Robert Lanning

    Robert Lanning, general merchant, Millgrove, was born in Sussex County, New Jersey, January 15, 1820, a son of Isaac and Lydia (Fuller) Lanning, who were also natives of Sussex County, new Jersey, both dying in Guernsey County, Ohio. The father was eleven years older than his wife, and his death occurred eleven years before she died, her death occurring in 1884.

    Our subject's grandfather, Robert Lanning, was born in New Jersey, and died in Guernsey County, Ohio, aged eighty-four years. His father was an Englishman by birth, and on coming to America, settled in New Jersey. The Fuller family came to America prior to the Revolutionary war. Eli and Martha (Rundle) Fuller, the maternal grandparents of our subject, were natives of New Jersey and Connecticut, respectively, and both died in New Jersey, the former aged fifty-five years, and the latter at the advanced age of eighty years.

    Our subject was six months old when his parents removed to Guernsey County, Ohio, settling in the dense woods of that county, and here he was early inured to pioneer life, his boyhood being spent in helping his father improve his frontier farm.

    He was married 04 January 1844, to Miss Margaret A. Kennedy, who was born in 1817, near Bloomfield, Ohio, where she was reared, going with her parents to Guernsey County, Ohio, after she had reached maturity. Her parents, Moses W. and Esther W. Kennedy, were born in Sussex County, New Jersey, and both died in Guernsey County, Ohio, her father aged seventy-six years, and her mother aged eighty years. her grandfather, Robert Kennedy, was a brother of Lord Kennedy, of Scotland, who offered a large sum of money for his brother's head. Robert fled from Scotland, coming to America, when he settled in Sussex County, New Jersey.

    In the fall of 1845 Mr. Lanning came with his wife and one child to Blackford County, Indiana, an bought 160 acres of heavily timbered land on Section 28, Jackson Township, which had been entered from the Government by his brother-in-law, David Fisher. While his cabin was being built he made his home with the family of Emanuel Fuller. His cabin was 18 x 20 feet in size, and consisted of one room, and was ready for occupancy December 24. His floor was built of puncheons, and although he had left a place for a chimney, he had no chimney. He made his bedstead by boring holes in the logs of his cabin, and fitted sapplings into these holes, weaving linn bark for ropes to place his bed on. he built a table out of puncheons, which he used for two years before he was able to afford a better, and his only seats for two years were stools made out of puncheons, and thus he commenced life in Blackford County.

    The first night spent in his cabin he started out to look for his cows, carrying his gun with him, as the early settlers always did, and while out he killed a fine large deer, which he brought home with him, and after skinning, he hung its carcass in his cabin, but he did not find his cows that night. He lived in his pioneer log cabin some ten years, when he built a double round log house, which is still standing on the place, now used for storing hay. Here he lived until removing to Millgrove in 1870, when he erected his store building, and established his present business, in which he has met with fair success. He afterward built the house which he still owns and occupies. He also owns 185 acres of choice land, of which 100 acres is well improved and well tiled.

    He was bereaved by the death of his wife in November, 1881. They were the parents of nine children -Maria, born March 4, 1845, and died in march, 1854; Lydia, born in October, 1846, married Winfield S. Mercer, June 16, 1887; Isaac N., born December 25, 1848; Moses W., born in March, 1850; Aaron, born in March, 1852; William J., born in 1854; Stephen A. D., born in March, 1856; Harriet E., wife of Ross Peterson, of Blackford County; Mary, wife of Thomas Stanley, living in Delaware County, Indiana.

    Mr. Lanning was quite a hunter in the early history of the county, and relates many thrilling and interesting experiences. At one time while out hunting he spied a large buck deer coming toward him, at which he fired, his bullet taking effect in the eye, and shattering the top of the head, the animal falling within three paces of him. Wild hogs were in abundance, and one day he went out with a friend to shoot some, to get his winter's supply of pork. They found a herd of a dozen hogs, and David Bolener, his friend, shot before reaching it to stick it, the hog gave a squeal, which brought the whole herd to him, but Mr. Lanning fired a shot which wounded one and frightened the rest away, thus saving the life of Mr. Bolener.

    Mr. Lanning says the biggest day's sport he ever had was hunting squirrels. He had been offered three cents apiece by Dr. Henly, of Hartford City, for each squirrel he shot through the head, and in one day he shot in the head fifty squirrels of the gray variety, shooting them within a half mile of his cabin. The same night he skinned the squirrels, and the following morning brought them to the doctor's house, who to his great surprise, found each one shot in the head. He received $1.50 in silver and returned to his home. The doctor slated down the squirrels, which he said furnished him the cheapest meat he ever bought. One day Mr. Lanning killed eight young wolves, which he found in a hollow tree, and taking their scalps to the county seat, received the bounty offered for them.

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