Henry County Indiana
B.F. Bowen
1920
Surnames in this biography are: Stafford, Pritchard, Albertson, Newby,
Parker, Stratton,
REV.SETH STAFFORD
America is pre-eminently a land of self mademen for here abound
opportunities for achieving success such as no othercountry affords. The man
of energy and correct training may here readily riseto positions of
usefulness, if not distinction, provided he is well grounded inthe principles
of rectitude and integrity. Not only is this the case in thepresent day, but
to some extent conditions have with long existed whereby theindividual with a
proper conception of the dignity of his mission might risesuperior to
environment and win for himself positions of honor and trust in thecommunity.
The life of the widely known and eminently popular subject of thissketch
affords a striking example of what a man plentifully endowed with goodcommon
sense, supplemented by sound mental discipline, accomplished in daysgone by,
when opportunities were not so numerous as at the present time andmany
discouraging circumstances had to be surmounted and obstacles removed fromhis
pathway of success. The life of Seth Stafford has had a
farther-reachingeffect and perhaps a greater influence for good than the
majority of men of hisday and generation in eastern and central Indiana. Many
youths who formerly satat his feet received instruction in the mysteries of
books and in the greaterand more important matter of how to live up to their
highest ideals of manhoodare found today filling important stations in the
world, blessings to societyand true helps to humanity. A benefactor of his
kind and long a prominentfactor in moulding the character and controlling
opinion in his community, thisveteran educator and honored citizen
still remains to make the World brighter and better and from
thetopmost round of the ladder of success now looks back over a well spent
life,seeing therein little to regret and much to commend. The paternal
ancestors ofMr. Stafford came from Scotland in a very early day and settled
in NorthCarolina. Many years ago there was born in Randolph county, that
state, one EliStafford, who when a young man married a neighbor girl by the
name of ElizabethPritchard. They were poor people, but, blessed with
exuberant spirits and abundantly endowed with thatadmirable quality
known as self-reliance, resolutely faced the future and carefully
formulated their plans forthe years to come. Realizing that but little
could be accomplished in their native state in the wayof acquiring a
competence and having favorable reports of the new and fertileIndiana
country, they loaded their few household effects on a one-horse cartand
started for the wilds of what is now Henry county. Mrs. Stafford and
hersister-in-law rode, while the husband walked, carefully selecting the
mostfavorable routes over hills and through swamps, and in this
manner after a long and tediousjourney, attended with many hardships and not
a few dangers, the couple finally reached their destination.This was
as early as the year 1818 and for some time after his arrival Mr.Stafford
worked on a lease, which he took to clear a certain amount of landwithin the
present limits of Wayne County. After laboring hard for two years hesold the
lease and improvements for one hundred dollars and with this sum ofmoney
entered eighty acres in Greensboro township from which in due time hecleared
a very respectable farm. About the year 1834 he built a mill on hisplace of
forty acres, the first enterprise of the kind in that part of thecountry and
subsequently purchased another eighty-acre tract on which he spentthe
remainder of his life, dying at the advanced age of eighty years. Eli
Stafford and wife were zealous membersof the Society of Friends and are
remembered as among the first of thatreligious body to settle in the county
of Henry. They were kind-hearted and true, lived lives of usefulness,filling
up the measure of their days with good deeds and always exerted awholesome
influence in the community where they resided. Eight children wereborn to
this excellent old couple, namely: John. Cynthia, Phineas, Abigail,Achsah,
Seth, Elizabeth and Sarah.
Seth Stafford, the direct subjectof this review, was born on the
original family homestead insection 24, Greensboro Township, Henry
County, November 5, 1830. The story of his youth is similar inmany
respects to the early life of many of our best public men. In summer
he worked beside his father andbrothers on the farm, laying upstores
of health and strength for the trying demands of his
subsequentprofessional career. Here wasformed the intimate
acquaintance with the affairs of daily life, its difficulties and
needs which was tokeep him ever after in warm sympathy with those who
toil. In hishome life tinder its firm but kindly parental government was
acquired thathabit of industry and those principles of integrity,
independence and love ofright, which have been such marked characteristics of
the man. In the wintertime he attended the subscription schools and made
substantial progress,meantime developing a taste for books and a fondness for
learning whichawakened a desire for greater scholastic training than the
means at handafforded. Actuated by this desire,young Stafford finally
entered Antioch College at Yellow Springs. Ohio, whenthat institution was
under the management of that noted educator and celebratedAmerican, Horace
Mann. While there he studied with great assiduity with theobject in view of
preparing himself for teaching and on leaving college tookcharge of his first
school in his home township and from the beginningdemonstrated peculiar
abilities and fitness as an instructor. He began hispedagogical work in Henry
Township, receiving the magnificent salary of tendollars a month, boarding
himself. Mr. Stafford's experience in the educationalfield took a wide range
and extended over many years filled to completion withtoilsome duty
faithfully and conscienciously performed. His methods did not,like many of
the more modern schools, tend to dull uniformity; they gave to theambitious
youth opportunities to acquire a training that tended to
individualdevelopment and that personal independence and
self-reliance which peculiarly fit the pupil to grapplewith the various
questions relating to American industrial and political life. Being
far in advance of themajority of teachers in intellectual ability and
professional training, hisservices were eagerly sought by the more
intelligent communities and he neverexperienced any difficulty in securing
schools, although his salary at firstwas very meager. As years went by men of
his abilities began to command muchmore liberal remuneration, accordingly his
salary was gradually increased until he received larger wagesthan
were paid to any other teacher in the county. Mr. Stafford never permitted
him self to fall behind the time,but by spending his vacations attending
normal schools and other institutionsalways kept in touch with the general
trend of educational thought. He was always a high-grade teacher and assuch
introduced many reforms, which had a far-reaching effect upon theeducational
system of Henry County and in other counties where he was employed.His
standing as the most scholarly as well as the most successful teacher ofhis
day in this part of the state was universally conceded by school met:
andnever questioned by the public. He threw all of his powerful personality
intothe work, which he pursued with the interest of a born enthusiast and to
hisindefatigable labors are many of the leading men of this country and
elsewhereindebted for the instruction and gentle but firm admonition
which led to the success which they havesince obtained. Mr. Stafford taught
and attended school continuously from 1848to 1878, during which period he led
to the pathway of knowledge hundreds of boys and girls who havesince
become the moral bone andsinew of the country. He appears to have
been born for the high office, whichhe so long and so faithfully filled and
retired there from only when he thoughtit his imperative duty so to do. Mr.
Stafford was married on the 8th day ofMarch, 186o, to Miss Rebekkah J.
Albertson, of Wayne County, this state, aunion resulting in four children,
Julia, Charles, Milton and William M. Juliawas born September 20, 1862,
graduated from Spiceland Academy and is now thewife of Clinton Newby;
Charles, whose birth occurred on the 21st day of November,1867, married
Virgie Parker and lives on a farm adjoining his father's place;
Milton was born September 9,1873, married Miss Minnie Stratton and is one of
the highly esteemed citizensof the community in which he lives; William M.,
who was born July 28, 1877, isan alumnus of Spiceland Academy, also attended
Earlham College and has taughtin the public schools of this County. Since the
year 1874 Mr. Stafford hadlived in section 24, Greensboro Township, on a
farm, which he purchased of hisfather for one hundred dollars per acre. He
has a beautiful and attractiveplace, well improved, his large and imposing
brick dwelling of eleven roomsbeing one of the most desirable as well as one
of the most valuable rural homesin the county of Henry. The place and
everything thereon bear evidence ofthrift and prosperity, directed and
controlled by good taste, the orchards,graceful shade trees and well-kept
lawns bespeaking a home where genuinehospitality and true refinement reign
supreme. Mr. Stafford isa birth-right member of the society of
Friends, in which he has held various official positions, amongothers
those of clerk and correspondent. In the year 1878 he was acknowledgedas a
minister and since then has devoted part of the time preaching for hishome
congregation and as an evangelist at other places where his services
arerequested. As a minister he has been instrumenital in accomplishing much
goodwherever he has exercised the duties of his holy office, being a good
speaker aclear, logical reasoner with a sufficiency of pathos in his sermons
to makethem interesting and very reflective to his auditors. Mrs. Stafford
has alsobeen very active in religiouswork, for a number of years
holding the position of elder in the church, inwhich capacity she has done
much to strengthen and build up her own andother local societies.
Not only as an educator and leading churchworker is Mr. Stafford known, but
as an enterprising, public-spirited citizen,interested in the material
development of his township and county, his positionhas long been duly
recognized. He is a Republican in politics and keeps himselfwell informed
relative to all great national and international questions,always taking an
active interest in the issues, which divide parties and affectlegislation. At
different times he has served on United States juries and as aleading member
of the Henry County Historical Society has done much to collectand put in
permanent form many interesting facts concerning the early historyand
development of this particular part of the state. His life has been a
veryactive one and the amount of good he has accomplished will only be known
in thegreat day when the Books are opened and every man rewarded according to
thedeeds done in the body. The retrospect of a long and useful career is his
andthe future awaits him with bountiful rewards. Mr. and Mrs. Stafford have
intheir possession two old parchment deeds, one executed October 15, 1835,
andbearing the signature of President Andrew Jackson, or Old Hickory,
and the other bearing date March 15. 1837,the year of the great
panic, andthe signature of President Martin Van Buren.