CHARLES SUMMERS, farmer, P. 0. Winchester, was born in Augusta County, Va., October 29, 1806, and is a son of Henry and Polly Summers, also natives of Virginia. He was brought up on a farm, and attended school in a log cabin, and sat on slab seats. He came to Dayton, Ohio, in 1827, and some time afterward returned to Virginia. He came back to Dayton in 1830, and in 1831 came to this county and selected a choice farm, which he still owns and occupies. He returned to Dayton, Ohio, after making the purchase, and there cut wood for 25 cents a cord to obtain money with which to pay for his land. He married Miss Susan Ludy February 28, 1833, and the following year he brought his young wife to the Hoosier forest. He built a small cabin in the woods and cut out a piece of one log to admit the light. For seventeen years he hauled goods from Cincinnati and Dayton, and at such times as he had no hauling to do he would chop and haul two cords of wood to Winchester per day. Mr. Summers bought his first nails and first tobacco (dogleg) in Winchester with cooonskins; he also paid his taxes with coonhides, He donated the timber for the first church in Winchester. He had to go to Richmond to mill, a distance of twenty-five miles. Mr. Summers did a vast amount of hard work. He cut (from the stump) and split 1,400 rails for George Hiatt for seven bushels of wheat, which was then worth 37 cents per bushel in currency. This he accomplished in seven days, besides going two miles to get some corn cracked also. Where can there be found a man who can do as much at the present time? In those days, they had no stoves, but cooked in pots and Dutch ovens. Mr. and Mrs. Summers had seven children, of whom six are living; Elvina, John, Elizabeth, Sarah A., Charles W. and David. Mrs. Summers died September 16, 1847, and he again married, in June, 1848, this time to Miss Rebecca Ludy, a sister of his former wife. They had one child; Elzina. Mr. S. now owns 113 acres of valuable land, which is underlaid by a stratum of gravel from two and a half to three feet beneath the soil. Although Mr. Summers has worked very hard, it was not for self only, for he has always liberally assisted schools and churches, and has ever been ready and willing to aid the poor and needy.

Source: History of Randolph County, Indiana, A. L. Kingman, Lakeside Bulding, Chicago, 1882

husband of
1st Susannah Ludy
2nd Rebecca M. Ludy

Children of Charles Summers and Susannah Ludy
1)Elvina Summers (1833-1921)
2) John D. Summers
3)Elizabeth Summers (1839-1918)
4)Sarah Ann Summers (1841-1917)
5) Mary Magdaline Summers
6) Charles Wesley Summers
7) David Summers

grandson of John Summers and Elizabeth (??)