Carroll-Wayne-Hamilton County IN Archives Biographies.....Trent, John C. 1861 - ************************************************ 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 23, 2006, 9:46 pm Author: John C. Odell (1916) JOHN C. TRENT. That Indiana schools have for years held a prominent place among the best in the United States is not to be denied, and that this high standard has been raised through the efficiency of the teachers therein is a fact beyond contention. John C. Trent, prominent in this line of endeavor, deserves his meed of praise for the service he has rendered to the state and county. For many years he devoted his time and energies to the training and directing of the receptive minds of the Indiana children, in various parts of the state. John C. Trent was born on August 25, 1861, on his father's farm, where he now resides. He is the son of Joseph and Mary (Wagoner) Trent, who were the parents of six children, all of whom grew to maturity. The names of these children follow: Sarah E., wife of J. E. Snell and now deceased; Dr. Isaac N., living in Muncie, Indiana, is prominent as a physician and surgeon; Martin M., living in Colorado; Rose Anne, wife of James Zartman, who resides in Carrollton township, this county; Clara Belle, wife of H. J. Alexander, of Noblesville, Indiana, and John C, now living in Carrollton township. Joseph Trent was a teacher for many years in the schools of Carrollton township, Carroll county, Indiana, but followed his trade of carpenter after his retirement from the educational field. He was born in Virginia and came with his parents to Indiana in the early days, about 1829. His father was John Trent and all of the Trents in Carroll county are descendants of this man. Mary (Wagoner) Trent, wife of Joseph Trent, was the daughter of Martin Wagoner, a native of Pennsylvania who came to Indiana from that state and became one of the pioneers who assisted to such a marked degree in the development of this state. When the Trent family first came to Indiana from Virginia, they settled near Bachelors Run on land very near to the place now occupied by the Walnut Stump German Baptist church. They lived in this place for some time and then purchased land in Carrollton township, near the Allen school house and it was there that John Trent died. John C. Trent, descendant of John Trent the pioneer, began his education in the district schools of Carrollton township and when twenty years of age became a student in the Battleground Collegiate Institute, after which he taught for four years in Carrollton township, completing his education at the University of Indiana, taking as his major subject mathematics. Assured that he was now fully equipped to assist in the educational instruction of others, he accepted the position of teacher in the high school at Hagerstown, Indiana, which position he occupied for one year. After his successful experience in the Hagerstown schools, he taught for one year respectively, in the high schools of Noblesville and Muncie, Indiana. Being a man of high ideals and having the courage of his convictions, he became an instructor in the Shortridge high school at Indianapolis, where, during his term of fourteen years identification with this institution of learning, he established and was superintendent of the city of Indianapolis night schools. The burden of both day and night schools proved too heavy for his strength and on account of failing health, John C. Trent retired to his farm of eighty acres, which is located three and one-half miles from Wheeling, after a trial in the business world of Indianapolis, which had covered a period of three years. His sojourn on the farm was of short duration for again he took up the duties of school work, this time in the schools of Wheeling, where he had charge for five years and for the past year has been teaching at Bringhurst, Indiana. John C. Trent was the successful suitor for the hand of Etta Conrad, daughter of William Conrad, of Richmond, Indiana, and on May 3, 1887, they were united in marriage. Etta Trent was a teacher in the schools of Hagerstown at the time her future husband taught there and it was there that the romance, which was to terminate in future happiness for both, was begun. Five children have blessed their union, namely: Donald, a graduate of Shortridge high school and a business man of Indianapolis; Mary, also a graduate of Shortridge high school and the wife of Thomas Landes, now in Wenatchee, Washington; John Albert, a graduate of the Flora high school and now on the farm in Carrollton township; Margaret, a graduate of the high school at Young America, Indiana, and Robert M., who is now in school. John C. Trent is a member of lodge No. 399, Free and Accepted Masons, of Bringhurst, Indiana, and a member and elder of the Hopewell Presbyterian church. Politically, he is a Republican and a stanch supporter of that party as well as of all other questions receiving his indorsement. For service rendered in the upbuilding of family and civic life, John C. Trent is fully entitled to the highest praise, and the unusual and loving regard in which he is held by his fellow citizens becomes the due reward of the sincere effort and well-directed energy which he has displayed in all his private and public career. 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/trent70bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/infiles/ File size: 6.0 Kb