Joseph Monks

As printed in 1882

JOSEPH MONKS, farmer, P. 0. Harrisville, was born in Hamilton County, Ohio, April 7, 1818, and is a son of John and Matilda E. Monks, the former a native of England, and the latter of Bardstown, Ky. He came with his parents to this county in 1821, at that time the Indians, deer, turkeys and wolves were numerous in this locality. The Monks settled in the thick woods, and labored bard to prepare a home. Mr. Monks has ground corn in a hominy block with an iron wedge. The nearest mill was at Richmond, twenty-five miles distant, and that distance he went on horseback. There was no school until he was thirteen years old, and then it was. a subscription school, taught in a log cabin, with "stick and clay" chimney, slab seals, luncheon floor and clapboard roof Mr. Monks was married, August 17, 1846, to Miss Lucinda Wilmore, daughter of W. C. Wilmore, of whom we shall make further mention elsewhere in this work. They had five children, viz., John, Willis, Louisa, Sarah (deceased), and an infant (deceased). For eleven years, Mr. Monks followed wool carding, with his father in Winchester, since that time he has been engaged in farming and stock-raising. He now owns 160 acres of valuable land, and resides on Section 12.

JAMES MoNEAL is a resident of White River Township; he was born in Washington Township, Randolph County, July 28, 1830, and is a son of James and Elizabeth Jarratt McNeal. James was brought up on a farm and educated in a log cabin. The seats of his school-room were cushioned with the soft sides of split slabs, and the floor was carpeted with alluvium. In one end of the schoolhouse there was a large fire-place, which was a comforter on cold winter days. Mr. McNeal, in his early life, was employed in clearing land and putting the soil under cultivation; he also learned the carpenter trade and blacksmithing. Of late years be has employed himself, as he says, " in a general purpose way." He is a genius in the arts. He was married, April 11, 1808, to Miss Matilda Moyer, a native of Pennsylvania, and daughter of Jacob Moyer, of German descent. Mr. and Mrs. McNeal have had two children, viz., Elmira Belle, who is a graduate of the Winchester High School, and a prominent teacher of Randolph County; Ida P., who is deceased. Mr. McNeal owns a neat farm of thirty-three acres near the corporate limits of W.chester. This family ie favorably received and highly appreciated.

THOMAS R. MrGUIRE was born on the 12th day of May, 1833, at Maxville, Randolph Co., Ind.; he is a son of Samuel McGuire and Eunice (Burns) McGuire, a native of New York. Samuel was a native of North Carolina. There were ten children in the McOuire family. Thomoy R. is the oldest son, and consequently very familiar with the pioneer life; hie education was such as the district schools then afforded; he has always been employed on a farm. On the 30th day of December, 1861, he enlisted in Company C, of the Nineteenth Regiment of Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and re-enlisted on the 31st day of December. 1863, at Culpeper Court House, Va. He participated in the battle of Petersburg and the Wilderness, and was wounded, and is a pensioner; he was detailed as a teamster in June, 1862, and drove a team nearly three years; he was badly hurt by a mule falling on him on the 7lh day of May, 1863; he was honorably discharged on the Tith day of July, 1866, at Jeffer- Bonville, Ind., by reason of General Order No. 26, of the Army of Tennessee. Four years before the war, Thomas R. and his wife moved to Cooper County, Mo., and resided there till the war began, when on account of the war they returned to Indiana. After the close of the war, they moved to Minnesota in 1866, end back to Indiana in 1867. In 1874, moved to Kansas, and in 1877 back to Indiana. They have nine children— William R., born May 10, 1856; Kiinuel, born September 19, 1868; James A., bom July 2, 1861; Daniel S., horn October 8, 1866; U. S., October 8, 18G5; the latter two being twins — Lewis B., November 30, 1866, Anna Mary, December 3, 1868; Sarah Ellen, January 26, 1871; Martha Jane, January 6, 1875.

As printed in History of Randolph County, Indiana with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers : to which are appended maps of its several townships (1882). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.