“JAMES P. WARE is a stock and land trader in Washington Township, Parke County, and son of William and Nancy (Sanders) Ware.  He was born in Shelby County, Ky., February 19, 1817.

William Ware, the father of our subject was born in Virginia and began for himself, when quite young.  Although born and reared in the very midst of slavery, he never was a slave owner and greatly opposed to its extension or even its existence.  He married in Virginia and moved to Kentucky where he lived until coming to Indiana where he settled in Parke County in 1836.  His wife was born in Virginia and died in 1844.  Mr. and Mrs. Ware reared a large family of eleven children of which the subject is the youngest and he and his sister Catherine are the only surviving ones.  On coming to Parke County, the father of our subject purchased eighty acres of well improved land in Green Township, where he lived until his death, which occurred four years after the decease of his wife.  He was of the old Whig party and with his wife was a zealous worker in the Baptist Church.

James P. Ware remained at home with his parents until he reached the age of twenty-seven years.  At this juncture he married a lady by the name of Mary A., a daughter of Robert and Elizabeth (Daniel) Dawney.  Mrs. Ware was born in Putnam County, Ind., having for playmates in childhood, Indian children, for her parents were early settlers there.  Mr. Ware and wife began their married life with only a few hundred dollars, so were compelled to rent for a few years.  At the end of this time, he was enabled to purchase eighty acres of improved land in Green Township, of this county, on which they resided for five years and then bought a quarter section in what is now Howard Township.  After paying for this, he invested in forty-eight acres in the same township, subsequently coming to Washington Township, where he purchased two hundred acres of the very best farming land for which he paid $11,000.

Mr. Ware has not been exempt from the hardships of life for he started to make his own way in the world with no means whatever, but he never allowed disappointment or discouragement to cloud his hope of ultimate success and this has without doubt been a great factor in his successful life.  He sold his large farm, on which he spent many years of toil and is now enjoying a quiet peaceful life in Marshall, realizing to the fullest extent the necessity of young men being early taught to gain their livelihood by the work of their own hands.  He has lived in Marshall for the past six years, providing liberally for his wife and daughter, Sarah.  The children who died were Jane and William R.  The surviving are Susan, who is the wife of William Skeeters, Eliza C, wife of George Hobson, Mattie, who is married to John Cannon, and Morton C., who married Lennie M. Cannon.

Mr. Ware is a stanch Republican in politics and is a well posted and intelligent man who has profited by the broad culture obtained from careful newspaper reading.  The Baptist Church finds Mr. and Mrs. Ware active and influential members.  Mr. Ware has been very successful and is abundantly able financially to retire from business.”

Source:  Portrait and Biographical Record of Montgomery, Parke, and Fountain Cos., Indiana, Chapman Bros., Chicago, 1893, pages 398-99

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