Shawnee County KS Archives Biographies.....Poindexter, Early Whitten 1854 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com September 27, 2006, 2:27 am

Author: James L. King (1905)

EARLY WHITTEN POINDEXTER.

    EARLY WHITTEN POINDEXTER, who has control of the general agency of the
Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for Kansas,
with offices in the Real Estate Building at Topeka, has had many years of
experience in the insurance field, both in Indiana and in Kansas. Mr. Poindexter
was born in Martin County, Indiana, January 8, 1854, and is a son of Christian
and Lourinda Poindexter. The parents of Mr. Poindexter were natives of
Tennessee, but they settled in Indiana previous to the birth of our subject.

    Early W. Poindexter attended the district schools of Martin County and for
two years enjoyed the advantages offered in the spring terms of school at
Bedford. He began teaching school at the age of 17 and in this way provided the
means for several years attendance at the Indiana University, where he was
graduated with the class of 1879. For some succeeding years he continued in the
educational field, serving one year as superintendent of the schools of Shoals,
Indiana, then accepting a similar position at Bloomfield and subsequently
becoming principal of the Bloomfield Normal School.

    In September, 1863, Mr. Poindexter moved to Vincennes, Indiana, and entered
into the insurance business, taking charge for the New York Life Insurance
Company of the district agency of Southwestern Indiana, where he met with much
success. Two years later he entered into a contract with the Northwestern Mutual
Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the general agency of the
State of Kansas, and assumed control in March, 1885. He closed up the old agency
at Leavenworth on the first of the following May and opened his office at
Topeka. The Northwestern had been regularly represented by a general agent in
the State for over 20 years previously, and when Mr. Poindexter took charge
there was a business upon the books of the company representing $23,000 in
annual premiums. That by 1905 the business represented nearly 25 times as much
as it did in 1884 tells its own story,—a story of enterprise and progression
that reflects the greatest credit upon Mr. Poindexter. It must be very
gratifying for him to note the annual receipts growing from $23,000 to $565,000,
the amount reached in 1905.

    Mr. Poindexter was married December 24, 1879, to Mollie Hattfield, of
Owensburg, Greene County, Indiana, and they have four sons and three daughters,
viz: Clarence H., Urban H., Marian H., Early W., Jr., Mildred H., Helen H. and
Mary L.

    For many years Mr. Poindexter has been active in Masonic circles, being a
Knight Templar, a 33rd degree Mason and a member of the Ancient Arabic Order of
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is also past grand patron of the Order of the
Eastern Star.

    Mr. Poindexter is recognized as one of Topeka's most substantial citizens,
one who is progressive in affairs of church and school and also in all other
organizations promising benefit to the city.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF SHAWNEE COUNTY, KANSAS
AND
REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

EDITED AND COMPILED BY
JAMES L. KING
TOPEKA, KANSAS 

"History is Philosophy Teaching by Examples"

PUBLISHED BY
RICHMOND & ARNOLD,
GEORGE RICHMOND; C. R. ARNOLD.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,
1905.

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