Biography of N. O. Griffin, pages 687/688. History of DeKalb County, 
Indiana; B.  F. Bowen & Company, Inc., Indianapolis, 1914.



N. O. Griffin



	It is the progressive, wide-awake man of affairs that makes the 
real history of a community, and his influence as a potential factor in 
the body politic is difficult to estimate.  The examples of such men 
strongly illustrate what is in the power of each to accomplish, and 
there is always a full measure of satisfaction in adverting, even in a 
casual way, to their achievements in advancing their own interests and 
those of their fellow men and giving strength and solidity to the 
institutions which make for the prosperity of the community. Such a man 
is N. O. Griffin, the subject of this brief review, and it is eminently 
proper that a sketch of his interesting career be accorded a place in a 
work of this character.

	N. O. Griffin, the youngest of a family of ten children, was born 
July 25, 1856, the son of Eli B. and Eliza (Bundy) Griffin. Eli B. 
Griffin was born in the northeastern part of the state of New York on 
April 21, 1802, and on August 4, 1829, was united in marriage to Eliza 
Bundy, they both being of pure English stock.  The wedding took place 
in Steuben county, New York, and some time afterward they moved to Erie 
county, Pennsylvania, and after living in the Keystone state for a few 
years they came on farther west, this time locating in Licking county, 
Ohio, arriving there in the year 1836. Here they remained for twelve 
years, and in 1848 again took up their journey toward the then great 
West, stopping in DeKalb county, Indiana, settling on land south of 
Auburn.

To Eli and Eliza Griffin were born ten children, who grew to manhood 
and womanhood, namely: Thomas, born June 25, 1830, died February 23, 
1857; Susan, born September 15, 1831, died May 16, 1854; Charles, born 
January 12, 1834, died January 25, 1904; George, born February 27, 
1839, died May 30, 1860; Polly, born February 6, 1841, died April 8, 
1860; William, born January 20, 1845 and died November 2, 1871; Edward, 
born February 16, 1847, lives in Iowa and is a minister of the gospel; 
Mariah, born December 19, 1848, died April 6, 1874; Nathaniel, born 
July 15, 1852, lives in Steuben county, Indiana; N. O. born July 25, 
1856. The father of these children died on August 24, 1899, and the 
mother has since made her home with her son, the subject of this 
review.

	N. O. Griffin first saw the light of day on the old homestead 
south of Auburn, DeKalb county, and moved with is parents to Wilmington 
in 1865, having resided on the same farm since then.  On May 24, 1883, 
he was married to Clarrissa A. Keller, and this union has been blessed 
with two children, Charles O., who is living on the home farm with his 
parents, and Zona A., who, with her husband, lives on the south farm 
known as the Shilling place.

	Highly successful in the pursuit of agriculture, N. O. Griffin 
has found time in his busy life to take an active and earnest part in 
the community and church life of his county, and his well-rounded life 
is a striking example of intelligently applied energy.  He has 
purchased the interest of the other heirs to his father’s estate and 
has added more land to it, until he now possesses one hundred and sixty 
acres, all being cultivated by strictly modern methods.  A comfortable 
home and good farm buildings embellish his holdings. A unique feature 
of Mr. Griffin’s land is that it lies in four sections, in a square 
body, with the road on the east side.



Submitted by:

Arlene Goodwin

Auburn, Indiana

Agoodwin@ctlnet.com