In a message dated 2/9/99 1:32:25 AM Eastern Standard Time, maggiem(a)empnet.com
writes:
<< "There are several articles that may interest you one on David Maish
789-791
page 788 is a picture of David Maish Sr. Melchior Maish article on 791 and
William H. Maish article on 792, Henry Maish article on 792-793, David Fudge
Maish article on page 793 and an article on David Fudge 793-794 and a Willard
P. Maish article on 794." >>
DAVID MAISH. Few men in Clinton county are as well known as the subject of
this biography, and to him as much as to any one man is the county largely
indebted for its present advanced stage of civilization and the position it
occupies among the most highly favored sections of the commonwealth of
Indiana. David Maish, Sr., father of our subject, was born in York county,
Pa., and his mother, whose maiden name was Hannah Tyson, was also a native of
the Keystone state. David Maish, Sr., was one of the early settlers in Clinton
county, moving to the same in the year 1836, accompanied by a family of ten
children, whose names are as follows: Sarah, George, Jacob, David, Matthias,
Joseph, Catherine, Hannah, Henry, and Frederick. One child, Lydia, died in
Pennsylvania, and four children were added to the family after their arrival
in Indiana, to-wit---Mary J., Elizabeth, Martha and James D. Mr. Maish arrived
in Clinton county six years after its organization, and the country being then
new, he had a prodigious amount of hard labor to perform before he could make
his investment profitable. The land upon which he settled was covered with a
dense forest growth, and he was obliged to work early and late in order to
remove the same and fit the soil for cultivation. With a large family to
support, his prospects were often discouraging, but, undaunted by his
situation, he persevered courageously until his efforts were ultimately
crowned with success. In his day, Mr. Maish was a very active participant in
all measures for the improvement of the county, and he is remembered as one of
the potent factors in the material advancement of the country. He departed
this life on the thirtieth day of May, 1868, after a residence of thirty-two
years in the county, and his wife died in 1880.
David Maish, Jr., the immediate subject of this notice, was born May 14, 1823,
and he remained with his father on the farm until his twenty-second year,
attending such primitive schools as the country afforded at intervals in the
meantime. At the age of twenty-two, he left home to bear his part in the
struggle of life, his sole amount of available wealth at that time consisting
of one shilling in money. He obtained employment in a grist and saw-mill owned
by one Samuel Kyger, where he remained three months, receiving for his
services the very modest compensation of nine dollars per month. The
following summer, he worked at cistern building for twelve dollars per month,
and then engaged with John W. Blair to drive a four-horse team, loaded with
merchandise, to La Fayette, Ind. The follow-ing February he again accepted
employment with Mr. Kyger for a more liberal compensation, and remained with
that gentleman during the six succeeding years. In 1847 Mr. Maish entered
into the marriage relation with Miss Altha Norris, and, immediately there-
after, purchased 160 acres of land, upon which his present home is located.
About five years after his marriage, a destructive fire occurred in the mill
in which he had been employed, reducing it to ashes. Being again thrown upon
his own resources, he determined to embark in the milling business for
himself. He accordingly rented the Spring Mill property in Washington township
for a term of one
year, at the end of which time he removed to his farm and followed
agricultural pursuits with the most gratifying success until his retirement
from the active duties of life in 1880. The married life of Mr. Maish has been
blessed with ten children, named, respectively : William C., George 0.,
Elizabeth M., Hannah E., Willard P., Edward N., Susan J., David T., Altha A.,
and Emma J. Of these children the following are living: Willard P.,
Elizabeth M., Edward N., Susan J., and Emma J.
On the twenty-seventh day of July, 1876, Mr. Maish was called upon to part
with the faithful companion of his married life, the wife and mother, whose
gentle influence had been such a potent power for good in the home circle
during a period of twenty-three years. This sad event cast a deep gloom over
the family circle and was felt as a personal loss by her many friends
throughout Clinton county. In the way of the gospel she lived, and with its
blessed rays to light and comfort her through "the dark valley, " she passed
peacefully away beyond the trials of this mortal land to ''the inheritance
prepared for the saints.''
When Mr. Maish first located upon the land now occupied by his beautiful farm,
it was a dense wilderness without even a cabin to offer its friendly shelter.
With the energy and determination with which his life has ever been
characterized he went to work with a will, and in due time built a home for
himself and wife and fitted a goodly number of acres for cultivation. The
original dwelling, a rude structure built of logs, served its purpose well,
and in time was replaced by a more handsome and commodious building, which now
stands as a monument to his industry and courageous perseverance under
difficulties. Mr. Maish has added to his original purchase from time to time
until his possessions in real estate amount to 711 acres. Of this amount 424
acres have been cleared and cultivated by himself. Mr. Maish has ever taken
great interest in internal improvements, was especially active in the
advancement of railroad facilities, which he aided liberally, and employed
valuable time in soliciting subscriptions for the enterprises. He has always
favored any and all measures calculated to enhance the interests of the county
whenever such have been submitted to the people for their approval by ballot,
and he is indeed a public-spirited citizen in all that term implies. As
stated above, Mr. Maish retired from active life in 1880, since which time he
has lived in Frankfort, where he owns a comfortable home, in which his
declining years are being passed. His has indeed been an active life, and
his success financially and otherwise is the result of prudence, industry and
wise business forethought. Although in his seventy-second year, Mr. Maish
still possesses in a marked degree the possession of his faculties physical
and mental, and bids fair to live for many years to come. This fact is
readily vouched for by the excellent portrait on the page preceding the
opening of this biography.
Transcribed by Chris Brown from pages 789-791 of "A Portrait And Biographical
Record of Boone and Clinton Counties, Ind.," published in 1895 by A.W. Bowen &
Co. Chicago.