Biography of Girt L. Gnagy, page 421.  History of Northeast Indiana; 
LaGrange, Steuben, Noble, and DeKalb Counties, Vol. II, under the editorial 
supervision of Ira Ford, Orville Stevens, William H. McEwen, and William H. 
McIntosh.  The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago and New York, 1920. 

   Girt L. Gnagy, who has been one of the leading business men of Hamilton 
for a number of years, operating the local mills, also a garage, is a native 
of DeKalb County, and is a grandson of the pioneer in that county, John 
Houlton.  John Houlton was born in Highland County, Ohio, in 1804, son of 
Samuel Houlton, and was in every sense a pioneer and frontiersman.  In 1827 
he went to Williams County, Ohio, where with his brother he was connected 
with the saw milling 
industry.  In September, 1833, he came to DeKalb County, and in the same 
month built the first house in the county in Franklin Township.  When this 
house was torn down in 1860 the DeKalb County Pioneer Society had a number 
of canes made from the logs, and some of those canes are no doubt carefully 
preserved.  John Houlton married shortly before coming to DeKalb County 
Sarah Vee, who died in July, 1839.  Her daughter Margaret, born in 1836, 
was the first white girl born in DeKalb County. In 1839 John Houlton 
married Nancy Lewis, daughter of Samuel Lewis. To this union were born 
nine children. A daughter, Mary Ann, who died in 1869, was the first wife 
of Jeremiah Gnagy.  Her sister, Rebecca Houlton, later became the wife of 
Jeremiah Gnagy.
   Jeremiah Gnagy was born in Tuscarawus County, Ohio, in 1844, and spent 
most of his life in DeKalb County.  In 1884 he moved to Hamilton in Steuben 
County and conducted a summer resort there, also owning a farm of fifty-
five acres adjoining the village property.  He was a democrat and held 
several township offices.  He died in 1895.  He was active in the 
Christian Church and his widow, Rebecca Houlton Gnagy, was a member of the 
same church.  Rebecca Gnagy, is still living at the age of seventy-three.  
Her five children, all living, are: Guy, George, Girt, Glen and Gladiolus.
   Girt L. Gnagy, who was born in DeKalb County October 15, 1879, has 
lived at Hamilton since he was about five years old.  He attended public 
schools, and as a youth became a teaming contractor.  Later he secured an 
interest in the local water power and developed it and has given Hamilton 
its chief facilities as a milling center.  For the past seven years he has 
also been interested in the garage business and is owner of some productive 
farming land.  Mr. Gnagy is a republican, a member of the Mason, Knights of 
Pythias and Grangers, and affiliates with the Christian Church.
   April 14, 1906, he married Audry L. Sharp of Steuben County.  Her 
father, Eugene Sharp, is the present trustee of York Township. Mr. and 
Mrs. Gnagy have one son, Lyle, born December 24, 1912.

Submitted by:
Arlene Goodwin
Auburn, Indiana
Agoodwin@ctlnet.com