History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916, Part 116

Author: Stoll, John B., 1843-1926
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis : Indiana Democratic Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1104

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In 1841 the Lafayette Advertiser was started by Mathias Peterson. In a few months he sold to Ellsworth & Co. and they in turn to James P. Jenks. Mr. Jenks changed the name to the Cou- ricr. Upon his death Wm. R. Ellis bought the plant in 1851, running it as a Democratic paper some years. W. S. Lingle bought the plant in 1857 and made the paper Republican with a large "R." On his death in 1884 the widow and M. M. Mayerstein bought in the plant. Mr. M. later on purchased the entire plant and ran it until his death in 1900. A. A. Mayerstein, his brother, conducts the paper at present. From the time of the Lingle ownership until the 1912 presiden- tial fight the paper had been strongly Republican. In that campaign it joined the Progressive party. It is a very prosperous plant.

The Sunday Leader was begun March 1, 1872, John A. Carr being its progenitor. It was pur- chased in November of the same year by F. E. D. McGinley, and in 1883 was purchased by Charles F. Williams and Ross Gordon. Mr. Gordon

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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

bought his partner's interest and took in his son. Mr. Williams remained as editor of the paper and on the death of both the Gordons purchased the plant from the estate, and still conducts the same. Recently the paper removed to its own building on Ferry street. It is independent po- litically and prosperous. Of almost equal age is the Lafayette Leader, produced at the same plant and conducted as a Democratic paper, issued each Thursday by Charles F. Williams, Jr.

The Sunday Times was started by Fred S. Wil- liams in April, 1879. Colonel John S. Williams, his father, once third auditor of the Treasury under Cleveland (first term), was associated with the plant. Mr. J. S. Williams died in 1900, his son preceding him to the grave. The widow continued the publication until March, 1914, her brother, Charles H. Ball, being in charge. When Mr. Ball was appointed postmaster by President Wilson, he conducted a sale of the Times to Henry Mar- shall. The latter shortly after became owner of the Daily Journa! and began the issuing of a seven days a week paper. The result was not satisfactory, and with the last Sunday in Janu- ary, 1915, the Sunday paper passed out of exist- ence.

The Daily Dispatch was started in April, 1869, by John C. Dobelbower, who came here with am- ple means from Illinois, at the urgent request of local Democrats to produce a daily Democratic pa- per of force. He was an experienced newspaper man, but the business for a Democratic paper was not what it should have been, and when Cleve- land was elected he was at about the end of his

resources. It was conceded that the post office should go to Mr. Dobelbower, but through the non- understandable meanderings of politics he was de- ceived, the place upon which he was building to recuperate went to another, and Mr. D. died of grief. The paper stopped at this time, the sub- scription list being turned over to the Bulletin, which was short-lived, published by Parsons and Meek.

The Call, established in 1883 by Joseph L. Cox, was a morning paper. It was sold in 1885 to S. Vater, who made it an evening paper and was quite successful; sold to John George, Jr., in 1896; sold to James Walker and George Snyder and George Gray in 1899; sold in March, 1902, to Messrs. Letcher; sold in 1904 to A. E. Blunck; sold in 1905 to the Evening Courier to get it out of the way, and was discontinued.

The Tippecanoe County Democrat was estab- lished in April, 1908, by John F. Metzger; in a few months it fell into the hands of R. M. Isher- wood, the present possessor and publisher.

Other papers that have joined the great major- ity are: Home Journal, 1874-1902; Morning News, 1887 (lasted five months) ; Deutsch-Ameri- kaner, 1874 to 1903; Daily Democrat, started in March, 1903, by Leroy Armstrong and James K. Risk, perished November, 1904; Daily Republican, 1875 (ran six months) ; Our Herald, 1881-1884, sold and moved to Chicago; Quohosh, later Herald, run by W. S. Haggard, later Lieutenant-Governor, 1890-1899; Spencer's Paper, 1874, seven months; The Comet, 1885, Orth Stein, editor, lasted twenty- six issues; Labor World, 1886-1888, discontinued.

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HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF TIPTON COUNTY

By Wm. R. Dunham

T LIPTON COUNTY lies in the north central portion of the State. By an act of the Leg- islature of 1843 and 1844 it was organized as a distinct county of its own. It is bounded on the north by Howard county, on the east by Grant and Madison counties, on the south by Hamilton and on the west by Clinton county. It is twenty miles long from east to west and thirteen miles from north to south and contains two hundred and sixty square miles. When organized it was considered a howling wilderness, infested with bear, wolves, panthers, wildcats, deer and many fur-bearing animals. Today it is considered the garden spot of Indiana and is first in the State and third in the United States in agriculture.

On March 27, 1844, William Harrington was commissioned sheriff by Governor Whitcomb and empowered to order an election of the necessary officers to organize the new county of Tipton. The 27th day of May, 1844, was selected as the day upon which the first election in the county should be held. Elections were advertised for three Commissioners, two Associate Judges, one Clerk of the Circuit Court and one Recorder for the county. The result was as follows: Clerk, N. J. Jackson, Democrat; Recorder, Sylvester Turpen, Democrat; Associate Judges, Silas Blound, Democrat, and Joseph Goar, Republican; County Commissioners, Thomas Jackson, Demo- crat, John D. Smith, Republican, and Robert E. Davidson, Democrat. On Monday, June 3, 1844, the three County Commissioners who had been elected met at the house of Jesse Brown to set the official machinery of the county in motion. N. J. Jackson was appointed temporary County Auditor and Jesse Brown, County Assessor. Wil- liam H. Nelson was appointed County Agent and directed to lay out the new county seat after the design of a plat furnished by the Locating Com- missioners. In December, 1844, Charles Thur- man was appointed County Surveyor. He and his associates laid out the town of Canton (now Tipton) early in 1845. Jesse Brown was ordered to advertise for sealed bids for a court house 20 by 24 feet, two stories high, and to be com- pleted by June 1, 1845. In February of that year the contract was awarded to George Tucker, who completed the building late in the fall of 1845 for the sum of $235.50. It had a hall running through from east to west and on each side of the lower story were two rooms for the accommodation of the county officials. The upper story' was occu-

pied by the court room. In September, 1846, James Cassler contracted to clear the court house square for $13.12. At the same time George Tucker under orders secured twelve chairs for the court house. In the autumn quite an exten .- sive addition was built to the court house at a cost of several hundred dollars. This was ren- dered necessary owing to the crowded condition of the offices. In December, 1855, Samuel Deal and Harvey Goodykoontz were appointed to see after the construction of additional county offices on the public square, the building to be of frame, 14 by 28 feet, 9 feet high, with a partition in the center, the rooms to be ceiled and plastered. The building was completed in June, 1857, at a cost of $329.09. Soon after this the court house was unfortunately, or fortunately, destroyed by fire and the county courts were forced to meet in the Methodist church, which had been erected about three years previously.

In June, 1858, Nelson Daubenspeck of Nobles- ville, Ind., contracted to build a new court house for Tipton county within two years for $10,000. The first story was ten feet high and the second story seven feet high. A hall extended north and south through the first story, on the sides of which were the county offices. The upper story contained the court room. This structure served the public for many years, but as the county grew the demand was greater for better quarters for our county officers, so in February, 1888, the citizens of Tipton county prepared and presented a petition asking the County Commissioners to proceed toward the erection of a new court house and jail. The petition was signed by over one thousand taxpayers. The board considered the petition and immediately granted permission for the work, the plans to be made and other prepara- tions to be executed at once. The contract for the erection of the building was entered into by the board with Messrs. Pearce and Morgan on the 5th day of November, 1892, at the contract price of $143,760 and for all other contracts, in- cluding furniture, heating, grading and numer- ous other small contracts, the sum of $39,651.30, making a grand total of $183,411.30. Work was begun on the 6th day of April, 1893, and com- pleted on the 15th day of October, 1894, and the building was occupied by the officers on that date. The building is sixty-six feet to top of cornice and the tower is 206 feet to top of flagstaff. The building is of the best quality Berler stone, the

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HISTORY

INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

foundation being of St. Paul, Ind., limestone. There are forty-five rooms in the building, all of which are heated by steam and the entire build- ing is supplied with water by the county's own water works, located in the basement with the heating machinery. The first floor above the basement is occupied by the various county offi- cers. The second floor is occupied by the judi- ciary; the two court rooms, the judge's private room, the library room, the grand jury rooms, the witness rooms, the consultation rooms, which are all elegantly furnished and supplied with modern conveniences. The third floor is occupied by large and commodious rooms and halls. The wainscoting from the entrance to the attic is of the finest Tennessee marble. Taken all in all, Tip- ton county has one of the most elaborate, com- modious and best arranged court houses in central Indiana.

In 1855 Drs. A. M. Vickrey and Rooker of Tip- ton bought an old-fashioned Franklin press and a small quantity of type and began issuing a small six-column folio newspaper, called the Tip- ton County Democrat. The first printer was James Mahaflie, who was succeeded by Archibald Ramsey, who was one of the most valuable jour- nalists in the history of the county. He was a man of incredible energy and his devoted labors to the county press were in a large measure re- sponsible for its success. In 1857 the name of the paper was changed to the Western Dominion, with O. P. Baird as editor. Again, in 1858, the paper was sold to G. W. Fisher, who changed the name again to that of the Tipton County Times, and began issuing the sheet with John Chambers as principal editor and A. Clark as local editor. Ten of the foremost Democrats now owned the paper, among whom were John Chambers, Wil- liam Stivers, A. J. Redmon, Hugh Dickey, James V. Cox, A. Clark, Barnabas Geltner and A. M. Vick- rey. In 1860 interest in the enterprise became lax and the publication was suspended for six months. Early in 1861 the paper was again issued with James V. Cox in the role of editor-in-chief. Cox wrote the headlines, while the remainder of the composition, typesetting, printing, etc., was done by the faithful Archibald Ramsey, the printer.

Late in the year 1861 Judge Nathan R. Over- man secured an interest in the paper and con- tributed a few short paragraphs. In 1862, for partisan reasons, the name of the paper was changed to the Democratic Union, the paper still being Democratic in "color." Early in 1864 the office was sold to William J. Turpin, who was at the time in the army and who contributed very interesting letters from the firing line. He was mustered out before the close of the war and re- turned to take personal charge and control of the

paper. One of his first moves was the changing of the name to the Tipton County Timas. He con- ducted the paper very successfully until 1869, when he sold out to J. C. Brady and removed to Nashville, Tenn. Brady was fairly successful with his new possession and he installed the first job press ever in the county. In 1874 he sold out to Judge N. R. Overman, who employed J. T. Cox to edit the paper. In the spring of 1875 Emsley A. Overman bought a half interest in the paper. At this time the first cylinder power press ever in the county was bought for $400 and placed in the office. E. A. Overman became editor and financial manager. In January, 1876, William Haw bought the office and issued the paper until January, 1877, when, being unable to pay for it, he relinquished it and the office went back to the Overmans. E. A. Overman conduct- ed it until September, 1878, when he purchased the interest of Judge N. R. Overman and then became sole owner and proprietor. Early in 1880 the office was sold to Perry and John O. Behymer, but a year later reverted to E. A. Overman, who continued it until November, 1881, when it passed to A. Ray Williams, who, in January, 1882, took as a partner David A. Alexander. In Septem- ber, 1882. Williams retired, leaving Alexander the sole owner, but on April 1, 1883, the latter was joined by Jeremiah Fish, who continued with the paper until May, 1883, when he retired. Shortly afterward the paper became the property of John O. Behymer, who for over a third of a century has conducted it in a business way so as to gain many friends from all parties. The circulation became so large that Mr. Behymer changed from a weekly to that of a daily. This change was consummated early in 1910. An evening paper is issued for the city and a morning edition is sent to the country. A large amount of job printing is done at present at the Times office.

The early newspaper was often a "one-man" affair; with a hatful of type, a hand press and radical ideas, the first journalist worked. The individuality of the editor of the early newspaper was more pronounced than it is today. The ed- itor was known and his opinions were quoted as authority on questions of public importance. The editor was a molder of public sentiment, but since rapid transit, free city and rural mail delivery, the farm and the city are brought closer to- gether, and the personality of the editor has not the commanding influence that it once had. The newspaper of today is almost exclusively given over to publicity of current events, rather than creating public sentiment. Efficiency is the key- note of modern journalism; no sooner does an event occur than it is the knowledge of the world.

The first educational work done in Tipton

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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

county was shortly after the completion of the old log court house. This occurred in the winter of 1846-47 and the first teacher was William F. Brady. The next was Joseph M. Askren. School was next held in the cabin of Jackson Reed. Un- til 1852 the school term covered a period of two or three months out of the year. Teachers were paid by subscription, and were very poorly paid, too, some of them "boarding around" at the homes of different pupils in an endeavor to make both ends meet. . Among the men who took most prominent parts in education in these early days were George Kane, A. B. Goodrich, N. J. Jackson, Dr. Isaac Parker, Rev. John Dale, John E. Rumsey, M. P. Evans and Joseph Wilson.

In 1852 a new frame school house was built in Tipton, but was very poor in convenience and capacity. Joseph M. Askren was the first teacher to occupy the new school house, which was occa- sionally used for religious purposes. Then fol- lowed John E. Rumsey, who was there the greater part of the time from 1853 to 1869. The terms not taught by Mr. Rumsey were under the charge of Albert Barnett, M. V. B. Newcomer and a Mr. Lockwood. Rumsey was a teacher who did not favor the application of the "hickory" to induce study. Other teachers of the period would lam- bast a pupil with a floor puncheon and if this did not have the required effect, would follow it with a sound flogging. These teachers were mission- aries, in a sense, working for the progress and uplift of humanity, and they did this on a salary of eight and ten dollars a month with a free will and whole-souled motives. Barnett was an eccen- tric teacher, little caring which way the wind blew. His English was not very choice, nor did he refrain from using any word that came to his mind. He cared less whether the pupils wore their hats in school or not. He was, neverthe- less, a very successful teacher and was accounted one of the best mathematicians of the day.

As Tipton increased in population the need of larger school quarters became imperative. Ac- cordingly, in 1867, the erection of a high school building was begun and finished in 1869. In 1890 another eight-room school building was erected on North Main street that is a model of complete- ness; the vocational department is fully equipped.

While Tipton has been alive to educational in- terests the county at large has caught up the spirit and we find high schools at Windfall, Sharps- ville, Goldsmith, Hobbs and Curtisville. So, after a long and steady pull, Tipton county takes front rank in the educational interests with her sister counties in the State. Much credit is due our County Superintendents, i. e., B. M. Blount, J. M. Clark, Frank B. Crockett, A. H. Pence, George C. Wood, Jerry Fish and L. D. Summers for the able

manner in which they have handled the educa- tional affairs in Tipton county up to the present time.

The year 1844 was the first presidential year in the history of Tipton county. The Democrats cast 111 votes for Polk and Dallas, while the Whigs cast 100 votes for Clay and Frelinghuysen. The Democrats carried the county over the Whigs, and with one exception the Democrats of Tipton county have carried the county over the Repub- licans for President and Vice-President from its organization to January 1, 1917, covering a period of seventy-two years. It is very doubtful if there is another county in the State that can show such a record. While the Democrats have been true to their faith in national politics, they have not been unmindful of State, county and township affairs. Until recent years we have always been joined with Howard county for Circuit Court judges, but be that as it may, we have been able to elect James O'Brien, C. N. Pollard, N. R. Overman, Lex J. Kirkpatrick and James M. Purvis. While the county has not been able to have a Senator of her own, we have been able with our majorities to elect the Hon. George H. Gifford and the Hon. George C. Wood as Democratic Joint Senator, while in the lower branch of the Legislature the Democrats have been more successful, electing the following State Representatives: Carter T. Jack- son, James O'Brien, William Stivers, George Ham, A. M. Vickrey, James I. Parker, Benjamin F. Legg, James M. Fippen, James A. Purvis, James A. Hedgcock and William R. Dunham.

Since the organization of the county in 1844 the Republicans have only been able to elect two auditors, two recorders, three clerks, six treas- urers, five sheriffs and one surveyor. The pres- ent Democratic officials in the county are Hon. James M. Purvis, Judge; Clyde Porter, Clerk; Oscar Vanesse, Auditor; Christy Haskett, Treas- urer; Solomon D. Adams, Recorder; Fred Recobs, Sheriff; Jesse Bowlin, Surveyor; L. D. Summers, County Superintendent, and Richard Rayles, Harvey Bess and John Lininger, County Commis- sioners.

There is a reason for the county being Demo- cratic from its organization to the present time. Each township is well organized. Out of six trus- tees the Democrats have five, i. e., Madison town- ship, Mr. Julius; Cicero township, Fletcher Orr; Jefferson township, Oliver D. Weed; Prairie township, Beecher Rayles, and Liberty township, James L. Romack.

We might mention some of our old reliable Democratic workers in the county, i. e., Hon. George C. Wood, John and Aaron Zehner, John Baker, Benjamin Legg, John McCreary, Dr. Long-

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HISTORY INDIANA DEMOCRACY-1816-1916

fellow, Ed. Todd, Philander Scudder, Morgan Wright, Lemuel Darrow, James Grove, George Myrely, Granville Hobbs, J. P. Kemp, S. D. Adams, J. O. Behymer, Arch Ramsey, Ira O'Ban- ion, William Ryan, R. L. Porter, James M. Pur- vis, Jesse Coleman, W. L. Berryman, M. Shields, Joseph Moore, N. R. Overman, L. T. Bunch, Sen- eca Young, Philip Wymer, A. L. Joyce, Add Hinkle, Lewis Vandevender, Charles Hinkle, Jesse F. Mott. O. D. Weed, Harry Henderson, Tilman Fisher, A. J. Griffith, J. B. McCarthy, T. J. Ree- sem, W. R. Dunham, Elmer Mitzenburg, J. C. Mc- Mullen, Drs. W. F. and G. C. Dunham, James L. Romack, Felix Mott, Al. Miller and many others

not mentioned here have done much to keep old Tipton county in the Democratic column.

In concluding the chapter of the history of the Democratic party in Tipton county, we wish to state that from the beginning of its organization to the present time the Democratic party has al- ways taken the public into its confidence and no court houses, jails, public school buildings, gravel roads, ditches or any public improvements have ever been built but what all parties were consid- ered before any improvements were consum- mated. With this kind of a spirit the party deserves to be continued in power, and the people see to it that they are kept in power.

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HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF UNION COUNTY

By G. W. Robertson

U NION COUNTY, located in the southeast- ern part of Indiana, was first settled in 1804; organized as a county in 1821; county seat was at Brownsville until 1824, since then Liberty. Size, 12 by 14 miles; area, 168 square miles; population (1910), 6,260; number of votes cast for President in 1912, 1,789; num- ber of registered voters October, 1914, 1,877.

The county was first settled by colonists from South Carolina under the leadership of Robert Hanna and Robert Templeton. The members of this Carolina colony must have been Democrats, as nearly all of their descendants have uniformly voted the Democratic ticket.

John Templeton, who married a daughter of Robert Hanna, was a member of the territorial legislature at the time of the formation of Wayne and Franklin counties and is said to have be- stowed the name of Franklin upon the latter. Union county was said to have been formed from territory taken from Wayne, Franklin and Fay- ette counties. He was one of the first Justices of the Peace of Union county and served as presi- dent of the Board of Justices when the govern- ment of Union county was trusted to them. He was a stanch Jeffersonian Democrat and grand- father of Thomas Jefferson Templeton, the effi- cient clerk of the Circuit Court of Union county.

John Hanna, "Big John" as he was called, son of Robert Hanna, entered land and settled just east of Dunlapsville, in Union county, in 1804. He was a prominent Democrat and took a lead- ing part in the conventions of his party. That he was a prominent member of his party and an esteemed and worthy citizen is shown by the fact that he was elected as the first Treasurer of Union county and served in that capacity in 1823 and 1824.

James Livingston was a native of Charleston, S. C., where he was born on the 17th day of March, 1791. He was twice married. His last wife was Nancy Templeton, daughter of Hon. John Templeton. Although he possessed only a common school education, he was an excellent mathematician and by much reading he became a well-informed man. Mr. Livingston, upon the organization of Union county, was chosen its first Clerk in 1821 and served until 1828, and was suc- ceeded by Edgehill Burnside, a Whig. In 1828 and 1829 he represented Union county in the State Legislature. He served as State Senator in the decade between 1850 and 1860. He sur-

veyed and laid out the town of Brownsville in 1815. He was a modest and unassuming man and made no pretentions to public speaking. He was a forcible writer-his power was with his pen, which he wielded when occasion demanded in defense of the principles of the Democratic party, of which he was an honored and useful member.

WILLIAM WATT.

Mr. Watt came to Brownsville from Greens- burg, Pa., in 1822. He was a strong and influen- tial Jackson Democrat and took a very promi- nent part in public affairs, serving as County Commissioner of Union county three terms, a member of the lower house of the State Legisla- ture from 1831 to 1844, and a member of the State Senate for two terms. He was also a dele- gate to the State constitutional convention held in Indianapolis in 1850 when the State constitu- tion was revised. He served with the rank of major in the State militia. His public and pri- vate life alike were above reproach. Major Watt was the maternal grandfather of Lee J. Cully, the well known Brownsville politician and mer- chant who was State Representative from 1904 to 1908.

WELLINGTON W. DAWSON.

Mr. Dawson was born in Lynchburg, Va., Feb- ruary 19. 1820, and came with his parents to Union county in 1831. He taught school for many years before and after his marriage to Mary Crist in 1855. He was elected County Au- ditor in 1851 and re-elected in 1855, serving as Auditor for eight years and seven months. Some years later he was a merchant at Clifton and was elected Township Trustee of Brownsville town- ship. In 1876 he moved back to Liberty, where he died very suddenly April 19, 1892. He was a Master Mason and a member of the Presby- terian church and a strong and influential Demo- crat, who wielded great influence for the best interests of the Democratic party of his county and State.

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History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916, Part 116

Author: Stoll, John B., 1843-1926 Publication date: 1917 Publisher: Indianapolis : Indiana Democratic Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Stoll, John B., 1843-1926
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis : Indiana Democratic Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1104