MYERS, John - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

The remarkably active life of "Uncle John Myers" closed at the age of 90 years, 6 months and 18 days, on April 1, 1903. Fifty years ago, nearly every man of affairs in Fountain County knew John Myers of Jackson Township, and there were few that he did not know, for he never forgot a man. Seventy years ago, he, then a young man of 20, came with his parents and colony of settlers from Davidson County NC and settled near where the younger brother, Alijah, now lives two miles south and one mile East of the present town of Wallace, IN . His parents had migrated to IN about 1810 and hearing of the Battle of Tippecanoe and other Indian troubles returned to NC spending some time in Kentucky where John was born September 13, 1812. "Uncle John" as he has been calle for many years, was always one of the most active, industrious and enterprising of men.  But for his too indulgent and generous nature, he might have been one of the financial kings of the county. At the age of 40 he was a rich man. As a new venture, he built a sawmill, the first ever seen in this part of the state and sawed millions of feet of lunmber. This mill furnished much of the lumber for the old plank road that once connected Covington and Jacksonville. Much of the lumber was also sent to Hoopston, Decatur and Danville, Il. Sawman John Myers and his sawmill were almost as well known as the ordinary county seat. In this business, he would have become wealthy, but was imposed upon by irresponsible buyers who never paid. But he always sold lumber to anyone who asked for it. The mill was located on land owned in the 1960's by Cliston Sample and the boiler used in generating the steam used in his mill was made in Ohio, floated down the Ohio River to the mouth of the Wabash and up that river to Fountain County and in 1966 standing beside St Highway 234 on land belonging to Gomella Sample, where it had served as a water storage tank.  About the time of the Civil War, he endorsed notes for a relative and had to pay over $4000.00 for him. Other losses overtook him about this time and so injured him financially that he was forced to sell most of his farm and finally all of it. About 24 years ago his sawmill burned, and the discouraged old man went to Jasper Co Il and started a small store in the little town of Gila. Here he was postmaster for several years. He and his wife made a good living, but she died in 1890 and he retired from business, having saved enough money to buy a home in the village and a small farm. Since then, he has divided his time among his children, four of whom out of 11 survive him; Mrs. M.M. Sowers of Gila, Ill; Mrs. James A. Sanders of Covington IN: Dr. N.D. Myers of Decatur IL; and Peter Myers of Gila. He lived to the fourth generation of his posterity. He at the time of his death, could count 38 grandchildren, 56 great grandh and 3 great great grandchildren.  He was unanimously liked. In spite of his misfortunes he was always of a cheerful, hopeful dispostion; friendly and charitable toward all mankind. For more than 75 years he was a regular and devoted attendant of the Lutheran Church. He was always a great reader and was well informed on public affairs. Few men were more interesting talkers than "Uncle John." Many of the interesting stories he used to tell were of the early days of Chicago to which place he made seven trips when it was no larger than Covington. He was at one time a prominent horseman and always took a keen interest in turf matters generally. When, past 90, he attended the Covington races last fall and no one took greater interest or enjoyed them more than Uncle John. The funeral and burial services were conducted by Rev. Isiah Whitman at the old Phanuel Lutheran Church of which he had been a member for 70 years. John and Catherine are buried in Phanuel Lutheran Cemetery.