Randolph County, Indiana
Thomas H. Condon
One of the men who has stamped the impress of his strong individuality upon the minds of the people of Randolph county is Thomas H. Condon, well known grain and coal dealer of Parker. He has so ordered his career since taking up his abode in our midst that he has become one of the conspicuous characters of this locality. Faithfulness to duty and a strict adherence to a fixed purpose, which always do more to advance a man's interests than wealth or advantageous circumstances, have been dominating factors in his life, which has been replete with honor and success worthily attained. He is a scion of a sterling old Irish family, and many of the strong characteristics of his progenitors have been revealed in him, and he has been most vigilant in keeping unsmirched the good name of the Condons, who have always been noted for their unswerving honesty, their readiness to assist in all worthy enterprises for the good of their neighbors and the community in general in which they resided.
Mr. Condon, of this review, was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, May 26, 1856. He is a son of David and Margaret (Hayes) Condon, and is one of eleven children, being the eldest; the others were named Dennis, who lives in Chicago and is on the police force there; John, who is engaged in merchandising at Momence, Illinois, married Margaret McGraw, and they have seven children; Katherine married Richard Dwyer, who had charge of a power house in connection with the street railways of Chicago, was killed by a live wire, leaving a widow and five children; James, who was in the employ of the United States Express Company, died in Chicago some time ago, leaving a widow; Johanna married William McGraw, a farmer of Benton county, Indiana, and they have three children; Mary married James E. Garvin, a teacher by profession, but now employed in the Chicago postoffice; Elizabeth, wife of John Garrity, a merchant of Chicago for some time, has three children; Margaret married J. C. Eman, and they live in Los Angeles, California; Michael lives in Chicago; David, a merchant of Des Moines, Iowa, married Sadie Stack.
David Condon, father of the above named children, was born in County Limerick, Ireland, and when only thirteen years old he emigrated to the United States, the voyage requiring three months, in an old-fashioned sailing vessel. He found employment in a woolen mill in Webster, New York. He subsequently went to Springfield, Massachusetts, and there he met and married Margaret Hayes and established the family home there, She was born in the same locality in Ireland from which he came, and had emigrated to America in her girlhood. The father eventually moved his family to Illinois, and in 1868, when his children were still small, he removed to Benton county, Indiana, and bought a farm, spending the rest of his life engaged in farming. His death occurred in 1900, his widow surviving until 1910. They were an honest, kind, hard-working couple who did all in their power to give their large family an education and get them properly started in life, and they are now well situated and highly respected wherever they reside.
Thomas H. Condon was married December 16, 1886, to Florence A. Mott, a daughter of a farmer of White county, Indiana, and one of three children, To this union two children were born, Cecil died at Fowler, Indiana, when eight years of age; Ray I., born June 14, 1891, graduated from the high school at Parker, later studied at Purdue University, is now associated with his father in the grain and coal business; he married Helen Arbogast, of Parker.
Thomas H. Condon farmed on the home place until he was twenty-one years of age, then took a position with the Buckeye Harvesting Machine Company, with which he remained for a period of seven years, giving his employers eminent satisfaction, proving to be one of their most trusted and faithful employees. He then came to Parker and went into the gas and oil business, and here he developed the Parker City oil field and thereby incidentally did much for the general upbuilding of Parker and vicinity. He then went to Goldfield, Nevada, where he engaged in mining for a period of four years with gratifying results. He was prominently identified with the interests of Goldfield during the strike of the mining district there in 1906-7. He then returned to Parker and has since been successfully engaged in the grain and coal business, building up a large and ever-growing trade which extends over a wide territory. He is also still engaged in the oil business. By his close application, wise foresight, sound judgment and ability to grasp large opportunities readily he has accumulated a handsome competency, becoming one of the substantial men of the county. He owns a modern and commodious home at Parker.
Fraternally, Mr. Condon is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, the Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Improved Order of Red Men. He is a faithful member and liberal supporter of the Methodist Episcopal church. Politically, he is a Republican, and has been active and influential in local political and public affairs. For a period of ten years he was president of the city council of Parker, during which he did much for the general upbuilding of the city. He helped to organize the first fire department here; in fact, no man has done so much toward the material growth of Parker as he. He has also been prominent in educational affairs, and appointed the school boards for years while a member of the council. He studied law and has been a member of the Winchester bar for the past fifteen years. Personally, he is a pleasant gentleman to meet, courteous, high-minded, genial and a man who at once impresses you as being of superior attributes.
Past and Present of Randolph County, Indiana, 1914.
Contributed by Gina Richardson