HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY                          61

county, Ohio, he was employed in running a canal boat and in shipping
cord wood from Cincinnati and in pork packing. He made a fortune in
these ventures, but later lost all in the pork business. Among his prop-
erty was a valuable farm south of Hamilton, Ohio, and selling this he
came to Indiana and located on the farm which is now the home of his
son, John E., purchasing two hundred acres then in the dense woods.
Building a little log cabin in which to establish his family, he began the
arduous and difficult task of clearing his land and preparing it for pur-
poses of cultivation, and in time bought another tract of forty acres in
Posey township. He followed farming throughout the remainder of his
life, and achieved success in the calling.
    In Butler county, Ohio October 8, 1840, Montgomery Oliver wedded
Katherine Harr, who was born east of Hamilton in that state, on the
Miami bottoms, January 5,1825 and was reared there. Her father,
Joseph Harr, was one of the pioneer farmers of Butler county, and he
died there on the 5th of January, 1855. His daughter Katherine died in
this township October 17, 1903, after becoming the mother of eight chil—
dren four sons and four daughters, of whom John F. was the youngest
born. In order of birth they are as follows: Joseph, who was born in
Ohio January 20, 1842, served three years in the Civil war and died at
his home in 1884; Nancy Jane, born in Ohio February 18, died in
that state; Centrilla Maria, born in Ohio February 8, 1846 ;Albert, born
in Ohio December 9, 1848; Montgomery, born in that state June 8, 1851;
Mary, born December 8, 1855, in Ohio; Katherine, born in Posey town-
ship November 26, 1857; and John Emanuel, born in this township
November 16, 1860. Mr. Oliver, the father, was a life—long and active
Republican, and he died November 15, 1860, and was buried on the
following day.
    From the district schools of Posey township John F. Oliver entered
the state normal and the city schools of Terre Haute, and after the com-
pletion of his educational training returned to his home and bought one
hundred and seventy acres of the homestead farm, in which he has made
all of the improvements and has placed his land under an excellent state
of cultivation. Throughout the years of his maturity he has voted with
the Republican party, taking an active part in the work of its local coun-
cils, and fraternally he is a member of the Masonic order, lodge No. 264
at Brazil.
    Mrs. Oliyer bore the maiden name of Flora West and was born in
McLean county, Illinois. During her girlhood days she came with her
parents George West and family to Posey township, where they were
farming people. Three daughters have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Oliver,
namely: Maude, born on the 13th of November, 1885; Nellie, born
May 18, 1887 ;and Josephine, born January 9, 1890. The family are
members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

    Major Roswell S. Hill is justly accorded a place among the proniu—
nent and representative citizen not only of Brazil, but of Indiana. for
he belongs to that class of men whose enterprising spirit is used not alone
for their own benefit. Throughout the entire period of the Civil war he
was a loyal defender of the Union and has been equally faithful in days
of peace to the interests of citizenship. Twice has he been called to serve
his state as its treasurer and has won high encomiums from his fellow—
men by reason of the fidelity and ability which he manifests in the dis—