Biography of Price Donner West, pages 408/409/410/411/412.  
History of DeKalb County, Indiana; B. F. Bowen & Company, 
Inc., Indianapolis, 1914.



Among the well known citizens of northern Indiana who have 
finished their labors and gone to their reward, the name of 
Price Donner West, who was one of the prominent business 
men and highly esteemed citizens of Auburn, is deserving of 
special notice. He was one of those sterling citizens whose 
labors and self-sacrifice made possible the advanced state 
of civilization and enlightenment for which this section of 
the Hoosier state has long been noted. He was a benefactor 
in the truest sense of the term. His career was fraught 
with inestimable blessings to the world, for he was a man 
who did not believe in living to himself alone, but desired 
to help those whom fortune favored less on the highway of 
life, consequently his memory will long be revered by a 
wide circle of friends and acquaintances in DeKalb county 
or wherever he was known.  Price Donner West, son of Fisher 
Curtis Price, was born in Perry township, Allen county, 
Indiana, December 27, 1861. When about eight years old he 
went with his parents to Post Mitchell, Noble county, 
Indiana, where the family lived for three years. At the end 
of that time the family returned to the old home in Allen 
county. Price, when a boy, attended the district schools. 
Thirsting for knowledge and assisted in his ambition by his 
mother, who was an educated woman, young West entered the 
Methodist Episcopal College, then located in Fort Wayne. He 
was graduated from this, his mother's alma mater, in 1880. 
He entered DePauw University, and, largely through his own 
labor during summer vocations, paid his own way through 
that institution, from which he took his diploma in 1885. 
At this time his mind turned to the law and he entered the 
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor to prepare himself for 
the practice of his chosen profession. He was graduated 
from the institution, and, in 1889, he was admitted as a 
member to the bar of DeKalb county, Indiana. In 1892 he 
formed a partnership with Judge Hartman. After this 
dissolution of this partnership Mr. West was alone for 
awhile practicing law and lending money. From this grew his 
desire to go into a banking business, and early in 1900 he 
formed a partnership with Charles M. Brown, and the law 
firm of Brown & West continued to lend money, in 1903 
organized the Savings, Loan and Trust Company. On the 1st of 
January, 1908, Mr. West bought the interest of Mr. Brown 
and the partnership was dissolved. Mr. West was president 
of the Savings, Loan and Trust Company from its 
organization until his death. At all time Mr. West's 
business transactions, both in law  practice and in his 
trust company, were marked by the strictest integrity. In 
1902 Mr. West's health failed and he was obliged to seek a 
change of climate to recuperate. He spent several months in 
Florida at St. Petersburg. He returned home much improved. 
As a boy at home he worked beyond his strength, and during 
his vacation months in his college years he was up from  
early dawn until late at night running threshing machine 
and in such other farm work as would enable him to pay his 
way through college the following school year. His ambition 
always exceeded his bodily strength. Although Mr. West was 
the son of a rich farmer he lived and worked as a poor boy, 
always. His mother died in 1889, and, although a large part 
of the farm was her own, Price derived no benefit from it, 
allowing his father to retain and use it as he had in the 
mother's lifetime.  The elder Mr. West was a man of sound 
business ability and his advice and judgment were eagerly 
sought and accepted by the son, who always gave his father 
his entire confidence. The father, being a stockholder and 
director in the Savings, Loan and Trust Company, was in a 
position to give his son the benefit of his many years of 
experience, which he did. At the time of his death, Price 
D. West was known far and wide, and his trust company was 
one of the most popular and flourishing institutions of the 
kind in this section of the country. He was known as the 
"poor man's friend." Those struggling for a foothold in the 
world never asked him in vain for help, and those in 
trouble seeking his advice were received by him with the 
utmost sincerity and went away satisfied that his advice 
was right. Mr. West as a lawyer stood high. He was admitted 
as a member of the bar of the supreme court of Indiana 
April 2, 1909. On the same date he was admitted to practice 
in the circuit court of the United States. In October of 
1908 he organized the Garrett Savings, Loan and Trust 
Company in the neighboring town of Garrett. He was 
president of that institution until within a few months of 
his passing away, when he sold all of his interest therein. 
He was president also of the Auburn Creamery Company and of 
the County Association of Insurance Agents. His father 
being old and blind, Price took the management of his 
father's large farm in Allen county upon his own shoulders. 
He seldom took any recreation except to go to the farm for 
a few day's tramp through the fields and woods, every foot 
of which was dear to him.  He was married December 27, 
1895, to Mrs. Mary C. Barnes. Two sons came of this 
marriage, Fisher C. West, Jr., and Price Donner West, Jr.  
The mother of these children died March 10, 1905. On June 
19, 1906, Mr. West was married to Nanne Peterson, daughter 
of Henry C. Peterson, of Albion, Indiana. She and the two 
sons, Fisher, aged ten years, and Donner, almost nine yeas 
of age, are living at the home in Auburn.  Although of a 
retiring disposition, this man was kind and obliging to all 
whom he met in a business or social way, and no favor was 
too much trouble for him to grant. Being a man of many 
sorrows, he had sympathy for the sorrowing, and aided them 
in many ways. His life was not an easy one, but one filled 
with trials that usually beset the man who makes his own 
way. He loved his work and found great happiness in it.  
During the past seven years he had seemed to be growing 
steadily stronger so that his passing was a shock to every 
one, as well as a great grief.  He was a valued member of 
the Scottish Rite at Fort Wayne, and of all the Masonic 
orders of Auburn.  A year before his death he was worthy 
patron of the Order of the Easter Star, and also a member 
of the Knights of Pythias.  He was also prominent as a 
member of the Commercial Club of Auburn. He was public-
spirited, being intensely interested in the welfare of the 
community in which he lived. His Christian faith was 
exemplified by the many good deed of his daily life.  Being 
a most profound Bible scholar, he implanted a love for the 
Bible stories in his two sons. The preparation that Christ 
made for his ministry was the last lesson he taught his 
sons. He said: "Get an education to enable you to do 
something in life. Get ready to do, then do it." In his 
home life he was ideal. His every thought might live to see 
Fisher and Donner started in life for themselves. He was 
summoned by the death angel while sitting at his desk on 
the evening of July 5, 1913. His passing was the same as 
that of two of his mother's family. In the passing of this 
great and good man went the last of a family of eight 
children. He died as the Wheelers die, of apoplexy. 
Sincerity was the keynote of the character of this true 
friend, loyal citizen and superior business man. In every 
instance he was trued to himself and his God, leaving 
nothing undone to gratify every wish of those nearest and 
dearest to him, making his home a paradise filled with 
flowers of love. Henry Clay Peterson, father of Mrs. Price 
D. West, was born in St. Mary's township, Adams county, 
Indiana, October 10, 1842. In September of 1856 Mr. 
Peterson, with his father's family, moved to Iowa, but in 
October of the following year the family returned to Adams 
county. Mr. Peterson was educated in the common schools of 
Adams county and in the high school of Warsaw, Indiana. He 
was a classmate of Vice-President Marshall. In the Civil 
war he was a corporal of Henry Banta's Company I, Eighty-
ninth Regiment of Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He was 
mustered into service August 14, 1862. He was taken 
prisoner at Mumfordville, Kentucky, in the fall of 1862, 
and was paroled and came home with his company for a short 
time.  He was exchanged at the time his regiment was 
returned, the regiment then being on post duty in Tennessee 
the greater part of the winter. He with his regiment was 
then in the Missouri campaign, the expedition up the Red 
river with General Banks, and Thomas's campaign at the 
battle of Nashville. He with his regiment participated in 
the capture of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely at Mobile. In 
short, he was with the regiment from the time it was 
mustered into the service until it was mustered out.  
Toward the latter part of the campaign he was chief clerk 
at Major-General A. J. Smith's  headquarters in the field.  
After his return from the army he taught school and read 
law with Judge Bobo of Adams circuit court. He was admitted 
to practice law at the bar in Adams circuit court at the 
September term of 1876. At the October election in 1866, he 
was elected county surveyor of Adams county and served in 
that office one term, he being the only man of his party 
ever elected to an office in Adams county. Mr. Peterson 
moved to Auburn in 1870 and resided here until 1889, when 
he moved to Kansas, and later in the same year moved to 
Albion, where he has resided since. While living in this 
city he served three terms or six years, as prosecuting 
attorney. He was a man who was decided in his opinions and 
free to express them, but you knew where he stood. He was 
courageous, fearless and honest; of the strictest integrity 
and a friend in whom you could confide. He never played 
false, as so many  would-be friends. He always took an 
active interest  in the affairs of life, had a wide 
acquaintance and was one of the most influential men of his 
county. He was sixty-three years of age.  Mr. Peterson was 
first married to Sarah E. Blossom, of Decatur, Indiana, 
February 7, 1867. Her death occurred at Auburn, May 22, 
1874. He was again joined in marriage to Amy E. McConnehey 
at Auburn, May 23, 1876. Mr. Peterson practiced law for a 
short time  in Decatur, after his office as surveyor 
expired. He was the father of four children: Jessie A. 
Peterson; Blanche, wife of J. D. Hoffman, deceased; Jamie, 
deceased, and Mrs. West, the oldest.

Submitted by:

Arlene Goodwin

Auburn, Indiana

Agoodwin@ctlnet.com