A history of Kentucky and Kentuckians; the leaders and representative men in commerce, industry and modern activities, Volume III, Part 35

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 35

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In 1861, inspired by patriotic enthusiasm, Mr. Culbertson raised a company of soldiers and was made captain of Company F, Twen- ty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was at the front in many engagements of impor- tance, including the battles at Lexington, Mis- souri, Blackwater, Springfield and Island No. IO; the sieges at Corinthi and Iuka; the sec- ond engagement at Corinthi; and was with Sherman in the beginning of his famous march. Mustered out in the spring of 1864, Captain Culbertson soon afterward took charge of Pine Grove Furnace and of the Buena Vista Furnace in Kentucky. He sub- sequently became part owner of the latter property as a member and the treasurer and superintendent of the firm of Culbertson, Means & Culbertson, to which his brother

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Kennedy also belonged. This enterprising firm subsequently built a new furnace, located about ten miles from Ashland, Kentucky, christening it "The Princess," a venture that proved successful. The large and superior output of all the furnaces with which Mr. Culbertson was connected in those days was due entirely to his untiring energy, sound judgment and progressive spirit. He was likewise associated with numerous beneficial projects, having built the Ashland Ferry and having been a stockholder in the Big Sandy Company, in a wholesale and retail drug es- tablishment, and in the Ashland Foundry Company, of which he was president and sec- retary.

Taking up his residence in Ashland in 1871, Mr. Culbertson has filled various positions of eminence and responsibility, having been mayor of the city and state senator. Al- though a straightforward Republican in pol- itics, he was elected to congress in 1882 from his district, which was a Democratic strong- hold, an honor showing his popularity with all people. In 1886 he was tendered the nomin- ation for congress by acclamation, but de- clined the honor. He has served as chairman of the Republican District Committee, and in 1876, 1880 and 1884 was a delegate to the Republican national convention. At the Re- publican convention held in Chicago in 1880 he was one of the old guard of three hundred and six which faithfully espoused the nom- ination of General U. S. Grant for president. He belongs to the Ohio Commandery of the Loyal Legion.

Mr. Culbertson married, in February, 1865, Sarah Jane Means, a daughter of Thomas W. Means. Of the three children born of this union two died in infancy, one. Thomas Means Culbertson, is living. Mrs. Sarah J. Culbertson passed to the higher life Septem- ber 19, 1874, in early womanhood. Mr. Cul- bertson subsequently married for his second wife Lucy Hardie, and they are the parents of five children, namely : William Wirt, Jr., Henry Hardy, Lucia Robertson, Samuel Ken- nedy and Jupiter Ammon.

Thomas Means Culbertson was born No- vember 13, 1870, at Hanging Rock, Lawrence county, Ohio, but was reared in Ashland, Kentucky, where he obtained his elementary education. Completing his early studies at the Georgetown University, in Washington, D. C., he was subsequently storekeeper at Pine Grove Furnace for two years, after which he was for two years secretary of the Ashland Fire Brick Company. Public-spirited and progressive, he has been actively identi- fied with the upbuilding of Ashland and a

promoter of many of its more important in- dustrial and business enterprises, serving as a stockholder and director in each. Always taking an intelligent interest in the affairs of the city, he has been very active in real estate development and improvement, and in addition to having built many modern resi- dences erected "The Elms," the finest modern apartment building in this section of the Blue Grass state.

Following in the footsteps of his father, he is a stanch Republican, actively interested in municipal and party affairs, and stands for honesty and stability in politics and public matters. On January 1, 1910, he was ap- pointed by the council as city treasurer for a term of two years, and is serving with char- acteristic fidelity and ability in that capacity. He was appointed by Governor Willson as a delegate to represent Kentucky at all meet- ings of the Lincoln Centenary Committee, and at the Lincoln Centenary, held at the Lincoln farm in Larue county February 12, 1909, when the cornerstone of the Lincoln Memo- rial was laid and the old log cabin and farm were dedicated, President Roosevelt being the chief of ceremonies and the principal speaker of the day.

On January 27, 1897, Mr. Thomas M. Cul- bertson was united in marriage with Mary Pollard, who was born in Boyd county, Ken- tucky, which was likewise the birthplace of her parents, William H. and Rachel V. (Pow- ers) Pollard, neither of whom are now liv- ing. Two children have been born of their union, Mary Margaret and Sarah Virginia. Both he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church, of which he is a trus- tee. He is also one of the trustees of the Ashland cemetery, and is a member of the Loyal Legion.

EMBRY L. SWEARINGEN .- As president of the Kentucky Title Savings Bank & Trust Company and of the Kentucky Title Com- pany and as chairman of the Board of the First National Bank of Louisville, Embry Lee Swearingen holds precedence as one of the essentially representative financiers and business men of the state, and this fact, as coupled with his high standing as a loyal and public-spirited citizen, makes him specially eligible for consideration in this publication, whose province includes such recognition of the sterling citizens of his native state. .

Mr. Swearingen was born at Mellwood, on Cox's creek, in Bullitt county. Kentucky, on the 27th of January, 1863, and is a son of George W. and Mary (Embry) Swearingen, both of whom were likewise natives of Ken- tucky. The Swearingen family is of distin-

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guished and patrician Holland Dutch extrac- tion, and the original progenitor in America was Gerret Van Swearingen, one of the younger sons of a nobleman in sturdy Hol- land. He was sent to America as captain of vessel laden with supplies for the Dutch col- ony at New Amsterdam, the nucleus of New York city, in 1656. The vessel was wrecked and lost on the Atlantic coast of America and Captain Van Swearingen then abandoned the sea and settled in Maryland, where he took up his abode in the same year that marked his voyage to America. He was a native of Beemsterdam, province of North Holland, and his wife, whose maiden name was Bar- bara De Barett, was born at Vanenciennes, in the lowlands of Holland. Their descendants were found numbered among the soldiers tak- ing part in the early Indian wars, the war of the Revolution and the war of 1812. The founder of the family line in Kentucky was one who came from Maryland to this state and settled in Bullitt county in 1804. His son William, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, became a wealthy and influen- tial farmer and slaveholder in Bullitt county, and his wife, whose maiden name was Julia Crist, was a daughter of Hon. Henry Crist, who was a pioneer Indian fighter in Kentucky and who served continuously in the Kentucky legislature from 1795 until 1806, after which, from 1809 to 1811, he represented this state in the United States congress. George W. Swearingen was reared and educated in Ken- tucky and the major part of his active career was one of close identification with the Mell- wood Distillery Company. He founded and built up the Union National Bank of Louis- ville. He was one of the honored and influ- ential citizens of Louisville at the time of his death, which occurred in 1901. His wife is still with her son the subject of this sketch. Both were members of the Presbyterian church, and in politics he was a stanch advo- cate of the principles of the Democratic party.

Embry Lee Swearingen, whose name forms the caption of this article, was fitted for col- lege at the Rugby school in Louisville, and in 1878 he was matriculated in the historic old University of Virginia, at Charlottesville. His health became much impaired, however, and he was compelled to leave the university soon after entering the same. After a year's respite from study he returned to the Univer- sity, where he continued his studies for three years and in which he was graduated in a number of the academic schools. After leav- ing the University Mr. Swearingen initiated his active business career by locating in the city of Philadelphia, where he engaged in

the manufacturing of hosiery and other knit- ted goods. He remained in the Pennsylvania city about one year and at the expiration of this period he returned to Louisville, where he established a plant for the manufacturing of hosiery, woolens and jeans. This was one of the first factories of the kind in the south, and under the effective administration of Mr. Swearingen the business was developed into one of wide scope and importance, thus con- tributing materially to the industrial prestige of the Kentucky metropolis. To this enter- prise Mr. Swearingen continued to give the major part of his time and attention for a period of eight years, at the expiration of which he assumed the position of general manager of the Kentucky Title Company, in which he became one of the heaviest stock- holders and of which he was elected president in 1895. He has continuously served as chief executive of this important corporation since that time, and in 1900 the business was ampli- fied and extended by the organization of the Kentucky Title, Savings Bank & Trust Com- pany. The company is incorporated with a capital stock of $350,000, exercises most ben- eficent functions in the various departments and is one of the strong and popular financial institutions of the state. Mr. Swearingen has other capitalistic interests of important order, and has for many years been a di- rector of the Union National Bank of Louis- ville. He is known as one of the broad- minded, progressive and substantial business men of Louisville, where he has ever com- manded a secure advantage place in popular confidence and esteem. His political allegi- ance is given to the Democratic party, of whose cause he is a stanch supporter, though he has never manifested aught of ambition for public office. He lends his aid and influ- ence in the furtherance of enterprises tending to advance the civic and material progress and prosperity of his home city, to whose ev- ery interest he is loyal. He and his wife hold membership in the Presbyterian church and he is identified with various social and frater- nal organizations of prominence.

In 1887 Mr. Swearingen was united in marriage to Miss Lalla Robinson, the only daughter of Lawrence Robinson, of Louis- ville, and a granddaughter of Rev. Stuart Robinson, D. D., a distinguished member of the clergy of the Presbyterian church. In the maternal line Mrs. Swearingen was a great- granddaughter of Hon. William Owsley, who was governor of Kentucky from 1844 to 1848 and who served as judge of the appellate court of the state from 1812 to 1828. She died in 1897, leaving two children, Lalla Rob-

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inson and George W. Swearingen. In 1901 Mr. Swearingen married Miss Ada Badger, of Chicago. Her mother was of the well known Sheridan family so prominent in Louisville many years ago. Her father re- moved from Louisville to Chicago in 1859, where he was for many years in the banking business.

GEORGE T. WILLIM .- As president of the Citizens' Bank at Vanceburg, George T. Wil- lim is a potent force in the financial world in Lewis county, Kentucky. In addition to his varied banking interests he is treasurer of Lewis county at the present time, in 1911, and in that important position he is giving a most able administration of the fiscal affairs of the county.

The Citizens' Bank of Vanceburg was or- ganized in October, 1903, with a capital stock of fifteen thousand dollars. The first of- ficers and directors instrumental in organiz- ing the same were as follows: Edward Wil- lim, president; George T. Willim, cashier ; W. W. Willim, John P. Willim and W. C. Halbert, directors. Through uniform growth and development the bank has reached its present financial status and to-day it holds prestige as one of the leading monetary insti- tutions in eastern Kentucky. On the 7th of November, 1907, Edward Willim retired from the presidency of the bank and at that time George T. Willim, of this review, was elected president, with George M. Thomas, Jr., as cashier to fill his vacancy. The deposits of the bank amount to one hundred and forty- one thousand dollars and the surplus and un- divided profits amount to four thousand and seven hundred and fifty dollars. A three per cent dividend is declared semi-annually and the loans and discounts amount to eighty thou- sand dollars.

Mr. George T. Willim was born on a farm near Vanceburg, on the 4th of October, 1874, and he is a son of Thomas II. and Melissa R. (McKellep) Willim, both of whom were born and reared in Lewis county, Kentucky. Harry Willim, grandfather of him to whom this sketch is dedicated, was a native of Eng- land, whence he emigrated to the United States as a young man. He brought with him a large stock of queensware from Eng- land, intending to engage in business in New York city, but the ship on which he took pas age was wrecked and everything on board was lost, the passengers being compelled to swim ashore. Traveling overland to Virginia, Harry Willim went down the Ohio river on a boat to Kentucky and it was on this trip that he met his future wife. Subsequently he settled in Lewis county, at the old county

seat of Clarksburg, where he operated a tan- nery for several years. Later he disposed of that business and purchased a tract of tim- ber land, where he erected and operated a saw mill for many years. He died on his farm near Clarksburg in August, 1867. He and his wife, whose maiden name was Mary Wal- lace Bishop, became the parents of six chil- dren-four boys and two girls-of whom Thomas H., father of George T., was the fifth in order of birth. Thomas H. Willim was reared to adult age on the home farm, which he later inherited and on which he con- tinued to reside during the residue of his life, his death having occurred in 1895. He married Melissa R. McKellep, who survives her honored husband and who now maintains her home at Valley, Kentucky, and to this union were born nine children, seven of whom are living in 1911.

Seventh in order of birth of his parents' nine children, George T. Willim grew up on the old paternal homestead and he received his preliminary educational training in the district schools, later supplementing that dis- cipline by a course of study in Riverside Sem- inary, at Vanceburg, Kentucky, and by a . commercial course at Nelson's Business col- lege at Cincinnati, Ohio.

When twenty years of age he secured a posi- tion as bookkeeper in the Deposit Bank at Vanceburg and he continued incumbent of that position until the organization of the Citizens' Bank, in 1903, since which time he has been connected with the same, first as cashier and since 1907 as president, as previ- ously noted. In politics Mr. Willim is aligned as a stalwart supporter of the principles of the Republican party. He is a former mem- her of the Vanceburg city council and in 1909 he was honored by the fiscal court with elec- tion to the office of treasurer of Lewis county. He is acquitting himself most creditably in discharging the duties incident to his present office and he is also trustee of the jury fund. Mr. Willim is a man of fine intelligence and extraordinary executive and financial ability and in all his business and personal transac- tions he is widely known as a man of honor- able and straightforward conduct. He is af- filiated with various fraternal and social or- ganizations of representative character and his religious faith is in harmony with the teachings of the Methodist Episcopal church, while his wife is a devout member of the Christian church.

In July. 1898, Mr. Willim was united in marriage to Miss Emma Jones, who is a na- tive of Lewis county and who is a daughter of Rufus N. and Sallie (Voiers) Jones, the

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former of whom was long a prominent busi- ness man at Vanceburg. No children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Willim.

SAMUEL E. BRUCE .- The Deposit Bank at Vanceburg, Lewis county, Kentucky, was in- corporated in 1887, with a capital stock of twenty-five thousand dollars, but that amount was reduced to fifteen thousand dollars in 1900. Although organized in 1887 the bank did not begin to do business until 1889. The first officers and directors who were directly responsible for the establishment of the bank were as follows: Socrates Ruggles, presi- dent; A. H. Parker, cashier ; and S. S. Riley, P. P. Parker and T. S. Clark, directors. In 1911 the deposits amount to one hundred and ten thousand dollars; loans and discounts, ninety-one thousand dollars; surplus and un- divided profits, six thousand dollars; real estate, three thousand dollars; dividend, five per cent semi-annually. This substantial monetary institution controls an extensive business in the financial world of Lewis county and since 1904 Samuel E. Bruce has been incumbent of the office of cashier of the bank.

Samuel E. Bruce was born on a farm eligibly located three miles distant from Vanceburg. Lewis county, Kentucky, the date of his nativity being September 22, 1858. He is a son of Henry Clay and Mary Eliza- beth (Conner) Bruce, the former of whom was likewise born in Lewis county and the latter of whom was a native of Greenup county, Kentucky. The Bruce family is of pioneer origin in the old Blue Grass state, the founder of the family in Kentucky having been John Bruce, great-great-grandfather of him to whom this sketch is dedicated. He was born in Culpeper county, Virginia, where was solemnized his marriage to Miss Elizabeth Clay, whose father was the grand- father of the renowned Henry Clay, of Ken- tucky. Soon after the close of the war of the Revolution, John Bruce decided to seek his fortunes further west and accordingly came to Kentucky, locating at Lancaster, Garrard county, where he was a prominent attorney and a successful agriculturist. He and his wife passed the residtie of their lives at Lan- caster, at which place their remains were interred. Alexander Bruce, grandfather of Samuel E., was one of the several grand- children of John Bruce, and his birth oc- curred at Lancaster. His father dying while he was very young, Alexander Bruce came to Lewis county, where he studied law and where he was admitted to the bar. He initi- ated the active practice of his profession at Vanceburg, where he rapidly built up a large

and representative clientage and where he gained distinctive prestige as one of the lead- ing members of the bar in eastern Kentucky. In his politcal convictions he was a staunch advocate of the principles and policies of the Whig party and he served for one term in the state legislature. He died, comparatively young, at Vanceburg. He married Amanda Bragg, a native of Lewis county, Ken- tucky, and a daughter of Captain Thomas Bragg, who was an officer in the old Virginia State Line. Captain Bragg married Lucy Blakemore, three of whose brothers were gal- lant and faithful soldiers in the war of the Revolution. Captain Bragg came to Ken- tucky with Colonel Christopher Greenup soon after the close of the war for independence. They both had large land grants in Kentucky and both were accompanied by families. Captain Bragg located on the Ohio river, in the region which now marks the corporate limits of Vanceburg, his large tract of land embracing practically . the entire site of the present city. He operated salt wells and some early iron furnaces and continued to main- tain his home in this section until his death, as did also his wife, who lived to the patri- archal age of one hundred years.

Henry Clay Bruce, father of the subject of this review, was born and reared in Lewis county and while still a mere youth became a pilot on a steamboat, later becoming clerk and finally captain. He spent thirty years on the river, operating principally between Cincin- nati and New Orleans. After retiring from river navigation he engaged in the general merchandise business at Vanceburg, continu- ing to be identified with that line of enter- prise until 1906. He died in 1909, at the age of eighty-five years. He represented Lewis and Mason counties in the state senate in the sessions of 1882 and 1884 and it was due largely to him that in the one hundred day fight for the United States senate Joseph Blackburn was eventually successful. It is interesting to note that he was one of the first Democrats ever elected to the state senate from his section. His wife was a daughter of Major William Conner, a native of Ire- land and a member of a pioneer family in Kentucky. Major Conner was a small child at the time of his parents' emigration to the United States. Location was made in Bath county, Kentucky, to the public schools of which place the young William was indebted for his early educational training. Subse- quently he studied law in James Todd's store at Vanceburg, in which establishment he was employed as a clerk. Practically the only law books to which lie had access were Black-

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stone's Commentaries. He was actively en- gaged in the practice of his profession at Greenup for a number of years and he soon became one of the leaders in the state both at the bar and in public life. He was pos- sessed of that versatility and rare brilliancy of mind so characteristic of the well educated Irishman and in connection with the affairs of his chosen vocation he was for seventeen terms a member of the state legislature, serv- ing both as representative and as senator. To Mr. and Mrs. Henry Clay Bruce were born six children, all of whom are living and concerning whom the following brief data are here incorporated : Sidney is now the wife of Richard F. Cruce, a brother of the present (1911) governor of Oklahoma, and they re- side at Gentry, Arkansas; Mary is the wife of W. F. Alexander, of Tampa, Florida; Thomas L. maintains his home at Sherman, Texas; Samuel E. is the immediate subject of this review; William E. is a prominent phy- sician and surgeon at . Herberton, West Vir- ginia; and John L. resides at San Antonio, Texas. The mother died when these children were young, and Mr. Bruce afterward married Casandra E. Caines, of Vanceburg. There was one child by this marriage, Mrs. Elsa B. Kline, of Vanceburg.

Samuel E. Bruce was reared to adult age at Vanceburg, and after completing the pub- lic schools of this place he engaged in the mercantile business and for several years was identified with the same in Arizona and Texas. Returning to Vanceburg in 1888, he was engaged in the general merchandise busi- ness with his father for the ensuing twenty years, and in the meantime, in 1904, he was elected cashier of the Deposit Bank at Vance- burg, in which position he has proved himself a man of excellent judgment and marked financial ability. In politics he is an ardent Democrat and while he has never manifested aught of ambition for politcal preferment he is loyal and public-spirited in his civic atti- tude, ever doing all in his power to advance the best interests of the community and of the state at large. In the time-honored Masonic order he is affiliated with Polar Star Lodge No. 363. Free & Accepted Masons ; and with Burns Chapter, No. 74. Royal Arch Masons. Ile and his wife are devout members of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, and they hold a high place in the confidence and es- teem of their fellow citizens.

In 1891 Mr. Bruce was united in marriage to Miss Josephine Smith, who was born at Florence, Kentucky, the place immortalized "Stringtown-on-the-Pike." To Mr. and a

Mrs. Bruce have been born three children, Mildred, Mary and Alexander.

GEORGE W. STAMPER .- Vigor, enterprise and persistency-these are the qualities which make for success and these are the character- istics which have dominated the career of George W. Stamper, who through his own ef- forts built the ladder by which he has climbed to affluence. He has been identified with farming, blacksmithing, merchandising, lum- bering and banking and in each of these enter- prises his success has been on a parity with his well directed endeavors. He has also been an important factor in connection with public utilities and as a citizen he holds a high place in the confidence and esteem of his fellow men.

George Washington Stamper was born on a farm in Lewis county, Kentucky, on the 26th of December, 1850, and he is a son of George W. and Catherine (Dyer) Stamper, the for- mer of whom was a native of North Carolina and the latter of Morgan county, Kentucky. John Stamper, grandfather of him whose name initiates this review, was born, reared and married in North Carolina and in the early '2os he emigrated to Kentucky, locating on the Kentucky river in Wolfe county, where he engaged in farming. He and his wife, whose maiden name was Sallie Stamper, and who was a cousin of her husband, raised a family of ten children, most of whom were born in Kentucky. The father of George W., Jr., was the first born and he was an infant at the time of his parents' removal to the Blue Grass state. When he was fifteen years of age the family home was established in Carter county, and there he grew to manhood, married, and in 1845 engaged in agricultural pursuits on a farm near Olive Hill, Lewis county. He was very industrious, an excellent farmer and business man and in due time he accumulated a com- petency. About 1865 he opened a store on his farm, continuing to be identified with the general merchandise business for the ensuing twenty-five years. His death occurred on his old homestead in 1905, at the venerable age of eighty-two years. He was a stalwart Democrat in his political convictions and he served for several years as justice of the peace. His wife was summoned to eternal rest in 1898, at the age of sixty-eight years. She was a daughter of Francis Dyer, of Morgan county, Kentucky. Mr. and Mrs. George W. Stamper became the parents of twelve chil- dren-five boys and seven girls, nine of whom are living in 1911, and of the number the sub- ject of this review was the third in order of birth.

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A history of Kentucky and Kentuckians; the leaders and representative men in commerce, industry and modern activities, Volume III, Part 35

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