Newton Co., IN Biography JAMES B. CHIZUM. In the realm of those practical economics that represent the productive results of human thought and action there is always room for a man of force, and he makes room for many others. Among the native sons of Newton County, Indiana, who have marked for themselves places of definite and worthy achievement and whose success has been the result of their own ability and efforts a place of not a little relative precedence must be accorded to James B. Chizum, who is president of the Western Publishing House, of Chicago, a corporation engaged in the publication of maps and other works for use in connection with schools, including higher educational institutions. That Mr. Chizum has not faltered in his appreciation of and loyalty to his native county needs no further voucher than the statement that here he is the owner of the finely improved landed estate known as Oakwood Farm, the same comprising 400 acres and being eligibly situated about midway between the villages of Morocco and Brook. This is one of the excellent farms of Newton County and under the control of Mr. Chizum it has won a reputation that transcends local limitations, especially through his progressive and successful enterprise in the breeding of Shorthorn cattle and Percheron horses of the best type. Though he is the executive head of a substantial and important publishing business in the great western metropolis, Mr. Chizum takes marked satisfaction in giving a general supervision to his country estate in Newton County, where he stands exponent of civic and industrial progressiveness, and thus there is special consistency in according to him definite recognition in this publication, further mention of the family being made on other pages of this work. James B. Chizum was born in Beaver Township, Newton County, Indiana on the 19th of September, 1856, and is a son of Joseph W. and Mary J. (Hanger) Chizum, the former of whom was born in Ohio and the latter in Virginia. The father of Joseph W. Chizum came from Ohio to Indiana and became a pioneer settler near Stockwell, Tippecanoe County, where he established his home in 1840 and where he reclaimed the productive farm on which he and his wife passed the remainder of their lives, both having been earnest members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and his political support having been given to the republican party, with which he identified himself at the time of its organization. Joseph W. Chizum, the first in order of birth in a family of seven children, continued his association with agricultural pursuits in Tippecanoe County until 1852, when he came with his family to Newton County. Here he purchased a tract of forty acres of land, in Beaver Township, and he reclaimed one of the excellent pioneer farms of the county, the while he exemplified the best in loyal citizen- ship and constructive enterprise in connection with the civic and material development and upbuilding of this now opulent section of the Hoosier State. By his ability and well directed energy he accumu lated a landed estate of about 800 acres, and he was one of the substantial and honored citizens of Newton County at the time of his death, both he and his wife having been zealous members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and his political allegiance having been given to the republican party. Of the six children, three are now living, and of the number James B., of this review, was the fourth in order of birth. The preliminary educational discipline of James B. Chizum was acquired in the Whitson schoolhouse, one mile south of Morocco, and in his youth he gained full fellowship with the work of the home farm. In pursuance of higher academic education he attended Methodist College at Stockwell, Tippecanoe County, and thereafter he put his attainments to practical utilization by teaching in the district schools of Newton and Tippecanoe counties. He availed himself also of the advantages of the Northern Indiana Normal School, now known as Valparaiso University, in which he pursued the studies of the scientific and classical courses, 1880-82. After leaving college Mr. Chizum was for three years in the railway mail service of the Monon Railroad--between Chicago and Louisville and between Michigan City and Indianapolis. His service in this capacity was during the administration of President Arthur, appointments to such positions having at that time not been under civil-service regulations, so that change of political administration was usually accompanied by the policy of removing such minor officials of opposing political allegiance. In 1886 Mr. Chizum assumed a position as salesman for the Western Publishing House, of Chicago, and with this corporation he has continued his consecutive association during the intervening period of thirty years, save for an interim of one year, during which he was in the employ of the old Chicago Times, the greater part of this year having been passed by him on the Pacific Coast. In connection with the publishing business, Mr. Chizum effectively developed a maximum potential, and the best evidence of his executive ability and concrete success is that given in his incumbency of the office of president of the Western Publishing House, a corporation that had its inception in 1877 and the publications of which are used to a greater or less extent in nearly all of the civilized countries of the world. Virtually all of the publications of the Western Publishing House are designed for use in direct educational work, and that they are maintained at the highest standard at all times is shown by the substantial demand for the maps and other publications in connection with the work of the public schools and institutions of higher education. Of special interest as touching the province of this history is Mr. Chizum's close association with the industrial activities of Newton County. In 1896 he instituted the improvement of his land in Washington Township, this county, and he has made the Oakwood Farm a veritable model. He has installed a thorough system of tile drainage and has erected on the estate two sets of buildings for the accommodation of his two tenant managers and their families. By medium of the mails and by frequent personal visitation to his rural estate Mr. Chizum keeps in close touch with its various affairs and directs the general economic and material policies of the property. He is also vice president and director of the Farmers State Bank and stockholder of Farmers Elevator Company at Morocco. He is known for broad intellectuality as well as his business ability and civic progressive- ness, and while he has had no desire to seek the honors or emoluments of public office he is found aligned as a loyal advocate of the principles of the republican party. In his extensive travels he has visited nearly all of the states and principal cities of the United States, has similarly familiarized himself with the different provinces of the Dominion of Canada and has toured in the different European countries, where, a few years ago, he specially noted the strenuous military preparations that foreshadowed the present and most tremendous war in the history of the world. In his native county Mr. Chizum still maintains his active affiliation as a member of Morocco Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and in the time-honored fraternity he has received also the thirty-second degree of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, his affiliation in this branch of Masonry being with the consistory in the City of Indianapolis, where also he is a member of Murat Temple of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. In the Village of Morocco, Newton County, he is a charter member of the Lodge of Knights of Pythias. The offices of the Western Publishing House, of which Mr. Chizum is president, are maintained in the Pontiac Building, 542 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, and his metropolitan residence is at 124 Marquette Road. In the year 1890 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Chizum to Miss Nellie F. Read, of Des Moines, Iowa. They have no children. For the past several years Mrs. Chizum has been actively concerned with the business of the Western Publishing House, and in this connection she has shown marked discernment and ability as a business woman, so that she proves to her husband a valuable coadjutor in the handling of the manifold details of a successful publishing enterprise. From A Standard History of Jasper and Newton Counties, 1916, Vol. II, pp. 769-72. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. 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