Prominent among the native born representatives of the brave
pioneers of Clay county is William Francis, who is one of the most 
thrifty and prosperous farmers of Harrison township,and possesses 
in a marked degree those principles that constitute him an honest 
man and a worthy citizen. A native of Clay county, he was born 
January 26, 1856, in Washington township, a son of William Jacob
Astor Francis, The grandfather, named Joseph Francis, was born, it is
thought, in Virginia, but subsequently settled in Kentucky, and from there
in the later years of his life came to Clay county, Indiana, to spend his
last days.
    William J. Francis was born in Crab Orchard, Kentucky, in 1818,
and was the sixth of a family of eight children born to Joseph and Millie
(Grizzard) Francis, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of
North Carolina, and both were of German extraction. Shortly after he
reached his majority William J. came to Clay county, Indiana, where
he spent the remainder of his life with the exception of four years, which
he spent in Terre Haute. On his return he was married to Rebecca
Stevens, a native of Clay county and a daughter of James and Wealthy
Stevens. Mrs. Francis died in less than a year after marriage, and about
three years after her death Mr. Francis married for his second wife
Mrs. Almira (Luther) Kendall, a widow and the daughter of William
and Patience (Long) Luther. Mrs. Kendall was a native of North
Carolina of English and German descent. She had one daughter by her
first marriage, Clarissa Kendall, now the wife of Albert Wilson, To
Mr. and Mrs. William J. Francis were horn eight children, viz: James
M. (deceased), Joseph L., Nancy E., Harriet (deceased), William,
Jacob (deceased), Andy, and Mary J. (deceased). Mr. Francis was in
politics a Democrat, and cast his first presidential vote for William H.
Harrison in 1840. Mr. and Mrs. Francis were both members of the
Methodist Episcopal church.
    Christian Luther, the grandfather of Mrs. William J. Francis and
the great-grandfather of William Francis, of this sketch, was born in
Ireland of Scotch ancestry. Emigrating when young to the United
States, Christian Luther lived for a number of years in North Carolina,
but spent his last days in Indiana, making his home with his children.
William Luther, his son, was born in Randolph county, North Carolina,
and there grew to manhood. In early life, probably about 1825, he came
to Clay county, becoming a pioneer of Washington township. Securing
from the government two hundred acres of woodland he cleared a space in
which he built the log cabin that was the place of birth of all his children.
In common with his neighbors, who were few and far between, he lived
in a very primitive manner, with few of the comforts and conveniences
of these days. He never had a wagon, but did own a sled, which was
doubtless home-made. Traveling was performed on horseback in those
times, and in this way he used to go to the distant mill and have a little
meal ground. His farming implements were crude, and he always used
a wooden mould board plow. He raised sheep and flax, and the family
dressed in homespun garments made by the wife and mother from
material which she carded, wove and spun, and in addition she spun and
wove all the bed clothing, towels, table linen. The husband was equally
industrious, splitting by hand the rails with which he fenced the land
that he cleared, running the fences by the compass. On the farm which
he improved he resided until his death, in August, 1844. Patience Long,
the wife of William Luther, was born in Virginia, a daughter of Benjamin
Long, who accompanied by three of his daughters and one son, came
overland from that state to Indiana with one horse, the father and two
of the children walking the entire distance. Settling in Clay county, Mr.
Long entered government land in Washington township, cleared a farm,
and there spent his remaining days. The wife of William Luther survived
him a number of years, dying in 1856. Of the six children she reared,
but two are now living, Margaret J. and William Luther. Margaret J.
is the wife of Jacob Hudson, who was born in North Carolina, a son
of James Hudson, a native Virginian, who became a pioneer of Clay
county. William Luther served as a soldier in the Civil War, and is
now a resident of Terre Haute, Indiana.
    Brought up on the homestead, William Francis acquired a practical
education in the public schools, and while yet young became familiar
with the various branches of agriculture. In early manhood, after
farming for a time with his father, he bought a part of his present
farm, and has since been actively employed in general farming. His
untiring industry, combined with skill and practical judgment in con-
ducting his operations have met with a well merited reward, his home-
stead, with the substantial set of buildings which he has erected, being
one of the most valuable in the locality. He has added to the farm by
purchase at different times,and now has one hundred and ninety-five
acres in one body and in another tract has eighty acres of the rich bottom
lands of Eel river.
    On November 30, 1876, Mr. Francis married Mary Harden, who
was born in Harrison township, June 14, 1859, of honored pioneer
ancestry, her father, Henry Harden and her grandfather, Nathan Harden,
having been early settlers of Clay county Nathan Harden and his wife,
whose maiden name was Mary Hammond were natives of Pennsylvania.
Coming to Indiana in an early day he bought government land in section
4 of Harrison township, and in the dense wilderness erected a log cabin
for himself and family. For years thereafter there were no railroads in
the state, the chief subsistence of the people being produced on the
farms or obtained by the expert marksman in the surrounding forests.
His faithful wife and helpmate, carded, spun and wove all of the table
linen, bed clothing and the homespun in which she dressed her family,
making the garments herself.
    Henry Harden, a farmer and stock raiser. was born December 20,
1835, in Knox county Ohio, and was the seventh of twelve children
born to Nathen and Mary (Hammond) Harden, both natives of Penn—
sylvania and of Irish and German Extraction.Henry Harden moved
with his parents to Logan county, Ohio, when he was quite young, and
they remained there until the fall of 1852, when they came to Harrison
township, Clay county, Indiana. At the age of twenty-one Henry com-
menced life for himself, receiving no help, but by his own efforts he
owned at his death four hundred and seventy-nine acres of land. On
December 25, 1857, he was married to Melinda Bolick, now deceased. 
Eight children were the fruit of this marriage;Lewis, Mary, John, 
William (deceased), Lydia, Nathan, Emma (deceased) and Elias ( de—
ceased). The second marriage of Mr. Harden occurred March 16, 1877.
to Nancy Oliver, who is also deceased, and two children of that
union died unnamed. He was next married to Alice Whited, April 15,
1880. Seven children were born to them; Ezekiel, Clara (deceased),
Charlie, Curt, Harrison, Henry, and Edgar. Mr. Harden was politically
an active member of the Republican party. He died January 5, 1892.
    Of the union of Mr. and Mrs.William Francis eight children were
born, namely: Otis, Minnie, Cleo, Lydia, Athel, Lozier, Earl and Emory.
Minnie, who married Isaac B. Turner, died at the age of twenty years,
leaving one child, William Turner, who was born November 2, 1897.
Otis, who by a former marriage had one son, Leverett Francis, married
for his second wife Stella Woods, and has a daughter, Kyle, one son
unnamed, who died and a daughter, Mirle, born September 14, 1907.
Cleo married Marjorie Pherson and they have one daughter, Marjorie
Virginia, born July 8, 1908. Lydia is the widow of the late Joseph L.
Hicks. Athel died when but twelve years of age and Earl and Emory
are also deceased. Both Mr. and Mrs Francis are members of the
Methodist Episcopal church at Bellaire Indiana.