A history of Kentucky and Kentuckians; the leaders and representative men in commerce, industry and modern activities, Volume III, Part 65

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 65

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Dr. Bryan was born in Fayette county, Kentucky, in March, 1859, the son of Elijah C. and Lucy K. Bryan. This branch of the Bryan family came originally from the north of Scotland to Virginia at an early date, and from Virginia into Kentucky in pioneer days. The original Kentucky settler was William Bryan, of Bryan's Station, Kentucky, who was born in Virginia on March 7, 1733, who was the great-great-grandfather of the Doc- tor and a brother-in-law and co-patriot of Daniel Boone. who was born in Virginia November 10, 1736. William Bryan married Mary. Daniel Boone's sister, while Boone married Rebecca Bryan, William's sister. Daniel Bryan, Sr., son of William and great- grandfather of the Doctor, born Febru-

ary 10, 1758, was a powder maker and fur- nished powder to the American Army during the Revolutionary war, while his son Joseph was a gunmaker and his other son, Thomas, was a powder maker. Joseph Bryan, grand- father of the Doctor, married Margaret Cart- well, the daughter of Elijah Cartwell, who was born February 25, 1763, and died in 1831. The Doctor's parents-his father, Elijah Cart- well Bryan, was born in Fayette county, Ken- tucky, December 6, 1823, and died in 1890; his mother, Lucy Kay, daughter of William and Mary (Bryan) Kay, was born in Fayette county, Kentucky-were cousins. The home of the Doctor's parents was at South Elkhorn, five miles from Lexington, on the Harrods- burg pike, where they lived all their lives.

Dr. Joseph Temple Bryan was born on the Bryan homestead at Elkhorn, Kentucky, where he was reared. He attended school at Henry Academy, Versailles, Kentucky, taught by Captain William Henry, where he was prepared for college. He then took a com- mercial course at Lexington. He began the study of medicine with Dr. J. A. Lucy, at Midway, Kentucky, one of the pioneers of homeopathy in Kentucky, continuing under Dr. Lucy in summers and taking courses at the Pulte Homeopathic Medical College at Cincinnati in winters. At that time the American Institute of Homeopathy was de- manding of the homeopathic colleges a two vears' lecture course with one year's prelimi- nary study under a preceptor as a qualifica- tion for graduation of students, a requirement not then exacted by the allopathic schools. Dr. Bryan had not taken that preliminary year of study, so he took the three years' course, en- tering Pulte in September, 1880, and receiv- ing his M. D. degree March 6, 1883. He took post-graduate work at the Chicago Homeopathic Medical College in 1890-91, and a course in Orificial Surgery with Dr. Pratt of Chicago in 1892.

Dr. Bryan, having splendidly equipped him- self for the profession of medicine, began the practice of the same at Frankfort, Kentucky, in partnership with Dr. T. H. Hudson, in March, 1883. During the following winter, however, Dr. Lucy, his preceptor, fell ill and Dr. Bryan returned to Midway and assumed charge of the old Doctor's practice. In 1884 he located at Shelbyville, Kentuky, where he was in practice until the fall of 1896, when he came to Louisville. While the Doctor was at Shelbyville the South Western Homeopathic Medical College was organized at Louisville, 1892, of which he was one of the organizers, and he became lecturer on obstetrics and dis- eases of children in that institution, a position

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he was holding when the South Western merged in the fall of 1910 with the Hahne- mann Medical College, Chicago, in which in- stitution the Doctor delivered a special course of lectures on medical gynecology, the past session of 1910-II.

He has been an active member of the Ken- tucky State Homeopathic Medical Society, since the first year of its organization, and has filled the offices of secretary, treasurer and president of that Society. Dr. Bryan is a pioneer of organized homeopathic medicine in Kentucky and a recognized leader in that school of the medical profession.

The Doctor is a staff physician to the Louis- ville City Hospital, to the Deaconess' Hos- pital, a member of the Falls City Homeopathic Medical Society, of the American Institute of Homeopathy, of the American Association of Orificial Surgeons, and of the Southern Homeopathic Association. He does a general practice in medicine and surgery. The Doc- tor's religious inclinations are denoted by his connection with the Christian church.

Dr. Bryan's first wife was Enola Glen Moore, who was born in Scott county, Ken- tucky, the daughter of Samuel and Sarah Moore. She died on January 12, 1900, aged thirty-nine years, leaving two children: Mar- cus Kay, who was graduated from DuPont Manual Training School, Louisville, winning a scholarship to the University of Pennsyl- vania, and in June, 1910, was graduated from the mechanical engineering course at that in- stitution and was engaged as a tutor at that university for 1910-11. Elizabeth Armstrong was graduated from the Girls High School, 1909, and is taking a course in the Kinder- garten branch. Dr. Bryan's second marriage was to Mrs. Fannie Murphy Trabue, of Frank- fort, Kentucky, in 1903.

Dr. Bryan has gained distinction in his pro- fession in more than one way. He is recog- nized as a pioneer physician in his school of medicine, a difficult thing in itself, as any kind of pioneering is attended with drawbacks to progress which can only be accomplished with the perseverance that such men as Dr. Bryan possess.

A close student of heredity-convinced of its influence as a factor in the destiny of the individual and the nation; believing that what- soever is sown shall be reaped; the Doctor has for years advocated the sterilization of crim- inals, and others, markedly delinquent and de- fective children; of the former as a prophy- latic measure against crime ; of the latter for its beneficent effect upon their physical, moral and intellectual natures, and that the repro- duction, of their kind may be prevented. And

with all his might does he contend that not until such sterilization is practiced can train- ing, discipline and moral suasion lift the hu- man race to its rightful plane in life.

WILLIAM J. KENTON .- Nicholas county, Kentucky, is a rich agricultural center, and among the enterprising and self-reliant men who conduct its farming interests William J. Kenton occupies a place of no little impor- tance. A native of this county, he was born five miles west of his present home, on Lick- ing river, November 9, 1841, a son of Simon Kenton, and grandson of William Kenton, both of whom were lifelong residents of the Blue Grass state. His great-grandfather, Mark Kenton, was either a son or a nephew of Simon Kenton, the famous Indian fighter and the companion of Daniel Boone.

William Kenton, for many years a promi- nent farmer of Nicholas county, married Jane Burden, also a native of Kentucky. She died in 1855, and he survived her two years, pass- ing away in 1857. They were the parents of twelve children, of whom three survive, as follows : Mrs. Hulda Whalley, a widow, born May 22, 1809, is living in Robertson county, Kentucky, aged one hundred and one years ; Mrs. Margaret Barlow, of Illinois; and Thomas, of California.

Simon Kenton was born in Nicholas county, Kentucky, September 16, 1817, and died October 20, 1891. He was reared on the banks of Licking river, and in the pioneer schools of his day received a very limited edu- cation. Soon after his marriage, in 1841, he bought fifty acres of land, paying one dollar and twenty-five cents an acre, and embarked in agricultural pursuits. He was a man of great energy and capability, and in addition to farming bought and sold tobacco. He met with more than average success in his opera- tions, at the time of his death owning five hundred acres of rich land on the Licking river. He was a Democrat in politics until after the war, which he opposed, as he did slavery, but was afterward an ardent sup- porter of the principles of the Republican party. He belonged to the Ancient and Ac- cepted Order of Free Masons, being a mem- ber of the Blue Lodge at Blue Lick Springs. Both he and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church of that place. On January 25, 1841, Simon Kenton married Hannah Bishop, who was born near Scotts Station, Kentucky, September 5, 1821, and died in Nicholas county, September 5, 1905. They became the parents of eight children, seven of whom are now living, namely: Wil- liam J., the special subject of this personal record; Nancy C., wife of Thomas Moffett,

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of Nicholas county; Eldridge, of the same county ; Elizabeth, wife of E. B. Wells, of Robertson county ; Hulda, wife of William I. Dennis, of Nicholas county; and Dennis, Thomas B. and Simon B., all of Nicholas county.

Brought up on the parental homestead, William J. Kenton was educated in the dis- trict schools, and under the wise instructions of his father was well trained in the science of agriculture. In September, 1861, he en- listed in Company D, Seventh Kentucky Cav- alry, and joined the Union forces. On Au- gust 30, 1862, at the battle of Richmond, Kentucky, he was captured by the enemy and parolled. Being exchanged in December, 1862, he subsequently served until the close of the war, being mustered out of service July 5, 1865, and honorably discharged ten days later, July 15. For nearly three years. thereafter Mr. Kenton remained with his parents, assisting in the care of the farm. Marrying then, he began life as an indepen- dent farmer on rented land adjoining his father's, and in its management made money. In 1880 he invested his surplus funds in land, buying two hundred and fifty acres lying just west of his present home place, which he pur- chased in 1892. It contains three hundred and thirty-five acres of good land, on which he has made improvements of an excellent character. Mr. Kenton now owns and op- erates six hundred acres of land, and having an ample supply of machinery and equipments is here carrying on general farming with most satisfactory pecuniary results.

A stanch Republican in his political rela- tions, Mr. Kenton has filled various offices of importance; for six years he served as con- stable; was justice of the peace twelve years; and during the three years that he served as county commissioner the Nicholas county court house was erected. In 1865 he joined the Masonic Order, and is now a member of Lower Blue Lick Lodge, No. 495, A. F. & A. M .; of Nicholas Chapter, No. 41, R. A. M .; and of Carlisle Commandery, No. 18, K. T.

Mr. Kenton married, February 16, 1868, Margaret McClanahan, who was born in Nicholas county, Kentucky, May 18, 1839, a daughter of Charles and Elizabeth (Martin) McClanahan. Her father was born at Blue Lick Springs in 1797, and died in 1864, while her mother, who was born in 1811, lived until 1889. The five children born to them are all living, as follows: Mrs. Kenton; John, a resi- dent of Nicholas county ; William, living with Mr. and Mrs. Kenton; Malinda, wife of Robert Barr, of Oklahoma; and Butler, of

Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Mr. and Mrs. Ken- ton have three children, namely: Mark, of Nicholas county ; and Charles and J. W., liv- ing at home. Mrs. Kenton is a most estimable woman, and a consistent member of the Christian church.

ABRAM RENICK .- Since the early days of the country's history the members of the Ren- ick family have occupied a distinctive place and have ever borne their part in the up- building and development in the regions in which they have resided. They have been among the world's workers, assisting material- ly in laying the foundation for the stability, progress and substantial growth of the com- monwealth, and the subject of this sketch is a worthy representative of the family and de- servedly is his name enrolled on the scroll of honored and respected men of his native state.

Abram Renick, farmer and stock-breeder of Clark county, Kentucky, was born in Bourbon county, Kentucky, November 10, 1863, the son of W. H. and Mattie A. (Morris) Renick, the father born in Bourbon county, Kentucky, and now living retired at Paris, this state, aged seventy-three years, and the mtoher a native of Scott county, Kentucky, still living at the age of seventy years. The progenitor of the Ren- ick family in the state was the great-grand- father of our subject, George, a native of Vir- ginia, who came to Kentucky in 1793. The grandfather of our subject, James Renick, was born on the Allegheny mountains while his parents were on their way to Kentucky. James Renick was one of the pioneers in the cattle business in Kentucky and was the first man to drive a herd of cattle from Kentucky to the New York market,-this leading to or developing into one of the chief industries of the early settlers. Abram Renick, (a younger brother of James and a great-uncle of the sub- ject) was the man who became famous as a breeder and improver of Shorthorn cattle and lived to see representatives from his herd ex- ported to every country on the globe where im- proved cattle are appreciated. James Renick was a man of great enterprise and energy and drove the first herd of cattle over the moun- tains to the east to market, was a soldier in the war of 1812-13 and died at the age of ninety- one years. The subject's father was an only child and chose the occupation of farming for a life business. He did not care for stock breeding, but confined all his energies to regu- lar and general farming, making a great suc- cess and becoming one of the best and most re- spected men of the community. Mr. and Mrs. Renick were the parents of six children: M. W., of Middletown, Ohio; J. S., of Clark county, Kentucky ; Abram, the subject of the

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sketch; Anna E., wife of Curtis P. Smith, of Dallas, Texas ; B. M., of Paris, Kentucky ; and Gertrude, wife of James Duncan Bell, of Paris, Kentucky.

Abram Renick was reared on a farm in his native county, attending the common schools until he was sixteen years of age, and at that time he came to the conclusion he could do for himself, as he had plenty of confidence and many ideas. The monotony of a regular farm life did not appeal to him, so he went to work for himself and at twenty years of age began farming in Clark county and breeding cattle. His success in this enterprise is a matter of record. He owns and operates a farm of seven hundred acres and possesses one of the finest herds of Short-horn cattle in Kentucky, numbering from seventy-five to a hundred head. Of the breeding of fine Short-horns Mr. Renick has made a specialty, sparing no time, study, trouble nor expense, with the re-

sult that his cattle are unsurpassed in all the , and is one of the foremost representatives of fine points requisite to value and he has ex- hibited cattle in all the important stock shows of America and has won the championship prize at the International Stock Show in Chi- cago.

Mr. Renick has occupied many important positions that are connected with this great in- dustry or have some relative bearing towards it, he having been so actively identified with the promotion of its best interests. He is pres- ident of the American Short-horn Breeders' Association of America, which is the largest and wealthiest association of its kind in the world. For fourteen years he was on the board of directors and at a time when it was five thousand dollars in debt. Mr. Renick, vitally interested in everything connected with or concerning his work, of which he has made a profession, introduced a plan in the board which was adopted and put it on a solid finan- cial basis, and which resulted in placing one hundred thousand dollars in the treasury. From 1889 to 1902 Mr. Renick was a state representative, that being during the Goebel- Taylor trouble, and was chairman of commit- tee on rules. He was elected twice as rep- resentative, the second time by the largest vote and the greatest majority ever given any can- didate for a county, district or state office. His abilities made him a figure of note and when he introduced a bill for an appropriation for a state fair, he was successful and the bill passed. He also defeated a bill the pur- pose of which was taxing insurance policies, which he contended was unjust to those who could lay by a competency and furnish pro- tection to those dependent upon them only in this way.

As a member of social orders Mr. Renick is exalted ruler of the Elk lodge of Winchester and in the Masonic order he is a member of Winchester lodge, A. F. & A. M.,; also of the chapter, the commandery, the Knights Templar, and Oleka Temple of the Mystic Shrine. In politics he has always been a Dem- ocrat and he and his family are members of the Presbyterian church.

Mr. Renick, on February 19, 1889, married Julia V. Fry, born in Plattsburg, Missouri. From this union there are three children : Vir- ginia, Caroline and Felix, all at home. Mr. Renick is a prominent as well as successful man, his prosperity being the reward of his ability to quickly recognize and improve an opportunity and keen judgment, which is never misplaced.

JOHN MCCLANAHAN has through practical, profitable and scientific farming become well equipped with the material goods of this world practical and successful agriculture in the country. He has made a close and discrimi- nating study of agriculture in all of its various departments and the products of his farm are unsurpassed in excellence.

Mr. McClanahan was born in the house in which he now lives, at Ellisville, Nicholas county, Kentucky, on March 2, 1839, the son of Charles and Elizabeth (Martin) McClan- ahan. The father was born in Kentucky, on May II, 1797, and died January 22, 1865. The mother was born in Nicholas county (now Robertson county) July 20, 1811, and died October 7, 1889. They were the par- ents of five children, all of whom are living, as follows : Margaret, wife of W. J. Kenton, residence in Nicholas county, Kentucky ; John, our subject ; William, of Nicholas county, Kentucky ; Malinda and Butler, living in Ok- lahoma and Mississippi respectively. Our subject's father was first married to a Miss Fite, and they had three children, James, Mary and Ellen, all of whom are dead.

John McClanahan's grandfather, James Mc- Clanahan, was a native of Ireland, and coming to the United States located temporarily in Pennsylvania, married there and came to Ken- tucky about 1795. About the year 1805 he removed to Nicholas county and purchased two hundred acres of timber land and in 1807 erected the stone house that our subject now lives in on the old state pike between Lexing- ton and Maysville. This house was built and 11sed as a tavern or hotel and the old bar room is the same today as it was when used for that purpose, our subject having kept it as it was.

The first court in Nicholas county was held at the house of Martin Baker near Bedingers

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Mills on Licking river in 1800 and two or three courts were held there. Blue Lick Springs was purchased by a Mr. Bartlett, who changed the name to Bartlettsburg, laid out the town lots and the county seat was moved there in 1802. Bartlettsburg was purchased by a Mr. Holliday, who petitioned the Legis- lature to change the name back to Blue Lick Springs, and it has remained so ever since. In 1805 the county seat was removed from Bartlettsburg to Ellisville, where it remained until 1816, and then was removed to Carlisle. John McClanahan's uncle, William McClan- ahan, built the court house at Ellisville and the jail was twelve by twelve, made of two log houses set one inside the other and the space between filled with rock. All lumber used was either hewn or whipsawed and all nails were hand made. Mr. McClanahan's father helped build the stone house, and al- though he was only ten years old, drove a horse to a stone boat dragging rock that went into the house. He cleared a small tract of land but never did a great deal of farming. Our subject's maternal grandfather was Meyer Martin, a native of Kentucky.

John McClanahan, our subject, was born and reared on the farm where he still lives and received his education attended with diffi- culties, as he only attended three months in the winter time and in all received a very meagre amount of schooling. On September 5, 1860, Mr. McClanahan enlisted and on Sep- tember 12, 1860, was sworn in and sent to Company B, First Kentucky Battalion, J. B. Holliday, Captain, and served under Hum- phrey Marshall and John Morgan. Mr. Mc- Clanahan served his first enlistment of twelve months, returned home for a short time and started back to re-enlist, but was captured on May 7, 1863, at the edge of Rowan county. He was held a prisoner at Camp Clare and Johnson's Island, then sent to the Federal prison at Pt. Lookout, Maryland, where he was held for fifteen months. He tells the story that during his imprisonment at Pt. Lookout, the prison was often visited by a minister who tried to persuade them to take the oath of al- legiance and get their release, and Mr. Mc- Clanahan was finally persuaded to do so. He went before the prison commander, who asked him a number of questions and among them that. supposing he was released and if Kirby Smith came through his country would he shoulder a musket and help drive him out. Mr. McClanahan could not agree to this and voiced his refusal, accompanied with an em- phatic expletive, with the result that the com- mander came to the conclusion that Mr. Mc- Clanahan was not quite ready for release and

sent him back, but in a short time he went be- fore him again and he was released.

Mr. McClanahan returned home and went to work at the more peaceful employment of tilling the soil on the farm and cleared up a great deal of it. His has more stone fences than any other farm in Nicholas county and he has been a successful farmer and a repre- sentative man of the county.

On March 23, 1865, Mr. McClanahan mar- ried Susan M. Perry, born in Mason county, Kentucky, on October 14, 1842, and she died August 16, 1909. They were the parents of nine children, as follows: Charles, born Au- gust 14, 1866, at home ; Perry, born March II, 1868, at Carlisle, Kentucky ; David P., born May 21, 1870, in Madison county, Kentucky ; Hargis, born January 1, 1872, in Nicholas county, Kentucky ; Ida, born December 1, 1873, wife of Charles Galbreith, at home; Butler, born March 31, 1876, in Nicholas county, Ken- tucky ; Willie K., born February 26, 1878, wife of Walter L. Hunter; James T., born April 18, 1880, died in 1881 ; Elizabeth, born March 16, 1882, wife of Daniel Wells, in Nicholas county, Kentucky. Mr. McClanahan has al- ways been a Democrat, and in 1866 joined the Masonic fraternity and is a member of Daugherty Lodge, No. 65, at Carlisle.

ROY EVANS WILHOYTE, M. D., is one of the prominent and successful physicians of the younger set who has demonstrated that in these progressive times science is more easily and swiftly acquired and methods are known for the application of knowledge that enable a man to make practical use of his learning while yet in his strength and prime. Dr. Wilhoyte was born on the farm in Oldham county, Kentucky, on June 2. 1878, the son of Lorenzo Trip and Paulina Ella (Allan) Wil- hoyte. The father was born in Oldham county, Kentucky, on August 6, 1843, the son of Zachary Wilhoyte, a native of Kentucky. The mother was born in Oldham county, Ken- tucky, on July 4, 1849, and was the daughter of William Allan. She died when our sub- ject was six years of age. Her grandfather was Benjamin Allan, the pioneer preacher who built the first Baptist church in Louisville, then became a minister in a Christian church, and built the first church of that denomina- tion in Louisville. The father of our sub- ject has always followed farming and stock- raising and is now a director of the Bank of Prospect, Jefferson county, Kentucky.

Dr. Roy Evans Wilhoyte was reared on the farm in Oldham county and his early educa- tion was acquired in the country schools, but he was fortunate in as much as the school in that particular district had teachers for the

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higher branches and the Doctor was instructed in higher mathematics, latin, languages and bookkeeping. After leaving school he took a position as railroad agent at Prospect for about one year, after which he spent a year on the farm. In 1900 he entered the Louisville Medical College and was graduated from that institution with the class of 1904. with the de- gree of M. D. That same year he located in Louisville, in what was known as Clifton, and has since been in general practice with gratify- ing success. He is a member of the Jefferson County Medical Society, the Kentucky State Medical Society and the American Medical Association.

On October 5, 1904, Dr. Wilhoyte married Marie A. Gregory, who was born in Boyle County, Kentucky, the daughter of Allen Ken- drick Gregory, of Louisville. To the Doctor and wife has been born one son, Roy Evans Wilhoyte, Jr., born in Louisville, Kentucky, on September 23, 1905. Dr. Wilhoyte and his wife are members of the Clifton Christian church.

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A history of Kentucky and Kentuckians; the leaders and representative men in commerce, industry and modern activities, Volume III, Part 65

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