RICHARD LEVY BAILEY, county surveyor of Sullivan county, is a native of Hamilton township, this county, born December 14, 1866, son of Marshal and Caroline (Bivins) Bailey. Bedford, Lawrence county, Indiana, was the birthplace of the father, who was born January 3, 1836. Mr. Bailey's mother was also a native of the same place and has been dead a number of years. The father married a second time, a Mrs. Scott, who is also deceased. For his third wife, he married Mrs. Sarah Sutton, and they are now residents of Hamilton township, where the father has resided for forty-four years. Marshal Bailey and Caroline Bivins were united in marriage in Lawrence county and came to Sullivan county, locating in Hamilton township, in the early autumn of 1803, settling on the place on which he still resides. His ancestors were of German and Scotch-Irish lineage. At one time the father owned about three hundred acres of land, but his present tract contains only one hundred acres. Politically he is a Democrat. Both he and his first wife were members of the Christian church. Their children were eleven in number. Six are deceased, and the surviving are: Richard L.; Dr. W. A., residing at Sullivan; Lola, wife of William Bolinger, of Sullivan; Tressie Eaton, residing in Gill township, Sullivan county; Inez, wife of Ward Hawkins, residing in Sullivan. There was no issue by Marshal Bailey's second and third marriages.
Richard L. Bailey attended the district schools of his home township and later the Southern Indiana Normal school at Mitchell, graduating from the scientific course in the class of 1884. He then attended the State University at Bloomington for one year. The next three years of his life he spent in farming and teaching school, after which he entered the law office of George G. Reily, at Vincennes, Indiana, remained there eighteen months and was admitted to the bar in 1889. He then associated himself with Charles G. McCord, of Vincennes, in the abstract business for three years. He next went to Texas, and assisted in organizing Armstrong county of that state. There he was chosen deputy county clerk and served about two years. In the meantime, he had entered a section of land, which he finally sold, and after traveling through the West a short time, he returned to Vincennes, where he was made county surveyor of Knox county, which office he held for one term. He next became a contractor in building levees along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, in which work he continued until 1900, when he returned to Sullivan county, Indiana, and established himself in the profession of a civil engineer. He was appointed county surveyor in August, 1900, and was elected to that office in the month of November, 1900, taking his office December, 1901. He served, however, under the ex-county surveyor from August, 1900, until his regular term commenced, and which will expire January 1, 1909. He was elected to this office on the Democratic ticket, of which party he is a firm supporter. Mr. Bailey has taken nine degrees in Masonry; he now holds membership at Sullivan. He was a charter member of the Elks order at Sullivan; he belongs to the Tribe of Ben Hur, having joined that order in Knox county, but now belongs to the lodge at Sullivan.
He was married December 28, 1893, to Gertrude Benefield, born in Hamilton township, a daughter of John and Sarah (McGrew) Benefield. Her father is deceased and the mother is residing in Sullivan. She was born in Hamilton township, while her husband was a native of Lawrence county, Indiana. They were farmers and he came to this county when a boy. Mrs. Bailey attended the Sullivan high schools and Indiana State Normal, at Terre Haute. She then taught school in the district schools of Sullivan county for nine years. Mr. and Mrs. Bailey are the parents of one daughter: Juanita, born September 14, 1894.