Part of the Indiana Biographies Project
Henry Linwood Wetherald
Henry Linwood Wetherald was born in Boynton, Yorkshire, England, Dec. 4, 1812, and when six years old came with his parents, George and Joana (Linwood) Wetherald, to America, locating in Concord, Chester Co., Pa. When thirteen years of age he began working for farmers for $4 per month, continuing this till he was seventeen years old. Having saved all his earnings, he went to Wilmington, Del., and served an apprenticeship at the blacksmith's trade. He only attended school nine months, but by devoting all his leisure hours to study he has acquired a limited education.The parties to whom he loaned his wages partially failed, and at the end of his apprenticeship he was left almost destitute. In 1833 he came to Richmond, Ind., and followed his trade till 1837,after which he carried on general blacksmithing in Connersville, Ind., till 1851. He built a saw and grist-mill in Connersville in 1845, and also was engaged in the mercantile business. In 1851 he sold his Connersville property and removed to Thorntown, Boon Co., Ind., where he bought a farm and erected a saw and grist mill run by water-power, where he did both merchant and custom work, and a merchant mill operated by steam, and carried on a successful business until 1863, when he sold his property. He purchased land in Wayne County, and engaged in farming and stock-dealing, and in 1864 he bought a half interest in the Quaker City Mills, of Richmond, where he was associated with Ezra Hill three years. During this time he purchased the foundry at Connersville, Ind., which he converted into a grain elevator. He soon after, with his son, Edgar K., and son-in-law, P. B. Wood, bought the Hydraulic Mills, and sometime later he sold his interest in the mill to the remaining partners. In 1869 he bought an interest in a mill at Beatrice, Neb., of which he soon became sole proprietor, and which he soon after sold to his children. He also erected an elevator for grain at this place. He then built a mill in Thayer County, Neb., at a cost of about $20,000, where he carried on a large custom work. In 1835 Mr. Wetherald was married to Ann, daughter of Mark and Mary Kirby, of Wayne County. To this union were born nine children — Mary, wife of P. B. Woods, of Connersville, Ind.; Edgar, of the firm of H. L. Wetherald & Sons, Hydraulic Mills, Connersville,; Amanda, widow of A. E. Gordon, who represented Boon County, Ind., in the Legislature two terms; Emily, deceased; Newton T., died at Connersville; Henry, enlisted in the Fortieth Regiment Indiana Infantry, and was killed at the battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Ga.; Oscar, belonged to the same command, and died at Nashville, Tenn., soon after the battle at that place; Charley and Frank, proprietors of Hebron Mills, Neb. Mrs. Wetherald died Nov. 20, 1875, and July 18, 1883, Mr. Wetherald married Mrs. Mahala Frybarger, of Connersville, and daughter of William W. and Jane Dixon Wilson who came to Fayette County, Ind., in 1831. Mr. Wetherald has been very successful in most of his undertakings. He now owns 1,000 acres of fine lands in Nebraska; thirteen town lots and a grain elevator in Beatrice, Neb.; twenty lots in Hebron, Neb.; eight in Fanbury, Jefferson Co., Neb.; thirty-five acres adjoining Hebron, Neb.; a small agricultural farm in Wayne County, Ind., and ten lots in Indianapolis, Ind. He is a member of the Friends' society, and Mrs. Wetherald is a member of the Presbyterian church.
Source:
History of Wayne County, Indiana, Chicago: Inter-State Publishing Co. 1884. Volume 2