Biography of William H. Hinman, pages 618/619/620/621.  History of 
DeKalb County, Indiana; B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., Indianapolis, 
1914.



William H. Hinman

Among the prosperous business men of DeKalb county, Indiana, the 
subject of this review occupies a deservedly conspicuous place and the 
following brief outline of his career and tribute to his worth should 
be perused by those whose lifework is yet a matter of the futures.  
Honorable in all his dealings, considerate of the rights of others and 
a man whose influence has ever been on the side of right, his life has 
been fraught with good to his fellows and the world made better by his 
presence. 	William H. Hinman is a native of DeKalb county, Indiana, 
having been born in Smithfield township on December 2, 1858.  His 
parents were Morgan O. and Mary Jane (Yard) Hinman.  Morgan O. Hinman 
was born July 20, 1832, between Akron and Middlebury, Ohio, the son of 
Orron and Elizabeth (Haynes) Hinman.  Long before the advent of 
railroads through this section of the country and when Morgan Hinman 
was but a lad of thirteen years, his father had come to DeKalb county, 
Indiana, and bought two farms, one located at Haynes’ Corners, north of 
Garrett, and the other in Smithfield township, near the Cedar Lake 
church. He returned to his Ohio home and prepared to bring his family 
here, but his death occurred before they started.  He left a widow and 
six children, four daughters and two sons.  A year later the widow and 
her children came to DeKalb county, establishing the family home on the 
Haynes’ Corners farm, where she spent the remainder of her days.  
Morgan Hinman was fourteen year sold when the family came here, and, 
being the oldest son and next to the oldest child, he became 
practically the head of the family, remaining with his smother until 
his marriage.  About 1857 he erected a rude cabin on the Smithfield 
township farm, which had no floors and was a typical home of that 
period.  He married about that time Mary Jane Yard, born June 13, 1835, 
in Devonshire, England, the daughter of John and Elizabeth Yard.  She 
was eighteen years of age at the time of the family’s emigration to 
America, her birthday having occurred while on the ocean, on which trip 
the family spent eighteen weeks.  Her family was among the early 
settlers near Garrett, and all the members of this family now living 
here are well known and respected citizens of their respective 
communities.  Mary Elizabeth Yard and her brother, were engaged in 
teaching school here in the early years, and thus performed their part 
in the early progress and advancement of the community. After his 
marriage he went ahead clearing and draining his farm, which he 
developed into a fine tract of land, and when the Air Line division of 
the Lake Shore railroad was projected through this locality, he engaged 
in clearing off timber for the right-of-way of this road.  His first 
purchase of land was forty acres of the old homestead, but later he 
also bought the interests of two sisters in his father’s estate, thus 
becoming the owner of eighty acres of fine land.  Eventually he sold 
that place, which is now known as the Ben Farrington farm, and about 
1865 he moved to the Myers farm, two miles south and one and one-half 
miles west of Corunna, where he remained until about 1881, when he 
moved to Dixon county, Nebraska, buying a farm at Wakefield, there his 
wife died, February 1, 1905, and subsequently he moved to Oklahoma, 
locating in Garfield county, four miles south of Enid, where his death 
occurred on May 12, 1908. The subject of this sketch was reared to 
manhood on the farm southwest of Corunna, DeKalb county, Indiana, and 
until attaining his legal majority he worked out by the month. During 
his youth he had obtained a fair education in the public schools, and 
thus by the time he had attained manhood’s years he had formed a very 
definite idea of life’s responsibilities and of its serious aspects.  
After his majority he was for four years engaged in farming on his 
grandmother’s place at Haynes’ Corners, and then spent a year engaged 
in a like pursuit in Smithfield township.  He then went to Nebraska, 
where he resided about a year prior to his father’s removal to that 
state.  Eventually he returned to DeKalb county, Indiana, and after his 
marriage in 1883, he bought forty acres of land just east of Cedar 
Lake, Smithfield township, where he lived about seven years.  He then 
moved into Waterloo, and for a year was employed in a furniture store. 
About 1895 Mr. Hinman started a wagon shop, which he has conducted 
continuously since, erecting a building on the lot where he is now 
located and equipping it with every appliance necessary for wagon 
repairing and work in kindred lines.  About five years ago Mr. Hinman 
also put in a line of agricultural implements, and in this enterprise, 
as well as in the former, he has been very successful, being now 
numbered among the leading business men of his city. About 1907, Mr. 
Hinman sold the forty acres which he had first purchased here and 
bought fifty-six acres near Cedar Lake, and in the fall of 1913 he 
bought the Smalley farm, and now is owner of one hundred and twelve 
acres of as good land as can be found in DeKalb county. In 1908 Mr. 
Hinman bought a nice home on Union street, in Waterloo. 	On February 
1, 1883, Mr. Hinman was united in marriage with Zella Smalley, who was 
born in Richland township, DeKalb county, Indiana, the daughter of 
Jonathan and Loretta (Farrington) Smalley, who are referred to later in 
this sketch.  To Mr. and Mrs. Hinman has been born one daughter, Leone, 
who is now the wife of Lee Wise, of Auburn, and they have two children, 
Thelma and Lois. Fraternally, Mr. Hinman is a member of the Free and 
Accepted Masons and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, while he and 
his wife belong to the Order of the Eastern Star and the Daughters of 
Rebekah. Religiously, they are earnest members of the Christian church, 
to which they consistently give a liberal support, and in every phase 
of Christian endeavor they have stood for the best type of life.  Mr. 
Hinman is a quiet, unobtrusive man of steady habits and good character, 
and he has performed his full part according to the dictates of an 
honest conscience. Because of his sturdy integrity and his business 
success he is deserving of the honorable position which he holds in the 
community. As mentioned before, the father of Mrs. Hinman was Jonathan 
Smalley, son of Chester and Esther Smalley, he having been born in 
Crawford county, Ohio, on the 5th of April, 1837. With his parents, he 
came to DeKalb county, Indiana, in September, 1856, the family settling 
in the dense wilderness which then covered the western part of the 
county. Jonathan assisted his father in the making of the new home, 
helping to build the log cabin, which was their first habitation.  The 
nearest town to them was seven miles distant and the nearest railroad 
twenty-five miles. In the winter of 1858-1859 Jonathan Smalley united 
with the Christian church.  He was married to Loretta A. Farrington, a 
member of the same church, of which they both always were faithful 
members.  Three children were born to this marriage: Mrs. Zella Hinman, 
of Waterloo; Albert B., who was killed in a sawmill explosion in 
December, 1888, and Bolland D., of Auburn. In 1866 Mr. Smalley bought a 
tract of unimproved land in Smithfield township, DeKalb county, which 
he cleared and developed into a fine farm, erecting a comfortable home 
and good buildings. Here he and his wife spent the rest of their days, 
he passing away December 22, 1912, and she preceding him to the great 
beyond on November 13, 1912.



Submitted by:

Arlene Goodwin

Auburn, Indiana

Agoodwin@ctlnet.com