Posey County, Indiana - Biographical sketches, 1913 (part 1 of 7)

G. V. Menzies, of Mount Vernon, ranks as one of the leading members of the Indiana bar. He has practiced law in this State for over forty years, and during that time has been a prominent figure in many of the important cases that have been adjudicated by the highest tribunals of the Commonwealth. Like many other successful lawyers, he has taken an active interest in politics, and on several occasions figured prominently in the National councils of the Democratic party. He was born in Boone county, Kentucky, December 21, 1844, and is a son of Dr. Samuel G. and Sally (Winston) Menzies, the former was a native of Woodford county, Kentucky, and the descendant of Revolutionary stock from Virginia. Capt. Samuel P. Menzies, a direct lineal ancestor, served in Washington's army, and commanded a battery at Yorktown. Sally Winston, the wife of Dr. Menzies, was born near Richmond, Va. Her parents emigrated to Kentucky when she was a child. G. V. Menzies, the subject of this review, was reared on a farm and attended the common schools and also attended school in Cincinnati, Ohio. When sixteen years of age he went with his father, who at that time was surgeon of the First regiment, Kentucky volunteers (Union). Young Menzies was present at the campaign in West Virginia during the summer of 1861, when the First Kentucky served in General Cox's brigade against the Confederate forces under Generals Wise and Floyd, in the Kanawha Valley. When at Gauley Bridge, W. Va., the boy received an appointment as midshipman at the United States Naval Academy, at Annapolis, Md. Part of Mr. Menzies' class completed the four-years course in three years, and he was therefore graduated in the class of 1864. He was assigned to duty at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where he served until June, 1865, when he was ordered to the frigate Colorado, the flagship of the European Squadron and served in that duty two years. He was then transferred to the Monitor Miantonomah, the first vessel of that t3'pe to cross the ocean. He served as ensign on board that vessel until they returned to the United States in July, 1867. In September, 1867, he joined the South Pacific Squadron, serving on the frigate Powhatan. He was appointed to the staff of Rear Admiral John A. Dalhgren and served as flag lieutenant until he was relieved. Lieutenant Menzies then served in the same capacity on the staff of Rear Admiral Thomas Turner. In October, 1869, Mr. Menzies returned to the United States, and on November 11, 1869, was united in marriage to Miss Esther Hovey, the only daughter of Gen. Alvin P. Hovey, who was then United States Minister to Peru. To this union were born three children: Mary M., married Walter A. Se\'mour, who is now deceased, and she resides at Pelham, N. Y. ; Juliet M., married Lloyd B. Fitzhugh, and she resides at Mt. Vernon, and Winston, personal mention of whom is made elsewhere in this volume. Shortly after his marriage I^ieutenant Menzies was assigned to duty at Portsmouth Navy Yard, until August. 1870. From that date until November, 1871, he was on duty at the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., when he resigned from the navy, having attained the rank of lieutenant commander. He immediately came to Mt. Vernon and engaged in the practice of law. and has been continuously in the practice to the present time, and through all these years has taken an active part in politics also. He was a delegate to the Democratic convention at St. Louis in 1876, which nominated Samuel J. Tilden and was Presidential elector for the First district of Indiana that year. In 1878 he was elected to the State senate, from the district composing Gibson and Posey counties, for a term of four years. In 1880 he served as a delegate of the National Democratic convention held at Cincinnati, and in 1884 was a delegate to the Democratic National convention and vice chairman of the Indiana delegation. He was a delegatc-at-large to the National Democratic conventions of 1896. 1900, 1904 and 1912. In 1904 he was chairman of the Indiana delegation and also member of the committee on credentials. He placed Governor Marshall in nomination for Vice-President at the Baltimore convention by a clever and able speech, which was well received, and in the convention of 1884 he made the motion to make Cleveland's nomination unanimous, which was carried. Mr. Menzies was the Democratic nominee for Congress at a special election in 1905, also at the general election of 1906, but was defeated both times. He has served as delegate to several river and harbor conventions, by appointment of governors of Indiana, and was a member of the commission appointed by the United States Supreme Court to establish the boundary line between Indiana and Kentucky opposite Green River Island. He has been a member of the board of control for the State Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument since 1894, by appointment from governors of the State, and is now president of the board. He has been admitted to practice in all the courts, both State and Federal. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and the Loyal Legion of Indiana. Mr. Menzies possesses the natural attributes of a great lawyer, in addition to being a close student of the law all his life. He is possessed of a well balanced legal mind, and is a fearless and forcible advocate, and as a trial lawyer has few equals in the State. Capt. Winston Menzies, editor and proprietor of the "Evening and Weekly Sun." Mt. Vernon, is a native of Posey county, and a son of Maj. G. V. Menzies, born in Mt. Vernon November 22, 1876. He was educated in the public schools of Posey county and the New York

Military Academy at Cornwall-on-the Hudson, New York. Later he entered the University of Indiana at Bloomington, Ind., graduating in the class of 1897. He then took up newspaper work, and was reporter on the "Daily Democrat" one summer. He then went to St. Louis, and was employed on the "Republic" staff until the breaking out of the Spanish- American war. In April, 1898, he enlisted as a private in Company H,. One Hundred and Fifty-ninth Indiana infantry, and on July 11, 1898, was transferred to the One Hundred and Sixty-first Indiana infantry, and commissioned captain of Company B. His regiment was sent South, assigned to the Seventh army corps, under Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, and served through the entire Cuban campaign. To Captain Menzies belongs the distinction of being the youngest captain in the Seventh army corps. He received his commission before he was twenty-two. He was mustered out of the service in April, 1899, and returned to Mt. Vernon, again engaging in the newspaper work, this time as city editor of the "Democrat." In 1901 he went to Fort Wayne, in the employ of the United Boxboard & Paper Company, and remained there until 1905, when he went to Indianapolis for the same company. In 1907 he again returned to Mt. Vernon, and became managing editor of the "Evening Sun," which was organized at that time. In December, 1909, he bought the paper, and is now the sole owner. Captain Menzies was married April 30, 1901, to Miss Irma Wasem, eldest daughter of Louis Wasem, a prominent merchant of Mt. Vernon and Evansville. To Captain and Mrs. Menzies has been born one child : Esther Hovey, born at Fort Wayne, February 4, 1902. Captain Menzies is a member of Camp Fee, Spanish-American War Veterans; the Military Order of the Loyal Legion, and the Press Club of Indianapolis.

George William Curtis, Sr., former clerk of the Eleventh judicial circuit, popular citizen and breeder of pedigreed horses of National reputation, was born on the old Curtis farm in Black township, Posey county, Indiana, the son of William Boyd and Nancy Lucy (Harshman) Curtis. The family is of English descent, and was founded in the Virginia colony previous to the War of the Revolution, in which members of the family served with the Colonial troops. The first of the family to settle in Indiana was William Curtis, a native of Virginia, who came to Posey county previous to 1814, and located on land in what is now Black township. He was accompanied by a son, Thomas Cottrell Curtis, who also located in Black township, and reached the advanced age of ninety-two years, and who resided on the same farm until his death. Both were farmers, acquired valuable properties, and were men of influence in the formative period of the county. William Curtis was the grandfather of the subject of this review. His son, William Boyd Curtis, was reared on the home farm, attended the schools of the period, and became one of the successful farmers of the countv, and the owner of valuable lands.

He was a Democrat, took an active part in the work of his party, and was one of the influential men of his time. He married Nancy Lucy Harshman, the daughter of George and Dorcas Harshman, residents of the township, and pioneer settlers in the county. George William Curtis, Sr., acquired his education in the district schools of Black township, and the academy in Mt. Vernon. Until 1862. he was employed on the home farm. From the year mentioned until 1867, he was a teacher in the schools of Indiana and Illinois. In the last named year he rented from his father a tract of land and began farming. On April 7, 1869, he married Miss Ruth Greathouse, the daughter of Lorenzo D. Greathouse, born in Posey county in 1818, the son of David Greathouse, a native of Pennsylvania, and founder of the family in Indiana. From that year until 1900, with the exception of eight years, in which he occupied the office of clerk of the Posey County Circuit Court, he was engaged in farming and the breeding and racing of pedigreed horses. His initial purchase of breeding stock was from the famous Belle Meade farm of Tennessee in 1883. The most notable of the performers which were bred on his farm were, Egmont, the sensation of the season of 1887, entered for the season of 1888, in stakes totaling over $80,000, and sold by him in the spring of the last named year for $10,500; Topmast, who won the greatest number of races of any horse in America during the season of 1889; Gold Band, Red Cap and' Silver Set. His animals were raced on the tracks at Louisville, Chicago, St. Louis, Lexington, New Orleans, Covington, Memphis and elsewhere. Mr. Curtis became one of the prominent and popular breeders of the country and his stable was a profitable one. Previous to his engaging in the breeding of racing stock, he was an active and influential factor in the political life of his county. He has been a lifelong Democrat. He was elected clerk of the Posey County Circuit Court in 1874, and re-elected in 1878. His administration of the affairs of this office was such as to procure the highest commendation. In 1900, he became a resident of the city of Mt. Vernon, where he has since resided. He was appointed deputy circuit clerk of the Eleventh judicial circuit in 1904. and is still serving in that capacity. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis are the parents of the following children, viz.: Stella, born January 26. 1870. the widow of Silas O. Thomas, a farmer of Black township; Olive Branch Curtis, born in 1874, and who died aged nine ; George William Curtis. Jr., personal mention of whom follows this article, and Ben Wilkes Curtis, born October 6, 1880. an employee of the Cumberland Telephone Company at New Harmony, Ind.

George William Curtis, influential lawyer of Posey county, senator from the First district of Indiana, and citizen of State-wide prominence, was born in Mt. Vernon. November 10, 1878. the son of George W. and Ruth (Greathouse) Curtis, a personal review of whom precedes this article. Senator Curtis received his early educational discipline in the schools of his native city, and later entered the University of Indiana, from which he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1900. He was admitted to the bar in Mt. Vernon in May, 1901, where he has since practiced his profession. Since October, 1910, he has been associated in practice with ^Villiam Espenschied, under the firm style of Espenchied & Curtis. The firm is recognized as one of the most successful in Southwestern Indiana, and they have appeared in connection with the most important litigations in both the State and Federal courts. In the practice of his profession Senator Curtis has attained recognition as a leader among his fellow members of the bar through his comprehensive knowledge of the law, his logic in argument, and as an orator of more than usual brilliance. His close attention to business and the honesty and fairness with which he has treated his clientage have won the support and respect of the citizens of his district. His political allegiance has been given the Democratic party, and of his party and its policies he has ever been a consistent supporter. He was elected prosecuting attorney of the Eleventh judicial circuit, composed of Posey and Gibson counties, in 1904. His record in the administration of the affairs of this office was such as to place him in line for the nomination to the senatorship from the First district, to which he was elected in 1910. His work as a member of the senate during the session of 191 1. was such that his colleagues on the Democratic side unanimously selected him as president pro tempore and floor leader during the session of 1913. Much can be said of his labors in the last named session. He v/as identified as a leader in the framing and passage of the Public Utility Act. The vocational education bill, passed through his committee, and received his active support on the floor of the senate. He was the author of the uniform high school te.xt book law, and through much opposition and by his efforts it became a law. In its operation a large saving to the parents of the school children will obtain. As floor leader and president pro tempore, he labored not alone for himself, but by his accommodating disposition was of great assistance to all who were working openly for progressive Democratic legislation. Through both sessions in which he served he took an active part in those measures which were worth while. and was considered by his fellow members as one of the energetic and active leaders of his party therein. It is generally conceded that as a parliamentarian he ranks as a leader in his State ; as an orator he has few equals, while his charming personality has endeared him to a wide acquaintanceship. He has always stood for the interests of the common people, and to his constituents he has been loyal. He possesses ability, honesty and courage, while his fairness is an added quality which deserves honorable mention. At this writing, 1913, he has announced himself as a candidate for the office of attorney general. The comment of the press of the State succeeding his announcement shows a con- census of opinion as to his qualifications for the office, which has seldom been equaled in its praise of a candidate for nomination. Senator Curtis is a member of the Masonic order and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Of the latter order he is vice-president for Indiana, and served during 1912 and 1913 as district deputy. Senator Curtis married, on September 16, 1903, Miss Rena Streeby, the daughter of Jay B. Streeby, of Mt. Vernon. Mrs. Curtis is a w^oman of wide acquaintance and popular in the social circles of her home city, in which she is a leader. She is a member of the Martha Hunter (iuild. During the residence of Senator Curtis and his wife at the State capitol Mrs. Curtis was known as one of the leaders of the official set, and her charm of personality and mind assisted greatly in furthering the Senator's influence.

Julius C. Barter, successful farmer, influential citizen and descendant of two of I'osey county's pioneer families, was born in the Barter home. Second and Walnut streets, Mt. Vernon, on December 30, 1857, the son of John L. and Jane (Templeton) Barter. The Barter family is of English origin and was founded in Posey county by John Barter, born May 14. 1797, in the village of Houl, Devonshire, England, who settled with his sons, John, Richard, William and James, in Black township previous to 1820. James, the youngest of these sons, and the grandfather of our subject, Julius C. Barter, engaged in the general merchandise business in Mt. Vernon in 1825, shortly after it became the county seat. John L., the son of James, and father of our subject, was born in Mt. Vernon in 1830. He was also a merchant. He married when a young man, Jane Templeton, the daughter of Samuel L. Templeton, a pioneer of Black township. He was a native of North Carolina, and entered upon land two miles west of Mt. Vernon in 1825. He was a tanner and built and operated a tannery upon his farm. He also manufactured harness and saddles and later shoes. He was thrifty and became the owner of valuable land interests. He was a member of the Methodist church, active in its support, and served as trustee for many years. He married Sally Curtis, the daughter of William G. Curtis, a native of North Carolina, who was also a pioneer settler of Posey county. Jane Templeton Barter was born in Posey county in 1835 and died on December 5, 1902. Her surviving children are as follows: Julius C, the subject of this sketch; Sally, the widow of Worth Templeton, former trustee of Black township, and successful farmer, who resides in Los Angeles, Cal., and Harris, who is married and resides in Los Angeles. The eldest child, Mark Barter, born December 2, 1855, died in June, 1905. Julius Ceasar Barter was reared in the family of his grandfather Templeton, with whom his mother went to live when he was four years of age. He attended the district schools of Posey county and acquired a good common school education. Since early boyhood, farming has been his occupation, and in this line of endeavor he is recognized as authority.

He is the owner of a portion of the old Templeton farm, on which is situated "Barter's Grove," one of the favorite picnic grounds near Mt. Vernon, and whicli has been the scene of many enjoyable festivities. Mr. Barter has been a lifelong Democrat, has been active in the political life of the county, but has no inclination for public office. He cast his first vote for Samuel J. Tilden. He has never married.

John Lorenz Schultheis, clerk of the city of Mt. Vernon, is a native of Indiana, and was born in Haubstadt, Gibson county, on May 21, 1865, the son of Lambert and Elizabeth (Mauder) Schultheis. Lambert Schultheis was born in Germany, September 24, 1838, and died on August 9, 1903. He came to the United States in 1844, with his father, Michael Schultheis, who had $800, considered a large sum for an emigrant at that time. He came to Gibson county, Indiana, and bought land. His residence in the new land was short, however, as he died about three months after investing in Gibson county. Lambert, but six years of age at the time of his father's death, was reared in the family of Anton Schaefer, a distant relative, and later learned the cooper's trade. When seventeen years of age he secured employment, as a cooper, with Anton Raben, of St. Wendel, Posey county, remaining in his employ until 1872. From the last mentioned year until his death, which occurred in 1903, he followed the carpenter's trade. He was a Democrat in his political affiliations, and a devout member of the Catholic church. He married when a young man, Elizabeth Mauder, the daughter of Joseph and Margaret Mauder, of Haubstadt, Gibson county. She was born on May 8, 1839, and died on August 29, 1869. They were the parents of four children, two of whom survive: John Lorenz, the subject of this review, and Kate, who married Victor Knapp, M. D., a resident of Ferdinand, Ind. Mary, the eldest child, married August Wolf, who died, and she married Fred Schnautz. of Haubstadt. She died on April 30, 1901. Joseph M., the youngest of the children, died January 24, 191 1, aged forty-two. Lambert Schultheis married for a second wife, Kate Handel, and of this union one son was born, Edmond, a resident of Mt. Carmel, and a cooper by trade. John Lorenz Schultheis received his educational training in the parochial school of Haubstadt, and was taught the carpenter's trade by his father, a line of occupation he followed until 1891, in the vicinity of Haubstadt until 1886, when he removed to Mt. Vernon, and until 1891, in the last named city. From 1891 to 1895, '^e was employed as clerk by William Melton, from 1895 until 1903, in a like capacity by Andrew A. Schenk, and from 1903 until January, 1906, as secretary and manager of the Mt. Vernon Opera House, by the late August Schieber. In 1905, he was elected treasurer of the city of Mt. Vernon, for a four-year term, which expired in January, 1910. Llis administration of the affairs of that office was such as to secure his election, in 1909, by a flattering majority, to the city clerkship, in which position he is now serving. He is a

Democrat, has been an active worker in his party's interests, and enjoys the confidence of his fellow citizens. As a public official, his acts have been marked by honesty and fidelity, and the departments of the city's business over which he has had charge have been known for their efficiency. Mr. Schultheis is a member of Posey Aerie, No. 171 7, Fraternal Order of Eagles, and of the German Aid Society of Mt. Vernon, of which he is secretary. Mr. Schultheis married, on November i, 1898. Miss Anna Maus, the daughter of Charles and Elizabeth Maus, of Mt. Vernon. Mr. Maus was a well known millwright and many of the flouring plants of Posey county were built under his supervision. Mrs. Schultheis was born on August 15, 1870. There is one child of this union, Ruth E. Schultheis, born August 22, 1899.

George Green Thomas, auditor of Posey county, is a native of Lynn town.ship, and was born on his father's farm November 25, 1855. t^^ son of James E. and Margaret (Duckworth) Thomas. James E. Thomas was born in Waverley, Humphries county, Tennessee, February 22. 1820. He came to Posey county in 1839 and entered on land in Lynn township. Here he cleared away the forest and developed a fine farming propert^^ He underwent the hardships incident to the pioneer of that period, labored successfully with the problems at hand, and became a man of influence in his township. He was a Democrat, served in township office, and was an active supporter of those measures which had for their object the betterment of the community. He was a member, of the Baptist church and gave generously to its support. He married in 1840 Miss Margaret Duckworth, the daughter of William Duckworth, a pioneer settler of Black township. She was born in Posey county in 1821. The Duckworth familj' came from North Carolina; and Absalom Duckworth entered land in Black township in 181 1, Thomas and James in 1817. James E. Thomas died in 1895, 3"*^ 'i'* wife in 1879. Three children were born of this union : George G., the subject of this review ; Cornelia, the wife of Robert Campbell, owner of extensive ranch property and a resident of Spokane, \\'ash., and Margaret S., the wife of David J. Noel, of Carmi, 111., grandson of John Xoel, one of the early settlers of Posey county, who died in Mt. Vernon, aged ninety-five. Previous to his marriage to Miss Duckworth, Mr. Thomas had married Miss May Robinson and of this union one daughter was born : Louisa J., the widow of Harrison C. Stout, who was a farmer of Black township. She is a resident of Carmi, 111. George Green Thomas acquired his education in the public schools of Lynn township and Mt. Vernon. Reared on his father's farm, he has been engaged in farming since boyhood, and is recognized as one of the successful agriculturists of his county. His farm property, which consists of the old Thomas farm in Lynn township, to which he has added by purchase, has improvements that are modern in all respects, is well stocked, and is operated at a sat- isfactory profit. Mr. Thomas has been a lifelong Democrat. His first public office was that of trustee of Lynn township, to which he was elected in 1890. He carried the township by a majority of sixty, although it had a normal Republican majority of fifteen. In 1906 he was elected recorder of Posey county, and was re-elected in 1910. He took office January i, 1908, and his present term expires January i, 1916. He has made an efficient and courteous official and his administration of the business of his office has won the esteem of the citizens of his county. Mr. Thomas married on October 23, 1879, Miss Margaret N. Weir, the daughter of James Weir, a prominent farmer of Lynn township, and member of one of the oldest families in the county. The family was founded in Posey county by William Weir, a native of Virginia, who settled in Black township in 1807. She is also a granddaughter of John Noel, early settler and one of the most prominent citizens of his time. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas are the parents of one child, a son, Archie Lee Thomas. He was educated iu the schools of Lynn township and Mt. Vernon, and completed a course in Perkins & Herpel's Commercial College, St. Louis, in 1901. He is the manager of his father's farm interests. Mr. Thomas is in all respects a high type of the conservative, unassuming American, diligent in his various duties and business affairs and conscientious in all things. He is rich in the possession of personal popularity and the esteem which comes from honorable living.

Thomas Jefferson Johnson, surveyor of Posey county, is a native of Harmony township and was born on his father's farm, four miles east of New Harmony, on January 11, 1845, the son of Moses and Elizabeth (Johnson) Johnson. The family was founded in Posey county by Thomas Johnson, a native of North Carolina, later a resident of Kentucky, who settled in Harmony township prior to 1816. He was a blacksmith, an occupation which he followed while a resident of Posey county. He removed to Clay county, Illinois, about 1840, where he died. Moses Johnson was born in Harmony township in 1817. Pie was a farmer and surveyor. He was a Democrat and was elected county surveyor in 1853 and in 1872, and died in 1874 while in office. He was a member of the Regular Baptist church. He married Elizabeth Johnson, a distant relative, who was born in Kentucky in 1813. She died in April, 1889. They were the parents of five children, four of whom survive : Cynthia, the wife of Orvis S. Endicott, a farmer of New Haven, Ind. ; Susan, the widow of Martin Williams, who was a farmer of Robb township, Posey county ; she is a resident of Evansville ; Thomas J., the subject of this review; and Mary, the widow of Jeddy Pitts, who was a well known farmer of Mt. Vernon ; she is a resident of Pomona, Cal. Thomas Jefferson Johnson received his early educational training in the district schools of Harmony township, later attended the Uni- versity of Indiana, where he completed a two-year course in the law department, being a member of the class of 1865. He subsequently practiced his profession in Posey county. From the days of his early manhood he took an active interest in his father's work as a surveyor and became proficient in this line of endeavor. He also was an active participant in the political life of his section and an ardent Democrat. His first public office was that of assessor of Harmony township. He was elected surveyor of Posey county in 1870 and appointed in 1874 to fill out the unexpired term of his father, who had succeeded him. From 1875 until 1881 he farmed in Harmony township. In 1880 he was elected to his former office, that of county surveyor, and was re-elected in 1882, 1884, 1886 and 1888, serving until January, 1891, when he became auditor of the county, having been elected the previous fall. He was re-elected to this office in 1894 and served until March, 1899. From the last-named year until 1903 he farmed in Center and Point townships. In 1902 he was again elected surveyor of Posey county, his seventh election to this office. He was re-elected in 1906, 1908, 1910 and 1912, his term expiring in January, 1914, and the eleventh which he has served As a public official, Mr. Johnson has won the respect and esteem of the citizens of his county and his administration of the affairs of his office has been marked by honesty, fidelity and high efficiency. In point of years of service, few county officials of the State of Indiana have ever equalled him, as he will have concluded, when his present term expires in 1914, twenty-nine years of public duty, of which twenty-one have been passed in the office of surveyor. Mr. Johnson married on March 18, 1869, Miss Caroline Barrett, of Harmony township, who died December 18, 1881.

William Henry Fogas, ex-secretary of the Indiana State P>oard of Pharmacy and well known druggist of Mt. Vernon, was born in that city on February 21, 1862, the son of Andrew C. and Mary (Heilman) Fogas, natives of Germany. The father was born in the Province of Hanover in 1837, and his wife in Hessen-Darmstadt in 1839. Andrew C. Fogas came to the United States with his parents in 1841, who located in New Orleans, La., and were stricken with yellow fever within a few months after their arrival, and died. Andrew, then a boy of four, was taken into the family of W'illiam Zimmerman, who had married his step-sister. The Zimmermans became residents of Evansville, Ind.. and Andrew was apprenticed to the cigarmaker's trade with John Rhinelander, of that city. In 1861 he came to Mt. Vernon and established the first cigar factory. He conducted this business until his death in 1904. a period of forty-three years. He was a successful business man, a popular and respected citizen, and an active factor in the commercial, civil and social life of the city. He was a Republican in politics, served as treasurer of the citv of Mt. Vernon several terms, and took an active part in the campaigns. He was prominently identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and served as treasurer of the Mt. Vernon lodge for some thirty years. He married, when a young man, Miss Mary Heilman, the daughter of William Heilman, of Evansville. Mrs. Fogas died in igo6. They were the parents of nine children, four of whom are living: William H., the subject of this sketch; John T., retail druggist; George A. and Fred C, jewelers, all of Indianapolis; Mary Louise, the wife of Fred C. Schnur, of Mt. Vernon, died in 1887. Four children died in infancy. William Henry Fogas received his early educational discipline in the schools of his native city and graduated from its high school in 1878. While in the employ of McArthur & Company he completed a course in the St. Louis, Mo., College of Pharmacy, graduating with the class of 1884. Subsequent to his graduation he entered the employ of Joseph G. Gardiner, druggist, Mt. Vernon. He remained with Mr. Gardiner until his death in 1880. From 1880 to 1884 he clerked for William M. McArthur & Company, when he established his present business, which is, at this writing, 1913, the oldest in the city. His standing among the pharmacists of the State is attested by his appointment as a member of the Indiana State Board of Pharmacy in 1907 by Governor Hanly, re-appointed in 1908 and appointed by Governor Marshall in 1912. His present term expires in 1916. He served as secretary of this body in 191 1. He is a Republican, takes an active part in the work of his party, and is a consistent supporter of those measures which have for their object the betterment of the community. He has attained the Knights Templars degree in Masonry, is a member of La Vallette Commandery and of Hadi Temple Shrine of Evansville ; and is also a member of Criterion Lodge, Knights of Pythias. Mr. Fogas married on June 24, 18S6, Miss Kate L. Black, the daughter of Hon. Asa M. Black, a prominent attorney of Terre Haute. They are the parents of one child, a daughter, Alice B. Fogas. She is a graduate of the Mt. Vernon High School, Tudor Hall School, Indianapolis, and attended for two years Northwestern University, Evanston, 111. The family have long been prominent in the social circles of their home city.

William Frier. - A publication of this nature exercises its most important function when it takes cognizance of the life and labors of those who have risen, through their own unaided efforts, to positions of prominence and usefulness in the community and who have been of material value in its growth and development. Mr. Frier has realized a substantial success in the business world, is the owner of an important manufacturing enterprise in the city of Mt. Vernon and merits distinctive recognition in this publication. William Frier is a native of Illinois and was born at Shawneetown on August 12, 1875. ^'^ parents were William Matthew and Hannah (McGuire) Frier. The father was also born at Shawneetown. He was a printer by trade, an occupation he followed until 1909. From 1892 until 1897 he resided in Mt. Vernon, subsequently in McLeansboro, 111., and is now a resident of East St. Louis. He retired from active business in 1909. William Frier received his education in the public schools of his native town and later learned the cigarmakers' trade. He came, with his parents, to Mt. Vernon in 1892, where he secured employment with A. C. Fogas, a pioneer cigar manufacturer of the city. He was employed in the Fogas factory until 1897, when, with Frank Kahn, he established the Mt. Vernon Cigar Company. The following year, 1898, he withdrew from this partnership and established his present factory, operated under the business style of William Frier, cigar manufacturer. During the fifteen years in which this enterprise has been under his ownership and management a trade has been developed requiring a factory output of over one million cigars per annum. His products have always had that necessary essential to success - quality. lie possesses executive ability of a high order, is recognized by the trade as a salesman of exceptional ability, and his financial judgment sound. Mr. Frier has a substantial and profitable investment in Sapulpa, Okla., owning the controlling interest in the firm of Lawrence & Frier, wholesale and retail cigar merchants. They have a large and growing jobbing business in the territory surrounding Sapulpa and the most extensive retail business in their line in that city. Essentially a business man, Mr. Frier has neither inclination nor time for politics. He is independent as to party. On questions and measures affecting the welfare of the community he can be relied upon to lend his support. He is a member of Mt. Vernon Lodge, No. 277, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Mt. Vernon Aerie, No. 1717, Fraternal Order of Eagles, and the Modern Woodmen of America. He is a liberal contributor in support of the Catholic church. On August 15, 1900, Mr. Frier married Miss Lula Lawrence, a daughter of David Lawrence, a well known stock dealer of Mt. Vernon. Mrs. Frier is a native of Alabama and was born in Huntsville on October 27, 1876. They are the parents of one child, a son, Lawrence Matthew Frier, born October 3, 1903.

Marshall Hume Hall. - History is the preserved record of events - as biography is the personal record of those who have been actively concerned in the molding and action of the events from which history is made. A publication of this nature exercises its most important function when it takes cognizance of the life and labors of those citizens who have been of material value in the advancement and development of a community. Mr. Hall is well and favorably known to the citizens of Posey countv through his service as a public official, which is attested through his election in 1912 to the office of sheriff by the largest majority ever received by a candidate for that position. Marshall Hume

Hall is a native of Posey county and was born on his father's farm in Black township December i6, 1859. His father was John T. Hall, a native of North Carolina, who settled in Black township about 1830, where he took up land and engaged in farming, an occupation which he followed until his death, which occurred on April 7, 1869. He was a man of strong religious convictions, served as clerk of the Baptist church at Farmersville for over twenty-five years, and became an influential citizen of his county. He married, when a young man, Lavina, a daughter of John Bradley, of Black township, and granddaughter of Cornelius Bradley, one of the early pioneers of Posey county. Cornelius Bradley was a native of Ireland who came to the Virginia colony previous to the War of the Revolution, in which he served until its close. The Posey county records show that he drew a pension for his services during the struggle of the colonists for independence. He took up land and was engaged in farming in Black township until his death, which occurred in 1840. His daughter, Lavina, and her husband, John T. Hail, were the parents of six children, of whom but two are living at this writing, 1913: Mary E. Whipple, widow of Marion Whipple, residing in Black township, and Marshall Hume Hall, the subject of this review. Those deceased are Medora, who married Polk Dowen ; Lawrence T. ; Edward B. and William J. The latter married Emily Dunn. She is a resident of Mt. Vernon. Marshall Hume Hall was called upon to earn his living at the age of ten; his father having died in 1869 and his mother when he was aged three. His education was acquired in the country schools during such time as the earning of a livelihood would permit. He was employed as a boy in doing odd jobs and later engaged in farming. In 1886 he entered the employ of A. Wassem & Company, lumber manufacturers of Mt. Vernon, and remained with this firm until 1893, when he was appointed custodian of the Posey county court house. He was made a deputy sheriff in 1901, and served in this capacity under Sheriffs James F. McFaddin. Alonzo K. Grant and Joseph M. Causey. Recognition of efficient service was given him in 1912, when he was made the nominee of the Democratic party for the office of sheriff and his election by a greatly increased majority over previous incumbents of the office attests to his qualifications for the position and his popularity in the county of his birth. It is certain that his administration of the office of sheriff will meet the approval of the citizenship of Posey county, as has his service in the past. He is a member of the Mt. Vernon Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Court of Honor and of the Methodist church. Mr. Hall married on February 20, 1884, Ruth, the daughter of John and Ellen Russell, of Black township. Mr. Russell was a native of England, became a resident of Posey county in 1850, where he was a successful farmer and well and favorably known. Mr. Russell died in 1872. His widow is a resident of Black township and has reached the ripe age of eighty-seven. Mr. and Mrs. Hall are the parents of three children: John \V., born December 4. 1884, a merchant tailor of Mt. Vernon; Ina B., born July 31, 1889, employed as cashier by Stinson Brothers, Mt. Vernon, and Orran R., born February 9, 1900.

Theodore Raben, president of the Mt. Vernon Construction Company, the Consumers Ice and Cold Storage Company, and the John Larkin Company, is a native of Posey county, and was born in St. Wendel, May 17, i860, the son of Anthony and Mary S. (Ten Barge) Raben, the former of Lichtendoorde, Gelderland, Holland, came to the United States in 1840 and settled in St. Wendel, Posey county, Indiana. He was a cooper and he established the first cooper shop in St. Wendel, also the first general store. Some years later he formed, with George Naas, the firm of Raben & Naas, general merchants and millers. The business of this firm grew to be the largest, in point of sales, in the county. They owned the leading stores in Mt. Vernon and St. Wendel, and were also interested in flour mills in both towns. In 1884 the junior partner, Mr. Naas, died and the firm style was changed to Raben & Sons, of which firm our subject, Theodore Raben, was an interested principal. The money stringency of 1893, together with too generous credits, forced the firm to make an assignment, and the business was li(|uidaled. Anthony Raben resumed business in St. Wendel, where he conducted a general store until his death in 1904. He served as postmaster of that town for about fifty years, through both Republican and Democratic administrations, although he was a Democrat and an active and influential member of the party in his section. He was reared a Catholic and gave generously toward the support of his church. He married, when a young man, Mary S. Ten Barge, who died in 1867. They were the parents of sixteen children, eight of whom are living at the present time (1913). They are as follows : Johanna, the wife of Frederick Brakamp, merchant tailor, of Evansville ; John, a retired farmer, of St. Wendel ; Joseph, who owns extensive farm property near Ridgeway, 111. ; Theodore, the subject of this review ; Mary, the wife of Frank Thuis, a well known manufacturer of Vincennes ; Louisa, the wife of Anthony Louix, wholesale dealer in dairy products, Evansville ; Charles, a general merchant of St. Wendel, and who succeeded his father in that line; and Elizabeth, the wife of George Mann, a farmer of Black township. Five children died in infancy and the following lived to maturity : Anna, the wife of William Heyns, the well known furniture dealer and manufacturer of Evansville, who was the owner of the Vendome Hotel and promoted the organization of the company which built the present structure, operated as the new Vendome ; died in 1891 ; Kate, the wife of Joseph Ebner, president of the Consolidated Ice Company, of Vincennes, died in 1893; and Henry, manager of the Raben merchandise business and mill at St. Wendel, died in 1910. Theodore Raben received his early educational dis- cipline in the public schools of St. Wendel, which was supplemented by a course in St. Meinrad's College, Spencer county, Indiana, and St. Francis College, Teotopolis, 111. He also attended a commercial college at Evansville and completed a course there in 1879. His first employment was with the firm of Hankins, Naas & Co., for whom he clerked from 1876 until 1879, and in the last named year he entered the employ of Fuhrer, Boyce & Co., millers and grain dealers, of Mt. Vernon, of which firm his father was a partner. In 1881 he married, resigned his position in Mt. Vernon and removed to St. Wendel, where he had secured a position with the firm of Raben & Naas, general merchants and millers, of which his father was the senior partner. On the death of Mr. Naas in 1884 the firm of Raben & Sons was organized and he became an interested principal, and he was given the management of the Mt. Vernon store, of which he was in charge until the closing out of the business in 1893. From 1893 i-intil i8g6 he was the resident agent at Mt. Vernon of the Fulton Avenue Brewing Company, of Evansville. In the the last named year Rosa Raben secured the agency for southwestern Indiana and southeastern Illinois from the American Brewing Company, of St. Louis, for their product, and Mr. Raben covered the territory as her agent, continuing in this capacity until 1898, when she secured the Mt. Vernon agency of the F. W. Cook Brewing Company, of Evansville, since which time he has been her agent. In 1907 he, with Rosa Raben, Louis Raben and S. A. Gano organized the Mt. Vernon Construction Company. It was incorporated with a paid-in capital of twenty-five thousand dollars and the following officers elected : President, Theodore Raben ; secretary and treasurer, Louis W Raben ; and S. A. Gano, general manager. Since the establishment of its business, in 1907, the company has constructed fifteen miles of rock road in Gibson county, sixty-five miles of gravel road in Posey county, and some two hundred bridges, the latter of various types, and all in Posey county. The company operate a large gravel plant at New Harmony and are extensive employers of labor, as many as one hundred teams and two hundred men having been on the pay roll at one time. The work done by the company has given entire satisfaction, the business is in a most satisfactory condition, has paid large dividends to the stockholders, and since the retirement of Mr. Gano, in 1909, has been under the management of Louis W. Raben, the secretary and treasurer. In 1901 our subject, with Allyn B. Hart and the late August Schieber, organized the Consumers' Ice and Cold Storage Company, of Mt. Vernon (see chapter on Manufacturing and Commercial Enterprises), of which he is president. He is also president of the John Larkin Company, of Mt. Vernon, manufacturers of washing compounds and toilet preparations. As a builder of residence property Mr. Raben has done much for the city of Mt. Vernon, having built within the past ten years twenty-one houses.

He has had in view, as his principal object in this work, the offering of an opportunity to men of the laboring and salaried class to own their own homes, as he has sold on the small payment plan and at prices which have been reasonable. Measures having for their object the welfare of the city and its residents have always received his active support. His political allegiance has been given to the Democratic part}^ He is a member of Mt. Vernon Lodge, No. 277, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and of its house committee since the General Hovey home was purchased; Posey aerie, Fraternal Order of Eagles, and the German Aid Society of Mt. Vernon. Mr. Raben married, on May 17, 1881, Miss Rosa Fuelling, the daughter of Clamour and Regina Fuelling, of Mt. Vernon, where Mr. Fuelling is a well known merchant tailor. They are the parents of three children: .Antoinette, born December 13, 1883, the wife of John W. Hall, dry cleaner and tailor of Mt. Vernon; Louis W. Raben, a sketch of whom follows this review; and Vera, born March 16, 1S92, who resides with her parents. In the successes realized by Mr. Raben, and they are substantial ones, his wife has been of potential assistance. Shortly after their marriage, when reverses had swept away about all he possessed, her sympathy, counsel and courage put heart and fighting spirit into his efforts, while her sound business judgment, keen financial sense, and sound advice were drawn upon within stint. Her possession of business qualification of high order have in no wise detracted from her love of home and family. She has reared her children to be useful citizens, the home life of the family has been perfect, and she is one of the popular hostesses of her home city.

Louis William Raben, secretary, treasurer and general manager of the Mt. \'ernon Construction Company, is a native of Posey county and was born in Mt. Vernon on July 26, 1887, the son of Theodore and Rosa ^Fuelling) Raben, personal mention of whom precedes this review. Louis \\'. Raben received his early educational discipline in the public schools of Mt. Vernon and subsequently completed a course in the Christian Brothers College at St. Louis, Mo. In 1903, when but seventeen years of age, he entered the employ of the Lee Lumber Company, of Memphis, Tenn., as bookkeeper, a position he filled with credit until 1906, when ill health compelled him to resign. He returned to Mt. Vernon and spent the year in recuperating from an operation. In 1907 he assisted in the organization of the Mt. Vernon Construction Company, and upon its incorporation was elected secretary and treasurer. In 1909 he was made general manager, succeeding S. A. Gano, who had filled the position since the establishment of the business. That he possesses business qualifications of high order is proven in the growth of the business of the company under his management, together with the standard of work which it has completed. He has pluck and energ}-, a pleasing personality and is recognized as one of the most successful of the young business men of the county. Mr. Raben is unmarried and resides with his parents. He is a member of Mt. Vernon Lodge, No. 277, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, of which he is lecturing knight. He is a communicant of the Catholic church.

Daniel Oscar Barker, a leading lawyer of southwestern Indiana and a prominent citizen of Posey county, of which he is a native, was born on his father's farm in Robb township, July 31, 1853, the son of Hiram and Elizabeth A. (Fitzgerrell) Barker. Hiram Barker is a native of Kentucky, born near Bowling Green on February 25, 1824, and novv' a resident of the city of Mt. Vernon. He came to Indiana when a lad of ten years of age, his parents locating in Gibson count}'. Here he spent the early years of his life, underwent the vicissitudes incident to that pioneer period, and became a successful farmer. His farm and residence were near the city of Owensville. He became a resident of Mt. Vernon about 1889, and is one of the oldest men in Posey county, his ninetieth birthday occurring in 1914. His wiie was a daughter of John S. Fitzgerrell, who was a native of Posey county, and the son of James and Elizabeth (Ray) Fitzgerrell, natives of Ireland, who became pioneer settlers in Robb township. Daniel Oscar Barker acquired his early education in the public schools of Owensville. Subsequently he entered the law department of the Indiana State University and was graduated a member of the class of 1875. He located for practice in Brinston, Ind., where he remained but a few months, removing to McPherson, Kan., the county seat of McPherson county, then in its formative period. Here he built up a lucrative business, v/as recognized as one of the leading men in his profession in the county, and attained an influential position as a citizen. The severe crop failures, grasshopper plague and reaction from the booming of county seat towns in the early '80s, caused him to return to Indiana, in 1885. He became a resident of the city of Mt. Vernon and resumed the practice of his profession. In 1897 'i^ formed, with George F. Zimmerman, a son-in-law, the firm of Barker & Zimmerman, and was his associate in practice until 1907. In 1909 he formed with Roscoe Usher, his son, the firm of Barker & Barker, with which he was connected at the time of his death, on February 25, 1910. During his practice in Posey county, which covered a span of twenty-five years, Mr. Barker appeared in connection with the most important litigations in its courts. He had wide and comprehensive knowledge of the science of jurisprudence, was a man of strong character and individuality, an orator of no mean power and in argument logical and convincing. He was held in high esteem by the fellow members of his profession and the citizens of his county, in whidh he attained a position of prominence. Mr. Barker married, on May 25, 1876, Miss Alice B. Doss, the daughter of Azriah Doss, who built the first grist mill in Posey county. This was located at Blairsville. Mr. and Mrs. Barker became the parents of six children, five of whom are living. They are, in order of birth, as follows: Mabel, born January 8, 1878, the wife of George F. Zimmerman, for ten years the associate of Mr. Barker in the practice of law and now a resident of Oklahoma City, Okla. ; Roscoe Usher Barker, a review of whom follows this article: Mary V., born February 20. 1889; Claude F., born July I, 1892, an employe of the Chalmers Motor Company, of Detroit, Mich. ; and Gladys A., born October 2, 1894, a graduate of the Mt. Vernon High School, class of 1912; Loyette Barker, born July 8, 1882, died February 4. 1902. When a child of eighteen months she received an injury that resulted in curvature of the spine. She was a brilliant scholar and though an invalid through life was insistent on being allowed to attend school, and completed the tenth grade. Mr. Barker was a high type of the American gentleman, unassuming and conservative, diligent in his duties and commercial affairs, and conscientious in all things. Me was a student, possessed a large and well selected library and kept thoroughly in touch with the men and affairs of his day. Political office never appealed to him, although he never neglected in the least his civic duties. He was a Democrat. He was a member of the Masonic order and prominent in the work of the various bodies of that order in Mt. Vernon. He was a member of Mt. Vernon Lodge, No. 277, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and Criterion Lodge, Knights of Pythias.

Roscoe Usher Barker, prosecuting attorney of the Eleventh judicial circuit (if Indiana, was born at McPherson, Kan., November 2, 1879, the son of Daniel O. and Alice B. (Doss) Barker, a review of whom precedes this article. Roscoe U. Barker was reared in the city of Mt. Vernon, where his parents located when he was six years of age. His early education was gained in the schools of the city and subsequently he entered the literary department of the Indiana University, from which he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in the class of 1901. He received the degree of Bachelor of Laws in 1907. He engaged in teaching in the school year 1901-2 in Mt. Vernon, and was principal of the grammar school during the years 1902-3-4 and 1905. From 1905 until 1907 he was in the office of Baker & Zimmerman, of which his father was the senior member. In the last named year he commenced the active practice of law. although admitted to the bar in 1901. He formed with his father, in 1909, the firm of Barker & Barker, an association which lasted but one year, his father's death occurring in 1910. He was appointed to his present office on March i, 1913. by Governor Ralston, for a term of two years, his circuit, the Eleventh, comprising Posey county, having been cut down by the making of Gibson county a separate circuit in 1913. Since attaining his majority he has taken an active part in the political affairs of his home city and county. He is president of the Democratic Central Committee of Mt. Vernon, and is influential in the councils of his party. He has attained the Council degree.s in Masonry and is a member of Mt. Vernon Lodge, No. 2TJ, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, of which he is exalted ruler. Mr. Barker is recognized as not only one of the coming men of the Indiana State bar, but as one of the progressive citizens of Mt. Vernon who are using their best efforts toward the growth and development of their city.

Frederick W. Nolte, deceased, formerly a farmer and land owner on a large scale, was born in Prussia, Germany, June 14, 1847, '^'''d died August 20, 1899. He was a son of August and Charlotte (Schwartz) Nolte, natives of Germany, who came to the United States in 1856, locating at Evansville, Ind., where he followed the occupation of shoemaker. Frederick Nolte obtained a good German education in the schools of Germany, but his English education was acquired by his own efforts. At the age of thirteen years he began clerking in a dry goods, boot and shoe establishment in Evansville, continuing there for a number of years, and then going into an exclusive dry goods store. Here he remained seven years. Later he became managing proprietor of a large dry goods store, but discontinued this after eighteen months and became a traveling salesman, which vocation he followed successfully for five years. In 1880 he removed to Mt. Vernon and bought 1,400 acres of land, at once becoming a successful farmer on a large scale. Frederick Nolte was twice married. His first wife was Miss Lizzie Link, whom he married in 1875, but who lived but seven months after their marriage. On April 23, 1879, Mr. Nolte married Miss Mary Ann Evison, daughter of James and Mary Ann (Broadhead) Evison. She was born May 10, 1855, in Mt. Vernon. Her father was born March 16, 1809, in England and came to America by way of New Orleans at the age of twenty-five. He died September 5, 1873, ^^ ^^- Vernon, where he had been a merchant tailor. He was a consistent member of the Episcopal church. During the Civil war he was a member of the State Home Guards. Mr. Evison was married, August 13, 1839, to Miss Mary Ann Broadhead, daughter of William and Mary Ann (Baldwin) Broadhead. Mary Ann Broadhead was born April 12, 1813, and died August 3, 1883. They had seven children, all of whom died in infancy except Mary Ann, who became Mrs. Frederick Nolte. Mr. and Mrs. Nolte had six children, four daughters and two sons: Mary Evison, born September 17, 1880, graduated from the Mt. Vernon High School and became a teacher of note in the State, married E. M. Spencer, Jr. (see sketch of Elijah M. Spencer), November 30, 1900, and they have one child, Elizabeth, born July 20, 1901 ; Lola Evison, born November 3, 1881 ; Frederick Evison, born February 25, 1884; James Evison, born April 2, 1885; Lucy Isabel, born January i, 1892; Emily, born August 9. 1894.

George Washington Robertson, deceased, inventor, banker and public official, was born December 22, 1842, in Connersville, Ind., son of Thomas and Lydia (Frost) Robertson, natives of Westchester county, New- York. He was the eldest of five children. After finishing high school he became a clerk to a quartermaster in the United States Navy at the age of nineteen. At the age of twenty-one he was commissioned paymaster of the flag ship "Carondelet" for a fleet of twentj^-one vessels. On account of sickness he resigned after a service of four years, and after remaining one j'ear at a sanitarium in New York he entered the college at Marietta, Ohio, taking the full collegiate course. He then took a commercial course in Chicago, all at his own expense. He became clerk in a bank at Muncie, Ind., and later in Evansville, Ind. In i88o he organized the Monticello National Bank at Monticello, Ind., becomings its cashier and its active head. Three years later he came to Mt. Vernon and became assistant cashier of the First National Rank. Under President Harrison's administration he was appointed chief of the redemption division of the United States Treasury, holding this office ten years. He assisted in counting all the funds in the United States treasury for both the outgoing and incoming administrations of Presidents Cleveland and Harri.son. Mr. Robertson also was an inventor, having patented the Robertson machine gun, which he sold to the Government for use in the army and navy. He had a number of other patents, among which was the automobile seat. He retired from active life in 1899 and died July 5, 1912. In politics he was a Republican and his fraternal affiliations were with the Knights Templars. On June 10, 1875, Mr. Robertson married Miss .Anna PuUar Lockwood, daughter of John M. and Caroline Charlotte CNewman) Lockwood. She was born November 23. 1852, at Evansville. Ind. John M. Lockwood was a descendant of Edmund Lockwood, who came with Governor Winthrop and his Pilgrim band in 1630. Mr. and Mrs. Robertson had one child, Estella Lockwood. She lives with her mother at 604 Main street, Mt. Vernon, on Lot No. 179, corner of Main and Sixth streets, which is the same lot on which the first school house in Posey county was built. Miss Robertson is an expert musician and a teacher of theory, harmony and composition. She was educated in Chicago and in Washington, D. C. Mrs. Robertson is a literary woman, making frequent contributions to the press on historic subjects and on present day matters of general interest.

Hon. William Gonnerman. - Success in an}- line of occu]->ation, in any avenue of business, is not a matter of spontaneity, but represents the result of the application of definite subjective forces and the controlling of objective agencies in such a way as to achieve desired ends. Mr. Gonnerman has realized a large and substantial success in the business world and his career has well exemplified the truth of the foregoing statements. He occupies today a large place in the commercial circles of the city of ilt. Vernon and is a potential force in its most important industry. He has large and varied capitalistic interests and is one of the distinctively representative men of Posey county. Progressive and energetic in the management of these varied affairs, loyal and public spirited as a citizen, he holds a secure position in the confidence and esteem of the community and has contributed in large measure to the industrial advancement of Mt. Vernon. He is vice-president of the Keck-Gonnerman Company and the People's Bank and Trust Company and president of the Industrial Brick Companj^ specifically mentioned on other pages of this volume. William Gonnerman is a native of Germany and was born in Solz, county of Rodenberg, Province of Hessen-Nassau, on January 5, 1856, the son of Adam and Martha (Ripple) Gonnerman. The father, Adam Gonnerman, owned and managed a bakery in the town of Solz, having learned the trade when a boy, and the business has, since his death, been conducted by his son-in-law. Mrs. Gonnerman survived the death of her husband but three years, passing to her reward in 1904. The surviving children by this union are: Catherine, the widow of Johann Schaefer, machinist of Sontra, Germany ; Christina, the wife of \\'illiam Shaus, a farmer of Armstrong, Vanderburg county, Indiana ; Conrad, foreman of the Louisville & Nashville railroad's freight depot in Evansviile ; Rudolph, in the forestry service of the German government ; William, the subject of this review; Henry, secretary of insurance for the Province of Nassau ; Elizabeth, the wife of George Gross, of Sontra; Herman, a retired baker, of Eschwege, Germany; Eliza, the wife of Fred Eichholz, a saloonkeeper, of Cassel ; Christian, proprietor of a bakery in Eschwege, Germany ; and Julia, the wife of Henry Abel, baker, of Solz, Germany, and successor to Adam Gonnerman. Adam J. Gonnerman, the eldest child of this union, died in 1883. William Gonnerman received his education in the pviblic schools of his native town, was apprenticed to the machinist's trade, which he learned under his brotherin-law, Johann Shaefer, and became a journeyman machinist at the age of seventeen. In 1873 ^^^ decided to avail himself of the broader opportunities offered in the United States. He landed at Castle Garden, and later came to Evansville, Ind. He secured employment in the foundry and machine shops of Conrad Gratz, and was made foreman in 1878, a position which he creditably filled until 1884. In the year mentioned he removed to Mt. Vernon, and here instituted his first independent business venture. With John Keck and Henry Kippler he formed the firm of Keck, Gonnerman & Co., and engaged in the foundry business. From the modest enterprise thus established has been developed the extensive and important industry of the Keck-Gonnerman Company, the most important industrial plant in Posey county, and one of the largest and most successful in southwestern Indiana. As vice-president in charge of the manufacturing and sales departments of the company he has been responsible for the high standard of quality maintained ih its products, their efficiency in performance, and improvement in design. That he possesses the qualifications necessary to the successful management of the departments under his charge is proven by the highly satisfactory growth of the business of the corporation. He is also president of the Industrial Brick Company, of Mt. Vernon, of which he and Louis A. Keck were the principal organizers. A review of these enterprises is found in the chapter, "Manufacturing and Commercial Enterprises," to which the reader is referred for supplemental information. In 1908 he, with Charles A. Greathouse. organized the People's Rank and Trust Company, of Mt. Vernon. He was elected vice-president on its incorporation and is still serving in that capacity. A review of this institution is found in the chapter, "Ranks and Banking." For some time he was the senior member of the f(irm of William Gonnerman & Co., who owned and operated the electric lighting plant at \lt. \'ernon. Mr. Gonnerman has always taken an active interest in the questions of the day and he has actively supported, both with time and money, those measures which have had for their object the betterment of civic, commercial and social conditions. He is a Republican. He was elected to the city council in 1890 and served for ten years. He introduced the measure, which was passed, providing the fund for the building of the present city hall, and it was through his efforts that modern fire equipment was provided by the city. He was elected to the State senate in 1904 and served one term, which included the regular sessions of 1907 and 1909 and the special session of 1908. He was made chairman of one of the most important of the committees, that of manufactures, and was a member of those on banks and banking, agriculture, executive appointments, labor, fees and salaries, claims and expenditures, and congressional apportionment. He refused to become a candidate for renomination, as his business affairs required his attention. His election to the senate was a distinct personal victory, as he received a majority of 198 in a district having a normal Democratic majority of 600. Mr. Gonnerman is a member of Mt. Vernon Lodge, No. 277, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; Criterion lodge. Knights of Pythias, and the Modern \Voodmen of America. He is a member and generous supporter of the German Lutheran church. Mr. Gonnerman married, on September 7, 1875, Miss Lena Alexander, the daughter of Henry Alexander, a farmer of Rheinfaltz, of Germany. She died on April 5, 1891. They were the parents of the following children: Margaret, born November 13, 1876, the wife of Joseph Forthoffer, a machinist in the employ of the Keck-Gonnerman Company ; Catherine, born July 20. 1878, the wife of William Espencheid. an attorney of Mt. \'ernon, a sketch of whom is published in this work; Caroline, born May 15, 1880, the wife of Ray Smith, lumber dealer of Mt. Vernon; W'illiam H. Gonnerman, born July 23, 1884, mechanical engineer, Keck- Gonnerman Company, and a graduate of Purdue Universit}', class of 1906, and Lena, born December 31. 1888.

William Mason Holton, M. D. - Among the physicians and surgeons of Indiana who attained a distinction merited by years of study, observation and practice, was he whose name initiates this article. An active practitioner in his profession for fifty-eight years, he equalled, in length of service, the record of American practice. Doctor Holton was born in Westminster, Vt., on July 15, 1827, a son of William and Betsey (Mason) Holton. His ancestors, paternal and maternal, were among the early settlers of America, and numbered among them are men who achieved distinction in the frontier life of those early days, in the commercial era which followed, in the French and Indian wars, and later in the War of the Revolution. The Holton family was founded in America by William Holton, a native of Ipswich, England, who came to the Massachusetts Colony in 1634. He removed to Hartford, Conn., in 1636, where he was one of the first settlers, and died in Northampton, Mass., August 12, i6gi. He was a member of the first board of magistrates and a representative to the grand court. Doctor Holton is descended from William Holton as follows: John, the son of William, born in Hartford, died in Northampton, Mass., April 14, 1712. William, son of John, a resident of Northampton, Mass., died in 1756; John, son of William, was born in Northampton, Mass., August 24, 1707, died in Northfield, Mass., October, 1793. Joel, son of John, born in Northfield, Mass., July 10, 1738, died August 12, 1821. He was one of the twelve original settlers of Westminster, Vt., built and owned the first saw mill in the town, and was one of its most influential citizens. His brother, Solomon Holton, was a lieutenant in the Colonial army and served throughout the W^ar of the Revolution. William, the son of Joel, was born in Westminster, Vt., July 26, 1771. He was a farmer and removed to McDonough county, Illinois, in 1835. where he died in 1857. His son, William, born in Westminster, Vt., October 31, 1801, was the father of Doctor Holton. He was a farmer, and with his father settled in McDonough county, Illinois, in 1835. He married, on September 15, 1826, at Cavendish, Vt., Betsey Mason, a member of a pioneer family of that State. William Mason Holton acquired his literary education in the public schools of Vermont and Illinois. He later determined to make the practice of medicine his life work and entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons, of New York City, from which he was graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1852. Following his graduation he spent one year in practice in that city. In 1853 he removed to Plymouth, III., practicing his profession in that town until 1859, when he came to Posey county, Indiana, and located in Slewartsville. Doctor Holton served for about two years in support of the Union cause in the Civil war. He enlisted in 1861 in Company D, Sixtieth Indiana volunteer infantry, and became lieutenant of his company. He was transferred by Governor Morton, in 1862, to the Twenty-fifth Indiana and served as assistant surgeon of that regiment until 1863, when he was compelled to resign on -account of ill health. In 1863 he located at New Harmony, his place of residence until his death, which occurred on December 13, 1910. As a physician and surgeon he was considered one of the most able in his section of the State. Until his death, at the age of eighty-three, he continued to keep up his interest in the advancement of the science of medicine. He possessed a large library, which was well selected and of wide range. He was a student all his life, a great reader, and kept abreast of the times, not only as to his profession, but upon general subjects as well. He was a member of the Posey County Medical Society, the Indiana State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. The meetings of these organizations were his opportunity for relaxation from practice, kept him in touch with fellow practitioners and the advancement in medicine and surgery. He seldom failed to attend these gatherings, even during his latter years. He took an active interest in the political affairs of his county and State, was a Republican from the birth of the party, and influential in the councils of his local organizations. He had neither inclination nor time for public office, although frequently urged to become a candidate. Doctor Holton married, at Elizabethtown, Essex county, New York, on March 14, 1853, Miss Caroline E. Cuyler, the daughter of Col. E. S. Cuyler, a prominent lawyer of Essex, and a member of one of the pioneer families of that section of the State. She was born in Essex, Essex county, on December 24, 1S33. and died in New Harmony, March 8, 1873. Tliey were parents of eight children, five of whom are living. They are as follows: Mrs. Fannie C. Kight, of Washburn, 111.; Mrs. Cornelia Catherine Brigham, of Chicago, 111. ; Mrs. Minnie G. Bailey, the wife of William S. Bailey, lawyer of Tulsa, Okla. ; William E. Holton, cashier of the Mt. Vernon National Bank, a review of whose life follows this sketch; and Frank C. Holton, of Plymouth, 111., an employe of the Post Office Department, rural mail service. Those deceased are : Emma E., who married Leo Kahn, of Evansville, Ind. ; Charlotte E., who was the wife of August Duysing, of Evansville ; and Mary Alice, who died August 4, 1875. The tributes of respect, and in many cases of affection, called forth by the death of Doctor Holton have seldom been equalled in Posey county in the passing away of a citizen. His life work was finished ; it had met to a great extent the fullness of his ambition. But infinitely more precious and of personal consequence to him was the fact that he died rich in the possession of a well earned popularity, and in the affection that slowly develops only from unselfish works.

William Edward Holton. - The growth and development of Posey county, particularl}' its commercial and industrial development, has been accomplished by and with the assistance of its financial institutions. In the conduct of the business of its banks opportunity has been given many men to exercise not onh^ their financial talents, but to greatly assist in prior to his death, which occurred January 31, 1899. He was married July 15, 1840, and had thirteen children as follows: Julia A., Darius North, Mary Jane, Charles P., Louise Catherine, Nathaniel Stewart, Alvin Hovey, Emily, William, Ira Hackett, James Madison, Edwin Sherman and Derusha Ella. Mr. and Mrs. MacGregor had three children: Olive, born October 11, 1869, married Frank M. Smith, June 27, 1894, had one child, Francis McGregor, born April 5, 1900, and lost her husband January 6, 1900; Inez, born October i, 1872; Charles Monroe, born June 2, 1876. graduate of Purdue University, at Lafayette, Ind., now an electrician of Mt. Vernon. Charles Married Miss Mabel Clair Highman, on November 27, 1907, and they have one child, Sarah Catherine, born December 2, 1908.

William Espenschied, prominent attorney, popular citizen, and senior member of the law firm of Espenschied & Curtis, of Mt. Vernon, was born at Leavenworth, Kan., April 2'/, 1876, the son of Peter and Katherine (Schnarr) Espenschied. Mr. Espenschied was reared in the city of Mt. Vernon, of which his parents became residents in 1878, was graduated from its high school in 1892, and completed a two-year course in the State University at Bloomington. From 1895 until 1897, he was engaged in teaching in the public schools of Posey county. He then read law and was admitted to practice in 1898. In November of the last named year he was appointed deputy prosecuting attorney for the Eleventh judicial district, composed of Posey and Gibson counties. He remained in this position until 1901, when he became prosecuting attorney of this district, having been elected in 1900. He was elected to succeed himself in 1902. His record in the office was creditable to himself and to his constituents. Following his retirement, in 1905, he resumed the practice of law, and in 1910 formed with Hon. George William Curtis the firm of Espenschied & Curtis. During the years of his practice, Mr. Espenschied has appeared in connection with important litigations in both the State and Federal courts, and is recognized by members of the bar as an able and conscientious practitioner. He is a member of the Masonic order and of Mt. Vernon Lodge, No. 277, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Mr. Espenschied married, on October 30, 1901, Miss Katherine Gonnerman, daughter of Hon. William Gonnerman, a personal review of whom appears elsewhere in this work. They are the parents of one child, William Peter Espenschied, born August 28, 1903.

Kelly De Fur, clerk of the circuit court of Posey county, was born on his father's farm near Wadesville, Center township, on May 5, 1875, the son of Theophilus and Eliza (Wade) De Fur. He is of French ancestry on the paternal side, the De Fur family having been founded in America during the Colonial period, when his ancestors came from France to the Carolina colony. The family dates its founding in Posey great-grandfather of our subject. Thomas De Fur, his son, became a man of infkience in his township, was a farmer, a lifelong Democrat, and supported the Christian church. Theophilus, the son of Thomas and father of our subject, was born in Robb township. He was a carpenter and cabinet maker. He sold furniture, made coffins, and acted as the undertaker of that district. He married Eliza Wade, the daughter of Thomas Wade, a native of South Carolina, and a pioneer resident of Center township. He was a successful farmer, influential, and founder of the town of Wadesville. Theophilus De Fur and wife were the parents of four children, three of whom survive his death, which occurred on January 24. 1886. They are: William E. De Fur, a machinist of Ashton, 111.; Kelly, the subject of this sketch, and Omar, born May 18, 1885, of Wadesville, with whom the mother resides. A son, Thomas, died an infant. Kelly De Fur received his education in the schools of Center township, working during his boyhood years as a farm hand. In 1893, he entered the employ of Thomas D. Shelton, grain dealer of Wadesville, as bookkeeper and buyer, remaining in this position until 1895, when he became a clerk in the general store of James Cross, Wadesville. In 1904, he formed a partnership with Walter Williams, under the firm name of De Fur & Williams, and they engaged in the hardware business at Wadesville. He disposed of his interest in this enterprise in 1905 and secured a position as a traveling salesman, which he followed until March, 1906, when he formed with Louis Schlosser, a brother-in-law, the firm of De Fur & Schlosser, general merchants, Wadesville. In 1909, the interest of Mr. Schlosser was bought by John A. Wade, and the firm style changed to De Fur & Wade. The business was liquidated in 191 1. Subsequently, Mr. De Fur, a lifelong Democrat, received the nomination of clerk of the circuit court, and was elected by more than the normal majority. He entered office on January i, 1913. Since his incumbency of the office, the administration of its business affairs have been such as to receive public commendation. He is an untiring worker, his courtesy is unfailing, and he possesses the qualifications for the successful conduct of the office. Mr. De Fur is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and of the Modern Woodmen of America. He married on November 3, 1898, Miss Emma Schlosser, the daughter of Christian Schlosser, a well known farmer of Wadesville. They are the parents of two children : Dale De Fur, born June 3, 1900, and Clyde De Fur. born January i, 1910.

Charles Smith, Jr., founder of the retail lumber firm of Charles Smith & Sons, well known citizen of Posey county, and veteran of the Civil war, was a native of Germany, born in Baden on June 8. 1844, the son of Carl Schmidt, who brought his family to the United States in 1852, and first settled in Shawneetown, 111. He afterwards removed to Carmi, that State, and later became a resident of Mt. Vernon, Ind., where he was engaged in the saw mill and lumber business, from which he retired in 1890, and died in Mt. Vernon in 1902. Charles Smith, Jr., as the name is now spelled, enlisted in Company F, Eighty-seventh Illinois volunteer mounted infantry on August 15, 1862, and served for three years with his regiment, being mustered out in Helena, Ark., June 16, 1865. On the conclusion of his military service he entered the employ of Charles Schaumberger, a retail grocer of Mt. Vernon. About 1868, he formed with his father, the firm of Charles Smith & Son, and engaged in the manufacture of lumber, their mill being at the corner of Sycamore and Saw Mill streets. In 1882, Louis Smith, a brother, was admitted to partnership, and the firm named changed to Charles Smith & Sons. In 1886, the entire plant was destroyed by fire, the loss suffered being a total one, as they carried no insurance. Two years later the business was moved to its present location on Second street. In 1890, the elder Smith retired and the business was continued by the sons under the firm style of Charles Smith, Jr., & Brother. In 1901, Louis Smith retired from the firm, and Mr. Smith's four sons were admitted to partnership, under the present name of Charles Smith, Jr., & Sons. On January 24 of the following year, 1902, Mr. Smith died, his life work ended, and which included one of his cherished wishes ; the establishing of his sons in the business which he had developed until it was the leading one in its line in Posey county. He was a man of strict integrity, of warm friendships, a home builder; a predominant characteristic of whom was his fatherliness, his great foresight in caring for his own, and his tender sympathy with them was conspicuous in his life. He believed in the family and the fireside, and in the sacredness of the hearth. Mr. Smith married on January 7, 1869. Miss Lizsette Armbruster, the daughter of Barnabus Armbruster, a well known farmer of Black township, and a native of Germany. She was born on September 2, 1844, iii Marrs township, Posey county. They were the parents of seven children, five of whom, with their mother, survive. They are in order of birth, as follows: Charles Edward, born February 14, 1871 ; William Lee, born February 20, 1874; Clinton F., born December 19, 1876; Ira A., born December 28, 1878, all of whom are members of the firm of Charles Smith, Jr., & Sons; Winona A., born March 28, 1882. the wife of Otto Weilbrenner, of Mt. Vernon ; Ordella M., born November 20, 1869, and Ruby, born July 4, 1885, are deceased. The business of Charles Smith, Jr., & Sons, owned by the four sons of its founder and their mother, is conceded to be, by those in the lumber industry, one of the best managed enterprises of its kind in Southern Indiana. They operate a planing mill, carry a general line of rough and dressed lumber, and finished builders' material. The buildings are models of their kind and equipped with modern labor saving devices for the satisfactory conduct of the business. The build- ings and yards occupy a space liaving a frontage on Second street of 148 feet, and extending back to the Ohio river. The plant represents an investment of $18,000, one half million feet of lumber is carried in stock and the average sales per year total $40,000. In the conduct of the business Charles E. Smith is in charge of the mill and yards, Clinton F. Smith is the buyer, William Lee Smith, who is an architect, the sales department, and Ira F. Smith is the office manager.

Joseph Milton Causey, sheriff of Posey county, successful agriculturist and prominent citizen, was born on his father's farm in Lj'nn township on February 27, 1864, the son of David Bryant and Margaret E. (Cox) Cause}'. The family was founded in Indiana in 1830, when Hutson Bryant Causey, born in North Carolina, in 1795, came to Posey county and settled in Center townsliip, where David Bryant was born on July I, 1840. The latter married in early manhood, Margaret E. Cox, the daughter of David Cox, who was also a pioneer resident of Center township. Hutson Causey and his son, David, were farmers. They underwent the hardships incident to the development of a wilderness, cleared away the forest and made productive farm lands from it, were active and influential in the various phases of the life of their period, and performed men's work at a time when living was a strenuous performance and success was obtained only through hard work and the enduring of many privations. Hutson Bryant Causey died in 1872, aged seventy-seven. His son, David Br3'ant, on September 13, 1900. Margaret Cox Causey preceded her husband to the rest eternal on October i, 1892. They were the parents of eight children: Jane D., born December 11, 1861, is the wife of Daniel Willis, a farmer, who resides near Dexter, Mo. ; Joseph M., the subject of this review; Maria, born June 3, 1866, the wife of Henry Travers, a farmer of Center township; William H., born January 20, 1870, a farmer, residing at Mt. Vernon; Emma B., born September 20. 1872. the wife of Henry Shaffer, a farmer of Lynn township ; Sarah J., born March 30, 1875, the wife of Elvis \\' iley, also a farmer of Lynn township ; Enoch E., born December 30, 1877, a farmer of Lynn township, and Seth L., born January 22, 1880, of Lynn township. Joseph Milton Causey was reared on his father's farm and acquired his education in the district schools of Lynn and Center townships. Reared a farmer, he has continued in that line of endeavor, and has made a success of it. His farm property, which consists of 170 acres, is situated near Wadesville, in Center township, its improvements, which include a modern residence, erected in 1913, are of the best, and in the conduct of his farm work, he is recognized as one of the most progressive agriculturists in the county. To the citizens of Posey county, Mr. Causey is best known through his service as sheriff, a position he has filled since 1910, although he had attained prominence in public life as trustee of Center township, an office to which he was elected in 1900, and in which he served from Ko- vember i6 of that year until January i, 1905. During his incumbency of, this office he built some twelve miles of new dirt roadwa}', repaired or reconstructed nearly all of the bridges in the township, and secured the addition of high school work in the schools. He left the office with a cash balance of about $1,000 more than when he entered it, and notwithstanding the large expenditures necessary for the improvements made by him, was able to reduce the tax levy from sixty-three to fiftyfive cents. He has been a lifelong Democrat. He has always taken an active part in the work of his party, has been influential in its councils, and his record as trustee of his township was such as to secure for him the nomination for sheriff in 1908, which was followed by his election by a flattering majority. He entered upon the duties of his office on January i, 1910, and his administration of the business of this department of the county's official service has been commended for its efficiency. He has always made good; as a farmer, as trustee, and as sheriff. His methods have been clean, capable and honest, and he possesses a popularity which is deserved. He is a member of Mt. Vernon Lodge, No. 277, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks ; Posey Aerie, Fraternal Order of Eagles, and Wadesville Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Mr. Causey married, on August 10, 1884, Miss Laura Travers, the daughter of Joseph A. Travers, a well known farmer of Harmony township. They adopted, in 1894, a son, Edwin A. Causey, who is the manager of the Causey farm in Center township. He married, on July II, 1909, Miss Lois Wade, the daughter of James A. Wade, a farmer of Center township. They are the parents of two children : Ralph Causey, born November 6, 1911, and Joseph Merle Causey, born January 27, 1913. James M., born May 18, 1910, died January 26, 191 1.

Dr. Arno Klein, a popular and successful young physician of Mt. Vernon, is a native of Posey county. He was born at Mt. Vernon, November 19, 1886, and is a son of Charles P. and Catherine (Schwerdt) Klein. The former is a native of Alzei, Germany, and the latter of Evansville, Ind. The father came to America when a young man and, for several years, was engaged in buying furs. He then settled in Kentucky and engaged in the general mercantile business at a place which he named Alzei, after his native city. He remained there until 1882, when he came to Mt. Vernon and engaged in the grocery business, which he has successfully conducted ever since, and is one of the substantial business men of Posey county. He has accumulated every dollar earned by straightforward business methods, which has won for him the confidence of the business world. The Klein family consists of two sons : Dr. Klein, of this review, and Otto C., who is engaged in the grocery business with his father. Dr. Klein attended the public schools of Mount Vernon and was graduated from the high school in the class of 1906. He also attended the Culver Military Academy three years. After spending a year in Germany, he returned to America and entered the Jefferson Medical College, at Philadelphia, Pa. He graduated from this time-honored institution of medical science and surgery in 191 1, with a degree of Doctor of Medicine. After serving three months as interne in the Jefferson Hospital, he accepted a position in the VVilliamsport State Hospital, Williamsport, Pa. He remained there one year, when he returned to his home in Mt. Vernon, and engaged in the general practice of his profession. Dr. Klein is well known in the county, and his skill in the field he has chosen for his life's work was recognized from the start. He is capable, diligent, and a close student of the science of his profession, and enjoys a good practice. He was united in marriage February 26, 1913, to Miss Emily V. Brewer, of Williamsport, Pa. Dr. Klein is a member of the Mt. Vernon Medical Society ; a Thirty-second degree Mason, and a member of the Elks.