Biography of Abraham Grogg, pages 601/602/603/604.  History of DeKalb 
County, Indiana; B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., Indianapolis, 1914.



Abraham Grogg



	All callings, whether humble or exalted, may be productive of 
some measure of success, if enterprise and industry, coupled with a 
well directed purpose, form the motive force of the person directing 
the same, and in no case is the fact more apparent than in agricultural 
pursuits.  It is a well, authenticated fact that success come as the 

result of legitimate and well applied energy, unflagging determination 
and perseverance as well as the above enumerated qualities.  When a 
course of action is once decided upon these attributes are essential. 
Success is never known to smile upon the idler or dreamer and she never 
counts the loafer and only those who have diligently sought her favor 
are crowned with her blessings.  In tracing the history of the 
prosperous and influential gentleman whose name forms the caption of 
this biographical review, we find that the above named elements have 
entered largely into his make-up and therefore we are not surprised at 
the large and ever-growing success, which he has attained.

	Abraham Grogg was born on December 30, 1846, in Stark county, 
Ohio, and is the son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Hultz) Grogg.  Daniel 
Grogg was one of the early settlers of Union Township, DeKalb county, 
and was born in Stark county, Ohio, on August 13, 1818, a son of Dorman 
and Mary (Snyder) Grogg, who were native of Northampton county, 
Pennsylvania, and of German descent.  They emigrated to Stark county, 
Ohio, in an early day and there the father died, the mother afterward 
coming to DeKalb county, Indiana, with her children, and dying here at 
the advanced age of ninety-five years.  Daniel Grogg received a common 
school education, spending his early years under the parental roof.  In 
May, 1849, he came to DeKalb county, settling on a farm where he spent 
the remainder of this life.  His first purchase was of one hundred and 
twenty acres, to which he added until he owned three hundred and eighty 
acres of good land, on which he built a large, two-story brick 
residence and other farm buildings also of substantial character.  He 
was married in Ohio in 1843 to Elizabeth Hultz, and to this union were 
born six children: John, Abraham, George, Peter, Franklin and a 
daughter who died in young ladyhood.  Mr. and Mrs. Grogg were members 
of the Lutheran church. When Daniel Grogg came to this county but ten 
acres of land had been cleared, and on this land the trees had been 
simply chopped, but the ground  was not cleared of the rubbish.  A log 
house was there and here the family established themselves until a more 
substantial and modern house could be built. Their first home was 
located just east of where the county farm now is.  Before moving there 
Daniel Grogg had bought a farm in northwestern part of what is now 
Grant township, but never made his home there, though he kept it and 
added to it the original Grant township tract, comprising one hundred 
and fifty-eight acres, for which he paid five hundred dollars, this 
land being now worth many times that prices.

	Abe Grogg was reared under the parental roof and as soon as large 
enough was compelled to assist in the work of clearing the farm; most 
of his youth, however, was spent with his uncle Jacob Grogg, who lived 
at the northern edge of Auburn, where he operated a farm and ran a 
mill.  Here the subject did all kinds of work and proved a valuable 
assistant to his uncle.  After he attained his majority he spent three 
years with Moses Gonser, and when the county farm was instituted, he 
was employed by the first superintendent of the farm, Conrad Miller.  
While thus, employed he made the acquaintance of Mr. Miller’s daughter, 
Ada, who afterwards became his wife, their marriage occurring in 1872, 
and after that event the young couple moved to their present home, the 
tract which, his father had bought in pioneer days. At this time only 
four acres had been cleared and no buildings or fences erected.  Mr. 
Grogg first built a log house and started to clear the land much in the 
way his father had done many years before.  In the winter he would 
clear four or five acres of corn land and then in the summer give his 
attention to the cultivation of the soil.  By this method followed 
persistently year after year he has succeeded in developing a most 
excellent farm on which he has resided continuously since.  He follows 
modern methods in agricultural operations and is numbered among the 
progressive men of his locality, for he hesitates not to adopt new 
methods when their superiority over old ways has been demonstrated.  He 
and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church of Waterloo, and 
are earnest supports of every movement for the educational, moral or 
social advancement of the community, so that they enjoy the confidence 
and good will of all who know them.

	On January 2, 1872, Abe Grogg married Ada Miller, the daughter of 
Conrad and Anna (Long) Miller, whose personal sketch appears elsewhere 
in this work, and on April 3d following their marriage, they moved to 
their present home.  To them has been born one son. Arthur M., whose, 
natat day was February 25, 1877.  He was reared on the home farm, 
securing his education in the common schools, graduation from the high 
school at Waterloo in 1897.  Until 1902 he remained with his father on 
the home farm, and then became a rural mail carrier from Waterloo, 
traveling his route five and one-half years.  Then after passing an 
examination, he was appointed a railway mail clerk, and followed that 
occupation about nine month, when he was compelled to give up that line 
of work on account of an attack of measles, which had settled in his 
eyes and almost blinded him to such an extent that it required many 
months of heroic treatment before he received any assurance that he 
would not lose his eye sight entirely.  Upon leaving the road he came 
home, where he remained until 1909, when he bought the farm adjoining 
his father, to operation of which he is now devoting his attention.  On 
February 23, 1910, Arthur Grogg  married Mildred Bowman, the daughter 
of Archie and Alice (Kelly) Bowman., her birth having occurred in 
Adamsville, Michigan.  Her father, who was born near Waterloo, this 
county, was a son of Cyrus and Sarah (Smith) Bowman, the former of whom 
was at one time a member of the county board of commissioners.  Mrs. 
Grogg’s parents now live about two and a half miles northeast of 
Waterloo. Mrs. Grogg received a good education, having graduated from 
the Waterloo high school with the class of 1907, after which she 
attended the Tri-State Normal School at Angola, and afterwards engaged 
in teaching school in Waterloo for two years.  Arthur Grogg is a member 
of the Knights of Pythias, and he and his wife belong to the Pythian 
Sisters, of which lodge she is deputy grand chief.  Mr. Grogg also 
beings to the Gleaners, a farmer’s fraternal organization.

	Abe Grogg has been a resident of DeKalb county during the most 
active period of his life and has been an eye-witness and a participant 
in the wonderful development which has characterized this locality.  He 
retains vivid recollections of the early conditions here and also has a 
number of valuable heirlooms, which are interesting and unique.  Among 
them is a pewter plate brought by his ancestors from Germany, on which 
are stamped German, French and English seals, the plate being at least 
one hundred and fifty years old.  He also has a porcelain goose-oil jug 
of unique design, also the old spinning wheel, which his mother used, 
as well as other mementos of more that intrinsic worth.  The Grogg 
family have been not only successful in the acquisition of material 
wealth, but have been prominent factors in the life of the various 
communities in which they lived, enjoying at all times the respect and 
confidence of their acquaintances.

	Of the subject’s brother and sisters it may be stated that John, 
live in the northwestern part of Grant township; Peter resides on the 
old homestead east of the county farm; George died at the age of forty-
six years, leaving a wife and daughter, now deceased. Frank lives about 
three miles west of Auburn, and Emily is deceased.



Submitted by:

Arlene Goodwin

Auburn, Indiana

Agoodwin@ctlnet.com