This was compiled from the History of Pioneers in Hancock County written in 1902.
This experienced and more than usually successful farmer of Jackson Township, Hancock County, Indiana (four miles north of Charlottesville, IN) was born in Fayette County (near Connersville) this state, May 11, 1825, a son of Phillip and Mary Buswiller Loudenback, native of Virginia, and who in pioneer days migrated to Fayette County, entered land and cleared up a farm of one hunred and sixty (160) acres and there passed the remeinder of their lives, dying in the faith of the Methodist Episcopal church. Their children were ten in number and were born in the following order: Reuben, Isaac, Polly,and Sally, all deceased; Barbara; Susanna; Henry, whose name opens this biographical notice: Daniel and Nancy, who is also deceased, and Joseph a farmer in Jackson Township. Henry Loudenback and the surviving children were educated in a backwoods schoolhouse, an education necessarily quite limited. Henry aided in the work of the home farm until nineten years old, and then started out in life on his own account.
December 25, 1848, (at age 21) the subject married Miss Evaline Brown who was born near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Christian and Eva (Welch) Brown, the former a native of the Keystone State and a shoemaker by trade, and the latter a native of Ireland. These parents were also pioneers of Fayette County, Indiana and there died of well-advanced ages. The children born of Henry and wife were named as follows: Daniel deceased, Elizabeth wife of Daniel Pearson of Jackson Township, this county, Mary Francis and James Monroe, deceased; Sarah Ellen, wife of James Foley, of Benton Harbor Michigan; Henry L. deceased; Malinda, married to John Collins of Henry County, Indiana; Franklin who is married to Miss White, a farmer in Jackson Township; and Clara Evaline, married to Ed Scott, a farmer in Jackson Township, Hancock County.
After marriage, Mr. Loudenbackj and wife continued to reside in Fayette County for a year and then, in the fall of 1847, came to Jackson Township, Hancock County, where Mr. Loudenback had already entered one hundres sixty acres of wild land, which he started to clear up at once and on which he errected a log cabin, but later substituted with a modern frame dwelling. He was experienced in the vocation of agriculture, was an excellent manager and acquired an estate of six hundred (600) acres, the greater portion of which he has deeded to his children, reserving for himself two hundred and seventy acres only. His skill as a woodsman has been a marked feature of his life and he has cleared off one hundred and twenty-five (125) acred of his own land from its timber besides many acres for his neighbors.
Mr. Loudenback has had considerable mercantile experience and at one time in conjunction with his son, conducterd a store at Charlottesville and one at Wilkinson, Indiana for several years, and on his present farm has delt largely in cattle., hogs etc. He has always been a hard-working as well as enterprising citizen and well deserves the reward his thrift and good management have won for him. He has never been ready with his purse and influence to promote such public works would conduce to the convenience and comfort of his fellow citizens, favoring the construction of good roads, bridges, and school houses, and to the cause of education, and devoted much of his time and contributed librally in a financial way