Nathan D. Cox
The following sketch contains the important facts in the life and family records of a Grant County citizen whose name has always stood for all that is honest and of good report in this community for successful thrift and business integrity, for a position which all must respect. The Cox family have been Indiana residents since pioneer days, the early generation having made homes out of the wilderness, and later descendants bore a worthy part as soldiers and as citizens. Nathan D. Cox has for many years been sexton and caretaker of the beautiful Park Cemetery of Fairmount. Previous to that he was a successful farmer in this part of the county, and none would deny that the comforts and blessings of good children now surrounding himself and wife were merited rewards to worthy and well spent lives.
Nathan D. Cox was born in Grant county, in Liberty Township, September 5, 1846. His grandfather, Joshua Cox, a native of Randolph County, North Carolina, where he was born about one hundred and fifteen years ago, was of a Quaker family, a farmer by occupation, and married in his native State, Miss Rachael Cox, who was no relative though of the same name. She also belongs to the Quaker religion. In 1830, with their children, these pioneers embarked their household goods, another movables in wagons drawn b ox teams, and by many days of alternate driving and camping along the way finally reached Indiana, and settled in Morgan County. There Joshua Cox and wife died some years after their settlement, and it is believed that they were not more than fifty years of age at the time of their death.
Of a family of Joshua Cox was William Cox, father of the Fairmount citizen. He was born in Randolph County, North Carolina, November 9, 1824, and was six years old when he accompanied the family on its migration to Indiana. Growing upon the home farming Morgan County, he came to Grant County before his marriage. In this county at the age of twenty-one, in 1845, he married Elizabeth Wilson. The Wilson family has played a worthy part in Grant County history. Elizabeth Wilson was born in North Carolina about 1824 or 1825, and was a small child when brought to Grant county by her parents, John and Mary, better known as Polly (Winslow) Wilson. The Wilson family located on government land, improved a farm out of the wilderness, and there the parents spent their final years, dying at a good old age. They were of the Quaker Faith, were most estimable people, and in their children inculcated the virtues of honor and thrift and simple living, which had been characteristic of Quaker people for generations. They were the parents of seven sons and six daughters.
After his marriage William Cox began life in Liberty Township. For some year she rented and worked on others farms and with his accumulations finally bought land for himself in Fairmount Township. Some years later he sold out and bought a farm in Liberty Township, and it was on that homestead that he and his wife died. His death occurred in 1901 and she died five months later in the same year, being seventy-four years of age. He was originally a member of the United Brethren Church. William Cox had married outside of his Quaker church, and when called upon in a public meeting of the Quakers to express his sorrow for his act, he refused, and was accordingly dismissed from the congregation. He and his wife then joined the Wesleyan Methodist, and died in that faith. In politics he was first a Whig voter, and later a Republican. However, he at the time maintained a rigid adherence to the temperance cause, and died all in his power to uphold prohibition principles, irrespective of the larger party lines. There were seven sons and six daughter in the family of William Cox and wife. All the sons are still living, are married, and with the exception of one, have their homes in Indiana. Two of the six daughters are deceased, while the others are all married and have homes of their own.
Mr. Nathan D. Cox, the oldest of the family, came to manhood in Liberty Township. He was still a boy when the war between the states broke out, and at the age of nineteen, on October 7, 1864, volunteered in Company A of the Thirty-third Indiana Infantry. At the close of the war he was discharged, after having seen considerable active service. He fought at the great battle of Nashville, in the closing months of 1864, but escaped unhurt. On starting out for himself he became a farmer, and in 1890 left the farm and took up his residence in Fairmount. In the same year he was appointed superintendent of the Park Cemetery, and has now held that position and given most efficient service for more than twenty years. The park Cemetery is a matter of much pride to the residents of Fairmount, comprising twelve acres of beautifully laid out and improved grounds, and the cemetery was incorporated in May, 1889. Up to the present writing the interments in the cemetery number of 1,500 and nearly all those additions to the city of the dead have been while Mr. Cox was superintendent. Mr. Cox owns some fine residence property in Fairmount, and has been well prospered through his long career.
For many years he ahs been a strong Prohibitionist in politics, and he exemplifies his principles not only in abstaining from all spirituous liquors, but has never used tobacco in any form.
On June 6, 1869, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Cox with Miss Jennie Fisher. she was born in Clinton County Ohio, March 12, 1848, and was a young girl when her parents Asa and Susan (Horsman) Fisher, came to Delaware County, Indiana. Both her parents were natives of Ohio, were married Clinton County, and settled in Delaware County about 1855. Mrs. Fisher died during the war, while her husband passed away some years later. Both were in middle life a the final summons. They were active members of the Christian Church. One son, Andy Fisher was a soldier in the Thirty-Sixth Indiana Regiment, was badly wounded at the battle of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, when a bullet struck him in the loins, and he lay for three days and three nights on the battle field. Finally he was card for by a Confederate soldier, and then sent home, and largely owing to exposure as a soldier died from tuberculosis. He was unmarried. Mrs. Cox is the only one of the ten children in her parents family now living.
The five children of Mr. and Mrs. Cox are mentioned as follows:
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Nora is the wife of David Gregg, of Fairmount, and their children are: Edward, who is a teacher; William, who has received an excellent education, and Dewey.
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Cora, the second in the family, is the wife of Clinton Haisley, who is with the Rubber Company of Jonesboro. They have two children, Chester and Etha, both of whom have been provided with good advantages in the public schools and the Fairmount Academy.
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Flora, died in infancy
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Flora, died when young
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William, died at the age of fourteen.
Mr. and Mrs. Cox have for forty-five years been active members of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. Mrs. Cox has given a quarter century of work as a Sunday School Teacher, while her husband has been a class leader for several years in his local church, later he held the same position six years more, and for many years served as superintendent of the Sunday School.
Centennial History of Grant County Indiana 1812-1912. The Lewis Publishing Co., 1914.