L Biographies

If you have other historical biographies you would like to contribute that are about former Lawrence County residents please E-mail me and I will get them on the site or you can post them to Ancestry.com's Lawrence County Message Board.

Gilead P. Lee

Gilead P. Lee, a native Hoosier, was born in Orange County, December 18, 1828, one of a family of eight children born to Spencer and Elizabeth (Tegarden) Lee, who settled in Orange County from the south at an early day. Being among the first families to settle in that locality Gilead P. only secured such education as the old backwoods cabin school houses afforded. Farming has been his principal occupation through life and, with the exception of one year while a resident of Moultrie County, Ill., he has always resided in Indiana. He became a residence of Lawrence County in November 1865 and of Bedford in 1870. The first four years after moving to town being engaged in the agricultural implement business. He owns 240 [difficult to read] acres of valuable land in Illinois, 80 acres in Lawrence County and valuable town property in Bedford. His marriage with Eliza J. Finley was solemnized September 16, 1851, and to their union seven children have been born, these three named being the only survivors: Sarah J, Mrs. Fish; Merrill S. and Carrie B, Mrs. Giles. Both parents are members of the Christian Church. Mr. Lee belongs to the Subordinate Lodge of Odd Fellows, was first a Democrat in politics but in 1861 became a Republican and in 1874 changed to the National party with which he yet affiliates.

(Weston A. Goodspeed and Others, History of Lawrence, Orange and Washington County, Indiana (Goodspeed Bros. & Co., Publishers, 1884), p. 258-9.)

Lostutter, Paul R. (b. 1897)

Paul of Bedford, Lawrence County, Ind. Born in Switzerland County, Ind., February 4, 1897. Served in the U.S. Army during World War I; school teacher; mayor of Bedford, Ind., 1943-44. Presbyterian. Member, American Legion.