Original message from: wgmac(a)stlnet.com
Can you give me info on Jacob SHOEMAKER p 893
Hello Nancy,
I hope the Jacob Shoemaker biography helps and will cross-post it to
INCLINTO-L with hopes of reaching other researchers. This is bio # 172 on
the new Clinton County Biographies page.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~inclinto/bios.html
Enjoy,
Connie
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JACOB SHOEMAKER.
If one wants to get an idea of how twentieth century farming is now
successfully carried on in Forest township, Clinton county, one could do no
better than to visit the well kept and well tilled farm of Jacob Shoemaker,
for he is a methodical, studious, persistent worker, believing in making the
soil produce as much as it will without leaving the same depleted or robbing
it of its natural elements, yet he makes everything count that he turns his
attention to, and it is no wonder that he has succeeded admirably at his
chosen vocation.
Mr. Shoemaker was born in the above named township and county on February
15, 18522, and he has been contented to spend his life right here in his
native locality. He is a son of Eleazor and Christina (Snider) Shoemaker.
The father was born in Highland county, Ohio, May 26th in the year 1821,
where he spent his earlier years and where he received a meager education in
the sommon (sic) schools of the vicinity. When a young man he removed to
Putnam county, Indiana, where he soon got a good start and where he was
married September 14, 1842, to Christina Snider, soon after-wards removing
to Clinton county, where he continued to reside until his death, January 30,
1876. He was a hard-working man, very strong and rugged. He cleared the
land on which he settled in Forest township and here developed an excellent
farm through sheer hard labor. He was not only a shoemaker in name but also
a shoemaker by trade as well, and spent such spare time as he could command
in this work, although not professing to be a skilled workman. Politically,
he was a Republican. The mother of our subject was born in the year 1826,
June 10th, in the city of Knoxville, Tennessee, and there remained until she
was about ten years old, when she removed with the rest of the family to
Putnam county, Indiana. She had no chance to attend school and could not
read or write but was a woman of rare common sense. Her death occurred
September 4, 1904.
The family of Eleazor Shoemaker and wife was a large one, thirteen children
having been born to them, named as follows: Elizabeth and Christiana (both
deceased) ; Solomon, Rebecca (deceased); Jacob, of this review; Mandy,
Calvin, Allen, and Martin (all deceased); Louis, Enoch (deceased), Elija,
and Rachel (deceased).
Jacob Shoemaker grew to manhood on the home farm and there did his full
share of the work when a boy, he receiving a common school education. In an
interesting sketch of his early home life he writes: " My father settled on
the land on which the north half of the township of Forest now stands, on
the first day of January, 1852, in a little log cabin on a half acre of
cleared ground in the midst of a dense forest. The roof of this cabin of
clapboards, fastened down with weight poles. Not a nail or piece of iron was
in the whole building. The doors were on wooden hinges and the floor was
made of split slabs. Our huge fireplace had a stick and clay chimney, and
clay back jams and hearth furnished warmth and cooking place for the family.
At this old fireplace, oft have I seen my dear old sainted mother cooking
hoe cakes and Johnny cakes. In early fall the meal from which our meal was
made was grated on a piece of tin through which holes had been made with a
nail, the corn being gathered before it would shell and ofttimes our mush
was stirred with a large cornstalk.
"Our clothing consisted of home fabrics, made into our simple garments by
our mother. Our drinking water was provided by a hole eight or ten feet deep
dug in one corner of our dooryard and into which a large hollow sycamore log
had been placed on end for watering purposes. The water being drawn with the
old well sweep. Our tillable fields were only the high knoll surrounded by
swamps. We planted our corn on a ridge thrown up with a barshare plow, two
furrows together to keep it out of the water. We neither had drains nor
roads excepting as we would 'blaze' them out through the woods, often having
to change them on account of mud. All our crops had to be divided with the
coons, squirrels, deer, foxes, wild turkeys and other animals and fowIs that
infested the then dense forests and ofttimes our father would send myself
and a brother at night to our little fields to protect the crops and we
would sometimes drive four or five coons to a single tree. Our forage for
our little herd consisted of slough grass. Many times do I remember when
sent to drive the cows in, that there would be more deer than cows in the
herd, attracted. seemingly by the cow bell."
On December 13, 1880, Mr. Shoemaker married Martha E. Fletcher, who was in
this county and state January 3,1850, and she grew to womanhood here and
received her education in the public schools. She is a daughter of William
and Elizabeth Ann Fletcher.
Three children have been born to our subject and wife: Anna Myrtle, born in
1883, married to Monroe Huffer, near her father's farm; Christina Merle,
born July 7, 1883, died March 1, 1902; Bert Monroe, the son and youngest
child, born October 3, 1886, absent from his home after March 25, 1902, and
his whereabouts are unknown to his parents.
Jacob Shoemaker has followed farming all his life with uninterrupted
success. He is an owner of a valuable and well kept place of one hundred
and fifteen acres, all tillable but about eight acres. It is fairly well
tiled and otherwise properly improved. He built his own home and is
comfortably situated in every respect. He is now living retired, renting his
farm. He formerly made a specialty of raising Jersey cows and Poland China
and Duroc hogs. He still raises the latter, and a good general breed of
horses.
Politically, Mr. Shoemaker is a Prohibitionist, being bitter against the
vile stuff which he has seen ruin so many of his acquaintances. He is a
member of and a trustee and earnest worker in the Holiness Christian church.
Pages 893 - 894.
History of Clinton County, Indiana .. With Historical Sketches of
Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old
Families. By Hon. Joseph Claybaugh. Published 1913 by A. W. Bowen &
Company - Indianapolis, Indiana