Isaac Langley, one of the oldest and most experienced farmers of Sims township, Grant county, Indiana, was born September 28, 1829, in Harrison county, Kentucky, and is a son of Abraham and Ann (Scott) Langley; but before proceeding with an account of the life of Mr. Langley himself a brief account of his immediate predecessors will be given.

        The paternal grandfather of Isaac Langley was a native of Virginia, was a teamster and died in the mountains of his native state of cholera. (sic). To his marriage with Rachael Barns there were born two children: Abraham, father of Isaac, and Margaret, who became Mrs. John Snodgrass, of southern Indiana. To the marriage of Abraham and Ann Scott were born twelve children, of whom two died in infancy. Those who reached riper years were named Alfred, Ann (Mrs. William Gardner), Lemuel E., Perry, Louisa (Mrs. James Kerrick), Isaac, Elizabeth (who died when twelve years old), Thomas J., Margaret (Mrs. Christopher Price) and Enoch.

        Isaac Langley's mother had two brothers in the war of 1812--James, who died of frost bite, and Giles, who survived, married and had born to him two sons, viz.: Robert and Wisman. Robert Scott, maternal grandfather of Isaac Langley, came to America from Ireland in a very early day, here married and settled in Harrison county, Kentucky, and it was on land entered by him in that state that Isaac was born.

        Isaac Langley, the subject proper of this biographical sketch, attended the public schools of Harrison county, Kentucky, until twenty-one years of age, and then learned the cooper's trade, at which he worked in conjunction with farming until 1853, when he sold his farm and went to Mahaska county, Iowa, where he worked at the somewhat complex trades of blacksmithing and wagon-making in connection with farming for three years. In 1856 he removed to Clarke county, Iowa, bought farming land, built himself a house in Hopeville, and for about three years carried on a farm and also worked at carpentering.

        August 28, 1856, Mr. Langley married Miss Mary Palmer, who was called away November 2, of the same year, and July 7, 1858, Mr. Langley married, for his second helpmate, Miss Almira Overton, daughter of William and Mary Overton. To this second marriage nine children have come to grace the Langley home, viz.: Ella, born September 2, 1859, and married December 8, 1889, to Frank Hoppernrath, who died July 3, 1892, the father of one child, Gretna, born January 17, 1892; Mary, born August 8, 1863, was married to Joseph Rees and had two children, John Burr, born November 20, 1880, and Charles Omer, born August 24, 1882, Mrs. Rees's death occurring September 11, 1894; Nancy, born August 8, 1863; Henry Clay, born March 28, 1865, married Anna Kilgore, and became the father of three children, Irene, Ion and Gladys; Addie, born March 27, 1867; Brazilla M., born September 19, 1870; Varda Walter, born October 31, 1872; Emma, born June 20, 1875; and Blenna Pearl, born February 4, 1882. Mrs. Almira (Overton) Langley, the mother of this interesting family, passed away September 8, 1894, deeply mourned by her disconsolate husband and children by all who knew her.

        Isaac Langley came to Grant county, Indiana, in December, 1864, and first located at Normal, south of Slach, (sic Slash) where he resided for three years only. In 1868 he moved to a point north of Swayzee, where he cultivated a fine farm for seven years, and then removed to his present farm on the southern line of Sims township, and every detail in the cultivation of this place shows the supervision of the skillful and experienced agriculturist. Mr. Langley has shown himself to be the friend of every measure designed to promote the welfare of his fellow citizens and advance the prosperity of his township, county and country, and has never at all been []stingy in aiding financially the carrying out of such measures. He has through his personal merits gained hundreds of sincere friends and has deservedly won their unfeigned esteem. In religion Mr. Langley affiliates with no church, and in politics he is independent.