Randolph  County,  Indiana

Michael  Lahey


            Diversified farming is essential to profitable production and maintenance of soil fertility, but it is necessary to specialize on something to secure a superior standard of excellence. A well diversified farm will have the customary crops that are grown in the locality, together with the usual farm animals, and some one crop or some one animal should be singled out as a specialty. The farmer may take good care of all his crops and animals and conduct his business at a profit, but he will find an added enjoyment and an increased profit by giving special attention to some one crop or special kind of live stock. Suppose a farmer's specialty is corn. If he does his duty by his pet crop he will raise some of the best, if not the best, corn in the neighborhood. He will not only have greater profits in the ordinary use of the crop, but the demand for his seed corn will enable him to dispose of a large amount of it at better than the average price for seed corn. The necessity of using only the best seed is yearly becoming more appreciated and the man who has the reputation for growing the best corn is the one that seed buyers will hunt out. The reputation is the reward for building up a specialty.
             One of the leading farmers of Randolph county is Michael Lahey who has from time to time specialized in various things and has made general farming and stock raising not only profitable but pleasant. He was born September 9, 1857, in New York City, and is a son of Martin and Hennora Lahey, both natives of Ireland where they were reared, educated and married and from which country they emigrated to America shortly before our subject was born. He was small when his parents died and thus grew up an orphan. He was one of five children, only two of whom are now living, himself and James A. Lahey.
             Michael Lahey remained in New York City until he was about eleven years of age, then came west to Greenville, Ohio, later locating in Union City, Indiana, growing to manhood at the home of William Macy, a farmer just south of Union City. He worked on the farm during the crop seasons and received a limited education in the common schools.
             Mr. Lahey was married December 25, 1880, to Elnora Wise, who was born in Randolph county, Indiana, November 22, 1861, and is a daughter of Henry and Hannah (Bowen) Wise. The father was born in Germany, May 5, 1838, and is now living in Spartanburg, Randolph county, where he has long made his home, having emigrated to this country when a young man. His wife was born in this county, January 27, 1843, and she is still living. Mr. Wise has been successfully engaged in farming all his life, but is now living retired. His family consisted of seven children, only four of whom survive, namely: Elnora, wife of Mr. Lahey of this sketch is the eldest; John O. is deceased; Elizabeth A. is living; Hattie R. and Ulrich are also living; Florence and Rosa are both deceased. Mrs. Lahey grew to womanhood on the home farm and she received a common school education.
             To our subject and wife seven children have been born, all except one still living, namely: Leona, born September 21, 1881, married Orlie Coleman and they live in Richmond, Indiana; Charles W., born January 28, 1884, married Grace Paris, and they live east of Winchester, Indiana; Florence E., born December 25, 1886, married Harry Oxley and they are living south of Farmland, this county; Iva Viola, born October 9, 1889, married Alva Murrell, and they are living in White River township, this county; Hannah Elverna, born February 25, 1893, married Elmer Hiatt of Monroe township, Randolph county, she died February 25, 1914; James Henry, born March 2, 1896; Harold M., born April 11, 1903, is the youngest.
             Mr. Lahey has devoted his life to general farming and he has lived on his present fine farm for a period of fourteen years. It consists of one hundred and forty acres, all tillable but about twenty acres. It is fairly well tiled and is under a high state of cultivation. He has made many up-to-date improvements, such as remodeling his dwelling, in which he has installed a furnace and other modern appliances. In connection with general agricultural pursuits he raises a general breed of cows and horses and Duroc hogs.
             Politically, Mr. Lahey is a Prohibitionist, and religiously is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church in which he is a trustee. His wife's father, Henry Wise, was a soldier in the Civil war, seeing three years of hard service, having enlisted at Richmond, Indiana, August 19, 1862, in Company F, Sixty-ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, under Col. Osterhouse and he proved to be a gallant defender of his adopted country's flag.
Past and Present of Randolph County, Indiana, 1914.
Contributed by Gina Richardson

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