who was born in Floyd County, Indiana, a daughter of Samuel and Harriet Seas. Samuel Seas was born January 30, 1807 in Cumberland, Alleghany County, Maryland, and in 1832 moved to Illinois, and two years later to Vermillion County, Indiana, where he married Harriet English, December 21, 1834. They afterward moved to Floyd County, and subsequently returned to Perrysville, and in 1868 went to Covington, Indiana, where Mr. Seas died in September, 1875. Mrs. Seas died January 31, 1880. She was born December 13, 1818. They had a family of six children, Mrs. Rudy being the only one who lived till maturity. Mrs. Seas is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Seas is a worthy member of the Vermillion Lodge, Knights of Pythias, No. 113; also a member of the Unity Lodge, F. and A. M., No. 344.
THOMAS W. BELL, tailor, Eugene, is a native of Pennsylvania, born March 31, 1825, his father Thomas Bell, being a native of Ireland. The latter came to the United States with his widowed mother during the Revolutionary war, his brother, John Bell, having served seven years in that memorable struggle. Thomas W., our subject, learned the tailor's trade at his birthplace, and worked at it in various places in Pennsylvania. He went to New Middletown, Ohio, in 1849, but shortly after went to Darlington, thence to Beaver, Pennsylvania. From Beaver he removed to Vernon, Indiana, remaining there six months. He lived in different places in Indiana until September, 1850, since which time he has been a resident of Eugene. He was married in April, 1853, to miss Melinda Bennett, a daughter of Crayton Bennett, and their two sons, William and David W., are numbered among the enterprising young business men of Eugene. Mr. Bell was a soldier in the war of the Rebellion, serving eight month in Company E, One Hundred and Forth-ninth Indiana Infantry.
JOHN H. BOGART, M. D., of Clinton, and the oldest resident physician of Vermillion County, is a native of this county, born in Helt Township June 27, 1845, a son of Henry and Sarah I. (Wishard) Bogart, both of whom came to the county when young. The father of our subject died when the latter was six months old. The mother is now living in Clinton, where she has resided since 1850. She is now the widow of Benjamin F. Morey, whom she married about 1852. Dr. Bogart, our subject is the only living child of his father. He commenced the study of medicine under Dr. I. B. Hedges in 1866 at Clinton, and in 1867-'68 he attended lectures at the Michigan State University at Ann Arbor, graduating from the institution in 1869, and the same year began the practice of medicine at Clinton, where he has gained a large and lucrative practice. Dr. Bogart was married May 14, 1872, to Miss Melissa A. Nebeker, who was also born in Helt Township, Vermillion County, in 1852, a daughter of Aquilla Nebeker. Both of her parents are deceased. They are the parents of two children -- Paul and Zoua. The doctor owns quite large interests in city property, besides two well improved farms, one being the old Nebeker homestead in Helt Township. Dr. Bogart enlisted in the war of the Rebellion in November, 1863, in Company C, One Hundred and Twenty-third Indiana Infantry, his regiment being assigned to the Twenty-third Army Corps under General Schofield. He subsequently joined Sher-
man's army and was in the campaign against Atlanta. During the last year he was a hospital steward. In politics he is a Rebpulican, and from 1876 until 1880 he held the office of treasurer of Vermillion County. He is a member of the Masonic Fraternity, belonging to Jerusalem Lodge, No. 99, of Terre Haute Chapter, No. 11, and Commandery No. 16.
JOHN O. ROGERS, one of the enterprising farmers of Helt Township, was born in Vermillion Township, January 8, 1827, and has always lived within three miles of his birthplace. He was a son of John Rogers, who was a native of Ireland, and in 1789 accompanied his father, James Rogers, to the United States and located in Kentucky, and from there moved to Chillicothe, Ohio, where James Rogers built one of the first houses in the place. An uncle of our subject, Samuel Rogers, was captured by the Indians during the Indian war in Kentucky, but escaped and took with him an Indian gun and shot-pouch and strap of an American officer which the Indians had taken from a soldier. The strap is now in the possession of our subject, who values it as an interesting heirloom. In 1824 John Rogers came to Vermillion County and settled on Helt's Prairie, then a wild, uninhabited tract. John O. was born on the prairie, three miles northeast of Dana, and here he has spent his life. He was reared a farmer, and has made agriculture the vocation of his life. He now owns 400 acres of fine land, divided into three farms, the greater part of the land under cultivation. Mr. Rogers was married December 8, 1870, to Ruth Kerns, a daughter of William Kerns. She died in 1876 leaving two children -- William and Irvin. In August 1877, Mr. Rogers married Rebecca Hutson daughter of David Hutson. They have one daughter -- Sarah. Mr. and Mrs. Robert are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Rogers has served as justice of the peace sixteen years.
M. G. RHOADS, a prominent attorney of Vermillion, and the oldest legal practitioner at Newport, is a native of Indiana, born in Hancock County, September 28, 1836. His father, George Rhoads, was born in the State of Pennsylvania, of German descent. He was married to Miss Sarah Geiger, and to them were born six children all of whom are still living -- Mrs. Eliza Young, a resident of Putnam County, Indiana; Henry E. and William F., living at Waveland; George, a practicing physician at Shelbyville, Illinois; Baskin E., a prominent attorney at Terre Haute and formerly judge of the Superior Court, and Martin G., the subject of this sketch. In the fall of 1835 the father came with his family, then consisting of wife and five children, to Indiana, making the journey in a one-horse wagon. The father then entered eighty acres of land in Hancock County, but soon after disposed of this purchase and removed to Parke County, where he remained about two years. He then settled at Waveland, Montgomery County, where he died June 20, 1875 at the age of seventy-six years. His widow, the mother of our subject, was born in 1797, and is now living with her son at Waveland. Martin G. Rhoads was educated at the academy at Waveland preparing for the junior class of the college, but owing to an affliction of his eyes he was prevented from taking the college course. For a considerable time he followed the teacher's profession, becoming a popular