Carroll County IN Archives Biographies.....Wagoner, William F. 1851 - ************************************************ 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, 4:34 pm Author: John C. Odell (1916) WILLIAM F. WAGONER. Among the strong and influential citizens of Carroll county, Indiana, the record of whose lives has become an essential part of the history of this section, William F. Wagoner occupies a prominent place. For many years he has exerted a beneficial influence on the locality where he resides. His chief characteristics are keenness of perception, a tireless energy, honesty of purpose and motive and everyday common sense. These qualities have enabled him not only to advance his own interests but also largely to contribute to the moral and material welfare of the community. Mr. Wagoner is now living retired. William F. Wagoner, who was born in Carrollton township, Carroll county, Indiana, on April 16, 1851, is the son of Martin and Rosanna (Martin) Wagoner. The father was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1799 and was a mill-wright by trade. He emigrated from the Keystone state to Ohio, where he met Rosanna Martin, who was born in 1811. After their marriage in Ohio, they moved to Lafayette, Indiana, and later moved from Lafayette to Jackson township, Carroll county. The journey was made with an ox team about 1832. Here Martin Wagoner entered one hundred and sixty acres of land in section 5, of Carrollton township and, after clearing away a spot, built a log cabin and later a frame dwelling, where he lived until his death. In later years, he added another eighty acres and had in all at the time of his death two hundred and forty acres. He lived to see the farm well cleared and improved, passing away on the old homestead on September 20, 1868. His wife died in July, 1881. Not only was he a valuable citizen from the standpoint of having acquired by his own personal efforts all the property he had at the time of his death, but also as a mill-wright he was a valuable man in the community, and did a great deal of repair work. He was an elder in the Cumberland Presbyterian church and a liberal supporter. Politically, he was a Democrat. Martin and Rosanna (Martin) Wagoner had twelve children, of whom five are now living, as follow: Isaac N., a retired farmer of Carrollton township, married Catherine Bone and they have two children; Henry married Rebecca Kirkpatrick and they live in Flora, Indiana; George Wagoner is a retired farmer of Flora; David M., a farmer of Carrollton township, married Susan Kirkpatrick; William F. is the subject of this sketch. Among the deceased children are Mary, who was the wife of Joseph Trent and who died in July, 1914; Nancy died in infancy; Elizabeth was the wife of Adam Bone; Margaret married Samuel Wickard; Matilda married Andy Thomas; Clementine died at the age of five years; John married Adaline Bryant and is deceased. William F. Wagoner was reared on the farm and when old enough attended the district schools of the neighborhood, attending school in the winter and working on the farm in the summer, until he was twenty-one years old. Mr. Wagoner began life without a cent, first renting the home farm until he was twenty-five years old. On January 27, 1876, William F. Wagoner was married to Mary E. Niccum, who was born in Clinton county, Indiana, on November 15, 1853, the daughter of Thomas and Mariah (Kingery) Niccum. Mrs. Wagoner was reared on the farm and educated in the district schools. After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Wagoner rented land for three years more. Mr. Wagoner then bought sixty acres in Carrollton township in 1879, paying twenty-five dollars per acre for the land. He sold the farm in 1908 for one hundred and twenty dollars per acre. At the present time he owns one hundred and twenty-eight acres in Carroll county, and one hundred and eighty acres in Davies county, Indiana, besides eighteen acres at the edge of the corporation of Flora. Here he built a substantial dwelling and outbuildings and shortly afterward moved to the new home in 1910. Mr. Wagoner spends most of his time now in looking after his farms. Mr. and Mrs. William F. Wagoner have had five children, as follow: Emerson F., a graduate of the common schools, is a farmer and owns his own farm; Loren C. is a graduate of Valparaiso University and an instructor in the manual training high school of Jersey City, New Jersey; Manford A. is a farmer in Carroll county; Lillie May, who was a student at Valparaiso University and a student and teacher of music, is the wife of Taylor. Fouts; Earl B., a graduate of the Flora high school, who spent two years in Purdue University, is a civil engineer in the employ of the Osborne Company of Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Wagoner are members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Wagoner is one of the deacons of the church. He is a Democrat in politics. 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/wagoner144nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/infiles/ File size: 5.6 Kb