Shelby  County  Indiana
Newspaper  Articles

Ruggles

The  Shelby  Democrat
Thursday, October 30, 1879
Page 4, column 2
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EARLY  SETTLERS
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Interesting Sketch of Several Who Live
In Moral Township
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          Recently I visited several of the oldest settlers of Moral township, Shelby county, and have been solicited to write a short sketch of their lives for your interesting paper.  These notes will doubtless prove pleasant reading to many of your patrons.  The sketches include Joseph Campbell, aged 90 years, 5 months;  Enoch Ruggles, aged 89 years, 8 months, and  Ruth Ruggles, his wife, aged 84 years, 9 months; and  Elizabeth Ruggles, aged nearly 87 years.
          I next visited Uncle Enoch and Aunt Ruth Ruggles (By these names these old people are familiarly known).  Their memories are as vivid as when they were young, could give day and date for every event.  Mr. Ruggles was born Janaury 20, 1790, in Alleghany County, Maryland.  At the age of six his parents moved to Lewis County, Kentucky.  Here he remained until the war (1812).  In 1813 his brother was drafted.  Uncle Enoch offered to go in his stead but his brother wished him to remain and take care of his family (his brother's wife having died shortly before).  Uncle Enoch said "No, I am a single man and your family needs you, I will go in your place, and he went.  It was highly entertaining as the old man talked of his struggles at Fort Meigs; of the march to Fort Seneca and Upper Sandusky.  When he returned home from the war he met his present wife, and in 1815 was married to Ruth Wilson.  "She too was from Maryland", born in Montgomery County, December 15, 1794.  Her parents when she was nine years old moved to Mason County, Kentucky.  She was 20 years old when married.  Mr. Ruggles moved to Shelby county on the farm where he now lives, in 1834.  Their family consisted of three children, but one of whom is now living.  There are also 13 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.  Here I saw things of olden date; the cooking utensils for cooking at the fire-place, the candle-rack with its burden of candles suspended from the joist, the old distaff made from a dogwood sapling on which Aunt Ruth last fall spun the last of her store of lint raised more than twenty years ago.  The old lady does all her own work, her house is a sample of olden time comfort, has her own chickens, milks two cows and says she can do as much work as half the young women of today.  Both of these old persons were at church Sunday (October 12) at Canaan, near where they live.  They have been members of the M. E. Church for more than fifty years.
          I saw next Aunt Lizzie, a sister of Aunt Ruth, born in Montgomery county, Maryland November 10, 1792.  She was 11 years old when the family moved to Kentucky.  She was married at the age of 20 to John Ruggles, (a brother of Uncle Enoch) also a native of Maryland, born in Cumberland county January 9, 1786.  In 1833 Mrs. Ruggles, with her husband, came to Rush county, Indiana and in 1834 to Shelby county, where they lived until the death of Mr. Ruggles, which occurred March 30, 1863.  There were seven children of this family, four of whom are still living.  They have 49 grandchildren and 30 great grandchildren.  The old lady is as spry as though not more than 40, can walk to neighbors' houses at quite a distance, can read without spectacles, and were it not for the deep furrows which time has made on her face, one could hardly believe her age.  As she told of the puncheon floored cabin, the wolves and deer in the wood, she seemed to go back and live over the days of her girlhood with pleasure.  Truly has it been said  "No snow falls lighter than the snow of age", for in talking to these old people they say that it seems but as yesterday when they began life.  They talked and laughed of past harsdships which the harvest of now-a-day heroes would not dare to face.  Contrast if you will the young lady of today with her advantages of parlor and party society with these old ladies whose parlor was kitchen and dining room, whose furniture was an oven, skillet and a split broom, and ask who are the heroes of the age.  Yes, the  "snow of age"  falls lightly, "but it never melts".  Time in passing has splashed his snow upon them until now they look about and see the winter of life has come and they realize they are old.  However, there is yet enjoyment in living.
Submitted by Barb Huff

The  Shelby  Republican
Thursday, January 31, 1878
Page 3
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LOCAL  NEWS
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          The jury in the case of  Warren Ruggles,  after being out about 24 hours were unable to agree, and were discharged yesterday evening.  We learn that the jury stood frim first to last six for conviction and six for acquittal.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming

The  Shelbyville  Volunteer
Thursday, January 3, 1878
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          John Ruggles  and  Joseph Jonas, whose arrest for passing counterfeit money has been mentioned were arraigned in court, Monday, and pleaded not guilty to the charge.  They were required to give bond in the sum of $1,000 each, and in default of this, were remanded to jail, to await trial at a future day of the present term.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming

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