Switzer - Abraham C.
Source: Portrait & Biographical Records of Montgomery, Parke & Fountain
Counties,
Indiana. Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1893, p569-570
Indiana. Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1893, p569-570
Abraham C. Switzer, residing on Section 29, Wayne Township, represents one
of the old pioneer families of Montgomery County, of which he is a native,
and he holds an honorable position among its most successful farmers and
stock raisers. He was born in 1831 on the old homestead when this part of
the country was but newly settled and he grew up amid pioneer
environments. He is a descendant of the sturdy Swiss people, his
grandfather, Abraham Switzer, having been a native of Switzerland. During
some period of his life he migrated to this country, and settling in
Pennsylvania, there met and married Elizabeth Grant, a cousin of General
Grant. They were blessed with nine children, namely: Polly, who was born
in 1798, Peter G., in 1801; Sally, in 1803; James, in 1805; John, in 1807;
Elizabeth, in 1810; one in 1813; Julia, in 1815, and Miranda, in 1819.
Abraham Switzer was a farmer and pursued that occupation in Pennsylvania
and Kentucky until his removal to this state in a wagon with his family in
1828. He purchased a tract of forest covered land of Mr. Moore and
settled upon it. He also bought land around Greencastle. He died on the
old homestead in 1840 at an advanced age.
of the old pioneer families of Montgomery County, of which he is a native,
and he holds an honorable position among its most successful farmers and
stock raisers. He was born in 1831 on the old homestead when this part of
the country was but newly settled and he grew up amid pioneer
environments. He is a descendant of the sturdy Swiss people, his
grandfather, Abraham Switzer, having been a native of Switzerland. During
some period of his life he migrated to this country, and settling in
Pennsylvania, there met and married Elizabeth Grant, a cousin of General
Grant. They were blessed with nine children, namely: Polly, who was born
in 1798, Peter G., in 1801; Sally, in 1803; James, in 1805; John, in 1807;
Elizabeth, in 1810; one in 1813; Julia, in 1815, and Miranda, in 1819.
Abraham Switzer was a farmer and pursued that occupation in Pennsylvania
and Kentucky until his removal to this state in a wagon with his family in
1828. He purchased a tract of forest covered land of Mr. Moore and
settled upon it. He also bought land around Greencastle. He died on the
old homestead in 1840 at an advanced age.
The father of our subject was born during the residence of his parents in
Kentucky. He accompanied them in their migration through the intervening
wilderness to this county, and in the years that immediately followed
assisted his father in the improvement of the farm. He received but
little material aid from him aside from his heritage of eighty acres. He
continued to make his home on the old homestead and in time became one of
the most prosperous farmers of the township, accumulating a valuable
property by his energy and careful management, and when he died he was the
owner of six hundred and forty-eight acres of choice land, all in a fine
state of cultivation and well improved. He married Mary Donelson, a
native of Ireland and a daughter of Walter Donelson, and they had the
following children: William, a resident of Waynetown, who was born in
1829 and married a Miss Bunnell; our subject; John, who was born in 1832
and married a Miss Stout; Elsie, who was born in 1837, married John
Vaughn, and died in 1869; Isabel, who was born in 1842, and is now the
wife of Alexander McClure, a teamster in Waynetown; Nathan, a resident of
this township, who was born in 1834 and married a Miss Bunnell.
Kentucky. He accompanied them in their migration through the intervening
wilderness to this county, and in the years that immediately followed
assisted his father in the improvement of the farm. He received but
little material aid from him aside from his heritage of eighty acres. He
continued to make his home on the old homestead and in time became one of
the most prosperous farmers of the township, accumulating a valuable
property by his energy and careful management, and when he died he was the
owner of six hundred and forty-eight acres of choice land, all in a fine
state of cultivation and well improved. He married Mary Donelson, a
native of Ireland and a daughter of Walter Donelson, and they had the
following children: William, a resident of Waynetown, who was born in
1829 and married a Miss Bunnell; our subject; John, who was born in 1832
and married a Miss Stout; Elsie, who was born in 1837, married John
Vaughn, and died in 1869; Isabel, who was born in 1842, and is now the
wife of Alexander McClure, a teamster in Waynetown; Nathan, a resident of
this township, who was born in 1834 and married a Miss Bunnell.
When Abraham C. Switzer of this biographical review first started out in
life he worked farms on shares, and in that way accumulated sufficient
means to buy some eighty acres of land, which he placed under cultivation
by diligent and unremitting toil, and added to it other land by further
purchase, and his farm now comprises two hundred and forty acres of as
fertile and well tilled land as is to be found in this locality, and it
may well be his pride that he has earned it himself. A good system of
drainage has increased the productiveness of the soil, one hundred rods of
tiling having been put in at a cost of a thousand dollars. A fine set of
buildings adds greatly to the attractiveness of the place, including a
very handsome residence, elegant in its appointments and architecture,
which was erected at a cost of twelve thousand dollars. Mr. Switzer
raises grain and is also extensively interested in breeding stock. He has
some beautiful horses and a magnificent stallion, of fine build, standing
sixteen and one-half hands high and weighing fifteen hundred pounds, which
he bought of Mr. Neffer, of Danville, for two thousand dollars.
life he worked farms on shares, and in that way accumulated sufficient
means to buy some eighty acres of land, which he placed under cultivation
by diligent and unremitting toil, and added to it other land by further
purchase, and his farm now comprises two hundred and forty acres of as
fertile and well tilled land as is to be found in this locality, and it
may well be his pride that he has earned it himself. A good system of
drainage has increased the productiveness of the soil, one hundred rods of
tiling having been put in at a cost of a thousand dollars. A fine set of
buildings adds greatly to the attractiveness of the place, including a
very handsome residence, elegant in its appointments and architecture,
which was erected at a cost of twelve thousand dollars. Mr. Switzer
raises grain and is also extensively interested in breeding stock. He has
some beautiful horses and a magnificent stallion, of fine build, standing
sixteen and one-half hands high and weighing fifteen hundred pounds, which
he bought of Mr. Neffer, of Danville, for two thousand dollars.
Our subject's first wife died in 1890, leaving two sons, George G., who
was born in 1869, was educated at Wesley, married Miss Ida Barnett, and
resides on the homestead, and Daniel, who was born in 1875, and is a
student at Wesley. Mr. Switzer was married to his present wife, formerly
Lucy Suthern, in 1892.
was born in 1869, was educated at Wesley, married Miss Ida Barnett, and
resides on the homestead, and Daniel, who was born in 1875, and is a
student at Wesley. Mr. Switzer was married to his present wife, formerly
Lucy Suthern, in 1892.
Mr. Switzer is a veteran of the late war, a volunteer in the Tenth Indiana
Infantry, and his honorable war record is commemorated by his membership
in Post No. 70, Grand Army of the Republic, at Crawfordsville. In
politics he votes with the Republicans. He belongs to the Horse Thief
Detective Association, and he favors whatever will protect the interests
of the farmer. Religiously he is a member of the Methodist Church at
Wesley, is active in the Sunday school, is generous in his contributions
to the support of the Gospel, and has the interests of the church deeply
at heart.
Infantry, and his honorable war record is commemorated by his membership
in Post No. 70, Grand Army of the Republic, at Crawfordsville. In
politics he votes with the Republicans. He belongs to the Horse Thief
Detective Association, and he favors whatever will protect the interests
of the farmer. Religiously he is a member of the Methodist Church at
Wesley, is active in the Sunday school, is generous in his contributions
to the support of the Gospel, and has the interests of the church deeply
at heart.
(added)
Just a quick note on this one, in case there are Switzer researchers looking
(and who most likely have already found this as well :-)) - Abraham Switzer
and Elizabeth Grant were married in Franklin County, KY on Jan. 12, 1797 per
Franklin County Marriage Records, 1797-1815, Volume I. I was looking for
another reason, but I thought I'd pass it on just in case.
Just a quick note on this one, in case there are Switzer researchers looking
(and who most likely have already found this as well :-)) - Abraham Switzer
and Elizabeth Grant were married in Franklin County, KY on Jan. 12, 1797 per
Franklin County Marriage Records, 1797-1815, Volume I. I was looking for
another reason, but I thought I'd pass it on just in case.
Cathy Armstrong armstrong2224@yahoo.com