Biography of Oliver P. Grogg, pages 757/758/759.  History of DeKalb 
County, Indiana; B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., Indianapolis, 1914. 



Oliver P. Grogg



	It is always pleasant and profitable to contemplate the career of 
a man who has won a definite goal in life, whose career has been such 
as to command the honor and respect of his fellow citizens. Such, in 
brief, is the record of the well known agriculturist whose name heads 
this sketch, than whom a more whole-souled or popular man it would be 
difficult to find within the limits of DeKalb county, where he has long 
maintained his home and where he has labored not only for his own 
individual advancement and that of his immediate family, but also for 
the improvement of the entire community, whose interests he has ever 
had at heart.

	Oliver P. Grogg, one of the enterprising and public-spirited 
citizens of Keyser township, DeKalb county, Indiana, was born on July 
1, 1865, in the northeast part of the township, and is a son of Adam 
and Emily L. (King) Grogg, who are mentioned specifically elsewhere in 
this work in the sketch of the subject’s brother, Isaac Grogg.  The 
subject’s father died when he was about six months old, after which his 
mother moved to Auburn, and when Oliver P. was about seven and one-half 
years old his mother became the wife of Daniel Lower and moved to Noble 
county, this state.  Mr. Lower died there and his widow came back to 
DeKalb county, where she eventually became the wife of Daniel Thomas, 
of Corunna, who is represented elsewhere in this work.

	The subject of this sketch spent his early years with his mother, 
looking after her interests carefully during her widow years, and then 
after his marriage, which occurred in 1890, he engaged in farming in 
Noble county, carrying on the pursuit there for eight years.  On 
October 18, 1898, he returned to DeKalb county, settling near the old 
home farm, where he now lives and to the cultivation and development of 
which he has devoted himself assiduously with very gratifying results.  
In 1900 he built a new residence, remodeled the barn, and has in other 
ways brought the place up to a high standard of development and 
improvement.  Of the old barn that stood on this farm, it is noteworthy 
that the subjects’ father painted this barn when it was originally 
built by his father, the paint being made from red clay found near the 
barn, and which was ground an burned and finally mixed with oil. Though 
crude in method of manufacture, the result was highly satisfactory and 
this paint lasted until the barn was remodeled in 1910.  Mr. Grogg is 
the owner of one hundred and twenty acres of good land, and, owing to 
his twentieth-century methods and his wise discrimination in the 
rotation of crops and other advanced features of agriculture, he has 
been enabled to realize very gratifying returns for his labors.  He 
raises all the crops common to this section of the country and gives 
some attention to the breeding of live stock, in both departments being 
considered a man of good judgement and sound discrimination.

	In 1890 Mr. Grogg married Mary Frantz, the daughter of Christian 
and Marguerite (Amstutz) Frantz, a sister of John Frantz, who is 
represented elsewhere in this work. To them has been born a daughter, 
Maude A., who is the wife of Matthew Sleasman, of Auburn, this county. 
Mr. Grogg is a man of high degree of intelligence, being well read on a 
wide range of subjects, and is an interesting conversationalist and a 
forcible speaker. He is thoroughly alive to the current questions of 
the day, on which he holds decided opinions, and is not afraid to stand 
staunchly by his honest convictions, He is a man of fine qualities of 
character and is deserving of the high standing which he enjoys.



Submitted by:

Arlene Goodwin

Auburn, Indiana

Agoodwin@ctlnet.com