My Genealogy Hound

JOHN W. MILLER, horseshoer, and proprietor of boarding and feed stable, was born in the Canton of Berne, Switzerland, October 17, 1844. At the age of ten he came to America with his father, whose name was Jacob, who was a military instructor in the Swiss army and also had charge of a Swiss garrison. Since coming to America, in 1854, his father has farmed in New York State, Oneida county, where he is still living on a fine, well improved farm. John Miller’s mother’s maiden name was Magdalene Ecker, who was also born in Switzerland and is still living in New York. The subject of this sketch went to Chicago in 1866, where he worked at his trade. Previous to his coming to Carthage he has lived in Cincinnati, Aurora, Ottawa, and Paola, Kansas, for ten years. He came to Carthage in the spring of 1877. He was married in the fall of 1869 to Miss Mattie D. Starr, who was born in Tioga county, Pennsylvania, November 28, 1857. Mrs. Miller is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and Mr. Miller is a member of the Masonic order, Odd Fellows, G. A. R., and Knights of Pythias. John Miller enlisted April 23, 1861, in the Fourteenth N. Y. Volunteers, Company F, serving two years and three months. He was captured at Malvern Hill and imprisoned at Castle Thunder, Richmond. He was a participant in fourteen important actions, among which were Hanover Court House, Mechanicsville, Gain’s Mills, Savage Station, White Oak Swamp, Charles City, Cross Roads, Malvern Hill, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Culpeper Court House, South Mountain, and Martinsburg. He devotes his attention exclusively to shoeing horses, using about 6,000 shoes last year, and doing a large and growing business. He also owns a fine board and feed stable, boarding horses of the city and having room for sixty horses, besides commodious yards and sheds for wagons. Mr. Miller is an industrious and energetic man and a courteous, obliging gentleman.