H. C. Pitts
H. C. Pitts, a prominent citizen of Union Township, is a native
of Forsythe County, North Carolina, near Kennersville, where he was born February 21, 1850, being the eldest in
a family of ten children born to Branson
and Luzena (Coffin) Pitts,
who were both also native of North Carolina. They emigrated from their native State to Indiana and Shelby
County, August, 1864. They settled in Union Township, where the father died July, 1884. His widow still survives
him and lives at the old homestead. H.C. remained at homeuntil he attained the age of thirty-two years, receiving
a collegiate education at Spiceland, '72, '73, and Northern Indiana Normal School at Valparaiso, the summers of
'78 and '79. April 30, 1832, his marriage with Florella
E. Rigsbee, was
solemnized, and to their union these two children have been born: Lois V. and
Wendell H. For the past five years his principal occupation
has been farming and stock raising, prior to that he taught school at intervals for ten years. Mr. Pitts is quite
a student, has a large private library of miscellaneous books. He and family members of the Friends Church.
In politics he is a Republican, and was honored in 1884, with an election to the office of Township Trustee, and
re-elected in 1886, and is the present incumbent of that position. From a business point of view he has been
quite successful. He now owns 104 acres, mostly the acumulation of his own industry and economy.
History of Shelby County, Indiana, Chicago: Brant & Fuller, 1887, page 484-485
Copied by Phyllis Miller Fleming