USA > Indiana > Hendricks County > History of Hendricks County, Indiana, her people, industries and institutions > Part 21
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Dr. Bridges is a thirty-second-degree Mason, a Shriner, and also holds membership in the tribe of Red Men. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and has been a trustee in the church for many years. He is a stanch Democrat and takes an active interest in the affairs of his party and was nominated by his party in 1914 for the office of county clerk. He has been the precinct committeeman from Guilford township ever since he lived there. He has been identified with the Plainfield Building and Loan Association as its vice-president for many years. He is a member of the library board of Plainfield.
It is safe to say that the work being done by Dr. Bridges is conferring a boon upon thousands of homes and the sphere of his influence is con- stantly increasing. His work is highly indorsed by men in every profes- sion who see in the service he is rendering to afflicted humanity the posi- tive means of ameliorating untold suffering and misery. Dr. Bridges is a widely read man and one whom it is a pleasure to meet, and his friends are truly numbered by the thousands.
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HENDRICKS COUNTY, INDIANA.
JUDGE GEORGE W. BRILL.
It is scarce less than supererogation in outlining the leading facts in the life of Judge Brill to refer to him as a lawyer in the ordinary phraseology which meets the requirements when dealing with the average member of the legal profession. He is indeed much more than eminently successful in his legal career, as is indicated by his long and praiseworthy record at the bar and his efficient service on the bench. He is a master of his profession, a leader among men distinguished for the high order of their legal talent, and his eminent attainments and ripe judgment make him an authority on all matters involving a profound knowledge of jurisprudence and vexed and intricate questions growing out of its interpretation.
Judge George W. Brill, the son of William and Jeannette ( Matthews) Brill, was born in Hendricks county, Indiana, December 15, 1859. His father was a native of Virginia and his mother of Scotland. William Brill was a millwright by trade and came west when a young man, settling in Hendricks county, Indiana. Here he lived until his death, in April, 1873. his widow surviving him until 1907. They were loyal and consistent mem- bers of the Lutheran church of Pecksburg. To Mr. and Mrs. William Brill were born six children: George W., the immediate subject of this sketch; William Henry, deceased; Rachel Jeannette, the wife of L. F. Sparks; Bess, who lives with her brother, and William T., who is a furniture dealer in Danville.
Judge Brill was born on the farm near Center Valley, Liberty township, this county, and received his education in the common schools of this town- ship. He finished his education by taking the course in the Central Normal College, at Danville, and has been granted two diplomas from that institu- tion. Following his graduation from the college. he taught school for four years, in the meantime reading law with Hadley. Hogate & Blake in Danville. He was admitted to the bar in June, 1883, and was in continuous practice until November 16, 1913, when he went on the bench of the fifty-fifth judicial circuit of Indiana. He formed a partnership with Col. George T. Harvey in 1890, which continued until he went on the bench. This firm was very successful in every way and was in most of the important litigation of the county and central part of Indiana for the past twenty years.
Judge Brill was elected judge at the general election in November. 1913, on the Democratic ticket, and gave up a law practice of eighteen thousand dollars a year to take the judgship at three thousand five hundred. He
Seal Brill
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did this only at the earnest solicitation of his friends. This was his first office, although about twenty years ago he was the party nominee for joint senator of Marion and Hendricks counties, when, though he carried Marion county by over seven hundred, he lost his home county and was defeated.
Judge Brill was married on November 23, 1883, to Emma L. Gregg, the youngest daughter of Martin and Mary Jean Gregg. Martin Gregg was county commissioner when the old court house was built and was a very estimable and substantial citizen of the county. Two children have been born to Judge and Mrs. Brill, one of whom died in infancy, while the other daughter, Gertrude Holt, is still under the parental roof. Mrs. Brill died on October II, 1913.
Fraternally, Judge Brill is a member of the Knights of Pythias and has been in that order since 1882, during which time he has held every office in that lodge. He is also a member of the Free and Accepted Masons at Danville. Judge Brill is the owner of considerable real estate in the county. having several town properties and also farm lands scattered throughout this section. His career indicates what can be done by the young man who starts out to make his own way through life. He had no influential or rich friends or relatives to help him and can be truly called a self-made inan.
FRED CREECH.
One of the youngest and most progressive farmers in this county is Fred Creech, who, although he has been a farmer only a short time, is already regarded as one of the coming agriculturalists of the county. He has had a very interesting career, during which he has traveled over a large part of the United States. He was born September 2, 1886, in Wolfe county, Kentucky, the son of Frank L. and Nancy (Riggs) Creech. His father is a Methodist minister and is now living at Van Wert, Ohio. His parents were both born in Wise county, Virginia. Fred grew up in Kentucky, and after receiving a good common school education, started to work on a farm. About ten years ago he became acquainted with a man from Hen- dricks county, and as a result the whole tenor of his life was changed. He came to this county, learned the structural iron worker's trade and then went to Cincinnati where he learned the marble setter's trade. He then fol- lowed these two trades until 1909, working in cities scattered all over the United States.
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In 1909 he came back to this county and was married on December 28th, to Florence Hardwicke, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Warren Hardwicke. A history of the Hardwicke family is given elsewhere in this volume. To this happy union there has been born one son, Everett Farrell, a bright lad of three years.
Mr. Creech is now farming a fine eighty-acre farm in the northeastern part of Marion township and is fast picking up the intricacies of the farm- ing profession. He is full of energy and enthusiasm and has won the re- spect of the entire community in which he lives.
HIRAM T. STORM.
Among the highly honored veterans of the Civil War, who are still living in Hendricks county, is Hiram E. Storm, who lost one of his legs twelve days after he was mustered into the service, in one of the hardest fought battles of the Civil War. Although he was nearly seventeen years of age when he enlisted, he came back and started to common school in order to prepare himself for some useful profession. Handicapped as he was, he was determined not to be a charge upon anyone and with grit and determination he set about to prepare himself for the profession of teach- ing and thirty-six years of his useful life have been spent in teaching in this and other counties in Indiana. His life history is very interesting and instructive to the coming generation and is well worthy of mention in this volume.
Hiram T. Storm, the son of Isaac and Sarah (Lunsford) Storm, was born in Putnam county, Indiana, November 26, 1845. Both of his parents were natives of Monroe county, Indiana, and when his father, Isaac, was about seventeen years of age, he left his home in Monroe county, because the surroundings of his community were such as not to be conducive to the best development of a young man. Nearly everyone was addicted to the use of strong liquor and having had a repugnance to the use of intoxi- cating liquors from his childhood days, he decided to settle in some place where he would be under a different environment. Accordingly he went to Putnam county and found work with a farmer by the name of Lunsford, who was a strong temperance man, an abolitionist and a worthy man in every way. It so happened that Isaac Lunsford had a daughter and, as it has often occurred before and since, the youthful Isaac fell in love with
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his employer's daughter, Sarah. An interesting story is connected with the life of Peter Lunsford. When he first entered government land in Putnam county, he killed one hundred and forty rattlesnakes the first spring and got so disgusted with the farm that he sold it and bought another one in the same county. Isaac and his young wife, Sarah, began life under truly primitive conditions in Putnam county, and were worthy people, who reared to large usefulness thirteen children, four boys of whom served gal- lantly in the Union army during the Civil War. Isaac Storms died in 1904, at the age of eighty-seven, while the bride of his youth is still living on the old home farm at the advanced age of ninety.
Hiram T. Storm lived on the home farm until the breaking out of the Civil War and on August 18, 1862, enlisted in Company C, Seventy-first Regiment of Indiana Volunteer Infantry. The next twelve days were prob- ably the most exciting which have ever happened in the career of Mr. Storm. His regiment in 1863 was transferred to the Sixth Indiana Cavalry, and he was rushed to Kentucky and on the 30th, twelve days after he was mustered in at Indianapolis, he was engaged in the battle of Richmond, Kentucky, one of the severest battles in that state during the whole war. Here he was severely wounded in the leg and in order to save his life, his leg was amputated. As soon as he was able to return to his home, he came back to Putnam county and started to school. Things must have looked discouraging to him at this time, but with pluck and perseverance he applied himself to his books with such diligence that he was soon recognized as one of the best educated men in his county. As soon as he applied for a teach- er's license he successfully passed the examination and for the next six years taught in Putnam county.
In 1869, Mr. Storm moved to Eel River township, in this county, and bought a farm, where he made his home until 1912. Before coming to this county he married the widow of William F. Harper, another gallant soldier. who lost his life in the Civil War. Mrs. Harper had two children by her first marriage, Melvin and Melvina Eva Harper, whose interesting careers are delineated elsewhere in this volume. After removing to this county, Mr. Storm continued teaching until 1872, when he was elected treasurer of Hendricks county on the Republican ticket. After leaving the office of county treasurer he returned to the farm and continued teaching until 1909, having completed a total of thirty-six years in the school room. He has taught the children of former pupils and in fact a few grandchildren of former pupils. He has been very successful as a business man and now
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owns eighty acres of land in Hendricks county, as well as his father's old home place in Putnam county.
Mr. and Mrs. Storm are the parents of two children, May and Orville T. May was the wife of Frank West, and died in January, 1897, leaving two children, Lester V. and Evalina. Orville T. was born October 31, 1869. and after graduating from the high school at Danville attended Purdue University for a term, after which he returned to the old home farm where he has since resided. Upon his marriage, in 1898, his father gave him fifty acres and since that time he has added one hundred and thirty more to his farm in this township. He was married in 1893 to Ida West, the daughter of Simpson and Julia (Weddle) West. Her father was born in Kentucky and came here with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hiram West, in infancy. Hiram West entered land in the southeastern part of Eel River township and lived there until his death. Julia Weddle was born in Put- nam county, the daughter of Benjamin and Nancy Weddle, who were na- tives of Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Orville T. Storm have one daughter. Nellie, who is now attending the Central Normal College at Danville.
Hiram T. Storm has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows since 1872, holding membership in both subordinate lodge and en- campment. He has been a life-long member of the Christian church and is now an elder in that denomination at Lizton. Personally, Mr. Storm is a man of great force of character and enjoys a high degree of popularity in his community, possessing, as he does, those qualities of mind and heart that win and retain warm friendship.
SENATOR HORACE L. HANNA.
Senator Horace L. Hanna, of Plainfield, Indiana, was born at Green- castle, Indiana, April 1, 1874. His parents were Hon. John and Emma (Hobbs) Hanna, his father being a native of Marion county, and his mother of Jennings county in this state. His father was for many years one of the most prominent lawyers not only of Indiana, but of the middle West, and had a national reputation as a man of extraordinary ability. John Hanna was a member of Congress from the seventh district of Indiana, was an elector on the first Lincoln ticket, was appointed by President Lincoln as United States district attorney for Indiana, was a member of the territorial Legis-
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lature of Kansas and chairman of the judiciary committee which introduced the bill for the prohibition of slavery in that state.
Senator Horace L. Hanna received a good common school and high school education in Plainfield, graduating from the Plainfield Academy in 1873. His parents had moved to Plainfield when he was about eight years. of age. After graduating from the academy at Plainfield, he worked on the farm for four years, and then spent one year in DePauw University. While in DePauw he was a member of the Sigma Chi Greek-letter fraternity, and has always taken an active interest in this organization of his college days. After leaving DePauw he taught school for one year in the country near his home and then became a traveling salesman for the next four years, traveling for the Baker-Vawter Company, of Chicago. He then entered a law school in Indianapolis and graduated from the Indiana Law School in 1904 and immediately located for the practice of law at Plainfield. In 1905 he was elected to the lower house of the Indiana Legislature and re-elected in 1907. In 1909 he was elected to the Senate from Boone and Hendricks counties, having served in all, through four sessions of the Legislature, the sixty- fourth, the sixty-fifth, the sixty-sixth and sixty-seventh sessions. Senator Hanna was appointed in 1909 by Governor Hanly as chairman of the legisla- tive committee to visit and investigate the needs of the various state institu- tions. While in the Legislature he took a very prominent part and was the author of many bills. He feels that the bill of most importance with which he was connected was the one making the boards of the various state institu- tions nonpartisan. He does not assume the entire credit for this bill, but was one of the prime movers in its passage.
Senator Hanna was married to Hortense B. Moore, December 23, 1909. She is a daughter of Patterson F., deceased, and Willie A. Moore, of Plainfield. He is a member of the order of Free and Accepted Masons, the Knights of Pythias and the United Commercial Travelers of America. It is interesting to note that in the list of legislative celebrities which was published from time to time in the Indianapolis Star that Senator Hanna figured in a very interesting sketch in this newspaper on February 24, 1913. In this sketch he is referred to as a man who carries his point as often as any other Republican could carry it in the Indiana Senate. In fact, his optimistic and cheerful demeanor at all times has won for him a host of warm friends, who are glad to see him making a name for himself in the political arena of Indiana. He is rapidly building up a lucrative legal prac- tice in Plainfield and surrounding territory and is universally recognized as a man of keen analytical mind who has a good grasp of the law.
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HENDRICKS COUNTY, INDIANA.
JOHN W. ADER.
The farmer is the bulwark of the nation and investigation has shown that a large majority of our best business and professional men were reared on the farm. Presidents of the United States and governors of our own fair state have often come from the rural districts. George Washington was a farmer and was proud of the fact; Abraham Lincoln was reared on a farm in Spencer county, Indiana. Probably the most popular Democratic governor Indiana ever had was "Blue Jeans" Williams, who prided him- self on being a farmer and defeated Benjamin Harrison for governor with the campaign cry that Harrison was a "Blue Stocking;" the Republican party has never had a better governor in this state than that plain, unostentatious farmer, James A. Mount. Verily, the farmers of to-day are the bulwark of the nation, the salt of the earth.
John W. Ader, the son of Jacob and Mary (Springer) Ader, was born March 2, 1863, in Putnam county, Indiana. His father was a native of Putnam county and his mother was born in Schenectady, New York. Jacob Ader was a farmer all his life, as was his father, Solomon, before him. The Aders, it is believed, came originally from Ireland, Solomon coming to this country from Ireland with his parents, and at first settled in Virginia. From Virginia they went to North Carolina, and Solomon, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, came from that state to Indiana with his family and all his possessions in a two-wheel cart. Jacob Ader died in 1872 and his widow, some years later, married B. G. Edmundson and is still living at Clayton, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Ader were the parentss of three children: Solomon, a farmer in Putnam county; Jacob, who died at the age of two; and John, the immediate subject of this sketch.
John W. Ader was given a good practical education in the common schools of his township and has supplemented his early training with wide reading and close observation of men and events. In other words he is well schooled in the affairs of the business world, an education that teachers and books cannot give. He spent his summers on the farm while he was still of school age and continued to work on the farm until his marriage, at the age of twenty-one. His father had died when he was only nine years of age and this necessitated him taking considerable responsibility on his shoulders at an early age.
Mr. Ader was united in marriage on September II, 1884 to Jennie Shepherd, a girl with whom he had gone to school. She is the daughter of
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James P. and Margaret (Weller) Shepherd. She was born and reared near Mr. Ader's home in Putnam county. To this happy union there have been born six children, four of whom are living: Tressie Olive, who is a music teacher, and lives at home; Jacob, who is a student in the School of Medicine, of Indiana University, will receive the degree of Bachelor of Science in June, 1914, and the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1916. He is taking the full seven years' course which is prescribed by the university, the last three years of which is given at Indianapolis. He is a member of the Greek-letter fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta and the medical fraternity of Phi Rho Sigma; the third child of Mr. and Mrs. Ader is Shirley Florence, who is a graduate of the high school, at Danville, and also of both the scientific and the classic courses of the Central Normal College. During the year 1913-1914 she is teaching English and art in high school at Jones- boro, Indiana; the youngest child is Helen, who is now a sophomore in the Danville high school.
Immediately after his marriage Mr. Ader went on a farm and was suc- cessful from the start, and within four years was able to purchase a general store at Groveland, which he managed no less successfully for the next five years. While he was on the farm he became interested in the buying and selling of horses and when he went into the mercantile business he con- tinued to handle horses. In fact the handling of the horses interfered with the operation of his store, so he sold it and engaged in the buying and sell- ing of stock exclusively. He went into partnership with Henry Underwood at Groveland in Putnam county and in the next few years laid the basis of his present substantial holdings. In 1893 he moved to Danville where he continued in the same business and in the next fourteen years became known as one of the most substantial business men of the county. He invested in land and owns some of the finest farming land to be found in the state. He also bought town property in Danville and has recently built one of the most modern and up-to-date houses in the town. In 1908 he was elected sheriff on the Democratic ticket, by a good majority, despite the fact that the county is normally Republican. His administration of the office was so satisfactory that he was re-elected in 1910 without any difficulty; his last term of office expires January 1, 1913. It is safe to say that Hendricks county never had a more efficient and popular sheriff than John Ader.
Mr. Ader is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, at Groveland, and has been a close student of Masonry for many years. He and all the members of his family are devoted and consistent adherents of the Presby-
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terian church, at Danville, and contribute freely of their means to the sup- port of the various organizations of that denomination. Mr. Ader is a man who makes friends everywhere he goes and probably has as wide an acquaintance throughout the county as any other man. Personally, he is a splendid specimen of manhood, more than six feet in height and tipping the scales around two hundred and fifty. His life has been a busy and useful one and no citizen in the county is held in higher esteem by his fellow citi- zens than Mr. Ader. His career shows what may be accomplished by the ex- ercise of tireless energy and upright dealings.
JAMES E. HUMSTON.
Whether the elements of success in this life are innate attributes of the individual or whether they are quickened by a process of circumstantial de- velopment, it is impossible to clearly determine. Yet the study of a suc- cessful life, whatever the field of endeavor, is none the less interesting and profitable by reason of the existence of this same uncertainty. In the life record of James E. Humston, who for many years has been identified with various interests in Hendricks county, Indiana, we find many qualities in his make-up that always gain definite success in any career if properly di- rected. The splendid success which has crowned his efforts has been di- rectly traceable to the salient points in his character, for he started in life at the bottom of the ladder, which he mounted unaided. He comes of a splendid American family, one that has always been strong for right living and industrious habits, for education and morality, for loyalty to the national government, and for all that contributes to the welfare of a community. and, because of his success in life and his high personal character, he is clearly entitled to specific mention in the annals of his county.
Among the Civil War veterans of Hendricks county, who have not yet answered the final roll call, is James E. Humston, who was born in Lawrence county, Indiana, August 13, 1844, the son of William M. and Lovina E. (Glover) Humston, the former a native of Tennessee and the latter of Kentucky. William Hunston came to Lawrence county, this state, from Tennessee when a young man and resided in that county until his death, which occurred in 1872, his wife surviving him several years. Mr. and Mrs. William Humston were the parents of seven children, only three of whom
JAMES E. HUMSTON
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are living, W. B., of Bedford, Indiana, Laura H., of Bloomington, Indiana, and James E., the immediate subject of this sketch.
James E. Humston was educated in the old-fashioned schools which were in vogue in his day and spent his boyhood days helping his father on the farm. When a mere lad of seventeen, he enlisted in Company A, Sixty- seventh Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served for three full years. He took part in the siege of Vicksburg, in the summer of 1863, and participated in seventeen engagements of the war. He was twice taken prisoner, first at Munfordsville, Kentucky, and held at Alexander, Louisiana, later on, having been taken prisoner twenty-seven days after he enlisted. He was never sick a day during his whole service and never missed a single roll call, excepting during time he was in prison. He participated in the battle of Champion's Hill, which history says was one of the bloodiest bat- tles of the whole Civil War, and yet was one of the fortunate few who went through the whole service without being wounded in any way, or having his health impaired in the slightest. After the close of the war he came back to Lawrence county, Indiana, and remained there until 1868, when he went west for a short time. Upon his return to Indiana he was married in 1870 and came to Danville, this county, where he has since lived. As a farmer he has been very successful and has accumulated a comfortable competence for his declining years. While in the active work of directing his farm he raised all of the crops common to this section of the state, and also added to his income by the sale of live stock.
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