DUBOIS COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES
Members of the Dubois County Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument Committee
In 1892 members of Guckes-Welman Post, #448, Grand Army of the Republic, put forth an idea to create a monument to the veterans of the late war. Assisted by other county G.A.R. posts, veterans, business men and citizens of Dubois county, monies were procured to build such a monument to those, both dead and alive, who defended their country at such a great price. The week of the dedication (Oct. 19, 1894) of the monument, the Jasper Weekly Courier published some biographical sketches of the men who made up the committee to fund and build the monument:
MR. JOHN S. BARNETT was chosen as president because of his
activity as a Grand Army man, and his genial qualities generally,
which gave him a standing acceptable to almost everyone. He was
born in Crawford county, on March 19, 1830, married Miss Louisa
Wyman Oct. 30, 1851; moved to Pike county in 1861, where he enlisted
in Co. K, 146th Indiana Infantry Vols., under Capt. Levi Ferguson, in
1865, for three years and served till the war closed as Sargeant,
doing service principally on the Rappahonnock in Virginia. He moved
to Jasper in 1876, engaged in teaming for a time, but for the past
12 years has been general utility man at Mr. S. Keubler's large
store on the square. He has two children-a boy and a girl-both
grown.
HON. WILLIAM A. TRAYLOR was chosen as Vice President
of the organization. Mr. Traylor is a native citizen
of Dubois county, born Feb. 5, 1843 in Boone township to
Jesse and Jane (nee McDonald) Traylor. He taught school
in Boone township for several years, then studied law,
attending the State University law
school at Bloomington, and graduated therefrom in 1868, opened an
office in Jasper, entered into partnership with Winfield S. Hunter,
and the firm soon assumed a leading position, which it yet maintains.
May 7, 1873, he married Miss Flora E.
Hobbs, and they have six children.
MR. JOHN GRAMELSPACHER
is a veteran of Co. E, 2d Battalion,
15th U. S. Inf'try, in which he
served three years, till the close of
hostilities. Mr. Gramelspacher as
Superintendent had the largest part
of the work of obtaining funds and
looking after the construction of the
Mouument, and its success is largely due to his well directed effort
After it was deemed impracticable
to raise the money to make a park,
he secured from the Board of County Commissioners and the Town
Trustees the necessary permission
and orders to enable the monument
to occupy its present position, and
has labored faithfully from the start
to make it a success, and is justly
proud of its beauty.
To him, more than any other one
person, are the people of Dubois
county indebted for this creditable
tribute to the undying valor of it
military heroes.
Mr. Gramelspacher is a native of
Jasper, born Dec. 15, 1845. He
married Sept. 11, 1866, Miss Franziska Dupps, also a native of this
township, and they have three children, all grown. He is county
auditor, now serving his second
term, and has gained universal confidence and esteem of all parties by
the courteous conduct of his office,
and the judicious and economical
oversight exercised by him over
county finances, by which the county is entirely clear of debt, public
improvements judiciously provided
as demanded by the growth of population, and the county taxes reduced to 35 cents on each $100.00
the lowest rate prevailing in any
county in Southern Indiana.
MR. GEORGE R. WILSON,
County Superintendent of Dubois
county, was chosen as assistant
Secretary, and assisted in working
up an interest m the Monument
amongst the teachers of Dubois
county. Mr. Wilson is a son of
Michael and Elizabeth Chilton
Wilson, and was born in Perry county.
Ind., but moved to Jasper with his
parents in 1866. His father is an
English coal miner, and George was
early put to work in the mines, but
he was allowed to attend the winter
schools of Jasper, and graduated
from the Jasper High School while
Hon. A. M. Sweeney was Principal. When he was but 19 years'
old, in 1882, he was elected county
Surveyor, and held the office until
June 6, 1889, when he was chosen
by the Township Trustees as county Superintendent to succeed A. M.
Sweeney, and has held the position
ever since, giving general satisfaction. In 1893 he married Miss
Carrie Kuebler. They have no
children. During his services as
county Supt. educational matters in
Dubois county have advanced very
materially.
LIEUT. WM. W. KENDALL
was chosen as Assistant Superintendent, and has done efficient work
for the Monument, taking a great
and active interest in its construction, and devoting a good deal of
time to it. Lieut. Kendall is at
present Commander of Guckes-Welman Post, G. A. R., of Jasper,
and was Lieut. in Co. A, 49th Ind.
Vols, during the war, doing good
service to his country, and was the
first soldier in the state to receive
from the Government a gold medal
awarded by act of Congress for personal acts of great and deserving
bravery while in action. He now
belongs to a National organization
of the comparatively few who have
received such medals. He is a native of Dubois countv, of whom her
citizens are justly proud. He was
appointed Co. Assessor, and in 1892
was elected to the same office, and
moved from Hall township to attend
to the duties, and is making an efficient officer. He has been twice
married, and has one married
daughter Mrs. E. M. Henry, of
Hardinsburg, living.
MR. GEORGE MEHRINGER
was chosen as Treasurer, and gave
a bond of $5,000. Mr. Mehringer
is another veteran having enlisted
in 1861 in Co. K, of the 27th Indiana Vols., and being present with
his company as a private during all
the hard campaigning up and down the Shenandoah valley in Va.,
and at Chancellorsville he had his throat cut by a minnie ball,
so that for weeks his life was despaired of, and all nourishment
had to be conveyed to his stomach through a tube. This necessitated
his retirement from the army for several months, but when he did
recover he returned to his company and served his term of three
years. After this term expired he was on the staff of Lt. Col.
Mehringer, in command of the 91st Ind. Vols., until the close of the
war, when he returned to his native county of Dubois, and went into
business in Jasper. He married, May 12, 1867, Miss Amelia Bretz,
also a native of Jasper. They have nine children living, and he is
doing a prosperous business as an agent for fertilizers, and is also
a cashier for the Phenix Loan Association and takes great pride in
the monument.
DR. JOHN PAUL SALB is one of three persons chosen as the Executive Committee of the Association.
Dr. Salb is a native of Ohio, born
in 1855, and was consequently too
young during the war for service in
the army, though he was always
thoroughly imbued with the spirit
of patriotism. He came to Jasper
with his parents in Dec. 1858, went
to school at the town school, then
very limited in length of terms and
curriculum. However, he had an
ambitious spirit, and at 22 years of
age he found time from hard work
at manual labor to study medicine,
and after three years' application he
graduated Feb. 27, 1880, with honors, from the Medical College of Indiana, at Indianapolis. He began
practice at Schnellville during that
year, and July 22, 1882, he married
Miss Margareth B. Betz. They
came to Jasper in 1885, where they
have since resided. He has been
repeatedly county health officer.
and takes a commendable pride in
everything which pertains to the
medical profession. He also has
an esthetic nature, always loves the
beautiful, and helps to nourish it.
Therefore he took an active part in
the Monument Association, and has
been an efficient help. He is the
father of a large family of as handsome children as can be found any
where, and is teaching them to be
patriotic and revere the deeds of the
veterans who saved the Union.
WINFIELD S. HUNTER, ESQ., is another member
of the Executive committee. He was born in Pennsylvania on Dec.
22, 1848, and came to Indiana with his parents,
Robert and Emily Hunter,
in 1858, and settled in Perry county, where his father taught school
and farmed. At 15 years of age,
Winfield volunteered as a private in
Co. L, 13th Ind. Cavalry, and
served till the war closed, when he
returned home. He engaged in
teaching school for a time, but
finally chose the law as a profession, and after studying for several
years, attended the Law Depart
ment of the State University, and
graduated in 1875, and wits ad
mitted to the practice in Perry
county. In 1876 he came to Dubois county, and in 1878 formed his
present partnership with Mr. W.
A. Traylor. He has built up a reputation as one of the best counselors in legal matters
in southern Indiana. He takes an active interest
in G. A. R. affairs, once in a while
engages in politics as a Republican,
who believes in the principles of his
party, and from that party's stand
point makes a "rattling good
speech." He has been an ardent
and active friend of the Monument
enterprise from the start, and takes
great pride in it.
CONRAD ECKERT,
The third member of the Executive
committee, is the second son of the
late Francis and Rosalia (Emlinger) Eckert, and was born in Baden,
Germany, Oct. 30, 1842, and
came with his parents to America
in 1847, landing at New Orleans,
and settling in Bainbridge township
in June of 1847. He attended the
the schools of the township, and the
parochial school, and early went to
work to assist his father in the flour
and saw mill, then run by water
power entirely, and in the old fashioned way. In 1861 he enlisted in
Co. K, 27th Ind. vols., and was made a corporal, and served till discharged
by reason of wound. At the battle of Cedar Mountain, Va.,
the Shenandoah valley in Va., and he was wounded by a minnie ball while
charging the enemy's works. He was in hospital from the wounds for
several months, a still feels the effects of it, receiving his discharge
on account of the wounds disabling him for service. In January, 1864, he married
Miss Elizaberth Oberst, a native of Dubois county, and they have eight
children living and four grandchildren. As an expert flour miller he has
won an extensive reputation, and under his superintendence, assisted by
his brothers, the present large City Flour Mills have been built and
furnished with the best modern machinery. He is an active G.A.R. man, takes
a great pride yet in military matters.
This website created February 20, 2014 by Sheryl McClure.
� Indiana American History and Genealogy Project
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