My Genealogy Hound

David C. Alcorn, a prominent farmer of Smith township, Posey county, Indiana, was born in the same place where he now lives on October 3, 1868. He is the son of James T. and Anne (Boren) Alcorn, both born in Gibson county, Indiana. The great-grandparents of our subject settled in Indiana at an early date and the family helped wrest the land from the Indians and wild beasts and develop it into what it has now become. The grandfather, also James T. Alcorn, married a Miss Haines. The family have always been farmers. The father of David C. died November 7, 1870, when the latter was but two years old and his mother married R. J. Brown and still lives, residing in Poseyville. David was reared on a farm, attended common school, later graduating from the schools of Poseyville. He then took a course in a commercial college at Terre Haute, Ind., graduating in 1888. He then obtained a position as bookkeeper in the Calvert & Bozeman Lumber Company, of Poseyville, Ind. He had a small piece of land containing thirty-three and one-third acres near town and decided to farm it, so he gave up his position and lived on his farm, “batching” for one season. He then thought he would like to be a commercial traveler, but as he expressed it in his own language, “After spending money for two beds in one night and not having time to get either of them warm,” decided once more to return to the farm. His experiences at first were not so pleasant, as he did his own farm work and housekeeping for the first four years, until he got a start. On October 27, 1894, he married Ella Saulmon. Mrs. Alcorn was born in Gibson county and was raised in Posey county, where she was educated, and was married in her twenty-sixth year. Two years after his marriage Mr. Alcorn discontinued the old way of farming and began with new methods, breeding hogs for the market. By adding good blooded stock to keep his drove up to the standard and by exercising care not to over-fatten his animals he made a great success of the business. Mr. Alcorn is one of the most scientific farmers in Posey county. He runs his farm on business principles, taking an invoice each year. His land is well improved, having tile drainage and other conveniences. He keeps strict account of each investment, which enables him to stick to the most profitable ones. He is active among the hog breeders of the county and has taken a trip west into Kansas to study the cattle feeding business, in which he is now engaged to some extent. From his start of thirty-three and one-third acres Mr. Alcorn has, by scientific methods, close study, industry and economy amassed a comfortable fortune, now owning 370 acres of land. He is a director in the Poseyville Mutual Telephone Association. Mr. and Mrs. Alcorn have two children: Corry A., born June 26, 1897, and Alma, born December 18, 1899. Corry A. is a freshman in the Poseyville High School. He raised fifty acres of corn last year, which made eighty-one bushels to the acre. This field was the best reported in the county and he sold more than 200 bushels for seed. Alma is now attending school in Poseyville. The family belongs to the Christian church, Mr. Alcorn being an elder in the church.