Biography of Levi J. Linebarger copied from the old book, History of Parke and Vermillion Counties Indiana, 1913 B.F. Bowen & Co.
p. 634 LEVI J. LINEBARGER. Among the citizens of Parke county, Indiana, who have been successful in their chosen vocations and whose lives have been led along such worthy lines of endeavor that they have endeared themselves to their fellow citizens, thereby being eligible for representation in a volume of this nature, is the gentleman whose name appears above, Levi J. Linebarger, one of the suc- cessful farmers and stock men of Reserve township, has had the opportunity vouchsafed to few of us to spend his life at the old home, which fact has been much appreciated by him, as indeed it should be, for there is no place like home, as the world knows and as has been touchingly told in the familiar lines of the old song. The birth of Mr. Linebarger occurred on the farm on which he now lives on April 29, 1844, and there he was reared to manhood and has always resided, helping to develop it when a boy, and during his manhood years he has so skillfully managed it that it has retained its original fertility of soil and has yielded him a comfortable income from year to year. He is the son of Andrew Linebarger, who was born in Lincoln county, North Carolina, in 1815, and when five years old he came with his parents on the long, tedious and somewhat hazardous overland journey from the old Tar state to In- diana, and in 1822 they settled in Reserve township, Parke county, beginning life here in typical pioneer fashion, the country being very little improved and neighbors being few and far remote. Here Andrew Linebarger, the father of the subject, spent his remaining years, dying at the remark- able age of ninety-two. The mother of the subject of this review was known in tier maidenhood as Elizabeth Burton, a native of Reserve township, this county, and a daughter of Levi Burton, one of the early settlers of that township. Later in life Mr. Burton removed to Lee county, Iowa, where he died. The mother of the subject passed away at the age of twenty-six years, leaving a family of six small children, namely: George H., Mary Ann, Will- iam S., David, Levi J. (the subject), and Andrew Jackson. The father of the above named children married for his second wife Polly Warner, a native of p. 635 Reserve township, this county, and a daughter of Joel Warner, an early set- tler here. Ten children were born of this last marriage, namely : Lewis C., Joel, Samuel, Jacob, Joseph H., Elizabeth, Ida, Ludah, Emima and Alice. As stated, Levi J. Linebarger has devoted his life to general farming and has long ranked with the leading tillers of the soil in his section of the country. He has devoted a great deal of attention to stock raising and deal- ing in stock, being one of the most successful and best known stock men in this part of the country. He is the owner of several valuable farms, and be- fore the death of his father they were in partnership in farming and handling live stock, and were very successful. Mr. Linebarger has always taken a great deal of interest in public af- fairs and has been ready to assist in all worthy movements for the general good of his county. He was elected county commissioner November 5, 1912, being one of the few Democrats elected to that office in many years.