, Lonie, Emma and Ray. Ida married Marcellus Griffey, and became the mother of fourteen children, among whom were: Harvey, Carl, James, Jesse, Levi, 0llie, Carrie, Harry, Lewis, Everett, Pearl and Myra. Mrs. Juda Gresh was a member of the Methodist Church and a woman of character and standing. She died in February, 1894, and Mr. Gresh married (third) on Oct. 22, 1894, Mrs. Catherine Essex, the widow of William Essex, and the daughter of Robert Johns. Mrs. Gresh was formerly married to Reuben Scott. Mr. and Mrs. Gresh are members of the Methodist Church, his membership being in the Bethel Church. He is a Republican, and he cast his first vote for General Harrison. Mr. Gresh has served on the grand jury, and has been supervisor of Washington township several times. He is a steward in the Methodist Church. For sixty years he has had his home on the present place, and here he has seen the country develop from almost a wilderness. Beginning life with an empty hand and a brave heart, during the long years he has grown well-to-do. When a young man he worked seven years for one employer, and as a boy made trips to Cincinnati driving through with loaded teams, when the journey required eighteen days. He was called the greatest boy in Wayne county.

WILLIAM CANADA HOLMES, third son of William Holmes, named in a preceding sketch, was born at his father's old homestead on the National road, on the 23d of May, 1826. When only seventeen years old contracted with his father for and took the management of his saw-mill, and continued in its management until he was twenty years of age; in the meantime, when the mill was idle, going to school, and received a fair English education. When the time had expired for which he took the mill, he had laid by a nice capital besides extracting his father from financial embarrassment, consequent upon the building of the mill; he then continued sixteen years longer in the lumber and milling business. In 1857 he purchased the old Isaac Pugh farm, seven miles from the city on the Crawfordsville State road; on this he built one of the finest farm residences in the county. In 1865 Mr. Holmes purchased the interest of T.R. Fletcher in the Fourth National bank, and acted as president. Six months later this bank was consolidated with the Citizen's National bank. One year after the consolidation he was elected president, and for two years in succession thereafter, superceding Isaiah Mansur. After performing the duties of president of the bank he resigned in consequence of failing health, but is yet a director in the same institution. He then formed a partnership with Messrs. Coffin & Landers, for the purpose of purchasing and packing pork, the firm being known by the title of Coffin, Holmes & Landers. In this firm he remained one year. He then formed another partnership, the name of the firm being Holmes, Pettit & Bradshaw, and built the extensive establishment at the foot of Kentucky avenue; this house has a capacity for slaughtering, packing and keeping through the summer fifty thousand hogs, the building and ground costing one hundred thousand dollars or over. Their average business disburses between five and six hundred thousand dollars annually. The last season they purchased and packed thirty-one thousand hogs. Mr. Holmes is the present owner of the Sentinel building. Since his purchase of it from Richard J. Bright he has built an addition on Circle street, in which is kept the Public Library. He has also added materially to the growth of the city by the erection of several fine private houses, and a donation of twenty acres of land, worth about forty thousand dollars, to aid in the erection of manufacturing establishments: thirteen acres to the Novelty Iron Works; thirteen acres to the Haugh Iron Railing Manufactory. Mr. Holmes was married on the 15th of December, 1849, to Catharine, second daughter of the venerable James Johnson, since which time they have glided down the stream of time together. This union, like that of his father, has been blessed with several children, six daughters and two sons -- Hannah Elizabeth, Sarah Alice, Mary Helen, Samuel, Martha Ann, Canada Johnson, Catharine Snively, and Rose Hannah; the first and fourth died when infants; six are yet living under the parental roof. Two of the daughters are young ladies, two and the son are at school, the sixth an infant. Mr. Holmes, like his father, is quite tall, but of slender build, florid complexion and prepossessing in manner; while he is frank and candid in his expressions yet he, is courteous; in social life he is hospitable and generous, in his family he seems to be the center of their affections. Mr. Holmes' success as a business man is a fair illustration of what industry and perseverance, coupled with strict punctuality in engagements, will accomplish. He is now one of the wealthy men of the city.

Data Entry Volunteer: Judith B. Glad