SETH CLARK, farmer, Prairie Creek, was born in Sullivan county, Indiana, in 1831, and is the son of Anson and Sarah (WILKINS) CLARK. His father was a native of New York state, was born in 1797, and came to Terre Haute in a (sic) early day, but having found a location in Sullivan county he remained there for a time. The last twenty-five years of his life he spent in Vigo county, where he died in 1876. Mr. CLARK was joined in marriage to Sarah MYERS, daughter of John F. MYERS, of Pennsylvania, and they had two children, Emanuel and Jesse. Mr. CLARK served one year in the 35th Ind. Vol. Inf., Co. D. He owns 190 acres of fine improved land, which is the fruit of his own labor. In politics he is a radical republican.

JACKSON COX, farmer, Sec. 14, Macksville, is the son of John and Ruth COX, natives of North Carolina, from which state they moved to Vincennes, where they tarried a short time, and in the fall of 1819 moved to Prairie Creek township, where the subject of this sketch was born April 10, 1820. As soon as he was able to work he assisted his father in the blacksmith shop until he was twenty-one years old. His education is very crude, he having obtained it in the schools of his early boyhood, traveling a distance of two and three miles to school, and then his attendance was only a few days at a time. On August 22, 1842, he married Miss Martha J. MOBLEY, a native of Kentucky. In October of this year he left his father and began a life for himself. He cultivated a part of his father's land one and a half miles from where he was born; there he remained two years. In the autumn of 1844 he purchased a farm one mile east of Prairieton, and in the following spring moved on it. Here his wife died December 6, 1848, leaving him two children. After the death of his wife he quit house-keeping and rented his farm. In the spring of 1849 he went to New Orleans with a flatboat load of corn, where he remained a short time. On January 8, 1850, he married Miss Elizabeth REYNOLDS, at Hudsonville, a native of Crawford county, Illinois. On April 22 following he moved to Prairieton, where he remained until March, 1851, and moved on his farm. In March, 1857, he traded his farm for the one on which he now resides. During the summer of this year he built a ferry-boat and ran a ferry about twelve years. In the spring of 1864 he was elected justice of the peace and served four years. He is now, against his wishes, a candidate for the same office. He served his school district several years as director, and the township as road supervisor. His children are Thomas A., Martha J., Mary C., Lydia, Oyrus H., Annie, Silas E., Charles A. and George E. Mr. COX is a quiet, unassuming gentleman. In religion he is a Quaker, and in politics a national. His farm contains 175 acres.

JOHN De BAUN, miller and farmer, Prairieton, was born near Mercer county, Kentucky, November 25, 1821. He removed from Kentucky to Sullivan county, Indiana, in 1830, where he lived until 1845, when he removed to Prairie Creek township, and lived for a number of years about three and a half miles south of Prairieton. He removed in 1860 to the farm he now occupies, just south of the village of Prairieton, where he has since made his home. He was married January 17, 1843, to Miss Elisabeth TRUEBLOOD, a daughter of Benoni TRUEBLOOD, who was born in Camden county, North Carolina, about 1790, and came to Indiana in 1828. He was a Baptist minister, and died May 10, 1863. John DeBAUN has a family of a wife and seven children living, three sons and four daughters. His eldest son died. He owns and operates the steam flouring-mill at Prairieton, and has been in the milling business for about twenty-three years; was formerly a farmer, and now runs a small farm in connection with milling. He has a fine home in a beautiful location; is also an honored member of the Masonic order, and has been an officer in the society for a long time. He is one of the solid men of Prairieton. One of his sons is married and lives in his residence near the mill, and assists his father in the milling business. Mrs. John De BAUN received a serious injury a short time ago by falling down a cellar hatchway.

AUGUSTON ELLIOTT, farmer, Prairie Creek, is one of the pioneers of Prairie Creek township, and was born in Shelby County, Kentucky, in 1813. His father died when he was a mere lad, and he had to depend on himself for a livelihood. He wended his way west, and settled in Prairie Creek township, Vigo County, in 1822, and by hard work and economy he has accumulated a nice little fortune. He is the owner of 500 acres of fine farming land. When he came to the county he took jobs of clearing by the acre, receiving but $4 per acre. He now lives on the oldest settled timber farm in the county. His wife, now deceased, was Sarah KERCHIVAL, born in 1809, and died in 1877, leaving six children to mourn her loss: Martha J., wife of A.V. STARK; Matilda, wife of W.S. VANGILDER; Sarah E., wife of E. STARK; Julie A., William K., and Robert. One of their children, Joseph, died.

S.E.K. FISK, farmer, Prairie Creek, was born in Franklin county, Ohio, August 15, 1825, and at the age of thirteen his parents removed to Vigo county, and settled in Lockport, Riley township. Here his father practiced medicine, which he followed during his life in this county, having formerly practiced in Ohio. In 1839, Mr. FISK went to Terre Haute, and served an apprenticeship at the painter's trade, which he followed more or less in Terre Haute until 1846. After this he came to Middletown, where he engaged in the mercantile business, which he followed successfully for twelve years. In 1852 he was elected as trustee of Prairie Creek township, which office he held for twelve years. Mr. FISK'S father was a native of Clermont county, New Hampshire, born February 20, 1804, and died in this county in 1851. His mother was a native of Franklin county, Ohio, born September 20, 1801, and died in 1873. In 1858 Mr. FISK married Miss M.J. ERNEST, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth ERNEST, who were natives of Kentucky and North Carolina. Mr. FISK has been a member of Odd-Fellows for twenty-six years, of lodge 51, which meets at Terre Haute, and his wife has been a constant member of the Baptist church for twenty years.

HIRAM FRAKES, farmer, Prairie Creek, was born in Vigo county, September 8, 1830, and is the son of John and Nancy (PARKER) FRAKES, who were among the earliest settlers of the county. At the age of thirteen he accompanied his parents to Porter county, this state, where his father carried on a business in pottery manufacture. Up to 1857 he worked altogether at his father's business in Porter county, with the exception of a short time, when he returned to Vigo county and got married, returning again to Porter county. Since coming back to this township, twenty-three years ago, he has engaged entirely in farming, and by close attention to business, good tact and management, he has now a beautiful farm of 108 acres, well improved and in good cultivation. His father died in Porter county in 1860 [I have father's date of death as 1878].

Jno. R. VANCE, manufacturer of pumps, Terre Haute, who has for fifteen years been connected with the pump trade of Terre Haute, is a native of Highland county, Ohio, where he was born May 17, 1840. In 1851 he came to Terre Haute, where he remained but a short time and then returned to Ohio. In 1861 he again came to Terre Haute, where he has since resided. He spent some time at railroading, and during the war of the rebellion he enlisted in Company E of the 133d Ind. Vol. Inf., one-hundred-days service, under Col. R.N. HUDSON. Returning from the army to Terre Haute, he for a short time engaged in the grocery trade, which he gave up and began at manufacturing and dealing in pumps, which he has since followed as a business. His place of business is No. 113 North Sixth street, while his residence is No. 1123 North Eighth street. Mr. VANCE has been so long in the pump trade that he is well known to the citizens of Terre Haute and Vigo county. He is a member of Fort Harrison Lodge, No. 157, I.O.O.F., and of Court Sherwood Forest Lodge, No. 17, of Foresters. He was married in 1866 to Miss RACHEL E. GUNN, whose people were among the old and prominent settlers of Vigo county. She is granddaughter of Judge Moses HAGGETT, the first judge of Vigo county, and one of the oldest settlers of Indiana. His youngest daughter married Mr. Jno. GUNN in 1843; they being the parents of Mrs. VANCE. Mr. GUNN was one of the pioneers of Prairie Creek township, Vigo county. She is also youngest of the late Morgan G. GUNN. Her parents died when she was quite young; after which she made her home with her uncle, Aaron HAGGETT, who resides near Prairietown.

J.D.E. KESTER, farmer, Prairieton, was born in Vigo County, Indiana, March 3, 1826. His father, Ephraim P., came from Kentucky to Vigo County as early as 1822 or 1823. He was born in 1795, and died in this county (Vigo) in 1850. Mr. KESTER'S mother is also a native of Kentucky, born in 1805, and is a resident of Vigo County. When they came to this county they settled in Linton township. Mr. KESTER has been a resident of the county all his life, and is as old a native citizen as is now living in Prairie Creek township. In December, 1846, he was united in marriage to Harriet W. TRUEBLOOD, a native of North Carolina, born June 11, 1827, and by their union they have six children: Ephraim B.; Cordelia A., wife of Wm. S. LEE; Robanna, wife of T. FURGESON during his life; Marvin H., Rosa, and Earley P. Mr. KESTER is a member of the Masonic fraternity, lodge No. 178, which meets at Prairieton, and is the owner of 100 acres of well improved land.

ALFRED KRUZAN, farmer, Prairieton, living on Sec. 1, Prairieton township, was born in Lost Creek township in 1829, and moved on the farm on which he now lives in 1853. He was married in 1864 to Miss Margaret WHEATLY, of Vigo county, Indiana. They have now a family of nine children, all living. His father, Isaac KRUZAN, is now living in Lost Creek township, Vigo county, Indiana, and is nearly seventy-four years of age. His mother is dead. He is a member of the A.O.U.W.

JOSEPH LISTON, deceased, was born the year 1792 and died in 1875 at the age of eighty-three. He [was] married in the State of Ohio, and moved to Prairie Creek township, Vigo county, Indiana, in 1816. He moved his family and household goods from Ohio to Indiana on horseback, by putting by putting his household goods on one horse and two boys on top of the goods, while his wife rode another horse, with one child tied on behind and another one in her lap, while he footed it and brought up the rear. He was a farmer by occupation. He embraced religion in 1810, and was baptized by the Rev. Isaac McCOY, afterward a missionary among the Indians. He had a family of seventeen children (sixteen by his first wife and one by his second wife, whom he married in 1844), twelve of whom lived and married. He had a son killed in the war of the rebellion, in Tennessee, under Capt. PACKETT. He is said to have plowed the first furrow on Fort Harrison prairie, and was undoubtedly one of the first who came to Vigo county.

C.H. MORGAN, farmer, Prairie Creek, is the son of one of the old and respected citizens of Prairie Creek township, who came to Vigo county, in 1829, and settled in Prairie Creek township, where the subject of this sketch was born in 1845, he having remained at home working on his father's farm until he was man grown. After this he began for himself, and at the present time he is the owner of as fine a farm as there is in Prairie Creek township. His buildings and his surroundings to the passer-by will go to show that Mr. MORGAN has not been idle, although when he took his farm it was in the rough and was a heavy timbered farm. His father was born in 1816, and died March 29, 1880. Mr. MORGAN has been twice married. His first wife was Ophelia TRUEBLOOD, daughter of B.G. TRUEBLOOD, who was one of the early settlers of Vigo county. The maiden name of his present wife was Nancy M. GILLCREASE. Mr. MORGAN has four children by his former and one by his present wife. Mr. MORGAN is a member of the Masonic fraternity of Lodge No. 178, which meets at Prairieton, and in politics he is a staunch republican.

JOHN RYNERSON, farmer, Prairie Creek, was born in Mercer county, Kentucky, May 17, 1817, and at the age of 7 his parents came to Sullivan county, Indiana. His father, Isaac, was a native of Kentucky, born July 18, 1787, and his mother was also a native of Kentucky, born January 28, 1797. They both died in Sullivan county, Indiana, the father June 21, 1862, and the mother December 28, 1866. Mr. RYNERSON has been a resident off and on for the last forty-two years, and by hard work and a strict attention to farming and stock raising is the owner of 480 acres of fine farming land in Prairie Creek township. In 1837 he married Letha CHAMBERS, daughter of S. CHAMBERS, who came to Indiana as early as 1808. Mrs. RYNERSON was born in Knox county, Indiana, in 1817. She has been a faithful wife and a kind mother to her nine children, whose names are Isaac, Sarah J., wife of H.B. WILSON; Rebecca A., wife of W. HIX; Samuel C., John L., Dianah, wife of A. BOWEN; Barnet, William and Benjamin. Isaac and Samuel served in the late rebellion, Isaac in the 85th Ind. Vol. Inf. and Samuel in the 149th Ind. Vol. Inf.

HENRY SHOEMAKER, deceased, was born in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, in 1792, and died in Prairie Creek township, Vigo County, Indiana, in 1867. He removed with his family to Vigo County, Indiana, several years after his first marriage, and lived in Prairie Creek and adjoining townships all his life. He held the office of justice of the peace for a number of years. He served in the war of 1812 two years, and held the position of major. He first married a Mrs. Elizabeth ELLIOTT, of Kentucky, who had at that time a family of seven children. She died in Vigo County. He married a second time, to Miss (sic) Chloe [TURNER] FRAKES, who also died, after which he was married a third time, to a Miss Cassey McGLONE, of Vigo County, by which marriage they had four children. There are now but nine of the seventeen children living. Henry SHOEMAKER Jr. now lives near the center of the township, not far from Richard WATSON'S. He was married in 1846 to Miss Esther HUNT, of Prairie Creek township. They have now a family of nine children, and have lost one. His wife died February 2, 1880. She was a daughter of Absolom HUNT, who is also dead.

RICHARD WATSON, farmer, Prairie Creek, was born in Spencer county, Kentucky, October 7, 1826, and in 1828 his parents moved to Sullivan county, Indiana, and in 1836 they came to Vigo county. His father, Scarlet, was a native of Virginia, born in 1801, and his mother, Kizzia WALKER, was born in Spencer county, Kentucky, in 1804. His father died in this county in 1876. Mr. WATSON has spent most of his life in Prairie Creek township. He has been married three times. His first wife was Louisa RANY, and she died in 1848. He was married the second time to M.M. PADOCK, and she died in 1868. His third choice was Mrs. J.B. STOUT, who is a native of Prairie Creek township, Vigo county, born in 1828. Mr. WATSON has four sons, all by his second wife: John L., James B., Benjamin F., and Albert H. Mr. WATSON now owns 126 and 1/2 acres of fine improved land, besides having provided land for all of his sons. He has made several trips down the Mississippi with flat-boats in an early day, it taking seven weeks to make the trip and return.

Submitted by Charles Lewis

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