Vol 2, p 377 -
John Allen, second son of Hugh and Mary (Brooks) Allen, was born April 2, 1819, in Montgomery County, Ohio, and in 1821 his parents moved to Wayne County, Ind., locating in Jefferson Township. His father purchased eighty acres of uncultivated land and followed farming through life. He reared a family of eight children---Elizabeth (deceased), Jacob, John, Mason, Mary A., Marion (deceased), Thomas and Caroline (deceased). The father accumulated a good property, and died at the age of fifty-six years. His widow died at the age of seventy years. John received a good education at the subscription schools and worked on his father's farm till he grew to manhood, when he farmed on rented land one year. He then purchased seventy acres and has since been very successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits. He owns 450 acres of fine land in Clay Township, worth $70 per acre, and has also considerable personal property and cash. He is also a stockholder in the Citizens' Bank of Hagerstown, of which he was one of the incoporators and also a director while it was doing business. He was married in October, 1843, to Mary, daughter of Thomas and Rebecca Martindale, of Wayne County. They have had five children-Hugh, died at the age of eighteen years; Martha, wife of E.S. Bunnel, of Clay Township; Franklin P; an infant daughter (deceased), and Etta, who died when two years old. Mr. Allen and wife are members of the Baptist church. His grandfather, Hugh Allen, was a native of Ireland, and his maternal ancestors were from Virginia. His father, Hugh Allen, was born in Kentucky and afterward moved with his parents to Montgomery County, Ohio, where he was married. Mrs. Allen's parents reared five children---Mary, Elizabeth (deceased), Martha, Julia A. and Thomas J. (deceased). Mr. Martindale died when fifty-four years of age. His wife is still living, in her eighty-first year.
