Fountain County IN Archives Biographies.....Webb, Dave 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com August 25, 2006, 4:52 am

Author: H. W. Beckwith (1881)

   Dave Webb, livery, Covington, is a native of Fountain county. His father,
Harmon Webb, settled in Attica in 1827, where the subject of this sketch was
born in 1828. Mr. Harmon Webb operated the first ferry-boat across the Wabash
river, kept hotel, and farmed. In 1832 he removed to Covington, at that time a
village of less than 100 inhabitants. Here he began keeping a hotel, which was
located on the west side of the public square. This was lost during the fire of
183S, which burned the whole row of buildings on the west side. But few
opportunities were afforded young Webb for acquiring an education,. but he has,
however, through business experience attained a good education. In 1848 he began
in the livery business, in which he has been interested most of the time since
that date. In 1857 he was nominated by the democratic party and elected to the
office of county recorder for a four years' term. This was only done by the best
of political maneuvering. The Hon. D. W. Voorhees was one of the parties to
"stump" the county by road districts; the majority then being only seventeen
votes. This was a hotly contested victory, but it gave promise of a repetition.
Satisfied of this fact Mr. Webb, in 1861, again became the candidate of the
democratic party for reelection, and was elected by a majority of 365. In 1865
he once more retained his position by a majority of fifty-six. In 1863 he became
interested in the livery business, sold in 1864, bought again in 1865, and has
since continued. In 1865 he was one of four of the seven county officers who
were drafted for service in the Federal army. He, however, paid $1,000 for a
substitute. In 1857 he was appointed collector of tolls at this point, by the
officers of the Wabash and Erie canal. He held this position until the close of
the traffic done by the canal company. The last boat cleared through from Lodi
to Toledo was the "Rocky Mountain," date of clearance October 26, 1872. The last
of the local traffic was the clearance of the boat Godman, November 13, 1875,
bound from Lodi to La Fayette. Mr. Webb is a member and ex-officer in both the
Masonic and Odd-Fellows lodges of Covington. He was married December 23, 1850,
to Miss Maria L. Lawson, whose people were among the old and prominent pioneers
of Fountain county.

Additional Comments:
Troy Township

Extracted from:

HISTORY OF FOUNTAIN COUNTY,

TOGETHER WITH
HISTORIC NOTES ON THE WABASH VALLEY,

GLEANED FROM EARLY AUTHORS, OLD MAPS AND MANUSCRIPTS
PRIVATE AND OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE, AND OTHER AUTHENTIC, THOUGH, FOR THE MOST
PART, OUT-OF-THE-WAY SOURCES.

BY H. W. BECKWITH,
OF THE DANVILLE BAR; CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETIES OF
WISCONSIN AND CHICAGO.

WITH MAP AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

CHICAGO: H. H. HILL AND N. IDDINGS, PUBLISHERS.
1881.

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