The History of Hendricks County (Chicago: Interstate Publishing, 1885)--Washington Township, page 754
John Thornbrugh is a native of Virginia, born Jan. 17, 1809. His parents, William and Elizabeth Thornbrugh, moved to what is now Wayne County, Ind., in 1810, and there he was reared and educated. In 1847 he moved to Hendricks County and settled in the eastern part of Washington Township, where he now has a fine farm of sixty-six acres. He was at one time one of the most extensive stock-dealers of Hendricks County, and during the war of the Rebellion was employed by the Government as Quartermaster for broken-down stock, with headquarters at Louisville, Ky. He has been one of the most enterprising citizens of the township and has assisted materially all objects of public benefit. He was married Jan. 29, 1829, to Eleanor Nordyke, and to them have been born eleven children--Clark, Luther (deceased), Didama (deceased), Esau, Henry, Celia A., Nancy J., Sarah E., Isaac, George and Mary E.