USA > Indiana > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Indiana: containing a history of the townships, towns, villages, schools, churches, industries, etc.; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; biographies, etc., etc. > Part 37
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port of many of Connersville's important industries, and has always lent a helping hand to the building up of social institutions. Mr. Andre has always prized his citizenship here as well as elsewhere, and although liberal in sentiments, he is an ardent champion of principles which he considers upright and honest. In this he is frank, outspoken and free in his expres- sions, characteristics by which he is well known and esteemed by both friend and foe, which probably rendered him more eminently fitted to succeed in business, and gathered around him substantial friends. Upon the breaking out of the late Civil war Mr. Andre enlisted his sympathies with the Union cause, and subsequently took very active measures in the enrollment and organization of the Nineteenth Iudiana Battery of Artillery, and was unanimously elected to the First Lieutenancy, but through the interposition of Gov. Morton he was refused recog- nition, although this battery made urgent appeals in his behalf. He, however, modestly retired from the bellicose arena, and although his pride as a Union citizen was humbled, he subsequently contributed to the general support of the army. He was married December 13, 1864, to Rebecca A. King, a lady of able attainments, a graduate to an honorary literary course of study at Brookville College. She was born in Ohio, June 3, 1844. Her father, John King, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1820; her mother, Sarah (Barcus) King, was a native of Maryland. Mr. and Mrs. Andre are members of the Presbyterian Church. In 1876 our subject found Connersville without an opera house, so the same year he built a new one known as the Andre Opera House, of which he is pro- prietor and manager. He is at present Vice-Presi- dent of the German Benevolent Society, of which he has been an active member some years. He has been an active Odd Fellow for the past twenty-seven years, and has held prominent official positions in that society, of which he is still an esteemed and honored member. JOHN L. BAILEY, dealer in dry goods, notions,
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clothing, groceries and agricultural implements, also farm and garden seeds, etc., etc., 609 Central Avenue, Connersville. This old veteran was born in Bucks County, Penn., January 19, 1822. Being raised on a farm he received only a common school education. In 1837 he left home and began selling goods seven miles from Philadelphia. In 1838 he moved to Mil- ford, N. J., where he remained in business for six years. In 1844 he emigrated to Tiffin, Ohio, where he continued in general merchandising up to 1850. After two years' rest he cast anchor in Con- nersville, Ind., and opened his present business, which has prospered under his careful management. In 1874 he branched out by taking part in the organ- ization of the coffin factory, retaining one-third inter- est, and was chosen Secretary and Treasurer of the institution (acting for about two years), which employed about fifty men and prospered until May, 1879, when, in two hours, fire closed out the business with a loss of about eighty thousand dollars, seventy per cent of which was clear loss to the company. Mr. Bailey was married in Republic, Ohio, May 30, 1850, to Miss Martha A. Hart, a native of Ohio. By this union two children were born: Emma and Charles, latter now in business at Rushville, Ind. Our subject's wife died December 31, 1854, and he then married, June 1, 1856, Miss Kate F. Scott, a native of Connersville, born in September, 1836, by whom he has one child, Mary L., wife of W. H. Vandegrift, division Superintendent of the Toledo & St. Louis Railway, located at Toledo. Mr. Bailey was a member of the School Board two years. Ho is a member of the I. O. O. F. and Encampment.
CHARLES A. BALLE, Connersville, is a native of this county, born in 1858. He is a son of George and Mary (Rieder) Balle, natives of Lorraine, France, and Baden, Germany, respectively. His father was born in 1815, and at the age of twenty-one entered the army of his sovereign, Louis Phillipe, remaining in the service thirteen years. In 1846 he married Mary Rieder, and by her had six children: Charles A., Mary (of the Annunciation), Caroline E., John V., Josephine F. and George William, the last four being deceased. Mr. Balle emigrated to America with his family in 1853, and located at Lawrence- burg, Ind., where he resided abont one year, and then moved to Connersville, where he has since remained. Charles A., our subject, grew up in Connersville, and was educated in its public schools. In 1877 he went to Cincinnati, where he learned the tailoring trade, being engaged there till 1882 in the employ of Peter Meyer. In August of the latter year he came to Con- nersville and opened a merchant tailoring establish- ment in the Huston Hotel building, where he has since conducted a successful business. He carries a
full stock of both foreign and domestic cloths in cas- simeres, worsteds, etc., and well merits the liberal patronage which he is receiving.
DEWIT C. BANES, of the firm H. G. & D. C. Banes, dealers in boots and shoes, No. 409 Central Avenue, Connersville, is a native of Indiana, born in Franklin County, October 4, 1848; son of Jenks G. and Naomi Banes, the former born in Bucks County, Penn., the latter in Maryland. They came to Indiana in 1840 and followed general merchandis- ing. The subject of this sketch received a common school education and was reared in the store. April 1, 1881, he opened a shoe store in this city ; prior to this he traveled for ten years for Shipley Crane & Co., of Cincinnati, Ohio. January 11, 1SSI, he was united in marriage with Miss Hattie G. Grout, who was born in New York, March 9, 1853, and to this union one child was born-Rubie I. Mr. Banes is a member of Warren Lodge, No. 15, F. & A. M .; also of Maxwell Chapter, No. 18, R. A. M., and of the U. O. of H.
WILLIAM H. BECK, pioneer clothier and tailor of Connersville, was born in Pittsburgh, Penn., July 30, 1818; in early life he received a common school education and was brought up to the occupation of a tailor. His father, David Beck, was born in Lan- caster County, Penn., December 18, 1792, and was married in Pittsburgh, Penn., September 30, 1817, to Catharine Harb, who was born in Baltimore, in 1801. May 2, 1820, they moved to Connersville, Ind., where she died September 15, 1822, after which David Beck was twice married. By the three marriages nine children were born, five of whom, also his three wives, died before his decease. The surviving children are William H., by the first wife; David and Josephine by the second; and N. J. by the third. The father resided upon the same premises from 1821 until his death, which occurred September 21, 1872. Our sub- ject opened up a tailor shop in Falmouth, October, 1841. He was married, February 22, 1843, to Miss Christiana Skillman, a native of New Jersey, born October 20, 1820. By this union two children were born: Samuel W. and Charles D. Mr. Beck was elected County Treasurer in 1852, and came to Con- nersville in the spring of 1853; was re-elected in 1854, and filled both terms with pleasure and credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of the peo- ple. In 1856 he opened up his present enterprise, the firm being then Beck Bros. In 1868 he closed out and built the corner block in which he is now doing business. In 1869 he opened up again with his son, and sold out to his brother in 1870, with the view of leading a retired life; in 1873 he re-embarked in active business life. Mr. Beck manufactures and keeps in stock clothing, gents' furnishing goods,
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hats, caps, etc., etc. In 1869, when Connersville passed under city government, Mr. Beck was chosen by a popular vote first Mayor of the city. In 1870 he was re-elected, served eight months and then resigned. He served upon the School Board for over eleven years. He is a member of the Regular Bap- tist Church.
LUNSFORD L. BROADDUS, attorney, real estate and insurance agent, Connersville, is a native of Washington Township, Wayne Co., Ind., where he was born January 27, 1856, and from whence he removed with his parents to Harrison Township, this county and State, in 1857. He is a son of Hon. Warner H. Broaddus, one of the substantial citizens of the county, and a grandson of Capt. Robert L. Broaddus, a leading pioneer of eastern Indiana, who, in the year 1822, came from Virginia to the White- water country, locating on the Broaddus homestead iu this county, where he engaged in farming until his death, which occurred in the spring of 1857. The parents of our subject, Hou. Warner H. and Amanda E. (Scott) Broaddus, are natives of Fayette and Wayne Counties, Ind., respectively. They were mar- ried in 1847, and to them have since been born five children, of whom Lunsford L. is second in age. Our subject, after the usual primary instruction given in the district schools, furthered his education at Spiceland Academy and completed it at the Indiana State University. After leaving the University, hav- ing in the meantime had some experience as a teacher, he was engaged as Superintendent of the Milton pub- lic schools, Wayne County, Ind., for one year, after which he commenced active preparations for the legal profession. He read law under the instruction of Hon. B. F. Claypool, of Connersville, and was ad- mitted to the bar of the Fayette Circuit Court, Feb- ruary 1, 1881. He was immediately thereafter appointed Deputy Prosecuting Attorney of Fayette County, the duties of which office he discharged until he was elected Township Trustee of Connersville Township in April, 1882. He was re-elected to this office in 1884. April 13, 1881, he was united in mar- riage with a descendant of another pioneer family of this county, Miss Sarah C. Powell, daughter of the late Zenos and Lydia (Caldwell) Powell, of Har- rison Township, this county and State. To them has been born one child-Sadie Merle. Mr. Broad- dus is a member of the Greek Literary Fraternity of Sigma Chi, and of the U. O. of H.
MICHAEL C. BUCKLEY, retired, Connersville, a truly self-made man, was born in County Cork, Ire- land, March 20, 1840, and had only a common school education. His parents, Dennis and Elizabeth (Dorgan) Buckley, were natives of Ireland and immi- grated to America in the spring of 1852, locating in
Hamilton County, Ohio, where they now reside, lead- ing a retired life. Mr. Buckley left home in the spring of 1862, and took up his abode in Conners- ville, clerking six years for Mr. Groff. In 186S he branched out in business for himself, continuing for one year; then formed a partnership with J. W. Ross in the grocery trade. At the expiration of two years he purchased his partner's interest, and continued up to August, 1883, at which time he retired from the business arena. All through Mr. Buckley's business experience he was an extensive and successful spec- ulator in real estate. He now owns the Buckley House, which is favorably known by the commercial public as a home retreat. He also has, by his own industry and economy, secured many fine residences in the city, which enables him to live in ease and affluence. Our subject was married, May 23, 1867, to Miss Susan K., daughter of Josiah Mullikin. By this union have been born the following children: Mabel E., born January 5, 1871; Frank, born August 4, 1873; Jessie, born September 21, 1876, died June 19, 1877; Stella Marie, born July 27, 1884. Mr. Buckley is a member of the Catholic Church; his wife of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
EDMUND W. BURK, one of the leading grocers of Connersville, was born in this county in 1841. His father, Naham Burk, was a native of Windsor, Vt. His grandparents, Jonathan and Gracia (Cady) Burk, were natives of Vermont and New Hampshire re- spectively ; the former of whom came West about 1817, and was last heard of at Galena, Ill., the family still being in ignorance in regard to his mysterious disap- pearance. Naham Burk was born in 1814. He learned the trades of painting and chair making in his native town, where he grew to maturity. He then spent a few years in the Southern States, and in 1836 came to Connersville. He followed his trades here as long as they were profitable, and then embarked in the stove and tinware business, which he continued about twenty years. He next opened a general store, and this he successfully conducted for about twenty- five years. In 1881 ill health compelled him to retire from active business. He has held several positions of public trust in Connersville, and been instrumen- tal in building up many of its interests in the matter of school houses, fire apparatus, cemeteries, etc. Mr. Burk was married in 1839 to Edith Wilson, of Franklin County, Ind., and daughter of William W. and Jane (Dixon) Wilson. Their three children are Edmund W., Henrietta and Florence T. Edmund W., the subject of our sketch, was reared to manhood in his native town, where he obtained a practical edu- cation in the public schools. His first business vent- ure was a general store in the village of Fairview, where he remained about one year. He then returned
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to Connersville and entered the dry goods trade with his father, with whom he was associated about three years. March 4, 1874, he opened a grocery and pro- vision store on his own resources, and in 1881 admit- ted George Morris as a partner, the firm being then known as Burk & Morris. January 1, 1885, Mr. Burk bought out Mr. Morris' interest in the grocery business-one of the leading establishments of the kind in Connersville-and assumed control himself. He conducts an extensive business. Mr. Burk was married in 1870 to Julia A., daughter of Enoch Harlan, one of the pioneers of this county. Four children blessed this union: N. H., Florence M., Charles E. (deceased) and Mary Gracia. Mrs. Burk died April 6, 1881. Mr. Burk's present wife was Miss Kate A. Dolph, daughter of Rev. E. L. Dolph, D. D., and to whom he was married October 10, 1882. Her father was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1826, and is a son of E. R. Dolph, a prominent educator in that city. Her mother was Isabel A. Ault, who was born in Boone County, Ky., June 25, 1848, a daughter of Frederick and Nancy (Haynes) Ault, res- idents of Jeffersonville, Ind. Mr. Burk is a member of the I. O. O. F., and has passed all the chairs of his lodge. He and Mrs. Burk are members of the Presbyterian Church, and both have a high social standing in the community.
DANIEL W. BUTLER, physician and surgeon, office corner of Fifth Street and Eastern Avenue, Connersville, is a native of Indiana, and was born in Hancock County, July 4, 1837. He was raised on a farm, and graduated at Earlham College, Rich- mond, Ind., in 1857. His father, George W. Butler, was born in Virginia, March 20, 1818, and resides in Fairmount, Grant Co., Ind. His mother, Martha (Rawls) Butler, was born in Virginia, September 29, 1814, and died May 13, 1880. At the age of nine- teen the Doctor left the farm and taught school, and at the same time studied medicine under Dr. Allen Hall. He graduated from the Miami Medical Col- lege of Cincinnati, in the spring of 1860; commenced practice at Greenfield, Ind., his native town, and con- tinued until the spring of 1862, when he enlisted in Company G, Fifth Indiana Cavalry, as a private; was promoted Assistant Surgeon December 11, 1862, and commissioned Surgeon of the regiment in 1863. At the close of the war he located at Dunreith, Henry Co., Ind., where he practiced until April 15, 1876, at which time he moved to Connersville, where he has been engaged in active practice ever since. In January, 1883, the Doctor was elected Health Officer of Fayette County, and re-elected in 1884. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., Subordinate and En- campment.
WILLIAM H. CASWELL, Superintendent West-
ern Hosiery Mills, Connersville, was born in Conners- ville, September 13, 1848, and had the benefit of a good education. His father, Luther R. Caswell, was born in Auburn, Me., March 16, 1813, and died March 27, 1879. He was made a Mason in War- ren Lodge, No. 15, Connersville, Ind., iu 1847. In his death the community lost a just and upright citi- zen, the family a kind and affectionate father and husband, and the lodge a worthy and honorable mem- ber, a firm devotee to the principles of Free Masonry Our subject was raised in a woolen mill, and served in all departments, being apprenticed with Elisha Cockefair to the trade, at the age of twelve years. He married, December 25, 1872, Miss Mary Holingsworth, a native of Wayne County, this State, born in Feb- ruary, 1850, and to this union two bright children have been born: Homer and Edna. Mr. Caswell is a member of the I. O. O. F., and of the Methodist Church.
JOSHUA CHITWOOD, physician and surgeon, office on Court Street, residence southwest corner Western Avenue and Sixth Street, Connersville, is a native of Union County, Ind., born February 12, 1838. He received a thorough English course at Oldenburg Academy. His parents moved to Fayette County in the fall of 1849, locating in Connersville. In 1856 the subject of this sketch began reading medicine under his father, George R. Chitwood, M. D., a native of Ohio, and attended lectures at Miami Medical College, Cincinnati, Ohio, then Ohio Medi- cal College, graduating in 1859. He began the prac- tice of medicine in 1858. Dr. Chitwood was married twice, his first wife being Miss Libbie W. Beck, who died about one year after marriage. He then married Miss Sophia Frybarger, a native of this county, born September 13, 1843. On November 13, 1863, he was appointed First Assistant Surgeon of Seventh Indi- ana Cavalry, serving six months, until May 5, 1864, when he was promoted to Surgeon; was with Gen. Pleasanton, of Missouri, in his campaign against Gen. Price in the fall and winter of 1864; thence to Nash- ville, Tenn., on the staff of Gen. Knipe, Seventh Di- vision of Cavalry in Gen. Wilson's corps, which took a prominent part in the battle of Nashville; thence to Mobile, and was present at its downfall. By special order of Gen. Canby, he was sent to New Orleans to Major-Gen. West, as staff officer; after- ward, by special request of Gen. Tom Browne, ho was returned to his regiment at Aloxandria, La., where he was made Medical Director on Gen. Custer's staff, serving Uncle Sam nearly one year after the close of the war. The Doctor is a Royal Arch Mason; a member of the Presbyterian Church, of which he was elected Trustee, January, 1884. Ho was elected Councilman from First Ward in May, 1883; was
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elected in a Republican Ward over a popular Repub- lican by fifty majority. The Doctor enjoys good health. He has a lucrative practice.
BENJAMIN F. CLAYPOOL, lawyer, Conners- ville, was born in Connersville, Ind., December 12, 1825; son of Newton and Mary (Kerns) Claypool, natives of Virginia and Ohio, respectively, and of Irish and Welsh extraction. Newton Claypool be- came an early resident of Connersville, figuring prom- inently in its history and that of the county (fur- ther notice of him will be found in the history prop- er of the city), and our subject resided here until 1836, at which time, his parents moving to a farm one mile north (now the home of A. B. Claypool), he there lived until he entered college in 1843, having in the meantime received instruction in the old semi- nary, under the guidance of Harvey Nutting, who, in addition to the usual branches taught in such schools, gave lessons in the French and Latin languages. These advantages Mr. Claypool improved, and being fond of the Latin language, he became quite profi. cient in it before going to college. He entered Asbury University at Greencastle, Ind., in 1843. He pursued a course in the classics and Belles-lettres which was completed two years later. In 1845 our subject, en- tering the office of the late Hon. O. H. Smith, at In- dianapolis, read law under that gentleman, and was admitted to the bar in 1847. In the same year he lo- cated in the city of his nativity, where he commenced practice. By study and close application to business he soon took rank with the foremost lawyers of Whitewater bar, then represented by some of the most brilliant in the State. From that time to the present he has maintained the position attained, and during the long period has been engaged in many of the important cases tried at the Fayette courts. It is only justice to Mr. Claypool to here state that he is not only the oldest resident member of the bar, but the most prominent. Until the organization of the Republican party he was identified with the Whigs, since which time he has affiliated with the former. In 1856 he was a delegate to the National Conven- tion at Philadelphia that nominated John C. Fre- mont; in 1864 he was a Presidential elector in the Fifth Congressional District; and in 1868 one of the Electors for the State at large. In 1860 he was elect- ed State Senator for the counties of Fayette and Union, and as such served during the exciting times of the Rebellion, favoring at all times a vigorous prosecution of the war. He is an earnest, forcible speaker at the bar and on the stump, one of decided convictions, and fearless in the expression of them. For several years prior to the close of the branch of the State Bank at Connersville, Mr. Claypool served as its President, and was subsequently President of
the First National Bank of the same city, from its organization until 1873. In 1874 he was the Repub- lican nominee for Congress in the Fifth District, but was defeated. On August 4, 1853, our subject was married to Alice Helm, a daughter of Jefferson Helm, M. D., of Rush County, and to this union were born a son and daughter.
SAMUEL M. COOK, proprietor of the Buckley House, corner of Fifth and Eastern Avenue, Conners- ville, was born in Chester County, Penn., October 24, 1836; son of George W. and Elizabeth (Walker) Cook, the former born in Baltimore, Md., in 1810, the latter in York County, Penn., in 1812. They moved to Indiana in 1857, locating in Madison County, where Mr. Cook died in 1861; his widow now resides in Huntsville, Madison Co., Ind. Our sub- ject had a good common school education, acquiring same by close application to books at night, denying himself enjoyment with playmates in order to store his mind with useful knowledge, which he imparted to others, as teacher, when nineteeen years of age, an avocation he followed for some time. He was mar- ried January 2, 1862, to Miss Lydia E. Nicholson, who was born in Madison County, Ind., October 9, 1840, daughter of George and Susannah (Brown) Nicholson, the former of whom was born in Clinton County, Ohio, August 13, 1817, died January 13, 1879. The latter was born in Mason County, Va., Jan- uary 9, 1820. They were married November 21, 1839, and located in Madison County. The widow and Miss Eva make their home with Mr. and Mrs. Cook. To our subject and wife were born two sons: Charles W. and George E. Mr. and Mrs. Cook located in Indianapolis, Ind., in 1863, where the for- mer kept a feed store and followed teaming. He hauled the iron for the first street railway in the city and also assisted in manufacturing the brick for the arsenal. In 1865 they moved to Plainfield, where he engaged in the grocery business, after which he em- barked in the manufacture of tile, which enterprise not proving satisfactory he branched out into the gro- cery and hardware trade with success. In 1876 he purchased the Mansion House and with the assistance of his accomplished wife kept a comfortable home for the traveling public in addition to his other lucrative enterprise. In October, 1880, they left Plainfield and took up their abode in Danville, where they kept the Mansion House and a grocery business until Au- gust, 1882, at which time they moved to the city of Connersville and took charge of the Buckley House, over which they have presided until present writing, to the entire satisfaction of their guests. Mr. Cook is a member of Plainfield Lodge, No. 287, F. & A. M., Chapter No. 87; also Danville Lodge, No. 70, I. O. O. F.
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ALONZO C. COOLEY, of the firm of Cooley & Tatman, photographers, No. 522 Central Avenue, Connersville, was born in Fayette County, Ind., July 28, 1847. He received a common school education and worked at various trades until 1866, when he en- gaged in photography, continuing in same until 1872, when the present partnership was formed. They work in water colors, India ink, and enlarge, guar- anteeing satisfaction in all branches. Mr. Cooley was married October 10, 1878, to Miss Corie I. White, and to this union one child, Eva A., was born July 7, 1879.
WILLIAM COTTON, Connersville, one of the venerable pioneer workers of this locality, is a native of Franklin County, Ind. He was born in a block- house three miles west of Brookville on the west side of the west fork of the Whitewater River, June 14, 1816. His parents were Joseph and Mary (Cramer) Cotton, who were born and reared in Greenville Dis- trict. S. C., and here they were married at the ages of nineteen years, enjoying each other's society as husband and wife sixty-two years, being the parents of eleven children. His father was born May 9, 1787, and his mother April 12 of the same year. The grandsires on both sides (William Cotton and Absalom Cramer) were soldiers of the Revolutionary war. Joseph Cotton with his wife and four children came to Indiana in 1816, and located in Franklin County, where he remained fourteen years, then changed over into Fayette County, where he re- mained forty-three years. He was a life-long farmer, and died May 8, 1873. Mrs. Cotton passed away September 11, 1868. William Cotton, whose name heads this sketch, resided with his parents until about twenty-two years of age, when he purchased 105 acres of land in this county and began operations for himself. By excessive labor in improving this farm and on Whitewater Caual, which was being con- structed at that time, he lost his health in two years. Having obtained a fair education in the common schools, he abandoned the farm and took up the pro- fession of teaching, which he continued twenty-one years, laying aside his armor in 1861. He read med- icine two years (1847 and 1848) with Dr. Kitchen, but never practiced. July 25, 1861, he enlisted in the Third Indiana Cavalry, Company F, and entered the war, serving three years, and participating in some of the most important engagements of the entire struggle. He enlisted as private and was honorably discharged August 31, 1864, as Second Lieutenant, having been in the command of a company some time before the discharge of the regiment. Ex-Gov. Conrad Baker was the first Colonel of the Third Indiana Cavalry, afterward Col. Scott Carter, of Vevay, who resigned in the early part of 1863. Gen George H. Chapman, who had been with the regiment soon after its being
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