Joshua T. Kelley

    Joshua T. Kelley, treasurer of Blackford County, was born in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, November 14, 1844, his parents, Benjamin and Elizabeth (Hall) Kelley, being members of old Virginia families. When he was but one year old his parents moved to Tennessee, and one year later to Clinton County, Ohio, and thence in 1852 to Blackford County, locating in Washington Township, where he was reared to manhood.

    In March, 1864, he enlisted in the war for the Union, and was assigned to Company I, Thirty-fourth Indiana Infantry, going from Hartford City to Indianapolis, and thence to Cairo and Memphis, and bout two weeks later to the mouth of Red River, and from there to New Orleans, where his regiment remained nearly a year, doing guard duty. They were then relieved and sent to the Island of Brazos Santiago, in the Gulf of Mexico, at the mouth of the Rio Grande River, where they remained six months, and the rest of their term of service was spent along the Rio Grande, at Brownsville and above that point. He was mustered out at Brownsville, and discharged at Indianapolis in February, 1865.

    In August, 1886, Mr. Kelley was nominated by the Republican party for the position of treasurer of Blackford County, and at the election, the following November, received a handsome majority over his Democratic opponent, and is now filling the position to the entire satisfaction of his constituents.

    He ahs been twice married. First, to Annie E. Gettys, who died in October, 1878. They had three children -Sarah E., A. M. and Annie M. His present wife was Martha R. Pearson. They have one child -Mary Ethel. Mr. Kelley is a member of Jacob Stahl Post, No. 227, G. A. R., of which he is the present quartermaster.

Source: Biographical and Historical Record of Jay and Blackford Counties, Indiana by The Lewis Publishing Company, 1887.