Shelby  County,  Indiana
Biographies

Solomon  Catt

            The successful farmer and prominent citizen of Blue River township [Hancock County, Indiana] to whom attention is now directed, was for many years an honored resident of Hancock County and a representative of one of central Indiana's pioneer families.  The paternal ancestors of  Solomon Catt were North Carolinians and supposedly of English origin.  His father was born in that State, but in an early day migrated to Ohio, where he bore a conspicuous part as a pioneer.  The subject's mother was a native of Tennessee; but she also was taken to Ohio at an early age and it was there her marriage occurred and there most of her children were born.
            Solomon Catt  was born October 10, 1818, in Ohio, and when a young man came to Indiana, locating in Rush County, where for a number of years he worked at the cooper's trade, later engaging in farming in Hancock County.  His wife, whom he married in Rush County, was  Serena Pickering, whose birth occurred in the state of Ohio, August 18 1826.  Her father,  Benjamin Pickering  was a native Tennessee and the mother, who bore the maiden name of  Heaster McCool, came from Ireland.
            Mr. and Mrs. Catt lived on a farm in Blue River Township until the husband's death and were numbered among the prosperous and highly esteemed people of the community.  He was an industrious man, upright and honorable in all of his dealings and by judicious management acquired a competency, consisting mostly of real estate, which is still in possession of his children.
            His home farm consisted of one hundred and twenty of valuable land, was well improved and highly cultivated, and it was on this place that his children were reared to maturity and fitted for the duties of life.  He was quiet and unassuming in demeanor, yet one of the best known and most highly esteemed man of his township, commanding the confidence of all by his manly course and honorable dealing and earning an enviable reputation as a useful citizen and upright Christian gentleman.  He was wide-awake to the needs of the times and did much to promote the material interest of his community.  He and his entire family became Friends 1862 and he remained true to the teachings of the society and during a long and useful life was accounted one of its zealous members in this part of the country.
            In his vigorous years he was of striking physique, pleasing address and courteous in his intercourse with his fellow men and in view of what has been said it is needless to state that he had many warm friends who held him in high personal esteem.  His life was very closely identified with the early growth and development of Rush and Hancock Counties and he performed will his part as a neighbor, friend and citizen.
            He lived to a ripe old age, dying August 15, 1898. Mr. Catt, like thousands of good men, did not achieve what people call greatness.  Nor was his name known far beyond the limits of the county in which he lived; yet he was a great man when measured by the true standard in that his career was marked by a conscientious adherence to the regards of others.  He left to his descendants the memory of a long list of good deeds and the wise counsel, judicious advice and religious instruction received from him they prize as legacies.
            Solomon and Serena Catt had seven children.  The oldest, Nathan, was a soldier of the late Rebellion; he enlisted at the age of eighteen, without his father's consent, and made a creditable record as a soldier during the later years of the war.  Benjamin P., born in September 1846, is a single man living on the home place, which he manages and looks after his mother's interests in her old age.  Eli O. born January 2 1849, was first married to  Lavina Osborne*, who died after a happy wedded life of six years duration.  Subsequently he was united in marriage to  Pheraba Anderson;  Lucinda is the wife of  Joseph L. Binford, of Blue River Township.  Harvey J.  married  Abigail Henley  and lives at Carthage.  Mark A.  married  Charlotte Ann Binford, and resides in Center township.  Rebecca Ann  died at seventeen years of age, and  Riley  married  Lydia Alice Beeson  and lives on part of the old homestead.
Hancock County Indiana  by Bowen, pages 608 - 610.

[Eli O. Catt  was born on Jan 2 1849 in Rush County, Indiana.  He died on Aug 11, 1935 in Hancock County Indiana.  He was buried in Asbury Cemetery, Morristown Shelby County, Indiana, Sec 3 Row 12 Number 4 on stone with  Pharobia.   Pharaba A Anderson and Eli O Catt had the following child: LaMerl Catt]
Contributed by Chris Anderson

* Based on information she found on Ancestry.com, Jan Hiestand believes the correct spelling to be Luvina Osbon.  Jan also has a "handwritten letter dated 1941 from Luvina Osbon's brother-in-law. He explained the Osbon family dropped the "r" when they settled in Indiana."

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