Mr. Alexander James Kent

Alter, Lewis S. | Bruce, Edgar L. | Cultp, George | Darroch, William | Denham, Charles T. | French, Moses F. | Hamilton, Louis H. | Hammond, Joseph P. | Hammond, Stewart C. | Hanley, Judge Charles Walker | Hanley, Charles W. | Kent, Alexander J. | Kent, Carroll Carey | Kent, John Alexander | Leatherman, James N. | Long, Abram F. | Long, Samuel | Makeever, John | McCray, Greenberry Ward | McCray, Warren T. | Parkison, George B. | Peck Family | Ravenscroft, Sampson | Stockton, William Sims
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ALEXANDER J. KENT.
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The scene of the battle was land owned by Carroll C. Kent, and afterwards owned by Alexander J. Kent.
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While Alexander J. Kent came of a very substantial family according to the standards of wealth in that time, he built his fortune largely through his individual talents and wisely directed labors.He had only a common school education, such as nearly all the boys of his generation received.He lived in New York State for a number of years and was first drawn to the West after the discovery of gold in California.In 1849 he equipped a party of five men and furnished them with transportation to Sacramento, California.Not long afterwards he went out himself to the Pacific Coast, and in 1851 became head of the firm of Kent, Fowler & Company at Sacramento.They had a flourishing wholesale grocery business in the California capital, and in spite of the destruction of their plant by fire, they quickly re-established themselves and carried on business even more extensively than before.The partners after selling their mercantile enterprise bought a vessel and went into the importing business between San Francisco and China.It is worthy to be recalled that their vessel, the Anna Welsh, on its first trip brought to America the first colony of Chinese.After three very profitable voyages the partners sold the vessel, and Mr. Kent then returned to New York.

In the meantime, his brother, the late P. M. Kent, had become extensively interested in Indiana and soon induced Alexander to invest in some of the wild land then hardly settled at all in Northwestern Indiana.During 1853-54 Alexander J. Kent traveled all over the undeveloped sections of Northwestern Indiana, and began the investment which eventually gave him control of more than 25,000 acres.In 1855 he engaged in the wholesale grocery trade at New Albany, Indiana, with his brother, Bela C. Kent, and in those early days conducted one of the largest establishments of its kind in the state.It was in 1859 that he moved his family from New Albany to what is now Newton County.He owned large tracts of the best land in this county, and did much to encourage settlement and development.
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Mr. Kent was a son of Alexander J. and Rosamond C. Kent, who established their home in Kentland in 1859.
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The career of Alexander J. Kent, which figures so largely in the history of these counties, has been sketched on other pages.
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CARROLL CAREY KENT, the son of the late Alexander James Kent, founder of Kentland, and Rosamond (Chesebrough) Kent, was born in Newton County June 23, 1864.
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CARROLL CAREY KENT, the son of the late Alexander James Kent, founder of Kentland, and Rosamond (Chesebrough) Kent, was born in Newton County June 23, 1864.
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In a business way much of his time and attention for a number of years have been taken up in the management of the landed interests, most of which were left in the estate of his father, Alexander J. Kent.He is also a member of the mercantile firm of J. W. Ryan and Company and is president of the Kent State Bank.This institution was founded in 1910 and is housed in one of the handsomest bank buildings in the State of Indiana.It is a solid and prosperous institution, and has made rapid progress under the management of Mr. Kent.In fact he has used his influence and means in many ways for the up building of Kentland.He has contributed to every worthy charity, and public enterprises without number might associate his name with substantial gifts and influence in the course of their progress.