Rash's Surname Index
Notes for Elmer F. NIXON
Elmer F. NIXON, former trustee of Jefferson township and one of the well known and substantial farmers and landowners of Jay county, proprietor of a well kept farm in Jefferson township, is a native son of Jay county and has resided here all his life. Mr. NIXON was born on a farm in Jefferson
township on April 9, 1872, and is a son of Joseph P. and Emaline (HITE) NIXON, both of whom were members of pioneer families in this county. The late Joseph P. NIXON, who was for two years treasurer of Jay county, for one term assessor of Jefferson township and for three terms trustee of that township, and who years ago was widely known as the manufacturer of the corn planter which bore his name, was a native of Ohio, born in Columbiana county, and was but three years of age when his parents, John and Hannah NIXON, came to Indiana with their family and settled on a tract of 100 acres which John NIXON had bought in Jefferson township, this county. On that pioneer farm John NIXON and his wife spent the remainder of their lives and were useful factors in the development of the social life of the community.
They were the parents of twelve children and the NIXON connection in the present generation, is a considerable one. Joseph P. NIXON was the eldest of these twelve children and from the days of his youth was a helpful assistant in the labors of developing- the home farm. He received his schooling in the local schools and early became trained as a millwright and carpenter. As a young man he went West, but after a year spent in Missouri returned to his home in this county and became engaged here as a carpenter, many of the houses and barns in that part of the county having been erected by him. Mr. NIXON also perfected a corn planter which had advantages over others of the sort used at that time and which he manufactured and put on the market as the NIXON corn planter, an implement which was widely used until later devices crowded it out. He began his farming operations on a forty-acre
tract in Jefferson township and as his affairs prospered added to his land holdings until he was the owner of an excellent farm of 280 acres. On that place he spent his last days, his death occurring on March 8, 1920. He and his wife were the parents of eight children, all of whom are living save two
sons, Cyrus and Walter, the others, besides the subject of this sketch, being James, Millard, Anna, Jesse and Ida. Reared on the home farm in Jefferson township, Elmer F. NIXON received his schooling in the neighborhood schools and from the days of his boyhood was helpful in the work of the home farm, remaining there until one year after his marriage, when he bought a "forty" in Noble township and began farming on his own account. Seven years later he returned to the old home farm and has since
been operating the same, now the owner of 180 acres of the place in partnership with his sister. Mr. NIXON is a Democrat and for years has been recognized as one of the leaders of that party in his section of the, county. He served as trustee of Jefferson township for four years, 1914-1918, and in other ways has done his part in public service. On December 24, 1901, Elmer F. NIXON was united in marriage to Ruth A. SIMPSON, who also was born in this county, a daughter of George W. and Adaline
SIMPSON, further mention of whom is made elsewhere in this work, and to this union five children have been born, two of whom are now living, Naomi and Florence. The NIXON's have a very pleasant home on rural mail route No. 2 out of Redkey and have ever taken an interested part in the general social
activities of the community in which they reside.
HITE, NIXON, SIMPSON
IN, Jay Co.
OH, Columbiana Co.
SOURCE: Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical
Publishing Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.467-468. Transcribed by Eloine
Chesnut.
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