USA > Kentucky > Daviess County > History of Daviess County, Kentucky, together with sketches of its cities, villages, and townships, educational religious, civil military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, biographies of representative citizens, and an outline history of Kentucky > Part 23
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HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
tice of his profession in Evansville in 1878-'9. In the spring of 1880 he went to Dubois County, Ind., on account of his health; remained there two years. In June, 1882, he came to Owensboro, and formed a partnership with Thomas E. Lamping. He is a member of the DuBois County, Ind., the Owensboro and McDow- ell medical societies. He was married July 15, 1880, to Susie, dangliter of John Herman, of Evansville, Ind. They have one son-Arthur John Henry.
Dr. William J. Springfield, Vanover Precinct, was born in Web- ster (then Hopkins) County, Jan. 22, 1843, and is a son of John Springfield, a native 'of Virginia, who came to Kentucky in 1839. The Doctor was brought up on a farm, and educated in the com- mon schools. He graduated from the Cincinnati Medical College in June, 1874, and located for the practice of medicine in West Louisville, the same year. In 1875 he removed to his farm in this precinct, where he still lives, and has built up a large practice. He also carries on farming and stock-raising. He was married in 1875, to Mrs. Rafferty, daughter of the late Lewis I. Burns, of his county. They had two children, one living-Aurelia. Mrs. Springfield died June 20, 1880, and March 10, 1881, the Doctor married Miss Belle Aull, daughter of Robert P. Aull, deceased. They have one child-Ansel. The Doctor owns 1063 acres in his farm, and an undivided one third of seventy-two acres in another tract.
Charles Tyler Thomas, M. D., born in Owensboro, Oct. 19, 1851; attended the Hospital College of Medicine at Louisville in 1875-'6, and graduated from Evansville Medical College in Feb- ruary, 1878. He began the practice of medicine in the spring of 1878, in Murray Precinct.
Dr. Charles H. Todd, the subject of this sketch, is the young- est child of Colonel Charles S. Todd, who was chief of staff for General Harrison in the war of 1812, minister to South America under Mr. Adams in 1826, and minister to Russia under General Harrison in 1840. He is a grandson of Judge Thomas Todd, of the Supreme Court of the United States, and the youngest grand- child of Governor Isaac Shelby.
Dr. Todd was born in Shelby County, Nov. 6, 1838, and edu- cated at Frankfort under the distinguished tutor, B. B. Sayre, with whom ne remained five years.
In 1858 he removed to New Orleans, where he was a resident student for more than twelve months in the Charity Hospital, and
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graduated at the University of Louisiana in 1861. He was selected by the faculty of Louisiana from a graduating class of 127, for the position of assistant physician of the insane asylum at Bayou Sara, La. He was examined for and received his degree two months before the end of the term, and immediately assumed the position to which he had been elected, and which he filled for eight months.
At the breaking out of the war he resigned his position in the asylum, and went to Virginia as assistant surgeon of the Sixth Louisiana Regiment. In 1862 he was promoted to the position of regimental surgeon of that regiment, Hay's brigade, Stonewall Jackson's division of General Lee's army, in which active field service he remained until the final surrender of his command at Appomattox Court-House.
On the 15th of February, 1865, Dr. Todd was married to Rosa, the youngest daughter of Mr. Wm. M. Burwell, of Liberty, Bed- ford Co., Va.
At the close of the war, in common with the majority of the de- fenders of the lost cause, Dr. Todd found himself without means, and with gloomy prospects for the future, and, as his father and mother were then residing in Owensboro, he determined to visit that place before selecting a location.
Owing to scarcity of money, he made the trip from Lynchburg, Va., to Owensboro, Ky.,-a distance of six hundred miles,-on horseback. The season was early spring, and the roads and weather in the worst condition, and the unsettled state of the country through which he passed added danger to the discomfort of the journey; but after a tedious ride of twenty-two days he found him- self at Owensboro, unharmed except by fatigue.
Dr. Todd located in Owensboro, September, 1865, and entered at once upon the duties of his profession, and his practice as a physi- cian has been large and lucrative, and he enjoys the confidence of the community, which has been evidenced by the positions of great lionor and responsibility to which he has been called by the citizens.
Trustee of the Owensboro City Schools for years, Vice-Presi- dent for two years, and President for seven years of the Daviess County Agricultural Fair Company, which position he filled with honor to himself and satisfaction to his constituents, and with great advantage to' the institutions which he served.
While an active worker in matters of general interest Dr. Todd 16
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kept pace with the progress of his chosen profession, and was elected in 1876 Vice-President of the Kentucky State Medical So- ciety at Hopkinsville, and in 1878 was elected President of the society at Frankfort.
D :. Todd succeeded as President Dr. L. P. Yandell, of Louisville, one of the oldest, most learned and accomplished physicians and surgeons in the Western country. This distinction, in view of the comparative youth of Dr. Todd, was very great, but, in view of his experience and acquirements, not more than he merited. Dr. Todd was the only man who ever held both positions in the Ken- tncky State Medical Society, and was the first young man ever elected president, and his election had one other peculiar feature: The rule was to elect the oldest practitioner which the society would chance to meet, and Dr. Todd's election was the first de- parture from that established rule.
A singular line of coincidences seems to mark this important period of his life. He was elected at Frankfort, where he was edu- cated, and to which place he had never before returned, and pre- sided at Danville, where his father and mother were born, and on the occasion of the erection by the Kentucky State Medical Society of a monument to his uncle, Dr. Ephraim McDowell, the great and world-renowned ovariotomist.
Samuel S. Watkins, M. D., one of the first members of the medical profession of Daviess County, has been a resident of Owens- boro since 1855. His ancestors were in Virginia, early in the history of that colony. Three brothers emigrated from England, one settling in Maryland, another in Virginia, and a third in North Carolina. From the Virginia branch is Dr. Watkins descended. The home of the family in Virginia was Albemarle County. Dr. Wat. kins is the son of Absalom Watkins. His mother's maiden name was Maria McClanahan. His father emigrated from Virginia to Kentucky about 1816, when twenty years of age. He settled first in Bourbon County, and about 1818 was married, and soon after removed to Breckenridge County. Absalom Watkins was here a man of prominence and influence, twice a Representative in the Legislature from the county of Breckenridge, and once in the Sen- ate of Kentucky. He died in Owensboro in 1865. Samuel S. Watkins, the third in a family of seven children, was born in Breckenridge County, Ky., the fourth of December, 1824. At the age of ten his father sent him to a seminary at Hardinsburg. Re- maining here three years, he attended Mount Merino, a Catholic
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school in Breckenridge County. At eighteen he began the study of medicine at Hardinsburg, with Drs. Hardin and Thomas. He attended lectures in the Louisville University in the winter of 1844-'45, and began practice in Hardinsburg in 1845. In 1846 he was married to Miss Elizabeth Thomas, daughter of Dr. J. H. Thomas, with whom he was there engaged in the practice of medicine. Dr. Watkins moved to Texas in 1848, where Mrs. Watkins died, in 1852, and in 1854 he returned to Kentucky, spend- ing the following year in the University at Louisville. In May, 1855, the Doctor returned to Owensboro, having been married the April preceding, to Snsan M. Thomas, of Breckenrige County, a sister of his former wife. He at once gained a good practice, and main- tains a leading rank in his profession at the present time. His reputation as a skillful practitioner is merited by the marked suc- cess that has attended his efforts. Seven of his nine children are living. In politics Dr. Watkins was formerly a Whig and is now a Democrat, though he mingles but little in political affairs, except to discharge his duties at the polls when he deems it necessary as a citizen. He is a Methodist in his religious convictions. As a citizen and physician Dr. Watkins enjoys the esteem and confidence of the people of Daviess Connty in a high degree.
Nathan H. Wilkinson, M. D., was born Aug. 29, 1854, in Marion County, Ky., and is a son of George H. and Elizabeth (Gertin) Wilkinson; his father a native of Virginia and his mother of Marion County, Ky. His mother died in 1863; his father resides on a farm near Owensboro. Nathan H. is the eldest of three sons, his brothers being James Wallace and George B. He came to Owensboro when fourteen years of age, and from that time has worked to acquire the knowledge of medicine. He went to school during the winter and worked with his father at the carpenter's trade during the summer, until he was competent to teach. After teaching several terins he was employed in a dry-goods store as clerk, and remained there two years. During this time, June 1, 1875, he was married to Anna B., daughter of Timothy Burgess, and a native of Concordia, Ky. Having earned a sufficient amount from his labors, and having paid considerable attention to the study in private, he entered the office of Dr. Stewart, a former prac- titioner of Owensboro, and remained with him a year. After Dr. Stewart's removal to Frankfort he studied with Dr. Lamping a year. He then attended the Medical University at Louisville five months, and finally graduated from the Cincinnati College of
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Physicians and Surgeons in 1881, and shortly after began the prac- tice of his profession in Owensboro. From 1877-'81 he traded largely in stock, shipping to all markets, which resulted very profit- ably. He owns city property in Owensboro to the amount of $10,000, and two farms in Kentucky and one in Missouri. Dr. and Mrs. Wilkinson have two children-Alexander Huston, born March 18, 1880, and Willa Belle, born Sept. 19, 1882.
A. C. Wood, M. D., is one of the most prominent members of the medical profession of Owensboro. The Doctor came here in 1852, a young man, and engaged at once in the practice of medi- cine. His affable manner and thorough medical education was soon recognized in the community, and he soon took rank among the leading practitioners of Daviess County. He was at one time President of the Green River Medical Society, filling the office with ability. In April, 1853, Dr. Wood was married to Miss Mary F. White, danghter of E. T. White, Esq. Mrs. Wood is a native of Virginia and came with her parents to Owensboro when about four years of age. The Doctor and wife are the parents of but one child, Edward W., who was born at Owensboro in August, 1854. Edward was educated at the Michigan State University, Ann Arbor, graduating in 1873. He is now one of the rising young busi- ness men of this city and a member of the firm of Turpin & Wood. This firm condnets one of the heaviest tobacco trades in Owensboro. During the late war Doctor Wood was an uncompromising Union man, and in opposition to public sentiment expressed his views plainly and avowed his faith in the ultimate triumph of the Union arms. After the war, when in 1866 the question of a separation of the Presbyterian church between the North and Sonth came up, Doctor Wood was the only officer in his church who voted to send delegates to the General Assembly. The Doctor and Mrs. Wood have long been active and consistent members of the Pres- byterian church in Owensboro.
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CHAPTER XI. GEOLOGY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
The extreme length of the county from east to west is about thirty-five miles; average length, twenty-six miles; average width north to south, sixteen miles; containing about 422 square miles, or 280,000 acres. The county seat is on the northern border and on the Ohio River, equi-distant between the upper and lower cor- ners of the county, and although on the northern border, is within four or five miles of the geographical center of the county, owing to a great Southern bend in the Ohio River.
Almost every variety of soil is embraced in the county, from third to first rate, the greater portion being or approaching the first quality of farming land. One half the area is river bottom and level land. Many thousand acres of rich, black land lie so level as to badly need ditching, much of the best lands in the county in various localities being of this character. The greater portion of the broken or hilly land lies along the eastern border of the county. Much of the broken land is rich, and but a small portion too steep for cultivation. The Buzzard Roost Hills, west of Owens- boro, covering some 5,000 acres, is all farming land of the first or- der, a small portion only being too steep for the plow. Some of the best farms in the county are on and among these hills. A strata of coal over five feet thick underlies this portion of the county. The timber consists of yellow poplar, black walnut, honey locust, black locust, mulberry, red and white oak, black ash, sugar tree, birch, etc., etc.
Another broken or hilly portion of the county is embraced in Vanover and Curdsville precincts, some twelve to eighteen miles southwest of Owensboro. But a small portion of this land can be classed as poor, and all is covered with excellent timber-poplar, white, red and black oak, hickory, dogwood, etc., and some of the hills in this section with sugar-tree and beech. The poorer the hills the better the white oak. Coal of good quality and in work- able veins, or strata, is found under all the hilly portions of the
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county. The class of soil denominated third rate is found along some of our creek bottoms, being too low, and frequently covered by the overflowing of the creeks and back water from Green River. Much of this low land, however, is covered with the forest oak, hickory and gum tim ber.
RIVERS AND CREEKS.
The Ohio River for thirty miles is the northern boundary. Green River touches the county for about twenty miles on the west, and Blackford Creek about twelve miles on the east. The other prin- cipal streams are North and South Panther creeks. North Panther has its rise in Hancock County; South Panther, the larger of the two, in Breckenridge County. They unite about six miles south of Owensboro, making Main Panther Creek, which winds and crooks nearly through the middle of the western half of the county, and unites with Green River at the town of Curdsville, about four- teen miles southwest of Owensboro. The other creeks are Pup Creek, rising in the east end of the county, and flowing north- west into the Ohio River. Yellow Creek is a stream of limited strength which flows north to the Ohio River, two miles below Pup Creek. South Rhodes Creek rises in McLean County, flows north into Panther Creek, entering it six miles due south of Owens- boro. Knob Lick flows north into Panther Creek, two miles above the mouth of Panther. Delaware rises in McLean County, flows northwest, and enters Green River half a mile below the village of Delaware. North Rhodes Creek has its head in the Roost Hills, flows west into Green River, which it enters ten miles west of Owensboro.
THE SOIL.
The soil of Daviess County is a strong clay and rich loam, pecul- iarly adapted to the raising of tobacco, and is, next to Christian the most extensive tobacco-growing county in the State.
A specimen of one of the best soils in the county was taken in 1856 from the slope of a ridge on Henry Dugan's land in the forks of Panther, which had never been cultivated, near the coal-measure limestone, and analyzed under the supervision of David Dale Owen, the State Geologist. The primitive forest growth at the place was hard maple (sugar-tree), yellow poplar, black oak, hick- ory, yellow sweet gum, black gum, elm, beech and black walnut.
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The dried soil was of a mouse color. Washed with water, it left 82.3 per cent. of sand, etc., of which all but 1.6 per cent. was fine enough to pass through the finest bolting-cloth. This portion con- sisted principally of rounded ferruginous particles, with a few grains of hyaline quartz, and of a black substance like scoria.
One thousand grains of the air-dried soil, digested for a month in water containing carbonic acid, gave up to it nearly four and a half grains of brownish-gray extract, dried at 212º F., which had the following composition, viz:
GRAINS.
Organic and volatile matter.
1.340
Alumina, oxide of iron and phosphate.
.218
Carbonate of lime. 1.660
Magnesia.
.266
Brown oxide of manganese.
.497
Sulphuric acid. .188
Potash .142
Soda
.023
,099 Silica
4.483
The air-dried soil lost 4.20 per cent. of moisture at 400°, F., dried at which temperature it had the following composition:
GRAINS.
Organic and volatile matters
6.972
Alumina.
1.360
Oxide of iron.
1.660
Carbonate of lime. .536
.358
Brown oxide of manganese. 218
.122
Sulphuric acid. .103
Potash .193
029 Soda
Sand and insoluble silicates and loss.
89.394
100.000
A specimen from the same farm, but which had been in cultiva- tion four years, in tobacco, wheat, etc., yielded, on analysis, the following results: Color of the dried soil a little ligliter than that of the preceding, and of a slight yellowish tint. Washed with water it left 80.2 per cent. of sand, etc., of which all but 1.4 per cent. was fine enough to pass through;the finest bolting-cloth; this portion was principally small, rounded, ferruginous particles with a few quartzose.
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Magnesia.
Phosphoric acid
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HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
One thousand grains of the air-dried soil, digested for a month in water containing carbonic acid, gave up more than three and a half grains of light brownish-gray extract which had the following composition:
GRAINB.
Organic and volatile matters.
.800
Alumina, oxide of iron and phosphates
168
Carbonate of lime. 1.793
Magnesia
.233
Brown oxide of manganese
367
Sulphuric acid .090
.083
Soda
.042
Silica
3.720
The air-dried soil 'lost :2.88 per cent. of moisture at 400º F., dried at which temperature it has the following composition:
Organic and volatile matters.
.6.301
Alumina 1.776
Oxide of iron.
2.380
Carbonate of lime.
.416
Magnesia
341
Brown oxide of manganese.
.036
Phosphoric acid. 151
Sulphuric acid .096
Potash .158
Soda
.027
Band and insoluble silicates.
89.236
100.919
Sub-soil from the same field gave the following characters: Color of the dried sub-soil dirty gray-buff; much lighter than that of the preceding soil. Washed with water this sub-soil left 75.9 per cent. of sand, etc., of which all but 0.9 per cent. was fine enough to pass through the finest bolting-cloth. This portion consisted of rounded ferruginous and quartzose particles, with a few of a dark-colored substance like scoria.
One thousand grains of the air-dried sub-soil, digested for a month in water charged with carbonic acid, gave up more than a grain and a half of brownish-gray extract, which had the follow- ing composition, viz. :
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GRAINS.
Potash
.139
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HISTORY OF DAVIESS COUNTY.
GRAINS.
Organic and volatile matters.
0.340
Alumina, oxide of iron and phosphates.
068
Carbonate of lime.
.496
Magnesia
106
Brown oxide of manganeae 259
Sulphuric acid. 113
Potash
.073
Soda.
001
Silica
149
1.587
The air-dried sub-soil lost 2.40 per cent. of moisture at 400 º F., and thus dried had the following composition:
GRAINS.
Organic and volatile matters
2.868
Alumina
1.756
Oxide of iron
2.520
Carbonate of lime
.038
Magnesia
.156
Brown oxide of manganese.
.174
Phosphoric acid. .177
Sulphuric acid.
.068
Potash
.097
Soda
.015
Band and insoluble silicates.
92.276
100.145
The soil of the field which has been in cultivation only four years in tobacco and wheat shows a sensible diminution of organic matters, lime, magnesia, sulphuric and phosphoric acids, and the alkalies; is of a slightly lighter color than the virgin soil, gives less soluble extract to the water containing carbonic acid (representing atmospheric water), and holds less of hydrometric moisture; moreover, it contains a somewhat larger proportion of sand and in- soluble silicates. The sub-soil of the old field is not as rich as the original surface soil.
In the chemical report accompanying the State Geological Report of 1877, the following 'analyses of soils from this county are given:
Virgin soil from a hill-top on the farm of H. Riley, on the O. & N. Railroad, about fifteen miles from Owensboro, was of a light gray-brown color, contained no gravel, and the bolting-cloth sieve separated from its silicious residue a considerable quantity of fine, rounded quartz grains, both translucent and opaque. About 86}
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per cent. of it was sand and insoluble silicates, 6 per cent oxides of alumina, iron and manganese, and 5} organic and volatile matters.
Surface soil from an old field sixty-five years in cultivation, in corn and tobacco principally, now overgrown with sassafras, in the same locality as the preceding, was of a lighter and more yellow- ish light gray-brown color, containing no gravel, and the silicious residue contained very few small quartz grains. The sand and insoluble silicates constituted 883 per cent. of it, the oxides of alumina, iron and manganese 7 per cent., and the organic and volatile matters 3 per cent. The sub-soil to the last was of a brownish-yellow ocher color, contained no gravel and a very few fine quartz grains. Of sand and insoluble silicates there was 853 per cent .; of the oxides of alumina, iron and manganese, 10}, and of organic and volatile, 24.
Upland virgin soil from the farm of Rev. A. Hopkins, Crow's Station, from the coal measures, was of a brownish umber- gray color, and contained neither gravel nor fine quartz grains. Eighty-six and a half per cent. of it was sand and insoluble silicates, 5g organic and volatile matters, and 5g oxides of alumina, iron and manganese.
The soil from an old field in the same vicinity, forty years in cultivation, where the substratum is sandstone, was of a dirty buff color, had no gravel or fine silicious sand, had 91 per cent. of other sand and insoluble silicates, 5} per cent. of the alumina, iron and manganese oxides, and a little over 2} per cent. of organic and volatile matters. The sub-soil was of a brownish orange-bnff color, had no gravel or fine quartzose sand, had 81} per cent. of other sand and insoluble silicates, 13 per cent. of the alumina, iron and manganese oxides, and a little over three per cent. of organic and volatile matters.
The comparative analyses of these soils show the usual influence of continued exhaustive culture in the diminution of some of their essential mineral ingredients. The soils are of full average natural fertility; the sub-soils would doubtless benefit the surface if grad- ually brought up in the cultivation, and organic matters supplied by the ameliorating influence of clover and other green crops wholly or partly plowed in. A considerable reserve of the alkalies is seen to be present in the insoluble silicates, which will add greatly to the durability of the soil; but, doubtless, the application of available phosphates, and the use of wood ashes, would be beneficial in increasing the productiveness of the old field soils.
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A specimen from a point on the Henderson road one and a half miles from Green River, belonging to the quarternary formation overlying the coal measures, and where the native trees were white oak, poplar, hickory, etc., and the ground devoted to tobacco, yielded the following results: Color of the dried soil, brownish gray; seventy-four per cent. fine sand, of a dirty buff color, of which twenty-four per cent. was as coarse as bar sand, composed of rounded quartz grains, clear yellow and reddish. One thousand grains of the air-dried soil gave up, when digested in carbonated water for a month, about three and a half grains of brown solid extract, dried at 212°, which consisted mostly of organic and vola- tile matters, with traces of alumina, iron, the usual phosphates, lime, manganese oxide, magnesia, sulphuric acid, potash, soda and silica. The air-dried soil lost only 1.62 per cent. of moisture at 365°, and dried at this temperature it gave, in 100 parts, 92 of silica, 3% organic and volatile, 2 each of alumina and iron oxide, and traces of brown oxide of manganese, lime, carbonate, magne- sia, phosphoric and sulphuric acids, potash and soda.
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