Thomas F. Allen

Boone county can boast of few more progressive and successful farmers and stockmen than the well-known gentleman whose name furnishes the caption of this review, Thomas F. Allen, now living in retirement in his commodious home in Lebanon. He has long been considered both a leader in agricultural affairs and stock shipping, and by his close application and sound judgment has accumulated valuable property and a competency, although starting with nothing but willing hands and a laudable ambition to succeed. As a citizen he is intelligent and enterprising, combining within himself those sterling qualities of manhood that make not only a useful member of society, but a leader in the affairs of his community. He has ever had an honest determination of purpose and an obliging nature which has impelled him to assist others on the highway of life while making plain the prosperity for himself and family.
 
Mr. Allen was born August 7, 1855, in Putnam county, Indiana. He is a son of George and Mary (Watson) Allen. The father was born in Kentucky in 1822, and when five years of age his parents brought him to Indiana, thus being among the earliest settlers in Putnam county, where the grandfather of our subject developed a farm from the dense woods. He served during the war of 1812 and was captured by the Indians during this war. There George Allen grew to manhood and received a meager education in the old-time country schools. He devoted his life to farming and stock raising and died October 22, 1908. His wife was also a native of Kentucky, and she died about fifty years ago, when our subject was a child. He is the youngest of the family and the only one living out of five sons and one daughter, namely: Mary C., William M., John, James and Samuel are all deceased; Thomas F., of this review.
 
Thomas F. Allen grew to manhood on the home farm in Putnam county, and there he learned the ins and outs of farming and handling live stock, and he received a limited education in the public schools of his native community. When a young man he began farming and buying stock, and he came to Boone county in 1880 and worked out for seventy-five cents a day at farm work and boarded himself, and later he began trading in horses and thereby got a good start in life and has continued stock dealing ever since with a large measure of success attending his efforts. He is now owner of two finely improved and valuable farms in Washington township, one hundred and eighty-two and one-half acres in all, well improved and all tillable. He keeps his land rented and is living in retirement in a fine home on East Main street, Lebanon.
 
Mr. Allen has been twice married, first to Sarah Stewart, on August 25, 1875, in Putnam county, where she was born and reared; her death occurred July 17, 1886. To this union two children were born: Harry E. is deceased, married in 1896 to Jessie Riley, native of Boone county. They had two children, Pansy and Carl. They are now living in Denver, Colorado; Earle J. is engaged in the buying and shipping of horses at Roachdale, Indiana. He was married on October 26, 1909, to Maude Thompson, a native of Putnam county. On November 25, 1886, Mr. Allen married Louisa J. Shulse, who was born in Boone county April 14, 1858. She is a daughter of John M. and Mary J. (Bowers) Shulse, and she grew to womanhood in this county and was educated in the public schools and the high school in Lebanon. Her father was born in Kentucky, June 1, 1830, and is still living on a farm in Boone county, is well known and highly respected here. His wife was born in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, in 1835, and her death occurred March 24, 1864. This second union of our subject has been without issue.
 
Politically, Mr. Allen is a Democrat; fraternally, a member of the Knights of Pythias in Lebanon, and he and his wife belong to the Christian church.
 

Submitted by: Amy K. Davis
Source: "History of Boone County, Indiana," by Hon. L. M. Crist, 1914.