Biography of Miles Baxter, pages 488.489/490.  History of DeKalb County, 
Indiana; B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., Indianapolis, 1914.

Miles Baxter

	Few residents of DeKalb county are as well and favorably known as 
the enterprising business man and representative citizen whose life story 
is briefly told in the following lines and none stands higher than he in 
the esteem and confidence of the community in which he resides and for 
the material advancement of which he has devoted so much of his time and 
influence.
	Miles Baxter was born along the north line of DeKalb county, two 
miles west of Hamilton, Indiana, on January 27, 1864, and is the son of 
Andrew R. and Elizabeth (Brown) Baxter. Andrew Baxter was born Washington 
county, Pennsylvania, and was the son of William and Sarah  (Rogers) 
Baxter. He spent his childhood in his native state, and then came with 
his mother to Wayne county, Ohio, where he met and married Nancy Brown.  
She was born in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Andrew 
and Ellen (Ritchie) Brown, the former a native of Scotland and the latter 
of Ireland.  William and Sarah Baxter were Scotch-Irish Presbyterians 
from the north of Ireland.  Andrew Baxter came to DeKalb county, Indiana, 
in the fall of 1840 and entered a tract of government land in section 5, 
Franklin township.  He built a cabin, after which he returned to Ohio 
and as early as possible the next spring he brought his family to their 
new home.  The land not being cleared, he first planted corn by striking 
his axe into the ground, dropping corn into the hole and then stepping 
on it, closing the hole.  In that way he raised enough of a crop for 
feeding purpose. He spent practically the rest of his life on that 
place, or until 1889, when he moved to Auburn, where he died when 
ninety-one years old.  He served several times as trustee and as 
assessor of his township.  He was twice married.  His first wife died 
in January, 1856, leaving eight children, Elvina, Ellen, William, 
Andrew, Mary Jane, John W., Nancy Emeline and James B.  About two years 
later he married his first wife’s sister, Elizabeth Brown, who became 
the mother of six sons, five of whom grew to maturity and survived her, 
namely: Charles O., Miles, Chauncey, Cory and George.   The mother of 
these children died on January 3, 1877, and Andrew Baxter died on 
December 18, 1903.  He was a Presbyterian at heart and had great 
respect and veneration for the church, but never joined formally.  He 
was deeply interested in public affairs and always voted the straight 
Democratic ticket.  His relation with his family were of the highest 
order, a warm affection existing between them, though there was but 
little demonstration of this feeling.  According to present-day 
standards, he did not possess much of an education, but in the 
fundamentals he was well informed and, being a man of strong common 
sense and sound judgment, his advice was considered valuable by those 
who sought it.  He understood arithmetic well and was an excellent 
penman, and did much in the way of instructing his children in their 
studies and stimulating them in their educational efforts.  That this 
influence was effectual is noted in the fact that, with but two or 
three exceptions, all of the children became teacher.
	Miles Baxter was reared on the home farm until he was about 
seventeen years old, when, having a desire to take up teaching, he 
began attending teachers’ normal schools in order to prepare himself 
for that vocation.  He taught his first term of school during the 
winter of 1883-4 and then spent two years in the Tri-State Normal 
School at Angola.  He then taught for about six years, after which, 
during 1887, he was a traveling salesman in Kansas.  Returning then to 
DeKalb county, he taught school for two or three winters, farming 
during the summers. In 1891 Mr. Baxter took up the study of law in the 
office of his brother, John Baxter, continuing to apply himself in this 
way about two years.  He then went on the road in the interests of 
Auburn Foundry and Machine Works for about four years, and then for a 
time was interested in the grocery and restaurant business.  In 1900 
Mr. Baxter engaged in the real estate, loan and insurance business at 
Auburn, which has commanded his attention ever since.  Mr. Baxter’s 
previous experience had been a valuable schooling for him in some 
respects for the line to which he is now giving his efforts, besides 
which his sound judgement, accurate information as to real values and 
his persistency have brought their rewards, and he is now commanding 
his full share of the local patronage in his lines.
	Mr. Baxter, from the time he attained his majority, has been 
active in his support of the Democratic party and since about 1888 has 
been connected with the county central committee. From 1906 to 1910 he 
was county chairman and has twice been a delegate to state conventions 
of his party, having been chairman of the DeKalb county delegation to 
the convention, which nominated Thomas R. Marshall for governor.  He 
has frequently been active in congressional district politics.  While 
in the restaurant and grocery business Mr. Baxter served two years as 
treasurer of Auburn, giving a satisfactory administration of the 
office, and from 1900 to 1904 he served as trustee of Union township.  
In 1913, he was recommended by Congressman Cline for the postmastership 
of Auburn.
	In 1889 Miles Baxter was married to Mollie McDowell, who was born 
and reared on the McDowell farm, a short distance west of Auburn, being 
the daughter of Elijah J. and Mary A. (George) McDowell. Two children 
were born of this union, one dying in fancy and the other at the age 
of sixteen months.  Mrs. Baxter died in June 1892, and on January 12, 
1897, Mr. Baxter married Minnie M. McDowell, a sister of his first 
wife. The have two children, Helen and Stanley Miles.
	Mr. Baxter and family are identified with the Presbyterian 
church, of which he is a trustee and other wise active in advancing 
its interests. Fraternally, he is a member of the Auburn Lodge No. 
191, Knights of Pythias, of which he has been a member for eighteen 
years.  He has passed through all the chairs, of the subordinate lodge 
and has been a delegate to the grand lodge.  In connection with Auburn 
Lodge there is a Fraternal Relief Association, composed of members of 
the order, the organization providing a fund for the immediate use of 
the family in case of death.  Of this organization Mr. Baxter is 
president.  He is also a member of the American Yeoman and the Tribe 
of Ben-Hur.  Mr. Baxter is earnest in his support of every movement, 
which is calculated to advance the best interests of the community 
along any legitimate line.  By his advocacy of wholesome living, pure 
politics and honesty in business, he has long enjoyed the undivided 
respect and esteem of all who know him, being regarded as one of 
DeKalb county’s most substantial and worthy citizens.

Submitted by:
Arlene Goodwin
Auburn, Indiana
Agoodwin@cltnet.com