Greater Indianapolis : the history, the industries, the institutions, and the people of a city of homes, Part 30

Author: Dunn, Jacob Piatt, 1855-1924. cn
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 972

USA > Indiana > Marion County > Indianapolis > Greater Indianapolis : the history, the industries, the institutions, and the people of a city of homes > Part 30

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John W. Kern attended the public school at Alto in his native county, later attended the State Normal School at Kokomo, and was graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, in

1869. He began the practice of his profession in Kokomo, and in January, 1885, took the office of reporter for the Supreme Court. At this time he moved to Indianapolis, which has since been his place of residence. In 1892 he was elected to the state Senate, of which body he was a member four years. He has held several other public offices; he was for two terms city attorney of Indianapolis, seven years city attorney of Kokomo, in 1893 was appointed by Attorney-General Olney to serve as special United States attorney for the pros- ecution of the wreckers of Indianapolis banks, and in 1900 and in 1904 was the Democratic candidate for governor of Indiana. Mr. Kern is one of the foremost Democrats of his native state, and a leader in all the party's move- ments, and, as before mentioned, gained the attention of the entire nation in 1908, in con- nection with his candidacy for vice-president. He has the confidence and respect of all with whom he comes in contact, and has a host of friends.

Fraternally Mr. Kern is a member of Mys- tic Tie Lodge No. 398, Ancient Free and Ac- cepted Masons, of Indianapolis, Indianapolis Consistory, Scottish Rite Masons, Star Lodge No. 7, Knights of Pythias, and to Indianap- olis Lodge No. 13, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He belongs to the Commercial Club of Indianapolis, of which he served as president in 1904, and also belongs to the University, Country and Century Clubs, and the Indiana Democratic Club, having been the first president of the last-named organiza- tion.

Mr. Kern married November 10, 1870, Julia Anna, daughter of David Hazzard. She died September 1, 1884, 'at the age of thirty-four years, leaving two children, Fred Richmond and Julia Anna. The son died February 26, 1901, at Washington, District of. Columbia, having served with distinction in the service of his country in the Spanish-American War; he was the only private volunteer from In- diana to take part in the battle of Santiago. He belonged to the First District of Columbia Volunteers. The daughter was graduated from Mrs. Sewall's Girls' Classical School, at Indianapolis in the class of 1901. Mr. Kern married again December 23, 1885, his second wife being Araminta A., daughter of Dr. William and Eliza (Newcomb) Cooper, of Ko- komo. Mr. and Mrs. Kern have become par- ents of two sons, John W., Jr., and William Cooper, and the family home is at 1836 North Pennsylvania street.

WILMER CHRISTIAN, M. D. It has been given Dr. Christian to attain to marked suc- cess and prestige as one of the representative

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physicians and surgeons of his native eity, and he is now engaged in the active practice of his profession in Indianapolis, where his popularity is of the most unequivocal type.

Dr. Christian was born in Indianapolis, on the 24th of February, 1871, and is a son of Wilmer F. and Margaret J. ( Moore) Chris- tian, the former of whom was born at Snow Hill, Maryland, and the latter in Marion County, Indiana. The father was reared and educated in his native state and has been for many years a successful contractor and build- er in Indianapolis, where he still maintains his home. He is a son of Job Christian, who came from England to America and first settled in New Jersey, whence he subsequent- ly removed to Maryland, where he passed the residue of his life, having been a tailor by trade and vocation. Mrs. Margaret J. (Moore) Christian, who died in Indianapolis, on the 25th of January, 1904, was a dangh- ter of Thomas Moore, who was one of the sterling pioneers of Marion County, Indiana, and who was a son of Thomas Moore, who immigrated to the United States from County Donegal, Ireland, settling in Pennsylvania, where Thomas, Jr., was born. The father and sons all assisted in the construction of the old National Road, and, following the prog- ress of this onee important highway, they came west to Indiana. where the grandfather of the doctor secured a tract of land lying between Indianapolis and its attractive sub- urb of Irvington. Much of this land, which is now very valuable, is yet in the possession of the family. Wilmer F. and Margaret J. (Moore) Christian became the parents of six children, of whom the eldest is Thomas J., who is a resident of Indianapolis, where he is engaged in the lumber business; Wilmer, subject of this review, was the next in order of birth; Harry E. died on the 1st of April, 1909; Frank L. died May 1, 1907; Grace, who remains at the paternal home, was graduated in Smith College, as a member of the class of 1908; and Clara died on the 4th of Jannary, 1880.

Dr. Christian gained his preliminary edu- cation in public school No. 1, Indianapolis, and later continned his studies in the classical school for boys and the Shortridge high school, in which latter he was gradnated as a member of the class of 1888. He then entered Wabash College, at Crawfordsville, Indiana. in which he was graduated as a member of the class of 1892 and from which he received the degree of Bachelor of Science. In 1898 he received from his alma mater the degree of Master of Science, and in 1905, that of Master of Arts. After the completion of his

more purely academic studies, Dr. Christian turned his attention to those of a technical nature, being matriculated in Medical Col- lege of Indiana, in Indianapolis, where he completed the prescribed course and was graduated in 1896, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. He has since done effective post-graduate work and keeps fully in touch with the advances made in both departments of his exacting profession. In 1896 he was house physician of. the Indianapolis City Hospital, and he was police surgeon of the city from 1897 until 1901. He is now a mem- ber of the board of trustees of the Indiana Village for Epilepties, having been appointed to this position by Governor Marshall, in March, 1909. He is identified with the Amer- ican Medical Association and the Indiana State Medical Society. On January 15, 1910, Dr. Christian became vice-president and med- ical director of the Anchor Life Insurance Company of Indianapolis. In politics he is arrayed as a stanch supporter of the cause of the Democratic party, and he and his wife are devoted and zealous members of the First Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis, in which he has been a deacon since he was six- teen years of age.

From 1886 to 1894 Dr. Christian was a member of the Indianapolis Light Artillery, and from the latter year until 1898 he served as adjutant in Second Regiment, Indiana Na- tional Guard. In the time-honored Masonic fraternity his affiliations are with Pentalpha Lodge No. 564, Free and Accepted Masons, Keystone Chapter No. 6, Royal Arch Masons, of which he was high priest in 1903-4; Raper Commandery No. 1, Knights Templar; and Indiana Consistory, Ancient Accepted Scot- tish Rite. He is also identified with Indian- apolis Lodge No. 56, Knights of Pythias, of which he is past chancellor commander, and he holds membership in the Board of Trade, the Indianapolis Art Association, the Con- temporary Club and the University Club. He has been a member of the board of trustees of his alma mater. Wabash College, since 1905, and since 1900 has been national treas- urer of the college fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta.

On the 29th of April, 1897, was solemnized the marriage of Dr. Christian to Miss Edna McGilliard, who was born and reared in In- dianapolis, being a daughter of Martin V. and Elizabeth (Lloyd) MeGilliard, who still reside in this city, where her father is en- gaged in the insurance business.

OSCAR HADLEY. In the enlisting of men of notable enterprise, ability and integrity in the furtherance of its industrial, commercial

Oscar Stadler

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HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS.

and civic affairs is mainly due the. precedence and great material prosperity of the fine old Hoosier commonwealth, and in this connec- tion it is pleasing to note the large propor- tion of native sons of the state who are here prominent and influential in business, pro- fessional and public life, upholding the high prestige of names long identified with the history of the state and wielding much in- fluence in their respective fields of endeavor. Oscar Hadley, the present efficient and hon- ored state treasurer of Indiana, has passed his entire life thus far within the confines of the state and is a scion of one of its well known and sterling pioneer families. He has from his youth been closely identified with the great basic industries of agriculture and stock-growing, in connection with which he has attained to marked success, and the esteem and confidence in which he is held needs no further voucher than the fact that he is incumbent, for a second term, of one of the most important offices in the gift of the people of his native state.

Mr. Hadley was born on a farm in Guil- ford Township, near the thriving little city of Plainfield, Hendricks County, Indiana, on the 3rd of May, 1858, and in order of nativ- ity is the fifteenth of the sixteen children born to Elias and Lucinda (Carter) Hadley, the former of whom was born in North Caro- lina and the latter in Butler County, Ohio. Elias Hadley was a boy at the time when his father, Jeremiah Hadley, removed with his family from North Carolina to Butler County, Ohio, where he was reared to ma- turity and received the limited educational advantages offered by the primitive schools of the pioneer days. Prior to the attaining of his legal majority Elias Hadley came to Indiana and selected a favorable location in Hendricks County, after which he returned to Ohio and was united in marriage to Miss Lucinda Carter. who was then in her seven- teenth year. Immediately after their mar- riage the young couple came to Hendricks County, Indiana, and set up their Lares and Penates in a pioneer log honse erected on the land, in Guilford Township, which he had secured from the government and which rep- resented at the time a veritable forest wilder- ness. His father also removed to the same locality at the same time and both secured tracts of government land, on a portion of which the town of Plainfield is now located. The young man and the old grappled vigor- ously with the giants of the forest and in due time reclaimed their farms to cultiva- tion. Jeremiah Hadley and his worthy wife passed the residue of their lives in Hendricks

County, and on their old homestead Elias and Lucinda (Carter) Hadley continued to reside until they; too, were summoned to the life eternal, honored pioneers of the county in which they took up their abode about the year 1822. Elias Hadley was seventy-five years of age at the time of his demise, and his cherished and devoted wife passed away at the venerable age of eighty-four years, a true mother in Israel, whose children may well "rise up and call her blessed", and whose memory they hold in lasting reverence. Both she and her husband were zealous mem- bers of the Christian church and in politics he was originally a Whig, and later a Re- publican, having united with the "grand old party" at the time of its organization. Of the sixteen children nine are now living. The Hadley family has been one of the best known and most highly honored in Hendricks County for many years, and its members have contributed in liberal measure to the civic and industrial development of that favored section of the state. Twelve of the sixteen children in the Hadley family lived to ma- turity and all were members of the same church. All had married and on Christmas, 1883, the entire family sat at dinner to- gether in the home of their parents.

Oscar Hadley was reared to maturity on the old homestead farm which was the place of his nativity, and he received his due quota of the generous benefices that ever come to those who are thus given the privilege of closely touching gracious nature "in her visi- ble forms", the while he waxed strong in mind and body under the discipline involved, learning the lessons of industry, self-reliance and sturdy integrity that have proved so potent in the guiding and guarding of his career as a man among men, and have gained to him unequivocal confidence and esteem. After completing the curriculum of the pub- lic schools Mr. Hadley continued his studies for one year in Butler College, at Irvington, a suburb of Indianapolis, and his entire busi- ness career, from his youth to the present time, has been one of intimate and successful identification with general farming and stock- growing, in which latter department of in- dustry he has gained a specially wide repu- tation as a successful breeder of high-grade cattle. For many years he has been num- bered among the representative farmers and stock-raisers of his native county, where he owns a fine landed estate of 250 acres, equipped with the best of improvements in all lines, and he now holds prestige as one of the leading exponents of agriculture and stock enterprises in the entire state. For

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several years past he has been a valued mem- ber of the Indiana state board of agriculture, of which he served as president in 1909, giving to the work of the organization the benefits of his wide and practical experience and fine administrative ability. In 1902 Mr. Hadley became one of the organizers and in- corporators of the Polled Durham Breeders' Association of the United States, which is now the largest and most substantial organi- zation of its kind in the world, and of which he was elected president in 1908, and is still in office. In this connection it is needless to say that he has made a specialty of the breeding of the Polled Durham cattle, and on his farm are to be found the finest of specimens of this breed of the highest stand- ard. He is a member of both the State and National Shorthorn Breeders' Association.

A man of original thought and strong in- tellectual equipment, Mr. Hadley has natur- ally taken a loyal interest in public affairs in his native state and done all in his power to conserve its progress and prosperity. A stalwart in the camp of the Republican party from the time of attaining to his legal ma- jority, he has rendered most efficient service . in the promotion of its cause and has been a prominent factor in connection with the party work in Indiana. His eligibility for positions of public trust was early recognized in his home community, where, it may be said, he sets at naught all incidental applica- tion of the scriptural adage that "a prophet is not without honor save in his own coun- try". At the age of twenty-one years he be- came a member of the precinct committee of his party in his home precinct, and he was chairman of the precinct committee for a continuous period of fifteen years. The first elective office to which he was called was that of trustee of his native township, of which position he continued incumbent for five and 'one-half years, at the close of which, in 1900, he was nominated and elected treasurer of Hendricks County. Local political precedent prescribes that in that county the county treasurer shall not become a candidate for a second term, and thus Mr. Hadley served only the one term, within which heshowed marked ability in handling the fiscal affairs of the county, as has he later in the adminis- tration of those of the entire state.

In 1906 Mr. Hadley's name was placed be- fore his party in connection with candidacy for the office of state treasurer, and after a spirited preliminary campaign he was duly nominated for this office in the Republican state convention of that year. In November of the same year he rolled up a gratifying

majority at the polls, and on the 10th of February, 1907, he assumed the practical charge of the duties of the office. Within his term of two years he amply justified the wisdom of the people's choice, bringing to bear marked capacity for handling the de- tails of the work and doing much to improve the system of handling the fiscal affairs of the state. Popular appreciation of his fidel- ity, ability and sterling integrity of purpose was indicated both in his nomination as his own successor by his party in the state con- vention of 1908, and also by the unequivocal support accorded him in the ensuing election, through which he was returned to office for a second term of two years, which will expire on the 10th of February, 1911. His record as state treasurer has been signally clean, straightforward and successful, redounding alike to his credit and to the conservation of. the best interests of the commonwealth. His administration will go on record as 'one of the best the office has ever had.

Mr. Hadley is an appreciative member of the Masonic fraternity, in which he has taken the capitular degrees, being affiliated with Plainfield Lodge No. 653, Free and Ac- cepted Masons, in Plainfield, and with Dan- ville Chapter No. 46, Royal Arch Masons, of Danville, Indiana. He also holds member- ship in the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows and the Knights of Pythias. In 1879 Mr. Hadley was united in marriage with Miss Emma Talbott and three children were born of this union.

GAVIN L. PAYNE. Exercising important functions and to be noted as one of the rep- resentative financial concerns in the Indiana capital, the firm of Gavin L. Payne & Com- pany controls a large and substantial business in the handling of high-grade securities and in conducting an investment-banking enter- prise. The business is held to normal and conservative lines and its absolute reliability has gained to the firm distinctive prestige in financial circles. As the executive head of this well known concern and as one of the loyal and progressive citizens of "Greater In- dianapolis," Mr. Payne is well entitled to representation in this publication.

Gavin Lodge Payne has lived in Indianap- olis virtually all of his life, having been an infant at the time of his parents' removal to the capital city from Jefferson County, which has contributed a large and valued quota to the citizenship of Indianapolis. He is a son of John Godman Payne, now deceased, and Mary (Byfield) Payne. Gavin L. Payne was born at Wirt, Jefferson County, Indiana, on the 3rd of September, 1869, and his early

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HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS.

educational discipline was received in the public schools of Indianapolis. He was af- forded the advantages of the old high school, now supplemented by a large and modern building, at the corner of Pennsylvania and Michigan streets. Much of Mr. Payne's life has been passed in a newspaper atmosphere and as a youngster he made his way through high school by carrying newspaper routes early in the morning and late in the evening. Later he began contributing to the local weekly papers, and before he had attained the age of twenty years he was a full-fledged re- porter on the Indianapolis Sentinel. In 1890 came the wanderlust period in his career and, tempted by the lure of high salaries then be- ing paid to newspaper men in the south, he went to Memphis, Tennessee, where he became attached to the new Memphis Commercial, on which he served during some stormy years in the local history of that city. He rose from the position of police reporter to that of man- aging editor, which latter incumbency he as- sumed at the age of twenty-three years. Dur- ing much of the time passed in Memphis, Mr. Payne was the roommate and chum of James Keeley, who is now managing editor of the Chicago Tribune and to whom a recent east- ern magazine referred as the world's greatest news editor. '"I think I was menaced by the southern hookworm about the time I met Keeley," said Mr. Payne recently, "but the newspaper pace set by that human dynamo, Keeley, quickly electrocuted anything of that kind in my system. I was never able to catch up with him, but the advantage of his strenuous companionship meant much to me." Mr. Payne was closely associated in those days with the late Senator Edward Carmack, a brilliant editor whose tragic death, in Nash- ville is a matter of recent occurrence. A va- ried and interesting experience in his profes- sion at this time, including a season as a correspondent in the mountains of eastern Tennessee during the coal miners' war, which required the entire state militia and sheriffs' posses to quell. He also made a trip up the Mississippi River on the "Concord," the first modern fighting ship to pass up the river as far as Memphis. When the New Orleans New Delta was established by the good people of the Crescent City to stamp out the famous lottery that had so long been an institution of that state, Mr. Payne was invited to join its editorial staff and he was assigned a part in that notable and successful campaign which was conducted by the redoubtable and fear- less Colonel John Parker. The Mafia troubles also came on at this time and in connection therewith, Mr. Payne did most effective

reportorial work. When his loyal and valued friend, James Keeley, became managing edi- tor of the Louisville Commercial he tendered the position of city editor to Mr. Payne, and the two were again roommates until Mr. Keeley went to the Chicago Tribune.

In May, 1893, Mr. Payne was tendered the position of assistant city editor of the Indian- apolis Journal, and very shortly after his acceptance he was advanced to office of city editor, of which position he continued in ten- ure until 1899-probably the longest service at this particular post ever recorded in the history of that well beloved old paper. He ac- companied Ex-President Harrison around the state in 1894 and reported that statesinan's famous utterances. During the Spanish- American War he was duly accredited as a correspondent by the war department and served the Indianapolis Journal at Chicka- mauga and Tampa, where he "covered" the Indiana regiments. When the Indianapolis Press was established Mr. Payne became city editor of that publication, with which he re- mained until its demise. While on this paper he served as correspondent at Frankfort, Ken- tucky, in the troublesome days following Goe- bel's death, and incidentally he obtained the first interview with Governor Taylor, who was then entrenched in the state capitol.

Upon the death of the Indianapolis Press, Mr. Payne was elected secretary of the Se. curity Trust Company, which was then being organized, and was rapidly advanced until he became president of the institution, in which office he succeeded the late Americus C. Daily. In the winter of 1906, his health having become impaired, Mr. Payne sold his interest in the trust company, resigned the presidency of the same and went to the Island of Jamaica for a month's stay, and he was ill in bed in Kingston when the great earthquake of January 13, 1907, destroyed that city, but he fortunately escaped injury. On the day when the panic of 1907 had its initiation Mr. Payne, who had in the mean. while fully recuperated his physical energies, established the investment concern that now bears his name. For years he has made. a study of investment-securities, and thus he is admirably fortified for the administration of the affairs of the firm of which he is thus the executive principal.

Mr. Payne has held but one public office, having represented the Third ward of Indian· apolis in the city council for one term. He has also given effective service as a member of the citizens' advisory committee of the Indianapolis public library, and at one time he held the presidency of the Indianapolis

Vol. II-10

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Press Club. He was vice-president of the In- diana May Music Festival Association at the time when that organization was at its zenith. Fond of water sports, he, with others, organ- ized the old Indianapolis Aquatic Club, of which he was the first president. In his younger days he contributed prose and verse to many of the magazines and other publica- tions.

In politics Mr. Payne gives his allegiance to the Republican party, and in the Masonic fraternity he is affiliated with the various bodies of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, the while his ancient-craft membership is in the Mystic Tie Lodge No. 398, Free and Ac- cepted Masons. He is identified with the Co- lumbia Club, the Marion Club, the German House, the Indianapolis Maennerchor, and the Indianapolis Stock Exchange.

In 1904 Mr. Payne was united in mar- riage to Miss Bertha C. Fahnley, daughter of Frederick Fahnley, a representative business man of Indianapolis, and the two children of this union are Frederick and Ada.

Mr. Payne claims to be a pure-bred Hoosier, as his grandparents on both sides were num- bered among the very early settlers of this state. His maternal grandfather, Horatio Byfield, was landed at Madison, Indiana, by a flatboat before Indiana was a state and north of that now thriving city he literally hewed out a farm in the midst of the forest wilds. His remains were laid to rest in the little cemetery on his old homestead farm. In 1818 Horatio Byfield constructed a wooden plow for read-making. and this plow, which hung in the Indiana State Museum for many years, was proclaimed the first plow ever built for that purpose in Indiana. In the days prior to the Civil War Mr. Payne's pa- ternal grandfather, Elihu Payne, was a man- ufacturer of fanning mills upon a somewhat extensive scale. at Madison, this state .. The Payne family had its first representatives from Baltimore, Maryland, where it was founded in the colonial days. On the ma- ternal side the lineage is traced back to stanch Scotch and Irish stock. When but fourteen years of age John G. Payne, father of the subject of this review, tendered his services in defense of the Union, by enlisting in the Thirteenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and later he became a member of a Kentucky reg- iment. He saw his full quota of arduous serv- ice and was with Sherman on the ever memor- able march from Atlanta to the sea.

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Greater Indianapolis : the history, the industries, the institutions, and the people of a city of homes, Part 30

Author: Dunn, Jacob Piatt, 1855-1924. cn Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 972

Author: Dunn, Jacob Piatt, 1855-1924. cn
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 972