Elisha Hitchens

    Elisha Hitchens, Postmaster, and one of the few of our remaining pioneers, was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, August 10, 1806. He was educated and married in Ross County, Ohio, his wife being Mary King.

    Learning the blacksmith trade, he followed that occupation until about 1828, when he embarked in merchandising in the northern part of his native county. In 1832, he removed to Logan County, Ohio, and continued business there until the fall of 1836, when he came to La Fayette, Indiana, and became a partner in a general store for a short time,  and then returned to Logan County. In 1841, he came to Williamsport, where for some time he was engaged in clerking. In 1846, he opened a general store in partnership with his present son-in-law, continuing the same up to  1855, when he disposed of his interests, and two years later he and a partner established a grain trade in Marshfield, which they carried on for some years. In 1852, he engaged in the same business in Williamsport, combined with the railroad agency, continuing the same until 1870. In 1873, he was appointed Postmaster. Although a man of over threescore and ten years, Mr. Hitchens has been one of the most active men ever in Warren County, and even yet he takes an active interest in all public affairs. His wife died in August, 1879, after bearing him three children -Martha, now Mrs. William Kent; Scott, deceased, and Sarah, now Mrs. L. T. Miller.

    Mr. Hitchens is a pronounced Republican, having joined that party in 1856. From 1840 to 1856 he was a radical Abolitionist, and previous to that was a democrat. For forty-two years he has been a resident of Warren County, and throughout his diversified career he has occupied an upright and honorable position.

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