Isaac Crisman, BiographyPorter County biographical sketches . . . .
Transcribed biography of Isaac Crisman
ISAAC CRISMAN.
Agricultural pursuits have formed the chief occupation of this gentleman, and the wide-awake manner in which he has taken advantage of every method and idea tending toward the enhancement of the value of his property has had considerable to do with his success in life. In addition to being a successful farmer, he is a man of broad intelligence and has given much attention to questions of public import. Mr. Crisman was born in Carroll County, Ohio June 3, 1839, a son of Benjamin G. and Elizabeth (Baughman) Crisman, a sketch of whom appears herein. Young Isaac remained with his parents until he was twenty-one years of age, in the meantime receiving but limited educational advantages, after which he worked for himself until he enlisted in the Union Army in August, 1862, becoming a member of Company E, Seventy-third Indiana Infantry. He participated in the engagements at Lexington, Perryville, Gallatin, Lebanon and Nashville, at which place he was for some time in the hospital in the Zollicoffer House and at Gallatin, Tennessee. March 6, 1863, he was honorably discharged from the service on account of ill health, and returned home to devote his attention to farming until November, 1864. His health by that time was partially restored and he re-enlisted in Company D, Twenty-third Indiana, First Brigade, Fourth Division, Seventeenth Army Corps, after which he took part in numerous skirmishes on the Oconee River in Georgia, principal among which was at Salkehatchie Swamp. He was one of the Division that waded the Salkehatchie Swamp on the 3d day of February, 1865, where the "Johnnies" thought the "Yanks" must have wings to fly from tree top to tree top. There were thirty-four streams running through this swamp from knee deep to waist deep. He was at the taking of Fort McAlister on the Ogeechee River, in the rear of Savannah, and was in the- battle of Bentonville, North Carolina. He received his discharge at Louisville, Kentucky, July 29, 1865, after having participated in the Grand Review at Washington. After his return home he followed farming until the spring; of 1872 when he opened a first-class general store at Crisman, of which place he was the first Postmaster. In August, 1874, he disposed of his stock of goods, purchased a farm of seventy acres and has resided on the same ever since. He has greatly improved the place, and although his farm is by no means as large as some, it is tilled with care and discretion and yields a larger income than many more extensive farms. He has always been a Republican in his political views and cast his maiden vote for Abraham Lincoln. He has always been interested in political matters and has served two terms as Township Trustee and five years as Assessor. He was married December 12, 1871, to Miss Jane White, who was born in Champaign County, Illinois, August 24, 1847, a daughter of Joseph and Fannie (Spencer) White, who were born in Clark County, Ohio, but in 1845 moved to Illinois. After a short time they returned to their old home in Ohio, but about 1850 began keeping an hotel in Will County, Illinois, remaining three years at Matteson. In 1873 they came to Porter County, and Mr. White became the proprietor of a grocery store at Crisman which he sold in April, 1886, also a farm of forty acres. He then moved to Vilas, South Dakota, where he engaged in farming, but died at Crete, Will County, Illinois, in the winter of 1892, while there on a visit. He was Captain of an Illinois company during the Mexican War, for a number of years acted in the capacity of Deputy Sheriff of Will County, Illinois, and was also a Justice of the Peace for many years. He was twice married and by his first wife became the father of six children: Jane, John A., Abbie Rose; Joseph, who died at the age of nineteen; Benjamin F. and Isaac. The mother was born March 17, 1823, and died March 23, 1857. Mr. White's second wife was Sarah Chamberlain, the widow of John Chamberlain, and this wife also bore him six children, five of whom were reared: Martha (Hoig), Edwin, Henry, George W. and Albert C. His second wife still survives him and resides in Dakota. She had one child by her first husband. To Mr. and Mrs. Crisman five children have been born, only two of whom are living: B. Allen and Lucy M. Wilber F., Myrtie M. and Fannie E. died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Crisman have many warm friends in the community in which they reside and are with justice considered useful citizens.
Source: Goodspeed Brothers. 1894. Pictorial and Biographical Record of La Porte, Porter, Lake and Starke Counties, Indiana. Chicago, Illinois: Goodspeed Brothers. 569 p.
Page(s) in Source: 459-460
This biography has been transcribed exactly as it was originally published in the source. Please note that we do not provide photocopies or digital scans of biographies appearing on this website.
Biography transcribed by Steven R. Shook