possession of the family. Here Mr. Smith made his home until his death, January, 1872, in his eighty-ninth year. His widow survived until October 21, 1878, aged nearly eighty-eight years. David Smith was a successful business man, as well as a highly esteemed citizen, and acquired a large amount of land, and at the time of his death he owned over 1,100 acres of Vermillion County's best soil. He made two bequests before his death, one of $6,000 to the Westfield College, and another of $2,000 to the missionary fund. After the death of Mrs. Smith the estate was divided into ten shares by the heirs, and almost all of the land is still in possession of the family.
JOHN L. EGGLESTON, a son of Joseph Eggleston, one of the old and honored pioneers of Vermillion County, Indiana, was born in Vermillion Township, this county, November 26, 1827, and is perhaps the oldest native born citizen now living within its limits. His father was born in the State of New York, in February, 1799, of English origin, and his grandfather was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. When about fifteen years old, Joseph Eggleston came west with his mother, his father being deceased, and settled near Portsmouth, in Scioto County, Ohio, where he grew to manhood, and married Nancy Lindsey, a native of Ohio. Of the nine children born to this union six still survive -- Mrs. Sarah Jane Morehead, of Newport; John L., our subject; Mrs. Mary J. Weller, living in Dakota; Benjamin, in Ashland, Oregon; William, an attorney of Terre Haute, Indiana, and Henry H., in Jonesboro, Arkansas. In 1824 the father immigrated with his family to Indiana, and settled in Eugene Township, this county. About two years later he entered eighty acres of land farther south in the same township, on which he lived nine years, when he sold out and returned to Ohio, but two months later he returned to Vermillion County, and entered land in Vermillion Township, which he improved and lived on until his death, which occurred March 13, 1854. His wife died but five days before her husband. In politics Joseph Eggleston was a Whig, and all of his sons have been identified with the Republican party. John L. Eggleston, whose name heads this sketch, has spent his life in Vermillion Township, and has made farming his principal vocation. His homestead contains eighteen acres of choice land, besides which he has a tract of forty acres in the same township. He was first married to Miss Nancy Powers, whose father, Luther Powers, was one of the early pioneers of this county. She died in August, 1871, leaving four children -- Selden B., Flora E., Edwin S. and Laoma E. Mr. Eggleston was a second time married, to Miss Margaret Sanders, a daughter of Capt. Leonard Sanders, who was also a pioneer of this county, and was a soldier in the war of 1812. Mr. Eggleston held the office of justice of the peace for four years, which position he tilled with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents.
THOMAS JACKSON MITCHELL, Jr., a worthy representative of an old pioneer family of Vermillion County, is a native of this county, born in Highland Township, December 7, 1834, and is a son of Thhomas J. and Susannah (Ricketts) Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell was reared to the vocation of a farmer, which he has followed through life. He has always lived in Highland Township, and has seen it change from a wilderness to
a well settled country, covered with well cultivated farms, and prosperous villages. He is one of the prosperous farmers of his township, his farm containing 250 acres of choice land, his residence being three and a half miles from Perrysville. He was united in marriage to Nancy J. Wright, a daughter of Thomas Wright, one of the pioneers of this county. Of the six children born to them only two daughters are living, named Josephine and Flora. Their daughter Ellen married Herschel V. Cade, and died in February, 1884; McClellan died aged ten years; Dexter died at the age of thirteen years, and Lewis died aged eighteen months.
GILBERT L. MOCK is one of the representative business men of Highland Township. His father, Wareham Mock, was born in Hamilton County, Ohio in 1804, a son of Richard Moek, who was born in Scotland and came to America when a boy. Richard Mock was a Methodist minister, and was a chaplain under General Washington during the war of the Revolution, and also at the same time served in the capacity of drummer. He came to Vermillion County with his son Wareham, and died many years ago, being one of the last survivors of the war of the Revolution. He had five sons -- Erastus, Asa H., Richard, Wareham and Samuel. The last three became residents of Vermillion County, and all are now deceased, Wareham being the last to pass away. He was one of the well-known pioneers of the county, and for many years was a flat-boat pilot from Vermillion County to New Orleans. He was married in Ohio before coming to Indiana to Elizabeth Shilling, and to them were born seven children, but three of whom are living -- Barbara, widow of Horace Brown; Elizabeth, widow of William Stockwell, and Gilbert. Philena, Henry, Christopher and Edna are deceased. Gilbert Mock was born in Helt Township. Vermillion County, April 3, 1831. He married in his early life Mary Holdman, a daughter of William Holdman. She died March 8, 1879, leaving three children -- Armstead, Daniel and Mary. November 6, 1881, Mr. Mock married Rebecca (Hartman) Deyo, daughter of George Hartman, and widow of Nelson Deyo. She had been twice married before her marriage to Mr. Mock, her first husband being David Rennager. She was born in Virginia in 1820, and was about twelve years of age when her parents removed to Indiana. Her father died in 1843, and her mother April 15, 1886, the latter being eighty-eight years old at the time of her death. Of a family of three sons and nine daughters born to Mr. and Mrs. Hartman, two sons and seven daughters are living -- Priscilla, Rebecca, Polly, Sally, William, Christina, Andrew J., Isabella and Zerilda. The deceased are Elizabeth Ann, Nancy and John A. Mrs. Mock has reared four children, two, Sarah and Martha Hartman, being the children of her brother John, and two, David and Mary Jane Long, being relatives of her first husband.
JAMES H. WILSON, senior member of the firm of Wilson & Crane, dealers in drugs, school books, stationery and oils, at Clinton, is a native of Ohio, born at Springfield, March 19, 1839, a son of John B. and Eliza C. Wilson. His father was born in Kentucky, and his mother, who is still living is a native of Virginia. They were married in the State of Ohio, and in 1856, when our subject was sixteen years old, the family left Springfield for Fairfield, Iowa, where they