Clinton-Switzerland County IN Archives Biographies.....Gard, Perry W. 1833 - 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/in/infiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 June 2, 2011, 9:38 pm

Source: See below
Author: Interstate Publishing Co.

    HON. PERRY W. GARD was born in Switzerland County Indiana, November 30,
1833. His parents were Jesse Gard and Amanda (McHenry) Gard; he was the eldest
of a family of ten children. He came with his parents to Clinton County in the
spring of 1849. His boyhood, like that of most farmer's boys, was spent in going
to school in the winter and doing all kinds of farm work in the summer. In the
spring of 1851 he was employed as a clerk in a country store, at Middle Fork, by
John Evans, who had taken a contract to build a plank road over the old Michigan
road from Deer Creek to Michigantown. He was married on the 10th of December,
1854, to Cynthia A. Cromwell, of Carroll County. Shortly afterward in connection
with Jacob C. Rodkey he purchased the stock of goods of Mr. Evans and carried on
the business together for a time; then he purchased his partner's interest and
for awhile conducted the business alone when his brother, now Dr. Oliver Gard,
came home from the army. They then formed a partnership, carrying on the
mercantile trade and buying grain for several years. Their business was very
extensive, commanding the trade for miles in every direction; long trains of
wagons loaded with wheat left their warehouse daily for Logansport or Fairfield,
a town on what was then known as the I., P. & C. Railroad. The labor involved in
handling such large amounts of merchandise and grain was immense, and persons
who have done business all their lives on the line of a railroad, with all of
its modern facilities and conveniences, have but little idea of the work done by
the pioneer merchants. In December, 1865, Mr. Gard bought of James Beard the
Frankfort Banner, a Republican newspaper published at Frankfort, which he
published for two years. The campaign of 1866 was a memorable one in the
politics of Clinton County. The Republicans elected their candidates for
treasurer, sheriff and recorder, the Banner contributing not a little to the
result. In 1867 he was the Republican candidate for clerk of the courts but was
defeated by Hon. D. W. C. Bryant by a small majority. He now turned his
attention to the law and in the fall of 1867 formed a partnership with S. H.
Doyal, Esq., in the practice which has continued uninterrupted to the present
time, and the firm of Doyal & Gard is today the oldest in the county. He
graduated in the year 1869 in the law department of the State University and at
once entered upon a good practice. This firm has been engaged in some of the
heaviest cases ever tried in the county and possess in a marked degree the
confidence of the community. On the organization of the city government of
Frankfort Mr. Gard was elected the first mayor, defeating Hon. Leander McClurg,
one of the most popular men in the city. In the centennial year of 1876 he was
the Republican candidate for senator for the counties of Clinton and Boone but
was defeated by Hon. James V. Kent by a plurality of thirty-seven votes. Mr. and
Mrs. Gard have had born to them eight children, six of whom are still living,
viz.—Charles E., Rob Morris, Wilbur W., Lucy J., Walter S. and Clarence S. The
deceased are—Luella, who died in August, 1877, aged eleven years, and Thomas C.,
who died in Florida, where he had gone in the hope of gaining his health, in
February, 1884, aged twenty-three years. Mr. Gard is a zealous Mason. He was
initiated into the mysteries of the order in Burlington Lodge, No. 111, at
Burlington, Carroll County, shortly after he arrived at twenty-one years of age.
He was a charter member of Middle Fork Lodge, No. 304, and was its first senior
warden. He received the chapter degrees in Boone Chapter, No. 39, in June, 1869,
and the council degrees in Boone Council, No. 45, at Lebanon, Indiana, and the
commandery degrees in Frankfort Commandery, No. 29, in December, 1880. He has
been elected to the highest office in each of these bodies except the
commandery, in which he is now serving as generalissimo. At one time he was
worthy patron of the order of the Eastern Star, worshipful master of Clinton
Lodge, No. 54, high priest of Frank-tort Chapter, No. 82, and most excellent
master of Frankfort Council, No. 46. In October, 1881, at the annual session of
the grand council of royal and select masters held at Indianapolis, he was
elected illustrious grand master of the State of Indiana. His wife is a member
of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY, INDIANA,

TOGETHER WITH SKETCHES OF ITS CITIES, VILLAGES AND TOWNS, EDUCATIONAL,
RELIGIOUS, CIVIL, MILITARY, AND POLITICAL HISTORY, PORTRAITS OF PROMINENT
PERSONS, AND BIOGRAPHIES OF REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

ILLUSTRATED.
CHICAGO:
INTER-STATE PUBLISHING CO.
1886.


Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/in/clinton/photos/bios/gard1125gbs.jpg

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/clinton/bios/gard1125gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/infiles/

File size: 5.4 Kb