Breaks - Amos Gilbert - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Success lies very largely in whether a man takes an interest in what he has mapped out as his life work; unless this is true nothing but mediocre success will reward the toiler. Nothing is truer than Longfellow's line in The Building of the Ship, which reads, "For his heart was in his work, and the heart giveth grace to every art." A large number of the toilers in the tread-mill of existence take only a half-hearted interest, or none, in their allotted tasks, feeling none of the zest of the true worker and knowing nothing of the keen delights of the honest toiler. Among those of Montgomery County's men of affairs who take a special delight in their life work is Amos Gilbert BREAKS, a successful farmer of Crawfordsville, who operates a fine farm in Union Twp, nearby. In this township and county Mr. Breaks first opened his eyes to the light of day, being a scion of one of our noted and sterling old families, and here he grew to manhood, was educated and has been content to spend his life. The date of his brith is April 20, 1862. Mr. Breaks is a son of John B. and Caroline Jane GRONNENDIKE (sic) Breaks. The father was born on Dec 14, 1832 in Union Twp, this county and here he devoted his life successfully to farming and passed to his eternal rest on June 27, 1901. Politically, he was a Republican and in religious matters, a Methodist. The mother of the subject of this sketch, was also a native of this Township and county, date of her birth being June 20, 1836 and was a daughter of Peter and Hannah Gronnendike. The ancestors of both these parents were early settlers in this county. Mrs. John B. Breaks died Feb 17, 1897. She was the mother of 10 children, 3 of whom died in infancy, those who survived being: John, born Oct 19, 1855, died in his 39th year; James b. March 13, 1860, lives Winona Lake, Indiana; Sarah Ann died in her 10th year; Amos Gilbert of his review; Ida May, who married Charles E. Gilliland was born March 27, 1864; Edith C, who married CA Johnson was born Dec 19, 1871 and she now lives in San Antonio, Texas; Dr. Luther Z, of Terre Haute, Indiana was born March 5, 1879. The paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, Richard B. Breaks, Sr., a native of England, who emigrated to America when a young man, his voyage to our shores in a sailing vessel requiring two months. he came on west and landed at Crawfordsville, Indiana with just 55 cents in his pocket. He found here a frontier settlement of only a few houses, but he liked the country and decided to make his future home here, building a cabin across the creek from Indian Village. It was many years before he saw the first railroad built into Crawfordsville and the country round about cleared of its vast forests and developed into a fine farming community, and he took no small part in theupbuilding of the same. He used his influence to such improvements as the building of the first gravel road through the county. Coming as he did from a poor family, Richard Breaks, Sr. had no time for education. However, he was the possessor of much of the characteristic pluck and energy and he succeeded in his life work and, by close observation and wide reading, he became a well informed man. He at first found employed with old Andy Johnnie Beard, then head of the Blind Asylum. The young Englishman first began as a farm hand, but later had practical charge of the entire farm. He was later married to a daughter of his employer, Hannah Beard. Subsequently, he was able to purchase a small farm of his own north of Crawfordsville, at a at a very low figure and he moved his young wife to this place, which has since been known as the Breaks neighborhood. Indians were quite plentify in those early days, and although Mr. Breaks was on friendly terms with them, he gave them to understand that they were not to go near his home in his absence. He was small of stature, but the red skins were able to read in his eye the fact that he was a man of courage and it were better to respect his wishes. By hard and honest efforts courage and it were better to respect his wishes. By hard and honest efforts he forged ahead. He cleared his place and established a good home, adding to his land from time to time as he prospered through his indomitable industry, until he became one of the leading farmers of the community and at the time of his death was considered in very comfortable circumstances. Richard Breaks, Sr. was married 3 times. After the death of his first wife, Hannah beard, he married Mary Stine, a native of this section of Indiana, of which her father, John stine, was a pioneer. After her death on the Breaks farm here, Mr. Breaks was united with Eliza King in thebonds of wedlock. After replacing the old house with a large, substantial dwelling and adding a number of convenient buildings and making many other improvements, Mr. Breaks settled down on his farm to enjoy the fruits of his labors of former years. his extensive landed estate was gradually lessened by virtue of the fact that he gave each of his children 80 acres of land at the time of their marriage. here he continued to reside quietly until he was called to his eternal rest at a very ripe old age, after a successful and honorable career. he was loved and respected by all, having been an honest, hospitable and upright man in every respect. To the first union of Richard Breaks, Sr and wife were born six children of whom the following are named: Sarah, married Peter Garner is deceased; Anna, wife of Jacob Miller; Hannah, now Mrs. Jonathan Everett; John B. was the father of Amos G. Breaks, the immediate subject of this article. The children of Mr. Breaks and his second wife were four in number and named: Richard, Jr. long a well known farmer of this county, now deceased; Harrison was next in order; Calvin's name then appears on the list and thomas, the youngest, is deceased. To the third union of the senior Breaks and wife was born only one child, Alvin, a sketch of whom appears on other pages of this work. Amos G. Breaks, our subject, worked on the home farm, there reamining until he was capable of managing a farm of his own. He has followed general agricultural and stock raising pursuits all his life and has met with a large measure of success, having inherited the skill as a husbandman and also large measure of success, having inherited the skill as a husbandman and also the energy to carry it out effectively from his father and grandfather before him. He, however, retired from farming on a large scale some 8 years ago and moved into Crawfordsville where he owns a pleasant and substantial home and here he is still residing, but has continued to operate his farm in a general way. It lies in Union Township and consists of 153 acres, well improved in every respect and highly productive. Politically, Mr. Breaks is a Republican. He belongs to the Methodist Church and is a Mason, attaining the kNights Templar degrees in that Order. Mr. Breaks was married March 5, 1885 to Mary Elliott, daughter of William and Maria Elliott, an early pioneer and honored family of Montgomery County. Mrs. Breaks was born in Ripley Twp, this county and here she grew to womanhood and received a common school education. To the union of our subject and wife one child was born, Virginia M, the date of her birth being Nov. 1906. She is in the local graded school.  -- typed by kbz

Amos G. (Bert) Breaks announces as candidate on the Republican ticket for county assessor, subject to the decision of the voters of Montgomery at the May primaries. - typed by kbz