The Diggs Family of Randolph County, Indiana

WILLIAM DIGGS, JR., LATE OF WHITE RIVER, 1816.

"I was born in Anson county, N. C., December 17, 1793. In the year 01 1816, I came to Indiana to seek a home for myself. Paul, Henry H., William and Robert Way and I came across the country from North Carolina in a road wagon, crossed the Ohio river at Louisville, Ky.; came to Blue River, but not being pleased with the country, we came to Wayne county, made our temporary above at Charlotte Way's (afterward my mother-in-law), and looked around for suitable places. We finally selected our lands and built our camps about two miles west of Winchester. I remained there till the latter part of Ausust, when the Indians became so numerous that our friends advised us to abandon our claims and seek safety in the settlements.

I was married to Charlotte Way October 6, 1816, and returned to my claim in February, 181 7. At that time there was only one white settler nearer than twelve miles.

We moved into a camp and lived in it till I could cut the logs and build a small log house, which seemed a palace to us then. We saw no white man's face for eight weeks after settling there. But Indians were plenty, yet peaceable.

The first year, I cleared four acre of ground, and planted It m corn, but it did not ripen, and we had to go to Richmond, where settlers had been living for twelve or fifteen years, for all our breadstuff s. Wheat was then 75 cents a bushel, and corn $1.

When we were getting out of bread, I would start on horseback for the \Vhite ''ater, buy a sack of corn, get it ground, and take it home. In this way we lived till more settlers came. Xot long after, small hand-mills were introduced into the county, and as soon as the corn became too hard for roasting, we would take a small jack-plane, have the corn off the cob and dry it. We would take this corn to a hand-mill and grind it into meal. The nearest mill to my house was three miles.

Often I have worked hard all day, and then taken a sack of corn on my back to the mill, and gone home with it to furnish bread for my family next day.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JOHN W. DIGGS, son of Armsbee and Mary Diggs, was born on the 20tii of January, 182(3, at the old homestead in White River Township, Randolph County, Ind. He has pas.sed his days in this county from childhood to mature age, and has been identified more or less prominently with the public welfare

It of th county di boyhood, iie labored under (hr disadvantages common to a new settlement, particularly in respect to school privileges, and the greater portion of his time was required in the work of (he home farm. He attended school in one of the rude schoolhouses of that period, but his education is mostly self-acquired. His elder brother married and loft home, and he, being the next in age, took upon himself the burden of the work about the farm, and continued to work for his father until 1849. In May of that year he was married to Elizabeth, daughter of John and Mary Helms, and sister of G. W. Helms, of Winchester. After his marriage, he rented a portion of his father's farm, which he continued to cultivate until the spring of 1862. He had learned the carpenter's trade, and at the date last named adopted that pursuit for a livelihood. In 1865, he adopted the citbinet-niaker's trade, which he pursued successfully until the winter of I8fil-G2. He sold his shop at that time and has since been engaged in the undertaker's line. His life has been a success, financially and otherwise. He never believed in wasting time, and his years have been years of industry. He has acquired a comfortable fortune, all of which has been gained by honest toil. So firmly have the habits of his youth become a part of his nature, that he is always happiest when busily engaged at some manual labor. And while his industrious life has well earned complete rest for his later years, he lacks the inclination to a-cept it. The bride of his early years has been spared to conjfort and cheer his later life, and share with him the high regard and esteem of the community. They are the parents of three sons, named, respectively, George S., Charles C. and Eddie F. The former is the senior member of the firm of Diggs fi Way, of Winchester, while the younger brothers occupy the stiitions of clerks. Mr. Diggs is recognized as one of our best citizens, and has always felt an interest in the progress and public welfare of this county and town, contributing liberally to enterprises inaugurated with this end in view. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and has been identified with this denomination for a number of years. His life has been consistent with his religion, and in all his dealings with his fellow-men he has been honorable and fair. He became a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity at Winchester in 1854, and is still an active and enthusiastic member of that order, having attained the rank of a Uniformed Patriarch in the Encampment. In his political affiliations he is a Republican. His father was a Whig, and in his early boyhood, the son embraced the principles of that party, and later was a radical.Vbolitionist. He took an active though quiet part in the anti-slavery movements in this county, and upon the rise of the Republican party he became one of its earliest and stanchest friends and supporters, and has ever since been one of its most unwavering adherents. He hps never felt political ambition, and never sought public office. He has, however, been elected to several local positions by the spontaneous will of the people, and without eflTort on his own part. He was elected six times in succession to the office of Trustee of White River Township, and afterward served two years as Clerk and Treasurer of the town of Winchester,.and subsequently as Trustee of the corporation.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

MATTHEW W. DIGGS, harness and saddlery. Farmland. Matthew W. Diggs was born June 20, 1840, in this county. His father, Armsbce, originally came from Guilford County, N. C, where ho was born June 18, ITIl.'J. The father of Mr. Diggs settled in Randolph County in 1817. He settled on the farm on which he lived at the time of his death, he having cleared it from a wilderness to a cultivated and pleasant home. Mr. Diggs was married. May 4, 186M, to Ruth Diggs, who was born January 3, 183; He was educated in tlir common schools of this county; followed the occupation of farming until 186' when he engaged ia harness and saddlery, in Farmland. His stock is we., selected; worth Sl.-'JOO, his sales reaching $3,-500; is a m,ember of the Methodist Episcopal Church, I. 0. 0. F., No. 208; ardent temperance man. and a Republican. He owns two town lots on which is eno dwelling and a business father was born in the State of New York in the year 1798, and his mother was "born in New Jersey, 1799. They lived in Newark, N. J., until the year 1832, when they removed to this State and settled in Henry County. They lived here for about ten years, when they removed to Franklin (county, Ohio, where Mrs. Halliday (Ellas' mother) still lives, and where William died August, 1862. Elias was eight years of age when his parents came to this State. At the age of fourteen, he entered the store of Mark E. Reeves, of Washington, Wayne Co., Ind., where he remained for eight years in the capacity of a clerk. He was married to Jane Ringo, daughter of Peter and Margaret Ringo, of Centerville, Wayne Co., Ind., in the year 1846. After marriage, he entered into the general mercantile business in Washington, Wayne Co., and remained until 185'i, when he removed to this county, and settled in Maxville, where he again entered the goods business, lie remained here until 18Gl,when he was elected to the office of County Treasurer, and re-elected in 1863. As a business man, Mr. Halliday displayed that tact and enterprise which has characterized him through life. He was careful to look after his business in detail, and was eminently successful. After his term of four years as County Treasurer expired, he purchased a piece of land (30 acres) adjoining Farmland, and moved on it, where he still resides, lie is owner and proprietor of 32-5 acres of excellent land situated in M In > In.ill] ihis county. In addition to farming, Mr. Halliday is et-.111 lining and shipping all kinds of stock. He was first "I County Commissioner in the year 1876, and has hehl I: I I It I,1 ii-ly ever since, his term expiring next December..\s n c.jui.;ii.:i ril, Ut liii.s served the people faithfully and honestly, and will retire from olhce with the universal.iudginent, " Well done, good and faithful a cost of $3-5,O0O,'and five excellent iron bridges at a cost of 20,000, besides many other acts of interest to the county. Mr. Halliday is over alive to the best interests of the county, and he has done much to bring Randolph to the front rank as one of the best counties in the State..\Ir. and Mrs. Halliday are the parents of seven children, of whom five are now living. Their two sons, William R. and Waldo M. are both married, and reside in Lynn, this county, where they are engaged in a general mercantile business. They also have a daughter married and living in Farmland; the other two sons arc at home with their parents,.Mr. H. has a fair education notwithstanding his early advantages were very poor. He is a stanch Repuulican, and is a member of both the orders of F., & A. M., and I. 0. 0. F. He and his good wife have been acceptable members of the M. E. Church for over thirty years. Mr. Halliday is one of Randolph County's substantial, honored and useful citizens, of the strictest integrity and honesty of purpose. He and his family are hon. ored and respected by all who know them.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

CALVIN W. DIGGS, son of Littleberry C. and Mercy (Ad.lington) Diggs, was born September 1.3, 1843, in Stony Creek Township. Randolph Co., Ind. About the year 1854, he removed with his mother to Liber, Jay (Jo.. Ind.. his father having died in December, 1840. Here he attended school the greater portion of the time during the next eight years. In the meantime civil war had broken out, and in 18fi2, he left his studies lo do his p.art in defense of (he Union. In August, 181)2, he went to Richmond, Ind., and enrolled himself as a member of Company A, Eighty-fourth Indiana Regimen(, and was with his regiment in the battle of Chickamauga, where he was captured by the rebels on the 20th of September, 1863, while trying to save a comrade, William Mendenhall. From the baade-field he was taken to Richmond, Va., and placed in Libby Prison. At the end of a month, he was transferred to Danville, Va., where he was kept for five months, and from (hat point to Andersonvillc, Ga., where he spent eight months in the miserable pen, whose horrors will continue to be a blot upon the name of the South as long as memory or history shall endure. On the 20tii of November, 1804, he w!is exchanged, and after a furlough of forty days, rejoineil his regiment at HuntsviUe, Ala., remaining with it until the close of the war. After his discharge fjpm the service he returned to his home, and, for three or four years following, taught in the district schools of the county during the winter, and in the spring of 1869, was appointed Deputy by William E. Murray, who was then Auditor, and in the fall of 1873, accepted the position of Deputy Clerk, under R. A. Le-aell. In the fall of 1877, he embarked in the business of collecting the foreign fees of Sheriffs and clerks, in the pur.iuit of which he visited each county in the SUite. This enterprise was a new one, and he found it pleasant and reasonably remunerative. In December, 188(1, he was appointed Assistant Attorney General for the Sixth and Eleventh Congressional Districts, his duties being the collection of fees due the State. In March, 1882, he formed a partnership with J. W. Macy, in the in-

On the 28tii of October, 1877, he was united in marriage with Miss Harriet R. Edger, daughter of Edward Edger, Esq., of Winchester. Their wedded life has been blessed by two children, named, respectively, Bessie Diggs (deceased; and Nellie E. Diggs. Mr. Diggs has grown up in this community, and is well known throughout the county.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.