History of Madison County, Indiana ; a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I, Part 92

Author: Forkner, John La Rue, 1844-1926
Publication date: 1970
Publisher: Evansville Ind. : Unigraphic, Inc.
Number of Pages: 918

USA > Indiana > Madison County > History of Madison County, Indiana ; a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 92

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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY

chandise business at Elwood, with his father and with his brother, J. H., under the firm name of J. M. DeHority & Sons. He was also owner of some farm lands, and continued in active and prosperous business up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1881 when he was forty years of age. His wife is still living in Elwood. They were members of the Methodist-Protestant church. Of their eight children, four are now living, namely : William A., of Indianapolis; Charles C., of Elwood; Cora B., wife of Elma C. Heck, of Elwood and Frank E., of Elwood.

In his native town of Elwood, Mr. Frank E. DeHority attended the public schools and besides the advantages of a comfortable home and good moral and intellectual environments for his youth, he was given special advantages in the way of schooling and spent three years as a student of Purdue University at LaFayette. He began his career as contractor, but most of his business attention has been given to insur- ance and farming. He now owns a farm of eighty acres in Duck Creek township and another in Lafayette township of the same acreage. For ten years Mr. DeHority served as secretary of the Fair Association and has always been public spirited and liberal in helping to promote the welfare of this community.

March 19, 1894, he married Miss Myrtle Clymer, a daughter of Royal H. Clymer. Mrs. DeHority was born in Elwood and both her parents are natives of this state. Mr. and Mrs. DeHority have one son, Robert. She is an active member of the Methodist church and his fraternal affil- iations are with Quiney Lodge No. 230, A. F. & A. M .; Elwood Chapter No. 109, R. A. M .; Anderson Commandery No. 32, K. T., and has taken thirty-two degrees of the Scottish Rite and is a member of the Indian- apolis Consistory. Mr. DeHority is also affiliated with the Elks Lodge, and is popular in all civic circles. He is one of the prominent Demo- crats of Madison county, and for two years served as chairman of the Democratic Central Committee of Madison county.

MARSHALL A. HAWKES, proprietor of a plumbing, heating and tinning business, at No. 1451 South A. street, Elwood, has been a resident of this city since 1906, and is a gentleman well known to be intelligent, enter- prising and of good judgment in business affairs, so that he has been gen- erally successful in his undertakings. Mr. Hawkes is another example of the self-made men of which this country is so justly proud, for from boyhood his career has been one of industry and well-directed effort, and the position he now occupies as an honored and honorable man of affairs has been gained by no fortunate turn of circumstances, but rather as the well-merited reward of faithful endeavor. Mr. Hawkes was born in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, April 21, 1874, and is a son of Albert G. and Hester J. (Marshall) Hawkes.

Russell Hawkes, the paternal grandfather of Marshall A. Hawkes, was born in Maine, of English descent, while his wife, Frances (Camp- bell) Hawkes, also a native of the Pine Tree state, was descended from Scotch ancestry. They were the parents of eight children : Ellen, Mary, Rebecca, Octavia, Albert G., Amelia, Benjamin and Nathaniel. Of these Benjamin met his death while serving as a soldier during the Civil war. in General Hooker's retreat. The maternal grandfather of Mr. Hawkes was John Marshall, who married Margaret Mackey, both being natives of New York. Mr. Marshall was a mechanic, and met his death in an accident in the gas works in which he worked in New York. He and his wife had five children: Mary, Martha, Jesse, Hester J. and Sidney.

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Albert G. Hawkes was born in the state of Maine, and there grew to manhood, learning the trade of pattern-maker, which he followed in Baltimore, Maryland, for a number of years. He later went to Chicago, where he spent thirteen years at his trade, subsequently removed to Portage, Wisconsin, later returned to Chicago, and from that point went to Leesburg. On March 16, 1897, he came to Elwood, where he and his wife still reside, he being eighty-two years old, while she has reached her seventy-sixth year. They are faithful members of the Presbyterian church. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Hawkes: Adeline Octavia, who became the wife of H. M. Baxter, of Leesburg, Indiana; Russell N., who is now deceased; and Marshall A., of this review.

Marshall A. Hawkes was still a small child when taken to Chicago by his parents, and there he received the greater part of his education, although he later attended also the public schools of Portage, Wiscon- sin. On the family's return to Chicago, he became a cash boy in one of the large department stores of that city, but after a short experience in that line turned his attention to the printing business, at which he worked for eight months. At the end of that period he began to learn the trade of plumber, with Thomas Conlin, of Chicago, and in 1894 left the Illinois metropolis and went to Leesburg, Indiana, which city was his home until his advent in Elwood, in 1906, at which time he established himself in his present business. He has a finely equipped store, fitted for expert work in plumbing, tinning, gas fitting, heating and heavy sheet- iron work and employs a number of skilled assistants, and his excellent workmanship and absolute reliability have gained him a large trade. This has been built up from a modest start, and it has been due to his good management, thorough knowledge of his calling, and ability to recognize the needs of his community, that he has prospered. He is enterprising and public-spirited, and at all times has manifested a com- mendable desire to lend his aid and influence to whatever movements have promised to benefit Elwood or its people in any way.

Mr. Hawkes is a member of Quincy Lodge No. 230, F. & A. M .; Seneca Tribe No. 113, Improved Order of Red Men; Aerie No. 201, Fraternal Order of Eagles; and Lodge No. 166, Knights of Pythias. In the campaign of 1912 he gave his support to the new Progressive party, and has continued to aid its principles and candidates. He is unmar- ried.

W. A. FAUST. After a business career in the city of Elwood where he was connected with the clothing trade for a number of years, Mr. Faust has recently given up city life for agriculture, and is now numbered among the successful and progressive farmers in Pipe Creek township. He was a trustee of the township until he resigned, and now devotes all his time to the cultivation of the one hundred and fifty acres comprising his model country place. However, he and his family still keep their residence in Elwood, and occupy a comfortable home at 906 South A street.

William A. Faust is a native of Indiana, born August 21, 1879, in Rush county, a son of William P. and Lucinda (Lee) Faust. William P. Faust, the father, came from Pennsylvania, and the mother was from Virginia, and belonged to the old Lee family which has produced so many famous characters in American history. When the father came to Indiana, he first located in Hamilton county, and spent his active years there as a farmer, and one of the influential local citizens. There

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were five children in the family, of whom William A., was the oldest, the others being Ray, Gilbert, Viola Overdorf, and Raymond. The mother of these children is still living and has her home in Elwood.

William A. Faust has spent practically all his career in Madison county, grew up among the boys of the county during the last two decades of the nineteenth century, and attended first the common schools and later graduated from the Elwood high school. While he was going to school he also worked on the home farm, and in that way had a thorough practical experience of agriculture in all its phases before he had reached manhood. For twelve years he was actively engaged in business as a clothier in Elwood. Ifc finally gave up that line of effort and went out on his farin, which he now makes his busi- ness, and which he conducts in a very profitable manner.

In 1901 Mr. Faust married Miss Julia Kline, of Lebanon, Ohio, a daughter of William and Iva (Perrin) Kline. The two children who have come into their home are: Byron and Mary Louise. Mr. Fanst is a public-spirited citizen, always willing to help along any worthy eanse, but has no aspirations for political office. However, he was drafted to fill the office of trustee of Pipe Creek township and held that office for a time, until he felt that he could resign without detriment to duties entrusted to his eare. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and the Mod- ern Woodmen of America.

BARNEY FLANAGAN. The calling of auetioneering is more a profes- sion than a business, and the qualifications necessary to be possessed by those who would become successful in this line are indeed numerons. It has been said that good anetioneers are born, not made; a person can learn to be a doctor, a lawyer, or a minister, but there have never been institutions in which the student could learn this fascinating vocation. An exeellent judge of values, with the ability to give an intelligent and elaborate description of the thousands and thousands of different arti- cles that pass through his hands, with that peenliar and most necessary faculty of expressing his thoughts extemporaneously, and above all with the quiekness and responsiveness, imagination, sympathy and humor which have come as a heritage from his Irish forefathers, Barney Flan- agan has beeome almost a national figure in anetioneering eireles, and is one of the few who are successfully engaged in this occupation today. In addition, he is the owner of a well-cultivated farm of 138 acres, located in Lafayette township, and has the added distinction of being a self-made man, having worked his way up from humble and obseure boyhood to a recognized position of prestige among his fellow-citizens.

Mr. Flanagan was born in 1849, on a sailing vessel on the Atlantic ocean, the day that land was sighted. This ship was afterwards lost in a storm at sea. He is a son of Michael and Mary (Nester) Flanagan, the former born in County Dublin, Ireland, about twenty miles from the city of Dublin, where he was a farmer and leased land before com- ing to the United States. After landing at New Orleans, the little fam- ily made its way to Cincinnati, Ohio, where the father died of sunstroke, leaving the widow with her infant son. Barney Flanagan received a somewhat limited education, and as a lad with his mother in Cinein- nati he drifted around the city, living precariously until she married Michael Dolan. Later, his step-father, Mr. Dolan, having worked out and made enough to buy a farm of 114 acres in Henry county, Indiana,

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Barney joined him and continued to reside on the farm until 1881. In that year Mr. Flanagan came to Madison county, where he settled on an eighty-acre farm on Stony creek, and here he continued to live nineteen years and then sold out and bought 135 acres in Lafayette town- ship. He is a successful farmer, but also devotes largely of his time to auctioneering, his services being in constant demand in this and other sections of the state.

In 1871 Mr. Flanagan was married to Miss Mary Anderson, and to this union there were born fourteen children, namely: Eddie, W. A., Charles, Mary, Rose, James, Julia, Cora, Pearl, Mand, Howard, Jessie, Hazel and Barney, Jr., of whom Eddie, Charles, James and Jessie are deceased. Mr. Flanagan's second marriage was to Mrs. Victoria A. (Davis) Hartzell, widow of Henry Hartzell, by whom she had six chil- dren : Dallas, Ethel, Eva, Lorin, Howard and Albert. Mr. and Mrs. Flanagan have had no children. Her parents, John S. and Nancy (Scoot) Davis, were natives of North Carolina, who spent their latter years in Madison county, Indiana, and were the parents of nine children, as fol- lows: Harvey, Mrs. Martha Peiky, Miles, Elisha, Mrs. Lavina Titus, Victoria, Olive M., Mrs. Mary Sullivan and John A.

S. J. STOTTLEMYER, M. D. The medical profession of Madison county is ably and worthily represented at Linwood by Dr. S. J. Stottlemyer, widely known as a physician and surgeon and as a citizen who has been a prominent factor in the development of his community's interests. Dr. Stottlemyer was born near Pendleton, Indiana, December 27, 1879, and is a son of James and Mary (Gaver) Stottlemyer.

James Stottlemyer was born in Frederick county, Maryland, and was twenty-two years of age when he came to Madison county, Indiana. He has spent his career in agricultural pursuits and is now one of the substantial citizens of Anderson township, owning a valuable farming property south of the city of Anderson. He and his wife have had a family of eleven children: Mollie, now Mrs. Preston; Roy; Ida, who is deceased; Dr. S. J .; William; Ira; Claude; Lillian, now Mrs. Jarvis; Fannie, now Mrs. Russell; Ruby, now Mrs. Button ; and Frank.

S. J. Stottlemyer obtained excellent educational advantages, but he worked his way through and is a self-made man. His early training was secured in the country schools, following which he took a course in the Marion Normal College, graduating therefrom in August, 1901. He then studied pharmacy at the Valparaiso schools till 1904. At this time he adopted the profession of educator, and for nine years was engaged in teaching school in Madison county, ending as principal of the Markle- ville schools; in the meantime he had prepared himself to enter medi- cine. His studies in this science were prosecuted in the Illinois Medical College, and the medical department of Loyola University, Chicago, and upon his graduation from that institution he became an interne in the Jefferson Park Hospital, Chicago, and also did special work at the Cook County Hospital, Chicago. Doctor Stottlemyer entered upon the prac- tice of his profession at Linwood, in 1911, and this place has since been his field of endeavor. He engages in a general practice, but has special- ized in children's diseases and is widely known in this branch of his calling. A close student, a careful practitioner and a steady-handed surgeon, he has taken advantage of the various inventions and discov- eries which have marked the history of the medical and surgical sciences during recent years, and has assisted in advancing the interests of his

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vocation in Madison county by his active work as a member of the various medical organizations. His success has been due to no adventitious cir- cumstance, but has come as a direct result of years of preparation and devotion to his profession.

On August 11, 1908, at Anderson, Doctor Stottlemyer was united in marriage with Miss Ethel V. Stinson, who was born in Illinois, but moved to Madison county in early childhood. She is a member of an old and honored family of this section. Doctor Stottlemyer is a Demo- crat in his political views, but has never cared for public office though he has been nominated for coroner. He has co-operated with other earnest citizens in securing benefits for the city of his adoption, especially along the lines of education.

HEZEKIAHI TAPPAN. Although now living retired from active pur- suits Hezekiah Tappan, of North Anderson, is still the owner of a hand- some property of one hundred acres in Anderson township, where for a number of years he was extensively engaged in pursuits of an agricul- tural nature. He belongs to one of Madison county's old and honored families, and is a native son of this county, having been born on the old David D. Tappan farm in Richland township, December 8, 1852, born to David D. and Elizabeth (McNear) Tappan.

James Tappan, the great-grandfather of Hezekiah Tappan, was born and raised in Woodbridge, Middlesex county, New Jersey, from whence his son, Isaac, and the latter's wife, Eleanor (Dunham) Tappan, moved to Madison county, Indiana, at an early period in the history of the state. Isaac Tappan was an agriculturist throughout his life, and became one of the substantial men of his day in Richland township.

David D. Tappan was born October 19, 1821, and was reared on the old home place, being trained in agricultural pursuits and assisting his father and brothers to clear the greater part of the farm. His death occurred on the 28th of April, 1890. His wife was born August 24, 1832. Their long residence in this section gave them a wide acquaintance, and everywhere they won and retained, the esteem and respect of those who knew them. They became the parents of ten children : Eleanor C., who married James M. Foukner ; Hezekiah, of this review ; Mary M., deceased, who was the wife of J. M. Watkins; Emma, who married the Rev. Jack- son ; Nora, now Mrs. Kirk; Eliza J., the wife of Mr. Heritage; and Wil- liam, Isaac, Edward and Elmer, who are all deceased.

Hezekiah Tappan was reared on the farm on which he was born, and secured his education during the short winter terms in the old Dillon school, which was located on the Tappan homestead. On reaching man- hood he followed in the footsteps of his forefathers, adopting farming as his vocation, and during his active years was successful in developing a handsome and valuable property. For some time he specialized in young stock, and still has an interest in ventures along this line. Since his retirement he has resided in his comfortable modern residence located at No. 49 Honey street, North Anderson. Mr. Tappan is known as a man who is alive to all the important issues of the day, and who takes an active interest in the welfare of his community. In business circles he bears an excellent reputation for integrity and honorable dealing, and everywhere he has the respect and esteem of those who know him.

On the 3d of October, 1894, Mr. Tappan was married to Miss Ger- trude V. McCarty, and to this union there have been born six children : Herbert L., Mildred E., Marjorie M., Olive P., Vera L. and Robert Whit-

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comb. In political matters Mr. Tappan is a Progressive Republican, but his interest in public matters has been confined to that taken by every good citizen, and he has never sought or desired public office. He is a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

WILLIAM MELVILLE CROAN. Professor Croan is one among the few who can boast of spending his life in Madison county. With the excep- tion of a brief residence in Nebraska and Iowa he has lived his three score years within a few miles of his birthplace.

Professor Croan was born near Anderson on the 23d of July, 1853, a son of the Hon. David E. Croan, who was one of Madison county's progressive, intelligent and successful farmers. The old Croan home- stead in Richland township is yet pointed out as a model farm residence. The Hon. David E. Croan was to some extent a politician as well as a farmer, and in 1864 he was elected as a Democrat to membership in the Indiana legislature, where he took a prominent part in the proceedings of that body and served on important committees. His wife, Rebecca A., was a daughter of the late Hon. Uriah Van Pelt, one of the early associate justices of the Circuit court, whose family has always held prominence in this county.

Professor William M. Croan was from his boyhood a student, and after mastering the rudiments of the common schools he was placed under the tutorship of Professor Joseph Franklin in a private school at Anderson, where he fitted himself for the vocation of a teacher in the schools of his native state, and was a district teacher, principal, superintendent and county school superintendent in Madison county. Afterward he was president of the Western Normal College at Shenan- doah, Iowa, and Lincoln, Nebraska, for ten years. He is also a graduate of the North Western Christian University, of Indianapolis, Indiana, now Butler College, of Irvington, Indiana.

Professor Croan has the distinction of having inaugurated the sys- tem of graduation from the district schools in Indiana, and under his direction the first graduating exercises in the common schools of Indi- ana took place in Madison county. It was while Professor Croan was county superintendent of schools that he ferreted out the nefarious practice of selling state board questions and brought the guilty parties to justice.

As a local correspondent for the Anderson papers over the nom-de- plume of "Killbuck Crane," Professor Croan developed a taste for jour- nalism. He became the editor and half owner of the Anderson Democrat in 1877, and continued in this capacity until elected county school super- intendent. The Democrat under the management of Professor Croan was decidedly one of the best weekly publications in Indiana. Professor Croan also has the distinction of being the first person to give James Whitcomb Riley, the Hoosier poet, literary employment, as Mr. Riley was the local editor under Professor Croan's management of the Demo- crat.

On the 16th of October, 1878, Professor Croan was married to Jessie Fremont Myers, a daughter of Samuel Myers and sister of Cap- tain William R. Myers, a prominent politician, a member of Congress, and secretary of the state of Indiana. They were blessed with three children : David, who died in Anderson in October, 1899, aged twenty years; Margaret, who died at Shenandoah, Iowa, in May, 1888, at four years of age ; and Katharine, who was married to Walter Sidney Green-

a.M. Oswalt,

Smeet noswalk.

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ough, of Indianapolis, at the Croan home in this city, July 6, 1912. Mrs. Jesse Myers Croan is a native of the city of Anderson, and is one of the progressive, intellectual and philanthropie women of this com- munity. She takes pride in the fact that she is the namesake of Jessie Fremont, the wife of the great American "path finder." Her father, Samuel Myers, was one of the early settlers of Anderson township. He served for many years as a township trustee, and had advanced ideas of education and did much in the upbuilding of the district schools of his locality. Mrs. Croan is one of the literary, philanthropic and society leaders of Anderson, and belongs to many literary and social clubs, and was one of the first women to be appointed on the Library board of Anderson.

Professor Croan has been engaged in the life insurance business for several years, in which he has been signally successful, and he is now vice president and superintendent of agents of one of the great life insurance companies of the country. He has been a life-long Democrat, and has always followed the flag of his party. When it has gone down to defeat his slogan has been "Up and at 'em again." He is an admirer of Hon. William Jennings Bryan, and during a residence of several years at Lincoln, Nebraska, was in close personal relations with and formed a warm friendship for the Great Commoner.

Professor Croan stands high as a Mason, having passed all the chairs in the Blue Lodge, Chapter, Council and Commandery. He is a past eminent commander of Anderson Commandery, No. 32, Knights Templar, and has also crossed the desert over the hot sands at Indian- apolis, and is a Noble of the Mystic Shrine.

ALONZO M. OSWALT. One of the most satisfactory business enter- prises of Anderson is the Oswalt Printing Company, at whose plant 713- 723 Meridian street they do a general printing business and also manu- facture paper boxes. This business was established in 1907, and in 1912 was incorporated. It is a well equipped establishment, does all the grades of composition work and the best of press work, and in its various departments is a business which has a more than local patronage. The firm does printing on contract for many business and stationery houses over a broad territory, and in the manufacture of paper boxes it sends its goods to all parts of this and neighboring states.

The organizer of this important business concern was Alonzo M. Oswalt, in his lifetime one of Anderson's most prominent men. He was born at Mount Sterling, Kentucky, February 2, 1862, and he was reared and educated in that commonwealth. Moving to Indiana and locating at Indianapolis, he was in business there for a time, and in 1893 came to Anderson. In this city .he was for a number of years identified with the wholesale candy and grocery trade. Later, however, he engaged in printing, and in 1907 established the Oswalt Printing Company, a con- cern of which he continued as the head until his death on April 27, 1911. He was one of the active workers and promoters of the Young Men's Christian Association, and gave much of his time and energy to that organization. He served as a trustee and deacon in the Congre- gational church, and fraternally was one of the first members of Anderson Lodge, No. 1, Loyal Order of Moose, and was also a member of Indian- apolis Lodge, No. 56, Knights of Pythias. His death occurred in Harold Hospital at Noblesville after an unsuccessful operation for appendicitis, and his body was laid to rest in Maplewood cemetery on the 30th of April, 1911.

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History of Madison County, Indiana ; a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume I, Part 92

Author: Forkner, John La Rue, 1844-1926 Publication date: 1970 Publisher: Evansville Ind. : Unigraphic, Inc. Number of Pages: 918

Author: Forkner, John La Rue, 1844-1926
Publication date: 1970
Publisher: Evansville Ind. : Unigraphic, Inc.
Number of Pages: 918