John W. Maish

It is a pleasure to any one, whether farmer or not, to look over a well-improved and finely-kept landed estate like that of John W. Maish, of Center township, Boone county, for he is a man who believes in keeping fully abreast of the times, in adopting, so far as practicable, the most approved twentieth century methods in general farming and stock raising. As a result of his careful system of husbandry he has about solved the question of scientific farming as we all know and understand it today. He was formerly engaged in merchandising, in which he was equally successful, for he has always stood for progressiveness, not only in material things, but in political, educational and religious matters, and he has always been an advocate of right living and honesty in public life as well as business, and while laboring for his individual advancement he has never been found neglectful of his duties to his neighbors and the general public.

Mr. Maish was born May 5, 1859, in Clinton county, Indiana. He is a son of Joseph and Mary E. (Looney) Maish. The father was born in Clinton county and the mother was a native of Rush county, Indiana. Joseph Maish spent all his life in his native county and was a successful farmer and large land owner, also owned considerable valuable property in Frankfort. He was born November 21, 1827, and his death occurred January 10, 1867. His wife was born September 29, 1832, and died November 29. 1897. These parents had two sons who lived to maturity, namely: John W., of this review, and David L., who died when twenty-one years of age, April 19, 1881; Anna, Matilda J. and Joseph, Jr., all died in infancy. The mother married a second time, her last husband being William C. Heaton, and to this union one child was born, Martha E., now the wife of William B. Kramer, Jr., of Frankfort.

John W. Maish was reared on the home farm, where he worked during the summer months when he became of proper age and he received his education in the district schools and the high school in Frankfort, from which he was graduated, and later he attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. After leaving college he began life for himself in the mercantile business at Frankfort, running a general department store, continuing for a period of ten years, during which he built an extensive and lucrative trade, always carrying a large and carefully selected stock and, dealing with uniform honesty and courtesy with his hundreds of customers, he secured their confidence and good will. In the fall of 1890 he traded his stock of goods and his two-story brick store building which he had built about 1887 to accommodate his business for the farm he now owns in Center township, Boone county, consisting of four hundred and twenty-two acres, and known as the J. B. Holmes farm, to which he moved on Thanksgiving day of that year and here he has been successfully engaged in general farming and stock raising on an extensive scale, adding improvements from time to time until he now has one of the finest, most productive and most desirable farms in the county, which cost him but sixty dollars per acre but for which he is now refusing two hundred dollars per acre. It is under a high state of cultivation, raising large crops of corn and other grains annually, which he feeds to large herds of cattle, hogs, sheep and other live stock, all good grades. He is an excellent judge of stock, and no small part of his income is derived from this source. He has an attractive residence and large and substantial out- buildings, everything about his place denoting thrift, good management and prosperity. This splendid farm is located on the Big Four Railway and the direct township line to Indianapolis, the station of Holmes being only a step from Mr. Maish's door. He has been very successful in a business way and he is a stockholder in the First National Bank of Lebanon and has various other business interests.

Mr. Maish was married January 25, 1886, to Mary E. Blinn, a daughter of Adam and Catherine (Derrick) Blinn, for many years one of the leading families of Frankfort, the father having died July 23, 1901, but the mother survives, having attained her eighty-fourth birthday October 21, 1913. Mrs. Maish grew up in her native county and received a good education.

To Mr. and Mrs. Maish the following children have been born, namely: Lela, born April 13, 1887, is at home; June, born June 1, 1889, was next in order, now Mrs. C. O. McMains, lives in Harrison township and has two children, Mary Lavina, born November 27, 191 1, and Chester Orvil, born April 15, 1913; Catherine, born February 4, 1891, is at home; Lucinda Ruth, born June 3, 1893, married Charles Bradley of Lebanon; Mabel, born August 24, 1899, is at home; Emalyne, born September 12, 1903, is at home; Blinn H., born March 10, 1905; Arthur E., born January 6, 1907, and Dorothy, February 16, 1912, are the youngest of the living children; John W., Jr., born May, 1897, died November 12, 1900, of diphtheria, and A. Blinn died in infancy.

Politically, Mr. Maish is a Republican and while always interested in public matters has never been an office seeker, preferring to give his attention to his large business interests and to his family of which he is very fond, being happiest when by his own cheerful fireside. He has a good library and is well posted on current questions as well as the world's best literature. He has given his children every advantage, and there is an atmosphere of refinement about his home.

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 613-615.

Transcribed by: T. Stover - October 6, 2008