ROGERS, Jacob C - Putnam

The venerable gentleman whose career is briefly sketched in the following lines is one of the oldest residents of Washington Township now living and his life has been such as to gain the confidence and good will of the people of his community and to make him well and favorably known throughout the county of which he has so long been an honored citizen. In the highest sense of the term he is a self-made man and as such has met with success in material things such as few attain and made a record which may be studied with profit by the young men of the rising generation.  

Jacob C. Rogers was born near Portland Mills, Putnam County, Indiana, March 14, 1823 from which date to the present time, a period of 87 years, he has been a resident of the county and actively interested in its development and progress.  His parents, Asa N. Rogers and Polly Crabtree were born and reared in Hardin County, Kentucky and shortly after their marriage came to Putnam County, Indiana, locating near Portland Mills in what is now Clinton Township, where Jacob C.., their oldest son was born the year following their arrival. Subsequently, they had other children, 16 in all, several of whom died in infancy, a daughter, Sarah dying unmarried, all the other excepting the subject leaving this county at maturity and seeking their fortunes elsewhere.

Asa N. Rogers entered the land on which they settled and experienced all the vicissitudes of pioneer life.  He was a man of great industry and energy and an excellent citizen, but was not permitted to enjoy much of the fruits of his labors, dying one month and four days after the 65th anniversary of his birth, his good wife departing this life the same year.

Jacob C. Rogers spent his childhood and youth amid the stirring scenes of the pioneer period and was put to work in the woods and fields as son as his service could be utilized. While still quite young he became an expert with the ax and made a full hand at clearing and all kinds of farm labor several years before reaching the age of manhood.  This active outdoor life was conducive to splendid physical development and he grew up strong in body and with a resolute purpose to make the most of his opportunities and become of some use to the world.  When 19 years old he married and begun life for himself, choose for a wife and helpmeet Miss Betsy Legan, who came to the county the year p;receding her marriage and who was only a few days younger than himself.

The land in Washington Township on which Mr. and Mrs. Rogers set up their domestic establishment had been entered a number of years before by his father and at the time indicated the only improvements consisted of a small cabin, which with the few acres of cleared land surrounding appeared but a niche in the midst of the forest. The dwelling was of round logs, with puncheon floor, a “shake” roof, a door made of clapboards hung on wooden hinges, light being admitted to the one room by means of the removal of a section of a log from one of the walls.  The furniture used by the young couple was of the most primitive kind in keeping with the surroundings, their only table for some time being a chest, which also answered for a cupboard, stools taking the place of chairs and the cooking being done at the large fireplace which took up the larger part of one side of the apartment.

Later Mr. Rogers made an addition to the building and otherwise improved it and it answered the purpose of a dwelling for a number of years, all of his children having been born within its walls.  The old house is still standing and in a good state of preservation, being a forcible and eloquent reminder of a time forever past and of experiences the like of which can never again occur.

When Mr. Rogers moved his wife to their new home, which he had purchased from his father, the sum total of his available cash amounted to only $2 one half of which he spent for flax seed.  His beginning was indeed upon a modest scale, but by well-directed industry prudent management and economy he made substantial progress and in the time had a good farm in  successful cultivation and was on the high road to prosperity.  He added to his land at intervals and in the course of time became one of the largest holders of real estate in Putnam County, his possessions at one time amounting to considerable in excess of 1,100 acres all in a body and admirably situated in one of the richest agricultural districts of central Indiana.

Realizing the need of a large and more comfortable home than the log dwelling which the family had so long occupied, Mr. Rogers subsequently built a much more commodious and pretentious frame edifice which answered the purposes of a home until 1890 when he erected his present beautiful and attractive residence, which stands on an eminence about 8 miles southwest of Greencastle and commands a magnificent view of the surrounding country in every direction, including the county seat and beyond. Here, amid all of the comforts and luxuries which minister to man’s happiness, he is spending the closing years of a long and strenuous as well as eminently successful life, being independent as far as worldly wealth is concerned and at peace with his fellow men, his conscience and his God. While enterprising as a farmer and familiar with every phase of modern agriculture, Mr. Rogers has not depended upon the soil alone for his income, having long since learned that more could be made from livestock than from crops.  For many years he was largely engaged in stock raising, having had at one time as high as 1500 sheep on his place, besides a large number of fine horse, cattle and hogs, from which he added greatly to his fortune.  In his young manhood, Mr. Rogers turned his hand to any kind of honorable work he could find to do.  He is proud of the fact of having cleared and improved 300 acres of fine land with his own hands and while thus engaged he turned his leisure to good account by working at blacksmithing, which trade he had learned of his father, his services as a mechanic being highly prized by his neighbors as well as profitable to himself. Mrs. Rogers proved an earnest co-worker with her husband in their efforts to get a start n the world and added to their earning by spinning, weaving and doing other kinds of work during the early part of their married life.  Mr. Rogers now contemplated with much pleasure those early experiences when life was new and hopes were high and finds in his past little to regret and much to commend. On arriving at an age when he found it no longer necessary to prolong the struggle to add to his means, having accumulated a sufficiency for his own future comfort besides providing comfortably for his children, he discontinued active labor and as already indicated, is now living in honorable retirement on the beautiful home farm of 350 acres in Washington Township which he reserved for his own use.

Mr. Rogers’ the father of 15 children, all of whom grew to maturity and all but one married and reared families, 13 of the number of these children he gave an 80 acre farm, or his equipment in money and now in his old age they seem to vie in administering to his comfort and showing him honor, being obedient sons and daughters of whom any father might well feel proud.  After a long and mutually happy wedding life of 54 years’ duration, Mrs. Rogers on the 14th of March 1906 was called to her eternal rest and on November 8, 1908, Mr. Rogers married his present wife, Mrs. Ellen Reese, widow of the late JC Reese of Bowling Green, this state.

The following are the name of the children born to Mr. Rogers and his first wife: George W, a soldier in the Civil War, enlisting at 16 years of age is now living at Los Angeles, California; James W of Washington Township; Franklin, a farmer of Putnam County; Reuben, a blacksmith by trade; Jacob Edgar who owns a farm adjoining the family homestead; Daniel who lives on a farm in the same neighborhood; Joseph died at age 23, leaving a widow; Stephen who departed this life when 19 years old; Sarah married John Graham and lives in Douglas County, Illinois; Julia, wife of SJ Swinford, lives in Coles County, Illinois; Mary now Mrs. H. Rollins, resides in Washington Township where her husband is engaged in agricultural pursuits; Emma, who married John White also lives in the same township; Kate married Henry Heiber and makes her home near Russellville; Lucy wife of Charles Weber, lives at Roachdale, Indiana and Allie, the youngest lives in Boone County being now Mrs. Thomas Duree.

Mr. Rogers has always been enterprising and public spirited and ready at all times to lend his influence to measures and movements having for their object the welfare of his fellowmen.  His character has always been above reproach. His word as sacred as his bond and all who know him speak in high praise of his sterling qualities of manhood and citizenship.  He has lived long and wisely and his friends, who are legion, unite in the earnest prayer that he may be spared many years to bless the world. – typed by kbz