S. B. Eccles—The subject of this sketch is one of the prominent young business men of Franklin, Johnson Co., Ind., and proprietor of one of the leading drug stores of that city. He was born in Greenwood, Johnson Co., Ind., on November 15, 1858, and is the son of G. D. and Mary (Lemaster) Eccles; the father was born near Harrodsburg, Mercer Co., Ky., on March 4, 1820, and is the son of Samuel Eccles. Samuel was a native of Virginia, and emigrated to Kentucky, and thence to Indiana, in 1830, and located at Greenwood, Johnson County. He was quite prominent, and filled several important public places, among which were those of commissioner of Johnson County, and also represented the county in the state legislature several years; he died in 1859. The father of our subject has followed farming as an avocation, though in early life he learned and worked for a while at the carpenter’s trade. He is now residing at Greenwood on his farm. The mother was born in Johnson County, Ind., on November 14, 1833, and is the daughter of David Lemasters, who was a native of Indiana, and came to Johnson County in an early day. She is still living. To the parents three sons have been born, of whom our subject is the oldest. He was reared on the farm, and secured his early education in the public schools of Greenwood, graduating from the high school at that place in 1877, and the same year he entered the freshman class of Franklin College, and spent one year. In the fall of 1878, he entered the sophomore class at Wabash College, and graduated from the same June 22, 1881. He then spent one year on the farm, and next came to Franklin, and entered the drug store of O. I. Jones, with whom he remained until the spring of 1883, and then entered the drug store of R. C. Wood, and remained there until October 14, 1885, and then, in connection with Harvey A. Duncan, he purchased the agricultural implement business of Dunn & Forsythe, and with the firm known as Eccles & Duncan, continued until February 25, 1886, when they were burned out. He then engaged in life insurance business until May 14, 1886, when he engaged in his present business, and now conducts one of the leading drug stores at Franklin, at No. 58 East Jefferson Street. He is a member of the Masonic and Knights of Pythias fraternities, and has held all the chairs in the later lodge, and represented the lodge at the Grand Lodge in 1888. He was married October 6, 1887, to Georgia N. Ritchey, of Franklin, daughter of L. P. and S. N. Ritchey. Mr. and Mrs. Eccles are members of the Presbyterian Church.

Transcribed by Cheryl Zufall Parker

Banta, D. D. History of Johnson County, Indiana. Chicago, IL: Brant & Fuller, 1888, page 606.