Loyal A. Alford 1814 VT -1883 IN

Corrington L. Alford b. 1836 OH

This article was also published in AAFA ACTION, Spring 1994, pp. 32–33, "Corrington and Loyal Alford of Indiana."

Bibliography: BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY OF CASS, MIAMI, HOWARD AND TIPTON COUNTIES, INDIANA, Vol. II. Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1898.

From pp. 110–113:

Corrington L. Alford, M.D., Ph.D., a cigar manufacturer and one of the prominent citizens of Logansport [Cass Co., IN], is the only son of Dr. Loyal A. and Elizabeth P. (Butler) Alford. His father was born in Ferrisburg, Addison county, Vermont, May 29, 1814, and was the youngest child of Rev. Oliver and Lovina (Porter) Alford. The grandfather of our subject was a distinguished pioneer minister of the Baptist church, and his wife was a sister of one of the seven patriots who were killed at the battle of Lexington, in the opening of the Revolutionary war.

Dr. Loyal A. Alford was a man of high scientific and literary attainments, a minister of the gospel and an eminent physician. The degrees of D.D. and LL.D. were conferred upon him—an honor worthily merited. He carried his researches and investigations far and wide into realms of science and led the way into many new and hitherto unexplored regions, his discoveries attracting the attention of the thinking world. He was also a writer of merit and published many excellent works which won favorable comment throughout Christendom. These include The Great Atonement Illustrated, a poem of rare beauty and deep thought; the Masonic Gem, a poem concerning the temple erected by King Solomon, and embellished with __enty esoteric designs, showing the craft at work, the temple completed and the glory given to the great Grand Master; and The Mystic Number of the Word, a work which evinces deep and original thought, concerning the use and meaning of the numbers seven, twelve, and forty, which occur with great frequency in the Bible. Among the productions of Dr. Alford was also the Biblical Chart of Man, a lithographic chart, representing two forms, the human and the spirit form, side by side, also indicating the seven senses of man as the mind of man and the seven attributes of the soul as the spirit of man, together with an explanation of what perishes in death, and what in man is immortal. Another work, A Trip to the Skies, is a unique and original religious volume, treating of astronomy in a manner different from any other volume extant.... All these works indicate wide research, original thought and keen comprehension on the part of the author.

In the medical profession Dr. Alford also attained considerable distinction and for a time was president of a medical college in St. Louis, and at another time of a medical college in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He also established the American Anthropological University, of St. Louis, of which institution he was dean. His efforts on behalf of the Baptist church were far reaching and efficient, and at the same time were of a very practical character, as befits this utilitarian age. He made a specialty of running Sunday school excursion trains and was elected by railroad officials as first railroad excursion superintendent for the raising of funds by reduced fare. He aided largely in erecting houses of worship, in strengthening weak societies, assisted in other departments of church work, and for some time published the Sunday-school Visitor, a semi-monthly paper for Sunday schools. He was also the editor of the Elkhart Herald.

Dr. Alford married Miss Elizabeth P. Butler, a cousin of General Benjamin F. Butler, and a native of Utica, New York.... During her early girlhood General LaFayette revisited America, and the people welcomed him with every demonstration that honor and gratitude could prompt. As he passed in procession down one of the city streets a little girl approached his carriage and presented him with a bouquet of flowers. This maiden afterward became the wife of Dr. Alford. By their marriage were born five children: Corrington L., of this review; Annette, a resident of Charlotte, Michigan; Cecelia; Mindwell and Lovisa. Dr. Alford died in Logansport, December 20, 1883, at the age of seventy years; and his wife passed away in the same city, at the age of sixty-five.

Corrington L. Alford, who, since 1863, has resided in Logansport, was born in Ashtabula city, Ohio, April 29, 1836, and the following spring was taken by his parents to Erie county, Pennsylvania, where they remained until 1844. In that year the family emigrated westward to Adrian, Michigan finding in that section of the state an almost unbroken wilderness. The journey was made by team and wagon, for it was before the day of railroad travel. Subsequently they removed to Hillsdale, Michigan, and in that classic town the subject of this sketch was reared. He obtained his education, not so much from schools as from study under his father’s guidance, and through extensive reading, and observation in later years. Under the direction of his father he studied both medicine and theology, and his learning has ever been broad and comprehensive, covering a wide range of subjects. He has watched much of the early development of this section of the country, and was a passenger on the first railroad train running into Chicago; indeed he had much to do with the construction of the track, the equipment of the line, and made the first railroad baggage check, now universally used. Subsequently he engaged in the dry-goods trade and built up an extensive and profitable business, but in 1863 he sold out and removed to Logansport, where he began the manufacture of tobacco, and was also associated with his father in the building of Baptist churches and running large excursion trains to raise funds for church extensions. After a time he gave his entire attention to the tobacco business, manufacturing for both the wholesale and retail trade. He is now exclusively engaged in the manufacture of cigars, though he does not carry on operations on as extensive a scale as formerly.

Mr. Alford has been twice married. He wedded Miss Charlotte Rowe, a native of New York, who departed this life in 1865, and later he married Miss Ellen A. Harrison, of Logansport. By his first wife he had two children: IDA, wife of George Rickets, a farmer of Cass county, by whom she has a daughter, Mildred: and Corlette, deceased. By the second marriage there are four children: Lelonia, who became the wife of Clarence Weaver, of Logansport, and has one son, Loyal; Cora Etta, at home; Bessie, deceased; and Tillie, who is also with her parents.

In early life Mr. Alford gave his political support to the Whig party and cast his first presidential vote for Zachary Taylor. Since the organization of the Republican party he has been numbered among its stanch advocates and to some extent has been active in its work. He was intimately acquainted with Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, and was a delegate to the Chicago wigwam which nominated Lincoln for the presidency.

In his church relationship he is a Baptist, liberal in support of the church and faithful in his exemplifications of its teachings. His life has been a busy and useful one. He is a man of high intellectuality, broad human sympathies and tolerance; honor and integrity are synonymous with his name, and he enjoys the respect, confidence and high regard of the community.