A Portrait and Biographical Record of Hendricks County (Chicago: A.W. Bowen & Co., 1895)--pages 921-922
Edmund R. Hadley, deceased, was, in his day, one of the most prosperous farmers of Eel River Township, Hendricks County, Ind., of which territory he was a pioneer. His parents were James T. and Mary (Richardson) Hadley, and his birth took place in Chatham County, N.C. in 1821. At the early age of three or four years he was brought to Indiana by his parents, who located in Hendricks County. Growing to manhood, he here married, August 29, 1839, Sarah A., daughter of Abner and Mary S. (McCowen) Ragan. Mr. Ragan was originally from Virginia, but went with his father to Kentucky when he was a boy. Abner Ragan was the son of Robert and Sally (Samuels) Ragan. Robert Ragan was a pioneer of Kentucky, where he went when a young man with four sons: Robert, Abner, Reuben, and Thompson. Abner Ragan settled in Putnam County, Ind., in 1825, in the green woods, and eight years later, in 1833-35, came to Hendricks County, Ind., and settled in Marion Township, in the woods, and entered 160 acres. To himself and wife were born six children, five of whom lived to become of age: Eliza, James, Sarah A., Sophia A. and John. In his later life, Mr. Ragan became a member of the Christian Church. His wife died in Putnam County, Ind., and he afterward married Rosa Smith, but there were no children by this marriage. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, but he died in peace on his home farm. He was an industrious pioneer citizen, accumulated a goodly property, and was noted for his reasonable and honorable disposition and kind demeanor.
After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Edmund R. Hadley settled in the north part of Marion Township, on the Eel River, the farm, which consisted of 900 acres, being in two townships. His father had given him 240 acres in the thick woods, and by hard work and thrift he added to it until he acquired the number of acres named. Mr. and Mrs. Hadley were the parents of six children: Mary J., who married Cyrus Rogers, of Indian Territory; James A., a farmer in Eel River Township, who married Jane Fleece; Sophia E., married Solon Rogers, farmer in Kansas; Taylor, farmer of Eel River Township, married to Hattie Kesler; William J., farmer of Eel Township, married to Lillie Fleece, and Eva M., married to Charles W. Davis, a banker of North Salem. In 1871, Mr. Hadley bought the 160 acres now occupied by his widow, having given the remainder of his land to his children. In 1872 he moved to this land, and in 1877 built a handsome brick residence costing $9,000, one of the most substantial residences in Eel River Township. He died May 30, 1878, aged fifty-seven years. He was a hard-working, industrious and very economical man. He was well known for his rectitude in life and temperate habits. He was a devout Christian, kind father, and affectionate husband. His widow resides in the old homestead and has always been a hard-working, faithful woman, noted for her many virtues.