from The History of Hendricks County (Indianapolis: B.F. Bowen & Co., 1914)--pages 477-479
The history of Hendricks County, as an integral part of the great commonwealth of Indiana, reveals the handiwork of many a great and noble soul who wrought heroically and unselfishly. Her splendid homes, her high-grade institutions, her happy, prosperous people speak volumes of some one's steadfastness of purpose, of some one's strength of arm, courage of heart and activity of brain. Among the men of this county who have been actively identified with the commercial life of Lizton for many years, is Jacob O. Burgan, the present postmaster. Today we have a division of labor which was not dreamed of fifty years ago and in a small village there are frequently as many as two score occupations represented. Each man fills his particular part and the minister is no more important than the blacksmith, the teacher is of no more intrinsic value to the community than the section boss, and the barber performs as useful a mission in life of the community as any of the others. Society needs all of these professions and it would be impossible to determine the approximate value of each one to the general welfare of the community.
Jacob O. Burgan, postmaster and merchant of Lizton, was born June 17, 1865, in Eel River Township, Hendricks County. His parents were Alexander and Pernetia (Toney) Burgan. Alexander Burgan was born in Floyd County, Virginia, January 20, 1825. The Burgan family originally came from Sweden and probably have as complete and detailed a family genealogy worked out as any family in Hendricks County. At the present they have the ancestral tree traced back to eight generations. The first Burgan of whom they have definite record was Jonathan, who was born in Sweden in 1560. He had one son, John or Jonnie, who was also born in Sweden in 1601. John married in due course of time and had one son, Yerick, who was born in the land of his father in 1640. Yerick went to Germany, where he married and had one son, Jacob, who was born in that country in 1695. Jacob grew to manhood, married and had one son, by the name of James, who was born in Germany in 1744. James was the first one of the family to come to this country and settled in Maryland about the last quarter of the eighteenth century, where he married and had one son, Isaac, born in 1786. Isaac grew to manhood, went to Virginia, married and had one son by the name of Alexander. Alexander came to Hendricks County, Indiana, married here and became the father of Jacob O. Burgan, whose history is herein portrayed.
Alexander Burgan spent his boyhood days upon the farm which his father entered in Union Township and, upon his marriage to Prenetia Toney, moved to his own farm of forty acres adjoining the old homestead farm. He lived on two or three different farms in the township and five years before his death he moved to Lizton, where he remained until he passed away September 28, 1879. Alexander Burgan and wife were the parents of five children: John Wesley, who died in 1883; Tranum, of Indianapolis; Harvey, of Indianapolis; Jacob O., the subject of this review, and Mrs. Almanda Swift, of Kokomo, Indiana.
Jacob O. Burgan was given a good practical education in the schools of his township and when twelve years of age moved to Lizton with his parents, where he spent the remainder of his life. While still a young man he learned the barber trade and for sixteen years operated a barber ship in Lizton. He then engaged in the retail meat market and mercantile business which he continued up until his appointment as postmaster in 1904. He has been postmaster at Lizton for the past ten years, during which he has given conscientious attention to the duties of this official position.
Mr. Burgan was married September 10, 1902, to Margaret, the daughter of John and Sue (Vandever) Halfaker. John Halfaker was a native of Johnson County, Indiana, but several years ago moved to Hendricks County and settled in Middle Township where he owns a fine farm about two miles north of Pittsboro. Mrs. Halfaker is a native of Boone County, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Halfaker are now living at Pittsboro.
Mr. Burgan is a member of the Knights of Pythias and he and his wife are members of the Pythian Sisters. He was also a member of the Improved Order of Red Men. Politically, he has always been a Republican and has been interested in the activities of his party. He and his wife are both members of the Christian Church of Lizton, to which they give freely of their means. Mr. Burgan has lived a successful and honorable life and has exercised those qualities of generosity, hospitality and loyalty to friends, with the result that he is a man who is much admired and esteemed by all with whom he comes in contact.