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HON. GEORGE RUSSELL BEARSS.— One of the most progressive farmers and stock raisers of Indiana, is the gentleman
whose name introduces this biography. In 1834 Mr. Bearss was
born at the old village of Miamiasport, where the city of Peru now
stands, and is a son of Hon. Daniel R. Bearss, who during his life
was one of the distinguished men of Indiana. He was born in New
York state in 1808, and died at Peru, Ind., in 1885. In boyhood he
came to Indiana and for some time was a clerk in a store at Logansport and then went to Fort Wayne and later to Goshen, and in the
fall of 1834 settled in Miami county. For twenty years he was a
leading merchant in Peru, and then invested in town property in that
city and farm lands in Miami and adjoining counties. He was a
man of aggressive spirit and in many ways contributed to the best
interests of his adopted city and county. In politics he was a lifelong republican, and for about twenty years represented his party in
ihe Indiana general assembly, either in the house or senate. He was
in fact one of the leaders of the republican party of Indiana. The
honest poor man found in him a friend, and the cases are numerous
in which he helped the less fortunate to attain success in life. The
mother of George R. Bearss - Emma A. (Cole) Bearss - was born in
Zanesville, Ohio, in 1815, and now resides upon the old homestead
in Peru. The subject of this review is the eldest of eight children,
of whom five are living. He first attended the public schools, and at
twelve years of age he was sent to Kenyon college at Gambier, Ohio,
where he continued for six years. The school days over, Mr. Bearss
spent two years in California, and then returned to Peru, where he
remained until 1864, when he came to Rochester and for four years
was engaged in the walnut lumber business in partnership with
Edwin E. Cowgill, under the firm name of Cowgill & Bearss. Mr.
Bearss then bought 120 acres of land in Rochester township, where
the house of Thomas Lovatt now stands. A short time later he
bought 1,040 acres more. About thirteen years ago he removed to
his present place of residence, an easy distance southwest of Rochester. He now has about 700 acres of fine land. He has spent
about $30,000 in the improvement of his farm, which is considered
one of the best farms in Northern Indiana. He has always given
much attention to stock interests and has upon his farm some of the
best blooded stock in Fulton county. The republican party has the
earnest support of Mr. Bearss. His first presidential vote was cast
for John C. Fremont at the convention held in Musical Fund hall in
Philadelphia, which nominated him for the presidency. In 1874,
Mr. Bearss was elected to represent Fulton county in the Indiana
legislature. He was united in marriage in 1860 to Miss Mary
Troost, who died in 1884, leaving one son, Daniel R. Mr. Bearss
was married again in 1885, to Miss Jessie McBride, who was born
in the same neighborhood where she now resides. To this marriage
three children have been born, of whom only one is now living,
Albert Gresham. Mr. Bearss is one of Fulton county's leading
citizens.
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