Person:James Plew (1)

In the 1880 census for Township 18, 9 Range N., Cass Co., Indiana, B. H. Shankland is a farmer, age 36 from Kentucky (parents Kentucky). His wife Elizabeth is 43, born Illinois, (parents Kentucky). The children are Lee, male, 2, born Illinois (father Kentucky, mother Illinois); Bell Shankland [from his first wife], 10, born Illinois; Walter Dick, stepson, 15, born Illinois; Alice Dick, 13; and Edward Dick, 13. There is also William Peak, farm laborer, 23 from Illinois (parents Kentucky) -- possibly Elizabeth's brother or nephew; Ellsworth Plugh, farm laborer, 17, born Illinois [probably son of Benjamin's sister Emerine (Shankland) Plew] then Emma Cook, servant, 27; and Louis Zeiglemyer, farmer, age 28 from Illinois (parents Switzerland). {NARA T9-0178, p.654a}

 He married Nettie Raymond (1865-1951), daughter of Charles Lewis Raymond and Julia E. Todd, about 1886, and had children Mildred and Marian.
 In the 1910 census for Chicago, ward , Cook Co., Illinois, James E. Plew is 47 born Illinois (parents Kentucky), married 24 years, automobile salesman; with Nettie 45 born Illinois (father New York, mother IL) with 2 of 2 children living; and their daughters are Mildred 18 and Marion 11-- both born Illinois, parents same, single.  (Volberg Yolberg?) 24 is a servant from Norway.
 "The land was then bought by Mr. James E. Plew, a Chicago financier. Mr. Plew soon had many enterprises going and demonstrated his versatility in many ways: Businessman, inventor and aviation enthusiast, to name a few. He originally studied medicine as well as business. With his leadership, and the famous Valparaiso Inn, Valparaiso's population and prosperity slowly grew. In 1935, for the yearly sum of $1.00, Plew leased 137 acres of land South of Tom's Bayou to the City of Valparaiso on which to build an airport. This was to become the nucleus of Eglin Air Force Base. " {City of Valparaiso, <http://www.valp.org/history.htm>}
 "Victor [Lockheed], who was intensely interested in automobiles and airplanes, soon moved to Chicago, where he became associated with James E. Plew, a wealthy automobile dealer....Plew withdrew from aviation after two of his planes wrecked and a student was killed." {National Aviation Hall of Fame, 'Allen Lockheed', <http://nationalaviation.blade6.donet.com/components/content_manager_v02/view_nahf/htdocs/menu_ps.asp?NodeID=-1449208259&group_ID=1134656385&Parent_ID=-1>}
 "Land acquired by James E. Plew and his son-in-law, C.W. Ruckel, was developed into Eglin Air Force Base." {Fort Walton Beach, <http://www.fwbchamber.org/relocation_visitors_info/relocation_info/history.html>}
 "Eglin Military Reservation, the largest in the world, is 464,316 acres (728 square miles) of land and test ranges. Eglin's historic can be traced to James E. Plew, a wealthy man from Chicago, Illinois. In 1922 he settled in Valparaiso and built an inn, a golf course, a bank and a winery. Occasionally, military planes from Maxwell Field, Alabama would land on Plew's golf course so the pilots could enjoy golfing and fishing in the area. After a suggestion from Lt. Arnold H. Rich, a visiting officer of the U.S. Army Air Corps to create an aviation base and a bombing and gunnery range for Maxwell Field's Tactical School, Mr. Plew built two runways on his land by, July, 1933. Named Valparaiso Airport, this landing strip was offered to the commanding officer of Maxwell Field by the city of Valparaiso. In 1934 Mr. Plew donated 4,160 acres to the U.S. Government with the stipulation that funds be provided to build a bombing and gunnery range on the property." {Eglin AFB, <http://www.carriagehills.com/info_eglin.htm>}
 "Plew, known as the founder of Eglin Field, died on 16 April 1938 at Valparaiso, Florida. Because he had so intimately involved himself with planes and personnel, his ashes were strewn over Choctawhatchee Bay and Eglin Field." {<http://www.united-publishers.com/EglinGuide/70th.html>}
 "1944 Feb 27: Mrs Mildred Plew Meigs, 53, author of many children's poems died Tuesday at her Valpariso home. Services were held Wednesday at the home.  Mrs Meigs was the daughter of the late James E. Plew, she was born in Chicago and moved to Valpariso in 1923.  Survivors include her husband, Clifford; her mother Mrs James Plew and sister Mrs C W Ruckel." {Defuniak Springs Breeze And/or DeFuniak Springs Herald, <http://www.rootsweb.com/~flwalton/newspapers.rtf>}