USA > Kentucky > Christian County > County of Christian, Kentucky : historical and biographical > Part 2
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F. J. BROWNELL was born April 15, 1837, in Fulton County, N. Y. His parents were Frederick Brownell and Annie Donnelly, the former of Scotch and the latter of Irish ancestry. The father was born in New York in 1794, served as a soldier in the war of 1812, and died in 1851 in the State of Ohio. They had a family of eleven children, viz .: Charles Brownell, of Dayton, Ohio; Phoebe, wife of James Vannatter, of New York ; Israel, died in infancy ; Samantha, wife of David Smith, of New
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York ; Jane, wife of Charles A. Phelps, of New York ; Elijah Brownell, a manufacturer, of Dayton, Ohio; Elizabeth, widow of William Zimmer- man, of Dayton, Ohio; Berintha, deceased wife of John A. Tracy ; James Il. Brownell, deceased ; F. J. Brownell, whose name heads this sketch, and John R. Brownell, who is an extensive manufacturer of en- gines at Dayton, Ohio. F. J. Brownell was reared principally in Ohio, in which State his parents settled when he was a small boy. He was educated in Buffalo, N. Y., Tiffin, Ohio, and Denison University, of Lick- ing County, Ohio. He enlisted in the fall of 1861 in Company I, Fifty- first Indiana Infantry, was appointed Sergeant, and after a service of one year was promoted to the position of First Lieutenant, commanding his company, with which commission he was mustered out in the spring of 1865. We are allowed to preserve the following as an incident in the military career of Mr. Brownell : On the 3d of May, 1863, at Gadsen, Ala., he was made a prisoner of war, and thus held until making his es- cape in March, 1865, covering a time of twenty-two months ; fifty-two weeks or just one year of which was spent in the famous Libby Prison of Richmond. At the time of Sherman's march against the Southern strongholds, he in company with many others was being removed from Columbia, S. C., to Charlotte, N. C., for greater security. While en route the engine of the freight train upon which they were carried became de- . railed, necessitating a delay of several hours. The night was chilly and dark ; fires were constructed beside the cars, and guards were stationed at either door of the cars, an order prevailing that but two prisoners be al- lowed to warm by the fire at the same time, and but one be allowed at the same time to visit an adjoining spring for water. The guards within, thinking that a sufficient guard was stationed without, went to sleep, when Mr. Brownell and Lieut. Newbrant determined upon a desperate means of escape. Mr. Brownell, who was dressed in the Confederate gray, stole the gun of the sleeping guard, dropped down by the fire where he played the role of a faithful guard, and during his vigil was cautioned to be extremely watchful, which he readily consented to do. Soon his comrade made his appearance, and desiring a drink was guarded to the spring by the faithful sentinel, Mr. Brownell. Once free they threw the gun away, and made the best of the remaining hours of darkness. Their weary march by night and their perils while lying in concealment by day,
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upon one occasion hidden beneath the floor of a cotton-gin while the rebel soldiers tramped with heavy thud over their prostrate forms-all their experiences until reaching Sherman's lines would furnish material for a ro- manee. Mr. Brownell removed to Hopkinsville, Ky., in January, 1868, and engaged with John Orr in operating a planing mill. Ife is now one o the proprietors of the " Crescent Mills." May 24, 1876, he married Mis Sallie, daughter of Rev. Thomas Bottomly, of Hopkinsville. They are both faithful members of the church, and he is a member of the Masonic fra- ternity. They have but one child, viz., Mary J. Brownell.
ISAAC BURNETT is a son of Isaac and Matha (Garnett) Burnett, and was born in Trigg County, Ky., on the 13th of January, 1838, and was there reared and received a common school education, supplemented by a course at the Cumberland College of Caldwell County, Ky. In early life he read law under the preceptorship of his brother, II. C. Burnett, and was admitted to the bar in 1859. He immediately entered upon the practice of his profession and continued the same until 1861, when he engaged in mer chandising and agricultural pursuits, continuing the same until 1883. In 1882 he came to Hopkinsville, where he is now engaged in the practice of his profession. In Christian County, Ky., in 1866, he married Miss Ritchie, daughter of Maj. John Poindexter, of this county. She was born here July 2, 1842. Her father was a native of Virginia and a son of Rev. John P. Poindexter. Ile married Miss Elizabeth Graves, of Virginia. They died in this county after a residence of about sixty yeas. They were the parents of eleven children, of whom all are now deceased except Mrs. Burnett and May L. Poindexter. Mr. and Mrs. Burnett are the parents of the following children : John P., Bessie Garnett and Ritchie P. Burnett. Mr. Burnett is an active member of the order Knights of Honor, and with his wife unites with the Christian Church.
CHARLES H. BUSH was born in Montgomery County, Tenn., on the 28th day of October, 1856. He is the only child born to Howard B. Bush and Panthea B. Bush (nee Ellis). Howard B. Bush was born in Montgomery County, Tenn., and his wife was a native of Humphreys County, of the same State ; she died a few months after the birth of Charles II., and the father died in January of 1802. Charles H. was thus deprived of the kind ministrations of loving parents, but found a warm home in the fam- ily of his unele, G. B. Bush, of Christian County, Ky. Besides the
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advantages of the private schools of this county, he prosecuted his studies for two years in the Bethany College of West Virginia. After leaving college he entered upon the study of law under Hon. Henry Burnett, of Paducah, Ky. He was admitted to practice in July, 1878, and until September, 1881, practiced in Paducah ; coming to Hopkinsville in 1881, he at once obtained a fair practice which has steadily increased. May 5, 1880, he was married to Jennie Gary, daughter of Robert S. and Mattic (Clark) Gary. She was born near Hopkinsville, Ky., November 25, 1858. They have two children : Howard and Lillian. Mr. Bush is an honored member of the Christian Church and his wife of the Baptist Church.
HON. JOHN PEIRCE CAMPBELL, JR., was born on the 8th day of December, 1820, in Christian County, Ky., and is the son of John Peirce Campbell, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. He received a thorough education, mainly in the academy of his native county, under James D. Rumsey. At the age of eighteen he began the study of law in the office of Joseph B. Crockett, and three years subsequently entered upon the practice of his profession at Lexington, Fayette Co., Mo. After nine years of successful practice in that State he returned to Ilopkinsville, and has since engaged in agricultural pursuits. In 1848 he was elected to the lower house of the Missouri Legislature ; was re-elected in 1850; and after returning to Kentucky was elected to Congress in 1855, declining re-election at the close of the term. In pol- itics he was associated with the Whig party until its dissolution ; and since the war has been identified with the Democracy, taking an active part in the political contests. He is a member of the Baptist Church, and freely gives his means and influence to the works of his church, and towards the advancement of every good cause in his community ; and is one of the most substantial and valuable men of Christian County. He was twice made President of the Henderson & Nashville Railroad, serving in that capacity for more than six years. Mr. Campbell was married, in 1856, to Miss Mary B. Faulkner, daughter of Charles J. Faulkner, of Martinsburg, Va. They have but one living child-a son who bears his father's name.
GEORGE V. CAMPBELL, a son of George and Rebecca Camp- bell, was born near Hopkinsville, Ky., September 10, 1826. In carly
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life he learned the tailoring business, which he followed for a brief period, and in June, 1850, engaged in the grocery trade, in Hopkinsville, which line he is still following, being the pioneer grocer of the city. He was married in St. Louis, Mo., November 20, 1855, to Miss Lucy A. Coleman, daughter of 'Nathan Coleman and Frances Coleman (nee Dallam). She was born in the City of St. Louis, October 8, 1838, was educated in the Bethel College of Hopkinsville, Ky., and was a member of the first grad- uating class of that institution, in June, 1855. Her grandparents, James O. and Lucy Coleman, came from Pennsylvania to Christian County, in the latter part of the eighteenth century. He was by trade a cabinet- maker, which he pursued in Hopkinsville for nearly half a century, and died in 1851, the wife surviving him until 1861. They had a numerous family, only one of whom, William, a banker of California, is now living. Many of their descendants, however, are yet living. The family of G. V. and Lucy A. Campbell consisted of seven children, of whom two died in infancy. George N., the eldest son, was born in September, 1858; Sallie M., born in September, 1861; Benjamin, born November, 1863; Fran- ยท ces R., born in March, 1865; and Lucy A. Campbell, born in July, 1871. Both Mr. and Mrs. Campbell are members of the Hopkinsville Methodist Episcopal Church. George N., in September, 1878, entered the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, from which he graduated on the 13th of March, 1881.
DR. ALEXANDER P. CAMPBELL descends from a pioneer fam- ily in Christian County. His father, George Campbell, was born in Ire- land; came with his parents to the United States in childhood, and settled in Virginia, where he grew to manhood, and where he entered the war of 1812. Nothing is definitely known of his military record, and we only know that shortly after the close of the war he came to Christian County, Ky., and here married Miss Rebecca Nichols. She was born about 1790, in this county, and was a daughter of James Nichols, a farmer and prom- inent member of the Methodist Church, who emigrated to this county from Georgia in the latter part of the seventeenth century, and died many years ago in Elkton, Todd Co., Ky. George Campbell was accidentally killed in 1826, while operating a mill near Hopkinsville. His wife was afterward married to Andrew O'Neal, who died about 1858. She lived un- til December 1, 1862, when she died at the residence of her son, G. V.
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Campbell, in Hopkinsville. George and Rebecca Campbell had a family of six children, of whom but three grew to maturity, viz. : George V., Ethalinda C., deceased wife of B. T. Underwood, and Alexander P. When the latter was twelve years old he went to Elkton, Todd County, and with Messrs. Hurt & Jones learned the trade of saddler, and until 1853 conducted that business in Elkton. He returned to Hopkinsville in 1853 and began the study of dentistry with H. A. McDaniels. In 1857, in connection with R. J. McDaniels, he opened a dental office in Hopkinsville, where he is still located and now associated with Dr. G. E. Medley, his former partner having died in 1875. He was married, in 1860, to Miss Fannie M. Ellis, daughter of Ira I. and Martha (Smith) Ellis. She was born in this county July 31, 1835. They have had a family of seven children, named as follows: John E., Alexander P., Jr., Fletcher, Ira F., George F., Frank and Bob Campbell. Both Mr. and Mrs. Campbell are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he of the K. of HI. and Royal Arcanum.
ALEXANDER CAMPBELL was born April 15, 1834, in Mercer County, this State, and when about fourteen years of age was removed to Independence, Mo., where he resided for many years, being engaged extensively in the milling and grocery business. At the time of the war he joined the Confederate ranks, but sickness prevented any extended serv- icc. lIc is a son of James and Catharine (Bradshaw) Campbell, natives of Virginia and Kentucky respectively. The father was one of the ear- liest settlers in Mercer County, Ky. He was fond of the chase, and found especial delight in a pack of hounds, but was altogether a man of steady habits and great hospitality, and although a carpenter by trade, devoted most of his life to the prosecution of his farming interests. He reared a large family of children, of whom eight are now living-Whit- taker, Jane, Benjamin B., Mary, Catharine, Alexander, Susan and T. C. Our subject was first united in marriage to Miss Ardenia Hockensmith. She died in Independence, Mo. There were two children born of this marriage, one of whom survives-Lee W., now engaged in the boot and shoe business in St. Louis, Mo. Mr. Campbell's second wife was Miss Sallie B. Hill, of Jessamine County, this State. She died at Lexington, Mo. To this marriage were born three children, of whom two are living, Maggie and T. C., who reside with their father. Mr. Campbell was sub-
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sequently married, after coming to Christian County in 1870, to Miss Graeme McCarroll, a daughter of Dr. John MeCarroll, an old settler in this county. This union has given two children, Alexander and Gracme. After locating in this county Mr. Campbell engaged in the grain and mercantile business in the town of Casky, and after moving to Hopkinsville shortly afterward, gave his attention to the revenue busi. ness and that of tax collector, having served in the capacity of Deputy Sheriff for several years. He is a man of social prominence and substan- tial worth, and is held in general esteem by his fellow-citizens. He is identified with the Democratie party, which has on several occasions honored him with the nomination for important official positions.
HON. EDWARD P. CAMPBELL was born in Caldwell County, Ky., October 21, 1832, to Samuel and Luey A. (Wilcox) Campbell. The father was of Scotch-Irish parentage, and came to Christian County, Ky., from Pennsylvania, when about seventeen years old, and during the early settlement of southwestern Kentucky. He possessed remarkable decision of character, coming to this country entirely alone and wholly dependent upon his personal exertion. He located fifteen miles west of Hopkins- ville, where he was married to a Miss Johnson, who, after bearing him several children, died in this county. Of these children, W. W. Camp- bell, of Caldwell County, Ky., is the only one surviving. He then mar- ried Miss Lucy A. Wilcox, this union resulting in the birth of four chil- dren : Edward P., Samuel H., Salina and Helen. Samuel H. died at the age of sixteen. Salina became the wife of A. Greer; Helen mar- ried James Crane, and both died in early womanhood. Edward P. was reared on the farm and received a liberal education, principally at the Cumberland College. In 1855 he began the study of law under Judge George B. Cook, of Princeton, and in 1856 was admitted to practice, which he commenced in Princeton, Ky. In 1860 he was elected Common- wealth Attorney for the Second Judicial District, serving in that capacity for eight years. He was elected in 1871 to the State Senate from the Sixth Senatorial Distriet, composed of Christian and Muhlenburg Coun- ties, but resigned in 1872 to confine himself to the prosecution of his legal business; he was married in Princeton, Ky., in 1858, to Miss Caro- line E. Taylor, daughter of W. D. S. Taylor, of Jefferson County, Ky., of which she is a native. Their family consists of Edward T., Walter
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Charles, Hugh, Elizabeth and Flavins J. Campbell. Mr. Campbell is a member of the Hopkinsville Lodge, No. 37, A. F. & A. M.
POLK CANSLER was born August 11, 1844, and is the eighth of a family of ten children born to John and Matilda (Renshaw) Cansler ; his father was born May 3, 1800, in South Carolina, and in boyhood came to Christian County, Ky., with his parents, James and Betsey Can- sler ; he married Miss Matilda Renshaw, a native of North Carolina, but a resident of Christian County from youth. She was born April 27, 1805, and died December 21, 1881. They were married in Missouri and their nnion was blessed with ten children, viz. : Artemisia Jane, Nancy Minerva; Emily Sirena; Joah, who died in infancy ; Martin V., deceased ; Marcus B., deceased ; Mary M., James K. Polk ; Selina L., deceased ; and Butler Cansler. Artemisia J. is the wife of Timothy Keys and widow of James Cooksy, Nancy M. is the wife of W. V. Croft, Emily S. is the wife of Dr. A. W. Brasher, and Mary M. is the wife of O. J. Hamby. In October, 1861, Polk Cansler enlisted as a soldier in the Federal Army, becoming a member of Company A, Twenty-fifth Ken- tneky Regiment, which was afterward consolidated with the Seventeenth Regiment ; he was honorably discharged at the expiration of his term of enlistment in January, 1865. He participated in the battles of Pitts- burg Landing, Mission Ridge, Jonesboro, Ga., and in all of the service incident to the Atlanta campaign. In 1875 he was appointed to the of- fice of Sheriff of Christian County, to fill the unexpired term of W. L. Garth, and in the election of 1876 was the choice of the people to fill the same position, which he did with acceptance for two years ; he has been variously connected with the business interests of the city, and is now conducting a livery business, and owns a very fine stable, which was erected in 1882 after the big fire. This building is fire-proof, two stories with basement, and contains a commodious office and ladies' waiting-room. Through his spirit of enterprise Mr. Cansler has opened his stable to the stock dealers, two days in each month, for the purpose of trading in stock, or buying and selling stock either at public auction or private sale. This feature, thongh new, is meeting a felt want, and is no longer an experi- ment. Ile was married, December 20, 1876, to Miss Elvira A., danghter of Augustus and Sidney Boales (nee Roberts). Mrs. Cansler was born in Christian County, April 11, 1847. Both Mr. Cansler and his wife are
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members of the church. They are the parents of four children ; the two elder died in infancy, and the living are Maud and Charley Polk Cansler.
GEORGE A. CHAMPLIN is a native of Chautauqua County, N. Y., and was born September 9, 1832. When three years old he, with his parents, Cyrus M. and Amy Champlin, moved to Indiana, where, in Marshall County, he grew to manhood. In 1851 he entered Center Col- lege, of Michigan, where he pursued his studies four years, graduating in 1856. He immediately came to Christian County, Ky., and for two years engaged in teaching at Lafayette. IIe occupied his leisure hours in the study of law, which he had previously begun. Later he entered the office of Phelps & McKee, of Hopkinsville, under whose instructions he completed his preparatory reading; was admitted to the bar in 1859, since which time he has been connected with the Hopkinsville bar. In 1865 he formed a partnership with J. W. McPherson, which continued until 1877. In 1866 he was elected to the office of County Attorney, which he filled with acceptance for a term of four years ; was then elected to the office of County Commissioner of Schools, a position he has since held, and for which he has shown a marked fitness, and we deem it but just to say that no man has done more for the public good than has been done by Mr. Champlin in his policy of furthering the cause of public and popular education. He is a Deacon in the Southern Presbyterian Church, and a member of the Royal Arcanum of Hopkinsville; he was married in the city of Hopkinsville in February, 1859, to Miss Mary Henry, daugh- ter of Daniel and Lucy (Green) Henry. She is a native of the county, and descends from one of the pioneer families. To them have been born three children, two of whom are deceased; the other, Green Henry Cham- plin, was born in Hopkinsville July 20, 1863.
JOSEPH MILTON CLARK, whose paternal grandfather was one of the first settlers of Christian County and one of its early Sheriff's, was born in the northern part of the county, March 13, 1817. With the exception of the time intervening from 1838 to 1845 (which was spent in Missouri) he has spent his entire life in Christian County. In conse- quence of his early surroundings his education is entirely self-acquired, and although he has always lived in the retirement of farm life he has nevertheless filled some very important offices of trust and honor in this county ; he served several years as Deputy Sheriff, and was twice elected
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to the office of County Assessor previous to the adoption of the new Con- stitution, and twice elected to a similar office under the present Constitu- tion. Besides these offices he has served as Constable and Deputy United States Marshal. While in Dade County, Mo., he was twice elected to the office of Justice of the Peace; he was a Democrat previous to the late war, but through that struggle supported the administration, and was the principal enrolling officer for this county. He was married in Polk County, Mo., in 1841, to Miss Malinda, daughter of Hilery and Marion Barks. She was born in 1818 in the State of Tennessee and died in Christian County, Ky., October 14, 1876. She was the mother of eight children, four of whom died in infancy. Those reaching maturity are: Amanda M., wife of William J. Morris, of Hutchinson, Kan., and mother of two children, Charles W. and Z. W. Morris ; and Pernecy, wife of James D. Brown, of Christian County, and mother of five chil- dren ; Maranda E., deceased, wife of F. M. Morris, died in this county September 15, 1877, leaving three children, viz .: Mary Ina, Adalissa and Clinton M. Morris, who are members of our subjeet's family ; Jo- seph L. Clark died at the age of twenty years.
JOHN H. CLARK, a native of Hopkinsville, Ky., was born March 28, 1841, and is one of four children, born to Thomas P. and Ann (Durrett) Clark, the latter a native of Kentucky and the former of Vir- ginia, in which State he grew to manhood, and soon after came to Ken- tueky with his father. They settled on a farm eight miles east of Hop- kinsville. John H., the subject, received his education in the schools of Ilopkinsville. He remained at home until attaining his majority, when his father gave him the farm of 150 acres upon which he still resides. He has been twice married : first, March 10, 1864, to Tabitha Baker, a native of Christian County ; she died December 15, 1881, leaving five children : Thomas E., William H., Milton, Nannie and Mary F. Two daughters, Lillie and Lizzie, died in infancy. Mr. Clark was next mar- ried March 15, 1883, to Emma H. Moore, of Christian County.
GEORGE B. COOMBS was born April 9, 1830, in Nelson County, Ky., where he was reared. He has devoted his time until late years to the pursuits of the farm, principally in Muhlenburg and Christian Counties. In 1849 he removed from his native county to Muhlenburg County, where on the 19th of November, 1851, he married Miss Elizabeth,
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daughter of Jacob and Catherine (Yonts) IFam. She was born and reared in Muhlenburg County, and died in Christian County, July 5, 1879, leav- ing seven children, one of whom has since died. The living are: William E., John M., Augustus B., Katie, Ruth and Warner Coombs. Mr. Coombs, on the 17th of August, 1882, was married to his present wife, Nannie E. Hester, a native of Christian County, born in 1850, and who has borne him one child-Annie R. Coombs. In 1869 Mr. Coombs removed to this county and located in the south part, where he now owns a farm, and where he remained until he removed to Hopkinsville, in 1882. For the past six years he has been engaged in the butcher business on an extensive scale, supplying all the meats consumed by the Western Insane Asylum. He is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Knights of Honor. The parents of our subject were Edward W. and Mildred Coombs (nee Mason). These parents were natives of Nelson County, Ky., where the mother died in 1836. Soon after her death the father inet with an accident whereby he lost a leg, which event of course changed the course of his life. Until 1851 he remained in Nelson County, serving several years in official capacity, but at the latter date went to Muhlenburg County, Ky., remaining with the family of his son George B., and there by appointment he served as Assessor of Internal Revenue. He had a family of three children : George B., Elizabeth, wife of H. C. Dillman, and Rebecca, wife of J. S. Vaught, of Ohio County, Ky. He was the youngest of a family of six- teen children, all of whom lived to extreme old age. IIe died February 23, 1884, in his eightieth year, at the residence of Mrs. Dillman, in this county.
JAMES O. COOPER, son of James and Eliza (Jones) Cooper, was born in Christian County, Ky., July 9, 1838. His father was born and grew to manhood in the State of Virginia, but in early life came to Kentucky, settling ten miles south of the city of Hopkinsville, on the place still known as the Cooper farin. He was married in Christian County, to Eliza, daughter of James and Leah Jones, who came from the State of Virginia, where Eliza was born. James Cooper died at his homestead in this county, in Angust, 1838, leaving two children : Thomas H. and James O. Cooper, the former now a resident of Graves County, Ky. The mother was after- ward married to Thomas Torian, by whom she had eight children, of
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