ALLEN, Edward - Putnam

Few families in Putnam county can trace back farther into pioneer days than that o f the Aliens. While not the first, the founder was among the first arrivals, coming here when the primeval forest covered all the land and Indiana was practically an unbroken wilderness from the Ohio to the northern part of the state. Russell G. Allen, who was a native of Vermont, came to Greencastle in 1823, or only seven years after Indiana had been admitted as a state. At that time Greencastle was a straggling village, giving little promise of ever becoming the thriving city that now constitutes the pride and glory of Putnam county. But few white people were to be found in the borders of the county and these were living in log cabins widely separated from each other. Russell G. Allen was one of the sturdiest of the sturdy men who began at the beginning to convert this howling wilderness into an agricultural paradise, whose lands were destined to become as productive as the fields of Goshen and raise crops of corn that would astonish the world. These lands, then easily obtainable for a dollar or two an acre, are now selling all the way from one hundred to two hundred dollars per acre, with a tendency to still go up. The sloughs and marshes have been replaced by fine pike roads, the formerly impassable streams are now spanned by fine bridges of steel and concrete and every comfort of civilization is found on every hand. The old pioneers never dreamed of this outcome and nearly all of them had passed away before Putnam county showed signs of the marvelous transformation.  Edward Allen, son of Russell G., was only seven years old when his father made the long and dangerous journey to the west. He was born at Cazenovia, New York, August 7, 1830, and such primary training as he received was obtained in the poor subscription schools then the only avenues to education in the Hoosier state. Later, however, he was able to attend old Asbury University, where he laid the foundations on which he afterwards built as a reader and student of affairs. In early manhood he went into the marble business with his brothers and followed this occupation until his retirement, five years before his death, which occurred December 9, 1899.- For forty years he represented the Phoenix Fire Insurance Company and was regarded as an unusually good business man, safe, conservative and square in his dealings. He was a member of the College Avenue Methodist Episcopal church, took great interest in its affairs and served as trustee for many years. He belonged to the Odd Fellows and served two terms in council as a Republican. On December 23, 1854, Mr. Allen was married at Cazenovia, New York, to Mary E., daughter of George E. and Melinda (Wilcox) Roberts, descendants of an old Welsh family, whose representatives settled in Massachusetts at an early day. Her father's grandmother came to Albany, New York, when the present capital of the Empire state was but a collection of huts. She was later scalped by the Indians, while her husband was taken aboard a British vessel and starved to death. Mr. and Mrs. Edward Allen had five children : Ida Olivia, born September 27, 1860, married William Overstreet and died September 26, 1885, leaving two children; Ida Allen Overstreet is living with her grandmother; Edward R. Overstreet died in Terre Haute, February 23, 1898; Emma H., born September 16, 1862, married Edwin E. Black, and died in Greencastle, January 15, 1886, leaving one child, Susanna, who lives in Greencastle ; Charles Edward, born October 1o, 1857, is a resident of Paris, Illinois.