Biography of Jackson A. Long, pages 699/700/701/702.  
History of DeKalb County, Indiana; B. F. Bowen & Company, 
Inc., Indianapolis, 1914. 



The student interested in DeKalb county, Indiana, does not 
have to carry his investigation far before leaning that 
Jackson A. Long has been an active and leading 
representative of its agricultural interests and that this 
labors have proven a potent factor in making this a rich 
farming region. Through several decades the subject has 
carried on farming, gradually improving his valuable place, 
and while he has prospered in this, he has also found ample 
opportunity to assist in the material development of the 
county, his co-operation having been of value for the 
general good. Jackson A. Long is a native son of DeKalb 
county, Indiana, having been born one mile north of Garrett 
on December 30, 1868, and is a son of Harrison and Marietta 
(Wyant) Long. Samuel Harrison Long was born in Summit 
county, Ohio, on October 3, 1842, and is the son of parents 
who probably were natives of Pennsylvania. Their marriage 
had occurred in Summit county about 1840 after their 
removal to that state, the mother’s maiden name having been 
Barbary Ann Fike.  They moved from Ohio to Noble county, 
Indiana, about 1844, settling two miles northwest of 
Kendallville, and about 1852 the father bought forty acres 
of land where the town of Garrett is now situated, where he 
lived until the Garrett Land Company bought his land. 
Harrison Long spent his boyhood days in DeKalb county, 
working on a farm near Auburn, and at the outbreak of the 
Civil war he was employed at the carpenter’s trade. In 
response to his country’s call for defenders, he lay down 
his vocational tools and enlisted on the 9th of August 
1862, for three years, or during the war, as a member of 
Company A, One Hundredth Regiment Indiana Volunteer 
Infantry. The company’s officers at this time were: Captain 
Rhoades, First Lieutenant Schwartz and Second Lieutenant 
Hartman. The regiment took part in a number of the most 
hotly contested engagements of the Civil war, and acquitted 
itself with great credit, winning the commendation of its 
superior officers. Mr. Long proved a valiant and faithful 
soldier and was fortunate in that he went throughout his 
period of enlistment without receiving a wound.  At the 
time of the final surrender of the two great Southern 
armies, Mr. Long was at Raleigh, North Carolina, and from 
there marched to Washington, where he took part in the 
Grand Review, being mustered out of the United States 
service on the 8th day of June, 1865. From Washington the 
troops were shipped to Indianapolis in freight cars, and 
were there paid off and sent to their respective homes.  
Mr. Long came to Corunna, this county, where he met John 
Yarde, with whom he obtained employment until the following 
spring. During the ensuing winter he met and formed the 
acquaintance of Marietta Wyant, to whom he married on the 
3d of May, 1866. This union was a most happy and congenial 
one, lasting over forty-two years, Mrs. Long dying the 12th 
day of September, 1908. She was born in Champaign county, 
Ohio, on March 10, 1838, the daughter of John and Lydia 
Wyant, who were married in Champaign county, and there 
spent their remaining days. To Mr. and Mrs. Long were born 
six children, viz: John Perry, Andrew Jackson, Lydia 
Rebecca, Ida Leona, Arta Odelpha and Orville Elester. On 
the 11th of April, 1894, Harrison Long left DeKalb county, 
locating in Benzonia, Benzie county, Michigan, where he 
rented a farm.  Subsequently he bought one hundred and 
sixty acres of land, of which he still has one hundred and 
fifteen acres, having given his son, Orville, forty-five 
acres after his wife’s death. On the 28th of October, 1909, 
Mr. Long married Mrs. Mary Francis Stafford, who was born 
in Concord township, DeKalb county, Indiana, on May 23, 
1858, the daughter of William and Eliza Reed Dragoo, who 
were natives of Ohio.  Jackson A. Long spent his boyhood 
days in farming and attended the township schools as 
opportunity offered. He gave his attention to the operation 
of one hundred and sixty acres of land, known as the Hayes 
farm, one and three-quarter miles northeast of Garrett, 
which place his parents had rented;  and when his father 
moved to Michigan in 1894 the subject took over the care of 
the farm which he operated during the following ten years. 
Later he bought sixty acres known as the Huffman farm, on 
which he is now located. This is a tract of fine land, and 
Mr. Long has achieved a splendid success in its operation. 
In the fall of 1912 he built a splendid new barn, remodeled 
the residence, and built a large barn shed and made other 
permanent substantial improvements which have added in the 
tangible way to the value of this property.  About twenty-
five acres of this sixty acres of this tract is in timber, 
which is of itself a valuable part of the estate. The farm 
is well drained and fenced, and in the locality it is 
looked upon as one of the best farms in the township.  Mr. 
Long is progressive in his methods, endeavoring at all 
times to keep up to the twentieth-century standard of 
agricultural knowledge, and by carefully rotating his 
crops,  giving attention to the maintenance of the 
fertility of the soil, and to other features of practical 
farming he has been enabled to achieve a noteworthy success 
in his vocation. He is a hard worker and good manage, and 
is ably assisted by his wife, who takes a commendable 
interest in the operation of the farm. Mr. Long is well 
acquainted throughout this locality, and among those who 
know him he is held in highest esteem because of his 
accomplishments and his high personal character.  On 
November 16, 1893, Mr. Long married Lillian Grosh, the 
daughter of Samuel and Isabella (Opdyke) Grosh. Samuel 
Grosh was born in Stark county, Ohio, and as a youth came 
to Allen county, Indiana, with his parents, who settled 
near Leo on what is now the old farm in Allen county. 
Subsequently he left Leo for Cincinnati, Ohio, where he 
followed the miller’s trade for a number of years, but 
eventually returned and located near Albion where he still 
follows the same trade. He entered into partnership with 
Fisher West, but about a year later sold his interest and 
came to Auburn. Soon after coming to Indiana from 
Cincinnati, Mr. Grosh married Isabella Opdyke, who was a 
native of Allen county, born near Fort Wayne. His death 
occurred in 1889, in Auburn, where he enjoyed the respect 
of all who knew him. To Mr. and Mrs. Grosh were born four 
children: Lillian, wife of the subject of this sketch; 
Leonard, Perry and Mrs. Nellie Kraft, all of whom live in 
Auburn.  After moving to Auburn, Mr. Grosh purchased a 
grist mill, also residence property, and for about five 
years prior to his death he was active in the milling 
business, but shortly prior to his decease he sold his 
interest.   Politically, Jackson A. Long gave his 
interested allegiance to the Democratic party, and is 
active in its support, being an influential factor in all 
matters affecting the public welfare.  Mrs. Long is a 
member of the Lutheran church at Auburn and gives her 
earnest support to that society. Mr. Long is interested in 
the welfare of the community and gives an earnest support 
to everything that promises to advance the public welfare 
materially, socially, morally or educationally, and is 
deserving the high standing which he now enjoys throughout 
the locality where so many active years of his life have 
been spent.

Submitted by:

Arlene Goodwin

Auburn, Indiana

Agoodwin@ctlnet.com