Small - John
Using these and many other sources, I created a biography of John for The Paper of Montgomery County - see it below
This week’s guest started with newspaper in Waynetown, the Graphic 
By Karen Zach, Around the County
Thursday, July 9, 2020 4:00 AM
John William Small
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The distinguishing feature for John William Small when he applied for a passport in 1918 to go to France for YMCA work was a half-finished anchor tatoo on his left arm. He was described as 5’7” with a medium forehead, mouth, nose and chin. His hair was brown but turning gray. He wasn’t the normal age for going into that type of service, being 54 years old but George B. Welty from Montgomery County okayed it and the War Department had no objections.
Born October 14th in the middle year of the Civil War, John W. Small was the son of Edward and Permelia (Bratton) Small, his father a farmer and John beginning as such, later to become a newspaperman. Permelia had two brothers and four sisters and was the daughter of James Maxwell and Nancy (Price) Bratton who in turn was the son of Archibald Bratton who was a brother of THE William E. Bratton who was with Lewis & Clark. The Smalls were in Waynetown for about as long, Edward being the son of Nathan Mourning Small and Louisa (Blackford) and had four sisters and two brothers, including John who is easy to confuse with John W. and is one of three Johns buried in the same cemetery. Louisa’s father is Ephraim Blackford of Warren County, Ohio and Mary Jane Bonnell and hailed from Essex County, New Jersey. I was fascinated with Nathan Mourning Small’s middle name so was thrilled to find out that the Mourning was his mother’s first name, Mourning Modlen and the Nathan comes from his father.
John W. Small went to the local schools and enjoyed learning. By the late 1880s he began to desire to be an editor/owner of a newspaper and started working at Veedersburg in that field. In July of 1892, he purchased the Waynetown Graphic (with Robert Osborn who did not remain in the business long) and changed the name to The Despatch, the English version of the word Dispatch which means to send off for a purpose, and that’s exactly what John W. Small planned to do. He owned the Despatch for 37 years until his death March 6, 1930, having been very sick for a year with cancer in his thigh and lower abdomen.
The Waynetown Sesquicentennial book states that H.I. Starnes and Small published the Wingate and Waynetown papers together but Starnes sold his interest to WC Goble with Small finally purchasing the whole paper. The Crawfordsville newspapers had a bit of fun with headlines such as, “The Waynetown newspapers … again,” and such. They also (as well as others) spelled the name incorrectly. Finally, though, Small made BIG steps in the newspaper business and from then on, the Despatch became “one of the major country newspapers in Indiana.” Waynetown had several newspapers actually, but the two big ones were The Hornet (I love it) and The Despatch (even better)!
At the purchase time, the newspaper was two pages mainly bits and pieces from national papers with little Waynetown and local news. Crawfordsville had more ads in those than Waynetown and it was extremely boring looking. The paper quickly became quite an impressive piece of graphics with much local news and information, as well as doubling in size. I had always thought until I researched this fellow and the Waynetown Despatch that the very best obituaries were in the Ladoga Leader, but these were beautifully written. Example: Waynetown Despatch 7 Jan 1899 – “Worn out in the battle of life, William Chestnut at the ripe old age of 91 years 2 months 3 days passed into the future life on Saturday of last week. Mr. Chestnut was born at Chilicothe, Ohio and with his twin brother, Dr. Thomas Chestnut came to this vicinity about the year 1832 … it went on to tell about marriage, him living with his daughter, his political affiliations (tastefully done), how Chestnut read his daily newspapers (loved that) and how he peacefully passed away. In the same newspaper in James Pierce’s obit: “The old home where James Pierce died holds the history of the lives of him, his wife and those of the family. For 43 years it was in this place they passed through the joys and sorrows, the sunshine and shadows of life together.” Ahhh, I love this guy’s writing!
His farming articles were exceptional. One he wrote was about Waynetown being the best corn market in the state. What he wrote, he backed-up with proof. From discussing corn, he went on to tell what was going on at the Opera House. It was obvious he had attended as well. Appreciated his notations on the small newspapers, too (Sam Jones, former editor of the Jamestown Press purchased the Pittsboro Sun and the Covington Republican changed owners …). The ads were awesome for the times – CW Aydelotte, Dentist had some scary looking teeth but they caught the attention, too!
Humor needed in all writing - there was going to be a fiddle contest and the rules were hilarious. Every fiddler must be alive; must wear at least one shoe … and the prizes were equally humorous (AC Sumner giving a hair cut and shave to the fiddler with the largest nose; 25 cents cash from DC Moore to the most awkward fiddler …).
Small became quite involved in the Indiana Association of Weeklies, and he along with fellow Montgomery County publisher, TE Huston of the Waveland Independent were often found as officers and or speakers for the semi-annual conferences of the group. Ladoga Leader, JF Warfel publisher was occasionally involved, as well, so MoCo was well represented. He also visited the Crawfordsville newspapers whenever he was in the city, always looking for ideas!
Twice married, his first wife was Mary Theresa Higbee (last day of 1890). But six years later, in October, she divorced him and nothing in the newspaper indicated the problem. She asked for the custody of their children. I believe they had lost a twin son just two weeks old in August of that year, so this may have been the trouble. They had one son Clarence W. who married at age 34, died not long afterward and do not think had children. Alleta the other twin married at age 18 to Hamilton Clinton Hendricks and they had one child, John William named for her father. Although Mary Theresa asked for custody it seems that John lived with his mother and they raised these two children. Mary Theresa never remarried and died with the Small name. Editor John (as he was familiarly known) remarried many years later to a lady who worked for his newspaper for most of the years he owned it, Gertrude Petro age 52 and he 64 (Sept 14, 1927) just three years before his death. He is buried in his hometown of Waynetown in the Masonic Cemetery. Interesting man to research!
Karen Zach is the editor of Montgomery Memories, our monthly magazine all about Montgomery County. Her column, Around the County, appears each Thursday in The Paper of Montgomery County.
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Source: Waveland Independent newspape,r Waveland, Montgomery County, Indiana, Sept. 30, 1927
John Small publisher of the Waynetown Dispatch, took a vacation last week-and got married. The bride is Miss Gertrude Petro. Bro. Small realizes that he has taken a serious step and winds up the announcement: "And don't forget that this is a good time to subscribe for the home paper and pay up your delinquent subscription."
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Source: Portrait & Biographical Record of Montgomery, Parke & Fountain counties, Indiana. Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1893, pp 705-706
JOHN SMALL, who has a well-appointed farm on section 23, Wayne Township, occupies an honorable place among the native born sons of Montgomery County who are actively identified with its agricultural and stock interests, and are numbered among its best citizens. He was born in the township where he still makes his home in the year 1835. He is a son of Walter Small, who was a well-known pioneer of this section. His birth occurred in North Carolina in 1807, and in early manhood he had married Luella Blackford. He brought his young wife to this State to seek a new home, and bought and settled on land in Wayne Township, which is still in possession of the family. He also purchased land in Fountain County, and at the time of his death had one hundred and sixty acres of land. He gave his children five acres apiece when they started out in life. He was a thoroughly good man, of a thoughtful disposition, unusually considerate of others, with a smile and a good word for all who came under his beneficent influence, He was one in whom the poor found a true friend, and he was greatly beloved in the community where he dwelt so many years in peace and happiness. The parents of our subject had nine children: Mary, who was born in this township in 1831, and married Charles Berry, a farmer residing in Waynetown; Ferris, who was born in 1833, and was a farmer during his active life, which was brought to a close by his death in 1891; John; Rachel, who was born in 1838, and died young; Edward, who was born in 1840, and was married in Waynetown to Miss Bratton; Nancy J., who was born in 1843, and died at the age of sixteen; William, who was born in 1849, and died in infancy; Nathan, who was born in 1847, and died in 1891; and Louisa, who was born in 1852, and married Mr. Williams, of this township.
Reared on a farm, and early receiving instruction from his father in all that pertains to agriculture, our subject naturally selected it for his life work. When he and his bride commenced life together they took up their abode on land given them by his father, their first home being a log cabin. In 1860 this humble dwelling was replaced by a more modern residence, a neat and pretty house of six rooms, the timber used in its construction being cut by Mr. Small himself. The farm is a fine one in every particular, comprising two hundred and eighty-three acres of land under a high state of improvement. Mr. Small's principal business is raising standard cattle, of which he has a goodly herd, and stock of all kinds. He raises a great deal of timothy and clover, besides other farm products.
Our subject was married in this county to Miss Bunnell, a daughter of Alford and Cynthia Bunnell, and he has in her a noble, true-hearted wife. Mrs. Small was born in 1841 in New York, and lived in that State until she was three years old, when the family removed to Ohio, where she resided until she came to this county at the age of eighteen years. She is one of a large family of children, and the following is recorded of her brothers and sisters: John was born in 1823, and is married; Aaron was born in 1825, married Hester Scholt, and they live in Missouri; Lonce, deceased, was born in 1826; Vernonia was born in 1828, married Bruce Brown, and afterward died; Mary was born in 1830, and is the wife of W. Clark, of Butler County, Ohio; Alzina was born in 1832, and married Lee Whitsel, of this State; Amy was born in 1834, and is the wife of Lawrence Clark, of Ohio; Harriet was born in the year 1837, and died in infancy; Carrie was born in 1839, and is now the wife of a Mr. Cole, of Minnesota; Samantha was born in 1844 and died in 1859. Both the Bunnell and Small families have been well represented in the various wars of this nation. Mrs. Small's grandfather was a gallant soldier in the Mexican War, while she had two brothers in the War of the Rebellion, both being now members of the Grand Army. Mr. Small's grandfather's brother fought in the Revolution, and his brother Nathan won a fine record as a brave volunteer in the Union army during the late war, enlisting when he was but seventeen years old and serving until the conflict was brought to a close. At the time of his death he was an honored member of the Grand Army.
Mr. and Mrs. Small have had four children, namely: Vernonia J., who was born in 1860, and died in 1862; Cynthia, who was born in 1863; Effie, who was born in 1865; and Eda, a student at Waynetown, who was born in 1877. The other two daughters were also educated at Waynetown, and they have been brought up under wholesome influences, and are still members of the happy home circle. They all belong to the Christian Church, and are active in Sunday-school work. Mrs. Small is a member in high standing in the Baptist Church. Mr. Small is a man of good habits and sound principles, and his genial, kindly nature and willingness to oblige and accommodate his neighbors have won him the regard of all with whom he associates. He has an intelligent understanding of the intricacies of politics, and is an earnest worker in the ranks of the Republican party. - typed by kbz