ODELL-Telemachus - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Telemachus Odell, farmer, Attica, was born in Brown county, Ohio, October 26, 1824. In 1831 his parents, John W. and Susanna (Beasley) Odell, left Ohio and settled in Wayne township, Tippecanoe county, this state, where they lived until 1837. Country schools at this time were of little value, and they moved to Crawfordsville to educate their children. They lived there four years, during which time Mr. Odell was continuously at school, except for one summer. Moving back to Jackson township, in Tippecanoe county, he lived there till March 1854, and then came to Fountain county and settled on his present farm, in Davis township, on Sec. 12, T. 21, R. 7. In 1857 he moved again to Tippecanoe county, but returned again in the autumn of 1860. This was his last removal. He was married October 15, 1848, to Charlotte R. Bailey, of Adams county, Ohio. They have had the following children: Thomas W., born December 29, 1849; Angelica C., July 30, 1851; infant daughter, born and died September 3, 1853; John O., September 27, 1854; Susan Mary, July 28, 1857; Charlotte D., March 21, 1860; Frank T., March 3, 1862, died August 22, 1863; Abraham Lincoln, September 17, 1864. Mr. Odell was elected trustee of Davis township in 1856, and had served half his term when he moved away the next year. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church since 1848, and his wife somewhat longer. He was once a Mason, but has been unaffiliated several years. He originally belonged to the whig party and cast his vote for Zachary Taylor, but when that went to pieces he became a republican. His farm, situated in the southwest corner of the township, comprises 460 acres all valuable land, all in Sec. 12 except 100 acres. This is nearly all fenced, mostly under cultivation, in a high state of improvement, and adorned and enhanced with an elegant brick residence. Mr. Odell is one of the substantial, public-spirited men of his community.