HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY                      75
    WILLIAM H. PHILLIPS.—Posey township, Clay county, has been the
home of William H. Phillips since he was fourteen years of age, and
he has been identified with its agricultural life throughout his entire busi-
ness career. He has never moved from the place on which his father
first located on coming to Clay county, and his homestead numbers ninety-
three acres of rich and well improved land, on which he has made all of
the improvements, even to the carpenter and brick work on his buildings.
He has performed the hard and laborious work of clearing and grubbing
about eighty acres of his land, and the farm stands as a monument to his
industry and excellent business ability.
    Born in Warren county, Ohio, May 9, 1833, William H. Phillips is
a son of Isaac Phillips, whose name is enrolled among the pioneers of
Clay county. He was born and reared in Pennsylvania, but when a young
man he went to Ohio, and from there in 1847 emigrated with his family
to the then frontier of Clay county, Indiana. He at once bought one
hundred and eighty acres of what has since become known as the Phillips
farm in Posey township, and the first home of the family was a little log
cabin. With the advancing years he succeeded in clearing about one
hundred and fifty acres of his farm, and he remained there until his life’s
labors were ended in death at the advanced age of eighty-three years.
He was born in the year Lydia Davis became his wife in Ohio,
where she was born and reared, and they became the parents of nine
children, seven sons and two daughters, of whom William H. was the
fourth born, The father gave a life-long support to the Democratic party.
    In 1866 William H. Phillips was united in marriage to Bridget E.
Crow, who came from her native land of Ireland to the United States
when a little lady of twelve years, and was reared in Cincinnati, Of the
five children born of this union, two are now deceased, and all were born
on the Phillips homestead farm. Mr. Phillips favors Republican prin-
ciples but votes independent of party ties.

    JOHN P. HOFFMAN.—In an early period in the development of this
section of Clay county the Hoffmans established their home here, and the
representatives of this family are substantial citizens, honored sons of
Germany, and have taken an active and helpful part in the progress and
welfare of the community. Conrad Hoffman, during many years a promi-
nent farmer in Posey township, was born in Germany, December 30, 1825,
and when about twenty-seven years of age he left the fatherland for the
United States, making his way at once to Indiana and establishing his
home in Posey township. The nucleus of his later large estate was one
hundred acres in the woods, on which he erected a log cabin and began at
once the hard task of clearing his land and preparing it for cultivation.
He was married here to Eva M. Fulgard, who was born in Germany,
May 19, 1822, and was reared and educated in her native land. They
became the parents of five children, as follows: George C., Anna, Kath-
erine, John P. and Barbara, all of whom were born on the Hoffman home-
stead in Posey township. Mr. Hoffman, the father, gave his political
allegiance to the Democracy, and was a member of the Lutheran church,
passing away in its faith when he had reached the age of sixty-one years.
Through his long identification with the business interests of this commu-
nity he became well and favorably known and was honored for his many
sterling characteristics.
    John P. Hoffman was born on his father’s homestead in Posey town-