Biographical Memoirs of
Wells County,
Indiana, 1903. pp. 256-258.
THOMAS W. WHEELER.
Few citizens of
Wells County are more entitled to the term "self made man" than the subject of this review. His rise from a condition of obscurity to a conspicuous place among the leading agriculturists of his township shows him to be the possessor of an enterprising spirit of high order, while his respectable social standing attests the esteem m which he is held by the people with whom he mingles. Thomas W. Wheeler is an Indianian by adoption, being a native of
Bedford county,
North Carolina, where his birth took place on the 17th day of June, 1863. His father was Thomas
Wheeler, a descendant of one of the old families of the Old North state, and his mother, Sarah J. McFarland, was also born and reared in that commonwealth. These parents were married in their native county and continued to live there until the breaking out of the Great Rebellion, when Mr. Wheeler was impressed into the Confederate service, although a Union man in sentiment. Determined not to fight against his convictions, he deserted one night while on guard duty and after a long and trying experience finally made his way northward as far as
Henry county,
Indiana, where he concluded to remain until the close of the war. For several years he supported himself by working at the carpenter's trade and earned the reputation of an industrious and skillful mechanic. As soon as conditions in the South would permit, he sent for his family and in due time the domestic circle was reunited, after which Mr. Wheeler settled on a farm and engaged in agriculture in connection with his trade. The family remained in
Henry county until 1872 when they removed to the county of Jay, settling in
Penn township, where Mr. and Mrs. M. Wheeler and several of their children still reside. Thomas and Sarah
Wheeler have reared a very large family, fourteen children in all, of whom nine are living, namely: Julian F., Walter, Thomas W., John A., Charles, Edgar, Anna, Mary and Joseph; the names of those deceased are William, Ernest,
Hannah and
Allie.
Thomas W. Wheeler was born while his father was in the Confederate service and was about three years old when the family moved to
Indiana. The surprise when he and his father first met was mutual, neither having seen the other up to that time. Of course the child did not know his parent and it required several days to establish a friendship for him. Thomas being one of the older boys, much of the family support fell to him as soon as he was able to work, in consequence of which his educational advantages were considerably limited. He was permitted to attend the district schools until his thirteenth year and then began working for a farmer in the neighborhood, turning one-half of his earnings into the family fund. He continued as a farm laborer at monthly wages until attaining his majority, during the greater part of which time he was in the employ of Joseph
Hudson, one of the prominent and well-to-do men of
Blackford county. Meanwhile, having accumulated sufficient means to justify him in taking a companion for life's journey, Mr. Wheeler, on the 1st day of February, 1890, was united in marriage to Miss Eva
McDaniel, after which he began farming for himself on a part of his father-in-law's place in the county of Wells. Ten years later he moved to his present farm adjoining to the
McDaniel homestead and in 1902 purchased the latter place, making his real estate at the present time one hundred and four acres, nearly all of which is in cultivation. Mr. Wheeler began with nothing and the beautiful home which he now owns is the well-merited result of his honest toil and successful management. On his place are a number of producing oil wells from the proceeds of which he receives a liberal share of his income and in connection with farming he devotes considerable attention to the oil industry, having a complete mechanical outfit for driving and drawing pipes. He does this kind of work of winter seasons and at odd times and has made it very remunerative, being one of the most efficient workman in the oil fields. Mr. Wheeler has made a success of raising live stock and takes great interest in all matters which promise good to the agricultural interests of his township and county. Politically he is a Republican and since his twenty-first year has been an active worker in the party. Fraternally he is a member of the
Odd Fellows order,
Leaf Lodge No. 145, at Pennville,
Indiana, also belonging to the encampment degree, in which, as in the subordinate lodge, he has been honored with high official station. Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler have two children, Vida, born on the 28th of October, 1895, and an infant that died unnamed.
Mrs. Wheeler was born April 9, 1870, and is the daughter of Alexander and Frances (
Dawley)
McDaniel. Mr. McDaniel was born December 29, 1815, in
Bedford county,
Pennsylvania, of which state his parents,
Amos and Catherine
McDaniel, were also natives. He grew to manhood in the county of Bedford and there married Mary
Evans, of whom he had four children Louisa, deceased, Harvey, Amanda, deceased, and Catherine. The mother of these children dying in 1853, Mr. McDaniel subsequently took a wife in the person of Miss Frances
Dawley, who was born September 22, 1832, the daughter of Gideon and Lucy
Dawley, natives of
Rhode Island. These parents lived to a good old age, the father dying at ninety-four, the mother in her ninety-first year. In an early day, Mr. McDaniel came to
Wells County,
Indiana, settling on eighty acres of wild land from which he cleared a fine farm and on which his death occurred in 1899, his wife dying on the 2nd day of August, 1894. His second marriage resulted in three children,
Amos, Lucy and Eva.
Photo is attached. Please refer to the message board post.