HANKS, John W. - Putnam

The science of agriculture, for it is a science as well as an art, finds an able demonstrator as well as a successful practitioner in the person of John W. Hanks, who is widely known in central Putnam County, both as an up-to-date agriculturist and a saw-mill and lumber man. He comes of a well known and highly honored pioneer family, a detailed history of which is to be found on another page of this volume, under the caption of Alyin B. Hanks, brother of John W., of this review, hence it is deemed unnecessary to repeat the latter's genealogy here.

John W. Hanks was born in Kentucky, November 22, 1844, and came to this vicinity with his father in the fall of 1851, when seven years old. He was soon put to school in the subscription school, held in the old log schoolhouse nearby and gained there the rudiments of an education which has since been considerably supplemented by general reading and observation. His first schooling was gained at Mechanic's Point, and later he attended the old Hopewell school. He worked on the parental farm during the major part of the year and thus learned the basic principles of agriculture early in life, and he has continued to follow the independent life of the husbandman.

Prospering as the years advanced, he is now the owner of an excellent farm of two hundred acres, the original old homestead of his father, which he has brought to a high state of improvement and development and on which stands a substantial, large dwelling and such modern outbuildings as to meet all his requirements. He was formerly in the saw-mill business for a period of twenty years, during which time he sawed an immense amount of hardwood lumber throughout this section of the state and became widely known and fairly successful in this line of work. His locations while thus engaged were principally at Whitesville, Colfax and Newmarket.

Mr. Hanks was married on April 27, 1865. to Mary Elizabeth Everson, born in Montgomery, County, Indiana, February 27, 1845, daughter of George W. and Rachael (Hankins) Everson, whose father was one of the prominent residents of Fayette County, Pennsylyania. Mrs. Hank's grandfather, on the paternal side. Jacob Everson, was one of the earliest pioneers of Indiana, having entered land from the government and settled here as early as 1824.

To Mr. and Mrs. John W. Hanks the following children have been born: Laura, who lives in Roachdale, this County, married first, Pierce Rittinger, no children being born of this union, and her second husband was Willard Gough; Cora is still a member of the home circle; Jesse M., who died at the age of twenty-eight years, married Cora Oliver; Zadia married Earl Crosby and they live in Putnam County; John married Bert Reeves and he is successfully engaged in the hardware business at Bainbridge; Ross married Elsie Lewis and they reside in this County; Ira is single and is living at home assisting his father with the work on the farm; Daisy, who married Lawrence Friend, is now deceased; Roy died at the age of twenty-two years, single.

Mr. Hanks is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and politically he is a Democrat, but he does not find time or have the inclination to mingle much in party affairs. He is a member of the Christian church, in support of which he is not sparing of his means in fact he is always to be found on the right side of all questions looking to the good of his community.