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 19
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ROBERT L. McOUAT
Was born in Lexington, Kentucky, on the 8th of August, 1827, and came with his father's family to Indianapolis in the fall of 1830. After a fair English education he learned the tinning business, and is at this time one of the largest manufacturers of tin ware and dealers in stoves and other heating apparatus in the city. He has been in business con- tinuously in the same block for twenty-six years. He was married in April, 1850, to Miss Helen, daughter of B. F. Wallace, Esq., and niece of the late Governor David Wallace. She died October 10, 1863. In August, 1865, he was married to Miss Eugenia Burford, of Missouri. By his last marriage he has two children. The lot upon which Mr.
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DOCTOR ALOIS D. GALL.
McOuat's business house is located was purchased by his father at the first sale of lots, in October, 1821, and is one of the few pieces of prop- erty in the city that is owned by the heirs of the original purchaser.
DOCTOR ALOIS D. GALL.
Twenty years acquaintance with Dr. Gall enables the writer to speak understandingly, and we bear testimony cheerfully to his many good qualities and fine traits of character, and his social and convivial dispo- sition. We were about the first acquaintance he made in Indianapolis when he first made it his residence in the year 1847, and our friendship and that of our families continued unbroken or marred by a single unpleasant incident up to the time he was so suddenly and unexpectedly called to pass from time to eternity, which gave such a shock to his many friends and acquaintances in this city.
Dr. Gall was very popular with all classes, especially was he so with his German fellow-citizens, who venerate his memory as one of their most worthy countrymen. He was a man of fine attainments, and well read in his profession. He stood deservedly high with his medical brethren in this city.
Dr. Gall was born in Weil die Stadt, in the German State of Wur- temburg, on the 16th of March, 1814. About the year 1841 he emi- grated to the United States, and for five years practiced medicine in Pennsylvania. In the year 1847, as above stated, he removed to Indian- apolis and permanently located his family here. He was a successful practitioner of medicine until 1853, when he was appointed by Presi- dent Pierce as United States Consul at Antwerp, Belgium, where he remained in office six years, having removed his family to that place for the purpose of educating his children.
While holding this high and responsible position, tendered him by. the chief magistrate of his adopted country, he discharged all its duties with honor to himself and to the entire satisfaction of the appointing power and the people he so faithfully represented.
While at Antwerp the American captains in that port, as an appre- ciation of his fidelity to his adopted country and the interest he took in American citizens sojourning there, presented him with a beautiful and elaborately wrought gold-headed cane; this was more valuable for the idea it conveyed than for its intrinsic worth.
During the late rebellion he was a warm and devoted Union man, and was surgeon of the 13th Indiana regiment, and afterwards promoted
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SKETCHES OF PROMINENT CITIZENS.
to brigade surgeon and medical director, and resigned after three years hard and laborious service in the field. While at Norfolk, Virginia, he was presented by the officers of the 13th Indiana regiment with a fine sword as a testimonial of their respect for him and his fidelity to his trust.
Dr. Gall died of appoplexy, after being sick only two hours, on the IIth day of February, 1867, leaving a wife and three children, all of whom yet reside in this city. The only daughter is the wife of Frederick P. Rush, one of the business men of the city.
Albert, the eldest son, at the age of eighteen years, went to Cali- fornia and there remained three years, where he acquired fine business qualifications as a merchant, which laid the foundation for future useful- ness as well as a fortune. He is now engaged in a large carpet and general house-furnishing establishment.
Edmund, the second son and youngest child, resides with his mother and manages her business. Dr. Gall left his family in possession of some fine city property, and altogether in comfortable and easy circum- stances.
His wife yet retains her widowhood, and mourns her loss as irrepar- able, as Rachel mourning for her children.
" Death enters and there's no defense ; His time there's none ean tell."
DR. W. CLINTON THOMPSON
Is a native of the Keystone State, having been born in the town of Zeallia Nople, Butler county. His parents died when he was quite young, and he was thrown entirely upon his own resources to procure an education ; but with an energy and earnestness that are generally re- warded with success, he received an education that qualified him for the study of the profession to which he is now an honor. He is a graduate of the Ohio Medical College. He came to Indiana about the year 1836, and has been a citizen of the State since that time, except six years that he practiced his profession in St. Charles, Missouri. He has resided in this city during the last twenty-three years, actively engaged in the du- ties of his profession. He was appointed brigade surgeon, at tlfe com- mencement of the war, by President Lincoln, at the instance of Gover- nor Morton, and was attached to the armies of Mcclellan and Pope in their campaign through Virginia. He resigned this position, by reason of failing health, soon after the battle of Antietam.
Since his residence in Indianapolis Doctor Thompson has held sev-
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WILEY M. LOWRY, M. D.
eral offices of honor and responsibility, if not of emolument. He was chosen councilman of the Third ward, and, after serving several years as such, be resigned, and without solicitation on his part, was nominated by the Republican party for, and triumphantly elected to represent the county in the State Senate. This office he filled with credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of his constituents of all parties.
Since his long residence in this city Doctor Thompson has ever sus- tained an unblemished character for honesty and integrity, and a high reputation as a skillful and successful physician.
He is a decided character, whose instincts and impulses are all with the right. He has enjoyed the confidence and friendship of all the Gov- ernors of the State from Joseph A. Wright to his excellency Governor Baker, and has been their family physician. He has, from his earliest years, had no parents to demand his regard, further than his respect for their memory and regrets for their loss, and no one but strangers to sup- ply their place ; with his genial manners he gained many friends, and he has a way of mixing his good feelings with his many jokes, which inter- ests his auditors. He is still actively engaged in the practice of medicine, and has by economy, industry and honesty, acquired a considerable for- tune for himself and family, and the sincere wish of the writer is that he may live long to enjoy the fruits of his labor, the society of his fam- ily and friends, and be, as he ever has been, of usefulness to the public. Doctor Thompson was also elected one of the Senators for the county in the State Legislature in 1872. He served two regular and two extra sessions.
WILEY M. LOWRY, M. D.
Mr. Lowry was born in Clemmonsville, North Carolina, in 1812; he was one of a family of thirteen children, eight of whom are yet living, the youngest of whom is now forty-four years of age. Mr. Lowry was raised on a farm and used to farm labor, attending school through the winter season and qualifying himself for a teacher, which he followed for some time.
Being of a mechanical turn of mind and natural genius, he learned the tailoring, hatting, printing and picture-taking businesses. In 1838 he first visited Indianapolis, when on a tour of inspection to the west generally. I am permitted to give an extract from his diary of travel, in which he speaks of this city. I am of opinion that he rather over- rated the number of inhabitants at that time :
SKETCHES OF PROMINENT CITIZENS.
"AUGUST 3 Ist, 1838.
"Arrived at Indianapolis. Stopped at the Union Hotel, Pruett, bon- iface. As I have but little time to remain in town, I can give it but a hasty sketch. It has a population of about 3,700. Is the capital of the Hoosier State, and seat of justice of Marion county. It is situated on the east side of White river ; beautiful location. The town is long, but narrow, houses mostly wooden, extending about one and a half miles, built in a cluster, and to a stranger, looks like several villages connected into one town. The National road, which forms the principal street (Washington), is in a horrible condition, literally blockaded by logs and boards (old corduroy), stones, bricks, etc .; they are now digging, scrap- ing and grading the street preparatory to macadamizing. Nearly all the business is done on this street. There are several general stores, book stores, drug stores, etc., all retail, two printing offices, a good many mechanics, seven churches, of different denominations, two market houses, Court House, the Governor's house, a rather unpretentious edi- fice in the center of the "Circle," and last, though not least, the State House, an imposing structure, 200x80 feet ; first floor State offices, sec- ond floor Legislative halls ; it is built of brick and stucco, so as to repre- sent stone; it is near the center of the square and surrounded by thrifty forest trees. The wooden double covered bridge, with footway on each side, across White river, is a massive and substantial structure, stone abutments and but one pier; the span of the arches that support the bridge are one hundred feet. The bridge is a marvel in its way, not for its length or beauty, but the fact that it is built of the very best material and by honest and skillful workmen, and looks like it might last seventy- five years."
In 1839 he settled at Knightstown, Henry county, and in 1841 he was married to Miss Sarah Edwards, a sister of Bishop Edwards, of the United Brethren church. In 1843 he commenced the study of medi- cine, and at the same time successfully carried on the drug business until 1857, when he removed to Indianapolis.
In 1858 he again entered into the drug business at 65 Massachusetts avenue. This was the first drug store established off of Washington street ; now they can be counted by scores. He continued business at this location until the fall of 1875, losing his amiable wife about the time he retired from business.
Mr. Lowry had eleven children ; but six survive, four sons and two daughters. Two of the sons are married. Of the daughters one is the
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GEORGE NOBLE.
wife of J. W. Tutewiler, of the firm of J. W. Adams & Co. ; the other is the wife of J. T. Davis, of the Connersville Examiner. He was a strong Union man, during the war, contributing two sons to the army, one of whom fell at the battle of "Stone river."
Mr. Lowry is a zealous Odd Fellow; was first in the organization of the Knightstown Lodge, Blue River Encampment. He has held several offices in subordinate lodges, and has several times been representative to the Grand Lodge and Grand Encampment.
He is a man of great humor and fond of innocent jokes, which renders him very popular and his company very agreeable. He has written many spicy articles for the press, under the nom de plume of "Old Query."
A man of strict probity, scrupulously honest, being always guided by that golden maxim, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church for forty years, always contributing to the church and for benevolent purposes according to his ability ; indeed, it is said of him that he was liberal to a fault. Dr. Lowry spent the winter of 1876-77 with relatives and friends at Knightstown.
It may be said of him that his life has been well spent and such as should be remembered for his many virtues. And to his children I would say, "Go, thou, and do likewise."
GEORGE NOBLE
Was born in Campbell, now Kenton, county, Kentucky, the 2d day of March, 1801 ; he was the second son of Thomas Noble, who emigrated from Virginia at an early day, and brother of Noah Noble, who was Governor of Indiana from 1831 to 1837.
His boyhood days were mostly spent in the adjoining county of his birth, Boone. On the 22d of November, 1822, he was married to Miss Louisa Canby, daughter of Doctor Benjamin Canby, who removed to Marion county, and lived and died on the farm just southeast of the city, known as the Canby farm. Mrs. Noble is a cousin of General Canby, who was so cowardly murdered by the Modoc Indians a few years since.
In April, 1833, came to Marion county and took charge of Governor Noble's farm, which now comprises a good portion of the eastern por-
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SKETCHES OF PROMINENT CITIZENS.
tion of the city; here he remained one year. Mr. Noble tells me that he had a relative visit Indianapolis a few years before he removed here; on the return of the young man Mr. Noble inquired what town lots were worth in the capital; the young man replied by relating an inci- dent that occurred a few days before he left. He was engaged in work- ing on the highway, now Washington street ; a stranger appeared and reported ready to work in the place of James Given. Some one asked the stranger what Given was to pay him for the day's work, he replied seventy-five cents ; he was told that if he had not made a bargain that he would try to pay him in town lots ; the man thereupon refused to work for fear he would have to take a town lot for his services.
While Mr. Noble was managing his brother's farm, on one occasion he was burning brush, and consequently looked pretty black and dirty ; a man approached him and wished to know if that was Governor Noble's farm ; being answered in the affirmative, the man said he wished to get pasture for some cattle; Mr. Noble commenced telling him the condi- tions, when the man asked, "Are you Governor Noble ?" "No," replied Mr. Noble, "he is a worse looking man than me ;" the man rejoined, "The Governor must be in a d-d bad fix."
In April, 1834, Mr. Noble settled on the Madison State road, ten miles south of Indianapolis; for about twenty years thereafter Mr. Noble's house was anxiously looked for by the tired and hungry trave- lers, who chanced to journey on that almost impassable road, for his was certainly one of the best country houses in the State, where beast as well as man could get all that could be desired. Speaking of the intolerable road reminds me of what I once read, written on a tavern register in Franklin :
" The roads are impassable, Hardly jackassable ; I think those that travel 'em, Should turn out and gravel 'em."
In 1853 Mr. Noble lost his wife, which he said was all that made life worth anything to him. In 1857 he was married to Miss Mary Boynton, of Crawfordsville, sister of William H. Boynton, a merchant of that place.
Mr. Noble has been a cultivator of the soil for fifty years, and is proud of the appellation of farmer ; he thinks them the salt of the earth, and from them comes the wealth of this great republic. He has not looked to office for support, but has labored for over half a century to-
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SPOFFORD E. TYLER.
help those that do support the government. Mr. Noble, like his beloved brother, Governor Noble, was a Whig of the Henry Clay school, and during the last trouble of our country was for the Union, first, last and all the time.
SPOFFORD E. TYLER.
Mr. Tyler was born in Worcester county, Massachusetts in 1816. When twenty years of age, in 1836, he emigrated west and came to Indianapolis in November of that year, expecting only to remain until spring, but owing to the low state of his finances did not return. For the first few years he worked at his trade, that of book binding, with Stacy & Williams. He was the first to start a peddling wagon, selling blank books and soliciting work for the bindery. This business could only be carried on a few months in the year in consequence of the bad condition of the roads. When not traveling he worked at his trade. In 1842 he formed a partnership with William Day, who was generally known as the " great promulgator," or " fifteen draps every fifteen min- utes for fifteen days." This firm was known as Day, Tyler & Co., and where was manufactured their celebrated blank book, which they adver- tised as "combining strength and elasticity with great flexibility of backs." The bindery was where Griffith's block now stands, on West Washington street. In 1845 they sold their establishment to William Sheets & Co. Shortly after this the "bran duster," or "cow killer " speculation raged in Indianapolis. He was induced by B. J. Blythe to. invest in this patent. The result was he soon found it necessary to resume the book binding business. He then formed a connection in that business with Samuel Delzell, the firm being Delzell & Tyler. They furnished blank books and official blanks to nearly all the county officers in the State, in which offices their work may yet be seen.
In 1849 they again sold out to Sheets & Co., the company being our well known townsman William Braden. Mr. Tyler then purchased the farm of Jacob Smock, near Southport, in Perry township. He now resides in the immediate vicinity of Southport. It was generally said of Mr. Tyler that he could make music out of any instrument from a pawpaw whistle to an organ, or a tin pan to a cow bell. Mr. Tyler was. the first to organize a brass band in Indianapolis. The money was raised by subscription to purchase the instruments, and he was sent to Cincinnati to make the purchase. He took passage with Clem Perry in his four-horse wagon. After he had been gone some days some skeptic started the report that the Yankee had outwitted them, and had.
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SKETCHES OF PROMINENT CITIZENS.
decamped with their funds. After some three weeks of suspense, Perry, with the Yankee and instruments, turned up. It happened to be on Sunday; to wait for Monday was thought to be too long a time to wait before testing the quality of the horns. So the tooting commenced forth- with. The brass band, Thespian Society and military company, com- manded by Captain, now General Thomas A. Morris, were all in opera- tion at the same time, and the members of the one generally belonged to the other. The Thespians had to confine themselves to Shakspeare's plays and Robert Dale Owen's " Pocahontas," and could not play com- edy in consequence of Tyler, comedian, belonging to the orchestra. It was, however, arranged that the orchestra would try and get along while the Thespians were playing the " Golden Farmer." James Jor- dan in the cast as "Farmer ;" James McCready as " Old Mob;" and Tyler as "Jimmy Twitcher." This play was a decided success, and drew crowded houses at the hay press building.
We were members of the same family for several years. If he ever had an enemy he was unknown to the writer. In the forty years of my acquaintanceship with him I have never heard him speak an unkind word of any person. I have never known him to refuse a favor that was in his power to grant. I have never met him but that he approached me with a smile. Such is Ned Tyler, a respected citizen of 1876.
REV. THOMAS A. GOODWIN.
Mr. Goodwin was born in Brookville, Franklin county, Indiana, No- vember 2, 1818, thus being one of the earliest settlers of the State. His youth was spent on his father's farm, with such common school advan- tages as the times afforded. On the opening of Indiana Asbury Uni- versity, at Greencastle, he became the first student from abroad, and in 1840 was in the first class graduated at that institution. He entered the Indiana Methodist Conference the same year, and continued in the pas- toral work until 1844, when he opened the Madison Female College, in which he continued several years. He was subsequently president of the Brookville College, resigning the place in 1853, to take charge of the Indiana American, a hitherto Whig paper of twenty years standing. Mr. Goodwin soon gave it a modified character, making it decidedly anti-slavery, before, as yet, there was any Republican party.
In April, 1857, he appeared, unannounced, with type and press, in Indianapolis, continuing the name and intensifying the peculiar features of his paper. Being the most prominent anti-slavery paper in the State,
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REV. THOMAS A. GOODWIN.
and radical on the temperance question, the American soon obtained the largest circulation of any paper in the State, always reflecting, as it did, most of the peculiar mental traits which constituted the man, a character in his time known familiarly, especially in political and news- paper circles, as "Parson Goodwin."
The success of the Republican party proved fatal to the American, as it gave rival papers the advantage of public patronage, which the inde- pendent character of this paper could not secure, if it had been sought ; besides its mission may be said to have ended in the abolition of slavery. It was discontinued during the first years of the war, but the editor was restive in the quiet of private life, and resumed it in 1870; but the time for a weekly of its character had passed and he discontinued after a year and a half, so much impaired in health by the labors of the office as to be considered a wreck physically.
But retiring to his farm and giving attention to agriculture in a small way, he ultimately recovered good health for a man of his age and former sedentary habits. In all these years Mr. Goodwin has continued to exercise the offices of a local preacher in the Methodist Episcopal church, averaging for twenty years about one hundred sermons a year, never receiving in the way of presents or other compensation an average of five dollars a year, furnishing his own conveyance and paying his own railroad fare all the time.
Mr. Goodwin devotes most of his time now to his farm, performing most of the manual labor himself, gratifying his passion for writing, as well as turning an honest penny, by frequent correspondence for the papers of his church, east and west. He occasionally puts forth a new book or pointed sermon, which attracts attention by the peculiar mode of thought and style of writing, the same as gave character to his paper in its palmiest days. Notably among these is a book which appeared in 1874, entitled "The Mode of Man's Immortality." It soon obtained a national notoriety, being a bold attack upon the traditional doctrines of the church relating to the future life, and resulted in a trial of the author by the church for heresy, which was ultimately abandoned by the prosecution without coming to a final decision. Parson Goodwin has always proven himself equal to any emergency, either on the ros- trum or in the editorial sanctum, and many a conceited, silly wight has been vanquished by a single " blast from his bugle-horn" or a para- graph from his pen.
I3
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SKETCHES OF PROMINENT CITIZENS.
JUDGE ADDISON L. ROACHE.
Judge Roache was born in Rutherford county, Tennessee, on the 3d of November, 1817. With his father's family he removed to Blooming- ton, Indiana in 1828. He was educated in the latter place, graduating from the Indiana University in September, 1836, then under the presi- dency of the Rev. Andrew Wiley.
He studied law with General Tighlman A. Howard, at Rockville, Parke county, and commenced the practice of his profession at Frank- fort, Clinton county. He spent the summer and autumn of 1841 trav- eling through the then far west. He returned to Rockville and resumed the practice of law in January, 1842. In June of the same year he was married to Miss Emily A. Wedding.
In 1847 he was elected to the Legislature from Parke county, and served one term. In the fall of 1852 he was elected judge of the Su- preme Court of the State, and continued on the bench until 1854, when he resigned.
In April, 1859, he removed to Indianapolis and commenced the prac- tice of law in connection with the Hon. Joseph E. McDonald ; the firm continued for ten years. He then retired from practice in consequence of failing health, since which time he has not been engaged in very act- ive business. He is at the present time agent for Indiana, and general manager for the New York Mercantile Trust Company.
During Judge Roache's seventeen years residence in Indianapolis he has made many friends both as a lawyer and a citizen. He, in connec- tion with his late law partner, Joseph E. McDonald, have added to the city by the erection of a beautiful business block on Pennsylvania street near Washington.
Since he came to Indianapolis Mr. Roache, with all his business suc- cess, has not been without sore affliction. A few years ago he lost, by death, a promising son who had but just commenced the practice of law.
JOHN M. LORD
Was born in Addison county, Vermont, on the 15th of March, 1815, and was educated in the common and select schools of his native county, and those of Saint Lawrence county, New York.
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