USA > Indiana > Tippecanoe County > Past and present of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Volume II > Part 12
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On leaving college, Dr. King received a position as paymaster's clerk in the United States navy, which he held for a period of eight months, at the expiration of which time he began the practice of his profession in Miami county, Indiana, locating at Miami in the spring of 1865 and remaining in that place until his removal, in 1876, to Greenfield, Indiana, where, during the ensuing twenty years, he built up a large and lucrative business and where he still maintains his residence.
Dr. King served ten years on the board of pension examiners of Hancock county and for five years was medical director of the department of Indiana, Grand Army of the Republic, besides holding for one year the position of surgeon-general, national encampment, Grand Army of the Republic, to which he was elected at Boston in 1904. The Doctor was a leading spirit in arous- ing an interest in the matter of erecting a monument in honor of ex-Governor Oliver P. Morton, and to him, more perhaps than to any other man, is due the inauguration and carrying to successful conclusion of the movement which culminated in the beautiful and appropriate memorial which now adorns the state capitol. He was present at the unveiling of the monument and, as chairman of the commission, took an active part in the ceremonies. It was on the same day, also, that he was tendered the position of chief surgeon of the Soldiers' Home, at Lafayette, which he now holds and the duties of which he assumed in April, 1908.
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In the important and responsible office with which he has been honored, Dr. King measures up to the requirements of the management of the insti- tution and thus far his course has been eminently creditable and satisfactory, fully meeting the high expectations of his friends and the public, ever justi- fying the wisdom of his choice. In his professional work he has two capable assistants and the hospital corps at this time consists of eighteen nurses, se- lected with especial reference to their efficiency and skill. There are now in the various wards seventy-seven female and fifty-one male patients under treatment, to whom the chief surgeon gives personal service, in addition to which duty he also looks carefully after the condition of the institution and its inmates, insisting upon due attention to the sanitary regulations which he has inaugurated, the beneficial results of which are already perceptible in the increasing good health throughout the establishment.
Dr. King's best energies have ever been devoted to his profession and his pronounced ability has gained him a position in the front rank among the leading medical practitioners of Indiana. As stated in preceding paragraphs, many honors in connection with his profession have been bestowed upon him and in every position to which called he has added luster to a name which for many years has been widely known in medical circles throughout his own and other states.
Dr. King has twice been married, the first time in 1865, to Martha Haynes, of Miami county, who died in 1881, after bearing him one son, Frank R. King, who is connected with the Piqua National Bank, of Piqua, Ohio. The Doctor's second wife was Belle Reed, whom he married in Greenfield, in 1882, his present companion, the union being without issue.
Fraternally, Dr. King is a Mason of high standing, having attained the council degree, besides holding, from time to time, important official positions in the different branches of the order. In politics, he is a Republican, with Prohibition tendencies, being an earnest advocate of temperance and an in- fluential worker in propagating the principles of the same. With his wife, he belongs to the Christian church, holding membership with the congrega- tion at Greenfield.
Dr. King is the only male survivor of his family. His grandfather, Joshua King, of New York, moved down the Ohio river, by flat boat, at an early day, landing at the farm of General Harrison about the year 1820. Two years later he transferred his residence to Fayette county, Indiana. The Doctor's father purchased the eighty acres of land in Hamilton county of Captain Meeker, of Fayette county, who originally entered the same. On
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the paternal side, the Doctor's ancestors are traced to France, his grand- mother having belonged to the La Force family, which had representatives in the United States from a very early time.
THOMAS BAUER.
Thomas Bauer, president of the Lafayette Box Board and Paper Com- pany, is a native of Pennsylvania, born at Nazareth, Northampton county, July 1, 1860, the son of Jacob and Marie (Marsh) Bauer. He of whom this notice is written was reared in his native county and remained there until eighteen years of age, when the family moved to Akron, Ohio, where young Bauer became employed as a salesman in a retail clothing store. He re- mained in Akron for eight years, during which time he married.
In 1886, on account of ill health. Mr. Bauer was obliged to seek a differ- ent kind of work. During that year, and when the natural gas industry was first being developed at Kokomo, Indiana, he was employed by the Kokomo Straw Board Company. He connected himself with this factory with the notion of being only temporarily in such line of business, but he took hold with a right good will and determination to perform every known duty in the best possible manner. He worked in various departments and was rapidly advanced. In 1892 he removed to Yorktown, near Muncie, Indiana, where a new strawboard factory was built and of which plant he became manager. There he remained until 1902, when he disposed of his interest and the fol- lowing year came to Lafayette, where he organized the Lafayette Box Board and Paper Company and has ever since been identified with the city of Lafay- ette and her general business interests.
Mr. Bauer, who is at the head of this, the largest plant of its line of products in the world, believes that diligence is the only key to signal success. He is competent to take charge and manage any of the many departments of the large business with which he has achieved so large an amount of success, and has become so widely known. Being thus fully acquainted with all the many details of producing the products of his extensive factory, he is com- petent to handle the large number of men he has in his employ, they realizing that he is competent to judge and give advice at each and every point from where the raw materials are brought to the factory, on through the various processes to the point where the goods are shipped to the open markets of the world.
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While Mr. Bauer is a man of affairs and engrossed in the line of work which he so successfully operates in, yet he is a man among men, is public- spirited and in no manner neglects the social functions of modern life and activities. He is connected with the Masonic fraternity, having advanced to the thirty-second degree in that most ancient and honorable order. He is also affiliated with that younger but none the less valuable and popular fra- ternity, the Knights of Pythias, of which he is a member of the grand lodge of Indiana.
In his political views Mr. Bauer is a Republican, believing that that political party best subserves the interests of the masses of American citizens.
Mr. Bauer was united in marriage August 6, 1885, to Addie Cordelia Hunsicker, a native of Akron, Ohio. While Mr. Bauer is one of the busiest business factors in the Star City, he has the happy faculty of dispatching his affairs in such a methodical manner as to have time to give to matters out- side and is ever ready to impart information concerning a plant which has come to be second to none in this country, as well as one of Lafayette's chief manufacturing industries. Of the detailed history and workings of this fac- tory the reader of this work is referred to the industrial chapters.
HON. EDWIN P. HAMMOND.
Judge E. P. Hammond, attorney-at-law, Lafayette, well known through- out the state as a lawyer, judge of the supreme court and veteran of the Civil war (in which cause he took the Union side and for gallant deeds was more than once promoted, finally to brevet colonel), will form the sub- ject of this memoir, that the deeds of his eventful life may be made safe in the annals of his county, to be read and duly appreciated by those who shall come after him, searching for the brave, the patriotic and the brainy characters who have lived and labored in Tippecanoe county, in both the past and present century of its history.
Judge Hammond was born in Brookville, Indiana, November 26, 1835, a son of Nathaniel and Hannah (Sering) Hammond. On the Hammond side of his genealogical tree he is descended from New England ancestry. His father removed from Vermont to Indiana, and was married in Brookville. When fourteen years of age his parents removed to Columbus, Indiana, where he obtained such education as the common schools and the seminary at Columbus afforded. In 1854 he went to Indianapolis to accept a position
EDWIN P. HAMMOND
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as a clerk in a wholesale store. During his first year thus employed he caught a glimpse of professional life and abandoned his mercantile clerk- ship for the study of law in the office of Hons. Abram A. Hammond and Thomas A. Nelson, of Terre Haute. The former, his half-brother, was elected lieutenant-governor of Indiana in 1856, and became governor of the state on the death of Governor Willard in 1859. In 1856, after passing an examination, he entered the senior law class of Asbury (now DePauw) University, at Greencastle, and in 1857 received the degree of Bachelor of Laws. He opened an office at Rensselaer, a town buried in the almost wilder- ness prairie land. While it was a great contrast from the cities he had resided in-Indianapolis and Terre Haute-and was a lonely spot, yet with true courage he set forth to do and to dare and became identified with the pioneer dwellers of that town. There he continued to live and labor for more than thirty years and in that time built up a good legal practice.
The sound of Fort Sumter's opening cannon of the great Civil war was echoing through the land and Lincoln's first call for men to suppress the on-coming rebellion of the Southern states caught his ear. He enlisted in the three-months service, and was elected and commissioned first lieutenant of Company G, Ninth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, serving under Captain (afterwards Colonel and General) Robert H. Milroy, in West Vir- ginia. At the termination of his enlistment Mr. Hammond resumed his law practice. He was elected to the Indiana legislature in October, 1861, representing Newton, Jasper and Pulaski counties. In August, 1862, he as- sisted in raising Company A, of the Eighity-seventh Indiana Regiment, and was elected and commissioned its captain. March 22, 1863, he rose to the rank of major, and November 21st of that year, to that of lieutenant-colonel. He remained at the front, except a short time in 1863-64, when at home re- cruiting volunteers. September 19 and 20, 1863, he participated in the fa- mous battle of Chickamauga. His regiment went into the engagement with three hundred and sixty-three men, and lost in killed and wounded one hun- dred and ninety-nine men-more than half its number, During the last year of the war he commanded his regiment, embracing one hundred days of in- cessant fighting from Chattanooga to Atlanta. He accompanied General Sherman on his great "march to the sea" and back through the Carolinas to Washington. At the close of the war, on the recommendation of his brigade, division and corps commanders, he was breveted colonel in the United States Volunteers, "for gallant and meritorious service during the war."
When peace was finally declared, Colonel Hammond returned to the practice of his profession, but in March. 1873. Gov. Thomas A. Hendricks
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appointed him to the position of judge of the thirtieth judicial district, and at the fall election of the same year he was elected to that office. Again in 1878, he was elected without opposition for a term of six years. May 14, 1883, Judge Hammond was appointed by Gov. A. G. Porter as judge of the supreme court of the state to fill a vacancy caused by the appointment of Hon. William A. Woods to the United States district court for Indiana. In the autumn of 1884 he was the nominee of the Republican party for judge of the supreme court from the fifth district, and with his party was defeated at the polls. Though not successful of election, the fact that he received five thousand more votes than did the head of the ticket was an evidence of his popularity. January 1, 1885, he retired from the supreme court bench, after gaining an enviable reputation for his judicial impartiality, firmness and judg- ment concerning the law. For the next five years he practiced law at Rensse- laer, after which he was again elected judge of the circuit court, serving until August, 1892, when he resigned and formed a partnership with Charles B. and William V. Stuart, under the firm name of Stuart Brothers & Ham- mond (now Stuart, Hammond & Simms), with offices at Lafayette, to which city the Judge removed in 1894. As a lawyer he has long sustained the well earned reputation of being among the foremost legal lights of Indiana. Gifted with a keen, analytical mind, with an intimate knowledge of the law, his long practice and services as circuit and supreme judge make him one of the ablest jurists of his time.
Before the Civil war, the Judge affiliated with the Democratic party, but since that conflict has ever supported the principles of the Republican party. In 1872 he was a delegate to the Republican convention at Philadel- phia, which body nominated Gen. U. S. Grant for a second terni as Presi- dent.
Judge Hammond is a member of the Masonic, Odd Fellows, Grand Army of the Republic, Union Veteran Legion and Loyal Legion fraternities. He is a member of the board of managers of the National Home for Dis- abled Volunteer Soldiers.
In June. 1892, Wabash College conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Laws.
Judge Hammond married, in 1864. Mary V. Spilter. The living chil- dren born of this marriage union are: Louie, wife of William B. Austin; Eugenia and Nina V. R. Hammond. He has two grandchildren, Virgie, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William B. Austin, married to R. M. Shayne, and Nathaniel Hammond Hovner, son of his deceased daughter, Mrs. Ed- ward A. Hovner.
BY PROF. W. L. CLARK ..
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BENNETT TAYLOR.
That man is fortunate who can trace his lineage back to a sterling an- cestry, one on the escutcheon of which no blight or shadow of anything derogatory rests. This Bennett Taylor is able to do, since a glance at his ancestry will show that they were both honorable and industrious, playing well their parts in the early drama of civilization in Tippecanoe county. The biographist first learns of William Taylor, who was a native of Virginia, a fine southern gentleman of the old school, who, in 1808, married Florence Graham, a daughter of a prominent family in that locality. In 1828 they emigrated to Tippecanoe county, Indiana, and located in that part of Ran- dolph township that is now comprised in Union township, where he erected a double cabin of logs in which he lived until he could make brick and erect a more commodious residence. He was a hard worker and soon developed a good farm and had a splendid home in the midst of the wilderness which he found covering the county at his advent. Both he and his wife were highly esteemed by their neighbors. Mr. Taylor's death occurred in 1839, and his widow survived until 1856. They were the grandparents of the gentleman whose name forms the caption of this sketch. Their son, Sylvester Taylor, who married Sarah E. Beasley, is the father of Bennett Taylor. Sylvester Taylor was born January 14, 1829, on the farm where his father settled the previous year. When he had grown to proper age he assisted with the work of developing the home place and attended the neighboring schools, receiving a fairly good education for those early times. He began his career by teaching school in the home neighborhood. Not being satisfied with what education he had obtained, he attended the old seminary at Lafay- ette. He married into a well known family of this county, that of the Rev. A. D. Beasley. Sylvester Taylor became a very successful farmer and dealer in livestock and grain, and was interested in a large warehouse on the Monon railroad. handling large consignments of grain annually and becoming one of the county's prominent business men. He was a man of strict integrity and had the confidence of all with whom he had dealings. He lived in Lafayette the last five years of his life, dying October 17, 1903. It was about 1853 that he established Taylor's Station.
The birth of Bennett Taylor occurred at Taylor's Station, Tippecanoe county, December 10, 1864. This place was named for his father and his uncle, John. Bennett Taylor attended the public schools at Taylor's Station,
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later taking an academic course at Purdue University, having been a class- mate of George Ade, both graduating the same year, 1887. Prior to that date he had spent one summer in Dakota. In November, 1887, Mr. Bennett went to Romney and entered the grain business and built an elevator there. He prospered in this line and in 1895 he sold out and went to Kirkpatrick where he bought an elevator and continued to improve it, building up an extensive trade. Desiring to expand in this business, he leased an elevator at South Raub in 1898, and in 1900 he purchased the same. Thirty days later it was destroyed by fire and he built a modern one in its place. In 1901 he came to Taylor's Station. The old warehouse had burned there in 1887. This was replaced in 1901 by a modern structure erected for Mr. Taylor, thus making him three up-to-date large elevators. Soon afterwards he and William B. Foresman bought two elevators at West Point and leased two other elevators on the Wabash railroad. Since then an enormous quantity of grain has been handled annually.
In January, 1904, Mr. Taylor purchased the stock of Robert Bell in the Crabbs-Reynolds-Bell Grain Company, which operated elevators at Lafay- ette, Crane and Ash Grove. On July 1, 1904. the company was reorganized as the Crabbs-Reynolds-Taylor Company, incorporated with a capital stock and bonds of two hundred thousand dollars. The following are the present officers who have served in their respective capacities since the organization : A. E. Reynolds, president ; B. F. Crabbs and Bennett Taylor, vice-presidents ; T. C. Crabbs, secretary and treasurer ; William B. Foresman, auditor. A. E. Reynolds, B. F. and T. C. Crabbs reside at Crawfordsville.
This company now has twenty elevators in different parts of Indiana, all doing a flourishing business and requiring the combined efforts of a large number of men to successfully handle the same. No small part of the large success of this important company is due to the judicious management, the sound counsel and the unusual business capacity of Bennett Taylor, one of the vice-presidents of the company.
Mr. Taylor was married on December 29, 1892, to Gertrude May Simi- son, daughter of Dr. John Simison, the pioneer physician of Romney. He married Harriet E. Agnew, who also represented an old and honored family. Mrs. Taylor received a good education, having graduated from the musical department of DePauw University in 1890 and from the regular course of that institution in 1891. She was also an active member of Alpha Phi fra- ternity. She is a woman of many commendable personal traits which render her a favorite with a large circle of friends in this locality. To Mr. and
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Mrs. Bennett Taylor three children have been born, Harriet E. and Mildred E. Another daughter died in infancy.
Mr. Taylor and wife own a highly productive farm of two hundred and fifty-two acres at Taylor's Station, this county, also a section of land in North Dakota, and Mrs. Taylor owns a farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Randolph township. In addition to his many business interests, Mr. Taylor is also a stockholder in three banks at Lafayette and a member of the di- rectorate of the American National Bank.
Mr. Taylor is a member of the Lafayette city council at this writing, from the fifth ward, and he is looking after the city's interests with that same fidelity to duty that has characterized his individual business career. In politics he is a Democrat. Something of his high and excellent standing in this city is shown by the fact that he overcame a Republican majority of one hundred and forty votes by forty-eight votes. He was nomi- nated twice for county treasurer and made a very fine showing in a hotly contested race against very great odds. He has long taken considerable interest in local political affairs, and, in fact, in everything that has pertained to the public and general good of his county. He is a member of the Trinity Methodist Episcopal church, in the affairs of which he takes an abiding in- terest, being at present one of the stewards of the same. He also belongs to the Sigma Chi fraternity. Mr. Taylor is regarded as one of the substantial and public-spirited citizens of Lafayette, where he is the recipient of the confidence and high regard of all classes whether in business, public or social life.
ALBA G. ARNOLD.
The subject of this sketch, who holds the important office of county surveyor and enjoys wide repute as an accomplished civil engineer, is a native of Tippecanoe county, Indiana, and a descendant of one of the early pioneers who entered land in what is now Lauramie township about the time the country was opened for settlement. This ancestor was his grandfather, Charles Arnold, a true type of the sturdy backwoodsman of the early times, and the greater part of the land which he purchased from the government is still in possession of his descendants, a portion being owned by the subject. Alba G. Arnold was born near the village of Clark's Hill, on the 22d day of June, 1867, and spent his childhood and youth in Lauramie township,
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becoming familiar with the duties of farm life while a mere lad and obtaining his first educational discipline in the district school not far from his home. Actuated by a laudable desire to increase his scholastic knowledge, he subse- quently entered the Central Normal College at Danville, where, in addition ť the regular course, he took special work in civil engineering and surveying, and made a creditable record as a close and critical student. For the pur- pose of fitting himself for teaching, he attended for some time the State Normal school at Terre Haute and on leaving that institution engaged in educational work in his native county where, during the twelve years ensuing. he taught in different townships and achieved much more than local repute as a capable and popular instructor. Still later he taught in Clinton county four years and at the expiration of that period discontinued educational work to devote his entire time to civil engineering and surveying, both of which he had followed at intervals in the meantime.
During the spring and summer months when not engaged in teaching Mr. Arnold did considerable private surveying and civil engineering, prin- cipally in the county of Hendricks, and on quitting the school room perma- nently returned to Tippecanoe county, of which he was elected surveyor in 1906. His work during the following two years proved eminently satis- factory and justifying the wisdom of his election, he was chosen his own successor in the fall of 1908 and is now well on the second year of his second term, his record meanwhile being creditable to himself and comparing favor- ably with that of any of his predecessors.
As an official Mr. Arnold is not only competent but exceedingly con- scientious and careful, making duty paramount to every other consideration, and thus far his work has been eminently satisfactory and his name above the suspicion of a reproach. He has been a lifelong and steadfast Republican and takes an active interest in political affairs, being a judicious adviser in the councils of his party and an untiring and influential worker in the ranks. Mr. Arnold some years ago joined the Free and Accepted Masons and is a highly respected member of that brotherhood, belonging to Mitler Lodge, No. 268, at Clark's Hill, in which he has been honored from time to time with important official positions. He is also identified with the Knights of Pythias, holding membership with Sheffield Lodge, No. 414, at Dayton, and its various auxiliaries and demonstrating in his relations with his fellowmen the beautiful and sublime principles upon which the fraternity is founded. In matters religious Mr. Arnold is liberal in all the term implies, belonging to no church, but according to others the same right of opinion which he claims
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