Anthony Family

• Dr. Samuel Parsons Anthony | Narcissa Haines Anthony | Emily G. Vaneman Anthony
  • Capt. Edwin Clark Anthony, Sr. | Rebecca G. Venneman Anthony
  • Florence Virginia Anthony Swain | Elihu H. Swain
    • Frederic Anthony Swain
    • Adelia Narcissa Swain Smith
    • Earle Henderson Swain
    • Edna Florence Swain Halton
    • Edwin Orlando Swain
    • Charles Vannerman Swain
  • Samuel Parsons Anthony | Fannie Fern Bayless Anthony
    • Louise Anthony Webb
    • Samuel Perry Anthony
  • Ella Anthony Gamble | George Gamble
  • Edwin C. Anthony, Jr.
  • Charles Haines Anthony | Harriett Bell Mitchell Anthony
    • Dr. Harvey Mitchell Anthony | Ruth Leffler Anthony
      • Ann Anthony Brophy
  • Adelia N A Anthony Robinson | C. Frank Robinson

Dr. Samuel Parsons Anthony

Excerpts:

• In nearly all the earlier and later improvements inaugurated and carried to successful termination in Muncie and throughout Delaware County, Dr. Anthony bore a conspicuous part. He came to the village of Muncietown when it was scarcely more than a clearing in the wilderness, and throughout a number of years was one of its most active and worthy citizens, and was long identified with its mercantile and commercial interests.
• He then located at Muncie, Ind, in 1831, where he spent the residue of his life, practicing medicine and selling merchandise. He invested largely in real estate, purchasing thousands of acres in this and adjoining counties, and by close attention to business, amassed a large fortune, which at the time of his death, was variously estimated at from $250,000 to $500,00.
• He practiced medicine for twenty-five years, and during that time, established a fine reputation as a successful physician. He could not retire from the practice altogether, for there were many who refused to have the administration of any other physician in case of sickness.
• He was active in all public enterprises, which seemed to him calculated to promote the interest of this city and county. When the Bellefontaine & Indianapolis Railroad was advocated, he at once enlisted to help the project along by taking stock to the amount of several thousand dollars, and personally soliciting subscriptions to the road. He served as one of the directors of this road and later, was elected President in which capacity he served about a year. He then resigned and was succeeded by Hon. John Bough, of Ohio and again became a Director. He was President of the Fort Wayne & Southern Railway, and a Director of the Lafayette, Muncie & Bloomington Railway.
• In his death Delaware County lost one of its most substantial citizens and one of its best financiers. He seemed to possess a natural talent for making money, while he was never penurious or unwilling to contribute his share to public or private charities.

Excerpts:

• S.P. ANTHONY , the wealthiest, and one of the oldest and most widely known citizens of Muncie, died last Friday night after a very brief illness.

Capt. Edwin Clark Anthony, Sr.

Excerpts:

• Capt. Edwin C. Anthony, an honored veteran of the Civil war and for many years in his generation one of the leading citizens of Muncie, was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, May 29, 1818, and was the son and only child of Dr. Samuel P. and Narcissa (Haines) Anthony, the latter of whom died at Muncie in 1858.
• It was thus that his son, Edwin C. Anthony early was trained to assume a position of responsibility in the community, for his father was by long odds the largest property owner here. Edwin C. Anthony completed his schooling at Richmond, Ind., and was from the days of his young manhood interested in the development of the Anthony interests in and about Muncie.

Charles Haines Anthony

Excerpts:

• CHARLES HAINES ANTHONY, who in his generation and for many years was recognized as one of the real leaders in local community development, one of the dominant factors in that amazing movement which thirty years and more ago brought about the practical reconstruction of the city of Muncie and which gave an impetus to all phases of human development hereabout, has been dead for some years, but the memory of his personality and of what he did for the community persists and will long do so.
• Mr. Anthony was a native son of Delaware county, a member of one of the real pioneer families here, and though his business activities took him much away, he always was happy to regard this as his home, even as does his widow, who survives him and who though widely traveled still is happy to call Muncie home, for she, too, was born in this county, and is also of that sterling pioneer stock that has its roots so firmly planted here in the soil of Delaware county.
• Following his marriage in 1886 he established his home at Muncie., This was about the time the new era of development dawned on Muncie in consequence of the opening of the natural gas field here and Mr. Anthony naturally became one of the most influential promoters of the new local interests thus developed.
• With clear vision he saw into the needs of the future and in 1887 erected that big brown stone business block at the northwest corner of Walnut and Jackson streets still known as the Anthony building and which thus for nearly forty years has stood as one of Muncie's chief commercial buildings.
• As president of the Economy Co-operative Gas Company, he did much for the proper utilization of natural gas as an economic industrial factor and as one of the promoters of the old Citizens Enterprise Company also did much in the way of bringing new factories into the town.
• Anthony Park (Congerville) is a continuing reminiscence of another phase of his activities. As an ardent horseman he also did much to promote the elevation of the standards of horseflesh hereabout.

Excerpts:

• Unusual in the extreme was the coincidence that Mr. Anthony should die in the house in which he was born, for the Home Hospital is the old Anthony homestead, one of the earliest residences of the community. Often during his last illness, as he looked out at the yard in which he played when a boy, Mr. Anthony would recall incidents of his youth spent on the broad lawns about the house.
• What is now Congerville, extending south from Willard street to beyond the city limits and between Walnut street and Heekin Park, was the Anthony homestead tract.
• Until 1908, when the family moved to the present residence at 210 East Adams street, Mr. and Mrs. Anthony lived in the old Mitchell home, at Walnut and Adams streets, the last remaining residence in that section of the business district.
• He was the organizer and president of the Economy Gas Company, the original company in the field and president of Daniel Boone oil lease company, probably the greatest field in Delaware County.
• Incident to the promotion of industries in Muncie and surrounding territory during the gas boom, the Citizens' Enterprise Company was formed to provide and offer inducements to firms to locate here and Mr. Anthony was a leader in this movement.
• He was also the last surviving trustee of the Sprankle Bank, a pioneer financial institution in this part of the state, which later became the Delaware County National Bank.
• Through his many dealings in land and property in the county, Mr. Anthony became probably more familiar with all sections of the county than any other man and his advice was often sought when a question of land values arose.
• His love for horses and enthusiasm in the horse racing sport made Mr. Anthony one of the foremost horsemen in the country several years ago and his string of Grand Circuit horses which included Anna Held, the famous double-gaited mare, Franklin, Harvey A. and others, was one of the best in the country.
• After retiring from the Grand Circuit, Mr. Anthony was an active worker in the sport in this state, serving as a member of the Indiana state agricultural board and speed superintendent for the Indiana state fair for some time.
• At the time of his death he had been president of the Delaware County Agricultural and Mechanical Society and superintendent of speed of the Muncie fair for more than twenty years.
• Since retiring from active business, Mr. Anthony devoted most of his time to the work of the fair association.

Harriett Bell Mitchell Anthony

Excerpts:

• It perhaps may not be regarded as out of place to recall that in 1913 Mrs. Anthony created a bit of a social sensation in New York and the East by the striking character of the gorgeous gowns she wore and by having the heels of her slippers set with diamonds, the newspapers over the country giving her much space and referring to her as the "arbiter of fashions," "Muncie's creator of American fashions," "social sensation of the East," and the like.
• In referring to her home at Muncie, Mrs. Anthony told one of the numerous interviewers who sought stories from her in those days of unexpected fame, "I always like to return to it, for in spite of my liking for the brilliant corners of the earth, Muncie is my home town and many old friends are here."

Excerpts:

• Mrs. Anthony was reputed to be one of the wealthiest women in Muncie.
• Her marriage to Mr. Anthony, February 10, 1887, united two of the county's wealthiest families.
• Thirty years ago, Mrs. Anthony gained national fame through publicity given her "diamond heels."
• [....] and she became known nationally for her "diamond heels."
• She was always attired immaculately with valuable gems flashing from bracelets and other jewels.
• She attended Jefferson school and Central High School and was said by friends to have been an ardent booster for Muncie wherever she went.
• An intimate friend told reporters last night that she took fourteen steamer trunks full of beautiful gown to Europe on one of her trips and proudly told persons in foreign countries "I don't buy my gowns in Paris. These beautiful pieces came from Indiana."
• Included in her real estate holdings was property at the northeast corner of Willard and Walnut street, a part of the block at the southeast corner of Jackson and High streets, other property at Sixth and Walnut streets, and several farms in the county.
• Mrs. W. R. Youse, an intimate friend of Mrs. Anthony's since school days last night described Mrs. Anthony as a "lovable, beautiful character with a sweet and kind nature."
• Mrs. Anthony made a collection of rare antiques and art objects her hobby and a collection valued at several thousand dollars was sold only recently. It included many rare oriental objects.

Excerpts:

• Five years later, she married Charles Haines Anthony in "one of the most brilliant and enjoyable affairs that has ever taken place in this city."
• Hattie had a great interest in clothing, jewelry and travel and often combined the three.
• Hattie soon became popular with the media in several cities and was mentioned in the newspaper of New York, Washington, DC, Indianapolis and Chicago.
• After her attendance at a White House reception, The Washington Post reported that, with her diamond-heeled shoes, Hattie had one-upped Alice Longworth Roosevelt, daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt.
• It was noted that, in addition to several pairs of shoes with diamond studded heels, Hattie had shoes set with turquoises, bronze pumps decorated with beads of solid gold, white doeskin boots with jeweled buttons, and more.
• Charles died in 1921 and Hattie spent most of the rest of her life living in hotels, including the Waldorf-Astoria and the Hotel Roberts in Muncie.
• Betty Thornburg Love, author of Recollections of the Hotel Roberts, noted that "Her large hats, beautiful furs, fashionable clothing, and her walking stick with a crook in the handle made her a striking figure indeed. Her appearance was so regal guests must have thought she was a Queen of some country! She always arrived at the hotel with trunks of clothes even though she had planned to only stay a week."

Excerpts:

• The only unusual influence during that time was her paternal grandmother, Harriet Bell Anthony, who gained much fame as a dazzling dresser, collector of artifacts and jewelry, world traveler and "jet-setter".
• She was known around the world as the "Muncie Sunburst" and wore diamonds in the heels of her shoes, gold and diamond serpentine bands on her arms, as well as broaches, necklaces and earrings.
• She was a vivid source of embarrassment to her only grandchild.
• She died when Ann was ten years old, after thoroughly enjoying her husband's money.

Dr. Harvey Mitchell Anthony

Excerpts:

• Dr. Harvey Mitchell Anthony, her son, was at one time the state champion tennis player and taught astronomy, electricity, physics, and chemistry at Central High School.
• He was a Harvard graduate and held a fellowship in the Royal Astronomical Society.
• The Harvey Mitchell Anthony electrical laboratory at the high school is named in his honor and he was the founder of the laboratory.
• A gold medal is given the member of each senior class who makes the highest grades in both chemistry and physics as a memorial to Dr. Anthony.

Excerpts:

• Dr. and Mrs. Anthony and their daughter had come to Muncie late last April from Gary where Dr. Anthony had practiced medicine for the past three years.
• He graduated from the Indiana University School of Medicine in 1927, remaining one year as assistant professor of anatomy and assistant university physician.
• At Harvard he specialized in science and philosophy and did experimental work in radio-telegraphy.
• He then spent three years in post graduate study, taking electrical engineering at Hawley Institute in Boston, graduating from that institution and later taking advanced courses in Columbia University in New York and the New York Electrical Institute.
• The new Central High School building having been erected, he installed a department of electrical engineering in the building and for eight years was head of the department.
• In 1916 he became director of vocational education in the school, but one year later he entered military service, at first conducting radio telegraphy classes in this city and organizing a signal corps.
• He was called to be chief of radio-telegraphy at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station and was transferred from there to Washington to reorganize radio training systems in the aviation section of the navy.
• He served as director of that work until the close of the war, after which he returned to Muncie, continuing his school work until the close of the war, after which he returned to Muncie, continuing his school work until he resigned to study medicine.
• He was a member of the Signma Chi fraternity, Sigma Xi, honorary scientific fraternity; and many other organizations that recognized his brilliant scholastic and scientific attainments.
• He was a former member of the board of examiners for the Indiana University School of Medicine.
• Dr. Anthony was also honored by foreign honorary societies and held membership in a number of them.
• A complete list of his degrees and achievements is listed in "Whos's Who in Engineering."
• In the midst of his studies, Dr. Anthony found time for athletic activity and was a skilled tennis player.
• He won several championships, holding a tri-state award at one time during his enrollment at Miami University.
• Dr. Anthony was the donor of the Harvey Mitchell Anthony Science Award presented annually to the graduate from Central High School qualiifying by reason of marks and ability.
• He told his wife yesterday that she need not worry about him. "You have Ann," he said.
• Dr. Anthony had done considerable private research concerning the disease of cancer and was considered an authority on diabetes.

Excerpts:

• NOTE: The Anthony School was dedicated in Muncie, Indiana, December 7, 1958 in memory of Dr. Harvey Mitchell Anthony. His wife, Ruth Leffler Anthony attended the ceremony as a special guest.

Ann Anthony Brophy

Excerpts:

• In 1991, Ann Anthony Brophy donated several of her grandmother's dresses, evening gowns, wraps, and boas to the Minnetrista Heritage Collection.

Excerpts:

• Ann Brophy was born in Indianapolis, Indiana.
• Her father was a noted educator, research scientist and medical doctor. He was an officer in World War I where he pioneered in the invention of radio research.
• Her mother was an honored nurse and teacher.
• Her father died when Ann was 3 months old.
• She and her mother then moved to Muncie, Indiana where they lived with her maternal grandmother in an extended family atmosphere, and she attended elementary and high school there.
• She then moved to New York City and worked with Broadway playwrights for 10 years and gained writing experience with such valuable mentors.
• She married Charles Brophy, a financial columist for the New York Herald Tribune, later an editor of a leading Bond newspaper and an advisor and speech writer in the public relations field.
• They moved to Connecticut with their 3 children who are grown now.
• Ann taught Writing for Children at Fairfield University and conducted local writing workshops, as well as editing for publishers and private students.
• Her advice is to listen to your husband. You don't have to always do what he says, but at least hear him out.
• Writing is a hard work hobby. It is both frustrating and sometimes productive. But you have the wonderful advantage of living so many different lives through your characters. It's terrific! You are never bored.