George S. Ackerman
Among the most successful dairymen and farmers of Mill Township George S. Ackerman has a proper place, and it is consistent with the proprieties that he should be given mention in a historical and biographical work of the nature of this publication. For twenty-five years has Mr. Ackerman carried on his activities on this, his present place, and while he ahs been successful, his prosperity has come wholly as a result of his thrift and ability, and he is deserving of a deal of credit therefor.
Mr. Ackerman was born in Richardson County, Nebraska, on November 20, 1862, and was a small child when his parents came to Grant County. They were Benjamin G. and Julia (Landry) Ackerman, natives of Ohio and Madison County, Indiana respectively. They were married in Nebraska, where they had gone as young people, and in Richardson County the Ackerman brothers had owned a thousand acres of land.
After Benjamin Ackerman came to Indiana he was for a time engaged in the business of heading oil barrels, and he was thus engaged for some years in Madison County, after which he came to Marion and has here since been engaged in the manufacturing and heading of oil barrels, up until five years ago, when he became identified with the coal and wood business. Mr. Ackerman has been faithful to his business interests, and his record of service is that he has never lost a day from business except because of illness since he became of age, a record that few, if indeed any men could equal.
George S. Ackerman is the eldest of the five children of his parents, four of whom are yet living, and three of whom are married. Mr. Ackerman himself was married in the house he now occupies to Miss Nettie, daughter of Jacob and Almedia (Moore) Leapley. He died but recently at the age of seventy-six years, after long residence in the county, during which time he had been engaged in contracting and farming. His widow now lives in Marion and is in her seventy-third year of life. She and her husband were long prominent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he was a Republican in politics.
Mr. and Mrs. Ackerman have two daughters, Grace the first born, is aged thirteen, and Louse is ten years of age. Both are attending the public schools.
The Ackermans have a comfortable and commodious home, and their farm is reckoned among the best in the county. It is worthy of mention that it has reached its high plane of productiveness solely as a result of the thrift and good management of its owner, for when the place came into Mr. Ackerman's hands it was in a sadly run-down and unproductive condition. It required some years of steady endeavor to bring it up to anything like its present state of productiveness, and Mr. Ackerman has made a thorough study of intensive farming in recent years. He has of late given his best attention to dairy farming, however, and the dairy products of his place find a ready market at top-notch prices at all seasons of the year.
A Democrat, Mr. Ackerman takes a lively interest in the political activities of his town and county, and is a man of considerable influence and position in his community.
Mr. Ackerman is hale and hearty, well preserved and though he is now seventy-five years old, still gives regular attention to business. His wife is sixty-eight years old now and is alert and active for one of her years. She is a Presbyterian, and her husband, though not a member, attends church with her. He is a democrat, and has always been an admirable citizen.
Submitted by: Gina Reasoner