About Dr. James Ford

Dr. James Ford was born in West Virginia and raised in Ohio by his father James Ford, Sr., a mill operator and skilled woodworker, and his mother Rebecca Snedeker Ford. His desire to practice medicine led him to Indiana, where he hoped to find greater opportunities. James made it through lean years, studied when he could, and taught school in Indiana. He was licensed by the Medical Society of Indiana in March 1835 in Connersville, where he also met his lifelong companion America Holton.

Dr. Ford and America Holton were married by America's father, a Baptist minister, in Connersville, Indiana, in 1837.

"On the fifth day of June, 1837, I was married to Miss America Holton....On Friday, the tenth of June, we took charge of our house, and spent a happy summer and autumn." - Dr. James Ford

Wabash town founder Hugh Hanna - drawn by the promise of the Wabash and Erie Canal - laid out the town of Wabash in 1834. Dr. Ford purchased the lot this home stands on in 1839, and in January 1841 he and his wife America Holton set out to Wabash along with their toddler Mary Elizabeth. In 1843, Dr. Ford paid Hugh Hanna $278 in full for the deeded plat.

"...after traveling six days over snow and indescribably bad roads, in very cold weather, we landed in Wabash..." America Holton Ford, February 4, 1841.

"Wabash was a small village then, and contained twenty-six families, equal to about one hundred and twenty-five inhabitants; nearly all lived in round log cabins...The Miami Indians occupied the south bank of the Wabash River, and few white people lived in the Reserve." - Dr. James Ford.

Dr. Ford was a family man, entrepreneur, pharmacist, surgeon, soldier, building designer, inventor, and community leader. He was not only dedicated to his family - he was dedicated to his community and his country. He contributed to the growth and development of Wabash in many ways that extended beyond his medical practice.

"Man should not live for self only!" - Dr. James Ford

Civil War Surgeon

Dr. Ford was the second man of Wabash to volunteer for the Civil War after the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter in April of 1861. He was commissioned Surgeon with the Eighth Regiment Volunteer Infantry. Dr. Ford was honorably discharged for medical reasons (malaria) on June 5, 1863. It took two years for Dr. Ford to fully recover from the illness he suffered through much of his military career.

"It was now late in the evening, and we were all wet, but we gathered up the wounded of both sides and gave them shelter. We had no beds, no blankets, no dressings for the wounded men, and no lights. Every wounded man was examined: and, if losing too much blood, the arteries were tied up by torchlight." - Dr. James Ford.

Ahead of His Time

Dr. Ford warned against the use of alcohol and tobacco more than 100 years before their dangers were fully realized by the medical community.

Divine Inspiration

Dr. James Ford and his wife America were charter members of the Wabash Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) founded in 1842.

Dr. Ford served as the building designer and oversaw the construction of the church which began in 1865. Prior to the building of the church, the congregation would meet in the school house or private homes. To save the church money, Dr. Ford and his son Henry designed and helped make over 80 different shapes of brick for the building.

"...the congregation was composed of well-to-do people; but they had little wealth of money, but great wealth of energy and perseverance." - Dr. James Ford

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In 1859, Dr. James Ford was granted a patent on a grain dril-- for planting seedl. Unfortunately, the idea was pirated after he went to war in 1861. Though he never realized any financial gain from the invention, he had the satisfaction of seeing similar drills increase in popularity over the years.

During his recuperation after the Civil War, he bought a nursery and was the unpaid editor of the Agricultural Department at the Wabash Plain Dealer.

Dr. Ford learned surveying at age 18 and his surveying equipment and notes are on display.

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He was a kind-hearted, generous husband, father and friend, and he will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance, and expecially his earlier associates.

The doctor had not practiced his profession for fifteen or eighteen years. His mind was strong as ever and until a few years ago he was active, but his increased years, loss of hearing, coupled with the fact that he had a competency of this world's goods, caused him to give up his practice.

He had no particular disease, and death was simply caused by the wearing out of the whole system. To use his own language he had been "living on borrowed time" for several years. His relatives and friends had noticed for a long time that he was growing weaker rapidly, and nothing but his great energy and love of out-door exercise kept him up the past few years.

The funeral will take place from the late residence of the deceased, on west Hill street, at two o'clock Sunday afternoon. The services will be conducted by Rev. Earle Wilfley and Rev. Dr. Chas Little. Burial in the family vault in Falls cemetery. The remains of the doctor will be incased in the casket which he had made for himself during the past year.

About three months ago the doctor gave up and went to bed. He was not sick, but tired and worn out. From that time he scarcely left his bed. Nearly two weeks ago he got up, went downstairs and ate quite heartily, but in a short time was helped to bed again. A few nights ago he got up out of bed and while fixing something about the stove fell to the floor. He was not injured in the least, and his grandsons, sleeping in an adjoining room, hastened to his assistance. He recognized his family and friends up to the last.

Probably no physician in Indiana had a wider practice than Dr. Ford when in his prime, and he enjoyed the confidence of his fellow practitioners. A number of years ago Dr. Ford recommended a patient of his to go to Logansport to be treated by Dr. Fitch. On the patient's arrival at the City of Bridges Dr. Fitch asked him who had treated him in Wabash.

When informed that he had been under Dr. Ford's care Dr. Fitch replied: "Well, if old Dr. Ford couldn't do anything for you, it is of no use for you to come to me."

Dr. James Ford, son of James and Rebecca Ford, was born on January 19, 1812, on the present site of Cadiz, Harrison county, Ohio. With his parents, he move, in 1814 to Mansfield, O., where the father was fatally injured by a fall. At Mansfield the family resided until Dr. Ford was grown. A great student, he devoured all of the limited literature of the time and locality, and was especially fascinated with mathematics. In 1828 he entered Kenyon college, where Salmon P. Chase was then a tutor, Dr. Ford receiving instruction in Latin under the man afterwards so famous as a financier and statesman. At the end of a year at a classical high school established at Mansfield and in 1831, under advice of Dr. Bushnell, began the study of medicine. Resolving to attend Dartmouth college he started east on Lake Erie, was shipwrecked, and his journey was so delayed that he gave up the project and determined to go south. Reaching Cincinnati navigation on the Ohio was closed by the ice and he met a friend living in Connersville, and turned to Indiana, locating at Connersville, where he met the famous Dr. Mason, who took an interest in the young man, called on him and asked him to become a member of the family. The year 1835 was a profitable one for the physicians, as there was much sickness in and around Connersville, and Dr. Ford labored early and late and his practice was attended with unusual success. In 1835 Dr. Mason having been elected to the legislature he transferred his practice to Dr. Ford, and the succeeding year he took a course of lectures at the Ohio Medical college, Cincinnati, graduating with high honors.

His marriage to Miss America Holton, daughter of the Rev. Jessie Holton was solemnized in 1837, and the union was one of unalloyed happiness, ending with the death of Mrs. Ford some eight years ago.

Dr. Ford continued to practice his profession in Connersville until 1841, where he removed to Wabash, which he had ever since, made his home, and in which community he was always a conspicuous and honored figure. In 1854 he obtained his degree from the Rush Medical college, Chicago, which he attended. He was one of the original trustees of Butler college, at Indianapolis, serving in that capacity for eleven consecutive years. In 1861, when the news came on the attach on Fort Sumter, he was the second man, at the meeting called to organize a company, to volunteer, and was made surgeon of the Eighth regiment. He was ordered to the army of the southwest and after the battle of Pea Ridge was appointed medical director in the field and was on Gen. Davidson's staff.

Ill health forced his resignation in June of that year, he receiving an honorable discharge. During his army career he was in several of the most hotly contested battles of the war. In 1871 Dr. Ford was appointed pension examiner and held the position for fifteen years.

Several children were the fruit of the marriage of Dr. and Mrs. Ford, of whom all but two survive. They were as follows: - Mary Elizabeth, born in 1838 married Joseph M. Thompson, and died in 1865; Martha Jane, born in 1843 and died in 1865; Allena, born in 1843 and married Capt. B.F. Williams, in 1868; James H., born in 1848; William Jesse, born in 1851, and Edwin H., born in 1861.

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