USA > Indiana > Greene County > Biographical memoirs of Greene County, Ind. : with reminiscences of pioneer days, Volume III > Part 6
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Mr. Gastineau is the son of Adam and Elizabeth
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(Nantz) Gastineau, both deceased, the former having died near Linton and the latter in Shelby county, Illi- nois, on the old homestead. The subject's father was a soldier in the Civil war, having enlisted from Illinois, and died of smallpox while at home on a furlough. The subject is the only survivor of a family of five children. Dorcas Jane, the subject's sister, married twice. She was the wife of Laban Greene when she died in Missouri. William, the subject's brother, died in childhood; John N., our subject, James also died in childhood ; Andrew J., a farmer, died September 17, 1894. leaving a wife and three children, who still live on the farm he owned in Grant township. The living children are John Francis and Ella, the wife of Claude Long. The widow left by the death of Andrew Gastineau has remarried, now be- ing the wife of Neil Roach.
The subject of this sketch came to Stockton, Greene county, in 1866. His grandparents, the family of James Gastineau, lived there in pioneer days and the father of the subject was visiting his parents when he died. The family came to Indiana from Kentucky in a very early day. The Gastineau family is of French extraction.
John N. Gastineau is a stanch Republican, but he never held public office, and has no lodge connections. However, he is popular among a large circle of friends and acquaintances, as is also his family. Mrs. Gastineau is a member of the German Reformed church.
HARRISON DAVID HUNT.
The subject, who is a leading merchant and one of the most substantial citizens of Linton, Indiana, was born
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in Lewis, Vigo county, this state, December 5. 1849, and he was educated in the public schools of Owen county. He operated the home place for ten years and was a suc- cessful farmer, but he launched in the mercantile business and has spent the greater part of his life in it, the past eighteen years in Linton, during which time he assisted in the wonderful development of this city, having known the place all his life and always having faith in its fu- ture. He carries a large stock of general merchandise. employing four salesmen.
Mr. Hunt was married on February 15, 1880, to Rachael E. Dixon, daughter of Daniel and Mary J. Dixon, of Fair Play township. Greene county, and to this happy union the following children have been born : Harry D., a partner in his father's business, who mar- ried Pearl Price, daughter of C. A. and Ida Price; Es- sie May is the wife of Oliver W. Underwood, bookkeeper for the Linton Gas Company: two children died in in- fancy, and Clifford died when four years old. Mr. Hunt is a Republican, and he was constable and justice of the peace many years ago. He was also census enumerator in 1880. He is a member of Lodge No. 560. Free and Accepted Masons, and Unity Lodge, No. 637, Odd Fel- lows, being past noble grand in the latter. He is a mem- ber of the Eagle Encampment, No. 222, being past chief patriarch. He and his family are members of the Chris- tian church.
The Hunt family is descended from Irish ancestors. who first settled in the eastern states. The Ingersoll fam- ily. the subject's mother's people, came from England and settled in Massachusetts. His father was Nathan D.
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Hunt, who was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, and his wife, Mary Ingersoll, was born in Stockton township, Greene county. The family lived in Sullivan, Owen and Greene counties. The subject's father was a physician, but the latter part of his life was spent in the mercantile business at Middleton and Stockton, Owen county. Al- though he died early, at the age of thirty-seven years, then living on a farm in Owen county, he was very suc- cessful in whatever he undertook. His wife never re- married. She died in Linton at the age of seventy-four years. They had a family of seven children, of whom four are now living, namely: Harrison D., subject ; Horatio, living in Linton; Mrs. Hannah E. Newman, widow, living in Linton, employed at the postoffice; Phoebe E., unmarried, living at Terre Haute, Indiana, manager of a boarding house at the college ; two children died in childhood and one later in youth.
JOSEPH EDGAR BEASLEY.
Joseph Edgar, Beasley was born in Linton, Indiana, April 26, 1876, and, believing that better business op- portunities existed at his own door than elsewhere, re- mained in his native town. He attended the common schools in Stockton township, Greene county: also the normal school at Danville, Indiana, where he prepared himself for a teacher and successfully followed this pro- fession for five terms, then took a law course in the Uni-
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versity of Indiana and was admitted to the bar in 1900, and practiced law for two years, but on account of fail- ing health gave up regular practice and spent two years in outside work, after which he went into the real estate business, in which he is now engaged. He was married in August, 1898, to Mina J. Crabtree, daughter of Isaac and Sarah Crabtree, of Linton. One daughter was born to this union, Theodocia Theresa, who is now ( 1908) eight years old. Mrs. Beasley was born and reared on a farm in Wright township, Greene county. Her father is deceased ; her mother is a resident of Linton. The sub- ject and wife are members of the Baptist church. He is a Democrat in political belief and served two creditable years as city attorney of Linton.
Isaac Beasley, the father of the subject, was born in Lawrence county, Indiana, October 30, 1846, and mar- ried Elizabeth Clayton, a native of Greene county. They have spent the major part of their lives in the last named county. Mr. Beasley has been a successful farmer, hay- ing spent most of his life on a farm, now owning one hundred and sixty acres of good land and has a beauti- ful country home. Six sons and six daughters have been born to this union, all living but one. They are: Linus W., Jennie, William, deceased: Martha, Joseph E., sub- ject : Isom, Sarah, Virgie, Nora, Chloe, Isaac, Jr., and Milton. The paternal ancestors of Isaac Beasley were of English and German extraction. Some of them lived in North Carolina. They were engaged mostly in agri- cultural pursuits. Alexander Beasley, grandfather of the subject, was one of the first pioneers of western Greene county, Indiana. He was an active churchman,
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a Missionary Baptist, helping organize and establish a church of this denomination on one corner of the Beasley homestead, which has been perpetuated to the present time. He and his wife are buried in the cemetery near the church. His maternal grandfather, Linus Clayton, came to America from England and was one of the earli- est settlers, of whom there are many descendants living in Greene county, Indiana. The parents of the subject and their family and most of the connection are mem- bers of the Baptist church and people of the highest integrity.
CHARLES ARRY PRICE.
This sketch tells briefly of the well known liveryman of Linton, Greene county, who has preferred to spend most of his life in the town where he was born Septem- ber 7. 1859, believing that better opportunities were at home than elsewhere, and success has attended his efforts in his chosen field. He received a good education at Terre Haute, and began farming after he left school, con- tinuing farming and dairying for several years; then he was in the grocery and meat business in Terre Haute for a number of years. He also farmed in Illinois for a pe- riod of two years. Returning to Linton in February. 1900, he engaged in the meat business, later adding a stock of groceries, which he continued until 1907, when he engaged in the livery business, now having the largest livery stock in Linton, operating the "bus" lines to the railroad stations and doing a general livery business.
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Mr. Price is a Republican, a Mason, a member of the Odd Fellows, Encampment and Canton of Uniform Rank, a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, Ben-Hur ; also a member of the Retail Butchers' Asso- ciation of Terre Haute, taking a lively interest in all of these.
The subject married Ida L. Henry on August 20. 1881, the daughter of James and Laura H. Henry, of Terre Haute. Mrs. Price was born, reared and married in the same house. They are the parents of three chil- dren, namely : Pearl May is the wife of Harry Hunt, a merchant in Linton ; Arthur H. is employed in the elec- tric light plant at Linton ; Hazel A. is living at home.
The subject is the son of Wesley H. and Miranda (Harvey) Price, the former a native of Greene county, and the latter a native of Sullivan county. The former moved from Linton, his early home, to a four hundred- acre farm near Terre Haute, which he operated very suc- cessfully. The following children were born to this union : Josiah, a farmer, living in Texas; William E., in the livery business at Terre Haute; Fenlon. a mer- chant at Paris, Illinois ; James, proprietor of a meat mar- ket at Clinton, Indiana ; Wilbush and Lovell both died in childhood: Sarah is the wife of George W. Yeoman, liv- ing in Linton: Mattie is the wife of Chauncy Strong, living in Terre Haute; Elizabeth is the wife of Silas Royer, living in California; Charles A., the subject of this sketch.
The subject's father died in Terre Haute in Janu- ary, 1888, and his mother is living in Linton in 1908. The Price family is one of the oldest and best established
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in Greene county, and has always borne an enviable reputation.
JESSE F. WEISMAN.
Jesse F. Weisman, attorney-at-law, Linton, and one of the rising members of the Greene county bar, was born May 15. 1881, in Anderson, Indiana, the son of Rev. David M. and Melinda Weisman, natives of Ohio and Indiana, respectively. David M. Weisman, a scholarly and successful minister of the Lutheran church, spent the greater part of his life in the state of his birth, and died at Oxford on the Iatli day of July, 1902. His wife. whose maiden name was Melinda Saunders, departed this life at Anderson, Indiana, January 30, 1894. In addi- tion to his general ministerial labors, which took quite a wide range and included some of the best churches of the Lutheran faith in Ohio and Indiana, Rev. Weisman also served as chaplain of the penitentiary in the former state, holding the position during the Civil war period. As the name indicates, the Weisman family is of German origin, the Saunders being of English descent.
The early educational privileges of Jesse F. Weis- man were such as the public schools of Anderson af- forded, in no sense meager. At a later period he finished a high school course at Oxford, Ohio, and feeling that deeper draughts from the fountain of knowledge were essential to success in the professional life which he had in view, he subsequently entered Miami University, from which he was graduated with a brilliant record on June
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15, 1902, receiving the highest honors of his vlas. Im- pressed with a strong desire to enter the legal profession, he embraced every opportunity to cultivate those faculties deemed requisite to successful practice in the future. hence, while yet a mere youth, he manifested great fond- ness for study and painstaking research, also a decided liking for forensic disputation in the usages incident thereto, he early acquired considerable skill. His specific preparation for his life work, however, was made in the Cincinnati Law School, which he attended until com- pleting the prescribed course in 1905. and in which he took high rank as a student, winning the honors of his class. Shortly after his graduation from the above in- stitution on May 20th of the year indicated, Mr. Weis- man passed the final test of professional efficiency by tak- ing the state examination, which Ohio requires of law students and without which no one is permitted to prac- tice in that commonwealth. Passing through this or- deal, which was successfully accomplished after three days of arduous effort, in June, 1905. he located at Lin- ton, Indiana, on July 3d following, and engaged in the practice of his profession, his career from that date to the present time presenting a series of successes such as few lawyers of much experience achieve.
Mr. Weisman's scholarly attainments and habits of industry, with other qualities which guarantee ultimate promotion, have tended greatly to enlarge the area of his professional career, and he has a large and lucrative business. As evidence of the confidence reposed in him by the public he was elected in May. 1906, city attorney of Linton, the duties of which position he discharged in
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a manner satisfactory to all concerned, filling the office with ability and dignity, looking carefully after the in- terests of municipality and proving loyal to every trust.
Mr. Weisman's profession, as well as the interest he has ever manifested in public affairs, very naturally led him into politics, a field in which his talents shine with peculiar luster. He is now one of the trusted Democratic leaders of Greene county under efficient service to liis party both as an adviser in the councils and untiring worker with the rank and file. He is an enthusiastic member of several secret fraternal organizations, notably the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, Knights of Pythias, Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Mod- ern Woodmen of the World, in all of which his influ- ence has been strong and salutary.
Mr. Weisman has been married since the 22d day of December, 1906, his wife, formerly Bertha A. Riddle, daughter of Jonathan and Amanda (Carmichael) Rid- dle, being a native of Greene county and a lady of many admirable qualities, who is popular in the best society circles of the city in which she resides. The subject is the only surviving son of his parents. He has two sis- ters, Mrs. Joseph Dettmer, of Anderson, Indiana, and Mrs. Oscar B. Phillipy, who also lives in that city.
FRANCIS McDERMONT.
Francis McDermont represents that sturdy, indus- trious and honest people known as Scotch-Irish, who have
MR. AND MRS. FRANCIS M'DERMOTT.
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made a success in the United States, the land of their adoption, and are loyal to it. The subject of this sketch is a native of County Antrim, Ireland, having been born there September 6, 1837, the son of John and Jane (McEl- derry) McDermont. His grandfather, John McDer- mont, a road contractor, lived and died at the age of eighty years in Ireland, leaving five children. Clark Mc- Dermont, an uncle of the subject, came to America when a young man and became a physician, serving as a sur- geon in the United States army during the Civil war. He was at the battle of Bull's Run, Richmond and others. He died at Dayton, Ohio, and was surgeon in charge of the National Soldiers' Home.
The father of the subject came to America in 1850 and settled in Pennsylvania on a farm, where he re- mained until he moved in 1856 to Indiana and purchased a farm in Monroe county, where he remained until he died at the age of sixty years. His wife lived to be sixty- three years old. There were six children born to this union, only three of whom are now living. The subject of this sketch is the second child in order of birth. Clark, a brother, was a soldier in the Civil war, having enlisted from Indiana in the Eighty-second Volunteer Infantry. He was killed at the battle of Chickamauga. William J., another brother, was a member of the same company and regiment and was mortally wounded in the same battle, dying soon afterwards. Alexander, also a mem- ber of the same company and regiment, served through the war and was honorably discharged and returned home with the remains of his dead brothers. He afterward re- enlisted in the One Hundred and Forty-fifth Regiment,
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Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in which he served until the close of the war. He is still living at Long Beach, Cal- ifornia.
Francis McDermont, the subject of this sketch, was also a soldier in the Civil war, serving only a short term of enlistment. His sister's husband, Anthony R. Ravens- croft, was a captain in the Twenty-second Regiment, In- liana Volunteer Infantry, and was honorably discharged. He died at Fort Madison, Iowa.
The subject was twelve years old when he came to this country, and his early schooling was obtained prin- cipally in Ireland. He attended school in America for mily three months. He worked in Pennsylvania for four years after he first came to that state as a farm hand. He still hired out as a farm hand after he came to Indiana for about five years. Then he rented a farm for two years, then buying the place where he has since lived, which consisted of forty acres at that time. Only a part of the land was cleared, and it had but a small house on it. but the subject cleared the balance of the farm and erected a modern frame residence, also a good barn and convenient outbuildings. Since then he has added to his farm until he now has five hundred acres of well improved land, a portion of which lies in the bottom along a creek, which is very rich soil. When the season is not too rainy this land produces large crops. A part of the upland is prairie and some of it has small timber on it, but it is all level.
The subject engages in general farming, formerly raising and feeding a great deal of stock. He has now put a large part of his place in pasture and meadow. He has been twice married, first to Eliza Ward on February
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13, 1862. She was a native of Monroe county, Indiana. Four children were born to this union, as follows: Jo- seph, who lives at Jasonville, Indiana. He is married and has one daughter, Myrtle : Anna L., deceased, was the sec- ond child of the subject. She was the wife of Henry Green and left three children, William, Ward and Mc- Henry ; Clark is living in California; Jane, the youngest child, is the wife of Samuel N. Fuller. They have two sons, Fred and Lloyd. Mrs. McDermont died February 16, 1874. The subject was again married June 17, 1875. to Nancy Elgan, of Greene county, Indiana, daughter of Rice and Mary (Ellingsworth) Elgan. Two children have been born to this union, John R., deceased ; Benja- min H. is married and living on his father's farm. He has three children, Ralph, Francis and Loraine.
The subject and wife are members of the Patrons of Husbandry, the former having filled all the chairs. He is an elder in the Presbyterian church, of which both he and his wife are members. He is a Republican in po- litical belief, and has been township trustee: also county councilman.
Mr. McDermont and his family are highly respected in their neighborhood and have a large circle of friends and acquaintances.
GILBERT H. HENDREN, JR.
The record of a busy life is usually replete with in- terest, especially if proper motives have animated the
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actor and success and advancement attended his efforts. Such has been the life of the gentleman whose career is briefly outlined in the paragraphs that follow, whose name has been identified with divers vocations and en- terprises, and who, after years of strenuous endeavor, is now engaged in one of the most responsible and exacting of the learned professions with encouraging prospects of continuous advancement as the years go by. Gilbert H. Hendren, Jr., is the oldest of a family of eleven chil- dren, six sons and five daughters, whose parents, Gil- bert H. and Anna M. Hendren, are noted at some length elsewhere in this volume. The names of the sub- ject's brothers and sisters are as follows: Alice J., wife of George W. Cantwell; Seaborn D., O. Herman, Wil- liam F., Curtis C., Mary M., Edith, Anna C., Robert D. and Marjorie, all living, the five older members of the family making their own way in the world and doing well in their respective vocations, the others pursuing their studies in the public schools.
Gilbert H. Hendren, Jr., is a native of Greene county, Indiana, and dates his birth from the 8th day of April, 1882. He was educated in the public schools, which he attended until graduating from the high school at Bloom- field. after which he began the study of law in the office of Seymour Riddle, of Vinita, Indian Territory, later continuing his legal researches at Linton with John A. Riddle. He was for a while a student in abstractitng un- der Marion J. Timmons, of Bloomfield, subsequently became manager of one of Tom Taggart's hotels at French Lick, and he was also employed for some time in the Grand Hotel, Indianapolis, besides a similar posi-
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tion in the Denison House of that city. In addition to the above, his name appears connected from time to time with other positions and vocations, notably the mercantile business at Bloomfield, where he conducted a grocery and notion store, the position of deputy sheriff of Greene county under A. F. Wilson, and for a period of some eighteen months he was manager of an oil company in the Indian Territory, during which time he was also en- gaged in leasing Indian lands, and for a while served as territorial secretary of the Federal Union Surety Com- pany, operating in the territory.
Mr. Hendren is a pronounced Democrat in his po- litical views and an active worker for his party. He was employed by the Democratic state committee in 1904 as secretary of the speakers' bureau, in which capacity he was untiring in his efforts to disseminate the prin- ciples of Democracy throughout the various counties, se- curing the services of well known speakers and sending them where their labors would prove most effective. While in the Indian Territory he began the practice of law, but his admission to the bar dates from the year 1907, since which time he has followed his profession in Greene county, being associated with Jolin A. Riddle, of Linton, his former preceptor, under the firm name of Riddle & Hendren, and doing a large and satisfactory business.
Mr. Hendren has traveled extensively and in his different lines of endeavor has mingled much with men, this contact with the world tending to broaden his views. enlarge the area of his knowledge and give him a prac- tical business training which he has found very valua-
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ble in fitting him for the profession to which his energies are now being devoted. He has a fine legal mind, cul- tivated by careful study and strengthened by close and intelligent observation, which has enabled him to achieve success in his chosen calling sooner than the majority of attorneys of his limited legal experience, and the espe- cial attention which he gives to the interests of miners has gained him a large clientele among that class of work- men in addition to the general practice of his firm.
Mr. Hendren, on April 26, 1902, united in marriage with Effie E., daughter of David and Catherine Rollison, of Fair Play township, Greene county, the union being without issue. Fraternally he holds membership with several secret benevolent societies, among which are the Free and Accepted Masons, Order of the Eastern Star, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, Loyal Americans and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, including the Rebekah degree, and Knights of Pythias, in all of which he wields a strong, active and potential influence, besides being honored from time to time with important official positions. Mr. Hendren is a member of the Pres- byterian church, Mrs. Hendren is a member of the Chris- tian church, and they manifest an abiding interest in all lines of benevolent work under the auspices of the local congregation to which they belong, contributing liberally of their means to the support of the Gospel at home and abroad, and making their lives harmonize with the faith they profess, demonstrating the beauty and value of reli- gion when applied to practical affairs of everyday ex- perience.
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EDGAR HOLMES SHERWOOD.
The subject is one of Linton. Indiana's, most promi- nent young business men, who seeing the future possibili- ties and inevitable growth of his native town. for he was born in Linton, on December 7. 1872, preferred to spend his life there rather than take chances elsewhere, and fol- lowing his early convictions, he has been successful in his business career.
After attending the public schools for some time, he worked in the mines in that vicinity for eight years, finally being badly injured in an accident in a mine, which caused permanent disability, having then been in the em- ploy of the Inland Coal Company which retained his ser- vices as bookkeeper after he recovered sufficiently to work again, which position he held for three years. He was elected recorder of Greene county, Indiana, in 1902, and faithfully served the public in this capacity for four years, living at Bloomfield during his term in office. Return- ing to Linton, January 1. 1908, he established himself in the real estate, loan and insurance business, in which he is achieving success.
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