Biography of William Dunn, pages 595/596/597.  History of DeKalb 
County, Indiana; B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., Indianapolis, 1914.



William Dunn



	This biographical memoir has to do with a character well worthy 
of perpetuation in this work, for William Dunn, whose life chapter has 
long been closed by the fate that awaits all mankind, was one of the 
prominent citizens of his community, although he was summoned to close 
his earthly accounts while still in the zenith of his power. There were 
in him sterling traits which commanded uniform confidence and regard, 
and his memory is today honored by all who knew him.

	William Dunn was born on the 16th day of January, 1844, in Wanye 
county, Ohio, and his death occurred at his home in Grant township, 
DeKalb county, Indiana, in 1871.  He was a son of John and Elizabeth 
(Bachtel) Dunn. The latter was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, 
and was a sister of Henry Bachtel, who is mentioned elsewhere in this 
work. John Dunn was born probably in Holmes county, Ohio, and was of 
Irish parentage. When he was a lad of tender years the home was broken 
up and he and a younger sister were cast among strangers.  They were 
sadly mistreated, and on one occasion were sent out into the dense 
woods after, cattle, which has strayed away, and they were told not to 
return without the cattle.  Not being able to find them, they remained 
in the woods over night, and narrowly escaped being attacked by wolves.  
They appeased their hunger by such food as they could find in the 
forest, and in the midst of this experience the lad vowed that if ever 
had children of his own they should never suffer as he was doing, and 
this thought was one of the incentives that spurred him on in his 
mature years.  He was reared to manhood in his native state and there 
married Elizabeth Bachtel, his assets at that time consisting of two 
dollars in money, a strong physical constitution and abundance of grit 
and determination. He learned the trade of a blacksmith, at which he 
worked, and also gave some attention to farming in Ohio.  In 1849 Mr. 
Dunn came to what is now Grant township, DeKalb county, and bought a 
farm of two hundred acres in the south half of sections 8 and 17.  This 
land was at that time practically untouched, the only improvements 
consisting of a small cleared space, on which had been erected a log 
cabin, and the land in that locality was very swampy.  Wild game was 
abundant and, as Mr. Dunn was a good hunter, the family larder was kept 
well supplied with fresh meat.  He succeeded in clearing most of his 
land, though for along time he found it necessary to farm around the 
swamps and swales-indeed, for many years the ground was so wet in the 
spring that at corn planting, when they would drop pumpkin seeds the 
latter floated.  John Dunn was an indefatigable worker and was highly 
esteemed in the new community where he had cast his lot.  His death 
occurred in 1863, as the result of exposure while on a hunting 
expedition.  He was survived a number of years by his widow, who died 
in 1888.  They were the parents of six children, as follows: George, 
who grew to manhood and married, died before his father, in 1861, 
leaving one child, George, Jr., of Kansas; Katherine married George 
Pepple; William the immediate subject of this memoir; Mary Ann, 
deceased, was the wife of Joseph Rohm, and left three children; Fannie 
died at the age of two years; John now lives on the old home place in 
Grant township.

	William Dunn was reared under the parental roof, and as soon as 
old enough he gave assistance to this father in the labors of the home 
farm. He secured his education in the district schools of the 
neighborhood, and devoted all of his active years to agricultural work, 
remaining on 

the homestead until his death.  He was energetic and practical in his 
work, and was counted among the enterprising and successful farmers of 
this township, his death being counted a distinct loss to the 
community.

	On January 1, 1865, William Dunn married Sarah A. Stroh, a 
daughter of John and Catherine Stroh, and to them were born three 
children, namely: Ettdesse, who died in June 1910, was the wife of 
Frank Goodwin; John, who lives in Waterloo, is married and has a 
daughter, Helen; William, who lives on the Dan Stroh farm in the 
southeastern part of Grant township, married Mae M. Nicewander and they 
have two children, Lanta and Boice. On March 22, 1883, Mrs. Sarah Dunn 
became the wife of Wesley Fulton, of Grant township, who is represented 
elsewhere in this work.

	Mr. Dunn was a man of clean personal habits, upright in his daily 
life, genial in his relation with his fellowmen, and was deservedly 
popular in the community where the greater part of his life was passed.



Submitted by:

Arlene Goodwin

Auburn, Indiana

Agoodwin@ctlnet.com