John Alexander Cantley represented Cass County in the House in 1875. He was born Feb. 13, 1825, in Monroe County, Va., an area that is now in West Virginia. John attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and then the Cincinnati Medical College. He moved to Cass County in 1851 and became a teacher and practiced horticulture. John Cantley died Jan. 1, 1910.
Cyrus Taber represented Cass County in the House from 1845-46 and then represented Cass, Howard and Pulaski counties in the Indiana Senate from 1846-1849.
Cyrus was born Feb. 19, 1800, in Tiverton, R.I. He moved first to New York and then Pennsylvania before arriving in 1820 in Fort Wayne, where he began a business trading with the Indians. In 1828, after John Tipton moved the Indian Agency to Logansport, Cyrus moved his business to Logansport. Cyrus became one of the leading merchants of the city and bought extensive property surrounding the city — 16,000 acres. Cyrus Taber died April 13, 1855.
General Walter Wilson first served Knox County in the House 1816-17 then represented Gibson County in 1826-28, Cass and Carroll counties in 1831-32 and Cass, Carroll, Miami, White and part of Wabash counties in 1832-33. He was born Jan. 18, 1782, in Harrodsburg, Ky. He became a brigadier general in 1816 during the Indian problems in Northern Indiana. He represented Gov. William Henry Harrison in discussions with the Indians. Gen. Wilson died March 18, 1838.
Graham Newell Fitch represented Cass County 1836-37 and 1839-40. He was born Dec. 5, 1810, in Le Roy, N.Y. His education was comprised of Millbury Academy and Geneva College in Geneva, N.Y. He then was a medical student at Fairfield, N.Y., and Rush Medical College in Chicago. He taught medicine at Indiana Medical College. His father, a widower, and Graham and his wife came to Logansport in 1834. He built the beautiful house that is presently Kroeger Funeral Home. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1849-1853 and the U.S. Senate in 1857-1861. Graham Fitch died Nov. 28, 1892.
William Cullen served in the House in 1857. William was born in 1820 in Miffin County, Pa. On his way westward, he stopped in Ohio before coming to Cass County in 1849. He owned the Cullen House that stood at the corner of Second and Market streets. The hotel later became St. Joseph School and Rectory.
Charles D. Murray served Cass and Howard counties in the House 1848-50. He then served Cass, Howard and Pulaski counties in the Senate 1857-59. Charles was born July 4, 1818, in Greensburg, Ky. He served all during the Civil War and was promoted to colonel. After the war, Charles moved to Harrison County, Ind., and then to Howard County. He was a lawyer and editor of the Howard County Tribune and wrote articles for several other papers. Charles was an agent for the Peru and Indianapolis Railroad.
• Richard B. Copeland is a Cass County historian and may be reached at ptnews@pharostribune.com. The material for this article came from Powell’s History 1913, Helm’s History of Cass County and the Biographical History of the Indiana General Assembly 1929-1899.
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