From the 1885 History of Steuben County, Indiana

pages 861-862

James Ireland, Sr., was born in Dutchess County, N. Y., March 16, 1816, and was four years of age when his parents, William and Charity (Rogers) Ireland, moved to Lower Sandusky, Ohio. There the whole family were prostrated by sickness and two brothers, Harvey and Levi, died. In 1823 they moved to Seneca County, where the mother died in 1825. At that time there were five daughters and two sons, of whom three are now living, James being the eldest. Mrs. Betsey Hubbard lives in Colorado and Mrs. Angeline Dann lives in Northern Michigan. The father died in 1858. When twelve years of age our subject went to Milan and lived with a brother-in-law, William Karkhuff, and attended school two years. Then worked by the month for some time and for four years was in the employ of a stage company, having charge of a route from Springfield to Sandusky. In 1840 he came to Allen County, Ind., and there married, Aug. 7, 1842, Sarah Ann Bracey, a native of Oswego County, N. Y., born Nov. 20, 1824, daughter of Hiram and Bathsheba (May) Bracey. Her father died in 1839, and in October, 1842, her mother moved with her family to Allen County, Ind., where she died Nov. 6, 1878, the wife of Philip J. Shell. Mrs. Ireland went to Allen County with an uncle in 1841 and was the first teacher in Springfield Township. In 1868 Mr. Ireland sold his farm in Allen County and moved to Steuben County and bought the farm on section 18, Richland Township, where he now lives. To him and his wife have been born eight children -- Lugenia M., Orlando, Harriet, Flora, Edward, Celia, Artemisia, James. Lugenia was married Feb. 28, 1865, to George W. Shell, who was born in Allen County, Feb. 17, 1840, and died Dec. 27, 1869, leaving one child -- Cora D., now the wife of C. D. Lash, of Edon, Ohio. He was a member of the Forty-fourth Indiana Infantry and for gallantry at Shiloh, where he was wounded, was promoted to Captain of his company. June 24, 1875, Mrs. Shell married William Stuller, who was born in Carroll County, Ohio, in 1838. His father built the first house in Edon, Ohio. He died April 24, 1881, leaving two children by a former marriage -- Mrs. Ella C. Scott and Mrs. Flora E. Boon. In the spring of 1883 Mrs. Stuller moved to this township and settled on section 19, where she owns eighty acres of choice land. Orlando and Harriet are deceased. Flora married Melvin Monroe and lives in Kansas. Celia is the wife of Darwin Morley. Edward lives in this township. Artemisia married Zachary Chandler, and lives in Colorado. James lives in Hamilton. In politics Mr. Ireland is a Repulican. In religious faith a Universalist. A brother of Mrs. Ireland, Walstein Bracey, was born in New York, June 2, 1830. In May, 1847, he enlisted in the Sixteenth Regiment, U.S.A., and served in the Mexican war under General Taylor. In 1852 he went to the Pacific coast and while there served in the Second California Cavalry, against the Indians. In 1866 he was employed by the Western Union Telegraph Company in transcontinental survey and visited Alaska and the Siberian coast. He endured six months of severe hardship, three months of the time had no provision except fish. That expedition so injured his health that he has never recovered. In November, 1867, he came to Indiana where he has since lived with the exception of two years in Dakota where he owns 480 acres of land.

Submitted by Kim Davoli

E-mail: davoli82@juno.com