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Below is a family biography included in The History of Posey County, Indiana by John C. Leffel and published by Standard Publishing Company in 1913.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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Walter G. Carson, a successful farmer of Black township, Posey county, Indiana, was born January 9, 1862, son of James M. and Jane (Barton) Carson, natives of this county, where the father was a farmer. James M. Carson was captain of the Ninety-first Indiana Volunteers, and before the war was over he was made major, holding that office until 1865. He farmed from that time till his death in 1867. Walter G. Carson was born and raised in Marrs township, and in his boyhood there was a great deal of timber land and he did his share of the clearing. The school house in which he received his education was built of logs, seats made of planks with holes bored in them and pegs driven in for legs, and the desks consisted of pegs driven into the walls with boards laid over the pegs. After leaving school he went to work on the farm, first at home for a time, and later hiring out to farmers for several years. The first work he did in the harvest field was to follow with a hand rake the man who was cradling wheat. About August, 1881, Mr. Carson started farming for himself, first in Marrs township and later removed to Black township, where he has now bought a farm of sixty acres. He rents eighty acres adjoining his place, thus farming 140 acres in all. His principal crops are wheat, corn and clover. In his early farming experiences Mr. Carson used cattle, and at that time the outfit of a well prepared farmer would be a plow, harrow, wagon and team. The hay was cut with a scythe and hand raked, and they made their own pitchforks out of dogwood. The schools had terms of about three months out of each year, and one teacher had sixty to seventy pupils in one small room. There were no railroads, and few people had buggies. Mr. Carson was married April 7, 1889, to Parkina Shaw, daughter of Allen and Katherine (Weimiller) Shaw. Her father was a native of England, who came to this country at the age of twelve. Her mother’s people were natives of this country and were farmers. Mrs. Carson was born in Posey county January 6, 1868, and was educated in the common schools. Mr. and Mrs. Carson had two children, one of whom died in infancy. Lela, the one remaining child, is a graduate of the common schools. She is an active church worker and takes great interest in Sunday school matters. The family are all members of the General Baptist church, and take an active part in church affairs. Mr. Carson is a Republican.

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This family biography is one of 232 biographies included in The History of Posey County, Indiana by John C. Leffel and published in 1913 by Standard Publishing Company.  For the complete description, click here: Posey County, Indiana History and Genealogy

View additional Posey County, Indiana family biographies here: Posey County, Indiana Biographies

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