Lake County IN Archives Biographies.....Hayden, John K. 1835 - 1903
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 24, 2006, 11:46 pm

Author: T. H. Ball (1904)

JOHN K. HAYDEN.

    John K. Hayden was a resident of Lake county in early pioneer days and is
numbered among the county's honored dead. He bore his full share in the work of
early progress and improvement and was known as a reliable business man who
never took advantage of the necessities of his fellow men in any trade
transaction, but won success through unflagging industry, strong and commendable
purpose and honorable effort. His birth occurred in Knox county, Ohio, on the
23d of October, 1835, and he was one of the thirteen children born to Nehemiah
and Harriet (Kitchell) Hayden. He was only about a year old when brought to Lake
county, and his boyhood days were passed in West Creek township. There he was
reared in the usual manner of farmer lads, attending the district schools
through the winter months, while in the summer seasons he worked at the plow or
in the harvest field. To his father he gave the benefit of his services up to
the time of his marriage, which important event in his life was celebrated on
the 3d of March, 1859. He then located in Kankakee county, Illinois, near the
boundary line of Lake county, and was there engaged in farming until 1896, when
he removed to Lowell and retired from active business life. He was well known as
an agriculturist who conducted his farm along modern and progressive lines,
placing his fields under a high state of cultivation and equipping the farm with
all improvements and accessories that facilitated its work and rendered his
labor of greater value in the acquirement of a competence. As his financial
resources increased he added to his landed possessions, and at one time he owned
in the neighborhood of six hundred and thirty acres of valuable land. The
homestead farm comprised one hundred and twenty acres, and he afterward divided
some of his property among his children.

    Mr. Hayden was united in marriage to Miss Rachel Dodge, who was born in West
Creek township, Lake county, Indiana, June 6, 1840. Her father, Henry Dodge, was
a native of Vermont and died in Michigan in 1879. He had removed to the west in
1837 and was one of the pioneer settlers of northwestern Indiana, establishing
his home in West Creek township, Lake county. He removed to Oceana county,
Michigan, in 1871, and there passed away in 1879. His wife bore the maiden name
of Lucretia De Gau, and was born in Canada. Her death occurred in Michigan in
1879. This worthy couple were the parents of twelve children, of whom Mrs.
Hayden was the second in order of birth. She has spent her entire life in Lake
county, Indiana, and in Kankakee county, Illinois, the district separated only
by the boundary line of the states. To Mr. and Mrs. Hayden have been born eight
children, of whom George and Willis A. are now deceased. The others are Robert,
who is a resident of Virginia; Mary, the wife of William Beeman, who resides in
Monticello, Indiana; Lizzie, the wife of E. N. Hayhurst, of West Creek township;
Alva, who is married and lives near Roanoke, Indiana; Ella, the wife of J. W.
Diss, of Sherburnville, Illinois: and Jesse, of Kankakee township, Kankakee
county, Illinois.

    Mr. Hayden continued to make his home in Lowell until his death, which
occurred on the 6th of October, 1903. He was very well known in the county as
the champion of all measures for general progress and improvement. His political
allegiance was given to the Republican party, and the cause of education found
in him a warm friend. He took a deep interest in the schools and served as
school director for about nine years. Mr. Hayden spent almost his entire life in
this portion of the country and he possessed many sterling traits of character
which gained for him warm personal regard and friendship. He was a devoted
husband and father, a progressive and public-spirited citizen and one whose loss
was deeply mourned throughout the community.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

ENCYCLOPEDIA
OF
Genealogy and Biography
OF
LAKE COUNTY, INDIANA,
WITH A COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY 
1834—1904

A Record of the Achievements of Its People in the Making of a Commonwealth and
the Founding of a Nation.

REV. T. H. BALL
OF CROWN POINT, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ILLUSTRATED
CHICAGO   NEW YORK
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
1904


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