The name of Thomas Benton FARMER should not be omitted from any historical work of Putnam county. Indiana, owing to the fact that Mr. FARMER. who is now living in honorable retirement in Greencastle, surrounded by the many substantial evidences of thrift of his former years of industry. He has long been one of the leading citizens of the county, always ready to assist in any way possible the upbuilding of the vicinity honored by his citizenship. He was born in Greencastle. August 12. 1836. and, unlike many of his contemporaries who sought uncertain fortune in other fields, he desired to remain at home, believing that better business chances were to be found right at his own door, and, judging from the eminent success that has attended his efforts and the good he has done the city, he was wise in reaching this conclusion. He is one of the few connecting links between the pioneer days and the present in Putnam county and it is indeed interesting to hear him tell of the development of this favored region since his boyhood days. He is the son of James H. and Emily (PARKS) FARMER, the latter born in North Carolina, from which state she was brought by her parents, Benjamin and Olive PARKS, to Monroe county, Indiana, then being eight years of age. She married in that county and her parents came on to Putnam, locating near Putnamville, where they spent the remaining years of their lives, the father dying in 1849 or 1850, when about sixty years old, his widow surviving him thirty years, reaching the advanced age of ninety-two vears. Benjamin PARKS was a Primitive Baptist minister and continued to preach until his death. He preached regularly for many years at Deer Creek and other places and was a power for good in those early days.

James H. FARMER was born near Shelbyville, Shelby county, Kentucky. When sixteen years of age his mother brought him to Monroe county, Indiana, his father having died when he was ten years of age. When twenty-two years of age, was married, his wife, Emily PARKS, being about the same age. He worked for one year after this event in Monroe county at the plasterer's trade, then came to Greencastle where he continued his trade, being very highly skilled and consequently he usually had plenty of work. He worked on the old college and on many of the other early buildings in the county, including the present Missionary Baptist church. About 1840 or 1841 he moved to a farm near Mount Meridian, on Deer creek, Marion township, six miles southeast of Greencastle, moving into the woods, only a small portion of the place having been cleared. He farmed and continued to work at his trade whenever practical. He also had a lime kiln on his farm and there he burned the lime that went into the construction of the old court house, and he hauled lime to Indianapolis to market for ten or twelve years, spending the rest of his life on the farm. He placed a fine farm of four or five hundred acres under cultivation, the old house erected there in the forties still standing, after being used sixty-five years and is still serviceable. Frank FARMER, son of Thomas B. FARMER, now operates the place, two hundred and seventy acres of it, Thomas FARMER still owning part of it.

James H. FARMER died November __, 1876, at the age of seventy-one years, his widow surviving him until January 27, 1887. With the assistance of two grandsons, she had operated the farm after her husband's death and an evidence of her good management is seen by her earning the sum of seven thousand dollars—in fact, she really made the farm what it was, one of the best in the township. By the side of her husband she sleeps in the Deer Creek cemetery, near the little church which they loved to attend. Their children are as follows: Benjamin followed the plasterer's trade in Putnam county, dying when past seventy years of age; Mary Ann married Alexander McCARTHY, M. D., who moved to Iowa, later to Oregon, where he died; Matilda married John NOSLER, an attorney who became a judge after moving to Oregon, where Mrs. NOSLER was killed by a team backing over an embankment; Louisa married Joseph RUARK, of Marion township, where they both died: Thomas Benton, of this review; Nancy is the widow of James RAINES, living at Cloverdale; Cynthia married Dr. Thomas BRYAN, and they both died while living in Missouri; Samuel died about 1897, at the age of fifty-seven, having been a farmer in Putnam county, which he served as county commissioner, while living in Jefferson township; James married a Miss RUARK, moved to Iowa, then to Arkansas and his death occurred in Oklahoma at the age of fifty-five years; Ellen married Andrew J. RUARK, brother of Joseph RUARK, both retired farmers living in Greencastle.

Thomas Benton FARMER was reared on the old homestead, which he began working when quite young, attending the district schools a short time during the winter months. He learned the plasterer's trade, which he worked in company with Samuel FARMER. He was married on September 17, 1857, to Catherine SHERRILL, who was reared by her grandfather, Thomas McCARTHY, in Warren township, her mother having died when she was an infant.

Mr. FARMER went to Ringgold county, Iowa, in 1859, where he remained for a period of four years, until 1863, improving a new prairie farm. Returning to Putnam county, he purchased one hundred acres east of and adjoining that of his father's. He has proved to be an excellent manager and a modern agriculturist, consequently has prospered and is now the owner of six hundred acres of as valuable land as the county affords, all in a body with the exception of one hundred and eighty acres in Jefferson township, two miles from his other land. It is practically all under excellent improvement and a high state of cultivation. About one hundred acres of his father's old place are included in his holdings: at one time he owned about all the old place, but sold a part to his son, Frank. Much of Mr. FARMER's attention has been directed to the successful handling of livestock, of which he seems to be an exceptionally good judge, having long kept his place well stocked with cattle, hogs and horses, also mules, having shipped horses and mules to market in large numbers, acquiring a large part of his ample competency in this manner. He continued to operate his farm, giving it almost his exclusive attention until about 1892 when he moved to Greencastle and has since lived practically retired, spending some of his time looking after his small place near the city. He has an attractive and comfortable home in the best residence district of the city.

Mrs. FARMER was called to her reward in 1875. Four children were born to this union, namely: Alice married Henry RUNYAN, living at Mt. Meridian, Putnam county; Albert was a commercial salesman for a hardware house in Terre Haute, and he died at the age of thirty-two years, leaving a widow and one child, Zella, at Greencastle; Frank owns the old FARMER homestead and lives in Greencastle township; Samuel Edward is married and is operating his father's farm in Marion township.

Thomas B. FARMER's second marriage was in 1877 to Alice HAZLETT, daughter of Richard and Melvina (BUNTEN) HAZLETT, and she is next to the youngest member of the family, having been born in Marion township, this county. This family came to their present commodious thirteen-roomed house in 1868. Four children were also born to this second union, named as follows: Addie married Doctor HUTCHESON, of Greencastle; Claude is a railroad employee in Indianapolis; Mary married Nathaniel HAMMOND, who is living on his father's farm; Jennie is being educated in DePauw University.

Politically Mr. FARMER is a Democrat, and while he has always been deeply concerned regarding the welfare of Putnam county politically and every other way, he has not been an aspirant to public office. He is well-known and highly respected throughout this part of the state, for his life has been an exemplary one.

SOURCE: WEIK, Jesse William, A.M. Weik's History of Putnam County, Indiana Pp. 514-18. B.F. Bowen & Company. Indianapolis, Indiana. 1910.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, June of 2009