M., Edgar R., Grace, D. D., Bessie B., Daniel A., M. Gene, James R., Jr., Rine, and an infant yet unnamed. One child, John, died aged two years. They have a beautiful home on section 3, Highland Township, surrounded by 480 acres of valuable land. Besides the home farm Mr. Dunlap owns land in another part of the same township. He is a comrade of the Grand Army post at Perrysville, and also belongs to the Society of the Army of the Tennessee. In politics he affiliates with the Republican party. In 1880 he was elected county commisioner, and served as such four years. Mrs. Dunlap is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
THOMAS J. NICHOLS, carpenter and joiner, Vermillion Township,
is a native of Vermillion County, born in 1844, a son of Robert H. and
Adaline (West) Nichols, his father a native of Union County, Indiana,
of Scotch-Irish descent, and his mother a native of Massachusetts, of
French descent. His parents came to Vermillion County in 1835, and
settled in Clinton township, where the father died in 1872, aged
fifty-five years, and the mother in 1874, aged sixty-five years. They
had a family of two children -- James and Thomas, the former being
deceased. Thomas J. Nichols was married in 1862, to Ann Jones, who was
born in Vermillion County in 1847, a daughter of Samuel Jones, a
pioneer of the county. They have had nine children, six of whom are
living -- Bell, Adaline, Robert, Maria, Bert and John C. In August,
1862, Mr. Nichols enlisted in Company B, Eighty-fifth Indiana Infantry,
and served three years, and participated in many of the hardest-fought
battles of the war. He was with Sherman from Chattanooga to the sea,
and was mustered out at Indianapolis at the close of the war. After his
return home he began to work at his trade, which he has since
continued. Mr. and Mrs. Nichols are members of the society of Friends.
In politics he casts his suffrage with the Prohibition party.
THOMAS S. HOOD, private banker, and dealer in real estate, Dana, was born near Knoxville, Tennessee, December 6, 1815, a son of Thomas Hood, who was a native of Virginia, and a soldier in the war of 1812. Charles Hood, the grandfather of our subject, was also a native of Virginia. He was a soldier in [the] Revolutionary war, and participated in many hard-fought battles. Thomas Hood, Sr., came to Indiana with his family as early as 1821, when he settled on Honey Creek in the vicinity of Terre Haute. In 1823 the family came to Vermillion County when the surrounding country was nothing but a wilderness, and principally inhabited by Indians and wild animals. They settled right in the woods, and began making a home out of the forest, and here they experienced all the hardships and privations which usually fall to the lot of the pioneer. Their sheep were kept in pens at night to protect them from the wolves which were then quite numerous, and even during the daytime had to be closely watched. Deer and wild game were numerous, and the trusty rifle of the pioneer kept the larder well supplied with meat. When the Hood family settled in the county not a house was to be seen on the prairie surrounding Dana. Their trading was done at Terre Haute, a distance of twenty-eight miles from their home. Thomas S. Hood, whose name heads this sketch, was in his eighth year when brought to this county, and here he was reared amid
the wild surroundings of pioneer life. He attended school taught in the primitive log cabins with their puncheon floor, clapboard roof, slab seats and stick and clay chimney. He began life poor. His first house was built of logs, and at night he could see the stars through the roof of his humble cabin, and his furniture was of the rudest description. He followed farming until within the past four years, since which time he has lived retired from the active duties of farm life, and is now enjoying the fruits of his years of toil. He has met with good success through life, and still owns 240 acres of land after having given to his children about 300 acres. In 1883 he settled at Dana, where he has since carried on his present business, being associated in his general banking business with James Osborn. Mr. hood was married April 29, 1839, to Rebecca Aye, a daughter of John Aye. Twelve children have been born to them of whom five are living -- William, Mrs. Savilla Dunean, Mrs. Mary Allen, Mrs. Catherine Fillinger and Thomas C. Four daughters, named Cornelia, Laura, Caroline and Isabelle, died after reaching maturity. Mr. Hood is a member of the Masonic fraternity.
ELISHA RODGERS, now of Mound Township, Warren County, Indiana, is a son of Allen Rodgers, who settled in Highland Township, vermillion County, in 1824. Allen Rodgers was a native of New England, and was reared in New Hampshire. He was married in Connecticut to Sarah Warner, a native of that State, and together they moved to Hamilton County, Ohio, and thence to Vermillion County; settling first near the present site of Perrysville, entering a quarter section of land and buying a tract adjoining the entry. They lived on this land several years and then moved to Benton County, Iowa, where the father died. The mother died at the house of her son, Elisha, several years later. They had a family of eight children, only two of whom, Elisha and John are living. Elisha Rodgers was born in Connecticut April 14, 1812. He came West with his parents and for several years was a resident of Vermillion County. He now owns a fine farm of about 500 acres where he resides in Warren County. He has been twice married and has a family of six children. In politics he has been a Republican, since the organization of that party, but cast his first Presidential vote for General Jackson.
ELDER JOHN W. JARVIS was born in Parke County, Indiana, November 10, 1854, a son of John Jarvis, who lives near Waveland, Indiana, He was reared a farmer, but was given good educational advantages and when sixteen years old began to teach and has taught sixty terms. When thirteen years old he united with the Christian church and when fifteen began preaching and was ordained when sixteen. He preached at different places in Parke and Vigo counties, and had charge of the Rosedale, Parke County, church two years. In 1881 he went to Tabor, iowa, and remained about two years, but when entering upon the third year of his work there his health failed and he was obliged to retire for awhile and June 4, 1886, located in Dana, Indiana, and formed a partnership in the grocery business, the firm being Jarvis & Norris. Since coming to Dana he has organized a church and has built a fine brick church, which is the first of that denomination in Vermillion County.