Biography of Isaac M. Thomas, pages 800/801/802/803. 
History of DeKalb County, Indiana; B. F. Bowen & Company, 
Inc., Indianapolis, 1914.



It is by no means an easy task to describe within the 
limits of his review a man who had led an active and 
eminently useful life and by his own exertions reached a 
position of honor and trust in the line of industries with 
which his interests are allied. But biography finds 
justification, nevertheless, in the tracing and recording 
of such a life history, as the public claims a certain 
interest in the career of every individual and the time 
invariably arrives when it become advisable to give the 
right publicity. It is, then, with a certain degree of 
satisfaction that the chronicler essays the task of 
touching briefly upon such a record as has been that of the 
subject who now comes under this review.  Isaac M. Thomas, 
the well-known ice manufacturer of Auburn, is a native of 
Stark county, Ohio, where his birth occurred on October 16, 
1841. The father, John Thomas, also a native of Ohio, was a 
prominent minister of the United Brethren church. He came 
to DeKalb county, Indiana, in the early days settling on 
the Grogg farm, which he afterwards sold, and bought a farm 
near Feagler's Corners, Richland township, and subsequently 
they moved to Elkhart county, this state, where he engaged 
in agricultural pursuits. He also traveled as an ordained 
minister of the United Brethren church, going to various 
parts of the state, and was well and widely known as a 
successful minister of the gospel, doing much effective and 
valued work in this line. As a farmer he also succeeded 
well, exercising fine judgement and being progressive in 
his ideas. His death occurred in 1905. He married Mary 
Grim, who also was a native of Stark county, Ohio, and 
whose death occurred in 1841. John Thomas  was three times 
married, the first union being to Mary Grim, by whom he had 
three children, John, who died while serving in the army;  
Joseph, and Isaac M., the immediate subject of this review.  
By his second marriage, which was to Julia Ann Poules, who 
died in 1897, Mr. Thomas became the father of six children, 
Simon, David Henry, Elizabeth (deceased), Julia Ann, Mary 
and Jacob. Mr. Thomas was married a third time where he was 
residing in Kansas, and to this union were born two 
children, Benjamin and Amanda, both of whom live in Kansas.  
Isaac M. Thomas came to DeKalb county in 1855, when about 
fourteen years of age, and gave his attention to farming 
pursuits until his marriage in 1865, when he engaged in the 
saw-mill business at Auburn. This line of business engaged 
his attention during the following six years, at the end of 
which period he became the station agent for the Fort Wayne 
& Jackson railroad, now known as the Lake Shore. He was  
the first agent appointed at this place and held the 
position four years.  He then engaged in the threshing 
outfit for twelve seasons,  and also engaged in some extent 
in farming. He then retired from the threshing business and 
again entered the saw-mill business, which engaged him for 
about eight years. At the end of that period he sold his 
saw-mill interest and engaged in the manufacture of 
artificial ice near Auburn, then known as Auburn Junction. 
This business, which is now in its eighth years, has 
enjoyed a healthy and steady growth from the beginning, and 
is now one of the most important industrial concerns in 
this locality.  Mr. Thomas has as partners in his 
enterprise his sons, John C., and Arthur J.  Mr. Thomas is 
an intelligent and well-read man, having supplemented a 
good common school education with two terms in the Auburn 
high  school, after which he engaged in teaching school for 
two terms prior to his marriage, then taking a live 
interest in local public affairs, and from 1872 to 1876 
rendered efficient service as trustee of Union Township. 
Politically, he is an active supporter of the Prohibition 
party, believing the temperance question to be the greatest 
issue now before the American people. Religiously, he is a 
member of the Church of God at Auburn, and is an ordained 
minister in this church, being also and elder in the 
church, in which he is active and influential.  In 1865 
Isaac M. Thomas was married to Sophia Buss, the daughter of 
Christian and Margaret (Staley) Buss. Mr. Buss was born in 
Switzerland, and as a young man came to America, locating 
first in Ohio, where he followed the carpenter trade, which 
he had learned in his native land. He married Margaret 
Staley in Ohio, and continued to follow his vocation until 
coming to Richland township, DeKalb county, where he 
engaged in the erecting of barns. He here bought eighty 
acres of land on which he engaged in farming, and also ran 
a saw-mill. The farm which he purchased has on it an old 
water power saw-mill, which he later replaced with steam 
power. This saw-mill is still standing and is in operation 
the greater part of the time. Mr. Buss died in the summer 
of 1867, on his home farm in Richland township. His wife, 
who also was a native of Switzerland, came to America with 
her father and two brothers, who located in the state of 
Ohio, where her marriage occurred.  She died in 1874. To 
this union were born thirteen children: Sophia, Christian, 
Samuel, Henry, deceased; Mrs. Mary Sherlock, who lives in 
Auburn, Indiana; Mrs. Clara Lahnum, who is a widow and 
lives with her sister, Mary, in Auburn; Maggie; Ida, 
deceased; and there were five others who died in  infancy 
and youth.  Mr. Buss was an active Democrat in his 
political affiliations, and took a live interest in local 
affairs, though he never held public office.  To Mr. and 
Mrs. Thomas have been born six children: Laura Margaret, 
deceased; John; Mrs. Viola Kessler, who lives near Auburn, 
Indiana, and is the mother of one child, Arthur; Saloma, at 
home; and Vesta, who died in infancy. Saloma has for four 
years been connected with the office of the ice plant. Mr. 
Thomas is a man of kindly impulses, and because of the 
splendid relations that he has  sustained with those about 
him he enjoys to a marked degree the confidence and regard 
of the community, Even-tempered, scrupulously honest in all 
his relations with life, hospitable and charitable, his 
many kindly deeds have been actuated chiefly from his 
largeness of heart, rather than from any desire to gain the 
approval of his fellow men. His record is too familiar to 
the readers of this work to require a fulsome encomium 
here, his life speaks for itself in stronger terms that the 
biographer could employ in polished periods.  John C. 
Thomas was born on January 19, 1869, at Auburn, and lived 
with  his parents until 1889, when he went to Topeka, 
Kansas, as operator and became manager for the Postal 
Telegraph company, which position he had successfully for 
fifteen years. In 1904 he returned home and immediately 
engaged in the saw-mill business with his brother, Arthur, 
and his brother-in-law. He later went into business with 
his father and brother Arthur in the ice manufacturing 
business, and they are still actively engaged in this 
enterprise.  At the same time he is continuing the saw-mill 
business with his brother and brother-in-law, W. H. 
Kessler. Mr. Thomas is a man of good education, having 
attended the common schools and also learning the telegraph 
profession, which he followed, as above stated, for many 
years, enjoying the confidence of this employers and 
holding high official position with his company.  
Politically, he is a Republican. On May 15, 1894, John C. 
Thomas married Maggie Aldridge, the daughter of John and 
Sidena (Innis) Aldridge, and to them have been born five 
children, Marie, George, Ralph, Mary, who died in infancy, 
and Margaret Grace.  Arthur L. Thomas was born November 7, 
1872, at Auburn, and received a good practical education in 
the common schools of his home neighborhood. His first 
active business was in connection with a saw-mill, in which 
he took a one-third interest and later bought a one-third 
interest in the ice business which had been established by 
his father, and is still actively engaged in both 
enterprises. He is a man of industrious habits, good 
business judgment, and because of his upright character and 
genial nature he enjoys the friendship of all who know him. 
Politically, he is a Republican, though with no political 
aspirations. In 1905 Arthur L. Thomas married Maude Musser, 
the daughter of Jacob and Levina (Rock) Musser, and they 
have two children, Arnold and Charles V.

Submitted by:

Arlene Goodwin

Auburn, Indiana

Agoodwin@ctlnet.com