MONTGOMERY ISAAC H - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Isaac H. Montgomery, one of the best known men in this county and the owner of one of the finest farms in this section of the state, died at his home near Linden at 6 o'clock this morning as the result of disabilities due to old age. Though over ninety years of age he never suffered a serious illness in his life until about two weeks ago, when old age attacked his naturally strong constitution. He comes from a long-lived ancestry, his grandfather living to be a 110 years of age and having the unique distinction of being married in his hundredth year. The funeral arrangements have not been made, but will be announced later.

Isaac H. Montgomery was a son of Alexander and Anna Montgomery, to whom he was born in their Jefferson county log cabin home on March 24, 1814. His parents were natives of Kentucky, and about 1808 moved to Indiana, while the Indian troubles raged in this state. Alexander Montgomery caught in the battle of Tippecanoe, and was engaged in the ranging service for a time. In 1828 he moved his family to Crawfordsville, where he buried his wife Anna. He then opened a shoe shop, and after four years in that business engaged in farming. In his old days he suffered a stroke of paralysis and in about the year 1860 he died, aged seventy-eight years.

He was married three times and at his death was a strong Methodist and a staunch Republican. In early days Isaac Montgomery learned the shoemaker's trade, which he followed for twelve years. In 1835 he entered forty acres of land in Coal Creek township, the same now comprising a part of his large farm. He was married on April 14, 1836, to Elizabeth Park, the daughter of Elijah and Evaline Park, who were among the oldest settlers of this county. They settled on the farm which they have since occupied, and the log cabin which now stands near the gravel road a mile and a half north of Linden was their first dwelling. Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery toiled and saved, tilled the farm, raised and dealt in stock and added to their farm until it comprised the two thousand acres of beautiful rolling land which they lived on until their demise. In politics he was originally a Whig, but later became a Republican and was one of the most pronounced men in the party during the latter part of his life. He and his wife were both lifelong members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mrs. Montgomery died in August, 1901, and the deceased leaves seven children, four of them having died. Those living are William H. Montgomery, Mrs. John Boyd, Mrs. T.W. Durham, Mrs. R. Hallowel, Mrs. T. P. Anderson, Mrs. Dora Doubleday, and Wallace F. Montgomery.

An Early Mail Contract when only twelve years old, Mr. Montgomery secured the contract for carrying the mail between Crawfordsville and Lafayette. The mail was not very heavy and he took it on horseback, following a blazed trail through the forest a large part of the way. He started from here at 12:30 in the afternoon and returned the next morning and for each round trip received the munificent sum of 50 cents. After his marriage it was his custom to make all the shoes for his family and he continued this until his children were almost grown. For many years he would do the cobbling at night after working hard all day of the farm. - thanks to Kim H