James O. Hinds
In Green Township seven miles north of Elwood is the home of James O. Hinds. Mr. Hinds and family have lived in this county nearly thirty years. When he and his wife were married and took up the task of winning a home for themselves, their start was on a rented far. Much can be accomplished by youth and energy, when guided by worthy ambition, and now the Hinds family have a comfortable home, an improved estate, which measure up to the high values set on Grant County land, and among other good things which they enjoy they drive to town in a late model Buick automobile. When they made their start hey were satisfied with a farm wagon as their vehicle of travel.
James O. Hinds was born in Fayette County, Indiana June 22, 1850, a son of E.A. and Emily (Hopkins) Hinds, both of whom were born in Ohio, came to Indiana and located in Fayette County. Later the parents moved to Rush County, Indiana, and still later in life to Tipton County, which continued to be the home of the father until his death at the advanced age of eighty-four years. There were five children in the family and two are now living. The brother of Mr. Hinds, William E. Hinds, a retired farmer of Elwood. Two of the others lived to have families of their own, and one sister died at the age of nineteen years.
James o. Hinds lived in Fayette County for a few years, and in Rush County grew up on a farm and received a common school education. He remained at home with his father until he was twenty-one years old, and when he started out for himself, as a growing boy, it was in the humblest capacity of farm laborer at eight dollars a month. Then in 1871 he married Miss Annetta Barger, of Johnson County, Indiana. She was reared in Rush County, and was educated in the public schools. Mrs. Hinds is a daughter of George W. Barger and Sarah F. Helms, the former a native of Blacksburg, Virginia, and the latter was born near Muscatine, Iowa.
After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Hinds lived in Rush County a short time, later in Johnson County, where he was a renter then returned to Rush County, and again spent some time in Johnson County. In the meantime the father of Mrs. Hinds died, and they sold their interest in the estate for one thousand dollars, a capital which gave them a good start, and about which they have accumulated their present generous prosperity. In 1884 Mr. and Mrs. Hinds moved to Grant County, locating in Green Township on the estate where they still have their home.
To their marriage were born eight children, seven of whom are now living, namely: Lee Hinds, who is married, is a preacher in the Wesleyan Methodist Church and also a farmer of Huntington County; William Franklin, married, lives in Green Township, is a preacher in Holiness Christian Church; Charles E. is married and lives in Madison County; James A., has a family of his own and is a resident of Green Township; Thomas D., has his home in Madison County; Nola B., is the wife of Samuel Noble of Madison County; Locia F., is the wife of Joel Butner of Tipton County.
Politically Mr. Hinds gives his support to the Prohibitionist cause, and is always ready to support any movement for the improvement and welfare of his community. His home farm is under splendid cultivation, and he and his family not only have a delightful homestead but all the facilities for business like farming can be found about their estate, and they conduct the farm as a profitable enterprise in the same way that a manufacturer would run his factory.
Submitted by: Gina Reasoner