USA > Indiana > Vanderburgh County > Biographical cyclopedia of Vanderburgh County, Indiana : embracing biographies of many of the prominent men and families of the county > Part 5
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He is a member of the A. O. U. W., Court of Honor and has been a member of the Masonic order, and belongs to the Stationary Engineers' Association, and is a member of the Manufacturers' Asso- ciation of Evansville, in all of which he is an active and helpful worker.
Mr. Grote was united in marriage June 29, 1875, to Miss Matilda Rahm, and their union has been blessed with five children, as follows: Emil, Ernest, Fred, Laura and Edwin.
CHARLES S. WOODS,
CHIEF of the fire department of Evans- ville, was born December 29, 1860, in Evansville, and is the son of William H. Woods, who is prominently engaged in the decorating and wall paper busi- ness. on Main street.
After completing his education, which was obtained from the schools of Evans- ville, Charles S. Woods learned the painting trade, which he followed for eighteen years. Then he engaged from 1889 to 1895 in the wall paper and painting business with his father. IIe served the city of Evansville as council- man from the Seventh ward in 1894. His affiliations have always been with the republican party, and he is at pres- ent chairman of the Republican Central Committee of Vanderburgh county,
which office he has filled since his elec- tion, January 2, 1896.
The appointment of Mayor Akin in April, 1897, of Charles S. Woods as chief of the Evansville fire department, was a tribute to his worth, both as a business man and as a leader. Mr. Woods is an ardent republican, and is one of the most prominent young men in local politics, modest and unassumed, yet progressive and aggressive, both in business and politics, and he is steadily preparing the way for a brilliant and useful career.
Mr. Woods is an active member in the A. O. U. W. and the Royal Area- num. He was united in marriage June 7, 1889, to Miss Laura Heberer, daughter of Peter Heberer, a well- known commission merchant of Evans- ville, and two children have blessed their union, of whom only one survives. 1588436
CHARLES B. HARRIS,
A TTORNEY at law, a member of the Evansville bar, was born in Union county, Kentucky, in 1860, and is the son of Addison J. and Catherine (Bosley) Harris. His father was a na- tive of Kentucky and his mother of Maryland.
Mr. Harris graduated in academics from the Southwestern Presbyterian University in Clarksville, Tennessee, in 1883, and at once entered Wash- ington Lee University, at Lex- ington, Virginia, where he graduated
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in the law department, taking the de- ber, 1895, when he was elected county grec of L. L. B. in 1885. He located in Evansville in September, 1885, and was at once admitted to the bar, where he has remained and practiced his pro- fession. Ile now has a remunerative practice in Vanderburgh and the ad- joining counties, and in the appellate and supreme courts, and is occasionally called to the neighboring counties of Kentucky in litigations. He is a gen- tleman thoroughly prepared to practice his profession, and it is said of him that he has but few superiors in the prepar- ation and trial of cases. He is a pros- perous and influential citizen, and a member of one of Kentucky's most dis- tinguished families.
JOSEPH GIBSON,
C COUNTY Commissioner of Vanderburgh county, a prominent citizen of How- ell, Indiana, was born in Scotland, Feb- ruary 10, 1847, and came to America in . 1868, locating at Springfield, Illinois, where he remained about one year, . moving to Evansville in the fall of 1869. · William Gibson ( father) was a native of Scotland, where he lived and died. There he was engaged, during his entire life, in mining, and he was united in marriage to Miss Anna Patterson. Nine children issued from their union, of which Joseph was the youngest. Upon reaching Evansville Mr. Gibson at once engaged with the Ingle Coal Company as a miner; has been with that institution continually up to Decem-
commissioner of Vanderburgh county, from the Third district. He was pro- moted to higher positions from time to time, until he filled almost every place around the mines, having been made superintendent in 1889. Mr. Gibson is a self-made man in every sense. He has, by careful management and econ- omical disposition of his earnings acquired considerable property, and is identified with almost every movement for the advancement of the community in which he resides.
In 1871 Mr. Gibson was united in marriage to Miss Maggie Russell, whom he had met in Vanderburgh county. She was also a native of Scotland, and a remarkable coincident is, that she came from very near the same part of Scotland that Mr. Gibson did, but they had not known each other previous to their meeting here. Their union has been blessed with seven children, six of whom survive, among them being one grown son and two grown daughters. The son, Mr. Will Gibson, is a young business man of Howell, and, if we may judge the future by the past, we might predict for him a most successful career. He is forging ahead and rapidly placing himself in the front ranks of the leading business men of Vanderburgh county.
In politics Mr. Joseph Gibson affili- ates with the republican party, in which he is very much interested, although, by no means a politician in the usual accept- ance of that term, but by sheer force of character. has taken a leading position in the republican party, which he is ever ready to serve to the best of his
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JOSEPH GIBSON.
J. G PAINE.
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ability. He is a prominent member of party, and in 1892, he was one of only the A. O. U. W., having .passed all three republicans who were elected. chairs in the local lodges, and for the past eight years has been chairman of credentials in the Grand Lodge of Indiana. He is an active and helpful worker in the order, and is justly proud of the record he has made as a mem- ber of that order. He was the first past chief of honor of the Degree of Honor, which is an auxiliary order of the A. O. U. W. for Indiana.
JOHN G. PAINE,
P ROMINENT citizen of Evansville, and commissioner of the First district of Vanderburgh county, was born in England April 22, 1835.
John Paine (father) was born in England, and came to America in 1840. He married Miss Martha Miller, and to them five children were born, John G. being the fourth. The family emi- grated to America in 1842, locating in Evansville. John G. Paine received his early mental training in the public schools of Evansville. His father was engaged in the grocery and meat mar- ket business, and John was, therefore, afforded an opportunity to qualify him- self in a business capacity. He learned to manage a locomotive and for over a quarter of a century was at the throttle of an engine on the E. & T. H. rail- road. When elected, in 1892, to the office of commissioner, he resigned his position as engineer. His affiliations have always been with the republican
His satisfactory service was attested in the fall of 1896, when he was re-elected county commissioner. Mr. Paine is an old, honored and respected citizen of Evansville, and one too, who bears up well under the burdens of sixty-two years. He has made a good officer, attending strictly to business. Person- ally he is temperate in habits, honest in his dealings with his fellow-men, and of genial disposition. He has won a place in the hearts of the people through his modest, unassuming way, and they will surely retain him in office as long as he is willing to serve.
Mr. Paine was married in 1856 to Miss Annie Childs, daughter of Thomas Childs, a pioneer and leader in the livery and feed stable business, of Ev- ansville. Their union has been blessed with five children, three of whom sur- vive.
JAMES T. WALKER,
EMINENT, progressive member of the
Evansville bar, was born in Evans- ville October 22, 1850. He is a repre- sentative of a distinguished pioneer family. William Walker (grandfather) had much to do with the early history of Vanderburgh county, settled here in 1835, was prominent as a citizen, and was a man of the highest integrity. When war with Mexico was declared, William Walker stepped to the front. He raised a company, among whom were men of high standing, and marched
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on to the field of battle, and at Buena . March 10, 1885; James T .. Jr., born Vista, while nobly and gallantly leading December 22, ISSS, and Mary Howser, his command, he fell, pierced to death born September 24, 1891. by a Mexican lancer.
Hon. James T. Walker (father) was born in Salem, New Jersey, in 1806. He married Miss Charlotte Burtis, and died in Evansville May 1, 1877. He was a lawyer by profession, was many years in the office of county auditor. represented the county in the state legislature.
James T. Walker, the subject of this sketch, the second child, received his early education in the common schools of Evansville, spent one year at Wabash college, three years at Hanover, from where he was graduated in 1870. He was admitted to the bar and began to practice law in 1872, and from ISS4 to IS87 served the people of Evansville as trustee of the public schools. In his profession he has been associated with Hon. Charles Denby, United States minister to China, and also with the distinguished ex-Judge R. D. Richard- son. Mr. Walker's affiliations are with the democratic party, but he seeks no preferment. He is in love with his profession, and follows it assiduously. To be a lawyer in the high sense implies character, love of country, culture, learning and usefulness to the commu- nity, has been his hope and settled determination.
Mr. Walker was united in marriage February 28, ISS2, to Miss Lucy A. Babcock, a native of Evansville, daugh- ter of Henry O. and Mary E. (Howser) Babcock. Their union has been blessed with three children, Henry B., born
JOHN S. MCCORKLE.
A MONG the descendants of the brave and enterprising men who settled in North Carolina, and who afterwards settled in Indiana, were the McCorkles, who were descendants of the Irish emi- grants who came over from Ireland in the latter part of the ISth century. Leaving their native state, James S. McCorkle and his wife, whose maiden name was McIntyre, came to the west with pure purposes and dauntless cour- age and ready and willing to meet any fate. In 1828 they located in Gibson county, Indiana, and in the rude wilder- ness, he erected a log-cabin, where the subject of this sketch, John S. McCorkle, was born. February 9, 1829. In 1832 the family removed to Evansville, and shortly afterwards Mrs. Dorcas Me- Corkle expired. James McCorkle was one of the factors in the early growth of Evansville, and saw it rise, Phoenix-like, from the hamlet in swaddling clothes to a beautiful city, the second in Indiana. The advantages afforded John S. Mc- Corkle for mental training when he was a boy were extremely meagre. Not- withstanding, being very studious and diligent, reading books on all subjects, he managed to store his mind with much useful information. He learned the carpenters' trade and worked as a journeyman for twenty years. He
JAMES T. WALKER.
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DR. T. E. POWELL.
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served the United States government union has been blessed with six children, as follows: John D., born in 1853; William, born in 1855; Charles R., born in 1857; Thomas (deceased); Josie C., born in 1862, and George A., born in 1865. during the civil war, building and repairing hospitals for the sick and wounded who were brought to Evans- ville for treatment. Having by hard work and close economy accumulated considerable means, in 1866, Mr. Mc- Both Mr. and Mrs. McCorkle are active workers in the cause of temper- ance, and by their continuous efforts for many years, have done much to elimi- nate from the land the vice of strong drink. Corkle built a planing mill. This he operated successfully for four years, when it was destroyed by fire. As soon as the flames disappeared and the debris was removed a more complete and larger plant was put in place of the old one, and therefore, the planing mill which stands at the corner of Walnut and Eighth streets has been in existence for THOMAS E. POWELL, M. D., over a quarter of a century, and under NE of the most successful and popu- lar physicians of Evansville, was born in Union county, Kentucky, March 1, 1848, and his boyhood days were spent on his father's farm in Union county, where he attended the public schools in the winter and worked hard in the summer. the control and management of Mr Mc- Corkle. He has been directly or indi- rectly identified with the prosperity of Evansville, being always ready to assist in any movement that promises to add to its further developments and growth. He has never held any political offices, or had any aspirations in that direction, James W. Powell ( father) was a na- tive of North Carolina, born about ISIO and died in 1887. He moved into in Union county, where he was success- fully engaged in farming and was an honored and highly respected citizen in the community in which he resided. Jane (Leach) Powell, mother, was born but his affiliations are with the republi- can party, and in federal and state elections he always casts his vote in. Kentucky at an early day and located behalf of that party, while in local poli- tics he endorses the men and measures which tend to the improvement and elevation of the public good. He has been prominent as a member of the Business Men's Association, and is a in Tennessee in 1SOS, and passed away devoted and helpful member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Mr. McCorkle was united in marriage December 31, 1850, to Miss Mary I. Thorne, a native of Vincennes, Indiana, born in 1836 a daughter of Charles E. and Nancy (Oliver ) Thorne. Their the Princeton (Kentucky) College,
Thomas E. Powell was the eighth child of nine children born to his par- ents, and after obtaining his elementary education, as before stated, he entered in 1895, at the ripe old age of eighty. seven.
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where he completed his literary educa- experience, he is at once recognized as tion, and in 1872 began the study of a skillful surgeon and an excellent phy- sieian, and enjoys a large and lucrative practice. He was united in marriage October, 1875. to Miss Mollie E. Dorsey, daughter of William L Dorsey, for many years cashier of the People's National Bank of Princeton, Indiana. Their union has been blessed with three children, only one of whom is living. Mrs. Powell died April 6, 1895. Dr. Powell resides with his son at 1107 Illinois street, where his well appointed office adjoins his home. medicine at Uniontown, Kentucky. In the latter part of 1872 he entered the University of Louisville from where he was graduated in 1874. Then for two years he was engaged in the practice of his profession at Corydon, Henderson county, Kentucky, and moved from there to Uniontown, continuing his practice for two years, when he went to New York to pursue a post-graduate course in a medical college in that city, and obtained his degree in 1885. His next move was an important one, and brought him to Evansville, where he has been continually engaged in the practice of medicine, attaining a high WILLIAM HEYNS, standard among physicians, and he enjoys an extensive practice. He is a member of the American Medical Asso- ciation, the Indiana State Medical Asso- ciation, and the Vanderburgh County Association. He was consulting phy- sician for a number of years to St. Mary's hospital, and is lecturing physi- cian to the Nurses' Training School. He is also a popular and influential member of the K. & L. of H. and K. of P., benevolent fraternities.
A man of Dr. Powell's intelligence could not keep out of public life, and he was elected councilman from his ward in 1895, serving in that capacity ably and creditably for one term. He was re-elected in 1897. Ilis election as councilman was a tribute to his worth as a business man and as a true friend to the commercial interests of the city.
Thoroughly equipped for the duties of his profession by study and long
A PROMINENT furniture dealer of Evans- ville, was born in Germany in 1848. and came to America with his parents in 1865, locating in Evansville. He is the son of Louis and Mary (Page) Heyns. By trade Mr. Heyns is a cabi- net maker, and he first worked for the old firm of Bloomer & Hoing, on Water street, and afterwards for the Wetzel furniture factory. He then went with Miller & Karges, now known as the Evansville Furniture Company, with whom he remained a year and a half. He then left the city and went to St. Louis, where he was employed by Audc Brothers for two years, when he returned to Evansville and opened a grocery store at the corner of Michigan street and Third avenue. This he conducted successfully for two years, when he gave it up to travel for Bloomer, Schulte & Reitman, selling furniture in the
G. F. DENBY.
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sonth, and in the three years he was with them, he built up a splendid trade. His next venture was to open a hotel at St. Wendel, which he conducted for five years and then returned to Evans- ville and started in the furniture busi- ness at 226 and 230 West Franklin street. Mr. Heyns has been exceed- ingly prosperous, which may, in a great measure, be accounted for by the fact that he had a thorough practical knowl- edge of all matters pertaining to the furniture trade. To-day he owns the largest retail furniture store in Evans- ville, the building he occupies being fifty feet deep and seventy five feet front, three stories high, with 25,000 square feet floor room, and which is absolutely packed from top to bottom with furni- ture of all descriptions. In fact, there are few furniture houses in Indiana that carry as large and varied a stock of all grades of furniture as does Mr. Heyns. He is one of our most enterprising citi- zens, and is thoroughly up with the times. He manufactures a large part of his furniture, and is building up quite a lucrative wholesale trade with the merchants of the neighboring towns. Mr. Heyns has been a life long demo- crat, casting his first vote for Seymour. He has served the city four years in the council, and no man who ever entered that body left it with a cleaner record than did Mr. Heyns. The people of Evansville and the surrounding country have the most absolute confidence in him, and he is, in every way, worthy of it. He has erected a new building for his business, which is a model store in every way. 6
He was united in marriage in June, 1875, to Miss Anna Raben, daughter of Anton Raben, and their union has been blessed with five children.
GRAHAM FITCH DENBY,
PROMINENT and influential young mem-
ber of the Evansville bar, was born in Evansville, December 25, 1859. He is the first child of Hon. Charles Denby, a distinguished lawyer and diplomat, and native of Virginia. He was a pro- fessor in the Masonic University at Selma, Ala., and came to Evansville in 1853, and edited the Daily Enquirer, the first democratic daily newspaper published in Evansville. In 1885 he was appointed by Grover Cleveland as United States minister to China, which position he has held ever since with dignity and credit. He married in 1858 Miss Martha Fitch, daughter of the distinguished senator, Graham N. Fitch, of Logansport, Indiana. This union was blessed with six children.
Graham F. Denby received his first mental training in the public schools of Evansville. He commenced the study of law in ISSI, in his father's office, and the same year was admitted to the bar. He was nominated in ISSS for prose- curing attorney on the democratic ticket, but went down to defeat in the tidal wave that swept the democratic party that year.
From 1889 to 1893 he was in the State of Washington, and since then has been faithfully engaged in the practice
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of his profession in Evansville. Mr. sailing from Trieste, the principal sea- Denby is a member of the Court of port of the Adriatic sea, landing at Vera Honor. Cruz, Mexico, in the fall of 1861. Ilere he served as private and was promoted to lieutenant in the Austrian Volunteers under Maximillian. His service in LORENZ FRITSCH, Mexico was so able that when he returned to Vienna, he was made the guest of Maximillian's brother, the pres- ent emperor of Austria. He was fur- nished free transportation and hotel accommodation throughout the empire, and visited all places of interest. Then he went to Switzerland, stopped at Rohrschach on the Boden sea. Here he worked, and during his leisure hours visited all the points of interest in this, the most beautiful part of Switzerland. About this time he was notified by his father that because he had neglected to choose before he arrived at the age of eighteen, the military age, which he would have for his home, Luxemburg or Prussia. as was required by law, he was wanted by the Prussian govern- ment for military service. Having no inclination to serve as a private in the German army after having been lieuten- ant under Maximillian, he decided to travel and give the Prussian government some trouble in finding him.
PROMINENT citizen and leading mer- chant tailor, of Evansville, was born January 7, 1846, in Luxemburg. Fred- erick Fritsch (father) was born in Barn- castle, and he married Catherine Neu- man, also a native of France. She died in 1846 and in 1853 he was married again to Tena Von Degan a sister to the mayor of Oberstein, and they moved to St. Wendel, in Prussia, and Fred- erick Fritsch there engaged in rope making and dealt in cordage, boat sup- plies, etc. Here Lorenz spent his boy- hood days, and learned the tailoring trade. When a boy he left home and worked at Mayence and Frankfort-on- the-Main. He was careful and eco- nomic, and, having saved some money, made a trip, during vacation, through old Germany, passing through Hesse Darmstadt, Baden, Wurtenburg, Bava- ria and visited Ulm, Oxburg, Munich, Nuremburg. Leipsic and Dresden. He was employed by the court tailor in the latter city, and later accepted a position in the capital of Poland. About the time he arrived there, Poland was hav- ing one of her annual revolutions, society was disorganized, and Mr. Fritsch decided to return to Dresden. He went to Prague, Lintz on the Danube, and thence to Vienna. He joined friends and went with Maximillian to Mexico,
He went to Lyons, France, where he remained five months, and then to Paris, arriving there in 1867, when the court of Napoleon III. was the most splendid on earth, and France was in holiday attire in honor of the great exposition. He took a course of train. ing under that prince of cutters, De-la- Bye, and acquired the most perfect French art of cutting and draping.
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LORENZ FRITSCH.
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When the Franco-Prussian war broke out, on account of his Mexican military papers made so as to designate Luxem- burg as his birthplace, he was exempt from the general order compelling Germans in war against France to leave Paris. But he was compelled to join the national guard, where he served in company S, rooth battalion. Mr. Fritsch had become enamored of Paris and intended to make it his future home, and was married on the 5th of February, IS70; but after the war was over and the terrible reign of the Commune was begun, things were in such a complete state of demoralization, and what the morrow would bring forth was so uncer- tain, that he decided to leave the tur- moils and troubles of the old world to be settled by those who could not get away, and he embarked for the land of the free, arriving in New York Novem- ber 2, 1871. His first engagement was in Boston, where he worked for Rhoden & Townsend, on Washington street, the most fashionable tailors in the city. While in Boston he was offered $2,000 by Henry Schrichte, of Evansville, and he moved to Evansville in IS73. In 1877 Mr. Fritsch began business for himself, and since the first day he threw his doors open to the public, he has been the fashionable tailor of Evans- ville, making wearing apparel for all of the best people of the city and sur. rounding country. He has occupied the position of vice president of the "True Blue" and Evansville pump facto- ries, and was for a number of years on the directory and auditor of the Unity Coal and Mining Company, and was a
member of the organization committee of the Business Men's Association.
He has been captain of Evansville Division No. 4. K. of P., and is now district deputy Grand Commander of the I. O. K. of P. He is chairman of the committee on military rank I. O. K. of P, with J. L. Bieler and C. J. Many, and is also an A. O. U. W.
LOUIS H. LEGLER,
PRESENT auditor of Vanderburgh county, was born December 21, 1855, in Canada, and came to Evans- ville with his parents in 1866. Dr. Henry T. Legler, (father), was born in Dresden, Saxony, IS19.
Louis H. Legler received his early mental training in the public schools of Evansville, and at the age of fourteen he was employed as a bundle boy in Coolidge's dry goods store, it being his first attempt to make his own living. In ISS6 Mr. Legler was made deputy auditor under James Parvin, and in 1894 he was elected to the office of county auditor, which position he now fills. Efficient, trustworthy and always courteous, he is an acceptable and popu- lar officer. Honest purposes and laud- able conduct have marked his career. and the worth of his character have won for him the admiration and respect of all who know him. In all matters appertaining to the city's welfare he will be found in the front rank, ever ready to show the outside world Evans- ville's advantages.
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