Source: History of Boone County, Indiana, by Hon. L.M. Crist, 1914.
HARVEY MARION LAFOLLETTE The record of a life well spent, of triumph
over
obstacles, of perseverance under difficulties and steady advancement from
a modest
beginning to a place of honor and credit in the community, when imprinted
on the pages of
history, present to the youth of the rising generation an example worthy
of emulation and
one that may be studied with profit by those of more mature years. Dominated
by the
highest principles of integrity was the course of Harvey Marion LaFollette,
one of the
useful citizens of Boone county in its early period of development, who
has long been
sleeping "in God's quiet acre where we all shall meet," but whose
influence on the locality
of which this volume treats, shall never vanish. He placed true values on
men and events,
so that he was essentially democratic and unassuming and showed the intrinsic
strength and
loyalty of his character. He knew the spirit of human motive and action,
so that he was
kind and tolerant in his judgment and ever ready to lend a helping hand
to any worthy
movement. He was imbued with the deepest and most helpful public-spirit,
and he was
well fortified in his opinions as to matters of public policy and gave of
his best to the
furthering of good government, as he was neglectful of no civic duty. It
is scarcely
necessary to say that in the inviolable precincts of an ideal home life
the true nobility of
Mr. LaFollette found perfect apotheosis, but there is no desire in this
connection to lift the
sacred veil of the fireside circle. Pure, constant and noble was the spiritual
flame that
burned in and illumined the moral tenement of the subject of this memoir,
his character
and Christian faith being fortified by careful study; for no man with his
intellectual vigor
and the love of truth which marked him, could live long without inevitably
being brought to
investigate the great moral laws governing life. In fact, he was a strong
man in every
respect and was successful in all he undertook.
Mr. Lafollette was born in Putnam county, Indiana, April 16, 1832. He
was a son of Jesse
and Mary (Lee) LaFollette, both natives of New Jersey, from which state
they emigrated
with their parents in childhood to Kentucky and later to Indiana in an early
day, locating in
Putnam county where they established themselves on a farm in the northern
part of that
county, in typical pioneer fashion. The death of the father occurred in
1843 after which the
mother moved to Montgomery county, this state, where her death occurred
in 1851.
Harvey M. LaFollette grew to manhood in Putnam and Montgomery counties,
Indiana,
and received his education in the old time subscription schools, and began
life for himself
as a stock-trader, being from early experience, an excellent judge of live
stock. On
December 22, 1853, he married Susan C. Fullenwider, who was born in Montgomery
county, Indiana, December 10, 1835 and there grew to womanhood and was educated
in
the common schools. She is a daughter of Christopher and Sarah (Van Nuys)
Fullenwider, natives of Kentucky, the father being of Swiss descent and
the mother of
Hollandish extraction. The parents of Mrs. LaFollette came to Montgomery
county,
Indiana, about 1833, among the early settlers. They located on a farm which
they
developed by hard work and perseverance. There the death of the mother
occurred in
1855 and Mr. Fullenwider married again and removed to the state of Iowa
where his death
occurred about 1862.
After his marriage the subject of this memoir took up his residence in
Dane county,
Wisconsin, where he engaged in farming from 1854 to 1860. In October of
the latter year
he moved to Thorntown, in Sugar Creek township, Boone county, Indiana and
bought
property in Thorntown, launching out in the dry-goods and hardware business
with his
brothers Warren and Robert. Later he operated a large flour mill upon Sugar
creek near
Thorntown, until his death by accident while taking a new turbine to his
mill, the team of
horses frightened at the train and running away, throwing him against a
schoolhouse, so
that he died from his injuries September 4, 1865, over three months after
the accident
occurred. He was one of the successful business men of this locality of
that early day, and
his death was a blow to the community. Mrs. LaFollette has continued to
reside in
Thorntown, where she owns one of the most attractive, commodious and neatly-furnished
residences in Boone county. The city of LaFollette, Tennessee was named
for a son and
namesake of our subject. This son, Harvey M., served as State Superintendent
of Public
Instruction for Indiana, by popular election, from 1887 to 1891.
The following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. LaFollette: Clara is
the wife of George
W. Nash and they live in Spokane, Washington; Charles S. has been in railroad
employment for more than thirty years, lives in Chicago, Illinois; Harvey
M. lives in La
Follette, Tennessee; William Leroy lives in Pullman, Washington, being a
prominent
politician in that state and at present a member of congress from the Third
District; Grant
A. lies at LaFollette, Tennessee: two children are deceased, Warren Jasper,
who was third
in order of birth, died at the age of thirty-two years, and Robert Winchester
died in
infancy. United States Senator, Robert M. LaFollette, of Wisconsin, is a
nephew of our
subject.
Politically, Mr. LaFollette was a Republican and was active and influential
in public affairs.
He held a number of township offices when he lived in Wisconsin, was elected
justice of
the peace there, also served as chairman of the board of supervisors. Fraternally,
he
belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Belleville, Wisconsin.
He was reared
in the faith of the Baptist church from which he never departed. Mrs. LaFollette
is a
devout member of the Presbyterian church, and she holds membership in the
Rebekah
lodge. She is a well-preserved lady, having the appearance of one much younger
than she
is. She is well-read, cultured and refined and she numbers her friends by
the limits of her
acquaintance only, and her beautiful home is known as a place of hospitality
and good
cheer.
FULLENWIDER LAFOLLETTE LEE NASH VAN NUYS
Submitted by Amy K Davis