Alvin High

    Alvin High, deceased. If being old settlers, and among the most honored of her citizens would entitle a family to recognition in the history of Warren County, the Hugh family, indeed, could not well be passed without an extended notice. Charles D High, father of the subject of this memoir, was born in Berks County, Pennsylvania in 1807, and his great-grandfather was a native of Germany. In May, 1828, he came to Indiana and located in Warren County, which was then in a state of nature. On the same day of his arrival, William Hunter and family also located here, and in December, 1828, witnessed the marriage of Mr. High and Elizabeth D. Hunter. The Hunter family were of Scotch-Irish descent. They moved from Greenbriar County, Virginia to Ohio in about 1806, where Mrs. High was born in 1808; thence to Kentucky and from there to Warren County, Indiana in 1828. Mr. and Mrs. High were hard working and worthy people; the parents of twelve children, ten of whom they reared to years of maturity. Mr. High died October 23, 1864, but his widow is yet living in Williamsport at the ripe old age of seventy-five years, the mother of three living children, the grandmother of twenty living children, and the great-grandmother of six living children. Their children were named -

• Alvin,

• Austin, who served in the late war and died of consumption in 1881, leaving a widow and four children;

• Auson, a soldier of the late war who died in Libby Prison in 1863 leaving a widow and two children;

• Ezra, who died when twelve years old;

• Catharine, Mrs. Gordon B. McClatlin;

• Indiana, who died in 1868, the mother of one son and the wife of John Hornedy;

• Elizabeth, Mrs. Horace Crane;

• Charles, who ran away from home when fourteen years old to go into the army, is married and resides in Kansas;

• William, a solider of the late war, a graduate of medicine and died in 1872;

• John R., deceased;

• Anna, died in 1871, the wife of A. Hinkle, and

• Daniel, who died in infancy.

    Alvin High, the eldest of this family, was born at Walnut Grove, Warren County, September 20, 1831, and up to his eighteenth year, assisted his parents by reason of ill health. He removed to Williamsport and embarked in merchandising, which he discontinued after a few years, and in 1861, became Deputy County Auditor. In 1866, he was elected Treasurer of the county, and re-elected in 1868, both times as a Republican; besides the above, Mr. High served in various other positions of local honor and trust, and throughout all his official duties was an officer who gave unbounded satisfaction. He was an ardent supporter of the temperance cause, was a member of both Odd Fellows, and Masonic fraternities and was married October 7, 1852, to Miss Sarah M. Hawkins, who was born January 13, 1834. To this marriage the following family was born:

• Clarissa F.

•  Mrs W. U. Yeagy

•  Truman H.

•  Charles M., deceased, and

• Alice, deceased.

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