DENMAN-Absolom J. - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Absolom J. DENMAN, a highly respected citizen, a successful farmer and well-known Justice of the Peace of Jackson Township, Fountain County, Ind has held various official position sof trust with honor and ability. Closely connected almost his entire life-time with the pioneer interests of the Western country and especially identified with the growth and progress of his immediate neighborhood, our subject has gained many warm friends, and by a course of unvarying integrity has won and holds the confidence of the entire community among which he so impartially dispenses law. The parents of Judge Denman were natives of the south. His father William Denman was born in Georgia, his mother, Polly Hicks Denman, was a Tennessean by birth. Their son Absolom was born in the Buckeye state, Butler County in April 1811 and soon after his birth removed with his father and mother from Ohio to the then wilderness of Fayette Co IN and settled among the Indians. After a time the family returned to their old him in Ohio. Of all this journeying into strange and uncivilized frontier scenes, our subject has no recollection, but when his energetic and ambitious parents determined to try their fortunes again in Indiana, he entered eagerly into all the novel and often exciting experiences of those early days. Montgomery County was the location chosen by the parents this time, and they settled in the heavy timber near where the village of Alamo now stands. Absolom Denman was anxious to gain all he could of book knowledge, and attended the district school by day and studied diligently at home through the long winter evenings. Earnest and intelligent, he progressed and was able at an early age to begin the struggle of life as teacher. For 7 years he unwearidly pursued his chosen profession. Many of those he taught have passed away but the majority of his pupils are yet alive and hold in pleasant remembrance the kindly teacher, sometimes stern who guided their stumbling feet into the rocky paths of knowledge. In 1837 our subject married Miss Nancy Smith and the two continued their residence in Montgomery County many years and there had, and still have many true friends. At the time of his marriage Judge Denman invested all his cash to the purchase of 80 acres of land, but although left almost penniless by the transaction, he had a surplus stock of hope, energy and ambition, which well assisted him to provide for all emergencies, and soon assured him of a future competence and abundant success in life. In 1857 Mr. and Mrs. Denman came to Fountain County, and here made their permanent home. Our subject now owns 275 acres of valuable land under a high state of improvement. He and his wife have reared a family and occupy a prominent position in the society of the township. Upon the political questions of the day our subject is thoroughly at home. He has ever taken a deep interest in the administration of public affairs both local and national. True to his sincere convictions, he affiliates with the Democratic party which still retains its loyalty to the memory of that great statesman and noble patriot, Andrew Jackson, whose integrity, courage and scorn of the arts of political life have been long interwoven with the history of our nation. Judge Denman is known and valued for his integrity of character, displayed in all the daily events of his rounds of official work. This is the 3rd term in which he has so satisfactorily given his judicial decisions, and he has also served as Trustee of the town and been the incumbent of various local positions of trust. Our subject is a man generous to the deserving and ever willing to aid in any worthy cause and is especially willing to give his best efforts in behalf of educational progress and the uplifing of the ignorant and uncultured masses.