Biography of Jacob F. Snyder, pages 981/982.  History of 
DeKalb County, Indiana; B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., 
Indianapolis, 1914.



The record of Jacob F. Snyder, a leading farmer of 
Smithfield township, is that of an enterprising gentleman 
who worthily upholds and honored family name and whose 
life, for many years, has been very intimately associated 
with the material prosperity and moral advancement of the 
locality where he resides, and during the most progressive 
periods of the history of this vicinity. He has always been 
found on the right side of questions looking to the 
development of the same, and he has at the same time won 
and enviable reputation for honesty and wholesome living. 
Jacob F. Snyder was born in 1862 in Seneca county, Ohio, 
and is a son of Carolus and Lovina (Kistler) Snyder, the 
father a native of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, and the 
mother born in Seneca county, Ohio. When Jacob F. was about 
six months old the parents moved to Allen county,  Indiana, 
locating in Cedar Creek township, and on the parental farm 
there the subject remained until twenty-four years of age, 
having during the early years assisted his father in the 
cultivation of the homestead and securing a good practical 
education in the public schools of that community. His 
parents spent the remainder of their years on the Allen 
county farm and died there, having, because of their high 
personal qualities and industry, earned and retained the 
respect of the entire community.   About 1886 Mr. Snyder 
was married and soon afterwards came to DeKalb county and 
rented farm land in Smithfield and Franklin townships, 
where he engaged in agricultural pursuits during the 
following twenty years as a renter, occupying only three 
farms during that period. In the fall of 1905 Mr. Snyder 
bought ninety-one acres of land in the northeast quarter of 
section 24, Smithfield township,  and five years later he 
bought forty acres additional a short distance northeast of 
his first holdings and in Franklin township. He has made 
his home on the Smithfield township farm continuously since 
first locating there, and has achieved a splendid success 
in it operation. Practical and up-to-date in his ideas and 
methods, he has left no stone unturned in his efforts to 
bring success out of his enterprise, and that he has 
accomplished the desired result is evidence by the high 
standing  he occupies among the agricultural element of his 
section of the county. He gives every detail of his farm 
work his personal attention, raising all the crops common 
to this locality and giving due attention to rotation of 
crops and other important features of successful farming. 
He has a neat and attractive residence, commodious and well 
arranged barns, while the well-kept fences, highly 
cultivated fields and the general appearance of the place 
indicates the owner to be a man of intelligence and sound 
judgment. In addition to the cultivation of the soil Mr. 
Snyder give a proper share of his attention to the breeding 
and raising of live stock, in which also he has been very 
successful.  In 1886 Mr. Snyder married Ida A. Harwood, who 
was born in Allen county, Indiana, the daughter of Edward 
and Louisa (Spencer) Harwood, both parents also natives of 
Allen county and members of the pioneer families of that 
locality. Mrs. Snyder died on May 11, 1901, leaving three 
sons and a daughter, Orange, Elmer, Dora and Lester. 
Orange, who lives in Franklin township, married Ruby Wolfe, 
and they have a son, Frank; Elmer, who lives in Smithfield 
township, married Mina Enzor, and they have a son, Perry; 
Dora and Lester are at home. In December, 1901, Mr. Snyder 
married Estella Grats, a native of Allen county, this 
state, and a daughter of Silas and Alice (Wherley) Grats. 
She was reared in Allen county, where her father, who has 
been a life-long farmer, still lives.  Her mother died 
there in March, 1913. To Mr. and  Mrs. Snyder have been 
born three children, Mildred, Milford and Velma. 
Religiously, Mr. and Mrs. Snyder are earnest and faithful 
members of the United Brethren church, giving their support 
not only to all the interests of the society, but also to 
every movement which promises to be of material, social, 
educational or religious benefit to the community. They 
move in the best social circles and because of their genial 
qualities and the success which they have attained they 
have earned and retained the sincere regard and respect of 
all who know them.

Submitted by:

Arlene Goodwin

Auburn, Indiana

Agoodwin@ctlnet.com