History of Carroll County, Indiana, 1882; Kingman Brothers,
Chicago; page 247.
Deer Creek Township
JOHN BRIDGE
The subject of the biography is the
descendant of a highly honored ancestry. He was the grandson of Samuel Bridge, a native
Englishman, who came to American while yet a young man, and a short time prior to the
Revolutionary war. At the outbreak of that long and sanguinary struggle, he was living
near Lexington Mass., and here, adjacent to his home, occurred the first conflict of arms
in the war which led to the independence of the colonies. Becoming thoroughly in sympathy
with the colonists, he espoused their case, promptly volunteered, and rendered heroic
service in the Federal army. During the war, probably in 1778, John Townsend Bridge, his
son, the father of our subject, was born in the city of Boston. After reaching man's
estate, he emigrated to Hamilton County, Ohio, and soon thereafter, wedded Miss Mary,
daughter of John Harper. Mr. Harper and wife had found their way thither
from Virginia, the State of their nativity. The maiden name of Mrs. Harper, the mother of
Mary, was Margaret Carr a native of Ireland. Later in the history of the
"Old Dominion," the Carr family became one of considerable prominence. Soon
after his marriage to Miss Harper, Mr. Bridge crossed the Ohio River to seek his fortune
in Kentucky, but a year or two later, returned to Warren County, Ohio and located near the
town of Lebanon. Here John Bridge, the subject of this sketch, was born, in January 1806,
the second son and third child. Soon after his birth, the parents moved to Riley Township,
Butler County, Ohio, where were born the rest of the family, four brothers and two
sisters, viz.: James, Hannah, Joseph, Thomas, William and Mary. Of the entire family,
three brothers only now are living - - James, Thomas and William. The former is a resident
of Logansport, Ind.; the two latter reside in Ohio. Joseph Bridges, one of the younger
brothers, died in Carroll County, Ind., in the month of July 1879.
John T. Bridges, the father, was a farmer and was deemed
successful in his honorable vocation. Hoping to better his condition he moved about the
spring of 1818 to Franklin County, Ind., thence in the fall of 1819 to Pendleton, Madison
County. But two years had elapsed here when death robbed the family circle of wife and
mother, and a year later the Insatiate destroyer summoned the father. The large family
thus so sadly afflicted became broken up, and the younger members found home with their
Grandfather Harper then a resident of Butler County, Ohio. John, however, the subject of
our sketch, having nearly reached the age maturity, returned to Butler County and hired
out as a farm Laborer among his father's old friends and neighbors, continuing (?) to do
for some time subsequent to his marriage. He was married March 13, 1834, to Rosanna Carr,
near Hamilton, Ohio. October 18, 1837, he landed in Carroll County and settled in
Carrollton Township, on the farm now owned by A. J. Wickard, Esq. He remained there until
1852, when he moved to Camden and engaged in the dry goods trade. In 1868, he moved to
Delphi and the rest of his days in retirement from business cares. He died in April 1876.
His wife survived him, and is living with son J. C. Bridge, in this city.
County Coordinator: Suzy Sprague
suzyq.wa@worldnet.att.net