USA > Indiana > A Medical History of the State of Indiana > Part 9
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In 1866 the Fayette County Medical Society was reorganized.
"The above data of the early medical history of Fayette County was mostly compiled from an carlier history of medicine of the county writ- ten twenty-five years ago by Dr. S. M. Hamil- ton, now practicing in this county, he in turn having obtained it from the pioneers then liv- ing in this locality."-H. M. L.
Dr. S. M. Hamilton also unearthed the his- tory of one Caleb Smith, who enjoyed quite a reputation as a "bonesetter" and was the first practitioner in this part of the state, as far as we know. He says: "It will not be out of place in the medical and surgical history of what is now known as Fayette County to mention the name of Caleb Smith, who practiced the heal- ing art among the first white people of the woods. He was born in England in 1775, and came to New England with his father, an Eng- lish surgeon, about the year 1797. The young man married in Norwich, Conn., and came west and settled seven miles west of south of Conners- ville in 1807, where he practiced medicine and surgery. He died in 1821 and was buried on his farm."
GRANT COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY.
On the 16th day of June, 1898, Grant County Medical Society held its anniversary of the first
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half century of its existence. At this meeting Dr. A. A. Hamilton read a very interesting re- port of its medical history during the half cen- tury just closed, and to this paper I am indebted for the facts contained in this article.
The boundaries of Grant County were estab- lished by the Legislature in February, 1831, and in May of the same year the county seat was located at its present site by the commissioners and named in honor of General Francis Marion.
In 1830, one year before the organization of the county, Dr. Henry Buchman installed him- self in a small cabin on the banks of the Missis- sinewa River just beyond the present city limits of Marion. He was the first physician to locate in Grant County. In the transactions for 1875 Dr. Lomax gives his name as Buchanan, but this is either a typographical error or a mistake of Dr. Lomax, Buchman being the correct name. After ministering to the professional wants of the sparsely settled neighborhood for a few years he removed to the west, where later he died.
Dr. Joseph Cadwallader was the second physi- cian to locate in the county and first in the town of Marion, somewhere between the years 1831 and 1833. He spent some two or three years in the county in the practice of his profession, and he and his wife both died in this new home.
Dr. Ezra Stiles Trask, a native of Vermont, was the third physician to locate in Marion in 1833. Dr. Trask originally located in what was then known as Muncietown, at an early period in its history, removing to Marion, as stated, in the year 1833. He practiced medicine after a
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sort until the year 1839, at which time he died, leaving a most amiable wife and two very prom- ising sons, and is buried somewhere in the cem- etery at Marion. An impression prevailed among the physicians at Marion that he was a graduate of Dartmouth Medical College .*
Dr. John Foster (1813-1870), a native of High- land County, Ohio, located in Marion in 1834 and entered upon the active duties of his profes- sion with fair prospects of success. Unfortu- nately he yielded to the allurements held out by other employments, giving himself at various times to the mercantile business, the sale of drugs, politics, the ministry, etc., but never en- tirely abandoning the medical profession. He served one term in the State Senate and devoted several years of his life to the work of the itiner- ant ministry of the M. E. Church, and at the time of his death was a local preacher in that denomination. Dr. Foster was one of the found- ers of the Grant County Medical Society. He died at Warsaw, Ind., in the fall of 1870, re- spected by all who knew him.
Dr. Samuel St. John, a native of Connecticut and a graduate in 1815 of a New York medical college, came to Marion in 1845, after having practiced several years at various places in New York, Ohio, Alabama and Mississippi. He fol- lowed the work of his profession here for the
* Possibly this is an error. Mr. Ernest M. Hopkins, secretary of Dartmouth College, writes me February 8, 1907, as follows : "He was not a graduate of the college. or any of the associated schools. We have no early records about men who were students here but who did not grad- uate. I am, therefore, unable to say whether or not Dr. Trask ever attended the college."-G. W. H. K.
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ensuing nine years and then removed to Lagro. In 1860 he returned to Marion and engaged in the sale of drugs. He continued in this business until the time of his death, Jan. 10, 1862. Dr St. John was one of the original members of the Grant County Medical Society and its first presi- dent.
Dr. W. F. Spence was born in West Moreland County, Pennsylvania, and, after attending a medical college in Cincinnati, located in Alexan -- dria, this state, where he practiced medicine for some years. In 1846 he removed to Jonesboro, where he sold drugs and, when able, practiced his profession.
In the year 1847 Dr. Samuel S. Horne, a na- tive of Scotland and a graduate of the University of Edinburgh, located in Jonesboro and at once took up his professional duties. He was un- selfish, a wise counselor, and an experienced, learned and efficient physician. After a long and useful professional life he died April 19, 1874.
Dr. John A. Meek of Wayne County located in Jonesboro on the 14th day of February, 1848 The doctor served as Surgeon of the Eighty- Ninth Regiment Indiana Volunteers during the Civil War.
Sketches of several other Grant County physi- cians will appear elsewhere.
The Grant County Medical Society was organ- ized on the 16th day of June, 1848, and the following physicians were present at the forma- tion of the society: Drs. John Foster, J. S. Shively, Samuel St. John, S. D. Ayres, A. W.
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Henley, William Lomax and Constantine Lomax, assembling at the latter's office. At the next meeting, held July 5, 1848, a constitution was adopted and officers were elected.
A review of the records of the society will show that during the half century just closed one hundred and twenty-five names have been entered upon its roll of membership. Forty, at least, of these (1898) have already joined the silent majority. Others have lost their identity with the society by removing to other fields of labor, while a few have been expelled from the society for unprofessional conduct.
"In the seventies the Grant County Medical Society purchased a hall of its own on the north side of the public square in Marion. This hall is large and commodious, is nicely carpeted, and is well furnished with desks, tables and chairs, and all that is necessary for the use and comfort of its members. An expensive microscope and other instruments necessary for the prosecution of the work of the society have been added from time to time, until now the society is the owner of much valuable property.
"Many years ago the society adopted the plan of arranging along the side walls of the audi- torium large and elegantly framed portrait paintings of its deceased presidents. This mark of respect on the part of the association has already been conferred upon quite a number of the older members of the society, most of whom had been elected one or more times to fill the presiding officer's chair.
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"That the society has made good use of its time when in session during the years gone by is amply attested by the hundreds of medical essays now on file in its archives, which have been read and discussed in its hearing during the five decades just ended, and the thousands of pages of closely written matter to be found in the several large volumes of its transactions, dealing, for the most part, with subjects of a professional nature, giving additional proof of the vast amount of work of a scientific character which has been accomplished by this body since its organization."
PIONEER PHYSICIANS OF CLAY COUNTY. BY G. W. FINLEY, BRAZIL, IND.
Replying to your inquiry for data as to pioneer physicians of Clay County, I have been able, after diligent inquiry and search of old records, to collect memoranda as to several whose names do not appear in Transactions of the State So- ciety.
The very earliest of whom I can find mention are Drs. Ephraim Kester and Absalom Briley, who came to the southern part of what is now Clay county about 1818 or 1820, from Ken- tucky, several years before the county was or- ganized. Although never located in towns, they did extensive practice among early settlers over a radius of twenty-five miles from their homes. They died in 1873 and 1878, respectively, each having reached the age of eighty-five.
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Dr. Nathaniel Usher, born in New York, 1792 died in Brazil, Ind., 1875, after forty years' practice in this county.
Dr. William H. Gifford, born in Kentucky, 1804, came to Williamstown, Ind., 1839, died at Brazil, 1890, after fifty-one years' practice, leav- ing a son, Joseph C., and a grandson, William H., as worthy successors in the work.
Dr. W. B. Hawkins, born at Washington, Pa., 1814, died in Brazil, Ind., 1891, after forty-five years' work in Indiana, leaving a son, Robert W., a physician here.
Dr. James M. Price, born in Virginia, 1827, died in Brazil, 1895, having practiced in this county thirty-five years. His son, Dr. John Price, died before his father.
Dr. John Gilfillan had a wide practice from Centerpoint for forty years in the early history of the county and died there in 1876.
Dr. John Williams of Bowling Green, still liv- ing at the age of ninety-seven, practiced there from 1830 until feebleness compelled his retire- ment in 1900.
I regret very much the incompleteness of our early records.
CHAPTER XIV.
EARLY PHYSICIANS OF FRANKLIN COUNTY .- MEDICAL MEN OF RIPLEY COUNTY .- KOSCIUSKO COUNTY .- WHITE COUNTY.
The following list comprises only a portion of the names of physicians of Franklin County. I am under obligations to Dr. C. H. Mayfield, of Brookville, for this interesting paper. A num- ber of names will be found in the alphabetical list elsewhere.
George Berry (1811-1892) was born in Rock- ingham County, Virginia, Feb. 17, 1811. He began practice in Brookville in 1832, and for many years was the principal surgeon of that re- gion. With one exception he was the oldest practitioner in the White Water Valley at the time of his death, March 19, 1892. He was a surgeon in the Mexican war with the Sixteenth Regiment, U. S. Infantry. He was elected State Senator in 1843-46, and again in 1849. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1852.
Thomas W. Colescott (1816-1900) was born in Caroline County, Maryland, Feb. 8, 1816. He practiced in Brookville until 1878, when he was compelled to retire from active practice on ac- count of ill health. He held the chair of anat- omy in the University of Louisville for several years and was surgeon in charge of the hospitals
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in and about Louisville during the Civil war. He was regarded as one of the best surgeons of Franklin County.
John B. Davis (1807-1869) was born at Brookfield, N. Y., July 2, 1807; died in Brook- ville July 14, 1869.
Thomas Gifford (1816-1885) was born at Penn Yan, Yates County, New York, Dec. 17, 1816; graduated from Ohio Medical College in 1846. He was elected to the General Assembly of the state in 1858 and was re-elected; elected State Senator in 1862 and re-elected; died June 14, 1885.
John R. Goodwin (1820-1880) was born at Brookville July 15, 1820; graduated at Depauw University in 1845; later at the Ohio Medical College; practiced in Brookville until beginning of the Civil war; he was surgeon of the Thirty- Seventh Regiment Indiana Volunteers until close of war; then for eight years was in the Depart- ment of the Interior under Johnson and Grant ; later was engaged in banking business until his death, May 3, 1880.
Rufus Haymond (1805-1886) was born in Clarksburg, W. Va., June 5, 1805. He came to Brookville in 1826. He was a member of the State Legislature and was a naturalist of national reputation, contributing articles of value. He had charge of the geological survey of Franklin County in 1869. Died at Brook- ville July 29, 1886.
Judah Hinkley (1801-1875) was born in Massachusetts March 10, 1801; came to Indiana in 1820 and began practice in Springfield town-
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ship, Franklin County, and continued until 1868, when he retired and removed to Oxford, Ohio. Died July 6, 1875.
John H. Quick (1818-1906) was born near Brookville Oct. 22, 1818; began practice June 1, 1840, at Drewersburg, Franklin County; then Cedar Grove, in same county, in 1842, and at Brookville from 1854 to the time of his death, Oct. 13, 1906.
John Cleaver (1796-1865) was not a graduate of a medical college.
Cornelius Cain (1808-1903) was born near Wilmington, Dela., Aug. 1, 1808; came to In- diana and settled in Brookville in 1827; later practiced medicine at Metamora and Laurel. In 1857 located at Clarksburg, where he continued to reside until his death, which occurred June 28, 1903.
Erasmus Darwin Crookshank* (1807-1876) was born at Whitehall, N. Y., April 28, 1807; located at Fairfield about 1838; was elected to the State Legislature in 1844; in 1849 he re- moved to Hamilton County, Ohio, near Cheviot, where he continued to practice medicine until his death, March 4, 1876 .- Letter from Florence M. Tait, Cheviot, a granddaughter.
The following physicians practiced in Brook- ville at the dates indicated :
Lovel, 1810; Johnson, 1816; George D. Mur- dock, 1816; J. E. Bush, 1819; Joseph Moffett, 1818; Temple E. Gayle, 1820; John, Jr., 1821;
* I give the spelling of the granddaughter. but notice that in other instances it is spelled "Cruiksbank." -G. W. H. K.
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Morris, 1821; Isaac G. John, 1824; B. S. Noble, 1830; T. J. Cogley, 1836; Whipple, 1836; Thomas Kennedy, 1847; William Coster, 1847, and Joseph Chitwood, 1838.
MEDICAL MEN OF RIPLEY COUNTY.
In reply to an inquiry Dr. James Anderson, of Versailles, has kindly furnished me with some records of the early physicians of that county.
He says that he was well acquainted with Dr. W. T. S. Cornett, who practiced here until about 1868, when he removed to Madison.
Dr. James K. Francis practiced at Cross Plains, Ripley County, Indiana, from 1844 to about 1852, dying there during that year.
Dr. Richard B. Conn practiced in Ripley County about 1848 to 1850, when he removed to Champaign, Ill., and practiced there for some years.
Drs. Cornett, Francis, Alexander J. Mullen and Conn were present at the formation of the State Medical Society in June, 1849.
Dr. William Anderson practiced medicine and surgery at Versailles from 1839 to 1861, and was surgeon of the Thirty-seventh Regiment In- diana Volunteers for three years and staff sur- geon one year longer. At the close of the war he, returned to this place and practiced from 1865 to 1880.
Drs. Alexander J. Mullen and Bernard F. Mullen, brothers, practiced at Napoleon for many years. Dr. Bernard F. Mullen was Colonel of the Thirty-fifth Regiment Indiana Volunteers
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and Dr. Alexander J. Mullen was surgeon of the same regiment. Dr. Bernard died at Indianap- olis some years after the close of the Civil war. Dr. Alexander went to St. Louis after he came from the army and practiced there for some years, dying in that place.
The late Major Jonathan W. Gordon practiced medicine at Versailles during the years 1846 and 1847. Later he took up the study and prac- tice of law.
KOSCIUSKO COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY.
I am indebted to Dr. C. N. Howard, Secretary of the Kosciusko County Medical Society, for the following notes, which he gleaned from the "New Historical Atlas of Kosciusko County."
At the session of the General Assembly of 1834-5 the boundaries of Kosciusko County were defined and established. It was named by Hon. John B. Chapman after Thaddeus Kosciusko, the young Polish nobleman of distinguished family, who aided the American cause during the war of the Revolution, being one of General Washing- ton's staff officers.
The Kosciusko County Medical Society was incorporated Jan. 21, 1847, by the General As- sembly of the State of Indiana. Among the first members of the society were Drs. Rowland Wil- lard, G. W. Stacey, J. K. Leedy, Edward R. Parks, William E. Sarber, D. Bowman, S. C. Gray, L. B. Boggs, J. A. Chandler, L. E. Terry, William Parks, Henry Gilbert, F. W. Taylor, John Jackson, Z. C. Johnson, A. B. Grichfield, R. M. Kendall and G. W. Kosdick.
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Webber, Irwin W. (1846-1907) commenced the practice of his profession in Warsaw, Kos- ciusko County, in 1870. For a time he was United States Pension Examiner at Warsaw. He was President of the Kosciusko County Medical Society in 1887, and was Secretary of the So- ciety at the time of his death.
Woolley, Amos (1829-1899) came to Kos- ciusko County in 1857, practicing medicine at Palestine. In 1869 he removed to Warsaw. In 1866 ne assisted in the organization of the Med- ical College at Fort Wayne, Ind., and afterward graduated with honor from that institution.
WHITE COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY.
Drs. Grant Goodwin and F. E. Lister, of Monticello, have furnished me the following in- formation concerning physicians of White County who have not been heretofore reported in the Transactions.
The White County Medical Society was or- ganized in April, 1862. The charter members were Drs. Hamen and Anderson, Monticello; Richardson, Monon; Thomas, Reynolds, and Medaris, of Brookston.
Dr. William H. Ball was born in Henry County, Kentucky, Jan. 23, 1823. He began practice at Battle Ground, Ind., about 1851. He was a graduate of a medical college at Louisville, Ky. He practiced in Brookston from 1856 to 1880, then moved to California, where he died in 1890.
Dr. Timothy Taylor attended first session of lectures at Starling Medical College in 1847 and
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1848. He began to practice in Brookston about 1850, and left here March 1, 1859. He died in 1908, near Richmond, Ind.
Dr. John Medaris came to Brookston in March, 1859, and has practiced here ever since. He was born Oct. 22, 1814. Dr Brockway writes me Jan. 30, 1911: "Dr. Medaris is still alive and feeling good."*
OLDER PHYSICIANS OF STEUBEN COUNTY.
I am under obligations to Dr. Mary Ritter, of Angola, for the following list of pioneer physi -. cians of Steuben County :
Drs. James McConnell, Angola (1810-1844) ; George W. McConnell, Angola (1816-1894) ; L. E. Carver, Angola (1806-1889) ; J. C. Kmisey, Angola (1819 -- ); C. D. Rice, Angola (1828-1875) ; William Weicht, Angola (1822- 1889) ; W. A. Wood, Angola (1827-1868) ; M. F. Morse, Angola (1814-1898).
* I have departed from my usual rule of omitting liv- Ing physicians, but this man, at the age of ninety-six, engaged in an active practice of medicine, deserves this little recognition .- G. W. H. K.
CHAPTER XV.
EARLY MEDICAL HISTORY OF FOUNTAIN COUNTY. EARLY PHYSICIANS OF JACKSON COUNTY.
Dr. George Rowland, Covington, Ind., has transmitted to me a very interesting paper on the medical history of Fountain County, and I only regret that the length of the paper prevents the complete publication of the same.
On Dec. 30, 1825, the Legislature passed a law creating Fountain County. On the first Monday in May, 1826, the boundaries of the county were fixed and the county seat established at Cov- ington.
The following named physicians met in Cov- ington on the first Thursday in April, 1867, and organized the Fountain County Medical Society : Drs. C. V. Jones, President, Samuel J. Weldon, Secretary; C. D. Watson, G. S. Jones, William Colvert, William C. Cole and George Rowland.
Dr. John Hamilton, born in Saratoga County, New York, Jan. 7, 1800, came to Covington March 31, 1827, and made it his permanent home. He was the first physician to locate in Fountain County. He was a pioneer and a busy practitioner of medicine, riding on horseback from ten to sixty miles a day, along by-paths, as there were few roads. Milk sickness and fever and ague prevailed. Medicines were few and commanded a high price and were brought from Cincinnati on a steamboat up the Wabash River
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to Covington. Dr. Hamilton was a successful physician, a graduate of the medical college at Burlington, Vt. He also started the first drug store in this county at Covington.
Dr. John Crawford came to Fountain County in 1828. He was educated in Philadelphia and a graduate of the Medical College of Ohio. He died Sept. 29, 1847. Dr. Crawford was well versed in medicine and a successful practitioner and a man of few words.
Dr. Hitchcock was an early pioneer and came to this city in 1829, but soon afterward went to the Black Hawk war.
Dr. Jesse Bowen practiced medicine in the county from 1829 to 1840.
Dr. Joseph Jones came in 1832. He was a peculiar man, tall and the people nicknamed him "Long Jones." There were several other Dr. Jones, and Dr. "Long Jones" tried to have the Legislature change his name to Talbott, the .
maiden name of his mother.
Dr. Keely came in 1833 and remained but a short time, when he removed to Iowa.
Dr. John S. Jones, nicknamed "Picayune," came in 1834. He was a druggist, but practiced medicine to some extent.
Dr. Lorenzo Rush came to this county in 1840. He was a good physician, scientific and well ed- ucated. He was tall, dignified, gentlemanly and a popular physician.
Dr. Irish came in 1844 and was a successful physician, serving later as a surgeon in the Civil war.
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Dr. Reuben M. Hill came to Fountain County in 1847 and located at Covington. He was a scientific physician and well versed in medicine. He had an extreme disgust for quackery, en- joyed a large practice and was quite a money maker. He was a bachelor. Later in life he was a great sufferer from a chronic disease, from which he secured no permanent relief, and on July 5, 1880, at the noon hour, while his nurse had gone for a luncheon, committed suicide, shooting himself through the head.
Dr. Jehu Adkins read medicine with Dr. "Long" Jones, above mentioned; graduated in Chicago, and located in Jackson Township in 1847. He was a popular physician and had a great reputation in the treatment of milk sick- ness, which was then very prevalent; also se- cured quite a reputation by the performance of an operation for club foot upon a child six months old. At the time of his death he was the owner of nearly twelve hundred acres of land, bought at a low price, and subsequently increased in value until he amassed a fortune.
Drs. O. S. Maxwell and Bell located at Rob- roy in 1833. Dr. Cox located at Portland in 1830. Dr. Scott located at Newton in 1834. Dr. Worthington located at Attica in 1830. Dr. Rob- ert Stevens located near old Chambersburg dur- ing the forties. Dr. Knight located in old Cham- bersburg before the Civil War. He was very deaf and always rode in an old-fashioned gig. Dr. Greenwood came in the forties and prac- ticed at Robroy. Dr. Marquam, an eccentric man, located in old Chambersburg during the Civil War. He practiced in the southeast part
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of the county from 1855 to 1860. He was in- dicted for murder by producing an abortion. In the trial he was prosecuted and defended by emi- nent counsel and was acquitted.
Dr. Newton Spinning probably practiced med- icine longer than any other physician in Foun- tain County-a period of more than fifty years. He died of pneumonia, result of lagrippe, on Feb. 11, 1890.
Dr. Thomas Rowland, my father, was born in Loudon County, Virginia, July 25, 1810, and read medicine with Dr. Crawford, already men- tioned. He located in Hillsboro in 1839, and afterward located at old Chambersburg, and was a busy and successful practitioner of medicine until his death, which occurred in August, 1864. He was well versed in medicine and had an ex- tensive practice in obstetrics and diseases of women. He was a fine conversationalist and loved to mingle with medical men.
Dr. Caleb V. Jones came to Covington in the fall of 1840 and practiced medicine for forty years. Dr Jones was surgeon in the civil war.
Dr. William Colvert located near Stone Bluff; was a distinguished pioneer physician of Foun- tain County. He was born in Ohio in 1819, and came to this county during his boyhood, attended the University of Greencastle and afterward read medicine with Dr. Crawford. He was a suc- cessful physician from 1847 to his death, which occurred a few years ago. Before reading medi- cine he taught for some years in the public schools, and his most noted pupil was the Hon. D. W. Voorhees.
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Dr. Joseph Ogden came to this county in the early forties. He was an excellent physician. Dr. Waite located in this county at an early date. Dr. Bryant was also an early pioneer. Dr. Chester Clark came at an early date to Coving- ton, but in later years abandoned the practice for the nursery business. Dr. McElwee came to the county after the Civil War. Dr. John S. Riffle began the study of medicine in 1849. He practiced medicine at Newton and in Veeders- burg, and was a member of the United States pension board after 1867. He was an assistant surgeon in the Fortieth Regiment, Indiana Vol- unteers. Drs. Miles and Sherman were practi- tioners at one time at Newtown.
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