USA > Indiana > Marion County > Indianapolis > Sketches of prominent citizens of 1876 : with a few of the pioneers of the city and county who have passed away > Part 11
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In 1852 he was the Whig candidate for Governor of the State, and the last one that party ever ran. Although beaten by Joseph A. Wright, he made a very energetic and vigorous canvass, and kept his honorable opponent quite busy to answer some of his plain, off-hand and sensible speeches in defense of his party and its measures. His efforts had been almost uniformly successful, but in this he was doomed to defeat.
Mr. McCarty died in May, 1854, beloved by his family, respected by his neighbors, and well satisfied with the fortunes he had experienced in life. He left a son bearing his name, who is still a resident of this city, and two or three daughters, one of whom was the wife of Reverend Henry Day, and another the wife of John C. S. Harrison, a prominent banker.
Reader, when you pass the grave of Nicholas McCarty, you can truthfully say, there lies " an honest man, the noblest work of God."
" Like dews of morning, he was given To shine on earth, then rise to heaven."
INCIDENTS OF 1823-24-25-26.
In the year 1823 the people began to look forward to the time when the barrier that cut them off from the balance of the world and the rest of mankind would be removed ; the mails began to arrive semi-monthly ; the Centerville mail was carried on horseback by a lame fiddler named
-
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Amos Dilly ; his arrival was looked forward to with rather more interest than the others, and was generally celebrated by a dance, as he fur- nished the music. The Brookville, or Settlement mail, was carried by Samuel Frazier, now a prominent tempérance lecturer. The Madison or Berry's Trace mail was carried by an old man named Metcalf; he was more familiarly known as "Old Madcap." These mail carriers frequently had to swim all the streams on their respective routes, and were often several days behind time in consequence of high waters ; the mails were often damaged by water. I have frequently seen Mr. Henderson, our worthy postmaster, spreading them out in the sun for the purpose of drying.
In the spring of 1824 the murder of the Indians eight miles east of Pendleton, in Madison county, occurred. They were encamped on the bank of a small stream for the purpose of hunting and trapping. Four men and a boy went to their camp pretending to be hunting horses, but for no other purpose really than to kill and rob them. The names of the murderers were Harper, Hudson, Sawyer and Bridges and his son, a boy about eighteen years of age. Harper made his escape with the whole of the booty acquired. Hudson and the others were arrested, tried and three hung.
Hudson was first tried, in the fall of 1824, and sentenced to be hung in January. He managed to escape a short time before the day of his execution, and lay in the woods and got his feet frozen so badly that he was unable to travel, and in this condition he was retaken, and hung on the day appointed by the court.
The other three were tried at the spring term of the court and sen- tenced to be hanged in June, 1825. The writer had obtained the con- sent of a young man to ride behind him on the same horse to witness the execution, as he did.
It was generally understood that, in consequence of the age of young Bridges (he being a mere boy), and the fact that he had been induced to engage in the crime by his father and Sawyer, who was his uncle, Governor Ray would pardon him.
Up to ten o'clock of the day of execution neither the Governor nor a pardon had arrived. The three criminals were taken from the pali- sade prison to the place of execution, about two hundred yards above the falls of Fall creek, on' the west side. A wagon was drawn up on the side of the hill with the wheels on planks, so they would move easily and quickly. A post was placed on the side of the hill, just above the wagon. To this post the wagon was fastened by a rope, so that when the rope was
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INCIDENTS OF 1823-24-25-26.
cut the wagon would run down the hill without aid. The two old men were placed in the tail of the wagon, the ropes adjusted, the white caps drawn over their faces, and at a given signal the rope was cut and the wagon quickly ran from under the unfortunate men. Sawyer broke his arms loose, which were pinioned behind, and caught the rope by which he was hanging and raised himself about eighteen inches. The sheriff (Corry) quickly caught him by the ankles, gave a sudden jerk, which brought the body down, and he died without another struggle.
After they had hung about thirty minutes they were taken down and placed in their coffins at the foot of the gallows. The young man, who had witnessed the scene, was then placed in the wagon (which had been re-adjusted on the hillside) with the intention of waiting until the last moment for Governor Ray or a pardon. He had not been in this situation long before the Governor made his appearance ( which created a shout from all present ) on a large "fancy gray " horse. He rode directly up to the gallows, where the young man was seated on a rough coffin in the wagon. The Governor handed the reins of the bridle to a bystander, commanding the prisoner to stand up. "Sir," said the Gov- ernor, " do you know in whose presence you stand ?" Being answered in the negative, the Governor continued, "There are but two powers known to the law that can save you from hanging by the neck until you are dead, dead, dead; one is the great God of the Universe, the other is J. Brown Ray, Governor of the State of Indiana. The latter stands before you ( handing the young man the written pardon ) ; you are par- doned." The Governor received the thanks of all present for this act of clemency.
The whole scene was witnessed by about twenty Indians, said to be relatives of those murdered. They seemed well satisfied that the death of their friends had been avenged, and it restored confidence throughout the New Purchase that there was no danger to be apprehended from the Indians in consequence of this murder.
In the fall of 1824 the court house was approaching completion, ready for the Legislature, which was to convene in this place for the first time, on the first Monday in January, 1825. The seat of govern- ment had been fixed by law to remain at Corydon. Until 1825 the Legislature had convened on the first Monday in December of each year ; the members had become very much dissatisfied with the treat- ment they had received at the hands of the citizens of Corydon, and determined to get the seat of government from there one year earlier. 'n the Legislature that expired in the winter of 1824, a resolution was
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introduced and passed that "when the Legislature adjourn it would meet at Indianapolis on the first Monday in January, 1825."
In the fall of 1824 the State offices were removed to Indianapolis. It brought several good and permanent citizens-Samuel Merrill, as Treasurer of State; Dr. William H. Lilly, as Auditor. The term of the Secretary of State expired that winter, and he did not remove his family. John Douglass, as State Printer, also came that fall.
At the appointed time the Legislature met, but the fondest hopes of the people were not realized; neither the advantages nor pleasure they had looked forward to with such anxiety were experienced :
" But pleasures are like poppies spread, You seize the flower, its bloom is shed. Or like the snow falls in the river, A moment white, then melts forever. Or like the borealis' race, 1 That flit ere you can point their place. Or like the rainbow's lovely form, Evanishing amid the storm."
The members of the Legislature were huddled together, six gener- ally in a cabin, and paid from two to three dollars per week for board.
Among the prominent members of this session of the Legislature were John Ewing, of Knox; Daniel Grass, of Spencer; Samuel Cham- bers, of Orange; Benjamin Irwin, of Bartholomew ; Milton Stapp, of Jefferson ; Calvin Fletcher, of Marion and Hamilton ; George Boone, of Sullivan ; John H. Thompson, of Clarke.
The members came on horseback ; their horses were kept by the farmers, who were anxious to have them at fifty to seventy-five cents per week. For many years after the Legislature first met here all debts were made payable at the close of the next session, as more money was distributed among the people at that than any other time of the year.
When the next Legislature met (at the usual time, the first Monday in December), considerable improvement had been made for their ac- commodation. The mother of the writer had built a brick house, in addition to her cabins, and was enabled to furnish board for twelve men. Henderson and Blake and John Hawkins had also made additions which enabled them to accommodate more persons and in better style than the previous year. In after years, when the price of board was increased, the members began to threaten the citizens that they had once removed the seat of government from Corydon on account of the extortions of its citizens, and they would do so again; but this was only boasting, for
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SIMON YANDES.
they well knew they could not, it being out of their power, as the four sections of land on which Indianapolis stands was donated by the gen- eral government for a permanent seat of government, and that when the Legislature accepted the grant the capital was fixed for all time to come.
HENRY BRADY.
The name of Mr. Brady has been a household word in Marion county for fifty five years. He is a native of Pennsylvania, but emi- grated to this State when quite young. His first residence in Indiana was in Jackson county, from whence he came to this county and settled six miles east of town, in Warren township, in 1822, where he yet re- sides. He went, as all others did, into the woods, and now, by his own labor principally, has one of the finest farms in that neighborhood. He was for many years a magistrate of that township. He has represented the county at different times in both branches of the Legislature, and . was ever popular with the people; the county has nearly always been opposed to the political party to which he belongs, yet when he was a candidate before them the people seemed to forget for awhile their party allegiance ; indeed, he has been successful over some of the most popu- lar leaders of the opposite party. He came to this county a Jackson man, and has strictly adhered to the political party that sprang from the administration of the old hero.
I have before me an Indianapolis Gazette, printed in the year 1827. In this he offers his services to the people as a surveyor at two dollars per diem.
The old gentleman has moved on in the even tenor of his way ever since. He has lately renewed his youth by taking to himself a young wife, and it is to be hoped by his many friends he will get a renewal of the lease of life. It is quite unnecessary to say that Esquire Brady is · one of the solid farmers of Marion county, and is universally respected as far as· known.
SIMON YANDES.
Mr. Yandes is a native of the Keystone State, born near Uniontown, Fayette county, in 1816; when quite young, with his father's family, he emigrated to Indiana, and lived a short time in Connersville, Fayette county, thence to where the city of Indianapolis now stands, early in the spring of 1821, since which time I have been acquainted with him; we were pupils of the first school kept in the New Purchase, the teacher of
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SKETCHES OF PROMINENT CITIZENS.
which was named Lambert. The log school house was on the north side of Washington, west of Missouri. We were also members of the first Sunday school, organized on the 6th of April, 1823, in Caleb Scudder's cabinet shop, on the south side of the State House square.
Mr. Yandes was for many years a pupil of Ebenezer Sharpe, father of Thomas H. Sharpe. After receiving a good education, studied law with Messrs. Fletcher and Butler; in 1839 became a partner, the firm being known as Fletcher, Butler & Yandes, remaining with them four years. In 1848 he formed a partnership with the late Oliver H. Smith ; with Mr. Smith he practiced four years. In 1856 he formed a partner- ship with Mr. Hines, the title of the firm being Yandes & Hines; then at the expiration of four years quit the practice of law, in consequence of failing health.
During Mr. Yandes' twenty-two years practice he was engaged in some of the most important cases that came before the courts in this and adjoining counties, also the United States and Supreme Courts of the State, and had attained a high position in his profession, and was considered one of the most successful of the Indianapolis bar. This was mainly owing to his thorough knowledge of the law, his industry in making himself thoroughly acquainted with the cases he undertook, and the interest of his clients. It must also be remembered that with his fine acquired ability was coupled a native intellect far above that of many of our good lawyers of the present day.
From 1852 Mr. Yandes was one of the bond and stockholders and directors of the Bellefontaine Railroad Company, and incurred hazard on the guaranty and lost largely on the stock.
Between 1864 and 1870 he was part owner of a brick yard and saw mill, and lost upon both ; he was a subscriber for the stock of the White River Rolling Mill Company, which was in a short time sold out by the sheriff. From this experience Mr. Yandes inferred that, as a general rule, it is not advisable to engage in a business without having practic- ally learned it, or without a personal supervision or control. By this it will be seen that he has not been an idle spectator of the growth of the city, but has aided by his means, although it was not remunerative.
In person Mr. Yandes is quite tall, light hair and complexion, affa- ble in manners, candid and frank in expression, with a cheerful and mild temperament.
He is well-known as one of our best citizens, and respected by all who have had the good fortune to make his acquaintance. Such are the opinions formed of him by one who has known him for fifty years.
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GENERAL THOMAS A. MORRIS.
ANDREW WILSON.
Mr. Wilson was born near Uniontown, Pennsylvania, on the the 10th: of June, 1798. He came to Connersville in 1820, where he remained. about one year, and came to Indianapolis in the summer of 1821. Mr. Wilson engaged in milling at what was known as the Bayou Mills, where he remained several years. He has been a large contractor on. the different canals, railroads, and the Michigan and National roads. For several years he has been engaged in farming. Soon after he came to Indianapolis he was married to Miss Hannah, eldest daughter of the: late Obadiah Harris, by whom he has had several children, all of whom are dead except the youngest, who is the wife of Mr. Porter, who resides with Mr. Wilson on his farm, four miles southwest of the city. Although Mr. Wilson has outlived his three score and ten years, he is yet quite active, and takes as much interest in public affairs as when the writer first became acquainted with him, now fifty-six years.
GENERAL THOMAS A. MORRIS.
General Morris is a native of Kentucky, born in Carlisle, Nicholas county, on the 26th of December, 1811. With the family of his father (the late Morris Morris) he came to Marion county in October, 1821, about the time of the first sale of lots in Indianapolis. The family first settled on a piece of heavily timbered land, on Eagle creek, southwest of the then village of Indianapolis, where they resided a few years be- fore moving to town. The sickness the first year of their residence here was so great that Mr. Morris was anxious to return to their old home in Kentucky, but through the influence and persuasion of Mrs. Morris, the mother of the general, they induced him to remain.
General Morris, I think, took his first lessons in the Sunday school. at Caleb Scudder's' cabinet shop, organized in 1823. He then received a good English education in the different schools of the village, taught by his brother Austin, Rev. George Bush, Ebenezer Sharpe, "Master Thomas, " and others.
In 1830 he was appointed a cadet at West Point, where he gradu- ated in 1834, with the highest honors. After remaining in the army a few years, he was appointed an engineer on the public works of the State, since which time he has been mostly engaged in that business, having located more railroads than any man in the State.
He was for some time President of the Indianapolis and Cincinnati.
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SKETCHES OF PROMINENT CITIZENS.
railroad, then of the St. Louis and Indianapolis railroad. While under his Presidency the former road was very prosperous, and the latter was finished and also prospered. Indeed, he has been connected with nearly all the railroads that center in this city.
In the early part of the rebellion he rendered great service as gen- eral of volunteers in West Virginia, and was afterwards tendered an important position in the army, but declined in consequence, as I under- stand, of his former service not being properly appreciated.
He was selected by Governor Williams as one of the five commis- sioners to superintend the construction of the new State House, now being built.
He was married in November, 1840, to Miss Rachel, daughter of John Irwin, of Madison, Ind. General Morris is represented by his different sons in several large business establishments of the city.
General Morris is a man of fine presence, agreeable and pleasing manners, a man whose character is above reproach, and whose word is considered as good as his bond, and has the friendship and confidence of all who know him.
JOSEPH BEELER
Was born in a "block-house," situated in what is now Ohio county, West Virginia, about twelve miles from Wheeling, in the year 1797 ; his father being in command of the station established for the protection of the people, as well as a place of refuge for the settlers when attacked by the Indians, which was frequently the case. This block-house was called Beeler's Station, and up to the present time still retains the name. He, with his mother's family, descended the Ohio river in a kind of dug-out called a pirogue, in the year 1818 or 1819. The latter year he visited where this city now stands, before there was a cabin of a white man in it.
In the year 1820 he, with his mother and brother (George H. Beeler, who was the first clerk of Morgan county), settled near what was then, and is yet, known as the Bluffs of White river.
In the year 1822 he was married to Miss Hannah Matthews, the daughter of one of their neighbors, and settled, with his young wife, in Marion county, about seven miles southwest of this city, on the west side of White river, in Decatur township, where he resided up to the time of his death. Mr. Beeler underwent all the privations and trials incident to a pioneer or backwoods life.
He was for many years a justice of the peace-in fact as long as he
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FIELDING BEELER.
would consent to serve. He was often solicited to become a candidate for higher positions, but always declined. He ever advised his neigh- bors, as well as others, against litigation, and was'a peacemaker as far as his mild and persuasive manner could accomplish that end.
Mr. Beeler was a man of untiring perseverence and industry, and considered his vocation, that of a farmer, of the highest respectability, and had a great ambition to excel in his calling. He was one of the first farmers of the county to import improved breeds of stock. His cattle, sheep and hogs early gained the reputation of being the best in the county, as the records of the first agricultural societies of the county and State will show by the premiums awarded. He also took a deep interest in horticulture. Were I writing for the eye only of those who knew Joseph Beeler, it would be unnecessary to say he was a man of the strictest integrity, one whose word was as good as his bond, and was never questioned.
He was at the time of his death, and for many years prior, a mem- ber of the Christian church. He died on the 12th of July, 1851, well satisfied with his experience in life, and in the full vigor and strength of manhood; and when his days of toil and hardship were over, he found the forest had given place to cultivated fields, the log cabin to stately mansions, the unpretending log churches of our city to those magnifi- cent temples of worship we now have.
Mrs. Beeler still survives him, and makes her home with her son, Fielding Beeler.
FIELDING BEELER
Was the first-born, and is the eldest son of the worthy gentleman I have noticed in the preceding sketch. He is one of the oldest native born citizens of Marion county, having made his first appearance upon the stage of action on the 30th day of March, 1823.
At the time he received his education the opportunities were very limited for the rudiments of a common English education; for a por- tion of what he did receive he walked three miles in winter, most of the way through the woods to the .log school house, where his young ideas were first taught to shoot, frequently on his way seeing deer and flocks of wild turkeys, with which the woods abounded at that time.
Mr. Beeler tells me his earliest recollection was seeing Indians pass- ing his father's cabin, hearing the wolves howl at night, and their killing all the sheep his father had, ten or twelve in number, and that 8
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his mother considered it a great calamity, as she did not know how her family was to be provided with the necessary winter clothing. She dressed and spun flax and wove linen for summer clothes ; and for a Sunday suit, and to be worn on special occasions, she would generally stripe it.
At the age of twenty-one years (not being willing to lose much time> he was married, and settled on a farm just west of Eagle creek, on the Mooresville road, three and a half miles from town, where he yet re- sides.
Although, like his father, very decided in his political views, and frank to express them, he has never taken a very active part in politics. He cast his first vote for a Presidential candidate for Henry Clay, in 1844.
In the year 1850 he was nominated by the Whig convention as can- didate for Representative of the county in the Legislature, and though he got the full vote of his party, was defeated, the Democrats having the ascendancy in the county at that time.
During the existence of the Marion County Agricultural Society, from 1852 to 1860, he was a member, five years a director and two years its president.
He was nominated by the Republican party, and elected a member of the House of Representatives in October, 1868, and served in the regular and special sessions; was chairman of the committee on agri- culture, and took an active part in all questions relating to it, as well as the interests of his immediate constituents and the general welfare of the State, and introduced a bill for the appointment of a State geologist and a geological survey of the State, which was about the only bill of general importance that became a law at the first session of that Legis- lature.
After the death of A. J. Holmes, Mr. Beeler was appointed his suc- cessor as secretary of the State Board of Agriculture, and has passed through one of the most successful fairs of the west with entire satisfac- tion to the public and credit to all its officers.
As Fielding is rather good-looking, I hope he will excuse me if I attempt to give the reader an idea of his personal appearance. As will be seen by his age, he is just in the prime of life, about five feet eight inches in height, rotund form, light hair, florid complexion, a blue eye and smiling countenance, and inherits all the candor and frank- ness of his father.
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SAMUEL MERRILL.
SAMUEL MERRILL
Was one of the good men, substantial and permanent citizens, Indian- apolis gained when the seat of government was removed to it. He was a native of one of the Yankee States, I think Vermont, but came to the west when a young as well as single man. His first residence in Indi- ana was at Vevay, where he was married. He then practiced law for a short time. In the winter of 1822-23 he was elected Treasurer of State, and in the spring removed to Corydon, then the capital of the State.
In the fall of 1824, when the State offices were removed to this place, he, with his family, made this city their home. He held the office of Treasurer of State until the State Bank of Indiana was chartered in 1834, when he was, by the Legislature, chosen its president, and organized it, as well as the different branches throughout the State. This position he held about ten years. He was then chosen president of the Madison and Indianapolis railroad. It was while he had the supervision of this road its stock was worth from twenty-five to thirty per cent. premium.
While Mr. Merrill held these public positions he was ever active in private pursuits and enterprises. The first summer he was here we had no person who was qualified or willing to teach school. He was induced to do so, and kept school in the log Methodist church on Maryland street, between Illinois and Meridian. Some years afterward he engaged in merchandising, and then, in connection with Mr. Yandes, built the mills on Fall creek known as Bretts' Mill. He was ever active in all benevolent and charitable institutions, and during his entire residence was superintendent or teacher of a Sunday school. While he was pres- ident of the Benevolent Society he kept such clothing as was donated for that purpose in a room in the State Bank, adjoining his office. He had just bought himself a fine cloth cloak, such an one as was fashion- able at that day, and very costly. One morning he entered his office through that room, and had thrown his cloak off on the pile of clothing left for distribution to the poor. A few moments afterward an old man who lived upon the charities of the people, came to Mr. M. for cloth- ing. He told him to go into the room and help himself to such as were there, which he did, and among other articles took the fine cloak:
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