M. L. Ink

The subject of this sketch, who is one of the most enterprising and energetic agriculturists of Franklin township, owns and operates a beautiful farm on section 3. He was born in New York, November 5, 1825, a son of Peter and Rhoda (Weatherby) Ink, both natives of New Jersey, as were also his paternal grandparents, John and Anna (Bennett) Ink. His great-grandfather, however, was of German birth. The grandmother, who lived to the advanced age of eighty-seven years, was a resident of New Jersey during the Revolutionary war and was one of the women who were forced to hide in the swamps from the British soldiers then encamped at Trenton. Her brother fought under Washington for the freedom of the colonies. The parents of our subject were married in Tompkins county, New York, and later removed to Knox county, Ohio, where they made their home throughout the remainder of their lives. The mother died in 1855, the father in 1872, and both were buried at Salem, Knox county. They had a family of nine children, namely: Abraham, who wedded Mary Ann Weidner, now deceased, and resides in Monroe, Iowa; M. L., our subject; Hannah, who married James Ball and both died in Knox county, Ohio; Mary, widow of James Amerson, of Morrow county, Ohio; Delia, wife of William Hultz, of Morrow county, Ohio; Henrietta, who died of consumption at the age of thirty-five years; Diana, who married Schuyler Ball and both died in Knox county, Ohio; Henry, who married Jane Chandler and he died in Knox county; and Raymond, who died of consumption at the age of twenty-four.

M. L. Ink began his education in a stone school house in Tompkins county, New York. It was a subscription school, and the books used were English - the Cobb's speller, and Deball's arithmetic with its pounds, shillings and pence. At the age of ten years he accompanied his parents on their removal to Knox county, Ohio, where he continued his studies in the district schools until about twenty. He began his business career as a clerk for the firm of Hooker & Johnson, at Fredericktown, Ohio, and remained with them one year. The firm appreciating his ability as a horseman, he was sent to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with a drove of horses, and while disposing of them he received word from Mr. Hooker that the firm had dissolved partnership and for him to take the money from the sale of the horses and buy a stock of dry goods at Philadelphia under the firm name of Hooker and Ink, he being given a half interest in the business, which was a very pleasant surprise to him. For eight years he remained in business at Fredericktown, Ohio, but in 1854 he sold his interest and came to Mt. Vernon, Iowa, where he was engaged in mercantile pursuits for some years.

Before leaving Ohio, Mr. Ink was married at New Haven, Huron county, in September, 1853, to Miss Lucretia Johnston, who was born in New Haven, Huron county, that state, December 11, 1829. Her father, John W. Johnston, was born in Pennsylvania, June 6, 1802, while his father was a native of Belfast, Ireland, who on coming to the new world settled near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The latter's brother, Hirshal Johnston, was a soldier of the Revolutionary war. In New Haven, Ohio, April 13, 1829, John W. Johnston married Temperance Andrews, who was born in Southington, Connecticut, March 29, 1801, where her ancestors located on their emigration from England to America. Her father, Samuel Andrews, as also one of the men who took up arms against the mother country during the Revolutionary war. Mr. Johnston died in Ohio, May 1, 1835, and his wife passed away at Lima, that state, December 1, 1890. They had three children: Elizabeth M., born February 4, 1829, was married, September 16, 1847 to A. G. Stewart, now a resident of Rockford, Ohio, and she died December 3, 1891; Lucretia A., wife of our subject, is the second of the family; and John W., born December 21, 1834, died January 25, 1846.

Mr. and Mrs. Ink also had three children, namely: (1) Albert Worth, born August 30, 1854, resides on a farm adjoining that of his father. He was married October 14, 1880, to Alice R. Platner, who was born in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, January 12, 1859, and died April 13, 1900. Unto them were born three sons: Florin Lewis, William Henry and Dwight Platner. (2) Clayton M., born March 29, 1860, is now living in Dakota. He was married, February 15, 1897, to Maud Hahn, and they have one child, Morris L. (3) Raymond P., born August 21, 1872, is a graduate of Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, and now assists his father in the management of the home farm.

When Mr. Ink came to Mt. Vernon it was a mere village containing only eight or ten houses, and he and his wife began housekeeping in one room of a log house on the main street, it being located where the M. K. Neff residence now stands. Later he built a store room and residence on the present site of the building of the Hawkeye Publishing Company, and he remained in the mercantile business at that place until 1864, when he traded his property in the village for a farm of eighty acres in Linn township, and has since engaged in agricultural pursuits. He has added to his landed possessions from time to time until he now has four hundred acres of valuable land, for which he has paid from twenty to seventy dollars per acre. He has placed the entire amount under a high state of cultivation and has made many excellent improvements upon the place. He has one of the best barns in Linn county, it being erected at a cost of nearly four thousand dollars, while his elegant brick residence cost two or three times that amount. He has every reason to be proud of his beautiful home surrounded by a fine grove of forest trees and well tilled fields which indicate the industrious and progressive spirit of the owner. Mr. Ink makes a specialty of the breeding of Shorthorn cattle, and also raises a high grade of horses and hogs, feeding all his grain to his stock, as he has found stock raising the most profitable branch of farming.

In early life Mr. Ink filled the office of deputy sheriff, receiving the appointment owing to the following circumstances: His father had a horse stolen, and our subject, then sixteen years of age, got astride of another horse and started in pursuit. It was cold and rainy and the mud was up to the horse's knees, but he followed the trail of the thief night and day without rest for sixty miles until he overtook him at New Haven, Huron county, Ohio, on the night of March 2, 1842. The robber was in bed and heavily armed when Mr. Ink broke into the room and captured him. In the meantime neighboring farmers heard of the pursuit and rushed to his assistance. The thief was finally landed in jail. Our subject received the praise of the entire community, and on his return home was made deputy sheriff. It is needless to say that there was no more horse stealing in that community while he was in orrice, and it was said that the deperadoes were all afraid of "Ink, the human blood hound." No man in the county was more honored and respected than he when he came west. In all the relations of life he has made for himself an honorable record by his upright, straightforward course, and his word is considered as good as his bond. Chritable and benevolent, he is always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need or distress, and he well merits the high regard in which he is held by his fellow citizens. He is one of the oldest Masons of the state and is the oldest member of Mt. Vernon Lodge, No. 112, A.F. & A.M., in which he has filled all the offices.