A history of Kentucky and Kentuckians; the leaders and representative men in commerce, industry and modern activities, Volume III, Part 62

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 62

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"The forests in their grandeur all proud and noble stood,

Ere the woodman's blows rang echoing in the deep and darksome wood."

He is a native and to the "manner" born, his birth having occurred December 25, 1870, on his present home farm, one and one-half miles south of Lair. His father, Thomas Hinkson, and his grandfather, Samuel Hinkson, were natives and life-long residents of Kentucky.

Colonel John Hinkson was born in Ireland, in or near Belfast, but as a young man came to America, the poor man's paradise, and located in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. In the spring of 1775, in March or April, "Hink- son's Company" started from Pennsylvania for Kentucky, the little band consisting of fifteen brave and true men, as follows: John Hink- son, John Haggin, John Martin, John Towns- end, James Cooper, Daniel Callahan, Patrick Callahan, Matthew Fenton, George Gray, Will- iam Haskins, William Shields, Thomas Shares, Silas Train, Samuel Wilson and John Wood. Coming down the Ohio and up the Licking river in canoes, they landed at the mouth of Willow creek, on the east side of the main

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the present site of Falmouth. On account of rainy weather and extremely high water, they remained there but one day and two nights be- fore proceeding up the Licking river to a point near the Lower Blue Licks. A few days later, in the spring of 1775, another band, the "Miller Company," consisting of fourteen persons, persons, joined the Hinkson company, having come over the very same route in canoes. Each party sent out explorers who examined the country and reported to the two companies at Blue Licks. They all traveled together, fol- lowing the main buffalo trace towards what is now Lexington until they reached a trace turn- ing towards the west. That trace, since known as the "Hinkson" trace, the Hinkson party followed, while the Miller band camped on a small stream, Miller's run. At the crossing of the lower Limestone road the Hinkson contin- gent continued on the buffalo trace to the south fork of the Licking river, a mile and a half south of what is now Lair. Here making their camp, they erected a log cabin in an opening which they made and began to explore the sur- rounding country, naming the small streams of water after different members of the company, as Townsend creek in honor of John Towns- end, Cooper run, after James Cooper, Gray's run for George Gray, and Hinkston creek for John Hinkson, putting in the letter "t."

Having cleared a piece of ground, John Hinkson in 1775 built a log cabin on Towns- end creek, while John Cooper, on Hinkston's creek, made a clearing, built a small cabin, and that same summer raised a crop of corn, from which he furnished neighboring settlers with seed corn in 1776. The Cooper cabin was about two miles from Hinkson's settlement, which soon became a station. In the fall of 1775 both the Hinkson and the Miller compan- ies returned by way of the Ohio river to Penn- sylvania, the Hinkson band returning by the buffalo trace to the mouth of Willow creek, where Samuel Wilson cut his "journey cake" board from a hackberry tree the preceding spring. Here they barbecued enough meat to last them until they reached their native state. In the spring of 1776 nearly every one of the Hinkson party and of the Miller party, also, returned to Kentucky. On May 3, 1776, a party of ten, called the Lyons Company, ar- rived at Hinkson's clearing, and William Has- kins, at the suggestion of Colonel Hinkson, conducted the party to some rich lands which had not been taken up, land lying several miles to the east, probably on Hinkston creek, in Bourbon county. In June and July of 1776 a large number of Indians came from Ohio to their former happy hunting grounds, and find-

ing them occupied by the settlers began many depredations, and on July 7, 1776, killed John Cooper, who had raised the first crop of corn in Harrison county. Colonel Hinkson and the other settlers, nineteen all told, being unable to resist the large band of savages, fled to Mc- Clelland's fort at Georgetown, but subse- quently returned to their cabins. Colonel John Hinkson was a good fighter and served in the Indian wars of his day. The maiden name of his wife was Margaret McCracken.

Samuel Hinkson, grandfather of Sterling P. Hinkson, was born at Bullitts Lick, Kentucky, and as a young man located in what is now Harrison county. He was at one time cap- tured by the Indians, but being released by a white girl made his escape. He was twice married. After his marriage to Nancy Wilson he moved to Clinton county, Ohio, where she died, leaving him with five children. 'Return- ing then to Harrison county, Kentucky, he sub- sequently married Susan Lyons, and to them eight children were born, one being Thomas, father of Sterling P. Samuel Hinkson, was at one time quite well-to-do, but was unfortunate in his business transactions, losing all of his property.

Thomas Hinkson, born in Harrison county, Kentucky, March 12, 1819, spent nearly all of his life within its limits, his death occurring in Cynthiana May 28, 1894. Receiving but limi- ted educational advantages, he began life with no capital save strong hands, a willing heart and good health, and for a time worked as a farm laborer. He afterwards rented land west of Cynthiana, and in its care was quite success- ful, making some money. He then purchased a small farm south of Lair, and was prosper- ously employed in cultivating the soil until 1879. Moving then to Cynthiana, he embarked in the wholesale liquor and distilling business, becoming associated with the Redmond Dis- tilling Company, with which he was connected until his death. A man of indomitable energy and enterprise, and possessing rare business tact and judgment, he acquired a large proper- ty, at his death having been owner of twelve hundred acres of land lying south of Lair ; five hundred acres north of Cynthiana; a large tract of land in Kansas; a beautiful residence in Cynthiana: and in addition to his wholesale liquor and distilling interests was a stockholder in the Cynthiana National Bank. He was a Whig in politics until after the Civil war, when he joined the Democratic party.

On August 16, 1860, Thomas Hinkson was united in marriage with Susan Ritcheson, who was born in Harrison county, Kentucky, Aug- ust 4. 1838, a daughter of John and Julia A.

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Ccklar ) Ritcheson and now living in Cynthi- a. Five children were born of their union, mely: John William, of Harrison county ; illiam, deceased; Sterling P., the special bject of this sketch; Wyatt, deceased; and era, wife of Howard Jett, of Cynthiana. tomas Hinkson was a valued member of the esbyterian church, while his wife, true to the ligious faith in which she was reared, be- iged to the Christian church.

Sterling P. Hink-on, taken at the age of ne years to Cynthiana, was there brought up d educated, attending the public schools until teen years of age. Having the natural in- ncis and qualifications of a born trader, he en began the business of buying and selling ttle, an industry which he conducted success- lly for six years. In the fall of 1892 he as- med the management of his father's farm of elve hundred acres, which he operated satis- ctorily until the death of his father, when he herited by will five hundred and thirty-four res of the original property. This estate Mr. inkson · has since managed most profitably, ving converted it into an up-to-date, modern ock farm, which he is managing in a syste- atic and scientific manner, getting the best ssible results from his labors. He makes a ecialty of stock raising, breeding Percheron rses, Dorset sheep and Red Polled cattle. In s agricultural work he displays much ability id skill, his land being under an excellent ate of culture and his improvements of the st, including among others the erection of mmodious and conveniently arranged farm ildings for carrying on his work according most approved modern methods.

Mr. Hinkson married, August 29, 1900, Net- e Lee Dawson, who was born in Bracken unty, Kentucky, September 14, 1871. Her ther, Thomas Dawson, of Harrison county, entucky, was born in Brown County, Ohio, ugust 27, 1841, and married Martha Daw- ard, who was born in Bracken county, Ken- icky, June 8, 1846. Ten children were born Mr. and Mrs. Dawson, eight of whom are ow living. Mr. Dawson came from Ohio to entucky in early manhood, and for a number f years was employed as a tiller of the soil in racken county. In 1893 he settled near hawhan, Bourbon county, where he continued s a farmer until 1904, when he removed to the arm which he now occupies in Harrison coun- y, just across the line from his former home. Ir. and Mrs. Hinkson are the parents of four hildren namely: Sterling Alfred, born June I, 1902; Thomas Dawson, born August 21, 905; Harold, born August 9, 1907 ; and Rus- ell T., born November 17, 1909. Politically

Mr. Hinkson supports the principles of the Democratic party, but has never been an aspi- rant for official honors. Mrs. Hinkson is a member of the Presbyterian church.

JOSEPH W. DALZELL .- Another of the na- tive sons of Nicholas county who has here passed his entire life and by his energy, in- tegrity and progressive methods attained a comfortable degree of prosperity is Joseph W. Dalzell, who now resides in Carlisle, and whose homestead farm lies a few miles from the town. He is a representative of one of the pioneer families of the state, his father having been born in Nicholas county before the beginning of the nineteenth century. To have passed one's entire life in a community and to enjoy the respect of those neighbors who are so well acquainted with one's history is the recommendation afforded by the career of the gentleman whose name initiates this ar- ticle.

Mr. Dalzell's birthdate was January II, 1841, and the names of his parents were Rob- ert and Catherine (Roberts) Dalzell. As pre- viously mentioned, the father was a native of the same county, his birth having occurred in the year 1798, and at the time of his demise his years numbered eighty-four. The mother was also long-lived, her birth occurring in 1810 and her death in 1892. They knew Ken- tucky in the early days and they shared in the warm loyalty of the most of Blue Grass State's native children. Of the eight children who were born to them four survive at the present day, Mr. Dalzell being next to the youngest of these. James resides in Kansas ; Samuel H. is a citizen of Carlisle; and Frank makes his home in Lexington.

As is the case with a great number of Ken- tucky families, the Dalzells, a few generations back, are found in Maryland. The paternal grandparents, in fact, were born in that state. They were by name Thomas and Lucretia (De Pue) Dalzell, and they came to Nicholas county among the earliest of its settlers. They located near East Union church, where they secured land from the government, and cleared, and subdued to tillable condition the untamed, virgin acres. The maternal grand- father, William Roberts, and his wife, Prov- idence Young, were pioneer settlers in Mont- gomery county, in whose development they were useful factors.

The subject's father was born, reared and lived all his life upon the farm his father had secured. He was an honest, useful citizen ; a Whig until the war and Democrat after it; a consistent member of the Presbyterian church, while his wife was of the faith of the Chris- tian church.

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Joseph W. Dalzell, like his forebears, spent his youth upon the farm and obtained only a limited education, his attendance at school be- ing limited to the three winter months, and plenty of work of the strenuous sort filling in the rest of the time. In 1863 he began life for himself, by cultivation of a part of his father's land which he rented from him. Two years later, in 1865, he purchased a small farm of sixty-four acres on Miller's Station pike and removed to it in 1868. There he remained for many years and proved himself to be a suc- cessful farmer, being of the progressive sort which takes cognizance of new ideas. In 1890 Mr. Dalzell removed to another farm which he had purchased and operated that until 1902, in which year he removed to Carlisle, where he now makes his home. Although he still looks after his farm, he gives himself greater leisure for the cultivation of the pleasant things of life. He is a popular and well- esteemed man.

Mr. Dalzell is a life-long Democrat and in- terested in public matters, but he has never sought office. He is a member of the Chris- tian church, as was his wife during her life- time. His identification with Masonry dates from the year 1866, and he finds recreation in his pleasant relations with that important order.

On November 12, 1863, Mr. Dalzell was married, the young woman to become his wife being Mary A. Burroughs, a native of Nicholas county. Mrs. Dalzell was called to her heavenly rest in 1875 at the early age of thirty-three years. Three children were born to their union, two of whom are living. For- rest resides on a farm in Nicholas county, and Clarence lives in Carlisle. The third son, Rollo, is deceased. He married Miss Bertha Curran, and their little daughter, Rolla, is named in honor of her father. Mrs. Rollo Dalzell resides with Joseph W. Dalzell and keeps house for him.

JOHN T. COLLINS .- It cannot be other than pleasing to note in the various personal sketches appearing in this work that there re- main identified with the agricultural industry in Bourbon county many worthy and promi- nent citizens whose entire lives have been passed here. None of these are better and more favorably known than John T. Collins, who is engaged in farming, stock-raising and the breeding of registered saddle horses. He is one of the most enterprising and public spirited of men, and besides his immediate concerns holds a number of offices of high trust. For the nine years preceding the pres- ent one he was cashier of the North Middle- town Deposit Bank of which he is still di-

rector ; he is secretary of the Bourbon county branch of the Burley Tobacco Company and is curator of the Transylvania University of Lexington, Kentucky.

John T. Collins was born in Bourbon county, Kentucky, August 16, 1867, and is the son of William and Sarah M. (Trimble) Col- lins. Both of these worthy citizens were born in Bourbon county, the father in the year 1830 and the mother in 1833, and both on the ninth day of September. William Collins was the son of William Collins, the elder, who was also a native Kentuckian, his parents having emi- grated from Virginia to the Blue Grass state at a day when conditions were still primitive. He (the elder) was a prominent man in his time and for a number of years served as jus- tice of the peace and also as deputy sheriff.

Soon after the marriage of John T. Collins' father and mother in Bourbon county, Ken- tucky, on December 14, 1855, they settled on a farm about three miles east of North Middle- town and resided there until the year 1873 when they established their home on another estate, the same country property in fact, upon which John T. Collins now makes his home. This is situated one mile east of North Middle- town on the North Middletown and Levy Pike .. Here the father lived until a short time pre- vious to his death, but removed to the town of North Middletown where after a short resi- dence he was summoned to the life eternal on January 1, 1897. His widow survives and makes her home in North Middletown. Will- iam Collins was a prominent man in his day and generation and he labored effectively for the good of his state and county, being one of those ardently loyal citizens which Bourbon county possesses in large number. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity and he and his wife were both members of the Christian church in which for many years he was a dea- con. He and his wife were the parents of six children, the three elder, Lizzie, Della and Rob- ert L., being deceased: Emma is the wife of William S. Jones and resides in Bourbon county, as does her sister Lou Belle, wife of John J. Redmon. John T., the immediate sub- ject of this review, is the youngest member of the family.

John T. Collins was reared upon the farm, and received his education in the Kentucky Classical and Business College at North Mid- dletown, in which school he is now educating his own children, and of which he has been trustee for twenty years. Learning the mani- fold secrets of the great basic industry under the enlightened tutelage of his father, he early resolved to follow it as a life work. On Sep- tember II, 1889, he formed a congenial life

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mpanionship, being married in Bourbon unty to Miss Mary E. Collins, who although e bore the same name was not related to m. She was born in Jefferson county, Ken- cky, January 4, 1869, and is the daughter of Thomas and Mary L. (Talbott) Collins, presentatives of early and prominent fami- 's of the Blue Grass state. After his mar- age Mr. Collins settled on the farm on which : now lives and which has ever since been s home and the scene of his successful enter- ises. In the month of January, 1901, he was ected cashier of the North Middletown De- sit Bank and served in that capacity until pril, 1910, when he resigned on account of ving so much personal business to look after at he could no longer give his attention to e bank. He is still, however, one of its di- ctors. For the past ten years he has been le of the commissioners of the Garth Fund Bourbon county. Both Mr. and Mrs. Col- is are valued members of the Christian urch.

To Mr. and Mrs. Collins have been born e children, namely : William, born Septem- r 17, 1890, now a student at Kentucky ate University; Thomas, born November , 1893, died November 12, 1898; Marie, rn March 8, 1897; Sarah Mildred, July 4, $99; and Emily Louise, September 22, 1903. JOHN FRANCIS HOUSTON, M. D .- A great riter and wise philosopher has said, "We are rn with faculties and powers capable of al- ost anything, but it is only the exercise of ese powers which gives us ability and leads ; toward perfection." In nowise could the uth of this be made more apparent than e instance of our subject, who made up his ind that medicine was to be the profession r him when he was twenty-five years old, id to such purpose did he turn his resolution at he succeeded with entire satisfaction and complished in a comparatively short space ; time what many students only can do after any preparatory years. A short sketch of 's life will explain this more fully.

John Francis Houston, of Alexandria, Ken- icky, was born in Foster, Bracken county, entucky, on May 16, 1858, a son of Will- m Pepper and Sarah W. (Maxwell) Hous- n, natives of Bracken county. The father as reared and made his home in Bracken unty the most of his life, being in the com- ission business for more than forty years in incinnati. About the close of the Civil war e became a local preacher in the Christian urch and continued as such in connection ith his business interests all the rest of his fe, his death occurring in 1892 at California, ampbell' county, Kentucky, at the age of

seventy-eight. His wife died in 1870, aged forty-four. They were the parents of seven daughters and two sons, and seven of these children are living, our subject being the fourth in order of birth. James Houston, the grandfather of John Francis Houston, was a native of Maine, of German descent and when seventeen years old, in 1796, moved to Culpeper county Virginia and later, in 1822, to Bracken county, Kentucky, where he passed the remainder of his life. His wife, Amanda Pepper, was a native of Culpeper county, Vir- ginia, born in 1871, and came to Bracken county, Kentucky, when nine years old with her parents. Her father, William Pepper, was a native of Culpeper county, Virginia, a farm- er, and died on a farm in Bracken county, as also did his wife.

John Francis Houston was reared in Bracken county and received his literary edu- cation at the public schools, supplementing this with a course at the normal school at North Middletown, Kentucky. From that time on until he was twenty-five years old his time was occupied in working on the farm, clerking in a store and teaching school, when he determined to study for a regular profes- sion and engage in that line for a life business. Accordingly he studied medicine and entered the Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati, from which he graduated in 1888. Having attained his professional education, Mr. Houston lo- cated at Alexandria, Kentucky, making this his permanent home and where he has ever since been engaged in general practice. Here also he has happily been very successful and gained a large and lucrative practice.

Dr. Houston has always taken an active in- terest in politics, his sympathies being on the Republican side, and in 1908 he was elected county treasurer for the term of two years, with offices located at the court house in Alex- andria. He is a member of the Masonic or- der at Alexandria, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias, and takes an active part in all, having passed the chairs in all of them.

In 1892 Dr. Houston was married to Mattie W. Wheeler, a native of Cincinnati, but reared in Alexandria, a daughter of Richard Wheel- er, deceased, who was a farmer and tobacco merchant. Dr. Houston and wife have three daughters, Irene, Bessie and Frances, and are connected with the Baptist church.

JOSEPH F. WRIGHT .- The Wright family for over a century has been intimately con- nected with the growth and prosperity of Ken- tucky and especially of the counties in which the various members have lived, many of them having filled positions of importance and of

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benefit to the community, not only bringing credit to themselves but reflecting honor upon their friends and supporters. If ancestry counts for anything in the success of men our subject has been singularly favored, as he is the descendant of an old English family orig- inating in Lancashire.

The oldest members of the family who are connected with the history of this state are three brothers, Joseph, John and Robert, who came to Kentucky about the close of the eight- eenth century and located in Bracken county, at that time a part of Madison county. John afterward moved to Owen county and from there to Missouri, locating near Independence, where his descendants still live. For a few years Robert lived in Bracken county and then removed to Louisville, where he lived the rest of his life and where his descendants are still living. In 1818 Joseph Wright, who was the grandfather of our subject, left Bracken county and went to Campbell county, where he invested in land to the extent of four hun- dred acres on Brush Creek, in the neighbor- hood of Alexandria, and died here in 1848. He was married twice in Bracken county ; first to Mary King, to whom three children were born, John, Robert and Mary, all of whom are deceased. His second wife was Esther Potts (originally spelled Putts), a na- tive of Pennsylvania, who bore him twelve children, all now deceased. Joseph went to Missouri and, although sixty years old, en- listed in the Confederate army under Price and died of disease in the hospital at Cape Girardeau : Elizabeth married Jacob Manning ; Patience married Pollard Gosney ; William and Andrew Jackson both lived and died in Campbell county ; Emily married Jonathan White; David went to Independence, Mis- souri, where he died; Jane married William Harris ; Elston died in youth.

Samuel Wright, the father of our subject, was born in Bracken county in 1807, and came with his parents to Campbell county when he was eleven years old and where he was edu- cated, attending a primitive school and follow- ing the business of farming, in which he con- tinned all his life. His career and usefulness were not confined alone to the farm, for he was a man well known and highly thought of among the residents of the community, holding local offices, and very active in all affairs relat- ing to the welfare and benefit of the country and people. He helped to organize the Camp- bell County Agricultural Society in early days. which has been in successful operation ever since, and to inaugurate the annual fairs at Alexandria, which have been held every year except during the Civil war. He was president

of the same for many years and much of its early success was due to his enthusiasm, which is the element of success in everything. He was a man of strong religious views all his life and was actively connected with the Methodist church. As in everything he undertook he was thorough, so in politics, at first a Demo- crat and after the Civil war a Republican, a member of the latter party from its organiza- tion and a strong abolitionist.

Samuel Wright married Elizabeth Baker, daughter of Nicholas Baker, a pioneer. They had the following children: William J., Jo- seph F., Sarah, Nicholas E., Susan H., Emma, John W., Thomas J., Samuel F. and James F. The father died in 1885 and the mother in 1890.

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A history of Kentucky and Kentuckians; the leaders and representative men in commerce, industry and modern activities, Volume III, Part 62

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