William Lewry, BiographyPorter County biographical sketches . . . .
Transcribed biography of William Lewry
WILLIAM LEWRY, a prominent merchant and agriculturist of Furnessville, Porter county, Indiana, is the son of David and Mary (Leopard) Lewry, and was born at the family home in Brighton, Sussex county, England, on October 18, 1836. His father, David Lewry, was a blacksmith and worked at his trade until the time of his death, which occurred in Brighton, the elder Lewrys never having left their home in England.
William, the son, was sent to school in Brighton until he was about twelve years of age, when he went into his father's shop to learn the smith's trade. He remained under the supervision and training of his father until he was nineteen years of age, at which time he left home and came to the United States. He located in New York state, near Rochester, where he opened up a blacksmith shop and worked at his trade for about eighteen months. In the year 1857 he gave up the shop and went to Chicago, where he became engaged in the manufacture of white lead. Not satisfied with that business, he severed his connection with the work and came to Porter county, Indiana, in the year 1859. At that time his fortunes were at a low ebb, but before long he had succeeded in establishing himself in a blacksmith shop at Furnessville, and for many years he carried on a general smithing business with signal success.
William Lewry and Sarah Lee, of Brighton, Sussex, England, were married on the 15th day of April, 1854, by E. C. Douglass, curate of St. Nicholas church at Brighton, Sussex, England, in the presence of Alfred Young and Louisa Lower. Mr. and Mrs. Lewry are the parents of seven children, as follows: Elizabeth, who lives in the family home at Furnessville, as does also a son Henry, both being unmarried. Carrie, who is the wife of Thomas E. Morgan, is a graduate of the Furnessville and Valparaiso schools. William L., of St. Louis, Missouri, is a railroad Pullman conductor. He married Agnes Hill, and they are the parents of one child. Eugene, a farmer in Porter county, married Polly Sanderson. Anna M. is the wife of Professor E. S. Miller, of Valparaiso, Indiana, and Richard D. is chief clerk of the Michigan Central Railroad at Kensington, Illinois, and who married Irene Van Riper.
Mr. Lewry's political convictions are those of a Democrat, but he has never mixed in local politics beyond serving as trustee of Pine township for one term. During the war of 1861-65 he enlisted in Company E of the Ninth Indiana Regiment, and served for a year and a half in the capacity of a private, after which time he was honorably discharged from the service, in 1865. At the present time he is drawing a pension from the government.
Mr. Lewry is the owner of a valuable tract of one hundred and forty acres of land in Pine township, Porter county, Indiana, besides which he is the owner of a store in the township, and he is one of the representative farmers who have progressed so far in modern ideas as to own and use an automobile for utility purposes.
On the whole, Mr. Lewry has made splendid capital of such advantages and opportunities as came his way, and he is regarded in his district as one of the solid men of Porter county.
Source: Lewis Publishing Company. 1912. History of Porter County, Indiana: A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress, its People and its Principal Interests. Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Company. 881 p.
Page(s) in Source: 864-865
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