The History of Hendricks County (Chicago: Interstate Publishing, 1885)--Marion Township, pages 675-676
William Blackketter was born in Mecklenburg County, Va., Feb. 19, 1795, and when a boy accompanied his father to Mercer County, Ky. At the age of nineteen years he enlisted in the Kentucky militia and was one of the heroes that fought under Jackson at Orleans. He went down the river from Louisville, Ky., to New Orleans in a flat-boat. After the war he returned to Mercer County, Ky., walking all the way. Jan. 27, 1820, he was married to Elizabeth Clounch, a native of that county, born Nov. 20, 1800. In 1821 they moved to Jackson County, Ind., thence in 1824 to Greencastle, Putnam County, then a place of three cabins. Borrowing a few boards he made him a camp by a log and lived there six weeks, till he raised a cabin, working part of the time at 12 1/2 cents per day for meat and bread for his family. In the fall of 1825 he bought a tract of Government land three miles from Greencastle, where they lived till 1830, when he entered 240 acres of land in Marion Township, Hendricks County, on which they lived till the fall of 1865. They then sold their farm and removed to Northern Missouri, but in September, 1871, returned to Hendricks County and bought his old farm again, where they still live in the enjoyment of a fair degree of health. They have shared each other's joys and sorrows sixty-five years, and in this time have lived in three States and experienced many privations and hardships incident to pioneer life. Their family consisted of six children, all of whom reached maturity--Jane, deceased, was the wife of William Alexander; Lewis, of this township; Lucinda, wife of Isaac McReynolds; Alvin, deceased; Emily and Wesley. In politics Mr. Blackketter is a Republican. He and his family are members of the Christian church.