Tipton-Randolph County IN Archives Biographies.....Overman, Nathan R. 1827 - 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm
http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/in/infiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com April 9, 2007, 2:00 am

Author: Charles Blanchard, Editor (1883)

   JUDGE NATHAN R. OVERMAN, one of Indiana's most distinguished jurists, was
born April 11, 1827, in Randolph County, Ind.; he was the second son of a family
of eight children. Living on the frontier, there were but few opportunities for
education within his reach-only an occasional school term of two or three months
during the winter seasons. The advantages of an education were, however, early
impressed upon his mind by home influence. On winter evenings, the pole cabin
was provided with a huge fire of logs and hickory bark, around which parents and
children would gather, studying and reading. The mother, who was an orphan from
infancy, had not learned the alphabet at the time of her marriage, but afterward
became a good writer, and was a diligent and careful reader during the remainder
of her life. The father, who at that time could only read and write, soon became
proficient in the primary branches, and afterward taught school in the
neighborhood. Well does the Judge remember when he and his father having reached
the rule of three, the latter doubted their ability to proceed. The effort was
made, however, the son being the first to solve the difficulty. Six of the eight
children became teachers in the schools of Randolph and Tipton Counties. Judge
Overman is enthusiastically fond of the natural sciences, and for the last few
years has devoted much of his leisure to geology and kindred pursuits; his
excellent collection of fossils and objects of antiquity, including some of the
finest specimens yet found, is equal, perhaps, to any private collection in the
State. The services rendered by him to the State Geologist are honorably
acknowledged by Prof. E. T. Cox in his reports. At the age of eighteen, he
commenced teaching in the winter schools, working the remainder of the year with
his parents. At that time, the stick and clay fire-places were being replaced by
more commodious brick chimneys, and brick-making became a branch of industry.
The father and son each year after harvesting the crops manufactured a small
quantity for the market, the latter becoming an efficient molder and burner of
bricks. While thus engaged, he commenced the study of law in the summer of 1849
with Gen. Brown, who was at that time studying with Judge Peelle, of Winchester.
Texts from Blackstone were copied on bits of paper tacked to the brick gum and
committed to memory by him while at work. Late in the fall of the same year,
Judge Overman removed with his father's family to Tipton County. In the spring
of 1850, he received $5 as the proceeds of thirteen days' labor, and of it
expended $4.50 in the purchase of Black-stone's Commentaries, which now occupies
a prominent position in his well-filled library. For eleven years, he continued
alternately teaching, farming and brick-making. In June, 1861, he commenced the
profession of law in Tipton, and in 1863 was admitted to practice in the Supreme
Court, and in the federal courts a few years later. As a speaker, Judge Overman
is earnest, logical and convincing. As a practitioner, he is untiring, faithful
and formidable. In the fall of 1878, he was elected Judge of the Thirty-sixth
Judicial Circuit, carrying by a majority of 1,232 his own county, which has
generally given less than 400 majority for his party. Judge Overman was married,
May 27, 1854, to Miss Mary J. Cox, of Clinton County, Ohio, by whom he has five
children-Alice, the eldest, married to John P. Hutchings, of Tipton; Eva,
married to James N. Waugh, attorney, of Tipton; Charles, Lizzie and Fred,
together with the parents, constitute the present household.

Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

COUNTIES OF HOWARD AND TIPTON, INDIANA.

HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.
ILLUSTRATED.

CHARLES BLANCHARD. EDITOR.
CHICAGO: F. A. BATTEY & CO.
1883.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/tipton/bios/overman930gbs.txt

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

File size: 4.4 Kb