USA > Kentucky > Hardin County > Elizabethtown > A history of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, and its surroundings > Part 10
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call of his country. That was a mounted force, each man furnishing his own horse, gun and ammunition, rations for himself and provender for his horse. The force amounted to about two thousand men, there was no commissary or quartermaster, and not a solitary wagon; his brother Charles Helm and George Helm, Thomas S. Crutcher-all of this town in the company; beyond Louisville there was no roads, the route was through the woods, guided by the sun in day and the stars at night. As they progressed they found the Indian towns deserted. When about thirty or forty miles beyond the Tippecanoe, the rear guard of the retreating Indians set fire to the tall grass of the prairie, which burnt with great rapidity, involving the safety of the army, and they would have been destroyed had they not sought a place of safety in a swamp near at hand. Finding it impossible to overtake the wily Indians, and the stock of provisions running low, General Hopkins marched the army back. On the return Major Helm was taken very sick, and for want of an ambulance he had to be carried on a litter between two horses during a march of two days.
The Major was a prosperous and neat farmer, as well as clerk and merchant ; he passed a long life of active usefulness, and having a considerable cash capital he was a blessing to the community-was a law abiding man and never exacted any usury, and indulged those indebted to him to almost any number of years. When the Union Bank of Elizabethtown was chartered the Major by universal consent was elected President of that Bank, and his signature to the notes was a passport for their circulation, and as before remarked it was the only bank of the batch of forty independent banks that wound up safe and sound.
The Major was a highly honorable man, temperate in all his habits, and lived to a good old age. He died on the 24th day of February, 1858, in his 91st year. His venerable widow, Mrs. Mary Helm, of whom I have spoken, still lives in this town in her 83rd year.
General Duff Green, the other member of the firm of Helm & Green, was born in Cumberland county, Kentucky, a well educated young gentleman, came to Elizabethtown in the latter part of the year 1812 or nearly 1813 and opened a school and continued some years. It was in this school that Governor Helm was principally educated. He was a man of great energy and a very aspiring man. He volunteered
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on a campaign against the Indians in the company raised by Gov. Wm. C. Duvall. He styled his company the yellow jackets and on that expedition he proved himself to be a man of undoubted courage.
He received an appointment under the Government to survey public lands in Missouri where he spent considerable time. After marrying a daughter of Hon. Benjamin Edwards, he removed to Washington city, and was there during the Presidency of General Jackson. He was appointed Congressional Printer and took a prominent part in the administration, having become the confidential friend and adviser of the President. Gen. Green was a tall, slender man, with an eye like a hawk, and whatever he undertook was generally accomplished.
It would take a volume to trace Gen. Duff Green throughout his life, his various avocations, sayings and doings. My space will not admit of attempting to follow him, nor am I sufficiently posted, for after he left Kentucky, I never saw him again. But he was a part of the history of our country for more than forty years.
CHAPTER XXVIII
Hon. John B. Helm was born in Washington county, Kentucky, on the 28th day of October, 1797; while in Washington county his father, the late Hon. John Helm, was assistant Judge of the Washington Cir- cuit Court. He lived about eight miles from the seat of justice and at term times he would take little John up behind him on a dashing mare. After reaching Springfield and eating dinner, little John was strapped on the back of the mare, she would take him safely home, being then about seven years old, and his father would remain in court until Saturday night.
Blue grass was then (1804) being introduced into Kentucky. On one of those courts John had gathered a little sack of blue grass seed and carried it behind his father to Springfield where he sold it for a cut half dollar. John thought himself rich and was about the happiest boy in all those parts. A short time after John's mother and several neighbor ladies, who were all great spinners and weavers, concluded to go to Bardstown with their cloth for sale. A separate horse was packed with the cloth and little John was set upon it, like a toad upon a tussock, having his cut half with him, and it was agreed that he
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should lay it out himself, and was particularly instructed how to address the merchant. After the grown folks had concluded their trading, John's time came, he forgot all his instructions but stepped forward and laid his half dollar on the counter and said : "Sally wants a fan." Sally was his sister, two years younger than himself, and he was much at- tached to her-and by way of digression I might as well say right here, that this same Sally has been my wife for upwards of fifty-one years, and I hope may be for twenty-five years to come.
A polite clerk said, "Sally shall have a nice fan," and so John be- stowed the first money he ever earned upon his sister, in the purchase of a fan about a half a yard long, which opened resembled a peacock's tail. About the year 1809 or 1810 the family removed to Breckinridge county, near Sugartreetown and the Ohio river. When between 8 and 10 years of age he was sent to the Hardin Academy in Elizabethtown, under the tuition of Samuel Stevenson. At this age of the world, the rod was a potent aid to the school teacher and John was whipped to his lessons for about one year, and finally whipped into typhoid fever, which came very near closing his earthly career ; when recovered he was taken home and sent to a country school.
Some few years after the Elizabethtown Academy fell into the hands of Duff Green. John was sent to Green's school, and although he was a considerable whipper, he adopted a different course with his pupils-gained his confidence and took great pains in fitting him for an active useful life, and when Green commenced merchandising he selected John as his first clerk in the house of Helm & Green which did a large business. When in this position the author formed a close and intimate friendship with John B. Helm which has continued without interruption up to this time, nearly sixty years. In a few years Green finding that merchandising was too narrow a sphere for his vaulting amibition, went to Washington City, as I have before named.
Major Ben Helm, the senior partner of Helm and Green, purchased the Bush farm. Sally Lincoln, formerly Sally Bush, but now the step-mother of the future President, was entitled to a part of the purchase money-and a portion was to be taken out in the store, and she always brought little Abe to carry her bundles home. Abe would always take his seat upon a nail keg, and John always treated him with
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a lump of home made sugar, of which barrels were usually on hand in the store. Lincoln never forgot that kindness.
After the store was closed John concluded to study law-went to Frankfort and read law in the office of the Honorable John Pope. After concluding his studies he went to Alabama and went into practice. Afterwards he returned to Elizabethtown and married, and commenced merchandising, and continued in that trade for several years, during which time he built himself a residence, now the property of Rev. Samuel Williams, also built a three story house on the corner of the Public Square, which he called the center of attraction.
There is something remarkable about the Judgeship held by this family. Four generations without a broken link were judges. The great grandfather was a Judge of the Quarter Session Court of Fair- fax county, Virginia, his grandfather, Thomas Helm, was a Judge of the Hardin Court of Quarter Sessions, his father was a Judge in Washington Circuit Court, and to wind up he was Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Hannibal, Missouri.
After settling in Hannibal, Abraham Lincoln then a candidate for the Presidential honors having gone to Kansas on business-and re- turning through Hannibal learned that Judge Helm lived there, called at his office with his traveling friends, and after making some inquiries in order to identification-as forty years had wrought visible changes in both-Lincoln then turning to his friends remarked: "Gentlemen, here is the first man I ever knew that wore store clothes all the week, and this is the same man who fed me on sugar as I sat upon a nail keg-then minutely related the whole circumstance. Lincoln had a remarkably retentive memory, and never forgot a kindness. After he was elected President, Helm's recommendations were always regarded with favor, notwithstanding they were so bitterly at variance in politics.
My readers will pardon me for taking up a whole chapter with the Hon. John B. Helm-my apology is that I look upon him as one of the remarkable men of the age, and although physically he is a near sighted man, yet mentally he is a far sighted man, and consequently has accumulated a handsome estate. He always was a Democrat in the strict sense of the term and partaken of all my juvenile sports-we differed to some extent in politics, but socially we were a unit.
Alfred M. Brown was a useful citizen of Elizabethtown who began
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his active life in John B. Helm's store. He was born on Nolynn, a mile from Hodgenville, on Christmas Day, 1811. His father, William Brown, settled there in 1790, on land which had been patented to him by Virginia. One of William Brown's brothers, James Brown, was killed at the battle of Blue Licks in 1782. Another one was Patrick Brown, who was a member of the first Constitutional Con- vention in Kentucky, but who refused to sign the Constitution because it recognized slavery. Later on he became so convinced of the un- wisdom of slavery that he freed his negroes and moved to Illinois where he has numerous descendents now living. William Brown left a large family of children, most of whom have stayed in Kentucky. Among them were John Brown, the merchant of Munfordville, and Mrs. Sarah Churchill, of Mt. Gilead, Larue County.
Alfred Brown came to John B. Helm as a clerk when he was a boy, in 1827. After a few years Mr. Helm made him his partner. He remained his partner until Mr. Helm's death, and was appointed by Mr. Helm executor of his estate. After Mr. Helm's death he con- tinued in the business until 1857 when he was elected County Clerk. He served as County Clerk until the Civil War when, because of his Southern sympathies, the Federal Army in control of Kentucky re- fused to allow him to be voted for.
During the Civil War he and A. H. Cunningham and Sanford J. Poston were imprisoned much of the time in the Federal Prison at Louisville by the army because of their Southern sympathies. While imprisoned Brown studied law, and after the war was one of the busiest lawyers in Elizabethtown.
He was one of Elizabethtown's most useful citizens. He was one of the first trustees and one of those who contributed largely to the building of the Hardin County Seminary. He was the first School Commissioner of Hardin County, serving without pay, and he laid out the school districts of the county which still stand. He was for several years one of the Commissioners who have held the county's Louisville & Nashville R. R. stock. He made a canvass of the county and published a circular in urging the people not to dispose of their holdings and it was largely the result of his efforts that the county held this stock which in time became of great value.
He married Mary Bell Stone of Bloomfield, Ky., July 10, 1844.
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They spent 56 years of married life in Elizabethtown. They had four children-Bell, Edith, Fannie M. and Willie Davis. Fannie and Willie died in early childhood in the dreadful epidemic of scarlet fever that visited the town in March, 1859.
Edith who married Thos. H. Hastings of Louisville died Nov. 7, 1877. Bell who married Dr. Robert B. Pusey alone survived them. Mrs. Brown died Feb. 6, 1900, in her 80th year; Mr. Brown, May 3, 1903, in his 92nd year.
CHAPTER XXIX
Washington Whitaker who was one of the firm of John B. Helm & Co., was born in Bardstown, Nelson county, Kentucky, either in 1799. or 1800. His father, Robert Henry Whitaker, was killed at the raising of his house when Washington was first beginning to crawl. His mother was married to Major Ben Helm on the 17th day of May, 1803, and was immediately located with her son Washington in Elizabeth- town, Ky., where he was raised and educated by Major Helm, who treated him as if he were his own son. When grown he commenced merchandising with John B. Helm and Benjamin Helm, constituting the firm of John B. Helm & Co. This firm continued several years and did a thriving business. After the dissolution of that firm in the year 1831, he formed a partnership with Dr. Bryan R. Young but as the Doctor was in full practice in his profession, he could not give per- sonal attention to the business and sold out his interest to Whitaker the same year, 1831. In February, 1832, he took into partnership, Mr. A. H. Cunningham, a young business man who had been clerking for him, and that continued up to Whitaker's death, which occurred 28th of December, 1833.
Mr. Whitaker was an energetic and enterprising man and of untiring industry. His mind was slow in maturing and when he was a boy his mother was fearful that he would make a dull man, but as he grew up to manhood, his intellect kept pace with his body, and when he attained his full height, which was over six feet, with a slender frame, he was a fine looking man, and had a thorough investigating mind, and fine foresight in business matters. He had a fine stock of public spirit and commenced the improvements at Claysville for a tannery on a large scale, which was carried on in his name until his
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death. He owned quite a number of slaves at the time of his death- he willed them all to Thomas D. and Elisha S. Brown and then they were to be free and sent to Liberia, and the hire fixed upon them was to be divided among the slaves when they departed.
By his will he also provided for his partner, A. H. Cunningham, and by arrangement Mr. Cunningham had the use of $4,000 for five years without interest. He also devised $5,000 to a lady for whom he had a high regard, and the balance of his estate to his step-father, Benjamin Helm, and his wife. His death was a severe blow to the town and was much regretted.
A. H. Cunningham, who has been spoken of in connection with Washington Whitaker, was born in Hardinsburg, Breckinridge county, on the 3rd day of October, 1810-with his father's family he removed to Leitchfield in Grayson county, and on the 28th day of August, 1818, he came to Elizabethtown and commenced as clerk with the house of John B. Helm & Co. When that firm dissolved and Whitaker & Young commenced a partnership, Cunningham went with them and in February, 1832, he became a partner of Whitaker, as is before stated, and continued in that firm until Whitaker's death. Mr. Cunningham was married in May, 1832, to a daughter of the late H. G. Winter- smith. After the death of Whitaker, Cunningham did business alone until the first day of January, 1840-he took in as a partner Lewis Highbough, but he died in 1841. In January, 1848, Major Robert English became a partner for two years. First of January, 1850, Robert D. Geohegan was a partner until September, 1856. At that date J. W. Matthis was a partner and continued to Ist January, 1860. After which Mr. Cunningham carried on the business alone until the 7th day of August, 1869, when he was burnt out. He then sold the ground on which the store house stood and retired from business.
Mr. Cunningham was always a fair trading man and understood his affairs thoroughly, never used any devices or humbuggery to facili- tate sales, has his set prices and however anxious he might have been to make a sale-he never pushed an article upon a man, and his was never called the cheap store, but as he was known to be honest and kept correct books-a customer always knew what he was buying- and that it was of the quality represented. And by this straightfor- ward course he has accumulated a handsome estate, and lives well
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and entertains his friends liberally. I have two reasons for not stating how much of this world's goods he has acquired ; first, he is still alive and it would not be prudent to state it, and the second reason is, I am not posted and could not tell if I would.
CHAPTER XXX
Major Robert English, one of Mr. Cunningham's partners, son of Noah English, was born in Virginia, and removed to Hardin county. Robert was a sprightly boy and attracted the attention of the late Horace G. Wintersmith, a merchant before spoken of. Mr. Winter- smith was also postmaster and Robert generally accompanied his mother on coming to town shopping. On one of these visits the postmaster engaged him to carry the mail from Elizabethtown to Leitchfield in Grayson county. In those days a post-rider was looked upon as an important personage, and his passing up and down this thirty miles of road caused as much excitement among the natives as a train of cars would at this time. Persons would collect at certain points to see the post-rider go by, and Bob was not ignorant of the consequence attached to him, and made the most of it. His fidelity and good humor were highly satisfactory to his employer, and he was transferred from the mail business to clerk in the store, and finally a partnership. He after- wards became a partner of A. H. Cunningham, and was in the business several years and in various firms. At length he purchased a fine farm in the neighborhood, and removing to it he soon became a comfortable gentleman farmer. While farming he was elected Sheriff of the county, and then to a seat in the Legislature of Kentucky. He was a kind, liberal and hospitable man, an honest, frank, open-hearted and open- handed man and deservedly popular, and his death was considered a serious loss to the county.
Haden E. English, son of Weeden English, was born in Virginia, on the second day of January, 1815, and came with his father to Ken- tucky in 1820; in the year 1831 or 1832 he entered the store of Wash- ington Whitaker and continued there eighteen months. In 1834 he commenced as clerk for Hugh Mulholland and continued with him eighteen months, and then married. He then bought the interest of Robert English in the firm of English, Wintersmith & Co., and re- mained in that firm three years. In 1838 he opened a store in the three
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story building erected by John B. Helm, and called the place The Center of Attraction, until at last he was called by his intimate acquaintances by the name of Center. He continued in business with various firms up to the year 1848, when he purchased a farm and settled on it and became a prosperous farmer. As a farmer or merchant he was a go ahead man, always polite, a fine talker, and could show up the right or bright side of a piece of goods-a wagon load of corn or oats, fat steer or hogs-and when his crop was growing it was refreshing to hear him talk of it-likes to entertain his friends and knows how to do it-and has the ability to draw upon his dairy for milk and upon his splendid pond for fish, and upon his barnyard for all sorts of feathered fowls-but I must hold in for fear I might overrun him with a hungry company- indeed I know some who domesticated themselves there until their visit became a visitation.
Since I came to sum up the merchants who have done business years back, it would be an interminable job to go into particulars, suffice it to say that there has been more men in this town engaged in mer- cantile pursuits than any other town in my knowledge of the same limited population.
Bernard Staadeker was born in 1838, Waldorf, Grand Duchy of Baden, in Germany-came to America in 1858-was for some years in the employment of Mr. Schlesinger, and for several years doing busi- ness in Louisville. George M. Cresap came from Alleghany county, Maryland, to Kentucky in 1857, and was for sometime in the employ of the Louisville and Nashville railroad. These two compose the firm of B. Staadeker & Co. They have a large stock of goods and are both pleasant gentlemen to do business with.
Solomon Kaufman & Co. Sol Kaufman, Samuel Goldnamer and Joseph Josenberger compose the above firm. Mr. Kaufman came from the city of Mentz, in the Grand Duchy of Hesse Darmstadt, in 1848. Samuel Goldnamer was born in Rhine Bavaria, and came to the United States in 1855. This firm also does a large business on A. Depp's corner -all are accommodating, pleasant gentlemen well educated in their call- ing. Mr. Kaufman resides in Louisville, the other two live here and have families.
C. W. Yeager & Co., have also opened two stores on Main-Cross street. One of them a fancy store under the special superintendence
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of Mrs. Yeager, where dress goods, millinery articles, bonnet trim- mings, etc., may be had of all shades and varieties. The other store adjoining is the male department.
In speaking of merchants, I omitted to name Charles G. Winter- smith, Sr., a brother of Horace G. Wintersmith, before spoken of. He came to this town several years after his brother, and opened a store of dry goods and was well known and highly respected as an honorable, intelligent and polite gentleman-he was a quiet, good man. He was born in Berkely county, Virginia, September 17th, 1789, and died Octo- ber 1, 1852. His son Horace G. Wintersmith of whom I have before spoken, was born in Virginia, October 20th, 1811, and died in Elizabeth- town, July II, 1854. C. Godfrey Wintersmith was also a merchant ; (first in partnership with his father) and continued for many years after his father's death-he was a perfect gentleman, modest and re- spectful to all, and everybody loved him. He married the daughter of the late David Cooper Swan, of whom I intend hereafter to speak. C. Godfrey was born 24th December, 1822, and died 26th January, 1859, leaving two beautiful and interesting children, Godfrey and Kate, and as the mother had been dead several years they were left without any parents, but were taken care of for many years by their aunt, Mrs. Mary Crutcher, more familiarly known as Mary Dock, as her deceased husband was a Dortor-and she cared for them with all the tenderness and solicitude that the most affectionate parent could have done.
James West, a splendid workman, who built the house now occupied by I. Robin Jacob. It was built for Major James Crutcher about the year 1820, and although fifty years have passed the work in that house can challenge any work since done in this town for elegance and neatness of finish. West also built the fine house of the late John H. Harlan at Frankfort.
Ambrose Matthis, still living in the neighborhood is a veteran builder, and can show a good deal of fine work in this town.
John S. Cully and Jacob Strickler were also good workmen. Cully was rather a prominent man, very popular, of fine wits, and also served in the Legislature.
I have now gone through a tedious detail of merchants, mechanics, etc .; I may have omitted some but have spoken enough to show that
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our town has got along in the usual way of slow going towns, as ours has been for many years, but has received an impetus that promises to make it a place of notoriety, and a pleasant place to live and die at. One thing is now, and has been for many years, remarkable for the kind- ness to the sick and the stranger, a sympathy for the afflicted which does not stop at mere words of condolence, but shows itself in substantial and tangible forms. Many of our citizens have substantial means and some few in affluent circumstances, but there is not found among us that class designated stuck up, or putting on aristocratic airs.
I now propose to go back to about 1785, and speak of the prominent men that figured in those days that tried men's souls-advancing a little higher up, speak of men of note that came in and grew up with the town and have gone the way of all flesh. Then take up the bar and speak of the lawyers who have figured in our courts interspersing it with courts and anecdotes.
Then speaking of the disciples of Esculapius who have figured among us. And conclude with that class who have the training of the young ; teachers who have taught the young ideas how to shoot.
CHAPTER XXXI
It is a matter of some delicacy for me to speak of my own father, but as he was one of the very first adventurers to the Valley, as early as 1779, and has been dead for more than 46 years, he has passed into the history of by-gone days, and it would be mock modesty to refrain from speaking of him on account of relationship. His father, James Haycraft, was an English sailor and belonged to the British navy. About the year 1740, the ship in which he sailed touched at some of the harbors of North America, then belonging to the crown of Great Britain, and how he happened to stay, none living can now tell, whether he was discharged or took French leave, none can tell, but certain it is, he liked the looks of the country and concluded to make it his home. He married in Virginia, and had three sons and one daughter; the sons were James, Samuel and Joshua. The mother died, and the father also, when the eldest of the children was II years old, and consequently the children learned nothing about their ancestors beyond the vague impressions formed in infancy. They were, as a
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