William N. CURRENT, former trustee of Richland Township and one of the oldest and best known landowners and former farmers of Jay County, now living retired at Portland, is a native Hoosier and has lived in Indiana all his life, a resident of Jay county since he was six years of age. Mr. CURRENT was born on a farm in Henry county on September 25, 1835, and is a, son of John and Mary ( NORRIS ) CURRENT, Virginians, both of whom were born in that part of the Old Dominion now comprised within the state of West Virginia and whose last days were spent in Jay County, of which county they were pioneers.
John CURRENT and his wife came to Indiana in 1834 and settled in Henry county, where they made their home until 1840, in which year they disposed of their holdings there and moved up into Jay County and settled on a quarter section of land which Mr. CURRENT had bought in Richland township, three miles south of Redkey. On that place they spent the remainder of their lives. Mrs. Mary CURRENT died in 1867 and Mr. CURRENT survived her until 1881. They were the parents of nine children, of who but two now survive, William N. CURRENT having a brother, James K. CURRENT.
As noted above, William N. CURRENT was but six years of age when he came to this county with his parents in 1840 and he thus grew up pretty well acquainted with pioneering conditions in Richland township. He completed his schooling in the old Halfway school House, supplementing the same by a finishing course in the old Farmers Academy, and in 1855, he then being twenty years of age, began teaching school in this county, a vocation he followed during the winters for fifteen years, or until 1870, farming during the summers and also operating a sawmill for those were the days when timber was king hereabout and sawmilling was a live industry.
In the meantime, when twenty-one years of age, Mr. CURRENT had married and he presently bought a farm of 152 acres in Knox township and on that farm established his home, gradually developing there an admirable farm plant. There Mr. CURRENT continued to make his home until his retirement from the farm in 1895 and removal to Portland. Presently he moved from there to Dunkirk and thence to Redkey, where he remained until 1915, when he returned to Portland, where he has since resided and where he is very comfortably situated. He is a Republican and has ever given his thoughtful attention to local civic affairs. For one term during the time of his residence on the farm he served as trustee of Richland township. He has for many years been interested in Masonic affairs and is the last survivor of the charter membership of Halfway Lodge No. 298, Free and Accepted Masons, at Redkey, of which lodge he was the first worshipful master.
Mr. CURRENT has been twice married. On July 2, 1857, he was united in marriage to Calista EVANS, who was born in Delaware county, this state, but who was reared and educated in Jay county, a daughter of Evan and Rhoda ( ALLEGRE ) EVANS, former well known residents of this county, and to this union were born five children,
- Henrietta,
- Arthur C.
- Francis,
- Alva L. and
- Laverna,
all of whom are living, all save Francis and Alva L. making their home at Portland.
Miss Henrietta CURRENT has for years been a member of the excellent teaching staff of the Portland city schools, teaching in the Garfield school, and has ever given her thoughtful attention to the community's cultural activities.
Francis CURRENT, who is a well-todo farmer in this county, married Mary HARTMAN and has three children,
- Harold R. a mechanic living at Dunkirk, who married Opal BARR and has two children, Francis and Philip;
- Edith, who married Wayne HOLDCRAFT, a farmer of this county, and has one child, a son, Francis M.; and
- Dorothy.
Alva L. CURRENT, who has from the days of his youth been following mechanical pursuits and is now living at Decatur, III., married Allie CREWS and has four children,
- Cecil, who married Eva ROGERS and is living at Decatur, Ill.,
- Francis A., an electrician, now living in New York city, who married Madaline LANG and has one child, a son, Francis R.; and
- Alva J. and
- Grace.
Mrs. Calista Evans CURRENT died on September 9, 1881, and is buried in Crest Hill cemetery at Redkey.
In 1883 William N. CURRENT married Sarah HOWARD, who was born in Ohio and who died at her home in Pennville on February 29, 1915.
