A Portrait and Biographical Record of Hendricks County (Chicago: A.W. Bowen & Co., 1895)--pages 1030-1031
James Polk Christie, with his residence in Groveland, Putnam County, Ind., is a son of Lemon and Elizabeth (Pierson) Christie, and is a descendant of James Christie, a solider in the Revolutionary War. Lemon was a son of William Christie; William was a solider in the War of 1812. Lemon Christie was born in Kentucky, October 28, 1812, and came to Hendricks County, Ind., in 1836, with his father's family. He married the year previous, in Shelby County, Ky., Elizabeth Pierson, and they were the parents of eight children, as follows: John W., Henry L., Mary, Sarah, James P., Lillian H., Amanda and Jennings, who died in infancy. Leonard (?) Christie first settled south of New Winchester, on what is known as the Dead Sea Road, but subsequently moved one and one-quarter miles south of the Rockville Road, on the Hadley Road, where he cleared up and improved 120 acres of land, and where he spent the remainder of his life, dying May 21, 1851, an adherent of the Baptist Church. Politically he was a Democrat and was one of the early justices of the peace and performed the marriage ceremony for many of the pioneers. He was for many years a clerk in John Hogan's store, at New Winchester, and did a great deal of business for the early settlers, and was widely and favorably known as a good and useful citizen.
John Polk Christie, our subject, was born on the old homestead in Marion Township, Hendricks County, Ind., February 2, 1843, and received a good education by attending Prof. Skull's school, a well known school of the early days. He was reared a farmer and developed into a fair mechanic for all practical purposes for home work. Mr. Christie after his marriage settled in Putnam County, near the line of Hendricks County, where he resided for twenty-two years, and where he acquired a farm of 300 acres. October 7, 1893, he settled upon his present place, a fine farm of 403 acres, which he has made entirely by his own good management and industry. Mr. Christie married, October 1, 1871, Miss Sarah L., daughter of Franklin and Catherine (Martin) Underwood, and by this union two children were born: Leonard R. and Kate C. The grandfather of Mrs. Christie was John Underwood, a brother of Nathan Underwood, whose sketch appears in this work. John Underwood married Rebecca Radford and they became the parents of seven children, viz.: William, Franklin, Charlotte, Sally, Elizabeth, Kate and Ellen. Franklin Underwood, father of Mrs. Christie, was born in Kentucky, and was brought to Decatur County, Ind., at the age of nine years by his parents. He first married in Putnam County and his family consisted of Rebecca, Sarah and Clarissa, who died aged eleven years. He married for his second wife, Ellen Christie, by whom he had one son, Marshall C.James P. Christie and his family are members of the Regular Baptist Church, and politically he is a Democrat, but takes no active interest in politics so far as seeking or holding public offices is concerned. He is conservative in his views, a wide reader of books, and is one of the progressive and esteemed citizens of Hendricks County.