Biography from History of Clay Co., Indiana, Vol. II,
au: William Travis,
publ. 1909
Robert ANDERSON.-Classed among the enterprising amid wide—awake
business men of Poland, Clay county, is Robert Anderson, who as pro-
prietor of a large sawmill is performing his full share in promoting and
advancing the industrial activities of this part of the state. A son of
Claudius Anderson, he was born January 13, 1844, in Dearborn county,
Indiana, coming from sturdy and substantial Irish stock.
Clauditis Anderson was born in Ireland, and for a number of years
after his marriage to Jane Mann resided in county Tyrone, his birthplace.
In September,1830, he came with his wife and three children to the
United States and located at first in Cincinnati, Ohio. In the spring of
1831 he coutinued his way westward in search of land that he could
afford to buy. Arriving in Dearborn county, Indiana, he purchased a
tract of land that was in its primitive wildness and with true pioneer grit
began the improvement of a homestead. He succeeded in his heroic
efforts, and on the farm that he reclaimed spent the remainder of his life,
dying in 1874, at the venerable age of four score and four years. His
wife survived him six years, passing away in 1881, aged eighty-one years.
They were the parents of nine children, six of whom were born in this
country, and of this faniily but two are now living, John,a farmer in
Morgan county, Indiana, and Robert, the subject of this brief sketch.
Leaving home at the age of twenty-two years, Robert Anderson,
who was an ambitious student subsequently attended the Bainbridge
Academy two years, fitting himself for a professional career, and after-
wards taught school eight terms, being employed in Dearborn county.
Desirous then of establishing himself in business Mr. Anderson went to
Kansas, and for two years was engaged in mercantile pursuits in Olathe,
handling groceries and general merchandise. Selling out at the end of
that time he established himself in Rice county, Kansas, where he laid out
the town of Kansas Center, of which he was made postmaster. Just as
he was well settled, the grasshopper scourge came and drove away all of
the people excepting Mr. Anderson, who left as soon as he sold his house,
which was in reality the only one in the place. Returning then to Indiana.
he lived with his mother until her death, as memitmoned above. The fol—
lowing six years, from 1881 until 1887, Mr. Anderson resided in Morgan
county, carrying on an excellent business as a dealer in split staves and
cross—ties. In 1887 he bought a stave factory in Henry county, Indiana,
and in the ensuing year, in the month of May, he purchased timber On
land in Clay county, and in the near—by town of Poland conducted a stave
factory until it was burned to the ground in 1890. During those two
years he carried on an extensive business, employing seventeen men in his
factory. In his present mill Mr. Anderson keeps six men busily employed
and does good work, making a specialty of sawing quarter oak and poplar,
the products of his plant being widely known and always in demand.
On October 5, 1887, Mr. Anderson married Josephine Busald, who
was born in Dearborn county, Indiana, a daughter of Francis and Mar-
garet (Meister) Busald, natives of Germany. Two children have been
born to Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, namely: Addie, born September 9, 1888,
died July 21, 1893; and Francis Clyde, born May 1, 1895. Mr. Ander-
son has been an earnest worker in the Democratic party for many years.
Fraternally he was made a Mason in Burns Lodge, No. 55, of Manches-
ter, Indiana, and afterward belonged to Olathe Lodge, No. 19, of Olathe,
Kansas.