History of Franklin County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions, Part 30

Author: Reifel, August J
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1648

USA > Indiana > Franklin County > History of Franklin County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions > Part 30

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"J. P. Bohlander, Co. H, 52 Ind. Inft. Born July 17, 1835, drowned in Tenn. River, Jan. 7, 1865."

It was the intention of the post when the monument was erected to place upon the sides of the pedestal the names of all the soldiers from Franklin county who died during the Civil War. Thus far, however, Bohl- ander is the only soldier whose name appears on the face of the monument.

SPANISH-AMERICAN AND PHILIPPINE WARS.

Franklin county did not furnish a company during the Spanish-American War, although there were a number of men from the county who enlisted elsewhere. Some of these were in the regular army and others in the volun- teer service. There have been no less than fifteen enlistments in the regular army since 1898. Augustus Baither enlisted at Indianapolis, February 14, 1898, as a member of Company H, First United States Heavy Artillery, and was in the service for three years. Most of the time was spent in Florida and he was mustered out at Fort Barrancas, in that state, February 14, 1901.

Hugo Tettenborn enlisted at Cincinnati, December 16, 1898, and was mustered in as a private in Company A, Eleventh United States Regiment. He was in the service for three years and four months, although he was paid for three years and a half. He left New York city in January, 1899,

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for Cuba and was with his regiment in that island for five weeks. His regi- ment was then transferred to Porto Rico, where he remained for one year. In the spring of 1900 his regiment was ordered to the Philippines and left New York City April I for San Francisco. The regiment was taken to the Philippines by way of Honolulu and spent eighteen months on the islands of Leyte and Somar. The regiment was engaged in picket and patrol duty during all of the time it was on the islands. Only one incident occurred which was particularly exciting. One night about two o'clock a cannon ball hit the door of the barracks and the soldiers rushed out, thinking that they were on the point of being attacked by the savages. They followed the retreating natives with their guns in hand and soon came across the scared Filipinos and cannon which had caused all the disturbance. The cannon was made out of a large bamboo which had been wound around with heavy wire, a fragile piece of ordnance, which did not seem heavy enough to stand more than one shot at the most. Strange to say, the one shot of the cannon was the only shot fired that night. The Eleventh Regiment was. brought back to the United States by way of Japan and landed in San Francisco on the Ist of April, 1902. The men were mustered out April 12, 1902.

John H. Ertel enlisted, May 13, 1898, in Company L, Twenty-third United States regulars, and accompanied his regiment to the Philippines at once. They landed on the islands in July, 1898, and saw hard service there until they were mustered out, June 30, 1899, at Jolo. The Twenty-third Regiment was the third to land on the island and was in the assault upon Manila, August 13, 1899. Among other engagements which are noted on the back of the discharge papers of Mr. Ertel is the battle of San Pedro Macati, March 4, 1899. This regiment was engaged in constant skirmishing against the Filippinos on Luzon, Jolo and adjoining islands in the archi- pelago. Such was the service of Mr. Ertel in the Philippines that his captain wrote on his discharge paper "honest and faithful" and of "excellent" char- acter. The Twenty-third Regiment returned to the United States by way of Japan and landed in San Francisco in August, 1899.

John A. Cook was a member of Troop B, Fifth United States Cavalry. He enlisted September 29, 1898, and was discharged at Utnado, Porto Rico, April 15, 1899. He served in Cuba and Porto Rico. Henry J. Neuman is a master gunner in the United States coast artillery service and is now sta- tioned at Fort Worden, Washington. He enlisted at Fortress Monroe in 1900 and has been in the regular army ever since. He was stationed at Honolulu for two years, but the rest of his service has been in the United States.

C. KEELER CABIN, BLUE CREEK, 1808.

GENERAL HACKLEMAN CABIN.

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Albert A. Neuman is now in the United States army in the coast artillery. He enlisted three years ago and is now stationed at Fort DeSoto, Florida. Other young men who have enlisted in the regular army from this county within the past two years are as follows: Frank Showalter, Joseph Peters, Dora Lee, Gus Pelser, Ray Jeter, Peter Hall, Henry DeFausett, John Bucker, Daniel Ulrich, Clarence Wilson, Calvin Wilson and Roswell Winans. It has not been possible to get the military record of these men.

Edward G. Dudley enlisted at Cincinnati in 1898 as a member of Com- pany G, First Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Dr. William Squier, now a prac- ticing physician at Milton, Indiana, was in the regular army during the Filippino insurrection and saw active service in the Philippines.

A number of Franklin county boys have served in the navy during the past few years, but it has not been possible to obtain the complete records of all of them. The names of the following have been found who have spent at least one term in the navy : Peter Dudley, Arthur Meeker, Dora Lee, John Moore, John W. Schebler, Austin Swift and two-Ludwig and Watterson- whose Christian names have not been ascertained. Schebler was accidentally killed as a result of a fall down a stairway on the battleship "Dixie," Novem- ber 15, 1913. His body was brought to Franklin county and buried at Ham- burg, November 21, 1913. Schebler had enlisted on July 12, 1907, and upon the expiration of his first term reinlisted on July 12, 1911. He had served on the battleships "Virginia" and "Dixie," and held the rank of a quarter- master of the third class at the time of his death.

Peter Dudley enlisted in 1906 and during his first enlistment of four years traveled 45,456 miles. He enlisted for his third term, March 31, 1915, and is now in the ninth year of his service in the navy. Dora Lee and John Moore enlisted at the same time and served for the regular four years. Moore is now a second class boatman's mate on the "Montana," having previously served on the "Iowa." Moore has been in the service since October 21, 1908. Swift, Ludwig and Patterson are still in the navy as far as is known. Frank- lin county has one graduate of the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Scott Baker, who served his regular time after graduation. He has been a resident of Brookville since leaving the service.

As far as is known, there were only six volunteers from Franklin county in the Spanish-American War. Three of these, John S. Francis, Alden Murray and William Woessner. were from Metamora. They were members of Company F. One Hundred and Sixty-first Regiment of Indiana Volunteers, and were mustered in June 29, 1898, and mustered out April 30,

(21)

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1899. The other three volunteers from this county were Jesse W. Ailes, of Stips' Hill, Irvin Morford, of Andersonville, and Henry Seibel, of Hamburg. Ailes was mustered in June 27, 1898; appointed corporal August 23, 1898; appointed sergeant, December 31, 1898; mustered out April 30, 1899. Mor- ford enlisted June 27 and Seibel on July 5, 1898, and both were mustered out April 30, 1899. Ailes, Morford and Seibel were members of Company H, One Hundred and Sixty-first Regiment of Indiana Volunteers.

Milford P. Hubbard enlisted in the Twenty-seventh Indiana Battery of Light Artillery, April 26, 1898. This battery drilled at Camp Mount, Indi- anapolis, in the spring of 1898 and later went to Chickamauga Park, Tennes- see, where it remained until September. It was then taken to Porto Rico and remained on that island for thirty-four days. They only had one chance of engaging in a skirmish and that occurred on the day that the message an- nouncing the signing of the protocol was received, August 12, 1898. On this particular day the battery was advancing to make an attack on Juyana, but just before hostilities began, a courier came with the message that a protocol had been signed. Thus ended the active service of the Twenty- third. It was mustered out November 25, 1898.

CHAPTER XIII.

BANKS AND BANKING.

There were banks in Indiana Territory which had been recognized by the territorial Legislature and which were continued by the state after it was admitted to the Union. The two banks in existence in 1816 were at Vin- cennes and Madison and the first session of the Legislature (January 1, 1817) made extensive changes in the charter of the Vincennes bank and provided for the division of the state into fourteen districts, with a bank for each district.

All the branch banks were to be considered dependent on the Vincennes bank and each branch was to have eleven directors chosen by the stockholders and three selected by the state. The Madison bank became one of the four- teen branches and, of the others which were provided for, only three ever organized under the legislative act. These were at Brookville, Corydon and Vevay.

The Brookville branch, the second to be organized, started out with a capital stock of thirty-five thousand dollars, furnished by William H. Eads, Robert John and John Jacobs. This organization was effected in the summer of 1817 and a substantial bank building was at once erected in which to carry on the business. Unfortunately, no complete records were kept of this bank and it is not known how much business it transacted or how long it was in existence. What was known as the aristocratic party of Brookville evidently controlled the policy of the bank and this may account in part for the opposi- tion which the bank had to meet. The panic of 1819 struck this bank, as it did all other banks of the West, and started it on its downward path. In a report to the state Legislature during the session of 1821-22, the Brookville Bank is reported as having been tendered twelve thousand two hundred six- teen dollars. This was done December 22. 1821, and the supposition is that the bank accepted it from the state treasurer, D. C. Lane. As has been stated, the history of the Brookville Bank established in 1817 is very obscure, but it is known that it closed its career during the early part of the twenties. The building which it occupied is still standing in the town and is now used as a dwelling house.

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FRANKLIN COUNTY, INDIANA.

From the closing of the first bank in Brookville, in the early twenties, to the establishment of the first bank after the adoption of the Constitution of 1851, is a period characterized by "wild cat" banks. During the building of the White Water canal through the county and during the most prosper- ous part of the canal period, there were a number of such banks in the county, but little is known of their history. There was very little specie in circulation and most of the business done by these banks consisted of buy-

ing and selling notes and commercial paper which they felt they could handle to a good profit. They issued paper currency, known as "shinplasters," for sums ranging from six and one-fourth cents to a dollar. Canal scrip was largely used in Franklin county for nearly twenty years and the many refer- ences to "blue dog," "blue pup" and "white dog" indicate the wide use of this peculiar canine scrip. Banking continued in a more or less haphazard fashion until 1853, when statutory provisions based upon the new Constitu- tion provided a solid basis for conservative banking.

THE BROOKVILLE BANK, 1853-63.

The new Constitution adopted in 1851 made a radical change in the banking business in Indiana, and Brookville was not slow to take advantage of the provisions governing the establishing of banks. Early in 1853 a num- ber of the wealthy citizens of Brookville began to agitate the question of establishing a bank. By the middle of March their capital stock of $100,- 000 had all been subscribed, the stock being taken by the following citizens of the county : Richard Tyner, N. W. Haile, George Holland, N. D. Gallion, John W. Hitt, James H. Speer, William M. McCarty, Abner McCarty, Enoch McCarty and Benjamin H. Burton.

The articles of incorporation which were filed designated it as a bank of deposit as well as discount. While they began with the capital stock of $100,000, their articles of incorporation allowed them to increase it to $500,000 should the business of the town and county demand it.

BROOKVILLE NATIONAL BANK, 1865-79.

The career of the Brookville Bank covered twelve years and was suc- ceeded on October 9. 1865, by the Brookville National Bank, which was or- ganized with a capital stock of $100,000, in accordance with the national banking act. Its first officers were as follows: John H. Farquhar, presi- dent; John G. Adair, vice-president: John W. Hitt, cashier. On March 5,

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1879, Dr. John R. Goodwin and Charles F. Goodwin became the sole owners of the bank. The directors of the bank at the time of its voluntary liquida- tion were as follow: William W. Butler, John G. Adair, John Herron, William Dare, Jacob H. Masters, John R. Goodwin and Charles F. Goodwin. The officers of the bank were as follow: John G. Adair, president ; W. W. Butler, vice-president; John R. Goodwin, cashier; Charles F. Goodwin, as- sistant cashier. These officers and directors were elected January 17, 1879, and at the same time a resolution was adopted to reduce the capital stock to $50,000. However, by the first of March financial conditions were such that it was impossible for it to make satisfactory dividends on $100,000 capital stock and it was decided to go into voluntary liquidation. The Franklin Democrat of March 6, 1879, says that "It is understood that the closing up of the Brookville National Bank will open the way for a private banking company among our solid men." A notice in the same paper the following week says that the bank is closing up its affairs and that the banking business will be continued in the same room "by John R. Goodwin & Son, under the name of The Brookville Bank." The new bank assumed all the obligations of its predecessor and opened for business sometime between March 13 and 20, since on the latter date the Franklin Democrat says, "Doctor Goodwin is as well known as any man in the county ; he is perfectly responsible and will conduct the business of the bank honestly. Charles F. Goodwin is popular as a bank officer and will give satisfaction in the line of his duties."

THE BROOKVILLE BANK, 1879-1905.

As has been stated the Brookville National Bank could not survive the hard times of the latter seventies and in 1879 went into voluntary liquidation. The former owners, Dr. John R. Goodwin and his son, Charles F., closed up the business of the defunct National Bank in March and organized what was called the Brookville Bank, taking the name which had been applied to the banking institution here that had existed during the decade following 1853. Doctor Goodwin and his son had been connected with the bank for some years previous to its dissolution in 1879, but the death of the Doctor the following year brought about a change in the management of the bank. Upon the death of Doctor Goodwin, Isaac Carter and Dora, Wagoner were employed in the bank. Mr. Carter later became one of the leading lawyers of Shelbyville, while Mr. Wagoner became a successful druggist of Terre Haute. In 1881 John C. Shirk, who had just graduated from Indiana Uni- versity, became identified with the bank and on January 1, 1884, became a partner in the bank.

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For the next twelve years Charles F. Goodwin and John C. Shirk were the owners of the bank and conducted its business in such a way as to make it a financial institution of undoubted integrity. Upon the death of Mr. Goodwin, January 12, 1896, Mr. Shirk and his sister, Mrs. Charles F. Good- win, formed a partnership and this continued until June 20, 1905, when the bank was chartered as The National Brookville Bank.

THE NATIONAL BROOKVILLE BANK, 1905-1915.

The National Brookville Bank, as has been previously stated, is a suc- cessor of the Brookville Bank and began its career Saturday, July 1, 1905, under a charter granted June 20, 1905. The first officers were as follow : John C. Shirk, president ; John P. Goodwin, vice-president; George E. Den- nett, cashier. These officers, with the addition of M. S. Goodwin and W. D. Moore, constitute the board of directors. During the ten years of the bank's existence there has been no change in the officers or board of directors.

The bank began business with a capital stock of $50,000 and continued with this amount of working capital until March 25, 1915. At that time the bank was granted permission by the comptroller of the currency to in- crease the capital stock to $100,000. During the spring of 1915 the bank decided to apply for permission to do a general trust and loan business in connection with their regular banking. The last Legislature of Indiana passed an act which empowers national banks to add the so-called trust com- panies' business to their present activities. Since the passage of this act the federal reserve board has received a large number of requests from national banks in Indiana that they be permitted to act as trustee, administrator, registrar of stocks and bonds, and, in general, to do such business as has heretofore been done only by trust companies. It was to be expected that the trust companies would register a vigorous objection to this encroach- ment on their business, but the federal board replies to their protest by say- ing that the trust companies have no right to complain, since within the past few years they have been doing what amounts to a regular banking business.

The National Brookville Bank applied for and has been granted per- mission to do a general trust business in connection with their regular bank- ing and are now looking forward to an increased business as result of the change. This bank is housed in its own stone and pressed-brick building which was erected in 1890-91 at a cost of $21,500. The stability of the bank is shown by the fact that its deposits now amount to more than $530,- 000, with a surplus and undivided profits of $73,000.

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FRANKLIN COUNTY, INDIANA.

FRANKLIN COUNTY NATIONAL BANK.

The Franklin County National Bank was organized in 1900 with the following officers: Joseph A. Fries, president ; Louis Federman, vice-presi- dent ; Richard S. Taylor, cashier; Frank Geis, Jr., assistant cashier. The original capital stock of $25,000 has been doubled in order to take care of the constantly increasing business of the bank. With deposits of $510,000 and a surplus and undivided profits of $35,000, the bank stands today as a good example of safe and conservative business methods.

The Franklin County National Bank has taken advantage of the act of the late Legislature which permits national banks to engage in loan and trust business. In order to add this phase of banking to its business it was neces- sary to obtain permission from the federal reserve board. This has been granted and the bank is now in a position to engage in a general loan and trust business. In general terms this means that the bank can now loan money on mortgage security, a privilege which has heretofore been denied to national banks.

In 1912 the bank moved into its own beautiful three-story-building which was erected at a cost of $35,000. The Knights of Pythias built and now occupy the third story. The present officers of the bank are as follow : W. H. Senour, president; Louis Federman, vice-president : Richard S. Tay- lor, cashier ; Frank Geis, Jr., assistant cashier. The officials, with the addi- tion of John W. Brockman, constitute the board of directors.

PEOPLE'S TRUST COMPANY.

The People's Trust Company was incorporated under the laws of Indi- ana, January 22, 1915, with the capital stock of $50,000. There was such a demand for the stock on March 25, 1915, that it was soon oversubscribed and it was increased to $75,000. Within a short time this whole amount of stock was subscribed, there being one hundred seventy-four stockholders.

The officers of the bank are as follow: Caspar Ritzi, president; James B. Kidney, vice-president; George E. Mullin, secretary-cashier. The direct- ors are Caspar Ritzi, James B. Kidney, Herman Walther, M. P. Hubbard, Frank A. Wright, Frank J. Geis, Charles A. Stinger, J. M. Hamilton and Harry M. Stoops. The bank opened for business May 1, 1915, in the room formerly occupied by the Franklin County National Bank.

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THE FARMERS AND MERCHANTS BANK.

The Farmers and Merchants Bank of Oldenburg was organized as a private bank March 9, 1909, with a capital stock of $12,000. The first officers have been in active charge of the bank since its organization, namely : B. J. Kessing, president; F. B. Moorman, vice-president; A. J. Hackman, cashier. The directors include the officers and A. A. Hackman, F. J. Raver and C. L. Johnson. The bank rents the room in which it carries on its busi- ness. Its last report shows a surplus and undivided profits of $3,076.50, · on its capital of $12,000.

THE LAUREL BANK.

The Laurel Bank is the oldest bank in continuous operation in Franklin county. It was organized as a private bank by W. L. Day, J. J. Reiboldt and W. O. Bowman on July 1, 1893, with a capital stock of $5,000. Two years later Bowman disposed of his interests to the other two members of the company, who, in turn, continued the business in partnership until 1904. In that year Reiboldt acquired the sole interest in the bank and has con- tinued as owner of the bank since that date. On July 1, 1905, Mr. Reiboldt secured a state charter for his bank and during the ten years which have elapsed since it was made a state bank it has increased in usefulness in the community which it seeks to serve. As the bank has prospered it has been found necessary to double the original capital and, according to the last statement, has a surplus and undivided profits of $6,000 on a capital stock of $10,000.

FARMERS BANK OF METAMORA.

The Farmers Bank of Metamora was chartered July 10, 1910, as a private bank with the following officers: W. N. Gordon, president; J. E. Jackson, vice-president; H. R. Lennard, cashier. The bank has a capital of $10,000 and deposits of $80,000. The surplus and undivided profits of the bank for the past year were $3,000. The bank does general banking and under the efficient management of its directors it has won the confidence of the community in which it plays such a prominent part.

MATHMAL

THE DOOOKVILLE 2x == S aots

NATIONAL BROOKVILLE BANK (Shirk & Goodwin.)

CHAPTER XIV.

BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS.

The care of the poor and unfortunate is a matter which has concerned the people of the county from the beginning of its history. It is one of the striking evidences of our Christian civilization to note the care and protection which is extended to those who are unable to provide for themselves. The history of the benevolent institutions of Franklin county falls into five periods, which, for the sake of treatment, will be grouped into as many different headings.

18II-1816.

This marks a period from the organization of the county up to the time when Indiana was admitted to the Union. During this period, the care of the poor devolved upon officers in each township, who were designated as over- seers of the poor. From the commissioners' records it appears that these officers were appointed and held their office for one year. The early records bear witness to the fact that an effort was made to alleviate such cases of destitution as were called to the attention of the authorities. The first record of this nature noticed is dated May 15, 1813, at which time George Cain was allowed eighteen dollars for boarding and clothing Abel Perry, a pauper, from January I to May 1, 1813. At this time the following citizens were appointed by the commissioners as overseers of the poor: Allen Ramsey, Lewis Deweese, George Hollingsworth, John Templeton, William Helm and Basil Roberts. There appears to have been no change in the management of poor relief during the territorial period.

1816-1824.

Upon the adoption of a constitution in 1816, and the subsequent admis- sion of the state to the Union on December II of the same year, the old sys- tem was continued. No statutory provisions were provided by the legisla- ture, and, consequently, the same method of poor relief prevailed. Each quar- terly session of the commissioners contains specific appropriations for in- dividual cases of relief. The allowances made by the commissioners for the

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caring for the poor varied considerably. At the November session, 1817, Benjamin Nichols was allowed forty-three dollars and eighty-one and one- fourth cents for keeping John Lovell, a pauper, from August 13, 1817, to the 21st of the following month, a period of about five weeks. In February, 1818, the commissioners allowed Robert Dickerson twenty-three dollars and ninety-three and three-fourths cents for keeping Abel Perry for the six months previous to December 4, 1817. These two allowances indicate the extremes of compensation, and, as will be noted, vary from nearly nine dol- lars to one dollar per week.

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History of Franklin County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions, Part 30

Author: Reifel, August J Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen Number of Pages: 1648

Author: Reifel, August J
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1648