File:The LaPorte & Plymouth Plank Road Company, $1 Obsolete Scrip, 1857 - LaPorte, Indiana.jpg

English: STATE OF INDIANA

No. 6245 A THE LA PORTE & PLYMOUTH PLANK ROAD COMPANY Will pay ONE DOLLAR to bearer in current Bank Notes, on demand. LA PORTE, June 3, 1857 E, L. Bennett, Cashr. O. P. Ludlow, Pres.

Countersigned, E. S. Organ Trustee

Date: June 3, 1857 Source Type: Obsolete Scrip Publisher, Printer, Photographer: Danforth, Wright & Co., New York & Philada. Postmark: Not Applicable Collection: Steven R. Shook Remark: This obsolete scrip is listed in Wolka et al. as 386-1 with a rarity of R-4 and Wolka as 1210-02 with a rarity of R-4. The rarity scale ranges from R-1 to R-7, with R-4 indicating that only twenty-six to fifty specimens of a scrip are known to exist.

Two notices appear in Plymouth's Marshall County Democrat mentioning the use of these notes. One notice from the Marshall County Treasurer published March 13, 1856, indicates that the LaPorte & Plymouth Plank Road notes "will not be received for taxes." Another notice, published on March 4, 1858, by the company Brooke & Evans calls on all credit extended by the company to be paid up and concludes with "P. S. -- Laporte & Plymouth Plank Road money will be received at par."

The following is taken from A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of LaPorte County, Indiana (1904, p. 136-137):

"OLIVER PERRY LUDLOW was born in Dearborn county, Indiana, November 18, 1814, and was the son of Stephen and Lena Ludlow, who were natives of the eastern states. After a common school education Mr. Ludlow took up the occupation of his father, that of farming, which vocation he followed at his old home and in this county, the latter becoming his abiding place in 1840. Early in life he married Miss Elizabeth C. Walker, of Shelbyville, Indiana. She was the daughter of the late John C. Walker and the sister of B. P., W. J. and J. C. Walker, Mrs. Holcomb, Mrs. Mary J. McCoy, Mrs. Frances Cummings, Mrs. Dr. Theel and Mrs. Maria L. Rose. Mrs. Ludlow passed away thirty-three years ago. Born to this union were two daughters, both deceased, and three sons, two of whom are living, J. W. Ludlow, of this city, and Oliver Porter Ludlow, of Pleasant township, both respected and valued members of this community. One son, Stephen Ludlow, is dead, as is also a brother of Mr. Ludlow, John Ludlow. Mr. Ludlow joined the Masonic lodge when a young man, but in late years has not affiliated with the order. In early days he was a staunch Whig, and upon the birth of the Republican party he became prominent in the councils of that party.

Once he was honored by being selected to preside at the Republican convention of LaPorte county, but he always refused to accept the offices that were tendered him. He never missed exercising his elective franchise.

He was a man of strong convictions, ever ready to sacrifice all that he had for the principles which he held dear. Through hard work, economy and good judgment he was successful in acquiring broad acres, a fine country home, and well filled granaries.

On November 18, 1903, he celebrated his eighty-ninth anniversary at his home just south of LaPorte, where a family dinner was given in his honor. It was the wish of those who gathered around the table to meet under like circumstances eleven years from that date and celebrate his hundredth anniversary, but on December 9 he passed away."

Ludlow was interred in Patton Cemetery in LaPorte.

The trustee countersigning these notes is Edmund Simpson Organ. Organ was born July 2, 1813, in Campbell County, Virginia, the son of John and Elizabeth (Johnson) Organ. He married Catherine Newton (Early) Organ in 1836 at LaPorte. It is believed that this union resulted in twelve children. On February 4, 1883, in LaPorte County, Indiana, Edmund passed away; like Ludlow, he was interred at Patton Cemetery in LaPorte. Organ served as treasurer of LaPorte County, Indiana, from 1852 to 1857 and county coroner from 1850 to 1854. E. D. Daniels mentions in his book A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of LaPorte County, Indiana (1904, p. 215) that Edmund Simpson Organ operated a store and milling business at LaPorte.

Source Information: Daniels, E. D. 1904. A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of LaPorte County, Indiana. Chicago, Illinois: The Lewis Publishing Company. 813 p.

Federal Brand Enterprises, Inc. 1963. Eighth Annual Fall Convention, Michigan State Numismatic Society Convention. Cleveland, Ohio: Federal Brand Enterprises, Inc. 48 p.

Federal Brand Enterprises, Inc. 1963. Fourth Annual Numismatic Convention, North-East Ohio Coin Club. Cleveland, Ohio: Federal Brand Enterprises, Inc. 76 p.

Marshall County Democrat, Plymouth, Marshall County, Indiana; March 13, 1856; Volume 1, Number 18, Page 3, Column 5. Column titled “Notice to Tax Payers.”

The Marshall County Democrat, Plymouth, Marshall County, Indiana; March 4, 1858; Volume 3, Number 15, Page 3, Column 4. Column titled “Last Call!”

Wolka, Wendell. 2018. A History of Indiana Obsolete Bank Notes and Scrip. Sun City Center, Florida: Wendell Wolka. 900 p. [see p. 403]

Wolka, Wendell A., Jack M. Vorhies, and Donald A. Schramm. 1978. Indiana Obsolete Notes and Scrip. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. 306 p. [see p. 131]

Copyright 2021. Some rights reserved. The associated text may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of Steven R. Shook.