Category Archives: Miami County

Jacob McCalla

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Jacob McCalla
b. 9 March 1813, Unity, Columbiana County, Ohio, to Thomas and Lydia (Leibert) McCalla
d. 15 July 1902, Middleville, Wright County, Minnesota

m/1. 26 October 1837, Unity, Columbiana County, Ohio
Sarah Ann Steel
b. 6 December 1813, Pennsylvania
d. 8 June 1860, Union, Miami County, Indiana

m/2. 1864
Hannah Sheets
b. 1839, Columbiana County, Ohio

m/3. 1868
Mary Ann (Fish) Sweet
b. about 1826, Alabama

Children with Sarah Ann Steel:

  • Samuel (b. 1840)
  • Lydia A. (b. 1838)
  • Andrew (b. 1842)
  • Mary A. (b. 1843)
  • Nancy (b. 1846)
  • Thomas (b. 1848)
  • John (b. 1849)
  • William (b. 1853)

Children with Hannah Sheets:

  • Sarah A. (b. 1865)

Children with Mary Ann (Fish) Sweet:

  • Edgar (b. 1868)
  • Elsie (b. 1868)

Jacob McCalla immigrated to Indiana in 1852 from Jackson, Crawford County, Ohio, and resided at Union, Miami County, Indiana, until he moved to Middleville, Wright County, Minnesota, in 1866.

Submitted by:
C. X. McCalla, III, M.D.
Paoli IN

John J Johnson

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John J Johnson
b. 1 December 1844, Cochranton, Marion County, Ohio, to John M. and Eliza (Odel) Johnson
d. 15 April 1931, Urbana, Champaign County, Illinois

m/1. 1 June 1871, Scott, LaGrange County, Indiana
Caroline Ludwig
b. 5 May 1853, White Deer, Union County, Pennsylvania, to Joseph R. and Maria (Barrett) Ludwig
d. 28 August 1898, Urbana, Champaign County, Illinois

m/2. 1903, Denver, Miami County, Indiana
Nellie (Forey) Keplinger

Children with Caroline Ludwig:

  • Guy T. (b. 14 June 1873)
  • Addie May (1882–1965) married Charles Sylvester Creek

John resided in Mt. Pisgah and Middlebury, Elkhart County, Indiana, and in Mexico, Miami County, Indiana. He emigrated from Indiana to Champaign County, Illinois, in 1894. There may be descendants of John Johnson’s siblings in Elkhart, LaGrange, or Noble counties, Indiana, with the surnames Goodsell, Deal, Appleman, Tinklepaw, and Kingsly.

His family has letters written by John J. Johnson from 1862 to 1864 while he was a member of Company G of the 88th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers, of LaGrange County, Indiana,
during the Civil War. The 88th Regiment participated in the battles of Stone River, Murfreesboro, Missionary Ridge, Chattanooga, and Kenesaw Mountain and took part in Sherman’s march to the sea. John Johnson was present at the Grand Review in Washington, D.C., on 24 May 1865. The Johnson family also owns a “rubber” blanket with numerous bullet holes in it, which may have saved Johnson’s life during his military service.

After the war John Johnson resumed his education and served as a teacher for many years. After working for some years as a miller, he worked at the University of Illinois in the water survey department until he retired in 1925 at age 81.

John’s second wife, Nellie (Forey) Keplinger, was the widow of John Keplinger, whom he met by answering a marriage advertisement.

Submitted by:
Ruth E. Hill
Raleigh NY

Worley Elmer Eltzroth

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Worley Elmer Eltzroth
b. 24 February 1869, Miami County, Indiana, to John Weaver and Frances Melinda (Bear) Eltzroth
d. 7 January 1955, Billings, Yellowstone County, Montana

m. 15 January 1891, North Grove, Miami County, Indiana
Jarried Mae Depoy
b. 18 August 1869, Washington Courthouse, Ohio
d. 22 January 1961, Des Moines, Iowa

Worley lived in Wabash and Miami counties in Indiana. He emigrated from Indiana to Missoula County, Montana, in 1904. He later moved to Yellowstone County, Montana, in 1918. He and Jarried had no children.

Worley Eltzroth worked as a railroad roundhouse foreman in Indiana, Iowa, Wyoming, and Montana. He later invested in the Merchants Hotel in Laurel, Montana, and operated it for several years. He bought and operated two ranches near Laurel, Montana, prior to his retirement.

Submitted by:
Jesse William Long, Jr.
Helena MT

Dr. William J Darnell

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Dr. William J. Darnell
b. 12 December 1837, Scott County, Virginia, to Henry H. and Hannah Retia (Hensley) Darnell
d. 20 February 1926, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

m/1. 10 May 1868, Fayette County, Illinois
Elizabeth W. Pasley
b. June 1851, Illinois
d. Miami County, Illinois

m/2. 1901, Miami County, Indiana
Mary Martha Keplinger
b. 18 November 1886, Union Township, Miami County, Indiana
d. 4 June 1971, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

Children with Elizabeth W. Pasley:

  • T. E.
  • Mary
  • Lou
  • Ida Mae
  • Ethel E.
  • Hazel M.

Children with Mary Martha Keplinger:

  • Irene Vinita (b. 17 September 1902)
  • William Jay (b. 29 May 1912)

Dr. Darnell immigrated to Peru, Miami County, Indiana, before 1900 from Fayette County, IL. He emigrated from Indiana to Weer, Indian Territory, south of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, in 1904.

William Darnell served in Company M of the 1st Indiana Cavalry during the Civil War until he was wounded in the head by a steel ball. Doctors then inserted a stainless steel plate, and he was discharged. Darnell was so impressed with the medical profession that he decided to become a physician. He attended the University of Michigan, the University of Illinois, and Johns Hopkins University while earning his Doctor of Medicine degree with a specialization in surgery and obtaining a license to practice pharmacy in 1868.

Dr. Darnell began his profession in Illinois and then moved to Peru, Indiana. In 1903 while practicing in Williford, Arkansas, he became acquainted with the Jesse James gang after treating some of their wounds from one of their escapades.

After visiting Indian Territory a number of times, Dr. Darnell purchased Dr. B. T. Ball’s business at Weer. The Darnell store was a combined drug, grocery, and general store. Since he was a licensed pharmacist, he would prepare various types of medicines for his patients, and his wife would operate the store while he was away on house calls.

His practice took Dr. Darnell as far east as Wagoner and to Kellyville in the west. He rode a horse on most trips, although he did use a horse and buggy on some occasions. Later he purchased a Model T Ford to use on his calls.

Bills were sometimes paid in wood, hogs, chickens, and cows, and a few patients even worked their bills by helping on Dr. Darnell’s farm. For those who made no effort to pay their debts, Dr. Darnell wrote in the back of his journal of uncollected bills “Gone to Hell.”

Submitted by:
Norma M. Sullivan.
Delphi IN