Durham - George - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

In his obit. 1907 - states he came to Indiana after his marr. to Martha Tarkington 1843. "He shipped his goods by flatboat down the Oh and up the Wabash to Montezuma." From there he came to the farm by wagon. "He was one of the pioneer, hewing his farm out of virgin forest". In 1871 he was chosen as Rep to the Gen. Assembly, being "a stanch Dem. and his vote always in the favor of temperance."

George T. DURHAM is a general farmer and stock raiser of Howard Township, Parke County, located on Section 24.  He is a native of Boyle County, Kentucky, being born August 10, 1846 to Jesse Y. and Martha Durham.  Jesse was born in Boyle County and was the son of John Durham, who emigrated to Ky. in a very early day and helped to drive the Indians out of the state.  He was a gallant soldier in the Revolutionary War. John Durham came to Indiana in a very early day and entered 5 quarter-sections of timber land in Montgomery and Parke Counties.  He died in his native state.  His wife, who was a Miss Laws (sic), bore him 9 children.  The father of our subject was born in Boyle County and was reared there on a farm in the meantime securing a limited education in the little log school house.  He remained with his father till his marriage to Martha Franklin, daughter of Joseph Tarkington.  After his marriage he lived for six years in Ky. and in 1850 moved out to Indiana and settled in Brown Township, Montgomery County, on the land that his father had entered from the Government, and which with the exception of a very few acres, was in a perfectly wild condition.  He cleared the land and transformed it from a wilderness into a finely cultivated farm where he still lives.  Jesse Durham is the father of 9 children, 7 of whom still survive: John, who is a farmer and physician in Sullivan County; George; Crittenden, who lives on the old homestead; Laura, who is the wife of William Rue, Danville, Kentucky; Joseph, a resident of Indianapolis and a bookkeeper in a bank at that place; Joshua B, a horse trader of Terre Haute and William who is at Waveland, where he is engaged in farming.  Those that are deceased are Julia and Cornelius.  Jesse Durham represented Montgomery County in the State Legislature a number of years ago.  Politically he is a stanch Democrat and is one of the prominent farmers of Montgomery County, being the possessor of one of the finest farms in the township.  George T. Durham was about 4 when he came to Indiana, where he was educated in the country schools, after which he attended Waveland Academy, where he materially increased his stock of knowledge.  He lived with his parents until the time of his marriage, December 8, 1880, to Miss Betty Elliott North, who is the daughter of Henry North, Bullitt County, Kentucky.  He then located on a farm in Howard Township, where he now lives.  To Mr. and Mrs. Durham have been born four children: namely, Julia Belle; Rosalie; Roscoe Conkling and Henry, all at home with their parents.  Another child, Betty, died at age 18 months.  Mr. Durham is at the present time farming 212 acres of land all of which is well improved and in a very good state of cultivation.  It is counted one of the best farms in Howard Township.  Mr. Durham is a member of the Free & Accept Masons at Jacksonville, Indiana. Politically he has always supported the Democratic ticket and in 1890 was elected Trustee of his township, which position he still holds to the entire satisfaction of the community. - kjbz

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