Born: LaFayette, Indiana, May 4, 1858.
Died: Crawfordsville, Indiana, March 8, 1917.

A. B. Cunningham was born on a farm near LaFayette, Indiana, May 4, 1858. His progenitors were Scotch refugees fleeing from religious persecution, and who became identified with the early history of South Carolina, becoming large landholders in that colony. As they had fought with Bruce and Wllace for the liberty of Scotland and for religious freedom during all the stormy days of Protestant persecution, they were not behind when the colonies revolted at the tyranny of Britain. The Cunningham family in that struggle literally gave to the cause "their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor." At the close of the war most of them had either been killed in battle or had died on English prison-ships. Their property had all been used to aid the cause, and in operating a powder-mill for the patriot army. The family was pauperized, and the few remaining scattered all over the States seeking to regain what had been lost. One of them drifted into the Northwest Territory when it was a wilderness, and founded the branch of the family to which the subject of this sketch belongs. They were iron-sided Calvinists, the doctrine having been burned into them in the furnace of war, and but few have ever broken away from Scotch Presbyterianism of the "strictest sect."

The subject of this sketch received his education in the common schools of his State, and at Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Indiana. At the age of seventeen he taught his first school. He studied law, and was admitted to the bar of Montgomery County, Indiana, in 1877. He abandoned the law for journalism, and for seven years was editor of the Crawfordsville Review, and for three years associate editor of the Crawfordsville Journal, and served for three years as Deputy Auditor of Montgomery County. January 10, 1881, he was married to Miss Jeannette Elliott, of Crawfordsville, an uncompromising member of the Christian Church. A few years of church attendance in her company, opened his eyes to the light and he was baptized by Elder J. P. Ewing. From the first he was marked by the congregation for the ministry, and in the spring of 1889 he was ordained.

His first pastorate, extending over almost four years, was at Washington, Indiana, where his success was phenomenal. His pastorates since have been Spencer, Indiana , where he served well for three years, and a beautiful stone church will stand for an hundred years in that city as a monument to his work among that people. Other pastorates have been Danville and Alexandria, Indiana. At present he is located at Flora, Illinois , where a beautiful new church building is being constructed. His wife is a strong and willing helper in every department of church work. She is a born organizer, and a host within herself. They have two children, a son and daughter. T. J. Legg, State evangelist of Indiana, in writing of Bro. Cunningham's work to a church, says: "His pastorates have been successful without exception. I most heartily recommend him, and, as is well known, I recommend only successful men."