Howard County IN Archives Biographies.....Mugg, Benjamin Lloyd 1850 - ************************************************ 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, 3:25 pm Author: Jackson Morrow BENJAMIN LLOYD MUGG. Although no section of the Hoosier state is richer in opportunities or offers greater advantages to its citizens than does Howard county, success is not here to be obtained through desire alone, but is to be persistently worked for. The subject of this review may be reckoned among the sterling pioneers of this county, having lived here his entire life, nearly three score years to the time of this writing (1908), having preferred to remain on his native hills and he has here worked his way to success and prosperity, while he has so ordered his course in all the relations of life as to command the confidence and esteem of his fellow men. Benjamin Llody Mugg was born in Howard county February 4, 1850, the son of William and Jemima E. (Cummings) Mugg. Grandfather Mugg was born in Kentucky, while grandfather Cummings hailed from Massachusetts. The former came to Owen county, Indiana, in an early day, owning a farm there where he made his home and reared his children, about eight in number. He is supposed to have been a soldier in the War of 1812. He reached a good old age. Grandfather Cummings also came to Owen county in an early day, fanned there and raised a large family, dying at an advanced age. He was recognized by everyone who knew him as being a high grade farmer even for that early time. The subject's grandparents were devout church people. The father of the subject received his early education in Owen county, where he afterward taught school for a time. He remained with his father on the farm until he married, when he came to Howard county as one of its pioneers of about 1845, entered land and built a log cabin, later going back to Owen county. He and his family cleared most of the one hundred and sixty acres before his death, also draining the land and in many ways improving it until it was a first class farm in every respect. This family consisted of four children., three of whom grew to maturity. The subject's parents were strict Baptists and the father was a Democrat before the war and afterward a Republican. He died at the age of seventy-three. The age reached by the subject's mother was seventy-five years, who survived her husband a few years. Benjamin Lloyd Mugg attended the district schools in Howard county and worked on the old home farm where he was raised and has lived there ever since, a part of which he inherited and the balance of his present farm he has since purchased, the place now consisting of one hundred and ten acres. He and his wife formerly owned an adjoining farm on which they built a beautiful frame house which is now owned by his son-in-law. The subject's farm is well fenced with wood and wire and the soil is in a high state of productiveness, having always been well cultivated. Clover is at present largely raised. He has never raised either timothy or oats, believing that both are detrimental to the soil, and he claims that clover hay is both superior for both horses and cattle. No better buildings are to be seen on any farm than on that of our subject, all of which he erected himself, in fact, the stranger will see by a most cursory glance at Mr. Mugg's place that a man of thrift, energy and sound judgment manages it, for no more up-to-date farm is to be found in Howard county. Mr. Mugg was united in marriage September 3, 1871, to Sophia Ware, daughter of Jesse and Phoebe (Moore) Ware. She is a native of Howard county, this family having consisted of three girls. Her father recently passed away at an advanced age, having been known as a high class farmer and an upright gentleman. Five children have been born to the subject and wife, three of whom died in infancy. Iona is the widow of B. G. Armstrong and the mother of two sons, all of whom make their home with Mr. and Mrs. Mugg; Iza is the wife of William L. Wilcox, who lives on the farm formerly owned by our subject and wife. They have three children. The year our subject was eighteen his father allowed him to plow ten acres of land and raise his first crop of corn which measured one hundred twenty-three and one-half bushels to the acre and received the first premium at the Howard county fair for corn raised by a boy., receiving twenty dollars cash as a premium. He has been raising Poland China hogs for thirty-eight years. He always attended the local fairs, exhibiting his hogs, until after the Chicago World's Fair. He received fourteen premiums at the World's Fair and won two grand champion premiums on that breed of hogs. He still keeps his registered hogs, whicn are as fine as can be found anywhere. He has not been exhibiting at fairs for several years but he is always a judge of hogs at fairs. He does not feed hog-s, but raises and sells them for breeders. Our subject likes to tell of the early days of his parents, which were spent without any of the conveniences of the present time. They neither had cook stove nor utensils and their beds were straw, spread on poles, one end of which was driven into an augur hole in the logs of the house and the other end fastened to an upright pole. The furnishings were of the most primitive sort and the days when they were raising their family were spent in what we of today would call poverty, being without conveniences and many of the real necessities of life. But here the subject received valuable lessons of fortitude and courageous persistence that have enabled him to surmount all obstacles in his later life, having worked his way up to a position of prominence in his community and comparative affluence, having ever maintained a high order of living and dealt fairly and honestly with his fellow men until no man in Howard county today stands higher in general public esteem. While he has never sought public office he has always been a loyal Republican and ever assisted in furthering the interests of his community whether in a political, moral or social way, and no more praise-worthy citizen is to be found in Howard county. 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/mugg349nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/infiles/ File size: 6.7 Kb