John T Jack was born at Wilmington, Del., in 1804, and came to Wayne County, Ind., in
1825, and married Susan Talbott at Centerville, Ind., in 1837. She was born
in Wythe County VA. in 1814. Mr. Jack served an apprenticeship as a tanner
and currier, sold dry goods at Lancaster, Penn, a short time, worked at his
trade at Centerville for several years, and came to Muncie in 1836, and
engaged in dry goods business, under the firm name of Bloomfield and Jack which
soon afterward became Bloomfield, Jack and Russey, and then, perhaps, Jack and
Russey. They sold dry goods and traded in stock, buying and selling cattle,
hogs, etc. He engaged in pork packing at Cambridge, with Messrs. Jack and
Epperly, losing heavily, and again engaged in selling dry goods. About the
year 1845, Russey and Jack purchased the Gilbert Mills, carding machine, etc.
(now owned by Wysor and Klein), and, in 1851, Jack and Wysor bought the landed
property of the Gilbert estate belonging to Mrs. Andrews. The present mill
was built about 1852.
Mr. Jack died in 1859. His wife still resides at Muncie.
They were the parents of two sons and seven daughters, and five of the
daughters still survive, viz., Emily, wife of Mr. Valentine, a machinist at
Chicago; Martha, wife of W. L. Little, of Muncie; Belle, who resides with her
mother; Mary, the widow of Mr. Wood, lives with her sister at Chicago. Her
husband was the son of the proprietor of the celebrated Wood Reaper. He
removed to California in 1874, and died there in 1877. Flora is the wife of
Mr. Howe, of the firm of Howe and Little, and resides at Muncie.
Mr. Jack came
to Muncie about forty-four years ago, and for twenty-three years was one of
the leading spirits of the town and the surrounding region. Constant in
business, generally engaged in several enterprises at once, his industry and
energy never flagged; and although heavy losses fell on his business at
times, his courage never failed. A woolen-factory and a business house (both
large buildings for those times), were burned, and the firm sustained heavy
losses in pork; but his native energy carried him successfully onward while
life lasted.
He was in the fifty-sixth year of his age when he died. He added
to his high business abilities a generous and liberal spirit, and was
cheerful and untiring in benevolence, as well as in business. He was of
medium height and size, of fine personal appearance and manly deportment,
noted for honesty and integrity, sweet and genial in temper, but firm and
energetic, beloved by his fellow citizens and idolized by his family. (Page 217)
The subject of this biography has been a prominent citizen of Muncie for more
than a quarter of a century, and during that time has won a high place in the
estimation of those with whom he has been associated, as well as all who knew
him. He was born March 20, 1813, in Dutchess County, N. Y., and accompanied
his father�s family to Herkimer County N. Y., when about five years of age.
In
1832, he removed with them to Clinton County, Ohio, and three years later
(1835), was married to Miss Sarah A. Steele. His mother was a pious Christian
lady, and it was her precepts and influence that molded her son�s character,
and instilled within him that love for the good, which has borne fruit in a
life of Christian probity. His father, while a good man in all respects, was
less diligent in the religious education of his son. He had spent a portion of
his life as a sailor, and had acquired that jovial, careless disposition
characteristic of that class; but he was never an�intemperate man,
and was uniformly recognized as a good citizen.
At an early age the subject of
this sketch was apprenticed to a carpenter in Herkimer County, N. Y., to learn
the trade.� In 1842, he removed with his wife and family to Hartford City,
Ind, having secured the contract for building the Blackford County Court House
at that point. He pursued his trade there, and during his residence in that
county was called upon to fill various public offices, the first of which was
that of County School Commissioner�then quite an important office.
He continued to act in this capacity until the office was abolished, and, in
1846,was elected joint Representative from the counties of Blackford and
Jay, serving during the legislative session of 1846-41. By an act of the
State Legislature in 1848, the Fort Wayne and Southern Railroad was chartered,
and Mr. Jones was made one of the Directors by the act of incorporation. He
was very active in securing subscriptions to the road, and when the company
was finally organized for business, he became its Secretary, and in 1852, came
to Muncie, then the headquarters of the company. The financial crisis
that followed closely upon the organization of this company, proved fatal to
the interests of the road, for the time being, and the road bed was afterward
sold to another company, by whom the road was completed. With the latter
company, Mr. Jones was never connected in an official capacity. After the
failure of the former company, Mr. Jones engaged in the general merchandise
trade at Muncie with William H Stewart, with whom he was associated for two or
three years. He next became engaged at trading wool and domestic
manufactures.� Prior to this time, wool had possessed, virtually, no market
value in this county. It was taken by the farmers to the mills, and there
manufactured into such articles, as they wanted; but it was rarely, if ever,
sold for cash. Within a year or two it assumed a cash value, and Mr. Jones�
transactions in this one article amounted annually to from $25,000 to $30,000.
In 1854, he was elected one of the School Trustees of Muncie, and was
identified with the schools in this capacity for about ten years. During this
time he had a great deal of active work to do, in repairing and superintending
the construction of schoolhouses, putting his knowledge of building to
practical use. After withdrawing from mercantile pursuits, he was engaged for
one year in supervising the construction and furnishing of the County Asylum,
and afterward superintended the construction of bridges throughout the county.
In 1873, he was elected a member of the City Council of Muncie, and served one
term. It was during this time that the city building was erected, and his term
of office was marked by a great deal of active work. In 1811, he was elected
on the Republican ticket as Mayor of the city of Muncie, serving the two years
with honor and credit. After retiring from this office he resumed work at his
trade, at which he is still engaged. In April 1881 he was the successful
competitor for the Republican nomination for Mayor of the city Muncie. His
past record in this capacity is without a blemish, and he is well qualified
for the office.
As a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Mr. Jones has led a consistent
Christian life. He united with the church at the age of seventeen years, and
has been one of its most active and zealous members ever since. He signed the
Washingtonian temperance pledge many years ago, and has since been an active
friend to this cause; and an uncompromising enemy to intemperance.
To bless
his wedded life there were eight children, viz., Mary, Adeline, Alice, Marion,
Cyryl, Willie W., Omer O. and F. Netta, all of whom still survive save Adeline
(Mrs. Duckwall), who died in March 1881. (Page 218)
Ellis, a pioneer and prominent citizen of Delaware County, was born in Greene
County, Ohio. He came to Delaware County, Ind., in 1888, and, within a short
time after his arrival here, was married to Miss Phoebe Kirkpatrick, who
settled in this county with her parents in 1834. Capt. Ellis was widely
acquainted, and had many friends in this community. He was an upright,
honorable citizen, and an active mover in all enterprises having for their
object the advancement of the public interests. During the early part of the
war of the rebellion, he was active in recruiting the Union army, and
enlisted a large number of soldiers for the Second Indiana Volunteer Cavalry,
and also for the Eighty-fourth Indiana Volunteer Infantry. At the unanimous
request of the members of Company B of the Eighty-fourth Regiment, he
accepted the captaincy of that company�although beyond the military age�and
was so commissioned by Gov. Morton. He proved himself a brave soldier, and
bore the hardships of the field and camp-life with a fortitude worthy of a
young man, and led his company in the dread work of war, acting a soldierly
part himself, until the disastrous battle of Chickamauga, which took place on
Sunday, September 20, 1863. In this engagement he was killed by a rebel�s
bullet while at his post of duty, and the First Lieutenant of his company met
the same fate. His eldest son, Frank, was the Orderly Sargent of the company,
and the command devolved upon him. Immediately after Capt. Ellis� fall, the
Union army was compelled hastily to surrender that portion of the
battle-field, and his body, together with many others of his dead and wounded
comrades, was unavoidably abandoned to the rebels, and never recovered. His
widow and eight children survived him, and are now all respected citizens of
this county.
Frank enlisted in his father�s company as a private soldier, and
was promoted to the rank of Orderly Sergeant; and, after the battle of
Chickamauga, Col. Nelson Trusler, commander of the regiment, and the other
field officers, joined in requesting Gov. Morton to appoint him Captain of
the company. In this the Governor acquiesced, dating the commission back to
the day of the battle in which he first took command. He commanded his
company with honor and credit until the close of the war and was mustered out
of service in June 1865, after having participated in all the battles of
Sherman�s Atlanta campaign, and those of Franklin and Nashville, Tenn. He
reached home just in time to file a bond and take charge of the County
Treasurer�s office of Delaware County, to which office he had been elected by
a handsome majority, in October 1864, while absent from home fighting the
battles of the Union. He was but twenty-two years of age at this time, and
was the youngest man ever elected to a county office in Delaware County. In
October 1866 he was unanimously re-elected, and has since occupied many other
positions of honor and trust. (Page 214)
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