OHBUTLER-L Archives

From: "Adina Watkins Dyer" <>
Subject: [OHBUTLER-L] Bartmess Bio, Tippecanoe Co., IN
Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 02:01:43 -0500

Not related, just hope it helps someone on the list.

OLIVER CROMWELL BARTMESS, a representative of one of the old and honored
pioneers of Tippecanoe County, is a native of Ohio, born October 1, 1819, a
son of JACOB and SOPHIA (RIZER) BARTMESS, both of whom were natives of
Maryland, the father born May 10, 1793, of German descent. GEORGE RIZER,
the maternal grandfather of our subject, represented Alleghany County in the
Maryland State Legislature, his daughter, MRS. BARTMESS, having been born in
that county.

In 1797, the family of JACOB BARTMESS removed to Butler County, Ohio,
remaining there eight years, and in the fall of 1829 came to Tippecanoe
County, Indiana, and settled on section 14, Sheffield Township, where the
father lived until his death, March 8, 1848. He was a prosperous
agriculturist, and accumulated 370 acres of land, 100 acres being prairie
land, on section 6 of the same township. His widow survived him until the
year 1866. Both were worthy and consistent members of the United Brethren
church. They reared a family of eight children, but four are now
living--OLIVER C., the subject of this sketch; MARGARET ANN, living in
Lafayette, and JOSEPH F., presiding elder of the United Brethren church at
Buchanan, Michigan. Those deceased are MRS. SARAH JANE BULL, MARY THOMPSON,
ELIZA A. GREGORY and HARRIET ASHER.

OLIVER C. BARTMESS was reared to the vocation of a farmer on the home farm,
and received his education in the public schools of his neighborhood. He
was married January 4, 1844, to MISS SARAH CLARK, who was born in Butler
County, Ohio, February 20, 1824, a daughter of JOHN and SUSAN (SHERRARD)
CLARK, her father born in Berks County, Pennsylvania, of English ancestry,
and her mother a native of New Jersey. The CLARK family came to this county
and settled in Sheffield Township as early as 1832. JOHN CLARK resided in
the county for a period of thirty years, when he removed to Illinois, but
several years later he returned to this county, where he died at the home of
his daughter, MRS. BARTMESS, in 1875. His wife died many years before, her
death taking place in 1843. They reared eight children, five of whom yet
survive--SARAH, wife of our subject; HENRY, in Illinois; ROBERT, in
Illinois; MRS. ELIZABETH DARLING, of Cass County, Indiana, and MRS. JANE
THOMPSON, of Iowa. WILLIAM CLARK was a member of the Fifty-first Illinois
Infantry, and died in the army. SAMUEL, another son, died in Sheffield
Township, at the age of nineteen years, and MRS. ELLEN THOMPSON died in
Indiana.

MR. and MRS. BARTMESS have three children living--MARTHA, wife of DR.
STRATHER, of Labette County, Kansas, and SAMUEL E. and WILLIAM, residents of
Sheffield Township. Three children are deceased--SOPHIA, wife of DR. J.H.
CROUSE, of Dayton, and two who died in infancy.

MR. BARTMESS has resided on his present farm since 1846. His first house in
the county was a small frame building, eighteen feet square, and in 1866 he
erected his fine brick residence, which is one of the best dwellings in
Sheffield Township. His barn and other farm buildings are substantial and
commodious, and everything about the place betokens care and thrift. His
home is the abode of hospitality, both MR. and MRS. BARTMESS being possessed
with cordial manners and genial disposition. MR. BARTMESS has always taken
an active interest in the advancement of education and religion, and every
worthy object for the public welfare has his encouragement and support. He
is an earnest and faithful member of the United Brethren church.
Politically he affiliates with the Republican party.

Biographical Record and Portrait Album of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, pp.
660-661
Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1888

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• [OHBUTLER-L] Bartmess Bio, Tippecanoe Co., IN by "Adina Watkins Dyer" <>