Lake-Porter County IN Archives Biographies.....Schrage, Henry 1840 - ************************************************ 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 December 10, 2006, 5:01 pm Author: T. H. Ball (1904) JOHN E. LUTHER. John E. Luther, who has been a resident of Lake county since seven years of age and has a wide acquaintance within its borders, the vice-president of the First National Bank of Crown Point, is a veteran of the Civil war and a citizen whose active co-operation in public affairs has led to substantial improvement in northwestern Indiana. He is a native son of this state, his birth having occurred in Porter county three miles from Valparaiso on the 22d of November, 1840. His paternal grandfather was James Luther. His father, James H. Luther, was born in Chazy, New York, in 1814, and when eighteen years of age went to the west. A year later he became a resident of Porter county, Indiana, where he followed farming until 1849. In that year he arrived in Lake county, locating at Crown Point, and he carried on agricultural pursuits on a tract of land that embraces the site of the two railroad depots and the public-school building of this city. He was honored with public office, being chosen county auditor for two terms or eight years. He carried on merchandising from 1855 until 1859 as a member of the firm of Luther, Holton & Company, and the firm then became Luther & Farley, while subsequently John G. Hoffman succeeded the firm of Luther & Farley. Prominent and influential, his efforts in behalf of his community were effective, and he was recognized as one of the leading men of Lake county. His aid in behalf of general progress was never sought in vain, but was given with a cheerfulness that made his work of much value in public affairs. He was a Whig until the dissolution of the party, when he became a stanch Republican and continued to march under the banners of that party until his demise. During the period of the Civil war all of the money that came to the county from the government was given to him for distribution among the families of the soldiers. He was reared in the Presbyterian doctrine, but for many years was a spiritualist. He died at the advanced age of seventy-nine years and five days. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Phoebe Ann Flint, was a native of Vermont and lived to be about twenty-seven years of age. They were the parents of four sons, all of whom reached manhood, namely: John E., Amos O., Albert W. and Henry E. John E. Luther, the eldest son, is now the only living representative of the family. He was but eight years of age when he came to Lake county, and here he attended the district schools, his first teacher being Martin Wood. When about nine years of age he went to Valparaiso, where he worked for five years in the printing office with his uncle, Judge W. C. Talcott. On the expiration of that period he came to Crown Point, and later he went to Minnesota with a drove of cattle, walking all the way. He was eleven weeks on the road, receiving ten dollars for the trip. Mr. Luther remained in Minnesota for about two years, driving a stage for a year and a half and during the remainder of the time working in a livery stable. On the expiration of that period he returned to Crown Point and accepted a clerkship in a store owned by John G. Hoffman. When a little more than a year had passed he offered his services to the government, enlisting April 19, 1861, under Mark L. Demotte, being the first man to enlist from Crown Point. He became a member of Company B, Twentieth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and after serving for two years as a private he was commissioned first lieutenant and adjutant, continuing in that rank until October 10, 1864, when he was mustered out as a supernumerary officer. He took part in twenty-seven important engagements and was three times wounded, but he has never applied for a pension. He was mustered out because of the consolidation of the Seventh, Fourteenth and Nineteenth regiments with the Twentieth Indiana Regiment. and as all of the officers could not be retained in their rank Mr. Luther was among those who was retired, for he had already served for three years and a half. He is life president of his regimental association. In November, 1864, Mr. Luther returned to Crown Point, and on the 28th of December following he was united in marriage to Miss Addie Wells, a daughter of Henry Wells. She was born in Crown Point, was educated in the public schools there and was well known in the city. Her death occurred August 25, 1875, at Indianapolis, and she left one son, Harry W., who died in San Francisco of blood poisoning, July 15, 1896. In 1868 Mr. Luther entered the employ of the McCormick Reaper Company and went to Galesburg, Illinois, where he remained through that season. He afterward continued with the company as bookkeeper and traveling salesman until 1879, when he removed from Indianapolis to Troy, Ohio, where he was engaged as bookkeeper for the firm of Beadle & Kelly. He spent several years in Ohio, and in 1882 went to California, where he remained for one year, and since 1886 he has resided continuously in Crown Point. He has been vice-president of the First National Bank since 1900 and is one of the oldest stockholders of that institution. He also owns a farm of about three hundred and twenty-five acres and has valuable city property. He is now living retired from active business, giving supervision merely to his invested interests. Mr. Luther is a member of John Wheeler Post No. 161, G. A. R., of which he is a past commander. He is also a member of the Union Veteran Legion, Encampment No. 84, of Indianapolis. He did his duty to his country willingly and with marked loyalty because of his love for the Union, and he does not ask to be reimbursed for the sacrifice which he made in behalf of the stars and stripes. In politics he has been a life-long Republican. He certainly deserves great credit for what he has accomplished, as he started out in life in early boyhood without capital. As a business man he has been conspicuous among his associates not only for his success but for his probity, fairness and honorable methods. In everything he has been eminently practical, has discharged every public duty with ability and fairness. 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 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/lake/bios/schrage454gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/infiles/ File size: 7.0 Kb