William H. Cronkhite

    William H. Cronkhite, Township Trustee, was born in this township, December 15, 1844, and is a son of Hosea and Eleanor (Garretson) Cronkhite, the former a native of New York, the latter of Ohio. Hosea Cronkhite came to this township in 1828, where he died February 12, 1864; Mrs. Cronkhite died January 24, 1874. The grandfather of our subject was a soldier of the war of 1812.

    William H. Cronkhite attended the district schools in youth, and when twenty-three began life for himself. He was married, October 10, 1867, to Miss Mell Smith, daughter of P. G. and Eliza Smith, a native of Boone County, Indiana, to which union was born one child -Guy.

    After marriage Mr. Conkhite began farming for himself. In 1873 he moved to the old Cronkhite homestead, one mile north of Marshfield, and one year later purchased the farm where he now resides, it being one of the best in the township. Mr. Cronkhite is a Republican, and was elected Township Trustee in 1882, over his opponent, likewise a Republican by sixteen votes; he is also a member of the Church of God.

Source: Counties of Warren, Benton, Jasper and Newton, Indiana. Historical and Biographical. F.A. Battey & Co., 1883.