William F. Cobb

Another of the gallant veterans who went out to fight in defense of "the flag that has never touched the ground" in the days of its direst peril, the early sixties, is William F. Cobb. What a splendid sight it is to see the remnants of a once gigantic army, in their blue uniforms, marching past on special occasions; but they will all be beyond the Great Divide in a few more years, and nothing will be left but a memory. That memory should be something more than a sound. Their deeds should be perpetuated in song and story, in monument and perpetual commemoration, so that future generations may draw inspiration from their patriotism and valor. Mr. Cobb, who has devoted his life to carpentering and agricultural pursuits, is living quietly in his pleasant home in Marion township, Boone county, the interests of which he has long had at heart, and, according to those who know him well, has proven to be a good citizen in every respect, and his friends are many throughout the county.

Mr. Cobb was born in Harrison county, Ohio, December 8, 1838. He is a son of William and Mary (Copeland) Cobb, both natives also of the Buckeye state. The paternal grandparents, William Cobb, Sr., and his wife were natives of England, from which country they emigrated to the United States and were early settlers in Ohio. The maternal grandparents, Thomas and Mary Copeland, were Pennsylvania Dutch in blood. William Cobb. Jr., father of our subject, was born February 6, 1809. The mother was born October 10, 1816. These parents were married March 24, 1836, in Harrison county, Ohio. The father was a carpenter by trade, and in the fall of 1854 he brought his family overland to Boone county, Indiana, the trip requiring fifteen days. They located at the village of Northfield where they remained one year, renting a farm, the following spring removing to Marion township, on two hundred and forty acres of timbered land, which they purchased.

The elder Cobb soon cleared a place for his house and built a rough log cabin. With the help of his son, our subject, many acres of the place were cleared and put under cultivation, and in due course of time they became very comfortably situated. There the death of the mother occurred on November 17, 1872, after which the father came to reside with our subject until his death, which occurred October 1, 1877, at the age of sixty-eight years seven months and twenty-five days. He had been justice of the peace for many years which office he held at time of death. His family consisted of the following children: Capt. Thomas A., of Marion township, this county, born January 21, 1837; William F., of this sketch: Jacob S., of Lebanon, Indiana, born August 25, 1841; Nancy, born August 11, 1843 is the widow of Thomas Evans, and is living in Lebanon; John, born October 6, 1845, was killed in Indianapolis by a railway train, left two children; Henry, born April 25, 1852, was killed in Lebanon by a fall, left widow and one child; James, born October 6, 1845, lives in Lebanon; Christina, born March 13, 1850, is the wife of Anthony Kincaid, of Lebanon; Mary L., born January 13, 1855, died December 29, 1862; Dorothy, born March 2, 1861, is the wife of Alfred Kincaid.

William F. Cobb, of this review, grew up on the home farm and attended the rural schools. When eighteen years of age he started to learn the trade of gunsmith with John Kincaid, in Boone county, and he continued until completing the same, becoming a skilled workman, then came to Marion township and started a gunsmith shop on his father's farm, and conducted the same successfully until the commencement of the Civil war, when, in the spring of 1861 he enlisted in Company A, Tenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in which he served three years. He then was transferred to Company A, Fifty-eighth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, as one of the principal musicians, and as such he marched with Sherman to the sea. He was honorably discharged and mustered out at Goldsboro, North Carolina, March 28, 1865, after seeing considerable hard service, having always performed his duties as a soldier faithfully and uncomplainingly.

After the war Mr. Cobb returned home and resumed work in his shop, which he continued about six months, then began carpentering which he has made his principal life work ever since, being known as one of the most expert workmen in the county. Mr. Cobb married, July 15, 1866, Amy G. Hileman, who was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, March 6, 1847. She is a daughter of Joseph and Hannah (Wilson) Hileman, an old family of the above named county. After his marriage Mr. Cobb farmed his father's farm two years, then moved to two and one-half acres which his father-in-law gave him, in section 21, Marion township. After continuing the carpenter's trade about five years he bought a sawmill, which he operated nine years, doing a good business, then sold out and resumed carpenter work. He has added to his place until he now owns forty-three and three- fourths acres of good land, which he has improved in an up-to-date manner, including an attractive residence and outbuildings. No more beautiful lawn is to be found in the county. It is covered with stately shade trees, shrubbery, flower beds, urns, and other features, indicating that Mr. Cobb is something of a landscape gardner [sic]. His place is known as "Linda Vista" (French, meaning beautiful view.)

On April 19, 1885, Mr. Cobb was appointed chief of all mechanical lines, also of the fire department, in fact, had absolute charge of all repairing of the Indiana Central Hospital for the Insane at Indianapolis. He discharged his duties in an able and highly acceptable manner, until October 1, 1912, when he resigned and returned to his beautiful home in Boone county where he now lives, spending his declining years in quiet and surrounded by all the comforts of life, living with his son-in-law. John M. Kiser, who has conducted the place since Mr. Cobb first went to Indianapolis, twenty-nine years ago.

The following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Cobb: Orilla Mav, born April 15, 1867, wife of John M. Kiser. have two children. Vesta. born May 8, 1892 and Vern, born May 13, 1896; Mary Ellen, born March 12, 1871, wife of Peter Christian, of Rosston, Boone county; they have one child, Ethel G., born February 3, 1897. The wife and mother was called to her eternal rest on March 7, 1899, on her fifty-second birthday. On September 30, 1912, Mr. Cobb married Kate McCabe, who was born in Thrym, County Meath, Ireland, and she is a daughter of John and Mary (Clark) McCabe, who emigrated to American when Mrs. Cobb was young and settled in Crawfordsville, Indiana, where Mr. McCabe died in 1861. Mrs. Cobb was the widow of James Cassidy. by whom she had one son, Charles Cassidy, who is engaged in the garage business at Greencastle, Indiana. Mrs. Cobb was chief cook in the Indiana Central Hospital for the Insane at Indianapolis from 1889 until she married our subject.

Politically, Mr. Cobb has always been a Democrat. He served as trustee of Marion township, also as assessor of the same, one term each, a number of years ago, giving satisfaction to his constituents. Fraternally, he is a member of the Masonic Order, Lodge No. 526 at Rosston, Indiana, and the Chapter at Lebanon: he belongs to Lodge No. 644, Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Indianapolis, and has passed all the chairs in the same. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He and his wife are intelligent, experienced, hospitable and charming people to meet.
 

NOTE: See biography of father; William Cobb.

Source Citation: Boone County Biographies [database online] Boone County INGenWeb. 2008. <http://www.rootsweb.com/~inboone> Original data: Hon. L. M. Crist. "History of Boone County, Indiana : With biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of old families." Indianapolis, Ind.: A. W. Bowen, 1914. pp 618-625.

Transcribed by: T. Stover - October 6, 2008