Both in point of years, and in point of residence, Reuben Eddy is one of the oldest citizens of Honey Creek Township. His useful life has been prolonged more than a decade beyond the psalmist's span of three score and ten, and few men are better justified in enjoying the fruits of a well spent past than Mr. Eddy, who for a number of years has been retired from the active responsibilities of farming. His home is in Section 26 of Honey Creek Township, and for nearly fifty years he has been identified with White County.
Reuben Eddy was born in Wayne County, Ohio, October 3, 1833, while Andrew Jackson was still President of the United States. His parents were Myron R. and Sally (Bell) Eddy, he being one of their eleven children, two of whom are still living. The father of this large family died in Elkhart County, Indiana, and the mother in Noble County.
Reuben Eddy grew up on a farm, attended the primitive country schools which existed during the '40s and '50s, and such has been the length of his life that he has been a witness of practically all the development that has transformed the western country from the days of the slow-going stage coach and canal boat to the modern time of electric transportation and flying machines. At the age of twenty-one he started out for himself, and soon bought an old horsepower threshing machine, and operated that outfit during the annual season in addition to his farming.
Mr. Eddy came to White County in 1869, and has lived in Honey Creek Township practically ever since. During the first year of his residence in the county he taught school, and has also done a large amount of carpentry work in the county, being skilled in the use of tools and with a genius for mechanics. In the course of time he acquired his well improved farm of eighty acres, and did general farming and stock raising until he retired about fifteen years ago, leaving the chief responsibilities of the homestead to his sons. In politics he has voted with the republican party practically since its organization, but has never had aspirations to fill any local office.
On February 11, 1865, Mr. Eddy married Miss Sophronia O. Warner, a daughter of Louis and Lodemia M. (Wicks) Warner. Of the nine children born to their marriage the first died in infancy, and the others are named briefly as follows: Robert M.; Harry C.; Daisy D., wife of Will Atkinson of Chicago; Wade I., deceased Claude T., deceased; Myron R.; Bessie B., wife of LeRoy Piatt of Reynolds; and Ruby D., wife of Henry Prill. The mother of these children died November 21, 1904, after having been a faithful companion to her husband and a devoted mother to her children through a period of nearly forty years. Mr. Eddy is affiliated with the Masonic Lodge No. 276 at Kendalville, Indiana.
Coming from his native land to the United States as a young man with but nominal financial resources but fully fortified in courage, ambitions and self-reliance, besides being animated by that integrity of purpose that ever conserves individual advancement Mr. Erickson has achieved large and worthy success during his residence of more than forty years in Indiana, and tangible evidences of his splendid prosperity and thrift are by no means obscure or uncertain, for he is today the owner of a valuable and finely improved landed estate of 500 acres of land in White County, besides being in possession of real estate in the Village of Brookston and one of the stockholders and directors of the Bank of Brookston, one of the substantial and popular financial institutions of White County. He is a progressive and public-spirited citizen, is appreciative of the advantages that have here been afforded him for the achievement of success and has never failed in recognition of the stewardship which such success involves, so that he has aided in the furtherance of those things which tend to enhance the general welfare of the community and has not denied his aid to those less fortunate, the Golden Rule seeming to have been a dominating force in his career and his being secure vantage-ground in the confidence and good will of his fellowmen. Mr. Erickson has been a resident of White County since the spring of 1873 and here he has advanced from the obscure position of a farm workman in the employ of others to the established and secure plane on which he stands as one of the representative agriculturists and capitalists of this section of the state.
Mr. Erickson is a scion of a long line of sterling Scandinavian ancestors and was born in the Duchy of Slesvig, Kingdom of Denmark~-a district that was conquered by the Austrian and Prussians in 1863-64 and that since 1866 has been a part of the Prussian Province of Sleswick-Holstein. Mr. Erickson was born in the Grundhof district, on the 4th of May, 1851, and is the younger of the two sons of Claus and Elizabeth Erickson, who passed their entire lives in their native land, where the father followed the vocation of farming during the major part of his active career. Mr. Erickson was reared to adult age in the place of his birth, profited duly by the advantages of the local schools, and within a few years after the German conquest of Sleswick he severed the home ties and set forth to seek his fortunes in America, where he was assured of better opportunities for the winning of independence and prosperity through personal effort. He came to the United States in June, 1870, and when he landed in the port of New York City his cash capital did not exceed twenty dollars. From the national metropolis he soon made his way to Cincinnati, Ohio, and thence came to Franklin County, Indiana, where he remained about one year, was variously employed in Rush County, this state, until the spring of 1873, which witnessed his arrival in White County, this county having since continued the stage of his earnest and productive activities. In the early period of his residence here he was employed on the farm of Christopher Somnmerstadt, east of Brookston, and in his independent operations as a farmer and stock-grower he has advanced from a modest beginning to the control of a large and valuable landed estate and to a position of prominence and influence in community affairs. From the time of becoming a naturalized citizen of the United States Mr. Erickson has not faltered in his allegiance to the democratic party and he is well fortified in his opinions concerning governmental and economic policies, as he has read widely and with discretion and has become a man of broad views and mature judgment. He served six years as a member of the village council of Brookston, within which he maintains his residence, and for four years of this period he was president of the board. Further evidence of his hold upon popular confidence was shown in his being called upon to serve as a member of the board of education of this village, a position of which he continues the incumbent, during the first year being president of the board and at the present time being its treasurer. He and his wife are zealous and valued members of the Presbyterian Church at Brookston, and he is serving as its treasurer, as well as elder of the church.
On the 24th of March, 1886, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Erickson to Miss Fannie S. Hornbeck, who was horn and reared in White County, where her parents, Nelson and Phoebe Hornbeck, established their residence many years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Erickson have two children: Alta May is the wife of Lynn F. Rainier, a progressive young farmer of Prairie Township; and Morris H. was graduated in the department of agriculture at Purdue University at Lafayette this state, as a member of the class of 1915.
At one time—during and in the years succeeding the war—James Evans, a well known hotelkeeper and auctioneer, resided in Reynolds and afterward in Monticello. Later, after the death of his wife, he made his home with his sister, near Bement, Illinois. Here he devoted his later years to a close study of the Bible, under the strain of which his mind gave way, and he died in the State Hospital for the Insane at Kankakee, Illinois, January 22, 1898, age seventy-three years.
The real estate and insurance interests of White County are being well represented at Monticello by Frank A. Ewing, who, although comparatively a newcomer to the county seat, has already attained a recognized position among the substantial business men of this thriving and progressive community. Mr. Ewing is a man of broad and varied experience, his activities, in addition to his present enterprise, having included school teaching and mercantile operations, and since coming to Monticello he has contributed materially to the business interests of the place.
Mr. Ewing was born near Sidney, Shelby County, Ohio, December 25, 1856, and is a son of John and Hidassah J. (Glasgow) Ewing. His parents, who spent their entire lives in Ohio and are buried at Sidney, had a family of six children, of whom five survive. The publiic [sic] schools of Sidney furnished Mr. Ewing with his education, and as a young man he entered upon his career as a teacher in the country schools. His advent in White County occurred October 9, 1884, when he located at Buffalo and became the proprietor of a general store, in partnership with Mr. Cyrus F. Neel. When this association was mutually dissolved, Mr. Ewing took charge of the business, which he conducted alone for some years, but finally exchanged his stock and good will for a tract of land located in the southern part of the state. Mr. Ewing came to Monticello in October, 1911, and this city has continued to be his home to the present time. Here he has been successful in building up an excellent realty business, operating all over this part of the state, and also has sold a great deal of insurance. As before stated, his standing in business circles is high, his dealings have been of a nature to inspire confidence in those who have been associated with him.
Mr. Ewing was married May 8, 1888, to Miss Addie L. Holmes, who was for several
years a teacher in the public schools of White County. She is a daughter of the
late Job and Elmira J. (Jenkins) Holmes, pioneers of White County, who came here
at an early date and for many years were engaged in farming in Union Township.
They are both buried at Monticello. There were six children in their family, of whom five
are still living. To Mr. and Mrs. Ewing there has come one son: Ward Holmes, who
was born October 16, 1895, and who has finished the eighth grade of school. Mrs.
Ewing is affiliated fraternally with the Order of the Eastern Star, also the
Maccabees and Royal Neighbors of Monticello, Indiana, while Mr. Ewing holds
membership in Temperance Lodge, No. 73, A. F. & A. M., of Sidney, Ohio. A
republican of progressive tendencies, he has taken a keen interest in public
affairs, and while a resident of Liberty Township, White County served five
years in the capacity of assessor of his township. At Monticello he has allied
himself with every movement which has promised to better the interests of the
community or the people.