502                 HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY

September, 1864, as a member of Company B, One Hundred and Seventy—
fifth Regiment of Ohio Volunteers. He remained with that command
until honorably discharged at Nashville, Tennessee, in August, 1865, and
participated in the battle of Franklin, Tennessee. It was on the 22d of
September, 1867, that he came to Brazil, making the journey by wagon
with his family. He became a timber contractor and furnished timbers
for buildings and also for railroad ties, He likewise took contracts for the
building and grading of streets in Brazil and graded West Main and
West Knight streets. Extending his efforts to other lines of activity, he
erected the old Sherman hotel and was engaged in the hotel business for
some time. The old Decker Hotel today stands on the site where he built
the Sherman House, which was destroyed by fire in 1882.
    At that time Mr. Lauderback removed to his farm in Dick Johnson
township, where he carried on general agricultural pursuits for a number
of years. He then retired to a place near the city of Brazil and after
his wife’s death he turned over his property to his children and is now
making his home with them. He has always been a stanch Republican,
in thorough sympathy with the purposes and principles of the party. His
wife was for seventy years a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal
church and a most earnest Christian woman. They traveled life’s journey
together for more than a half century and reared a family who are a
credit to their name. Five of their children are now living: Almina, the
wife of Albert Michaelsee, who is living in Brazil; Henry, who married
Naomi Webster; Sadie, the wife of George Cook; Silas, who married
Miss Sallie Hewett; and Levi A., of this review.
    The last named pursued his education in the public schools of Brazil
to the age of fourteen years, when he put aside his text-books and made
his initial step in the business world as a farm hand. He was thus em-
ployed for nine months and in the winter of 1876 he engaged in clerking
for Charles Fisher, of Brazil. in the spring he returned to farming and
in the winter of 1878 be cut cordwood, but in March of that year engaged
with the firm of Crawford & McCrimmon to learn the trade of a moulder.
He was with that company for three years, after which he engaged with
the Big Four Railroad Company on bridge work, continuing in that
service for about six months. He next removed to Mattoon, Illinois,
where he worked at his trade for about three months, when he again
came to Clay county, Indiana, and assisted his father in his farming
operations. In 1884 he was married, after which he worked on the farm
with his father for one year. Leaving the old homestead, he then engaged
with the Vandalia Railroad Company as switchman, having in the mean-
time lost a part of his foot by accident. Subsequently he was employed
as a coal miner and in 1885 he again entered the employ of Crawford
& McCrimnion, with whom he contintied until 1891. In that year he was
elected city marshal of Brazil and served for three years and four months.
He was then re—elected for a four years’ term, having won the nomina-
tion over five contestants in the field, During his third candidacy, how—
ever, he was defeated and on retiring from office he resumed his old
position with the firm of Crawford & McCrimmon After working with
them for thirteen months he was engaged by the Vandalia Railroad Com-
pany as a detective and has served in that capacity continuously since the
1st of October, 1899.
    Mr. Lauderback was married April 27, 1884, to Miss Harriet
Stewart, who was born in Brazil, November 6, 1863, and was a daughter