Biographies and Obituaries
In loving memory
Seth L. Ketcham
History of Knox and Daviess Counties by
Goodspeed Publishing Company 1886
SETH L. KETCHAM is a native of Daviess County, Ind., born November 8, 1839, and is one of ten children born to Daniel and Elizabeth (Goodwin) Ketcham. The father was of English extraction, born in Shelby County, Ky., in 1810. He came to Indiana at the age of fourteen, and lived in different parts of the "Hoosier State," until 1838, when he came to Daviess County, where he afterward became the owner of 600 acres of land. He died in October, 1865. The mother was born in Jackson County, Ind., in 1817. Since the death of her husband she has kept house, keeping some of her children, or grandchildren with her. Subject attended the common schools, and also the State University of Bloomington, Ind., in the winters of 1857 and 1858. At the age of seventeen, he began pedagoguing and followed that occupation for about twenty years, teaching continually, with the exception of two years, and meeting with the best success. He was one of the boys in blue, and in August, 1861, enlisted in Company B, Twenty-seventh Indiana Infantry for three years, or during the war. He remained in the field seven months, and was then discharged, owing to disability from chronic rheumatism. July 16, 1864, he wedded Elmira Benham, daughter of Ira and Mary Benham. She was born in 1839 and bore these five children: Mary, Daniel W., Laura M., John M. and W. Evert. Mary is a teacher, and Daniel is a student at West Point; the remainder are at home. Mrs. Ketcham, died January 13, 1881, and September 15, of the same year, Mr. Ketcham married Mary Benham, a half sister of his first wife. She was born September 16. 1855 in Greene County, Ind. Mr. Ketcham was given eighty acres of land by his father which he has since increased to 180 acres. He has a fine two-story residence, and good substantial barns and granaries. He is a Democrat, and cast his first vote for George B. McClellan. In June, 1884, he was appointed trustee of the township, by the county board of commissioners, to fill an unexpired term. In 1880 he was appointed to take the census of Madison Township.
Contributed by: Michael L. Tedrow