Biography of David Buchanan, pages 559 / 560 / 561. History of De Kalb County, Indiana. Inter-State Publishing Company, Chicago, 1885. David Buchanan was born in Chester County, Pa., Nov. 6, 1800, the eldest of six children. When he was about one year old his parents moved to Washington County, Pa., and four years later removed across the State line into Brooke County, W. Va., where they remained until the fall of 1815. They then moved to what was Wayne County, Ohio, now Holmes County, which was at that time almost an unbroken wilderness. Indians roamed the county and wild game was very plenty. John Buchanan, the father of our subject, purchased and settled on a tract of land on a small stream called Paint Creek and improved it, and other farms were opened up about the same time or soon after. After residing there about four years they built a small woolen factory and carded wool for their neighbors, and also scrutched flour by water-power in the same building. David Buchanan learned to card wool, and followed the business a few years. His means of gaining an education were very limited. His father was a very good scholar for that time, and taught school among the neighbors. Being very apt he became well versed in orthography, penmanship, arithmetic and surveying. He taught school a few terms, and followed surveying in connection with his farming for twenty-five years. He settled up a great many estates in his life time. He was married to Lydia Tribby, Sept. 23, 1824, by Samuel Spencer, a Justice of the Peace, and soon after his marriage built a log cabin in the woods on a title of 100 acres of heavily timbered land in Monroe Township, Holmes County, Ohio, and some fifteen years later bought the land of the original owner. They lived in the log cabin nearly twenty-eight years, and there their children were all born. They had seven sons and one daughter. Six of the children are living. James G. died June 11, 1852, aged twenty-three years, six months and five days; Elmira died Jan. 8, 1842, aged fourteen months and seven days. Mr. Buchanan was elected to the office of Justice of the Peace in 1838 as a Whig in a strong Democratic township, and filled the office with credit to himself and to the township, and came within a few votes of being re-elected. He visited Indiana several times from 1847 to 1854 to see the country and buy land, and purchased six eighty-acre tracts in Fairfield Township, De Kalb County. He moved to this land in October, 1854, and his surviving children all came with him or soon after. Here he remained till death. He was a firm Republican from the organization of the party till his death. He was elected to the office of County Commissioner in this county in October, 1859, and held the office one term or three years. Lydia Tribby Buchanan was born in Loudoun County, Va., May 11, 1802, and is now in the eighty- fourth year of her age. She has been a hard worker, a good manager, and a kind, indulgent mother and an affectionate wife. Her many acts of neighborly kindness have endeared her to the hearts of legions of friends. An earnest, active Christian, she has been identified with the church fifty years. Her parents moved to Wayne County, Ohio, in October, 1816, with seven children. They each lived to be about eighty years old, and their children all survived them except one. Submitted by: Arlene Goodwin Auburn, Indiana Agoodwin@ctlnet.com