McDaniel v. Everybody

In September 1917 John McDaniel brought an action to quiet title against everybody who might possibly ever had anything to do with a couple of parcels east of Ainsworth. He published this "Notice to Non-Resident" to tell them about it:


(Click on image to enlarge — if you dare)

Not residents of the state of Indiana — I expect that by 1917 some of them were not residents of this world.

That's all pretty boring, isn't it? But I find it interesting because some of the land involved is now mine.

The only reason John McDaniel had anything to do with the matter was because he had married Henry Chester's third wife and widow. The parcels in question were part of the old Chester land.


The disputed parcels as shown on the 1926 plat map.

Some of the names I recognize. Willard O. Halsted sold the Ainsworth general store to the Raschkas in 1901. Lucy M. Hanks was, according to Homer Ghearart, the sister of Henry Chester's second wife, Harriet (and Lucy's husband's surname was Spencer).

Charles Chester, of course, we know well — he was Henry and Harriet's son. And what's up with that "Mrs. Chas. Chester, his wife, whose true Christian name is unknown"? Constance Chester was John McDaniel's stepdaughter-in-law-by marriage; you'd think he'd know her name. Perhaps this is evidence that relations between Mary Chester McDaniel and her stepchildren were a bit strained.


Source: "Notice to Non-Resident." Hobart Gazette 7 Sept. 1917.