Bartholomew County IN Archives Biographies.....Newton, John 1839 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 26, 2007, 8:57 pm Author: B. F. Bowen (1904) JOHN NEWTON. One of the beautiful homes of the city of Columbus is the property of John Newton. It is situated at the corner of Seventh and Franklin streets and to it he removed in January, 1903, at that time putting aside the more arduous duties of farm life, to which he had long devoted his energies. His business career has been a most prosperous one and his record is such as any man might be proud to possess, for his methods have not only been progressive, but honorable as well. He has never incurred an obligation that he has not met and step by step he has worked his way upward to a position of affluence, being today the possessor of much town property in addition to four hundred acres of fine farming land. Bartholomew county has every reason to be proud of her native sons when they make for themselves such commendable and worthy records as Mr. Newton has done. He was born in this county, October 23, 1839, and is a son of Anderson K. and Nancy (Stoughton) Newton. His paternal grandfather, Thomas Newton, was a native of North Carolina, whence he removed to Kentucky, and it was in the latter state that Anderson K. Newton was born, in the year 1816. There he spent the days of his boyhood and youth and when twenty-one years of age he left Kentucky for Indiana, to enjoy the advantages which this state afforded in the way of securing farms at very reasonable prices. Settling in Flat Rock township, Bartholomew county, he worked by the day for some time and then began farming on his own account upon a tract, of land of forty acres which he leased. He cleared at least one hundred and sixty acres of land in this county and thus his labors were of direct benefit to the locality. He attended many log rollings, sometimes for thirty days in succession, and was a most industrious man. He enjoyed hunting and on more than one occasion has killed deer, supplying his table with venison. Pioneer conditions and hardships were bravely met by him and the difficulties of frontier life he overcame through persistent effort. Earnest labor always finds its reward and as the years passed Mr. Newton was enabled to purchase land, adding to his possessions from time to time until he was the owner of five hundred acres, nearly all of which was well improved. He died in 1858 and thus passed away a pioneer settler who had not only gained prosperity for himself but had also been most helpful in reclaiming this region for cultivation by the white race. He was still in the prime of life when called away, his death occurring when he was but forty-two years of age. In politics he was a Whig, several times served as township trustee and also administered a number of estates, showing that the public reposed the utmost confidence in his business integrity. He belonged to the Know Nothing lodge. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Nancy Stoughton, was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, in 1818, and is still living, aged eighty-six years. They were the parents of ten children: John; Sarah, the wife of Aaron Essex, of Flat Rock township; Thomas, who married Calie Cook and engaged in the grocery business for thirty years: William J., who wedded Tennie Cook and was formerly engaged in farming in Kansas, but is now residing in Indianapolis, Indiana; Zerilda, the wife of A. P. Leach, who was formerly a school teacher and is now the marshal at Harland, Iowa; Mary E., the wife of Pollard Dronberger, proprietor of a clothing store in Hope, this county; Joseph A., who married a Miss Bunnell and was formerly proprietor of a dry-goods store at St. Louis Crossing, Bartholomew county, for eleven years, while at the present time he is proprietor of a shoe store in Columbus, Indiana; he was married a second time, his present wife having been Georgia Sheffield; James M., who married Maud Grewell and is conducting a dry-goods store at St. Louis Crossing; Edward, who was accidentally burned to death when two years of age; and Albert, who was married in Iowa to Miss Josie Stamm, and followed school teaching in connection with farming for a number of years, but is now proprietor of a hotel in Oklahoma. In taking up the personal history of John Newton we present to our readers the life record of one who is widely and favorably known in Bartholomew county. Through many years he followed general farming. He was reared to that occupation, working in the fields through the summer months, while in the winter seasons he attended the public schools. When his education was completed he gave his entire time to the farm work, and it has been along this line that he has gained his very enviable success. He is today the owner of over four hundred acres of fine land, all of which is under a high state of cultivation with the exception of a tract of forty acres of good timber. He has cleared and improved the land himself and his property is the visible evidence of his life of industry. He has always engaged in mixed farming, raising cattle, hogs and other stock, in addition to the cultivation of the cereals best adapted to the soil and climate. Labor, earnest and consecutive, forms the basis of his success, and his example is one that others might profitably follow. Mr. Newton has been twice married. In 1864 he wedded Miss Sarah Field, a daughter of Christopher and Mary (Hughes) Field. Her father was a shingle maker. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Newton were born five children: William K., who married Eunice McQueen and is a carpenter of Indianapolis; Melda, the wife of William Link, a gardener near Clifford, Indiana; Aaron, a carpenter, who married Effie Lorts; Delia M., the widow of Uriah Andrews, who was a resident farmer of this county; and John J;, who married Sarah Scott and is engaged in farming. The mother of these children passed away April 7, 1873, and on tne 20th of May, 1874, Mr. Newton was united in marriage to Miss Catharine Cook, a daughter of George and Caroline M. (Horn) Cook. Her father was a native of Tennessee, whence he came to Bartholomew county, and here he was accidentally shot. An ear of corn dropping upon the hammer of a gun discharged the firearm and wounded him, and the same morning he was found dead. Deeply interested in politics, he gave an active support to the Democracy. His widow, who was born July 6, 1829, died January 5, 1900. She was the mother of nine children: Mrs. Newton; Elizabeth M., the wife of John W. Stoughton, a retired farmer: Dorcas, deceased wife of John Foust; Sarah married Newton Lamon and both are deceased -Albert died; aged about ten years; Ida M., deceased wife of John Ward; Caroline M. married John Lamasters and both are deceased; George died at the age of one year; Nancy Caroline, unmarried, died at the age of twenty-three years. Unto Mr. Newton and his present wife were born five children, of whom the eldest died in infancy. The others are: Nancy G, the wife of Curt Hill, a farmer; Lou, George A. and Clarence C, all at home. The children have been provided with good educational privileges. Mr. Newton enlisted in the Civil war on-August 22, 1861, in Company I, Thirty-third Regiment Indiana Volunteers, and was mustered out September 21, 1864. N His regiment served first in the Kentucky campaign, including the battle of Wild Cat, which was their first engagement, where Company I stood the blunt of the fight. Following this campaign they advanced into Tennessee, and following this operated back and forth between that state and Kentucky. He was at the battle of Thompson's Station, Tennessee, where his brigade was captured. He spent about one month in Libby prison as a prisoner, and was then exchanged. After his exchange he was in the hospital in Maryland, and saw no more active service until at Cincinnati, when he did guard duty on Hardin pike, during General Morgan's raid into Ohio and Indiana. He next joined the regiment at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and was on the march to the sea. Politically a Republican, Mr. Newton has served as township trustee two terms and was a candidate for county treasurer, but was defeated by a small majority, although the county is strongly Democratic. He is prominent in fraternal circles, being a valued member of Clifford Lodge, No. 343, Free and Accepted Masons; Lodge No. 438, Knights of Pythias; Columbus Post No. 13, Grand Army of the Republic; and the Grange, No. 80. In January, 1903, he removed with his family to the city, where they are now occupying a magnificent home. He also owns other town property, including eight lots and six houses, and his wife owns sixty acres of well improved land in the county. Splendid success has crowned his efforts, and his life works stand in exemplification of the fact that, prosperity is not the outcome of genius but the result of clear judgment, experience and diligence. He has never allowed the accumulation of wealth to affect his kindly nature or his treatment of his fellow men, and as a friend and citizen he is spoken of only in terms of high regard. Additional Comments: Extracted from BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY INDIANA INCLUDING BIOGRAPHIES OF THE GOVERNORS AND OTHER REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS OF INDIANA ILLUSTRATED 1904 B. F. Bowen PUBLISHER File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/bartholomew/bios/newton781gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/infiles/ File size: 9.7 Kb