Biography from History of Clay Co., Indiana, Vol. II,
au: William Travis,
publ. 1909
Isaac M. Compton, a native of Hamilton county, Ohio, was born
March 30, 1832. The family came to Clay county in 1837, locating on a
farm in Dick Johnson township. Here he engaged in carpentry at
eighteen years of age, which he followed but a few years and then entered
the store of D. C. Stunkard, at Brazil, as a clerk, where he continued
until 1860, when he opened a grocery store on his own account, which
he conducted until the time of his enlistment in the service of his country,
August 4, 1862. Having been assigned to the Seventy-eighth Indiana
Infantry, he was chosen first lieutenant, Company G, and sent to the
front, He was taken prisoner a month later, at Mumfordsville, Ken-
tucky, paroled and sent home.
Having decided to adopt the legal profession, after a course of
reading he was admitted to the bar in 1866, and formed a copartnership
with Milton A. Osborne, of Greencastle; later (1871) with Samuel W.Curtis;
then, from 1874 to 1877, with Charles E. Matson, and in 1879,
with Samuel M. McGregor, which association continued up to the time
of his death. In 1854 he was elected assessor of Van Buren township,
residing then in that part of the town of Brazil included within this town-
ship, and was re-elected the succeeding year. He was elected justice
of the peace in the same township in 1857, and re-elected in 1861. In
1872 he was nominated on the Democratic county ticket for representa-
tive, but defeated, as was the whole ticket at the succeeding election;
nominated again in 1876, for the same position, he was elected. He was
renominated and re-elected in 1878. At both the regular and special
sessions of 1877, Mr. Compton was placed on a number of important
committees, and was chairman of the committee on mines and mining.
It was at the session of 1877 that he introduced House Bill No. 66, known
as the Ventilation Bill, providing for the safety of the coal miner, which
passed the house, but was defeated in the senate. At the session of 1879
he introduced House Bill No. 7, providing for pure air, the protection
of the miner in the bank, and for a lien on the works of the operator to
secure the miner’s pay, which was passed by both the house and the
senate and approved by the governor. In 1880 he was nominated by his
party for senator for the district composed of Owen and Clay counties,
and elected by a very large majority, notwithstanding the defeat of his
party’s ticket in the county. In the senate, as in the house, his ability
and proficiency as a legislator were recognized by his appointment to
positions on several important committees. At the session of 1881 he
introduced a bill, passed by both houses, providing for the appointment
of the mine inspector by the governor and for the payment of his salary
out of the state treasury. At the session of 1883 be was made chairman
of the committee on organization of courts and on mines, mining and
manufacturing, serving also as a member of several other committees.
In 1884 he was chairman of the Democratic county central committee,
and also chairman of the nominating congressional convention, held at
Rockville, He was the first attorney for the town of Brazil and also for
the city of Brazil.
On the 3d day of November, 1853, he married Miss Mary A. Elkin,
daughter of Benjamin F. Elkin, of Bowling Green, who died May 24,
1879; September 5, 1883, he married Mrs. Mary E. Winn.
While at Evansville, the first week in July, 1886, engaged in matters
pertaining to the order of Knights and Ladies of Honor, of which he
had previously been elected and installed grand protector for the state of
Indiana, he was taken violently sick, returned home to Brazil and died
on the 7th day of the month.