FUGIT TOWNSHIP.
... This township was first settled in 1819. John Fugit was the first settler, and Griffy Griffets the second, though some assert that Griffets was first. John Fugit settled on land now owned by William M. Hamilton, in Section 5, Township 11, Range 11. ...
... WILLIAM M. HAMILTON was born November 26, 1822. He is the eldest son of the late Cyrus and Mary Hamilton, who were among the pioneers of Decatur County, and is now one of the oldest men who were born upon this soil. He was raised as a farmer's, son, with only such opportunities as were offered in the early days of the country. He remained at home and contributed to the development of his paternal estate until his thirty-second year, when he was united in wedlock with Miss Euphemia, daughter of Luther A. and Jane Donnell. Soon after their marriage, they commenced life for themselves, in a house which stood near the site of his present residence. His first land was a tract of about two hundred acres adjoining the village of Clarksburg, and is the same upon which he now resides. Mr. Hamilton engaged in farming with a knowledge of its practical requirements and its probable development, and has gradually progressed in all the departments of his calling, until today he is known far and wide as one of the most extensive and successful farmers in Southeastern Indiana. He is the second in rank of the great land-owners of Decatur County, and conducts his operations over an estate of 1,700 acres of excellent land. Mr. Hamilton gives his personal attention to his business, and directs the labor necessary to a proper management of so large a farm. He raises a liberal amount of corn, wheat, and other products common to the locality, but his principal efforts are concentrated upon the specialty of cattle raising and fattening. In this, he aims to send nothing to market but the very best grade of stock, and has the reputation of handling the most uniformly good herds to be found outside of pure-bloods. As a citizen, Mr. Hamilton is well known as one of those who are possessed of a strong faith in whatever he advocates. Being a man of liberal means and sound principles, his influence is widely extended. In politics, he is a Republican, to which party he came through the avenues of the old Anti-Slavery organization, having cast his first vote for James G. Burney in 1844, and with the progressive political elements of the country since then. He was one of those who took part in the celebrated "Donnell Rescue Case," as will be seen elsewhere, and was a joint defendant with Donnell in the cause before the United States Court, which terminated that affair. In those forward movements which contribute to the firm establishment of industry and of society, he has been very prominently known for many years. He was one of those who foresaw the great utility of under-draining, and he engaged in the manufacture of drain-tile at a very early period - the first in Fugit Township, and one of the first in Decatur County. This wise attention to the special needs of the peculiar soils of some portions of this section has proved to be of countless benefits to those agriculturists who employ this means of development. He is now one of the senior members of the Indiana Tile-Makers Association, where his experiences are known and appreciated.
In the choice of a wife, Mr. Hamilton was characteristically fortunate. Their children are:
- Enrie, who is a thorough musician, and is now Principal of the Musical Department of Berea College, Kentucky.
- Grace Greenwood; this daughter has an especial gift for free¬hand drawing, and has executed some highly creditable specimens of work and study.
- Luthur D., born March 9, 1860, now in college at Oberlin, Ohio, where he will soon graduate from the classical course.
- Myrta.
- Mary Blanch. The two last are at school in Clarksburg, near home.
Mr. Hamilton has a fine brick residence, handsomely situated near Clarksburg. This was erected in the year 1864, at a cost of about $12,000. It is well and tastefully furnished, and impresses the visitor with the high sense of harmony and good artistic judgment possessed by the family whose home it is. Himself and family are members of the Presbyterian Church at Clarksburg, and take great interest in the Sunday school and musical affairs of that society. Mrs. Hamilton has a natural talent for music, and has been connected with the various efforts to elevate the standard of sacred vocalism in her neighborhood for many years. The first piano in Fugit Township was in her parlors, and she was the first organist in both the churches at Kingston and at Clarksburg. She is also an active worker as a teacher in the Sabbath school of her chosen church. She has an honorable ambition for the superior cultivation of her children, and does much by her influence to promote these sentiments in her community.
Few men in Decatur County have been more intimately associated with its progress from a primeval forest to a highly cultivated and thickly inhabited agricultural district than William M. Hamilton. In the opening of roads, building and improving bridges, establishment of banks and institutions of learning and commerce, he has contributed his share. He has served two terms as County Commissioner. During this period, the Board of Commissioners was called upon to adjust a heavy claim upon the county, which had accrued from an old railroad obligation. The amount was $50,000, and, through the good management of the board, the credit of the county was saved in a manner most advantageous to the people. Of course, Mr. Hamilton alone was not responsible for this, but the good result was obtained because the board was composed of such men as he. ...
