This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.
Surnames: Wallace, Brooks, Francis, Montgomery, Snyder, Stover, Williamson
Classification: Biography
Message Board URL:
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/Hi.2ADI/1514
Message Board Post:
Past and Present of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Illustrated, Vol. II, pp. 872-874
B. F. Bowen and Company, Publishers, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1909
AARON WALLACE
The superintendent of the Tippecanoe County Infirmary, AARON WALLACE, is one of those
capable and genial men that it is a pleasure to know. His disposition is uniformly sunny
and according to those who know him best no more competent man could be found for the
place he fills.
MR. WALLACE first saw light of day in Jackson Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, on
February 13, 1852. He is the son of HUGH and JANE (BROOKS) WALLACE, both natives of the
Emerald Isle, the country that has sent such a vast army of active and intelligent
citizens to America who have played a very conspicuous part in the development of the same
from a very early day. The date of HUGH WALLACE's birth was 1819. He married JANE
BROOKS in their native country and a few years afterward, hearing of the larger advantages
in the New World, they decided to bring their two children here. But being limited in
means they did not have sufficient money to pay their passage; however, they bound
themselves to pay the required sum. The father immediately sought work upon his arrival
in this country, his principal thought being to pay for his passage. He found employment
for the small sum of fifty cents per day, and by economy saved enough out of this sum to
pay for the passage of him!
self and family. He later began life as a farmer, and, through frugality and
perseverance, he in time became prosperous. Believing that the West offered greater
opportunities, he came to Tippecanoe County, Indiana, purchasing land in Jackson Township,
becoming the owner of three hundred acres of as fine land as could be found in the
township, and he spent the latter years of his life in comfort and affluence. He is
remembered as a very devout man, a great reader of the Bible and an active member of the
Methodist Church. In politics, he was a Republican. As the father of eleven children, he
realized that it was his duty to rear them in the fear and admonition of the Lord, and
their subsequent upright lives stand as a monument to this realization of duty. The names
of his children who survive are as follows: JAMES F., a farmer of Jackson Township;
ELIZABETH F., wife of WILLIAM FRANCIS, of Ambia, Indiana; BELLE, wife of CHARLES
WILLIAMSON, of Texas; and AARON, of this rev!
iew.
AARON WALLACE, as already intimated, was reared on a farm in Jackson Township and early in
life began assisting his father with the work about the place, attending the neighboring
schools during the winter months, but the greater par of his time was taken up with farm
work. He remained under the parental roof until he reached his majority, then rented a
part of the home farm, and he has since devoted his life principally to agricultural
pursuits. He is the owner of two hundred acres of excellent land in Jackson Township
where he had had a marked degree of success, not only as a general farmer but also as a
stock raiser.
In 1873 MR. WALLACE married the lady of his choice, BESSIE MONTGOMERY, who was born in
Brown County, Ohio, December 11, 1855. When sixteen years of age she came to Indiana, but
her parents never left Ohio. MR. and MRS. WALLACE remained on their home farm in Jackson
Township until 1904 when MR. WALLACE was the unanimous choice of the county commissioners
for superintendent of the county infirmary, a position which he seems to be qualified by
nature to serve, but his success in the management of the institution is due in no small
measure to the assistance of MRS. WALLACE. Since they took charge of the infirmary many
valuable and needed improvements have been made. The building is well supplied with
artificial water power, which can be brought into play in case of fire. It was through
the earnestness of MR. WALLACE that the county council was prevailed upon to make the
appropriation. The county is greatly indebted to MR. WALLACE for his action in this
matter, as in many o!
ther things pertaining to the infirmary. He has the good will of all the inmates on the
farm.
MR. and MRS. WALLACE are the parents of three children, namely: ARTHUR, born December 25,
1874, married DAISY STOVER, and they now reside in Waynetown, Indiana; JAMES A., born
April 22, 1876, married CRETIE SNYDER; one daughter of the subject and wife died in
infancy.
Both MR. WALLACE and his son, JAMES, are members of Shawnee Lodge, No. 129, Masonic
fraternity, being members of the Scottish rite, thirty-third degree. AARON WALLACE is
also a member of the blue lodge, the grand lodge, Perfection Council of Princes of
Jerusalem; the chapter of Rose Croix; also the consistory of Sublime Princes of the Royal
Secret and the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He also belongs to
the New Richmond Lodge, No. 288, Knights of Pythias.
Note: Aaron Wallace and his wife Bessie are buried in Wheeler's Grove Cemetery in
Jackson Township. Aaron Wallace died in 1914 and Bessie Wallace died in 1935.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~intippec/WheelerCemIns.html