Howard-Rush County IN Archives Biographies.....Duncan, John Eberly 1842 - ************************************************ 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 April 21, 2006, 3:39 pm Author: Jackson Morrow JOHN E. DUNCAN. The gentleman to a brief review of whose life and characteristics the reader's attention is herewith directed is among the favorably known and representative citizens of Taylor township. Howard county. He has by his indomitable enterprise and progressive methods contributed in a material way to the advancement of his locality and during the course of an honorable career has been fairly successful in his business enterprises, having been a man of energy, sound judgment and honesty of purpose, and is thus well deserving of mention in this volume. John Eberly Duncan was born in Rush county, Indiana, October 10, 1842, the son of John and Nancy (Sergent) Duncan. Grandfather Duncan was born in South Carolina, but moved to Indiana, settling in Rush county about 1820, entering between three and four hundred acres, transforming the wild soil into a splendid farm on which he lived until 1858, when he moved to Hancock county, buying a farm here of one hundred and sixty acres, partly improved. By dint of hard labor he finished the improvements, erecting a substantial house and barn, and died here in about four years after he took possession of the place, at the age of about eighty-four, his faithful life companion having preceded him to the "narrow house" from Rush county at the age of eighty years. In religious matters they were Missionary Baptists. They were the parents of eight or ten children, the father of the subject being the second in order of birth. The supposition is that their ancestors were from Scotland. The father of the subject was born in Rush county, this state, in 1822, and was reared there, having been educated for the ministry in the Baptist church and he followed preaching all his life, becoming well known as a man of superior ability in the pulpit of those days and winning scores of souls to the Christian faith. However, his career, which was one of unusual brilliancy and promise, was cut short by the hand of death, having been gathered to his fathers when only twenty-two years old. He was the oldest of two sons, the other being named Washington, also now deceased. The mother of the subject reached the advanced age of eighty-four. She was twice married and had eight children by her second marriage She remained a faithful Baptist all her life. The early schooling of our subject was gained in Rush county, where he attended the district schools only two months out of each year for about seven years. After he was twenty years old he attended common school for two terms. He worked on the farm in his boyhood days and left his parental roof-tree when twenty-one years old, and hired out by the month for three years as a farm hand, at the end of which time he purchased a threshing machine which he operated successfully for two years at the end of which he sold it for one thousand dollars, having paid only nine hundred dollars for it. Then he and his brother bought a farm in partnership, consisting of one hundred and fifty acres, at forty dollars per acre, having paid two thousand dollars down and at the end of two years sold the farm. Mr. Duncan moved to Howard county in 1865 and bought fifty acres at fifty dollars per acre, on which he lived for five years when he sold the place for sixty dollars per acre. He then bought eighty acres which he sold five years later and then bought two hundred acres in Taylor township adjoining his former place at fifty dollars per acre, on which farm he has since resided, having been very successful here in his agricultural pursuits. He had at one time another good farm of eighty acres adjoining this, but which was later sold. Besides being a successful farmer, Mr. Duncan has been a contractor and builder, not only of houses and various kinds of buildings, but also of gravel roads, for the past twenty-five years, dating from 1908. In addition to this home place the subject's wife owns one hundred and sixty acres, the old home farm, which has been successfully managed by the Duncans for many years. This farm is well supplied with ample barns and other first-class buildings, also a- modern and very convenient residence. These farms are well drained, mostly with tile. There are about seventy-five acres of woods pasture in blue grass. The soil is still very productive, the crops of wheat and oats being especially large. Mr. Duncan understands well the rotation of his crops with clover and other modem methods of keeping his soil in first-class productive condition. He feeds all the corn the place produces to cattle and hogs, formerly buying much additional corn. He is widely known as a breeder of fine Poland-China hogs and Aberdeen Angus (hornless) cattle. The entire farm is managed by Mr. Duncan in general farming and, according to his neighbors, no better fanner is to be found within the limits of Howard county. Our subject was united in marriage in 1866 to Elizabeth North. daughter of James E. and Mary (Mock) North. Four children have been born to this union as follows: Omer C., born in 1867, lives in Howard county on a farm, is married and has two children: Charles, born in 1873, is connected with the postoffice at Kokomo, although he was formerly a merchant and he is the father of one child, living; J. Pearl, born in 1878, is now on his mother's farm, having become the father of three children; R. K., born in 1883, is married and still a member of the family circle. Fraternally the subject is a Mason, having filled all the chairs in the local lodge. He is a Missionary Baptist in his religious beliefs, having been an active member of this church for twenty years, or since 1888, and he is now deacon in the same. Mrs. Duncan is also a member of this church, having long been an active worker in the congregation. Mr. Duncan is a Democrat and he served very faithfully and acceptably as trustee for two terms. He is regarded by all as being one of the foremost citizens of Howard county, having established a firm reputation for honesty of purpose in all his dealings with his fellow men and by being the advocate of clean and wholesome principles in the home, society and politics. Additional Comments: From: HISTORY OF HOWARD COUNTY INDIANA BY JACKSON MORROW, B. A. ILLUSTRATED VOL. II B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA (circa 1909) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/howard/bios/duncan351nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/infiles/ File size: 6.9 Kb