Contributed by Charlene Saunders:
JOHN RAWLES, of Wabash Township, a son of JOHN and SARAH RAWLES, was
born in Pickaway County, Ohio, January 17, 1813, and there he was reared
in the usual manner of farmer boys, working during the summer season and
attending the district school of his neighborhood during the winter. in
1830 he came with his parents to Tippecanoe County, Indiana, where the
father purchased 320 acres of land, a portion of which was prairie.
Some years later JOHN purchased this farm, together with another tract
of eighty acres which his father had previously entered. The father
continuted to reside on the homestead until his death, which occurred in
1839. Since purchasing the home farm, MR. RAWLES has made successive
additions of land, and at one time owned nearly 1,000 acres. He has
since sold part of his land, and given to his children, yet he has
sufficient to keep him in comfortable circumstances the remainder of his
days.
MR. RAWLES was married in 1834 to MISS MATILDA NEWELL, daughter of
WILLIAM and ANN NEWELL, of Warren County, Indiana, and to this union
eleven children were born--LYCURGUS (deceased), ZELINA (deceased),
WILLIAM N., MARCELLUS, DAVID, SARAH ANN (deceased), JOHN (deceased),
MARY ANN, JOSEPH P., EDWIN and GEORGE II. During the late civil war,
WILLIAM, MARCELLUS and DAVID entered the Federal service, and through a
period of three years assisted in maintaining the Union cause. JOHN,
then a lad of fourteen years, also entered into the service, serving one
hundred days.
Having been reared on a farm, MR. RAWLES adopted the occupation of
farming as his life work, becoming a thorough, practical agriculturist,
and as a dealer in fine stock he has been very successful. MRS RAWLES
died in August, 1885. Although seventy-five years of age, MR. RAWLES is
still hale and active, and bids fair to spend many years in the
enjoyment of the accumulations of his former years of toil.
In politics MR. RAWLES was formerly a Whig, but has been a Republican
since the organization of that party. In 1856 he was elected county
commissioner, holding that office six consecutive years, and during his
term of office the famous artesian well in the public square was dug,
and through the instrumentality of the board of commissioners, of which
he was a member, a residence was erected on the county infirmary farm
for the superintendent.
Since 1843 MR. RAWLES has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal
church, and has led a consistent Christian life. The manly integrity of
his character, which has been manifested throughout a long and useful
life, has drawn around him many friends, and none stand higher in the
estimation of his fellow-citizens.
Biographical Record and Portrait Album of Tippecanoe County, Indiana
p. 553