USA > Indiana > Marion County > Indianapolis > Memorial record of distinguished men of Indianapolis and Indiana > Part 30
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William Thomas Covert was born in Indiana, in August, 1832, and died at his home in Indianapolis on the 25th of October, 1899. The home of his childhood and youth was not one of affluence but one that represented the golden mean of neither poverty nor great riches, the while its influences and associations were of benignant order. He gained his early education in the common schools of Hope- well, Johnson county, and this discipline was effectively supplemented by a course of study in Hanover College, at Madison, Indiana. Mr. Covert early learned the lessons of practical industry and for many years he was actively identified with lumbering operations at various points in the state. He was successful in the operation of sawmills and in kindred lines of enterprises, in connection with which he continued to maintain his home at Hopewell, Johnson county, until about 1860, when he removed with his family to Indianapolis, where he found ample opportu- nities for successful endeavor and where he continued to reside until he was sum- moned from the scene of life's mortal endeavors. In the capital city he became a successful contractor and builder, and as such he completed many important con- tracts. He had distinctive mechanical and inventive ability and among his practi- cal inventions was a fire-truck, which he manufactured and successfully placed on the market. During the latter years of his active career he was engaged in the bakery business, and with this line of enterprise he continued to be identified until his death.
The patriotism and insistent loyalty of Mr. Covert were significantly shown at the time of the Civil war, when he made several attempts to enlist in defense of the Union, being rejected on each occasion as ineligible on account of his physical condition. His political allegiance was given to the Republican party and he did not neglect his civic duties, though he had no desire to enter the turbulence of prac-
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tical politics or to gain the honors or emoluments of public office. The attractions of an ideal home absorbed his attention when not demanded in connection with busi- ness, and thus he had no desire to identify himself with fraternal or other social organizations. His Christian faith was of the deepest and most fervent order and was exemplified in his daily life as well as in his zeal and earnestness in the work of the church. He served for a number of years as a deacon of the Fifth Presby- terian church of Indianapolis, and later transferred his membership to the Fourth Presbyterian church, of which he was a trustee. His was a simple, unassuming and righteous life, and he acquitted himself well in all things, with a due sense of his stewardship and with an earnest desire to "do good to all men."
On the 3d of October, 1881, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Covert to Mrs. Margaret (Dickert) Fromm, widow of Christopher Fromm. Mrs. Covert was born and reared in Indianapolis, where she has ever maintained her home and where she has a wide circle of friends. She is a representative of one of the best known and most honored of the pioneer German families of Indianapolis, as she is a daughter of Jacob and Rose (Bauer) Dickert, both of whom are now deceased. They were born in Germany and their marriage was solemnized in Indianapolis, where Mr. Dickert was for many years engaged in the cabinet business. Mr. Covert is survived by five children,-Walter M., George H., Nellie K., Jennie and William E. William E., who married a Miss Lee, and Jennie are children of a for- mer marriage; to Miss Kohrn, who died in 1874. Miss Nellie K. remains with her widowed mother in their attractive home at 2342 North Delaware street; and Jennie is the wife of Frank Jackson, of California.
oseph Jenkins Bingham
INDIANAPOLIS recognized in Joseph Jenkins Bingham, for many years one of its most brilliant men, and one who left an I indelible mark upon the pages of the history of that city in the years of his lifetime. Possessed of a strong and forceful mind with the combined ability to express himself well in writing, he found an outlet for his talent in the journalistic field, and for many years was numbered among the most prominent edi- torial writers of the state of Indiana. He was a power in the political arena of his state, and was regarded as the leading political writer of Indiana. When he retired from active newspaper work in about 1874 and devoted himself exclusively to the compilation and publication of a series of comprehensive works on the Laws and Statutes of Indiana, the journalistic field felt his loss keenly. This latter occu- pation held his attention until he retired in 1888, his death occurring on December 12, 1897.
Joseph Jenkins Bingham was born in New York City, January 6, 1815. As a lad he attended the schools of New York City, but his education was limited to a few brief years of training owing to the death of his father when the boy was twelve years of age. Such education as he eventually received was largely the result of his own unaided efforts, and the accomplishments of his worthy life are eloquent testimony of the popular, if inelegant, expression, "You can't keep a good man down." His first work was performed as a shoe salesman in New York City, and when he was eighteen years old he came west to Maumee City, now Toledo, in the interests of his brother-in-law, Mr. Mumford, who had extensive lumber possessions in that section of the country. His duties as representative required that he travel almost continuously, and he frequently made the trip from Manmee City to Fort Wayne on horseback, coming that distance to reach a bank, and on numerous occasions carrying as much as $20,000 in currency in his saddle bags. He also on certain occasions traveled from Chicago to St. Louis on horseback, a long and difficult trip, but almost the only mode of travel at that early day. The next occupation of the young man was that of captain on a steamboat on the Wabash river, between Lafayette, Indiana, and the Ohio river. In 1844 Mr. Bingham en- gaged in the manufacture of candles and soap, the factory being situated in Lafay- ette, where he carried on extensive operations in that line of business for some time. It was while in Lafayette that he first became interested in newspaper work, and he became identified with the Lafayette Journal as editor. A natural writer, forceful and brilliant, he soon came to have a reputation throughout the state as one of the most brilliant editors in the field. With the increase of his popularity came a corresponding increase in opportunity, and in 1856 Mr. Bingham came to Indianapolis as editor-in-chief of the Indianapolis Sentinel, and for seventeen years he continued to officiate in that capacity, the while his power as a writer brought him into prominence in the political arena, making him one of the most
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important men of the state in the interests of the Democratic party, of which he was an enthusiastic adherent. With the passing of time his interests became ab- sorbed in other work of a somewhat similar nature, and he gave over his connection with the Sentinel and entered a partnership with one Doughty, for the compilation and publication of the laws of Indiana. They also compiled and published a work on the "Statutes of Indiana," as well as various works of a like character. Mr. Bingham was deputy auditor of state for two years under James H. Rice, and was prominent in many of the state campaigns for his party in his early days, his managerial ability being of especially high order. He was one of the very first members of the school board and took a great interest in the schools. He served as chairman of the Library Commission and as secretary of that board.
On June 15, 1852, Mr. Bingham married Miss Sophia Upfold at Lafayette, Indiana. She was his third wife, and is the daughter of Bishop Upfold, the first Episcopal bishop of Indiana, and who came to this country from England as a boy of six years. He first studied medicine, but later went into the church in New York City. He was rector of Trinity church in Pittsburg for nineteen years, and came to Lafayette, Indiana, in 1849, as bishop of Indiana. Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Bingham: Fanny Rebecca, Joseph West and Emily Sophia are all deceased. Sarah Elizabeth became the wife of Richard C. Dean, a medical direc- tor in the navy at Washington, now deceased; his widow is a resident of Wash- ington, D. C. George Upfold Bingham married Gertrude Hendricks and later Bertha Hendricks, both of whom are deceased; they were nieces of Governor Thomas Hendricks. He was employed for a number of years in the office of the state auditor, but is now in the banking business at South Bend, Indiana. Laura M., married W. H. Woodward, of St. Louis; he is now deceased and she makes her home with her widowed sister in Washington, D. C. William Luther is also dead. Francis L. married Grace Spencer of Vermont. They live in Richmond, Virginia, where he is the southern representative of the Evans-Acme Milling Com- pany; they have one daughter, Dorothy. Edward H. married Nora O'Malley, of Detroit. He is a newspaper man of repute, but at present is engaged in the amuse- ment business in Indianapolis, where they live at 2256 North Meridian street. They have three children: Edward H., Jr., Mary Emily and Joseph John.
The widow of Joseph J. Bingham and the mother of his children now resides with her son, Edward H., on North Meridian street. She is eighty-four years old, and has the appearance of a woman of perhaps sixty-five years. She was born in New York City within three blocks of the place where her honored husband was born, although they met in Lafayette for the first time. Mrs. Bingham is the oldest living member of the St. Paul Episcopal church in Indianapolis, a distinction which her husband shared with her during his life, and during the thirty-three years of her membership at St. Paul's she has been ever active and prominent in the work of the church. She has held the presidency and other important offices of the various auxiliaries of the church, and has wielded an important influence in church circles throughout her life. Eighty years ago she crossed the Alleghanies with her parents by stage coach, and she still remembers the occurrence. Her life has been replete with interesting experiences, and as an old resident of Indianapolis she can tell of important happenings in the growth of the city and state which are now to be found in the pages of history. An unusually brilliant woman, she still retains much of her early youthful zest in life, and is in every respect a truly admirable character.
Thomas Alby Conlee
I T IS no wonder that the English look upon our business men of America with amazement and, possibly, a little horror, for they cannot understand how it is possible for men to work day in and day out with no rest, and at a speed that seems nothing short of marvelous to them. This is the "pace that kills" and Thomas Conlee was a victim. He possessed all the qualities that go to make up a fine business man. He was quick to dis- cern the weak points in the armor of his adversaries, and knew just when to attack. He was tactful and considerate of others, always endeavoring to give everyone their just dues. He had that enormous capacity for work and rapidity of thought that makes it possible for business to be conducted as it is, to the wonder of the slower moving Britisher. His acquaintance was a very wide one, for he traveled over the greater part of the middle west, and wherever he went he was sure of a welcome. Business men liked to meet him in a professional way, but still better they liked to carry him off to their homes for a quiet visit. With such a wide circle of friends it is evident that he must have had a broad sphere of influence, and this influence was always exerted on the side of progress, of uplifting social conditions, of a furtherance of the belief in the innate goodness of men and things.
Thomas Alvy Conlee might have traced some of his most salient character- istics, for instance, his keen sense of justice and of the right thing to do, from his ancestors, for they were Presbyterian ministers. The Conlee family was founded in this country by three brothers, all of whom were Presbyterian ministers. They came to this country from the fountainhead of Presbyterianism, Scotland, but later one or perhaps two of them went into the Methodist church. Of these brothers, Alexander was the grandfather of Thomas Conlee, and he settled in Virginia. Later in life he came to southern Illinois and here his son John was born. John H. Conlee spent his boyhood days near the spot where he was born, and when he came to man's estate he went into the mercantile business. For some years he kept a general merchandise store at Galena, and afterwards he was made sheriff of the county. At that time the position was no sinecure and he became well known for his personal bravery, his fine qualities of mind and heart making him one of the most popular men throughout the county. During the war he went to his farm in Iowa, and thence to Beatrice, Nebraska. Here he retired from active life and lived quietly at the home of his children until he died at the age of eighty-four. His wife had passed away previously, at the age of seventy-seven. She was of Dutch parentage, her parents having settled in Kentucky when they came from Holland. John H. Conlee and his wife had a large number of children. Alex- ander, who is now dead, served in the Civil war as a member of the Ninety-sixth Regiment of Illinois Volunteers. After the war he was for many years a pension officer at Washington, D. C. The eldest daughter, Lieuan, is the wife of Lewis Achenback, and lives in California. Elizabeth is the widow of John Hawkings,
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and makes her home in Nebraska. William is now dead, but he had the distinc- tion of having been one of the hundred day men, that is, he answered the first call for volunteers that was sent out before the Civil war. Thomas A. was the fifth child, and the next younger was Jane, who married James Stocks and lives in California. Ellen is the widow of Edward Hurlhurt, and also lives in California. Andrew Jackson lives in Florida; Sylvester in Indianapolis, Indiana; and James, in California. Mary is the wife of James Whitehurst, living in Missouri, and Virginia is the wife of Jefferson Ross, of Wisconsin. Mrs. Conlee had a daughter by a former marriage, Mariah Davis, who died as the wife of Daniel Wood.
Thomas Alvy Conlee was born on the 23d day of March, 1845, at Galena, Illinois, in Jo Daviess county. All of his boyhood was spent within the confines of this county, where his time was spent either in school or at work in his father's store. He was spoken of by the men who came in to buy goods or discuss politics with his father as a clever boy, and they would often pat him on the head in a fatherly way, little realizing that the boy was studying them closely and observing just how they managed their business affairs and often deciding that he could have done better. This early training was to stand him in good stead later on. His attendance at the public schools was rudely interrupted by the outbreak of the Civil war. Inspired by a truly patriotic love for the Union which seemed to be in danger of being disrupted, he was eager to go to her defense. The only drawhack was his youth, but he easily overcame that by giving his age as over seventeen. He therefore enlisted in Company K, of the Ninety-sixth Illinois Infantry, in 1862, and served till the close of the war. The general commanding his division of the army was General Thomas, and he took part in some of the fiercest battles of the war. He carried the flag up the hill at Chickamauga, and thus being a special target for the sharp-shooting "Johnnies," it is not surprising that he received a wound in the shoulder. He fell on the field and some one else caught up "Old Glory" and passed on, leaving him for dead. There he lay all night, watching the lanterns of the searching parties, and listening to the moans of the wounded all about him. He was finally discovered by a Confederate search- ing party, and was taken prisoner. It was not long, however, before his exchange was effected, and then he spent many weary months in the hospital, fretting be- cause he could not be with his comrades. He at least had the satisfaction of having participated in what was perhaps the greatest and most courageous fighting of the war. Had it not been for General Thomas and the wing under his command, the army of General Rosecrans might have suffered a defeat equally as disastrous as the one of the Confederates at Gettysburg. Later in the war Mr. Conlee was again wounded, this time in the side. He was doing picket duty, and received the wound from a bayonet thrust in the dark. After the war was over the veteran of twenty returned to his father, who was then living on his Iowa farm. He remained here for three years, and during this time was married.
The spirit of restlessness, which had been fostered by his years of army life, forced him from the quiet of farm life into something that had more movement in it. His uncle offered to take him into his implement business at Warren, Illinois, and he gladly accepted. He remained in this work for four years, but even this did not suit his active disposition, and he finally decided that the life of the road was that for which he was searching. His first position of this kind was with D. M. Osborn, a Chicago implement firm. He made his home in Warren, and for two years trav-
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eled over Illinois, covering the state very thoroughly. He then went into the em- ploy of the Grand Detour Plough Company of Dixson, Illinois. He moved his family to this town and lived there for thirteen years, while he traveled for his firm through Iowa and Illinois. He came to Indianapolis, Indiana, in February, 1890, with the John Deere Plough Company. The territory which he covered for them was Ohio and Indiana. After a time his firm established a branch here and Mr. Conlee was put in charge, with several salesmen under him. He was thoroughly competent to handle the sales end of the business and he soon had worked up a big business for his firm. It should be remembered that at first the company only had an office here, and that no matter how good the product of its factories were it took a salesman with brains and energy and a thorough knowledge of the art of organi- zation to build up so large a business in the face of the competition that Mr. Conlee was forced to contend with. He worked incessantly, and the result was that he had a nervous breakdown, from which he never recovered, dying three years later, on the 19th of October, 1910. His death occurred at his home, 229 West Twenty-first street, where he had lived since 1894. He owned this house and also the adjoining property on the corner.
The following is quoted from the News of the 21st of October, 1910: "The funeral of Thomas A. Conlee, who died at his home, 229 West Twenty-first street, Wednesday night (October 19) was held this afternoon. He was born in Galena, Illinois, in 1845. He served in the Civil war, enlisting in the Ninety-sixth Illinois Regiment. He was a member of Anderson Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and a member of the First Presbyterian church, a Scottish Rite Mason and a Knight Templar. The services were conducted by the Reverend M. L. Haines. Burial in Crown Hill."
Mr. Conlee joined the Masonic order in Illinois, and had reached the degree of the Scottish Rite. In politics he was strongly Republican. As was mentioned in the News he was a member of Anderson Post, G. A. R., and one of his chief joys was to talk over the thrilling days of '64 with his old comrades.
Mr. Conlee was married on the 18th of June, 1867, to Amy Eaton, a daughter of Lafayette and Oleviaette (De Land) Eaton . Mrs. Conlee is the eldest of three sisters. The second sister, Adda, is now dead. She lived in Iowa and was married to W. Crosby. Ida, the youngest, is the wife of George Watson, and lives in the old home place in Mason City, Iowa. She did not marry until after the death of the parents. Of the five children of Mr. and Mrs. Conlee, Nettie C. is a widow and lives with Mrs. Conlee, and her son Alvey C., is a great comfort to his grandmother. Edward Bruce married Willnetta Tucker, and they live on North Delaware street in Indianapolis. He is a member of the firm of Royer & Conlee, merchant tailors, with offices in the Terminal building. The deceased children are: Aidie La, a daughter, who died at the age of twenty-nine; Earl C., who died at the age of five years and Charles E., who died at the age of two years.
Million Co. Griffith
Talilliam C. Griffith
HE temporal success of a life is to be determined not alone by T the individual advancement and prosperity of the individual person concerned but also by his usefulness to the world, his stability and integrity of character and his observance of those things which represent the higher values of human existence. In this broader and worthier sense was the life of the late William Chenoweth Griffith, of Indianapolis, essentially and significantly successful. His was a strong and positive nature and his devo- tion to principle was manifest in every relation of life, the while he was ani- mated by that buoyant hopefulness, generosity and kindliness that beget the fullest measure of objective confidence and esteem. Mr. Griffith was for many years a prominent and influential figure in financial and general business circles in the capital city of Indiana, where he was a member of the firm of Thomas C. Day & Company, long known as one of the leading stock and bond concerns of the city. He continued his active identification with this well known firm until his death and had been a potent force in the upbuilding of its extensive and substantial business. While he was essentially a man of affairs and one of great business discrimination and acumen, the nobility of his character was shown not alone in his deep and fer- vent Christian faith, in kindness and good will to his fellow men, in rare and ideal devotion to home and family, but also in the practical affairs of business. Just and true, there was no element of uncertainty in his position at any time or under any conditions, and such were his services and character that there is eminent propriety in according in this edition a tribute to his memory and a brief record of his career as one of the representative business men and citizens of Indianapolis, which was his home for about sixteen years prior to his death. Here he was summoned to eternal rest on the 13th of January, 1892, and here his name is held in lasting honor by all who came within the sphere of his influence.
William Chenoweth Griffith was of staunch Welsh genealogy in the agnatic line and a scion of a family that was founded in America in the early colonial days. Though he himself was not born in Indiana, he was a representative of one of the sterling pioneer families of this state. His grandfather, Major William C. Grif- fith, was born in Center county, Pennsylvania, on the 30th of November, 1797, and was a son of Nathan Griffith, who was the fourth son of John Griffith, the founder of the family in America. John Griffith immigrated from Wales to America about the year 1700. Nathan Griffith removed from Pennsylvania to Ohio in 1798 and lo- cated at Fort Washington, the nucleus of the present city of Cincinnati, whence he soon afterward removed across the Ohio river to the present site of Newport, Ken- tucky. Major William C. Griffith was reared under the conditions of the early pio- neer epoch in the middle west and his educational advantages were somewhat above the average, including those of a school in which he studied architecture, the while he was also serving an apprenticeship at the trade of stone mason. On February
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16, 1817, he married Miss Fannie MeGrew, and in 1819 he removed with his family to Lost River, Orange county, Indiana, where he resided until 1827. He then re- moved to Sullivan, the county seat of Sullivan county, to supervise the erection of a number of public and private buildings, and there he continued to maintain his home until his death, in February, 1892, at the patriarchal age of ninety-four years. He was long one of the most prominent and influential citizens of Sullivan county where he served in various offices of public trust and where he was invariably known as Major Griffith, his military title having been conferred upon him at the time of the war of 1812 when he served as major of a local battalion. He was superintend- ent of masonry in the construction of the old National road, was a staunch Democrat in politics and was a member of the Baptist church, as was also his wife, whom he survived by many years. They became the parents of twelve children, of whom four survived the honored father. At the time of the death of Major Griffith a member of the family received from the late Senator Daniel W. Voorhees, at that time United States senator from Indiana, a message whose words are worthy of perpetuation in this connection: "In the death of Major Griffith there passed away from earth one of the noblest and truest men ever known in our state or nation."
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