USA > Indiana > Daviess County > History of Daviess County, Indiana : Its people, industries and institutions > Part 23
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PRESENT MEMBERS OF THE BAR.
The personnel of the present bar of the Daviess circuit court will not suffer in comparison with the distinguished members who engaged in the practice here in other years. On the whole, the present bar is one of excep- tional ability. Most of the attorneys in the practice are on the sunny side of middle age and the larger opportunities and possible accomplishments of life are before them. The oldest member of the present bar is Judge William R. Gardiner. He is not only the oldest in years, but holds the record for having been the longest in continual practice of any present or past members of the Daviess county bar. Judge Gardiner is still in active practice, being associated with C. K. Tharp and Charles G. Gardiner, under the legal firm name of Gardiner, Tharp & Gardiner. Other members and law firms in practice here are the following :
M. G. and Hugh O'Neal, under the firm name of O'Neal & O'Neal; M. S. Hastings, J. G. Allen and E. E. Hastings, under the firm name of Hast- ings, Allen & Hastings; Padgett & Burris; F. A. Seal and J. M. Walsh,
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under the firm name of Seal & Walsh; William Heffernan; Ezra Mattingly and S. E. Myers, under the firm name of Mattingly & Myers; George A. Faith and E. C. Faith, under the firm name of Faith & Faith; John H. Spencer ; Thomas D. Slimp; Charles M. Mears; Aikman & Rogers; Arthur H. Greenwood; J. Earl Thompson and William P. Dennigen, under the firm name of Thompson & Dennigen; Arthur Allen; Robert W. Tharp; T. M. Sears, Elnora; Edgar T. Laughlin, Odon.
CHAPTER XV.
PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS.
In 1881 the Legislature passed a law requiring the registration of all the physicians in the state and each county was provided with a special record for the purpose of listing all the physicians within its limits. Since that time, all physicians have been required to register in a county before they could practice. The following list of physicians was registered in Daviess county in 1881, many of them having practiced in the county for a quarter of a century or more before this time.
This record, entitled "Register of Physicians and Accoucheurs Residents of Daviess County," gives the names and the places where they were prac- ticing at the time of registration. Many of them moved to Washington later and, of course, many others practiced in the county only a short time. The list of those registering in 1881 follows: Jackson L. Moore, Washing- ton; William L. Evans, Loogootee ; William B. Walls, Alfordsville; William H. H. Strouse, Washington; Charles Scudder, Washington; Ira M. Clark, Epsom; John Fitzgibbon, Washington; James M. Achor, Cornettsville; Henry Gers, Washington; John S. Mitchell, Alfordsville; C. G. Barton, Washington; Sarah Perkins, Cornettsville; Jacob W. Clark, Glendale; John N. Killion, Cornettsville; William P. Hobbs, Ragelsville; Charles P. Scud- der, Washington; George W. Willeford, Glendale; James F. Parks, Wash- ington; Ozias Nellis, Washington; John B. Byrn, Montgomery; Edward D. Millis, Plainville; Harvey Taylor, Ragelsville; Elisha A. Riggins, Mont- gomery; David R. Carter, Epsom; Oliver H. McKittrick, Plainville; Wylie B. Killion, Washington; Francis A. Anderson, Washington; Thomas L. Eads, Washington; Allen K. Lane, Odon; Stephen O. Culmer, Odon; John Dearmin, Raglesville; Daniel J. Smith, Odon; Lewis A. Standley, Epsom; Francis M. Harned, Washington; Barton Sears, Owl Prairie; Samuel W. Peck, Washington; John A. Scudder, Washington; Michael Scanlon, Wash- ington; G. M. Robinson, Cannelburg; Quinton Clayton, Montgomery ; W. C. Willeford, Montgomery; Mrs. Emma Underwood. Washington; G. W. Walker, Cannelburg.
Since 1881 the physicians have registered as they came into the county
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and it is to be noted that there have been registrations every year with the exception of 1895, 1896 and 1909. The list from 1882 to 1914, inclusive, follows :
1882-Mark H. Ragsdale, Glendale; William F. Hargrave, Cornetts- ville; Elias L. Dagley, Odon; Cyrus D. Taylor, Washington; Harriet Chowning, Washington; Sabina Ann Washington, Washington; Magdalena Strauss, Cannelburg; Thomas G. Ray, Epsom; Maria Hildebrand, Wash- ington (signed in German) ; Sina Ward, Cumback; Thomas K. Plummer, Washington; Katie Plummer, Washington; Charles W. King, Ft. Wayne; Lovey Hosler, Washington; John T. Hedrick, Alfordsville; Nancy Callo- way, Washington; Elizabeth Isham, Glendale; F. M. Sears, Owl Prairie; Margaret Chiles, Scotland; Levi Burris, Alfordsville; W. H. Jones, Cornetts- ville; W. Underwood, Washington; August W. Bingham, Alfordsville; Mary Crosby, Washington.
1883-E. L. Dagley, Washington; A. L. Sabin, Washington (Indian doctor) ; W. S. Jones, Cumback; J. C. Trueblood, Raglesville; J. P. Steffy, Washington.
1884-Milton P. Tolliver, Owl Prairie; J. S. Taylor, Raglesville; Abraham H. Faith, Plainville; M. C. Kent, Odon.
1885-(There are no addresses given after 1884) Hamilton Wolf, An- drew Kempf, Thomas M. Sears, Horace H. Burrill, George L. Spaulding, Miranda C. Kemp, William B. Anderson, Thomas Spaulding, B. F. Keith, E. A. Oppeer, John C. L. Campbell, William C. Willeford, John M. Jones, A. W. Porter, Stephen A. Brittain, Joseph F. Reeve, George F. Culmer, Caroden L. Swartz, Llewellyn B. Staley, George A. F. J. White.
1886-Walter M. Hunter, William R. Avery, Franklin J. Whittemore, W. J. Thomas, John W. Marlow, J. Thomas Scott, Henry Pagan.
1887-Loron Burdick, William A. Horrall, Alfred N. Bonham, Pur- nell C. Willis, John W. Culbertson, Charles Franklin Winton, Solomon L. McPherson, Charles R. Van Trees, Frederick T. Hiner, O. A. Bingham, Samuel F. Harris, N. V. Turner, Joshua Curtis Ashcraft, John T. Laugh -. ridge, Simon B. Carlton, C. C. McCowan.
1888-Edward W. Ingram, Michael M. Dooley, T. J. Stewart, John F. S. Taylor, Noah Jefferson Goshorn, David Frost.
1889-R. S. Mitchell, B. B. Brannock, Charles W. Benham, William L. Young, W. O. Coffey, John McKeown, M. D. Rea, Thomas W. Flowers, Evan Griffiths.
1890-Dawson E. Barnes, Alexander F. Joseph, E. Peter Joseph, F. Della Claire, Charles W. Divens.
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1891-Charles C. Moore, Nicholas N. Jensen, Charles C. Young, George L. Parr, J. B. Wells, James Henry Walker, E. E. Geugelback, John R. Smith, William B. Deffenball, T. B. Van Nuys.
1892-J. Barton Cato, Overton Ethan Gootee, A. B. Knapp, Melvin H. Young, George Knapp, William J. Tolliver, J. W. Anderson, John W. Way, E. W. Hilburn.
1893-Elijah P. T. Hollcroft.
1894-John H. Seneff, Richard Wood McCracken, George A. Thomas, Henry Herr, Charles H. Yenne, W. Winston Waggoner.
1897-C. E. Trainor, D. Brooks Smoot, H. I. Sherwood, R. D. Pope, Mc. G. Porter, Rebecca Gipson, M. H. Young, J. M. Pickel, Thomas B. Rankin, Jerome D. Motte.
1898-Vance May, Hilbert P. Klein, Martin L. Arthur, Hamilton M. Arthur, H. Wechsler, Stephen B. Elrod, Gilbert W. Edmondson, Clarence Dale Fulkerson.
1899-William Henry Meyer, Joseph F. Michels, Mark Schrum,. Charles T. Wall.
1900-Henry C. Hargan, William H. Holder, A. J. McGauhy.
1901-Addison Hayes Hattery, Lewis C. Shutt, Ernest Hollings- worth, Calvin L. Rowland, Rufus J. Danner.
1902-T. F. Spink, Orris E. Lett, Lewis J. Downey, John W. Bell, W. H. McGhee, Marion N. Thayer.
1903-Hiram M. Johnson, Homer Frank Carr.
1904-George Riley Tubbs, John W. Shelton, Ringgold S. Mitchell, Albert H. Spears.
1905-John L. Evans, D. J. Hege, Ralph M. Willeford.
1906-Andrew Robinson, James Augustus Pickell.
1907-Daniel W. Bell, Hester T. Phillippe, Nora Maude Arthur, Willis H. Cole.
1908-Otto Florea Fleemer, Frederick J. Freshley.
1910-John P. Sellman, Bert D. Burress, Ira E. Bowman, Morton M. McCord.
19II -- Andrew Jackson Lane, Jacob L. Odell, Ambrose C. Clifford, William T. Selfridge.
1912-Douglass Hart, Sarah Snider, Arthur A. Rang, Heilman Curtis Wadsworth.
1913-George Washington Bonner, William B. Clark.
1914-John W. Pahmeier, Evelyn Pearl Hyatt.
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OPTOMETRISTS.
Since 1907 the law has required the registration of optometrists in the counties where they practice. The Daviess county record shows that only four have registered in the county, as follow: Thomas David Cloud, An- drew M. Keck, Charles W. Stone and Carl R. West.
DENTISTS.
The registration of dentists has been required since 1899 and in the sixteen years which have elapsed since that time the following have regis- tered in Daviess county :
1899-Roland M. Smiley, W. H. H. Welch, S. L. Wilson, J. H. Shields, Loree E. Van Osdol, Otis T. Robinson, Julian L. Seals, W. F. Shepherd, Frederich J. Homann, Jr., Edward W. Meyer, Frank M. Welch. 1900-Henry C. Hargan, Edward F. Kendall.
1901-Walter L. Anderson, Charles A. Porter, John C. Mitchell, Wil- liam S. Seal.
1903-Ralph C. Shepherd, John Henry Groscuth.
1904-J. J. Schneider.
1905-George W. Russell, Sarah Willey.
1906-C. O. Clemmer.
1907-Henry C. McKittrick, Jacob Burris.
1908-Roy D. Smiley.
1909-Henry C. Tolliver.
1912-Frank E. Robinson.
1913-Walter J. Wilson, George W. Amerman. 1914-Paul E. Vize.
CHAPTER XVI.
SECRET SOCIETIES.
FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS.
Charity Lodge No. 30, Free and Accepted Masons, of Washington, has a history covering almost the entire period from the beginning of the town, if the claims of its members can be relied on. It is conceded that much of this claim to antiquity of origin is founded on tradition, but there are some reasonable grounds for credibility of the claim. At the meeting of mem- bers and friends of the order, December 27, 1895, Charles G. Sefrit gave a historical sketch, entitled, "The Story of Charity Lodge," in which some interesting matters pertaining to the origin and history of the lodge were presented. The following quotations from Mr. Sefrit's sketch are given as the most reliable history of the lodge obtainable :
"The story of the early years of Charity Lodge is but little more than tradition. Upon two occasions fire found the records unprotected, and each time some of them became part of the ashes of the building wherein the lodge had its home. The first of these fires occurred in 1860. The lodge room was then in a building that stood where the Washington National Bank now is. This time most of the lodge papers were saved. But six years later the disastrous Commercial row fire came, and the entire belong- ings of the lodge, together with the records, dissolved in smoke. The most serious loss to the lodge as a result of the second fire was the loss of the records which contained the proceedings of the early meetings. The pecu- niary loss was trifling, as compared with the disappearance of these records.
"When it is known that the organization of Charity Lodge antedated by a score of years the time when the oldest member of this order now living first obtained the right to sit in the lodge of master Masons, the difficulty of obtaining any definite information will be readily understood. There is no scratch of a pen, except the meager statements which appear in the reports of the grand lodge, and a small blank book, used in early times to keep an account of the amounts due from members, that gives any light
(17)
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on the affairs of the lodge for the first thirty-five years of its life. The grand lodge reports state that an application was made on the 3d of Octo- ber, 1826, for a charter for Charity Lodge, located at Washington, Indiana, and then working under a dispensation. The application was granted, the issue of a charter was authorized, and the number assigned to the lodge was thirty. The order also provided that the three principal officers of the new lodge should be, Joseph Warner, worshipful master; Nathan Bascom, senior warden; Cornelius Berkshire, junior warden.
"In 1833 an officer of the grand lodge visited Charity Lodge and found that, owing to the removal from this place of some of the original members, the organization had been suffered to go down, and no meetings had been held for many months. This officer seized the charter and lodge effects and returned them to the grand lodge, which body sustained his action. Matters remained in this condition for nearly ten years. In 1842, Joseph Warren, who was the first worshipful master, appeared before the grand lodge and asked for the second dispensation, which was granted. The following year the charter of the Washington lodge was restored, the old number and name given it, and Charity Lodge No. 30 again had an existence.
"The new organization began with the same worshipful master, Joseph Warren, who presided over the first lodge. The senior warden was James Calhoun, and the junior warden was Stephen Belding. The little blank book, all that is left of the early records, shows that the lodge first began working under a dispensation some time in the fall of 1825. The first name on that book is that of Joseph Warner. Other names in the book appear in the following order: Nathan Bascom, Cornelius Berkshire, James G. Read, William McCormick, John Whallon, James Calhoun, Rawley Scott, all under date of 1825. In 1826 the following names were entered: George A. Waller, Armory Kinney, James. Whitehead, William H. Routt and Philip- Barton; in 1827, Stephen Belding, William Quigley, William Forster, Will- iam Veale, Rev. Hezekiah Holland, John Van Trees and Michael Ruport; in 1828, Rev. Hiram Hunter, Henry Dubois and Thomas Leming; in 1829, William Kelty.
"From the time of the reorganization the lodge continued to grow in. numbers, slowly and steadily. Each year saw it more closely interwoven with the social fabric of Washington. In 1864, Joseph Cruse, a wealthy member of the lodge, died, and in his will bequeathed to the lodge nearly all his estate, consisting of valuable town lots and a sum of money. The aggregate gift was nearly eighteen thousand dollars. The money was used
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for the erection of the present building, which was completed in 1868. It was at first two stories; a third story was added in 1888."
The present membership of Charity Lodge is three hundred and thir- teen. The present officers are: Frank McGehee, worshipful master; Wal- lace Walker, senior warden; Charles F. Cochran, junior warden; Elisha L. Hatfield, treasurer; Henry Aikman, secretary; Charles A. Raney, senior deacon; Harry L. Alberty, junior deacon; John T. Dougherty, senior stew- ard; James W. Mattingly, junior steward; William S. Waller, tyler ; trustees, Milton S. Hastings, Clyde B. Kellar and Charles H. Yenne.
ALLIED ORGANIZATIONS.
Washington Chapter No. 92, Royal Arch Masons, was organized on April 21, 1875. It has a present membership of one hundred and ninety-one.
Washington Council No. 67, Royal and Select Masters, was organized on April 27, 1895. Present membership, seventy-one.
Washington Commandery No. 33, Knights Templar, was organized on April 19, 1890. Present membership, one hundred.
Washington Chapter No. 210, Order of the Eastern Star, was organ- ized on April 28, 1898. Present membership, two hundred and fifty.
INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS.
Liverpool Lodge No. 110, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Wash- ington, was organized on July 8, 1852, with the following charter mem- bers: Thomas A. Baker, E. Hitchcock, John Becket, Charles Childs and H. Robb. The first officers of the lodge were: Charles Childs, noble grand; Thomas Baker, vice-grand; William Helphenstine, recording secre- tary; John Beckett, treasurer. Others who were identified with the early organization of the lodge were: Oliver Taylor, W. K. Edwards, John Dixon, P. B. McChesney, P. H. Hackleman, S. Meredith, George L. Gibbs, Gamaliel Taylor, Charles Fravel, John Kelley, George Brown, Taylor W. Webster, Samuel W. Smith, I. H. Stanley, Marshall Sexton, Edwin M. Finch, J. Z. Mclaughlin, R. N. Graham, A. H. Mathews, Daniel Moss, John M. Turner, J. R. Moverod, J. P. Chapmen, W. B. Moffitt and George B. Jocelyn.
There are three members of the lodge now living who have been mem- bers of the order for over fifty years, namely: Stansel Cosby, A. E. John- son and W. P. Ellis. The present membership of Liverpool Lodge is two
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hundred and seventy-five. The present officers are: G. Klingingsmith, noble grand; Clay McCormick, vice-grand; Arthur Greenwood, recording secre- tary; E. E. Horral, financial secretary ; W. P. Ellis, treasurer.
A few years ago the lodge purchased a piece of residence property on East Main street, which was remodeled and made into a beautiful home for the order, at a cost of about fifteen thousand dollars. This home is pro- vided with all modern conveniences, with a commodious hall for lodge metings, reading rooms, dining rooms and appointments for social gather- ings. Oak Grove cemetery, west of the city, is the property of Liverpool Lodge. The ground for the cemetery was purchased in 1870 and contained twenty acres. Thirteen additional acres were purchased by the lodge in 1915, which will be improved and platted for cemetery purposes. The affairs of the cemetery are under the present management of George E. Reeves, president; Dr. G. W. Russell, secretary; J. W. Dillard, board of trustees.
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is represented by lodges at Elnora, Plainfield, Montgomery, Odon and other places in the county.
KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS.
Pythagorean Lodge No. 118, Knights of Pythias, was organized on May 20, 1884, by a delegation from Dioscuri Lodge, of Vincennes. The charter members were: L. P. Beitman, H. H. Hyatt, Charles P. Scudder, C. S. Slayback, A. C. Barber, C. H. Jones, Harry Bray, J. W. Clark, George Geeting, O. E. Bon Durant, John T. Neal, Nathan Beitman, W. F. Hoffman, Gus Levy, Isadore Beitman, W. W. Marmaduke, Frank Colyer, Louis Hess, Clifford Markle, E. J. Yeager and J. P. Mathew.
Following are the names of the first officers: L. P. Beitman, past chancellor; H. H. Hyatt, chancellor commander; Charles P. Scudder, vice- chancellor; C. S. Slayback, prelate; A. C. Barber, keeper of records and seal; C. H. Jones, master of exchequer; Harry Bray, master of finance; J. W. Clark, master at arms.
The lodge started out with a large and active roll of members and has maintained a steady growth during all the years since. The present mem- bership is two hundred and thirty-four, all active and working for the good of the order. The lodge does not own any building, but has a commodious and well-appointed hall in which meetings are held. The regular meetings are characterized by marked interest and efficiency; the method and manner of work conferred has received favorable comment by competent critics.
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Pythagorean Lodge was never in a more prosperous condition than at pres- ent. Following are the names of the present officers: Walter Wallace, chancellor commander; C. J. Burris, vice-chancellor; H. W. Palmer, prel- ate; Willis Hoddinott, keeper of records and seal; John E. Ketchum, master of exchequer; W. W. McCarty, master of finance; Charles Connaughton, master at arms; Earl McCafferty, inner guard; W. E. Brennan, outer guard ; James A. Colbert, A. C. Wise and O. M. Vance, trustees.
ANCIENT ORDER OF HIBERNIANS.
Division No. I, Ancient Order of Hibernians, was organized on St. Patrick's day, in the year 1870, by the county delegates of Clay county. The first meetings were held in the old city hall building, on East Second street, opposite Cabel & Company's coal office. This division was the second Ancient Order of Hibernians lodge instituted in the state of Indiana, the first division in the state being instituted at Brazil, in Clay county. The object of the society is to teach patriotism and devotion to the Stars and Stripes, and to foster a love for the "Little Green Island, far o'er the Sea." The society also extends to its members praiseworthy benevolent features, by paying generous sick and funeral benefits.
The first officers were: James E. Maher, county delegate; P. T. Gara- ghan, president; Patrick Grimes, vice-president; Martin Cahill, general sec- retary; Eugene O'Brien, assistant secretary; Stephen Maloney, treasurer.
Division No. I now has seventy members in good standing, has a strong bank account and is in a prosperous condition in every way. The meetings are held on the fourth Sunday afternoon of each month in the Knights of Columbus hall.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS.
Washington Council No. 630, Knights of Columbus, was instituted on Sunday, February 9, 1902, under the direction of William J. Mooney, terri- torial deputy supreme knight, of Indianapolis, a former Washington citizen. The first members of the Knights of Columbus order in Washington, prior to the institution of the local lodge, were: Rev. John W. Doyle, Julius P. McGrayel, John M. Costello, John A. Sinnott and Charles A. Kidwell, who received their degree in Evansville, Sunday, April 19, 1901, at the institu- tion of Council No. 565; also A. J. Padgett and Anthony Kocher, Jr., who were initiated with the second class of candidates into Council No. 541, in the city of Terre Haute,
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The installation ceremonies of February 9, 1902, were held in the spa- cious lodge room of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, corner of Main and East Third streets. The first business meetings of Council No. 630 were held in the Masonic temple. In the year of 1907 the beautiful three- story building of brick and stone, at the southwest corner of Fourth and East Main streets, was completed. Ground was first broken for the erection of this structure, July 5, 1906. The purchase price of this building site was eight thousand dollars; the contract price for the erection of the building was two thousand six hundred dollars, to which five thousand dollars has been since added for changes and improvements.
The building is well heated, lighted and ventilated, particular attention having been given to comfort and sanitary details. The dimensions of the building are sixty feet frontage on Main street and one hundred feet south on Fourth street. The building covers the entire lot owned by the order. There are three large store rooms on the first floor of the building. The second floor comprises thirteen well-appointed suites of office rooms, the third floor being used as the council home. Many educational entertainments of various kinds have been given here, to which the general public is always invited.
The first officers of Washington Council were: Arnold J. Padgett, grand knight; Thomas P. Walsh, deputy grand knight; Matthew F. Burke, chan- cellor; Albert M. Kocher, warden; Julius P. McGrayel, financial secretary ; Charles A. Kidwell, recorder; Cyril J. Ward, treasurer; John W. McCarty, lecturer ; Rev. John W. Doyle, chaplain; Joseph J. Keller, organist; John P. Cavanaugh, Thomas R. Walker and John Dosch, trustees.
The present membership of the local council is sixty insurance mem- bers and one hundred and forty associate members. The regular meetings are held every Tuesday night at eight o'clock.
CHAPTER XVII.
PATRIOTIC ORDERS OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
At the close of the Civil War the armies that had fought in that war to its successful conclusion, were disbanded and the soldiers returned to their several homes and resumed the vocations of civil life. But the fraternal tie that had been welded in the fire of battle was not severed by the disbanding of companies and regiments. There was a spirit of comradeship infused in the hearts and lives of those who had touched elbows in the fire and smoke of battle, and who shared the privations and hardships of the camp and the weary march-a spirit that was not dispelled by the disbanding of companies and the laying aside of military equipments. There was a desire to maintain this fraternity and comradeship, and this desire soon found expression in a movement for an organization of veterans to accomplish this purpose. Many organizations of companies and regiments were formed and reunions held in various localities, and the enjoyment found by comrades in these associations suggested a larger and more permanent organization of state and national character. From this suggestion the Grand Army of the Republic had its origin.
ORGANIZATION OF THE GRAND ARMY.
The founding of the Grand Army of the Republic was primarily due to Dr. B. F. Stephenson and Chaplain W. J. Rutledge, of the Fourteenth Illi- nois Infantry, who, in February, 1864, conceived the idea of its 'formation. Doctor Stephenson lived in Springfield, Illinois, and enlisted on May 7, 1862, serving as surgeon of his regiment until June 24, 1864, when he was mus- tered out. Doctor Stephenson conceived the plan of such an organization while he was still in the service. His idea was to unite the soldiers who fought in the battles of the Union into a grand brotherhood, which would be as effective in preserving the peace of the nation as the Union army had been in the prosecution of the war; to maintain and strengthen the fraternal feelings of the soldiers who united to suppress the rebellion; to perpetuate the memory of those who had died in the cause, and to lend assistance to the needy and to the widows and orphans of soldiers.
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