HENRY
COUNTY, INDIANA BIOGRAPHY
FREDERICK
EUGENE GLIDDEN
Frederick Eugene Glidden, who was the
eldest son of his parents, was born in the village of Aurora, New York,
March
27, 1837, and died June 7. 1900. On June 23, 1859, he was united in
marriage
with Julia Ann Martin. She was the daughter of Simon and Mary (Waddell)
Martin and was born December 6, 1841. Her father's parents were Simon
and Sarah
(Crouch) Martin, natives of Delaware,
who came to Indiana and settled in Union County about 1814. Her
mother's parents were Charles and
Elizabeth Waddell. natives of Maryland, who settled in Union County in
1807, where
their daughter, Mary Waddell, was born August 6. 1821. Simon and Mary
(Waddell)
Martin were married April 5, 1838. in Union County and moved to Rush
County,
just southwest of Lewisville. in February, 1841. He became one of the
most
prominent and progressive farmers of the county and his last years were
spent in honorable retirement at Richmond, Wayne County. He was born
April 4, 1817,
and died June 21, 1898. His remains are buried in Zion Cemetery,
Raleigh, Rush
County.
To the union of Frederick Eugene
Glidden and Julia Ann (Martin) Glidden were born six children, namely:
Amos F.,
born January 18, 1860, married to Fannie Elwell at Raleigh, Rush
County,
March 7, 1881, by the Reverend J. F. Rhoades. and now living at
Raleigh;
Cornelia B., born April 22. 1862, married to Charles E. Barrett. April
28, 1881, at
Greenfield, Hancock County, by the Reverend J. V. Rhoades, and now
living at Indianapolis;
Ira, born August 30. 1866, married to Lola Moore by the Reverend P. C.
Cauble. at Sullivan, Indiana, where they now reside: Mary, born
February 20, 1872;
Gertrude, now deceased; and Simon Martin, so named after his maternal
grandfather, born October i, 1880. Frederick E. Glidden learned the
trade of
a jeweler under his father and continued
to abide with his parents until his marriage, when he moved onto the
farm of his father-in-law and
assisted in its management, besides looking after a multiplicity of
affairs which began to
devolve upon him, bringing to bear the same thoroughness and diligence
as marked his
after life.
When the Civil War began, Mr. Glidden
determined to enter the country's service, but the early enlistment of
his
brother Augustus prevented his getting into the service until 1862,
when he
enlisted in Company I, 84th Indiana Infantry, of which James W. Fellows
of Lewisville
was the Captain, and was mustered into the service of the United
States, as
Corporal, August 19, 1862. He was a brave and efficient soldier and
enjoyed the
confidence and esteem of his officers and comrades. He participated in
all the
marches, skirmishes and battles of his regiment until his muster out
with
the regiment, June 14, 1865. Before muster out, however, his
faithfulness to duty and
soldierly qualities had brought him deserved recognition and he was
appointed a duty
sergeant of his company. Upon
the restoration of peace, Mr. Glidden returned to his family, which
during his absence, had made their home
with Mrs. Glidden's father, on the farm in Rush County, four miles
southwest of
Lewisville. Here he remained for a year after his return from the war,
when
he became the station agent of the old Indiana Central, now better
known as
the Pennsylvania, railroad, at Lewisville, in December, 1866. He
continued in this
position for some four or five years, when he was appointed and
qualified as
guardian of the person and estate of the late Eli Davis. Davis was a
pioneer
merchant, stock and grain dealer of Lewisville, and before the day of
railroads used to
market produce by wagon at Cincinnati, returning with merchandise. From
old age
and other causes, he became imbecile.
At the time Mr. Glidden was appointed custodian, the Davis estate was
worth fully one hundred and fifty thousand
dollars, at that time, next to the largest estate in Henry County. The
trust
was regarded as an onerous one but
Mr. Glidden remained custodian of the
same until some time after the death of Mr. Davis, and met the
responsibilities of
the position with signal ability and success. Under his close and
careful
management, the estate was greatly increased in value and the interests
of the heirs
thereby conserved.
In 1875 Mr. Glidden moved from
Lewisville to Greenfield, Hancock County, Indiana, where he established
himself in
the jewelry business, gradually enlarging the same, during the nine
years that he
continued there, until he became one of the leading jewelers of the
State, outside
of Indianapolis. He was one of Greenfield's active citizens and was a
number of times
elected a member of the City Council,
an honor unsought by him, which position he filled with credit to
himself and to the city.
While living at Greenfield, Mr. Glidden joined the Methodist Episcopal
Church to which he became a
loyal supporter and willing contributor until his death.
In 1884 he left Greenfield and moved
to Sullivan, Sullivan County, Indiana, where he remained four years.
Upon his
father's death in 1888, he returned to Lewisville where he bought and
operated
the old Davis Mill until its destruction by fire in July, 1896. The
death of his
father and later of his brother, Augustus Glidden, threw the burden of
the
settlement of their large and somewhat complicated estates upon him and
in the course of time
everything was satisfactorily and
honorably adjusted. In these affairs he demonstrated his tact and
business management and
clearly proved his ability and judgment in the handling of large
affairs. He was greatly interested in
securing banking facilities for Lewisville but did not live to see his
efforts in
this direction bear fruit.
After the destruction of the Davis
Mill, Mr. Glidden may be said to have lead a quiet life, spending most
of his time in
looking after his farming and other interests, himself and wife owning
about
three hundred acres of splendid land, situate in the counties of Henry
and Rush,
near Lewisville. He was a loyal citizen to the interests of Lewisville,
and when he passed away, his fellow citizens felt that one of their
strongest supports
had been removed. Mr. Glidden
was a member of the Lewisville Lodge, No. 72, Ancient Free and Accepted
Masons; a member of the
Greenfield Chapter. Royal Arch Masons, and a member of Knightstown
Commandery of
Knights Templar. He was also a
member of Harmon Royal Post, No. 360, Grand Army of the Republic,
Spiceland. Upon his death in
1900, the funeral was conducted by Lewisville Lodge, No. 72, and the
sermon was delivered by his former
pastor, the Reverend C. W. Smith, of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
assisted by the Reverend W. H. Pierce, who had been his comrade in the
84th Indiana.
A large concourse of relatives, friends and acquaintances followed his
remains to
the grave in the family lot at Raleigh. Rush County, where his body was
laid away
with the beautiful, solemn and impressive
ceremonies of the Masonic ritual.
To have outlined in this narrative,
his successes in business and his honors in war. is to give only the
outward
semblance of the man. His kindly and benevolent nature endeared him to
his
friends, his charity called down the blessings of the needy, while his
capacity for
affairs and his fidelity to duty commended him to all. During his life
he was
assisted in his many affairs by his estimable wife who since his death
has demonstrated
her excellent judgment in business by the management of their former
joint
interests. She now occupies the large, spacious and well appointed
homestead
at Lewisville, where she maintains a happy home and dispenses a
generous
hospitality.
AUGUSTUS
GLIDDEN
Augustus Glidden, brother of
Frederick E., at the beginning of the Civil War, enlisted in Company A.
36th Indiana
Infantry, and was mustered into the service of the United States, as
Wagoner,
September 11, 1861. He participated in the marches, skirmishes and
battles of that
regiment, until his muster out September 21. 1864. He was a good
soldier and a
member of Joel Wolfe Post. No. 81, Grand Army of the Republic,
Rushville. He is
buried at Raleigh, Indiana.
After the war, he turned his
attention to horse breeding at which he accumulated a comfortable
fortune. This well known
horseman died at the home of
his brother in Lewisville, May 5, 1896, after an illness of several
months.
He was a shrewd man of business and
economical in his habits, had no superior as a driver and developed and
sold many
valuable race horses.
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