Carroll County IN Archives Biographies.....Gray, James 1837 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com March 20, 2006, 3:27 pm Author: John C. Odell (1916) JAMES GRAY. Whether the elements of success are innate attributes of the individual or whether they are acquired, it is impossible to determine absolutely. A study of successful careers, whatever the field of endeavor, is none the less interesting and profitable, given this uncertainty. In the career of the venerable James Gray, a retired farmer of Clay township, Carroll county, Indiana, and a veteran of the Civil War, are to be found these commendable qualities which go to make up our successful and honored citizens. He comes of a splendid American family, one which has always stood foremost for right living and industry, for education and morality, loyalty to the national government and for all that contributes to the welfare of the community. He himself gave a part of the best period of his life to the services of his country. Born in Clay township, Carroll county, Indiana, on February 1, 1837, James Gray is the son of James, Sr., and Ruth (Barry) Gray, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania and who, in 1866, came West with his wife and located in Butler county, Ohio, where they lived eight years. There they entered land from the government, cleared off the forest and built a home. Subsequently they sold out and moved to Indiana, entering land which their son, James, now owns. The father died on December 3, 1868. He was a Democrat and served several terms as township trustee. Ruth (Barry) Gray, who also was a native of Pennsylvania, bore her husband eleven children, of whom James, Jr., was the youngest. Having received a common-school education, James Gray, Jr., was dependent upon his own resources after 1857, or Just about the time he was twenty-one years of age. Up to the time of the Civil War he was engaged in farming with his father. On March 20, 1865, he enlisted under Gen. "Pap" Thomas, and was mustered out of service on August 5, 1865, at the close of the war. At the death of his father, Mr. Gray inherited some land. He purchased the interest of the other heirs and accumulated altogether three hundred acres. Most of the land has been cleared and improved and most of the buildings have been erected on the farm by its present owner. Mr. Gray's wife, before her marriage to him, was. Mrs. Sarah (More) Sheighley, the widow of R. W. Sheighley and the daughter of Eli and Angelina E. (Jones) More. Eli More was born in Virginia and, when three years of age, was brought to Ohio by his parents, who settled near Tippecanoe, Ohio, but subsequently removed to the state of Indiana. Eli More and his brother walked to the site of the farm in Clay township now owned by his son, Shelby G. More, and entered eighty acres from the government, the deeds for which were signed by President Andrew Jackson in 1828 and 1832. Eli More was born in Virginia on September 3, 1803, and died in 1871. At the time of his death he owned altogether one hundred and seventy-three acres of land. Eli and Angelina E. (Jones) More had six children, as follow: Alfred was killed in action during the Civil War; Lucy married a Mr. Shields and died in June, 1915; Sarah married, first, Robert Sheighley, who was killed by the blowing up of the "Sultana" in the Civil War, and she afterwards married James Gray, the subject of this sketch; Shelby G. is a farmer of Clay township; Eli Clay died during his service in the Civil War; Virgil died in infancy. Mrs. Sarah Gray died on October 18, 1898, leaving three children, namely: Shelby G., of Walton, Cass county; L. D., who lives at home with his father, and Lizzie, who also lives at home. Mr. Gray now owns two hundred and seventy acres of land in section 15 of Clay township. During the past fifteen years he has been living retired, his property being deeded to his children. As a Democrat he served one term as assessor of Clay township. He is a member of the Baptist church and of the Grand Army of the Republic. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Biographical Section of HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY INDIANA ITS PEOPLE, INDUSTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS BY JOHN C ODELL With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families ILLUSTRATED 1916 B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY, Inc. Indianapolis, Indiana File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/carroll/bios/gray138nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/infiles/ File size: 4.8 Kb