ISLEY-Jacob P. - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Jacob P. ISLEY is the President of the Citizen's National Bank of Attica, Ind which was organized as a national bank on 16 July 1887 with a captal of $50,000. In looking over a comparative state of the institutions of financial character, doing business in this city, it is found that in comparison with the same class of organizations elsewhere they are solvent, prosperous and useful in the highest degree. The Citizens National bank adds no little to this and is one of the best and most substantian of its kind in the state. Mr. Isley was born in Warren County, Indiana 10 miles NE of Attica, Aug 12, 1838 a son of Benjamin and Margaret Southard Isley, natives of NC and Va respectively. The father was born in 1808 and about 1832 removed to Warren County, Indiana where he entered quite a large tract of Government land, and although he followed the occupation of a carpenter, he made his home on his farm and was there called from life in 1866. His widow, who bore him 4 children still survives. The maternal grandfather, while en route to this section from Virginia, died on the way, but his widow with her children came on and located in Warren County, Indiana. The paternal family consisted of the following children: Thomas who was killed in a railroad accident on the Central Ill at age 40, was a stock shipper and farmer in Benton Co Ind; Elizabeth Catherine who is the wife of Henry Ritenous and Sarah, Mrs. John Cook of Benton Co Ind. At the age of 21 years Jacob P. Isley began farming in connection with his father, continuing on the old homestead until 1867, when he removed to Benton County where he and his brother Thomas were in business together until the latter's untimely death about 10 years ago. They were actively engaged in looking after an extensive farm comprising 1,100 acres over which large number of stock roamed while being fattened for the market, an enterprise which these gentelemen found both profitable and congenial. Jacob P. Isley resided in Adams Twp, Warren County until December 1891 when he came to Attica, and although he has been connected with the above mentioned bank since 1881, the most of his attention is given to conducting his farm and to dealing in stock. He is one of the stirring and progressive citizens of Attica but is very unpretensious and unassuming much preferring to quietly pursue the "even tenor of his way" rather than to engage in the strife and turmoil of political life, although he is a stanch Democrat in his political views. The bank with which our subject is now connected was established as the Citizens' Bank. Mr. Isley has been its president one year and is also connected with the Central Bank at West Lebanon. Mr. Isley's principal shipping point is at Templeton on the Big Four Road where he is well known and does a very extensive business. He is very favorable known owing to his honorable business methods, and his genial nature and candor have made him a general favorite with those with whom he has had business relations. On the 5th of October 1881, he was married to Miss Mary Jones, who was born and reared in Warren County, a daughter of Clement Jones, a pioneer of that county and their union has resulted in the birth of two children: Clement B and Anna Margaret. Mr. Isley became a member of the AF & AM at Oxford, in which he has attained to the Commandery.