Hoff - James
Source: Portrait & Biographical Record of Montgomery, Parke & Fountain Counties, Indiana . (Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1893) p 610
James HOFF, residing on
his farm on Sec 36, Wayne Township, has passed the most of his life in
Montgomery County, being a son of one of its early settlers, and has for
many years contributed his quota toward the development of its
agricultural resources and the maintenance of its prosperity. He was
born in Hamilton County, Ohio in 1823 and was a son of N.B. Hoff, whow
as a native of NJ and was born in 1789. Jerishua Larison, the mother was
born in 1800 and died in 1879. The father died in 1861. He followed
wagon-making in Ohio where he resided for several years. In 1832 he
brought his family to Indiana and took up his residence at
Crawfordsville. Under Jackson's administration he file don wild land
owned by the Government, and in the years that followed he improved it
into a good farm. His first dwelling was a log cabin built in 1833. He
afterward replaced it by a house of modern construction. His wife was
Jerusha Larison, a native of NJ and they were blessed with 10 children,
five sons and five daughters: Joseph was born in 1818, became a farmer
and married Rachel Doesnbark; Catherine, who was born in Ohio married
James Ball, a farmer, James is our subject; John T, who was born July
29, 1825 became a farmer in this county and in early manhood married
Lidia Haunce; Mary Jane married John Busenbark, a farmer in Union
Township; Harriet marired Alick Blackford a resident of Illinois and is
now deceased; Benjamin died in this state; Amos who was born in this
county married Miss Blackford and is a farmer in Illinois and Nancy
married William H. Jackson, a carpenter at Crawfordsville. Our subject's
early years were passed amid pioneer environments, and his education
was obtained in one of the primitive schools of the time, that was held
in a rude building, which had puncheon floors and split logs for seats
and was without windows. Mr. Hoff's first teacher was John Roundtree. He
had nothing but his brain and muscle to depend upon when he began life
for himself, but these were sufficient for him to hew his way to a
comfortable living and competence. His first purchase of land was a
tract of 40 acres that was in all its original wildness when it came
into his possession. After a while he had gathered together money enough
to warrant him in purchasing the interest of the other heirs in his
father's estate. He now has one of hte substantially improved and
fine-looking farms of Wayne Township. He has it well provided with
buildings for every needed purpose, and has a neatly-build dwelling,
erected in 1867 at a cost of $1,500. Mr. Hoff was married to Miss Hannah
Barnett in this township in 1846, the marriage ceremony that made them
one being performed by Joseph Vernon. They are warmly esteemed in their
neighborhood for the genuine merit and the many and ever occurring
incidents of kindness that mark their intercourse with those about them.
They have four children: Nancy Jane who was born in 1848 and was
married in 1867 to William Henderson, a farmer in Illinois; Jerusha Ann,
who was born in 1850 and was married in 1873 to Ambrose Fruits; a
farmer, Mahala B, who was born in 1855 and was married in 1883 to SH
Nixon, a farmer of this township by whom she has four chidlren; and Emma
zilla who was born in 1857 and died in 1882. - typed by kbz