Charles C. Winget

   Charles C. Winget, former trustee of Penn township and for years one of the best
known and most active figures in the oil and gas field in this part of Indiana, a
successful producer to this day, is a native son of Jay county and has lived here all his
life. Mr. Winget was born on a farm in Knox township on June 27, 1865, and is a son
of Francis M. and Sarah C. (Somers) Winget, the latter of whom was born in New
Jersey. Francis M. Winget was born in Ohio. When a youth he came to Jay county
with his mother and was reared in Knox township, where after his marriage he became
a farmer and came to be the owner of an excellent farm of 160 acres. He took an active
interest in general public affairs and for some time served as trustee of that township.
He and his wife were the parents of six children, four of whom are now living, the
subject of this sketch having a brother, Frank W. Winget, and two sisters, Nina O. and
Grace.

   Reared on the home farm in Knox township, Charles C. Winget completed his
schooling in the old normal school at Portland, attending there three summers,
meanwhile teaching school during the winters, and then took up farming, renting his
father's farm, and was thus engaged for four years, at the end of which time he moved
to Pennville and became associated with the work of the Portland Gas Company, which
then was supplying natural gas to the Pennville community. For fifteen years he was
thus engaged, during the latter part of this period becoming a producer on his own
account, taking leases and bringing in several successfully productive oil wells, and
after leaving the service of the Portland company, which about that time gave up the
field, he and Mr. Carroll bought some wells and continued to supply Pennville with gas
until the supply became so diminished as to render unprofitable any further effort
along this line. At the same time Mr. Winget continued his activities in the oil field
and presently became known as one of the most successful producers in this section. He
literally "grew up with the field" and is thus thoroughly familiar with all details of oil
production throughout this section. As a contractor he has brought in a large number of
profitable oil wells and his work along that line promises to continue so long as this
field continues reasonably productive.

   Mr. Winget is a Republican and since the days of his young manhood has taken an
interested part in local civic affairs. For four years (1915-19) he served as trustee of Penn
township and has rendered service a member of the township advisory board. Mr.
Winget married Minnie Gray, who also was born in this county and who is a
daughter of Morgan and Phoebe Elenna (Hughes) Gray, both of whom were born in
Ohio but who had come to Jay county with their respective parents in the days of their
childhood and were here reared.

   Morgan Gray, who died at his home in this county in 1881, was a veteran of the Civil
war and was in his day one of the best known livestock buyers in this part of the
country. He served in the Union army as a member of the 7th Indiana Cavalry, this
service covering a period of four years, and upon his return to civil life became engaged
as a stock buyer and with the exception of about four years during which he was
engaged in the mercantile business in the neighboring county of Wells, followed that
vocation until his death. He and his wife had three children, Mrs. Winget having a
sister, Jessie, and a brother, Charles Gray.

   To Charles C. and Minnie (Gray) Winget five children have been born, namely;
Cosette, who after three years of service as a teacher in the public schools of this county
is now attending Indiana University; Eleanor, who was graduated at Indiana University
and is now a teacher in the Pennville high school; Francis, now a senior at Purdue
University; Morgan, a student in the junior high school, and John, who is in grade
school. The Winget's have a pleasant home at Pennville and have ever taken an
interested part in the general social activities of the community.

SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing
Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp. 205-206. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut.