A history of Kentucky and Kentuckians; the leaders and representative men in commerce, industry and modern activities, Volume III, Part 74

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 74

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).

George B. Nelson spent his early years upon his father's farm and received his pre- liminary education in the common schools of Clark county. He had the advantage of an excellent college education, graduating from Bethany College of West Virginia in 1868 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts and sub- sequently entering Cumberland University of Tennessee, which he left in 1872 as a full- fledged lawyer. In 1902 he was honored by receiving from Transylvania University the degree of LL. D.

Mr. Nelson did not pursue his education without interruption, but began teaching school when he was eighteen years of age, just following the troublous period of the Civil war. He practiced law for some time, but his health failing he abandoned his prac- tice in 1898 and retired to his country home. He has lived there for over thirty years. In evidence of the esteem in which he is held by his neighbors is the fact that in 1881 he was elected to the county judgeship. He has never held any other public office.

Mr. Nelson was united in marriage to Mary C. Tebbs, their union being celebrated April 6, 1876. This estimable lady was a daughter of Stanley Foushee and Sarah (Martin) Tebbs, her birth occurring in Clark county, Kentucky, August 26, 1851, and her untimely demise on April 12, 1894. Her father was born in Mason county, Kentucky, in 1811, and died in 1882; and the mother was born in Clark county in 1816, and died in 1884. Five children have been the issue of this union. The eldest daughter, Elizabeth, is the wife of T. Kennedy Helm, a Louisville attorney.

Theodosia married T. M. Hampton, of Clark county. Stanley Foushee, an electrical engi- neer, graduated from Princeton in 1905, and is at present at home, as are likewise the younger daughters, Catherine B. and Helen M.

Mr. Nelson is a member of the ancient and august order of Masons. He belongs to the Christian church and has all his life, except during the agitation of the free silver issue, been a member of the Democratic party.

CHARLES C. WHEELER .- He whose name initiates this article is a native son of Jefferson county, Kentucky, within whose borders lies the city of Louisville, and in this most impor- tant of the counties of the state he holds the office of magistrate, as well as that of notary public. He is also one of the representative agriculturists and stock-growers of his native county. The property belongs to Mrs. Wheeler, inherited from her father and lo- cated fifteen miles from Louisville, Fairmount precinct.

Charles C. Wheeler was born on the old homestead farm of his father in Seatonville precinct, Jefferson county, and the date of hi- nativity was May 29, 1877. He is a son of Ignatius. M. and Sarah (Seaton) Wheeler, both of whom were likewise born in Jefferson county, where the father continued to be ac- tively and successfully identified with agricul- tural pursuits until his death, which occurred on the 4th of April, 1910, at which time he was seventy-seven years of age. He was a man of strong individuality and sterling char- acter, was broad-minded and public-spirited as a citizen and was influential in local affairs, the while he ever held secure place in popular confidence and esteem. He gave his allegiance to the Democratic party and both he .and his wife held membership in the Christian church. Mrs. Sarah (Seaton) Wheeler was a repre- sentative of one of the old and honored fam- ilies of Jefferson county, in which her father, Kenner Seaton, passed his entire life, having been numbered among the successful farmers and representative citizens of the county until he was summoned from the scene of life's mortal endeavors. Mrs. Sarah Wheeler was summoned to eternal rest on the 12th of Oc- tober, 1883, at the age of forty-five years, and of the nine children only three attained to years of maturity. Of these the subject of this review is the youngest ; William C. is en- gaged in business in the city of Louisville; and Wallace V. is likewise identified with business interests in the metropolis of the state.

Charles C. Wheeler was reared to the invig. orating discipline of the farm and has never

---------

yours truly, AM Cox.

1505

HISTORY OF KENTUCKY AND KENTUCKIANS

faltered in his allegiance to the allied indus- tries of agriculture and stock-growing. through association with which he has gained definite success. After duly availing himself of the advantages of the public schools he en- tered Transylvania University, in the city of Lexington, and in this excellent institution he continued his studies for two years. From his youth to the present time Mr. Wheeler has been actively concerned with farming inter- ests, and his success in this connection has been of the most unequivocal order, implying industry and good management in the various departments of farm work. In connection with diversified agriculture he raises high- grade live stock, and he devotes special atten- tion to the raising of fine saddle horses and Duroc Jersey swine. He is a stockholder and director of the Bank of Burchel, stockholder in the Burchel Ice, Coal & Storage Company, a member of the Burchel Commercial Club, a stockholder in the American Saddle Horse Breeders' Association and a member of the American Duroc Jersey Swine Breeders' As- sociation, of the National Duroc Swine Breed- ers' Association, of the Kentucky Swine Breeders' Association and a member of the Advisory Board of the Kentucky State Fair.

As a citizen Mr. Wheeler is liberal and pro- gressive and in politics he has ever been found arrayed under the banner of the staunch old Democratic party, in whose faith he was reared. He has been active in public affairs of a local order and has served as mag- istrate and notary public since 1909, handling his official affairs with marked ability and dis- crimination. His church relations are witlı the Christian denomination.

Mr. Wheeler was united in marriage to Miss Martha Mills, who was born and reared in Jefferson county and who is a daughter of Robert Mills, a representative farmer of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler have five children, namely: Virginia, Martha, Eliza- beth, Charles M. and Sarah.

ARTHUR M. Cox .- For the past twelve years Arthur M. Cox has been actively en- gaged in the practice of law at Cynthiana, Har- rison county, Kentucky. In addition to the work of his profession he is interested in va- rious business enterprises of broad scope and importance. Mr. Cox is a native son of Cyn- thiana, where his birth occurred on the 8th of December, 1867. He is a son of Henry and Adelia A. (Wiglesworth) Cox, the former of whom was born at Lexington, Kentucky, Jan- uary 19, 1816, and the latter of whom claimed Cynthiana as the place of her nativity; she hav- ing been born on the 18th of January, 1829. The father was summoned to the life eternal

December 7, 1880, and the mother died on the 19th of November, 1899. The grandfather of Arthur M. Cox, William Cox, was born in Gainsborough, England, July 13, 1782, and he passed away June 9, 1857. His wife was born in Nottingham, England, and she died March 26, 1835. They were the parents of six chil- dren, of whom Henry Cox was the second in order of birth. William Cox was a cabinet maker by trade and was a very wealthy man in his native country. He was a man of bril- liant intellect and radical ideas and eventually got himself into serious trouble in England by criticising the government. His property, amounting to some four hundred thousand dollars, was seized by the crown and he was thrown into prison. He made three attempts to leave England and was finally successful, managing to get away through the help of a friend named Sanford. All his effects were placed on board an American-bound vessel as belonging to his friend, under whose name he managed to escape to this country. He ar- rived at Lexington, Kentucky, in November, 1815, and at that time was penniless and friendless in a strange land. However, he be- gan to work and was identified with the cab- inet-maker's trade until the time of his death. A valuable document in the Cox family is a letter written by William Cox to friends in England shortly after his arrival in the city of Lexington, describing the country, the peo- ple and customs and an election.

Henry Cox, father of him whose name in- troduces this article, was born and reared in Lexington. The family was very poor and Henry's education consisted of one term of three months' schooling, during which time he stuffed rags in the holes in his shoes in order to keep the snow out. As a youth he learned the cabinet maker's trade from his father. When he had attained to his legal majority he did not have a cent and had to go in debt three dollars in order to buy a dictionary. When thirty-two years of age he possessed a capital of two thousand dollars and at sixty- four years of age, when he died, he left an estate of ninety thousand dollars. In 1847 he came to Cynthiana, where he was married in the following year, and here he opened up a small shop in cabinet-making. As his business increased he added dry-goods to his stock and at one time he had in his employ as many as eleven clerks. At the close of the war he dis- posed of his establishment and thereafter was engaged in trading until his death. He was very industrious, rarely working less than fourteen hours a day. He was quick-spoken and was one of the best posted men of his time. He was exceedingly eloquent and mag-

1506

HISTORY OF KENTUCKY AND KENTUCKIANS

netic as a public speaker and possessed the faculty of winning men to his point of view. He once saved the life of General Desha by quieting a mob, which was beset on taking his life during the war. Mr. Cox was offered the position of provost marshal of the state but de- clined it. He was scrupulously honest in all bis dealings and expected those with whom he did business to be the same. He would buy a bunch of cattle on the description of the owner and if they were not as described on delivery he would so inform the owner and refuse to close the deal, while on the other hand if they were better than described he would tell the owner so and pay him a higher price. He would ride through and around a herd of cattle on a gallop, come back and name his price. He was rarely if ever mistaken in his judgment. In politics he was a stalwart Re- publican and he was a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Cox became the parents of ten children, --- William H., of Cynthiana; Evaline, who died in infancy; Frank, who is deceased; G. Nor- man, a resident of Manderson, Wyoming ; Walter Miles, of Cynthiana; Erwin L., of Harrison county ; Sanders B., of Okmulgee, Oklahoma; Ella, who is the wife of William B. Redmond, of Cynthiana; Arthur M., the immediate subject of this review; and Ed- ward C., of Harrison county.

Arthur M. Cox was reared near Cynthiana, and he began his education in the public school, to which he is indebted for his early educa- tional training. From the county school he went to Smith's Select School at Cynthiana, Kentucky, and in the fall of 1887 he entered the state college at Lexington, in which he was graduated as a member of the class of 1892, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. While in this college he received along with his literary course a military training. He exhibited such an aptitude for the military that he was soon placed in the line of promotion and in the fall of 1890 he was commissioned captain of Company C, and in the fall of 1891 was made captain of Company A and placed with his company on the right wing of the bat- talion. This same year he was made, in ad- dition to captain of the said company, captain of the artillery, which position he held to the date of graduation. In 1890 Captain H. D. Clark, U. S. A., publicly pronounced Mr. Cox to be the best officer with whom he had ever come in contact. In 1891 and again in spring of 1892 he was sent with his command to pitch the camp for the battalion. Three times while in charge of his command he went be- fore U. S. A. inspectors, and each time was highly commended for his great efficiency as

a company commander. While in camp near Frankfort, Kentucky, in 1892 the battalion was inspected by Inspector General Lawton of the U. S. A., and after the drill General Law- ton in his report to Colonel Charles H. Clay, U. S. A., commandant in charge, in part re- ported : "The Artillery has acquired a high degree of proficiency in the three years during which Captain Cox has been in command. The exhibition drill given before me was the best I have seen on my tour, the regular army not excepted."

For the ensuing three years after his grad- uation he was engaged in teaching in a Fay- ette county school and before he quit to begin work upon his preparation for his chosen pro- fession he received the highest salary ever paid to any teacher in county schools in that section-seventy dollars a month-a special tax having been levied to raise the amount. While instructor in this school County Super- intendent Cassidy offered a silk banner to the school showing the best methods of teaching and greatest improvement in Fayette county. The banner was won by the school over which Mr. Cox presided. While teaching Mr. Cox spent his spare moments in studying law and in the summer of 1894 attended the law school at the University of Virginia. In 1895 he began reading law in the office of W. S. Ca- son, in Cynthiana, Kentucky, and in 1896 was admitted to practice law. In September of the same year he was matriculated in the Uni- versity of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, in the law department of which excellent institution he was graduated in 1898, with a degree of Bach- elor of Law. The Spanish-American war being in progress the war fever ran high in the University and Mr. Cox drilled one of four companies among the students prepara- tory to taking the field, telegraphed President McKinley offering their services to their country, and received a courteous reply from the president, stating that should our country need more soldiers he would gratefully accept their services. The war coming to an early close these companies failed to get into the service.

In September, 1898, Mr. Cox opened a law office in Cynthiana, his native home town, and prosecuted the pursuit of his profession until the fall of 1910, when he formed a partner- ship with his old preceptor, W. S. Cason. The law firm of Cason & Cox at Cynthiana con- trols a large clientage and has a reputation for being one of the best in the county. Aside from his practice Mr. Cox has numer- ous interests in outside matters. He is an equal partner with his brother, William Cox, in the partnership of William Cox & Com-

1507

HISTORY OF KENTUCKY AND KENTUCKIANS

pany at Cynthiana, the same being a large blacksmith and machine shop. He is a stock- holder in a number of banks and a director and stockholder in the Harrison Deposit Bank at Cynthiana. Fraternally he is a valued and appreciated member of the Knights of Pyth- ias, the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, South. Mr. Cox has a fine farm of two hundred acres in Harrison county and the same is in a state of high cultivation. In politics he is a loyal Republican and in his civic attitude he is public-spirited and pro- gressive. He has taken an active part in the Burley Tobacco Society's industrial war against the American Tobacco Company.

ZOTTO CUSHING VINSON .- When entering upon his business career in early manhood Mr. Vinson became associated with the lum- ber trade, and throughout his entire life has been associated with this industrial line. Al- though he has been interested in many other business concerns, still he has always held the lumber trade as first in his estimation and it has been his favorite business.

Mr. Vinson was born in Wayne county, West Virginia, February 10, 1847, the son of William and Jane (Chambers) Vinson, also natives of Wayne county. The Vinson fam- ily is an old one in West Virginia, the original settlement and homestead being in the valley of Big Sandy river, overlooking the banks of what is now Lawrence county, Kentucky. James Vinson, the grandfather of our subject, was a pioneer, a native of North Carolina, where his father died when he was a boy. When he was twelve years old, in about 1800, he joined a party of Kentuckians who were driving a large number of hogs from Ken- tucky to North Carolina and on to Jamestown, Virginia, where they were sold. After the sale of the hogs the boy was paid for his ser- vices and requested to return home, but his intense interest in traveling and desire to see the world influenced him to follow with the party through Virginia and Pennsylvania to Kentucky. He stopped in the mountains of Big Sandy to hunt and continued so doing for several years and worked at whatever he could find to do, alone among strangers and an orphan. There he remained and grew up in the wilds. After his marriage to Rhoda Sperry, a native of Wayne county, West Vir- ginia, he located on a farm in Big Sandy val- ley and in that county lived the remainder of his life. One of his sons, Lafayette, owns and resides on the old homestead and is the only one of eight children living. James Vin-

son was a member of the Virginia regiment and served in the war of 1812.

William Vinson, the third of the eight chil- dren and the father of our subject, was reared at the old homestead. He became a merchant and operated a general merchandise store at Fort Gay with great success for several years and in 1856 he located in Kentucky, at the Forks of Big Sandy, where he bought a large tract of land and engaged in the timber indus- try successfully, rafting logs down the Big Sandy and Ohio rivers to the Cincinnati and Louisville markets. He became well fixed financially and influential and died on the farm in Lawrence county, Kentucky, in 1881, at the age of sixty-eight years. He was of a military turn of mind and prior to the Civil war served as colonel of a regiment of state militia for several years and in 1861 he was colonel of the Fourteenth Kentucky Volun- teer Infantry Regiment. He was in active service about two years, taking part in all en- gagements of the regiment during that time and being recognized as a successful com- mander. At the end of that time, owing to sickness contracted in service, he was com- pelled to resign and return home and was an invalid the rest of his life. He had three brothers who served in the Confederate army, Lafayette, Frank and Samuel S. Lafayette and Samuel were captured and made prison- ers at Lexington about the close of the war but through the influence of their brother, Colonel Vinson, were soon released and re- turned home. Samuel was very aggressive in war, being twice wounded and having many narrow escapes, going into places where very few would follow. During his service he rose to the rank of captain of his company, which was not the only recognition of his active use- fulness, as he was appointed United States marshal of West Virginia by President Cleve- land.

Colonel William Vinson was a staunch Democrat and active in politics during his life, serving one term in the state legislature of West Virginia, and also serving as sheriff in his native county of Wayne. He was a suc- cessful farmer, stockman and lumberman in Kentucky, owning a number of slaves before the war, bought and, sold large numbers of horses, was an extensive cattle raiser and dealer, and acquired a large estate. His wife, Jane Chambers, survived him for years, dying in 1889, at the age of seventy years. She was the daughter of Richard Chambers, a native of Virginia and from an old family, he being a well known farmer and citizen, serving as county judge. Colonel Vinson and wife were

1508

HISTORY OF KENTUCKY AND KENTUCKIANS

the parents of ten children, of whom four are living, our subject being the fourth in order of birth.

Z. C. Vinson was about nine years old when his parents located in Lawrence county, Ken- tucky, and owing to the disturbed times which the Civil war occasioned was only able to ac- quire a limited education. He assisted his father at home until his marriage, during which time he became familiar with the han- dling of stock, logging, etc. He was a natural river-man and became interested in steam- boating, buying a boat and operating freight and passenger service between Louisa and Catlettsburg on the Big Sandy. During low water on the Ohio he also operated as far as Cincinnati. He built the "Wildboy" in addi- tion to his original "Piketon" and later bought and rebuilt the "Fashion," and continued in this line for a number of years, when he sold out and returned to logging and rafting to the Cincinnati and Louisville markets. He has had a very successful career in this line, in which he is still engaged.

In 1874 Mr. Vinson took up his residence in Catlettsburg, which he made his permanent home and also the base of his operations in business. In politics he is a Democrat and formerly took an active part, having in the fall of 1883 been elected to the lower house in the state legislature from Boyd and Lawrence counties, in which he served one term, which was during the memorable race between Joseph Blackburn and John S. Williams for United States senator.

Mr. Vinson is a member of the Masonic Order at Louisa, Kentucky. He was married to Josephine Bromley, a native of Fort Gay, West Virginia, the daughter of John Bromley, also a native of Virginia, a stockman, mer- chant and timberman, farming extensively and owning many slaves before the war. Mr. and Mrs. Vinson had two children: John B., an attorney of Catlettsburg, and Jane, the wife of Warren I. Allen, a lawyer and banker of Harrodsburg, Kentucky. The wife and mother died April 5, 1908. She was a mem- ber of the Baptist church and had a beautiful Christian character and for many years was very active in the church work, of which church Mr. Vinson was also a member. Their son, John B. Vinson, an attorney of Catletts- burg, was born in Wayne county, West Vir- ginia, June 7, 1866, and was reared in Law- rence and Boyd counties, Kentucky. He was educated in the public schools, also in the Eastern Kentucky Normal and later attended Emory and Henry College in Washington county, Virginia. He then took a course at Central University at Richmond, Kentucky,

and then came to Catlettsburg and studied law in Judge Thomas R. Brown's office. He was admitted to practice in June, 1887, on his twenty-first birthday, and began the practice of his profession at once and has continued it ever since. He takes an active interest in pol- itics, is a Democrat and soon after he began to practice was elected county attorney and served four and a half years. Later he served one term of two years as city attorney. He is a bachelor and is a member of the Elks, Cat- lettsburg Lodge, No. 942.

SAMUEL J. DEBORD .- The subject of this sketch is a true and good citizen, has served his country in times of war more than once and deserves that his country should serve him in times of peace. Samuel J. DeBord was born in Lawrence county, Kentucky, September 2, 1874, the son of Stephen and Augusta (Hatfield) DeBord, the former a native of Lawrence county and the latter of Floyd county, Kentucky. The DeBord fam- ily are of French descent, emigrating from France to the American colonies at an early period and settling in what later became North Carolina and became principally farm- ers. In the early thirties Joseph DeBord, the great-grandfather of our subject, moved his. family from North Carolina to Kentucky, traveling overland through the wilderness and across mountains. There were no roads to follow and they stopped for some time at various places and in that way three years passed while they were looking for a place to locate permanently and make a home.

Joseph DeBord was a surveyor in North Carolina and followed that same business in Kentucky in early days. He finally located on a line which is now Lawrence and Johnson counties, on Laurel park, Big Blaine creek, where he took up a large tract of land of about two thousand acres in forest, the near- est habitation being twenty miles away. This proved to be some of the finest timber and soil in that part of Kentucky. Of his children, Jacob DeBord, the grandfather of our sub- ject, the youngest of seven children and the only son, was a small boy, about ten years old, when he came with his parents from North Carolina. He was reared in Kentucky and in later years bought a farm in Lawrence county, where he made his home and became prosper- ous. He was a local preacher of the Baptist church and well known among the early set- tlers, taking a great interest in that work and becoming a well known missionary. His wife was Clara Wheeler, a native of Virginia, whose parents were early settlers. Jacob DeBord and his wife were the parents of seven children, the youngest of which,

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 74

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