Newspaper editor and publisher, attorney, state legislator, author, poet, circuit court judge and justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, Samuel Barnes Gookins was one of Terre Haute’s most esteemed citizens for more than a half century.
The youngest son of William and Rhoda (Murger) Gookins, S.B. Gookins, as he became known, was born May 30, 1809 in Rupert, Vt. His father died when he was 5 and his mother brought Samuel and older brother Milo to Indiana in 1823.
Sam and Milo were orphans upon his mother’s death in 1825. She was one of the first pioneers interred at Terre Haute’s Grandview Cemetery. The boys resided briefly with the family of Capt. Daniel Stringham, father of Rear Adm. Silas Stringham.
Milo Gookins, born in 1800, moved to Vermillion County in 1826, the year Sam apprenticed himself for four fruitful years to pioneer Terre Haute newspaper publisher John Willson Osborn. Gookins wed Osborn’s daughter Mary Caroline on Jan. 23, 1834.
After brief stints as editor of the Vincennes Gazette, the Western Register and Terre Haute Advertiser, Sam studied law under Terre Haute lawyer Amory Kinney, perhaps Indiana’s first abolitionist.
Admitted to the bar in 1834, Gookins was in a partnership for several years with Kinney and Terre Haute lawyer Salmon Wright. In July 1850, following the resignation of Judge John Law, he was appointed president judge of the First Judicial Circuit, which included several counties including Vigo. The appointment lasted through January 1851.
Acquiring scenic acreage noted for its abundance of wild strawberries east of Third (then Market) Street and north of Hulman Street, Judge and Mary Gookins embellished the tract with spacious and attractive buildings, later acquired by Coates College for Women.
Known for many years as “Strawberry Hill,” the Gookins’ home became a haven for intellectuals.
After serving one term (1851-52) in the Indiana House, Judge Gookins was elected justice of the Indiana Supreme Court on Oct. 10, 1855. He resigned effective Dec. 10, 1857, citing the inadequate salary he was being paid while living in Indianapolis during the week and maintaining a family residence in Vigo County.
Gookins founded the Chicago law firm of Gookins, Roberts & Thomas in 1858 and continued to commute by rail on weekends to Terre Haute until retirement in 1875. The Gookins had four children; two died in infancy. Son James Farrington Gookins, co-founder of the Ulyssean Debating Society which met at Strawberry Hill, became a celebrated artist. Daughter Lucy wed George C. Duy in New York City on June 16, 1870. The Duys also resided at Strawberry Hill.
When the Rev. Lyman Abbott of the Congregational Church and his wife Abby were invited for tea at the Gookins home in 1861, then situated one mile south of the city limits, they deemed it a high honor.
Upon retirement, Judge Gookins chose to reside permanently in Terre Haute and obligated himself to write the history of Vigo County as part of Henry W. Beckwith’s History of Vigo and Parke County. He died unexpectedly June 14, 1880, a few months before the book was published.
Poetry was one of Gookins’ talents. Though published in national periodicals, his poems are not easy to find. Here is a snippet from his farsighted, and much longer, poem, “How Mr. Lincoln Became an Abolitionist,” published in Continental Magazine in 1863.
“The woodman one night was aroused by a clatter,
Each one in the house crying, ‘Ho! what’s the matter?’
All jumped out of bed and ran hither and thither,
Scarce knowing amid their alarm why or whither;
But soon it was found ‘mid the tumult and din
That burglars were making attempts to break in.
And now there arose o’er the turmoil and noise
The woodman’s loud summons addressed to ‘the boys.’
‘The boys’ quickly came, and on looking around,
At one of the windows a ladder was found,
And on it a burglar, who, plying his trade,
A burglarious opening already had made.
Now the woodman, though making this nocturnal sortie
All armed and equipped at the rate of ‘two-forty,”
Called a halt, and proposed, before firing a gun,
To question with care what had better be done.
Forthwith he assembled a council of war,
To gravely consider how fast and how far
In a case of this kind it was lawful to go.
Some said, ‘Smash the ladder,’ but others said, “No,
There were many objections to that, and the chief
Was the constitutional rights of the thief;
That the ladder was property all men agreed,
And as such was protected, secured, guaranteed;
And if ‘twas destroyed, our greatest of laws
Could not be upheld and maintained, ‘as it was.’”
But others replied, ‘That ladder’s the chief
Supporter, as all men may see, of the thief;
Let’s aim at the ladder, and if it should fall,
Let the burglar fall with it, or hang by the wall
As well as he can; and by the same token
Whose fault shall it be if his neck should be broken?’
To which it was answered. ‘That ladder may be
The chattel of some honest man, d’ye see.’
‘Well, then, we will pay for’t.’ ‘No, never!’ says V.,
To be taxed for that ladder I’ll never agree;
You have brought on this fuss,’ said V., mad and still madder;
‘You always intended to break that man’s ladder;
You have been for a long time the people deceiving
With false and pretended objections to thieving;
You never desired to having robbing abolished;
You only have sought to have ladders demolished.’”
History
Historical Perspective: The versatility of Judge Samuel Barnes Gookins
- History
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LOOKING BACK: 1962: Terre Haute Works of Allis-Chalmers closes
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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GENEALOGY: BMD website great for tracing England, Wales
If you have ancestors who trace back to England or Wales within the past 175 years, then the Free BMD website at RootsWeb, at freebmd.rootsweb.com/, is the place to visit.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: WBOW introduced some fine Valley talent
When it first began broadcasting in 1927, station WRPI (Rose Polytechnic Institute) focused on educational programing.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Inventor John B. Deeds and highwayman William G. Murray
Among the many unsolved local history mysteries is the fate of master machinist and inventor John B. Deeds.
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BRUCE'S HISTORY LESSON: This little-known compromise may have saved the union
When the Constitution was signed in September of 1787 and sent to the Congress that then existed under the Articles of Confederation, Congress was instructed to send that Constitution to the states to be ratified … or not. The message to the states was clear: Accept the Constitution or reject it, but don’t try to change it.
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Traveling Civil War exhibit makes history personal
Civil War history will come alive for visitors to the Sullivan County Public Library who experience “Faces of the Civil War,” a traveling exhibition created and managed by the Indiana Historical Society.
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GENEALOGY: Virginia Historical Society takes on ambitious project
Over the past few months, the Virginia Historical Society has launched an ambitious project to scrutinize more than 8 million 17th, 18th, and 19th century documents in order to identify the enslaved population of those times.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: The Legacy of ‘The Old Silkworm House’
In 1837, and for several years thereafter, a gray sandstone obelisk was installed next to a one-story frame residence at the northwest corner of Sixth and Eagle streets.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: A blast from valentines past
Valentine’s Day — it brings to mind simple paper valentines and the elaborate, fancy store-bought cards with multiple verses and glittery covers.
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LOOKING BACK: 1962: Flu outbreak forces Schulte closed
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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Original copy of 13th Amendment at Lincoln Library & Museum
A fully signed and recently restored copy of the Congressional resolution for a 13th Amendment to the Constitution, the official act that would abolish slavery in the United States, will be on display in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum’s Treasures Gallery.
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BRUCE'S HISTORY LESSON: Freedom of religion — beliefs and actions
Because religious faith is, arguably, the quintessential example of our right to privacy, to say nothing of its prominent place in our First Amendment, throughout our history court cases involving the free exercise of religion have been handled with great trepidation and with particular care. One of the milestone “free exercise” religion cases, Davis v. Beason, was decided by the Supreme Court this week (Feb. 3) in 1890.
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GENEALOGY: SoCal Genealogical Jamboree coming up in June
The Southern California Genealogical Society announces its 43rd Annual Jamboree, to be staged for three days on June 8-10, at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel in Burbank, Calif.
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LOOKING BACK: 2002: Disco Ernie featured on Maury
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: Flashing the mayor's badge
This mayoral badge was presented to the Vigo County Historical Society by Elizabeth K. Schultz, the granddaughter of Samuel E. Beecher Sr., who served as mayor of Terre Haute from 1936 to 1940.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Deadly tornado devastates York in 1907
John T. Staff loved water and, particularly, the Wabash River.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Notorious Western desperado Ellsworth Wyatt captured in Clay County
In October 1892, Terre Haute police received a circular from the State of Kansas containing a description of Ellsworth Wyatt and offering a $1,200 reward for his capture.
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LOOKING BACK: 2002: ISU students honor Martin Luther King Jr.
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: News letter filled with wonderful local news
We recently received five bound volumes of copies of the “Terre Haute Onizette,” the Owen-Illinois Glass Company news letter for the Terre Haute Plant.
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GENEALOGY: Peyton, Downey, Fifer queries and a plea for help from Scotland
This week, we have several queries.
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Extension plans seminar on land use
The Purdue Extension Land Use Team is hosting a video seminar titled “Welcome to the Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals” from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday.
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BRUCE'S HISTORY LESSON: Kennedy, Camelot, and other myths
This week (Jan. 20) in 1961, John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as our 35th president, and his tragic death by assassination notwithstanding, his was a mediocre presidency that, undeservedly, became the stuff of legend — in part because of his assassination.
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Actor to portray Lincoln at dinner for historical society
A special program, “And Lincoln Wrote,” is coming to Harlan Hall in Marshall, Ill., with a featured presentation by Dick Benach as Abraham Lincoln and Chuck Hand as the publisher of the Prairie Beacon.
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GENEALOGY: Celebrate MLK Day with the Indiana Historical Society
On Monday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Indiana Historical Society will offer free admission to celebrate Martin Luther King Day.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Light Guards savor military and social experiences
Never during the Civil War was there a time when the City of Terre Haute was in danger of hosting an armed conflict involving one or more armies.
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LOOKING BACK: 1962: 87 high school hoops teams compete in 47th annual Wabash Valley Tournament
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: A bottle of clove oil at the pharmacy
The Historical Treasure for today is a bottle of Clove Oil.
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LOOKING BACK: 1987: St. Mary’s Parish congregation celebrates 150th anniversary
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: Fire up the jukebox for a great night
The jukebox existed long before Glenn Miller’s “Juke Box Saturday Night” swing version.
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GENEALOGY: 1752 is one memorable year for genealogists
The year 1752 is one to remember if you have ancestors who lived in areas controlled by Great Britain; and this includes the American colonies.
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LOOKING BACK: 1962: Terre Haute Works of Allis-Chalmers closes








