Randolph  County,  Indiana

Alvah  C. Hindsley


           
Among the pioneer families of Randolph county, who, by act and deed have made for themselves a prominent place in the county's history is the Hindsley family. While not among the earliest settlers of this section, this family located in Jackson township in the early eighteen forties. They are of North Carolina stock, migrating from that state in the early part of the last century, and settling at New Madison, Darke county, Ohio, where many of them now reside. Some twenty years later several members of the family located in Jackson township, this county where they have since lived, and are well and favorably known.
           Alvah C. Hindsley, the subject of this sketch, son of Rufus and Malinda Hindsley, was born in Jackson township, Randolph county, December 24, 1872, and is the oldest of a family of seven children. After acquiring the usual common school education, he took up the vocation of teaching. While following that vocation, he added to his educational training by taking a course of study in the Central Normal College, at Danville, Indiana, where he also began the study of law. He was admitted to the Randolph county bar in 1893, when but twenty-one years of age. After teaching school for several years he retired, to take up the practice of law, which profession he followed for a short period.
           In 1898 Mr. Hindsley purchased The Winchester Democrat at Winchester, Indiana and most successfully published that paper for nearly thirteen years. By his tireless energy and aggressive policies, he made it not only a political organ of power and influence, but a newspaper second to none in the county. He was for years a member of the Indiana Democratic Editorial Association, and at the time of his retirement from newspaper work, was treasurer of that association.
           Mr. Hindsley is by nature, aggressively inclined in his political affiliations, and by reason of such has been often called by his party into positions of leadership. In 1896 and again in 1898, he was the candidate of his party for prosecuting attorney of the Twenty-fifth Judicial Circuit. In 1904 he was nominated for joint representative for the counties of Randolph, Jay and Blackford, but his party being then hopelessly in the minority, was defeated as a matter of course. From 1900 to 1904 he was secretary of the Randolph County Democratic Central Committee, and in 1904 was made chairman, which position he continued to hold for a period of eight years.
           In December, 1910, Mr. Hindsley was tendered the position of second assistant Secretary of State of the state of Indiana and accepted the appointment, which position he yet holds. In April, 1911, he sold his newspaper and soon thereafter, with his family, moved from Winchester to Indianapolis, where they now reside.
           Mr. Hindsley was married in November, 1898 to Gracie Simmons, and they have one child, Forrest Hindsley, a boy now past ten years of age.
           Mr. Hindsley has proven to be a most faithful and trustworthy public servant, uniformly courteous and affable and is popular with all with whom he comes in contact.
Past and Present of Randolph County, Indiana, 1914.
Contributed by Gina Richardson

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