A history of Kentucky and Kentuckians; the leaders and representative men in commerce, industry and modern activities, Volume III, Part 113

Author: Johnson, E. Polk, 1844-; Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 860

USA > Kentucky > A history of Kentucky and Kentuckians; the leaders and representative men in commerce, industry and modern activities, Volume III > Part 113

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Captain Thompson was particularly noted as a criminal lawyer and his name as attorney is connected with many of the noted criminal trials of the state. His first case was the cel- ebrated Wilkinson-Redding case; he defended James Arnold, who killed Robert Little, in which case he had as associates Senators W. A. Bradley, of Kentucky, and Daniel W. Voor- hees, of Indiana. He defended with Evan E. Settle and Major W. R. Kinney, as associates, Thomas Buford, who killed Judge Elliott, of the Kentucky Court of Appeals.

Before reaching his majority Captain Thomas married Miss Martha Montgomery, of Mississippi, a daughter of David and Eliz- abeth (Harper) Montgomery. Davis Mont- gomery was a relative of the eminent preacher, Samuel Davis, and belonged to the Mont- gomery family of military distinction. She was born August 22, 1823, and died April 15, 1895.

Captain Thompson was a conspicuous fig- ure in the military and judicial history of the state. The public life of few citizens of Ken- tucky has extended over a longer period and more varied service, more fearless in conduct or more stainless in reputation. His career was one of activity, full of incidents and re- sults and in every sphere of life in which he was called to move he made an indelible im- pression and by his excellent public service and upright life he honored the state of his nativity.

LOUIS R. ROGERS, who is a loyal and pub- lic-spirited citizen of Bourbon county, where he has spent the major portion of his life thus far, is a scion of fine old Kentucky families, concerning whose history fuller data appear on other pages of this work in the sketch ded- icated to James R. Rogers and in that of War- ren M. Rogers, a brother of him whose name initiates this paragraph. Louis R. Rogers reverts with due pride to the fact that he is a native son of the county which has so long represented his home, his birth having oc- curred on the old homestead farm in Bourbon county on the 5th of November, 1864. He is a son of Harvey A. and Elizabeth Jane ( Mo- ran) Rogers and his preliminary educational advantages were those afforded in the district schools. This discipline was most effectively supplemented by a course in the W. L. Yerkes Academy, at Paris, Kentucky, and in Bethany College, at Bethany, West Virginia. When twenty-six years of age he entered the employ of the Straight Creek Coal Company, at Mount Sterling, Kentucky, in the capacity of book- keeper and traveling salesman. He retained this incumbency for one year, at the expira- tion of which he became identified with the grocery business at Paris, being connected with this line of enterprise for another year. In 1894, immediately after his marriage, he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits and settled on the John T. Woodford farm on the Harrod's Creek turnpike. In 1900 he re- moved to the finely improved farm on which he now resides. In addition to this farm he owns an adjoining tract of three hundred and fifty acres and he has brought his property into a high state of cultivation, making it one of the finest farms in the county.

Mr. Rogers has ever given his aid in support of all measures and enterprises projected for the general welfare of the community. He is a member of the Christian church of Cain Ridge and his wife holds membership in the Baptist church of Paris. Mr. Rogers is affil- iated with the time-honored Masonic frater- nity and Mrs. Rogers is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

On the 18th of April, 1894, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Rogers to Miss Iva Dee Allen, who was born in Allensburg, Bourbon county, on the 12th of August, 1872, and who is a daughter of Julian G. and Mary E. (Mil- ler) Allen. Concerning her family history a detailed record appears in the sketch dedi- cated to her father. Mr. and Mrs. Rogers are the parents of two children-Harvey A., Jr., who was born on the 5th of February, 1895, and Julian G., whose birth occurred on the IIth of November, 1897. Mr. and Mrs.

1696

HISTORY OF KENTUCKY AND KENTUCKIANS

Rogers are prominent and popular factors in connection with the best social activities of the community, and their spacious and attrac- tive home is recognized as a center of most gracious hospitality.

PARMENAS. HANSBROUGH .- The American people are prone to show their appreciation of the Christian precept which so often names self-control as one of the foundation virtues, which is vital to the advancement of the Mas- ter's cause. They evince this admiration in their homage to the character of strong pas- sions, who has them well in hand, and to the self-centered and balanced member of their community whose life is a shame to disorder and evil doing. In the matter of public honors the people come with their best gifts to their fellow-citizen who can furnish them an example of self-control, and this is partic- ularly true of any judicial office in the rural districts, as its exercise brings the incumbent into specially intimate relations with all the affairs of life. This is all particularly true of Parmenas Hansbrough, magistrate of Shel- by county, and a well-known farmer and live stock dealer of that section of his native Kentucky.

Mr. Hansbrough was born in the county mentioned, May 15, 1868, son of Joshua R. and Flora F. (Saunders) Hansbrough, the families on both sides of the genealogical house having been founded several generations ago in that region of the Blue Grass state. They are also both of Virginian ancestry. The grandfather, Parmenas Hansbrough, was born in Shelby county in 1783, and died not far from his birthplace at the early age of forty-two. The father's birthday was August 15, 1836; the mother's, November 21, 1846, and they are still honored residents of their native county. Mrs. Joshua R. Hansbrough is a daughter of Rohert and Louisa (Jessee) Saunders, both also born in Shelby county of Virginia ancestry; so that every genealogical line traced from Mr. Hansbrough in the United States is directed to the Old Dominion. He was the second child to be born in the family, whose other children were Jessie, Robert, Joshua R., John R., Luke and Joe (twins), Artie T., and George and Richard (twins).

The subject of this sketch was reared and educated in Shelby county, completing his higher courses at Home College, Cornells- burg, Henry county. Since that time he has been continuously engaged in farming, the raising of live stock, and in the private and public performance of his duties as a citizen, his homestead of fifty-seven acres furnishing an object lesson of thrift, scientific husbandry and comfortable living. He has been a busy

and honored magistrate of Shelby county since November, 1909.

STEPHEN DONALDSON BOULWARE .- Num- bered among the prosperous and progressive citizens of Shelbyville is Stephen D. Boul- ware, who is actively identified with the pro- motion of the agricultural interests of this part of Shelby county, having the supervision of his two valuable farms, which he rents. A son of Thomas Lewis Boulware, he was born October 27, 1864, in Shelby county, on his father's farm, which was located nine miles north of Shelbyville and two' and one-half miles southeast of Eminence. His paternal grandfather, Ramsey B. Boulware, a farmer near Frankfort, Kentucky, was born March 27, 1785, and died July 24, 1843. He married December 5, 1805, Lucy Ford, who was born June 26, 1782, and died December 23, 1847. Their family consisted of six sons and four daughters, none of whom are now living.

Thomas Lewis Boulware was born in Franklin county, Kentucky, near Frankfort, January 6, 1814, and, died in Shelby county, Kentucky, July 9, 1868. Beginning his career as an independent farmer soon after his mar- riage, he located in Oldham county, his last residence in that county having been near Westport, on the river. From there he moved with his family to Campbellsburg, Henry coun- ty, where he lived several years. Coming to Shelby county in 1858, he bought land two and one-half miles southeast of Eminence, and from that time until his death was engaged in cultivating the soil, carrying on mixed farm- ing. He was a natural mechanic, and as a young man worked at his trade of a wagon maker. He was a man of high moral princi- ples, successful in business, and was held in high esteem throughout the community. He was never active in public affairs, but was for many years an elder in the Baptist church. On September 14, 1841, he was united in mar- riage with Elveree Corbin, who was born in Bourbon county, Kentucky, August 15, 1821, and died on the home farm, near Eminence, December 25, 1895. Her father, Lewis Cor- bin, who was born February 10, 1791, and died October 8, 1838, married Malinda Hardwick, whose birth occurred February 21, 1790. Of the thirteen children born of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Lewis Boulware, seven grew to years of maturity and were living in March, 1911.

The twelfth child in succession of birth of the parental househould, Stephen Donaldson Boulware, grew to man's estate on the home- stead, and eventually became the main depend- ence of his widowed mother. He assisted her in the management of her affairs, looking after

Johnd Bonnen

1697

HISTORY OF KENTUCKY AND KENTUCKIANS

the farm and helping her raise four of her grandchildren, and tenderly caring for her in declining years. After his marriage, Mr. Boulware bought a farm situated two miles south of Eminence, in Shelby county, and was there a tiller of the soil for eleven years. Dis- posing of that property, he bought land at Chestnut Grove, nine miles north of Shelby- ville, on Smithfield pike, which he operated as a general farm for a number of years, being very successful in its management and making it one of the best improved and most desirable estates in the vicinity. This farm of one hun- dred and ninety-one acres he still owns, and likewise has title to a farm of one hundred and thirty-six acres lying six miles from Shel- byville, both of which he rents, receiving a good annual income from the rentals. While living on the farm Mr. Boulware made good use of his time, money and land, raising not only grain and tobacco, but stock of all kinds, including hogs and horses, carrying on his op- erations on a very safe basis and accumulating considerable wealth. He has lived in Shelby- ville since 1908, having a cozy little home on Bland avenue. He affiliates with the Demo- cratic party, but is not an active politician. He was reared in the Baptist faith, but both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Mr. Boulware married, February 10, 1887, Mary A. Hower, who was born near Pleasure- ville, Henry county, twenty-two years before, and had lived there until three years previous to her marriage. Her father, Peter Hower, who was born in Luxemburg, Germany, July 16, 1829, emigrated to America in 1851, and after living in New York City for two or three years made his way to Newport, Kentucky. Subsequently buying land in Henry county, not far from Pleasureville, he improved a fine farm. Coming from there to Shelby county about 1876, he was the first to make a specialty of tobacco growing in this part of the state, the productions of his fields becoming well known and in great demand in the tobacco markets. A man of characteristic German thrift and honesty, he won the confidence of the community, his word being as good as his bond, and his death, December 14, 1908, was a cause of general regret. He was a Democrat until the question of Free Silver arose, when he joined the Republicans. Both he and his wife, whose maiden name was Martha Jane Neale, were members of the Methodist Epis- copal church.

Three sons and one daughter have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Boulware, and of these children the daughter, Maymie Sterling, a school girl, is the only survivor. Maurice Don- aldson, the first-born, died at the age of nine-

teen years, while a student at Central College. Maddox Neale, the second son, lived but six- teen months. The youngest child, a boy, died in infancy.

MRS. LAURA A. CONNER .- This is an age in which woman's ability in many departments of business life has been widely recognized. Their lives being of a quieter character, have perhaps not brought them as great public no- tice as their brothers, but their influence and work have been none the less potent, while their capability is unquestioned. In the past few years women have taken a great interest in farming, and, as is the case of the subject, have demonstrated that it takes brain as well as brawn to succeed in this undertaking as in any other. Mrs. Conner comes from a line of ancestors who give her an hereditary right to claim an inherent knowledge of what per- tains to success in this line.

Mrs. Laura A. Conner, widow and farmer, located one mile west of Connersville, was born near Georgetown, Scott county, Kentucky, a daughter of William and Sarah (Sinclair) Hinton. The father was born in Scott county, Kentucky, June 2, 1814, and died July 22, 1891. The mother was born in Scott county, Ken- tucky, October 2, 1817, and died in August, 1907. They were the parents of sixteen chil- dren, the first dying at the age of seventeen years. They are as follows : B. T. and James W., both of Scott county, Kentucky ; William, deceased ; John A., George W., F. F., and M. V., all of Scott county; Mary and Martha, both deceased; Letha J., of Scott county ; Sal- lie, deceased; Laura A., the subject ; H. M. and R. M., both of Scott county; Nannie, wife of Henry Tucker, of Scott county; and Bloom- field, deceased. At the time of the Civil war Bloomfield volunteered as a soldier and died on the field of battle when only eighteen years of age.

Mrs. Conner's paternal grandfather was Asher Hinton, and he and his wife, Nancy Mitchell, were both natives of Virginia. Her maternal grandparents were Benjamin and Priscilla (Griffith ) Sinclair, of English descent. Asher Hinton came to Kentucky at an early date and located in Scott county, near George- town. He was a successful farmer and on his homestead Mrs. Conner's father was born, grew to manhood, married and started out for himself. As was his custom, his father offered to give him twenty acres of land, or its equiv- alent in money, but he refused to take it and left home. Moving up the run a short way, he bought a small tract of land and began for himself. Here he reared his family of six- teen children and at death owned two thou- sand acres of fine land, worth one hundred thousand dollars. As his children grew up

1698

HISTORY OF KENTUCKY AND KENTUCKIANS

and left him, he gave each one a farm and they all remained in Scott county, so that he was practically surrounded by them. At the present time the Hinton family owns four thousand acres in Scott county. Mr. Hinton married nine days after his twenty-first birth- day, and with the assistance of his worthy wife, prospered exceedingly, becoming an ex- tensive stock owner and raising short-horn cattle and fine horses. He was very approach- able and popular in the county, and was known as "Uncle Billy" by every one. He was a man of fine, strong character. He never took a drink of liquor in his life, never swore an oath, and never owned nor fired a gun in his life. He was a member of Mt. Gilead Methodist Episcopal church from the age of nineteen and lived up to its doctrines. He and his sons were adherents of the Democratic party. Hinton village in Scott county is named in honor of the family. "The sun never shone on a nobler man." was said of him at his death.

John I. Conner was born at Connersville, September 16, 1826, and died October 8, 1897. He was a son of John Conner, who was born in Harrison county, Kentucky, and died in 1864. He married Mahala Haden, a daughter of Jerry Haden, of Harrison county, who bore him five children, two of whom are living, namely : Thomas, of Scott county ; and Albert, of Harrison county. Mr. Conner was a grand- son of John, who was a Baptist of the old school and who came to Kentucky in pioneer days and located at New Connersville, Har- rison county, where he preached for twenty years. John I. Conner first married Miss Emily Penn, of Scott county, in 1852. She was born July 12, 1828, and died childless, July 1, 1889, and she was a member of the Methodist communion at Mt. Gilead, Scott county. On June 22, 1891, Mr. Conner mar- ried Miss Laura A. Hinton. There are no children. Mr. Conner began farming on a small farm in Scott county and later removed to Harrison county, near Connersville, was very successful and increased his holdings of land. He was a member of the old Baptist

Amid the wholesome influences and attrac- tive and free surroundings of the farm in Montgomery county were the early days of church and Mrs. Conner is a member of the . Albert A. Clay passed, his education being ac- Methodist Episcopal church. In politics he was a stanch Republican. Mrs. Conner is a fine business woman and her farm is conducted under her own supervision and has been ever since her husband's death. She has four hun- dred and five acres in Harrison county and one hundred and sixty acres in Scott county.

Her generosity and kind disposition are shown in her daily life and her charity is dis- played in the truest and most practical form. Since she has no children of her own, she has reared several, some of whom are grown and

married, and she is always doing good deeds of this kind. Her prosperity is worthily be- stowed and she well deserves the happiness and pleasure that comes from good and kindly actions.

ALBERT A. CLAY of Indian Fields, Kentucky, is the representative of a well-known Ken- tucky family and a prominent and enterprising factor in both the agricultural and mercantile industries of the locality. He was born in Winchester, June 17, 1847, and is the son of John William and Mary (Anderson) Clay, both of them native Kentuckians. The father was born in Bourbon county in 1825 and died in Clark county at the age of fifty-seven years, while the native place of the mother was Mt. Sterling. She died when a young woman (in 1855), a victim of cholera, leaving behind her four young children, two of whom are living at the present day, namely, Albert A. and Julian, who is a citizen of Missouri. The fa- ther married a second time, Miss Nannie Owings, a native of Montgomery county, Ken- tucky, becoming his wife, and she departed this life in 1868, at the age of forty-five years. The issue of the second union are all living, namely : Miss Lucy, J. Will and M. C., all of whom reside at Mt. Sterling.

The name of Clay is identified in a prominent and praiseworthy manner with the history of the sections in which the family lived. The grandfather, John Clay, was a native of Bour- bon county, although his immediate forbears came from the Old Dominion. Although the father of the subject was reared in Bourbon county, he removed to Winchester in 1846, and there with A. C. Ward, of the firm of Ward & Clay, engaged in the mercantile busi- ness. He sold out in 1849 and removed to Montgomery county, there purchasing a farm which he improved and operated until his de- mise. He served at one time as sheriff of Montgomery county, and in politics was an old-line Whig.

quired at Stoner's Point in Bourbon county. His mercantile career was inaugurated a short time previous to the close of the Civil war, when his age numbered but eighteen years. He established himself at Mt. Sterling, and although young and inexperienced, achieved no small amount of success. In 1868 he sold out and removed to his present location in Clark county, where he established a general merchandise business in which he has been most successful, its scope ever increasing and its patronage being wide and enthusiastic. In

1,25

1699

HISTORY OF KENTUCKY AND KENTUCKIANS

addition he owns a one-sixth interest in the large Anderson estate and has charge of the entire tract, which is devoted to general farming.

Mr. Clay was united in the holy bonds of matrimony in the month of November, 1871, the young woman to become his wife being Nettie Owings, a native of Montgomery coun- ty, Kentucky. She died in 1873, leaving one daughter, Mary, who is at home. A second Union was contracted June 1, 1875, Miss Emma Wilkerson, a native of Clark county and a daughter of Dr. T. J. and Annie (Grigsby) Wilkerson, estimable Clark county citizens, becoming his wife. To Mr. and Mrs. Clay have been born three children, two of whom are living, both sons-Stanley and Floyd, who are at home. Mr. Clay is devoted to the success of that political organization which its admirers term "The Grand Old Party," and he is a member and generous con- tributor to the Christian church, his wife be- ing of the Baptist faith.

WILLIAM PRESTON HIEATT, to whose life history we now direct attention, has by earn- est endeavor attained a marked success in business affairs and is recognized as one of the distinctively representative citizens of Win- chester, Kentucky. He is a successful farmer and merchant and takes an active and promi- nent part in church affairs, in which he has always had a great interest.

William P. Hieatt was born in Shelby coun- ty, Kentucky, November 24, 1858, the son of Jonathan and Emily (Lewis) Hieatt; the fa- ther was born in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, May 23, 1816, and died March 25, 1887; the mother was born in Shelby county, September 26, 1818, and died June 4, 1895. The grand- father of our subject was Allen Hieatt, a na- tive of Virginia, who removed to Kentucky among the early pioneers by means of pack horses and located near Lawrenceburg, on a tract of land, and afterwards removed to Shel- by county, where he died in 1830. Our sub- ject's father was fourteen years of age when he moved with his parents to Shelby county, Kentucky, and here he grew to manhood and married Emily Lewis, a daughter of Benja- min Lewis, of Shelby county, Kentucky. They had nine children, of which two are living: Thomas D., of Shelby county, and William P.

William P. Hieatt, our subject, was reared on a farm in Shelby county and attended the graded schools, after which he remained at home working on the farm with his father until the latter's death, in 1887. In 1888 our subject removed to Clark county. purchased one hundred and seventy-six acres of land, a portion of his present farm, which now com-

prises two hundred and twenty acres. This farm Mr. Hieatt has improved and since 1890 has conducted a general merchandise store on his farm. Mr. Hieattt is a member of Provi- dence Baptist church, of which denomination all his people and his wife's people have been adherents for generations. He has been clerk of Providence church since 1895, and served twelve years as treasurer and fourteen years on the executive board. He is a member of the Masonic order, having taken the Royal Arch and Knights Templar degrees.

On May 25, 1881, Mr. Hieatt married Ella Strode, born in Clark county, Kentucky, De- cember 3, 1860, a daughter of William Dillard and Martha D. (Hieatt) Strode, the father born July 23, 1837, in Clark county and the mother born May 24, 1840, in Clark county, and both living and residing with our subject. Four children were born of this union, three of whom are living: John W., in Fayette coun- ty, Kentucky ; our subject's wife ; and Clayton, in Clark county, Kentucky. To Mr. Hieatt and his wife have been born five children : Vir- gil Lewis, born in 1884, in Shelby county ; William C., November 27, 1888, at home; Floyd, March 22, 1894, at home; Chester E., April 22, 1882, died October 21, 1882; and Mattie C., born February 12, 1886, died Sep- tember 4, 1891.

Mr. Hieatt's father-in-law, Mr. Strode, served as clerk of the Boone Creek Baptist Association for twenty-one years, and has at- itended every session except one for forty years. The history of the Strode family goes back to Virginia, where John Strode was born on January 11, 1736, and died August 2, 1834. His wife, Nancy Lee, was born February 22, 1739. They were the parents of twelve chil- dren of whom John Jr. was the sixth child, born September 25, 1768, and died August 2, 1834. Ruth Strode, his wife, was born March 24, 1770, and died August 21, 1845. They were the parents of fifteen children of whom Nelson Strode was the youngest, born October 18, 1813, and died July 30, 1895. He married Elvina H. Rosh May 26, 1836, who was born February 5, 1819, and died November 12, 1844. His second wife was Susan B. Weldon, the marriage occurring June 8, 1845. She was born October 8, 1811, and died November 16, 1869. He was married a third time, on June 4, 1872, to Fannie A. Howard, who was born January 29, 1815, and died December 21, 1889. William Dillard Strode was a son of Nel- son Strode.

Mr. W. P. Hieatt has always been deeply interested in church affairs and following is a sketch of some interesting facts in the history of Providence Baptist church, which has been written by Mr. Hieatt.

1700

HISTORY OF KENTUCKY AND KENTUCKIANS

SOME INTERESTING FACTS

"In the Early History of Providence Baptist Church Taken from the Records-Oldest Church in the County.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

A history of Kentucky and Kentuckians; the leaders and representative men in commerce, industry and modern activities, Volume III, Part 113

Author: Johnson, E. Polk, 1844-; Lewis Publishing Company Publication date: 1912 Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 860

Author: Johnson, E. Polk, 1844-; Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 860