Howard County IN Archives Biographies.....Loop, John Nicholas 1845 - ************************************************ 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 5, 2006, 11:46 pm Author: Jackson Morrow HON. JOHN NICHOLAS LOOP. The subject of this sketch is a worthy representative of one of the oldest and best known families of Howard county, and since his childhood, which was passed amid the stern experiences of the pioneer period, he has been actively identified with the growth and development of this part of the state. John N. Loop was born September 25, 1845, in Preble county, Ohio, but when when quite young was brought to Howard county by his father, Joseph M. Loop, who entered land in what is now Liberty township, making the journey to the new home in the unbroken wilderness in a two-horse wagon and meeting with many difficulties and not a few hardships before arriving at his destination. Henry Loop, the subject's grandfather, came a short time previous and also entered land from the government which in the course of years was cleared and developed into one of the best farms in the township of Howard. Reared amid the stirring scenes of the early times and subjected to the inconveniences peculiar to the period, young Loop grew up a strong, sturdy lad, familiar with the labor required in clearing the farm, such as felling timber, piling brush, picking trash and the many other ways in which boys made themselves useful in removing the dense vegetation from the soil and fitting it for tillage. When not thus engaged he attended the public schools and such was his progress that he was soon enabled to pass the required examination and obtain a teacher's license. In 1866 he entered upon what proved to be a long and eminently successful career as an educator, covering a period of eighteen years in Howard county, during which time he achieved enviable repute as a teacher and was influential in raising the standard of the various schools under his charge. Mr. Loop while engaged in educational work devoted the spring and summer months to agricultural pursuits and in connection therewith spent considerable time assisting his father in the manufacture of wooden measures, which business the latter had followed prior to his removal to Indiana, and in which he became a very successful workman. His grandfather was also a skilled mechanic and for years the measures made at the Loop shop had a wide reputation and the demand for them became so great that the father, son, grandson and the latter's two elder brothers were frequently obliged to work almost day and night to meet it. These measures were hand-made and under favorable circumstances the average monthly out-put amounted to about five hundred dollars, the greater part of which was purchased by wholesale dealers for the Eastern trade. In addition to shipping, a profitable trade was also carried on by means of wagons being driven to all parts of Howard and neighboring counties which supplied the large and constantly growing local demand. From his childhood the subject has been familiar with the making of the celebrated Loop measures and it may be said that lie literally grew up in the shop with tools in his hands. At a very early age his services were utilized and in due time he became an expert workman, keeping pace with his father and grandfather in the manufacture of an article that required high-grade mechanical skill. Henry Loop established the business in the county in 1853 and continued it until his death when the shop passed into possession of his son, Joseph M., who, with the limited facilities at hand, carried on a prosperous trade for a number of years, establishing the reputation of his product among the leading wholesale houses of Indiana and other states. Satisfied that much more could be accomplished in a larger place and with increased facilities for manufacture, John N. Loop bought out his father in 1877 and, moving the plant to Kokomo and equipping it with machinery of his own invention, greatly increased the out-put and within a short time made the manufacture of measures one of the important industries of the city. The superiority of the Loop measure over all other consists in so shaving the material as to retain the grain and the original appearance of the wood, this being a discovery of the elder Loop and for fifty years a secret of the family. Until 1903 the bottoms as well as the sides were cut by hand, but in that year Mr. Loop perfected a device to be operated by machinery, which does not interfere with the grain of the wood, and by the means of which the capacity of the plant has been increased many fold. Since moving his business to Kokomo Mr. Loop has built up a lucrative patronage which taxes the plant to the utmost to meet. The measurers which are as popular as ever find ready sale in the local as well as the general markets, and a number of skilled artisans are constantly employed in their manufacture. They range in capacity from one to sixteen quarts, and under the name of, "The New Hoosier," have become widely and favorably known, being admittedly superior to any other on the market. In connection with his manufacturing plant Mr. Loop is also engaged in the coal business which he established in 1902 and which he has since carried on quite extensively, his yards on the corner of Jackson and LaFountain streets along the line of the Pennsylvania tracks being among the largest as well as most liberally patronized in the city. Here are kept upon an average of two thousand tons of hard and soft coal which he wholesales and retails and in addition to which he also handles large quantities of wood, upwards of fifteen hundred cords being always on hand. By square dealing and courteous treatment the J. N. Loop company has come into a large and growing business which from present indications promises to increase in magnitude and importance as the years go by. Mr. Loop has been one of Howard county's enterprising citizens, active in public affairs and for many years one of the influential Republican politicians of Kokomo. He has served as chairman .of the city central committee and in 1887 was elected to the legislature and was re-elected in 1889. His career as a lawmaker was creditable to himself and satisfactory and fully justified the wisdom of his election. He was placed on a number of important committees where his services were of special value, and also took an active part on the floor, in the debates and general deliberations of the house. He introduced and secured the passage of several important bills among which was one for the protection of "The Old Soldier's Button," similar bills being afterwards passed by other states until the matter became of national interest and gave rise to much favorable comment in Grand Army and other military circles. Wherever seen the soldier's button and uniform are now badges of honor and respectability and any unfavorable comment or mark of disrespect shown to either, subjects the offender to the penalty of the law. He also secured the passage of a bill bearing upon child labor, which embodied the same idea afterwards advocated so earnestly and eloquently by Senator Beveridge, and assisted in bringing to pass other legislation of great interest to the state. In 1893 Mr. Loop was the Republican candidate for state senator, but after a very animated campaign was defeated by a small majority for the nomination. He also made the race for county treasurer in 1900, but owing to alleged fraudulent means and the lavish expenditure of money by the opposition aided by disgruntled members of his own party, failed of election. Notwithstanding this defeat he has always been intensely Republican, never for an instant wavering in his allegiance to the party, but all the influence and means at his command, advancing its interests and contributing to the success of its candidates. Mr. Loop united with the Pythian Order in 1884, and since that time has been one of the leading and influential members of the Kokomo lodge; he has been active in all the work of the fraternity, besides being honored from time to time with important official positions, in all of which his record has been creditable and. above reproach. His domestic life dates from his thirty-second year, when he was united in marriage with Alzora Johnson, whose death in 1884 terminated a mutually happy and agreeable wedded experience. Two years later, 1886, he entered into marriage relation with Ozilla Bradley, who has borne him three children, Ruth E., Bessie A. and Etta Marie, the two older being graduates of the Kokomo high school and the younger a student of the same institution, who will complete the course in the spring of 1909. Joseph M. Loop, father of the subject, died at the age of eighty-one years, his wife, Elizabeth Link, following him to the grave six months later, in her eighty-second year. She was descended from ancestors that came over with the first English colony, the family history being directly traceable to Jamestown, Virginia, Mr. Loop's antecedents having been among the earliest settlers of Maryland and of Quaker stock. This excellent couple were the parents of twelve children, seven of whom survive, the subject of this review and James Loop, an ex-soldier, whose homes are in Kokomo. The others are Elijah, Noah. Anna, Mahala and Maggie. 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/loop153bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/infiles/ File size: 9.9 Kb