Levi Lane

LEVI LANE is one of the most honored and respected citizens of Lebanon. He has for many years been connected with the office of circuit clerk, holding this office personally for several years, and was deputy under the second clerk of the circuit court - Samuel S. Brown - the first clerk of this court for Boone county having been David Hoover. Mr. Lane descends from sterling English stock. His grandfather, James Lane, came from England at the age of fourteen years, having run away from his parents, who lived in the city of London. He shipped on board a vessel for America, and at New York was apprenticed to pay his passage money. At the age of eighteen he was drafted into the colonial army and served throughout the Revolutionary war. He married in Virginia, and, with his wife, shortly after moved to Grainger county, Tenn., in which state Mr. Lane was one of the pioneers. He cleared up a good farm on Flat creek, and here passed the remainder of his days. To Mr. Lane and wife were born four children - William, James, Edward, and one daughter, whose name is not remembered. He was a member of the Baptist church, and well known throughout the county as a man of sterling worth. He reached the great age of eighty years. William Lane, his son, the father of our subject, was born in Virginia, December 2, 1787, was taken to Tennessee by his parents and grew up among the pioneers of that state. He became a farmer and married Sarah Haines, who was born February 14, 1782. She was the daughter of David Haines, who was of Irish stock. To Mr. and Mrs. Lane were born the following children: Polly, Addison, Josiah C., Louis, John, Ruth, Levi, Ann, Rhoda, and one who died an infant. They are all deceased except our subject, and all left families. William Lane was a substantial farmer, owning 200 acres of land. He was appointed by the state legislature justice of the peace, and served continuously for forty years, his judgment being respected by all who knew him. At an early day he served as a soldier in the Indian troubles. He died on his farm February 19, 1845, aged sixty-eight years. He was a man of honorable character and a typical American pioneer. Levi Lane, his son, was born July 9, 1815, on his father's farm in Grainger county, Tenn., twenty-two miles north of Knoxville. He was reared a farmer and left home at the age of twenty-five years. He had received a good, common education for his day, and taught a subscription school two winters. In 1840, the day after the election of William H. Harrison to the presidency, he left his old home for Boone county, Ind. His brother, Josiah, accompanied him. He was a man of family and had already settled in Boone county, and had been home on a visit. Levi Lane had just taken an active part, for his age and position, in the famous "Log Cabin and Hard Cider" campaign, in which the excitement had run very high, the war cry being "Tippecanoe and Tyler, too." On the first day of the journey, the brothers passed the famous chestnut tree where the three states Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky-meet. Here had been held a political rally and the flag still waved in shreds from the top of a tree. The woods near by were filled with cider barrels, from which the hard cider had freely flowed to quench the thirst and cause the enthusiasm in the celebrated campaign. Mr. Lane came directly to Lebanon, making the journey of 400 miles on horseback, in three weeks, arriving here in November. Four brothers of the Lane family settled in Boone county, three of them--Addison, Josiah C., and Lewis came from Putnam county, Ind., where they had settled between 1830 and 1832. They are now deceased. In the May following his arrival, in 1840, Levi Lane and his brother Addison and family returned to the old home in Tennessee for a visit. Levi Lane returned to Lebanon in September, 1841, and from that time remained permanently. On the next day after his arrival in September, 1841, he entered the office of county clerk as deputy and continued in this position two and one-half years. Mr. Brown, the clerk, being succeeded by John Christman, who resigned his position, Mr. Lane was elected to fill his unexpired term and served by appointment and election six and one-half years. He was then deputy under subsequent clerks until the present time, with the exception of eight years. During this long period of more than forty-five years, he has made more court records than any man in the state of Indiana; has issued more marriage licenses, as he has served in the clerk's office for a longer period than any other man in the state. His records are accurate and very legible and now of great value. Mr. Lane married August 23, 1842, Pheriba Hayes, daughter of Charles Hayes, of Illinois. To Mr. and Mrs. Lane have been born ten children-Henry S., now of Chicago; Clara L., Empson, Willard W., Samantha E., deceased; Joseph B., Nellie L., Albert L., Morris E. and Georgianna, who died an infant, all born in Lebanon, and this is the proper order of their birth. Both Mr. and Mrs. Lane are members of the Methodist church, of which he is one of the trustees and also steward, and for forty years has been secretary, of the quarterly conferences and board of stewards. Politically he is a stanch republican: he was a strong Union man during the war, in which he had two sons-Henry S. and Empson T. Henry S. was in an Indiana infantry regiment and served during the war. He was in the battle of Pittsburg Landing and in the gunboat service, and hospital steward and paymaster's clerk. Empson T. was in an Indiana regiment and in seven skirmishes. Mr. Lane is one of the best Union men in the county and is universally respected. He has been so long connected with the clerk's office that the people of the county feel that his supervision of the records is almost necessary for their accuracy.
 

Transcribed by: Chris Brown
Source: "A Portrait And Biographical Record of Boone and Clinton Counties, Ind.," pp 365-366, published in 1895 by A. W. Bowen & CO. Chicago

LEVI LANE, Lebanon

Levi Lane was born in Granger County, East Tenn., July 9, 1815, and is the son of William and Sarah Lane. His ancestors on his father's side were English, and on his mother's, Irish. His educational privileges during childhood and youth were of a very limited nature. At the log schoolhouse which he attended, the only branches taught were reading, writing and the elements of arithmetic. For his education he is indebted to his own studious disposition and researches in later years. Early in life he evinced a fondness for penmanship, at which he became quite an adept. His father served as Justice of the Peace for thirty years in succession, and during the last ten years of his office the major portion of his writing was executed by his son Levi, who found in this employment a good opportunity to gratify his taste in this direction. Until twenty-four years of age, he continued to work on his father's farm. In September, 1841, he came to Lebanon, Ind., where he has since continued to reside. In August, 1842, he was united in marriage with Miss Pheriba Haize. On the day following his arrival at Lebanon, he entered upon a position as Deputy County Clerk under S. S. Brown, then Clerk of Boone County, and since that time has been constantly engaged in the Clerk's office, with an intermission of five years only. During six and a half years, he served as Clerk, and for the remainder of the time as Deputy. Nine children have crowned the happiness of his married life. Of this number, one died in childhood and one since marriage.

Early in life his, religious convictions led him to unite with the Missionary Baptist Church, of which he remained a consistent member until after his removal to Indiana. After withdrawing from that body, he united with the M. E. Church, of which his wife was a member at the time of their marriage. His connection with other organizations is limited to that of temperance, although he is friendly to all benevolent and charitable orders.

Although not a leader in the public enterprises, he has ever been one of their most cordial supporters, and has contributed liberally toward the erection of schools and churches and the construction of railways and gravel-roads throughout the county.
 

Source Citation: Boone County Biographies [database online] Boone County INGenWeb. 2007. <http://www.rootsweb.com/~inboone> Original data: "Combination Atlas Map of Boone County Indiana," Kingman Brothers, 1878, p. 15.

Transcribed by: T. Stover - October 9, 2007