Winfield T. Durbin

Winfield T. Durbin


25th Governor of Indiana
In office January 14, 1901 – January 9, 1905
Lieutenant	Newton W. Gilbert
Preceded by	James A. MountMilitary rank insignia of the Union Army
Succeeded by	Frank Hanly
Personal details
Born	May 4, 1847 Lawrenceburg, Indiana
Died	December 18, 1928(1928-12-18) (aged 81) Anderson, Indiana
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Bertha McCullough
Religion	Methodist
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1862–1864 1898
Rank	Colonel
Unit	139th Regiment Indiana Infantry
Battles/wars	American Civil War Spanish–American War

Winfield Taylor Durbin (May 4, 1847 – December 18, 1928) was the 25th Governor of the U.S. state of Indiana from 1901 to 1905. His term focused on progressive legislation and suppression of white cap vigilante organizations operating in the southern part of the state. He was the seventh and last veteran of the American Civil War to serve as governor.

Early life

Durbin was born in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, on May 4, 1847, the son of William S. and Eliza Ann Sparks, the youngest of seven sons. While still a young boy, his family moved to New Philadelphia, Indiana where he attended public school and worked in his father's tannery producing leather. At the outbreak of the American Civil War, he and his brothers enlisted in the Union army. His brothers were accepted, but he was turned away because of a recent arm injury. After it healed he attempted to enlist again, and helped raise a company of the 139th Regiment Indiana Infantry, serving from April 1864 until the conclusion of the war. He mustered in at Camp Morton and his regiment was first dispatched to the Siege of Vicksburg, and was then in the expedition to Arkansas Post.^[1]

He left the army after the war and studied briefly in a community college in St. Louis, Missouri before moving to Indianapolis, Indiana where he worked in a dry-goods store as a bookkeeper. In 1879 he left Indianapolis and moved to Anderson where he met Bertha McCullough. The two were married on October 6, 1875 and had two children. During the Indiana Gas Boom, Durbin worked with his father-in-law to found a number of manufacturing businesses and became moderately wealthy.^[2]

Durbin became active in local politics and was elected as a member of the State Republican Central Committee and was appointed to the executive committee in charge of western headquarters. He played a prominent role nationally in the Grand Army of the Republic, and was involved in lobbying. At the outbreak of the Spanish–American War he enlisted in the army and promoted by Governor James Mount to colonel, and was given command of the 161st Regiment Indiana Infantry in July 1898. His regiment was deployed in the occupation of Havana, Cuba for three months after which he returned home.^[2]

Durbin was nominated to run for governor in 1900, and easily won the convention vote. Opinion was strongly against Democrats, and the leading members of the party refused to run for governor that year. The party fielded John Kern to oppose Durbin, but Durbin became the first governor to win by majority in twenty-five years. Durbin's primary goal as governor was to bring efficiency to the state, and reform the government to function more economically, and to enact progressive legislation.^[3]

Governor

White caps

His predecessors policy toward white cap organizations had led to an increase of their activities. Although exact numbers are not known, at least sixty-eight lynching had occurred in recent years against suspected criminals, and numerous other types of vigilante justice was being dealt out by the groups. Most of their activity was in the southern part of the state. The General Assembly passed anti-lynching laws in 1899, requiring sheriff's to petition the governor for military assistance when lynchings were threatened and granted the governor power to remove sheriffs from office who refused to turn over prisoners to state custody, and to call out the militia to protect prisoners. Despite the law, lynchings continued until Durbin took office. In 1902 he invoked the law after a lynching, removing from office numerous law enforcement officials and putting the militia on patrol.^[4]

In 1903, a police officer was killed in Evansville, and the sheriff sent word to the governor, requesting assistance in protecting the suspect in custody. Durbin dispatched a company of militia to protect the jailhouse. A mob of the white caps soon surrounded the jailhouse and the militia and began taunting them for several hours. Someone in the crowd fired a shot at the soldiers, who responded by opening fire on the crowd, wounding eleven and killing one. The mob quickly fled. No more lynchings would occur in Indiana for more another thirty years until the deaths of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith.^[4]^[5]

Progressive agenda

Indiana's industry had grown at a rapid pace over the past decade, and numerous labor unions had begun to form in the state. He advocated additional anti-trust protections for the public, enactment of fines for vote buyers, and the creation of juvenile courts. He conducted statewide audits, and discovered an embezzlement scheme at Indiana University by Monroe County officials. He threatened to move the college to another city if the board could not get the situation under control.^[6]

Automobile usage in Indiana went from almost non-existent to such a level that Durbin began to advocate the construction of superior state highways. He saw the advantages of Indiana's position in the nation, which required a large part of traffic from the west to pass through Indiana in order to reach the northeastern United States.^[6]

Final years

When Durbin left office he returned to Anderson to resume overseeing his business interest. He returned to the public again in 1911 when Democrats attempted to call a constitutional convention. Along with former Governor Frank Hanly, he traveled the state railing against the Democrats and their proposed constitution as socialist. He remained active in the party, and was nominated as the Republican candidate to for governor again in 1912. The Republican party had fractured over the constitutional issue, despite preventing the calling of a convention. Many members left to join the Progressive Party in the following year. Durbin came in third in the election and was defeated by Democrat Samuel M. Ralston, with the Progressive candidate Albert Beveridge coming in second.^[7]

Durbin returned again to Anderson where he remained the rest of his life. He died on December 18, 1928, of bronchial pneumonia following an attack of influenza. He was buried in Crown Hill Cemetery.^[7]

Electoral history

Indiana gubernatorial election, 1900^[3]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Winfield T. Durbin	331,531	50.5
	Democratic	John W. Kern	306,272	46.7
	Prohibition	Charles N. Eckhart	13,453	2.1
	Populist	A.G. Burkhart	1,504	0.2

References

Notes

↑ Gugin, p. 216
1 2 Gugin, p. 217
1 2 Gugin, p. 218
1 2 Gugin, p. 219
↑ "PRESIDENT DENOUNCES MOB LAWLESSNESS; Letter of Praise Sent to Gov. Durbin of Indiana. Says Lynching Is Merely One Form of Anarchy Which is the Forerunner of Tyranny – Laws Should Work Swiftly and Surely.". New York Times. August 10, 1903. Retrieved 2008-08-09.
1 2 Gugin, p. 220
1 2 Gugin, p. 221

Bibliography

Gugin, Linda C. & St. Clair, James E, ed. (2006). The Governors of Indiana. Indianapolis, Indiana: Indiana Historical Society Press. ISBN 0-87195-196-7.

External links

Political offices
Preceded by James A. Mount	Governor of Indiana January 14, 1901 – January 9, 1905	Succeeded by J. Frank Hanly

Governors of Indiana

Territorial (1800–16)	Harrison Gibson (acting) Posey

State (since 1816)	Jennings Boon W. Hendricks Ray Noble Wallace Bigger J. Whitcomb Dunning Wright Willard Hammond Lane Morton Baker T. Hendricks Williams Gray Porter Gray Hovey Chase Matthews Mount Durbin Hanly Marshall Ralston Goodrich McCray Branch Jackson Leslie McNutt Townsend Schricker Gates Schricker Craig Handley Welsh Branigin E. Whitcomb Bowen Orr Bayh O'Bannon Kernan Daniels Pence

See also: Governor of Indiana

History of Indiana

Early history	Clovis Adena Hopewell Mississippian Beaver Wars European contact La Salle Expeditions French Rule

1700–1799	Vincennes Fort Miamis Ouiatenon French and Indian War British Rule Pontiac's Rebellion American Revolution George Rogers Clark Illinois campaign Clark's Grant Northwest Territory Northwest Indian War Petit fort

1800–1816	Indiana Territory Buffalo Trace Treaty of Vincennes Johnny Appleseed Treaty of Grouseland Indiana Rangers Tecumseh's War Battle of Tippecanoe War of 1812 Abolitionist movement Harmony 1st Indiana Canal Company Constitutional Convention

1817–1899	Statehood Polly v. Lasselle Treaty of St. Mary's Indian Removals Bank of Indiana 2nd Indiana Canal Company Whitewater Canal Wabash and Erie Canal Public Works and Bankruptcy Underground Railroad Mexican-American War New Constitution Civil War Golden Age Eli Lilly & Company Reno Gang Gas Boom Black Day of the General Assembly Indiana Pi Bill Golden Age of Literature

1900–1999	White Caps Elwood Haynes Indianapolis Motor Speedway World War I Indianapolis Strike and Riots Samuel Woodfill Indiana Klan Great Depression John Dillinger World War II Freeman Field Mutiny Shipp & Smith lynchings Flood of 1937 Supreme Court Reorganization

Since 2000	Flood of 2008

By topic	Auto Racing Battles Disasters Economy Elections General Assembly Governors Historic Sites People Historical Political Strength Native Americans Slavery

By city and locale	Evansville Fort Wayne Gary Hartford City Indianapolis Lafayette Lake Wawasee South Bend Terre Haute

See also: History of the United States, History of the Midwestern United States and Portal:Indiana WikiProject Indiana's History Department

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 26238940 LCCN: n91041686

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