May - Willis L.
Source: Zach, Karen Bazzani. Montgomery Medicine Men ... Crawfordsville: Montgomery County Historical Society, 2002.
According to Bible records found, Willis LaFayette May was born October 8, 1828 in Kentucky wher ehe studied medicine in Carrolton for a short time, then came to Crawfordsville in 1847 where he worked under Dr. Rylan T. Brown. Two years later, he tried his luck at gold seeking in California, but returned shortly thereafter to fall in love with one of Montgomery County's belles, Margary A. Thompson, daughter of Moses and Harriet (Stamps) Thompson whom he married just one day after his 21st birthday. The next year, he graduated from LaPorte Medical College and five years later (1855), he completed the course at Rush Medical School in Chicago.
In the 1860 census, he had a Black servant living with him. It is assumed that Dr. May is the WIllis L. May serving as Assistant Surgeon of the 108th Indiana Regiment and member of the Indiana State Medical Society. He and Margary had five children: one died as an infant (June); Sylvia; Eva; Willie and Hattie. It is interesting to note the medical connection to the Nye-Booe Drug Store here, as Hattie married Marshall Nye and Ea married John Booe, both in 1881. Sylvia died young and brother Willie graduated from West Point to become a Lt. Col in the 15th Infantry.
Dr. Willis is one of the few from Montgomery County with Black servants in the census record and in 1880, he, himself served as census taker. Dr. May was one of several local doctors testifying at a long murder traial in 1875. His testimony consisted of an explanation of how the bullet entered the skull. Much was learned about our early physicians by reading the Saturday Mercury accounts of the murder trial. In 1878, Dr. May's office was found on North Washington Street. Dr. May's first wife died young, not quite 40 years old, and he then married Mary Poole. He and Mary had one child, June, who also died as a child. Dr. May was a charter member of Montgomery Countys Medical Society and was said to have been a man of extremely pleasing personality! He died October 24, 1900.
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Source: 19th Century Database of Indiana Physicians
May, Willis L
Civil War Rank: 2 Asst. Surg
Civil War Regiment: 108th
Place of Birth: Carrollton Co., KY
Date of Birth: 10.8.1828
Place of Death: Crawfordsville, IN
Date of Death: 10.24.1900
Schools attended: Rush Medical College
Year Medical Grad or Attendance: 1858
Wife: Margaret Thompson b. 1831 IN / married again
Date of Marriage: 1849
Children: 3 children first wife
Membership in Medical Orgz.: Indiana State Medical Society-admitted 1872, 1880, 1882-83
Office in Medical Orgz: Censor-Montgomery Cnty Med Soc 1880
Obit location: TISMS 1901:492
Mason: x
Comm. Date: 7.12.1863
Final Date: 7.17.1863
County: Montgomery (Crawfordsville)
Med. Reg./Exam.: 7.14.97
Sources: 1850c Living with Noah S. Thompson / 1860c $1500 / $1000 / 1870c $18,000 / $2000 / P1886 / Physicians Directory of Kentucky and Indiana 1893 / Indiana State Board of Health 1884, 1890
Buried Crawfordsville Masonic Cemetery
1860x Black Servant Agigail Jones and Hugh Michell living with 9 yo,
1860x Black Servant Agigail Jones and Hugh Michell living with 9 yo,
Record# 30791 in database 19th Indiana Century Physicians
