Extracted from "Biographical and Historical Record of Adams and Wells
Counties," The Lewis Publishing Company, 113 Adams Street, Chicago, 1887, pp. 726-729.

George Arnold, son of William and Elizabeth (Townsend) Arnold, was born
September 28, 1818. His parents came from Newberry District, South Carolinaina, and Settled on Caesar's Creek, Warren County, Ohio, whence
they removed to Greenfield, Ohio, in 1816, where the subject of this
sketch was born. William Arnold was a well-to-do farmer, became wealthy,
served as county commissioner, and was a man highly respected by his
neighbors. George was reared on his father's farm, and received a good
common-school education, including some of the higher branches, and
became a good practical surveyor, and taught school for several years in
Darke and Miami Counties, Ohio, and in Whitley County, Indiana. He was
married November 10, 1840, in Greensville, Ohio, to Miss Ann Maria
Wetty, by whom he had three children - Henry Clay, Sarah L., and Charles
A. now living. In 1843 he removed on a farm in the then wilds of Whitley Countynty, where the settlers were few and far between. The Indians were
numerous, and could be seen daily. They were the sole occupants of much
of the then unsettled land. He remained on his farm on Eel River,
dividing his time between surveying and cultivating the soil. He was
county surveyor for three years, receiving his commission from Governor
Whitcomb. In 1848 he became tired of farming and removed to Columbia
City, the county seat, and engaged as a clerk in the store of Henry
Swihart, where he remained over a year. While here he was solicited to
run as a candidate for county auditor on the Whig ticket, but was
defeated by ten votes, having run thirty-two votes ahead of his party
ticket. He had reason afterward to be thankful for his defeat, as it
would have changed his whole after-life, which might not have resulted
as successfully in business matters, as has been the case as it is. In
1849 he bought out Mr. Swihart and continued the dry goods trade and
pork packing for a number of years, till 1856, when he removed to
Bluffton and bought out John Studabaker, who had for twenty years done a
large and successful business. He continued in this business with slight
intervals for nearly twenty years, being succeeded by his son, Henry C.,
who has since done a large and successful business. It is some
gratification to know that in all these years of business life neither
himself nor son have ever suspended or made an assignment (sic.). In
1870 he was the Republican nominee for the State Senate, running ahead
of his ticket, but the district being Democratic, he was defeated. In
1872 he was an aspirant for nomination as Secretary of State before the
Republican State Convention, and was second on the list of four
candidates, but was defeated. In 1877 Mr. Arnold was appointed a
delegate to the National Republican Convention by the Indiana State
Republican Convention, where he attended and was a participant in the
exciting scenes in that body, resulting in the nomination of R. B. Hayes
for President, giving his support for Morton as long as there was hope
for him; but when that hope died he went over to Hayes. This was a time
of the most intense excitement. In 1872, in his absence, he was
appointed a lay delegate to the Annual Conference of the Methodist
Episcopal Church at Muncie. In 1878 he bought out the Bluffton
Chronicle, and has ever since been its editor and proprietor. He has
greatly enlarged and improved it and widely increased its circulation,
so that it is now equal, if not superior, to any paper in the county in
its circulation and general influence. It might be called the organ of
the Republican Party, as its aim is to defend that party, as being the
saviour of the country, and devoted to its redemption from Democratic
misrule. On January 13, 1880, Mr. Arnold was appointed, by President
Hayes, postmaster of Bluffton, which position he held over four years,
retaining a normal control over the Chronicle,
which during that time was edited by his son Charles, who has been
connected with the paper for some nine years. Mr. Arnold is a public-
spirited man, always working for the good of the city and county; is a
man of high integrity and fair amity, intelligent, courteous, amiable,
and of pleasing manners and fine personal presence.