Portrait & Biographical Record of Montgomery Parke & Fountain Counties, Indiana.
Indianapolis: Chapman Brothers, 1893 p 637 -- Absolom J. DENMAN, a highly respected
citizen, a successful farmer and well-known Justice of the Peace of Jackson Township,
Fountain County, Ind has held various official position sof trust with honor and ability.
Closely connected almost his entire life-time with the pioneer interests of the Western
country and especially identified with the growth and progress of his immediate
neighborhood, our subject has gained many warm friends, and by a course of unvarying
integrity has won and holds the confidence of the entire community among which he so
impartially dispenses law. The parents of Judge Denman were natives of the south. His
father William Denman was born in Georgia, his mother, Polly Hicks Denman, was a
Tennessean by birth. Their son Absolom was born in the Buckeye state, Butler County in
April 1811 and soon after his birth removed with his father and mother from Ohio to the
then wilderness of Fayette Co IN and settled among the Indians. After a time the family
returned to their old him in Ohio. Of all this journeying into strange and uncivilized
frontier scenes, our subject has no recollection, but when his energetic and ambitious
parents determined to try their fortunes again in Indiana, he entered eagerly into all the
novel and often exciting experiences of those early days. Montgomery County was the
location chosen by the parents this time, and they settled in the heavy timber near where
the village of Alamo now stands. Absolom Denman was anxious to gain all he could of book
knowledge, and attended the district school by day and studied diligently at home through
the long winter evenings. Earnest and intelligent, he progressed and was able at an early
age to begin the struggle of life as teacher. For 7 years he unwearidly pursued his
chosen profession. Many of those he taught have passed away but the majority of his pupils
are yet alive and hold in pleasant remembrance the kindly teacher, sometimes stern who
guided their stumbling feet into the rocky paths of knowledge. In 1837 our subject
married Miss Nancy Smith and the two continued their residence in Montgomery County many
years and there had, and still have many true friends. At the time of his marriage Judge
Denman invested all his cash to the purchase of 80 acres of land, but although left
almost penniless by the transaction, he had a surplus stock of hope, energy and ambition,
which well assisted him to provide for all emergencies, and soon assured him of a future
competence and abundant success in life. In 1857 Mr. and Mrs. Denman came to Fountain
County, and here made their permanent home. Our subject now owns 275 acres of valuable
land under a high state of improvement. He and his wife have reared a family and occupy a
prominent position in the society of the township. Upon the political questions of the
day our subject is thoroughly at home. He has ever taken a deep interest in the
administration of public affairs both local and national. True to his sincere convictions,
he affiliates with the Democratic party which still retains its loyalty to the memory of
that great statesman and noble patriot, Andrew Jackson, whose integrity, courage and scorn
of the arts of political life have been long interwoven with the history of our nation.
Judge Denman is known and valued for his integrity of character, displayed in all the
daily events of his rounds of official work. This is the 3rd term in which he has so
satisfactorily given his judicial decisions, and he has also served as Trustee of the town
and been the incumbent of various local positions of trust. Our subject is a man generous
to the deserving and ever willing to aid in any worthy cause and is especially willing to
give his best efforts in behalf of educational progress and the uplifing of the ignorant
and uncultured masses.