USA > Ohio > Memoirs of the lower Ohio valley, personal and genealogical : with portraits, Volume I > Part 22
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39
FRED D. CONNOR, deputy collector of internal revenue for the Seventh dis- trict of Indiana, at New Albany, was born in Perry county, of that state, Feb. 17, 1841, and is the son of Terrence and Nancy (Tate) Connor, both natives of Perry county, born in 1810 and 1820, respectively. His great-grandfather, whose name was originally Terrence O'Connor, was a native of Virginia. He served in the Revolution in Captain Gal- liher's company of Col. David Morgan's regiment. His name appears on pages 257-264 of Saffell's "Records of the Revolutionary War" as Terrence Connor, the "O" being dropped, and he was an associate of Wash- ington and LaFayette. He was discharged at Bush Creek on North river in 1779. Soon after he married Miss Sarah J. Speaks and came West, settling first in Washington county, Ky., in 1785, and in 1806 he came to Perry county, Ind., where he died Dec. 6, 1841.
I-15
226
MEMOIRS OF THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY
The paternal grandfather of F. D. Connor was Samuel Connor, a captain in the war of 1812, under Col. R. W. Evans. He served as a member of the Indiana legislature, was a brigadier-general of the state militia, took part in the battle of Tippecanoe, and died on his farm July 26, 1863. Terrence Connor, the father, was a farmer and river pilot, and ran a line of flatboats on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers for many years. He died on his farm Sept. 10, 1859. His wife died at Leavenworth, Jan. 8, 1879. The subject of this sketch received his education in the common schools of Perry county, and in 1859 received a scholarship in Asbury university at Greencastle. He went to Gibson county and sold books to get the money to carry him through. He was successful and realized about $600, but his father's death, which occurred just at that time, changed the whole course of his life. Fred being the eldest of a family of nine children, it devolved upon him to take care of the family, and the money which he had accumulated was used to pay his father's doctor bills and funeral expenses. The other eight children are John T., now postmaster of Toledo, Ill .; Terrence, a coal dealer at Baxter Springs, Kan .; George H., in the mining business in Idaho; Eliza J., a Mrs. Scribner, of Russellville, Ind .; Catherine C., Mrs. Wilson, of Roachdale, Ind .; Ada, Mrs. Miller, of Hanford, Cal .; Emily A., Mrs. Dodd, of Greencastle, Ind .; Andromedia, Mrs. Hawn, of Leav- enworth, Ind. For two years after his father's death, Fred taught school. He enlisted in the Union army in company K, Thirty-fourth regiment, Kentucky volunteers, and served until the close of the war, being discharged June 7, 1865. Although engaged in several battles, he escaped without a scratch, but lost an eye as the result of typhoid fever in 1864. After the war he went to Indianapolis and was engaged as chief clerk in the United States pension office under Col. John W. Ray, pension agent for Indiana. In 1868 he came to New Albany, and later became deputy collector under Col. H. Wood- bury. With slight intervals, during the Cleveland administrations, he has held the office ever since, serving under Presidents Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Harrison, Mckinley and Roosevelt. Mr. Connor's first vote was for Lincoln in 1864, and he has voted the Republican ticket ever since. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, a Knight Templar Mason, and Past Grand Master of the Ancient Order of United Workmen of Indiana. On Oct. 3, 1871, he was married to Miss Harriet Sackett, and they have two daughters, Edna C. and Alma, the latter being the wife of William P. Lewis, a hardware dealer of New Albany.
227
MEMOIRS OF THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY
ROBERT W. MORRIS, postmaster at New Albany, Ind., was born in that city, Nov. 10, 1858, his parents being William D. and Eliza (Cutshaw) Morris, the for- mer a native of Virginia and the latter of Washington county, Ind. The father came to Indiana with his parents while still in his boyhood. His father, George Morris, settled at Greenville, a little vil- lage about twelve miles from New Al- bany, where the father of the subject of this sketch lived until some time in the forties, when he removed to New Albany, and died there on June 5, 1882, in his sixty-third year. His wife died in 1868, at the age of forty-two. Robert W. Morris is one of ten children, the eldest two of whom died in infancy, the others being Frank M., Noble D., James B., Richard A., Rebecca, Maurice, and Nathaniel. James and Rebecca died in later life, leaving six sons living and all are active Republicans. Robert W. was reared in New Albany and received his education in the schools of that city. From the age of nine to sixteen years he clerked in his father's store when not in school, and at the age of sixteen he began the battle of life for himself. His first position was that of driver of a delivery wagon for George W. Grosheider, a grocer, and later was a clerk in the grocery, remaining with Mr. Grosheider for seven years. In 1883 he was elected city clerk and was re-elected in 1885. Before the expiration of his second term as clerk he was elected auditor of the county. That was in 1886 and in 1890 he was re- elected to the auditor's office, holding altogether for eight years. In 1896 he was elected to the legislature from Floyd county, although the county was nominally Democratic, and his various political vic- tories in such a county tell the story of his personal popularity. In 1899 he was appointed postmaster of New Albany by the late Presi- dent McKinley and took the office March 5, of that year. On Feb. 9, 1903, he was reappointed by President Roosevelt for a second term of four years. As postmaster he has brought a high order of executive ability to the place and has instituted a number of re- forms in the office for the betterment of the service. Mr. Morris is a Royal Arch and Scottish Rite Mason, a Knight Templar, an Odd Fellow, a Knight of Pythias, an Elk, and a Red Man. In the Knights of Pythias he belongs to the Uniform Rank, and he is a
.
228
MEMOIRS OF THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY
Past Exalted Ruler of the Elks' lodge. He is also a member of the New Albany Commercial club. He was married Nov. 30, 1891, to Miss Nellie Emory, an accomplished young lady of New Albany.
FRANK L. SHRADER, ex-mayor of New Albany, Ind., was born in that city, June 23, 1861. His parents, John and Margaret (Smith) Shrader, were both natives of Germany, but came in child- hood with their parents to America. The paternal grandfather, Bos- sler Shrader, settled in New Albany, and there his son, John, the father of Mayor Shrader, was for half a century one of the leading furniture manufacturers and dealers of the city. He founded the well known establishment of the John Shrader, Sr., Company, now incor- porated, and of which Frank L. is the president. John Shrader died March 17, 1895, in the seventy-sixth year of his age. His wife died in February, 1901, having passed the age of threescore and ten. They had eleven children, ten of whom are yet living, viz .: George B., John H., Adelia, now Mrs. Webster; William S., Edward N., Magnolia, now Mrs. Joseph Gimnich, of Louisville; Frank L., Susette, Mrs. William Holman, Ella E., the widow of Edward Holman, and Eva, Mrs. Eugene W. Walker. All reside in New Albany except Mrs. Gimnich. Charles died in infancy. Frank L. Shrader attended the public schools until he reached the age of sixteen years, when he en- tered his father's furniture establishment and has ever since been identified with the furniture business in the city of New Albany. In January, 1885, he severed his connection with his father and em- barked in the furniture and carpet business for himself, buying the store formerly operated by his brother, John H. Shrader, the latter retiring from business. For nearly twenty years he has been one of the leading carpet and furniture dealers of the city; was one of the incorporators of the John Shrader, Sr., Company, and for the last three years has been president. Mr. Shrader is a Republican in his political opinions and in 1902 was elected mayor of the city on that ticket. His administration was marked by that high order of execu- tive ability that has characterized his business career, and he was a popular official. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Improved Order of Red Men, in both of which societies he is uni- versally liked because of his genial disposition and sterling qualities. Mr. Shrader was married in October, 1890, to Miss Annella D. Bald- win, a daughter of the late Thomas Baldwin, of New Albany.
229
MEMOIRS OF THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY
HON. THOMAS HANLON, a prom- inent Democrat of New Albany, and the present auditor of Floyd county, was born in County Clare, Ireland, Dec. 25, 1842, and is the son of John and Helen (Drony) Hanlon, both natives of the Emerald Isle. When Thomas was about ten years of age his mother died and the father married Mary Mahoney. Early in the year 1853 the family embarked on the sailing vessel Mary Hale, and after a somewhat tedious voyage landed at Baltimore on March 17th, St. Patrick's day. They settled first at Princeton, N. J., but two years later came West and located at Lafayette, Ind. There the father spent the rest of his life, passing to his rest Sept. 11, 1885, at the age of eighty-four years. His widow still resides in Lafayette. Thomas was but twelve years old when the family located at Lafayette. He did not have the opportunity to attend school, as his father, in addition to being a poor man, was a cripple, and the son had to begin to earn his own living early in life. Not only did he have to support himself but he had to assist in supporting the family. But with true Irish pluck he went to work and few men would have succeeded better than he has done. First he drove a gravel cart on the Wabash railroad, then under construction; then water-boy on the New Albany and Salem railroad, now part of the well known "Monon Route." He remained with this road for twenty years, working his way up from water-boy, through the positions of freight brakeman, passenger brakeman, freight conductor, and in 1861 was placed in charge of a passenger train and continued as a passenger conductor until 1875. In 1874, while running his train he was elected auditor of Floyd county and at the close of his first term was re-elected, holding the office from 1875 to 1883. Since then Mr. Hanlon has been identified with the political affairs of his city, county and state. When his second term as auditor expired he re-entered the employ of the Monon as freight and passenger agent at New Albany. In 1884 he resigned to become a candidate for the legislature. He was elected and made a good clean record as a legislator. In the spring of 1885 Presi- dent Cleveland appointed him collector of internal revenue for the Seventh Indiana district, with his headquarters in New Albany. A fight occurred in the United States senate over the appointment, the
.
230
MEMOIRS OF THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY
late President Harrison, then a senator from Indiana, opposing his confirmation, because the appointment had been recommended by Senator Voorhees. The fight lasted for over two years but Mr. Hanlon was finally confirmed a short time before the adjournment of Congress in 1887, and he served out the remainder of the term, making his home and office at Terre Haute, Ind. Upon retiring from this position he again entered the railroad service as a passenger conductor on the Louisville Southern railroad. Here he continued until 1899, when he gave up his position to again assume the duties of auditor of Floyd county, to which office he was elected in 1898. In 1902 he was again re-elected and is now serving his fourth term in that office. His present term expires in 1908. If he lives to com- plete it he will have served seventeen years and two months as auditor. Mr. Hanlon is a Scottish Rite Mason, and is one of the best known and most universally liked Democrats in Southern Indiana, being now chairman of the central committee of the Third congressional district. He has been married three times. His first two wives have been called away by the hand of death and his present wife is a sister of the late Hon. James Rice, formerly auditor of the State of Indiana, 'and a daughter of Patrick Rice, who in his day was a popular mer- chant of New Albany. Mr. Hanlon has no living children.
CHARLES B. SCOTT, clerk of the Floyd circuit court, New Albany, Ind., was born at Scottsville, in that county, a village named in honor of his family, Feb. 27, 1866, his parents being Mad- ison M. and Harriet (Goss) Scott. The father was born in Floyd county, Jan. 8, 1842, and died at New Albany, April 20, 1893. The mother was born in Clark county, Nov. 20, 1846, and still lives in New Albany. The Scott family is one of the oldest, the most prominent and the most numerous in the county. The paternal grandfather of Charles B. was Rev. Robert H. Scott, an Adventist minister, and a native of the county. He died in 1904. His father, John Scott, was one of the early settlers and founder of the family. He had a large family of children, all of whom lived to maturity. The descendants of John Scott are more numerous than those of any other of the pioneers of Floyd county. His children were
231
MEMOIRS OF THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY
Emily, Elizabeth, Reasor, Robert H., James V., Harbert, John, David, Wesley and Richard. Six of the sons became local preachers. Robert H. reared a family of nine children, viz .: Madison M., John G., Robert H., Jr., Anna, Jane, Emily, Sallie, Rhoda and Caroline. Har- bert Scott had a family of fifteen children, all of whom are yet living, except one who died in December, 1903. On the maternal side the grandparents of Charles B. Scott were Frederick and Cynthia (Camp- bell) Goss, the grandmother being a cousin of ex-Gov: James E. Campbell, of Ohio. Frederick Goss was a native of North Carolina, where he was born in 1801, and died in Floyd county in 1878. His wife was a native of Ohio, where she was born in 1808, and died in Floyd county at the age of sixty-four. Madison M. Scott, the father of the subject, was for twenty-five years a merchant in New Albany. He and his wife had six children: three died in infancy and those liv- ing are Charles B., Arthur E., and Bertha L., all of New Albany. Charles B. Scott was ten years old when his parents removed to the city. He was educated in the New Albany public schools, and after graduating from the high school he took a course in the New Albany Business college. After leaving school he went into the store with his father and remained there until the latter's death in 1893, when he and his brother succeeded to the business. In the year 1891 Charles was a clerk in the Indiana state legislature, and afterward he was appointed assistant postmaster at New Albany, serving until the fall of 1897, when a change in the administration caused his re- moval. In 1898 he was nominated by the Democracy of Floyd county for the office of clerk, and was elected in November of that year. In 1902 he was re-elected and is now on his second term, which ex- pires Jan. 1, 1907. He served as secretary of the Democratic county central committee for ten years and is always ready to do his part to achieve a Democratic victory. In fraternal circles Mr. Scott is a member of the Uniform Rank, Knights of Pythias, and is a Past Exalted Ruler of his Lodge of Elks. He has been twice married. His first wife was Miss Charlotte Van Dyke, to whom he was united on June 22, 1892. She was the daughter of Rev. David Van Dyke, pastor of the Second Presbyterian church of New Albany. She died Oct. 18, 1894, leaving one son, Van Dyke, now eleven years of age. Mr. Scott was married the second time, on Nov. 29, 1899, to Miss Frances Schindler, of New Albany, 'a sister of former postmaster and ex- county recorder, Charles W. Schindler. She was born in Floyd county on Jan. 7, 1873 ; served two terms as deputy recorder, and four years as money order clerk in the postoffice, under her brother. By his second
232
MEMOIRS OF THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY
marriage Mr. Scott has two sons, Ivan Lamar, four years old, and Leyden, who was born July 14, 1904. Mr. Scott is a member of the Christian church and ever since his majority has taken an active interest in the welfare of his church. In all of the public positions which he has filled he has made an enviable record and has dis- charged the duties with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of the patrons. Mr. Scott resides on Silver Hills, west of New Albany, one of the most beautiful suburban sites in the Ohio valley, in an attractive home and surrounded by an interesting and happy family.
LEWIS A. STOY, recorder of Floyd county, New Albany, Ind., was born in Spottsylvania county, Va., July 10, 1869, and is a son of Lewis W. and Mary (An- derson) Stoy, the former a native of Floyd county, Ind., and the latter of Tennessee. The paternal grandfather, Peter Stoy, was a Pennsylvania Dutchman, who settled in Floyd county in 1818. Lewis W. Stoy was born there in March, 1829, and died there, Sept. 10, 1895. During his life he was engaged in business at Galveston, Tex., Spencer, Ind., and in Virginia, where he was engaged as bookkeeper, living on a farm in the mean- time. In 1879 the family returned to New Albany, the old home and birthplace of the father and there both parents lived out their days, the mother dying in 1900. They had seven children: Mary A., Henry E., Mattie, Henrietta E., Carrie R., Lewis A. and Wil- liam V. All are living except Mattie and William. Lewis A. Stoy graduated in the public shools of New Albany at the age of sixteen and commenced the battle of life as a driver of a delivery wagon for the grocery of Charles H. Breetz. After a short time he obtained a position as bookkeeper in one of the departments of the DePauw plate glass works, but three months later returned to the store of Mr. Breetz, where he remained as bookkeeper and clerk until he was twenty years old. He then accepted a place as traveling salesman for the Kentucky Flour Company, of Louisville, and followed that vocation until 1893. For several years, subsequent to this date, he operated a poultry and fruit farm near New Albany. In 1899 he re- moved to the city and took a position with the Prudential Insurance Company. In the meantime he had been somewhat active in political
233
MEMOIRS OF THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY
work as a Democrat, and in 1902 he received the nomination of his party for recorder and was elected. Mr. Stoy is an Odd Fellow and a member of the Improved Order of Red Men, in which he has passed through all the chairs and is a member of the Great Council of Indiana. On March 19, 1890, Mr. Stoy was married to Miss Maggie Hurley, of New Albany, and they have had born to them four children: Carrie Eleanor, Edmund H., Mary A., and Virginia, the last named having departed this life at the age of four years.
RAYMOND J. MORRIS, sheriff of Floyd county, New Albany, Ind., was born at Greenville, in that county, Sept. 16, 1866, and is a son of George W. and Sarah J. (Wood) Morris, both natives of Greenville, and both living, now residing in New Albany. The father is a cooper by trade and is now sixty-four years of age. He is a son of Thomas Morris, an old settler of Greenville, who died when the subject of this sketch was less than three years old. Of the eleven children born to George W. and Sarah Morris, all are living except Arthur, who died at the age of twenty-seven years. Walter M. is the telegraph operator and station agent of the Louis- ville, Henderson & Texas railway at Hawesville, Ky .; Jesse N. is route agent for the American Express Company at Fort Wayne, Ind .; Raymond is the subject of this sketch; Anna is now Mrs. R. Clark, of Francesville, Ind .; George A. is yard clerk of the South- ern railway at New Albany; Olive and Lydia R. are at home; Clar- ence J. is a brakeman on the Monon railroad; Nancy is a stenog- rapher at New Albany, and Coleman is a student. Raymond J. Morris was reared and educated at Greenville; clerked there in a store for one year; started in business for himself as a dealer in agricultural implements and fertilizers; conducted this business until 1898, when he was appointed deputy sheriff under Louis C. Hipple. Always active in Democratic politics, he made friends by his general good fellowship, and in 1902, after four years in the office as deputy, he was nominated for sheriff and at the election ran 300 votes ahead of his ticket. In 1904 he was again nominated for the office, this time having no opposition. Mr. Morris is a Royal Arch Mason, a Red Man, a Modern Woodman, and a Knight of the Maccabees.
234
MEMOIRS OF THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY
He was married on Oct. 2, 1886, to Miss Henrietta J., a daughter of Stephen P. Main, then of Greenville, but now of New Albany. They have had two children. Virgil R., who died in infancy, and Olive Leona, now twelve years of age.
HON. WILLIAM C. UTZ, of New Albany, Ind., judge of the Floyd county circuit court, of the Fifty-second judicial district of Indiana, was born on a farm in Floyd county, Jan. 30, 1863, and is a son of Kennard and Sarah Elizabeth (Huff) Utz, the former of whom died in 1889 and the latter in 1896. They had a family of six sons, viz .: Monroe, a teacher by profession and died Sept. 16, 1893; Har- vey S., a physician, who died Nov. 10, 1888; William C., the sub- ject of this sketch; D. Sherman, a physician, now in Arizona; Henry C., also a physician, died Dec. 6, 1903; and Shelby, who died in in- fancy. Judge William C. Utz was reared on his father's farm, attend- ing the common schools until he was seventeen years of age. He then entered the Illinois State Normal school, at Normal, where he attended one year, preparing himself for the work of teaching. In the winter of 1881-82 and 1882-83 he taught in the rural districts in Woodford county, Ill., and the succeeding winter was again a student in the normal school, meanwhile reading law. In the spring of 1884 he returned home, remained on the farm for one year, and in the spring of 1885 he went into the law office of Hon. Charles L. Jewett as a student, remaining there until May 12, 1886, when he was ad- mitted to the bar. Soon afterward he went to Wichita, Kan., where for about two years he was associated with the law firm of Dale & Reed. Returning to New Albany in 1888 he opened an office in that city and practiced there until November, 1890, when he was elected prosecuting attorney. He was three times re-elected to this office. Before the close of his last term as prosecutor he was elected to the bench and since then has been judge of the district, taking the office in 1898. In the spring of 1904 he was renominated for the position without opposition. Judge Utz is a diligent student and keeps thor- oughly informed on all the decisions of the supreme and superior courts of the country. In addition to this he has the judicial mind and approaches every case absolutely free from bias, rendering his decisions according to the law and the evidence. Politically he is a Democrat, but he never allows his private opinions to influence his official conduct. He is a Knight of Pythias, a Red Man, an Elk, a Modern Woodman, and an Odd Fellow, with a high standing in all the orders. On Nov. 25, 1891, Judge Utz was married to Miss Alice,
-
235
MEMOIRS OF THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY
daughter and only child of Joshua Wiley, a steamboat captain. Mrs. Utz died on April 10, 1903, leaving one son, Wiley, born Aug. 3, 1893.
EUGENE L. BRISBY, city clerk, New Albany, Ind., is a native of that city, having been born there May 7, 1866, and is the second child of James M. and Mary E. (Vanderbilt) Brisby, the former a native of New Albany and the latter of Madison, Ind. James M. Brisby was born Aug. 7, 1838, and died Feb. 18, 1888. His widow, who is still living, was born June 6, 1842. The paternal grandparents were James and Priscilla (Aiken) Brisby and the maternal were Den- nis and Mary A. (Gibson) Vanderbilt, all of whom have joined the silent majority. James M. and Mary E. Brisby had six children: Wallace, Eugene L., Mary Estella, Addie Gay, James Archie, and Frank Mayo. Two of these, James Archie and Wallace, are de- ceased. Eugene L. Brisby has lived in the city of New Albany all his life. He received his education in the public schools, leaving school at the age of fifteen to become a clerk in a drug store. He was with the firm of C. L. Hoover & Sons, as clerk, for eight years, by which time he became a proficient pharmacist. After eight years in the drug trade he took a vacation and then went to work in the De- Pauw Plate Glass Works. Later he went with the New Albany Steam Forge Works, where he remained for two years, followed by a similar length of time with the New Albany Manufacturing Company, in the machine shops. On Feb. 10, 1893, he had the misfortune to be caught in a railroad accident which made necessary the amputation of his left leg above the knee, rendering him a cripple for life. Upon recovery he could no longer follow his old vocations. Having, how- ever, studied music, he worked on the Louisville and New Orleans Packet Line for some time, furnishing music to the passengers. On May 6, 1902, he was elected to the office of city clerk as a Democrat, receiving a majority of 116 votes. In the spring of 1904 he was re- elected, receiving this time a majority of 631, which is evidence of his popularity and efficiency. Mr. Brisby is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Improved Order of Red Men, in both of which he is a welcome attendant at lodge meetings, and is universally liked by his fraternal associates.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.