LAYMAN, Daniel W. - M.D.
Source: Weik, Jesse William. Weik's History of Putnam County, Indiana. Indianapolis,Ind.: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1910, pg 183.
Dr. D. W. LAYMAN who came from Virginia settled in Putnamville in 1831, being the first medical practitioner in the town or township. He was so successful in his practice no other physician ever continued long in the attempt to compete with him. For many years he was easily the most prominent and influential citizen in the community. He was a man of upright habits and pleasing manners but of very pronounced political views. He was an ardent Union man during war times and later supported the principles of the Republican part, but he never sought an office or any other political preferment. A story is told that in the fall of 1864 a number of boisterous Warren Twp citizens who had been attending a Democratic meeting at Greencastle returning home on horseback after night, passed by Layman's house and, knowing his pronounced Union sentiments, very loudly and repeatedly cheered for Jeff Davis. Being hidden in the darkness on the opposite side of the road, the Dr. was unable to distinguish the riders as they noisily flew by, but his ire was so instantly and completely aroused he picked up a stone and hurled it with all his might in the direction of the noise. A little later a man came riding up to the Dr's house and asked to accompany him down the road to see a man who was hurt and needed medical attention. "At first," related the Dr. years afterward, "I was a little suspicious but as I had never failed to answer a call for my professional services I complied at once and set out for the scene of trouble. A short distance down the roadside we came upon a group near the fence, in the centre of which reclined a man who was bleeding profusely from a wound in the head which his companions explained had been caused by a fall from a horse. A light was procured and there by its dim rays I gave the wounded man the medical and surgical attention the case seemed to require. Of course there was some risk, and I kept my eyes peeled all the while, but I pretended to be as innocent as they and so far as I could observe there was not the slightest attempt to molest me. In fact, later, the injured man, still maintaining an air of innocence, came to my office and offered to pay me for my services, but I declined, meanwhile reminding him of the dangerous and inevitable results of cheering for Jeff Davis - a lesson I am sure he never forgot!"
Layman, Daniel W. Pa, 1812
Mary H. D. b. KY 1813
5
College of Phys. & Surg. in the City of NY, 1898
10.18.987 Putnam ( Putnamville) / Marion (Indianapolis)
1850c $10,000 / Indiana State Board of Health 1882
Record # 11490, 19th and 20th Century Indiana Physicians
Layman, D. W., Putnam ( Putnamville)
p1886
Record # 106575, 19th and 20th Century Indiana Physicians
Source: Zach, Karen Bazzani. Montgomery Medicine Men .... Crawfordsville: MCHS, 2002.
Dr. Daniel W. Layman's main area for practicing medicine was upper Putnam County, Indiana but he could be found touring Parke, Hendricks, Clay or Montgomery just as easily. Having been born September 24, 1808 in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, he attended Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia, then practiced in his home town of Port Republic before leaving Virginia and moving west.
An uncle furnished him a fine horse and buggy as he headed out in August of 1831. Hearing that the Wabash River area was full of malaria, he first headed for Philadelphia to buy quinine and other supplies, then headed further west. He laid over in Indianapolis two days, was asked to locate there but moved on.
His horse became lame and he was forced to take lodging in an inn in Putnamville where he met and wed the innkeeper's daughter, Mary Townsend.
Dr. Layman was the typical old country doctor, packing his saddlebags with his medicine and heading out on one of his three riding horses to administer to his flock. He never used alcoholic beverages or tobacco and was highly esteemed in his community. Two of his grandsons were doctors in Indianapolis. His death occurred in Putnamville August 10, 1887.
Source: Kemper, General William Harrison 1839-1927 – A Medical History of the State of Indiana p 296
LAYMAN, Daniel W. Putnamville (1808-1887). Dr. Daniel Wunderlich Layman was born Sept 24, 1808 in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia near Port Republic. His medical education was more complete than the average medical student received in those days for he also attended medical lectures at Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia for one year 1828-1829. After this one year’s course at Philadelphia he commenced to practice at Port Republic and Mt. Meridian, Virginia. Dr. Layman left Virginia August 1831. Before leaving, his uncle George Imboden, father of Gen. John B. Imboden, gave him a very fine horse and open buggy. His destination was Terre Haute, Ind. Hearing that the country along the Wabash River was full of malaria, he first drove up to Philadelphia, in order to amply supply himself with quinine While there he equipped himself with the necessary medicines and instruments to begin practice in a western town. From Philadelphia he drove to Cumberland, MD; from the latter place he started west over the old National Road. He remained over in Indianapolis one or two nights and was asked to locate there permanently, but the place did not appeal to him. At Putnamville, 42 miles west of Indianapolis, he horse became lame and he was obliged to stop here until his horse recovered. Here he met his future wife, Miss Mary H. Davis Townsend, the daughter of the inn-keeper. This settled the question of his future location. He practiced medicine here from 1831 to 1887, not only in and around Putnamville, but also in adjoining counties: Owen, Clay, Vigo, Parke, Montgomery, Hendricks, Morgan and Marion. He was a man of iron constitution. During the winter season he often made use of three riding horses. Some of his trips on horse back were quite extended. At one time he was known to ride from Putnamville to Indianapolis and return in one day where he went for vaccines and vaccine virus and then after he returned home rode 16 miles in the country to visit a sick patient. His son, James T. Layman, recalls that his father often left Putnamville at 2 a.m. on horseback for Indianapolis and returned by 2 in the afternoon. Dr. Layman was a typical old-fashioned country practitioner in every sense of the word. He was highly esteemed by the people in the community who not only called him for medical advice but for advice in politics, but never allowed himself to be nominated for a political position. In fact, he once declined a nomination for Congress. He never used alcoholic beverages nor tobacco in any form. His attitude toward temperance no doubt had a great weight in influencing the community along this line. He died at Putnamville Aug 10, 1887. Letter from Dr. Daniel W. Layman, Grandson, Indianapolis. Most of Dr. Layman’s descendants live in Indianapolis. Mr. James T. Layman, the only son living is president of the Layman-Carey Hardware Co. of Indianapolis. Three of Dr. Layman’s descendants are now practicing physicians in Indianapolis. They include two grandsons Dr. Francis O. Dorsey and Dr. Daniel W. Layman and one great grandson, Dr. John L. Kingsbury.