USA > Ohio > Memoirs of the lower Ohio valley, personal and genealogical : with portraits, Volume II > Part 7
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PROF. JAMES F. ENSLE, of Evans- ville, Ind., superintendent of the public schools of Vanderburg county, was born on Slim Island, in the Ohio river, March 17, 1872. This island is Kentucky soil but his parents were really residents of Van- derburg county, being at that time on the island temporarily to look after the plant- ing of a large crop of corn there. The father, Young E. Ensle, and his wife were both natives of Vanderburg county, where he followed the occupation of farmer for many years. Aside from three years, between the ages of six and nine years, when the family lived in Henderson, Ky., the entire life of Professor Ensle has been passed in that county, where he now owns a farm, upon which he resides, a short distance from the city. He was educated in the Evansville schools, graduating from the high school in 1892. For the next five years he taught in the country schools, one year in Posey and four years in the county of Vanderburg. The school year of
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1895-96 he spent at the State university and in 1897 he was elected superintendent of the Vanderburg schools, being at that time only twenty-five years old, the youngest man to ever be selected for the position. At the end of his two year term he was re-elected for four years, the tenure of office having been changed by the legisla- ture, and in 1903 he was again elected for four years. As a student in school Professor Ensle imbibed modern ideas regarding education and those ideas he has brought into play in his management of the schools under his charge. The result is that the public schools of Vanderburg county will compare favorably with those in other parts of the state, while the progress is still going on toward a higher standard. The teachers under his supervision have a high regard for his character and ability and their relations are most cordial, one of the essential pre-requisites to good work in the school room. Pro- fessor Ensle is a prominent Knight of Pythias and a member of the County Superintendents' Association of Indiana, as well as the Southern Indiana Teachers' Association. He was married in Sep- tember, 1899, to Miss Ella Clippinger, of Vanderburg county, and to this union there have been born three children: Charles, Mary and Ruth. Charles died in infancy and the others are still living.
GEORGE D. HEILMAN, one of the best known and most popular young attor- neys of Evansville, Ind., was born in that city, May 15, 1873, and is a son of Daniel Heilman, a stockholder in and superin- tendent of the Heilman Machine Works. He attended the Evansville schools, leav- ing the high school at the age of sixteen years to learn the trade of machinist in his father's factory. In all, he spent about six years in the works, meantime taking a complete course in the Evansville Commer- cial college. Upon the death of his uncle, William Heilman, who left a large estate, George D. Heilman was selected by the widow as her private secretary and to aid in the set- tlement of the estate. The position was one of great responsibility, yet he filled it for several years to the entire satisfaction of his aunt, his counsel frequently proving a great advantage in the solution of delicate problems in connection with the estate. While in this posi- tion, he was thrown in contact with litigation of various sorts which
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aroused in him a desire to become an attorney. Accordingly, he resigned his place as secretary and entered the law department of the Indiana State university, from which he graduated in 1900. He immediately entered upon the practice of law in his native city, becoming associated with Andrew J. Clark, an association which still continues to the mutual satisfaction of both parties. Mr. Heil- man's practice extends all over Southern Indiana and into Illinois and Kentucky, although he has been engaged in the active work of his profession for only about four years. In politics, he is one of the active and enthusiastic Republicans of his section of the state. In fact, his political acquaintance and labors extend all over Indiana and. into Illinois. While a student at the State university, he organ- ized a Republican club among the students and was elected its first president. In 1898 he was vice-president of the American Republi- can college league, which embraced Indiana and Illinois. He has served as county manager of the Lincoln League, has been vice- president of the same organization for the First congressional dis- trict, and is now serving his second term as secretary of the State league. He was also elected assistant clerk of the Indiana house of representatives in 1903 and again in 1905. Mr. Heilman is a member of the Evansville Bar association. He is a Master of his Masonic lodge ; a Royal Arch Mason; also a Knight Templar, being a member of La Vallette Commandery No. 15, and belongs to the Delta Tau Delta and Phi Delta Phi college fraternities. In his fra- ternal societies and secret orders, he is popular because of his genial disposition and general good nature. In his practice, he commands the respect of both bench and bar by his dignified manner and great earnestness as well as his ability. In his political work, he is recog- nized as a fair fighter and one who keeps fully informed on the political questions of the day. Mr. Heilman is a young man, yet with the best years of his life before him. With a sound physical constitution, a bright mind and a laudable ambition, there is no doubt greater honors await him in the future.
PROF. FRANK W. COOLEY, M.S., superintendent of the pub- lic schools of Evansville, Ind., and a member of the Indiana State board of education, was born on a farm in Green county, Wis., Nov. 21, 1857, his parents being William B. and Mary A. (Bussey) Cooley, the former a native of Vermont and the latter of Fayette county, Ind. His father, who was a first cousin to Judge Thomas M. Cooley, the celebrated legal author, died in 1875 and his mother
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in 1899. Professor Cooley graduated from a high school in Green county at the age of eighteen; entered Lawrence university at Apple- ton, Wis., and graduated with the degrees of B.S. and M.S. in 1881 ; was superintendent of the schools at Stevens Point, Wis., from that time until 1890; then superintendent of the Janesville, Wis., schools for three years; president of the State Teachers' association of Wis- consin for one year; took charge of the schools at Calumet, Mich., in 1893 and remained there until he came to Evansville at the begin- ning of the school year in 1902; was president of the Upper Penin- sula Teachers' association of Michigan in 1900, and vice-president of the National Education Department of Superintendents during the years 1901-02. While at Calumet he supervised the erection and equipment of a manual training school and since coming to Evans- ville he has introduced manual training in the public schools of that city. Although something of an innovation in that city it was a success from the start and has added to the already well established reputation of Professor Cooley as an educator. He has introduced other important changes in the city's school system, among which are departmental teaching in certain grades and the exemption from quarterly examinations of those pupils who show good deportment, good work and regular attendance, which has improved the attend- ance and character of the recitations. He has been twice re-elected since coming to the city and one of the Evansville papers said recently of his work: "Evansville schools seem to be taking on new life, and to be moving forward in accordance with the new indus- trial life which has taken possession of the city. The outlook is encouraging." During the twenty-three years of Professor Cooley's experience as a superintendent he has been employed in but fou. different cities-a reputation of which any man might justly feel proud. In Evansville he has about two hundred and fifty teachers under his supervision, yet his ability as an organizer is such that all work in harmony, without jealousy, friction, or any of those bicker- ings that so often mar the relations and destroy the effectiveness of organized bodies of workers in a common cause. The Evansville schools are well provided with buildings, etc., the office building hav- ing recently been erected at a cost of ten thousand dollars. By vir- tue of his office Professor Cooley is a member of the State board of education, so that his influence as an educator is felt beyond the con- fines of the city where he is regularly employed. He is also a mem- ber of the Indiana State Teachers' association, is a Royal Arch Mason and Knight Templar, and a Knight of Pythias. He was
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married at Stevens Point, Wis., Nov. 27, 1881, to Adelaide Rugg, a native of Green county of that state, and they have the following children : Beaumont B., aged nineteen; Russell R., aged fourteen; Albert F., aged eleven; and Will B., aged nine.
JULIUS A. ESSLINGER, of Evans- ville, Ind., deputy clerk of the Vanderburg circuit court, was born in that city, March 31, 1865, and is a son of Capt. Isidor Ess- linger, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. Julius attended both the German and English schools of his native city and can read, speak and write both the English and German languages with flu- ency. After completing the course in the city schools he graduated from the Evans- ville commercial college at the age of sev- enteen years and for thirteen years, prior to 1896, he was employed as bookkeeper at the Evansville union stock yards, where he discharged his duties with signal ability and fidelity. Ever since attaining his majority he has taken an interest in political affairs as a Republican and in 1896 he was appointed deputy clerk of the circuit court. He assumed the position on the first day of September of that year and for the past eight years has been a familiar figure in the office, where he is recognized by offi- cials and the general public as one of the most efficient deputies in the Vanderburg county court house. Mr. Esslinger is a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, in all of which he is a popular fellow and a welcome attendant at the lodge meetings.
THE OLD STATE NATIONAL BANK, of Evansville, Ind., which commenced business under its present name on Dec. 23, 1904, is the successor of the Old National bank, one of the oldest and best known financial institutions in the state. It began business in 1834 when a charter was granted to the State Bank of Indiana. For the first three years the bank was located at the corner of Main and Water streets, but in 1837 it was removed to the site now occupied by the present bank. The State Bank of Indiana was succeeded in 1855 by the branch of the Bank of the State of Indiana, and the busi- ness was conducted under this name until 1865, when it was re-
e
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organized as the Evansville National bank, under the national bank- ing act, and chartered for twenty years. Upon the expiration of the charter the bank was again reorganized and rechartered as the Old National bank, which occupied the same quarters at Nos. 20-22 Main street. The Old National had a capital and surplus of $700,- 000, and the new bank started off with a capital of $500,000 and a surplus of $100,000. For many years the bank has been recognized as one of the substantial concerns of the city of Evansville, and as the new institution is in the hands of the same men who made the old bank a success, it is safe to predict for it the same pros- perity and conservatism that marked the career of its predecessor. The officers of the new bank are R. K. Dunkerson, president; Henry Reis, vice-president and cashier ; the directors are, in addition to the two officers above named, Alexander Gilchrist, Allen Gray, Henry Wimberg, Sidney L. Ichenhauser, James L. Orr, William H. Mc- Curdy, William M. Akin and Marcus S. Sonntag.
GEORGE A. CUNNINGHAM, a suc- cessful lawyer of Evansville, Ind., was born on a farm in a log house, just south of Enon church in Gibson county in that state, April 4, 1855. His parents, Joseph and Mary J. (Arbuthnot) Cunningham, moved a few years later to what afterwards became and still is known as the Cunningham resi- dence, just south of King's Station on the Evansville & Terre Haute railroad, where the subject of this sketch lived until he was grown. His early life was spent on the farm, attending school alternately at the old Gourley and Ayers school houses, where he acquired the rudiments of his education. Later he attended the graded school at Fort Branch a number of terms, walking during one term a dis- tance of about four and a half miles morning and evening. After teaching school one year he entered the Sophomore class (classical) at Asbury (now DePauw) university, where he spent one year, com- pleting the Sophomore year in addition to "doubling" in one or two studies. Being unable to continue his college course he resumed teaching, which he followed until he came to Evansville. In the spring of 1876 he taught at Lynnville in Warrick county and in the fall of that year was made principal of the public schools at Haub-
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stadt, on the conclusion of which in the spring of 1877 he removed to Evansville and began regularly the study of law in the office of the Hon. Thomas E. Garvin, one of the Nestors of the profession. Mr. Cunningham was admitted to the bar in 1878 and continued his association with Mr. Garvin for many years, Mr. Thos. E. Garvin, Jr., now deceased, being afterward admitted to membership in the firm. For a considerable number of years Mr. Cunningham has been, alone in the practice and has perhaps as large and valuable a clientage as any lawyer in Southern Indiana. He is a member of the American and Indiana Bar associations and has a deservedly high standing as a lawyer, not only at home but throughout the state. For many years he was the regular attorney, as well as more recently a director, in the First National bank, and on the expiration of its charter in 1902 was one of the organizers, and is now attorney for, as well as director in the City National bank, generally considered to be Evansville's strongest financial institution. In fraternal circles Mr. Cunningham is a familiar figure not only in Evansville but throughout the state. In college he was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and still maintains a close affiliation with the members of that order. He is also one of the older members of the Knights of Pythias, a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and a Mason, having recently taken the degrees of Knight Templar and Knight of Malta. Notwithstanding his extensive busi- ness Mr. Cunningham has found time to mingle actively in politics and for twenty-five years has been an active party worker in the Republican party, believing that all good citizens should, instead of criticizing, take part in and help to elevate politics. For a number of years, in fact practically the entire period Mr. Hemenway has been in congress, Mr. Cunningham has been a member of the state committee from the first district and is now vice-chairman of the committee. In 1904 he was placed on the ticket as one of the two electors at large from Indiana, and received over five thousand more votes than any other elector, due largely to the fact that his name was first on the ticket. He has never been charged with being an office seeker, but on the contrary has declined on one or two occa- sions to be a candidate when the opportunity for success seemed favorable. He is at this time a candidate for the nomination for Congress to succeed the Honorable James A. Hemenway, recently elected United States senator for Indiana, and has a large following of friends and admirers who will push his candidacy with great vigor. Mr. Cunningham was married on Nov. 10, 1881, to Miss
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Susan Shaw Garvin, daughter of his former law preceptor and part- ner. She died July 24, 1904, leaving three children : Mrs. Ralph A. Lemcke of Indianapolis, Marie G. and George A. Cunningham, Jr., who live with their father in Evansville.
COL. JOHN RHEINLANDER, secre- tary and treasurer of the People's Savings bank, Evansville, Ind., is a native of Ger- many, having been born at Heiligenstadt, Prussian Saxony, April 26, 1828. In 1844 he came with his parents, Godfried Rhein- lander and wife, to America. The family lived for about a year in Cincinnati and then came to Evansville. In the spring of 1846 the son, who was at that time living in Covington, Ky., enlisted in the Second Kentucky regiment for service in the Mexi- can war. He fought with General Taylor at Monterey, where he was severely wounded in the left leg, and was afterward at Buena Vista. After a year's service in Mexico he was discharged and joined his family in Evansville, where he engaged in the manufacture of cigars. In a few years he built up a good business and at the beginning of the Civil war he had a large pat- ronage as a wholesale manufacturer. But the military instinct was too strong in Colonel Rheinlander to permit him to pursue a peace- ful vocation when a war was in progress. He therefore left his factory and raised a company, of which he was commissioned captain, and which was mustered into the service as Company B, Twenty-fifth Indiana infantry. On the first day's fight at Fort Donelson he and Captain Saltzman were sent forward as skirmishers, where they protected the main body of the regiment from the Confederate rifle pits and silenced some of the enemy's artillery that was brought to bear on the flank. On the third day Captain Rheinlander's company was the first to scale the walls of the fort, but having no flag the Second Iowa was the first organization to hoist its banner over the fallen stronghold. At Shiloh his company was constantly on the skirmish line and afforded some five or six hundred of General Prentiss' men an opportunity to escape. He fought at Corinth, where he won the rank of major, and was soon afterward promoted to lieutenant-colonel. At Hatchie River he was shot in the right knee, which for a time prevented him
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from participating in the active service of his command. Upon his recovery he took part in the Atlanta campaign until his disabilities
became so great that he could not mount his horse, when he re- signed, his resignation being accepted Aug. 18, 1864. He returned to Evansville, resumed the cigar manufacturing business, and during the years 1866-67 served as treasurer of Vanderburg county. He was one of the active organizers of the People's Savings bank, and has been one of the directors almost from the beginning. The bank was organized under a state law and opened its doors for business on Thursday morning, May 5, 1870. At that time the officers were J. M. Shackelford, president ; John D. Roach, secretary and treasurer. The trustees were J. M. Shackelford, Eccles G. Van Riper, Dr. M. Muhlhausen, John Laval, James Steele, Fred Lunkenheimer, Chris- tian Hedderich and James W. Lauer. The bank is one of five or- ganized under the same act, the other four being located at Lafayette, La Porte, South Bend and Terre Haute. Of these five banks the People's is the second largest in the amount of business transacted, the one at South Bend leading by about $100,000. The first day's deposits in the People's bank amounted to three dollars, two dol- lars of which was deposited by one man and one by another. From that modest beginning it has grown until on June 30, 1904, the de- posits amounted to $2,605,132.80, the number of depositors reach- ing eight thousand, and the increase in deposits in the preceding two years amounting to $500,000. Since the beginning accounts have been opened with 32,371 different depositors from various parts of the country, and the bank has paid in dividends a total of $953,- 668.79. The last dividend of four per cent was declared June 30, 1904. The assets of the bank amount to $2,866,145.92, and it has a surplus of $250,000. From $300,000 to $400,000 is kept constantly on hand to satisfy the ordinary demands of banking business, and the affairs of the institution have always been conducted in a conserva- tive manner, with a view to thoroughly safeguard the interests of the depositors. During three periods of financial depression the bank has stood like the Rock of Gibraltar, and the result has been a large increase in its volume of business, because of the confidence estab- lished in its management in times when other financial institutions were in distress. The present organization of the bank is as fol- lows: Dr. M. Muhlhausen, president; Col. John Rheinlander, secre- tary and treasurer ; Frank Schwegman, cashier; Henry V. Bennighof and James T. Walker, vice-presidents. The directors, together with their period of service, are as follows: Dr. M: Muhlhausen, from
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the beginning ; Col. John Rheinlander, from 1870; H. V. Bennighof, from 1871; James T. Walker, from 1893; Frank Schwegman, from March, 1899; Dr. Edwin Walker, from May, 1899; Charles F. Hart- metz, from December, 1901. Dr. Muhlhausen has been president since May 31, 1884, and Colonel Rheinlander has occupied his present position since May 14, 1888. Colonel Rheinlander is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He has been married three times. In 1849 he was mar- ried to Miss Maria Darling, and to this union were born four chil- dren : Eva, Alice, Florence and John W. The mother of these chil- dren died in 1862 and three years later Miss Margaret Barg, of Cin- cinnati, became the wife of Colonel Rheinlander. To this marriage was born one son, Alexander. The second wife died in 1872 and some years later he was married to Miss Christine Hedderich, by whom he has two children. One son, Albert, is an assistant in the bank.
ALFRED BUTSCH, junior member of the law firm of Posey & Butsch, Evans- ville, Ind., is one of the best known and most promising of the younger attorneys of that city. He was born there, April 3, 1874, of German parentage, his father, Philip Butsch, being a prominent Evans- ville contractor and builder. Mr. Butsch learned to speak the German tongue from his parents, afterward learning to read and write the language in school. He also attended the English schools, grad- uating from Evansville high school when he was eighteen years of age. Upon leaving school he became asso- ciated with his father in the building business and in time became a first class carpenter. After six years in this business he decided to study law and in 1894 he entered the office of Posey & Chappell, one of the leading law firms of the city, where he prosecuted his studies until 1898, when he was admitted to the bar. He at once began practice in the office where he had been a student. In Sep- tember, 1901, Mr. Chappell retired from the firm and Mr. Butsch took his place, the firm name being changed to Posey & Butsch. The partnership thus formed still continues and is one of the strong- est law firms in Southern Indiana, where Colonel Posey has been II-6
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a prominent figure in legal circles for years. Their practice extends to all the State and Federal courts and they have a large and grow- ing clientage. Besides his law business Mr. Butsch is interested in a number of other enterprises, particularly mining property in the vicinity of Evansville. Mr. Butsch is also the foremost of building block manufacturers in this city, having been the first to introduce and manufacture cement building blocks in this locality, and is now doing a large and prosperous business in that line. He is a mem- ber of the Evansville Bar association, and one of the active Re- publicans of Vanderburg county. On Oct. 10, 1901, Mr. Butsch led to the altar Miss Emma Stoermer, of Evansville, and to this union there have been born two sons, Alfred, Jr., and one who at this writing is unnamed.
DR. CHARLES E. PITTMAN, a lead- ing dentist of Evansville, Ind., and presi- dent of the Business Men's Association, was born in Posey county, Ind., Feb. 17, 1854, his parents being Robert E. and Parthenia Ann (Ross) Pittman. Dr. Pitt- man's father, who was an expert machin- ist, met with an accidental death in 1857, and soon after the close of the Civil war the widowed mother came to Evansville, where she passed the remainder of her life, entering her final rest on July 14, 1898. Charles E. Pittman grew to man- hood in Evansville, where he attended the public schools until he was nineteen years of age, after which he was employed for several years as a clerk in a shoe store and subsequently in a clothing house. In 1876 he took up the study of dentistry under the late Dr. Isaiah Haas, of Evansville, with whom he pursued his studies for three years. Dr. Pittman immediately began the practice of dentistry in Evansville, where he has continued for a quarter of a century, and it is perhaps no disparagement to the other dentists to say that he is the leader of the profession in that city. He is a member and ex-president of the State Dental association and was for two years a member of the State board of dental examiners. His skill as a dental operator is known from one end of the state to the other. He is a prominent member of the Knights of Pythias and is ยท the first professional man to be honored by an election to the
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