USA > Indiana > Shelby County > Chadwick's History of Shelby County, Indiana, Vol. 2 > Part 50
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During the latter years of his life Doctor McFadden traveled quite ex- tensively and usually spent the winter months in Florida, in which state his death occurred on the 20th day of April, 1907. His financial success was commensurate with the ability and energy displayed and at his death he left one of the largest estates in the county besides contributing during his life- time liberal sums to various utilities, charities and various humanitarian en-
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terprises. Although not a member, he was a regular attendant of the First Presbyterian church, of Shelly ville, and a liberal contributor to its material support.
Doctor McFadden kept in touch with the advancement of medical thought and was an active member of the County, State and National Medical associations. He frequently read original articles before these bodies, and for a number of years was a regular contributor to various medical journals and other periodicals, through the medium of his productions becoming widely known in professional circles throughout the entire country. He was a mem- ber of the Board of United States Examiners for many years, and as long as he continued in the active practice of medicine he was considered an author- ity by his professional brethren of Shelby county.
Doctor McFadden was married December 15. 1875. to Martha Sullivan. of Miami county, Ohio, who is still living. Their children, two in number. are Edna, wife of Donald L. Smith, of Rushville, Indiana, and Walter C .. a physician and surgeon, of Shelbyville, whose sketch appears elsewhere in these pages.
HON. SIDNEY CONGER.
One of the notable men of his day and generation, who has gained sticcess and recognition for himself and at the same time honored his county and state by distinguished services in important trusts, is Hon. Sidney Con- ger, of Shelbyville. Indiana, who holds worthy prestige among the leading business men of Shelby and adjoining counties. Distinctively a man of af- fairs, whose broad and liberal ideas command respect, he has long filled a conspicuous place in the public eye, and as a kader in many important civic enterprises as well as a notable figure in the political arena of his day, he has contributed much to the welfare of his fellow men and attained distinc- tion in a field of endeavor where sound erudition. mature judgment and talents of a high order are required. Aside from his honorable standing in private and public life, there is further propriety in according him representa- tion in a historical work of the province of the one at hand, owing to the fact that he is a native son of Shelby county, which has been the scene of the greater part of his life's earnest labors. having first seen the light of day on April 28. 1850. but notwithstanding the fact that he has been a lifelong resi- dent of this community, his name is known in all parts of the United States and in foreign lands as well, as he has shipped various varieties of pure bred poultry to many lands, near and far, and in other walks of life he has also made his presence felt, as we shall see.
Mi. Conger is the worthy scion of an old and honored family, his pater-
SIDNEY CONGER.
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nal grandfather, George Conger, having been one of the first settlers in Shelby county, and his parents, David and Sarah ( Winterrowd) Conger, were born herc. They reared a family of seven children, of whom Sidney Conger was the first in order of birth. He was brought up as a farmer boy, received such schooling as was afforded by the country schools, and early in life he became self-supporting. He rented land, and in 18;4 settled about four miles fromn Flat Rock. He was ambitious and anxious to get out of oldl ruts and so began raising fine sheep and a little later became interested in Jersey cattle. In 1875 a friend gave him two Partridge Cochin pullets and he added a cock- erel, laying the foundation of a business that has become widely known. In 1877 he added Plymouth Rocks, Buff Cochins and a little later Wyandottes, and became an exhibitor at fairs in Indiana, and as his business increased he went outside of his native state and eventually became known among the principal exhibitors at the leading fairs throughout the United States, and he won many prizes at world's fairs. As early as 1886 he sold a single chicken for one hundred and fifty dollars and a pen of six hens for five hundred dollars, and he has had customers from all parts of this country and Canada. England. Australia and other foreign lands. His success has been phenom- enal when one takes into consideration the fact that he began his career on rented land and through his own efforts and careful management has become the owner of five hundred acres of land, and his home farm adjoining the city of Shelbyville contains one hundred and twenty acres besides. His home is pleasantly situated on top of a low bluff, there being a beautiful grassy hillside in front of the house, sloping down to the interurban railroad. The grounds surrounding this modern, commodious and elegantly furnished house are well laid out and well kept : they are covered with tall pines, maples and many other trees.
In 1882 Mr. Conger's friends and fellow citizens elected him Sheriff of Shelby county, which was a great honor, as his name was on the Republican ticket and this party is largely in the minority in Shelby county. He did not disappoint those who put their trust in him, as he proved himself one of the best officials the county ever had. In 1886 he was elected Joint Representa- tive of Marion, Hancock and Shelby counties to the Legislature by a ina- jority of three hundred and eighty-seven votes, and was made chairman of the committee on fees and salaries, and he was soon recognized as a leader in the House, his counsel often being sought by his colleagues on various im- portant questions. He later served for a period of fifteen years as a member of the State Board of Agriculture, and while he was president of the board the big Coliseum on the state fair grounds was built, under his supervision and within the appropriation, the credit being given Mr. Conger for securing the legislation which made the necessary appropriation for its erection. The state fair soon had a reputation second to none. He also served as president
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of the Shelby County Board of Agriculture for two terms. In 1890 he was appointed by President Harrison on the census board as supervisor of the Indianapolis district. comprising three Congressional districts. During the World's Fair in Chicago Mr. Conger was appointed chairman of live stock for the state, and was one of a committee of two who settled up the affairs of the state, disposing of the business and turning the proceeds, amounting to three thousand and six hundred dollars, back to the state treasury. It was Governor Alvin P. Hovey who appointed him one of the commissioners for Indiana at the Chicago fair. During the fair at Chicago he was elected presi dent of the American Poultry Association for the United States and Canada. In 1900 he was elected commander of the Indiana division of the Sons of Veterans of the United States of America. In January, 1903. Mr. Conger was appointed state supervisor of oil inspection, with headquarters at the state capitol, and his corps of deputies numbered thirty-five. His first ap pointment to this position was by Governor W. T. Durbin. At the expiration of his term of four years, Governor Frank Hanly re-appointed him for an- other term of equal length in 1907. His report to the Legislature in 1900 showed that during his incumbency his department had turned over to the state a net revenue amounting to $202.200.77, while previous to this time the state had not received a dollar from this source. Such facts as these speak eloquently, more forcibly than words could do, of his fidelity to the trust reposed in him by the state.
The career of such a man as Mr. Conger should be held up as an object lesson to the young man who stands at the parting of the ways, and whose fortune is yet a matter for future years to determine, for it shows what hon esty of purpose, close application to business and a loyalty to duty can accom- plish when rightly directed and properly controlled.
WALTER C. MCFADDEN, M. D.
The second child and only son of the late William G. and Martha ( Sul- livan) McFadden is Walter C. McFadden, who was born in Shelbyville, In- diana, on the 14th day of December. 1878. He was reared in his native city. and after graduating from the high school entered Purdue University, where he prosecuted his studies for a period of two years with the object in view of fitting himself for the medical profession. in the principles of which he had already been instructed by his father. After the usual preliminary reading in his father's office, he entered in 1898, the Indiana Medical College, In- dianapolis, and spent four consecutive years in professional study and re- search, graduating with an honorable record in 1902.
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On receiving his degree Ductor McFadden began practicing in Shelby. ville with his father and since the latter's death has continued to occupy the old office so familiar to the people of the city and county, building up an ex- tensive professional business in the meantime. Desiring to increase his pro fessional knowledge and fit himself for greater efficiency in the practice, the Doctor, in 1906, took a post-graduate course in the Polyclinic Hospital at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, since which time his success has been such as to gain for him more than local repute.
The Doctor is abreast of the times on all matters relating to his chosen calling, keeps in close touch with the trend of medical thought and spares neither pains nor expense in his efforts to become a true healer and thus a benefactor of his race. He holds membership with the County Medical So- ciety, the State and National Medical associations, and while attending the sessions of the latter bodies has come into contact with many of the eminent professional minds of his own and other countries, with not a few of whom he is on terms of close personal intimacy.
Doctor McFadden manifests a lively interest in the welfare of the city in which he resides, takes an active part in public affairs, and discharges the du ties of citizenship in a manner becoming a representative American who is proud of the land of his nativity and ready at all times to make sacrifices to promote or defend its institutions. He is a married man, but still occupies the old family home with his mother, his family at this time consisting of him- self and wife and two children, Marion, the older, having been born July 15. 1904. and Martha. born on the 23d day of October, 1908.
Mrs. McFadden was formerly Margaret Schroeder, daughter of Conrad Schroeder. of Shelbyville. in which city she was reared and educated. The Doctor and wife are esteemed members of the First Presbyterian church and fraternally he is identified with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
MRS. FRANCES JUDD.
A venerable and highly esteemed lady whose birth and the admission of the state of Indiana to the Union were contemporaneous events, and who has always lived within the bounds of her native commonwealth. Mrs. Frances Judd, of Fairland, has spent eighty-six of her ninety-three years at or near her present place of abode, and in point of continuous residence is the oldest living inhabitant of Shelby county. The family name of Mrs. Judd was Watts. Her parents, Thomas and Eleanor ( Love) Watts, natives of Mary- land, and of Irish and English descent respectively, were pioneers of southern Indiana, settling in Franklin county when that part of the state was the west-
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ern verge of civilization and experiencing their full share of the hardships and vicissitudes incident to life on the frontier. They lived for some time at Brookdale, and it was there, on August 12, 1816, that their daughter, Frances, first saw the light of day. Her early childhood was passed in her native place and, though but seven years old when the family moved to other parts, she retains vivid recollections of the town and of the many little incidents and hap- penings which usually make such. deep and permanent impressions on the childish mind.
In 1823 Thomas Watts disposed of his interests in Brookville and moved to Shelby county, there being but a single log cabin on the site of Shelbyville at that time, and no settlement within several miles of the place near Brandy wine creek, on which he located and which in due time he purchased from the government. Selecting one hundred and twenty acres in section 23, of what is now Brandywine township for his home, he also entered eighty acres across the line of Hendricks township, and a like area in the township of Sugar Creek. a goodly portion of which he cleared and fitted for tillage. Mr. Watts was a typical pioneer of the period in which he lived and to him belongs the credit of being the forerunner of civilization in what is now one of the finest and most highly improved parts of Shelby county. He resided on his original purchase until his death, which occurred November 10, 1843. at the age of seventy years, his good wife dying December 10, 1846. at the same age. They were the parents of eleven children, namely : Mrs. Sallie Bennett, Squire, Ili ram. Mrs. Cynthia Nail. Wyatt, Martin, Warren, James, Morgan, Isaac and Frances, who is the only survivor of this once large family.
Frances Watts was seven years old when her parents moved into the woods of Brandywine township, and her carly experience amid the active scenes of pioneer times developed a spirit of self-reliance, which, in due time. made her a valued member of the home circle. In addition to assisting with the work of the household, she learned while still young to pick, card and spin the wool, weave the coarse linsey woolsey cloth from which the clothing was made and to attend to the many other homely duties which fell to the lot of the girls of the period, but which have long since become obsolete. The young lady of those days was early instructed in the simple but useful arts which made for good housekeeping, and from childhood to middle age she knew not what it meant to eat the bread of idleness. IIer accepted lot was to render assistance to the mother within doors, and to the father in the fieldIs, to prepare the food for the family, and, as already stated, to spin, weave, knit. make the garments for both male and female, and in many other ways dem- onstrate her ability and usefulness as man's comfort and staff in the days of his prime. and his solace and stay when the erstwhile strong and vigorous body became bent and broken under the increasing burdens and responsibilities of time.
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In December, of the year 1836. Frances Watts became the wife of Alex- ander Judd, who was born in Mason county, Kentucky, and who came to In- diana the year previous to his marriage, settling in Brandywine township. Shelby county, where he spent the remainder of his life as an industrious tiller of the soil. Mr. Judd was a man of excellent parts, energetic and public spir- ited and always manifested an active interest in the development of the town- ship in which he lived, besides using his influence whenever practicable to pro- mote the moral welfare of his fellow men. He was a Democrat in politics, a devoted member of the Methodist Protestant church, and at all times an up- right, law-abiding citizen, who aimed to be on the right side of every public question and moral issue. His life was fraught with much good to his neigh- bors and friends, and his death, which occurred in 1875. was profoundly re- gretted and sincerely mourned by the community in which he had made his home for so many years.
The children of Alexander and Frances Judd, nine in number. were as follows: Warren, who has reached the age of seventy-one, lives at Middles- port, Ohio: Louisa, born December 31. 1839, is the wife of Daniel Bradley, whose sketch may be found on another page : John J., born April 9. 1849. is a farmer of Brandywine township, and has always lived with his mother and looked after her interests: Thomas, the fifth in order of birth, was killed in the Civil war; Elizabeth, who married Elijah Van Atsdall. is deceased : Mary. wife of Alfred Ray, lives in Shelby township, where her husband is engaged in the pursuit of agriculture: Martha, died at the age of eleven, and Sarah. now Mrs. Amos Smith, lives in Shelbyville, the second of the family dying in infancy. At the present time Mrs. Judd has five living children. twenty- two grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren, who seek to vie with each other in ministering to her comfort and rendering the love and homage due to one of her age and experience. Her life, protracted beyond that of the av- erage man and woman, has been an active one and filled to repletion with good to all with whom she has mingled, and now, when the evening comes on apace and the journey is nearing its close, scores of devoted relatives and friends arise to call her blessed and to pray that her years in the land of the living may be many. Her experiences during the early days were not all agreeable as she passed through numerous vicissitudes, but in the main her life has been a happy one and she looks back on a past in which there is much that is cheer- ful and little, if any thing, to regret.
DANIEL BRADLEY.
Daniel Bradley, a retired farmer of Brandywine township, and one of the most esteemed citizens of Shelby county, was born June 15. 1823. in North Carolina, being a son of David and Ellen ( Black) Bradley, natives of
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Virginia and England, respectively. In 1826 David Bradley moved his fan- ily to Shelby county, Indiana, and settled in the northern part of Hendricks township, but after a short time in that locality he changed his residence to the township of Brandywine, where he purchased eighty acres of land which he subsequently increased by an additional eighty, obtained from the govern- ment by entry. He cleared and otherwise improved the greater part of this land and converted it into a fine farm on which he lived until his death in 1843, his wife preceding him to the grave in the year 1832. The family of David and Ellen Bradley consisted of eleven children, whose names are as follows: Jane. Jesse. Margaret. John. Sarah, Mary, Nancy. David. Ellen, and Ruth, Daniel, the subject of this sketch, being third in order of birth.
Daniel Bradley was three years of age when his parents moved to In- diana, since which time his life and interests have been closely identified with Shelby county, being as already stated one of the leading farmers and repre- sentative citizens of the township of Brandywine, where he has made his home for a period of eighty-three years. He was reared to agricultural pursuits. received a limited education in the indifferent subscription schools which the county afforded in early times and after the death of his parents took charge of the home farm, which in due time came into his possession and which he cultivated with gratifying success until his retirement from active life in 1893. Since that year Mr. Bradley has resided in Fairland, where he owns a com- fortable home, being in independent circumstances and well situated to enjoy material blessings which have come to him as the result of his labors and efficient business management.
Mr. Bradley's domestic life began in 1859, when he was united in mar- riage with Louisa, daughter of Alexander and Frances Judd. to which union the following children have been born : Florence, who married Thomas Shaw, and became the mother of four children, namely : Myrtle. Goldie, Daniel and Hazel, Mrs. Shaw being deceased : Lillie M, who is also deceased, was the wife of John Bennett, to whom she bore two children, Mabel and Rose : Ed- gar, a blacksmith, of Fairland, married Mary Stewart, and is the father of one son by the name of Floyd: Luta and Lulie, the fifth in order of birth. are twins, the former married Thomas Cherry and died some years ago, her hus- band also being deceased: Lulie is the wife of Chester Parkhurst, and has one child, a son, who answers to the name of Milton Owen : Donald W., the sey- enth and youngest of the family. is a married man, whose home is in Fairland, his wife having formerly been Ethel Lyons; the second child of the subject died in infancy, unnamed.
Mr. Bradley is a Democrat, but not an active politician. nevertheless he has rendered efficient service to his party and stands firmly for the principles in which he is well grounded. He and his estimable wife are greatly respected and all with whom they mingle speak in high terms of their many excellent
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.qualities of mind and heart. Mr. Bradley's long residence in Shelby samty has enabled him to extend his acquaintance throughout a large area of coun- try and today there are few men in this part of the state as widely and favor- bly known. He easily recalls the journey with his parents from the old North Carolina home to the new place of abode in the wilderness of Indiana. six weeks being required to reach their destination, during which time many in- teresting incidents and not a few thrilling adventures were experienced.
HARRY CLIFFORD MORRISON.
An attorney at law, and prominent citizen of Shelbyville where his birth occurred on April 26, 1858. Harry Clifford Morrison is an honorable repre- sentative of one of the oldest families of southeastern Indiana, and his life has been very closely identified with the history of the city in which he re- sides. Paternally Mr. Morrison is of Scotch descent. and his ancestry is trace- able to the early history of Pennsylvania, where certain of the name appear to have settled in the time of the colonies. His grandfather. John Morrison. was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, in February. 1800, but in early life went to what is now West Virginia, where, in due time, he married Sarah J. Carruthers, whose people were among the pioneer settlers of Shenandoah county. In 1832 John Morrison disposed of his interests in Vir- ginia, and migrated to southeastern Indiana since August of which year the name has been prominent in Shelby county, and intimately associated with the rise and progress of this highly favored part of the state. By occupation Mir. Morrison was a chair-maker. but soon after locating in Shelbyville he dis- continued his trade and opened a hotel which, for half a century, was a fa- vorite stopping place for the traveling public, and one of the interesting land- marks of the town. In addition to his duties as host, he took an active and influential interest in public affairs and in an early day was elected Mayor of Shelbyville, besides filling various other positions of honor and trust. Among the children of John Morrison was a son by the name of George C., whose birth occurred at Wheeling. Virginia, on the 15th day of August. 1829. and who was about three years old when the family moved to the new home in Indiana. He grew to maturity in Shelby county, and when a young man learned the trade of house painting, in which he soon acquired more than or- dinary proficiency and skill. His mechanical ability caused a wide demand for his services, but possessing business ability of a high order he gradually abandoned his trade, the better to devote his attention to his property interests. which meanwhile had grown to such magnitude as to make him one of the large land owners and financially solid men of the county.
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George Morrison possessed sound judgment and his sagacity and fore sight enabled him to take advantage of every opportunity for his advance . ment, and it was not long unti he was numbered among the leading business men and public-spirited citizens of the community. In addition to his exten- sive realty interests be ow ned several large business blocks in Shelbyville. he- sides becoming a heavy stockholder in the First National Bank, of which in stitution he was a director until the day of his death. In all of his transactions he showed himself to be a man of uncommon sagacity and discreetness of judgment, and his scrupulous integrity and high sense of honor won the con- fidence and esteem of his fellow citizens and gained for him a conspicuous place among the leading business men of his part of the state. In enterprises having for their object the advancement and general welfare of his adepied city his name and individual efforts were always foremost and in all the it- tributes of honorable manhood, honesty of purpose and uprightness of char- acter. he stood prominent and enjoyed in full measure the friendship and good will of all with whom he came into contact. As already indicated. his financial success was commensurate with the activity displayed throughont a long and varied business career, and at his death, which occurred in August. of the year 1906, he left one of the largest estates in Shelby county, con-in- ing of valuable farm lands and other real estate in the city and county, be- sides a large amount of capital in bank stock and other securities.
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