Randolph County, Indiana
John William Crist
It is the custom with many farmers, even in this day of known advantage of putting all corn and hay raised on a farm into stock, to sell the grain which they raise and only deal to a limited extent in livestock. Time has shown that this course is unwise, and those farmers who still stick to that obsolete custom are the losers. It is found that the best results are obtained from making the sale of live stock the first consideration, and it is not necessary to point out that most of the successful farmers have adopted long ago this practice. Aside from the improvement of the farm and perhaps the dealings in farms, it is probably the fact that the great majority of the wealthiest farmers have obtained the major portion of their wealth in the judicious handling of live stock.
One of the successful farmers and stock raisers of Randolph county is John William Crist, who was born near Spartanburg, Indiana February 1868. He is a son of Sanford and Mary A. (Corbett) Crist. The father was born in Hancock county, Ohio, November 17, 1842, and was a son of Charles and Mary (Flatter) Crist. Mary A. Corbett was born near Spartanburg, October 9, 1849. Charles Crist was born in Pennsylvania in 1809, where he lived until he came to Ohio and from that state he removed to Randolph county, Indiana in 1856, locating near Spartanburg, where he bought seventy acres of land, which he operated until his death in 1889. Politically, he was a Democrat, and in religious matters was a Universalist. Sanford Crist grew up on the home farm and received his education in the rural schools. He devoted most of his active life to farming, retiring in 1909 and moved to Spartanburg where his death occurred in June, 1913. He was a veteran of the Civil war, having enlisted in August 1863, in Company B, Seventh Indiana Cavalry, One Hundred and Nineteenth Regiment. He did guard duty at Indianapolis, where, six months later he took typhoid fever and was discharged. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, belonged to the Masons and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His widow is still living, making her home with their son, John W. Crist, of this sketch, their only child.
John W. Crist grew up on the home farm and received a common school education. He has remained on the home place and has followed farming and stock raising all his life. Being the only child he inherited the homestead of seventy-five acres which he has kept well improved and well cultivated. The farm is all tillable and it has a good set of buildings. He makes a specialty of raising Poland-China hogs.
Mr. Crist was married May 19. 1888 to Pearl Hill, and to them four children have been born, namely Fae is the wife of Wendell Middleton, of Spartanburg; Roy is at home; Thomas died December 29, 1911 at the age of twelve years; Russell is at home.
Politically, Mr. Crist is a Democrat. He belongs to the Masonic Order, the Knights of Pythias, also the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Encampment, having passed all the chairs in both local lodges, and is now secretary of the Odd Fellows and recorder of the Encampment. He is also a member of the Grand Lodge of Indiana. Religiously, he belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church.
Past and Present of Randolph County, Indiana, 1914.
Contributed by Gina Richardson