John S. Hicks, one of the early settlers of Porter County, was born on Long Island, N. Y., February 16, 1813, and is the only child of Samuel and Ann (Searing) Hicks, both natives of Long Island, N. Y.; their ancestors were among the Plymouth Pilgrims of 1620. His father was a farmer, a soldier of 1812 and an honest man. His mother was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, but died when John was eighteen months old. Shortly after, when his father died, he was taken charge of by his grandparents. He received a practical education and learned the trade of a tailor; he was afterward employed by H. D. Brooks & Co., with whom he remained fourteen years. He then purchased land on Long Island and engaged in agriculture; this he relinquished, and engaged with F. Kurby & Co. of New York, for four years. In 1854, he arrived in Indiana and came to Porter County, purchased land, brought his family and commenced farming on Morgan Prairie; this he likewise sold, and came to his present location. He one had two hundred, and still owns ninety acres. Mr. Hicks has been twice married - once in 1834, to Sarah Van Nostrand, who died soon after our late war, by whom he had eight children - John A., William F., Mary C. and Eugene, living, and Alexander H., Elizabeth A., Sarah and Ida, deceased; of these, John and William served through the war. By his second marriage, to Mrs. Ellen (Birmingham) Gilbert, on June 10, 1873, there were two children - Ida, living, and Caleb N., deceased.

Source: “Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana, Historical and Biographical,” Goodspeed and Blanchard, 1882 page 283 Centre Township
Data entry volunteer: Suzan Schaeffing

Jonathan Wise was born in Washington County, Penn., September 22, 1819, and is one of the eleven children born to Samuel and Elizabeth (Sheidler) Wise, of whom five only are living - three in Porter County. His parents were also born in Washington County, Penn., and 1839, moved from that State to Knox County, Ohio; his father died in Allen County, Ohio, in 1850, and his mother, in Knox County, Ohio, in 1847. Jonathan remained in Knox County about fifteen years before coming to Porter County, Ind. In 1835, he began the black smithing trade, at which he worked forty-two consecutive years in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana. On February 2, 1850, he was married to Margaret Clemmens, in Knox County, Ohio. They have seven children - Burney, Rob, Daniel, Janney, Brodey, Kitty, Margaret and Maude. They all live in Porter County. Mr. Wise lived in Valparaiso five years, and had a shop near Flint Lake six or seven years. Afterward he purchased sixty-seven acres, on which he now lives, for $1,000. He is a member of the Baptist Church and an active worker in the Sabbath school, having begun that good work twenty years ago; he has been blest with a fine constitution, as proved by continued hard work at his trade.

Source: “Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana, Historical and Biographical,” Goodspeed and Blanchard, 1882 page 290 Centre Township
Data entry volunteer: Suzan Schaeffing

Thomas Blackwell, proprietor of the Chesterton Mills (or Poplar Tree Mills), was born in 1845, in Isham, England. He is one of seven children born to George and Mary (Brains) Blackwell, both natives of England. The elder Blackwell was a shepherd, and from near the home of Oliver Cromwell. The ancestors all led a pastoral life. When ten years of age, Mr. Blackwell was apprenticed to learn his trade, and went to school no more, on account of a distance of an overbearing “master” of the times. His indentures provided for seven years, but the firm failed, and he was given his liberty at fifteen years of age. From that time until his twenty-first year, he worked as a journeyman miller in England, and was always successful and determined in anything he essayed. He was now in poor health, on account of hereditary consumption, so he emigrated to America and spent a year and a half in studying American systems of milling, and with health improved returned to England expecting to stay. He married Milicent H. Leeson, a native of England, and a lady of taste and refinement. His health failing, he went to Canada, and had charge of two mills, one “three-tun” and one “five-run,” but after about two years he came to Illinois. He was at St. Charles about six years engaged in his trade, including millwrighting, as all apprentices of that time had to learn. In December, 1875, he came to Chesterton and bought his present mills, including a grist of “three-run,” saw-mill, planer, matcher and machine shop, now valued at of $10,000. His residence, situated near the mill, is a fine two-story frame, valued at over $2,000, finely situated. In politics, he has always been thoroughly independent.

Source: “Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana, Historical and Biographical,” Goodspeed and Blanchard, 1882 page 291 Westchester Township
Data entry volunteer: Suzan Schaeffing

Timothy Keene was born in Cortland County, N. Y., March 6, 1825 and is one of the eight children of Sprague and Chloe (Higgins) Keene. Sprague Keene was by trade a stone-mason, but mainly followed farming. In 1859, he moved with his family to Porter County, Ind., where he died in 1865, his wife having died in 1863. Timothy Keene was reared a farmer, but received an academic education. On May 9, 1849, he was married to Miss Susan A. Parks, a native of New York City, and born September 3, 1827, a daughter of Lee and Mary (Gates) Parks. In 1857, he came hither and purchased the place on which he now resides, which he improved and farmed; it embraces 150 acres. Mr. and Mrs. Keene have had five children - Andrew B., Edna (deceased), Brayton L., Elmer M. and Eddie S. Mr. Keene is a Republican, and has been School Commissioner over seven years; he is also Secretary of the County Agricultural Society. Mr. and Mrs. Keene are active members of the Baptist Church. The father of Mrs. Keene - Lee Parks - is passing his last years with them, being ninety-one years of age and a pensioner of the war of 1812.

Source: “Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana, Historical and Biographical,” Goodspeed and Blanchard, 1882 page 285 Centre Township
Data entry volunteer: Suzan Schaeffing

W. Herbert Knapp, Jr., was born February 5, 1856, in Centre Township, Porter County, Ind., and is one of the nine children of William H. and Emily (Booth) Knapp; the family was named respectively - Mary Kieffer, Maria Herrick, Herbert, Frank, Lincoln, Emma, Ella, Merton and Fred. Of these Emma, Ella and Fred are deceased. Herbert remained with his father until he was twenty-two years old, when he purchased sixty-five acres three miles north of Valparaiso, where he remained nearly three years. He was married December 23, 1877, in Valparaiso, to Hannah Pomeroy, daughter of George Pomeroy, of Porter County, who came to this county in 1864, a member of the Christian Church, as is his wife also. Mr. and Mrs. Knapp have had two children - Arthur and Etta; the latter died February 19, 1882. Mr. Knapp joined the Baptist Church at Valparaiso in 1868, and Mrs. Knapp the Christian Church in 1876. They are residents of Valparaiso, where he keeps a store on College Hill.

Source: “Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana, Historical and Biographical,” Goodspeed and Blanchard, 1882 page 286 Centre Township
Data entry volunteer: Suzan Schaeffing

William A. Hughart was born in Greenbrier County, Va., June 23, 1830, and is one of eight children of David and Nancy (Dozer) Hughart, who were named Mary Keeler (deceased), Elizabeth Campbell, William, Arthur, Henry, David, Nancy Harding and Martha Fulton. Our subject’s father was born May 20, 1806, in Virginia; was a farmer and miller, and is still living in Centre Township; his mother was also a Virginian, and died in Valparaiso about 1876. The family moved from Virginia to Liberty Township, Porter County, in 1835, and into Centre Township about 1850. On June 7, 1861, William A. Hughart was married to Mary Malony, in this township. By this union they had four children - Alta, Arthur, Clarinette and Ruth. Mr. Hughart is one of the oldest settlers in the county, and a most enterprising and respected citizen. He resides on his farm, comprising 100 acres, about four and a half miles northwest of Valparaiso.

Source: “Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana, Historical and Biographical,” Goodspeed and Blanchard, 1882 page 284 Centre Township
Data entry volunteer: Suzan Schaeffing

William Beam, Superintendent of the T. Molding Brick Yards at Porter Station, and was born October 18, 1833, in Buffalo, N. Y. He is the youngest of four children born to Christian and Henriette (College) Beam, both natives of Germany. When sixteen years of age, Mr. Beam began life for himself, working at the brick business from that time on to the present, first in Buffalo, till his twenty-first year; Erie, one year; Detroit, for years; Chatham, Canada, three years; Chicago, three years; Arkansas, four years; Chicago again, and Otis four years, when he came to Porter Station and took his present position as Superintendent of the brick yards above mentioned. Mr. Beam owns forty acres of land in Salt Creek, with fine brick houses, and town lots in Porter. He is a member of the Lutheran Church. While in Arkansas, he was pressed into the rebel service, but was soon discharged on account of sickness. In political belief, Mr. Beam has been a Democrat, but has voted the Greenback ticket and Republican, and is independent in local matters. He is a thorough business man, and one of our influential citizens. He was married in 1863, to Catherine Ackerman, a native of Germany. They have had five children - Bertha, Ernest (deceased), William, Paul and Frank.

Source: “Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana, Historical and Biographical,” Goodspeed and Blanchard, 1882 page 290 Westchester Township
Data entry volunteer: Suzan Schaeffing

William H. Knapp was born in Denmark, Ashtabula Co., Ohio, July 2, 1824, and is one of the nine children of Elihu and Nancy (Huntley) Knapp, the former born in New York, the latter in Washington, Mass. His father was a farmer, and held offices of Justice of the Peace and Postmaster of Denmark. He started to the war of 1812, but peace was proclaimed, and in 1833 moved his family to Ashtabula, where he purchased a farm, and there lived until his death. William worked for his father until of age, when he went to Hamilton, N. Y., for eighteen months, then returned to Ashtabula and purchased twenty-five acres. In 1855, he came to Porter County. On October 1, 1851, he was married, in Ashtabula, to Mary Booth, born January 17, 1828, whose father was a sailor and lost on Lake Erie. To this union were born nine children - Mary Kieffer, Maria Herrick, Herbert, Frank, Lincoln and Merton, living; the deceased are Emma, Fred and Ella. Mr. and Mrs. Knapp are members of the Baptist Church, he having been an officer thereof since 1857. He resided on his farm of 137 acres, all of which he cleared and improved; he also owns eighty acres two miles north of his residence.

Source: “Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana, Historical and Biographical,” Goodspeed and Blanchard, 1882 page 285, 186 Centre Township
Data entry volunteer: Suzan Schaeffing

William Hollister was born n Tioga County, N. Y., August 30, 1824, and is the youngest of nine children born to Gresham and Ruth (Scott) Hollister; of these, two only are living, and both in Porter County. His parents were born in Connecticut, but married in New York. His father died in 1862. And his mother 1856, both in Union Township, Porter County. William Hollister resided in Tioga County until fourteen years old, when he came to Indiana and located in Porter County. His father was then living on Government land, and this when it came into the market the sons and father began purchasing. William lived in Union Township until 1877, when he removed to Valparaiso and worked at carpentering. On October 1, 1851, he was married to Henrietta Hunt, in Union Township. They have had five children - Horace, Mary Caldwell, James, William and Elva; two of these, Horace and James, are deceased. Mr. Hollister owns 128 acres in Union Township, but lives in Valparaiso, where he is recognized as a generous and enterprising citizen and greatly esteemed.

Source: “Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana, Historical and Biographical,” Goodspeed and Blanchard, 1882 page 284 Centre Township
Data entry volunteer: Suzan Schaeffing

William H. Sager was born in Hardy County, Va., January 6, 1827, and is one of fourteen children, eleven of whom are living. His father was a native of Shenandoah County, VA.; was a miller and farmer, and died in Hardy County in 1828, aged fifty-two; his mother (Elizabeth Haldeman) was also a native a Shenandoah County, VA., and died in 1837, aged fifty-three; they were both of German descent. William H. Sager moved to Miami County, Ind., in July, 1847, where he remained one year, thence going to Cass County, where he remained five years, and came to Valparaiso May 5, 1854, where he is yet located. On December 28, 1857, he was married, in Valparaiso, to Mary Gifford, by whom he has had ten children - George, Ida Norman, Chancey, Minnie, Charles, Alberta, Carrie, William, Arthur and Harry, all of whom except George, are living. Mr. Sager became an Odd Fellow in 1850, but withdrew in 1860. In 1856, he became a partner with Mr. John Skinner, in the milling business. Since 1861, Mr. Sager has owned a mill with a capacity of three hundred bushels a day. He is an enterprising, liberal and esteemed citizen. He lives in Valparaiso, but manages his grist-mill about one mile south of the city.

Source: “Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana, Historical and Biographical,” Goodspeed and Blanchard, 1882 page 288 Centre Township
Data entry volunteer: Suzan Schaeffing

William McConkey was born in Wayne County, Ohio, March 10, 1824, and is one of the twelve children of David and Margaret (Crawford) McConkey, of whom eight are living. William lived on his father’s farm until he was twenty-three years of age. He was married, January 6, 1848, to Sarah Hague, in Holmes County, Ohio. They have had six children - James, Nancy Pennock, Maggie Sturgeon, Alvin. Camby and Vita; five of these are living, and four reside in Porter County. After his marriage, Mr. McConkey operated a mill in Holmes County, Ohio for sixteen years. In 1863, he came to Porter County, Ind.; after farming three years in Porter Township, he came to Centre Township, where he has since been farming and milling. His mill is two miles west of his residence, on Salt Creek, and has a capacity of three hundred bushels per day; this grist-mill is valued at from $10,000 to $12,000. He now lives one mile southwest of Valparaiso, on thirty acres; yet he owns 129 more where his mill is located. He is a worthy man, and an esteemed citizen.

Source: “Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana, Historical and Biographical,” Goodspeed and Blanchard, 1882 page 287 Centre Township
Data entry volunteer: Suzan Schaeffing

William Meyer was born in the Kingdom of Hanover, Germany, March 18, 1828, and is one of seven sons of Christian and Marie (Cook) Meyer, only two of whom are living. His father was born in Hanover in1792; he was by trade a shoemaker, and served under Napoleon in his campaigns; he was at the siege of Moscow and at Waterloo, and was unharmed; he died in Hanover in 1876. His mother was also born in Hanover in 1800, and died in1864. William learned the shoemaking trade, at which he worked while in Germany. He served three years in the German army, during the war against the Danish King. On June 1, 1851, he was married to Joanna Seuram, in Dessau, Hanover. To this union two children were born - Christian and henry. On October 6, 1863, Mr. and Mrs. Meyer landed in New York, with but five francs in hand; here he remained four years, working at shoemaking, then moved to Fort Wayne, then to Stark County, Ind., then to Valparaiso, where he purchased land in about 1880; his wife died August 17, 1882. They both joined the Methodist Church, in New York, in 1853. Mr. Meyer now resides two miles north of Valparaiso; he is a gardener, and owns a timber tract of twelve acres in Liberty Township.

Source: “Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana, Historical and Biographical,” Goodspeed and Blanchard, 1882 page 287, 288 Centre Township
Data entry volunteer: Suzan Schaeffing

A. A. Burwell is a native of Richland (now Ashland) County, Ohio. His parents were natives of Connecticut. Our subject attended the usual schools, and afterward three terms at the Loudonville Academy in Ohio. He remained at home until after manhood, working on the farm in summer and teaching school during the winter. On April 10, 1851, he was married to Miss Rebecca J. Oliver, a native of Ashland County, Ohio. In May, 1851, they came to their present location, and lived in a log house during the summer, but afterward built on land belonging to his father. Subsequently he purchased 160 acres of farming land, and also sixty of timber. The home farm now comprises 240 acres, with a good house and other needed improvements. He handles hogs, cattle and has several head of horses. Mr. Burwell has been Trustee of Boone Township three terms. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, having joined said church before its organization at Hebron, since which event he has been an Elder.

Source: “Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana, Historical and Biographical,” Goodspeed and Blanchard, 1882 page 318 Boone Township
Data entry volunteer: Suzan Schaeffing

A. G. Carman is a native of Tompkins County, N. Y., and a son of Harris and Annie Carman. The amount of learning acquired from the schools by our subject was very meager, in consequence of the circumstances of his father. His parents emigrated to Lake County in 1837, where neighbors were scarce, but deer, prairie chickens and wolves were plentiful. He was married, at Hebron, to Miss Hannah Young, who died October 2, 1848. His second marriage was also at Hebron, to Miss Cornelia A. Hoffman. To this union there succeeded four children - Jay, Charles H., Morris and Jason. He came to this present home in May, 1848, where he has since mostly lived. His farm is productive, and he feeds fifteen to twenty hogs each year, besides horses and cattle. His is well established in all pertaining to the demands of a farm. Mrs. And Mrs. Carman are members of the M. E. Church.

Source: “Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana, Historical and Biographical,” Goodspeed and Blanchard, 1882 page 318 Boone Township
Data entry volunteer: Suzan Schaeffing

Calvin T. D. Shanks was born June 29, 1837, in Ontario, Ohio. He is the eldest of eight children born to Simon P. and Elizabeth (Border) Shanks, both natives of Pennsylvania. The elder Shanks was both carpenter and mason. When Calvin was fourteen years old, his parents moved to Noble County, Ind., then to Wolcottville, La Grange County, where our subject received the most of his education at the Greggs Seminary. They soon went to the well-known watering place, Rome City, about three miles south of the former place, remaining there about eight years; he now of age, went into the norther part of Michigan, where he lumbered for about two years; he then returned to La Grange County, farming for about two years. He married, September 20, 1861, Rachel Lownsbury, a native of La Grange County. They began keeping hotel at Newburg, La Grange County, remaining about eighteen months, when he moved to Tecumseh, Mich., where he farmed and lumbered for a few years. In 1866, he came to Chesterton, farming for about a year, when he engaged in cabinet work in Mishawaka for three years; he returned to Chesterton and engaged in different occupations until 1875, when he founded the Central House, and, through his energy and efficiency as “mine host,” has made one of the finest hotels of its size in the county. In the summer of 1882, he made some fine improvements, and the public may always expect a cordial reception and an excellent culinary department under the management of Mrs. S. He has been a member of the I. O. O. F. Mrs. S. is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Shanks was a Democrat up to the Garfield campaign, but is now a Republican.

Source: “Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana, Historical and Biographical,” Goodspeed and Blanchard, 1882 page 311, 312 Westchester Township
Data entry volunteer: Suzan Schaeffing

C. G. Carman is a native of New York and son of Morris and Ann (Gregg) Carman, who were both natives of New York, but died in this township. C. G. Carman was brought to Lake County by his parents in 1834, when four years of age, and is one of its pioneers. In his early youth, he attended a subscription school, and at the age of sixteen years he began the trade of a carpenter, serving two years, and which he followed until the war. In 1861, he enlisted in Company I, Twentieth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, for three years, and was engaged in many important battles up to Gettysburg, and was discharged at Wilmington, Del., in 1865. He was twice wounded by the same ball - in the hand and left side of upper jaw, which caused much suffering. On returning he engaged in carpentering for several years, and came to Hebron in its early days. On January 23, 1867, in White County, Ind., he was married to Miss Elizabeth O. Carson, daughter of James and L. A. Carson. By this union they have had two children - Mary and Loren. Mrs. Carman is a member of the Presbyterian Church.

Source: “Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana, Historical and Biographical,” Goodspeed and Blanchard, 1882 page 318 Boone Township
Data entry volunteer: Suzan Schaeffing

Charles Lawson, farmer, was born in 1825 in Sweden. He is one of seven children born to Carl and Lora M. (Anderson) Lawson, both natives of Sweden. The elder Lawson was a soldier of the Swedish regular army for thirty years. When ten years old, Mr. Lawson left home and worked out at farming until twenty-one years of age, when he married Hannah Nelson, of Sweden. She died four years later. He had 160 acres of land on which they lived. They had one child. About one year later, he married Charlotte Anderson, of Sweden. He now farmed about two years, when he came to the United States and settled in La Porte, Ind., near which he rented 160 acres for five years. He then came to Porter Post Office settlement, and bought and cleared the farm owned at present by Mr. Engbert. He then bought his present farm of 190 acres of good land. He is a member of the Swedish Lutheran Church. In political faith, he has always been a strong Republican. He is one of our most enterprising farmers and public-spirited citizens. He has three children living - Charles W., Emma C. and Gust A.

Source: “Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana, Historical and Biographical,” Goodspeed and Blanchard, 1882 page 303 Westchester Township
Data entry volunteer: Suzan Schaeffing

Charles O. Seamans, Justice of the Peace, was born November 15, 1841, in Wheaton, Ill. He is the eldest of eight children born to Alvin and Almira (Munyan) Seamans, the former a native of Connecticut, and the latter of Massachusetts. The paternal ancestors of our subject have been traced back to the Pilgrim Fathers. His grandfather Munyan, was in the war of 1812, and great-grandfather Munyan was a soldier of the Revolution. The gun he carried in that war is in possession of our subject. Esquire Seamans lived with his father in Wheaton until about twenty years of age; he attended the college at Wheaton, and when twenty years old, he began teaching. After a year, he entered the Chicago School of Trade, to prepare himself for a book-keeper; after his course was finished, he entered a retail grocery establishment in Chicago as clerk, and in six months had worked up to the position of book-keeper, continuing in their employ for about five years. He then came to Chesterton and purchased the “Railroad House” (now Johnson’s Hotel), and officiated as “mine host” for five hears. He then engaged in blacksmithing for three years nearly, when he received an injury in horse shoeing, and was an invalid until March, 1881; he again took charge of the hotel for about three months. He then traded the hotel for his present farm, and has since been engaged in superintending it. He is a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity and the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was elected to the office of Justice of the Peace in the spring of 1880, and has served with ability; he was a Republican, but has adopted the Greenback faith; he was married in October, 1864, to Jennett Odell a native of New York, and born within a mile of Niagara Falls.

Source: “Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana, Historical and Biographical,” Goodspeed and Blanchard, 1882 page 311 Westchester Township
Data entry volunteer: Suzan Schaeffing

Conner Dowd was born in Ohio, and is the seventh of the nine children of Conner and hannah (Graves) Down; his father was a native of Ireland, his mother, of North Carolina; both died in Ohio. The boyhood of our subject was passed in Ohio, where he received the learning of the common schools. In 1835, he was married to Miss Cynthia Pratt, daughter of Rufus and Martha (Merritt) Pratt, by whom he has two children living - Lucretia and James H. Mr. Dowd began farming on sixty acres, to which he afterward added forty acres; this he sold and emigrated to Lake County, where he purchased 129 acres, on which he lived and which he cultivated for twelve years, when, he removed to 400 acres on Eagle Creek. He came to Hebron in 1873, where he engaged in the hardware trade, and has a stock of $4,000 to $5,000; he owns his store site, as well as a house and lot. Mr. Dowd was Township Trustee several years in Vinton County, Ohio. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, with which they united about 1832.

Source: “Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana, Historical and Biographical,” Goodspeed and Blanchard, 1882 page 319 Boone Township
Data entry volunteer: Suzan Schaeffing