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Surnames: Phebus, Harvey & Taylor
Classification: Biography
Message Board URL:
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/gh.2ADI/5401
Message Board Post:
"History of Huntington County, Indiana"1914 By Frank S. Bash pg. 722-23
David Phebus. The distinction of being the largest land owner in Jackson township belongs
to David Phebus. The credit for such achievement becomes the greater when it is recalled
that David Phebus at the age of twenty-one was known in the country district of White
county, where he was reared, as a reliable and industrious young workman, but entirely
without capital, and with all his prospects in the future.
David Phebus has been an industrious worker all his life, and has well earned the fine
competency which is now his. Born in White county, Indiana, May 11, 1851, David Phebus is
a son of Silas and Martha (Harvey) Phebus. The parents were both born in Ohio, and were
early settlers of White county. David Phebus was reared on a farm, got his education in
the district schools, and grew up at a time when book learning was much disparaged in
favor of the practical training of the fields and woods. He learned to swing an ax and
follow a plow almost before he learned the multiplication table. In attending school and
working at home, he continued until he was eighteen, and then gave all his labor to his
family until he was twenty-one. At that date he started out to make his own way, and was
employed at day or monthly wages for several years. Samuel Ramey, of White county, for
whom he worked, took a liking to the young man, and in order to encourage him and give him
a start, sold a tr!
act of land on credit. Assuming this obligation, Mr. Phebus strained every effort to
acquit himself of his obligation and in time had not only paid for the land, but had got
it into a high state of cultivation. Finally he sold that and bought one hundred and
twenty acres and continued to prosper year in and year out. In 1903 Mr. Phebus sold his
White county interests, and came to Huntington county, where he now owns four hundred and
eighty acres. Sixty-seven and a half acres of his farm lies in Whitley county. His fine
estate, with its principal residence and excellent barns and other improvements, lies one
mile west and two miles north of Roanoke, and twelve miles northeast of Huntington. As a
general farmer and stock raiser, Mr. Phebus has been realizing handsome profits from his
long experience.
Mr. Phebus married Alice Taylor of White county, where she was born and reared on a farm
and had her education in schools of the same character as those attended by her husband.
Their family of children are named as follows: Walter, who is unmarried and lives at home;
Mabel, a graduate of the common schools; Frank, who lives at home; Bernard and Bernice,
twins, the latter being the wife of Glenn Hartley of Michigan; Merl, living at home;
Charles, who is unmarried and lives at home. Mr. Phebus, though a Democrat, has never
interested himself in politics, and it is as a hard working and prospering citizen that he
has contributed most to the community.