Ashby - Edgar
EDGAR ASHBY
Source: Bowen, A.W. History of Montgomery County, Indiana p. 1204
Edgar ASHBY The "man lives not to himself alone" is an assurance that is amply verified in all the affairs of life, but its pertinence is the more patent in those instances where persons have so employed their inherent talents, so improved their opportunities and so marshaled their forces as to gain prestige which finds it angle of influence ever broadening in practical beneficence and human helpfulness. He whose productive ativities are directed along legitimate and normal lines is by very virtue of that fact exerting a force which conserves human progress and prosperity, and the man of capacity for business affairs of importance finds himself an involuntary steward upon whom devolves large responsibilities. To the extent that he appreciates these duties and responsibilities and proves faithful in his stewardship does he also contribute to the well-being of the world in which he moves. One of the men of Montgomery Co. who may consistently be placed in the category of those who "do things" essentially a man of affairs in the truest sense of the term is Edgar Ashby of Ladoga. And this accomplishment has been altogether worthy in all the lines in which he has directed his energies. As a man of ability, sturdy integrity and usefulness and as a citizen representative of the utmost loyalty he merits consideration by his fellow men and his life record is deserving of a place in this publication, which touches those who have given to and sustained the material and civic prosperity and precedence of Montogmery co, thus rendering it one of the foremost in the Hoosier commonwealth. Edgar Ashby was b. Sept 5, 1867, two miles SE of Ladoga, this county. He is a son of Silas F. and Ellen McNARY Ashby and a brother oF Eugene Ashby, a sketch of whom, which also gives the parents; history is found on othe rpages of this work. WHen Edgar Ashby was 11 years old the family moved to the village of ladoga and there he grew to manhood and attended the public schools, later he was a student in Wabash College until in 1888, when he returned to Ladoga and wnet into the grocery business with George REED with whom he remained two years then formed a partnershipw ith Harvey WILSON for an equal length of time. He then went to Chicago and engaged int he produce business, later in real estate, remaining there for a period of fiv eyears, then returned to Ladoga and was connected with the drygoods firm of KYLE & MAYHALL for a year, after which he bought the clothing store of Thomas McGINNIS and was in that business two years when the building was destroyed by a fire that started in CASE's furniture store on Halloween night 1899. The stock was moved across the street into various store and afterwards was assembled int he room E. of the livery stable now occupied by McINTIREs restuarant. John BROWN who was then running a shoe store here went into partnership with Mr. Ashby, uniting the two stocks and they took two rooms in the Central Block and were there for two years at the end of which time they joined with the NY store which handled dry goods and clothin gin the building now occupited by BISCHOF's store. N less than two years they sold out the stock and MR. Ashby retired from the dry goods and clothing business having been very successful as a merchant in all his ventures. In 1903 the Ladoga Canning Company was formed while Mr. Ashby was still in the clothing and shoe business. He took a leading hand in the organization and was elected secretary and treaurer of the company. The business grew under his able counsel and management and finally occupie all his time and he has continued to hold these positions ever since. James KNOX was president of the company and among the stockholders were M. M. BATCHELDOR, now an attorney at Indianapolis; Foster M. SCOTT, George W. HAVENS, Harry DAUGHTERTY and Eugene ASHBY. Mr. Knox died in 1907 and his wife has been president of the company ever since. Messrs. Scott and Daugherty sold their stock to the remaining stockholders in 1905 and Eugene C. Ashby and George W. Havens did likewise in 1907. Mr. Stout died Jan 11, 1913 leaving Edgar Ashby and Mr. Batcheldor as the only two original stockholders. In 1907 they bought the plant at Brownburg and still oerate it with great success. In 1909 they purchased the Clay City Packing Company at Clay City, Indiana which they still run on a large scale. At Ladoga they have 105 acres of valuable land and they generally have from 50 to 100 acres more on which to raise crops to can. The capital stock of this company was originally six thouisand dollars and the first year's business was 17,135 dollars but it has now grown to over a quarter of a million dollars annually. Its capital stock was diminished to four thousand dollars, face value, when the old stockholders sold out, but they probably do the largest business on that amoung of capital stock of any corporation in Indiana. Its stock is certainly not "watered" but kiln dried. The output of this plant is enormous and its goods are sent all over the US, from Canada to the GUlf of Mexico from NY to Montana having big markets in Terre Haute, St. louis and Milwaukee. Owing to the superior quality of their goods they are in great demand. Their plant is equipped with every modern device for high grade and rapid work and during the regular canning season scores of people are employed. Mr. Ashby is not a politician, but he takes a patriotic pride and a good citizen's interst in public affairs and in 1896 was an alternate delegate to the national convention of gold Democrats in St. Louis. Fraternally, he belongs to the Masonic Order, having attained the Knights Templar degree in the same; he belongs to the Knights Templars of Crawfordsville and the Blue Lodge at Ladoga. He is also a member of the knight sof Pythias. Mr. Ashby was married in 1891 to Minnie Kyle, daughter of Silas Kyle, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this volume. - typed by kbz