When Maria Akin Elston moved at a young age with her widowed mother, Sylvia Arnold Akin, to Vincennes, Indiana, in the early 1800s, there was a newspaper story that insulted Sylvia for being an independent woman. Sylvia responded by suing the man for slander and won a $1000 gold settlement. This incident set an example for Maria, who eventually became a member of one of the most powerful and successful families in Indiana history.
