| Biographical & Historical Record of Jay and Blackford Counties, Lewis Publishing Company 113 Adams Street / Chicago, Illinois 1887 History of Blackford County, Biographical Sketches pp. 805-806 J. C. MADDOX, Montpelier, one of the leading attorneys of Blackford County, is a native of Virginia, born in Bedford County, august 20, 1819, a son of Michael and Frances (Jones) Maddox. The father of our subject was also born in Bedford county, Virginia, is father having settled there years before the war of the Revolution, where he spent the remainder of his life. Michael Maddox was reared to manhood in Bedford County, and was there married. He afterward removed to Adams County, Ohio, and later settled in Highland County, of the same State. There his first wife died. By his first marriage he had ten children. He was again married in Highland County to Frances Jones, a native of Greenbrier County, Virginia, and while on a visit to their native State, Joseph C., the subject of this sketch, was born. In 1832, when a mere boy, Joseph Collins Maddox left his home coming out to Indiana alone stopping first at Richmond, Indiana, at which place he met a man by the name of Connor, an indian trader, with whom he went to the Godfrey Farm on the Indian Reserve. (blackford county) A man named William Rockhill of Fort Wayne had a contract with the government to build a brick house on the indian farm and J.C. Maddox and a man named William Kiser of Randolph County laid brick there that summer. He returned with Mr. Connor to Grant County, remaining with him between one and two years. During this time he traveled about the country but made his home with Mr. Connor. He then came back to the indian reserve remaining there about one month when he went to Randolph County and lived there until his marriage, but spent much of his time traveling over this and other states. In December, 1838, he was married to Miss Laura Porter, a native of Claremount County, Ohio, and a daughter of Elias Porter, one of the old pioneers of Blackford County having settled on the Godfrey Farm in 1833 when Mrs. Maddox was a child. The marriage took place in Greenville, Darke County, Ohio. At the time of his marriage, Mr. Maddox was not worth one dollar, his earnings having been spent in travel. After his marriage, he settled about two miles east of Montpelier, Blackford County, Indiana on land owned by Henry Hayes in Section 1, Township 24, Range 11. The land was heavily covered with timber which he immediately went to work to clear. He split rails for 35 cents a hundred, part of the time he worked for 50 cents a day and boarded himself and many a time he worked all day for a bushel of corn. He remained on the land above referred to from February until June of the year 1838 and then moved south to section 12, where he remained until January 1840. Here he spent much of his time in the hunting season, trapping raccoons and hunting with dogs, the pelts of which he carried to Fort Wayne on his back, and exchanged for land and in this way, he acquired 65 acres of land in Section 5, Township 24, Range 12. This land was also covered in timber and no improvements had been made save for where the Indians had built a sugar camp. He moved to this land with his wife and one child when the snow was 15 inches deep on the ground. He cleared about 15 to 20 acres, remaining there until 1843 when he packed up what he could carry on two horses, went to the site of Camden (Pennville, Indiana) where he obtained a wagon, then proceeded down to Wayne County where he found employment on the White Water Canal. He was very successful while on the canal, clearing about $15,000 or $16,000 by his work, but as the company failed he obtained only about $10,000 of it. He invested all his money in real estate, knowing that this was the best investment that could be made in the county. He remained at Camden until the Spring of 1849, when he moved to Matamoras, Blackford County, where he purchased a small store and carried on a merchantile business until 1853, at which time the Fort Wayne, Muncie and Cinncinnati Railroad was located when he was elected the first director and chairman of the committee which located the road.(tracks) He then moved to Montpelier where he carried on a dry goods business until February 28, 1855 when he returned with his family to Camden, Jay County, taking with him his stock of goods. From that time until 1879 he lived at intervals on his farm in Camden in Section 12, Township 24, Range 11 and since 1879 he has been a resident of Montpelier. In the Spring of 1839, the father of Joseph Collins Maddox (Michael Maddox-son of Nathan) came to Blackford County, buying 137 acres of timber land on which Joseph Collins settled, remaining on that land until January 1840. As mentioned above, he is now owner of that land. At one time he was the largest landowner in this part of the country, owning 4,900 acres, and is now the largest landowner in Blackford County, and has given to his children much of his land. His father died in the Fall of 1847.(note-actual death date of Michael was 1845) Joseph Collins Maddox commenced the study of law about 1862 and the following year was admitted to the Bar in Portland, Indiana, before Judge Kilgore. He devoted much of his time to his legal practice and to the management of his property. He has been engaged in every murder trial except one that had been held in Blackford County and also the celebrated "Walker Case" of Wells County, and equally-celebrated "Blackburn-Lovell Case" in Ohio. He defended Mary Mayer, Piqua, Ohio, who shot a man in the Catholic Church. In the "Walker Case", his fellow council were Daly & Mock of Bluffton and John Cauthroth of Layfayette. He was also the defending lawyer in the "Wittaker Case" of Blackford County. Politically, Mr. maddox was an old-time Whig but he has been identified with the Republican Party since it'e organization. Some of the very brick he off-bore on the old Indian Reservation in 1832 are now in the house which he owned in Camden, having purchased the house in 1865. The house was built in 1841 by Chandler Goldsmith and he was employed in carrying the brick and mortar for three masons at 50 cents a day. When he worked for a bushel of corn a day, he carried it a distance of 14 miles to have it ground, returning with it the same day. Mr. maddox has never been an office-seeker, having found abundant employment outside of that line; the only position of public trust he had held being that of Director of the Railroad. He had always taken an interest in the advancement of his town or county and has prominently identified with the development of this part of the country. |
| Joseph Collins Maddox was born August 20, 1819 in Bedford County, Virginia. He died July 21, 1888 in Montpelier, Blackford County, Indiana. He married Laura Porter (b July 29, 1821 in Clermont County, Ohio-died July 24, 1904 in Blackford County, Indiana.) They were the parents of eight children: 1) Elias K. Maddox-born circa 1840 Blackford County. Died Yorktown, Delaware County, Indiana. Married Hannah McDorman. Children: Ida Maddox, Lillian Maddox, Joseph Maddox, Charles Maddox, Muriel Maddox. Also married Abigal A. Bowman. 2) John Maddox- Nicknamed "Jack".born in Indiana. Died in Nebraska. Married ??(unknown). Children: Della Maddox, Clara Maddox, Stella Maddox, John Maddox. 3) Frank C.Maddox - born in Montpelier. Died in Indiana. 4) Joseph Collins Maddox- born Sept. 9, 1850 in Blackford County, In. Died January 14, 1932 in Vigo County, IN. Married Kathrine Carouff, November 9, 1870 in Trenton, Blackford County, IN. 5) Nancy Maddox-born in Montpelier, Blackford County, IN. Died in Muncie, Delaware County, IN. Married John Vincent. 6) Rebecca Maddox-Married David Stauffer 7) Sally Maddox-born in IN. Died in Wayne County, Detroit, Michigan. Married Walker Monroe. 8) Sophia Maddox-born in Montpelier, In. Died in same. Married Robert Gambell. |
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| Indiana Land Patent Blackford County Joseph C. Maddox November 10,1840 67.09 acres TRACT SECT TWP RANGE MERIDIAN nw 23n 5 12e 2 |
| Third Generation - Joseph Collins Maddox son of Michael, grandson of Nathan |
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| MADDOX FAMILY HISTORY |
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| Warren Weekly, Jul 27, 1888, p1
Joseph Maddox Killed Last Saturday about 1 o’clock, Joseph Maddox, of Montpelier, was instantly killed by the cars. He was driving a three-year-old colt to an old open buggy and attempted to cross the Muncie railroad at the crossing, near Neal’s warehouse in Montpelier, when the colt became frightened at an approaching train, and by turning quickly threw Mr Maddox upon the track. The train was making a running switch and was within a hundred feet of Maddox when he fell. The fireman saw him and called to the engineer to reverse, but they were too close, and the engine and four cars passed over the body of Maddox before stopping. His neck, arms and legs were broken, besides other severe wounds in different parts of the body. Maddox was an old and well known citizen of Montpelier, having settled there at an early day and amassed quite a fortune. He was a great admirer of fast horses and took a prominent part in the races at nearly every fair in this part of the country. His funeral on Tuesday was attended by a very large concourse of people, Portland, Marion, Hartford City and other towns being represented. The sermon was preached by Rev A J Lewellyn, of Dunkirk, and remarks were made by J P C Sharks, of Portland. |