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HON. DAVID KILGORE. Judge Kilgore was born in Harrison county, Kentucky,
on ihe 3d day of April, 1804, and is the second of a family of four sons. His father, the late Obed Kilgore, was a
native of Pennsylvania, but was for many years a citizen
of Kentucky. In 1819 the family came to Franklin county,
Indiana. Mrs. Kilgore’s name before marriage was Rebecca Cuzie. She died in Franklin county, Indiana, in
1843. Mr. Obed Kilgore died at the age of eighty-two
years, in Delaware county, Indiana. Judge Kilgore early
in life obtained a good, practical education at the schools
in Kentucky and Indiana. At the age of about eighteen
or twenty vears he commenced reading law without any
preceptor, yet under such leading and prominent attorneys
as James R. Ray and J. T. McWhiny, afterwards on the
Supreme Bench of Indiana. In 1830, having fortified
himself with a good supply of legal information, he set
out for Muncie, Indiana, on foot. Here the earnest struggle in life began, that ended so satisfactorily to himself
and many friends. Here, without friends or money, he
swung out his shingle as an attorney. Soon clients came
and a thrifty future opened to him, which ended in his becoming one of the best attorneys and jurists in the State.
As early as 1832 he entered the political arena, being
nominated by the Whigs for Representative of Delaware
county. He was elected and re-elected time and again,
and was finally elected Speaker of the House in 1856. In
1839 Mr. Kilgore was elected Judge of the Jndicial Dis-
trict composed of the counties of Randolph, Delaware,
Grant, Jay, Madison, Blackford, Wells and Adams. He
served seven years over this vast territory, which now (1888)
makes five or six districts. In 1850 he was a member of
the Constitutional Convention of the State of Indiana, where
he displayed signal ability. He was elected a member of
the Thirty-fifth and Thirty-sixth Congresses,where he served
four years and made a good record as a representative of
the people, being industrious and having the good of his
constituents at heart, not only in Congress but in all his
stations in life. On the bench he was fortified with a degree of sternness and ability that marked him as one
worthy the high place he was chosen to fill. In 1850,
when it was proposed to build the Bee Line R. R. then
the Bellefountaine, he came to the front with time and
means to further the enterprise, nor stopped till the iron
horse came snorting past his home, midway between Yorktown and Muncie, where he spent the best part of his
active life, and where he owned near one thousand acres of land. He was a Mason of high standing at Muncie and at one time active in its workings. He helped or was
at the forming of the Republican party and staid with it
all his life. On the rqth day of July, 1831, he was married to Mary G. Vanmeter, of Virginia. Six sons were
born to them. Henry C., died in infancy; Alfred, who
was well and favorably known in Indiana as a teacher, and
afterwards as a soldier in the 36th Indiana Volunteers and
a Captain. He was also in the State Legislature of Indiana three terms. Tecumseh, who was also in the army as
surgeon in the 13th Indiana Cavalry. Obed, James and
David, the last two being soldiers in the noted 19th Indiana
Volunteers. James serving as Lieutenant and David as
Captain. Of this interesting family Alfred and Tecumseh
are deceased. David is now (in 1888) a resident of the city
of Anderson and a lawyer of ability. Has often been men-
tioned for high places of trust and honor, and at one time
was near being nominated for Mayor of the city of Ander-
son. He is a well-informed man, and is acting with the
Democratic party. Resides on Ohio avenue. He is a
Mason and well informed in the work. Obed is a farmer,
and, I think, resides in Kansas. James died in the army.
Judge Kilgore died January 22, 1879, and is buried at the
Mt. Pleasant cemetery in Delaware county, Indiana.
Captain David Kilgore was born in Delaware county, June
27, 1841; married to Ollie Sanders January, 1862.
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