John Saxon

    John Saxon, a farmer residing on section 33, Washington Township, is a representative of one of the early pioneer families of Blackford County. His parents, James and Asenath (Wixson) Saxon, came with their family, then consisting of four children, tot he county, February 12, 1840, and settled in the woods on section 4, Licking Township, the father having to cut away the brush and trees before erecting their round log cabin. The father of our subject was born in Putnam County, New York, in 1804, removing thence to Steuben County, New York, where he lived several years, and was there married to Asenath Wixson, a native of New York State, born in 1808, a daughter of Shubel and Elizabeth Wixson, who died in Blackford County. Seven children were born to them -Fannie, John, Benjamin, James F., Alva, Mary E. and  Eliza A., the first four born in Steuben County, the three youngest natives of Blackford County.

    The Saxon family came to Blackford County with several other families, making the journey by team, taking thirty-one days to come from Steuben County, New York. They lived in the log cabin which the father built on coming to the county,  1880, when the parents and youngest son went to Kansas, the father dying in that State April 3, 1883. The mother is still living in Kansas, in Montgomery County. The grandfather of our subject was John Saxon, and was born in New York State in 1761, and when twelve years old, when the British landed on Long Island, he ran away from home, going to Georgia, where he remained until sixteen years of age, when he volunteered as a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and for his services during that war he received a pension. He died in Blackford County, Indiana, in 1862, aged 100 years and ten months. His wife, Elizabeth (Evans) Saxon, also died in Blackford County. Our subject's great-grandfather Saxon was a native of Holland.

    John Saxon, whose name heads this sketch, grew to manhood on his father's farm in Washington Township, being reared to the avocation of a farmer, which he has made his life work. He is now the owner of a fine farm of sixty-two acres of well improved land, which he has brought under a good state of cultivation.

    He was united in marriage November 8, 1858, to Miss Mary Mills, a native of Ohio, born May 14, 1832, where she was reared. In 1850 her parents, Samuel and Ann (Shields) Mills, came with their family of four children to Blackford County, Indiana, and settled on a partially improved farm on section 28, Washington Township, near the farm of John Saxon. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. John Saxon -Albert, born in July, 1856; Minerva A., born April 5, 1858; John B., born December 7, 1862; McDowell, born November 6, 1868, and Thomas, born April 1, 1873. In October, 1876, Mr. Saxon, was elected county sheriff, assuming the duties of that office the following August, and served two terms with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents.

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