Howard County IN Archives Biographies.....Linsday, Nathaniel Richmond 1815 - 1885
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Author: Jackson Morrow

HON. NATHANIEL RICHMOND LINSDAY.

   "Human life," says a distinguished writer, "is like the waves of the sea.
They flash a few brief moments in the sunlight, marvels of power and beauty, and
then are dashed upon the remorseless shores of death and disappear forever. As
the mighty deep has rolled for ages past and chanted its sublime requiem and
will continue to roll during the coming ages until time shall be no more, so
will the waves of human life follow each other in countless succession until
they mingle at last with the billows of eternity's boundless sea."

   The passing of any human life, however humble and unknown, is sure to give
rise to a pang of anguish to some heart, but when the fell destroyer knocks
audibly at the door of the useful and great and removes from earthly scenes the
man of honor and influence and the benefactor of his kind, it not only means
bereavement to kindred and friends, but a public calamity as well. In the
largest and best sense of the term the late Nathaniel Richmond Linsday, of
Kokomo, was distinctively one of the notable men of his day and generation, and
as such is entitled to a conspicuous place in the annals of his city, county and
state. As a citizen he was public-spirited and enterprising to an unwonted
degree, as a friend and neighbor combined the qualities of head and heart that
won confidence and commanded respect, and as a lawyer and jurist who had a
comprehensive grasp upon the philosophy of jurisprudence and brought honor and
dignity to the position he filled with such distinguished success he was easily
the peer of his professional brethren of the Indiana bar. It is scarce less than
a superpurgation in outlining the leading facts in his life to refer to him as a
lawyer in the ordinary phraseology which meets requirements when dealing with
the average member of the legal profession. He was indeed much more than
eminently successful in his legal career, as was indicated by his long,
praiseworthy career at the bar and honorable course on the bench. He was a
master of his profession, a leader among men distinguished for the high order of
their legal ability, and his eminent attainments and ripe judgment made him an
authority on all matters involving a profound knowledge of jurisprudence and
vexed and intricate questions growing out of its interpretation.

   Judge Linsday was a native of Canadagua county, New York, where his birth
occurred on the 4th day of March, 1815. When a small child his parents moved to
the wilds of Madison county, Indiana, where his father died soon after arriving
in the new home of the wilderness, leaving a widow and five children to; the
cold charities of the world, the subject being but seven years old at the time.
With no visible means of support and nothing but a decidedly unfavorable outlook
Mrs. Linsday soon returned to her relatives in the East, but young Nathaniel,
who was elected to remain, made his home for some time with an uncle, and during
the ensuing seven or eight years endured all the hardships, privations and
vicissitudes incident to life in the backwoods in those early days. Until his
fifteenth year he was reared, as he said, "God only knows how." His relative
being in indifferent circumstances, with a family of his own to provide for,
gave scant attention to the lad and his needs, and for some time the future
jurist had barely sufficient clothing to cover his body, no books, for which he
early manifested a decided taste, and no advantages in the way of obtaining the
education for which he so ardently longed. Later he attended for a limited
period such indifferent schools as the county afforded, making up for the
deficiency in proper instruction by devoting his hours of leisure to study and
by eagerly pursuing what books and papers he was able to procure. He grew up
strong and rugged, however, and being naturally optimistic made the most of such
opportunities as presented themselves, and in due time became not only well read
and widely informed, but a leader among his young friends and associates.

   Judge Linsday began the struggle of life for himself as a tiller of the soil
on a rented farm in Madison county, and it was while prosecuting his
agricultural labors that he was chosen justice of the peace for his township in
the year 1839, three years after his marriage and setting up of a domestic
establishment. He appears to have been peculiarly fitted for this minor judicial
position, and it was not long until his business grew to considerable magnitude,
his reputation as a man of sound judgment and eminent fairness, together with
the wisdom displayed in his rulings and decisions, attracted to his court quite
a few cases of more than ordinary import and interest. While holding the office
of justice of the peace he conceived a strong liking for the law and the few
hours he could save from his labors were devoted to a careful reading of
Blackstone. His evenings also were spent in the perusal of his favorite author,
and not infrequently the small hours of the morning found him eagerly poring
over the pages of his much prized volume. He purchased his first copy of
Blackstone with wheat which he sold at seventy-five cents a bushel in
Cincinnati, and later bought such other legal works as he was able to procure,
until in the course of four or five years he had accumulated quite a respectable
law library. All the leisure he could possibly command was spent in the company
of these books, and in due time he obtained a sound, practical knowledge of the
principles of law, which, with his recognized' judgment, sound common sense and
eminent fairness, made him a valuable man in the community, being frequently
consulted by his neighbors on vexed questions, and by his judicious advice
saving not a few of them from expensive litigation.

   After five years as justice of the peace and acquiring a creditable
reputation in the discharge of his official duties, Mr. Linsday decided to
discontinue his other pursuits and devote his entire attention to the law.
Accordingly in 1841 he opened an office in Pendleton, and it was not long until
his abilities were recognized and he obtained his proportionate share of
business. In 1843 he was the Whig candidate for the legislature, but by reason
of the overwhelming strength of the opposing party failed of election. This
canvass, which brought him prominently before the public, was the means of
making him a political power among the people, and from that time on he took an
active part in every campaign and was largely instrumental in formulating and
directing the policies of his party in the county of Madison, besides wielding a
wide influence in district and state affairs. In the winter of 1844 Judge
Linsday had the honor of attending and taking no small part in the first court
held in Howard county, then the county of Richardsville. In company with Dr.
Corydon Richmond, a cousin, Dr. James Barrett and Mr. Louis Snell he rode to the
place where the court convened, and the first night camped on the present site
of Kokomo, then a dense woods in which but a single log cabin had been erected.
Having faith in the future of the town and its possibilities, each of the above
gentlemen purchased a lot, and before the close of the year they had their
respective cabins built and ready for occupancy. By May of the following year
(1845) the men had their families domiciled., and from that time on the lives of
two of them were very closely identified with the history of the town and
county, one as a leading lawyer and jurist, the other as a distinguished
physician, each in due season becoming prominent in the local affairs and
earning a statewide reputation in his profession. Judge Linsday soon rose to
prominent position in legal matters, and for a number of years was the
recognized head of the Howard county bar. From the time of taking up his
residence in the backwoods seat of justice in 1845 until his death he never
missed attending a term of court, and such was his reputation during the early
years of his practice that it was frequently a race between litigants as to who
should reach his office first and retain his services. In 1851 he was elected
joint representative from Cass, Tipton and Howard counties, and his course in
the legislature fully justified the people in the wisdom of their choice, as he
became one of the leaders of his party in the house, serving on a number of
important committees and taking an active and influential part in the general
deliberations and debates on the floor. In conjunction with Hon. Robert Dale
Owen, chairman of the committee, and others, he assisted in drafting the measure
by which the interests of the women in Indiana were advanced and their property
rights safeguarded, and he was also influential in bringing about needed
legislation concerning the liquor traffic, which he had previously agitated and
of which he was to the end of his days a bitter and unrelenting foe.

   In the year 1856 Mr. Linsday was elected judge of the court of common pleas,
which honorable position he held for four years, during which time he discharged
his official functions in an able and satisfactory manner and won recognition
among the distinguished' jurists of the state. Retiring from the bench in i860,
he resumed the practice of his profession, but in 1864 was further honored by
being elected judge of the judicial circuit composed of the counties of Howard,
Tipton, Clinton and Grant. The duties entailed by this position were so numerous
and arduous as to be burdensome. Accordingly, after holding one term of court,
he resigned the bench and again took up his practice, which had steadily grown
in magnitude until his legal business at the time indicated was second to that
of few lawyers in the state.

   The Judge was an ardent friend of the Union during the Rebellion and by his
voice and influence contributed greatly to the strengthening of loyal sentiment
throughout his own and other counties and inducing young men to take up arms in
defense of the national honor. He traveled extensively over the country,
holding" meetings in school houses, churches and other places, and not
infrequently made strong and thrilling appeals from his buggy while en route to
his various appointments. A powerful and eloquent speaker, he never failed to
interest his auditors and often stirred them to such a pitch of enthusiasm that
nearly every man within hearing capable of bearing arms signed the roll of
enlistment and in due time went forth to fight, perchance to die for the honor
of an insulted flag. From 1869 to 1876 the Judge resided on a beautiful farm
about one mile west of Kokomo, but in the latter year removed to the city in
which he continued to make his home during the remainder of his life. He erected
a fine, modern dwelling in one of the best residence streets, which he furnished
comfortably and beautifully and which soon became a popular resort for the most
cultured and refined circles of the community.

   Judge Linsday was married in the year 1836 to Rachel Shaul, of Pendleton, who
departed this life after a mutually happy and prosperous wedded experience of
twenty years, leaving three daughters and one son as pledges of her love and
affection. Louvisa, the oldest of the daughters, married Thomas J. Harrison, of
Kokomo. Clementine, the second in order of birth, makes her home with Mrs.
Harrison. Aaron H., the son, who served with a creditable record during the war
of the Rebellion, died in 1907, leaving a widow, who, prior to her marriage, was
Elizabeth Armstrong. Ella, the youngest of the family, is also deceased. Some
time after the death of his first wife the Judge entered the marriage relation
with Mrs. Julia Foudray, of Indianapolis, who died three years later, the union
being without issue. In 1876 he took a third wife and helpmeet in the person of
Melvina Fowler, widow of Major Manning A. Fowler, of Kokomo, who survives him
and is now one of the highly esteemed and popular ladies of the city. Mr.
Fowler, formerly one of Kokomo's prominent men of affairs, was major of the
Seventy-second Ohio Infantry in the Civil war and distinguished himself by
meritorious service during the three years he was at the front.

   Full of years and rich in honors, like a sheaf fully ripened. Judge Linsday,
on the 15th day of May, 1885, was called from the scenes of his earthly trials
and triumphs. His loss to the city where he had so long and arduously played a
distinguished part in the affairs of men and where he achieved such signal
success was felt as a personal loss by the entire populace. The memory of his
deeds and the influence of his strong and virile personality, however, will long
live in the hearts of those he left behind, a monument far more enduring than
graven shaft or stately obelisk.

   Sufficient has been said to indicate Judge Linsday's high character and
eminent success in the profession to which he devoted his life and energies. In
many respects, he was a great lawyer in that he had broad views of the law, a
profound knowledge of its basic principles and the ability and tact to apply the
same in the trial of cases, both in the local courts and the court of last
resort. As a judge he brought to the bench a mind enriched by years of close
study and profound research, which eminently qualified him for the duties of the
position, and among lawyers and litigants as well as the public at large he was
held in the highest esteem. Widely read and thoroughly informed on many
subjects, he was an independent thinker and had the courage of his convictions
on all matters and issues concerning which men differ and parties divide. His
legal and judicial experience opened his eyes, as stated, to a number of
time-honored customs in the interpretation and application of the law which he
considered weak and faulty, one of which was the requiring of the unanimous
assent of a jury to arrive at a verdict, instead of a majority vote. This
custom, which has come down throughout the centuries as the surest and most
satisfactory way of rendering justice and subserving human rights, he looked
upon as illogical, and while in the legislature he thought to remedy the matter
by introducing a bill embodying his ideas, but it found little favor with the
committee to which it was referred and few if any advocates besides himself on
the floor. He cared little for popular measures if founded upon false or
incorrect principles, but stood firmly for the right as he saw and understood
the right and fearlessly assailed deep and long established prejudices at the
expense sometimes of public favor and the sacrifice of personal friendships. It
can truthfully be affirmed that Judge Linsday dignified every position to which
called, and with a character above reproach and no stain upon his judicial
ermine, "He stood alone, four square to every wind that blew," an upright, manly
man of noble aims and high ideals, a progressive citizen with the welfare of his
kind at heart and a splendid type of the broad-minded, virile Americanism which
gives moral bone and sinew to the body politic and makes our country and its
institutions among the nations of the earth. The biography of such a man as he
may well serve for an example and inspiration to the youth who seriously
meditate life, yet hesitate to lay the foundation for the stern realities of
life which await them. He began his career under hard conditions, but with a
persistence as rare as it was admirable adhered to his purpose, and in due time
achieved notable success. The crude, inhospitable environments of his youth,
however, were not without their compensations. The usual and persistent effort
required to obtain liberal qualifications for professional pursuits, in spite of
adverse surroundings, develop and strengthen the mind as labor hardens and
renders flexible the muscles. Not satisfied with existing conditions, he
determined to rise above them, and to this end he lost sight of even- other
consideration or made it subordinate to the one object in view. Every step in
his progress was the result of matured plans and well defined purposes. By his
courage and energy he climbed steadily and persistently and stood firmly upon
each round of the ladder until he could reach the next above and plant himself
thereon. Although beginning the study of law at an age when the majority are
well settled in their life work, he determined, regardless of hindrance, to
master the principles of his profession and rise above mediocrity, instead of
being satisfied with a mere superficial knowledge, such as so many professional
men under similar circumstances are content to acquire. Whatever success he
achieved during his long, strenuous and honorable career was due to careful
preparation, a high sense of justice, candor as a counselor, a religious regard
for the truth and courteous demeanor and gentlemanly conduct in all relations
with his fellow men. As a practitioner or on the bench no charge or suspicion of
any wrongdoing ever tarnished his name or marred his official record, his
personal honor was never compromised and his private life was always pure and
free from fault. His friendships were warm, steadfast and never without the best
causes were they marred or broken, while his sterling worth made him a power for
good among all with whom he came in contact.

   Judge Linsday was a believer in the Bible and a profoundly religious man, who
measured his life according to the high standard of excellence which he found in
the personality and teaching's of the Man of Nazareth. A lifelong member of the
Methodist Episcopal church and a pillar in the Kokomo congregation, he
contributed liberally of his means to the support of the Gospel at home and
abroad and was ever ready to encourage and co-operate in all lines of religious
and charitable endeavor or make any reasonable sacrifice to advance the moral
interests of the community. An uncompromising antagonist of the saloon, he
strove long and earnestly to remove this plague spot from his fair city and save
the young from its contaminating influences, and to him as much perhaps as to
any one man is due the credit of reducing the drink evil to a minimum and
inspiring a wholesome regard for law and order in the municipality. Judge
Linsday's life, though protracted beyond that of the majority, was replete with
good to his fellow men, and the world was not only honored greatly but blessed
by his presence and influence. He died as he had lived, at peace with his
conscience and with his God, and entered the valley of shadows fearlessly,
assured of the welcome awaiting him on the other side.


Additional Comments:
From:

HISTORY OF HOWARD COUNTY INDIANA
BY
JACKSON MORROW, B. A.
ILLUSTRATED
VOL. II
B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

(circa 1909)


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