Compendium of Biography Of Henry County, Indiana B. F. Bowen 1920 FRANK BUNDY The Bundy family has long been intimately connected with the history of Henry County and doubtless no name in the state of Indiana is more familiar to the traveling public, Josiah Bundy for many years proprietor of the leading hotel in New Castle. He was born in Wayne county, Indiana, April 21, 1823, the son of George and Kerene (Elliott) Bundy. When twelve years old was brought by his parents to Greensboro, Henry County, where the father soon afterwards died. He remained with his mother until his marriage, which was solemnized in 1844 with Miss Maria J. Stanly, daughter of John and Elizabeth Stanly, and some time thereafter opened a hotel at Greensboro, running the same until 1865,when he sold out and moved to Minnesota. After a residence of six years near the city of Minneapolis he returned to Henry County and engaged in farming near Spiceland until 1876. In that year he took charge of the Bundy Hotel in New Castle, purchasing the property of George Hazard, and though at first the success of the enterprise was somewhat hampered by reason of great indebtedness, it became under the management of his sons, to whom it was turned over the following, one of the best paying hostelries in this section of the state. Mr. Bundy continued for some years to retain a relation to the property and his name was largely instrumental in attracting and retaining a large share of patronage. Josiah Bundy was a man of excellent parts and left the impress of his strong personality upon the community in which so much of his life was spent. Through the various vicissitudes, which he was compelled to encounter in the course of his life, he never lost sight of the honor and integrity that always attached to his name, and the people of New Castle and Henry County, as well as the traveling public generally always held him in the highest personal esteem. His vigorous and affable nature was transmitted in no small degree to his sons and when it was once asked of a leading citizen as to who had reared the best family of boys in New Castle, the unhesitating reply was that such honor belonged without doubt to Josiah Bundy. Mr.Bundy lived a long and useful life, devoted largely to the good of the community and the to the moral elevation of his fellow man and his death, which occurred in the year 1895, was deplored by all who knew him. Frank Bundy, son of Josiah and Maria Bundy, was born April 25, 1861, in the town of Greensboro, Henry County. He spent his childhood years in his native village and at the age of about fifteen accompanied his parents to New Castle where he became a valuable assistant in the hotel. In 1878, in partnership with his brothers Orla and Charles, he assumed control of being of the house and, as stated in a preceding paragraph, under the joint efforts of the new proprietors the business rapidly grew to large proportions until in due time a new building had to be erected in order to meet the demands for entertainment. The old building answered well the purpose for which intended until the rapid growth of the city made a structure of much greater capacity necessary. About the year 1888 the original hotel was destroyed by fire and with it several outbuildings also burned to the ground, among them being the livery barn belonging to the hotel, in which nine head of horses perished. This fire entailed a great loss, but with characteristic energy the Bundy brothers at once set about devising plans and raising means for a new building, which in due time was erected at a cost of something like thirty-six thousand dollars. This structure, which is three stories high, is made of brick, contains fifty-four sleeping rooms and is finished through out with the latest modern conveniences. Every accessory of a first-class hotel has been added, the culinary department lacks nothing to make it thoroughly up-to-date and the long and successful experience of the proprietors gives the hotel prestige as one of the best and most thoroughly conducted places of entertainment known to the travel ing public in central Indiana. The value of the house at New Castle, together with the two large and fully equipped livery barns connected therewith, is conservatively estimated at fifty thousand dollars in addition to which the brothers also own the McFarlan House at Connersville. The latter is under the management of Orla Bundy, also an experienced hotel man, its success since he assumed control being of the most satisfactory character. The consolidation of these various interests has resulted in most encouraging financial gains and the business, already large and lucrative, bids fair to assume still greater proportions in the future. Frank Bundy at an early age was obliged through force of circumstances to shoulder large responsibilities, but in every situation in which he was placed he proved equal to the emergency. After the father’s failure he took upon himself the management of the business and his career from that time to the present shows him to be the possessor of sound judgment, keen discrimination and executive ability far above the average. By reason of his father’s financial embarrassment he was not able to receive the educational training he so much desired and for several years he had sole charge of the hotel and everything connected there with in order that his younger brother might attend school elsewhere. Mr. Bundy was married in 1885 to Miss Ella Brown, daughter of D. M. Brown, of Lewisville, the result of the union being one daughter. Frances M., whose birth occurred January 21, 1900.Politically Mr. Bundy is a Republican, but in no sense a partisan or seeker after office. He belongs to the Masonic and Pythian fraternities and in religion subscribes to the Presbyterian creed, being a deacon in the church at New Castle. Mrs. Bundy also belongs to the above church and with her husband is active in its various departments of moral and religious work. To follow Rev. Thomas Rogers.