Elkhart County, Indiana - Tue Churches, 1905 (part 15 of 15)

Hiram F. Kidder, the eldest son in his parents' family, was reared in the place of his nativity. On reaching the age of nineteen years he came to Goshen, Indiana, and in 1861 enlisted for service in the Civil war, entering Company M, Second Indiana Cavalry, as a musician, Imt by Governor Morton was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant, and in October, 1863, as adjutant of the regiment, serving in that capacity until the close of the struggle. He served in the Southwestern Department, Sherman's army, and with that gallant band participated in all the important battles of the war, including Shiloh, Atlanta, the siege of Corinth, and at the battle of Resaca was wounded and his horse shot under him. He was a brave and fearless soldier, and when the war ended and his services were no longer needed he was honorably discharged at Indianapolis, Indiana, after a military career of over three vears. Returning to his home in Goshen Mr. Kidder was for a time thereafter engaged in the hotel business, in various mercantile enterprises and in the livery business until his appointment as court bailiff. For eight years he also served as the deputy sheriff of Elkhart county, and in 1894 was elected to that office, the duties of which he so creditably filled that he was re-elected in 1896. Since the expiration of his second term as sheriff he has lived in retirement in his pleasant home in Goshen. During the St. Louis Exposition he had charge of the Goshen Manufacturing Company's interests there.

In 1866 Mr. Kidder was united in marriage to Miss .\nna E. Rowell, eldest daughter of one of Goshen's oldest pioneers, and their only daughter, Minnie L., is the wife of C. R. Leas, by whom she has one son. Dean Chester. Mr. Kidder is a life-long Republican, and is an active worker in the ranks of his party. He holds pleasant relations with his old army comrades as a member of Post No. 90, G. .\. R., in which he served as adjutant for five years and is also a past commander. He also holds membership relations with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, of Goshen.

Anthony Deahl

Though now and for a number of years recognized as one of the foremost representatives of the Elkhart county bar. both as regards his personal ability and the extent of his practice, Anthony Deahl began his independent career without any other advantages than such as a sound CTJUstitution and resolute will confer, and through his consistent endeavor gradually worked up to a position of influence and power in the county. Ask his friends as to the characteristic which has been most responsible for bis success, and the tenor of the answer almost invariably is " unflagging industry." From tender years of boyhood until the present he has labored, in many capacities, has followed the plow and done all kinds of farm work, has carpentered, has taught school, has studied with an intensity of application equaled by few. has discharged the duties of public office, and for the past fifteen years has, with characteristic energy, devoted himself to an increasing and profitable law practice. Earnestness and force are natural accompaniments of such industry, and these are the clear-cut qualities which have most vividly impressed themselves upon the writer during his acquaintance with Mr. Deahl.

The biography of this self-made lawyer of Goshen finds its scenes almost entirely laid in Elkhart county. Born at Millersburg, September iq. i86t. a son of the late Jacob Deahl, he was taken, at the age of nine years, td a farm near the village of his birth, and that old homestead, about three miles northeast of town, was the center of his life history imtil he was twenty years old. His father, bom in Hesse-Cassel, Germany, November 23. 1817, died April 26, tqoo. His mother, Margaret Hoffman, born in Luxemburg, February. 1822, was eighty years old at her death on January 30, 1902. The father arrived in America in 1850, the mother ip 1852, and were married in Elkhart county October li, 1859. Tliere were tliree cliildren, tlie daughter Mary heing the wife of James A. Rogers, of Goslien.

Anthony Deahl began attending school when fuur years old, hut after moving to the farm he had a mile and a half to walk to the school and even so was able to attend only about three months each year, his help heing found necessary at home in farm labor and in assisting his father in the carpenter trade, which he learned quite thoroughlv.

At the age of eighteen, having been granted, after examination, a teacher's certificate, he entered upon his career as teacher. In the spring of 1879 he taught a school in Edon township, LaGrange county. Mr. Deahl's connection with this very important department of the world's work was exceedingly creditable in every way. He is still remembered by his pupils, now men and women active in the various walks of life, as having possessed peculiar efficiency as an instructor and, more important still, great personal influence in developing and directing vouthful minds when in their plastic state. Following his experience in La- Grange county, he taught a term at the Germany schoolhouse, four miles north of Millersburg. and then for two terms had charge, in a very successful manner, of his old home school, his pupils, in the main, being his former schoolmates. The fact that some of die patrons had mistrusted his ability to cope with the difficulties of management which always confront a teacher who takes charge of his own school and that he succeeded in overcoming these obstacles in such a manner as to bring forth voluntarv commendation from the very persons who had at first opposed him, is a matter of just pride to !vlr. Deahl as he recalls his earlv teaching experiences. In the fall of :88i he took charge of the primarv department of the Millersburg school, the next term taught the intermediate department, and soon afterward was advanced to the principalsbip, a position which he held for seven years. He and his brother B. F. together taught four terms of normal school in Millersbm'g, making twenty-five terms of teaching in the town of Millersburg.

While teaching at Millersburg he served as justice of the peace, and for the last six years was town clerk, a position in which he was able to confer great benefit upon his town by capable management of the A-illage's financial affairs. He was also superintendent of the Reform Sunday school four years. In the fall of 1889 Mr. Deahl entered the law department of the University of Michigan to complete his legal preparation, which he had already l^egun in pri\^ate study while teaching school. It is noteworthy, in connection with what we liave said of Mr. Deahl's ability to wurk hard and eftectively, that he was the only student out of the three hundred who v\-ere his fellows to be allowed to take the two years' course in one. And. by toiling while others slept as well as during all the usual waking hours, he succeeded in carrying this double load, and on June 26. 1890. graduated with honors, receiving the degree of LL. B. On July 2. just six days after the receipt of lii^ diploma, Jilr. Deahl opened his office in Goshen, and from that date to the present has been found ahiiost constantly engaged in the increasing responsibilities of a growing practice. In 1896 the firm of Deahl and Deahl was established, B. F. Deahl coming in as junior partner, and the brothers have since shared the volume of work which has poured in upon them from e\-ery part of the county and brought them into connection \\itli the principal cases not only on the docket of Elkhart county courts, but in those of surrounding counties. Mr. Deahl has served as special judge of the circuit court in this district.

Mr. Deahl has devoted himself with such 'absorbing energy to his profession that he has had little opportunitj' for public affairs. However, as a loyal member of the Democratic party he has 1>een se\'eral times honored, having been the candidate for representative from Elkhart county in 1894 ^"cl for the office of state senator in 1900, in both campaigns succeeding in winning a large vote though not enough to overcome the Reiiublican majority. Fraternally he is a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Red Men and the Modern Samaritans of the ^^'or!d. I\Ir. Deahl was elected president of the Goshen Commercial Exchange in 1898, served continuously to 1904, the longest period of ser\ice in that capacity in the history of the organization.

June Ti, 1882, he married Miss Hattie Rogers. Their three sons are: Floyd, bom July 15, 1883; Ray, born June 5, 1886: Orlo, bom Se])teniber 30, 1891. Floyd and Ray have each completed the course in the Goshen high school, and this fall enter upon their second year in the law department of the University of Ann Arbor, Michigan.

In describing as we have ^Ir. Deahl's professional earnestness and industry, it should not be inferred that he is always involved in the meshes and tanglements of the law to the exclusion of all the other manifold interests which appeal to mankind. The same whole-souled enthusiasm he displays in the Tinraveling of legal cases he directs, in proper season and due proportion, to his recreations. A pretty little cottage on Lake Wawasee is the home where he and his family delight to spend a large part of the summer season, and nearly every day of his stay there he may be found engaged in his favorite sport of angling, which he carries on with the philosophic patience and enjoyment, not to say success, of anotlier Isaac \\'alton. Genial and affable, yet without the slightest surrender of the digniity which belongs to his integrity of character and ability, Mr. Deahl has friends among all classes and lives in their constantlv increasing esteem.