Randolph County, Indiana
Alva Green
It is proper that the descendants of the old settlers, those who cleared the land of its primitive woods, should see that the doings of the earlier years are fittingly remembered and recorded. It was said by one of the greatest historians that those who take no interest in the deeds of their ancestors are not likely to do anything worthy to be remembered by their descendants. Alva C. Green, successful farmer of Randolph county, is a scion of two of the earliest families of this locality, many of whose worthy characteristics he seems to have inherited, for he believes in keeping busy and in doing what he can in furthering the interests of his community, at the same time so guarding his conduct as to merit the confidence and respect of his neighbors and friends. He was formerly a famous livestock breeder and raiser.
Mr. Green was born March 3, 1857, on a farm in White River township, four miles southwest of Winchester. He is a son of William S. and Christina (Bowers) Green. The father was born in Ohio and he came with his parents, Jesse Green and wife, in 1818 to Randolph county, Indiana, locating in the woods which were still the haunts of Indians and wild beasts and here the family erected a log cabin, began clearing and developing a farm, experiencing the hardships and privations incident to a life on the frontier. The Bowers family came in 1819 and settled in the same vicinity, having made the long overland journey in wagons from their former home in Pennsylvania, and here William S. Green and Christina Bowers grew up and were married. The mother of our subject was one of the first school teachers in this locality. The father became a large land owner and was one of the leading farmers of the community. These early settlers were all Quakers or Friends and they founded the old Dunkirk church. The New Dunkirk church stands on a corner of Mr. Green's farm on land donated by him for that purpose. Our subject's paternal grandparents, Jesse Green and wife, reared a family of eleven children, all of whom grew to maturity. These parents reached very advanced ages, Jesse Green dying a few years prior to his wife, who reached the age of one hundred and two years. A remarkable fact is that although they reared a large family they never had a doctor to enter their home. They were an exceptionally robust family. William S. Green, father of our subject, became a successful farmer in his community and was a man of industry, honesty and influence. His death occurred May 1, 1887, at the age of eighty-five years, his wife having preceded him to the grave February 1, 1871. They were buried in Macksville cemetery. They, too, had a large family-fourteen children, only four of whom, three sons and a daughter, are living at this writing, namely: Sarah Jane, now Mrs. W. Y. Puckett, of Winchester; Alva C., subject of this sketch; Benjamin F., of Winchester, and George W., of White River township.
Alva C. Green was reared on the home farm, where he worked when a boy, and he received his education in the country district schools. He remained with his father until his marriage on January 13, 1876, to Louticia Wright, daughter of William and Catherine (Davidson) Wright, of Randolph county. The father was a soldier in the Civil War and he died soon after the war, his wife dying in 1867, leaving five small orphan children, all of whom are now deceased except Mrs. Green and Mrs. Dora E. Pursley of Farmland.
To Alva C. Green and wife have been born three sons and one daughter, namely: William T. is married and lives in Winchester; Dora E. is the wife of Carl Huffman, of White River township; Clyde E. lives in Winchester, and Ollie B., who lives at home, is attending high school.
Since his marriage Mr. Green has lived on his present farm, which adjoins the old home farm four miles southwest of Winchester. He has a well-improved and productive place of one hundred and twenty acres, where he carries on general farming and stock raising. For a number of years he was a breeder of fine stock, Dutch belted registered cattle, owning the first herd in Randolph county; also bred the Essex and Suffolk hogs. He exhibited at all state fairs and at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago, in 1893, where he took twelve premiums. He exhibited at state fairs from Kansas to New York and was always a premium taker. He has two quilts and a flag made from premium ribbons taken at various fairs. He raised these animals for breeding purposes, and shipped to all the states in the Union and to Cuba and several South American countries. He won world-wide renown through his exceptionally fine livestock which were greatly admired by all who saw them, and which he sold at fancy prices, no small portion of his substantial fortune having been made in this manner. He is one of the best judges of all kinds of live stock that could be found in the state of Indiana today. He was for many years a member of the American Dutch Breeders' Association, the American Essex Breeders' Association and was president of the latter for a period of four years, discharging the important duties of the same in a manner that reflected much credit upon himself and to the eminent satisfaction of all concerned, doing much to increase the prestige and good work of the association during that period. He is also a poultry fancier and a raiser of White Wyandotte chickens and Buff turkeys, and is an extensive shipper of eggs for hatching purposes to all parts of the country, including every state and Canada. He is still a large producer in the poultry business, but has not been actively engaged in the livestock business for several years.
Mr. Green has been a Republican in politics all his mature years, but has never been active in public matters. Fraternally, he belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Encampment, a charter member of the Modern Woodmen of America, and also a charter member of the Tribe of Ben-Hur. He and his family belong to the Friends church, in which he and his wife are active workers and overseers. They stand high in the best circles in the community and are pleasant, neighborly and obliging and number their friends by the scores.
Past and Present of Randolph County, Indiana, 1914.
Contributed by Gina Richardson