Switzer - Benton
A.W. Bowen History of Montgomery County, Indiana
(Indianapolis: Bowen, 1913) p 1279
The old-fashioned notion that hard work, patient industry and
farsightedness make for success in the various avenues of life,
does not seem to be accepted so universally in our day. The
spread of pessimism engendered in many phases of our complex life
is in a great measure responsible for lack of faith in the old
idea. However, if we observe conditions, closely we will find
that the intelligent individual who leads a practical and
industrious life will reach a point of success commensurate with
his efforts. The life of Benton Switzer, one of the leading
agriculturists and stock men of union Township, Montgomery
County, will afford us an instance of this for he is an advocate
of persistency, honesty and the adoption of modern methods i n
his vocation the economy of labor, and he therefore gets the
largest results possible from the minimum amount of labor and
expense. It is a delight to look over his well-cared for acres,
his sleek, well-bred stock and to visit his neatly kept home, for
he believes in having system about everything he does, and this
is perhaps very largely due to his pronounced success in his
chosen field of endeavor. Mr. Switzer was b. in Wayne Twp,
Montgomery Co, Ind, March 19, 1862. He is a son of John A. and
Maria (STOUT) Switzer. The father was b. in the above named twp.
and co. on June 11, 1833. He is a son of James and Mary
(DONALDSON) Switzer. James was b. in Ky. in 1804. He was a son of
John Switzer. It was in theearly 20s that James & Mary
Switzer moved to Montgomery Co, and entered land in Wayne Twp,
which they developed from the wilderness and there made a good
home. They were the parents of six children; William; Abram; John
A; Milton' Eliza who is the wife of John VAUGHAN ; Isabelle, who
is the wife of Alex McCLURE ; only two are now living, Abram and
Mrs. McClure. James & Mary lived their entire lives on the
home farm in Wayne Twp. James d. in 1887. John A. Switzer
received the usual educational training in the common schools of
those early days, and he spent his boyhood days working on the
home farm, later engaged in thegrocery business at Thorntown for
2 years, then back to Waynetown where he engaged in the hardware
business 1 year. He was very successful in these lines of
business, but the country having stronger allurements, he
returned to the farm where he remained until his death Oct 20,
1906. Politically, he was a Republican and in religious matters a
member of the Methodist Church. He belonged to the Horse Thief
Detective Assoc. Maria Stoutt (sic) was a native of Fayette Co,
IN and was a daughter of Wilson & Esther Stoutt, early
settlers in that County. She was b. Aug 29, 1836 and is still
living. Benton Switzer received a fairly good common school
education and he worked on his father's farm until 21, then got a
share in the farm. He has always engaged in general farming &
stock raising, and is the owner of 290 acres of excellent land,
which he has brought up to a high state of cultivation and
substantial outbuildings. He handles live stock for the market
and no small portion of his annual income is derived form that
source. Politically, Mr. S. is a Republican and he belongs to the
Methodist Church. He is also a member of the Horse Thief
Detective Association. Mr. S. was united in marr. to Lucy
ATKINSON in 1814. (sic) Her death occurred in 1897, and on May
23, 1900 he was united in marr. to Clelie M. BROWN, the da/o of
the late Salen and Mary (HAMILTON) Brown. Mrs. Brown is a native
of Fountain Co. Salen Brown was a native of Montgomery Co. His
death occurred in 1883. Mrs. Brown is still living at age 67.