History of Hendricks County, Indiana, Part 37

Author: Inter-State Publishing Co.
Publication date: 1885
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 786

USA > Indiana > Hendricks County > History of Hendricks County, Indiana > Part 37

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Let us now turn to the present active members of the bar. I will name them in the order of the dates of their admission. All were admitted to the bar, for the first time, at Danville. It gives me pleasure to say that I believe them to be as reliable and honor- able, both in their professional and private lives, as are the members of any bar in the State. For legal learning and natural ability I believe they will compare favorably with the bar of any mere county seat in the State. I have no hesitation in saying that their clients need have no fears but that their business will be faithfully attended to.

JOSEPH S. MILLER, born Sept. 11, 1826, in Highland County, Ohio. Came with his parents to Hendricks County in April, 1835. They removed to Danville in December following. He read law at Danville in the office of William C. Wilson, now of Lafayette, Ind., and was admitted to the bar in Danville, Nov. 20, 1850, and has been in practice there ever since. In December, 1865, he was appointed Prosecuting Attorney for the counties of Hendricks, Marion and Johnson, by Conrad Baker, Lieutenant-Governor, act- ing as Governor, to fill a vacancy. At the next ensuing election he was elected to that place for a term of two years. He was married to Miss Ellean Patty on the 16th day of November, 1848, and after her death he was married to Miss Jane Fletcher, both of Hendricks County. He has four children. . On the 20th day of April, 1861, he enlisted in Company A, Seventh Regiment Indiana Volunteers, under the call for three-months men, and was the first 27

'Digitized by Google

422

HISTORY OF HENDRICKS COUNTY.

man in Hendricks County to volunteer. He raised the company, which was the only company raised in Hendricks County for the three-months service, and was commissioned as Second Lieutenant, and served as such until the expiration of the term of enlistment. In politics he is a. Republican, and it is worthy of mention that he was a delegate from Indiana in the convention at Philadelphia, Pa., in 1856, that nominated Fremont for President. He has been longer in the practice of law than any man in Danville. He is not a member of any church.

LEANDER M. CAMPBELL was born in Mason County, Ky., Feb. 12, 1833. His education was obtained in the country schools. He read law books and taught school alternately for several years, and spent one winter in the law office of his brother, T. C. Campbell, at Maysville, Ky. He came to Hendricks County in the winter of 1852. He taught school in the south part of the county for a while, and was admitted to the bar in Danville, April 7, 1854, where he has practiced law ever since. He was elected Prosecuting Attorney for the counties of Hendricks and Putnam for a term of two years. No salary was paid the Prosecuting Attorney at that time. His compensation depended solely on fees received for convictions. For one year he was in partnership with John V. Hadley, in the law. He is now State Senator for the counties of Hendricks and Putnam, having been elected to that position in 1884. He is married and has two grown daughters, one of whom is the wife of Attorney Thad. S. Adams. The other is unmarried and is study- ing painting, favorable notices of her work having appeared from time to time in the press. Mr. Campbell states that he has not missed attendance at any term of court since his admission to the bar. He is a Republican in politics. Does not belong to any church.

CHARLES FOLEY was born Jan. 3, 1835, at Indianapolis, Ind. His mother died in the fall of 1839, he being the only surviving child. In the spring of 1843 his father removed to a farm four miles north of the city, near where Crown Hill Cemetery now is, where he staid most of the time until he attained his majority. He attended the neighborhood schools some of winters, they being typical schools of the rural districts of Indiana of those days, the Marion County Seminary some, and Hanover College the first year of the scien- tific course. He spent two winters teaching in Hendricks County, and in the spring of 1857 started to the West with an outfit of sur- veyor's instruments, and after visiting Nebraska and Iowa located

Digitized by Google

HISTORY OF HENDRICKS COUNTY.

423

. in Harrison County, Mo., where he followed surveying and teach- ing until the breaking out of the war in 1861, when he went to Indianapolis, Ind., and entered the law office of the late Horatio C. Newcomb and John S. Tarkington, as a student, and in the spring of 1863 located at Danville to practice law. He was admitted to the bar at the next ensuing term, the August term, 1863, of the Hendricks Circuit Court, and has practiced there continuously ever since, except during 100-days service in the summer of 1864, as a private in Company H, One Hundred and Thirty-second Regiment Indiana Volunteers. In the fall of 1863 he formed a partnership with the late Simon T. Hadley in the practice of the law, which continued until the spring of 1864, when he enlisted in the above- named service. On his return from the service he occupied a room for several years as an office with Mr. Hadley, without being in partnership. He was married Jan. 31, 1867, to Miss Eliza Ann Leach, of Pittsboro, Hendricks County. They have one child, a boy, in his ninth year. He is a Republican in politics. His anti- slavery views and the fact that he had been a Republican candi- date for Presidential Elector in Missouri, in 1860, hastened his exit from that State. He does not belong to any church.

JOHN V. HADLEY was born Oct. 31, 1839, in Hendricks County; was educated in the common schools of the county. Enlisted Aug. 20, 1861, in Company B, Seventh Indiana Volunteers. He served until Feb. 22, 1865. He participated in a number of battles, no- tably Port Republic, the second battle of Bull Run, where he received a flesh wound, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg and the Wil- derness, beside minor engagements. On the 5th day of May, 1864, he was taken prisoner at the battle of the Wilderness. He seems to have gone the rounds of the rebel prisons, for he was an inmate of prisons in Virginia, Georgia and South Carolina. He escaped with some other prisoners Nov. 4, 1864, and after much hardship and many exciting adventures he and party reached the Union forces at Knoxville, Tenn., Dec. 10 following. He was dis- charged at Washington City. He read law in Danville, was ad- mitted to the bar in June, 1866, and has been in the practice at that place ever since, having been in partnership with Leander M. Campbell, Jesse S. Ogden (now deceased), Richard B. Blake and Enoch G. Hogate. In the winter of 1884 the firm of Hadley, Ho- gate & Blake was dissolved, and Mr. Hadley is now alone. In the early part of his professional career he varied the monotony of waiting for clients by writing a pamphlet of his prison life and

Digitized by Google

424 HISTORY OF HENDRICKS COUNTY.

experiences in making his escape, which had a good sale in the county. He was married March 15, 1865, to Miss Mary J. Hill, of Hendricks County. They have three children. He owns a large farm and takes much interest in Hereford cattle, with which he is experimenting. He is President of the Board of Directors of the First National Bank of Danville, and is a member of the Christian church. He is Republican in politics.

THOMAS J. COFER was born Sept. 2, 1839, in Hendricks County, and was reared on a farm four miles north of Danville. His edu- cation was mostly acquired at the district school of the neighbor- hood. He enlisted as a private in Company K, Sixteenth Regi- ment Indiana Volunteer Infantry for one year, and served until the expiration of the term of enlistment. Being in Washington City and not in service, on the 23d day of May, 1862, he went to Fredericksburg, Va., on a visit to the Seventh Regiment Indiana Volunteers. The next day he went with the regiment to the Shenandoah Valley and remained there until June 9, 1862, in the meantime participating in the battle of Port Republic, at which he was wounded and taken prisoner by the rebels. From thence he was taken to various rebel prisons, and was paroled in Decem- ber, 1862. He then came back to Hendricks County. He re-en- listed in the fall of 1863 in Company I, Ninth Indiana Cavalry, becoming First Lieutenant and afterward Captain, and served until Sept. 8, 1865, when he was finally discharged. He returned again to Hendricks County and engaged in the dry-goods trade, at which he continued until the year 1872, when he was admitted to the bar in Danville, at which place and business he has continued ever since. He was elected Prosecuting Attorney in the fall of 1872, and served for the term, two years. Since his term of office ex- pired he has served four years as Deputy Prosecutor. He is now in partnership with Newton M. Taylor, in the practice of law. He was married Nov. 9, 1865, to Mary S. Scearce, daughter of William Scearce, a neighbor of his father's. They have two children, girls, living. In politics he is a Republican. He does not belong to any church organization.

RICHARD B. BLARE was born in Hendricks County, Ind., March 14, 1850. He graduated in June, 1872, at Asbury, now De Pauw, University, at Greencastle, Ind. He was admitted to the bar in Danville, Oct. 16, 1872, and has continued in the practice of law at that place ever since. He was elected Prosecuting Attorney for one term, serving from 1878 to 1880. He is in partnership

Digitized by Google

425

HISTORY OF HENDRIUKS COUNTY.

with Enoch G. Hogate in the practice of law. He was married to Miss Antoinette E. Moore, of Danville, Dec. 22, 1874. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church about fourteen years, having joined while attending school at Greencastle.

ENOCH G. HOGATE was born Sept. 16, 1849, at Centerton, Salem Co., N. J. He graduated at Allegheny College, Meadville, Pa., in June, 1872. On the 16th day of October, 1872, he was admitted to the bar in Danville, and has practiced law there continuously ever since. He is in partnership with Richard B. Blake. He was married May 8, 1873, to Miss Mary J. Matlock, of Danville, who died leaving him three children. He was married a second time, Aug. 10, 1881, to Miss Anna C. Huston, of Danville. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church since 1866.

NEWTON M. TAYLOR was born Oct. 3, 1847, at Attica, Fount- ain Co., Ind. Was educated in the public schools of that place and at Asbury University, at Greencastle, Ind., where he re- ceived the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1873. He read law for one year at Greencastle with Brown & Hanna, attorneys, and graduated at the Law School of the State University at Blooming- ton, Ind., in 1875, after a one-year course there. He served as a private in Company E, One Hundred and Thirty-fifth Regi- ment Indiana Volunteers, in the 100-days service, in the sum- mer of 1864. Was married Aug. 11, 1875, to Miss Lu Ensey, of Annapolis, Parke Co., Ind .; removed to Danville immedi- ately, was admitted to the bar, where he has been in the prac- tice of the law ever since. He is now in partnership with Thomas J. Cofer. Was elected Prosecuting Attorney in the fall of 1880 for the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit for a term of two years. He has two children. Is a Republican in politics. Does not belong to any church, but is a Unitarian in faith.

JAMES O. PARKER was born Oct. 11, 1853, at Jonesville, Bar- tholomew Co., Ind. Received his education in the public schools. Read law in Danville and was admitted to the bar in 1876. Practiced; law until the year 1880, when he went into the dry- goods business with his father-in-law, William N. Crabb, in which business he continued until some time in 1881, when he be- came connected as editor and publisher, with The Hendricks County Republican, of which paper he finally became sole editor and publisher. He sold out the Republican in April, 1885, to Messrs. Moffett & Riddle, and has resumed the practice of law. He is in partnership with James A. Downard in the law and ab-

Digitized by Google

426

HISTORY OF HENDRICKS COUNTY.

stracting titles. Mr. Parker was married to Miss Victoria J. Crabb, of Danville, on the 31st day of October, 1877. They have two children. He is a member of the Methodist church.

THAD. S. ADAMS was born Nov. 6, 1853, in Hendricks County. Educated in the common schools of the county. Read law in Danville and was admitted to the bar at that place in the spring of 1877. Was married May 6, 1880, to Miss Effie Campbell, of Dan- ville, daughter of Attorney Leander M. Campbell. They have one child. Is Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for Hendricks County. Is Republican in politics. Does not belong to any church.

JAMES A. DOWNARD was born Nov. 15, 1855, in Hendricks County. Attended the common schools and Butler University (at Irvington, Ind). He read law at Danville and was admitted to the bar at that place in June, 1878. He is in the practice and is in part- nership with James O. Parker in the law and in abstracting titles and loaning funds. He was married May 22, 1884, to Miss Don- aldeon, of Danville. He does not belong to any church and is a Republican.

MURAT W. HOPKINS was born Oct. 20, 1857, in Hendricks County. Was educated in the common schools of the county. He graduated in the Law Department of the Iowa State University; located at Iowa City, State of Iowa, in June, 1881. Was admitted to the bar in Danville in September, 1881. He was married April 20, 1882, and has one child. He is a partner of Robert Hollowell in the practice of law. Is a member of the Christian or Disciples' church. He is a Democrat in politics.

GEORGE W. BRILL was born in Hendricks County, Dec. 16, 1859. Received his education in the common schools of the county and at the Central Normal College at Danville. Read law in Danville and was admitted to the bar at that place in June, 1883, where he has since been engaged in the practice. He is a Democrat in politics. Does not belong to any church, and is not married.

CASSIUS CLAY HADLEY was born in Hendricks County. He at- tended the common schools of the county, the Central Normal School at Danville, and Butler University at Irvington, Ind. He read law in Danville, and was admitted to the bar in June, 1883. On the dissolution of the law firm of Hadley, Hogate & Blake, in February, 1885, he became clerk to Mr. Hadley, of that firm, in which capacity he is now engaged. Is a Republican in politics, and a member of the Christian church. Is not married.

ROBERT HOLLOWELL was born Jan. 6, 1858, in Parke County, Ind.

Digitized by Google

HISTORY OF HENDRICKS COUNTY.

427

Was educated at the common schools of the county. Read law some in Danville, and graduated in the Law Department of the State University of Michigan in the spring of 1883. Was admitted to the bar in Danville in September, 1883. Is a partner in the practice of law with Murat W. Hopkins. Is a Republican in politics. He is not married.

GEORGE C. HARVEY was born in Rockville, Parke Co., Ind. At- tended Wabash College four years. Read law in Danville, and was admitted to the bar there in September, 1884. Is now in the practice. He is the Corporation Clerk. His father was killed at the battle of Shiloh, April 6, 1862, as Captain of Company I, Thirty-first Indiana Volunteers. He is not married, belongs to no church, and is a Republican.

----- -

Digitized by

Google

CHAPTER VIII.

THE PRESS.

IMPROVEMENTS IN JOURNALISM, AND INCREASE IN ITS POWER .- EARLY PAPERS IN HENDRICKS COUNTY .- PAPERS AT DANVILLE, PLAIN- FIELD AND NORTH SALEM. - JOURNALS NOW PUBLISHED .- SKETCHES OF THE EDITORS.

In the development of modern civilization there is no more potent factor than the newspaper, and, at the same time, there has been no greater progress in anything for fifty years past than in American journalism. Fifty years ago the country had few newspapers that could be considered paying property. The metropolitan journals devoted about as much space to foreign as to domestic news, while country weeklies seemed to consider that which happened at home as of no importance whatever, and imitated the larger papers in style and contents. The telegraph and railroads, assisted by that enterprising spirit which is inseparably connected with successful journalistic management, have wrought most grat- ifying results. Local news has become the main feature of weekly country newspapers, and all journals of the better class are fore- most in advancing the best interests of the localities from which their support comes.

In Hendricks County, journalism has kept pace in the march of improvement with other professions and industries. The wide circulation of the papers at present published, and the large number of outside papers that are taken here, afford the best possible evidence that the people are intelligent, enterprising and . progressive. In Danville alone 200 copies of the Indianapolis papers are distributed every day.

Although many able writers have been employed upon the county press in former years, without disparagement to any of them, it can safely be asserted, that the journals of the county, taken as a whole, were never better conducted than at present. The editors are gentlemen who understand their business thor- oughly, and do their utmost to give their patrons good, clean, reliable newspapers.

(428)

Digitized by Google

HISTORY OF HENDRICKS COUNTY.

429

Journalism in this county is not yet forty years old. In the spring of 1846 the Danville Advertiser was established, with Joseph Graham as publisher and Dr. H. G. Todd (still residing at Danville) as editor. Dr. Todd and several other public-spir- ited citizens bought the press for Mr. Graham, in order to secure a paper here. The Advertiser was a six-column folio, and com- posed almost entirely of reading matter, there being few adver- tisements. It was Whig in politics, and, indeed, it was founded purely in the interest of the Whig party, for which it continued to act as an organ during the entire period of its existence. After a few years it changed hands, and for a time it had a checkered career, having various owners and being issued under several different names successively, but remaining of the same political faith.

In 1856 it appeared as the Danville Republican, under which title it was issued continuously until the spring of 1 864. April 23, of that year, the first number of the Hendricks County Union was published by W. P. Gregg & Co. It was an uncompromis- ing war paper, and had, flying at its mast head as a motto, the words, "To preserve the Union soldiers must vote at elections as well as fight in the field." The name " Union " was selected in preference to the former name of "Republican," in order to gain the support of the war Democrats, which it succeeded, to some extent, in doing. It was ably edited, and was a success from the start. It continued under the management of the ab ove firm, till July 14 of the same year, when Colonel Lawrence S. Shuler, a gallant soldier, became sole proprietor, with Colonel James M. Gregg as editor, and Gid. B. Thompson in charge of the local de- partment and assistant in the business management.

Colonel Shuler continued to publish the paper until April 20, 1865, when he sold it to James L. Singer, who became editor and publisher, and remained as proprietor of the paper until March 15, 1866, when John N. Scearce bought the office and became "editor and proprietor." Mr. Scearce continued at the helm of the Union for over thirteen years, changing the name in 1874 to the Danville Union. Under him the paper prospered and was for most of the time on a good paying basis. During a part of his administration Dr. A. Furnas was agricultural editor, and con- tributed largely to the value and interest of the paper. In 1866 O. H. Smith was educational editor. Jan. 2, 1879, Mr. Scearce sold the Union to J. E. Sherrill, who had begun the publication

Digitized by Google

430 HISTORY OF HENDRICKS COUNTY.

of the Danville Republican. Mr. Sherrill merged the Union into the Republican, but the new paper was of short life. Jan. 30, 1879, less than one month after the suspension of the Danville Union, another Hendricks County Union came into existence.

The new firm was South, Hathaway & Co., and the paper at once struck the public favorably, there being something of an ad -. vantage in the old name, " Union." In a few weeks Mr. Sherrill sold his Republican office and business to the new Union firm, S. F. Wishard and Jim B. Greene being added to the same. A. G. South soon left the firm, and in a few months Mr. Greene retired, the paper being continued by Hathaway & Wishard. Aug. 4 of the same year Mr. Wishard sold his share to John R. Rankin, and Hathaway & Rankin were the proprietors till Nov. 7, when O. H. Smith bought Mr. Rankin out, and Hathaway & Smith were then the publishers, while Mr. Smith became editor. In December, 1880, Mr. Smith bought R. F. Hathaway's share of the paper, and became editor and proprietor. Feb. 11, 1882, he sold to Parker & Bowen, of the Republican, who continued to issue the Union from their office for about two months, on account of certain advertising contracts.

These gentlemen had, Oct. 13, 1881, started the Hendricks County Republican, which is now the Republican paper of Dan- ville. Feb. 10, 1883, Mr. Bowen sold his interest in the office to William N. Crabb, and the paper was published by Crabb & Parker, with Mr. Parker as editor and manager until the month of April, 1885. After Mr. Bowen's departure Samuel F. Wishard was local editor for one year. In March, 1884, Mr. Bowen re- turned to the paper, with which he was connected as local editor until April, 1885. In this month Crabb & Parker sold to the present proprietors, Moffett & Riddle.

The Republican has the same heading and size (30 x 44, six- column quarto) as when first published. It is all printed at home, on the first successful steam press ever brought into the county. It is uniformly Republican in politics, but claims to be indepen- dent in everything else. The job-printing department is a profit- able one, as one man is employed constantly on job and press work. The Republican, which had not a subscriber when its first issue was printed, now has a circulation of 1,600.

This completes the record of Whig and Republican journalism in Danville, except that two papers have been moved there from Plainfield, both named the Progress. The first was in 1877, by John

-- --

Digitized by Google

HISTORY OF HENDRICKS COUNTY.

431

N. Vestal, who suspended after six months, and the second occa- sion was in May, 1883, when George V. Mechler made a like vent- ure. He, too, soon lost money, and gave it up.

The opposite political faith has been represented by several pa- pers, all at Danville. The first bore the enterprising title of the Butcher Knife, and was founded in 1856 by George Gregg. It lived four years, and then died out, in the midst of the strong Un- ion sentiments which pervaded the community at the opening of the war.

The Danville Indianian was established in 1870 by parties hail- ing from Greensburg. Soon after, it became the property of a stock company, and then for a time it was in charge of Dr. Hag- gart, who was followed by two brothers named Ray. In 1872 the office was purchased by C. N. Walls, who remained in control un- til the fall of 1875, when the office and material were sold and sent to Illinois.

In February, 1878, E. D. King founded the Democrat, remain- ing editor and publisher until August, 1879, building up an influ- ential and profitable paper. At the latter date mentioned, he sold to M. A. Barnett, who in turn closed out his office in October, 1881, to J. O. Parker, of the Republican, E. D. King having re- turned from a year's absence in Colorado and founded, Sept. 15, 1880, the Hendricks County Gazette, which is now the Democratic paper of the county, and one of the leading country journals of the State. Launched in the midst of a presidential campaign, the Ga- zette at once assumed a leading and influential position. Its editor was indicted for libel under the Grubbs law, but so transparent was the action of the partisan grand jury that Mr. King was never brought to trial, the judge quashing the indictment and throwing the case out of court.

In August. 1882, Mr. King retired from the Gazette, and it passed through various controls, till Aug. 1, 1884, when its pres- ent proprietor, Will A. King, with John W. Cravens, purchased the good will and business. The latter gentleman in a few months resumed the mercantile -business, and Mr. King became sole pro- prietor. He is a practical newspaper man, having been connected with his father as co-publisher of the Gazette at its commence- ment. There are probably few county papers that surpass the Ga- sette in circulation and influence. It is conducted in a conserva- tive manner that gives influence to its sayings, and as a paper of local standing, it receives a large patronage from political oppo-

Digitized by Google

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Hendricks County, Indiana, Part 37

Author: Inter-State Publishing Co. Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Number of Pages: 786

Author: Inter-State Publishing Co.
Publication date: 1885
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 786