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LYMAN M. BRACKETT of Rochester, is one of the ablest and most sagacious business men
of Fulton county. Mr. Brackett was born in this county Sept. 9,
1854. After obtaining a liberal education in the Rochester schools
and Earlham college, he completed a commercial course in the
Bryant & Stratton business college at Chicago, graduating there
from in 1874. He then became book-keeper for his step-father,
Mr. E. E. Cowgill, then a lumber dealer, of Rochester. Three years
later he became Mr. Cowgill's partner in the business, the firm thus
formed becoming E. E. Cowgill & Co. In 1882 Mr. Cowgill died,
and then Mr. A. J. Barrett became Mr. Brackett's partner in the
business. The firm of Brackett & Barrett conducted the business
until February, 1896, when Mr. Brackett sold his interest to Mr.
Barrett. In February, 1894, Mr. Brackett was elected president of
the Citizens' State bank and he has since remained the president of
this bank, demonstrating extraordinary financial ability. He is re-
garded as a careful and far-seeing business man, and enjoys the
esteem and confidence of his fellow-citizens. Mr. Brackett has
taken considerable interest in politics as a republican, but has never
sought political preferment. However, he was honored by an
election to the position of presidential elector for the Tenth Indiana
district, in the year 1892. Fraternally he is a member of the orders
of Knights of Pythias, Red Men, and Maccabees. He is an active
member of the Baptist church, of which he has served as trustee for
the last ten years. Oct. 17, 1877, Miss Sarah Merriam, of Brandon,
Vt., became his wife. She has borne him three children, namely:
Zoe A., Charles C. and Lyman E. Mr. Brackett's father was Dr.
Charles Brackett, who was born at Cherry Valley, Otsego county,
N. Y., June 18, 1825. Dr. Brackett received a good academical edu-
tion, and early in life chose medicine as his profession, and graduated
from the medical college at Castleton, Vt., in 1845, at the age of
twenty years. He immediately established himself in practice at
Davenport, Iowa, where he remained only a short time, and then,
in 1848, came to Fulton county, Ind., where he soon grew into
prominence in his profession. When the call came for soldiers to
suppress the Southern rebellion he was among the first to answer
the call. His words were: "I deem the preservation of the Fed-
eral Union and the maintenance of the Constitution paramount
duties incumbent on every American citizen, and in the performance
of which none should shrink from any toil, sacrifice or suffering."
April 20, 1861, found him captain of a company of eighty men,
raised in Fulton county, and asking for a place to do service. The
company not being accepted by the governor, the call being full, Dr.
Brackett went to Indianapolis and tendered his services to the gov-
ernor, offering to serve the Union army in whatever capacity he
could be most useful, and in August, 1861, he was commissioned
assistant surgeon of the First regiment of Indiana cavalry. He
immediately joined the regiment at Camp Blair, Mo. The following November he returned home on account of sickness. While at
home he received a commission from Gov. Yates, of Illinois, as surgeon of the Ninth Illinois cavalry regiment, which was organized by
his brother, Col. A. G. Brackett. He joined the regiment at Camp
Douglas, and from there went into Missouri and Arkansas, and continued in the service until the time of his death, which occurred Feb.
20, 1863, at Helena, Ark. A detail was granted to convey his body
home to Rochester. Of the above named Ninth Illinois regiment
his brother, Albert G. Brackett, was colonel; his brother, Joseph
Brackett, was commissary; his brother, James Brackett. was assistant surgeon, while he, as stated above, was surgeon. Dr. Charles
Brackett's father was James Brackett, who was born at Lee. N. H.,
March 31, 1782, and whose father, Joseph Brackett, a native of New
Hampshire, was a first lieutenant of cavalry in the Revolutionary war.
Dr. Brackett's father was graduated from Dartmouth college in the
class of 1805. He became a lawyer and located at Cherry Valley.
N. Y., in 1808. One year later he married Eliza Maria (Bennett)
Ely, at Philadelphia, and for forty-one years thereafter he practiced
law at Cherry Valley, where his family of seven sons and one daugh-
ter were reared. Dr. Charles Brackett was married in 1851 to
Margaret Wilson, who was born at Rome, N. Y. Her father,
William Wilson, was a native of Glasgow, Scotland. At a very
early date he removed from New York to Fulton county, and settled
near Kewanna. Unto Dr. Charles Brackett and wife were born the
following children: Louisa, Lyman M., Rosanna. Mary and
Charles W. In 1869, the widowed mother of these five children
became the wife of the late E. E. Cowgill, who in his day was one
of the best and most useful citizens of Fulton county. Unto his marriage to Mrs. Dr. Charles Brackett were born two children; the
first, a son, died at the age of five years; the second, a daughter,
Edith, survives as his only descendant. His widow became the wife
of Dr. Vernon Gould, of Rochester, and is still living. Mr. Cowgill
was bom near Wilmington, Clinton county, Ohio, April 21, 1830.
He was a son of Asa and Margaret Cowgill. His parents and grandparents were Virginians, of English lineage. Mr. Cowgill became
an orphan at a very early age, and was reared by his father's brother.
He made his first business adventure at Peru, Ind.. where he met
with but indifferent success. At Peru he married, in 1862, Miss
Nellie Rayburn, who lived but a year after the event, and bore him
no children. Shortly after the war Mr. Cowgill located in Rochester, and engaged in the lumber trade, in which he continued to the
time of his death, which occurred Aug. 1, 1882. He was very successful in business, and at the time of his death had accumulated
large wealth. He was beloved by all who knew him. In him the
subject of this sketch, together with his brother and sisters, found a
generous friend and kind father, when he became the husband of
their widowed mother. To his example, counsel and assistance they ascribe a large share of the advantages they have enjoyed, and
in return they cherish his memory as a rich heritage.
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