EARL-Elija - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Elijah Earl, farmer, Attica, was born in Toledo county, Ohio, November 27, 1828. His parents were James and Mary (Adams) Earl, who removed from Ohio in 1831, and settled near La Fayette. His ancestry on his father's side was English, and on his mother's Scotch-Irish. His father was twice drafted in the last war with England, and served each time; and was near being at the surrender of Detroit. His regiment was on the way from Lower Sandusky when 200 were detached to garrison the place. He was of this number, and so escaped being present on that humiliating occasion. He bore a part in several skirmishes, and in the army at the declaration of peace. He was a genial, happy man, who took unbounded delight in recounting his adventures and incidents of his early history. While on the frontier he improved his opportunities to view the region of country now comprised in Seneca county, Ohio, and being greatly enamored of its generous natural advantages, went there in 1824 and made a home among the Indians. He was the first white settler in the county. As already stated, removed in 1831 and settled near La Fayette, in this state. The subject of this sketch was married, February 14, 1856, to Miss Salome C. Crouse, who was born in Marion county, Indiana, August 18, 1836. He had lived until this time where his father did, but the present year moved to Warren county, living there two years, and then coming to Fountain, where he has been since resided, in Davis township, on the E. BD of S.E., Sec. 12, T. 21, R.7. Mrs. Earl's ancestors were German; her grandfather Crouse came from Saxony and settled in Indianapolis when there was but half a dozen houses in the place. She is the mother of fourteen children, two of whom are dead: Quincy A., Mary R., Victoria S., Jennie D., Morton Elwood, Robert Bruce (deceased), William Howard, Arthur C., Ethel G., Elijah J., Lydia M., Kate, Thomas M. (deceased), and Hermon. The parents have been members of the Presbyterian church at Newtown since 1867. Mrs. Earl united with this denomination in Dayton, Ohio, in 1853. Mr. Earl became an Odd-Fellow in 1862. He owns 180 acres of choice land, including 30 acres of woodland. Mr. Earl himself does not cultivate his land but has it done. He is devoting his attention much of the time at present to the running of a steam thresher. He has held the office of justice of the peace of Davis township since 1861, and during this long period has had to assess but three fines. He is a republican by politics. Squire Earl is a natural mechanic. Though he never learned a trade, as they are commonly learned, he has worked several years on his own place at manufacturing. In the fall of 1860 he formed a partnership with Alexander Holmes for the manufacture of Brown's Corn-Planter. Holmes and his brother Andrew had the right of state. They made these planters one year, then the firm dissolved, and Mr. Earl and Cyrus Ellis went together in the manufacture of riding corn-cultivators one year. The third year Mr. Earl carried on the business alone. Since that he has done some irregular mechanical labor, the most important of which has been the making of threshing-machines or separators, power wood-saws, and bee-hives.

Elijah EARL, a valued citizen of Attica and for over 30 years a prominent agriculturist of Fountain County, Indiana long since won the confidence and esteem of the entire community among whom he dwelt by the wise administration of his duties as Justice of the Peace, an official position which he held for 29 consecutive years. During this long term of faithful service, the numerous and varied cases which came before him ever received his prompt and judicial attention, and so sensible were his ruling and decisions, that the litigants seldom carried their cases to a higher court. Our subjet and his parents were American-born, but his paternal grandfather was an Englishman, who early emigrated to this country and took an active part in the Revolutionary War. Thomas Earl brought with him from old England his family, also a goodly store of enterprise and courage. Ina ttempting to run the gauntlet of the enemy's blockade with a valuable cargo of molasses and sugar, he was captured, but he survived the perils of those troublous days and reared a family of hardy children one of whom, James, the father of our subject was born in Fredericksburgh, Md. in 1795. Having reached man's estate, James Earl married Miss Mary B. ADAMS, a native of Ky and born in 1797 where Bardstown now stands. The father and mother of Elijah Earl settled in Ohio at an early day and in Seneca County of the Buckeye state, our subject was born, Jan 27, 1828. He was the 6th in a family of 10 children and was about 4 years old when his parents, emigrating to the westward, located in Tippecanoe County, Indiana which portion of the state the chronicles of 1830 especially recommended to the settlers of that time, as containing much good and fertile land. Elijah was educated in the subscription schools of the county and there grew to manhood. IN 1856, our subject was married to Miss Salome Crouse, the daughter of David H. and Rachel (Gelwicks) Crouse. Mrs. Earl's father was a native of Mechanicsburg PA where he was born in 1809. Her mother's birthplace was Chambersburg Pa and the time of her birth 1814. Mrs. Earl who was the eldest in a family of 5 children, two brothers and two sisters, can claim a distinguished ancestry. Her great grandfather belonged to the royal family of his native land, Saxony, Germany and when he emigrated to America brought with him ample means to establish himself well in life. Among the members of the family who accompanied Otho Kraus to the New World was his little son, Justus, afterward the paternal grandfather of Mrs. Earl. Justus H. Kraus was a child when he crossed the stormy Atlantic wit his parents and settled in Maryland where the family resided for a time, later in 1858, locating permanently in PA which then gathrered many of the wealthiest and most refined citizens within its borders. Mr. and Mrs. Earl soon after their marriage settled in Warren County but later removed to their present home. The baluable farm of 180 acres upon which they reside has been brought to a high state of cultivation by its present owner. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Earl has been blessed by the birth of a large family of 13 children, all of whom ar enow surviving, and six of whom still brighten the home with their presence. The sons and daugthesr who have gone out from the home circle to found homes of their own and who are each and all useful and honored citizens, are Mary R, Victoria S, William H and Arthur C, all four of whom are residents of California, William H occupying a prominent position as Civil Engineer in Lassen County. The next two sons, QA and ME are residents of Tippecanoe County, Indiana the latter being a emmber of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Jennie the wife of Arthur S. Bass, is located at Armstrong, ill. Mr. and Mrs. Earl are active members of the Presbyterian Church, and both within and outside that organization are known as possessing an intelligent liberality and deep interest in all important matters of the day. They and their family of bright, energetic children are prominent social factosr in thesuccess of benevolent and religious enterprises in Attica. In 1861 our subject became a Justice of the Peace by a large majority while Lincoln carried the precinct by one vote. In the succeeding 28 years his elections were carried by an almost unanimous vote, at tribute to the ability and honest impartiality which ever distinguished his various legal decisions.