Christopher  Morgan  Allen
and
Sarah  Wishard

THE  DAILY  REPUBLICAN
Wednesday, March 18, 1885, page 3 column 1
AN  EARLY  PIONEER
Sketch of the Life and Career Of One of Shelby County's Oldest Citizens.

          Stories about our early pioneers are always interesting. They are rapidly passing away and in a few years the last of them will be gathered to their fathers.  We have a number of these treasured citizens yet in our midst and it is proper that the interesting mile-stones of their lives, such as anniversaries of their deaths and marriages should be carefully recorded.  Among the oldest residents in Shelby county is Mr. Christopher Morgan Allen, who resides and has resided for over fifty-six years on a farm in Jackson township, near Mt. Auburn. As March 11th, 1885, was the fifty-first anniversary of his marriage, the story of his life is recalled and an outline of the same will prove of interest to all our readers.  Mr. Allen was born in the State of New York on May 13, 1810, and is therefore nearly seventy-five years of age.  His father, Robert Allen, was a Virginian and his mother was a native of New Jersey.  They moved to the farm of General, afterwards President, William Henry Harrison, at North Bend, Ohio, in the year 1815, while the war between the country and England was still raging.  From there they came to Shelby county, Indiana, in December, 1828.  This was the year in which General Andrew Jackson was first elected President of the United States.  It is a curious instance of the slowness with which news traveled in those pioneer days that though the national election took place early in November, Mr. Allen says they did not hear of the result in this county until the following spring of several months afterwards.  Ever since the winter of 1828, Mr. Christopher M. Allen has lived on the farm in Jackson township where they settled so many years ago.  On the 11th of March, 1834, he was married to Frances Wishard by Alphred Phelps, a well known minister of those days. The father of Mrs. Allen was Abram Wishard, a Pennsylvanian, and her mother was Sarah Reynolds, of Ohio. The Allen family consisted of five sons and five daughters, but the subject of this sketch and two sisters are all that now remain.  One of the surviving sisters is the widow of the late Col. John S. Moore, and lives in Sullivan county, Indiana.  The other, a Mrs. Harris, resides in Kansas. Christopher M. and Frances Allen have four children, twenty grand-children and six great grand-children.  In August, 1835, Mr. Allen joined the Freewill Baptist church, under the ministration of one William Monroe.  In 1840, he and his wife joined the Christian church at Mt. Auburn, of which denomination they have ever since been consistent members.  Most of the time he has held an official position in the church, being a deacon for a few years and then an elder up to the present time.  This elderly and well preserved couple have always lived on their farm, pursuing the peaceful avocations of tilling the soil.  Being industrious, frugal and upright in his dealings, Mr. Allen has prospered in worldly affairs and during his long and useful life has made many warm, friends.  He has never desired office and never held one above the grade of road supervisor.
Submitted by Barb Huff

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