This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Lesley, Blood, Church, Cole, Crider, Francisco, Hudson, Munea, Nalley, Olehigh, Spencer, Underwood, Whitaker, Witte, Wyrick Classification: Biography Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/Hi.2ADI/1767 Message Board Post: Past and Present of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Illustrated, Vol. 2, pp. 1118-1120 B. F. Bowen & Company, Publishers, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1909 CALVIN LESLEY One of the well-known men of Perry Township, Tippecanoe County, is CALVIN LESLEY, who has risen from discouraging environments to a position of influence by reason of his well-directed energy along worthy lines. He is a native of the community where he now lives, having first seen the light of day on October 1, 1852, the son of DANIEL LESLEY, who was born September 26, 1793, in Pennsylvania, the son of JACOB LESLEY, also a native of the old Keystone state. DANIEL LESLEY had no chance to go to school, but he did not let this hinder him in his life work, for he succeeded without it. He had the distinction of serving in the War of 1812. He remained in his native state until 1826, when he went to Ohio, and about 1830 came to Tippecanoe County, Indiana, having been preceded by two brothers, JOHN and ANDREW, in 1827. DANIEL, a typical pioneer of the bravest and most sterling type, located in Perry Township where he secured eighty acres of timbered land on which he put up a log cabin and started to make a home. His brother ANDREW lived in section 1, Perry Township. In 1867 DANIEL LESLEY went to Shelby County, Illinois, where he bought a farm, on which he died, July 7, 1883. He was twice married, first to MARGARET WYRICK, a native of Pennsylvania, and secondly to ELIZABETH WITTE, who was born near Terre Haute, Indiana, of Scotch-Irish descent. The Lesley's were originally from Germany. ELIZABETH (WITTE) LESLEY'S death occurred! in April, 1903. To DANIEL LESLEY and his first wife seven children were born, all now deceased. The following children were born to DANIEL LESLEY and his second wife; MARGARET married JOHN HUDSON, of Shelby County, Illinois; CALVIN, subject of this review; ELZINA, married JERRY UNDERWOOD, of Shelby County, Illinois; GEORGE, who has remained single, lives in Shelby County, Illinois; FRANCES married ELI FRANCISCO, and they live at Arkansas; ARCHIBALD married ELLEN OLEHIGH, of Shelby County, Illinois. DANIEL LESLEY devoted his life to farming. He was a Republican. He believed in education and tried to give his children every advantage possible. CALVIN, of this review, attended the home schools, but was not able to get a very extensive text-book training. In 1867 he went to Shelby County, Illinois, but returned to Tippecanoe County, Indiana, the following year and worked for SENO GUNKLE and his brother-in-law for ten years, and also farmed. In 1883 he bought his present farm in section 4, Perry Township, first securing forty acres, to which he added land adjoining until he now has a fine farm of one hundred acres, a part of which is in Washington Township, all in a good state of cultivation and so managed as to yield a comfortable income. He has lived on his present farm since 1184, and, having always been a farmer, he is well abreast of the times in this line. He has made all the improvements on his place. For three and one-half years he was connected with the ele! vator at Buck Creek. For a man who started in life poor, what MR. LESLEY has accomplished shows that he is made of sterner stuff than the average man. On January 18, 1872, MR. LESLEY was married to MARY CRIDER, a native of Madison County, Indiana, a daughter of WILLIAM and NANCY (WHITAKER) CRIDER, the former a native of North Carolina, and the latter of Ohio. They lived in Madison County, Indiana, and later came to Tippecanoe County, locating in Washington Township. MR. CRIDER died in 1860 and MRS. CRIDER followed him to the grave in 1865. They were the parents of twelve children. Those living are JAMES, of Washington Township, this county; MARK, of Lafayette; ELLEN, of Washington Township; MARY, wife of CALVIN LESLEY of this review. To MR. and MRS. CALVIN LESLEY eight children were born, namely: CHARLES D., an attorney at Dayton, Indiana; he was educated at Valparaiso University and also at the State University at Bloomington, Indiana, also studied at the Law School in Indianapolis. He was a teacher for fifteen years and was very successful in that line, as he is now in law. He married LOUIS CHURCH and they have two children, PAULINE and LOUIS. ARTHUR E. LESLEY was educated at Valparaiso University, and has taught for twelve years, at present being the efficient principal of the schools at West Point, this state; he married ALICE COLE. BRUCE S. LESLEY married LULU NALLEY, and they are the parents of four children, CECIL V. (deceased), PETER A., LAURA E. and ROBERT B. BRUCE S. LESLEY is a farmer in Perry Township. CURTIS W. LESLEY, a fireman on the Wabash railroad at Lafayette, married NELLIE BLOOD, and they have two children MARY A. and ALMA. WILLIAM C. has been teaching for the past six years at! Washington Township; he married ETHEL MUNEA and they are the parents of three children, two of whom are deceased, the living child being JULIA F. GEORGE L. died at the age of one year. MARY C. married ORIVILLE SPENCER, who manages an elevator in Washington Township, OLIVER A., the youngest child, is still a member of the home circle. MR. LESLEY is a deputy assessor of Perry township, and in his political affiliations he is a Republican. Fraternally he is a Mason, belonging to Lodge No. 497, Knights of Pythias, at Buck Creek. He has given his children all a good education and the entire family ranks high in Perry township socially. MRS. LESLEY is a member of the United Brethren church, to which she gives her earnest support.