Biography of John Edgar  Buchanan, pages 321/322/323.  History of DeKalb 
County, Indiana; B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., Indianapolis, 1914.

John Edgar Buchanan

	Among the men of earnest purpose and successful life who have 
honored DeKalb county by their citizenship none is more deserving of 
specific mention in the annals of the county than J. Edgar Buchanan, whose 
death removed from this locality one of its most enterprising and progressive 
citizens and whose loss was widely mourned throughout this section of the 
state.
	J. Edgar Buchanan, well known as the editor and manager of the Auburn 
Dispatch and the Auburn Evening Star and general manager of the Auburn 
Printing company. Was born on March 25, 1868, in Fairfield township, 
DeKalb county, Indiana, and his death occurred at Evanston, Illinois, on 
July 27, 1913.  He was the youngest son of Albert and Hannah E. (Potts) 
Buchanan and came of a family that had been prominent in DeKalb county 
from an early day.  The subject’s parents had come to this county from 
Holmes county, Ohio, in 1854, and had taken a prominent and active part in 
the early development of this locality.  The subject’s boyhood days were 
spent on the pioneer farm in Fairfield township, and as soon as old enough 
he helped on the arduous labors of the farm, his education being received 
in the common schools of that locality. After completing the common school 
course he entered Hillsdale College at Hillsdale, Michigan, to which city 
his parents had moved in order to give him this educational advantage.  
However, after studying in that institution for two years, he was afflicted 
with a severe illness, which undermined his health to such an extent that 
he never fully recovered from the effect. The family then returned to the 
home farm, where Mr. Buchanan in a measure recovered his health so that he 
engaged in teaching school for a number of years, serving one year as 
principal of the Waterloo high school.  In the fall of 1890 Mr. Buchanan 
took up his residence in Auburn and entered the law firm of J.E. Rose & 
Son, with whom he pursued the study of law until his admission to the bar, 
on December 2, 1892.  He was intensely ambitious and gave promise of a 
splendid career in the legal profession, but again his hopes and ambitions 
were disappointed because of his already undermined health, and for two 
years he again followed the vocation of school teaching at Altona and 
Garrett, filing the position of superintendent of the Garrett city schools 
for awhile.  However, the pedagogical profession did not appeal to him as a 
life work and he turned his attention to field of journalism, in which he 
began a series of investigations which eventually resulted in the purchase 
of the Albion New Era from J.P. Pricker, taking possession of the plant in 
September, 1895.  Though without previous experience in this specific line 
of efforts, his natural ability and progressive ideas enabled him to so 
direct and control the business that it grew and flourished and Mr. 
Buchanan established his home at Albion, thinking at that time that he 
would make Albion  his permanent residence.  However, when the plant of 
the Auburn Dispatch and The Evening Dispatch was placed upon the market at 
receiver’s sale, a desire to be near his people and his old friends bore 
upon him so strongly that on January 1, 1903, he became owner of the 
business, which, under his guidance and direction, grew to be one of the 
best newspaper plants in DeKalb county and now stand as a monument to his 
memory.  When he first came to Auburn to take charge of the business, the 
family remained in Albion in charge of the business there until it could 
be disposed of, they removing to Auburn on April 1st following.  Mr. 
Buchanan organized the Auburn Printing Company, a company formed by the 
consolidation of the Auburn Evening Dispatch and Auburn Daily Courier, now 
being published as the Evening Star, of which he was chief owner, secretary 
and treasure and general manager, and he remained at the head of the 
newspaper business in this city until his death, directing his affairs 
with ability and discretion and showing that he had a natural aptitude for 
the profession to which he had turned.  Since coming here his whole life 
and soul were given to the upbuilding of the institution which he felt was 
to provide for himself and family a modest heritage.  He really loved his 
work and one of his greatest pleasures was to watch the growth of the 
business and the daily rewards of work well done.  Personally, Mr. Buchanan 
was a man of uncompromising honesty and integrity of character, his 
sterling qualities of manhood and genial disposition giving him an 
enviable standing among his fellow citizens of DeKalb county.  A graceful 
and at the same time a forceful writer, his editorial utterances were 
influential and always on the right side of every moral or civic question 
affecting the welfare of the people generally.  He was a man of honest 
convictions on the great public questions of the day, and when once 
convinced that he was right, nothing could swerve him from the course he 
had decided upon.
	On June 21, 1891, Mr. Buchanan was married to Nellie D. Brecbill, 
who was born and reared in Smithfield township, and to them was born a son 
Verne E. Buchanan.
	J. Edgar Buchanan was not only esteemed because of the large business 
success to which he had attained in Auburn, but was also considered a man 
of unusual moral fiber, standing for all that was good in the community, 
no movement for the advancement of his fellow citizens along material, 
moral, religious or educational development appealing to him for assistance 
in vain.  He was unselfish in his attitude toward local affairs and gave 
his material assistance to many enterprises.  Thus at the time of his 
death he was not only general manager of the Auburn Printing Company, 
publishing the Auburn Dispatch, the Auburn courier and the Evening Star, 
but was a member of the board of directors of the Zimmerman Manufacturing 
Company, the Auburn Post Card company and president of the Auburn Building 
and Loan Association, as well as an active and influential member of the 
Auburn Commercial Club, while his social relations were with the lodge of 
Knights of Pythias of Corunna, this county.   No community can afford to 
lose such men as Mr. Buchanan, for he had earnestly and faithfully 
endeavored to do his part as a man among men and, without boasting or 
ostentation, he steadily pursued his course, doing well whatever he turned 
his hand to, gaining not only material prosperity, but that which was more 
to be desired, the commendation and approval of his fellow citizens.

Submitted by:
Arlene Goodwin
Auburn, Indiana
Agoodwin@ctlnet.com