Part of the Indiana Biographies Project
E. J. Mote
E. J. Mote was born in Miami County, Ohio, Sept. 21, 1836. His great-grandfather was a native of England, and came to this country a short time prior to the Revolutionary war, and at its close, when the tide of emigration set in for the Southern States, he went with it accompanied by a brother, and settled in the State of Georgia, where numerous descendants still can be found. From here his grandfather, David Mote, emigrated to Miami County, Ohio, in 1802, where he lived until his death in 1862. Here Mr. Mote's father, Luke S. Mote (a distinguished horticulturist and florist), was born in 1812, and still resides.
Mr. Mote, the subject of our sketch, was reared in his native county, on a farm, working also a good deal at the nursery business and gardening, and teaching school during the winter seasons. He had inborn an insatiate thirst for knowledge, and the fine arts especially, and finally, in 1864, he severed his connection with his native place and came to Richmond, where he worked a considerable time at the machinist's business. But his health beginning to fail and this occupation not filling his expectations in his search for knowledge, he finally left the shop and entered the photographer's studio, under the instructions of Maxwell & Estell, and eventually started in business for himself. A part of the time he was in partnership with J. H. Swaine, but latterly with his brother, Wm. Aldine Mote, a fine workman and artist in crayons, oil and india ink. Thus for nearly twenty years he has been one of the leading spirits in the fine-art science of photography. He now has turned his attention mostly to out-door view work, in which he excels, as brother photographers readily admit. In addition to his regular occupation, Mr. Mote is a hard student, occupying all spare time by day, and nightly burning the midnight oil in his studies in astronomy, chemistry, meteorology and geology. The last-named science especially is a favorite, and he has collected and studied the various fossils at Richmond, and, by exchanges, those of other parts of the United States, until he now has a cabinet or museum, including archæology, of no small value. This, together with his unflagging perseverance and a wonderfully retentive memory as to scientific nomenclature, gives him an advantage possessed by few, argues favorably for him yet to make his mark in the scientific world, should life and health be his for a few years longer.
Mr. Mote was united in marriage with Hannah A., daughter of Isaac L. and Sarah Dickinson, on Dec. 2, 1869, at Richmond. They have an interesting family of six children, five sons and one daughter, growing up around them.
Source:
History of Wayne County, Indiana. Chicago: Inter-State Publishing Co. 1884. Volume 2