McCain - Arthur Albert
Source: Bowen, A.W. History of Montgomery County, Indiana. Indianapolis: A.W. Bowen, 1913, p. 873
Arthur Albert McCain, the present able and popular postmaster of the
city of Crawfordsville and a newspaperman, was born in Crawfordsville,
Indiana December 1, 1868, and is a son of Thomas Hart Benton McCain and
Salome Snow Longley McCain. The father was born in Clinton County,
Indiana on Jan 24, 1839, and was a son of Hugh B. and Minerva Douglass
McCain. The McCains are descendants of a long line of Scotch-Irish
ancestry. Hugh B. McCain was a farmer. His death occurred in the year
1893. He belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church. During the Civil
War he was a very strong Union man. Thomas H. B. McCain, the father of
our subject, worked on the home farm when a boy and at the commencement
of the war of the sates he enlisted in the 86th Indiana Volunteer
Infantry in which he served with distinction for a period of 3 years. He
was Sgt Major of his regiment during the first year of his service, and
the last year was 1st Lt. of Co I, in the same regiment. He
participated in a number of important campaigns and battles such as
Stone's River, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge and those of the Atlanta
campaign. After his career in the army he returned to Indiana and began
publishing the Delphi Journal, later removing to Lebanon this state
where he published the Patriot for 18 months, then went to Murfreesboro,
Tennessee and published a Republicn paper for six months. Returning to
Indiana in 1868, he puchased the Crawfordsville Journal and brought it
up to a paying business, proving himself to be a very capable editor and
manager. He continued to publish the Journal until his death, which
occurred May 1, 1898. His widow is still living in Crawfordsville. He
did much for the general upbuilding of the city and he was held in the
highest esteem by all with whom he came in contact. He belonged to
McPherson Post, Grand Army of the Republic. He was a member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church and politically, a staunch Republican. He was
postmaster of Crawfordsville from 1873-1881, filling the office with
much satisfaction to all. He and Salome Snow Longley were married May 7,
1867. She lived at Lebanon, Indiana.To this union were born Arthur
Albert, subject of this reivew and Fred T, manager of the Journal.
Arthur
A. McCain grew to manhood in his native city and here attended the
common schools, later entering Wabash from which he was graduated with
the class of 1889, having spent several years in that history
institution being a student in the preparatory as well as regular
college branches. He quite naturally took to newspaper work and began as
reporter on his father's paper, working in this capacity one year, then
became business manager of the same, continuing successfully thus until
Oct 1901 then became editor which position he still holds; however, has
not been active since becoming postmaster. He has kept the paper up to
the high standard it knew in the days of the elder McCain, and it has
continued to be a power for the upbuilding of this section of the state,
wielding a wide and ever growing influence, and it has become a very
valuable medium for advertisers. Its mechanical appearance is all that
could be desired in modern newspaper work, and its columns teem daily
with the world's most important and brightest news. Its editorial page
is recognized as a molder of public opinion. The plant is well equipped
with up-to-date machinery and all modern appliances necessary in issuing
a live newspaper of the 20th Century. Mr. McCain was appointed
postmaster at Crawfordsville Dec 12, 1911 and is still incumbent of that
office, the duties of which he is discharging to the eminent
satisfaction of the people and department. Mr. McCain has been
successful from a financial standpoint and is a stockholder in several
manufacturing concerns. He is a Republican and is very active in the
local affairs of his party. Fraternally he is a member of Tribe of Ben
Hur. Mr. McCain was married on Oct 23, 1895 at Indianapolis to Ethel
Rondthaler, a native of Pennsylvania, her birth having occurred in
Bethlehem, that state. To this union, two children have been born:
Katherine Louise who is attending high school and Robert benton, a
student in the public schools. - typed by kbz