Howard-Hamilton County IN Archives Biographies.....Helms, David A. 1847 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com April 23, 2006, 11:52 pm

Author: Jackson Morrow

DAVID A. HELMS.

    In the history of Howard county, as applying to the agricultural interests,
the name of David A. Helms occupies a conspicuous place, for through a number of
years he has been one of the representative farmers of Taylor township,
progressive, enterprising and persevering. Such qualities always win success,
sooner or later, and to Mr. Helms they have brought a satisfactory reward for
his well directed effort, and while he has benefited himself and community in a
material way he has also been an influential factor in the educational,
political and moral uplift of the community favored by his residence.

    David A. Helms was born in Hamilton county, Indiana, March 9, 1847, the son
of William and Susanna (Shenk) Helms. Grandfather Helms was from Kentucky. He
came to Hamilton county, Indiana, about 1807, when there was only a wilderness
infested by savages and wild beasts, but being a hardy pioneer, he soon had a
farm of one hundred and sixty acres cleared and under cultivation. Here he
raised his family, lived the remainder of his life and passed to the unknown
beyond, his death occurring after he had reached more than three score and ten
years, his wife having passed away in the sixties, leaving nine children, all of
whom lived to maturity. The parents of these children were loyal Baptists. They
were both scions of German stock.

    William Helms, father of our subject, was born in Kentucky, and was thirteen
years old when he was brought to Indiana by his parents. He attended school in
the former state, completing his education after he came to the Hoosier state,
becoming a fairly well educated man. He worked on his father's farm in Hamilton
county until he married at the age of twenty. In 1847 he came to Howard county
and entered forty acres of land in Taylor township, which he cleared and farmed,
living for a time in a house built of round poles, the only door being an
opening in the wall sheltered by a quilt. He afterward built a house of hewn
logs and later on erected a substantial and commodious farm house, having lived
in this spot continuously for over half a century, dying in 1902, at the age of
eighty-two years, at the time of his death owning one hundred acres. This farm
is now in the hands of his second wife, who is still living in 1908, his first
wife and our subject's mother having died in 1869, after becoming the mother of
seven children, two of whom died in childhood, the others growing to maturity,
our subject being the fourth in order of birth. His father and mother were
members of the Church of God, and they lived a consecrated Christian life. The
oldest son, Mark L., enlisted in the Thirteenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry and
was killed at the battle of Winchester, Virginia, in 1861. Our subject was also
one of those patriotic sons of the North who felt it his duty to respond to the
call for troops to save the integrity of the nation, consequently he enlisted in
February, 1865, when only sixteen years old, having regretted ever since the war
commenced that he was too young to take part. He served faithfully until the
close of the war and was honorably discharged.

    Mr. Helms received what education he could at the district schools, but such
advantages were limited. He remained on his father's farm until he was
twenty-two years old, then purchased twenty acres of land on which there was a
pole house, then Boon afterward traded it for twenty-two acres on which there
was a new log house into which he moved, here he and his young wife did their
first housekeeping. He farmed here for two years, then he sold the place, buying
sixty acres of heavily wooded land. On this he erected a house of hewn logs,
being nearly on the identical spot where his present modern residence stands. He
cleared this land and made a fine farm of it in due time. It now consists of one
hundred and seven acres. He also has another farm of forty acres in Liberty
township, being ten miles from his residence, one of his sons living on the last
mentioned farm. With the exception of about thirteen acres it is under a high
state of cultivation. The thirteen acres are in blue grass and woods-pasture.
Mr. Helms builds new fences as soon as the old rail ones get out of repair. The
farm is well drained with tile, the major portion of the place having been
reclaimed from the swamp, which has made the most productive land in the county
and is therefore of much greater market value per acre. Our subject understands
well the management of his farms, rotating the crops so as to keep the land in a
high state of productiveness, it now being richer than when he first took
possession of it. Most of the corn raised on the farm is fed, principally to
hogs by Mr. Helms. He raises Chester Whites and Duroc crossed.

    The residence on this farm is first-class, being a model farm house, and at
a convenient distance are many comfortable out buildings. A fine orchard is not
far away, in fact, Mr. Helms has three orchards, one of cherries, one of plums
and one of apples, all well kept, for he is not only a first-class farmer but
also something of an horticulturist.

    The subject was united in marriage in 1871 to Sarah L. Barrett, daughter of
Milton and Mahala (Moon) Barrett, who were natives of Ohio, having come to
Indiana about 1850. Two of Mrs. Barrett's brothers, Benjamin and Joseph Moon,
were soldiers in the Federal ranks, having enlisted from Indiana. Joseph served
through the war; while Benjamin was discharged on account of disease contracted
while in line of duty.

    Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Helms, namely: Mary E., born in
1871, is the wife of Elmer Davis, of Howard county, and the mother of three
children; William Elden was born in 1872 and died in infancy. Mrs. Helms passed
to her rest in 1873. She was a member of the Friends society. The subject was
again married in 1874 to Nancy E. Elmore, daughter of John and Mary Jane (Mills)
Elmore, natives of North Carolina, and who were early settlers in Howard county.
Upon coming here they were obliged to live out doors until they could erect a
pole house on the land which they took up. The wife of the subject was educated
in the district schools. Three children have been born to this union as follows:
Minnie Jane, born in 1876, died in 1887: John F., born in 1877, is married and
has two children: Orin O., born in 1879, is married.

    Mr. and Mrs. Helms are members of the Seventh Day Adventists. The youngest
son of our subject was a soldier in the Twelfth United States Infantry,
stationed for some time in the Philippines, having been three years in the army,
returning to the old home after his enlistment had expired, having received an
honorable discharge. His stay in the tropics did not seriously impair his health.

   Our subject is in principle a Prohibitionist and by his advocacy of wholesome
living, pure politics and honesty in business he has long enjoyed the undivided
respect and esteem of all who know him, being regarded as one of Howard county's
most substantial and worthy citizens.


Additional Comments:
From:

HISTORY OF HOWARD COUNTY INDIANA
BY
JACKSON MORROW, B. A.
ILLUSTRATED
VOL. II
B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

(circa 1909)

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