Algernon S. Orr, BiographyPorter County biographical sketches . . . .
Transcribed biography of Algernon S. Orr
Algernon S. Orr was born in Greencastle, Ind., March 22, 1832, son of Joseph and Harriet F. Orr, deceased, the former a native of Pennsylvania, and the latter of Long Island; received his early education at Michigan City; at the age of 19 he left his father, and after living a few years at Valparaiso, went to California, arriving at Placerville July 4, 1852; after delving successfully in the mines for one year, and after traveling over a large portion of the State, he "squatted" on a piece of land in one of the coast valleys, which proved to be part of a Spanish grant. Having become thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of one of those "abominations of iniquity," a U. S. land commission, he abandoned his land, with pockets sadly depleted, and traveled on foot to Mariposa county, where he engaged in mining for a term of years; quitting this, he applied himself to stock farming in the foot-hills of Mariposa. His next move was to join the M. E. Church South, when "the old fogies convinced him that he was divinely called to preach;" after studying and preaching for a term of four years, two years of which time he was in the theological school at Vallejo, being terribly afflicted with dyspepsia just at the time they proposed to advance him to deacon's orders, he requested that his license might be withdrawn. This for several years was refused, but he insisted, and it was finally withdrawn. He returned to his farm, where he was living when he received a telegram announcing his father's dangerous illness. After his father's death he came into possession of a portion of the land near Westville, Ind., where he has since resided, engaged in stock farming. He has a farm of 550 acres of land.
Source: Charles C. Chapman & Company. 1880. History of La Porte County, Indiana: Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages, and Townships. Chicago, Illinois: Charles C. Chapman & Company. 914 p.
Page(s) in Source: 800
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