Posted on: Tippecanoe Co. In Bios Forum
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Surname: Gushwa, Bigler, Everly, Garrison, Gephart, Isley, McKope, Wickle
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Biographical Record and Portrait Album of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, pp.
732, 735
Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1888
JOHN GUSHWA, Jr., of Perry Township, is a representative of one of the
early pioneer families of Tippecanoe County, a son of PETER GUSHWA. The
latter was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a son of JOSIAH GUSHWA.
He was reared to agricultural pursuits in his native county, and was there
married to MISS MARY MAGDALENA GEPHART, who was also a native of Pennsylvania.
In 1830 he came with his family, consisting of wife and seven children,
to Tippecanoe County, Indiana, and first camped in the woods in Perry Township,
until their log cabin was erected. JOHN SHARP and PETER PENSOD came to
the county with their families at the same time the GUSHWA family settled
here. Their log cabin was built in the most primitive style, with puncheon
floor, huge fireplace and clapboard roof. Here the father commenced making
a home out of the forest for his family, having entered a tract of 160
acres of land from the Government, and buying another tract of 160 acres.
He died March 1861, his wife having died December 25, 1853. They were members
of the Lutheran church, and were among the respected residents of Perry
Township. In politics he was a Democrat. They were the parents of the following
childrenMARGARET, deceased; MRS. ELIZABETH BIGLER, living in Wayne County,
Iowa; CATHERINE, deceased; JOHN, the subject of this sketch; WILLIAM, of
White County, Indiana; MRS. SARAH ISLEY, of this county; MRS. MARIA GARRISON,
of Missouri; MRS. ANNA McKOPE; HENRY, of Carroll County; ISAAC, of Montgomery
County, Indiana; and MRS. LYDIA EVERLY and ALEXANDER, residents of Fairfield
Township, this county.
JOHN GUSHWA, our subject, was born June 30, 1823, and was a lad of seven
years when brought by his parents to this county. He was reared to manhood
on a frontier farm, and received such education as the pioneer schools
of the county afforded. In 1850 he started for California, going first
to St. Joseph, Missouri, where he joined a company going by overland route
to the Pacific coast, and after passing through terrible hardships, and
dangers from hostile Indians, etc., he arrived at his destination. He remained
in that State three years engaged in mining, hen he returned to this county,
by the Isthmus of Panama, New Orleans and St. Louis. He was married in
1863, to MISS CATHERINE WICKLE, who was born in Washington Township, Tippecanoe
County, Indiana, a daughter of DAVID and ELIZABETH (ISLEY) WICKLE, of that
township. They have six children, named HENRY, FLORA, LUCY, IVA, CLAYTON
and JOHN. After his marriage our subject bought the interest of the other
heirs in the old homestead, and is now the owner of 248 acres of fine land,
his farm being one of the best in his township. No better residence than
his can be found in the county, and his farm buildings are correspondingly
good, all the surroundings of the place showing the owner to be a man of
thrift and enterprise. In his political views he is a Democrat, and is
classed among the leading men of his township.
Link: Portrait of John Gushwa Jr.
URL: <
http://www.rootsweb.com/~intippec/JGushwa.jpg>