From "HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY,"  Vol. I, pages 707-708.
Brant & Fuller, 1890. 

JOHN INGRAM

John Ingram, a notable farmer of Marshall county, and one of the 
foremost sheep raisers of the United States, was born in Washington 
county, Penn., May 17, 1819.  He is the son of Abraham and Elizabeth 
(Kick) Ingram, both natives of Chester county, Penn.  The father, an 
intelligent and prosperous farmer, a whig in politics, and a soldier 
of the war of 1812 under Gen. Harrison, died at the age of eighty-
four years, to which age his wife also lived.  Of their eleven 
children, five survived.  John Ingram worked upon the farm in his 
youth, and after he was twenty-three years old he engaged in herding 
sheep in Wetzel county.  Subsequently he and his brother found vacant 
lands in that county to the amount of 2,727 acres, which they entered 
and divided between them, and there summered large flocks of sheep, 
having as many as 900 each.  Mr. Ingram has since then devoted 
himself to sheep-raising, and has done more than any other man in the 
country to improve the stock of sheep in the United States.  Starting 
with twenty-seven sheep at a cost of $11, he bought better stock as 
fast as he saw it.  At one time he purchased sixty-eight ewes at $35 
a head and ten bucks at $45 to $325 each, and on another occasion six 
ewes that averaged a cut of fourteen and one-half to nineteen pounds 
at $100 each, and twenty more at $80 each.  These ewes yielded an 
average of twelve and one-half pounds at two years of age, and two 
bucks at nine years of age cut twenty-four and three-fourths and 
twenty-three and three-fourths pounds.  Mr. Ingram exhibited fine 
wool at the Centennial exhibition of 1876, and received the following 
award:  "International exhibition, 1876.  Certificate of award.  John 
Ingram, Poplar Springs, Marshall Co., W.Va., Wool, no. 175, group IX.  
United States Centennial commission.  In accordance with the act of 
Congress, Philadelphia, September 27, 1876.  John S. Campbell, 
secretary; A. T. Goshorn, director general; James R. Hawley, 
president.  The United States Centennial Commission has examined the 
report of the judges and accepted the following reasons, and decreed 
a reward in conformity therewith:  The undersigned having examined 
the product herein described, respectfully recommend the same to the 
United States Centennial commission of award, for the following 
reasons, viz.:  for ten fleeces of wool (weighing 144 pounds - five 
ewe fleeces and five buck fleeces) of excellent Merino combing and 
beautiful Merino clothing wool.  John L. Hays, Elias H. Cowden, 
Gebhard, Charles J. Ellis, Hayami A. Deminos, A. Behmer, Charles 
LeBoutelier."  This testimonial to his achievements as a wool-raiser 
is highly valued by Mr. Ingram, but he is now able to show ten 
fleeces as much superior to those exhibited in 1876 as they were to 
ordinary wool at that time.  Mr. Ingram is highly esteemed by all who 
know him.  He is an enterprising man, and in politics a republican 
and a protectionist.  He has owned as much as 2,478 acres of land, 
and now has 661 acres.  Mr. Ingram was married in 1847 to Sarah, 
daughter of Samuel Allen, and they had three children:  Abram, who 
lives near Loudensville, and Samuel and James, deceased.  Their 
mother died in 1852 and Mr. Ingram was subsequently married to Mrs. 
Amanda Sharpneck, by whom he had four children, Sarah, Siddie, 
Minnesota, and Daniel, deceased.  This wife died in 1883, after which 
Mr. Ingram married the widow of John Sharpneck, one of the pioneers 
of Iowa.   

(Linda Fluharty)