Franklin Rybolt was born in Green township, Grant county, Indiana, November 8, 1854. He is a son of Jarrett and Rachael (Foster) Rybolt, early settlers of the county. They were both natives of Brown county, Ohio, where they were married, in 1851 they came to Indiana and located at Point Isabel. The trip was made in a one-horse wagon, their earthly possessions being stowed away without serious encroachment upon the "rights of the passengers."

        Father Rybolt purchased forty acres of land at one dollar and a quarter per acre, the payment for which exhausted all his surplus cash. He then cleared away a plat of ground sufficiently large that the house would be beyond the reach of falling trees, and there erected a primitive log cabin, into which the family moved before the house was daubed or the door hung. But his mother, who was a member of the family, was made so nervous by the howling of wolves near by that she could not sleep, and her husband made a temporary door of clapboards to prevent the wolves entering the cabin.

        Soon after locating Mr. Rybolt's horse died, which was a great misfortune to the family. He bought another horse on time an that one died before it was paid for. This experiment was very discouraging, but as time passed the reward of industry became apparent, and ere many years the family was in comfortable circumstances. Franklin Rybolt was born in this pioneer cabin. He attended the public school and a private subscription school taught by Prof. Beaver. At the age of seventeen he passed a teacher's examination and received a certificate from Rev. T. B. Thorpe, LL. D. He taught school one term in Green township, after which he took a teacher's course of Holbrook's Normal School at Lebanon, Ohio. Returning home he re-engaged in teaching, being thus employed in Green township for seven terms, and also taught two terms in Howard county. His teaching was confined to the winter terms, and his summers he devoted to farming. With the close of the term of 1881-2 he abandoned teaching and devoted himself exclusively to agricultural pursuits until 1888. In that year he was elected county recorder of Grant county and assumed the duties of that office in August, 1889, serving four years. In the autumn of 1894 he returned to his farm in Sims township, where he now lives. Mr. Rybolt was elected township assessor of Green township at the age of twenty-one. He was census enumerator of the same township in 1880 and served two years as postmaster of Point Isabel--1880 to 1883.

        In connection with his farming interests Mr. Rybolt has been extensively engaged in the stock business, buying, fattening and shipping live stock to distant markets.

        Franklin Rybolt became a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows about 1878, being initiated in Point Isabel Lodge, No. 503. In this lodge he passed the principal official stations and was elected as representative to the grand lodge of Indiana. On being elected county recorder he transferred his membership to Marion Lodge, No. 96, where he now belongs.

        October 24, 1874, Mr. Rybolt was married to Miss Mary Jane Devora, daughter of Elbridge and Deborah (Lenington) Devora. She was born in Grant county, Indiana, of pioneer parents. Mr. and Mrs. Rybolt have had nine children born to them, three of whom are deceased. Cassinna Maria was born October 26, 1875, and died July 6, 1880; Minnie L. was born February 6, 1877, and is now the wife of Homer L. Trueblood, of Whittier, California; Rachel Blanch, now Mrs. Shockley, was born January 30, 1879; Jarrett was born January 5, 1881, and died September 18, 1883; William Earl was born August 6, 1882, and married Otha Sharp; Christian, born June 21, 1884; Luella was born October 11, 1887; Oral was born November 18, 1889; and Grace D. was born November 9, 1894, and died February 21, 1897. The Rybolt family is of German antecedents and was first established in America by the great-grandfather, William Rybolt who was the grandfather of Franklin; William located in Pennsylvania and later moved to Ohio.

        Franklin Rybolt of this sketch is well and favorably known throughout the entire county of Grant. His official career was an event in his life history of great praise and special commendation, while his life as a private citizen and business man is not only above reproach but a high tribute to his memory when future generations shall have taken the place of the present.