USA > Kentucky > Christian County > County of Christian, Kentucky : historical and biographical > Part 20
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JOHN C. MARQUESS was born in Sumner County, Tenn., No- vember 12, 1836. IIe is the fifth of eleven children born to William K. and Charlotte (Armstrong) Marquess. His parents were natives of Sumner County; his mother died in Todd County, Ky., in 1859, but his father is
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still alive, and resides in Trigg County. Mr. Marquess has three brothers and three sisters. He remained at home with his father till his thirtieth year, thus securing a practical English education. They went into part- nership on John's coming of age, and in January, 1867, he began by him- self in the wheelwright and blacksmithing business, which he has continued ever since. In 1881 he commenced to undertake general merchandising in Pee Dee. On January 24, 1867, he was married to Bettie, the fourth of eight children of John M. and Mollie (Dyer) Darnell. Mrs. Marquess is a member of the Reformed Church.
DAVID S. MASON was born in Buckingham County, Va., April 20, 1830. He is a son of John and Annie (Smith) Mason, natives of Cumberland County, Va. Subject's grandfather was a Revolutionary soldier, who never returned from the war. He was a native of England, but espoused the cause of the colonies and sealed his devotion to that cause with his life. He left a widow and several children. David, the subject, was married, December 22, 1859, to Miss Mary Ann Jones of Hopkinsville. Mr. Mason follows farming and milling-he owns the Star Mills on Little River, and 240 acres of excellent land adjacent. His stalwart sons assist him in both branches of his business.
EDGAR FARLEY MORRIS was born in Christian County, Ky., March 10, 1845, being the eldest child of Augustus and Anne (Johnson) Morris. Edgar's father died on July 31, 1846. This family were among the earliest settlers of Christian County, Eddin Morris immigrating there from Kanawha County, Va., in 1817. Edgar's mother married J. F. Drane, by whom she had five more children. Mr. Morris remained at home with his mother till her second marriage, when he removed to his grandfather's farm, and npon the deccase of that relative he sold 100 acres of the homestead, reserving 300 acres on which he at present lives. Eddin Morris was a captain in the war of 1812. On May 11, 1865, Edgar married Bettie, daughter of Madison and Mary (Pinnor) Northing- ton, and they have had born to them four children : Augustus E., Thomas W., Alcyon and Augusta. He produces tobacco, corn, wheat, and also turns his attention to the raising of hogs. Mr. Morris is a good and public-spirited citizen.
JOIIN L. MOSS was born in Montgomery County, Tenn., Novem- ber 10, 1854. Ile is the fifth child of Stephen Young and Caroline
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(Gold) Moss. His father was born in Virginia and his mother in Tenn- essee. They were farmers and devoted to their children. John was educated in the common school, and is now a farmer. In 1857 he removed to Beverly, Christian Co., Ky., and finally to his present place in 1884. On March 5 he married Ella, youngest daughter of Archibald and Alice Campbell, late of Todd County. Her parents and four brothers and sisters are all dead. She joined the Baptist Church in 1877, and is still a member. He is at present farming 360 acres of land, devoting his attention to the growing of tobacco, wheat, corn, etc. They have two children named respectively Campbell and Frederick.
BENJAMIN BEDFORD NANCE is a native of this county and of this precinct. He was born April 28, 1830, and is a son of Joel and Sarah (Sholar) Nance. Joel Nance, the father of subject, was a native of Bedford County, Va., and came to Shelby County, Ky., in 1818. He had been a soldier in the war of 1812, and fought gallantly for his country. He removed to Christian County in 1821, and lived here until his death, September 11, 1879. He was a thorough and practical farmer, genial, hospitable and loved to have his friends around him. Benjamin, the subject, received but a common school education, and when only about twenty years of age was married to Miss Jane Giles. Five children were the result of this union : Mary A., now Mrs. Ernest White; Sarah E., now Mrs. R. C. Crenshaw; Martha J., who died when a child ; Emma L., now Mrs. Robert Farnsworth, and John B. Mrs. Nance died June 30, 1860, and Mr. Nance afterward married Miss America B. Usher, daughter of Dr. James H. Usher. They had one child, Robert H., who died. His wife died August 19, 1868, and he married a third time, October 22, 1872, Miss Josephine H. Usher, a sister of his deceased wife. Four children are the result of this last marriage : Lucy, Annie MI., Mary T. and Lizzie HI. Mr. and Mrs. Nance are members of the South Union Baptist Church. He is a public- spirited citizen, and like his father, is a practical and energetic farmer.
THOMAS T. OWEN was born in Ilalifax County, Va., February 29, 1808. Ile is the second son of William and Elizabeth Owen (nee Torian). They had sixteen children whom they raised, eleven sons and five daughters. Ifis parents were natives of Virginia ; seven are living of his father's children : the subject of this biography, Joseph L.,
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Obedience and Elizabeth who reside with him, Andrew, James J. and Edward. Mrs. William Owen died in Virginia in 1856, Mr. William Owen died in Virginia in 1857. Mr. Thomas T. Owen, the subject, married Miss Mary Ann Foulks at her father's residence, Halifax County, Va. She was the youngest daughter. She was devoted to her family, and a life-long member of the Baptist Church. Mr. Owen and sisters are also members of that church. Ile removed from Virginia to Christian County, Ky., in the fall of 1852. Ilere engaging in farming he acquired 700 acres of land, and commodious buildings, five miles northwest of Hopkins- ville on the Princeton road. Eight children blessed his marriage, four sons and four daughters, of whom two sons and three daughters are living ; all are married. He brought some means from Virginia, including forty blacks. Ile has given a farm to all his children but two; he can provide for them all. He put up a steam saw and grist-mill on his place, which enables him to make meal and lumber. Ile was for years a stanch friend of prohibition. He looks on alcohol as a dangerous foe to human happiness.
MARTIN V. OWEN was born in Christian County, Ky., November 29, 1837. He is the youngest of eight children (four of each sex) of William A. and Sarah Elizabeth (Creed) Owen. His mother was born near Alexandria, Va., and emigrated with her parents to Hawkins County, Tenn. ITis father was a Tennessean, and died there in 1837. Emigrat- ing with her children to Christian County, Ky., she afterward returned to Murfreesboro, Tenn., where she died of cancer in 1855. Martin went to the Baptist College there under President Pendleton. He also attended the common schools in Kentucky, working in summer in order to attend the schools in winter, and he paid his board in part by working of a Saturday while at school. His mother had considerable property when she removed to Kentucky, which was unfortunately entrusted to others and lost. Mr. Martin Owen being thrown so carly upon his own resources for an education and means of subsistence, worked one entire year for $40, and the last year he worked for $140. In 1856 he traveled in , Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, and then returned to Christian County, greatly benefited by what he had seen in those States of farming generally. He managed farms for various people from 1857 to 1864, and in 1865 he commenced farming on his own account, being
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for the next four years profitably engaged with Dr. Clardy in farming and the tobacco trade. He bought his present homestead in 1870. In 1874 he became General Agent and Inspector of tobacco for Bryant & Co. of Hopkinsville, afterward becoming General Agent for Buckner & Wood, tobacconists. On November 18, 1863, he married Mattie, daugh- ter of Capt. John Pierce, a native of North Carolina, and Captain in the war of 1812. They have three living children-Lizzie, Frank and Allen. The parents and Lizzie are members of the Methodist Church and of the Church Hill Grange, Mr. Owen being a charter member and Lizzie lady Assistant Secretary.
MILES G. RADFORD was born in Buckingham County, Va., Au- gust 19, 1808. Ilis father was Reuben, the son of John Radford ; his mother's name was Phoebe Gibson, and a daughter of Miles Gibson. Reuben Radford, subject's father, was a Captain in the war of 1812, and was within a day's march of the battle of New Orleans, but unable to reach the scene of action, and compelled to listen to the roar of the can- non without participating in the fight. Miles G., or "Rock " Radford as he is known in his neighborhood, was educated in the common schools of Kentucky, his parents having removed to Green County, this State, when he was but three years old. His father died when he was seven years old, and his mother died four years later. Hle farmed with his brother-in-law until he was twenty, and then followed " overseeing " until he was twenty-seven. Ile has been married three times; his first wife was Elizabeth Poole, to whom he was married in December, 1835. They had three children : Sarah Elizabeth, Albert T. and Amelia J., all of whom are now dead. His wife died in 1839-40, and some years later he married Miss Emily B. Cheatham, with whom he lived some eighteen years; she then died, childless. Five years later he married Miss Ann G., a daughter of William and Elizabeth Alexander. Mr. Radford was arrested during the late war, and taken to Louisville, for his sympathy with the rebellion, where he was kept several weeks a prisoner. Finally he was tried, with others who were arrested and taken there at the same time, and after considerable red tape were all sent home, after taking the oath of " allegiance," etc.
JOHN M. RAMSEY, M. D., was born November 15, 1851, seven miles north of Gallatin, Tenn., and is the eldest of seven children born to
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E. A. and S. N. Ramsey, the former a native of Rockcastle County, Ky. His grandfather was a very early settler near Lancaster, in Garrard County, Ky. His father removed to Tennessee when grown, where he taught school, and afterward engaged in farming. He married Sarah McNeill, the eldest of three children of John and Henrietta McNeill. Dr. Ramsey worked on the farm until seventeen years of age, attending school during the winter, when he was thrown upon his own resources, his father not being able to give him any further education. During the next seven years he taught and attended school alternately, gaining in this way a good preparatory education. IIe then began reading medi- cine, and in the fall of 1877 he entered the medical department of the University of Nashville, and Vanderbilt University, from which he grad- uated in March, 1879, obtaining two gold medals. Vanderbilt University conferred upon him his diploma as a physician. Returning home to Gal- latin he remained there until in August, when he came to Christian County, and settled in what is known as the Sinking Fork neighborhood, six miles northwest of Ilopkinsville. In the State of his adoption, where he went among strangers for the purpose of carving out a path in life, he soon obtained friends and patronage under adverse circumstances, being without money and without even a horse to practice his profession. By assiduity and close attention those difficulties were soon overcome, and in the winter of 1883-84 lie bought a home, where he expects to build him- self an elysium. He is a member of the Methodist Church, and Superin- tendent of the Pisgah Sunday-school. Faithful to his friends, his pro - fession, his God and the cause of education, he has done much to repair the Sinking Fork Church, build the Sinking Fork Schoolhouse, furnishing nearly a third of the money and superintending the work himself. And as trustee of the public school he has endeavored to build up the cause of education and morality in the vicinity.
RUFUS A. RUSSELL was born in Lafayette, this county, on December 12, 1843, and is the fourth of seven children born to J. II. and . Elizabeth (Beazley) Russell. His father was a native of Pennsylvania, who removed to Lafayette, engaging in merchandising there until 1856. Ile both married and buried his wife there. After engaging in business in various places he finally settled in McPherson County, Kan., where he at present resides. Rufus lived in Lafayette, attending school till four-
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teen years old. In 1858 his father removed to Stewart County, Tenn., when Rufus began to work on the farm, and continued to do so till the spring of 1864, when he again attended school. In November of the same year he engaged as clerk in the grocery store of R. W. Tuck, La- fayette, with whom he remained till 1867, marrying in August of that year Miss Tillie E. Boyd. In January, 1868, he removed to his father's in Stuart County, Tenn., farming and milling with him till 1872, when his father removed to Illinois, and then to Kansas, Rufus, however, re- maining. He has had two children : John, who died in infancy ; and Willie, whe is now a large boy, born February 18, 1870. His wife died in September, 1876. In February, 1878, he married Lewis P., the eldest child of W. V. and Lucy W. Rives ; her father is a native of North Caro- lina, and her mother of Montgomery County, Tenn. They have had three children. In November, 1878, they removed to part of the Henry Young farm which he had purchased; again, in January, 1883, removing to the Richardson farm, where he now resides. Mr. Russell is a member of the Church IIill Grange, and of the Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Russell is a member of the Methodist Church. He was trustee of the Lafayette Female Institute, to which he contributed liberally.
GEORGE WALTON SOUTHALL was born near the town of La- fayette, in this county, April 18, 1858. IIis father was William II. Sonthall, a son of Holman Sonthall of North Carolina ; his mother was a daughter of James and Sarah Thacker, and was a native of this county. George W.'s parents were married in Stewart County, Tenn., emigrated te this county, and settled near Lafayette, where Mr. Southall now lives. William H. began life without property, and by diligence and per- severance accumulated considerable wealth, much of it in land, which ag- gregated 1,300 acres. His wife died in 1871. Of the eight children born to them four are now living. George W., the subject, was married, December 22, 1874, to Miss Lucy E. Mosely, of Trigg County, a daugh- ter of Daniel and Lucy Mosely. Their children are: Mary E., Willie Nathaniel (who died at the age of two years), Walter HI. and Vernor Bell. Mrs. Southall is a consistent member of the Baptist Church.
WILLIAM T. STOWE was born in Halifax County, Va., April 26, 1818, second of nine children forming the family of William and Obedi- ence T. (Cardwell) Stowe, both natives of Virginia, and also their place
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of death. William remained at home working on the farm during sum- , mer and attending school in winter, until November, 1841. He then started alone and on horseback for Christian County, where he arrived . on the 20th, the journey occupying seventeen days. All he possessed was a horse and $42 in cash. The first business he did was for John H. Phelps, of Hopkinsville, who owned a farm. William engaged to manage the farm for his board and $225. per annum. After this he managed the farm of C. N. Roach at $150 and board per year. During the next seven years he rented a farm which he ran for himself, after which he leased the widow Isabel Bennett farm in Trigg County for nine years. Having been very saving he was able to purchase his present farm of 4023 acres in 1865 from B. W. Macrae, paying $21,162.50 cash in hand. His next purchase was the Dr. Prince farm of 2673 acres, on the Canton road, for $10,000, for which he paid cash in 1870. He then purchased the Isabel Bennett place in Trigg County, having previously leased it, and paid for this the sum of $8,000, the acreage of this place being pretty extensive. The Robert Dulin place of 311 aeres was his next venture, the sum of $10,000 changing hands. Since then he has purchased two small tracts, for which he paid $1,500. Besides paying for all this land he has been able to accommodate good men with loans. He was married December 17, 1846, to Miss M. J. Wood. She was born in Christian County, Ky., and is the daughter of John and Lucy (Saunders) Wood. Her father was a native of North Carolina, and her mother of Virginia, who died about thirty-two years ago. They have had ten children, the first two of whom died in infancy, the third, John Henry, dying at twen- ty-four. The living children are: George Howard, Frederick C. and Edward A. (twins), Julia A., William Dudley, Robert Thomas and Mary E. The entire family are members of the Baptist Church, on the Cadiz road, nine miles west of Hopkinsville.
WILLIAM D. SUMMERS was born in Christian County, Ky., October 25, 1850, and is the youngest of a family of twelve children born to William and Harriet A. Summers. His father, who was a native of Fairfax County, Va., from whence he removed in 1828, settled in Chris- tian County, Ky., on the place known as the Rosedale farm. Here he engaged in farming to the elose of his life, which terminated in 1875. Ile was one of the most practical and systematic farmers in the county.
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His social qualities were of the highest order, kind and hospitable to all, and especially to the ministers of the Gospel, who ever found his house open to their entertainment. But it was in the privacy of his own family that his true character shone brightest, being a most devoted husband and father. Ilis wife, Harriet A. Summers, was born in Sumner County, Tenn., and still survives him. She is now a member of the family of her son, William D., and for the past fifty years has been a devoted member of the Methodist Church. William D. Summers was educated principally in the Kentucky University of Lexington, and since 1871 has devoted his time and energy to the pursuits of the farm. In this industry of all industries, he has proven himself a master hand. To him belongs the credit of introducing hay-presses into the county, thus giving an impetus to that department of agriculture which the county hitherto had not known. This he did in May, 1881, and in the season of 1883 he alone produced a crop of 800,000 pounds of hay. He also, by his personal influence, carried to successful issue the plan for constructing the macadamized road from Hopkinsville to his farm. It is not a selfish interest that calls into action the native energy of this sterling man, but the result of his enterprise is such as to secure lasting good to the com- munity of which he is an honored member. In 1879, chiefly through his influence and by his means, a good schoolhouse was erected in his district, supplying a want which for several years had been seriously felt by the public. Good roads, good schools and churches are the foundation of commerce, intelligence and religion. These are the corner-stones of progress and prosperity ; to foster and encourage them is the duty of all mankind, is indeed a sacred trust for the faithful discharge of which every citizen is personally responsible. Mr. Summers was married in the city of Nashville, Tenn., December 6, 1871 to Miss Amanda Broady, who died two years subsequently, leaving one son -- Leslie A. Summers. His present wife, to whom he was married in 1876, was Miss Julia, youngest daughter of A. D. and Sidney Bowles. They have one child, a daughter, named Lady S. Summers.
MRS. JENNIE E. THURMOND was born at the old homestead, five miles from Hopkinsville, and is a daughter of William A. and Har- rict (Antony) Summers. Her father was a native of Virginia and her mother of Tennessee ; he moved to Tennessee and there engaged in farm-
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ing and there married. Banks Antony, her grandfather, was a soldier in the war of 1812, and one of the few martyrs of the battle of New Orleans. Her father was one of fifteen children, and starting out early to seek his fortune, went to Tennessee, where he acquired a handsome fortune. Mrs. Thurmond was educated in the common schools, finishing off in the female school of Hopkinsville, under the superintendence of Prof. James Rumsey. She was married October 11, 1854, to R. C. Thur- mond, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, and a son of William and Eliza- beth Thurmond. They had nine children : Alice, William S., John C., Amanda S., Lizzie Lee, Mary E., Susan B., Richard S., and Annie . Laurie. Mrs. Thurmond is a member of the Methodist Church.
JOHN CARTER TIIURMOND was born in Union Schoolhouse Precinct, this county, on February 25, 1861. He is the third of nine children of Richard C. and Jennie Eliza Thurmond. His grandfather emigrated to this country from England, and settled in Tennessee, where our subjeet's father was born. Ilis mother is the daughter of William A. Summers. John C. was educated in the county school. He farmed at home until within the last three years, since which he has been farming on his own account. Ile cultivates three farms comprising 700 aeres, 500 of which he has in actual cultivation, for attendance to which he em- ploys fifteen hands in summer and eight in winter, raising wheat, tobacco, clover, corn and oats ; this year he has 250 acres in wheat. In 1883 he raised 1,200 bushels of wheat ; over 1,200 bushels of corn ; fifty acres of tobacco and 11,000 pounds of meat from fifty-three hogs. He has 100 sheep, fifteen head of cattle and nine head of work-stock. Having made such progress, he has had to add a steam thresher to his stock of farming implements. On November 1, 1883, he was married to Miss Lela E. Wood, at the residence of her father in Christian County, Ky. She is the third child of Lee and Mary (Bennett) Wood. She joined the Bap- tist Church at the age of fifteen, and was educated in the common schools of Kansas, Missouri and Kentucky. She taught subscription school for three months at Pisgah. Mr. Thurmond began life with but small means, leaving success to follow in the wake of great industry, and the good resulting from that steadiness of purpose and common sense of which he is possessed, is his present prosperity.
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JACOB TORIAN was born in the southern part of Christian Coun-
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ty, January 9, 1833. He is the fourth of seven children born to Drury and Obedience (Torian) Torian. Drury was the son of George Torian, of Virginia, both families being natives of that State, ultimately removing to what is now Trigg County, where the parents of Jacob were married. Our subject attended the common school, and worked at home till eight- een, when he started out for himself, managing the farm of his uncle, Thomas Torian, five years, making a big success. On May 23, 1881, he married Mrs. Mary E. Brewer, third child and second daughter of Thomas and Ann Eliza Torian. She had seven brothers and sisters, was born on the farm where she now resides, and was educated in the subscription schools of the county and in Hopkinsville. On April 14, 1864, she was married to Robert S. Brewer, and had three children by him. Mrs. Torian is a member of the Baptist Church.
DR. JAMES HENRY USHER was born January 28, 1806, near Rocktown, now Harrisonburg, Rockingham Co., Va. He is the sec- ond of nine children of David and Rebecca (Irvin) Usher. The family emigrated to Christian County in 1802. Mr. Robert Usher, the Doctor's grandfather, came here in 1811. They settled three miles southeast of Hopkinsville on the Clarksville road, where the grandparents died ; David, his father, dying here also, in 1835, followed by his wife at the age of seventy-five years, in 1858. The Doctor remained with his father's family until he commenced to read medieine with Dr. William D. Cope. Ile married Miss Lucinda Compton December 29, 1831, in Washington County, Ky. Dr. Usher's two sons, James H. and Franeis M., were graduates in medicine at Pennsylvania University in 1857. J. H. settled in Milburn, Ballard Co., Ky., and practiced about four years, when he died. F. M. settled in Fulton County, near Hickman, and has secured a large practice. Dr. Usher had three other sons and seven daughters : Sarah T. L. S. Proctor ; A. V., married B. B. Nance ; Mary E .; Ophelia HI., married F. J. Northington ; Josephine II., present wife of B. B. Nance ; Emma E., married T. G. Gaines; and Marietta, married R. H. Scott, of Illinois. Dr. Usher remained in Washington County, practicing medicine one year, and then removed to his present homestead, and has remained there ever since, engaged in farming, ex- eepting a period of five years, during which he practiced medicine here. Mrs. Usher died on June 17, 1875.
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