Part of the Indiana Biographies Project
Rees Mendenhall
Rees Mendenhall, farmer, stock-raiser and horticulturist, was born Dec. 13, 1823, in Wayne County, Ind. He grew to manhood on the home farm, receiving a liberal common school education, and in 1849 he was married to Lydia A., daughter of Joseph and Alice (Clawson) White. They had nine children — William farming in Michigan; Alice, wife of Stacey Bevan, of Arkansas; Albert and Joseph E., of Arkansas; Anna M., Ellis G., Lizzie H., John R. and Flora E., at home. In 1854 Mr. Mendenhall settled on the farm where he has since resided. He makes a specialty of fine stock and also of the best variety of fruits. His cherry orchard alone contains 300 trees. Mr. Mendenhall and wife are members of the Society of Friends, and he has served a number of years as Elder. The Mendenhall family were originally English, and figured conspicuously in the War of the Roses, and on account of the part taken in that war their estates were confiscated. Three brothers emigrated to America with William Penn, and from one of them our subject descended. His grandfather, Caleb Mendenhall, was born, reared and married in North Carolina, and where our subject's father, Griffith Mendenhall, was born Oct. 4, 1793, and when eight years of age came with his parents to Miami County, Ohio. In 1818, in partnership with Daniel Anthony, Griffith Mendenhall built and operated the first wool-carding mill in Richmond. He was married to Elizabeth Airey, by whom he had seven children — Bentley, Rees, William (deceased), Caleb, John, (who died from disease contracted while in the war), Lindley (deceased) and Martha. Griffith Mendenhall died at the advanced age of eighty-five years.
Source:
History of Wayne County, Indiana. Chicago: Inter-State Publishing Co. 1884. Volume 2