farmer, York Township, born on Plumb Creek, this county, in 1821, is a son of James Hastie, who settled in this county in 1814. His father was a native of Scotland, married there Elizabeth Lothian, and had two children in Scotland. They then came to America. He landed at Boston, went to Portsmouth, N.H., taught school one year and had Franklin Pierce for pupil, then returned to Baltimore, and then came to Brownsville, Penn., and by flat-boat with others to Cincinnati. He spent several years in that vicinity. He landed in 1814 at Plumb Creek, purchased 160 acres of land and lived there till 1832, then purchasesd his farm in the bottom--seventy acres--a part of which is owned now by his son. He died in 1859; Mrs. H. in 1858. He was a local minister and a dissenter from the English Church. He was educated for the ministry and was a cultured man. They reared seven children: Alexander, William, James, George, Charles, Jane and John; three living: John, Jane and Alexander. John Hastie grew to maturity on the farm with his parents and has ever since resided here. He has always followed farming, doing some flat-boating in early years. He has never married and is consequently free from the domestic cares which fret the souls of so many mortals. He is a jolly, good-natured bachelor of the contented type, and ranks well among the citizens of his community.
Source: History of Switzerland County, Indiana 1885. Chicago, Illinois: Weakley, Harraman & Co., 1885
Transcribed by: Sheila Kell