Biography of William McClaren Lockhart, pages 
931/932/933/934/935. History of DeKalb County, Indiana; B. 
F. Bowen & Company, Inc., Indianapolis, 1914.



There is a scientific historical consistency in the 
compilation of publications of this nature, since here are 
perpetuated for future generations the life records of 
those who have been factors in the industrial  and civic 
life of their respective communities and who has commanded 
the confidence and esteem of their fellow men. Such works 
are cumulative in value as the years fall into the abyss of 
time,  and it is right and proper that the achievements of 
those who have proved themselves worthy in connection with 
the varied activities of their day should find such 
memorials as those offered in this connection.  William 
McClaren Lockhart was born on May 27, 1934, at Lexington, 
Richland county, Ohio, and was a son of James and Jane 
(McBride) Lockhart. The name Lockhart is believed to have 
originated in Scotland in the time of Robert Bruce, the 
famous Scottish chieftain. Sir Stephen Lockard was charges 
by  Robert Bruce that in case Bruce  were slain in a coming 
engagement Lockard was to take his heart out and put it in 
a small iron casket to return to Bruce’s homeland.  This he 
did and when the troops wavered in a desperate charge he 
threw the casket containing the heart into the midst of the 
enemy and bade the troops follow the heart of Bruce. They 
charged bravely, thus inspired, and won the victory.  
Lockard recovered the heart and returned it to its home and 
was from that time called Lockheart instead of Lockard.  
James Lockhart was a native of county Tyrone, Ireland, and 
was a son of William and Mary (McClaren) Lockhart. He was 
left an orphan in infancy and was reared in the families of 
his father and his mother. He learned the trade of a linen 
weaver and at the age of twenty-five years emigrated to 
America with his uncle, James McClaren, and family, 
locating in Pennsylvania. There he was for six years 
employed at farm work, at first for six dollars a month, 
and later for seven dollars a month. He then learned the 
trade of a distiller in the employe of James McCullough, a 
Presbyterian preacher.  Mr. Lockhart was in religion a 
Protestant, having been reared in the Baptist faith and a 
member  of that church, but in America he united with the 
Presbyterian church. In Ireland he had been an enthusiastic 
Orangeman, strongly anti-Catholic in his convictions, and 
after coming to America was intensely loyal to his adopted 
country, and, though a Democrat in principles, stood firmly 
for the Union, recalling that on being naturalized he had 
sworn to support the Constitution of the United States. His 
wife, Jane McBride, was a daughter of  Robert and Rosamond 
(Greenfield) McBride, who emigrated from the north of 
Ireland soon after their marriage, locating at Springfield, 
Cumberland county, Pennsylvania. Their parents both came 
originally from Ayreshire, Scotland, Robert McBride, a 
brother of James McBride, was a soldier in the war of 1812, 
taking part in the battle of Lundy’s Lane. In 1854 Robert 
McBride Lockhart, a brother of William C., came to DeKalb 
county, Indiana, and began the erection of a sawmill in 
Smithfield township. On December 17, 1855, William C. came 
here, also locating in Smithfield township. From his early 
childhood until arriving at his majority William C. 
Lockhart lived in Lexington, Ohio, where he received a 
little schooling. When he was about ten years of age his 
father was caused a heavy financial loss by a dishonest 
partner, which reduced him for a competency to an 
indebtedness of five hundred dollars above the value of all 
his property. His creditors were called together and they 
told him to get rid of his partner, keep his property, 
continue in business and pay out as best he could, they 
having absolute belief in his honesty and integrity. This 
he did and when William C. was twenty-one and his brother 
Robert, twenty-three years of age, they had paid all but 
fifty dollars of the indebtedness and has a property of a 
cash value of nine hundred dollars. The financial condition 
of the family interfered with the education of the boys, 
who received but very little schooling, but they did the 
best they could and made the most of opportunities.  In the 
fall of 1854 William C. passed a teacher’s examination and 
taught school with seventy-five pupils under him, in which 
he was very successful, being earnestly urged to take the 
school another year, but this he refused.  The Lockhart 
brothers operated the mill owned by their father, part of 
the time  night and day and apart of the time fourteen 
hours a day, and it is related that William C. Lockhart 
obtained much of his needed sleep on the roof of this mill. 
Money was exceedingly scarce, although they worked hard, 
but they were greatly encouraged by the attitude of their 
father’s creditor who had shown the utmost confidence in 
the integrity and ability of the family to pay out, and 
even when the boys had some money to pay,  they told them 
to use the money in the business and pay when convenient. 
They eventually paid every debt  in full.  At the outbreak 
of the great Civil war the brothers were greatly shocked at 
the news of the defeat of the Union forces a the battle of 
Bull Run, and they agreed that they should make a sacrifice 
for the Union.  Each offered to go as a soldier, but 
finally it was decided that William should go. After a few 
days spent in settling his business affairs, he enlisted in 
a company, which he had helped to organize and of which he 
was made first lieutenant. Just at the time he was taken 
with typhoid fever, in which he was seriously ill and had 
several severe relapses. The man who took his place became 
a colonel inside of a years.  By June, 1863, Mr. Lockhart 
had recuperated and enlisted in Company A, One Hundredth 
Regiment Indiana Infantry, and although he could have had a 
higher rank, he declined it. In the following summer he was 
taken ill and, after being in the hospital, was sent home 
on furlough, and in the following autumn was honorably 
discharged over his protest because of physical disability. 
His heart was so enlarged that the doctor said that if he 
did not die soon it would be a wonder. Twenty years later 
Doctor Swarts told him that nothing but indomitable will 
had saved his life, although he had a natural fine 
physique. He was a faithful and courageous soldier, did his 
duty and endured many hardships, while he was in the 
service. He was discharged on October 22, 1863, after 
serving fourteen months and nine days. On December 22, 
1864, Mr. Lockhart married Elizabeth Spencer, at 
Shalersville, Ohio, but after a few years of happy wedded 
life, her death occurred on October 16, 1867, and she was 
buried at Waterloo, DeKalb county. She left one daughter, 
Jennie M., who is now the  wife of James Craig Day, of 
Waterloo. On May 6, 1869, Mr. Lockhart married Mary E. 
Hickox, to whom a son was born on November 28, 1872, Robert 
W., who is now a successful farmer of Smithfield township, 
this county, and who is represented elsewhere by a personal 
sketch in this work. On February 6, 1884, Mrs. Mary 
Lockhart died of heart failure, and on October 17, 1887, 
Mr. Lockhart married Julia Osborn, a sister of his former 
wife, her death occurring at Waterloo on December 16, 1891. 
On January 4, 1894, he married Elizabeth Ames Ansley.  To 
revert to Mr. Lockhart’s business experience, after he has 
sufficiently recuperated after his discharge from the army 
he resumed the lumber business with his brother. They 
operated the old sawmill and also bought hardwood lumber at 
many points on the railroad and canal, which they sold at 
Eastern markets. They were prospered and gradually extended 
their business affairs from that point, erecting a large 
sawmill, a well equipped planing mill and later a wood 
working shop. They also operated a sawmill in Parke county, 
Shortly prior to the panic of 1873, an invoice showed them 
worth ninety thousand dollars, with advantageous contracts 
in hand for a large amount of business.  The panic came on 
and hit the Lockhart Brothers hard, and in addition to 
their financial distress, their mill in Parke county 
burned, as did their dry kiln at Crawfordsville. Many of 
their customers who owed them large sums of money failed in 
business and could not pay, but in spite of these 
discouraging conditions and through brought face to face 
with bankruptcy, they held on to an honest course in their 
business affairs and in the hope of helping his fortune 
William C. extended his operations to Iowa. Here he was 
successful and was beginning to recover financially, when a 
flood washed a big boom of logs away, entailing the loss of 
over twenty thousand dollars.  After several years in Des 
Moines, Iowa, Mr. Lockhart disposed of his business 
interests there and in January, 1885, he returned to 
Crawfordsville, and in the spring of 1886 he moved to 
Waterloo where he lived until his last marriage, when he 
moved to Fairfield township, where his death occurred on 
February 25, 1910, at the age of seventy-five years.  About 
1879 or 1880, a murderous attempt was made on the life of 
W. C. Lockhart. Mr. Lockhart was seated at the table in his 
office busily engaged in writing, when the report of a 
rifle was heard and a bullet whizzed unpleasantly near his 
head. Some fifteen minutes were suffered to go by before 
investigation was made to see from where the bullet came.  
It was finally discovered that the person who fired the 
shot occupied an empty wood house just across the railroad 
cut and about a quarter of a mile away, and fired through a 
knot hole in the wall. What object the would-be assassin  
could have in attempting to take the life of Mr. Lockhart, 
is not known.  One theory is, that offense was taken by 
some one at the active and pustifiable energy displayed by 
Mr. Lockhart on Election day. He having been a regularly 
appointed challenger.  William Lockhart was a man of 
positive character and fine personality. Though deeply 
interested in the welfare of the communities where he lived 
he persistently refused to accept public office. It is said 
by one who knew him will that he never said a cross word in 
his life, was unselfish in his disposition and nobly 
wrought for the good of others. Fraternally, he was a Mason 
and an Odd Fellow and was a regular attendant and supporter 
of the Baptist church. He was an enthusiastic worker in the 
temperance cause, especially among his many employees at 
Crawfordsville, among whom exerted a beneficent influence.  
His wife, who also was enthusiastic in the temperance work, 
was an active member of the order of Good Templars. Mr. 
Lockhart was slow to make a promise, but once given it was 
never broken. Modest in his attitude and demeanor, he often 
failed to receive the credit due him, allowing it to go to 
others without protest. His Irish blue eyes were symbols of 
truth.  Although naturally hot tempered, he was strong 
enough to control his feelings, and because of his earnest 
and gentlemanly demeanor among his associates he was held 
in high regard.  His word carried weight and his thoughtful 
expressions received a hearing wherever he was known. He is 
best thought of by those who knew him best, and in the 
communities where he lived he at all times enjoyed the 
sincere regard of all who knew him because of his high 
character, gentlemanly qualities and earnest desire to do 
that which he felt to be right.

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Arlene Goodwin

Auburn, Indiana

Agoodwin@ctlnet.com