Lewis C. Pickle, merchant of McCordsvillle, was born January 3, 1851, in Marion county, Indiana, the son of Henry and Julia (Bolander) Pickle, both parents natives of Ohio. Henry Pickle became a resident of Marion County, Indiana, as early as the year 1832 and by occupation was a farmer. He remained in this state until about 1852, when he moved to Illinois, where his death afterwards occurred. His widow subsequently returned to Marion County and at the present time lives in the town of Oaklandon, having reached the age of seventy-seven years. Henry Pickle’s parents were George and Polly Pickle, natives of Pennsylvania. They came to Indiana in an early day and died a number of years ago in the county of Marion. Of their fourteen children, nine sisters and five brothers, five are living at the present time. Peter Bolander, grandfather of the subject, was born in Pennsylvania, migrated to Ohio in pioneer times and in 1835 moved to Marion county, Indiana, where he entered land and became a prosperous farmer. His wife died in 1836 at the age of forty-two; he lived to be eighty-two years old before called to the other world. There were five children born to Henry and Julia Pickle, the flowing being the survivors: John W., Lewis C. and Mary E.

After the death of the father, which took place when Lewis C. was eleven years old, the latter went to live with a Mr. Klepfer, of Marion county, in whose home he remained three years, attending school occasionally in the meanwhile. He earned his first money as a farm laborer at four dollars per month, working thus for about six months, and prosecuted his studies with great assiduity. He continued to work at any kind of honest employment he could obtain until 1873, in which year he married and engaged in agricultural pursuits, continuing the same about thirteen years. In 1885 he purchased forty acres of land in Hancock county, following which he secured a half-interest in a hardware store at Oaklandon with John Moore, the firm thus constituted lasting a little over five years. Mr. Pickle then started a general mercantile establishment which he continued until December, 1891, when he sold out and in March of the following year, with J. M. Lingle, purchased a stock of merchandise in McCordsville, where he has since sold goods with most gratifying success. His store is one of the largest in the county, his stock being carefully selected with the object n view of meeting the constantly increasing demand of his customers and gratifying the taste of the most critical and exacting. Mr. Pickle is familiar with every detail of the mercantile business, caters to the best trade in the county and has acquired a reputation for honorable dealing second of that of no other in the county of Hancock. He is progressive man and while primarily interested in his own affairs has long been active in up-building his town and county, being connected with all enterprises for the public good and ready to use his influence for the advancement of any movement whereby the moral condition of the community may best be subserved.

Mr. Pickle was married March 27, 1873, to Miss Alice Jordan, daughter of Daniel and Polly (Ball) Jordan, of Fayette county, this state, and the father of three children, Quincy, Myrtella D. and Applena G., the oldest deceased. Fraternally Mr. Pickle holds membership with Lodge No 534, I.O.O.F., at Oaklandon, Marion County.

Transcribed from Biographical Memoirs of Hancock County B. F. Bowen, Publisher, Logansport, Indiana, 1902 Pages 405-406.

Submitted by Sylvia (Rose) Duda, Laingsburg, MI Sept. 22, 2003.

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