LYON, Francis Mareion - Putnam

FRANCIS MARION LYON. Coupled with Francis M. Lyon's ability as an attorney is his unusual clearness of perception, analytical tact and soundness of theory, also his courteous manners, persistency and unswerving integrity, these and other commendable attributes rendering him one of the strong and influential attorneys of Putnam county and one of the successful practitioners of a community noted for the high order of its legal talent. For many years his office in Greencastle has been a very busy place and many of the principal cases in the local courts find him on one side or the other, always alert, fair, unswerving and always laboring for the interests of his large clientele. Mr. Lyon represents an old and highly esteemed family of this county, his forebears having located here in an epoch which historians are pleased to allude to as "early" and they have since played well their parts in transforming the locality from its primitive state to the opulent present. He was born at Hamrick Station, Putnam county, Indiana, May 9, 1857. His father was Valentine Lyon, a native of Fluvanna county, Virginia, born April 3, 1798. He there grew to maturity and moved to Owen county, Indiana, in 1820, where he lived until 1846, when he moved to Greencastle for the purpose of educating his children in old Asbury University, being a strong advocate of higher education and a man who delighted in giving his children every opportunity possible, and he was a strong supporter of the university here ; also took an active part in the Methodist congregation. He devoted his life to farming and was very successful. Remaining in Putnam until 1861, he returned to Owen county, where he lived until his death in 1887, at the advanced age of nearly ninety years. His long and useful life was a lesson to all who knew him for he never neglected a chance to be of service in any relation of life; scrupulously honest and always hospitable a typical old-time Virginia gentleman. He married Zarelda Myers, (laughter of Noble Myers, and she was born on a farm three miles north of Greencastle, January 22, 1826. Her mother was the daughter of Solomon Kaufman. Mrs. Lyon was a woman of many beautiful traits of character, and she passed to her rest in 1906, at the age of eighty years. Valentine Lyon was first married to Mary Payne, a native of Shelby county, Kentucky, which union resulted in the birth of thirteen children, twelve of whom lived to maturity, but only four of this large family are living at this writing. Seven children were born to the second union, named as follows : Charle's E. is living in Topeka, Kansas ; Francis M., of this review ; George W. lives in Clinton, Iowa ; Henry Bascom is a resident of Cheyenne, 'Wyoming; Prof. Oliver L. lives at Enid, Oklahoma ; Mrs. Emma Florence Roberts lives near Manhattan, Putnam county Ulysses G. lives on a farm near Reelsville, Putnam county. The remote ancestors of the Lyon family were French Acadians, who came into the United States from Nova Scotia, having been banished from Acadia and cast ashore, later landing on the coast of Maryland. From there they went to Virginia where the family became well established and prosperous : there, in Fluvanna county, James Lyon, grandfather of Francis M., was born. The Lyon family has always been strongly bent toward educational and musical lines ; nine members of this family of the recent generation were teachers. Francis M. Lyon was educated in the high school at Spencer, Owen county, Indiana, then attended the Central Normal School at Danville and the State Normal at Terre Haute. His first inclination was to practice medicine and with this end in view he studied medicine during the summer months and taught school in the winter time, soon becoming well known throughout the county as an able and painstaking instructor. In 1889 he was elected superintendent of schools of Putnam county, and so faithfully and well did he perform the duties of this office that he was re-elected three times, holding the office four terms or eight years, during which time the work throughout the county was greatly strengthened, the courses made more attractive to pupils, teachers were encouraged and patrons pleased with the excellent system perfected by him. Had he continued in this line of work he doubtless would have become one of the leading educators of the state ; but turning from both teaching and medicine, he began the study of law, under Silas A. Hays, making rapid progress and was admitted to the bar in due course of time. He formed a law partnership with Charles T. Peck, which still exists, the firm being one of the best known in the county and regarded as strong and reliable. figuring prominently in all local courts. Mr. Lyon is regarded by his large clientele as a fair, painstaking, energetic champion of their rights, and he is a good lawyer. Mr. Lyon's domestic life began October 9. 1879, when lie married Anna A. Houck, the refined daughter of Anthony and Martha A. Houck, of Putnam county, where Mrs. Lyon was born October 9, 1861. This union has resulted in the birth of three sons, namely: Oscar Earl, who died in infancy; Orrell E. was born on October 26, 1885; Glen Houck Lyon was born on July 17, 1898. Mr. Lyon is purely a self-made man, educated himself, working hard to do so, and he is deserving of much credit for the success he has achieved. He is attorney for the Western Tin-Plate Company. He is the owner of two fine farms and is extensively engaged in loaning money. For ten years he has been a member of the board of directors of the Commercial Club of Greencastle. Fraternally he is a Mason, belonging to the blue lodge, the chapter, commandery, Scottish rite and the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias and belongs to the Gentlemen's Literary Club, a very exclusive organization. In politics he is an active and influential worker in the Democratic ranks, and he and Mrs. Lyon are members of the College Avenue Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Lyon has always taken a great interest in the prosperity and advancement of Putnam county and endorses every movement which he believes will prove a benefit to humanity. He is genial, a good mixer, sociable and straightforward in his dealings with his fellow men. His achievements represent the results of honest endeavor along lines where mature judgment has opened the way. He possesses a weight of character, a native sagacity, a discriminating judgment and a fidelity of purpose that command the respect, if not the approval of all with whom he is associated. He takes first rank among the leading citizens of Putnam county, being a leader in financial, educational …