Leland C. Buxton

Leland Clarence Buxton (March 11, 1911 – ) was a politician in Indiana, United States. He was the oldest son of Oda and Eula Buxton. He had three brothers: Loran, Leo and Lenoid. Leland was born on the Buxton Farm on what then was Old Morgan Trail Road in Graham Township, on the border of Jefferson County, Indiana.

Leland only went to school through the eighth grade. Leland grew up on the farm and farmed most of his life. Sometime between 1930 and 1933, while he was in the field plowing with a horse drawn team, Leland was approached by a photographer, J. C. Allen. The picture that he took of Leland that day would end up being published in many books and magazines

About this same time Leland met a beautiful young lady named Beulah Stark. Leland was the only boy around that had a car, a Model A Ford. Beulah's aunt and uncle that she lived with encouraged her to date Leland because he had a car. Leland would take Beulah back and forth to church. After dating for 2½ to 3 years, Leland and Beulah were married by a justice of the peace at Jeffersonville, Indiana at on August 13, 1934. This was because Beulah was only 17 years old and had to have her father's permission. Leland and Beulah would go on to have five children, of whom four survived: Ronald, Donald, one who died young, Lorna, and Gerald.

Leland and Beulah first lived in a home on Polk Road then moved to what was known as the Morlan Place, a farm with a big barn and no house. They lived in the barn for the 8 years it took to build a house. On this farm they raised tomatoes, green beans, tobacco, corn, soybeans and strawberries. The whole family worked on the farm; the children would harvest the vegetables, and Beulah would work very hard to shine and clean them to get them ready for market. Beulah tells the following story about the hard work on the farm:

“Hard work I mean we raised as many as 50 acres of tomatoes, 20 or 30 acres of green beans, tobacco and all those hard things. Then when the crop was ready I had to pack tomatoes in 10 pound baskets to go to market sometimes as much as a ton I pack at a trip and he made about three trips a week. And I tell you I was exhausted I mean exhausted by the time the day was done. And of course my children all worked hard even my little my little girl out in mourning dew wet feet everything picking green beans green beans bushels and bushels we pick of green beans.”

Leland would take them to sale at market to Indianapolis or Louisville depending on where he could get the best price. At this time Leland was also the Scott County weighmaster: he weighed the trucks at the stone quarry to make sure they were not over weight.

There is a saying that behind every good man there is a great woman. This was true in Leland's case. Since Leland had only a 8th grade education, he did not read or write well, so his wife Beulah did all the paper work for him. This would hold true for the political career that was to come as well.

Leland's farm grew to be 140 acres and so he hired Fred Richardson to help him run the place.

William L. Buxton, nephew, tells this story about Leland:

“I remember Leland as always wearing a long sleeve white shirt, with bib overhauls. His hair was wavy black. He was really good looking. I remember one Halloween he drove his tractor to the motel while pulling a trailer of hay. He picked up us kids with all the rest of the neighbor's kids and gave us a ride in the hay to his farm. There he allowed each of us kids to pick out a pumpkin he had grown and take it home with us. I remember him well and will always love him for that event I remember.”

Leland’s niece Susan (Buxton) King wrote of her memories of her aunt and uncle:

“The first time I remember seeing my "Aunt Beulah & Uncle Leland" was when we went to visit them. They lived in a barn and I remember a dirt floor. (Grandma had wood floors in the Barn) Mother said Beulah kept the floor swept every day and it was cleaner than most homes. I remember being told Leland and his boys were in the fields from sunup until dark every day. I remember the house being built. It had a cellar that was to be used if we ever got attacked. It was a big house and Leland painted all the windowpanes white so people couldn't see inside the house. (The windowpanes were cover in bug power not painted.) Leland did not like bugs and he threw this power everywhere this is what Susan saw) I remember Beulah had to cook for all the people who worked the fields but she also had to work the fields. She cleaned, cooked and ironed but never complained.”

Leland’s granddaughter Mary (Buxton) Shepherd wrote:

“As a child I remember Grandpa as a very political man very popular with the community. He was best known as Shaking hands Buxton. He would always bring us candy when he would visit Dad. My most precious memory of him will be when my father was hurt in an accident; Grandpa would come to our

home everyday to comfort Dad in a very bad time in his life. That represents the way the Lords comes to us in our dark days. For that act of kindness he will always hold a special place in my heart.

Leland was a member of Scaffold Lick Baptist Church and very involved in the community. Leland and Beulah got involved in the Community Center Project. The goal of this project was to restore the old Johnson Township School into a community center. Beulah was on the Ways and Means Committee and Leland made a cash donation.

Johnson Township Trustee

According to Beulah, Leland was persuaded by friends and neighbors to get into politics. Leland was a die hard Democrat. Leland’s first foray into politics was in 1936 he ran unopposed for Precinct committeeman.

In the May 1938 primary election for Johnson Township Trustee, Leland ran third of four candidates.

On April 6, 1950, Leland announced that he would run again for the office of Johnson Township Trustee. On April 20, 1950 the Scott Journal newspaper announced that Leland Buxton would be delegate for the fourth District to the Democratic State Convention. In the primary election on May 2, 1950, Leland won over fellow Democrat John Whitsitt; and in the general election he won easily against Republican Ernest C. Francis.

When Leland took office the township had about $19,000; after three years of hard work by Leland the township had about $50,000. The township also had an application for federal aid in the amount of $50,000 in Washington D.C. The federal aid would be free to taxpayers. These are some of the things that Leland accomplished in his first term. As trustee Leland received a salary of $900 a year, and $250 for traveling expenses, telephone tolls and telegrams.

Re-elected in 1954, in his second term Leland worked very hard to get a new school built. Johnson Township was a very poor township and had only several one-room schools that had very poor if any heat and no inside restrooms. These made for very poor conditions for children to learn. So, in 1955 Leland started to lobby the Indiana State Congress to pass legislation that would help the township finance the building of new modern school to consolidate all the old one room schools. All of his hard work paid off because in 1955 the Indiana State Legislature passed the Veterans Memorial Act. This act created a $5,000,000 fund that would to lend up to $250,000 at 1% to poor townships to build schools. Leland filed one of the first applications and it was approved in the first meeting of the fund committee. Leland, through his effort to get this bill passed, helped to save the township about $75,000 in interest. In November of 1955 Leland opened bids for construction on the new school. The construction started in 1956 and was complete in time for the 1957-1958 school year. April 28, 1957 was the official dedication ceremony for the new Johnson Township School.

Joint Representative of Jefferson and Scott County

In 1958 Leland decided not to run for Johnson Township Trustee again but instead decided to run for Joint Representative of Scott and Jefferson Counties. During the campaign Leland put several political ads in the local newspapers, telling how he worked to get Johnson Township School built, and promised to have a meeting with his constituents of all parties in each county before the General Assembly convenes. Leland also stated his beliefs: A man shall be judged by his own record. To achieve anything a man must be willing to work. We must stand firmly for our rights, our beliefs, and our principles. Every individual owes obedience to the laws under which he lives. According to Leland's son Donald the only tool that Leland used in his campaign besides the newspapers articles was match books. Leland won easily over Republican Howard J. Bird.

In January 1959, the 91st session of the Indiana House of Representatives commenced, and Leland was appointed to the committees of Aviation, Building and Loan and Savings Associations, County and Township Business, Invocation, and Elections (Leland was the ranking member on the last two committees).

On Wednesday January 21, 1959 Leland introduced House Bill No. 180: A Bill for an act to create and add a section designated as section 1A of an act entitled “An Act requiring the [...] down and destroying by the county highway supervisors or the county surveyors and boards of county commissioners of all briars, thistles, burrs, tree sprouts, docks, willows, sumac and other noxious weeds within the limits of any county highways, and repealing all laws in conflict therewith,” approved March 9, 1939. Leland made motions on February 3, 6, and 20 to get action on this bill on the house floor and was not able to.

Leland went before the house and "in an arm-waving bit of oratory" told the house he had been refused this license plate. Democratic House speaker Birch Bayh made a special case and got Leland his license plate.

Leland acted to amend House Bill No.2 which represented a savings to taxpayers of about $731,040 according to legislators. Leland's action through the State Attorney General and the Governor of the State brought attention to the incorrect speed limit signs in the state, thus helping to eliminate confusion of truck drivers by these incorrect signs.

Leland was well liked while in office; it was said that he always had a smile and a joke. According to an article in the Scott County Journal ("Representative Buxton of Blocher Breaks into Editorial Column of Star", February 26, 1959):

"Buxton has impressed his colleagues with his gracious manners and lofty principles. He bows even to the flustered pages and Seldom passes a colleague without grasping his hand and wishing him well."

"So cordial is he that a seat mate ruefully remarked the other day: My arm is numb from shacking hands with Buxton."

"While this dismays some House politicians, others believe his is what the Democratic Party needs more of in these times of suspicion and strife."

According to Judge Donald Bonsett, Leland would stop traffic when and wherever he wanted. He would walk right out into a busy street in Indianapolis, hold up his hand and stop the traffic either to talk to someone he knew on the street in a car or to cross the street wherever he wanted.

The final three campaigns

After serving one term as Joint Representative of Scott and Jefferson Counties, Leland decided not to seek reelection but instead to run for office of State Senator, against incumbent Democrat James Spurgeon, to represent Scott, Washington and Jackson Counties. Leland won his home county, but ran third overall.

In 1962 Leland ran again for Joint Representative of Scott and Jefferson Counties, saying, “I hope to do justice to all the taxpayers in the area and am opposed to the state government going overboard in expenditures. Laws such as the five percent personal property tax law are unfair and unconstitutional and I will oppose them, just as I did before.” He lost in the primary to Spencer J. Schnaitter, a wealthy lawyer from Madison.

In 1964 Leland once again ran for Indiana State Senate, and lost heavily. The three back to back losses were very hard mentally on Leland and his health began to decline in the following years.

Sources

Linda Adams, Beulah Buxton, William Loran Buxton, Susan King, Andrea Buxton, Donald Buxton, Lenoid Earl Buxton, Mark Buxton, Mary Shepherd, Nancy Vance, Thelma G. Hogue, Scott County Genealogical Society, Scott County Library, Indiana State Library, Indiana State Archives, Clark County Court House, State of Indiana Commission on Public Records, Scott County Journal newspaper, The Chronicle newspaper, The Giveaway newspaper, The Madison Courier newspaper, The Indianapolis Star newspaper, The American Family Farm by Hans Halberstadt, Amberley Village Its History and Its People, Family Records or Genealogies of the First Settlers of Passaic Valley (and vicinity), Edmund Buxton (1768 - 1806) by Margaret Lynn Short Stuntz, United States Census Records