John C. Greene

One of the well-known and successful lawyers of Indianapolis is the
gentleman whose name appears above. He is no less popular socially
than at the bar and is distinguished as being descended from a family
of more than ordinary prominence during the revolutionary days. He was
born in Rush County, Indiana, February 17, 1831, a son of Lot and Anna
(Cooper) Greene, natives respectively of Virginia and Kentucky. His
paternal grandfather, who was for many years a resident of Guilford
County, North Carolina, was Thomas Greene, whose father, a Rhode
Islander, was first cousin to General Nathaniel Greene. General Greene
and Thomas Greene were members of the Society of Friends, and General
Greene had many Quakers among his followers through the revolutionary
struggle who suspended their relations with their peaceful brotherhood
during the period when their country had such dire need of their
services. When the independence of the colonies was assured, several
of these made a request for themselves and for their comrades for
reinstatement. A committee was appointed on behalf of the society to
consider their application and after due deliberation informed them
that they would be reinstated if they would acknowledge before the
congregation that they had done wrong in taking up arms in mortal
strife. General Greene was appointed spokesman for the Patriot
"Friends." They were of one mind. They had risked their lives in the
cause of liberty and they were not only not sorry for it but were
proud of it. The General stated to the committee that in reply to its
demand that they should acknowledge the act as wrong he had but one
answer to make and that it was a decided one, "they would be damned if
they would do it." From that time on Thomas Greene repudiated the
Society of Friends. He left his people and went to Virginia, thence to
Somerset County, Kentucky, and thence to Franklin County, Indiana,
where he died on his farm two miles below Brooklyn. Mr. Greene's
grandfather, Cooper, also served the cause of the Patriots for two
years during the war for independence. He was a farmer and a Baptist
preacher and closed his days in Rush County, Indiana. Lot Greene,
father of the immediate subject of this sketch, was a farmer of Rush
County all his active life. He was a man of fine attainments for those
days and at different times taught school with such success that he is
regarded as having been an able educator. For twenty years he was
Justice of the Peace under the old constitution. He married Anna
Cooper and she bore him eight children, named as follows: John
C. (whose name heads this article), Samuel, Louisa (of California),
Dr. James, Dr. W. F. (deceased), Amanda (deceased), P. M. (President
of the First National Bank of Pasadena County, California), and
Mrs. Anna G. Porter, of California. John C. Greene was reared on his
father's farm in Rush County, Indiana, attending the district schools
and working on the place until he was twenty-two years of age. He then
entered DePauw (then Asbury) University, and was a student in that
institution until compelled, nearly four years later, to relinquish
his studies on account of failing health. Not long afterward he
entered the law office of Davis & Wright, at Shelbyville, Indiana, and
read with them until he was admitted to the bar in March 1856, and
began the practice of his profession in association with his former
preceptors as a member of the firm of Davis, Wright & Greene, a
relation which continued most pleasantly and profitably for all
concerned for ten years. In October 1886, he came to Indianapolis. He
was for about one year thereafter in the service of the United States
Government and afterward for nine years a wholesale merchant, first in
tobacco, cigars and teas, and later in drugs. But Mr. Greene gave up
his mercantile career to return to the practice of his profession,
which has since engaged his time and attention. As a lawyer he is
noted for the skill with which he prepares his cases, the ability with
which he presents them and the force and logic with which he argues
them. It is his invariable custom to advise against litigation as long
as litigation can be avoided without determent to his client's
interests, but when he once takes a case in hand he leaves no stone
unturned in the road to victory. He numbers among his clients many of
the leading citizens, firms and corporations of Indianapolis and its
vicinity, and is specially retained by the Mutual Life Endowment
Association. Politically Mr. Greene is a Republican, and while he can
quite plainly state his reasons for so being, he is not in the
ordinary sense a politician, and he has never sought nor accepted
office, preferring to devote himself entirely to his business
interests and having really no ambition in the direction of a public
life. In a wordily way he has been quite successful. He was married in
September 1854 to Miss Catherine Houston, a cousin of Samuel Houston,
of Texas, and who has borne him two children, Robert L. and Lucien,
both of whom live in Chicago. His present wife, whom he married in
March 1885, was Azie McLean, of New Orleans. As a citizen Mr. Greene
has always been most public spirited and helpful. He is proud of
Indianapolis and of the grand State of Indiana and zealous for their
progress and prosperity.

Pictorial and Biographical Memoirs of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana
1893, Goodspeed Brothers