Harwood - John Thomas
Source: History of Montgomery County, Indiana. Indianapolis: AW
Bowen, 1913, p 783
Few dealers in live stock in Montgomery County and western
Indiana have ever been so widely known or done a more extensive
business than John Thomas Harwood, of Crawfordsville, one of the
enterprising, progressive and at the same time genial and
obliging gentlemen who is deservedly popular with a very wide
acquaintance. Mr. Harwood was born in Brown Township, Montgomery
County, Indiana, April 23, 1862, and he is a son of Jackson and
Carolina Harrell Harwood. The father was a native of Ohio and
came to Brown township in an early day and became the owner of 80
acres, and here farmed until the winter of 1861 when he enlisted
in Co, C 40th Indiana Volunteer Infantry and served faithfully
for six months when he was sent hom eon account of sickness. His
death occurred here in August 1862. He left a widow and 7 small
children, the oldest under 14. the mother of our subject was
also a native of Ohio. She was a woman of courage and fortitude
and by a hard struggle managed to rear her family in comfort and
respectability, and she departed this life ont he home farm in
1881. John T. Harwood remained on the home place until he was
19, assisting with the general work and attending the common
schools during the winter months, then came to Crawfordsville and
began working for a stock buyer, which he continued for a period
of 10 years, giving his employer entire satisfaction, then,
having learned the ins and outs of the business he branched out
for himself, and has continued to the present day with ever
increasing success. He operates in Montgomery and adjoining
counties, and his total average business by months runs over
20,000 dollars. He is one of the best known stock men in Western
Indiana and it would be difficult to find a more excelletn judge
of all grades of livestock. If all the stock purchased by him
and shipped to the various markets during his business career
were to be placed in one train it would reach over 800 miles. He
has won the confidence and good will of all farmers because of
his honest dealings with them, and is regarded by all as a man of
unquestioned integrity and honesty of purpose. He makes trips
with live stock to Chicago, Indianapolis and E. Buffalo, NY.
Politically, Mr. Harwood is a progressive Republican. He is a
member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and belongs to
the United Brethren Church. Mr. Harwood was married in April 1892
to Alice Wright, a native of Tennessee. - typed by kbz