266                     HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY

there moving to the western part of the state, where he was employed
in tilling the soil until his death. He married a Miss Cole, and they
reared nine children, namely: James, Nathaniel, Charles, Joshua, Augus-
tus, Lriah, Mahala, Sarah and Frances.

    Born in West Virginia, Nathaniel was there bred, educated and mar—
ried. Shortly after his marriage he came with his bride to Indiana,
locating in Clay county and becoming a pioneer of Perry township. Set-
tlers in this vicinity were at that time few and far between, and the forests
were filled with an abundance of game of all kinds, forming the chief
subsistence of the inhabitants. Entering land in section four, he soon
built the log cabin in which his younger children were born. A hard
working, persevering man. and one who thought for himself, he labored
intelligently and met with much success. He subsequently bought land
just across the line in Posey township, and in later years, after his sons
grew old enough to assist him, he cleared several large tracts of land and
placed them in a good state of cultivation, at the time of his death, when
he was sixty—five years old, having title to three hundred and twenty—eight
acres of land, the greater part of which was improved. He was twice
married. His second wife, the mother of William T., was Mrs. Hiley
(McCullough) Akre. She was born January 26, 1822, in Tennessee
being a sister of W. H. McCullough, in whose sketch, which appears else-
where in this volume, a more extended history of her parents may be
found. Of this union four children were born, namely Martha, William
Thomas, West M. and Alexander. ilis wife had two children by her
marriage with Mr. Akre, Lemuel and Nancy E.

    Acquiring an excellent business education when young, William T.
Modesitt also obtained a substantial knowledge of the various branches
of agriculture under the tuition of his father, who kept him busy on the
home farm when he was not in school. Beginning life for himself on the
parental homestead, he was there engaged in farming until 1894, when
he removed to his present home in Cory. Here Mr. Modesitt has one
hundred and twenty acres of land adjoining and partly surrounding the
village, his land, which is gently undulating, being well watered and hay—
ing two beautiful natural groves, which furnish shade for his stock in the
hot days of summer. Energetic, ambitious and progressive, he is carry-
ing on general farming and stock-raising in a systematic and scientific
manner, and is meeting with undoubted success in his operations. He
deals largely in stock, and as the only dealer of hay and grain in Cory
is carrying on an extensive and lucrative business in that line of industry.
    On December 21, 1884, Mr. Modesitt married Mary Tribble, who
was born October 11, 1864. in Sugar Ridge township, Clay county, a
daughter of John Tribble. Her grandparents, Hiram and Hannah Trib-
ble, were pioneers of Monroe county, Indiana, from there coming to Sugar
Ridge township, where they spent the remainder of their lives, residing
on the farm that they improved from government land. John Tribble
was born in Monroe county, Indiana, and as a farmer settled on land
near Ashboro, where his last years were spent. He married Minerva J.
OBrien, who was born in Ohio, a daughter of Thomas and Lucinda
(Kennedy) O’Brien, and died on the home farm in Indiana. Mr. and
Mrs. Modesitt have two children, Ada and Mary V. Ada married Ray
Bennett, and has one child, Louise. Mr. Bennett is a son of B. J. Bennett,
of whom a brief sketch may be found elsewhere in this work. An active
and trusted member of the Democratic party, Mr. Modesitt was town-