Biographical Memoirs of Wells County, Indiana, 1903. pp. 388-397.

JACOB JEFFERSON TODD.

Among the distinguished jurists of Indiana the name of the late Jacob JEFFERSON Todd, of Bluffton, has long been accorded a prominent place. As an erudite lawyer his standing at the head of the Wells County bar was never questioned, and as a public spirited man of affairs his place in the history of his county and state is prominently and permanently fixed. Few so impressed their personality upon the people and in every relation of life he moved among his fellow men as one born to leadership.

In tracing the genealogy of Mr. Todd it is learned that he was descended from a long line of sturdy and honorable ancestors, which, both in the lineal and collateral branches, have been prominent in the history of the nation, the family having been identified with colonial affairs for many years antecedent to the war for independence. His father, Jacob Todd, was born in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, March 12, 1805, the youngest child of Samuel and Lucy (Shivers) Todd, who were the parents of seven sons and seven daughters. Samuel Todd's father was Alexander Todd, one of the earliest settlers of Baltimore county, Maryland, and a man of much more than local reputation. When a young man, Jacob Todd married Jane Thomas, whose birth occurred in Columbiana county, Ohio, on the 2nd day of January, 1807, she being the eldest of a family of twelve children, three sons and nine daughters, born to Enos and Margaret (Cameron) Thomas, the former a native of Chester county, Pennsylvanlia, and a son of Seth and Martha (Kirk) Thomas, and the latter the daughter of Lewis and Francis (Suter) Cameron. Briefly stated, the origin of the several elements in the genealogical line are as follows: The Todds were of Scotch-Irish extraction; the Shivers of Scotch origin. Seth Thomas was a native of Wales, while the Kirk family was of Quaker descent, its first American representatives having come from England in 1682 as members of William Penn's colony, which settled in Philadelphia. Louis Cameron was born and reared in the highlands of Scotland, his wife, Francis Suter, having been a native of Linconshire, England. The marriage of Jacob Todd and Jane Thomas was solemnized January 14, 1830, and their union was blessed with eleven children, concerning whom the following is a brief record: (1) Samuel, the oldest son, was born October 4, 1830, married, May 1, 1853, Rebecca Isabelle, who bore him children, Lizzie J., wife of John C. Anderson, Samuel T., deceased, and two that died in infancy. Samuel T. Todd departed this life January 11, 1850. (2) John Wesley, the second in order of birth, was born April 19, 1832, married Abigail Glas, who died August 24, 1859, leaving a daughter, Mary Jane; the only son of this marriage died in infancy unnamed. John W. Todd married for his second wife Angeline Biddle, who became the mother of three sons and five daughters. During the war of the Rebellion John W. served as second lieutenant in Company G. One Hundred and First Indiana Infantry, and distinguished himself as a brave and gallant soldier. (3) Lucy was born February 11, 1834, and married Asa McDaniel, who died July 15, 1855, leaving one son, John T. Subsequently Mrs. McDaniel became the wife of Nathan Tobey and bore him four sons and two daughters. (4) Margaret Ann, born June 28, 1836, married Calvin Biddle, to whom she bore two sons and two daughters. (5) Uriah was born on the 5th of August, 1838, entered the marriage relation with Lois Smitley and died April 14, 1880, leaving two sons and two daughters, three having died in infancy. Uriah Todd was a soldier in the late Civil war, entering the army in 1861 as private in Captain Barber’s company, Fourteenth Ohio Cavalry, for the three months service. Later he became second lieutenant of Company K, Seventy-fifth Indiana Infantry, and was afterwards first lieutenant of Company H, First United States Regulars. It is a fact worthy of note that he was the first citizen of Wells County to enlist for service in the Union army. (6) Mary Jane was born September 26, 1840; she became the wife of Samuel Bowman, bore him nine children, three dying in infancy, and departed this life on the 24th of April, 1878. (7) Jacob JEFFERSON, whose name furnishes the caption of this article, was the seventh in order of birth. (8) Nancy, whose birth occurred October 9, 1845, married John V. Allen, a member of Company A, Thirty-fourth Indiana Infantry, in the late war, and became the mother of one son and one daughter. (9) Elizabeth Ellen, born December 22, 1847, married Ransom Allen, a union resulting in the birth of two sons and two daughters. Mr. Allen was also a soldier during the late Rebellion, serving as a private in Company A, Thirteenth Indiana Infantry. (10) Simpson was born August 5, 185 1; he took to wife Harriet E. Hoover, who presented him with one son and one daughter. He departed this life in April, 1896. (11) Bathsheba Isodene, the youngest of the family, was born on the 18th day of September, 1885. By her marriage with John A. Glass she had five children, of whom two sons and one daughter are living.

Immediately after their marriage Jacob and Jane Todd took up their abode on a farm in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, and continued to reside there until 1851. In that year Mr. Todd disposed of his homestead and joined the tide of emigration to northeastern and northwestern Indiana. The long journey to the new home was made in the primitive manner peculiar to that period, the equipment consisting of a covered wagon and buggy and in this way, after encountering many obstacles and meeting with many interesting experiences in the dense and in many places almost trackless forests, the family finally, on the 12th day of October, 1851, unloaded their few effects at what was destined to be their future place of abode. Mr. Todd settled on the northwest quarter of section 19, township 28 north, range 12 east, in what is now the highly favored and prosperous county of Wells. The farm upon which he located was yet a portion of an unbroken forest and the prospect at the time was anything but encouraging. Nothing daunted, however, every member of the family capable of doing manual labor set valiantly to work to improve and reclaim from nature's grasp the rich and bountiful benefices she had in store. Coming here a poor man, Mr. Todd was enabled by industry, frugality and excellent management to develop a fine farm and attain a high degree of success in the pursuit of agriculture and the accumulation of wealth. He was a man of broad intelligence and progressive ideas and in many respects stood far in advance of the majority of men of his neighborhood. While the average farmer of that period was content to follow the drudge-like work and give no thought to the future, his superior judgment far transcended such narrow and sordid limitation, his aim being to more than keep pace with progress and improvement in the community, and he moved among his neighbors and fellow citizens as a natural leader He was always honored for his unswerving integrity in thought, word and deed, for his vigorous and forceful individuality and for his eminent spirit of justice and charity as exhibited in his daily intercourse with his fellow man. Mr. Todd was a symmetrically developed man strong mentally, incorruptible morally and physically a prince among his fellows, being six feet one and a half inches and weighing about two hundred pounds He lived a life of signal honor and usefulness, exerted a powerful influence for good in the community and upon all with whom he came in contact, and in his death, which occurred on the 3rd of November, 1861, the county lost one of its noblest pioneers and most intelligent citizens, while to posterity was bestowed the priceless heritage of a good name and an honorable reputation. Mr. Todd was a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal church and exemplified in his daily walk the faith which he professed. He and his wife became identified with the denomination soon after their marriage, their respective parents having also been Methodists and noted for their piety and activity in disseminating the truths of revealed religion among those with whom they mingled. Mrs. Todd survived her husband a number of years, departing this life on the 5th of June, 1888, at the old homestead hallowed by so many tender recollections and sacred associations. To her were accorded the filial solicitude and veneration of her children and her children's children. Her life was one of signal purity and beauty and her generosity and sympathetic character endeared her to all who came within the sphere of her gentle, loving influence.

Reverting specifically to the life of Jacob JEFFERSON Todd, it is learned that he was born on the old family homestead in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, March 12, 1843. When less than eight years of age he came with his parents to Wells County, Indiana, and grew to maturity amid the pioneer scenes of JEFFERSON township, lending in his youth effective assistance in clearing and improving the eighty acres which constituted the original farm. His preliminary educational advantages were such as the district schools afforded, after which he was enabled to prosecute his studies for a time in Roanoke Seminary, Huntington county, and still later in a college at Fort Wayne. His was not a nature to tolerate subjective inactivity, accordingly he forthwith proceeded to put his intellectual acquirements to a practical test by engaging in the work of teaching, a vocation to which he devoted his attention during the winter months from 1861 to 1866 inclusive, winning an enviable reputation as an able and popular educator. Essentially loyal and patriotic, Mr. Todd was one of the first of Wells county's brave sons to respond to President Lincoln's call for volunteers when the perpetuity of the government was threatened by the armed hosts of treason in 1860. The thundering of the rebel guns against Fort Sumter struck a responsive protest in his heart, and his courage was that of his convictions, for in August, 1861, he enlisted in Company A, Thirty-fourth Indiana Infantry. By reason of impaired health he was not able to pass the physical examination prerequisite to admission to the service, which fact caused him no little disappointment and chagrin. Thus forced to limit his efforts to such assistance as he could render the cause aside from the scene of action, he was constrained to bide his time until he should have sufficiently recovered his health to go to the front. In April, 1864, he again enlisted, this time with better success, becoming a member of Company D, One Hundred and Thirty-seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry, which, during the summer of that year, served under Gen. Milroy at Tullahoma and Duck River Bridge in the railroad defense department. He served with distinction until the following October when he was honorably discharged, after which he returned home and again resumed the peaceful pursuit of civil life. Having attained his majority, he cast his first ballot that fall for Oliver P. Morton, the war governor of Indiana, and the following November had the satisfaction of depositing a vote for Abraham Lincoln, who that year was elected for the second time President of the United States.

In March, 1865, Mr. Todd was appointed assessor of JEFFERSON township, in which capacity he served one year, this being the beginning of his public and official career. On the 4th of April following he began the work of preparing himself for the law, for which exacting profession he had previously decided. Reading under the direction of competent instructors, he pursued his studies with so much earnestness and zeal that he was able to secure admission to the bar on the 22nd day of May, 1866. It is a significant fact that he studied law in the same office in which he afterwards practiced so successfully for a period of more than thirty years, a case without parallel in the history of the Wells County bar. Opening an office in Bluffton in 1868, he gained prestige by rapidly successive degrees and soon built up a large and lucrative practice in the courts of Wells and neighboring counties, which always exemplified a clientele of representative order. The interim between his admission to the bar and the time of beginning the practice was filled by an incumbency as deputy internal revenue collector for Wells County, and in March, 1868, he was further honored by being elected clerk of the corporation of Bluffton, serving one year in the latter capacity.

In his political affiliations Mr. Todd was a stalwart supporter of the Republican party, and his services were enlisted to good effect in promoting and greatly furthering its interests. He early became a judicious counsellor and an industrious worker, while his leadership was duly recognized and fully appreciated during the many years of his active career as a forceful factor in local, state and national politics. He was appointed alternate delegate to the national Republican convention at Philadelphia in June, 1872, and was a delegate to the national convention at Chicago in 1880, which nominated Garfield and Arthur, being a member of the committee on permanent organization. In 1882 he was a member of the committee on resolutions at the Republican state convention and he urged with great earnestness and vigor the adoption of the resolution for the submission of the prohibition amendment, his advocacy of this measure being confined not only to the convention but continued upon the hustings throughout the ensuing campaign. In 1886 he was prominently and favorably mentioned as a most eligible candidate for the office of lieutenant governor, but would not allow his name to go before the nominating convention.

By reason of his valuable services to his party Mr. Todd was tendered several important appointive offices by the national administration, which for various reasons he saw fit to decline. Among these was that of townsite commissioner of Oklahoma territory, tendered by President Harrison in 1890, a position of much importance and responsibility and for the duties of which his sound judgment and pre-eminent business ability peculiarly fitted him. In February of the same year he was tendered, at the hand of Governor Alvin P. Hovey, the appointment as member of the board of commissioners to construct and furnish the asylums for the insane at Logansport, Richmond and Evansville, which position he accepted and on which he served with signal ability and conscientious fidelity until the completion of the allotted work. On the 6th of April, 1895, Governor Matthews appointed him a member of the board of control of the state hospital for the insane at Logansport and subsequently he was made president of the board, discharging his official functions with credit and dispatch.

In June, 1894, Mr. Todd was nominated for judge of the twenty-eighth judicial circuit, comprising the counties of Blackford and Wells, and such was his great personal popularity as well as his recognized qualifications for the bench that he was so far enable to reduce the overwhelming Democratic majority as to fail of election by the small margin of fifty-six votes, receiving the largest number of votes ever cast for a Republican candidate in Wells County, running four hundred and forty-nine ahead of the party ticket. In October, 1890, he was given distinctive consideration by President Harrison, who tendered him the appointment as commissioner of allot lands in severally to the Indians on the Puyallup reservation in the state of Washington, but the demands upon his time by other duties led him to decline the offer. Mr. Todd's last public position was as member of the Indian commission to the North West Centennial held at Toledo in 1902, to which he was appointed by Gov. James H. Mount and with which he was connected at the time of his death.

In his relations to the Wells County bar and in the legal circles of the state, Mr. Todd stood high, having acquired distinctive precedence as an able and scholarly lawyer, and an honorable, judicious and eminently successful practitioner. He was a man of pronounced intellectuality, broad human sympathies and tolerance and imbued with fine sensibilities and clearly defined principles. Honor and integrity were synonyms with his name, and he occupied a conspicuous place in the confidence and regard of the people of the city and county in which the greater part of his life was passed and his distinguished success achieved. The eminent distinction he attained at the bar offers the best evidence of his capability in his profession. Familiar with all the details of practice, to which may be added superior forensic abilities and remarkable influence over juries, he easily stood in the front rank of Wells county's jurists and as an all-round, symmetrically developed lawyer, had few equals among the eminent legal minds of the state. Much of the success which attended him throughout his professional career was doubtless due to the thorough preparation with which he presented his cases in court and also to his absolute confidence in the justices of his client's cause. Basing his efforts upon these two considerations, from which there are unfortunately too many lapses in legal ranks, it naturally followed that he seldom lost a case in which his support was enlisted.

Mr. Todd first started in practice by himself, but soon afterwards became associated with Hon. B. G. Shinn, now of Hartford City. This firm was subsequently changed to Todd & Martin and still later to Todd and Rhinehart, Todd & Duglay, Wilson & Todd and finally Todd & Todd, his associate in the firm last named being his son, Nelson Kellogg Todd, a sketch of whom will be found elsewhere in this volume.

Referring to the domestic life of Mr. Todd, the record states that he was married on the 17th day of April, 1866, to Miss Rachel J. Kellogg, daughter of the late Nelson Kellogg, of Bluffton, the union resulting in the birth of the son whose name is mentioned above. Subsequently, August 12, 1876, he entered the marriage relation with Mrs. Mary J. Klinck, widow of Dwight Klinck, who was drowned on the illfated steamer Schiller, which went down while on a voyage to Europe on the 7th of May, 1875. Mrs. Todd is the oldest daughter of John and Rebecca (Angel) Studabaker, of Bluffton, the father a well known and highly respected citizen noted for the energy and success with which he prosecuted all of his undertakings. The mother was especially noted for her generosity and acts of kindness and for her faithfulness as a worker in the cause of temperance, humanity and Christianity. Mrs. Todd was educated in Bluffton and at Ft. Wayne College. She is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church, greatly interested in the work of the Sunday school, as teacher and official, and for a number of years has been untiring in her efforts to advance the standard of morals in the community and disseminate the truths of religion among those with whom she mingles. She is a lady of refinement and varied culture and, while domestic in her tastes, is a recognized leader in social, literary and religious circles. By her first marriage she had four daughters, Maggie, Bessie, Lucy and Mattie, the two older deceased; Maggie, who married David A. Walmar, died October 17, 1886; Bessie, who became the wife of James W. B. Sale, departed this life September 7, 1884; Lucy is now Mrs. Chester Thorp and Mattie is the wife of Luster E. Roush. The second marriage of Mr. Todd was blessed with two children, Mary, born August 9, 1878, and Ralph S., whose birth took place on the 5th of August, 1880.

Mr. Todd united with the Methodist Episcopal church when a mere youth and remained a loyal and devoted member of the same until called from the church militant to the church triumphant. For thirty years he held various official positions in the local congregation to which he belonged, notably among which were those of steward, trustee and Sunday school superintendent. He was a member of the Northern Indiana lay conference in the years of 1876 and 1880, and in 1884 served as a lay delegate to the general conference which convened at Philadelphia in May of that year. Until physical disability overtook him he was one of the main stays and active in the Bluffton church and contributed liberally of his means to its financial support.

In his fraternal relations, Mr. Todd had a state reputation. He was made a Mason in Ossian Lodge No. 297 and for a period of four years served as worshipful master of the lodge at Bluffton. In 1884 he was high priest of Bluffton Royal Arch Masons, in addition to which important office he was also elected eminent commander of Bluffton Commandery, Knights Templar, when that body was chartered in this city. In the order of the Eastern Star, he was worthy patron of Crescent Chapter and in the state organization served as grand lecturer, grand associate patron and grand patron. In the grand lodge of Indiana Masons he passed the different chairs and in 1890 was honored by being elected grand master, the duties of which exalted station he discharged for one year. Mr. Todd was a charter member of Lew Dailey Post, G. A. R., at Bluffton, which he represented in 1891 in the grand encampment at Detroit. As a member of the committee appointed by the Grand Army of the Republic he aided in revising the history of the late Civil war as outlined in the text books now used in the public schools, in this capacity rendering valuable service to the youth of the land in acquainting them with the underlying causes and wonderful results of that greatest of all rebellions against constituted authority. For five years Mr. Todd was quartermaster of the Fourth Regiment in the old Indiana National Guard and for some time served as a member of Governor Chase's staff with the rank of lieutenant colonel. His name adorns the charters of the Knights of Honor and the Tribe of Ben Hur in Bluffton and he filled the office of past dictator in the former organization. Mr. Todd was ever a friend and liberal patron of public improvements and aided with his influence and means every enterprise having for its object the material advancement of Bluffton and Wells County. He was largely influential in securing the requisite encouragement and aid in building the Ft. Wayne, Cincinnati & Louisville and the Toledo, St. Louis & Kansas City Railroads through the county of Wells, in addition to which his alert and progressive spirit proved a potent factor in promoting various local interests and manifold industries. In every relation of life he was an enterprising, progressive, manly man, whose prominent aim was to do the right as he saw and understood the right. Of dignified but pleasant presence, he was easily approachable by the humblest of his fellows, and thousands the county over can tell of his many acts of kindness, of the cheery grasp of the hand, the pleasant greeting, of some aid or favor when most needed, of friendly advice that set their footsteps aright or of the words of cheer or comfort extended when the soul was bowed down in deepest sorrow. His was not only a useful life, but a full life, replete with all that was calculated to elevate and ennoble humanity, and he was easily the peer of any of his fellows in the essential elements of true, virile manhood and upright Christian citizenship. He adorned every station to which he was called and through many future generations his name and fame will be cherished by the people of his city and county as a jurist of pre-eminent ability, as an official whom no bribes could corrupt nor the tongue of flattery swerve from the path of duty, as a Christian without pretense and as a man who, seeing and understanding the right, strove by all means within his power to do the same as he would answer to his conscience and to his God.

The sickness which finally terminated in the death of Mr. Todd was of long duration, but he endured his sufferings with heroic fortitude and sublime resignation. In hope of regaining his health, he sought medical aid at the sanitarium at Battle Creek, Michigan, and again at West Baden Springs, Indiana, but without avail, and it was only by the exercise of his indomitable will he was enabled to baffle the fell destroyer during the last twelve months of his life. He was anxious and determined to live and did not give up the struggle until within a few days before the end came. On the street at various times in pleasant weather he maintained he cheery disposition which was always one of his pronounced characteristics and in spite of his sufferings kept in close touch with the trend of events and gave personal attention to his business affairs until the summons came and he yielded up his great but gentle spirit to the God who gave it. He departed this life on a beautiful Sunday in the most beautiful month of the year, May 13, 1900, dying as he had lived, a Christian, firm in the faith of the Redeemer and with a knowledge that his departure was only a transition from pain and suffering to a realm of eternal peace and triumph. When court was called the following Monday the bar of which he had long been an honored and distinguished member passed appropriate resolutions, containing complimentary references to his character and standing as a lawyer. Eliminating the greater part of the biographical mention, the resolutions adopted by the bar were as follows:

Jacob J. Todd was born in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, March 12, 1843, and died at Bluffton, Indiana, May 13, 1900, aged fifty-seven years, two months and one day. In early childhood he removed with his parents to JEFFERSON township, Wells County, Indiana, where he lived upon a farm until after he attained his majority. In early manhood he taught country schools, but came to Bluffton in 1865, and became a student of the law. He entered upon the practice of his chosen profession in 1866 and continued a member of the bar thirty-four years. During all this time he enjoyed a large and lucrative practice. He became quite familiar with statutory law and devoted himself very largely to probate practice, collections and general office work. In all these specialties of his profession he excelled. In the history of the bar, no more reliable, trustworthy and competent attorney in this line of labor ever practiced in Bluffton. He was an ideal husband and father and alive to the wants and necessities of the community and an active, untiring supporter of every enterprise calculated to promote the best interests of the city and county. For more than a third of a century Bluffton has been his home. Here he has lived honored and respected as few men have ever been by his townsmen; here he died at one o'clock, on Sunday, May 13, 1900, mourned by all his neighbors. The private character and life of Jacob J. Todd were without stain and above reproach. He was a man of deep religious convictions, devotedly attached to his church, but he was too liberal to be a bigot, and too just to be intolerant. He was a man of excellent social qualify ties, and his courtesy and kindness were unfailing. When such a man dies it is appropriate to mourn.

Resolved, That we deplore the death of Jacob J. Todd because of his great worth as a man, a citizen and a brother.

Resolved, That we present to the family of the departed our sincere sympathy and condolence in their bereavement.

Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be spread on record in the order book of the Wells circuit court,

JOHN K. RINEHART.
J. S. DAILEY.
LEVI MOCK.

The following are the resolutions adopted by the official board of the Methodist Episcopal church of Bluffton, with which Mr. Todd had long been prominently identified.

We, the members of the official board of the Bluffton Methodist Episcopal church, feel most keenly the great loss we have sustained in the death of our Brother Jacob J. Todd. We find it difficult to realize that he is no more one of our number. He has been a member of this city for the past thirty-three years, and in that long period of usefulness his life has been before us as an open book. We can recall his many and valued qualities as a member of this board. Prominent among these was his intense loyalty to every interest of the church he loved so well. He was one prominent among us who held up the hands of the pastor and helped to lighten his burdens. As an evidence of this loyalty, every pastor who has ever served the Bluffton church has always felt the fullest freedom in partaking of the hospitality of Brother Todd's home. He possessed qualities which made him peculiarly valuable as a member of this board. How often has he infused his hopefulness and courage into our hearts and led us to look upon the bright side when we have been disposed to regard the future as dark and uncertain.

Our Brother Todd took a broad and practical view of the work of the church, and his highest wish was that Zion should prosper in every line. He always lent a willing and helpful hand to every enterprise of the church. He was always jealous for the good name of the church, and did his part toward bringing all the work up to his high ideal.

We shall miss his counsel and his help. In fact his death inflicts an irreparable loss upon the church and upon this board. We shall use due diligence in seeing to it that the influence of his life of devotion to a cause we all so much love shall not be lost upon us, but shall be treasured by us as one of the choicest memories of our service in the cause of the Master.

P. A. ALLEN.
JAMES P. HALE.
D. H. SWAIM.

The funeral of Mr. Todd, conducted after the beautiful and sublime ceremonies of the Masonic fraternity, was attended by a large concourse of his sorrowing fellow citizens of Bluffton and Wells County, while many friends and admirers from a distance were present to pay the last sad tribute of respect to his memory. The Warren, Ossian and Decatur Masonic lodges were present in a body, while notice was received that representatives of the lodges from Hartford City, Ft. Wayne, Montpelier and Huntington were in attendance. Grand Master William Geake, of Ft. Wayne; Deputy Grand Master O. E. Halloway, Knightstown; Senior Grand Warden O. W. Brownback, of Pendleton; Grand Secretary Wm. H. Smythe, Indianapolis, and Past Masters Edward O'Rourke, of Ft. Wayne, and Calvin W. Prather were present and had the ceremonies in charge. The pall bearers were as follows: W. H. Bassett, J. S. Dailey, J. P. Hale, W. L. Kiger, J. K. Rinehart, L. B. Stevens, D. H. Swaim and J. W. Tribolet.