Porter County, Indiana - Chapter 11: The Professions, 1912

In the sottlemout of a new country, llie do(/1oi- is usually I'.i. first professional niau to appear upon the scene. Realizing llie fan hat conditions upon the frontier are not always conducive to lieallli, imd that the sparse population there is far away from centers of eiviliy-iiion whence medical aid can be obtained, the pioneer physician ofti ii ui.-iLi s sacrifices to serve his fellow men and aid them in heroic elTorts li> 'Xtend the margin of civilization into hitherto unknown la mis. '^rrui', lir is actuated by motives of private gain, to some extent at least, but n the lot of the country doctor in a new settlement is cousidnx-d in all it^, aspects, it is anything but inviting. Settlers are scatteivd over a Invge extent of territory; roads are bad, and frequently there aiv j]o v(!;uls. at all; drugs and medicines are hard to oljtain ; money i^; si-aj'cc; (.-alls must be answered, day or night, rain or shine, if the diuMor is ti; ;..aiutaiu his prestig-n in the comr.inily, and even then they come but seldom, owing i'.) the sjiarseuess of U e lopulation. For years he may struggle along, living a sort of liai I '-month existence, -waiting for other settlers to come in before his pi n ice can be really estaliUshed upon a paj'ing basis. Notwithstanding all tli's, the physician is always to be found among the pioneers.

One of the first ph.\ su-ians to locate in Porter county was Dr. SeiiCca Ball. He was born in Warren county, Ohio, August 1^, 1798 ; received his preliminary education in the little log school house of that day; attended a graded school at Waynesville, Ohio, and then began the study of medicine bj'' himself. Liiler he. read under Dr. William "Bunnell, at Washington, Indiana, i.'tid llieu began practice. After following his profession for a short iiine he, engaged in merchandising at Lafayette with his brother, and hn^'v at Laporte. Late in the year 1836 ho eame to Valparaiso and shortly aL'ler that date resumed his pi'actice, which lie followed until old age him to desist. He also served as justice of the peace, probate ,i'iu;;e, and representative in the state legislature. His death occui-red on < ielober 4, 1875.

Dr. Cornelius Blachly eame to Porter county in 1838 and continm d to practice medicine in ilii comity for more than forty years. He bought the old Gosset Mill in I.iIm . ly township in 1869, which his sous continucil to run for years after hi.s in 1876. Dr. Blachly was one of the best knowii physicians in the viuntj in his day.

In 1844 Dr. Luther ^Ntkins came to Porter county, though at that time he had not yet recci\ed his diploma to practice medicine. He was born in Massachusetts in August, 1819. Subsequently his parents removed to Ashtabula courit.w Ohio, where he acquired his general education, and after coming to I'orter county he began the study of medicine. He began practice in 1847, but did not gi-aduate from any college until 1866, when he received th< 'i'greo of M D. from a school in Philadelphia. In 1880 he located at Koul. -^luTe he opened a drug store which he conducted in connection with liis praetiee until his death.

Cass, who was 1 iirn in Wajiie county, Ohio, July 9, 1819. At the age of fourteen years he cutered Oberliu College, where he studied for some time and then read mediciue with his father, Levi A. Cass, Sr. In 1840 he came to Porter county and commenced the practice of his profession, but after a short time went to Laporte, where lie completed his professional education under Dr. ilcaker. He represented Porter county in the state legislature, Avas one of the organizers of the First Natioual Bank at Valparaiso, and was otliei-wise identified Avitli the affairs of the county.

Among the early physicians in the southern part of the county, probably none is so well remembered a,s Di-. Jolm K. lilaclvstone, who practiced medicine at Hebron for half a century. He was bom in Ohio in 1817; attended the Ohio State University; served as second lieutenant in the Second Ohio infantry in the Mexican M'ar; then read medicine and graduated at. Cleveland Jledical College in 1848. Shortly after that he located at Hebron, where he continued to practice his profession until his deatli on January 28, 1898. Dr. Blackstone was an archaeologist of some ability, and at one time had in possession an interesting collection of Indian and mound-builders' relics.

Another early Porter county physician was Dr. Erasmu.s J. Jones, who was born in Ohio in 1814. In 1840 he entered Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and in 1846 began practice with his brother-in-law, Dr. J. G. Kyle, in Ohio. In 1851 he started for Iowa, but upon reaching Porter county some of the members of his family became ill and he stopped in the "Gosset Settlement," where he remained until 1859. He then removed to Chesterton and practiced there and at Porter iintil liis death. He was also engaged in the drug business for a while at Chesterton. Dr. Jones served as county clerk for two terms.

In 1853 Dr. J. H. Letherman located in Valparaiso. He was a native of Pennsylvania, where he was born in March, 1819; studied under his father ; attended the Jefferson College for four years, and graduated in the College of Physicians and Surseous at Keokuk, Iowa, in 1844. He began practice in Pennsylvania, but soon removed to Des Monies, Iowa, and practiced there until November, 1853, when he came to Valparaiso aa above stated. In 1871 he admitted 1o partnership his son, Dr. Andrew P. Lethei'inan, who is stUl practicing in Valparaiso. Dr. J. H. Letherman served for twelve yoar.s as county coroner. He died on March 22,

On June 12, 1812, Dr. J. M. Goodwill was born in Tompkins county, i\ew York, \vhere his ancestors were among the pioneers, his grandfather having served as a commissary in the Continental army during the Revolutionary war. In 18.'j6 be graduated at the Geneva Medical College; practiced in New York and Illinois until 185G, when lie located in Porter couuty. Here lie remaijied until his ileath, and during the Civil war he gave his profe.'^sional services free to members of soldiers' families. He .served as justice of the peace for many years in Pine township, where he rcsid(;d.

Dr. Hiram Green, who in bis day was one of the iirominent physicians of Chesterton, was born on July 19, 1829, in Oneida county, New York. In ISoS his parents removed to Ohio and at the age of twelve years Hiram entered a normal school, having saved twenty-eight dollars as the }'esult of four months' work to pay his expenses. Two years later he begnn the study i.f medicine with his brother at New Lisbon, Ohio. At the age of twenty he went to Birmingham - opposite Pitts- Imrgh, Pennsylvania - where a cholera epidemic was raging, and was fortunJite enough to succeed to the practice of a physician who was compelled to leave the town. From that time until the discovery of gold in California be practiced in various places. A company bound for the gold fields offered liim inducements to join the movement as a physician and he started for the Pacific coast. At Michig;in City, Indiana, he fell ill and did not fully veg'ain his health for two years. After practicing for four years at Gossct 's Mill, he liH-ated at Cbeslerton. During llie Civil war lie served as lieul.uant, captMi ; and assislnisl surgeon. lie tlnu pi-actieed at Wheeler for about three years, when be returned to ('"hesterton and opened a druL;- store, contiiming the lu'-'i-'tice of medicine in conneclien wdlh the drug Imsiness. lie .served as trustee of Westchester townsbiji; was a member of the board of pension examiners, and was a Knight

Wlicn Dr. Hayes C. Coates located at Valparaiso in 1866 he was forty years of age, having been born in i\Iaiiboro, Oliio, June 8, 1826. He be- <gan the study of meilieiue at an early age, atter<leil the Ameriejin Medical College at Cincinnati, Ohio, and during the Civil war was a contract surgeon under the United States government at Cleveland, Ohio. In 186i he graduated at tlie Western Kescrve Medical < 'olleg'u, of Cleveland, and two years iatei- came to Valpjuaiso, where he remained in active practice until a shoi't time before lii'-; death on Oetoher G, 1894. For a number of years he was the resident siirgeon for the Jiitsburgh, Fort Wayne & Cliicago Railroad Company, and he also served as county pliy.sician.

Dr. Heijj-y M. J^ecr, son of I<e^-. Thomas Beer, was born in Wayne coimty, Ohio, March 20, 1838. iif received an academic education and upon attaining his majority began the stiidy of medicine under Dr. P. 11. Clark. During the Civil war ho served as assistajit surgeon in the Twenty-third Oliio infantry. After ilie close of the war he practiced in Marylaud and Oliio, meantime atter.ijjeg' medical college at Cleveland, where he was gradufited in 1868. Immediately upon receiving his degree. Dr. Beer came to Valparaiso, and from that time \intil the spring of 1903 was never absent from his practice for more than a day or two at a time. On May 17, 1903, he went to Cliicago, where be had a sui'gieal operation performed, and died on the 261 h.

Dr. W. C. Paramore was born at Barlestono, l^cicestershire, England, April 14, 1809. He was educated in his native country and practiced there before coming to America. In the spring of 1855 he catae to Porter county and eontiniied in practi 'c t'lere until bis death on IMareh 15, 1882. Tw6 years before he came to the county. Dr. Henry J. Ellis located at ^Vliecler. After many years of successful prndice he died in 1886. Dr. Marr aaid Dr. liforicle were among the pioneec doctors in tlie northern part of the county. The former brought on a partial paralysis by riding in a gig wliile visitiii;^ his patients, and the latter gave uj) his pi-actice to engage in the real estate Imsiness, whieh he followed for several years prior to his death.

Dr. L'Mauder Le^v'is, the sou of a Revolutionary soldier who fouylit with Ethan Allen at Ticondcroga, came to- Porter county in 1849. He had previously studied medicine at Cincinnati, Ohio, and had been associated with General William Henry Harrison in bringing the Ohio valley under the influence of civilization. He married Mary Dodge in Hamilton coimty, Ohio, May 2D, 1823, and after coming to Porter county continued to practice his i)r()i'ession until a short time before hi,^ deaUi, which occurred on September 3, 1880.

The first homeopathic pliysician to locate in tlie county was probably Dr. Kendall. Dr. M. V. Sayles studied under him in 18C4, and afterward attended the Hahnemann Medical College at Chicago. Dr. Sayles later located in Hebron, where be practiced until 1876, when he removed to Valparaiso and there resided until his death. Dr. "W". 0. Catron was another early homeopatliie physician. At the present time there are but two known physicians of that school in the county - Dr. George R. Douglas, of Valparaiso, and Dr. E. A. Edmunds, of Hebron.

Other early or eminent physicians who -were engaged in practice in Porter county at some period of her history, were Drs. Robbins, Kersey, Salisbui'>' and Hankinsoii, who came so far back and who have been dead so long that little can ho. learned regarding them; Dr. J. V. Herriott, a Pennsylvanian, first presideiil of the county medical society, who was paralj'zed for about two yea is before his death; R. A. Cameron and J. P. McCarthy, who were also ^vell known as soldiers and newspaper men; W. A. Yohn, a veteran practitioner of Hebron; Dr. Orpheus Everts, who was at one time superintendent of the Indiana a.sylum for the insane at Indianapolis; Dr.Gcorge 11. ]»iley, associated with Dr. Green at Chesterton; Dr. George W. Arnold, wlio located at Wheeler in 1871; and Dr. Oliver S. Wood, a native of Lal^e county, who practiced for several years at Hebron.

The Porter County Jledical Society was organized on June 27, 1883, with thirteen ehartei- members and the foUowini: officers: Dr. J. V. Herriott, president; Dr. J. P. McCarthy, vice-president; Dr. D. J. Loring* secretary; Dr. J. H. Letlierman, tJ'casurer; Drs. A. P. Letherinau, W. A. Yohn and J. C. Carson, censors. A constitution was adopted at tliat meeting, in which it was declared that the society should be "auxiliary to and under the control of the Indiana State Medical Society." The constitution also set forth that "The objects of this society shall be the advancement of medical knowledge; the elevation of professional character; the protection of the intei-est of its members; the extension of the bounds of medical science; the promotion of all moans adopted for the relief of the sufiPeriug; to improve the health and protect tiic lives of the community." '

At one tiifie in its history the Porter County Medical Society had a permanent home in tlie shape of cIuIj rooms, which were always open, the object being to enable the doctor.s' of the county to become better acquainted in a social ;in ^\-ell as a professional way. Any regular physician of good moral cliaracici' and professional standing residing in tlie county was eligible for membership upon payment of a fee of two dollars, but even on these liberal terms, (piite a number of physicians in, the county have never joiued the society. In 1912 there wei'e but Jifteen active members. The officers at that time were; Dr. 0. B. NesLJt, president; Dr. A. P. Lethernian, vice-president; Dr. H. E. Gowland, secretary and treasurer, Drs. D. J. i coring, J. C. Cai-son and R. D. Blonnt, censors. Tlie regular meetings of tlie society are held ujuni the first Aionday in each month, when papers relating to .son->'^ phase of niedical pr;ie1ice are read

On April 2, 1901, the K.,,:];akee Valley Medical Society held ouc oC its regular meetings in Valp .'..iso, where the members were entertained by the resident physicians. This society is composed of the leading physicians of Cass, Pulton, A1 i-sliall, St. Jo.stph, Laporte, Lake, Porter, Jasper, Newton, White and <',|.',(ill counties.

Pi-ior to 1891 Porter coniiiy had no hospital of any kind foi- the treatment of sojourners or iir, s iis w ho could not be properly treated at their homes. In that year Dv. 1). .1. Loring opened a private hospital or sanitarium on East Jeffei-soi: ,;i)''.t. ^'alparaiso, with accommodations I'oitwelve patients. AVhile Dr. laming expected to receive some financial be^efit from the establishment of flii.s institution, he was actuated by tlie knowledge that there was nri 1 nf sucli a hospital to relieve human suffering. In 1905 the Indiana It ^islatnre passed an act which made liberal provisions for tlie erection am! maintenance of a public hospital in each county of tlie state. On July 17. 1*I0.'), a meeting was held in the council chamber at Valparaiso for tL^ jiiir])Oso of forming a hospital association. William E. Pinney was elc;' ^l lu'esident, and Dr. H. M. Evans, secretary. A committee was also ni"i]>ointed at the same time to report a plan of action. This committee cniisisted of 0. P. Kiusey, Dr. R. D. Blount, George Dodge and Rev. L. AW Ajjplegatc.

About this time, and li. ' r.. tlie association had taken any definite steps for the founding of a li!si)ilal, the Christian church at Valparaiso became interested in the sul)j>rl. Dr. Simon J. Young went to St. Loiiis to secure, if possible, the coiii" r-alion of tlie National Benevolent Association of that denomination. Tii' result was that an agent of the association, J. P. Davis, was sent t .^Ijaraiso to louk over the field. He made a favorable' report and Dr. Young again went to St. Louis, this time with a proposition to purchase It -^-ate liosjiifa; of Dr. Loring, which : ^ for sale. F. R. Ayres and (' yi' L. Snivcly, two representatives of lluassociation came to Valparai-' n Deennber, IPOG. and reported in faAor of the purch^ise. The property was valued at .$13,000, of v liioh the church at Vali)araiso a'^i-'ied the payment of one-half and the central board the other half. In this -way the Christian Hospital and Ti-aining School for Nurses was called into existence. Since the institution passed into the hands of the church a number of new beds have been addrd. In 1912 the oflicers of the hospital association were as follows: H. 15. Brown, president; Dr. S. J. Young, vice-president; E. W. Agar, secretary; N. R. McNeiee, treasurer; John B. Roessicr, manager; Mrs. Nora AVoodruff, superintendent.

An instance of the efticiency of the Porter county ii\edical profession was seen in the smallpox epidemic of 1899. On March 28, of that year," a man named Cooper came to Valparaiso as a student in the Valparaiso University. On Aj^ril 10th he developed a well defined case of smallijox. Other students contracted the disease and went to their lioiaes, thus spreading the infection before the true nature of the oi'igiual case was fully deternnned. The college authorities established a temporary hospital, in Avhich some twenty cases were ti'cated as chicl:en pox, the disease appearing only in a mild form. Newspapei's outsid" the county created some excitement by the publication of sensational jn'fieles, some of them clamoring for a general quarantine against the lily. About June 1, 1899,^mallpox made its appearance at several points in northern and central Indiana, and it was claimed that many of these cases were traceable to Valparaiso. On June 22nd Dr. A. W. Brayton, of Indianapolis, came to Valparaiso as a representative of the state Ixiard of health to investigate the situation. County and city boards of hcaUh had been established some time; before this, and Dr. Brayton found their secretaries - Dr. A. P. Letherman and Dr. H. M. Beer - ready and willing to assist him in every possible way to get at the truth. Several persons were found to be afflicted with smallpox and the three physicians selected a house at the corner of Union and Morgan streets to be used as a temporary dcii'iition hospilnl. To this house, which became known as the "pink house," seven patients were taken on llie 2.3d ami j/! iced under

})oavd of lioalth, upoji vr^K-l h]'^ the local boards of healiti in uinl:'. "all suspected pei'sous P be well remoA-ed fi'oin i dered the thorough dis; should be found. The.se. aid to the board of hi;.-il failure to report eases o fullest extent of the l:iv resolution "That in e;;- tagious or infectious city shall have the amsiou of any proper b; j!- flicted with such diseii.M . be removed, .such afiflid act in such matter in ' Health."

-jort of Di'. lirayton, sQut v.'ord to 'use to house canvass and to remove e hospital, which must Dr. Hurty also orl;. which such persons I promptly, and as an > der to the effect that 'it "prosecution to the council adopted a

This prevision remained a part of tlie oij.'.:i! the adoption of the constitution of 1851, and nn Porter county were established. At the lime 'iT i stitution provision was made for the division oL' euits, in each of whici: ,-hould be est.iiilished a i-^ a presiding judge and two associate judges, I'h > years. By the act of February 10, 18.'!1, 11m made to consist of the counties of Vcniiillioii, i ' tain, Warren, Tippee.nioe, Clinton, CaD'oll, ('a the territory nortli anl west of Ihi.-; ciL'cuit li.n' into counties, and tlie court of the first circui! over the unorganized territory, which inclin:!' Porter.

When the county was organized it was ait trict for judicial pu;-poses, but on Febriiai approved an act dividing the state into a hup/^ tricts. such legislation having become necessiii\' c gi'owing population. By this act the Ninth disii counties of Fulton, I\Iarshall, Kcsi'iDsko, Ell '> Porter and Lake. In Porter C(iu!.i,\, the Ici,. on "the second Moutiay after the I'-jaimem-cM,. . Laporte county," the act fixing tlie time of nr porte county as "the fourth ilon day in .\|a,i in October of each year." The Icj;' hiture ' - establishment of a jn-nbate court in each <-()uai;. of probate judge Wus abolished ^i,, 'u' cin: did away with three judges in eai 1. . iir\iil . . i

Under a coiisiiLutiouid ])rovi.siou that tUe legislature should have power to esta'olish inferior courts, the conns of common pleas were created by the act of May 14, 1852, the couuties of Laporte, Porter and Lake being designated as a cosiunon pleas disirict. The com-t of connnon pleas was given jurisdiction ni juatters of pi uhate, against heirs, de\ i.see::! and sureties, and v^as practically a continiCiiiou of the old county probate court, established in 1838. tliough with rather more extended jurisdiction, which applied to a district instead oC to a single county. The court of cosninon i^leas was abolished in 1872 and the jurisdiction formerly exercised l)y it was transferred to the circuit and superior courts of the state. >Since that tiiiie the coujities of LaKe and Poller liave constituted tlie circuit vrbieh is now known as the Thirty-first judicial district. Terms of five weeks in each county are held, except for ten weeks iu the warm weather each summer.

The legislature of 1893 established a superior court, including the counties of Porter and Lapovte, and Governm ^latthews appointed John Iv Cass, of Valparai.so, the first judge. The NUperior court holds terms of five weeks in eacli county, those iu Porter t-oniity alternating with the tei'ms of the circuit court, with a ten weeks vacation iu the summer months. The sujUM-iof and rir;M,iit courts li;n'>' concuri'eiit jurisdiction in all causes, both civil and criminal.

A city court was established in Valparaiso iibout 1896, with F. R. Parks as city judge. The jurisdiction of this court was about the same as that of a justice of the peace and the cases tried before the city judge were confined chiefly to violations of the city ordinances. In 1905 tlie ofifice of city judge was abolished, mayoi-s m cities of the fifth class being at that time made judicial officers. Since then the duties of city j'adgc in Valitaiaiso have devolved upon the mayor.

The judges of the circuit court prior to 1872, in the order of their service, were: Samuel Sampk, of youth Bend; E. M. Chamberlin, of Goshen; Robert LowTy, of Goshen; Thomas Stanfield, of South Bend;

And IV w Osborn, of Laporte; ]Iiram A. Gillett, of Valparaiso. Judge Gilliit coutiiuied on the lieuch until 1878, when he was succooded by Elislia C. Field. Judge l*"'ie]d was succeeded bj' William Jolinston in 1890, who served until 1892, when John 11. Gillett was- elected. In 1S98 Ju(l<4V iJillett was appointed l)y Governor Durbin to a lilace on the Indiana supreme bench, to fill the vacancy caused by tlie resit^iialion Judge I'^rancis E. Baker, and at the same time appointed Willis C. Mc- Mahan to the position of circuit judge to fill out the unexpired ti-rm of Judge Gillett. Judge ]\[cMahan was elected to the office in 19(12 and reelected in 1908.

The judges of the probate court of Porter county while the cmu't wa.s in existence wei'e Jesse Johnston, Seneca Ball, George W. Tuiiicr, N:itbauicJ Campbell, William Talcott and John Jones, tlie last named ]ta\- ing Ijeen appointed upon the resignation of Judge Talcott.

Did ing the twenty yeai's tliat the court of common pleas was in existence the district of which Porter county was a part had but three judges, viz: II. Lawson, William C. Talcott and Hiram A. Gillett.

Alention has been made of the appointment of John E. Cass as judge of the superior court when that tribunal was establihsed in 189"!. lie was succeeded in 1896 by Harry B. Tutliill, who has been reelcded al each succeeding election np to 1908.

Michael L. Esseek was prosecuting attorney of the circuit conij)ost'd of Lake and Porter counties at the time the court of common jileas was abolished in 1872. Since that time the prosecuting attorneys, with Ihr year in which each was elected, have been as follows: Thomas J. Wood. 1872; J. W. Youche, 1876; J. G. Smith, 1880; Charles P. Griffin, 1882; Edgar D. Crumpaeker, 1884; Charles N. Morton, 1888; Willis C. .Me Mahan, 1890; Thomas H. Heard, 1891; Stanley T. Sutton, 1898; William J. JlcAleer, 1900; David B. Boone, 1904; Charles E. Greenwald, 19()S. reelected in 191 0.

In a new counlry where the popnlation is sparsr^. there is moI inncli litigation and the practice of law is a rather precarious calling S.'vnal years must elapse before a sufficient number of cases will be filed in tlic courts ',(.- Justify the estiib^isliiiK ni- of a local bar < f any eonsicle-raLle luopcrticDs. When Porter cmiit. - v ;,s organized sm the Ninth jiulieial cii>Lript cstnb]i.ihed, that di.:1riet v ,i ; coaiposed of eight counties. The Ifadina; attorneys of these counti 's irequently rode on horseback J't'om one county seat to another, cju'ryii!^ Ilioir law ]ii>' in tlieir oki-fashiuned saddle-bags. Amojig tliose i!;i\ cling lawy. ; of that day were Joseph L. Jernegan, John B. Nik.^, Robert Mcdim. id, "W. C. iJnmia, Joseph "W. Chapman. John 11. ar.d J:.mes Bradley, 'x, is generally conceded that JoHiah S. Masters, wlio eaiae from the stal" >[ New York about the time the county was or^ajiiziii. was the fir.st resident Jawyof of Porter county. Not finduig .sufficitrii, pj-actice to ocr--oy his time, he. engaged in teaching .school, having laiivj:; the first dI in PorfeiKviile (now Talparasio), and in fact nev-r did ranch 1 . iiiess in tin law. Ilarlowe S. Ortdn came to Vaiparais' early in 18;;!! .id was one dT the most prorainent'arid best kno^vn of the .-.irly attorn' Later he ^v>mi1 to Madison, Wi.'-;coiisin, -iviiert. beriin: . ].)rosident oJ' 1' -> law department of the University of Wisconsin. No' f.-ii- behind i\h- f)rton came Sam nel I. Anthony, who was adniilled to i^'.tetice in Pn'- ber, 1839. He was for many years op. of the le;. county and served in both braneht:, uf the stall- Johnslon, who came to the (vninty aiieii^; the first ; justice of the peace in 1S3!' but de'-iijed the ofiji > judge from 1838 to 1840, and liis soji, William John ing law in Valparaiso. Gcnr: - W. T i.mt, the fir.si entered upon the practice e;" i.iw alioiu uSl.^i and co fession until he left the couni;. in IH-jil. Mark L. 1) J. Merrifield located in V;dp::ii;iso in .IS'iO.

Mark L. De Motte, oiso of bcsi was born near Eockville, Pa'e coiu a sen of Rev. Daniel De jMoli . a nole^ graduated at Asbury (now Pa(n\- ana, with the degree; of A. p.. ISei; the same in.stitution the d"frii - itf ]j !.

practice in Yaiparais.j, and i'lom 'hat time ui^til his death was closely identified with the PortcT county bar. During the Civil war he served as senior first lieutenant of the Foui'th Indiana battery and as assistant quartermaster with the rank of cnptain. After tlie -war he went to Lexington, Missouri,' w^hcrc he becann' (he owner nnd editor of the Lexington Register, and was a delegate io tlie Republican national conventions of 1868 and IBTfi. In 1877 lie r, turned to Yalparaiso and three years later was one of the founders of the law department of the Valparaiso University. He was elected to Congi-ess in 1880; was defeated for reelection in 3882; was elected to the state sciiate in 1886; and served as postmaster at Vali>araiso during: the admiuisi ration of President Harrison. He died at his liome in Valparaiso, September 28, 1908.

Judge Hiram A. Gillett was horn near Richmond, Vermont, March 19, 1831. After graduating at tlie Burlington (Vt.) University in 1853, he went to Buffalo, New York, where he studied law, and in 1856 was admitted to the ])a)-. In 1861 Jn' came to Valparaiso. He M'as elected judge of Ihe eonniioii pleas ('"urt until it was abolished, wlien Governor Hendricks appointed him judyf of the circui! court for the circuit composed of Lake, Porter and Starke counties, which office he held for six years. He thoi practiced law in Valparaiso until a short time before his death on pecemlier 16, 1903. His son, John H. Gillett, also served for several years as judge of 1lie circuit cnnrt .

A. Lytic Jone.s >'.:is one of fir.st metiiii' rs of the Porter county bar to study law in the coiinty. He was born in Wayne county, Ohio, in August, 1835, au'l tame with liis parents to Porter couuty in 1847, settling on Horse piairie. In 18.".'"> he graduated at the Indiana State Universitj', then studied laAV with Samuel I. Anthonj', and in 1856 was ad-

'uitted to practice. For several years he was the senior mem1)er of tiir; law lirm of Jones, Do Molte & Jones. During the war he served in llu; Seventh Indiana cavalry. He was a member of Chaplain Brown Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and was connected with the Northern In diana Law School. He died at Valparaiso, March 17, 1902.

On Friday, December 21, 1906, a number of members of thi- Porter county bar met in the library room of the court-house for the purpose of organizing a bar association. The meeting -was called to order by H. H. Loring. Nathan L. Agnew was chosen chairman, and ]\lark B. Rockwell was elected secretary. After some discussion H. H. Loring, E. W. Agar and R. J. Kitchen were appoi)ited a committee to draft a constitution and by-laws, whieh were to be reported at another meeting un December 26th. At thv adjourned meeting on that date the constitutiou and by-laws Avere adopted and the following officers elected: H. II. Loring, president; Grant Crumpacker, vice-president; Mark B. Rockwell, secretary; A. D. Bartholomew, treasurer. The association started off with every indication of success, but when an effort was made to adopt a certain schedule of fees for certain legal services, some of the lawyers asserted that they were capable of judging what their services were worth and withdrew their support from the organization. The last meeting, of which any record can be found, was held on January 11, 1908, wheti the same officers were reelected, with the exception of vice-president, R. J. Kitchen taking the place of Grant Crumpacker. After the election of officers, the menibers of the association and the invited guests adjourned to the El Erding Cafe, where a banquet was served and Nathan L. Agnew read a paper upon "The Ethics of the Legal Profession." Sixteen per.sous were present at the ban(juet.

D. B. Pickle. Although the name of Edgar D. Crumpaeker ddcs not appear on the list of lawyers as given in the directory - probably for the reason that he lives most of the time in Washington, D. C, as 1lie lejnesentative of the Tenth Congressional district - he still claims bis ]>prmnnnent residence in the citj' of Valparaiso.

One of the lawj'ers who practiced in northern Indiana jirior to tbo Civil Avar was Daniel D. Pratt, of Logansport, who was at om- tiiiKUnited States senator from IndiaJia. A short time before bis deatli be told Rev. Robert Beer the following story of a visit he made to Yal]i;;raiso on one occasion. The story is repeated here because it shows something of the conditions that existed in the town at the time the incident occurred. Mr. Pratt was the secretary of the Republican national ronvention which nominated Mr. Lincoln for the presidency at C'liicago in 1860. At the close of the convention he came to Valparais", Mbore lie was one of the counsel in a case involving the Indian title to a certain tract of land. He stopped at the old Gould Ilonse on West IWain street, and being rathpr tired retired at a comparatively early hour. Directly opposite the hotel was a grocery, along the side of which were piled a number of barrels of salt. The salt attracted a herd of cows, s(^veral of which wore bells, and the noise thej'^ made prevented Mr. Pratt, from going to sleei). Time passed by \mtil all w^as still in the little city except the nerve-racking noise of those bells. Unable to sleep, the distinguished lawyer raised his window and tried to scare the eow^^ away. His efforts in this direction were futile, but he was determined to j^^i'l rid of the pest at all hazards. Quietly descending the stairs, dres.sr-d only in his night clothes, he let himself out at the front door, seized a lioj^rd and charged upon the eneni}'. The cows fled in all directions, bnl tlir jrnijilr of the l)ells aroused a mimber of dogs and their barking addi d to tlie din. Seeing what he had done, and not w^anting to be discovered as the antlior f the DiiscUief, M". Fratt hurried riack to liis bed room. In a short time h was iislcep, r;oi uithstiuidiiij. tic c.ovs were toon back at the pile ui' Suit barrels and making as much noise as bcfi>re. In telling the sLory, Mr, Pratt did not in gleet to menticn that he wo!i his ease.

In the pior'.:,...u)ns of art, literature and journalism, some of rorter county's sous and daughters have made their mark. Robert T. Paine, who acquired a "wide reputation as a sculptoi-, was born in Jackson township, a son of Joel Paine. As a boy he was fond of modeling in clay, and made several small statues before he ever received any insti-uction in the art of sciJjjture. He ultimately became a protege of Augustus St. Gaudens. The idstructJon be Ihus received, with his ambition and indomitable indnstrv, quickly oiinbled hira to take his place among America's leading seuli)tors. He built a fine Grecian home on the Palisades, overloolcing the Hudson river, and also established there bis studio. His mastoi-piece, "Kcptinic and TTis ilcrmaids," was destroyed by him while craved with grief ovvr his wife's suicide in the spring of 1906.

Of those who iia\e won distinciion in literature and journalism, the name of Gilbert A. Pierce is probably the best kuo\vu. He was born in Cattaraugus eount.>% New York, in 1834. At the age of twenty years he ca^ne to Porter county with his j^arents, who settled at Tassinong, where his father was postmaster for over twenty-five years. He studied law in the old University of Chicago and at Ihe breaking out of the Civil war enlisted in Company IT, Ninth Indiana infantrj^ After being successively promoted to lieutenant, captain and assistant quartermaster, he Avas made cjolonel of cavalry and inspector of the (luartcrmaster's department. In October, 1865, he retired from the army and commenced the practice of law in Valparaiso, but was soon elected to the lower house of Lbc Indiana legislavure. For two years he was financial clerk of the United States senate. But his mind ran in a literary direction and he became au editorial writer on tiie Chicago Intcr-Occan, where he remained for nearly twelve years. Later he was connected with the Morning Ncw^ iiv au editorinl enpacity. Tu 1884 he was appointed territorial governor of Dakota, and in 1H89 was elecied one of t'lic Uiiited States senators from North Dakota. Upon retiring from the sea ate in 1891, he purchased an interest in the Minneapolis Tribune. In 1893 he appointed minister to Portugal, but after a short sojouin in that country failing liealtli compelled him to resign and return to '\merica. With his two sons he organized the Pierce Publishing Company in Chicago and issued a magazine entitled Wliat to Eat. Mr. Pince wrote several novels, most of them stories of western life, and his Diiiionary of Dickens Characters has found favor in botli England and llic United States. He died at the Lexington Hotel, Cliicago, February 1l>, 1901.

Hubert ]M. Skinner, a member of the well Icno^vn Porter e";inty family of that name, ^rrote a History of Valparaiso in 1876. l! is a small work, but shows much careful research and investigation, ^ir. Skinner is also the author of a number of poems, one of which, "Tlir Old Sac Trail," appears elsewhere in this work. His most pretentiou; ^ ork, however, is doubtless his "Story of the Britons," which was j-iii-'ished in 1903. It tells the storj- of the ancient Britons through the Eileen centuries preceding the Saxon conquest, aud is admirabty ada^i^ 1 for supplementary reading in the public schools.

Rev. J. M. Kenued)', a Methodist minster wlio was once pasloi' of the church at Chesterton, is also the author of a book of ijoems of more tlian ordinary merit. Prof. A. Y. Moore, an instructor in the old A'alparaiso Collegiate Institute, wrote the "Life of Schuyler Colfax." iMiss Frances R. Howe, a granddaughter of Joseph Bailly, is the author of "A Visit to Bois d'Haine, " a narrative of European travel, aivl "An Old French Homestead," a description and account of the settlement established by her grandfatlier in Porter county in 1822 . A. G. Harde.st>' published an atlas of Porter countj' in 1876, in wliicji is an interesting historical sketch of the county wi-itten by hiniself. A number of textbooks and monograplis on educational, scientific and professional .subjects have been written by instructors in the educational institutions of the county, her lawyers and physicians. Among these "Putnam's Elocution," published b^' AYorthy Putnam, who at one time was a teacher in the Valparaiso JIale and Female College, is deserving of more than passing mention. It is a large work, treating the technical points in elocutionary training, and contains a large number of selections well adapted to /oice culture and expression. Other works of this character that stand above the average are "The Normal Debater," by Oliver P. Kin.sey; "The Latin Sentence," liy J. W. Ilolcomhe; and Dr. E. W. Fi.sh"s wurk on chemistiT. Mi's. Lixzie Newell, once a resident of Valparaiso, lnil later of Fargo. North Dakota, wrote a boojc called (lie "Sil(']i1 ('llil^^,' lor," an ingenious eompilalion of i)assages from the llililc and poetry. Mrs. E. W. Ilavertield, ^\r. D. was the aiithoi' of a book entilled l-hilightened Woman," dealing with sulijeets of interest to iicr o\vii s: v

No history of the professional life of Porter county would lie complete without some reference 1o "William C. Taleott ,who might l)e calle.- Hi- Nestor of Porter couuly journalism. lie was born in lierkshire coujily, Massachusetts, Decemlier 25, 1815, and the following year removed "ith his parents to Lake county, Ohio, whore he lived for ten ycMrs wifli his father and mother and then with other persons mitil about LSH;"), wiicu lio came to Laporte county, Indiana. Two years later he came lo Toitcr county. At the age of fifteen years he began preparing foi- llic Pvt si . - lerian ministry ,but while studying he became dissatisHi-d ^vith some of the doctrines of that faith and adopted the creed of Univei.salibm. ]*'(ii some ten years he was one of the pioneer preachers of thiit di'nomiiiation. but finally severed his connections ^\^th the church, accepting;- llic (ioldon Rule as the basis of his religious belief. It has been said thai Judi^c Talcott could preach a sermon, teach a school, edit a newspaper, piMchVc and administer the law, or successfully conduct a fai-m. Ih; sei-\ed as justice of the peace, probate and common pleas judge .and was o]w a. candidate for the lower house of U\e state legislature, l.iut was ileiVatod because o'f his strong anti-slavery and temperance views. I'^or jiuin> years he was connected with the publication of the Practical, Oliscrcfr and Valparaiso Videiic.

Porter county might be classed as a riu-al community, where i'cw opportunities exist for the development of high professional abilily. There are no large cities within her borders ,no gi'eat scientific instil n tions or laboratories, comparatively little litigation of a complex (rliaracter requiring the skill or services of the attorney who lias made a specialty of such cases, no great hospital where intricate siir;4:ical hixmhtions may be performed. But the professional men of the counly ai'i fully up to the standard of those in similar communities. Her dnctoi,- as a rule are students of their profession and keep well abr-oasi of (lir times; lier lawyers eounnand tlie confidence of the public and tin' rr,|u'i-i of the courts; her educators liave a reputation that is known I'a)- lirvdinl lier boundaries, and, all tilings considered, no professional man nvcl feel a.shamed to admit that his home is in Poi-ter county. ., . .