WELDON B. GORDEN. Since 1894, Weldon B. Gorden has been a resident of section 3, Monroe Township, where he is the owner of an excellent property of two hundred acres, lying on the Gorden Grove road, about five miles north of Alexandria, During this time he has been connected with various enterprises of an agricultural nature, and has fairly earned the leading position which he occupies among the farmers of his locality, Mr. Gorden was born half a mile east of his present farm, October 18, 1859, and is a son of James and Susan (LaRue) Gorden.
Anderson Gorden, the paternal grandfather of Weldon B. Gorden, was born in North Carolina, from whence he removed to Wayne County, thence came to Putnam County and subsequently came to Madison County, where he became the first settler in section 10, Monroe Township, Settling in the woods, he took up land from the government, cleared and developed a farm, and eventually became one of the substantial men of his community. James Gorden was also born in Wayne County and accompanied his parents to Madison County, here assisting his father in clearing his land, and, like him, becoming well known as a farmer and public-spirited citizen, He and his wife were the parents of nine children: Mary A., who is now Mrs. Leslie; Lydia E., who is deceased Norman; Louis; Harriet, who is now Mrs. Osborn; Albert and Columbus, who are deceased; Weldon; and Catherine, who is now Mrs. Morris.
Weldon B. Gorden attended the public schools of Monroe Township and Danville, and during the greater part of his boyhood and youth assisted his father in cultivating the homestead place, As a young man he went to Jefferson County, Nebraska, where he pursued a course of study in a German school for some time, and there embarked in business as the proprietor of a general store. In 1885 Mr. Gorden was engaged in a partnership in the conducting and editing of The Casey Banner, a weekly edition, of Casey, Illinois, and sold out in 1886 and went to Jetmore, Kansas, where he was engaged in the drug business, but in 1887, moved the stock of goods to Rocky Ford, Colorado, In 1894 he returned to Monroe Township and resumed operations on the old home place, on which he has resided to the present time, his property being one of the best to be found in this section, The greater part of his attention has been devoted to general farming, but he has also met with success in stock raising ventures, and through honorable dealing has gained the reputation of being a man of the highest principles and strictest integrity, His connection with large enterprises has placed him upon a substantial footing in the commercial world, he having the distinction of being (as far as is known) the only man in Indiana who has ever purchased an entire town, During the survey of the Cleveland & St, Louis Railroad, there sprang into being the town of Osceola, which grew rapidly as prosperity was promised by the advent of the railroad, until five hundred people were living at that point, Substantial buildings and residences were erected, and a postoffice located, this later being known by several other names, one of which was Mercury. The town was not considered of enough importance by the railroad, however, land values decreased, and the population diminished as rapidly as it had grown, Mr. Gorden, realizing his opportunity for an advantageous transaction, succeeded in buying the entire town, He converted the land into valuable farming property, while the lumber of the structures here has been sold in small lots from time to time, and he is still the owner of a number of houses, which he is disposing of to neighboring farmers to be used as outbuildings.
On March 1, 1894, Mr. Gorden was married to Miss Lena Pickering, daughter of Corbley and Anna (Dyer) Pickering, and to this union there have been born two sons: Irl W. and Kenneth P. Politically Mr. Gorden is a Republican and has always supported the policies of the party, Fraternally he is a member of the Linton Lodge of the K. of P., No, 146, located at Steele City, Nebraska.