John H. SCHWARTZ, the well-known photographer at Portland and proprietor of one of the finest photographic studios in eastern Indiana, is a native Hoosier and has been a resident of Jay county since he was two years of age, his parents having come over here from Hamilton county shortly after the close of the Civil war, in which war his father served as a soldier of the Union, and settled on a farm in the Butternut valley on the line between Jefferson and Pike townships, southwest of Portland. Mr. SCHWARTZ was born at the historic village of Strawtown (in Hamilton county), which came so near being selected as the site of the state capital when the commissioners appointed by the legislature in 1819 started out to find a capital site some place near the center of the state, the date of his birth having been April 8) 1864, and he is a son of Charles B. and Anna Fredericka (ROWL) SCHWARTZ, both of whom were born in Germany, the latter having come to America with her parents when she was eight years of age. Charles B. SCHWARTZ was twenty-two years of age when he came to the United States and proceeded on out into Indiana, locating at Strawtown, the old crossing of the Indian trails in Hamilton county, which at that time was a quite important local trading point. He was a tailor by trade and upon coming to Indiana followed this trade, but after his marriage in 1855 established his home on a farm at the edge of Strawtown and was living there when the Civil war broke out. He enlisted his services In behalf of the cause of the Union and went to the front as a soldier in one of the Indiana regiments. Upon the completion of his military service he returned to his home at Strawtown, but not long thereafter disposed of his interests there, and in 1866 came with his family to Jay county and settled on a farm of forty acres on the line between Jay and Randolph counties, which he later traded for forty acres in Jefferson township, a tract to which he added until he became the owner of 146 acres and was regarded as one of the substantial citizens of that community. He spent the remainder of his life there. His widow moved to Portland after his death and her last days were spent in that city. They were the parents of seven children, all of whom are living save Jacob, the first born, the others besides the subject of this sketch being Caroline, wife of John Hutchins; Charles .E. SCHWARTZ, a Portland lawyer; Dr. William D. SCHWARTZ, also of Portland, and George S. and Oliver F. SCHWARTZ. As stated above, John H. SCHWARTZ was but two years of age when he was brought by his parents to this county. He was reared on the home farm and his early schooling was received in the district schools of Jefferson township. He supplemented this schooling by attendance at Ridgeville College and the old Eastern Indiana Normal School at Portland and for two terms taught school in Jefferson township. He then with $140 as his capital, became engaged in the photograph business at Portland in association with Mahlon, the photographer, and there discovered his life's work, an artistic vocation in which he has ever taken delight and in which he has scored a pronounced success. It was in 1884 that Mr. SCHWARTZ became thus engaged. Six years later he bought his partner's interest in the business, which meanwhile had grown to very gratifying proportions, and has ever since been engaged in business alone, for years having been recognized as one of the leading photographers in this section of Indiana. Mr. SCHWARTZ is a good judge of land values and has made investments along that line until he is the owner of more than 500 acres of land in this county, in the development of which he takes much interest. He is a Republican and a member of the local lodge of the Loyal Order of Moose, and Mrs. SCHWARTZ is a member of the Methodist church. On July 13, 1889, John H. SCHWARTZ was united in marriage to Carrie BERGMAN, daughter of Peter N. and Margaret BERGMAN, and to this union two children have been born, a son and a daughter, Dr. R. P. SCHWARTZ, of Boston, and Marciel SCHWARTZ, who, after her graduation from the Portland high school took a course in the Indianapolis Conservatory of Music, and for the past five years has been engaged in Lyceum and Chatauqua work. Dr. R. P. SCHWARTZ took the scientific course at Valparaiso University and then entered the medical college of Indiana University at Indianapolis. Following his graduation from that institution he for two years served as an interne in the Indianapolis City Hospital and then entered the Children's Hospital of Harvard University, and after six months' service there as an interne was attached to the staff of the hospital, with which he is now connected, under the celebrated Doctor Lovitt
