My Genealogy Hound

HENRY CALKINS, lawyer, Greenville. The subject of this memoir was born in West Burlington, Bradford Co., Penn., upon the 5th of December, 1832, and is a son of Moses and Eveline (Broffett) Calkins, who were married in Pennsylvania about the year 1826; Moses Calkins was born in Bradford Co., Penn., April 6, 1797, his father being one of four men who first settled in the county in 1790, was the father of five sons and four daughters, and died at the advanced age of 80; his widow’s decease occurred two weeks later, at the age of 78; of their children, three now survive, viz., Moses, the father of our subject, now 84 years of age, and two daughters, aged 82 and 86 years, all in good health; the children of Moses and Eveline (Broffett) Calkins were six in number, of whom five are now living, viz., Charles, born Feb. 11, 1827, and whose biography also appears in this work, our subject being the next surviving member; Edward, born in 1836, a prominent lawyer of Richmond, Ind., since 1862; Alfred, born in 1838, a resident of and Mayor of New Paris, Ohio; Emma, born in 1841, now Mrs. C. B. Northrup, of New Madison. The maiden name of the great-grandmother of our subject on his mother’s side was Gore; her husband was killed at the Wyoming massacre; she, with two children, one of them the grandmother of Mr. Calkins, escaped with other fugitives by boat up the Susquehanna River, then across the mountains, and located in the Sheshequin Valley, Bradford Co., Penn., where she died in 1833, being 90 years of age; her daughter Rebecca, the grandmother of Mr. Calkins, was born in 1774; was married, in 1794, to James Broffett, and were the parents of five children, all of whom were early settlers of Darke Co., viz., Silas and Alfred Broffett, at Broffettsville, Harrison Township; Celinda, wife of Judge Jaqua, of New Madison, and Lucinda, wife of Rial Lawrence; her second husband was Joseph Bloom, by whom she had four children—Charles, Guy, Hiram, and Celinda, now the wife of A. L. Northrup, residing in New Madison; she died at the age of 84; the parents of Mr. Calkins are now living at New Paris, Preble Co.; they came to Darke Co. in 1852, and settled in Harrison Township. The education of our subject was obtained in the common schools up to 16 years of age; he then received an academical course at Troy, Bradford. Co., Penn.; then was a student of the Delaware (Ohio) College two years; afterward studied medicine and attended a course of lectures at Cincinnati Medical College; in the spring of 1856, he went across the Plains, remaining until 1859. Upon Dec. 12, 1862, he was married to Harriet E. McClure, at Peru, Ind. The following August, he enlisted a company of 101 men, and went out as Captain of Co. C, 87th Ind. V. I., serving through Kentucky and Tennessee. After returning from the army, he returned to Illinois and engaged in farming, stock-raising, etc. Was Police Judge of the city of Jerseyville, Ill., in 1868; was admitted as a member of the bar in 1870, and was afterward elected two terms as City Solicitor; in 1874, he came to Greenville, and engaged in the law business with his brother Charles. Was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Darke Co. in 1877, and re-elected in 1879. Has always voted the Democratic ticket. Henry Calkins is the father of three children now living, having lost three by death. During the residence of Moses Calkins in Pennsylvania, he was largely identified with the lumber trade, and, upon locating here, has been engaged in loaning money, etc.; he is a man of sterling worth, and a great champion of the cause of temperance.