WILLIAM W. BARCUS was born in the house in which he now resides on the 14th of December, 1869, and this place has ever since been his home and the scene of his operations. Thus far in life he has followed the tilling of the soil for a livelihood, and after his marriage he continued to live with his parents and operate the farm, his present estate consisting of one hundred and twenty acres of rich and fertile land, where he follows both grain and stock farming. He is a member of the Farmersburg Mutual Telephone Company, is a stockholder in the Citizens' State Bank at Hymera and is quite prominent and active in the local councils of the Republican party.
Mr. Barcus is a son of Thomas G. and Amanda S. (Goodwin) Barcus. The father was born on the 12th of June, 1830, and died on the 25th of March, 1902, and lies buried in Nye's Chapel cemetery. His life work was farming, becoming very successful in the vocation, and at one time he owned two hundred and forty acres of land. He was also a broom maker, working at that occupation in the winter months when not employed on the farm, and he also raised his own broom corn. In politics he was a stanch Republican, and was a member of the United Brethren church, as is also his wife. She was born on the 21st of April, 1838, and is now living with her son William. Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Barcus, namely: Sarah E., who was born on the 28th of May, 1857, and died on the 8th of July, 1876; Delphia, born August 28, 1858, died October 2, 1859; George R., born August 9, 1860, died February 13, 1864; Samuel J., born November 10, 1861, resides in Alberta, Canada; Rosa B., born July 15, 1864, died June 7, 1894; Tilla J., born July 23, 1866, married Samuel Patton and resides in Hymera; William W., whose name introduces this review; Anna M., born May 2, 1871, is the wife of Harvey Patton, of Hymera; Luella, born November 1873, is deceased, and Thomas E., born May 11, 1876, died February 1, 1877.
On the 16th of January, 1891, William W. Barcus was united in marriage to Louisa B. Harvey, who was born in Jackson township November 16, 1872, a daughter of William and Matilda (McCammon) Harvey, born respectively on the 4th of November, 1839, in Franklin county, Indiana, and on the 22d of March, 1851, in Jackson township, Sullivan county. Their home is now one mile north of Hymera on a farm of sixty acres. Mr. Harvey served four years in the Civil war as a member of Company B, Thirty-seventh Regiment of Indiana Volunteer Infantry, as a private, and he has been engaged in farming ever since his return from the war. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Barcus, namely: Helen H., born August 7, 1901; George W., October 20, 1902; Hazel E., July 12, 1904; and Alice M., May 27, 1906. Mrs. Barcus is a member of the Methodist church.