of the oldest in the business and for twenty years has been one of the governors of the Board of Trade of Indianapolis. It is doubtful if any grain man or any other citizen of Indiana could tell offhand and from personal recollection and experience more of the pertinent facts regarding the history of the grain business in the Central West than Mr. Minor. He did his first work around the grain elevator and local market during Civil war times. He is therefore personally familiar with two eras of war time prices and conditions in this country.

Mr. Minor was born on a farm at Lodi, Seneca County, New York, October 20, 1840. His parents were Stephen Voorhees and Eliza Anne (Mundy) Minor, the former a native of New Jersey. His father was taken when a small boy to New York State in 1812, grew up on a farm, learned the trade of blacksmith, and followed farming and blacksmithing all his life. There is one special distinction associated with his work as a blacksmith. It is said that he was the first man to fasten a wheel on an axle by means of a nut. Up to that time wheels were secured to the axles by means of linchpins. He was one of the highly esteemed men of his community, and for years a deacon in the Dutch Reformed Church. Stephen Minor was born February 8, 1806, and died in February, 1888, at the age of eighty-two. February 22, 1832, he married Eliza Anne Mundy, who died October 29, 1843. Of their four children two are still living.

Benjamin B. Minor was only three years of age when his mother died. For several years he had nothing of a mother's care and interest, but when about nine years of age his father married again and he remained with his father and stepmother until he was about twenty-three. The routine of these years was working on a farm during the summer and attending country schools until at the age of seventeen he qualified as a teacher. Altogether he put in six years as a teacher, most of it in the country schools of New York State.

In 1863, when the Civil war was at its height, and at the age of twenty-three, Mr. Minor came west, and at Champaign, Illinois, found work in a grain elevator. From that time forward his experience in the grain business has been practically continuous. But when the grain buying sea

son was over he was employed during the winter of 1863 as principal of the East Side public school in Champaign. Early the next spring he went south to Vicksburg, Mississippi, which had fallen before the Union armies in the previous year, and for a time was employed in a sutler's store. He then returned to Champaign, and as an employee of Jonathan Bacon bought grain on the streets. The winter of 1864 he worked out in the country sewing corn sacks, much of the time being exposed to zero temperature. At that time a large proportion of the corn raised in the Middle West went south, and it had to be shipped in sacks.

Her

While at Champaign on July 10, 1866, Mr. Minor married Alice J. Page. parents were Dr. S. K. and Mary (Waldo) Page. Her father was a native of Massachusetts and her mother of Connecticut, and they were married in Kentucky, in which state, at Port Royal, Mrs. Minor was born December 3, 1846.

Mr. Minor continued to make his home at Champaign until 1867, in which year he took charge of the branch grain house at Effingham, Illinois, for E. and I. Jennings, a grain firm of Mattoon, Illinois. Mr. Minor's home was at Effingham until 1885. After two years he acquired a half interest in the Jennings business in Southern Illinois, beginning operations under the firm name of Jennings & Minor. With the extension of the Vandalia railroad this firm established new stations until they were operating eight on four different lines. Mr. Minor recalls the fact that in those days most of the grain was handled with scoop shovels, which not only took a great deal of time but entailed back-breaking labor, in which Mr. Minor had his full share of experience. His interests rapidly extended and he became one of the best known grain buyers in Southern Illinois, and in 1883 he acquired the Jennings interests in that section of the state.

Mr. Minor removed to Indianapolis in 1885, and has since continued in the grain business, still having some interests in Illinois. At one time he operated six different stations in that state, but now operates only two, one at Oakwood and one at Muncie. On coming to Indianapolis he formed. a partnership under the name of Minor & Cooper. This firm was in existence until April, 1891, and did a general grain and

of the oldest in the business and for twenty years has been one of the governors of the Board of Trade of Indianapolis. It is doubtful if any grain man or any other citizen of Indiana could tell offhand and from personal recollection and experience more of the pertinent facts regarding the history of the grain business in the Central West than Mr. Minor. He did his first work around the grain elevator and local market during Civil war times. He is therefore personally familiar with two eras of war time prices and conditions in this country.

Mr. Minor was born on a farm at Lodi, Seneca County, New York, October 20, 1840. His parents were Stephen Voorhees and Eliza Anne (Mundy) Minor, the former a native of New Jersey. His father was taken when a small boy to New York State in 1812, grew up on a farm, learned the trade of blacksmith, and followed farming and blacksmithing all his life. There is one special distinction associated with his work as a blacksmith. It is said that he was the first man to fasten a wheel on an axle by means of a nut. Up to that time wheels were secured to the axles by means of linchpins. He was one of the highly esteemed men of his community, and for years a deacon in the Dutch Reformed Church. Stephen Minor was born February 8, 1806, and died in February, 1888, at the age of eighty-two. February 22, 1832, he married Eliza Anne Mundy, who died October 29, 1843. Of their four children two are still living.

Benjamin B. Minor was only three years of age when his mother died. For several years he had nothing of a mother's care and interest, but when about nine years of age his father married again and he remained with his father and stepmother until he was about twenty-three. The routine of these years was working on a farm during the summer and attending country schools until at the age of seventeen he qualified as a teacher. Altogether he put in six years as a teacher, most of it in the country schools of New York State.

In 1863, when the Civil war was at its height, and at the age of twenty-three, Mr. Minor came west, and at Champaign, Illinois, found work in a grain elevator. From that time forward his experience in the grain business has been practically continuous. But when the grain buying sea

son was over he was employed during the winter of 1863 as principal of the East Side public school in Champaign. Early the next spring he went south to Vicksburg, Mississippi, which had fallen before the Union armies in the previous year, and for a time was employed in a sutler's store. He then returned to Champaign, and as an employee of Jonathan Bacon bought grain on the streets. The winter of 1864 he worked out in the country sewing corn sacks, much of the time being exposed to zero temperature. At that time a large proportion of the corn raised in the Middle West went south, and it had to be shipped in sacks.

Her

While at Champaign on July 10, 1866, Mr. Minor married Alice J. Page. parents were Dr. S. K. and Mary (Waldo) Page. Her father was a native of Massachusetts and her mother of Connecticut, and they were married in Kentucky, in which state, at Port Royal, Mrs. Minor was born December 3, 1846.

Mr. Minor continued to make his home at Champaign until 1867, in which year he took charge of the branch grain house at Effingham, Illinois, for E. and I. Jennings, a grain firm of Mattoon, Illinois. Mr. Minor's home was at Effingham until 1885. After two years he acquired a half interest in the Jennings business in Southern Illinois, beginning operations under the firm name of Jennings & Minor. With the extension of the Vandalia railroad this firm established new stations until they were operating eight on four different lines. Mr. Minor recalls the fact that in those days most of the grain was handled with scoop shovels, which not only took a great deal of time but entailed back-breaking labor, in which Mr. Minor had his full share of experience. His interests rapidly extended and he became one of the best known grain buyers in Southern Illinois, and in 1883 he acquired the Jennings interests in that section of the state.

Mr. Minor removed to Indianapolis in 1885, and has since continued in the grain business, still having some interests in Illinois. At one time he operated six different stations in that state, but now operates only two, one at Oakwood and one at Muncie. On coming to Indianapolis he formed a partnership under the name of Minor & Cooper. This firm was in existence until April, 1891, and did a general grain and