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Indiana Supreme Court clerks crayon portraits

 Collection
Identifier: A027

Scope and Contents

This collection includes 5 crayon enlargements of portraits of clerks of the Indiana Supreme Court circa 1860-1900, depicting Henry P. Coburn, Simon P. Sheerin, Gabriel Schmuck, Andrew M. Sweeney, and Alexander Hess.

Dates

  • circa 1860-1900

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.

Biographical Note

Henry Peter Coburn (1790-1854) was born on March 12, 1790 to Peter and and Elizabeth (Poor) Coburn in Dracut, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard College in 1815. He moved to Corydon, Indiana and began practicing law. Coburn served as clerk of the Indiana Supreme Court for over 30 years from 1819 to 1852. He married Sarah Malott (1792-1866) on December 28, 1824 and they had 5 children: Augustus (1821-1863), John (1825-1906), James (1827-1833), Henry (1834-1909), and Caroline (1837-1904). Coburn died on July 22, 1854 in Indianapolis after returning from Lake Superior, where it was believed he contracted cholera. He was buried in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis. ----- Simon Patrick Sheerin (1846-1905) was born on February 14, 1846 in Dublin, Ireland to Thomas (1817-1876) and Mary Sheerin (1826-1889). His family immigrated to the United States. He learned blacksmithing in Dayton, Ohio and moved to Logansport, Indiana in 1866. He became a prominent member of the Indiana Democratic Party, beginning his political career in 1870. Sheerin served as clerk of the Indiana Supreme Court from 1882 to 1886. He was a member of the executive committee of the Indiana Democratic Party (1884, 1886, 1888). Sheerin married Mary Agnes Doherty (1860-1930) in 1883 and they had several children. Sheerin died suddenly of apoplexy (stroke) or heart failure on June 20, 1905 in Chicago, Illinois, while speaking at the National Interstate Independent Telephone convention. He was buried at Holy Cross and Saint Joseph Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana. ----- Gabriel Schmuck (1833-1922) was born in Prussia on June 13, 1833. His family immigrated to the United States in 1848, living first in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, before moving to Cannelton, Perry County, Indiana. He married Mary Frances Talbot in 1861 and they had several children: Pearl, Edward, Talbot, and Hugo. Schmuck became an insurance company executive and was elected as a Democrat to the Indiana General Assembly. He lost the election for mayor of Indianapolis in 1883. He served as the clerk to the Indiana Supreme Court from 1880 to 1888. Schmuck moved to Galena, Kansas in 1888 to engage in lead and white zinc mining operations. He founded the Galena Evening Times with C. T. Dana and was a founder and president of Miners State Bank of Galena. Schmuck died on October 20, 1922 in Galena, Kansas and was buried in Mount Hope Cemetery in Webb City, Missouri. ----- Andrew Michael Sweeney (1853-1945) was born to Michael A. and Harriet Sweeney on December 26, 1853 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He moved to Indiana and began teaching in Dubois County. He married Helen E. Kuebler (1857-1953) in 1878 and they had a daughter, Mary Lucile (1895-1981), and 3 sons, Robert E., Clarence S., and Carl E. Sweeney became principal of Jasper High School (then Jasper Academy) in 1876 and Indiana superintendent of public instruction in 1886. He then served as clerk of the Indiana Supreme Court from 1890 to 1894. The family moved to Indianapolis. Sweeney helped found the State Life Insurance Company and served as its first president in 1894. He also held the positions of president of the Indianapolis Board of School Commissioners and the Indiana Association of School Boards. Sweeney died on December 1, 1945 in Indianapolis and was buried in Holy Cross and Saint Joseph Cemetery. ----- Alexander Hess (1839-1924) was born to Christian and Maria Eve (Mozier) Hess on September 10, 1839 in Richland County, Ohio. His family moved to Wabash, Indiana when he was 10. Hess enlisted in the Union Army in 1861 and served as captain of Company F, 2nd Indiana Cavalry during the U.S. Civil War. He was captured and held in Charleston, South Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia. mustered out in August, 1863. He married Laura McGuire (1849-1926) in 1873 and they had 4 children: Grace Estelle (1877-1903), Annie Laura (1879-1970), Florence M. (1883-1959), and Lawrence Edwin (1887-1978). Hess was elected the Indiana General Assembly in 1879, 1881, and 1891. He was the prosecuting attorney for the judicial circuit of Cass, Wabash, Miami, and Carroll counties. Hess served as the clerk of the Indiana Supreme Court from 1894 to 1898. He was a member of the local Masonic lodge for 65 years. Hess died on August 18, 1924 in Wabash and was buried in Falls Cemetery. Sources:

"A Prominent Democrat." The Daily Republican (Rushville, IN), June 21, 1905. Accessed September 25, 2023. Newspapers.com.

"Alexander Hess, Civil War Vet, Dies." Indianapolis Star, August 19, 1924. Accessed September 26, 2023. ProQuest.

Ancestry.com. "Henry P. Coburn." 1850 United States Federal Census. Accessed September 26, 2023. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.

Ancestry.com. "Henry P. Coburn." Indiana, U.S., Marriages, 1810-2001. Accessed September 26, 2023. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.

Ancestry.com. "Henry P. Coburn." North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000. Accessed September 26, 2023. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.

"Cholera in Indianapolis." Bloomington News-Letter (IN), July 29, 1854. Accessed September 25, 2023. Newspapers.com.

"Clerk of the Supreme Court." Indiana State Sentinel, June 16, 1880. Accessed September 25, 2023. Newspapers.com. Findagrave.com. "Alexander Hess." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed September 22, 2023. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39761305/alexander-hess.

Findagrave.com. "Andrew Michael Sweeney." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed September 22, 2023. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/112693920/andrew-michael-sweeney.

Findagrave.com. "Gabriel Schmuck." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed September 22, 2023. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59066842/gabriel-schmuck.

Findagrave.com. "Henry Peter Coburn." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed September 22, 2023. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/45907605/henry-peter-coburn.

Findagrave.com. "Simon Patrick Sheerin." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed September 22, 2023. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/151919491/simon-patrick-sheerin.

"Former Jasper Resident Dies." Evansville Courier (IN), December 4, 1945. Accessed September 26, 2023. Newspapers.com.

"Gabriel Schmuck Claimed by Death." Galena Evening Times (KS), October 20, 1922. Accessed September 26, 2023. Newspapers.com.

"Galena Citizen Dead." Columbus Weekly (KS), October 20, 1922. Accessed September 26, 2023. Newspapers.com.

"Rich Mines in Kansas." Indianapolis Journal, November 9, 1890. Accessed September 26, 2023. Newspapers.com.

Extent

6.15 Cubic Feet (5 extra-large oversize objects)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

This collection is arranged chronogically.

Custodial History

This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation.

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Processing Information

Collection processing completed 2023/09/26 by Brittany Kropf. EAD finding aid created 2023/09/26 by Brittany Kropf.

Subjects

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Indiana Supreme Court clerks crayon portraits
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository

http://www.in.gov/library/manuscripts.htm
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