Sargent W. Evans

             Sargent W. Evans is an old and respected native-born citizen of Otisco, Clark county,. He comes of a Welsh family that settled in North Carolina in 1806 in the personage of his grandfather and grandmother Evans. He owes his present wealth and social position solely to his own individual efforts.

            The citizen of Otisco, of whom we speak, was born in the town of which he is a resident on the 11^th of October, 1843, and was the son of Absalom and Mary (Gunter) Evans, Samuel Evans, grandfather of our subject, married and brought his young wife from Wal3es, Britain, to North Carolina in 1806. They were not well supplied with worldly goods, and Samuel lived the remainder of his life in North Carolina. After his death his wife and family came to Clark county, Indiana, and settled in Charlestown in 1831. Mrs. Samuel Evans afterwards died in the neighborhood of what is now Otisco. To Grandfather Evans and his wife were born the following family: Sargent, Solomon, Absalom, Robert, Rachael, Elizabeth and Mary.

            Absalom Evans was single when he came to Clark county. Here he married Mary Gunter, who was born in Kanawha county, West Virginia, and who came with her father, William Gunter, when a child and settled in Charlestown township. Absalom Evans was a farmer and reared eleven children. They were: John, Sarah E., Eliza E., Sargent W., Mary E., Martha A., James C., Zerilda C., Perlina, Hannah H. and Alice E. There are but four living in 1909, all of whom live in Otisco.

            Sargent W. Evans was reared on his father’s farm on which when old enough he helped, occasionally going to school. His father died when he was but fourteen years old, and though he was not yet eighteen at the outbreak of the Civil war, he enlisted in Company B, Eighty-first Indiana Regiment, under Captain A.J. Howard, of Jeffersonville, Indiana. He received his baptism of fire at the engagement at Perryville, Kentucky, on the 8^th of October, 1862, and remained in the vicinity of the Cumberland district until May, 1863, when he was discharged, owing to disability. He returned home, where he remained until February, 1865, when he re-enlisted, this time in the One Hundred and Forty-eighth Indiana Regimen, in which he served until the close of the war. He then returned to his native Clark county, where he still lives. On the 21^st of February, 1867, his marriage to Sarah E. Covert took place. His wife was born in Oregon township, June 22, 1845, and was the daughter of Henry and Mary Covert. Mrs. Evans went to the district school in her township and obtained a fair education. At the time of their marriage Sargent W. Evans and his wife were not in good financial circumstances. He built a house previous to his marriage on his father’s farm, near Otisco, and there he and his wife lived until 1872, when he removed to Otisco. In Otisco he and his brother, James C., built the store building in 1872, where he now does business and, having borrowed one thousand five hundred dollars to start them, they ran the store jointly until 1876, when our subject bought out his brother’s interest. On November 26, 1908, Sargent W. Evans celebrated the thirty-sixth year of his business life in his store. To Mr. and Mrs. Evans the following children were born: Lillie D., born on May 16, 1870; Henry C., born December 19, 1871; W.W. Evans, born October 25, 1873; C.M. Evans, born August 19, 1875; Richard, on December 6, 1879; Harriet B., on April 6, 1881, and Julia on March 1, 1883. Richard is the only deceased member of the family, his death occurring on the 3d of August, 1884.

            Sargent W. Evans since he became active in life of Otisco has been a money maker and something of a benefactor to the town. He built a cooper shop, which in 1876 was destroyed by fire. In 1896 he built a fine flouring mill which ran successfully for nine years, at which time it was also destroyed by fire. In 1902 he erected a canning factory, in which tomatoes, principally, are canned and which accordingly gives the neighboring farmers a local market for products of this kind. Our subject in addition to his own business concern superintends this industry himself. He is a Knight of the Golden Cross in fraternal life, and carries insurance in the order of which he is prominent local member. In politics he is a Democrat, though he has never held any political office. He was a candidate for the office of Sheriff of Clark county on his party’s ticket, but was defeated for the nomination. At the November election of 1908 he supported William Jennings Bryan for the third time for the Presidency.

Source: Baird’s History of Clark County, Indiana by Capt. Lewis C. Baird, 1909. Page 888, 889.