HENDRICKS INDIANA
BIOGRAPHIES PAGE TWO
OTIS E. GULLEY
In no profession
is there a career more open to
talent than is that of the law, and in no field of endeavor is there
demanded a more careful preparation, a more thorough appreciation of
the absolute ethics of life or of the underlying principles which form
the basis of all human rights and privileges. Unflagging application
and intuitive wisdom and determination fully to utilize the means at
hand are the concomitants which insure personal success and * prestige
in this great profession, which stands as the stern conservator of
justice, and it is one into which none should enter without a
recognition of the obstacles to be encountered and overcome and the
battles to be won. Success does not perch on the banner of every person
who enters the competitive fray, but comes only as the legitimate
result of capability. Possessing all of these requisite qualities which
stamp the able lawyer, Otis E. Gulley stands today among the eminent
practitioners of Hendricks county.
Otis E. Gulley,
one of Danville's best lawyers and
president of the board of trustees of Central Normal College, is a
native of the county, having been born at North Salem on March 22,
1867. Reared to the life of a farmer's boy, he knows what kind of a
life the farmer leads and this has been no small factor in his success
as an attorney. The farmer in search of legal advice feels that he can
have a sympathetic helper in Mr. Gulley and he finds that he is not
mistaken. Mr. Gulley received his elementary education in the common
schools of his township and in preparing himself for teaching he
attended Franklin College for one term. He came to Danville in 1891 and
was shortly after admitted to the practice of law and has continued to
follow that profession, for which he seems to be especially gifted. He
is peculiarly gifted in the capacity of the investigator who is never
satisfied until he gets to the bottom of things. He
goes around, under, over or through obstacles, revolutionizing his
methods if the old ways do not meet the exigencies of the situation.
Old ways may do for some men, but if a new way is better he digs it up
out of the limitless field of opportunity and presses it into service.
His philosophy is that there is a way to do everything if the way can
but be found.
Mr. Gulley's life
has been a busy one and he has had
discouragement's and disappointments to meet many times. Starting out
as a school teacher at seventeen, he has received his education with
his work. He lived in Arkansas two years and was living in that state
in 1890 when the United States census was taken. He was census
supervisor of the second district, which covered about half of the
state. Coming back to Danville, he was elected to the office of county
prosecutor two terms and was one of the best prosecutors the county
ever had.
Mr. Gulley was
married in 1895 to Mary Tilford, of
Martinsville, Indiana, and has a handsome home two and a half miles
east of Danville. Mrs. Gulley died on July 2, 1907. He is a loyal
member of the Christian church and is interested in the many activities
of that society. He was a stanch Republican and his high standing among
the men of the state is shown in the fact that he was nominated on the
Republican ticket, in 1910, for secretary of state. At the organization
of the Progressive party, he became actively identified with that
organization, by which he was honored with a nomination for Congress.
In his fraternal relations he is a member of the Knights of Pythias, a
thirty second degree Mason and a Mystic Shriner. He has been the
president of the board of trustees of the Central Normal College for
some years and takes a very active interest in the affairs of that
institution. A man of sterling qualities, his honest and strictly
square dealings, his upright principles and genial disposition have won
for him numerous friends throughout the community in which he lives.
JOHN A. SHOWALTER
The following is a
sketch of a plain, honest man of
affairs who by correct methods and a strict regard for the interests of
his patrons has made his influence felt in Danville and won for himself
distinctive prestige in the professional circles of that city. He would
be the last man to sit for romance or become the subject of fancy
sketches, nevertheless his life presents much that is interesting and
valuable and may be studied with profit by the young, whose careers are
yet to be achieved. He is one of those whose integrity and strength of
character must force them into an admirable notoriety which their
modesty never seeks, who command the respect of their contemporaries
and their posterity and leave the impress of their individuality deeply
stamped upon the community.
John A. Showalter,
of the firm of Shirley &
Showalter, was born in Henry county, Indiana, seven miles west of
Newcastle, on July 15, 1854. His parents were Ashbury and Susan Ruth
(Cooper) Showalter, the father being a native of Indiana, and the
mother of Ohio. Ashbury Showalter was a contractor and is now living
retired in Kennard, Henry county, Indiana. His wife died in 1898. Mr.
and Mrs. Ashbury Showalter were the parents of five children, all of
whom are living: John A. Showalter, the oldest of the family and the
immediate subject of this sketch; Mrs. Anna Bouslog, of Kennard,
Indiana; Mrs. Mary Cook, of Newcastle, Indiana; R. R. Showalter, of
Knightstown, Indiana, and Ada, who lives with her father in Kennard.
J. A. Showalter
received his common school education
in the district schools of Henry county, Indiana, and when a mere boy,
began clerking in a grocery store near his home. In 1880, when he was
twenty six years of age, he came to Danville, where he became a member
of the firm of Shirley, Showalter & McCoun. The business was
conducted under this name for about four years and a half, at the
expiration of which time the firm name was changed to Shirley,
Showalter & Company, Mr. McCoun retiring from the firm. This firm,
starting in a modest way, has expanded both in size and stock until it
is now one of the leading stores in Danville. The company employs a
large number of clerks and the stock is one of the largest and most
complete in its line to be found in any city the size of Danville.
Courtesy and an evident desire to please all who patronize the store
have been the strongest elements in the success which has accompanied
the firm's efforts, and it has enjoyed at all times the full confidence
of all who have done business with it.
Mr. Showalter was
married September 10, 1891, to
Belle C. Conrad, of Florence, Boone county, Kentucky, and to this union
there has been born one child., Mary Agnes. Mr. and Mrs. Showalter are
devoted and consistent members of the Christian church, of which
denomination Mr. Showalter has been a deacon for many years.
Politically, he is an earnest supporter of the Republican party, but
his business interests have precluded his taking an active part in
political affairs. Mr. Showalter is regarded as a good
business
man and excellent manager, and
a man who possesses sound judgment
and foresight, and who believes in ever pressing forward, so that his
success is but the legitimate result of the efforts which he puts
forth. He enjoys the respect and esteem of those with whom he mingles
for his friendly manner, his business ability, his interest in public
affairs and his upright living. He is regarded by all as one of the
substantial and worthy citizens of the city honored by his residence.
EDWARD V. RAGLAND
It is not an easy
task to describe adequately a man
who has led an eminently active and busy life and who has attained a
position of relative distinction in the community with which his
interests are allied. But biography finds its most perfect
justification, nevertheless, in the tracing and recording of such a
life history. It is, then, with a full appreciation of all that is
demanded and of the painstaking scrutiny that must be accorded each
statement, and yet with a feeling of satisfaction, that the writer
essays the task of touching briefly upon the details of such a record
as has been that of Edward V Ragland whose eminently successful career
is now under review.
Edward V. Ragland,
a prominent real estate and loan
agent of Danville, Indiana, was born February 27, 1863, in the
southwestern corner of Marion township, Hendricks county, Indiana. His
parents were James and Ann (Cord) Ragland, his father being a native of
this county, born March 28, 1838. The parents of James Ragland were
Dudley and Ailsey (Flynn) Ragland, both of whom were born and reared in
Kentucky, near Winchester. Dudley Ragland and wife came from Kentucky
to Hendricks county in pioneer time and located on the Rockville road
in the eastern edge of Marion township, where Dudley Ragland kept a
tavern in the early days. Later he sold this farm and bought a farm
near Reno, in the southwestern corner of Marion township, and later
bought a farm three miles southwest of Coatesville on which he lived
until his death. James Ragland was born in Marion township, and upon
reaching man's estate he was married to Ann Cord, the daughter of John
and Christine (Caywood) Cord. Her parents were from New England, but
came to this county early in their married life and lived here the
remainder of their lives. In 1868 James Ragland and wife moved to
Illinois and remained there nine years. They then
came back and bought a farm in Morgan county, just south of the
Hendricks county line and have lived in that neighborhood ever since.
Edward V. Ragland
was reared on his father's farm
and remained there until his marriage. He completed his education in
the common schools in this county and then attended the Indiana State
Normal at Terre Haute, after which he taught for nine years in Morgan'
and Putnam counties, Indiana, and in Edgar county, Illinois. He retired
from his teaching profession in 1891 and engaged in the general
merchandise business at Broad Park, a village in the eastern part of
Putnam county, which he named. There he built up a lucrative business
and remained two years, whereupon he and the man with whom he had gone
into partnership dissolved and he moved his stock to Lake Valley in the
northwestern part of Morgan county, where he remained for the next five
years, three of which he was postmaster. In 1899 he sold his store to
S. M. Johnson and after a one year's residence at Martinsville, where
he dealt in live stock, he bought a farm in Franklin township in
Hendricks county, where he resided three and one half years. His wife
owned a farm in the immediate vicinity, part of the farm known as the
Green Valley farm. In February, 1904, Mr. Ragland moved to Danville and
engaged in the real estate, loan and insurance business, which he has
followed up to the present time. In this line of work he has been
uniformly successful, listing valuable property and building up a loan
and insurance business which is netting him very handsome returns.
Nearly all his life Mr. Ragland has engaged in dealing in horses, even
while principally interested in other lines of business. He is a
breeder of high grade road horses and owns some fine animals at the
present time.
While attending
the State Normal at Terre Haute, Mr.
Ragland became acquainted with Rusha E. Hadley, the daughter of Jehu
and Jerusha (Stiles) Hadley, and before moving to Martinsville they
were married. Jehu Hadley was one of the most prominent farmers of
Hendricks county. He was born in Chatham county, North Carolina,
October 19, 1810, and in 1825 went with his parents, James T. and Mary
(Richardson) Hadley, to Hendricks county and located in Center
township. He was married August 3, 1837, to Jerusha Stiles, who was
born July 18, 1819, in Vermont, the daughter of Jeremiah and Sibyl
Stiles. Her father was the founder of Stilesville, locating there in
1821. Mrs. Stiles died in 1828 and was the first married woman who died
there. Mr. .Stiles was married again and shortly afterward died of
cholera at Savannah, Missouri. In March, 1838, Jehu Hadley bought three
hundred and twenty acres in section 11, Franklin township, which at
that time
a swamp. The only arable part of his
farm was covered with a heavy
growth of timber, and many of the old settlers pronounced the farm
valueless and predicted starvation for the owner, but they did not
reckon with the industry -and perseverance of Jehu Hadley. By incessant
toil and energy he cleared the farm and drained the swamp, putting in
two thousand rods of tile drainage and four hundred rods of open
ditches, in addition to building a mile of levee on Mill creek, which
ran through the farm. It is today known as the Green Valley Farm and is
one of the show places of the county. A fine park containing an
amphitheater is on the farm and for the past thirteen years the old
settlers have held their reunions there, as many as six thousand
persons being present on these annual occasions. Mr. Hadley owned, at
one time, six hundred and fifty acres, nearly all of which he had
brought under cultivation. In 1876 he built a beautiful brick
residence, probably the most costly country home in Hendricks county,
costing him over ten thousand dollars. He was widely known and well
respected for his many fine qualities of character. He was not only
just, but a man who was generosity itself. Honorable himself, he never
distrusted another man, till proved unworthy of trust. He was strong in
his likes and in his dislikes, too, and yet a charitable man who was
always true to his friends. He died in 1891 and his wife seven years
later. He belonged to the Christian church and his wife to the
Missionary Baptist.
Rusha E. Hadley
was born in Danville, where she
attended the public school, and later the State Normal, where she and
her husband became acquainted. After leaving the State Normal School
she taught for two years, making a very creditable record as a teacher.
Mr. and Mrs. Ragland have two children, Sibyl, age twelve, and
Christine, age eight. Christine, although only eight years of age, is
an expert little horsewoman and has been entered as a pony rider in
girls' riding contests since she was a very small girl. She has already
participated in four horse shows and in each she won the first premium.
In speaking of the event at Greencastle, where she was entered, the
Indianapolis Star said, "The entry that attracted the most attention
was one where the girl riders were under fourteen years of age. The
prize was won by Christine Ragland of Danville, who is only eight years
of age. The little girl rode a black Shetland pony and took the crowd
by storm. She rode like a veteran, and, indeed she is, having taken
three other prizes by her riding." She rode several times, around the
public square at break-neck speed and thrilled the crowd by her daring.
Mr. and Mrs. Ragland are both members
of the Missionary Baptist church
at Stilesville and are generous in their support of their favored
denomination. Since moving to Danville they have won a host of friends
who admire them for their many qualities of head and heart. They are
interested in all public enterprises which tend to promote the welfare
of the town, and are considered valuable acquisitions to the society of
Danville.
A. P. W. BRIDGES, M. D.
In this day of
specialization the world demands
experts in every line and he who would make the most pronounced success
along any particular line of endeavor must concentrate all of his time,
attention and energy on his chosen field. In the field of
medicine the work of the old family doctor is now in the hands of a
hundred different specialists, each treating some particular ailment
and no others. There has also arisen within the last twenty five years
a new field in the department of therapeutics and medicine and one
which is of great importance. This new departure will not only be the
means of saving the health of hundreds of thousands of people, but it
has an influence which will affect the very life of the nation itself,
striking as it does at the foundations of our social
fabric. The home, the school, the industrial world
and every phase of society is going to be changed for the better
because of this new phase of the medical profession.
Inebriety is now
recognized as a disease and there
has been discovered by Dr. Leslie E. Keeley, a treatment which,
properly administered, results in a complete relief from the craving or
appetite for alcohol and narcotics. Nearly half a million persons have
been treated within the last twenty five years and the success which
has attended the use of Dr. Keeley's remedies has made his name a
household word in thousands. of homes. For the past twenty three
years there has been a branch of the Keeley Institute at Plainfield,
Indiana, and during all but five years of that time it has been under
the charge of Dr. A. P. W. Bridges, who has achieved a notable
success in handling thousands of cases of inebriety and morphineism.
Dr. Bridges, the
son of Rev. M. C. and Sophia J.
(Doyle) Bridges, was born September 27, 1856, in Owen county, Indiana.
His father was a native of Indiana and his mother of North Carolina.
Rev. Bridges was born near Abington, Wayne county, his ancestors having
come to Indiana from Virginia by way of Kentucky. They settled in Wayne
county in the twenties and in the thirties moved to Owen county and
lived there the remainder of their days, the father dying in 1900 at
the age of seventy five, the mother having passed away several years
before. They reared a large family of children, but Dr. Bridges is the
only one living.
Dr. Bridges
received a good common school education
and then took the course in the Indiana Medical College, at
Indianapolis, graduating from that institution in the spring of 1892.
He started to practice at Cloverdale, Indiana, and shortly afterwards
removed to Alaska, Morgan county, where he remained until he took
charge of the Keeley Institute at Plainfield. Under his efficient
administration the institute has made a steady growth and is now
recognized as one of the best in the United States. In 1912 the
buildings were completely overhauled and put in first class condition
in every particular.
Dr. Bridges was
first married to Emma F. Alverson,
of Spencer, Indiana, in 1883, and to this union there were born five
children: Ralph, who is a graduate of Depauw and Indiana Universities,
and is now a professional chemist, at Plainfield; Alta, who is a
graduate of Depauw University, and now a teacher in the high school, at
Plainfield; and three who are still at home, Joyce, Willard and James.
Mrs. Bridges died in April, 1908, and January 7, 1913, Dr. Bridges
married Minnie Morgan, of Plainfield, to which union Ruth Adelaide was
born, February 19, 1914.
Dr. Bridges is a thirty second degree
Mason, a Shriner, and also holds
membership in the tribe of Red Men. He is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal church and has been a trustee in the church for many years.
He is a stanch Democrat and takes an active interest in the affairs of
his party and was nominated by his party in 1914 for the office of
county clerk. He has been the precinct committeeman from Guilford
township ever since he lived there. He has been identified with the
Plainfield Building and Loan Association as its vice president for many
years. He is a member of the library board of Plainfield.
It is safe to say
that the work being done by Dr.
Bridges is conferring a boon upon thousands of homes and the sphere of
his influence is constantly increasing. His work is highly endorsed by
men in every profession who see in the service he is rendering to
afflicted humanity the positive means of ameliorating untold suffering
and misery. Dr. Bridges is a widely read man and one whom it is a
pleasure to meet, and his friends are truly numbered by the thousands.
JUDGE GEORGE W. BRILL
It is scarce less
than supererogation in outlining
the leading facts in the life of Judge Brill to refer to him as a
lawyer in the ordinary phraseology which meets the requirements when
dealing with the average member of the legal profession. He is indeed
much more than eminently successful in his legal career, as is
indicated by his long and praiseworthy record at the bar and his
efficient service on the bench. He is a master of his profession, a
leader among men distinguished for the high order of their legal
talent, and his eminent attainments and ripe judgment make him an
authority on all matters involving a profound knowledge of
jurisprudence and vexed and intricate questions growing out of its
interpretation.
Judge George W.
Brill, the son of William and
Jeannette (Matthews) Brill, was born in Hendricks county, Indiana,
December 15, 1859. His father was a native of Virginia and his
mother of Scotland. William Brill was a millwright by trade and came
west when a young man, settling in Hendricks county, Indiana. Here he
lived until his death, in April, 1873, his widow surviving him until
1907. They were loyal and consistent members of the Lutheran church of
Pecksburg. To Mr. and Mrs. William Brill were born six children: George
W., the immediate subject of this sketch; William Henry, deceased;
Rachel Jeannette, the wife of L. F. Sparks; Bess, who lives with her
brother, and William T., who is a furniture dealer in Danville.
Judge Brill was
born on the farm near Center Valley,
Liberty township, this county, and received his education in the common
schools of this township. He finished his education by taking the
course in the Central Normal College, at Danville, and has been granted
two diplomas from that institution. Following his graduation from
the college, he taught school for four years, in the meantime reading
law with Hadley, Hogate & Blake in Danville. He was admitted to the
bar in June, 1883, and was in continuous practice until November 16,
1913, when he went on the bench of the fifty fifth judicial circuit of
Indiana. He formed a partnership with Col. George T. Harvey in 1890,
which continued until he went on the bench. This firm was very
successful in every way and was in most of the important litigation of
the county and central part of Indiana for the past twenty years.
Judge Brill was
elected judge at the general
election in November, 1913, on the Democratic ticket, and gave up a law
practice of eighteen thousand dollars a year to take the judgeship at
three thousand five hundred. He did this only at the earnest
solicitation of his friends. This was his first offense, although about
twenty years ago he was the party nominee for joint senator of Marion
and Hendricks counties, when, though he carried Marion county by over
seven hundred, he lost his home county and was defeated.
Judge Brill was
married on November 23, 1883, to
Emma L. Gregg, the youngest daughter of Martin and Mary Jean Gregg.
Martin Gregg was county commissioner when the old court house was built
and was a very estimable and substantial citizen of the county. Two
children have been born to Judge and Mrs. Brill, one of whom died in
infancy, while the other daughter, Gertrude Holt, is still under the
parental roof. Mrs. Brill died on October 11, 1913.
Fraternally, Judge
Brill is a member of the Knights
of Pythias and has been in that order since 1882, during which time he
has held every office in that lodge. He is also a member of the Free
and Accepted Masons at Danville. Judge Brill is the owner of
considerable real estate in the county, having several town properties
and also farm lands scattered throughout this section. His career
indicates what can be done by the young man who starts out to make his
own way through life. He had no influential or rich friend's or
relatives to help him and can be truly called a self made man.
FRED CREECH
One of the
youngest and most progressive farmers in this county is Fred
Creech, who, although he has been a farmer only a short time, is
already regarded as one of the coming agriculturists of the county.
He has had a very interesting career, during which he has traveled over
a large part of the United States. He was born September 2, 1886, in
Wolfe county, Kentucky, the son of Frank L. and Nancy (Riggs) Creech.
His father is a Methodist minister and is now living at Van Wert, Ohio.
His parents were both born in Wise county, Virginia. . Fred grew up in
Kentucky, and after receiving a good common school education, started
to work on a farm. About ten years ago he became acquainted with a man
from Hendricks county, and as a result the whole tenor of his life
was changed. He came to this county, learned the structural iron
worker's trade and then went to Cincinnati where he learned the marble
setter's trade. He then followed these two trades until 1909,
working in cities scattered all over the United States.
In 1909 he
came back to this county and was married on December
28th, to .Florence Hardwicke, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Warren
Hardwicke. A history of the Hardwicke family is given elsewhere in this
volume. To this happy union there has been born one son, Everett
Farrell, a bright lad of three years.
Mr. Creech is now
farming a fine eighty acre farm in the northeastern
part of Marion township and is fast picking up the intricacies of the
farming profession. He is full of energy and enthusiasm and has
won the respect of the entire community in which he lives.
HIRAM T. STORM
Among the
highly honored veterans of the Civil War, who are still
living in Hendricks county, is Hiram E. Storm, who lost one of his legs
twelve days after he was mustered into the service, in one of the
hardest fought battles of the Civil War. Although he was nearly
seventeen years of age when he enlisted, he came back and started to
common school in order to prepare himself for some useful profession.
Handicapped as he was, he was determined not to be a charge upon anyone
and with grit and determination he set about to prepare himself for the
profession of teaching and thirty six years of his useful life
have been spent in teaching in this and other counties in Indiana. His
life history is very interesting and instructive to the coming
generation and is well worthy of mention in this volume.
Hiram T. Storm,
the son of Isaac and Sarah (Lunsford) Storm, was born
in Putnam county, Indiana, November 26, 1845. Both of his parents were
natives of Monroe county, Indiana, and when his father, Isaac, was
about seventeen years of age, he left his home in Monroe county,
because the surroundings of his community were such as not to be
conducive to the best development of a young man. Nearly everyone was
addicted to the use of strong liquor and having had a repugnance to the
use of intoxicating liquors from his childhood days, he decided to
settle in some place where he would be under a different environment.
Accordingly he went to Putnam county and found work with a farmer by
the name of Lunsford, who was a strong temperance man, an abolitionist
and a worthy man in every way. It so happened that Isaac Lunsford had a
daughter and, as it has often occurred before and since, the youthful
Isaac fell in love with his
employer's daughter, Sarah. An interesting story is connected with
the life of Peter Lunsford. When he first entered government land in
Putnam county, he killed one hundred and forty rattlesnakes the first
spring and got so disgusted with the farm that he sold it and bought
another one in the same county. Isaac and his young wife, Sarah, began
life under truly primitive conditions in Putnam county, and were worthy
people, who reared to large usefulness thirteen children, four boys of
whom served gallantly in the Union army during the Civil War.
Isaac Storms died in 1904, at the age of eighty seven, while the bride
of his youth is still living on the old home farm at the advanced age
of ninety.
Hiram T. Storm lived on the home farm
until the breaking out of the
Civil War and on August 18, 1862, enlisted in Company C, Seventy first
Regiment of Indiana Volunteer Infantry. The next twelve days were
probably the most exciting which have ever happened in the career
of Mr. Storm. His regiment in 1863 was transferred to the Sixth Indiana
Cavalry, and he was rushed to Kentucky and on the 30th, twelve days
after he was mustered in at Indianapolis, he was engaged in the battle
of Richmond, Kentucky, one of the severest battles in that state during
the whole war. Here he was severely wounded in the leg and in order to
save his life, his leg was amputated. As soon as he was able to return
to his home, he came back to Putnam county and started to school.
Things must have looked discouraging to him at this time, but with
pluck and perseverance he applied himself to his books with such
diligence that he was soon recognized as one of the best educated men
in his county. As soon as he applied for a teacher's license he
successfully passed the examination and for the next six years taught
in Putnam county.
In 1869, Mr. Storm
moved to Eel River township, in this county, and
bought a farm, where he made his home until 1912. Before coming to this
county he married the widow of William F. Harper, another gallant
soldier, who lost his life in the Civil War. Mrs. Harper had two
children by her first marriage, Melvin and Melvina Eva Harper, whose
interesting careers are delineated elsewhere in this volume. After
removing to this county, Mr. Storm continued teaching until 1872, when
he was elected treasurer of Hendricks county on the Republican ticket.
After leaving the office of county treasurer he returned to the farm
and continued teaching until 1909, having completed a total of
thirty six years in the school room. He has taught the children
of
former pupils and in fact a few grandchildren of former
pupils.
He has been very successful as a business man
and now owns eighty acres of
land in Hendricks county, as well as his father's
old home place in Putnam county.
Mr. and Mrs. Storm are the parents of
two children, May and Orville T.
May was the wife of Frank West, and died in January, 1897, leaving two
children, Lester V. and Evalina. Orville T. was born October 31, 1869.
and after graduating from the high school at Danville attended Purdue
University for a term, after which he returned to the old home farm
where he has since resided. Upon his marriage, in 1898, his father gave
him fifty acres and since that time he has added one hundred and thirty
more to his farm in this township. He was married in 1893 Ida
West, the daughter of Simpson and Julia (Weddle) West. Her father was
born in Kentucky and came here with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hiram
West, in infancy. Hiram West entered land in the southeastern part of
Eel River township and lived there until his death. Julia Weddle was
born in Putnam county, the daughter of Benjamin and Nancy Weddle,
who were natives of Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Orville T. Storm have
one daughter, Nellie, who is now attending the Central Normal College
at Danville.
Hiram T. Storm has
been a member of the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows since 1872, holding membership in both subordinate lodge and
encampment. He has been a life-long member of the Christian church
and is now an elder in that denomination at Lizton. Personally, Mr.
Storm is a man of great force of character and enjoys a high degree of
popularity in his community, possessing, as he does, those qualities of
mind and heart that win and retain warm friendship.
SENATOR HORACE L. HANNA
Senator Horace L.
Hanna, of Plainfield, Indiana, was born at
Greencastle, Indiana, April 1, 1874. His parents were Hon. John and
Emma (Hobbs) Hanna, his father being a native of Marion county, and his
mother of Jennings county in this state. His father was for many years
one of the most prominent lawyers not only of Indiana, but of the
middle West, and had a national reputation as a man of extraordinary
ability. John Hanna was a member of Congress from the seventh district
of Indiana, was an elector on the first Lincoln ticket, was appointed
by President Lincoln as United States district attorney for Indiana,
was a member of the territorial Legislature of Kansas and chairman of
the judiciary committee which
introduced the bill for the prohibition of slavery in that state.
Senator Horace L.
Hanna received a good common school and high school
education in Plainfield, graduating from the Plainfield Academy in
1873. His Parents had moved to Plainfield when he was about eight years
of age. After graduating from the academy at Plainfield, he worked on
the farm for four years, and then spent one year in DePauw University.
While in DePauw he was a member of the Sigma Chi Greek letter
fraternity, and has always taken an active interest in this
organization of his college days. After leaving DePauw he taught school
for one year in the country near his home and then became a traveling
salesman for the next four years, traveling for the Baker Yawter
Company, of Chicago. He then entered a law school in Indianapolis and
graduated from the Indiana Law School in 1904 and immediately located
for the practice of law at Plainfield. In 1905 he was elected to the
lower house of the Indiana Legislature and re-elected in 1907. In 1909
he, was elected to the Senate from Boone and Hendricks counties, having
served in all, through four sessions of the Legislature, the
sixty fourth, the sixty fifth, the sixty sixth and sixty seventh
sessions. Senator Hanna was appointed in 1909 by Governor Hanly as
chairman of the legislative committee to visit and investigate the
needs of the various state institutions. While in the Legislature
he took a very prominent part and was the author of many bills. He
feels that the bill of most importance with which he was connected was
the one making the boards of the various state institutions
nonpartisan. He does not assume the entire credit for this bill, but
was one of the prime movers in its passage.
Senator Hanna was
married to Hortense B. Moore, December 23, 1909. She
is a daughter of Patterson F., deceased, and Willie A. Moore, of
Plainfield. He is a member of the order of Free and Accepted Masons,
the Knights of Pythias and the United Commercial Travelers of America.
It is interesting to note that in the list of legislative celebrities
which was published from time to time in the Indianapolis Star that
Senator Hanna figured in a very interesting sketch in this newspaper on
February 24, 1913. In this sketch he is referred to as a man who
carries his point as often as any other Republican could carry it in
the Indiana Senate. In fact, his optimistic and cheerful demeanor at
all times has won for him a host of warm friends, who are glad to see
him making a name for himself in the political arena of Indiana. He is
rapidly building up a lucrative legal practice in Plainfield and
surrounding territory and is universally recognized as a man of keen
analytical mind who has a good grasp of the law.
JOHN W. ADER
The farmer
is the bulwark of the nation and investigation has shown
that a large majority of our best business and professional men were
reared on the farm. Presidents of the United States and governors of
our own fair state have often come from the rural districts. George
Washington was a farmer and was proud of the fact; Abraham Lincoln was
reared on a farm in Spencer county, Indiana. Probably the most popular
Democratic governor Indiana ever had was "Blue Jeans" Williams, who
prided himself on being a farmer and defeated Benjamin Harrison
for governor with the campaign cry that Harrison was a "Blue Stocking;"
the Republican party has never had a better governor in this state than
that plain, unostentatious farmer, James A. Mount. Verily, the farmers
of to-day are the bulwark of the nation, the salt of the earth.
John W. Ader, the
son of Jacob and Mary (Springer) Ader, was born March
2, 1863, in Putnam county, Indiana. His father was a native of Putnam
county and his mother was born in Schenectady, New York. Jacob Ader was
a farmer all his life, as was his father, Solomon, before him. The
Aders, it is believed, came originally from Ireland, Solomon coming to
this country from Ireland with his parents, and at first settled in
Virginia. From Virginia they went to North Carolina, and Solomon, the
grandfather of the subject of this sketch, came from that state to
Indiana with his family and all his possessions in a two wheel cart.
Jacob Ader died in 1872 and his widow, some years later, married B. G.
Edmundson and is still living at Clayton, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Jacob
Ader were the parents of three children: Solomon, a farmer in Putnam
county; Jacob, who died at the age of two; and John, the immediate
subject of this sketch.
John W. Ader was
given a good practical education in the common schools
of his township and has supplemented his early training with wide
reading and close observation of men and events. In other words he is
well schooled in the affairs of the business world, an education that
teachers and books cannot give. He spent his summers on the farm while
he was still of school age and continued to work on the farm until his
marriage, at the age of twenty one. His father had died when he was
only nine years of age and this necessitated him taking considerable
responsibility on his shoulders at an early age.
Mr. Ader was
united in marriage on September 11, 1884 to Jennie
Shepherd, a girl with whom he had gone to school. She is
the daughter of
James P. and Margaret (Weller)
Shepherd. She was born and reared near
Mr. Ader's home in Putnam county. To this happy union there have been
born six children, four of whom are living: Tressie Olive, who is a
music teacher, and lives at home; Jacob, who is a student in the School
of Medicine, of Indiana University, will receive the degree of Bachelor
of Science in June, 1914, and the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1916.
He is taking the full seven years' course which is prescribed by the
university, the last three years of which is given at Indianapolis. He
is a member of the Greek-letter fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta and the
medical fraternity of Phi Rho Sigma; the third child of Mr. and Mrs.
Ader is Shirley Florence, who is a graduate of the high school, at
Danville, and also of both the scientific and the classic courses of
the Central Normal College. During the year 1913-1914 she is teaching
English and
art in high school at Jonesboro, Indiana; the youngest
child is Helen, who is now a sophomore in the Danville high school.
Immediately after his marriage Mr.
Ader went on a farm and was
successful from the start, and within four years was able to
purchase a general store at Groveland, which he managed no less
successfully for the next five years. While he was on the farm he
became interested in the buying and selling of horses and when he went
into the mercantile business he continued to handle horses. In fact the
handling of the horses interfered with the operation of his store, so
he sold it and engaged in the buying and selling of stock
exclusively. He went into partnership with Henry Underwood at Groveland
in Putnam county and in the next few years laid the basis of his
present substantial holdings. In 1893 ^e moved to Danville where he
continued in the same business and in the next fourteen years became
known as one of the most substantial business men of the county. He
invested in land and owns some of the finest farming land to be found
in the state. He also bought town property in Danville and has recently
built one of the most modern and up-to-date houses in the town. In 1908
he was elected sheriff on the Democratic ticket, by a good majority,
despite the fact that the county is normally Republican. His
administration of the office was so satisfactory that he was re-elected
in 1910 without any difficulty; his last term of office expires January
1, 1913. It is safe to say that Hendricks county never had a more
efficient and popular sheriff than John Ader.
Mr. Ader is a
member of the Free and Accepted Masons, at Groveland, and
has been a close student of Masonry for many years. He and all the
members of his family are devoted and consistent adherents of the
Presbyterian church, at
Danville, and contribute freely of their means to the
support of the various, organizations of that denomination. Mr.
Ader is a man who makes friends everywhere he goes and probably has as
wide an acquaintance throughout the county as any other man.
Personally, he is a splendid specimen of manhood, more than six feet in
height and tipping the scales around two hundred and fifty. His life
has been a busy and useful one and no citizen in the county is held in
higher esteem by his fellow citizens than Mr. Ader. His career
shows what may be accomplished by the exercise of tireless energy
and upright dealings.
JAMES E. HUMSTON
Whether the
elements of success in this life are innate attributes of
the individual or whether they are quickened by a process of
circumstantial development, it is impossible to clearly determine. Yet
the study of a successful life, whatever the field of endeavor, is
none the less interesting and profitable by reason of the existence of
this same uncertainty. In the life record of James E. Humston, who for
many years has been identified with various interests in Hendricks
county, Indiana, we find many qualities in his make-up that always gain
definite success in any career if properly directed. The splendid
success which has crowned his efforts has been directly traceable
to the salient points in his character, for he started in life at the
bottom of the ladder, which he mounted unaided. He comes of a splendid
American family, one that has always been strong for right living and
industrious habits, for education and morality, for loyalty to the
national government, and for all that contributes to the welfare of a
community., and, because of his success in life and his high personal
character, he is clearly entitled to specific mention in the annals of
his county.
Among the Civil
War veterans of Hendricks county, who have not yet
answered the final roll call, is James E. Humston, who was born in
Lawrence county, Indiana, August 13, 1844, the son of William M. and
Lovina E. (Glover) Humston, the former a native of Tennessee and the
latter of Kentucky. William Humston came to Lawrence county, this
state, from Tennessee when a young man and resided in that county until
his death, which occurred in 1872, his wife surviving him several
years. Mr. and Mrs. William Humston were the parents of seven children,
only three of whom are living, W. B.5 of Bedford, Indiana, Laura
H., of Bloomington, Indiana and James E., the immediate subject of this
sketch. James E. Humston was educated in the old fashioned schools
which were
in vogue in his day and spent his boyhood days helping his father on
the farm. When a mere lad of seventeen, he enlisted in Company A,
Sixty seventh Regiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served for three
full years. (He took part in the siege of Vicksburg, in the summer of
1863, and participated in seventeen engagements of the wan) He was
twice taken prisoner, first at Munfordsville, Kentucky, and held at
Alexander, Louisiana, later on, having been taken prisoner twenty seven
days after he enlisted. He was never sick a day during his whole
service and never missed a single roll call, excepting during time he
was in prison. He participated in the battle of Champion's Hill, which
history says was one of the bloodiest battles of the whole Civil War,
and yet was one of the fortunate few who went through the whole service
without being wounded in any way, or having his health impaired in the
slightest. After the close of the war he came back to Lawrence county,
Indiana, and remained there until 1868, when he went west for a short
time. Upon his return to Indiana he was married in 1870 and came to
Danville, this county, where he has since lived. As a farmer he has
been very successful and has accumulated a comfortable competence for
his declining years. While in the active work of directing his farm he
raised all of the crops common to this section of the state, and also
added to his income by the sale of live stock lives in South Dakota
Mr. Humston has
always taken a prominent part in Republican
politics and has served his party on several occasions in
conventions. He was elected assessor of Franklin township for three
terms, and in 1890 was elected recorder of Hendricks county. He is
financially interested in the Danville State Bank and is a director in
that institution at the present time. After his term of office as
county recorder expired in 1895, he moved back to his farm in
Washington township, but did not take a very active part in the
management of the farm. He moved back to Danville in 1905, where he has
since resided.
Mr. Humston was
married February 24, 1870, to Philista T. Woods
who was born and reared in Hendricks county, and to this union were
born five children: Ora Minta, the wife of Joseph M. Miller, of
Clermont, Indiana; Everett E., of Beech Grove, Indiana; Lee W., of
Indianapolis; Cly R., assistant cashier of the Danville. Star Bank, and
Hallie H., who lives in South Dakota
EMMETT R. AND
EMILY GARDNER
Emmett Robert Gardner (born September
1890; D. January 16 1956) was the son Samuel S. Gardner and Dorothy
Gordon Gardner. On August 2, 1916, Emmett married Pearl Marie Winsett
(B. November 1896), the daughter of Gurley Anderson Winsett and Lula
Mae Reaf Winsett.
Emmett and Pearl were born and spent
their first 25 years of their marriage in Warrick County, Indiana, near
Boonesville. He was a farmer in this area and she, in addition to being
a homemaker, which included raising chickens and tending children, had
time to be a 4-H Club leader and teach piano.
The Gardners moved to the Brownburg
area in Hendricks County in 1941 where Emmett managed a farm for Harold
Eager.
Emmett was active in the Calvary
Methodist Church, serving in many offices, including president of the
Men’s Club. Pearl for several years gave piano lessons in the homes of
her students, but then the parents found it more convenient to bring
their youngsters to her home. In 1953, the Gardners retired from
farming and moved to Brownsburg where Pearl at age 79, continues to
teach piano. She has had the pleasure of seeing many of her students
become church pianists and accompanists or singing groups and
Individuals in schools the Brownsburg and Pittsboro areas.
Emmett and Pearl though busy persons,
had time to instill into their children good basic principles, a strong
belief in and dedication to God. Their children are:
Alfred Gardner (B. November 22, 1921)
raised on a small farm east of Hazelwood, Indiana, for 21 years. He was
employed for 30 years at Allison Division of General Motors,
Indianapolis. Alfred was active in the Hazelwood Christian Church,
where he served as a deacon for many years. He and his wife, the former
Sadie M. Pruitt of Alabama, had one son, Robert Gardner, who graduated
from Cascade High School, and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1966.
He became a helicopter pilot and served in Vietnam. He was a Lieutenant
in the Air Force for seven years.
Robert is now with Bell Helicopters
as a flight instructor.
Winifred Deane Gardner (B. October
26, 1918), Emmett and Pearl’s daughter, married Albert C. Hoffman, who
died on April 18, 1949. Winifred moved to Brownsburg in September,
1948. After her marriage to Willard R. Jackson of Jamestown, Indiana,
on December 31, 1953, she was employed at Danners in Brownsburg for
several years.
Winifred has been active in their
church, the Calvary United Methodist, holding several offices, not only
in the local church, but also on the district and conference levels of
the former Women’s Society of Christian Service and the United
Methodist Women. Presently she is serving as the district president of
the Indianapolis West District, United Methodist Women
HAROLD
GARNER FAMILY
Harold Garner was a descendant of
Solomon and Debbie Garner, who migrated from Kentucky to Hendricks
County, Indiana. in the 1830s.
On March 4, 1894, Rollie Garner
grandson of Solomon Garner — married Ella Hufford, whose family also
was among the early settlers of Hendricks County. Rollie and Ella
Garner had 12 children:
Hazel Marie, who died in infancy; Edna Phillips, deceased; Berniece Davis of Speedway; Hubert of Martinsville; Mable Miller of Carmel; Merle Myers, deceased; Harold, deceased; Inez, deceased; Lois Canary, deceased; Edith Otto of Green
castle; Johanna Shirley of
Zions ville, and Helen Wing of
Payson, Arizona.
Their children live in all parts of the United States. Still living in the Browns
burg area are Bueford
Phillips, Jean Phillips
Mabbitt, Melvin Phillips, Glen Phillips and Joyce Phillips Snowball.
Bernice Tremaine Garner, widow of
Harold Garner; their son, John N. Garner; his wife, Sharon Cook Garner,
and their children, Lee Anne and John Steven Garner, also live in the
Brownsburg area.
KEITH
GARNER FAMILY
Keith Garner is a Hendricks
County farmer who was born on March 1, 1918, in Brown Township. He is
the youngest of three children of Hariy M and Susan L Jenkins Garner.
His two sisters are Lillian E.
Garner Batz, born on August 14, 1907, and Catherine Garner Buchanan,
born on August 11, 1916. Both sisters live in Brownsburg.
Harry
Garner was born in Hendricks County on December 20, 1884. and was also
a farmer. He owned 80 acres and rented and cultivated 80 additional
acres. He died on June 3, 1933. Susan Garner was born in Hendricks
County on December 24, 1884, and died on April 12, 1931.
Keith‘s paternal grandparents were Albert Thomas Garner, also a farmer,
born in Brownsburg on February 29, 1856, and died on March 9. 1926; and
Esther Florence Duncan Garner, also born in Brownsburg on December 6,
1885, and died on October 31. 1933. His maternal grandparents were
William M. and Elizabeth J. Townsend Jenkins (The biography of William
Jenkins was included in the 1885 History of Hendricks County.)
Keith Garner’s
great-grandparents were Harrison B. Garner, who was born in Bath
County, Kentucky, on February 28, 1828, and died on September 22, 1901,
and Frances Lowder Garner, born on August 27, 1831, and died on
February 1, 1905; James W and Rachel Townsend, who were from Fountain
County, Indiana, and John and Rebecca Jenkins, who were early settlers
of Hendricks County.
Keith ‘s great-great-grandfather, Solomon B. Garner, was born in 1787. He entered 80 acres of land in Brown Township on May 2, 1832, another 82 acres on February 15, 1834, and 40 acres on February 22, 1836. He died on February 8, 1860. Solomon ‘s wife was Deborah Clemens Garner (there is some doubt as to her last name; some believe it was Lyons) who was born on January 6, 1804, and died on September 21, 1881.
The original Garner name was
“Bumgarner” but Solomon ‘s father, George. dropped the “Bum” when the
mill workers began calling him “Garner" George’s children then
continued to be called Garner, using the “B” as their middle initial.
No legal action was required at that time to change your name.
Keith Garner graduated from Brownsburg High School in 1936 after
attending grade school in Brown Township. He married
Lettie J. Bradshaw, who was born in 1850. Their son, George Ola Ward,
was born in May, 1878, and his wife, Millie Jane Euliss, was born in
November, 1877. It was their daughter, Isabelle, who was Irene Blessing
Ashley ‘s mother.
Irene ‘s father, Charles Blessing, was the son of Elmer Morton
Blessing, born on August 30, 1863, and Mary Elizabeth Maloney Blessing,
born on January 31, 1859.
Robert Lewis Ashley is the son of Jesse Byran Ashley, who was born in
July, 1895, and Alfretta Fern Hurt Ashley, who was born in January,
1898. They were the parents of two other children: Betty Rose Ashley,
born in June, 1926, and Alberta Ruth Ashley, born in October, 1930.
Robert Ashley's maternal grandparents were Albert and Rose Couch Hurt,
and his paternal grandparents were Thomas and Lilly Ashley.
Robert graduated from Ladoga High School in 1940. He served in the U.S.
Army from 1943 to 1946. He is a member of the Pittsboro Masonic Lodge
and is employed as a tool and die maker at General Motors. The Ashleys
attend the Pittsboro Christian Church.
ISAAC J. ATKINSON FAMILY
Isaac John Atkinson (B. 1875:
D. 1937) and Amy Ethel Hadley Atkinson (B. 1878; D. 1969) were married
on April 18, 1900. Isaac was the son of Riley Dixon and Ann Williams
Atkinson, and Ethel was the daughter of James Newton and Almira Jane
Harvey Hadley.
Isaac and Ethel Atkinson had seven children: Wallace Hadley (B. July
24, 1903), Ruth May (B. July 27, 1906), Maurice and Miriam, twins (13.
September 4, 1909), Margaret (B. November 25, 1911), Myra Ann (B.
February 17, 1915) and Helen Elizabeth (B. January 30, 1918).
Ruth May Atkinson married Charles A. Moore (B. 1900; D. 1946) in
August, 1927.
Maurice Atkinson married Dorothy L. Rutledge (B. 1913) on March 26,
1937.
Myra Ann Atkinson married Harold Swift (B. 1914) on May 17, 1935.
Helen Elizabeth Atkinson married Virgil F. Agan (B. 1918) on November 3, 1939.
Wallace Atkinson remained at home, and continued to farm after the
death of his father.
Miriam Atkinson, the twin sister of
Maurice, was a librarian for many years on the staff of the
Indianapolis Public Library and later was head librarian of the
Indianapolis Museum of Art.
Margaret Atkinson was a secretary for many years at the Indianapolis
Machinery Co.
Isaac Atkinson and his wife, Ethel, were members of the Friends Church,
and both were active in community affairs. Isaac was a farmer; Ethel
was a musician and a teacher.
Both sides of the Atkinson family have their roots in North Carolina,
Isaac ‘s wife, Amy Ethel Hadley Atkinson, was the granddaughter of John
and Eleanor Chammnes Hadley. and John was the son of Thomas and Mary
New tin Hadley, Ethel’s maternal grandparents were Eli and A my Wright
Harvey. Isaac’s maternal grandparents were Isaac and Sybil Carter
Williams.
Isaac’s father, Riley Atkinson, told his children and grandchildren
many stories of life in early-day Indiana about how the Indians
returned each year to camp beside the creek and springs on the Atkinson
farm, to barter and trade with local families. And, he would recall,
the Indians usually got the best of the bargain. He also recalled that
some of the first voting in the county was conducted at the Atkinson
family’s old saltbox house.
Amy Atkinson ‘s grandfather, John Hadley Sr., first made the trip to
Indiana from Chatham County, North Carolina, in 1821. riding horseback
through the Cumberland Gap wilderness. The journey required three
months, but John tarried only long enough to purchase a tract of
government land near Mooresville. He returned to North~ Carolina and
brought his family to their new Indiana homestead in 1823.
EUGENE O. AYERS FAMILY
Eugene Oliver Ayers and his twin
sister, Corn, were born on February 21, 1866, near Danvile. Their
parents were James and Margaret Long Ayers. Other children in the
family were Naomi Elizabeth (Duncan), Ella (Magee), Marcella (Van
Note), Claudia (Sheets) and William.
Cora Ayers married Minton Mitchell, and Eugene Ayers married Mary Lucy Gentry,
known as Lucy. Gene and Lucy Ayers lived in Maplewood, Indiana, for
several years, and their three children, Josephine Naomi and Hi/don,
were born there. During this period, and for many years after moving to
Jamestown, Gene drove a huckster wagon and was a familiar figure over
the countryside north and west of Danville.
Gene and Lucy and their children moved to Jamestown shortly after
Hildon Ayers was born in 1906.
Josephine Ayers married George Huber. They lived in Lizton, where
George was president of the State Bank of Lizton until his death in
1962. Their daughter, Georganna, married Robert Julius, and they now
live in Flora, Indiana. Their children are Cynthia Yeakley, who has two
children, and Robert Julius J1, now a college student.
Naomi Ayers married Paul Jeffries. Their children are James and Jerome
Jeffries. James now lives near Delphi, Indiana, and has three children,
Paul Thomas, Vincent and Joseph.
Jerome Jeffries lives at Lafayette,
Indiana. His children are Deborah, Michael, Timothy, Patricia, Caren
and Shirley.
Naomi is now living at Delphi
and Josephine Huber lives in Pittsboro.
Hildon E. Ayers graduated from
Jamestown High School in 1925 and attended Wabash College. In 1935, he
started working at the Pittsboro branch, State Bank of Lizton and was
associated with the bank until his death in 1973. He lived in Pittsboro.
Hildon Ayers married Imogene Graves, and their sons are John, Peter and
Matthew.
Hildon was trustee of Middle Township from 1947 until 1955, and he was
a member of Pittsboro Masonic Lodge and Pittsboro Christian Church.
John Ayers married Betty Blanton. They now live in State College,
Pennsylvania, with their two children, Mark and Kristin.
Peter Ayers married Nancy Sparks.
Their children are Lucinda and Christopher, and they live near
Cincinnati.
Matthew Ayers married Jan Groves.
They live at Pittsboro, and Matthew works at the State Bank of Lizton
in Lizton.
Imogene Ayers is now living in Pittsboro