Arthur L. Evens was born in Cloverdale township, this county. August 23, 1862, and is a son of John W. and Margaret (Callahan) Evens. He received a common school education and when very young, fourteen years of age, he began working out by the month in order to get a start, and, being an energetic lad, he soon had a good foothold. He married Louisa E. Lewis, daughter of Israel G. and Susan J. Lewis, her father being a well-known minister in the Methodist Episcopal church of Putnam county, and regarded by everyone as a good and useful man. Mr. and Mrs. Evens began their married life on the farm belonging to the latter's mother. It is located in section 15, consisting of two hundred and sixty acres, in Warren township. This splendid farm is now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Evens, they having bought out the other heirs, except that of Susan Jane Lewis, Mrs. Evens' sister.
Mr. Evens carries on general farming very successfully, but he finds time to do a great deal of general contracting and building. He is also interested in stock raising and, although a very busy man the year round, he manifests an interest in the affairs of his county, serving very creditably as trustee of his township for a term of four years, from 1904 to 1908; he also served his township as assessor from 1890 to 1896. He is a Republican.
Mr. and Mrs. Evens are the parents of one child, Roy Lewis, born June 3, 1890. He attended the common schools, after which he took a course in DePauw University. He is assisting his father in the management of the home farm and is a young man of much business ability and promise.
"Weiks History of Putnam County Indiana" by Jesse W. Weik. 1910
B.F. Bowen & Co., Publishers, Indianapolis IN
The able and popular cashier of the First National Bank of Greencastle, William L. Denman, is most consistently accorded recognition in a work of the province assigned to the one at hand, since it has to do with the representative citizens of Putnam county, of which number he is unquestionably a worthy member and has long played well his part in the development of the interests of this locality, indorsing every movement which he believes will prove beneficial to the general public. He has sought to maintain the high standing of his ancestors, who were prominent and highly respected citizens of Montgomery county in the early days, and he has therefore won and retained the confidence and good will of all classes.
Mr. Denman was born on December 7, 1858, near Alamo, Montgomery county, Indiana. His father, Moses H. Denman, was also born in that county, his birth occurring in 1823. He was a prosperous farmer and operated the first steam threshing machine ever seen in his vicinity. He was summoned to close his earthly accounts on October 29. 1868, as the result of injuries received to his arm, which was caught in the machinery of his thresher.
William L. Denman's mother was known in her maidenhood as Jemima Lee. She was born in 1823, in Vigo county, Indiana, the daughter of John Lee, a pioneer Baptist minister, living four miles east of Crawfordsville at a hamlet known as Smartsberg. Her parents came to Montgomery county as early as 1824 and here the father became widely known and accomplished a great deal of good among the early settlers. John Lee, brother of Jemima, was the first white male child born in Montgomery county. He became a noted contractor and built the Logansport division of the Vandalia railroad. Mrs. Moses H. Denman, a woman of many praiseworthy traits of character, passed to her rest in 1896, at the age of seventy-two years. She was the mother of twelve children, six of whom are living in 1910, namely: John W., Elizabeth A., James W., Mary, Sarah J. and Joel M. are all deceased; Cynthia L., is the widow of Thomas F. Van Cleave; Martha R. is the wife of James A. Myers, of Alamo, Indiana; Alice M. is the wife of William Payton, of Judson, Indiana; Susan M., is the wife of Thomas Foster, of Waveland, Indiana; William L., of this review; Ida F. is the wife of Addison Van Cleave, living near Alamo, this state.
The Denman family is of English stock. William Denman, the paternal grandfather of the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch, was a native of Georgia. He was a sterling pioneer, a Southerner of such a combination of initiative, courage and gentlemanly attributes that he could claim scores of friends wherever he was known and he was very successful in his life work. He and his wife rode on horseback from Georgia to Indiana, a long and somewhat hazardous journey, in the early days, packing all their worldly possessions on their horse and while one rode the other walked. They located in Montgomery county. He had the distinction of serving in the War of 1812. His death occurred about 1870 at the age of eighty-five years. He married Polly Ann Hicks, of Georgia, and they reared a large family.
William L. Denman remained in the town of Alamo until he was thirty years of age, and there received his primary education, later attending the State Normal School at Terre Haute. He began life as a teacher, which line of endeavor he followed with gratifying results for a period of four years, and had he elected to continue teaching he would doubtless have become one of the noted educators of the state, but the business world attracted him and he entered the general mercantile business at Alamo and built up an excellent trade during the four years he maintained his store. During this period he was trustee of Ripley township, being the youngest trustee ever elected in the county up to that time. He performed his duties so faithfully that he was reelected to the office by a greater majority than formerly, in fact, it was the largest majority ever given in that township. This was certainly evidence that, although then quite a young man, the people of his community regarded him as the possessor of unusual acumen and business ability. He has always been loyal to the Democratic cause.
Mr. Denman then moved to Crawfordsville and went into the insurance business, which he followed for one year. He attracted the attention of various insurance companies by his judicious management of his affairs in this line, and he was delegated by the Ohio Farmers' Insurance Company to come to Greencastle and take charge of their agency here, where the company had maintained an office for twelve years and had at that time four hundred and fifty risks. Mr. Denman prosecuted his work so vigorously that within three years there were twenty-two hundred policy holders and the office was doing a thriving business.
After two years' residence here Mr. Denman was elected secretary of the Democratic central committee, and two years later he was nominated for county auditor and in 1894 he was elected to this office for a period of four years. He took office in 1893 and after serving out his allotted time he served two years in the same office as deputy for his successor. He gave the utmost satisfaction in this capacity to all concerned. After severing his connection with the auditor's office he purchased a half interest in the furniture and undertaking establishment of W. P. Ledbetter, in which he remained one year. On February 9, 1903, he became cashier of the First National Bank of Greencastle. He came to this position will qualified in every respect, being a man of rare innate business ability and experience and he was popular throughout the county and a man of known reputable standing. Since that time this institution has doubled its total assets and added the sum of thirty thousand dollars to its surplus fund. In January, 1910, Mr. Denman assumed the position of auditor of the Marg Mining Company, whose mining property is at Ano Nuevo, Old Mexico, a gold and silver property in which he is a heavy stockholder. He expects to be gone for two years.
The chapter in the life of Mr. Denman relating to his domestic affairs dates from June 29, 1889, when he married Ella Sparks, daughter of a highly respected family of Alamo, Montgomery county. She was called to her reward in March, 1898. Four children were born to this union, named as follows: Mary L. is the wife of Paul S. Dee, of Cairo, Illinois; Darnall S., Richard W. and Joel J. On February 14, 1900, Mr. Denham married Louise A. Abrams, who was born in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, the daughter of an excellent family. This union is without issue.
Mr. Denman is a member of the Christian church, of which he has been deacon for a number of years and a liberal supporter, being interested in all phases of church work. Fraternally he belongs to the Masons, in which he has attained to the degree of a Knight Templar, and the Knights of Pythias. Personally Mr. Denman is a man whom everybody likes - genial, jovial, honorable in all his dealings with his fellow men, and he is always ready to do his part in furthering the interests of Putnam county.
"Weiks History of Putnam County Indiana" by Jesse W. Weik. 1910
B.F. Bowen & Co., Publishers, Indianapolis IN
BENJAMIN F. CORWIN. Praise is always due to merit and especially where merit is the product of unassisted energy and perseverance. The self-made man commands our highest respect. Those struggles by means of which he has risen from obscurity to honorable distinction can not fail to enlist sympathy and call forth our warmest applause. Benjamin F. Corwin, popularly regarded as one of the ablest and busiest attorneys of Putnam county, is a notable example of the successful self-made man, and as su.ch has made his influence felt among his fellow citizens in private and public life and by his exemplary life, which has been spent in his home county, he is eminently deserving of the high esteem in which he is held. Mr. Corwin was born in Putnam county, Indiana, December 4, 1859, the son of Benjamin F. Corwin, a native of Mason county, Kentucky, having been born there on February 26, 1811. He was of English descent, being of the sixth generation from Mathias Corwin. His father, George Corwin, was a native of Kentucky, from which state he came to Indiana, locating in Henry county, but remained there only a short time when he came on to Putnam county, where he farmed successfully and died here in the late forties. He married Nancy Thornton and six children were born to them. Thus the Corwin family has been among the history makers in this locality since the pioneer days, and without invidious comparison, suffice it to say that each member of the same has played his part in all relations of life as well as any of the county's foremost citizens. Benjamin F. Corwin, Sr., father of the gentleman whose name initiates this review, devoted his life to farming and merchandising, making a success of both. He first launched in the mercantile business soon after he came to this county, about 1835, selecting the village of Bainbridge for his store, which he maintained there for a period of about fifteen years, doing a very satisfactory business with the surrounding country, many of his customers corning from long distances, for in those days of the first settlers, stores and trading points were not numerous. He acquired considerable land west of Bainbridge, which he operated on an extensive scale until his death, May 2, 1872. He was always ready to assist in the development of the county in any way, and was especially interested in promoting education, and the schools of Bainbridge bore his name on account of his work in their behalf and his liberal support. He was also interested in good roads, and was probably the first man to make an effort to secure macadamized roads for Putnam county. He was identified with the Christian church, but he held independent views on religion.
Benjamin F. Corwin, Sr., married Juliet St. Clair Whitsett, who was born in Montgomery county, Kentucky, June 8, 1825, and when eleven years old, in 1836, she came to Putnam county, Indiana, with her parents. She was a woman of many sterling traits of character and beloved by all who knew her, she reached an advanced age, dying August 13, 1908, at Indianapolis. To this union seven children were born, five of whom are living at this writing, namely: Henry C. died in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1864, while a soldier in the Union army; William R. is a teacher at Fulton, Missouri; Mrs. Margaret Dunnington lives in Indianapolis; George W. died in June, 1905; Mary Corwin lives in Indianapolis, an instructor in the art department of the school for the deaf; Benjamin F., Jr., of this review; Milton T. lives in Cincinnati.
Benjamin F. Corwin was born on the home farm in Monroe township, where he assisted with the general work on the place during the summer months, receiving his primary schooling in the common schools. When thirteen years of age, in 1872, he came to Greencastle and spent one yeas in the public schools, then entered the preparatory school of DePauw University and there diligently pursued his studies for a period of two years, then entered the university proper, taking a four-year course, doing very creditable and satisfactory work, graduating in June, 1879, then being only nineteen years of age. He had decided to devote his talents to the law, and he soon thereafter became a law student in the office of Williamson & Daggey, in Greencastle, with whom he remained for a period of two years. When he was admitted to the bar and at once opened an office and began practicing in this city. He was located in the Williamson block until 1892, when he removed to his present quarters over the First National Bank. In 1883 he formed a partnership with Henry C. Lewis, which continued until the latter's death, in February, 1901, since which time Mr. Corwin has been practicing alone, having built up a large clientele and being one of the most active and powerful members of the local bar. As a lawyer Mr. Corwin is the emanation of his own first inclination, as the echo is of the sounding board that produced it. In forensic disputation his strong weapon is pure reason, by both comparative and deductive processes, without marshaling the aids of rhetoric or eloquence, accessories. it may be added, which, when occasion suggests, are in available reserve. He proceeds firmly and strongly on and along direct lines to his objective, deflecting neither to the right nor to the left. Fluent in expression, with purity and elegance of style, precise and faultless in language and the orderly and symmetrical arrangement of words and ideas, the stream of calm, subtle, sinewy, unbroken logic, disdaining unnecessary ornament and declining the ordinary resources of the orator, is fascinating to hear and often almost irresistible in his persuasion. He possesses the elements of determination, courage, and his mental organism is broad, solid and disciplined to the last degree by thought and study; is singularly free from any narrowness of professional badinage and sport, and the prejudice and partialities of the mere attorney. Mr. Corwin is a Republican and very active in local and state politics, but he has never held public office. He has never assumed the responsibilities of the married state. Fraternally he is a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Modern Woodmen and the Sigma Phi fraternity, taking an especial interest in the latter.
"Weiks History of Putnam County Indiana" by Jesse W. Weik. 1910
B.F. Bowen & Co., Publishers, Indianapolis IN
The record of Charles H. Barnaby is that of an enterprising gentleman who worthily upholds an honored family name and whose life has been very intimately associated with the material prosperity of Putnam county during the most progressive period of its history. He has always been found on the right side of questions looking to the development of his community in any way, and while he has been prominent in the industrial affairs of the county, he has at the same time won an enviable reputation for honesty and wholesome living. He is widely known as a lumber dealer - one of the largest, in fact, in this locality, maintaining at Greencastle an extensive yard, and his office is always a busy place. Mr. Barnaby was born at Bourbon, Marshall county, Indiana, December 21, 1870. His father, long a well known and influential man of this county, was Howard Barnaby, a native of Salem, Ohio, who came to Indiana in the early sixties, locating in Bourbon. He engaged in the lumber and sawmill business, having been associated with a company owning several mills, and in the late seventies, owing to the scarcity of timber, this company located one of its mills in Owen county, and in the spring of 1882 Mr. Barnaby moved his family to Greencastle that they might be close to him. In 1883 he moved the mill from Owen to Putnam county and he continued to operate the same here until his death in July, 1887, at the age of fifty-five years, having been born in 1832. He was a successful business man and honorable in his dealings, provided his family with all the comforts of a good home and leaving them a competency. After his death, Charles H. and Elmer E. Barnaby, his sons took up the milling business. In the spring of 1898, Charles H. purchased the other's interest and carried on the work in a very successful manner, having mastered all the details of the lumber and milling business under his father, who was during his career here one of the best known men in this line in Putnam and adjoining counties.
The mother of Charles H. Barnaby was known in her maidenhood as Rachael Votaw, born and reared near Salem, Ohio, the Votaw family having been prominent there for many years. Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Howard Barnaby, named as follows: Dr. Emma is living at Greencastle; Elmer E. is engaged in the lumber business at Charleston, Missouri; Lorena died in 1888; Cora is the wife of G. W. DeLanoy, of New York City; Louie married E. Parsons and is living in Philadelphia; Charles H., of this review; Mary married W. F. VanLoan, of Dayton, Ohio; Darwin S. lives in Greencastle. The first child born to these parents died in infancy. The mother passed to her rest in 1897, at the age of fifty-eight years, having been born in 1839. The Barnaby family goes back to an English ancestry on the paternal side and to French ancestry on the maternal side. Stephen Barnaby, grandfather of Charles H. Barnaby, was a native of Pennsylvania who settled in Salem, Ohio, where he followed his trade of wagon making. Charles H. Barnaby was eleven years old when his parents brought him from Marshall county, Indiana, to Greencastle. He was educated in the public schools at Bourbon and Greencastle and he began his commercial career when only sixteen years of age on account of his father's death. In July, 1887, he formed a partnership with his brother, as already indicated, and he has continued to deal in lumber ever since. The plant was destroyed by fire ten years ago, but it was replaced, better and more extensive than ever, the entire plant now covering about twenty-five acres, and is known as one of the largest manufacturers of hardwood lumber in this part of the state; the plant also turns out high grade veneer work, operating a band saw-mill which saws from fifteen thousand to twenty thousand feet of lumber daily. To supply this large quantity logs are drawn from a radius of fifty miles of Greencastle. Lumber is marketed in Germany and as far west as San Francisco; a large export trade is carried on in both Germany and England.
Mr. Barnaby was for three years president of the Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen's Association, during which the association thrived and accomplished many important things. He is a member of the National Hardwood Lumber Association, being a member of the executive committee, and is a member of the executive committee of the National Wholesale Lumber Dealers' Association, the National Veneer and Panel Association, the Indiana Retail Lumber Association, and he takes a very active part in all association work and is prominent in lumber circles throughout the United States.
The domestic chapter in Mr. Barnaby's life began on October 30, 1895, when he married Bess Robbins, a lady of culture and refinement, of Louisville, Kentucky, the representative of an excellent old Southern family. She was born, reared and educated in that city. Three interesting children have graced this union, namely: Dorothea, aged twelve; Howard, age nine, and Charles H., Jr., age three. Mrs. Barnaby is a member of the Episcopal church. Fraternally Mr. Barnaby is a Mason and a member of the Knights of Pythias. He is a Republican in politics, but he does not find time to take a very active part; however, he is deeply interested in whatever tends to the general uplift of his community. Personally he is genial, jolly, a good miser, gentleman1y and straightforward in all his dealings with his fellow men. He occupies a conspicuous place among the leading men of Putnam county and enjoys the confidence and esteem of all who knew him. His record demonstrates that where there is a will there is a way and that obstacles to success may be overcome by courage and self-reliance. His career, though strenuous, has been fraught with good to his fellow men, and his example is cordially commended to the south of the land whose life works are yet matters for the future to determine.
Mr. and Mrs. Barnaby have an attractive and modern home which is frequently the gathering place for the many warm friends of the family who never fail to find here genuine hospitality and good cheer.
"Weiks History of Putnam County Indiana" by Jesse W. Weik. 1910
B.F. Bowen & Co., Publishers, Indianapolis IN
DR. EZRA E. EVANS
Success in what are popularly termed the learned professions is the legitimate result of merit and painstaking endeavor. In commercia1 life one may come into possession of a lucrative business through inheritance or gift, but professional advancement is gained only by critical study and consecutive research long continued. Proper intellectual discipline, thorough professional knowledge and the possession and utilization of the qualities and attributes essential to success have made Dr. Ezra E. Evans eminent in his chosen calling, and he stands today among the scholarly and enterprising physicians and surgeons in a community long distinguished for the high order of its medical talent.
Doctor Evans was born in Morgan township, Owen county, Indiana, August 5, 1846. He comes from an excellent ancestry. His father, Samuel P. Evans, was born in Bath county, Kentucky, June 3, 1821, and when four years old he came with his parents to Indiana, locating among the pioneers in Cloverdale township, Putnam county. The Doctor's grandfather, Rev. Thomas Evans, was born May 27, 1799, in Bath county, Kentucky. He was a noted minister in his day and did a great deal of good among the early settlers. He married Amanda (Dolney) Martin and they became the parents of ten children. He came to Putnam county, Indiana, in 1825, and, in connection with his ministry in the Methodist church he carried on farming. Prior to the breaking out of the Civil War he moved to Winterset, Iowa, and later to Mt. Pleasant, that state, where his death occurred in August. 1870.
The Evans family originated in Wales, and in tracing the genealogy of this interesting family we find that Lot Evans was born there in 1643, and that he and his three sons started on a voyage to America with the famous William Penn, but before completing the long, tedious trip, the father died and was buried at sea . Of his three boys, Charles was horn in 1664, Thomas in 1662 and Lot. Jr., in 1666. Thomas Evans, the first, married Martha Elizabeth Roberts, in 1730. She reached the almost incredible age of one hundred and eleven years, dying in 1803. One of their seven children, Thomas Evans, Jr., born in 1739, ran away from home, joined the army and was in the French and Indian war and later fought in the Revolution under Washington. He died in Kentucky in 1825. His wife Sarah died at Russellville, Indiana, June , 1834, at the advanced age of ninety-one years. They became the parents of two children, John and Francis, the former being the great-grandfather of Doctor Evans of this review. He was born October 25, 1763, and died July 2, 1841, at Russellville, Indiana, having devoted his life to the ministry. He married Sarah Prather, who was born in 1766 and who died in 1831 at Russellville, Indiana. They were the parents of seven children, one of whom, Thomas Evans, was the grandfather of Doctor Evans.
Samuel Parker Evans, the Doctor's father, was born June 3, 1821, and at an early day entered land in Morgan township, Owen county, Indiana. This he farmed, later removing to Spencer, this state, where he remained until the fall of 1902, when he moved to Greencastle. He married Mary Swift, who was born near Bloomington, Indiana, where her people were well known and influential for many years. This union resulted in the birth of four children, namely: Louis Benson, who died at the age of eighteen years, while a soldier, March 20, 1862; Dr. Ezra B., subject of this review; Catherine married Robert Speers, now deceased; he was principal of the high school of Evansville for a period of twenty years. Thomas Evans died January 10, 18 j 6, at the age of twenty-one years. The mother of these children was called to her rest on July 29, 1903, at the age of eighty-two years, having been born March 8, 1821.
Doctor Evans spent his boyhood days on the home farm. He was an ambitious lad and studied hard, early forming the ambition to become a practitioner of medicine, with this end in view he took a course in Asbury (now DePauw) University, beginning his studies there in 1865. He began reading medicine in 1868 under Dr. John Wilcox of Greencastle, and after spending eighteen months in his office he entered the University of Virginia, at Charlottesville, from which he was graduated with a very creditable record in 1871. In the fall of that year he began practice in Greencastle, Indiana, and he has remained here ever since. He soon had a very satisfactory patronage with the towns and surrounding country, which has continued to increase until he has won and retained a reputation second to none, his name being familiar in every household in the county and to many in adjoining counties, however, he is not at present in active practice.
Doctor Evans was married on September 3, 1873, to Mary A. Golding, who was born in Greencastle, the accomplished daughter of an influential family, her parents being William O. and Charlotte Adeline (Day) Golding. No children have been born to this union. Mrs. Evans is a member of the Presbyterian church. Fraternally the Doctor belongs to the Masonic lodge No. 47, the Knights Templar Commandery No. 11, being past eminent commander, he belongs to the Knights of Pythias, having passed through all the chairs in the same, and he is also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Politically he is a Republican, and while he has never found much time to interest himself in political matters, he is known to be an advocate of whatever tends to promote the county's interests, politically or otherwise. He was a member of the board of education for three years, and he also served very creditably on the county council. No man in the county is better or more favorably known than he, for he has not only been very successful as a physician, but he is admired for his public spirit and his efforts to bear aloft the honor that has attended the family name since the earliest pioneer days.
"Weiks History of Putnam County Indiana" by Jesse W. Weik. 1910
B.F. Bowen & Co., Publishers, Indianapolis IN
Coupled with Francis M. Lyon's ability as an attorney is his unusual clearness of perception, analytical tact and soundness of theory, also his courteous manners, persistency and unswerving integrity, these and other commendable attributes rendering him one of the strong and influential attorneys of Putnam county and one of the successful practitioners of a community noted for the high order of its legal talent. For many years his office in Greencastle has been a very busy place and many of the principal cases in the local courts find him on one side or the other, always alert, fair, unswerving and always laboring for the interests of his large clientele.
Mr. Lyon represents an old and highly esteemed family of this county, his forebears having located here in an epoch which historians are pleased to allude to as "early" and they have since played well their parts in transforming the locality from its primitive state to the opulent present. He was born at Hamrick Station, Putnam county, Indiana, May 9, 1857. His father was Valentine Lyon, a native of Fluvanna county, Virginia, born April 3, 1798. He there grew to maturity and moved to Owen county, Indiana, in 1820, where he lived until 1846, when he moved to Greencastle for the purpose of educating his children in old Asbury University, being a strong advocate of higher education and a man who delighted in giving his children every opportunity possible, and he was a strong supporter of the university here; also took an active part in the Methodist congregation. He devoted his life to farming and was very successful. Remaining in Putnam until 1861, he returned to Owen county, where he lived until his death in 1887, at the advanced age of nearly ninety years. His long and useful life was a lesson to all who knew him for he never neglected a chance to be of service in any relation of life; scrupulously honest and always hospitable - a typical old-time Virginia gentleman. He married Zarelda Myers, daughter of Noble J. Myers, and she was born on a farm three miles north of Greencastle, January 22, 1826. Her mother was the daughter of Solomon Kaufman. Mrs. Lyon was a woman of many beautiful traits of character, and she passed to her rest in 1906, at the age of eighty years. Valentine Lyon was first married to Mary Payne, a native of Shelby county, Kentucky, which union resulted in the birth of thirteen children, twelve of whom lived to maturity, but only four of this large family are living at this writing. Seven children were born to the second union, named as follows: Charles E. is living in Topeka, Kansas; Francis M., of this review; George W. lives in Clinton, Iowa; Henry Bascom is a resident of Cheyenne, Wyoming; Prof. Oliver L. lives at Enid, Oklahoma; Mrs. Emma Florence Roberts lives near Manhattan, Putnam county; Ulysses G. lives on a farm near Reelsville, Putnam county.
The remote ancestors of the Lyon family were French Acadians, who came into the United States from Nova Scotia, having been banished from Acadia and cast ashore, later landing on the coast of Maryland. From there they went to Virginia where the family became well established and prosperous, there, in Fluvanna county, James Lyon, grandfather of Francis M., was born. The Lyon family has always been strongly bent toward educational and musical lines; nine members of this family of the recent generation were teachers.
Francis M. Lyon was educated in the high school at Spencer, Owen county, Indiana, then attended the Central Normal School at Danville and the State Normal at Terre Haute. His first inclination was to practice medicine and with this end in view he studied medicine during the summer months and taught school in the winter time, soon becoming well known throughout the county as an able and painstaking instructor. In 1889 he was elected superintendent of schools of Putnam county, and so faithfully and well did he perform the duties of this office that he was re-elected three times, holding the office four terms or eight years, during which time the work throughout the county was greatly strengthened, the courses made more attractive to pupils, teachers were encouraged and patrons pleased with the excellent system perfected by him. Had he continued in this line of work he doubtless would have become one of the leading educators of the state, but turning from both teaching and medicine, he began the study of law under Silas A. Hays, making rapid progress and was admitted to the bar in due course of time. He formed a law partnership with Charles T. Peck, which still exists, the firm being one of the best known in the county and regarded as strong and reliable, figuring prominently in all local courts. Mr. Lyon is regarded by his large clientele as a fair, painstaking, energetic champion of their rights, and he is a good lawyer.
Mr. Lyon's domestic life began October 9, 1879, when he married Anna K. Houck, the refined daughter of Anthony and Martha A. Houck, of Putnam county, where Mrs. Lyon was born October 9, 1861. This union has resulted in the birth of three sons, namely: Oscar Earl, who died in infancy; Orrell E. was born on October 26, 1885; Glen Houck Lyon was born on July 17, 1898.
Mr. Lyon is purely a self-made man, educated himself, working hard to do so, and he is deserving of much credit for the success he has achieved. He is attorney for the Western Tin-Plate Company. He is the owner of two fine farms and is extensively engaged in loaning money. For ten years he has been a member of the board of directors of the commercia1 Club of Greencastle.
Fraternally he is a Mason, belonging to the blue lodge, the chapter, commandery, Scottish rite and the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias and belongs to the Gentlemen's Literary Club, a very exclusive organization. In politics he is an active and influential worker in the Democratic ranks, and he and Mrs. Lyon are members of the College Avenue Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Lyon has always taken a great interest in the prosperity and advancement of Putnam county and endorses every movement which he believes will prove a benefit to humanity. He is genial, a good miser, sociable and straightforward in his dealings with his fellow men. His achievements represent the results of honest endeavor along lines where mature judgment has opened the way. He possesses a weight of character, a native sagacity, a discriminating judgment and a fidelity of purpose that command the respect, if not the approva1 of all with whom he is associated. He takes first rank among the leading citizens of Putnam county, being a leader in financial, educational, social and civic affairs.
"Weiks History of Putnam County Indiana" by Jesse W. Weik. 1910
B.F. Bowen & Co., Publishers, Indianapolis IN
CHARLES LUETEKE.
The biographer is glad to herein set forth the salient facts in the eminently successful and honorable career of the well remembered and highly esteemed citizen of Putnam county whose name appears above the last chapter in whose life record has been closed by the hand of death and the sea1 set thereon forever, but whose influence still pervades the lives of those with whom he came in contact. For many years he was closely identified with the industrial development of the county and aided in every way possible in promoting the general good of the community. The terms "progress" and "patriotism" might be considered two of the keynotes of the character of old axiom that "there is room at the top" for any well conducted enterprise. He entered life without anything except his good business judgment, energy and honesty, and besides his well equipped bakery he owned Lindenhurst, one of the finest homes in Greencastle. He was known as a very charitable man. He was exceptionally kind in his home and was at all times respected and trusted in all walks of life. This excellent citizen was called to his rest June 5, 1902, having been suddenly stricken with cerebral hemorrhage while engaged in the regular course of his duties. He was fifty-eight years old and was robust and very active up to the day before he passed away.
Mr. Lueteke was a member and a liberal supporter of the Presbyterian church. He was elected to the city council about 1890 and proved a useful member in urging movements calculated to better the condition of the city. To Mr. and Mrs. Charles Lueteke eight children were born, Harriet, Charles, Frank (deceased), Kellie, Harry, Albert and two children that died in infancy. The mother of these children, who, with her husband, is sleeping the sleep of the just, is remembered as a woman of pleasing personality, kind and gentle bearing and who spared no pains in rearing her children in a wholesome home atmosphere. She was born in Mecklenberg, Germany, November 2, 1844, the daughter of Fredrica and Carl Voss, the father a forester of the above named city. She came to America with Charles Lueteke, whom she married in the Fatherland, August 30, 1870, and during all the business vicissitudes of her husband she proved to be a wise counselor and her encouragement and optimism were no doubt very largely responsible for much of his later success. The vocation of her father and the beautiful character of her mother gave her superior advantages for the development of a rich, full life and close comradeship with what is best in the three kingdoms. She was by nature of a deep religious character, but in the home was where her virtues shone with a peculiar luster. She was reared in the Lutheran faith, but since this denomination had no existence in Greencastle she united with her family in full membership with the Presbyterian church, October 22, 1881. She was strong in humanity and large in the making and keeping of friends. She was always ready and very willing to comfort the sorrowing and raise the fallen. Her sincere friendships included what was best in every rank of society. This good woman was called to her reward May 11, 1908, and it seemed fitting that she and her husband both should meet their Pilot face to face in the full tide of May when everything in nature betokens a coming of perfect fruit and cloudless skies.
Charles Lueteke, Jr., the eldest son of the family, who is proving a worthy son and taking his place among the progressive citizens of Greencastle, was born at Greencastle, Indiana. He received good educational advantages and, under the guidance of his father, he soon learned the bakery business and was thereby well qualified to assume full charge of the same upon the death of his father, and he has been very successful, devoting his close personal attention to every detail of the business, carrying on both a wholesale and retail trade which are extensive in their scope, enjoying not only a very satisfactory patronage in Greencastle, but also with the surrounding towns.
Fraternally Mr. Lueteke is a member of the Elks and Independent Order of Odd Fellows and a Republican in politics. He is a member of the city council from the third ward and rendering good service to his immediate constituents as well as the people at large. He seems to have inherited his father's geniality and popularity, is liked by everybody and fulfills all the requirements of a good citizen. He is a liberal giver in the cause of worthy charities, but does it without ostentation.
On March 31, 1903, Charles Lueteke, Jr., married Mary E. Hibbitt, daughter of Edward E. Hibbitt, of Greencastle. The Lueteke family has long been popular in all circles in this city and none enjoy a wider acquaintance or more true friends. They are fine examples of our best German citizenship, industrious, frugal, enterprising and cheerfully aid in all worthy causes to help along the community and build up the town, thereby making themselves popular with all classes.
"Weiks History of Putnam County Indiana" by Jesse W. Weik. 1910
B.F. Bowen & Co., Publishers, Indianapolis IN
ISAIAH VERMILLION.
One of the sterling pioneers of the Middle West who figured in the history of the early days and assisted in paving the way for subsequent development was Isaiah Vermillion, who was born March 24, 1782, probably in Virginia, and, after a remarkable career for those days, which was prolonged to well nigh the century mark, he passed away on October 23, 1871, in Monroe township, Putnam county, Indiana, where he had long been an honored resident. He grew up to hard toil and received only the mere rudiments of learning. When he reached maturity he married Tabitha Cumi Akers, who was born January 18, 1799, and who passed to her rest September 1, 1879, having lived four score years. Their family consisted of the following children: Eight reached maturity; Anderson, who is mentioned in the sketch of O. L. Jones; Woodford spent his life in Putnam county, but died in Montgomery county; Millie married Nelson Wood; Cynthia married Allen Cox; Permelia married Franklin Harrah; Cyrena, who married Robert Brothers, is the only survivor; Clarissa married Americus Young; Franklin died when a young man; Lucinda married Thomas Slavons, Isaiah Vermillion became a well known minister in the Predestination Baptist church. He devoted his life principally to farming and was fairly successful, being a hard worker. He was a man whose word was never discredited and whose deeds were always in accordance with right living and right thinking.
"Weiks History of Putnam County Indiana" by Jesse W. Weik. 1910
B.F. Bowen & Co., Publishers, Indianapolis IN
Raser Bittles was born near Waterford, Erie county, Pennsylvania, October 6, 1857. He is the scion of an excellent ancestry, many representatives of which figured more or less conspicuously in and business life in the Emerald Isle. His father, Thomas Bittles, was born in the county of Annagh, near Belfast, Ireland, and there grew to maturity and was educated. He joined the tide of emigration setting in strongly for the United States in 1850, and selected as his location Waterford, Pennsylvania. He devoted his life to agricultural pursuits in that vicinity, establishing a good home there, winning the honor and confidence of all his neighbors, and spent the remaining years of his life very comfortably, passing to his eternal rest in 1898, at the advanced age of eighty-three years, his birth having occurred in 1815. He was of strong religious convictions, having been a member of the Presbyterian church. Thomas Bittles married Jane Matchett, a native of county Annagh, Ireland, where she grew to maturity and where they were married. This union resulted in the birth of seven children, namely: Mrs. Maggie Reynolds, of Springboro, Crawford county, Pennsylvania, where John Wesley also lives; Robert James is deceased; Raser, of this sketch; Addie Jane Brown lives in Carbondale, Illinois; William Charles lives in Westfield, New York; Andrew Bell is a resident of Oil City, Pennsylvania. The latter was adopted by an aunt and now bears the name of Gordon. The mother of the children just enumerated passed to her rest on April 4, 1863, at the age of thirty-seven years. The father remarried, his second wife being Miss Eliza Taylor, of Waterford, Pennsylvania, and this union resulted in the birth of three children, Allen J., of Meadville, Pennsylvania; Emmett, of Albion, Pennsylvania; Elizabeth, of Girard, Pennsylvania. The mother of these children is living at Union City, that state. Raser Bittles lived at Waterford, Pennsylvania, until he was seventeen years of age. He received his schooling in the public schools there, receiving a very serviceable education, which has later in life been greatly supplemented by miscellaneous reading and contact with the business world. He began life by farming, and after four years at hard work in the fields he began working in a factory as a common laborer, which he continued for two years or until he had learned the mechanical part of the work, this was in the handle factory of A. L. Clark & Son, in which factory he worked as a mechanic for a period of fourteen years, thoroughly mastering the business in the meantime. In 1893 he went in business for himself, having come west to Putnam county, Indiana, establishing the Roachdale Handle Company, which he conducted there for a period of eight years, building up a very extensive patronage, so that he sought a larger field and better shipping facilities, moving to Greencastle in 1903. Here he carries on his business under the individua1 name, R. Bittles, having purchased the balance of the stock owned by A. J. Brake. His business has continued to grow until it has reached remote parts of the country, his factory being equipped with all modern appliances were twenty skilled workmen are constantly employed, making D handles for shovels and spades. Only high class work is turned out and the best of material used, and the result of this conscientious, straightforward and honest manner of conducting his business has been the large rewards that always come as the sequel to rightly applied energy. Mr. Bittles is a self-made man and is deserving of the large success that has attended his efforts.
The chapter bearing on the domestic life of Raser Bittles dates from October 31, 1883, when he married Susie M. Hollingshead, the representative of an honored and influential family of Dunkirk, Indiana, the daughter of Thomas and Prudence (Peck) Hollingshead, the father a native of Delaware county, Indiana, and the mother of Blackford county, this state. Mr. Hollingshead was a farmer and lived in Delaware county until his death in January, 1872, at the early age of thirty-three years, having been born in 1839. He was a Mason; his parents came from Greene county, Ohio, reaching Indiana about 1836. The mother of Mrs. Bittles was born February 27, 1842, and her parents came from Ohio in 1838. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Hollingshead, one dying in infancy; James H. lives in Ft. Smith, Arkansas, where he is engaged in the manufacture of handles. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bittles, named as follows: Alta, born September 10, 1884; Frank, born February 20, 1885; Claire, born August 5, 1892; Mary, born May 14, 1895; James, born October 6, 1897. They are all living at home at this writing. Alta graduated from DePauw University in 1907, and Frank is a senior in that institution and graduates with the class of 1910. Claire is a freshman in DePauw, Mary and James are in the graded schools.
Mr. and Mrs. Bittles and their three oldest children are members of the College Avenue Methodist Episcopal church, Mrs. Bittles is an active worker in the Woman's Christian Temperance Union of this congregation.
Fraternally Mr. Bittles is a Mason, belonging to Temple Lodge. No. 47, having joined this fraternity in 1881. He is also a member of Greencastle Chapter, No. 22. Royal Arch Masons and Greencastle Commandery, No. 11, Knights Templar. Politically he is a Republican and he has long taken more or less interest in public affairs. At the present time is a member of the city council of Greencastle. Mr. Bittles has a fine home on East Washington street, which is known to a large circle of friends as a place where genuine hospitality and good cheer ever prevail.
"Weiks History of Putnam County Indiana" by Jesse W. Weik. 1910
B.F. Bowen & Co., Publishers, Indianapolis IN
Among the successful and well known physicians of Putnam county is Dr. Everett M. Hurst, of Cloverdale, who is enjoying a splendid reputation and a large clientele because of the ability he has displayed in the treatment of disease and also because of his high personal character. He is a representative citizen of the community and is well entitled to specific mention in a work of this character. A complete genealogical record of the Hurst family appears elsewhere in this volume and mention will only be made here of the Doctor's immediate ancestors. His paternal grandfather was Jefferson Hurst, who was born in Marion township, Putnam county, Indiana, March 28, 1824, the son of William and Fanny Hurst, the former a native of Virginia. The family came to Putnam county in 1823, being among the first settlers in the county. They located at Deer creek, Marion township, where the father entered several tracts of government land. He at once cleared a small space and erected a log cabin, putting in a small crop of corn the first year. He died in 1850, widely known and highly respected by all who knew him. In politics he was a Democrat and in religion he was a member of the Primitive Baptist church. He was known far and wide as a peacemaker and was frequently called upon to settle neighborhood disputes.
Jefferson Hurst was reared to manhood under the parental roof, receiving a somewhat limited education in the common schools. He had a large experience in pioneer life, and it is said attended log rollings for two weeks at a time. On December 24, 1841, he married Elsie Vowel, and they became the parents of eight children, Martin C., William. Levi, Squire J., James H., George W., Benjamin F. and Mary J., the wife of Daniel V. Moffett. Mrs. Elsie Hurst died on November, 1879, and on September 1, 1881, Mr. Hurst married Mary E. Tilley, of Owen county, to which union were born two children, Joseph B. and Flossie M. Mr. Hurst settled upon his farm in section 36.
Greencastle township, about 1862, owning about six hundred acres of land, which was considered one of the best farms in the county. He was a member of the Primitive Baptist church, of which he was clerk.
The subject's father, William Hurst, was born in Greencastle township, April 3, 1818, and was reared on the home farm, securing his education in the common schools. He remained at home until his marriage on February 5, 1874, to Martha A. Dorsett, after which he engaged in buying and shipping livestock, which occupation he followed until 1880, when he engaged in the mercantile business at Mt. Meridian. He was also for many years postmaster at that point. During the last ten years of his life he was retired from active business, though he still retained an interest in a store at Putnamville, which was first established as a branch store, but eventually became a prosperous business. His death occurred on January 9, 1909. To his union with Martha A. Dorsett was born one son, Everett M., the subject proper of this sketch.
Mrs. Hurst died on April 26, 1877, and on March 2, 1884. Mr. Hurst married Alice S. Albin, who was born in Jefferson township, October 22, 1857, the daughter of Thornton P. Albin. The subject's mother was the daughter of Abijah Dorsett.
Everett M. Hurst was born October 26, 1874, at the Hurst homestead in the northern part of Warren township, this county. At the age of eighteen months he was orphaned by the death of his mother and he was then taken by his paternal grandparents, with whom he lived until he was nine years old, when he returned to the home of his father, the latter having again married.
Everett Hurst attended the common schools at Mt. Meridian, and later, the high school at Greencastle, where he was graduated in 1894. During the two following winters he engaged in teaching school in Marion township. Having determined to make the practice of medicine his life work, he entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the medical department of the University of Illinois, of Chicago. He remained there four years, graduating on April 18, 1900, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. During his educational years the Doctor had assisted during the summers with the work of his father's farm and during two summers he n-as employed as a salesman in the buggy and implement business of his uncle, James Hurst, at Greencastle. In his youth he had to some extent engaged in the business of buying and selling livestock, in which he was successful to an unusual degree, possessing a remarkable faculty for gauging the weight of an anima1 by a glance, he acquiring a widespread reputation on this account. On January 4, 1900, Doctor Hurst located at Cloverdale and entered upon the active practice of his profession, in which he has met with a gratifying measure of success, having built up a large and lucrative patronage among the best people in the community. He keeps in close touch with the latest advances made in the healing art and has successfully handled many extremely difficult cases. The Doctor has erected in Cloverdale a beautiful and attractive residence, one of the finest in the town, and the spirit of hospitality is ever in evidence, the Doctor and his wife being numbered among the best social circles of the town.
Politically Doctor Hurst is a Democrat, and takes an intelligent interest in public affairs, though he has never sought public office of any nature. Fraternally he is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America. He and his wife are members of the Christian church.
In September, 1900, Doctor Hurst married Eliza M. Herod, the daughter of Johnson C. Herod, of Greencastle, who served as county assessor for ten years. They became the parents of a son, Olney Eugene, but he was taken by death at the age of sixteen months. Doctor Hurst is a man of broad sympathies and kindly disposition and is well liked by all who know him. He takes a live interest in everything tending to benefit the community in any way, and is thoroughly reliable in every department of activity in which he engages. Doctor Hurst has business interests aside from his profession, owning a splendid farm in Jefferson township, and also an interest in the genera1 store at Putnamville.
"Weiks History of Putnam County Indiana" by Jesse W. Weik. 1910
B.F. Bowen & Co., Publishers, Indianapolis IN
ISAAC S. SINCLAIR.
The importance that attaches to the lives, character and work of the early settlers of that part of Indiana of which Putnam county is a part and the influence they have exerted upon the cause of humanity and civilization is one of the most absorbing themes that can possibly attract the attention of the local chronicler or historian. If great and beneficent results - results that endure and bless mankind - are the proper measure of the good men do, then who is there in the world's history that may take their places above the hardy pioneer. To point out the way to make possible our present advancing civilization, is to be the truly great benefactors of mankind for all time. This was the great work accomplished by the early settlers and it is granted by all that they builded wiser than they knew.
Among the sturdy old pioneers whose efforts counted for much in the early development of this part of Indiana, mention should be made of Isaac Sinclair, who occupied a position of prominence in the community where he lived. He was a native of the state of Virginia, where he was reared and educated. Subsequently he emigrated to Kentucky and in about 1822 he came to Indiana, locating in the northern part of Owen county. He had married Anna Patterson and they were the parents of the following children: William, John P., Isaac P., Samuel S., Cynthia, Morris, Ann and Eliza. These children all came with their parents to their new home in the Hoosier state and here grew to honorable manhood and womanhood. The family located three miles north of where Cloverdale now is, but several years later located in Owen county. The father afterwards returned again to Putnam county and spent his latter days with his son Samuel. His death occurred about 1832, his widow surviving until near the close of the Civil war.
Isaac Sinclair was one of the grand old men of his day, his life being characterized by an integrity of purpose and a consistency of conduct that won for him the unbounded confidence of all who knew him. Of the children of Isaac and Anna Sinclair, brief mention is made as follows: William, during the late twenties and early thirties, owned land three miles south of Cloverdale, but eventually he moved to Kentucky and did not again return to Indiana. John P. married Sarah Martin before he came to Indiana. He became a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, and was numbered among the early "circuit riders." He first lived a mile west of Cloverdale, but later located three miles south of that place, where he cleared land and made a good home. About 1850 he went to Greencastle and afterwards made several other changes in location, eventually locating about a mile north of Putnamville. About 1854 he engaged in running a sawmill at Cloverdale. He returned to the old home south of Cloverdale, but his last days were spent near Putnamville, where his death occurred. He was survived by three sons and six daughters, namely: Strange W., Isaac L., John T., Serelda, Nancy, Mary, Lucinda, America Ann and Elizabeth. Isaac P. Sinclair, Jr., lived just west of Cloverdale in his young manhood. He married America L. Martin, of Kentucky, a daughter of Thomas Martin, who came from that state to Indiana with Isaac Sinclair. Sr., and entered land north of Cloverdale. He afterwards located near Cloverdale, but a few years later moved over into Owen county. Later in life he bought a farm three miles south of Cloverdale, where his death occurred. From his home west of Cloverdale, Isaac Sinclair. Jr., moved to Owen county, but two or three years later he returned to the southern part of Putnam county, where he built a large and attractive brick residence about 1840. In 1848 he moved to Greencastle, which was his home during the remainder of his life. He was engaged in the management of a warehouse there at the time of his death. He had also laid out an addition to the city of Greencastle and had erected several houses. He died on October 25, 1854, and was survived many years by his widow, whose death occurred in 1875. They were the parents of four sons and four daughters, namely: John P., Thomas Martin, Lee W., Isaac S., Minerva, Martha Ann, Elizabeth and Eliza J. Of these children, John P. lived on the home farm until 1838, receiving his education in the public schools of Greencastle. He married Rebecca A. Hardin. He spent most of his life in Putnam county, removing in 1875 to Iowa, where his death occurred. Thomas Martin died at the age of about seventeen years. Lee W. spent his early years in Greencastle, looking after the warehouse for his father, and was also engaged in the wool business. He married Eliza Brandt and went to Salem, Indiana. Later he went to South Chicago, where he operated a woollen mill, and then went to West Baden, Indiana, where he is now engaged in running the West Newton Springs Hotel. His first wife died in 1873 and he subsequently married Caddie Percise.
Isaac Simpson Sinclair, son of Isaac P. Jr., was born in 1840 on the farm in the southern part of Cloverdale township, where he remained until eight years of age, after which the family made several moves, though the greater part of his time was spent on the farm, occupying the brick residence built by his father. About 1895 he moved to Cloverdale and engaged in the hay business, and in 1900 he moved to his present home, a fourth of a mile west of Cloverdale, where he operates a good farm. The family are members of the Church of Christ at Cloverdale. Isaac S. Sinclair married, in 1862, Minerva Piercy, daughter of Jacob Piercy, Jr. The latter's father, Jacob Piercy Sr., came from Kentucky to Indiana in about 1832 and bought land a mile north of Cloverdale. Jacob. Jr., married Rosanna Hedrick and they had five children, of whom three died in childhood, the two survivors being Mrs. Sinclair and Mary Jane, who became the wife of William H. Truesdale. To Mr. and Mrs. Isaac S. Sinclair were born six children, Albert P., Alfred Lee, Charles S., Luella, Mary Winnie and Curtis C. Of these, Mary Minnie died at the age of two months, Curtis C. at the age of ten years and Alfred Lee at the age of twenty-two years. Luella, who is now at home with her parents, formerly taught school, having attended the normal school at Greencastle.
Minerva, daughter of Isaac P. Sinclair, became the wife of Alfred Glazehook and during her later life lived at Rensselaer. Indiana. Martha Ann became the wife of James McKenzie and spent most of her married life in Cumberland county, Illinois, where her death occurred. Elizabeth became the wife of Richard Lennon and lived at St. Louis, Missouri. Eliza J. married Hiram T. Crawley, and they formerly lived on a farm in Putnam county, later moving to Greencastle, and then to Indianapolis, where they now reside.
"Weiks History of Putnam County Indiana" by Jesse W. Weik. 1910
B.F. Bowen & Co., Publishers, Indianapolis IN
Examples that impress force of character on all who study them are worthy of record. By a few general observations may be conveyed some idea of the high standing of Harry M. Smith as a business man and public benefactor, or an editor of unusual felicity of expression, having made the Greencastle Banner, of which he is proprietor, one of the brightest and most influential papers in this section of the Hoosier state. United in his composition are so many elements of a solid and practical nature, which during a series of years have brought him into prominent notice, and earned for him a conspicuous place among the enterprising men of the county of his residence, that it is but just recognition of his worth to speak at some length of his achievements, although the record of such a life as herein set forth is necessarily an abridgement.
Mr. Smith is descended from an old and well established Indiana family, members of which have been known for their sterling qualities through several generations from the trying period which historians are pleased to allude to as "the early days" down to the opulent present. His birth occurred at Thorntown, Indiana, November 25, 1862. His boyhood days were spent under his parental roof free much like those of other kids of his age and generation and was without incident. After an education in the public and high school he turned his attention to the printing and newspaper business, and finding the same to his liking, has continued his labors in this particular field of endeavor to the present time, or for a period of over thirty years, gaining well-merited success. He learned the printer's trade in Danville, Indiana, in the office of the Danville Union, at the time conducted by his father, and worked at the trade while finishing his education.
The subject is the son of Mr. and Mrs. O. H. Smith. mentioned elsewhere in this work, and a member of a family of five children. Though having resided at earlier periods in his life in other cities, he was for a quarter of a century been a citizen of Greencastle and has always been loyal to the city's interests. He was a pronounced advocate of a new court house for the county and has always been in the advance in urging improvements for the city and county, and his labors in behalf of. the general interests of the people have been fully appreciated and recognized. After employment on the Republican papers of the county at diverse times, he purchased the Greencastle Banner in 1898 and has been sole proprietor of the same since that time, having so ably managed the same as to greatly increase its prestige, its influence in molding public opinion, its value as an advertising medium and its brightness in mechanical appearance. The Banner is one of the oldest papers in the state and it has always stood in the front ranks of the Republican party, fighting for its principles and has been a potent factor in local political issues.
On January 18, 1888, Mr. Smith married Anna Allen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Allen, and they reside at No. 122 East Walnut street in Greencastle. The Allen family has long been a highly honored one in Putnam county. Fraternally Mr. Smith is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Knights of Pythias, and he takes considerable interest in both lodges, and is one of the prominent boosters for the best interests of Greencastle in every way, both through his paper and as a private citizen.
"Weiks History of Putnam County Indiana" by Jesse W. Weik. 1910
B.F. Bowen & Co., Publishers, Indianapolis IN
There is no positive rule for achieving success, and yet in the life of the successful man, like that of the late Charles W. Landes, long a well known druggist of Greencastle, there are always lessons which might be followed. The men who gains prosperity is he who can see and utilize the opportunities that lie in his path, the essential conditions of human life being ever the same, the surroundings of individuals differing but slightly, and when one man passes another on the highway of life to reach the goal of prosperity before others who perhaps started out before him, it is because he has the power to use advantages which properly encompass the whole human race, and the best way to measure the true worth of a man is in his influence upon others. In both this and the achievement of success Mr. Landes must be recorded as one of Putnam county's foremost citizens of the past generation, as all who knew him well can attest.
Charles W. Landes was born in this county on January 13, 1851, the descendant of a prominent and influential ancestry, one of Putnam's oldest pioneer families, the first representatives of which located here in an early day, having made the long journey from Virginia in old-fashioned covered wagons. They were John and Henry Landes, the latter the father of Charles W. and for many years a successful and prominent business man. having engaged in the manufacture of wagons in Greencastle, being a very skilled workman so that the products of his shop were eagerly sought for. In April, 1849, he married Elvira Reeves, which union resulted in the birth of four children, namely: Charles W., of this biographical memoir; James died in infancy; Sarah Olive died when eighteen years of age; Frank L. died in December, 1903.
Charles W. Landes received an excellent education, having attended the public schools and graduating in 187-3 in Asbury (now DePauw) University, with proper honors. He had long desired to devote his life to the profession of pharmacy and soon after leaving school he accordingly, in 1873, entered the drug business, the firm being known as Phemister & Landes. The following year he purchased his partner's interest and continued the business with gratifying success, building up a constantly growing and lucrative patronage with the city and surrounding county until his death, February 17, 1899. In all his business relations with his fellow men he is remembered as being generous and fair, thereby winning and retaining the confidence and good will of all. Mr. Landes, as was his father, was a stockholder in the First National Bank of Greencastle. Mr. Landes was a Republican in politics. He left an estate of approximately fifteen thousand dollars. He was a prominent member from early manhood of the College Avenue Methodist Episcopal church, being on the official board for more than twenty-four years.
Mr. Landes was married on October 17, 1877, to Lilly Frances Root, a lady of refinement and such pleasing address as to gain for her hosts of friends wherever she is known. She is the daughter of Rev. Lucius I. Root, long a prominent Presbyterian minister in Greencastle. He was a native of the state of New York and a graduate of Union College of Schenectady, New York, also of the Princeton Theological Seminary. He was always regarded as an eloquent and earnest exponent of the doctrines of the Nazarene and accomplished a great work in winning souls to his Master and in building up strong churches. Frances R. Taft was the maiden name of Mrs. Landes' mother. She was a native of Williamstown, Massachusetts, and she is a relative of President Taft, he being of this same family tree. Peter Taft, the great-grandfather of Mrs. Landes, was an officer in the patriot army during the Revolutionary War. Two children graced the pleasant home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Landes, bearing these names, Nellie, born January 24, 1879, was called to the unseen world on March 27, 1904; Hallie was born in February, 1880. They both received excellent educations, graduating from DePauw University.
The latter is at this writing state secretary for the Michigan Young Women's Christian Association, and is prominent and becoming widely known in this laudable line of work. No more prominent or highly honored family than the Landes is to be found in Putnam county, and Charles W. was a worthy representative of this influential and esteemed name, and his influence in the business and social life of Greencastle was far-reaching and such as to merit the rewards he won.
"Weiks History of Putnam County Indiana" by Jesse W. Weik. 1910
B.F. Bowen & Co., Publishers, Indianapolis IN
DAVID ROBERT MAZE. An enumeration of those men of the present generation who have won honor and public recognition for themselves, and at the same time have honored the locality to which they belong, would be incompletely were there failure to make mention of the one whose name forms the caption to this sketch. Prominent in local political circles, successful in business affairs, and keenly alive to the best interests of the community, he enjoys to a marked degree the confidence and esteem of the entire community and is numbered among the representative men of the county.
David R Maze is a native son of the Hoosier state, having been born near Cataract Falls, Owen county, on June 18, 1849. He is a son of Robert and Mahala (Campbell) Maze. The father was born near Crab Orchard, Kentucky, in 1804, and at the age of five years was taken by his parents to near Hamilton, Ohio, and later to Shelby county, Indiana. In 1846 he moved to Owen county and located in Jennings township, not far from the Putnam county line. He married Mahala Campbell, daughter of John Campbell. She was born in Ohio and came with her parents first to Union county, Indiana, thence to Edinburg, Johnson county, where her parents died. Her marriage to Mr. Maze occurred before their remova1 to Owen county.
David R. Maze remained on the paternal estate in Owen county until he had attained his majority. He then started out in life on his own account, going into the sawmill business, which was his chief occupation until 1905, being occupied either in running the mill or buying timber, in both of which he became an expert. He commenced his active operations at Santa Fe, Owen township, but in 1871 he moved the mill to the eastern part of Cloverdale township and then sold it. He then came to Cloverdale and became head sawyer in a mill owned by Howard Hart. He afterwards bought this mill and operated it five years. He then sold the mill, but continued to work in it as head sawyer, which position he held until 1905. In the previous year he had been elected sheriff of Putnam county and he now applied himself exclusively to the discharge of the duties of this office. In 1906 he was re-elected to succeed himself, thus holding the office four years in all. He made a splendid official and retired from the office with the good will and approval of everyone. In July, 1909, Mr. Maze went into the grain and feed business in Cloverdale, in which line he is still engaged. He is a hustling business man and is meeting with a gratifying degree of success in his new venture.
Politically, Mr. Maze is a Democrat, having voted the tickets of this party consistently since becoming a voter. In 1890 he was elected trustee of Cloverdale township for a four-year term, which, by legislative enactment was extended a year, giving a five-year tenure. He rendered efficient service in this office and gained additional prestige thereby. As above stated, he afterwards served two terms as sheriff, aside from which offices he has never been before the people as a candidate. He stands high in the councils of the party and takes a leading part in local campaigns. Fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellow, of which he became a member December 31, 1873, at Cloverdale. He is also a member of the encampment of Patriarchs Militant at Greencastle, being, with one exception, the senior in length of membership at Cloverdale.
On June 1, 1881, Mr. Maze married Nannie Sinclair, the daughter of Rev. Strange White and Hannah (Graham) Sinclair. Rev. Strange Sinclair was born December 9, 1829, on Raccoon creek, near Greencastle, and was a son of Rev. J. P. Sinclair, a Methodist minister who came from Kentucky in an early day. The latter was numbered among the pioneer ministers of the gospel and "rode the circuit" for many years. In later life he settled down to farming and trading, owning about a section of land three miles south of Cloverdale, as well as several other tracts of land between Greencastle and Owen county. He lived several years at Greencastle and died on his farm near Putnamville in 1879. His son, Rev. Strange White Sinclair, was a graduate of old Asbury (now DePauw) University and, following in his father's footsteps, entered the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal church. He was also a school teacher, having taught for about forty years in Putnam and Owen counties, or until he was past sixty years of age. Hannah Sinclair was a daughter of James and Hannah (McElroy) Graham, natives of near Cork, Ireland, and of Scotch-Irish antecedents. They were Presbyterians in religious belief, having descended from the old Scotch Covenanters. At the age of seventeen years Mrs. Maze began teaching school and has been thus engaged for nearly nineteen years, the greater part of the time in Putnam county. To Mr. and Mrs. Maze have been born three daughters, Nota Dell, Coralie Graham and Pearl White. The first-named became the wife of Lee O. Coffman, son of James Coffman, by whom she has three children, Marjorie Lee, Virginia Jeane and James Robert. The mother of these children completed her education at the State University and taught school two terms. Coralie became the wife of Charles Gilbert Shaw, a photographer at Linton, Greene county, Indiana, and they have two children, Charlotte Maze and Analie Frances. Mrs. Shaw is a graduate of DePauw University and her husband is a graduate of the McMinnville School of Photography at McMinnville, Tennessee, and later was instructor in this institution. Pearl White Maze, who also is a graduate of DePauw University, is now teaching her second term as English teacher in the high school at Linton. The subject and his family are all members of the Methodist Episcopal church, to which they give an earnest and liberal support. Mrs. Maze is an accomplished painter of china, as well as in water colors, her work being greatly admired by all who see it. Competent judges pronounce some of her work the equal of any now on exhibition, possessing a rare beauty of form and tone.
"Weiks History of Putnam County Indiana" by Jesse W. Weik. 1910
B.F. Bowen & Co., Publishers, Indianapolis IN