Have you used county histories in your search for family information? When I first started, these histories were tremendous help to my research. I was aware that many genealogist referred to these histories as ‘mug books’ since people often paid to be included and may have enhanced their biographies.

As I was reviewing my sources for John Ricketts, I came across his biography in the book, History of Clinton County, Indiana published in 1886 by Inter-State Publishing Company. Not only does this biography contain a wealth of information about James and his family but there are other helpful biographies in the publication as well. The details from these biographies formed the backbone for my research of this family and helped me locate records for the family.

John Ricketts Biography

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John Ricketts was born in Fleming County, Kentucky, November 22, 1812, a son of Edward and Sarah (Story) Ricketts, also natives of Fleming County. When he was eighteen years old his parents moved to Rush County, Indiana, and entered a farm from the Government. From Rush County our subject came to Clinton County, and entered 200 acres of Government land and cleared a spot where he built his house, but two years later moved to another part of the land which was part prairie. He has added to his first entry from time to time until he now owns 357 acres. In 1883 he built his present commodious frame house, and his other farm buildings are comfortable and convenient. He has always been a hard­working man and is rewarded by having a competency for his declining years. Mr. Ricketts was married December 3, 1846, to Orilda Matilda Reed, who was born in Jennings County, Indiana, January 20, 1828, a daughter of John and Mary (Buckles) Reed. They have had eleven children-James M., born November 28, 1847; Priscilla J., born October 10, 1849, is the wife of John Lonks, Mary A., born October 7, 1851, is the wife of James P. Bond; William L., born April 18, 1855; John E., born July 1, 1857; Nathan, born November 27, 1859, died July 5, 1862; Joseph H., born October 28, 1861 ; C. W., born June 30, 1863; Sarah, born July 7, 1865; Addie M., born March 18, 1867; Charles W., born October 9, 1869. Mr. Ricketts in politics is a Republican. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mrs. Ricketts’s father was born in the State of New York in 1800, and when a young man accompanied his father’s family to Jennings County, Indiana. He enlisted in the war of the Rebellion, and died in the hospital at Memphis, Tennessee, August 15, 1865. Her mother was born near Shepardstown, Virginia, December 6, 1792, and was first married to John H. Rodgers, who was born January

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3, 1787, and died December 2, 1821, and she then married Mr. Reed, and to them were born six children—Cecilia F., Martha J., Orilda M., George W., Charles W. and Francis M. The mother died February 14, 1867.

History of Clinton County, Indiana: together with sketches of its cities, villages and towns, educational, religious, civil, military and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies and representative citizens, also a condensed history of Indiana, embodying accounts of prehistoric races, Indian wars and a brief review of its civil and political history (Chicago: Inter-state Publishing Co., 1886, ), page 862-863; FHL 1036812 item 6 DGS 7956702.

John C. Reed Biography

This biography is a little confusing since it indicates that John and his wife Mary had 11 children. In reality, some of those 11 children are from Mary’s first marriage to John Rogers and thus not the biological children on John Reed.

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John C. Reed, deceased was a native of New York State, born on the Genesee River in 1787. His father came to this country with a regiment of Hessians, who came in the interest of the Queen; but upon arriving here he joined the American army and served through the Revolutionary war. John came to the Territory of Indiana in 1812 with the family of James Buckles, settling in Jennings County and remaining there several years. He married Mary Buckles, a daughter of James Buckles, who came from England. He belonged to the nobility and brought a permit from the Queen to preempt any amount of land in Virginia, but being opposed to the curse of slavery he freed his slaves and emigrated to Indiana. Three of his slaves refused to leave him, and he provided them with a quarter-section of land in his new county. He preempted a township which is divided among his children, and he and his wife are buried upon the place he selected for his home. He will long be remembered as one of the enterprising early settlers of Indiana. They were the parents of five sons and five daughters; all were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. After his marriage John settled upon the land entered by his

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father-in-law, and lived upon it until 1844, when he came to Clinton Count y and entered 300 acres of Government land in Sugar Creek Township, and began to improve his future home. He hauled lumber from Indianapolis with which to build his house. The nearest mill was at Eagle Village. Mr. and Mrs. Reed were the parents of eleven children– Samuel (deceased), James M., George M., C. W., Francis (deceased), Ann, Mary, Elizabeth, Celia, Martha and Arrilda M. Both were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. At the age of sixty-five years, when the country needed brave and true men, Mr. Reed went out in defense of his country. He enlisted in 1862 in the Seventh Indiana Cavalry. He died in the hospital at Memphis, Tennessee, just after receiving an honorable discharge. His wife survived him two years. C. W. Reed, son of the preceding, farmer and stock-raiser, Michigan township, was born in Jennings county, Indiana, on the farm entered by his grandfather, June 23, 1833. When nine years of age, he came with his father’s family to Clinton County, where his youth was spent in assisting his father in clearing and improving his farm. He resided with his father until his marriage to Agnes W. Moncrief, of Jefferson County, Indiana, which occurred November 17, 1852. He then settled upon his present farm, which was entered by a man named Spencer. It was then a dense wilderness. He has cleared and improved it, and has a fine residence. They had five children — Willis r., William S., Frank S., Emma L. and Bird M. He lost his wife April 6, 1881, and was again married march 1882, to Miss Frances Smiley, who was born in Carroll County. Her father died when she was an infant and her mother afterward married R. S. Irwin. One child was born to this union. Mr. reed has a fine farm of 145 acres, well cultivated. He is a member of the Baptist church and his wife of the Presbyterian church. He affiliates with the Republican party.

History of Clinton County, Indiana: together with sketches of its cities, villages and towns, educational, religious, civil, military and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies and representative citizens, also a condensed history of Indiana, embodying accounts of prehistoric races, Indian wars and a brief review of its civil and political history (Chicago: Inter-state Publishing Co., 1886, ), page 862-863; FHL 1036812 item 6 DGS 7956702.

James P. Bond Biography

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Biography of James P. Bond

James P. Bond, an enterprising farmer of Kirklin Township, is a native of Clinton County, Ohio, born September 24, 1854, a son of Elias J. and Margaret (Slagle) Bond. He was brought by his parents in early childhood to Clinton County, they locating in the northern part of Kirklin Township, and there grew to manhood, being reared to agricultural pursuits. Mr. Bond was united in marriage September 15, 1872, to Miss Mary Ann Rickets, who was born in Clinton County, in Sugar Cree Township, October 7, 1852, a daughter of John and Aurilda (Reed) Rickets. To Mr. and Mrs. Bond have been born two children — Lou Favre, born January 24, 1874, and Harry B., born September 28, 1881. Mr. Bond’s farm contains eighty-three acres of valuable land, eighty-two acres located on section 26 and one acre on section 23, his residence being on the line between the two sections. Mrs. Bond’s father was a native of Kentucky. He subsequently went to Rush County, Indiana, and later located in Clinton County, where he was married to Aurilda Reed, a daughter of John and Mary Reed, the father born in the State of Virginia, dying in hospital during the late war, and the mother dying in Clinton County, Indiana. Mrs. Bond, was the third child in a family of ten children. Mr. Bond in his political views, is a Republican.

History of Clinton County, Indiana: together with sketches of its cities, villages and towns, educational, religious, civil, military and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies and representative citizens, also a condensed history of Indiana, embodying accounts of prehistoric races, Indian wars and a brief review of its civil and political history (Chicago: Inter-state Publishing Co., 1886, ), page 862-863; FHL 1036812 item 6 DGS 7956702.