Karen Has A Quick Adventure

By: Karen Zach

Written about Davis, Myers, Smith, and Jones families so I decided to check-out a more unusual name and made a “quick” jump to an interesting man with one – Nathaniel Quick, to be exact, who was described as “being loved by all who knew him.” How’s that for an epithet?

Nathaniel was interested and involved in many aspects of life. One of the oddest items I discovered in my research was that he ran against himself for County Treasurer in 1892 for the Prohibitionist and People’s (Populist) party. Sure he didn’t win but pretty nifty he was admired enough by two parties to be chosen.

At Nathaniel’s death in April 1895, Dr. Thomas J. Griffith wrote a tribute for the Indianapolis Patriot Phalanx honoring Quick, stating Nathaniel was “an honest, conscientious man,” but then Griffith got a bit off topic as per the tribute but likely not for the paper.

Griffith told of Nathaniel assisting in organizing the Prohibitionist Reform Party in 1884 and remaining as an ever-active adviser to the group. Mainly, the article was regarding the Doctor’s views that Populists and Prohibitionists should merge into one as they desired the same things for our country (equal suffrage, abolition of national banks, free coinage of silver and of course, prohibition). Occasionally, he got back to Nathaniel (“needed more men of his virtues on this side of life; a pillar in the New Light Christian Church and in his neighborhood and county”). For sure, a bit radical but very interesting article.

Born in Union Township, (where his father had entered land) Nathaniel’s parents were Edwin and Abigail Ball Quick, June 30, 1832. He was schooled in the area and had one term at Merom Union Christian College. At age 21, he wed Catherine M. Groendyke who was four years (Dec 2, 1828) his junior but passed away (Nov 8, 1869) long before him during childbirth with their youngest (Daisy who died in April 1870). Their other children were Flora (a beautiful woman who married George Fuller and mothered Otis, Rosco, Bert, Avery, Claud). Jessie (5 Jan 1857-5 Feb 1859); Clara (married OW Mason and mothered four sons: Edwin; Ewing; Paul and Lee); Thomas (6 May 1862-8 Nov 1865); Abby (2 Dec 1863-20 June 1864); and Nathaniel (15 July 1865). May have been one more.

Nathaniel was born into a large family with several full and half-brothers (Stebbins, Albert, Amos) and sisters (Martha, Sarah, Margaret, Hannah, Hulda, Alice and Salona). He was particularly close to Stebbins born 13 months apart and died 15 months apart, both of their final demise beginning with the grip (flu). Both were active members (Nathaniel a deacon/minister) of the Liberty Church, both buyers for the Montgomery County Horse Breeding Association, early members of the local Grange as well as having the same political views.

In 1877, Nathaniel married Sweck Cook who outlived him more than 35 years. They are buried together at Liberty (awesome pic on FindAGrave added by Diane Nibeck-Smith – thanks so much) and his first wife’s stone stands alone in poor condition, sadly. Sweck was also involved in the Liberty Church and one of the few gals for the times gutsy enough to voice her opinion in politics. In 1903, she married Robert Collins and they mainly lived in Madison County where she passed away 23 Oct 1933 and Hancock County where he passed, leaving Sweck in a pretty financial condition.

Nathaniel Quick usually went by Nathaniel but occasionally Nathan and his son by that name was generally referred to as Nathan or Nate. In April 1890, “Nathan” built a new home on Black Creek. I assume this was Junior as he would get married a few months later to Ida Springer. From what I read regarding the younger Nate, he reflected his father in perfect form, sliding into his father’s positions, especially as an active member of the church, a graduate from Merom, and he also belonged to the Union Detective Association. Sadly, Nate passed (typhoid fever) about eight months later the same year as his father leaving a wife and two young children. For an example of the respect and love of these men, it is appropriate here to say that Nate’s college president (Dr. – Rev. Aulridge) preached his funeral at Liberty. To add to this family’s burden, Flora passed just a few months later and she too was a good, kind, Christian soul.

One curiosity I nabbed while researching this family was the Quick School, obviously named for one of the family members but which one? Don’t know and if anyone does, let me know! Not sure when it began, but it was definitely active in the 1890s and closed in August 1901 when the students were moved into Crawfordsville along with other youngsters from various other small schools.

Certainly, Nathaniel Quick was an interesting, loving, smart, kind, religious man, but I could not be sure in which category his final request falls as he was buried (Liberty Cemetery, of course) in a “metallic casket which was put in a burglar-proof vault”. It took 16 men to lower him into the grave! Hadn’t really heard of any grave robbing in the area but Nathaniel Quick I’m pretty sure had it covered – RIP and my “quick” research into his life was an “interesting adventure!”

– Karen Zach is the editor of Montgomery Memories, our monthly magazine all about Montgomery County. Her column, Around the County, appears each Thursday in The Paper of Montgomery County. You can reach her at [email protected].