A Portrait and Biographical Record of Hendricks County (Chicago: A.W. Bowen & Co., 1895)--pages 949-952
Conrad E. Harlan, D.D.S.—Modern dentistry is a science within itself, combining as it does the knowledge of the physician with the skill of the artisan, as the dentist of our day must be familiar with the entire structure of the human system and possess the power to analyze different constitutions, as he is frequently called upon to administer the most powerful anesthetics. But a comparatively few years have elapsed since this profession was in its infancy, and its progress within the last thirty years embraces nearly its entire history as now practiced, although it is more than one hundred years since the first native American dentist, John Greenwood, of New York, made a complete set of teeth carved from ivory for Gen. Washington. The upper and lower plates were fitted with a hinge, and were so large and cumberson as to greatly distend the general's cheeks, and it is said that the square appearance of the face, in his portraits taken in later life, is due to this fact. The dental profession of our day has greatly improved its curriculum, and now has schools of its own, in which dentistry is taught as a science, with all the advantages of modern appliances. The dental instruments of today display great ingenuity and inventive genius, and are of the finest workmanship. By modern methods and inventions, the teeth are not only preserved to old age, but if they are lost through neglect, their places are supplied by such natural and effective imitations, that the wearer, freed from pains and aches, rejoices in their possession. It has been learned that outside of the attractiveness of well-preserved teeth, the health is greatly improved and life prolonged by the ability to properly masticate food. It has been well demonstrated that we inherit from our fathers many traits of character; that the son of the lawyer naturally follows the profession of his father, and usually with greater ability than if he had followed some other walk in life. Dr. Harlan, the subject of this sketch, had the advantage of being the son of one of the early dentists of this country, who was a man skilled in his profession. Thus, while in his young and receptive years, the doctor had the advantage of a trained and able teacher, to which fact and to his natural taste and ability, may be attributed his marked success in his chosen profession, which places him today in the front ranks of the science.
Dr. C.E. Harlan descends from an old colonial family of English origin. George Harlan was the great-grandfather of our subject, and like many of the early Harlans, was a pioneer farmer, who reared a large family, of whom George and Samuel are remembered. Samuel was the father of Senator Harlan, of Iowa. This family were all noted for their longevity and great strength, Samuel, when ninety-two years of age, having ridden a horse from Parke County, Ind., to Kansas. Aaron Harlan, son of George, was the grandfather of our subject, and was a pioneer settler of Warren County, Ohio, where he became a substantial farmer. He married Elizabeth Gregg, and in his old age moved to Montgomery County, Ind., where he died, aged eighty-six years. His wife died in Ohio, aged sixty-six years. Mr. Harlan was a prominent man in Ohio, holding the office of county commissioner and other minor offices. He was reared a Quaker, and was throughout life a religious man; was a close student of the Bible and a wide general reader and a man of broad intelligence, and in political opinions was an old-line Whig. He was the father of John, George, Samuel, Aaron, Joshua, Keziah, Sarah, Mary and Margery, all of whom lived to a great age except Samuel and Aaron. Mr. Harlan was a man of high moral character, and a lover of liberty. In Ohio, his house was the home of the oppressed, was in old slavery times a station on the Underground Railroad, and he aided in the escape of several runaway slaves.
Dr. Joshua B. Harlan, the youngest son of above and father of our subject, was born in Warren County, Ohio, December 30, 1815, and at the age of twenty-three years, on May 12, 1838, after receiving a common education, left home and went to Upshire, Preble County, Ohio, where he studied medicine with Dr. Wikinson eighteen months. On November 17, 1839, he married Lucinda, daughter of Conrad and Lydia Bomebrake. Mr. Bomebrake was a soldier in the war of 1812.
Dr. Harlan began the practice of dentistry in 1845, at Upshire. He and wife were the parents of five children: Theopilus L., born September 10, 1840, and died March 4, 1859; Conrad E., born August 19, 1842; Lydia D., born January 16, 1844, and died February 12, 1866; D. Emma, born August 19, 1847, and died July 28, 1849; and Aaron, born May 8, 1849, and died July 28, 1849. Dr. Harlan opened a dental office in Centreville, Ind., on August 12, 1851, in company with Dr. O.H. Kendrick, and on December 12, 1855, formed a partnership with Dr. J.F. Wilson in Greencastle, Ind. He then came to Danville and opened a dental office March 22, 1857, which he conducted successfully many years and which is still being continued by his son, Dr. C.E. Harlan. The firm for many years was J.B. Harlan & Son. Dr. Joshua B. Harlan has now retired from the active practice of h is profession and in June, 1892, located at Santa Morica, Cal. He had practiced his profession in Danville for the long period of thirty-five years, and has practiced dentistry for forty-one years, or nearly half a century. He was one of the very early dentists of Indiana, beginning his practice at Centreville in Wayne County, Ind., in 1851, becoming very skillful and able, and was one of the first practitioners who combined the knowledge of medicine with the practice of dentistry. Dr. Harlan is a man of conservative views and was an honored citizen of Danville, highly respected by the people. He has been a devout member of the Presbyterian Church for thirty-five years, and is an Odd Fellow, having been a member of that order for forty-five years, and filled all the offices of his lodge at Danville, including noble grand; in political opinions he was first an old-line Whig, but now is a Republican. He has reached the great age of nearly eighty years. The doctor inherited longevity from a sturdy line of American pioneer ancestry and possesses an iron constitution and bids fair to reach an extreme old age. His first wife died July 23, 1849, and October 22, 1855, he married, at Centreville, Mary J., daughter of Thomas and Catherine (Herne) Bedford, and they are the parents of three children: Charles N., born November 22, 1856; George B., born May 4, 1861; and Helen E., born January 5, 1866.
Dr. Conrad E. Harlan was born at Upshire, Ohio, August 19, 1842. He was early deprived of the care of his mother; who died when he was seven years of age, and he lived with his grandfather, Bomebrake, until he was sixteen years of age, attending the common schools. In 1859 he came to Danville with his father and attended the Danville academy three years, but discontinued his studies on account of the illness of his father, but afterward studied Latin and the sciences for one year. He soon after began to study dentistry under his father, and early evinced an aptitude in this direction, so that, at the age of twenty, he had become sufficiently skillful to be associated with his father, with whom he became a full partner at twenty-four years of age, and, since the retirement of his father, has remained in Danville in the practice of his profession alone. The doctor was a soldier in the Civil War, enlisting on May 12, 1864, at Danville, in the One Hundred and Thirty-second Indiana Volunteer Infantry. His service was in Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama, guarding railroads, returning home in September, 1864. He was then a slight-built youth of twenty-one years. On October 17, 1866, he was united in marriage to Annie M., born March 30, 1847, and daughter of Thomas L. and Catherine (Herne) Bedford, of Danville, and they became the parents of three children: Kate L., born November 1, 1867, a graduate of the Danville High School; Edith A., born July 1, 1870, and Wilbur K., born March 5, 1876. Mrs. Harlan died January11, 1883. Thomas L. Bedford, her father, is a resident of Danville and the father of four children: Charles H., Nelson, Mary J., and Annie M. Both the sons were soldiers in the Civil War. Dr. Harlan is an honored member of the I.O.O.F., Silcox Lodge, No.123, in which he has filled all the offices, including noble grand. He is also a non-affiliating Mason and Knight of Pythias, in which latter he has passed all the chairs, including chancellor commander. He is a member of the G.A.R., Jesse S. Ogden post, Danville, and in political opinions a stanch Republican. The doctor is liberal in his views and is a wide reader of general literature and scientific subjects, being a patron of the leading periodicals of the day and owning a library of standard reference works. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he has held the offices of trustee and steward. The doctor is an entertaining conversationalist, well informed upon the general topics of the day, has been almost a life-long resident of Danville, and is justly held in high esteem for his lofty character and manly qualities. In his profession he ranks high as one of the leading dentists, his skill and knowledge of the art being equaled only by the best dentists of the large cities. From his life-long experience in the work and his natural aptitude, he is able to be original in his methods, and to give his work a finished and natural appearance. Naturally possessing an even disposition, his gentleness and patience with persons of nervous temperament have always been especially gratifying. His daughter, Kate L., married Chester G. Scearce, and they have three children: Ralph E., John and Leland; Edith A., his second daughter, married Howard Sergeant, and to them was born one son, Robert Harlan Sergeant. Mrs. Sergeant died December 15, 1893.