Henry Hageman, BiographyPorter County biographical sketches . . . .
Transcribed biography of Henry Hageman
HENRY HAGEMAN.
It is a pleasure and a privilege to record the character and enterprise of men of business, who, on account of their long tenure and extensive operations comprise almost a history of the business in which they are engaged. Of such men it is unnecessary to speak in words of praise. "By their acts ye shall know them." Their very existence is emphatic evidence of the honorable position they occupy and the long course of just methods that they have pursued. A gentleman in mind is Henry Hageman, who was born in Union County, Indiana, November 21, 1816, a son of John and Hannah (Battan) Hageman, the former of whom was born in Holland, and when a lad of about seventeen, he came to the United States and settled in Pennsylvania or Virginia, it is not definitely known which. About 1812 he became a resident of Union County, Indiana, and in 1834 of Porter County, Indiana, the subject of this sketch having preceded him thither by one year. John Hageman made his home at Waverly, Indiana, the rest of his life, and he and wife now lie buried at Salt Creek. They reared a family of eight children: Charity (Gossett) who is now deceased; Betsey (Skidmore) also deceased; Mariah, who died unmarried; Jane (Beck); Sallie (Foster); Hannah; Frances; John and Henry, all of whom are dead, with the exception of the subject of this sketch. John Hageman was a Major in the War of 1812, was a Whig in politics and a man of decided, pronounced and practical views. Adrian Hageman was first of the family to come to this country from Holland. He landed in New York in 1650. He and his wife reared a family of eight children: Joseph, Hendricks Jacobus (born in Holland); Abraham, Dennis, Isaac, Benjamin and Elizabeth (born in the United States.) Dennis had five sons: Adrian, Jacobus, Dollins, Joseph and Dennis. Adrian Hageman married and his son John was born in 1718. He was married to Jane Van Horn, and their son, Christian Hageman, was born August 10, 1745. His wife, Charity, was born December 4, 1747, and they were married June 10, 1767. Their son John, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born October 9, 1768. His wife, Hannah Batten, had three sisters, all of whom born at one birth and all of whom lived, married and reared twelve children each. Their father, Henry Battan, was born in Virginia, and was Welch descent. After coming to the United States he took part in the War as a soldier in the Colonial Army, being an officer in the same. He lost his wife in Virginia, after which he came to Indiana with his children and here reached the advanced age of 96 years, his death occurring in Porter County. Henry Hageman, whose name heads this biographical notice, lived a short time in Union County, Indiana, after which he went to Montgomery County, thence to Fountain County, where he received the most is education in the town of Rob Roy. He made his home with his brother-in-law, John I. Foster, with whom he came to La Porte County, in 1832. A year later he located at Chesterton and entered 40 acres in Section 25, and in due course of time accumulated in all about 600 acres. When the came for his children to leave the "home nest," he gave to each of them 40 acres and sold each 40 acres more. In 1871 he laid out the town of Porter, then Hageman. In 1881 he laid out a valuable addition, and in 1885 still another, in addition to which valuable property he owns 40 acres of land, and 10 acres on which his residence is located, besides a number of small tracts containing about 35 acres each. In his early days while he was a resident of Waverly, he did considerable trading with the Indians and was soon able to converse with them in their own language. He lived two years in Rock Island County, Illinois, on a 40 acre tract of land which he had entered. He has been a valuable member of society, for he has ever been decidedly public spirited, and has the interests of his section warmly at heart. He is a man who has so deported himself as to gain the confidence and the respect of all who know him. Strictly honorable and possessed of excellent business sense, he is a most valuable member of the society, and gives promise of still greater usefulness and success. He was a Democrat in his political views up to the opening of the Civil War, since which time he has been a Republican and has filled various township offices, and was a delegate to the Congressional Conventions of 1880 and 1882. He has been on the petit or grand jury every year for forty years, until on account of advancing years he requested the Judge to release him from this duty. He has been an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was recording and district steward, and was one of the organizers of his church in his community. He was united in marriage with Miss Hannah J. Gossett, a native of Brownsville, Miami County, Indiana, February 9, 1841, a daughter of William and Charity (Hageman) Gossett, and out of a family of thirteen children given to them, seven have lived to maturity: Charles, who was a soldier in the late war; Sarah J., wife of Eber H. Wentworth; John; Maria, wife of Charles Ackerman; Rosa, wife of Frederick Long; Hannah, wife of John Busse; Lilan (deceased), who was the wife of Albert Busse. The mother of these children died March 21, 1891, and for his second wife Mr. Hageman took Anna Babcock, daughter of John and Mary (Whiting) Babcock, who came to this country from England and settled in Flint, Mich., where they erected one of the first residences.
Source: Goodspeed Brothers. 1894. Pictorial and Biographical Record of La Porte, Porter, Lake and Starke Counties, Indiana. Chicago, Illinois: Goodspeed Brothers. 569 p.
Page(s) in Source: 212-214
This biography has been transcribed exactly as it was originally published in the source. Please note that we do not provide photocopies or digital scans of biographies appearing on this website.
Biography transcribed by Steven R. Shook