USA > Indiana > Knox County > Vincennes > Historical sketches of Old Vincennes, founded in 1732 : its institutions and churches, embracing collateral incidents and biographical sketches of many persons and events connected therewith > Part 12
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The patriarch of the family lies entombed in the city cemetery, but is still represented by thrifty and honored generations.
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NICHOLAS SMITH.
One of the most notable persons the writer became ac- quainted with when he came to Vincennes, more than half a century ago, was the subject of this brief sketch. He was born in New Jersey in September, 1790, and located in Vincennes in 1817, engaging in the hardware and tinning business, preferring this place to either Cincinnati or St. Louis as one for successful business. His first visit to Cin- cinnati was about 1810, but he returned East; finally set- tling in Vincennes. Soon after coming here he was mar- ried to Miss Hannah Foster, of Jefferson County, this State. Mr. Smith combined with his business trading be- tween this place and New Orleans. He died in 1871, leav- ing six children-Foster and Charles, who engaged in business in Terre Haute; Parmelia, Sarah, John, and Ed- ward H. remaining at the old homestead, corner of Fifth and Main streets, built in the year 1833.
Mr. Smith was left an orphan at two years of age, and when little more than a youth started out in the world to seek his fortune. The West then offered inducements to energetic young men, and he soon found himself in the business whirl of life. Being a genial man, of good habits, and having an extraordinarily retentive memory, success followed his business ventures. His sons followed his call- ing in Terre Haute and Vincennes, and have built up a flourishing and profitable trade, retaining the old firm name of fifty years ago of N. Smith & Sons, reminding one of the names of firms seen in the Eastern cities, where the style of them is the same as they were a hundred or more years ago, and where the sons have followed closely
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in the footsteps of their fathers and grandfathers. Such families are a credit to their race and city in building it up and giving character and prosperity to its general business.
JOHN WISE.
Among the honored old citizens of Vincennes must be numbered Mr. John Wise, born in October, 1796, who was conspicuous as an ac- tive business man for more than fifty years. He was a native of Pennsylvania and of stanch, patriotic Ger- man descent. His mother lost part of her scalp in an Indian raid upon the family settle- ment. His father and mother dying the same day, Mr. Wise, being the eldest, was left to care for the minor chil- dren. He came to Vin- cennes in 1816, and en- gaged in the saddlery business, and as he JOHN WISE, SR. prospered he sent, annually, for a member of the fam- ily left at the old homestead, until all were brought here. ITis business enlarged, and soon he became con- traetor for carrying the United States mails from Lou-
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isville, Ky., to St. Louis, Mo., and, following that, he en- tered into merchandizing with his younger brothers, Sam- uel and William, under the firm name of J. S. & W. J. Wise, and added to their business pork packing, mostly for the Southern trade, by means of flatboats, and after- ward steamboats in the New Orleans trade. Mr. Wise mar- ried Miss Hannah McCall, of Kentucky; the fruit of this union being Mary, who married a merchant, Mr. Jedediah IIeberd, and Arabella, who married R. J. Mckinney, who became a successful banker and Mayor of the city during his career, each surviving their husbands to the present time. Mr. Wise purchased the Judge Benjamin Park resi-
PARK-WISE RESIDENCE, SAID TO HAVE BEEN BUILT IN 1815.
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dence, situated just below the Harrison mansion, on the river, and which, it is said, was built the same year as the latter. He bought it in the earliest years of the past cen- tury, and resided in it until his death in 1884. This resi- dence, in former days, was a picturesque, as well as a stately-looking, building, and is one of the few old houses left in the city of a former age. Mrs. Schultz, a florist, now ornaments the old garden with beds of beautiful flowers- fit tribute, as if in memory of the dead but glorious past ; but the building's corridors have ceased to echo back the happy voices once vocal in their labyrinthis.
Mr. Wise was a broad, enterprising business man, and was honored and respected by all who knew him. He was wise enough, as he prospered, to enter large tracts of public lands, and left to his heirs many valuable farms in this and adjoining counties. He died at the good old age of eighty- eight years.
The Wise family were all notable, stanch business men, and some of their worthy descendants still reside in the city.
SAMUEL JUDAIL.
Mr. Samuel Judah settled in Vincennes early in the nineteenth century, and assiduously devoted himself to the practice of law, and must be classed as one of its older American citizens. He carly rose to distinction as a learned and astute attorney, and not many suits were instituted in which he did not either represent the plaintiff or de- fendant. But his fame as a successful lawyer was not alto- gether local, as clients from other States sought his legal opinions. But, probably, the greatest triumph he ever
Brult 1516
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achieved in forensic debate was in the case of The Uni- versity of Vincennes vs. the State of Indiana, and it is very doubtful if this institution would be now in existence had it not been for his shrewdness, indomitable energy and
SAMUEL JUDAH.
his excellent attainments in legal lore. The State had ar- bitrarily, and without legal right, sold the lands belonging to the University, and had appropriated the proceeds of the sales. Suit could not be instituted against the State
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for the recovery of the property without the permission of the Legislature. Mr. Judah procured the passage of a bill granting this authority, the suit was brought in Marion County, and the trial resulted in a verdict for the Univer- sity. An appeal was taken by the State to the Supreme Court, which reversed the verdict of the lower court. Mr. Judah then appealed the case to the Supreme Court of the United States. In this last tribunal he was victorious. Before this the State tried to show, by various ways and schemes, that the charter of the University had lapsed, and employed six of the most noted members of the Indiana bar to accomplish this result; but they were defeated on every point. This contest presented the most crucial test of Mr. Judah's legal abilities possible, and he emerged from it with the highest honors. He was learned outside of the law, and maintained his love for science and the classics during his long career. He was a man of aesthetic tastes, as was manifested in his efforts to advance agricul- ture and floriculture. Having selected and purchased a piece of land two miles east of the town, susceptible topo- graphically of rare possibilities in art improvement, he proceeded to lay the foundation for a beautiful suburban home of rare picturesqueness. He not only preserved the forests in their nascent state, but added to their stock trees and shrubs from other localities. Happily the homestead has been kept intact by his son, the Honorable Noble B. Judah, a prominent attorney of Chicago, under whose skillful and vigilant eye it has been transformed into one of the most beautiful and picturesque country residences in the county.
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Mr. Judah was born in the City of New York in 1798, and was of distinguished parents, who emigrated to Amer- iea in 1750, and espoused the cause of the patriots in the Revolution. He settled in Vincennes in 1818, and was married to Miss Harriet Brandon, of Corydon, Ind., in 1825. He was honored by the citizens of Knox County with a seat in the Legislature in 1828, 1836-38-39 and 1840. He died at Vincennes in 1869. Mrs. Judah's family was no less distinguished than her husband's, having sprung from patriotic revolutionary ancestors. Mr. Judah had six children to arrive at maturity, to wit: Caroline, the wife of Dr. John R. Mantel; Catherine, the wife of General Lazarus Noble, both now deceased, and the present living ones-Alice, the widow of the late Franklin Clarke ; Samuel B., Deputy Internal Revenue Collector for this district ; John M., a prominent attorney of Indianapolis, and Noble B., a distinguished attorney and politician of Chicago.
JEREMIAH L. COLEMAN.
One among the early settlers in Vincennes, who helped to build it up, is the subject of this sketch.
He was born in England in 1788, and, emigrating to this country, landed in Vincennes in 1811. He was a trader, and engaged in general merchandizing, and at first bought his goods at Pittsburgh and brought them here by boat. With his first stock of goods he started with a crew who, after bringing the boat up the Wabash River as far as the mouth of Embarrass River, hearing of the battle of Tippecanoe, after taking it up that stream a few miles,
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left Mr. Coleman and fled to Vincennes through fear of the Indians.
While on one of his trading trips to Pittsburgh after goods he married Miss Elizabeth Nichols, and brought her to his Western home. Mr. Coleman was a man of remark- able genins and skill, and soon turned his attention to va- rious kinds of business. Among others was that of a mill- wright, and he built a mill, probably the first in the town, about where the present gas works stand, and it was there as late as 1855. About the time Mr. Coleman abandoned milling he built a little steamer and named it after his daughter Amanda, who became the wife of our worthy fellow-citizen, Mr. Charles Methesie, and is yet living. His residence, when the writer knew him, was a two-story frame house that stood on Main street, adjoining the city hall lot, where the drug store of H. Watjen now stands.
Several brothers came to this place about the same time Mr. Coleman did, and William, a prominent man, married the late William Burteh's sister; but he was lost with a trading boat of produce between Vincennes and New Or- leans, leaving a wife and daughter, the latter an estimable lady, the present Mrs. Caroline Lusk. Her widowed mother married Captain John D. Martin, who held many official positions during the early years of Territorial Gov- ernment of Indiana.
Besides Mrs. Methesie, Mr. Coleman leaves behind him, yet living, Captain John T. Coleman, who valiantly answered his country's call during the early part of the Civil War, and served through it. During his service he contracted a disease from which he is disabled from active business.
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Mr. Jeremiah L. Coleman died February 5, 1865, leav- ing behind him a spotless record for honesty and good citi- zenship.
JOHN LAW.
Among the bright young New Englanders who migrated to the West in the early part of the nineteenth century was the late Judge John Law, who became a resident of Vincennes in 1817. The acquisition of the great North- west Territory and the establishment of its capital here drew some of the brainiest, best educated men from their Eastern homes to this town. Contention for fame and honor produced a rivalry worthy of emulation, and, as the fittest survive competition only, the meed of praise is due the subject of this sketch, since he became the recipient of public favors seldom exceeded by popular favor. His natural and legal ability, his genial disposition, suavity of manner, ready wit and bonhomie made him a general favor- ite with the people, the source of all power ; no wonder, then, that he was honored by his fellow-citizens. His legal lore soon elevated him to the bench, where he presided with dignity and rare discrimination in balancing the scales of justice.
He was United States Commissioner to adjust land titles in this district, but never filled the office of Receiver of Public Moneys for this land district, as some have as- serted, as will be seen from the list of said officers given elsewhere.
The manifest evidences of statesmanship in due time caused his elevation to Congress from this district; he was
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subsequently elected to the same office and proved himself a valuable and influential member. He married Miss Sarah Ewing, daughter of Honorable Nathaniel Ewing. In later life he removed to Evansville and died there, October 7, 1873.
Judge Law was a fluent and graceful writer and gained a national reputation for his contributions to the Colonial history of the Territory of Indiana, and especially of this city. His son, the Honorable Edward Law. of Evansville, survives the father.
WILLIAM BURTCH.
In relation to the early settlers of Vincennes, no one is more fruitful of interesting incidents than the subject of this sketch. Hle was born in Rutland, Vt., in 1793, and losing his father, he being then the head of the family. left in indigent circumstances, determined to seek his for- tune in the great West, and arrived with his mother and several sisters and a brother in Cincinnati, O., in 1×11. The Indian War detained him there until 1814, when he and family arrived in Vincennes.
Mr. Burtch was small of stature, but was remarkably versatile in intellect, and although his education was lim- ited, he early demonstrated his aptitude in the transaction of business. Starting with a very small capital, his atten- tion to business and strict integrity and thrift soon placed him in the front rank of the business men of the town. But in a few years his striet attention to business made inroads upon his constitution, and his health giving way he sought respite in the country and built the large, fine residence.
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for those days (about 1835) three miles east of the town . (now owned by the widow Emison), and a little rural life so restored his health that he returned to his mercantile business, and he then built a fine residence on the half square on the site of Mr. B. Kuhn's residence, corner of Fourth and Buntin streets. Mr. Burtch engaged in trad- ing South, as well as merchandizing, and was soon ac- counted the wealthiest man in the county. He was public spirited and did as much as any man in the town to ad- vance its general interests, and early became a factor in all that was calculated to elevate the people morally, socially and intellectually. Early he became a member of the Presbyterian Church and was its steadfast supporter; a member of the Board of the Vincennes University, and became its treasurer and held the office until he retired from business on account of his declining years. He was also an officer in the old State Bank of Indiana as long as it existed.
Besides the buildings named he erected a business block at the corner of First and Main streets, opposite the old American Hotel, the present site of the La Plante Hotel. But Mr. Burtch's prosperity failed him in his declining years through the lack of correct methods of his partners in business and loss by the payment of security debts for friends who failed in business, and he died comparatively a poor man.
Mr. Burtch's first wife was Miss Margaret Hanna, by whom he leaves one daughter living, Mrs. Lansing Heberd, of Evansville. By the second wife, Mrs. Eunice Hanna Docker, two daughters survive him, Mrs. Margaret MeLaughlin, of Pennsylvania, and Mrs. Laura Lewis, of
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Indianapolis. One of his sisters married Mr. William Cole- man, the father of Mrs. Caroline Lusk, now residing in this city ; he dying, she married Captain John D. Martin. Another sister married Win. J. Heberd, for a long time a leading merchant of this city. Members of the family still reside here and in Terre Haute.
He died about the year 1850, honored and beloved by all who knew him.
ANDREW GARDNER.
About the year 1816, Vincennes received many substan- tial citizens from the East, they anticipating Horace Greeley's advice, given at a later period, to young men to "go West and grow up with the country"; and Andrew Gardner, the father of our worthy fellow-citizen, Elbridge Gardner, was one of the many enterprising young men to seek a home here at that period, 1816. He was born in Springfield Mass., in 1792, where he learned the cabinet business. He arrived here in advance of his wife, Hanna Gardner, nec Hanna Swift, who was born in Camden, N. J., in 1799.
IIe began business in a frame building on Third street, near and south of Main, about where Thuis' pop establish- ment now stands. In those days all furniture was made by hand, the undertaker's business being combined with it : and for many years it was a valuable calling.
Mr. Gardner was prominent in business, church and Masonie circles, and the author has often had the pleasure of sitting with him at fraternal gatherings. He was a valuable and stanch member of the Methodist church. When his oldest son, Elbridge, the head of the present
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undertaker's establishment of Gardner & Sons, arrived at manhood, the firm was changed to that name, and the father in a few years retired from business on account of advanced age. He died during the year 1860, his wife preceding him a few years to her resting place in the city cemetery. Andrew Gardner was honored and loved by all who knew him.
LEWIS L. WATSON.
The recent death of Mr. Watson tells the living that one more link in the chain that connects the past long gone to the present has been broken, leaving behind only two living persons in this city born as early as 1810, Mr. Vital Bouchie and Mrs. Elizabeth Andre.
Mr. Watson was born April 13, 1809, in the village of Vincennes ; his career has been a checkered one, but his tire- less energy and business foresight have served him well and always kept him advancing to the front. In his youth- ful days he and Mr. Bouchie footed it to St. Louis and be- came apprentices to the tailoring business. In after years he returned to Vincennes and, forming a partnership with the late Samuel R. Dunn, opened a tailoring establishment.
He married Miss Lydia Fellows, daughter of Captain Louis Fellows, who built the large grist and sawmill called the White Mill, on the site of the west end of Harrison Park. A distillery was subsequently attached to it. He continued in the tailoring business until 1849.
Mr. Watson filled many offices of trust. He received the appointment under President Taylor of Postmaster at this place in 1849, and held the same until 1853, when he re- ceived the appointment of collector, at the dam of the
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Wabash Navigation Company at the grand rapids. Ile subsequently served as passenger conductor of the E. & T. H. R. R. Co., after which he became their agent at Vin- connes. While acting in this capacity he and the late Charles Dawes conducted a lumber yard. Leaving this business he became fuel agent of the O. & M. R. R., which place he resigned to commence hotel business with the late Captain Isaac Mass, and subsequently built the Union Depot hotel, which is still conducted by his son, Mr. Edward Watson. Some years ago he retired from active business and died recently at the good old age of 93 years, dying in May, 1902.
Mr. Watson left behind him six living children: Mrs. Jane Reynolds, Mr. Edward Watson and Mrs. Ruth Davenport, of this city; Mrs. Ida MeDonald, of New York ; Mr. William Watson, of Aurora, Ill., and Mr. Rob- ert Watson, of Terre Haute. The deceased were Samuel, of Indianapolis, and Mrs. Lanra Heinly, Danville, Il.
JOHN MOORE.
One of the early settlers of Vincennes was the Honorable John Moore. Ile was a native of Virginia and born in the town of Staunton in the year 1788. At an early age he became a citizen of Vincennes and may have participated in Harrison's campaign against the Prophet at the battle of Tippecanoe, but there seems to be no positive evidence existing to that effect ; the records of the Territorial Execu- tive proceedings show, however, that on May 16. 1812, he was appointed an ensign in the first regiment of the Indiana militia. After his service in the Territorial Army he assumed the occupation of contractor and builder
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and he had much to do with the erection of the old court- house, town hall, Episcopal church, and many others, be- sides his own large brick residence, now one of the oldest buildings in the city. He filled many offices of trust, hav- ing been Judge of the first Probate Court, President of the Board of Trustees of the Borough from 1820 to 1823, was a director in the Vincennes branch of the old State Bank of Indiana, and filled other positions of trust in the city with ability and to the satisfaction of his constituents. He re- ceived the appointment of Postmaster at this city under the administration of President Buchanan in 1856, and served until his successor was appointed in 1861.
He died December 23, 1864, leaving his consort and two children, yet living, Mrs. Ella Smith, wife of Mr. E. H. Smith, a worthy gentleman of this city, and Mrs. W. B. Chadwick, of Chester, Pa.
CYRUS MCCRACKEN ALLEN.
In commencing to write of Old Vincennes it was in- tended to deal with matters occurring only previous to the latter half of the nineteenth century, but as a link should be left between Old and New Vincennes, so that the thread between the past and present may be taken up by some fu- ture historian, the writer knows of no fitter character to perform that office than the subject of this sketch, and his name will be included in the present volume.
Cyrus MeCracken Allen was born in Clark county, Ky., April 2, 1817, of revolutionary ancestry, and was reared to manhood on his father's farm, when he entered the mer- cantile business with his elder brother. While thus en- gaged he commenced the study of law and finally quit his
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store to enter the law department of the Transylvania Uni- versity, Lexington, Ky., from which he graduated about the year 1837, soon after which he married Miss Mary Lander, daughter of Mrs. Nancy Lander, in 1838, proprietress of the Winchester hotel, and set his face westward to find a home. His first stop was at Paoli. Ind., 1841, whence he drifted to Petersburg, Ind. He came to Vincennes in 1844. HIe soon became a leading member of the bar here. Ilis genial disposition and faculty of forming acquaint- ances was such that he soon became exceedingly popular with the masses. His knowledge of law was great, and his retentive memory served him to great account, as he could, with alacrity, refer to decisions and ad- duce points of law, when his conferees for the same matter had to delve into the tomes of the law at COLONEL C. M. ALLEN. the expense of time.
In the days of the Whig party he was a stanch member of the same, but when the Republican party had its birth, he became affiliated with it, and formed a close alliance with Abraham Lincoln, with whom he was a personal friend ; and was one of the first to advocate his nomination
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to the Presidency in the old Vincennes Gazelle ; and for which aid and friendship Mr. Lincoln, after he became President, intimated that he could have almost any office desired in his gift ; but, with thanks, he declined to accept any. He was twice elected to the Legislature and was elected Speaker of the House one session. He was the nom- inee of the Republican party in 1866 for Congress, but was defeated by the Honorable W. E. Niblack, the district being overwhelmingly Democratic, and many of the Re- publicans being away in the army. In the beginning of the Civil War he was a powerful factor in raising the first regiments in this city and county to go to the front.
Having lost his consort, he married Miss Sarah Lander, who survives him. But it was in his relation to the city of Vincennes, in a commercial and material way, that endear him particularly with the people. He was one of the fore- most in all the enterprises that promised the city prosperity. He became a factor as advocate in the building of the O. & M., E. & T. H., and Cairo Railroads. What money he made in these enterprises he did not invest in stocks or bonds, but put it into houses, to aid in building up the city. Ile built the first large brick railway depot at the head of Second, reaching to Water street, and adjacent houses, including the Slinkard residence and some business houses on Second street. Besides these he built the brick cottages on Seventh street, between Perry and Seminary, and the large two-story frame house that once occupied the corner of Sixth and Shelby streets, and others not now remem- bered by the writer. He purchased the Bonner Mansion, corner Fifth and Main streets. He was several times a member of the city council and aided that body with his
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fund of knowledge and matured judgment ; was a member of the Board of University Trustees and lent his influence in wresting from the State its ill-gotten funds taken from that institution.
Soon after the close of the war his health commenced failing and he became incompetent to resume his law practice, having given it up for railroad enterprises and politics ; and ere long he was numbered with the heroes and worthy men of a past generation.
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