USA > Indiana > Adams County > Biographical and historical record of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana : Containing portraits of all the Presidents of the United States from Washington to Cleveland, with accompanying biographies of each : a condensed history of the state of Indiana : portraits and biographies of some of the prominent men of the state : engravings of prominent citizens in Adams and Wells counties, with personal histories of many of the leading families, and a concise history of the counties and their cities and villages, pt. 1 > Part 15
USA > Indiana > Wells County > Biographical and historical record of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana : Containing portraits of all the Presidents of the United States from Washington to Cleveland, with accompanying biographies of each : a condensed history of the state of Indiana : portraits and biographies of some of the prominent men of the state : engravings of prominent citizens in Adams and Wells counties, with personal histories of many of the leading families, and a concise history of the counties and their cities and villages, pt. 1 > Part 15
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56
dent of the United States directed the flags on publie buildings to be placed at half-mast, and also that the Government departments be closed on the day of the funeral. The re- inains of the great statesman were interred at the spot in Crown Hill Cemetery where he stood on Soldiers' Decoration Day, in May, 1876, when he delivered a great speeeli to a large assemblage. Never before did so many distinguished men attend the funeral of a citizen of Indiana.
Personally, Senator Morton was character- ized by great tenacity of purpose and shrewd foresight. Taking his aim, he ceased not until he attained it, without compromise and without conciliation, if not by the means first adopted, then by another. As Governor of Indiana he exhibited wonderful energy, tact and forethought. IIe distanced all other Governors in putting troops in the field, and he also exeelled thein all in providing for their wants while there. ITis State pride was in- tense, and in respect to the general character of the people of his State he brought Indiana "out of the wilderness " to the front, since which time the Hoosier State has been more favorably known. In the great civil war which tried the mettle and patriotism of the people, Indiana eame to the front under his guidance, yea, to the forefront of the line. As a legislator, he originated and accom- plished mueh, being naturally, as well as by self-discipline, the most aggressive, bold and elear-headed Republican politieian of his time. He was also well versed in the seienees, especially geology; and even in theology he knew more than many whose province it is to teach it, although he was not a member of any church.
A statue of Senator Morton is placed in one of the publie parks at Indianapolis by the contributions of a grateful common- wealth.
.
---
7 . a Hendricks
... ......
THOMAS A. HENDRICKS.
165
THOMAS A. HENDRICKS.
DOMAS ANDREWS HENDRICKS, elected Vice-President of the United States in 1884, was born in Musking- un County, Ohio, near the city of Zanesville, Septem- ber 7, 1819. The following spring the family moved to Madison, this State, and in 3. 1822 to Shelby County, where they opened up a farm in a sparsely settled region near the center of the county. It was here that Thomas grew to man- hood. After the completion of his education at Ilanover College he studied law in the office of his unele, Judge Thomson, at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and in due time was admitted to the bar.
In 1848 he was elected to the Legislature; in 1850, to the convention which framed the present Constitution of the State, being an aetive participant in the deliberations of that body; in 1851 and 1852, to Congress; in 1855, was appointed Commissioner of the
General Land Office, which he resigned in 1859; 1863-69, United States Senator; 1572- '77, Governor of Indiana; and finally, July 12, 1584, he was nominated by the Democratic National Convention at Chicago as second on the ticket with Grover Cleveland, which was snecessful in the ensuing campaign; but a few days before he should begin to serve as Speaker of the Senate, November, 1885, he suddenly died at his home in Indianapolis.
Going back for particulars, we should state that in 1860 he was eandidate for Governor of Indiana against Henry S. Lane, and was defented by 9,757 votes, while the Repub- Jiean majority of the State on the national ticket was 23,524, showing his immense popularity. Again, in 1868, Conrad Baker defeated him by 1,161 votes, when Grant's majority over Seymour in the State was 9,579, and this, too, after he had so bitterly opposed the policy of Lincoln's administration, and thereby lost from his constitueney many Union sympathizers. And finally, in 1872, his majority for Governor over General Thomas M. Brown was 1,148; the same year Grant's majority in the State over Greeley
166
PROMINENT MEN OF INDIANA.
was 22,924. Governor Hendricks was the only man eleeted on his ticket that year, excepting Professor Hopkins, who was chosen to a non-political office.
In 1876 Governor Ilendrieks was a con- spieions candidate for the Presidency, being the favorite of the Western Democraey; but the East proved too powerful, and nominated Tilden, giving llendrieks the second place on the national tieket, thereby strengthening it greatly in the West.
During the intervals of official life, Mr. Ilendrieks practiced law with eminent sue- eess, being equally at home before court or jury, and not easily disturbed by unforeseen turns in a ease. He had no specialty as an advocate, being alike efficient in the eivil and criminal court, and in all kinds and forms of actions. When ont of office his volee was frequently heard on the political questions of the day. Indiana regarded him with pride, and among a large elass he was looked upon as the leader of the Demoeraey of the West. Ilis adherents rallied around him in 1850, and his name was again prominent for the Presidential nomination, and might have been carried were it not for the opposition of the friends of Mr. MeDonald.
As his views on governmental affairs were eritical, definite and positive, he had many political enemies, but none of them have ever charged him with malfeasance in office, or ineompeteney in any of his publie positions. lle was a man of convictions, conservative, eloquent in public address, careful of his utteranees, and exceedingly earnest.
Mr. Hendricks belonged to a family noted in the history of Indiana. His unele, Will- iam Ilendrieks, was secretary of the conven- tion that formed the first Constitution of the State; was Indiana's first Representative in Congress, her second Governor, and for two full terms represented it in the Senate of the United States. A cousin, John Abram Hen- drieks, fell at the battle of Pea Ridge while leading his regiment against the enemy ; and another consin, Thomas Hendricks, was killed in the Teche country while serving in the Union army. Mr. Ilendrieks' father was an elder in the Presbyterian elmreli, and he himself was baptized and brought up under the auspices of that denomination. Ile never joined any church until 1867, when he became a member of the Protestant Epis- copal church, retaining his Calvinistie views.
In person Mr. Ilendricks was five feet nine inelies high, weighed about 185 pounds; his eyes gray, hair of a sandy hue, nose large and prominent, complexion fair and inelined to freekle, and his mouth and chin were expressive of determination and tenacity. Ile wore no beard except a little near the ear. Ile was a man of good habits, health good, step firm and prompt, and voice resonant and steady.
`After his nomination for the Viee-Presi- deney he took an active part in the campaign, delivering a number of powerful addresses, and while waiting for his term of official service to begin, death ended his days and east an indescribable shade of gloom over his family, State and nation.
ME
.......
SCHUYLER COLFAX. 169
SCHUYLER COLFAX.
.
IIIS eminent statesman was born in New York City, March 23, 1823, the only son of his widowed mother; was taught in the common schools of the city, finished his education at a high-school on in Crosby street, and at ten years of age he had received all the school training he ever had. After clerking in a store for three years, he removed to In- diana with his mother and stepfather, Mr. Mathews, set- tling in St. Joseph County. Here, in the village of New Carlisle, the youth served four years more as clerk in a store; then, at the age of seventeen years, he was appointed deputy county anditor, and to fulfill his duties he moved to the connty seat, South Bend, where he remained a resident until his deatlı.
Like almost every Western citizen of any mental activity, young Colfax took a practical hold of political matters about as soon as he could vote. Ile talked and thought, and began to publish his views, from time to time, in the local newspaper of the place. Ilis peculiar faculty of dealing
fairly, and at the same time pleasantly, with men of all sorts, his natural sobriety and common sense, and his power of stating things plainly and correctly, made him a natural newspaper man. Ile was employed during several sessions of the Legislature, to report the proceedings of the Senate for the Indianapolis Journal, and in this position made many friends. In 1845 he became proprietor and editor of the St. Joseph Val- ley Register, the South Bend newspaper, which then had but 250 subscribers; but the youthful editor had hope and energy, and after struggling through many disappoint- ments, including the loss of his office by fire, he succeeded in making a comfortable living ont of the enterprise.
Mr. Colfax was a Whig so long as that party existed. In 1848 he was a delegate to the convention which nominated General Taylor for President, and was one of the sec- retaries of that body. The next year he was a member of the State Constitutional Con- vention, being eleeted thereto from a Demo- cratic distriet. Soon afterward he was nominated for the State Senate, but deelined because he could not be spared from his busi- ness. Ilis first nomination for Congress was in 1851, but was beaten by 200 votes, which was less than the real Democratie majority
.................
..
.
...... .........
----...
PROMINENT MEN OF INDIANA.
in his district. llis successful competitor was Dr. Graham N. Fitch, who, along with Mr. Bright, became so conspienons in the support of Buchanan. In 1852 he was a delegate to the Whig National Convention that nominated General Scott, and was again secretary.
Franklin Pierce, the Democratie nominee, was elected President, and during his term the Whig party was dissolved upon the issue of slavery, and, naturally enough, Mr. Colfax drifted in with the party of freedom. So did the people of his Congressional district; for, after having given their Democratie repre- sentative 1,000 majority two years before, they now nominated and elected Mr. Colfax to succeed him by about 2,000 majority.
The Congress to which he was thus elected is noted for the tedions struggle in the elce- tion of a Speaker of the House, resulting, February 2, 1856, in the choice of N. P. Banks. Mr. Colfax, who was second in the race for the Speakership, exhibited wonderful parliamentary tact in staving off the South- erners, who at times seemed on the point of success. As to parties at this time, they were considerably broken up, comprising " Anti-Nebraska" (Republican), Democrats, Know-Nothings and nondescripts. During this and the succeeding Congress, to which Mr. Colfax was elected, he delivered several telling speceles, some of which were printed
almost by the million and distributed to the voters throughout the North. These speeches were full of solid facts and figures with reference to the Pro-Slavery party, especially in Kansas, so that, by a sort of play upon his name, the people often re- ferred to him as "Cold-faets."
In 1860 Mr. Colfax was elected to Con- gress the third time, and in 1862 the fourth time. In December, 1863, he was chosen Speaker of the House, which position he re- tained to the end of the term for which Lincoln and Johnson were elected, exhib- iting pre-eminent parliamentary skill and an obliging disposition. Equally polite to all, he was ever a gentleman worthy of the highest honor.
The favorable notoriety gained by his " cold facts " against slavery, parliamentary ability, his power of debate, and his suavity of manner, led the Republican party in 1868 to place him on the national ticket, second only to the leading soldier of the Union, U. S. Grant. Being elected, he served as President of the Senate with characteristic ability throughout his term. Then, retiring from politieal life, he devoted the remaining years of his life to leetures upon miseella- neons topies; and it was during a lecturing tour in Minnesota that he was stricken down with his final illness. Ile died at Mankato, that State, January 13, 1885.
...
Lamer D. Williams
JAMES D. WILLIAMS.
179
JAMES D. WILLIAMS. ***-
ERE we have present- ed a practical illustra- tion of the type of man produced by a young and vigorous republic, which had, but a few years preceding his birth, asserted, with justice, and successfully maintained, her elaim to assine her rightful position as one of the nations of the earth.
James D. Williams was born in Pickaway County, Ohio, Jannary 8, 1808, soon after that State had assumed, her place among that galaxy of stars destined to become the great- est nation in the world.
In childhood he removed with his parents to Knox County, Indiana, where he received a common-school education, and grew to manhood a tiller of the soil.
IIe entered the theater of life at a time when the stage scenery was of the most gigantie grandeur ever beheld by the eye of man. Nature in her stupendous splendor was around and about the young actor, and he readily imbibed the spirit of his sur- roundings, and was filled with enthusiastic hope for the future greatness of the vast and beautiful country, which but awaited the call of the husbandman to answer in bountiful
harvests to his many demands. With young Williams the grandeur of the scene filled his soul with a hopeful determination to act well his part in the great drama before him, as the reader will find while following him down life's pathway.
When he attained to manhood he engaged in agricultural pursuits and stoek-raising, and became widely known as a practical and suc- cessful Indiana farmer.
IIe had closely observed the passing events in the clash and conflict of political parties, and his fellow citizens saw in him the qual- itied elements of a representative man, and he was frequently elected as a Democrat to represent his county in the Lower House of the Legislature, where he discharged the duties devolving upon him with marked ability and even beyond the expectations of his constituents. The sagacity and ability with which he dealt with public measures in the Lower House opened the avenue to higher honors and more weighty responsi- bilities.
In 1859 he was elected to the State Senate, where he continuously served his eonstitu- eney until 1867, maintaining the reputation he had gained in the Lower House for ability and the faithful performance of duty, and still developing a capacity for a wider field of operations.
.
.......
174
PROMINENT MEN OF INDIAN.1.
.....
Ile was not permitted to long live in the home life which he so much enjoyed. The able and faithful manner in which he had discharged his duties as a publie servant, his common sense and social manner, made him friends even among his political opponents. IIe bore honors conferred upon him nobly but meekly, never ceasing to gratefully re- member those to whom gratitude was due for the positions of honor and trust to which they had ealled him.
Ile was destined to spend his life as a publie servant. Ilis fellow citizens again elected him to the State Senate in 1871, and in 1874 he was again erowned with higher honors, and was elected to represent his dis- triet in the Congress of the United States, where he displayed the same ability in deal- ing with publie questions that he had in the legislative body of his State. During his term in Congress he served in the impor- tant position of chairman of the Committee on Public Accounts.
Ile was a prominent and leading member of the Indiana State Board of Agriculture for seventeen years, and served as its president for three years. No one eitizen of Indiana was more deeply interested and active in de- veloping and promoting the agricultural and other industrial resources of his State than he. One leading feature of his ambition was to be in the front rank of progress, and to place his State on a plane with the sister States of the prosperous Union. Ile was equally active in the edneational interest of luis fellow citizens, and advocated facilities for diffusing knowledge among the masses, plae- ing an education within the reach of children of the most humble citizen.
Ile gathered happiness while promoting the welfare of others, and step by step, year by year, his friends increased in numbers and warmed in devotion to their trusted,
faithful and grateful servant. Ile was rapid- ly growing in State popularity, as he had long enjoyed the confidence of his own county and district, and in his quiet, unassuming way was building larger than he knew. Ilis plain manner of dress, commonly " blue jeans," caused him to become widely known by the sobriquet of " Blue Jeans," of which his admirers were as proud as were those of "Old Hickory " as applied to Andrew Jack- son, or " Rough and Ready " as applied to General Zachariah Taylor.
The civil war had made fearful inroads in party lines; the public questions to be set- tled immediately following the close of the war involved. problems which many leading men, who had previously aeted with the Democratic party, could not solve satisfacto- rily to themselves from a Democratic stand- point; hence they cast their fortunes with the popular party, the Republican.
The Democratic party had been impatient- ly but energetically seeking State supremaey. James D. Williams, so far as tried, had led the column to sneeess, why not make him their Moses to lead them to possess the promised land, State Supremacy?
The eentennial anniversary of American independence, 1876, seemed to them the auspi- eions period to marshal their forces under an indomitable leader and go forth to conquer.
They accordingly in that year nominated the Hon. James D. Williams for Governor, and the Republicans nominated General Ben- jamin Harrison, a military hero and a lineal descendant of General W. II. Harrison. The contest will stand in history as the most ex- eiting campaign in the political history of the United States, and resulted in the elec- tion of the Democratie leader. ITis services as Governor of the State were characteristic of his past public life. He died, full of hon- ors. on November 20, 1880.
...
சலி
.
177
ROBERT DALE OWEN.
........
* ROBERT DALE OWEN. K.
BOOKING outside of the realm of statesmen, we find that the most emi- nent citizen of Indi- ana not now living was the learned Seotchman named at the head of this sketch. Robert Owen, his father, was a great theorist in social and religious reforms. Ile was born in Newtown, Montgom- eryshire, North Wales, March 14, 1771, where he died November 19, 1858.
IIe (the father) entered upon a commercial life at an early age, and subse- quently engaged in the cotton manufacture at New Lanark, Scotland, where he introdneed important reforms, having for their object the improvement of the condition of the laborers in his employ ; afterward he directed his attention to social questions on a broader seale, publishing in 1812 "New Views of Society, or Essays upon the Formation of the Human Character," and subsequently the " Book of the New Moral World," in which he advocated doctrines of human equality
and the abolition of class distinctions. IIav- ing won a large fortune in his business, he was able to give his views a wide circulation, and his followers became numerous; but, being outspoken against many of the gen- erally received theologieal dogmas of the time, a zealous opposition was also aroused against him. After the death of his patron, the Duke of Kent, he emigrated to this country, in 1823, and at his own expense founded the celebrated communistie society at New Harmony, this State. The schenie proving a failure he returned to England, where he tried several similar experiments with the same result; but in spite of all his failures he was universally esteemed for his integrity and benevolence. Ilis later years were spent in efforts to promote a religion of reason, and to improve the condition of the working elasses.
Ilis eldest son, the subject of this biographi- cal sketch, was born in Glasgow, Scotland, November 7, 1801; was educated at Fellens- berg's College, near Berne, Switzerland; came with his father to the United States in 1823, and assisted him in his efforts to found the colony of New Harmony. On the failure of
.
PROMINENT MEN OF INDIANA.
178
that experiment he visited France and Eng- land, but returned to this country in 1827 and became a eitizen. In 1828, in partner- ship with Miss Frances Wright, he founded " The Free Enquirer," a weekly journal de. voted to socialistie ideas, and to opposition to the supernatural origin and claims of Chris- tianity. The paper was discontinued after an existence of three years. In 1832 hie married Mary Jane Robinson, of New York, who died in 1871. After marriage he settled again in New Harmony, where for three sue- cessive years (1835-'38) he was elected a mem- ber of the Legislature. It was through his influence that one-half of the surplus revenue of the United States appropriated to the State of Indiana was devoted to the support of public schools. From 1843 to 1847 he represented the First District of Indiana in Congress, aeting with the Democratic party; took an active paat in the settlement of the northwestern boundary question, serving as a member of the committee of conference on that subjeet, and introduced the bill organ- izing the Smithsonian Institute, and served for a time as one of the regents. In 1850 he was a member of the Indiana Constitutional Convention, in which he took a prominent part. It was through his efforts that Indiana conferred independent property rights upon women. In 1853 he went to Naples, Italy, as United States Charge d' Affaires, and from 1855 to 1858 he held the position of Min- ister.
In 1860, in the New York Tribune, he discussed the subject of divoree with Horace Greeley, and a pamphlet edition of the con- troversy afterward obtained a wide circula- tion.
After the breaking out of the Rebellion, Mr. Owen was a warm champion of the poliey of emancipation, and the letters which he addressed to members of the cabinet and
the President on that subject were widely disseminated. When the proposition was made by certain influential politicians to reconstruet the Union with New England "left out in the cold," Mr Owen addressed a letter to the people of Indiana exposing the dangerous character of the selieine, which the Union Leagues of New York and Philadelphia published and eireulated extensively. In 1862 he served as a mein- ber of the Commisson on Ordnance Stores, and in 1863 was Chairman of the American Freedmen's Commission, which rendered val- nable service to the country.
Mr. Owen was a prominent Spiritualist in his philosophieal views, and published sev- eral remarkable works inculcating them. Ilis mind, in his later years, beginning to totter, he was often too credulous. Ile also published many other works, mostly of a political nature. To enumerate: he pub- lished at Glasgow, in 1824, "Outlines of System of Education at New Lanark;" at New York, in 1831, " Moral Physiology; " the next year, " Discussion with Origen Bachelor on the Personality of God and the Authentici- ty of the Bible;" and subsequently, "Pocalion- tas," an historical drama; " Hints on Publie Architecture," illustrated; " Footfalls on the Boundary of Another World," probably his most wonderful work; "The Wrong of Slay- ery, and the Right of Freedom;" "Beyond the Breakers," a novel; "The Debatable Land between this World and the Next," and "Threading My Way," an autobiography.
The giant intellect of Mr. Owen being linked to a large and tender heart, his sym- pathies were constantly rasped by witnessing the boundless but apparently needless amount of suffering in the world, and chafed by the opposition of conservatism to all efforts at alleviation, so that in old age he was liter- ally worn out. Ile died at an advanced age.
54.
-
- ----
....
..... .....
......... .........
..... --
.
HISTORY
OF
DAMS
COUNTY.
BARER-CU
....
..
...... .......
..
EMTN
.........
........
.
...
---
---- -....
GENERAL
HISTORY
...
...
........ ..
SHARY SL
مـ
183
-
INTRODUCTORY.
** INTRODUCTORY.
ITIIIN one brief gene- ration a dense and unbroken wilderness has been transformed into a cultivated re- gion of thrift and prosperity, by the untiring zeal and energy of an en- terprising people. The trails of hunters and trappers have given w place to railroads and thorough- fares for vehicles of every deserip- tion; the cabins and garden patches of the pioneers have been succeeded by comfortable houses and broad fields of waving grain, with school-houses, elmrches, mills, postoffices and other institn- tions of convenience for each community. Add to these a city of 2,000 inhabitants and numerous thriving villages, with extensive business and manufacturing interests, and the result is a work of which all concerned may well be proud.
The record of this marvelous change is history, and the most important that can be written. For sixty years the people of Adams County have been making a history,
that for thrilling interest, grand practical results, and lessons that may be perused with profit by eitizeus of other regions, will compare favorably with the narrative of the history of any county in the great North- west; and, considering the extent of territory involved, it is as worthy of the pen of a Baneroft as even the story of our glorious Republic.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.