Biographical sketch extracted from:

Biographical and historical record of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1887. p. 999-1000.

JAMES DAILEY, one of Wells County’s pioneers and one of its prominent men, was born in Salem, New Jersey, September 24, 1815, a son of James and Mary Ann (Miller) DAILEY, both of whom were born in the State of New Jersey. In 1827 the family emigrated to Cincinnati, Ohio, and the following year removed to Franklin County, Indiana, settling in the wilderness of that county, and there our subject grew to manhood, his youth being spent in hard labor, assisting to clear the home farm. He received a rudimentary education in the subscription schools of that early day, but being of a studious nature he is in a large degree a self-educated man. Before reaching manhood he had qualified himself to teach. The first money he earned for himself after reaching the age of twenty-one years was made in teaching school in the neighborhood in which he lived. After this his time, until coming to Wells County, was spent in teaching school and working at the carpenter’s trade. He was first married in Franklin County, November 1, 1837, to Lydia Garton, a daughter of Jonathan Garton, and to them were born five children—Charles, of Lancaster Township; Lewis was First Lieutenant of Company I, Twenty-second Indiana Infantry, during the late war, being the youngest officer in his regiment, and died in his twentieth year at the battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas; Joseph S., a prominent attorney at Bluffton; Mary Ann died after reaching maturity, and Rachel, wife of Thomas J. Sowards, of Lancaster Township, all the children but Charles having been born in Wells County. He came to Wells County in March, 1842, with his wife and one child, having but 75 cents in cash when he reached here. His first home was on rented land on section 10, Lancaster Township, of which only five acres had been cleared. After living on this land one season he removed to a forty-acre tract of heavily-timbered land on section 21 of the same township, which he bought on credit, living here seven years, his time being occupied in improving his property, teaching school and working at the carpenter’s trade. His wife died on this property February 13, 1850, in her thirtieth year. Mr. Dailey was again married in Adams County April 22, 1851, to Adeline Niblick, a native of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, born November 9, 1829. Her parents, James and Anna (Carter) Niblick, were pioneers of Adams County, making their home three and a half miles west of the present site of Decatur, November 9, 1838, her mother dying there August 12, 1840, aged thirty-nine years. Her father was married again to Miss Sarah Ball, and to this union were born five children—DeWitt Clinton, Elizabeth, Rachel, Emily and Mary, all with the exception of Emily and Mary living in Chicago, Illinois. Emily resides at Toledo, Ohio, and Mary lives at Bluffton, Wells County. By his first marriage Mr. Niblick had five children—Adeline, wife of our subject, and Robert, Jesse, Susan and Caroline, residents of Adams County. Eleven children have been born to the second marriage of Mr. Dailey, as follows—Edgar, living with his parents; James, of Bluffton; Edessa, wife of Lemuel Sturgis, died, leaving one child named James D., who has been taken to the home of Mr. Dailey; Dora, wife of Benjamin Hooner; Augusta, wife of Peter Hartman, of Adams County; Robert M., of Lancaster Township; Nellie, at home; Willard died in his nineteenth year; Adeline, John and Jesse, the three last attending school. Mr. Dailey has met with success in his farming operations, and by his own efforts has accumulated his present fine property in Lancaster Township, consisting of 160 acres of improved land, 100 acres being under good cultivation. Mr. Dailey was carly recognized by his fellow-citizens as fitted for positions of honor and trust, who in 1845 elected him magistrate, which office he filled until 1850. He was then elected county auditor, and removed to Bluffton to attend to the duties of that office, serving in that capacity two terms. In 1850 he was one of the Deputy United States Marshals who took the census of Wells County. In 1865—’66 he was the deputy and acting sheriff of the county. He served as a member of the school board of Bluffton for several years. In 1867 he removed from Bluffton to his present residence on section 11, Lancaster Township. He has held the office of magistrate in Lancaster Township four years, besides serving in several minor offices. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and while living in Bluffton was a member of the Odd Fellows order. In politics he is a Democrat, voting that ticket since the days of Andrew Jackson. Of his brothers and sisters, Samuel M., formerly a resident of Wells County, now lives in Arkansas; three sisters, Mrs. Emily High, Mrs. Elizabeth High and Mrs. Margaret Sutton, died in Wells County; Mrs. Hannah Reed lives in Miami County, Indiana; Joseph died in Franklin County, and Mrs. Susan Allen died in Decatur County, Indiana